Joe six-pack

can measure manually (via calipers) or electronically. there are more scientific ways but these are the most common. i wouldn't worry too much about your exact fat %. when i was a trainer, 2 of us could measure the same person and be several % points apart. just go by how you look and feel. plus, trainer would never skew the calipers a bit to make it seem like you lost more fat than you may really have after paying them $$, would they?!?!?!

increasing your BMR is nothing more than changing your base line metabolism. your metabolism slows w/ age, inactivity, etc. and exercising properly increases that base line so your body operates more efficiently and you burn more calories. for instance, i've got a spastic metabolism, i'm 5'11"-6ft ish and eat at least 4,000 calories a day, and many days probably 6000 calories. i can do that b/c i've got a really really fast metabolism...

don't go drastic and just eat chicken breasts and lettuce. that never lasts, just moderate your junk food and you'll be fine...

 

Thank you Ty. It is just hard because at the cafeteria they serve nothing healthy. We have bunch of stations and you just pick what you eat. This is what they have everyday

1)PIzza Station

2)Fries and Hamburger station

3)Meatball/Pasta/Lasagna/fried chicken

4)Salad bar

5)Spanish station with burritos and cheesy enchiladas

6)Sandwich station

7)Cereal station

 

Yeah, hanging out and working out with this focker has made me *despise* eating out. But I've got 50% les fat on my belly than I did 2 months ago. 6 pack here I come!!!

Cardio is key.

 

For cardio do you guys recommend 30 minutes on the bike at the gym, or walking/running on the treadmill?

I have free access to a 30K sq feet gym, I just don't know waht to use.

TY and TC, what do you guys eat? And waht do you do when you have to go out?

 

weight bearing exercise is the best in terms of cardio but it also tends to be the most strenous on your joints and body. so if you can run, run. if not, then use the bike or elliptical machines - but make sure you put it on w/ some resistance! you should be at 75-80% of your max heart rate. check it every once in a while. (max heart rate = 220-age).

people make fun of walking but walking fast w/ an incline on a treadmill is mcuh more work than the way most people jog/run and it's a lot less stress.

eating out is hard. you have to be a PITA to the chef's and order stuff w/o cheese (or lite cheese), no/less butter, etc. just takes some thought and getting over any embarrassment you may have ordering stuff like that.

 

Thanks TY.

 

Mostly lean chicken and lean turkey. Try not to eat too many carbs, but working out every day makes you crazy hungry.

Honestly, if you don't currently work out and you just commit yourself to do 30 minutes of cardio a day (reasonably hard, where you keep your heartbeat in the 160 per min. range for the duration, depending on age and health, of course), you'll be surprised by the difference you can see in your body after a month or two. Most importantly, find a buddy who has similar goals to work out with. It's the best motivator. I generally view biking as useful for a low cardio day, unless you go nuts. I prefer elliptical. We use these $5k arctrainer machines by cybex, which is the next best thing to running IMHO. If you can run, that's probably the best. I avoid running as it tends to make my joints sore if I do it for extended periods. Swimming rocks if you have access.

We eat lots of low fat foods, chicken, turkey, etc. We try to avoid eating out it possible. When we do, it's usually at places where we've carefully researched the nutritional values of things. I've actually reverse engineered meals from my (former) favorite restaurants for informational purposes. You wouldn't believe what some of these restaurants call "healthy". It has sucked all the joy out of dining in restaurants for me. But hey, I decided I finally want to get in not just good shape, but great shape. Once I get where I want to be I'll probably start eating more like a human on occaasion.

 

There are no healthy food places in this town. You can eat reasonably healthy at many restaurants by ordering conscientiously. Lots of chicken breasts, lots of turkey. It's so boring that's why we eat out so little. The best healthy food is by far what you can make at home. We grill out at the house quite a bit.

I tried to swim some for my workouts when I was in Costa Rica last month. I was amazed at how taxing it was. Honestly, I think if you could swim at any decent pace for a half hour that would be one kick-a$$ workout.

This sounds really superficial, but to me, the company I keep has a lot to do with how motivated I am to improve myself. You should make some new friends. (KIDDING!)

 

I think we are fishing off the same pier.....

 

Being slim and in shape is enough for most females.

If they are really looking for the "6-pack" they had better beware, at least in this town (NYC). Most guys with that look are playing for the other team - or on the same team.. You know what I mean...

 

Ryan - the best way to measure body fat are electronic scales (have the metal heels).

I had a 4-pack at one point (still some soft skin on the bottom two) at 5'11" 200lbs (large frame)... then came Prednisone for a chronic allergy and I shot up to 280lbs in a few months. Got back to 240 on Atkins, then back up to 270 eating out 4-8x a week in law school.

TC- elliptical is the way to go.

NickNo355 - did you hear about Houston being the 'fattest city in the US' several years running? I think it's Detroit now, with Houston pulling in 2nd.

My friend asked me once - have you ever met a guy with abs that didn't have a girlfriend? While this obviously excludes those Il'Inglese mentioned, but I couldn't think of a guy with abs without a girl.

 

But in the real world, couldn't your average Bubba who weighs 300 lbs and drives a billet truck "mop the floor" with one of those Hollywood John Claude Vandam types? Real life doesn't work like it does in the movies. Joe Six Pack's health club body couldn't stand up to the 300 pound slams from Bubba's Six Pack by Budweiser body.

 

That's not necessarily true... but anyway, the way to get a six pack is to not eat (ha). I have had one pretty much since I could remember, then again I am 6'0" 150 lbs. I am kind of fat now though (wrestling season just ended). I don't really work out or anything, but I will start up again here pretty soon, I am starting to feel worthless.

 

Thanks man. I guess I would rather not know. I know that I am fully 20lbs overweight and it is all in my gut I need to be about 125-135, that is my ideal weight. Like someone said, I don't need a six pack, just be slim.

Man I am big before law school, I can't imagine what will happen when I start.

 

Hey, if you maintain this weight you'll look like an olympian compared to a lot of people you'll meet in law school. I think most law schools have a rule that you can't be an editor of a journal or law review unless you're at least 50 lbs. over weight. That might give the impression that you actually spent some time at places other than the law school library. Law school--easily the worst 3 years of my life.

 

See I like your thinking. Compared to the normal folks, I am a fat ass. HOwever in Law School I might be considered skinny! That to me is worth it enough to go to law school!!

 

I will have to agree with everything Ty said, another thing also is that if you do a strict diet, you should have a cheat day and eat all you want, this will "reset" your body, since the low consumption of carbs and fats will make your body try to keep storage of this nutrients, meaning that you will not burn all the fat you want. I have an 8 pack not really defined but its there.. i'm hoping that by summer it will be decent to show off.. im 19, 6'0" 203 lbs @ around 9-10% bodyfat.

 

have had them before, on the borderline now...the key is just consistency. i did 150 situps per day, and burned lots of calories doing cardio, and upper body lifting.

 

Not tall enough- a hair under 6'1"

 

To whoever commented about not doing abs every day, i agree with the anser you got. Abs do revocer very quick but a few hundred situps a night is crazy. I dont do that many, but thats probably because i cant! I actually posted my ab routine in a thread on honda-tech last lear w/pics to describe it. I'll go try to find that.
As for cardio, i spend alot of my time in the winters on rowing machines down at the boathouse. You have no idea how boring it can get doing 60-90 minute long steady state pieces. People who row might think im insane for saying this, but it rather do a 6k erg test than a 90 minute piece. I would not, however, rather do a 2k. 2000 meters may not sound like much, but i think its the most painful 6 minutes and 30 some odd seconds of your life (most ppl will take alot longer to do it). Its like running as fast as you can for 7 minutes without stopping, and when your legs burn from the lactic acid you just have to suck it up and finish strong. Its a whole different story onthe water.
If i didnt row, i would run 30-45 minutes a day because i find running to be very relaxing.

 

I'm 5'10 and 152 pounds as of Monday. Like a few other guys here I guess I was blessed with the metabolism with a turbo. I started working out at the beginning of this year and could only bench my weight. I put up 200 pounds the other night for the first time in my life. I am a pretty skinny guy but I have hardly any body fat which helps the abs stand out. I'm working on the chest and arms slowly but surely. I want to weigh 165 by the end of the year but I'm gonna have to eat like a horse.