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I have hit my low ceiling!!

Lolken

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Lolken

Lolken

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Hi.. My name is Ken, I have been working out for about 6 years.. usually 4 days a week minimum. I feel like I have gone as far as I can, on what I know.. time to take it up a few notches.

My daily routine is flawed, but its filmilar and I take comfort in knowing what im going to do when i walk into the gym. Up until this point i have been happy with my results even knowing i'm doing many things incorrectly or less effectively than i could be!!

I'm looking to get myself on a new more effective routine (keeping my daily gym time around 1 - 1.5 hours), and I need to set up a great diet plan (a list of 10 or so meals i can get very familiar with.)

Currently my typical day looks like this..

  • get up at 6:30 - 7 am

  • Pack a Kashi bar and protein shake for lunch.

  • work for 8 hours at a desk, eating only that, lots of black coffee and water.

  • I hit the gym straight after work, because i consider it part of my work day (routine, routine, routine)
    Cardio...
  • 40 mins on the elliptical hybrid (basically its a elliptical machine but the handles don't move, and you can increase the cross ramp as well as resistance.) i set the resistance at level 10 ( 50% ) and i change the cross ramp between level 12 (60%) and 4 (20%) in 5 minute intervals. according to this machine and many others i do about a mile every 10 mins, for 4 miles total a day.

  • Machines....

  • Triceps
  • Biceps
  • Fly's
  • Shoulders( not sure what the machine is called, or the muscle, basically i sit and quack like a duck while i push up these big padded levers next to my elbows. wing flapping?)
  • Crunches

  • Free weights (when the gym isn't over crowded, i will skip a machine and use free weight)
  • Biceps
  • Tri
  • shoulders
  • various bench
    I do these daily (for some reason i hate rest days) then I will sometimes mix in more chest, back, extra arms and shoulders. I don't really work out my lower body other than the elliptical. I just don't enjoy it. I figure the elliptical with high resistance is pretty good and keeps my legs in proportion ( no chicken legs here ).
  • Creatine supplement drink right when i get home.
  • dinner, movie, read...etc ..etc..
  • Bed at 930 - 1030 .. (lame i know)

I like my size right now (6'1", 210lbs).. but I want more definition, and I don't want to spend much more than 1.5 hours Max at the gym daily.

I tried the no carb diet and i felt like i was out of energy all the time, and would wake up in the middle of the night starved lol.. so i know i'm doing it wrong. I have started buying granny smith apples and bananas and taking them with me to work.. not sure if that is good or not..

(already started reading about the Paleo diet .. and i think this is totally for me.)

Anyway.. that's were i'm at..

I feel like I have found a place (nerdfitness) were I can be myself with other people that are like me!! I'm really excited and looking forward to becoming an active member of the community. Hit me up on skype (Instant messaging) .. I'm on it all day at work and i realllly need more like minded friends !!

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bigm141414

bigm141414

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Sweet! Welcome to the forum Ken!

Looks like you have a good mind set for getting fit. One thing I don't see in your weight training is squats and dead lifts. Any thoughts on adding these highly beneficial compound movements into your routine?

And when you say no carb do you mean like none at all? Because yeah it'd give you all the symptoms you describe. Paleo is a good choice and many here on NF have found success with it.

Anyways, poke around ask questions, get involved, and don't be shy to post! :D

"Pull the bar like you're ripping the head off a god-damned lion" - Donny Shankle

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gymell

gymell

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Hmmm... well first of all, welcome! I'm not sure if you're looking for a critique or not, but what really jumps out at me is that you're not eating a lot of real food. Nothing but a Kashi bar and protein shake a whole day for a 6' 200lb man isn't enough to fuel your body! I'm a 5'6 130 lb woman and I think I must eat a lot more than you do, at least based on what you describe. ;) Paleo is a good way to start, at least it will get you eating some real food.

Also 40 minutes of elliptical + weight machines that isolate different body parts isn't necessarily the most efficient, or effective workout. I think you could save a lot of time (and get better results) by doing more full-body, functional weightlifting, with short high-intensity conditioning, rather than long distance cardio + isolation exercises. You already mentioned that you're not doing any lower body strength exercises. Squats will do you a lot more good in that department than the elliptical. There's plenty of information to be had here about that, and some good programs like New Rules of Lifting that can introduce you to free weights, and give you a lot of variety in a fun program. Might be worth looking into if you're wanting to take things to the next level.

--

Liz

Shameless plug for my online photo gallery

Check out my backyard bird feeders

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Morrigainz

Morrigainz

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Agree with Bigm and gymell...more compound lifts, fewer machines, and EAT MOAR :)

I know you're not a novice, but you might benefit from reading Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. He gives a good argument for squats, deadlifts, OHP, and bench press.

Re: the diet, carbs are important for energy. I know some people on here do super low-carb, like 50g a day, but that's not for me. Instead, I try to get more of my carbs from veggies and things like sweet potatoes. I'm trying to follow Paleo although struggling (beer).

Anyway good luck to you..as bigm said, take a look around and ask questions :)

Level ? Half-Dwarf/Half-Amazon Warrior

STR:21.25 STA:15 DEX: 10.95 CON: 14 WIS:15.5 CHA:17

SWOLE BUCKS: 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Lolken

Lolken

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Thanks so much for the replies so far everyone!!

I'm totally looking to eat more ha ha.. tonight i'm going to try Steve's Youtube chicken and brown rice with asparagus meal.. cant wait.

Its just hard to retrain my brain when i'm shopping and hungry. durritos .. yummmm..

I will look into the squats and dead lifts, i was doing the elliptical mostly for toning and getting rid of some of the fat.. i just hate working my lower body ha ha.. you guys are right this site is like a fountain of knowledge.. I have already found sooo much great information, I cant wait to put some of it to use.

What kind of snacks are popular with you guys? i love chips and stuff ( which i cant have ) so if i want to snack, at the office or while playing a video game at home.. what are some good options ?

-Ken

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bigm141414

bigm141414

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What kind of snacks are popular with you guys? i love chips and stuff ( which i cant have ) so if i want to snack, at the office or while playing a video game at home.. what are some good options ?

-Ken

I like nuts, like walnuts or almonds for snacking. And apples with almond butter is delish as well. Also carrots. Once you've cut out processed sugars, carrots have a very nice sweet flavor to them :D

"Pull the bar like you're ripping the head off a god-damned lion" - Donny Shankle

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Morrigainz

Morrigainz

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Posted

Nuts, although they are very fatty so it's not like you should eat a bag of walnuts any more than you should eat a bag of chips. I started eating (full fat) yogurt with some sort of fruit...either strawberries, blueberries, bananas, something like that. Very filling and nom. Sometimes I'll have a protein shake as a snack. Sweet potato with cinnamon. Bag of steamable veggies. (Read Spezzy's story on the blog for more info.) Oh! Also apples.

And don't worry, I think you will grow to love the squat and DL. Even if it is a love/hate relationship.

Level ? Half-Dwarf/Half-Amazon Warrior

STR:21.25 STA:15 DEX: 10.95 CON: 14 WIS:15.5 CHA:17

SWOLE BUCKS: 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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Morrigainz

Morrigainz

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Posted

It can get overwhelming quickly...so take your time. And if you make a plan and it isn't working for you, for whatever reason, feel free to change it up. What works for someone else may not work for you. Once you find something that you do like and that seems to be working, though, stick with it. You won't see progress if you jump between programs every month. :)

Level ? Half-Dwarf/Half-Amazon Warrior

STR:21.25 STA:15 DEX: 10.95 CON: 14 WIS:15.5 CHA:17

SWOLE BUCKS: 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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