My theory

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ORIGINAL: Wyrms

I demand this thread be a sticky.

Great job guys.

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ORIGINAL: brihead301

Call me crazy, but I think that 85% of the posts on here are about people worrying way too much about minute details and failing to see the big picture.  People worrying about macronutrient ratios, going to weddings and possibly missing a meal, going to a party and missing a couple hours of sleep, etc.... I'm guilty of some of these things myself. 

true but thats cause most people here know the basics and are looking for those little tips. its really annoying to me when ppl ask such basic general questions like "how can i get big/lose fat"

Here's my theory, and it's been working very well for me:

The most important aspect of bodybuilding is good habits.  Get into good habits and you can't do anything but improve yourself over time.  Cut back on eating crappy foods, start eating lots of good foods, try your best to eat healthy foods every 3 hours, try not to skip meals, lift weights regularly, try not to skip workouts, every time you go to the gym try to do at least one thing better then you did the last time. whether it means adding more weight, decreasing the rest times, or adding an extra rep or two.

true

These are all things that most of the people on this forum do anyway.  We try to eat healthy, we eat frequently, and we train reguarly.  I don't think that we need to worry about the minor mess ups that happen.  You go out with your friends and have some pizza...so what.  You miss a workout...so what.  You're up all night with your new girlfriend, and you miss a nights sleep....so what.  Just don't make these things an everyday thing and it won't have a single negative effect on your gains.  

The real gains come over time - years and years of good habits.  Living a lifestyle of heatlhy, frequent eating and weight training regularly will give you an amazingly good physique over time.  If you try to go to the gym 3 days a week, that's 156 workouts in a year.  Say you skip 25 of those workouts...You still worked out 131 times that year!!! That's a lot more then most people do.  If you attempt to work out 4 or 5 times a week, then the numbers look even better. 

idk skipping 25 workouts is alot, thats 1 every 2 weeks. im sure u'd still get some good gains but i would rather do all i can

Say you try to eat 6 healthy meals a day, everday, that's 2,184 healthy meals you're attempting to eat that year!!!  Now say you cheat 200 times over the year....You're still eating 1,984 healthy meals that year!  That's a lot better then most people can say considering most don't even eat any healthy meals a day.  Not to mention the fact that most people's energy balances are all screwed up from constantly skipping meals, especially breakfast.  Our metabolisms are lightning fast from all the good, frequent eating we do.  A few cheats here and there are gonna get burned right up by the fat-burning machines we've made out of ourselves. 

man ive had 12 cheat meals for this entire year and thats only when i've had no other choice. (yes obsessive lol)

Here's the real killer....I don't even think counting calories is necessary.  It's only necessary for the first month or so to get an idea of how much you need to eat to meet your caloric needs for the day, but even then I don't even think it's necessary.  If you want to lose fat - lift weights, eat small, frequent, healthy meals and give it time and your body will shape up nicely.  If you want to gain weight, eat more everyday and lift heavy weights.  If you don't gain weight after a few weeks, eat more!!! 

for bulking true, even alot of competing BBers dont count calories then. but if u wanna really get to low bf% counting calories is usually necessary

So here's the simple solution to get in great shape - eat small, healthy meals frequently, lift heavy weights, and stick to it.  If you mess up somewhere along the way, who cares!!!  Forget about it, and continue to and eat your small, frequent, healthy meals and lift heavy weights and you will slowly but surely continue to look much better then your McDonalds-eating friends.

Worry about all the crazy little technical macronutrient ratio cycling details when you think you're ready to step on stage and compete.

o ok just seeing ur note now about when competing

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ORIGINAL: brihead301

Here's the real killer....I don't even think counting calories is necessary. It's only necessary for the first month or so to get an idea of how much you need to eat to meet your caloric needs for the day, but even then I don't even think it's necessary. If you want to lose fat - lift weights, eat small, frequent, healthy meals and give it time and your body will shape up nicely. If you want to gain weight, eat more everyday and lift heavy weights. If you don't gain weight after a few weeks, eat more!!!

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ORIGINAL: David1991

toolman do u write down the weight/reps/etc... u lifted during ur workouts?

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ORIGINAL: toolman4052

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ORIGINAL: David1991

toolman do u write down the weight/reps/etc... u lifted during ur workouts?

yeahp... sometimes they're estimations tho cuz i cant remember everything when i get done...

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ORIGINAL: David1991

o ok, i just do it during the actual workout which is what i meant. ur way seems more fun tho lol but how when u walk into the gym do u know what your going to be doing or kind of just do what u feel like?