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Bodyfat & a few other things

How to measure bodyfat in my situation

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Vect0rs
Vect0rs g Ben Unknown
133 Post(s)
133 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2017
Posted

Hey Scott,

I have a problem, I was measuring my progress by weighing myself and having a trainer at the gym I go to check my bodyfat % using calipers. Now because of this annoying new manager, trainers aren't allowed to answer any questions outside of a session, and they won't even check your bodyfat for free either! So, my question is how can I check my bodyfat % without having to pay them? Because if I only track weight I won't know if I am gaining muscle or fat. Also, you need to keep track of measurements and I'm pretty sure they won't do that, but I will ask. 

Unrelated to that, I was thinking of finally getting a membership on your website, but my question is, can you easily cancel a membership without it doing something sneaky like billing you for the next month, and is canceling complicated to do? Some websites do this so I wanted to make sure that it isn't the case on yours.

And lastly, do messages on your website work? If I send you a message will you see it?

Thanks.

Adawg38
Adawg38 g Aaron Henry
563 Post(s)
563 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: December 12, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

Hey Scott,

I have a problem, I was measuring my progress by weighing myself and having a trainer at the gym I go to check my bodyfat % using calipers. Now because of this annoying new manager, trainers aren't allowed to answer any questions outside of a session, and they won't even check your bodyfat for free either! So, my question is how can I check my bodyfat % without having to pay them? Because if I only track weight I won't know if I am gaining muscle or fat. Also, you need to keep track of measurements and I'm pretty sure they won't do that, but I will ask. 

Unrelated to that, I was thinking of finally getting a membership on your website, but my question is, can you easily cancel a membership without it doing something sneaky like billing you for the next month, and is canceling complicated to do? Some websites do this so I wanted to make sure that it isn't the case on yours.

And lastly, do messages on your website work? If I send you a message will you see it?

Thanks.

You can get a decent pait of bf calipers online for around $10. This will be about the most accurate inexpensive for bf testing you can get. Then google for the procedure (most will come with instructions). I believe you can do 3,4 up to 7 pinch test. 3 or 4 will be fine. Be consistant when you test (again will be in the instruction). Most trainers will perform the exact same test on you.

I have been training coming up on 6 years and have made some great gainz. I've done a lot of trial and error on myself as well as learned from others and through research online. I've come along way in strength and size since I've started. I will continue to learn and make myself better each day. MS Athlete/Super Hermanite BEING CHALLENGED IN LIFE IS INEVITABLE, BEING DEFEATED IS OPTIONAL.
jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

Hey Scott,

I have a problem, I was measuring my progress by weighing myself and having a trainer at the gym I go to check my bodyfat % using calipers. Now because of this annoying new manager, trainers aren't allowed to answer any questions outside of a session, and they won't even check your bodyfat for free either! So, my question is how can I check my bodyfat % without having to pay them? Because if I only track weight I won't know if I am gaining muscle or fat. Also, you need to keep track of measurements and I'm pretty sure they won't do that, but I will ask. 

Unrelated to that, I was thinking of finally getting a membership on your website, but my question is, can you easily cancel a membership without it doing something sneaky like billing you for the next month, and is canceling complicated to do? Some websites do this so I wanted to make sure that it isn't the case on yours.

And lastly, do messages on your website work? If I send you a message will you see it?

Thanks.

Go to:

 

www.accumeasurefitness.com

 

These are the most accurate inexpensive calipers out there and the ones most people use. Follow the instructions and you will have a pretty good estimate of your BF.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

Hey Scott,

I have a problem, I was measuring my progress by weighing myself and having a trainer at the gym I go to check my bodyfat % using calipers. Now because of this annoying new manager, trainers aren't allowed to answer any questions outside of a session, and they won't even check your bodyfat for free either! So, my question is how can I check my bodyfat % without having to pay them? Because if I only track weight I won't know if I am gaining muscle or fat. Also, you need to keep track of measurements and I'm pretty sure they won't do that, but I will ask. 

Unrelated to that, I was thinking of finally getting a membership on your website, but my question is, can you easily cancel a membership without it doing something sneaky like billing you for the next month, and is canceling complicated to do? Some websites do this so I wanted to make sure that it isn't the case on yours.

And lastly, do messages on your website work? If I send you a message will you see it?

Thanks.

@Vect0rs as John and Aaron said, calipers would be your best bet, or a scale which measures bodyfat as well. The only problem with calipers is it's very hard to do the pinching yourself, so you kind of need someone who at least knows a little bit about what they are doing.

 

And yes, you can cancel your membership anytime, nothing sneaky here haha. All you would have to do is go to your ACCOUNT SETTINGS if you ever want to upgrade or downgrade.

 

Messages do work and I do see them, but it may take a few days before I do get to them 😊 

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Vect0rs
Vect0rs g Ben Unknown
133 Post(s)
133 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2017
Posted

1. Thanks for the replys. Scott I messed up when trying to upgrade the account and so now the promo code "FREEFITNESS" isn't working as it says I already used it...what should I do?

 

2. due to the amount I need to eat, I want to start drinking some whey protien shake to get more protien/calories, however the problem is they taste DISGUSTING to me, can you suggest how to make them taste at least decent if not great...?

 

3. Also if let's say for bench press the weight I use for 6-10 reps is 135lb, should my first working set start out with that weight I can do for the rep range (135) , or should I start lighter and only go up to the most weight (135) on set 2? I think I should start with whatever is the heaviest weight for set one and just do 1 warmup set with the bar (around 12 reps), and a second warmup set with 95 lb like for maybe 10 reps? Or is one warmup with the bar good enough? I do already like 5 min of cardio plus a shoulder warmup...

 

4. Something doesn't seem right about the macros I have, I'm trying to build as much muscle as possible btw. So protien intake is based on LEAN body weight right? If I weigh 146, and my bodyfat is about 13%, that means my lean bodyweight is about 127 lb, so therefor I need to eat 127 g of protien or even a bit more than that right? And since my BMR in motion is about 2500 cals, and I am eating around 750-1000 cal surplus above that, (3250-3500 cals) that means that my macros for protien would be ~15% (127g x 4 cal = 508, 508/3250 = 15% or if I eat slightly above maybe 16-18%). The whole point I am thinking that this seems like a pretty low amount, I thought protien should be like 25-40% of your macros. So from your video you said to make fat 0.5xyour lean body weight (127) so that would be: 63.5 g, and x 9 = 571.5 calories from fat which is around 17-18% and the rest is carbs, so my macros come out to be: 15-18% protien, 17-18% fat, and about 67% carbs? These percentages don't seem right...

 

5. Also, is it correct that periodizing training by doing one month strength, one month hypertrophy, and some people even do one month endurance, isn't right because after you do a month of hypertrophy you will lose the strength adaptations you made in the first month, so that's why you want to combine hypertrophy and a bit of strength because seperating them doesn't work well right?

 

jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

1. Thanks for the replys. Scott I messed up when trying to upgrade the account and so now the promo code "FREEFITNESS" isn't working as it says I already used it...what should I do?

 

2. due to the amount I need to eat, I want to start drinking some whey protien shake to get more protien/calories, however the problem is they taste DISGUSTING to me, can you suggest how to make them taste at least decent if not great...?

 

3. Also if let's say for bench press the weight I use for 6-10 reps is 135lb, should my first working set start out with that weight I can do for the rep range (135) , or should I start lighter and only go up to the most weight (135) on set 2? I think I should start with whatever is the heaviest weight for set one and just do 1 warmup set with the bar (around 12 reps), and a second warmup set with 95 lb like for maybe 10 reps? Or is one warmup with the bar good enough? I do already like 5 min of cardio plus a shoulder warmup...

 

4. Something doesn't seem right about the macros I have, I'm trying to build as much muscle as possible btw. So protien intake is based on LEAN body weight right? If I weigh 146, and my bodyfat is about 13%, that means my lean bodyweight is about 127 lb, so therefor I need to eat 127 g of protien or even a bit more than that right? And since my BMR in motion is about 2500 cals, and I am eating around 750-1000 cal surplus above that, (3250-3500 cals) that means that my macros for protien would be ~15% (127g x 4 cal = 508, 508/3250 = 15% or if I eat slightly above maybe 16-18%). The whole point I am thinking that this seems like a pretty low amount, I thought protien should be like 25-40% of your macros. So from your video you said to make fat 0.5xyour lean body weight (127) so that would be: 63.5 g, and x 9 = 571.5 calories from fat which is around 17-18% and the rest is carbs, so my macros come out to be: 15-18% protien, 17-18% fat, and about 67% carbs? These percentages don't seem right...

 

5. Also, is it correct that periodizing training by doing one month strength, one month hypertrophy, and some people even do one month endurance, isn't right because after you do a month of hypertrophy you will lose the strength adaptations you made in the first month, so that's why you want to combine hypertrophy and a bit of strength because seperating them doesn't work well right?

 

2) You can try adding the Whey protein powder to food like oatmeal. If you have oatmeal with some fresh fruit and some whey protein powder mixed in, it may not taste as bad to you. Other than loading a whey protein shake fruit (which may throw off your macro counts), there is not much you can do to make whey protein shakes taste better.

 

3) I recommend you start lighter then work your way up to your top weight. Over-time, you can do micro-loading where you try to add 5Lbs (this is where the 2.5Lb plates come in) to your heaviest lift each week. Before you know it, your bench has gone up. You need to warm the shoulder joints, chest, triceps, and lats when benching (or any exercise) so the starting with lighter weigths is advised. Unless you are training purely for strength, I would not immediately start with your heaviest weight - even then you still need to do a couple warm-up sets.

 

4) Yes, protein counts are based on lean body mass. However, this is the bare MINIMUM to eat. Eating protein amounts based on total body weight and higher are fine as long as they fit within your target macros. When trying to gain size or cutting carbs to lose fat, protein needs to stay consistent and in some cases higher to ensure your total macro numbers meet the desired goals.

 

5) Periodization doesn't work for everyone. Fortunately, when you get a FitnessGenes report, it tells you whether periodization will be affective for you or not. Barring having an genetic analysis done, it comes down to experimentation. You can give it a try to see how your body responds. The concept behind it is that since strength training and hypertrophy training are different and their impact on the CNS and muscular system is different, changing things up thru periodization creates new stimuli for your body. However, it is not a universal truth that holds for everyone and every physique. This is why you should give it a try if you like but you won't be missing anything major if you don't.

 

Pure strength training produces different adaptations than pure hypertrophy training. Doing periodization gives some of the benefits of both to some degree but it will never match training them exclusively. For strength, the primary adaptation is with the CNS and the Type IIb muscle fibers. For hypertrophy, the primary adaptation is with all 3 muscle fiber types - Type I, Type IIa, Type IIb - as well as the cardiovascular system and the energy production systems (liver, pancreas).

You must choose a goal: do you want to train purely for strength or purely for size. If your goals are a little of both, then periodization together will be a useful tool.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Vect0rs
Vect0rs g Ben Unknown
133 Post(s)
133 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2017
Posted

John thanks for the reply. So what I don't understand is are my percentages correct since I'm trying to gain muscle? Like did I mess up the calculations? What should they be?

 

Also how does how effective periodization is have to do with genes? I think Vitruvian Physique actually made a video that mentioned this specifically, and he said that this one month strength and one month Hypertrophy and one month endurance etc isn't effective because when you don't train for strength for a long time you would lose the strength you got in your strength phase...I just don't see how genes connect with this.

 

Also so my goal is purely to train for Hypertrophy, however as a beginner I also need to get stronger at the compound lifts so I'm training in the 6-8 and 8-10 or 6-10 rep range so that is the best approach for my situation then right?

jmboiardi
jmboiardi p John M Boiardi
2.6K Post(s)
2.6K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: October 10, 2013
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

John thanks for the reply. So what I don't understand is are my percentages correct since I'm trying to gain muscle? Like did I mess up the calculations? What should they be?

 

Also how does how effective periodization is have to do with genes? I think Vitruvian Physique actually made a video that mentioned this specifically, and he said that this one month strength and one month Hypertrophy and one month endurance etc isn't effective because when you don't train for strength for a long time you would lose the strength you got in your strength phase...I just don't see how genes connect with this.

 

Also so my goal is purely to train for Hypertrophy, however as a beginner I also need to get stronger at the compound lifts so I'm training in the 6-8 and 8-10 or 6-10 rep range so that is the best approach for my situation then right?

1) Your calculations look fine. Work with these and see how your body responds.

 

2) Genes affect your recovery ability and speed, your muscle fiber distribution, your lactose clearing rates, your V02max, and other things that affect muscle growth. Unless you have the exact genetic code as Vitruvian Physique, you can't expect the same results. My issue with many of these YouTube fitness channels (this one is the exception) is they assume a one-size-fits-all mentality - if it works for them it will work for you. This is far from the truth. You need to take their recommendations as guidelines. You can experiment with them and see how your body responds but it does not guarantee similar results.

 

The FitnessGenes report tells you if peridoization will be an effective training strategy or not. They don't say you can't try it just that your genetic predispositions indicate it will or won't be effective. My report said periodization is not effective for me. I have tried it in the past and it did not work so their conclusion was accurate.

 

3) Starting with compound lifts is key. For hypertrophy, the rep ranges should be in the 8-12 range. 6 is OK as a low end. Strength training and hypertrophy training are different so you need decide which one you want to target and train for that.

 

John

34 years of lifting and nutritional experience and resident "old man" :-) MS Athlete and past Super Hermanite since 2013.
Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

John thanks for the reply. So what I don't understand is are my percentages correct since I'm trying to gain muscle? Like did I mess up the calculations? What should they be?

 

Also how does how effective periodization is have to do with genes? I think Vitruvian Physique actually made a video that mentioned this specifically, and he said that this one month strength and one month Hypertrophy and one month endurance etc isn't effective because when you don't train for strength for a long time you would lose the strength you got in your strength phase...I just don't see how genes connect with this.

 

Also so my goal is purely to train for Hypertrophy, however as a beginner I also need to get stronger at the compound lifts so I'm training in the 6-8 and 8-10 or 6-10 rep range so that is the best approach for my situation then right?

Looks like John has answered your questions @Vect0rs!

 

One thing I want to say about your protein intake - yes, generally it does work by eating a certain amount per pound of lean body weight. However, if you are a hardgainer in particular, you may need to go WELL above that, and possible even judge it off total weight, not just lean weight.

 

For you having 127lbs of lean mass, I would first suggest you go for 1.5g per pound of lean weight, which would equal 190g of protein. If you find you need more calories and you think your carbs and fat are already high enough, that's when you can increase protein further, and unless you have some kind of pre-existing condition, having more protein than you actually need won't do you any harm.

 

For your training rep range, even at 8-12, as a beginner you will see hypertrophy AND strength gains so long as you continually implement progressisve overload in one form or another (more weight, more reps, more sets, less rest time each week etc.)

 

John has covered everything else from what I can see!

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Vect0rs
Vect0rs g Ben Unknown
133 Post(s)
133 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2017
Posted

Okay. Thanks for the answer Scott.

 

Now for a few questions:

 

1. What is your opionon on quest protein chips vs whey protein shake? If calories/fat/carbs aren't a problem is chips just as good as a shake? Or does the shake have any advantage?

 

2. I asked John a while ago, but was wondering what your opionon on the BTN press? Do you agree with John that it only exposes not creates shoulder problems?

 

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

Okay. Thanks for the answer Scott.

 

Now for a few questions:

 

1. What is your opionon on quest protein chips vs whey protein shake? If calories/fat/carbs aren't a problem is chips just as good as a shake? Or does the shake have any advantage?

 

2. I asked John a while ago, but was wondering what your opionon on the BTN press? Do you agree with John that it only exposes not creates shoulder problems?

 

1. I don't know exactly what is in the chips - Quest are a pretty good company so I'd say they are OK, but it also depends what you're using it for - the whey protein would be better if you're having one of these after training for example. If you're just having it at a random time during the day, either one is probably fine. Take a look at their ingredient list and protein content and decide for yourself which helps you hit your macros the best 😊 

 

2. The behind the neck press isn't terrible, but at the end of the day it's kind of like the behind the neck lat pulldown - you may as well just stick with the regular overhead press in front of you to really smash all of those deltoid heads. If done properly though, just like any exercise, there's no problem doing it.

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Vect0rs
Vect0rs g Ben Unknown
133 Post(s)
133 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2017
Posted

What would be worse about taking chips after training vs whey protein shake?

 

Also why does everyone say that you can really start putting on a lot of muscle when you get to 20/21? Why aren't you able to at my age (17).

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

What would be worse about taking chips after training vs whey protein shake?

 

Also why does everyone say that you can really start putting on a lot of muscle when you get to 20/21? Why aren't you able to at my age (17).

I'm just saying a whey shake would be better because whey is fast acting protein which is what you want after a workout for recovery. If the chips had whey they might be OK, but the concentration probably wouldn't be the same and the amount probably wouldn't be the same either.

 

You can definitely start adding muscle at 17. It just takes time is all, so if you only just started, it takes years to really build a great physique. It also depends when your hormones really hit their peak, which varies from person to person, and whether or not you have a late/early puberty (which basically ties into when your hormones going crazy/up).

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Vect0rs
Vect0rs g Ben Unknown
133 Post(s)
133 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2017
Posted

Ok, that makes sense. Anyway, another question, on incline dumbbell press what are the pros and cons of bringing the dumbbells in as you go up vs just pressing them straight up? Which one would you do? In general this also is a question about doing this on a flat bench too, is it different there?

Scott_Herman
Scott_Herman a Scott Herman
7.1K Post(s)
7.1K Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Bodybuilding Date Joined: August 8, 2008
Posted
Posted By: Vect0rs

Ok, that makes sense. Anyway, another question, on incline dumbbell press what are the pros and cons of bringing the dumbbells in as you go up vs just pressing them straight up? Which one would you do? In general this also is a question about doing this on a flat bench too, is it different there?

You should be pressing the dumbbells 'in' or 'together' on any dumbbell press. That's going to help you maximize your chest activation, because remember, a function of the chest is to adduct the arm/shoulder, and that happens when you press your hands, or in this case the dumbbells, together.

Need 1 on 1 coaching? Send me a direct message to learn more!
Vect0rs
Vect0rs g Ben Unknown
133 Post(s)
133 Post(s) Gender: Male Goal: Gain Muscle Date Joined: October 10, 2017
Posted

Okay good. Another question I have, if you are trying to get blocky abs should you do the exercises in straight sets or in a circuit? I see most ab workouts are in circuits but not sure if this applies to getting blocky abs. Also, do ab wheel rollouts build muscle or stability, or both? I want to know if I should include them in my routine?

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