Q&A for: 18-Mar-07
2076. Q:
I want to gain 15- 25 lbs natrually with protien. How can i do it and how much protein do i need daily?
A:
Protein alone is NOT enough to gain muscles. While you should be eating a lot of protein (aim for at least 1 gram of protein daily per pound of bodyweight and 1.5 grams would be better) the gains will come mainly from excess carbs and, to lesser degrees, fats.
If you haven't already, read my Nutrition Article to learn what foods to eat for quality muscle gains with minimal fat gains and then fill out Fitness Guide specifying 'Gain Muscle' as the goalto get a sample starter diet. Most importantly, remember to gain weight slowly (1 pound every two weeks or even slower) -- otherwise you'll simply be putting on a lot of new fat.
2077. Q:
A lot of people in the colder parts of europe eat a lot of red meat in their diet. I’ve heard that meals high protein are very filling. Would you recommend this type of diet especially as its high in protein – which is good for muscular development?
A:
Red meat is an excellent source of protein! Most red meats are also quite high in fats which make them both filling and calorie-rich. So it's certainly very possible to base your diet around red meat as the main source of protein and possibly of fats as well. Of course, don't ignore carbs sources, including vegetables and fruits, to make sure you have a balanced diet with all the vitamins and nutrients.
One thing I should note is that in U.S. red meat is usually looked down upon by the medical community for being high in fat and cholesterol. However it is not clear whether those same concerns apply to healthy active young people. I recommend that you select 90% or leaner read meat (where calories from protein are equal or greater than calories from fat being) and that you discuss your diet with your doctor or nutritionist if you are planning to start eating a lot more red meat.
2078. Q:
why is resistances training important to lose fat?
A:
From my fat loss article... 'Because heavy weight training literally destroys your muscle tissue during the exercise which your body is then forced to repair. This repair process has incredible fat-burning potential! You'll be burning fat just going about your everyday life while your body repairs the muscle damage you inflicted in the gym. That's on top of the significant amount of calories that you'll burn actually lifting those weights in the first place. And by exercising your whole body and not just arms, abs, and chest you force your body to perform this metabolism-boosting repair on as many muscles as possible further maximizing fat burning. This little-known fact that will help you achieve fat loss far faster and more effectively than you ever could otherwise.'
2080. Q:
How many calories should a 16 year old male athlete eat?
A:
Depends on how much you weigh... Fill out my Fitness Guide specifying 'Gain Muscle' since as an athlete you need more food than average.
2081. Q:
Hey Mike, Great site you have here.
My name is Cody and I am 20 years old. I am moderately active. I am 6'1' and weigh about 245 lbs. I used to weigh about 330 about a year and some ago. Anyways, I have a few questions about toning up.
1. I have quite a bit of loose skin. It's still fatty areas, however I was wondering what the best way would be to tighten it up. Especially in the chest and belly region. Do I have to worry about there possibly being too much skin that I might have to undergo cosmetic surgery? Or is any situation curable?
2. I have a lot of left over fat in the triceps (old women fatty arm) area. I heard that those are nearly impossible to get rid of. Is that true, and if not, how would I go about fixing it?
Thanks Mike
A:
Congrats on your recent weight loss, Cody! Loose skin is unfortunately a very common condition with large weight loss, but its extent varies from person to person. Over time your skin will naturally tighten up, but it can take a very long time -- years -- depending on the extent of the problem. There are also some lotions you can buy that help tighten the skin up (they typically have vitamin E) but their effect will be quite limited. Unfortunately there is simply no quick solution for loose skin, short of surgery. If you are not willing to give it time to tighten up naturally, you may want to explore the option of surgery.
As far as your second question, tricep fat is no different from any other fat and it's certainly not impossible to lose. The problem is that even after your recent weight loss, you are still overweight which means you still have to lose another 40-50 pounds to get rid of the fat in those 'trouble' areas, including the triceps. There is no way, unfortunately, to specifically target the tricep area but by losing weight and fat overall you'll get rid of it in the tricep area as well. If you haven't already, please read my fat loss article for the most effective way to lose fat and weight. Again, congrats on your weight loss so far and keep it going!
2083. Q:
If I am trying to grow my chest, would it help any to eat more the day I work it out? Or the day after? Or would it just be best to keep the calories the same on all days. I am currently on a cut. I am 5'8 23 and about 155 and male. thanks mike
A:
It won't make a difference in how you distribute the calories throughout the week, so I prefer to make every day the same, regardless of the workout that day. To prioritize chest, give it its own workout day (or even two) out of the week. You also may want to try to 'carb up' before the chest workout -- you'll have more intense chest workout that way, though your growth will still depend on your overall diet and while on the cut you can't usually expect to make muscle or strength gains.
2084. Q:
hi mike, i'm seriously over weight, however, after 12 weeks of dieting, i'm no longer losing weight. I do cardio 2-4 times a week, and weight training around 3 times per week. I don't know what to do. I don't want to bulk because i'm just too fat at the moment. pleaaaase help
A:
Your training routine sounds fine, so it's possible that your diet could use some help. What often happens when people go on a diet is they eat too little and lose weight too fast which shuts down metabolism and stops further weight loss after some time. It's possible that this happened to you, but I can't tell you for sure without knowing more about yourself -- age, height, weight, and diet (as detailed as possible).
Also, note that you need not go on an extended bulk to rev up your metabolism -- even a couple weeks at higher calories than you are used to will help.
2085. Q:
If i try bulk up with 2 grams per kgs (and not 3 which is which u suggest)will i see any results?(assuming i eat well and a lot and doing everything is needed right).
A:
Yes, you will still see very good gains, go for it!
2086. Q:
I wanna bulk up and in my home they wont cook protein foods often.Is it ok if i base my bulk in whey protein(along with carbs and good fats of course).I have already started and i have seen good results.Is anything wrong in using whey along with all my meals to get they protein i cant get with protein food?
A:
That's perfectly fine, that's exactly what whey protein is meant for -- to supplement a regular low-protein diet. You have the right plan.
2087. Q:
hiit
A:
Check out Q&A #1394 for discussion of HIIT.
2088. Q:
Hey Mike, I was wondering if working out before bed is unhealthy or not. I find it's easier to exercise before bed (I follow either your no-equip program or dumb-bell only program) and stay in a routine, because I'm already in the area I workout, it's private, and I've got nothing else to do. After I'm done, I'll watch television for ten minutes or so, finish up my glass of water, and go to bed. Is that alright or could exercising so late and then letting my body shut down when I go to sleep unhealthy?
Also, on your no equipment (and dumb-bell for that matter) program, how long should it take on average to complete a session? Just a rough estimate, doing each exercise the minimum amount you say to.
Thanks for your help.
A:
There's absolutely nothing wrong with working out before bed, but I recommend having at least a light meal after a workout. Not having any meal after the workout is in no way unhealthy, but it is undesirable since right after the workout is when your body has most need for and makes best use of calories.
For the no-equipment program, I have it written up for 15 sets (not counting the pushups superset) which should each take 30-45 seconds each and another 90-120 seconds of rest between sets. So altogether it should take about 30-40 minutes. The dumbbells-only program has a few more sets so it'll take about 10 minutes longer.
2089. Q:
After doing some of your exercises on the no-equipment program, after a while my legs start to feel very weak. I can only really get through half the program sometimes, other times I can do it all. I usually stop and call it a day when I begin to feel that much stress. I'm not in shape, and I'm using your program(s) for weight-loss. The strain usually goes away after a couple days, in which I don't exercise so as not to agitate. Is this a good idea? When this happens should I finish or just stop exercising? I am stretching both before and after.. Thanks.
A:
That program is intended to be strenuous for a beginner such as yourself, so this is expected. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. You have to push yourself somewhat but it shouldn't get to the point where you can't stand without shaking or feel faint. So you should stop and call it a day when the stress gets too much -- just as you are doing. This program can be performed almost daily and as you get in better shape you will be able to do just that. But since you are just starting out, doing the program only a couple times per week is fine. So you are doing everything right, keep it going!
2090. Q:
Mike, what's an easy way to count calories? I'm trying to do that in order to help me lose weight but it takes a long time to count calories on some products. I try to use the websites that tell you how many calories are in certain foods, but they don't list some kinds of food, especially if it's something home-made. Some things like beef are divided up into literally a hundred different sections, and I have no clue what one fits what I'm eating. How am I supposed to figure out how many calories I'm consuming when foods at restauraunts don't list calories, and when food that is just packaged at a butchery don't list calories?
A:
Counting calories can be quite a hassle. That's why I usually recommend sticking to more or less same diet daily -- this way you only have to count calories once and small variations day to day can be ignored. For home-made meals you can usually count the calories accurately by adding up the calories of all the ingredients and dividing by number of servings. For restaurant meals, there is no easy way to count calories (though some chain restaurants publish calorie info on their websites) but you can approximate the ingredients that you know and then adding a generous allowance of around 500 calories for extra fats and sugars which are ubiquitous in restaurant meals.
For various meat cuts, there are some rules of thumb you can use... Poultry is either very lean (almost all calories come from protein) or lean (if it includes skin or dark meat -- half the calories come from protein, half from fat). Fish is also either very lean with all calories coming from protein (tuna, tilapia) or lean with half calories from protein and half from fat (salmon, catfish). Meats typically have more fat than fish or poultry. Unless meat is specifically labeled as very lean, you can expect 2-3 times more calories from fats than from protein.
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