Originally Posted by WI Crippler

Ok, I think the time has come for me to quit trying to cardio all my excess weight off. I keep trying to start off slow with the cardio, and then I end up 2 weeks later, doing all sorts of cardio and I start to look thin, an not like a lean or more defined thin, but just thinner, with no gains in strength or muscularity, even though I do some weight training.

So this time around, I am thinking I will go the weight training route and try to increase my muscular size, which as I have read, helps you burn fat faster than doing cardio. My goal is to get up to 250lbs, but cut my body fat % to 8%. I think 6'3" and 250lbs is a decent size for a guy to be.

Does anybody have any advice as far as nutrition? Excersise routines? Supplements(no steroids or HGH)?

Originally Posted by Korimyr the Rat

Cardio is good, even when you're trying to bulk up. Biggest thing is you need the extra calories, in order to build the extra mass.



If you get your heart rate up to 80% of your recommended maximum and keep it there for a few minutes right before your weight training routine, you'll have more power for performing your exercises-- and the exercises will keep your HR in that ideal range.



I'd recommend keeping it in the 10-12% range. And if you've got any kind of musculature at all, stay away from BMI charts-- they were clearly designed for prepubescent girls.

Hell, I'm 5'7" and 230, and those charts tell me that I'm "obese"-- close to "morbidly obese"-- and I don't have much more than a little spare tire to work off.



Basic nutritional formula is that maintaining stasis requires you to eat 10 times your body weight (in pounds) in calories per day. If you want to reduce your mass, eat less than this, and if you want to increase your mass, you need to eat more. Even if you are trying to put muscle mass on to make it easier to burn fat, you're going to have to suck a temporary weight gain in order to put that muscle on.

Stick to your normal, healthy diet-- I'm assuming you're not an idiot-- while you're trying to bulk up, but increase your caloric intake to just under the amount you'd need to maintain weight. Then, whenever you hit the gym, drink a tall glass of chocolate milk before and after your exercise routine, and another at bedtime. You need the fat and sugar for energy for your workout, and milk proteins are the best for producing muscle tissue. The glass at bedtime helps you to repair muscle damage while you're sleeping.

If you want supplements, buy amino acids. Preferably, you want low-dose supplements that contain all of the necessary aminos, instead of the ones that feature high-doses of a single one. The other thing you might need is iron.

As far as your exercise routine... do a strong cardio warm-up before you get into your exercises, and then again as a cool-down afterwards. You want your heart rate at 80% of maximum, just like for prolonged cardio work, when you start your weights routine. As long as you're pretty constant at your exercises and don't take long breaks between them, you'll keep your HR in the ideal range, and keeping your metabolism at a higher rate makes it easier to build muscle, not to mention helping with fat-burning.

Then, figure out some schedule of exercises that allows you to exercise every day, but only work each muscle group every other day. Gives you time to heal from your workout, which is essential for building muscle.

Originally Posted by Goldenboy219

Nope, in order to effectively perform anaerobic exercises, proper nutritional intake is required. Which is kinda off topic here, because Cripp is talking about gaining lean muscle mass, and not implementing muscle density training. You cant expect to lose weight while maintaining a 3-5k kilocalorie diet.

The thing is, food intake cannot be equal if you are trying to primarily cut, primarily bulk, or maintain a stasis. While it is very possible to increase muscle mass along with cutting bf%, its not very efficient to do so. Even when cutting, you will lose lean muscle. The trick is to gain enough muscle to be able to afford to lose while cutting to your ideal weight/bf%...

Originally Posted by RightOfCenter

Alright guru, what do you suppose is the best way to cut body fat percentage? I want to at least see a little definition in my abs and lose the love handles. I do a ton of long distance running (2-3 miles every morning) followed by pushups and an ab workout, but I don't really seem to be losing that much. Anything else I should do along with changing my diet?

Originally Posted by Kelzie

Oooo, I have a question too! I've been told that weight training your legs will make you a stronger/faster runner, but I'm not sure how to incorporate it into my schedule. I need the rest on my days off to recover from my runs, so I'm not sure if I should do it on my off days. Maybe my light running days? Here's my schedule for this week:

Mon: rest
Tues: 3 mi
Wed: 5 mi
Thur: 3 mi
Fri: rest
Sat: 10 mi
Sun: cross train

Any thoughts?

Originally Posted by WI Crippler

I hear having lots of sex in the doggy style position does wonders for a womans legs.

Gunny, you can thank me later.

Originally Posted by Kelzie

I'll inform him of your oh so scientific workout plan tonight.


"But baabbbyyyy....I have to! You don't want me to get fat, do you?"

Originally Posted by WI Crippler

Don't tell me that you have to beg Gunny for doggystyle?

There are other positions women can take that have physical benefits, if doggy isn't his thing. Missionary is the only position that you should go ahead and skip, since you really don't get anything out of it as far as fitness(unless you are on a balance ball).