New Gay Thread - Part 5

[Shinagami091]

@Carlos You could take what she said and turn it around to use as motivation to push harder but what Menstraight said is also true. When my mom had her weight loss surgery she lost weight so fast it WAS noticeable, but my friend has also lost 50 lbs and I don't think I could tell unless I saw a before pic.

Maybe to prove her wrong show her a before picture?

[atticus_a]

Good to see new posters. Still looking for someone local to partner with. Someone should make a gym buddy app like Grindr but not for sex, but to meet folks looking for workout friends.

Had a bit of a mental set back yesterday when a casual friend from work told me she couldn't tell that I had been training and she didn't see much change in my body. It bummed me out a bit, then my self doubt kicked into overdrive. :/ I don't think she was being a hater cuz she's a very nice person, which made it even worse.

Don't worry about that. Have you lost 10% of your body weight? It typically isn't noticeable until about that percentage. Also, if you are losing fat but gaining muscle it also makes it difficult for other to appreciate your changes unless you are fairly lean already.

Don't lose heart.

[dreamboi]

Whoa so many new people here!! Welcome all
Anyone know how to figure out macros??? I'm driving myself crazy

[LoL Rick]

These seem to be repeating themes:

Intimidation in the gym
I have always been small framed and skinny so this is a near and dear topic. I use three mental techniques for dealing with that.
1. The muscle dudes were not born that way. They all started as skinny (or fat) just like me. They're just further along the journey.
2. I paid just as much for my gym membership as they did so they have no more right to the equipment than me. I paid, I'm here, so I'm serious.
3. Grow up, put on your "big boy pants" and push through this mental crap.

Finding a workout partner
Go to the gym on your regular schedule and just pay attention to who is already there. After a few weeks you'll see the repeat customers and those are your best prospects. Somebody else there probably wants a buddy too. Finally, don't wear headphones. They make you unapproachable.

Full disclosure: this was written while sitting in my recliner drinking coffee with real cream and sugar. Haven't been to the gym in months. Anyone want to help me with motivation?

[MiamiSpartan]

LOL!
I am by no means a muscle dude.....but I ended up getting one as a workout partner who turned out to become one of my closest friends....He and his wife "adopted" my partner and I and we became part of their family.....
I always have to chuckle when people think others are staring at them....first of all, who cares if they are? secondly, they may be looking at something on the TV screen above your head and not really looking at you at all...and they may just be thinking, "he's working hard....good for him!"

[MiamiSpartan]

Hey guys im new here 33/m in shape, bottom, would love to chat with some hotties, exchange pics etc

well...good luck with that...I'm sure there are other sites that you would find more success with your request....

[Shinagami091]

Hey guys im new here 33/m in shape, bottom, would love to chat with some hotties, exchange pics etc

Congrats on your first post. Too bad what your looking for is in the wrong place. Why not try craigslist?

Anyway, good advice. Maybe I will just assume they're admiring my drive and not criticizing me. It's all mental!

[mntbikedude]

Full disclosure: this was written while sitting in my recliner drinking coffee with real cream and sugar. Haven't been to the gym in months. Anyone want to help me with motivation?

Brah what are you thinking? You aren't getting any younger and the older we get the harder it is to make it back. Now get out of that chair and go get your gym clothes together. You know those shorts and and that jock that you shoulda washed but didn't and and what I was I talking about ...........

[ibimusbtms]

Hey bro miss seeing you around.

wow, what happened to mntbikedude that got him banned! .?

[bhujerban]

wow, what happened to mntbikedude that got him banned! .?

Too sexy for the forums.

[cowboyathlete]

well...good luck with that...i'm sure there are other sites that you would find more success with your request....

lol

[cowboyathlete]

Leg day for me today, which means I will be in a pleasant state of pain tomorrow.

[muscle2s]

Leg day for me today, which means I will be in a pleasant state of pain tomorrow.

you mean getting analed?

[CarlosFurious]

Killed my arms today. Was in a zone. Didn't even notice all the meat heads, just went in, awesome play list, preworkout kicked in, and I brutalized my arms.

I did notice a cute muscle cub working out behind me. But I stayed focus. I think I'm really starting to get into things.

Btw: I'm a big fan of cables. What are you guys opinions of them?

[MenStraight]

Killed my arms today. Was in a zone. Didn't even notice all the meat heads, just went in, awesome play list, preworkout kicked in, and I brutalized my arms.

I did notice a cute muscle cub working out behind me. But I stayed focus. I think I'm really starting to get into things.

Btw: I'm a big fan of cables. What are you guys opinions of them?

First congratz on staying focused on your workout. Cables are great, accommodates a large range of motion for a good burn to your muscles.

[dreamboi]

Killed my arms today. Was in a zone. Didn't even notice all the meat heads, just went in, awesome play list, preworkout kicked in, and I brutalized my arms.

I did notice a cute muscle cub working out behind me. But I stayed focus. I think I'm really starting to get into things.

Btw: I'm a big fan of cables. What are you guys opinions of them?

I honestly don't know how to do much with the cables there are always a ton of guys in line to use them so I just use the free weights.. also I'm finally starting to do squats on my own now..after like a year of thinking I would tip over

[CarlosFurious]

I honestly don't know how to do much with the cables there are always a ton of guys in line to use them so I just use the free weights.. also I'm finally starting to do squats on my own now..after like a year of thinking I would tip over

Squats are so good. It's crucial to getting stronger and bigger. As an exercise it hits a lot of muscle groups and is key to releasing hormones for growth. Congrats dude. Form is key. Pretend ur sitting on a chair. Keep ur back straight and try not to look down but ahead of you. Incorporate it into your leg day or as a starter exercise. The energy you get from doing them can carry you through most of that gym session. Read Starting Strength for more info. Remember to lift with your legs and shoulders/arms not with your back. And do two practice sets at 5 reps with just the bar. Then 5 sets with 5 reps with weights, increase as you go until you find that sweet spot for weight. You'll get huge man.

[dreamboi]

Squats are so good. It's crucial to getting stronger and bigger. As an exercise it hits a lot of muscle groups and is key to releasing hormones for growth. Congrats dude. Form is key. Pretend ur sitting on a chair. Keep ur back straight and try not to look down but ahead of you. Incorporate it into your leg day or as a starter exercise. The energy you get from doing them can carry you through most of that gym session. Read Starting Strength for more info. Remember to lift with your legs and shoulders/arms not with your back. And do two practice sets at 5 reps with just the bar. Then 5 sets with 5 reps with weights, increase as you go until you find that sweet spot for weight. You'll get huge man.

Thanks for the booster that's the plan .. I've come to the conclusion I'm never gonna have abs cause cutting down I'm just a smaller version of the person I was 6 months ago which I guess is good cause I didn't get softer or anything but abs will have to wait I think I'm ready for the bulk to start

[CarlosFurious]

Thanks for the booster that's the plan .. I've come to the conclusion I'm never gonna have abs cause cutting down I'm just a smaller version of the person I was 6 months ago which I guess is good cause I didn't get softer or anything but abs will have to wait I think I'm ready for the bulk to start

Abs are over rated. I've never found them attractive anyways, IMO.

[Shinagami091]

Abs are sexy though. However, Im willing to overlook that if the guy has a nice chest and arms.

I'm not one to talk though but maybe I'll be the guy with the chest and arms that gets swooned after in a year. hah

[bhujerban]

I won't get to see abs for a while. I'm starting a bulking diet with Kris Gethin's DTP program. Gotta get a huge number of calories per day - around 3200k. Already feeling fat. Also finding out that, with my bicep injury, I can't do barbell curls or bench press or cable flys or pullups. Almost everything else is OK, but I've lost a lot of strength in two months.

No pecs = no sex.

Nah, I get plenty. Gotta have the practice, right?

[GaugeBreaker]

Im super stronk.

[atticus_a]

Whoa so many new people here!! Welcome all
Anyone know how to figure out macros??? I'm driving myself crazy

Sorry....didn't see this.

Basically, they are just percentage of your macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat). Typically, they are done carb, protein, fat. So 50%/20/30 = 50% of your calories from carbs, 20 from protein and 30 from fat. Some people also put it Carbs/fat/protein. There is a couple ways to do it. You can do it for each meal or at a total for the day..

One of the easiest ways is to calculate the calories by looking at the nutrition label. Look at the grams of particular items. each gram of carbs has 4 calories, each gram of protein 4, and each gram of fat 9. So you take the number of grams of carbs multiple by 4 to get the amount of calories from carbs. You would multiple protein by 4 to get the calories from protein, and the total fat grams by 9. Take those 3 totals and add them together. That will give you the actual calories in something. So to get the amount of carbs you take the total carbs calories divide it by the total calories of the item. I will give you a hint. Nutrition facts labels do a lot of rounding with their total calories. They are out of date for the most part. They were required in like 94. The nutrient recommendations have changed from that time.

My understanding is research has not been so supportive of added benefit for ratios.

My advice is to find a calorie amount with sufficient protein and you will make your goal. For example, 2000 calories or not. They are a little bit ridiculous about the amount of protein that is typically advised. If you explore the research there is limited benefit if none to go over .8 grams per lb of body weight (some would argue lean weight. And for the most part that number is set way higher than necessary for individuals to have adequate protein synthesis.

[Shinagami091]

There's an app for calculating your macros but you need to know your BF% which you can get an estimate on by hopping over to the Fat Loss Sub Forum. There's a sticky where you can post pictures of yourself and people will estimate what it is.

There's also a guide to calculating your macros on the Nutrition Sub Forum which requires a bit of minor algebra.

Hope this helps!

[CarlosFurious]

Measured my arms at the bicep for the first time the other night. Both arms are 13 inches. Kinda was hoping for more. But now I have a reference to measure against. Is it possible to go from 13 to 16 in 3 weeks?

[bhujerban]

Measured my arms at the bicep for the first time the other night. Both arms are 13 inches. Kinda was hoping for more. But now I have a reference to measure against. Is it possible to go from 13 to 16 in 3 weeks?

LOL, this one's definitely gay. Unrealistic body expectations.

No, it is not possiblol. That's a huge increase. I used to work out with an experienced powerlifter. This guy was pretty good sized and had some fine shape and size in his muscle bellies. I remember he once said that if he keeps on his current course, he'll have another inch on his arms next year. If it takes him a year, then 3 weeks is nothing. Don't believe those crazy "Shocking Muscle Growth" ads you see on Fbook!

[MenStraight]

Sure you can increase size that fast, just get a mirror that magnifies your image and voila it's bigger

Don't forget your triceps when shooting for arm size.

[sandmussel]

An inch a week is unrealistic for arms. And even if that were possible, such overly rapid growth would not give the skin enough time to adjust, resulting in those nasty streaks of off-color scar tissue known as stretch marks, which never disappear completely

That does remind me - my biceps seem to be lagging behind my triceps. I need to readjust my arm workout and hit the brachialis more; my workouts have been rushed lately and I keep forgetting that muscle. I remember reading years ago that the brachialis needs to be given more attention than it usually gets, and it enhances the bulge of the overlying biceps. Time to bring the hammer curls back into the routine!

[broad.stance]

I didn't realize my pics were too selfie. But, yeah some of them are from Instagram. I mainly use IG for fitness progress pics, and to get that legitimization that I sorely miss in real life. How depressing.

The pics aren't in chronological order as I don't have dates of most of them as they were taken before I ugraded to IOS7.

Didn't mean to come off as making fun of you for taking selfies, I'm just noticing how common they are becoming. The character in the video is a spaz, but he is presenting valid tips on taking casually-flexed photos. If that's your method for judging progress and you gain motivation from the pictures and feedback, then keep at it.

Though the OS was upgraded the original metadata for each image should still be there. However you access details on your phone, you'll find information on when the picture was created.

I wish I had watched that video before snapping a selfie this afternoon And I took it during the workout, not after.

Well, my knee is definitely on the mend, and I expect to be able to leg work and swimming again very soon. I also hope to improve my sleep habits. I know sleep is important in proper muscle building and recuperation, but I don't get enough sleep nowadays. I've tried going to bed earlier but I just stay awake for a long while.

Turns out a lot of media is tuned to the daylight spectrum and it keeps the brain stimulated late into the evening, so you're supposed to turn off your television, computer, and phone screen at least an hour prior to bedtime. This may be a reason why you stay awake. I installed the program f.lux to change the color temperature of my monitor, and this seems to make it easier to rest at night.

well...good luck with that...I'm sure there are other sites that you would find more success with your request....

Well, this thread is in the personal's section.

Maybe the next one can break tradition and have "chat" or something in the title.

Measured my arms at the bicep for the first time the other night. Both arms are 13 inches. Kinda was hoping for more. But now I have a reference to measure against. Is it possible to go from 13 to 16 in 3 weeks?

Your photos show your arms do not look out of proportion with the rest of your body. I think most people should aim for symmetry, and at this point 16 inch arms would make you appear imbalanced.

That does remind me - my biceps seem to be lagging behind my triceps. I need to readjust my arm workout and hit the brachialis more; my workouts have been rushed lately and I keep forgetting that muscle. I remember reading years ago that the brachialis needs to be given more attention than it usually gets, and it enhances the bulge of the overlying biceps. Time to bring the hammer curls back into the routine!

People who do total-body training use multiple variations in exercises to provide extra stimulation to muscles throughout the week. Like someone needing to bring up their rear delts would have barbell high pulls in one workout, cable face pulls in another, and a dumbbell isolation movement later on in the week. Biceps are also hit during pulling movements, and you can recruit the brachialis more by semi-supinating your grip (palms facing) during one of your pull-up or row exercises. (A completely supinated grip will bring in the long and short heads more.)

I wrote one exercise because I don't know what type of program you're on. If you happen to be on a split and enjoy destroying a muscle group and allowing it recover throughout the week, then overusing these training variations would actually hold back development of that one group as well as others.

[cowboyathlete]

This is the week I change up my routine a bit. Basically I sat down with my training manual and opened an Excel spreadsheet to do it. I am lowering the weight I do for each set - plus adding a set. That means I go to four sets for most things and five for legs. Monday was arm day, and it felt great. Tonight is chest and shoulders, Friday is legs. Oh, as for the obligatory gay comment - I wear shorts that show off my legs. :-)