Topic of the Week: What has helped you the most?

Admin

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I want to know what has helped you the most...whether its a supplement...a diet...workout routine...this forum? (no hormones...thats too easy..lol). Let me know what and why. I'm interested to see what everyones thoughts are.
 
TexasLifter89

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Diet.

I mass cook about 20 chicken breasts a week, plus veggies and a variety of rices and other stuff. If I stuff my face or restrict my intake, but stick to same types of foods I see great things. This combined with a push/pull/legs routine stacking 1 rest day on Sundays is ridiculously awesome to my physique.
 
NurseGray

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Straight up. YouTube. Whether it's cardio or educating myself. There is always something to learn from on YouTube. Can you imagine cardio without it?
 
Steve Rogers

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I had a guy at the gym a bit ago compliment me and ask me what I was doing. I quickly thought of one of the easiest, most over looked things:

Sleep.

I told him I started seeing better gains once I started getting at least a good 8 hours of sleep. I said, "We don't grow in the gym...we tear down. We grow when we're resting..." He looked super surprised.
 
Otheridstaken

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For me everything changed when I started crossfit. I can do more pull ups now then ever before. I use bars more than dumbbells. Crossfit helped enormously with the mental edge, in everything I do now. I haven't heard the word can't inside my head for sometime now.
Eating a lot cleaner since starting as well.
The forum has been a big help with my future plans.
 
booneman77

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Diet. Years ago I thought I knew what diet types worked and didn't but it wasn't until I really read up and stuck to one laid out for 12+ weeks that I saw the kind of results I had never even thought possible.

It was an absolute revelation to me that it could be diet more so than training that produced the gains and weight loss I had always thought could only be done by working more and harder.

Once I worked through that first time, I have become infatuated with tweaking and tinkering with every different type. I know my body so much better than i ever knew possible. I could tell you how almost any good will treat me in the short and long term from just satiety all the way through performance days later.
 
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Straight up. YouTube. Whether it's cardio or educating myself. There is always something to learn from on YouTube. Can you imagine cardio without it?
Interesting. I often want to forget what I learned form youtube. lol
 

ma70

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Tracking my calories (I guess diet, in this case). HUGE difference. For the longest time I thought I was "cutting" when I was actually lean bulking, HAHA.
 
Driven2lift

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#1 perseverance and commitment

The right mentality gets you far.
I went over a year with 6 lifts a week + morning cardio and no de-loads

This is after losing 95 lbs



#2 diet

Can't exercise your way out of a bad diet...

This single handedly lost my first 80 pounds
Dropped liquid calories, smarter choices, etc.

Since tracking intake accurately I can also make gym progress better by ensuring adequate fuel and if needed making alterations in diet to use alongside



#3 stop winging it

Jumping on a proven program shows you how the gym life is done.
Learn about progression and lift technique.
 
Shasow

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Hard one since there are many factors from the macro to the micro level but probably it would have to be learning to listen to my body. Applying this skill to diet, training, resting, deloads, blast periods, etc, etc, etc has enabled me to maximise and speed of achieving my goals.

This may be more important for us 30+ guys.
 
Dirty Dan

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Straight up. YouTube. Whether it's cardio or educating myself. There is always something to learn from on YouTube. Can you imagine cardio without it?
I actually agree with you here. I wouldn't say YouTube has helped me out the most, however when I first started lifting I would watch various YouTube videos from different fitness experts which gave me a basic grasp on proper form and how to target the actual muscle that you are working.

Not to be a kiss ass, but, without this very forum and its knowledgable members I certainly would not be where I am today. Every time I log in and read through some threads, I always learn something new. Aside from fitness related information, I always ask non fitness related questions about various life issues/problems and always receive sound advice. AM is a very valuable asset to me.

On a side note, I love these topic of the week threads!
 
DirtyWilly

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Learning that there are stages and limits to weight-loss.

I let myself go too far, stress, work, eating. It took me about a year of stagnation to figure it out, but the same methods I used to lose 50lbs absolutely would not work past it. Cutting carbs seems to have a limit and settling into your gym routine seems to as well. Even though I was spending an average of four hours at the gym twice a day, I eventually hit the limits of fat-loss using those methods. This doesn't mean to haphazardly "mix-it-up" but in order to get further results I had to change things up, introduce planned carb loading days, lift weights on muscles I never use, and start true HIIT instead of sports.
 
Bigdeputy

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For me finding this forum has been the biggest help. With the wealth of information and the fact that there are folks on here that actually help instead of being keyboard Aholes. I have gotten advice on everything from diet to routine.
 
BigLarry

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Motivation

Having a clear goal and never forgetting why you started, where you came from, and where you will go!

Also diet!
 
mrsims

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Progressive overload/ lifting heavier. This worked magic for me, and really took me a long time to wrap my mind around because no one in my commercial gym does it.... no one. Another thing no one in my gym does that really helped me: writing my routine down and tracking my progress on lifts. .
 
mixedup

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Getting a nutrition coach I knew how to cut weight and diet from being a pro fighter and wrestling for years but I didn't know how to shred or adjust macros on an ongoing basis I just knew basics
 
jalfrey

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Definitely counting calories. It makes me more conscious of what I'm putting in my body whether I'm looking to bulk or cut!
 

warnerve

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Really agree with counting calories, I have started logging on MyFitnessPal for a month and am very pleased with it. I have always roughly estimated my protein and sometimes watched carbs, but have never actively logged everything. I find it's also good to log reps some too, make sure you are making progress and hold yourself accountable.
 
LiftWithDonuts

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tracking everything. tracking progress by percentages and diet by macos i found is when i make the most progress. Knowing when to move up in weight/reps and when to cut back/add more calories.
 
Admin

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So it seems that people think diet has helped more than training protocols?
 
JeremyNG25

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1. Diet 2. Weeding out all the lies and BS in the fitness industry 3. Finding a training program that Is unique for me 4. Accepting my limitations and getting to understand my body and what works for me
 

mjdel05

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Getting a nutrition coach I knew how to cut weight and diet from being a pro fighter and wrestling for years but I didn't know how to shred or adjust macros on an ongoing basis I just knew basics


Lol same here. Knew how to drop weight bit never understood how to lower bf%
 

warnerve

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So it seems that people think diet has helped more than training protocols?
I personally love having access to so many training protocols online. Has been a huge help in laying everything out. I know a lot of people like to go by feel but I much prefer having it all laid out before I even step foot in the gym.
 
booneman77

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So it seems that people think diet has helped more than training protocols?
I think this is true as training can be a lot less personalized and still see similar results. Diet has to be nearly exact for YOU in order to be optimal.
 
Admin

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I think this is true as training can be a lot less personalized and still see similar results. Diet has to be nearly exact for YOU in order to be optimal.
True, but I've seen some decent gains made off ****ty diets. I've also seen people react very well to a change in training, mainly increasing TUT.
 
mixedup

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True, but I've seen some decent gains made off ****ty diets. I've also seen people react very well to a change in training, mainly increasing TUT.
I think good gains can cone from training I think diet becomes more important when your looking for visual changes
 
Shasow

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True, but I've seen some decent gains made off ****ty diets. I've also seen people react very well to a change in training, mainly increasing TUT.
IMO someone making good gains on a crappy diet (although you'd have to define crappy diet as even this can gets murky) would be a result of either drugs or genetics.
 
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IMO someone making good gains on a crappy diet (although you'd have to define crappy diet as even this can gets murky) would be a result of either drugs or genetics.
Well of course its going to be genetics, but its not like they are some rare breed.

If you just think logically its almost stupid to try and say which is more important (diet vs exercise). They go hand in hand.
No, I don't think its stupid at all.
 
Shasow

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Genetics above average by definition is kinda rare mate.

No, I don't think its stupid at all.
Why? Try training and not eating or eating twinkies all day. Try eating without training and see if you make progress.
 
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Genetics above average by definition is kinda rare mate.
Who says you have to be above average? Do you know of some magical genetic scale? I've seen plenty of lifters make decent gains with below average diet.



Why? Try training and not eating or eating twinkies all day. Try eating without training and see if you make progress.

Way to bring in the total extremes to make a general point. :facepalm:
 
mixedup

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Genetics above average by definition is kinda rare mate.



Why? Try training and not eating or eating twinkies all day. Try eating without training and see if you make progress.
Well depending on goals diet can do things exercise can't and exercise can do things diet cant.

You can get to single digits bf% without ever lifting weights or cardio just on diet. And you can get stronger just by lifting weight and keeping diet same.

So imo yes based on goals one is gonna be more important. When I'm cutting for a contest for sure diet is more important when trying to put on size my training style becomes more important than my macro count and meal timing
 
Shasow

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Who says you have to be above average? Do you know of some magical genetic scale? I've seen plenty of lifters make decent gains with below average diet.
Thats where this is quickly going, into percentages of diet vs training. It will be an endless debate.

Way to bring in the total extremes to make a general point. :facepalm:
It wasn't a general point. I'm saying unequivocally that diet and training go hand in hand. One without the other is a waste of time. The better both are the better results will be.
 
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Thats where this is quickly going, into percentages of diet vs training. It will be an endless debate.
So? That the point...if its going into percentages, then one could be more important than the other depending on the individual.

Making a blanket statement that they go hand in hand equally, is not accurate.


So asking people whats more important to them, shows that there IS a difference depending on the person.
 
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Well I'm unconvinced but ok.
Your own argument proves it. The genetic elite...diet and training do not go hand in hand with them.
 
Shasow

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Your own argument proves it. The genetic elite...diet and training do not go hand in hand with them.
The best bodybuilders on the olympia stage (i.e. genetic elite) don't take diet as important as training or vice versa? I'm not sure what you mean, I'd say they do.
 
mixedup

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The best bodybuilders on the olympia stage (i.e. genetic elite) don't take diet as important as training or vice versa? I'm not sure what you mean, I'd say they do.
My coach is stepping on the olympia stage in 11 weeks and right now diet is alot more important than training style
 
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The best bodybuilders on the olympia stage (i.e. genetic elite) don't take diet as important as training or vice versa? I'm not sure what you mean, I'd say they do.
Considering what I've seen them eat pre-content at times, no. Unless you consider bbcue sauce on your chicken all the time, healthy. You are even going further to the extreme now...the genetic elite on grams of drugs per week.
 
Shasow

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My coach is stepping on the olympia stage in 11 weeks and right now diet is alot more important than training style
Training "style"?

Regardless, tell him to start training crappy..... He should be fine, right? Of course not.
 
Shasow

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Considering what I've seen them eat pre-content at times, no. Unless you consider bbcue sauce on your chicken all the time, healthy. You are even going further to the extreme now...the genetic elite on grams of drugs per week.
Too many variables admin this will be too timely for me to debate about. Its all good.
 
Admin

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Too many variables admin this will be too timely for me to debate about. Its all good.
Hence my point...they are not equal for everyone or go hand-in-hand. It simply is not black and white.
 
mixedup

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Training "style"?

Regardless, tell him to start training crappy..... He should be fine, right? Of course not.
No he's no training crappy what I mean is during prep diet takes precedence over specific training like high volumefor hypertrophy. It's not that both aren't important but one is always going to be more important than the other based on specific goals.
 
Shasow

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All I can say is no matter what I am doing whether cutting or bulking or recomping I give diet and training the same priority. Both must be a spot on as I can get it. If I slack on either one the other will suffer.
 
mixedup

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All I can say is no matter what I am doing whether cutting or bulking or recomping I give diet and training the same priority. Both must be a spot on as I can get it. If I slack on either one the other will suffer.
Individuals differ also difference between competitors when your in precomp all you want to do is preserve the muscle you built in off season while shedding fat working out to preserve muscle is alot different than lifting to build your not even worried about strength it's granted your gonna lose strength
 
tyga tyga

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Individuals differ also difference between competitors when your in precomp all you want to do is preserve the muscle you built in off season while shedding fat working out to preserve muscle is alot different than lifting to build your not even worried about strength it's granted your gonna lose strength
What?

Preserving = eating maintenance calories and increasing drug mgs

Building muscle= surplus of calories and increasing drug mgs

You're comparing two different dieting strategies.
 
Steve Rogers

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Oh another thing that helped me...?

QUIT DRINKING. :-D

Empty calories, horrible on the body -- and it just got old after a while. If you have a goal, the booze only slows you down. And you'd have to be crazy to drink on a cycle unless you like feeding your liver through a cheese grater. Liv-52 and other products can only do so much.

I get more enjoyment mirrin' myself in the morning, with no hangover than I did with the "buzz" of drinking.
 
mixedup

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What?

Preserving = eating maintenance calories and increasing drug mgs

Building muscle= surplus of calories and increasing drug mgs

You're comparing two different dieting strategies.
Maybe I worded wrong basically I was saying when dieting down your lifting protocol isn't going for new mass or strength gains those goals will take a hit to achieve stage ready bf%
 

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