[kt3130]

You’re really getting a lot of shotgun advice here (all over the place). It sounds like this is your first foray into physical activity, meaning you didn’t really have an active lifestyle before, per see (I could be wrong). My advice is to remember that Rome wasn’t built in day, or from the top down. If you can maintain this lifestyle change for a quarter (3 months), then that is a great start/ great foundation. At this point it is about maintaining this positive change in your life. Find what you like (lifting/running/biking/circuit drills/P90X/etc...) and build your routine from/around there. Getting “lean and shredded” will come with time-that is more graduate level work. You’re still in the first semester for your bachelors. Proper technique and form is more important now.

[The Whale]

Originally Posted by VAAW135i

If you want to burn off fat and tone up, P90x will help you acheive your goals, if those are indeed your goals. Check out the P90x threads in here.

P90X is actually a mild half-way go between for Crossfit. Do the mainsite workout every day for free. Eat Paleo. Don't do anything but the stuff it says to do with as much intensity as you can. You'll get amazing results VERY FAST.


http://www.crossfit.com

That or google your home town and the word crossfit - join a crossfit affiliate gym and you'll literally never want to stop it's amazing.

[gun6slinger9]

If you are 5'7 and 145lbs imo you dont need to lose weight... if anything you need to gain if you want to look cut while having useful muscle instead of just having a low body fat %. I'm 5'10 and at 8% body fat but weigh ~180 and I think my size and build is pretty good.

Squats, deadlifts, cleans, pull ups, bench press, interval running will help you bulk up and burn any excess fat you've got. Most important exercise imo is squats, they are hard and make you feel miserable but they work.

[E90jonno]

As you haven't been going for very long you will fell like nothing is happening but don't forget you see yourself everyday you just wait until someone you don't see too often see's you and remarks on your fitness without you even saying anything that will make you feel good.

As the others have said though you need to keep at it eat LOADS and try a good creatine you will see a massive difference.

I'm 19 weight 12.3 stone with little fat i started 2 years ago when i was weighing 10 stone bang on. Now i have been taking a lot of time out I'm looking to get back into it for the summer time.
I find if you train with some of your close mates or even just the one mate things are much more fun and give a little friendly competition for you both. You will also find if you do take any time out once you hit the gym again your muscle memory kicks in and you gain it back a hell lot quicker then it ever took before.

[Quick6EF]

I would not recommend P90x if you enjoy time in the gym.

You would be working out in your living room....

Go search BodyBuilding.com and check out some of the workout logs people have created.

Do you have a friend that lifts you can go with? That's how I started 7 years ago.

[Got Euro ?]

Diet is Key, Rest is Key, and Power Lifting is Key . Stay away from cardio if you want to bulk. Try eating atleast every 3 hours and take in a smart gainer 3 times a day as well . Stay in the gym no longer then 1 hour , dont kill yourself trying to do as many reps and workouts as you can within the hour.

[Quick6EF]

Originally Posted by Got Euro ?

Diet is Key, Rest is Key, and Power Lifting is Key . Stay away from cardio if you want to bulk. Try eating atleast every 3 hours and take in a smart gainer 3 times a day as well . Stay in the gym no longer then 1 hour , dont kill yourself trying to do as many reps and workouts as you can within the hour.

Why are you saying to eat every three hours?

[scs]

Originally Posted by Quick6EF

Why are you saying to eat every three hours?

i'll answer,
eating every 2.5-3 hrs keeps your metabolism going, and also keeps your body from creeping into a catabolic state (starvation mode). starvation mode happens when your meals are spaced too far apart, it also happens during your sleep. when your body enters this state, your metabolism slows, cortisol is produced (stress hormone), and your body begins storing fat. when working out, minimizing this state is key for muscle development.

[Quick6EF]

Unfortunately that is completely false, SCS.

It's a myth and completely incorrect. Please see below for PubMed articles supporting the fact.

I have about 8 more PubMed articles to support the fact that meal timing/frequency has no effect on your metabolism or body composition.

Your body will not go catabolic if you go several hours until eating.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1905998
Eur J Clin Nutr. 1991 Mar;45(3):161-9.Links
Influence of the feeding frequency on nutrient utilization in man: consequences for energy metabolism.

Verboeket-van de Venne WP, Westerterp KR.
Department of Human Biology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
A study was conducted to investigate whether there is a diurnal pattern of nutrient utilization in man and how this is affected by meal frequency to explain possible consequences of meal frequency for body weight regulation. When the daily energy intake is consumed in a small number of large meals, there is an increased chance to become overweight, possibly by an elevated lipogenesis (fat synthesis and accumulation) or storage of energy after the meal. Thirteen subjects, two males and eleven females, were fed to energy balance in two meals per day (gorging pattern) and seven meals per day (nibbling pattern) over 2-day intervals. On the second day on each feeding regimen, the diurnal pattern of nutrient utilization was calculated from simultaneous measurements of oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production and urinary nitrogen excretion over 3 h intervals in a respiration chamber. A gorging pattern of energy intake resulted in a stronger diurnal periodicity of nutrient utilization, compared to a nibbling pattern. However, there were no consequences for the total 24 h energy expenditure (24 h EE) of the two feeding patterns (5.57 +/- 0.16 kJ/min for the gorging pattern; 5.44 +/- 0.18 kJ/min for the nibbling pattern). Concerning the periodicity of nutrient utilization, protein oxidation during the day did not change between the two feeding patterns. In the gorging pattern, carbohydrate oxidation was significantly elevated during the interval following the first meal (ie from 1200 h to 1500 h, P less than 0.01) and the second meal (ie from 1800 h to 2100 h, P less than 0.05). The decreased rate of carbohydrate oxidation observed during the fasting period (from rising in the morning until the first meal at 1200 h), was compensated by an increased fat oxidation from 0900 to 1200 h to cover energy needs. In the nibbling pattern, carbohydrate and fat oxidation remained relatively constant during the active hours of the day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11319656
Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Apr;25(4):519-28.Links
Compared with nibbling, neither gorging nor a morning fast affect short-term energy balance in obese patients in a chamber calorimeter.

Taylor MA, Garrow JS.
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, King's College London, London, UK.
OBJECTIVE: To test if a diet of 4.2 MJ/24 h as six isocaloric meals would result in a lower subsequent energy intake, or greater energy output than (a) 4.2 MJ/24 h as two isocaloric meals or (b) a morning fast followed by free access to food. DESIGN: Subjects were confined to the Metabolic Unit from 19:00 h on day 1 to 09:30 h on day 6. Each day they had a fixed diet providing 4.2 MJ with three pairs of meal patterns which were offered in random sequence. They were: six meals vs two meals without access to additional foods (6vs2), or six meals vs 2 meals with access to additional food (6+vs2+), or six meals vs four meals (6+vsAMFAST). In the AMFAST condition the first two meals of the day were omitted to reduce daily intake to 2.8 MJ and to create a morning fast, but additional food was accessible thereafter. Patients were confined in the chamber calorimeter from 19:00 h on day 2 until 09:00 h on day 4, and then from 19:00 h on day 4 to 09:00 h on day 6. The order in which each meal pattern was offered was balanced over time. MEASUREMENTS: Energy expenditure (chamber calorimetry), spontaneous activity (video) and energy intake (where additional foods were available) during the final 24 h of each dietary component. SUBJECTS: Ten (6vs2), eight (6+vs2+) and eight (6+vsAMFAST) women were recruited who had a BMI of greater than 25 kg/m2. RESULTS: From experiment 6vs2 the difference between energy expenditure with six meals (10.00 MJ) and two meals (9.96 MJ) was not significant (P=0.88). Energy expenditure between 23:00 h and 08:00 h ('night') was, however, significantly higher (P=0.02) with two meals (9.12 MJ/24 h) compared with six meals (8.34 MJ/24 h). The pattern of spontaneous physical activity did not differ significantly between these two meal patterns (P>0.05). Total energy intake was affected by neither meal frequency in experiment 6+vs2+ (10.75 MJ with six, 11.08 MJ with two; P=0.58) nor a morning fast in experiment 6+vsAMFAST (8.55 MJ/24 h with six, 7.60 MJ with AMFAST; P=0.40). The total diet of subjects who had a morning fast tended to have a lower percentage of total energy from carbohydrate (40%) than when they had six meals per 24 h (49%) (P=0.05). Subsequent energy balance was affected by neither meal frequency (6vs2; P=0.88, 6+vs2+; P=0.50) nor a morning fast (P=0.18). CONCLUSIONS: In the short term, meal frequency and a period of fasting have no major impact on energy intake or expenditure but energy expenditure is delayed with a lower meal frequency compared with a higher meal frequency. This might be attributed to the thermogenic effect of food continuing into the night when a later, larger meal is given. A morning fast resulted in a diet which tended to have a lower percentage of energy from carbohydrate than with no fast.

[Got Euro ?]

He is trying to gain weight , how are you going to gain weight if your only taking in 2k calories a day on a fast metabolism ? I speak from ALL experience . Needs to take in ATLEAST 4k calories MIN plus 1-1.5g protein per 1lb of body weight. Also needs to take in complex carbs as well . I have friends that compete in competition and body build and study nutrition . How and why would you starve your body and muscles from not eating? To the OP , gain the weight first , gaining weight comes with some fat but you will have muscle under that plus you need a little, and when time comes you can cycle onto a nice shredder or cutdown program

[Dre01SS]

You wanna get big? Eat big!
Aside from the aforementioned lifts (Squats, Deads, Cleans, more squats...) you gotta eat!

http://www.70sbig.com/food/
Here's a blurb:

Which diet should I use to get 70’s Big?
Any “diet” that has a name won’t get you to the top of the mountain. If you’re counting blocks, forget about it.


The first order of business is getting your protein squared away. Your diet is pass/fail depending on your protein intake. You should consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day if you want to grow (1.5-2 g/lb BW or more may be necessary).


What about carbs and fat?
Listen to me now and hear me forever…macronutrient ratios are largely irrelevant if you’re above 15% bodyfat.


Assuming you comply with the first rule, total calories are your major concern at this point. If you have a compelling need to be lean (e.g. you’re a weight-class athlete) you can start tweaking once you go below about 15% bodyfat mark.


I’m going to ignore your advice and ask about macros anyway.
There are hundreds of books, articles, and blogs out there that discuss this crap. We’re not going there. But here is a simple guide to macros. It is not completely technically correct, but it gives you an idea about the concepts. Protein is for building and maintaining muscle mass, carbohydrates fuel your efforts, and fat fuels your recovery. If you’re falling behind in any of these areas, increase the appropriate macro.


How much do I need to eat?
1) More


2) There is an old business adage, “don’t dress for a job you have; dress for the job you want.” Apply this to your eating. If you want to be 215, you need to eat for 215, not for your 165 pound sprint-Tri doing self. You won’t get 70’s Big by pushing bird seed around your plate at your local hippy bistro. Start with 125-150% of what you’re eating now and see how that goes for a couple weeks.

[Nautik]

Join a Cross-fit gym (they call them a "Cross-fit box"). It will only take you an hour most days. Not only will results come fast, you will gain "functional strength". You can spend hours in a normal gym every day and gain a lot of bulk, but it won't be very useful.

[bluecarbon]

give this a look http://www.muscleandfitness.com/rock_hard_challenge/
the workouts are pretty solid, its got nutritional info for meals and some stuff on bsn supplements (because its is sponsored by bsn) all and all it should at least be something that you can take some exercise ideas from

[NU arty boy]

Here is some motivation for you



Just kidding. Stay with the routine you have in order to get a good foundation. I'm 28, and at 6'1" and 190 lbs I am happy where I am at. Enjoy being so young because it gets harder and harder to work out as you get older.

[Augenbrauezug]

Originally Posted by Quick6EF

Unfortunately that is completely false, SCS.

It's a myth and completely incorrect. Please see below for PubMed articles supporting the fact.

I have about 8 more PubMed articles to support the fact that meal timing/frequency has no effect on your metabolism or body composition.

Your body will not go catabolic if you go several hours until eating.

I've trained enough clients to know that when we changed the timing of their meals, they lost considerably more weight then they were before. I've helped many overweight people break plateaus, simply by changing WHEN they were eating. They were already eating 'healthy', but by changing meal timing/frequency there was a huge change in body composition.

[Augenbrauezug]

Originally Posted by The Whale

P90X is actually a mild half-way go between for Crossfit. Do the mainsite workout every day for free. Eat Paleo. Don't do anything but the stuff it says to do with as much intensity as you can. You'll get amazing results VERY FAST.


http://www.crossfit.com

That or google your home town and the word crossfit - join a crossfit affiliate gym and you'll literally never want to stop it's amazing.

Crossfit will be my next endeavor. The 'normal' gym routine was working fine for me, but it's time to really kick in high gear.

[TXe92]

What excercises are you doing now? You said you're looking to get lean?.. which means 2 things.. donig high rep counts without long breaks inbetween ( 30-60seconds MAX ) the continuation of reps will help burn calories.. and 2, which was already mentioned, maybe do 30-60 minutes of cardio afterwards.. be patient too.. you most likely wont see huge results without 60 days of continuous exercise.... and get your protein, sleep, and stay away from TacoBell..

EDIT.. I would say 1g of protien for every pound you weigh is overkill, because your goal is LEAN, yo need to understand protein comes with calories, and you should probably consume less than 2000 calories / day. Assuming you ate 4 meals a day at 400 each ( that's what I do ) and had 100 grams of protein within the 4 meals ( and a post workout shake not counting as a meal ) you would be right under 2000 calories.. just sayin

[Dre01SS]

Originally Posted by Augenbrauezug

Crossfit will be my next endeavor. The 'normal' gym routine was working fine for me, but it's time to really kick in high gear.

You won't ever look back - I didn't. Coming up on 2 years soon, have been a certified coach for over 1year, and in the process of opening my own box with one of my best friends/person that got me into it.

To each their own, but I won't ever be able to go back to Monday-Back, Tuesday-Chest, etc... routine.

And your fitness spectrum will be much greater with Oly lifting, gymnastics, and more

[Augenbrauezug]

Originally Posted by Dre01SS

You won't ever look back - I didn't. Coming up on 2 years soon, have been a certified coach for over 1year, and in the process of opening my own box with one of my best friends/person that got me into it.

To each their own, but I won't ever be able to go back to Monday-Back, Tuesday-Chest, etc... routine.

And your fitness spectrum will be much greater with Oly lifting, gymnastics, and more

I look forward to it. Already found a 'box' (did I use that correctly?) near me.

[Dre01SS]

Originally Posted by Augenbrauezug

I look forward to it. Already found a 'box' (did I use that correctly?) near me.

Haha yeah you did Definitely check out different boxes in the area, and figure out which one is the best fit for you. Ask about the programming they do (mainsite, or custom) and get a feel for the atmosphere. Those two are the biggest differentiators for the CF gyms.

The one other great aspect, the community. It's a whole different world within it...

And for those that think all we do is HIIT and Cardio, this is my favorite way to show how we are different:

[Augenbrauezug]

Originally Posted by Dre01SS

Haha yeah you did Definitely check out different boxes in the area, and figure out which one is the best fit for you. Ask about the programming they do (mainsite, or custom) and get a feel for the atmosphere. Those two are the biggest differentiators for the CF gyms.

The one other great aspect, the community. It's a whole different world within it...

And for those that think all we do is HIIT and Cardio, this is my favorite way to show how we are different:

Unfortunately there is only one box that is convenient for me. The rest are simply too far and out of the way to fit it into my busy schedule. I've passed the box near me 1000s of times, but never gave it a seconds thought. Never looked into crossfit before now actually, and it fits my 'style' of workout very well. Most people at my gym look at me like I'm crazy with my workouts, running in and out the door doing sprints and what-not.

What really put me over the edge was I do handstand pushups twice a week and my manager (I'm a trainer, or rep counter as crossfit puts it HAHA) came to me and told me to stop as the janitor was tired of cleaning the marks my sweaty socks left on the metal wall. How fucking lame, it's a gym, it's his job to clean, get over it. /rant

That video was cool, the intro was funny and I see that kind of 'working out' everyday.

[serge_chez]

The best thing to do is subscribe to fitness magazines and become very knowledgeable in workouts, diets, etc. If you do not want to spend the money on magazines, just go to your local Barnes & Noble once a month and read the newest issues.