Ask The Brofessor

Its not about the calorie intake that I am worried about, I read somewhere on the web that ice cream promotes muscle building and prevents muscle breakdown, but doesn't it turn to fat that makes it a pain to burn?

Then as a better measurement, how many calories should I burn per workout? Combined with my daily calorie intake, the most effective way to slice off that keg?

read some of the earlier post and i totally agree with compound lifts for beginners...it really helps build general overall strength and provides you with a solid foundation when you decide to split lift/isolate...im a notorious on and off lifter, meaning ill workout and stay consistent for a long period of time but then all of a sudden get lazy and not lift a single thing for a long period of time...so for the past year or so, ive been consistent and started to do full body workouts 3 days a week and it helped with my overall strength ALOT.. i use to split lift/isolate and only do upper body workouts and i got stronger but i walked around at 165lbs at 6ft tall...but when i started to do full body workouts, which included squats and deadlifts, i almost immediately saw a difference...i now walk around at 205 to 207

oh and my workout revolves around 4 main lifts which are deadlifts, standing shoulder press, squats and benchpress in that order...i first do stretching and then a bit of high intensity cardio...after that i do dead lifts first since its the most taxing...after deadlifts i then do 2/3 sets of pull ups + some light iso lifting for shoulder,arms and back...after all that i finally do the final 3 main exercises...oh and between all those exercises i do some form of core exercise like sit ups, weighted seated russian twist, leg raises etc etc...seems like alot but it works for me

joestarbill wrote: Its not about the calorie intake that I am worried about, I read somewhere on the web that ice cream promotes muscle building and prevents muscle breakdown, but doesn't it turn to fat that makes it a pain to burn?

Then as a better measurement, how many calories should I burn per workout? Combined with my daily calorie intake, the most effective way to slice off that keg?

You were asking about "good vs bad", and eating 1 tub of ice cream after each workout is obviously not good, so the calorie count does matter. There are some (uncertain) indications that post work out protein in take helps with muscle growth, compare to protein taken at another time. But even for that, there's no consensus, and what effect there might be would make very small difference compare to other variables. That said, there's likely not any muscular growth benefit from post work out ice cream. Bodybuilders may eat ice cream or froyo just for enjoyment and it fits within their diet plan, but it wouldn't be for muscles.

Any daily calorie deficit will result in fat loss over time. Of course we mentioned that too little deficit may result in no deficit at all from counting error or cheat meals. On the other hand, too much deficits is hard mentally and can quickly lead to metabolism crash. A good range of weight loss rate would be 3% to 5% of total body weight a month. For 130 lb, that would be 1 to 1.6 lb a week. Losing 1 lb take about 3500 calories. So to reach 3500 weekly calorie deficit, your daily deficit would be 500 calories. You need to eat 500 calories less than what your body burns. Since it's very complicated to actually add up all your calorie expenditure for a day from your daily activities and your basal metabolic rate, the calculator I talked about gives a good estimate. It estimates how much calories you will burn, using multiplier on how active you are. You then start there and subtract 500, for you is around 1600 to 1700 (2100 to 2200 to maintain weight), and see how your weight changes. If you lose too fast, eat a little more, and if you're not losing enough, eat a little less. Do be ware of the initial few lbs of water loss at the start of a calorie deficit diet. That's not indication of actual fat loss.

joestarbill wrote: Its not about the calorie intake that I am worried about, I read somewhere on the web that ice cream promotes muscle building and prevents muscle breakdown, but doesn't it turn to fat that makes it a pain to burn?

Then as a better measurement, how many calories should I burn per workout? Combined with my daily calorie intake, the most effective way to slice off that keg?

Im no nutritionist, but if you really want to get rid of that belly then you'd already know the best way is to keep sugar/junk food intake as low as possible..maybe trying splurging on the weekends only first..i still eat carbs but only on the days i workout since it provides me with energy...on my rest days, no or minimal carb intake...natural protien from meats, eggs or fish and vegetables of course...i pretty much cut out all soft drinks, except when im out and drinking which is not that often...combine that with full body workouts or circuit training which if im not mistaken is said to burn the most amount of fat and keeps burning fat up to 14 hrs after the workout...throw in a short session of high intensity cardio before your workout will help burn that belly even more...all this is what i do and it definitely works for me so maybe you can figure your own routine from that..good luck bro

Mr Grim wrote:

joestarbill wrote: Its not about the calorie intake that I am worried about, I read somewhere on the web that ice cream promotes muscle building and prevents muscle breakdown, but doesn't it turn to fat that makes it a pain to burn?

Then as a better measurement, how many calories should I burn per workout? Combined with my daily calorie intake, the most effective way to slice off that keg?

Im no nutritionist, but if you really want to get rid of that belly then you'd already know the best way is to keep sugar/junk food intake as low as possible..maybe trying splurging on the weekends only first..i still eat carbs but only on the days i workout since it provides me with energy...on my rest days, no or minimal carb intake...natural protien from meats, eggs or fish and vegetables of course...i pretty much cut out all soft drinks, except when im out and drinking which is not that often...combine that with full body workouts or circuit training which if im not mistaken is said to burn the most amount of fat and keeps burning fat up to 14 hrs after the workout...throw in a short session of high intensity cardio before your workout will help burn that belly even more...all this is what i do and it definitely works for me so maybe you can figure your own routine from that..good luck bro

I haven't ate junk food since elementary and that includes candy, chocolate, cake, ice cream, brownies and more. I only drink soft drinks when I go to theaters, but I mainly torrent movies now so I haven't drank soft drinks in a long time. I don't eat fast food very often, 3-5 times a year, depending on whats in the fridge or in my wallet. In a typical day, my breakfast is usually one bagel spread with butter and nutella, with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham, and I drink a cup of milk. Lunch and dinner are either a bowl of rice plus 3 bowls of vegetables/meat, or 3 bowls of noodles with vegetables and meat. I don't eat dessert, and before I go to bed I eat fruit. I was thinking of eating ice cream after I work out (mainly because I am kind of craving for it), but I decided not to.

I try to do circuit training, but my stamina is terrible. I get exhausted after 6 minutes of slow jogging. Only after 3 months of constantly running 5 days a week have I been able to bump it up to 20 minutes of slow jogging. While also going lane swimming every week, and playing sports with friends on rest days.

joestarbill wrote:

Mr Grim wrote:

joestarbill wrote: Its not about the calorie intake that I am worried about, I read somewhere on the web that ice cream promotes muscle building and prevents muscle breakdown, but doesn't it turn to fat that makes it a pain to burn?

Then as a better measurement, how many calories should I burn per workout? Combined with my daily calorie intake, the most effective way to slice off that keg?

Im no nutritionist, but if you really want to get rid of that belly then you'd already know the best way is to keep sugar/junk food intake as low as possible..maybe trying splurging on the weekends only first..i still eat carbs but only on the days i workout since it provides me with energy...on my rest days, no or minimal carb intake...natural protien from meats, eggs or fish and vegetables of course...i pretty much cut out all soft drinks, except when im out and drinking which is not that often...combine that with full body workouts or circuit training which if im not mistaken is said to burn the most amount of fat and keeps burning fat up to 14 hrs after the workout...throw in a short session of high intensity cardio before your workout will help burn that belly even more...all this is what i do and it definitely works for me so maybe you can figure your own routine from that..good luck bro

I haven't ate junk food since elementary and that includes candy, chocolate, cake, ice cream, brownies and more. I only drink soft drinks when I go to theaters, but I mainly torrent movies now so I haven't drank soft drinks in a long time. I don't eat fast food very often, 3-5 times a year, depending on whats in the fridge or in my wallet. In a typical day, my breakfast is usually one bagel spread with butter and nutella, with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham, and I drink a cup of milk. Lunch and dinner are either a bowl of rice plus 3 bowls of vegetables/meat, or 3 bowls of noodles with vegetables and meat. I don't eat dessert, and before I go to bed I eat fruit. I was thinking of eating ice cream after I work out (mainly because I am kind of craving for it), but I decided not to.

I try to do circuit training, but my stamina is terrible. I get exhausted after 6 minutes of slow jogging. Only after 3 months of constantly running 5 days a week have I been able to bump it up to 20 minutes of slow jogging. While also going lane swimming every week, and playing sports with friends on rest days.

Ok then it sounds like you just need to start lifting...what i suggest is ditch the jogging and start simple..i use to do non lifting full body workouts as a high intensity workout that builds muscle and short burst cardio at the same time...my routine was push up, sit ups, and then jumping squats....all these exercises will hit your arms/shoulders, core and legs...start with push ups and do it until you cant anymore then do situps and then jumping squats etc etc....wait for a minute or 2 depending on how your feeling, and keep doing it over and over...it also helps alot if you do varied versions of those 3 exercises to keep your body from plateauing and then finally you can move to weights...slow jogging is really not going to help you burn alot of fat...as a matter of fact i heard if you run too much then your body starts to eat your own muscles...notice nfl players are all jacked but almost all aren't built for long low intensity workouts such as marathons...their bodies are made for short high intense bursts. And dont worry about having bad stamina...it will build up over time if you stay consistent..i know i had shitty stamina but i kept at it

Mr Grim wrote:

joestarbill wrote:

Mr Grim wrote:

joestarbill wrote: Its not about the calorie intake that I am worried about, I read somewhere on the web that ice cream promotes muscle building and prevents muscle breakdown, but doesn't it turn to fat that makes it a pain to burn?

Then as a better measurement, how many calories should I burn per workout? Combined with my daily calorie intake, the most effective way to slice off that keg?

Im no nutritionist, but if you really want to get rid of that belly then you'd already know the best way is to keep sugar/junk food intake as low as possible..maybe trying splurging on the weekends only first..i still eat carbs but only on the days i workout since it provides me with energy...on my rest days, no or minimal carb intake...natural protien from meats, eggs or fish and vegetables of course...i pretty much cut out all soft drinks, except when im out and drinking which is not that often...combine that with full body workouts or circuit training which if im not mistaken is said to burn the most amount of fat and keeps burning fat up to 14 hrs after the workout...throw in a short session of high intensity cardio before your workout will help burn that belly even more...all this is what i do and it definitely works for me so maybe you can figure your own routine from that..good luck bro

I haven't ate junk food since elementary and that includes candy, chocolate, cake, ice cream, brownies and more. I only drink soft drinks when I go to theaters, but I mainly torrent movies now so I haven't drank soft drinks in a long time. I don't eat fast food very often, 3-5 times a year, depending on whats in the fridge or in my wallet. In a typical day, my breakfast is usually one bagel spread with butter and nutella, with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham, and I drink a cup of milk. Lunch and dinner are either a bowl of rice plus 3 bowls of vegetables/meat, or 3 bowls of noodles with vegetables and meat. I don't eat dessert, and before I go to bed I eat fruit. I was thinking of eating ice cream after I work out (mainly because I am kind of craving for it), but I decided not to.

I try to do circuit training, but my stamina is terrible. I get exhausted after 6 minutes of slow jogging. Only after 3 months of constantly running 5 days a week have I been able to bump it up to 20 minutes of slow jogging. While also going lane swimming every week, and playing sports with friends on rest days.

Ok then it sounds like you just need to start lifting...what i suggest is ditch the jogging and start simple..i use to do non lifting full body workouts as a high intensity workout that builds muscle and short burst cardio at the same time...my routine was push up, sit ups, and then jumping squats....all these exercises will hit your arms/shoulders, core and legs...start with push ups and do it until you cant anymore then do situps and then jumping squats etc etc....wait for a minute or 2 depending on how your feeling, and keep doing it over and over...it also helps alot if you do varied versions of those 3 exercises to keep your body from plateauing and then finally you can move to weights...slow jogging is really not going to help you burn alot of fat...as a matter of fact i heard if you run too much then your body starts to eat your own muscles...notice nfl players are all jacked but almost all aren't built for long low intensity workouts such as marathons...their bodies are made for short high intense bursts. And dont worry about having bad stamina...it will build up over time if you stay consistent..i know i had shitty stamina but i kept at it

When I do cardio I don't jog, that was just to show how bad my stamina was. I usually run on the treadmill or run outdoors, or play sports with friends which require a lot of running and intensive movement and when I go lane swimming I go at a moderate fast speed (apparently I can swim longer and faster compared to when I run). I have been doing workout splits alongside my cardio (which Yi has advised against) so I'm doing the beginner workouts that he recommended ("Starting Strength" and "Strong Lift 5X5") instead.

On a side note, I am terrible at pushups, situps and most simple exercises, but apparently I excel at doing chinups and pullups, whats the reason behind that?

joestarbill wrote:

Mr Grim wrote:

joestarbill wrote:

Mr Grim wrote:

joestarbill wrote: Its not about the calorie intake that I am worried about, I read somewhere on the web that ice cream promotes muscle building and prevents muscle breakdown, but doesn't it turn to fat that makes it a pain to burn?

Then as a better measurement, how many calories should I burn per workout? Combined with my daily calorie intake, the most effective way to slice off that keg?

Im no nutritionist, but if you really want to get rid of that belly then you'd already know the best way is to keep sugar/junk food intake as low as possible..maybe trying splurging on the weekends only first..i still eat carbs but only on the days i workout since it provides me with energy...on my rest days, no or minimal carb intake...natural protien from meats, eggs or fish and vegetables of course...i pretty much cut out all soft drinks, except when im out and drinking which is not that often...combine that with full body workouts or circuit training which if im not mistaken is said to burn the most amount of fat and keeps burning fat up to 14 hrs after the workout...throw in a short session of high intensity cardio before your workout will help burn that belly even more...all this is what i do and it definitely works for me so maybe you can figure your own routine from that..good luck bro

I haven't ate junk food since elementary and that includes candy, chocolate, cake, ice cream, brownies and more. I only drink soft drinks when I go to theaters, but I mainly torrent movies now so I haven't drank soft drinks in a long time. I don't eat fast food very often, 3-5 times a year, depending on whats in the fridge or in my wallet. In a typical day, my breakfast is usually one bagel spread with butter and nutella, with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham, and I drink a cup of milk. Lunch and dinner are either a bowl of rice plus 3 bowls of vegetables/meat, or 3 bowls of noodles with vegetables and meat. I don't eat dessert, and before I go to bed I eat fruit. I was thinking of eating ice cream after I work out (mainly because I am kind of craving for it), but I decided not to.

I try to do circuit training, but my stamina is terrible. I get exhausted after 6 minutes of slow jogging. Only after 3 months of constantly running 5 days a week have I been able to bump it up to 20 minutes of slow jogging. While also going lane swimming every week, and playing sports with friends on rest days.

Ok then it sounds like you just need to start lifting...what i suggest is ditch the jogging and start simple..i use to do non lifting full body workouts as a high intensity workout that builds muscle and short burst cardio at the same time...my routine was push up, sit ups, and then jumping squats....all these exercises will hit your arms/shoulders, core and legs...start with push ups and do it until you cant anymore then do situps and then jumping squats etc etc....wait for a minute or 2 depending on how your feeling, and keep doing it over and over...it also helps alot if you do varied versions of those 3 exercises to keep your body from plateauing and then finally you can move to weights...slow jogging is really not going to help you burn alot of fat...as a matter of fact i heard if you run too much then your body starts to eat your own muscles...notice nfl players are all jacked but almost all aren't built for long low intensity workouts such as marathons...their bodies are made for short high intense bursts. And dont worry about having bad stamina...it will build up over time if you stay consistent..i know i had shitty stamina but i kept at it

When I do cardio I don't jog, that was just to show how bad my stamina was. I usually run on the treadmill or run outdoors, or play sports with friends which require a lot of running and intensive movement and when I go lane swimming I go at a moderate fast speed (apparently I can swim longer and faster compared to when I run). I have been doing workout splits alongside my cardio (which Yi has advised against) so I'm doing the beginner workouts that he recommended ("Starting Strength" and "Strong Lift 5X5") instead.

On a side note, I am terrible at pushups, situps and most simple exercises, but apparently I excel at doing chinups and pullups, whats the reason behind that?

Well thats great to hear cuz yi definitely sounds like he knows whats he talking about..he definitely has more quantitative data to back up his advice than i do...im just going off from my own experiences...and about you being better at pull ups then push ups...i really dont know about that one...i know for me since i gained 30 lbs and went up to 205 + , i could only do about maybe 10 if i tried really hard but when i was around 165, i could do 15+ easily for obvious reasons...but anyways good luck again and remember consistency is key

joestarbill wrote: I have been doing workout splits alongside my cardio (which Yi has advised against) so I'm doing the beginner workouts that he recommended ("Starting Strength" and "Strong Lift 5X5") instead.

On a side note, I am terrible at pushups, situps and most simple exercises, but apparently I excel at doing chinups and pullups, whats the reason behind that?

I would just like to clarify that you should pick one beginner program and not both. There are also other programs out there other than SS and SL5X5, but those are very popular due to their effectiveness. Even if you don't go with SL5X5, I would highly recommend browsing its website. The creator wrote extensive articles on the main combo lifts, showing the right stance and form. Form and stance is top priority in lifting since that's directly related to safety. Safety first!

Pull-ups and chin-ups requires biceps and lats. Your lats and biceps could be more developed from your activities compare to pecs, tricpe and abs muscles. Me on the other hand can do way more push-ups than pull-ups.

Whatusername wrote:

joestarbill wrote: I have been doing workout splits alongside my cardio (which Yi has advised against) so I'm doing the beginner workouts that he recommended ("Starting Strength" and "Strong Lift 5X5") instead.

On a side note, I am terrible at pushups, situps and most simple exercises, but apparently I excel at doing chinups and pullups, whats the reason behind that?

I would just like to clarify that you should pick one beginner program and not both. There are also other programs out there other than SS and SL5X5, but those are very popular due to their effectiveness. Even if you don't go with SL5X5, I would highly recommend browsing its website. The creator wrote extensive articles on the main combo lifts, showing the right stance and form. Form and stance is top priority in lifting since that's directly related to safety. Safety first!

Pull-ups and chin-ups requires biceps and lats. Your lats and biceps could be more developed from your activities compare to pecs, tricpe and abs muscles. Me on the other hand can do way more push-ups than pull-ups.

I listed both down, but I chose to do Strong Lift 5X5. Mhmm, when I first decided to start exercising (in April), I could do 5 pull ups, now I can hit 20. However I can only do 10 pushups, 20 situps, 20 squats tops now, but at the beginning I couldn't even do 1 pushup, 5 situps, or 5 squats. Still working on it!