I decided that I'm a fat ass and want to get back in the kind of shape I was in 10 years ago, I recently changed my diet and picked up P90X to help get me started. I haven't started the workouts yet, mostly because I'm so out of shape I've been doing sit-ups, push-ups, curls and burpies to get some level of fitness back before I start the routine. I've been pretty strict with my diet, weighing everything out and staying away from my weekness for soft drinks. I shoot for 1800 calories a day 50% protein - 30% carbs - 20% from fats, I try to stay close, but if anything I'm protein heavy and lighter on the carbs and fats. I track everything as close as possible with the myfitnesspal app on my phone (very handy and easy to use). In the last month since I started, I've gone from right at 5'9" 215lbs down to 198.4lbs this morning, so the diet is working very well (the stress of moving probably added to the results!). My goal weight and body comp is to be 185lbs with 8% body fat. According to my bathroom scale, I'm 24%! body fat, putting me at 47.5lbs of fat and 150.5lbs of lean. To reach my goal I'll need to get those numbers to 15lbs fat/170lbs lean. I'm confident in my ability to lose the fat and get it down to the 8% range as I seem to be able to burn calories pretty efficiently when I watch what I eat and do some exercise, but I've always been a "hard gainer" when it comes to putting on muscle. I know that when I do the P90X I'll gain strength and put on some muscle and that 20lbs of muscle doesn't come overnight, but what is a likely timeline for being able to put that amount of muscle on and what kind of exercises/supplements would you suggest? I'm definitely on a budget to do this, but don't mind putting in the work to get it done, it's about time I start treating my body less like a garbage can and more like it's the only body I'll get! I picked up some protein and creatine monohydrate from GNC and have been drinking a protein shake for breakfast every morning, haven't started on the creatine yet. The rest of my nutrition has been via clean foods like lean turkey, chicken and tuna, lots of vegetables and protein bars and fruit or cottage cheese for snacks.
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Putting on Muscle?
- Thread starter Bryan27
- Start date
P90X is more of a "home exercise" program. It does not focus on the traditional olympic-style lifting. It is more yoga mat, resistance bands, cardio, etc. than a program like Crossfit- which is FREE by the way. (minus the gear needed)
When doing any kind of weight training: deadlifts, front/back squats, overhead press, clean & jerk, etc. you shouldn't be doing more than 6 reps. If you are, the weight is too light.
An investment in a squat rack, and olympic bar with weights, and a pull-up bar would be money better spent than a bunch of P90X DVDs.
As for diet, check out Paleo. It's how humans ate for 250,000+ years before mankind started plowing fields and getting fat from grains. I started it about a year ago and never felt better. The difference is eating and feeling like you have energy, vs a modern meal with grains and dairy and you feel like taking a nap. Once you feel awesome, it's easier to make it into a lifestyle instead of a fad diet.
A variation would be allowing yourself a cheat day one day a week. Some research suggests this helps cut weight even faster. Also, eating fat doesn't mean you will get fat. Paleo diet has a ton of GOOD fats from meat, nuts, veg oil, etc. Some guys will even eat over 50% calories from fat. If you eat paleo, you can stuff your face as much as you can, and the pounds will still fall off.
Another tip- make the right choices at the grocery store, so you don't have junk food tempting you every day at home. Healthy food is calorie dense, and does not have more than 3 or 4 ingredients.
When doing any kind of weight training: deadlifts, front/back squats, overhead press, clean & jerk, etc. you shouldn't be doing more than 6 reps. If you are, the weight is too light.
An investment in a squat rack, and olympic bar with weights, and a pull-up bar would be money better spent than a bunch of P90X DVDs.
As for diet, check out Paleo. It's how humans ate for 250,000+ years before mankind started plowing fields and getting fat from grains. I started it about a year ago and never felt better. The difference is eating and feeling like you have energy, vs a modern meal with grains and dairy and you feel like taking a nap. Once you feel awesome, it's easier to make it into a lifestyle instead of a fad diet.
A variation would be allowing yourself a cheat day one day a week. Some research suggests this helps cut weight even faster. Also, eating fat doesn't mean you will get fat. Paleo diet has a ton of GOOD fats from meat, nuts, veg oil, etc. Some guys will even eat over 50% calories from fat. If you eat paleo, you can stuff your face as much as you can, and the pounds will still fall off.
Another tip- make the right choices at the grocery store, so you don't have junk food tempting you every day at home. Healthy food is calorie dense, and does not have more than 3 or 4 ingredients.
Are you trying to get "big" or get strong? One doesn't mean the other. To put on 20lbs of muscle, you're going to be eating a lot (calorie surplus). I don't think you'll want to get down to 8% body fat (hard) just to bulk up to gain muscle and then have to cut all the way back down to 8% again. Maybe get to 13-15, bulk, cut, rinse, repeat.
Paleo is good. I'm finding that a simple non-processed, non-gmo, mostly vegetarian diet works very well for me. My goals right now are just to lose fat.
Careful with the creatine... your muscles will hold more water and you'll look bigger, but it's just water.
P90X is great for building up cardio and lean muscle, but you're not going to be putting on mass. I'd recommend P90X while you're cutting and move into less reps and heavier lifts(deadlifts, squats, etc) when you start bulking.
Paleo is good. I'm finding that a simple non-processed, non-gmo, mostly vegetarian diet works very well for me. My goals right now are just to lose fat.
Careful with the creatine... your muscles will hold more water and you'll look bigger, but it's just water.
P90X is great for building up cardio and lean muscle, but you're not going to be putting on mass. I'd recommend P90X while you're cutting and move into less reps and heavier lifts(deadlifts, squats, etc) when you start bulking.
I just looked up the Paleo diet, it looks similar to how I've been eating for the past month or so and it's been working. One thing that I notice different is that it says to stay away from dairy products, which I usually eat a cup of nonfat cottage cheese for a snack since it's high in protein. I've noticed I have more energy and that it's actually pretty hard to eat the volume of food to get to the 1800 calories per day when I eat clean/unprocessed foods. I've had several days where I'm filling in my food for the day and I only ate 1300 calories, but ate 3 filling meals. I usually have to make up calories between meals with a snack of fruit and almonds or a protein bar.
I really don't want to get big, just strong and fit. The 185lb number is where I think I picture myself being down the road sometime and know it'll take a while to get to that weight once I get leaned up. I care more about being pound for pound strong than being big and strong, if that makes sense? I've got a pretty big frame for my height, so 180-185lb range is where I think I'd be once I lean down and put on some muscle, but that's not a number I have set in stone. If I end up at 170 and have the build I'm after that'd be fine by me.
I agree on the P90X for leaning up and then move on to something else if I need to add mass afterwards. The people I know who have done the program and actually stuck with it have had some pretty impressive results as far as body composition and getting ripped up, but I'm not a believer in the claims of people gaining 10 and 15lbs of lean muscle mass in 90 days of doing the program. I know I used to lift weights like it was my job for a year and didn't put on 15lbs of muscle.
Then I'd say P90X is a good match for you. Always be increasing weight and resistance. I really recommend doing all you can to eat a clean diet. They're not as calorie dense, but they're not full of empty calories like crappy food is.
Forget about the P90X and google 5-3-1 by Jim Wendler. Buy the program and do the boring but big template.
Stop watching your diet so closely, and only measure your carbs. Aim for 100g per day on off days and 200g-400g on lifting days. Eat all the protein and veggies you want with fats from only nuts, coconut oil, or olive oil, plus whatever is in the meat. It's pretty close to the Paleo as suggested before.
How tall are you?
How old are you?
You're not going to put on muscle at 1300 calories per day. Stop worrying about calories and live your life and eat 3 healthy, nutritious, and calorie dense meals with a couple protein shakes per day.
After 4-8 weeks see how things have went, then either eat more or less of everything depending on if you're bigger or stronger.
Paleo is a good guide for food content, then add rice and oatmeal to it for carbs and you'll put on lean muscle easily.
Stop watching your diet so closely, and only measure your carbs. Aim for 100g per day on off days and 200g-400g on lifting days. Eat all the protein and veggies you want with fats from only nuts, coconut oil, or olive oil, plus whatever is in the meat. It's pretty close to the Paleo as suggested before.
How tall are you?
How old are you?
You're not going to put on muscle at 1300 calories per day. Stop worrying about calories and live your life and eat 3 healthy, nutritious, and calorie dense meals with a couple protein shakes per day.
After 4-8 weeks see how things have went, then either eat more or less of everything depending on if you're bigger or stronger.
Paleo is a good guide for food content, then add rice and oatmeal to it for carbs and you'll put on lean muscle easily.
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