Stiganator's Fitness Journal

[Stiganator]

Starting today, I will be sticking to this plan like white on rice.



Currently (05/28/08), I'm 195 lbs, 6'4", I'd say I'm between 15-20% body fat.

I would like to get back down to 165-175 lbs and/or lose 4-5 inches on the waist (depending on if I gain muscle) in 8-12 months.

I'm switching to the 6 small meals a day plan with twice a day running/situps/pushups. Time permitting I will try to make it to an actual gym for strength training, 2-3 times per week.

Tomorrow's Foods:

1. Bagel and OJ
2. Trail mix (Pecans, Soy Nuts, Sunflower seeds, Raisons, Apricots)
3. Yogurt and Soy Nuts
4. Cherries and Pear
5. Jerked Pork
6. Fresh Romaine lettuce and fresh carrots
7. 5 cups of water, 5 cups of cold tea I brewed


Supplements and Vitamins:
1. Multi Vitamin
2. Flax Oil capsules

 

[GenHoth]

Diet and exercise. You can't reduce the fat on specific areas of the body. It all has to come down together.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: GenHoth
Diet and exercise. You can't reduce the fat on specific areas of the body. It all has to come down together.

Yup. No specific exercise is going to target stomach and love handle fat. You need to aim at losing fat in general, which is done with diet and exercise (more diet).

 

[Stiganator]

Ok. How about how can I develop my abs most efficiently. I don't really have any obliques.

What exercises can I do at home to maximize muscle definition?

I like to workout at home, so I have a couple 20 lb dumbbells, some elastic cord things.

Is pilates and yoga recommended, then I could spend time with my girlfriend simultaneously?

 

[zoiks]

I'm having the same problem. I've been dieting and exercising for about 6 months now and I've lost 52lbs so far. While my waist has gone from 36" to 32", I still have noticeable fat on my belly. I'm 5'9" and about 168lbs now.
People tell me that I'm pretty slim now but I won't stop until I get my tummy reduced. I guess it'll be the last to go.

 

[KoolDrew]

The best ways to develop your core are heavy compound movements (squats and deadlifts) in addition to things like weighted crunches, leg raises, one armed farmer walks, side bends, etc. There's really a lot of different ways to work your core. Just make sure to use weight on every movement and keeps reps anywhere from 6-12. Try to increase weight every workout as well.

Keep in mind working your abs may make them grow while in a calorie surplus, it will take a calorie deficit to lose the fat and actually show some definition. You would be better off doing more than just ab work as well.

 

[KoolDrew]

I guess it'll be the last to go.

Usually it is for men. Along with low back fat. For women it tends to be lower body fat that's the issue.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
Ok. How about how can I develop my abs most efficiently. I don't really have any obliques.

What exercises can I do at home to maximize muscle definition?

I like to workout at home, so I have a couple 20 lb dumbbells, some elastic cord things.

Is pilates and yoga recommended, then I could spend time with my girlfriend simultaneously?

To have muscle definition, you need two things:
1. Muscle mass
2. Low body fat %

You can have kickass set of abs, but if its covered by a layer of fat, they will look like fat.
Adding muscle mass in one area (stomach, arms, etc) does not make sense. So, join a gym and do barbell program to add strength, muscle mass overall, increase metabolism for fat burning and just plain feel better.

20 lb DBs and elastic stuff won't do jack. Lift heavy barbells with basic, compound exercises and control the diet, and supplement this with cardio work on non-lifting days.

I don't know what pilates and yoga are, but if it's cardio (gets heart rate up high for 30+ minutes), then you can do it on non-lifting days.

See sticky on top of the forum for lifting program and diet info.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
Ok. How about how can I develop my abs most efficiently. I don't really have any obliques.

What exercises can I do at home to maximize muscle definition?

I like to workout at home, so I have a couple 20 lb dumbbells, some elastic cord things.

Is pilates and yoga recommended, then I could spend time with my girlfriend simultaneously?

It is almost all diet that maximizes muscle definition. You're gonna want to get on a resistance training program and you're gonna wanna find some cardio that you like. I highly doubt pilates nor yoga will give you results that you want, although it will give you a better knowledge of your body's balance and will strengthen body-weight motions.

 

[Bateluer]

Everyone's body is different. A good diet and effective aerobic exercise routine will help reduce fat over the entire body. Some people will lose their pudgy thighs first, some will lose their man boobs first. Unfortunately, I fall under those who lose everything but the stomach flab. I run regularly, but my diet has been suffering this past month.

 

[Koing]

You will have to eat A LOT LESS or eat very clean for at least a month, if you are moderately lean already. Or hammer the cardio like no other.

Low carb to say 40-50-70g PER DAY MAX, do some low level cv : walking in the morning, cycling, rowing. I mention low level because it is very hard to do sprint intervals when low carbing.

A piece of white toast has 19g of carbs!

THIS will get you ripped BUT you will need an iron will to make it happen. Your basically stuck with green veg, salad and chicken/ tuna, grilled meats and veg. No bananas.

If you want it bad enough you will gut it out and do it.

Koing

 

[presidentender]

Originally posted by: Koing
...you will need an iron will to make it happen. ...

Koing

Indeed. I have a number of friends who spend time in the gym with me (heck, most of them spend more time than I do) but don't diet or do cardio. Their abs are stronger than mine. Mine are visible. You must realize that exercise by itself doesn't mean that the universe owes you a ripped body, and your habits must change not temporarily but for the long term in order to make a difference.

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: presidentender

Originally posted by: Koing
...you will need an iron will to make it happen. ...

Koing

Indeed. I have a number of friends who spend time in the gym with me (heck, most of them spend more time than I do) but don't diet or do cardio. Their abs are stronger than mine. Mine are visible. You must realize that exercise by itself doesn't mean that the universe owes you a ripped body, and your habits must change not temporarily but for the long term in order to make a difference.

I have a friend that does the same sorta thing, works out more then I do, does zero cardio. But he eats like an 80% red meat diet then fills in the last 20% with BS like cokes and fries and wonders why he can't gain any more muscle mass and lose the gut.

He just won't accept that diet has a huge huge effect on your body.. never understood why people don't accept "You are what you eat"

 

[Jgtdragon]

I would say mainly on diet and lots of carido excercise. I been running two times a week about 3 miles a run for 4 weeks. I am starting to see my abs.

Week 5 and hopefully get a 6 packs by summer!

 

[Stiganator]

When should you eat certain things?

I'm switching to a 6 small meals a day formula. I'll post the excel sheet later.

When should I eat the proteins, carbs, fats?

I was under the impression that the key to getting ripped was high reps, low weight, does that work?

 

[Stiganator]

It's important to keep metabolism up. I wake up at 6:30 and run and do a light workout, then at about 6 pm I do the same. I don't like being sweaty all day when I'm in the lab. Is a 100 yd jog every 2-3 hours enough to keep my body processing through out the day? I figure it would be a good way to break up the boredom of lab work too.

Electrophysiology= Small dark, room with microscopes all freakin day

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
When should you eat certain things?

I'm switching to a 6 small meals a day formula. I'll post the excel sheet later.

When should I eat the proteins, carbs, fats?

I was under the impression that the key to getting ripped was high reps, low weight, does that work?

No, high reps, low weight has nothing to do with it. Being in a caloric deficit and burning the fat has everything to do with it. Beginning bodybuilders often do programs very similar to Starting Strength (or more isolated programs), which involve 4-6 reps and you've seen them. When they get ready for a show, it's all nutrition that gets their body fat % down. Also, I try not to time my nutrients, except for a banana before my workout and some protein afterwards. I try to get all three into every meal in semi-equal proportions.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
It's important to keep metabolism up. I wake up at 6:30 and run and do a light workout, then at about 6 pm I do the same. I don't like being sweaty all day when I'm in the lab. Is a 100 yd jog every 2-3 hours enough to keep my body processing through out the day? I figure it would be a good way to break up the boredom of lab work too.

Electrophysiology= Small dark, room with microscopes all freakin day

Also (sorry to break this into two posts), if you workout in the morning, that will boost your metabolism for a large part of the day. The jogs probably won't benefit your TOO much, but you can do it for kicks. I would probably do stretching instead since that will burn both calories and work on your flexibility.

 

[Stiganator]

Here's the plan: OP updated too

 

[spamsk8r]

More protein and fat are needed in your diet, along with less carbohydrates. You should try to get protein at each meal/snack. Fats are not the enemy, but excessive carbs are. Especially processed carbs like bagels and fruit juice. If you want orange, eat an orange, the fiber reduces the speed of stomach emptying and you won't overload yourself with insulin, like I'm sure you're doing now. Protein and fat intake mitigate insulin response. Insulin grabs excess glucose in your blood and stores it in your muscles and fat cells. You want to keep an even balance of insulin and glucagon if you want to lose fat, and carbohydrate-heavy meals are not going to do that. More meat!

 

[MegaVovaN]

200 sit ups a day? Why? They suck.
http://worldfitnessnetwork.com....php/sit-ups-suck-abs/