Protein shakes.

If you're losing weight, use them as meal replacements every once in a while.
If you're gaining weight, use them to supplement meals every day.

Your protein intake in grams should be equal to your target weight in pounds. So I'm trying to bulk up to 180lbs. My protein intake should be around 180 grams a day. I'm not sure how close you need to get, since i still need another 15lbs to hit my target, I can probably fluctuate about 10g and get away with it.

 

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"Any suggestions for diet to lose fat and gain muscle? Should I avoid all excess carbs?"


Low carb diets have been used by bodybuilders for cutting cycles since well before Atkins came along. Reducing sugary carbs will help anyone, anytime but if you are serious you would have to follow a more traditional low carb diet (top out at 30 grams per day) for 6-10 weeks. You will switch to using body fat for fuel after 3-4 days. Just make sure you drink more water than you think you need to flush out the keytones.

 

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Split up protein throughout the day. Your body doesn't store it, and you need it throughout the day to repair muscle.

 

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don't forget to take smeckler's powder!

Also, don't bother with a timeframe. If you need results now, fast, then you're only going for a temporary fix. It's probably healthier to just not bother so your weight doesn't fluctuate and return to "normal."

Taking pounds off just to get them off is pretty meaningless unless you're obese and have joint problems. Getting healthy is meaningless if you're only doing it for 3 or 4 months. You really should consider a lifestyle change which basically means committing to one or more activities throughout your week for the rest of your life. Always being active, always toning or strengthening your muscles, always working on your cardio and blood flow.

Most people go to the gym for 4-8 months and then quit when they hit their target weight. Most people do it wrong.

 

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i'm curious about this. your body does a shitty job of burning fat for fuel. wouldn't it make workouts miserable to be in a constant bonk state? i'm not a body builder but i do a lot of running and i can't even imagine working on a carb deficit.

 

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Antioxidants are actually counter productive here.

 

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I can only speak for myself, but I have found that low carb diets change my mood in unpleasant ways and make me tired. I eat two servings of low glycemic carbs every day, usually some whole bread for lunch or brekafast and brown rice for supper. It gives me energy to power through the workouts and the martial arts stuff.

 

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I take a multivitamin, fish oil, whey protein, casein protein, ground flax, ZMA, creatine, and occassionally a pre-workout supplement because I like the pump. You gain muscle by taking in more calories than you're burning off, and then lifting. You'll loose fat by burning more calories than you're taking in. If you want to do both at the same time, you're best bet is steroids, and with the amount of testosterone replacement therapy docs out there that give dosages within the highest range, it's become a real option. Otherwise I'd stick with just loosing fat which will make make you more defined and give the illusion of bigger muscle. Most of the stuff you listed is totally unnecessary but it can be fun pretending it does stuff if you've got $$$ to burn. Any cell-tech product will get a /point and /laugh by people in the know because it is notoriously overpriced.

Stick with multi-joint compound movements in the gym. Squats, deadlifts, pullups, rows, bench, jerks, cleans etc. This is the absolute best workout advice I can give no matter your goal. Do not become a bench and curl jockey. Lower your carbs but don't try the keto diet as previously recommended itt unless you're feeling really hardcore because it's not a fun or livable diet, at least in my experience. Carbs are best before and after exercise and are especially bad late in the day. Throughout the rest of the day, try to keep the carbs complex - whole grains, oats, vegetable, legumes, etc. One of my favorite tactics for fat loss is the early AM cardio workout before my first meal.

Try to take body measurements, and don't just rely on the scale numbers. Body fat percentage is a great one to know, you might be able to have it calculated at your gym by a trainer or get a rough estimate with a bodyfat scale. I've been personal training all different types of people for several years now if you have any questions just ask.

 

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use kettlebells if you are looking to get cut and wanna do weightlifting and cardio simultaneously. get someone who knows how to use them to show you how though, there's a lot of movement and things to remember even though nothing by itself is very complicated.

when you are in danger of being lazy and missing a trip to the gym, fuck your routine and pick some exercises you have fun doing.