The Fitness Guide

[Jackal]

As far as I know, muscles have "muscle memory", so if you do lose a little bit of the muscle, working on them again, you ought to be able to regain that shape quite fast. Well, faster than if you're starting from scratch.

Which doesn't translate in to go on a binge, get fat and expect muscle memory to help you out.

What you're eating shouldn't let that happen, so I'd say you're safe, you'll be "back" to what you were a few weeks ago in less time than if you were beginning. Less time, but will still take a bit of time, shouldn't be an issue if you're dedicated enough.

I don't think that eating the same stuff every day is per se a bad thing in your case given you seem to be getting all the nutritions a person would need, but I still think it's a good thing to diversify what you eat. I like to think that the body is quite smart and adapts to certain things. You drink constantly, it'll adapt, you eat wrong stuff constantly, it'll adapt. I like throwing curveballs from time to time, I switch up what I eat a lot. Pasta one day, rice the other, brown bread the next. This way I'm eating healthy (getting enough of all the different stuff my body could want) but also eating it in such a way that it doesn't per se convert itself to fat but more as fuel for my body.

I think if you keep eating the same stuff, you kind of let your body get used to that only. So one day if you do out of the blue have...mm ice cream I'd say, your whole system would go bezerk. Atleast that's what I think, but with me it's all mental.

As I said, I try to diversify, it's what the Dutch food institute suggests, different foods have different nutritions and eating them all variously ensures I get everything I need. Everything in moderation ofcourse.

Uhm, yeah, that's my take on it.

[[Q]]

sooo does muscle memory work the other way too?

like if i work out and stop for a few days, does my body remember it was skinny as fuck before and go back?

[Joe']

As far as I know, muscles have "muscle memory", so if you do lose a little bit of the muscle, working on them again, you ought to be able to regain that shape quite fast. Well, faster than if you're starting from scratch.

Which doesn't translate in to go on a binge, get fat and expect muscle memory to help you out.

What you're eating shouldn't let that happen, so I'd say you're safe, you'll be "back" to what you were a few weeks ago in less time than if you were beginning. Less time, but will still take a bit of time, shouldn't be an issue if you're dedicated enough.

I don't think that eating the same stuff every day is per se a bad thing in your case given you seem to be getting all the nutritions a person would need, but I still think it's a good thing to diversify what you eat. I like to think that the body is quite smart and adapts to certain things. You drink constantly, it'll adapt, you eat wrong stuff constantly, it'll adapt. I like throwing curveballs from time to time, I switch up what I eat a lot. Pasta one day, rice the other, brown bread the next. This way I'm eating healthy (getting enough of all the different stuff my body could want) but also eating it in such a way that it doesn't per se convert itself to fat but more as fuel for my body.

I think if you keep eating the same stuff, you kind of let your body get used to that only. So one day if you do out of the blue have...mm ice cream I'd say, your whole system would go bezerk. Atleast that's what I think, but with me it's all mental.

As I said, I try to diversify, it's what the Dutch food institute suggests, different foods have different nutritions and eating them all variously ensures I get everything I need. Everything in moderation ofcourse.

Uhm, yeah, that's my take on it.

Thanks for the post, it gave me the motivation to start eating healthier.

Also, I have a question: For a week now I've been waking up really late (about 2.30 PM,) and as a consequence, I can't sleep 'til late night. By doing this, I haven't had breakfast nor lunch for a week.
I'm sure this'll affect my body, but in which way? Any tips on what to do?
Thanks in advance.

[Jackal]

No, I don't think it works the other way around. Once you've built up your muscles and keep giving them the proper nutritions to grow, I don't see why they'd go back to being their small versions.

The waking up late and skipping Breakfast/Lunch is really bad. It fucks your whole system up. I'd suggest trying to make someone wake you up around a normal time one day. Sure you'll be sleepy the whole day, but you'll be in bed by 10.30 or even 11. Do this for a couple of days and your body will find it easy to fall asleep at 11, given you're totally rested, you ought to have had "enough sleep" (is there such a thing?) at around 10 a.m.

I used to do the same shit, stay up till late (5 a.m. sometimes!!) and then sleep till like 3. Then wake up and have eggs and bread and just...it made me feel horrible.

After like a week of forcing myself to bed at 11 (and being dead bored in bed) I started falling asleep at that time. Now I wake up at 6, work out from 7 to 9.30 and my days are fantastic.

[[Q]]

I do agree with that 100%.

when i used to fall asleep before 12, i felt amazing when i woke up. i forget what that feeling's like.


as far as protien intake goes, i've heard you need 1g for every lb of weight you have. 100+g seems a little excessive to me, what would you guys suggest?

[Jing]

Damn... 11, thats really early Jackal.

School's been forcing me to not sleep until like 4 or 5 in the morning, then I snag a couple hours of sleep and head off to work and stuff, then after work, hit the gym for an hour so so, then come back to the dorm and pass out till like 9, then get up to do homework. Repeat.

Also due to this schedule I've found myself going outside for my daily runs, instead of in the mornings or afternoons, at midnight or 1 almost everyday. That in anyway bad, or should I just start trying to sleep and wake like a normal person and not have my days and nights flipped.

[Jackal]

By not resting "properly", going to the gym seems kind of...useless. You could just not go and have the same effects. (Okay, exaggerated.)

But yeah, I know the school thing, as I said, I haven't slept for like 36+ hours. But okay, these are my last exams and I don't plan on just passing, I want to ace these motherfuckers.

After that it's summertime, back to 11 to 6 sleep, 7 till 9.30 workouts, 10 till 14.00 doing whatever I please like doing, 3 till 8 working and the nights we'll figure out something.

Oh yeah, I got myself on track.

[Joe']

Thanks for the tip. I'll try to do what you said but gradually, meaning tomorrow I'll try to wake up at 12, the day after at 11, etc. and of course I'll try to go to bed earlier too.

as far as protien intake goes, i've heard you need 1g for every lb of weight you have. 100+g seems a little excessive to me, what would you guys suggest?

I believe I heard you need 1g for every kg of weight you have.
I may be wrong, but as you said, taking 120-200g of only protein seems excessive.

I haven't slept for like 36+ hours

How can you not sleep for more than a day? The max I've ever been without sleep was something around 20 hours and when I finally got to sleep, I slept for over a day.
I bet you're hitting the coffee machine like crazy

[Jackal]

That's the amazing part, I don't drink coffee. I've been off of that shit for almost a year now.

I was awake at 9 a.m. yesterday. At 10 I was at school, we (me & friends) crammed in whatever we could. Took the exam from 13.00 till 16.00. Then I went to the gym given I couldn't make it in the morning. Stayed there till like 19.00 (weights, swim, steam bath). Came home, had a light dinner and studied from around...21.00 to be fair till like 8 a.m. this morning. At 10 I was at school. We highlighted important articles we'd probably need for the questions and just hung out for a bit...got some fresh air, had a sandwich, usual college shit...then sat for the exam from 13.00 till 17.00. I had to work at 17.00, so I took the tram and got to work at 17.30. The first question I was asked is if I was high, (weed legal here, don't have a fit), because my eyes were bloodshot. After I explained the situation, I was allowed to go home at 20.30 because they felt I could faint or something. Dutch folks are funny. Came home, had 2 slices of vegetarian Pizza, watched an episode of Six Feet Under and then hit the books for the final one tomorrow. Been studying a bit, playing a bit of PS2 and listening to music. Oh, posting here too. Till 6 a.m. tomorrow, the exam is at 9 till 12, so I'll probably be at school around 8 to see how we can work out a way to try and cheat/work together.

So yeah, that's how you do it. Keep busy and you won't feel sleepy. Tomorrow after 12 p.m. though, the first thing that's happening is me taking a nose dive in to my bed with my door locked. Might not be around for a couple of days.

Then Sunday we start with the 11 to 6 sleep routine. Man, will I be glad once Sunday is here.

[Jing]

Impressive, what is your major anyways? I seem to remember you saying Law, but not sure. Have fun on the exams dude, just look foward to the feeling when you walk out of the class all relieved and ready for summer.

I pretty much slept even less during exams, studying 24/7, and school's coffee tastes very bitter, so I am suprised many even drink it. Still staying up for that long is amazing.

Oh and today got to the gym before my friend, so did some arms and bench presses before he got there. Then we did normal bench press, incline, and the decline, and finished up with abs. I have to say yo, even after couple weeks, after a workout my arms are jelly. Also the deal with the protein drinks and stuff, really that effective?

[cyanide]

I haven't work out for the last two or three weeks now and the earliest time I'll be able to start again is going to be the week after the next one. So, the question is - what are going to be the consequences? I managed to control my body weight (around 180 lbs) trough proper nutrition and I haven't lost a lot a lot (if any) muscle mass, but there's still more 1 1/2 weeks to go. How much strength will I lose? How quickly will I gain my old form back? Should I go straight back to my regular 6 times per week routine?

From my experience, it seems that if you miss a week, you have a week to go back to your old form, miss 3 weeks, it takes 3 weeks to have your strength to where it was, etc. Of course, it doesn't mean if you haven't worked out in a year, it takes a year to go back to where you were; there's a certain point where your body maintains a certain strength, taking into consideration the amount of food, water, and rest you maintain.

The second question is - how healthy is eating the same stuff every day? My diet is pretty balanced and I do believe I get everything I need, but I never was a big nutrition freak.

As Jackal said, I think it's important to eat as much carbs, fats, protien, vitamins and minerals your body needs on a day-to-day basis, so if you're able to eat the same foods every day and still achieve that, then you're good. It's always good to mix some meals up, though, without being bored with the same routine.

as far as protien intake goes, i've heard you need 1g for every lb of weight you have. 100+g seems a little excessive to me, what would you guys suggest?

Yep, 1g for every pound of body weight per day. The trick to achieve that is every meal should have some amount of protien in it. It can be found in milk, nuts, meat, oatmeal, eggs, etc.

As far as I know, muscles have "muscle memory", so if you do lose a little bit of the muscle, working on them again, you ought to be able to regain that shape quite fast. Well, faster than if you're starting from scratch.

For sure; the muscle you had can be gained again relatively quickly. That's why I'm seeing results fast after only a few weeks back from Thailand, after my finals and holidays where I haven't been working out. To clarify, though, complete newbies who never worked out in their life will see results fast as well.

By doing this, I haven't had breakfast nor lunch for a week.
I'm sure this'll affect my body, but in which way? Any tips on what to do?

Well, as long as you're getting 7–8 hours of sleep a night (or day) and eating 5-6 meals a day, you're fine. Sleeping at 2am one night and sleeping at 10pm another night throws your body off and it becomes difficult to get the rest you really want. Getting to that state of REM sleep not only gives your body the most recovery, but it also provides the best muscle gains through sleep. Going to bed and waking up at consistent times is the best way to achieve that. I go to bed at 11:30 and wake up at 7:30 every day now, and I never feel tired during the day.



Jackal, you're an energy freak

[Jackal]

Jackal, you're an energy freak

Hehe, I'm making up for the 2-3 years of downtime I experienced in Holland. Curacao I was just as active, then I came here...got depressed and isolated myself. Now I'm slowly but steadily going back to that not giving a fuck island boy. =)

I can't wait for it to be 11 tonight, I'm going to sleep like a horse.

[mvpshaq32]

Ok, I got access to gym equipment and I need some help on what I should work out on.
I don't want to be super buff, but cut like Qball. And I want to thin up my legs and add some muscle. I only have about 3 hours of time and 1 hour is devoted to basketball. What can you guys recommend?

[[Q]]

I don't want to be super buff, but cut like Qball. And I want to thin up my legs and add some muscle.

step 1. acquire asian genes.

in all seriousness, I would say that you need to devote yourself completely to basketball or lifting on a certain day. it doesn't work out too well when you try to do too much and try both. if you don't have the luxury of being asian and not worrying about what you eat, i'd say focus more on a whole body fitness as opposed to getting huge biceps or whatever. I've always been a big fan of back/ab workouts.

[mvpshaq32]

Actually I am asian so I pretty much eat rice everyday. I try to watch what I eat, but dinner is a different story.
As of now, I start with a mile on the treadmill and then a little under an hour of basketball. I have not started lifting yet, but should I devote one day each for arm and leg lifting?

[[Q]]

well i used to ball and then lift right after and i'd owrk on a little bit of everything. i never got much bigger just more toned. last week, I devoted a whole session to arms and I could definitely feel an improvement.

[Lamrock]

Very in-depth guide. I actually used it to lose weight, and it worked for me. Excellent topic.

[mvpshaq32]

Could you give me some comments on my workout? My goal is pretty make my legs thinner and stronger and get toned.
1.) Start with a mile run on treadmill and sometimes ellipticals and the bikes.
2.) I just can't lift dumbbells, but I try for about 5-10 minutes on 20lbs.
3.) There are 3 machines I work on. I don't actually know what they are called, but I'll try to find out. One is just pushing my legs against some weights. The second is on a bench with my legs extended horizontally lifting the weights by pulling the handles. The third is sitting up on a L-shaped bench with my chest against the bench, pulling the weights up also with handles.
4.) Basketball and it usually lasts up to hour or more.

Hey Qball, do you have a strict diet and can I know how old you are?

[shadowgrin]

I just can't lift dumbbells, but I try for about 5-10 minutes on 20lbs.

You could already do 3-6 sets of 10 reps in that amount of time. It's not how long, it's how many you do.

Currently, I'm in bad shape i.e. not eating regularly, sleep, improper nutrition.
Fuck busy.
If I only have a device that could slow down time.

[cyanide]

Very in-depth guide. I actually used it to lose weight, and it worked for me. Excellent topic.

Glad you took the time to read over it. Yep, my guide can either work for gaining or losing weight, so I'm very happy it worked for you. Congrats!

If I only have a device that could slow down time.

[[Q]]

Hey Qball, do you have a strict diet and can I know how old you are?

I'm 20. I don't really have a strict diet because I'll never be fat from what i eat, so eating a lot is a good thing for me. I've been consciously trying to eat more protein this last week when i started hitting the weights again. despite not watching what I eat, I try to keep away from fast food as much as possible.

If I only have a device that could slow down time.

fuck, if i could only have a device that goes back in time...

be careful what you wish for... remember what happened to Adam Sandler.

[mvpshaq32]

I'm going to the gym on Monday and I'm going to devote that day to working on the stomach. Any good suggestions on what workouts are best and show faster results?

[Joe']

Any exercise from this list will work. You should work an hour, so you should pick 4-5 exercises from that list and do three series of ten reps per exercise.

[shadowgrin]

be careful what you wish for... remember what happened to Adam Sandler.

Screwing Kate Beckinsale, and being worth millions of $$$?

[mvpshaq32]

Very helpful, thanks.
A lot of them I could do at home.
Also, I want to clear up on repetitions and sets.
If I wear doing some simple crunches, ten reps would mean doing ten crunches? And each set is ten reps, so three sets is a total of thirty reps?