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[tim2000s]

I already take supplements but mainly just the lean muscle protein shakes to help towards recovery. So many people say different things and I guess everything is worth a try as it may help. I can understand that all these things need to be taken to improve as well as eating properly..

On that note do people agree that when you want to get in good shape it would be 25% and 75% what you eat? I have heard this multiple times and if I would benefit from eating very well should I keep this up? It's hard when you're a youngster because there will always be events happening that involve bad food or lots of beer. I don't want to be a complete health freak and boring and not eat or drink bad things but I can stick to eating well to a certain degree.

Ultimately, if you are trying to get in shape it's more like 10% exercise, 90% diet. But it depends what you're trying to achieve.

You can build muscle mass/flexibility without noticeably changing your body shape by doing weights/exercise and eating a normal diet, but it is a relatively slow process. If you are wanting to change your body shape then you have to look much more at the diet, and really there are limited options - and you will have to stop the booze if this is something you are trying to achieve.

[RSpall]

I will be starting the healthier lifestyle as of today. Hopefully I notice some differences in a month or so.

I need something other than intervals training to help shift the little bit of podge I have. Hoping these kettle bell classes work wonders.

[potzy248]

Join a squash club. Ive been playing for 2 months now and shed 5 kilos. Its hard and you sweat a lot but its heaps of fun. Best fitness Ive ever done and surely it helps with hand eye and moving your feet.

[Stuey]

If your looking to lose weight, 100% diet. You can lose weight without exercise just by cleaning up your diet. If you want to get stronger, you need resistance training and if you want to get fitter you need conditioning, obvious i know, but so many people complicate this, killing themselves in the gym for little reward. Just some guides, to build strength train 1-5 rep reps you will also add a bit of muscle. To build muscle train 8-12 reps, but the weight will be lighter hence less strength. Be clear in your goal, Dan John has some great material on this, the first exercise he makes his athletes do is the squat, biggest bang for your buck. Re supplements many are a waste of money, read carefully. Most important of all you need recovery, if you don't recover properly you get weaker not stronger

[tim2000s]

To give you an idea of the programme I'm currently on, my "diet" is to consume a max of 2000 calories per day and strictly no booze. This has a macro split of 900 kcal Protein, 900kcal Fat, 200kcal Carbs (slow type, Brown rice, Oats, Sweet potato). I'm doing weight training 3 times per week. Each weight session is done in four series. Each series has two exercises, e.g. Dead lift and Shoulder Press; 12 reps per set and increasing weight pretty much every session, unless I fatigue.

The initial result is that in two weeks I have lost two kilos and roughly 2" from my waist size and I wasn't a fat guy to look at to start with!

If you want results, it takes effort and hard work.

[RSpall]

I only have a tiny bit of fat on my stomach and that's it. I'm in a half decent shape tbf but one of those who always wants to get in better shape. Four abs are visible but want to make them all visible. I'm trying to leave as little time between sets so that it tires me out and I feel worn out after after a session.

I will cut down on beer and the crap I eat and stick to one day at the weekend where I have a treat and be clean in the week. I had a mate that was taking grenades and in 12 weeks managed to strip his fat from 24% to 7% and is now shredded but I was very good on his health which was probably the main reason.

[tim2000s]

I only have a tiny bit of fat on my stomach and that's it. I'm in a half decent shape tbf but one of those who always wants to get in better shape. Four abs are visible but want to make them all visible. I'm trying to leave as little time between sets so that it tires me out and I feel worn out after after a session.

Not always the best way. All the professional guys I have trained with leave a minimum of 30 seconds between sets regardless of whether alternating with a set of something different or doing the same thing multiple sets in a row. It should be the weight causing you to fatigue, given a chance to recover, rather than simply that you are rattling them out as fast as you can.

[Stuey]

You seem to have a conflict in goals, to be better for your sport you need a proper programme working towards peaking at a specifc date i.e. start of the cricket season, your programme seems to be going balls to the wall every session to get good abs. 2 completely different goals. Athletes/Sportsman very rarely train balls to the wall, unless maybe to test where they are, they always leave some in the tank for the next session , enabling them progress over time to reach a goal. Traning to exhaustion every time, will make you look fitter (i guess), with less fat, but in the long run weaker an injured.

[RSpall]

I guess... I have never really looked at it like that.

In which case i'm thinking i'll go balls to the wall until xmas? Then get myself a good specific cricket related programme for after xmas, then i have 4 months of good training for the season. I do like to work myself quite hard no matter whether its gym training or cricket training so that i get the most out of myself. I have seen people int the gym for the past 6 months and i haven't noticed a change. im guessing this is because they dont look after themselves out of the gym?

Can you suggest training programmes for as you say going 'balls to the wall'? I'm currently doing 3/4 sets of 10/12 reps looking to work on hypertrophy. I'm working the same areas of my body, back and bi's, chest and tri's etc. I'm looking to build muscle over the next few months. An example of my session last night.

Back and Bi's
Bent over row (olympic bar)
deadlifts (olympic bar)
shrugs
bicep curls
lat pulldowns
straight arm lat pulldowns

[tim2000s]

You seem to be completely ignoring any work on your legs, which when done with good form affects other muscle groups.

You should be looking at more of a whole body conditioning programmes, similar to below (three sets of 12 on each):

Series A: Deadlifts + Bench Press
Series B: Weighted Step-ups + Lat Rolls
Series C: Farmer's Walk + Shoulder Press
Series D: Bicep Curls + Tricep Extensions

It gets you working on nearly all muscle groups in combinations.

As has been re-iterated before, the reality is that you are what you eat, not what you exercise. If you eat crap you won't get the cut-in body, and those people who have been there for 4 months with no change are probably stronger, but that'll be about all.

[RSpall]

I do legs as well. This week I would have done chest and tri's on Monday, back and bi's on Tuesday, legs wed, shoulders and core on Thursday and Friday I would do intervals training

Is that one programme you have supplied for one session? What do you do if you ache the next day when it's an all body workout? What would you do the next session?

[tim2000s]

I do legs as well. This week I would have done chest and tri's on Monday, back and bi's on Tuesday, legs wed, shoulders and core on Thursday and Friday I would do intervals training

Is that one programme you have supplied for one session? What do you do if you ache the next day when it's an all body workout? What would you do the next session?

That programme is done in an hour, for one session. You then repeat the session Monday, Wednesday, Friday, only increasing weight on any of the exercises if you have completed three sets without failure on a particular exercise in the last session. You do not need to go to the gym every day, and doing so will hinder recovery. The reason for taking BCAAs before and after workout is to aid this recovery.

Yes you will feel fatigue, and typically the fatigue cycle is that you will feel it worst 36-48 hours post training. What do you do if you ache? You jump back in and have another go.

[Stuey]

I favour whole body (not judging), as it suits my limited time (wife, kids work) and I'm focusing on strength and movement rather than isolating muscles.
For example I'm currently do a Clean Press programme with 2 x 24kg KB's, it a waving programme over 8 weeks ranging form 10 x reps (1 day) and 5 x 2 (2nd day) alternating 3 times per week to finish on 10 x2 and 10 x 3, the final session is max reps.  You can play with this, my next cycle with the same excercise could be 1 x 6 progressing to 10 x 6 for some muscle mass (i might do this once or twice a year as a change), then you can reduce the breaks in between (once the weigh is easy and technique is good) for conditioning i.e. 120 sec break decreasing to say 30 sec break over a 4-6 week schedule.
I've also worked swings in for pre season conditioning i.e swing 2xbs on the minute for 15secswork/45 rest working up to 45work /15 rest. Again this is waving  so every say 3rd session you drop back to progress forward. (2kb's are for experienced KB lifter, start with 1). I finish each session with double KB front squats, depending on how I feel singular or maybe 3x3 or 3x5m then 100m Farmer carrys. Just an idea of what you can do, depending on your goal.

[tim2000s]

I think the point is that you shouldn't over do it and that there are many ways to train, depending on your constraints and what you intend to achieve. Whilst we can all tell you about programmes we are aware of, you may also have physiological/anatomical issues that require a bit more care in the kind of programme you do.

You'd be best seeking the advice of a professional who can help you both select the programme and ensure that what you do you do with good form (which is just as important).

[RSpall]

I will definitely be starting the kettle bells. I will look to change up my programme a bit and see if it helps me.

When i mentioned what happens if i ache the next day, and you say just jump back and have another go? Surely that isn't great for my muscles to repair?get used  How will i improve my shape and size if im only going to the gym three times a week and not doing very much on each muscle group when i do go?