[Dalaran1991]

I must be missing something here (I'm not very knowledgeable in this): so having a six pack = being very lean?

What about guys like this? He is 5"5, has a 6 pack and that's some fucking intimidating presence even if he puts a shirt on.

Or are we excluding these guys because they are professional and for us it's simply not realistic to achieve those standards?

[Giovonny]

(01-30-2015 03:58 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

cut OR bulk

You should bulk AND cut, at the same time.

This is very simple..

Eat a lot of protein and vegetables.

Avoid processed foods, low quality carbs, sugar, low quality fats, alcohol, etc.

And, lift weights with great intensity and effort.

When I eat and train like this, I gain muscle mass AND also lower my body fat.

Many people will disagree with me but I have a body a lot like yours and when I eat and train like this, I get bigger muscles and a better 6 pack.

(01-30-2015 03:58 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

I don't need to do more cardio

Correct, you do not need any more cardio. Just eat a little cleaner to better expose your ab muscles

(01-30-2015 03:58 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

More abs exercise can't hurt.

Correct, they will help your 6 pack because they will "round out" your stomach muscles and make them "pop" even more.

(01-30-2015 03:58 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

I need to cut. Get body fat to about 10%. Do this by heavy, high intensity cardio and get my diet in check.

You definitely can lower your bodyfat a few % points.

But, I don't recommended more cardio. More cardio will make you skinny.

Just get more strict with your diet.

(01-30-2015 03:58 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

So there's no fucking way I can add mass and get a 6 pack at the same time?

There are many ways.

See above. I already detailed how to do this.

Many guys have a good chest and also a good 6 pack.

If they can do it, you can do it.

(01-30-2015 03:58 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

Hanging leg raises

These will help you.

Be sure to breathe smoothly while doing them and don't hold your breath.

(01-30-2015 05:09 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

so having a six pack = being very lean?

Well, yes, but that doesn't mean you have to be too skinny.

[Simeon_Strangelight]

(01-30-2015 05:09 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

I must be missing something here (I'm not very knowledgeable in this): so having a six pack = being very lean?

What about guys like this? He is 5"5, has a 6 pack and that's some fucking intimidating presence even if he puts a shirt on.

Or are we excluding these guys because they are professional and for us it's simply not realistic to achieve those standards?

You can bulk up way more if you started taking some testosterone etc. But for every such thing there is a price to pay - there is a certain level that is fine, but the good stuff costs a lot.

As Giovonny has mentioned there is a hell of a lot that many men can do naturally.

Also I think that you mentioned being Asian, which means that your body will mature slower, but you can potentially look younger for a longer period of time.



Jackie Chan was awfully thin in his 20s. He became more massive naturally in his 50s:



He might have started taking some TRT later on, but that amount probably is not significant.

You do combat training, do lifting and thus over the years you will become more massive anyway - no need to overdo it.

[StrikeBack]

That 5'5 guy probably has 10-15 extra kilos of LBM on you, which is why he looks very intimidating.

http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictu...ercentages

10% bodyfat doesnt say much about what you will actually look like, without the LBM number.

You already have low LBM, so be careful if you continue cutting recklessly without knowing your macros as you might actually make it very hard for yourself to get to low BF% AND most importantly stay there. The goal is not to get to 10% for a day to take photos, its to maintain it, right?

[CaptainChardonnay]

The deal with cardio is that if you do HIIT then you should take BCAAs before and after doing it. Doing cardio without BCAAs will cause your muscles to become catabolic after a certain extent and what the BCAAs do is they protect them by feeding your muscles the amino acids they require. To really cut down to 6-8% then you'll likely need to throw in some cardio and it would be great to do so because it will give you faster results. Coach says no more than 3 times a week with the goal of burning 300 calories in under 20 minutes. He also sips on BCAAs throughout the day and that usually ends up being 20 to 25 grams of BCAAs. I'm currently doing this now and have tried different brands.

I strongly suggest all members on the forum do some research into BCAAs as it is a game changer.

When it comes to supplementation, the goal is to completely optimize your body's ability to recover so that you can go 100% every time you go to the gym. Since I'm going 6 days a week and not taking any PEDs, this is important. Sure you can achieve the same results without supplementation but you'll be more limited in your options and it will simply take longer to achieve the same results. On a side note, I'm also Vietnamese so I probably have similar genetics to OP.

What it comes down to is really diet. You should know exactly how many calories you need per day and then break that down into carbs, proteins and fats depending on your body type. If you're working out a lot but just eat massive amounts of food, sure you'll put on mass but you'll also put on fat. What my coach does is he'll go a couple weeks with a bulking diet and then a week on a cutting diet so he floats within 2 weeks of 6-8% year round to be ready for competitions as he is a professional. Remember that it takes more effort to burn a fat calorie than it is to burn a calorie from protein or carb. Do things properly and it will save you time and energy down the road. Having a great physique is really just diet.

1gr fat= 9 calories
1gr protein = 4 calories
1gr carbohydrate = 4 calories

Simple rules for your diet would be things like
1. Not exceeding your total calories per day
2. If a meal met the calories but contained too many carbs, eat another meal that day with more protein and fat to bring balance to your overall day ratios. Just keep things proportional over the days and week.
3. When having issues with meal building remember that fat and protein can replace carbs.
4. Fat is not bad. Know the difference between the good and bad kind of fat.

What I do is have a pretty strict 6 day week where most of my meals are the same and then on Sunday before Leg day (Monday), I have my cheat meal. Cheat meal meaning I can eat what ever I want but I'm not completely pigging out. At the end of the day it comes down to calories. The purpose of the cheat meal is to replenish the glycogen stores you body depleted while on a calorie deficit throughout the week. For example if I'm going to go to all you can eat sushi for cheat day then I'll just have that one very large meal or if I go to have a nice meal out at a restaurant I'll balance that out with a smaller breakfast.

Because I'm eating the same thing for most of the week, a multivitamin is important to balance out what I'm missing in my diet.

About alcohol, try to remember that its not that alcohol makes you fat, what it does is limit your body's ability to burn fat. Some simple rules I found online which I follow.

Ways to reduce the negative impact of alcohol:
Stay hydrated whilst drinking. Obvious.
Consume liberal amounts of co-enzyme Q10 before, during and after a session. This aid the liver in the elimination of alcohol. (I get this in my multivitamin)
Before bed, consume large doses of B complex vitamins - this soothes the nervous system and so facilitates restful sleep. You see, while you sleep, the nervous system is still awake, trying to process the alcohol. This prevents a true restful sleep experience.
You can take your whey and BCAAs before bed, but stay away from adding fat (oil) to your shake, since alcohol is a 'fat sparer' and must be eliminated before the body processes other nutrients or substances. This is partly why that fatty kebab is such a bad idea, post drinking.
Consume plenty of good antioxidants before, during and after boozing, to minimize oxidative stress on the body. Have some upon waking as well.
Consider the sauna or steam room, to flush out the pores/skin of toxins. But don't do this post exercise as the heat impedes recovery.

[CaptainChardonnay]

Other points

To develop your chest fully, think of your chest in terms of thickness and width. On Tuesdays I focus on chest thickness so I do pressing movements and then on Friday I do chest width which are fly movements. The secret to having an impressive chest is doing movements while on an incline.

Ab exercises work. When people say they don't work is because they're just doing the movement for the sake of doing the movement. If you do crunches then focus on your abs, don't use any momentum, squeeze your abs to the top of the movement and then slowly descend. I do 4 sets of 30 and my abs burn at the end. This applies for all exercises, not just abs.

Its important that guys workout for strength and hypertrophy, not just choosing one over the other. When you build more muscle, hypertrophy, then you have a higher capacity to exert force. When you train for strength, you're conditioning your central nervous system to be able to recruit the muscles you've built.

[Deluge]

I'm both adding muscle and cutting fat week by week, and I have been for a few months (I fucked up in December though, ate and drank way too much). Caloric surplus on days I lift (3x a week), caloric deficit (eating less and cardio) on rest days, while trying to eat 1 g of protein per pound each day and eating a pretty clean diet. I'm not anal about occasionally indulging in pizza/beer or whatever though. I'm not "bulking" or "cutting" as fast each week as if I was going all out on just one, but personally I find this much more enjoyable and easier to stick to then the traditional bulking and cutting cycles, plus I look better year round instead of being fat half the year. My stomach looks a lot like yours does at the moment Dalaran but I have more muscle mass. I'm hoping to be down to a visible six pack in the next 4-8 weeks.

[roberto]

(01-31-2015 03:05 AM)Deluge Wrote:  

I'm both adding muscle and cutting fat week by week, and I have been for a few months (I fucked up in December though, ate and drank way too much). Caloric surplus on days I lift (3x a week), caloric deficit (eating less and cardio) on rest days, while trying to eat 1 g of protein per pound each day and eating a pretty clean diet. I'm not anal about occasionally indulging in pizza/beer or whatever though. I'm not "bulking" or "cutting" as fast each week as if I was going all out on just one, but personally I find this much more enjoyable and easier to stick to then the traditional bulking and cutting cycles, plus I look better year round instead of being fat half the year. My stomach looks a lot like yours does at the moment Dalaran but I have more muscle mass. I'm hoping to be down to a visible six pack in the next 4-8 weeks.

Could you post some specifics? Percentage calorie surplus/defecits? Typical macros?

[Deluge]

(01-31-2015 03:29 AM)roberto Wrote:  

(01-31-2015 03:05 AM)Deluge Wrote:  

I'm both adding muscle and cutting fat week by week, and I have been for a few months (I fucked up in December though, ate and drank way too much). Caloric surplus on days I lift (3x a week), caloric deficit (eating less and cardio) on rest days, while trying to eat 1 g of protein per pound each day and eating a pretty clean diet. I'm not anal about occasionally indulging in pizza/beer or whatever though. I'm not "bulking" or "cutting" as fast each week as if I was going all out on just one, but personally I find this much more enjoyable and easier to stick to then the traditional bulking and cutting cycles, plus I look better year round instead of being fat half the year. My stomach looks a lot like yours does at the moment Dalaran but I have more muscle mass. I'm hoping to be down to a visible six pack in the next 4-8 weeks.

Could you post some specifics? Percentage calorie surplus/defecits? Typical macros?

I have no idea man, I don't count any macros besides protein. I know roughly how much I need to eat for "maintenance" on my kind of diet so I can play it by ear. In terms of calories if I kept up my diet on rest days consistently I'd lose weight but not very quickly, I still need to eat enough to get my protein intake remember. Most of my caloric deficit comes from the 40 mins of vigorous cycling I do. The difference in food intake between my lifting and rest days would be at least 1200 joules (287 calories) as a guess.

[Dalaran1991]

Was rereading all the posts and now I think if I fix my diet 6 packs is a total possibility, without having to change anything else in my daily routine.

Reason? I never even have a diet. I just eat whatever whenever. I eat a lot of sugar, and creamy stuff (fuck French butter and Chatilly whipped cream are addictive ) I eat tons of eggs and meat and I even prefer fat cut (bacon). And I also have 3-5 drinks/week. A kebab o a burger per month when I feel like indulging.

So if I start getting my shit in order I think I can get there.

Are potatoes any good? I rely on them a lot for the versatility and cheap cost.

By the way, do anyone mind giving me a quick run-down on carb? What is it? Why is it good or bad? What food has it?

The only thing I know about diet lifting is 120gr of protein and 2000 calories each day.

[Sonoma]

I'll be honest, you can drop weight and get a more noticeable six pack, but it'll be a pain in the ass to jeep it

Also- are you flexing in this or not? If so, you need to do more ab exercises

[Libertas]

(01-31-2015 03:05 AM)Deluge Wrote:  

I'm both adding muscle and cutting fat week by week, and I have been for a few months (I fucked up in December though, ate and drank way too much). Caloric surplus on days I lift (3x a week), caloric deficit (eating less and cardio) on rest days, while trying to eat 1 g of protein per pound each day and eating a pretty clean diet. I'm not anal about occasionally indulging in pizza/beer or whatever though. I'm not "bulking" or "cutting" as fast each week as if I was going all out on just one, but personally I find this much more enjoyable and easier to stick to then the traditional bulking and cutting cycles, plus I look better year round instead of being fat half the year. My stomach looks a lot like yours does at the moment Dalaran but I have more muscle mass. I'm hoping to be down to a visible six pack in the next 4-8 weeks.

How much of a caloric surplus/deficit? +/- 500?

Also any specific meal plan you tend to stick to?

There is a book my cousin (who is a competitive powerlifter at ~8% body fat and owns a gym) recommends to his clients called the Renaissance Diet which I'm going to get regarding the best nutrition plan for bulking and cutting at once.

[Dalaran1991]

(01-31-2015 04:55 PM)Sonoma Wrote:  

I'll be honest, you can drop weight and get a more noticeable six pack, but it'll be a pain in the ass to jeep it

Also- are you flexing in this or not? If so, you need to do more ab exercises

No, and I've noticed my abs don't get more visible if I flex. It just changes form but depending on the day it looks even better unflexed.

I'm gonna throw in abs ex anyway. Did some hanging leg raises today, felt great. Tore my core muscle up.

[Deluge]

(01-31-2015 07:37 PM)Libertas Wrote:  

(01-31-2015 03:05 AM)Deluge Wrote:  

I'm both adding muscle and cutting fat week by week, and I have been for a few months (I fucked up in December though, ate and drank way too much). Caloric surplus on days I lift (3x a week), caloric deficit (eating less and cardio) on rest days, while trying to eat 1 g of protein per pound each day and eating a pretty clean diet. I'm not anal about occasionally indulging in pizza/beer or whatever though. I'm not "bulking" or "cutting" as fast each week as if I was going all out on just one, but personally I find this much more enjoyable and easier to stick to then the traditional bulking and cutting cycles, plus I look better year round instead of being fat half the year. My stomach looks a lot like yours does at the moment Dalaran but I have more muscle mass. I'm hoping to be down to a visible six pack in the next 4-8 weeks.

How much of a caloric surplus/deficit? +/- 500?

Also any specific meal plan you tend to stick to?

There is a book my cousin (who is a competitive powerlifter at ~8% body fat and owns a gym) recommends to his clients called the Renaissance Diet which I'm going to get regarding the best nutrition plan for bulking and cutting at once.

I don't know what my maintenance calorie consumption is. I don't have a specific meal plan. I don't think what I'm doing is particularly difficult, just pay attention to how much your stomach and weight responds to a given diet/exercise combo. Once you know your body you can play it by ear. Obviously if you're competing for something you're going to want to get down and gritty with the specifics.

[Ingocnito]

Body fat of course can be reduced some, but don't be surprised if you get down to 10% then 8% to discover your abs need more development too. I'm learning that about myself as my belly shrinks. To get the real "pop" of a six back you need to stack on some ab size...

[Switch]

From my view you look like you're at 15% bodyfat. Try dropping 5-10 pounds and see how you look. If you look too scrawny, you can always gain weight back again in a couple of weeks. Doing ab exercises won't make them more visible at your bodyfat level, but they will pop more once you get bodyfat down to 9 or 10%.

[The_CEO]

(01-29-2015 06:33 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  

Also nice r-selected accessory - some kind of claw or tooth? Very r-selected is always good - nothing a boyfriend would wear is the motto.

Sorry I'm not up on all the lingo - what is "r-selected"?

the definition i find online doesn't really match with the way I've seen it used around RVF

thanks

[L M McCoy]

(02-01-2015 02:02 PM)The_CEO Wrote:  

(01-29-2015 06:33 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  

Also nice r-selected accessory - some kind of claw or tooth? Very r-selected is always good - nothing a boyfriend would wear is the motto.

Sorry I'm not up on all the lingo - what is "r-selected"?

the definition i find online doesn't really match with the way I've seen it used around RVF

thanks

I believe he's talking about the necklace. Not sure what r-selected means but by the "nothing a boyfriend would wear is the motto" I believe it is a compliment but I am unsure.

Perhaps he is saying that OP has a very bad ass necklace which reaffirms his bachelor status which allows poosy to flock to nuts?

If you would like I can make a circular flow diagram for you and upload it to google docs and send you an invite as I am inclined to believe that would make more sense?

EDIT: I tried to make the diagram but it looks like shit. Posted anyways-read left to right then down and then left and back up

buy bad-ass necklace--->wear bad ass necklace VV
^^Women flock to your nuts <----- Sluts notice necklace

step 1: Buy necklace
step 2: wear necklace
step 3: show women necklace
step 4: ???
step 5: sex

[Dalaran1991]

(02-01-2015 02:38 PM)L M McCoy Wrote:  

(02-01-2015 02:02 PM)The_CEO Wrote:  

(01-29-2015 06:33 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  

Also nice r-selected accessory - some kind of claw or tooth? Very r-selected is always good - nothing a boyfriend would wear is the motto.

Sorry I'm not up on all the lingo - what is "r-selected"?

the definition i find online doesn't really match with the way I've seen it used around RVF

thanks

I believe he's talking about the necklace. Not sure what r-selected means but by the "nothing a boyfriend would wear is the motto" I believe it is a compliment but I am unsure.

Perhaps he is saying that OP has a very bad ass necklace which reaffirms his bachelor status which allows poosy to flock to nuts?

If you would like I can make a circular flow diagram for you and upload it to google docs and send you an invite as I am inclined to believe that would make more sense?

EDIT: I tried to make the diagram but it looks like shit. Posted anyways-read left to right then down and then left and back up

buy bad-ass necklace--->wear bad ass necklace VV
^^Women flock to your nuts <----- Sluts notice necklace

step 1: Buy necklace
step 2: wear necklace
step 3: show women necklace
step 4: ???
step 5: sex

Hahahaha I love this! Wished it was this easy though I wouldn't have to do all this abs and chest workout and just throw my necklace at bitches instead bitches love necklace.

I've posted above the story behind the necklace. So it usually goes like this:

1: wear necklace, slim fit v-neck, leather wrist bands, slim jeans, wingtip boots. Get jacked.
2: approach girls. If hooked, go to step 3. If not go back to 2.
3: girls says: "that's pretty cool necklace. Is it a tooth?"
4: explain necklace story ==> cool DHV. Or, girl rolls her eye having no idea.
5: closing game as usual.

None of the girls I banged even asked about the necklace though....

I guess it goes together with the whole image I'm projecting, so they get the general idea that I'm r-selected. Then I mind-blow them to bits with killer game and they get too focused on whatever is below the belt than below the neck?

K vs R-selected

R-selected is the idea that your image and actions screams sex, and that you are not boyfriend material. Basically the epitome of being an alpha, risktaking badboy. So things like leather jacket, motorcycle, tribal accessories, fitted clothes on a jacked body. etc. You want girls to think you are the guy who will fuck her in a bathroom stall and never calls back.

K-selected is about being a provider. Expensive but boring accessories (a Rolex watch, for ex.), flipping your wallet, buying her drinks, talking about your 9-5 desk job, seeing her to the door/bus station etc. Girls will think "If I stay with him, I will be well provided for. So let's make sure I fucked all the other r-selected guys first!"

Obviously r-selected is the rule this day and age, but k-selected works for most of our grandfathers. You need to be consistent with your image though. If you wear r-selected stuffs and act k-selected it will blow your cover and creates cognitive dissonances.

[rudebwoy]

Drink more water!

This advice was given to me from this shredded mofo at my gym.

I don't think you need more cardio, you are pretty active as is.

Diet should be clean and you have to eat more regularly, 5x a day to get the look.

[CleanSlate]

(01-31-2015 12:57 AM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  

The deal with cardio is that if you do HIIT then you should take BCAAs before and after doing it. Doing cardio without BCAAs will cause your muscles to become catabolic after a certain extent and what the BCAAs do is they protect them by feeding your muscles the amino acids they require.

I'm not too familiar with the term BCAAs... is this something I can get through food like chicken and meat? Or are they only in supplement form? I'm asking because I do a lot of HIIT because I'm a cyclist and into racing.

[Spike]

i think you have good genetics for abs. They are already very visible, especially the ridge in the middle. You are lucky. I have always had rock hard abs but they were always covered by fat, even at skinnier periods in my life.

Now that I dropped to 10/11% my abs are more noticeable but still don't pop out and seem under developed. I have started to do only weighted ab exercises and it shows.

This is a great one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmGfHk46OSU

exercise starts at 1:15

I lost a lot of weight by cutting sugar completely out of my diet. Also no bread and beer (I drink wine now).

In conclusion: just change your diet and add weighted ab exercise to your repertoire.

[CaptainChardonnay]

(02-02-2015 12:23 PM)CleanSlate Wrote:  

(01-31-2015 12:57 AM)CaptainChardonnay Wrote:  

The deal with cardio is that if you do HIIT then you should take BCAAs before and after doing it. Doing cardio without BCAAs will cause your muscles to become catabolic after a certain extent and what the BCAAs do is they protect them by feeding your muscles the amino acids they require.

I'm not too familiar with the term BCAAs... is this something I can get through food like chicken and meat? Or are they only in supplement form? I'm asking because I do a lot of HIIT because I'm a cyclist and into racing.

Here are some resources you can read up on:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bcaas-th...acids.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bcaa2.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bcaa.htm
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/3-main-r...-bcaas.htm
http://www.thestrengthagenda.com/2012/09...our-money/
http://www.poliquingroup.com/articlesmul...bcaas.aspx

Quote:

In the fitness world the supplement industry is huge. Everyone claims to have the next cutting edge product that will make you a super human. The truth is there is no secret to success except hard work and a solid nutrition and supplement plan. If it’s not a staple in your plan, BCAAs need to have room made for them. Besides creating a fuel source for your body so muscle doesn’t get used, they can help stimulate fat loss, and help you get back in the gym after an illness. If you are serious about your training and getting results get yourself some BCAAs and you won’t be sorry.

BCAAs are one of the staple supplements that anyone who is training seriously should be taking along with a multivitamin, whey protein and creatine. Google staple supplements and these ones will come up often.

[Bushido]

(01-30-2015 03:58 PM)Dalaran1991 Wrote:  

If I have to choose between abs and chest, chest it is. It gives more ROI I think, and more visible. Everyone can see your chest even with a dress shirt on, but abs only worked for me after I'm banging the girl. I can cut later when I have bulk up enough.

I'd go with this personally. One goal at a time. Pack on some mass first and cut in the Spring - that said, you aren't going to build a massive chest in 2 months but you can make some progress.

Bonne chance.

[Dalaran1991]

(02-02-2015 02:45 PM)Spike Wrote:  

i think you have good genetics for abs. They are already very visible, especially the ridge in the middle. You are lucky. I have always had rock hard abs but they were always covered by fat, even at skinnier periods in my life.

Now that I dropped to 10/11% my abs are more noticeable but still don't pop out and seem under developed. I have started to do only weighted ab exercises and it shows.

This is a great one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmGfHk46OSU

exercise starts at 1:15

I lost a lot of weight by cutting sugar completely out of my diet. Also no bread and beer (I drink wine now).

In conclusion: just change your diet and add weighted ab exercise to your repertoire.

Holy Terra that abs !!!!!!!!!!! (no homo) Thats a motherfucking 8 pack.

Frankly given how good looking the guy is, he doesnt need to be that jacked. In terms of look its a 9.5

I totally forgot the part about keeping the abs after you get it. Im not gonna waste my years in Europe not eating all the wonderful cakes and desserts here so I guess Im bulking up while keeping my abs as visible as possible