Nostaigia's second Lifting/Bodybuilding/Fitness Q & A Thread

...I....did main an aran .. O_O

What you are seeing isn't muscle lose. Aside from special circumstances (disease/sickness, some sort of genetic disorder, etc.), the body cannot and will not lose muscle that quickly. What you are seeing is a shift of water and glycogen. Ever notice how you can take 2-3 weeks out of the gym, begin to look a lot less impressive, but within 2-3 weeks of being in the gym consistently again (often times even less) you are back to where you were? Honestly you won't really begin to experience real muscle loss until about a month (this doesn't account for 100% zero activity, such is if you were lying in a hospital bed for a month). That being said you will experience strength and size loss from loss of water within the muscle along with a loss of muscle glycogen.

 

Wow thanks for taking the time to reply more information than I've expected.

 

What are your thoughts on bodytypes? I'm starting to get real tired of hearing people talk about being an ectomorph so they can't put on muscle, or an endomorph so they can't lose weight, nowadays seems like no one is a mesomorph.

 

All total bullshit excuses. When I started lifting I was a 140lb skinny state level long jumper/triple jumper and 200/400/800m runner. Two years later I would tell people oh ya I went to state for blah blah blah and they'd go..uhh what, are you sure it wasn't like discus or shotput? At the end of the day your "body type" is what you are willing to put in the work for. There's no such thing as a body type that has a difficult time putting on muscle/weight unless you have AIDs, cancer, or hyperthyroidism. The problem people have is they lack the knowledge and self control/discipline to manipulate their body to do what they want it to. Can't put on muscle? Lol okay, do you weigh yourself every single morning when you wake up? If the answer is yes, is your weight staying the same or going up consistently month after month? If it isn't going up...eat more. "but I eat a lot"....no you don't. Eat more. "But..." No buts. Eat more.

Contest prep was amazing for me, not because I did a show or won a trophy, but because I now have 100% control over how my body works. Do I want to be shredded during this time of the year and bulky large this part of the year? Easy, I know exactly how long it will take me and what I need to do to make myself this bodyweight with this look. At the end of the day it all comes down to what you know and your ability to put what you know into action over a period of time consistently.

 

I've been wondering, is it easier to get down to a lower bodyfat% when you've been there?
I used to struggle to put on weight, but now that I've been a specific weight it's easier to go up and down.

 

Hey. Thanks in advance.

So I'm trying to keep track of calories because I just like to see the numbers. I'm trying to lose weight whilst getting stronger. I'm running a calorie deficit but I have no idea how much of a deficit is okay. I read a few places saying that one shouldn't aim to achieve too much of a deficit otherwise it will be counter productive. I'm very confused as to whether I'm eating enough or too little.

My diet right now on weekdays (on weekends I don't bother too much with calorie counting, I just strive to eat healthy)

12 eggs.
200g tofu
300-500ml semi-skimmed milk
200g cooked medium-grain brown rice
150g chicken breast
1 canned tuna

getting me around 1800kcal, before fruit and veg. I can't imagine too many of my calories being made up from fruit and (mostly) veg.

From the BMR calculators online it says I roughly need 1900kcal....

Should I just not bother with counting?

 

Yes too small of a deficit has many downsides. For one your metabolism will down regulate. Second, the larger the deficit, the more muscle will be lost as well as strength. Online calcs are essentially useless. Nobody can tell you what you need roughly per day. It could be 1750 it could be 2800. The only way to truly find this out is to track what you eat every single day to the point and weigh yourself every morning. If you have been eating 2kcals every day for 2 weeks and your body weight has stayed the same for 2 weeks (given small daily fluctuations, but the same in the end), then 2kcals is your "maintenance". The goal is to NOT crash diet. Take your maintenance, subtract 250-500kcals, and track your weight every day. Adjust as needed. Again, though, how much you can lose per week and have it be "ok" is going to depend on how fat you are. If you are 30% bodyfat, go ahead and lose 5lbs a week if you can. If you are 12%, don't even dare try to drop 5lbs a week. I really can't tell you if you are eating too much or too little based on the information you've given me. For a 210lb bodybuilder in decent shape, 1900kacls is far too low, but for a 160lb newbie lifter? Maybe it's alright. Again, since you like numbers this should be easy for you. Weigh yourself in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating/drinking anything every day for 2 weeks and track exactly what you eat. Use that to help gauge how much your body needs on a daily basis to maintain weight.

Also, please track fruits at least. Vegetables, when eaten in small quantities, don't always have to be counted (if you eat large amounts COUNT IT), but fruits should 100% be counted. Also keep in mind if you dont count on the weekends, there is a very big chance that you will not make any progress. If you are in a 100kcal deficit every day (this is a VERY slow cut by the way), and you don't count saturday and sunday, you could very well put on weight over time. It is extremely easy to "forget" how much you have actually eaten for the day. There have actually been studies that show that when people do not track everything they eat, and even sometimes when they do, their mind subconciously leaves some foods out and basically lies to itself and they eat more than they literally thought they did.

Something to also keep in mind that although overall kcals are the most important, macronutrients are also very important. How much protein, fat, and carbs are you taking in every day? Different diets can produce very different results in terms of body composition. Generally 50-65g fats is wanted for hormonal and brain function (I'd suggest not getting the majority of your fats from whole eggs by the way, try to split that up - maybe some red meat, anything really. not a fan of getting 80% of your macronutrient from a single source, mainly with fats). I could go more in depth but im not sure how big of an essay I feel like writing right now =X

 

Thanks @Nostalgia. Will start counting on weekends and including fruit in the diet. Don't suppose you could link me anything that expands on the last thing you mentioned?

 

Bruh looks like tiger dragon blood coarsing through your veins on them legs yo. What da fuck do you eat, cereal and onyx apples for breakfast? Ham and swiss cheese sandwhiches? Dedication tho, I respect bodybuilders. Not my thing tho I'm that skinny black guy that feasts on chicken 24/7 and never changes.

 

I don't really have any links or keep anything saved unfortunately. The main points I want to make is that macronutrients can be manipulated for different purposes and some dont understand what each one does. For example, fats and protein are essential to the body - carbs are not. Technically, nobody needs carbs to survive as a human being, ever. Both fats and proteins can be converted into energy as carbs are, just under a different and longer/more difficult process, which is why diets such as keto are viable (though not neccessarily optimal). Also, people tend to look at fats as bad, but they are vital. For someone not using steroids/gear, they are essential for regulating hormonal levels and brain function. Drop your fats to 15g a day for an extended period of time as a natural male and you will feel like utter shit no matter how many calories you are consuming in protein and carbs. Make sure you aren't going below 50-60g of fats ever (im not sure the number for females, it is probably around 40g though, since females just naturally need to consume less than males overall - but don't quote me on that). Protein intake should be higher while losing weight than while "bulking" or gaining weight to aid in preserving muscle mass, which is lost quite easily on natural people. I generally like over 1g/lb while you are cutting. For example, someone who is a 185lb lifter and trying to cut, I would probably suggest they consume at least 200-220g of protein a day. As for my statement about not getting all your fats from a single source, there are different types of essential fatty acids. Fats from fish, nuts, eggs, and red meat are all slightly different from one another. Ideally you would be getting a variety of different fat sources throughout the day. Does it REALLY make a big difference? Probably not. Is it healthy to be consuming them in different quantities? Very much so yes - this is why if you do not have fish in your daily diet it is highly suggest you supplement fish oil. If you simply google "omega fatty acids", this comes up -

Spoiler: google

The three types of omega-3 fatty acids involved in human physiology are α-linolenic acid (ALA) (found in plant oils), eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (both commonly found in marine oils). Marine algae and phytoplankton are primary sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

. Basically, my point is that it is important, though not vital, to understand how macronutrients work and what they do. Although manipulating calories in versus calories out/energy balancing is ultimately going to decide between weight gained and lost (for the most part), understanding how to manipulate different macronutrients can help improve body composition and how your body works as a whole. When you decide to lower your calories another 200 calories, where should you take it out of? Just carbs? Some protein? All from fats? Maybe a mixture of all of them? I'd say most people would either dump fats or carbs, but that MAY not be the most efficient or beneficial strategy.

 

Thanks m8. If that last part was in reference to you eating lots of chicken but never really making progress - track your food and eat "dirty" if need be. Most people are, for a lack of a better word...pus-- I mean whimps when it comes to eating food. There were points where I had to force feed myself to gain weight, drink olive oil, drink 2 cups of whole milk everytime I entered the kitchen (By the way I don't suggest this if you care about your health, it aided ruining my cholesterol before I knew bad cholesterol ran in the family to begin with).

I dont remember the science behind this stuff anymore to be honest - it has to do with the body creating some sort of fat cells - but I believe the answer is that it is easier to get fat once you have been fat. I am not sure about the bodies ability to lose fat though. I will say that once you have done it, it is definitely easier simply because you know how you did it prior and can replicate the process even if you did it inefficiently. I can say that I am not sure HOW MUCH easier it is to put on fat once you have already been that weight. It might be a reasonable difference, or unmeasurable. 1%, 10%, .01% - I could not say.

 

Hey bro nice physique man. Respect right there. I have a couple of questions.
How long have you been lifting and how long of that was "smart training"? I would like to know how long of "smart training" you did to take you where you are now. Smart training meaning, tracking macros, tracking your weight all that fun stuff.

Was it when you started to hire IFBB pro coaches? I've been lifting for sometime now but I wasn't as informed as I am now and all that time lifting was just fun about stuff, however now I'm alot more informed and I'm about to get serious into this bodybuilding shit. It would be nice to post how it all started for you. From a 140lbs guy to where you are today.

Also what contributed to your success besides your upmost dedication? I feel like being around pros and coaches definitely seem to help, being in the scene with people around you having the same goals and ideas, keeps you accountable, which is something I'm lacking of.

 

I'll write out a good response tomorrow without any bullshit lies and 100% truth. (You'll see why I say this in my response)

 

Sure man, take all the time you need. Bro, judging by all the questions you answered in this thread, You're legit man, you know what you're talking about. Thanks for taking the time bruh. -Zyzz flex-

 

@Nostaigia bro I know I said take all the time you need but it’s been 3 years bruh lmao.

Also how were your Bodybuilding journey these past 3 years?

 

Lmao, brother! I remember how special this game was for me at the time reading setences like this one. LOL.
I don't know why I'm here. Good times man, good times. Royals in it's prime was a damn good experience.

 

I wish I played during that time. T.T From the forums I can already tell you guys had a blast with each other.