exercises to get strong, lean

<p>i exercise for a number of reasons, including for the sake of health itself, and to lose some unnecessary pounds...esp before college!</p>

<p>so, i was wondering how one trims down to a very lean, sinewy physique.</p>

<p>i've already got tons of cardio (to burn off fat), light muscle toning, yoga and light swimming in mind. any other exercise suggestions? dieting suggestions?</p>

<p>i hope people dont take this only in the superficial way. of course, ppl exercise to look good, but ive realized after some bad experiences with abusing my body that being healthy and taking care of myself is really the only way to go. so, in an effort to make myself over in time for summer and develop solid exercise habits before college...im asking for everyone's help!</p>

<p>Talk to Greg Anderson...he'll point you in the right direction.</p>

<p>who's that? greg anderson?</p>

<p>He's the guy who helped Barry Bonds become strong. There are side effects...you're head starts to grow - literally.</p>

<p>--Disclaimer--</p>

<p>I'm talking from the POV of one who burns ~3500-4000 calories/day, not your average joe, so some of what I say might not apply...</p>

<p>Nutrition is half the battle...</p>

<p>Literally... It won't matter how much you work out, if you don't eat right, you'll never get as much strength/endurance/stamina as you can.</p>

<p>Whole Grains are HUGE!</p>

<p>Inexperienced dieters emphasize fruits and vegetables too much IMO... while salads and apples are excellent for health, they're basically nothing except water and fiber... the result? You feel full after eating a gigantic salad... and then you get hungry 30 minutes later.</p>

<p>Whole grains give you a better sense of fullness on less food...</p>

<p>Actually, just look at the old food guide pyramid, it sums it all up.</p>

<p>If you want to be lean and sinewy but don't want to lose your muscle mass off of cardio, you also need about 1 g protein/ kg weight each day...</p>

<p>Eggs are the best for protein (but cholesterol is a concern...)
Lean chicken meat is also really good
Believe it or not, broccoli is also an excellent protein source.</p>

<p>^^^ How in hell's name do you burn that many calories? Do you sprint 6 miles a day or something?</p>

<p>^can you even burn 3000 calories sprinting 6 miles a day?</p>

<p>Probably not! it would probably have to be more like 25 miles of hard core sprinting.</p>

<p>thats really not an unreasonable number at all for an active late adolescent male. I believe guys age 16-19 if they are maintaining basic exercise require at least 2500 calories. Now if you're a varsity athlete or a serious lifter, you could easily require close to twice as many calories. My best friend is a serious lifter, and he is easily eating that many calories (3 huge meals+snacks+protein bars+protein shakes), and as a DI athlete myself, I was eating 3 big meals, or 4 normal sized meals a day during season.</p>

<p>this is all interesting. my game plan, as of now, is probably going to include those exercises i originally wrote up top, and limiting myself to three meals a day, no snacks.</p>

<p>Actually, eating five or six small meals per day is preferable to three larger ones... it keeps your metabolism high and your blood sugar stable.</p>

<p>im thinking about running twice a day...in the hopesthat i can look like all those cross country runners who are so sinewy and lean.</p>

<p>silly me, I did a total miscalculation/assumption on what College<em>Here</em>I_Come was saying. I thought he meant that he burns 3500-4000 calories a day above and beyond his BMR. Guys with above average muscle mass (large football players, wrestlers, bodybuilders) have higher BMR's so burning 3500 calories a day is quite normal. Now, if he was burning 3500-4000 above BMR, then I'd be dropping my jaw like no other.</p>