Stranded On An Island, Advice?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
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What’s up guys? I’m 23, from N.Y., transplanted on a Caribbean island (St. Kitts). Let me give you a rundown of myself, before I start asking questions and for advice. I love this site and it’s straight forward nature

I am one of those lucky guys who gains fat easily. At one point (when I was 17 or so) I was 285lbs of flabbiness (and I’m only 5’8"). I started running, working out on a regular basis, and my the time i was 21-22, I was hooked. Consider me a gym rat. I went from a 44inch waist to a 32-33inch waist, from XXL shirts to a Sm-Med, and my arms were more defined. I was pumped to see my biceps pop up. Loved it. (although my chest has the hardest time getting defined…I’ll get to that later)

So, this past August, I move to the Caribbean. A couple months before that,I realized where I was going and spent alot of time partying with friends and family. I depart for St. Kitts closer to 180lbs. So I’ve been down here without a gym, with the weirdest available food selection, and alcohol flowing freely. 8 months later, I now weigh 210 lbs (36-37inch waist). DOH!

So, I find a gym, finally. I decide to say “screw this”, and want to get back to busting my ass and making myself more fit than ever. I just have a few problems. Protein shakes aren’t an option…getting them shipped here costs a freaking buttload. Eating options are very weird. I’ve figured I’ll go with tuna, fish, soy protein burgers…Beef isn’t very safe down here and chicken (my holy grail when i was losing weight) is too damn expensive.

Also, even at my lightest, my chest wasn’t defined very well. It’s always been a hard area for me to get in shape. I’m at the point now where I don’t even like to take my shirt off at the beach.
I decided while I’d love to lose 20-30 lbs, I don’t think I want 165lbs. again. I think I could look pretty well built at like 175lbs, 5’8".

Is there any workout advice for cutting fat, building muscle?

Any nutritional advice for my weird situation regarding food?

Any specific plans to target my man boobs?

I’d love the advice from you guys. I’m always open to learning. I’ve read tons of magazines and books, and am looking for as much help as possible.

Feel free to ask me questions, and to be brutally honest.

I finally got back to the gym yesterday, and noticed the weights feel a bit heavier than 8 months ago…but that’s okay, I’ll puch forward. Currently, I’m restricting myself to 1500 calories (just started again with the diet yesterday), working on getting my protein between 70-100 grams, same with carbs. Fat grams usually roll in at about 20-25 a day.

This may seem a bit low, but remember, I gain fat easily, have been very fat, and those fat cells have good memory. I want to lose the fat, but want to make muscle gains. I’m afraid of just losing mass and getting smaller but still being flabby when I take my shirt off.

I’m sure I forgot some details, but I’m excited to get going.

Help me out. Thanks.
-Johndogg

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I also forgot to mention that the gym I go to has plenty to offer. One problem is that I don’t have someone to spot me there, most of time.

I decided DB presses and such, as opposed to the bench, could be the way to go…and to go at it safely.

Thanks again for the input.

-Johndogg

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move

nope, kidding.
You have your work cut out for you. I assume you have access to a lot of raw foods. Study John Berardi’s diets, they are based around raw foods. Focus you lifting efforts on old school, I guess. It sounds like you have a gym but it is limited. Explore all the make and do it yourself type options you can. Explore all options regarding bodyweight evercises. There are tons of resources out there and you’d be surprised what you can find.

If you’re gonna be there long, buy some chickens. That’s right I told you to become farmer. One, it’s something to do. Two, you can eat the eats and eventually some meat. Three, you shovel chicken shit everyday, you’ll lose those man boobs. For the extra party bonus you can get your conditionng by chasing the chicken around the pen like in the Rocky movie.

If you just follow what you already know is right, get off the couch and stop drinking, the rest will follow.

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Before you decide to go at those soy burgers do hit the Search button over to the left or up there and search for “Soy”

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No way you looked good when you could fit into sm/med shirts. Get damn strong and properly fill out an XL or bigger and you won’t have any problem with your chest.

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Thanks for the link on soy…I guess that changes that.

Any advice on how often is too often for cardio? I read the article “100 Workouts from Ripped City”, and planned on running in the morning, probably like 6:30 or 7 (my job allows for that), and then working out/lifting around 3 or 4.

I’m having a hard time figuring out when, how much, and how often I should do cardio. Fortunately, living on a Caribbean island allows for early morning cardio almost everyday outdoors in comfort and great scenery.

Any suggestions also, from anyone out there, on a workout program that will incorporate the fat burning of cardio, without compromising the rebuilding of my muscle? And reccomendations on which muscle groups to target and when would also be greatly useful.

Like I said before, I know how to burn fat/mass. You don’t go from nearly 300 lbs. to 165 (actually, 159 at the lowest) without a clue. Unlike the last time I got to my lowest weight, I’d like to build more muscle, as opposed to just losing fat, muscle and mass altogether.

I seem to have a hard time doing both.

If I’m confusing anyone, I’ll attempt to make it clearer.

Is 1500 good, well balanced, useful calories too few for what I’m doing?

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!

-Johndogg

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What about eggs?

Pork?

[quote]Somebody wrote:
Before you decide to go at those soy burgers do hit the Search button over to the left or up there and search for “Soy”[/quote]

I’d rather eat some soy protein than only fish.

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This is me, pretty much at my fittest.

Ignore the pink flower on the shirt, it was a funny joke but I guess you had to be there.

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Pork is very hit or miss down here. I can get it on occasion, but can’t count on it.

Eggs can happen, and not too expensively.

Do you reccomend the whole thing, or just the white?

Is the best/healthiest way to eat it just hardboiled?

I know eggs (with the yolk) are high in fat. I’m also aware they are quite the power-packed food.

How much would be too much, and does their high fat content hurt my ability to lose body fat?

An example of a daily food plan, that I can achieve:

breakfast- I had some protein bars shipped to me in a care package, they’ll run out, but for the time being that’s my breakfast…290 cal, 35 protein, 7 fg, 20 carbs

…and some coffee, just black.

mid a.m.- apple or banana

lunch- chunk white canned tuna, with low fat miracle whip (1.5g/serving), chopped up onion, maybe some sliced pickles, some mustard, in a wheat pita

mid-pm- post workout banana, or apple, maybe a nature valley granola bar(at home, this would have been protein shake time)

…i’ve also found good, low-fat cottage cheese on occasion

dinner: grilled tilapia, green beans…or maybe a soy burger in a wheat pita…

if money is good, I’ll have Campbell’s turkey chili sometimes…but it’s about $4 U.S. a can thanks to import tax.

Anyway, let me know where I can improve.

Thanks,
Johndogg

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This is me a couple weeks ago, at work in a chopper.

Obviously, I’m alot softer.

I know, I know, I’m not jacked in any pics, I just wanted to get you guys an idea.

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Hey Dude. Ive been to that Island a couple of times and worked out at the gym that ben Johnson trained at.
There is absolutely no excuse for becoming fat on an island.
You have got so much fish and veggies there that you could look fantastic.

Do you want to tell me you can’t afford chicken in St. Kitts? What are you a fucking refugee from New York?
There is absolutely everything you want on the island…the problem my son is the booze and the rest of the party supplies that are easy to get into.

Your problem is discipline and not a problem getting food.
I wish i had your problem on a cold winter day.
Eat right and hit the gym at least 4 times a week. Some sprints on the beach 3 times a week will trim you down to size.

It’s a beautiful island you lucky sob.
I’m fucking jealous.
Oh…by the way…what kind of chopper is that? A Robbie 44?

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[quote]Johndogg wrote:
This is me a couple weeks ago, at work in a chopper.

Obviously, I’m alot softer.

I know, I know, I’m not jacked in any pics, I just wanted to get you guys an idea.[/quote]

On second look it’s not a Robinson.

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Grey, I appreciate your bluntness. It’s the stuff I like to hear.

Chicken has gotten extremely expensive down here (usually like 10 U.S. for 3 small breasts lately), and I’m not exactly making millions (quite the opposite actually, but it is what it is…) Bird flu, costs of shipping etc. have hurt the market(or whatever other B.S. they’ll feed us). Having said that, the rest you said is true.

The chopper listed is a Eurocopter EC-155B…It is something else.

Any other advice, let me know…

-Johndogg

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Cottage cheese is good stuff.

Eggs are your new best friend (you said they’re cheap). They are a great source of protein. Try to avoid eating them raw.
Whites versus whole? Depends on nutrition goals.

IMO, the 3 best diets for you are:

Lowery’s Temporal Nutrition (2 articles and an FAQ)
Berardi’s 7 steps
or
T-Dawg

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Thanks Nomancer…

Any advice on targeting the chest?

How far can I push it without overtraining?

I want to gain muscle and burn fat…I’m not going to look at a scale for a little while, in an effort to get the total picture better…muscle ways more than fat, ofcourse, so if my waistsize gets smaller and smaller,muscles bigger and I weigh the same, I am doing something right I suppose…
I’m gathering the weight number isn’t the most important thing right now…or maybe I’m wrong…I’d love to work on getting jacked, I just am afraid I won’t get rid of the fat/flab.

So I’m guessing egg whites for now.

I’m still guessing what my best routine/calorie intake should be, but the input has been great so far.

Thanks,
Johndogg

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IMO, overtraining is, well, over rated. If people can do Waterburys High Frequency System with out over traning, or if elite atheltes can do the ammount of exercise that they do without overtraining, you should just completly ignore overtraining.

From the sounds of things, mabey you should work on losing your fat, and then gaining back some muscle.

As for a routine? This spreadsheet should make it simple:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=615935

As for targeting your chest? Just don’t forget to do bench press, etc. Mabey add in an extra set or 2 at the end of cable crossovers or flyes or some chest specific exercise.

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Remember, eat fat to lose fat. I’m sure you know the story about healthy fats lowering body fat cotent etc. Get your hands on some olive oil if you can. Have a few tablespoons a day, and you’ll want to up your protein to make sure you keep your muscle mass. I would say 150-200 grams of protein would do the trick. Make sure you get plenty of veggies and fruits, which I’m guessing are quite readily available right now. I would also recommend getting all the fish you can get; lean, fatty, whatever. The fatty fish (like salmon)will get you some Omega-3 and other very helpful healthy fats that you would normally be lacking. Otherwise, work hard with the compound lifts and sprinting, and you should be solid. Lucky bastard. (and don’t forget you got articles from John Berardi and Lonnie Lowery at your fingertips)

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What’s up guys…quick question…

There was a post earlier in this thread stating to focus on my chest, I could add a couple chest sets at the end of a workout.

Today’s workout was very leg oriented. I did Squats, Leg press, good mornings, barbell squats, calf raises on the leg press and the hammy curl. I also did some abs work at the end.

I did different set/reps on different exercises, and did super sets with the opposite muscles.

The workout 2 days go (yesterday was an off day, although I did play basketball in the 90 degree heat for an hour and a half), was chest and arms.

Would it have been against the generally good advice to do a couple chest sets at the end of this workout, today? My arms/chest were still a bit sore, but I could have pushed through it.

I played beach volleyball for almost 3 hours today,in the heat so I upped my calorie intake to around 1900 calories.(And drank a freaking buttload of water) I got through the games with the aid of a caffeine pill taken an hour before…And i was good to go. (I’m competitive in a league down here, had to get it movin fellas…)
I also found canned, in water, pink salmon for a good price. Made a great sandwich/protein boost midday.

Let me know how this sounds, as a start.

As always, honesty is appreciated.

-Johndogg

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Okay, so life has given me a lemon, and I’ve decided to make some high protein lemonade.

The St. Kitts government isn’t the biggest fans of white people from the good ole U.S. of A. Long story short, they changed their #1 priority from Sugar Cane production to tourism, and they want all the jobs to go to locals who don’t know their ass from their elbow in the business world. The transition has been ugly, and in cases like mine, there are work permits/VISAs pending and Americans stuck in the middleground.

So, I am currently in limbo. I’m not working, and won’t be working for 2 months atleast (most likely). I’ll still be down here, with my girl, and will make ends meet no problem. But here’s where you guys come in.

Without work (aside from this weekend in which I’ll be volunteering both days), I will have a good couple of months to just work my body. I am not against working out everyday, I have been back to the gym now for a week, so the rust is off, and I’m ready to go. I’m going to use these months to get myself in as great as shape as humanly possible. I figure, why not use the free time in the best way possible.

The gym I now have access too has everything I need. I also have a sea & ocean to swim in. I am on a flag football team, beach volleyball team and softball team to keep.

With those activities, free time, a good gym, and my willingness, I should be able to do something special. I am ready and willing, and would love your advice.

Alot of you have said how nice it must be for hollywood stars to have all day to get in great shape…Well here I am, no hollywood star, but with the time to do it.

Here’s a rundown of what I know about myself:

I get myself committed to things very easily. I’ve always been athletic. I am hard headed enough to break rules and have results better than the norm. I have made major body changes in the past, and am not afraid of doing it again. I also don’t get burnt out from the gym very easily. I could work out everyday, jog every morning if need be.

I just need direction. I’ve always feared over-training, but am starting to see that might slightly be overrated. I have come to find I workout better on a split program than a total body workout, and I NEED TO BUFF UP MY CHEST. That is number 1.

I am tired of “moobs”. I need to lose some fat, and want to gain muscle. Alot of muscle.I am not in great shape right now,but know I can do it. Also, as of right now, squats and benches are tough, b/c I don’t have a gym partner for spotting. I have done alot with DB’s for that reason, and have used a “squat machine”.

So let me know, what you guys would do, in my situation.

Remember, I don’t have access to protein powders, supplements etc… When I get back to the states at the end of the summer, I will stock up on some things (that will be another topic when it nears), but that’s it.

Diet advice, workout advice, cardio advice, anything. Help me get me in the best shape of my life.

It’ll keep me focused in the time where I’ll need something to keep me focused.

No more excuses.

Thanks in advance,
Johndogg

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It seems that you have the time to go through the archives here.

Also, if you’ve got time, take a look at WHFS. The only problem with that is you might not recover enough without eating properly.