<p>the caloric deficit is NOT wholly true. by burning the "sugar" now (i.e. glycogen levels), you won't burn fat later. if anything, it will eat away at the muscle fibers when you're that drained. all calories are not created equal. </p>
<p>if you're trying to get into better shape, you're on a good start... you're actually going. make sure you keep strict form (the elbow pain when you're doing a bicep curl is likely because you are jerking with your shoulders from doing too much weight. relax on the weight if your form isn't perfect). trying to build up some muscle mass, you may be best doing 3 shorter (45minutes or so) full-body workouts per week for a little while. if you're new to the game, your aren't experienced enough and your muscles aren't prepared to get the maximum growth potential that's available with split workouts. just by lifting weights for the beginning period, say 3-4 months, you'll be wore down within an hour. If you overdo it, you'll overtrain. That's the last thing you want to happen because you'r body will eat away at itself to pull protein from the muscle fibers you just built up to repair something else... a bit counterproductive. just do the big compound movements for at least a few weeks... you'll gain more size and in turn burn more fat doing this instead of isolation movements. look at your legs, chest, and back in relation to your bicep (1/3 of your arm size). there's a huge difference... cardio doesn't burn calories... the movement of muscle does. if you gain 5% more muscle, you'll burn 5% more calories simply by being there. 1 pound of lean muscle burns i believe 7 more calories per hour being stagnant.</p>
<p>eat often!! 5-6 meals per day at least. watch the sugary carbohydrates. take a little bit post workout to restore the depleted glycogen levels, and don't go splurge on candy bars, cake, or cookies all the time. starchy carbs in the morning or early afternoon (like oatmeal, brown bread or rice), and fibrous carbs in the evening. these are things like leafy green vegetables. a few starchy carbs will be fine as well, especially when taken with protein right before you go to bed. you'll use carbohydrate energy to break down the protein to build muscle instead of breaking the protein for energy to use itself... it's just more productive to do it that way.</p>
<p>eat enough protein!! 1gm per pound of bodyweight (if you can get 1.5-2, more power to you. it's suggested for growing, but it costs so much and you have to eat so much it's not practical. 1gm/lb will get you a good base anyway), otherwise you'll be doing all that work for nothing. make sure it's quality protein as well. check the amino acid content.... as a general rule of thumb, if it doesn't give the amino acid content on the jug, don't buy it!</p>
<p>if you're going for low-intensity (target heart rate) cardio, do it after your workout. lifting weights will burn glycogen stores, and ONLY glycogen stores. cardio will burn glycogen stores and then dig into the fat cells for energy... this is where you'll actually see the difference. if you were doing it the other way, the gains you'll see will be phenomenal... you'll get more out of a 20 minute cardio session PWO than a 30-45 minute one pre, and a better weight workout as well. your other alternative is to do a short HIIT workout before weightlifting (google if you don't know what it is... high intensity interval training). this gets the blood flowing and, while probably not the best idea for trying to build muscle, will enhance your cardiovascular system. it doesn't deal with target heart rate, but fluctuating rates to continue to burn on the fat stores without tapping into the glycogen levels so much... similar to thermogenic fat loss aids (keeps body temperature and metabolism at a higher level for a few hours).</p>
<p>if you have a little bit of money to spare and this is a goal you're dedicated to, buy a few supplements. I'd recommend a good blended protein (NOT a straight whey... it's good, but not the best for the money if you're just going to buy a single jug), glutamine (amino acid... 60% of the solid fiber in the muscles is made out of this single amino acid. you'll build better, take longer to reach a catabolic stage, and your immune system will be higher. if you don't supplement glutamine when you work out, the body uses the glutamine it has to build muscle instead of fight off sickness. oh, and as an added bonus, you won't be near as sore for the same period of time!), and a good multivitamin.</p>
<p>let me know if you need me to go into more detail. good luck on your quest to look good nekkid.</p>
<p>pm me if you need any advice on brand quality or cost/benefit. i manage a sports nutrition store.</p>
<p>good luck on your quest to look good nekkid. it's a lifestyle change, so don't base it soley on your gains by the end of summer. you'll make some great gains if you do it right, and will continue to do so in the future. (for perspective, i put on 40 lbs in 4 months and went from 11% to 8% bodyfat. note that this is beginner gains and the trend slows down dramatically from there. i ate a lot of food, took my protein shakes religiously, 5g glutamine in each shake, and my vitamins every day. worked out hard every time i went, and made sure to do everything right to the best of my ability.)</p>