Vitamins and Minerals: How much is too much?

Originally Posted by Garret

Basically Ayos, it sounds like you have the body that 90% of the population would kill for. I cannot even imagine being 6'1 and only 125lbs.

90% of the population want to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club, not Christian Bale in The Machinist!

OP, you do not have plenty of lean muscle at 6'1" 125 lbs. Bale was 120 lbs at just over 6'. You need strength and size. They'll both come with food. There's nothing special about a weight gainer shake versus normal food. If you add 2000 calories to what you consider "enough", it won't matter where it comes from. Record your intake today, and be precise. Post it here and we'll tell you what's wrong.

Again, fast food is your friend. I'm not saying that's all you should eat, but it's great bang for your buck, and it'll make it easier to get in enough calories. Bulking isn't a long-term plan, so unless you're eating the "Supersize Me" diet, don't worry about the health aspect.

You might consider getting your stomach acid checked. You can start supplementing with Betaine HCl, gradually increasing from 200mg up to 1400mg or until you feel the "hot tea" sensation, whichever comes first. If that sounds sketchy, you can get it tested before you supplement.

You can also try supplementing with zinc in the form of ZMA.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

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90% of the population want to look like Brad Pitt in Fight Club, not Christian Bale in The Machinist!

True, but most people would love to eat all they want and not gain an ounce. Bread Pitt in fightclub is nothing natural, just hard training and excercise, which 90% of the population don't have the discipline to do.

Edit: NM, thinking of a different forum

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Gumby

There is some middle ground between the sprinters and long distance runners, which is what I am personally aiming for. Many marines are the perfect example of that, many of them are HUGE but are able to run 3 - 5 miles daily and not have any problems with it.

I guess my thing against long distance running is that you see these guys that can run an hour straight a few times a week. Yet, in their ordinary lives, they run up a few flight of stairs and they're already out of breath. I think doing your cardio for short, intense periods is also a greater help as far as a type of training that can enhance ordinary areas of our lives. At least to a much greater extent than long distance running. Jogging really. A good middle ground would probably be running at a good pace for 10-15 minutes, 20 tops. But, I mean, why do all that if you can get great benefits from doing sprints like this: Spint :30 seconds, walk briskly 1:30, repeat up to four more times. Bam, the shit is done between 6 and ten minutes and you're done.

Originally Posted by Will

You can also try supplementing with zinc in the form of ZMA.

Oh hell yeah motherfucker. I've been talking about this shit to some people this last week and now youmention. ZMA is just about the only supplement I've ever taken that I felt and noticed the results almost immediately. To sum it down briefly for anyone that doesn't know, the specific mineral levels the shit gives you (you take it before you go to bed) naturally raise your testosterone. Fucking awesome stuff. I think it's the stuff Barry Bonds hid behind when he was really taking steroids.

And yeah, advocating fast food doesn't come off right but it'd be a good strategy. If he's exercising and resting well his calorie sources don't matter that much. Ideally he'd get it from better sources but 1. that takes more work 2. potentially costs more 3. can be seen as a hassle. Fast food is cheap, fast, and you don't really have to do anything other than buy it. There are also healthier alternatives he can choose at these places and ways around the dirtier calories.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Omi-Cron Kenobi

I guess my thing against long distance running is that you see these guys that can run an hour straight a few times a week. Yet, in their ordinary lives, they run up a few flight of stairs and they're already out of breath. I think doing your cardio for short, intense periods is also a greater help as far as a type of training that can enhance ordinary areas of our lives. At least to a much greater extent than long distance running. Jogging really. A good middle ground would probably be running at a good pace for 10-15 minutes, 20 tops. But, I mean, why do all that if you can get great benefits from doing sprints like this: Spint :30 seconds, walk briskly 1:30, repeat up to four more times. Bam, the shit is done between 6 and ten minutes and you're done.

:/ I think you are looking at the extremes of what distance running can be. Just something to consider is that many boxers run (really jog) for long amounts of time to increase their endurance in the ring. Endurance is just as important to strength and agility when it comes to physical fitness, but like any thing it needs to be a balance. While doing sprints is a good work out and has it benefits, it is not the same for your body as it would be if you ran for 30 - 45 minutes. I don't think it is accurate to say that you can do that work out and be BAM done with it and get the same benefits you would if you had ran for an extended period of time.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Gumby

:/ I think you are looking at the extremes of what distance running can be. Just something to consider is that many boxers run (really jog) for long amounts of time to increase their endurance in the ring. Endurance is just as important to strength and agility when it comes to physical fitness, but like any thing it needs to be a balance. While doing sprints is a good work out and has it benefits, it is not the same for your body as it would be if you ran for 30 - 45 minutes. I don't think it is accurate to say that you can do that work out and be BAM done with it and get the same benefits you would if you had ran for an extended period of time.

There is a big distance between steady state cardio and high intensity interval training. I believe that they both do the same thing as far as using up calories, one of the primary uses of cardio. However, I believe everyone should do both. HIIT does not build up much endurance, and low intensity steady state cardio does not build up anaerobic capacity much. Bottom line is to do both.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Boxers can also get away with it because they're not solely building a career around jogging. Jogging's probably the easiest part of their routine.

I'm not really in any condition to give your sources right now, but I know metabolically you get greater benefits from sprints than jogging, and supposedly aquire the same long distance stamina benefits. Now while all that's well and fine the original point here was what sort of cardio routine, if any, Ayos should do? Recommending someone start throwing 45 minute jogging marathons into their life, as part of their overall health and bodyweight improvement program, would probably be the sort of shit that makes someone not bother. As long as he leads a relatively active life I don't think he should waste his time and calories doing any cardio.

FELIPE NO

I actually shun jogging and running in general, due to the impact stress on joints and such. Bike riding is something I like to do, and I'm starting up my martial arts training again soon, which should definitely improve on my cardio. That, and playing basketball and tennis. <3 tennis.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

That's all good shit, though it does explain why you wouldn't be gaining much, if any, weight.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Hmm, is ZMA available through supplement chains, or is it available only online?

Ayos- Sounds like lean muscle would fit better in your lifestyle than muscle bulk. Chances are even if you were to gain mass and put on some good muscle, your body would burn it in favor of longer lasting lean muscle because of the activities you take part in.

Reasons like this that I still say the human body is an amazing machine.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Well, GNC here sells it under the GNC brand so I'm sure any GNC has to have it if Guatemala does. I think the one I used in 2001 was Weider brand though.

And you're basically telling him to gain muscle, but not large amounts of it. There's no real difference in muscle between bulk and lean, unless you mean he's better off gaining some muscle without getting to the point where a lot of the "mass" weight he's gaining is also fat.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Omi-Cron Kenobi

That's all good shit, though it does explain why you wouldn't be gaining much, if any, weight.

Why? Do you think I'm doing too MUCH cardio? If so, trust me, I don't actually do any of that on a regular basis. Maybe once a month The martial arts I would do twice a week if I started it up again.

And if you think I'm not doing enough or not the right type... elaborate?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

No, no, it's just that the way you worded that made me think you were doing all that stuff on a weekly basis. You'd have to eat a whole hell of a lot than you already do if that were the case.

How ya doing, buddy?

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And you're basically telling him to gain muscle, but not large amounts of it. There's no real difference in muscle between bulk and lean, unless you mean he's better off gaining some muscle without getting to the point where a lot of the "mass" weight he's gaining is also fat.

I basically just meant that he would have been better off just gaining the bit of muscle without worrying about the mass weight. Had he been living that type of active lifestyle *which he just said he doesn't*, then it would have been almost impossible to put on the heavy mass, as he would have just started burning the excess muscle.

Edit: I was always under the impression that lean muscle was more Type II A while Mass *Strength* Muscle was More Type II B. Hmm, hafta research into it again.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Well, that's a direction more along the lines of muscle fibers. Which, taking that into account, can be a very effective way to weight train through periodization. Check this Wiki link out for a very basic idea. Basically those fiber types give you a better understanding of how muscles work (stamina, explosive power, or a combo of both). Though the fiber composition changes from muscle to muscle, person to person.

FELIPE NO