Psychotext
Member
Didn't hurt myself on my ride today (back no worse than when I started out). Feels like progress. 
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Fitness |OT9|...You looked better before
- Thread starter Chocobro
- Start date
Jacksinthe
Banned
On some lifts you will want to keep controlled core and NOT exhale until the rep is finished, like squats. I treat lunges the same way.
I thought it is bad to hold your breath during lifting.
Psychotext
Member
Google valsalva maneuver
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
Jacksinthe
Banned
No. Learn to hold your breath properly to tighten your core. Plenty of exercises require you to hold your breath but don't confuse this with putting insane amounts of pressure on your head exhaling against your brain. You will pass out. With proper technique you can hold your breath tight against your core for added strength and rigidity.
7:40
https://youtu.be/bs_Ej32IYgo
Watch the whole video, though. All of it.
I will sometimes even tighten my core and, by extension, my body when doing pullups. Pin straight right to my toes. Any exercise that you will want to really tighten your core to drive will benefit from holding your breath.
Jacksinthe
Banned
My cutting food:So I really need to start cutting. Getting a bit of a gut
And anyone have recommendations on good cheap cutting food and or recipes?.
Bulking food but smaller amounts for fewer calories
Pfffft. That metal log is hollow. You can't fool me!
So I really need to start cutting. Getting a bit of a gut
And anyone have recommendations on good cheap cutting food and or recipes?.
Definitely get the book. It will help explain the science behind how calories/macros/timing have an effect on your body.
As for me, I find foods that are easy to prep and give me the biggest bang for my buck; both filling and nutrition wise.
Staples in my diet are
- eggs
- egg whites
- oatmeal
- jasmine rice
- chicken
- tilapia
- mahi mahi
- tuna
- Greek yogurt
- cottage cheese
- whey protein
- apples
- bananas
- strawberries
- dark green vegetables (asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach)
- black coffee
Nice!
I bought a Weight Watchers scale for measuring body fat. How effective are these things? I don't mind if isn't perfectly accurate, but that it will show my improvement and give me at least a good ballpark number. I've been measuring myself on it throughout the day. I try it when I wake up, after eating/drinking, and before I sleep. It's always measuring my body fat between 16.8% - 17%.
Psychotext
Member
As a general rule, they're not particularly accurate. Has been discussed to death on here so I'm just going to leave it at that.
Does that mean it has a decent size +/- to consider or is it just a number that is totally worthless for tracking progress?
Jacksinthe
Banned
I'll give it a go!
10-15% variance from all the research I've done.
If you want to get at least somewhat consistent results, use it first thing in the morning after you wake up and use the rest room. Get as much as you can out before a weigh in and BF. You should be at your most consistent state in the morning after a fast and evacuating.
I do watch my BF numbers but I don't take them seriously from the machine. I check my weight/bf every Saturday morning in the buck.
I prefer the mirror and "do I look good yet?". Weight is a no brainier - are you gaining/losing weight and the mirror will tell you if you are gaining/losing fat.
Wait, you're telling me that when it tells me that I'm 17% BF that it could be as bad as 32% in reality? If so, I'd consider it useless.
Psychotext
Member
Theoretically, yes, though I've personally only seen research that indicates up to 12% out (so I can only speak to that).
Brolic Gaoler
formerly Alienshogun
I feel you buddy. Stressful times around here as well! Hope all is well.
Jacksinthe
Banned
10-15% variance.
So if you measure 10% on the machine and it has a 10% variance - you could be somewhere between 9-11% bodyfat. 10% of 10 is 1. So +- 1.
Probably more off on those machines that always measure through your feet. 10-15% is on the conservative side.
Okay, that is much more acceptable.
Psychotext
Member
Figures I saw were +/- body fat, not variance. Don't have the latest info to hand, but this link was from earlier in the thread: http://weightology.net/weightologyw...asurement-part-4-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/
edit - lol, and there was me saying I wouldn't get involved with another of these discussions.
edit - lol, and there was me saying I wouldn't get involved with another of these discussions.
Jacksinthe
Banned
Oh goddamn! That's some shit.Figures I saw were +/- body fat, not variance. Don't have the latest info to hand, but this link was from earlier in the thread: http://weightology.net/weightologyw...asurement-part-4-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/
edit - lol, and there was me saying I wouldn't get involved with another of these discussions.
I know there were variances but I never read this deep on it as I've personally never experienced fluctuations that didn't coincide with weight/mirror looks. They've always followed it pretty dead on. I never expected them to be accurate but I also never read of them heading in the opposite direction. That's bonkers.
The mirror it is, then!
Psychotext
Member
The problem is that they theoretically can work for some people... but I'd really, really advise that people don't make diet etc decisions based on the data they get from them. (Been there, done that, huge mistake)
My cutting food:
Bulking food but smaller amounts for fewer calories
Thanks for the advice. At a family party and a few cousins have commented on my gut. So that means it's time to start cutting. So aside from updating my grocery list I'm also getting a food scale and the book.
Well said.
Figures I saw were +/- body fat, not variance. Don't have the latest info to hand, but this link was from earlier in the thread: http://weightology.net/weightologyw...asurement-part-4-bioelectrical-impedance-bia/
edit - lol, and there was me saying I wouldn't get involved with another of these discussions.
That is pretty damning. One thing that I'm noticing is that my results have been very consistent. I haven't been getting wild numbers. Is there an easy way I can get a more accurate body fat percentage to compare this with? Are those hand holdy thingies much better? Do calipers work better?
So going to start cutting tomorrow. About to order a food scale and get the renaissance diet. Aside from that should I make any changes to my routine?. Currently doing 5/3/1 BBB but thinking of adding cardio but not sure what to do or where to to throw it in. So far I'm thinking about prowlers or I guess HIIT?. Never done HIIT so not sure what to do if I started that.
Two Worlds, is there a particular reason you are worried about body fat per stages right now? I would honestly say you should focus more on gains first and worry about body fat later when you are experienced enough to focus your workouts.
I'm not really looking for big gains. If anything, I want to gain a moderate amount of muscle and cut fat. I guess I want to look like how I look when I suck in my gut.
Nice let me know if you have any questions.
Even moderate muscle won't come easily, depending on your definition of moderate. I'd honestly worry about upping your numbers before before getting hung up on BF%
You can't chisel a pebble.
It's not like my focus is only on BF%. I just wanted to know how much I can depend on what my scale is saying.
how much you weigh now?
I mean, you just said you want to gain moderate muscle and cut fat.
Fix form. Get stronger. Build muscle. Then cut.
Stick with your current routine. A lot of guys around here aren't a fan of BBB, but some are. If its working for you, keep doing it.
Ive been doing prowlers (pushes and pulls) and tire flips for cardio. I just add them in at the end of my workout if I have time.
180 lbs
I'm doing all of those things. I'm not going on a heavy cutting phase or anything. I don't understand the pushback on me wanting to just monitor my body fat. I'm not trying to make heavy gains, so I'm not trying to go into any sort of high caloric diet.
Look, Im going to be totally blunt here.
You're getting defensive like you did in your squat thread. People are just trying to help guide you here.
You're not getting pushback. You're getting the appropriate answers to your questions.
Thanks again for the advice and will def ask you if I need any help. And I was thinking of possibly switching from BBB since I'm starting to stall on like everything. I'm like 5'4 160 lbs right now and so am having issues pushing past 115 lb OHP, 185lb bench, 240lb squat, and 340lb deadlift.
edit: Need to check my records but those are approx the weights I started to struggle getting past on the 1s week or I failed to get reps on the last set during the 1st or 2nd week of a cycle.
I'm asking about how well a particular device works and you're trying to tell me to ignore body fat. I didn't ask for advice on that. How can it be the "appropriate answer to a question" when it is the answer to a question that was never asked?
you don't have to bulk to gain muscle but that is only if you are dieting correctly.
if you are just starting out you will get swole without going up massively on the scale.
Yeah, that's kind of what I'm banking on. I want to gain a bit of strength and cut a bit of fat. I've always been curious on what my BF% numbers was and wanted to track it.
Have you looked at beyond 5/3/1? A lot of people here incorporate joker sets and first set last.
Because in the beginning stages, there are more important things to reach your goal.
And I'm not asking about those things. I'm asking about this. What, am I only allowed to ask about the most important things?
hm had to look at your squat video to look at what we are working with:
bruh you are skinny-ish. add 500 calories along with 10lbs on all your lifts every week.
edit: I would go with what everyone else is saying and focus on getting your form down for all your lifts, while gradually increasing them per week. You are not fat, and your bfp would be between 10-17 based off just looking at yah.
Here comes that defensive attitude again :/
I don't feel that I am fat. I specifically don't like that most of my fat hangs on my stomach. Like I said earlier, I'm not trying to heavily cut.
My priorities have been making sure I have good form on my lifts, eating a lot of protein, and not going crazy on the caloric intake. As far as form goes, squats is really the only workout that I have trouble with maintaining proper form, so I'm putting extra effort into straightening that out.
Nah not yet, have read on here that it seems good but have just never gotten around to picking up the book and reading it. Guess I'll try it for my next cycle since this week is my 1s week.
edit: And make that another ebook I need to order lol. Well getting told I'm looking fat by family who don't even lift finally got me to stop being stupid about my diet and nutrition.
Cry defensive attitude if you want. I'm not really interested in having that argument. If I ask for help and you have an answer to it, great. I'm all ears. But if you're answer is to completely side-step what I'm asking and give an answer to a question nobody asked, then no thanks. I'll pass.
cardio
Yeah, I'm planning to incorporate after I work on my leg strength. I feel that whenever I run or play basketball for cardio, it significantly impacts my ability to work my legs. My hope is that once I've gained some strength in my legs, running or playing basketball won't leave my legs too weak to squat.
lift before cardio. Squat first then all the other leg exercises.
if you gotta ball before lift space them out 4-5 hours.