i'm 5'11" and I currently weigh 203 lbs. I lost 20lbs in the last 3 months, mostly due to stress (I've worked out maybe 4 x's total in the last 3 months). I wanted to get suggestions on the best way to take advantage of my weight loss and get extremely cut and shed my body fat percentage. I'm probably around 14-16% now. I'd like to get in the single digits.

11/30/2005 12:10:13 PM

let go of fast food...its horrible for your figure...

11/30/2005 12:11:01 PM

run a lot. cardio. workout. dont eat shitty foods. blah blah blah

11/30/2005 12:14:45 PM

http://brentroad.com/message_search.aspx?section=1

11/30/2005 12:17:21 PM

dont use machines at the gym...you want to use free weights b/c isolation of the muscles leads to better results quicker...

11/30/2005 12:19:14 PM

actually the machines do the isolation...

11/30/2005 12:21:46 PM

yeah, but the pulleys and such in the machines take some of the load off of your muscles, thus not as good a workout as proper technique with free weights...

11/30/2005 12:23:27 PM

Wait, what was a healthy body fat percent again?

11/30/2005 12:26:32 PM

nonetheless, they isolate

11/30/2005 12:27:31 PM

I enjoy the pulleys. Like when doing cable crossovers side lateral raises.

11/30/2005 12:28:59 PM

coke. look at how skinny paris hilton and lindsay lohan got with it.

11/30/2005 12:32:50 PM

Quote :

"you want to use free weights b/c isolation of the muscles leads to better results quicker..."

haha what?

11/30/2005 12:34:18 PM

You'd think someone who does as much coke as this guy purports to have done he would already be pretty skinny.

11/30/2005 12:40:16 PM

wait, you said you were in the army before didn't you?

if so you are a retard for not remembering all the pt you did

11/30/2005 12:46:21 PM

http://www.absdiet.com/

11/30/2005 12:51:31 PM

^^hm

11/30/2005 12:55:01 PM

^^ hahahah

11/30/2005 12:57:51 PM

when in the Army I only did PT, which consists of no weight training. I was alot younger then too 17-21. I never weighed over 170lbs while in there. I'm at 203lbs now, which I don't have a flabby gut or anything, but I'd like to trim down to about 180-190lbs and have a lean, cut look.


the army was only running, push-ups and sit-ups and ruck marches and shit like that.

11/30/2005 12:58:46 PM

hahahahah

"don't use the machines
you want to get isolation"

dumbass

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 1:02 PM. Reason : `]

11/30/2005 1:01:46 PM

run

a lot

11/30/2005 1:02:20 PM

Quote :

"the army was only running, push-ups and sit-ups"

1. Cut out the junk food, sodas, and (some) beer.
2. Do the above workout 5 times a week.
3. Achieve results.

11/30/2005 1:05:32 PM

Keep in mind he also said he was gorgeous and bangs hot b!tches.

I don't know many 5'11" guys weighing 225+ with near 20% body fat that are gorgeous

11/30/2005 1:07:07 PM

they probably have hair though.

11/30/2005 1:23:00 PM

i wore 200+ lbs well and still do. there's not alot of fat on my body at all. i just know that I can improve. and yes, i bang hot b!tches.

11/30/2005 1:24:53 PM

Whatever, fatty. As for your answer:

R
U
N

11/30/2005 1:35:13 PM

there is no quick way to get into single digits for bf%
if you're starting at 14-16% it will probably take some time and a lot of dedication

-NO ALCOHOL
-NO FAST FOOD
-LIFT HEAVY with low reps
-ADEQUATE SLEEP
-Cardio will help a little, but I wouldn't recommend it more than 3 times a week and even then it should be high intensity for like 15-20 mins.
-your best weapon is going to be your diet, if you don't eat well you won't see results

http://www.ruggedmag.com has some good articles if you have spare time

11/30/2005 1:50:59 PM

^that sounds like an excellent bulking routine...but please, while cutting your emphasis should be on cardio.

4 days a week of 45 mins of 85% max HR cardio and 2 days of high weight low rep lifting

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 1:57 PM. Reason : -]

11/30/2005 1:56:46 PM

i'd like to know how you never work out, are 5'11", and 203 and are only 14%-15% body fat. according to a BMI calculator, your BMI should be 28, which is overweight. granted BMI doesn't include a lot of factors, but it is mostly off for people who have alot of muscle mass, which you probably don't have since you don't work out.

to get lean and cut, you need some serious cardio, running, swimming, biking, etc at least 3x per week. you need to lift at least 3x per week as well - no big heavy weights, just numerous reps of smaller weights.

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 2:01 PM. Reason : k, was used to women's %'s, i guess you are about "average"]

11/30/2005 1:59:12 PM

I wouldn't put so much focus on your body fat percentage, given that the average percentage for professional atheletes is between 6-12% depending on the specific sport. Cyclists and those who compete in triathlons are usually the leanest.... therefore I would say perhaps give a stationary bike a try if you don't own your own bike. Sometimes when your body fat percentage gets into the single digits a person has to worry about health problems related to such a composition. If you are really serious, maybe you should contact your physician for a phyical.

11/30/2005 2:05:27 PM

Quote :

"i'd like to know how you never work out, are 5'11", and 203 and are only 14%-15% body fat. according to a BMI calculator, your BMI should be 28, which is overweight. granted BMI doesn't include a lot of factors, but it is mostly off for people who have alot of muscle mass, which you probably don't have since you don't work out. to get lean and cut, you need some serious cardio, running, swimming, biking, etc at least 3x per week. you need to lift at least 3x per week as well - no big heavy weights, just numerous reps of smaller weights. "

that's not entirely accurate. i have lifted in the past off and on and I think that's what saves me from being a fatty or having the appearance of someone out of shape. also I rarely eat often. when I do work out after about 3 weeks consistently in the gym I see gains, but I'm now looking for a thinner, leaner, cut look. i lost 20 lbs since moving from NC to Miami, but I think that was mostly due to stress and depression. granted i drink some form of alcohol almost daily since I moved here to. generally I eat about one meal a day also.

11/30/2005 2:05:31 PM

eat more. eating one meal a day isnt healthy.

11/30/2005 2:07:08 PM

normally i'll eat like one big meal. normally it consists of either cuban, jamaican or a haitian meal of some sort with meat, rice & beans or something and then at night i'll have drinks and dessert.

11/30/2005 2:10:34 PM

eating one big meal a day is not condusive to getting cut.

...you body wont process the food effectively, and it will end up being stored as fat.

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 2:21 PM. Reason : df]

11/30/2005 2:20:15 PM

yeah i know . . . this is going to have to take some dedication. i just want to make sure my workouts are efficient. when i do lift weights its about 4 days a week:

mon
back
chest
biceps
calves

tues:
triceps
abs
legs

thurs: (light day)
back
chest
biceps
calves
triceps
legs

sat: (extremely heavy and low reps)
back
chest
biceps
calves
triceps
legs


and I'd mix about 30 min of cardio in between days. I think I need to try something new. i think getting lean and cut takes the most planning. it's really easy to go in and lift doing 3 sets of 10 or 12 and leaving, which is typically what i've done in the past.

11/30/2005 2:26:31 PM

dont work the chest too many times weekly, about twice a week should be good if worked properly...

11/30/2005 2:35:24 PM

i wouldnt follow a set lifting schedule every week. once you muscles get accustomed to the same workout, you do acheive results as quickly.

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 2:47 PM. Reason : df]

11/30/2005 2:46:57 PM

hate to be the bearer of bad news, but definition is much more about diet than how you work out.

lots of small meals, 1g protein/lb bodyweigh/day, or at least close to it. relatively low fat. moderate carb intake.

i'd say keep most of your sets in the 8-10 range.



^^def no more than 2x/week is necessary. i work each bodypart once per week, and i can bench between 300-350 (weighing 185 lbs). rep 225 about 14-15 times. there's no point in hitting it more than 2x/week, and really, if you work it hard (14-16+ sets for chest), there's no point in doing it more than once.

and that which you do for chest, so shall you do for back. a meaty back is really what makes you look big, in my opinion, and it's important to maintain balance between opposing groups of muscles. don't be one of those dumbasses who only works the "beach muscles"--chest and biceps.

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 3:03 PM. Reason : asdfasdfada]

11/30/2005 2:59:08 PM

Quote :

"i'd like to know how you never work out, are 5'11", and 203 and are only 14%-15% body fat. according to a BMI calculator, your BMI should be 28, which is overweight. granted BMI doesn't include a lot of factors, but it is mostly off for people who have alot of muscle mass, which you probably don't have since you don't work out. to get lean and cut, you need some serious cardio, running, swimming, biking, etc at least 3x per week. you need to lift at least 3x per week as well - no big heavy weights, just numerous reps of smaller weights. "

BMI is not body composition. BMI just uses height and weight and is very inaccurate. It is not a good assessment for people that have big frames or people that have tiny frames. Body composition is a measure of the percentage of body fat. The minimum percent bodyfat considered safe and acceptable for good health is 5% for males and 12% for females. In males, over like 25% is obese and in women obese is over 32%. Most healthy men are above 10%.

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 3:02 PM. Reason : ]

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 3:03 PM. Reason : ]

11/30/2005 3:01:54 PM

yeah, BMI is borderline worthless. i'm pushing or maybe slightly over the limits for obesity according to BMI. it's stupid.

11/30/2005 3:04:05 PM

shut up fatty

11/30/2005 3:04:43 PM

^^yup, I had a buddy that almost didn't get into the mili8tary cause he was obese by BMI but was solid muscle. Luckily he was able to drop a couple pounds of water weight the day they weighed him and he just barely made it.

11/30/2005 3:12:42 PM

Train smarter not harder

11/30/2005 3:16:31 PM

I still don't believe that you need that much cardio when trying to cut, it is much more diet than anything...I got down to 9% bodyfat over the summer doing relatively little cardio and mostly heavy weights/low reps with a very careful diet

I used a modified version of ripped, rugged, and dense which emphasises lifting heavy while restricting calories

http://www.ruggedmag.com/index.php?type=Article&i=3&a=8

11/30/2005 3:31:22 PM

^^^yeah, they've always just let me slide on the height/weight tables. if you run a good PFT (my last one was 285/300) and you pass the alternate neck/waist measurement test, they leave you alone.

actually, lots of times they just look at me and go "uhh, well, he's nowhere close to being fat, so we'll just save everyone concerned the trouble and record his weight as about 10 lbs lower than it really is."

^yeah, you really don't. Bodybuilders don't do all that much cardio, because it knocks the body out of its optimum muscle building state.

that said, cardio is a good thing. it just isn't necessary to do tons of it to get cut up. what you should take away from that is that definition is more of a function of diet than anything else. you can lift tons of weights, and run a few days per week, and unless you have the right genetics, you will never get "cut up" without the right diet.

11/30/2005 8:51:03 PM

always do a weight in which you can complete the full range of motion

11/30/2005 9:43:27 PM

Quote :

"definition is more of a function of diet than anything else."

replace diet with bodyfat percent

Quote :

"^yeah, you really don't. Bodybuilders don't do all that much cardio, because it knocks the body out of its optimum muscle building state."

this is true. cardio makes it harder to gain weight. but he needs to shave off some bodyfat before adding muscle mass.

Quote :

"I still don't believe that you need that much cardio when trying to cut, it is much more diet than anything...I got down to 9% bodyfat over the summer doing relatively little cardio and mostly heavy weights/low reps with a very careful diet I used a modified version of ripped, rugged, and dense which emphasises lifting heavy while restricting calories"

its true, its a matter of personal preferance. if youre a bodybuilder, you probably dont like cardio that much. but for this guy, he should just do which one that he enjoys most. both lifting and cardio while cutting are very important, but neither are neccesary.

but if you just sit around and do shit, your cals should be at 1200 per day.

[Edited on November 30, 2005 at 9:53 PM. Reason : -]

11/30/2005 9:52:33 PM

cardio is important for prolonged, functional strength tho

its preference

11/30/2005 9:56:01 PM

cardio is very important to overall health. ive never the term 'functional strength'.

11/30/2005 9:58:37 PM

this thread has inspired me to change the amount of junk food i eat and substitute the junk food with the fruits that i actually DO like

11/30/2005 10:58:28 PM

u can be as strong or stronger than say, a football player, but without the proper training you cant do what they do for 60 minutes

11/30/2005 11:20:13 PM