[PatienceWins]

I take protein powder after workout as it reduces the muscle pain/ fatigue and I recover by the next day. Without protein powder, it takes me two days to recover. It seems protein powder get to get rid of the muscle soreness because of lactic acid production.

I have tried to get full dose of protein through diet (eggs, chicken etc) but the faster recovery with less muscle aches pulls me to protein powder.

[PreludeSH]

Another story for people who eat protein in higher amounts at the expense of other macros. People feeling tired after hectic workout should try to adjust carb intakes

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland...-fife-68308809

[cryptarchy]

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

Another story for people who eat protein in higher amounts at the expense of other macros. People feeling tired after hectic workout should try to adjust carb intakes

IMO, that suggestion is for elite/pro level bodybuilders, amateurs rarely work out hard enough to eat that many calories. I used to feel tired after workout until I started taking whey protein immediately after working out. Now I don’t feel exhausted during the day.

[PPS]

Guys, need some advice. I have just restarted going to the gym after more than 2yrs. My regular timing will be around 7pm. Wanted to know if having a Protein Shake at around 6:30pm before going to the gym would be ok or not since my usual lunch time is around 1pm. Thereafter I generally won't be eating anything. My workout won't last more than an hour. After my workout I plan to have a fruit like an apple & then have dinner by 9pm. Trainer has suggested having Shake while working out.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by PreludeSH

Another story for people who eat protein in higher amounts at the expense of other macros.

Yeah I have also become highly suspicious of this need-more-protein school of thought, specially after watching this

Huge Protein Myths

Originally Posted by cryptarchy

I used to feel tired after workout until I started taking whey protein immediately after working out. Now I don’t feel exhausted during the day.

It is most likely the calories that you are consuming from the protein shake after your workout that are doing the trick. Our body converts excess protein into carbohydrates anyway. Have you tried consuming complex carbs like apples or bananas or even a smoothie after your workout and seen any difference?

Originally Posted by PPS

Wanted to know if having a Protein Shake at around 6:30pm before going to the gym would be ok or not since my usual lunch time is around 1pm. Thereafter I generally won't be eating anything. My workout won't last more than an hour. After my workout I plan to have a fruit like an apple & then have dinner by 9pm. Trainer has suggested having Shake while working out.

A protein shake before workout could make you feel bloated during the workout. I'd suggest having some fruits between your lunch and workout. You probably dont need a protein shake anyway if you are eating a balanced diet. All this protein advice may make more sense to a meat based western diet or SAD (Standard American Diet) but our Indian diet is way better than that as it already includes lentils, vegetables, rice and whole grains.

[raptor_diwan]

Originally Posted by PPS

Guys, need some advice. lunch time is around 1pm. Thereafter I generally won't be eating anything. My workout won't last more than an hour. After my workout I plan to have a fruit like an apple & then have dinner by 9pm. Trainer has suggested having Shake while working out.

Have some sweet potatoes and bananas before your workout, and consume whey protein post-workout.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I'd suggest having some fruits between your lunch and workout. You probably dont need a protein shake anyway if you are eating a balanced diet.

Need some energy whilst working out. Will try having an apple or a banana or maybe some nuts prior to the workout. I used to workout on an empty stomach earlier, but that was at 6am for about 40mins ! I know its not recommended to workout on an empty stomach.

Originally Posted by raptor_diwan

Have some sweet potatoes and bananas before your workout, and consume whey protein post-workout.

There will be too less of a time gap between having Protein Shake post workout & Dinner, hence the apprehension.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by PPS

I know its not recommended to workout on an empty stomach.

Nothing like that. Your body has enough stored energy to get you through an hour long workout easily. But yeah, a banana before a workout will give you energy that is readily available.

I highly recommend watching the 6 part series on exercise, supplements and everything related to that between Dr. Andy Galpin and Andrew Huberman. These episodes are long but totally worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEYE...Za03YKASSGCazr

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by PPS

Guys, need some advice.

Eating an apple + whey protein shake post workout would be great as apple has good fibre. On pre workout meal, why not proats (oats in milk + half scoop or full scoop whey) or masala oats (cooked in water) bowl? I never felt bloated after it and generally used to have it 40mins before my workout.

[Samurai]

My cousin turned 48 today, and we were wishing him on the family WA group. He can do more pushups than any of his teenage nephews. That gave me the idea to wish him in a special way. So, I did 48 pushups and shared the video as a tribute. He loved it.

May 1984 was the year I was introduced to pushups and general fitness by my NCC instructors. Can't believe it has been 40 years. NCC was the best training I ever received, on fitness, discipline, and leadership.

[anshumandun]

I am 1 month short of 39 and have never been in a better shape in terms of physique. For the first time in my life, I am able to see my core muscles. I feel energetic and motivated with the results I've had and would like to share my journey and the learnings with the BHPians community here.





Let's start by busting some common myths:

Myth 1: You can't build muscles with a vegetarian diet. - This is a myth. I had chicken maybe 4 or 5 times in the last 1 year during my travels. My daily diet has no meat.

Myth 2: Focus on crunches and abs exercise to build core. - This is another myth. I do crunches only 1 or 2 times a week. No other specific core exercises. Core is engaged in almost every exercise if your form is correct.

Myth 3: No cheating allowed if you want to build a good physique. - Again a myth. I cheat but occasionally. I love beer and indulge maybe once a month. I travel every other week so I have to eat outside a lot. I just try to choose wisely what I eat and keep portions in control.

Myth 4: No sweets/sugar allowed. - Another myth. You can eat anything as long as you can fit it in your diet plan. I have chikki (gajjak) and chocos in my diet plan because I can't sleep without having something sweet.

Myth 5: Hardcore workouts and cardio are needed to get a good physique. - This also turned out to be a myth. I workout 4 days a week. I don't do any cardio at all except 8k to 10k steps a day.

My fitness philosophy:
Fitness is simple but not easy. The simple part being eating properly and doing physical training and the difficult part being to follow your plan consistently over a long period of time. The ideal approach is to start with simple training and proper diet. When you do this consistently for 3 months, you will see results and feel motivated and that will lead to an organic increase in your intensity and commitment.

The 3 parts of my journey:

Phase 1:Year 2008-2010
Diet - Okayish with non-veg
Resistance training - Good consistency but no technical knowledge.
Age - At 24 years, the body was just ready to give results.
This was my first proper attempt at working out. I was in the US for studies and had access to a top gym at the university. First time in life I had started eating chicken so protein intake was just about adequate. But I was also eating a lot of junk. The body responded well and I got into a mediocre good shape. I learnt a lot about resistance training in these 2 years.

Phase 2: Year 2019
Diet - Excellent with daily non-veg
Resistance training - Mediocre
Age - At 34 years, age was slipping away.

I hired a coach from Fittr. Followed the diet prescribed. Started resistance training at a mediocre level. Body responded decently well in 6 months and I lost 5-6 kgs of fat. Then covid struck and gyms closed. I lost interest and that was the end of that.*This time I learnt about diet.

Phase 3: Year 2023
Diet - Excellent with vegetarian and eggs only. No meat.
Resistance training - Decent, 4 times a week.
Age - At 38 years, my body was changing fast and not for good. It was my last chance. Now or never!

Using the knowledge of resistance training from phase 1 and diet knowledge from phase 2, I started yet again. In 1 year, I lost 9kgs weight. I gained some muscles also this time so I am assuming that I lost more than 10 kgs of fat. For the first time in my life, I was able to see my core muscles. The feeling is exhilarating!

Delving into the details of what I did in phase 3:

1. Calorie-deficit diet. This means that you consume less calories than you burn every day. So the body uses its stored fat to produce energy and you end up losing fat.I did 1700 calories per day for the 1st month. 1800 for 2nd month. 1900 for the next 3 months. 2000 for the next 3 months. 2100 for the next 4 months. (2100 was also a calorie-deficit diet since the muscle mass was increasing and my body needed more calories just for maintenance).

2. High protein - Low carbohydrates diet. 40% protein, 35% carbs and 25% fat.I maintained a protein intake of about 150 grams per day. This is needed to repair and build the muscles that you break down during resistance training. Low carbohydrates ensure that the body does not get instant energy from food so it has to break down body fat to produce energy. I calculated my meal plan in advance using the Fittr app and measured every item on a weighing scale before cooking. This is the hard part but once you get used to it, it becomes a part of your daily eating habit. This time, I went with a vegetarian+ eggs diet(not a fan of non-veg much). Most proteins came from pulses, soya, paneer and eggs. I also used Whey Protein daily for protein supplement.

3. Water intake - I consumed a minimum of 4 liters of water daily. This is to ensure that the body is always hydrated and muscle recovery is fast. I think that it also helps to process the high protein diet.

4. Focus on big-muscle resistance training. I would have liked a 5 or 6 days a week training schedule but had to settle for 4 days a week because that is the maximum that my schedule allows.
Day 1: Chest, shoulders and triceps.
Day 2: Back and biceps
Day 3: Legs and core
This cycle was repeated.

5. Sleep - Target was 7 hours every night and I was able to stay between 6 to 8 hours most of the nights. Sleep is the most underrated part of any fitness. This is the time when the mind rests and the body repairs and rejuvenates.

6. Workout Intensity - I started with 6 exercises a day and 3 sets per exercise which is about 1 hour in the gym. With time, as motivation grew, I increased to 8 exercises a day and 4 sets per exercise which is around 1.5 hours in the gym.

7. Cardio - I don't believe much in cardio for fat loss. Hear me out: Cardio burns calories but it burns only at the time of cardio. Therefore, in order to lose weight, you have to do intense and long cardio sessions while having a calorie deficit diet. Your body will consume its own fat as well as muscles to produce energy. You will end up losing weight but you will also end up losing muscles. This will make you weak and prone to injury. That's why it's very important to add resistance training to the fitness plan while maintaining a high-protein diet. When you do resistance training, you injure or break down your muscles. The body then has to spend a lot of energy trying to repair them so you end up burning calories all the time, even while you are just sitting or sleeping. This calorie consumption is much higher than the calories you would burn during a cardio session. I didn't do any cardio except maintaining 8000-10000 steps a day.

This all might sound like an individual effort but there is a lot of help and support from family and friends. My family plays an important role to help with my special diet needs. My cousin, who is an experienced gym athlete, guides me with diet and workout plans. My friend, who is also my weekend gym partner, keeps me motivated and clicked most of the photos that you see here. Finally, I must mention my gym: Gold's gym at Kanakapura road in Bangalore: that place has some positive energy. On low-energy days, I just have to somehow drag myself to the gym. I always end up getting a good workout and walking out happier.



The next part of my journey is gaining muscles which will be a challenge as I am almost 39 now. I am now moving into a high-carbohydrates diet with increased calories but similar protein levels. I am not 100% sure of what's going to happen but I am going to trust the process. Hopefully, I'll have something to share next year.

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by anshumandun

I am 1 month short of 39 and have never been in a better shape in terms of physique.

Enjoy the journey and don't get too focused on the destination Looking at the pics you have posted, I don't see why you think you need to build muscles!

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by anshumandun

I am 1 month short of 39 and have never been in a better shape in terms of physique. For the first time in my life, I am able to see my core muscles.
The next part of my journey is gaining muscles which will be a challenge as I am almost 39 now. I am now moving into a high-carbohydrates diet with increased calories but similar protein levels. I am not 100% sure of what's going to happen but I am going to trust the process. Hopefully, I'll have something to share next year.

Fantastic journey and results!
How was the body's immunity during the calorific deficit?
How was the "josh" while grinding out reps of high intensity (I assume you were on >60% of 1 RM)
How was the sleep pattern during this "high stress" situation (did you get immediately to sleep as soon as you hit bed, did you have breaks in sleep?)

You have done great and look great, my suggestion: don't venture into the dark land of "gaining muscles". Because you may either be forced to give up the current state of low body fat in the pursuit of "gainz" or you may tip over to the dark side.

[ralto]

Can anyone share if strength training had an adverse effect on their Iron levels (or HB)?

I usually struggle with low Iron and HB levels, which seems to be hereditary as my father and brother consistently have similar issues. However, when I resumed strength training a few months back, I found a large drop in Iron level. I plan to see a doctor over the weekend but just wanted to see if anyone else has any insights on the same or any similar experiences to share.

[anshumandun]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Enjoy the journey and don't get too focused on the destination Looking at the pics you have posted, I don't see why you think you need to build muscles!

I weigh around 63 kg at 5'10" height so want to put on some weight by gaining muscles instead of fat. Also, I don't want to believe that I have reached a destination. As you rightly said, it is about enjoying the journey so I have just moved the destination so that the journey can continue

Originally Posted by alpha1

Fantastic journey and results!

Thank you.

How was the body's immunity during the calorific deficit?

Immunity was normal. Fell ill once in last 1 year and that was a highly contagious viral fever. My whole family got it.

How was the "josh" while grinding out reps of high intensity (I assume you were on >60% of 1 RM)

As you may know sir, "josh" varies every day . There are good days and there are bad days. Coffee is my pre-workout drink. I generally try for 12RM, 10RM, 8RM and 6RM over 4 sets.

How was the sleep pattern during this "high stress" situation (did you get immediately to sleep as soon as you hit bed, did you have breaks in sleep?)

I am blessed with sleep. I sleep as soon as I hit the bed and don't get up much in the night. However, since I drink 4 liters of water daily, I have to get up 2 times in the night to empty the bladder.

You have done great and look great, my suggestion: don't venture into the dark land of "gaining muscles". Because you may either be forced to give up the current state of low body fat in the pursuit of "gainz" or you may tip over to the dark side.

Yes, I will have to give up the current state of low body fat as I try to gain some muscles but I do want to gain some weight right now.
What is the dark side that you are referring to? Something I should be concerned about?