A week ago, I offered to our subscribers an open Q&A session: “ask your questions and I’ll try to get them answered”. I’m happy to say we had ton’s of questions. I’m posting 11 of them here – the rest will await a future post. If you have more questions, send them through http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/contact/ On to the Q&A!
1) Question – John asks: “I am 5′5″ at 125 lbs. My body fat % is 10% and my goal is to increase my muscle mass by 10 lbs (especially pecs) and get ripped (for the abs). I do full body workout with weights 3x every week. An the rest day I do abs exercises and HIIT cardio on treadmill for 15 mins. Any suggestions to help me reach my goal? “
Answer: Generally, abs exercises are not going to be too useful. See Mike Geary’s truth about abs. 10% is a nice body fat %, so you are good there. I’m assuming your “full body” includes squats, deadlifts, and incline bench. And I’ll also have to assume, by the existence of your question, that you are not currently seeing steady muscle gains.
But I see one big problem for developing muscle mass: doing cardio on your “rest” days. But if you are doing cardio on your rest days, you’re a) not only burning some muscle but b) not really resting. My single recommendation would be to do your HIIT on the same day as your full body weight training. It’s only 15 min, so you should be able to fit it in. But there are two schools of thought on when – some (like me) suggest doing your HIIT cardio about 30 minutes after your weight training. Finish your weight training, get some protein and carbs in you (but not too much), do your intense cardio, then more carbs and proteins. But others suggest that you should wait about 4-6 hrs (but still the same day). That way your muscles have a chance to actually grow on your days off.
2) Question – John also asks: “Also what is a good diet ratio (carbs/proteins/fats) to gain muscle mass and reduce or keep body fat % constant. Also does this vary on weight training days v/s rest days? Examples of a typical daily diet would be great to include. “
Answer: There is no one right answer here. I hate to say “it depends” but it really does. I’m going to have to make some assumptions which might be wrong about you – and this might not be the right answer for everyone. First off, if you are at 10% bodyfat per your first question (and I’m assuming you are actually measuring it and not guessing), then you probably have a great diet in terms of carbs and fats. In addition to the change in your routine (see previous question), I’d make sure you were getting at least 125 g of protein (based on your weight), maybe even 150 to 175. More than that probably won’t help too much (though someone out there will surely disagree with me…).
3) Question – Lew asks: “Basically I want to know how much is too much and will result in overtraining. I started out doing just the main compound lifts (Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Bent-over Rows, Overhead Press, and Pull-Ups on a 5×5 routine), but then, since my schedule allows it, began to add some extra exercises (still compound technically: Romanian Deadlifts, Dips, Incline bench press, lat pull-downs, and one-arm rows but 3×8 instead). Would this constitute overtraining? If so, why? I do a split with upper body on Mondays and Thursdays, and lower body on Tuesdays and Fridays. Thanks!
Answer: Hi Lew, great question. I don’t have any of your stats (weight, body fat, goals, etc.) but your routine actually sounds perfect. Beginners should be doing something similar to what you started out with (though I generally see the recommendations being that when people start out, they should focus for about 2 to 3 months on lighter weights, 8-12 reps, to master the exercises, get good form, and tone all the connector muscles). After that, a beginner is at a cross-roads: either increase the weight to build mass (like a 5×5 routine) or get more sophisticated in the routines (like you are suggesting you are starting on). I definitely recommend though, that when you start a new exercise, you want to start light with 8 to 12 reps for a few weeks before increasing weight and decreasing reps. Short answer, you are not overtraining. Each muscle looks to have at least a day rest, which is very important, and moreover you have 3 days a week with no training so you are certainly not overtraining.
4) Question – Frank asks: “We get a lot of content on fitness sites and blogs about good form, compound exercises, nutrition, and those are extremely important elements of fitness indeed. However, when it comes to warming up and down, it is very hard to find good information. So, what are good practices for warming up? Is it better to do a dynamic stretching session or increase weights gradually to prepare our body? Does the answer change when we talk about a full body workout, a more focused or an isolation workout? Are all warm-downs equal? In case it is relevant, I personally do full body 5×5 workouts and do Robertson & Hartman’s Inside-out routine, then a gradual weight increase prior to my first set of each exercise. As a warm-down, I do both dynamic stretches and a few static ones that a physiotherapist recommended me once for shoulder muscle imbalance. Thanks a lot! Keep it up, it’s great that WFN is back online :) ”
Answer: Hi Frank, You kind of answer your own question (smile)! I’m not familiar with Robertson & Hartman personally (having never tried it) but what I’ve read about seems grounded in science. The most important things are a) do not do static stretches beforehand and b) do something before hand. I tried to get the science behind this, and there are snippets here and there. Some studies show that in the short term, there’s not much value, but others show that over a longer period (say 4 weeks) that performance and power is improved. For example, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research:Volume 22(4)July 2008pp 1286-1297 . I also expected to find lots of science about the prevention of injury but came up short. I think we all would agree that it “feels” better to stretch beforehand, but studies show that static stretches actually decrease strength in the subsequent exercise.
Dynamic stretches are what I do, and then I tend to do a simple single-set, light weight warm up per muscle group. If you have had past injuries, you certainly want to get advice from someone with more experience there than me.
As far as warm downs (usually called cool-downs), I actually do not do any. Later in the day, I do some static stretches. But I could not find a single reference to support either side of a potential argument here over the value or lack thereof for cool-downs after weight lifting. I’ll keep searching though because I think it’s an interesting topic. If other readers know of science behind it, please share!
5) Question – Lince asks: “Hey, Thanks for the nice info. I am curious, however, when people say they eat little or no grains. Why? Because fruits and vegetables are not very caloric-dense. I mean, you would have to eat a huge amount of them to meet your caloric goals. This takes more time to eat and it is way more expensive. How do you deal with that? ”
Answer: Hmm. Well, I’m not sure what people are saying they eat little or no grains. I think it’s common with anyone trying to build lean muscle mass that you want to avoid processed flour (like white bread) but I’ve not seen that same veracity when it comes to whole grains. In particular, unless you are following a ketogenic diets (high fat, very low carb diets – I do not recommend them unless your doctor says otherwise) you need carbs within about 1 hour after your weight training (2 hrs worst case). And of course, it depends on your goals – if you are in a situation where you are trying to lose a ton of fat, you really do want to go light on all carbs, even grains. But if you are trying to build muscle, you need carbs and not just fruits and vegetables. I wouldn’t recommend 4 whole-grain bagels a day or anything! But in your overall mix of diet, having some high-fiber grains (I love Wassa bread) is totally fine. But focus on proteins first, veggies second, and then whole grain fiber and fruits (tied for third), and a little bit of some good fats (omega-3,-6,-9, some milk fat, egg fat, or nut fat, maybe some olive oil). Generally, this would be best. Also check out http://worldfitnessnetwork.com/2008/02/thermic-effect-food-protein/ or if you haven’t read Geary’s free ebook, Training and Nutrition Secrets for a Lean Body, you should.
6) Question – Greg asks: “what kind of workout should i do if i don’t want to get any size, i’m over 55 and i really don’t want to get any bigger, not too concerned about getting stronger, would just like to maintain what i have and stay flexible, i also ride a bike around 100 miles a week when weather is good, i use a treadclimber 30 minutes a day, i have free weights and a universal, i enjoy your site, thank you , from greg”
Answer: Hi Greg, One thing to keep in mind is that bigger and more muscular are different. I don’t know what your weight is, but I’m guessing you are not overweight with 100 miles of biking a week. But I’d be surprised if you have sufficient muscle mass. So I’m guessing you need to be more muscular, even if that’s “not bigger”. Especially given your age, you have to be concerned about sarcopenia (the natural loss of muscle that starts in your 50s and robs your body slowly but consistently of the muscle needed to balance and regular living. Stay tuned for an upcoming report from us on sarcopenia…
To put it another way, to be healthy, you need to have a decent amount of muscle so you may have accept some weight gain/getting bigger. Most bicyclists have underdeveloped upper body muscles so you could find in another 10 years that you can jog and walk without being winded, but can’t lift a gallon of milk above your head! You may (or may not, depending on your cycling style) have sufficient leg muscles. Can you do a set of 10 squats with weights equal to 80% of your own body weight? [So, if you weigh 150 lbs, you should be able to do 10 back squats with 120 lbs at a minimum.] If not, add in some squats to build that lower body muscle. It will help your hill cycling too!
7) Question – Greg also asks:“i’m 58, i have workedout with weights since jr high, i don’t consider myself a weightlifter because i just work on the outer or pretty muscles, i want to lift but i don’t need to have any size added to my body, i just need to work on the middle, so what i really need is a old man routine, do i use small weight with lot of reps and more sets, maybe 3 times a week,right now i spend 1.5 hours with 5 sets of 15 with medium weight and the second lift i use same weight 3 sets of 15, i do this every other day ,can you help me, it getting harder to maintain the heavy weights. thank you for any help ”
Answer: Hi Greg, I love the phrase “pretty muscles”! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though, so we might have different definitions here… anyway, you should definitely read some of the other Q&A in this post first. Now, assuming you are on board with that advice, I’ll also add that at 58, a part of me just wants to say “Congratulations! By sticking with any weight training at all you are miles ahead of 99% of your peers”. Plus, after lifting for 40 yrs, you are probably more of an expert than I am!
But you want more than that as an answer I bet… I’m guessing that each of your 3x a week sessions are full body? If so, I’m going to recommend going with higher weights, lower reps, at least 1 day a week. Of course, you want to stay safe, so practice good form. But up your weight to where you are just doing 6 to 8 reps and can just barely get out that last rep. I’d suggest sticking with 3 sets per exercise. And do the big muscles first, followed by the smaller muscles last. You might not “want” to get more size, but you may see your body weight go up a bit – but that added mass with end up increasing your metabolism so you’ll burn more fat. So your “size” might not change too much.
8. Question – Casey asks: “I started jogging two months ago to reduce pounds and recently added weight lifting to build definition. I read with interest your F.A.T. article plan to start a “better” diet. Do you have a suggested 5 or 7 day meal plan. I am not a vegetarian and not a picky eater. In other words plenty of meat, fruit, vegetables is no problem. Thank you for your suggestions. Casey”
Answer: Hi Casey, One thing is clear– to reduce pounds, you want to build muscle mass. Muscle growth burns fat for up to 48 hrs (at least 12 hrs, depending on the science you are reading) whereas cardio pretty much stops burning fat after you stop jogging. I don’t know what your weight is, or what your goals are, but you might need to accept the fact that to get smaller you need to get bigger: do weights to gain muscle mass, not just to build “definition”. The definition will come over time.
You’ll want about 1 g of protein per pound of body weight (rough estimate) and avoid processed carbs (like white bread, crackers, etc.). You might to want to check out the sample meal ideas in Jason’s Three Months To a New You, or in Mike Geary’s book.
9) Question – Alyssa asks: “I already have a good amount of muscle, and really do not want to get any bigger. A friend of mine told me that I NEED to lift, but everything I’m reading says I HAVE to build muscle mass. I’m really all set with how much muscle I have, I just want to burn bodyfat. How do I go about this? Thanks!”
Answer: Hi Alyssa, I think you’ve been reading the right stuff – you need muscle mass to burn fat. My experience is that most women tend to think they have enough muscle already and are afraid of hulking out. You might be the exception, but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you don’t have as much lean muscle as you think. And there’s nearly no chance that you are going to become some kind of he-man with bulging muscles, even if you do an insane weight training routine. Muscle burns fat. The more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn. This assumes you have a good diet of course… On the diet, I don’t have any of your stats so I’ll have to make some guesses. Actually, I’ll just give you some basic advice you’ve probably heard already: eat lots of protein, avoid processed breads, fill up on veggies, run away from sugar or sugar substitutes. Eat some carbs right after your workouts. If you haven’t already read it, you definitely want to read Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.
10) Question – Donna asks: “I am just starting and I like the looks of the menus you provided, but what about breakfast. What would be an ideal breakfast? I have been eating whole grain flax waffles and peanut butter, oatmeal, or eggs and 1 sausage. Are these OK? I am a 49 yr old woman who is overweight and need to get my body healthy. I have arthritis in my knees and have been having a lot of pain. I do cardio video (R. Simmons) but instead of on the floor I ride a stationary bike and do the arm movements. My question, I live in a small town and don’t have a lot of money for gyms, so how can i incorporate weight training into my workout? Also, will my knee muscles eventually strengthen enough to do the squats? I really need help here….I don’t really know how to go about losing weight and toning and shaping. I am 5′9″ and weigh 242. I need lots of help. Thanks, I will look forward to the reply. “
Answer: Hi Donna, I probably don’t have the space here to give you all the advice you need, so I’ll try to hit the bigger points:
- Get the sausage out of your breakfast. Only eat the waffles (without syrup) or the oatmeal, not both. Even then, that’s still a pretty big breakfast. Add in some cottage cheese if you need to, since that’s a great source of protein.
- Calories count. Count calories. Get your caloric intake to be less than your burn rate. This is a hard thing for people to do, because people almost universally undercount the calories they are eating and over-estimate how much they are burning.
- I do not have any special knowledge about arthritis in the knees and what that means for your condition. I would venture a guess, though, that your weight itself puts a lot of stress on your knees. Getting your weight down should make your knees happier. But I’d see a specialist on that issue.
- As for your cardio program, you need intense training. You need to really jolt your system. I’ve never seen a Richard Simmons tape that comes even close to the type of intensity you need. Given your health, I know you might want to “take it slow at first” but consult your doctor – I would suggest that you consider some far more intense training. For example, 40 minutes of “slow” cardio is not as valuable as 15 minutes of intense cardio.
- I know you say you don’t have any money, but getting a personal trainer would be the best investment of your life. Find a nutritionist who understands the value of weight training. I hate to be brutally honest here, but your age and your obesity are not giving you much time. Whatever you have to do to scrape up the money, do it. Whatever you do, avoid those trainers who essentially try to starve you or who tell you not to lift weights.
11) Question – Ben asks: “i love this diet [the F.A.T diet] i follow it as best i can. but i would like to know. does anyone know of any protein supplements that are low calorie, FDA approved and actually work”
Answer: Hi Ben, Protein powders absolutely work and have been tested extensively. They have been tested more than any other fitness supplement in history and I don’t know of any side effects (except in obscene doses, some digestion problems). You want about 1 g of protein per pound of body weight per day. And some of that can certainly be from a powder (I mix mine with milk). I won’t endorse any particular brands here, but whey protein is the fastest acting (so take it around your workout) and casein protein is slower acting (consumed at night, for example). Some brands have blends of the two. Be careful though – many of them add in carbs – that’s fine (actually it’s important) for right after your work-out but that obviously increases calories (and they taste better too!).
I stay away from soy proteins – some questionable side effects (especially for men).
Just starting out with weightlifting? Want to get bigger muscles this winter?
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March 12th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Im 5′11 165 pounds and im pretty active, i was just wondering how many calories should i be consuming if i want muscle growth but i also want to lose fat
March 16th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Hi LaCoste – it’s hard to say, because “pretty active” is a relative term. There’s a lot of recommendations now on this that talk about cycling your calories so that you have a couple days a week where you are below maintenance (you consume fewer calories than you burn off), a few days at maintenance, and a few days over maintenance. In the end though, you want to be sure that each week you are at a calorie deficit overall. How much are you wanting to lose? Then there’s the speed of your desired weight loss. Mike Geary’s book has some great recommendations and meal plans at http://budurl.com/wfnabtruth
and Tom Venuto’s book takes it one step further (since Tom has been a competing bodybuilder) at
http://budurl.com/wfnburnthefat .
The biggest things you can do, once you sort out your calorie plan, is to cut out cheap carbs/sugars/starches and make sure you are getting at least one gram of protein for every lean pound of body weight.
Darrin
April 4th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Hi Darrin
Thanks for answering my questions (1 and 2). I actually wanted to try out the advice before I responded. Yes, the “full body” includes squats, deadlifts, dips, pullups, incline bench, etc. I am able to increase the amount I lift every week by a small amount but gaining muscle mass is difficult. I have been able to only gain 5lbs muscle in 6 months.
I am no longer doing HIIT cardio on the rest days but only once a week like Sundays. Is that good enough? It is difficult to do cardio on same days as weight training since I can’t go to the gym twice. My diet is 3000 cals every day (40% carb, 40% protein, 20% fat). I do not want to increase my calories since my goal is to also look ripped (abs specifically) Any suggestions?
P.S. Keep up the good work with the blog.
April 6th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Hey John – sounds like you are making progress. If you are increasing your lifting weight each week, you are surely making gains. When you say “5lbs” in 6 months, I agree that seems slow but really not too bad. You sound like a “hardgainer” (I’m similar).
Now, for most people I’d ask “how sure are you that it’s only 5 lbs of muscle gain, rather than 10 lbs of muscle while losing 5 lbs of fat?” While you still need to ask yourself that question, you were already really low in bodyfat (assuming you measured it correctly). The most I’ve heard of any non-beginner gaining in 12 months is 20 lbs of lean muscle. [Beginners can gain more in their first year.] So it seems like you are doing about half that. Not bad, but I know you want more.
And you are eating a ton. 3000 calories at your weight is plenty. If adding mass is your goal, then HIIT once a week is plenty. Some people would advise dropping it altogether, but I don’t.
What kind of reps are you doing? Generally, for hypertrophy (muscle building) you want to be in the 8-12 range, where you are really struggling to get that last rep out. More than that and you move into fat burning and out of hypertrophy. If you’re already in the 8-12 range, then perhaps your body might react better to a “strength training” workout, where you are going really heavy with the weights. Something like a 5×5 program: 5 sets of 5 reps each. The weight you lift will probably go up 25 to 40 percent compared to an 8-rep set. And of course, you still want maximum intensity with no strength left after your last rep.
I’d try a 6 to 8 week cycle of either hypertrophy or strength training (whatever you haven’t already been doing) and then when you return to your current routine, mix up the actual exercises, hitting them from different angles (for example, for your squats, move to a super-wide stance; or for bench press, try a narrow grip; etc.)
Remember, your body gets used to every routine/program and so you need to change it up every 1 to 3 months. I also just wrote an article for Caleb that’s somewhat related to this: http://doubleyourgains.com/set.....new-fibers .