1st post, help/advice appreciated

[Allan]

Hi guys, just found this site (great site by the way), and spent the last hour or so searching for stuff i need. Although i seem to know most of what i want, i thought id make a post to clarify it all. Any Advice to the following would be geatly appreciated.

About 3 weeks ago i joined a gym, and have been going 6 times a week with a friend. A typical day involves 45 mins squash then 30-40 mins CV (rowers, treadmill, bike etc) and then finally weights. Weights are normally as follows:
mon: biceps/triceps,
tue: chest/back,
wed: legs,
Thur: biceps/triceps
Fri: chest/back.

Ok, so heres were my questions start. Ive read its better to split CV and weights, and to split what muscles you work, so im thinking about changing to the system below:

Mon: Squash/CV
Tue: Chest/Triceps
Wed: Squash/CV
Thur: Back/Biceps
Fri: Squash/CV
Sat: Legs/Shoulders
Sun: off

How does the above sound ? Any changes or better plans would be greatly appreciated.

OK, my next problem is that although im not fat, i do have a big belly, which is just not in proportion to the rest of my skinny arms/legs. Im about 5'9/5'10 and 153lbs. Ive been on the atkins diet now since monday and have lost about half a stone in 4 days from just eating meat (i was 159/160lbs on monday).

When i start the weights properly with my new plan, i do intend to take protein shakes and creatine, but do you recommend that i carry on with this diet and no weights until i lose my belly and am really skinny, then build out, or should i just come off the diet right now and start taking the shakes and eating alot more?

Im scared that if i start eating alot more food to gain muscle that my belly will just get bigger. Can anyone suggest a diet that should be good for me with the plan intended above, and should i start it right away, or wait till my belly has gone.

Sorry for the big essay, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Allan

[Jock]

Bro ditch the Atkins diet, it is a quick fix solution that people use to get fast results. What do they plan to do? Never eat carbs again EVER? More than likely they go back to their normal diets and put all the fat back on.

To me it's all a crock of sh*t, your body NEEDS carbohydrates to function properly, it's one of the major macronutrients.

Losing fat and keeping it off is all about a clean diet, regular cardio and weight-training. Your body needs carbs to excerise effectivley.

You can still lose fat with carbs in your diet, while holding on to muscle tissue while you do it. Muscle burns fat anyway simply through it's bodily functions.

Start working out how many calories you consume a day and how many you should be consuming to lose fat, cut out the guess work.

Try searching the boards and you will find more info than you ever knew existed.

Best of luck, Jock

[Allan]

Hi

Apart from my stomach being a bit out of proportion, ive lived off junk food all my life, eating nothing but chips, pizzas, etc. I dont eat any veg at all, and no fruit (silly i know), and im not really in too bad a shape considering what i throw down my mouth, so im thinking now that once the belly has gone it wont come back. Especially as im now in the gym six times a week, and from the age of 15-21 ive done no excerise at all really. Surely it cant come back, can it ?

Allan

[PoorBoyTek]

Your body wont react well with junk food. In order for your body to be shocked into getting healthy, you'll need to eat healthy if you truly want your abs...
Trust me=) I was known as the god of whoppers...i could finish off two double whoppers with cheese(1960 calories, 126 grams of fat) before my GF finished her fries....
Bottom line is, if you really want a difference, commitment on all three lines is needed. 1) healthy eating 2) healthy workout 3) committment

[DaLinkWent]

Sure it can come back if your willing to eat and train right. Sounds like your best off to spend ome time researching a clean diet, HIIT cardio and getting yourself set with a good weights routine.

If your willing to put in the time you be able to see changes witout a problem.
21 years old isn;t too old to start at ALL! Your still producing a ton a test and you will be able to make some gains no problem

cheers

[Sayer]

" When i start the weights properly with my new plan, i do intend to take protein shakes and creatine, but do you recommend that i carry on with this diet and no weights until i lose my belly and am really skinny, then build out, or should i just come off the diet right now and start taking the shakes and eating alot more? "

From your post it seems like you might be missing the fact that weight training can play a critical role in weight loss, especially if you want to maximize fat loss without losing a lot of muscle. Here are links to a couple of great articles that describe a good weight loss strategy:

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/.../winning_1.htm

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/.../winning_2.htm

[Allan]

Hi

When i meant start using the weights properly, i meant by taking creatine and whey while working out. I am still doing weight training at the moment while on the atkins diet. But im not taking any supplements as i will go over the carb limit.

Theres been a lot of posts above, but i still dont really understand what to do, one person recommends comming right off the atkins diet, while others seem kinda mixed.

I am losing alot of weight at the moment, and i do intent comming off the diet in about a week or maybe less. Im pretty sure when i come off it i wont put the weight back on as im too active now compared to what i was. Ill also start eating alot better.

I was just trying to figure out whether its recommended as a whole to come right off the atkins diet now and start training properly, or hold on for another week or so when hopefully i wont have a gut, then start properly.

Thanks

Allan

[Octagon]

Originally Posted by Allan

I am losing alot of weight at the moment, and i do intent comming off the diet in about a week or maybe less. Im pretty sure when i come off it i wont put the weight back on as im too active now compared to what i was. Ill also start eating alot better.

I'm not saying this to discourage you but rather to warn you in advance so you're not too freaked out...you very likely will but that weight back on when you go back to eating carbs.

Much (if not most) of the weight you've lost came from glycogen (energy the body stores within the muscles themselves) and water (a single gram of glycogen can be bound to as many as four grams of water). The *first* thing your body is going to try to do when you start eating carbs again is replenish those glycogen stores.

Now, this is not a bad thing. In fact, moving from something like Atkins to a more nutritionally balanced plan is one of the best ways to develop long term nutrition habits consistent with your long term fitness and health goals.

Just don't be too freaked out when (and not if) the scale shoots up a bit when you change over.

[Allan]

Hi again,

Ive decided to come off the atkins diet on monday, thats only a week from when i started it. If i carry on losing weight like i have been, then by monday i will have lost a stone. If i keep that weight off then ill be happy, if it comes right back on then fair enough, ive only wasted a week, and ill lose fat the slow and safe way.

So, the whole atkins issue asside, what do you think about my 6 day plan, is it ok or will it need modifying at all?

Thanks again, much appreciated

Allan

[Alex(AJ)]

the split there is okay. you've got good spacing. only thing is is that may be a lot of cardio if you're trying to gain some mass.

[Allan]

Cheers, ill drop the cardio after a month or two when im of a good fitness level, and have a little less body fat.

Thanks again !

Allan