What Do You Think of My Diet & Strength Training Program?
Aug 9th, 2007 by Mehdi Tags: Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Nutrition, Strength Training
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Rissam posted the next question in reply to How Can You Lose Fat & Build Muscle At The Same Time:
“I’m 5′ 7″ and weight 175lbs. My goals are to drop down to 150lbs, to lose fat around my waist & to build muscle.
My diet:
- 08:00:1 scoop EAS Protein from Costco, 1% milk and a banana.
- 10:30: High Fiber Cereal (no milk) and a banana.
- 12:30: Vegetables and Legumes. Chicken occasionally.
- 15:30: Apple & raisins or fruit bar.
- 20:00: Dinner
- 22:00: 1 scoop EAS Protein from Costco and 1% milk.
My training program on Monday/Wednesday/Friday:
- 10 min warm-up on elliptical machine
- 30 Push-ups
- 30 Forward crunches
- 30 Reverse crunches
- 2 sets of 10 reps Lat pull-down, Bench Press, Triceps, Biceps, shoulders.
Tuesday:
- 3 miles running
- 30 Forward crunches
- 30 Reverse crunches
Thursday:
- 45 mins swimming
- 30 Forward crunches
- 30 Reverse crunches
Sat or Sun:
- 6 miles running
- 30 Forward crunches
- 30 Reverse crunches
Rest one day a week.
I started 3 weeks ago. I feel fitter, but barely lost 2-3 lbs. Is there a change that I need to make to attain my goals?”
Protein. This is a rough estimation of your daily protein consumption:
- 2 scoops whey: 48g protein
- 200g chicken: 50g protein
- 200g meat at dinner: 50g protein
Your body needs protein to build muscles. 150g protein a day isn’t enough. Aim for 2g protein per bodyweight in lbs. In your case, that’s 350g protein daily.
Whey. EAS Protein from Costco contains soy. Soy decreases your testosterone levels. Consider another brand.
Squats. You’re not training your legs. This is probably the biggest error a beginner can make. Running doesn’t count. Running is nowhere comparable to the muscle development strength training exercises like the Squat will induce. Not only in your legs, but in your whole body. Start squatting and take a look at the beginner strength training program.
Daily Crunches. Your abs are like any other muscle: they need rest to grow. You’re training your abs 6 times a week. They have no time to rest. Train your abs on Monday/Wednesday/Friday & add weight systematically.
Running is great for endurance & losing fat/weight. But it will also burn muscles. You need to choose what’s more important to you. If you want to look like a marathon runner, run. If you want to be muscular, strength training is your tool.
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I agree totally, but did want to add also-cut the fruit down and up the veggies instead. Fruit’s awesome for you but it’s also a lot of sugar. Veggies are even better, IMO. What is your dinner meal specifically?
Add some cottage cheese to that cereal for your second breakfast, too ;>)
Actually the milk in his shakes also contain some protein, so that’s probably another 15g or so assuming he uses 8oz milk everytime. Not much, but that’s 10% more than what you calculated…
if it matters to you: too many whey powders contain artificial sweetener. I use Jarrow whey which has a little stevia in it and doesn’t taste sweet.
Lynne A, very good advice on upping veggies & lowering fruit consumption.
Galapagos. Indeed I forgot about the Milk and 175g of protein is still too short. Rissam needs much more.
42. Agreed with the artificial whey powder. Some actually use weight gainers instead of pure whey.
Great advice by all of you, thanks.
Some points I picked up from my experience:
-Fat loss is= Calories in-calories out
- You only need 1.8g to 2g of protein per kg.
-Don’t bother with supplements. Supplements are just that. I recommend switching to the anabolic diet. You get plenty of protein and fat. Remember fat is not the enemy. Excess calories makes you fat. If you insist on supplements. I recommend http://www.myprotein.co.uk who sell a variety of supplements without additives, preservatives, sweetners etc. Take a look at their forum as well.
-Set yourself one goal. Although we all like to believe that we can achieve multiple goals simultaneously (lose fat, build muscle), most of us cannot do this. As a beginner you will improve in areas of strength, endurance and weight loss. But this will begin to plateau.
- Running does not burn muscle. The human body only uses muscle for fuel under extreme circumstances (think hitting the wall in a marathon). Running is great to build general cardiovascular and lower body endurance. However, it does have its pit falls. Start nice and slow. Follow a beginners running program from cool running
-Most common mistake beginners make is the mistaken belief that more is better. Take my advice. Less is more than adequate. Strength train 3 times a week following the beginners training program (which I think is a great foundation program) and run/spin/swim three times a week. Most importantly get enough rest i.e., sleep.
Rant over. Thanks for reading
Good comment Assassin. Not a rant, you should post more.
Couldn’t agree more on fat doesn’t make fat, beginners train too much, setting one goal at a time & dropping the supps.
the only supplements you really need to add to your diet is this:
1. a good multivitamin. NSI makes a good line, but can be expensive. For a good multi, choose Beverly International Super Pack.
2. Fish Oil. Yea we all need this.
3. Whey and Egg Protein. Two different types, one fast and one slow acting.
4. ZMA. People who exercise intensely need zinc and magnesium, so this supplement takes care of that.
IMO that pretty much covers the basics of it all.
As far as diet goes, the Anabolic Diet is the way to go. And yea, dude…. squat!
Great advice as always Jay. I actually used Beverly International Multi-4 in the past. I’ve made a post on multivitamins planned for the coming weeks.
good idea for a post… there are so many multis to choose from and people are not always informed as to what are good brands and what to look for
Just a quick question.
I HAVE to take suppliments because i just carnt get enough protein if i dont and i very rarly hit 350g, normally 200g.
Is maximuscle worth all the money, i take cyclone and have noticed differance but its a around £60 a month to have properly. JUst woundered if anyone has used it or no any comments any1 has made about it?
Eddie, you don’t HAVE to take supplements. If you can’t get enough protein from your food, eat more. Eat more eggs at breakfast, eat more meat at dinner & lunch, take cans of tuna with you at school/work, etc.
This is an example of 350g protein a day:
-6 eggs + 150g bacon (breakfast)
-1 can of tuna (snack)
-500g meat (dinner/lunch)
-2 scoops whey (postworkout)
-150g turkey or chicken (sandwich)
Supplements are just as the name implies “supplements”. Let your food do the job, not your supplements.
hey mehdi…do you think i should carbload right after my workout 3 on friday evening (4 30pm) for 48 hours until sunday(4 30pm) or should i just rest until saturday morning (11am) to start the carbload?..reason I asked is that i usually hangout with my friends on friday night till pretty late and we would go to diner or cafe and they got all these good carb food which I think is not a problem since its the first 24 hours….and I heard from lyle mcdonald from bodyopus that during the first 24 hours of carb load the body is still in a fatburning mood so its ok to indulge abit on the high Gi carbohydrates…
Peter. Post all your questions at once in the forum please.