I'll try to makes this brief and get to the "meat and potatoes," (literally):

SLIMING DOWN:
Bottom Line: You need to watch what you stuff in your mouth. It doesn't mean starve yourself, but begin substituting unhealthy foods for healthier ones. For example, instead of a hamburger at Mickey D's, make your own with 90 or 93% lean beef and throw it on a whole wheat bun. Remember though, that just because you're eating healthier doesn't mean you have to stuff your face. If you feel you can't breathe or you don't wanna move after you eat, then you ate too much.

I run the gym at the precinct I've been working at for the past 4.5 years and fellow officers have always asked me how I stay in shape. I always tell them to, "eat often, but eat well." I always bring my food to work and some guys say, "i don't have time for that!" Then, to me, that means they want the easy way, and nothing comes easy! I take care of a 10 month old throughout the morning, take a shower, get her ready to bring down to my wife before i go to work, feed her, walk a dog, cook, and get my food ready all before i leave for work at 2 in the afternoon. Getting cut and staying that way is a job on it's own, but if you stop seeing what you're doing as a diet and, instead, make it a way of life, you'll succeed.

When you wake up in the morning, EVERY MORNING, drink a COLD glass of water. You've been sleeping for hopefully 7-8 hours and although you might not feel it, your body is dehydrated. Also, you are warm and shocking your body with the cold water will spark your metabolism.

METABOLISM: This is key to loosing fat. KEEP YOUR METABOLISM SPIKED. (If you do this you'll burn fat even in your sleep.) In order to keep to this, begin with a cold glass of water, like mentioned. Then a light breakfast like egg whites and a 1/2 dry cup of oatmeal (no sugar and preferably water instead of milk). Following breakfast, you should eat small meals every 3-4 hours instead of large ones every 6. This allows your body time to digest your previous meal and, therefore, you should feel hungry after just a few hours.

So we know metabolism is key, but consuming to much at one sitting or eating foods that quickly turn to sugar will quickly kill your fat burning. Carbs should be used only to produce energy and if they're not being digested, they're being store and for men that means the "spare tire!"

Last is PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN...consume plenty. Especially after workouts.

Slimming down and staying cut is about 65% nutrition, unless you've been blessed with good genes. (Don't we all wish that were possible!?)

The other 35% is physical...HARD LIFTING AT THE GYM.
Remember, not heavy, but light weights for a lot of reps...check out the attached workouts and do the get ripped section...

If you have any other question, please ask because there is no way I can sit here and cover it all, my daughters grabbing everything in sight, LOL!

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/new/...s/training.pdf

BULKING UP:

EAT! EAT! EAT! BUT eat right.!
Eat foods high in protein, but also high in slow digesting carbs, such as whole grains.

Consume a good amount of carbs before workout and a few afterwards, along with, at least, 40 grams of protein.

I love pre-workout shakes, such a Black Powder. Sounds crazy I know, but it amps you up to lift and keeps your pump for a few days while at the same time helping repair muscle.

I always drink a protein shake after workouts too...recently I've been trying Pro-NOS french vanilla and not only does it taste good, but I've also seen results faster than nitro-tech and isopure proteins.

Getting big isn't hard, but being ripped and being big is. Forget the juiced up dudes you see on the cover of muscle mags. They only look that way for a short period and they ARE NOT healthy. They dehydrate themselves for about 3 days to look like that for a few hours. All they do is juice and lift and thats not what we want. We want it naturally because it lasts the longest. If you try to find the easy way you'll end up with stretch marks plus saggy muscle and skin once you burn out.

I think I'm done for now, but don't forget to ask questions if you need answers.

Check out the Mass workouts in the workouts below. Now, you have to go heavy and do less reps.

OHHHHHHH! YOU MUST WORK OUT LEGS TO GET BIG! DO NOT SKIP OUT ON LEG ROUTINES!

Should look like this!

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/new/...s/training.pdf

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COME FIND ME ON COD4 - PS3 NAME: elimelech12

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I'm a powerlifter who has been lifting for over 10 years, and this is very good advice. I follow alot of these rules myself. Nice post elimelech12.

NOTE: While the above information is good, it does NOT apply to everyone in the Slim Down or Bulk Up categories. Age, actual phisical shape/condition, metabolism, body type, and other factors play an important roll in how we will each progress and what we do concerning our goals.

It is good to have a general guideline, but keep in mind that it is just that, a general guideline. And if you try to use general guidelines as the gospel the chances of you actually obtaining your goals greatly reduces and your chances of becoming discouraged greatly increases... and the odds of you becoming injured or unhealthy also increase.

To determine what is best for YOU takes some real research and then commitment. I can tell you that what works for ME at over 6" tall on a medium frame will not work well for someone who is 5'7" on a large frame. What we need to do to reach what may seem like similar goals is often much different, as should our expectations be. And I can have far more muscle mass (and be much stronger) while looking visually "smaller" than someone who is a foot shorter than I am. It is about proportions and taller guys simply have more area to put the muscle on than shorter guys... which is also why the majority of "body builders" are short guys.

This post here is not to slam or diminish the post above, but to point out that the real answers can't be found in general guideline posts or routines. They are a start, but to do it right you have to really find out what will work best for you and your actual body and needs. It is also why I try not to ever post general guidelines, but address specific questions asked while taking into account the various things needed to give an accurate and useful answer.

A good place for folks to start would be skimming the various health and workout sites out there (one of my favorites is bodybuilding.com ) and gather information that is suited for your body type and other factors. Most of these sites will indeed provide general as well as specific information tailored to each body type and goal.

I will also reiterate (as the OP did above) that the people you see on/in Magazines are not in their normal form, and heck many times they are even airbrushed. Competitive body builders also DO NOT look like they do at competition the majority of the time. If they did, they would be unhealthy.

elimelech12,
Thank you for your post. I hope it gets folks thinking and on the track to reaching their goals. There are similar posts here in the PT section covering both bulking and slimming. And folks need to remember that there is also just "being fit" where you do not see any real increase or decrease in size, but you gain strength and health.... MOST people really end up in that category, and SHOULD aim for that category IMHO.

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“It is easier to blow out a match than it is to control a forest fire.” - Me
NE OSF COMMANDER / OPERATOR STRIKE FORCE
POG #934 / CPPA #2157 / LPPC #1 / BLACKLEAF OUTFITTERS / UMS / My MySpace Account

Good thread guys.

It is a very important part of our life and we should all try and stay ''in shape''.
I don't mean having ARNOLD ARMS... or very slim waists.. I mean staying in shape and having a healthy body
Eating healthy and not Mc.Burgers all week long

Thanks again guys

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Very NICE!

Hey it seems that I can get killer advice all around but I can't seem to find any info on the nutritional aspects... what would be a few good examples for the "small meals" for every 3-4 hours?

I'm an amateur boxer in training so I do mainly cardio... jump rope, heavy bag, speed bag, & some basic calisthenics. I've dropped from 230 - 165 but it's still way too padded for my size (5'6"). half the time I'm lucky if I can get 2 meals a day so I know my metabolism is at a slow crawl if it's even moving at all.

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I agree. And as I always say, being fit should not be a temporary goal, but a way of life. That is why most "diets" fail, because they are not about a lifestyle change but about a temporary alteration to meet a short term goal.

Of course, there is nothing WRONG with having "Arnold Arms" if you are doing it right and are healthy as well.

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“It is easier to blow out a match than it is to control a forest fire.” - Me
NE OSF COMMANDER / OPERATOR STRIKE FORCE
POG #934 / CPPA #2157 / LPPC #1 / BLACKLEAF OUTFITTERS / UMS / My MySpace Account

I went from store job where I was on my feet all the time to a desk job. I have two SPARE TIRES......my late night snacking doesnt help. I cant STAND to look at myself in the mirror anymore....

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Speedball; choice of the Ritalin generation !

Although these are guidelines...anyone can slim down...age really has nothing to do with...i believe it was in the UK where a study proved that men in their early 50's had a similar metabolic rate as men in there mid 20's when they ate similar and healthy foods. I'm an advocate for "anyone can be fit." We weren't meant to be overweight, but commercial foods and industrialist trying to make a penny have sacrificed our nutrition to mass produce foods at a lower costs. Think of this...America is the world leading producer of corn and therefore use corn in many foods because it's cheaper than importing sugar. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP can be found in everything; breads, cereals, juices, you name it and it's probably got it. Stay away from foods that contain this and Partially Hydrogenated Oils too! Start reading labels. This stuff goes into your body causing plaque build-ups in your veins.

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COME FIND ME ON COD4 - PS3 NAME: elimelech12

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(='.'=)
(")_(")...COPY BUNNY INTO SIG AND HELP HIM ACHIEVE WORLD DOMINATION!!!

hahah... having Arnold arms is a good thing the paintball markers become less heavy during a 2 hour game.. haha

Seriously, training is a good thing for someone who does it right. I am not an expert on the subject. All I know is that is needs to be done right.. and without steroids Even for that, I don't have any proof on that.. so I should not say its not good.

And you are absolutely right about being fit is a lifestyle and it can be hard sometimes.. haha.

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I would suggest starting with little things.
Don't start running 45 munites everyday and change your way of eating totaly. Just start slow...
Maybe start by eating a little more healthier... drop the late night ''unhealthy food'' snacks. Eat an apple or banana instead.
Drop the fast food from X number of times a week to X/3 times a week.
Then get into the rythme and keep on changing little things.

Usually eating unhealthy is a habbit... just change the habbit

Baby steps to your goal

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