ExRx.net

Hi,
I am 5'8" 26 Yr old individual weighing around 182 Pounds (in my T shirt/Shorts/Running SHoes), I was around 194 Pounds around 3 months back. I was following the EXRX 2 Day split program alongwith 30 minutes of Cardio (Elliptical/Rowing/Stationary Cycling). I followed a moderate diet not too strict always(occasionaly had Pizzas and McD's too)

For past few weeks I have not been able to reduce beyond 182 lbs, have I hit the plateau ? I have changed my excesie routine since last week, and now I have taken up biking (in Portland,OR biking rocks) and I am atleast attempting 1-2 rides of 30 miles each week. I found that my dieting does not go alongwith my biking and during my first ride I practically crashed, so I am not so strict about dieting now. I am vegettarian by the way.

So what do I need to get beyond 182 lbs ( I need to be around 170 lbs ideally), Changing the weight training routine is one thing I have already started, do I take additional supplement like Whey Protein ( with my limited knowledge, I feel safe only taking whey protein though I have not yet started yet). I do my workouts in the morning and take only coffee 1/2 hr before stepping into the gym, and drink water and have breakfast 30 to 45 minutes after completing my work out.

Is there anything I need to differently at this stage ?

Thanks for your time in reading and answering this.

Regards

Uday

Here is something to consider:



Increasing your cardio at this point will inhibit your ability to build lean muscle. Add that to your falling off the dieting wagon, and you're setting yourself up for a weight gain.

If I were you, I would do no more that 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. The focus of your training should be to build more muscle. While some cardio will help you become leaner, too much will cannibalize your muscle tissue and make it impossible for your muscles to grow. You might consider doing HIIT rather than traditional LSD cardio - anyone who can cycle 30 miles several times a week has a good enough cardio base to do HIIT

As for diet:

1 - Try to keep the ratio of the three macronutrients (protein, carbs and fats) relatively close to each other. In other words, avoid lopsided diets where you're getting more than 40% of your calories from one of the three and less than 20% of your calories from another.

2 - Do NOT eat products made of refined carbs (white sugar, white flour, white rice, ect). Pizza and Mickey D's fall in that category. Eat only whole grain products

3 - Don't be fat phobic - just be careful of which fats you eat. Nuts and seeds, avocados, olive, canola, coconut and palm oils and eggs are all good fat sources. The best sources are fatty fish, which are high in omega 3 fatty acids, but you said that you were a vegetarian. Flax seeds and walnuts also have omega 3s, but they are the short chain ALA rather than the more beneficial long chain EPA and DHA

4 - Most importantly, CALORIES COUNT! Just because you're working out, don't get the idea that you don't have to watch what you eat. If you take in more calories than you burn off, you'll gain weight no matter how active you are.

Good luck.

Stephen pretty much laid it out, I'm just going to expand on a few points.
Supplements-They are just that, to SUPPLEMENT you diet if you are low on something. A good protein powder (whey in this case-post workout) can be he helpfull if you just don't feel like solid food after a workout or don't get enough in your reular diet. Other than that, a good multi vit-min is good, as are fishoil tabs. They are abundant in the omega-3's, especially in EPA/DHA which is hard to come by in a normal diet. They do a lot of good things for you Another possibily might be creatine, although I don't personally think it's neessary. but certainly couldn't hurt things.Lot;s of useful info on the net out there on this. I think Ironman posted a link from T-Nation on it a while back where they had an in depth discussion on how and when to use it.
Exercise- Again, Stephen was on the mark on this. The long slow stuff may not be the most beneficial, but you say you are from Portland, and that to me means you are probably riding hills and such, which might mean something closer to intervals. Here is a good read on the subject
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1526539
Diet, again Stepehn summed it up. You might want to read these for a bit more specificicity, but it's just what Stephen was telling you.
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nut ... habits.htm
http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nut ... ting_2.htm
Finally, I would NOT use numbers on a scale to use as a goal. You stated you just introduced weight training, and have done pretty well so far. I've known people who were 5'8" and were around 10-11% BF at 185 lbs, and other who were close to obese at those numbers. Go by bodyfat %, how your clothers feel, how you look in the mirror, etc. You may have put on lean bodyweight. Just somethings to think about.
Tim

from Berardi's article:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.

2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.

3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.

4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.

5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).

6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.

7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).

Vegans might have a problem with the lean protein requirement (#2), unless they eat soy protein or a derivative (tofu or tempeh). When I experimented with vegetarianism, I met my protein requirements (primarily) by combining grains and beans. Surprisingly, I had no trouble maintaining my weight, although the bloating and gas from the diet was intolerable.

I agree with TimD that a good multivitamin/mineral supplement and omega 3 capsules are the foundation of a supplement program for active people. They are proven to be beneficial for the overwhelming majority of people. A good protein powder or meal replacement(whey, egg, milk, soy or mixed) is also useful.

I'd just like to comment on Stephen's point # 4. The implication of getting your carbs from fruits and veggies means cutting out all sugar and grains. You should consider potatoes and corn as grains for this exercise since your body treats them that way. This single point will cause weight to drop off. Don't add back grains until your fat level is where you want it, then do it gradually. It's hard as most people are addicted to sugar and grains but after you get over it it's a lot easier to stay off.

Thanks everybody for the replies, I can use the collective information to plan my next move ahead.

As recommonded I check my Body Fat% at the Gym it is around 18.2%(I had to get a long pitch from the Gym guy that I can improve only If I take year's worth lessons from Personal trainer while checking this % age), but I am surprised by this percentage ,as a friend of mine who is atleast 2 inches taller than me and much thinner than me(he weighs around 165 at 5'9) has a % age of 18.8, which is strange as I look little chubbier.

My current source of Protein has been Whole Milk,Low Fat Yogurt and Eggs(this is the only animal food which I have), do I still require additonal protien from supplements.

I am going to go ahead and program my diet plan according to recomandation..and lets see where it takes me..

Though Cardio does not burn that much energy for amount of effort put, I do find that without 1/2 hr of Cardio, I am unable to intiate the Weight excersise. It feels little tough without the Cardio, so I am kinda dependent on the Cardio. Is this something to do with the way I do my exercise ?

Thanks once again for your replies.

Maybe, maybe not. Old-time bodybuilders were able to build good physiques without protein powders. But as a vegetarian, you don't have access to protein-dense foods like chicken breasts and steak



Most people do cardio AFTER weight training if their training priority is gaining size or strength. A five minute cardio warm-up before lifting is OK (although most lifters warm up by lifting with empty barbells), but too much cardio before a workout will deplete the glycogen stores in your muscles and compromise your weight workout.

A good weight workout will deplete much of your muscle glycogen, which is the primary fuel for anaerobic (weight ) training. With less glycogen, you will be set up to burn stored fat with post weight training cardio