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Question - Cutting Diet and Basketball

First of all let me thank you for all the articles you have wrote has helped me a lot understanding and learning many things I didn't know. My name is mitchell I am 165 at 18% body fat and I'm 17. I wanna start a cutting diet on the 1st of feb. I wanna get down 2 at least 7 % body fat but I don't wanna lose muscle. I read a article saying to use 50% protein 20% carbs 30% fat and whatever... So I did the math and it came out 2.. I rounded it off 2

Intake calrois = 2000 5 meals a day Protein = 1000 carolies, 250g, 50g ever meal Carbs = 400 calories, 100g, 20g ever meal Fat = 600 calories. 65g, 13g ever meal

My protein is opti whey 100%, I'm planing to buy flax seed oil and muti vitamin and a fat burner...

I go to school and work so I don't have much time to do the cardio 8 hours before or after. But I am willin to do it on weekends and whatever I can during the time I have. I also like playing basketball so if that effects my diet in a positive or negative. Now I just wanted to make sure I am not going 2 kill my self doing this diet and that it will work. And if there is any advice you would wanna give me or any products I should replace or buy.

Thanks again

--ouija305

Answer

Mitchell

Mitchell thanks for the compliments! I think your calculations are not too far off as long as your proteins come from low-fat and lean sources such as white meats, fish, lean red meat, whey protein, etc, and your carbs come from good complex sources such as oatmeal, yams/sweet potatoes, rice, whole grain breads, pasta, etc, and your fats come from monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and Omega 3 and 6 sources. REMEMBER everyone is different and leads different lifestyles and burns different amounts of calories and has different stressors and works out differently so you will not be able to use a cookie-cutter approach to meet your goals. You will need to adjust your diet regularly. Always check with your doctor or doctors to make sure you are not allergic to any foods you will use in your diet and get a physical done to make sure you are healthy to start the diet. Basketball is great cardio, but sometimes too much of it will cause you to lose too much muscle in your legs, but it should be okay for 45-60 minutes 3-4 times per week. Good luck!

David Gluhareff www.trainwithdave.com

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Question - V12 or Vitargo?

Hi Dave, Your article "4 weeks to Monster Mass". It looks like a great workout, I am going to try it. I am curious if I can substitute "V12" for Nutrex's "Vitargo" I have 3 bottles of this stuff left. Any feedback on thsi question would be appreciated.

Joe san jose, ca

Answer

Joe Thanks for the question. First of all I would like to say I believe we all respond to supplements differently and that what may work well for one may not work well for another. The V12 product and the Vitargo product are both great products but the V12 has a Di or Tricreatine malate in it and the Vitargo has a creatine monohydrate. You will notice more water retention with the Vitargo than with the V12, but both are sugar free and have great science behind them. The patented carb transport with Vitargo is different from V12 but will it be better for you I do not know. Again we all respond differently. I would try each for 4-6 weeks with a 4 week layoff for each and record your results and your diet, training, rest and recovery info so you can look back and see which may be better. Keep me posted!

-David Gluhareff www.trainwithdave.com and www.shockyourmuscles.com

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Question - Home Workout with a TOTAL GYM?

Dear Mr. Gluhareff,

I came across your website, which encourage people with questions to email them, and decided to do so. Context first: I'm 35, have lifted weights steadily since I was a teenager (sometimes free weights, sometimes nautilus or paramount machines, sometimes free weights on a smith rack) and am a practicing martial artist (3rd degree black belt/instructor in aikido, tai chi instructor, variety of weapons forms). Back in 1999 between the combination of diet and lifting regimen I'd gotten up to about 270 ish (I'm 6'0), but it wasn't defined or cut, rather it was sort of the poor man's version of a power lifter's body. I was having tremendous migraines and joint pain from diet and the bulk. I switched over to a modified high protein low carbohydrate and eventually lower fat diet and got down to 226-230. I kept lifting and doing cardio during that time: a combination of nautilus and paramount machines and running on the eliptical machines and of course martial arts. Beginning in 2003 I started running my dog. I'm now up to three dogs and 12 miles a week - 2 miles a day, six days a week. In 2004 I also purchased a total gym, which I love. I was advised to buy it by another aikido instructor who is a PT focusing on sports injuries as I'd had a micro tear in my right rotator cuff and tore my right meniscus. At this point I lift regularly and do cardio regularly, in addition to the martial arts, I'd like to get more definition and a bit more good mass. My weight is now down to b/ween 216 and 223. My diet is under control - lots of vegetables, some fruits, lots of fish and egg protein, and fairly low fat.

Recently I've changed from doing the "advanced" total gym workout, which is like a circuit done 4 times a week to doing chest and biceps one day a week, legs and delts one day a week, back and triceps one day a week, and abs each time I lift (three times).

My question (I'm a professor, so context is everything, sorry) is: given that I can do almost each of your 4 week intense plan exercises and 5 week intense plan exercises on my total gym, do you, in your professional opinion, think I'll get comparable results with the total gym? I don't want to be Mr. Universe big, but I would like a bit more mass and much more definition. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this. I look forward to hearing back from you.

Sincerely, Adam , PhD

Answer

Adam

Sorry to take so long in returning your email, but I have been so busy training clients one-on- one, online, writing articles, returning so many emails, doing interviews for my new book, and trying to hit the gym myself that I am finally getting to yours. In my opinion I do not like to get stuck at home on one piece of equipment that although it may be good, it is not enough for your body not to adapt to. Now as far as the resistance goes it is a great machine and is used by many for Pilates, stretching, muscle building etc, but you are still limited far more than if you were at the gym a few times per week and trained at home a few times per week. Just like you have variety in your martial arts you need to have variety in your training equipment. With the martial arts you challenge your mind, body, and spirit in different ways using different styles. Akido, traditionally, is less offensive and more defensive and takes the idea of you moving fluid like water in your technique (For years I have been a student of many a martial arts). If you look at American Karate or Tae Kwon Do you will see a more offensive and aggressive style of training and fighting. With what you have said above that you have trained in you need to understand that the body needs to learn different training techniques as far as weight training goes. Just like you adapt to a training method in the martial arts after much doing, you adapt to training methods in weight training. You are still getting resistance from the workout at home, but it will become too easy for your body after a while that is why you will need to challenge your muscles with other exercises like you challenge your coordination with various weapons of the martial arts. Use your old lifting skills too with lighter to moderate weights and strict form and safety. With your diet looking good and the plans you mentioned above you should see great results without the excess bulk. Good luck!

-David Gluhareff www.trainwithdave.com

If you need answers to your fitness questions, health questions, weight loss, bodybuilding, mass gaining, exercise, and healthy foods questions, you may just find them here!