GFY Fitness Buffs - Phil I need your Help!

Bryan,

Here is an article that lays out a few very good options depending on time and fitness level.

What Is The Best Circuit Training Workout? - Bodybuilding.com

Great, thanks Eric :-)

Id be more than happy to help as usual! Are there any specific goals you have in mind other than maintaining/adding some definition? Are doing any type of training now or just trying to get back in the swing?

Hey Phil!

Ya I basically don't want to put on anymore weight. I just need to tone up and add definition. I have only started back last week so just getting myself back into the swing of things again. Looking to train weights Mon, Wed, Fri. Tues and Thurs I have been doing Cardio (running as I enjoy it).

Thanks Phil :-)

Well toning and adding definition is in fact adding muscle so you will need to up the cals especially since you'll be working out now so keep that in mind.

You have 2 options here as far as workouts are concerned. You can do either a 3 day full body or a 3 day split. I personally prefer a 3 day split but either workout will yield you the same type of result. At this point any added activity will cause your body to change in a positive way .

Let me know which route you want to go and ill put together a small little schedule to follow.

i'm a big proponent of low carb/keto for fat loss, but if you are at 158 right now that is pretty low so i imagine you are somewhat where you want to be fore being lean?

If thats the case then you need to start using carbs as a fuel for muscle growth. Carb backloading is an extreme way to go and only works if you are pushing out maxes with your workouts but a simple carb night once a week can give you more than enough fuel for building more lean mass and adding tone with some good resistance training. Just remember, tone doesn't come from more cardio, its from building muscle.


Carb night being an evening where you eat a somewhat large amount of pasta, breads, desserts or whatever you prefer, then back to low carb the rest of the week.

how'd you break your jaw?

Why not just drink an intraworkout carb source for immediate energy instead of putting your body in a caloric surplus and creating a huge insulin spike right before bed time? Granted its just one night a week...but having a sustained carbohydrate source while you workout seems like a much better option considering you will have the same energy levels throughout each workout since theres no variation of carb intake. Carb back loading gives a ton of energy at the start then youre flat on your ass by mid week. Not to mention your muscles will look flat and youll have practically no pump. Especially considering his goals, carbohydrate timing around workouts are what is of utmost importance here. Lean muscle gain, minimal fat loss.

Thanks Phil, not sure what the difference is. So whatever you recommend I would love to try out. Thanks for you help in advance :-)

At the time was drinking quite a bit. I went to run up my basement stairs and slipped. My jaw broke the fall.

Here ya go my man! I suggest taking an intraworkout supplement such as Karbolyn which will help keep your energy levels up during your workouts. You also have the option of something like gatorade powder if cost is a factor. That along with proper post workout nutrition you should be on your way to a leaner harder version of yourself. Dont be a scale queen either its all about measurements and what the mirror tells you! If you have any questions just let me know

Workout 1 Chest/Bi's

Incline Barbell/Smith Press - 5x 10
Incline Fly - 4x 15
Flat DB Press - 5x 10
Flat Fly - 4x 15

Standing BB Curl - 5x 12
Alternating DB Curl - 4x 12
Pinwheel Curl - 4x 10
Hammer Curl - 4x 10

Workout 2 Legs/Shoulders

Squat - 5x 10
Stiff Leg Dead lift - 4x 10
Leg press 4x10 - if you have more energy and can bang out more do it!
Seated Calf Raise- 5x 20

DB Shoulder Press - 5x 8
Side Lat Raise - 4 x 15
Bent over rear delt raise - 4x 15
Shrugs - 4x 12

Workout 3 Back/Tris

Wide Grip pull ups - As many sets as it takes you to get to 30 total, use assisted machine if neccessary
Lat pull Downs - 4x 12
DB Row - 4x 12
Barbell or Tbar Row - 4x 12

Dips - As many sets as it takes you to get to 30 total, use assisted machine if neccessary
Vbar Pushdown - 4x 15
Reverse grip pull down 4x 12

Thanks Phil I appriciate it 😀

That sucks man, how did your teeth make out?

Did some damage. My front are fine thank fuck. However, some of my back teeth are not. Had to get two teeth extracted and I am just waiting for the implants to be installed in October. Also, on the other side I needed to get two crowns. When its all completed will have cost me about 10k.

You have a chance to give any of the workouts a try yet? Let me know how you make out!

Twice a week riding bike

props to choopa for helping everyone out

Still on a program he gave me a couple of months ago and have been steadily getting stronger.. Have some work to do with sticking to the diet but in general feel a lot better

Yep did Workout 1 this morning. Feeling good. Thanks again!

because insulin spikes enhances muscle growth. especially when timed right. if you eat a lot of carbs normally throughout the week it wouldn't work though. also eating them late at night means dick as long as you don't eat first thing in the morning. Backloading is gaining lean if you do it right.

For his goals it would be better to spike insulin after each workout rather than 1x a week. I doubt that he will have any issues with sensitivity if he uses the right carbohydrate sources. Hes also not doing keto nor does he have problems with fat gain (looks to be your classic ecto body type) Anyone who is looking to gain muscle/recomp isnt going into their training session with no fuel in the tank, that would be pretty foolish IMO

hence the backload.. seriously, we are saying the same shit here. His first post said he was on a low carb, even if its not keto thats hard to gain lean mass on without fuel up points. I suggested one backload weekly instead of post workout only because he's not in there breaking maxs every day, most likely, so would make more sense for most people and easier to manage with a low carb regimen.

We're not saying the same thing in the slightest. Youre telling him to back load and workout without eating prior to training. That is probably the worst advice to give to someone trying to gain mass/tone up. If he was still looking to lose fat I would 100% be for the back loading but fact of the matter is the most efficient way to add mass would be via slin spike immediately post workout and eating more. He was on low carb not working out...now hes working out. He needs more cals and post workout nutrition.

My advice is this.

You're just going to get more and more confused with extraneous details and arguments and discussion and endless contradiction.

Read bodybuilding.com every day.

Look at it as if the most anyone knows there is 60% and they are making up the other 40% to sound cool and smart and like an "expert"

Eventually, you'll start noticing the same 60% again and again and again and that certain principles remain unchanging. Those are the only things you really need to understand.

Make just a token effort to educate yourself by reading that forum/articles daily.

You'll start to see that diets the same goals are basically the same.
Workouts for the same goals are basically the same.
It will start to seem so clear and simple that you'll be thinking for a while "it must be more complicated than this", but its really not. There is the 60% that are the unchanging fundamentals and the 40% which is everyone's "look at me" irrelevant bullshit.

You need a lifestyle change and it has to be a part of your lifestyle. You're not going to make that happen with "hey guys, give me a plan so i don't have to learn, think or understand".

You are already following a fad diet based on flawed science which has been proven wrong again and again and again in study after study in the last 5 years. Now you are asking others to think for you about workouts. I understand why and i'm not trying to make fun of you or your scarf and understand its confusing. I'm just saying that you won't be any less confused or more confident or have a better understanding without taking some control yourself.

If you want this to be a lifestyle change, you have to be the one educating yourself through reading, through watching others in the gym, asking questions of those who know etc.

You need to clearly understand your goals, define your goals and tailor your diet and training to those goals if you wan to achieve them. You don't get to say "i want to eat pizza and look like Arnold or "i want to be a vegetarian and compete in Mr Universe" or "i want to eat low carb and bulk up". Diet and goals have to be in sync. A very very very basic education and very limited experience is enough in terms of understanding what to do. However, making sure your form is good (its likely not), your effort is enough (its likely not), making sure you are getting enough water, enough sleep, that supplements, diet and nutritional timing are in order and so on are all factors to consider which will determine gains. People can talk about what workout routine to follow until they are blue in the face but if your form is horrible, your effort sucks, your intensity is low etc.,... you'll just be wasting your time anyway.

I think Michael Mathews said it best in Bigger Stronger Leaner - basically we are always confused "there is so much contradictory information and opinions and people claiming their way is the best way, or where they try to be unique and give unique advice to appear as the expert because the simple truth is that "follow these easy 3 steps" doesn't sell books, workout dvds or supplements or personal training". But its not really that complicated. It just feels that way initially because of the massive fog of peoples consant bro science bullshit. The more you believe you need to rely on others for "expert advice" and direction without understanding yourself, the more confused you'll be as you'll keep getting contradictory advice, you'll be bombarded with irrelevant tiny details such as the physiology and biochem involved and you'll always get varying and contradictory opinions.

Never forget that almost all advice people give are not based on you, your needs, your lifestyle, your goals etc but based on their own. That is also not helpful.

Make reading bodybuilding.com a habit. Skim it daily. read articles etc. After a while, you'll realize the common themes with diet and training for specific goals and you'll have all the info you need to achieve your own goals. "What to do" is just a tiny part of it. As i've said, correct form, intensity, sleep, hydration, diet, nutritional timing, supplements etc also matter... and "what should my workout routine be" won't help you there, when everything else is not in order.

What would you suggest as a carb drink? I assume I would do this right before i workout?

Look into Karbolyn or Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin