THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 03:55:12 AM

Title: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 03:55:12 AM
20 more pounds and I'm within the weight I should be for my height.

Now that I've lost so much weight, jogging isn't so hard. When you're overweight it can really hurt your fucking knees/ankles/back because all that jiggly stuff is weighing ya down! My goal is to be able to run 1.5 miles before I graduate this year, and I'm going to want to be able to run 3 miles before I (if I can) join the Navy or Air Force.

I think it's about high time I start lifting weights again, but I'm scared to go to a gym and lift. I feel like I'll feel inferior and out-classed. Plus, I haven't really lifted weights since junior/high school so I should be weak as hell. Any tips to get me started?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Rman on June 19, 2009, 04:07:10 AM
Buy Starting Strength.  It's an excellent guide for beginners.  But basically avoid machines and get comfortable with barbell exercises--squats, deadlifts, bench press.  I also incorporate cross fit exercises.  I've lost around 15 pounds since I decided to get proactive about my health. 

Nutrition is also key.  I noticed that minimizing refined starches and sugars works best for my body chemistry.  Drop soda, white bread, white rice, and sugar, or at least minimize them.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 04:13:05 AM
I've stopped drinking soda a long time and basically, for the most part, only drink water and juices.

It's really helped me a lot and I feel so healthy than I did in the past.

What're some good ways to increase stamina? I want to make that 3 mile goal even if I can't make it to the Navy.

I hear swimming's pretty good but I don't really have access to a pool. Well, I do, but my neighborhood's people are assfucks (they divided the hood into divisions and our division can't use the pool anymore).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Flannel Boy on June 19, 2009, 04:15:42 AM
Congrats on the weight loss, but why are you joining the navy? It's not like as fun as you imagine; there's a lot less buggery now.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Rman on June 19, 2009, 04:17:11 AM
Swimming is excellent and its my primary cardio exercise.  It's easy on your joints, so it may be better for you while you lose weight.  

With running, I'd recommend no more than 3 runs per week to build up stamina.  Don't go nuts in the beginning.  You can also get motivated by signing up for a race too.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 04:17:59 AM
Congrats on the weight loss, but why are you joining the navy? It's not like as fun as you imagine; there's a lot less buggery now.



It'd really help me pay off my college loan debts and that'd be a huge relief. Plus, I figure it'd be a great experience, one I could learn from and help form self discipline and the travel aspect is really appealing as well. I don't want any fucking regrets when I die. You have only one life and I might as well go all the way out.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Reb on June 19, 2009, 04:19:00 AM
You know 1.5 miles is supposed to be a 10 - 15 minutes run?
I can't imagine the Navy hiring somebody that needs to work towards a 3 mile run.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 04:21:17 AM
The navy requires 1.5.

But why stop at 1.5?

Why not shoot for 3?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 04:22:56 AM
Swimming is excellent and its my primary cardio exercise.  It's easy on your joints, so it may be better for you while you lose weight.  

With running, I'd recommend no more than 3 runs per week to build up stamina.  Don't go nuts in the beginning.  You can also get motivated by signing up for a race too.



What strokes help you the most? How long do you swim? What are the specifics?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Flannel Boy on June 19, 2009, 04:25:39 AM

What're some good ways to increase stamina?


Exercise five times a week, even if you're only walking. And each week, increase your distance, but not by a lot. Make sure to get enough sleep and calories.

By not reducing my caloric intake, I've increased my stamina very quickly. I couldn't run more than a couple of kilometers a month and half ago, now I'm jogging 6k five times a week and doing a ton of pushups and situps. Of course, I haven't lost much weight yet.  
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Tieno on June 19, 2009, 04:28:28 AM
Congrats on the weight loss! I've been there, it's tough but when you persist and do it through hard work and no cheating (operation) you'll feel really good about and with yourself.

You don't need to be intimidated to go the gym. Everyone started 'weak' at some point. At least you're doing something about your health so you should feel proud about that.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Rman on June 19, 2009, 04:29:07 AM
Swimming is excellent and its my primary cardio exercise.  It's easy on your joints, so it may be better for you while you lose weight.  

With running, I'd recommend no more than 3 runs per week to build up stamina.  Don't go nuts in the beginning.  You can also get motivated by signing up for a race too.



What strokes help you the most? How long do you swim? What are the specifics?

Freestyle and breaststroke are usually the most natural for most.  I'm not fan of backstroke, except when cooling down between lengths.  Butterfly is brutal, but great for sprinting.  

I usually swim for 30 to 40 minutes.  

Swimming is all about technique.  A lot of people get frustrated because the try to pound down the pool.  They end up winded and barely complete laps.  You need finesse.

Here's a good blog post about becoming a better swimmer.

http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2008/08/13/total-immersion-how-i-learned-to-swim-effortlessly-in-10-days-and-you-can-too/

My workouts:

2 swimming work outs per week.  One 30 minute swim with sprinting and one long 45 minute swim.
2 high intensity resistance workouts and a couple of cross fit workouts.  I'm looking to get into kettle-ball training.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: cool breeze on June 19, 2009, 04:29:46 AM
This thread convinced me to get back to trying to build stamina.  I've been too lazy for the past two or three weeks now.

And the Navy lets you play Halo 3 early.  That's cool.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 19, 2009, 04:36:46 AM
Why do you need to run to join the Navy? Swimming would appear a more useful skill. Then again, they don't require flight to join the air force either so my logic is clearly flawed.

Everything I wanted to say has already been said by Rman, Prince Among Men. His enormous brain probably glows in the dark. Buy Starting Strength. Do Crossfit 'til you can't do it anymore. It's done wonders for me and everyone I know who does it.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 19, 2009, 04:48:34 AM
My Crossfit starter link pack:

Crossfit.com. The Workout of the Day is posted here.

http://www.crossfit.com/

Check the 'Start Here!' link in the left hand column, and also 'Exercises & Demos' for videos showing how to do the workouts and component exercises. The Message Board is a great place to get questions answered. Lots of military folks have posted info about using crossfit to pass the various mandatory fitness tests.

Scaled down versions of the workouts for beginners:

http://www.crossfitbrandx.com/index.php/forums/viewforum/16/?f=16&sid=74059d7b82f8aa7e7fa9cdcec3157228

Congrats on losing the lbs, dude. The hardest part is over. It's all good from here.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 10:04:05 AM
Well, I can already swim and can swim far already. So for me it's just a matter of concentrating on specific skills at a time. You'd be surprised at the number of sailors who join up who don't know how to swim and end up going through swim training in basic. :lol

The main prerequisite for the navy is to be able to swim and some distance, but I can already do that. I *can't* however, run 1.5
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Tauntaun on June 19, 2009, 10:42:24 AM
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X_d6JjJ00I4/SAuIxRRmQyI/AAAAAAAAM2c/A7GrJyyX1U8/s400/black+prison+guys.jpg)

I hear they lift weights in prison.  Just sayin.


spoiler (click to show/hide)
:-*  I need to start hitting the gym too my nubian delight.
[close]
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on June 19, 2009, 11:48:44 AM
Does joining the Navy have anything to do with Shenmue and "looking for sailors"?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 12:57:47 PM
Does joining the Navy have anything to do with Shenmue and "looking for sailors"?

Total coincidence.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 12:58:53 PM
I think you're making a very big decision and I wish you the best of luck Himu-san but why the fuck would you join anything military related right now?

Because I'm not a pussy and I want to pay off my college loan debts.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: WrikaWrek on June 19, 2009, 12:59:22 PM
Cutting weight is easy.

The hard part is in turning your body into something harder.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BamYouHaveAids on June 19, 2009, 01:13:28 PM
Cutting weight is easy.

The hard part is in turning your body into something harder.
cutting weight is dreadful

there isn't really any tip to increase your stamina other then "keep at it"
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 03:05:28 PM
Can anyone suggest a bike who's seat DOESN'T bust my balls? I tried biking this morning and I just can't do it. My dick is sliding all through my pants - back and forth, back and forth - my balls keep getting POUNDED. It's completely uncomfortable for my trouser snake and his pair of eggs.

Surely there is a way around this bullcrap. I try adjusting the seat and nothing really works so I'm assuming it's my bike in general.

HELP.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: WrikaWrek on June 19, 2009, 03:07:00 PM
Cutting weight is easy.

The hard part is in turning your body into something harder.
cutting weight is dreadful

there isn't really any tip to increase your stamina other then "keep at it"

Cutting weight is all about diet, time, and a bit of cardio (go play some football with your buddies).

Regardless of cardio, the most important aspect is diet and time.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 03:08:57 PM
Losing weight is completely subjective. Shut up, wrika.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: WrikaWrek on June 19, 2009, 03:09:59 PM
whatever
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on June 19, 2009, 03:10:37 PM
HIIT will shoot dead weight outta' your asshole. Its easy to get burnt out on it though. I need to set up a schedule where the curve isn't as harsh.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: tiesto on June 19, 2009, 03:11:39 PM
I really need to pick up the Crossfit book... but yeah, I'm a thin guy and never felt intimidated once when going to the gym. Just do it, it feels great once your body adjusts.

And best of luck in joining the Navy, I know plenty of ex-Navy people from work and they are all pretty cool. Not to mention, where I work our prime contractor is the Navy so you may very possibly be using stuff I worked on!
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: pollo on June 19, 2009, 06:01:21 PM
Question for you Bore lifters. They only got Smith Machines at the gym I go to, and I don't want to stop doing Squats. Am I fucked? This really sucks. The gym's planet fitness, and I signed up for their 2 year 200 dollar one time sign up. I don't want to stop doing Rippetoes, but if it's going to hurt me in the long run, there's nothing I can do I guess..
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BamYouHaveAids on June 19, 2009, 06:17:52 PM
Question for you Bore lifters. They only got Smith Machines at the gym I go to, and I don't want to stop doing Squats. Am I fucked? This really sucks. The gym's planet fitness, and I signed up for their 2 year 200 dollar one time sign up. I don't want to stop doing Rippetoes, but if it's going to hurt me in the long run, there's nothing I can do I guess..
I wouldn't do squats in a smith machine--the motion is unnatural and it puts excess pressure on your lower back and neck. I would do leg press before doing smith machine squats.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: pollo on June 19, 2009, 06:47:16 PM
Question for you Bore lifters. They only got Smith Machines at the gym I go to, and I don't want to stop doing Squats. Am I fucked? This really sucks. The gym's planet fitness, and I signed up for their 2 year 200 dollar one time sign up. I don't want to stop doing Rippetoes, but if it's going to hurt me in the long run, there's nothing I can do I guess..
I wouldn't do squats in a smith machine--the motion is unnatural and it puts excess pressure on your lower back and neck. I would do leg press before doing smith machine squats.

So I guess new regiment huh. Damn.

What would you recommend in place of squats? I can't change gyms.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 19, 2009, 08:43:00 PM
Squats: I just bought a barbell and some cheap squat stands and do them at home. If I can do it in an apartment in Tokyo, you can do it wherever.

It's definitely more convenient on a gym but you chose poorly, as they say. Do squats at home, and work on other lifts at the gym - I assume they still have barbells and plates, so you can do deadlifts (the 2nd most important lift), presses and the Oly lifts very productively. 
You should be able to do fairly heavy front squats without a cage, assuming that you can clean a decent weight. You don't need as much weight to kill you on the front squat.

And of course, unweighted or air squats are very important too. You can do those anywhere. These are absolutely KILLER:

[youtube=560,345]ku-eOGXScOQ[/youtube]

You can of course easily add weight to this just by holding a dumbell or plates or whatever. But you won't want to, for a while at least.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on June 19, 2009, 08:49:02 PM
I agree with air squats. People scoff at them but if you clench your muscles, go deep and explode on the up, you will feel it the next day. That's what I've been doing recently.

Time to build up some tight buttcheecks, himu  :-*
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 19, 2009, 08:50:18 PM
Cutting weight is easy.

The hard part is in turning your body into something harder.
cutting weight is dreadful

there isn't really any tip to increase your stamina other then "keep at it"

Sorry but this is bollocks. "Keeping at it" will certainly work but it's inefficient and most people simply give up because it makes them miserable. You need to check out "interval training". I did a 5k run the other day for the first time in a year and I beat my last time by 5 whole minutes. The longest distance I've run between then and now is about 3k, which I did maybe twice. I typically just do 400m and 800m sprints. How many times do you think you'd have to repeat a 5k run in order to cut five mins off your previous best time? And how much would that suck?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BamYouHaveAids on June 19, 2009, 08:52:22 PM
Question for you Bore lifters. They only got Smith Machines at the gym I go to, and I don't want to stop doing Squats. Am I fucked? This really sucks. The gym's planet fitness, and I signed up for their 2 year 200 dollar one time sign up. I don't want to stop doing Rippetoes, but if it's going to hurt me in the long run, there's nothing I can do I guess..
I wouldn't do squats in a smith machine--the motion is unnatural and it puts excess pressure on your lower back and neck. I would do leg press before doing smith machine squats.

So I guess new regiment huh. Damn.

What would you recommend in place of squats? I can't change gyms.
Do they have any barbells? If so you could front squat.

I ran into the same problem earlier this year and substituted squats with one handed dumbell snatches. It doesn't work the legs as extensively as squats but it does teach you how to effectively generate power and works the entire body. When I finally did start squatting again the actual weight went up, which is surprising considering power cleans have always been a part of my routine.

Quote

Sorry but this is bollocks. "Keeping at it" will certainly work but it's inefficient and most people simply give up because it makes them miserable. You need to check out "interval training". I did a 5k run the other day for the first time in a year and I beat my last time by 5 whole minutes. The longest distance I've run between then and now is about 3k, which I did maybe twice. I typically just do 400m and 800m sprints. How many times do you think you'd have to repeat a 5k run in order to cut five mins off your previous best time? And how much would that suck?
If you don't enjoy running it will make you miserable no matter what you do. It's not as if interval training is fun. Yes, it is more efficient (time wise) but I think one should build the stamina to run three miles before worrying about improving their time. Personally, I feel long distance running builds endurance better than HIIT, when I went HIIT exclusively my conditioning went to shit and I wouldn't be able to compete for more than a few rounds(boxing) before gassing. What I did is: add sprints to my daily jog.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 19, 2009, 09:00:55 PM
oh yeah, you should be able to get a barbell and squat racks for about $200 new. You don't need a special bar if it's just for squatting. Plates will probably be a throw-in.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 19, 2009, 09:25:52 PM
Bam, you have me totally confused now. Sprints are the essence of HIIT. Saying you stopped HIIT to add sprints is bizarre. Yes, you can't do HIIT exclusively and expect to maintain or improve long-distance stamina. You need SOME longer distances. But with Crossfit, i get the stamina from doing the regular workouts (which tend to be around 10-20 mins of non-stop high intensity work). No need to run every day and wear out my knees.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Eel O'Brian on June 19, 2009, 09:28:20 PM
get yourself an ass-busting manual labor job for a few months

you'll trim right up and get paid for it
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BamYouHaveAids on June 19, 2009, 09:37:54 PM
Bam, you have me totally confused now. Sprints are the essence of HIIT. Saying you stopped HIIT to add sprints is bizarre. Yes, you can't do HIIT exclusively and expect to maintain or improve long-distance stamina. You need SOME longer distances. But with Crossfit, i get the stamina from doing the regular workouts (which tend to be around 10-20 mins of non-stop high intensity work). No need to run every day and wear out my knees.
where in my post did i say i stopped sprinting/hiit? all i said is intstead of doing hiit/long distance running seperately i do them together now.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 19, 2009, 11:45:38 PM
Holy shit @ those squats! :lol

So that's the key to getting a nice booty  :o

I got a membership at Bally Fitness Gym today so I use their pool and weights.

Ran today for an hour and did some sit ups after.

Gosh, I don't know why I just got into this in the past year because...I feel so damn ALIVE after it all. Ya know?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 20, 2009, 09:22:36 AM
Did air squats this morning after my jog and push up plan, damn I can feel this coming back tomorrow morning already.

Every 10 squats I'd hold my position for 10-20 seconds (as long as I could last) with my butt pointed to the ground, then bounced back on the up and kept going till I couldn't anymore. Amazingly simple but taxing exercise.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Tieno on June 20, 2009, 10:39:44 AM
Wrika, there's a difference between cutting weight when you're overweight/obese (my case) or when you're already pretty normal. Cutting weight in the former involves a complete change of lifestyle, which isn't easy and takes a lot of time and dedication before you start to look normal. Similar to gaining muscle. Some people gain muscle more easily or lose weight more rapidly, it's not the same for everybody.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 20, 2009, 01:22:56 PM
Did air squats this morning after my jog and push up plan, damn I can feel this coming back tomorrow morning already.

Every 10 squats I'd hold my position for 10-20 seconds (as long as I could last) with my butt pointed to the ground, then bounced back on the up and kept going till I couldn't anymore. Amazingly simple but taxing exercise.

awesome. Try doing it with the strict tabata timing used in that vid: 20 seconds squats as fast as you can, 10 seconds "rest". At the beginning, it's more important to focus on form (proper depth, maintaining the lumbar curve, knees tracking the feet), because squats carry though to so many other exercises. If you squat right, you'll do most everything better.

Another variation is to do 20 second squats, 10 seconds standing rest x8. Count how many reps you do in each interval; your score is your score for your worst interval. i.e. if you do 19, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 15, 15, your score is 15. You can also score this for total reps, i.e. that would be 134 reps (which is my current best, from a few months back).

One of the Crossfit coaches once said that folks shouldn't even be allowed to squat with weight 'til they can bust out a score of 18 on tabata squats with good form. They're that fundamental. Yet most people never do them because they're scared of looking a bit silly. Bah.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 20, 2009, 01:30:38 PM
This pull-up bar is the bane of my existence. Here I go thinking I'm getting fairly good results from my exercise routine, then I get this stupid thing and reality is tossed in my face like a pair of well worn work-out briefs.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on June 20, 2009, 01:34:00 PM
Pullups are hard if your bodyweight is up there. I've been having issues with it for a while. A good way to deal with them is doing negative reps for a while (hoisting yourself up via a box so your chin would be where if you were doing full pullups/chinups, then slowly bring yourself down without the assistance of the box).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 20, 2009, 01:58:30 PM
Yeah, I was doing negatives for a while, helped improve the actual pull-ups a bit. Also did the lame one-toe thing. It basically boils down to me having neglected the back muscle bit, which is stupid anyway, so I'm thinking maybe it would be wise to warm up with the lats machine down at the clubhouse.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: brawndolicious on June 20, 2009, 03:07:30 PM
Can anyone suggest a bike who's seat DOESN'T bust my balls? I tried biking this morning and I just can't do it. My dick is sliding all through my pants - back and forth, back and forth - my balls keep getting POUNDED. It's completely uncomfortable for my trouser snake and his pair of eggs.
Surely there is a way around this bullcrap. I try adjusting the seat and nothing really works so I'm assuming it's my bike in general.
HELP.
It sounds like the seat is too narrow.

If you want to build up stamina, stair master machines are a better way I think though.  It also seems to burn calories faster.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 20, 2009, 08:59:09 PM
If you can do a pull-up, nothing builds them up faster than doing lots of pull-ups. There is a program by a dude called Recon Ron that seems to work for a lot of people, but to be honest, you do so many damn pull-ups doing Crossfit I never needed to do anything else. Now I do sets of 10 in my warm-up. Crossfit WODs with 100+ pull-ups are not uncommon.

Negatives and jumping pull-ups never helped me much. Occasional weighted pull-ups seem to help me more (just put some plates in a backpack, or hold a DB between your feet).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 20, 2009, 09:06:50 PM
and yes, pull-ups get a lot easier as you lose weight. one more reason why it's important to do them with added weight every so often, to keep it challenging as a strength exercise. Also, try learning to kip if you don't know already. It's difficult to explain in words but if you have any specific probs with it I can probably help. It's a different exercise but an insanely good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7spRknkD1hU
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 20, 2009, 10:06:19 PM
That method is what I naturally want to do (I like dynamic motion, and it's a hell of a lot more realistic of a motion for what I'm going for), but I've been told that I should hold off on applying any motion until I can get basic pull-ups down. I'm not big on machines so I've avoided that lats machine down at the gym, but I'm thinking taking small steps might pay off here.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 20, 2009, 10:15:34 PM
I don't see any reason why you can't do both. Is the perceived problem that you might not develop the necessary strength if you go straight to kipping? If so, kipping pull-ups still use your arms and back, so it'll help you develop deadhang pull-up strength as well. Both are righteous exercises. Never used a lat pulldown machine so have no idea. Any exercise that involves sitting down on a machine seems fundamentally weird to me (unless it's rowing maybe).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 20, 2009, 10:27:54 PM
What's the difference between cycling and running? Is cycling good too? It gets me tired as hell.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 20, 2009, 10:30:28 PM
There was some woman down at the gym today using a recumbent stationary bike. She sat on the thing for probably an hour, slowly but steadily biking to nowhere while lounging back and flipping through the channels. I'm certainly no fitness expert, but it just doesn't to me like there could possibly be much exercise to that.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 20, 2009, 10:33:52 PM
There was some woman down at the gym today using a recumbent stationary bike. She sat on the thing for probably an hour, slowly but steadily biking to nowhere while lounging back and flipping through the channels. I'm certainly no fitness expert, but it just doesn't to me like there could possibly be much exercise to that.


I asure you, there's no lounging involved with me. So I guess it's not as good as running?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 20, 2009, 10:41:44 PM
it's just a waste of time. you burn a few calories, that's it. there is no stimulus, so you never get any fitter.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 20, 2009, 10:42:07 PM
I have no idea. Just saying, the recumbent deal just doesn't look right.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 20, 2009, 10:44:43 PM
it's just a waste of time. you burn a few calories, that's it. there is no stimulus, so you never get any fitter.

Really : o

Oh wow.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 20, 2009, 10:52:10 PM
well, if you do it hard enough, MAYBE. but basically it's a total waste of time. just eat less calories and save yourself the effort.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 20, 2009, 10:54:27 PM
well, if you do it hard enough, MAYBE. but basically it's a total waste of time. just eat less calories and save yourself the effort.

Speaking of which. What kind of food do i need to eat? and how much?

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: cool breeze on June 20, 2009, 11:17:42 PM
I want a pull up bar in my room, I just need to find one that will go under this door arch without installation, if that's even possible.

I'm lucky enough that my building has a decent sized gym that I can do most things without filling up my place with it. They just don't have a pull up bar.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 20, 2009, 11:29:31 PM
The gym here has become crowded as hell since the pool opened. I guess everyone realized mid-June that they need to work out so that they can lay around in style.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Beezy on June 21, 2009, 12:06:32 AM
There's no pull up bar in my house or school gym. I don't know what to do. :'(
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 21, 2009, 06:23:05 AM
well, if you do it hard enough, MAYBE. but basically it's a total waste of time. just eat less calories and save yourself the effort.

Speaking of which. What kind of food do i need to eat? and how much?


To gain weight or lose it or just to maintain and eat healthily? 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 21, 2009, 06:24:30 AM
There's no pull up bar in my house or school gym. I don't know what to do. :'(

Look for a park nearby which has one.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 21, 2009, 07:08:12 AM
well, if you do it hard enough, MAYBE. but basically it's a total waste of time. just eat less calories and save yourself the effort.

Speaking of which. What kind of food do i need to eat? and how much?


I'm not really fat. But I do need abs. lol

To gain weight or lose it or just to maintain and eat healthily? 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 21, 2009, 07:08:44 AM

I need abs.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 21, 2009, 08:24:22 AM
Do you already have the muscles, and are just a bit fat, or are you skinny but have no muscles? Or somewhere in between
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 21, 2009, 12:14:43 PM
Do you already have the muscles, and are just a bit fat, or are you skinny but have no muscles? Or somewhere in between

Skinny, no abs. And no muscles.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 21, 2009, 01:14:01 PM
Holy crap, those squats from yesterday REALLY came back today. Damn I'm sore. I bend down to pick something up, instant tightness in my legs and butt.

This is crazy. Situps, push ups, jogging...that definitely made me feel sore the day I did them sometimes and definitely the day after, but this...

I'm considering going on an hour jog tonight after my dad and I hang out.

Like they say, no pain no gain, right?

I tried stretching a bit and my legs definitely feel better if I'm standing.


The funny thing is that even if I'm sore, it's not like a "GOD THIS HURTS!" sore either. It's more like,"I put my body to the test and this feels GOOD." Do I just like pain? I knew I was masochistic from the games I like.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 21, 2009, 01:29:00 PM

2 swimming work outs per week.  One 30 minute swim with sprinting and one long 45 minute swim.
2 high intensity resistance workouts and a couple of cross fit workouts.  I'm looking to get into kettle-ball training.


what exactly is a high intensity resistance workout?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 21, 2009, 04:21:16 PM
I want to add muscle mass to my body but I'm not sure what to eat since I'm on diet (well, not so much a diet, but a change in eating habits to help me lose weight.)

On work days I'm doing jogging, sit ups, push ups, jumping jacks, and (now) tabata squats. That's a  good work out all around right? That hits every part of my body to increase muscle?

But what do I eat so I can lose weight AND gain muscle?

My average daily intake:

breakfast:

orange juice or milk
with light yogurt or a fruit (banana, apple)

lunch:

salad or chicken sandwich or turkey sandwich

snack, mid day:

fruit or veggie

dinner:

depends but I try to keep it healthy

I don't count carbs or calories but I guess I should start now, eh?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 21, 2009, 04:22:43 PM
Fish. Add flax seed to your yogurt.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 21, 2009, 04:23:48 PM
Never been a big fish eater, but I guess I could start.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 21, 2009, 04:24:38 PM
Never been a big fish eater, but I guess I could start.

Start with something mild, like tilapia or catfish, and stick with oven baking it. If you go straight for stronger fish, like sockeye or similar, you will probably have trouble getting into it.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 21, 2009, 04:27:13 PM
I hate catfish. It's the reason I hate fish because it's the only fish black people seem to eat. Especially how my fellow darkies cook it in the south (fried).  :yuck

What's flax seed?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 21, 2009, 04:55:36 PM
Typical catfish doesn't have much flavor at all, so depending on spice and method of preparation, it's basically flaky chicken. It's the easiest fish around to cook with, that's why I'm recommending it.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 21, 2009, 07:43:24 PM
Vegetable oil (olive oil being the most common) and seeds are the healthiest ways of getting more fat, which is where your calories should mostly be coming from. Carbs should be from non-starchy vegetables and fruit as much as possible. Cut down on carbs from white sources like potatoes, pasta and bread as much as you can. It's hard to do in a society that relies on starchy carbs to fill out every meal but is it harder than tabata squats? You decide. IMHO, if you can do one, you can do the other. Try to get some protein in every meal - eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch, steak or fish for dinner. Don't go overboard at any one meal. You won't feel the need for so much bread etc if you get adequate protein, and you won't get sick of it if you keep to moderate amounts at each meal (a piece of meat/tofu/portion of eggs etc the size of your palm).

Ditch the OJ - think of it as pouring sugar down your throat. Nutritionally, that's basically what you're doing. Sure, it tastes good but the return on that investment of calories is incredibly poor.

veidt - sounds like you need to start lifting heavy and eating more. Squats and deadlifts will do more for your core than crunches and such. Try some of the Crossfit workouts.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: cool breeze on June 21, 2009, 07:51:09 PM
I hate catfish. It's the reason I hate fish because it's the only fish black people seem to eat. Especially how my fellow darkies cook it in the south (fried).  :yuck

What's flax seed?

I'm not a fan of fish either.  The only two I eat semi-regularly are tuna (mostly fresh, sometimes canned) and flounder.  Don't know the health benefits are better than Salmon, but unless there is a way to make salmon without it tasting like salmon, I wouldn't like it.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 21, 2009, 08:58:49 PM
So in regards to eating chicken for lunch, does it matter what kind? It'd be best baked, correct? But what if I want to go to Wendy's and get a Spicy Chicken Go Wrap and a salad?

What about the steak? Shouldn't I cut down on eating red meat?

It doesn't matter how I cook the eggs, right? I prefer going for scrambled.

I drink the OJ for calcium since I hate white milk unless it's being eaten with cereal.

I hate catfish. It's the reason I hate fish because it's the only fish black people seem to eat. Especially how my fellow darkies cook it in the south (fried).  :yuck

What's flax seed?

I'm not a fan of fish either.  The only two I eat semi-regularly are tuna (mostly fresh, sometimes canned) and flounder.  Don't know the health benefits are better than Salmon, but unless there is a way to make salmon without it tasting like salmon, I wouldn't like it.


I love tuna. I'm not big on fish but I love other assortments of seafood...octopus, squid, shark...
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: pollo on June 21, 2009, 09:24:22 PM
Tuna is probably the best fish you could eat. The thing is just pure muscle and great protein.

Try Kingfish or Bluefish if you can afford it. Fillet it and Fry. That shit is good.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 21, 2009, 09:30:14 PM
Tuna is probably the best fish you could eat. The thing is just pure muscle and great protein.

Try Kingfish or Bluefish if you can afford it. Fillet it and Fry. That shit is good.

Eh, it's also ridiculously high in mercury. It's good fish, but I wouldn't want to base a diet around it. Any predatory ocean fish is going to have this problem, so eat it in moderation.

If you like tuna, chances are you will like other ocean fish, such as swordfish and mahi-mahi (very mild).

I'm not a fan of fish either.  The only two I eat semi-regularly are tuna (mostly fresh, sometimes canned) and flounder.  Don't know the health benefits are better than Salmon, but unless there is a way to make salmon without it tasting like salmon, I wouldn't like it.

Strips of salmon marinated in mango-ginger is the least salmon-tasting fish I've ever had.


Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on June 21, 2009, 09:48:42 PM
Omega 3 fatty acids are highly neglected. Basically everything Duckman said about it. I was personally taking Fish tablets for a while but flax seeds seem good too.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Beezy on June 21, 2009, 10:03:33 PM
Try Kingfish or Bluefish if you can afford it. Fillet it and Fry. That shit is good.
This is one of the few types of fish that I like.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: cool breeze on June 21, 2009, 10:30:55 PM
I have flax seed a couple times a week.  Normally I just grind it up into a meal and use it instead of breadcrumbs, but it's also good in yogurt and things like that.

Strips of salmon marinated in mango-ginger is the least salmon-tasting fish I've ever had.

yeah, I need to try reducing the salmon flavor if I have it again.  And like himuro, I like other kinds of seafood.  It's just the really fishy tasting fish that I dislike.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 21, 2009, 10:31:44 PM
Himu -
I'm can't have a serious conversation about the relative health benefits of Wendy's menu choices, sorry :lol

Eat it if you must (I had a triple whopper meal and 2 pints of Guiness for breakfast on Saturday, I'm no fucking saint! And dinner made that look like dry crackers and water) but you have to regard anything like that as a cheat meal, not part of a planned diet (in the broader sense of 'diet', not just the weight-loss 'diet' that Oprah talks about). Fast-food salads are hopeless. Lettuce is a meaningless food. It's 99% water, practically no nutritional value. Basically, you're just spooning down the dressing. If the dressing was made from olive oil, balsamic vinegar and some salt & pepper...awesome. but it's not. Broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onions...these are what your salads should be primarily composed of.

Unless you are lactose-intolerant, milk is a far far better choice than OJ. Plain natural yoghurt is even better. Full fat is far better than low fat. If you can't handle dairy and you really really need calciuim - eat some crushed up egg shells! Seriously, you don't need to intake that much. The sugar from the OJ is a far greater health risk (diabetes etc) than any benefit you get from the calcium.

Chicken - baked is best. No matter how you cook it, delicious as the skin is, you should really toss it. Not because of the fat content per se; it's just going to do horrible things to your cholesterol (which is a very complicated discussion but it boils down to: fat from plants - like olive oil and nuts - good; animal fats like chicken skin, bacon - bad. Eat in moderation).
Avoid deep-fried & breadcrumbed foods wherever possible. If you cook at all, you know what goes into the batter. The meat part is good but everything else is horrible.

If you start eating for performance rather than pleasure, you should try to grasp the concept of eating 'clean' - non-processed food. If it comes in a can or a ziplock bag - forget it. If it has a list of ingredients longer than 5 or 6 things, forget it. If it has stuff on the list of ingredients that you can't spell - forget it. Buy raw veggies, protein and fats and learn to combine them in delicious ways. (i.e. learn to cook!).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 21, 2009, 10:32:07 PM
, that's basically what you're doing. Sure, it tastes good but the return on that investment of calories is incredibly poor.

veidt - sounds like you need to start lifting heavy and eating more. Squats and deadlifts will do more for your core than crunches and such. Try some of the Crossfit workouts.

Sweet. Thanks. I'll start tommorow morning. And keep you upto date.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 21, 2009, 10:39:17 PM
, that's basically what you're doing. Sure, it tastes good but the return on that investment of calories is incredibly poor.

veidt - sounds like you need to start lifting heavy and eating more. Squats and deadlifts will do more for your core than crunches and such. Try some of the Crossfit workouts.

Sweet. Thanks. I'll start tommorow morning. And keep you upto date.

You know how to lift already, I hope? If not, find someone who knows their way around a barbell (tip: gym meatheads loooove to show off so it shouldn't be hard to find someone willing to show you the basics of form).

You may find it easier to just get bigger first and not worry about putting on some fat along with the muscle. You can adjust your diet later to get the BF% down. It's all easier once you have some muscle/conditioning in place and your metabolism is cranked.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 21, 2009, 10:48:53 PM
I love you corma.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 22, 2009, 12:12:25 AM
I love you too Himu. No homo.

On the topic of your current routine, well, it's not as good as you hope. But it is a solid start. All those things are good, solid exercises and they'll all build strength and conditioning to a degree. What you have to bear in mind is that at some point, jogging (for example) stops having much of an effect on your strength or on your conditioning. At first, it's hard to run 1 or 2k at any speed. Just finishing it without walking might be really tough. Then it becomes easier. To keep making gains, you have to either increase the distance, or you increase the pace. If you reach the point where you can run your 3k at a speed you're happy with, it's time for you to take it out of your daily or weekly routine. All you're doing is burning some calories and wasting energy that could be better applied doing pull-ups, say. Keep doing it once in a while (even as little as once a month might be enough to maintain provided you are keeping busy with other stuff).

Everything is like this. Everything works for a while, nothing works forever. Once something becomes easy, it's time to shake things up and do something different and more challenging. The best fitness routine is no routine at all. Luckily, that's also the most fun routine.

So, as long as push-ups, jumping jacks and squats are providing you with a challenge, and you're continuing to make gains in how many you can do and how fast and how well you can do them, no need to change. But when you start to hit a plateau or reach diminishing returns, incorporate other stuff. This is ironically the best way to keep getting better at the original exercises, because other exercises will address weak spots that the original ones don't. It's somewhat counter-intuitive, but you can observe this happening. You'll get stuck on push-ups, then go work on pull-ups for a while. Totally different muscles involved. But when you go back to push-ups, you'll probably be stronger at them than you were before. Compound exercises that use multiple muscle groups have a system-wide effect. More testosterone is released that stimulates muscle growth all over the place.

btw, i once did a 16 min tabata session that used jumping jacks, push-ups, squats and sit-ups, in that order. It was one of the most devastating things ever. Give that a shot sometime. No rest between any of the exercises apart from the 10 sec breaks.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Boogie on June 22, 2009, 12:12:34 AM
My goal is to be able to run 1.5 miles before I graduate this year, and I'm going to want to be able to run 3 miles before I (if I can) join the Navy or Air Force.


You can't complete a 1.5 mile run?  :-\
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 22, 2009, 12:17:29 AM
boogie, it just means you don't need  your horse to run his Islam-lovin' ass down
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Rman on June 22, 2009, 12:48:09 AM

2 swimming work outs per week.  One 30 minute swim with sprinting and one long 45 minute swim.
2 high intensity resistance workouts and a couple of cross fit workouts.  I'm looking to get into kettle-ball training.


what exactly is a high intensity resistance workout?
Sorry for the late response, Himuro.  Resistance workout as in weight training.  I follow the Rippetoe model.  Low Reps and High Weight.  The workouts are quick, but I'm putting work in every rep because I'm not easily going through motions lifting light weight.  As per Rippetoe's recommendation, most of my weight lifting is using an Olympic bar bell, comprised of multi joint exercises--squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and power cleans make up the majority of my resistance workouts. 

I was intimidated at first with bar bell exercises, but I worked on my form, using an empty barbell, and added weight incrementally.  It may sound contradictory from what I said above, but having a good foundation on proper lifting form is a must.  You'll avoid injury and maximize gains.

I used to do 10 or more reps per set, but I got nowhere in terms of power and toning. 

As an aside, tabata's are brutal.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on June 22, 2009, 01:22:37 AM
I think I'm going to start some hill running or something. I get so bored with straight up jogging.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: brawndolicious on June 22, 2009, 01:24:01 AM
The sugar from the OJ is a far greater health risk (diabetes etc) than any benefit you get from the calcium.
That's a half-myth actually.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by producing more glucose than your system can handle.  The main source of glucose for humans is obviously from carbohydrates.  While raw sugar obviously can be broken down into glucose, it's nearly nothing compared to what you get from carbs.  Like you said, he should cut back on starchy foods but the only real threat from having too many sweets is tooth decay.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 22, 2009, 02:22:09 AM
I'm out of shape boogie.

I can jog/power walk it but not completely run it right now and even then, when jog I have to stop and catch my breath every now and then.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 22, 2009, 02:34:08 AM
Ah, good point. I think the fructose in juice has to be converted to glucose by the liver first, so it may not cause an insulin spike. I thought it did but with anything nutrition-related, there is a ton of seemingly contradictory info out there. Still, I presume it enters the system at some point, and combined with starchy foods, can easily result in an excess of glycogen?

It's still a crazy amount of calories to ingest so quickly though. Eating oranges is fine, 'cause most people are simply incapable of eating more than a couple in a sitting (or a day). But you can drink 16-18 oranges' worth of juice in no time.  If you're doing it just to quench your thirst, stick to water. If you're doing it because you love the taste, eat raw oranges and get some fiber as well.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 22, 2009, 07:32:20 AM
I only drink a cup of OJ a day.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 22, 2009, 07:39:55 AM
Well, if you like it, fine. I drink beer and wine so I can't talk. I pick on it mostly because it's something that I was taught all my life was "healthy" by advertising companies. A lot of people are still in denial about their beloved juice and sodas.

In general, if you want to know about diet and exercise, be prepared to hear a lot of stuff you don't want to hear ;) It's amazing to me how many people will gladly do horrible things in the way of exercise if they think it'll help them (like tabata squats) but will go postal if you suggest not eating french fries or drinking soda. Still, the first step is learning what's good and bad for you, then experimenting. It's tough to go cold turkey for most folks.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 22, 2009, 07:42:26 AM
I always thought OJ was healthy.

So by saying my lovely OJ isn't healthy really just blows my fracking mind.

Whatever. I've stopped eating pork, I've stopped drinking soda aside from on rare occasions, I've stopped drinking booze, for the most part I've cast fast food to the side unless there's nothing to eat in the house and I'm desperate for some food...what's another to add to the list?

The idea of sacrifice to gain something is worth it in the end. It shows strength. You can't get anywhere without sacrifice.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on June 22, 2009, 07:44:55 AM
I was also surprised at that when I had first read it last year. Everything in moderation, as they say.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 22, 2009, 07:45:43 AM
So do they say a glass of oj a day is bad?

What about other juices that they perpetuate as being "healthy"?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 22, 2009, 08:53:58 AM
Well, all of them are "unhealthy", if taken to excess. It's very easy to drink juice/soda to excess because we have to drink something to quench our thirst, no matter if we've already eaten 3 square meals that day or not.

Think of juice as just fruit without all the fiber. It's just sugary water. Most of the vitamins they purport to have are destroyed as soon as you leave the carton open for a while (if they're not already destroyed by the freezing and reconstitution process). It's also highly acidic, which is why TVC had that horrible episode with it I presume. The acid/alkali balance of your diet is really important to consider as well.

The way to kick the habit is switch to fresh-squeezed juice. The extra hassle of squeezing it will stop you from drinking too much, and it'll taste better anyway. A small glass every now and then will become a treat that you look forward to. It won't have any calcium but whatever. Get that from dairy. Water is all you really need to drink. Zero calories is better than a couple of hundred "empty" calories (i.e. calories with no or limited nutritional value).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 22, 2009, 08:59:53 AM
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-wrong-with-juicing/

This site is fantastic. He occasionally says things that I've had reason to disagree with, but he does his homework and keeps an open mind.  One of my goals is to get my whole family eating along the lines he does. Which is tough with a vegetarian wife, but i'm working on it.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 22, 2009, 11:58:03 AM
The idea of sacrifice to gain something is worth it in the end. It shows strength. You can't get anywhere without sacrifice.

On the other hand, too many sacrifices can make the whole thing seem completely unbalanced, and you might end up feeling like you've lost far too much for comparatively little gain. But to each their own.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Rman on June 22, 2009, 01:30:52 PM
MDA is an awesome site. 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on June 22, 2009, 01:39:20 PM
The water only bit has been the most difficult for me, and I can't claim great success there. The way around it has been to toss fruit and berries into a blender with water and ice, and stick with smoothies in place of store bought fruit juices. Also makes it a bit more fun, and you can add and subtract special ingredients (such as flax seed) each time.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Rman on June 22, 2009, 02:22:44 PM
You can also try fruit flavored Poland Spring setzers.  No sugar, aspartame, or calories. 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: tiesto on June 22, 2009, 03:57:12 PM
You can also try fruit flavored Poland Spring setzers.  No sugar, aspartame, or calories. 

(http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/thumb/e/e8/Ff6_amano_setzer.png/424px-Ff6_amano_setzer.png)

???

 :P
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 22, 2009, 07:32:17 PM
The water only bit has been the most difficult for me, and I can't claim great success there. The way around it has been to toss fruit and berries into a blender with water and ice, and stick with smoothies in place of store bought fruit juices. Also makes it a bit more fun, and you can add and subtract special ingredients (such as flax seed) each time.

I use yoghurt - tastes better and the fat blunts the insulin spike from all the carbs from the fruit. Yoghurt is typically a very well-balanced meal all in itself (depending on the fat %).

Not that I care that much when it comes to smoothies - I usually only make them when mangoes are in season anyway. Anything goes.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 22, 2009, 10:58:22 PM
I'm losing 2 pounds a day ever since I started this thread.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 23, 2009, 12:01:47 AM
You may not be serious, but if you are: If you lose more than 1-2lbs per WEEK, you're losing more than fat (water, mostly but also muscle mass). This is why crash diets followed by a return to overeating of bad food are so bad for you. If you want to lose fat while gaining muscle/strength, it's gonna have to be a slow process.

Today I'm gonna learn how to jump rope! I never learned as a kid and I figure i'm overdue.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on June 23, 2009, 09:28:25 AM
I went sprinting up a hill an hour ago. 3 sets of 25-30sec sprints up a slight to medium incline, 3 minute rest (my heart rate was still up there, I'm not a runner). I wanted to die after the third set but I'm wide awake and feel fantastic right now.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on June 23, 2009, 12:42:47 PM
You may not be serious, but if you are: If you lose more than 1-2lbs per WEEK, you're losing more than fat (water, mostly but also muscle mass). This is why crash diets followed by a return to overeating of bad food are so bad for you. If you want to lose fat while gaining muscle/strength, it's gonna have to be a slow process.

Today I'm gonna learn how to jump rope! I never learned as a kid and I figure i'm overdue.

Last week I went to the doc.

They weighed me and I was weighing 203 pounds.

This was on Tuesday.

I weighed myself on Monday and I was weighing 195 pounds.

What the fuck.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: pollo on June 23, 2009, 01:45:20 PM
pickin up my olympic bar+weights today. Got em for 125 off some guy from CL. 2 45s 2 35s 4 25s 4 10s 2 5s + a curl. Sweet deal.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cyanista on June 23, 2009, 01:51:17 PM
Fresh squeezed orange juice is quite healthy, if you have no big issues.  The problem with most orange juice you get in the store is that it has a ton of sugar added.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Ellrick on June 23, 2009, 01:59:49 PM
If you are really serious about cutting weight, replace a meal with a high quality juice or no frills smoothy, and drink only water. For remaining meals eat only nuts, eggs, or lean meats.

This is my diet now because Ive developed crazy allergies, and it works so well I find myself working to keep weight on. Think I need to switch to heavier weights and lower reps.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 23, 2009, 02:29:36 PM
You may not be serious, but if you are: If you lose more than 1-2lbs per WEEK, you're losing more than fat (water, mostly but also muscle mass). This is why crash diets followed by a return to overeating of bad food are so bad for you. If you want to lose fat while gaining muscle/strength, it's gonna have to be a slow process.

Today I'm gonna learn how to jump rope! I never learned as a kid and I figure i'm overdue.

Last week I went to the doc.

They weighed me and I was weighing 203 pounds.

This was on Tuesday.

I weighed myself on Monday and I was weighing 195 pounds.

What the fuck.

Well, I can't possibly explain it with this little info. Two data points isn't really enough, i'm afraid. You can lose a couple of pounds of nothing but water during a big workout.

You have to weigh yourself at the same time every day (before breakfast, say) to get a real grasp of what direction you're headed.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 23, 2009, 02:32:25 PM
pickin up my olympic bar+weights today. Got em for 125 off some guy from CL. 2 45s 2 35s 4 25s 4 10s 2 5s + a curl. Sweet deal.

I should bookmark this to quote every time someone talks about how expensive gym memberships are. You just bought your own gym, one that should last you a lifetime (except you will need more weight at some point ;) ). Congrats!
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on June 23, 2009, 06:32:38 PM
Corma, a few questions:
Best amount of push-ups?
How often?
or How long?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Boogie on June 23, 2009, 06:43:54 PM
You can have my morning glass of OJ when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.  :punch
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BamYouHaveAids on June 23, 2009, 06:49:01 PM
You can have my morning glass of OJ when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.  :punch
hear, hear!
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cyanista on June 23, 2009, 06:56:11 PM
Nuts and eggs and lean meats.  But....there's no CARBS in that.

Also, if you are srsly overweight, isn't it expected to lose fat faster than 1-2 pounds a week?  I think that's for moderate weight loss.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Ellrick on June 23, 2009, 07:13:50 PM
Corma, a few questions:
Best amount of push-ups?
How often?
or How long?

Om no third person talking nutrition/fitness guru, but Id imagine that would be different for everyone.

What I did was just pound out as many as I could till my arms were consumed with angry fire and called that a "set". I do 4 sets in the morning and 4 at night.

ps you get some carbs from fruits and veggies woman! I am still always tired though, bleh.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Boogie on June 23, 2009, 07:20:20 PM


You can lose a couple of pounds of nothing but water during a big workout.

Ya, back I was training hardcore with professional MMA fighters, I'd down over 3 litres of water over the course of a 2 hour workout, and still have lost 3-4 lbs by the end of the session.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Ellrick on June 23, 2009, 07:27:57 PM


You can lose a couple of pounds of nothing but water during a big workout.

Ya, back I was training hardcore with professional MMA fighters, I'd down over 3 litres of water over the course of a 2 hour workout, and still have lost 3-4 lbs by the end of the session.



Cool, who with?

I got to get punched in the head by Marcus Davis once.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 23, 2009, 07:29:42 PM
Corma, a few questions:
Best amount of push-ups?
How often?
or How long?

Do you just want to get good at doing push-ups? If so, tabata push-ups work very well. Just like tabata squats: 8rds of 20 secs max push-ups, 10 secs rest. (4 mins total). I guarantee that even if you can do 20 or so in the first 20 secs, you'll be down to 3 or 4 in the last 20 secs. That'll improve fast as you get stronger and get used to recovering in shorter periods.

Another simple approach is "one more than yesterday". Just do as many as you can, then try to do one more than that the next day. It'll add up fast.

There comes a point of diminishing returns with any one exercise though. If you can do 50-100, it's time to stop working on them every day and spend more time working with weights, because the push-ups aren't making you much stronger. Once something gets easy, it's time to move on. Push-ups are an essential Crossfit exercise but you won't see them come up in the workouts more than once a week or so (same with most things).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Boogie on June 23, 2009, 07:30:39 PM


You can lose a couple of pounds of nothing but water during a big workout.

Ya, back I was training hardcore with professional MMA fighters, I'd down over 3 litres of water over the course of a 2 hour workout, and still have lost 3-4 lbs by the end of the session.



Cool, who with?

I got to get punched in the head by Marcus Davis once.

lol, nice.

I trained with Shawn Tompkins, Sam Stout, Mark Hominick, Chris Horodecki, that whole crew, before Shawn went to run Couture's gym.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on June 23, 2009, 07:33:08 PM
You can have my morning glass of OJ when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers.  :punch

You're not the one asking for diet advice. If you have no weight problems, you have no OJ problems. :)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: pollo on June 25, 2009, 10:32:25 AM
I realize I'm more irritable and aggressive when I've been lifting heavy for a long period of time..see my GAF perma  :lol, but when I stop for maybe 3-5 days I'm calm again and little things don't piss me off as much. What is it? Testosterone? My protein diet? I'm not taking any supplements.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: muckhole on June 25, 2009, 10:45:37 AM
I was in the same boat a few years back, high protein plus the heavy lifting made me quite grouchy when I'd miss a workout. I just presumed it's a case of too much energy, and not expending it.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Tauntaun on June 25, 2009, 11:09:36 AM
I was in the same boat a few years back, high protein plus the heavy lifting made me quite grouchy when I'd miss a workout. I just presumed it's a case of too much energy, and not expending it.

Is that why you went around beating babies?

spoiler (click to show/hide)
(http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k36/SlinkyT82/muckhole.gif)
[close]
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: muckhole on June 25, 2009, 11:17:28 AM
Those were some mean babies.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Tauntaun on June 25, 2009, 11:18:57 AM
Those were some mean babies.

They deserved it.  :punch
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on July 08, 2009, 12:55:27 AM
How healthy is celery compared to other vegetables if eaten as a simple snack?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Reb on July 08, 2009, 02:18:59 AM
It's basically water you can chew.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 08, 2009, 02:53:12 AM
How healthy is celery compared to other vegetables if eaten as a simple snack?

Lots of sodium, apparently. Although I only know this from cooking (i've read that you should go easy on salt if you use celery instead of onions, for example). Nutritionists don't seem to hate on it much.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: brawndolicious on July 08, 2009, 03:09:07 AM
Something I googled shows it as .1% sodium, which doesn't sound huge but you never have to worry about not getting enough sodium in your diet so it's always good to avoid it.  I heard that you can actually lower how much sodium you absorb by drinking mineral water or (more wisely) tap water instead of distilled/filtered waters because "hard" water with calcium or magnesium ions in it apparently lowers sodium intake.

Celery is just pure crap fuel though so it's good at keeping you full while your snacking.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 08, 2009, 05:14:47 AM
It's awesome that we have Himu scared to eat fucking CELERY without asking first tho :lol



Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on July 08, 2009, 06:46:01 AM
That's why I like celery. It keeps your stomach from growlin' and it's a hell of a lot more healthy than chips.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on July 08, 2009, 01:15:04 PM
It's awesome that we have Himu scared to eat fucking CELERY without asking first tho :lol

I'm more troubled by the deep fear of food that seems to be so hip these days. There are some things that are blatantly suspect and that should be avoided (processed food, concentrated juices, and other products that leave brightly, unnaturally colored stains or powders), but unless you're training for the Olympics or similar athletic events, some common sense will go a long way.

Slightly higher than normal values of less desirable components are not big deals unless you have a specific ailment. Cutting things you like simply because they are marginally less beneficial for your body than another product doesn't seem worth the price of a pleasant eat. There's something to be said for being thoroughly satisfied with a meal.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 08, 2009, 09:11:58 PM
Common sense is not as common as you think though. It's not so much that people are ignorant about nutrition, it's that they're bombarded with so much conflicting information/opinion that they just stop listening. I know one thing for sure though: Leave folks to their own devices and they will NOT gravitate to what I consider healthy and nutrititious food. So if a little scaremongering is needed to change attitudes, I'm ok with that.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on July 13, 2009, 12:31:11 PM
I agree to an extent, and nothing makes this more clear than people who switch from drinkings liters of soda to drinking liters of soda with whatever artificial sweetener that is currently in style. But still, if you are getting to the point where you're trying to separate vegetables from one another, then you may just be making things needlessly difficult for yourself. But maybe that's part of the exercise fun to some, I don't know.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 13, 2009, 09:35:09 PM
I agree to an extent, and nothing makes this more clear than people who switch from drinkings liters of soda to drinking liters of soda with whatever artificial sweetener that is currently in style. But still, if you are getting to the point where you're trying to separate vegetables from one another, then you may just be making things needlessly difficult for yourself. But maybe that's part of the exercise fun to some, I don't know.

Like anything, eating right is a skill. When you get better at it, you have to start looking at smaller and smaller details in order to keep improving. At the beginning, yeah, switching to diet soda is a useful move. After you get it more dialled in, you start thinking about things like which is more nutritious, a potato or a pumpkin.

It may look crazy to the guy who is still drinking regular soda, but rest assured that to the guy pondering mashed pumpkin instead of mashed potatoes, it's a natural next step.

This is perfectly analogous to squatting, say. To Himuro, air squats alone are debilitating. You might spend months trying to add 5lbs to your back squat. You might look at each other and shake your heads, but you're just on different places on the same road.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: CHOW CHOW on July 14, 2009, 04:46:47 PM
if you're just beginning, focus on compound exercises that hit much of your body such as:

- deadlifts
- squats
- bench press
- pull-ups

for cardio, look into HIIT (high intensity interval training): link (http://www.bing.com/search?q=hiit&filt=all)

nutritionally, eat several small meals per day.   no starchy foods like white bread, white pasta, potatoes (yams are an excellent substitute).  the latest you should eat carbs is 2-3 hours before you sleep.  limit your sweets.  drink lots of water

mentally, just try to stick with it.  if you can get past the first couple of weeks, it'll become a part of your daily routine like taking a shower, brushing your teeth, rubbing one out, etc.

it's never too late to start.  good luck
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on July 14, 2009, 05:08:45 PM
for cardio, look into HIIT (high intensity interval training): link (http://www.bing.com/search?q=hiit&filt=all)
I have seen this before and always brushed it off, but I am interested now. I go on 3 mile jogs 3-4 times a week, plus go to the gym, but it is not producing the results that I want. How would I go about starting HIIT training and what are some good resources (literature, workout schedules, etc.)

for example, how is this as a cardio workout
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/richb3.htm (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/richb3.htm)
15 minutes at a moderate pace, followed by 5 sets of 60 seconds alternating high/low intensity
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 14, 2009, 10:49:58 PM
Typical HIIT workout:

run 400m (all out)
then
rest exactly 2 mins

repeat another 3 times.

Make a note of your split times for the runs, and try to keep within 5 seconds of your first runs all the way. You can adjust this with different distances and rest periods. 3 x800m with 2 mins rest, say. Or 10 x100m resting 1 minute between. This will help you hold a faster pace on longer runs very quickly indeed. I chopped about 6.5 mins off my 5k time just by doing occasional intervals (without actually running more than 1 5k a year), plus the cumulative effect of crossfit.

Any of the Tabata stuff I talked about earlier also constitutes HIIT. Many Crossfit workouts incorporate intervals, but almost all are 'high intensity' whether they have rest periods or not.

www.crossfit.com

The workout you posted seems backwards to me. You don't need the 15mins moderate pace first IMHO. The whole notion of workouts for 'cardio' is also a bit prehistoric as well IMHO. Your heart and lungs don't exist outside the rest of your body, why train them that way.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 14, 2009, 10:51:51 PM
CHOW CHOW - i agree with most of what you said, but bench press is NOT a compound lift. Shoulder press is preferable, since you're not having the bench do much of the work for you.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on July 15, 2009, 02:13:33 PM
Alright, I just got back from my hiit jog/run. I started off with 5 minutes of jogging at my normal pace (about 6mph) and then I sprinted for a minute followed by a minute of rest. I alternated this, although not precisely as I was very winded after a few sets, for about 6 or 7 sets. I finished the 3 miles in about the same amount of time that I usually finish, but I am much more fatigued and sweaty

 I am going to try your 400 meter sprint, 2 minute rest later this week Cormac as it seems to be more precise than my makeshift workout. Those are some crazy endurance gains. I have been steady-state jogging pretty consistently for the past 2 years and I haven't really had any significant progress, other than shin splints and an increased threshold for pain  :-\
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 15, 2009, 08:42:00 PM
Yeah, jogging will never help you run faster (after you get the basic gains you'd expect from going from a totally detrained state to a slightly trained state).

At some point, you actually need to RUN FASTER to force your body to adapt in a way that will yield extra speed in future. Just like the need to lift heavy weights if you want to get stronger. Most people don't want to face up to this hard fact, I'm afraid. The good news is that you don't necessarily have to run lots of long distances at the extra speed in order to see good gains in your longer distance times.

Try benchmarking yourself at a few standard distances before you get too far into it: 400m, 800m, 2.5k, 5k etc. You should always know what kind of pace you can do at those distances before you start pushing the intervals hard. If you're a regular dude with a healthy fear of maximal effort, you'll probably pace yourself too much. When it comes to running, the stopwatch is key. Never run unless you're timing it (unless you just like jogging of course - i don't and can't understand those who do :lol)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on July 15, 2009, 08:52:17 PM
btw, note what I said about my own gains - I'm doing a ton of stuff. It's impossible to tell without a control group, but i'd say a lot of my gains in running are not related to any running I've been doing at all. To run fast, you need to be more powerful, which I get from all the other Crossfit stuff I do (olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, calisthenics, blah blah blah). Endurance is developed by doing long workouts at high speed with minimal rest. 20 minutes of hard work doing pull-ups and power cleans seems to translate pretty well into 20 mins of hard work on a treadmill.

It's really hard to separate out the results in any meaningful way. So while I've done very little running in the grand scheme of things, I've done a ton of other stuff. I have no real idea what you'd get out of JUST doing HIIT-style running training.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on July 31, 2009, 11:11:23 AM
I started this 5x5 program this week:
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/ (http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/)

Workout A               Workout B
Squat 5x5              Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5      Overhead Press 5x5
Inverted Rows 3xF      Deadlift 1x5
Push-ups 3xF              Pull-ups/Chin-ups 3xF
Reverse Crunch 3x12   Prone Bridges 3x30sec

It has been years since I have done squats, so I was extremely sore after the first day. I started light, hoping to really focus on technique on squats, deadlift, and overhead press. As expected, my benchpress is by far the easiest and strongest lift 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on August 23, 2009, 09:58:23 PM
Just picked up a bar and some weights. This shit is more challenging than I had thought it would be.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 23, 2009, 10:06:26 PM
kestastrophe -

You should always start a new program really light. Don't rush the ramp-up either. Add 5lbs or less each workout. It'll still add up really fast. And for recovery - Don't forget to eat like a motherfucker! Lots of protein and fat, and take fish oil (if you don't already eat oily fish). The 5x5 program is a killer - the more you eat and the better you recover, the more you'll get out of it. Are you doing sets across?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Powerslave on August 23, 2009, 10:08:31 PM
I really need to get back to the gym. I'm starting to get fat.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on August 23, 2009, 10:12:31 PM
I've gotten fatter and more muscular over the summer, mission accomplished. Pork diet + physical work is fucking win.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on August 24, 2009, 08:59:26 AM
Cormac, I started with really light weights:

Squat=150
Bench=150
Press=70
Deadlift=150
Pushups=about 30 to fail now
Pullups=only 5 to fail
Inverse Rows=10 to fail

I'm on my 4th week now, so the weights are significantly heavier since I've added 5 lbs on every lift each workout. In addition, my wife has been dropping me off at the gym on the way to work, so I have a 4 mile jog back to my apartment after most workouts.

The first week was a hard adjustment for my diet, simply because I was not a huge meat eater. Now I eat at least 2 eggs a day, 1 chicken breast, 1 can of tuna, 1 protein shake, cottage cheese, and then some kind of protein with dinner. I've been eating like crazy and I have put on several pounds of muscle, especially on my back, legs, and triceps. Given that its only been 3 weeks so far, I can definitely see myself getting huge off of this
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 24, 2009, 01:36:40 PM
Sounds like you're doing it right! Awesome. Weird how different people are on the lifts...it's crazy that you can bench as much as you can deadlift. I've only benched a handful of times so my deadlift is about 4x my bench press :lol

The 4 mile jog is probably hurting your recovery actually, but if you enjoy it, by all means continue.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on August 24, 2009, 02:36:34 PM
i have familiarity with bench press and the form is not a problem for me (I easily could have started at 200lbs). I wanted to start really low on squats and deadlift in order to really get the form down, since those seem to be the most important lifts. 

And truth be told about my jog, I typically end up walking at least half of the distance. And I will only jog 2 days a week. So it works out to be about 2 miles jogging 2x a week, with walking the rest.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 24, 2009, 09:36:56 PM
Kestastrophe - you could probably skip the BP for a while to give you more recovery for the big lifts (as you say, squat and deadlift > all). Shoulder press is also a good bit more important than BP, even though you won't put up the same poundage, you're doing more work with more muscles. I, on the other hand, need to press more. I've been held back for a while by a shoulder injury but am finally starting to make some headway with it again.

Sounds like the jog isn't a problem. If you were running 4 miles HARD, it definitely would be. But jogging is pretty good for active recovery (keeps the blood flowing). If it gets to the point where it's causing inflammation and soreness, I would drop it though - you're on a pure strength program so that should be the focus. You can gain or regain conditioning pretty quickly after you're done with the 5x5.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 24, 2009, 09:40:25 PM
kosma - that's about 2.5km so it's ok, certainly not great. I run very infrequently and I can hold that pace for 5k. Jogging longer distances does you no good if you want to get fast. As I said above, speed comes from running short distances really fast.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Boogie on August 24, 2009, 10:22:37 PM
Man I have to start working out too, you guys are doing good.

Btw is doing 1.6 miles in 12 minutes ok? Thats what I ran like a week ago.

It's okay.

My best time in Mountie-training was 1.5 miles in 9:45.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on August 26, 2009, 01:50:36 PM
So how exactly do I integrate this deadlift stuff into the whole routine I have going? Or, am I even supposed to integrate it, or is it a whole new thing? From the lifts I've done so far, it feels like a full exercise in itself.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 26, 2009, 09:06:21 PM
I dunno, what's your routine?

I typically don't do much else on a heavy deadlift day. If you're doing maximal weights, a light warmup set and one or two heavy sets of 5 is all you need to see progress. You definitely don't want to be doing 5x5 DLs at a heavy weight (i.e. 'sets across'). 5 sets starting at a very light weight (like 50% of your max) and gradually ramping up would be ok, and is probably a good idea if you're still working on technique. It's unlikely your technique will be consistent inside a couple of months unless you have good coaching or do a lot of reading, watching and form practice.

As a random example, yesterday, I did 5x5 shoulder press (ramping), then a couple of warm-up sets of 5 DLs, 2 work sets and a couple of heavy singles. Today i'm not doing a damn thing :lol
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on August 26, 2009, 09:10:53 PM
I tried simply turning some of my earlier routine (mostly calisthenics and pull ups) into a warm up phase for the deadlift bit, which seems to have worked for now. I'm working on getting a bench, but that's a couple of weeks away. About the deadlift, though, that's a hell of a lot more exercise than I thought it would be. I've been pretty serious about checking up on the right form, now it's just a matter of finding the proper starting weight.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on August 26, 2009, 09:21:29 PM
I'm not a runner but I've been doing the Couch to 5K (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml) regimen and its working like a charm so far (3rd week in). Even at the end of the 20 minute cycle, I felt like I could keep the intervals going. Feels good man, again.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 26, 2009, 09:25:51 PM
There is quite simply no harder exercise than the deadlift. The back squat comes close but most people can handle heavier loads with the DL.

I do some variation of the standard Crossfit warm-up before pretty much every workout. 2 or 3rds of 10-15 pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, samson stretches, air squats. I don't rush through it like a Crossfit workout - it's just to get the blood flowing and to keep strength up for those exercises. I mix up the actual exercises on occasion (adding dips or a 400m run, say) but that's the basic format. It'll help the lifting unless you go overboard on the pull-ups and mess up your grip. The samson stretches are the only stretch i'd recommend BEFORE lifting btw...they help activate the hips in some way I don't understand fully (phsyiology is hard).

Deadlifts don't have to be super-heavy all the time btw...I do a ton of workouts with higher reps for a conditioning effect. Try doing 21 reps at 100kg for time (yes, use a stopwatch)...your heart will come close to exploding. Scale the weight up or down as appropriate - that's just a guideline. Or something like 21 DLs at 100kg, run 800m, 15 DLs, run 800m, 9 DLs, run 800m. Your legs will never feel so heavy. You really won't need to do much else on any day you do a workout like that. Just do enough to get your heart rate up and your blood moving. A light sweat is all you're going for before heavy lifting.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on August 26, 2009, 09:31:25 PM
Deadlifts are one of the few workouts that really gives me that high after I've done a set. I love the feeling, same thing you get from squats but breath control is easier for me with Deadlifts.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 26, 2009, 09:39:50 PM
my deadlift PR :rock

i was about 71kg at the time I think.

edit *fuck*

how do you embed from vimeo here?

well, here's the link. bah.
http://www.vimeo.com/4747242
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on August 26, 2009, 09:48:32 PM
You can embed Hulu and Youtube but not Vimeo, just link it up I guess
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on August 27, 2009, 03:59:47 PM
I do some variation of the standard Crossfit warm-up before pretty much every workout. 2 or 3rds of 10-15 pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, samson stretches, air squats. I don't rush through it like a Crossfit workout - it's just to get the blood flowing and to keep strength up for those exercises. I mix up the actual exercises on occasion (adding dips or a 400m run, say) but that's the basic format. It'll help the lifting unless you go overboard on the pull-ups and mess up your grip. The samson stretches are the only stretch i'd recommend BEFORE lifting btw...they help activate the hips in some way I don't understand fully (phsyiology is hard).
Per stronglifts, I have been warming up with an empty bar and adding weights 40 lbs at a time. Has worked pretty well for me thus far. I looked up a youtube video of those Samson stretches, and I think I'll incorporate those as well. My hips still aren't that flexible, as my squats still feel a little stiff and I can't go as low as I would like without rounding my back.

I may be adding a video in the next couple of days of my squat, press, and deadlift. Hoping to get some good critique on my form, since I lift by myself.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on August 29, 2009, 01:22:17 PM
[youtube=560,345]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySuRYlZli2A[/youtube]

[youtube=560,345]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7hzl-oMzTo[/youtube]

[youtube=560,345]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShVyrzNX4h8[/youtube]

Alright Cormac, be gentle  :P. This is from my workout this morning, thanks to my wife for recording. I think my form on squats and press is pretty good. There is a little bit too much rounding in my back on a couple of the reps, but for the most part I think its decent. My deadlift on the other hand  :yuck. It feels and looks awkward. It needs alot of work

these are my current working weight:

-195 squat (about my body weight)
-105 press
-190 deadlift
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on August 29, 2009, 02:05:51 PM
Your squat is a mess, man.

The bar is too high on your back.

You are at least 2-3 inches above parallel.

Your knees slide forward at the bottom.

There's no hip drive.

You're in a damn smith machine.

Get in a cage, bar across your shoulders, knees out as far as you can get them, push your ass straight up like you're getting paid for it.

edit:

DL: feet closer together, bar over midfoot (stand over the bar and look down, the bar should obscure the knot in your shoe laces.) Bend over without bending your knees, grip the bar. Hands like literally right next to your legs. Let your knees bend forward just enough that your shins touch the bar (this should be like one inch forward for your shins.) Tense your upper back real hard, push your chest up. Pretend there is something written on your t-shirt, and you want to read it in a mirror in front of you. Push your ass way up in the air (sensing a pattern?) Stand up, dragging the bar across your shins then your thighs.

Press looks fine to me.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on August 29, 2009, 02:08:04 PM
my deadlift PR :rock

i was about 71kg at the time I think.

edit *fuck*

how do you embed from vimeo here?

well, here's the link. bah.
http://www.vimeo.com/4747242
Damn, do you ever fuck up the floor there? Looks like hard tile.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on August 29, 2009, 03:03:28 PM
Going to go to  gym starting this week. I feel anxious, I look very weak. I'm scared of people staring at me while I have trouble lifting 10 kilo's or something.
:(

Am I overreacting?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on August 29, 2009, 03:28:25 PM
Yes.

No one looks at you. They look at themselves or they look at the girls.

Now, imagine: what kind of person laughs or mocks someone struggling to lift weight? Do you really care what that person thinks of you?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on August 29, 2009, 03:29:18 PM
That's actually true.
Also, what kind of food should I be eating? Tuna?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on August 29, 2009, 03:39:54 PM
Anything that's high in protein is good, since you may find yourself struggling to get enough of it. Tuna, drink milk, eat peanut butter, lots of chicken.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Veidt on August 29, 2009, 03:56:00 PM
Nice. Thanks. I'll start my daily report starting next week. I'm lactose intolerant so milk isn't going to help me :(
But I'll try everything else though!
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on August 29, 2009, 03:57:46 PM
Mackerel is better than tuna
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on August 29, 2009, 04:00:51 PM
thanks for the assessment Draft. When doing squats, my primary concern has been keeping my back as straight as possible. I try to dip as deep as possible, but I think that my stance is too narrow and I am not pointing my toes out enough, and hence some of the stiffness in my hips. Plus I am generally inflexible in my hamstrings and hips.

Also, there is no squat rack at my gym.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on August 29, 2009, 06:23:45 PM
thanks for the assessment Draft. When doing squats, my primary concern has been keeping my back as straight as possible. I try to dip as deep as possible, but I think that my stance is too narrow and I am not pointing my toes out enough, and hence some of the stiffness in my hips. Plus I am generally inflexible in my hamstrings and hips.

Also, there is no squat rack at my gym.
Don't get so caught up with the back thing. Your back needs to be in extension to create a strong base for the weight to rest on, but it doesn't need to be stand at attention straight.

Feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed way out (very open stance, more open than feels natural) and just push your knees as far to the side as you can. Far, far, far. Nothing bad will come of your knees being out.

Every relatively healthy, anatomically normal person can do a full range squat with an extended back.

If your gym doesn't have a squat rack or a power cage, I'd either look for a new gym, or consider an alternative to the back squat. They can't be done acceptably in the smith machine.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on August 29, 2009, 07:06:08 PM
Yeah, flaring your legs out when doing squats helps you get real deep. Its one thing my gym partners would comment on, they seemed adamant about keeping theirs stance almost shoulder length. Its almost as if they were doing half the workout by not going deep enough.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on August 29, 2009, 08:50:10 PM
If you are not breaking parallel, you are not doing a squat.

You are doing a half squat, or a quarter squat, or some other weird variation of the squat. And those exercises have a purpose. But most people aren't doing them intentionally. They just don't know how to do a proper squat.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 30, 2009, 09:49:58 AM
Hmm. there is such a thing as too wide a stance. At some point, it diminishes ROM (which is why the competitive powerlifters do it - the bar doesn't travel as far so they can lift more). But yes, Kestastrophe needs a wider stance on his squat. Think of sitting your torso down between your legs, rather than folding your legs under your body.

Also, take the running shoes off! Bare feet, Chuck Taylors or best yet, weightlifting shoes for lifting please.

On the press, make sure you keep your core TIGHT before the lift. Take a big breath and hold it 'til the bar is back down in the rack position. Don't wobble back and forth and definitely don't use your knees - there should be no dip at all.

Other than that, Draft has it covered, I think. Smith machines are a waste of time. It's totally destroying the bar path on the squats and the deadlifts - that's why it feels so unnatural. You'll never get it more efficient as long as you're in that machine. Squats are potentially a problem (i couldn't do them in my old gym with any weight heavier than i could clean) but there is no reason to do DLs in a machine. Just grab a free bar out into open space and go for it.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 30, 2009, 09:57:18 AM
A few tips from Rip:

[youtube=560,345]kawBY5p29fQ[/youtube]
[youtube=560,345]Syt7A23YnpA&feature=channel[/youtube]
[youtube=560,345]ql-N9hAuxNs&feature=channel[/youtube]

plus, the man himself squatting, at age 56 or something:
[youtube=560,345]FVKEl4Wxoqc&feature=channel[/youtube]

Note the position of the bar on his back, how the shoulder blades are retracted and how he grips it with thumbs OVER the bar, wrists straight. Once you learn this position, the bar will feel LOCKED into place and you will be much more confident in squatting. You can't just hold 300lbs there with your wrists bent backward and your head tilted up.

Also notice the depth, how the weight is kept on his heels (very tough in thick-soled running shoes) and the HIP DRIVE. He SHOVES that weight up!

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 30, 2009, 10:10:23 AM
my deadlift PR :rock

i was about 71kg at the time I think.

edit *fuck*

how do you embed from vimeo here?

well, here's the link. bah.
http://www.vimeo.com/4747242
Damn, do you ever fuck up the floor there? Looks like hard tile.

Nope, it's rubber. I've bailed on a few heavy lifts with no problems there.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on August 31, 2009, 12:33:12 AM
Kestastrophe:

one other thing about the DLs - they have to actually touch the ground. Weight must come to a dead stop, hence 'deadlift'. Those couple of inches make as much difference here as they do at the bottom of the squat. It's very important to reset your position between reps if your technique is shaky. Otherwise,  your technique will get worse and worse as the set progresses. I almost always take a breath to square the shoulders, push out the chest, re-grip if necessary etc between reps.

(the exception being if it's a light weight that i'm totally in control off throughout the negative portion of the lift...ideally your shoulders shouldn't be coming forward at all while lowering the weight, but it's a fact of life at challenging weights...).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 11, 2009, 12:32:21 AM
So when you guys talk weights, are you talking about just the attached weights, or the weights + the bar?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 11, 2009, 01:23:52 AM
Always bar + weights. Some people think otherwise, but they're wrong :)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on September 11, 2009, 01:40:15 AM
I have a quaint home bench and plates. Taking off the chinzy plates, I forgot my bench sucks and doesn't have the wide stance as a bench made for an Olympic bar. You can obviously see where this is going, the right side begins to sink, I'm like oh shit BAM! loud noises as 60lbs slams on the hardwood floor. I need a better bench and plates. The one I own looks like it was made for some 80's movie where a teenager is sitting on it, elbow on knee with a dumbbell and workin' on his guns.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 11, 2009, 02:08:52 AM
Always bar + weights. Some people think otherwise, but they're wrong :)

Hmm. I've been wondering about that, since there are some people that I know are spindlier and weaker than me but who claim to be lifting near my level, which I've been counting only in attached weights. I may have to include the bar in the future.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on September 11, 2009, 02:35:54 AM
Olympic Bars (for bench pressing) weigh in at 45lbs, right? But yeah, I also include the weight of the bar.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 11, 2009, 02:43:21 AM
I need to get a bench as well, currently looking at something like this

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=12024128
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on September 11, 2009, 02:48:36 AM
Wow, that's pretty damn nice. The wide grip and adjustable back is good to have. The only niggling point is if its low enough to allow your feet to be planted on the ground. The back even goes below horizontal (for getting the bottom of the titties).

Get a nice quality bar and plates and you'll have a kickass setup for upper body work.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: etiolate on September 16, 2009, 12:07:46 AM
OKAY THEN

Operation bicycle for me in effect.  I'll see how it shapes me up. No answer for arms.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 16, 2009, 12:11:17 AM
OKAY THEN

Operation bicycle for me in effect.  I'll see how it shapes me up. No answer for arms.

Do dumbell curls while cycling.

(there is a dude at my gym who actually does this, it's hilarious to watch).

Seriously, work on pull-ups, presses, and dips and your arms will be fine. Don't forget to go fast and hard on the bike...no point doing slow 'junk miles'. That just makes you tired and hungry.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: etiolate on September 16, 2009, 12:15:56 AM
The hill climbs give me plenty of hard work on the bike.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 16, 2009, 12:22:13 AM
Cool.

If you just want your arms to look bigger, I'm not really the person to talk to 'cause bodybuilding is not my bag. If your concern is being out of proportion because you only cycle, I'd suggest doing the heavy compound movements already discussed ITT: back squats, deadlifts, presses, cleans etc. All those will strengthen your legs greatly as well, and grow them as well if you eat enough. A stronger posterior chain will make the hill climbs a lot easier.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 16, 2009, 02:45:58 AM
Just went to check out a gym, and at the end of the orientation, I noticed a Crossfit thing in the schedule. Turns out the dude forgot to mention that they had a whole section of the gym dedicated to Crossfit. Interesting, but I'm sort of on a pure, simple strength kick right now.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on September 16, 2009, 08:04:40 AM
etoilet- If you want to gain weight, you should think about drinking tons of whole milk. I've read stories about people gaining 25 lbs in a single month by drinking a gallon of milk a day. Obviously that is kind of extreme, but if you drink a decent amount of it you should see some gain.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on September 16, 2009, 02:52:09 PM
I did the "lots of milk" thing earlier this year. Gained 7-8 pounds in under two weeks, but then got sick and abandoned that whole dietary regimen. In retrospect, I'm not sure that would have been a healthy thing to continue, anyway. That's a lot of weight gained in a short amount of time, so many unnecessary calories only serving to be stored as blubber.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on September 16, 2009, 02:52:15 PM
I had a doctor's visit today for the first time in years. I was very surprised to see that I weigh 230 pounds. I was trying to shed a few pounds while doing my strength training (i still have a bit of a beer belly) , but I didn't think that I weighed that much  :-\. Here is my typical food intake since I started this program, maybe someone has an idea about where I can cut back or change:

-bowl cereal w/whole milk or 3 scrambled eggs and an orange
-protein bar or shake
-chicken sandwich
-banana and apple
-can of tuna
-cup of cottage cheese
-dinner (examples: ground sirloin cheeseburgers, whole wheat chicken pizza)
-glass of whole milk

I also drink tons of water and take fish oil supplement. I am getting a BMI test at the doctor's in a few weeks, so I will really be able to find out how much I need to lose.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 16, 2009, 08:45:39 PM
I did the "lots of milk" thing earlier this year. Gained 7-8 pounds in under two weeks, but then got sick and abandoned that whole dietary regimen. In retrospect, I'm not sure that would have been a healthy thing to continue, anyway. That's a lot of weight gained in a short amount of time, so many unnecessary calories only serving to be stored as blubber.

If you're not lifting REALLY HEAVY (i.e. doing Rippetoe's 'Starting Strength' program or similar), this is indeed a wildly unhealthy thing to do, and probably incredibly difficult to boot (eating when you're already full is hard work). If you're lifting heavy, it's perfectly healthy, since you'll put on a ton of muscle which will help your long-term health greatly. The extra muscle will make it pretty easy to get rid of the excess body fat afterward.

And of course, lots of folks have digestive problems with dairy that they only really notice once they crank up their consumption like you did.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 16, 2009, 09:00:01 PM
Kestrastrophe -

If you want to lose weight, just cut down the processed carbs and up the fat. The easiest things to cut out or change on that list are the cereal, the banana, the chicken sandwich and the pizza/burger buns.

Breakfast is basically fine, but eat bacon or sausage instead of cereal, seriously. Or better yet, something like turkey or chicken breast but let's not get too radical.

Instead of the chicken sandwich, eat the same amount or more chicken, a bunch of greens like broccoli, cabbage or spinach and some nuts or olive oil for fat.

Bananas have a super-high glycemic index so not recommended unless it's just after a workout, or you're eating it alongside enough protein and fat to blunt the insulin spike it's gonna give you. Apples are always fine. Have two apples instead maybe.

Tuna, cottage cheese - awesome/ok in that order.

Pizza - psssh, forget it. Whole wheat doesn't make that much difference sadly. After the wheat is pounded into a dough and cooked, it's pretty much the same as highly processed white flour i'm sure. Ditto for burgers - lose the bun, eat greens or non-starchy veggies instead.

Whole milk - :rock

I know this is all 'bad news' - nobody ever likes to hear that they need to change ANY part of their diet - and i'd be lying if i said i followed this regime...but I'm not looking to change my weight.

Pretty much every question you might have will have been answered here hundreds of times. Have a look at threads on 'Paleo' or 'Zone' and you'll get tons of free info. This is all focused on athletes, so the advice you see will be easily applicable to someone doing a program like yours.

http://board.crossfit.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8


Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 16, 2009, 09:15:11 PM
Oh yeah...trying to lose weight while doing strength training is counter-productive. You can lose weight if you train really hard, maybe, but the consensus is that it'll be incredibly difficult to gain strength.

Everyone who works out is pretty much trying to achieve one or more of the following:


If you want to do any combination of the above QUICKLY, you'll find that they are incompatible to a large extent, which means you have to prioritize. I choose not to prioritize, and do everything all at once, without worrying about when exactly I achieve any particular goal. Others have specific endpoints they want to hit faster, and they need to prioritize and compromise accordingly.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 16, 2009, 11:13:12 PM
Picked up another 250lbs in weights today (4x50lbs, 2x25lbs), time to get serious.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bildi on September 16, 2009, 11:34:29 PM
Here is my typical food intake since I started this program, maybe someone has an idea about where I can cut back or change

It's a bit long to explain but I recently came across some info about eating consciously which I have found extremely useful.  I've never been grossly overweight, but I've always tended to be one the heavier side - I'm 6'1 and have fluctuated between about 85-95kg for many years.  Essentially the goal of eating consciously is to avoid any overeating and the steps are basically:

1) Eat what you enjoy
2) Eat whenever you're hungry
BUT
3) Eat consciously
4) Stop eating when you're full

Point 3 and 4 are the key.  Most people no longer listen to the signal from their stomach that says they're full, and basically just put food down their throat rather than actually enjoy it.  This is not eating consciously.  A bunch of tips which go with points 3 and 4:

1) Have no distractions at all when eating - no TV, no chatting, eat alone
2) Eat with your eyes shut, don't look at your meal - obviously this is difficult but I did it for the first week and it helped a great deal.  Generally I just avoid looking at the plate now unless I have to.  We eat with our eyes as everyone knows, and it can easily help block the 'full' signal from your stomach.
3) Savour your food, concentrate on it, taste it, enjoy it - a nice side benefit of all this is you actually come to enjoy your food a lot more.
4) Chew your food properly - I think as a guide 20-30 times or something.  Again, enjoy the food rather than just throwing it down 'because it's time to eat'.
5) Physically put your cutlery/sandwich/whatever down until you've completely eaten each mouthful of food.  Helps reduce shovelling.

You will pretty much always end up with leftover food and will possibly find you eat a fair bit less.  I find I eat about a third to three quarters of what I used to.

If you're not sure whether you're full, guess at first.  You can always eat again in 10 minutes time if you're hungry.  I find if I think I'm nearly full, only two or three more mouthfuls will make me definitely full.  After a while, you start to listen to your stomach again, but it takes a while to retrain yourself and you can apply it in everyday life - when I ate pizza with a friend the other day I ate two slices and was plenty full, compared to him eating three for example (and he's smaller than me).

Nothing else in my life has changed and I've been losing an average of around 0.75 kilos per week for about six or seven weeks now.  Obviously you need to exercise some common sense in all this but if you eat healthily already it might suit you.  It's a program no doubt designed to help seriously obese people, but it worked with me who is fairly average.  I currently weight I think about 81.5kg - the least I've weighed since being a teenager.  And the weight just keeps going - I still do my exercise regime as normal, haven't found I'm low on energy or anything.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on September 17, 2009, 10:45:44 PM
Back to the gym tonight with added focus.

I started out at the end of June 08. Made good progress for the first six or seven months, but I have sort of stagnated since then. I've indentified some differences in my workout and post-workout routines and have sought to address and correct them starting with tonight's workout.

Not feeling man enough to do the deadlifts and stuff yet, though. I've got a couple of friends and family that have been at this much longer and may be able to give me some pointers on that, sort of wished we all went to the same gym, but whatever. Life happens.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 17, 2009, 10:55:07 PM
There's no need to be intimidated by deadlifts and squats, despite all the fine detail raised in this thread. They're only scary when there's a lot of weight on the bar, and you shouldn't be doing that for a while if you're a true beginner anyway.

At the end of the day, the deadlift = bending over to pick something up off the floor. And the squat = sitting down, then standing up. This is why they're so effective - they're compound movements that we have all been doing since we were monkeys in trees. Just grab a bar with no weight on it and give them a go. Some kind soul will no doubt put you right if you ask nicely. :)  No time like the present!
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on September 17, 2009, 10:59:32 PM
Off the beaten path a bit, but there are some dudes in my gym who look like they were pulled straight out of Gears of War. In fact, give one of the dudes a worn face and a bandana, and he could pass for Marcus Fenix no problem.

There are even a few girls that could probably pound half of this forum senseless.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 17, 2009, 11:10:04 PM
The easiest way not to get beaten up by jocks is to befriend them! Win their favor with ass-kissery then get them to tell you their secrets. There is no guarantee that they will actually now how to deadlift/squat/press properly but the odds are decent.

Seriously, I bet most of those dudes looooove to show off and would be happy to coach you for free. They may be mouth-breathing morons (or they may not) but in their specialized realm, they probably know waaaay more than you do. Look upon them as opportunities, not something to be intimidated by.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on September 17, 2009, 11:18:24 PM
Not really intimidated, it was just an observation. There are plenty of regularly-proportioned people in there, too.

Speaking of observations, are humans puppets or what? I thought New Year's resolutions were largely myths. People saying they'll do this, they'll do that, they probably said it last year, nothing ever happens, blah blah blah.

But wouldn't you know that come the beginning of January, the population of the gym literally exploded. Whereas before, the gym was decently populated but you could still move from station to station with minimal wait times. In January, wait times galore. Every single cardio machine (stairmasters, bikes, treadmills, ellypticals, rowers, all of them) taken. Free weights, machines... people literally tripping over one another. Gradually, the population has moved closer to what might be considered normal, but I just know all of those resoluting freaks will be back in there January 2nd.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 17, 2009, 11:22:27 PM
This is why so many gyms have 12 month contracts. People sign up in January, gradually tail off, then the contract renewal comes up again in January...

It also tells you that most people's routines suck. The bottom line for any kind of exercise program is that it has to be sustainable. 2hrs of traipsing around every machine, checking off the boxes, is not sustainable.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on September 17, 2009, 11:25:24 PM
Buy a stationary bike and keep it at home. Use it for a couple of weeks and then start using it as a clothes rack like everybody else. It's the American way.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on September 17, 2009, 11:31:59 PM
Wait times at the gym are really strange. I have my wife drop me off on her way to work in the morning 3x a week, and there is practically no one there from 8-9 a.m. I once went at 5:30 a.m. and it was packed  :dizzy

Tomorrow I am going to try out the university gym at 8 a.m. instead of my usual gym, so hopefully it won't be too busy.

Thanks for the food advice gentlemen. Like you said Cormac, I am really looking to change body composition. I feel that I carry too much excess weight, but I don't want to sacrifice my strength gains.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on September 17, 2009, 11:33:39 PM
I can always count on the gym to be nearly deserted around midday on Saturdays, even back in January. Weeknights... not so much.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 17, 2009, 11:41:00 PM
Home gyms are the way to go, folks. I get a dirt-cheap deal on a very quiet gym near work that I use during lunch breaks, but if it wasn't for that, I'd work out exclusively at or nearby home. You don't need to spend a whole lot to get a world-class fitness facility at home. $2,000 treadmill or $3 jump rope?

Kestastrophe - to repeat, if you want to lose weight in a hurry, you'd be best off shelving serious strength work for a while. I know I make it sound like Crossfit is the answer to everything, but your health has to be addressed before your limit strength, and a more balanced program is what you need. I'm guessing you're strong enough to start doing Crossfit or something similar. Put that together with any kind of low carb/clean food diet and you'll get fast fast results.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 18, 2009, 03:28:16 AM
Off the beaten path a bit, but there are some dudes in my gym who look like they were pulled straight out of Gears of War. In fact, give one of the dudes a worn face and a bandana, and he could pass for Marcus Fenix no problem.

There are even a few girls that could probably pound half of this forum senseless.

The chick that was heading up the Crossfit deal in the gym I checked out was one of the scarier people I've met. And I've met plenty of scary people.

Speaking of home gyms, I think I'm pretty much set now. Got a barbell, plenty of weights, dumbbells, a pull up bar and next week I'm getting a bench with weight rack. Sweet stuff, and all for less than three months membership in the gym we checked out. The biggest challenge is limiting the weight. It's very tempting to slap an extra 20lbs on the bar between each session, but I'm at least sensible enough to prioritize safety.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 25, 2009, 01:37:36 PM
Got everything set up, so I've finally started with proper squats. I've done weighted squats with dumbbells, air squats and such before, but this is something else, including the pain of progress. Also finally got to the point of serious resistance with deadlifts; I've been cautious about putting on too much weight since it's a new routine, but it's starting to get heavy now. Awesome.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: tiesto on September 25, 2009, 02:14:15 PM
For someone who wants to get into deadlifting and squatting... those giant "Max Rack" type things, would they hinder the effect a lot, or a good way to ease into things? I'm just a bit worried about hurting myself while attempting them. I've been slowly transitioning from machines to more freeweights and barbells as of late.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on September 25, 2009, 02:21:02 PM
I don't know anything about those machines/racks, but I'd argue that it might be better to just ease into it by way of using lighter weight. By the time you get to the heavier (riskier) stuff, you should have developed the form to support the weight safely. Deadlifts will require a heavier starting weight than squats, but nothing terribly hazardous.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on September 25, 2009, 02:30:21 PM
Tiesto, this is the program that I am doing:
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/ (http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/)
I have also heard of Starting Strength, but these two programs are supposed to be great starting places.

The author recommends starting with an empty bar on all of the lifts (there's only 5 total lifts), but you can start higher if you please. Squats for me were really hard, so I had to start with a low weight, while I started with 180 lbs on bench press and easily could have started at 200+. It just depends on your body type, etc. I would recommend starting lower that you need to, in any case.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on September 26, 2009, 05:39:05 AM
For someone who wants to get into deadlifting and squatting... those giant "Max Rack" type things, would they hinder the effect a lot, or a good way to ease into things? I'm just a bit worried about hurting myself while attempting them. I've been slowly transitioning from machines to more freeweights and barbells as of late.

If you mean a Smith machine, where the bar travels in a fixed path, avoid, avoid, avoid. The way to ease into lifting heavy is to lift light, not to do a completely different exercise, which is what a Smith machine squat is. You have to support the weight with your own body if your body is to get any benefit from it.

But those things are generally pretty awesome for doing pull-ups on so it's not all bad :)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 08, 2009, 12:18:52 PM
Bumping this for Veidt.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on October 08, 2009, 12:32:51 PM
Free weights!

[youtube=560,345]65xb52D3Yw4[/youtube]

 :-\
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 08, 2009, 03:10:18 PM
 :lol at number 3, he choked on what had to be 150 lbs or so

A few of these guys look like they're suicide gripping (i.e. no thumbs over the bar). There was a player on the USC football team that was in serious condition after having a 275 lb. bench go bad and drop on his throat. He had to have surgery  :-\
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 08, 2009, 03:27:22 PM
I'm really not good at bench presses. Deadlifts, squats, that's totally alright. But bench presses suck.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on October 08, 2009, 03:40:30 PM
:lol at number 3, he choked on what had to be 150 lbs or so

A few of these guys look like they're suicide gripping (i.e. no thumbs over the bar). There was a played on the USC football team that was in serious condition after having a 275 lb. bench go bad and drop on his throat. He had to have surgery  :-\


That's what brought it to mind and ultimately led me to that video. What brought the USC player to mind was the fact that I'm finally switching over to free weights after spending basically a year+ on machines (bicep curls aside).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 08, 2009, 03:53:31 PM
I'm really not good at bench presses. Deadlifts, squats, that's totally alright. But bench presses suck.
I am the polar opposite. I can bench a decent amount, but I still have a hard time with squats. My deadlift is getting better (I'm up to 225 lbs working weight), but it still feels like alot of work. I just chalk it up to those 2 lifts (especially squats) being the most difficult and demanding.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 09, 2009, 11:00:16 PM
The good news is that bench pressing isn't that important for most people. Its importance has been hugely inflated in recent years, to the point where it has become a benchmark for strength. Really, all it tells you is how much you can push with your upper body IF your entire lower body is supported by a solid object (the bench). And most people cheat on it so much it's not even really good for that.

It doesn't provide the system-wide hormonal kick like true compound exercises like squats and deadlifts do, because it uses such precise musculature. It has its place in a strength program but it should looked on strictly as an ancillary exercise to help your shoulder press IMHO. You're not going to kill yourself doing a shoulder press, either. Or deadlifting. Squatting has some element of danger but if you practice bailing out before you get into serious weights, you shouldn't have any problems.

Would love to know what this guy was doing though: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/10/09/kings.garcia.ap/index.html

Kestastrophe - any updated vids for us? :hyper

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 10, 2009, 09:39:25 AM
Would love to know what this guy was doing though: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/10/09/kings.garcia.ap/index.html

Kestastrophe - any updated vids for us? :hyper
Wtf? Right forearm?  :lol

Unfortunately, I don't have any new vids. I switched from Anytime Fitness to my university's gym, which has squat racks and a much better free weight selection and is free for students. My wife isn't a student, so she isn't able to come and record me. The school's gym is so much better, and there are some huge guys there. I hardly ever see anyone doing squats though, which I thought was odd. The first thing I do when I get there is hop in the squat rack, but I see alot of guys doing iso lifts with the most popular being some variation of bicep curl.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 10, 2009, 11:27:54 AM
A proper squat rack - awesome!  :)  Harder than in the Smith machine you were using before, right? But so much more productive.

And if it's unused, all the better!

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 10, 2009, 11:56:05 AM
A proper squat rack - awesome!  :)  Harder than in the Smith machine you were using before, right? But so much more productive.
It was much more difficult switching from the Smith machine to free weights than I thought and I had to scale back the weight. I have seen a few guys using the squat racks and it makes me feel like a badass when they strap a shoulder pad onto the bar while I go raw  8)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 10, 2009, 11:59:15 PM
haha!

Those pads are useful though - put them under the small of your back when you're doing sit-ups. It gives your abs something to push against, and stops you from using your legs and upper body to do the work. Makes sit-ups a much more meaningful exercise.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 11, 2009, 12:05:56 AM
I think I'm starting to approach my weight limit for multiple reps for deadlifts, but that's pretty alright. I think I'm comfortable enough with my form now to actually try a single rep "personal record" sort of lift.

Sticking with dumbbell presses and chest flys for now, just don't feel comfortable with the bar yet. I guess as long as there is resistance and progress, it's all good.

A question about deadlifts, by the way. My abs are more sore after a deadlift session than it would be after 120 crunches, does that actually make sense? I've only noticed it now that I'm lifting sort of heavy.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 11, 2009, 12:06:08 AM
Going to start the 100 pushups /200 sit ups tomorrow.   
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 11, 2009, 12:10:38 AM
200 situps? What, in one go? That sounds insane, and not very healthy.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bocsius on October 11, 2009, 12:14:25 AM
A question about deadlifts, by the way. My abs are more sore after a deadlift session than it would be after 120 crunches, does that actually make sense? I've only noticed it now that I'm lifting sort of heavy.

It's probably due to your abs providing support and being worked in a way that they're not worked during crunches. Your body has gotten used to the crunches, but not the way it's being used for deadlifts. I've experienced similar effects with other exercises.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 11, 2009, 12:17:47 AM
200 situps? What, in one go? That sounds insane, and not very healthy.

in six weeks!

http://www.twohundredsitups.com/finaltest.html
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 11, 2009, 12:20:15 AM
A question about deadlifts, by the way. My abs are more sore after a deadlift session than it would be after 120 crunches, does that actually make sense? I've only noticed it now that I'm lifting sort of heavy.

It's probably due to your abs providing support and being worked in a way that they're not worked during crunches. Your body has gotten used to the crunches, but not the way it's being used for deadlifts. I've experienced similar effects with other exercises.

I completely dropped crunches, didn't feel like it was worth the annoyance of the repetition, and I'm not convinced that it's good for your back. If I can get similar work out from compound lifts, then that's pretty sweet.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 11, 2009, 12:41:33 AM
I completely dropped crunches, didn't feel like it was worth the annoyance of the repetition, and I'm not convinced that it's good for your back. If I can get similar work out from compound lifts, then that's pretty sweet.

I always hated crunches too. I alternate 3x 30 second prone bridges and 3x12 reverse crunches per stronglifts program
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 11, 2009, 12:54:47 AM
Crunches are pretty much pointless due to the limited range of motion. Don't do them. Do unanchored sit-ups with an abmat, good mornings with a barbell or glute-ham developer sit-ups, in reverse order of potency.

Yes, heavy deadlifts and squats work your abs/core like crazy. What else is preventing your spine from snapping? This is what Crossfit refers to as "mid-line stabilization". Absolutely key to almost any kind of functional movement or sport.

Here's an example of how a Crossfit WOD combines both. This WOD requires crazy core strength.

[youtube=560,345]qjX7sqF0kFM[/youtube]

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 11, 2009, 03:17:00 PM
Is eating before running a bad idea? 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 12, 2009, 04:24:42 AM
Depends on how much you eat and how hard you run, I guess. There are no hard and fast rules. There are successful ultramarathoners who literally order and eat pizza while running. Other people puke if they have a sandwich before a light jog. Everyone's digestive system is different. For optimal performance, you should have something light about an hour before you exercise, but since we all have to live in the real world, I wouldn't let it prevent you from exercising.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on October 12, 2009, 04:50:47 AM
I started lifting weights for basically* the first time about four months ago.  Started with only dumbells, recently got an EZ-curl barbell as well from a friend.  I use this for standing barbell curls, among other things.  I've noticed that it feels like I'm putting way too much stress on my shoulders during curls (and not because of my form - this is even during the initial few reps).  Is it possible that the grip width I'm using is too narrow for my frame, since I'm very broad and the bends in the bar are set in place?  Would this cause stress on the shoulders?  I feel like I need to move each arm out about 3-5" to be comfortable, but can't with the way the bar is constructed (i.e., if I move them out fully past the bends in the bar so I can get my hands fully flat, my grip will be too wide).  Is it better to just get a regular bar in this case? 

I initially thought the strain on my shoulders was due to the fact that I hadn't done barbell curls before (I've done dumbell and hammer curls, though), but now I'm not so sure.

* I say "basically" because I lifted for about two months a few years ago, but aside from that not at all.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 12, 2009, 05:34:16 AM
Nothing wrong with using a regular bar. Although they're about twice as heavy. Nothing wrong with that either. Then again, the reason it feels like too much stress is often just because there is too much weight on the bar.

Curls are not a great exercise though. They're not awful but there are many more productive things you could be doing.

FWIW, I have a curl bar too...haven't used it in years except for the occasional workout where I need a 2nd bar handy. They suck for doing anything other than curls. The only reason I got it was because I knew a full-length Olympic bar would be a pain in the ass to store. (it is, but it's so massively useful it's worth it).

In short, get a regular powerlifting or Oly bar (they're dirt cheap, especially 2nd hand on craigslist etc) and a bunch of plates, do your deadlifts, squats, presses, cleans, jerks and snatches and THEN if you still think you need to do curls, do some pull-ups and chin-ups instead. If for some reason all of that isn't getting it done, worry about whether your form is right on the curls.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on October 12, 2009, 05:50:45 AM
Well, I definitely don't think it's the weight (I'm only doing 85-90% of my dumbell curl weight x 2 when I do barbell curls, and the discomfort happens during the first few reps when I'm at my strongest).  It definitely feels like something is "off", like perhaps there's too much torque being generated on my outer/rear shoulders during the motion; I was wondering if, mechanically, too narrow a grip for my particular shoulder width would cause this.  I realize there can be muscle imbalances etc. that could contribute, but I don't think that's it based on the way it feels (though I'm hardly qualified to say so authoritatively).

Thanks for the other advice, btw.  I'll try to mix things up like you've described. :)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 12, 2009, 05:58:54 AM
Most people lift less with dumbells, not the other way round (the bar is much more stable, which makes it easier to lift more). Something sounds wrong here. Your grip may well be too narrow. Like I said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using a regular bar. You can use as wide a grip as you like. You don't need to buy a bar - just pick one up in the gym and try a few curls. In fact, the best way to do these is with dumbells, even if you use less weight. Dumbells are awesome.

But of course, I still recommend doing the big compound exercises over all this isolation stuff. All these routines are adapted from serious bodybuilding routines, but they are totally unsuited to most average gym goers. You need to do the bread-and-butter compound lifts to get strong first before worrying about how beautifully defined the peak of your bicep is, IM not-so-humble O.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on October 12, 2009, 06:11:53 AM
Most people lift less with dumbells, not the other way round (the bar is much more stable, which makes it easier to lift more). Something sounds wrong here. Your grip may well be too narrow. Like I said, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using a regular bar. You can use as wide a grip as you like. You don't need to buy a bar - just pick one up in the gym and try a few curls. In fact, the best way to do these is with dumbells, even if you use less weight. Dumbells are awesome.

I do incorporate dumbell curls into my current routine (8-10 reps each of: 2-3 sets of standing dumbell curls, 2-3 sets of seated dumbell concentration curls, 2-3 sets of barbell curls, and 2-3 sets of hammer curls; I vary the order of the exercises each week).  I'm gonna try a few curls with my friend's bar when I'm over there and see how it feels.

Quote
But of course, I still recommend doing the big compound exercises over all this isolation stuff. All these routines are adapted from serious bodybuilding routines, but they are totally unsuited to most average gym goers. You need to do the bread-and-butter compound lifts to get strong first before worrying about how beautifully defined the peak of your bicep is, IM not-so-humble O.

Yeah, I should start doing this.  I'll probably buy a bar soon and try those other exercises.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 12, 2009, 08:00:34 AM
I do incorporate dumbell curls into my current routine (8-10 reps each of: 2-3 sets of standing dumbell curls, 2-3 sets of seated dumbell concentration curls, 2-3 sets of barbell curls, and 2-3 sets of hammer curls; I vary the order of the exercises each week).
Damn, that's alot of curls. I don't curl at all, instead I do chin-ups and inverted rows as my primary bicep exercise. I would replace all of those curls with different compound lifts, like Cormac described.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 13, 2009, 12:01:33 AM
I think I may have plateaued a bit here with the deadlifts, I may have rushed progress a bit too fast. What's the best way to deal with that? I'm thinking of dropping 20-40lbs off of the weight and increase reps for a while instead, and continue up from there. Is that wise?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 13, 2009, 06:15:57 AM
duckman -

This is not for the faint of heart but it bust me through a major wall in the deadlift. Easily applicable to squats etc as well.

Day 1 - warm-up lifts (anything less than 80% or so of your max counts as a warm-up here), then about 90-95% of your 1 rep maximum for 1

Day 2 - warm-ups, then 3 reps of the last weight

Day 3 - warm-ups, 5 reps of the last weight

Day 4 - warm-ups, add 5lbs to the 5 rep weight, and do 3 reps

Day 5 - warm-ups, add 5lbs to the 3 rep weight, and do 1 rep

Day 6 - warm-ups, 3 reps of last weight

The pattern should be obvious so I'll stop there. 1-3-5-3 (+5lbs) -1 (+5lbs)-3-5

With the deadlift, you really don't want to do much more than 3 sessions a week if you're pulling close to your max each time. Anything more will be counterproductive. You might find 2.5lbs is more than enough of an increase as well. If you can't make the reps on any given day, either try with less weight, or take a couple of days total rest, then try again.

Also, any time you plateau, it's worth looking at your form again. There's almost always something you can tighten up that will make a difference. Try using the alternate grip for the heaviest sets (see my video a few pages back). Try the hook grip (with the thumb hooked under your forefinger - it's very painful at first with a heavy bar, and you may well bruise the crap out of your thumb but it's incredibly strong).

And of course, rest and nutrition are also going to be reasons for plateauing at some point. Hard for me to say what's going on with you. Simply changing what you do in the gym isn't always enough.

Don't skip the warm-ups - it's essential for proper motor neuron recruitment. Your body needs to get used to the idea that it's going to have to bring everything to bear on that bar before you move to a new PR.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 21, 2009, 11:48:52 AM
I just got back from my physical with the doctor. I lost 8 lbs over the last month (down to 224 now) :rock, and I didn't have to sacrifice lifting gains :rock :rock. Major thanks to Cormac, since I pretty much did exactly what he told me. Eggs for breakfast, eat every three hours, cut out starchy carbs pretty much completely, followed my workout regimen of lifting 3 days a week with 2 days of jogging. I still have to lose 16-20 lbs, but its a good start. Cheers
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: FlameOfCallandor on October 21, 2009, 12:00:06 PM
Awesome. Do you only jog some days or do you job and lift those days?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 21, 2009, 12:08:35 PM
My wife drops me off at the University gym 3 times a week at 7:30 in the morning. I jog home from the gym 2 of those days, right after my lifts (usually monday and friday).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on October 23, 2009, 07:51:09 PM
:rock

Had an AWESOME time at the gym today. I'm going to start lifting. Now that I've got some decent upper body strength I'm aiming for a well toned body with weights!
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 24, 2009, 11:02:32 AM
Awesome work, Kestastrophe!

This stuff is 1% knowledge and 99% dedication, so I'm not going to take any credit. Makes me smile from ear to ear though  :D
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 24, 2009, 02:52:03 PM
jogged for 70min yesterday, and competed week two of the 200sit up routine.  w00t

spoiler (click to show/hide)
100 push ups not so much  :'( :'( :'(
[close]
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Himu on October 24, 2009, 02:57:13 PM
:bow Arvie :bow2

How should I get myself toned? I go to the gym 3 times a week. I want my whole body to be toned so I guess I'll work on upper body on day and lower body the next time and keep switching.

Should I jog on days I lift or should I do that on their own day?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: archie4208 on October 24, 2009, 03:30:11 PM
I just finished doing 45 minutes of jogging.  :rock  I had my cheat meal yesterday and I still feel pretty terrible, though.  I have a set of questions if anyone is willing to give advice:

Does anyone do HIIT?  I started that this week and I'm doing a 1:3 split (30 secs sprinting, 90 secs resting) with 6 sets.  I've only done it twice and I felt like I was going to die both times.  I was wondering how long I should do my current routine until I graduate to a 1:2 split and so forth.

Also, can anyone suggest a good beginner weightlifting routine to help me get back into the swing of things?  I've been lazy as fuck for the past few months and need to start from square one.  Right now I am thinking about HIIT 3 days a week (MWF) and lifting 3 days a week (Tu,Th,Sa) with accompanying low intensity cardio (30-45 minutes) on the non HIIT days.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 24, 2009, 03:37:58 PM
:bow Arvie :bow2

How should I get myself toned? I go to the gym 3 times a week. I want my whole body to be toned so I guess I'll work on upper body on day and lower body the next time and keep switching.

Should I jog on days I lift or should I do that on their own day?

http://www.twohundredsitups.com/week1.html

this is doing wonders for my abs and it's only been two weeks. (I'm doing it every day though, sometimes twice a day)

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 24, 2009, 04:35:33 PM
Also, can anyone suggest a good beginner weightlifting routine to help me get back into the swing of things?  I've been lazy as fuck for the past few months and need to start from square one.

Stonglifts or Starting Strength are supposed to be the best beginner programs.

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/ (http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/)

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: archie4208 on October 24, 2009, 04:43:11 PM
Awesome link, that is exactly what I was looking for.  Thanks alot.  I've been spending the past few weeks reading articles at bodybuilding.com and other fitness forums and there is so much contradicting stuff out there it makes my head spin. :dizzy
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 24, 2009, 09:27:19 PM
I just finished doing 45 minutes of jogging.  :rock  I had my cheat meal yesterday and I still feel pretty terrible, though.  I have a set of questions if anyone is willing to give advice:

Does anyone do HIIT?  I started that this week and I'm doing a 1:3 split (30 secs sprinting, 90 secs resting) with 6 sets.  I've only done it twice and I felt like I was going to die both times.  I was wondering how long I should do my current routine until I graduate to a 1:2 split and so forth.

Also, can anyone suggest a good beginner weightlifting routine to help me get back into the swing of things?  I've been lazy as fuck for the past few months and need to start from square one.  Right now I am thinking about HIIT 3 days a week (MWF) and lifting 3 days a week (Tu,Th,Sa) with accompanying low intensity cardio (30-45 minutes) on the non HIIT days.

I'd just be repeating myself at this point if I tried to answer all your questions. If you look back through my posts in this thread, you'll find all my thoughts about "toning", HIIT, "low intensity cardio", diet and beginner weightlifting programs.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: BlueTsunami on October 24, 2009, 09:33:18 PM
I'm trying to start up HIIT again (after a good 2 months of jogging) and man, it kicks your ass so much.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 24, 2009, 10:05:33 PM
I'd just be repeating myself at this point if I tried to answer all your questions. If you look back through my posts in this thread, you'll find all my thoughts about "toning", HIIT, "low intensity cardio", diet and beginner weightlifting programs.
lol

:bow Cormac
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 24, 2009, 10:41:28 PM
my initial response was "Just fucking do Crossfit" :lol

I mean, I could go through all the reasons why all those different programs don't make sense mashed together but if you have goals as diverse (i.e. no real specific goals at all) as Archie seemingly does....just do Crossfit. It works. You get stronger, leaner, FITTER, fast.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 26, 2009, 09:41:36 PM
fuck the jump from day1 to day2 in week three for the 200 sit ups is insane!

day1

21
27
21
21
30

day2

30
38
23
23
38

fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 26, 2009, 09:52:18 PM
I still don't understand that plan. It reads like a fitness plan for cheerleaders or something, I don't know. What's the goal?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 26, 2009, 09:53:36 PM
getting a nice belly? 

spoiler (click to show/hide)
200 consecutive sit ups in 6 weeks
[close]
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 26, 2009, 09:54:31 PM
Right, but is there anything else to go with it, like compound exercises, other calisthenics? Or are you just focusing on your belly? I'm not one to second guess whatever works for others, but it seems incredibly focused.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 26, 2009, 09:57:17 PM
No, this and running just generally makes me feel better and more focused when it comes to school.  Plus I got fat in the summer and had to loss that weight again.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on October 26, 2009, 09:59:37 PM
Alright, I also forgot about the push up and running thing from the previous page, so that makes more sense.

On the topic, I'm trying to push for us building a proper obstacle course near our paintball park. Other than being part of event packages, I'd like to build it so that a single run makes for a thorough, heavy duty work out. Should be interesting, any ideas? Ladders and beams are obviously in, as are crawling elements, but I'd like something special too.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Bildi on October 26, 2009, 10:50:07 PM
I was just looking at this obstacle course - :o. 

http://amazingstufftome.blogspot.com/2007/04/from-japanese-show-ninja-warrior.html

I was thinking of something similar to the activity at 3:28 but more accessible and easy to construct, like two parallel log rails that get closer and further apart, move up and down, and have gaps here and there.  You have to put your hands on one and feet on the other.  Could be a great core strength workout.  You could build one rail a little higher on average than the other which would vary the workout on your arms and shoulders particularly depending on whether you put your arms on the higher or lower rail.  Could use multiple rails and/or painted position markings to accommodate various fitness levels.

They could also double as a pair of balancing beams to walk on but with ups, downs, turns and gaps to make things more interesting.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 27, 2009, 07:32:40 AM
Alright, I also forgot about the push up and running thing from the previous page, so that makes more sense.

On the topic, I'm trying to push for us building a proper obstacle course near our paintball park. Other than being part of event packages, I'd like to build it so that a single run makes for a thorough, heavy duty work out. Should be interesting, any ideas? Ladders and beams are obviously in, as are crawling elements, but I'd like something special too.

Rope climbs. Bear crawls. Broad jumps. Hand-to-hand swings. Carrying any heavy, odd-shaped objects near to hand (rocks!).
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Madrun Badrun on October 27, 2009, 03:44:04 PM
shit I almost did day 2 of week three in the first try.  Only 18 short.  I can't believe how much stronger I've gotten in just three weeks. 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on October 28, 2009, 03:02:05 PM
I've scaled back my weight to focus on technique. I was squatting 210lbs, but I noticed my form breaking down. I think that I was bending too much at the hip when I squatted down or perhaps too quickly, which caused a delay in back straightening on the squat up. Basically, my legs would straighten first and then my upper body would follow, instead of it being one fluid movement. It was disjointed and almost like my upper and lower body weren't working in unison. I was getting up there in weight, so its kind of humbling to scale back.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Tauntaun on October 28, 2009, 03:21:44 PM
Alright, I also forgot about the push up and running thing from the previous page, so that makes more sense.

On the topic, I'm trying to push for us building a proper obstacle course near our paintball park. Other than being part of event packages, I'd like to build it so that a single run makes for a thorough, heavy duty work out. Should be interesting, any ideas? Ladders and beams are obviously in, as are crawling elements, but I'd like something special too.

Build an obstacle course, get a huge gay dude just out of prison to chase people.   :-*

It's sort of a win/win situation.

spoiler (click to show/hide)
:tauntaun
[close]
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 29, 2009, 09:15:31 AM
I've scaled back my weight to focus on technique. I was squatting 210lbs, but I noticed my form breaking down. I think that I was bending too much at the hip when I squatted down or perhaps too quickly, which caused a delay in back straightening on the squat up. Basically, my legs would straighten first and then my upper body would follow, instead of it being one fluid movement. It was disjointed and almost like my upper and lower body weren't working in unison. I was getting up there in weight, so its kind of humbling to scale back.

The main cue to fix this is "Chest up!". Get your wife or somebody to yell this at you when you're in the hole!
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on October 29, 2009, 10:21:28 AM
I've scaled back my weight to focus on technique. I was squatting 210lbs, but I noticed my form breaking down. I think that I was bending too much at the hip when I squatted down or perhaps too quickly, which caused a delay in back straightening on the squat up. Basically, my legs would straighten first and then my upper body would follow, instead of it being one fluid movement. It was disjointed and almost like my upper and lower body weren't working in unison. I was getting up there in weight, so its kind of humbling to scale back.
Hardest thing about squats, for me, by far.

By far.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Olivia Wilde Homo on October 29, 2009, 10:51:11 AM
Squats are the best because you get to have the "rape spot."  :-*
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on October 30, 2009, 11:06:46 PM
Draft - doing some heavy good mornings might help you keep the core tight on the way out of the hole. Again, the "chest up!" cue usually works wonders. Also think "tight core" (all the way through the movement).

(this is nothing you won't find in SS of course...just a reminder)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on November 05, 2009, 04:37:17 AM
Ok, if anyone has a few minutes to spare, can you provide me with a good overall routine assuming that:

1) I only want to do weight training two days/week, with at least 3 days of rest in between the second session of one week and the first session of the next.

2) Right now I only have access to dumbells, a chin up bar, and an EZ-curl barbell (I'm wiling to buy a flat barbell).


I'm looking on getting into compound exercises, so a routine that includes squats, deadlifts, bent over rows etc. would be good, as would compound body weight exercises (I already do pushups).  Note that if you feel that condition #1 can't be met if I'm to maintain an effective program, I am open to other schedules (e.g., 3x a week).  Basically I want a routine that incorporates compound exercises (both with weights and body weight) that will also not conflict in terms of overworking certain muscles without adequate rest in between.  I'm basically unsure if doing, say, squats one day and deadlifts the next day or two days later will result in overworking certain muscle groups.  Ditto for other exercises. 
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 05, 2009, 09:14:53 AM
"overworking certain muscle groups" is the whole point of weight training. seriously. You get fitter and stronger by stressing your body beyond what it's currently capable of.

World-class bodybuilders and athletes have to worry about overtraining specific muscles; if you don't even have a routine, you are not at that point yet. Don't sweat it.

It'll take more than a few minutes to design a whole routine for you for anybody but i don't believe in routines anyway. Why not do something different every single workout? Do 5 heavy deadlifts one day, do 100 light deadlifts the next. Do 10 sets of as many pull-ups as you can one day, then do 7 weighted pull-ups the next. Or do 5 sets of 10 deadlifts followed by 10 pull-ups, for time. Do 10 dumbell thrusters, then a set of max push-ups, and repeat by 7, then run a mile. Mix and match in as many combinations as you can imagine. Force your body to adapt continuously by giving it constantly varied stimuli.

Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on November 05, 2009, 09:58:01 AM
Draft - doing some heavy good mornings might help you keep the core tight on the way out of the hole. Again, the "chest up!" cue usually works wonders. Also think "tight core" (all the way through the movement).

(this is nothing you won't find in SS of course...just a reminder)
I need to do something, for sure. I've stepped up the hypers and sit up assistance exercises to every day, but I still feel really weak around the middle. I think I will add some good mornings, just need to figure out where to put them in the week.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on November 05, 2009, 11:31:45 AM
I'm basically unsure if doing, say, squats one day and deadlifts the next day or two days later will result in overworking certain muscle groups.  Ditto for other exercises. 
I don't think you can really overwork your muscles like this. I squat every single workout day (3x a week) and deadlift every other workout day (1-2x a week). You will be very sore at first, but you quickly get used to it.

I think I might incorporate good mornings to help my squats as well, Cormac. How much weight should I be using or will an empty bar suffice?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on November 05, 2009, 06:11:51 PM
"overworking certain muscle groups" is the whole point of weight training. seriously. You get fitter and stronger by stressing your body beyond what it's currently capable of.

No offense, but DUH. :P  I meant in the same sense that you're not supposed to work your bis or tris two consecutive days (i.e., you need rest to allow the muscles to heal/grow).

Quote
It'll take more than a few minutes to design a whole routine for you for anybody but i don't believe in routines anyway. Why not do something different every single workout? Do 5 heavy deadlifts one day, do 100 light deadlifts the next. Do 10 sets of as many pull-ups as you can one day, then do 7 weighted pull-ups the next. Or do 5 sets of 10 deadlifts followed by 10 pull-ups, for time. Do 10 dumbell thrusters, then a set of max push-ups, and repeat by 7, then run a mile. Mix and match in as many combinations as you can imagine. Force your body to adapt continuously by giving it constantly varied stimuli.

I could do that, yes.  But the reason that I wanted to stick to a specific rest schedule was because I noticed that I started seeing better results when I cut my lifting from 4x per week to 2x per week, with at least 4 days of rest between weeks.  So I figured that, for me, rest is pretty important to making gains, both performance and appearance wise.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 05, 2009, 08:33:48 PM
resting bis and tris  :lol

Like I said, that's relevant if you're a world-class bodybuilder and working out with isolation exercises for 4hrs a day with massive weights. You're not. Rest is key to making gains but most people totally overestimate how much stress they're putting on themselves because they feel a little pain or soreness the next day. Now sit back and pay attention, you might learn something.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 05, 2009, 08:37:16 PM
I'm basically unsure if doing, say, squats one day and deadlifts the next day or two days later will result in overworking certain muscle groups.  Ditto for other exercises. 
I don't think you can really overwork your muscles like this. I squat every single workout day (3x a week) and deadlift every other workout day (1-2x a week). You will be very sore at first, but you quickly get used to it.

I think I might incorporate good mornings to help my squats as well, Cormac. How much weight should I be using or will an empty bar suffice?

An empty bar is plenty to start with - i did about 50 with a 40kg bar recently and it destroyed me. One of the few workouts I had to quit on halfway through. As you get used to them, you can up the weight and lower the reps but expect some serious hamstring soreness afterward. It's a very effective hamstring stretch if you do it with the full ROM but it's sneaky - you may not realize at the time how much pain you are inflicting on the hammies.

You also might want to look into box squats, but my sense is it's still too early for you to be messing with that stuff. Squat technique and eating should be your main concerns at this stage.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on November 06, 2009, 02:56:22 PM
resting bis and tris  :lol

Like I said, that's relevant if you're a world-class bodybuilder and working out with isolation exercises for 4hrs a day with massive weights. You're not. Rest is key to making gains but most people totally overestimate how much stress they're putting on themselves because they feel a little pain or soreness the next day. Now sit back and pay attention, you might learn something.

So you're saying that if I do, say, squats, deadlifts, and bent over rows one day, I can do them again the next day?  I guess I'm not following...

Obviously isolation exercises are more taxing on particular muscles, but these compound exercises have to be stressing SOMETHING (multiple somethings, in fact) - and doesn't that something need time to recover?
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Draft on November 06, 2009, 03:24:16 PM
resting bis and tris  :lol

Like I said, that's relevant if you're a world-class bodybuilder and working out with isolation exercises for 4hrs a day with massive weights. You're not. Rest is key to making gains but most people totally overestimate how much stress they're putting on themselves because they feel a little pain or soreness the next day. Now sit back and pay attention, you might learn something.

So you're saying that if I do, say, squats, deadlifts, and bent over rows one day, I can do them again the next day?  I guess I'm not following...

Obviously isolation exercises are more taxing on particular muscles, but these compound exercises have to be stressing SOMETHING (multiple somethings, in fact) - and doesn't that something need time to recover?
What he's saying is that for the first few weeks lifting you won't be able to work hard enough to really need lots of recovery time. You'll be sore, but that's the same as being gassed.

Rule of thumb: until you're pressing or pulling your own body weight or more, a day of recovery is fine. Probably more than you need.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: APF on November 06, 2009, 04:01:10 PM
Recovery times are variable between people and dependent on volume of work and intensity of weight, so it's hard to say it's either necessary or inefficient to do something 1x/2x/3x a week. Generally when you're getting into an exercise program the first 4-6 weeks you're more adjusting to the workouts than building appreciable muscle; people therefore try to compensate by increasing frequency in an attempt to reduce that adjustment period (eg, full-body workouts 3-4x/week). At the same time, high level athletes train with very high levels of frequency so it's not as though there aren't benefits to doing so. But what works for someone whose very life is focused around optimizing their training is completely different than what works for someone who has a real life to lead.

There are other factors too: for example, the point about isolation exercises are more taxing on a specific muscle is true to an extent, but muscular recovery is relatively quick (eg 24-36 hours) in comparison to neural effects--which can last for weeks, depending--and can be cumulative. The overall stress of doing a bicep curl is far less than that in doing intense deadlifts, and that overall stress influences recovery far more.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on November 06, 2009, 04:07:02 PM
I noticed serious performance gains after holding off on lifting for a few days longer than usual. It wasn't planned, but I was a bit surprised when the next session was as smooth as it was. I guess the trick is to switch it up.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: APF on November 06, 2009, 04:41:06 PM
Wow, I made some serious typos there
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 06, 2009, 06:58:07 PM
I noticed serious performance gains after holding off on lifting for a few days longer than usual. It wasn't planned, but I was a bit surprised when the next session was as smooth as it was. I guess the trick is to switch it up.

There should be a micro-recovery plan, and a macro-recovery plan. i.e. plan rest days during the week, and also plan for entire rest weeks. But the amount of individual variation here is so great that it makes little sense to prescribe over the internet without knowing someone's exact tolerances, history and goals to a pretty fine degree. The standard Crossfit prescription is 3 days on, 1 day off, with a "half week" every 6 weeks or so, with an entire week off more infrequently (when progress stalls, typically...but it's much more likely that illness or minor injuries or general life bullshit will force this upon you long before it's planned...i've never actually had a rest week as scheduled in over 2yrs).

And yes, Crossfit will have you working the same muscles on consecutive days. That's what muscles are supposed to do, work. To build on what Draft is saying, it's only maximal effort at low reps on the big compound lifts that you really need lots of recovery from. I'd also endorse everything APF is saying as well, and add that in the beginner phase you're seeing a lot more neurological fatigue and adaptation than actual muscle damage/growth. That's where newbies will burn out quickly, and why you need to rest. Not because your "bis are still thrashed from those preacher curls last Tuesday".
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on November 06, 2009, 07:45:49 PM
Recovery times are variable between people and dependent on volume of work and intensity of weight, so it's hard to say it's either necessary or inefficient to do something 1x/2x/3x a week. Generally when you're getting into an exercise program the first 4-6 weeks you're more adjusting to the workouts than building appreciable muscle; people therefore try to compensate by increasing frequency in an attempt to reduce that adjustment period (eg, full-body workouts 3-4x/week). At the same time, high level athletes train with very high levels of frequency so it's not as though there aren't benefits to doing so. But what works for someone whose very life is focused around optimizing their training is completely different than what works for someone who has a real life to lead.

There are other factors too: for example, the point about isolation exercises are more taxing on a specific muscle is true to an extent, but muscular recovery is relatively quick (eg 24-36 hours) in comparison to neural effects--which can last for weeks, depending--and can be cumulative. The overall stress of doing a bicep curl is far less than that in doing intense deadlifts, and that overall stress influences recovery far more.

Thanks for the detailed explanation.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Loki on November 06, 2009, 07:49:33 PM

There should be a micro-recovery plan, and a macro-recovery plan. i.e. plan rest days during the week, and also plan for entire rest weeks. But the amount of individual variation here is so great that it makes little sense to prescribe over the internet without knowing someone's exact tolerances, history and goals to a pretty fine degree. The standard Crossfit prescription is 3 days on, 1 day off, with a "half week" every 6 weeks or so, with an entire week off more infrequently (when progress stalls, typically...but it's much more likely that illness or minor injuries or general life bullshit will force this upon you long before it's planned...i've never actually had a rest week as scheduled in over 2yrs).

And yes, Crossfit will have you working the same muscles on consecutive days. That's what muscles are supposed to do, work. To build on what Draft is saying, it's only maximal effort at low reps on the big compound lifts that you really need lots of recovery from. I'd also endorse everything APF is saying as well, and add that in the beginner phase you're seeing a lot more neurological fatigue and adaptation than actual muscle damage/growth. That's where newbies will burn out quickly, and why you need to rest. Not because your "bis are still thrashed from those preacher curls last Tuesday".

Thanks.  I assume neurological adaptation is not something one can speed up aside from performing said exercises more frequently? (or would that actually be counterproductive?)
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: duckman2000 on November 06, 2009, 07:52:44 PM
Just mask it with narcotics
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 06, 2009, 08:32:22 PM

There should be a micro-recovery plan, and a macro-recovery plan. i.e. plan rest days during the week, and also plan for entire rest weeks. But the amount of individual variation here is so great that it makes little sense to prescribe over the internet without knowing someone's exact tolerances, history and goals to a pretty fine degree. The standard Crossfit prescription is 3 days on, 1 day off, with a "half week" every 6 weeks or so, with an entire week off more infrequently (when progress stalls, typically...but it's much more likely that illness or minor injuries or general life bullshit will force this upon you long before it's planned...i've never actually had a rest week as scheduled in over 2yrs).

And yes, Crossfit will have you working the same muscles on consecutive days. That's what muscles are supposed to do, work. To build on what Draft is saying, it's only maximal effort at low reps on the big compound lifts that you really need lots of recovery from. I'd also endorse everything APF is saying as well, and add that in the beginner phase you're seeing a lot more neurological fatigue and adaptation than actual muscle damage/growth. That's where newbies will burn out quickly, and why you need to rest. Not because your "bis are still thrashed from those preacher curls last Tuesday".

Thanks.  I assume neurological adaptation is not something one can speed up aside from performing said exercises more frequently? (or would that actually be counterproductive?)

To a certain degree, more frequently is productive. After that, it's counter-productive. This is why coaching is as much art as science. I'm not talking about technique here, which can be improved most easily with more practice. I'm talking about training your body to use every fiber of muscle it can to lift very heavy weights. It takes time to get your nervous system to actually do this, barring extraordinary external stimuli (kid trapped under burning car etc). It's not something you should rush, unless you have some pressing goals we haven't heard about yet.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Kestastrophe on November 09, 2009, 04:21:31 PM
Question for Cormac: I picked up some unadultered peanut butter (i.e. contains only peanuts) at the store this week. I remember you recommended I eat more fat, so I was wondering if this will be a good addition to my diet.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 09, 2009, 08:57:00 PM
sure would. It should be nothing but nuts and oil, both of which are great sources of fat. I saw a completely ripped woman at the Crossfit cert eating it straight out of a jar with a tablespoon.
Title: Re: Exercise/lifting tips?
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 09, 2009, 09:03:23 PM
Also, avocadoes are great for fat, and delicious. Broccoli, guacamole and grilled chicken goes down a treat.