Want to get in shape for summer? Join in...

[HIC_NAA]

Hi guys, I have been reading this forum for like 4-5 years but hadnt posted that much as usually in India this site was blocked in office. Now in UK and hence thought of becoming a regular poster here. Been reading this thread and i'm always conscious about my health as after an accident when i was 17, i started putting on weight and got my weight to 110 kgs from 70 kg when i was like 23. Then i started gyming and list all extra weight and flab in 2008 and by 24 i was again fit. But, last 1 year has been really bad in terms of health, drinking socially (a bit too much then usual, less gyming has again got me to like 10kg extra weight and now whatever i do, just not losing the weight the way i used. I'm 30 and 182cms and my weight currently is 95 ( i dont look fat but i want it down to 80 at my peak i was 75). Have again started gyming, last 2 weeks has been regular 5 days a week, no alcohol, diet control but still havent seen any difference whereas earlier 2 weeks of good excersise used to give me good results. I do min 30 mins of cardio (which includes either running for 25 mins or 1000 times skipping or cross trainer) and then weight training with 1 or 2 body part depending on the combo. Any advises, any good workout u can suiggest (dont suggest insanity as dont have space) and any supplements like fat burners etc that u guys might suggest as somehow i feel my body is used to my workouts and also metabolism might have decreased.

[Yoda-esque]

Hi guys, I have been reading this forum for like 4-5 years but hadnt posted that much as usually in India this site was blocked in office. Now in UK and hence thought of becoming a regular poster here. Been reading this thread and i'm always conscious about my health as after an accident when i was 17, i started putting on weight and got my weight to 110 kgs from 70 kg when i was like 23. Then i started gyming and list all extra weight and flab in 2008 and by 24 i was again fit. But, last 1 year has been really bad in terms of health, drinking socially (a bit too much then usual, less gyming has again got me to like 10kg extra weight and now whatever i do, just not losing the weight the way i used. I'm 30 and 182cms and my weight currently is 95 ( i dont look fat but i want it down to 80 at my peak i was 75). Have again started gyming, last 2 weeks has been regular 5 days a week, no alcohol, diet control but still havent seen any difference whereas earlier 2 weeks of good excersise used to give me good results. I do min 30 mins of cardio (which includes either running for 25 mins or 1000 times skipping or cross trainer) and then weight training with 1 or 2 body part depending on the combo. Any advises, any good workout u can suiggest (dont suggest insanity as dont have space) and any supplements like fat burners etc that u guys might suggest as somehow i feel my body is used to my workouts and also metabolism might have decreased.

It's always the food,what do you eat?

[rahulrulezz]

Hi guys, I have been reading this forum for like 4-5 years but hadnt posted that much as usually in India this site was blocked in office. Now in UK and hence thought of becoming a regular poster here. Been reading this thread and i'm always conscious about my health as after an accident when i was 17, i started putting on weight and got my weight to 110 kgs from 70 kg when i was like 23. Then i started gyming and list all extra weight and flab in 2008 and by 24 i was again fit. But, last 1 year has been really bad in terms of health, drinking socially (a bit too much then usual, less gyming has again got me to like 10kg extra weight and now whatever i do, just not losing the weight the way i used. I'm 30 and 182cms and my weight currently is 95 ( i dont look fat but i want it down to 80 at my peak i was 75). Have again started gyming, last 2 weeks has been regular 5 days a week, no alcohol, diet control but still havent seen any difference whereas earlier 2 weeks of good excersise used to give me good results. I do min 30 mins of cardio (which includes either running for 25 mins or 1000 times skipping or cross trainer) and then weight training with 1 or 2 body part depending on the combo. Any advises, any good workout u can suiggest (dont suggest insanity as dont have space) and any supplements like fat burners etc that u guys might suggest as somehow i feel my body is used to my workouts and also metabolism might have decreased.

Welcome to Icf. I had a really good physique till I stopped working outta for a year. Went from 84 body builder type physique to 97 fat guy last March. Started working out and now I m 79. I didn't even run once in gym. The easiest way to loose weight is on legs. I would recommended doing lots of free weights lunges and free weights squats.

[rkt.india]

Welcome to Icf. I had a really good physique till I stopped working outta for a year. Went from 84 body builder type physique to 97 fat guy last March. Started working out and now I m 79. I didn't even run once in gym. The easiest way to loose weight is on legs. I would recommended doing lots of free weights lunges and free weights squats.

will try this, still need to lose at least 7 kilos.

[HIC_NAA]

My issue isnt food, i always control on food. Low Carbs, Low fat diet. Try to have good amnt of protien when working out. When wasnt working out properly, had issues more due to alcohol and less due to food. In terms of my of problem areas, it upper body i.e. chest and tummy still it doesnt look out but i know its not in good shape. Do weight training, running but have kind of hit a plateau.

[Zap_Brannigan]

My issue isnt food, i always control on food. Low Carbs, Low fat diet. Try to have good amnt of protien when working out. When wasnt working out properly, had issues more due to alcohol and less due to food. In terms of my of problem areas, it upper body i.e. chest and tummy still it doesnt look out but i know its not in good shape. Do weight training, running but have kind of hit a plateau.

3X8, 3 times a week (or 5,3,1 for strength) Inclined dumbell benchpress Benchpress Butterfly machine Whey protein shake after a workout- This is not a miracle drug...its just the same amount of protein in a chicken breast without the carbs. Drink it with semi skimmed milk. Tastes like milkshake. So a great treat after a good workout. There are hundreds of exercise for stomach on youtube but i havent found anything that i love. I just do it randomly and change exercises every few months. Infact i would be open to good stomach exercises. Do no concentrate on just your chest, add shoulders,back, legs and ofcourse biceps an triceps. There is no plateau at 30. I have had an on and off relationship with working out over the years. I am back working out 3 times a week for the past several months. I found that the key to keep going is to finding a good set of exercises that i actually enjoy doing. I have seen remarkable improvement this time around. So go here http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/ , try a bunch and stick with excercise you like. It is a great feeling when your shirt size goes up by one not because of your stomach but because of your arms and chest.

[Straight Drive]

Any advises, any good workout u can suiggest (dont suggest insanity as dont have space) and any supplements like fat burners etc that u guys might suggest as somehow i feel my body is used to my workouts and also metabolism might have decreased.

Firstly, are you over weight, and if yes by how much? Can you post the BMI ? It helps in determining the target or planning fitness activities. For me, now i have realized how my body reacts to 50 over matches, nets warmups, gym, planned diet and walking. So i do not have to worry if some day i get over weight after being away on tours and missing a lot of key factors required for fitness.

[EnterTheVoid]

I went from 91 to 79 kilos by eating the right food in the right proportions as the right time - i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner with no junk food in between. Eat healthy and exercise right. The body will take care of the rest.

[velu]

I went from 91 to 79 kilos by eating the right food in the right proportions as the right time - i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner with no junk food in between. Eat healthy and exercise right. The body will take care of the rest.

:proud: 78 to < 70 now .. added more fruits in lunch and little dinner + fruits later :--D

[HIC_NAA]

I think my BMI was 26 but i always think BMI is crap indicator. MY schedule is: Morning 6:45 in gym, 1.5 hrs of gym - Running- 4kms or 5 kms depending on mood- 25 mins - One body part per day - abs or sides - Then skipping Basically cardio before weight training is either running or 1000 rope skipping or cross trainer and after weight trning cardio is also from these depending on what i did before trng and i do different cardio from that. Maybe, after having lost weight earlier in my life and at that time i had also got a plateau at same weight im currently at but that time had more will and this time i just want fast results, maybe i would have to keep doing gymming for next few mnths without thinking too much

[Straight Drive]

I think my BMI was 26 but i always think BMI is crap indicator. MY schedule is: Morning 6:45 in gym, 1.5 hrs of gym - Running- 4kms or 5 kms depending on mood- 25 mins - One body part per day - abs or sides - Then skipping Basically cardio before weight training is either running or 1000 rope skipping or cross trainer and after weight trning cardio is also from these depending on what i did before trng and i do different cardio from that. Maybe, after having lost weight earlier in my life and at that time i had also got a plateau at same weight im currently at but that time had more will and this time i just want fast results, maybe i would have to keep doing gymming for next few mnths without thinking too much

BMI imo works and is a useful reference except for the odd exception. It works for me too as i use it as one of the reference standard. BMI Overweight range is 25–29.9 . I am surprised after a good exercise routing you are still overweight. The only possible factor for that imo seems to be diet. if diest is not the factor, then i can't think what else it could be. Maybe you have to get the advise from your trainer or some other professional. Steve Waugh had a tummy even though he played lot of 5 day cricket. Samit Patel too. There are instances where people when one does more than enough to maintain fitness but still for some other reason they may not be in the desired ranges as compared to even those who do less exercise.

[HIC_NAA]

Ok, so my tummy isnt visible in clothes and i look fit with clothes, issue is i know without clothes how fat im and thats why need to lose like 10 kg minimum nd around 17 kgs maximum.

[rkt.india]

BMI imo works and is a useful reference except for the odd exception. It works for me too as i use it as one of the reference standard. BMI Overweight range is 25–29.9 . I am surprised after a good exercise routing you are still overweight. The only possible factor for that imo seems to be diet. if diest is not the factor, then i can't think what else it could be. Maybe you have to get the advise from your trainer or some other professional. Steve Waugh had a tummy even though he played lot of 5 day cricket. Samit Patel too. There are instances where people when one does more than enough to maintain fitness but still for some other reason they may not be in the desired ranges as compared to even those who do less exercise.

little higher BMI than normal doesn't always mean, one is overweight. Sometimes, you can have more weight than normal because of high muscle mass. I can give an example. A trainer at the gym I used to go long time back weighed 70, just 2 kilos less than me while he was short, at best 5'4 in height with no tummy fat. Really well built and muscular.

[Straight Drive]

little higher BMI than normal doesn't always mean' date=' one is overweight. Sometimes, you can have more weight than normal because of high muscle mass. I can give an example. A trainer at the gym I used to go long time back weighed 70, just 2 kilos less than me while he was short, at best 5'4 in height with no tummy fat. Really well built and muscular.[/quote'] iirc the body fat content must ideally be less than 5%. Don't remember exactly what it actually is as i underwent the last measurement 3 months back. That too can be used as reference along with other standard ranges.

[vvvslaxman]

I have been sick for a month with various issues mainly after a headache. Needs to get back on track. Lost some shape.. Really disappionted. Need to get back on track.

[CSK Fan]

iirc the body fat content must ideally be less than 5%. Don't remember exactly what it actually is as i underwent the last measurement 3 months back. That too can be used as reference along with other standard ranges.

Less than 5%? Even body builders during show time, when they are dehydrated might find that difficult to achieve. 5% would be extremely unhealthy for a normal human being, fat has losts of purpose in the bidy

[rahulrulezz]

iirc the body fat content must ideally be less than 5%. Don't remember exactly what it actually is as i underwent the last measurement 3 months back. That too can be used as reference along with other standard ranges.

Loll do u even know what u r talking about... Some of the advices in this thread r lol worthy.

[FischerTal]

iirc the body fat content must ideally be less than 5%. Don't remember exactly what it actually is as i underwent the last measurement 3 months back. That too can be used as reference along with other standard ranges.

if your body fat is less than 5 percent, the white light will be approaching you soon

[rkt.india]

Body fat percentage is thankfully gaining more popularity as an effective marker of overall health and fitness instead of the BMI Index. While I’ve written extensively about body fat percentage in numerous articles including Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart, 5 Ways to Measure Body Fat Percentage, and Ideal Body Weight Formula among many others, I’m hoping this article will help tie everything together by creating visual representations of what a given amount of body fat looks like for men and women. I searched thousands of images in order to create this article. Most of the images I purchased from stock photography websites, but others are in the public domain (at least I hope). If one of these pictures is copyrighted, please let me know and I will list proper attributions, or replace it if need be. Body Fat Percentage Basics To best understand the descriptions in this article and how the pictures were chosen, here are some basic body fat percentage terms and concepts that are helpful to learn: Body Fat Percentage – is the amount of body fat (lb, or kg) divided by total body weight listed as a percentage. For example, a 180lb man with 30lb of body fat has a body fat percentage of 16% (30/180). Body Fat Distribution – We all have different body fat distributions, or how fat is distributed across our body. For example, some women may have very little body fat on their abs, but a lot on their thighs and triceps, while others will have the opposite. Same thing goes with men, but most men carry fat in their stomachs. I tried my best to show pictures that highlighted the stomach region for men and the hips/thighs/stomach region for women. Body Shape -Similar to body fat distribution is we all have different body shapes, so two different body shapes may have the same body fat percentage even if they don’t look like it. A classic example is a skinny runway model may have the same body fat percentage as a fit, athletic women. Age – The pictures in this post assume ages of around 25-35 years old. Most body fat measurement devices will reflect higher body fat levels as the age increases. For example, a 20 year old man and a 50 year old man may have the same subcutaneous body fat measurement (fat under the skin), but the 20 year old may be 15% and the 50 year old will be at 20%. As we age, fat around the organs (visceral) and within muscle (intramuscular) tends to increase and most formulas take this into account. Muscle Striations – As an individual becomes more defined, the actual muscle can be seen more clearly, which looks like thin rods, referred to as striations. Vascularity – This is the appearance of veins in different areas of the body as body fat decreases. Body Fat Picture Descriptions Of Men Body Fat Percentage Men 3-4% Bodybuilders can drop as low as 3-4% body fat when preparing for bodybuilding competitions. This body fat level is characterized by extreme vascularity, so that veins are visible over just about every muscle in the body. There is clear separation between muscles, and striations visible on almost every muscle. The buttocks (I’ll spare you a back picture) even has striations, some vascularity, with little fat. If your buttocks doesn’t have any body fat, you’ve got VERY low body fat! Essential fat for a man is around 2%, which is the basic amount of fat a man needs for the body to function (fat protects internal organs in the chest and abdomen). Body Fat Percentage Men 6-7% Approximately 6-7% body fat for a man is a bit less extreme than competition bodybuilders, but it’s still hovering at a level that is not sustainable for most men. Around this level, or slightly less, the face becomes gaunt, and your family starts worrying about you. This 6-7% body fat level, which is achieved by many male fitness models when doing photoshoots, is characterized by muscle definition in all muscles and clear vascularity in most muscles including arms, legs, and even abs. Vascularity over the abs muscle is a sign of very low body fat. Clear separation of muscles as well. Body Fat Percentage Men 10-12% This is a sustainable level for most men where you should be able to see your abs, but they will likely not be as defined as a man in the 6-7% body fat range. This body fat range is the classic beach body look that most men want and many women love. While not very defined, there is separation between muscles, some muscle striations potentially in the shoulders, or arms, but striations are not showing on every muscle. Vascularity is typically limited to the arms, with a little possibly on the legs. Body Fat Percentage Men 15% The 15% body fat level is usually within the “lean and fit” category in most body fat percentage charts. The outlines of muscle can be seen, but there is no clear separation between them. Vascularity is usually a bit more limited as are muscle striations, which are typically covered by a thin layer of fat. The overall shape is still there, which can create an aesthetic appearance despite less muscle definition. Body Fat Percentage Men 20% Separation between muscles starts to blur, almost no vascularity, or striations can be seen, typically there is a small stomach pouch of fat, the look is “soft” but not very round. Most guys I come across in NYC are within the 20-25% body fat range. Other parts of the country, or world, that range may be skewed higher or lower. A 5’11”man who weighs 180lb and has 145lb of lean body mass (the average) will have 20% body fat. Body Fat Percentage Men 25% There is little to no separation of muscles, no vascularity, or muscle striations, waist begins to increase quite substantially with a waist to hip ratio as high as 0.9 (waist circumference/hip circumference). So a 5’10” man may have a 36+ inch waist. This man may have a little neck fat, but may not look like he has 25% body fat in normal clothing. Over 25% body fat for a man is considered obese, and over a 40 inch waist is considered abdominal obesity. Body Fat Percentage Men 30% There is more fat all around the body at the 30% level including waist, back, thighs, and calves. The waist looks larger relative to the hips, and the stomach will likely be protruding over the waist noticeably. There is no muscle separation. Body Fat Percentage Men 35% As men get heavier and heavier gaining more fat, most of the fat is funneled right in the stomach. The 35% level is characterized by more significant protrusion of stomach fat over the waist. This is the beer gut kind of look. Waist circumferences can be 40+ inches for a man with 35% body fat. Body Fat Percentage Men 40% Similar to the 35% level, even more fat accumulates in the stomach and waist region, so that waist sizes can approach 45 inches, or more. At this level, basic every day activities like walking up stairs, or bending over to pick something up becomes increasingly difficult. This body fat level is approaching morbidly obese, which is characterized by a BMI over 35. To put it in better perspective, a 5’11” man who weighs 270lb and has 160lb of lean body mass has 40% body fat. - Body Fat Picture Descriptions Of Women Body Fat Percentage Women 10-12% This is an extremely low body fat level typically attained by female bodybuilders. Essential fat for women is round 8-10% compared to 2% for men. Why the difference? Women have more fat in breast tissue and the area surrounding the uterus. This level of body fat is not considered safe, or healthy for women who will be unable to menstruate. Striations of muscle, separation between muscles, clear vascularity are all noticeable at this level. The women in the photo is likely at the higher end of the range at 12% body fat because she is not too vascular. Body Fat Percentage Women 15-17% This is still considered a very low body fat for women, which is similar to the 6-7% body fat for range men. Many bikini and fitness models will reach this body fat level and some may not be able to menstruate. Muscle definition in the abs, legs, arms, and shoulders is apparent, there is some vascularity and some separation between muscles. Hips, buttocks, and thighs generally have a little less shape because of the low body fat. Body Fat Percentage Women 20-22% This is body fat percentage is usually in the “fit” category of most body fat charts and is typical of many female athletes. Some definition in the abs is apparent, there is body fat on the arms and legs, but it’s not too pronounced. There is minimal, but some separation between muscles. Body Fat Percentage Women 25% This is on the low end of what’s average for most women and is characterized by a shape that is neither too slim, nor overweight. Curves in the hips are usually more apparent along with more fat in the buttocks and thighs. A 5’4” women who weighs 130lb and has 97lb of lean body mass has 25% body fat. Body Fat Percentage Women 30% While most men have fat funnel into their stomachs, as the body fat of most women (but certainly not all) increases, this fat tends to accumulate in the hips, buttocks, and thighs. At 30% body fat, the hips, thighs, and buttocks are more pronounced and round. This is considered the high end of average for women in many body fat charts. Body Fat Percentage Women 35% The hips become even wider at this level of body fat and the face and neck will appear rounder and more full. Hip circumference can start approaching 40+ inches and waist circumference of 32+ inches. Some belly fat may start protruding over the waist as well. Body Fat Percentage Women 40% The hips and thighs grow larger so that hip circumference can reach 42+ inches, waist of 35 inches, and thighs over 25 inches. Body Fat Percentage Women 45% The skin may begin to lose its smooth appearance as more and more fat accumulates. Hip Circumference can may reach 45 inches+ and waist circumference 35+ inches. The hips may become noticeably wider than the shoulders. Body Fat Percentage Women 50% The will likely look like it has dimples more fat accumulates. Hip Circumference can may reach 45+ inches and waist circumference 40+ inches and thighs above 30+ inches. The hips will likely be noticeably wider than the shoulders. To put it in better perspective, a 5’4” women who weighs 200lb and has 100lb of lean body mass has 50% body fat. http://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/ Good article about body fat.

[Straight Drive]

Less than 5%? Even body builders during show time' date=' when they are dehydrated might find that difficult to achieve. 5% would be extremely unhealthy for a normal human being, fat has losts of purpose in the bidy[/quote'] Maybe the term i used is wrong or the percentage is wrong.