I suppose if you skip any cardio altogether you'll wind up getting gassed pretty quick. I lifted heavy and ate a lot (proper nutrition) and wasn't bulky or slow. Of course I did a fair amount of cardio as well. Of course I didn't do any steroids so I can't really speak to that.

P90x is not a program to get big and bulky. It's a program to cut fat and get fit. IMO it's an excellent (albiet overpriced) program. Most people just need that kind of motivation to achieve those results though.

As far as submitting guys that are bigger and stronger, well... I have 2+ years of intense Krav Maga and Jui Jitsu training as well as a fair amount of Philipino martial arts and IMO there's trained and untrained. That's more of a determining factor for being able to "submit" someone than what body type they are. But one thing is certain. Fight training is a completely different type of conditioning. On the other hand, I wouldn't neccissarily say that bodybuilding is "pretty boy" muscle unless all you do is sit around all day without any cardio and put junk/juice into your body.

On a whole, "bodybuilding" on a professional level isn't about "health" at all. But proper bodybuilding is and strength training absolutely has it's place for ALL sports. MMA included.

Me... with heavy lifting combined with cardio and fight training...

^ what about after eating that PBJ Burger? :p

So do I...My motto is " I hate it, but I HATE IT!!!!" LOL! I still struggle with doing more than 20-22 reps per exercise. It's been an imaginary brick wall for the past 2-3 weeks. However, I find it easier to do Ab Ripper first before the regular workout.

Wash that down with Coke and then have some donuts. Yum! :ugh2:

that's the only way i can do it. if i do my full workout then try AR-X, i get through maybe the first three sets of stuff, then flop onto the floor and give up hahaha

I take breaks but I go all the way when it comes to mason twist!!! Fml

Dude... protien and insulin spike! (I guess I should have done some pushups before that thing huh? lol)

Human growth hormone and insulin with a massive amounts of clean protein and carbs for the win. Also for those that don't know, rosstraining owns all for all around strength and fitness.

lol... dude where did you come from? I sincerely hope you're talking about natural "insulin" in the form of white bread after a workout because unless you're diabetic, insulin taken by a "healthy" individual can KILL you instantly by putting you into a diabetic coma. Not too win at all.

And HGH? lol... Like insulin, another polypeptide hormone. One of the lovely side effects (which is RAMPANT on todays bodybuilding stage) is that it not only grows muscle when combined with roids and insulin but it grows guts as well which is why you see so much "GH belly". Real cute (if you like that "I just swallowed a pumpkin" look)

Anabolic steroids certainly have their place in the medical community and I believe that they have a place in sports and bodybuidling when used correctly. Unfortunately media has blown all that out of proportion and nowaday's you don't have "Arnolds" walking around... you have walking science projects like "Ronnie" instead.

Although there is an argument to be made that a +30 male who uses a TRT dose of Test, and a minimal dose of GH such as 2iu daily Mon-Friday monitored knowledgeable endocrinologist will have more energy, more muscle, more sex drive, less body-fat, and live a better quality of life, free of side effects well into their 70's and 80's.

I think the problem is people always assume more is better, and have such a likelihood to abuse these substances, due to ignorance and lack of a legitimate medical source.

Nobody under 30 has any business using either of these substances ever, and there are far too many cases of MMA athletes like Randy Couture, Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, and Matt Hughes, who suddenly claim to have contracted 'Hypogonadism' and manage to get a doctor to prescribe them testosterone which gives them an advantage over every other athlete who is not injecting it, and also lengthens their careers considerably.

Agreed

To the OP: I got my personal training license (ACE) about 2 years ago. If you are looking to lose weight, you can't really go wrong with P90x or insanity. Remember though, it is 70% (or more) your diet!

As far as insulin spike goes, PLEASE don't tell me you would spike it with a cheesburger! LOL. all calories are not created equal...some waxi-maize, dextrose, red wine, or simply sugar from some fruit or gummi-bears will spike it nicely.

And for the steroid/test/hgh talk...I HOPE people don't mess with those substances under the age of 30 (as mentioned). You run the risk of drying yourselves out and destroying what natural test you have left in you. Then forget ANY natural gains once you come off. That is how people get addicted and screw their bodies/future children up.

I did the lean workout for the 90 days and went from 195-198lbs to 175-178lbs im also 5-10.5,

I actually want to go through it again I can feel my self getting out of shape every day that I dont do it lol




DAN

Thanks for your input I'll be 30 this year and was actually thinking of taking some kind of testosterone.

Since were on the topic, anyone recommend a good post workout protein supplement/shake?

P90x shake!! Duh j/k. I use a GNC brand whey type shake. It promotes muscle gowth while providing fat burning supplements.

i use pro5. though i'm tempted to try something new if there's better out there.

KB, Jjaden, and hansoac, thoughts? :D

I figured I would attach a pic so I can show my before/after shots..it's nice to see evidence since we are on a forum and I could be a 395 lb tranny for all you know haha. I am in my mid 20's so yes it is much easier for me to lose/weight and build muscle...i realize that.

But I really like Optimum Nutrition 100% Why Gold Standard protein. GREAT taste and the amino acid profile on it is awesome. Packs 24 grams/ scoop and it is also stingy on fat and carbs. Post workout I will drink a scoop and a half-2 scoops of the ON 100% whey with a packet of quaker instant oatmeal mixed in there. I will also eat half a banana to help with the insulin spike. Throw some creatine in there and you have yourself a 85$ MuscleTech post workout drink. Which are ultimately a blend of protein/carbs/amino/sugar or dextrose. Some other stuff that works good other than oatmeal (as oatmeal is slow digesting since it is a complex carb) is stuff called WaxiMaize...it digests two times faster than sugar and is an almost instant insulin spike. (which is important for shuttling the protein/aminos/creatine to the muscle)

I use a site called Trueprotein.com because they carry 20 different kinds of protein and allow you to create a customized blend.

Due to my Whey allergy I use a blend of

30% Egg White Protein
30% Non - GMO Brown Rice Protein
40% Non - GMO Soy Isolate (Contains no phyto estrogens)

I add protease enzyme to the blend to help in the digestion of the protein, and Premium Dutch Chocolate Fudge flavouring. :tup:

This is not ideal for everyone, just what I use due to a whey allergy.

I do strongly suggest you checkout the site tho, they offer a MUCH cheaper price than anything you will find in stores, have 6 different kinds of whey protein depending on your needs and wants and over 20 different flavours.

Really your best bet is to order 2 different proteins. A very fast acting Whey like Whey Protein Isolate Cross Flow Microfiltration (This just means it has been broken down and filtered over and over to make a very pure, fast absorbing protein) mix it with a scoop of Waxy Maize (Which they also sell very cheaply) and drink that after working out.

Then order another slower absorption protein such as Whey Protein Concentrate and mix it with a tablespoon of flax oil or 3-6-9 Oil and drink 1-2 Shakes a day as a snack.

It's a great way to bump up your daily protein, keep you from feeling hungry, and also take care of your joints by adding the oils.

I know it sounds like a lot but it's pretty basic.

Right after the gym your body wants protein and glucose FAST. The best way is a super fast acting pure protein and a simple carb such as waxy maize.

The rest of the day you want to stabilize your blood sugar levels and curb cravings, the best way to do this is a slow acting protein, mixed with a healthy fat.

If you have any more questions feel free to fire away. I've been training for 14 years and for a 6'5 ectomorph I can now regularly manipulate my bodyweight from 185lbs when cutting (my earlier picture) to make a fight, up to 215lbs when I want to 'muscle up' pretty easily.

P.S. If anyone wants to place an order at True Protein feel free to use my 5% discount code. ALK120

O

another waxymaize fan..awesome.
another great slow acting protein for bed or long periods of time without food is Casein protein. Optimum Nutrition also makes some good Casein..it is just really thick!!

damn adam, detailed.

one thing i've never been clear on, any benefit to a pre-workout drink, or are there foods i should consider 20 mins before lifting / working out?

...now i want to start up p90 or something again....

I use a half a cup of oatmeal and 25-30 grams of whey approximately 1 hr 15 mins- 1 hour 30 minutes before my workout. Some people require 2 hr before..try it out as it is different for everyone.
Then about 30 mins before I slam some Jack3d or C4 (which is basically alot of caffeine and some creatine)...anyone else used those...they work WONDERS as far as energy and motivation go..at least for me.

I ran out of my protein shake for a week. When I would work out I would feel less of a benefit than when I did drink it it was like my reps were worth more towards my outcome. Than without my shake

Not everyone is in agreement for pre-workout because it really depends on what type of workout you're going to do.

When lifting heavy a lot of people like NO (Nitric Oxide) style supplements because of the massive pump and blood flow.

For long cardio sessions a lot of people like to use a thermogenic/stimulant like caffeine, yohimbine, or ephedrine.

For a P90x workout I would advice against the NO supplements because they are good for power and strength but they will gas you out quickly.

Before P90x your best best is to take a half cup of oatmeal, and 1 scoop of protein an hour before, and then a tablespoon of electrolytes and maybe a mild stimulant, or fat burner 15mins before.

well i'm not going for lifting heavy. i get criticized a lot because i'm one of the 'wusses' in the gym, but i go for mid-weight, high-rep. not looking to bulk up like crazy because then i can't move that well on the football pitch, just trying to define what i have (and maybe reinforce a little bit too).

i'm doing a lot of cross training too, so i'm not for all power haha

so it sounds like before i leave work i should take a bit of oatmeal and a protein shake. i've never responded well to fat burners, so typically i don't bother. maybe wrong?

Lifting heavy or not..you can still benefit from the clean energy the oatmeal/protein will give you.

right, i never doubted the clean energy of the oatmeal and protein, i was more curious about fat burners and other things.

That was so informative thanks :tup:

ahh ok sorry my fault.

Fat burners contain stimulants which are what gives you the energy when you take them. A negative though is they can cause hunger especially coming off of them. I prefer caffeine or B vitamins for energy. It fuels me for a good 2 hrs and helps tremendously.

The jack3d and C4 like I mentioned earlier are perfect for me.

I am on week 12, I have lost weight however I have not been extremely serious on the diet and I had to skip a week of working out. I am going to restart when I get done and everything fits looser. My friend is doing insanity and it is NUTS was planning on doing that next.

Yup Waxy Maize FTW, it's cheap, tastes amazing, and the fastest acting orally available carb so far.

You are bang on with Casein, it is a great protein to take before bed, I'm sure Optimum Nutrition is a good company, I'm just a sucker for True Protein because of the ability to customize every aspect of my order from Flavour, Flavouring Agent (Stevia, Aspartame, etc), enzymes, vitamins, and carbs that I want to add to the blend, as well as a nutritional breakdown of the blend I've chosen.

I feel like a chemist LOL.

Well P90x just isn't doing it for me guys, I don't want to loose any more weight I want to bulk up now, looks like I'll be heading to a gym from now on

If you want bulk then P90X isn't for you. Stick to the weight room.

just run a 5x5 program for 6 months or so and that'll help you put some size on. :tup:

5x5?

bill starr or madcow 5x5 training program:

StrongLifts.com: Gain Strength And Muscle While Losing Fat

Bill Starr’s 5 x 5 Training : old school trainer

Madcow 5x5: How to Gain Brute Strength And Hard Muscle | StrongLifts.com

:tiphat:

Update: I've joined the gym and cannot believe the workouts I'm getting now. The only thing I don't like is having to drive there and back,especially after working 16hs.

cool, keep it up. :tup:

Yeah the commuting time sucks, that's one of the reasons I train at home. :tiphat: