Health  Training Basics

Thedoctor

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There's a ton of info on different workout programs and such online. And really, at the end of the day, a lot of different training regimens will work provided you actually stick to the program. Here's just a list of things they all will have in common whether you're looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or just be a little healthier:

-Water: Drink it. No need to over-explain this one. It helps you in a million ways, including making your skin look healthier and your breath smell fresher. A lot of recent research indicates you don't necessarily need to drink 8 cups a day (lest you want to spend the entire day pissing). If your urine is clear to light yellow in colour, chances are you're properly hydrated

-Sleep: Necessary for proper muscle recovery. Not to mention it aids in improving your moods and your overall efficiency as a human being. It varies from person to person in how much sleep they actually need, but make sure you're well rested.

-Train regularly and hard: Don't skip workouts. And when you go into the gym, don't half ass it. This is why I never recommend people working out at home; there are just too many distractions.

-Protein: The magic number seems to be about 1g of protein for every pound you weigh when dieting. If you're trying to put on mass, it will be more.

-Fiber: Most North Americans do not get enough fiber. It's crucial to weight management as well as as having loads of other benefits, including disease prevention

-Your diet is 70 - 80% of everything you do: If you go hard pounding iron at the gym, then go eat some Macdonald's after, you may as well not have gone at all. When I first started working out years ago I heard this multiple times and ignored it. How I wish I listened...

-Eat immediately after going to the gym. I won't go into the science of it (unless someone really wants me to) but your muscles need to be re-fueled as soon as you're done working out. The longer you wait, the lower the results you'll be.

-Believe in "tried and true": If there's a new fad diet or way to get shredded that just came on the market, chances are it will not work. Ask anyone who has done it. There are no shortcuts. You have to exercise and eat well.

-Limit your supplements to Whey Protein, Creatine, BCAA's, Glutamine, and muti-vitamins: Supplements are a necessity, but there's no need to be getting into testosterone and steroids if you're a beginner. I'm not here to discuss the moral ramifications or health concerns in using these. All I will say is that even the guys who are on steroids would only advocate their use after you've reached a plateau. This usually happens after about 2 years of solid training. And I'm talking about competitive bodybuilders here, not the guy at the gym who takes steroids like candy and never works out his legs.

These are very basic rules, but they are often overlooked. When I started going to the gym, I ignored most of these things and my results were very slow and extremely gradual. Once I implemented them, it's amazing how much my progress skyrocketed.

That's it for now. If anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

-John
 

PinotNoir

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Good stuff.

Generally, I hear that you should eat within 1 hour after working out. Because of this, people usually say to hit the gym before breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Since dinner is usually the biggest meal of the day, hitting the gym before dinner is usually recommended.

It may be tough, but try not to skip breakfast. I just eat a couple of bananas and sometimes a Clif Bar because I'm not that hungry in the morning.

Include a rest day. Don't run 7 days a week. Don't lift weights 7 days a week. You're actually doing more harm than good. Have at least one rest day per week.

To lose weight, I keep hearing over and over and over.... do weights and cardio workouts. Weights build muscle which burn more calories at rest and increases your metabolism, and weights produce more testosterone which aids in recovery from cardio workouts (soreness/tightness). But, you can't just do weights; you need to burn the fat around your vital organs (and healthier heart/lungs/bloodflow). And to lose weight, diet is priority number 1; it trumps everything. If you eat like a pig and then work out, you're just equalizing, not improving, like Thedoctor said.

If you're wanting to gain muscle, have more weightlifting days than run days. If you're wanting to improve endurance, have more run days than weightlifting days. If muscle is more important, do weights first before running. If running is more important, do running before lifting weights. Even if you don't feel fatigued, it's enough to make your secondary workout less impactful.
 

Ross

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-Limit your supplements to Whey Protein, Creatine, BCAA's, Glutamine, and muti-vitamins: Supplements are a necessity, but there's no need to be getting into testosterone and steroids if you're a beginner.

Well, I'll agree that one of those has been made a necessity: Creatine. BCAA's (3 essential amino acids) and Glutamine (nonessential amino acid) are easily covered in a high protein diet with complete protein matrices. Half a pound of pork and a few eggs are more than enough to cover those needs. Multi-vitamins aren't a necessity for some, but most of us have no clue what vitamins and minerals we need to be getting, so multi-vitamins are a good thing to add if you don't have a strong grasp over what you are doing. Whey protein is entirely optional as well.

-Eat immediately after going to the gym.

This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the whey protein theory. Fast digesting proteins needed right after a workout to promote protein synthesis. The reality that research supports is that you actually have a 24-48 hour time span to consume an adequate amount of protein following anaerobic exercise.

Everything else I agree with ;).
 

Amadeaus

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Also, watch out for caffeine.

You really don't want to be taking more than 500mg of caffeine a day. Look at your preworkout supplement, if you are taking one. I had one had 200mg per scoop, so 400mg for 2 scoops. Some of the supplements people use during a cutting phase will have caffeine too.
 

Thedoctor

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Ross said:
-Limit your supplements to Whey Protein, Creatine, BCAA's, Glutamine, and muti-vitamins: Supplements are a necessity, but there's no need to be getting into testosterone and steroids if you're a beginner.

Well, I'll agree that one of those has been made a necessity: Creatine. BCAA's (3 essential amino acids) and Glutamine (nonessential amino acid) are easily covered in a high protein diet with complete protein matrices. Half a pound of pork and a few eggs are more than enough to cover those needs. Multi-vitamins aren't a necessity for some, but most of us have no clue what vitamins and minerals we need to be getting, so multi-vitamins are a good thing to add if you don't have a strong grasp over what you are doing. Whey protein is entirely optional as well.

All supplements can be entirely found naturally in foods. It's the amount that you'd have to eat in order to get everything you need. It would be virtually impossible to get every vitamin and mineral you need from food alone. Though it's true you can get all your protein in meats, a lot of people would get tired of eating a dozen egg whites a day. Pork is often high in salt and cholesterol, and not an overly lean meat for those looking for weight loss. The nice thing about quality whey is it has all the amino acids to go along with the protein. It is also, by far, cheaper per serving than any other meat out there. I've never found a single source that says whey protein is not beneficial for anyone doing any sort of physical training. Just don't rely on it alone for your protein intake. But 1-2 servings a day will only help, not hinder, any results you're seeking.

Ross said:
-Eat immediately after going to the gym.

This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the whey protein theory. Fast digesting proteins needed right after a workout to promote protein synthesis. The reality that research supports is that you actually have a 24-48 hour time span to consume an adequate amount of protein following anaerobic exercise.

Though it's true that you need to be eating small balanced meals throughout the day to properly intake all your body's requirements, there's a ton of research that supports that eating immediately after a workout is beneficial. Quick searches on Bodybuilding.com, Men's Health, Muscle Fitness, etc. will all tell you the same thing: You wait longer than an hour after working out, then you may as well not have worked out. This is mostly important to those working out 5+ days a week. If you only work out 2-3 days a week, then you don't have to worry as much about it because your muscles have more time for recovery. I was going to post a bunch of links to support my argument, but I really don't want to get into a debate. I've been a gym rat for 9 years now and have a few friends who are competitive bodybuilders. I'm simply here to share what works for me and for them. There's always going to be differing opinions.

-John
 

Ross

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It would be virtually impossible to get every vitamin and mineral you need from food alone

I quite easily do it on a daily basis. The only thing that I supplement with right now is Vitamin D due to limited sun exposure. If you're interested, I have a log of what I eat on the daily. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/recipe/3023884/2

Though it's true you can get all your protein in meats, a lot of people would get tired of eating a dozen egg whites a day.

I'd never suggest that someone eat only egg whites rather than the complete egg. The yolk is extremely beneficial and holds iron, choline, and B12, as well as digestive enzymes to aid in the uptake of the proteins found in the whites. Besides that, I don't understand the argument here: eat the same protein powder because of the variety it gives? Sure, there's different flavors, but most stick to one flavor. Meanwhile there are thousands of recipes involving plenty of protein derived from food sources.

Pork is often high in salt and cholesterol, and not an overly lean meat for those looking for weight loss.

Pork isn't extremely high in salt unless you get cured varieties. Otherwise, a pound of pork shoulder contains about 25% RDI for sodium. Add that cholesterol isn't bad for you (1,2,3). Pork also contains Thiamine which many diets are severely lacking in, making it a great choice for those looking to lose weight or gain weight.

The nice thing about quality whey is it has all the amino acids to go along with the protein. It is also, by far, cheaper per serving than any other meat out there. I've never found a single source that says whey protein is not beneficial for anyone doing any sort of physical training. Just don't rely on it alone for your protein intake. But 1-2 servings a day will only help, not hinder, any results you're seeking.

Whey protein is far from the only protein source with a complete amino acid profile. It's a common marketing trick to say, "Contains all amino acids!" and then go on to list each individual amino acid as buzzwords to make it seem like other foods don't have them. But eggs, meats, cheeses, and damn near every single significant protein source contains all 9 essential amino acids. Also, to address the cost,

16 ounces Pork = $3.00 = 112g Protein = $0.0267 per gram of protein
1 scoop Gold Standard Whey Protein = $0.89 = 24g Protein = $0.037 per gram of protein
16 ounces Beef Sirloin = $5.00 = 112g Protein = $0.044 per gram of protein

And I can usually get my meats for half that price, but I was using high estimates just to get my point across. I still use protein supplements occasionally, as my sponsor gives them to me with a severe discount, but I can very, very easily get by without them.

Though it's true that you need to be eating small balanced meals throughout the day to properly intake all your body's requirements, there's a ton of research that supports that eating immediately after a workout is beneficial. Quick searches on Bodybuilding.com, Men's Health, Muscle Fitness, etc. will all tell you the same thing: You wait longer than an hour after working out, then you may as well not have worked out. This is mostly important to those working out 5+ days a week. If you only work out 2-3 days a week, then you don't have to worry as much about it because your muscles have more time for recovery.

There are opinions and then there's observable phenomena + scientific analysis. Example of opinion: Bodybuilding.com is trying to sell you supplements in every single article. I would then back this up by showing that the vast majority of articles have a link to supplementation. There is a huge flaw in the community where people take published scientific results and just throw them up and say that they support what they believe in. Rarely, if ever, do studies directly compare two phenomena that people are looking at. When people suggest that eating proteins right after workout improves protein synthesis and muscle building, they'll often cite a single source, rather than compare two different ideals.

I'm not for or against anything, I'm simply looking at the data and revealing my findings. It makes more sense to me to do this than to argue a single side and only look at data for that side.This is an excellent article which looks at both sides of the fence on this issue and uses an amazing amount of direct comparisons (29 citations, 25 of which are unique) to determine their own conclusions.

I've been a gym rat for 9 years now and have a few friends who are competitive bodybuilders. I'm simply here to share what works for me and for them. There's always going to be differing opinions.

Just because some people do something a certain way does not mean that everyone needs to adhere to that lifestyle. Bodybuilders follow all sorts of different meal plans, strategies, etc. Timing of nutrition is extremely trivial, and used to advance the purpose of supplements. All that people need to achieve for proper nutrition is a few basic concepts within a day - enough protein, enough energy (calories), and enough nutrients (vitamins, minerals, etc.). Everything else is, well, optional.
 

Thedoctor

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This often happens with training / nutrition discussions. Differing opinions as I stated before.

I don't agree with a lot of what you're saying, but I really don't see the point in starting an argument about it. There's been enough of that on the forums as of late. On that note, I'm ending my part of the discussion here.

Ross and I seem to agree on most of the points listed up top. Apparently we cannot agree on "supplements" and "when to eat after a workout." My suggestion to anyone reading this is to try out both ways and see what works best for you.

-John
 

Ross

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I don't agree with a lot of what you're saying, but I really don't see the point in starting an argument about it. There's been enough of that on the forums as of late.

I can understand the need for disengagement, as that was going to be my last say on the specific matter of nutrition. Don't want to get carried away with trying to match every opinion against each other.

My suggestion to anyone reading this is to try out both ways and see what works best for you.

As always, yes. Everyone is unique, which is why I stated that there are many different variations in which certain methods can become obsolete. It was never explicitly stated on my part that you must do this or must do that. Rather, I wanted to offer a bit of contrast to show that supplementation is entirely optional; may benefit some people, whereas others it would have no measurable effect.
 

Nova

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i think what ross was getting at largely was that supplements are not at all as you stated a "necessity" to achieving results, which i don't think you can argue really. you don't need supplements to gain mass and intake optimal amounts of protein you can do that by being conscious of the foods you are eating and making sure you are eating enough of those foods.

but i wouldn't disagree that supplements like protein shakes and the likes can definitely aid in the nutritious element of health/building a better body. they are effective and easy to consume, making your life easier. providing you find a supplement that actually does what it says on the tin, power to you. there is nothing wrong with that.

for me personally i don't bother with supplements. the results i have achieved over the years have all been acquired using 'standard' food etc. i couldn't say why i never used supplements really, just a preference, never felt the need.

anyway. really good post doctor, very informative.
 

Thedoctor

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Nova said:
i think what ross was getting at largely was that supplements are not at all as you stated a "necessity" to achieving results, which i don't think you can argue really. you don't need supplements to gain mass and intake optimal amounts of protein you can do that by being conscious of the foods you are eating and making sure you are eating enough of those foods.

In retrospect, "necessity" was a poor choice of words. My main point there was just that if you're choosing to use supplements, don't start diving into the more hardcore stuff like steroids right out of the gate. I still stand by my point that supplements such as creatine help a lot, but calling them a "necessity" is a bit of an exaggeration.

-John
 
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