Nooneknows79
12-18-2007, 08:46 PM
I am in relatively good shape - I have been working out for years on a regular basis, eat fairly well (although I do have a few bad habits), and generally take good care of my appearance. I have no health problems, no problems with blood pressure, heart, etc, a slightly higher level of cholesterol but nothing to get too worried about.
One thing that never goes away, however, is the annoying gut. It looks and feels disproportional - I am able to work out intensively for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, lift quite heavy on free weights, and have excellent stamina, being able to work harder than many of my friends, but no matter how much I exercise, it simply does not go away. Lately I have been doing exercises with a friend focused on the abs, such as presses and the 'Spartan press' - ie ab crunches whilst holding up a dumbbell. I have nicely defined arms, legs, and chiselled face (maybe a bit of baby fat but not too instrusive), but I can work out for months and months and never get a flat belly. The closest that I come is when I go travelling, as I tend to walk alot every day, but even after months of daily walking there was still something there.
I don't know if all I need to do is to simply eat better - I do allow myself occasional indulgences, maybe once a week eat junk meals like pizza, sometimes a sweet, but consume very little sugar, and do not even sweeten my tea or coffee at all anymore. I have not been to the greasy burger and related places in a long time, do not smoke, and do not touch pop (although I have been guilty of eating holiday type sweets as of late). I do however enjoy the occasional couple of drinks now and then. I can feel the outline of the ab muscles when lying down, but when sitting the gut is more prevalent. In a good week, I will lift 2-3 times, cardio 2-3.
It is very frustrating though - it seems as though the only way I will ever lose it is to adopt a very Spartan lifestyle, and spend months or years without consuming another drink, another pizza slice, or anything else 'enjoyable' - which is sometimes needed for the stresses of life! And even if I do so, will it stay away, or just come back? Is it possible it's just genetic - many of the men on my father's side tend to become chubbier if they let themselves go. I do not gain weight anywhere else, have stayed at status quo for quite a while, and the gut isn't huge per se, but it would be nice to be able to go to a beach or whatever in the summer and not have to suck it in.
Are there specific types of protein shakes/foods I can consume before or after a workout that can specifically burn that fat (as it seems I have little fat elsewhere, but perhaps I am underestimating), or is it just necessary to keep up the workouts? If it will involve a life long process and abstention from a few guilty pleasures just to avoid belly fat, maybe it isn't worth it! It is frustrating to see guys who haven't been to the gym in years not have this problem, yet when I spend hours a week focused upon it it continues! Thanks.
One thing that never goes away, however, is the annoying gut. It looks and feels disproportional - I am able to work out intensively for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, lift quite heavy on free weights, and have excellent stamina, being able to work harder than many of my friends, but no matter how much I exercise, it simply does not go away. Lately I have been doing exercises with a friend focused on the abs, such as presses and the 'Spartan press' - ie ab crunches whilst holding up a dumbbell. I have nicely defined arms, legs, and chiselled face (maybe a bit of baby fat but not too instrusive), but I can work out for months and months and never get a flat belly. The closest that I come is when I go travelling, as I tend to walk alot every day, but even after months of daily walking there was still something there.
I don't know if all I need to do is to simply eat better - I do allow myself occasional indulgences, maybe once a week eat junk meals like pizza, sometimes a sweet, but consume very little sugar, and do not even sweeten my tea or coffee at all anymore. I have not been to the greasy burger and related places in a long time, do not smoke, and do not touch pop (although I have been guilty of eating holiday type sweets as of late). I do however enjoy the occasional couple of drinks now and then. I can feel the outline of the ab muscles when lying down, but when sitting the gut is more prevalent. In a good week, I will lift 2-3 times, cardio 2-3.
It is very frustrating though - it seems as though the only way I will ever lose it is to adopt a very Spartan lifestyle, and spend months or years without consuming another drink, another pizza slice, or anything else 'enjoyable' - which is sometimes needed for the stresses of life! And even if I do so, will it stay away, or just come back? Is it possible it's just genetic - many of the men on my father's side tend to become chubbier if they let themselves go. I do not gain weight anywhere else, have stayed at status quo for quite a while, and the gut isn't huge per se, but it would be nice to be able to go to a beach or whatever in the summer and not have to suck it in.
Are there specific types of protein shakes/foods I can consume before or after a workout that can specifically burn that fat (as it seems I have little fat elsewhere, but perhaps I am underestimating), or is it just necessary to keep up the workouts? If it will involve a life long process and abstention from a few guilty pleasures just to avoid belly fat, maybe it isn't worth it! It is frustrating to see guys who haven't been to the gym in years not have this problem, yet when I spend hours a week focused upon it it continues! Thanks.
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Naxis
12-18-2007, 11:33 PM
First, what are your stats? Height/weight/age if over 14. Second, what kind of cardio do you usually do and for how long? Third, do you have a rough idea about how many calories you eat each day or what your macronutrient percentages are?
One thing that might be helpful is to choose a cheat day (or two during the holidays) so that you don't feel totally deprived, but still eat and live clean the rest of the time. The occasional drink or pizza slice shouldn't ruin your efforts, but if your healthy eating is still over your calorie needs, you won't see much change. I'd also recommend changing up your routine. Without knowing your specific cardio routine, you might try to do some kind of cardio 4-6 days a week. If you shorten your lifting sessions, you can tack 20-30 minutes onto the end for optimal fat burning potential, or do cardio-only days first thing in the morning before breakfast. It's a small tweak but it can make a big difference. Sometimes just ANY change in routine is all you need to bust a plateau. You probably are working against your genetics, but fear not. :) You just have to find the routine that works for you and the right balance of fun and discipline.
One thing that might be helpful is to choose a cheat day (or two during the holidays) so that you don't feel totally deprived, but still eat and live clean the rest of the time. The occasional drink or pizza slice shouldn't ruin your efforts, but if your healthy eating is still over your calorie needs, you won't see much change. I'd also recommend changing up your routine. Without knowing your specific cardio routine, you might try to do some kind of cardio 4-6 days a week. If you shorten your lifting sessions, you can tack 20-30 minutes onto the end for optimal fat burning potential, or do cardio-only days first thing in the morning before breakfast. It's a small tweak but it can make a big difference. Sometimes just ANY change in routine is all you need to bust a plateau. You probably are working against your genetics, but fear not. :) You just have to find the routine that works for you and the right balance of fun and discipline.
jeb1977
12-19-2007, 12:55 PM
well said... hello san antonian! another san antonian here at the boards.
First, what are your stats? Height/weight/age if over 14. Second, what kind of cardio do you usually do and for how long? Third, do you have a rough idea about how many calories you eat each day or what your macronutrient percentages are?
One thing that might be helpful is to choose a cheat day (or two during the holidays) so that you don't feel totally deprived, but still eat and live clean the rest of the time. The occasional drink or pizza slice shouldn't ruin your efforts, but if your healthy eating is still over your calorie needs, you won't see much change. I'd also recommend changing up your routine. Without knowing your specific cardio routine, you might try to do some kind of cardio 4-6 days a week. If you shorten your lifting sessions, you can tack 20-30 minutes onto the end for optimal fat burning potential, or do cardio-only days first thing in the morning before breakfast. It's a small tweak but it can make a big difference. Sometimes just ANY change in routine is all you need to bust a plateau. You probably are working against your genetics, but fear not. :) You just have to find the routine that works for you and the right balance of fun and discipline.
First, what are your stats? Height/weight/age if over 14. Second, what kind of cardio do you usually do and for how long? Third, do you have a rough idea about how many calories you eat each day or what your macronutrient percentages are?
One thing that might be helpful is to choose a cheat day (or two during the holidays) so that you don't feel totally deprived, but still eat and live clean the rest of the time. The occasional drink or pizza slice shouldn't ruin your efforts, but if your healthy eating is still over your calorie needs, you won't see much change. I'd also recommend changing up your routine. Without knowing your specific cardio routine, you might try to do some kind of cardio 4-6 days a week. If you shorten your lifting sessions, you can tack 20-30 minutes onto the end for optimal fat burning potential, or do cardio-only days first thing in the morning before breakfast. It's a small tweak but it can make a big difference. Sometimes just ANY change in routine is all you need to bust a plateau. You probably are working against your genetics, but fear not. :) You just have to find the routine that works for you and the right balance of fun and discipline.
gib
12-19-2007, 02:44 PM
I'm exactly where you are at, I do have a flat belly, look great in a tight T-shirt, but still can grab a hand full of gut when sitting. I've been at my routine for four years now and work pretty hard at it. I need to drop another 10 pounds to get some ab definition, I'm close but it's very tough at this point to lose more weight.
Plateaus are my problem now, it's only when I change things up do I notice any progress. And it seems like the intensity and duration are already at insane levels, so doing more is like killing myself. I could pick up another day at the gym I guess on top of my 4 days/week there already but scheduling that in is difficult at best.
The good news is that my biggest change has been to turn myself into a runner. I've been at this for about 8-10 months now and it's been a big improvement for my overall fitness level. Running kicks the crap out of the other cardio I've always done and has accounted for my recent weight loss when not much else was working. I'm talking distance here, it took a while to work up to running comfortably for a mile, but I'm now doing 3 mile runs in each workout session with a 'long' 4-5 mile run on one day a week on top of my usual cardio. Go run for at least 30 minutes at a good pace each session, that will get you to the next level of fitness. I'm doing around 9 minute miles right now and it's getting addictive as I see my running strength increase, my minutes per mile times coming down, and more pounds coming off. Now I'm thinking about doing some 5k events and looking towards 10k distances. Running is HARD and difficult to 'get into', but there's nothing like being miles into a run and realizing just how strong your running is getting, more so when you look back at how bad you were dogging it just to do a mile.
My diet is like yours, I do good at it but I don't want to be perfect at it either, I still want to enjoy the pleasures of life! Good luck!
Plateaus are my problem now, it's only when I change things up do I notice any progress. And it seems like the intensity and duration are already at insane levels, so doing more is like killing myself. I could pick up another day at the gym I guess on top of my 4 days/week there already but scheduling that in is difficult at best.
The good news is that my biggest change has been to turn myself into a runner. I've been at this for about 8-10 months now and it's been a big improvement for my overall fitness level. Running kicks the crap out of the other cardio I've always done and has accounted for my recent weight loss when not much else was working. I'm talking distance here, it took a while to work up to running comfortably for a mile, but I'm now doing 3 mile runs in each workout session with a 'long' 4-5 mile run on one day a week on top of my usual cardio. Go run for at least 30 minutes at a good pace each session, that will get you to the next level of fitness. I'm doing around 9 minute miles right now and it's getting addictive as I see my running strength increase, my minutes per mile times coming down, and more pounds coming off. Now I'm thinking about doing some 5k events and looking towards 10k distances. Running is HARD and difficult to 'get into', but there's nothing like being miles into a run and realizing just how strong your running is getting, more so when you look back at how bad you were dogging it just to do a mile.
My diet is like yours, I do good at it but I don't want to be perfect at it either, I still want to enjoy the pleasures of life! Good luck!
Naxis
12-20-2007, 09:55 AM
Eating excess calories puts fat on, period. Your genetic blueprint determines where fat is stored.
Nooneknows79
12-26-2007, 10:32 PM
Sorry for the late reply, I've been Internet-less for the last little while. Thanks everyone, for the great advice! First off, Naxis, I am about 5'11, c. 180-185 lbs (seems to vary at different times and depending on my level of exercise that week) - however, several friends have mentioned that I look like I'm 170 - I have been as low as 165-170 in the past, but that was before I started doing any serious work with free weights, and almost exclusively focused on cardio. 27 years.
Second, when I am in a regular routine, I try to mix up my cardio sessions, and try to alternate, so one day weights, another cardio, etc. But I have not been consistent enough with number of days, I will try and go more often starting in the new year. I typically will start off with 5 min of running stairs, 10-15 min on a bike/rower or similar, maybe a break with some crunches/ab exercises, another 20 min of high intensity, usually on an elliptical or treadmill, then usually finish off with some free running, typically consisting of laps around a track or several sets of sprints.
As Naxis and gib have mentioned, I will try and mix things up a bit - maybe I will do less with weights, still do the core lifting exercises, but try to fit in more, and try running more. I like to run outside in the summer and spring, but am not a big fan of running in winter (do not live in the most balmy winter clime), but I will try and do more running than I do now, maybe mix up cardio sessions like you said, or simply focus more on running and less on lifting? Also, I will try and do cardio workouts before breakfast - what is a good recovery breakfast following that, maybe a protein/booster shake, sandwiches, etc? Thanks again!
Second, when I am in a regular routine, I try to mix up my cardio sessions, and try to alternate, so one day weights, another cardio, etc. But I have not been consistent enough with number of days, I will try and go more often starting in the new year. I typically will start off with 5 min of running stairs, 10-15 min on a bike/rower or similar, maybe a break with some crunches/ab exercises, another 20 min of high intensity, usually on an elliptical or treadmill, then usually finish off with some free running, typically consisting of laps around a track or several sets of sprints.
As Naxis and gib have mentioned, I will try and mix things up a bit - maybe I will do less with weights, still do the core lifting exercises, but try to fit in more, and try running more. I like to run outside in the summer and spring, but am not a big fan of running in winter (do not live in the most balmy winter clime), but I will try and do more running than I do now, maybe mix up cardio sessions like you said, or simply focus more on running and less on lifting? Also, I will try and do cardio workouts before breakfast - what is a good recovery breakfast following that, maybe a protein/booster shake, sandwiches, etc? Thanks again!
brokenchild
12-27-2007, 12:41 AM
some people will just never have that "flat" stomach. it's genetic. without knowing what your routine looks like, i can't really offer any additional advice other than what's been said already. the one exercise that i LOVE for abs are hanging knee raises/leg lifts.