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Breadlee
Breadlee g Bradley Burke
2 Post(s)
2 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: May 5, 2018
Posted

I’ve recently been trying to get into shape by heading to the gym and doing around an hour’s cardio and then 30-45 minutes of weights, however I have just stumbled onto Scott’s YouTube channel and I have watched a couple of his videos and now I’m not sure what I should be doing there now. 

Two videos in particular have made me reconsider what I should be doing in the gym which are "why are you skinny fat" video and the "building your meal plan" video. I have found out my body type is skinny fat and I knew I was a slight bit over weight so I have been limiting myself to eating 1500 calories a day and burning around 500 calories during my cardio session, however these videos have said if I want to get out of the skinny fat body type I should be in a calorie surplus and that I should be eating 200 grams of protein per day if I followed the meal plan macros correctly.

So, the questions I have are should a beginner be eating 200 grams of protein a day and if I should be how do I even eat that much?

Also, should I cut the cardio out of my workout so that I save more calories for putting on weight?

 

Ps. I’m sorry if I have posted this in the wrong location on the forums I couldn’t find a beginners sub

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Breadlee

I’ve recently been trying to get into shape by heading to the gym and doing around an hour’s cardio and then 30-45 minutes of weights, however I have just stumbled onto Scott’s YouTube channel and I have watched a couple of his videos and now I’m not sure what I should be doing there now. 

Two videos in particular have made me reconsider what I should be doing in the gym which are "why are you skinny fat" video and the "building your meal plan" video. I have found out my body type is skinny fat and I knew I was a slight bit over weight so I have been limiting myself to eating 1500 calories a day and burning around 500 calories during my cardio session, however these videos have said if I want to get out of the skinny fat body type I should be in a calorie surplus and that I should be eating 200 grams of protein per day if I followed the meal plan macros correctly.

So, the questions I have are should a beginner be eating 200 grams of protein a day and if I should be how do I even eat that much?

Also, should I cut the cardio out of my workout so that I save more calories for putting on weight?

 

Ps. I’m sorry if I have posted this in the wrong location on the forums I couldn’t find a beginners sub

Well first off, I would suggest you do your weight training BEFORE your cardio. After an hour of cardio, I'd say you will be pretty stuffed.. and won't have much energy to put into your weight training which could also be affecting your efforts to build muscle.

 

You definitely need to be eating more as well. So for your questions, 200g doesn't sound like a bad target.. I'd suggest at least 1g per pound of lean bodyweight, but when you need more calories then it can be a good idea to go higher than that too. What's your body weight in pounds?

 

And I kind of already answered your question about cardio.. you can do it, but do it AFTER weight training, and maybe limit the one hour sessions to only a couple of times per week. If you still want to do more cardio, maybe add in another 2 sessions on HIIT training as well. As long as you are eating enough there's nothing wrong with cardio while trying to build muscle, but you still don't want to go overboard either.

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Breadlee
Breadlee g Bradley Burke
2 Post(s)
2 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: May 5, 2018
Posted

Thanks for replying, my body weight is 168 pounds with a body fat 20%

also using the macro calculator i worked out my average BMR is 2400 calories and i have set myself a goal of 2500 calories, is this too low or is it fine

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Breadlee

Thanks for replying, my body weight is 168 pounds with a body fat 20%

also using the macro calculator i worked out my average BMR is 2400 calories and i have set myself a goal of 2500 calories, is this too low or is it fine

Because you are skinny fat, I would aim 250-500 calories above your BMR in motion, not just your BMR average. However, you've only been eating 1500 calories.. so work your way up to 2500 for now and see if that starts to give you results. Aim for 1700-1800 calories for the next 4-5 days, then increase in by 200 calories every 4-5 days after that. In about 2-3 weeks you should be at 2500 calories daily.

 

And with your bodyweight and body fat %, getting 200g of protein would be great - that would be pretty much bang on 1.5g protein per pound of lean body weight.

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shibaken
shibaken g Ken Lee
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: August 8, 2018
Posted

Hey guys,

 

I was looking through the forum, stumbled across this thread, and thought this would be where I land my first post on this website.

 

I am 34, and though I have had some basic weight lifting experiences in the past, I must say that I am a total newbie. Having said that, any advice is appreciated.

 

I started going to gym again at the beginning of this month (August) with a goal to lose weight, body fat, and eventually, building some muscle. Below is the basic calculation I have attained from this website 2 weeks ago:

 

BMR CALCULATION

Weight :173 Pounds
Height : 5' 5"

Exercises : Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week

Sex : Male

 

BMR at Rest :1738.09 

BMR in Motion :2694.04

 

MACRO CALCULATION Goal :
Bodyfat % : 28
Grams of Protein : 1

Grams of Fat : 0.35

Calorie Goal : 2444
Protien Intake Goal : 125
Fat Intake Goal : 44

Carbohydrate Intake Goal : 387

 

The average of BMR at rest and BMR in motion came out to be 2,216 calories, and because I aim at losing fat, I reduced that by 300 calories on workout days and 500 on rest days for caloric deficits. My goal is to drop my weight down to 154lbs with 85-90% lean weight, if that is attainable and ideal.

 

My workout initially began with roughly an hour of weight lifting (mostly on hammer strength machines) and an hour of cardio, but it progressed into mostly weight lifting with dumbells and smith machine at 2-3 hours of gym time on work out days. I mostly focused on chest and back exercises (ie., bench press with smith machine and dumbells, biceps/triceps with dumbells, hammer strength machine for back workouts). I am aiming to start performing squats and deadlifts on the smith machine. By the way, in terms of exercises and proper forms, I have been referring to Scott's demonstration videos.

 

I have progressed a bit from 60lbs to about 80 lbs doing bench press on the smith machine, and from using 20lbs to 30lbs dumbells doing bench press. Currently, I am seeing some obvious loss of size around the waist (love handles), but my weight has only dropped about 2.2lbs. From reading online, I am assuming this a positive sign? Also, any suggestions on routines/programs to follow? Again, any suggestions/advices that you think will help me progress in the right direction is appreciated.

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: shibaken

Hey guys,

 

I was looking through the forum, stumbled across this thread, and thought this would be where I land my first post on this website.

 

I am 34, and though I have had some basic weight lifting experiences in the past, I must say that I am a total newbie. Having said that, any advice is appreciated.

 

I started going to gym again at the beginning of this month (August) with a goal to lose weight, body fat, and eventually, building some muscle. Below is the basic calculation I have attained from this website 2 weeks ago:

 

BMR CALCULATION

Weight :173 Pounds
Height : 5' 5"

Exercises : Moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week

Sex : Male

 

BMR at Rest :1738.09 

BMR in Motion :2694.04

 

MACRO CALCULATION Goal :
Bodyfat % : 28
Grams of Protein : 1

Grams of Fat : 0.35

Calorie Goal : 2444
Protien Intake Goal : 125
Fat Intake Goal : 44

Carbohydrate Intake Goal : 387

 

The average of BMR at rest and BMR in motion came out to be 2,216 calories, and because I aim at losing fat, I reduced that by 300 calories on workout days and 500 on rest days for caloric deficits. My goal is to drop my weight down to 154lbs with 85-90% lean weight, if that is attainable and ideal.

 

My workout initially began with roughly an hour of weight lifting (mostly on hammer strength machines) and an hour of cardio, but it progressed into mostly weight lifting with dumbells and smith machine at 2-3 hours of gym time on work out days. I mostly focused on chest and back exercises (ie., bench press with smith machine and dumbells, biceps/triceps with dumbells, hammer strength machine for back workouts). I am aiming to start performing squats and deadlifts on the smith machine. By the way, in terms of exercises and proper forms, I have been referring to Scott's demonstration videos.

 

I have progressed a bit from 60lbs to about 80 lbs doing bench press on the smith machine, and from using 20lbs to 30lbs dumbells doing bench press. Currently, I am seeing some obvious loss of size around the waist (love handles), but my weight has only dropped about 2.2lbs. From reading online, I am assuming this a positive sign? Also, any suggestions on routines/programs to follow? Again, any suggestions/advices that you think will help me progress in the right direction is appreciated.

@shibaken Welcome to the site Ken!

 

Good to see you have been to the @mealplan page already to do some calculations.. but you probably don't need to go quite as low on your calories as you are planning. From the calculator, you got a calorie goal of 2444 daily. Stick with that for starters. Always start your cuts with as many calories as possible, so that you don't have to go super low as you hit plateaus.

 

On days you workout, you are burning around 2700 calories, so 2400-2450 calories is a great starting point for fat loss. Plus, being a newbie, if you keep the deficit small, that will help you have the opportunity to build muscle at the same time and make use of those newbie gains! Just play around with the macros.. aim for 1.5g protein and 0.55g of fat, and lower the carbs for fat loss.

 

The gym you go to, do you have access to free weights? Or is it Planet Fitness.. so you can only use the Smith Machine for your compound movements? If you can, do more free weight stuff (e.g. barbell or dummbell bench press) instead of using the Smith Machine.

 

Also, if you're happy in the gym for 2-3 hours, that's fine, but you don't NEED to be in there that long. A solid workout only needs to take 60-90 minutes.. sometimes even less depending on how many body parts you are training and how you set up your routine.

 

Because weight loss is your main goal, but you have access to a gym, I'd suggest you start with the PPL program. Take a look and let me know what you think! https://muscularstrength.com/Push-Pull-Legs

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
shibaken
shibaken g Ken Lee
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: August 8, 2018
Posted

@Scott_Herman Thanks for the reply!

 

My weight has been fluctuating between 170-173 under a caloric deficit of about 300-500 calories (from carbs). So, if I increase that back to to my daily calorie goal of 2444 instead of having a caloric deficit, wouldn't that increase my overall weight (aside from fat loss, I also aim at losing weight)? Or, if my understanding is right from reading elsewhere, eventually the weight will be dropped if muscle gain continues through consistent workouts?

 

I do have access to free weight. However, the reason I am not using a barbell for compound movements is because getting a spotter (for those limit pushing moments) is quite a challenge here. But with a smith machine, I have less concern about pushing limits and possible injuries when doing compound movements like bench press and squat. Nevertheless, I have begun to perform dumbell bench press, would that work as an alternative for barbell bench press?

 

Regarding routines, I have been trying to perform 2-3 exercises per muscle group (e.g., chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms, abs). Spefically, I have been watching your videos and tried to incorporate the 3D chest program for chest (except I am using the smith machine for the bench press), hardgainers series for biceps, top 5 tricep exercises for tricep, and I plan to incorporate the 3D shoulder program (utilizing a few exercises from this program to kickstart shoulder workout).

 

As of now, my routine usually starts with chest excercises (incline dumbell chest press, incline dumbell chest fly), back excercises (hammer strength iso-lateral row machine, pull over machine), then biceps and triceps. On leg days, I simply perform leg extension, leg press, and squat on the smith machine. For sets and reps, I do 5 sets, and 10,10,8,8,6 reps with progressive overload. At times, after my routine, I will do some more bench press with the hammer strength machine for lower pecs, and also perform another round of back workout with machines.

 

I have watched the PPL program (Push-A) a few times, is it ok to do the bench press on the smith machine instead of using the barbell?

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply. Appreciate it!

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: shibaken

@Scott_Herman Thanks for the reply!

 

My weight has been fluctuating between 170-173 under a caloric deficit of about 300-500 calories (from carbs). So, if I increase that back to to my daily calorie goal of 2444 instead of having a caloric deficit, wouldn't that increase my overall weight (aside from fat loss, I also aim at losing weight)? Or, if my understanding is right from reading elsewhere, eventually the weight will be dropped if muscle gain continues through consistent workouts?

 

I do have access to free weight. However, the reason I am not using a barbell for compound movements is because getting a spotter (for those limit pushing moments) is quite a challenge here. But with a smith machine, I have less concern about pushing limits and possible injuries when doing compound movements like bench press and squat. Nevertheless, I have begun to perform dumbell bench press, would that work as an alternative for barbell bench press?

 

Regarding routines, I have been trying to perform 2-3 exercises per muscle group (e.g., chest, back, legs, shoulders, arms, abs). Spefically, I have been watching your videos and tried to incorporate the 3D chest program for chest (except I am using the smith machine for the bench press), hardgainers series for biceps, top 5 tricep exercises for tricep, and I plan to incorporate the 3D shoulder program (utilizing a few exercises from this program to kickstart shoulder workout).

 

As of now, my routine usually starts with chest excercises (incline dumbell chest press, incline dumbell chest fly), back excercises (hammer strength iso-lateral row machine, pull over machine), then biceps and triceps. On leg days, I simply perform leg extension, leg press, and squat on the smith machine. For sets and reps, I do 5 sets, and 10,10,8,8,6 reps with progressive overload. At times, after my routine, I will do some more bench press with the hammer strength machine for lower pecs, and also perform another round of back workout with machines.

 

I have watched the PPL program (Push-A) a few times, is it ok to do the bench press on the smith machine instead of using the barbell?

 

Again, thanks for taking the time to reply. Appreciate it!

@shibaken Well, if you have been eating less than 2400 calories already to lose weight.. then yes there's a chance increasing it will also increase your weight. But if you haven't been training, then your calorie needs will increase once you start training again.. meaning you might still be in a deficit at 2400 calories. How many calories are you getting while cutting at the moment, and how much training are you doing?

 

Definitely use the barbell and dumbbells as much as you can. You can still push yourself without a spotter - just maybe not to a 1 rep max, but that's OK. I would rather you use the barbell and dumbbells and sacrifice not doing forced reps with a spotter rather than using the smith machine.

 

Your routine sounds OK. My full body program might be something you want to try when I release that in the future. For now you can try PPL if you want to split your workouts up a bit more. And with PUSH A, try to use the barbell and push yourself as hard as you can while staying safe!

 

Also, for legs, if you are still going to do your own leg workout, start with squats (with a barbell if you can), so you are lifting as much weight as possible on your compound movements, rather than going into squats pre-fatigued.

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
shibaken
shibaken g Ken Lee
3 Post(s)
3 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Lose Fat Date Joined: August 8, 2018
Posted

@Scott_Herman

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

I have been trying to get 1700-2000 calories (caloric deficit) on workout days when I started training at the beginning of last month (August). But currently I have begun to realize that my appetite has decreased, and my biggest meal is usually after my workout. In such case, on workout days, my carb intake is usually in the morning/lunch and consists, in total daily intake, of roughly 100-150 grams of bread, rice, and noodle. As for protein intake, I usually have it after workouts and mostly consists of 1 scoop of Whey protein and around 300-400 grams of pan-fried chicken breast with some seasoning sauce. Fat wise, I take in 1 serving of almonds. I lack fruits and veggies, so I have been trying to include an apple or banana a day, and consume whatever veggies I can get my hands on. On rest days, I follow the same routine, but just try to consume less carbs >> In short, not the best meal plan, period. 

 

Since started, I have been going to gym at least 4-5 days a week, average 2 hours per session. I try to train 3 body parts (chest, back, arms) with 2-3 exercises per body part. For legs, I dedicate 1 day for them, and because I sprained my MCL, I am using less weight but more reps until fatigued. Right now, I am trying to set up the routine as follow (please do let me know if you have any suggestions/advice):

Day 1: Chest, Back, Triceps (Abs)
Day 2: Back, Shoulders, Biceps (Abs)

Day 3: Leg (squat, leg extension, leg press)
Day 4: Repeat day 1

Day 5: Repeat day 2

Weekend: Rest

 

I noticed that I have stubborn chest fat (especially at the lower chest/underarm area) and my belly, do you have any sepecific recommended exercise for them (** I don't have access to decline bench at the gym)? Or is it just something that is gonna take time?

Also, I watched your videos on calf training, do you have a specific one that you would recommend for starters (e.g., hammer strength seated calf raise)?

 

Thanks for pointing me toward using barbell. In addition to squats with barbell, I will definitely do barbell bench press. Hopefully I can manage to push through reps without being stuck on the bench (lol, fingers-crossed). By the way, do you recommend doing deadlifts for newbies like me?

 

Appreciate it!

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: shibaken

@Scott_Herman

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

I have been trying to get 1700-2000 calories (caloric deficit) on workout days when I started training at the beginning of last month (August). But currently I have begun to realize that my appetite has decreased, and my biggest meal is usually after my workout. In such case, on workout days, my carb intake is usually in the morning/lunch and consists, in total daily intake, of roughly 100-150 grams of bread, rice, and noodle. As for protein intake, I usually have it after workouts and mostly consists of 1 scoop of Whey protein and around 300-400 grams of pan-fried chicken breast with some seasoning sauce. Fat wise, I take in 1 serving of almonds. I lack fruits and veggies, so I have been trying to include an apple or banana a day, and consume whatever veggies I can get my hands on. On rest days, I follow the same routine, but just try to consume less carbs >> In short, not the best meal plan, period. 

 

Since started, I have been going to gym at least 4-5 days a week, average 2 hours per session. I try to train 3 body parts (chest, back, arms) with 2-3 exercises per body part. For legs, I dedicate 1 day for them, and because I sprained my MCL, I am using less weight but more reps until fatigued. Right now, I am trying to set up the routine as follow (please do let me know if you have any suggestions/advice):

Day 1: Chest, Back, Triceps (Abs)
Day 2: Back, Shoulders, Biceps (Abs)

Day 3: Leg (squat, leg extension, leg press)
Day 4: Repeat day 1

Day 5: Repeat day 2

Weekend: Rest

 

I noticed that I have stubborn chest fat (especially at the lower chest/underarm area) and my belly, do you have any sepecific recommended exercise for them (** I don't have access to decline bench at the gym)? Or is it just something that is gonna take time?

Also, I watched your videos on calf training, do you have a specific one that you would recommend for starters (e.g., hammer strength seated calf raise)?

 

Thanks for pointing me toward using barbell. In addition to squats with barbell, I will definitely do barbell bench press. Hopefully I can manage to push through reps without being stuck on the bench (lol, fingers-crossed). By the way, do you recommend doing deadlifts for newbies like me?

 

Appreciate it!

@shibaken Your overall calorie intake is farily low, but for your size it isn't too bad for a cut, and if you're not getting hungry, that's not so bad either. Because you're training though, I'm worried you might be in too much of a deficit. What kind of results have you seen since following your current @mealplan for macros and calories?

 

I think it would be good to slowly increase your calories a bit, because I think you could be eating 2000 calories or more and still be in a deficit. And I think your fat in particular does need boosting - did you go back to the @mealplan calculator and use the numbers I recommended for protein and fat intake? If you're only getting almonds as your main source of fat right now.. that's not good.. unless you are eating HEAPS of almonds haha.

 

If you're training your entire upper body twice per week, you should be doing the same with your legs. Have you thought about just following the PPL program in full, to workout 6 days a week and hit everything twice?

 

The stubborn chest fat will come down to your diet rather than your training. Right now, if you're still around that 28% bf mark, then you need to get leaner probably to notice that start to change.

 

A seated calf raise is definitely a good start! And standing calf raises too! Make sure you are getting a full stretch and flex for both movements!

 

And yes, I definitely recommend deadlifts! You just have to make sure you get your form right. Seen this video?

 

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
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