So im a big fat guy...

[GDPONE]

...Whose trying to go for the strongman look. I have been doing some reading on how much to achive this but Im reading some conflicting stuff about if I should lose the weight first or start building muscle. To backcap I used to be in the Army and have weight trained a little on and off over my life. So I know the basics I believe. I do want to ask you guys if I am on the right track or not though so here is what im doing ...

Ive filled out my body space stuff so I know where my end goals are. I dont have my measurements yet, but I will by the end of the day once I get a tape measure.

I was following this plan ... Dumbbell Only Home Or Gym Full Body Workout (cant post link, over @ muscleandstrenth dot com) before I came on here and have now finished that plan as of Friday and will follow All Pros simple routine as I hear its better.

I am eating about 3400 cals/day however this is where I get a bit confused ... being im so fat do I need to eat like im doing a slow bulk? Or can I forget that cause im so fat and just go for it without eating a lot? FYI I have been following that first program I listed for about a week now.

Im lifting on avg 30lbs now for 3 sets/6-12 reps before muscle failure or close to it. I started with 20, but to be honest that was probably a little low to begin with. Luckily I do have one thing on my side and thats ive always loved lifting. Its never been a chore or 'excersise' as you might typically feel about excerises (well some people like me anyway). And I know these questions are probably asked all the time but appreciate any assistance.

[paulosantos0922]

Look up Carb Nite or Carb Backloading and do that for a while, or just use MyFitnessPal and set it up to lose 1-2 lbs per week. Find yourself a decent workout program and stick with it.

[thom2355]

Im lifting on avg 30lbs now for 3 sets/6-12 reps before muscle failure or close to it.

You will not get what you are looking for with this. Train heavy, train hard, train often.

[scottyk31]

How bout trying this, create habits of good muscle building meals, like steak and sweet potato etc... To get to your weight im sure you are eating some **** meals everyday if you replace 2 good meals with 2 **** meals you will start going in the right direction. Keep your protein high and lift heavy.

live and die by heavy overhead presses, heavy deadlifts, heavy squats, and bench presses. Also do heavy high rep shrugs because traps kick ass.

[GDPONE]

Thanks guys for the advice. I can't seem to multi quote from my phone so I will respond to all in one.

I actually do use myfitnesspal so that's good. I can set it to lose 1-2 lbs but then I won't gain muscle right?

As far as how much I'm lifting I'm just starting out again so that's literally my max weight for some exercises. And I'm going to start all pros workout Monday.

And yeah my diet was Taco Bell grande meals and the like for a while. I just started eating right again. Taking up WL again has also helped me want to eat healthy as I learn what's needed to build muscle.

Thanks and keep the advice coming.

[paulosantos0922]

I actually do use myfitnesspal so that's good. I can set it to lose 1-2 lbs but then I won't gain muscle right?

You will still gain muscle. I would pick ONE day a week and have a CHEAT MEAL. Not a CHEAT DAY.

Cut out the crap carbs and replace them with veggies. Have some sweet potatoes for carbs. Eat meats and eggs for protein.

[somedude999]

I actually do use myfitnesspal so that's good. I can set it to lose 1-2 lbs but then I won't gain muscle right?

Skinnys need to gain weight to gain muscle. As a side effect they also gain fat. If they freak out about the fat and start dieting to loose it they stop gaining (or even start loosing) muscle.

Fatties can afford to loose a bit of weight while still building muscle. The body has calorie surplus built into it via the stored fat.

My suggestion is to not focus on the scale too much. A lot of overweight dudes seem to gain muscle at around the same speed they loose fat, so while it may look like you're not going anywhere your body will be changing in the correct direction. I've found the mirror and my belt are a better judge of progress than my scale.

Also, check out a program called Starting Strength. It works the biggest muscle groups in your body, which will produce big strength gains while burning more calories. With a bit of effort and some heavy weights a big dude like you will be a monster by the time you're done.

[HamburgerTrain]

First off, lose the terms bulking and cutting. If you feel you are too fat, eat quality foods in smaller portions until your weight is where you want it to be. Make sure you eat enough protein and maybe try some fasted cardio to speed up the process. Or don't, it doesn't really matter. Don't eat a bunch of $hit food just for the sake of being a "strength athlete."

x2 on carb nite or carb backloading.

[GDPONE]

Skinnys need to gain weight to gain muscle. As a side effect they also gain fat. If they freak out about the fat and start dieting to loose it they stop gaining (or even start loosing) muscle.

Fatties can afford to loose a bit of weight while still building muscle. The body has calorie surplus built into it via the stored fat.

My suggestion is to not focus on the scale too much. A lot of overweight dudes seem to gain muscle at around the same speed they loose fat, so while it may look like you're not going anywhere your body will be changing in the correct direction. I've found the mirror and my belt are a better judge of progress than my scale.

Also, check out a program called Starting Strength. It works the biggest muscle groups in your body, which will produce big strength gains while burning more calories. With a bit of effort and some heavy weights a big dude like you will be a monster by the time you're done.

Yeah that was also something else I was thinking about but had no idea if that was true or not. It makes a lot of sense being the body should burn fat before protein. And if you dont have that fat, then you wont gain muscle. I guess thats where the saying turning fat into muscle comes from. I will set my calorie goals on myfitnesspal to lose 1lb/week as to not push it.

First off, lose the terms bulking and cutting. If you feel you are too fat, eat quality foods in smaller portions until your weight is where you want it to be. Make sure you eat enough protein and maybe try some fasted cardio to speed up the process. Or don't, it doesn't really matter. Don't eat a bunch of $hit food just for the sake of being a "strength athlete."

x2 on carb nite or carb backloading.

Simple, no bull****. I like it. But yeah my diet has been and used to be horrible like I stated above. Would not be uncommon for me to run to taco bell, buy a grande meal, and suck that **** down the same night ... kinda gross and impressive at the same time lol. But at least for the last 2-3 months I have been eating healthier stuff, maybe a lot of it, but better than grande meals. Ive also cut out soda for the most part. I pretty much know how to lose the weight, im just trying to make sure if I do that, and try to build muscle, that I wont spin my wheels. I am also planning on doing 30-60 min cardio on sundays maybe. Or at my weight just go for a decent walk on my rest days. Its pretty hard to run when youre this fat.

Im getting a better grasp of this already but will appreciate any other comments/suggestions/whatever.

[5_02ls1]

I was in a similar situation when i started 3 years ago..I had no idea what to do joined this website and done alot of reading...the main thing is to clean up your diet,chicken and broccoli is mostly what i ate for a long time,
I done alot f 5x5 workouts and did cardio after every workout..theres a before pic of me on my bodyspace,you can lose the fat it just takes time and patience..

[GDPONE]

I was in a similar situation when i started 3 years ago..I had no idea what to do joined this website and done alot of reading...the main thing is to clean up your diet,chicken and broccoli is mostly what i ate for a long time,
I done alot f 5x5 workouts and did cardio after every workout..theres a before pic of me on my bodyspace,you can lose the fat it just takes time and patience..

Damn dude. Yeah I just bought some chicken at the store too lol. I do need to buy more veggies though.

[austin.j.taylor]

1. Run a proven strength program
2. Eat lots of protein and fats. Fill any remaining calories with carbs.
3. Do both of these until you learn how your body reacts to things and how to program for yourself.
4. Ask lots of annoying questions and we will help you.

[ja118]

The only true and proven ways to loose weight are to eat better and participate in a fitness program. All of those self-help books, diet products, and crazy-looking exercise machines are all a waste of money. Losing weight can be very inexpensive if done right.

A simple walk around the park and a basket full of vegetables can be all you need to start on your way to loosing weight and living healthier. Here are four things you can incorporate into your lifestyle today to see immediate results.

1. Eat breakfast every day. This gets your body's digestive system started up and will increase your metabolism throughout the day. Many people are rushed in the morning and think they can just skip breakfast and catch up with a big lunch. This is actually the worst thing for people who are trying to loose weight because it causes the body to slow down its metabolism.

Since dinner is usually around 7 o'clock for most people, this means that the body has to go well over 12 hours with no nourishment at all. The body switches to "famine" mode to conserve energy and burns less calories while storing more fat.

2. Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. As mentioned above, this keeps the body from switching to energy conservation mode. You will also find that you have more consistent energy all day long because your body is constantly getting fuel.

Of course, these smaller meals should be healthy items, not junk food. Processed sugars and saturated fat are harder for the body to handle, so you will have a lag in energy level and a drop in metabolism while the body struggles to digest an unhealthy snack.

3. Slow down while eating. Not only will you be able to savor the taste of your food, but you will also end up eating less if you take longer to do it. Eating too quickly circumvents the body's signal that it is full. You can keep eating before you realize that you do not need any more food.

Slow down and try to take about 30 seconds per bite of food. This lets your body catch up and let you know when you have had enough to satisfy your physical needs. You may even become more mindful of the food you are eating and the nutritional choices you make. Often we eat certain foods simply out of habit and do not even realize we are making an unhealthy choice.

4. Plan out your meals for the entire week. This will make your grocery shopping easier and can keep you motivated to eat healthy even when things get busy later in the week.

You will already have all the necessary ingredients on hand to cook a delicious and healthy meal, so it will be harder to justify choosing high calorie fast food instead. The best ways to loose weight is to focus on making it convenient and enjoyable to live a healthy lifestyle.

For more weight loss tips just copy and paste the link below into your web browser:

bit.ly/11qTa9k

[RW2]

OP, whatever you do, don't listen to ^^^ that guy.

[MachetePower]

Carb backloading, carb nite ect ect has become popular because it is being marketed as such. Carbs dont make you fat its that simple.

If you want to look like a big strong man you need to train like one, eat like one and use drugs like one.

[JiP]

Carb backloading, carb nite ect ect has become popular because it is being marketed as such. Carbs dont make you fat its that simple.

If you want to look like a big strong man you need to train like one, eat like one and use drugs like one.

This.. you don't achieve that look in a short space of time, chances are you have very little muscle mass OP

[HamburgerTrain]

The only true and proven ways to loose weight are to eat better and participate in a fitness program. All of those self-help books, diet products, and crazy-looking exercise machines are all a waste of money. Losing weight can be very inexpensive if done right.

A simple walk around the park and a basket full of vegetables can be all you need to start on your way to loosing weight and living healthier. Here are four things you can incorporate into your lifestyle today to see immediate results.

1. Eat breakfast every day. This gets your body's digestive system started up and will increase your metabolism throughout the day. Many people are rushed in the morning and think they can just skip breakfast and catch up with a big lunch. This is actually the worst thing for people who are trying to loose weight because it causes the body to slow down its metabolism.

Since dinner is usually around 7 o'clock for most people, this means that the body has to go well over 12 hours with no nourishment at all. The body switches to "famine" mode to conserve energy and burns less calories while storing more fat.

2. Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. As mentioned above, this keeps the body from switching to energy conservation mode. You will also find that you have more consistent energy all day long because your body is constantly getting fuel.

Of course, these smaller meals should be healthy items, not junk food. Processed sugars and saturated fat are harder for the body to handle, so you will have a lag in energy level and a drop in metabolism while the body struggles to digest an unhealthy snack.

3. Slow down while eating. Not only will you be able to savor the taste of your food, but you will also end up eating less if you take longer to do it. Eating too quickly circumvents the body's signal that it is full. You can keep eating before you realize that you do not need any more food.

Slow down and try to take about 30 seconds per bite of food. This lets your body catch up and let you know when you have had enough to satisfy your physical needs. You may even become more mindful of the food you are eating and the nutritional choices you make. Often we eat certain foods simply out of habit and do not even realize we are making an unhealthy choice.

4. Plan out your meals for the entire week. This will make your grocery shopping easier and can keep you motivated to eat healthy even when things get busy later in the week.

You will already have all the necessary ingredients on hand to cook a delicious and healthy meal, so it will be harder to justify choosing high calorie fast food instead. The best ways to loose weight is to focus on making it convenient and enjoyable to live a healthy lifestyle.

For more weight loss tips just copy and paste the link below into your web browser:

bit.ly/11qTa9k

I literally only eat twice a day, I haven't eaten breakfast in about a year, and I eat my food as fast as possible. I am sitting around 290 right now and am leaner than when I was 250. Adressing everything you just said:

What in the f*ck are you talking about.

[GDPONE]

1. Run a proven strength program
2. Eat lots of protein and fats. Fill any remaining calories with carbs.
3. Do both of these until you learn how your body reacts to things and how to program for yourself.
4. Ask lots of annoying questions and we will help you.

OP, whatever you do, don't listen to ^^^ that guy.

Yeah I get the feeling this will be a thing where I mostly have to learn what works best for me.

Carb backloading, carb nite ect ect has become popular because it is being marketed as such. Carbs dont make you fat its that simple.

If you want to look like a big strong man you need to train like one, eat like one and use drugs like one.

I was sort of thinking that too as it kinda reads like a FOTM thing. And im not too huge into diet fads. But if I have an extra $20 to spend ill buy it and read it. And lol @ the drugs part. What kind of drugs do you mean?

This.. you don't achieve that look in a short space of time, chances are you have very little muscle mass OP

Not to take away from the fact I am deffinately fat however to give you an idea of my body type and what I look like ( I really need to take before pictures) when I was in the Army I looked crackhead skinny @ 235lbs. Even now @ 338 most people wouldnt guess im that fat unless maybe I had my clothes off. But anyway when I get the chance I will go into an actual gym (im using dumbells right now at home) and max out to see what my numbers look like. Im also thinking about buying one of those fat caliper things to see what my body fat really is at.

I literally only eat twice a day, I haven't eaten breakfast in about a year, and I eat my food as fast as possible. I am sitting around 290 right now and am leaner than when I was 250. Adressing everything you just said:

What in the f*ck are you talking about.

I love how all the big ass dudes seem to take a no nonsense approach. I guess once you get through all the marketing bull**** and learn what really works its not too complicated?

I hope I stay motivated enough for long enough to actually make this change. I wonder how many people come on here like me and actually make it? But either one of two things will happen here because of my personality type:

1. I quit in 2-3 weeks tops.
2. I end up looking like the hulk.

So keep the advice comming guys. I will continue to use this thread to ask any specific questions instead of creating new ones. So thanks everyone who has so far taken the time to respond.

P.S. I just uploaded before photos.

[HamburgerTrain]

Yeah I get the feeling this will be a thing where I mostly have to learn what works best for me.



I was sort of thinking that too as it kinda reads like a FOTM thing. And im not too huge into diet fads. But if I have an extra $20 to spend ill buy it and read it. And lol @ the drugs part. What kind of drugs do you mean?



Not to take away from the fact I am deffinately fat however to give you an idea of my body type and what I look like ( I really need to take before pictures) when I was in the Army I looked crackhead skinny @ 235lbs. Even now @ 338 most people wouldnt guess im that fat unless maybe I had my clothes off. But anyway when I get the chance I will go into an actual gym (im using dumbells right now at home) and max out to see what my numbers look like. Im also thinking about buying one of those fat caliper things to see what my body fat really is at.



I love how all the big ass dudes seem to take a no nonsense approach. I guess once you get through all the marketing bull**** and learn what really works its not too complicated?

I hope I stay motivated enough for long enough to actually make this change. I wonder how many people come on here like me and actually make it? But either one of two things will happen here because of my personality type:

1. I quit in 2-3 weeks tops.
2. I end up looking like the hulk.

So keep the advice comming guys. I will continue to use this thread to ask any specific questions instead of creating new ones. So thanks everyone who has so far taken the time to respond.

It really is not too complicated. Check out Shelby Starnes ebook "The Macronutrient Guidebook." It is a short easy read and the macronutrient suggestions he makes are spot on.

[showmestate08]

[QUOTE=ja118;1020044963]The only true and proven ways to loose weight /QUOTE]

It's lose not loose.

[GDPONE]

It really is not too complicated. Check out Shelby Starnes ebook "The Macronutrient Guidebook." It is a short easy read and the macronutrient suggestions he makes are spot on.

Thank you I will check it out. I assume its just a general guide for what to eat to get the good stuff?

[HamburgerTrain]

Thank you I will check it out. I assume its just a general guide for what to eat to get the good stuff?

Yep. It lays out eaxmple carb cycling routines, suggestions for preparing food, suggestions for food choices, and is straight to the point. Like I said, it's short but is filled with a ton of useful information.

[GDPONE]

Yep. It lays out eaxmple carb cycling routines, suggestions for preparing food, suggestions for food choices, and is straight to the point. Like I said, it's short but is filled with a ton of useful information.

So ... something interesting just happened. I went to buy the book and it kinda hit me ... do I really want to do this? Is this something I REALLY want to do? Spend all this time, effort, money into training and eating right? Well ...


I bought the book. Full retard here we go.

[austin.j.taylor]

I hope I stay motivated enough for long enough to actually make this change. I wonder how many people come on here like me and actually make it?

I started Jan 2007 after making a drunken resolution. I started as a guy who benched 65lbs and had never squatted or deadlifted in my life. If you stick with it for a few months it feels wierd when you dont lift. Its like taking a shower or brushing your teeth after a few months.

[darren.dugan]

It really is not too complicated. Check out Shelby Starnes ebook "The Macronutrient Guidebook." It is a short easy read and the macronutrient suggestions he makes are spot on.

BOOM!

http://theblane.com/docs/training/Ma...tGuidebook.pdf

[philribeiro1]

Damn dude. Yeah I just bought some chicken at the store too lol. I do need to buy more veggies though.

celery has indigestible cellulose making your body put more effort into digesting it, so your burn more calories. Tastes good too, just eat it raw though, without ranch and stuff

[5_02ls1]

I literally only eat twice a day, I haven't eaten breakfast in about a year, and I eat my food as fast as possible. I am sitting around 290 right now and am leaner than when I was 250. Adressing everything you just said:

What in the f*ck are you talking about.

it looks like you and I follow a similar aproach to eating,I havnt ate breakfast in almost a year and a half,I get all my calories within 3 meals...hell I was doing IF for a long time and didnt even know it haha...

[GDPONE]

So ... something interesting just happened. I went to buy the book and it kinda hit me ... do I really want to do this? Is this something I REALLY want to do? Spend all this time, effort, money into training and eating right? Well ...


I bought the book. Full retard here we go.

BOOM!

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu *RAGE FACE* Because I cant post pics yet.

Also I just went shopping and bought chicken, sweet potatoes, asparagus, brocolli/califlower, oats, and ... I think that was it for now. Im going to make all my meals today for the rest of the week. Dude I have so much chicken its retarded. Walmart is selling whole chicken legs for like $4 for 4lbs.

[somedude999]

I love how all the big ass dudes seem to take a no nonsense approach. I guess once you get through all the marketing bull**** and learn what really works its not too complicated?

Train, eat, rest.

The only complicated bit is choosing your goals. You can't excel at strength and be an endurance athlete at the same time. I mention this because you say you were in the army, which means you're likely to have a predisposition to believe that you need to be able to do long, slow runs and high volume body weight calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, etc) to be fit.

Forget that ****. I made that mistake for years. Being able to lift 300lbs is far more useful than being able to do 50 push-ups, and the strength gains have improved my quality of life far more than long distance running ever did.

I think your idea to walk is a good one. I've gotten really good results out of riding a (real) bike. Read up on strongman GPP (general physical preparedness) since that's your inspiration.

I hope I stay motivated enough for long enough to actually make this change.

Simple programming that's easy to follow and maintain.

I have two workouts (Starting Strength, phase 3)...

Workout A
Squat
Bench press
Deadlift/Powerclean (alternate DLs and PCs, so if I do DLs on Monday I'll do PCs on Friday)

Workout B
Squat
Overhead Press
Chin-ups
Back Extensions

Week 1,
Mon = A
Wed = B
Fri = A

Week 2
Mon = B
Wed = A
Fri = B

If I have extra time/energy I add in dips, glute/ham raises and curls. If I don't have the time I focus on the meat (squats) and fill up what time I have left with potatoes (bench, press, deadlifts, chins).

[GDPONE]

Train, eat, rest.

The only complicated bit is choosing your goals. You can't excel at strength and be an endurance athlete at the same time. I mention this because you say you were in the army, which means you're likely to have a predisposition to believe that you need to be able to do long, slow runs and high volume body weight calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, etc) to be fit.

Forget that ****. I made that mistake for years. Being able to lift 300lbs is far more useful than being able to do 50 push-ups, and the strength gains have improved my quality of life far more than long distance running ever did.

I think your idea to walk is a good one. I've gotten really good results out of riding a (real) bike. Read up on strongman GPP (general physical preparedness) since that's your inspiration.



Simple programming that's easy to follow and maintain.

I have two workouts (Starting Strength, phase 3)...

Workout A
Squat
Bench press
Deadlift/Powerclean (alternate DLs and PCs, so if I do DLs on Monday I'll do PCs on Friday)

Workout B
Squat
Overhead Press
Chin-ups
Back Extensions

Week 1,
Mon = A
Wed = B
Fri = A

Week 2
Mon = B
Wed = A
Fri = B

If I have extra time/energy I add in dips, glute/ham raises and curls. If I don't have the time I focus on the meat (squats) and fill up what time I have left with potatoes (bench, press, deadlifts, chins).

Fortuneately I never subscribed to the belief that long slow ass slinky runs were in anyway shape or form good for me. But yeah I just need to get into the habbit of doing it and should be cake after that. Funny how your biggest enemy is always yourself.

In other news Im almost done cooking myself 50 meals for just one week lol. Kicking my ass more than I thought I would. Im starting to wonder if these meal plans are designed for you to actually want to start hating food.