Common Gym Mistakes and Simple Solutions to them

Wardy257

I really open and honest video:

Spudhead

That guy really hates carbs eh!

Wardy, any good guides for cutting? Coming upto my first proper cut soon'ish - keep changing my mind of when its gonna start but looking at beginning of june now after my exams so I'm not depressed during them ha.

Gives me chance to make moar gains too!

Wardy257

@Spudhead lots of theories on this one but common ground is to keep protein calories the same and reduce everything else.  Some drop carbs, some drop fats, some drop both.

First thing is to accurately log what you do eat using something like myfitnesspal for at least 7 days, ideally 14.  You calorie consumption and carbs/fats/protein intake need to be consistent before you do anything else.  Then you reduce those total calories by perhaps 3-500 calories.

Personally I have started using the reverse dieting system used by Lane Norton and his clients. I normally consume 2400 cals so it works like this:

Week 0 - 2400 cal
Week 1 - 1800 cal (this sucks)
Week 2 - 1900 cal (this still sucks, a bit less though)
Week 3 - 2000 cal (more manageable)
Week 4 - 2100 cal (easy)
Week 5 - 2200 cal (feels weird eating more)
Week 6 - 2300 cal (current daily calories which is easy)
Week 7 - 2400 cal (projected)
Week 8 - 2500 cal (projected)
Week 9 - 2000 cal (projected)

I added 100 cal a week to keep the maths simples, Lane recommends adding 5%.  The logic behind this is to not drop your metabolism and to be able to keep training and adding mass.  I lost about 2kg on my first cycle and apart from week 1 and 2 didn't suffer too much and its staying off.  My next calorie drop wont be 600 cals, probably more like 4-500 providing I dont get into bad habits in the mean time.  Clearly I am eating clean with perhaps one cheat snack a week such as some ice cream but that is counted on the calories.  Also, I dropped fats and carbs to make the cut although I cut carbs more.

biolayne - YouTube

Spudhead

Thanks Wardy, I'll take a look at this reverse dieting more closely then. I'd heard the term thrown around a bit but never actually knew what it was. Im both looking forward and not looking forward to this cut at the same time. The idea of being really lean and ripped looking is obviously appealing, but at the same time - sacrificing making more gains and the fear of losing some of that hard earned muscle is really depressing ha.

Wardy257

I see a well know Personal Trainer is still pushing Fasted Cardio.

Fitness Fondue on Twitter

Having famous parents does not make people better trainers, knowledge does.

stoomc

I don't think it matters if you do your cardio fasted or not, does it Wardy? It's more a case of just doing it...

PS. Wardy, just out of interest, how many carbs are you taking in on an average day?

Wardy257

It makes no difference to fat loss, but a recent study showed fasted cardio resulted in muscle loss!

I struggle with my carbs, always seem under. I aim for 50% based on around 2200 cal a day.

stoomc

I didn't think it made any difference to how much weight you lost, just that you do it. Worrying about the smallest of details, aye?!

That's reassuring Wardy, I had you down as being a low-carb guy for some reason! Do not fear the carbs, lol! See the amount of people that still go by the insulin hypothesis for weight gain!

Wardy257

I will be honest, there was a time when I blamed carbs but as I learnt more and more I realised it was bollocks.

stoomc

Me too. It has been debunked to the max since then though