beer/alcohol

nab0610

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I'm in college and I've got 3 roommates that go out pretty regularly 2-3 nights per week at least.

I usually go 1-2 of the nights because being a downer sucks.

Well in my town if you go downtown drinks are virtually free, everywhere is like 5 dollar cover and either free beer/liquor or dollar beer/liquor. So pretty much everyone is drunk and its just awkward to try and go downtown and not drink...

Unlike them however my metabolism is naturally fairly low. I've gained muscle and a little bit of fat over the past 7 months.

I eat about 2k calories a day sometimes less and that allows me to maintain.

I workout a good 5-6 days a week, lifting 4-5 days a week and doing cardio 4-5 days a week a mix of cycling and running.

My question is if I cut my calories to about 1,200 before I go out can I get away with drinking a good 10 beers. After I go out and drink I always wake up in the morning grab a big bottle of water and hit the gym for 1-2 hours of cardio.
 

BoyFromAus

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alcohol = {estrogen increase, testosterone suppression, dehydration, lowering of metabolism}

and obviously the other stuff like liver damage etc.

I really wouldn't recommend it 1 - 2 times per week.
 
plenny

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boy from aus is right....big estro increaser!!!! also avoid at all costs if you're on cycle...as per the liver
 

bboyflash

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dont forget cortisol levels will b also increased
 

bboyflash

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if serious about your body u should limit if not avoid alcohol...imo
 
Gonzo14

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if serious about your body u should limit if not avoid alcohol...imo
if you think its awkward not drinking "downtown" think about how awkward its going to be when you take your shirt off at the beach (granted you live by one) if you dont avoid alcohol.
 
ozarkaBRAND

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Yeah man, go right ahead and cut out nutrient-filled whole foods so you can drink your 10 beers 1 or 2 times per week. So worth it. NO.
 
elabor

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I think it depends on what your goals are with your body. You will not achieve peak physical condition while getting hammered 2x/week, but you are able to look damn good and much better than the guy who is not physically active but sober. Obviously you won't be "contest ready". But if you are just shooting for big chest, shoulders, arms, and a six pack, I don't think it is impossible. Obviously the less drinking the easier it will be to obtain/maintain this type of body. But I wouldn't say the two can not coexist.
 

Irish Cannon

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2x/wk+, Hell no.

1x/wk heavy? - Probably not either.

1x/wk a few drinks? Absolutely.

...I love to go out and have a good time socially, but this doesn't mean I have to get sloshed; I really never do anymore. I'll have 2 drinks, 3 AT THE MOST. - Don't fall into that nutsack college-kid category. It's so stupid, and such a waste of time, not to mention bad for your health and physique.

Go out and have a couple drinks, but draw the line there. If you're someone that can't tell themselves no, then you shouldn't be drinking anyways.

Don't be a social pacifist, but don't get caught up in poor behavior like your friends, either. Find yourself a good balance and you'll be much happier. - Make it a once/wk thing, or twice if you only have one drink each time. - I like to have a drink and slam coffee to keep me wired. haha
 
Tomahawk88

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I say limit the drink and make them "last" when u do. Of course if it is a special occassion relax and have a good time but dont make everyweek something special lol. Like say maybe New Years coming up and make a resolution to cut back and actually do it.
 
qwerty33

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My first year in college i went in at my peak, came home down 10lbs of muscle and weak as ****. All bc of alcohol. No **** way can you slam 10 drinks 2x a week. Listen to your body. Also you will not grow or be cut bc alcohol eats muscle tissue, sucks nutrients away, and gets stored as fat.

I go out now and grab a beer and chill on it. Maby 2 or 3 at most
 
Chops89

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I drink 1-2 times a week. Over 10 drinks each time, typically. I set PRs weekly. Would I have better gains if I wasn't drinking? Probably. Would I have a little less fat? Eh, maybe. But I enjoy it. Just like I enjoy lifting. So I do both. Though it's probably hindered me a bit, I just think the whole "getting hammered makes it impossible to gain muscle/lose fat" idea is a little exaggerated.

If you like drinking, I say do it. Just remember that it will set you back, but not screw you over completely.
 
jakellpet

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I drink 1-2 times a week. Over 10 drinks each time, typically. I set PRs weekly. Would I have better gains if I wasn't drinking? Probably. Would I have a little less fat? Eh, maybe. But I enjoy it. Just like I enjoy lifting. So I do both. Though it's probably hindered me a bit, I just think the whole "getting hammered makes it impossible to gain muscle/lose fat" idea is a little exaggerated.

If you like drinking, I say do it. Just remember that it will set you back, but not screw you over completely.
so last week you could squat 40lb, this week it's 42lbs? :pokey:
 
roids1

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If you're worried about gaining fat from drinking, you could always stack the booze with some crystal meth. It's known to be excellent for cutting.

GICH!
 
MM11

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I drink 1-2 times a week. Over 10 drinks each time, typically. I set PRs weekly. Would I have better gains if I wasn't drinking? Probably. Would I have a little less fat? Eh, maybe. But I enjoy it. Just like I enjoy lifting. So I do both. Though it's probably hindered me a bit, I just think the whole "getting hammered makes it impossible to gain muscle/lose fat" idea is a little exaggerated.

If you like drinking, I say do it. Just remember that it will set you back, but not screw you over completely.
I drank my fair share in college. Some times way to much. It does make It hard to get cut. I made sure to have a full stomach when I went out. That helped me from loosing to much muscle. It never really had a negitive effect on me, besides a bit of fat gain but people worm differently. I knew people who it seemed it didn't impact at all and some who blew up like balloons after a semester. Find a good balance for your life. Look into drinks lw. Diet pop to reduce the calories a bit.

Also I think it's better to have a few beers when trying to talk to chicks comaired to being 10 beers deep. Find a good balance. Just know in the back of your head that you are making a sacrifice and maybe you will pass on slamming one last beer before last call.
 

Da 1 Pumpin

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I drink 15+ drinks in a night a couple times a week and still look better than 99% of the population. If all you live for is bodybuilding then ur an idiot and need to get a real life. Drinking and going out is fun. Your obviously young like me and should enjoy doing this while you can. You will be perfectly fine if doing cardio and watching your diet.
 
jakellpet

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I drink 15+ drinks in a night a couple times a week and still look better than 99% of the population. If all you live for is bodybuilding then ur an idiot and need to get a real life. Drinking and going out is fun. Your obviously young like me and should enjoy doing this while you can. You will be perfectly fine if doing cardio and watching your diet.
If you're not popping PHs like m&m's, then you're comments is fair enough.
 

nab0610

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easier said than done, guess its fairly feasible because I'm not looking to get huge and do competitions. Shooting for more of the lean muscular look.

Guess the drinking will hurt the lifts some, but it shouldn't be as bad if I don't lift friday go out that night. Wake up saturday run, than go lift later in the day once my bodies recovered.
 
cranghel099

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I've neglected posting on this site for quite a while, but this topic intrigued me. I too am a college student, and have battled whether to stay shredded or too go out and party hard.

ONe thing that has helped me maintain my physique is to do a hardcore cut at least once a semester for about 3-5 weeks long. Don't drink during this time, and your training/diet should dialed in.

This does two things for you, You'll drop a ton of body fat fast, and usually you'll come out of the diet more motivated to maintain this shape by eatting much more cleaner, and usually your more hesitant to go out and get sh*tty frequently.

You said you suffer from slow metabolism, try to incorporate more complexes/intervals/steady state cardio 3-4 times a week in addition to the hardcore diet/regular training, or even if your maintaining. Check out this article from cosgrove, pretty helpful for this subject: http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_last_10_pounds&cr=
 

youngandfree

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Just make sure you drink plenty of gatorade or sugar free sports drink to stay hydrated. The dehydration is what makes you feel like crap and causes hangovers.

IMO, 10+ drinks a couple times a week is pointless. Being an old guy at 32 y/o, I used to drink like that when I was 20-25. I haven't had alcohol since Feb '04 and haven't missed it one bit. Especially when I see sloshed douchebags acting up and being retarded. The potential for trouble when you aren't in a normal state of mind isn't worth it anymore.
 

rothyman

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I drink 15+ drinks in a night a couple times a week and still look better than 99% of the population. If all you live for is bodybuilding then ur an idiot and need to get a real life. Drinking and going out is fun. Your obviously young like me and should enjoy doing this while you can. You will be perfectly fine if doing cardio and watching your diet.
I totally agree. It's funny seeing all the meatheads reply 'NO NO NO! NO DRINKING!'

All the while, we should be teaching that bodybuidling isn't LIFE, but just an aspect of our life. The social aspect of our lives is usually FAR more important than how our 'six pack' looks or how 'ripped' we are.

Another funny thing is all the guys who spend more time in the gym than they spend out socializing, and they wonder why they get no women. This is the typical meathead who goes to the gym 2x/day and expects women to just hover towards him. No, you're an idiot. Women and other people alike enjoy people who can have a good time, and YES look after their bodies without being a nazi.

So yes, drinking 2x a week IS FINE. Anyone who would have you believe it isn't for the sheer cause of keeping your body 'ripped', has no life. Trust me, I spent 5 years in college watching guys who spend their whole lives in the gym and refused to drink; THEY DIDN'T HAVE FUN! And they didn't get women. And they as a result, have not matured socially like others have.


Okay. Done my rant.
 

KRuth22

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I totally agree. It's funny seeing all the meatheads reply 'NO NO NO! NO DRINKING!'

All the while, we should be teaching that bodybuidling isn't LIFE, but just an aspect of our life. The social aspect of our lives is usually FAR more important than how our 'six pack' looks or how 'ripped' we are.

Another funny thing is all the guys who spend more time in the gym than they spend out socializing, and they wonder why they get no women. This is the typical meathead who goes to the gym 2x/day and expects women to just hover towards him. No, you're an idiot. Women and other people alike enjoy people who can have a good time, and YES look after their bodies without being a nazi.

So yes, drinking 2x a week IS FINE. Anyone who would have you believe it isn't for the sheer cause of keeping your body 'ripped', has no life. Trust me, I spent 5 years in college watching guys who spend their whole lives in the gym and refused to drink; THEY DIDN'T HAVE FUN! And they didn't get women. And they as a result, have not matured socially like others have.


Okay. Done my rant.
Question... Does "socializing" ONLY mean drinking heavily while out with friends? I swore there were other ways to socialize...
 
Tomahawk88

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Question... Does "socializing" ONLY mean drinking heavily while out with friends? I swore there were other ways to socialize...
Ya it sounds like someone uses alcohol as a crutch for many things lol.
 

rothyman

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Ya it sounds like someone uses alcohol as a crutch for many things lol.
A crutch? Going out with friends on the weekend and having 2 - 4 drinks.. I would not call this a crutch. I would call a crutch going to the gym 5-7x a week and only using one's body as a source of security. It's great to be in the best shape of your life, but if you have no one to enjoy it with, then what's the point?

Like I said, I've been going to the gym long enough and going out long enough to see who lives a happy lifestyle and who does not. Of course this only applies to the most EXTREME gym rats who sacrifice their social life for the 'perfect' body. I'm aware that a lot of guys on here are not these kind of people..
 
Tomahawk88

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A crutch? Going out with friends on the weekend and having 2 - 4 drinks.. I would not call this a crutch. I would call a crutch going to the gym 5-7x a week and only using one's body as a source of security. It's great to be in the best shape of your life, but if you have no one to enjoy it with, then what's the point?

Like I said, I've been going to the gym long enough and going out long enough to see who lives a happy lifestyle and who does not. Of course this only applies to the most EXTREME gym rats who sacrifice their social life for the 'perfect' body. I'm aware that a lot of guys on here are not these kind of people..
Well I took it as u were talking about getting sloshed and/or getting the girl sloshed. Because u said u agreed with what another guy posted about drinking 15+ drinks in a night which could be seen as excessive. Ur 2-4 drink count is moderate. I think it is safe to assume someone acts different after 15+ drinks which could make it a crutch.
 

tumtum

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point blank... whatever your goal is... it will be easier to reach w/o alcohol... if you would rather it take a LONG time and be harder..then drink.. that's all there is to it...

this is a bodybuilding. site.. many ppl are 100% dedicated to not drinking because they are dedicated 100% to their bodies.. nothing wrong with that.. that's what this site is about.. if you wanna just get by.. then go to www.half-ass-it.com
 
Agent Orange

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I think it's extremely hard to cut or try and gain lean muscle when you drink 2X a week. I just decided not too long ago that I was going to quit drinking and focus on the gym. I've made a lot more progress in a lot less time now that I don't have to worry about recovering from drinking.

Of course if you can go out and limit yourself to only a few drinks then more power to you. When I start drinking I have a pretty tough time doing that. Another thing that always gets me is that when I drink I'll pretty much eat anything. For me beer goggles apply to women and food. So when your body is metabolizing the alcohol it doesn't usually have time to catch up to all the crap you eat. Bar food is usually pretty bad for you too!

With that being said you're in college and working out isn't everything. So drink till you can't feel feelings anymore!
 
Esox Express

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I have roomates that lift every now and then, eat **** every day, get hammered (and I mean hammered) 3+ nights a week, and are still ripped. I also know people that drink moderately on occasion and puff up like a marshmallow. It really depends on how your body handles it.

Secondly, If you enjoy drinking you should by no means cut it out. I enjoyed drinking my freshman year, but i took the advice of AM and rarely drank. Looking back, I spent so much time obsessing about diet, my body, and working out that I had hardly any social life. I realized that I really enjoyed going out with my friends and drinking, and their was no real reason to sacrifice it for something else. Now that I'm a little older, I drink on occasion (having a few too many from time to time all in good fun) and balance it with my workouts. Does it hinder my abilities to gain/cut? maybe, but I can't say I even notice. I enjoy it, and i feel like i missed out on all the good times i could have been out having with my friends. I feel like I wasted my freshman year in the gym... times I can't relive.

Bottom line: For me, drinking is fun. Not a crutch, not a handicap or a crippling addiction... a beverage i drink with my friends. We go out and have fun. No big deal. Some people hate it, won't touch it.... that's cool. I'm certainly not going to judge any of them for their decision, and i expect the same in return.

It's all a personal choice
 

MrMostly

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Not mentioned yet in this thread....going out to bars for hours to hang out (or to private parties) means hanging around in cigarette smoke all that time. That's just as bad as the booze. Perhaps doubly worse in combination. Many parties are smokey enough that you are getting 2 pack of cigarettes with those 10 beers.
Binge drinking is for adolescent suckers. Once you grow up, you'll see that.
 

SewicydMsya

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Of course with this being a fitness board there will be a lot of people who think drinking is the worst thing someone could do and will not be able to understand why someone wants to do that to themselves... And just the fact that this is an internet message board has to tell you something about the people that spend hours a day posting here to accumulate 5,000 posts. The people that want to drink and have a good time are going to be the minority in a place like this.

If you want to drink and have what you consider a good time, go ahead. If its getting in the way of what you want your body to look like, either cut back, work out harder, or deal with the fact that you dont look how you want to, but all that is up to what you decide is a higher priority to YOU. Not some guy who sits at a computer every friday night making sure he doesnt miss the latest thread on the newest supplements or give aways.

Almost every time Im out at a bar drinking I get compliments on my shoulders, arms, or chest. (Once on my legs, too. But Im usually not in shorts..) But the only reason I work out is to stay in shape while enjoying my life, and right now, my life includes drinking and hanging out in bars and clubs once in a while. Its fun, I enjoy it.
 
TipTopShape

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As far as the smoking goes. It all depends on where he lives. If he lives in a state where smoking is banned, then he has nothing to worry about.
 
Chops89

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Not mentioned yet in this thread....going out to bars for hours to hang out (or to private parties) means hanging around in cigarette smoke all that time. That's just as bad as the booze. Perhaps doubly worse in combination. Many parties are smokey enough that you are getting 2 pack of cigarettes with those 10 beers.
Binge drinking is for adolescent suckers. Once you grow up, you'll see that.
That's one thing I like about jersey. They banned smoking in public buildings in 2006.

I'm actually taking 2 months off of drinking (started New Year's day). I'm going on a full out cut for the first time ever, so I'd rather not have the extra cals.
 
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