Question for the board. Any suggestions welcome.

[ritzguy24]

Hey guys! First off, I would like to say I have enjoyed reading the posts here and have gotten a lot of good info. Now to my question.

I have really cleaned up my diet, 5-6 small meals a day, plenty of protein (about 200g a day, I currently weight 235lbs with 23% bf), and kept my carbs and fat where they should be. I do cardio 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes each and lift 3 times a week. So far I have gotten good results. Bigger shoulders, arms, legs, chest, and back. I have more strength and endurance then ever before. Here is what I am having trouble with. I have lost a lot of fat except in the one place where I really need to, my midsection. Do you guys reccomend any supplements that may target this area or should I just up the intensity of my cardio? Just wondering what you guys think? Im currently only taking a multivitamin and other vitamins (ie. C & E). Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Ritz

 

[jminis]

Million things you could take to help you bro. Your not going to find anything that works as a spot reduction. Generally the first place it goes on is the last place it comes off. Go to our sponsors websites and research their fat loss supps a little. Read the bio's of each one and see what suits your needs. We have the best of the best here so your in good hands. Later J

 

[wastedwhiteboy2]

lean extreme.

 

[DieTrying]

There is no supplement for your problem. You basically have to get to very, very low BF. From my avatar you can see that I am going through the same thing you are. As others have said, the first place you gain it is the last place you lose it.

 

[ritzguy24]

I guess Ill research those fat loss supplements and kick my ass into high gear and just work harder. For a while it just felt like there was no way to lose it and it was never going to come off. But I know thats not true, I just need to be patient I guess. Thanks guys.

 

[wranglergirl]

One day at a time ritzguy, and be patient..... all good things come to those who kick there own asses LOL

 

[ritzguy24]

Yeah, thanks WranglerGirl, I should have a lot of good things coming then, cuz I kick my own ass everyday. It's what keeps me going. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[wranglergirl]

Than I should as well....MY nickname at my gym is asskicker LOL

 

[ritzguy24]

Lets hope sooner than later, right? :thumbsup:

 

[jminis]

Remember nothing can replace hard work and a clean diet. These supps are an aid not a cure. They'll just make your fat burning that much more efficient if everythings in place.

 

[ritzguy24]

Remember nothing can replace hard work and a clean diet. These supps are an aid not a cure. They'll just make your fat burning that much more efficient if everythings in place.

I learned that the hard way, but at least I learned it. Thas why I have kept my diet clean and have been working so hard.

 

[MUSCLEBABE]

Good advice please!

Remember nothing can replace hard work and a clean diet. These supps are an aid not a cure. They'll just make your fat burning that much more efficient if everythings in place.

Hello! I've been reading tons of threads, but I just need some basic advice to start off with (if you don't mind). I took a little break (2 months) from working out and I'm ready to get back into it again. I'm a runner and do resistance on the side. I'm ready to concentrate more on the weightlifting and running secondary. I've never really been much into supplements, so I'm not that educated on what does what. What do you think would be the best supplementation program to get started on that will help me lose fat and increase muscle density? I'm not horribly out of shape, but want to be sculpted. A cute little ball of fire!!!! What do you suggest?

 

[LunaHotel]

There is no information about you such as height, weight, bf%, training frequency and type, diet...

Without information from you, how can one tell you what you need???

 

[MUSCLEBABE]

There is no information about you such as height, weight, bf%, training frequency and type, diet...

Without information from you, how can one tell you what you need???

Good question! You must not be a mind reader. Sorry. I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, and about 20% bf. I usually do 3 days cardio and 2 days lifting, but I want to do more weightlifting and get more sculpted. The only supplement I've really ever taken was Creatine, and whey protein. What do you think?

 

[LunaHotel]

Good question! You must not be a mind reader. Sorry. I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, and about 20% bf. I usually do 3 days cardio and 2 days lifting, but I want to do more weightlifting and get more sculpted. The only supplement I've really ever taken was Creatine, and whey protein. What do you think?

Firstly, lift HEAVY, and ***HARD***. Most gurlz don't lift nearly hard enough.

Antioxydants will help tremendously in making recuperation and hardening of your shape easier. Take :

Vit. C = 1000mg immediately pre-workout
Vit. E = 400/600 IU 60-180 minutes prior
Beta-carotene 15000 IU 60-180 " "
Selenium 50mcg

For fat burning, I recommend the Anarchy Stack:
Alpha Lipoic Acid, 900mg per day
Acetyl l-carnitine, 1500 to 2000 mg per day
Green tea extract, 2400 to 3200 mg per day
You may also add to this,
Conjugated Linoleic (or is it Linolenic?) Acid, aka CLA, 10,000 to 20,000 mg per day. This is very good, and also very expensive, easily 60$ per month by itself, which is as much as the rest.

This is a non-stimulant fat-burning stack that is thermogenic and directly lipolytic. Follow this advice and you'll look just like my avatar in no time. :think: :blink:

Keep us posted on progress OK?

 

[Lean One]

I do cardio 3-4 times a week for 20 minutes each should I just up the intensity of my cardio? Just wondering what you guys think?Ritz

I'll tell you what I know. If you want to burn fat, you need to train your body to do it.How you do your cardio will determine what signals you're sending to your body and how your body will respond.Performing cardio at 60 to 65 % APMHR is proven to be most effective at burning bodyfat. Do you really know what the intensity of your cardio is? or are you just guessing? The problem I see is that doing cardio for only 20 min is not going to send the right signals to your body to get leaner.Neither will only doing it 3 or 4 x/week. 4 days is the minimum. Most need 5,6,or7 x/week to get the results they seek. The reason is that it takes around 20 min for your body to break down enough fats to efficiently fuel the workout. Up until then,you are burning a greater ratio of sugar(glycogen) than fat. Beyond 20 min, at the propper intensity, your body will begin to burn more fat more efficiently. This will increase the longer you go beyond 20 min.I reccomend shooting for 45 min to 1hr. The result is that at a cellular level, your body senses that and responds by increasing mitochondrial density and creating more of the substrates nessesary to burn fat. The end result over time is that your body upregulates its capacity to burn fat.This is the method I use with myself and all my clients. It works.A little long winded, but there is no simple answer.

 

[MUSCLEBABE]

Firstly, lift HEAVY, and ***HARD***. Most gurlz don't lift nearly hard enough.

Antioxydants will help tremendously in making recuperation and hardening of your shape easier. Take :

Vit. C = 1000mg immediately pre-workout
Vit. E = 400/600 IU 60-180 minutes prior
Beta-carotene 15000 IU 60-180 " "
Selenium 50mcg

For fat burning, I recommend the Anarchy Stack:
Alpha Lipoic Acid, 900mg per day
Acetyl l-carnitine, 1500 to 2000 mg per day
Green tea extract, 2400 to 3200 mg per day
You may also add to this,
Conjugated Linoleic (or is it Linolenic?) Acid, aka CLA, 10,000 to 20,000 mg per day. This is very good, and also very expensive, easily 60$ per month by itself, which is as much as the rest.

This is a non-stimulant fat-burning stack that is thermogenic and directly lipolytic. Follow this advice and you'll look just like my avatar in no time. :think: :blink:

Keep us posted on progress OK?

Great! Thanks! I'll have no problem witht he lifting heavy and hard. I don't have a partner right now because I can't find anyone who's dedicated enough or willing to go failure and then do two more. Even guys! Me tough girl! Anyway, I'll keep you posted on my progress. Oh, what do you do for cardio?

 

[LunaHotel]

Basically for cardio I agree with Lean One, I don't mean cardio but aerobics, because that is the proper term for 45 minutes low to low-medium intensity. Best also is to do that on an empty stomach as soon as you get up if you can work it into your schedule. With these fat-burning supplements and antioxydants you will see a big difference in fat burning and you'll have energy, no doubt about it. Take whey in water afterwards, to keep you til breakfast.

I'm one of the "weights come first" gang. Basically, I think if you lift hard 4 times a week, you don't need to do aerobics more than 2x a week. Of course, the 3rd cardio session per week would be a big bonus but you will cut just fine with 4x weights and 2x aerobics. Now 4x weights and 4x cardio MIGHT be too much and kill any muscular gain you make. Going on a limb here, just to show what the limits might look like, to give you more parameters of what might be worth trying and not.

Lifting weights doesn't burn fat per se, but the afterburn and metabolism advantages that it avails you of is greatly advantageous. 3x weights and 3x aerobics would also work good. You might then go to 3x weights and 4x aerobics sometimes if you feel like it, keeping at least ONE day a week where you don't exercise.

 

[MUSCLEBABE]

I'll tell you what I know. If you want to burn fat, you need to train your body to do it.How you do your cardio will determine what signals you're sending to your body and how your body will respond.Performing cardio at 60 to 65 % APMHR is proven to be most effective at burning bodyfat. Do you really know what the intensity of your cardio is? or are you just guessing? The problem I see is that doing cardio for only 20 min is not going to send the right signals to your body to get leaner.Neither will only doing it 3 or 4 x/week. 4 days is the minimum. Most need 5,6,or7 x/week to get the results they seek. The reason is that it takes around 20 min for your body to break down enough fats to efficiently fuel the workout. Up until then,you are burning a greater ratio of sugar(glycogen) than fat. Beyond 20 min, at the propper intensity, your body will begin to burn more fat more efficiently. This will increase the longer you go beyond 20 min.I reccomend shooting for 45 min to 1hr. The result is that at a cellular level, your body senses that and responds by increasing mitochondrial density and creating more of the substrates nessesary to burn fat. The end result over time is that your body upregulates its capacity to burn fat.This is the method I use with myself and all my clients. It works.A little long winded, but there is no simple answer.

My cardio most of the time is running. During the race season I run at least five times a week between 40-60 minutes at least and I do keep my self at 60 to 65% APMHR. I don't concentrate on my lifting like I should though. I want to have a good balance. I got burned out at the end of summer from training so hard, so I'm ready to get serious again with and do more lifting. So you're saying that I basically should get back into my running routine along with the lifting. What's the best way to go about doing both on the days that I lift?

 

[Lean One]

So you're saying that I basically should get back into my running routine along with the lifting. What's the best way to go about doing both on the days that I lift?

I would recommend lifting before you run. The other way around can detract from your maximal strength. It's not carved in stone though. What's most important is that you do both.

 

[LunaHotel]

Getting burnt out can more often than not be cured by upping antioxydant intake, so long as you rest at least one day a week. [EDIT : ... and sleep enough, and drink lots of water, eat clean 5 times a day... D0h]

 

[MUSCLEBABE]

Basically for cardio I agree with Lean One, I don't mean cardio but aerobics, because that is the proper term for 45 minutes low to low-medium intensity. Best also is to do that on an empty stomach as soon as you get up if you can work it into your schedule. With these fat-burning supplements and antioxydants you will see a big difference in fat burning and you'll have energy, no doubt about it. Take whey in water afterwards, to keep you til breakfast.

I'm one of the "weights come first" gang. Basically, I think if you lift hard 4 times a week, you don't need to do aerobics more than 2x a week. Of course, the 3rd cardio session per week would be a big bonus but you will cut just fine with 4x weights and 2x aerobics. Now 4x weights and 4x cardio MIGHT be too much and kill any muscular gain you make. Going on a limb here, just to show what the limits might look like, to give you more parameters of what might be worth trying and not.

Lifting weights doesn't burn fat per se, but the afterburn and metabolism advantages that it avails you of is greatly advantageous. 3x weights and 3x aerobics would also work good. You might then go to 3x weights and 4x aerobics sometimes if you feel like it, keeping at least ONE day a week where you don't exercise.

That's more of the kind of workout I was looking for. Knowing my body, I think you're right about keeping it down to 3 days cardio rather than 4. It will interesting to see how my body will react to the supplements that you suggested. I'm anxious to try it out. Do you have a certain website where you purchase your products?

 

[Lean One]

Best also is to do that on an empty stomach as soon as you get up if you can work it into your schedule.

I'm one of the "weights come first" gang. Basically, I think if you lift hard 4 times a week, you don't need to do aerobics more than 2x a week. Of course, the 3rd cardio session per week would be a big bonus but you will cut just fine with 4x weights and 2x aerobics. Now 4x weights and 4x cardio MIGHT be too much and kill any muscular gain you make.

I disagree with these statements. Carbs are nesesary to create the krebs cycle intermediates nessesary to burn fat. Personally, Because of how I've trained my body, I would collapse if I tried to do that. The reason you think 4x cardio will kill your gains is because the way you do it, It will. You are severely depleting your body of glycogen and your brain and nervous system are starving for glucose.The result is you go catabolic and your body is forced to break down protein to support it. Not a good scenario...

 

[MUSCLEBABE]

I would recommend lifting before you run. The other way around can detract from your maximal strength. It's not carved in stone though. What's most important is that you do both.

I guess I'll have to experiment and see what works best for me. Thanks for the info!

 

[MUSCLEBABE]

I disagree with these statements. Carbs are nesesary to create the krebs cycle intermediates nessesary to burn fat. Personally, Because of how I've trained my body, I would collapse if I tried to do that. The reason you think 4x cardio will kill your gains is because the way you do it, It will. You are severely depleting your body of glycogen and your brain and nervous system are starving for glucose.The result is you go catabolic and your body is forced to break down protein to support it. Not a good scenario...

So say that I have to do my workout in the morning. What should I eat before my workout and how long should I wait before I workout?

 

[Lean One]

So say that I have to do my workout in the morning. What should I eat before my workout and how long should I wait before I workout?

Generally a normal sized meal. In the form of a shake if you prefer. If your meal is optimal. ie Nutrient ratios are taylored to your needs, There's nothing wrong with eating and working out right away. Generally, I like to give it at leas 1/2 an hr. to settle.

 

[LunaHotel]

You'd collapse doing light aerobics on an empty stomach while on acetyl-l-carnitine? You can't burn fat doing light aerobics on an empty stomach while on acetyl-l-carnitine? Are you sure? Well, you're the Lean One, but... :blink: :think:

 

[Lean One]

You'd collapse doing light aerobics on an empty stomach while on acetyl-l-carnitine? You can't burn fat doing light aerobics on an empty stomach while on acetyl-l-carnitine? Are you sure? Well, you're the Lean One, but... :blink: :think:

I knew this would happen... I am strictly talking about me here. I feed and train my body in a specific way for a specific reason. I am not saying that my way is the only way. It works dam well for me. I'm maintaining 5% bf right now WITHOUT ANY FATLOSS SUPPS OR RESTRICTING CALORIES.

I realize there are diferent aproaches to this. It is not my desire to debate it.

 

[LunaHotel]

That's pretty impressive, dude. I've grown larger than a lot of assisted lifters, but what I am experiencing some difficulty in achieving is exactly what you are doing, 5% bf consistently.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would share your method. I realize that we are all different, but maybe I can adapt something of yours. Thanks in advance.

 

[Lean One]

That's pretty impressive, dude. I've grown larger than a lot of assisted lifters, but what I am experiencing some difficulty in achieving is exactly what you are doing, 5% bf consistently.

I would greatly appreciate it if you would share your method. I realize that we are all different, but maybe I can adapt something of yours. Thanks in advance.

Start here. www.intrafitt.com

PM me if you have any more questions or care to discuss.

And yes, I worked with the big man himself to get certified.

 

[vafla]

you want to see abs at 23%? no way. you'll get to that midsection, no worries - just keep losing that BF. if youre stuck then get some supplements - which depends on training but I say sesathin #1

V.