3 choices

[Jon Miller]

See, I have gotten into 'ok' shape several times (3-4).

Being able to bench press a full set at 170 lbs (or more), being able to run 10km in ~55 minutes, being able to run 3 miles in 24 minutes, etc.

But I have always had a belly.

Last summer was when I did some 10km runs in ~55 minutes. I also lifted/etc. Last fall I was a bit sporadic, but still lifted/did intervals.

I didn't lift between December and a couple of weeks ago. During that time I sometimes did body weight exercises and jogged ~20 minutes a couple times a week.

Lifting last week I struggled to do (bench press) 8 reps of 95 lbs. I can job but I am not at all fast. I am sure that my bench press won't be anywhere near 170 lbs by mid-June.

JM

[Sava]

Well, I should be more specific. Weight training is difficult. In order to get results with strength, you need to follow a serious program. It has to work for you... meet your needs and abilities. There's no one size fits all program. I started lifting in high school. Even when fat, I always had a lot of muscle underneath.

Nutrition and supplements play a huge role. Creatine helps a lot. You need to eat sick amounts of protein... like 1g for every kg of body weight... a day.

Busting through plateaus is tough. It requires serious effort. Sometimes, progress is slow.

Age plays a factor too. Sometimes, supplements can compensate for this. But if you are over 35, it's very tough to make big gains like you are an 18 year old. Younger bodies want to grow. Older bodies want to waste away.

But even if a guy is over 50... or even 60... you can still build lean mass.

Omega 3's help a lot. They burn fat and give you energy.

Carlson's is a good brand. It's pure oil. Lemon flavored is actually good to taste. You don't get fishy aftertastes. But it can get expensive. I do maybe 3-4 teaspoons a day... which is about 1000mg per teaspoon.

In pills, that's a lot. You need the oil.

Protein supplements. Mix it with fruit in a blender. It's like a milkshake. Some days I eat 8 cups of mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries).

Also, give up alcohol. It's a poison. Your body works to get rid of it. If it's working to get rid of alcohol, your body will be less efficient at building muscles. Caffeine is cool in smaller amounts. I sometimes have 3-4 cups. That's probably more than I should.

Even with all this, genetics plays a role too. Some guys just can't grow big muscles.

This is similar to what happens with woman too... I mean, with the way media portrays ideals of female/male beauty. It's fake photoshopped bull****. Be happy with what your body can do. Your potential may be less than some other guys. That doesn't make it better or worse. It's who you are. It's what your body is. Be happy. If exercise helps, do it. If not, don't feel obligated.

[Sava]

Also, I'm just sharing my experience. If I happen to generalize, that's my bad for not communicating effectively. Everything I say is based upon my experience. I'm not a personal trainer. What I do works for me. Someone else may have different strategies.

[Jon Miller]

Oh, exercise is definitely needed for me.

I just don't get the 'it is easy after a couple of weeks'. It is pretty much never easy for me, and if I do only a bit of jogging and maybe a small amount of weights exercise then I am going downhill and am weak and not feeling so good after a couple of months.

I recognize I could eat better though. I generally tend towards eating healthy only in bursts (which is also what I do intense exercise for).

JM

[Sava]

Hah. It's not ever easy. The whole point is that it's hard. If you aren't working hard, you aren't exercising. It just gets easier to keep up more intense paces... especially if you are coming from a place of complete lazy fat assedness like me.

[Jon Miller]

I think being able to get into shape after only a few weeks of intense exercise after even 6 months of light exercise.

I don't think I can, even in my 'fit' times do 3 sessions (1 cardio, 1 weight, 1 cardio) in a row.

JM

[Sava]

"into shape" is subjective

I probably can't run a mile in a decent time. I'm not much of a runner. I train for hockey. If a loose puck squirts free, I'm going to be the first to get there... outside of perhaps an NHL quality athlete.

Interval training is the easiest way to boost your overall fitness level.

15 minutes... maximum.

Do like 15-20% pace for 5 minutes. Then, go as hard as you can go for 30 seconds. I mean, absolute sprint. If you can keep up that pace for longer, it's not your fastest. The body has three different ways of burning energy. The super sprint fast 15-30 second system. The 2 minute light sprint system. The endurance system. Working the 15-30 second system improves them all.

Here is the schedule... 5 minutes warm up 15-20%... sprint 30 secs... wait 2 minutes... resting at that initial slow pace (or 2:30 just to make it easier to sprint on the top of the minute)... then sprint 30 secs wait 2 minutes

Do this. Maybe only sprint 3 times total. Then rest for 2 days. Don't do anything. Do it again. Don't do it more than 2 times a week.

It may take time. This is the best way to raise your overall fitness level.

[Sava]

What's your diet like?

[Jon Miller]

Yeah, I know how to do intervals.

One thing is that intervals are very hard on your body. More than weights and much more than normal cardio. I think that you don't want to do intervals all year long.

Right now my diet is not so great. When my wife cooks it is better, or when I am focused.

JM

[Sava]

Okay. I'm not trying to insult your intelligence. I'm just giving you a sense of what seems to work for me.

Intervals are very hard on the body. Sometimes, I take a week or two break from all exercise just to recover. That's okay too. It's good to look at things in terms of overall monthly or bi-monthly activity.

What are your goals? I can talk all day about what I do, but what do you want out of exercise?

[Jon Miller]

Feel good.

Be active.

Be healthy.

JM
(would be nice to not have a gut)

[Sava]

Feel good.

Be active.

Be healthy.

JM
(would be nice to not have a gut)

I agree about the gut. I'm a waist 38 now. The best I can do is about a 34. Even then, I still have a little gut. Sometimes, that's just the shape of your body.

Feel good? Eat lots of fruit, veggies, and lean protein. Also, high doses of omega 3.

Be active? Just do it. I know, that's lame. But it's all I got. Get out at least one day a week.

Be healthy? We can only do so much. The bodies don't always agree.