Advice on getting stronger?

jacjon

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May 3, 2018
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I have generally been a gamer all of my life and haven't had much of an issue with my weight until recently and I decided that I would like to lose some weight, but also to get stronger. My friend sent me a list of programs https://physiqz.com/powerlifting-programs/ but I'm not sure what to pick out of the list, or if I should be doing something else entirely? I also want to take some supplements so I was looking for something that applies to gamers as well and saw LuxxBunny mention her sponsors' product https://gameralacrity.com/products/alpha-clarity which looks like it has green tea in it I think that is also good for losing weight? I was also looking on bodybuilding.com but I feel pretty much lost.

Anyways I figured this would be the perfect place to ask...for advice.
 

maninahat

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I think the first thing is to have a realistic target to work towards. What could you see yourself as being like at your best?

Essentially, losing weight and gaining muscle are two different things, and after a certain point, mutually exclusive. You can even end up fat and very strong, or light and lacking any muscle mass. People have naturally different body shapes that will influence how you look (limb length and torso length), so factor that into your realistic self-perception. I have a long torso, so whilst I have nice shoulders, I look ridiculous riding a horse. Similarly, different activities, like certain diets and certain exercises, often favour one body part over the other; if you do a ton of cycling it will help you lose weight and won't bulk up anywhere except your thighs.

If you want to bulk up all over, get to the free weights! Squats and deadlifts are the most efficient way to gain muscle mass, in a way that is reasonably distributed across your body. Don't expect a miracle turnaround however, as you'll only try to lift too much in one go, strain yourself, put yourself out of action, get less fit and lose confidence/interest. Doing that regularly (3 times a week) for a few months and you'll feel the difference. If you don't do anything else though, you could easily end up as a strong and fat man.

Weight loss is best achieved by cutting out snacking, alcohol, soft drinks and juices, fries. Most of these can be replaced with something as filling and healthy (though admittedly more boring): cups of tea or water, fruit, boiled potatoes. I find dieting and calorie monitoring to be miserable, but it is a continuous commitment. I've invented arbitrary rules, like reducing my alcohol intake to specific days or avoiding meats on the weekdays; even if you don't 100% commit to a diet, these rules make you mindful and give you a chance to say no to unhealthy things.

I don't know about supplements, but without getting into a regular fitness regime and diet to the point where both become a habit, any such thing would be a waste of time and money. Getting the right amount of sleep, sunlight, exercise and diet will keep you as sharp as anything.
 

Drathnoxis

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Become a Super Saiyan, it's the only way to stay competitive with today's power levels.
 

Addendum_Forthcoming

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Tea, no sugar, no milk. Exercise. Eat right. Talk to your doctor if you're feeling unwell, or to clarify possible medical problems and their opinion on how you should approach the issue. 'Getting stronger' is a process. One that will probably not be enhanced without a specific exercise regimen and eating to fill that purpose. In the military they used to feed us to the point where I found it unbelievable compared to coming out of the gutter.

No joke ... diet was riddled with protein, iron, carbohydrates, the works. And of course the reason was simple, because after 11 weeks if a soldier isn't eating well, they suddenly start losing the capacity to march 30 kilometres in 4 hours, carrying 50+ kilograms of weight, begin suffering problems due to stress and adrenaline. We used to call it 'the Stomp' or 'stomping'.

But in military logistics it's known as 'loaded marches' ... and depending on the outfit, you were expected to do 25 kilometres in 5 hours under the weight of gear and arms, regardless of season.

Effectively it's a baseline idea of just what a soldier should be expected to do at a moment's notice.



So the diet was constructed in a matter of being able to maintain that singular vision of highly mobile, and combat effectiveness, regardless. So the diet wasn't centred around weightloss but maintaining peak physical coditioning as wellas acclimating a person to eatingthe food that allows those expectations. Basically the expectations were conditioning the body to accept such necessary 'fuel requirements' as to be able to perform such strenuous activity and maintain it, even if rationing is cut by 50% over a 11 week stretch.

After that period it's suicide to expect soldiers to continue to operate in the same capacity. Feeding soldiers is incredibly expensive if you expect them to run around and stay active.

In Paulus' Sixth Army at Stalingrad, you had starvation cases in 3 months ... and that was when soldiers were still getting roughly half a kilo of bread, 50-100gm of general vegetable product, and 25-30gm of animal fat to eat each day.

So why am I writing this?

Because eating to lose weight is fundamentally different from 'getting strong'. 'Getting strong' as in to perform a stomp at a moment's notice, carrying around as if an adolescent on your back and doing a 25 kilometre combat patrol on foot in 4 hours ... well the sort of daily diet regimen and constant physical activity to maintain it is antithetical if you're not liable to maintain that physical performance or that tailored diet in tandem.

Feeding a soldier to maintain it is ludicrous. So much so you should hear some stories of ex-service personnel whowent from eating for such strenuous physical activity to working inthe private sector. It really is a blow to your body if you're not careful.

I think you should concentrate on one goal at a time. Talk to your doctor first, find ways to lose weight with exercise and decent eating... and if you're really keen on 'getting stronger' perhaps tailor your diet to accommodate the physical activity you're prepared to make longterm and consistent.
 

Batou667

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I know this is an old thread and I'm half bumping it as I'm curious to know whether the OP actually put anything into practice?

For people looking to build overall strength I would recommend, as maninahat mentioned, some kind of weight training programme with a focus on compound movements. Two examples would be Starting Strength and Stronglifts 5x5, information on both is readily available online. Don't spend hours agonising over the differences between functional strength and hypertrophy, the optimum rep ranges, 3 days versus 5 days a week, or anything like that. Pick a routine and give it a good honest try. You can modify it or switch later when you actually start feeling the change.

Beginners really shouldn't stress too much over supplements, just eat healthily and enough to support your goals. If you were looking to supplement though, you could do worse than picking a daily multivitamin with iron, protein shakes to supplement diet if you find it difficult to get enough protein from food, and creatine. No need to go for anything other than generic brands. If you're buying anything that sounds too good to be true, it usually is. "Detox tea", "gamer fuel", fat burners etc are generally very overpriced and not particularly effective combinations of caffeine and usually sugar. The only "fat burner" on the market that works is one I wouldn't recommend, and in fact I'm not even going to name, because people have DIED taking it. The way to lose weight, if that's your goal, is to eat fewer calories relative to how much you're moving. That's all.
 

Fieldy409_v1legacy

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Jason Blaha is a dude who's been called out for lieing a bunch. If you Google Jason Blaha stolen valour it will blow your mind. Don't listen to anything from Icecream Fitness, maybe its legit maybe its not but I wouldn't gamble it considering how disreputable Jason Blaha is.

Starter strength is good. I highly recommend shelling out for a reputable personal trainer for the first few sessions to learn proper form and stuff.
 

gorfias

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Lifting has always worked for me. There's 2 major types:
1. Power. Lift heavy weights but not so many repetitions. Builds high power smooth white muscle. Lots of bulk fast.
2. For cuts and endurance. Red muscle: lots of reps at lower weights. Less but more cut size than power lifting.

Saw a very fit guy at the gym. He starts heavy and works his way down with high reps till he cannot lift anymore. I'd just warm up first (calisthenics) as I'm worried that starting heavy can hurt you (strain a muscle).
 

Drathnoxis

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Kind of funny how these threads linger on in Advice. OP hasn't logged in since 6 days after making the thread, but occasionally it still gets a response.