Oh well! That means more time for me to get in tip top shape!

Your post reminded me of Jack Lalanne:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_lalane

This guy's amazing, as always your posts further inspire me and has made me more optimistic on my physique outlook into my 30s, 40s, 50s and many years past that. Most of us recent college grads do tend to blow up or jello out cause of inactivity… just have to force discipline onto yourself, since it'll pay off so much in the long run.
Also…. what is your opinion of swimming? How should one do HIIT in the pool, since I'd like to be able to get in about an hr of hard cardio a week, mixing steady state with HIIT. Do you think swimming should be more on the steady state, or the HIIT? Thanks man.

I recommend that everyone exercises in a fasted state. This is the best way to get and stay lean. At the bottom of this site in the footer is the link: Low Body Fat Percentage. Click on that. It outlines the exact type of strategic cardio I recommend for everybody.

Eric,

I do much better working out in the evening. Some people do better in the morning. If the evening works best for you, I would go back to that.

Kris,

Don't gain too much size too quickly, whether it is muscle, fat, a combo, etc. If you are 17, you will naturally fill out over time. Here is what I would do, maybe allow yourself just 3 months during the year to add a bit of mass…then spend the rest of the year staying lean and mean. It will take you a bit longer to reach a larger size this way, but you will look great the entire time. The last thing you want at your age is to get the cheesy bulky look…this is the time where you are suppose to look your best and date a ton of young women

Cheech,

I think Abercrombie Models are responsible for putting the focus on the lower abs and this "V" area. It is the muscle that starts above your hip bone and runs along your lower abs.

Caleb,

I also don't recommend any lower pec work. I have a post on that here… Square Pecs. Great site you have going there!

Rusty

You're right about thinking about the future, I'm only 22 but I know that putting on tons of mass probably isn't the BEST idea.

Guys like Sly Stallone look pretty good with a lot of mass, but you know he does his cardio too.

One of the biggest things to "sag" as men get older is their pecs, especially bodybuilders get "droopy pecs".

Pavel recommends not working on your lower chest at all. Doing minimal flat bench and incline bench and presses overhead to combat this. (Much like the physiques weightlifters of old had!)

Best,
Caleb

one thing i was wondering, though, was what exactly is that "v muscle near the hip bones " and how is it trained? if it'll take me years to get it looking good, then the sooner i start the better

thanks,

cheech

Is this a bad idea to bulk up? 30 pounds is a lot but i'm planning to maintain a clean bulk and then once i cut down, i'm staying that way. From reading about what you say about fat cells it made me wonder if i should just work out, diet a lil bit and just keep my body fat low and wait till i grow up to acctually get the "brad pitt" look lol?

Bulking up and then cutting just sounds better cause i can be "wider/bigger" and then once im bigger i can just go ahead and work that body fat down.

THANKS a lot for any responses, and i'd be GLAD to get your email to discuss this maybe a lil bit. It's a lot of hard work, so i want to do the right thing.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/

Need your help! I had followed your program of working out in the evening and eating little thru the evening then when my kids went back to school had to workout in the am . When I started to workout in the am on empty stomach I lost some weight but I think I lost some muscle as well. Lost quite a bit of strength and muscle now I need to lose a lot of weight but do you think I should go back to workout in evening? Thanks for your input.

What would you recommend for someone who is very overweight? Should we do HIIT starting out? what about working out on empty stomach in the am… ?

Yeah…the mid 30's seems to be the point where everything really comes together. I completely agree.

Methuselah,

Amen brother…that is the biggest message I try to give with this site…get fit and healthy without just trying to gain maximum amounts of muscle. You will feel and look much better for it!

Nick,

That is a great idea. I always get solid ideas for posts due to comments like this. Speaking of working out 5 days per week, I need to exercise a bit more. I have really enjoyed time away from the gym this summer, but now it is time to focus hard for the next 6-9 months. I am much more consistent in the fall and winter.

Adam,

Two months is about the right amount of time to hit your fat loss goals. What is funny is that it won't happen at an even rate. All of the sudden you will build up what I call "fat loss momentum" and you will begin to drop fat like crazy. You are certainly taking the right approach!

Bill (Fitness Guy),

Great point about focusing on different things as you get older. I like your approach about just being as efficient as possible when getting in a good workout. It doesn't take that much time to look and feel good, but it is totally worth it.

Mark (Mark's Daily Apple),

People don't know how fit you actually were 20+ years ago (although you are still just as fit). I'm going to make sure and add a couple of points about you to the end of this post. You are a role model to a bunch of us…and are too modest to put some of this stuff on your own site.

DownSouth,

Great to hear from ya buddy. I didn't know you were down with the Cougars Just two words when it comes to that…Demi Moore. She is a beautiful woman.

eric,

I agree with Brad Pilon on a lot of stuff. I do like cardio…A LOT…More than most of the fitness authors on the Internet. You can look pretty decent without it, but I think it will give you an extra edge and sharpness that is hard to achieve without it. Plus, I'm all about being functionally fit…so I want to be able to run a few miles without feeling like I'm dying. I'm certainly not a marathon cardio type person…but intervals followed by steady state cardio makes the body look and feel terrific. There are several ways to achieve a certain look, but I like it to be backed up by a certain level of fitness as well.

Jennifer,

Yeah…it makes it mentally easier if you think that all you have to do is get in good shape once in your life. Get the hard part out of the way now and reap the rewards for a lifetime. It makes sense to me!

Mike M,

Very cool…another Class of 88' guy! My hair was awful back then…LOL! People who graduated in the mid to late 80's had some funny looking senior pictures. The same thing can be said of the late 70's. Anyway…great job on dropping all that weight. That is impressive! It will help a bunch when you play basketball as well.

Yash,

If you follow this advice and get in great shape now, you better save and invest a decent amount of money. You are going to live a long and healthy life. It is a great challenge to have. You are right about people in their mid 20's. The ones that typically look great at that age played sports throughout high school and consistently stayed active for their entire lives. So they have put a lot of time in to get their look.

WarnerK,

I love the idea of "old man strength". This is so true. If you have ever seen the forearms of a 50 year old construction worker or laborer, you will see a ton of muscle detail and density that is extremely rare in younger people. I'll have to look up that article.

Helder,

Yep…we get to define our own lives…we don't have to follow any preconceived notion of what our lives should look like. There is no reason that you can't be healthy and active well into your mid 80's and early 90's…basically until your journey on this earth ends.

Tom,

I understand where you are coming from. For a hard gainer, it doesn't hurt to focus on putting on a bit of muscle for a short period of time. The main thing is to not go overboard and keep feeling that you need to add more and more size. Once you get the size you are after, then you will appreciate the tips and techniques I talk about on my site. You will feel wonderful knowing that you look more and more defined each and every passing year. Plus you will feel "light on your feet"…people who have been doing HIIT for a number of years know what feeling I'm talking about.

BurritoKid,

Not a chance I'd show you my high school pics. Graduating in the late 80's was brutal. The styles were terrible back then! I'll see if I can find college pictures. By the early 90's the grunge movement hit hard in Seattle and my clothes and hair style weren't embarrassing.

Dr Ron (Zrii),

Good point. I can't emphasize it enough…bulk doesn't age well. It is best to "tighten up" and lean down sooner rather than later. In fact, it is my opinion that people look best at any age with that slim "Hollywood" physique.

lebus,

Your face will lean out over time if you stay lean. The good thing is that you probably look young for your age, which is a great thing once you reach 30 going forward.

Nancy,

Very cool. My best friend's sister in law is your same age and she puts us all to shame when it comes to being fit. She bikes to work 2 hours per day, each way! It is insane, but she loves to do it. We live in Seattle and she does this year round, even in the rain. There are some exceptionally fit people out there, people just need to keep their eyes open. You are probably a big inspiration to a lot of people. Keep up the great work!

Awesome Comments Everyone!

Rusty