Tall and Skinny guys.

[straight eight]

I'm right there with you guys...
Im 6'5" and just recently gained a couple pounds putting me at 195.
I live alone and I dont like eating alone, so I rarely eat enough. Ive been supplementing with protein shakes and MRD's.

I havent been doing much cardio but I think it would help burn off the little 'spare tire' I have. Correct?
I mean, I can max out the ab crunch machine at 130# but I still have a layer of fat hiding my abs. Sestiions?


I work out on machines at the gym 3-4 times a week. I want to gain strength before attacking the free weights. Is this the right thinking?

Also, I've been curious about the difference between us nad the shorter guys: Is it easier for them to lift more because they have a shorter movement range?
Is it because our muscles are so long that we can lift the same amount but they show better definition? (look bulkier)

Should I be getting more carbos?

Thanks for any advice.

[BoardLurker]

Cardio would help the spare tire. Definately. Try the treadmill for 20 minutes. Up it one minute each day. That way you start slow enough to not get you to stop while building serious minutes eventually.

Personally, I think that shorter people have an easier time lifting the weights. Also, they get quicker results. DAMN THEM! :D Seriously though, we tend to look more impressive when we have an equal amount of size.

[ccoffman85]

yes, its definitely easier for shorter ppl to gain. #1 they've got a shorter distance to go... that alone will make them bulky if they lift. i mean, ive got a 17 year old friend thats about 5'7''-5'9''..around 215lbs. ...the boy has extremely short arms and a really massive chest (after working out for quite some time). now he's able to bench over 400. i believe the last i saw him do was like 415. the funny part is... his fully extended bench is about 6-7 inches shorter than mine and im getting like 200. and he's made all these gains within about 3 years time. over the past couple months, ive seen him gain over 50 pounds on his bench press. thats a lot of weight to gain on the bench in 2 months. but that goes back to the shorter ppl gain quicker, and have much better results. us taller ppl (im 6'4'' myself....around 200lbs) are usually more prone to having that toned, defined look; whereas, the shorter, stockier ppl almost always get that bulky look if they lift hard.


about getting your definition in the abs to stand out.... i myself dont have a six pack...not that interested in getting one. but something that usually kills ppl when it comes to getting thats six pack is their diet. to much bread and sugars.... the carbs will go straight to your stomach and get stored as fat. i would sest some cardio early in the morning before breakfast because your more prone to burn calories cause of the empty stomach. and definitely watch your diet. stay away from the sweet and junk food, and even a lot of bread. dont cut them out totally....but be careful of the amount you eat.

[Horse]

I'm quite a skinny guy. I always have been, and becoming vegetarian 2 years ago hasn't helped. I've recently started drinking supplement shakes. I'm hoping to gain more protein and carbos and build it into muscle with my work out routine. I guess i'm just sick of being skinny!!

You mentioned that you had a flabby waist? If you use a tread-mill, you are getting a good aerobic work out, but it is harder to burn fat because you aren't moving your abs / stomach. I saw this principle explained in an infomercial for an ab-exercising machine. You sit on the machine and roll your midsection all the way round. This works the whole circumference of the waist and burns fat!

[GIS]

I dunno about the claim that you need to do extensive ab work in order to lose fat around the waist.

First off, it was on an infomertial. :-) Indeed, doing a ton of crunches will burn a little fat, but you will mostly be developing your abs causing them to appear more defined.

Studies have shown that if you are running on a treadmil, once you have reached an aerobic threshold and your body begins burning fat, it draws fat from the entire body including the stomach. Larger muscles burn more energy (fat) than smaller, and the abdominal muscles are MUCH smaller than the legs. Work a solid abdominal routine into your workout, but don't think that just doing crunches and fancy ab machines will result in the improvements you are looking for. They will tone, but not necessarily burn fat. Consider holding fairly light weights when jogging in order to incorporate some additional muscles (and hence burn more fat), but even the muscles of the shoulders and arms arn't large enough to make much of a difference.

--> Finally, it takes most people at least 30 minutes of jogging before they begin burning fat, so make sure you workout for around 45 minutes continuously to make much of an impact. Anything up to 30 minutes and you are generally just burning the carbohydrate stores of the body and not fat. HOWEVER, work your way up to this amount of time... don't jump from 20 minutes to 45 and kill yourself.

[straight eight]

Thanks for the ideas GIS

Im doing 30 minutes on the treadmill now. I'll keep stepping up my time little bit each session (as Boardlurker sested) to reach 45 minutes. The stair step machines really kick my butt.

I started with 5 minutes on a stair machine and my legs felt like stumps for a while afterwards. I dont like the dizzying effect I get from the treadmill, but I will keep at it.

Horse: Ive been using protein powders for a while, but I dont think Im eating enough regular food. So Im not thrilled with the gains so far, tho there are some. Hopefully my job situ will change and Ill have more of a chance to eat more during the day.

'Yanks' to all for your input... Yank you, yank you.

[BoardLurker]

Dude, if you feel dizzy and/or lightheaded, STOP! Seriously. That's not a good sign.

[straight eight]

Boardlurker:

I mean after I get off the machine. Its like Ive been on a boat all day. Just my first few steps seem like the floor should move on its own... know what I mean? Maybe dizzy isnt the right word.

I feel like Im walking like cat with a balloon between its legs. But I think its just the fact that Im used to the action o f the treadmill. It clears up in a few minutes.

[BoardLurker]

OK. That sounds better, but I'd still be careful. Definately a scary thing.

[GIS]

Everybody gets dizzy after running on a tredmill, myself included. One way to avoid it is after your workout, slowly reduce the speed until you are walking slowly. For example, say you want to run for 45 minutes. Set the timer for 47 minutes but after 45 minutes gradually reduce the speed by several tenths of a mile and hour at a time until it's at like 1 MPH then stop. This should solve the dizzy problem and it's very important to have a good cool down.

Also, when training don't worry about switching machines by doing something like 25 minutes on a stationary bike and 25 minutes on a tredmill. It's best to stay arobic and have your heart rate consistantly elevated. Furthermore, I'd stay away from stairstepers. They aren't very good for aerobic exercise and they have a tendency to induce lower back problems.

This brings me to one additional point. It's best to go at about 65% of your max heart rate. One rule of thumb is that while you're running, you should have enough breath to hold a simple convorsation. Obviously you want to be working hard, but some people go out there and run balls out. Oxygen is one of the key elements to burning fat so make sure you breath, breath, breath. I try to hold my heart rate at about 140 when I jog.

On a final note, working out does no good without a little determination and effort, so work hard!