As an 18 year old your recovery will be amazing.
The regularity/timing of exercise won't matter so much provided you lift heavy and progressively overload.

I'll suggest farmers walks in addition to a structured program

(06-08-2017 11:33 AM)Northern Wastes Wrote:  Hey Guys, hope this is the right place to ask this.

I'm am 18 year old back at my parents place for the summer and hoping to cash in on all the free food I can eat to start bulking. I work a tour based on-call job that can give me pretty wacky work days that start from 8am-9:30pm; so I have a hard time getting a solid routine going.

The only place in town that has any real type of weightlifting equipment is my MMA Gym that I go to when I can.
I have permission to use the Gym during the day sometimes to sneak a workout in if I can but I never get a good routine going.

I'd be happy training at home, and am not opposed to doing body workouts, I just struggle with the motivation. Also my cardio is pretty awful right now.

I'm 6'3 and approximately 200lbs

Any advice appreciated. And any diet advice would be great too, I eat pretty healthy but there is always room for improvement.

Can you get to that MMA gym 3 times a week? You didn't mention your gym experience, but guessing based on your age, either running stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength is probably best for you. Each workout should take about an hour.

If you want to bulk, the best way to do that in my experience is by adding one heavy meal to your diet that you eat once a day, consistently. I personally do this by blending a smoothie (milk, pb, oats, protein, etc) to get an easy 600-800 calories. Of course, this only works if the rest of your diet is fairly consistent day to day. Weigh yourself and keep track of it to determine if you need to be eating more. Gaining 0.5-1lb per week is good.

With your current height/weight you have potential to make some solid gains. Good luck.

Thanks you to everyone who replied. I could probably get to the Gym 3 times a week, weather it be class or on my own time.
I was thinking a combo of running to improve my cardio and 5x5 strong lifts would probably be my best best.
I looked at the dieting suggestions, good stuff.

I hope to make some solid gains before the fall time.

Quote:The more generic approach is to take your bodyweight x 15 (this is maintenance for most folks) in calories. Eat this way for two weeks and weigh yourself before and after. If you put on a pound, great, keep doing what you're doing. If not, add 200 calories a day in the form of carbs.

Your macronutrient breakdown will look like 20% fat, at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (you can go higher if you like), and the rest carbs. This is the sort of advice you'd get from bodybuilders and it does work, but again it's a pain in the ass to count every calorie.

Hannibal was kind enough to share some info with me in PMs. I figure maybe it could help someone else. I am about to get back on a normal diet. Was doing RFL. I like the 15 calories per body weight calc. Some of the internet calculators were giving me a wide range of figures.

How critical is it to hit 20% fat?

I am thinking of just premaking chicken and pasta/other carb and just stick them in tupperware. Throw hot sauce on it for flavor.

My research tells me measure caloric values of meat before cooking and the same with pasta/carbs. Some guys were asking about weighing after cooking but the consensus is that the weight loss of the meat is generally water, so just use all pre cook weights to determine calories.

Wish me luck on this next phase.

Deadlifted 5x125kg tonight and it felt really good, so smashed out 5x130kg too.

I haven't been able to visit the gym for two days because I have late night classes but the rest has done me good.
It's a good reminder that the progress is made in between gym sessions.

How do you guys stay consistent with your ab training? For some reason I hate doing abs. Last time I had a back injury I was told it was due to a lack of proper warmup and a weak core.

I've been back at it for about 3 months now and still always find some excuse to skip any type of ab/core training.

(06-14-2017 12:38 PM)Oz. Wrote:  How do you guys stay consistent with your ab training? For some reason I hate doing abs. Last time I had a back injury I was told it was due to a lack of proper warmup and a weak core.

I've been back at it for about 3 months now and still always find some excuse to skip any type of ab/core training.

It's easy to skip it when you try to tack it on at the end of the workout or something, so I would recommend supersetting it within other movements. For example lets say you are doing bench press. If you are doing 3-5 sets of bench, during your rest period in between each set hit the ab roller for like 15 reps.

(06-14-2017 12:38 PM)Oz. Wrote:  How do you guys stay consistent with your ab training? For some reason I hate doing abs. Last time I had a back injury I was told it was due to a lack of proper warmup and a weak core.

I've been back at it for about 3 months now and still always find some excuse to skip any type of ab/core training.

You stay consistent by doing it literally every day. Stalin is on point with super setting an ab exercise with whatever you're focusing on that day. I'd shy away from super setting during leg day since your abs keep your form steady for squats, deadlifts, etc.

(06-14-2017 12:38 PM)Oz. Wrote:  How do you guys stay consistent with your ab training? For some reason I hate doing abs. Last time I had a back injury I was told it was due to a lack of proper warmup and a weak core.

I've been back at it for about 3 months now and still always find some excuse to skip any type of ab/core training.

I have made abs part of my warm-up which has help me engage the abs while doing compound lifts.

(06-14-2017 01:18 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  

(06-14-2017 12:38 PM)Oz. Wrote:  How do you guys stay consistent with your ab training? For some reason I hate doing abs. Last time I had a back injury I was told it was due to a lack of proper warmup and a weak core.

I've been back at it for about 3 months now and still always find some excuse to skip any type of ab/core training.

It's easy to skip it when you try to tack it on at the end of the workout or something, so I would recommend supersetting it within other movements. For example lets say you are doing bench press. If you are doing 3-5 sets of bench, during your rest period in between each set hit the ab roller for like 15 reps.

(06-14-2017 01:33 PM)Remington Wrote:  

(06-14-2017 12:38 PM)Oz. Wrote:  How do you guys stay consistent with your ab training? For some reason I hate doing abs. Last time I had a back injury I was told it was due to a lack of proper warmup and a weak core.

I've been back at it for about 3 months now and still always find some excuse to skip any type of ab/core training.

You stay consistent by doing it literally every day. Stalin is on point with super setting an ab exercise with whatever you're focusing on that day. I'd shy away from super setting during leg day since your abs keep your form steady for squats, deadlifts, etc.

(06-14-2017 01:45 PM)Swell Wrote:  

(06-14-2017 12:38 PM)Oz. Wrote:  How do you guys stay consistent with your ab training? For some reason I hate doing abs. Last time I had a back injury I was told it was due to a lack of proper warmup and a weak core.

I've been back at it for about 3 months now and still always find some excuse to skip any type of ab/core training.

I have made abs part of my warm-up which has help me engage the abs while doing compound lifts.

Thats the problem, I'm an olympic weightlifter. It would be too taxing for me to do anything in between my working sets. The only times I find myself being consistent is on days with relative low volume and that's at most 2-3 times a week. The only times I am able to properly train ab/core is before or after my training.

If I do it before I have to be careful not to overdo it and after i'm usually too taxed to do anything. Maybe I should stop being a little bitch?

stimulate not annihilate.

Well, I am getting back into the gym again. Before I was doing walks outside, but it got too hot now. The plan is to run about 5 times a week while keeping my calories at about 1800. I have a little bit of pudge around my belly, so the goal is to drop about 20 pounds (hopefully all fat) then to start hitting the weights in order to build up muscle.

(06-15-2017 10:17 AM)All or Nothing Wrote:  Well, I am getting back into the gym again. Before I was doing walks outside, but it got too hot now. The plan is to run about 5 times a week while keeping my calories at about 1800. I have a little bit of pudge around my belly, so the goal is to drop about 20 pounds (hopefully all fat) then to start hitting the weights in order to build up muscle.

You will shred body fat if you get into the gym now. Start lifting heavy, eat clean, and you will shred fat while putting on muscle.

I took a year off lifting due to injury, I had a gut and felt weak as hell. But, after being back in the gym for 4 months and lifting 4x a week, my six pack is back (not as defined as it was in the past, but getting there), my gains have been ridiculous, almost to the point of catching up to past PRs, and my bodyweight has increased, filling out my 6'6 frame.

You can do it man. It takes a whole lot of drive and willpower to have a steady routine and diet, but it is worth the effort.

Gained 30 lbs of fat during my recently ended LTR. Dropped 10 pretty fast but have since stalled out over the last 2 weeks. Doing a low carb diet that's worked in the past but I'm now in my mid 30s and my body doesn't seem to respond as fast.

My basic meal plan:
Breakfast: coffee + banana on gym days
Lunch: salad of mixed vegetables + ac vinegar and olive oil, one chicken breast
Post work out snack (on lifting days): Greek yogurt/kale shake + protein powder
Dinner: some kind of vegetable + steak or chicken

I eat simple carbs one day a week but try to avoid sugar.

I've cut out beer and am now drinking dry wine or soda water when I go out.

The weight will come off, just frustrating to see the slow start.

(06-15-2017 06:33 PM)Ensam Wrote:  Gained 30 lbs of fat during my recently ended LTR. Dropped 10 pretty fast but have since stalled out over the last 2 weeks. Doing a low carb diet that's worked in the past but I'm now in my mid 30s and my body doesn't seem to respond as fast.

My basic meal plan:
Breakfast: coffee + banana on gym days
Lunch: salad of mixed vegetables + ac vinegar and olive oil, one chicken breast
Post work out snack (on lifting days): Greek yogurt/kale shake + protein powder
Dinner: some kind of vegetable + steak or chicken

I eat simple carbs one day a week but try to avoid sugar.

I've cut out beer and am now drinking dry wine or soda water when I go out.

The weight will come off, just frustrating to see the slow start.

Sounds like you're on the right path. One of my body builder buddies who I work out with every once and a while told me to take a 15 minute fast paced walk every morning as soon as I wake up. After the walk, eat your breakfast and continue your normal routine. You will apparently start to drop fat like crazy.

Just started doing it a couple days ago. I believe the dude considering he has an 8 pack and completely shredded.

The fasted morning cardio you mentioned above works great. Works even better if you cut carbs out 4 hours prior to going to bed, and if you take a good fat burning supp 45 mins before starting your cardio.

^^ I'm finally getting into this scene as well. ^^

I'm a big fan of fasted cardio. I do 3-5 mile walks fasted every morning. That said, you can't out run (or walk) a bad diet - even if it's fasted.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

(08-10-2017 06:12 PM)king bast Wrote:  Seems like you're in a similar situation to me, as I work out from home and my left knee has been fucked for nearly two years too.

Kettlebells have been a godsend for keeping my hips from getting completely weak while I've been unable to do legs, but I also made a pair of farmers walks handles on the cheap, that you might want to try too. They were super easy to make, I even posted step by step instructions:

https://www.rooshvforum.com/thread-44402...pid1364598

This is a cool idea. I'll make some out of 1.5" Sch 40 pipe with 1" pipe handles, probably, and using basically the same method of construction. Then weld them up once I can borrow my uncle's stick welder. Total cost: $80 or so including clips, and they'll be able to handle more weight than I'm likely to be able to carry. Good deal.

Hannibal Wrote:Whats the weight limit on the bar?

...

It's rated for 300 pounds, only weighs 30-35 pounds, and because of that I assume it's not solid. Total shit, IOW.

After doing a bunch of planning and thinking things over I decided to just buy a factory second Rogue bar, cheap-ass weights from Amazon--they sell CAP 45 pounders for $33 delivered for prime members, and I can live with the weights being less-than-accurate--and throw together a couple squat stands for about $30 in materials I don't already have. I also have about 105 pounds of 1" weights to go with my kettlebells, so if I just hang stuff off the barbell sleeves I'll be able to pretty safely get over 500 pounds on the bar if I want to without buying anything else.

I'll also be able to put together a bunch of gear for conditioning with materials I already own: pullup bar, dip bars, found a tire on the side of the road for tire drags, etc. The only thing I care about that I won't be able to do immediately is bench.

This is looking pretty good. To get all the stuff I want I'll need to spend like $1500-2000 (or significantly more, if I get overly excited about strongman training) but I can get 80% of the way there for < $500 and the junk I already have.

Quote:I'm going to start building my own basic home gym

I just purchased a Titan X-3 power rack. Pretty decent for under $500. It's a Rogue clone.

The CAP OB-86B is a decent bar and not too expensive.

I just violently puked after a gym session and am wondering if anyone on here has experienced something similar, its never happened to me. Here's what happened leading up to it:

-7:30am woke up, drank water and ate a bowl of granola cereal with almond milk
-8-9am drank two cups of black coffee
9:15-10:30 went to the gym, had a great workout doing my usual high rep exercises (did chest, shoulders, triceps). Drank a BCAA drink throughout the gym session.

Immediately after as I was walking home (two minute walk) I was thinking about how great the workout was, I was feeling pumped. Arrived home, had a glass of water and ate a banana. Within two minutes I felt funny, went to the patio to get fresh air then I felt a dry heave coming so I went to my bathroom and puked my guts up into the toilet. I'm not sure if it was because I went to hard in the gym or maybe it was a bad banana haha, I just hope it doesn't happen again because it freaked me out!

(08-12-2017 11:48 AM)scotian Wrote:  I just violently puked after a gym session and am wondering if anyone on here has experienced something similar, its never happened to me. Here's what happened leading up to it:

-7:30am woke up, drank water and ate a bowl of granola cereal with almond milk
-8-9am drank two cups of black coffee
9:15-10:30 went to the gym, had a great workout doing my usual high rep exercises (did chest, shoulders, triceps). Drank a BCAA drink throughout the gym session.

Immediately after as I was walking home (two minute walk) I was thinking about how great the workout was, I was feeling pumped. Arrived home, had a glass of water and ate a banana. Within two minutes I felt funny, went to the patio to get fresh air then I felt a dry heave coming so I went to my bathroom and puked my guts up into the toilet. I'm not sure if it was because I went to hard in the gym or maybe it was a bad banana haha, I just hope it doesn't happen again because it freaked me out!

Came to this thread to ask the same thing. I've puked on my last three Leg Days and it's making me anxious when that day of the week draws near. I tend to go two hours, so maybe my body just isn't tuned enough for that kind of stress on my leg muscles or some shit.

Putting in numbers for logging so I can remember what I have been lifting.

Bench 1 rep max: 205 pounds
Squat 1 rep max: 330 pounds
Deadlift 1 rep max: 375 pounds give or take
Rows 5x5 :175-pounds
OHP 1 rep max : 145 pounds
Pull ups 3x10.

Height : 5"7
Weight : 175 pounds.
Fat: (+-) 20 %
Age: early 20s.

Diet: Could be better. Get around 110 g of protein a day. Diet is very rice heavy. Lots of chicken and rice.

Goal is to beat these numbers and try to lose the fat.

(08-12-2017 11:57 AM)Lordless Wrote:  

(08-12-2017 11:48 AM)scotian Wrote:  I just violently puked after a gym session and am wondering if anyone on here has experienced something similar, its never happened to me. Here's what happened leading up to it:

-7:30am woke up, drank water and ate a bowl of granola cereal with almond milk
-8-9am drank two cups of black coffee
9:15-10:30 went to the gym, had a great workout doing my usual high rep exercises (did chest, shoulders, triceps). Drank a BCAA drink throughout the gym session.

Immediately after as I was walking home (two minute walk) I was thinking about how great the workout was, I was feeling pumped. Arrived home, had a glass of water and ate a banana. Within two minutes I felt funny, went to the patio to get fresh air then I felt a dry heave coming so I went to my bathroom and puked my guts up into the toilet. I'm not sure if it was because I went to hard in the gym or maybe it was a bad banana haha, I just hope it doesn't happen again because it freaked me out!

Came to this thread to ask the same thing. I've puked on my last three Leg Days and it's making me anxious when that day of the week draws near. I tend to go two hours, so maybe my body just isn't tuned enough for that kind of stress on my leg muscles or some shit.

no workout should lead to u puking...you are doing something very wrong. not saying u wont see results..but the purpose of working out is to get healthy not puking all over the gym.

I used to puke, or nearly puke, pretty regularly. It was always a result of not having eaten enough suitable food beforehand, or in the right timeframe.

What I found was that either no food at all, or a big or heavy meal less than 2 hours before would result in puking. A piece of fruit 1 hour before was handy too.

If you do feel it coming on, just lie down with your legs elevated and it should pass pretty quickly.