Q: does Whey powder come in pill form? my body is unable to handle this nasty stuff. it doesn't taste bad, but the strawberry smell is HORRIBLE. i can't take it any longer. how many times a day should i be drinking it? i do 30 minutes of cardio (treadmill) and 15 minutes with weights. sadly, i only get 1300 calories a day. i am CONSTANTLY hungry. to avoid my hunger, i end up taking sleeping pills. what's going on here?

Q: I am the guy from Q 276: I was moderately overweight.I lost a total of 18 pounds.I am 6 feet and 0.5 inches at 202 pounds. Besides chocolat everything else that I ate was healthy.I drink about half a litre of fruit juice per day also.
I rather eat chocolat and take more time to reach my weight goals. Following a strict diet would be too stressfull for me.I tried once to go without chocolat for 2 months and I didnt lose a single pound. It would take around 6 months for me just to lose one pound on a non-chocolat diet.Peanut butter has even more fat than chocolat and I eat that also.But my total calories that I ate and drank never went beyond 2500 calories.But with a bmr of 2300 I had no problems losing weight. I look pretty lean at 18% and I am sure that with a lot of exercise I can reach my goal of 12% even though I consume too much juice and chocolat.But If I would have to change my diet to reach 12% I wouldnt do it.

Q: I was able to get from a body fat percentage of 27% to 18% while eating an average of 1.5 medium chocolate bars a day.Does this mean that chocolate is not fattening or is it my genetic predisposition to being thin which allowed me to eat junk while losing weight.

Q: do you think a person who has a body composition of 16% and who has very little visceral fatis healthier than a person who has a BC of 11% but who has a significant amount of visceral fat.Visceral fat is a major factor in getting certain diseases.

Q: What is the difference between burning fat and burning calories? If you burn 400 calories in one workout session aren't you just burning 400 of the 3500 calories that are in a pound of your fat or is that wrong?

Q: Do you have anyone you trust as far as workout video people such as Tamilee Webb or Minna Lessig? Their sessions are the ones I use most because they seem to push me the hardest.

Q: What exercises (other than running) do you recommend for building as much muscle in the calves as possible?

Q: Will strength training build muscle or is it only designed to strengthen the muscle? Is there even a difference?

Q: What do you think about the Slim Fast 'Optima' shakes as far as how well-balanced & healthy they are? (With skim milk of course)

Q: Is doing one exercise which works the triceps and biceps more beneficial than working on one machine which isolates the triceps followed by another which isolates the biceps.

Q: How does the body process work when exercising to burn or lose things? (ex. First, it burns something... then after it's burned that, then it burns something else... etc)... (what is the last thing the body burns?)

Q: Mike, thank u for ALL the useful info on ure site.....What can i do besides eating 4-6 times a day and weight training to increase my metabolism?? ( which is quite slow and im trying to lose 30pounds of fat)

Q: how can i 20 pounds in 5 day or less and get rid of the man boobs

Q: Hey Mike, Im on your 6 week chest routine MWF to get out of my 135 pound benchpress plateau. Im half way through week 2 now, at 100 pounds. Last week i had no trouble, but this week only adding the 10 pounds ive noticed ive had to push a little bit harder, and actually would get a little bit of a burn the next day. Im worried that if im getting a burn on week 2 already then i might not be able to lift the higher weights in week 4+ (I bring the weight down and push up very slowly to get a burn)

Q: I dont think its a good idea to weight train to muscular failure. I have tendonitis on my right shoulder and had a swollen left shoulder twice because of it. I dont do it anymore.

Q: Hey Mike, im on your fat burning diet, what do you think of changing the meals around.. like breakfast(meal 1) then my chicken and brownrice like an hour later, cause eating 4 meals before going to the gym will be to long, and il ike to try to get my workouts in relatively early in the day

Q: Is it ok to eat Turkey sandwiches on wheat bread if I'm trying to lose fat?

Q: WHAT CAN I DO WITH THIS BRA OVERHANG?

Q: How much muscle weight can a healthy, relatively lean woman put on through weight training in one month?

Q: what kinds of meals should a on the go college student like myself eat? i want to lose my gut and 15 lbs. what kind of exercise should i be doing if i want to lose my gut? is the 'no equipment at home' workout plan that you describe really successful? how can it be without any weights. i would rather walk but i guess weight training is better. i don't know.

Q: how long does it take to gain a pound of muscle in my buttocks? I have muscular legs but a sagging flat out of shape but. I ride a bike nearly 100 miles three time a week.

Q: I realized I had asked a question I already knew the answer to in Q 231. I think I was just worried about not having access to machines & heavy weights. I only have two 3-pound DBs to work with. But if I can somehow get my hands on different size weights, would it possible to build small muscles in one area and large muscles in another? For instance, say you want large quad, hamstring, and calf muscles but small muscles in the shoulders & biceps. If it is possible, how? I love your site by the way! Very motivational & informative.

Q: What is your idea of 'heavy' weights (free weights) for a healthy, moderately active slender female? And do you think using free weights to do squats, bicep curls, kickbacks, lunges etc. etc. are as effective at burning fat as working out with machines?

Q: how much flax seed do you recommend using?

Q: how do u eat flax seed, cook it? or eat it as if it were peanuts

Q: Is hydrogenated vegetable oil unhealthy? I eat peanut butter and it has HVO. Is it better to eat pure peanut butter that only has peanuts?

Q: what do u think of flax seed pills instead of flax seed?

Q: Should I worry about eating a lot of fish? I hear that they contain a lot of toxins like mercury,etc...Would you know what is the safest fish to eat and which one should I avoid?

Q: why do u recommend doing cardio on days when one doesn't weight train? (in reference to question 157)

Q: One more question for you.I have the following problem.Iam lean overall but i have some fat only on my belly area which whatever i do i cant lose.Strange thing is that by fat percentance is only 10,8%.Before i start the gym i was 78kgs with 175 cms height and after about 2 months and a half i went to 68kgs.I know i cant spot reduce and i ll have to lose fat overall to lose this fat ony belly also.During that period i lose many of my belly fat but this remained.I cant lose more kgs and cant reduce my daily calorie anymore as in gym they told me this will lower even more my kgs and i should remain as iam now in kgs.I do cardio 40 mins 5 days a week in a moderate pace,weight training 3 times a week and good nutrition also.I also go for a brisk 30 min walking every day and sometimes first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.Only wrong things i did in my opinion were that i didnt take enough protein daily mainly and also i didnt progress enough my weight training program.So,can u tell me what i should do in order to lose the fat from my belly and get it look flat?

Q: What are some good work-out techniques without equipment?

Q: Please forgive my ignorance (im a beginner), but what is the difference between cutting and bulking and when should each be done?

Q: What do you think of taking 2 whey protein drinks during the day, and 1 casein shake at night before bed?

Q: how to lose manboobs

Q: So how much of my muscles is in the lower body? What can I do to exercise my calves and forearm?

Q: HI Mike, its me from Q 199, ill try that workout routine, i dont understand though how i can go from 135 max to 165 max like that? Also, i need some help with my diet. Every morning i eat a bowl of honey bunches of oats, which isnt bad. for lunch ill normally eat 2 PB sandwiches and some fruit, but at dinner anything goes, i eat like half the dinner of my family for myself esecially anything pasta, same with snacks, i try to eat healthier but their is never any good snack healthy food, any suggestions?

Q: grow taller

Q: Hi Mike, i looked at ur 6 week program, but am honestly confused. My max at the bench is 135, can you give me an example of it using the weight i use. Failure-10? i dont really get that, saying that i pyramid.. i do about 15 reps of 95, then go up to 115 and do 8 reps then 135 at max, then go back down and do like 6 reps at 115 and 12 reps at 95. Also, i know this guy at the gym who is 19 he is into all the supplements he says 'i take everything but steroids', and everytime i see him benching he is always adding weight! finaly, do u recommened any other supplements since u didnt recommend glutamine?

Q: how many crunchies does it take to have nice abs

Q: how to work out upper chest best

Q: Considering ive had a lower back injury in the past, is it ok for me to do barbell deadlifts as long as i start off using light weights and VERY GRADUALLY work up?

Q: Hi, me from 188. ur 'method' seems time consuming.. im trying to lose my 'man boobs', and i feel that spending 6 weeks just to add a rep or 2 would be a waist of time, any way u could shrink it up or something? also, what do u suggest: i take 2 protein shakes and about 7g of creatine a day, along with a regular multi vitamin and vitamin c. since i can onyl buy one.. would u reccomend a sports-like multivitam, glutamine, or soemthing else? i heard glutamine is sposed to be good

Q: im about to start one of your suggested low volume weight routines, but because of me being overweight and under-powered (not for long!) i cant do pull-ups. is it ok for me to substitiute these with machine pull-downs?

Q: Hey mike, last question for me.. ive been following the www.workout-routines.com/bodybuilding.html plan for about 2 moonths now. Im not the strongest chest guy, so and ive been on a plateau at 135 for like 3 months. doing only 2-3 reps :-( how can i get past this terrible plateau?

Q: Does the atkins diet work for some people because protein is less fattening than carbs or because they are consuming less calories when they go on that diet?

Q: Are low carb diets good for losing body fat?

Q: I'm a 5'10, 200 lb Woman. I have a treadmill and a total gym in my basement which I never use. I want to lose weight, but I don't know how much I shoul loose or how to loose it. I've tried fad diets, but as you know they don't give long lasting results. Please, will you reccomend an excercise program and a diet plan for me? I'm 47 years old and desperate! Please, please help me.

Q: man boobs

Q: Hi, i've been going to the gym about 5 days a week following a workout plan for about 4 months, and i also do cardio and have 2 protein shakes daily. I am 6'3 200 pounds and 15 yers old if that helps, anyways, i still have puffy nipples and extra fat in the chest area. I've had it for about 4 years now.

Q: what is the best way to get rid of man boobs

Q: I'm a 16 year old in high school and I have 'man-boobs'. What is the most effective way in getting rid of them?

Q: I am a 26 year old female who gave birth 14 months ago. I have always been slender & lost almost all the weight I had gained from my pregnancy within the first 6 months (mostly from breastfeeding). However, I have taken up exercising 4 months ago, beginning with about 45 minutes of light weight-training (including body-resistance training) and about 20 minutes of cardio 3-4 times per week the first two months, then switching to 35-45 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weight-training the past two months, all combined with a slight decrease in calories. I haven't seemed to have lost much weight within these last 4 months. Why do you think that is and what do you think is the better routine to lose the most weight, especially around the stomach area?

Q: Do you believe in the set point theory? I do. I weight 200 pounds at 19% body composition. If I go above 200 its very easy to lose the weight even if I'm not careful about my diet. But I am unable to go below 200 even though I have weight trained and done some cardio. I think my body is comfortable at 200 pounds and there is no point in fighting nature.

Q: why is sugar blamed for the obesity epidemic in america? The countless 'no sugsr diets' that have been tried has not solved the obesity problem.

Q: In question 149, you mentioned that body builders often suffer health problems....what kind of health problems do they suffer (that are not related to drug abuse)? This just concerns me because i always thought that exercise was a way to avoid all health problems?

Q: In question 146, you mentioned that we should not do cardio on an empty stomach. My personal trainer actually advised me to. I think his reasoning is that my body will burn more fat storage ( as oppose to first burning the food i just ate)....I just wanted to know a little bit more about this issue. Do you recommend eating carbs and protien before cardio/weight training?

Q: what is the benefit of slow long distance walk

Q: If I take in 2000 calories a day and run 3-4 miles a day. How many pounds will I lose in a week

Q: I've been lifting weights for a year now, and it seems impossible to get rid of the fat under my chest, Is testosterone therapy an option?

Q: dont you think that professional bodybuilders are overweight even though they carry little fat?

Q: if having a calorie deficit is not helping one lose fat what should one do? There is no guarantee that increasing this deficit will help either.

Q: i have been doing walkand run for a week now do it 4 times a week for 60mins when will i notice weight loss

Q: Does your body burn more fat if you do moderate cardio on an empty stomach before breakfast or is it better to eat first?

Q: Im 30 years old, 6'1' tall, and weigh 220 pounds. It is calculated that to lose fat i need 2860 calories a day. This is broken up into 6 meals, telling me how many cals, carbs, fat and protein i need in each meal. This is great but im finding it difficult to put these figures into actual recipies....please help mike!

Q: I'm 17 years old...i weigh 210 and im about 5'8...i would not say i am obese(from looks) but i am not ripped...i'm also not a butterball turkey. i'm simply overweight and i would like to tone up...do you have a diet plan or exercise plan i can follow to see the best results?

Q: bicycle

Q: Is it really possible to lose muscle mass and density??? If so, how?... I haven't worked out or done anything for a month, since I've been busy.

Q: how do you lose man boobs?

Q: who could provide me with a fat-burning diet plan that would be most affective in my quest to lose fat and gain muscle? Im trying to eat sensibly, but dont know if im eating enough/too much of certain foods. Could you give me a template of the kind of thing you would eat in a day.

Q: Professional cyclist Lance armstrong burns around 6000 calories a day when he trains most of the year and has a Body composition of 5%. According to what you said he should have a slow metabolism because he does so much cardio. At 160 pounds he doesnt have much muscle. Is Metabolism only determined by your lean body mass?

Q: I have 163.4 pounds of lean body mass and my sister's lean body mass is only 110 pounds so my Basal metabolic rate must be faster.

Q: I'm 37 years old.Can u tell me what minimum body composition would I need in order to be classified as 'Obese'.is there a website which has this info for males and females of all ages.My dad who is 65 has a BC of 28% yet he has a large stomach. When I was at 28% I didnt nearly look as fat as he did.Is it possible that a lot of his fat is in his gut where as the fat in my body is more evenly distributed?

Q: what has more density, fat or muscle in a bicep?

Q: im just about to start weight training. Obviously i'll have to train my legs along with the rest of my body but im concerned about putting excess load on my knees as i weigh 220 pounds. what excercises would be best?

Q: belly wieght loss

Q: how to know if i am overweight

Q: Is there any stretches or workouts to help me grow taller? And if you keep feeling growing pains every night, does that mean you're hitting a growth spurt?

Q: Q 82 & 83: My wrist is around 7.25-7.5 inches.I am 6 feet tall. Even the trainer at my gym was surprised that I weighed 200. My waist is 37 inches but my belly is pretty flat.I know people that have more stomach fat than me who's waists are only 34 inches.

Q: Under a safe program, how long does it take to gain a pound of muscle (assuming approximately 40 minutes of weight training with moderate to heavy weights)?

Q: I really appreciate all the great advice you have on your site. It is really remarkable how value-added it is. Thank you!

Q: Im somewhat active,24 f i weigh 162lbs. I go to the gym 5 days a week for 45 min a day. i usually speed walk at 4.0 at a 10 inc, and then jog a mile at 4.2 at 0 inc. I dont eat that much, two meals a day and a healthy snack like a rice cake or fruit after the gym. Ive lost 5 lbs in two weeks but you would never know the difference. Can you reccomend a workout plan for me that will show results. My goal is to lose 25 lbs before the new year. I dont have access to much equipment at my local gym, treadmill, eliptical, weights, bike, and a few leg machines.

Q: will doing moderate to heavy cardio AND weight training increase fat loss IF there is no calorie deficit? My trainer tells me that it is best to mix the two, but according to your site, it isn't... is this because my trainer is assuming I will intake a lot of food?

Q: Can two people who have the same body composition look very different from each other?

Q: I am beginning to sweat a lot while working out. Is this an indication that I am working myself too hard (and I am out of shape) or the contrary (as I read somewhere)? Is there a way to control my sweating (ie. drinking less water is a possibility, but doesn't sound too heathy)

Q: How much does muscle weigh more than fat?

Q: since the leg and arm muscles combined has much more muscle than the ab muscles wont weightrainig the arms and legs be much more beneficial in burning the fat around the stomach area versus just doing stomach exercises and ab exercises?

Q: I'm 200 pounds but most people usually underestimate my weight by 20 pounds . I am not muscular and have a body composition of only 20% so I dont know why I weigh so much considering that I look rather slim and I am of medium frame.

Q: In reference to Question 82. I want to improve my physique so that I have a chiseled look around the neck and jaw area. I noticed that people in really good shape you can see very clearly the outline of the edge of their jaw.do you know what I mean? I dont know what Body composition I would need to get that look but that is my goal.

Q: I have been working out for many years. I have a lot of muscle on me, but as a woman I am very self-cautious about wearing sleveless shirts and skirts. Is there a way I can safely lose some muscle without gaining flab?

Q: Im somewhat active,24 f i weigh 162lbs. I go to the gym 5 days a week for 45 min a day. i usually speed walk at 4.0 at a 10 inc, and then jog a mile at 4.2 at 0 inc. I dont eat that much, two meals a day and a healthy snack like a rice cake or fruit after the gym. Ive lost 5 lbs in two weeks but you would never know the difference. Can you reccomend a workout plan for me that will show results. My goal is to lose 25 lbs before the new year. I dont have access to much equipment at my local gym, treadmill, eliptical, weights, bike, and a few leg machines.

Q: You mention that by focusing on building muscle now, it will be easier to lose weight later by cutting fat. I am just confused a bit, because I thought that in cutting fat, the body goes in 'starvation' mode and uses up our muscle as oppose to body fat. Why won't that be the case when we have gained more muscle? Thank you in advance for answering my question. I love your site.

Q: Is it possible to lose fat and lose muscle at the same time?

Q: how to lose man boobs with gym equipment?

Q: Will running get rid of man boobs?

Q: I am a 19 year old female and active gym goer. I go to the gym 6 days a week for about two hours each day. Before I began going the gym (about two years ago) I weighed 150. Now, I weigh 155. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, or if it is due to the muscle mass that I have gained. I do weight training two days a week. A lot of the advice you have on the site emphasizes the importance of weight training in losing weight, but is that advice the same for females? As you know, most girls are afraid of gaining too much muscle mass. Is there a way to combat this problem while still reaping the benefits of muscle?

Q: If one is just starting out a weight training program can one gain muscle mass even if there is a calorie deficit?And secondly, if I burn as many caloires as I consume will the muscle mass that I gain be equal in weight to the fat that Is lossed. theoretically I shouldnt gain or lose weight if calories in=calories out so a pound of muscle gained should be accompanied by a pound of fat lost.

Q: just a comment on question 57. lets say one pound of muscle burns 50 calories.I can burn 50 calories in 7 or 8 minutes doing cardio which is much easier than working out for a month just to gain one pound of muscle.

Q: In response to your answer to question 54 I dont wanna gain weight. I wanna gain muscle and lose weight or at least stay the same weight.

Q: How can i lose man boobs and see results in a week without taking pills?

Q: If one undereats to lose weight wont the weight come back once the person goes back to his habitual eating patterns? I think one should go on a diet only if its a diet that can be kept for a life time,otherwise he or she will gain back the lost weight.

Q: when one gains 5 pounds of lean body mass from weight training are all these five pounds from muscle or does bone mass also contribute to the five pounds?

Q: If I eat 2500 calories where 35% of the calories are from junk food and change my diet so that I'm still eating 2500 calories but only 10% of the calories are from junk food will I lose weight? I know that my cholesterol level will go down and my overal health will be better from the second diet.

Q: I was weight training today even though my muscles were sore from the previous workout 2 days ago.Is this a bad idea? should I postpone my workout until the soreness is 100% gone?

Q: if one person burns 600 calories bicycling in 45 minutes and another burns the same amount of calories in 90 minutes isnt the first person's workout more beneficial because it is more intense and his/her's metabolism will be at a higher level for a longer period of time after the workout is over ? although the seond person will burn more fat calories during the exercise ,I suspect the first person will burn more calories for several hours after the workout is over

Q: If I weight train every other day,is that too much?

Q: I have a comment on question 38.skinfold calipers only measures the fat under the skin but the human body also has fat which is not in that area so isnt the BI method more accurate?

Q: I have gained muscle mass even though my muscles dont look bigger. Can weight trainig cause my muscles to increase in density without an increase in volume?

Q: If a person improved their body composition and at the same time gained a lot of weight would this cause them to be slower when performing in a fast paced sport?

Q: I weight train with weights that are between 50-90 pounds.How much muscle could I gain with these light weights?

Q: how do i get rid ofman boobs

Q: I gained in the last 3 months 5 pounds of lean body mass and lost 10 pounds of fat. in those 3 months I always burned more calories than I ate. But I thought to gain lean body mass one has to eat more than what one burns,so hoe come I gained muscle? The theory that one cannot lose fat and gain muscle at the same time may not be true.

Q: Are there any exercises that will help strengthen the upper chest muscle without using gym equipment?

Q: beer gut

Q: I have just 3 more questions about going on a muscle-building diet?

1. Can I go ahead replace garbanzo beans by eating soybeans?
2. I am very afraid that this will just add alot body weight and i will gain too much?
3. When will I know to switch from this to burning fat mode?

Q: How much sleep is needed for someone who does 4 days of heavy lifting?

Q: How do you get rid of 'man boobs'?

Q: my basal metabolic rate is 2312 and my lean body mass is a 163 pounds. this means that one pound of lean body mass only burns around 14 calories a day so wouldnt cardio be more effective in losing weight?

Q: I run over 6 miles every day and have dropped from 220+ to 190 pounds, but lately I've stopped losing weight despite not even eating very much. Please help!

Q: What's better - a low-fat diet or a low-carb diet?

Q: I have a fitness question for you. I am totally frustrated with current situation and need help for permanent change.

1.) I am vegetarian, weigh clost to 150, and 5'8. Even with this much mass, I am very skinny. I got a fat gut and small 'man boobs.'

2.) I'm interested in having a lean runner's body for triathlons and surfing. Can you help me set up somekind of plan. I tried eating like on website for 2 days. I felt really bloated.

3.) How do I overcome urges of eating unhealthy food. I will go 4-5 days eating healthy then I will have huge urge for nachos, french fries, and onion rings. Another thing I have noticed that, I even overindulge on good food.

4.) You mentioned lentils being good source of protein. But those nutritional label is when they are dried. In able to eat, I least have boil them 5 minutes. Seems like the its nutrition changes.
Very Confusing !!

Seems like every month, I 'restart' my diet plan. I dont know what to do anymore