Sport New and in need of advice

Sport Fitness
H

hannibaal82

0
Hello

my stats are 187cm (I think that's about 6'4), 75kg (165lb), 26 y.o.

I'm pretty skinny and I want to gain muscle mass, but at the same time I'm quite sure I could do with reducing my body fat percentage slightly .
Were you ever in the situation where you had an "almost 6 pack??" (I mean,
abs which show themselves when you bend backwards slightly...It's frustrating).

That is, I want to lose some fat, and gain muscle (as usual, I guess...).
By no means do I intend to get HUGE (and I don't think I'm built for that, anyway), just to gain some wheight, increase strength and achive better definition.

I have a training routine which I believe is pretty good to start with, all muscle-group wheight training along with 30 minute aerobic workouts, 3 times a week , alternatively (that is, one day a week i do nothing).

I've read a lot of relevant articles, and I'm sure I'm not over training, under training, missing any muscle group or anything like that. The wheight training part I'm ok with, I think.

MY QUESTIONS ARE :

1. What is a reliable way to know my body fat % ?

2. Is it even possible to lose body fat while gaining muscle mass ?

3. When I tried to figure out an appropriate diet, I checked my BMR and found it to be about 2400 (considering my job and excercise routine).

However, when I turned to estimate my daily calorie intake so far, IT WASN'T EVEN CLOSE. So, what's wrong here ? IF I have been eating so much less than my BMR, how come my wheight has been so steady (for years, really) ? Or are my calculations just way, way off...

4. If my BMR is about what the calculation says it is, that means that to gain mass I should be eating about 600 calories more (seeing as at the moment I'm eating less than my BMR...).

How in god's name do I add 600 USEFUL calories a day ????
I have no intention of stuffing my self with tuna...

Any help would be much appreciated.
 
It is said abs are made in the kitchen, so you need to eat real clean. You need caliphers to determine your body fat %.
 
Agreed, too many pople think it is all about the exercise .. it is actually about what you eat ..

Search for a bodyfat calculator online, many sites have it!
 
hannibaal82 said:
How in god's name do I add 600 USEFUL calories a day ????

I have no intention of stuffing my self with tuna...Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Very easy. Get 5-6 small meals and in each meal include protein, complex carb and healthy fat. If you don't like Tuna, look at Chicken,egg whites, nuts, protein shakes .... there is something for everyone.
 
Hi there. VanDiesel is on the mark. Abs are made in the kitchen. Everyone has abs, unfortunately for most they're just covered by a layer of fat. The big key (but not the only one) to see those abs is in getting the body fat percentage down. And it can be a bit different for everyone. Many factors affect that of course.

I've read this site's forums for a while now and this is finally a slow time of year for me for coaching so thought I'd weight in. Hope it helps.

BF% Measures
Calipers are good but you need to have a really good set AND know how to use them. Consistency is what you want regardless of what you use. Within reason the number doesn't really matter as long as the relative number is accurate. As long as you are working towards where you want to be that's the key. Life's like that; you're on a spectrum all the time in everything. I use and recommend a body fat scale but the one you use HAS to have the % water function. Your hydration level markedly affects the bf reading. You can be lighter one day but register a higher bf % if your hydration level is lower. Ideally try for a consistent number in the low 60s. Then when you're the same hydration level each day, and you weigh yourself at the same time each day (after waking and after your first bowel movements (for example)) then things will be fairly consistent. Even that's not exact so it's only the trends you're looking for, ensuring they are going in the right direction for you. Better scales (I have a Tanita) also show muscle, bone, metabolic info for calories. Of course it's all estimates based on a low volt current the system sends thru your body (hence the importance of the consistent hydration level). Highy inconvenient but accurate systems include hydrostatic weighing and there are some new 'pods' some research facilities have that you sit in an they very accurately determine your bf%. Bot are quite expensive though. I'm not a big fan of doing things that are highly inconvenient or pricey. Everything in moderation and keep it simple. Long term consistency is the key to a lot of things (exercise, eating, investing, nutrition, being nice to people etc) so the harder you make something the less likely you're going to stick to it. The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. It's like the best type of exercise to do is one you like because you're more likely to keep doing it. Sorry, I type fast so I can get wordy.

Gaining muscle mass while losing muscle.
Absolutely possible. But you need to give your body what it needs and get rid of what 's holding it back. It needs micronutrients (vitamins and minerals, including effective digestive enzymes, etc), macro nutrients (carbs, proteins and fats). Like anything else there are good and bad (or better and worse) carbs, proteins and fats for you. You also need effective exercise. You want to get a proper stress response which includes working the body to break it down and then giving it time to recover so it can build back up. The benefits come from the recovery. A big thing a lot of people don't do is address what holds them back, namely what's in their body that shouldn't be. Impurities/toxins are killer for proper functioning and force your body to do things you don't want (especially when you're trying to see your abs). Cleansing (at a cellular level) should be an important part of everyone's routine. Think of balancing three plates in the air. One is the exercise you do, the second is the food you eat (and the quality of nutrition you get into your body - you really do need to supplement with whole food supplements as no one eats enough fruits and veggies and even then those you eat don't have nearly the micronutrients they used to), and the third is the amount of junk you help your body get out of itself (cleansing). Most people are a toxic soup of different chemicals and need to cleanse at a cellular level to realize the true miracle their bodies can be. Impurities are generally stored in excess fats and water so getting rid of those makes it easier to see those abs that I know you have.

Calorie estimate
An easy (and not perfect) way to figure out your calorie estimate is decide where you want to be in pounds. Add a zero onto the end of that, multiply by 1.5. For example, you're 165 (which for someone at 6'4" is pretty light, which you realize). Let's assume you want to pack on some muscle (without getting fat, good assumption I think) to take you to (for now) 180. so 180, add a zero, 1800, x by 1.5 = 2700 calories. So I'd say you're pretty close. Keep it simple.

The extra protein you eat has to be bioavailable, most whey proteins you buy really aren't. It's hard to get the right amount of calories from all regular (healthy) food sources. Shakes are great if you have the right type, but the nutritional quality is so important. Carbs should be more complex (less added sugars). And of course you've heard smaller meals through the day are better. Your body has a hard time digesting more than 400-500cal at a time so the reason I find healthy snacks and shakes a good way to get those calories in. That combined with the right exercise to burn calories you eat and turn the macros into lean muscle (bioavailable amino acids are key), all while helping your body release fat, which can be increased easily thru cleansing will really help. Don't do any harsh cleanses though. A lot really rip you apart and are very catabolic for your system.

Now, don't get too hung up on specifics. It's like the really overweight person that wants to lose 200 pounds. Spends a month sitting at the desk looking thru the phone book calling gyms to find the best facility all while eating the same as they did before. Just get out and go for a walk and try to eat a bit better. Great things will happen.

I work with a lot of people like yourself and just because your thin doesn't mean you're healthy. I've spent the last almost 20 years helping people get fit. That's easy. Keeping them healthy as well for long term benefits is the key. And just because your light for your height doesn't mean you don't have body fat accumulating in areas you prefer not to. A lot of visceral fat is there for protection of your organs from toxins your body is processing but can't get rid of. There are so many chemicals out there today that we as humans weren't designed to process out of our system. So the body although amazing just can't deal with them so it stores them away in excess water and worse (for you in this case) body fat around your middle.

Anyway, gotta go for a ride before it rains (again).
 
VanDiesel said:
Very easy. Get 5-6 small meals and in each meal include protein, complex carb and healthy fat. If you don't like Tuna, look at Chicken,egg whites, nuts, protein shakes .... there is something for everyone.
Click to expand...

Agreed, but I don't see the reason to limit eggs to egg whites. The yolk has a lot of the nutrition in the egg.
 
Thanks !!

I guess I have a lot to learn (but that's ok, I'm quite patient).

Until now, I've changed my diet by increasing the total calory intake,
taking in more proteins, and losing any junk food I used to eat occasionaly.

I see the next step should be gaining a better understanding of what to eat,
(beyond "carb", "protein", "fat"), so I'm going to do a bit of studying.

Thank you everyone for your replies.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top