No, I'm not asking but sharing my experience with you as I used to be like that. Yes, saying stuff like the statement above but it's alright because I was new and didn't know half the things I know now. And mind you it's only 3 years ago when I started off so it isn't exactly ancient history. So maybe, God willing, you'll save 3 years of your life too instead of learning through screwups like I did.

Know that your body is a reflection of the lifestyle you lead. It isn't the result of a great 1 month of going to gym or eating veggies for the past week. It's not something you starve yourself for 3 weeks to get washboard abs and the go back to the yummy mamak lifestyle to reap the rewards. You see celebrities with hot bodies all the time but you completely miss the effort these people put into looking great, thinking it's a magic diet or some fancy product only to be disappointed to discover that there is work and effort involved. Anything that advocates 'no need to exercise', just use this product and look great is utter BS. Everytime. Because even if you lose weight you're just a walking health timebomb waiting to blow up and derail your life.

Your body looks that way because of 2 factors, In and Out. Your diet is the 'In', what you put in your body. Exercise and physical work is the 'Out', what your body burns for energy. In a nutshell in a very simplified context, this is it. More In than Out, you gain weight. Vice versa. In crazy diets which rely on the starvation, the In has been drastically reduced to be lower than the Out, but you're losing valuable muscle together with fat as well as malnutrition which weakens the body, rendering you a prime target for snatch thieves because you'll break your spine as soon as you fall over no matter how small the fall is.

I was once part on the confused masses, not knowing how to go about setting things right. I had the worst body shape you could possibly imagine (Of course, everyone has their own opinion on this and you're down enough, YOU become the worst). Think tall and thin. Good, now thinner. Remember those cases where you can wrap around your thumb and third finger around your wrist? I still can because there are no muscles around the wrist area to build and I'm skinny to begin with. Thumb and third finger wrapped around the wrist is nothing. Because I could wrap them around my bicep, almost. Granted there was still a 1 cm gap, but a 1 cm gap when you wrap your thumb and third finger around your BICEP?? Now being that thin isn't the worst thing, but when you have been pigging out the past few years and now have a belly that juts through your T-shirt, it becomes the worst thing. Stick thin guy with a beer belly. Horrible. I couldn't stand how my friends who I haven't seen in years point out the belly with a 'Hey hey!'. I wanted a change. I wanted to get fit. But of course, the guys who go to gym and push weights are usually huge bodybuilders right? So....

I want to get fit but don't want big muscle.



Exercise.

I joined a gym. I told my PT during the free sessions that I just want to get fit and of course he just put me through the regular cookie cutter workout. I avoided the free weights area because all the big guys where there and being the scrawny one, I was intimidated. I stuck to the weight machines and the cardio machines.

If I had one thing going for me, it was my determination to build some muscle. I didn't care for big muscle or small muscle, as long as I got it. And just so you may know, there is no way to build 'big muscle' or 'small muscle'. You work the muscle and give it enough fuel, it grows a little bit. You are not going to wake up with 24 inch biceps by doing curls. In fact, those elite bodybuilders you see plastered on the cover of magazines that scare you so much....accept the fact that you'll NEVER come close. Even if you tried. And tried really really hard. So there.

I started seeing results after 3 months. And it got me hyped and hitting the machines became the cornerstone. I looked fitter. I got myself a new set of gym clothes to go with a fitter body. But after about a year, the gains just stopped. I haven't yet reached my goal of looking athletically fit and showing 6 packs and I hit a wall? No way. With a thirst for knowledge not seen during my school years I scoured the internet, shift through articles and adivce both good and bad. And then it dawned on me. See sprinters with the body I want? See those really fit WWE superstars (Not the huge ones)? See those MMA fighters? They all do it.

Screw the machines. Screw the light pink coloured dumbells. Screw it all. The only way I could get the body I want was to hit the free weights. The big barbells. The weight plates.

I took a day of leave to hit the free weight area, hopefuly when there was nobody around. Just my luck, 2 huge guys (To me then) were there. Thicken the face, grab the weights I need, get used to the barbell and start doing those sets I found during my research. After that, it didn't become intimidating no more. I just wanted to workout, I didn't care who was there. It was at this point in time I discovered the other half of the secret...


Nutrition.

A PT approached me to ask if I was taking any supplements. Thinking back, I think he might have wanted to make a few ringgit off me as well but the well meaning premise was there. He managed to convince me to buy a weight gainer (See? After almost a year of gym looking fitter I still had people recommending weight gainers to me). It was scary. It was like I had decided to take steroids, I forgot the number of times I browsed through the ingredients list. It said to take 4 scoops at once. The genius in me decided that 4 scoops were for the big men on the cover of magazines so because I was 1/8 their size, I would just take half a scoop. Yes, half. And because it said mix in milk, I went and bought regular milk. Full cream instead of low fat. Oh well, at least it worked.

I started gaining some badly needed muscle from then on, the combination of free weights and enough protein to grow pushing the results in. But it's always that last layer of fat or that last inch of muscle that is the hardest. After more lengthy research, I learnt the supplements are not equal to drugs. In fact, it's providing what your body needs that you cannot obtain through food because of a busy life. Green light...with conditions.

I got desperate. I told gave myself 3 months in an all or nothing shot. I stacked NO, Creatine and Whey Protein with a punishing workout. I changed my lifestyle. I made small alterations at first, the kind of small changes I knew I could sustain and added on with each success. I avoided mamak food when before I would eat it every week (Sometimes everyday) without fail. I cut my rice intake (Very difficult being an Asian). I removed ALL chicken skin. I watched my portions and got picky with what I eat. Cheat meals once or twice a week. That's how much I wanted it. That's how much I would give up for it. The difference now was, I knew how to get it. The bloke at the gym doing a million situps a day still has that spare tyre even though he wants it just as badly, but he doesn't take the effort to find out how. You just look at what people do and swallow any advice from unfit people feeding you myths that don't work. And it becomes your fault. It becomes your fault when you do not use the biggest muscle of all and thinking all muscleheads are intellectualy challenged, and it turns out building a great body requires you to utilize quite a few braincells as well.


Now.

I've since got what I wanted. I think I'm done with NO, I just finished with Creatine though I must say the fatigue factor does set in harder without it. I've got 2 tubs of protein at all times because Asian diet is very protein deficient.

I recently fixed a shoulder problem because of sucky bench form after a year and I attribute it to the male ego thinking he's the best when he actually sucks. So I'm not perfect. At times I'm horrible. At others, I fail. But I take advice, I ask why and I evaluate if it makes sense. I'm doing mostly free weights nowadays, a few complexes but I do not forgo the machines. I do sports outside gym like football. I rediscovered martial arts.

I stopped wearing XXL T-Shirts that I used to buy to cover up the unflattering bulges and replaced them with fitting clothes. I had to throw away 2 pairs of pants because they were now too big, dropped a couple of sizes at least. It's the breast implant syndrome, when you don't have something and suddenly you get them, you really want to show it off. Especially if you've given sweat, blood and money for it.

I'm no longer easily intimidated, and it's a confidence boost in all facets of life. It was a pleasant surprise that most huge guys at the gym are actually gentle and nice guys. They don't dream of tearing your head off and crushing it. Go on, talk to them. Ask them stuff you always wanted to. See the guy with the body you want? Go ahead and get his routine!




At the end, I must say that the majority of people looking for change will fail. I've seen too many cases of people trying to make a drastic change, going balls to the wall during their first couple of weeks at gym, not eating and then disappearing because :

-Too busy
-Too much commitments
-Love food too much
-Lack of willpower
-Temporary motivation which wears out (Hangat hangat tahi ayam)
-Too tired
-Add in your reason here

I would say only 20% of all people looking for change will make it, perhaps even less. Everyone who has a great body has demonstrated enough determination, willpower and resolve to get it. You won't find that person at the doughnut shop just because they walked past and couldn't resist. Most won't make it because of the one weak link in the chain (See above).

Having a fit body is living the life to sustain such a body. That is why I do not agree with the whole Biggest Loser idea because it is not sustainable. Every contestant regains weight when they leave the show because there is no way in hell anyone can live their life like that.

But the fact that you're here reading up and preparing yourself means you're a little different. You do your homework. You ask. You find out what needs to be done. Take baby steps at first. If it gets hard, keep going with baby steps. Just as long as you're walking towards what you want. Don't allow yourself to be stopped. If you're serious about getting fit, don't worry about things that won't happen to you like getting huge muscles and do it.

I loved the journey. Now that I've hit my target, I have to say the rewards are great as well. Looking fit feels every bit as good as it looks.

Best of all, it seems that it has somehow gotten my girl to be more in the mood as well. And that's cardio to look forward to.

pictures!

wow..good motivation..

I've been lifting weights for a year now, and have read more than my share of bodybuilding books, and I still share the sentiment of most people: I find competitive bodybuilders downright ugly. Freaks. Unnatural.

(And what's with the brown paint?)

It is right that most people want to avoid such physiques. Most people are looking for a "toned" body: A middling chest, nice legs, some traps, somewhat larger deltoids, and very, very low bodyfat. The last thing they want is to look too obviously gym-built.

However, they have no idea how difficult and how expensive it is to look gym-built. All that excruciating heavy lifting. The hours and hours in the gym. The constant attention to nutrition. The tubs of whey.

But training is addictive, or so I've found. It feels good to be fit, especially since my office job is sedentary. I see all these ugly people around me: More fat than muscle, bad clothes, bad shoes, lousy haircut, oily faces, and low metabolic rate. I, OTOH, feel invincible. My muscles are capable of real work, I am well-coordinated, testosterone is high(er), metabolism too, etc. A different creature.

I have been training irregularly in the last months, but I've always returned to training. How can I not? After a while of not working out, I feel soft and lethargic and pathetic and weak. I always return to training. I think it will be for life.

Damn, that was a good, albeit long read.

And pictures!

Thanks guys. For me, I think it's training for life too.

I was too embarrassed and too big an ego to allow my old self to be photographed, and a bit pai seh to do it now. However, I'm getting a new camera in a couple of weeks so that might change!

First, i gotta say sorry..lol i thought i was another SF thread by noob again! XD

nice talk there

great motivational read. should we have a thread to archive all motivational text?


feels great to read it. gets me back on the machines for people like me...lost a bit of willpower after not hitting the gym for 2 months due to my busy life.
now my there's a bulge on my belly when i stand up.

yeap, that was good and motivational at the same time since most of us can relate themselves in one way or another.
and pictures =D

nice read. actually you said only 20% who tried getting fit,.. failed. I say 5%. lol

This post has been edited by kurtkob78: Jan 26 2010, 11:31 PM

Speaking of T levels.
How's the tribulus doing for you?

BTW, bodybuilders don't look like freaks off the stage.

No, no tongkat ali so far. Couldn't find them in small quantities. I reduce the volume instead.

Actually they do. Off stage and in a T-shirt, they look very BBrish. And their arms are lifted off in an angle like apes because of their hypertrophied lats. Also, the puffy look, all that water retention due to the creatine etc. Everybody knows the look, and most want to avoid it.

YOu're probably talking about the heavy BBers.

Try looking at lower weight BBers. Those 50-60 kgs. I find that they are big, but still look pretty normal to me.

last night i saw this thread and i went tl:dr . Then this morning i'm a lil bit more pumped up, i read it.

A good read.

I just need pictures of u to make this article deserve my 9/10

The title of this tread definitely have the 'duhh' feeling but the content is something different. As for me I didn't really waste my time reading it. Real feeling and experience! Keep it up bro

Good read man, thanks for sharing.

My favourite quote:

Great article.
one of the most motivational i read in this forum.

I thought the title was asking on questions D:
But it turns out to be the opposite. Well written.
But yeah, pictures!

nice one. Enjoyed reading it.

Very well written!

Well said my friend!

fuhh.. well said =) awesome motivational article

Thank you for the support, bros.

I want all you guys here to know that I didn't go through my experience alone. You have no idea how much information and tips I leeched off you guys during the past year and putting it into practice. This is my way of giving back, at least in part. To all the newbies who walk in here asking the same old question, it's the same three words I'd say to you if you dissect the information you get, analyze and get you butt on it. This s**t works.

I feels great no longer being the stick thin guy in danger of being blown away in the wind, only to be anchored by his belly hanging over his shorts. I hope to get some pics up soon, I'm no bodybuilder but managed to lose what I wanted to lose and gained what I wanted to gain. Maybe this weekend, I'll try. I don't have any before pics so it'll only be after pics. Be great if you guys could chip in with some random pics of skinny guys so I can point out how bad it was haha.

Here are some sucky pics I took. Do forgive, my photography skills coupled with a handphone might cause trauma.

Hurriedly sneaked a shot pre-workout while no one was the wiser. As expected, ended up upside down. Rotate for best effect haha!
[attachmentid=1423546]

Had some help with the back shot.
[attachmentid=1423543]

Great job!

Add skinny before picture to get instant wow effect
Too bad you don't have any

If the skin more tan then will look better.

Good Article for self motivate

great article man.

i couldn't believe that i go through the whole article!!

great job!!

a good motivation to me!!

Great, i'm motivated! But i'm 17, i don't have the convenience of a PT, gym nor workout equipment. I've just lost 15kg and am satisfied at my 3 months+ of hardwork(and taunting from family members who are apparently all overweight, if not obese) while keeping a 1500 calorie diet everyday. I jog at my house area almost everyday during my diet , my thighs and calves are definitely tougher and more muscular than my upper body and i think its time i paid some attention to my upper body.

I noticed i have a round, somewhat protruding tummy. My yellow book that kept me motivated all this while told me that what looks like excess fat is most likely inactive muscles(or something like that). And i also have (as embarassing at it may sound), moobs or man boobs.


So my question, how do i have a toned, non-tofu like body without having to go to the gym and use equipments or dumbells or anything?

I don't have money, and neither do my family members give a damn about my life. The nearest gym is a 30 mins drive from my house(i don't have a license) and i have serious shy issues. (I don't even have the guts(or balls) to enter a salon for a nice haircut. I had to have my friend just help me step into the salon.)

Its tough when you're alone.

Congrats for losing 15kg, you can try body weight training by the way what is your weight? but if overweight I think its going to be tough. If you twist and turn to find the solution at the end 'gym' sure will be one of the top answer for your question. Start with basic equipment like dumbell and barbell at home then slowly progress to gym. Build your confidence and self esteem and take risk if you want to have a tone physique. When you start to involve in bodybuilding you'll have a new feeling and confidence around you that you might never noticed all this while.

Thanks yup, i really appreciate it. I'm 166cm and used to weigh 72kg about 3 months ago. Now i'm 56kg.

What is body weight training? Is it where you use your own body weight to carry out your own exercises? Is it like pull ups and stuff like that? Now i got some money from ang pow, maybe i was thinking of browsing tesco for some dumbells or barbells. If i do get the equipment, is there a site you can link me to that has activities for using these equipments? I'd really appreciate it alot.

Good read there, but where is your best determination as being described? Give me this, and I applause you sir!

Dirty bulking can do wonders! As long as you keep pumping up the IRON HARD!





This post has been edited by IanBen: Feb 18 2010, 03:32 PM

links? have you check out the stickies? got tons of links and tips on how to do this and that. (:

is that u?

Naw, lol wish that was me.

is there an article to the 2 pics above?

they say the best reads are those that you can relate to. reckon this is one of them.

There are alot of people whose has did or doing dirty bulking but still pumping up hard and has that kind of result. One thing in mind whey protein is still very much essentially needed. Whey protein in Malaysia is very expensive.

yes, you're right about body weight training. Google for information mate. Try this http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/

i disagree. In gnc it's super expensive. But individual sellers like here in lowyat forums are pretty reasonable.

Actually i've seen many skinny guys grow big but big ectomorphs still look ectomorph somehow...but this guy...i think he did very well for himself. Looks amazing

Seriously, it's easier to cut than to get big...

wow. you've tried cutting before? how easy?

For bulking, your stomach capacity determines how much you can eat at a time. Of course, for those disciplined enough to have the right meals 5 or 6 times a day, this should be no problem.

For cutting, I just reduce carb intake and do more cardio besides the regular weight training. That's all. Now you tell me which is easier?

to me, bulking is easier

http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1170813 - your linkss. i personally recommend strength training currently on one of d programmes.

and for those who are ectomorphs yet worry about becoming fat instead of being fit.. here's something interesting..

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KF...3/ai_n13790098/

Wow, this is excellent I must say. I myself was about 89kg at 178cm. It was all fat and more fats. Beer belly, narrow shoulders, tits pointing out.

I've always wanted to join a gym, and yes you're right, the reasons, or more like excuses of:
-no time la
-after work tired la
-no money to join gym la
-this gym expensive, that gym don't have that

I did give these excuses, not until I started my sessions. I could barely do 10 push ups in a row. 0 pull ups without assistance. Can hardly run for 400m.

I knew i needed more energy. I was recommended to consume Creatine pre-work out. 1 little tub of Creatine was all I had. Pushed myself till I see stars everyday. Set a target, a finishing line everyday, beat that guy's time and try heavier weights (but not too heavy. Please understand your body. Injuries may just stop you from training for a long time)

2 months into training, I've seen some results. Cuts were showing a little. Motivation for clean food intake starts to kick in, I wanted them nice looking abs. I started to take in less carb, no chicken skin, no mamak food, no fast food, no supper and eat cleanest as I can. Of course, once in a while, I'll indulge myself into some of them but very minimally. It isn't easy, especially if you have friends who discourage and just put you down. But hey, you wanna look ugly and wear XXL, by all means.

Abs started to show..I can't remember when.

After 1.5 years, I've increased my weights during workouts, pull ups are routine. Runs 21km whenever there's 1 in a moderate time (2hrs 20minutes) and looking to improve during March's Energizer run.

But then, I started to look a little to thin, a little too lean. Now, I'm looking into some whey protein but have not found any yet.

Any recommendations?

Come back to Melaka and I've got one. It's been a while pal..

Yes, but--what's the time frame between photos?

this can be achievable in rather 4 months... if you do really EAT ALOT OF WHEY PROTIEN... 10lbs in a months which cost around RM300 for lowyat seller.

So hmm... and the foods is another more RM400... so am asking you, are you willing to do it? It's not the timeframe... it's the food and how much determination of weight you can put through. Some of the bodybuilding forums ... no pun intended on advertising other site... they did 56kg to 75kg in 4months.. and look really huge. Search for it on google, you'll be expecting much more than what most malaysians can do due to limited knowledge of bodybuilding. It has been always the protein, and more protein, if you are a professional bodybuilder they do RM300x20lbs a month which cost up to RM600 for a month!

Get more determination done SIR!

Give me resources, and I'll give you that body in 4 months! 6 months max the most! SIR!

This post has been edited by IanBen: Mar 12 2010, 01:08 AM

guys i watch a video of home workout called P90X ...its look promising and it doesnt cost much like paying monthly on fitness or gym membership..what do you guys think?any1 tried it before?

Like you kotmj i believe in being a renaissance man/polymath. Why only excel in one aspect of life when we can excel in all.

Before I started gym i was 179cm 64kg, now I'm 79kg. Gaining the weight wasn't easy. I remember chomping down on a footlong subway everynight before i head to bed

I train so that I can make fun of fat people

same

I'll make fun of you both when you're old and fat!

This post has been edited by kaspersky-fan: Mar 14 2010, 03:00 PM

I train so that shane and pizzaboy doesnt make fun of me too much. =.=
hahahah

dont be modest you bugger

hahahahaha... =.=
i have still a long way more to go. =.=
so now, i am still being make fun of. =.=

mmm.. working out can get better skin complexion too? @@

Yeah,deadlifts and squats make you look good!

Have you seen my stomach? It protrudes. I think squats and deadlifts (well at least at this level) makes you grow a gut.

I noticed this too. It's mostly flat in the morning, but as the day progresses, it grows convex. Poeple who don't lift have flatter tummies than me.

I wonder what causes it. I do stomach vaccuums whenever I can think of them.

Dirty bulking with Malaysian food will screw with you in more ways than you can count. And whey protein is not essential, it's convenient and it helps but essential? No.

if u consider skin with pimples is good. Then yeah.

I can count how many pimples I've had throughout my entire life. 6. Genetics bro. =P

Stress caused by these movements causes hypertrophy (no matter how you try not to have it) on all regions. All regions that are under tension of these heavy movements. And as you can expect, the torso takes a shit load of stress and there's only that much the back can help. After a point, the abdominal structure has to come to place to help with the load and hey presto! Hypertrophy.

Added, some people also do sit-ups (weighted) and leg raises, I suppose these also cause hypertrophy on the abdominal structure as it's just another muscle.

Somehow, swimmers have very flat abdomens. But they have wicked chests, delts and upper backs.

dont forget... their lats! muahahaha... =.=

Actually, for most parts, it's nutrition.

and incredible shoulder flexibility

No. Genetics, nutrition plays a relatively small part.

It's genetics. I had lots of pimples when I was younger, but my younger brother had none. We ate the same stuff.

well written.. wuuhuu!

bingo.

nice read and great discussion guys...

lol. no my friend. it is not. cutting requires cutting of calories and extreme fat burning which leads us to extreme cardio, lifting weights without extremely high reps arent going to cut you.

on the other hand, bulking up is mainly loading up on protein and heavy wieght w/ low reps

so u r saying bulking is easier than cutting?
u mean to say lifting heavy weights is easier than doing extreme cardio?
The only thing hard about cutting is saying NO to ppl when they ask u to eat stuff out of your diet.
nothing much else is that hard.

i still say bulking is HARDER than cutting.
to put on Lean Muscle Mass takes a shitload of TIME.
and to cut, just fricking 2-3 months and can look so much leaner.

hahahhaa... another idiot that says cutting is harder than bulking. =.=
muahahaha... bulking for learn muscle is x10 times harder than cutting.
cutting u need to watch ur diet, and cardio.
but bulking? oh well, u can try all u want, but sometimes u aint gonna be successful... muahahaha.... getting muscles is much much harder than losing fats. =.=

Dumb ass. You go post this shit on bb.com IFBB Pro section and see how many people will laugh at you. I hope you choke.

muahahha.... i knew it! =.=
hehehe...

well.. cutting is quite simple for me. i can cardio cut off 3-5kgs for only 3-4weeks time without fat burners =)

man your the one of the wise man that lives on internet that we all heard off but never seen......
and that is some motivation bro...
i guess everyone must bang the wall before become clever.... hehee

holy... bro u just revived a 2010 topic.

I thought cutting is harder? And your strength can be slightly decrease while cutting?

Great ~
this is what i like the most in bodybuilding , 100% dedication no cheat or luck can done it !

This is what I like about Lowyat revival@@