# Gym and no results.



## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

Here's my problem.
It's been a month and two weeks, going into my third week now of working-out at the gym. I go Monday - Friday for a minimum of 2 hours with no excuses, I even force myself at times.

WORK-OUT:
Elliptical (45 to 50 minutes) on a hard setting.
Machines that work out my biceps, triceps, chest (9 sets of 15 reps for each machine)
Bike (15 minutes)
Stair Master (20 minutes) 3 days a week.
Machines again for less sets
Elliptical (15 minutes)
Sauna (15 to 20 minutes) at the end of the work out and by this time I get quite tired.

I'm not focused on muscle at the moment, I just want to burn all this fat, which is why I do a lot of cardio. 

FOOD:
I don't eat burgers, pizza, chips, cookies, cupcakes or anything that is obviously bad for you. My breakfast, lunch and dinner are chicken (which I had a little bit a while ago), beans, eggs, sandwiches of turkey on wheat bread, or soup and that's pretty much it. For snacks I have fruit, raisins, baby carrots or steamed corn when there is some and I do drink a lot of water. Maybe i'm not eating right still? When I get home (after the gym), I do make a shake of whey protein (it says to put 3 scoops, but that's too much, so I just put less than half a scoop) 2 percent milk and a banana, then I don't eat for 2 to 3 hours after that. I admit, it wasn't like this right form the start, but it was once I hit my 3 week of working-out, but I still didn't eat fast food or cookies or any of that stuff.

Now, I measured myself in some areas before I started working-out, and i measured myself again today (a few minutes ago) and the results are the same. I even gained an inch on my stomach!? I really don't get it, and it's very frustrating.

What am I doing wrong? or is it still too early to even notice an inch of weight loss? Any tips, advice or maybe someone could give me the reason to why I haven't seen any results?


I never use the scale, i just measure myself to see if any inches dropped. The reason I don't use the scale is because I don't care for it. The reason why is because if the scale says that I've lost 25 pounds in 3 weeks or whatever, but yet my clothes fit the same and the inches are still there, then, what was the point? I'm more of seeing results.. Well, thanks for your time.


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## phi (Aug 1, 2011)

you seem to be focusing on your stomach then work out that part the most if you care about the most. it will take time, it wont be fast and U r probably using that muscle stuff it makes you gain weight doesent it?


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

Yeah muscle makes me gain weight, but I don't think it would interfere with the burning of the fat. I don't think..


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## Brightpaperwarewolf (Oct 16, 2008)

You could get gaining muscle. It takes a while to see results, you'll start to notice a little after 3 months.

It takes time to build your metabolism. I also suggest doing something that involves a lot of sprinting.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

3 months?? =O I want to be able to fit into my Halloween costume. -_-


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## Brightpaperwarewolf (Oct 16, 2008)

How tall are you and how much do you weight? What kind of look do you want?


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## nickcorona (Oct 17, 2010)

It's gonna take a lot more time than a month and two weeks buddy. It's not a fast process; think of all that time it took you to accumulate that weight. You cannot expect visible results in that short of a time span. Additionally, it's not the right mindset for you to succeed in the gym. You have to think long term and be patient.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

I'm 5'11 and I don't know how much I weigh, but it's around 240 or something. 

I know i will not see results right away, but what really annoyed me was that I gained an inch on my stomach. I would be fine if I have lost a few inches, but all the numbers are the same from all the places I measured. Well, Imma try harder and eat less from what I do now. See what happens by the time Halloween comes around.


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## Brightpaperwarewolf (Oct 16, 2008)

If you want to lose weight you have to track progress. Especially since you are concerned about body fat, get calipers or one of those electronic body fat testers. You can't really track your progress based on using a tape measure. It's not enough of an accurate representation, just one measure.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

I guess I'm just going crazy about it because I've been working very hard on both the exercising and the dieting. It annoys me when people say that they work-out for 30 minutes a day and end up losing a pants size in 3 weeks. Bleh, hope they trip and fall on bags of sand. Or something, i don't know.


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

vash said:


> Here's my problem.
> It's been a month and two weeks, going into my third week now of working-out at the gym. I go Monday - Friday for a minimum of 2 hours with no excuses, I even force myself at times.
> 
> WORK-OUT:
> ...


Are you doing that lifting routine every day? That's no good. Your muscles need time to recover. Only lift on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and get a better routine at that.



vash said:


> FOOD:
> I don't eat burgers, pizza, chips, cookies, cupcakes or anything that is obviously bad for you. My breakfast, lunch and dinner are chicken (which I had a little bit a while ago), beans, eggs, sandwiches of turkey on wheat bread, or soup and that's pretty much it. For snacks I have fruit, raisins, baby carrots or steamed corn when there is some and I do drink a lot of water. Maybe i'm not eating right still? When I get home (after the gym), I do make a shake of whey protein (it says to put 3 scoops, but that's too much, so I just put less than half a scoop) 2 percent milk and a banana, then I don't eat for 2 to 3 hours after that. I admit, it wasn't like this right form the start, but it was once I hit my 3 week of working-out, but I still didn't eat fast food or cookies or any of that stuff.


Doesn't sound bad, but how many calories does all that add up to? Because unless it's below maintenance (factored in after the calories burned by exercise), you're going to gain weight or stay at the same size regardless of how healthy your diet is.



vash said:


> Now, I measured myself in some areas before I started working-out, and i measured myself again today (a few minutes ago) and the results are the same. I even gained an inch on my stomach!? I really don't get it, and it's very frustrating.
> 
> I never use the scale, i just measure myself to see if any inches dropped. The reason I don't use the scale is because I don't care for it. The reason why is because if the scale says that I've lost 25 pounds in 3 weeks or whatever, but yet my clothes fit the same and the inches are still there, then, what was the point? I'm more of seeing results.. Well, thanks for your time.


Well, it is possible that you've gained a bit of muscle, but I doubt it would be enough to offset the loss of fat. Also; it's only been a month. Give it some more time. You should have lost about 10-12 lbs in that period, which isn't too noticeable if you're sitting at 240. What are you using, a tape measure? How often are you measuring? It could just be an error on your part.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

Yes, I do the lifting everyday as part of my exercise, but I'm not into gaining muscle at the moment, which is why I do the other stuff more. But I will try to hold back on it if it would help.

I do not count the calories, mainly because I don't know how when it comes to the food my mom makes so I just eat less and if I don't get full, I'll just eat fruit or something. Plus from all the exercising, I didn't think it would be an issue. But I need to start doing that now.

Yeah, it's been a month and i have a small tape measure to do it with. I've only measured myself 3 times. The beginning, last week and today.


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## melissa75 (Feb 16, 2010)

It hasn't been long enough to see obvious results.

Also, don't eat less because your body needs the energy if you're working out this much. Just make sure you're eating the right balance of protein, veggies, and good carbs. Don't eat after 7 pm at night if you can help it. Your biggest meal needs to be breakfast, and snack every 2-3 hours. And, you really need to write down what you eat, the calories, fat, etc. so you know that you're not eating too many calories or not enough.

Lift weights less often and mostly do cardio on the elliptical. Not sure the bicycle and stairmaster are going to give you the results you're looking for. Stairmaster builds muscle. Running is your best bet for burning fat, though. Have you tried it? Also, circuit training seems to work well for people. 

Hang in there...and, switch it up so you're not hitting a plateau. You'll see results in the next month or 2 if you stick with it!


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## frillylove (Sep 11, 2010)

cynical idealist said:


> It hasn't been long enough to see obvious results.
> 
> Also, don't eat less because your body needs the energy if you're working out this much. Just make sure you're eating the right balance of protein, veggies, and good carbs. Don't eat after 7 pm at night if you can help it. Your biggest meal needs to be breakfast, and snack every 2-3 hours. And, you really need to write down what you eat, the calories, fat, etc. so you know that you're not eating too many calories or not enough.
> 
> ...


Do not listen to this advice, please.

You do not need to eat a big breakfast. (But you can if you'd like.) And you absolutely do not need to snack every 2-3 hours. In fact, I'd recommend only eating 3 or 4 times per day.

I'd encourage cardio, but only because it's good for your health, not because it'll help you lose weight. If you dread being on that elliptical, then don't do it because it won't help you lose that much weight. Also continue doing strength training about 3x a week.

I can't really tell what your diet is like... If you were to track your food for a day and post it here, you might get some better advice.

Also, are you or did you used to be overweight?


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## ddhamilt (Aug 25, 2011)

1 - It hasn't been long enough to see results, especially because the focus needs to be on changing your metabolism.

2 - Strength training - focus less on individual muscle exercises (i.e. bicep curls and tricep extensions) and do more compound exercises, esp those that involve core and legs i.e. squats, lunges, kettlebell swings. Incline press is great, it uses shoulders, tris and chest. Rows and deadlifts too. Note that squats are hard to do with a bar, you can really hurt your back if not careful, so using a smith press, or even a squat machine if you need to. START LIGHT AND GET THE FORM RIGHT. It is not worth injuring yourself.

3- Interval Cardio - IMO cardio on the machine for 45 mins at the same rate is a waste of time. You'll get more out of it doing intervals where you push it. Reason being is you continue to burn after you are done with the intervals. I think you are way overdoing it on cardio, especially with the way you are doing it, and you'll just get frustrated and burn yourself out mentally/emotionally.

4 - Calories - I suggest figuring out your basal metabolic rate is (incorporates your age as well) and finding out what your daily calorie intake is daily to maintain your current weight. You must cut calories below it if you want to see fat losses. It sounds like you're eating fairly balanced, but you must cut calories daily. It's chemistry, plain and simple. I also have had great reaults with smaller meals and eating 5-6 times a day. 

5- Stay away from too many abs exercises if you want a flatter stomach, putting more muscle there will increase the size of muscle underneath while you aren't yet burning the fat off. You don't need that much in terms of abs anywhere, esp. if you are doing exercises that use the core a lot squats, kettlebells, etc.


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## nemesis1 (Dec 21, 2009)

Are you taking any supplements?

I think you should be at least taking a protein shake everyday. It will help your muscles repair themselves.


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## jimbo00 (Nov 28, 2010)

The calorie counting is the most important bit. 

You could loose the same amount of weight by not doing any exercises. Obviously exercising is more healthy for a bunch of reasons though.

If your Mom makes pasta or something for dinner check how many calories are in the pasta and the sauce and then estimate how much of a serving you had. It might not be accurate, but if your able to count most of the other meals correctly it wouldnt matter to much if your slightly off.

I lost heeeaps of weight by just going on exercise bike (high intensity) + counting calories.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

nemesis1 said:


> Are you taking any supplements?
> 
> I think you should be at least taking a protein shake everyday. It will help your muscles repair themselves.


Yeah, I make a Whey protein shake after every work out.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

> Also, are you or did you used to be overweight?


Yes, I was overweight before, but I ended up losing a bunch of weight a year go and I was actually in pretty okay shape. But things went to hell and I ended up gaining most of the weight back, so that is why I'm trying to lose this fat again.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

I keep hearing about eating every 3 hours just like cynical idealist, but not heavy foods, but like snacks and to never let myself go hungry, which is why I eat the fruit or carrots when I get a little hungry. I keep hearing things like that, the same with breakfast but I just eat a little and drink water or get snacks if I get hungry again.


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## phi (Aug 1, 2011)

if you try to lose wieght in an axious way
you might lose it fast then gain it fast again because it does not seem like you are having a pleasant time. Make it plesant and fun for you in order for you to stay thin.


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## VIncymon (Apr 16, 2009)

You have to understand that this is the endomorph challenge. A person who is heavy, and has layers of fat over underdeveloped muscle, will always get bigger, before they get smaller.

If you really want to see results more quickly you have to run.

Even i have had to accept that. I am endomorph, I;ve been skinny my whole life. However once i passed 20, my belly doesn't stay as flat as it used to. I reached a point where my chest was chizelled out, my arms were cut, and my belly was .. flabby- even if i was doing a ton of sit-ups. The only way I got it back down, was by jogging- I am not even overweight !


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

VIncymon said:


> You have to understand that this is the endomorph challenge. A person who is heavy, and has layers of fat over underdeveloped muscle, will always get bigger, before they get smaller.
> 
> If you really want to see results more quickly you have to run.
> 
> Even i have had to accept that. I am endomorph, I;ve been skinny my whole life. However once i passed 20, my belly doesn't stay as flat as it used to. I reached a point where my chest was chizelled out, my arms were cut, and my belly was .. flabby- even if i was doing a ton of sit-ups. The only way I got it back down, was by jogging- I am not even overweight !


Oh, i did not know that. I don't like to run because, well, I'm a big guy trying to run, i would get too shy. But I will start to walk more though, I don't walk much just do that machines. I'll try to use the treadmill more now, thanks.


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## VIncymon (Apr 16, 2009)

vash said:


> Oh, i did not know that. I don't like to run because, well, I'm a big guy trying to run, i would get too shy. But I will start to walk more though, I don't walk much just do that machines. I'll try to use the treadmill more now, thanks.


yea, well at least you are generally big so your belly doesn't look out of proportion to your body. Imagine how ridiculous it feels to be a skinny guy with a big gut just hanging there ... that is just ...not attractive.
I had no choice but to run


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## The Professor (Jul 31, 2011)

vash said:


> Here's my problem.
> It's been a month and two weeks, going into my third week now of working-out at the gym. I go Monday - Friday for a minimum of 2 hours with no excuses, I even force myself at times.
> 
> WORK-OUT:
> ...


1. I didn't read what everyone said
2. Follow this program for muscle (since you are trying to "cut" you need to work at a caloric deficit (burn more calories than you eat... but still make sure you eat enough!)http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121353501&page=1
3. No machines!
4. Keep up the cardio for sure if you want to lose fat
5. Instead of spending so much _time_ with the cardio, do intervals. This is where you jog for a few minutes and then do an all out sprint for 30-90 seconds (whatever you can hold up) and then go back to the jog. Do that for only about 15-20 minutes and you WILL get better results. It's been proven to burn more calories. I see you don't use a treadmill which may be the problem, if for some reason you can't, i guess you can do the intervals on a bike or eliptical.
6. spending 2 hours in the gym will be counter productive. It's too long. Every expert will agree with that. Take a couple days off a week (or follow that program I posted) except for running... you can and should run everyday.

good luck. I just found out I can no longer lift (heavy) because I'm at risk for an enlarged aorta. All heavy lifters are at risk and need to be careful of this and make sure they breathe right! look up some articles "weight lifting effects on aorta" if you want to learn more.


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## 2Talkative (Nov 1, 2007)

Is this bb.com or SAS ? HAHA too many oppinions.

It's really simple restrict your calories I would put $1000 down that you are eating WAY over what you actually need to be. I can tell you that no one on here can tell you how much to eat it's something you need to keep track of in the mirror not the scale. 

Any cardio/lifting you can do will add to your weight loss goal...a good heavy lifting session can burn 6-700 calories but thats heavy compound lifts.


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## Godless1 (Aug 1, 2008)

2Talkative said:


> Is this bb.com or SAS ? HAHA too many oppinions.


As far as stubborn and opinionated goes, here is the list.

1. Religion
2. Politics
3. Health/Nutrition

I don't know why but this is the way it is everywhere. For some reason, people are dogmatic about their views on healthy living. They think they have the one true answer. Bottom line, as long as your making an effort to exercise and eat healthier, you'll do fine.

Also, OP, as far as measuring yourself, everyone carries weight in different places, and you might be getting healthier without necessarily losing inches in all areas. I certainly wouldn't rely on that as the end all be all of success.


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## The Professor (Jul 31, 2011)

frillylove said:


> Do not listen to this advice, please.
> 
> You do not need to eat a big breakfast. (But you can if you'd like.) And you absolutely do not need to snack every 2-3 hours. In fact, I'd recommend only eating 3 or 4 times per day.
> 
> ...


Why would you tell him not to listen to her advice??? She's actually exactly right. You want to eat more calories early in the day and less later because it revs up the metabolism and won't store fat when you sleep. And cardio won't help you lose weight? what!?

wait a second... I just realized you were kidding (i think?)


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## frillylove (Sep 11, 2010)

Sorry, but a lot of people are misinformed when it comes to health. I know that different things work for different people, but "eat every 2-3 hours and do hours of cardio" is generally bad advice.

Yes, cardio can help people lose weight, but if he doesn't like it and he isn't seeing results, he'll probably just end giving up. It's much easier to lose weight by changing your way of eating than by spending four hours on the elliptical every week.


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## Godless1 (Aug 1, 2008)

frillylove said:


> Sorry, but a lot of people are misinformed when it comes to health. I know that different things work for different people, but *"eat every 2-3 hours and do hours of cardio" is generally bad advice.*


Why?! Assuming you're eating 5 or 6 small meals and burning a decent amount of calories doing cardio, it should work fine.



> Yes, cardio can help people lose weight, but if he doesn't like it and he isn't seeing results, he'll probably just end giving up. *It's much easier to lose weight by changing your way of eating than by spending four hours on the elliptical every week.*


A combination of the two is the best strategy.


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## JimmyDeansRetartedCousin (Nov 28, 2009)

Give it another three months, and if you still havn't seen noticable results review your regime. Get a PT to make one up for you if you can.


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## Under17 (May 4, 2010)

Read lyle mcdonalds fat loss book (you can buy it or pirate it) but it will tell youeverything youvewanted toknow

****ingspacebar is whack, sorry


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

vash said:


> Here's my problem.
> It's been a month and two weeks, going into my third week now of working-out at the gym. I go Monday - Friday for a minimum of 2 hours with no excuses, I even force myself at times.
> 
> WORK-OUT:
> ...


What are your goals? I'm a coach, and I might be able to help.

Stop eating wheat. Lift heavy twice a week, and do aerobic intervals twice (preferably high intensity) a week. If you're trying to loose weight it will be eighty percent diet. I recommend the paleo diet.
.


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## Lisa (Jul 8, 2006)

It is really hard to tell how many calories are in home cooked food. It can be healthy and still be high fat/ high energy.

Since you are in this for the long haul it would be a good idea to read up on nutrition. Not just calories and fat but everything. That way it will be easier to control your diet.

Also, the measuring you do isn't nearly accurate enough. Actual increases could mean that you have gained muscle tissue. You might just not be loosing the fat so it is hidden under the fat and increases the measurements.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

guppy88 said:


> What are your goals? I'm a coach, and I might be able to help.
> 
> Stop eating wheat. Lift heavy twice a week, and do aerobic intervals twice (preferably high intensity) a week. If you're trying to loose weight it will be eighty percent diet. I recommend the paleo diet.
> .


My goal is to drop inches and pant sizes. Right now, I'm not worried about gaining muscle or being strong, I really don't care if I'm weak and can't bench press as much as the next guy and that is why i'm doing much more cardio than other stuff. The only reason I do lift weights is just to mix my work-out up. I guess my big problem is my waist and stomach, those are the things I'm more concerned with.

what is the paleo diet?


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

Today I went to the gym and I only did 25 minutes on the elliptical and left. I wasn't in the mood to exercise, I guess this is taking a big emotional toll on me, but I am reading what everyone is saying on here and I will definitely change how I exercise and eat. Hopefully by Monday I will be in a more positive mood to work harder. 

I will be doing more things and not just focus on one thing for too long. I will stop doing 50 minutes on the elliptical, and start to doing 25 minutes on a good setting instead and quickly jump on to other things just like The Professor said.

Lisa, yes it's really hard to really tell how many calories and how much fat there is when it comes to a home cook meal, and that is why I eat less, but like you said, I could still be eating too much bad stuff so I'll keep an eye out on those things. 

I will start to check my food and count the calories as well as the other stuff like fat, sugar and sodium. 

I will stop expecting results so soon and hold out for the next month to see if any process has been done.


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## Nathan Talli (Dec 13, 2010)

Everything you put in your mouth should have some sort of benefit for your body if you want to lose weight. Raisins? Lol. Those = almost pure sugar/carbs. Same with the bananas. 

Eat this:

Breakfast= 2 servings of oatmeal rolled or steel cut. No milk no sugar. Add water + stevia. 

Or 5 egg white omelet + 2 yolks (throw 3 away) AND 1 scoop whey with water not milk.

Lunch. Tunafish on wheat with no mayo. Or 1 cup brown rice with can of chicken.

Before gym: 1 slice of wheat toast with 2 tbsp peanut butter
After gym: 1 scoop whey + water not milk

Dinner: 1 chicken breast 2 cups steamed broccoli

Before bed optional*: 1 scoop whey + water



This **** doesn't taste good and will get boring really fast but comes to about 1300-1600 calories when you are used to probably eating 2000+. Since you are not trying to build muscle right now you don't need to bulk (ie 1 scoop whey not 3, water not 2% milk). 

If you still want to eat food because it tastes good then you will probably never get to your desired body image.

FYI: Lifting weights burns more fat than cardio. Don't use those machines, use free weights instead. 

And as mentioned before: Don't gym everyday, you need to let your body rest.


Also learn to love the feeling of being hungry. 

Free meal: 1/2 head of cabbage + green bell peppers + cucumber + 2 tbsp white vinnegar + 1/2 tbsp brown mustard. Zero net calories and it will feel you up.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

vash said:


> My goal is to drop inches and pant sizes. Right now, I'm not worried about gaining muscle or being strong, I really don't care if I'm weak and can't bench press as much as the next guy and that is why i'm doing much more cardio than other stuff. The only reason I do lift weights is just to mix my work-out up. I guess my big problem is my waist and stomach, those are the things I'm more concerned with.
> 
> what is the paleo diet?


Diet is going to help more than anything. Exercise helps, buts there's a saying "abs are made in the kitchen". Paleo diet is also referred as the cave man diet because they only eat meats, veggies and fruits. Most dairy (barring eggs) and grains are not allowed. Most athletes who follow it praise it up and down. More on the paleo http://robbwolf.com/

Long steady distance is worthless unless you're crippled, have serious heart problems, or it's the only exercise you can do. Long steady distance/ cardio is about as hard as not trying to spill your beer at a party. Physicans will tell you to do cardio, but their idea of exercise is too conservitive for the purposes of "aesthetics". LSD/cardio is not sufficient in causing a metabolic change and it fails to suppress 02 saturation. v02 max is what you should be training. Training v02 max improves aerobic capacity and burns fat more effectively than just running slow. All you need to know about that is 3-5 minute intervals of intensive running will be more effective than 30-50 minutes of running. There is of course a point where it is harder to lose fat because of adaptation, but any novice athlete should be able to lose weight with HITT training or v02 training.

btw, spot reduction is kinda a myth. It can be done I guess, but it takes way too much time and it's unhealthy to focus on one part of the body. You just have to loose weight, and your best bet is to start with the paleo diet do intervals and possibly lift 2x/1x a week. It sounds like your goals can be accomplished since you have not tapped into much of this yet.

I'd recommend the book starting strength for lifting. It'll be the best 20 dollars you spend, and maybe the most helpful book you'll read.

and more specific goals like loose x amount of lbs in a month is better so you can see your progress. You should see good progress in three-four months if you do it right.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

Honestly, most of the advice on here is okay, but I think most of it we already know.

don't train everyday and cardio sucks ***. These are facts by that I'll argue tooth and nail. And I'd know, I was an Olympic athlete on the bike. 

You might want to start weighing yourself. It's very accurate. Loose 50-60 lbs and you'll look like a stud. lift weights and loose fat. Larger people can do that.


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## jimbo00 (Nov 28, 2010)

thats pretty cool 
Which olympics where you in ?



guppy88 said:


> don't train everyday and cardio sucks ***. These are facts by that I'll argue tooth and nail. And I'd know, I was an Olympic athlete on the bike.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

jimbo00 said:


> thats pretty cool
> Which olympics where you in ?


When i said Olympic, I always mean the Olympic training center picked me up in Colorado springs. Sorry.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

You need to also focus on the calories you are taking.


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## slushie87 (Jul 28, 2011)

Start keeping a log of what exactly what you eat..so you know for a fact that it's not your diet....and give it about 6months.


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## thegeekinthepink (Sep 24, 2010)

cut out the weight lifting completely and focus on cardio. Drink nothing but water.

i had the same type of routine as you. As soon as i did what i said above, the weight started to fly off. before then, i saw no change


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## FabledHero (Jun 13, 2010)

As others have said you should keep a strict log of what you eat, how many calories, carbs, fats, proteins. And try to eat many small meals per day keeps your metabolism going at a higher rate. If you're focusing on losing fat and dont want to gain muscle, doing all cardio is probably best. Jogging on the treadmill, swimming, bike riding etc. Although ideally you should do cardio and weight lifting because anaerobic exercises like weight lifting do burn a good amount of calories as well. Drink a lot of water as well, it's good for ya. As for diet, you should eat mostly vegatables and fruits, and lean meat, like turkey, grilled chicken, no breaded chicken etc.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

Don't cut weights!!!!!!


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## Peter Attis (Aug 31, 2009)

thegeekinthepink said:


> cut out the weight lifting completely and focus on cardio.


I... I don't think this is a good idea.


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## thegeekinthepink (Sep 24, 2010)

why isn't it a good idea? it works


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## OldSchoolSkater (Jun 3, 2011)

You may be like me - where I'm not a large person but it's similar. No matter how much I work out I wont gain any muscle or anything. All I do is tend to tone up. I've seen this with a couple of my friends who were bigger too - they worked out constantly and lost weight initially then gained that and more weight back. But when they thought about it they realized they actually just toned up - which was good too.

I understand wanting to lose weight but maybe that's just your standard body size - so rather than worrying about weight you should just want to tone everything up. 

If that makes any sense.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

guppy88 said:


> Diet is going to help more than anything. Exercise helps, buts there's a saying "abs are made in the kitchen". Paleo diet is also referred as the cave man diet because they only eat meats, veggies and fruits. Most dairy (barring eggs) and grains are not allowed. Most athletes who follow it praise it up and down. More on the paleo http://robbwolf.com/
> 
> Long steady distance is worthless unless you're crippled, have serious heart problems, or it's the only exercise you can do. Long steady distance/ cardio is about as hard as not trying to spill your beer at a party. Physicans will tell you to do cardio, but their idea of exercise is too conservitive for the purposes of "aesthetics". LSD/cardio is not sufficient in causing a metabolic change and it fails to suppress 02 saturation. v02 max is what you should be training. Training v02 max improves aerobic capacity and burns fat more effectively than just running slow. All you need to know about that is 3-5 minute intervals of intensive running will be more effective than 30-50 minutes of running. There is of course a point where it is harder to lose fat because of adaptation, but any novice athlete should be able to lose weight with HITT training or v02 training.
> 
> ...


Thanks, I will check into this diet and change the way I do things. I already stopped doing 45 minutes on the elliptical and started changing my work outs more often and I stopped staying at one place for too long.


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## Invalid Username (May 25, 2011)

If you know the specific nutrient values of food and of how much energy you consume per day, try to follow the general rule that to lose weight you take in less energy than your body uses. Eg. 2000 calorie intake with 2500 calorie usage.


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## Rasputin_1 (Oct 27, 2008)

Before you even worry about doing any of this you need to make a lifestyle change. All the information in the world cant help you if you do not do this first. If your only goal is to lose weight then its simple, you need to burn more calories than you consume. 

And please weight yourself. Take measurements too but weigh yourself. If you can afford it I would spring for a personal trainer and a nutritionist. Even if the PT just works with you a few times and shows you the basics it will be worth the money and a nutritionist can help you decide what you need to be eating and when.

Also I recommend a good multi- Good luck with your fitness goals in 2011.


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## PaysageDHiver (Jun 18, 2011)

I agree with most of what guppy has said.

(1) Trade most of the cardio and all of the machine work for _compound movements with free weights_.

(2) Cut out all grains (bread, pasta, etc.) and all sugar. Drink only water. Doing these things will control blood sugar, which is the most important part of losing fat (not merely 'weight') and being healthy.

(3) Eat a lot of eggs (with the yolk!), chicken breasts and fish. You seem fine there.

(4) Don't be afraid of fat - it fills you up and isn't all that bad for you. Do avoid trans fat, though.

(5) Eat a lot of vegetables (my staples are green beens, asparagus, broccoli, and cabbage). Nothing from a can. Stop the corn and any other starchy vegetable - eat mostly green stuff. Feel free to use butter (yum!).

Doing these things has helped me drop almost 15 pounds in a month while preserving most of my muscle mass (I've actually gotten a little stronger in the gym, interestingly).

Good luck.


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## coldsorehighlighter (Jun 2, 2010)

What you eat is most important, and how much. I bet if you weighed and measured your foods and found out many calories you're actually eating, you'd be shocked.

I also think you're going a little too hardcore on the exercise...too much can be a bad thing, especially without sufficient rest.


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## kikyoumiko (Nov 24, 2009)

Well first of all, you should track down what you eat. Find out your BMR (how many calories you burn at rest) and then find out your daily caloric needs with the Harris Benedict equation. You can do this here: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/. Then subtract 500 calories from that to create a deficit. That will equal to a deficit of 3500 calories a week, which means you can lose one pound a week. I like to use myfitnesspal.com to track my calories. I don't recommend doing "diets." It does help you lose weight in a short term, but once you go back to your regular eating habits you're just going to gain it all back again and go through the same struggle of losing it. Just drink plenty of water, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and lean protein.

While it is true that doing cardio does burn fat, I wouldn't eliminate weight training and do cardio only. Even if you don't want to focus on muscle, it does help burn more calories at rest. Last summer, I loved to do a lot of cardio but I didn't like to weight train. I still made myself do it twice a week. After two months, I didn't lose much weight, but I did tone up. People thought I lost a lot of weight and my pants were looser. So weight training is also an important factor in your routine if you want to lose inches. Try finding some core exercises to do to strengthen and tone your core. I found some here that are similar to what I did: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/core-strength/SM00047&slide=13. I would recommend weight training 2-3 times a week, but have a day of rest after you weight train so your muscles can recover. Also, why don't you trying weight training for 30 minutes and then follow that up by cardio interval training for another 30 minutes? An hour of exercise for 4-5 days is sufficient enough.


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## bsd3355 (Nov 30, 2005)

Be patient. You'll bulk up. Not everyone starts seeing results until the third or sixth month! I can only because I've worked out before and muscle memory. Keep working out and you'll see results. Your main focus should be paying attention to the increase of your strength. Keep a booklet with you when you workout and record your reps and sets and make sure your gaining strength. Don't over train. If you allow your muscles to rest more you'll see an increase in strength, but if you let them sit for too long without working them out then you'll lose strength, so keep a balance. Make sure to get plenty of rest.


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## Zeeshan (Sep 4, 2011)

*How to build muscle and burn fat (Years of experience)*

1) Machines that ISOLATE muscles dont build muscles they make they go into better forms. You might gain some, but muscle is actually built through whats called COMPOUND excercises which require large muscle groups to work and increase Testesterone productions

Start doing the following instead

1) Squats (HUGE HUGE MUSCLE BUILDER NOT JUST IN THE LEGS)
2) Chinups 
3) Bench Press
4) Seated Dumb Bell Presses

When you exhuast the large muscle groups in the body, smaller ones will follow. You should always workout biceps triceps at the end of your workout.

2) Protein builds muscle. It might taste bad, but we all take it and tons of it. Without protein muscle will not be built. Protein is the cement in the wall. half of scoop is nothing, you need to take the three after workout. Before sleeping you have to take casien protein which can be another supplement or a tons of cottage cheese. During the day you have to eat Chicken Breasts which is loaded with wonderful protein, Egg whites, Tuna, and lean slice of beef

3) If you are doing so much cardio, you should be burning tons of fat. 50 minutes is a lot, you should be seeing fat reduction. So i am going to venture a guess that since working out you have increased your carbohydrate intake, even so that does not sound right. Month and a half of this kind of cardio should result in 3 to 4 inches of belly fat loss. Now everyone is different, but i think if you have increased your carb intake you might be seeing a condition in which fat cells are rebounding in your body. Your muscles are hungry for protein and because you feel hungry your eating more carbs. But the body needs high protein. I recemmend at least 200 G of protein a day, now thats hard work, but ask any guy who takes working out seriously at your gym, or go on to Bodybuilding forum

If your not concerned with building muscle then i suggest you ditch all the supplements, but switch to a high protein diet, and go very low on the carbs. I know a low carb diet is not easy, but if you eat the right things, such as chicken breasts, egg whites, tuna, then you will feel full all the time.

A wonder supplement called casien protein is basically milk protein that stays in your body for long periods of time. It can make you feel super full, and not starve.

Would love to know why the cardio isnt working

P.S. The sauna doesnt burn fat, but only dehydrates the body. No energy is spent by the body if a person just sits there


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## Zeeshan (Sep 4, 2011)

"v02 max is what you should be training. Training v02 max improves aerobic capacity and burns fat more effectively than just running slow."

I disagree with that statement by the way, It might burn more calories, but it burns every carb reserve in the body. After high intensity workouts people are basically starving since the body has burned down the carbs stored inside the muscle cells. When its done with those carbs it will start breaking muscles down for protein and converting them into carbs.

Low intensity exercise for longer periods of time is the only way to ensure that muscle mass will be protected. during low intensity workouts, the body is using as much as 80 percent fat energy, and conserving the carbs for any fight or flight need.


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## Zeeshan (Sep 4, 2011)

By the way, if your protein has creatine in it, some do, then you will retain water in your muscles, giving it the impression that you have gotten bigger. So i would also check that


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## eddyr (Aug 1, 2011)

building muscle takes time, more time than cutting fat. I suggest you continue bulking; providing you have good form and good diet then you should see results in 6 months... keep it simple.


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## Cynical (Aug 23, 2011)

Ive been going to the gym for about 8 months now I focused more on my upper body, ive been getting good results I go to the gym 3 times a week till school started then it went down to 2 times a week my progress got slower then....

but a few weeks ago I changed my routine. I wanted to slim down to my old 140lbs from 155lbs. my routine now consist of 30 mins on the thread mill then 30 at the bike, 70 sit ups (upper abs) and 70 crunches for the lower abs then 70 side to sides. after that I do a lower number of my old routine but instead of doing 5 sets for each body part for the day, I lowered it to 3 due to time constraints. 

I do chest, biceps, triceps one day then shoulders, back, legs for another day to keep them from degrading completely. note though instead of resting (i.e. just sitting) after every set I instead try to do 100 jumps on a jump rope emphasis on "try" cause seriously sometimes I just cant do that hundred after every single set when I have 9 sets lol.

Plus im on a diet right now no carbs (no bread, potatos, pasta or anything that resembled my original meals) and no sugars (no colas,chocolate, milk, some legumes even fruits) for the starting 2 weeks. just leafy vegetables, meat (lean chicken/pork) and nuts. I think I've lost 5-7 lbs now gonna check it when I go back to the gym. my diet and routine is working pretty well for me. 

Sidenote: saw it on the first page, don't know if its been answered but I'll add my two cents. eating every 3 hours works! it increases your metabolism drastically I've done it a few times in the past it really makes it easier to burn fat... unfortunately though you'll always have the munchies/hunger all day. it didnt quite work too well for me since at the time my classes were bunched up together making breaks almost none existent and you cant eat in class so I had to drop it and no carb is already hell on your system. it made me dizzy a few times and I couldn't think straight most of the time but it works.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

Looking ripped at your weight can take 6-12 months.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

Zeeshan said:


> "v02 max is what you should be training. Training v02 max improves aerobic capacity and burns fat more effectively than just running slow."
> 
> I disagree with that statement by the way, It might burn more calories, but it burns every carb reserve in the body. After high intensity workouts people are basically starving since the body has burned down the carbs stored inside the muscle cells. When its done with those carbs it will start breaking muscles down for protein and converting them into carbs.
> 
> Low intensity exercise for longer periods of time is the only way to ensure that muscle mass will be protected. during low intensity workouts, the body is using as much as 80 percent fat energy, and conserving the carbs for any fight or flight need.


--Carbs are not needed to make muscle.
-- Carbs actually create more fat because they spike your insulin. 
--Training slow twitch focuses on smaller muscle fibers. 
-- low intensity exercise requires a minimum amount of muscle and just breaks anything extra it doesn't need down.


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## uffie (May 11, 2010)

guppy88 said:


> --Carbs are not needed to make muscle.


I've never heard anything more wrong in my entire life.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

uffie said:


> I've never heard anything more wrong in my entire life.


Oh, ****, you got me. You must be one of those geniuses from OSHA.

The only actual things carbs do for your muscles is energize your phophocreatine and glycotic pathway. Your muscles might use this as energy, but your muscles are built of protein strands. Look it up if you don't think I'm right. And those carbs that are used are usually aren't complex carbs -- more like simple sugar.

All three energy systems run at the same time. Once your glycolysis stores deplete you switch right to oxidation stores where you burn fat. Not Muscle.The area we're training is between the oxidation and glycolysis. Fat comes in half-way in when you use the glycolisis system as glycerol. So, we're not breaking muscle down for energy. I'm not sure where you got that notion from but he was probably an idiot. And even if you did run out of stores that means you hit failure which isn't really what we're suppose to do.

Anyways, explain to me why athletes who train for mile runs have more muscle mass than someone who trains for a 10 mile run?


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## john5050 (Sep 6, 2011)

Try weightlifting and use lighter weight and more repetitions to really tone up and keep up with your cardio. Remember no pain no gain so make the most out of every workout. You will see a difference.


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## Jeff (Nov 11, 2005)

I've learned a ton about body building from a discussion forum called bodybuilding.com. Just be warned though, some of the members over there are very aggressive and will bite your head off, I guess it's all the excess testosterone from working out.


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## shadowmask (Jun 22, 2009)

john5050 said:


> Try weightlifting and use lighter weight and more repetitions to really tone up and keep up with your cardio. Remember no pain no gain so make the most out of every workout. You will see a difference.


High reps do not cause muscles to "tone up".


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## thrash4odin (Sep 7, 2011)

Add some cardio. It's tougH. I'm trying to lose some pounds too. It won't happen instantly.


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## Josh180 (Sep 9, 2011)

How is the intensity of your workouts? You won't burn fat if you don't get your heart rate up beyond a certain point - at least not in 15 - 20 minutes worth of light cardio on the elliptical. You'd just be better off walking.

Also, what other said, you could have built some muscle mass from the exercising.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

shadowmask said:


> High reps do not cause muscles to "tone up".


Yes, you're right. Lower reps at 5 are actually the proven most effective for novice lifters. Reps of 8-12 build more muscle mass for intermediate-elite lifters.

And as for toning, there's no such thing. That effect usually comes from losing fat.


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## ntdc (Jun 29, 2011)

vash said:


> Here's my problem.
> It's been a month and two weeks, going into my third week now of working-out at the gym. I go Monday - Friday for a minimum of 2 hours with no excuses, I even force myself at times.
> 
> WORK-OUT:
> ...


with that routine you are most likely getting results losing weight in your stomach is hard, perhaps you were bloated that day . do some sit ups and crunches, it wont really flatten your stomach but it will make you look better and feel better in that area, you probably lost the weight around your hips or butt. stomach is usually the last area to go

if you're not on any medications you might consider using a thermogenic like an ECA stack


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## Myrmidon (Sep 11, 2011)

OH GOD THE BROSCIENCE

Losing weight is simple. You expend more calories than you consume. This is irrefutable. Whilst there are dietary methods of streamlining this a little, for a beginner it's hugely important to focus primarily on diet. Aim for 1500 - 2000 calories a day (depending on the amount you eat, if you eat a lot go higher and trim it down slowly giving your stomache time to adjust to the lighter loads) and stick to it, and cut down on carbs a little.

Ultimately you can do all the exercise in the world (and I love exercise, I lift, run and bike) but if you can't lose weight by fixing your diet then you need to work on that first before you add exercise into the equation. The sure fire way to fail is to try and juggle 3 new things at once.

Personally I would recommend a good multi, plenty of vegetables, fruit and lean meats, and some oily fish. You can count macronutrients all day but the fact is it is incredibly hard to go wrong if you eat foods like these. The only caviat to this is if you are looking to maintain or build muscle you should eat anywhere from 0.7 to 1.5g of protein per pound of lean mass (measure body fat and subtract from total weight), but this is irrelevant as you said you aren't interested in building muscle. However I would recommend reading Starting Strength as someone mentioned, and start a routine based around heavy compound lifts as it increases joint health, if nothing else. As someone mentioned, avoid machines as they only train the lmited range of motion that they are designed to. The body is a web of different muscles, it's how we balance - free weights train all the auxilary muscles as well as the primary muscle groups.

I saw someone mention paleo - this is fine, but don't get dragged into the insulin argument, it has been disproved numerous times. I personally don't eat grains, but potatoes are harmed in the making of my meals. Oh, and 6 meals a day is rubbish, don't believe that either. If you have any questions about specific diets or exercise plans PM me and I will happily talk 1 on 1.



ntdc said:


> with that routine you are most likely getting results losing weight in your stomach is hard, perhaps you were bloated that day . do some sit ups and crunches, it wont really flatten your stomach but it will make you look better and feel better in that area, you probably lost the weight around your hips or butt. stomach is usually the last area to go


This is a good point - and something that is often misunderstood by overweight people. Fat deposits cover the body, and their location is entirely based on genetics. This, however, does not speed or slow the burn of fat in any way so a 'fat gene' is only accurate in the sense that your families males could all store their fat primarily on the belly for example. In that instance the belly would go down the most. However some men, myself included, store fat in other areas (mine is almost exclusively in the thighs and 'love handles'. I see very little action on the belly front, but I have seen huge changes in other areas.

Crunches are useless. They burn a tiny amount of calories, and because the movement offers no resistance all it succeeds in doing is fatiguing the muscles. Abs are irrelevant - you will have a 6 pack at 10% body fat in almost every scenario.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

I love SAS. Some people don't even read the question before writing an answer.


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## iamwhatiam (Mar 23, 2011)

6 weeks is a great start, but it is just that. It sounds like your doing great if you give it some time I am sure you will see results. Maybe focus on how you are feeling in addition the looks?


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## soshy (Jul 17, 2011)

It might have already been said in another post, but based on your schedule it seems like you're trying to fit too much into a two hour session - you should alternate the areas that you work each session, and also take rest days for recovery.


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## nomad91 (Jul 1, 2011)

sorry i didn't read all the comments but i think you are overtraining. only do 45 minutes to an hour cardio of your choice. AND DO WEIGHTS!!!! you said you werent focusing on muscles? muscle burns more fat and increases your metabolism.

and believe it or not, weight training burns more calories then cardio. obviously if you're doing 3 hours of cardio it isn't the case but it is very effective.

i suggest a 10 minutes cardio warm up, then doing a weight training workout( put in alot of effort) and then 30 to 45 minutes cardio after weight training.

*references? i lost 70lbs since last year june and put on good muscle*


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## PaysageDHiver (Jun 18, 2011)

Myrmidon said:


> I saw someone mention paleo - this is fine, but don't get dragged into the insulin argument, it has been disproved numerous times.


What do you understand the 'insulin argument' to be, and how has it been disproved?


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## ntdc (Jun 29, 2011)

Myrmidon said:


> Crunches are useless. They burn a tiny amount of calories, and because the movement offers no resistance all it succeeds in doing is fatiguing the muscles. Abs are irrelevant - you will have a 6 pack at 10% body fat in almost every scenario.


ehh i kind of disagree in college i was rail thin, i wore size 16 jeans almost no body fat from running/walking miles per day and eating light but i had absolutely no definition in my stomach until i started doing ab workout. yes other exercise works the abs but no much also strengthening ur abs will decrease chances of hernia if you do weights...


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

ntdc said:


> ehh i kind of disagree in college i was rail thin, i wore size 16 jeans almost no body fat from running/walking miles per day and eating light but i had absolutely no definition in my stomach until i started doing ab workout. yes other exercise works the abs but no much also strengthening ur abs will decrease chances of hernia if you do weights...


What evidence do you have that weights causes a hernia? and in addition, proper technique during lifts strengthens your abs or in a bigger and better picture, your trunk.


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## vash (Aug 16, 2010)

Thanks everyone for your feedback. It's kinda overwhelming to be quite frankly, there are a lot of options and it's kinda hard to pick which are the once to do. But i have changed my habits and my workout routine thanks to the information I found here.


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## guppy88 (Nov 12, 2010)

vash said:


> Thanks everyone for your feedback. It's kinda overwhelming to be quite frankly, there are a lot of options and it's kinda hard to pick which are the once to do. But i have changed my habits and my workout routine thanks to the information I found here.


If you can do one thing, go get a copy of starting strength. best 20 bucks spent in your life. Or at least just visit the forums at startingstrength.com


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