Journey, Not A Destination
- Thread starter Steve
- Start date
If you are eating in a hypercaloric state, meaning above maintenance, this means you have excess energy. If things are set up properly, this excess energy can be utilized to facilitate muscle growth. The key to remember is, you need this excess energy. While dieting you don't have it. Rather, you have a diminished pool of energy.
In the hypercaloric state, you can afford to train intensely across the various rep ranges, which all btw, serve a specific function. Pure strength training (1-2) reps serves to facilitate CNS efficiency and improve motor unit recruitment and rate coding which simply means, you get stronger without hypertrophy (muscle growth). Than there is intensive training (4-6 reps) which serves to stimulate hypertrophy of the contractile components of your muscle. This is where you actually experience hypertrophy of your muscle fibers, giving you the solid look. Then there is extensive training (8-15 reps) which facilitates hypertrophy of the other components of the muscle (non-contractile components) such as sacroplasm, glycogen, etc.
You can break this down even further, but you get the idea. You can lift really heavy shit and get strong due to neural adaptations. You can lift mildly heavy shit and get strong and make your muscle grow. And you can lift relatively light shit and still trigger some growth, but this is minute.
While energy intake is high, I believe all of these forms of training serve an important function, and should be utilized.
While in a caloric deficit though, you need to be very wise with your choices. Remember, you are running on a low tank of fuel. Would you drive 30 miles out of the way if your "low fuel" light was on in your car? Probably not.
Same goes for training. The idea is to get in the gym, train briefly and efficiently using heavy weights. Reason being: You are not going to be building any new muscle due to the lack of calories. So weight lifting serves the function of muscle maintenance. The only thing you need to use if for is to ward off catabolism (muscle breakdown). By training heavy and efficiently, you send all the right biochemical signals to aid in muscle maintenance. If you were to go beyond this, and train like you were for anabolism (hypertrophy) without the right amount of fuel to aid this process, you would be doing more harm than good.
Lengthy, but I was due for an informational post. Follow me?
excellent postage - now do we get 10 posts of playing?
Ok I'll behave until at least 10:00amCST
NO.
asdfadf <-------- I had to type this too b/c the above was too short. Why is there a stupid limit?
because then you'd have LOL posts where th person said LOL and nothing else -and that'd be welll -dumb - we want quality dammit
oh wait -i've seen what i post -
nevermind
I'm gonna go stand in the corner now -i clearly cannot follow my own rules... No playing for me
Oh yeah and don't stick that tongue out fella unless you plan on using it
oh wait -i've seen what i post -
nevermind
I'm gonna go stand in the corner now -i clearly cannot follow my own rules... No playing for me
Oh yeah and don't stick that tongue out fella unless you plan on using it
Happychubette
Banned
steve
Good morning Steve.
Good morning Steve.
be_gone_soon
New member
Good morning Steve! I'm loving this good weather too. I am not out in like I'd like to be because the kids had to have one last bout of the flu! Hope you have a great day!
Hope you have a great day!
I am going to post this as its own thread too. However, this article from is written for this forum, I swear. Now, a warning. T-nation is a hardcore lifters kind of site. Male dominant for sure. However, it comes out with some of the best information around backed by science IMO and had some of the best minds (not all of them) in the fitness industry as writers.
I highly suggest reading this article. If you have been listening to me, much of it probably sounds familiar.
I highly suggest reading this article. If you have been listening to me, much of it probably sounds familiar.
mnexercisegirl
New member
I'm reading this article now and it's too funny, but very informative. Thanks!
Britta Bear
New member
Morning Sunshine
be_gone_soon
New member
Ok. I read this and it looks good. I have read all your advice and try to follow it. But I am still confused on the diet thing. I quit counting calories and went back on Weight Watchers. It is easier for me to do. I do the flex points one. On my own I don't go to the meetings. I do weight training now 3-4 times a week. I drink at least on an average day 64 oz of water. I try to get in 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day and I love meat, so I always have that at dinner. Plus i do yoga 2 times a week in between weight training days. For stretching purposes. I am well aware that it does not help lose weight. Also on those days I do the elliptical trainer. It has a program that you go really fast for about 4 min, then slows down for about 2 and goes back up. I gained a little weight when I started weight trainging, but I am leaner and my husband has really noticed, and he normally doesn't. On weight training days I also do bootcamp aerobics at the gym. I guess what I am asking is if this is a good thing. I'm trying. Also I am a whimp! I am can do 10-20 lbs in most thing and no more yet. I do 3 sets of 15 reps. And the weight is coming off. But I want to look good. So what do you think? Am I progressing in you opinion?
M2M
New member
Steve,
I just finished the article - it's good.
So...is there anyway to incorporate these deadlifts outside the gym? How much weight should be used...what's heavy enough to start with?
(Now do I get 10 playing posts????)
My questions are serious though...I've always been very strong - but have no idea how much weight to work with especially in the abscence of a gym. I think I can get a hold of free weights though.
I just finished the article - it's good.
So...is there anyway to incorporate these deadlifts outside the gym? How much weight should be used...what's heavy enough to start with?
(Now do I get 10 playing posts????)
My questions are serious though...I've always been very strong - but have no idea how much weight to work with especially in the abscence of a gym. I think I can get a hold of free weights though.
TomO
0
Steve, I average around a 600 to 850 calorie deficit on the days I work out, simply because almost all of my workouts average around 1,000 calories.
By the way, the scale went down for the 6th day in a row, and I'm at my lowest weight in 20 days -- maybe, just maybe, I'm starting to break through this damned plateau!
By the way, the scale went down for the 6th day in a row, and I'm at my lowest weight in 20 days -- maybe, just maybe, I'm starting to break through this damned plateau!
I wouldn't change a thing. Do I like the idea that you are not counting calories? Not particularly. Is weight watchers a good alternative for those who have problems counting calories? Certainly. Am I anyone to tell you to change anything, especially when you are making progress now? Absolutely not.
If anything, I would change the way you weight train. No point in sticking to the higher end of the rep ranges. Instead, up the weights a bit and stick to 4-6 reps per set.
Steve,
I just finished the article - it's good.
So...is there anyway to incorporate these deadlifts outside the gym? How much weight should be used...what's heavy enough to start with?
(Now do I get 10 playing posts????)
My questions are serious though...I've always been very strong - but have no idea how much weight to work with especially in the abscence of a gym. I think I can get a hold of free weights though.
Whenever I tell someone to lift heavy, I caveat it by saying, "heavy relative to your individual strength."
There is no set weight that is right for someone to start with. Put differently, I can't make a blanket recommendation as to what weight would be a generally good starting place for someone to use.
If I were to say anything, it would be, start extremely conservative, especially on complicated lifts like the deadlift and squat. Could even be body weight.
The idea is to learn the exercise first, worry about strength/weight increases second. As you progress and the movement pattern becomes second nature, then focus more on weight used and progressing by adding weight to the bar.If you are going to start with body weight, you can certainly do these movements at home. Eventually, you will need to add weight. You can even use dumbbells for these exercises. If you are not going to join a gym for some time and don't feel like buying all kinds of bars and weight plates, I recommend at the very least, purchasing a set of adjustable weight dumbbells.
Scratch my original recommendation. If weight is beginning to shift, don't change anything right now. Sometimes, all you need is momentum. Obviously, weight does not fly off in a linear pattern. I wouldn't screw with the plan right now if tides are starting to turn.
On rest days, you are running a 500 calorie surplus? Is that right? If so, drop it to 250 now.
TomO
0
Yep, and as I keep maintaining (with no scientific proof, of course), the older you get, the more "momentum" you need to build up. Your body is hip to all your tricks of the past 40 years. It refuses to accommodate you the way it does in your 20's and 30's. I think that's why so many guys my age just die of a heart attack rather than try to get healthy.
Cut the off day surplus to 250 -- that I can do!
Thanks, coach.
By the way, that post on building muscle was a gem -- I wish I could rep you ten times over for it, but the system won't let me.
I sent the article from TNation to my daughter. I just had a conversation with her last night about her bunny weights. Her attitude was, "yeah, dad, you're just an old fart -- what do you know about weight training?" Maybe she'll read this article and get some new ideas!
I am new (just now) to this forum and this is the first thread I have read. I am excited to see the support everyone has for each other. Some have weight to gain, some to lose, but everyone is in the journey together.
My story is this...4 1/2 years ago, I was at my desired weight and had been for a number of years. I have struggled with my weight most of my life, as have my mom and brother. In July of 2002 my mom made the decision to have gastric by-pass surgery (which I begged her not to have). She came out of surgery just fine and started losing weight quickly. October 1, 2002 she died. They never could find a reason for her death, but I believe it was a result of the surgery. Since then, I have gained 30 lbs. It took me a very long time to come to terms with her death. After she died, I thought I should give up on trying to be thin and enjoy life...but the problem is...since I have put on the weight, I don't enjoy life. I don't want to do the things I normally like to do because I don't want people to see me. I realize that if I don't get my weight in check, I am going to repeat my family history of diabetes and high blood pressure. I want to feel healthy and good again.
Thank you for your support of one another because truth is..you have inspired me. THANK YOU!
My story is this...4 1/2 years ago, I was at my desired weight and had been for a number of years. I have struggled with my weight most of my life, as have my mom and brother. In July of 2002 my mom made the decision to have gastric by-pass surgery (which I begged her not to have). She came out of surgery just fine and started losing weight quickly. October 1, 2002 she died. They never could find a reason for her death, but I believe it was a result of the surgery. Since then, I have gained 30 lbs. It took me a very long time to come to terms with her death. After she died, I thought I should give up on trying to be thin and enjoy life...but the problem is...since I have put on the weight, I don't enjoy life. I don't want to do the things I normally like to do because I don't want people to see me. I realize that if I don't get my weight in check, I am going to repeat my family history of diabetes and high blood pressure. I want to feel healthy and good again.
Thank you for your support of one another because truth is..you have inspired me. THANK YOU!
Just joined and this is the first thread you come across? Poor you!!!!!
I am so sorry about your mother. I am not a fan of any weight loss surgeries unless, and this is a big unless..... it is a last resort.
I think you came to the right place though, for support, motivation, education, etc. Start a diary of your own and get to know some people. You can do this. The more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. Not just in terms of exercise and eating, but learning as well. The more you know, the more you can adapt a plan to work for you.
Feel free to stop in anytime.