NFT: P90X/Insanity/T25/BodyBeast/General Fitness Thread

back from March to May of last year and had good results went from about 225 to 204, then put on around 10 pounds over next 6 months. I highly recommend it for people strapped with time but want results as each workout is 25 minutes flat including warmups.

I weighed in at 230 the day after Labor Day. That was my signal to get going. Started lifting and running and better diet. Down to 203 now. Got 1RM Bench of 250 today and have my Deadlifts at 305 for 3x5. Squats are lagging but I am working on form and going very deep. Could not do a pullup when I started and now I am getting 3 sets of 7-8.

Heading to Mexico on Vaca next week, so probably backslide a bit. Going to really try Intermittent Fasting 16/8 program when I get back. Keep hearing amazing things about it. I need to drop another 10 but stretch goal is 20.

when you are trying to cut fat and lifting?

I know you shouldn't live and die by the scale but I've been in similar situations to the few posts above me. 5'10", was around 215 this summer (heaviest I've ever been). I dropped to 195 and went up a little bit over the holidays.

Anyway, when I lift, I put on muscle almost too quickly. I've always been a broader guy and have the frame for muscle (and some chubb as well, heh), but just find that when I'm lifting the scale climbs, I pack on muscle, but I don't seem to be losing the fat that I want to.

This most recent exercise period, I kept it to lighter weight (45 lb dbs doing bench press, etc) and higher reps with a focus more on full body work. I did this on Tu/Th. M/W/F I would spin for 45 minutes with 30 minutes of yoga after.

My whole mentality was that I would just focus on dropping weight and worry about bulking if I ever became a skinny minny.

Now, in 2018, I'm restarting again and trying to figure out what approach I like the best. The cycling for me got my legs really muscular (not that I needed it because I've always had big hammies/quads) - hence my stretch jeans thread started the other day. It also got my legs really tired. Overall I'm so f'in tired.

I think this is why I haven't really been inspired to start up again, I've been stuffing my face after clean eating for over 2 months and my body is still so tired.

Sorry for the ramble, this was cathartic though.

I guess in recap:
- Does anyone else have trouble slimming while lifting because they put on muscle "too fast" (whether its true or not, the scale makes it feel like that).
- Buy stretch jeans.
- Help me feel less tired.

beachbody on demand. They have a 1 month free trial.

There are so many programs on there and i suggest giving each of them a shot, you might be surprised with what you like.

I said i was going to cancel after the month but i like having all the options and they add new programs often. Plus, my company reimburse the cost (though i could use that money on anything health related)

Any of you guys good with nutrition?

I have the same goal most people do - adding a little lean muscle while burning fat in the process.

I'm still on the thinner side - I'm 6'1" and a little over 180. But I let my diet go a bit during all the holidays and a little bit of belly fat came along with it.

Now that Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. are out of the way, I'm trying to get back into a solid routine and I know diet plays a huge role.

I'm considering a going low-carb.. I don't know if I want to venture into ketosis, but I want to keep my carb intake around 50g per day if possible and base my diet around lean meats, veggies, nuts, etc.

Basically my goal is to get up to around 190 but I obviously want that 5-10lbs to be muscle and not fat.

Trying to just get a little more cut and add definition but I need a good meal/dieting plan because I work such staggered hours and find myself eating in a pinch a lot. Once I'm really hungry, my discipline goes out the window - so I need to have a good plan in place.

cutting fat sound great together but the truth is its almost impossible to accomplish both at the same time. Youre better off periodizing your training into say 3 mo cycles where you focus on one then the other (trad its adding muscle in winter then leaning out as weather warms up).

There are all kinds of methods both in the gym (interval/HIIT) and out (carb/fat cycling and depleting) but the key is to find what works best for your metabolism.

As to the various programs out there, anybody got Gianni's # ?

Yeah, I know it's really hard to do both simultaneously - I'm just trying to avoid ballooning up in an effort to build a little more muscle.

I figure a low-carb, high-protein diet with an exercise routine incorporating a good bit of heavy lifting should get me where I need but maybe there's a better way.

I probably overthink this stuff, honestly - I was in great shape last summer, but I'm always looking for better or more efficient ways.

I was also experimenting with intermittent fasting.

I have no problem not eating for 16 hours, the problem is that I can't seem to get the protein/nutrient intake I need within the 8 hour window.

I don't have enough of an appetite to eat as much as I need to between 1 and 9pm (that's the window I usually use) so that one is tough.

I've also tried to work out in a fasted state and find that I just don't have the energy I need.

when adding muscle. Just keep your calories clean and learn to eat just as much as you need to accomplish your goals. I know some guys are big on IF, Im not a fan personally for a cpl reasons. When I was competing I got down to 3% BF at age 42 and it was brutal. As I was doing it naturally it took 3 mo of gradual changes. Its all about dedication and discipline. I wouldnt do it now lol.

still around here peddling his Beachbody stuff?

I've worked out my whole life and I've always considered myself pretty fit, but diet and portion control was always the toughest thing for me. Most of what I eat is actually pretty healthy but I just consume way too much of it.

Lately i've made a conscious effort not to eat off of my kids plate. I don't care how good those left over chicken nuggets/fries/sandwich whatever looks, just don't eat cause I'm really not that hungry.

I also cut out beer and switched to vodka primarily, my thinking here is that at a minimum it requires less volume to do the same thing. Yeah not much science behind that one.

Curious to hear how others control portions

In comment 13780866 arcarsenal said:

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Yeah, I know it's really hard to do both simultaneously - I'm just trying to avoid ballooning up in an effort to build a little more muscle. I figure a low-carb, high-protein diet with an exercise routine incorporating a good bit of heavy lifting should get me where I need but maybe there's a better way. I probably overthink this stuff, honestly - I was in great shape last summer, but I'm always looking for better or more efficient ways.

Like someone said it's really hard to do both but depending on body type it's very possible. For gaining muscle it more depends on the workout routine is. My gym (crossfit) tends to mostly focus on combinations of powerlifting routines and shorter (5-15 min) high intensity interval workouts - almost everyone gets stronger and more cut, but over time there's diminishing returns in terms of visual results unless the diet is clean.

I've been there for about 5 years and i've steadily gained 5-10 pounds per year maintaining a similar BF and eating pretty much what I want within reason (occasional pizza/pasta/burgers). I'd actually prefer to lean out than gaining any weight, but to do that i'd either need to really clean up my diet or add in way more cardio than I can fit into my schedule.

In comment 13780915 Eric on Li said:

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In comment 13780866 arcarsenal said: Quote: Yeah, I know it's really hard to do both simultaneously - I'm just trying to avoid ballooning up in an effort to build a little more muscle. I figure a low-carb, high-protein diet with an exercise routine incorporating a good bit of heavy lifting should get me where I need but maybe there's a better way. I probably overthink this stuff, honestly - I was in great shape last summer, but I'm always looking for better or more efficient ways. Like someone said it's really hard to do both but depending on body type it's very possible. For gaining muscle it more depends on the workout routine is. My gym (crossfit) tends to mostly focus on combinations of powerlifting routines and shorter (5-15 min) high intensity interval workouts - almost everyone gets stronger and more cut, but over time there's diminishing returns in terms of visual results unless the diet is clean. I've been there for about 5 years and i've steadily gained 5-10 pounds per year maintaining a similar BF and eating pretty much what I want within reason (occasional pizza/pasta/burgers). I'd actually prefer to lean out than gaining any weight, but to do that i'd either need to really clean up my diet or add in way more cardio than I can fit into my schedule.

I'm lucky in that I can sort of "cheat" more than the average person. I've just always been on the thin side - I'm not worried about getting fat, it's just always been harder for me to put on weight. I'm 33 now and the most I've ever weighed was probably a couple ticks under 190.

I'm at 182 now.

I obviously don't want to junk bulk. I just feel like I get stuck in plateaus where nothing is changing. Which, isn't necessarily an awful thing at my size since it's about the weight I want to sit at anyway.

I'd really just love to cut about 5lbs of fat and replace it with lean muscle and I think I'd be happy - but that's what everyone wants and it's hard to do.

I'm kind of like you in that I could go to the gym/run a few times a week and cheat on the diet and get away with it, I'm just a few inches shorter. 5 years ago I was 170 lbs. I upped the workout intensity and it made a huge difference (and the amount of time in the gym stayed pretty similar). In the first year I probably replaced 5 pounds of fat with muscle, and then like I said each of the years since I've gained 5+ pounds of muscle without adding fat. I'm around 190 now and would prefer to be in the 180's but I know losing those few % BF would take a lot more effort on diet than I'm willing to do.

It's pretty standard for the most part.

I tinker with it a lot and try different things, but my general week is something like this...

Monday - Chest/Back
Tuesday - Cardio/Abs
Wednesday - Shoulders/Arms
Thursday - Legs
Friday - Core

Sometimes I'll go for a run/jog or double up on a muscle group on a Saturday, but I usually rest on weekends

But all of my exercises are pretty routine. Bench, squats, curls, flys, etc. It has worked pretty well for me. Even though I'm not huge, I'm built much differently than I was when I was in my early 20's.. I used to be sort of lanky. I have a lot more muscle on me now. I weighed around 150 at this point in my 20's.

I've messed around with some other routines like HIIT and tried some other programs like Asylum but I generally stick with my base routine during normal weeks. I do try to switch things up a bit and work some other angles to try to avoid too much plateau or things getting stale.

The dieting part has just always been harder for me because I've been able to get away with cheating so much - I haven't been forced to exercise discipline as much as I need.

It also doesn't help that I am not a good cook. So manual meal prep isn't my strong suit. I can make grilled chicken and veggies and other basic stuff, but the less cooking I have to do, the better - I really just don't have a ton of time to do it.

also did p90x for a little bit. Once in a while I'd run outside or throw in a class or two. I moved and the closest gym was a crossfit gym that offered a bunch of other types of classes too, which I started going to thinking I'd do that once a week and join a regular gym/run outside. Within a couple weeks I started upping the amount of group workouts I was doing and that was when I saw big results vs. working out myself in a regular gym. Working out with other people just made it a lot more enjoyable and added a competitive element not too different from playing sports growing up. I still work out with a lot of those same people and they're good friends.

If you want to add muscle it seems like free weight olympic lifting/power lifting programs would be a good idea - and they are about as successfully time tested as any excercise routine can be. It's not super fancy, a ton of squats, shoulder press, deadlifts, and the occasional compound movements like cleans that hit everything in a way that's hard to replicate in a regular gym. Crossfit gyms can be very hit or miss in terms of how they are run, but the overall theory of basic olympic lifting combined with HIIT and body weight movements works really well and it's super efficient time wise.

interests me.... wondering how what you take post-workout? Does IF exclude protein shakes?

In comment 13780950 J said:

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interests me.... wondering how what you take post-workout? Does IF exclude protein shakes?

During the IF period, it excludes virtually everything other than water, black coffee or green tea.

Once you break the fast, protein shakes are fine during the eating period. I actually am breaking my fast with a pre-workout protein shake and a post-workout one as well.

diet is 70 to 80% of the fight.

I'm tracking macros now and I have found that it works best for me. I also do 3-4 resistance work outs and 1-2 cardio workouts a week.

I was up to 213 in June after my daughter was born. Now I am down to 167, super lean. Probably going into maintenance until August when I'll do a slow bulk.

recently weighed in at 218 (highest I've been in the last 15 years).

Picked up "Bigger Leaner Stronger" by Michael Matthew for $.99 on Amazon and I want to try out his program. Pretty straight forward except he focuses on 4-6 reps with more weight and the workouts are about 45-50 mins long, 4-5 days a week.

I am in the same boat with most of you guys where i've had the same workout routine for a while and eventually hit the plateau in terms of muscle gain or weight loss etc.

I also find that eating healthy is a MUST! you don't need insane amount of protein to lose weight since at the end of the day, it's a numbers game - Calories in Vs. Calories burned.

Will try this out until March 31st and report back with my experience.

In comment 13781203 Kevin in Annapolis said:

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I'm tracking macros now and I have found that it works best for me. I also do 3-4 resistance work outs and 1-2 cardio workouts a week. I was up to 213 in June after my daughter was born. Now I am down to 167, super lean. Probably going into maintenance until August when I'll do a slow bulk.

G'damn man, that is some great progress.

What's your height? Workout routine? What are your macros set at?

When I was cutting I was on P155 F65 C200. Now that I am maintaining I am at P165 F70 C240, although I haven't been overly diligent about hitting those number.

I actually do mostly Beachbody On Demand stuff. With 2 young kids I don't have time to get to the gym and I have the room in the basement for workout gear. I started with Hammer and Chisel (2 rounds). Then I did about a month of Sagi's newest Week or Hard Labor (I really liked this and will probably do Body Beast when I decide to start bulking). Wife wants to work out with me so we have been gearing up for Autumn's newest workout 80 day obsession. I am planning to start hitting my macros more diligently next week again.

up by us in the Spring. We absolutely cannot wait!

In comment 13781354 Kevin in Annapolis said:

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When I was cutting I was on P155 F65 C200. Now that I am maintaining I am at P165 F70 C240, although I haven't been overly diligent about hitting those number. I actually do mostly Beachbody On Demand stuff. With 2 young kids I don't have time to get to the gym and I have the room in the basement for workout gear. I started with Hammer and Chisel (2 rounds). Then I did about a month of Sagi's newest Week or Hard Labor (I really liked this and will probably do Body Beast when I decide to start bulking). Wife wants to work out with me so we have been gearing up for Autumn's newest workout 80 day obsession. I am planning to start hitting my macros more diligently next week again.

how many calories is that... im your same height but want to get real lean as well.

In comment 13781425 GMAN4LIFE said:

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In comment 13781354 Kevin in Annapolis said: Quote: how many calories is that... im your same height but want to get real lean as well.

Cutting 2,004 - Maintenance 2,225

When I started I did my best to be within 5 grams of each macro nutrient daily and was probably loosing weight to quickly so I started taking a bit of a cheat day on the weekends while still hitting my goals M-F. Once I feel into a good grove I lost about 1.5 lb/week.

In comment 13781447 Kevin in Annapolis said:

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In comment 13781425 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: In comment 13781354 Kevin in Annapolis said: Quote: how many calories is that... im your same height but want to get real lean as well. Cutting 2,004 - Maintenance 2,225 When I started I did my best to be within 5 grams of each macro nutrient daily and was probably loosing weight to quickly so I started taking a bit of a cheat day on the weekends while still hitting my goals M-F. Once I feel into a good grove I lost about 1.5 lb/week.

back in september i was at 205... now i am down to 191.5. I have mine set to :

Carbs: 204
Fat:76
Protein: 161
calories: 2144


im trying to stay within my goals but sometimes im not that hungry to eat all 2144.

i ride my peloton bike 6 days a week and do weights 4. any tips?

In comment 13781457 GMAN4LIFE said:

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In comment 13781447 Kevin in Annapolis said: Quote: any tips?

Sounds like you are doing things right. I never have a problem eating my calories, lol. If you do, I would prioritize protein, fiber (15-20% of your carbs), fats, then the rest of your carbs.

In comment 13781400 jlukes said:

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up by us in the Spring. We absolutely cannot wait!

If you lose any weight the winds at Mercer County will blow you away.......

I record literally everything I eat, measuring, weighing, etc. I struggle because I have a fair sedentary office job, but have flexibility to get workouts in when I want to.

My TDEE is suggested around 2,200. I'd love to lose a little over a lb a week which would put me at a deficit of 750 cals/day.

Maybe this time around I'll lower it to a lb a week. See if that helps.

I have not started yet but I have to admit after sneaking a peak that I am a bit intimidated.

I am not in terrible shape, and was biking 30 minutes a day until I hurt my back in the fall.

Am I in over my head here? Should I be this spooked by what I saw or is it hard but actually doable for the average 46 year old?

Advice?

I did a couple of years T 25 and got to gamma round .. was feeling great
but then got lazy and stopped -

I started up again this fall and back to gamma. feeling great again
but now I realized that what happen last time was I got bored of program
because I feel it is happening again

so does anyone have recommendation of what I should do next ?
I really love the 25 minute 5 day a week plan and feel like anything longer will make me not be as dedicated

In comment 13781544 giantfan2000 said:

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so does anyone have recommendation of what I should do next ? I really love the 25 minute 5 day a week plan and feel like anything longer will make me not be as dedicated

If you have Beachbody On Demand you can sort programs by length. A lot of Autumn's workouts are about 30 minutes (21 day fix/21 day fix extreme), P90X3 is 30 minutes, Insanity Max: 30 is 30 minutes.

In comment 13781541 Scott in Montreal said:

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Am I in over my head here? Should I be this spooked by what I saw or is it hard but actually doable for the average 46 year old? Advice?

I think you can do it. Just listen to your body and don't be afraid to modify some of the movements if necessary.

In comment 13781539 tbonfig said:

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My TDEE is suggested around 2,200. I'd love to lose a little over a lb a week which would put me at a deficit of 750 cals/day. Maybe this time around I'll lower it to a lb a week. See if that helps.

How did you calculate your TDEE? Are you including your workout or just baseline?

One lb a week is a very reasonable goal and a good place to start.

when I did my first go round of t25 I also tried the gamma side and got a couple of workouts in but then stopped. Those workouts are really tough. I think your best bet would be to try p90x3 afterwards. I would love to do the original p90x again (I did it about 6 years ago when I was in college) as I was in the best shape of my life went from 201 to 173 in 10 weeks. I just dont think I can commit up to an hour and a half day to it anymore.

In comment 13781575 Kevin in Annapolis said:

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In comment 13781539 tbonfig said: Quote: My TDEE is suggested around 2,200. I'd love to lose a little over a lb a week which would put me at a deficit of 750 cals/day. Maybe this time around I'll lower it to a lb a week. See if that helps. How did you calculate your TDEE? Are you including your workout or just baseline? One lb a week is a very reasonable goal and a good place to start.

I used a few different calculators online with fairly simple input: height, weight, overall lifestyle (this part always kills me. I sit at a desk for most the day but I'm constantly moving around the house, doing things with the dogs, doing work outside, etc., but regardless, I err on the conservative side), etc.

I was similar to one of the other posters above, was around 215 at my peak in the summer, not doing anything with my diet. End of September I clocked in around 212, dropped to about 197 in December and got away with it in the holidays (starting back up today at 204, which I'm assuming is a lot of water weight).

I want to drop to 180 and then take it from there. I'm going to try to average 1700 calories. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE MY WORKOUT CALORIES. This is strictly calories in.

Any tips?

In comment 13781457 GMAN4LIFE said:

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i ride my peloton bike 6 days a week and do weights 4. any tips?

Thoughts on the Peloton Tread that was just announced?

In comment 13781773 tbonfig said:

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In comment 13781457 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: i ride my peloton bike 6 days a week and do weights 4. any tips? Thoughts on the Peloton Tread that was just announced?

i cant run due to bad shin splints but for those that can, it all depends. Would you rather now strictly run indoors than outside? its 4k so i doubt you run outside anymore with an investment like that

In comment 13781799 GMAN4LIFE said:

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i cant run due to bad shin splints but for those that can, it all depends. Would you rather now strictly run indoors than outside? its 4k so i doubt you run outside anymore with an investment like that

I actually hate running. I also didn't think I would like cycling before doing this call, which is why I think I may like the treadmill option. It's not cheap, obviously, but good treadmills aren't cheap as it is. Plus they're offering 0% financing right now for $110/month. Not bad at all.

In comment 13782143 tbonfig said:

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In comment 13781799 GMAN4LIFE said: Quote: i cant run due to bad shin splints but for those that can, it all depends. Would you rather now strictly run indoors than outside? its 4k so i doubt you run outside anymore with an investment like that I actually hate running. I also didn't think I would like cycling before doing this call, which is why I think I may like the treadmill option. It's not cheap, obviously, but good treadmills aren't cheap as it is. Plus they're offering 0% financing right now for $110/month. Not bad at all.

the deal isnt so bad. its just the a machine for runners and not for someone who hates running. we bought the bike to not have to run.

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when I did my first go round of t25 I also tried the gamma side and got a couple of workouts in but then stopped. Those workouts are really tough. I think your best bet would be to try p90x3 afterwards.

thanks I will look into it ..

I don't find gamma that hard .. I mean it has taken me awhile to get to do 100% of the workout
the worst one is speed 3.0 that can be a killer with all the burpees

if so what did you think?