I think it would be incredibly helpful if we made a list of all the things we wish we had known when we first started our transformations/fitness programs. I'll go ahead and start.

I wish I had known that:
-Modern Biology still applies (it's not some abstract thing taught in school), so protein is the safest thing to eat for fat loss.
-Slow and steady cardio in the AM is best for fat loss
-Eat 1 hour before and immediately after a workout (low fat, with some carbs and plenty of protein)
-PWO means Post Work Out (generally)
-Muscle and Fitness is pretty much useless as an information source
-Mens health is somewhat better, less ad-focused, though nothing beats buying an actual book (Men's Health Testosterone Plan is very comprehensive)
-Eat 5-7 meals a day for optimum results in muscle gain OR fat loss
-Supplements should be researched, most are too good to be true, for the others, ask about them here first
-Carbs or Fat, neither alone is the culprit for obesity, overeating on the other hand, is
-Low-Fat Diets are difficult to stick to for long periods
-Take a multivitamin daily
-Over-exercising (>1 hr day cardio) will hurt you more than help you
-Patience will help you make it in your diet just as much as dedication
-Don't starve yourself or you will stop seeing results

That's all I can think of for now. Hope that helps someone!

-Brent Robinson

AM CARDIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eat for results, not for taste.

Cheating is blown out of proportion. Suck it up, visualize ur dream, and eat right.

U can only cheat urself by half-assing ur workout.

Well,
I first started my fitness program about 16 years ago, but here are some of the things I would suggest to anyone embarking on a transformation or dramatic psyique change.

~ Lift Weights! Learn to use free weights in perfect form, using the Big, Basic movements. Deadlift, Squat, Bench, Row, and Overhead Press for the first few years. Use Progressive poundages take a 1 week break every 10-12 weeks. This will work for you, not against you. Work up to heavy weights in each of these movements, and you WILL grow. More muscle = higher metabolism = lower bodyfat (with relative calorie consumption)

The greatest diet in the world won't help you attain low bodyfat levels if you don't turn some of those calories into muscle. Save the kickbacks and bicep curls for later. Bent row over 225 and your biceps will be impressive. Bench Press for 1.5 your bodyweight and you'll have big triceps. Squat and deadlift huge weights in good form, and you'll have muscle in places you never thought possible.
Consider being as strong as you want to look.

~ Diet. Well, we've learned a lot over the years regarding what's really healthy. Back when I started all Fats were a no-no. Not since Dan Duchaine and his Flax Oil revolution did we realize the fat/testosterone ratio in males, not to mention the healthy benefits of them. Fish oils were unheard of then. Point is, 1,2,5,10 years from now we'll know even more about what's really healthy or not. So yes, high protein these days is all the rage and most likely isn't going away. Heck, If I knew about low carbs diets back in high school I may have actually got lean and gotten a date.
So keep reading and learning, but most importantly learn about YOUR body. Because everyBODY is indeed different.

~ Read. Everything about everything. Philosophy, learn HOW to think. If someone on here tells you to eat (X) amount, (Y) times per day, consider it and figure out why that may be a good, or bad idea. You have a wonderful computer in your head, use it wisely in regards to your training, diet, and your everyday life. What works great for someone else, could be disaster for you.

~ And yes, cardio can benefit everyone. It raises the metabolic rate, increases endorphins in the brain to help well being, and is great for the heart. There will always be debates regarding wether one form at one time a day is better than another. The bottom line is, don't skip it. If this means doing it later in the day, then fine. Try not to do it on a full stomach though. I've met people along the way who have gotten lean doing cardio at night, morning, mid-day and mid-morning. I don't believe cardio is EVER a waste of time, though some times may be better at burning fat than others. The point here is....like the famous Nike Ad..........JUST DO IT. You're 100% better than before if you just did it, no matter what time of day.

Great post BTW!
Best wishes to all. Never give up on your dreams.
:tu:

The most important thing I've learned reasently is the importance of eating ENOUGH kcalories, eating often enough (every three hours) and that EACH MEAL should be composed with the correct amounts of fat, carb and protein.:eat:

And for fat loss: Cardio every day, and lifting three times a week simply WORKS! :tu:

Wish I would've known I was running the wrong way on the indoor track for my first month...turns out there is a sign expressing the obvious.

wish i had known that eating only 1600 cals a day vs the 5000 cal i used to eat, and working out for 120+ min a day together would cause me to faint

That the muscle I lost cutting like a maniac would be alot harder to get back later..

That when first starting a weight lifting regimen you have to start a lot lighter and slower than what you're capable of... not just for the muscles, but for the joints and ligiments to get acclimated.




That www.JohnStoneFitness.com existed.

That the whole journey of getting healthy isn't just a program or a diet, it is a lifestyle change for most people. Before you can do it with any degree of success, you have to want it bad enough to make yourself do it and hold yourself to it.

- That, no matter how fast or how long you run or how much you lift, you have to change what you eat to lose fat.

- That there are scientific, well-researched, legit, not-for-profit plans for cutting your body fat.

- That your body doesn't need a day off after a cardio workout.

- That, even if fat cells multiply and don't go away, and even if one or both of your parents are overweight, it is still totally possible to lose a great deal of fat over a fairly short period of time and keep it off.

- That I could wake up three hours before work every morning and not drop dead.

- That it is safe and totally doable to lose 1-2 lbs per week.

- That canned fish is still good for you and isn't totally nasty.

- That my skull looks alright with a crew cut, and that short hair can make working out in the summer easier.

I would say..

That success is directly dependent on mental preparation. Such things as will power, knowledge, and focus are the key...not only when dieting, but pretty much with everything in life. The "doing" is the easy part.

:tu:

Don't try to model yourself or judge your progress by someone elses physique.

Don't give a damn about what the guy next to you is benching, or the cliques of juicers that hang in the gym. You are working out for YOU, don't get discouraged. They may have massive builds but cutting corners gets you nowhere.

I started a decade ago, but my main pitfalls at the time were:

1) Not eating enough, and semi-starving myself at times (not severely though, but i didn't eat consistently enough)

2) Not getting enough protein (it wasn't a concern at the beginning)

3) Overtraining. I had read too much of the conventional literature which said that 48 hours was how long it took to recover from a workout. I blame this on Arnold's encyclopedia, which was a great source for a lot of things (like diet and which excercises to do, etc.), and bad on others (like which workouts to follow). For many months I worked out an average of 6 days/week, leaving a body part only 48 hours to recover. My workouts were about 90 min. I was 16, so I still had pretty great gains from such a bad workout program :D

-Your BF% is higher than you think it is. Never fails.

- Motivation follows action

It takes diet, cardio, and weight training to really make a difference. I've tried them one at a time and I've tried them two at a time. I didn't see a real difference in my physique until I came up with a plan to include all three.

Don't jump from routine to routine because you didn't give it enough time to let weight manifest itself on the bar....I would'nt even consider changing routines no less than 30 weeks.
Don't try to get big and ripped at the same time...for 99% of us it won't happen. Do one or the other and don't be wishy washy jumping from one to the other, you will just spin your wheels.
Don't think for a minute you will get huge in 6 mons.
Plan on it taking a few years to acheive a suberb, big and strong physique. DRUG FREE!!!
Don't kid yourself justifing gorging thinking you are liftin' big , (squats, Deads Presses ...etc) that it's all good! Most of us will get plain fat, log your food!
Save your bucks on the supplements...most are snake oil ;)
Get some protein, perhaps some creatine and get some knowledge if you want to try something out. READ!
STAY CONSISTENT!!!

I wish I would have known back then...that I would be this happy with my new bod. I would have done it sooner :tu:

-you are only as strong as your grip, wrists, and lower back!

-never get comfortable with a weight. Once you can meet your set/rep max it's time to go up!!

-WATER!!!! Drink It

-Take pictures, see what others see

-Rest!!!

-you will always fight the human instinct to make the job easier. Lift Big, Lift heavy!

-Help others to reach their goals!! Don't be a jerk. People will respect you and like you, guaranteed!

- Morning Cardio rocks

- Cycling is more fun then you would ever think it would be

- Motivation takes many forms so don't be embarassed if you think yours is weird

- Increasing the thigh muscles will increase your metabolism by quite a bit since they are so large and require so much energy. ;) (Cycling!)

* The most effective way to build muscle and lose fat is resistance training.

* That loss of muscle is the prime thing to avoid.

* That more is not better and can lead to overtraining and muscle loss.

* That you must read food labels and understand them.

* That you must be your own "expert".

* That a slow controlled movement is best in exercise.

-Help others to reach their goals!! Don't be a jerk. People will respect you and like you, guaranteed!

That is why this is probably the best site to have ever hit the weight loss world. This site makes the difference for so many people. God I love this place. Hats off to John and all the vets of this place for makin it happen. Lets give them all a round of applause. :claplow: :claphigh: :claplow:

Plan your meals! every week, every day.

Plan your meals! every week, every day.

Yup. My number one belief:

- Fail to plan is a plan for failure.

After that...

- Consistency makes all the difference
- Faith in yourself and your abilities will take you further than a 300-lb bench press ever will
- Fitness of body bleeds into every aspect of your life when you embrace it
- Never be afraid to look like an idiot in the gym. Try new things. Research. 99% of the rest of your gym-going peers are truly in the dark when it comes to fitness.
- Watching calories and macro-rations are the key to modifying my body

Being smoke-free and breathing fresh air while exercising is a feeling that I can not explain its significance...but I would never go back to smoking...ever.

I wish I knew that there really IS a sandwich in every beer.... ;)

I've figured out that you're never going to succeed at any level of fitness related until you are mentally ready to commit to it entirely. You just can't be told that you should do x, y or z, then do it. You have to be ready to adopt that level of commitment and make it part of you. And there's always a "next level" of commitment, waiting for when you're ready to go there.

I read through a lot of the things listed in this thread, and I think to myself that I knew a lot of that stuff back in the beginning of the year. Back then however, if I had atempted all of it, I would have hated it and given it up within days. All of those things we wished we knew are things that we had to discover for ourselves to really understand.

How good it would really feel to be 50 lb lighter

"Things you wish you'd known when you first started..."
...that dieting and exercise was gonna be so DAMN EASY!!!!

Years of my life wasted thinking I would never succeed at this. Who knows where I could be now if a decade ago I had self-esteem, could dance, could date, could have energy, was confident.

I'd probably still suck at dancing, but those other things woulda been nice. :D

-Training too hard is worse than not training hard enough
-I make better progress with one hard session a week than multiple sessions a week.
-The book "Beyond Brawn" is the best book written on weight training.
-One or two hard sets are better than many "medium sets".
-Train with basic exercises that work for your body type and that you can gain on. I ignored the dip for years even though I was naturally good at it (I spent my time benching etc).
-ignore exercises like curls and tricep pushdowns and shaping exercises
-keep a journal and use it to constantly improve
-only compete with yourself
-complicated schedules with eating are a myth. 3 meals a day works as well as as 5 or 6. It's what you eat and the total calories that count. Your body is alot "smarter" than the supplement companies are telling us. Eating 60 minutes after training for some "reason" will not make a difference in your body. Your total daily intake is the key.
-supplements are a waste of money. Eat real food.
-special training for special results. High reps for definition etc..all that is a myth. Reps anywhere from 3 to 15 produce results as long as you lift progressively heavier wieghts.
-intensity techniques like forced reps and negatives are dangerous and should be avoided.
-training to failure and beyond does not produce "better" results than just training very hard. In fact it runs down the nervous and endocrine system, makes it hard to recover, and if done all the time makes you grow weaker and stale.
-forced over eating will not turn you into a big muscular person. That is a myth started by Parillo. Genetics determine how big you will get. Over eating will not alter your genetics.
-everyone has parts of their body that are especially strong and others not so strong. FOrget the "priority" principle...train the hell out of your strong points (don't neglet them to "focus" on weal points!). NOt going for your potential on a lift or a bodypart because you won't be "even" or symetrical is a joke. Take what you can get. If your legs grow---work them!!
-doing calves day and night does not build calves

Danartman, I respectfully disagree with a few of your thoughts.

For example:
"complicated schedules with eating are a myth. 3 meals a day works as well as as 5 or 6. It's what you eat and the total calories that count."

Depends what you mean by "work as well." Eating one meal of 2000 calories a day and 6 meals totaling 2000 calories a day will not be equally "effective" in producing desired resluts. Both may lead to weight loss but one will be much more effective both mentally and physically.

"Eating 60 minutes after training for some "reason" will not make a difference in your body."

Post workout nutrition does make a difference in performance, recovery, and body composition. This is science.

"supplements are a waste of money. Eat real food."

Protein powder and essential fats are not a waste of money (though you could get these "supplements" from real food, it is much more difficult.)

"special training for special results. High reps for definition etc..all that is a myth. Reps anywhere from 3 to 15 produce results as long as you lift progressively heavier wieghts."

Again, depends what you mean by "results." Yes you will become progressively bigger and stronger by lifting more heavy weights. However special training does yeild special results. Bodybuilder VS. Powerlifter for instance.

"forced over eating will not turn you into a big muscular person. That is a myth started by Parillo. Genetics determine how big you will get. Over eating will not alter your genetics."

Forced over eating will not turn you into a big muscular person, however it is nearly impossible to become a big muscular person anywhere near your genetic limit without forced overeating.

-The weight room is not an intimidating place... don't get caught up in a pissing match the man next door lest you'll end up hurt ;)

-Cardio isn't the worst thing on earth (use to think it was)... you learn to love it quickly!!!!

Wish I would've known I was running the wrong way on the indoor track for my first month...turns out there is a sign expressing the obvious.

LOL!! :lol:

everybody is different what works for u , may not work for someone else the reverse is true also........set a goal in ur mind and work towards it, start by doing something anything and eliminate whatever doesn't work or feel right....if something sounds stupid or feels wrong it probably won't work for u and don't ever believe advertisements or so called expert advice...the only expert of ur body is u

- That although Arnold is my favorite bodybuilder, doing his super high-volume routine in "The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" is not the best route for my body!

- That overload builds muscle, exhaustion doesn't.

This is a great thread!

- That a YMCA is just as good as a Gold's Gym. It ain't the gym that makes the body, it's the man IN the gym.

- Cardio gets EASIER when you get used to it.

- The one part of your body that you want to change will always look bad to you until you realize that how it looks to you is not how it looks to everyone else.

- The one part of your body that you want to change will always look bad to you until you realize that how it looks to you is not how it looks to everyone else.

^^ that is so true

I appreciate the feedback. What is of course true for me is not true for everyone. I agree regimented over eating is required to reach your potential. TO get dramatic results you need to eat quite a bit. And when your young and growing I think it pays off.
I know many of my ideas are radical but I get about 99% from www.ageless-athletes.com. I think this fellow (Dr. Richard Wright who has read the 40 some known resistance training studies on training over the last 45 years) and Stuart McRobert (who wrote Beyond Brawn) have got it down. These two revealed to me the simplified truth about training.
I take whey protein. It is easier than endless egg whites (and cheaper). But I really believe all the rest of the supplements are worthless.
And this "scientific study" about uptake of nutrients for an hour after you train is non-existant. It's a myth started to sell supplements based on a study that never was. Now it has become ingrained as some sort of dogma as so many people have repeated it. It's even in books! But many things that are not true are iin books.
I know it's hard to believe, but I swear to you it is true. The body is an amazing machine. If eating within an hour of training makes such a difference..why is it people doing it are not huge? or experiencing unusual gains?
It's just a way to complicate things to sell supplements.
I took supplements for years..never noticing that wasn't growing huge. I took HOTSTUFF, METR-RX you name it.! NO one cold convince me (till later) that they did not work. It's like one day day I woke up and said.."Darn I am taking all this stuff..and I am still 165lbs!!" :p

On top of what everyone else has said, I wish I had known:

- You will not see your abs without proper nutrition.

Ten years ago, I did the abs of steel tape 2-3x a week for maybe a year. Nobody told me, "uh, buddy, lose 8% bodyfat first". :o

I did a bit of weight training on my apartment's multigym back then, but it was totally unfocused and the exact same circuit every day. Ugh, to imagine where I'd be now if I had half a clue back then!

These are the ones for me:

1. You don't have to be huge to use the weight room. (It always used to be intimidating for me)

2. Working out with a partner is MUCH more productive. (Just the psychological effect of someones hand on the bar can let me do two more reps)

3. Weightlifters aren't jerks. (Almost everyone of them I talk to are always encouraging and helpful, especially message board people)

I wish I had known what squats and deadlifts were.

I wish I had read some of the good educational materials about bodybuilding instead of just listening to some friends.

Back in 1990 (when I was 24) I could bench press 200 pounds for a few reps. I'm just under 5'4" tall and I weighed 140 at the time.

My workout routine was whatever exercises I had picked up from some friends who were more athletic than me and I was working out at a Jack La Lane (now Ballys). Bench, curl, flyes, pulldowns, and that's it.

The only leg exercise I did was running (and I'm not even a fast runner) 2 miles per day.

So for all that effort -- I never really looked strong.

Since Jack La Lane didn't have squat racks, etc. -- I never even saw anyone doing squats or deadlifts. I never understood what people did to get so much stronger looking, and it never ocurred to me to look for a book on the subject.

From reading Stuart McRobert's books and others I now understand the importance of working on the big compound lifts in order to build a lot of muscle all over.

Looking back, I'm surprised that I could bench that much over my bodyweight without having built a solid foundation from doing squats. I guess I had a lot of dedication -- but looks-wise I received very little in results.

1. Little dumbbells are a waste of money. They look nice sitting on their matching rack but honestly a 5-20 lb matched set is not going to do much for you after a couple of weeks. Oh well, at least my kids can use them.

2. Nair for men is a Satanic product designed to give you a preview of what hell will be like. Don't ask. :mad:

I wish I had known, about three years ago, that losing weight was an improper goal and losing fat was what I really needed to do.

Instead, I went on a borderline anorexic diet, and run non-stop. Suffice to say, for the last five months, I've been slowly rebuilding all the muscle I lost.

That when first starting a weight lifting regimen you have to start a lot lighter and slower than what you're capable of... not just for the muscles, but for the joints and ligiments to get acclimated.


Aack! I wish I read this a few days ago. I finally committed to doing regular lifting so on Wednesday I did about a solid hour of lifting/machines with as high as I could manage while finishing the reps and now I'm still waddling around. The soreness caused me to not do weights the last few nights and I ended up hurting my routine by trying so hard rather than helping.

That I can eat 12 times my body weight and still lose weight. I used to think I had to eat under 800 cals a day @ 150 lbs.

I wish i knew it all came down to nutrition and exercising cant fix bad nutritional habits.

I spent a year undereating and thinking exercise would be a good combo and making 0 progress with my body over a year :(

I wish I had known how much this would help my depression/anxiety/stress. I felt it helped a lot but it is my recent activity that confirmed how much it really helped out. I recently took a week off from the gym...Trying to follow the max-ot school of thought with rest/recovery ver 8-10/12 weeks. In this time, I seemed to quickly fall back into bad habits and becoming totally upset at the end of the week. I was on the brink of mental break down. It doesnt help that work has took a huge toll on me for basically no reason though too.


but I'm glad I know that lifting/exercise and proper nutrition will make me feel 100% again.

I just am not sure if something is wrong with me due to the fact that it only took that week to almost break me down totally again. I was really scared infact. But I was back in the gym today and I assume i'll be okay.

/me thinks this should be stickified

Things I've learned while losing 185 lbs.
You can get (and keep) a buzz on running on a crosstrainer.
No matter how much you learn there is more.
Exercise helps depression.
Smaller clothes cost less.
After you've purged your body of 'bad' food your sweat doesn't smell.
You don't need beef to survive.
You don't need McDonalds to survive.
You can get up 3 hours early and go to bed 3 hours early and not miss life.
The money you save on cable will pay for a gym membership.
There will be enough left over to take your wife to dinner.
Healthy feels good.
Your jeans will look better. :tu:
Women will watch you walk. And smile.
Your wife will notice. :mad:
You better not.
Fat people will warn you about overtraining.
You will find out who your friends really are.
Healthy looks good. :drool:
People from school will recognize you again.
You DO have time to go to the gym.
You joined a brotherhood when you made your committment.
Going up stairs isn't something you plan your day around anymore.
Unless you're not alone. :tucool:
That's better too! :nod:

One thing I wish I'd known when I started:

- It's not all about the weight you use in the gym. Sacrificing form to lift a heavier weight is pointless. Forget what anyone else is lifting, lift what you can with PERFECT form, not what you can via cheating.

- Burn the fat don't starve it.

- Less = more [except basic daily activity].

- Carb/Calorie cycling.

- Compound movements.

- You gotto eat [good] fat to burn fat.

- Everything fitness wise is very personal, not one plan will work for everyone.

- Your body is made for the outside, no more indoor cardio for me.

- Not planning is planning to fail.

Probably the biggest realizations i've had, unless I forgot any.

- Burn the fat don't starve it.

- Less = more [except basic daily activity].

- Carb/Calorie cycling.

- Compound movements.

- You gotto eat [good] fat to burn fat.

- Everything fitness wise is very personal, not one plan will work for everyone.

- Your body is made for the outside, no more indoor cardio for me.

Probably the biggest realizations i've had, unless I forgot any.

Not sure I really agree with the last one, but the other points are good.

I don't run because it's too hard on my legs, knees,ankles and I just as soon treamill/Eliptical in a gym then at home or outside..

I wish I knew there were Good carbs and Bad carbs.. and I'm sensitive to bad carbs ..not good ones :)

More to come...

Your jeans will look better. :tu:
Women will watch you walk. And smile.
Your wife will notice. :mad:
You better not.


:lol:

That if you feel a bit "gassy" and are in the gym ready to start squatting or leg presses and there are people nearby, DON'T DO IT!!!

"That I will reach my goals"

that i should have started YEARS AGO

-Soccer moms will stare all googly eyed at someone who isn't that much older than their kids. :lol:

Serious ones
-a good multivitamin is the best supplement around... and no.. the grocery store wont carry em
-dairy is not my friend
-my back is not as bad as I thought it was... it just needed strength

why dont you like dairy?

Things I've learned while losing 185 lbs.
:d_eek:

Tell us your story!

that i should have started YEARS AGO

Yeah good one, you can never begin young enough exploring your body, how it works, what is healthy, and how to maintain or loose fat etc.

that I could put on or take my socks off while standing!!! I totally fogot about this. but yesterday i was like ..talking to myself...while taking my socks off and thought 'haha i remember when this was sooo hard and i had to sit down to take these socks off' a simple pleasure.

*bump

excellent read :tu:

Wow! For a guy that just started into this about 3.5 weeks ago, this is a FANTASTIC thread!! It's been very helpful already.

-That I could go from a tired, generally unhappy person to a energetic, generally happy person in just a few months.

-That good nutrition and a healthy change in lifestyle can cure acne when a handful of doctors over a period of years cannot. (At least for me, makes me believe they wanted me coming back instead of teaching me the correct way to fix the problem.)

-That anyone who can sacrifice an hour and a half of sleep can find time to work out, even if you are married. ( My number one excuse before)

All I can think of right now, great thread! :tucool:

Not to do any cardio for fat loss when preparing for a show.

that nutritional education is important, it's not enough just to follow someone else's diet without understanding it.

wash your protein shaker out. and if you forget, don't smell what's in it a day later.

Some things I've learned over the last year:


That your trainer doesn't neccessarily know as much as you think
Nutrition is the most important part. Really.
Leaving carbs out of your diet is a terrible idea
That your family can be your biggest cheerleader and your biggest obstacle
Measurements are critical (otherwise how will you know how you're doing?)
Find out who you know that is doing similar things (you might be surprised) and tell them about what you're doing. They'll keep you honest.
Seemingly everyone is thinking about losing weight and they'll want to talk to you about it. A disappointing majority have more excuses than motivation.
How addictive it could be!


I hope this helps.
G

I think it would be incredibly helpful if we made a list of all the things we wish we had known when we first started our transformations/fitness programs. I'll go ahead and start.

I wish I had known that:
-Modern Biology still applies (it's not some abstract thing taught in school), so protein is the safest thing to eat for fat loss.
-Slow and steady cardio in the AM is best for fat loss
-Eat 1 hour before and immediately after a workout (low fat, with some carbs and plenty of protein)
-PWO means Post Work Out (generally)
-Muscle and Fitness is pretty much useless as an information source
-Mens health is somewhat better, less ad-focused, though nothing beats buying an actual book (Men's Health Testosterone Plan is very comprehensive)
-Eat 5-7 meals a day for optimum results in muscle gain OR fat loss
-Supplements should be researched, most are too good to be true, for the others, ask about them here first
-Carbs or Fat, neither alone is the culprit for obesity, overeating on the other hand, is
-Low-Fat Diets are difficult to stick to for long periods
-Take a multivitamin daily
-Over-exercising (>1 hr day cardio) will hurt you more than help you
-Patience will help you make it in your diet just as much as dedication
-Don't starve yourself or you will stop seeing results

That's all I can think of for now. Hope that helps someone!

-Brent Robinson


slow stead cardo in the AM is not only great for fat loss but for muscle loss as well. (i'm assuming your talking about cardio on an empty stomach, if not nevermind what I said)

slow stead cardo in the AM is not only great for fat loss but for muscle loss as well. (i'm assuming your talking about cardio on an empty stomach, if not nevermind what I said)

Please see ANY post by Swole

Come on, guys, let's save the heated cardio argument for the thousand threads already dedicated to it.

wash your protein shaker out. and if you forget, don't smell what's in it a day later.

:lol: Done that! :whistle:

Please see ANY post by Swole

dude is HUGE, I found an intresting quote in one of his posts


"By the way, if you train first thing in the morning without eating, reduced levels of liver glycogen may cause increased protein breakdown, so that your body can maintain blood glucose. Cortisol levels are high upon waking as it is. If you train first thing and your goal is maintained/ increased muscle mass, it's best to eat something (a small amount of carbs and protein) to avoid this. Eating before early morning exercise, conversely, could dampen fat loss. Thus, it depends on your goals."


I can find several other quotes saying basically the same thing. If your intrested.

Let's take the am cardio thing out of this thread guys.

I wish I knew that the reason I was so hungry all the time was I was starving myself into fat conservation territory.

I wish I knew I COULD EAT and still lose weight.


:tu: I know now..... :tucool:

Bumparoosky

That World of Warcraft is not a very good thing.

that not eating enough is VERY VERY stupid!

also, that tomorrow never comes

One bad day WILL NOT make or break your getting in shape plans. I don't know how many times I've had one or two bad days and did the "I'll just try again on Monday".

I wish I knew JSF existed:nod:

All cardio with no weight training is bad for body compositional goals.

A good one that took me quite some time to learn even after I hopped on the wagon:

Enjoying naughty food rarely and fully is far more satisfying and effective than often and guiltily.

A good one that took me quite some time to learn even after I hopped on the wagon:

Enjoying naughty food rarely and fully is far more satisfying and effective than often and guiltily.

Great bump for all the new people!

It was suggested that I move this to the Beginner's forum and stick it. I like that suggestion. Good thread. :tu:

That finding time to run 30 miles a week, is NOT necessary to get the body I want.

To needlessly stop the obsession of wanting to look like someone else. To cast aside all the routines that everyone else was doing. To go against the grain with most (almost) everything that was espoused as gospel in the muscle mags and by muscle guru's. Once I decided to "do my own thing", I became a champion.

* That you must be your own "expert".The most important thing I learned is that following someone else's nutrition and fitness plan will not be as successful for me as builiding my own. I do some of the things this thread says you shouldn't do, but I wouldn't change them, because they suit my goals.

Also:

*that a diet for optimum health is different from a diet for an optimum physique

*that the rest of my family has different goals than me and shouldn't be forced to eat the same way as me

*that peanut butter cravings or oatmeal cravings can be even more intense than chocolate cravings :eat:

*Not to let one slip-up disheart you, everyone make mistakes, pull yourself and try again harder.

I wish I knew that time is irrelevant aside from resting. Life is perpetual and there are no magic bookends between which you must incorporate fitness. Be healthy at all times. Another night of sleep does not mean a new you. Do things immediately while the motivation is there. You can end a binge the moment you realize it is occuring. You can eat your next meal as a healthy one. You don't have to wait untill tomorrow to work out again just because you didn't do it at the usual time of day. You can start a workout program before the new year or the summertime or before you're out of school, etc.

People should also know not to buy into the notion that you need a personal trainer, a gym membership, another person, or a professional program in order to get into great shape. Movement is innate and adaptation is a rather simple process as long as there is stimulus... Money is not involved.

You can eat your next meal as a healthy one. You don't have to wait untill tomorrow to work out again just because you didn't do it at the usual time of day. You can start a workout program before the new year or the summertime or before you're out of school, etc.

good advice hulk :tucool:

That trying to get in shape by sticking to one line mantras like 'just cut out all xxxx' or 'just walk more' is totally useless.

And i wish I knew about JSF a long time ago!

I wish I knew that it actually does get easier. That this is not a constant struggle.
That I can really get used to eating clean and really start enjoying more simple, and healthy food, and that I wouldn't even miss junk food one day.

That this lifestyle could become truly my second nature and I can't even imagine living differently.

I wish I knew how good it feels to look fabulous ;) (ok, little vain, but its true)

I wish I knew at the very beginning that less calories is not always better. That to look good it's not nessessary to be "on diet" or hungry.

I wish I knew how important is good nutrition.
That the truth is actually very simple. That I could just eat good (clean) and hit the gym hard 3 x week...... and have amazing results :D
That all of this is not as scary and overwhelming as it looks.


*that peanut butter cravings or oatmeal cravings can be even more intense than chocolate cravings :eat:

Soooo true Guava!!
Right now I so would rather have oatmeal with blueberries then a chocolate.

One thing I know now that I wished I learned long ago was that weight (fat) loss is closely related to your diet. For many years, I thought that I could just work off whatever I eat but I learned the hard way that this is not possible. As a wise person once told me, "you can out eat any workout". It is not what you do during your workout but what you do between your workouts.

Substituting most, if not all, drinks with water can make a huge difference in weight loss. I wish I did this long ago.

Substituting most, if not all, drinks with water can make a huge difference in weight loss. I wish I did this long ago.
Can you explain why this is?

Can you explain why this is?

You figure that 1 can of coke has about 100 calories. Substituting that can of coke for water can make a difference.

i wish i would have started deadlifts, one legged squats, clean and jerks, and weighted pullups / dips sooner.

i wish i would have known that counting calories means EVERYTHING when really taking it to the next level.

i wish i knew about gym jones and crossfit sooner.

I wish id of never stopped training altogether, ive been training again for around 5 weeks now.

I stopped because i never knew what i had when i was in shape.

I sure as absoloute shit knew when it had gone.

One bad day WILL NOT make or break your getting in shape plans. I don't know how many times I've had one or two bad days and did the "I'll just try again on Monday".

Couldnt agree with you more, I dont know why I always think Monday is a magical day or something.

To squat!

To squat!

and squat some more!

If you are so overly self-conscious about being scrawny that you'll make every effort to hide yourself, from wearing long sleeves and pants in 100 degrees, to avoiding pools and beaches at all costs, that fewer people will notice when you're bigger.

John, does 75g Nitrean mean that you put 2.5 scoops of it?
It means I weigh out 75g on my kitchen scale (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/store/shop.php?i=B0000Y73Q0).


After reading that, I got out my scale and measured my scoop. What I thought was 40g of protein per scoop ended up only being 21g. :cry:

Don't assume the scoop is what is written on the container.

Thank you John and nice scale. :bow:

Muscular chest and biceps don't mean you have a fit body despite what drunk college girls tell you. Trickery!

I wish I knew:

(1) Eating breakfast is SO important

(2) Working out in the morning can be a great way to start the day

(3) EVERY goal is attainable, no matter what the height

(4) HARD WORK & WISE PLANNING. That is ALL it takes.

40 beers after your Saturday workout is not ideal PWO nutrition.

It's never too late,
I'm not too old,
It's not ok just because my wife loves me "no matter what I look like".
An hour in the gym is better than an hour on the couch.
Yesterday doesn't matter, good or bad. what you do today and plan on doing (and sticking to) tomorrow are what really count.

empty stomach a.m. liss cardio is the easiest and most effective fat burner...

I wish I'd known that doing more makes your life better and not worse

That people will notice your effort even if you don't

That even though it looks/sounds complicated and theres so many things to read and read and read

the simple fact is eat less + work out and you`ll lose the fat

after reading all 6 pages, i think i have a good understanding of what to think of my future transformation!!
im excited to get moving, get healthy + get FIT
thanks guys!

1. Counting calories forces me to be honest with myself about what I eat and it is the only way that I can make significant progress in losing fat and gaining muscle (also, websites like www.fitday.com (http://www.fitday.com) make counting calories, protein and carbs very easy).

2. Nutrition is the most important part of getting into shape: Overeating and undereating lead to horrible results.

3. Never take being in shape for granted: That is, never forget how you felt when you were out of shape. A corollary to this is that once you have achieved your fitness goals do not revert back to old habits. It is exceedingly easy to "get used" to being in shape, forget how bad you felt when you were out of shape, and reverse all the hardwork. Get in shape, and stay in shape.

4. One of the only times that I am truly happy and content is when I am physically fit. Another poster put it better than I can: "Physical fitness bleeds into every aspect of your life." Well put, and very true.

5. When I am running hard and I can barely breath, I always remind myself that if I can do this--if I can conquer this run--I can do anything. How can classes or work pose any kind of challenge for me compared to this? When a HIIT run gets really hard, I run to the cadence of "I run for those who can't." And when I really think about how lucky I am to be able to struggle with a hard run, I run even harder.

a. There is nothing that will burn as many calories, is as rewarding, or as challenging, as a hard run.

6. The stresses of life fade into the background when you are focused on physical fitness and the gym. This goes back to the idea that physical fitness equals mental fitness.

7. Make time.

8. When you are working hard to get fit and stay fit you become a positive influence on all those around you. Your hard work inspires others to better themselves. Pretty soon you have friends and relatives asking you how you do it and what they can do to change. This helps offset all the times that you have been a negative influence on others (e.g. I often wonder how many people starting smoking because they observed me when I was a stupid college student? I know of at least two. How many people drank more heavily at some party because I was pushing my friends to take shots with me? The list goes on and on... I would rather consider how many people have changed for the better because of my example. I now strive to be a positive force in the lives of others and bring positive energy to those I come into contact with).

Wow good "stuff", thanks for the info!

3. Never take being in shape for granted: That is, never forget how you felt when you were out of shape. A corollary to this is that once you have achieved your fitness goals do not revert back to old habits. It is exceedingly easy to "get used" to being in shape, forget how bad you felt when you were out of shape, and reverse all the hardwork. Get in shape, and stay in shape.

+1 to that!

Something I realized recently that I wish I'd known earlier on is this -

Don't be afraid to keep upping the weight! When they say lift heavy, they mean lift heavy. Finding out your 1 rep max can be really useful and will help you a lot if you haven't tried it yet.

Compound lifts using a barbell are the best way to get stronger, bigger, and faster.

If there were only seven exercises I could do for the rest of my life this would be my list:
1. Squats
2. Deadlifts
3. Power Cleans
4. Bench Press
5. Press (Overhead)
6. Dips
7. Chinups

Everything else is just an ancillary exercise...
(and you could even argue that 6 and 7 are ancillary exercises as well...)

going up in scale weight and going up in body fat% are not the same thing. i always knew it that fact, but it took me a while to really trust it.

Compound lifts using a barbell are the best way to get stronger, bigger, and faster.

If there were only seven exercises I could do for the rest of my life this would be my list:
1. Squats
2. Deadlifts
3. Power Cleans
4. Bench Press
5. Press (Overhead)
6. Dips
7. Chinups

Everything else is just an ancillary exercise...
(and you could even argue that 6 and 7 are ancillary exercises as well...)

hehe, you pretty much wrote out my whole routine :)

if your time between sets is enough to do christmas shopping, you're not doing it right.

if your time between sets is enough to do christmas shopping, you're not doing it right.

:lol: Ya think?! :lol:

AM CARDIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eat for results, not for taste.

Cheating is blown out of proportion. Suck it up, visualize ur dream, and eat right.

U can only cheat urself by half-assing ur workout.very well put!no truer words have been spoken.:claplow:

if your time between sets is enough to do christmas shopping, you're not doing it right.precisely!:claphigh:

1. Counting calories forces me to be honest with myself about what I eat and it is the only way that I can make significant progress in losing fat and gaining muscle (also, websites like www.fitday.com (http://www.fitday.com) make counting calories, protein and carbs very easy).

2. Nutrition is the most important part of getting into shape: Overeating and undereating lead to horrible results.

3. Never take being in shape for granted: That is, never forget how you felt when you were out of shape. A corollary to this is that once you have achieved your fitness goals do not revert back to old habits. It is exceedingly easy to "get used" to being in shape, forget how bad you felt when you were out of shape, and reverse all the hardwork. Get in shape, and stay in shape.

4. One of the only times that I am truly happy and content is when I am physically fit. Another poster put it better than I can: "Physical fitness bleeds into every aspect of your life." Well put, and very true.

5. When I am running hard and I can barely breath, I always remind myself that if I can do this--if I can conquer this run--I can do anything. How can classes or work pose any kind of challenge for me compared to this? When a HIIT run gets really hard, I run to the cadence of "I run for those who can't." And when I really think about how lucky I am to be able to struggle with a hard run, I run even harder.

a. There is nothing that will burn as many calories, is as rewarding, or as challenging, as a hard run.

6. The stresses of life fade into the background when you are focused on physical fitness and the gym. This goes back to the idea that physical fitness equals mental fitness.

7. Make time.

8. When you are working hard to get fit and stay fit you become a positive influence on all those around you. Your hard work inspires others to better themselves. Pretty soon you have friends and relatives asking you how you do it and what they can do to change. This helps offset all the times that you have been a negative influence on others (e.g. I often wonder how many people starting smoking because they observed me when I was a stupid college student? I know of at least two. How many people drank more heavily at some party because I was pushing my friends to take shots with me? The list goes on and on... I would rather consider how many people have changed for the better because of my example. I now strive to be a positive force in the lives of others and bring positive energy to those I come into contact with).Yes!you summed it all up very well my friend.:tu:

Music makes any cardio session so much easier.

Putting off what I'm suppose to do today till tomorrow is how I got the way i use to look.

Simple Carbs In the form of Dextrose PWO

So many P.T's never mentioned to me this element of diet. Thats what I missed out on for 1 year.

If you happen to work out in the morning and drink as much coffee as I do, do yourself a favor and counteract it with water before even thinking about going to the gym.

:p

I wish I had known that resistance training has more metabolic benefits than cardio.

I also wish I had known that different people respond better to different types of splits. It took me a while to realize that 3 full-body training sessions per week are much more effective for me than a split routine. In other words, my muscles respond best to brief, intense, but frequent stimulation as opposed to being annihilated once a week.

I wish I would have known that a little extra fat on me wouldn't have bothered me nearly as much if I built a bunch of muscle under it. Screw cutting for a while :D

A few things I wish I knew when I first started:

A MacDonald’s fish fillet is NOT healthy just because it’s fish. (From my teen years)

Motivation comes easy at first, but can pass quickly. You must continuously seek ways to stay motivated.

Take progress pics!! If you don’t you’ll regret it later.

Fitness is a never ending personal journey. You do not reach a point were you are done.

Write down your goals.

“A goal reached is a goal lost.” So have new goals ready in advance so you don’t lose your momentum.

40 is not old! It is very possible to look better at 40 then I did when I was 18.

Being in great shape will make you feel more confident. Confidence is a turn-on to the opposite sex.

Fitness is a never ending personal journey. You do not reach a point were you are done.

Thats awesome :nod:

-sigged :cool:

That you don't come on JSF expecting the members to be the cure all to your fitness/health/weight problems. Approach it as needing advice/help, but realize that eventually you gotta go with what works for you.

That you should squat. Always, always squat.

We need a squat smilie. :confused: