Want to slim down, tone up, or gain muscle? Ask me for advice on anything!

Hey GC! Let me start off by introducing myself. Im Easylivin, and im 18 years old. Im going to be a sophomore in college with a major in Nutrition.

You may think an 18 year old doesnt know much about advice, but trust me, I do.

Im a runner.. for track times, I can run a 4:50 mile. I go to the gym everyday, and I have been for the past 6 months.

Im 5'6" and weigh 140lbs.

I was a chubby kid not too long ago. I lost 20 lbs of fat within 3 months following simple steps and tricks. Following the weight loss I stayed at an average weight for 6 months. Then I decided to bulk up. I Went from 115lbs to 140 lbs of muscle in just 6 months of training + working out.

Ask me anything relating to ( fitness, healthy eating, cardio, gym questions, pre workout supplements, injuries, protein and carb intake, what not to eat, how to lose weight, how to gain muscle, how to tone up, how to get faster, vitamins...etc)

(Proof that I can help! When I met my roommate last year he was 195lbs. He wasnt obese, but he was gettin there. I know he had alot of muscle but the fat just overpowered it so it couldnt show. He knew that I was a nutrition major so he asked for help. Over the next 5 months I helped him with food choices and workout advice. He went from 195 lbs to 160 lbs. Hes almost showing a sixpack now!)


Now ask away people! Im here to help!

A few quick tips: Dont eat or workout up to 2 hours before bed.
Always do cardio after working out. ( Doing it before increases body fat)

Edited by EASYlivin, 22 July 2009 - 06:25 PM.

ok i'm 5'8" and and at 130 lb

what should i be eating to gain alot of muscle?

i use black powder before workouts, and a protein shake thing after .

how much should i be running each day and how much should i run?

EASYlivin, I'm 6'2" and about 240. Until I graduated college (past December) I've always been active, but since graduating, I haven't been. I'm mostly concerned with slimming down and building tone, because I have muscle, I'm just not cut. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.

Hey EASYlivin, I'm 6' 3" and really skinny, How can i put on weight? I just started working out but not sure if I'm doing the right weight/reps.

Hey EASYlivin, I'm 6' 3" and really skinny, How can i put on weight? I just started working out but not sure if I'm doing the right weight/reps.

eat more then your maitenance with plenty of protein.
and he wont be able to help you without a specific lifting goal in mind.




as for me

i would also like to put on weight.

what foods would you sugguest that evenly fill out through the body, full of vitamins etc.

i try to eat properly. and at the moment im shooting for the whole EAT REAL FOOD phenomenon. but what foods exactly would be good for me?

i dont go to a gym, i do bodyweight workouts which work exactly how i want them to work. but how frequently do you think i could workout a muscle doing just bodyweight workouts? full intensity ofcoarse, and going until failure

also, can i build strength and speed without building too much muscle. like. i dont want to get jacked. but i want to be strong.

Edited by firewall1, 22 July 2009 - 08:07 AM.

i do a lot of pushups and my triceps and chest are big and kind of toned but my biceps arent at all. wtf?

i do a lot of pushups and my triceps and chest are big and kind of toned but my biceps arent at all. wtf?

Cause pushups don't exercise the biceps?

so what, do curls? anything else?

so what, do curls? anything else?

if you go to the gym, do plenty of curls...

if not, pullups, chinups, iron cross(if your strong enough), or an inverted curl(insane!)

If you want big biceps do the lateral pull down thing, i do 40 reps each arm of 30 pound dumbell curls, then go and hit the pull down and holy fuck me, i feel the burn. Be wary of the next morning if your gonna do this though, i tend to go a little crazy sometimes and wake up in the morning feeling like fucking shit.

On a side note, if you do over-do it at the gym, make sure and stretch after your workout and before you go to bed.

Heyas. I'm about 5'10-5'11. I weigh about 170-175 on average. I've been losing some wit, but kind of hit a wall. I haven't done much exercise, but have already changed that this morning. I'm going at 4-5 in the morning, then go to summer school. I've been trying to eat better, but sometimes fall back. Any suggestions? I'm looking to lose about 20 more pounds.

ok i'm 5'8" and and at 130 lb

what should i be eating to gain alot of muscle?

i use black powder before workouts, and a protein shake thing after .

how much should i be running each day and how much should i run?

You should be eating a hearty protein filled meal for breakfast. such as eggwhites, bread, and lots of fruit (fiber filled). after your workout take that protein shake.
about 30 min -1hour later you should have a protein filled meal. best to have white meat (turkey /chicken)

If your looking to gain alot of muscle you dont want to run too far. But I would suggest 1-2 miles a day at a quick speed.

EASYlivin, I'm 6'2" and about 240. Until I graduated college (past December) I've always been active, but since graduating, I haven't been. I'm mostly concerned with slimming down and building tone, because I have muscle, I'm just not cut. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.

yes. many people that want to slim down a little are doing it all wrong. They think if they lift, it will burn all the calories. First you need to do alot of cardio to burn the fat off, then work on muscle building.

I would reccommend switching one off your meals with a big salad. (tomatoes, broccoli, low fat dressing, any veggies you want, some chicken too)

I would also reccomend running/ jogging 2 miles a day. Try to listen to music too. It is a known fact that music pushes you harder.

After youre run, shoot for a high carb meal such as a bowl of pasta with bread on the side.

Do this with working out also. And run After your workout. not before.

Hey EASYlivin, I'm 6' 3" and really skinny, How can i put on weight? I just started working out but not sure if I'm doing the right weight/reps.

You want to get a gym membership. Your taget is different than these other gc users so far. You want to buy protein powder at a local walmart, and buy creatine capsules if you would like also.

I would recommend going to the gym every day. But alternate muscles. One day, do abs, tri's and chest. the other day do bi's, legs, and back. the trick to gaining muscle is to work youre whole body!

You want to start with high rep/ low weight. ( 15-20 reps to start) and slowly move to about 10 reps with more weight.

Take the protein shake after youre workout followed by a meal. to get BIG you need to eat BIG. which means PROTEIN! White meats are the best because they have low fat and high protein. no fast food.. no soda.. not alot of alcohol.. it will only hurt you.

i do a lot of pushups and my triceps and chest are big and kind of toned but my biceps arent at all. wtf?

You need to do more than that. a few pushup sesh's a day wont do much. I would reccommend a gym membership. I figure youre trying to even out your body's muscle. Toure going to want to go very hard on your biceps. there are plenty machines for biceps there that will help you out. free weights are the best though. start high rep and quickly transition to low rep/high weight.

Heyas. I'm about 5'10-5'11. I weigh about 170-175 on average. I've been losing some wit, but kind of hit a wall. I haven't done much exercise, but have already changed that this morning. I'm going at 4-5 in the morning, then go to summer school. I've been trying to eat better, but sometimes fall back. Any suggestions? I'm looking to lose about 20 more pounds.

Cardio is youre friend. Biking/ running will drop weight off you like crazy. Also if youre a soda/beer drinker. quit it. youll drop 5 pounds in a month just by switching to water.

Running burns the most calories. I would suggest jogging far, instead of running a short distance. youre looking to burn fat. youll burn about 100 calories a mile.. so jog 2-3 miles a day and switch youre eating habits. Veggies/ fruits are youre friend! they have alot of fiber and fill you up! pasta after youre run.

as for me

i would also like to put on weight.

what foods would you sugguest that evenly fill out through the body, full of vitamins etc.

i try to eat properly. and at the moment im shooting for the whole EAT REAL FOOD phenomenon. but what foods exactly would be good for me?

i dont go to a gym, i do bodyweight workouts which work exactly how i want them to work. but how frequently do you think i could workout a muscle doing just bodyweight workouts? full intensity ofcoarse, and going until failure

also, can i build strength and speed without building too much muscle. like. i dont want to get jacked. but i want to be strong.

for food: you want to get alot of fruits and veggies. they are important and your body loves them. drink lots of water. your piss should be more clear than yellow. stay away from fast food and greasy shit.

as for lifting: you should workout your bi's back and legs one day then chest tri's and abs the other day. as long as your eating a high protein meal afterwards then you should be all set with working out everyday. or use a protein shake/ powder.

10-15 reps should be your goal for lifting weights. its kind of pointless if youre doing 1-2 reps of very high weight.

For anyone looking to get a boost to they're diet I recommend what I eat for lunch, a big ass spinach salad fixed with tons of good vegetables and topped with berries. I recommend cucumber slices and orange slices, topped with raspberries, but thats jut me.

Spinach helps so much, especially if, like me, you were iron deficient and didn't even know it, I got rid of so much fatigue and improved my mood just by getting more iron in my diet.

I'm sure our resident Nutrition major can confirm this.

I've always been a big guy but I'm sick of it, I've gained almost 40 pounds in the past year and I'm pissed I let myself get this bad. I'm 5'10" and about 225, and I want to be around 160 or so. What sorts of things should I do to drop this weight?

I'm also 5'10-5'11 and 7 months ago i was 145-150 lbs and I have been lifting 5-6 days a week, I'm now 165-170 lbs and i have very defined pecs and cut triceps, bicepts, shoulders, abs, and forearms. From what I have noticed is changing up your routine is key, keep your muscles guessing.

haha my biggest problem is my right pec is noticeably bigger than my left pec, how do you target just one of your pecs? Or do you just keep getting them both bigger?

Edited by hit this shit, 24 July 2009 - 04:25 PM.