# Good diet/workout plans to get lean?



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

Hey guys,

I've started hitting up the gym lately and I would like to hear if anyone has any good workout plans that help build muscle/burn fat. I'm aiming for a lean, muscular build (think male underwar model)
I recently went to my local gym and met this dude who was from out of state. He was giving another person some pointers, and since I'm pretty new, I asked if he could give me some as well. We actually talked for an hour and he gave me a lot of awesome tips. 

Here are some of the things he shared with me.

-Always make sure your form is right or the exercise provides little benefit. Start with light weights, work on form. You can also work on form (like air squats) at home with a mirror and no weights
-Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Cut carbs completely out of the last few meals. Eat 2 hrs before going to bed.
-Eat protein shortly after your workout (obv), but also eat small amounts of protein throughout the day, like eggs, 1/2 chick breast, etc.
-Alternate workouts between doing a moderate weight with moderate reps (like 10-15?) to pushing yourself, starting light with lots of reps and moving to higher weights at lower reps
-Have goals, keep track of progress, take pics, right down weight lifted, waist size, etc...
-Workout 5 days a week, rest 2. Do a different muscle group everyday (ie. Legs, Torso, arms).
-Abs aren't as important as a lot of people think. Everyone has them, but they're hidden under fat. You can workout abs as a freebie on any given workout day, but only dedicate a few min to them.

These are a few of the tips I recall. If anyone has any diets, workout plans. I'm NOT looking to get HUGE, but I would like to be more lean and build at least a decent amount of muscle



I've been looking around the internet at sites like Bodybuilders.com and Men's Health magazine sites. 

Any advice would be much appreciated.


----------



## richie33 (Jul 20, 2012)

Throw some cardio in there and it's a good start.


----------



## SongoftheSouth (Apr 22, 2014)

Consider joining a BJJ school. You will absolutely lean up and get some really good skills if you stick with it. If that's not your cup of tea go to the aerobics classes at your gym. They are usually fun and sociable, burn tons of cals, and most often have some hot babes attending which is Great too. Good luck.


----------



## ConanHub (Aug 9, 2013)

You got some good advice. Just make sure to develop a routine. A lifestyle you can continue.

More people burn out by attempting unsustainable schedules.

Doing something fairly rigorous five days a week that you can continue will yield results in a month or two.

Avoid processed anything especially refined sugar. Honey is a great sub that I use daily.

Some carbs are fantastic. Try some yams or sweet potatoes. Not a lot, but in line with your small portion diet. Reduce your sodium as well.

You can combine spinach, fresh not canned, with chicken for a great taco with onions and Tabasco, almost no calories for the flavor plus vinegar is good for you, without cheese.

You can find little corn tortillas that are better for you than flour and require more effort to prepare for smaller portions.

I usually eat two or three at a sitting.

Avocados are not my favorite but are excellent for nutrition and getting in shape. Mrs. Conan loves them and at 55 she has a very hot bod.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## ReidWright (May 15, 2014)

sounds good.

if you're focusing on weight loss (body fat reduction), make sure you're tracking those calories pretty close, with myfitnesspal or some other food diary. Run a calorie deficit, but not to the extreme. 

those calories can really sneak up on you, even if you're eating 'healthy'. 

Like 14 almonds have 100 calories...it's easy to stuff a few handfuls in your mouth and blow your calories for the day by 500+.

it takes 3500 calories to make a pound of fat, so if you did that for week, you'd gain a pound!


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

Dont buy into the whole 5-6 meals or no carbs past a certain time. Figure out your macros. Here is a great calculator as a baseline:

IIFYM Calculator

Just make sure you hit your numbers, use a program like MyFitnessPal to keep track of. 

I know a shocker, but you can actually eat cookies, ice cream, etc... and still get lean. Once again, as long as it fits in with your total daily macro intake.

Not sure how far you are with lifting, but doing a combined power/hypertrophy program I find ideal for strength and body recomposition. Layne Norton has as interesting new program coming out next week:

PH3: Layne Norton's Power And Hypertrophy Trainer - Bodybuilding.com

My workouts have a powerlifting and hypertrophy aspect to it. Set goals and be consistent.

For Cardio, get HIIT sessions in 2-3x a week.


----------



## Anubis (Jul 12, 2011)

ConanHub said:


> Just make sure to develop a routine. A lifestyle you can continue.
> 
> More people burn out by attempting unsustainable schedules.


Can't stress this enough. Time and consistency are the real secret ingredients to change.



ReidWright said:


> if you're focusing on weight loss (body fat reduction), make sure you're tracking those calories pretty close, with myfitnesspal or some other food diary. Run a calorie deficit, but not to the extreme.





EllisRedding said:


> I know a shocker, but you can actually ear cookies, ice cream, etc... and still get lean. Once again, as long as it fits in with your total daily macro intake.


Just want to add from experiences, do NOT to make a 7-day a week diet completely devoid of foods you love, or always strive to be under target calories. It'll frustrate you into thinking "this is the best it will ever be for me from this day forward??!" 

I found, during my most successful runs that: 
A - you can (and should) include some favorite foods (high end chocolates in my case), as long as you completely account for it, tracking-wise and at the macro level. 
B - Different days, different total amounts - Each week I would have 'high days' and 'low days', both calorie-wise and exercise-wise. You can be loosing weight at a good, safe clip and still have days you go to sleep not feeling hungry. The variation works as long as you keep it in a solid 'big picture' framework. Strict Daily tracking made it work for me. 
C - Account for 'cheat days' at the monthly level (food, missed exercise) - you're still living life, and being able to joining big events/celebrations/vacations with friends and family minimizes regrets.

When I was working out in the early mornings, I found I needed some carbs about 30 minutes before I began. I usually ate a protein bar with no HFCS (quick, fixed amount of inputs) to solve that.


----------



## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

Ellis is spot on with IIFYM. People get so stupid with IIFYM when they compare it to old school routines. You will see guys posting on IIFYM sites about eating donuts, cookies, ice cream, pizza, etc... That is a rarity for that person and not daily. Most guys that do IIFYM eat old school "clean dieting." But, they don't hold to old rigid routines and allow some flexibility with the eating so you don't get burnt out.

As far as lifting, figure the form first, then add the weight. I like a push / pull / legs type workout. But, I make sure I have a day off before and after legs. I work legs so hard that I can barely function after they are done. That is not for everyone.

Just keep it simple. Focus big muscle groups first, moving to smaller groups. For example a push day would be chest..then delts..then triceps. It makes little sense to do triceps first and burn them out because you will never hit a solid bench press.

You are in the period of newbie gains. You can do everything wrong and will still make progress. That lasts about 6 months. Take that time to learn what you enjoy and what you will stick to.

However, the absolute key is nutrition. Remember, you can out diet a bad exercise program, but can't out exercise a bad diet.


----------



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

EllisRedding said:


> Dont buy into the whole 5-6 meals or no carbs past a certain time. Figure out your macros. Here is a great calculator as a baseline:
> 
> IIFYM Calculator
> 
> ...


Okay, I went to that site. I put in the following stats.
Age 37 (will be 38 in less than a month)
Height 5.8"
Wt 182
Lifestyle Sedentary (my job is me sitting answering phones at a call center, but I do get up and walk every 2 hrs or so, on my breaks)
Exercise 4 times a week (but I try to always get at least 10k steps/5 miles in on my fitbit)
Time 120 min
Calculate Your TDEE
Your BMR is: 1731 Calories/Day
Your TDEE is: 2334 Calories/Day

What does this mean?

Also, I don't like sweets, so I'm not too concerned about those, but I do like other carbs like pastas, rice, potatoes, etc. I love most vegetables (onions, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach). Not a huge fan of avocado, but I don't mind it when mixed with other stuff. I've also heard avocado is good for boosting T-levels. Not sure if it's true or not.


----------



## welldusted (Oct 5, 2015)

I've also recently discovered the benefits of compound lifts after trying a lot of different things and have seen gains in a way I've never seen before. Definitely agree about form, but also, once you have form down, don't be afraid to pack on some weight -- it take a lot more weight to "bulk up" then you think, and if you can finish 3x10, even just barely, you're going to get more lean than huge. 

I do a legs / chest / back split, three workouts per week. Consistency matters a lot. If I have time in a week for additional workouts, I do HIIT cardio and maybe some arms stuff, but the chest and back exercises work your arms pretty well. 

Also, while it's true that abs exercises won't get rid of fat by themselves, don't neglect them because ab and core strength is important to good form in compound lifts.


----------



## NoIinThreesome (Nov 6, 2007)

Anything will work if you're consistent.

You can do the worst workout from Men's Health and you'll gain on it if you do it 4 days a week for 12 weeks.

As a starter, pick something heavy up from the ground. Lift something heavy over your head. Pull something heavy towards your body. Now push it away. Throw something heavy over your shoulders and go for a walk. 

Now do this 4 days a week.*



* throw in some curls at the end because girls like arms.


----------



## NoIinThreesome (Nov 6, 2007)

To add to my last post:

Carbs are a killer if your a sedentary 35+ male. I was able to get stronger lifting over time (500lb DL, 225lb OHP) but my physique never really improved until I cut way, way back on my carbs. I still keep carbs under 60g per day.


----------



## Maneo (Dec 4, 2012)

Agree about carbs being a killer in weight loss. Also that consistency is a key. I cut back on my carbs last March - 45-60 a day- and have lost 60 lbs and continue to drop a 1-2 lbs per week. Exercise will tone your body but eating the pasta and the bread will keep the weight on.


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

Carbs are just person dependent. I have had no issues leaning out with carbs in the 150-200g range as long as I hit my macro breakout.


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> Okay, I went to that site. I put in the following stats.
> Age 37 (will be 38 in less than a month)
> Height 5.8"
> Wt 182
> ...


Here is what the site shows based on your TDEE:

View attachment 39290


Now keep in mind, these are general guidelines but a good start


----------



## knightRider (Dec 31, 2014)

Another tip, if you wanna build muscle, watch the order you do your workout. I was doing heavy cardio before lifting weights. This was a mistake as I was tiring from cardio before lifting. 

Now I warm up with a 10 min jog, then lift, before going back to cardio. This has helped me lift heavier weights as I am not tiring before lifting.


----------



## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

For me intermittent fasting was life saver, diet 5-2. Two days a week (not consecutive) my diet should stay under 500 caloires (600 for men). The other five days no limits on what and how much to eat. So you need to have a strong will just for one day at a time. It helps to retrain your body from looking for food all the time (you must eat snack every two hours or else! old paradigm) , and not be afraid of the feeling of light hunger, even welcome the lightness. Those 500-calories days are like reset button for me. Even if I slipped during holidays, X-mas, etc, I know that I will do my 500 day and will be back to normal. I have been on this for two and half year for now.


----------



## Etrigan (Nov 21, 2013)

Try Spartacus workout. Aim for one round initially. You can get one page pdf from menshealth website and use the spartacus workout timer on youtube.

Its really tough but well worth it.


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

View attachment 39322


----------



## bbdad (Feb 11, 2013)

WandaJ said:


> For me intermittent fasting was life saver, diet 5-2. Two days a week (not consecutive) my diet should stay under 500 caloires (600 for men). The other five days no limits on what and how much to eat. So you need to have a strong will just for one day at a time. It helps to retrain your body from looking for food all the time (you must eat snack every two hours or else! old paradigm) , and not be afraid of the feeling of light hunger, even welcome the lightness. Those 500-calories days are like reset button for me. Even if I slipped during holidays, X-mas, etc, I know that I will do my 500 day and will be back to normal. I have been on this for two and half year for now.


This would not seem to be a good nutrition plan for some one that is working out with any moderate or greater intensity.

Exercise requires fuel. That does not mean unlimited eating, but does require fuel. Also, if you eat 10k calories 5 days per week and 500 calories 2 days per week, you will still gain weight.

I'm glad it works well for you. However, I would tend to think it would not be good for an exercising male, as I understand the topic starter to be.


----------



## WandaJ (Aug 5, 2014)

bbdad said:


> This would not seem to be a good nutrition plan for some one that is working out with any moderate or greater intensity.
> 
> Exercise requires fuel. That does not mean unlimited eating, but does require fuel. Also, if you eat 10k calories 5 days per week and 500 calories 2 days per week, you will still gain weight.
> 
> I'm glad it works well for you. However, I would tend to think it would not be good for an exercising male, as I understand the topic starter to be.


I have most energetic workouts on my diet days, seems like it gives me a lot of energy. Of course you cannot eat 10 K on other days. But the way it works, you kind of shrink your stomach and get used to eating less, so you do not overeat on other days. It comes actually rather easy.


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

I know people who have gotten very good results with IF (during the fasting period taking in BCAAs every 2-3 hours). It is just something that would never fit in with my schedule as well as how I lift so I never gave a shot at.

Intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health


----------



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

Yikes, Intermittent Fasting--idk. Wouldn't that work against muscle growth?

Anyways, I wanted to let everyone know that I recently upgraded my workout to 5 days a week for building muscle. I will post it later.

Right now, I have another question. Post workout, what's more important, Cardio or Protein? I plan on going to the gym right after work and after that, I would like to go running for awhile in Metro park, but I'm afraid that will push back my protein consumption to MORE than 1hr after I workout.


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> Yikes, Intermittent Fasting--idk. Wouldn't that work against muscle growth?
> 
> Anyways, I wanted to let everyone know that I recently upgraded my workout to 5 days a week for building muscle. I will post it later.
> 
> Right now, I have another question. Post workout, what's more important, Cardio or Protein? I plan on going to the gym right after work and after that, I would like to go running for awhile in Metro park, but I'm afraid that will push back my protein consumption to MORE than 1hr after I workout.


What are you afraid will happen if you don't have protein within an hour, your gainz will be lost? Just make sure you hit your total protein intake for the day. I would be more concerned about running for a while impacting your ability to build muscle.


----------



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

EllisRedding said:


> What are you afraid will happen if you don't have protein within an hour, your gainz will be lost? Just make sure you hit your total protein intake for the day. I would be more concerned about running for a while impacting your ability to build muscle.


Well, I was told 15-20 min of cardio after my workout was good. Would it affect me building muscle if it happened AFTER my workout?

Also, I think I'm going to subscribe to Men's Health Magazine. I picked up a copy at my local grocery store and they always seem to have good articles.


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> Well, I was told 15-20 min of cardio after my workout was good. Would it affect me building muscle if it happened AFTER my workout?
> 
> Also, I think I'm going to subscribe to Men's Health Magazine. I picked up a copy at my local grocery store and they always seem to have good articles.


I would instead do 10 or so minutes of HIIT cardio at the end of your workout (I like to do on the Elliptical, you could do sprints, bike, etc...). That is typically what I do. You will burn more calories, and it will actually compliment building muscle (i.e. compare the physique of a sprinter vs. a long distance runner) .


----------



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

EllisRedding said:


> I would instead do 10 or so minutes of HIIT cardio at the end of your workout (I like to do on the Elliptical, you could do sprints, bike, etc...). That is typically what I do. You will burn more calories, and it will actually compliment building muscle (i.e. compare the physique of a sprinter vs. a long distance runner) .


I'll look into that, Ellis. THanks! So, doing the boring old Ellipticals are better than running through the woods on paths in Metro Parks?

Do you have any pics of sprinters vs marathon runners? I'm guessing sprinters are more buff?


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> I'll look into that, Ellis. THanks! So, doing the boring old Ellipticals are better than running through the woods on paths in Metro Parks?
> 
> Do you have any pics of sprinters vs marathon runners? I'm guessing sprinters are more buff?


It is not specific to Elliptical, it is about doing the exercise HIIT style (doesn't have to be an Elliptical). A perfect example of how you would do:

You do 10 1 minute sessions. The first 15 seconds you go ALL Out. The next 45 seconds you go at a slow pace. Rinse and repeat 8-10 times. This type of workout is much more effective for burning fat and building muscle than running for distance of LISS cardio. You can do this with sprints, sled pulls, kettlebells, etc... doesn't matter, you just want to stick with the concept of going all out in short bursts.

Guess which one is the sprinter below


----------



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

EllisRedding said:


> It is not specific to Elliptical, it is about doing the exercise HIIT style (doesn't have to be an Elliptical). A perfect example of how you would do:
> 
> You do 10 1 minute sessions. The first 15 seconds you go ALL Out. The next 45 seconds you go at a slow pace. Rinse and repeat 8-10 times. This type of workout is much more effective for burning fat and building muscle than running for distance of LISS cardio. You can do this with sprints, sled pulls, kettlebells, etc... doesn't matter, you just want to stick with the concept of going all out in short bursts.
> 
> Guess which one is the sprinter below



Awesome, although that pic isn't really fair, you've got an old, bedraggled white dude vs a young, athletic african american.

Anyways, I've watching lots of videos on Youtube and one of my favorites is; Athlean-X

I just watched this video, and I realized I'm doing probably about 1 of each of these. I'm wondering if I should cut them out of my plan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Y3WDY1tUo


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> Awesome, although that pic isn't really fair, you've got an old, bedraggled white dude vs a young, athletic african american.
> 
> Anyways, I've watching lots of videos on Youtube and one of my favorites is; Athlean-X
> 
> ...


Good to see I don't do any of those exercises 

I focus on squats, bench, and deadlift (incorporating different variations). Add in a variety of accessory work and that is all you need.


----------



## FormerSelf (Apr 21, 2013)

I follow Mark's Daily Apple blog a.k.a. Primal Blueprint.

Eating wise, it underscores cutting carbs and processed foods, focusing on organic veggies and proteins. Claims that fats aren't the issue, but our body's inflammatory response to the crap we eat. Eat when you're hungry, but when you cut out carbs, you don't need to eat as much. I did this much and the weight just fell off. Many people have also experienced great improvement with their skin, diabetes, fatty liver, leaky gut, and other issues going primal in this way.

Exercise wise, Primal Blueprint suggest shorter high intensity workouts. You'll avoid repetitive motion injury from hours of needless cardio and will develop that sprinter physique...which will be cut and lean.


----------



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

Hello Men,

Here's my workout that my physical trainer at Planet Fitness suggested. The first exercise of every group has 1 extra warmup set.

Day 1 Chest	Sets	Reps
Smith Machine Bench Press	4*	10
SM Incline Press	3	10
Cable Flys	3	10
Push Ups	3	20
Dips 
Core Exercise and 20+ Cardio 

Day 2 Back 
Cable Lat Pulldown (PD)	*4	10
Low Cable Row	3	10
Lat PD reverse grip	3	10
1 Arm Dumbell Rows	3	10
Assisted Pull-ups	3	max rep


Day 3; Legs 
Leg Press 
Leg Extension 
Leg Curl 
Dumbell single leg Deadlift 
Lunges 
Squats 

Shoulders 
Seated SM Shldr Press 
Dumbbell Lat Raise 
Dumbbell Front Raise 
Cable Rope Face pull 
Upright rows 


Arms 
Ez Bar Curl wide grip 
ez bar curl Close grip 
Tricep Rope Pulldown 
Tricep handle press down 
Dumbell hammer curl 
Diamond pushups


----------



## JukeboxHero (Mar 3, 2015)

EllisRedding said:


> Here is what the site shows based on your TDEE:
> 
> View attachment 39290
> 
> ...



I'm still a bit uncertain about these. So, basically.. my Macros are just "HOw many calories I need to burn" ??

Also, how do you keep track of your carbs?


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> I'm still a bit uncertain about these. So, basically.. my Macros are just "HOw many calories I need to burn" ??
> 
> Also, how do you keep track of your carbs?


Your macros just means the calories you take in and how they are broken out (between fat, protein, carbs, etc...). . For example, some people may feel like they respond best to a 40/40/20 split (40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat). Once you figure out your total calories you need to take in to meet your goals (to lose weight, maintain, or bulk) you can then figure out what your macro split could look like. The quick an easy:

1g protein = 4 calories
1g carbs = 4 calories
1g fat = 9 calories


To keep track of your macros (carbs, protein, etc...) trying using a site like MyFitnessPal.com.


----------



## Mr The Other (Feb 1, 2014)

I am not heavily into exercise and Conrad and Weightlifter can offer far more experience than me. However, I have put on several pounds of lean muscle and lost fat in the month (39yo, 5'10, 182lb, 15% body fat). That has been from relaxing (adrenaline will lower testosterone) while maintaining a sensible diet (cut out all sugar, sugar substitutes, processed food and junk). I am not your ideal, but I am heading that direction despite being no youth.


----------



## Average Joe (Sep 2, 2015)

JukeboxHero said:


> Awesome, although that pic isn't really fair, you've got an old, bedraggled white dude vs a young, athletic *african american*.


Except he's wearing a British flag. I have a son from Africa. He's not African American either. He's a straight-up African dude, all the way.

Anyway, as far as leaning out, I've been doing just pushups every morning for 6 months. I can happily report today that I'm finally able to achieve this 10/10 EMOM elevated pushup set. 100 total. Not bad at 46.

How to Make Pushups More Effective | Men's Health

I'm not sure what to do now though. Maybe put some weight on my back?


----------



## EllisRedding (Apr 10, 2015)

Average Joe said:


> Except he's wearing a British flag. I have a son from Africa. He's not African American either. He's a straight-up African dude, all the way.
> 
> Anyway, as far as leaning out, I've been doing just pushups every morning for 6 months. I can happily report today that I'm finally able to achieve this 10/10 EMOM elevated pushup set. 100 total. Not bad at 46.
> 
> ...


Add weights to your back. Try changing the width of your hands which will shift the muscles being worked

Speaking of EMOM, I have that programmed into my squats tomorrow, yuck .. here is what I am set to do tomorrow EMOM ...

275lbs @ 5
295lbs @ 3
315lbs @ 4
315lbs @ 4
315lbs @ 4
325lbs @ 3
235lbs @ 20

I am nauseous just looking at ...


----------

