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[rrcn]

Well if you take in enough protein from your normal everyday foods (which I admit is quite difficult), even protein shakes are unncessary. And that's where I was going with that. I remember reading that your body can only process so much protein a day and the rest becomes waste...have you heard anything like that, Martoch?

Yes! I forgot that one. WATER. That's a big one.

[Martoch]

That's absolutely true...you CAN take too much protein in the form of shakes, but on average, most people don't consume enough high protein foods on a daily basis. Just like everything else in life, too much protein can cause its own problems.

Consuming more protein won't make your muscles grow faster. Exercising your muscles is the only way to make them grow. If you consume more protein than you need for tissue repair and other body functions, the excess will be burned as fuel, stored, or expelled. None of these is highly desirable. Unlike carbohydrates and fat, protein is not an efficient form of body fuel. Your body has to expend more energy to break down protein because its structure is more complex. Protein that's not burned as fuel may be converted to fat and stored in adipose tissue (where it will make you fatter, not more muscular). Protein that's not used as fuel or stored in the body is eliminated, and that causes its own problems. Excess amino acids are converted into urea, a nitrogen-containing waste product that puts a strain on your kidneys.

So protein overload is not a desirable thing. But protein supplements do have their place. If you find it hard to consume adequate calories and thus adequate protein, there's no harm in supplementing, as long as you don't overdo it.

[rrcn]

[SoloCamo]

You said the key words...eating right, sleeping enough, and lifting properly...and I can't stress drinking enough water as well.

I've got that all down, except sleeping enough. Does it really effect your muscle growth to an extent of not gaining?

I'm in the position where I need to turn my weight into muscle mass, and burn some fat while at it. Actually, more or less in a position to lose the wight then turn the remaining into mass.

What is the best procedure for this?

[shawshank62]

The best way to lose weight is to add muscle. One pound of muscle burns an average of 50 calories a day more than one pound of fat. You add more muscle, you burn more calories, you start losing more fat. You have to make sure that you're feeding your body enough nutrients to build muslce though, and you should definetly get at least 85-95oz of water a day (Think of drinking about 6 bottles of water, since their about 16oz each). Sleep is also really really important, you need a good 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Every now and then only getting a 4 hour night is alright, but if it becomes a constant thing it will deinetly inhibit your growth.

Good foods to build your diet around are:

Nuts
Beans
Vegetables

Dairy
Oatmeal
Eggs
Protein Powder

Lean meats (Turkey, lean cuts of beef, etc)
Peanut butter (I think martoch posted a link about peanut butter somewhere)
Whole grains
Fruits and Berries

Make sure you eat every couple hours. So have your 3 meals a day, but inbetween the meals you have 3 snacks. That way you don't get hungry and bing when you eat your other meals.

7am - Breakfast
10am - Snack
12pm - Lunch
3pm - Snack
6pm - Dinner
8pm - Snack

Since you're trying to lose weight, definetly make sure that you get at least 2 or 3 servings of dairy (milk, yogurt, etc.) Dairy products seem to really help with weight lose and weight balance.

EDIT: Not to mention if you want to lose body fat, you should be doing some kind of cardio 2 or 3 times a week. Give interval training where you start with a 5 minute warmup, then do 1-2 minutes of high level cardio, then 1-2 minutes of low level cardio, keep this up for at least 20 minutes, then do a cooldown for 5 minutes. Really no need to do more than 30 minutes of cardio cause then that starts to eat away at muscle.

[towlies high]

its hard to get enough protein in a day, im gonna try creatine

[GroundZero3]

How far are you into training towlies? If you are looking for protien look into Whey shakes. Not creatine.

[towlies high]

ive been working out about a year, for the past few months ive been working out a bit more though. how much protein should you get a day?i atleast eat some kinda meat everyday, not shore if thats enough though.

[Martoch]

Most experienced bodybuilders recommend 1gm of protein per pound of body weight a day. If you're into serious weight training, I would go with that number...I can recommend an amount for each individual. You have to assess your own training and determine if you're really needing the extra protein or not. If you're just starting out or not really working out too hard, you won't need quite that much.

[no1_vern]

I've got that all down, except sleeping enough. Does it really effect your muscle growth to an extent of not gaining?

I'm in the position where I need to turn my weight into muscle mass, and burn some fat while at it. Actually, more or less in a position to lose the wight then turn the remaining into mass.

What is the best procedure for this?

YEs, it can. You NEED sleep, not just to be mentally alert, but to build muscles. Your body builds muscle while sleeping/resting.

It seems very counter intuitive, but when you work out you are actually tearing down your muscles. Its during the recuperation phase that muscles actually grow. They are building muscle fibers to enable themselves to handle the extra burdens being put on them when you work out.

Also it is claimed that a short intense, heavy workout is better for muscle building than a long exercise period. IF your goal though is to lose weight, you should concentrate more on aerobics with relatively heavy weights as opposed to a short intense heavy workout. By combining the 2 types of workouts you can reduce your chance of injuries, and increase your chances of success.

ive been working out about a year, for the past few months ive been working out a bit more though. how much protein should you get a day?i atleast eat some kinda meat everyday, not shore if thats enough though.

As Martoch said, 1 gram/lb of body weight should allow your body to get the extra protien it need to build good muscles.

You should try to eat as much WHOLE FOODS as possible to get the extra protien you need because you recieve micronutrients that are in whole foods that may not be available in supplements, but doing that makes it very easy to over-eat. So it is more convenient to keep a log of your whole food nutrients and add supplements to boost your protien/nutrient intake. Whey protein is one of the best low cost proteins available, Cassien protien(egg whites) are better, but more expensive per gram of useable protien. There are several others but these are the most popular.

Creatine is very good in helping your body build muscles and generally worth the costs. Do not buy the cheapest Creatine unless it is from a reputable company and well inside its "use by date". There was a study done last year(I cant find it right now but I will keep looking) that said that .5g daily was as effective as taking the suggested 20g/day for the first week then dropping to 5.0g/day during your training cycle.

BTW: Dont simply buy from the lowest source. Check around to make sure you get the best nutrients possible, it is your BODY that you are putting this stuff into. YOu really want the best you can afford.

[no1_vern]

I forgot to add:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa4.htm

For the purposes of developing muscle, the only guidelines for protein that you must follow are:


(1) Consume a source of complete protein with every meal
(2) Eat at frequent intervals approximately three hours apart
(3) Consume a minimum of 0.8 grams to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.

HElps explain why whole is better but less convienent than supplementation.

[moo]

Found a cool website that helps you keep track of what you eat, and lets you see where your fat, protein, and carbs are coming from. If you're trying to loose weight it lets you track how you've done, and chart it. Very cool stuff, all for free.

www.fitday.com

Mine:
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJ...?Owner=bmcnich

I just checked out FitDay.com.................what an awesome site!!! Great find and thanks for the pass along.

[no1_vern]

About the sleep question.

Building muscle takes a lot of concentrated effort and exercise. And since you have to put so much effort into gaining muscle you want to make sure you feed your body right and get enough sleep to really have your workouts pay off. However, there are some negative side effects where gaining muscle is concerned if you don’t get enough rest. The simple fact is that when you sleep your muscles grow from the efforts you put into your workouts. So, getting plenty of rest is very important if you really want to gain muscle. Otherwise, your efforts will not be rewarded.

Recovery Time


After you spend an hour or so working your muscles out at the gym and fantasizing about the muscles you are building you should also be aware that your body needs substantial “recovery time” from the workout. This “recovery time” is approximately 8 hours of sleep each night and that is each and every night not 10 hours tonight and 6 tomorrow because that does not work. Your body needs adequate sleep every night because rest cannot be stored and saved for later, it is something you must engage in every night.

Additionally, all sleep is not made equal. There are five stages of sleep and if you are like most people leading stress filled lives you never make it past stage 1 or 2. Because of this you wake up feeling as tired and drained of energy as when you went to bed. If this is the type of sleep you are getting then it will not be overly productive in helping you gain and build muscle while you are asleep. On the other hand, if you can practice deep breathing, meditation, or other stress relieving activities before you go to sleep then you will more than likely be able to reach stages 4 and 5 where your body can heal, repair, and grow. These are the stages of sleep you need to reach if you are really interested in muscle gain. However, since your body reacts to a lot of different elements in your life you can’t just focus on muscle gain, but must also focus on stress relief, eating right, and exercising on a regular basis.

[towlies high]

well i didnt go for the creatine, decided to get some whey and keep liftin

[moo]

That's good to hear. Work at it the honest way. I can't speak for all women, but like I told Martoch, really big builds aren't attractive. I'll take him with definition and a slim waist any day over the bulk of a body builder. It's all about proportion. Huge thighs just look like fat thighs in clothes. It is great to look as good in pants as you do in trunks. I love Martoch's lean ripped physique. I can't say enough about the slim waist. Did I mention his lean shredded abs? And a slim waist? Of course it is my opinion, but I like athletisism over gobs of mass.

Any ladies here want to pipe in?

[towlies high]

well, im totally goin for bulk and pickup some speed, playing football next year

edit\ only reason i didnt go for creatine is i found some info on ti that it can cause kidney damage, now as i dont think this is entirely true and that big of an issue, for now while im still gaining i dont need it. maybe in a while ill use it when i start to level out and stop gaining, which wont be for a while i dont think

[GroundZero3]

well i didnt go for the creatine, decided to get some whey and keep liftin

Smart man, i dont agree with Martoch and Creatine as i have noticed a huge improvement while taking it but for those just starting out its not something you want to mess around with.

[willy_ph]

If you're looking to burn calories without losing muscle (which happens with a high amount of cardio) look into High Intensity Interval Training. I don't know if it's been mentioned already or not, but it's the most effective way to continue to build muscle while burning calories.

Do a quick google search on it for info.

[Martoch]

i dont agree with Martoch .

Have fun on the couch tonight!


towlies high...how are you going for bulk and speed at the same time?


I spoke with my bodybuilding buddy who said that creatine does show improvements, but it varies from person to person. I didn't really notice much personally, but maybe it can work for you guys.
[shrug]

[towlies high]

not all out speed, just loose a little extra non muscle thats slowin me down i figured that i couldnt get real fast while goin for bulk, but am i completly wrong like when goin for bulk to you slow yourself down or your just now as fast