The Official Hype Fitness Thread

[Colossal Spoons]

That'd be like 2 hours of cardio to burn that off.

[Holly Goodhead]

God I cant eat anything now. :csad:

I dont eat meat, cheese is the only dairy I like.

Im just going to eat cilantro.

[Colossal Spoons]

I hear chewing on lettuce is better.

[Holly Goodhead]

Sometimes Ill just sit there and smell cilantro. lol

[Colossal Spoons]

WTF does that even smell like? you have superpowers if you can pick up that scent.

[Whirlysplat]

I'm obsessed with cheese.

I noticed, having read your posts.

- Whirly

[Spider-X]

My goal: bulk up and lose fat at the same time to be able to do the 100k run this upcomming spring.

My weekly workout routine:

1 and a half hours of lifting and a half hour of cardio MWF

M: Biceps, forearm and Lats/back
T: Swimming (2 hours)
W: Triceps, chest, shoulders/back
Th: Swimming (2 hours)
F: Legs
Sat: half hour of Cardio

Abs 4-5 times a week intermittently

Everyday Eating Routine:

8-9 Breakfast: oak raisin cereal or Protien shake

10-12 snack (fruit or shake)

12-2 lunch (sandwich w/ fruit)

2-5 workout followed immediately by protien shake

6-8 Dinner (chicken breast with veggies or chicken faijita or turkey burger)

8-10 2 to 3 small snacks

11-1am shake or 1 serving of cottage cheese before bed

critique me know-it-alls!!! what am i doing right and wrong...suggestions please.

[jaguarr]

My goal: bulk up and lose fat at the same time to be able to do the 100k run this upcomming spring.


Most people find it very difficult to bulk AND lose fat at the same time, to be honest. It's not impossible, but it requires a VERY disciplined diet and exercise regimine that's incredibly consistent and precise including counting calories and macro-nutrient breakdowns. Even then, it's not very easy. Most people either bulk (there's varying ways of doing this from "dirty" to "clean") or cut where their weight is concerned. Nearly everyone I've seen attempt this has wound up pretty much just stalled out on their progress and not making any major gains either way.


My weekly workout routine:

1 and a half hours of lifting and a half hour of cardio MWF


After ~60 minutes of lifting, your body starts to go catabolic which makes your workout become counterproductive. Some pro athletes can extend this time window, and so can some other folks who have proper diet and supplementation (BCAA's before, during and after a workout can help here) but for the most part you should really try to keep your workouts at 60 minutes or less to realize maximum results.


M: Biceps, forearm and Lats/back
T: Swimming (2 hours)
W: Triceps, chest, shoulders/back
Th: Swimming (2 hours)
F: Legs
Sat: half hour of Cardio

Abs 4-5 times a week intermittently



Post the exercises you do on each of those days, in the order you do them and the rep/set scheme you are using. What you posted above doesn't really tell me much.



Everyday Eating Routine:

8-9 Breakfast: oak raisin cereal or Protien shake

How about some oatmeal and some eggs? Every meal should combine either protein/carbs or protein/fats if you want to optimize muscle gain and fat loss.


10-12 snack (fruit or shake)


Fruit is fine, but combine it with some protein. Otherwise the fructose will just convert to simple sugars which will just convert to fat and muck with your insulin profile.


12-2 lunch (sandwich w/ fruit)
What kind of sandwich? How many calories are you consuming in each meal? A tool like fitday.com would be helpful for you.


2-5 workout followed immediately by protien shake

No pre-workout meal or nutrition or at least a pre-workout shake? Remember, you're shooting for 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of Lean Body Mass (LBM) over the course of each day). Your body is especially going to need this protein before, during and after your workouts.


6-8 Dinner (chicken breast with veggies or chicken faijita or turkey burger)

Good, FINALLY we see some veggies in there. :up: But again, what are your caloric breakdowns on this? And this is your first post workout meal so some complex carbs like some brown rice or yams would be very beneficial for recovery.


8-10 2 to 3 small snacks


Snacks of what? And how much?


11-1am shake or 1 serving of cottage cheese before bed


If you're consuming a whey shake prior to bedtime, it's basically a waste and could even turn to fat on you. Whey is very quickly digested into the system, so if you're laying there asleep and doing nothing, it's not going to get burned off. Stick with the cottage cheese, which is a casein protein and digests slower over the course of many hours. The idea of protein before bedtime is to feed your muscles for an extended period of time while you are sleeping to prevent catabolism, so a slower digesting protein is preferrable.


critique me know-it-alls!!! what am i doing right and wrong...suggestions please.

Let me know if you have questions.

jag

[Whirlysplat]

Quite a good routine and diet jag, I like your tips, here's my diet and routine, I'm not adding all my supps as I can't be bothered if anyone is interested let me know.


Monday
Chest pre-exhaust and triceps. 30minutes heavy Bag
Tuesday
Slam Man 30 mins, Stepper 30 mins
Wednesday
Back and Biceps. 30 mins heavy Bag
Thursday
Slam Man 30 mins, Stepper 30 mins
Friday
Shoulders and Lats, Exercise Bike 30 mins Speed Ball 15mins Heavy Bag 15mins
Saturday
Cycle Ride 60 mins
Sunday
Legs

Diet

Beakfast: Natures Path Opti Power Cereal, Bannana, 2 tins of Mackeral fillets in tomato source and some amino acid tabs or eggs instead of mackeral.

10-11 AM: Chemical Nutrition Pro MR

12 - 1:30 PM: Wholemeal Pitta, Cottage Cheese, Apple, 1 scoop Chemical Nutrition Pro Peptide.

4 - 5 PM: 200g Chicken Breast and a V shot

Pre work out shake 1 scoop Pro pep sometime a treat (this could even be a cake) :)

Post work out Pro Mr

7 - 8 PM: 20g of nuts, raisins and sunflower seeds(yummy)
or rice and a 200g steak, once a week a piece of Liver (Yummy) and a raw carrott (also yummy).

10 - 11 PM: two fishcakes and 1 scoop of propetide in Milk with honey (this is the only time I mix protein with milk, because of its sophorific properties).

1 AM: 1 scoop of pro peptide and I have another prepared for in the night in case I wake up. It's not like whey as it has fractions from milk that mean it dissolves slowly at night, but fast in the day, it's damn clever stuff.

http://www.cnpltd.com/modules/freecontent/

The listen element here is stunning

http://www.cnpltd.com/modules/wrapper.php?id=4#dorianprotein

As is this Andy Bolton's World record squat (This is hardcore)

http://www.cnpltd.com/modules/freecontent/content/AVSEQ01.mpg

Although in the old days when they were chemical warfare they were a very naughty company!!! Ask me if you're interested it's a funny story.

Why do I use chemical nutrition products, because their protein is better than just whey protein as far as nitrogen assimilation goes.

This is my general daily diet it changes a bit if I want to lose weight as I use a hypoglycemic cycle over four days increasing protein as I decrease carbs going from day one (point A) to day 4 ( point B) then returning to starting point A on day 5. I also use an exercise bike before breakfast in this situation.

- Whirly

[jaguarr]

Quite a good routine and diet jag, I like your tips,

I was just giving Spider-X some feedback on his routine and diet. I'll post mine here when I get a little time.

jag

[Whirlysplat]

I was just giving Spider-X some feedback on his routine and diet. I'll post mine here when I get a little time.

jag

I lnow you were sorry, I meant his was quite a good routine for a youngster and diet. I liked your tips for him. He's obviously had a lot of advice on it already.

- Whirly

[jaguarr]

I lnow you were sorry, I meant his was quite a good routine for a youngster and diet. I liked your tips for him. He's obviously had a lot of advice on it already.

- Whirly

Oh, gotchya. I didn't understand what you said at first because of your accent. :huh: :up:

jag

[Whirlysplat]

Oh, gotchya. I didn't understand what you said at first because of your accent. :huh: :up:

jag

That and at this time of the morning, 1:45 am, I am a lazy poster. ;)

- Whirly

[Spider-X]

Most people find it very difficult to bulk AND lose fat at the same time, to be honest. It's not impossible, but it requires a VERY disciplined diet and exercise regimine that's incredibly consistent and precise including counting calories and macro-nutrient breakdowns. Even then, it's not very easy. Most people either bulk (there's varying ways of doing this from "dirty" to "clean") or cut where their weight is concerned. Nearly everyone I've seen attempt this has wound up pretty much just stalled out on their progress and not making any major gains either way.

well crap :mad:...so what exacly is doing cardio after lifting doing to me that's so bad? is it eating away at my muscles some how?

and can i get away with doing cardio on Tues, Thurs, and Sat with my swimming? i really want to loss this little chunk i have left around my midsection and really slim down to excentuate my muscle definition.

After ~60 minutes of lifting, your body starts to go catabolic which makes your workout become counterproductive. Some pro athletes can extend this time window, and so can some other folks who have proper diet and supplementation (BCAA's before, during and after a workout can help here) but for the most part you should really try to keep your workouts at 60 minutes or less to realize maximum results.

wow, scary...good to know, thanks..i'll keep that in mind...also, now that i think of it, i aim for 1 and a half hours...but usually end up only getting an hour of lifting in before i hit the tredmill or the elliptical. but i'll definitely keep it below 60 minutes now.

Post the exercises you do on each of those days, in the order you do them and the rep/set scheme you are using. What you posted above doesn't really tell me much.

Monday

1. Lat pulldowns (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

2. Curls (3 sets of 8-20 reps)

3. i don't know the name but it works out the laterals and biceps together aswell...mainly focusing on the laterals

4. Curls of some kind again (1-3 sets of 8-20 reps)

Wednesday

1. Bench (3-5 sets of 8-10 reps)

2. Fly (i think that's what it's called, works out the chest and shoulders) (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

3. Inclines (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

4. Free weight bench lifts (i'm horrible with these names...sorry, but basically just laying flat on the bench and lifting the weights above my chest) (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

5. straight arm standing free weight pull ups (i stand straight and pull the weights up above my chest with straight arms, works upper chest and shoulders) (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

Friday

1. leg presses (3 sets 8-12 reps)

2. calf presses (3 sets 8-12 reps)

3. leg curls (3 sets 12-30 reps)

Tues and Thurs

I swim breast stroke, freestyle (or crawl...whatever you want to call it), Fly, and backstroke for, usually, 1 kilometer...and quick revision, i usually only go for an hour to and hour and a halk

How about some oatmeal and some eggs? Every meal should combine either protein/carbs or protein/fats if you want to optimize muscle gain and fat loss.
my cereal i basically dry oatmeal...it's just oat clusters, almonds, raisins, and milk...and i do need to start eating more eggs (but only the whites..right? yolk is fatty?)

Fruit is fine, but combine it with some protein. Otherwise the fructose will just convert to simple sugars which will just convert to fat and muck with your insulin profile.
what do you recommend...give me some quick little snack ideas

What kind of sandwich? How many calories are you consuming in each meal? A tool like fitday.com would be helpful for you.

wheat bread...5 slices of verying turkey with mayo and pepper jack cheese...gonna start throwing in letuce as well

No pre-workout meal or nutrition or at least a pre-workout shake? Remember, you're shooting for 1.5-2 grams of protein per pound of Lean Body Mass (LBM) over the course of each day). Your body is especially going to need this protein before, during and after your workouts.

alright...i'm on it chief.

Good, FINALLY we see some veggies in there. :up: But again, what are your caloric breakdowns on this? And this is your first post workout meal so some complex carbs like some brown rice or yams would be very beneficial for recovery.

brown rice or yams? any other suggestions? not a big brown rice or yams kinda guy...

and as far as the caloric breakdown...i'm not really incredibly disciplined as far as measuring out stuff...i just eat what and when it seems to be right for what i'm doing in eye'ly measured portions.

Snacks of what? And how much?
usually apples or fruit of some kind and/or celery with peanut butter (mmmm)


If you're consuming a whey shake prior to bedtime, it's basically a waste and could even turn to fat on you. Whey is very quickly digested into the system, so if you're laying there asleep and doing nothing, it's not going to get burned off. Stick with the cottage cheese, which is a casein protein and digests slower over the course of many hours. The idea of protein before bedtime is to feed your muscles for an extended period of time while you are sleeping to prevent catabolism, so a slower digesting protein is preferrable.

http://www.champion-nutrition.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/hwg7.gif

this is the shake i use for missed meals and before bed (and now pre-workout)...i only do whey protein after workouts

Let me know if you have questions.

jag

please give me suggestions on how to optimise my workouts...what lifts and such to do and in what order, i'm totally out of the loop on this sort of thing.

I lnow you were sorry, I meant his was quite a good routine for a youngster and diet. I liked your tips for him. He's obviously had a lot of advice on it already.

- Whirly
thanks :)....and what do you mean "youngster"? i'm frick'n 22 on the 21st of this month :confused:

[JokerNick]

Hey, I'm laid up in a hospital bed for probably the next 4 months, I prolly won't be able to hit the wieghts for a year...

I was an ative lifter for 6 years, decent size build (think Ryan Reynolds).... ho much am I going to lose.....

[Colossal Spoons]

A year off...whew :(

[LadyVader]

Well I'm on a diet and I lost 6 pounds in 4 days. Go me. Just 10 more pounds to go and I'll graduate from "flabby" to "chunky". :)

[Colossal Spoons]

Not to burst your bubble but 6 lbs in 4 days is superhuman. Have you been drinking lots of water?

[jaguarr]

Hey, I'm laid up in a hospital bed for probably the next 4 months, I prolly won't be able to hit the wieghts for a year...

I was an ative lifter for 6 years, decent size build (think Ryan Reynolds).... ho much am I going to lose.....

You're probably going to lose a great deal of it, man. All hail muscle memory, though. When you start working out again it's going to come back fast. :up: Let your body heal. That's the important thing.

jag

[jaguarr]

Well I'm on a diet and I lost 6 pounds in 4 days. Go me. Just 10 more pounds to go and I'll graduate from "flabby" to "chunky". :)

You lost water weight.

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

You lost water weight.

jag

I despise being the bearer of bad news with that statement lol.

[jaguarr]

well crap :mad:...so what exacly is doing cardio after lifting doing to me that's so bad? is it eating away at my muscles some how?
Personally, I only do a bit of cardio (20 minutes MAX) post-workout AFTER I've gotten some BCAA's (I like SciVation Xtend) and my protein shake (with maltodextrose) in me for the purposes of pushing the proteins into the bloodstream and thus into the muscle quickly and efficiently. I DON'T do it for fat loss. Save the cardio for weight loss for another day and NEVER do a lot of cardio save for enough for a warmup BEFORE you lift because you'll just burn up the glycogen's your body has stored that you'll really need for lifting.


and can i get away with doing cardio on Tues, Thurs, and Sat with my swimming? i really want to loss this little chunk i have left around my midsection and really slim down to excentuate my muscle definition.
Sure, that's exactly what I'd recommend, actually. Keep your heavy cardio on non-lift days. If you do it in the mornings before you eat (get some BCAA's in you first) your body will be at it's lowest glycogen store point of the day and will be forced to use fat as a fuel source. The real kicker to losing any little bit of fat around your midsection, though, is going to come down to diet more than anything else.


wow, scary...good to know, thanks..i'll keep that in mind...also, now that i think of it, i aim for 1 and a half hours...but usually end up only getting an hour of lifting in before i hit the tredmill or the elliptical. but i'll definitely keep it below 60 minutes now.

Good plan. Like I said, some BCAA's before, during and after your workout can help avoid this. I typically lift for 45-60 minutes and then do a little bit of cardio if I feel like it (I do a lot of heavy compound lifts that really take it out of me, so sometimes cardio after lifting doesn't happen. :D ).



Monday

1. Lat pulldowns (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

2. Curls (3 sets of 8-20 reps)

3. i don't know the name but it works out the laterals and biceps together aswell...mainly focusing on the laterals

4. Curls of some kind again (1-3 sets of 8-20 reps)

Wednesday

1. Bench (3-5 sets of 8-10 reps)

2. Fly (i think that's what it's called, works out the chest and shoulders) (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

3. Inclines (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

4. Free weight bench lifts (i'm horrible with these names...sorry, but basically just laying flat on the bench and lifting the weights above my chest) (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

5. straight arm standing free weight pull ups (i stand straight and pull the weights up above my chest with straight arms, works upper chest and shoulders) (3 sets of 8-12 reps)

Friday

1. leg presses (3 sets 8-12 reps)

2. calf presses (3 sets 8-12 reps)

3. leg curls (3 sets 12-30 reps)

Tues and Thurs

I swim breast stroke, freestyle (or crawl...whatever you want to call it), Fly, and backstroke for, usually, 1 kilometer...and quick revision, i usually only go for an hour to and hour and a halk
I'm guessing that you're wanting to add muscle, yes? Here's the feedback I gave to a guy on a bodybuilding forum I frequent. Most of it's applicable to you as well, though he was trying to run a 5 day split and is a bit older than you with some hormonal imbalance issues:

Okay, let’s start first with the routine you are running. More is not better. Better is better. You’re wanting to add muscle mass and maximize your testosterone producing side-effects from your workouts, and I suspect that the current volume you are using is working against you. It’s quite a lot and it doesn’t really give your muscles or your Central Nervous System (CNS) enough time to recover. We can’t train like we used to when we were twenty. It EFF’s us up. So, we’ve got to be smarter about it and maximize our lifting time AND our rest time, because that rest time is when the growth happens. If you’re giving your body minimal rest time after putting it under so much stress, you’re limiting your growth potential. Also, lifting to failure each and every time is only going to tax your CNS and impede your growth. It’s better to lift hard enough that on that last rep of that last set, you’re right up to the edge where you know if you had to do one or two more reps you’d hit failure, but not actually hit failure. In short, I think you’re overtraining, man.

Another thought is that you’re wanting to stimulate muscle growth and the high-repetition range really isn’t designed for that. Three sets of 6-8 reps, as heavy as you can go WITHOUT sacrificing PERFECT form (no swinging or using momentum or half-reps or any of that crap) should be plenty to tire you out and give the muscles the workout they need. And, your workouts shouldn’t be longer than an hour, tops. After 60 minutes, your body burns up its glycose levels and starts eating into the muscle and you start going catabolic, so it’s counterproductive to lift for 1.5 hours. And, you’re definitely overtraining your abs. More crunches aren’t going to show your abs or reduce your waist size. Diet and cardio will.

So, let’s look at your split and maybe construct it so that you’ll get more out of it with less effort overall. Sound good? The first thing I would do is cut down your frequency. Five days a week is an awful lot of lifting and you’re not getting enough rest time in there. If you hit a muscle group hard enough, once a week should be plenty. This is especially true for guys like you and I with low test. So, maybe we adapt it for a 3-Day Split something along these lines:

Monday: Chest/Tris/Abs
Tuesday: Cardio ONLY
Wednesday: Legs/Shoulders/Abs
Thursday: Cardio ONLY
Friday: Back/Bis/Abs
Saturday & Sunday: Rest and maybe enjoy the outdoors on like a bike ride or something.

You’d put an emphasis on compound movements and building on the pre-exhaustion by stacking the exercises so that the workout progressively allowed for that. And, you’d keep the rep range low in the 3 sets of 6-8 range, going heavy with PERFECT form. You could do the same routine with some lighter weights in a 3x10 configuration every few weeks or so to bring some periodization to the mix and keep your muscles from “learning” your routine, but otherwise, you’d just stick to heavy w/ low reps. And, you’d stick to free weights wherever possible as they help build the stabilizer muscles and allow for greater Range Of Motion (ROM) where machines don’t. So, maybe something along these lines:




Monday
Dumbbell OR Machine Incline Press: 3x8 (Try the inclines first as a way to warm up for the heavier flat DB Presses. Use free weights if you can)
Flat Dumbell Press: 3x8
Flat DB Flies – 3x8
Dips – 3x8Assisted or on a dip bar if available
Close Grip or Reverse Grip Bench – 3x8 (AWESOME tri builder)
Cross-Bench DB Pullovers – 3x8 (These are also sometimes called Skullcrushers, though that’s inaccurate because you don’t want to lift to just over your forehead, but with a fuller ROM)
Tricep Pulldowns: 3x8

Abs – 2 exercises (e.g. crunches and leg raises) – 3 sets of 20, max.

Rest 60-90 seconds MAX between sets. Get it done in 60 minutes or less. You can throw 10-15 minutes of cardio in at the end if you like, AFTER you get some BCAA’s or a protein shake in you.

Tuesday: CARDIO!

Wednesday
BB Squats OR Leg Press: 3x10 (Squats are preferable as they are a compound movement. We add a couple extra reps in because the legs respond to a bit more volume.)
Standing Calf Raises – 3x20 (Again, higher volume for the calves)
Seated Leg Curls OR Straight Leg Dead Lifts: 3x8
DB Shoulder Press: 3x8
Lateral Raises – 3x8
Rear Delt Rows – 3x8
Abs – 2 exercises (e.g. crunches and leg raises) – 3 sets of 20, max.

Rest 60-90 seconds MAX between sets. Get it done in 60 minutes or less. You can throw 10-15 minutes of cardio in at the end if you like, AFTER you get some BCAA’s or a protein shake in you.

Thursday: CARDIO!

Friday:
Deadlifts – 3x8 (Best compound lift on the planet if you are able to do them)
Pulldowns (Shoulder-width Grip) – 3x8 (NO behind the neck pulldowns. They’ll EFF up your shoulders! Pullups are always a better option that pulldowns, also, but they sometimes need to be worked up to.)
CloseGrip Pulldowns: - 3x8
Seated Machine Rows OR Cable Rows (doing both in one workout is redundant): 3x8
Preacher Curls: 3x8
BB Curls: 3x8
DB Hammer Curls – 3x8
Abs – 2 exercises (e.g. crunches and leg raises) – 3 sets of 20, max.
Rest 60-90 seconds MAX between sets. Get it done in 60 minutes or less. You can throw 10-15 minutes of cardio in at the end if you like, AFTER you get some BCAA’s or a protein shake in you.


You want to shoot for a ration or 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, spread throughout the day. It amounts to roughly a 45% protein/ 30% carb/25% EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) breakdown and if you’re wanting to gain muscle you’ll want to shoot for ~500-1000 calories above your idyllic caloric intake (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutcal.htm is a good calculator to determine this). I would really recommend you subscribe to www.fitday.com (http://www.fitday.com/) (it’s free) and start tracking your dietary intake on a daily basis because you’re really undereating in my opinion. You seem to be eating relatively clean but I’d go for some red meat twice a week, and some good EFA-laden fish like salmon and tuna. And brown rice and yams are excellent complex carb sources as well.


my cereal i basically dry oatmeal...it's just oat clusters, almonds, raisins, and milk...and i do need to start eating more eggs (but only the whites..right? yolk is fatty?)
Eggs are such a great food. The yolks are full of omegas and the cholesterol myths about them are just that; myths. If you're going to eat eggs, find a good source of cage-free grain-fed chicken eggs. The nutritional value (not to mention the taste) is incredible in comparison with the other eggs at the store which are typically nowhere near as fresh and usually produced by chickens under stress and without a rooster in the yard. The presence of a rooster in the yard causes germination in the yolk which ups the nutritional value by about a kabillion.


what do you recommend...give me some quick little snack ideas Personally, my favorite snack is tuna. You can get it in little pouches or in cans. I just eat it right out of the can. If you don't have peanut allergies like I do, Natty or Adam's Peanut butter are also good options. They're natural and don't have all the sugars in them that most processed brands do. Almonds and peanuts are a good option as well.

wheat bread...5 slices of verying turkey with mayo and pepper jack cheese...gonna start throwing in letuce as well
The cheese is going right to your gut. Read the wheat bread package and see if it mentions processed flour in any way shape or form. You want a bread that's whole grain and contains whole wheat flour, otherwise it's just crap. Also make sure that it's not full of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which is just a non-convertable sugar that your body will turn into fat.


brown rice or yams? any other suggestions? not a big brown rice or yams kinda guy... Eating clean was one of the hardest things I learned to do (and I still struggle with it), but what I soon discovered was that I started to really like the taste of these clean foods that have greater nutritional value quite a bit. Here's a list of complex carb options (http://www.weightlossforall.com/complex-carbs.htm).


and as far as the caloric breakdown...i'm not really incredibly disciplined as far as measuring out stuff...i just eat what and when it seems to be right for what i'm doing in eye'ly measured portions. fitday.com can help you maximize your potential on this and ensure you're eating the right amounts and macronutrient breakdowns. With your cardio output, I would not at all be surprised to learn that you're undereating, actually.


usually apples or fruit of some kind and/or celery with peanut butter (mmmm) Stick with natural PB like Natty or Addam's.


this is the shake i use for missed meals and before bed (and now pre-workout)...i only do whey protein after workouts
Don't know anything about that one. Make sure it's casein based.


please give me suggestions on how to optimise my workouts...what lifts and such to do and in what order, i'm totally out of the loop on this sort of thing. See above.


Let me know if you have questions about any of this.
jag

[LadyVader]

I despise being the bearer of bad news with that statement lol.

We'll see where I am a week from now when the diet is over. :) So no burst bubbles yet.

[jaguarr]

We'll see where I am a week from now when the diet is over. :) So no burst bubbles yet.

Post your diet. I'm curious. :)

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

We'll see where I am a week from now when the diet is over. :) So no burst bubbles yet.

I wish you luck :)

As an aside; I really dislike the whole idea of diets. A completely changed eating habit is more advisable. Diets "end"; like you said yours will and nobody knows what you'll eat after that. If you change youir eating habits forever, you'll accomplish your goal and it'll be permanent. :up:

[LadyVader]

It's the Max Planck diet. I think it's pretty well known.

I live in a house where I am constantly surrounded by sweets, and coca cola and fat foods. The idea of being on a diet motivates me to not touch those things. I've tried to just lay off but I freakin can't :) I'm weak. After this I'll try eating like 7 small meals a day and still condition myself to think I'm on a diet, otherwise I just can't help myself. Temptation is everywhere!

:)

[JokerNick]

You're probably going to lose a great deal of it, man. All hail muscle memory, though. When you start working out again it's going to come back fast. :up: Let your body heal. That's the important thing.

jag

that;s what I thought, not much I can do right now... two broken legs, broken left arm, broken ribs, cracked hip bone, cracked collar bone, cracked jaw (wired shut till next week), plus my spinal cord is damaged and swollen.....

[LadyVader]

Oh god... but you're gonna be fine, right?

[Iceman]

It's the Max Planck diet. I think it's pretty well known.

I live in a house where I am constantly surrounded by sweets, and coca cola and fat foods. The idea of being on a diet motivates me to not touch those things. I've tried to just lay off but I freakin can't :) I'm weak. After this I'll try eating like 7 small meals a day and still condition myself to think I'm on a diet, otherwise I just can't help myself. Temptation is everywhere!

:)Haha don't give in to those evil sweets. ;) Good luck with your diet Vader but I agree with Spoons that changing your long term eating habits will be invaluable.

[jaguarr]

I wish you luck :)

As an aside; I really dislike the whole idea of diets. A completely changed eating habit is more advisable. Diets "end"; like you said yours will and nobody knows what you'll eat after that. If you change youir eating habits forever, you'll accomplish your goal and it'll be permanent. :up:

Great advice. The Max Planck Diet is a well known yo-yo diet, by the way. People often report gaining the weight they lost back (which was primarily water weight, anyway) and then some 2-4 weeks after going off the diet. This is probably due to resuming their craptactular eating habits they had prior to dieting. Eating (and exercising) right is a lifestyle, not a quick fix or a temporary thing.

jag

[JokerNick]

Oh god... but you're gonna be fine, right?

I'll live if thats what you mean

walking on the other hand, up in the air as of right now....

[Spider-X]

the Heavyweight Gainer 900 doesn't mention casein anywhere...what's the deal with casein?

[jaguarr]

that;s what I thought, not much I can do right now... two broken legs, broken left arm, broken ribs, cracked hip bone, cracked collar bone, cracked jaw (wired shut till next week), plus my spinal cord is damaged and swollen.....

Damn, dude. What happened to you? At any rate, just go slow and let your body rest and recover from all of this. Eventually you'll get back into it, starting with physiotherapy and then lighter isometric exercises and eventually light weight training and from there it will just get better and better. :up:

jag

[JokerNick]

Damn, dude. What happened to you? At any rate, just go slow and let your body rest and recover from all of this. Eventually you'll get back into it, starting with physiotherapy and then lighter isometric exercises and eventually light weight training and from there it will just get better and better. :up:

jag

car accident........ smashed up pretty goood.......... ehhhh, morphean is fun though,... my 6 pack is looking awesome though, straight drip for food and nutrients....

[jaguarr]

the Heavyweight Gainer 900 doesn't mention casein anywhere...what's the deal with casein?

Casein is a slower digesting protein, so it's ideal for night time use or as a meal replacement. Whey digests VERY quickly, so it's useful for pre and post workout or other times where you want to get protein into your system quickly. At night, you want to prevent catabolism and sustain a nitrogen rich environment for your muscles to grow in, so a slower absorbing protein is necessary. I like Optimum Nutrition's Casein (the vanilla is good, but the chocolate tastes like ass). I mix it at about a 50/50 ratio with my whey (Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey Gold Standard) for use an MR.

jag

[jaguarr]

Friggin' double posts.

jag

[jaguarr]

car accident........ smashed up pretty goood.......... ehhhh, morphean is fun though,... my 6 pack is looking awesome though, straight drip for food and nutrients....

Bummer, man. Heal fast. Get lots of sponge baths. :up:

jag

[JokerNick]

Bummer, man. Heal fast. Get lots of sponge baths. :up:

jag

My hot LPN isn't here right now...... so old nurse is, she better not wet me down, gross

I like to wet down the not LPN........

[Spider-X]

car accident........ smashed up pretty goood.......... ehhhh, morphean is fun though,... my 6 pack is looking awesome though, straight drip for food and nutrients....

sh#t man:( ...hope everything turns out alright for ya and you get back to normal.

EDIT: and i hope you're nurse is sexy as hell :up:

[Spider-X]

Friggin' double posts.

jag

all good...and thanks for the info...i'm gonna give that leg workout you recommended me a go here in about an hour or so.

i gotta look up how to do all of them first...i'm horrible with the techincal names. got any good websites?

[jaguarr]

all good...and thanks for the info...i'm gonna give that leg workout you recommended me a go here in about an hour or so.

i gotta look up how to do all of them first...i'm horrible with the techincal names. got any good websites?

Check out http://bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm and exrx.net . :up:

jag

[Spider-X]

http://bodybuilding.com/fun/natfrnt.jpg

eew :(

[jaguarr]

http://bodybuilding.com/fun/natfrnt.jpg

eew :(

Don't touch him or you'll get all oily. But there's a great exercise search function at the bottom of that page. They have descriptions of how to do the lift as well as pics and videos.

jag

[Spider-X]

Don't touch him or you'll get all oily. But there's a great exercise search function at the bottom of that page. They have descriptions of how to do the lift as well as pics and videos.

jag

i'm on it...i'm making myself a queer little manual in MSword that i can hit the gym with.

thanks :up:

[Superman79]

So yeah, I totally cheated for lunch...my office ordered pizza for my last day before moving back to school.

At least it was chicken pizza on whole wheat crust with extra sauce (they know my eating habits)...now if only it didn't have all that damn sodium...I retain water under my skin easily (of course, having been formerly fat I have a bit o loose skin for the water to get under :()

Just thought I'd share my shame with my fellow Hype gym rats

[Colossal Spoons]

Jag, you mentioned not doing cardio after your workout until you get a shake in you; why is that? I always hop right on the eliptical right after my workout 2x a week. I figured a shake sloshing around in your stomach would be uncomfortable while doing cardio :confused:

[Spider-X]

Jag, you mentioned not doing cardio after your workout until you get a shake in you; why is that? I always hop right on the eliptical right after my workout 2x a week. I figured a shake sloshing around in your stomach would be uncomfortable while doing cardio :confused:

i was wondering the same thing...just thought i'd throw that out there...

[jaguarr]

i'm on it...i'm making myself a queer little manual in MSword that i can hit the gym with.

thanks :up:

Here's another idea for you. Keep a journal of your workouts. Log the amount of weight for each lift and the reps/sets you do each week. Every week, try to beat your log from the previous week with a little more weight (while maintaining perfect form), better form, an extra rep, etc. You'll be amazed at your gains when you flip back and look at your progress. :up:

jag

[Superman79]

Jag, you mentioned not doing cardio after your workout until you get a shake in you; why is that? I always hop right on the eliptical right after my workout 2x a week. I figured a shake sloshing around in your stomach would be uncomfortable while doing cardio :confused:

yeah, wouldn't that be bad...not to mention prevent you from burning fat, as the shake would be used for energy wouldn't it???

[Colossal Spoons]

Not sure what the shake is for, only Jag can tell us:p

He and his crazy BCAAs :o

[jaguarr]

Jag, you mentioned not doing cardio after your workout until you get a shake in you; why is that? I always hop right on the eliptical right after my workout 2x a week. I figured a shake sloshing around in your stomach would be uncomfortable while doing cardio :confused:

Most protein supp's contain an amino acid profile that includes Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's). These will protect your muscle from being eaten by the caloric burn produced by the cardio (a good BCAA supplement will also help) because if you're doing cardio after a workout your glycogen stores are pretty much gone already and there's nothing left to burn but fat and muscle and muscle burns more readily than fat for most people unless they've trained their body through diet to burn fat more efficiently. And, for me, the cardio after a workout is to push all those proteins into the bloodstream (as well as take advantage of the 10-15 minute window you have after a workout where your muscles can make serious use of a simple carbohydrate like maltodextrose to very quick recovery and repair to itself following a workout) and therefore into the muscle which aids recovery, rather than to burn fat. Do your fat burning cardio on a different day. The shake in me during cardio has never bothered me, but I can see where it might some people.

jag

[Superman79]

Most protein supp's contain an amino acid profile that includes Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's). These will protect your muscle from being eaten by the caloric burn produced by the cardio .....

jag

How about in my case, where I just go for a light 10 min jog after lifting as sort of a cool down...would that drastically effect me if I didn't have a shake til after the short jog??

[Colossal Spoons]

Most protein supp's contain an amino acid profile that includes Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA's). These will protect your muscle from being eaten by the caloric burn produced by the cardio (a good BCAA supplement will also help) because if you're doing cardio after a workout your glycogen stores are pretty much gone already and there's nothing left to burn but fat and muscle and muscle burns more readily than fat for most people unless they've trained their body through diet to burn fat more efficiently. And, for me, the cardio after a workout is to push all those proteins into the bloodstream and therefore into the muscle which aids recovery, rather than to burn fat. Do your fat burning cardio on a different day. The shake in me during cardio has never bothered me, but I can see where it might some people.

jag

I was gonna move my cardio to the weekends(my days off from lifting) once I got back to school. Also, I guess it depends on how much your shake is. 1 serving of my shake requires 8oz of water and since I double up, that's 16oz. It's a good amount of liquid in my stomach and I couldn't imagine doing anything rigorous afterwards w/o vomitting.

[Sabretooth]

Joining my uncle's strip bar has really shed the pounds. Everyone,grab a pole! :up:

[Colossal Spoons]

:crickets:

:dry:

[Sabretooth]

Major Victory was a stripper :cmad: :(

[Spider-X]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40643000/jpg/_40643370_thumbs-getty300.jpg

[jaguarr]

How about in my case, where I just go for a light 10 min jog after lifting as sort of a cool down...would that drastically effect me if I didn't have a shake til after the short jog??

You could get away with it if you're using a BCAA supplement like Xtend before, during and afer your lifting. You'll miss out on the cardio pumping the protein into your blood to feed the muscle faster, but you'd still get some of the cardiovascular benefits. It's unlikely you'll get much fat burning out of 10 minutes of cardio, though.

I was gonna move my cardio to the weekends(my days off from lifting) once I got back to school. Also, I guess it depends on how much your shake is. 1 serving of my shake requires 8oz of water and since I double up, that's 16oz. It's a good amount of liquid in my stomach and I couldn't imagine doing anything rigorous afterwards w/o vomitting.

Another trick would be to lift in the morning, do your daily stuff, and then do your cardio at night after you've had a chance to rebuild your glycogen stores a bit over the course of the day.


jag

[Sabretooth]

Are those NASCAR fans? Not like their opinions matter much anyways. :cmad:

[Colossal Spoons]

Another trick would be to lift in the morning, do your daily stuff, and then do your cardio at night after you've had a chance to rebuild your glycogen stores a bit over the course of the day.

jag

2 showers? Booo:p

[jaguarr]

2 showers? Booo:p

Whatever, Pigpen. :down

http://www.bettsiv.com/gif/pigpen.gif

jag

[Spider-X]

Are those NASCAR fans? Not like their opinions matter much anyways. :cmad:

you keep telling yourself that...if it makes you feel better :o

[Colossal Spoons]

Franklin maybe.

[jaguarr]

Franklin maybe.

Quit avoiding the issue. Batista would take two showers. What's your excuse? :cmad:

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

Quit avoiding the issue. Batista would take two showers. What's your excuse? :cmad:

jag

I guess I could give it a try. Is there some kind of support group I could look into? :(

I need to buy more undies!

[Sabretooth]

you keep telling yourself that...if it makes you feel better :o
Who are you again? :confused:

[jaguarr]

I guess I could give it a try. Is there some kind of support group I could look into? :(

I need to buy more undies!

Haha! I knew I'd get you with the Batista reference. :D

jag

[Spider-X]

Who are you again? :confused:

more important than most people...why do you ask?

[Colossal Spoons]

Haha! I knew I'd get you with the Batista reference. :D

jag

Motivation
Inspiration
Intimidation

That man could get me to voluteer to break up the fighting in the Middle East lol.

[jaguarr]

Motivation
Inspiration
Intimidation

That man could get me to voluteer to break up the fighting in the Middle East lol.

I've had quite a few people tell me to go into personal training because I have an ability to key in on what will really motivate people and use it to kick them in the ass. :up;

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

I've had quite a few people tell me to go into personal training because I have an ability to key in on what will really motivate people and use it to kick them in the ass. :up;

jag

A great deal of money to be made in that dept too; as long as you're willing to put up with whiney rich folk who think push-ups are dirty. :up:

I'm relatively easy to motivate though; a simple "It's good for you" or "It'll make you bigger" will do the trick.

[jaguarr]

A great deal of money to be made in that dept too; as long as you're willing to put up with whiney rich folk who think push-ups are dirty.

I'm relatively easy to motivate though; a simple "It's good for you" or "It'll make you bigger" will do the trick.

It can also be a damn hard way to make a living, too. Maybe I'll pursue the certifications some day and dabble in it a bit. We'll see.

jag

[Spider-X]

A great deal of money to be made in that dept too; as long as you're willing to put up with whiney rich folk who think push-ups are dirty. :up:

I'm relatively easy to motivate though; a simple "It's good for you" or "It'll make you bigger" will do the trick.

in that case....go stick your head in a bucket and inhale deeply 5 times. It's good for you and it'll make you bigger for sure :up:

[Holly Goodhead]

Rollerblading hurts my ass.

[jaguarr]

in that case....go stick your head in a bucket and inhale deeply 5 times. It's good for you and it'll make you bigger for sure :up:

I thought you were going to lift, mister!!!! :cmad:

jag

[Scar Predator]

Motivation
Inspiration
Intimidation

That man could get me to voluteer to break up the fighting in the Middle East lol.

I prefer Intensity, Intelligence, Integrity.:up:

[raybia]

Yea!!!!!

My wife's employer is paying for a free family membership at Gold's Gym!

Now I should really be able to make some great progress towards my phyiscal goals, which is basically to reduce my bodyfat % to 12 or less and gain 20 pounds of muscle.

I'm currently 5'8 at 175 so that should put me at about 185 if I reach my goal.

[Spider-X]

question:

should i have a whey protein shake, or any protein shake for that matter, after swimming for an hour (1 hour of swimming for me = 1100 yards)?

also...how should i eat on days were i'm just doing cardio?

[Colossal Spoons]

I prefer Intensity, Intelligence, Integrity.:up:

Ha, Kurt would be proud. I meant that Batista does those 3 things to/for me :up:

[Colossal Spoons]

question:

should i have a whey protein shake, or any protein shake for that matter, after swimming for an hour (1 hour of swimming for me = 1100 yards)?

also...how should i eat on days were i'm just doing cardio?

You can take your shake whenever. It's not going to be as beneficial right after swimming or any other form of cardio compared to after weight lifting but as long as you're getting your protein :up:

Days you do cardio, you should try to get a good amount of carbs in ya early on in the day. It'll give you a heap of energy for your cardio.

[user123456789]

Bump..... how's everyone doing? Lifting hard?

[Colossal Spoons]

Took this week off as I've been moving back into the dorms this week and the gym here at school has crazy hours over the summer. It's back to work next week though. Welcome back boyscout.

[Scar Predator]

Bump..... how's everyone doing? Lifting hard?

I just got out of physical therapy for an injury. I missed being able to do some regular old exercises that I did for over two decades. PT showed me some good stuff but it's nice to be able to hit the weights with abandon again....sort of.:)

[user123456789]

Thanks CS.

49er, that sucks. Just be careful.. don't want to reinjure yourself now.. make sure you heal up 100% before hitting the weights hard.

[Scar Predator]

Thanks CS.

49er, that sucks. Just be careful.. don't want to reinjure yourself now.. make sure you heal up 100% before hitting the weights hard.

There are some lifts that I've been told not to do for awhile. I actually did aggravate the injury so I'm going to be more careful this time. I miss the healing powers I had when I was 21.:(

[PhePhe112]

you say you workout and that your a dead ringer for cyclops....please post a pic!!!!

[Colossal Spoons]

^You must be talking to SB.

[PhePhe112]

yeah, sorry I should have said that!!

[Colossal Spoons]

Heh, we all work out but he's the Cyclops clone :D

[user123456789]

There are some lifts that I've been told not to do for awhile. I actually did aggravate the injury so I'm going to be more careful this time. I miss the healing powers I had when I was 21.:(
wat injury exactly?

[Whirlysplat]

There are some lifts that I've been told not to do for awhile. I actually did aggravate the injury so I'm going to be more careful this time. I miss the healing powers I had when I was 21.:(

As do I my friend. Great Sig by the way. All things follow the beam!

- Whirly

[PhePhe112]

Heh, we all work out but he's the Cyclops clone :D


thats awesome....Cyke is da bomb!!

[ShadowBoxing]

you say you workout and that your a dead ringer for cyclops....please post a pic!!!!This is a year or so old....but here ya go
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/ShadowBoxing01/DSCF0637.jpg

[Lemonhead]

It's almost like you're deep in thought. But what ruins it is your head is facing the camera. Oh snap.

[PhePhe112]

lol cool!! you are cyclops!!!! :cyclops:

[ShadowBoxing]

bumpity

[AndThePickles]

Need an opinion from you guys......I've been seeing a heap of arguing going on in the body building forums in regards to Muscle Milk. I had wanted to try it, but I'm wondering if there is any validity to the claims that it's really bad for you.

[jaguarr]

Need an opinion from you guys......I've been seeing a heap of arguing going on in the body building forums in regards to Muscle Milk. I had wanted to try it, but I'm wondering if there is any validity to the claims that it's really bad for you.

I know people who swear by it, but I've never been that fond of Muscle Milk. It carries too high of a fat content for my preferences, as I like to have more control over how much and what kinds of fats I take in. It's full of a lot of unnecessary crap, from my perspective. Better off with a good whey supplement that has a good amino profile and calling it good.

jag

[Boom]

Question.

I'm working on my pecs. For some reason, I'm not getting any muscle definition where the two pecs meet (the center of the chest). But I am getting good results where the pecs meet the shoulders.

Any suggestions?

[jaguarr]

Question.

I'm working on my pecs. For some reason, I'm not getting any muscle definition where the two pecs meet (the center of the chest). But I am getting good results where the pecs meet the shoulders.

Any suggestions?

It takes time to bring those in, man. Try doing some flies with a tight flex at the top of each rep.

jag

[Boom]

It takes time to bring those in, man. Try doing some flies with a tight flex at the top of each rep.

jag
Thanks jag. Do you recommend doing flies sitting up or laying down?

Btw, I can't take pictures, but I've been getting some results these past two months. I've also been eating healthier according to your recommendations (especially with regards to drinking more water).

I feel alot better because of it :up:.

[Iceman]

:eek: ShadowBoxing really is Cyclops!


I hadn't seen the pic before.

[Scar Predator]

As do I my friend. Great Sig by the way. All things follow the beam!

- Whirly

Do you say so? Then long days and plesant nights to you.:woot:

[Scar Predator]

wat injury exactly?

I'm back at about 90% this week. I've done several workouts and I'm gradually testing my strength. PT seems to have done quite well. Send out some positive vibs for me.:word:

[jaguarr]

Thanks jag. Do you recommend doing flies sitting up or laying down?

Btw, I can't take pictures, but I've been getting some results these past two months. I've also been eating healthier according to your recommendations (especially with regards to drinking more water).

I feel alot better because of it :up:.

Hey, that's awesome news, Boom! Keep up the hard work, man! It will only get better.

As for whether to do flies at an incline or on a flat bench, it really depends on your goals. Doing them at an incline will work the upper chest, and flat will hit more of the middle portion of the chest. A decline will hit the lower portion. Those bench configurations have the same effects when doing bench presses as well, btw.

jag

[Superman79]

OK guys, my workout was getting a bit stagnant, so my uncle recommended doing a "century week".

Basically, I do 2-3 lifts (3 for chest, back, shoulders-2 for bi's and tri's) where you take about 20% of the weight you'd use for a typical 10 rep set and do 1 set of 100 reps. Most of the time you fail by about 60-70, if you do you wait the corresponding number of seconds to the number of reps you have left (30 reps left, rest 30 sec. and pound out the rest, if you fail again, repeat protocal). The rhythm is 1 sec up, one sec down.

Anyway, he said try it for one week (and do it NEVER MORE OFTEN than once in 6-8 weeks) and it would help. So I did and damn! it not only added a more extensive pump from having stretched my muscles, but I was sore as hell from fresh stimulation, and here I come back to a more regular set/rep scheme and I'm up on every one of my lifts!

Anywho, long and the short of it is, I wanted to share with oyu guys if anyone needs a slump buster...that and I'm just stoked something that I approached with so much skepticism actually worked...:D

[Superman79]

BTW- I also wanted to share that I packed on about 12 pounds of quality muscle since June 1, with only about a pound of fat to show for it :D

Who says you can't bulk up and get lean at the same time...it just takes a wee bit of patience ;) :p

[raybia]

My wife's employer is giving her a free Gold's Gym family membership in November.

So after about two years away from the weights I plan to start the long road back to gain both strength and muscle.

The plan is to gain 30 pounds of muscle and lose 10 to 15 pounds of fat in 12 mths.

Any suggestions on my initial approach for the first month to 3 months. Especially on the nutrition and supplement side?

I'm currently 5'8 and weight about 170 pounds and late 30s.

[Colossal Spoons]

My wife's employer is giving her a free Gold's Gym family membership in November.

So after about two years away from the weights I plan to start the long road back to gain both strength and muscle.

The plan is to gain 30 pounds of muscle and lose 10 to 15 pounds of fat in 12 mths.
Any suggestions on my initial approach for the first month to 3 months. Especially on the nutrition and supplement side?

I'm currently 5'8 and weight about 170 pounds and late 30s.

Wow, I have no suggestions for that fast of a goal. Maybe Jag or SB can help you out there. It took me around 2 years to go from 180-200 but I wasn't lifteing as hard as I am now, so I dunno. :up:

As for the supplement, the typical advise would be protein and a multivitamin pill.

[Spider-Nerd]

hmmm.....well it could be possible....I'm 6'2 and went from 180 to 220 in 5 months, then again I'm also twenty years old. Just eat everything in sight, EVERYTHING. Make sure you're taking in enough protein, lift heavy, get enough rest, sleep is important, and be intense in the gym. I cannot stress the importance of intensity in the gym. It really makes a difference.

[Colossal Spoons]

I dunno about eating EVERYTHING in sight :p but that's pretty solid advice.

[raybia]

hmmm.....well it could be possible....I'm 6'2 and went from 180 to 220 in 5 months, then again I'm also twenty years old. Just eat everything in sight, EVERYTHING. Make sure you're taking in enough protein, lift heavy, get enough rest, sleep is important, and be intense in the gym. I cannot stress the importance of intensity in the gym. It really makes a difference.


Yeah, I'm very conscious about eating junk food and eating healthy. I try to avoid most sugar and fats with the exception of organic virgin coconut oil and olive oil. I'm also taking a great whole foods multi-vitamin and fish oil. I also manly use Stevia as a sweetener along with raw unfiltered honey. I actually don't eat a whole lot in general. I know that protein will be a must.

Suggestions on a great tasting whey protein powder that is low in fat and sucrose?

[Spider-Nerd]

Yeah, everything isn't an excuse to gorge on dounuts and ice cream and whatnot, but when trying to put on weight, it doesn't hurt to occassionally go for some sweets. It's just getting cut up and shredded afterwards in which ya gotta live off grilled chicken, salads, and protein shakes that's the hard part.

[Spider-Nerd]

Yeah, I'm very conscious about eating junk food and eating healthy. I try to avoid most sugar and fats with the exception of organic virgin coconut oil and olive oil. I'm also taking a great whole foods multi-vitamin and fish oil. I also manly use Stevia as a sweetener along with raw unfiltered honey. I actually don't eat a whole lot in general. I know that protein will be a must.

Suggestions on a great tasting whey protein powder that is low in fat and sucrose?
optima 100% whey. For 2 years i mixed it with water like a savage and managed to get through it, but no longer. Get a blender, 10 ounces of milk, scoop of protein, a banana, peanut butter, and some ice cubes. Blend it, and it tastes amazing. Oh, and sugar is okay in moderation. It actually doesn't hurt to have a slight spike in the ole insulin levels when trying to bulk up.

[Colossal Spoons]

^Hell yeah ON Whey. I don't think it's that bad with water actually.

[Spider-Nerd]

yeah, it's actually not, it's just a million times better blended.

[Superman79]

^Hell yeah ON Whey. I don't think it's that bad with water actually.

ON Whey is great, especially the Fruit Punch...tastes just like Kool Aid...

I also like the Isopure Dutch Chocolate....great amino acid profile, and taste, just a wee bit pricier, but I find that places like Bodybuilding.com and proflexsports.com have great prices on the stuff (and proflex even has flat rate shipping) :up:

[jaguarr]

My wife's employer is giving her a free Gold's Gym family membership in November.

So after about two years away from the weights I plan to start the long road back to gain both strength and muscle.

The plan is to gain 30 pounds of muscle and lose 10 to 15 pounds of fat in 12 mths.

Any suggestions on my initial approach for the first month to 3 months. Especially on the nutrition and supplement side?

I'm currently 5'8 and weight about 170 pounds and late 30s.

Didn't we ask for your workout plan and diet awhile back, mister? So...where is it? :cmad:

At any rate, your goal may not be very realistic, to be honest. It's difficult to drop fat AND add muscle at the same time. You'll get some newby gains in the first six months that may help you move towards that, but ultimately what you have in mind is probably going to take longer than a year. Read through this thread. There's some great info on using fitday and what to eat, when to eat it, and how much. When you've had a chance to review all that, come back and we'll talk about bulking vs. cutting.

jag

[jaguarr]

hmmm.....well it could be possible....I'm 6'2 and went from 180 to 220 in 5 months, then again I'm also twenty years old. Just eat everything in sight, EVERYTHING. Make sure you're taking in enough protein, lift heavy, get enough rest, sleep is important, and be intense in the gym. I cannot stress the importance of intensity in the gym. It really makes a difference.

Fairly solid advice. Hit it hard in the gym and then GTFO and rest and eat, eat, eat, eat, eat if you want to add mass. You WILL put on some bodyfat with your muscle while you're bulking. No way around it. You CAN bulk cleanly, though, eating lots of chicken, beef, eggs, brown rice, yams, red potatoes and oatmeal (you HAVE to have carbs if you're going to add muscle) as opposed to just going the Lee Priest route and consuming every little bit of garbage that comes your way. The trick is to get around ~500 calories above your ideal maintenance intake per day, calculating your caloric burn rate due to your activity levels into the mix. You'll be SURPRISED at how hard it is to reach that number when you're eating clean. One trick to keep your metabolism burning high is to eat a cheat meal once a week like fast food or pizza or something along those lines. It forces your system to kick start in order to digest and process that mess, which causes it to stay stoked the rest of the week before it starts adjusting to the cleaner foods again and slows down a bit. Green tea can also help you keep a little leaner while you are bulking. I went from 172 to 205 over the course of roughly a year and a half doing a very clean bulk, and that was with some abyssmally low testosterone levels (the fun of getting old). I didn't drop any BF percentages, but I didn't gain any, either.

jag

[raybia]

Didn't we ask for your workout plan and diet awhile back, mister? So...where is it? :cmad:


At any rate, your goal may not be very realistic, to be honest. It's difficult to drop fat AND add muscle at the same time. You'll get some newby gains in the first six months that may help you move towards that, but ultimately what you have in mind is probably going to take longer than a year. Read through this thread. There's some great info on using fitday and what to eat, when to eat it, and how much. When you've had a chance to review all that, come back and we'll talk about bulking vs. cutting.

jag

I thought giving myself 12 mths was realistic but if not then I certainly don't have a problem scaling it back to 20 pounds of muscle. Maybe I cannot lose fat and gain muscle at the same time but I certainly don't want to add anymore fat. Plus I thought as you add muscle, its helps to increase your metabolism and burn fat.

Ok, first the diet plan.

On November 1st I will begin my nutrition plan. First let me list the type of foods I have chosen.

Foods
Wild Fish
Frozen fruit (for smoothies)
Blueberries (Fresh or Frozen)
Bananas
Strawberries
Berries
Oatmeal
Walnuts
Egg Whites
Sardines
Turkey Breast
Organic Chicken
Grassfed beef
Walnuts, Peanuts, almonds

Produce
Fresh fruits and veggies
Spinach
Greens
Avocado
Vingrette dressing
Kale
Carrots

Fats/Sweetners
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Raw honey
Stevia
Peanut butter

Supplements
Magnesium
Folic acid
Fish Oil (Carlson’s)
Cod Liver Oil
Garlic
Grounded Flaxseeds
Vinegar
Multi-Vitamin
Vitamin C
Magnesium (heart)
Hawthorn (heart)

Drinks
Water
Green Tea

My plan at this point is to ensure that I eat 3 main meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Second, is to eat a snack in between these meals.

Third, is to consume two shakes a day. One between Breakfast and Lunch and then one in the evening an hour before bedtime.

My biggest struggle to finding proper snacks that I both enjoy and that are health and benefical towards my goal.

So how should I modify this Jag?

[7Hells]

Look into circuit training for losing weight and gaining muscle at the same time.

[Excel]

yo, yall seem to know so ill ask you.

today my brother ryans junior friend pat asked me some **** i had no idea bout, so i figured you all would.

he is 16, but turns 17 in like a month or so, and is interested in getting into bodybuilding.

he's 5'10, 201. Maxes 275 on bench press, 235 on military, and 650 on legpress. I know his legpress maxis weak, but i find his upper body lifts impressive given his age ands weight and that he hasnt ever taken anything. He took gnc creatine for about a month as a freshman 2 years ago but he said his parents took away, and last month began to take NO xplode.

he snot fat or bulky, but i doubt he has a 6 pack. he does have massive chest and arms and a good routine. he does:

Mon, Thur

Chest:
Bench press - 5 sets, 10 reps
Flat bench flies - 5 sets, 10 reps
Incline bench press - 6 sets, 10 reps
Cable crossovers - 6 sets, 12 reps
Dips - 5 sets, to failure
Dumbbell pullovers - 5 sets, 12 reps

Back:
Front wide-grip chin-ups - 6 sets, to failure
T-bar rows - 5 sets, 10 reps
Seated pulley rows - 6 sets, 10 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows - 5 sets, 10 reps
Straight-leg deadlifts - 6 sets, 15 reps

Legs:
Squats - 6 sets, 12 reps
Leg presses - 6 sets, 12 reps
Leg extensions - 6 sets, 15 reps
Leg curls - 6 sets, 12 reps
Barbell lunges - 5 sets, 15 reps

Calves:
Standing calf raises -10 sets, 10 reps
Seated calf raises - 8 sets, 15 reps
One-legged calf raises (holding dumbbells) - 6 sets,12 reps

Forearms:
Wrist curls (forearms on knees) - 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls - 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine - to failure

Abs:
Nonstop instinct training for 30 minutes


Tues, Fri

Biceps:
Barbell curls - 6 sets, 10 reps
Seated dumbbell curls - 6 sets, 10 reps
Dumbbell concentration curls - 6 sets, 10 reps

Triceps:
Close-grip bench presses (for the all three heads) - 6 sets, 10 reps
Pushdowns (exterior head) - 6 sets, 10 reps
Barbell French presses (interior head) - 6 sets, 10 reps
One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions (exterior head) - 6 sets, 10 reps

Shoulders:
Seated barbell presses - 6 sets, 10 reps
Lateral raises (standing) - 6 sets, 10 reps
Rear-delt lateral raises - 5 sets, 10 reps
Cable lateral raises - 5 sets, 12 reps

Calves and Forearms:
Same as Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Abs:
Same as Monday

hes a good kid, so id appriciate any answers. how do you think he is for bodybuilding; or just size in general? is he big for a 17 year old?

[Colossal Spoons]

Glad to see this thread again.

Heck, I'll even ask a question. I work out pretty intensly; but not to failure and I feel pretty good after the workout. Problem is, I'm hardly sore the next day. I'm moving up in the amount of weight I'm lifting rather nicely, but the next day; I feel like I never went. I guess I could always lift harder but I think I'd run the risk of bad form. Any guess as to why I no longer have that awesome soreness anymore? :(

[Superman79]

Glad to see this thread again.

Heck, I'll even ask a question. I work out pretty intensly; but not to failure and I feel pretty good after the workout. Problem is, I'm hardly sore the next day. I'm moving up in the amount of weight I'm lifting rather nicely, but the next day; I feel like I never went. I guess I could always lift harder but I think I'd run the risk of bad form. Any guess as to why I no longer have that awesome soreness anymore? :(

I had that problem for a bit...I just did two things, I upped my intensity (mainly by slowing my lifting pace ever so slightly) and started doing my last 2 sets in each exercise to failure (not horrible form struggle-your-ass-off failure, but failure to where I would get stuck and could no longer finish the lift with proper form...though it takes disipline not to just power it up with bad form) and at failure...static hold at your sticking point for as long as possible.

The next day I hurt like hell. May not work for everyone, but I tought I'd toss it out there...

and if nothing else, try a week of the Century Program that i mentioned a little ways back... that also made me hurt in a good way, plus it mixed things up for the body a bit for some noticable growth.

[Spider-Nerd]

Glad to see this thread again.

Heck, I'll even ask a question. I work out pretty intensly; but not to failure and I feel pretty good after the workout. Problem is, I'm hardly sore the next day. I'm moving up in the amount of weight I'm lifting rather nicely, but the next day; I feel like I never went. I guess I could always lift harder but I think I'd run the risk of bad form. Any guess as to why I no longer have that awesome soreness anymore? :(
lift slower, super strict form, and change up the exercises that you do. Maybe change up the routine, go the 5x5 route for 2 months or so, see if that helps.

[enterthemadness]

What are your views on taking supplements to gain muscle faster? I don't plan on taking any because I don't plan on becoming a bodybuilder for a living. I'm curious. I find taking these things is cheating. (Yes, I don't eat protein bars anymore. Unless if I stopped eating meat...then I probably go with them again. :o Tofu doesn't have a lot of protein right?)

I've started lifting weights again. I'm not really sore through. I'm not hitting the weights hard, just got back to lifting for my halloween custome (Jason Voorhees). After halloween, I will still continue to bench press, use the chest machine, and lift weights.

What I did yesterday at the rec center. (I went there Tuesday and bench pressed and worked on the chest machine, but not as hard as today)

Bench:

3 sets of 10 - 110 pounds. (Regular)
2 sets of 5 - 115 pounds. (Regular)
1 rep 120 pounds (wide)

Chest Machine: (You sit down with your back flat against the seat. You grab two handle bars and push your arms up. )

1 rep of 70 pounds (too easy)
1 set of 9 - 90 pounds
2 sets of 10 - 90 pounds.

Ab Machine

2 sets of 10 - 45 pounds.

Did 20 reps for each arm while lifting a 10 pounds weight. :csad: I can't lift a 25 pound bar with my arm.

I'm going back Monday and would like some suggestions. Here's what I have planned so far.

Bench: Regular

2 sets of 10 - 110 pounds.
2 sets of 5 - 115 pounds.
2 sets of 5 - 120 pounds.

Chest Machine:
4 sets of 10 - 90 pounds. (:yay: I like this machine more than the bench press)

Ab Machine:

2 sets of 10 - 45 pounds.

Then I will do 20 reps for each arm with 10 pound weights.

:hyper: and it only costs 1 dollar a day to lift weights at the rec center. And they have a nice tv in the room. Oh yeah, I lifted in the morning this week. Yep, had the whole place to myself...except for my mom who was there.

Mom: Don't over do it.

Me: It's like 115 mom. :o:csad:

[supzfan]

Spend your money on food and a high quality protein powder as the rest of the stuff is, mostly, junk. There a great liquid CLA that I recommend. Also take a multi-vitamin, just a maintainence dose, nothing mega. My favorite protein powder is MuscleMilk by Cytosport, which I blend with ice, frozen fruit and milk. And PLEASE pay special attention to your shoulders and lower back--the two weakest links in the body and those most susceptible to injury. Do those rotator cuff exercises to prevent injury. Always wear a belt when squatting and doing back lifts. If you're looking to bulk up keep the sets in the low to moderate range, keep mainly to compound movements (forget all those alternate dumbell curls). For the best recovery I would work those muscles that are agonistic rather than antagonistic, meaning chest with tris, back with bis, maybe legs with shoulders. I find this gives your body a better recuperation which along with rest is essential for healthy gains. One last thing: if you find yourself straining at the beginning of your bench press, that is from the chest, that means you need to work your shoulders more. Try starting the bench from the chest rather than bringing the bar down to your chest then pushing off. NEVER do behind the neck military presses. NEVER! This will ruin your shoulders. Also remember that the squat is the KING of all exercises and is essential for putting on the muscle. Good luck!

[Colossal Spoons]

lift slower, super strict form, and change up the exercises that you do. Maybe change up the routine, go the 5x5 route for 2 months or so, see if that helps.

Because of crowded machines, I'm forced to switch my exercise order anyway lol. I was ver close to doing 5x5 but I got more recommendations for 3x6 for bulking. I can def give 5x5 a shot for a month or two.

Thanks guys :up:

[Colossal Spoons]

Spend your money on food and a high quality protein powder as the rest of the stuff is, mostly, junk. There a great liquid CLA that I recommend. Also take a multi-vitamin, just a maintainence dose, nothing mega. My favorite protein powder is MuscleMilk by Cytosport, which I blend with ice, frozen fruit and milk.

High in fat, just no beginners know.

And PLEASE pay special attention to your shoulders and lower back--the two weakest links in the body and those most susceptible to injury. Do those rotator cuff exercises to prevent injury. Always wear a belt when squatting and doing back lifts. If you're looking to bulk up keep the sets in the low to moderate range, keep mainly to compound movements (forget all those alternate dumbell curls). For the best recovery I would work those muscles that are agonistic rather than antagonistic, meaning chest with tris, back with bis, maybe legs with shoulders. I find this gives your body a better recuperation which along with rest is essential for healthy gains.

Awesome routine right there. I've noticed signifigant strength gains since doing the B/B C/T L/S split

One last thing: if you find yourself straining at the beginning of your bench press, that is from the chest, that means you need to work your shoulders more. Try starting the bench from the chest rather than bringing the bar down to your chest then pushing off. NEVER do behind the neck military presses. NEVER! This will ruin your shoulders.

Can we add behind the neck lat pulldowns to the list as well? I see way too many people doing this and I fear for their rotator cuffs.

Also remember that the squat is the KING of all exercises and is essential for putting on the muscle. Good luck!

Great advice man :up:

[supzfan]

You might also try concentrating on the "negative" portion of the movement, keeping resistance throughtout the complete range of motion. I like cablework for this kind of stuff: overhead triceps extensions, biceps curl, etc. Supersetting can also jumpstart a stalled workout. Also I would keep the number of exerciese for each bodypart (not sets/reps) to three or less. Two is plenty for legs, chest and back. If you find yourself hitting a platueau (and we all do) you can try a total body workout; one exercise per bodypart. This is a real killer and should only be done 2X weekly but it works. Whatever you decide, keep the workout to an hour or less as anything more is really a waste of time. I like to warmup with ab work before I hit the routine of the day and always work my calves each workout(at the end). If you do the agonistic routine you can work two days on and one day off.

[Colossal Spoons]

See the thing is; I'm making gains, but w/o the soreness I feel like I could be making more you know? I've put on like 4 lbs in a month and I see visible changes; but the day after a workout, I feel like I could do it all over again w/o rest. I'd never actually do that though ;)

[jaguarr]

Spend your money on food and a high quality protein powder as the rest of the stuff is, mostly, junk. There a great liquid CLA that I recommend. Also take a multi-vitamin, just a maintainence dose, nothing mega. My favorite protein powder is MuscleMilk by Cytosport, which I blend with ice, frozen fruit and milk. And PLEASE pay special attention to your shoulders and lower back--the two weakest links in the body and those most susceptible to injury. Do those rotator cuff exercises to prevent injury. Always wear a belt when squatting and doing back lifts. If you're looking to bulk up keep the sets in the low to moderate range, keep mainly to compound movements (forget all those alternate dumbell curls). For the best recovery I would work those muscles that are agonistic rather than antagonistic, meaning chest with tris, back with bis, maybe legs with shoulders. I find this gives your body a better recuperation which along with rest is essential for healthy gains. One last thing: if you find yourself straining at the beginning of your bench press, that is from the chest, that means you need to work your shoulders more. Try starting the bench from the chest rather than bringing the bar down to your chest then pushing off. NEVER do behind the neck military presses. NEVER! This will ruin your shoulders. Also remember that the squat is the KING of all exercises and is essential for putting on the muscle. Good luck!

Good advice, though I would caution anyone watching their fat intakes to steer clear of Muscle Milk as it's got a fairly high fat content. Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard is an excellent protein supplement as well and does not have a high fat content.

jag

[jaguarr]

See the thing is; I'm making gains, but w/o the soreness I feel like I could be making more you know? I've put on like 4 lbs in a month and I see visible changes; but the day after a workout, I feel like I could do it all over again w/o rest. I'd never actually do that though ;)

DOMS is not the only indicator of a good workout. You can have an INCREDIBLE workout and not get sore at all. If you are growing and making gains, then things are working. Enjoy not being sore and take advantage of it. DOMS can certainly be a tell-tale sign that you hit things hard, but it's not the only one by a long shot. I wouldn't worry about it. :)

jag

[jaguarr]

I thought giving myself 12 mths was realistic but if not then I certainly don't have a problem scaling it back to 20 pounds of muscle. Maybe I cannot lose fat and gain muscle at the same time but I certainly don't want to add anymore fat. Plus I thought as you add muscle, its helps to increase your metabolism and burn fat.

Ok, first the diet plan.

On November 1st I will begin my nutrition plan. First let me list the type of foods I have chosen.

Foods
Wild Fish
Frozen fruit (for smoothies)
Blueberries (Fresh or Frozen)
Bananas
Strawberries
Berries
Oatmeal
Walnuts
Egg Whites
Sardines
Turkey Breast
Organic Chicken
Grassfed beef
Walnuts, Peanuts, almonds

Produce
Fresh fruits and veggies
Spinach
Greens
Avocado
Vingrette dressing
Kale
Carrots

Fats/Sweetners
Olive oil
Coconut oil
Raw honey
Stevia
Peanut butter

Supplements
Magnesium
Folic acid
Fish Oil (Carlson’s)
Cod Liver Oil
Garlic
Grounded Flaxseeds
Vinegar
Multi-Vitamin
Vitamin C
Magnesium (heart)
Hawthorn (heart)

Drinks
Water
Green Tea

My plan at this point is to ensure that I eat 3 main meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Second, is to eat a snack in between these meals.

Third, is to consume two shakes a day. One between Breakfast and Lunch and then one in the evening an hour before bedtime.

My biggest struggle to finding proper snacks that I both enjoy and that are health and benefical towards my goal.

So how should I modify this Jag?

Sorry. I didn't see this before. My initial thought is to keep an eye on the fruit intake. Fructose can convert to fat in a hurry if you intake too much of it or at the wrong times. Tuna would be a good addition to your protein sources. I'd mix at least a few egg yolks in with your whites. Most people think the yolks are evil and it's simply untrue. Find the free-range vegetarian grain-fed produced eggs and the nutritional value of the yolk is multiplied by about 30 over regular eggs. Packed with tons of omegas and the cholesterol level is very low, contrary to what many would have you believe (cooking eggs in tons of butter and beef tallow is what made the cholesterol levels so high in the past). Also, why are you taking cod liver oil AND fish oil? Seems to be overkill. At any rate, you're taking the right approach by trying to eat 5-6 times a day. This will help boost your metabolism. I'd shoot for a roughly 45% protein/40% carb/15% fat intake (you have quite a few fat sources listed, including avacado, so take care not to go overboard with them). You can also do some cool things with carb cycling (Google "T-Dawg Diet 2.0").

jag

[jaguarr]

yo, yall seem to know so ill ask you.

today my brother ryans junior friend pat asked me some **** i had no idea bout, so i figured you all would.

he is 16, but turns 17 in like a month or so, and is interested in getting into bodybuilding.

he's 5'10, 201. Maxes 275 on bench press, 235 on military, and 650 on legpress. I know his legpress maxis weak, but i find his upper body lifts impressive given his age ands weight and that he hasnt ever taken anything. He took gnc creatine for about a month as a freshman 2 years ago but he said his parents took away, and last month began to take NO xplode.

he snot fat or bulky, but i doubt he has a 6 pack. he does have massive chest and arms and a good routine. he does:

Mon, Thur

Chest:
Bench press - 5 sets, 10 reps
Flat bench flies - 5 sets, 10 reps
Incline bench press - 6 sets, 10 reps
Cable crossovers - 6 sets, 12 reps
Dips - 5 sets, to failure
Dumbbell pullovers - 5 sets, 12 reps

Back:
Front wide-grip chin-ups - 6 sets, to failure
T-bar rows - 5 sets, 10 reps
Seated pulley rows - 6 sets, 10 reps
One-arm dumbbell rows - 5 sets, 10 reps
Straight-leg deadlifts - 6 sets, 15 reps

Legs:
Squats - 6 sets, 12 reps
Leg presses - 6 sets, 12 reps
Leg extensions - 6 sets, 15 reps
Leg curls - 6 sets, 12 reps
Barbell lunges - 5 sets, 15 reps

Calves:
Standing calf raises -10 sets, 10 reps
Seated calf raises - 8 sets, 15 reps
One-legged calf raises (holding dumbbells) - 6 sets,12 reps

Forearms:
Wrist curls (forearms on knees) - 4 sets, 10 reps
Reverse barbell curls - 4 sets, 8 reps
Wright roller machine - to failure

Abs:
Nonstop instinct training for 30 minutes


Tues, Fri

Biceps:
Barbell curls - 6 sets, 10 reps
Seated dumbbell curls - 6 sets, 10 reps
Dumbbell concentration curls - 6 sets, 10 reps

Triceps:
Close-grip bench presses (for the all three heads) - 6 sets, 10 reps
Pushdowns (exterior head) - 6 sets, 10 reps
Barbell French presses (interior head) - 6 sets, 10 reps
One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions (exterior head) - 6 sets, 10 reps

Shoulders:
Seated barbell presses - 6 sets, 10 reps
Lateral raises (standing) - 6 sets, 10 reps
Rear-delt lateral raises - 5 sets, 10 reps
Cable lateral raises - 5 sets, 12 reps

Calves and Forearms:
Same as Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Abs:
Same as Monday

hes a good kid, so id appriciate any answers. how do you think he is for bodybuilding; or just size in general? is he big for a 17 year old?

He does all of those exercises you listed for those days in each workout? One word: overtraining. More isn't better, better is better. Tell him to shoot for 2-3 exercises per body part and keep the reps/sets in the 3 sets of 8-10 range and up his weight so that by the end of the third set he's ALMOST at the point of failure (not at actual failure). There's a reason the saying "lift heavy or go home" came about; doing so adds muscle.

jag

[supzfan]

Jag is right on the money. Overtraining is a common mistake and will lead to injury. The older I get, I've come to realize that less is often more. For most of us the natural inclination is to due large numbers of sets and exercises as we feel like we're not working out enough if we do anything less. The stuff you read is the muscle mags is mostly useless and more often counterproductive. I can work to fatigue and I don't have to spend 2 hours in the gym doing it. Agonistic routines will give the body a chance to rest/recover. There are dozens of routines you can choose from but remember that most of them are practiced by guys who are doing steroids. You can find success doing what pre-drug lifters did. Check out the routines of guys like Marvin Eder, Steve Reeves and John Grimek for example. All natural and, most importantly, a healthy lifestyle. also Dave Draper has a terrific site with a wealth of practical info. I also recommend reading Frank Zane's and Bill Pearl's books. Those long workouts with superheavy poundages a la Ronnie Coleman are impossible without drugs as the body could never recuperate. Mix in some sort of aerobics on those off-days between workouts and you've got a complete exercise regimen.

[Holly Goodhead]

Would riding a bike for 35 mins in the morning and 35 mins at night be too much exercising? I've been trying to eat 2000 calories but it's hard. I'm guessing I eat 1500.

[Mr Sparkle]

Would riding a bike for 35 mins in the morning and 35 mins at night be too much exercising? I've been trying to eat 2000 calories but it's hard. I'm guessing I eat 1500.

and you're riding a bike 70 mins. a day?


:dry:

[Holly Goodhead]

It's a stationary bike. I ride it for 35 mins at night, but I'm impatient. So I figured riding it an extra 35 mins in the morning would help.

[supzfan]

Depends on your goals. If you're a "hardgainer" and looking to add mass then, yes, 35 minutes twice a day is too much. Cut that in half to once a day. If you're eating right and working out right and you're still not seeing gains then run only on your non-lifting days. And try to take some protein throughout the day and before bed. If you're looking to cut up and drop some weight then the twice a day thing is fine. Above all, be patient. the results will come.

[jaguarr]

Jag is right on the money. Overtraining is a common mistake and will lead to injury. The older I get, I've come to realize that less is often more. For most of us the natural inclination is to due large numbers of sets and exercises as we feel like we're not working out enough if we do anything less. The stuff you read is the muscle mags is mostly useless and more often counterproductive. I can work to fatigue and I don't have to spend 2 hours in the gym doing it. Agonistic routines will give the body a chance to rest/recover. There are dozens of routines you can choose from but remember that most of them are practiced by guys who are doing steroids. You can find success doing what pre-drug lifters did. Check out the routines of guys like Marvin Eder, Steve Reeves and John Grimek for example. All natural and, most importantly, a healthy lifestyle. also Dave Draper has a terrific site with a wealth of practical info. I also recommend reading Frank Zane's and Bill Pearl's books. Those long workouts with superheavy poundages a la Ronnie Coleman are impossible without drugs as the body could never recuperate. Mix in some sort of aerobics on those off-days between workouts and you've got a complete exercise regimen.

People tend to forget (or never realized) that muscle growth doesn't happen in the gym; it happens when you're resting. Lift heavy. Hit it hard. Keep your workouts under 60 minutes and then eat, eat, eat and sleep, sleep, sleep.

You make a very good point in that a lot of people try to train like the pro's. That's great if your running cycles of anabolic steroids, taking tons of recovery supplements, eating constantly, and sleeping all the time (in short, you don't have a job other than to work out and train for contests). Otherwise, the average person will just get a whole lot of overtraining and hampered progress for their troubles.

jag

[jaguarr]

Depends on your goals. If you're a "hardgainer" and looking to add mass then, yes, 35 minutes twice a day is too much. Cut that in half to once a day. If you're eating right and working out right and you're still not seeing gains then run only on your non-lifting days. And try to take some protein throughout the day and before bed. If you're looking to cut up and drop some weight then the twice a day thing is fine. Above all, be patient. the results will come.

Holly tends to pop in here now and again and ask random questions about exercise, by the way. Sometimes she's serious, but most of the time she's trolling. :)

jag

[Holly Goodhead]

Depends on your goals. If you're a "hardgainer" and looking to add mass then, yes, 35 minutes twice a day is too much. Cut that in half to once a day. If you're eating right and working out right and you're still not seeing gains then run only on your non-lifting days. And try to take some protein throughout the day and before bed. If you're looking to cut up and drop some weight then the twice a day thing is fine. Above all, be patient. the results will come.

I dont lift. So cycling 35 mins in the morning and 35 mins at night is fine?
What's a good protein drink? I'm a vegetarian. I love puppies

[Darren Daring]

It's only trolling if you aren't funny.

[Holly Goodhead]

Holly tends to pop in here now and again and ask random questions about exercise, by the way. Sometimes she's serious, but most of the time she's trolling. :)

jag

**** you, im being serious. :o

[Holly Goodhead]

what does cut up mean?

[Darren Daring]

jag, you seem knowledgable. In my old age, my body isnt' taking care of itself as good as it once was. I'm not looking to go crazy, just keep myself in a decent enough shape without having to buy any equipment or go to a gym. What do you recommend?

[jaguarr]

what does cut up mean?

I think he wants you to slit your wrists. :hyper:

jag

[jaguarr]

jag, you seem knowledgable. In my old age, my body isnt' taking care of itself as good as it once was. I'm not looking to go crazy, just keep myself in a decent enough shape without having to buy any equipment or go to a gym. What do you recommend?

Welcome to getting older. Diet's the big thing. Clean it up and that can make a huge difference. There's a ton of good advice in this thread about eating healthy. Other than that, go for a walk for an hour a day and that will keep you in pretty great shape, actually.

jag

[Darren Daring]

Ohh, I was hoping it wouldn't involve eating well:(

[supzfan]

At 52 I've learned to use my head when working out. I had the advantage of doing physical labor for much of my adult life and have seen the benefits of such a lifestyle. IMO weightbearing exercises of some kind, even light stuff, are essential in promoting overall good health. Even if you use your own body weight in exercising. You don't have to go crazy, just lift something, anything. This will pay off especially later on in life, staving off bone loss and muscle degeneration. There are numerous studies done with senior citizens who never lifted weights and when put on a light routine, find themselves fitter, healthier and happier. BTW another great place to get protein is at The Protein Factory, an online company that customizes the protein to meet your indvividual needs. These guys are cutting edge and carry the highest quality ingredients. Remember overall health is judged by strength, endurance and flexibility.

[jaguarr]

At 52 I've learned to use my head when working out. I had the advantage of doing physical labor for much of my adult life and have seen the benefits of such a lifestyle. IMO weightbearing exercises of some kind, even light stuff, are essential in promoting overall good health. Even if you use your own body weight in exercising. You don't have to go crazy, just lift something, anything. This will pay off especially later on in life, staving off bone loss and muscle degeneration. There are numerous studies done with senior citizens who never lifted weights and when put on a light routine, find themselves fitter, healthier and happier. BTW another great place to get protein is at The Protein Factory, an online company that customizes the protein to meet your indvividual needs. These guys are cutting edge and carry the highest quality ingredients. Remember overall health is judged by strength, endurance and flexibility.

Check out trueprotein.com . Another good source. :up: And supzfan, you might check out the Over 35 section at bodybuilding.com. I'm guessing it would be right up your alley.

jag

[Spider-Nerd]

im suspicious of bodybuilding.com sometimes jag, seems like they're heavily sponsored at times.....

[jaguarr]

im suspicious of bodybuilding.com sometimes jag, seems like they're heavily sponsored at times.....

There is a ton of great information in the forums, man. Some really knowledgable people on routines and diet, and even on supplementation (there are plenty of us on there who decry all the "magic pills" that the supp companies peddle). Like all things on the 'net, sorting the wheat from the shaft and getting the good info amongst the crap is required. :up:

jag

[Majin Boo]

Well, I am 5'7" and weigh 210.

For the past month I've been walking/Jogging on the beach.

I've been doing it 6 times a Week, for 4 miles, which I probably jogg 1.5m to 2m of those (depending on how soft or hard the sand is), the rest I walk. (joggin on the beach aint easy), and it takes me about 1 1/2 hours to do so.

Should I be doing more than that?

And what stuff do you do to keep in shape/loose weight?

[jaguarr]

Well, I am 5'7" and weigh 210.

For the past month I've been walking/Jogging on the beach.

I've been doing it 6 times a Week, for 4 miles, which I probably jogg 1.5m to 2m of those (depending on how soft or hard the sand is), the rest I walk. (joggin on the beach aint easy), and it takes me about 1 1/2 hours to do so.

Should I be doing more than that?

And what stuff do you do to keep in shape/loose weight?


If you're doing that much and having trouble losing weight I would look at your diet first before anything else. There's plenty of information in this thread on how to eat properly, so get to reading. :up:

jag

[Majin Boo]

Trying to lose weight.
I think I've lost about 7 pounds on this first month, but my weight machine is cheap and not very accurate.
The last couple of weeks have been kind of slow, haven't noticed much weight loss, and I try to keep my calories between 1500-1800 a day.

[jaguarr]

Trying to lose weight.
I think I've lost about 7 pounds on this first month, but my weight machine is cheap and not very accurate.
The last couple of weeks have been kind of slow, haven't noticed much weight loss, and I try to keep my calories between 1500-1800 a day.

Sounds to me like you're undereating for your body composition and that's caused a stall in your metabolism.

jag

[Majin Boo]

Sounds to me like you're undereating for your body composition and that's caused a stall in your metabolism.

jag

should I be eating more?

For example this is what I eat regularly:

Breakfast:

1 Glass of Lemonade (from carton)
1 Serving of Cereal (you know the small boxes, sometimes pops, smacks, etc)


Lunch:

Water
Some days, mac & cheese, half a italian Sub, a couple of sandwiches, or cesar salad.


Snack:

SOmetimes, but not always I will snack, I would say most times I don't, but if I do, it will be a Yoplait Strawberry yougurt.


Dinner:

Water
some days, the other half of a italian sub, cesar salad, 2 hot dogs, etc.


I know its not exactly healthy, but I got noone cooking for me right now, so resort to anything easy to do.
But I've cut SOdas completely, as well as going out to eat fast foods.

And All I drinnk is Water.

[Majin Boo]

Then again, starting monday I will have someone cooking for me, so now I can actually eat real food.

[jaguarr]

There's some information I posted somewhere in this thread about using fitday and how to plan your meals and appropriate caloric intake to your body type and caloric burn rate. Use search and track it down as it's probably exactly what you are looking for. That said, all that processed flour and sugar you're eating isn't doing you any favors.

jag

[Majin Boo]

do these things work??

http://www.nutrisystem.com/

[Colossal Spoons]

Well if it has Marino as an endorser, then of course :p

[jaguarr]

Companies like Nutrisystem just use the same knowledge anyone with a bit of knowledge about nutrition does to assemble a balanced meal that will suit your bodyweight, composition and caloric burn rate. They cut out processed flours and sugars for the most part and then make a small fortune selling people every single meal they are supposed to eat.

jag

[Prodigy]

should I be eating more?

For example this is what I eat regularly:

Breakfast:

1 Glass of Lemonade (from carton)
1 Serving of Cereal (you know the small boxes, sometimes pops, smacks, etc)


Lunch:

Water
Some days, mac & cheese, half a italian Sub, a couple of sandwiches, or cesar salad.


Snack:

SOmetimes, but not always I will snack, I would say most times I don't, but if I do, it will be a Yoplait Strawberry yougurt.


Dinner:

Water
some days, the other half of a italian sub, cesar salad, 2 hot dogs, etc.


I know its not exactly healthy, but I got noone cooking for me right now, so resort to anything easy to do.
But I've cut SOdas completely, as well as going out to eat fast foods.

And All I drinnk is Water.

You should rethink your diet. And when I say "diet" I don't mean diet... because it should just be a change in the way you eat altogether, a diet implies a temporary change.

You should try to eat 6 small meals a day, it is the key to better energy balance and keeping your metabolism going all day. You should also include some protein in every meal, get lots of fiber, and lower (but not no) carbohydrates. I know lots of people don't cook, but I started cooking my own meals a few years ago once I left the college dorms, and now am quite the versatile chef. Make sure you are getting exercise (I don't remember if you had mentioned before if you do), and find an online calculator to determine how many calories you should be eating a day to maintain your body weight, and subtract 500 calories from that for how many you should eat per day to lose a pound per week (a healthy rate of weight loss).

This is an example of what I eat through the day, which can be adapted for anyone who is transitioning to a healthier diet. (though some of my servings are bigger because I am maintaining, not losing, weight, and exercise vigorously several times a week)

Breakfast: 6:30am
2 eggs + fat free cheese + salsa omelette
1 packet (1/2 cup) of organic maple oatmeal
1 cup organic V8 juice

Snack: 9:30am
Organic green apple and unsalted almonds

Lunch: 12:00 noon
Teriyaki chicken + pineapple + cheese in a low-carb tortilla
1 medium orange

Pre-workout snack: 3:00pm
1 cup fat-free yogurt
1 cup applesauce

Workout: 4:00-5:00pm

Dinner: 5:00pm
Chicken stir fry
All-fruit smoothie

Snack: 8:00
Peanut butter + celery

Like I said that's one for me, but there can be changes made for anyone, and this is just a one-day example. The big thing is I avoid sugar by all means, and don't buy anything with high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. It's a start, though.

[Samael]

So I joined the National Guard. I weigh 230. I need to weigh 180. I ship out to Basic Training July 24th. Going to be an MP (military policeman). I'm 6'2. Any expertise in the subject I would very appreciate. I'm not trying to win any MOST ATHLETIC Award. I just need a regiment. Mostly right now, I'm doing body resisent training such as push ups, pull ups, crunches, lunges, and jogging. I don't have a routine of any, I just do them whenever I feel motivated. Which is prolly the case of why I'm in the shape I'm in.

Cut down on the calorie intake. Eliminated most bad stuff from my diet. I drink a **** load of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. Is that bad?


Thanks Guys. For those of you that take time out to try and build me a plan, I would be indebt to you forever.

[supzfan]

If you're trying to lose weight then starving yourself ain't the answer. Notice that Jag doesn't eat his last meal too late? The 5-6 small meals spread throughout the day is solid advice if you can swing it. You may also try cutting down on the portion-sizes of your meals. Do a lot of walking. 40 minutes a day on a treadmill can work wonders. Eat a nice big salad a few times a day. It will fill you up and you can get pretty creative with the ingredients to keep the pallete interested. Drink plenty of water. Keep your food sources as clean as possible, but that I mean as unprocessed as you can get your hands on. Weight training will burn calories, also. Cut back on the carbs but don't eliminate them. Use healthy oils like olive and canola. good luck!

[user123456789]

There is a ton of great information in the forums, man. Some really knowledgable people on routines and diet, and even on supplementation (there are plenty of us on there who decry all the "magic pills" that the supp companies peddle). Like all things on the 'net, sorting the wheat from the shaft and getting the good info amongst the crap is required. :up:

jag
yup

[user123456789]

Check out trueprotein.com . Another good source. :up: And supzfan, you might check out the Over 35 section at bodybuilding.com. I'm guessing it would be right up your alley.

jag
that section is really slow :(

[user123456789]

So I joined the National Guard. I weigh 230. I need to weigh 180. I ship out to Basic Training July 24th. Going to be an MP (military policeman). I'm 6'2. Any expertise in the subject I would very appreciate. I'm not trying to win any MOST ATHLETIC Award. I just need a regiment. Mostly right now, I'm doing body resisent training such as push ups, pull ups, crunches, lunges, and jogging. I don't have a routine of any, I just do them whenever I feel motivated. Which is prolly the case of why I'm in the shape I'm in.

Cut down on the calorie intake. Eliminated most bad stuff from my diet. I drink a **** load of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper. Is that bad?


Thanks Guys. For those of you that take time out to try and build me a plan, I would be indebt to you forever.
At least 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight.
At least 20% of your cals should come from healthy fats.
Keep starchy carbs @ breakfast, preWO, and postWO.

Diet soda is fine.
Drink at least 1 gallon of pure water a day.

Weight training is a god send.. start pumping that iron.. train proportionately.... consistency is key.

[user123456789]

im suspicious of bodybuilding.com sometimes jag, seems like they're heavily sponsored at times.....

actually bb.com is not sponsored.. it's the other way around.

companies get the privilege to sell our products on that website, not a right.

[jaguarr]

that section is really slow :(

It might be slow compared to other parts of the boards, but there's more quality information infused in the Over 35 section than there is on the rest of those forums, IMHO. :)

jag

[jaguarr]

actually bb.com is not sponsored.. it's the other way around.

companies get the privilege to sell our products on that website, not a right.

I think his point was that BB.com is a supplement driven site because they're in the business of selling supplements as their primary business on their main store site. His concern was that everything that BB.com does is forumulated around finding ways to sell more supplements. In my experience, the BB.com folks don't push products on the forums. There are product reps from the various supplement companies on the boards though that try to make people aware of their products if not push them on people. Some are slimier than others about it. Dirty product reps! :cmad:

jag

[jaguarr]

If you're trying to lose weight then starving yourself ain't the answer. Notice that Jag doesn't eat his last meal too late? The 5-6 small meals spread throughout the day is solid advice if you can swing it. You may also try cutting down on the portion-sizes of your meals. Do a lot of walking. 40 minutes a day on a treadmill can work wonders. Eat a nice big salad a few times a day. It will fill you up and you can get pretty creative with the ingredients to keep the pallete interested. Drink plenty of water. Keep your food sources as clean as possible, but that I mean as unprocessed as you can get your hands on. Weight training will burn calories, also. Cut back on the carbs but don't eliminate them. Use healthy oils like olive and canola. good luck!

Solid advice for Samael. I'd add, dump ALL the soda pop and ANY foods that you're eating that contain processed flours or sugars and ESPECIALLY dump anything you're consuming that's got High Fructose Corn Syrup in it (read the labels on your food; that **** is in everything). Prodigy is dead on when he says you're not dieting, you're changing your eating lifestyle. :up:

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

To heck with HFCS! :cmad:

[jaguarr]

To heck with HFCS! :cmad:

LOL @ your custom title. You've been hanging out in Misc. over at bb.com, haven't you?

jag

[AndThePickles]

To heck with HFCS! :cmad:

Companies seem to try to sneak it into EVERYTHING, ugh.

[Colossal Spoons]

LOL @ your custom title. You've been hanging out in Misc. over at bb.com, haven't you?

jag

Actually, I saw you recommend that to some guy who was having relationship problems here as SHH :D

[jaguarr]

Actually, I saw you recommend that to some guy who was having relationship problems here as SHH :D

This isn't about me. :dry:






(I hope he took my advice :D )
jag

[Colossal Spoons]

The thread hasn't been updated since haha.

[jaguarr]

The thread hasn't been updated since haha.

Bump it and ask for an update. :D

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

I upped my bench 10lbs, so I've got a new max of 235. Go me! :D

I got it up 3x, so I wanna get that to 6x before adding another 10lbs. :up:

[jaguarr]

Nice job, Spoons. Do more squats if you want to add to your bench. Seriously. Squats help build mass, which helps build more muscle overall, which will increase your overall strength. :up:

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

I recently started doing regular squats again. I had to downgrade to hack squats as I didn't feel the bar was sitting right on my back. I buffed up my traps and now I'm back at it :up:

Squats really are one of the most underrated and important exercises. I don't know how or why they target so many muscles but thank God for 'em.

[jaguarr]

I recently started doing regular squats again. I had to downgrade to hack squats as I didn't feel the bar was sitting right on my back. I buffed up my traps and now I'm back at it :up:

Squats really are one of the most underrated and important exercises. I don't know how or why they target so many muscles but thank God for 'em.

Squats work your whole body like no other exercise. Deadlifts are another one. Also, snatches and clean and press are good compound movements as well. I stick to heavy compound movements as much as possible. People waste a lot of time, energy and potential doing isolation movements, IMHO.

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

Yeah, my 2 new best friends are deadlifts and wide-grip pullups.

[AndThePickles]

Squats make me sore like no other! I'm sticking with hack squats for quite a while though...I'm afraid that if I do them with the bar I'm going to get hurt.

[raybia]

Ok guys, my membership with Gold's Gym begins on Nov. 13th.

I haven't lifted for 2 years so to get ready, I started doing sit ups, push ups, and dumbbell curls last week and will do so until I begin.

I also began my new nuturtion plan today.

Breakfast: 3 eggs, multigrain cereal, with organic milk

Snack: Protein shake, 47 grams, with Banana, peanut butter.

Lunch: Chicken and Rice

Snack: Peanut Butter sandwich

Dinner: Meat, veggie, and complex carbohydrate

Before bed: Protein shake 47 grams


Each day I will follow this nutrition format.

I will lift at Gold's Gym until Jan. 1st, three days a week. (Legs, Back/Biceps, Chest/Delts/Triceps.) I will start with a low weight and focus on form, and performing 10-12 reps.

After Jan. I will go on a 4 day cycle and reduce my reps to 8-10 and increasing the weight.

Any suggestions? I am I on the right track?

My main goal is to add muscle (20-30 pounds eventually) and strength and eventually reduce my bodyfat to under 10%. Its currently at 17%.

[maxwell's demon]

i havent lifted in 2 years either and damn, i really need to start again.

[raybia]

i havent lifted in 2 years either and damn, i really need to start again.


I didn't realize how far my body had deteriorated over the past two years until I really just looked at myself recently. I have really gotten skinny and lost my v shape.

[Colossal Spoons]

BUMP

I finally got back in the gym after taking 2 weeks off due to a nasty flu/plague and Thanksgiving break. I'm all kinds of sore after back/biceps today.

[mmx915]

Do any tips on getting more fit and in shape change if you are young aged?
(14?)

because I have ben' interested in getting in shape, and you know, who in middle school doesnt think a six pack is awesome?

but ya I am ready to work for it

[Colossal Spoons]

You're 14 eh? Leave the gym alone for at least another 2-4 years, watch what you eat as I know how I pigged out in high school, and stay active. :up:

[jaguarr]

You're 14 eh? Leave the gym alone for at least another 2-4 years, watch what you eat as I know how I pigged out in high school, and stay active. :up:

Nonsense. I started lifting when I was 14. Just don't get too carried away with too heavy too fast as you're still growing and your bones don't need all the extra stress at this point.

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

Nonsense. I started lifting when I was 14. Just don't get too carried away with too heavy too fast as you're still growing and your bones don't need all the extra stress at this point.

jag

I love the word nonsense. The next time somebody tells a lie, I'm gonna yell "nontruth!". :D

Anyway...

14 year old guys = hot heads = lift waaaay more than they should b/c they have to show off or keep up with the older guys = injury = HFCS :o I figured I'd play it extra safe and tell him to hold off till he's around 16-18 when hopefully testosterone won't completely cloud his judgement.

[jaguarr]

I love the word nonsense. The next time somebody tells a lie, I'm gonna yell "nontruth!". :D

Anyway...

14 year old guys = hot heads = lift waaaay more than they should b/c they have to show off or keep up with the older guys = injury = HFCS :o I figured I'd play it extra safe and tell him to hold off till he's around 16-18 when hopefully testosterone won't completely cloud his judgement.

:D

16-18 year olds are even worse with the testosterone clouded judgement. Better to learn how to do this stuff the RIGHT way before it gets too out of hand, IMHO. So, my advice to not lift too heavy too fast still stands, though I'll add that he should seek getting into a weight lifting class at school or at a gym to at least learn proper form and what exercises will work the best for which body parts, etc.

jag

[DV8]

^I started lifting when I was 15 . . . I was maxing out at 280lbs. in a year and a to two years after that . . . .

then . . . I started smoking cigarettes and became a huge stoner for like . . . . 8 years! :confused: :mad: :(

recently I quit smoking cigarettes and started getting into shape as a confidence booster, and way to keep myself busy . . . I've been doing pretty good . . . lost a lot of fat, and I maxed out at 250lbs. recently! :up:

And in ALL honesty, Jag and other cats on here really helped put things in perspective so I could help myself . . . the Hype really does bring hope to some our lives . . . it *sniffle* changed my life

[Colossal Spoons]

It starts with weight lifting at 14, next thing you know; he'll be robbing banks and sleeping with hookers at 16.

lucky


BTW mmx915; listen to Jag but remember; "There will always be somebody at your gym who can outlift you; and in your case since you're new, there will be many of them." Move at your own pace, say your prayers, take your vitamins, and you'll be big and strong in no time. :up:

[DV8]

btw, that was in response to post #1944 of this thread

[Colossal Spoons]

^I started lifting when I was 15 . . . I was maxing out at 280lbs. in a year and a to two years after that . . . .

then . . . I started smoking cigarettes and became a huge stoner for like . . . . 8 years! :confused: :mad: :(

recently I quit smoking cigarettes and started getting into shape as a confidence booster, and way to keep myself busy . . . I've been doing pretty good . . . lost a lot of fat, and I maxed out at 250lbs. recently! :up:

And in ALL honesty, Jag and other cats on here really helped put things in perspective so I could help myself . . . the Hype really does bring hope to some our lives . . . it *sniffle* changed my life

I didn't start till I was 17 and a senior in high school. I was too busy smoking marijuana to be concerned with eating healthy or oumping iron. :o

[The Riddler]

Beer and Masturbation! :up: :p
i'm on the right track then. :up:

[Iceman]

First weights session in ages today. I'm not going to be able to move for the rest of the week :(

[Asteroid-Man]

I still dont understand this bloody thread, and no I'm not british

[Iceman]

I still dont understand this bloody thread, and no I'm not british:huh: It's a fitness (key word) thread.

Discuss issues related to ......fitness :woot: :up:

[Colossal Spoons]

First weights session in ages today. I'm not going to be able to move for the rest of the week :(

Welcome back sucka! :D

What muscles did ya do?

[jaguarr]

Ahhhh.....I'm enjoying a week of from the weights. I take one off every 8-10 weeks to let all the aches and pains heal up and give my tendons and ligaments a chance to catch their breath. It all ends Tuesday when I hit the iron again.

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

Hehe, funny story. There are these two guys I know that are usually at the gym when I go. They're pretty big but they take no supplements, though I think I talked one into looking into Creatine :). Anyway, when these guys are struggling with their last 1-2 reps on a major excercise like bench or squats; they scream out "STEROIDS!!" as gutterally as they can for a little energy boost. It's hilarious to hear. :D

[jaguarr]

^^^^

LOL! WTF? :huh:

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

Most people make some dumb incoherent sound like "Ugh" or "Raah!". These guys think "Steroids" works better. I think I'll give it a shot today, haha.

[jaguarr]

You'll probably bust out laughing and drop the bar on your face. Have fun! :)

jag

[Iceman]

Welcome back sucka! :D

What muscles did ya do?Back & Biceps. I took it easy having experienced first time back syndrome far too many times. I still expect to be out of commission for a while :(

[jaguarr]

Back & Biceps. I took it easy having experienced first time back syndrome far too many times. I still expect to be out of commission for a while :(

Best thing you could do if you can manage it is some mid-level to intense cardio for about thirty minutes. Preferrably on something that will work your upper body as well like an eliptical or something. This will help loosen things up and shake out the toxins in your muscles that get released during weight training. :up:

jag

[Iceman]

Oh yeah I used to spend half my life on those ellipticals (I call them cross trainers) - one of the best inventions ever. Flushing out the toxins is such a good feeling that I tend to overdo that side of it rather than the weights.

[jaguarr]

Roughly 30 minutes of intense cardio should be plenty to shake out the toxins. Be sure to use some BCAA's of some sort before, during and after to protect your muscle. Particularly if you do the cardio first thing in the morning before breakfast.

jag

[Darren Daring]

I ran down three flights of stairs today, realized I forgot my keys, ran three flights back up, and then down again, so I figure I'm set until Christmas.

[jaguarr]

I ran down three flights of stairs today, realized I forgot my keys, ran three flights back up, and then down again, so I figure I'm set until Christmas.

Dude, you're hardcore! :up:

jag

[Iceman]

I'll have to look at the intake side of it properly now that I'm back to a relatively normal schedule :up: I'm pretty sure I overdo it when I do an hour on that thing at a time but it gets quite addictive. As for training before breakfast, that won't normally be an issue :p

[Iceman]

I ran down three flights of stairs today, realized I forgot my keys, ran three flights back up, and then down again, so I figure I'm set until Christmas.That should sort you out till about mid Jan :up:

[Colossal Spoons]

I like the phrase "shake out the toxins" Haha.

[jaguarr]

I like the phrase "shake out the toxins" Haha.

It turned you on, didn't it? :csad: I feel dirty, now. I'ma go do some cardio to shake out the toxins from that.

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

I've already shaken out my toxins 3 times today....once in class :dry:

[AndThePickles]

Wait, what? I've never heard of this phrase before.

[Iceman]

I think Spoons uses the phrase slightly differently :(

[AndThePickles]

.......yeaaaah :(

[Colossal Spoons]

Jag started it :o

[AndThePickles]

So you two did it together? :( :dry:

[BRUTAL]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand... :dry:




ew

[Colossal Spoons]

So you two did it together? :( :dry:

How dare you? Jag and I have never shaken out our toxins anywhere near each other. That would be absurd.

Good day!

[Iceman]

So you two did it together? :( :dry:It doesn't sound like Spoons was the aggressor so maybe he should be let off?? :yay: :csad:

[jaguarr]

It doesn't sound like Spoons was the aggressor so maybe he should be let off?? :yay: :csad:

What is this jealousy? I told you I'd get to you later! :cmad:

jag

[raybia]

What is this jealousy? I told you I'd get to you later! :cmad:

jag


What do you think about this?




http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hitworkout.htm

[jaguarr]

What do you think about this?




http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hitworkout.htm

I like it. I've always based my custom programs off of modified HIT routines and then dabbled with various rep/set schemes, depending on where I'm putting my focus. But three days a week with a 2-3 days of cardio inbetween has always done very well for me.

jag

[Iceman]

I always get better results with quick train to failure workouts when it comes to weights. I don't find it very easy though, especially if I'm training alone. I normally want to take too much rest between sets and my mind wanders.

What is this jealousy? I told you I'd get to you later!

jag don't want Spoons' seconds. :cmad:

[jaguarr]

Never train to failure. It stresses out your CNS (Central Nervous System) and slows recovery, which is where your real growth happens.

Time between sets: 90 seconds is perfect. You can go a bit less or a bit more depending on what your focus is (less for more endurance, more for bigger strength gains), but 75-90 seconds is prime time for promoting muscle growth.

jag

[raybia]

Never train to failure. It stresses out your CNS (Central Nervous System) and slows recovery, which is where your real growth happens.

Time between sets: 90 seconds is perfect. You can go a bit less or a bit more depending on what your focus is (less for more endurance, more for bigger strength gains), but 75-90 seconds is prime time for promoting muscle growth.

jag


The article I linked reads: "The most important thing is that you lift to absolute FAILURE! This is not an option. It is almost 100% necessary to have a workout partner. If you need to get 8 - 10 reps, choose a weight that allows you to get 8 - 10 reps? but not even ONE more."

Are you saying this is wrong?

[y2jversion1]

The article I linked reads: "The most important thing is that you lift to absolute FAILURE! This is not an option. It is almost 100% necessary to have a workout partner. If you need to get 8 - 10 reps, choose a weight that allows you to get 8 - 10 reps? but not even ONE more."

Are you saying this is bad?

It always depends on what your training goals are. Powerlifters & Strongmen (train primarily for strength) will train differently from Bodybuilders (who train primarily for aesthetics), and both will train differently from sports-specific athletes etc.

There is no set in stone rule in regards to failure that applies across the board as each training style is different in regards to what the end goals are - the only common factor that goes across the board is intensity - if you don't go intense in every exercise (this does not necessarily mean go to failure) regardless of what you're training for, you're wasting your time with inefficiency.

[y2jversion1]

The article I linked reads: "The most important thing is that you lift to absolute FAILURE! This is not an option. It is almost 100% necessary to have a workout partner. If you need to get 8 - 10 reps, choose a weight that allows you to get 8 - 10 reps? but not even ONE more."

Are you saying this is bad?

It always depends on what your training goals are. Powerlifters & Strongmen (train primarily for strength) will train differently from Bodybuilders (who train primarily for aesthetics), and both will train differently from sports-specific athletes etc.

There is no set in stone rule in regards to failure that applies across the board as each training style is different in regards to what the end goals are - the only common factor that goes across the board is intensity - if you don't go intense in every exercise (this does not necessarily mean go to failure) regardless of what you're training for, you're wasting your time with inefficiency.

[jaguarr]

I train right up to the edge of failure but not past it to the point of full on failure. Most seasoned bodybuilders that I know take the same approach, simply because of the CNS stress factor impending recovery which is really where your gains (strength AND size) will come from. You can go to full failure every now and again to "shock" your muscles if you really want to, but I've never found it necessary. y2j is absolutely right that intensity is the key. Personally, I find it far more efficient to stress the muscle to the point of near failure so that it can heal and grow more efficiently as a result as opposed to heal from the workout PLUS the trauma that comes with lifting to failure. I didn't catch the part about training to failure in your article, raybia (I browsed it, rather than read all of it), but I would disagree with that tenement and it's not the most important thing about working out by a long shot. intensity, consistency and change when necessary to side-step stagnation, along with proper diet and rest, are the most important things.

jag

[Colossal Spoons]

Talk about a crappy workout. Worst back/biceps day I've had in a long time. I lost all energy like 1/2 way through and as a result; I had to quit a set prematurely on my last 4 exercises.

To make it worse, I get to watch Batista and the other giants on Smackdown :cmad:

[Iceman]

I'm really feeling the effects of that workout now. I can't bend my arms up :( :woot:Never train to failure. It stresses out your CNS (Central Nervous System) and slows recovery, which is where your real growth happens. My version of training to failure is realistically one or two reps at least away from failure. Not that I knew the science behind it, but it would feel a bit risky if I truly couldn't manage another rep.

Time between sets: 90 seconds is perfect. You can go a bit less or a bit more depending on what your focus is (less for more endurance, more for bigger strength gains), but 75-90 seconds is prime time for promoting muscle growth.
My aim isn't really for mass (except on legs where I could use it) so I should probably stick to 90. Letting workouts drag is a problem on unfocused days, especially if training alone. I hate when the machines/benches weights I need are being used by some huge b'tard who spends about 2 hours on one piece of equipment and throws my whole workout plan off course.

[Iceman]

Talk about a crappy workout. Worst back/biceps day I've had in a long time. I lost all energy like 1/2 way through and as a result; I had to quit a set prematurely on my last 4 exercises.

My back biceps workout was extremely tame (I did next to nothing for biceps as they were already gone from the earlier reps) but the effects are crippling first time back.

To make it worse, I get to watch Batista and the other giants on Smackdown :cmad:Haha.

[PhePhe112]

i just took a pic tonight and realized how fat i've gotten....i need to workout and go on a major diet!!....i know i need to diet for sure now...this thread just happend to be the first one when i logged in!! how long should i try and run on the treadmil for the first ever workout??

[Iceman]

i just took a pic tonight and realized how fat i've gotten....i need to workout and go on a major diet!!....i know i need to diet for sure now...this thread just happend to be the first one when i logged in!! how long should i try and run on the treadmil for the first ever workout??First ever :eek:

In that case I would take it easy and go for as long as it feels comfortable rather than set yourself a specific time. It's best to play it safe at the start and build up slowly :up:

[PhePhe112]

well....maybe not first ever...but what i mean is first ever over 10 mins...thats the longest i've done it for :( i hate working out but damn i need it!!

[Iceman]

OK maybe aim for 15-20. As long as you don't feel any discomfort you can keep going. Maybe you can try some other machines. I find the treadmill boring. Give the elliptical cross trainer a go if your gym has one.

[PhePhe112]

what does that look like?? i sometimes try the stair type thing that instead of lifting your foot off the pad you kinda glide...

[Iceman]

There's a few different types but they should all look vaguely similar to this.

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/723/fitnesssuitecrosstrainekm7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

It trains your whole body at once without putting too much strain on any particular part and burns a hell of a lot of calories. Without being sexist, most girls tend to prefer this. :)

I used to use it every day.

[Iceman]

There's a few different types but they should all look vaguely similar to this.

http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/723/fitnesssuitecrosstrainekm7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

It trains your whole body at once without putting too much strain on any particular part and burns a hell of a lot of calories. Without being sexist, most girls tend to prefer this. :)

I used to use it every day (EDIT not that I'm a girl :eek: :woot:)

[The_Dark_Knight]

I'm new to fitness.

How would I go about getting that "Bruce Lee" type of body?

[Iceman]

I'm new to fitness.

How would I go about getting that "Bruce Lee" type of body?Haha, well that could take a while.

What body type (mass, body fat levels etc) do you have? What kind of fitness/endurance levels are you at? Do you do any fitness work at the moment?