Man boobies and Beer guts - advice needed

Crusader Corey

After letting myself go to seed for the last 15 years or so, I've decided to get back in shape. This brings me to the important question. 
 
[b]Whats the easiest way toÂ get rid of man boobies and beer guts?[/b] 
 
Firstly let met say that I refuse to go to a gym in Sydney and mince about with all the f*cken Eastern Suburbs pretty boys, however I'm not afraid of good ol exercise (weights, crunches etc etc). 
 
So learned readers give me your tips (and no I can't afford lipo)

First of all - this should be in the Rugby Nuts & Bolts section, which incidentally has some great tips in a particular thread already. 
 
Second - I'm attempting the same thing as you and have basically come to the conclusion over the years that you can't "spot reduce". That is get rid of a particular part of your body that you don't like. Its all or nothing really. Men tend to put fat on around the back and lower torso, which is why you will see old blokes with big guts but stick legs. 
 
Currently I'm cycling every second night - 20km or so until I build myself up to higher levels. The New Westlink M7 is right outside my door and has 40km of cycleway so I don't get bored. Cut out the shit food naturally, and eat less at night instead of big meals (substituting salad for other side dishes works a treat in these cases). And stop drinking sugar-based soft drinks! A bloke I know lost 10kg just by giving up his cans of fizzy for a month.

Crusader Corey

[quote name='Nick the Aussie'] 
First of all - this should be in the Rugby Nuts & Bolts section, which incidentally has some great tips in a particular thread already. 
[/quote] 
 
Mods, please feel free to move this as above. 
 
Thanks Nick. 
 
I must admit that I don't actually drink *fizzy drinks, but I guess I'll have to stop drinking 2 bottles of red a night. 
 
*Linux & Mountain Dew - LOL

Yeah... might want to cut that down to 1 glass a night <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Pushups and crunches too - getting the strength exercises assists fitness quite significantly.

BrainDeadJnr

no sugar (it metabolises fat) 
no alcohol (see above) or: the lower the alcohol content the better 
30+ mins aerobic (starting to sweat) mod--heavy exercise at least 3 times a night (cycling is great: just be careful of potential back or testicular issues). Circuit training is also great (don't need a gym for that, some parks have good set ups for it) 
avoid coffee (or if you must have it, no milk and sugar) drink 1-2 litres water a day 
choose the right sort of carbs 
walk everywhere at speed and try not to drive so much. 
lots of sleep (less sleep is related to increased bodyweight) 
avoid bulky foods at night 
steam or microwave or grill food, eat raw veges and avoid frying 
eat after exercise rather than before (the higher metabolic rate burns off the food quicker) 
spend as much time topless or naked in the presence of beautiful women as possible 
 
now, if I could just follow my own advice..

Coastie

[quote name='Crusader Corey'] 
After letting myself go to seed for the last 15 years or so, I've decided to get back in shape. This brings me to the important question. 
 
[b]Whats the easiest way toÂ get rid of man boobies and beer guts?[/b] 
 
Firstly let met say that I refuse to go to a gym in Sydney and mince about with all the f*cken Eastern Suburbs pretty boys, however I'm not afraid of good ol exercise (weights, crunches etc etc). 
 
So learned readers give me your tips (and no I can't afford lipo) 
[/quote] 
 
Unfortunately Corey, the plastic surgery is the only easy way. Everything else takes a bit of work. Sorry for the useless advice but otherwise see BDJ's post.....espeically the last sentence.Â

[quote name='BrainDeadJnr'] 
30+ mins aerobic (starting to sweat) mod--heavy exercise [b]at least 3 times a night [/b](cycling is great: just be careful of potential back or testicular issues). [/quote] 
 
<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> Cripes man! He wants to lose his tits, not run a marathon! 
 
But yes the back pain associated with cycling can suck :nta Just got to make sure you do it right. One big mistake I made was a 20km ride followed by a set of pushups after I'd cooled down

Bar

[quote name='BrainDeadJnr'] 
no sugar (it metabolises fat) 
no alcohol (see above) or: the lower the alcohol content the better 
30+ mins aerobic (starting to sweat) mod--heavy exercise at least 3 times a night (cycling is great: just be careful of potential back or testicular issues). Circuit training is also great (don't need a gym for that, some parks have good set ups for it) 
avoid coffee (or if you must have it, no milk and sugar) drink 1-2 litres water a day 
choose the right sort of carbs 
walk everywhere at speed and try not to drive so much. 
lots of sleep (less sleep is related to increased bodyweight) 
avoid bulky foods at night 
steam or microwave or grill food, eat raw veges and avoid frying 
eat after exercise rather than before (the higher metabolic rate burns off the food quicker) 
spend as much time topless or naked in the presence of beautiful women as possible 
 
now, if I could just follow my own advice.. 
[/quote] 
 
I would agree to most of that. 
 
I would say drink 4 litres of water a day, the more water you drink the less your body needs retain, thus losing the water weight. 
 
Food to eat before bed: Cottage cheese and Natural Peanut butter. 
 
Eat before AND after exercise. Especially when doing weights, if you are going to do cardio in the morning you may do it on an empty stomach. 
 
Not too sure about the more sleep. If I was bulking I would sleep at least 10 hours a day, maybe have a few nanna naps as well, but If I was trying to lose weight the standard 7-8 hours should suffice. 
 
And I assume you mean 3 times a week not 3 times a night. 
 
Try to do weights as well as running.

BrainDeadJnr

oopsÂ <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> I meant 3 times a week. 
Oh and apparently the beast with two backs is rated as good aerobic exercise. 
 
Yeah, getting just the right bike height set up is crucial to avoid back pain, but it is the alarmist connections between cycling and testicular cancer and ED that sounded a little worryuing [url="http://www.usrf.org/news/bikeriding.html"]http://www.usrf.org/news/bikeriding.html[/url] 
 
Yeah weights with warmup and warmdown and flexes are recommended. Anything that uses your large muscles, glutes etc esp say squats, are recommended.

Irish Richard

1 hour cardio 6 mornings a week. 
 
1 hour weights 3-4 times a week 
 
Eat every 3 hours.

Kirwan

[quote name='Irish Richard'] 
1 hour cardio 6 mornings a week. 
 
1 hour weights 3-4 times a week 
 
Eat every 3 hours. 
[/quote] 
 
Fark, I'm tired just reading that.

Irish Richard

[quote]1 hour cardio 6 mornings a week. 
 
1 hour weights 3-4 times a week 
 
Eat every 3 hours. 
[/quote] 
 
Cardio in the morning attacks the fat. 
 
Weights in the evening allows you to eat a decent meal (lots of protein) before-hand. Gives you the energy to lift, but you aren't using the same muscles as a cross-trainer / bike in the morning. 
 
So you can work out twice a day without muscle fatigue. 2 days on, 1 day off for weights. 
 
Get into a routine and it's farking great. Gives you bags of energy all day. Better sleep as well. 
 
Switch off the TV / playstation for a month and work out instead. Good investment in your body.

dK

A find a couple of pizza's a week, beer whenever you can and a concentrated effort on the "congealed" group of foods 
 
 
 
....ohhhhh..... you want to get rid of them <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Parcy v2.0

And don't forget! 5 different types of veg/fruit every day. 
 
 
 
 
 
Either that or a little Heroin and/or Crack Cocaine addiction. That'd take care of you love handles in no time.

[quote name='PdP'] 
Either that or a little Heroin and/or Crack Cocaine addiction. That'd take care of you love handles in no time. 
[/quote] 
 
And your bank balance! 
 
Oirish - where the fuck do you find time to take an hour's cardio in the morning? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Bar

[quote name='PdP'] 
And don't forget! 5 different types of veg/fruit every day. 
[/quote] 
 
Maybe for a healthy lifestyle but not for losing weight.

Bar

[quote name='Irish Richard'] 
Cardio in the morning attacks the fat. 
 
Weights in the evening allows you to eat a decent meal (lots of protein) before-hand. Gives you the energy to lift, but you aren't using the same muscles as a cross-trainer / bike in the morning. 
 
So you can work out twice a day without muscle fatigue. 2 days on, 1 day off for weights. 
 
Get into a routine and it's farking great. Gives you bags of energy all day. Better sleep as well. 
 
Switch off the TV / playstation for a month and work out instead. Good investment in your body. 
[/quote] 
 
Sounds pretty good except the day you work out your legs probably take a break the next day probably dont want to be running or cycling.

Bones

[quote name='Nick the Aussie'] 
And your bank balance! 
 
Oirish - where the fuck do you find time to take an hour's cardio in the morning? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
[/quote]Get up before 9am NtAÂ

Irish Richard

[quote name='Nick the Aussie'] 
Oirish - where the fuck do you find time to take an hour's cardio in the morning? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
[/quote] 
 
Gym opens at 7am. I'm out of the gym at 8.15 and in the orofice by 8.45. 
 
Bar - correct. I do squats and leg presses on a Friday night and take Saturday off from cardio.

mogwai

[quote name='PdP'] 
Either that or a little Heroin and/or Crack Cocaine addiction. That'd take care of you love handles in no time. 
[/quote] 
 
Thats true - Iggy Pop, Pete Doherty, David Bowie - not a man boob anywhere. 
 
Buy a heart rate monitor, BEST. THING. EVER. 
 
Stops you wasting time - none of the heart rate doodahs on any gym equipment are acurate.

Crusader Corey

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Death

Would second the heart rate monitor point: it forces you to do cardio based on what effect you're actually having on your aerobic system, rather than how you feel. 
 
There is some evidence that the best weight loss combo is weights followed immediately by cardio.Â Needs careful planning to avoid overtraining, but does work. 
 
Spot reduction, as Nick says, is a myth: the only way to lose yer wobbly bits is to burn more calories a day than you stuff into the machine: overÂ time, this will remove all the excess flab - but, unfortunately, it tends to go in the same order it came, so the boobs/belly will take longest. 
 
Bottom line is that it takesÂ time, and therefore needs to be enjoyable/part of a lifestyle choice.Â 
 
Good news is, as Irish says, you start to feel better, have more energy,etc etc - libido improves, and you'll generate natural mood enhancers - go for it. 
 
(Oh - and edit - the best news is that the latest research suggests that, while you won't be playing international rugby, proper exercise/eating regimes can keep your 'basic fitness' at very satisfactory levels out to the mid fifties and beyond.Â The traditional view that fitness declines terminally from about 35 to 40 is based on confusing cause and effect - it happened because, culturally, people stopped exercising at that age.)

[quote name='Bones'] 
Get up before 9am NtAÂ 
[/quote] 
 
:thebirdman: I'm usually up between 6AM and 7AM depending when Little Aussie wants us to get up <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> I think the 75 minute commute also hampers one's chances of attending a gym. Still, I've found riding the bike late in the evenings is bloody good fun so will continue with that.

Rancid Schnitzel

[quote name='Irish Richard'] 
1 hour cardio 6 mornings a week. 
 
1 hour weights 3-4 times a week 
 
Eat every 3 hours. 
[/quote] 
 
At what pace do you do cardio Irish? 6 hours per week is heaps. 
 
I do interval training for 60 min per week plus 3 weight days and that's more than enough for me. 
 
What's your eating bill like <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Bones

[quote name='Nick the Aussie'] 
:thebirdman: I'm usually up between 6AM and 7AM depending when Little Aussie wants us to get up <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> I think the 75 minute commute also hampers one's chances of attending a gym. Still, I've found riding the bike late in the evenings is bloody good fun so will continue with that. 
[/quote]Take it it's a train? 75 minutes is perfect. Have a word to them about installing a "gym" carriage.Â :happy:

Bones - actually not a bad idea. They have cardio-buses in Brazil I believe. Basically they put exercise bikes into a city bus and drive around so people can get a workout but not sit in a room watching dodgy TV. 
 
Its the shower that's the problem <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

BartMan

you can get off a stop early on the way home and run??Â Or there are no stops?? 
 
My weight down to 104kg now, from a starting 118kg same time last year. 
 
Willie the Weka, who joined me in this exercise in futility, remains 98, where he started (and better read this, and be shamed into etiher getting into the body for life shite, or returning my bookÂ :coolsmiley:

Bones

[quote name='Nick the Aussie'] 
Bones - actually not a bad idea. They have cardio-buses in Brazil I believe. Basically they put exercise bikes into a city bus and drive around so people can get a workout but not sit in a room watching dodgy TV. 
 
Its the shower that's the problem <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
[/quote]Go for a swim too. You'd be welcome at the beach in Cronulla.

Cronulla eh? :nta Boxing IS a good cardio workout, and lifting the lead pipe is not doubt a muscle toning exercise <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
[quote name='BartMan'] 
you can get off a stop early on the way home and run??Â Or there are no stops??[/quote] 
 
There are stops. Its the running bit that's the problem <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> While daylight savings persists, I am riding the bike three times a week for 20km as a startup exercise routine. I've done a few jogs here and there but end up in quite a bit more pain than is suitable - shin splints, ankles, back. The bike gives me sore knees but I recover faster from that than the rest, and can pedal for the best part of an hour without stopping on the new motorway bike section near my house. 
 
Here's another training hint: Ifyou use a water bottle, clean the bastard every day with hot water and soap! I haven't been and lately was left to wonder why I keep getting sick whenever I start taking on lots of water. Your own saliva, left alone for a few hours, can be worse for getting you sick than just about anything!

BartMan

NTA, don't be sucking on the bottle then, squirt the bugger into your mouth, then no saliva problems!Â

Bones

[quote name='Nick the Aussie']Here's another training hint: Ifyou use a water bottle, clean the bastard every day with hot water and soap! I haven't been and lately was left to wonder why I keep getting sick whenever I start taking on lots of water. Your own saliva, left alone for a few hours, can be worse for getting you sick than just about anything! 
[/quote]Holy shit that's a good one. I'm off to clean my 2-year-old bottle for the first time...

Irish Richard

[quote name='Rancid Schnitzel'] 
At what pace do you do cardio Irish? 6 hours per week is heaps. 
 
I do interval training for 60 min per week plus 3 weight days and that's more than enough for me. 
 
What's your eating bill like <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
[/quote] 
 
Cardio is with heart rate around 140 beats per minute. 
 
Eating bill is low - and as a result I've dropped 3 kgs in the past 3 weeks. Overall down from 105kgs to 97kgs in the past 4-5 months (but have only been doing this much cardio last 3 weeks). Previously was doing less cardio and eating too much. 
 
I have a shockingly slow metabolism. And a PC / phone jockey 40-50 hours a week... 
 
This much cardio mixed with weights is the only way I have ever been able to drop any weight...

Rancid Schnitzel

[quote name='Bones'] 
Holy shit that's a good one. I'm off to clean my 2-year-old bottle for the first time... 
[/quote] 
 
Bloody hell. Nick don't you know that ignorance is bliss? Water bottle in the bin. 
 
Irish: Awesome commitment. What splits do you do for your weights? 
I do: 
Monday: Chest, bis 
Tuesday: shoulders, triceps 
Thursday: Legs 
Friday: Back, bis, tris. 
 
Used to do whole body four times a week. Didn't go so well that.

[quote name='BartMan'] 
NTA, don't be sucking on the bottle then, squirt the bugger into your mouth, then no saliva problems!Â 
[/quote] 
 
I've actually been using old Powerade bottles for a while but the flow on them is crap so I usually take the lid off. Going to get a decent one for the bike with a rack and will use that in future and wash diligently. 
 
Rancid - want to lose weight not money. Buying new bottles all the time, even if they contain Powerade, is not good.

Irish Richard

[quote name='Rancid Schnitzel'] 
Bloody hell. Nick don't you know that ignorance is bliss? Water bottle in the bin. 
 
Irish: Awesome commitment. What splits do you do for your weights? 
[/quote] 
 
It's part of my routine now. I feel like shit if i don't cardio before work. 
 
I try to do full upper body set for an hour, 2 nights on a 1 off. 
 
Don't bother with legs - big enough. 
 
Have dodgy athritic shoulders so am building up before switching to splits something like you have in 2 months time (thats the plan). How do your splits work for you? Do you have a set routine or mix it up for each muscle group?

Rancid Schnitzel

[quote name='Irish Richard'] 
It's part of my routine now. I feel like shit if i don't cardio before work. 
 
I try to do full upper body set for an hour, 2 nights on a 1 off. 
 
Don't bother with legs - big enough. 
 
Have dodgy athritic shoulders so am building up before switching to splits something like you have in 2 months time (thats the plan). How do your splits work for you? Do you have a set routine or mix it up for each muscle group? 
 
 
[/quote] 
 
There are two programs I do which I copied from this guy: 
[url="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jeff8.htm"]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jeff8.htm[/url] 
[url="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jeff1.htm"]http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jeff1.htm[/url] 
 
They seem to do the job and aren't too intense. I like the fact that I really only lift weights 3 times a week yet still get the results.

Get a kid.Â Serious,Â if you have a problem getting up early in the morning to run (I'm a serious night person, not morning), a kid solves all of that.Â You'll never sleep past 6am again.Â The baby will make sure of that.Â

I hear that Grog <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 6AM every day for the last week, including the weekend where I had been up late. Come Monday morning the little bloke sleeps in past 7 and I miss the train! <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Oh yeah and one other thing: Mrs the Aussie says that she's been putting on weight since Little Aussie started walking by himself too which shows that kids are great workout machines! <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
But back on topic - in order to combat the growing forces of my own man boobies I've been cycling three times a week in the evenings around 8PM (less people and dogs that way). The circuit starts at the local service station where I check the tyre pressure, then 10km (6 1/4 miles) out to the end of the local motorway's pedestrian track and back. After a couple of dry runs to get to know the track I've been recording the times and they are as follows: 
 
27/01 - 62min 37sec 
29/01 - 59min 07sec 
01/02 - 56min 45sec 
03/02 - did not ride (Mrs the Aussie went out with her hot friends so I was babysitter) 
05/02 - 55min 54sec 
 
So nearly 7 minutes' improvement in under two weeks. The next ride is Wednesday and the goal time is 55 minutes. I've lost 2kg and haven't gone all fascist on my diet at this point. 
 
The decrease in times can be explained partly by my growing knowledge of the track and its various hills and curves, but also significant increase in aerobic fitness I'm experiencing. My recovery time is getting far shorter too and I find I'm rarely out of breath more than a minute after finishing even the steepest sections. 
 
And because I'm grinding a mountain bike over this track which has a lot of long gradients, I'm getting a fairly decent muscle workout as well, which I'm supplementing with pushups and crunches. Its amazing how much riding a real bike works your arms and shoulders as you're forced to deal with inertia and gravity as opposed to a gym bike where its legs only. 
 
The goal time at the moment is 50 minutes, which would mean I'm averaging 24km/h (15mph) and is probably about as good as I can get the MTB to go before opting for a decent roadbike which can give me a lighter frame and higher tyre pressure. The catch with this is most road bikes are rated to only 100kg rider weight which is a good 18kg away for me at the moment 
 
So as a stop-gap measure I'm going to put slick tyres with a high pressure rating on the MTB which should reduce rolling resistance and give me more go for each turn of the pedals. If that starts giving me an average speed of close to 30km/h then the purchase of a road bike is to be delayed further. And a good thing too as my mate who wants to see me set up with a decent unit is a Titanium freak and wants me to spend $3K+ <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

BartMan

good work NTA, I started out at 118-120ish too when started getting stuck into the rowing machine.Â now down to 103-105ish. 
 
The serious weight loss came about when started watching what I was eatingÂ - nothign TOO facist, just cut down on the fatty shite and eat more fruit vegies instead of pies and coke 
 
The aerobic fitness came pretty quick though, even before the weight peels offÂ <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Also do the pressups, sit ups thing, and bought a set of dumbells so can throw in some curls and shoulder press to get upper body a decent lash after a row.

TSF

Tipping

Rugby Info

Rugby Results

Forum Links

Man boobies and Beer guts - advice needed