FitnessBore - 2018 edition

[Smooth Groove]

ABS?  Don't the back and posterior leg muscles get worked the most in this exercise? 

I think the rack might make it a bit easier since it's really hard to get my face 2-3 inches from the ground while trying not to push too hard.  But even lowering down slowly kills me.  I guess, like many other athletes, my posterior legs are grossly lacking in strrenght compared to the anterior. 

I was trying to do them slow though, like I saw in the videos, especially coming down.  Whenever I try to come up fast, I just ended up cheating a lot and relied on using the momentum.  Maybe my ankles need to be secured even more tightly, so that I can come up rapidly without losing form?

[Smooth Groove]

I think I'm gonna start with easier stuff like one legged step-ups with weights and reverse lunges.  I was thinking Good Mornings too but the risk of a severe back injury is not worth it, imo.  Any other glute, hamstrings suggestions?

[Cormacaroni]

kettlebells

[Cormacaroni]

somehow though, i don't think you need more variety in your workouts.

[Smooth Groove]

Lately I've gone back to the basics:just the stronglifts lifts + pull up + curls ( ) to strengthen the pull up.

I've cut out the  plyometrics since I figured out that my weak link is strength, not explosiveness, and just playing ball should be enough plyo.  However  the squat is still a mostly quad dominant exercise so I need other ways to work my glutes, hams, and maybe even calves.

[Cormacaroni]

The front squat is quad dominant. The back squat is not. Unless you are doing a high bar squat or something.

[Consul]

Today I decided I needed to be benching more so I did.  I've switched from 10x3 to 8x4 and my last set today was 225.  My goal is to max at 300 (x1) by 2012.  I should have it much sooner by the looks of it.  I'm also over 180lbs for the second time in my life.  Hurray!

if you really want to get your max up fast i would reccomend this or something similar. doing sets of 8-10 will not get your max up fast at all.

percents = % of max
if your muscles can handle it, i would do this bench workout 5 days a week. if you are a pussy, 3 days a week. do dips, skullcrushers, pec flys, and pushups some days afterwards.  If you are sore, just do the bench and continue the rest of your workout without all the other chest/triceps stuff.

week 1
5x50% 5x60% 5x70% 5x80% 5x70%(you will need a spotter for the heavier sets just keep going until you fail)
week 2
5x50% 3x80% 3x90% 3x95% 3x70%
week 3
3x50% 3x80% 2x100% 2x110% 2x125% (again...spotter)
week 4
10x50% max, max again, max more, max

by week 4 your new max will be at least 25% higher than your previous if you do it right.  then repeat the workout with some variation with percents based off your new max.

[Smooth Groove]

If you can do 125%, then how is 100% your max?

[Consul]

All numbers are based on your pre workout max.

By week 3 you should be able to do more. If you can't, just do as much as you can

Edit: this is an extremely simplified and abridged version of a much more complex workout. If anyone is interested I can post the full version. It is an excel spreadsheet that will auto compute what weight you should do for each set based on your max for each lift

[Cormacaroni]

Those percentages are mostly fantasy. Lift what you can on the day! THAT'S your max, not some hypothetical figure based off a spreadsheet. I mean, that stuff provides a decent starting point, a framework. But it'll drive you crazy once you start failing to hit the exact numbers predicted, just 'cause you didn't get enough sleep the night before or whatever.

[Consul]

the numbers are something to aim for. if you can't lift that amount on that day it doesn't mean your workout failed.  its good to have a framework and goals or else you will not be making progress to the best of your ability.

you need a spotter and workout buddies to motivate you.  I know lots of "fitness" people with lots of bullshit excuses like that. if you didn't get enough sleep the night before, you work through it to the best of your ability.

[Eric P]

This week has been horrible for work outs.  Rain kept me indoors all this week and a combination of laziness and late shows kept me from doing any of my nascent strength training.

To compensate, I've cut down on the calories a bit and will probably launch back into things tomorrow assuming it's not raining once more.

[Consul]

well, BMB, maybe that is because you dont know who i am

that is not the ONLY workout you should be doing, it is just what you should be doing for the bench portion of it. you won't reach your max goal doing 4 sets of 8 reps lol

[Smooth Groove]

This week has been horrible for work outs.  Rain kept me indoors all this week and a combination of laziness and late shows kept me from doing any of my nascent strength training.

To compensate, I've cut down on the calories a bit and will probably launch back into things tomorrow assuming it's not raining once more.

Since you've been exercising so hard lately, that might actually be a good thing.  People who are just starting to work out often overextend themselves.  Resting for a couple of days should allow your body and CNS to recuperate and let you improve on endurance and strength. 

[Groogrux]

Just had a fantastic workout and I'm happy.  I'm .9 lbs away from losing 60 lbs.  It's not a whole lot considering how long I've been working on this, but I'm also gaining muscle at the same time, so I'm satisfied with the results.

[Smooth Groove]

Try eating a little more if you seems to be plateauing.  It sounds weird for someone trying to lose fat but it's worked for me. 

[Cormacaroni]

This week has been horrible for work outs.  Rain kept me indoors all this week and a combination of laziness and late shows kept me from doing any of my nascent strength training.

To compensate, I've cut down on the calories a bit and will probably launch back into things tomorrow assuming it's not raining once more.

Since you've been exercising so hard lately, that might actually be a good thing.  People who are just starting to work out often overextend themselves.  Resting for a couple of days should allow your body and CNS to recuperate and let you improve on endurance and strength. 

Yeah, totally agree with this. Scheduled breaks are necessary, and life often intervenes to ensure we get them whether we want them or not. Just make sure you get back on the horse again afterward 'cause the more time off you have, the harder it gets to face going back.

[Groogrux]

Try eating a little more if you seems to be plateauing.  It sounds weird for someone trying to lose fat but it's worked for me. 

I'm actually breaking through the plateau right now.  I'm not really sure what the difference is... but it's working.

[Cormacaroni]

Try eating a little more if you seems to be plateauing.  It sounds weird for someone trying to lose fat but it's worked for me. 

I'm actually breaking through the plateau right now.  I'm not really sure what the difference is... but it's working.

pics!

[Eric P]

I ran this morning with no issues.  3 miles at a slow pace with a half mile warm up / cool down.  took me about 50 minutes all told.  I was nervous starting out because I hadn't run in a week (practically) but nope.  No issues whatsoever.  Sweet.

[Eric P]

ok, so running wasn't an issue, but coming back to strength training after missing a few sessions was certainly more problematic.  i think my form as well as my energy just weren't there.  though i'm not certain if it was the body being weak or the fact that fucking allergies woke me up at 2 am again.

at least it's not a work day.

i added in dumbell rows at the end of the basic work out which gave me a new exercise and a new set of reps.  I'm thinking of swapping that out for just doing dumbell swings instead.  I'm not committed either way.

[Cormacaroni]

swings by a mile - trains the all-important hip thrust, activates the glutes (the bane of the desk worker), is great for conditioning generally.

Whereas rows, you're just standing there looking at yourself in the mirror like a tool

[Eric P]

to be fair i was watching Community not myself.

I'll toss the swings on the end of my workouts making it this 3 times a week

5x
10 pushups
10 dumbbell squats (i started doing these and they feel like a better workout than without)
10 presses (I'm working my way into combining the two exercises into just a set of thrusters but I'm not quite fit enough for that)
15 sec plank

with a 30 second rest between each set.

I guess 5 swings each arm then rest for 30 sec then go again.  I hadn't really thought about it.

[Van Cruncheon]

i have a kettlebell in my office now, does this officially make me a fitnessfag :'(

[Eric P]

i'm eyeballing a kettleball but i want to make certain it's one i can actually use.

i think i'll start light

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Beezy]

 

[Smooth Groove]

I wonder what Stosur did to get those crazy arms.

[Cormacaroni]

to be fair i was watching Community not myself.

I'll toss the swings on the end of my workouts making it this 3 times a week

5x
10 pushups
10 dumbbell squats (i started doing these and they feel like a better workout than without)
10 presses (I'm working my way into combining the two exercises into just a set of thrusters but I'm not quite fit enough for that)
15 sec plank

with a 30 second rest between each set.

I guess 5 swings each arm then rest for 30 sec then go again.  I hadn't really thought about it.

How big is the DB? Unless it's enormous, you should really be doing a lot more continuous reps of swings than that. You are using big, powerful muscles for swings, so you shouldn't tire out easily unless you're using like 30kg or something. I would set up a clock and just go for 1 min without stopping, then try to add to that each session for a while. After you can go for 3 mins or so without stopping, up the weight. Just as an example. At the beginning you should be upping weights, reps and times basically every time you work out, even if only by a little.

[Eric P]

I'm weak so I went with 10 lb (4.5 kg) dumbbells to start.

Ok.  So tomorrow should I do my routine and add on another set?  Making it 6x instead of 5x and then adding in the swings?

[Cormacaroni]

I'd focus on reducing the rest periods before adding more reps.

[Eric P]

my rest periods are at 20 seconds.  How far back should I cut?

[Cormacaroni]

17! Not a second more or less!

Seriously, the point of conditioning is to be able to perform more work in less time. So rest as little as possible. You could turn your whole workout into a Crossfit style workout just by abandoning rest periods entirely and doing the whole thing non-stop for time. It's nasty but it works real fast! Realistically you're probably still gonna have to stop quite a bit to rest but the less you do so, the fitter you will get. Give it a shot and see how you do. Take a note of the time, and try it again in a few weeks...your time will go down.

[Eric P]

ok.  Can do.

[Mupepe]

17! Not a second more or less!

Seriously, the point of conditioning is to be able to perform more work in less time. So rest as little as possible. You could turn your whole workout into a Crossfit style workout just by abandoning rest periods entirely and doing the whole thing non-stop for time. It's nasty but it works real fast! Realistically you're probably still gonna have to stop quite a bit to rest but the less you do so, the fitter you will get. Give it a shot and see how you do. Take a note of the time, and try it again in a few weeks...your time will go down.

I've started doing that and it's worn the fuck out of me.  Last Thursday I did a circuit I guess.  I went from Squats to curls to deadlift to pullups and rotated until I did all 5 sets of each.  I couldn't do it completely without rest.  Around the 3rd set I had to take a break but it felt exhilarating.

[Smooth Groove]

Shouldn't a beginner be more focused on getting stronger though?  It's really hard to add weight when you're only resting 20s or less.

[Cormacaroni]

It's really hard to add weight when you only have 2x 4.5kg dumbbells.

I say it doesn't really matter at this stage. He needs strength and conditioning, and almost anything he does is going to boost both. Push-ups will make him stronger. So will planks. Just like an obese person losing the first 10lbs - almost any positive change to diet or exercise will help. Low hanging fruit.

[Groogrux]

Does any other Fitnessbore guys use N.O. boosters pre-workout?  I've been using one for about a month now (N.O. Shotgun) and all of a sudden it starts making me nauseated after I get done working out.  I had a free trial of N.O. Xplode, and I tried it and got the same effect.

A guy that was running the smoothie bar at the gym said that some people get that from the N.O. boosters, especially in some of the powdered versions because of the "fizz" that it creates when it mixes with water.

I really like the idea of N.O. boosters, creatine, and protein all being mixed together for a pre-workout supplement because it makes sense to me.  But I'm not going to keep using the N.O. boosters if they're going to make me sick all of the time....

Help?

[Cormacaroni]

[Cormacaroni]

you could, on the other hand, get stronger and more tackle-resistant!

[Mupepe]

Andrew, I've said this before but make your own NO booster. They're basically vitamin c, l arginine and caffeine. I personally don't like them but you can tweak effects that way and its way more cost effective than the premixed shit.

[Smooth Groove]

All I use is Purple Wraath, as suggested by the Leangains dude.  It does seem to make me a little more energized.  On days I forget to bring it, I just feel a little more lethargic.

It also supposedly helps to reduce muscle loss while working on an empty stomach.  I don't know if it's true but since taking Purple Wraath, I've been able to make gains while working out after 12-16 hrs of having no food. 

[Smooth Groove]

you could, on the other hand, get stronger and more tackle-resistant!

Hell yeah.  My best quality on the court is the ability to finish inside even when I'm hacked pretty hard. 

[Cormacaroni]

you and LeBron eh

There is no doubt about it - in any kind of contact sport, muscle mass is useful even when it is just sitting there, acting as a cushion or just as weight. It is also highly amusing when some little Japanese dude tries to push past you getting on a train and bounces off

[Cormacaroni]

DENIAL I AM IN DENIAL TRALALALLALALA

[Smooth Groove]

Yeah, dcharlie, what Cormac said is true.  No offense but at your current strength levels, your focus really should be gaining more muscle instead of losing weight.  You'll be surprised at how much better your football game is when you're at least able to deadlift and squat 1.5x body weight. 

Unless you're obese, it makes more sense to reach your desired athletic performance first and then cut the fat.  Once you try to gain more muscle, you can't help but gain some fat anyways.  From your recent pics, you already seem lean enough to not have to worry about losing fat.  What's the point of having six pack abs if you're weak as a shrimp? 

On the subject of my own progress, a few jumps today show that I've finally been able to gain 2-3 inches of vertical leap.  It's not just wishful thinking because it was quite apparent to the people I've been playing with.  But I'm still not yet where I need to be to dunk.  However, I'm glad that progress is indeed possible.  For awhile, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to improve because I was already jumping over 30 inches and that might have been my genetic limit.  At the current pace, 6 more inches might be a possibility when I can finally squat 400lbs. 

[Cormacaroni]

They'd make the dirty fucker think twice before trying it And assist with immediate and vigorous post-tackle discouragement of any further offenses!

Seriously though...there can be no doubt that your tackling game, both offensive and defensive, will improve with more strength.

[Cormacaroni]

http://www.archevore.com/get-started/

Kurt Harris' eating tips updated and clarified. He speaks seldom but when he does it is always worth listening to.

[Smooth Groove]

Having more upper body strength would be helpful to futsal as well.  You'd be able to better shield defenders, climb over people for headers and even run faster.  Shoulder power has a pretty big impact on how fast you can run. 

[Smooth Groove]

Because there are still people who are concerned that they might get too bulky for their sports or that the added strength would mess with their skills, like a swing or a shot.  Sometimes, those concerns are legitimate but they are pretty easy to avoid for people not taking steroids.  Additionally, improper weight training can lead to more injuries. 

[Groogrux]

Try eating a little more if you seems to be plateauing.  It sounds weird for someone trying to lose fat but it's worked for me. 

I'm actually breaking through the plateau right now.  I'm not really sure what the difference is... but it's working.

pics!

October 15th, 2010, 400.7 lbs


September 12th, 2011, 341.6 lbs

[demi]

SAVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Groogrux]

I've still got a long way to go, and I'm behind schedule on where I wanted to be.  However, I'm still happy with the results.

[Smooth Groove]

Looking good, Drew.  Nice to see you haven't just shrunk but have actually gained some muscle.

[Cormacaroni]

I don't think that's it, I think people are lazy and weak. 

Well, much as I also like to piss on the huddled masses of humanity from my ivory tower...some people just have no confidence in their ability to become strong or just have no experience of ever being strong, so they tell themselves they are better off being weak.

[Cormacaroni]

Congrats Andrew! You'll get where you want in no time if you keep at it man!

.

60lbs is a HUGE reduction, that's like 2 of my daughter   The more mobile you get the easier it will become. Keep at it and live strong!

[Eric P]

nice work!

i kind of which I'd taken "before" photos but I hate how I look.  I'm certainly leaner and more muscular.  I can see it in the mirror.  I'll probably have to buy new clothes before the end of the year as the clothes I have are starting to cinch up when I wear a belt.

[demi]

nice work!

i kind of which I'd taken "before" photos but I hate how I look.  I'm certainly leaner and more muscular.  I can see it in the mirror.  I'll probably have to buy new clothes before the end of the year as the clothes I have are starting to cinch up when I wear a belt.

is ur weiner bigger

[Eric P]

let me check

[demi]

He needs to make it a beard. woof

[Cormacaroni]

Well, to the extent that you have ANY interest in training (and given the posting vol. ITT, it would seem undeniable), the training you do should attack your weak points 'cause that is always where the most mileage is (regardless of the demands of your chosen sport).

The Biz's point is only '...especially if you play sports' btw, i.e. he is saying that getting stronger is good for you whether you play them or not. I could go on and on about the various benefits but i've done so in the past and it doesn't seem to sway anyone who isn't already training. The bottom line is that our genes expect us to be strong and things go wrong when they discover otherwise.