Week 163 :: What Is A Good Diet And Supplementation To Help Get Cut?

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TOPIC: What Is A Good Diet And Supplementation To Help Get Cut?

For the week of: June 26th - July 1st
Tuesday @ Midnight Is The Final Cut (Mountain Time, US & Canada).

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With the summer here, people from all over the country are in fat burning mode to get more cut for their seasonal beach bodies.

What is a good diet to help get cut?

What are some good supplements to help get cut?

BONUS QUESTION: How could one work on creating a beach body if they don?t have access to a gym?

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Thanks.

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[shiutupandlift]

"With the summer here, people from all over the country are in fat burning mode to get more cut for their seasonal beach bodies." Ahh summer, the time of the year when everyone desperately tries to burn off calories from "the winter bulk" in order to show off the "guns" at the beach. Hopefully you can take some of the information I give you here and use it to reveal your six-pack.

"What is a good diet to help get cut?"

Breakfast: (Assuming this diet is for a 160lb.-200lb. male).
4-8 egg whites (no whole eggs, it's summer!)
1 cup cooked oatmeal/2 pieces whole wheat toast w/1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter

Early Snack:
1 scoop (approx. 20g) Whey Protein mixed w/water (I would say with skim or 2% milk otherwise, but we need to create as much of a caloric deficit as we can)
1-3oz. Mixed Nuts (More healthy fats!)

Lunch:
1/2-1 can tuna/salmon w/1 Tbsp. Fat-Free Mayonnaise
2 Slices Whole-Wheat bread
1/2-1 Whole Avocado
2 cups Baby Spinach/Romaine
(Here we have a great source of protein w/little carbs, the tuna, with some slow-digesting carbs from the bread, some healthy fats from the avocado, testosterone-boosting mayo and some veggies from the salad)

Middle of the Day Snack:
8 oz. Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
Slow-Digesting Protein with low-carbs

PreWorkout:
1 Scoop (approx. 20 grams) Whey Protein, again mixed in water, with 1 apple (some energy for the workout)

PostWorkout: 2 scoops Whey Protein (in water)
with 3 slices Wonder Bread w/2 Tbsp. Jelly OR 32 oz. Gatorade
You need fast protein and carbs postworkout, and white-bread/gatorade are both good choices for fast-digesting carbs

Dinner:
8 oz. Chicken/8 oz. Flank Steak
2 cups Baby Spinach/Romaine
1 cups mixed veggies
We don't want to have any starchy carbs here because we are not in a mass-gaining mode (If you find it hard to get lean, have chicken here and not the steak)

Before you go to bed: 1 Scoop Casein (20g) powder OR 8oz. low-fat cottage cheese to supply protein and amino acids during sleep

Approx. Calories 2,300-2,600
Remember to drink .75-1.5 Gallons of water daily to supplement your diet! Hydration is essential.

What are some good supplements to help get cut?

BCAA's: When your going low-carb, BCAA's can be used as a source of energy for your body, after all you don't want to feed your body muscle when doing morning cardio!
Dosage: 5-10 grams with breakfast, as well as before and after workouts.

Whey: Did you know that Whey can act as an appetite suppressant? Well it can, which makes it a great weapon in your fat-burning arsenal. It also obviously has a profound effect on protein synthesis.
Dosage: 5-10 grams before cardio, 20g before workouts, 40g afterwards.

Caffeine: Caffeine is part of almost every thermogenic on the market today. It works to increase fat-burning during workouts AND rest periods. Caffeine can attach itself to fat cells and aid in the disposal of fat-- Some studies also suggest that caffeine can increase strength during workout! Why aren't you taking this already?
Dosage: 200-400mg morning and about an hour before workouts

Green Tea Extract: Another potent fat-burner that should be on every summer supplement list. Epigallocatechin or EGCG has the power to stop an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter that regualtes fat-burning and metabolism. What does this mean? It means that your metabolism can be keep at a higher rate for a longer period of time.
Dosage:
500-1,000mg In the morning and before workouts

Carnitine:
Amino-acidlike, carnitine helps transport fat to to the mitochondria of the cells, where it can be burned off. Carnitine comes in different forms, I suggest Acetyl-L-Carnitine or ACL.
Dosage: 1-3grams with breakfast, preworkout and postworkout.

CLA:
Oh conjugated linoleic aic, how I love thee. Numerous studies have demonstrated that CLA can aid in fat loss, increase muscle mass and increase strength. Some studies have shown CLA to decrease fat and increase muscle in subjects even without exercise! Holy Diet Batman!
Dosage: 1-3grams with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Fish Oil:
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids which are known to be condusive to the burning of fat. Fish oil has also been shown to help prevent dietary fat from being stored as bodyfat. Do you need any more reasons to take it? Didn't think so...
Dosage:
1-2 grams with breakfast, lunch and dinner.


BONUS QUESTION: How could one work on creating a beach body if they don?t have access to a gym?


You know gymnasts are pound-for-pound some of the strongest people around (you just try to do an iron-cross!). You don't need to do 30 sets of benchs and curls to have a beach-ready body, there are plenty of body-weight exercises you can do to sculpt a beach-ready body.

Abs: V-Up, Crunch, Leg Raise...choose some of your favorites and do burn-out sets!

Chest-Triceps: Push-ups, Wide-Grip Push-ups, Close-Grip Push-Ups, Incline and Decline Push-ups...just start busting out the push-ups in giant-set fashion.

Quads/Hamstrings: Bodyweight Squats, Bodyweight Lunges, Sissy Squats.

Shoulders/Triceps: Handstand-pushups (you might need a friend to help you get into the start position.)

Back/Biceps: Chin-ups, Pull-ups (do you even do these in a regular back-workout?)

Triceps: Bench/Chair bodyweight dips

Calves: One-legged calf raise (on step or bench)

-Perform 2-4 sets of about 20 reps of each exercise, if you can do more try slowing down the rep speed, holding the peak contrations, super-setting movements, adding partial reps or reducing rest periods in between sets...get creative.

You also don't have to slave for hours on a stair-stepper or treadmill for cardiovascular exercise. Intervals burn more fat anyway! Try jogging to the park or heading to the track for an interval workout. Do a 5-10 min. warm-up (and cool-down) of light-jogging then jump into HIIT. Do 1 min. of sprinting (or hard running) followed by 1 minute of light jogging (or walking). Do this for 10-30 minutes depending on how fit you are. You can also play around with the interval length. Running stairs on the bleachers or running on the beach are more great ways to burn fat and reveal that six-pack.

Keep it outside, interesting and fun for a great gym-free workout.

[Mr.Creatine]

nice

[KarlDevicky]

-INTRODUCTION-

Oh, hi! I didn't see you come in.
Today we're going to discuss the best course of action to getting fully cut for the summer.
Join us now for a wonderous adventure through the world of fat loss.

-PRINCIPLES OF THE DIET-

Many people used to believe (and some still do) that weight loss was as simple consuing less calories. While this is true, we also know that not all calories were created equally.

Protein: Protein is necessary for muscle growth and maintenance. As we decrease our caloric intake it is important that we continue to consume enough protein. Protein is also very unlikely to be turned into bodyfat and the body burns more calores digesting protein than carbs or fats.
Best sources of protein include: Whey, eggs, chicken, beef, and fish.

Carbohydrates: While Carbs can be very beneficial at various times thorughout the day, they can also be harmful to our fatloss efforts. Many carbohydrates can cause an insulin spike which encourages energy to be stored as fat and inhibits bodyfat being burned for energy. We should try to make sure we get most of our daily carbs after we wake up and as part of our post workout meal.
Recommended sources of carbs: Oatmeal, fruits, legumes, and vegetables (excluding potatoes and corn.)

Fats: There are good fats that can be very beneficial to fatloss. However it must also be remembered that fat is a more dense source of calories than carbs and protein. So, be warned! Please pay special attention to maintaining a fairly even ratio of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6 fatty acids.

Many of you are probably already eating 5-7 meals daily. Make sure you keep this up as it will help to keep our metabolism chugging along throughout the day.

We shall start our weight loss efforts by cutting our daily total caloric intake by 500 calories. We will maintain our intake of protein while cutting back carbs and fats. We will take a brief wait-and-see attitude and if the weight loss is not satisfactory, we will reduce it further.

While a good diet is a solid foundation for fat loss, we can always use a little help...

-SUPPLEMENTATION-

We will supplement our diet with some supplements directly associated with fat loss as well as a few that are not generally associated with weight loss.

Caffeine: Increases fat release from fat cells. As well as acting as a stimulant. Dose: 100-300mg every four hours.

Green tea extract: Contains a powerful antioxidant compound epigallocatedhin gallate (EGCG) which, in addition to it's many other health benefits, can give your metabolism a good boost. As with most antioxidants, do not mix with milk, or any source of casein. Dose: 500mg three times daily before meals.

Conjugated linoleic acid: a natural and healthy trans fat found in meat and dairy. Shown to reduce body fat while simultaneously increasing muscle mass. Dose: 1-3 grams with breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Tyrosine: Used by the body to make a number of neurotransmitters and hormones, including the thyroid hormones, to enhance fat loss. Dose: 500-1000mg twice daily.

Whey protein: Very high quality protein source. Best used pre and post workout. Can also be used between meals. Whey suppresses the appetite and has a thermogenic effect.

Fish oil: A source of DHA and EPA moega 3 fatty acids. Among it's many health benefits, fish oil can also help with fat loss efforts and preventing muscle breakdown. Dose: 1-3 grams with food twice daily.

Multi-Vitamin/mineral: As one cuts down their intake of food, it is essential to take a high quality multi vitamin/mineral to make sure you are still getting all your needed nutrients.

-BONUS QUESTION-

In my humble opinion, not having access to a gym can be one of the best things to happen to you if you're trying to get cut.
Starting off with a jog/run and then move into a circuit consisting of push ups, squats, lunges, reverse pushups, calf raises, and, if you can do them, handstand pushups!
Then finish things off with afew minutes running up and down a flight of stairs.

Or you can go for an interval jog/run which are well known to be superior to regular cardio in fat burning.

-CONCLUSION-

Well, thank you for joining me on our fat loss adventure, I wish the best to you all and hope you enjoy your ripped summer body.

[no_strain_no_ga]

With summer approaching and many trying to cut down from bulking or just losing that extra pounds they gained from last summer, finding a lean diet will get you that slim look you're looking for when you hit the beach. With a low-carb, low-fat, and high-protein diet, creating them surfboard abs and stunning biceps will be a breeze. But with a nice developed diet, a few exercises can help you achieve the results you're looking for even faster.

What is a good diet to help get cut?

Ofcourse we all know that a high amount of carbs and fats in your meals isn't the way you want to be headed towards if you're looking to lean down. Stay far away from anything packing unwanted fat and be friends with lean meats, just think "lean body=lean meats" or the other way around. Also, if planning to hit the weights, get enough energy foods. It will help pack in the energy needed to run off them extra pounds. So lets get started on what a lean diet should look like.

Breakfast:

For breakfast, the most important meal of the day of course, you want to start off simple and easy. You don't need to get way into it like you would for dinner, but still, it's the first meal of the day and it's where you mostly get your energy to work through the day.

What I would first do is eat some kind of fruit. It can be a banana, apple, orange, something that can give you that energy push you need. Stay far away from any kind of fruit juice. If you don't look carefully, you can pick up a orange juice that packs 47 grams of carbs. Carbs are good for energy, but 47 grams is way too much to start off the day with. If you don't have the time to grab a banana or apple and must stick with a juice, look for the ones that say "pure" or "100%". Doesn't carry the same amount of carbs as the others will do.

Egg whites is something you always want to eat. 5-7 egg whites will be plenty for you to eat. Gives you a great amount of protein and very health beneficial. And many like putting salt or pepper on their egg whites, please don't. Salt is one of the worst things to put on/in your foods and it collects the fat, so say no to salt. And also, don't eat whole eggs. You're trying to lose weight, eating the yolk will give you extra carbs that aren't exactly the good kind of carbs.

Oatmeal is a great way to get them energy carbs you are searching for. 1 or 2 bowls of regular oatmeal, not them fancy kinds like "Apple Cinnamon" or "Pumpkin Flavored" (I don't think they have that anyways, but you see my point), because they contain more fats and bad carbs that will through you back a step or two. And if you don't get the time to eat a bowl of oatmeal, just bring a couple oatmeal bars. Basically the same as a bowl of oats, but just in a bar. Might want to bring 3-4, because some don't contain the same servings as a bowl of them would.

Skim Milk is another great way to acquire some needed proteins. If you're not to liking to Skim Milk, 2% is still okay. But Skim Milk gives you a reasonable serving of proteins that will work great with the eggs and oatmeal.

5-7 egg whites (no salt/pepper or whole eggs)
1 or 2 bowls of oatmeal
1 type of fruit, personally a banana
2-3 glasses of skim milk.

Lunch:

Lunch should be something you can make in minutes or before you leave in the morning. Packing a tuna sandwich on a whole wheat bread and a couple handful of nuts (peanuts, almonds, etc.). Than a nice bottle of water will be a great thing to end it off.

Tuna from a can, I know what you're thinking, is a great way to get that mid-day protein boost. Fish is the amazing way to eat protein and I must say, Tuna is the best at it. Not too thrilled in canned tuna, prefer seared or a nice chunk of tuna, but adding some light mayo to your sandwich can save you from the smell and taste and still be safe to eat. If you don't trust me or the tune, than go with salmon or mahi-mahi. Might cost you a pretty penny, but it's still a great source of protein.

Whole wheat, why whole wheat? Because it packs less carbs and most of the carbs in whole wheat won't hurt you in your quest. Can't say much with bread, because whole wheat is the best option to go with, so trust me on whole wheat.

Water, you always need water. Drinking a bottle or two of water will keep you hydrated and keeps you away from soda of any kind.

1 can of tuna/salmon/ or mahi-mahi
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1-2 bottles of water

Dinner:

Dinner is my favorite meal because I love steak, chicken, and fish, which I always seem to have for dinner. And then you have vegetables, mainly greens, which I always enjoy, especially asparagus!

One of the best meats to have for dinner is chicken, no one hates chicken. And if you do, well you have steak and fish to counter that. But chicken is probably the best form of meat to get a great source of protein. You can do anything with chicken; you can marinade it, you can make it with a salad, you can make kabobs (which I believe I make the best ones ever!). As you can see, you have a vast majority of options to cook your steak. I just stick with marinating. Just marinating it in a lemon sauce would be great, but another great way is in teriyaki sauce, which is fantastic. Try to atleast find fat-free or atleast something with as less fat as possible, you wanna stay away from that.

Steak, if you hate it than you're from a different planet. Steak has to be the most favorite meat for me. I love steak! Marinating it in Dale's Steak Sauce is like eating heavan! Steak is just like chicken, you get a great amount of protein which is fantastic for a dinner after a workout. You can also make kabobs with steak by adding green peppers, onions, and/or mushrooms (I prefer Portabella mushrooms).

Fish doesn't kill you, well it shouldn't, so eating twice in a day is not bad. If you want to have fish, eat a nice tuna steak. It's around $11 for a good size tuna steak and just drizzling lemon sauce over it will be a great meal. And just like lunch, substituting tuna for salmon or mahi mahi doesn't change anything except for the taste. Mahi is good by itself, but salmon is fantastic if you marinade it in a teriyaki sauce.

Vegetables, stick with the greens. Popeye is right when he always said it your spinach. It won't make you sprout biceps like he did, but it's healthy and packs a lot of vitamins and minerals. Spinach, asparagus, and brocolli is the best vegetables to eat. Onions and mushrooms are also very healthy and oh so yummy.

WARNING WARNING! STAY AWAY FROM RICE and OTHER GRAINS!!!!! If you're seriously trying to lose weight, than I should never see rice, noodles, or any other type of grain of your plate. Grains have so much carbs and it's not the good kind of carbs. A plate or two a month won't kill you, but that means you have to put just a extra amount of time in working that off.

Also, drink that Skim Milk and Water!

8-10 oz of chicken, steak, or fish
2-3 cups of spinach/asparagus/brocolli
2-3 glasses of skim milk
1-2 glasses of water

Other Meals:

Most of you guys are probably following a 5-7 meal program and that's no problem, it's pretty simple actually.

If your snacking, whey protein is the best option. Protein is in the name, so you know protein is gonna be in it. You have a small amount of carbs. and barely is there any fat in it. Putting it in skim milk or water, it doesn't really matter. You can also have nuts or low-fat cottage cheese. High protein and low carbs. A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Before and After Workouts, drink water! Water before and after will keep you hydrated, which it is suppose to do. And it gets you closer to that gallon of water you need to drink per day. A fruit is also great for energy beforehand and gatorade is safe after the workout for some fast-burning carbs.

Before bed, try to eat small and something with the lowest carbs possible. During sleep, everything slows down to digest, so that means you keep more of what you eat before bed. So eating more nuts or low-fat cottage cheese will give you a nice dosing of protein before bed.



What are some good supplements to help get cut?

No matter if you're just trying to get lean or you're cutting, supplements are always good to take. Many will think that supplements mean bodybuilding or muscle building, but they also come in handy in losing weight and staying healthy.

Fish Oil-Helpful in burning off fat and keeping dietary fats from building up. Most reasonable dosing: 1-2 servings during breakfast and dinner

Whey Protein- PROTEIN! Packs on the muscles and helps loss fat. Reasonable dosing: 50-60 grams/day

Caffiene Pills- Stimulates your body to use energy to burn off fat. Reasonable dosing: 200 mg every 4 hours.

Green Tea Extract- Taking it as a pill is way more healthier than drinking green tea, but both ways are great ways to increase fat burning and your metabolism. Reasonable dosing: 600 mg before each meal.

BONUS QUESTION: How could one work on creating a beach body if they don't have access to a gym?

It's just like how you work out when you were 12-13 years old. Weren't old enough to use free weights or do dealifts and squats, so you stick with body weight workouts.

Best exercises:

Pull-ups
Push-ups
Sit-ups
One-legged squats
Body-weight squats
Body-weight lunges

Best reccomensation is to do 3-4 sets of 20-30 of these.

Another way of working out without a gym membership is making your own weights. I cannot suggest anyway of doing so except for the fact you use concrete to do so, but checking out the Workout Equipment Forum on here will help you with choosing a good way of doing this. Link: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

Also try bargaining for some workout equipment. Check classifieds or online with any good deals, Don't be ripped off, because some may try, but it's a great way of saving some $$$ if you're short on money.

Thanks

Mike Kramer

[andrew7913]

RUN IN THE MORNING
a good 30 mins - 1 hour should do

Breakfast: For an average weighted person say around 170-200
1 Whole Eggs 3 Egg Whites scrambled with olive oil
2 pieces whole wheat toast
Green Tea (gotta love that Green Tea, the actual drink not the pills BTW)

Meal 2:
1 scoop of Whey Protein mixed with Milk perferably Skim but 2% is fine.
Handful of Dried Fruit or a small salad with light dressing or even better NO DRESSING HAHAHAHA but that sucks

Lunch:
1 Baked Chicken Breast skinless please
2 Slices Whole-Wheat bread
and a Salad with a little olive oil dressing (need the good fats to increase testosterone)

Meal 4:
Handful of Mixed Nuts or 1 tablespoon of Peanut butter or 1 tablespoon of cashew butter.

PreWorkout:
NaNo Vapor, Animal Paks

PostWorkout Meal 5: 2 scoops of Whey Protein in milk again perferably skim and have some White bread or a bagle so you get the carbs to help the protein.

Dinner:
Salmon or Fish or lean Beef or Chicken anything low in fat here is good
a Small Salad here as well with Olive oil Dressing but be light on the dressing.

Before you go to bed: some Cottage cheese before you go to bed to help with the night hunger
1 Scoop of Whey Protein or Casein i personally think it doesnt really matter but there are some hardcore casein fans out there.

Also spead out at least a Gallon of Water through out the day.
Approx. Calories 2000-2500

What are some good supplements to help get cut?

Protein: come on guys whey protein is a classic no need to explain

Multi-Vitamin: well duh there is no way in hell you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need when your cutting

Caffeine: theres a reason why its in every single fatburner.

Green Tea Extract or Green Tea Drink: packed with fat burning agents like EGCG and its just good for you.

Arginine: yup just the picker upper you need to bust through the gym and push through the extra reps and sets to get cut.

Fish Oil: studies prove that it does burn fat and it helps control your cholesterol hey good stuff.

Supplemt List That I Use:
100% Optimum Whey
Muscle Tech NaNo Vapor
Universal Animal Pak
Optimum ZMA
Green Tea Extract
Fish Oil Concentrate
Nutrex Anabol 5
Higher Power Caffine

BONUS QUESTION: How could one work on creating a beach body if they don?t have access to a gym?

uhm Body weight exercises and sports. there are plenty of people on the football team at my school and power lifters that can put up allot more weight than i can but i walk all over them when we grapple and i mean in the strength sense.

Push Ups
Push Ups with a sibling on your back
Push Ups with your mom on your back
Sit ups
Leg Raises
V shapes
Star Jumping

Body Weight Exercises are just as good as goin to the gym.

and creating a beach bod is all about getting cut any ways so number 1 priority is getting in cardio so use the body weight exercises and do circuits and combine it with running to create an awsome bod.

[deep83]

"With the summer here, people from all over the country are in fat burning mode to get more cut for their seasonal beach bodies." Ahh summer, the time of the year when everyone desperately tries to burn off calories from "the winter bulk" in order to show off the "guns" at the beach. Hopefully you can take some of the information I give you here and use it to reveal your six-pack.

"What is a good diet to help get cut?"

Breakfast: (Assuming this diet is for a 160lb.-200lb. male).
4-8 egg whites (no whole eggs, it's summer!)
1 cup cooked oatmeal/2 pieces whole wheat toast w/1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter

Early Snack:
1 scoop (approx. 20g) Whey Protein mixed w/water (I would say with skim or 2% milk otherwise, but we need to create as much of a caloric deficit as we can)
1-3oz. Mixed Nuts (More healthy fats!)

Lunch:
1/2-1 can tuna/salmon w/1 Tbsp. Fat-Free Mayonnaise
2 Slices Whole-Wheat bread
1/2-1 Whole Avocado
2 cups Baby Spinach/Romaine
(Here we have a great source of protein w/little carbs, the tuna, with some slow-digesting carbs from the bread, some healthy fats from the avocado, testosterone-boosting mayo and some veggies from the salad)

Middle of the Day Snack:
8 oz. Low-Fat Cottage Cheese
Slow-Digesting Protein with low-carbs

PreWorkout:
1 Scoop (approx. 20 grams) Whey Protein, again mixed in water, with 1 apple (some energy for the workout)

PostWorkout: 2 scoops Whey Protein (in water)
with 3 slices Wonder Bread w/2 Tbsp. Jelly OR 32 oz. Gatorade
You need fast protein and carbs postworkout, and white-bread/gatorade are both good choices for fast-digesting carbs

Dinner:
8 oz. Chicken/8 oz. Flank Steak
2 cups Baby Spinach/Romaine
1 cups mixed veggies
We don't want to have any starchy carbs here because we are not in a mass-gaining mode (If you find it hard to get lean, have chicken here and not the steak)

Before you go to bed: 1 Scoop Casein (20g) powder OR 8oz. low-fat cottage cheese to supply protein and amino acids during sleep

Approx. Calories 2,300-2,600
Remember to drink .75-1.5 Gallons of water daily to supplement your diet! Hydration is essential.

What are some good supplements to help get cut?

BCAA's: When your going low-carb, BCAA's can be used as a source of energy for your body, after all you don't want to feed your body muscle when doing morning cardio!
Dosage: 5-10 grams with breakfast, as well as before and after workouts.

Whey: Did you know that Whey can act as an appetite suppressant? Well it can, which makes it a great weapon in your fat-burning arsenal. It also obviously has a profound effect on protein synthesis.
Dosage: 5-10 grams before cardio, 20g before workouts, 40g afterwards.

Caffeine: Caffeine is part of almost every thermogenic on the market today. It works to increase fat-burning during workouts AND rest periods. Caffeine can attach itself to fat cells and aid in the disposal of fat-- Some studies also suggest that caffeine can increase strength during workout! Why aren't you taking this already?
Dosage: 200-400mg morning and about an hour before workouts

Green Tea Extract: Another potent fat-burner that should be on every summer supplement list. Epigallocatechin or EGCG has the power to stop an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter that regualtes fat-burning and metabolism. What does this mean? It means that your metabolism can be keep at a higher rate for a longer period of time.
Dosage:
500-1,000mg In the morning and before workouts

Carnitine:
Amino-acidlike, carnitine helps transport fat to to the mitochondria of the cells, where it can be burned off. Carnitine comes in different forms, I suggest Acetyl-L-Carnitine or ACL.
Dosage: 1-3grams with breakfast, preworkout and postworkout.

CLA:
Oh conjugated linoleic aic, how I love thee. Numerous studies have demonstrated that CLA can aid in fat loss, increase muscle mass and increase strength. Some studies have shown CLA to decrease fat and increase muscle in subjects even without exercise! Holy Diet Batman!
Dosage: 1-3grams with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Fish Oil:
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids which are known to be condusive to the burning of fat. Fish oil has also been shown to help prevent dietary fat from being stored as bodyfat. Do you need any more reasons to take it? Didn't think so...
Dosage:
1-2 grams with breakfast, lunch and dinner.


BONUS QUESTION: How could one work on creating a beach body if they don?t have access to a gym?


You know gymnasts are pound-for-pound some of the strongest people around (you just try to do an iron-cross!). You don't need to do 30 sets of benchs and curls to have a beach-ready body, there are plenty of body-weight exercises you can do to sculpt a beach-ready body.

Abs: V-Up, Crunch, Leg Raise...choose some of your favorites and do burn-out sets!

Chest-Triceps: Push-ups, Wide-Grip Push-ups, Close-Grip Push-Ups, Incline and Decline Push-ups...just start busting out the push-ups in giant-set fashion.

Quads/Hamstrings: Bodyweight Squats, Bodyweight Lunges, Sissy Squats.

Shoulders/Triceps: Handstand-pushups (you might need a friend to help you get into the start position.)

Back/Biceps: Chin-ups, Pull-ups (do you even do these in a regular back-workout?)

Triceps: Bench/Chair bodyweight dips

Calves: One-legged calf raise (on step or bench)

-Perform 2-4 sets of about 20 reps of each exercise, if you can do more try slowing down the rep speed, holding the peak contrations, super-setting movements, adding partial reps or reducing rest periods in between sets...get creative.

You also don't have to slave for hours on a stair-stepper or treadmill for cardiovascular exercise. Intervals burn more fat anyway! Try jogging to the park or heading to the track for an interval workout. Do a 5-10 min. warm-up (and cool-down) of light-jogging then jump into HIIT. Do 1 min. of sprinting (or hard running) followed by 1 minute of light jogging (or walking). Do this for 10-30 minutes depending on how fit you are. You can also play around with the interval length. Running stairs on the bleachers or running on the beach are more great ways to burn fat and reveal that six-pack.

Keep it outside, interesting and fun for a great gym-free workout.
Good stuff!!

[no_strain_no_ga]

Ofcourse, forgot cardio. :mad:

[TheSchwan47]

Well boys and girls summer is already here. Some are wishing they had maybe worked a little harder in the off-season, some maybe are just looking to get a little more cut to show off that beach bod by the end of the summer.
There are three things we need to look at to maximize fat loss and bring that rock hard muscle to light: nutrition, supplementation, and training.


NUTRITION PLAN


Nutrition is first and foremost the most crucial aspect of anyone planning to lose fat efficiently, while still retaining all that hard-earned off-season muscle. To shed off all that excess to show the well sculpted physique beneath, the program has to be focused on maximizing fat-loss and shedding sub-coetaneous water. Many people burn off much of the fat on their bodies, yet still have what looks like excess skin muddling the razor cut edges beneath. Therefore, a nutrition plan needs to take both of these aspects into account.

Calories

The first thing that needs to be done is to find your basal metabolic rate, the amount of calories your body burns during the day to perform all needed cellular activity. From this number you are to subtract 250-500 calories. Each person is different, and if results are coming from only dropping 250 calories there is no need to drop further. Lowering your calorie intake too far will cause your body to start burning amino acids for energy, and lean mass tissue, your muscle, will be burnt as energy.

Meals

As every serious bodybuilder already knows, you should eat 6-7 meals a day spaced 2-3 hours apart to keep your metabolism roaring, and avoid insulin spikes created from consuming larger meals.

Nutrients


Protein

It is recommended that a bodybuilder eat 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. This is to insure that the body is getting adequate building blocks to repair and rebuild muscle. Good sources of protein have high biological values such as: whey, eggs, red meat, and fish.

Carbohydrates

Here is where the main change for most of you is going to occur. Five to six days a week you are going to be on a low carb diet. First off, carbs tend to cause water retention, and since the goal is to slim down quickly their intake must be restricted. For a 180 pound male you should not rise above 80-100 grams for the low carb days and anywhere from 300-350 for the high carb day.

Most if not all sugars should be eliminated, except post-workout where it is beneficial to consume a fast-acting carb to restore the depleted glycogen levels.

Since, you are consuming less carbs during the course of the day, it is imperative that they be strategically placed to maximize energy. Most of the carbs should be spread out through the morning, pre-workout, and post-workout meals. If not enough are consumed as you awaken with your body recovering from a catabolic state, the last thing you want to do is to play catch up on your energy for the rest of the day. Come on its summer, and no one wants a great body that they can?t use because they have no energy.

Eating less carbs will make many of you hungrier throughout the day. The best way to combat this is to eat healthy vegetables like spinach and broccoli as snacks throughout the day to fill your stomach. Not only are they low in calories, but they have a host of other beneficial aspects, from antioxidants and fiber to vitamins and minerals.

Good sources of healthy carbs are: whole wheat bread and bagels, oatmeal (not the instant kind), whole grain pastas, and vegetables.
I would stay away from fruit except post-workout, because of the high amounts of fructose that they contain. Fruit may keep you healthy, but there is a difference from eating healthy and eating healthy to cut. If you do choose fruit post-workout, I recommend pineapple or blueberries. Aside from large amounts of Vitamin C it is also proven that pineapple juice helps shed subcutaneous water, and blueberries are lower in sugar then many other fruits
with a slew of antioxidants to make them worth it.

Fats

Now to counteract eating lower carbs most days, it will be important for you to get greater amounts of healthy fats to keep your energy levels high. Good sources of healthy fats such as poly- and monounsaturated fats are: tuna, salmon, almonds and other legumes, olive oil, fish oil, and flaxseed oil.


Supplementation Plan


Green Tea

Not only does it contain ECGC, antioxidant proven to promote fat loss, but it
also contains many other phytonutrients that protect you against cancers,
Parkinson?s, and many other diseases.

CE2 High Def

This creatine product not only doesn?t cause water retention, but it contains beta-alanine, which promotes the use of fat for energy. More fat burned equals you looking more shredded.

Multivitamin

Having the proper nutrients helps your body to run efficiently.

Oils

These contain healthy fats such as the Omega 3 and 6?s that are required for a healthy body.


Other than that I?m not big into using a lot of supplements because I do not
have the money :). Instead I look to get the proper nutrition and a killer body through tough training and good old fashion eating.


Sample Meal Plan

If your day doesn?t fit into this exact order of meals switch them around to fit your schedule. Just make sure that the pre- and post-workout meals are done correctly.

Meal 1: Breakfast
2 eggs with 3 egg whites scrambled
1 cup oatmeal
? cup spinach
1 cup green tea


Meal 2: Pre-workout

1.5 scoops whey protein
1 Tbsp Olive Oil (could also substitute fish oil or flaxseed oil)
1 Rice Cakes
2 tablets of CE2 Hi-Def

Meal 3: Post-workout

1.5 scoops whey protein
Handful blueberries
1 cup oatmeal
Multivitamin (w/ Green Tea extract)

Meal 4: Afternoon Snack

1 can of tuna
? cup of broccoli
1 cup green tea

Meal 5: Dinner

6 oz sirloin steak
1 cup vegetables (I usually make a salad topped with olive oil Yum!)
? cup almonds
1 cup green tea
2 tablets CE2 Hi-Def

Meal 6: Bed-Time snack

1 scoop casein protein
? cup spinach
1 cup cottage cheese

Conclusion:

Through hard work and some self restraint, the beach body of your dreams is just around the corner. Have someone go on the diet with you for support. You?re less likely to be cheating all the time with someone looking over your shoulder. If you do cheat on a meal, just forget about it and move on. One or two screw ups out of 40-50 meals a week isn?t going to kill you. Just remember the end goal, to get shredded.

No access to a gym? NO PROBLEM

Some the the best fat burning exercises can be done with minimal equipment.

For cardio just do High Octane Cardio. This will burn fat faster than any other form of cardio, and it is also more taxing on the body. Set light dumbbells from your house 100-200 yards apart. Run to the set perform a ballistic (dumbbell snactch, dumbbell clean and press, or dumbbell swing) or full body movement (body-weight squats, or pushups) to incorporate as many muscle fibers as you can. Perform 10-25 reps of the exercise, and run to the next set of dumbbells. Do this 8-32 times depending on your own conditioning, with increasing the poundage or speed each time. This will burn like nothing before.

You may think that doing a 20 pound dumbbel clean and press set sounds easy, but weight until your lungs are screaming for air and its set number 32!!

Aside from this go back to the basics.

Pushups (all the variations) I advise tri-sets here with different variations to get maximum stress on the muscles.

Lunges and squats for the legs. Bulgarian split squats work well here. All that is needed are light dumbbells and a chair. To perform these: Place a foot back on the chair while holding the dumbbells in your hands. Next squat down on the leg you are standing on. This will burn the hip flexors like never before.

Pullups (all the variations) Again tri- and giant sets work great here.

Handstand pushups are a tremendous work out if you can do them also.

Also, there are a host of core workouts available throughout the internet to trim up that mid section. (Although after the HOC training your whole body will be screaming at you).

[Mighty Kev]

Here it is! Clean version below



With the summer here, people from all over the country are in fat burning mode to get more cut for their seasonal beach bodies.

What is a good diet to help get cut?

As the summer months progress and clothing begins to disappear, it only seems natural for us to want to have that ?cut and ripped? look. Now, of course there are a number of reasons that we have behind desiring a leaner and stronger physique, most of them being somewhere in the range of wanting to look good for the opposite gender, wanting to be stronger, or wanting to be healthier. For the majority of us it probably is all three of the above reasons, but regardless of the reasoning behind wanting to improve your physique, there is still only one road to that goal; that being diet, supplementation, and exercise. Now many people would argue that one of the three isn?t necessary, but in order to most efficiently and quickly to facilitate the change in your body, all three are essential pieces to the puzzle.

To begin, the best diet to get cut is one that essentially restricts calories to just below the maintenance level, causing an inevitable loss in weight. Now the target behind this cut is to ensure that the weight loss is in the form of fat and some water, while sparing muscle mass. In a typical muscle maintaining cut, it is suggested that you eat 500 calories below maintenance level each day. This maintenance level can be calculated using a number of different methods, but thankfully bodybuilding.com has some very simple tools to calculate calorie intake requirements, one which is directly below this paragraph.

Insert Calorie Calculator

Now typically, between 500 to 1000 calories can be sacrificed from that number in order to get your total number of calories you will need to consume in a day. Since one pound of bodyfat consists of 3500 calories of food, sacrificing 500 calories a day from maintenance would result in a loss of one pound a week, while a deduction of 1000 calories a day would result in 2 pounds lost in a week. Keep in mind that the faster you lose weight, the more likely it is that you will be losing muscle mass. This is a huge problem, because having muscle mass raises your metabolism simply by the virtue that muscle is much more metabolically active than adipose or fatty tissue. This means that if you cut your weight down too fast, and lose a lot of muscle mass, you?re going to have a very hard time not jumping back up in weight because you will have essentially slowed your metabolism down drastically, making your loss much harder to maintain. This is the theory behind America?s trend of crash dieting and then shooting up in weight to heavier than before. So our overall goal is to slowly cut down weight, while keeping our exercise and resistance training levels up in order to maintain that muscle tissue while cutting the flab.

Another important bit to take into account is that although you may be eating 500 calories below maintenance per day, it is also very important what kind of foods you eat. Pretend your maintenance is 2500 calories per day, and you are eating 2000 calories of Ice Cream a day, do you honestly think you?ll lose weight? Probably not. Some foods have a much higher likelihood of being stored as fatty tissue rather than burned as fuel, such as simple carbohydrates such as sugary foods and greasy foods. Simple sugars can cause spikes in blood sugar which in effect causes the release of insulin, which is a hormone that in essence removes the sugar from the blood stream in order for it to be stored as fat. This is simply undesirable. Foods containing an adequate amount of fiber and whole grains, have a much lower glycemic index, meaning that it is much less likely to cause drastic variations in blood sugar. This causes you to experience a much more stable level of energy throughout the day, while also preventing too much anabolism of fat tissue. So essentially, your diet should consist of lean protein sources, whole grains, and numerous fruits and vegetables.

One more important thing about a summer time cutting diet is that the timing of nutrient delivery is very important. Traditionally, American?s have been accustomed to eating three large meals a day, which has recently come under fire as a less than ideal way to feed. Ideally, you want to take the number of calories you eat in a day, and divide into six different meals throughout the day, about 2-3 hours apart. I?ve heard a lot of resistance to this theory, most of the people claiming ?but I won?t be hungry 2 hours after I eat!? This is untrue, because the meals will be much smaller, thus causing hunger to occur much more often than before. To all of you non-believers, just think about it for a minute; who do you think would have more energy, someone who just ate two hours ago, or someone who ate a ton 6 hours ago? I would think the person who ate two hours ago would have more energy, and in my experience that seems to be the truth as well.

A sample diet plan is shown below.

Meal #1:
1.5 cups whole rolled oats
6 Scrambled Egg whites

Meal #2:
1 Large Sweet Potato
6-8 oz Grilled Chicken

Meal #3:
2 Scoops Whey protein in skim milk

Meal #4:
8 ounces steak or turkey
1.5 cups brown rice

Meal #5:
1 large Grilled Chicken Salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing

Meal #6:
2 Scoops Casein Protein in water (or milk if preferred)


Note: This is just a sample meal plan to give you an idea of the possibilities, make sure you?re getting the right amount of calories for the day. Also feel free to throw in a piece of fresh fruit or two in the plan during the day, because even though they consist of sugars, they still have a reasonably low glycemic effect on the body.


What are some good supplements to help get cut?
Although I briefly touched upon supplementation above, there are a few very important things to know about supplements. Below I will discuss 3 of the most important parts.

1) Adequate amounts of protein are essential! Protein is the building block of muscle, and since you will be in a calorie restricted state, the body naturally wants to break down muscle tissue to make up for the lack of fuel flowing through your system. The only way to counteract this catabolism of muscle is to continue with resistance training as well as giving your body the proper nutrients to build and repair muscle so that it can prevent the process of muscle breakdown whenever possible. I highly advise supplementing with not only whey protein, but also with a micellar protein source such as casein before bedtime. A protein such as casein passes through the system much more slowly than whey and therefore it can help keep your nitrogen balance up through the night, which in simple terms prevents muscle breakdown and loss. I definitely reccomend Optimum Nutrition?s Gold Standard whey and casein.
2) Everyone should be taking a multivitamin. Vitamins and minerals are indispensable to the body, because they help in function properly throughout the day. Without getting all of your needed vitamins and minerals you put yourself at risk of becoming sick, which will even further hinder your goal in attaining your desired physique. Definitely look up Universal Nutrition?s Animal Pak; it?s one of the most popular multi?s out there for a reason. Check it out.
3) In order to raise your metabolism to the highest level possible, it is important that you look into a fat-burner type supplement. These supplements help get your body in gear and essentially ignite a fire that causes your body to burn more calories per day without even counting the workouts that you?re performing. One of the most popular and effective fat-burners out there is Lipo-6. I personally can say that it is the best fat-burner I?ve tried, and promise you won?t be disappointed with the results.

If you supplement in these three areas in addition to doing intense cardio workouts in addition to resistance training, it is almost impossible for you to not lose the winter flab. Just stay consistent and you can do it!

BONUS QUESTION: How could one work on creating a beach body if they don?t have access to a gym?

Although the gym is an exceptional tool in the creation of beach bodies, it isn?t essential. Just think about it, we?ve all seen the athletes like soccer players that have absolutely phenomenal abs, sculpted shoulders, as well as defined calves. The gym simply isn?t an essential thing if you want to look good. As long as you keep to a diet and supplementation such as the samples posted above in addition to staying active, you can attain a beach body. For example, an hour of soccer or an hour of basketball is quite a cardio workout, and can surely help you lose that extra spare tire. Truthfully, without the gym you can not attain a physique similar to that of a bodybuilder though, as it just isn?t possible, but if your goal is to simply look good, you can do it. Diet, exercise and supplementation are your foundational stepping stones to a better body, and with the right mindset and determination, you can achieve the body of your dreams.

Thanks for reading!
-Opiewags99

[Nevel]

Should be attached.

Nevel, RD

[partymonster975]

IDK HOW TO CITE MY QUOTE, HELP!!!

TOPIC: What Is A Good Diet And Supplementation To Help Get Cut?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Summer?s here and you want to lose weight, you say?
You don?t know what diet to use, or where to get started, you say?
Keep reading and these questions won?t be left unanswered anymore!!!!


***What is a good diet to help get cut?***

Low carb diets are one of the most EFFECTIVE ways to get cut for summer, and the way to get the body you strive for. Why so confident in this diet approach you ask yourself, well here it is. There are essential amino acids (proteins) and essential fats, but NO ESSENTIAL CARBS. Charles Poliquin sums it all up, ?Most of the world population is carb intolerant. Only 25% of the population is carb sensitive. The most important type of carbs to eliminate for carb intolerant individuals are grains, particularly the ones containing gliadin. Our clients who are carb intolerant lose impressive amounts of body fat by adhering to a gluten-free diet. That means eliminating all wheat containing products, even soy sauce.? (http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1138762) The basic principle is to keep carbs low, 30-50 grams a day, and to get any remaining carbs from the other foods you eat or from green veggies. The reason green veggies are allowed is because most of the carbs in them are fiber and aren't absorbed. On top of this, they help keep you full and not moping around feeling hungry. So let?s talk about what you will need to arm your kitchen and shopping list with in order to do a low carb diet. Your shopping list will look this:
Meat
Eggs
Fish
Nuts
Oils (Olive, coconut, ect)
Green Veggies
If it doesn?t fall into one of those categories, you don?t eat it. How easy is that! Regarding drinks, stick to water, Crystal Light, green tea, and coffee. Stick to non-caloric drinks?..yes the occasional diet soda is ok. So now, how much of what are you suppose to consume?

Lets put carbs aside, because they will come from protein powders or, in other small amounts through out the day. We have proteins and fats left. What many on a low carb diet do is they over eat protein. Don?t over eat protein! Consume anywhere from 1.5-2 grams per pounds. Any more then that and your protein intake will be most likely higher than your other nutrients, and your body will become good at using protein for fuel instead of fat (the goal.) Just incase we are all not on the same page, if you drop the carbs, your body will be forced to use fat for fuel. (Takes 10-15 days for your body to get fat adapted.) Some folks think their going to speed the process up and drop their fat intake too. BAD IDEA!!! When using a low-carb diet, one?s fat intake should be kept high enough so your body avoids turning to burning protein for energy. So keep that fat intake up!!!
How much fat should you be eating? Your fat intake should be close to your protein intake. One gram of fat has 9 calories while 1 gram of protein has 4. So for a 200lbs person, if they take in 1.5 grams of protein, that?s 300 grams, which is 1200 calories. If they take in 0.6 grams of fat, that?s 120 grams. Which is 1080 calories?close. So start with a fat intake of 0.6 grams per pound is a good place to start.
On a side note, after reading this, some of you may ask yourself, ?well won?t it be easier to just cut some calories here and there?? That comes down to what you?re cutting out. Low carb diets works worlds better then just dropping let?s say, 500 calories. Why is that so? This involves the person to look at their macronutrients (proteins, carbs and fats); this is far more important than calories. Calories are just a measuring unit of heat, the body doesn?t look at calories, it looks at the nutrients you give it. If you take two twins and they both consume 2500 calories, twin one who is eating 50 grams of protein, mostly carbs and barely any fat is going to look a lot less appealing then twin two who is eating a low carb diet with a high protein and healthy fat intake.

***Should I do cardio on a low carb diet***
Here?s the best part?..ONLY IF YOU WANT TO!!!!!
Most cardio done while on a diet is high intensity or HIIT. These forms of cardio rely strongly on glycogen for energy. But, when you are on a low-carb diet, glycogen won't be as high. For the low amounts of glycogen you will have, you need it for heavy lifting. If you decide to do an intense form of cardio, you will only be using the limited amount of glycogen you have, which will lead to muscle catabolism.
Now you?re asking, what cardio can I do?..
Low-intensity cardio!!
Low-intensity cardio at 70% of your max heart rate won?t use much glycogen and is optimal for fat loss.

***What are some good supplements to help get cut?***
Supplement wise, not much really needs to change when on a low carb diet. Some recommended supplements are?

Fish oil- Aids in fat loss among MANY of healthy benefits.

Whey- Allows the individual to quickly get protein into his system post workout and on an added note, most protein powders have roughly 2-3 grams of carbs per serving.

Multi- Training or not, everyone should take a multi vitamin to get the vitamins and minerals they need.

Caffeine- Aids with fat loss and helps to give you the kick you need.

A fat burner supplement can be considered but not before the age of 18.

***BONUS QUESTION: How could one work on creating a beach body if they don?t have access to a gym?***

Diet is hands down the most important factor in changing ones physique.
But besides diet what can you do?
BE CREATIVE!!!!
All you need is a back pack.....
If you have a back pack you can load it with things for resistance.
-Push ups with weight on your back
-Pull ups with weight in the bag
-Grab the handles and do rows
-Put weight in the bag and do curls and tricep work (over head extensions)
-Jump squats
-Hold the bag in front of you and do squats
-Front delt raises
-Military press
-What ever you can think of!!!

Now get your diet down, training in order and watch your body transform!!!