PESGaming Health & Fitness Gym

[Bish]

Go for some runs, mile or 2 each time would be fine. Could do some sessions of short sprints to help with your sharpness.

But I'd suggest doing nothing and turning up to football with the Neil Shipperley workout.

[uA - 1905]

I've tried that for many years, these Americans are all Usain Bolts so that didn't work.

Cheers for the advice

[StringerBell]

I'm always up for a new type of workout to break the monotony of it all. Theres a sizable hill that runs parallel to a football field maybe 40 yards in length at a 50 degree angle. Causally I stared running up then down about ten times for a total of 4 sets. Did that for about a week to get used to it. Now I'm running up the entire width of the hill in a zig zag pattern and I'm actually having a decent time with it. I've already noticed the increase in stamina while playing basketball. In short hill running is great I highly recommend it

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by StringerBell

I'm always up for a new type of workout to break the monotony of it all. Theres a sizable hill that runs parallel to a football field maybe 40 yards in length at a 50 degree angle. Causally I stared running up then down about ten times for a total of 4 sets. Did that for about a week to get used to it. Now I'm running up the entire width of the hill in a zig zag pattern and I'm actually having a decent time with it. I've already noticed the increase in stamina while playing basketball. In short hill running is great I highly recommend it

I've not actually done hill running before as part of any routine. I really enjoyed running late at night (midnight usually), but I've not done that in about two months now - running on concrete tends to take a toll on the knees of course. I'd also do running pre-breakfast to burn that extra fat, but that wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the night run.

At the moment, I've sworn off cardio for the next two weeks and three days, as I build up my muscular endurance, lifting weights, but only at 70% of my capability - as I'm doing 3 sets of 12 reps for nearly every exercise. Once the next couple of weeks are over, I'll be dropping the reps down to 10, and increasing the weight and my effort to around 85%. I'll then also be incorporating a lot more cardio at the same time - especially swimming, now that I've somewhat learnt.

The going to the gym, and doing all of the above is the easy part - maintaining a completely clean diet is the hard part. Right now, I'm doing relatively well, although a biscuit or two always seems to slip in during the day. I'm no longer drinking pop/soda, which helps massively, whilst I've also increased my intake of Japanese green tea. I now have Xylitol (100% natural sweetener), meaning the only sugar now entering my body is that of natural sugars from fruits (besides of course a biscuit, if I happen to have one during the course of a day).

The foods are as expected; a small amount of oats, fruits (primarily berries), spinach and broccolis, brown rice, lean chicken breast, walnuts, almonds, and of course protein shakes.

Missing from the above is egg whites, but with free range eggs generally costing more, and my refusal to buy caged hen eggs - combined with the taste of egg whites repulsing me, I'm doing my best to avoid them.

I have bought some eggs though, however I plan to put them to more interesting use. I'll be buying a few more bits and pieces, and making some cinnamon bread and chocolate protein bars. Here's a link to some recipes for the homemade goods; Link

[Michu]

I'm off full sugar coke, cutting back on the crisps, chocolate and other such shite in a bid to lose the tyre around my waste. Christmas was not kind on the waist. I've started up playing 5 aside again, walking back from work and gradually feeling a bit fitter. I've got a charity walk in March so I need to get myself into a condition where I can handle a 5 mile walk without feeling crippled for days afterwards.

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by Sminky

I'm off full sugar coke, cutting back on the crisps, chocolate and other such shite in a bid to lose the tyre around my waste. Christmas was not kind on the waist. I've started up playing 5 aside again, walking back from work and gradually feeling a bit fitter. I've got a charity walk in March so I need to get myself into a condition where I can handle a 5 mile walk without feeling crippled for days afterwards.

Fortunately I've never been a big crisps fan. I do love some Pringles, but I've not had them in years now (paprika were fucking awesome though). I was never even a soda pop drinker growing up, it's only been the last couple of years where I've developed this weakness to them. Coca-Cola, Sprite and Caribbean Crush being my favourites. The same applies to chocolate in that I rarely ate chocolate as a kid - I was more a fan of all things fruity.

Don't quote me on this, but my new dentist told me that even diet sodas are very bad - especially on the teeth still - but not quite as bad as crisps.

It surprised me, as I'd substituted to Diet Coke Caffeine Free thinking I was being somewhat more healthy than drinking regular Coca-Cola. It's never really that simple though is it? *sigh*

[IronCity]

Originally Posted by Hunter

Fortunately I've never been a big crisps fan. I do love some Pringles, but I've not had them in years now (paprika were fucking awesome though). I was never even a soda pop drinker growing up, it's only been the last couple of years where I've developed this weakness to them. Coca-Cola, Sprite and Caribbean Crush being my favourites. The same applies to chocolate in that I rarely ate chocolate as a kid - I was more a fan of all things fruity.

Don't quite me on this, but my new dentist told me that even diet sodas are very bad - especially on the teeth still - but not quite as bad as crisps.

It surprised me, as I'd substituted to Diet Coke Caffeine Free thinking I was being somewhat more healthy than drinking regular Coca-Cola. It's never really that simple though is it? *sigh*

the aspartame will kill you faster than the sugar

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by IronCity

the aspartame will kill you faster than the sugar

Yeah, a friend of mine told me that, and pointed me in the direction of quite a brilliant documentary on YouTube. I can't remember the name of it, but it's definitely worth watching. Fortunately as I say, I've not really been drinking soda regularly for very long, but it's an eye-opener for sure.

'Aspartame' was actually the word I was looking for in my previous post, but couldn't for the life of me remember it, so I just omitted it, to not make myself look like a fool - so thanks Iron brother.

[Michu]

Originally Posted by IronCity

the aspartame will kill you faster than the sugar

That's simply not true dear boy. Scientific research has shown there is no link between Aspartame and cancer or brain tumours.

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/aspartame/index.htm

[laughin man]

Originally Posted by Hunter

I've not actually done hill running before as part of any routine. I really enjoyed running late at night (midnight usually), but I've not done that in about two months now - running on concrete tends to take a toll on the knees of course. I'd also do running pre-breakfast to burn that extra fat, but that wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the night run.

At the moment, I've sworn off cardio for the next two weeks and three days, as I build up my muscular endurance, lifting weights, but only at 70% of my capability - as I'm doing 3 sets of 12 reps for nearly every exercise. Once the next couple of weeks are over, I'll be dropping the reps down to 10, and increasing the weight and my effort to around 85%. I'll then also be incorporating a lot more cardio at the same time - especially swimming, now that I've somewhat learnt.

The going to the gym, and doing all of the above is the easy part - maintaining a completely clean diet is the hard part. Right now, I'm doing relatively well, although a biscuit or two always seems to slip in during the day. I'm no longer drinking pop/soda, which helps massively, whilst I've also increased my intake of Japanese green tea. I now have Xylitol (100% natural sweetener), meaning the only sugar now entering my body is that of natural sugars from fruits (besides of course a biscuit, if I happen to have one during the course of a day).

The foods are as expected; a small amount of oats, fruits (primarily berries), spinach and broccolis, brown rice, lean chicken breast, walnuts, almonds, and of course protein shakes.

Missing from the above is egg whites, but with free range eggs generally costing more, and my refusal to buy caged hen eggs - combined with the taste of egg whites repulsing me, I'm doing my best to avoid them.

I have bought some eggs though, however I plan to put them to more interesting use. I'll be buying a few more bits and pieces, and making some cinnamon bread and chocolate protein bars. Here's a link to some recipes for the homemade goods; Link

I had notions of posting this on here but thought no one would need it, seems I was incorrect. As you may be aware I frequent a bodybuilding website (bodybuilding.com) thats pretty much the place to be if your a lifter, those guys have turned bodybuilding into a science and they are very very knowledgable. Having came across mentions of Macros around the Christmas from some pretty serious bodybuilders I decided to investigate further and stumbled upon this pretty awesome method for calculating your daily needs, I also came across a great workout plan that was conceived by scientists researching how workouts effect the body. Using both of these I have gained 4kg since the new year with my bodyfat starting at 11% and now it's 14% so I have gained substantial muscle in that time. Also your mention of egg whites made me chuckle as I'm currently drinking two free range egg whites every day which at first repulsed me (I really did nearly throw up) but now my body seems to have adjusted to them. Anyway heres the diet calculator:

Originally Posted by Bodybuilding.com

Calculating Calories and Macro's

Basic Terminology
1/ BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): This is the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your body if you were comatose (base level).
2/ NEAT (Non-Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie of daily activity that is NOT exercise (eg: washing, walking, talking, shopping, working). ie: INCIDENTAL EXERCISE! It is something that everyone has a good amount of control over & it is the MOST important factor in your energy expenditure. It is what helps keep 'constitutionally lean' people LEAN (they fidget)!
3/ EAT (Exercise Associated Thermogenesis): The calorie requirements associated with planned exercise. Unless someone is doing a whole heap of exercise (eg: two or more hrs training a day) it usually doesn't add a stack of calories to your requirements (30 minutes of 'elliptical training isn't going to do it')
4/ TEF (Thermic effect of feeding): The calorie expenditure associated with eating. REGARDLESS of what myths you have been told - this is NOT dependent on MEAL FREQUENCY. It is a % of TOTAL CALORIES CONSUMED (and 15% of 3 x 600 cal meals is the same as 15% of 6 x 300 cal meals). It varies according to MACRONUTRIENT content and FIBER content. For most mixed diets, it is something around 15%. Protein is higher (up to 25%), carbs are variable (between 5-25%), and fats are low (usually less than 5%). So -> More protein and more carbs and more fiber = HIGHER TEF. More FAT = LOWER TEF.
5/ TEE (Total Energy Expenditure): The total calories you require - and the sum of the above (BMR + NEAT + EAT + TEF).

How much do you need?
There is therefore a multitude of things that impact a persons MAINTENANCE calorie requirements
- Age & sex (males generally need > females for any given age)
- Total weight & lean mass (more lean mass = more needed)
- Physiological status (eg: sick or injured, pregnant, growth and 'enhancement')
- Hormones (eg: thyroid hormone levels, growth hormone levels)
- Exercise level (more activity = more needed)
- Daily activity level (more activity = more needed)
- Diet (that is - macronutrient intake)

In order to calculate your requirements the most accurate measure is via Calorimetry [the measure of 'chemical reactions' in your body & the heat produced by these reactions], either directly (via placing a calorimeter where the heat you produce is measured) or indirectly (eg: HOOD studies where they monitor how much oxygen you use/ carbon dioxide and nitrogen you excrete over a given time). But although accurate they are completely impractical for most people & we mostly rely on pre-set formula t0 calculate our needs.

Estimating Requirements
The simplest method of estimating needs is to base your intake on a standard 'calories per unit of weight (usually kilograms)'. Typically:
- 26 to 30 kcals/kg/day for normal, healthy individuals with sedentary lifestyles doing little physical activity [12.0-14 kcal/pound]
- 31 to 37 kcal/kg/day for those involved in light to moderate activity 3-5 x a week with moderately active lifestyles [14-16 kcal/ pound]
- 38 to 40 kcals/kg/day for those involved in vigorous activity and highly active jobs [16-18 kcal/ pound].

For those involved in HEAVY training (eg: athletes) - the demand is even greater:
- 41 to 50 kcals/kg/day for those involved in moderate to heavy training (for example: 15-20 hrs/ week training) [18.5-22 kcal/ pound]
- 50 or above kcals/kg/day for those involved in heavy to extreme training [> 22 kcal/ pound]

There are then a number of other formula which calculate BMR.
1/ Harris-Benedict formula: Very inaccurate. It was derived from studies on LEAN, YOUNG, ACTIVE males MANY YEARS AGO (1919). Notorious for OVERESTIMATING requirements, especially in the overweight. IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, DON'T USE IT!
MEN: BMR = 66 + [13.7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6.76 x age (years)]
WOMEN: BMR = 655 + [9.6 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] - [4.7 x age (years)]

2/Mifflin-St Jeor: Developed in the 1990s and more realistic in todays settings. It still doesn't take into consideration the differences as a consequence of high BF%. Thus, once again, it OVERESTIMATES NEEDS, ESPECIALLY IN THE OVERWEIGHT.
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -161

3/Katch-McArdle:Considered the most accurate formula for those who are relatively lean. Use ONLY if you have a good estimate of your bodyfat %.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

You then multiply these by an 'activity variable' to give TEE. This Activity Factor[/u] is the cost of living and it is BASED ON MORE THAN JUST YOUR TRAINING. It also includes work/lifestyle, sport & a TEF of ~15% (an average mixed diet). Average activity variables are:
1.2 = Sedentary (Little or no exercise + desk job)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Little daily activity & light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately active daily life & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise or sports 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.0 = Extremely Active (Hard daily exercise or sports and physical job)

So to convert BMR to a TOTAL requirement: multiply the result of your BMR by the variable you fall into!
How Accurate are they?: Well, although they give rough ball-park figures, they are still 'guesstimations' and most people still OVERESTIMATE activity, UNDERESTIMATE bodyfat & end up eating TOO MUCH. So the aim is to use these as 'rough figures', monitor your weight/ measurements for 2-4 weeks, & IF your weight is stable/ measurements are stable, you have likely found maintenance.

Using the Above to Recalculate Based on Goals
You then need to DECREASE or INCREASE intake based on your goals (eg: lose or gain mass). And instead of using 'generic calorie amounts' (eg: 500 cals/ day), this should be calculated on a % of your maintenance. Why? The effect of a given calorie amount on an individual is going to be markedly different based on their size/ total calorie intake. For example - subtracting 500 cals/ day from a 1500 total intake is 1/3rd of the total cals, where 500 cals/ day from 3000 total intake is only 1/6th of the total. The results will therefore be markedly different on an individuals energy level & weight loss. So generally:
- To ADD weight: ADD 10-20% calories to the total above
- To LOSE weight: SUBTRACT 10-20% calories from the total above
Then monitor your results and adjust as required.

NOTE: IF YOU ARE LESS THAN 18 YRS OF AGE - THESE FORMULA WILL NOT BE ACCURATE!There is an energy cost associated with growth / inefficient movement / high surface area:mass ratio. Look HERE for alternatives.
As a teenager I would also STRONGLY suggest you don't obsess on calories and macros! Eat well, exercise regularly, and have fun while you can!

Macronutrient NeedsOnce you work out calorie needs, you then work out how much of each macronutrient you should aim for. This is one of the areas that is MOST often confused but This should NOT be based on a RATIO of macro intakes. (eg: '30:40:30 or 40:40:20') Your body doesn't CARE what % intake you have. It works based on SUFFICIENT QUANTITY per LEAN MASS or TOTAL MASS. So to try to make it as simple as possible:

1. Protein: Believe it or not - Protein intake is a bit of a controversial issue. In this, the general recommendations given in the 'bodybuilding' area are nearly double the 'standard' recommendations given in the Sports Nutrition Arena.
The GENERAL sports nutrition guideline based on most studies out suggest that in the face of ADEQUATE calories and CARBS then the following protein intakes are sufficient:
STRENGTH training -> 1.2 to 1.6g per KG bodyweight (about .6 / pound)
ENDURANCE training -> 1.4 to 1.8g per KG bodyweight (about .8 / pound)
ADOLESCENT in training -> 1.8 to 2.2g per KG bodyweight (about 1g / pound)
BUT they also acknowledge that protein becomes MORE important in the context of LOWER calorie intakes, or LOWER carb intakes.

Regardless of this, the general 'bodybuilding' guidelines would be as follows:
- If you guess your bodyfat is AVERAGE = 1-1.25g per pound TOTAL weight
- If you KNOW your bodyfat = 1-1.5g per pound LEAN weight

If you are VERY LEAN or on a VERY LOW CALORIE INTAKE then protein should be higher:
- Average bodyfat, lower calorie intake = 1.25-1.5 per pound total mass
- Very lean, lower calorie intake = 1.33-2 per pounds lean mass

If you are VERY OVERWEIGHT, VERY INACTIVE, or on a HIGH calorie diet then you can decrease BELOW the above levels if desired*= ~ 1 x LEAN mass to 0.8-1 x total weight in pounds

Anecdotally, most find the HIGHER protein intake better for satiety, partitioning, and blood sugar control. So UNLESS you are specifically guided to use the GENERAL sports nutrition guidelines, I would suggest the BODYBUILDING values.


2. Fats: Generally speaking, although the body can get away with short periods of very low fat, in the long run your body NEEDS fat to maintain general health, satiety, and sanity. Additionally - any form of high intensity training will benefit from a 'fat buffer' in your diet - which acts to control free radical damage and inflammation. General guides:
Average or lean: 1 - 2g fat/ kg body weight [between 0.45 - 1g total weight/ pounds]
High bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ LEAN weight [between 0.45 - 1g LEAN weight/ pounds]
IF low calorie dieting - you can decrease further, but as a minimum, I would not suggest LESS than about 0.35g/ pound.
Note 1: Total fat intake is NOT the same as 'essential fats' (essential fats are specific TYPES of fats that are INCLUDED in your total fat intake)...


3. Carbs: Important for athletes, HIGHLY ACTIVE individuals, or those trying to GAIN MASS, carbs help with workout intensity, health, & satiety (+ sanity).
For carbs there are no specific 'requirements' for your body so for 'general folk' to calculate your carbs you just calculate it from the calories left over from fats/ protein:
carb calories = Total calorie needs - ([protein grams as above x 4] + [fat grams as above x 9])
carbs in grams = above total/ 4

If you are an athlete - I would actually suggest you CALCULATE a requirement for carbs as a PRIORITY - then go back and calculate protein / fat:
moderately active: 4.5 - 6.5 g/ kg (about 2 - 3g/ pound)
highly active: 6.5 - 9 g/ kg (about 3 - 4g/ pound)


How do I count Calories accurately? *Check out This thread here - Calorie Counting Websites

What are Macronutrients and Micronutrients? *Check out Macro and micronutrients explained!

PLEASE NOTE: If you create a spreadsheet & post them in this thread I will DELETE THEM.
The point is for people to DO THE MATHS and THINK about what they need WITHOUT resorting to a pre-generated 'spit out' number!
Thanks.

In regards to a workout plan I'm following the principles of "hypertrophy", you might want to read up on that because it comes highly recommended from alot of guys.

The main thing I latched onto while reading about this method was the fact that 10 reps succeeds in sending your body into a proper state of hypertrophy and repetative sets was confirmed to not do much at all.

With that in mind I aimed for a diverse range of exercises and done 10 reps of each every second day taking a rest on Saturday to maintain my Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday scheduale. I use light weight training to warm up, calisthenics and heavy lifting towards the end. I have also taken a small tip from my fathers experience as a power lifter, he told me they used to lift progressively heavier weights and eventually reached their target weight. With that in mind my last set of each workout day gets progressively harder and harder, at the moment I'm lifting pretty heavy so I just push my reps up by one each day.

Theres also something you might want to know about cardio, bodybuilders have cycles, a bulking cycle with no cardio because it hurts your gains and a cutting cycle with cardio and whatever other methods you have to burn fat.

Anyways I hope you find something interesting in this wall of text

[Hunter]

Thanks LM.

I'm also a member on Bodybuilding Forums (I think). I used to frequent the site a lot a year or so ago, but to be honest, as knowledgable as some members were, there was a thousand more posting ridiculous things and brash comments for quick jokes - that were of course, 99% of the time, not funny. It became like trudging through mud to find members who could legitimately impart good advice.

I tend to just stick to the Supersite now, and alter the exercises, diets and routines ever so slightly to fit my needs.

The notion of cycling is a strange one to me. I can completely understand why some would adopt this approach in order to prepare for an upcoming competition, but for those of us who want to remain lean while still packing on just a bit more muscle, then I find it to be an unnecessary hardship. I'd simply prefer to clean bulk, while incorporating cardio and HIIT during certain weeks. It worked really well for me during a 3 month period leading up to Christmas, before I changed the routine a little.

It all depends upon what you're hoping to attain as far as body goes. I think many of the members on Bodybuilding Forums forget this, and become too narrow-minded in their advice. "Dirty bulk, cutting, bulk, cut, cycle, cycle". Yet the majority aren't competition body builders, nor truly dedicated. I'm not attempting to attain a huge body, but merely a little bit more muscle, while remaining lean. Hence the clean bulk and inclusion of various forms of cardio/HIIT soon. A similar routine worked very well as I say, and given I've done a different routine following that, my body will enjoy the change again I should think.

If I had to give you an idea of the size of body I'm aiming for, in relation to my height (5'11"); Dolph Ziggler is the man. I'm not a great distance away from the below physique, however it'll still take another 5-6 months give or take in order to really achieve something similar.



(I tried to get a fully body shot, but pictures from the last few weeks are somewhat limited).

[laughin man]

Originally Posted by Sminky

That's simply not true dear boy. Scientific research has shown there is no link between Aspartame and cancer or brain tumours.

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/aspartame/index.htm

Who said it caused cancer or brain tumours, it's like saying radiation doesn't cause the flu :pinderpalm:

Anyway for a small example, aspartame was a common ingredient in protein shakes (how apt for this thread) and they stopped putting it into them because of safety concerns.

Originally Posted by Hunter

Thanks LM.

I'm also a member on Bodybuilding Forums (I think). I used to frequent the site a lot a year or so ago, but to be honest, as knowledgable as some members were, there was a thousand more posting ridiculous things and brash comments for quick jokes - that were of course, 99% of the time, not funny. It became like trudging through mud to find members who could legitimately impart good advice.

I tend to just stick to the Supersite now, and alter the exercises, diets and routines ever so slightly to fit my needs.

The notion of cycling is a strange one to me. I can completely understand why some would adopt this approach in order to prepare for an upcoming competition, but for those of us who want to remain lean while still packing on just a bit more muscle, then I find it to be an unnecessary hardship. I'd simply prefer to clean bulk, while incorporating cardio and HIIT during certain weeks. It worked really well for me during a 3 month period leading up to Christmas, before I changed the routine a little.

It all depends upon what you're hoping to attain as far as body goes. I think many of the members on Bodybuilding Forums forget this, and become too narrow-minded in their advice. "Dirty bulk, cutting, bulk, cut, cycle, cycle". Yet the majority aren't competition body builders, nor truly dedicated. I'm not attempting to attain a huge body, but merely a little bit more muscle, while remaining lean. Hence the clean bulk and inclusion of various forms of cardio/HIIT soon. A similar routine worked very well as I say, and given I've done a different routine following that, my body will enjoy the change again I should think.

If I had to give you an idea of the size of body I'm aiming for, in relation to my height (5'11"); Dolph Ziggler is the man. I'm not a great distance away from the below physique, however it'll still take another 5-6 months give or take in order to really achieve something similar.



(I tried to get a fully body shot, but pictures from the last few weeks are somewhat limited).

Well you seem to be as clued up as I am on the matter so I'll leave it to you, goodluck with your goals

[Bish]

You aim for Ziggler, Hunter. I'll aim for Warrior, I can feel the power floating through the veins.

Feel back to where I was after being ill for most of the Christmas period.

[stottmeister]

Ok I know some of you guys here are a whizz with techy stuff and I have a request from anyone who has the skills neccessary.

I'm currently awaiting a punchbag/speedball for my home gym set up but I lack a timer with a loud enough buzzer.

Can anyone knock me together an audio track I can put on cd with a bell followed by three minutes of total silence for three minutes then another bell for the end of the round. Maybe a small buzz at the end of each minute.

If possible this would be great for my training regime.

Many thanks,

Meister

[muscularmatt]

Yeah sure, that'll take two minutes.