Forum Keep-Fit Club - Sign up now!

[nips]

I've gained just under 10kgs (84kgs) this summer (about 4 months) from doing weights whilst maintaining cardio aswell. I've not been taking supplements or anything, but I've been eating more - 4 meals a day. I went to the doctor becuase I checked my BMI and it was saying I was overweight (25.8). He had a look at me and said that it's obvious I'm a broad chap now and that the BMI isn't that simple. He said I wasn't carrying much fat on me (not that it's an excuse to booze a lot and eat pringles all day) and that I shouldn't be worried, I'm just more muscular.

Well, my concern is, now I'm going back to uni, I'll be going to the gym much less so I wont be able to build muscle and maintain my weight like I've been doing. I imagine I'll eat less because I'll be less hungry becuase I'll be doing less workout, but will the muscle I've developed now turn to fat, making my weight dangerous?

[Matt]

URBAN MYTH ALERT!

Fat and muscle are biologically different compounds. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE for fat to turn to muscle, and vice versa.

What usually happens is you stop training but carry on eating. Muscle atrophies over time (gets smaller), less muscle means you naturally burn off less cals, plus you're not burning off calories through exercise. Net result is you get fat.

So I repeat, MUSCLE CAN NOT TURN TO FAT it's one of those utter bollocks sayings that drives me up the wall.

Like "You can turn that fat in to muscle!" it ****s me off!!

Sorry nips not having a go mate, it just grates me the times I hear that. Normally from fat people who start at a gym thinking a few weeks will turn 18 stone of blubber to 18 stone of muscle Wrong on just so many levels.

So don't panic, just eat a little less - though keep the 4 meals a day, that's far healthier than 3.

Speaking of which I have to cut down on food - today I ate 11 meals!!

[Ish]

Speaking of which I have to cut down on food - today I ate 11 meals!!

A man after my own heart

[Nijo]

What usually happens is you stop training but carry on eating. Muscle atrophies over time (gets smaller), less muscle means you naturally burn off less cals, plus you're not burning off calories through exercise. Net result is you get fat.

That's exactly it. You're used to having a certain diet while training, but when you stop training you carry on eating - 3000 calories with no training is just gonna make you fat.
If you stop training cut back the food as well, even though you may feel hungry doing that to begin with. Train the body back to consuming less...

[Matt]

A man after my own heart

But I don't have your metabolism mate, come Monday morning and me weigh-in I'll no doubt have put on some bodyfat

[Matt]

Well it's been almost a week with no posts, so can we assume everyone is fat again

As expected my bodyfat is increasing slight, but then my weight is going up and I'm certainly "gaining" so I'll have to live with that for the time.

[ItsThere]

Same with me chain - body fat used to be 13%, now is 16% but I have been doing very little cv. Feel more toned which is weird...
16% not too shabby and I am hitting 80KG now so thats ok I think

[Matt]

Yeah gaining a little fat while gaining muscle is fine. I'm between 15% and 16% @ 93kg. Really thinking of peaking at 100kg then dieting down to 10% for next summer.

[ItsThere]

Beef.
Do it and you'll look well cut!
I did pecs today and am well shagged, have started doing the "bottom pec" excercise and while I can lift heavy weights I don't feel much benefit from it yet.

[Matt]

I'm not sure how much decline benching helps - my lower pecs get pumped plenty from flatbench. Really like incline dumbbell presses

Now I'm following "DoggCrapp" my workouts are no longer focused on individual body parts, like Chest Day; I done today a single exercise for chest, then moved to shoulders, triceps, back width and back thickness. Only been on it 2 weeks but already I can tell it's working. My back wanted to explode after I'd done

[Commander Marklar]

OK, I'm done running. Back on the hench = rowing* + weights and cycling days in between. Roar!

* Ain't done any for ages, did 2500m in 8:52 today. Pumped, felt great.

[ItsThere]

I agree about incline presses, I think they give the most noticeable gains as well

As far as DC training goes, I read your analysis of it but think will give it a miss as I lack a decent spot and cannot afford a trainer (nor do I really want one).

[Matt]

I think DC will get you big, there is logic behind it. The training though is brutal, I've got a few at the gym kind of half doing it but I'm the only one who pushes it for the 3 sets to failure, negatives, and static hold. Getting some funny looks!

I'm going to have to modify it slightly. My recovery time has always been low, and 15 breaths (22 seconds?) between sets is too low. Today I done, for example, 7 reps incline dumbbell on 37.5kg - not too heavy but fine given the 6 second negative per rep. Done the final negative, 15 breaths, couldn't manage one rep myself! I suspect it's a combination of my own natural slow-recuperation between sets, and the fact I'm not juiced up so can't keep up with the full DC protocol.

Next time I'm going to have 30 breaths. If I get 7 reps first set, I'll be looking at 3 second set and 1 or 2 third set.

And you're right, you do need a spotter on a lot of the exercises.

Something must be going wrong though, I'm starting to look forward to squats

[Rossco]

Yo, hope your all keeping up the hard work. I am.

Done chest yesterday, and done a bit of decline bench which I really love. Feel it hitting it alot. Strange it doesnt work for you. I can feel my trousers getting tight at the waist so I need to watch it, I know I'm going to put some fat on when I'm trying to gain weight but I do not want a tubby belly and I find it so difficult to get any definition there at all. I do so much work on my abs and when tense you can clearly see the muscle underneath but otherwise, its just a layer of fat over the top which I cant shift. Its so demoralising.

[Matt]

That last few percent of fat to burn off can be really tough. Carb cycle (3 days low, 1 day high) and do 3 days cardio a week. That should do it.

Decline is great, I just don't see the point if you've doing flat bench as well.