Cardio & Resistance

[Marty]

Now I know this is not a fitness forum, it's a seduction forum, but I'm posting in "Off Topic" and my health goals are (in this case) sexually motivated: to achieve a body that is cosmetically appealing to women, in addition to maintaining a good general level of physical prowess.

Here's the background... I'm 6'0" and soon to turn 38. I struggled with my weight for a few years up to 2007 or so, but in recent years I've been in much better shape and I eat ultra-healthy. Right now I weigh 165 lb, which gives me a BMI of 22.5. I have a 31-inch waist and I estimate my bodyfat at roughly 9%.

For the past year or so, my fitness regimen has consisted of a daily run of between 6 and 7 miles (consistently, I live in a subtropical climate where you can run year-round, just so you vary the time of day to get a comfortable temperature). I was typically running these at roughly a 7:40 pace, meaning I spent between 45 and 55 minutes running each day. In addition I do chin-ups in sets of 8-10, strength exercises with a resistance band of blue (hard) difficulty level, plus some free weights and push-ups.

This routine kept me nice and slim but I was concerned that I had an excessively "wiry" appearance, which combined with my advancing years gave my face a somewhat tired, aged look...

Ideally, I'd shoot for a happy medium between too thin and too beefy, a chunky but lean look, if you will.

So now I have altered my running schedule such that each day I do only 4 miles, but at a faster pace, around 6:50 per mile, meaning that it takes me 27 to 28 minutes only.

Do you think that this is a sensible change? Will it drive the changes I seek in terms of looking less "wiry" and more "chunky"?

Thanks
-Marty

 

[Thedoctor]

Marty,

Fitness is a topic that everyone seems to have a different opinion about (Much like dating and seduction ). I personally think you're still doing too much cardio. Everyone's bodies respond differently to different routines so I'd recommend cutting the amount of running you've been doing by half, either by alternating every other day or shorter runs every day. Try working more weights into your routine focusing more on low reps (5-12 reps). My rule of thumb has been try something out for 8 weeks, and adjust accordingly to the results you're looking for. If you still have a "wiry" appearance after 8 weeks, cut the running down again, until you get where you wanna be.

The other major factor is your diet. It's 80% of everything you do. When I first started working out, I didn't believe that, but it's spot on. I have a couple friends that are competitive body builders and all they do is eat... and eat... and eat. I know you said you eat clean, but if you want a "chunky" appearance, it's a good idea to incorporate foods that are higher in the "good" fats, like lean cuts of steak. If you're worried about the health risks associated with red meats, then go organic. Organic red meats don't carry the same health risks.

Regards,
-Doc

 

[NarrowJ]

I had read about HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) cardio about a year ago and started doing that, because supposedly it helps you cut weight without losing muscle. My workout regimen consists of just a little over 60 minutes per day, 5 days a week:

Every day I start with a 15-20 minute warmup of just shooting some basketballs in the gym

Mon I do 20-25 minutes on the Nautilus machines and 20-25 minutes HIIT cardio (Treadmill, Run outside if it's nice)
Tues, Wed and Thurs is straight HIIT cardio for 40-45 minutes after warmup
Fri I do 20-25 on the free weights (including some core workout stuff) and 20-25 minutes HIIT cardio
Sat & Sun are off days unless I just feel like it

I consume about 2600-2700 calories daily while burning off about 500-600 of those calories. Like Thedoctor mentions, I eat a lot of healthy fats and proteins like nuts, lean meats, fish, avocados, etcetera. Over the summer I cut the calorie intake back to 2200-2300 to get a little more muscle definition.

I'm 5-10 and about 180 lbs with lean, but muscular build and this has been working for me to gain a little bit of weight as I've gained about 5lbs of raw muscle over the last 6-8 months or so.

P.S. I've never used supplement products like Muscle Milk or Whey Protein shakes, etcetera.


NJ

 

[Marty]

Doctor, NJ:

This is very helpful, actionable and kind of you both. Thank you.

-Marty

 

[TomGray]

Darn, they got here before I could! Well, I'll still throw in my two cents. After nearly five years of working out and seeing most of my results come in the last six months or so, I realized that I broke past a plateau. Although, it's an amalgamation of a lot of things, what helped most was Smolov Jr. and the Weider Principles. You can look 'em up on bodybuilding.com.

Also, something I call the Rest Principle (that might be its actual name, though). As an example, if you do as many pull ups as you can, let's say ten, then rest enough time to do ten more, you'll lift more weight than if you did ten pullups rested five seconds then could only crank out eight because you're tired now. So five sets of long rests would be like this: 10+10+10+10+10. Whereas five back-to-back sets of little rest might look like this: 10+8+5+3+1. If you weigh 165 pounds, you'll have lifted 8250 pounds for the first long rest set while the short rest set you'll only lift 4455 pounds. Almost twice as much weight lifted means more strain on your muscles means more muscle growth. You can apply this to any exercise, not just pullups. Hope this helps!

 

[robertnyc]

Hey Marty - I am starting a more regular exercise program and your post gave me some good ideas for weight loss. I was wondering if you would elaborate on your ultra healthy diet. I'm having some issues sticking to a good diet because I get very hungry and wind up eating a lot later in the day. Your diet seems to be really working to keep you slim. Anyway, I appreciate any ideas!

Rob