Physical & Mental health

[SinineUltra 1,170]

A good article on creatine.

Creatine Fact & Fiction by Layne Norton



I don't usually like to write whole articles about supplements because I believe diet and training to be far more important than any combination of supplements. However there are a few supplements that work, creatine being the most notable of all of them. It is the best selling supplement ever, period. Creatine sales totaled over 100 million dollars in last year alone! These sales were to everyone from middle scholars to the elderly. With this recent rush of creatine madness there has also been a wave of misinformation. I cannot believe the things I hear people say about creatine's effectiveness, about how it works, and about it's safety. There is some information floating around out there that is just untrue, well never fear, I am here to combat misinformation so here it goes.



What is it?


Creatine is a combination of three different amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine. That's it, it is nothing more than a combination of amino acids. I don't know how many people I hear talk about creatine and call it a steroid! I almost flip my lid when I hear it. Steroid? If that were the case it there would be a lot more 200+ pound people out there.

No creatine is not a steroid, it is totally different and works in a different manner. Creatine is also produced by the body and found in high protein sources of meat such as fish and red meat. It is NOT a lab synthesized compound, it is natural.



How Does it Work?


After creatine enters the body (or after it is produced by the body) it firsts binds with a phosphate molecule to form Creatine phosphate. Now here is where I'm going to lay a bit of biochemistry on you so I'll do my best to keep it simple. ATP (Adenine Tri-Phosphate) IS the body's energy source. When your body oxidizes carbs, protein, or fat it is doing this process in order to produce ATP. ATP is responsible for driving almost every body process there is. Hell ATP is even involved in creating ATP. ATP works like this... Energy is needed to drive bodily process. ATP provides this energy by hydrolyzing a phosphate group.


When a phosphate group is hydrolyzed, energy in the form of heat is given off and this energy is used to drive whatever process is being performed, for example muscle contraction. Because one phosphate has been lost from the ATP it is now called ADP (adenine Di-phosphate). The reaction is as follows ATP (hydrolysis)=ADP + Energy. Now you have free ADP as a product from the ATP hydrolysis. ADP is pretty much useless in the body unless it is converted back into ATP. Now this is where creatine comes into play. The phosphate bound creatine donates it's phosphate group to the ADP to re-form ATP! I assume you see where this is going now. By allowing you to return ADP to ATP creatine will increase your ATP stores, thus allowing you to train harder and longer.Creatine is a combination of three different amino acids, glycine, arginine, and methionine.

Another benefit of creatine is that creatine itself is a fuel source. In fact your body's first choice of energy when performing anaerobic activity (such as weightlifting) is your creatine phosphate stores. By supplementing with creatine phosphate you will increase these stores, thus giving you more energy for your workouts. There is another anabolic property that creatine holds and this is it's ability to hydrate muscle cells.1 When muscle cells are hydrated a few things happen. The most notable being an increase in protein synthesis.
The second being an increase of ions into the cell. Since the cell is holding more water, it can also hold more ions since the ions will follow water into the cell in order to keep the concentration the same. When more ions are present in muscle cells (the most important being nitrogen) muscle protein synthesis also increases.



How Safe is Creatine?


Since creatine has only been recently introduced to the market it is hard to determine whether or not there will be long term health effects from it's use. However it must be noted that to date there is not one, I repeat not one reputable study that shows creatine has any dangerous side-effects. 2 After eight years with no severe side effects I believe that one can begin to assume that creatine is relatively safe. I find it funny that most people I meet that are concerned about creatine's safety are also people who like to go out and drink and smoke on weekends...try to find the irony in that.



Is it Necessary to Load on Creatine?


No it is not necessary to load but it can help you see results faster. You see to get the full benefit of creating you must saturate your muscle cells with it. Using a small dose (5g), this will take up to thirty days depending on the individual's lean body mass. However using a loading dosage of 15-25g per day for 5 days, one can quickly saturate the muscle cells in this time period and then use a maintenance dosage (3-5g) for the remainder of their time taking creatine. (Recent research shows that a loading phase longer than 3 days is useless - Icex999)



Is it Necessary to Cycle Creatine?


Once again it is not necessary to do so but it can help. Your body has an internal equilibrium which you can swing in your favor for a duration of time, but over time that equilibrium will eventually swing back.
Meaning taking excess creatine for a short period of time (4-8 weeks) may temporarily increase your creatine phosphate stores but after awhile your body's feedback mechanisms will likely place some time of control on creatine phosphate storage to bring the levels back down to normal. This mechanism may be to decrease your body's own production of creatine or to downgrade the number receptors that admit creatine into the cell. Taking time off from creatine can help bring your body's equilibrium back into a state where in taking excess creatine will be beneficial again. I would like to make clear at this point that I know of no studies to back this theory up with, it could be right or wrong, I am just merely applying my knowledge of biochemistry to a frequently asked question to which there is no good answer to yet.



What is the Best Time to Take Creatine?



There has been much discussion on this but I believe taking creatine post workout is the most beneficial time for several reasons. Insulin helps drive more creatine into muscle cells, if you are a smart bodybuilder then in your post workout meal you should be eating foods that help spike your insulin, if this is the case, then taking creatine with this meal will help it's uptake into muscle cells. The body absorbs many nutrients better after a workout. Creatine will help refuel your body's low creatine phosphate stores.
Will Taking Creatine Before a Workout Give Me More Energy?
No, not exactly. Once again for creatine to work your muscle cells must be saturated with it. This takes at least a week to do, so doing it once before a workout will not make a difference. Now if your cells are already saturated with creatine then it will still not make a difference if you take it before you workout. Your body must process it first and that takes time. The creatine your body will use in the upcoming workout will come from the creatine phosphate stores already in the cells, not from the creatine you just ingested.



Does Liquid Creatine Work?


Most certainly not. Creatine degrades over time in water into it's waste product creatinine which is useless in the body and will simply be excreted. Companies who claim that they have stabilized creatine in a liquid are flat out lying to you. One of these companies (I believe Muscle Marketing USA) had a lab assay done on their liquid creatine and the assay found that it only contained 15% of the creatine on the label claim. I would like to further de-credify these companies by noting that one of the reasons they claim their product is so good is because their creatine does not make your retain water. WHAT? As I have stated earlier, this is one of the biggest benefits of creatine, this clearly shows their eagerness to prey upon the ignorance of the public.



What is the Best Type of Creatine?


Well if you want the most bang for your buck do not buy the creatine transports! These are enormously overpriced and you can make them yourself at half the price by buying your own dextrose online! A little tip... a mix of 50g whey protein and 50g dextrose has been shown to elicit the same insulin spike as a serving of Cell-Tech, and it is much cheaper I might add.


References

1. Stoll B, Gerok W, Lang F., Haussings. Liver Cell Damage and Protein Synthesis.
Biochemical Journal 287 (Pt 1) 217-222, 1992.

2. Kreider et. al. Perceived Fatigue Associated With Creatine Supplementation During the
Fall Collegiate Baseball Series of Division I Players. Journal of Athletic Training.
April-June 2001 v31 i2 pS 83.

[SinineUltra 1,170]

First jog of the year. The weather was quite windy, roads icy and air temperature in slight minus, but had a great feeling inside after, looking forward to tomorrow's gym day.(Ran 6,5km for starters, will work up to 10km.)

[Korea 734]

A good article on creatine.

Sorry mate, I did not read the article...

However, my good friend took creatine one summer and went from like 140-165 in a month or so..... Than, he stop taking it and went back to 140ish body.....

[SinineUltra 1,170]

Sorry mate, I did not read the article...

However, my good friend took creatine one summer and went from like 140-165 in a month or so..... Than, he stop taking it and went back to 140ish body.....

You will gain weight with creatine, because what it does is store more water in your cells - that's one reason you get bulkier and stronger taking this supplement. Though I think you only gain like 5-6 pounds, so I don't know if your friend gained huge amount of muscle or why did he gain that weight.

Edit: I've gone from 72 kgs (160ish lbs) to 83kgs (183lbs) in a period of 9 months after finishing military service. Remember specifically that I gained 2-3 kgs (5-6 pounds) in a short period of time after starting taking creatine.

[Mr_President 404]

Hi there, following the template in the OP so here it goes.

Age: 18
Height: 6'1
Current Weight: 186lbs

BF%: 15-17%
Objective: Cut BF down to 11% before summer (again, did this last year)
Programmes: Custom work out - 4 days / week gym (free weights:

Split into:

-Back/Tris + HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) afterwards (30 second sprint, 30 second rest, 30 second sprint etc.) for 8 mins, then 2 min jogging break then continue.

-Chest/Bis

-Shoulders/traps + HIIT

-Legs (Squats) + Abs

Then, since I am cutting, I work in cardio for 2 extra days of the week so only one day of rest. Cardio is either running for 75 minutes or use of rowing machine until exhaustion (depending on how much motivation I have haha)

Diet (most important) - Whilst I don't carb-count I try to eat around 2700-2900 in order to lose weight. Sample eating plan for a day would be:

7am: Breakfast - 3 Eggs on 1 slice of low GI toast, + small bowl of oats with milk + fruits. + 1 Pint of milk.

11am: Snack - Protein bar (low GI carb, low fat) + banana + 1 pint of milk

1.30pm: Lunch - Chicken sandwhich in low GI baguette with lettuce + cucumber.. no butter or cheese.

4pm : Pre-dinner - Piece of fruit and some cashew nuts (protein shake post workout)

7pm: Dinner - 16oz steak or meat equivalent with sweet potato/brown rice/pasta etc.. + loads of vegetables because my parents always cook loads.

9pm: Supper - Cottage cheese (0% fat) + 1 pint of milk.

Supplements: Whey protein isolate, protein bar (low GI carb and low fat). I used to use creatine but found it ineffective and increased water retention.
Goals: Cut to 11% BF before I go on holiday in August, maintain muscle/strength in my main lifts (bench/squat/deadlift) I am not looking to gain strength and or muscle mass during this period, I have been doing that since september.

[SinineUltra 1,170]

Hi there, following the template in the OP so here it goes.

Age: 18

Height: 6'1

Current Weight: 186lbs

BF%: 15-17%

Objective: Cut BF down to 11% before summer (again, did this last year)

Programmes: Custom work out - 4 days / week gym (free weights:

Split into:

-Back/Tris + HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) afterwards (30 second sprint, 30 second rest, 30 second sprint etc.) for 8 mins, then 2 min jogging break then continue.

-Chest/Bis

-Shoulders/traps + HIIT

-Legs (Squats) + Abs

Then, since I am cutting, I work in cardio for 2 extra days of the week so only one day of rest. Cardio is either running for 75 minutes or use of rowing machine until exhaustion (depending on how much motivation I have haha)

Diet (most important) - Whilst I don't carb-count I try to eat around 2700-2900 in order to lose weight. Sample eating plan for a day would be:

7am: Breakfast - 3 Eggs on 1 slice of low GI toast, + small bowl of oats with milk + fruits. + 1 Pint of milk.

11am: Snack - Protein bar (low GI carb, low fat) + banana + 1 pint of milk

1.30pm: Lunch - Chicken sandwhich in low GI baguette with lettuce + cucumber.. no butter or cheese.

4pm : Pre-dinner - Piece of fruit and some cashew nuts (protein shake post workout)

7pm: Dinner - 16oz steak or meat equivalent with sweet potato/brown rice/pasta etc.. + loads of vegetables because my parents always cook loads.

9pm: Supper - Cottage cheese (0% fat) + 1 pint of milk.

Supplements: Whey protein isolate, protein bar (low GI carb and low fat). I used to use creatine but found it ineffective and increased water retention.

Goals: Cut to 11% BF before I go on holiday in August, maintain muscle/strength in my main lifts (bench/squat/deadlift) I am not looking to gain strength and or muscle mass during this period, I have been doing that since september.

Very strict routine, keep it up man and don't over do it. One serious question - doesn't 0% cottage cheese taste like rubber?

[The Skipper 20,593]

Hey guys, I have a few problems.

1) Whenever I try to start a routine for working out I usually do well for about a week or 2, then just give up really. I don't know why but I always end up beating myself up about not sticking with it. Funny thing is that last summer I actually stuck to training + gym for about 3 months straight, and now I just can't seem to even do it for a month. It's very mentally draining because I know I'm better than this and I know that I'm sort of holding myself back. I just want to get into a good routine and be the guy I deserve to be.

My question regarding this is, how do you guys motivate yourselves and stay determined?

2) Whenever I am in the gym, because I haven't been consistently for a long time my strength has decreased a lot. Before I could bench press probably 70/80kg but now I'm struggling to do 50. It's weird because my chest in general is quite big, and although I was anticipating a strength loss, I didn't anticipate it to be this big. It's the same with when I'm trying to work on my arms or legs. Do you guys recommend I should just basically start all over again with reps that I'm comfortable with or do I push myself to do bigger weights?

3) I think the fact that I'm a little overweight (probably by around 10 pounds maximum, I'm 5'10/11" and weigh 180lbs) has contributed to my strength loss. Another question is - do I first try to lose this weight with strictly cardio and a cleaner diet or do I start both weight training and combine it with cardio/jogs on my rest day perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

[SinineUltra 1,170]

Hey guys, I have a few problems.

1) Whenever I try to start a routine for working out I usually do well for about a week or 2, then just give up really. I don't know why but I always end up beating myself up about not sticking with it. Funny thing is that last summer I actually stuck to training + gym for about 3 months straight, and now I just can't seem to even do it for a month. It's very mentally draining because I know I'm better than this and I know that I'm sort of holding myself back. I just want to get into a good routine and be the guy I deserve to be.

My question regarding this is, how do you guys motivate yourselves and stay determined?

2) Whenever I am in the gym, because I haven't been consistently for a long time my strength has decreased a lot. Before I could bench press probably 70/80kg but now I'm struggling to do 50. It's weird because my chest in general is quite big, and although I was anticipating a strength loss, I didn't anticipate it to be this big. It's the same with when I'm trying to work on my arms or legs. Do you guys recommend I should just basically start all over again with reps that I'm comfortable with or do I push myself to do bigger weights?

3) I think the fact that I'm a little overweight (probably by around 10 pounds maximum, I'm 5'10/11" and weigh 180lbs) has contributed to my strength loss. Another question is - do I first try to lose this weight with strictly cardio and a cleaner diet or do I start both weight training and combine it with cardio/jogs on my rest day perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

1)

Set yourself a goal, what do YOU want to be like? Why do YOU work out? Do this for yourself, don't do this so other's would like you or take notice of you, because that's called cheap fame and will only give motivation for so long. Training should be part of your life style. To be fair, for everyone it is hard to begin and stay focused, but after some time you get the feeling of getting better, hungrier for more and this is what keeps you going, I can't be without training more than a week or two, I'll get a bit down on myself and miserable.

Get yourself a training partner! If you don't have a friend, who would want to hang out with you while training then you can always meet like minded people while training. Other thing is to for example listen to music that gets you pumped and ready to go. For me, 90s hip hop is the key - 2pac, biggie and remixes, very motivating. Also YouTube is full of motivational videos that make you want to get out and jog or do what ever right away, For example, Rocky motivational videos with Eye of the Tiger playing behind. Feels great, man.

For you - in my humble opinion - it's more about the fact that you're afraid of quitting even before you start. Try to shift that mentality and insert positive thoughts to yourself. Nothing better than going on a jog on a brisk summer morning, still chilly outside but sun is already out, no people around. Plus maybe you trained too hard? Maybe your body was too fucking tired after the 1-3 months you successfully did your workouts - so start slowly and they hunger for more will come. Keep you chin up, head high and keep showing up.

2)

Man, look at this from a positive point of view - you managed to press 70-80 kgs before so regaining that form is piss easy. And to be fair, 50 kgs in decent amount for training, you will see yourself getting stronger by the week, with no time you'll be pushing at 100kgs. The strength will come back and fast, just stay focused and train regularly - for example, when you wake up do 25-30 push ups, they are one of the best ways to get yourself stronger in bench press, bcs the movement is similar. (Look up 100 push up series from google)

You will not be starting from scratch, you will just regain your form. It will feel awkward to start benching 50kgs if you were used to 80kgs but you got to do what you got to do, no way around it. Once you've achieved something, it is much easier to get it back after, because your body and muscles will remember it, muscles memory and all that.

3)

For men, it is mostly about body fat percentage. Im roughly with your stats in weight / height and on BMI I'm overweight too, but actually I'm not, bcs muscle is heavier than fat. It is easier to gain muscle while being a bit overweight than to be skinny, because in the end of the day that's what bodybuilders do - they BULK to get bigger and cut for shows to look lean and ripped. Start doing strength and try to do cardio aswell. Regardless if you're after endurance or size, cardiovascular strength is the most important thing, You don't want to be pumping your bloodpressure and pulse up and pop heart medicine like candy after. I'm doing exactly what you just said - 3x strength and run on off days. It's more complicated during winter but if you want something done, you have to go and get it. I know Pr22 and other Finnish people have the luxury to wrestle polar bears during winter but we Estonians have to resort to cross country skiing or running in the gym. The last one is very very numb and I hate that.

When it comes to training this is your priority : a good healthy diet > good night's sleep > training with proper form and effort to avoid injuries and get the maximum out of it. Diet isn't a starvation camp, it's a way of eating. Someone who eats only hamburgers is also on a diet, but on a lousy one.

I'll leave you with this thought, though, have you ever seen a ripped powerlifter? You can't gain muscle if you don't give your body the essential nutrients and 'building blocks' to recover and recuperate.

Best of luck and I'll be rooting for you. Let us know about your progress. Hell you might even turn this thread to your personal blog, just update what you did today etc so in a way we can push you to keep going. The best thing about you is that you know you want to start a change - that's the biggest step and you've done that. I'm not going to sugar coat this for you - this will be hard, but enjoyable journey. Everything good takes time and like they say - Rome was not built in a day, neither was your body.

[MetsajCFC 1,255]

Hey guys, I have a few problems.

1) Whenever I try to start a routine for working out I usually do well for about a week or 2, then just give up really. I don't know why but I always end up beating myself up about not sticking with it. Funny thing is that last summer I actually stuck to training + gym for about 3 months straight, and now I just can't seem to even do it for a month. It's very mentally draining because I know I'm better than this and I know that I'm sort of holding myself back. I just want to get into a good routine and be the guy I deserve to be.

My question regarding this is, how do you guys motivate yourselves and stay determined?

2) Whenever I am in the gym, because I haven't been consistently for a long time my strength has decreased a lot. Before I could bench press probably 70/80kg but now I'm struggling to do 50. It's weird because my chest in general is quite big, and although I was anticipating a strength loss, I didn't anticipate it to be this big. It's the same with when I'm trying to work on my arms or legs. Do you guys recommend I should just basically start all over again with reps that I'm comfortable with or do I push myself to do bigger weights?

3) I think the fact that I'm a little overweight (probably by around 10 pounds maximum, I'm 5'10/11" and weigh 180lbs) has contributed to my strength loss. Another question is - do I first try to lose this weight with strictly cardio and a cleaner diet or do I start both weight training and combine it with cardio/jogs on my rest day perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

Regarding motivation. One of the best tips anyone can give you is to have a workout partner. You're bound to hit the gym if you've set up the appointment with a mate, can't bail out as easily. But also anything that "pumps you up" mentally is great. For example music or some youtube video. I'll add some videos I've watched for motivation below. I'd also recommend checking out YouTube channels for new ideas, motivation and just for educational purposes. Two Iv'e followed are Twin Muscle Workout (they've also got two-three other channels linked with workout channel, covering all kinds of topics, great laugh aswell.) and one that I recently found is Marcos Silva Fitness (brazilian guy, seems level headed and talks from his experience) But take any information (including mine) with moderation. Everyone's different so things that work for me perhaps don't work for you and vise-versa, plus the language barrier, perhaps I can't express myself as clearly as I would with my native language. Also, what makes you not interested in training? Is it because you feel you're not getting the results? Lack of energy? The gym's environment?

When I came back from the army, I had lost a lot of weight. I think I was around 87kgs, because all you do is cardio there day in day out and the food there is not sufficent to cover the nutritional needs to maximize muscle gains, strength gains. Now, I'm 96 kgs. When I re-started my workout routine I had the same feeling as you. All the weights seemed heavier than I remembered them to be. 50-60kg bench was a good workout, now I can do 110+kg(I rarely try my max, not bothered with it, I'll try next time I'll hit chest). What I want to say is that it all will come back to you faster than it would for a guy who starts from zero. Give it some time and keep giving it your all.

Going strictly cardio you'll keep on losing your muscle mass (but at the same time it's beneficial for your cardiovascular health). Balance it out, ask yourself what are your goals. Do you want to gain muscle and focus on physique or run 30kms. I'd start from low weights again, feeling the form, getting it spot on (that's why there's mirrors everywhere in the gym, to check your form) and let your body get used to lifting again. So listen to your body but make sure you don't stay in your comfort zone just because it feels good, can't have progress if you don't increase weights, mix it up every now and then. But at the same time no point grabbing weights that will cause injuries or jeopardize form. So listen to your body and be realistic and honest towards yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVtmNhWhQWo

[Mr_President 404]

Very strict routine, keep it up man and don't over do it. One serious question - doesn't 0% cottage cheese taste like rubber?

haha yes it does, but I drink it down quickly with milk/water.

[SinineUltra 1,170]

haha yes it does, but I drink it down quickly with milk/water.

hehe, salute!

[Mr_President 404]

Hey guys, I have a few problems.

1) Whenever I try to start a routine for working out I usually do well for about a week or 2, then just give up really. I don't know why but I always end up beating myself up about not sticking with it. Funny thing is that last summer I actually stuck to training + gym for about 3 months straight, and now I just can't seem to even do it for a month. It's very mentally draining because I know I'm better than this and I know that I'm sort of holding myself back. I just want to get into a good routine and be the guy I deserve to be.

My question regarding this is, how do you guys motivate yourselves and stay determined?

2) Whenever I am in the gym, because I haven't been consistently for a long time my strength has decreased a lot. Before I could bench press probably 70/80kg but now I'm struggling to do 50. It's weird because my chest in general is quite big, and although I was anticipating a strength loss, I didn't anticipate it to be this big. It's the same with when I'm trying to work on my arms or legs. Do you guys recommend I should just basically start all over again with reps that I'm comfortable with or do I push myself to do bigger weights?

3) I think the fact that I'm a little overweight (probably by around 10 pounds maximum, I'm 5'10/11" and weigh 180lbs) has contributed to my strength loss. Another question is - do I first try to lose this weight with strictly cardio and a cleaner diet or do I start both weight training and combine it with cardio/jogs on my rest day perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

The only motivation I need is that I actually enjoy training because I go to the gym with friends and like the feeling of being tired after a good work out. I have also been training for long enough (2.5 years) to see the benefits so I know it is worth carrying on. I think, on another level, the fact that I have been doing it for such a long time makes it harder to stop; meaning I don't want to ruin my hard work over the last few years by being slack with diet/training.

In terms of motivation for diet I generally dislike sweet/fatty foods so that makes it a lot easier for me, only difficult thing is when I am out I tend to drink a fair bit which is counter-productive - but you've gotta have some fun!

Therefore I'd suggest that you start a training routine that you've created to suit your goals, eg. to lose fat. Set yourself a goal (whether that be tangible in terms of an actual weight or BF%, or set yourself a goal of how you want to look like in the mirror). If you really want to lose weight then you must have a greater desire to lose it more than you want to break your routine/diet in order to have fatty foods or what ever, otherwise it is a pointless exercise.

[SinineUltra 1,170]

The only motivation I need is that I actually enjoy training because I go to the gym with friends and like the feeling of being tired after a good work out. I have also been training for long enough (2.5 years) to see the benefits so I know it is worth carrying on. I think, on another level, the fact that I have been doing it for such a long time makes it harder to stop; meaning I don't want to ruin my hard work over the last few years by being slack with diet/training.

In terms of motivation for diet I generally dislike sweet/fatty foods so that makes it a lot easier for me, only difficult thing is when I am out I tend to drink a fair bit which is counter-productive - but you've gotta have some fun!

Therefore I'd suggest that you start a training routine that you've created to suit your goals, eg. to lose fat. Set yourself a goal (whether that be tangible in terms of an actual weight or BF%, or set yourself a goal of how you want to look like in the mirror). If you really want to lose weight then you must have a greater desire to lose it more than you want to break your routine/diet in order to have fatty foods or what ever, otherwise it is a pointless exercise.

I'm exactly like you, 100% same mentality and eating habits. I haven't eaten a burger for 10 years. Only that I don't drink alcohol at all, just don't feel like it. Only on special occasions not to disrespect others.

[dumps 284]

Hey guys, I have a few problems.

1) Whenever I try to start a routine for working out I usually do well for about a week or 2, then just give up really. I don't know why but I always end up beating myself up about not sticking with it. Funny thing is that last summer I actually stuck to training + gym for about 3 months straight, and now I just can't seem to even do it for a month. It's very mentally draining because I know I'm better than this and I know that I'm sort of holding myself back. I just want to get into a good routine and be the guy I deserve to be.

My question regarding this is, how do you guys motivate yourselves and stay determined?

2) Whenever I am in the gym, because I haven't been consistently for a long time my strength has decreased a lot. Before I could bench press probably 70/80kg but now I'm struggling to do 50. It's weird because my chest in general is quite big, and although I was anticipating a strength loss, I didn't anticipate it to be this big. It's the same with when I'm trying to work on my arms or legs. Do you guys recommend I should just basically start all over again with reps that I'm comfortable with or do I push myself to do bigger weights?

3) I think the fact that I'm a little overweight (probably by around 10 pounds maximum, I'm 5'10/11" and weigh 180lbs) has contributed to my strength loss. Another question is - do I first try to lose this weight with strictly cardio and a cleaner diet or do I start both weight training and combine it with cardio/jogs on my rest day perhaps?

Thanks in advance.

1) Ultra pretty much covered it. motivation is always hard. my motivation in the beggining was because i was a tight bastard when it comes to money. paying £30 a month to use a gym, i was going to get my moneys worth! with in a few months i had worked in a routine which involved me exercising every day, and from then, it was just part of life, it was somethign i did. there were some periods where i didnt want to do it, and it was like a chore, but i did it. there were other times when it was all i wanted to do. Having friends and knowing people there is very useful. when you organise a time to go with someone you dont drop out, you always go! so that is good.

2) if you've been away from the gym for 8 weeks or more, its probably good to assume you should be starting at that 50kg. if its been 4 weeks or less, that strength will come back to you very fast, especially if you feel that you havent really lost any muscle mass. if its been like 2 or 3 weeks, then if you are up for a really uncomfortable 4 or 5 days, go to the gym (warm up thoroughly) then attempt to lift what you did before you stopped, itll ruin you, but as long as you dont injure yourself, once youve recovered you will have re oponed access to all your muscle fibres. otherwise, start at 50kg and work your way up again.

3) losing weight and gaining muscle at the same time is a very very very hard thing to do. possible. but hard. when building muscle, you look to do some muscle damage, then eat a couple hundered more calories to then build up the muscle. with weight loss you exercise and eat a few hundered less calories to help lose weight. so one is over feeding, and the other is starving and they dont really work together. you would have to have an extrmemly tight routine (exercise nad diet) to be able to achieve it. you would be better off going through a period of weight loss then muscle building. or vice versa. If you eat a fairly low fat diet, and the calories you lose from the fat, eat form protein, it is possible. so say at the moment you are getting 25-30% of your calories from fat, cut that down to 10/15% fat and increase your protein intake from 15% to 25%. and keep carbs at around 60%.

when going to lose weight, try and eat a lot of protein, by eating lots of protein (and effectively putting yourself in a state of positive nitrogen balance) it can prevent the process of protein breakdown (when the body breaks down proteins to use it as energy) and can keep up protein synthesis. when i say a lot of protein, i dont mean go made, i mean go from 15% of your total calories to 20/25% protein.

theres a few different approaches there for the weightloss interms of diet, and its really down to what you think you can manage.

[Korea 734]

How exactly.did.all.you guys measure bodyfat.

[dumps 284]

How exactly.did.all.you guys measure bodyfat.

you can do it on scales if they have that option which is what ithink most people will be using. some Gyms offer it. they also have hand held device. you cna do it with skin fold tests which some gyms will do, or theres an electro method similar to the scales and the hand held one, but instead of a hand to hand measurement, or a foot to foot measurement, it measures from hand to foot.

with the scales you measure foot to foot and that under predicts bf in men because its literally testing how long it takes an electrical impulse to go from your right foot to your left, and the shortest route is obciously up one leg and down the other, and men have low fat on their legs so it will under estimate your BF.

last time i measured my body fat was about a year ago using the hand to foot method. was about 12% i think. I have also used the hand held machiens as well and every time i get between 9%-18% so you can see how inconsistent they are as it depends on your hydration status etc.

its not easy getting an accurate body fat measurement. and its not easy to get a body fat measurement without any half decent stuff to measure it with!

the way i tend to monitor my body fat is just by pinching my skin in the areas they would if doing skin fold tests (google it) and just making a self obsevation (obviously not the best method at all! but gives you a rough idea - but no figures).

underwater weighing and scans are other ways to measure body fat. so as you can see, the most simple method is the one that are built in to your bathroom scales.... you can buy hand held devices though. no idea how much they are, i just play around with them at uni.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Thanks for the excellent feedback guys. I guess I do need to state my goals though - basically my body fat percentage is at around 25% so ideally is like to cut down a lot on BF. I'd love to lose like 10%. My body looks very lopsided and uneven to me and I beat myself up about it sometimes but enough is enough really.

I also want to get bigger arms mainly - I think my torso to arm ratio is very weird. My torso seems to be huge compared to my arms.

Another question is should I work on losing BF first (I'm not exactly sure on how to do this btw) or just work on my strength and getting my arms, chest and legs etc. bigger? Or do I just combine it sort of?

Also to note that I used to be in my uni basketball team but sort of gave up because I ain't fit enough really. I really need to pick myself up. But I know I can't demand for too much yet - I'd prioritise losing BF% and getting bigger arms over getting fitter for basketball - I want to work on that aspect in the summer. What should I do guys?

Thanks again.

[SinineUltra 1,170]

Thanks for the excellent feedback guys. I guess I do need to state my goals though - basically my body fat percentage is at around 25% so ideally is like to cut down a lot on BF. I'd love to lose like 10%. My body looks very lopsided and uneven to me and I beat myself up about it sometimes but enough is enough really.

I also want to get bigger arms mainly - I think my torso to arm ratio is very weird. My torso seems to be huge compared to my arms.

Another question is should I work on losing BF first (I'm not exactly sure on how to do this btw) or just work on my strength and getting my arms, chest and legs etc. bigger? Or do I just combine it sort of?

Also to note that I used to be in my uni basketball team but sort of gave up because I ain't fit enough really. I really need to pick myself up. But I know I can't demand for too much yet - I'd prioritise losing BF% and getting bigger arms over getting fitter for basketball - I want to work on that aspect in the summer. What should I do guys?

Thanks again.

I'd do gym work and cardio at the same time. Maybe at first put a little more effort on cardio to get your cardiovascular system in check. Try to measure your resting heart pulse (lay down, wait a min or two and count how many times does it pulsate during 15 sec then multiply it by 4.) and also blood pressure, they will give some sort of a clue what you stand in cardiovascular fitness.

Regarding eating - I'm sure you know which foods you should really avoid so cut down on those. Also if you can divide your food into smaller portions and consume them by eating 5-6 times a day. Beer is usually a source of essentially useless and unneeded carbs. Remember, it's not fats that makes you fat, but excessive carbs that are turned into fat for storage. The slower you drop weight, the better. Also drink a lot of water, I'm talking about 3 liters - natural option for filtering out excessive chemicals etc that otherwise would just store in your organs.

If you work out, believe me, you will become proportionate. No need to start doing bicep curls etc, will be useless. Compound movements - pulls ups, push ups, bench press, dead lifts (be careful with the last one) - are all very good for developing your arms plus overall physique. Remember, TRI-ceps is bigger than BI-ceps, hence the names. Don't forget abs / lower back workout to have strong core, also legs. You're as strong as is your weakest point. If you injure or imbalance your rotator cuff or lower back you'll be out of the game for a long time, if not for the rest of your life.