# Workout/Staying in Shape Thread



## bruteshot74

Thought I would bring this thread back, has died many times before but hopefully we can keep it going this time. Basically discuss anything to do with working out, weight lifting, body building, dieting, etc. Feel free to give people tips, ask and answer questions, whatever you guys want. 

I started pretty recently myself. Never did anything up until I was like 18 as I was always playing high school sports so never had to worry about getting out of shape. Started doing casually since then and now been going hard for the past 4 months about. I am stronger in virtually every area now, stuff is starting to take shape and I am pretty damn happy with the results.

Goal now is to bulk up, which is tougher then it sounds :$


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## Michigan Mike

Keep building your base first. Nothing is more futile than trying to bulk up without an adequate base of muscles first. Four months is not enough to build up a proper base. I've been consistently working out for about a year now and do not have the base to bulk up the right way yet. Granted I'm not trying to bulk up though as I am perfectly content to be 170 with just a base.


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## DXfan99

well im 5 11 200 pounds i basically live on milk and protein bars lol. I have a cheat day once a week where i eat whatever i want just to keep myself from eating bad stuff the rest of the week.

My workout is all at home i have a bench that you can adjust and i have weights. I do situps on it i put the bench all the way down so your basically doing situps upside down. Then i also do chest i take 20 pound dumbbells in each hand and raise them slowly like 4 sets of 10. Other than that i play basketball outside on my hoop for cardio.


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## Michigan Mike

You are 200 pounds and only doing 20s?


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## bruteshot74

I do 35's for 3 sets of 10-12 reps usually. I am only 150 as well


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## beantownboy76

I'm not strong at all, but I'm in great shape. I run stairs for about 45 minutes a day then I do about 200 push ups and sit ups. Then I do 500 flutter kicks before I go to bed. I usually only have a 1,000 calorie diet to so I can stay at 140 pounds.


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## DXfan99

Michigan Mike said:


> You are 200 pounds and only doing 20s?


Yea i dont like lifting heavy weights i rather do lighter. I basically lift 2 times a day and cardio once a day.


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## bruteshot74

beantownboy76 said:


> I'm not strong at all, but I'm in great shape. I run stairs for about 45 minutes a day then I do about 200 push ups and sit ups. Then I do 500 flutter kicks before I go to bed. I usually only have a 1,000 calorie diet to so I can stay at 140 pounds.


That is not healthy dude. You should be putting back like 3000 calories.


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## brian8448

Working out, knowing what to do, that's easy and pretty much common sense in 2009. Figuring out what your body responds to in terms of substances is a lot harder and takes more time.


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## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Ive been working out for years. Since I was 16 basically. I eat whatever I want, but havent had any fast food in 10 years. And no candy or sweet stuff really. (Not cause its healthy, I just like stuff like apples more than candybars.) I drink more Lite beers and Liquor drinks now. Less full bodied, calorie filled beer, wines, and such.

I go to the gym 3 times a week usually. Strength hasnt really changed much since I was twenty, got as big and strong as I wanted. So its basically maintenance to keep it up. (which is 100x easier then trying to bulk) 90min-2hours in the gym usually only amounts into 45 mins or so of solid lifting. I just love going, being with the friends Ive made there and helping out people. Wife is into all that palates crap and cycle class stuff. Ive been a couple times, I really should take a day and do it weekly. Which I prob will.
At my biggest was when in college. I was playing DT and was like 6'3 280 and could bench 305, 3 times. Now I dont have to be big, and after a couple knee operations. Im down to 235 (220 is my goal), and can still put up around 300 if I had to I feel. (though I haven't tried really putting past 260 on a bar in a couple years.) 

Actually some nights when on here. I do some stuff like aussie pullups, situps, and work the stairstepper. Hitting the refresh button between sets. Im just trying to be more defined nowadays. Cause I was like a NWA Hernandez or Warren Sapp style shape. Now more like Tommy Dreamer.(some gut, nice sized, undefined arms)


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## DXfan99

beantownboy76 said:


> I'm not strong at all, but I'm in great shape. I run stairs for about 45 minutes a day then I do about 200 push ups and sit ups. Then I do 500 flutter kicks before I go to bed. I usually only have a 1,000 calorie diet to so I can stay at 140 pounds.


How tall are you because for a guy 140 pounds is really small.


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## brian8448

So, who's used "supplements" here? Emphasis on the quotation marks.


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## DXfan99

brian8448 said:


> So, who's used "supplements" here? Emphasis on the quotation marks.


Steroids nope only supplements i use is creatine.


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## tag~team~champ

well im a girl so getting huge muscles ad gaining weight is not good 4 me!!lol
I play cricket so some stregnth is necessary for arms, i guesse i have got stronger by having to hold the bat out for ages while batting (not been so good for my back though!) and bowling means i have stronger shoulders now.

I used to play football so got alot of leg stregnth but also damaged my knees quite alot, like i know need physio or osteopath work very often.

I have done some small weight work with dumbells just to tone up arms and general stregnth but equally to prove to my brother that i can!!! H still thinks there is no way i could be strong or as good at cricket as him!!!

I also do a stepper while watching tv quite oten, most days unless im home late.

I eat healthy and do sit ups every now and then. only eat fast food occasionally after training coz it finishes really late and often have an indoor match to go to after.

im gonna start going to agility with my dog too, bit of exersize 4 us both!!


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## Blasko

Currently, I am 130 and planning on hitting the gym once Spring comes around. Right now, I am trying to gain weight by eating a lot of fatty foods and downing Protein shakes right before I go to sleep. It was going good, I gained five pounds doing that, but money is tight and I can't get my prime source of energy and weight gain (The Protein shakes). 

My legs are really strong from all the Tae Kwon Do I do. I usually wear weights on my legs (2.5 each)and walk whenever i can. Working in a retail store is a good work out with these weights, I am glad for buying them.

They also have this 20 pound sandbag vest at my job. I want it, but I'm not sure if I would use it as much as I can.

The Tae Kwon Do is a good work out. It builds endurance and amazing leg strength. Only problem is that it's 85% kicking, leaving my upper body weak.

I am thinking of taking vitemans, but I don't know where I should start and what exactly I need. 

Also getting weights for home. But, there's a mini gym right down the street and no one really goes there. Lazy old people.

So, can I get any help? :$


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## brian8448

-Blaskohiro Tenryu- said:


> Currently, I am 130 and planning on hitting the gym once Spring comes around. Right now, I am trying to gain weight by eating a lot of fatty foods and downing Protein shakes right before I go to sleep. It was going good, I gained five pounds doing that, but money is tight and I can't get my prime source of energy and weight gain (The Protein shakes).
> 
> My legs are really strong from all the Tae Kwon Do I do. I usually wear weights on my legs (2.5 each)and walk whenever i can. Working in a retail store is a good work out with these weights, I am glad for buying them.
> 
> They also have this 20 pound sandbag vest at my job. I want it, but I'm not sure if I would use it as much as I can.
> 
> The Tae Kwon Do is a good work out. It builds endurance and amazing leg strength. Only problem is that it's 85% kicking, leaving my upper body weak.
> 
> I am thinking of taking vitemans, but I don't know where I should start and what exactly I need.
> 
> Also getting weights for home. But, there's a mini gym right down the street and no one really goes there. Lazy old people.
> 
> So, can I get any help? :$


Help on what? What are you looking for?


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## TKOK

I lift dumbells and do 60 push ups about every day i can except on my day off on sunday, and when i can I play basketball and walk my dog for cardio. Also taking a wieght training class in College.


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## Blasko

brian8448 said:


> Help on what? What are you looking for?


 Work out tips, vitamins suggestions, protein intake and maybe diet tips. 

Right now, I really want to focus on heart work out. I get winded really easy, now a days. 

Then arms and upper body. I'm set with legs.

Maybe abs...


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## brian8448

-Blaskohiro Tenryu- said:


> Work out tips, vitamins suggestions, protein intake and maybe diet tips.
> 
> Right now, I really want to focus on heart work out. I get winded really easy, now a days.
> 
> Then arms and upper body. I'm set with legs.
> 
> Maybe abs...


It really depends, are you looking to change your body image, be healthier, get stronger, all the above? You're 130 at what height?


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## New School Fire

I was really athletic as a kid, as most people are but eventually kind of let myself go. For the past couple of year I have been a member at a couple gyms, but could never stay motivated. At the end of Summer I was 5'11 and just short of 200 pounds, and just about everything was flab on me. Then in early October I purchased the workout system "p90x". I had seen the infomercials dozens of times and I decided to go ahead and get.

Although I didn't quite get the amazing result the people in the ad did (then again, who does?) but I was able to get my weight down to 176 lbs and I got rid of 7% of body fat. I feel a lot better and I am a lot more active now. I am doing one more go around with P90x to get a little slimmer before I go back to working out at a gym.


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## Josh

I just run, fuck getting lifting. I'm getting back into running an hour 5 days a week now, after not running for a few weeks over the holidays.


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## Near™

I can't wait until I actually have time to put a proper post up in this thread.

5'6- 158 lbs

315 lb Bench
285 lb Squat ( My Knee is royally screwed)
415 lb Deadlift

I can't wait to post my split, either. God, I love bodybuilding threads.

And to whoever posted ' I drink a bunch of milk and eat tons of protein bars', uggh.

Stick with real food if you want to put on the muscle. And Brute, keep bulking, your core should be plenty strong to ensue a bulk. Just make sure you have a decent split and don't dirty bulk.

I would say about 

3700 cals
80.5-95 Grams of Fat
285 grams of Protein
and 275+ grams of Carbs.

Rough guestimate, I didn't put any of it into a macro calculator, or anything.


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## brian8448

Near said:


> I can't wait until I actually have time to put a proper post up in this thread.
> 
> 5'6- 158 lbs
> 
> 315 lb Bench
> 285 lb Squat ( My Knee is royally screwed)
> 415 lb Deadlift
> 
> I can't wait to post my split, either. God, I love bodybuilding threads.


Wow, your stats are fucking weird. Good bench, good deads, but your squats are pathetic compared to them. Do you just not do legs or something? Still though, those bench and deads numbers are pretty damn good, props. Most I ever put up on the bench is 200, I'm just so poorly built for it.


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## Jon Staley

I'm a vegan, 5 foot 7, 125 lbs or something like that. I need something to help bulk me the fuck up


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## Near™

brian8448 said:


> Wow, your stats are fucking weird. Good bench, good deads, but your squats are pathetic compared to them. Do you just not do legs or something?


My knee is royally screwed, but only on a downward motion. My max squat was 365, but if I can't do it now, I am not e-stating. That was also a year ago, before I got sick. I would guess close to a 400lb squat if I didn't have to recover so much.

As far as 'supplements', I just started a cycle of 

4AD
1 Androsterone

with my daily

Creatine
White Flood
ON Whey Protein.


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## bruteshot74

Near said:


> I can't wait until I actually have time to put a proper post up in this thread.
> 
> 5'6- 158 lbs
> 
> 315 lb Bench
> 285 lb Squat ( My Knee is royally screwed)
> 415 lb Deadlift
> 
> I can't wait to post my split, either. God, I love bodybuilding threads.
> 
> And to whoever posted ' I drink a bunch of milk and eat tons of protein bars', uggh.
> 
> Stick with real food if you want to put on the muscle. And Brute, keep bulking, your core should be plenty strong to ensue a bulk. Just make sure you have a decent split and don't dirty bulk.
> 
> I would say about
> 
> 3700 cals
> 80.5-95 Grams of Fat
> 285 grams of Protein
> and 275+ grams of Carbs.
> 
> Rough guestimate, I didn't put any of it into a macro calculator, or anything.


I take back what I said in member picture thread, you are ripped 

I have go start doing the protein shake thing, something I have not done before. Any brand you would recommend? Something that tastes half decent would be good.


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## Near™

bruteshot74 said:


> I take back what I said in member picture thread, you are ripped
> 
> I have go start doing the protein shake thing, something I have not done before. Any brand you would recommend? Something that tastes half decent would be good.


ON Whey Protein is decent enough.

But for beginners who have a little cash in their pockets- 5lb tub of Chocolate MuscleMilk mixed with milk.

And pick up some Caesin ( Slow digesting protein ) before bed, as it works wonders.

(These two times are when your body is in a Catabolic state)

I recommend real food every 3 hours, except: Shake after workout, and a Caesin shake before bed.

And the only reason I am taking pro hormones is so I can get my gains back I lost whilst being ill.


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## bruteshot74

Near said:


> ON Whey Protein is decent enough.
> 
> But for beginners who have a little cash in their pockets- 5lb tub of Chocolate MuscleMilk mixed with milk.
> 
> And pick up some Caesin ( Slow digesting protein ) before bed, as it works wonders.
> 
> I recommend real food every 3 hours, except: Shake after workout, and a Caesin shake before bed.
> 
> And the only reason I am taking pro hormones is so I can get my gains back I lost whilst being ill.


Thanks bud. I got some money to burn so shall have to try the Chocolate MuscleMilk. You need to post log sometime in the future, then I can copy but less weight


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## Near™

bruteshot74 said:


> Thanks bud. I got some money to burn so shall have to try the Chocolate MuscleMilk. You need to post log sometime in the future, then I can copy but less weight


I will post my current routine sometime tomorrow. I actually have a log on a bodybuilding site, but its an exclusive area.

I will PM you the link of where to get the products at the best prices.


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## brian8448

Near said:


> My knee is royally screwed, but only on a downward motion. My max squat was 365, but if I can't do it now, I am not e-stating. That was also a year ago, before I got sick. I would guess close to a 400lb squat if I didn't have to recover so much.
> 
> As far as 'supplements', I just started a cycle of
> 
> 4AD
> 1 Androsterone
> 
> with my daily
> 
> Creatine
> White Flood
> ON Whey Protein.


Nice. Where'd you get the AD's from? They sell pretty much every PH on sell.com if you're interested. I've only tried M1T and Superdrol. You ever try those? I'm 6'3, I got up to like 203 on M1T (with creatine mono and Cytogainer, like 4k-5k cals a day, working out 6 days a week for 4 weeks, sounds ridiculous but there basically is no recovery on M1T) from 180, but it's the worst substance known to man, don't even think about touching that shit. I got off like 3 or 4 months ago and still have no sex drive, didnt have one on it either, and just have no motivation to do anything in general. Plus I'm back to like 180 right now and feel both skinny as fuck and fat at the same time.

I ordered some Superdrol, should get here in a week, that went a whole lot better for me. Didnt get the same gains but I just all around felt BETTER than normal as opposed to terrible all the time except the gym. I'll be taking cytogainer, creatine mono with it.


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## Near™

brian8448 said:


> Nice. Where'd you get the AD's from? They sell pretty much every PH on sell.com if you're interested. I've only tried M1T and Superdrol. You ever try those? I'm 6'3, I got up to like 203 on M1T (with creatine mono and Cytogainer, like 4k-5k cals a day, working out 6 days a week for 4 weeks, sounds ridiculous but there basically is no recovery on M1T) from 180, but it's the worst substance known to man, don't even think about touching that shit. I got off like 3 or 4 months ago and still have no sex drive, didnt have one on it either, and just have no motivation to do anything in general. Plus I'm back to like 180 right now and feel both skinny as fuck and fat at the same time.
> 
> I ordered some Superdrol, should get here in a week, that went a whole lot better for me. Didnt get the same gains but I just all around felt BETTER than normal as opposed to terrible all the time except the gym. I'll be taking cytogainer, creatine mono with it.


I did a cycle of Superdrol back in the day, I had some pretty decent gains, but I much prefer 4AD and 1Anderstrone.

I will send you the link, bro.


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## Rajah

Before I started lifting weights I was 66kg/145lbs. I'm 6'3" and now weigh 115kg/253lbs. I workout 6 days a week having Saturday's off.

I take Gold Standard Whey Protein during the day and Gold Standard Casein Protein before bed. I have MRI Black Powder before a workout and MRI Anabolic Switch after. I've tried the BSN products like No-Xplode and Cellmass and didn't find them that great. BSN, like MuscleTech are marketed well with the top pro body-builders. Find out what supplement you want then check out the prices on eBay. I buy most of my stuff from eBay and it's dirt cheap compared to what you get in the shops and it's the same stuff! That being said the shop I have just started going to sells his products in store for the same as he sells them online.

I have a home gym with plenty of equipment. I'll take some pics and post them sometime.
I'm not concerned with how much I can lift, it's the proper form and results you get from it that matters. It's better to curl 50 lbs properly than try to curl 100lbs and swing your body. You bring other muscles in to play and waste all that effort. I have shoulder issues which prevent me from benching too much so I have to do lighter weights with more reps and more variety.
My back would be my strongest part.


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## brian8448

Near said:


> I did a cycle of Superdrol back in the day, I had some pretty decent gains, but I much prefer 4AD and 1Anderstrone.
> 
> I will send you the link, bro.


Really? From what I've read people seem to get more androgenic effects from the AD's rather than big gains. I'll check out the link though, thanks. How is your sex drive/appetite/overall mood on AD's?


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## Near™

brian8448 said:


> Really? From what I've read people seem to get more androgenic effects from the AD's rather than big gains. I'll check out the link though, thanks. How is your sex drive/appetite/overall mood on AD's?


Sex Drive is great, I had one 'failure' and I attribute that to too much booze.

Appetite is decent, better than when I was on Superdrol.

Mood? Pretty damn good, except I do attribute a lot of my 'energy' to White Flood.



Rajah said:


> I have a home gym with plenty of equipment. I'll take some pics and post them sometime.
> I'm not concerned with how much I can lift, it's the proper form and results you get from it that matters. It's better to curl 50 lbs properly than try to curl 100lbs and swing your body


Completely agree. I hate dumb asses in the gym that just toss weight around or flop like fishes.

Though, when I am doing biceps I do try to set to failure. Cheat curling can be beneficial if done properly. Hell, as long as you are doing proper form 80% of the time, a few cheats are beneficial in all fields.


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## brian8448

Near said:


> Sex Drive is great, I had one 'failure' and I attribute that to too much booze.
> 
> Appetite is decent, better than when I was on Superdrol.
> 
> Mood? Pretty damn good, except I do attribute a lot of my 'energy' to White Flood.


Sounds good, I may just stack 4ad with superdrol.


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## Rajah

Curls are probably the one area that you can cheat with good benefits. It's no good doing a heavy bench and using your back and shoulders to lift the weight. You see people arching their backs and their legs flopping all over the place. That has no benefit at all.


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## Near™

Rajah said:


> Curls are probably the one area that you can cheat with good benefits. It's no good doing a heavy bench and using your back and shoulders to lift the weight. You see people arching their backs and their legs flopping all over the place. That has no benefit at all.


As long as your glutes and head are touching the bench, arching your back is actually proper powerlifting form.

It all depends on what your goals are. But I tend not to cheat, I even retract my shoulder blades when I bench to deactivate the shoulder fibers even more. I bench to get my chest larger, so I don't bother cheating unless its something minor like a baby bounce on my last rep.

I am more in to the aesthetics of lifting than anything. But I am not a bodybuilder, or a powerlifter, I am a weight lifter.


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## shutupchico

fukk well since i'm not working i got no excuse not to start using my piece of shit solo flex again from the 80's. it's an exercise alone to change exercises on the fuckin thing. all i been doing lately is bicep curls with dumbells and i do 3 sets of 10 pretty easy with 40's. then i do a few sets of 5 with 45's. in the winter i run on treadmill and when it hits spring and summer i play b-ball a lot or any other sport. need to start doing legs again and benching, i used to have girls going crazy over my calves cuz i pushed carriages at a job i had a few years ago and they swole up ridiculous, just legs in general and back. well i did like 15 carriages at a time for 7 hours a day that's why.


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## Near™

shutupchico said:


> fukk well since i'm not working i got no excuse not to start using my piece of shit solo flex again from the 80's. it's an exercise alone to change exercises on the fuckin thing. all i been doing lately is bicep curls with dumbells and i do 3 sets of 10 pretty easy with 40's. then i do a few sets of 5 with 45's. in the winter i run on treadmill and when it hits spring and summer i play b-ball a lot or any other sport. need to start doing legs again and benching, i used to have girls going crazy over my calves cuz i pushed carriages at a job i had a few years ago and they swole up ridiculous, just legs in general and back. well i did like 15 carriages at a time for 7 hours a day that's why.


I hate working out calves, lucky bastard. My calves aren't swole, at all.


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## CM_Jobber

I'm working night shifts for the next few weeks,so i'm only getting to the gym (*boxing,kickboxing and a lot of takedown defences*) on fridays and saturdays instead of the 4 nights a week i squeeze in when i'm on day shifts. I started doing this as a great way to get fit for the football coaching courses i was enrolled on,and through a mate,i then took up unlicensed ameatur fighting,but i "retired" after turning up to coach a group of 10 year old kids with black eyes and stitches in my head. I weigh 175lbs and i'm happy with this weight. I also play football to keep fit (and cricket starts in april) until the football season ends in may,when i will be having my fourth Unlicensed fight. 
I don't do weights,i don't diet or take supliments,though i definitely would.


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## shutupchico

Near said:


> I hate working out calves, lucky bastard. My calves aren't swole, at all.


well mine really aren't either anymore, definately lost a lot of explosiveness when playing b-ball or anything. i got good genetics so i could get it back but right now the monkey on my back is winning. the worst for me is stomach exercises, i don't fuck with that and never plan on having seeable abs. i do situps and puke. i keep it caveman style lol.


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## brian8448

I've convulsing with laughter at this "Roid Juice" supplement I found online, which is basically tribulus and ZMA. And who better to promote it than Gregg Valentino?


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## Blasko

Brian- I'm at 6'0. Maybe 5'11. Right now, I am looking for a all around build. I haven't worked out since i left high school. 

BabyJesus- Since you also take TKD, what is your routine?


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## Near™

brian8448 said:


> I've convulsing with laughter at this "Roid Juice" supplement I found online, which is basically tribulus and ZMA. And who better to promote it than Gregg Valentino?


Those are almost as funny as the Synthol commercials from the 90's, those guys are ridiculous.


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## brian8448

Near said:


> Those are almost as funny as the Synthol commercials from the 90's, those guys are ridiculous.


Greg Valentino is legitimately one of the funniest people in the world to me. His interviews are absolute gold.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...interviews/the_most_hated_man_in_bodybuilding

Interviewer: "So, how much Synthol were you taking?"

Greg- "Im sorry, i've never heard of that product" :lmao


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## luminaire

I find that getting ridiculously stoned before working out prevents me from getting bored to death after a half hour. That and an iPod. Also, I don't count reps, I just lift till I reach my limit. Protein shake + ceratine + glutomine combo before workout. In between weights I do stretches. I don't pay attention to the weight of what I'm lifting, I just go by feeling.

I'm no professional and I probably do a few things wrong, but it works fine for me. I'm in great shape.


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## bruteshot74

The show they had of him on TV was a good watch. Was called "The Man Whose Biceps Exploded". Went into depth on steroid use and what it does to guys.


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## Near™

luminaire said:


> I find that getting ridiculously stoned before working out prevents me from getting bored to death after a half hour of working out alone. That and an iPod. Also, I don't count reps, I just lift till I reach my limit. Protein shake + ceratine + glutomine combo before workout. In between weights I do stretches. I don't pay attention to the weight of what I'm lifting, I just go by feeling.
> 
> I'm no professional and I probably do a few things wrong, but it works fine for me. I'm in great shape.


Actually, that is actually a pretty smart routine. Like I said before, I hate morons that just try to lift heavyweight for their egos. The weed is no good, but whatever floats your boat.... :side:

As far as the Glut goes, it is actually pretty useless. as a supplement, at least. It doesn't help with protein synthesis like stated, and it doesn't help with recovery.

I recommend Vitamin C for recovery, as far as cheap, natural products go.



Brute said:


> The show they had of him on TV was a good watch. Was called "The Man Whose Biceps Exploded". Went into depth on steroid *abuse* and what it does to guys.


Changed a keyword for you, bud. I PM'd you all the info I sent you on MSN. 

Headed out to the bar, I will catch my brothers of swole later on.


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## Rush

Never really being serious with lifting or anything and haven't done much weighs lately. Currently i'm more just working on cardio and dropping some weight. I do a bit of work on building some core strength but not a whole lot.


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## shutupchico

working out is the last thing i want to do when i'm stoned, reason being i tend to want to do things i actually like when i'm high or just space out. tramadol though does the opposite, it gets your adrenaline flowing like a muthafukka. don't know if anyone's ever fucked with this stuff but it'll make your workout easier and somewhat enjoyable.


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## Rajah

brian8448 said:


> Greg Valentino is legitimately one of the funniest people in the world to me. His interviews are absolute gold.
> 
> http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...interviews/the_most_hated_man_in_bodybuilding
> 
> Interviewer: "So, how much Synthol were you taking?"
> 
> Greg- "Im sorry, i've never heard of that product" :lmao


He used to sell it on his website. That guys is such a wanker. Synthol looks fake, but it's widely used to "touch-up" little areas.

Yeah guys, they look _real_ natural.


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## Near™

Sticksy said:


> Never really being serious with lifting or anything and haven't done much weighs lately. Currently i'm more just working on cardio and dropping some weight. I do a bit of work on building some core strength but not a whole lot.


Good way to get some abs for the summer, in my opinion. So many people don't realize that you have to lose body fat no matter how many crunches you do. :agree:




Rajah said:


> He used to sell it on his website. That guys is such a wanker. Synthol looks fake, but it's widely used to "touch-up" little areas.
> 
> Yeah guys, they look real natural.


That isn't aesthetically pleasing to anyone. NH


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## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> The show they had of him on TV was a good watch. Was called "The Man Whose Biceps Exploded". Went into depth on steroid use and what it does to guys.


Man Whose Arms Exploded, yep, great documentary. Size is addicting, as ridiculously huge as he got I'm sure it was even more addicting for him.


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## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> Man Whose Arms Exploded, yep, great documentary. Size is addicting, as ridiculously huge as he got I'm sure it was even more addicting for him.


My bad on the name, I seen in a couple of times. I can imagine how addicting it was getting just getting bigger and bigger but he got to be size that was so unnatural looking that it looked horrible. I was looking at guys who used synthol on google and such and I cannot see how they think they look good.


----------



## brian8448

Rajah said:


> He used to sell it on his website. That guys is such a wanker. Synthol looks fake, but it's widely used to "touch-up" little areas.


He's obviously lying about Synthol, but his brutal honesty in everything else is what makes him so funny to me. He's just so up front about wanting to be a freak that disgusts people.


----------



## Rush

Near said:


> Good way to get some abs for the summer, in my opinion. So many people don't realize that you have to lose body fat no matter how many crunches you do. :agree


Indeed. 



In my course at uni there are some massive dudes. Kinda makes you want to bulk up heaps but i spend more time at the bar than the gym


----------



## Rockstar

Cool to see a thread like this.

I just started working out about a month or two ago and I have to say that I love it. I havent really noticed any growth in muscle mass or anything like that but I guess I wouldnt really notice. 

What kind of protein do you guys use (if any)? I use Iso-mass (Sp?)


----------



## Near™

Sticksy said:


> Indeed.
> 
> 
> 
> In my course at uni there are some massive dudes. Kinda makes you want to bulk up heaps but i spend more time at the bar than the gym


I do both, speaking of which, I need to go drink a bunch of empty calories before my girlfriend gets pissed at me for being late.



> What kind of protein do you guys use (if any)? I use Iso-mass (Sp?)


Use ON Whey or Muscle Milk. As long as it has around 32g in it, you are all set. But those are the best for taste/budget. Your body can only properly use so much protein at a time.


----------



## CM_Jobber

-Blaskohiro Tenryu- said:


> BabyJesus- Since you also take TKD, what is your routine?


I don't have a routine. My boxing instructor is giving me a lot of tips on avoiding a takedown,thats all. He's no expert,but has helped me a lot. Maybe half hour work a week for the last 6 weeks or so,and i'll continue to get lessons for as long as possible.


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> My bad on the name, I seen in a couple of times. I can imagine how addicting it was getting just getting bigger and bigger but he got to be size that was so unnatural looking that it looked horrible. I was looking at guys who used synthol on google and such and I cannot see how they think they look good.


Yep. He goes more into detail about why he made himself like that in the "Bigger Faster Stronger" documentary, pretty funny stuff, insightful too. You should check it out.


----------



## Steve Awesome

I was gifted with great muscle development. I never work out and I look like a greek god! If you wanna be built like a tank heres some tips;

1. eat like 7 meals a day.
2. Work out every day for hours on end.
3. Drink protein shakes, eggs etc.
4. WORK OUT!

Those are my tips of greatness.. Use them wisely.:agree:


----------



## brian8448

Steve Awesome said:


> I was gifted with great muscle development. I never work out and I look like a greek god! If you wanna be built like a tank heres some tips;
> 
> 1. eat like 7 meals a day.
> 2. Work out every day for hours on end.
> 3. Drink protein shakes, eggs etc.
> 4. WORK OUT!
> 
> Those are my tips of greatness.. Use them wisely.:agree:


There's a lot more to it than that... If you're new to it then you'll see good gains at first just consuming a lot of protein, eating small meals, and working out consistently, but gains stop pretty quickly just doing that.


----------



## Near™

Steve Awesome said:


> I was gifted with great muscle development. I never work out and I look like a greek god! If you wanna be built like a tank heres some tips;
> 
> 1. eat like 7 meals a day.
> 2. Work out every day for hours on end.
> 3. Drink protein shakes, eggs etc.
> 4. WORK OUT!
> 
> Those are my tips of greatness.. Use them wisely.:agree:


1. Somewhat on track.
2. That is ridiculous, get a proper split and have rest days between it.
3. At the correct times, yes.
4. 80% diet and 20% training when it comes to size and strength. 

I hope I can neg you.

Rajah, Brute or Brian, own him if he says more ridiculous shit, please.


----------



## Rajah

Steve Awesome said:


> I was gifted with great muscle development. I never work out and I look like a greek god! If you wanna be built like a tank heres some tips;
> 
> 1. eat like 7 meals a day.
> 2. Work out every day for hours on end.
> 3. Drink protein shakes, eggs etc.
> 4. WORK OUT!
> 
> Those are my tips of greatness.. Use them wisely.:agree:


1. Proper, well balanced meals.
2. Split routine with body parts trained once or twice a week, no more than 90 minutes at a time. Working out for hours does nothing. Quality not quantity. 
3. Bodybuilders should consume 1.5-2 lbs of protein per lbs of bodyweight. If you can't get that from your diet then you take shakes. Your body cannot store protein so if you have too much, you shit it out.
4. Well duh! But do it properly. Again, quality not quantity.


----------



## luminaire

Steve Awesome said:


> If you wanna be built like a tank heres some tips;
> 
> 1. eat like 7 meals a day.
> 2. Work out every day for hours on end.
> 3. Drink protein shakes, eggs etc.
> 4. WORK OUT!


Sorry, I'm not a robot. I also don't have the time or desire to cook 7 meals a day, nor the insanity to work out 3 hours a day. That sounds more like a guide to making it a full time job.


----------



## EGame

I've always been really skinny, I've been wanting to gain weight and develop some muscle but I don't really know where to begin. I've tried the protein stuff before but it didn't help me all that much, or maybe i just didn't handle it all that well. I'd like to start but all I've been doing for the past few years in running everyday...which I know doesn't help someone gain weight. 

:-[


----------



## brian8448

luminaire said:


> Sorry, I'm not a robot. I also don't have the time or desire to cook 7 meals a day, nor the insanity to work out 3 hours a day. That sounds more like a guide to making it a full time job.


If you're working out right, you should be working out like an hour a day. If you're lifting heavy enough and with proper form you physically won't be able to do more than that. 7 "meals" just means times you eat, a protein bar or "snack" could be a meal.


----------



## Blasko

I heard it's 90% diet. Which sucks, since my eating habits are rather strange...


----------



## brian8448

EGame said:


> I've always been really skinny, I've been wanting to gain weight and develop some muscle but I don't really know where to begin. I've tried the protein stuff before but it didn't help me all that much, or maybe i just didn't handle it all that well. I'd like to start but all I've been doing for the past few years in running everyday...which I know doesn't help someone gain weight.
> 
> :-[


Start with Cytogainer/Creatine mono and a diet high in protein (ie chicken, beef, fish). If you're working out 4 or 5 times a week you should see very serious gains in like 3 or 4 months. I was in a similar situation and gained roughly 30 lbs in 3-4 months when I first started. After that is when it gets tricky.


----------



## Blasko

EGame said:


> I've always been really skinny, I've been wanting to gain weight and develop some muscle but I don't really know where to begin. I've tried the protein stuff before but it didn't help me all that much, or maybe i just didn't handle it all that well. I'd like to start but all I've been doing for the past few years in running everyday...which I know doesn't help someone gain weight.
> 
> :-[


 I have the same problem. 

Taking the protein shakes is all about timing. Drink after you work out and before you go to sleep. Maybe one when you just wake up or have a 'beefy' meal.

It's has different effects on different people. My best effects where just before sleeping.


----------



## EGame

brian8448 said:


> Start with Cytogainer/Creatine mono and a diet high in protein (ie chicken, beef, fish). If you're working out 4 or 5 times a week you should see very serious gains in like 3 or 4 months. I was in a similar situation and gained roughly 30 lbs in 3-4 months when I first started. After that is when it gets tricky.


I'd like to know what exactly I should eat, if there is a balanced meal plan that I could get and follow to help me gain weight? Also what work out routines would be recommended when I go to the gym and how I should break them up. I really have no idea what I'm doing here sorry if I come off as being tiring. But I've tried to gain wight before and its never worked, and seeing as I'll be done of Uni in a month or so I'm making it my plan for the summer to do this. 



-Blaskohiro Tenryu- said:


> I have the same problem.
> 
> Taking the protein shakes is all about timing. Drink after you work out and before you go to sleep. Maybe one when you just wake up or have a 'beefy' meal.
> 
> It's has different effects on different people. My best effects where just before sleeping.


Ugh when I tried protein I tried taking it in the morning. Man that was awful...In the end I didn't benefit from it very well as I didn't have a consistency to work out unfortunately.


----------



## Blasko

Switch to right before sleeping and after work outs. I know, they suck something fierce, but they help alot. 

Also, chug. Chug it down and chug it fast.


----------



## Nicky Flash

I'm 15 years old, 5'7 135 lbs and it pretty decent shape I would say. All I do to workout is bench 125lbs 3 reps of 10, 150 situps, 100 pushups, run 1 1/2 - 2 miles, and do suicides for about 10-15 minutes. I do all of this each time I workout which is 3x a week. 

I don't drink any protein shakes or have any protein bars, should I look into getting these?


----------



## hot_rod_piper

Skill said:


> I'm 15 years old, 5'7 135 lbs and it pretty decent shape I would say. All I do to workout is bench 125lbs 3 reps of 10, 150 situps, 100 pushups, run 1 1/2 - 2 miles, and do suicides for about 10-15 minutes. I do all of this each time I workout which is 3x a week.
> 
> I don't drink any protein shakes or have any protein bars, should I look into getting these?


Yes

Drink them after you work out. 

If you aren't working out everyday and you get off of schedule, drinking protein daily could end up making you fat. It just depends on the caloric content of the drink.

Also, your body can handle only so much protein. That's based on your weight. Once your body has had it's amount, it gets rid of the excess. Consuming more protein than your body needs ends up hurting/damages your kidneys. 

Creatine isn't that great for you. It has been revealed that Creatine will end up giving you a gut.


----------



## Nicky Flash

hot_rod_piper said:


> Yes
> 
> Drink them after you work out.
> 
> If you aren't working out everyday and you get off of schedule, drinking protein daily could end up making you fat. It just depends on the caloric content of the drink.
> 
> Also, your body can handle only so much protein. That's based on your weight. Once your body has had it's amount, it gets rid of the excess. Consuming more protein than your body needs ends up hurting/damages your kidneys.
> 
> Creatine isn't that great for you. It has been revealed that Creatine will end up giving you a gut.


Is there a certain brand I should look to buy?


----------



## Rajah

hot_rod_piper said:


> Creatine isn't that great for you. It has been revealed that Creatine will end up giving you a gut.


What a load of bullshit!

Creatine has nothing to do with getting a gut. Poor diet does.


----------



## Mellow420

I work out three-times a week; Monday, Wednesday and Friday for two hours. Basically when RAW and Smackdown are playing, and on Wednesday I just pop in a movie to keep me concentrated.

I do the basic curls, squats, dead-lifts, etc. as well as sit-ups and push-ups. The dumbbells are 30lbs and the bar is 120lbs. Results are showing, with the help of dieting, as well. Supplements are used at times, too. And do NOT forget about the treadmill or cardio.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Skill said:


> Is there a certain brand I should look to buy?


Your young, you dont need any of that kind of stuff really. Especially if thats all the working out you do. Just get in your calories until you up your program.

Why bench and pushups when they hit the same areas? Might want to increase on one, and work some curl type exercises in there.

Dont worry about those products until your ready to bulk. When your ready, I have some workout programs Ive tried that are from Muscle Explosion. PDF Adobe Acrobat Document formatted I could email you if you wanted.


----------



## hot_rod_piper

Rajah said:


> What a load of bullshit!
> 
> Creatine has nothing to do with getting a gut. Poor diet does.


I've done research on popular workout supplements and there can bad effects after using creatine. Just depends how you use it. 

Just stay away from all of that stuff imo. Just eat good and eat as much protein as your body can handle.


----------



## Nicky Flash

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> Your young, you dont need any of that kind of stuff really. Especially if thats all the working out you do. Just get in your calories until you up your program.
> 
> Why bench and pushups when they hit the same areas? Might want to increase on one, and work some curl type exercises in there.
> 
> Dont worry about those products until your ready to bulk. When your ready, I have some workout programs Ive tried that are from Muscle Explosion. PDF Adobe Acrobat Document formatted I could email you if you wanted.


Yea that would be tight, e-mail it to [email protected]

I'm really just trying to figure out a beginner's workout schedule for myself. 

I need to add some muscle by football season. I started at cornerback for the jv football team, and I'm gonna need to bulk up for varsity ball. I also want to make the switch to safety. :agree:


----------



## itsmadness

Skill said:


> I'm 15 years old, 5'7 135 lbs and it pretty decent shape I would say. All I do to workout is bench 125lbs 3 reps of 10, 150 situps, 100 pushups, run 1 1/2 - 2 miles, and do suicides for about 10-15 minutes. I do all of this each time I workout which is 3x a week.
> 
> I don't drink any protein shakes or have any protein bars, should I look into getting these?


eat anything and everything, you are 135lbs lol


try and get around 4500 calories a day


----------



## hot_rod_piper

Skill said:


> Is there a certain brand I should look to buy?


I use the non-expensive effective stuff with not a whole lot of added junk in it. 

I buy mine from Smiths, but they have the brand at Target and a lot of those types of stores.

For a tub, it's like $15-20. 

Body Fortress Super Whey Protein is what it's called. 

I gained 65 lbs in a year using it.

But if money isn't an issue, about anything from your local GNC/Vitaworld will be fine.

Some of the other guys here will be able to help you out more with the more expensive stuff.

EDIT- also since your 135 lbs, eat anything and everything. But when I say that, don't load up on the junk food. Try to eat healthy as much as possible. But don't kick your self if you eat junk food. Your still young. 

If your skinny and not obese, I don't see a problem with eating junk food. Just be sure to eat healthy as well.


----------



## Nicky Flash

itsmadness said:


> eat anything and everything, you are 135lbs lol
> 
> 
> try and get around 4500 calories a day


I probably get about 3000 calories a day but I'm very active so I burn it off. I play football everyday after school for an hour or two, and I walk home each day which is about 1 mile. I really need to put on muscle weight.

And I need to keep my six pack in shape for the ladies.


----------



## hot_rod_piper

Skill said:


> I probably get about 3000 calories a day but I'm very active so I burn it off. I play football everyday after school for an hour or two, and I walk home each day which is about 1 mile. I really need to put on muscle weight.
> 
> And I need to keep my six pack in shape for the ladies.


Is there a strength/conditioning class at your school?


----------



## Nicky Flash

hot_rod_piper said:


> Is there a strength/conditioning class at your school?


Not that I'm aware of.


----------



## brian8448

hot_rod_piper said:


> I use the non-expensive effective stuff with not a whole lot of added junk in it.
> 
> I buy mine from Smiths, but they have the brand at Target and a lot of those types of stores.
> 
> For a tub, it's like $15-20.
> 
> Body Fortress Super Whey Protein is what it's called.
> 
> I gained 65 lbs in a year using it.
> 
> But if money isn't an issue, about anything from your local GNC/Vitaworld will be fine.
> 
> Some of the other guys here will be able to help you out more with the more expensive stuff.
> 
> EDIT- also since your 135 lbs, eat anything and everything. But when I say that, don't load up on the junk food. Try to eat healthy as much as possible. But don't kick your self if you eat junk food. Your still young.
> 
> If your skinny and not obese, I don't see a problem with eating junk food. Just be sure to eat healthy as well.


65lbs in a year with just protein? A bit unbelievable, unless you were REALLY skinny before you started.


----------



## Icon™

Hot Rod, how much did you weigh before you put the 65lbs on, if you don't mind me asking?


----------



## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> 65lbs in a year with just protein? A bit unbelievable, unless you were REALLY skinny before you started.


Yah no doubt, putting down just protein and working out is not going to make you gain 65 pounds in a year. You were not taking creatine or any other supplements?


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> Yah no doubt, putting down just protein and working out is not going to make you gain 65 pounds in a year. You were not taking creatine or any other supplements?


Unless he was also doing a lot of drinking and got a beer gut or was just unhealthily skinny before he started, that pretty much can't happen. Otherwise, those are D-Bol type stats.


----------



## hot_rod_piper

I was barely 110 lbs


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Saw something like that last part myself Icon. Guy at this gym I went to bout 6-7 years ago was tryin to show off and put up like 375. Had a spotter. But something popped in his shoulder and that weight fell. At impact his chest looked like it caved into about a inch thick. Rushed to the hospital and had punctured a lung and broke a few ribs along with a shoulder operation what ended up being the cause of it to begin with.
It put the fear in me. Ill never try to max out. Do the highest of what I can control and feel like I would live through should something happen.

What you said about Cody. Havent really seen him much. But have noticed that about a few other wrestlers. Like Morrison. His waist is so skinny, and he was a gymnast, really doubt hes in that 220 area.

And Skill, Emailed that stuff to you.


----------



## brian8448

hot_rod_piper said:


> I was barely 110 lbs


That changes things. Damn, that's really, really skinny.


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

hot_rod_piper said:


> I gained 65 lbs in a year using it.


Most of that is fat. Unless you are on roids you aren't putting on 65 lbs in a year.

Anyways, I do weights 4 days a week. Bis/back, tris/chest, shoulders/traps, and legs on those seperate days. I switch up my exercises every 6 weeks to keep confusing my muscles. Depending on whether I am bulking or cutting decides the amount of cardio I do, though it is always low intensity. 

Right now I am cutting. I keep out most of the carbs, and eat 6 meals a day. No supplements other than caffeinne/ephedrine, and protein shakes. I use ON protein cause its cheap, and good. 

As far as creatine being bad for you is laughable. It's not going to make you ripped, as nothing will. It does aide though, and doesn't give you a gut.


----------



## bruteshot74

ItsWhatIdo said:


> As far as creatine being bad for you is laughable. It's not going to make you ripped, as nothing will. It does aide though, and doesn't give you a gut.


I have done a lot of research into it lately and basically from what I have got out of it is that is gives you more energy so you can lift more. You will get bigger while you are on it for the 2-3 month cycle and then you will drop a tad when you break for a month or go off of it the strength will still be there, just not the size.


----------



## brian8448

Creatine can give you more of a gut, water retention, but after you get off it it goes away.

You really don't need to "cycle" creatine though, it's naturally occurring in just about all meats and has no "sides" really to speak of. Cycling is most definetely not necessary for that level of supplement.


----------



## hot_rod_piper

brian8448 said:


> Creatine can give you more of a gut, water retention, but after you get off it it goes away.


Thank you

And ya, I didn't gain 65 lbs of muscle. I gained a lot of muscle, but there is fat that came along with it. I'd say almost half and half.


----------



## brian8448

Yea I dont think anybody is talking about gains in terms of strictly muscle. If you're eating clean and working out consistently it's going to be quality mass.


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

brian8448 said:


> Creatine can give you more of a gut, water retention, but after you get off it it goes away.
> 
> You really don't need to "cycle" creatine though, it's naturally occurring in just about all meats and has no "sides" really to speak of. Cycling is most definetely not necessary for that level of supplement.


Water weight is not fat weight, and if you are doing cardio it won't matter. So no, creatine does not make you fat. It will add water to muscles, which makes them look bigger. If you are getting a gut from creatine, then you are taking too much.

There are different types of creatine. Some are better than others. Most supplements I take while bulking have the product in it, and it aides the muscles recover. If you are taking it properly, then you are bulking. This means you are eating to bulk, and gaining a gut from the food you are eating.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

In over 12 years of working out. Only bought 1 product, 1 time. I was like 16, some friends were using this stuff called Muscle Blast. 3-5k calorie milkshake/protein shake type deal. Bought a can, tried 2 shakes, didnt like it. Never tried anything else since.
I just dont care for using anything. Maybe it does give you enough energy to lift 1 more time. But I think its mostly all mental. You take something and think your going to lift more, usually you can. Ive just never needed that since I workout with others.
For people who work out solo. Put the money spent towards help products on a gym membership and working out with others. And you will get bigger quicker than anything you take while working solo. Just cause of what it does for you mentally more than anything else.


----------



## brian8448

ItsWhatIdo said:


> Water weight is not fat weight, and if you are doing cardio it won't matter. So no, creatine does not make you fat. It will add water to muscles, which makes them look bigger. If you are getting a gut from creatine, then you are taking too much.
> 
> There are different types of creatine. Some are better than others. Most supplements I take while bulking have the product in it, and it aides the muscles recover. If you are taking it properly, then you are bulking. This means you are eating to bulk, and gaining a gut from the food you are eating.


Creatine most definetely doesnt "make you fat" and I never stated that it does, I just stated that because it causes a lot of water retention you will most likely get a bigger gut on it, especially with monohydrate... that's all.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Im no expert on the products. But with Creatine. Cant for some it make them help grow some muscle mass, while in turn the connecting tendons stay the same size? Which when put under stress can rupture. Or is that another product, not sure.


----------



## El Conquistador

To Brute:

You should have PM'd me that you actually man'd up and made this thread! But, I'll give some of my stats and information:

-----

*Height:* 5'9
*Weight:* 174
*Body Fat:* 9%

*Waist:* 30 inches
*Arms:* 15 inches
*Thighs:* 24 inches
*Calves:* 17 inches
*Chest:* 41 inches  (I want a 50 inch chest)

1RM's
*Bench Press:* 245
*Deadlift:* 315
*Shrug:* 375
*Squat:* 285
*Barbell Rows:* 185
*Push Press:* 170

Supplement Stack:
-Scivation Chocolate Flavored Protein 10 lbs (whey)
-Controlled Labs Green Magnitude (creatine)
-Controlled Labs Orange Triad (multi-vitamin)
-Controlled Labs Purple Wraath (intra-workout)
-Controlled Labs Green Bulge (creatine)

I have tried a westside barbell program by DeFranco before and might be going back to that sooner rather than later. Recently just finished a 12 week sheiko powerlifting template to adjust my body to volume. It improved my overall conditioning a lot but I didn't see any true increases in 1RM's on any of my three main lifts.

When I do a bodybuilding split, it usually will look something like this:

Monday: Chest & 20 minutes Cardio
Tuesday: Back & Cardio
Wednesday: Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Glutes)
Thursday: Shoulders & Speed Interval Training
Friday: Bi's & Tri's & 20 minutes HIIT
Saturday: Lagging body parts & Abs & 20 minutes Cardio

Diet changes consistently. Like to stay with moderate protein, moderate carbs, low fat for my macros.


----------



## HIGHLIGHT

By the way guys if your just starting with this, try using a Bullworker, that can help you move onto weights easily. It's also good for a general workout.


----------



## brian8448

Anybody used D-Bol here? I got a sample from a company in Russia a while back, like 10 tabs, and it was legit, I think I might order a cycle from there but jail doesnt really appeal to me. Anybody have any ideas besides playing "hey mister" at the gym?


----------



## Rajah

ItsWhatIdo said:


> As far as creatine being bad for you is laughable. It's not going to make you ripped, as nothing will. It does aide though, and doesn't give you a gut.


No-one ever said creatine will get you ripped.



brian8448 said:


> Creatine can give you more of a gut, water retention, but after you get off it it goes away.


It may cause bloating due to excess water retention, which is different to it giving you a gut.
Ronnie Coleman and Gustavo Baddell were 2 bodybuilders who had problems with bloating over the years, but they are professionals who put a lot more into their systems than we ever will. For the average creatine user bloating will not be an issue.


----------



## brian8448

Rajah said:


> No-one ever said creatine will get you ripped.
> 
> 
> It may cause bloating due to excess water retention, which is different to it giving you a gut.
> Ronnie Coleman and Gustavo Baddell were 2 bodybuilders who had problems with bloating over the years, but they are professionals who put a lot more into their systems than we ever will. For the average creatine user bloating will not be an issue.


It's safe to say big Ron didnt get all the bloating from creatine though.


----------



## King of Kings

I'm pretty happy with my build atm, I'm just in a maintaining mode, though I might try and get a little more cut leading into the summer. Playing/training for hockey really gave me a solid foundation to build on; I'm just shy of 5'10 and the last time I checked I weighed in around 175 lbs.

I do weights 3 days a week, and use the elliptical machine for 30-45 minutes 5 days a week. My knee isn't the greatest so it's awesome for cardio because it's lower impact. 

As for diet, I've always followed the rule of eating everything in moderation.


----------



## Rajah

brian8448 said:


> It's safe to say big Ron didnt get all the bloating from creatine though.


I know. 



> ....but they are professionals who put a lot more into their systems than we ever will


:agree:


----------



## Rated R™

I do about 100-180 push ups every other day, and I've been doing that for the past 2 or so month without skipping any days.

I also have somewhat of chest fat which I've done tread milling for 20-23 minutes to reduce, has helped but there still there, which sucks.


----------



## Rajah

Here's my home gym. 

*Weight stack. Keeps the place nice and tidy.*











*My main workout station. I can do most exercises on this. I have a heap of attachments for doing different back and tricep routines.*












*Treadmill.*










*Bowflex adjustable dumbbells. I love these things. They take the place of 15 pairs of dumbbells with weight ranging from 5lbs to 52lbs. One click and the weight is easily changed. *










*My other workout station which I use for squatting and benching. I have a couple of attachments for the bench to do legs and preacher curls on. Punching/kick bag in the back ground.*











*Mountain bike. I try to get a couple of rides in each week. Go for about 25 km at a time.*










*So I don't get bored on the treadmill or in the gym I have my laptop which i can watch movie on or the TV. I listen to the laptop via bluetooth headphones.*


----------



## brian8448

Thats fuckin sick dude, I wish I had a home gym, sometimes I just dont want to work out around people. All I got is dumbbells from 20-40.


----------



## bruteshot74

Rajah said:


> *Bowflex adjustable dumbbells. I love these things. They take the place of 15 pairs of dumbbells with weight ranging from 5lbs to 52lbs. One click and the weight is easily changed. *


I got these as well, they are so nice to have around as like you said they take the place of 15 pairs of dumb bells so saves a bunch of space.

Need to get myself a rack, squatting is kind of dangerous when you do not have anything really to set on, basically got to drop like they do in Olympics. 

I shall take some pictures later and put em up.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

I do visit a local gym every morning, and I have my own personal trainer. It is just a room that we do different stations at, then following that we do several kinds of jogs around the room for 1 minute. Ever since I have been doing this program I have lost atleast 5-10 pounds. 

I also have a treadmill at home that I will use atleast 2-3 times a week, running at 30 minutes and I tried to aim for 2 and a half miles. The lowest I go is 4 Miles/ph and highest was 7 Miles/Ph.


----------



## Rated R™

Rajah said:


> Here's my home gym.
> 
> *Weight stack. Keeps the place nice and tidy.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *My main workout station. I can do most exercises on this. I have a heap of attachments for doing different back and tricep routines.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Treadmill.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Bowflex adjustable dumbbells. I love these things. They take the place of 15 pairs of dumbbells with weight ranging from 5lbs to 52lbs. One click and the weight is easily changed. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *My other workout station which I use for squatting and benching. I have a couple of attachments for the bench to do legs and preacher curls on. Punching/kick bag in the back ground.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Mountain bike. I try to get a couple of rides in each week. Go for about 25 km at a time.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *So I don't get bored on the treadmill or in the gym I have my laptop which i can watch movie on or the TV. I listen to the laptop via bluetooth headphones.*


Wow!, would love to see what shape your currently in, Rajah.


----------



## zergling_seb

I eat junk food all day and don't work out. I'm 134 pounds.

Oh Metabolism... How I love thee...


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> Here's my home gym.
> 
> *Weight stack. Keeps the place nice and tidy.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *My main workout station. I can do most exercises on this. I have a heap of attachments for doing different back and tricep routines.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Treadmill.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Bowflex adjustable dumbbells. I love these things. They take the place of 15 pairs of dumbbells with weight ranging from 5lbs to 52lbs. One click and the weight is easily changed. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *My other workout station which I use for squatting and benching. I have a couple of attachments for the bench to do legs and preacher curls on. Punching/kick bag in the back ground.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Mountain bike. I try to get a couple of rides in each week. Go for about 25 km at a time.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *So I don't get bored on the treadmill or in the gym I have my laptop which i can watch movie on or the TV. I listen to the laptop via bluetooth headphones.*


Good shit, man. Once I get a stable career I definitely aspire to have something like this some day.

The gym membership will have to suffice for now.


----------



## bruteshot74

Ok here is my set up. My mom and dad have so much junk in our basement...Got an elliptical trainer but did not take a picture of that.










Like Rajah stated these things are so handy and they save a bunch of space.










My sister was trying to bench a little before I took this picture, good stuff. Like 30 pounds plus the bar haha.










Got to have a punching bag. Nice thing to have for getting warmed up or just want to vent out some frustrations. 










Small little combo machine. Can do a variety of things on it so is nice to have, only 200 pounds on it but that is plenty for the time being.










Just got this over the past month. I was looking for a good ab machine and it got a lot of good feedback on the internet, I should have not payed as much as I did for it but has done me well in short period of time. 

Only complain I really have about my setup is that I have no rack so is dangerous when squatting because I got nothing to set my bar down on and the weights are fucking big. If you look in the picture with the dumb bell you can see them. They are old as hell and I got em from my uncle when he got a new set so they were free. I need to get some plates like Rajah has.


----------



## Casey Jones

^ nice




Rated R™ said:


> I do about 100-180 push ups every other day, and I've been doing that for the past 2 or so month without skipping any days.
> *
> I also have somewhat of chest fat which I've done tread milling for 20-23 minutes to reduce, has helped but there still there, which sucks.*


I pretty much have the same problem, gotta keep doing more cardio.


----------



## Josh

What do you guys use as motivation? Is it just because you like working out or what?

I can't seem to stay motivated


----------



## El Conquistador

Buy a squat rack before your sleeves, Brute. It'll serve you well. 



Josh said:


> What do you guys use as motivation? Is it just because you like working out or what?
> 
> I can't seem to stay motivated


It's more of an obsession or an impulse that keeps me going. The feedback from da' ladies isn't bad either.


----------



## bruteshot74

M.W. said:


> Buy a squat rack before your sleeves, Brute. It'll serve you well.


I was thinking of that actually. I want my sleeve done so bad though :$


----------



## Josh

Just fly to Bali and get it done there for cheap.


----------



## brian8448

Josh said:


> What do you guys use as motivation? Is it just because you like working out or what?
> 
> I can't seem to stay motivated


Pursuit of the modern male body image ideal and all it entails.


----------



## TR1

Since Football has ended for me I haven't done anything really active in the past couple of months. I've gained a couple of pounds and loss some muscle, so I'm planning on getting back into half decent shape. The only thing I really want to get back is my 6 Pack that I had before. Anyone have good suggestions on getting a quick six pack back?


----------



## brian8448

Any former or current GHB users in here?


----------



## Rated R™

Josh said:


> What do you guys use as motivation? Is it just because you like working out or what?
> 
> I can't seem to stay motivated


What kept me motivated was the positive results I was getting, doing a couple push ups in a weeks span and I really started noticing a better build which made me work harder.


----------



## Rush

Josh said:


> What do you guys use as motivation? Is it just because you like working out or what?
> 
> I can't seem to stay motivated


Yeah motivation is a bit of a problem for me


----------



## El Conquistador

TR1 said:


> Since Football has ended for me I haven't done anything really active in the past couple of months. I've gained a couple of pounds and loss some muscle, so I'm planning on getting back into half decent shape. The only thing I really want to get back is my 6 Pack that I had before. Anyone have good suggestions on getting a quick six pack back?


-Yoplait lights, vegetables and fruits, chicken breasts, tuna, oats, and egg whites should serve you well diet wise.

-Train abs 3 - 5 times a week depending on the intensity.

-Cardio should be a focal point of your routine. In order to look lean you'll have to maintain the upkeep in order to stay lean which entails plenty of cardio. 20-30 minutes a day of moderate or high intensity should be fine for you.

-Moderate protein, low carbs, low fat for your macros.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Josh said:


> What do you guys use as motivation? Is it just because you like working out or what?
> 
> I can't seem to stay motivated


Join a gym. Make some friends that enjoy it aswell. Keeps it interesting. Ladies are hot too, so makes you keep going. (My gym is about 75-80% women members)
Sometimes I actually dont like working out, drag myself to go anyway. Usually afterwards I feel good about it though.
I got a bowflex a few years back. Cant stand it, couldnt work out if I had to work out alone. Use it every now and then when I dont have time to spend at the gym (maybe once a month). Just not my style, I have to be around people.


----------



## R-Truth

Im 17 and i try to hit the Gym 3-4 times a week if i can.


----------



## CM_Jobber

At my old Muat Tai gym,the instructor used to end the session with twenty minutes of *one squat-one push up- one sit up.* It was a nightmare


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

M.W. said:


> -Cardio should be a focal point of your routine. In order to look lean you'll have to maintain the upkeep in order to stay lean which entails plenty of cardio. 20-30 minutes a day of moderate or high intensity should be fine for you.


I agree with cardio being important, but high intensity cardio burns muscle not fat. You have to do longer periods of low intensity cardio to stay lean. If you do 30 minutes of high itnensity, you are hindering your progress.

As far as training abs. If you are doing things like squats, or off balance weight exercises then you are training your abs already.

If you really want to lose fat, and keep muscle look into the Dave Palumbo cutting diet. I have used it, and saw insane results. Lots of people use it for getting ready for competition to lose down to 3% body fat, but keep their physique. It's tough to follow, but worth it.


----------



## brian8448

I've decided it's D-Bol time! Anybody have a good online source? I'd rather do that than go through the sketchballs I know.


----------



## Near™

hot_rod_piper said:


> I've done research on popular workout supplements and there can bad effects after using creatine. Just depends how you use it.
> 
> Just stay away from all of that stuff imo. Just eat good and eat as much protein as your body can handle.


Creatine is one of the best supplements on the market. All it does is make you retain an extra bit of water.

Thank god I have Rajah.



> -Train abs 3 - 5 times a week depending on the intensity.
> 
> -Cardio should be a focal point of your routine. In order to look lean you'll have to maintain the upkeep in order to stay lean which entails plenty of cardio. 20-30 minutes a day of moderate or high intensity should be fine for you.
> 
> -Moderate protein, low carbs, low fat for your macros.


Abs 2-3 times a week, at the most. Your abs are just like your calves and forearms, they rejuvenate a lot more quickly than the rest of your muscles. 

Macros all depend on the person.

I suggest 40% Protein/40% Carbs/ 20% Fat


----------



## El Conquistador

ItsWhatIdo said:


> I agree with cardio being important, but high intensity cardio burns muscle not fat. You have to do longer periods of low intensity cardio to stay lean. If you do 30 minutes of high itnensity, you are hindering your progress.


That's completely 100% false. You burn your carbs first, then your fat, then your muscle mass. Which is why you lift first rather than run first. The lifting will burn your carbs, the high intensity cardio session will burn the fat. 

Also, why in the fuck would you want to do an extra 30 minutes of cardio when you could do the same amount of work in a lesser amount of time? That makes no sense at all. Time is an important element. If you're not sweating and working hard then why work out in the first place?



Near said:


> Abs 2-3 times a week, at the most. Your abs are just like your calves and forearms, they rejuvenate a lot more quickly than the rest of your muscles.
> 
> Macros all depend on the person.
> 
> I suggest 40% Protein/40% Carbs/ 20% Fat


Right. Abs have the ability genetically to recover faster which is why you can train em' from 3-5 times a week depending on the intensity. Same principles as any other muscle really. If you hit your chest or legs hard on Monday and you're hella sore the next day, then you definitely shouldn't do it again on Wednesday.

You're right on the macros. It does depend on the person. I'm just saying what worked best for me was moderate protein/low carbs/low fat. My body stores carbs as fat which is a damn shame, my metabolism sucks.

I was just given him a brief model and didn't go into much detail.


----------



## dan the marino

I don't ever really feel like going to the gym. Usually all I do as a workout are 45 push ups and sit ups, and ride my bike sometimes.


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

M.W. said:


> That's completely 100% false. You burn your carbs first, then your fat, then your muscle mass. Which is why you lift first rather than run first. The lifting will burn your carbs, the high intensity cardio session will burn the fat.
> 
> Also, why in the fuck would you want to do an extra 30 minutes of cardio when you could do the same amount of work in a lesser amount of time? That makes no sense at all. Time is an important element. If you're not sweating and working hard then why work out in the first place?


Actually your wrong here. High intense cardio is bad because you already used your glucose during your weight work out. You are burning through your muscle by doing high intense cardio. Why do you think cardio equipment always has fat burning zone listed at low heart rates? 

You don't really start burning anything until 30 minutes in of cardio. Your high intensity should be your weight work out. If you have enough energy to do high itensity cardio, then you didn't hit the weights hard enough. 
http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/shane2.htm


----------



## El Conquistador

ItsWhatIdo said:


> Actually your wrong here. High intense cardio is bad because you already used your glucose during your weight work out. You are burning through your muscle by doing high intense cardio. Why do you think cardio equipment always has fat burning zone listed at low heart rates?
> 
> You don't really start burning anything until 30 minutes in of cardio. Your high intensity should be your weight work out. If you have enough energy to do high itensity cardio, then you didn't hit the weights hard enough.
> http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/shane2.htm


You're not necessarily burning your muscle. You're burning fat along with other sources during high intensity cardio. Did you read that article at all?

Both elements of cardio has its benefits in their own ways. I much prefer high intensity because it burns more calories (fat, carbs, etc,.) rather than burning just straight up fat or carbs in a much longer time period.

It sounds good but it's impractical.


----------



## bruteshot74

Did skull crushers for the first time today. Fuck me I sure felt it, definitely something I shall add to my routine.


----------



## Rajah

bruteshot74 said:


> Did skull crushers for the first time today. Fuck me I sure felt it, definitely something I shall add to my routine.


Make sure you really control the movement otherwise you'll find out why the are called skull crushers.
Close grip bench presses work the triceps very well.


----------



## R-Truth

I thought that if i go to the Gym at a late time it is easy to work out could not go tonight got studying and shit to do.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Way my Gym is RTruth. I try to get there about 530-6 while most are eating dinner and getting home from work. Usually by the time Im leaving the crowd is rolling in.
Especially in Jan-Feb. When all those "New Year Resolution" people sign up thinking they want to start living healthier and such. Bout Feb they start fading quick. By end of March they are all gone and you just have the regulars and maybe a couple pickups from the Resolution drive.


----------



## R-Truth

If there are to much Crowed just go late nights like i do that is when there is not a lot of people.


----------



## HeatWave

I stopped working out about a year ago..I did the bike, push ups, sit ups, stair climbers and a few other things as well. I plan on startin back up again in March when I take time off from school..It's gonna be tough


----------



## Near™

bruteshot74 said:


> Did skull crushers for the first time today. Fuck me I sure felt it, definitely something I shall add to my routine.





Rajah said:


> Make sure you really control the movement otherwise you'll find out why the are called skull crushers.
> Close grip bench presses work the triceps very well.


Skull Crushers for the horseshoe shaping, and CGBP for the bulging mass. Personally, I do both. But my CGBP is done on a decline with pauses/squeezes at the end.

I use about a 5 inch grip for my CGBP, what's everyone else use?


----------



## brian8448

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> In over 12 years of working out. *Only bought 1 product, 1 time. I was like 16, some friends were using this stuff called Muscle Blast. 3-5k calorie milkshake/protein shake type deal*. Bought a can, tried 2 shakes, didnt like it. Never tried anything else since.
> I just dont care for using anything. Maybe it does give you enough energy to lift 1 more time. But I think its mostly all mental. You take something and think your going to lift more, usually you can. Ive just never needed that since I workout with others.
> For people who work out solo. Put the money spent towards help products on a gym membership and working out with others. And you will get bigger quicker than anything you take while working solo. Just cause of what it does for you mentally more than anything else.


They dont manufacture that stuff in the form I tried it in, but that was basically the first thing I ever took when I was around 16. It will sound completely ridiculous and implausible, especially given how cheap the product is and its ridiculous amount of sugar, but I absolutely swear that that stuff in the form I took it in contained a steroid derivative of some sort. Nothing I've ever taken legally has ever had the effects that did on me, it gave me an insanely high sex drive and pretty much no recovery, recovery wise it was comparable to M1T (low dose formerly legal as of 2004 oral steroid I've tried). It got taken off the market and repackaged with new ingredients. It may sound implausible when you look at the ingredients but I will go to my grave believing that product contained steroid derivatives or precursors.


----------



## Near™

Just another reminder for people that are still on their bulking cycle:



> Only bought 1 product, 1 time. I was like 16, some friends were using this stuff called Muscle Blast. 3-5k calorie milkshake/protein shake type deal


Get your calories from real FOOD. Shakes are good for post workout, before bed and the occasional quickie, but nothing beats real food, I promise you.


----------



## bruteshot74

Just doing my first order of tubs. Got a 6.7 pound tub of Cell-Tech Hardcore Creatine and a 5 pound tub of 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein. Worth while brands? They were the most popular ones on bodybuilding.com.


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> Just doing my first order of tubs. Got a 6.7 pound tub of Cell-Tech Hardcore Creatine and a 5 pound tub of 100% Gold Standard Whey Protein. Worth while brands? They were the most popular ones on bodybuilding.com.


Muscle-Tech products are kind of the joke of the internet BBing community, but that's moreso due to their ridiculous ads and claims, their products are fine. Cell-Tech is a fine creatine product. Whey is pretty much whey, I havent tried that product but I see it mentioned a lot so it's probably good tasting.


----------



## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> Muscle-Tech products are kind of the joke of the internet BBing community, but that's moreso due to their ridiculous ads and claims, their products are fine. Cell-Tech is a fine creatine product. Whey is pretty much whey, I havent tried that product but I see it mentioned a lot so it's probably good tasting.


I was laughing at some of the ads lol but it got good feedback for the most part and was cheaper then the other creatine I was looking at which was this:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/xplode.html


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> I was laughing at some of the ads lol but it got good feedback for the most part and was cheaper then the other creatine I was looking at which was this:
> 
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/xplode.html


Yea I've tried it before, it's a fine creatine, it just wont add 20lbs of "rock hard muscle" in 2 weeks like it may claim. As far as No Xplode goes, it's probably the most popular supplement period in the US, I only used it once but it seemed like a pretty basic NO product with creatine and lots of caffeine, gave me good pumps and that's about it. The shiny container, being in the Octagon for so long, and extreme claims are reasons for it's popularity. That, and all the caffeine is addicting and makes you want to keep taking it.


----------



## El Conquistador

Gaspari Size On is a creatine product you must try in the future, brute. It's my personal favorite along with Controlled Labs Green Magnitude and Green Bulge (GM is the powder form, GB is consumed orally through pills).

As for the whey, I've tried that brand before and actually had 'Delicious Strawberry'. There's not much of a difference between whey products really because of how advanced the research has been and what not but it's a good product.

Some of my recommendations for whey protein are:

-Scivation 10 lb Chocolate Whey Protein
-NLN Lean Pro Matrix Vanilla Whey Protein (2 lbs or 5 lbs)
-Kaizen 5 lb 100% Chocolate Whey Protein

All are great and I feel less bloated on those more so than others.

You should think about getting a strong multi-vitamin too, brute. Definitely an essential to every diet.


----------



## bruteshot74

Thanks for recommendations Mitch, I shall look into that stuff. Any multi-vitamin will do the trick eh? No need to spend big bucks there.



brian8448 said:


> Yea I've tried it before, it's a fine creatine, it just wont add 20lbs of "rock hard muscle" in 2 weeks like it may claim. As far as No Xplode goes, it's probably the most popular supplement period in the US, I only used it once but it seemed like a pretty basic NO product with creatine and lots of caffeine, gave me good pumps and that's about it. The shiny container, being in the Octagon for so long, and extreme claims are reasons for it's popularity. That, and all the caffeine is addicting and makes you want to keep taking it.


You know of any products without caffiene or do they all contain a bit of caffeine? I am basically looking from some straight up Creatine Monohydrate that will do what it has to do and is suppose to do.


----------



## Near™

No need to spend big bucks on any creatine, honestly.

Just stick with a cheap, Monohydrate and you are all set.


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> Thanks for recommendations Mitch, I shall look into that stuff. Any multi-vitamin will do the trick eh? No need to spend big bucks there.


No problem, bro. Just trying to give a brotha' some help. 

Yeah, no need to buy a top of the line multi-vitamin. The one piece of advice I'd give you is stay away from Centrum Multi-Vitamins. Totally gave me a stomach ache every time I took no matter if I had a full or empty stomach.

I heard whole-food multi's are pretty affordable and a lot more tolerable for the system but I haven't much experience with them.

The creatine and whey products look good though, Josh.


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> You know of any products without caffiene or do they all contain a bit of caffeine? I am basically looking from some straight up Creatine Monohydrate that will do what it has to do and is suppose to do.


Yea, NO-Xplode just has creatine in it but it's main purpose is as a pre-workout product to intensify workouts. You should be able to find bulk Creatine Monohydrate on bodybuilding.com pretty easily, and it's going to be pretty cheap. That's what you're looking for.


----------



## volcanic

I've been gymming for about a year now. don't eat a lot of junk, mostly fresh fish, chicken and extra lean beef. I've gone up about 30 lbs since I started, shedding some fat and gaining a fair bit of muscle. I'm 170 lbs at about 5'10" (I was REALLY skinny when I started). I try to go at least 4 times a week, sometimes more, sometimes less depending on my schedule. I'm pretty happy with my progress, and a friend of mine who works at the gym I went to told me he rarely sees guys put on weight at quick as I did.


----------



## Near™

Nitric Oxide products are great for energy, focus, pump and a bit of extra vascularity. Its definitely not a *must* for any beginner, but every bit helps *as long as you're eating correctly*.

Oh, and if you bother buying one, buy White Flood in tablet form. 8 huge tablets may be quite a bit to choke down, but its definitely worth it.


----------



## brian8448

I dont use it anymore, I found it didnt remotely help in terms of putting on mass. Helped with pumps and some in-gym strength gains though. Bulk Arginine powder might be the best/most cost effective route for NO.


----------



## Near™

brian8448 said:


> I dont use it anymore, I found it didnt remotely help in terms of putting on mass. Helped with pumps and some in-gym strength gains though. Bulk Arginine powder might be the best/most cost effective route for NO.


I get my White Flood for free, thank God.


----------



## brian8448

Near said:


> I get my White Flood for free, thank God.


How'd you manage that?


----------



## Rajah

BSN's claim to fame is endorsing Ron Coleman. Muscle Tech endorse Jay Cutler. Muscle Tech doesn't have the best reputation online. Most people say it's full of sugar and guys at supplement shops IO've been to don't recommend it that highly.

NO-Xplode is a pre-training supplement. The main idea of it is to carry more blood to your muscles, giving you the "volumising effect". NO-Xplode has a small amount of creatine, not enough to get too excited about. Cellmass is BSN's creatine. That's not a bad product. I have been taking BSN products on and off for about a year as is is a good value for money. I was buying NO-Xplode on eBay for less than $80 delivered the next day, where it costs up to $130 in the shops. There are much better on the market. One sales rep who works at GNC said you'd be better off to have a strong cup of coffee before a workout rather than take NO-Xplode.You'll get the same effect and it's a shitload cheaper. I hate coffee so there's no way I'm trying it.

I've been taking Black Powder by MRI for the last 6 months, on and off, and have been impressed with it's results. I follow that with Anabolic Switch which is the MRI creatine. I have been very impressed with these 2 products.


----------



## brian8448

Also, BSN and Muscle-Tech have the most attractive packaging and BSN in particular has promoted NO Xplode prominently in the Octagon itself for like 4 or 5 years now. The ridiculous "scientific explanations" given on the back of Muscle-Tech products are fairly plausible for a 15 or 16 year old also, that helps.


----------



## austinrockera

Rajah said:


> BSN's claim to fame is endorsing Ron Coleman. Muscle Tech endorse Jay Cutler. Muscle Tech doesn't have the best reputation online. Most people say it's full of sugar and guys at supplement shops IO've been to don't recommend it that highly.
> 
> NO-Xplode is a pre-training supplement. The main idea of it is to carry more blood to your muscles, giving you the "volumising effect". NO-Xplode has a small amount of creatine, not enough to get too excited about. Cellmass is BSN's creatine. That's not a bad product. I have been taking BSN products on and off for about a year as is is a good value for money. I was buying NO-Xplode on eBay for less than $80 delivered the next day, where it costs up to $130 in the shops. There are much better on the market. One sales rep who works at GNC said you'd be better off to have a strong cup of coffee before a workout rather than take NO-Xplode.You'll get the same effect and it's a shitload cheaper. I hate coffee so there's no way I'm trying it.
> 
> I've been taking Black Powder by MRI for the last 6 months, on and off, and have been impressed with it's results. I follow that with Anabolic Switch which is the MRI creatine. I have been very impressed with these 2 products.


Dude at GNC was right. NO-Xplode is just caffeine and L-Arginine with a little creatine and other stuff in too small of qtys to make any difference. The only reason you feel like you are getting bigger is the bloat from 250+mgs of sodium per scoop. If you want the same effects, take some caffeine pills, arginine pills, and hit it!

As far as pre-workout supps, NOX is good, White Flood is good, SuperPump 250 is decent.

Creatine like Cellmass and Size-on are "designer" and you get similar results from just plain mono or ethyl-ester pills.

Any whey is good, just get one you can stand the taste of.


----------



## Near™

brian8448 said:


> How'd you manage that?


Friend of mine on a BodyBuilding site is on the Controlled Labs team. 

Night, *lift hard*.


----------



## bruteshot74

You guys are giving me second thoughts on what creatine to purchase :$


----------



## Rajah

I'm looking into this protein - http://www.rogersfoods.com.au/index.html
$295.00 for a 20 kg/44lbs bag. They are not that far from me so I may give them a call and ask them about it. I am good friends with an osteopath who has a nutritionist working for her so I may pick her brains about it as well. I usually buy 5kg/11lbs bags of protein for around $150. I've used PVL and Gold Standard in the last 12 months.


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> You guys are giving me second thoughts on what creatine to purchase :$


Just get bulk creatine monohydrate, brand doesnt matter too much. Should be cheap.


----------



## Rajah

bruteshot74 said:


> You guys are giving me second thoughts on what creatine to purchase :$


Don't be too worried about creatine. Sites like BodyBuilding.com give good advice, I use it all the time, but remember all the info they give you is the info the companies give them. Every product seems to give you the best results.
You get what you pay for. 
Years ago I used to buy Growling Dog Creatine. The stuff would not disolve in water very well and tasted like sand when going down. I then moved onto effervescent creatine which was better. Visit a local supplement store and get their advice, that's the best advice I can give you.

I'm happy with Anabolic Switch, it has 7 different forms of creatine in it.


----------



## El Conquistador

I'd advise you to get Controlled Labs Green Magnitude before anything else. Good taste, good quality for a creatine product, and pretty affordable.


----------



## austinrockera

I've gone through the needing supps to make gains phase like most people. Its just up to the person and what they want. What do you need?

Protein - mostly from real food, but whey is good. Just get one you can stand the taste of. Its that simple. Walmart $15 for 3lb tub works just fine, but tastes like crap.

Creatine - it all does the same stuff. If you want to buy designer creatine supps, go ahead, but you get very similar affects from the mono pills. Ethal Ester works too if you don't respond to mono. Some people are just non-responders to mono creatine. I'm one of them.

Vitamins - you need them along with minerals. I take AST Multipro... they work great for me. Also check out ZMA for minerals.

All others are extras... Depending on your goals, use what works.

As far as me right now, I am in a pretty hard cutting phase. I take my AST Multis, Fish Oil, L-Carnitine, and Milk Thistle. A serving of Syntha-6 or Walmart Whey about once every two or three days if I don't have a meal handy. That's it! I've lost 34lbs since Jan 1 and maintained most of my muscle. I'm gunning for a 6 pac. Trying to shed that fat boy look I've had all my life.


----------



## bruteshot74

I have heard a bunch about the cutting phase from people on the internet and seen alot of articles on it. For myself, I am just starting the bulking phase you could say, when will I have to look at the cutting phase, or will I ever? All my research really has been done on the internet so I do not know much outside of it :$


----------



## Rajah

To get big you basically need to workout hard and eat shitloads. Your body needs good food to grow. Once you go through you mass/bulking stage it's time to refine it and shed the excess fat you gain whilst bulking. That's why it is good to go for a low fat protein powder so you don't have as much fat to shed.
You'll to change your workout routine, not as intense, step up the cardio and be a little more aware of what you eat. Everybody's metabolism is different so what works for one may not work for the other.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Damn Austin. lol. 34lbs. Congrats.
Ive lost about 40lbs the past 6 years. (damn Thanksgiving and Christmas comes every year, gain about 15 during that span every time)
Im not gunning for the 6pack though. I wouldnt mind 1 line, more like 2 40s over a whole 6 pack.

Glad to see Im not the only one Bulking my way down. Wonder whats harder, Big guys shaping their way down, or skinny guys trying to bulk their way up? Dunno, but looks to me like the skinny guys have it 10x harder.


----------



## Spiked.

I have been working out for a year now. I have built about 10 lbs of muscle that I never had before, and now I am looking to cut some fat. I am about 175-180lbs, and I am looking to get down to 165 while still keeping muscle. Anybody got any tips for me?

Oh here is my workout plan I do for the week:

Chest/Triceps
Shoulders/Back/A little Chest
Biceps/Legs
Chest/Triceps
Shoulders/Back/Some curls for the girls.

I also run for about 5-10 minutes everyday, and I also try to do abs everyday. Nothing hardcore for the abs though, just some simple pilates and crunches.


----------



## Rush

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> Damn Austin. lol. 34lbs. Congrats.
> Ive lost about 40lbs the past 6 years. (damn Thanksgiving and Christmas comes every year, gain about 15 during that span every time)
> Im not gunning for the 6pack though. I wouldnt mind 1 line, more like 2 40s over a whole 6 pack.
> *
> Glad to see Im not the only one Bulking my way down.* Wonder whats harder, Big guys shaping their way down, or skinny guys trying to bulk their way up? Dunno, but looks to me like the skinny guys have it 10x harder.


Yeah, i'm also trying to lose some of the excess fat and whatnot. Not that i'm huge or big or anything. Just need to slim down a touch


----------



## Mellow420

It's nice to have mass, but it's also nice to have your muscles more defined by losing fat.


----------



## Spiked.

Actually i have decided to bulk a little. I have had CytoGainer sitting around for a couple of months and I have been afraid to use it because i didn't want to gain too much weight from it. I might as well try and get the most muscle I can before cutting.


----------



## dele

I've lost 20 pounds in the last 2 months simply by eating better, having a slim fast shake for breakfast, and working out 4 days a week.

When I played football in college, I started out at 170 pounds. I finished my career at 270 lbs (I'm 265 now). I never took creatine or any supplement, I simply ate more (lots of protein) and worked my ass off. Here's my steps if you'd like to add muscle.

1. Stretch and do some light walking (10 min) to get your blood flowing.

2. ALWAYS finish your sets. I don't care if you fail out 4 reps into your last set, have a spotter there make you work for it. This always pisses me off when some retard takes a shit load of supplements but then doesn't put them to use.

3. Quit doing leg presses and start doing squats. Leg presses are nice if you're trying to lose weight (right here), but if you wanna add muscle, start squatting. I know it'll hurt your confidence that you can only do 3x10 of 135, but it will work on everything from your legs to your back to your core to your neck.

4. When you eat, always have 2-4 servings of meat (depending on how much muscle you want to gain). Protein from meat works just as well as protein out of those shiny containers. In fact, I'll go farther and say that there's nothing in supplements that you can't get out of food. Sometimes you will have to eat till you feel like puking, that'll happen. And stop drinking soda too.

5. Don't expect to be huge after a month. Keep track of little bits of progress and keep positive. For example, I can see my abs for the first time since 2 months after football, it's pretty awesome. Always compliment yourself and never take anything for granted.

Now go ahead and get pissed at me for saying that supplements are bullshit (which most of them are).


----------



## booned

dele said:


> Now go ahead and get pissed at me for saying that supplements are bullshit (which most of them are).


They are bullshit.

I used them for a few years, the I stopped training because I broke my leg, the muscle just turned into fat. 

White meat and Fish wont do that.


----------



## R-Truth

I missed the Gym again tonight damn it had more studying and school work to do i ahve missed out on the Gym 2 nights now since sunday.

I got to go bak wednesday!


----------



## austinrockera

dele said:


> I've lost 20 pounds in the last 2 months simply by eating better, having a slim fast shake for breakfast, and working out 4 days a week.


Awesome work. I don't know about you,but it feels good to lose it doesn't it.



dele said:


> 1. Stretch and do some light walking (10 min) to get your blood flowing.


Agreed, gets blood flowing in your body so it gets to the muscle quickly. Add doing a couple of very light sets for the target muscles before starting your real workout.



dele said:


> 2. ALWAYS finish your sets. I don't care if you fail out 4 reps into your last set, have a spotter there make you work for it. This always pisses me off when some retard takes a shit load of supplements but then doesn't put them to use.


I like this, but you have to find that center ground of not getting too much weight on the bar, or getting too little. I always try to make my last two or three reps of my last set very hard to do. If you can only do 4 reps of a 12 rep set on your last set, you have too much on the bar.



dele said:


> 3. Quit doing leg presses and start doing squats. Leg presses are nice if you're trying to lose weight (right here), but if you wanna add muscle, start squatting. I know it'll hurt your confidence that you can only do 3x10 of 135, but it will work on everything from your legs to your back to your core to your neck.


YES! Squat and Deadlift are the major muscle builders, and they WORK! They SUCK.... really SUCK to do, but they work.



dele said:


> 4. When you eat, always have 2-4 servings of meat (depending on how much muscle you want to gain). Protein from meat works just as well as protein out of those shiny containers. In fact, I'll go farther and say that there's nothing in supplements that you can't get out of food. Sometimes you will have to eat till you feel like puking, that'll happen. And stop drinking soda too.


depending on what you want to do, this will vary. 1gram / lb of bodyweight of protein is good for maintaining. 2grams / lb is a little excessive, and unused protein WILL turn into fat. Soda in diet or regular is the devil if you want to get in good shape. Supps can help though. Just use them smart. Nothing with BSN, Gaspari, MuscleTech, Controlled Labs, etc will work magic. Its some of the ingredients that can be purchased for a fraction of the cost that will actually help.



dele said:


> 5. Don't expect to be huge after a month. Keep track of little bits of progress and keep positive. For example, I can see my abs for the first time since 2 months after football, it's pretty awesome. Always compliment yourself and never take anything for granted.


true



dele said:


> Now go ahead and get pissed at me for saying that supplements are bullshit (which most of them are).


yes, they are. I agree, but if you do research and buy smart, you can get them to work for you.


----------



## Champ

I've recently purchased Anabolic Window, a supplement product Dave 'The Great' Batista uses.

Take a portion of the powder before or after each workout, and it works wonders. Results come in quick, considering this is an entire meal replacement and rebuilds your muscle tissue quickly taking in a great amount of protein.


----------



## Goku

If you stop the supplements and constant workouts, You'll shrink tho.


----------



## brian8448

dele said:


> I've lost 20 pounds in the last 2 months simply by eating better, having a slim fast shake for breakfast, and working out 4 days a week.
> 
> When I played football in college, I started out at 170 pounds. I finished my career at 270 lbs (I'm 265 now). I never took creatine or any supplement, I simply ate more (lots of protein) and worked my ass off. Here's my steps if you'd like to add muscle.
> 
> 1. Stretch and do some light walking (10 min) to get your blood flowing.
> 
> 2. ALWAYS finish your sets. *I don't care if you fail out 4 reps into your last set*, have a spotter there make you work for it. This always pisses me off when some retard takes a shit load of supplements but then doesn't put them to use.
> 
> 3. Quit doing leg presses and start doing squats. Leg presses are nice if you're trying to lose weight (right here), but if you wanna add muscle, start squatting. I know it'll hurt your confidence that you can only do 3x10 of 135, but it will work on everything from your legs to your back to your core to your neck.
> 
> 4. When you eat, always have 2-4 servings of meat (depending on how much muscle you want to gain). Protein from meat works just as well as protein out of those shiny containers. In fact, I'll go farther and say that there's nothing in supplements that you can't get out of food. Sometimes you will have to eat till you feel like puking, that'll happen. And stop drinking soda too.
> 
> 5. Don't expect to be huge after a month. Keep track of little bits of progress and keep positive. For example, I can see my abs for the first time since 2 months after football, it's pretty awesome. Always compliment yourself and never take anything for granted.
> 
> Now go ahead and get pissed at me for saying that *supplements are bullshit* (which most of them are).


You actually have a lot of good points, especially on squats for mass. Deads and squats are bread and butter if you want to add mass. Also, generally it's best to eat real meat for protein over protein shakes, you still should be eating mostly real food. However, the bolded ones aren't really true. You can still see good results by overtraining and going beyond failure, it's just not necessary. Supplements do legitimately work. Are they steroid-like radical transformers of your physique that they may claim? No, but creatine WILL add mass and arginine WILL give you a strong pump in the gym. There's no argument with those.


----------



## brian8448

Rock Bottom said:


> I've recently purchased Anabolic Window, a supplement product Dave 'The Great' Batista uses.
> 
> Take a portion of the powder before or after each workout, and it works wonders. Results come in quick, considering this is an entire meal replacement and rebuilds your muscle tissue quickly taking in a great amount of protein.


I'd be curious to see Batista's "supplement" list, especially seeing as how he says he can't get to the gym much on the road.


----------



## Champ

INVINCIBLE said:


> If you stop the supplements and constant workouts, You'll shrink tho.


As in down there or mass in general?

I wouldn't say it's bad to stop working out _constantly_ after consuming.


----------



## Near™

I don't feel like gonig back and quoting, but the average, run-of-the-mill bodybuilder bulks in the Winter and cuts mid-March for the 'beach body'.

Like Rajah said, it all depends on your goals. For example, pros bulk months prior to contests, then cut previous to them.

You should bulk, without a doubt.


----------



## R-Truth

Heres a Q how many hours do you guys work out for?


----------



## brian8448

Rock Bottom said:


> As in down there or mass in general?
> 
> I wouldn't say it's bad to stop working out _constantly_ after consuming.


There are no supplements besides steroids that will make your dick bigger, getting off protein/creatine won't do anything.


----------



## Goku

Rock Bottom said:


> As in down there or mass in general?
> 
> I wouldn't say it's bad to stop working out _constantly_ after consuming.


Eh, mass in general. I've never used anabolic window but most supplements are to be taken without break in schedule, which WILL become a burden somewhere down the line and if you stop, then your muscle mass will decrease and the skin will look all wrinkly. I used some supplements a while ago but stopped because well I'm at the point where I can acquire the same amount of strength if I use them or not.

If you've already built your muscles up to a big enough level, then supplements can help you a great deal but otherwise, it's not worth it.


----------



## Near™

R-Truth said:


> Heres a Q how many hours do you guys work out for?


1- Chest/Tri
2- Back/Bi
3- Shoulders/Legs
4- Off

I also throw in abs, calves and forearms whenever.

12341234 rinse and repeat. 

I spend about 1:35 minutes in the gym. Chest and Back are a bit different, as I let the larger muscle groups _*almost*_ fully recover before my next set.



brian8448 said:


> There are no supplements besides steroids that will make your dick bigger, getting off protein/creatine won't do anything.


It won't make that, or your testicles, shrink, either. I hate steroid misconception.


----------



## brian8448

Near said:


> It won't make that, or your testicles, shrink, either. I hate steroid misconception.


Roids can make testes shrink for some, but I've never heard a case of it making your dick smaller, generally they enlarge the prostate and make your penis look/feel bigger (no ****).


----------



## Rush

R-Truth said:


> Heres a Q how many hours do you guys work out for?


Per week I'd say about 30 mins just mucking around with a punching bag, 1 hour actually using it properly and not imagining i'm knocking my bosses head off  About 2 hours a week doing either running, cycling or swimming. During cricket season, 2 hours training, 6 hour game. During football (soccer season) there is 2 x 90 minute training sessions. One is normally fitness/cardio based. The other one skills/strength/agility based. Also throw in some core work in there.

Per day, it kinda varies  Thats if i'm feeling motivated, been pretty inactive over the past few months so i'm slowly getting back into things atm.


----------



## R-Truth

I try to spend at least 2 hours in the Gym 4 times a week if i am free and have the time with no homework and Studying to do.should go 2morrow.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

R-Truth said:


> Heres a Q how many hours do you guys work out for?


2 hours, 3x a week. Though after 13-14 years of working out. Get about an actual 45mins-75mins of actual work in that time. Im where I wanna be.


----------



## bruteshot74

R-Truth said:


> Heres a Q how many hours do you guys work out for?


I do 5 to 6 days a week for about an hour each time. Probably not as hard as others do so that is why I go so often, usually take Sunday or Monday off. Try to run on elliptical every day though, even my rest day. I am sure alot of this will change though soon as I am trying alot of new stuff and going more intense then I was before.


----------



## Rajah

booned said:


> I used them for a few years, the I stopped training because I broke my leg, the muscle just turned into fat.


Muscle does not turn into fat! :frustrate


----------



## Near™

bruteshot74 said:


> I do 5 to 6 days a week for about an hour each time. Probably not as hard as others do so that is why I go so often, usually take Sunday or Monday off. Try to run on elliptical every day though, even my rest day. I am sure alot of this will change though soon as I am trying alot of new stuff and going more intense then I was before.


If I had a 5 day split I would be spending 30 to 45 minutes in the gym, maximum.

Watch out for overtraining.

And what Rajah said above, seriously people. Yes, you will lose muscle, but it isn't going to turn in to fat.


----------



## brian8448

2 hours in the gym? That tells me you aren't lifting heavy or going to the gym very often. If you're going 5 times a week and going for 2 hours each time, you definetely aren't lifting heavy enough.


----------



## Near™

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> 2 hours, 3x a week. Though after 13-14 years of working out. Get about an actual 45mins-75mins of actual work in that time. Im where I wanna be.





brian8448 said:


> 2 hours in the gym? That tells me you aren't lifting heavy or going to the gym very often. If you're going 5 times a week and going for 2 hours each time, you definetely aren't lifting heavy enough.


Nevermind, you were talking about that moron, R-Truth.


----------



## TR1

I worked out last night for about an hour yesterday for the first time in a hell of a long time. My thighs and mid-section are killing me right now lol. Pretty much did some leg presses, a couple of bicep and triceps workouts, ab excercise, and a lot of running/bicycle. 

Anyone have any good ab workouts besides crunches/sit-ups?


----------



## brian8448

Near said:


> Nevermind, you were talking about that moron, R-Truth.


Yep. "At least 2 hours" At least? I don't even know what to say.

By the way, what's good with that AAS order?


----------



## Near™

brian8448 said:


> Yep. "At least 2 hours" At least? I don't even know what to say.
> 
> By the way, what's good with that AAS order?



Null and void on the conversation.

Check PMs in about 2 hours on BB.


----------



## brian8448

Near said:


> BlackBeefy said he spends 45-75 minutes actually training, and doing two muscle groups in that amount of time is probable.
> 
> But he admitted it to us, he spends a lot of time flapping his gums.


I was referring to R-Truth saying he goes 4x a week for at least 2 hours each time.


----------



## Near™

brian8448 said:


> I was referring to R-Truth saying he goes 4x a week for at least 2 hours each time.


Yeah, that's what my first post said. That's why I said nevermind, you are referring to that moron, R-Truth.


----------



## Spiked.

I worked about for about an hour and a half today. Drinking my cyto gainer right now. Hope to see results by the end of the week.


----------



## Near™

Spiked. said:


> I worked about for about an hour and a half today. Drinking my cyto gainer right now. Hope to see results by the end of the week.


Weight gains, most likely. Muscle gains, very minimal, if any.

Also, don't rely on the gainer. Eat a shit load of real food.

Off to the sister's birthday party, later, Iron Heads.


----------



## Spiked.

Near said:


> Weight gains, most likely. Muscle gains, very minimal, if any.
> 
> Also, don't rely on the gainer. Eat a shit load of real food.


Yeah, i expected that. I am going to eat real food too. Thanks for the advice.

The recommended dosage on the protein is ridiculous. 4 whole scoops, three times a day. I will get fat as hell off that, so I am doing 2 1/2 scoops two times a day. I might up it when I get a little bigger.


----------



## bruteshot74

Near said:


> If I had a 5 day split I would be spending 30 to 45 minutes in the gym, maximum.
> 
> Watch out for overtraining.
> 
> And what Rajah said above, seriously people. Yes, you will lose muscle, but it isn't going to turn in to fat.


I only do go for about 45. The other 15 minutes would be boxing for warm up and switching my music :side:


----------



## brian8448

Three times a day? That's insane, take it once, maybe twice if it's a workout day. It's my personal favorite weight gainer, but eat real food with it. I find it usually increases my appetite, so it shouldnt be hard.


----------



## Spiked.

brian8448 said:


> Three times a day? That's insane, take it once, maybe twice if it's a workout day. It's my personal favorite weight gainer, but eat real food with it. I find it usually increases my appetite, so it shouldnt be hard.


What do you think of this 

Drink it after the workout and either drink it in the morning or before I go to bed? Which should I do? I really can't drink it right before the workout because I workout during school.


----------



## brian8448

Spiked. said:


> What do you think of this
> 
> Drink it after the workout and either drink it in the morning or before I go to bed? Which should I do? I really can't drink it right before the workout because I workout during school.


Definetely post-workout, and the other one can be placed anywhere, before bed might be best though. Pre-workout would be great if you can manage it, would be good to get some pre-workout creatine in you.

I usually put 3 or 4 raw eggs in with my servings of cytogainer. It's 200+% of my daily cholesterol intake, but I dont seem to care.


----------



## Spiked.

brian8448 said:


> Definetely post-workout, and the other one can be placed anywhere, before bed might be best though. Pre-workout would be great if you can manage it, would be good to get some pre-workout creatine in you.
> 
> I usually put 3 or 4 raw eggs in with my servings of cytogainer. It's 200+% of my daily cholesterol intake, but I dont seem to care.


Alright right now I will do it before bed, but I will try to get it preworkout, but I don't want it to be warm and nasty. 

I don't know if I'll do the egg thing, but that is an interesting idea for sure. Do you use OMEGA 3 eggs?


----------



## El Conquistador

Anyone an avid follower of the Arnold & Olympia? Who are your favorite bodybuilders at the moment and of all time?

I personally am and love following the Olympia particularly. Jay looked off last year, had more size than anyone else (like always) but didn't come in like he did in the previous two years (when he dethroned King Ronnie~! and held him as well as others off in 2007). Dexter is the man; felt he really deserved the victory.

All time favorites:
-Arnold
-Ronnie Coleman
-Dorian Yates

Current favorites:
-Kai Greene
-Layne Norton
-Phil Heath
-Jay Cutler
-Dexter Jackson


----------



## brian8448

Spiked. said:


> Alright right now I will do it before bed, but I will try to get it preworkout, but I don't want it to be warm and nasty.
> 
> I don't know if I'll do the egg thing, but that is an interesting idea for sure. Do you use OMEGA 3 eggs?


I do the egg thing because it's a high quality source of protein and REAL food to take with the shake before a workout, and mixes right in, because having drank raw eggs by themselves before I can safely tell you it's not something you want to do.

I don't really follow bodybuilding, but Arnold is a personal hero of a mine, and in all seriousness Greg Valentino has some very interesting thoughts on bodybuilding in general if you can get past his ridiculous look.


----------



## austinrockera

replying to a few posts on the last couple of pages, here goes:

1. Steroids DO NOT make your dick shrink. They can, however, make your testicles shrink. Don't argue with me if you can't give proof. The replacement of testosterone in your body will cause your body to stop producing the test hormone itself. Therefore, your balls will shrink because your body won't need them anymore. I know quite a few guys that have had this problem. They took too much test for too long, and didn't take their HCG (post cycle test booster) and they had little peanut balls (at least that's what they told me, I wasn't looking for myself).

2. Supplements are necessary to an extent, but food and actual weight lifting are 95% of the equation to looking good. Supplements are just the icing on the cake. That doesn't mean take the Mass Stack from BSN or all the colors from Controlled Labs, they won't do anymore than taking some select aminos, and creatine for about 1/10th of the price.

3. My inspirations for bodybuilding are: Past: Arnold, Zane and Franco... Present: Coleman (just watch his Cost of Redemption DVD), Cutler, Dex, and Heath (dude's a freak).

4. I workout 5 times a week right now, no more than 1hour not including cardio.
Chest
Back
Arms and Calves
Legs
Shoulders

5. As far as drinking most of your protein, that's not good for a couple of reasons. Whey can be hard on your stomach in high quantities. Drink 3 or 4 scoops of whey for a couple days, your farts will peel pain off of walls, and you will have the shits along with stomach aches. Most people I know have this problem with too much whey. Also, it takes more energy for your body to burn protein from chicken, turkey, meat than from drinking whey, casein, or soy, therefore, eating more chicken will help you lean out.


----------



## dele

R-Truth said:


> Heres a Q how many hours do you guys work out for?


1 hour of high intensity lifting (less than 30 sec down time) and then 10-20 minutes in the sauna. Saunas are amazing for making you less sore the next day.


----------



## Rockstar

I just got back from the gym about a half hour ago. While at the Gym I was doing squats with the big bar thing (sorry, I dont know the names of everything yet) and I had 90 pounds on each side with the bar, it was probably about 200 pounds. So I take it off the rest, I go down for the squat and try to push up and I just keep going down lol. I'm like O SHIT, lucky for me there was a bar that comes out so I just went down low enough so it was resting on that and I crawled out from under it lol. 

Have you guys ever had a experiance where you couldnt do the weight and it almost/did come down on you?


----------



## New School Fire

Rated RKO™ said:


> I just got back from the gym about a half hour ago. While at the Gym I was doing squats with the big bar thing (sorry, I dont know the names of everything yet) and I had 90 pounds on each side with the bar, it was probably about 200 pounds. So I take it off the rest, I go down for the squat and try to push up and I just keep going down lol. I'm like O SHIT, lucky for me there was a bar that comes out so I just went down low enough so it was resting on that and I crawled out from under it lol.
> 
> Have you guys ever had a experiance where you couldnt do the weight and it almost/did come down on you?


I have a friend that had the same thing happen to him earlier this year. He is 6'3 and the spotting bar was down pretty far so he basically had to lay down on the ground to get out from underneath it haha.

But can't say that I have had an experience like that.


----------



## King of Kings

dele said:


> 1 hour of high intensity lifting (less than 30 sec down time) and then 10-20 minutes in the sauna. *Saunas are amazing for making you less sore the next day*.


So is stretching, that's something that cannot be stresed enough. I've seen quite a few people not bother stretching before and AFTER and complain about being sore. Stretching is a big part of my warm up and cool down. 

My last full year of competitive hockey, I was pulling out full splits. After hockey I got lazy and stopped doing much for about 8 months. Currently I can go down to about 3 inches above the ground.


----------



## dele

Rated RKO™ said:


> I just got back from the gym about a half hour ago. While at the Gym I was doing squats with the big bar thing (sorry, I dont know the names of everything yet) and I had 90 pounds on each side with the bar, it was probably about 200 pounds. So I take it off the rest, I go down for the squat and try to push up and I just keep going down lol. I'm like O SHIT, lucky for me there was a bar that comes out so I just went down low enough so it was resting on that and I crawled out from under it lol.
> 
> Have you guys ever had a experiance where you couldnt do the weight and it almost/did come down on you?


My junior year of college we were doing squat maximum tests, and I tried to put up 500 lbs. I got about halfway up and then had to drop the bar. I later did 400, which was still pretty awesome.


----------



## hot_rod_piper

Does drinking alcoholic drinks or smoking cigarettes ruin your body muscle wise?


----------



## brian8448

hot_rod_piper said:


> Does drinking alcoholic drinks or smoking cigarettes ruin your body muscle wise?


Yes. I know alchohol does, I cant really say why, but cigarettes have nicotine which is a catabolic substance.


----------



## bruteshot74

Ordered my stuff today off bodybuilding.com. Got Optimum 100% Whey Protein in the delicious strawberry flavor and Cell-Tech Hardcore Creatine Monohydrate in the blue raspberry flavor. Hopefully these will help with my bulking


----------



## Rockstar

When you guys make your protein do you toss some icecream or anything in the blender with it? Do you guys think that putting that in there would be bad?

I normally put two scoops or protein, some icecream, milk, yogurt and some frozen fruit in. Is that good for a shake?


----------



## El Conquistador

Rated RKO™;6923244 said:


> When you guys make your protein do you toss some icecream or anything in the blender with it? Do you guys think that putting that in there would be bad?
> 
> I normally put two scoops or protein, some icecream, milk, yogurt and some frozen fruit in. Is that good for a shake?


Ice cream? Are you serious?

:lmao

Put in bananas or oats. Not some fattening fucking ice cream, son. Oats are as far as I'd go but bananas aren't bad either.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

You just wanting calories with it Rated? If so it doesnt matter what you pack in there it seems. Dump some Capt Crunch in it if you wanted to.


----------



## brian8448

I don't drink basic protein shakes, mine generally consist of a normal serving of cytogainer plus 3 or 4 raw eggs and sometimes uncooked oats for quality carbs. No hershey's chocolate syrup on mine, unfortunately.


----------



## bruteshot74

M.W. said:


> Ice cream? Are you serious?
> 
> :lmao
> 
> Put in bananas or oats. Not some fattening fucking ice cream, son. Oats are as far as I'd go but bananas aren't bad either.


Water or fruit ftw.


----------



## TKOK

Have you guys ever pulled a Rocky and drank raw eggs?


----------



## Rockstar

M.W. said:


> Ice cream? Are you serious?
> 
> :lmao
> 
> Put in bananas or oats. Not some fattening fucking ice cream, son. Oats are as far as I'd go but bananas aren't bad either.


lol I just put it in for flavor so I dont put a whole lot. But yah, I guess it isnt the best thing to put in lol.



the king of kings said:


> Have you guys ever pulled a Rocky and drank raw eggs?


I havent. You can get salmenela (sp?) from doing that.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

I tried drinking a raw egg as a kid. After watching Hulk Hogan do it actually. Was a skit with him trying to get Mean Gene in shape. As they tagged together against Abdolulla the Butcher with Mr Fuji.
Damn Im getting old....


----------



## dele

hot_rod_piper said:


> Does drinking alcoholic drinks or smoking cigarettes ruin your body muscle wise?


It doesn't help.



Rated RKO™ said:


> When you guys make your protein do you toss some icecream or anything in the blender with it? Do you guys think that putting that in there would be bad?
> 
> I normally put two scoops or protein, some icecream, milk, yogurt and some frozen fruit in. Is that good for a shake?


If you want flavor, put fruit like strawberries in it.


----------



## brian8448

the king of kings said:


> Have you guys ever pulled a Rocky and drank raw eggs?


Yeah, I used to drink unblended raw eggs and it made me roll my eyes in the back of my head every time I drank them, the feeling of them sliding down your throat is absolutely foul. Now I blend them.


----------



## AWESOM-O

I'm going to stick this.


----------



## Spiked.

Good idea. Let's get some more people working out.

Anyways i gained a pound today, I am keeping a journal type thing on my computer to see how much weight I gain while use the cytogainer. I look more defined too, but it may just be in my head.


----------



## Goku

I went to the gym this morning.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Spiked. said:


> Good idea. Let's get some more people working out.
> 
> Anyways i gained a pound today, I am keeping a journal type thing on my computer to see how much weight I gain while use the cytogainer. I look more defined too, but it may just be in my head.


Ill gain 3 pounds just by watching a Milky Way commercial.


----------



## Ruck_Fules

So my buddies and I don't want to pay the monthly fee for the gym so one of us has a basement type room that has a weight bench, tv, mats, jump ropes, mini tramp and scale. We plan on adding a punching bag and few more stuff. We have a schedule like so:

Monday-TaeBo
Tuesday-Running
Wednesday-DoJo(Work out night)
Thursday-TaeBo
Friday-Running
Saturday-TaeBo.

For the most part we all have our reasons for doing it. Some are building weight, some is trying to lose weight, and some are training for police academy/basic training for military. 

Anyways three questions:

1. What do you think we could add to the "dojo" so that we can work on?
2. I am training for the police academy. I am looking to lose weight and gain muscle. Any tips?
3. I broke my ankle a few years back and my ankle is about 85% back to what it was. I want to strengthen it. Any tips?


----------



## Goku

1. Are you using the Dojo for battle training ? Martial arts ?
2. Eat healthy, work out on a constant schedule and use your brain as best you can with logical reasoning, puzzles, math etc. (this is actually a good way to lose weight)
3. Rest obviously


----------



## Ruck_Fules

Well one is currently taking boxing classes. Buddy and I are currently taking MMA training. Everybody else is really there for muscle building.

And I do rest, it just seems that the more I work out, eat healthy, and basically take care of my body, I feel like it is getting weaker. I currently work out while wearing an ankle support.


----------



## Goku

Working out with an injury will aggravate it. Get a diagnosis and see how long it will take to recover if you don't do any physical exercise. Wait that period of time and then start. Don't be so anxious as to get through the injury, it won't help

When I hear dojo, I immediately think of martial arts. Well, foundation of any fighting technique is strength and speed so if you can maximize that, then the technique will be much more effective


----------



## Ruck_Fules

Thanks for the help. I have been planning on going to a doctor soon anyways.

Also, my buddies call it the dojo and also call it the midnite club. I just don't care what they call it.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Been a couple years and your ankle still cant receive the stress. Id have it checked out again. Or maybe your just testing it to much. I had a knee operation. But I dont go testing it. I know what it can do and dont try pushing it any farther. If I did try, It probably would actually get weaker or even blow out again.

On a side note. Im sorry to hear you want to attend the police academy. But your from Utah, so probably arnt as bad as the rest.


----------



## Rajah

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> I had a knee operation. But I don’t go testing it. I know what it can do and don’t try pushing it any farther. If I did try, It probably would actually get weaker or even blow out again.


I had my knee operated on about 4 years ago due to an injury sustained about 13 years ago. I had torn cartilage which cannot be repaired so I get constant knee pain. I have to be careful doing legs. I don't squat and I have to be careful training hamstrings.
Another supplement I take is fish oil tablets and glucosamine. They help with my joints. It’s not fun getting old.


----------



## Rush

My right ankle is pretty fucked from football and cricket. It'll heal fine and then i'll aggrivate it and start the process all over again. Currently its feeling pretty good again, not pushing myself too hard which always helps


----------



## dele

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> Ill gain 3 pounds just by watching a Milky Way commercial.


Welcome to the club.



Ruck_Fules said:


> 2. I am training for the police academy. I am looking to lose weight and gain muscle. Any tips?


Take your weight down a bit and increase your reps (4x10). If you go heavy weight with few reps, you're simply going to get bulky.


----------



## Flea4120

I lost almost 20lbs over last summer then over the Winter haven't done shit cause I dont like when its cold outside and my main source of weight loss was riding my bike. I just bought a cheap elliptical though to help with that so hopefully I get some similar results that I had last summer.


----------



## bruteshot74

Flea4120 said:


> I lost almost 20lbs over last summer then over the Winter haven't done shit cause I dont like when its cold outside and my main source of weight loss was riding my bike. I just bought a cheap elliptical though to help with that so hopefully I get some similar results that I had last summer.


The elliptical will not do a lot since it is pretty low intensity but your cardio should improve and I am sure you will loose a small amount of weight on it. On the one I have there is like 10 preset programs and number 10, the hardest one is a pretty good workout. You will be sweating by the end for sure, it is 45 minutes long.


----------



## R-Truth

I missed out on the Gym yet again had to take my girl out that is it Fuk school first thing Thursday i am gonig to go to the Gym.


----------



## King of Kings

bruteshot74 said:


> The elliptical will not do a lot since it is pretty low intensity but your cardio should improve and I am sure you will loose a small amount of weight on it. On the one I have there is like 10 preset programs and number 10, the hardest one is a pretty good workout. You will be sweating by the end for sure, it is 45 minutes long.


I find it does a good job though mine has something like 10 different resistance levels. And if I'm not mistaken, lower intensity workouts burns more percentasge of fat than it does sugar.

And Rajah, I tore the cartilage in my left knee, aswell as spraining my ACL, not fun at all. Knee still bothers me on some days. And just as a kicker, I've had problems with the achilles tendon on the same leg


----------



## Rush

King of Kings said:


> I find it does a good job though mine has something like 10 different resistance levels. *And if I'm not mistaken, lower intensity workouts burns more percentasge of fat than it does sugar.*
> 
> And Rajah, I tore the cartilage in my left knee, aswell as spraining my ACL, not fun at all. Knee still bothers me on some days. And just as a kicker, I've had problems with the achilles tendon on the same leg


Yeah but it will also depend on the individual. What may be the right training level for one won't be for another. So what someone might think is fairly low intensity may be pretty strenous for someone else


----------



## bruteshot74

King of Kings said:


> I find it does a good job though mine has something like 10 different resistance levels. And if I'm not mistaken, lower intensity workouts burns more percentasge of fat than it does sugar.
> 
> And Rajah, I tore the cartilage in my left knee, aswell as spraining my ACL, not fun at all. Knee still bothers me on some days. And just as a kicker, I've had problems with the achilles tendon on the same leg


Mine has ten resistances as well. I like to go higher intensity when running, but then I am not trying to lose weight, just trying to build cardio up.


----------



## Near™

I am so pissed, I ran out of Creatine tablets and now I have to drink the POS powder that I have.


----------



## Goku

Jog outside. Fresh air will do you all good.


----------



## bruteshot74

INVINCIBLE said:


> Jog outside. Fresh air will do you all good.


In -30 it is nice to be inside


----------



## Rush

bruteshot74 said:


> In -30 it is nice to be inside


Its pretty awesome temps in Australia atm. It's nice to be outside


----------



## brian8448

Near said:


> I am so pissed, I ran out of Creatine tablets and now I have to drink the POS powder that I have.


That stuff can be like drinking chalk at times.

On another note, you ever get a PM about that thing?


----------



## bruteshot74

Sticksy said:


> Its pretty awesome temps in Australia atm. It's nice to be outside


We have got like 8 inches of snow over the past 3 days :$

Suppose to stop tonight though.


----------



## Rush

bruteshot74 said:


> We have got like 8 inches of snow over the past 3 days :$
> 
> Suppose to stop tonight though.


I don't think its snowed where i live ever. Only thing i have to contend with is if there's any snakes on the path i take to the local sports field where i run or kick a ball around or whatever


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Someone back asked about Non-situp/crunch stomach toning exercises.

Recalled a guy from the gym I went to a few years back that had some kind of motion sickness or vertigo or Equal Librium was out of wack. Something, and he couldnt do the repetition motion exercises. So he would hang pretty comfy by his underarms, put weights on his legs and do knee lifts. 
He also would use one of those electric muscle tensor belts like Jerry Rice has been promoting on some infomercials.

Anyone ever try those belt things? Guy did have Brad Pitt from Troy/FightClub type abs.


----------



## austinrockera

I drink egg whites pretty often. Just buy the liquid ones... already pasteurized (no salmonella) if you want the yolk, there are liquid eggs also.

For a shake I used to put 1cup egg whites (25g protein), 1 scoop strawberry whey (26g protein), and 1/2 cup of oats (23g carbs I believe). that gives a good morning shake if you don't have time to cook.


----------



## brian8448

Funniest thread title in the history of the internet:

"What would happen? Test Injection and Penis."


----------



## Goku

bruteshot74 said:


> In -30 it is nice to be inside


:side:


----------



## Near™

I am heading to Arizona until Tuesday for a cousin's wedding (blah), but it seems there is going to be a powerlifting meet in Pheonix on Monday, so I am going to definitely be checking it out.

Pics for sure, videos a possibly; Rajah, I love you.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Near.. Dont say BLAH about Arizona. Arizona St is ranked as having the nations hottest co-eds.

Nail a bridesmaid for me. When done, point to the heavens and say "That was for you B&B!"


----------



## Don.Corleone

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> Someone back asked about Non-situp/crunch stomach toning exercises.
> 
> Recalled a guy from the gym I went to a few years back that had some kind of motion sickness or vertigo or Equal Librium was out of wack. Something, and he couldnt do the repetition motion exercises. So he would hang pretty comfy by his underarms, put weights on his legs and do knee lifts.
> He also would use one of those electric muscle tensor belts like Jerry Rice has been promoting on some infomercials.
> 
> Anyone ever try those belt things? Guy did have Brad Pitt from Troy/FightClub type abs.


Never tried them but I know they work. It's kind of a lazy way to lose weight, though. Knee lifts are excellent for your abs, so is regular cardio. Stair master/Ellipticals work great for toning your core as well as losing weight.


----------



## bruteshot74

K, so my order of stuff should be at my house in the next couple of days so just had a quick question. 

Is it really necessary to a loading phase for creatine? I have read up on it and some guys are all about it but then I read a report where in four weeks the people who loaded and people who just took it normally, still had the same gains. Only difference was the people who loaded got bigger quick. I am looking to bulk up over time so it does not seem like the loading phase would really be necessary for myself.


----------



## brian8448

A loading phase isn't really necessary unless you want quicker results.


----------



## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> A loading phase isn't really necessary unless you want quicker results.


That is what I figured. The stuff is going to be new to me as well so no point overloading on it right off the bat. Stomach may not agree with it


----------



## El Conquistador

Near said:


> I am heading to Arizona until Tuesday for a cousin's wedding (blah), but it seems there is going to be a powerlifting meet in Pheonix on Monday, so I am going to definitely be checking it out.
> 
> Pics for sure, videos a possibly; Rajah, I love you.


Checking as in watching it and studying all the rules and what not? Or checking as in competing? All the power to you for competing in that shit. It's hard shit; a lot harder than bodybuilding imo. I will say that you'd definitely need to improve that lazy squat PR before you attempt to compete though. 



bruteshot74 said:


> Is it really necessary to a loading phase for creatine? I have read up on it and some guys are all about it but then I read a report where in four weeks the people who loaded and people who just took it normally, still had the same gains. Only difference was the people who loaded got bigger quick. I am looking to bulk up over time so it does not seem like the loading phase would really be necessary for myself.


Nah. Just cycle on/off of it every month or so to keep the body from becoming immune to creatine. Loading phases aren't important, Joshuaaaaaa.


----------



## bruteshot74

M.W. said:


> Nah. Just cycle on/off of it every month or so to keep the body from becoming immune to creatine. Loading phases aren't important, Joshuaaaaaa.


Cycle that often eh? Some guys never even go off the stuff.


----------



## El Conquistador

That's how I do my creatine (when I do pay for it). It really isn't a big deal. See how it works for you along with what works best for you. My advice isn't going to help ya' at all if none of my theories don't suit your body, you know? You just got to develop your on flair and the gains will follow along shortly after.

Remember one thing: results don't come over night.


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> Cycle that often eh? Some guys never even go off the stuff.


Yea, creatine really isn't necessary to cycle. For Green Mag, which apparently MW is on, it's recommended that you do, but that contains more than just straight creatine. Creatine itself doesn't need to be cycled.

Results may not come overnight, but since you've never taken anything before you'll definetely notice a difference within a week on creatine.

MW's point about learning your body is the most important thing you can know. You'll need to keep trying different things to figure out what your body responds to food wise, what exercises your body responds to well, what supplements your body responds to well, etc. Listen to your body.


----------



## austinrockera

I wouldn't say cycle on and off of any creatine every month... sometimes it takes a couple weeks to get in your system. every 60 days or two bottles (if you use BSN or Gaspari or Cont Labs, etc)... if you use just plain creatine pills, at least 60 days, then 30 days off and you should be good.

Problem with not cycling off of any supplement (not including aminos, vitamins, and minerals) is that your body gets used to them and your results start to plateau... just like working out with the same routine too long or eating the exact same stuff for too long. Your body gets used to it and stops improving.

I know a guy that is on steroids (test injections only) and he has been on them for so long that his body has plateaued and he has stopped getting stronger, has actually lost a little muscle, and has started to lose the cut he had. He is scared of cycling off, but he is getting to the point that he has to.


----------



## Flea4120

INVINCIBLE said:


> Jog outside. Fresh air will do you all good.


I have tried to go for a jog and go for a bike ride outside, but when its cold my lungs can't handle it for some reason. I just got a pretty hefty check, so I think I am going to buy an actual road bike, the one I have now is a mountain bike and kinda old and has been messing up.


----------



## austinrockera

Well, my weigh-in was today! I started our contest at 236.8 on 1-1 and finished today at 194.4 (42.4 lost). Just shows that sticking to a consistent diet with very little cheats can work for you. Had a hell of a cheat meal tonight though. Back on a revised diet starting tomorrow. Still working on that six pack... not quitting until I get it.

I won the contest btw.


----------



## Spiked.

You're a body builder?


----------



## AndY2J480

We just did max-outs for lifting at football I got the following weights...


Squat-315
Bench-235
Incline-205
Push Press-185
Power Clean-185

I weigh about 210. I was hoping for more for my clean but it's never been my lift.


----------



## bruteshot74

austinrockera said:


> Well, my weigh-in was today! I started our contest at 236.8 on 1-1 and finished today at 194.4 (42.4 lost). Just shows that sticking to a consistent diet with very little cheats can work for you. Had a hell of a cheat meal tonight though. Back on a revised diet starting tomorrow. Still working on that six pack... not quitting until I get it.
> 
> I won the contest btw.


Nice job dude, congrats on losing so much, that is great 

I got a long term goal set for myself right now. Hoping by end of August I can put on about 25 pounds but be solid and not chunky. Not sure if that goal is a little out of the ball park but going to give it a try.


----------



## brian8448

If you're new to creatine/protein/dieting for quality weight gain then it's not out of the question.


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> Nice job dude, congrats on losing so much, that is great
> 
> I got a long term goal set for myself right now. Hoping by end of August I can put on about 25 pounds but be solid and not chunky. Not sure if that goal is a little out of the ball park but going to give it a try.


A safe way to gain w/o getting too fat is about 1lb / week. Same for losing. 1lb / week and you shouldn't lose too much muscle.

I lost way too fast, but it was on purpose too. I won out of my gym, and got a free 1 year membership. If I win the overall between the 9 gyms, I get $10 / lb also.

Losing too fast cost me some muscle as well as fat, but oh well, it will be fun getting that muscle back.


----------



## CM_Jobber

I've been going swimming for the last 5 days. Its great straight after leaving the gym


----------



## Michigan Mike

I lost about 30 pounds in the first few months of 2008. I was 192 in February 08 and by August I was down to 160. Now through building muscle I'm up in the mid-170s.


----------



## CM_Jobber

bruteshot74 said:


> I got a long term goal set for myself right now. *Hoping by end of August I can put on about 25 pounds but be solid and not chunky*. Not sure if that goal is a little out of the ball park but going to give it a try.


How are you going about doing this?


----------



## Austin101

I didn't see this thread till now. I will pretty much live here since I know that it exists.

I know some of you would never believe me if you've seen me review anything, given how much time I put on that.

But I pretty much live in the Gym, go 5-6 days a Week and pretty much only take Sunday's and the odd Saturday off.

I also go for 2-3 hours so I don't half ass anything, and some might think that's too much but I like taking my time.


I'm not a body builder or anthing in the true sense, I've just got a decent build. I do it more for how I feel good rather then look, I always say the "look" is just an added bonus.

I usually consume 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day and with everything I do I know I at least burn 4,000 to 5,000 a day so if anthing I just tone up.


----------



## Rockstar

Yuck, I havent been to the gym in days and I feel like a fatty lol.


----------



## Austin101

Rated RKO™ said:


> Yuck, I havent been to the gym in days and I feel like a fatty lol.


Good news is, that you're aware of this BAD feeling when you don't go so it'll motivate you to go more often and you'll feel BETTER because of it.

Also the fact it'll be easier to burn fast considering you've started to go.

That's the thing I love about the Gym, you can take breaks and sure you might gain fat, lose muscle here and there, but not anything overly significant as long as you're relatively smart with what you choose to consume and live your life.

Muscle has memory.


----------



## bruteshot74

CM_BabyJesus said:


> How are you going about doing this?


Well starting on creatine, so that should help a tad in gaining the weight first off. Then starting to do the protein shake thing and eat a shitload. Might get bit chunky off the bat but we shall fix that later on when the weight is there


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Depends on your bodytype Brute. If your naturally skinny, a big problem. For me, I could add 25 by the end of April, and not really look any different than I do now. Aslong as I keep it away from my middle.

Like with football. A CB/RB/WR can spend all year to add 15-20lbs of muscle. Offensive/Defensive Lineman can add 30lbs over a summer.


----------



## bruteshot74

BlacknBeefy4Blonds said:


> Depends on your bodytype Brute. If your naturally skinny, a big problem. For me, I could add 25 by the end of April, and not really look any different than I do now. Aslong as I keep it away from my middle.
> 
> Like with football. A CB/RB/WR can spend all year to add 15-20lbs of muscle. Offensive/Defensive Lineman can add 30lbs over a summer.


I am naturally pretty skinny. My dad was the exact same way he said until he was up into his late 20's and then started to gain and now is up right around 200, has a bit of belly but is fucking strong. 

Really if I gain anything I will be pretty happy. Like I said before I been working out for a while now, probably about 8 months so far and I am still the exact same weight as I was when I started. The difference now is that I am actually toned and bigger, so I guess I lost whatever fat there was there. I do not gain because I do not really have time to eat the huge amounts of calories. For 8 months I have college and then my summer job entails me to be up at 5:30am and then home at about 7pm so there is no way I have the time to put down the 4000 calories. In the summer I have snacks at certain times of the day and then usually a big supper, not these 6 small meals that everyone talks about.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

Problem with those 5-6 meal a day programs is it doesnt allow you to get hungry. You want to pack on weight, you have your basic 3. Have dinner when your real hungry and are able to gorge yourself.

When I was starting to lose weight. Read about a good 10 diet programs where they said to have something to eat between meals to keep away that "Hungry" feeling. I say have your basic 2, then for dinner. If you have to wait till like 8pm until you got a good "hungry" feeling going strong and then gorge yourself like mad. Also helps to pack some in before going to bed. Sleep and let the calories soak in.
Work out some while you do it, then adjust to working out hard along with it. Wouldnt start both instantly. Would seem youd be kind of spinning your wheels, not really going anywhere.


----------



## Near™

God, I hate losing time in the gym when I am on vacation.

Be back sometime Tuesday. Keep BULKING, Josh/Brute.


----------



## AndY2J480

Austin101 said:


> Good news is, that you're aware of this BAD feeling when you don't go so it'll motivate you to go more often and you'll feel BETTER because of it.
> 
> Also the fact it'll be easier to burn fast considering you've started to go.
> 
> That's the thing I love about the Gym, you can take breaks and sure you might gain fat, lose muscle here and there, but not anything overly significant as long as you're relatively smart with what you choose to consume and live your life.
> 
> Muscle has memory.


Yeah it does. I haven't been to the gym since Thursday cause I lift for football and don't have my license yet so I can't go anywhere else and it's killing me. Today I've done about 300 pushups and Ab Ripper X twice now if someone would just do my homework haha.


----------



## brian8448

So tomorrow I'm getting:

Methandrostenolone (Dianabol)
Testosterone Enanthate
Trenbolone Acetate

or I'm getting the feds at my door. Either way, I'm off this place for a while, good luck to Brute, just stick with it and you'll get results. See you guys later.


----------



## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> So tomorrow I'm getting:
> 
> Methandrostenolone (Dianabol)
> Testosterone Enanthate
> Trenbolone Acetate
> 
> or I'm getting the feds at my door. Either way, I'm off this place for a while, good luck to Brute, just stick with it and you'll get results. See you guys later.


Thanks bud, stay out of jail


----------



## Spiked.

Brian, thanks for the advice and such. And excellent name by the way.

Anyways I am up 178lbs, and my chest is starting to look stellar. **** is intended.


----------



## Austin101

OOOO YEAH, Hittin the gym the next few days before work in the afternoon! Freak out, freak out.

Lookin forward to it seeing as I prett much took all last week off. I'm regularly active and in decent shape so it didn't kill me, but I need to get back to the gym at least 3-4 days a WEEK AT MINIMUM seeing as I used to always go 5-6 since last Spring.


----------



## brian8448

Don't get excited, this isnt a return, hate to disappoint. Here's the playlist:

Roy Jones- Can't Be Touched
Mobb Deep- Hectic
Roy Jones- Y'all Must've Forgot
Mobb Deep- Survival Of The Fittest
Dr. Dre- What's the Difference
Floyd Mayweather- Yep
50 Cent- I Dont Know Officer
50 Cent- Be A Gentleman
Freeway- What We Do
Lil Jon- White Meat

Sometimes I'll do a GnR/Metallica playlist, just not now.


----------



## Austin101

Two songs that always get me pumped up for the Gym.

Steve Austin's Disturbed Theme
Enter Sandman by Metallica


----------



## brian8448

Austin101 said:


> Two songs that always get me pumped up for the Gym.
> 
> Steve Austin's Disturbed Theme
> Enter Sandman by Metallica


Yeah, those songs are pure adrenaline. I usually like songs that have a more steady energy to them but everybody has their own thing I guess. You happen to have a link to Austin's Disturbed theme?


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

I just listen to like any rock, metal, etc.. 

What I really like when I am running on my treadmill is a song that will start off slow, then go super fast! Like Bodies..


----------



## King of Kings

Austin101 said:


> Two songs that always get me pumped up for the Gym.
> 
> Steve Austin's Disturbed Theme
> Enter Sandman by Metallica


I've heard people say the same joke, but every time I hear Enter Sandman, I wanna run onto ice and shoot some pucks.

I have a variety playing, mostly rock, some rap.


----------



## bruteshot74

I really listen to anything on my iPod when working out, does not matter. 

Some of my top songs though would be:

All That Remains - This Calling
Bullet For My Valentine - Hand of Blood
A Day to Remember - I'M Made Of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?
Bleeding Through - Sister Charlatan 
Disturbed - Down With The Sickness
Eminem - Till I Collapse (ft. Nate Dogg)
Finch - Ink
Five Finger Death Punch - The Bleeding 
Hoobastank - Same Direction
Hoobastank - Out of Control
Papa Roach - Getting Away With Murder
Papa Roach - Alive(N' Out of Control)
Rev Theory - Hell Yeah
Silent Civilian - Funeral
Sixx:A.M. - Life is Beautiful
Slipknot - Before I Forget
Trivium - Departure
TRUSTcompany - Stronger 

Large list, but I like my music 

---------
On another note, all my stuff got delayed in mail. Not here till March 10th now


----------



## El Conquistador

I actually dislike listening to music while in the midst of a workout. There's times when I purposely forget my IPOD so I don't subject myself to music but then I come to the realization that the gym's music SUCKS.

If anything:

50 Cent - Many Men
Big Tymers - Real Big
Eminem ft. 50 Cent & Tupac - Till I Collapse (Remix)
Kid Rock - Roll On
Lil Wayne - Boom (Zoom Remix)
Rev Theory - Hell Yeah
Rev Theory - Voices o)
Snoop Dogg - One and Only
The Game ft. NeYo - Camera Phone


----------



## Overrated

bruteshot74 said:


> Eminem - Till I Collapse (ft. Nate Dogg)


This song just goes on repeat when im in the gym. 

First post in this thread only just noticed it  Should be heading to the gym tomorrow right now im trying to cut weight. Im around 240 looking to get near 220 to 210 by the summer. I really do not know much about cutting weight so whats the best way to do it?


----------



## dele

I don't wear an iPod in the gym as it bugs the hell out of me. I just put the stereo on loud and listen to anything with a good beat.



Overrated said:


> First post in this thread only just noticed it  Should be heading to the gym tomorrow right now im trying to cut weight. Im around 240 looking to get near 220 to 210 by the summer. I really do not know much about cutting weight so whats the best way to do it?


What I've done is this:
- 1 slim fast shake for breakfast, fruits for snacks, and low amounts of whole wheats, and more meat for diet
- Exercise 1 continuous hour a day. I do 3-4 days of lifting and the rest I go outside and walk when it's nice, or else I just use the treadmill.
- Cut way back on sweets. One soda a week. And I don't eat after 9 pm if I can help it.
- If you do slip up, and I have, just admit to being human and move on.

I've lost 25 pounds since New Year's and I'm feeling a whole hell of a lot better.


----------



## austinrockera

Overrated said:


> This song just goes on repeat when im in the gym.
> 
> First post in this thread only just noticed it  Should be heading to the gym tomorrow right now im trying to cut weight. Im around 240 looking to get near 220 to 210 by the summer. I really do not know much about cutting weight so whats the best way to do it?


Everyone is different, but here's what I do (just lost 40lbs between 1-1-09 and 2-28).

Cut calories a little at first and KEEP on your diet. One cheat meal per week is ok. Check the forums at bb.com for some diet advise. I'm not a personal trainer, so i'm not going to give you my opinion because I know nothing about you.

Lighten your weight a little and do more reps. Less rest between sets, get yourself tired, sweating, and breathing hard during your workout and you will be losing fat.

Cardio... I just did 30min on the treadmill in the mornings and about 20min of light cardio after working out, and it worked for me.


----------



## brian8448

brian8448 said:


> Don't get excited, this isnt a return, hate to disappoint. Here's the playlist:
> 
> Roy Jones- Can't Be Touched


Rampage came out to this tonight... and was victorious. It's Roy Jones rapping, what's not to like? Check it out, this song has to make you hyped.


----------



## Rajah

brian8448 said:


> Don't get excited, this isnt a return, hate to disappoint. Here's the playlist:
> 
> Roy Jones- Can't Be Touched
> Mobb Deep- Hectic
> Roy Jones- Y'all Must've Forgot
> Mobb Deep- Survival Of The Fittest
> Dr. Dre- What's the Difference
> Floyd Mayweather- Yep
> 50 Cent- I Dont Know Officer
> 50 Cent- Be A Gentleman
> Freeway- What We Do
> Lil Jon- White Meat


A playlist like that would want to make me drop the weight on my head. Seeing as I have my laptop in the garage I watch movies when working out.
But when I did go to the gym I had a metal playlist with bands like Megadeth, Metallica, KMFDM, Godsmack, Disturbed, Rob/White Zombie, Ozzy, Black Label Society, and the list goes on....

Good thing with watching a movie is if the movie gets good, I want to stay out longer to watch the end. I watched Mirrors tonight whilst doing Biceps, Triceps and Forearms. The movie went for 1 hour and 51 minutes so I worked out for the duration of the movie. I can take my time between sets and reps and not worry about anyone else.


----------



## austinrockera

Wish I had a home gym, but I don't have the money to build what I would want.

As far as playlist, I have just a few on my ipod:

The Game - Motorhead
Glass Breaks (SCSA theme) - Disturbed
Stupify - Disturbed
Enter Sandman - Metallica
So Far Away - Staind
Going in Blind - POD
Bodies - Drowning Pool
The Way I Am - Eminem
Lose Yourself - Eminem
One Step Closer - Linkin Park
Here Comes the Boom - Nelly

That's just some off the top of my head.


----------



## brian8448

Rajah said:


> A playlist like that would want to make me drop the weight on my head.


I'm going under the assumption that you've heard 2, maybe 3 at most of those songs (Mayweather came out to "yep" at Mania 24, and Rampage has come out to Cant Be Touched a few times), and made your comment because you dislike hip hop. Which is fine, you are like 35 after all. That said, it's a bit goofy for you to be attacking my music selections. I listen to those songs because I tend to like uptempo stuff, but with a focus to it rather than just pure energy/adrenaline like "Bodies" or "Enter Sandman", it's just what I respond to.


----------



## Rajah

brian8448 said:


> I'm going under the assumption that you've heard 2, maybe 3 at most of those songs.


:lmao Not even. The artists were enough to put me off. I don't have an issue being 35, I still listen mainly to Hard Rock/Heavy Metal. I have since I was a kid and will never change my listening habits. 

Goofy? Interesting. I've never willingly listened to Hip Hop and never will. No need to justify your musical tastes to me.

My old gym sucked, they used to play Diana Ross and the Supremes. Nothing motivates you more to hurry up and get out when that's playing.


----------



## Gold Muscle

Bruiser Blasko said:


> Currently, I am 130 and planning on hitting the gym once Spring comes around. Right now, I am trying to gain weight by eating a lot of fatty foods and downing Protein shakes right before I go to sleep. It was going good, I gained five pounds doing that, but money is tight and I can't get my prime source of energy and weight gain (The Protein shakes).
> 
> My legs are really strong from all the Tae Kwon Do I do. I usually wear weights on my legs (2.5 each)and walk whenever i can. Working in a retail store is a good work out with these weights, I am glad for buying them.
> 
> They also have this 20 pound sandbag vest at my job. I want it, but I'm not sure if I would use it as much as I can.
> 
> The Tae Kwon Do is a good work out. It builds endurance and amazing leg strength. Only problem is that it's 85% kicking, leaving my upper body weak.
> 
> I am thinking of taking vitemans, but I don't know where I should start and what exactly I need.
> 
> Also getting weights for home. But, there's a mini gym right down the street and no one really goes there. Lazy old people.
> 
> So, can I get any help? :$


IMO i don't think you are doing it right with junk food so you can put on weight to bulk up when you start working out again, i have read that you should give your body at least 3 hours after your last meal before going to bed, you could try and eat 5 smaller healthier meals per day and not eat junk food to put weight on, try a good daily multi vitamin that you only need to take once per day even fish oil. i have a good diet if you want to bulk up the proper way i'll post next time let me know.


----------



## bruteshot74

bruteshot74 said:


> On another note, all my stuff got delayed in mail. Not here till March 10th now


So following up on this...I went and picked up the stuff today. The tubs were bigger then I was expecting them to be 

Just wanted to know a good routine for taking everything is, I got creatine and protein. From my understanding I should be taking the creatine an hour before or after I workout and then on my off days as soon as I get up.

For the protein it says drink directly before and after you work out. Then I have read that it is good to have one in the morning and before you go to bed as well. Does all of this sound about right? 

Also anybody got any good shake recipes? I was just going to go with fruit and oats.


----------



## bruteshot74

Yay for double posting :side:

Just took the creatine post workout, was recommended I take 2 scoops of the Cell Tech Hardcore. Right after I took it I got a stomach ache almost instantly and felt like garbage for probably about 10 minutes. Maybe just because this stuff is new to me? If not I do not know if I could handle taking it all the time. Made me have to piss like a race horse to, been like half an hour since I took it and have been having to go drain the tank almost every 10 minutes.

Answer questions above to


----------



## brian8448

It might be in your mind a little too much. Creatine will make you piss more, and MuscleTech products did tend to hurt my overall sense of well being, but it really shouldnt be that severe if you're taking the recommended amount. Maybe do half the amount next time. I'd do creatine pre and post workout.


----------



## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> It might be in your mind a little too much. Creatine will make you piss more, and MuscleTech products did tend to hurt my overall sense of well being, but it really shouldnt be that severe if you're taking the recommended amount. Maybe do half the amount next time. I'd do creatine pre and post workout.


Hmmm. I did the recommended amount. Shall test it out a bit to see if things continue. Might cut down to 1 scoop pre workout and then 1 scoop after workout.


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King stopped working out!

Do not really need it!

May go back to gain some mass, people there are so self obsessed and often feel that being muscular will mend their self esteem issues, lawls!


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> Hmmm. I did the recommended amount. Shall test it out a bit to see if things continue. Might cut down to 1 scoop pre workout and then 1 scoop after workout.


Yea that'd probably be your best bet, if it still gives you problems then I'd try just plain creatine monohydrate in the future.


----------



## Gold Muscle

bruteshot74 said:


> Yay for double posting :side:
> 
> Just took the creatine post workout, was recommended I take 2 scoops of the Cell Tech Hardcore. Right after I took it I got a stomach ache almost instantly and felt like garbage for probably about 10 minutes. Maybe just because this stuff is new to me? If not I do not know if I could handle taking it all the time. Made me have to piss like a race horse to, been like half an hour since I took it and have been having to go drain the tank almost every 10 minutes.
> 
> Answer questions above to


i too had the same problem with creatine, it made me feel bloted and have an upset stomach,
i don't like it i returned it back to the store as it had return for full refund on the container


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> Yay for double posting :side:
> 
> Just took the creatine post workout, was recommended I take 2 scoops of the Cell Tech Hardcore. Right after I took it I got a stomach ache almost instantly and felt like garbage for probably about 10 minutes. Maybe just because this stuff is new to me? If not I do not know if I could handle taking it all the time. Made me have to piss like a race horse to, been like half an hour since I took it and have been having to go drain the tank almost every 10 minutes.
> 
> Answer questions above to


Did you look at the label? 2 scoops has 75g of sugar in it. I don't know about you, but that much sugar, especially on an empty stomach will make me feel like crap too. 

As far as the bloated feeling, this comes with creatine monohydrate. I read about this the other day. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cee.html

I get the same feeling when taking creatine mono. I bought a bottle of ethyl ester, and haven't had those problems yet.

BTW, when you take creatine, you need to drink water, or it won't do any good. I'm not talking about 3 or 4 glasses per day, i'm talking gallon or more EVERY DAY or you won't get the benefits of the supplement.


----------



## bruteshot74

austinrockera said:


> Did you look at the label? 2 scoops has 75g of sugar in it. I don't know about you, but that much sugar, especially on an empty stomach will make me feel like crap too.
> 
> As far as the bloated feeling, this comes with creatine monohydrate. I read about this the other day. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cee.html
> 
> I get the same feeling when taking creatine mono. I bought a bottle of ethyl ester, and haven't had those problems yet.
> 
> BTW, when you take creatine, you need to drink water, or it won't do any good. I'm not talking about 3 or 4 glasses per day, i'm talking gallon or more EVERY DAY or you won't get the benefits of the supplement.


Yah I seen the sugar content is huge for what you are taking. Might have to mix it with more water then I did. It was recommended only 12 ounces but with that much water it is kind of hard to put down because of the sugar content. I been drinking a bunch of water so we see what happens.


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> Yah I seen the sugar content is huge for what you are taking. Might have to mix it with more water then I did. It was recommended only 12 ounces but with that much water it is kind of hard to put down because of the sugar content. I been drinking a bunch of water so we see what happens.


Most research states that when the insulin spikes, the creatine mono is more likely to absorb in the cells, therefore, companies like to put ridiculous amounts of sugar in their creatine powders. This kinda defeats the purpose of people wanting to bulk, but not get fat. For me, I will simply get fat off that much extra sugar per day. So I don't mess with it. I used to try all the designer creatines (cell tech, size on, cell mass, etc) but now, I just stick with the simple stuff. Much cheaper, and works just as well.

The only "designer" stuff I take anymore is a preworkout supplement. NOXplode is what I'm using now. Gives me a good kick and that's all I want it for.


----------



## bruteshot74

austinrockera said:


> Most research states that when the insulin spikes, the creatine mono is more likely to absorb in the cells, therefore, companies like to put ridiculous amounts of sugar in their creatine powders. This kinda defeats the purpose of people wanting to bulk, but not get fat. For me, I will simply get fat off that much extra sugar per day. So I don't mess with it. I used to try all the designer creatines (cell tech, size on, cell mass, etc) but now, I just stick with the simple stuff. Much cheaper, and works just as well.
> 
> The only "designer" stuff I take anymore is a preworkout supplement. NOXplode is what I'm using now. Gives me a good kick and that's all I want it for.


When you guys say simple stuff is that basically just the bulk creatine that health stores sell and stuff? Near recommended I do that in the first place but I went with some name stuff instead.


----------



## brian8448

Basic creatine means they're referring to creatine monohydrate, sold at any GNC or Vitaminshoppe or whatever. I would suggest Cytogainer, it's my favorite weight gainer and it has creatine mono already in it.


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> When you guys say simple stuff is that basically just the bulk creatine that health stores sell and stuff? Near recommended I do that in the first place but I went with some name stuff instead.


Yes, just the pills or horrible tasting powder that is just creatine mono or ethyl ester. I am currently using Mega Pro CEE. 80 servings (3 capsules per serving) for 13.99. Take one serving before workout, and another after. If you want to spike your insulin to help absorption, take in something with sugar or other simple carbs right after working out. Mens Health says that the best post workout drink is chocolate milk.


----------



## brian8448

Yea sugar is key to getting post-workout as well as protein.

Sleep-aids... what are people's thoughts? I recently purchased Somatomax and Somnidren, both are marketed as "HGH" products, which is of course they are not, but ridiculous claims don't stop me from trying something. They are both touted as being great at inducing deep sleep, something painkillers or ambien or whatever doesnt do for me. Tried somatomax last night and though there's arginine in it (which I respond very poorly to) I figured it was worth a shot anyways due to the small amount of it. I had a very deep sleep and all, but I woke up this morning with very irritated skin (due to the arginine) so I dont think I can take this anymore. I'll be trying the Somnidren tonight, and seeing as how it lacks arginine I'm hoping for the quality sleep of Somatomax minus the problems.


----------



## austinrockera

brian8448 said:


> Yea sugar is key to getting post-workout as well as protein.
> 
> Sleep-aids... what are people's thoughts? I recently purchased Somatomax and Somnidren, both are marketed as "HGH" products, which is of course they are not, but ridiculous claims don't stop me from trying something. They are both touted as being great at inducing deep sleep, something painkillers or ambien or whatever doesnt do for me. Tried somatomax last night and though there's arginine in it (which I respond very poorly to) I figured it was worth a shot anyways due to the small amount of it. I had a very deep sleep and all, but I woke up this morning with very irritated skin (due to the arginine) so I dont think I can take this anymore. I'll be trying the Somnidren tonight, and seeing as how it lacks arginine I'm hoping for the quality sleep of Somatomax minus the problems.


don't take that crap... 

deep sleep is known to help raise GH levels as well as testosterone production. take ZMA for help with a deeper sleep and be done with it. ZMA is just a mixture of zinc, magnesium, and B6. Its good for you on top of being a worthy supplement.


----------



## brian8448

austinrockera said:


> don't take that crap...
> 
> deep sleep is known to help raise GH levels as well as testosterone production. take ZMA for help with a deeper sleep and be done with it. ZMA is just a mixture of zinc, magnesium, and B6. Its good for you on top of being a worthy supplement.


Deep sleep is very key, and I have taken ZMA before, actually these products do have Zinc, Magnesium and B6 among other things. With ZMA by itself I would get to sleeep but wouldnt wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. Having taken GHB before I was looking for something legal that's comparable, some would say there is no such thing but I've seen very positive comments on these products on various BBing forums so I decided to check them out.


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I just signed up at a local gym. I'm going to have some sessions with a personal trainer, which is what I need. I have never been serious with working out. But I need to get back into shape for health reasons. While right now, I don't have major health problems, my family history is bad when it comes to diseases, so I would like to avoid them.


----------



## austinrockera

brian8448 said:


> Deep sleep is very key, and I have taken ZMA before, actually these products do have Zinc, Magnesium and B6 *among other things*. With ZMA by itself I would get to sleeep but wouldnt wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. Having taken GHB before I was looking for something legal that's comparable, some would say there is no such thing but I've seen very positive comments on these products on various BBing forums so I decided to check them out.


bolded words would scare me personally. it leads to taking downers at night to sleep, then uppers in the morning to wake up. not good for the body in the long run.

just my .02 on that.


----------



## El Conquistador

PF69 said:


> I just signed up at a local gym. I'm going to have some sessions with a personal trainer, which is what I need. I have never been serious with working out. But I need to get back into shape for health reasons. While right now, I don't have major health problems, my family history is bad when it comes to diseases, so I would like to avoid them.


Good for you. I commend you for having the balls to fight the health issues before they do away with you. Best of luck, man.


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

M.W. said:


> Good for you. I commend you for having the balls to fight the health issues before they do away with you. Best of luck, man.


Thanks. I have a doctor's appointment next week and I have a feeling that I will be diagnosed with something like Diabetes. And if I do get diagnosed with it, it's my fault. I take the full blame. But if I don't get diagnosed with it, I get a chance to avoid it. Then it will be up to me to avoid it. Now, I have to control my eating and start working out. The Personal Trainer will be the best start for me when it comes to working out. So, I better enjoy my last few days of eating like an asshole and get ready to change my habits.


----------



## ThatzNotCool

Let me explain some things before asking my question. 

Me and my family are doing a weight loss challenge. Each week, we weigh in, and whoever loses the most weight, percentage-wise, wins $25. I won the first three weeks. I started at 214, went down to 211, to 208, to 204. And in reality, I wasn't even trying. I just ate less on the weigh-in day, and took a hot bath to sweat off a few pounds. 

Well, last Sunday, I jumped back up to 211 (I pigged out with popcorn and Mexican food for a friend's birthday.) So my mom and dad got mad when I tried to explain that I just had an off week. However, my dad made me a bet today. If I'm able to drop under 200 by Sunday, he'll pay me $100. Of course, I accepted immediately. 

So, as of right now, I'm 208 pounds. What do I need to do to drop 8 pounds in four days? I'm willing to work for it. I do realize, dropping that much weight in such a short period of time isn't the best for you, but I do need that hundred bucks. Suggestions?


----------



## bruteshot74

ThatzNotCool said:


> Let me explain some things before asking my question.
> 
> Me and my family are doing a weight loss challenge. Each week, we weigh in, and whoever loses the most weight, percentage-wise, wins $25. I won the first three weeks. I started at 214, went down to 211, to 208, to 204. And in reality, I wasn't even trying. I just ate less on the weigh-in day, and took a hot bath to sweat off a few pounds.
> 
> Well, last Sunday, I jumped back up to 211 (I pigged out with popcorn and Mexican food for a friend's birthday.) So my mom and dad got mad when I tried to explain that I just had an off week. However, my dad made me a bet today. If I'm able to drop under 200 by Sunday, he'll pay me $100. Of course, I accepted immediately.
> 
> So, as of right now, I'm 208 pounds. What do I need to do to drop 8 pounds in four days? I'm willing to work for it. I do realize, dropping that much weight in such a short period of time isn't the best for you, but I do need that hundred bucks. Suggestions?


Easiest way would be to do the same thing MMA fighters do. Drop your calorie intake 24 hours before the weigh in and go in a steamer shower or sauna and shed off the water weight. The weight will be gone till you drink some liquids. Alot of the fighters and such drop 10-15 pounds on that day so dropping 11 is right in that alley. Since it would be your first time though I would be careful.


----------



## ThatzNotCool

Alright, I can do that. How long do you think I would have to stay in the sauna to drop ten pounds or so? I got a YMCA pretty about an hour from here, but unless the have a scale there, I wouldn't know how much I lost.


----------



## bruteshot74

ThatzNotCool said:


> Alright, I can do that. How long do you think I would have to stay in the sauna to drop ten pounds or so? I got a YMCA pretty about an hour from here, but unless the have a scale there, I wouldn't know how much I lost.


Go for about 15 to 30 minute intervals and then check your weight after you get out everytime until you reach your desired weight. Might need to take your own scale if necessary. Be careful though, do not want to totally drain yourself and not be able to walk out of there lol.


----------



## ThatzNotCool

Alright man. Much thanks.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Hey guys, I was looking at the Bowflex selectech dumbells, would they be a good investment? I really want to try to stay in shape, as I am starting to gain a bit of weight.


----------



## bruteshot74

TheRockIsCookin said:


> Hey guys, I was looking at the Bowflex selectech dumbells, would they be a good investment? I really want to try to stay in shape, as I am starting to gain a bit of weight.


Awesome investment. I do not have the Bowflex brand ones but I do own the exact same thing made by Nautilus. The save a bunch of room because you have from 5 pounds to 52.5 all on one dumb bell instead of having 15 different sets or whatever. Can do so much stuff with dumb bells to, definitely something you want to have if you are working out.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Yeah, you barely need any space at all. I am probably going to end up getting these, they are really cool.


----------



## El Conquistador

I'd go with a bench set if you don't already have that. Olympic barbell, weights, and an actual bench would do you good with an adjustable rack. That way you can get in all of your main compound lifts (OHP, Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift, Powerclean). Much more versatile to go with this, you can do just about anything with it.

That's assuming you don't have that already though. If you do, I'd say they're worth the investment. You'll easily be able to OHP, DB Row, and Bench Press way more than 52.5 lbs or w/e but you could still do bi's and tri's with that weight. It'd be worth the edition I guess.


----------



## austinrockera

ThatzNotCool said:


> Let me explain some things before asking my question.
> 
> Me and my family are doing a weight loss challenge. Each week, we weigh in, and whoever loses the most weight, percentage-wise, wins $25. I won the first three weeks. I started at 214, went down to 211, to 208, to 204. And in reality, I wasn't even trying. I just ate less on the weigh-in day, and took a hot bath to sweat off a few pounds.
> 
> Well, last Sunday, I jumped back up to 211 (I pigged out with popcorn and Mexican food for a friend's birthday.) So my mom and dad got mad when I tried to explain that I just had an off week. However, my dad made me a bet today. If I'm able to drop under 200 by Sunday, he'll pay me $100. Of course, I accepted immediately.
> 
> So, as of right now, I'm 208 pounds. What do I need to do to drop 8 pounds in four days? I'm willing to work for it. I do realize, dropping that much weight in such a short period of time isn't the best for you, but I do need that hundred bucks. Suggestions?


Only way to lose weight that fast is to lose water weight. Sauna will help, but if you don't know what you are doing, it can be dangerous. Assuming you have 4 days left, this might work. The cutting water process is best done in 7 days, but this might work. Drink 2 gallons of water for day 1 and 2. Then drink 1/2 gallon on day 3 during the first 1/2 of the day. Then just drink a little water when needed (less than 20oz) between finishing that 1/2gal and your weigh in. Sauna CAREFULLY in that last 12hours will help, or any other walking/running that will make you sweat.


----------



## R-Truth

went to the Gym at around about 7pm it was good had not been all this week i realy needed it should also go Firday.


----------



## Rajah

TheRockIsCookin said:


> Hey guys, I was looking at the Bowflex selectech dumbells, would they be a good investment? I really want to try to stay in shape, as I am starting to gain a bit of weight.


I have a pair and they are the best thing I have bought.

You can see my home gym in this post, with the dumbbells - http://www.wrestlingforum.com/6908713-post110.html

I bought mine off eBay for about Aus$300. They retail for about $600 here.


----------



## brian8448

Tried Somnidren the last couple nights, and it's quality stuff. Didnt want to get up either morning but when I did I felt very refreshed and physically well rested. We'll see how this continues but as of now this is looking like the best legal sleep aid I've ever taken by far.

So what are the updates on brute and MW? If I remember correctly you guys were getting back into it seriously.


----------



## El Conquistador

brian8448 said:


> Tried Somnidren the last couple nights, and it's quality stuff. Didnt want to get up either morning but when I did I felt very refreshed and physically well rested. We'll see how this continues but as of now this is looking like the best legal sleep aid I've ever taken by far.
> 
> So what are the updates on brute and MW? If I remember correctly you guys were getting back into it seriously.


I'm straight. Just bulking and putting on mass right now. Studying nutrition and exercise science at the university in Chicago. Got three more years until I get my degree so I can personal train clients so it'll be awhile.

Plan on building as much mass and strength as possible for the next long while and then possibly competing at some point down the line. Weigh 184 lbs @ 5'8 right now, 10% body fat. Just bulking...


----------



## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> Tried Somnidren the last couple nights, and it's quality stuff. Didnt want to get up either morning but when I did I felt very refreshed and physically well rested. We'll see how this continues but as of now this is looking like the best legal sleep aid I've ever taken by far.
> 
> So what are the updates on brute and MW? If I remember correctly you guys were getting back into it seriously.


I am in same boat as Mitch, just bulking right now. This is first time I really ever done something like this but seems to be going good so far. I been taking the creatine for three days now and gained like a pound and a half which might not seem like much but is the first time I have actually seen some strides bulking. My goal right now is to have put on about 3 pounds in 7 days and I think that should be very possible. I am feeling good though


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I just got back from my appointment with my personal trainer. It went very well. I found out that I'm in pretty decent shape. I just need to put some muscle on around my body and lose the fat. I'm going twice a week to train with him and then once a week to do cardio, so that should help me out.


----------



## bruteshot74

PF69 said:


> I just got back from my appointment with my personal trainer. It went very well. I found out that I'm in pretty decent shape. I just need to put some muscle on around my body and lose the fat. I'm going twice a week to train with him and then once a week to do cardio, so that should help me out.


Good to hear bud. Will be hard in beginning without a doubt to lose the weight but you will not regret it when it starts to shed off and you gain confidence. 

I am sort of the other way around. Hard as hell to bulk up but when it started to happen it felt great and you just want to keep doing it.


----------



## Killswitch

The only working out I've done in the past year is whacking my whistle. 

That counts, rit?


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

bruteshot74 said:


> Good to hear bud. Will be hard in beginning without a doubt to lose the weight but you will not regret it when it starts to shed off and you gain confidence.


Yeah, so far it's good. I got a nice workout in. He worked all the muscles so my body can get used to it. I felt the burn and pain from it, which is a good thing. Right now, I'm fine, but he said that I will feel it in the next few days. One thing going for me is that I have a built body, so once I lose the fat and gain the muscle, I will look good. If I can lose at least 30 pounds within the next 3 months, I will be happy.


----------



## brian8448

It's a damn shame my gym is only open from 6am-12am, I went this morning but have really felt like going for the past hour. I think I'll be staying up tonight and going at 6am for legs. I go hard son!!


----------



## Goku

Do pringles make you fat ?


----------



## El Conquistador

The sugar and sodium isn't good for ya'. I'm not aware of the total fat content and all the other macros in em' so I'm not sure.


----------



## Goku

Meh, it was only a few.


----------



## 2nd Coming

My routine consists of running 3 miles a day, ab work everyday, and alternating between weight training on my arms and legs every other day. I'm a gym freak lol.


----------



## El Conquistador

What is everyone's favorite muscle group target during a workout? What's your favorite exercise?

Personally, I love doing my back more than any other body part there is. Getting that V shape is the most impressive thing one can do, imo. If you look back to all the Mr. Olympia's, the contestant who has the widest/bulkiest back frame usually wins (except for Dexter Jackson last year). 

Conventional deadlifts are one of the few exercises I really can say I excel at. 405 max on those bad boys now and it's my favorite exercise to do. While I'm good at benching and decent at squatting, they fail in comparison to my DL.
*
Honorary mention:*

-Shoulders: Love the side lateral raises to work on the side deltoids. There's nothing better to feed your ego than OHP or Push Pressing up a large amount of weight so that'd be my second favorite exercise.

How bout' everyone else?


----------



## Goku

Arm and chest muscles for maximum impact and most control over upper body physical strength. Bench presses are my favorite weights to do.

Running/Squatting/Sprinting is what I mostly do for leg endurance. Working on the abs is the easiest though


----------



## bruteshot74

Arms and chest for sure. That is probably when I go the hardest. I still have a day for back, legs, shoulders and abs but doing that stuff is not really enjoyable...just do it because it is necessary where on the other side I like working out my arms and chest. 

Need to start doing deadlifts. Pretty sure the way I do them is wrong though. My back tends to hurt pretty easy no matter what kind of technique I do. I do know how to do them as I have watched several videos on how to do them properly but still tends to give me a sore back either way...


----------



## hot_rod_piper

Is there a reason why I can do quite a bit on dumbbell bench but not a lot on bar bench?


----------



## Spiked.

hot_rod_piper said:


> Is there a reason why I can do quite a bit on dumbbell bench but not a lot on bar bench?


Explain.


----------



## bruteshot74

Barbell should be easier. I know I lift more on my barbell bench press then my dumb bell bench press.


----------



## MyBloodyValentine

I'm sixteen and just want to stay in shape. I'm 5'10 and weigh 170 lbs.

What I have at my disposal:

* No money
* Two ten pound dumbells
* My Room

Okay. I can't run to exercise, my parents have an issue with me doing so...do you guys think that it's possible for me to build any sort of muscle with these limited sources?


----------



## itsmadness

MyBloodyValentine said:


> I'm sixteen and just want to stay in shape. I'm 5'10 and weigh 170 lbs.
> 
> What I have at my disposal:
> 
> * No money
> * Two ten pound dumbells
> * My Room
> 
> Okay. I can't run to exercise, my parents have an issue with me doing so...do you guys think that it's possible for me to build any sort of muscle with these limited sources?


Lawl, no.


----------



## MyBloodyValentine

itsmadness said:


> Lawl, no.


Well, atleast you sound honest. How much should my dumbells weigh should I decide to buy any?


----------



## ThatzNotCool

MyBloodyValentine said:


> I'm sixteen and just want to stay in shape. I'm 5'10 and weigh 170 lbs.
> 
> What I have at my disposal:
> 
> * No money
> * Two ten pound dumbells
> * My Room
> 
> Okay. I can't run to exercise, my parents have an issue with me doing so...do you guys think that it's possible for me to build any sort of muscle with these limited sources?


Sure. Good ole fashion exercises. Pushups, situps, legups, mountain climbers, squat thrusts, variety of stretches, etc. Instead of running, you could just jog in place. And with those light dumbbells, you could shadow box with them. That's what we do in boxing.


----------



## Goku

Getting in shape is easy. Your body type is important. Take like a 15 - 30 minute cardiovascular routine and then just work on the muscles. As long as you know the technique, two dumbells is all it takes. You won't get bulky with 10 pounds but you'll get a basic outline for your body. You can add mass (if you want) when you're older


----------



## Spiked.

MyBloodyValentine said:


> I'm sixteen and just want to stay in shape. I'm 5'10 and weigh 170 lbs.
> 
> What I have at my disposal:
> 
> * No money
> * Two ten pound dumbells
> * My Room
> 
> Okay. I can't run to exercise, my parents have an issue with me doing so...do you guys think that it's possible for me to build any sort of muscle with these limited sources?


Some of the best exercises don't require any weights. Do push ups and sit ups. You could get a chin up bar. Do some squats with the weights, and what not.

I do this every night before I go to bed 8 minute abs. Its a good workout for your abs. And you should try to let your parents run, I don't know why they wouldn't allow you unless you live in the ghetto or something. If your school has a weight room a tread mill try to use that after or before school.


----------



## austinrockera

M.W. said:


> What is everyone's favorite muscle group target during a workout? What's your favorite exercise?
> 
> Personally, I love doing my back more than any other body part there is. Getting that V shape is the most impressive thing one can do, imo. If you look back to all the Mr. Olympia's, the contestant who has the widest/bulkiest back frame usually wins (except for Dexter Jackson last year).
> 
> Conventional deadlifts are one of the few exercises I really can say I excel at. 405 max on those bad boys now and it's my favorite exercise to do. While I'm good at benching and decent at squatting, they fail in comparison to my DL.
> *
> Honorary mention:*
> 
> -Shoulders: Love the side lateral raises to work on the side deltoids. There's nothing better to feed your ego than OHP or Push Pressing up a large amount of weight so that'd be my second favorite exercise.
> 
> How bout' everyone else?


For me, back is probably my favorite... I injured my back in 2005, and since it has gotten better, I put extra work in my back for some reason. My back days are killer for most people... fixin to work it in about 30 min actually. Lat Pulldowns - 4x12 superset with Lat Pulldowns behind the head - 4x12, Bent over BB rows - 4x12, T-Bar - 4x12, Seated Rows - 4x12. All start with warm-up set, then get as heavy as possible w/o hurting myself. I used to do deads frequently, but got too stupid with them and messed up my back again. Haven't messed with them for about 6 months. Going to start back soon I hope.

Next is Shoulders - love them but they hurt if I push too much
Chest - used to be my fav, only prob is the soreness I feel the next couple days
Calves - like working them, but can't get them to grow anymore, sucks
Traps - like them, but pay w/ a headache the next day
Abs - make my back hurt, but making them more of a priority lately
Arms - arm muscles count for 3% of your body's total muscle, so why spend 50% of your time working them. Arms get 3 exercises each per week from me. Tris follow back, and Bis follow chest
Legs - they suck, and my back has trouble handling them. I still work them hard, but just know i'm going to pay the next day or two.... or three


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

M.W. said:


> What is everyone's favorite muscle group target during a workout? What's your favorite exercise?


I really don't have a favorite muscle target group just yet. But it seems that my strongest muscles are my chest and back. My legs have always been my strongest muscles. The one muscle that needs the most work are my arms. I have no real muscle in my arms and they are my weak point. So, I think that they will become my target muscle during my workout. I still don't have a favorite exercise.


----------



## itsmadness

MyBloodyValentine said:


> Well, atleast you sound honest. How much should my dumbells weigh should I decide to buy any?


meh, get a gym membership and look up stuff on bodybuilding.com


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> For me, back is probably my favorite... I injured my back in 2005, and since it has gotten better, I put extra work in my back for some reason. My back days are killer for most people... fixin to work it in about 30 min actually. Lat Pulldowns - 4x12 superset with Lat Pulldowns behind the head - 4x12, Bent over BB rows - 4x12, T-Bar - 4x12, Seated Rows - 4x12. All start with warm-up set, then get as heavy as possible w/o hurting myself. I used to do deads frequently, but got too stupid with them and messed up my back again. Haven't messed with them for about 6 months. Going to start back soon I hope.
> 
> Next is Shoulders - love them but they hurt if I push too much
> Chest - used to be my fav, only prob is the soreness I feel the next couple days
> Calves - like working them, but can't get them to grow anymore, sucks
> Traps - like them, but pay w/ a headache the next day
> Abs - make my back hurt, but making them more of a priority lately
> Arms - arm muscles count for 3% of your body's total muscle, so why spend 50% of your time working them. Arms get 3 exercises each per week from me. Tris follow back, and Bis follow chest
> Legs - they suck, and my back has trouble handling them. I still work them hard, but just know i'm going to pay the next day or two.... or three


Haha, right on. You have the same mentality as me except for the traps/calves. Funny to see someone think THAT alike like myself when it comes to working out different groups. Good shit.


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King read an article on portion sizes!

Was a comparison of portion sizes of today compared to twenty years ago!

Amazing how much more people eat, they could lose so much weight doing something as simple as eating less, lawls!


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I just got back from another workout with my personal trainer. It was more intense than my first workout. And I loved it. I'm sore as fuck, but I love the pain right now. My upper body is going to be strong as fuck in a few weeks. Yeah.


----------



## bruteshot74

PF69 said:


> I just got back from another workout with my personal trainer. It was more intense than my first workout. And I loved it. I'm sore as fuck, but I love the pain right now. My upper body is going to be strong as fuck in a few weeks. Yeah.


Nice. You doing a balanced workout right now or hitting specific parts each session? Good to hear you got the motivation though, will keep you going and you shall be happy with the results


----------



## the main event

I haven't worked out consistently for months now...but I'm already starting slowly by cutting back on soft drinks and strenth-training trying to firm up lol. Now, I need to start jogging again, but with this cold weather it makes it difficult for me to actually go outside and run 4 miles. I'm trying to work out 5 times a week for a AT LEAST 40 minutes. My goal is to lose 8 or 10 lbs and firm up which won't be hard since I'm already used to working out. Funny how guys want to gain weight and girls want to lose weight lol.


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

bruteshot74 said:


> Nice. You doing a balanced workout right now or hitting specific parts each session? Good to hear you got the motivation though, will keep you going and you shall be happy with the results


Thanks. He has me hitting my upper body right now. So basically, I'm hitting the Chest, Triceps, Biceps, Shoulders, Back, etc. So, I'm basically doing my upper body with him twice a week. I'm going to do my legs on my own.


----------



## brian8448

the main event said:


> I haven't worked out consistently for months now...but I'm already starting slowly by cutting back on soft drinks and strenth-training trying to firm up lol. Now, I need to start jogging again, but with this cold weather it makes it difficult for me to actually go outside and run 4 miles. I'm trying to work out 5 times a week for a AT LEAST 40 minutes. My goal is to lose 8 or 10 lbs and firm up which won't be hard since I'm already used to working out. Funny how guys want to gain weight and girls want to lose weight lol.


You're in Frisco in March and it's too cold to jog?

Update for this thread: I got all my stuff in the mail smoothly about 2 weeks ago but I havent started yet and won't for another few weeks probably, going hard natural for a little bit. My diet is pretty crazy right now so I can only imagine what it's going to be like when I start. Timing of when I eat changes, but every day I'm consuming something every waking 60 minutes, and it's everyday it's the following with some minor changes and time varying, but basically:

2 servings Cytogainer with 16oz Milk and 3 raw eggs for each serving (6 total) (separated pre and post workout on workout days, or just morning and post dinner on non-workout days)- Total of roughly 1600 cals

1lb+ chicken breasts- 330 roughly

1lb+ ground beef- 400 roughly, I'll usually have some wild rice if I've made some recently with this or chicken.

3 cans Alaskan salmon- 150 a can, total 450

2-3 servings Oats (with milk)- roughly 400

2 Glasses orange juice- 110 a serving, 220

No idea about cals, but I eat 3 bananas a day, sometimes I just feel like it for whatever reason and eat like 10-12, no joke, couldnt really say why, I guess my body tells me to.

2 or 3 Nature Valley Oats bars packs (4-6 bars total)- 180 per pack, 360 or 540 total, this is a great snack along with the Salmon because there's no preparation involved.

2 servings ON Whey- usually just on workout days, around 260 cals total

I consume the above every day with some small alterations, I'll get a Quiznos Sub or Chipotle or something once a week just because I'm out. 3500+ cals a day though on a clean diet is legit.

Oh, and if you want to know about sourcing supplements, PM me.


----------



## Mellow420

I bench-press about tree-fiddy.


----------



## bruteshot74

the main event said:


> I haven't worked out consistently for months now...but I'm already starting slowly by cutting back on soft drinks and strenth-training trying to firm up lol. Now, I need to start jogging again, but with this cold weather it makes it difficult for me to actually go outside and run 4 miles. I'm trying to work out 5 times a week for a AT LEAST 40 minutes. My goal is to lose 8 or 10 lbs and firm up which won't be hard since I'm already used to working out. Funny how guys want to gain weight and girls want to lose weight lol.


Tighten up those glutes lol.



brian8448 said:


> Update for this thread: I got all my stuff in the mail smoothly about 2 weeks ago but I havent started yet and won't for another few weeks probably, going hard natural for a little bit. My diet is pretty crazy right now so I can only imagine what it's going to be like when I start. Timing of when I eat changes, but every day I'm consuming something every waking 60 minutes, and it's everyday it's the following with some minor changes and time varying, but basically:
> 
> 2 servings Cytogainer with 16oz Milk and 3 raw eggs for each serving (6 total) (separated pre and post workout on workout days, or just morning and post dinner on non-workout days)- Total of roughly 1600 cals
> 
> 1lb+ chicken breasts-
> 
> 1lb+ ground beef-
> 
> 3 cans Alaskan salmon-
> 
> 3-4 servings Oats (with milk)-
> 
> 2 Glasses orange juice-
> 
> 2 or 3 Nature Valley Oats bars packs (4-6 bars total)-
> 
> 2 servings ON Whey-
> 
> I'm missing some things and I need to check cals for some things too, I'll update this soon.
> 
> Oh, and if you want to know about sourcing supplements, PM me.


That is insane, I should be upping my calorie intake for this bulking stage I am trying but just cannot get myself to. In the morning I been having a protein shake and then at college for lunch I have a few small snacks and usually a soup or pasta. Supper I try and eat as much as possible but I am pretty sure I am not very close to that 4000 range that I should be putting down. The Cell Tech stuff is working though for my muscles. I am definitely getting those extra couple of reps they say you will be able to achieve but have really not seen any weight gained yet and I am closing in on a week on the stuff now.


----------



## brian8448

bruteshot74 said:


> That is insane, I should be upping my calorie intake for this bulking stage I am trying but just cannot get myself to. In the morning I been having a protein shake and then at college for lunch I have a few small snacks and usually a soup or pasta. Supper I try and eat as much as possible but I am pretty sure I am not very close to that 4000 range that I should be putting down. The Cell Tech stuff is working though for my muscles. I am definitely getting those extra couple of reps they say you will be able to achieve but have really not seen any weight gained yet and I am closing in on a week on the stuff now.


I would strongly suggest you try cytogainer. Cytogainer+working out HARD 4 or 5 times a week will make you want to eat and it will just be something you do rather than forcing yourself. Just try to be eating constantly though. For convenience, if you have Costco in Canada get some Bear and Wolf canned Alaskan Salmon, this stuff is incredible. Far better than any Tuna I've ever had, and it's clean, REAL food, quality animal protein that you don't need to prepare, and you can buy it in large quantities. Trust me, you want this stuff, it doesnt taste like canned fish at all to me, I can just put this stuff back.

Eating 3000+ cals of CLEAN food sounds hard but if you're eating whenever you can you can do it.


----------



## Silent Servant

Okay, I really need to get back into shape and I need everyones help. I work out of town throughout the week, so I'm basically in a hotel monday-friday. Suggestions on exercises I can do without being home and I really need help on what foods I should buy. Keep in mind all I have is a George Foreman grill and a microwave. Thanks ahead of time.


----------



## itsmadness

bruteshot74 said:


> Tighten up those glutes lol.
> 
> 
> 
> That is insane, I should be upping my calorie intake for this bulking stage I am trying but just cannot get myself to. In the morning I been having a protein shake and then at college for lunch I have a few small snacks and usually a soup or pasta. Supper I try and eat as much as possible but I am pretty sure I am not very close to that 4000 range that I should be putting down. The Cell Tech stuff is working though for my muscles. I am definitely getting those extra couple of reps they say you will be able to achieve but have really not seen any weight gained yet and I am closing in on a week on the stuff now.






















get some better supp's then sugar-tech. Quit while your ahead !


you'll have much better gains without sugar-tech.

even basic creatine mono is better and costs much less.


----------



## austinrockera

Did chest and biceps yesterday... 
Incline BB 4x12,10,10,8 (pyramid set)
Flat Bench DB 4x12
Incline DB Flies 3x16
Cable Flies 3x20
Hammer Curls 3x16
Wide Grip BB Curls 3x16
DB Curls 3x16

Good workout, feeling it today. In about 20 min... LEGS and CALVES!!!

good warmup and stretching first
BB Squats 5x10
Leg Press 5x10
Lunges 3x12 (if I can get through it)
Leg Extensions 3x15
Leg Curls 3x15
Seated calf raises 3x25
Standing calf raises (holding a 45lb plate) 3x20
one-leg calf raises on leg press 3x15

usually I intertwine my calf work into my leg work to make the workout go a little faster.

edit: good workout on legs, but I'm going to pay for it...


----------



## Flea4120

Yesterday I started up my bike route again, ~12 miles. Today it sucked cause I was probably 3 miles from being done and my back tire went flat while going down a rather good sized hill. Last year when summer ended I was around 178 and I just weighed myself and I am 198 . At least I am starting to ride my bike earlier in the year than last year when I lost 20 pounds!


----------



## brian8448

I have a bottle of unopened original AX Superdrol I'm looking to get rid of if anyone wants it, I'll give you a good price.

Adding olive oil to meat now, quality fat. Forget the connotation of the word fat, you need it, and if you're bulking you're going to want a good amount of it. Nuts, olive oil, animal fats... make sure you're getting it.


----------



## Rajah

Flea4120 said:


> Yesterday I started up my bike route again, ~12 miles. Today it sucked cause I was probably 3 miles from being done and my back tire went flat while going down a rather good sized hill. Last year when summer ended I was around 178 and I just weighed myself and I am 198 . At least I am starting to ride my bike earlier in the year than last year when I lost 20 pounds!


I went for a ride yesterday as well, 32 km/20 miles.


----------



## bruteshot74

itsmadness said:


> get some better supp's then sugar-tech. Quit while your ahead !
> 
> you'll have much better gains without sugar-tech.
> 
> even basic creatine mono is better and costs much less.


The more I read into it the more I am having to agree with this. Every place other the bodybuilding.com seems to put down No Explode and Cell Tech as being waste's of money and including a bunch of unnecessary ingredients. 

Going to be done my tub of Cell Tech pretty soon so probably going to just move to some basic stuff. This is a brand that has been recommended as pretty good. Anybody tried it before?

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/crea.html


----------



## El Conquistador

GREEN MAGNITUDE, Brute!


----------



## bruteshot74

M.W. said:


> GREEN MAGNITUDE, Brute!


http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/mag.html

:eh:


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I went to the gym a few hours ago and did some cardio. I went for about a hour or so. Lost about 500 calories overall.


----------



## bruteshot74

I do cardio everyday after my lifting portion is done. Try to go hard for about 45 minutes and my machine says I am usually in the 900 to 1000 range for calories lost.


----------



## Josh

I'm not sure how many calories I lose per session. It would have to be around 900-1000 like brute. I only do cardio so I'm not as burnt out as someone who had been lifting beforehand.


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> The more I read into it the more I am having to agree with this. Every place other the bodybuilding.com seems to put down No Explode and Cell Tech as being waste's of money and including a bunch of unnecessary ingredients.
> 
> Going to be done my tub of Cell Tech pretty soon so probably going to just move to some basic stuff. This is a brand that has been recommended as pretty good. Anybody tried it before?
> 
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/crea.html


Most "designer" supps are a waste of money IMO. I like the pre-wo stuff because of the kick it gives. NOX is ok (use it currently) but really its a mixture of caffeine and L-Arginine... I'd be just about as well off if I took 4 grams of Arginine and drank a sugar free energy drink before working out. However, the NOX is CHEAPER than an energy drink!!! The other ingredients in NOX are not enough to do anything anyway.

Cell Tech is similar, but with gobs of sugar making it even worse.


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King read that pilates is more effective than sit ups when one wants to work on the abdominal!

Granted it was intended for a female audience, guys could still take heed to that advice!

Seems plausible since pilates is far more intense, lawls!


----------



## bruteshot74

It was recommended to me that I take pilates or yoga for flexibility. Might give yoga a try on Saturday, they place closest to me holds sessions every couple of hours.


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/clabs/mag.html
> 
> :eh:


Yep.. Quality creatine at its finest, sir.


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I just got back from the gym. I had a good workout. My whole body is sore and I like it. I am craving the workouts now.


----------



## El Conquistador

Starting up on this tri-phase training program put together by bodybuilder Dennis Wolf with my dean who has been training me for six months now and is outrageously jacked in his own right. Should be a lot of fun and can't wait to see the progress. 

I'll be beginning that next week but as of now I'm just kind of taking it as it goes. Dieting, trying to lean up, and get that beach body. My current weight is 177 @ 5'9 with 10.2 % body fat. Hoping to get that down to 9% in the near future which shouldn't be a problem. Sticking to this diet:

Meal 1 (wake up): 4 egg whites, 1 whole + 1 Bowl of Kashi Go Lean Cereal
Meal 2: 16 oz of Scivation Chocolate Whey Protein mixed with water
Meal 3: 1 PBJ sandwich on wheat bread with mixed fruit (cantaloupe, apples, strawberries, oranges, grapes)
Meal 4 (post-workout): 16 oz of Scivation Chocolate Whey Protein mixed with water (includes 1 whole banana along with 2 tbsp of peanut butter for more carbs)
Meal 5: 5 oz of Chicken Breast
Meal 6: 1 Yoplait Light (Fat Free Yogurt), walnuts, and blue-berries. 
Meal 7: 1 Peanut Butter sandwich with 1 can of tuna.


----------



## brian8448

How many cals is that? Sounds like you're pretty legit, good luck with leaning out.


----------



## austinrockera

M.W. said:


> Starting up on this tri-phase training program put together by bodybuilder Dennis Wolf with my dean who has been training me for six months now and is outrageously jacked in his own right. Should be a lot of fun and can't wait to see the progress.
> 
> I'll be beginning that next week but as of now I'm just kind of taking it as it goes. Dieting, trying to lean up, and get that beach body. My current weight is 177 @ 5'9 with 10.2 % body fat. Hoping to get that down to 9% in the near future which shouldn't be a problem. Sticking to this diet:
> 
> Meal 1 (wake up): 4 egg whites, 1 whole + 1 Bowl of Kashi Go Lean Cereal
> Meal 2: 16 oz of Scivation Chocolate Whey Protein mixed with water
> Meal 3: 1 PBJ sandwich on wheat bread with mixed fruit (cantaloupe, apples, strawberries, oranges, grapes)
> Meal 4 (post-workout): 16 oz of Scivation Chocolate Whey Protein mixed with water (includes 1 whole banana along with 2 tbsp of peanut butter for more carbs)
> Meal 5: 5 oz of Chicken Breast
> Meal 6: 1 Yoplait Light (Fat Free Yogurt), walnuts, and blue-berries.
> Meal 7: 1 Peanut Butter sandwich with 1 can of tuna.


It looks like a pretty good plan, but I worry about the lack of lean meat you are eating. That stuff stokes your metabolism alot more than whey protein does. Understood if you don't have time to cook or have access to a microwave.

Here's my current diet... Pretty much a little more protein and carbs than my hard cut diet I ended on 2-28.

Meal 1: 5 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, and 1 serv of grits (inspired by Coleman)
Meal 2: 10oz of chicken, turkey, or beef sometimes and 1 serving of brown rice
Meal 3: same as 2 except maybe a sweet potato instead of rice
Meal 4: preworkout, so I have 2 scoops of ON Whey with 1/2 serving of almonds
Meal 5: postwo... home made protein bar (oats, whey, skim milk, & pudding powder)
Meal 6: same as 2 and 3 but add in a vegetable

I used to have a meal 7 right before bed, but I don't anymore... just didn't seem to work for me. If I am hungry, I will eat 1 serving of almonds and call it a night.


----------



## El Conquistador

brian8448 said:


> How many cals is that? Sounds like you're pretty legit, good luck with leaning out.


Nearly 3,000. If I calculated everything correctly, 2,670 or so.



austinrockera said:


> It looks like a pretty good plan, but I worry about the lack of lean meat you are eating. That stuff stokes your metabolism alot more than whey protein does. Understood if you don't have time to cook or have access to a microwave.
> 
> Here's my current diet... Pretty much a little more protein and carbs than my hard cut diet I ended on 2-28.
> 
> Meal 1: 5 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, and 1 serv of grits (inspired by Coleman)
> Meal 2: 10oz of chicken, turkey, or beef sometimes and 1 serving of brown rice
> Meal 3: same as 2 except maybe a sweet potato instead of rice
> Meal 4: preworkout, so I have 2 scoops of ON Whey with 1/2 serving of almonds
> Meal 5: postwo... home made protein bar (oats, whey, skim milk, & pudding powder)
> Meal 6: same as 2 and 3 but add in a vegetable
> 
> I used to have a meal 7 right before bed, but I don't anymore... just didn't seem to work for me. If I am hungry, I will eat 1 serving of almonds and call it a night.


Right on, I understand. I try to cook myself up some chicken (beef or turkey for that matter) whenever I can but a lot of the time, I'm either at college or work. I wake up at 4:30 AM just to go to the gym everyday. I've had a hard time fitting in the stuff I want to do since I've started college this year.

Looking for that degree for a source of income in exercise science and nutrition. Have to get through my Gen. Eds' first...

After that, I plan on really devoting myself to the sport. Still got some mass I need to put on but fuck, summer is coming along and the GF is going to want to see something impressive so I might as well diet properly for a couple of months.

Thanks for the advice. :happy:


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I just got back from the gym. I did some leg work and did some cardio. I had to make up for Tuesday. That wasn't one of the my strongest workouts but I stuck through it.


----------



## Goku

Went to the gym today morning. Yeh.


----------



## austinrockera

Alright... Inspirational Quote time. This is kinda long, but it is one of the reasons I started to accept working out as a lifestyle, not just a fad that fades away. This is from Henry Rollins.



> The Iron
> 
> When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me "garbage can" and telling me I'd be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn't run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.
> 
> I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn't going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you'll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me hard time. I didn't think much of them either.
> 
> Then came Mr. Pepperman, my advisor. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class.Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard. Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn't even drag them to my mom's car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.
> 
> Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.'s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn't looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing. In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn't want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in.
> 
> Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn't know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.
> 
> Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn't say shit to me.
> 
> *It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn't want to come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.*
> 
> It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.
> 
> I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn't ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you're not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.
> 
> I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone's shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr.Pepperman.
> 
> Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.
> 
> Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body.
> 
> Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.
> 
> I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.
> 
> I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.
> 
> Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.
> 
> The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.
> 
> *The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.*


----------



## Rockstar

It has come to my attention that I am a wee bit over weight (I'm 6'1 and about 200 pounds) so I was wondering how you guys would recommend dropping 15-20 pounds. I do go to the gym about 4-5 times a week already so thats not a problem but I havent lost any weight since I've started going (I've been going about 3 months), in fact, I've gained weight.


----------



## El Conquistador

Anyone follow a routine where you'd do one body party twice a day and split the two sessions off into an AM & PM workout?

For example:

-Biceps Heavy (A.M. 7:30)

-Biceps Light (P.M. 5:00)

Was interested in trying that out and Kane Sumbatt from Controlled Labs follows this model.


----------



## Klodrik

I've just started my regular Spring workout routine again and I was just wondering about some eating/protein shake tips to maximise my results.
Currently I work out about 3 times a week. I haven't really got a nailed schedule. For instance; Wednesday is a bit of weights and abs before spinning 50 mins (this is the only day that's regular). Thursdays are bandy which I attend when I have the time. Might throw in a couple of hours on Friday and Sunday night were we just go around the gym doing the different machines trying to work out the different muscle groups. In addition to that I play some football when I feel like it. 
I'm 185 cm and about 70-75 kg and I'm not looking to get bulked up or anything. Just trying to get more defined muscles and loose some of that winter fat.
Anyways, I was just wondering what would be smart to eat/drink before, say weights/spinning? Regular eating and drinking tips before and after a workout would be appreciated.


----------



## Galicia

I went on a 2 mile jog on a local park yesterday which has sort of encouraged me to start doing more excercise. I started doing weights when I felt like it a few months ago but have never really stuck to anything. I'm 5 feet 10 and currently 150 ibs and I'm hoping to get more definition into my stomach and chest area aswell as gettiing down to around 128 ibs. I'm starting the following routine on tuesday/wednesday and I would like for one of the more knowledgeable fitness guys to tell me if this will work or is good enough as tbh I'm pretty clueless.

1 hour on cross trainer or a 2 mile run (I've been doing these regardless anyway)
270 reps doing various lifts with my dumbells such as bench presses, bicep curls and so on.
300 reversed crunches
300 regular crunches

I've been doing the above routine in various spirts recently but I've not really been eating stuff that helps muscle growth though so I haven't beeen noticing as much difference as I'd like. However I'm going to purchase some pro pretipe (sp) tomorrow as a friend recommended it and instead of having food I'm just going to have 3 pints of that per day which will result in around 600-700 calorie intake which is usually about what I have during a day.


----------



## brian8448

Just out of curiosity, why are you trying to get down to 128 at 5'10?


----------



## Galicia

Well I was 128 before Christmas and had hardly any fat but no muscle and since I've gained a little fat and a little muscle and I'm hoping to burn that little bit of fat but be toned at the same time.


----------



## Nolo King

Galicia said:


> Well I was 128 before Christmas and had hardly any fat but no muscle and since I've gained a little fat and a little muscle and I'm hoping to burn that little bit of fat but be toned at the same time.


Nolo King suggests trying to not lose so much weight!

Weighing 150 pounds at that height is okay, just work on turning the fat into muscle!

Losing that much weight will make you really skinny, not even sure if it is healthy, lawls!


----------



## El Conquistador

Galicia said:


> Well I was 128 before Christmas and had hardly any fat but no muscle and since I've gained a little fat and a little muscle and I'm hoping to burn that little bit of fat but be toned at the same time.


You can't spot reduce fat but losing that much weight is unhealthy. At 5'10, 150 is a comfortable and a relatively light weight. Just watch your diet & exercise regularly.

Go something like high protein/high fat/low carbs.


----------



## brian8448

Galicia said:


> Well I was 128 before Christmas and had hardly any fat but no muscle and since I've gained a little fat and a little muscle and I'm hoping to burn that little bit of fat but be toned at the same time.


You want to be 128 at 5'10? That's not really healthy. If you want to gain QUALITY weight, as in not gain weight without getting any sort of gut, then I can help you with that. If your goal is just to be really skinny then I guess running a lot and eating "filling" foods and high fiber foods when you do eat is the answer. 700 cals a day for someone your age is pretty much insane though.

FYI, there's no such thing as "turning fat into muscle"


----------



## austinrockera

M.W. said:


> Anyone follow a routine where you'd do one body party twice a day and split the two sessions off into an AM & PM workout?
> 
> For example:
> 
> -Biceps Heavy (A.M. 7:30)
> 
> -Biceps Light (P.M. 5:00)
> 
> Was interested in trying that out and Kane Sumbatt from Controlled Labs follows this model.


I would be really careful on overtraining doing a two-a-day type workout. If both sessions are intense, you are pushing it too much IMO. I know alot of people that do something like this, but not two workouts per day. Say, I work chest on day 1... on day 2, I work back. So, on day 1 I do heavy chest, and on day 2 before my back workout starts, I do 3 or 4 sets of really light chest... then move on to heavy back... day 3, I work shoulders... I do light back, then move into the heavy shoulders. 

Training twice per day, 5 or 6 days per week is just too much... most trainers that aren't crazy will agree on that. In fact, most trainers say that 3 to 5 times per week, no more than 1 hour workouts are more than enough to do strength training.



Galicia said:


> Well I was 128 before Christmas and had hardly any fat but no muscle and since I've gained a little fat and a little muscle and I'm hoping to burn that little bit of fat but be toned at the same time.


:no: Not trying to flame, but even if you are 12 years old, 5'10" 128lbs is dangerously underweight... in fact, 150lbs is borderline. Remember, weight doesn't mean that much anyway... what matters is how much fat you have on your body. Muscle weighs more than fat anyway, so all you should be worried about it eating right and getting some muscle on your body. You could be 5'10" and 225 and if your bodyfat % is low, you will look great.


----------



## bruteshot74

That is not really that small tbh. I can see why you guys are saying not to lose weight and try to get to that but I was a pretty small guy when I was that young and I was skinny as well. Was a skinny kid but I played sports and everything all the time so weight stayed down. Even now I am like 155 at about 5'11" and am solid. Would like to be more bulky but does not bother me to much. 150 is definitely not borderline for a 12 year old kid. He should be eating more though, 700 calories is definitely not enough.


----------



## Overrated

128 is pretty low to be fair. 

Anyway ive started my cardio training up again, i took some advice from this thread and looked around on some other sites its going good. Once everyday at the moment but ill be going twice a day from tuesday onwards.


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> That is not really that small tbh. I can see why you guys are saying not to lose weight and try to get to that but I was a pretty small guy when I was that young and I was skinny as well. Was a skinny kid but I played sports and everything all the time so weight stayed down. Even now I am like 155 at about 5'11" and am solid. Would like to be more bulky but does not bother me to much. 150 is definitely not borderline for a 12 year old kid. He should be eating more though, 700 calories is definitely not enough.


The problem is this. Assuming you are under 18 years old, 5'10", and 150lbs... you don't need to try to lose weight to get down to 128lbs. There's no sense in it. Eat healthy, workout, and if you are a little chubby after 18 (when most people's bodies have matured and grown), then look at cutting some fat. You shouldn't be worried about your weight when you are that young unless you are obese.


----------



## bruteshot74

austinrockera said:


> The problem is this. Assuming you are under 18 years old, 5'10", and 150lbs... you don't need to try to lose weight to get down to 128lbs. There's no sense in it. Eat healthy, workout, and if you are a little chubby after 18 (when most people's bodies have matured and grown), then look at cutting some fat. You shouldn't be worried about your weight when you are that young unless you are obese.


Yah I know what you are saying for sure. Just saying if he was 128 pounds and 12 years old I would not be getting all worked up about size. At 150 there is no way he should be looking to cut down though, especially to that.


----------



## Spiked.

bruteshot74 said:


> Yah I know what you are saying for sure. Just saying if he was 128 pounds and 12 years old I would not be getting all worked up about size. At 150 there is no way he should be looking to cut down though, especially to that.


Yeah, but at 5'10", 128lbs is fucking insanely small.


----------



## Icon™

So today is the start to my new 10 week workout program designed for cutting and toning up. Trying to become a pro wrestler, you want to the size, but you also want to be able to move around in the ring. Right now I am at a bulky 200 pounds on a 5' 10 frame. I have a nice foundation about me, but my main goal is to be cut, so my jackedness (yes, I made that word up) becomes very noticeable. Plus as far as wrestling goes, I'd rather be leaner and athletic then bulky and more prone to injury. Below is my new diet and workout routine that I am starting today...

*
Diet*

Meal 1: 8am - 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 24g Whey Protein shake

Meal 2: 11 am - 4 oz grilled chicken breat, 1 cup veggies

*GYM*

Meal 3: 2pm - 48g Whey Protein Shake

Meal 4: 5pm - 4 oz grilled chicken breast

Meal 5: 7pm - 4 oz grilled chicken, or 4 oz steak, 1/2 cup rice, 1 cup veggies, 1/2 cup cashews, and 1 fruit.

Meal 6: IF NECESSARY - 24g Whey Protein shake


*WORKOUT ROUTINE *

_Monday: Legs_

Squats 5x5
Leg Curls 3x6-8
Standing Calf Raises 3x8-10
Seated Calf Raises 3x6-8
Good Mornings 3X8-10
Leg Extensions 3x 10-12
Leg Press 3x10-12
Jump Lunges 3x10-12

_
Tuesday: Chest/Biceps_

Bench Press 5x5
Incline Bench Press 3x6-8
Straight Barbell Curl 3x6-8
Machine Pec Dec Fly 3x8-10
Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3x6-8
Decline Dumbbell Press 3x6-8
Concentration Curls 3x8-10

_Wednesday: Off/Cardio if I go
_

_Thursday: Back/Triceps_

Pullups 3xfailure
Bent-over Barbell Rows 5x5
Over-head Dumbbell Triceps Extension 3x6-8
Deadlift 5x5
Close-grip Bench Press 3x6-8
Lat Pulldowns 5x5
Over-head Rope Extensions 3x8-10
Seated Cable Rows 3x8-10
Skull Crushers 5x5
Triceps Pulldowns 3x8-10

_Friday: Shoulders_

Military Press 5x5
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3x6-8
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3x8-10
Barbell Shrugs 3x6-8
Front Lateral Raise 3x8-10
Smith Machine Press 5x5

*
Abs and Cardio EVERYDAY!!* I am doing fairly low reps because I want to include alot of sets and I am training heavy. Right now I am 5'10, 200 pounds of bulky muscle, but in 10 weeks (June 8) I want to be alot leaner. I don't mind if I lose any weight, I just don't want to drop below 185. My main goal though is to keep the size, but cut up.


----------



## brian8448

Routine looks good, but how many cals is that? I would definitely look to get more cals in if possible. Either way, good luck in your quest for the jacked muscle fibraz.


----------



## El Conquistador

Icon™ said:


> So today is the start to my new 10 week workout program designed for cutting and toning up. Trying to become a pro wrestler, you want to the size, but you also want to be able to move around in the ring. Right now I am at a bulky 200 pounds on a 5' 10 frame. I have a nice foundation about me, but my main goal is to be cut, so my jackedness (yes, I made that word up) becomes very noticeable. Plus as far as wrestling goes, I'd rather be leaner and athletic then bulky and more prone to injury. Below is my new diet and workout routine that I am starting today...
> 
> *
> Diet*
> 
> Meal 1: 8am - 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 24g Whey Protein shake
> 
> Meal 2: 11 am - 4 oz grilled chicken breat, 1 cup veggies
> 
> *GYM*
> 
> Meal 3: 2pm - 48g Whey Protein Shake
> 
> Meal 4: 5pm - 4 oz grilled chicken breast
> 
> Meal 5: 7pm - 4 oz grilled chicken, or 4 oz steak, 1/2 cup rice, 1 cup veggies, 1/2 cup cashews, and 1 fruit.
> 
> Meal 6: IF NECESSARY - 24g Whey Protein shake
> 
> 
> *WORKOUT ROUTINE *
> 
> _Monday: Legs_
> 
> Squats 5x5
> Leg Curls 3x6-8
> Standing Calf Raises 3x8-10
> Seated Calf Raises 3x6-8
> Good Mornings 3X8-10
> Leg Extensions 3x 10-12
> Leg Press 3x10-12
> Jump Lunges 3x10-12
> 
> _
> Tuesday: Chest/Biceps_
> 
> Bench Press 5x5
> Incline Bench Press 3x6-8
> Straight Barbell Curl 3x6-8
> Machine Pec Dec Fly 3x8-10
> Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl 3x6-8
> Decline Dumbbell Press 3x6-8
> Concentration Curls 3x8-10
> 
> _Wednesday: Off/Cardio if I go
> _
> 
> _Thursday: Back/Triceps_
> 
> Pullups 3xfailure
> Bent-over Barbell Rows 5x5
> Over-head Dumbbell Triceps Extension 3x6-8
> Deadlift 5x5
> Close-grip Bench Press 3x6-8
> Lat Pulldowns 5x5
> Over-head Rope Extensions 3x8-10
> Seated Cable Rows 3x8-10
> Skull Crushers 5x5
> Triceps Pulldowns 3x8-10
> 
> _Friday: Shoulders_
> 
> Military Press 5x5
> Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3x6-8
> Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3x8-10
> Barbell Shrugs 3x6-8
> Front Lateral Raise 3x8-10
> Smith Machine Press 5x5
> 
> *
> Abs and Cardio EVERYDAY!!* I am doing fairly low reps because I want to include alot of sets and I am training heavy. Right now I am 5'10, 200 pounds of bulky muscle, but in 10 weeks (June 8) I want to be alot leaner. I don't mind if I lose any weight, I just don't want to drop below 185. My main goal though is to keep the size, but cut up.


Not a bad diet. I'd say you need a little more calories as your carbs are going to be depleted by the looks of the diet. You'll be dragging like a mofo if you dont get some more energy in there.


----------



## austinrockera

Icon™ said:


> *
> Diet*
> 
> Meal 1: 8am - 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 24g Whey Protein shake
> 
> Meal 2: 11 am - 4 oz grilled chicken breat, 1 cup veggies
> 
> *GYM*
> 
> Meal 3: 2pm - 48g Whey Protein Shake
> 
> Meal 4: 5pm - 4 oz grilled chicken breast
> 
> Meal 5: 7pm - 4 oz grilled chicken, or 4 oz steak, 1/2 cup rice, 1 cup veggies, 1/2 cup cashews, and 1 fruit.
> 
> Meal 6: IF NECESSARY - 24g Whey Protein shake


Take it from me... I've done it not long ago... if you go on a diet like this with little to no carbs, your body will make you pay for it sooner or later. You are running about 40grams of carbs from what I can see... not good if you are going to be as active as you say. 

I did the low carb dieting for two months trying to cut as much weight as possible (for a weight loss competition). I lost 42lbs in 2 months, but gained 15 of it back within 3 weeks (about 5 of it was water)... only difference in my diet is that I put the carbs back in... my body stored them up hence the weight gain.

Energy will kick you butt too... I did cardio every morning at 5:00AM for 45 min or so, and even though it was tough, it was ok... If you aren't taking enough carbs, your body will turn to the fats you are eating for energy, then if you don't have enough fats coming in, it will turn to your muscle and start eating it up.

I'd say make sure you take in 1gram / lb for carbs, and as long as you are eating complex carbs you will be fine. Also 1.5grams / lb of protein, and get those good fats in there too. Without them, you won't lose bodyfat (I know sounds weird, but it works).

Just my .02


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I had a nice workout yesterday morning. I found out that I do better in the morning than at night. I have a lot more energy.


----------



## Goku

I always like to go to the gym in the morning. The day feels a lot longer that way. One can get more done.


----------



## El Conquistador

Ditto.

I'm always up at the gym when it opens. Sure, waking up @ 4:45 AM (Central Time) is rough but I know after classes at college as well as work that I'll have absolutely no will to go and workout.

That's not by choice. I'd much rather workout around 2 PM or so but hell, you work with what you got. Well, at least I do...


----------



## CM_Jobber

Do you guys drink anything after using the gym?
I'm currently using *Rego Recovery* sports mix drink to help with muscles. I mix it with a half pint of whole milk. It tastes great,though i'm not sure how good it actually is. Any other suggestions would be great


----------



## bruteshot74

All I been doing is creatine right after workout and then sometimes protein shake a little bit later. I stopped taking the creatine though, it was messing with my stomach and not in a good way. Might go back on it when I try just some regular bulk stuff, the Cell Tech stuff has way to much sugar.


----------



## El Conquistador

CM_Jobber said:


> Do you guys drink anything after using the gym?
> I'm currently using *Rego Recovery* sports mix drink to help with muscles. I mix it with a half pint of whole milk. It tastes great,though i'm not sure how good it actually is. Any other suggestions would be great



-Kaizen 100% Chocolate Whey Protein (5 lbs)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/kzn/whey.html



-Powerade Sour Melon Ion4 for fast digesting carbs


-Sometimes some waxy maize will be thrown in my protein shakes.


I'm not currently taking a creatine supplement but my best results from creatine has stemmed off of Controlled Labs' Green Magnitude. A close second would be 4Ever Fit's Creatine Monohydrate.


----------



## Goku

I drink water cause you know I'm like tired and stuff.


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> All I been doing is creatine right after workout and then sometimes protein shake a little bit later. I stopped taking the creatine though, it was messing with my stomach and not in a good way. Might go back on it when I try just some regular bulk stuff, the Cell Tech stuff has way to much sugar.


I told you dude... that sugar is too much for most people to handle, especially during and after working out. The bulk stuff is cheaper and better anyway.

As far as after WO for me... I have homemade protein bars that I eat when I get home. If I can't go home pretty quick, I just grab something... you need some carbs, actually simple carbs are better right after WO, and some protein... whey is best because your body will digest it faster.


----------



## Ruck_Fules

So I need to get on a weight diet system to get in shape for police academy. As it sits right now, I can test in but by the time I get there, I want to be able to do the physical test to get out so I can just worry about learning laws and stuff.

I am 5'11" and weigh 210. I will start the system end of April/ early May after I am finished coaching soccer. Any tips on just getting into shape?


----------



## Rajah

I went to the supplement store the other day, walked out $300 odd poorer and got some Controlled Labs Green Magnitude Creatine, Inner Circle ISO protein, and Anadraulic State. My God that stuff is powerful. I've never had a kick like I did with the Anadraulic State, but be warned, it has _the worst_ taste of any supplement I've ever had. It gave me a buzz after about 10 minutes. 
The worst thing was last Sunday I took some protein just after dinner, just before my workout. I had the Anadraulic State then did my workout about 30 minutes later. During the night I had to go to the toilet, again and again, and after feeling crap when I got up I ended up having the day off work just so I could be close to the toilet. I'm OK now, and feel I had to much to eat before the workout so I have been careful since and had no ill effect.


----------



## CM_Jobber

Cheers for the help,guys. One more question.............what do you guy's drink _before_ work-out? Cos i was told that Whey Protein stuff is better before rather than after the gym.


----------



## Rush

Fuck. Last 2-3 weeks i've been eating terribly due to lack of time at university and stuff, drank a whole heap of beer with my mates and i've done fuck all exercise aside from cricket training and games which is better than nothing i suppose. Got to get back into it :$



M.W. said:


> Right on, I understand. I try to cook myself up some chicken (beef or turkey for that matter) whenever I can but a lot of the time, I'm either at college or work. I wake up at 4:30 AM just to go to the gym everyday. I've had a hard time fitting in the stuff I want to do since I've started college this year.
> 
> Looking for that *degree for a source of income in exercise science and nutrition*. Have to get through my Gen. Eds' first...


Good stuff. I'm doing a degree in health and exercise science atm. I want to eventually get into physio although what i'm in atm is pretty interesting.


----------



## Akihiko

Honestly? I walk and watch my diet and eat veggies and meats.


----------



## Rajah

CM_Jobber said:


> Cheers for the help,guys. One more question.............what do you guy's drink _before_ work-out? Cos i was told that Whey Protein stuff is better before rather than after the gym.


I'm having the Anadraulic State before my workout. It pumps you up for the workout. As for taking protein, you can have it an hour or so before your workout or even have it during, but be sure to have a full shake after your workout as that's when your muscles are looking for extra protein.
You don't grow in the gym, you grow at home when you are resting. Workout hard, with good form, and have good recovery and eat good foods. Don't have the workout of a lifetime then have pizza afterwards.


----------



## CM_Jobber

Cheers mate. I'd never eat a pizza after work out,but when i first took a football coaching course,my tutor told me that chocolate is good for the first hour afterwards cos you need to get sugar back into your body. Its known as the "Golden Hour" (i shit you not). Any thoughts on this?


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

After working out, I drink either Whey Protein shakes or something called EAS Advant Edge Carb Control, and I also eat a Protein Bar, also from EAS, after which I rest. I go to the YMCA, which is an awesome place, and kinda cheap because I'm only 17.


----------



## austinrockera

CM_Jobber said:


> Cheers mate. I'd never eat a pizza after work out,but when i first took a football coaching course,my tutor told me that chocolate is good for the first hour afterwards cos you need to get sugar back into your body. Its known as the "Golden Hour" (i shit you not). Any thoughts on this?


He is right... Mens Health states that the best post workout drink is actually chocolate milk.

If I remember right, you do want to spike your insulin after working out because it helps rush nutrients to your muscles. Don't go overboard, but some sugar will help. Hell, the muscle tech has 75grams of sugar in a serving. If you are going to cheat a little, post workout is the time.


----------



## bruteshot74

austinrockera said:


> He is right... Mens Health states that the best post workout drink is actually chocolate milk.
> 
> If I remember right, you do want to spike your insulin after working out because it helps rush nutrients to your muscles. Don't go overboard, but some sugar will help. Hell, the muscle tech has 75grams of sugar in a serving. If you are going to cheat a little, post workout is the time.


Muscle Tech = bad. I was taking less then they said to take and it was still fucking with my system. Going to order a small tub of the stuff MW told me to get a couple of pages back though I think because creatine was definitely helping me but I would rather feel the same after then feel like shit for the rest of the night just to get a couple extra reps and hold some water weight.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> I went to the supplement store the other day, walked out $300 odd poorer and got some Controlled Labs Green Magnitude Creatine, Inner Circle ISO protein, and Anadraulic State. My God that stuff is powerful. I've never had a kick like I did with the Anadraulic State, but be warned, it has _the worst_ taste of any supplement I've ever had. It gave me a buzz after about 10 minutes.
> The worst thing was last Sunday I took some protein just after dinner, just before my workout. I had the Anadraulic State then did my workout about 30 minutes later. During the night I had to go to the toilet, again and again, and after feeling crap when I got up I ended up having the day off work just so I could be close to the toilet. I'm OK now, and feel I had to much to eat before the workout so I have been careful since and had no ill effect.


How'd you like the Green Magnitude? I'm always promoting it in here and haven't received much feedback from anyone. Seeing that you are supplementing it (have for a long while or just started, I assume) I thought I'd ask. 



CM_Jobber said:


> Cheers for the help,guys. One more question.............what do you guy's drink before work-out? Cos i was told that Whey Protein stuff is better before rather than after the gym.


Yeah, I take strictly my whey protein with/without a banana. I've tried numerous nitric oxide supplements before so here are my thoughts on them:

-I've used Muscle Pharm's Assault as my NO supplement and that worked alright. 

-BSN's Nitric Oxide "No Xplode" wasn't quality because you need such a heavy dose of it for it to be effective. Plus, many people have grown immune to the supplement which is a tremendous waste of money.

-Gaspari Super Pump 250 was probably the best pre-workout supplement I've experimented with. Personally, I decided to stop using it because of being too jittery and pumped up for three hours. Sure, it's supposed to do that but Super Pump 250 was a little too extreme for me.

-Controlled Labs White Flood is a decent NO supplement for pre-workout. I find it more beneficial when doing endurance related exercises rather than pure strength exercises or activities related to increasing muscular hypertrophy. 

I've stopped using the pre-workout helpers. Much more of a negative effect on me.

However, I do use intra-workout supplements. My personal favorite is Controlled Labs' Purple Wraath but I'm currently using IntraVol by MuscleTech right now and it's been working out great. Still not a fan of intra-workout products either. I'd rather just drink a monster/amp energy drink.



Sticksy said:


> Good stuff. I'm doing a degree in health and exercise science atm. I want to eventually get into physio although what i'm in atm is pretty interesting.


Good shit. I might be coming to you for advice/pointers/help in the future. Just getting my general education courses (math, science, english) out of the way these first two years then I'll be studying that field extensively. (Y)



austinrockera said:


> He is right... Mens Health states that the best post workout drink is actually chocolate milk.
> 
> If I remember right, you do want to spike your insulin after working out because it helps rush nutrients to your muscles. Don't go overboard, but some sugar will help. Hell, the muscle tech has 75grams of sugar in a serving. If you are going to cheat a little, post workout is the time.


I actually recall reading that, too. Chocolate milk is awesome, especially as an alternative to whey protein if you don't have the funds. The calcium (major fat burning mineral) as well as other vitamins/minerals are also beneficial in their own right.


----------



## Rajah

M.W. said:


> How'd you like the Green Magnitude? I'm always promoting it in here and haven't received much feedback from anyone. Seeing that you are supplementing it (have for a long while or just started, I assume) I thought I'd ask.


I've only been taking it for a week. It's has a very sweet taste which i am enjoying at the moment. My younger brother had been taking it for a while and he tells me I'll get sick of the taste. We'll wait and see.
As for it's effectiveness I'll have to wait and see. No problems so far, but I do find I'm getting up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night. I am drinking a lot of water when taking the creatine so i guess it's excess fluid.


----------



## Rush

M.W. said:


> Good shit. I might be coming to you for advice/pointers/help in the future. Just getting my general education courses (math, science, english) out of the way these first two years then I'll be studying that field extensively. (Y)


Yeah its a fair amount of fun. Obviously the education system is different here than there but most of the subject i'm doing are pretty interesting but hard 



Rajah said:


> No problems so far, but I do find I'm getting up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.


Glad to see you're not putting this down to your age :argh:


----------



## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> Muscle Tech = bad. I was taking less then they said to take and it was still fucking with my system. Going to order a small tub of the stuff MW told me to get a couple of pages back though I think because creatine was definitely helping me but I would rather feel the same after then feel like shit for the rest of the night just to get a couple extra reps and hold some water weight.


I am starting to think about the Green Mag also... I'm not a good responder to creatine though. It tends to make me hold too much water, the majority in my midsection. I've tried regular mono, the walmart creatine (lots of sugar like cell tech), cell mass from bsn, and regular creatine ethyl ester that I'm using now. Controlled Labs makes good stuff from my experience. I like White Flood, and am currently using orange triad as my multivitamin. I've used purple wrath before also, and if not for the god awful taste and not mixing well at all, I'd still be using it.

As far as PreWO, about 1 hour before working out, I drink my whey or eat some lean meat if I don't want to drink my protein. About 15-20 min before WO, I take my prewo drink. I've tried alot, and try to switch it up as much as possible so I don't get used to it.

I've tried:

NOXplode - alot of caffeine and L-Arginine. If you aren't used to the caffeine, it gives you a heck of a kick. 1.5 scoops for me is all I need right now. When 2 scoops don't work, I will switch.

Super Pump - for me it was meh... 1 scoop didn't do much, 2 scoops gave me the shits. You want fear in the gym... 2 scoops of SP250 and working heavy squats followed by heavy leg press when you have the shits. That's fear!

White Flood - good stuff. Didn't give me the major kick that NOX did, but overall, its a good value and pretty quality stuff.

Fast Twitch - nothing too special. not a big kick, more of a slow energy that doesn't give out on you for a couple of hours. I might get a bottle of this in the future to give it a good testing.

L-Arginine & Lo Carb Monster - this is my "homemade" prewo supp. It works basically just as good as the others. I take 4grams of L-Arginine and slam a can of Monster (blue M) about 20 min before workout. If I need a bigger kick, I slam the XXL can.


----------



## El Conquistador

What do you fellow bodybuilders to get that lift in your lower pecs? It's good to have huge upper pecs and a well built middle chest but if you don't have the lift / shape you could end up looking very off balance symmetry wise. 

I do decline bench press and weighted dips but I want to vary things up as it's getting somewhat boring. Any ideas?


----------



## Rajah

Sticksy said:


> Glad to see you're not putting this down to your age :argh:


Seeing as it only happens when I take it I do put it down to that product, not my old age, or the inflamed prostate I had a month ago that seems to have cleared up.

Yep, getting old is fun, at times.


----------



## austinrockera

M.W. said:


> What do you fellow bodybuilders to get that lift in your lower pecs? It's good to have huge upper pecs and a well built middle chest but if you don't have the lift / shape you could end up looking very off balance symmetry wise.
> 
> I do decline bench press and weighted dips but I want to vary things up as it's getting somewhat boring. Any ideas?


Not sure exactly what you are talking about... you mean when you flex, and you can lift the bottom half of your chest? If I'm thinking right, its more due to muscle maturity and genetics than anything else. 

As for what I do for chest (heading to the gym right now for chest actually)... incline, decline, flat bench press w/ BB and DB... flys from all angles w/ DB and cables. Weighted dips are great, but make sure you are leaning forward when doing them or you will target your triceps more than your chest.


----------



## El Conquistador

Here's a high intensity, killer workout I've been doing for my 'guns' lately that my trainer (JC) came up with:

*Monster Set: Biceps*
-BB Preacher Curls 10-15 reps
-DB Hammer Curls 10-15 reps
-EZ Bar Curls 10-12 reps
-DB Preachers 10 reps

4 sets

Superset all those exercises consecutively. I can normally curl 45 lb DB's with strict form 10x each arm but struggled to hammer curl the 30's. Really good workout to get the blood flowing.

*Monster Set: Triceps*
-CG Bench 10-15 reps
-DB Overhead Extensions 10-15 reps
-V-Bar Pressdowns 10-15 reps
-CG Bench 6-10 reps

2 sets

*Superset consecutively*

*Semi-Monster: Triceps*
-Skull crushers 10-12 reps
-Rope Pushdowns 15 reps

2 sets

Should take under an hour to get through it all. Allow yourself ample rest time after completing a monster set. Rest 2-3 minutes and repeat it again.

Blood will be flowing, muscles will be incredibly pumped, and you'll leave the gym with an awesome workout. Take it up if you've hit a plateau and mix things up.

All credit to JC for the workout.. He can be found on bodyspace @ bodybuilding.com for those interested.


----------



## Gold Muscle

Guys try this 6weeks workout and you will get results, i have been working out for 2years using the programs that the gym instructors put you on and i couldn't get much results, then i tried this 6week workout and i got better results with less time spent at the gym,
workout *MON, Wed, Fri,* Supersets, also if you like do 20 minuts of cardio at 75% on your non weight lifting days like Tue, Thurs, Sat, its up to you, also focus on getting the weights up between the weeks,
*THE WORKOUT*
1: Weeks 1-2: 3 sets of 15 reps with 30 seconds rest,
2: Weeks 3-4: 4 sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds rest,
3: Weeks 5-6: 5 sets of 5 reps with 90 seconds rest,
remember the rest period plays a big roll in this workout,
1: Deadlifts,
2: Dumbell Flat Bench Chest Press,
3: Front Barbell Squat,
4: Bent over Barbell Row,
5: Standing Military Press (front or back),
6: Front Plate Wood Choppers,
7: Chin ups,
8: Dips,
9: Back Extensions,
10:Reverse Incline Raises,
if you don't know how to do this corectly than ask your gym instructor to show you because the deadlift can damage your back if not done properly.
let me know what you think.


----------



## El Conquistador

I'm going to be training insane with Kane~! tomorrow! He's the guy from CL, should be awesome! I'm positive I'll be sore for half a week (at least).


----------



## Gridiron Guru 89

I'm a college football player 5'7 220lbs I bench 415lbs and squat 545lbs if anyone has any questions reguarding weight lifting or speed development, feel free to PM me. I've been at it since I was 15 years old and I havn't missed a week at the gym. I've studied my ass off and trained my ass so I could be a big help for many beginners and the more experienced at the gym as well.


----------



## El Conquistador

Gridiron Guru 89 said:


> I'm a college football player 5'7 220lbs I bench 415lbs and squat 545lbs if anyone has any questions reguarding weight lifting or speed development, feel free to PM me. I've been at it since I was 15 years old and I havn't missed a week at the gym. I've studied my ass off and trained my ass so I could be a big help for many beginners and the more experienced at the gym as well.


hi. i r 12 years old and want 2 bench 400 lbs. help plz?


----------



## Ruck_Fules

In June, I am going to compete in the Utah Summer Games in a 3 on 3 soccer tournament. I am getting ready to start working out more then just the daily soccer practice for the high school soccer team I coach. 

Any tips on what I should be working on? (drills, diets, etc.)


----------



## brian8448

If you've never seen, you must watch this immediately! Pumping Iron, the full movie, most classic piece of video related to bodybuilding/weightlifting EVER. Centers around Ferrigno's quest to take Arnold's Mr. Olympia title at the last one Arnold competed at.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...Sd2HOIXc-AGCtJy9DQ&q=pumping+iron+movie&hl=en


----------



## TheLoneShark

So here's a strange question: I used to work out all the time, then stopped when the kids were born because, well, they're more important. And I was in pretty good shape: 5'11, 196lbs, everything perfectly proportioned.

Not, Well, I'm still 5'11, but I'm 260ish lbs. But that's not the major concern. My legs aren't perfectly toned, but they're in respectable shape. I've successfully gained the obligatory 'daddy gut' (which I want rid of) but my arms have gone skinny as shit. They're literally skin and bone.

So how can I create a workout plan to get it all back in proportion? I'll point out that anything that involves shoulder raises or the like is out. My right shoulder is somewhere between majorly and apocalypticly fucked.

But I'll take any tips you have. I've got this diet on the go, I'm on around 1000kcal a day, and I only eat once. I'm trying to shed the gut ASAP, hence the tiny diet.

So... the challenge is down... anyone got any get fit and stop looking like shit advice?


----------



## Spiked.

I am no where near an expert, but if I was you I would just do mainly cardio and lift. You won't get good gains eating 1000 cals a day, but you will get stronger and toner as you lose body fat. Also if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?


----------



## TheLoneShark

I'm 24, so it's not like I'm old...


----------



## damed124

*huge weight question*

okay im a tad overweight and im 5'9-5'10 and i want to lose about 60-80 by September from 270 at least maybe by December...i come from a Latin family which only make plantains in the morning , no lunch and rice and beans and meat in the night how can i achieve my goal?

my last choice was to come here since everywhere, i checked has me trying to do the whole rich people thing from buying a workout machine and/or hit up a gym...but ain't not damn gyms around me that are cheap i come from a middleish class in the Bronx. Ain't nobody have enough money to do anything here


----------



## TheLoneShark

*Re: huge weight question*

You don't need money to run, or do sit-ups. Or Press-ups  

I didn't know there was a 'middlish' class in the Bronx, either. Hmm, learn something new every day.


----------



## damed124

*Re: huge weight question*



TheLoneShark said:


> You don't need money to run, or do sit-ups. Or Press-ups
> 
> I didn't know there was a 'middlish' class in the Bronx, either. Hmm, learn something new every day.


lol just saying im not broke i have money but most of it goes away on bills of needed things

and about the sit ups or press ups and running i know that but im talking about food wise and some type of other needed hints


----------



## Legendary Ora

*Re: huge weight question*

Never eat untill you're "full" or "bloated" seperate your meals into smaller ones, keep yourself average all day.

But changing your diet can only do so much.
You gotta exercise too of course, I'd recommend just biking or running and like said before situps/pushups.

Because you can compare this to like MMA, you can't just be a good stand-up boxer and expect to be a good all around fighter. You have to learn how to fight and defend on the ground and such.


----------



## Slugger O'Toole

*Re: huge weight question*

If You eat rice in quantity everday you need to cut that out/down to loose weight.

The body supposedly takes it's energy from carbohydrates first then starts on buring your body fat after thats all used up.

It's mere logic that if you don't put carbs in you start burning fat.

In terms of exercise it's good to do something that keeps the heart rate high for long periods, Push up's etc will improve muscle tone but not shift weight.

You need to do some jogging/speed walking or get a cross trainer/rowing machine or something.


----------



## TheLoneShark

*Re: huge weight question*

Always cook stuff fresh too, that's always good advice. Frozen shit is horrible for you.

But don't do the organic veg thing, that shit'll kill you.


----------



## vss_619

*Re: huge weight question*

you need to do alot push ups and try to go out to do a running should help you


----------



## vss_619

ah guys i dont know so good in pounds cause im from Israel and we use KG here so im about 79kg and i can lift like 100kg.... and im like 8-9 month in the gym and im 17 still its not enough you need to train at least couple of years to get a great shape!


----------



## Slugger O'Toole

*Re: huge weight question*



vss_619 said:


> you need to do alot push ups and try to go out to do a running should help you


You won't lose weight doing push ups. It burns like no calories in comparison to cardiovascular work.

Bet your fucking massive.

I on the other hand have the face and body of an adonis.


----------



## El Conquistador

vss_619 said:


> ah guys i dont know so good in pounds cause im from Israel and we use KG here so im about 79kg and i can lift like 100kg.... and im like 8-9 month in the gym and im 17 still its not enough you need to train at least couple of years to get a great shape!


79 KG = 175.5 lbs
100 KG = 222.5 lbs

100 KG's for what exercise? Rather than be a dick I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and believe you. That's pretty impressive from a guy 8 months removed from his first appearance in the gym.


----------



## TraceTheWood

I'm a tad annoyed. I've began training in the gym, about 11 months ago. I followed a moderate work-out plan to get me in generally good fitness, and probably stayed on it for a bit too long. I ended up losing around 15 pounds, from 215lb to 200lb. That's not a great deal, I know, and I'm really more interested in putting on muscle mass than dropping fat, but I suppose that's how it logically goes.

A couple fo months ago, I had a lot of thigns which I had to pay for, so I quit the gym and bought some loose weights. I've since gained about ten pounds, again, mainly due to my poor diet, but also because I can't stay damn motivated to train.

So, I suppose the question which I need to ask from this rant is, how do you guys remain motivated to train? And also, to eat healthily?


----------



## CM_Jobber

*Re: huge weight question*

Go to the *work out/stay in shape *thread. Ask your question in there. I got loads of advice from them (try the likes of Rajah,Bruteshot and Flex MW).

heres the link
http://www.wrestlingforum.com/anything/444916-workout-staying-shape-thread.html


----------



## luminaire

*Re: huge weight question*

Fuck diets.

Just run. A lot.


----------



## bruteshot74

My only motivation is keeping good physique and not being embarrassed of what you look like. Getting compliments from opposite sex is nice as well  I might be one of few, but I really do not have to watch my diet much at the moment. I do eat moderately healthy though, no junk food or pop but other then that I really eat what I want. For myself, as long as I keep working out then I stay in good shape and lately since I started going harder I been getting bigger and stronger which is a plus.


----------



## bruteshot74

*Re: huge weight question*

Just watch what you eat and run/walk/bike. Take a 30 minute run or something everyday and you will see your weight start to drop. Sit ups and push ups ain't going to do shit all for you if you are trying to lose weight.


----------



## stevester70

*Re: huge weight question*

simply just walking helped my friend out loads, but he was a pretty good eater in the first place just not very active


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

*Re: huge weight question*

Start by making a more realistic weight loss goal. 2 lbs a week is max weight loss.


----------



## damed124

*Re: huge weight question*



bruteshot74 said:


> Just watch what you eat and run/walk/bike. Take a 30 minute run or something everyday and you will see your weight start to drop. Sit ups and push ups ain't going to do shit all for you if you are trying to lose weight.


dude? get back at me on msn...you left me lonely =(


----------



## spiderbloke

*Re: huge weight question*

Cut out fatty food as well as alcohol, sugar etc. Not all of it but reduce it drink water instead of coke say.

Also exercise, exercise, exercise you seem very unwilling to do this therefore you will stay fat


----------



## Invenshun

*Re: huge weight question*

You'll see a massive difference if you:

Stop drinking sodas and start drinking water. For me when I drunk water with my meals it made me feel "full" alot faster without having to eat my whole plate.

Try to eat 6 small meals a day like every 3 hours. I try to, but not always. I'm not a freak when it comes to health but I try to fit some of it into my life. If you need to chew bubble gum in the span of the 3 hours if you become hungry. It takes your mind off eating. 

You're best asking in that workout thread someone mentioned in this thread.


----------



## TraceTheWood

Thanks for the help. 

I do actually try to do the 6 small meals per day. I usually succeed with 5 of them, and then either forget about or just don't do the sixth, because it is quite late at that time, and I don't feel like eating. I managed to follow the six meals per day for a couple of months, though, so I'm confident I can start it again. Replacing pop with water does sound like a good idea.

I've heard how walking can be just as helpful as running. But, the problem is finding the time to walk as much as I would need to. The weekends seem to be the only logical time for that. Nonetheless, I also have Diamond Dallas Page's Yoga for Regular Guys which is really quite effective, when one does it properly.

I do have my reasons for wanting to get into shape. I suppose it all comes down to me to stop wallowing, and just do it.


----------



## RyuuHasha

I know I shouldn't be drinking soda, but its hard to resist.


----------



## TraceTheWood

Honestly, I'm not sure that any damage will be done if you drink Diet Sodas. It won't give you the benefits of water, though.


----------



## austinrockera

Alot of studies have been done that drinking diet sodas might even be worse than drinking regular ones. Mens Health says that the artificial sweeteners tend to make you have even more of a sweet tooth. 

Either way, they are bad because they are a diuretic, and make you retain water.

If you want to eat good, eat good. Don't try to figure out alternatives... just eat right.

First... drink water, bottom line... I'd say a rough estimate is .5oz per lb of body weight. I drink more than that though. I run about 210lbs and drink 1gal (128oz) to 1.5 gal per day.

Second... stop drinking the other stuff regularly... a coke or energy drink once per day won't hurt too bad if you drink enough water.

Third... sweets are the devil... white breads aren't much better... Cut this and do the above two, and you will likely lose alot of fat.

Fourth... more protein... I'd guess about 85% of people in this world don't eat enough protein. A healthy amount is roughly 1oz / lb of body weight... Protein is the building block of muscle, and helps lose weight on top of that.

Fifth... the correct types of carbs and fats... slow digesting (complex) carbs and omega fats are what you need to lose fat... look them up and you will understand what works and what doesn't...

Finally the good news... eat right 6 days out of the week, and cheat on the 7th. Its ok, and actually helps your body get its cravings... its my favorite day of the week.

any questions, let me know...


----------



## -GP-

Ok, here's the situation:

I've never really worked out in a gym.

As a teen i was kinda chubby, nothing severe, say 15-20 lbs which didn't look too bad since i'm somewhere in the mid 1.80s in hight (think that's something like 6 feet) and have a pretty solid frame.

Spend two years in the army where the general manual labour around camp and a bit of exercising along with the fixed meal times brought me down to something like 5-10lbs over weight. 

First couple of years of Uni i played some football and walked quite a bit since i lived close to campus, so i maintained myself to that and was happy with it.
This year i live far away from campus so i take a bus which limited my walking and i stopped playing football for other reasons, so i'm finding myself with a bit of belly fat build up after winter.

I started hitting the Uni gym but i'm kinda lost on what i'm supposed to be doing.
Been going for a week now and basically i've been rotating around the cardio machines, finding i enjoy treadmill interval training the most. Usually go mid-morning, do around an hour or so.

I'm not really interested in building any sort of muscle mass at this point, just want to shed the excess fat for the time being and get some endurance back on board (used to climb 6 floors without a blink last September, now i get all tired).

Nutrition wise i think i'm eating relatively well. Not going crazy on broccoli and cauliflower or anything, but i get home cooked meals and salads when i can get them, keep them on as steady a schedule as i can, snack on fruit instead of sweets and i haven't drank any sodas in at least 3 years (unless you count alcohol mixers), usually just water and the odd juice or milk once in a while.

Am i doing what i'm supposed to be, or should i change things?


----------



## austinrockera

-GP- said:


> Am i doing what i'm supposed to be, or should i change things?


Common misconception between women and men that don't want to "get big" you can lift all the heavy weight you want, and you WILL NOT get big doing just that. It takes excess of calories to get big. Think about it... you are lifting all that weight. How do your muscles grow? They can't suck in air and hold it. They need nutrients... protein, carbs, and lots of it to get bigger.

I do agree that cardio will help lose fat, but it is second to weight training believe it or not. Building up some lean muscle will cause your body's metabolism to rev up, causing you to burn more calories 24x7. Doing cardio will help burn calories for that 1/2 hour or 1 hour that you do it, but not much after.

Just an FYI.


----------



## -GP-

What kind of rough program would you recommend?
I mean in terms of splitting my time between cardio and weights, rough durations and the like.


----------



## bruteshot74

Personally I do an hour of lifting, each part having there own day, usually 5 times a week. Then I do cardio every single day. On my workout days I usually go for 30 minutes after and then on non workout days it is 45 mins in the morning. Really depends on what you want to do. Do not have to listen to what other people say, just experiment and you will find something that works for you.


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King once heard that masturbation makes working out a lot more difficult, meaning, less muscular development!

Just wondering if someone could back this claim!

Could explain a lot, for other people of course, lawls!


----------



## brian8448

In theory it does make sense but we'd have to be talking about excessive masturbation. Once a day or less and you should definitely be alright.


----------



## austinrockera

-GP- said:


> What kind of rough program would you recommend?
> I mean in terms of splitting my time between cardio and weights, rough durations and the like.


In my experience, workout first, then cardio following.

When I was cutting weight hard I did what most bodybuilders do for their contest prep. 30 min of cardio in the morning. Workout in the afternoon, and 30 min of cardio following the workout. 

As far as what to do working out, you can do just about whatever you want since you are concentrating on losing weight. Split routine, supersets, circuits... doesn't matter, just lift weight, and do enough weight or reps, or both to make it challenging and make you breath hard by the end of the workout.


----------



## (-KinG-)

Hi, I'm 15 and am 150 lbs. I'm in a good shape, and an pretty ripped, but I'm not huge by any means. My arms are 14".
I swim (competitively) 4 times a week, and play an hour an a half of basketball a week (minimum). I'm using 10.3kg dumbbells at the moment and, although I have seen improvement over the last month, I have never got a large increase in muscle mass. Can anyone suggest a training programme that would suit this at all?

In addition, I've never been big on taking supplements, but I'm looking into buying some. Can anyone recommend any top brands or products that are worth taking a look at? I found THIS, but is it effective at all? I've heard many stories of supplements being ineffective, and I do not want to go wasting my money on a dud product.


----------



## -GP-

Thanks to all for the help.

Did weight machines this morning and then hit the treadmill for another half hour or so.
Basically went through pretty much every machine doing 2-3 sets on each just to feel them all out and see what they're like.
Left the gym more tired than ever so i guess it works .


----------



## bruteshot74

(-KinG-) said:


> Hi, I'm 15 and am 150 lbs. I'm in a good shape, and an pretty ripped, but I'm not huge by any means. My arms are 14".
> I swim (competitively) 4 times a week, and play an hour an a half of basketball a week (minimum). I'm using 10.3kg dumbbells at the moment and, although I have seen improvement over the last month, I have never got a large increase in muscle mass. Can anyone suggest a training programme that would suit this at all?
> 
> In addition, I've never been big on taking supplements, but I'm looking into buying some. Can anyone recommend any top brands or products that are worth taking a look at? I found THIS, but is it effective at all? I've heard many stories of supplements being ineffective, and I do not want to go wasting my money on a dud product.


You are to young to be taking supplements. Wait at least until your like 18. Your body is still growing and do not want to affect that when it could end up being a negative effect.

If you want to get bigger, just eat more. Working out for a month is not going to give you drastic changes. I been going pretty strong for close to a year and my gains have been pretty minimal, but they are there.


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## austinrockera

(-KinG-) said:


> Hi, I'm 15 and am 150 lbs. I'm in a good shape, and an pretty ripped, but I'm not huge by any means. My arms are 14".
> I swim (competitively) 4 times a week, and play an hour an a half of basketball a week (minimum). I'm using 10.3kg dumbbells at the moment and, although I have seen improvement over the last month, I have never got a large increase in muscle mass. Can anyone suggest a training programme that would suit this at all?
> 
> In addition, I've never been big on taking supplements, but I'm looking into buying some. Can anyone recommend any top brands or products that are worth taking a look at? I found THIS, but is it effective at all? I've heard many stories of supplements being ineffective, and I do not want to go wasting my money on a dud product.


agreed with bruteshot... don't look into supplements until you get a little older. If anything get some whey protein... oh, and if you want to get big you have to EAT!!! Eat Protein... chicken, steak, ground meat, turkey, whey, etc. Carbs... rice, pasta, potatoes (not french fries), etc.

don't forget to keep working out... its not a fad that you can stop once you are in shape... make it part of your life


----------



## El Conquistador

FINALLY nailed a 400 lb Sumo Deadlift! 

Always better with the conventional stance but fuck, it felt good to hit that 405 lb DL the other day at the gym! 

500 lbs: Here I come.


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## austinrockera

Flex M.W. said:


> FINALLY nailed a 400 lb Sumo Deadlift!
> 
> Always better with the conventional stance but fuck, it felt good to hit that 405 lb DL the other day at the gym!
> 
> 500 lbs: Here I come.


Good lift for sure... I don't care how you do it, but lifting 400lbs off the ground is nothing to laugh about. My biggest deadlift was about 8 months ago (380 x 2) before aggravating my back again. Messed it up working in the yard :no:. I'm just starting to get back into deadlifting, and have a ways to go to get back into the bigger weight.


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## bruteshot74

Nice Mitch 

This will not seem like much of accomplishment compared to yours but I am curling 40's now for four full sets. I am pretty happy because when I started I was only doing 25. Hopefully by end of year I can be up at 50


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## brian8448

Don't be the guy who just does bench and curls...


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## bruteshot74

brian8448 said:


> Don't be the guy who just does bench and curls...


lol, I ain't.

I only do biceps once a week


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## austinrockera

bruteshot74 said:


> lol, I ain't.
> 
> I only do biceps once a week


Funny story, a guy I used to work out with is the "arm guy" as I like to call him now. Here's what his workout week consists of:

Day 1: Chest and Back
Day 2: Legs and Calves
Day 3: Arms
Day 4: Shoulders
Day 5: Arms

He will literally spend about 30 min on day 1, 2, and 4 and about 1 hour on 3 and 5. 

He can curl 55lb db for sets but I would bet everything in my bank account he can't squat over 150, deadlift over 200 or bench over 185.

I ask him every now and then without trying to be mean, why does he spend 80% of his time working out 3% of his muscle. Btw, he's about 40lbs overweight.


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> Good lift for sure... I don't care how you do it, but lifting 400lbs off the ground is nothing to laugh about. My biggest deadlift was about 8 months ago (380 x 2) before aggravating my back again. Messed it up working in the yard :no:. I'm just starting to get back into deadlifting, and have a ways to go to get back into the bigger weight.


Thanks, my dude! That and OHP are the most rewarding lifts to me. There's nothing like hauling a bunch of weight over your head or lifting a bar full of a ton of weight off the ground! I do excel more at the static lifts so maybe that's why I'm partial. 

Right on. Best of luck, you'll get back at it. Muscle memory, bro! 



bruteshot74 said:


> Nice Mitch
> 
> This will not seem like much of accomplishment compared to yours but I am curling 40's now for four full sets. I am pretty happy because when I started I was only doing 25. Hopefully by end of year I can be up at 50


Damn, bro! Nice, good form? Not rocking the back/using momentum? That's impressive, Josh. Keep it up, you're making some major progress and really have quite a bit of knowledge on how to build your body now. Hard work is paying off then, eh?


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## bruteshot74

Flex M.W. said:


> Damn, bro! Nice, good form? Not rocking the back/using momentum? That's impressive, Josh. Keep it up, you're making some major progress and really have quite a bit of knowledge on how to build your body now. Hard work is paying off then, eh?


Perfect form  No point in cheating, I would rather be doing less properly then lifting more and doing it wrong. This thread has taught me a lot, as well as just reading articles on the internet. 

I went off the creatine though as I said before and have not gone back on it so not really bulking anymore...Still making good progress.


----------



## The Wraith WA

speaking of creatine anyone know a good one??? used a few different one's all seem to be the same.


----------



## Rajah

I've used Green Magnitude from Controlled Labs and Anabolic Switch from MRI since the start of the year and been happy with both. The Green Magnitude seems to last forever. Both products were recommended to me from the shop I get my supplements from.


----------



## bruteshot74

Green Magnitude is what you guys have recommended to me and people outside of here have said to get so I might give it a try in the winter. Just get any of the pure stuff, do not need some fancy brand name. I learned the hard way with my first. Cell-Tech almost gave me heart attack cause of all the sugar


----------



## hot_rod_piper

I'm usually that curl/bench guy. I need to break out of that habit and go back to doing what I was doing before.

Laziness sucks.


----------



## HeDcaSe

I used to lift, but after about 3 years, that got boring. Now I just run about 30 KM a week (spread over 3 days)


----------



## Rajah

I bought a Smith Machine the other day to replace my Power Rack.

Now to sell the Rack on eBay.


----------



## Stojy

When you put it on ebay, post the link in here so I can check it out and perhaps bid on it.


----------



## El Conquistador

Starting Bill Starr's 5x5 program today. It's designed & looks like this:

http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm



bruteshot74 said:


> Green Magnitude is what you guys have recommended to me and people outside of here have said to get so I might give it a try in the winter. Just get any of the pure stuff, do not need some fancy brand name. I learned the hard way with my first. Cell-Tech almost gave me heart attack cause of all the sugar


It happens. I still spend useless money on shit supplements because that's how all the supps' today are marketed. They're supposedly "the end all be all" of bodybuilding and have the myth that they'll build your physique rather than lifting smart/efficiently and having a good diet. I fall into the lure, too, at times so don't feel guilty.


----------



## austinrockera

Flex M.W. said:


> Starting Bill Starr's 5x5 program today. It's designed & looks like this:
> 
> http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm
> 
> 
> 
> It happens. I still spend useless money on shit supplements because that's how all the supps' today are marketed. They're supposedly "the end all be all" of bodybuilding and have the myth that they'll build your physique rather than lifting smart/efficiently and having a good diet. I fall into the lure, too, at times so don't feel guilty.


Star's program will kick your ass, but if you do it right and eat right, you will definitely gain strength and size.

Supplements are simply an aid in getting you to lift more, lift longer, recover better, feel better, etc. Only problem is that alot of people think that if they take their supps religiously, then they will get where they want to be. Sad, I know alot of younger guys that will never miss a supplement, take them exactly when they are supposed to take them, take the exact amounts, but when it comes to the most important thing... EATING... they seem to miss meals, cheat, and overall have bad diets. And they wonder why they aren't getting bigger and stronger.


----------



## Rajah

Stojy Freak said:


> When you put it on ebay, post the link in here so I can check it out and perhaps bid on it.


There is some pics of it earlier on in this thread, not sure what page. I'll see if I can find it and you can have a look at it.

Edit - 5th pic down - http://www.wrestlingforum.com/6908713-post110.html


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## derrickvanderwall

*Some People At The Gym*

Hello,

I pay big $$$ to the gym I go to and well, i'm only 19 but i'd say i'm pretty good at working out. I'm a former wrestler and well, there are some fucking retards that go to the gym. Most of them are young and they do not know how to lift properly, don't know how to put there weights away, don't known how to be curteous of machine time usage, etc. A specific example is, theres this group of older men, i'd say 30-40, about 5 of them, that comes about 3 times a week, and ALL they do is bench, bench and more bench. They hog the one weight bench we have for about 4 hours and don't lift, just talk, roll up there sleeves, talk about how much they lifted last time and if they got weaker/stronger. It's hillarious and disguisting at the same time. I'm no geneous, but I know it takes more than seeing how much you can bench to actually get bigger and be able to roll up your shirt and "flex" your muscles.

A group I feel bad for: I feel bad for old ladies, for example, doing leg presses with the leg press machine and they don't use the handles on the side so I cringe everytime they do a rep and i'm just waiting for there weeble little kneecaps to pop out.


----------



## The Enforcer

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

You're exactly right. I don't have an issue with anybody working out because it's a free country, but knowing a bit of weight room etiquette would be nice. People that come in and sweat all over everything and don't wipe it up are the worst.


----------



## Spiked.

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

:lmao I love the douche bags at the gym who only do pull ups. It gives me a good laugh.


----------



## FreshKevin

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

I normally work out in my high school weight room. And there are people like that in there too. There is always a group of seniors hogging the tredmills. Now I'm in soccer so we need to run, but they never give it up. They just sit there and occasionally run. It ticks me off.

But I feel your pain man. A lot of people are just jerky in the weight room. I like to be curtious and only use the machines for 2 sets and come back to it later or just finish with 2 sets.


----------



## The Enforcer

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

People throwing stuff in the weight room is also incredibly irritating. I can completely understand getting hyped up for a lift, but don't really see the reason for tossing the barbell across the room after finishing up a set of clean and jerks.


----------



## dele

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

The person that is the most annoying:

The guy who does a set of bench/squat and then talks about how tough it was and takes a 5 minute break in between sets. Way to improve yourself jackass.


----------



## derrickvanderwall

*Re: Some People At The Gym*



dele said:


> The person that is the most annoying:
> 
> The guy who does a set of bench/squat and then talks about how tough it was and takes a 5 minute break in between sets. Way to improve yourself jackass.


haha, nice post. SO TRUE!

+ rep


----------



## Rockstar

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

I usually have a pretty good time at the gym.
I've only been annoyed twice, once was when this kid came in and he was incredibly skinny, like skin and bone, possibly something wrong with him and all these douch bags are making fun of him. Like, thats why he is here, to get bigger, give the kid a break.
Another time was when I wanted to use a machine but there was this guy on it and he got off for a moment and I went to do something, he went to another machine, did like, two reps, went back to the machine I was going to use. Yah I understand some people like to do that and its a way to train or something but dont hog two machines when someone wants to use one.


----------



## V1 Dante

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

What annoys me is when there is always some small punk trying to act like he can lift more than you can when you know hes just gona hurt himself. 

Like for example I was doing the Dumbell Press and I was using two 80 pounders and after I finished my set this kid Alvin who is like 130 punds goes I can do that, and he never before even did those. So he tries it and when he lifts it up they fall because he couldnt hold them and one side of one of the dumbells smacks his face and omg it fucked him up really bad.


----------



## Rajah

*Re: Some People At The Gym*



derrickvanderwall said:


> I'm no geneous.....


Obviously. 

I'll merge this with the workout thread.


----------



## BlacknBeefy4Blonds

*Re: Some People At The Gym*

I love my gym. Alot of great, friendly people. 
Of course I checked out 4 others in the area before settling on this one.
No kids at mine (persons under 21) Mainly Id say they are 23-35.
Just a different atmosphere from some of the others. 
Maybe you just need to search around and check out others if there are anymore in your area.


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## The Enforcer

BB4B makes a great point. If you head to the local YMCA, it should be expected that you're going to get some clowns in there. Anybody that goes to a university with a somewhat extensive athletic program should really look into getting into the same weight room that the athletes use. Sure it's probably going to cost you, but you don't have to worry about a bunch of inexperienced lifters getting in the way.


----------



## itsmadness

tonight doing chest i was doing 100lb dumbbells for incline, and there was this kid beside me screaming his lungs out doing 30's on a flat

rofl


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

I go to the local YMCA, and a lot of those guys are quite helpful. I've had no problems as of yet, and I usually partner up with one of the bigger guys for benchpressing. They're immensely helpful, and are not annoyed by the fact that this kid (me) wants to be there. I've only had minor problems, but they were with kids thinking they're big, bad, and tough. Some of the trainers will even help you if you're struggling, and I've made acquaintances. Perhaps it's just my YMCA.


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## austinrockera

My gym is pretty good. Its a "fitness center" so no crazy weights and not too many roid heads in there. I joined it because it is 24hours, and was new in town at the time. I'm one of the first members actually. The manager and I are good friends, and if I tell her someone is acting like a dumbass and leaving weights laying around or hanging out instead or working out, she will have a talk with them. I've got two kids kicked out because they would just come in and sit on the benches and text on their phone. She told them if they did it again to hit the road. The next day, same thing, she got it on the cameras, showed them, told them to leave.

There is another gym about a block away that is for the more "hardcore" guys. Its nasty and weights are all over the floor. I was going to join it because it was the only gym in town until the 24hour one came along.


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## [MDB]

I kind of have a personal gym in my garage (weight bench, tredmil, free weights, and another machine forgot the name but you sit on if and life yourself up). Probably a question that has been asked a lot but is their any tips or instruction on here to tighten up your stomach? Maybe just exercises you can do at home or something with the equitment I have?


----------



## Rajah

Tighten up the stomach? Well diet is the best thing to reduce any excess fat, along with cardio. Sit ups, done correctly will strengthen the muscle. You can also do sit-ups with a weight plate against your chest for added strength.


----------



## Goku

What are you looking for ? Lose fat or get toned ?

Fat can't be spot reduced so the normal routine of fat reduction should affect the gut as well. If you're looking to get toned, then do the basic abdominal exercises (rotations, crunches, stretches etc.). There's really no need for equipment unless you're looking for bulging packs in which case I'd suggest the same advice as Rajah (weight plate)


----------



## [MDB]

Yeah the weight plate idea could work out for me. I already do stretch/crunch/and rotations so with all that and the diet I'm on it should work out. Thanks yo


----------



## El Conquistador

Roman V Ups on your bench. This exercise will really tighten your midsection up and strengthen your lower abs. It's my favorite exercise to do next to cable crunches.


----------



## ross_thefloyd

Heya everyone, my first post in this thread 
I don't seem to be getting much growth in my biceps well, not as much as I would like.
I go a gym, 5 times a week on average. Do 250-300 calories on a tredmill/cycle bike/or walker then hit the weights.
Work my biceps 4 times a week of the 5 days I go.
I have 3 protein shakes a day, I use 100% protein mix from the gym, it's £15 a kilo so pretty ace.

I do around 60-80 reps on dumb bells, in reps of 20.
Next I use this machine (http://www.exercisewebstore.com/Ima...s/GCBT380_CAM_SERIES_BICEP_TRICEP_MACHINE.jpg) no idea how to embed pictures guys, sorry.
Anyway, I do 80-100 reps on this, increasing weights as I go, reps of 20 also.
Next I do some tricep work 80-100 reps, inceasing as I go, in sets of 20 reps.

There is progression and I am getting stronger and bigger, I would just like to get bigger faster (isn't it always the way)

Should I reduce how often I train my biceps?
If so, can someone write up the sort of days I should ideally be doing certain bicep exercises?

Muchly appreciated if someone can!


----------



## bruteshot74

Jesus dude...If I have worked out everything you are doing like 280 reps for you biceps...4 sets of 20 for bicep curls, 4-5 sets of 20 on that machine and then 4-5 sets of whatever tricep lifts you are doing. You must not be lifting anything at all if you are doing that much. For each lift I try and lift max about 6-8 reps, usually about 4 sets for each different variety of lift you are doing. You are doing biceps way to much, 4 times a week is way to much, biceps barely make up anything of your muscle mass either. I would be doing like 2 max and start lifting way heavier. Doing 280 reps is crazy, you must be lifting like 5's or something if you ain't seeing growth.


----------



## itsmadness

lol epic overtraining


----------



## Rajah

ross_thefloyd said:


> Heya everyone, my first post in this thread
> I don't seem to be getting much growth in my biceps well, not as much as I would like.
> I go a gym, 5 times a week on average. Do 250-300 calories on a tredmill/cycle bike/or walker then hit the weights.
> Work my biceps 4 times a week of the 5 days I go.
> I have 3 protein shakes a day, I use 100% protein mix from the gym, it's £15 a kilo so pretty ace.
> 
> I do around 60-80 reps on dumb bells, in reps of 20.
> Next I use this machine (http://www.exercisewebstore.com/Ima...s/GCBT380_CAM_SERIES_BICEP_TRICEP_MACHINE.jpg) no idea how to embed pictures guys, sorry.
> Anyway, I do 80-100 reps on this, increasing weights as I go, reps of 20 also.
> Next I do some tricep work 80-100 reps, inceasing as I go, in sets of 20 reps.
> 
> There is progression and I am getting stronger and bigger, I would just like to get bigger faster (isn't it always the way)
> 
> Should I reduce how often I train my biceps?
> If so, can someone write up the sort of days I should ideally be doing certain bicep exercises?
> 
> Muchly appreciated if someone can!


Fuck me! 

Oh, where to start. So wrong on so many different levels. Do your cardio after weight training. Use your energy to lift, not walk/run. Your body releases fat from the cells when training and doing cardio afterwards will remove it completely.

Biceps. 
At most, train them twice per week. Your not getting in any recovery time, but seeing as you do so many reps you're not even braking down the muscle fibres anyway. All you are doing is getting blood into the muscle by doing so many reps. Do 4 sets, of 8-12 reps. Start at 12, go heavier each set and reduce the reps. 
I'd do barbells curls, preacher curls and alternate dumb bell curls for one session. 
And for the next cambered barbell curls, hammer curls and concentration curls the next.

You're obviously not lifting very heavy with 20 reps. You should do 12 at the most, with a minimum of 8. Biceps are a small muscle, they make up about a thrid of your arm, triceps make up two thirds.


Triceps.
The tricep has 3 heads. Make sure you train all 3. There are so many different routines. For example try tricep pushdowns, Skull crushers and rope pulldowns for one session. 

You can train bi's and tri's together if you wish, or train biceps with back, and triceps with chest. When training your back you use your biceps, and when training your chest you use your triceps.


----------



## austinrockera

I have to agree with brute and rajah... way overtraining on one muscle that makes up less than 3% of your body. Mens Health says that one of the best bicep training moves is the pullup (reverse grip lat pulldown) simply because it works your biceps along with that huge group of muscles called your back that most people overlook.

As much as people like to have big arms, believe me, they should be about last on your list of muscles to workout. You should be concentrating on your legs, back, chest, shoulders/traps, abs, arms, calves pretty much in that order. I don't mean less intensity in any of the groups, I just mean, in percentage of your body's composition of muscle, that is the order.

I am not a fan on the "arm day" workout either TBH. I've always thought that it gives the arms too much time for the workout week simply because you use your arms for all your upper body exercises anyway. Any pressing exercises uses triceps, and any pulling exercises use biceps, therefore, you are essentially training your biceps and triceps twice per week if you give arms their own day.

Just my .02


----------



## bruteshot74

Got the final piece of my home gym this morning. My cousin who use to be big into body building before he got married and had a family told me that he had a cage just sitting in his shed that I could have. I got up at 5 in the morning and drove 6 hours to go pick it up. Definitely worth it I think, cannot wait to use it tomorrow. Here are some pics, tell me what you regulars of the the thread think. 


























He also gave me some bulk creatine that I am going to try. Been off the Cell Tech stuff for a while now and want to keep gaining some mass, could care less about the 6 pack for the summer at the moment. Shall keep everyone updated on how I am doing


----------



## Rellie

I guess I'm a workaholic. I work out six days a week and rest on the seventh day. I lift weights one day and I do push ups and sit ups the next day, etc.


----------



## OwenRocky

I've been slumming it when it comes to working out. I was a big guy years ago, topping the scales at 250, coming at 190 in January. My life is pretty busy, so I no longer placed exercising as a priority as I did years ago. From january to now, I put on 10 lbs, which scares me seeing that I'm back in the 200 lb range.


----------



## M.K.

I been working out for a little while now, weight lifting and what not, but I'm not so sure about cardio yet. Is basketball good cardio? I play it about 3-5 hours a day 4-5 days a week.


----------



## AussieFan

Doing 25 minutes on the Excercise Bike tonight.

Question; If I do this every night (with a jumper over me meaning more sweat, I sweat alot) plus diet (eating no junk food and minimal food altogether) will I lose much weight? 

I'm currently 85 Kilos and I would like to trim off the fat, any tips?

EDIT: Should I be doing any additional excercises that are well known to getting in shape?


----------



## Goku

Why a Jumper ?

Diet is the most essential thing to cut back the fat. If you can maintain that and then do like 30 - 45 mins cardio daily, then you'll lose the fat. What's your age and height btw ?

Best cardio imo is running. You could also go swimming to exercise all your muscles.


----------



## Rajah

Running doesn't burn that much fat. Walking is more effective. You are best of doing a 20 minute walk run. Walk for 3 minutes, then do alternate minute of walking and 30 seconds of running followed by a 3 minute cool down at the end. This is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). If you've never heard of it, Google it. You'll burn a shitload more fat than regular running or walking, and there is a lot of evidence to back this up, it's not an opinion.
Also when training, have short rest periods of 60 seconds between each set. This'll keep your metabolism working harder. 

Wearing a jumper offers no benefit. You should be keeping up your water intake as it helps digest your food and flushes away toxins in the body. 

Nice set up Brute. Make sure you put it to good use.  Maybe add a couple of more attachment for the pulley's over time to hit your muscles from every angle.


----------



## Austin101

Rajah, you are mistaken. I'm sorry but Running is The single most efficient excercise in fat burning. Going fullout for the first fifteen followed by a jog and then a cool-down walking session is more effective.


I know some of you might not believe it knowing the long reviews I write-out on here but I am such a gym junkie.

Five days a week, 2-3 hours a day. Some say it's too long but fuck that, I make sure my muscles get the nutrients and lost fluid they need inbetween with breaks.

I just bought No-XPLODE for more energy and it's fucking incredible. No wonder it's so popular.

I love it.

The gym is my life...and oh yeah, I kind of enjoy Wrestling as well. 




By the way, Invincible, RUNNING "IS" The best cardio to do in losing fat. It's been proven, so you were right.

I do that every day for 30 mins, run almost 5 K as I am going full out for at least 22 of those 30 minutes, at a pace not many could do and it took me two long years to get in shape to do this regularly.


----------



## Goku

When I do HIIT, I actually never walk. I do a minute sprint and a minute jog alternatively. I actually prefer running. Usually do about 20 minutes of running or 40 minutes of jogging.

@ AF, if you actually plan on going to the gym, then doing some exercises or even light weights before the cardio can help burn more fat.


----------



## Austin101

Invincible said:


> When I do HIIT, I actually never walk. I do a minute sprint and a minute jog alternatively. I actually prefer running. Usually do about 20 minutes of running or 40 minutes of jogging.
> 
> @ AF, if you actually plan on going to the gym, then doing some exercises or even light weights before the cardio can help burn more fat.



It's best to do Weights "AFTER" Cardio actually for a number of reasons...

The most significant being:

-Cardio gets the blood flowing to all muscle areas, it's a good warm-up to get your body the strength it needs for strong lifts.

-If you do Cardio after Strength-Training you will burn off some of the muscle you just gained. However if you do Cardio before-hand, you will be burning off mostly fat and then you can simply gain muscle right after the Cardio and not worry about losing it.


Since afterall Cardio burns fat to muscle on a 3:1 ratio. (75% fat-25% muscle)


Oh and Chocolate Milk is the #1 drink for after-workouts, if you didn't know.

There are a million reasons why.


----------



## Rajah

Austin101 said:


> Rajah, you are mistaken. I'm sorry but Running is The single most efficient excercise in fat burning. Going fullout for the first fifteen followed by a jog and then a cool-down walking session is more effective.
> 
> 
> I know some of you might not believe it knowing the long reviews I write-out on here but I am such a gym junkie.
> 
> Five days a week, 2-3 hours a day. Some say it's too long but fuck that, I make sure my muscles get the nutrients and lost fluid they need inbetween with breaks.
> 
> I just bought No-XPLODE for more energy and it's fucking incredible. No wonder it's so popular.
> 
> I love it.
> 
> The gym is my life...and oh yeah, I kind of enjoy Wrestling as well.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> By the way, Invincible, RUNNING "IS" The best cardio to do in losing fat. It's been proven, so you were right.
> 
> I do that every day for 30 mins, run almost 5 K as I am going full out for at least 22 of those 30 minutes, at a pace not many could do and it took me two long years to get in shape to do this regularly.


*Lol, not mistaken. It's a proven fact. Bodybuilder's don't run. 

*2-3 hours in the gym? Are you kidding me? Way too long, again that's a fact. You've obviously doing something totally wrong.

*Ask any reputable supplement seller and they'll tell you No-Xplode is crap, which it is. It's popular as it's marketed well. It's the same as any MuscleTech product. Well marketed but recommended by no-one with knowledge.

Stick to DVD reviews.


----------



## Austin101

Rajah said:


> *Lol, not mistaken. It's a proven fact. Bodybuilder's don't run.
> 
> *2-3 hours in the gym? Are you kidding me? Way too long, again that's a fact. You've obviously doing something totally wrong.
> 
> *Ask any reputable supplement seller and they'll tell you No-Xplode is crap, which it is. It's popular as it's marketed well. It's the same as any MuscleTech product. Well marketed but recommended by no-one with knowledge.
> 
> Stick to DVD reviews.




1) 2-3 hours in the Gym. I'll elaborate. I spend half an hour doing stretches reccomended by my physio-therapist which are vital for me, and inbetween my workout I give my muscles granola, gatorade and the like to re-store my blood-sugar levels and make sure my muscle tissue isn't eating away at myself. (Which is what happens when you spend to long at the gym) and whatever else needed. Therefore I am not doing any damage to my body and I know exactly what I'm doing thanks. Plus I use the Hot Tub and Steam Room in that 2-3 hours, so I actually only work out hard for 90 minutes. Not a problem at all.


2) Yeah, you are mistaken. Cardio-Vascular conditioning is used by a ton of athletes in martial-arts and the like, running is the #1 excercise to do to keep in shape. There are different forms, the one you mentioned works, but some others choose to run at different intervals. Again, I know what I'm doing.


3) I have asked popular sellers, reviews are mixed but the numbers don't lie. It's scientifically proven to be the best thing out there. You clearly don't know anything about supplements and if so, try listing the best ones. This could be fun to hear.



And lastly...I'll stick to both thanks.

I am in amazing shape, I am not very tall but have a tremendous build so it definitely works.


I am not cocky or anything, it's just everything I'm doing has worked so you really have no argument at all, and are completely OUT OF LINE to say I don't know what I'm doing, quite frankly...


The #1 way to increase stamina is by running intervals at a medium pace to full pace and so on, NOT WALKING, and do this on an incline on the treadmill to build leg-strength as well.

I know some people will say that sub-maximal training is best for fat burning but this is based on a misinterpretation of scientific research.

Running is key, fuck it's common sense really.

You should really learn more about this if you want to give advice out.

I'd love to see what kind of shape you're in by the way, since ya know I am living proof that my method works.


----------



## BM84

A101 is completely right about running. In fact, cardiovascular activity is *more important* than lifting weights. Period. Bodybuilders don't do it because they take drugs.


----------



## austinrockera

Here's my .02 on everything. 

First of all, best time to do cardio... AFTER workouts... proven fact by DOCTORS. BTW, I'm not talking about cardio that leaves you just a little tired, and gets your heart rate up near 100, I'm talking about breathing heavy, sweating profusely, heart rate double your resting rate cardio. The reason its best to do cardio after your workout is that cardio breaks down your body's glycogen stores (muscles source of energy), so think about those last 2 or 3 hard reps you get in the gym on those heavy sets. These are where you really tear down your muscle fibers... intense cardio before working out will take those 2 or 3 reps away from you because your glycogen stores will be less than they should be. Ideal times for cardio is after working out, or on different days. I personally believe that first thing in the morning lite cardio is also good for fat loss, because it revs up your metabolism, and helps burn fat. Don't overdo it, because if you are too intense in the morning with no food in your stomach, your body will turn to muscle to eat up for energy.

As far as the best type of cardio... nobody has even thought of it, but swimming has no comparison. There is a reason Michael Phelps has to eat 10,000 calories per day to maintain his weight, and no its not because he has the munchies. Stair climbing is probably next, don't believe me, get on a stair climber for about 10 minutes and see if your heart rate isn't about 160bpm. Running or walking... which is the best... doesn't matter, you should be doing both... HIIT... run for 1 min, walk for 1 min, repeat.

Now, to answer a statement said by Rajah... bodybuilders don't run for a simple reason... they are on steroids, and very high doses, most times. Steroids make your heart work overtime anyway. Combine that with running or any other intense cardio, and you are at risk of your heart enlarging (common cause of death with alot of wrestlers). That's why most bodybuilders will do multiple 30 minute walking cardio sessions when they are in their contest prep. And yes, this is FACT.

For Austin101 and Rajah, NO-Xplode is simply an energy drink with L-Arginine. The L-Arginine is a precursor of Nitric Oxide which is a vasodilator, meaning it makes blood rush through your body more. That's all that NOX is good for... caffeine and Arginine... all the other stuff it has is minimal at best. Don't get me wrong, I use it... it is a good kick before workouts, and gets me revved up, but I don't think its doing more than giving me energy. Austin, I hope you aren't talking about people like GNC when you say reputable sellers... I have made alot of those guys admit (even a store owner) that they didn't know what the hell they were talking about.

Brute... gym is looking good.


----------



## El Conquistador

Austin101 said:


> *Rajah, you are mistaken. I'm sorry but Running is The single most efficient excercise in fat burning. Going fullout for the first fifteen followed by a jog and then a cool-down walking session is more effective.*
> 
> 
> I know some of you might not believe it knowing the long reviews I write-out on here but I am such a gym junkie.
> 
> Five days a week, 2-3 hours a day. Some say it's too long but fuck that, I make sure my muscles get the nutrients and lost fluid they need inbetween with breaks.
> 
> I just bought No-XPLODE for more energy and it's fucking incredible. No wonder it's so popular.
> 
> I love it.
> 
> The gym is my life...and oh yeah, I kind of enjoy Wrestling as well.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> By the way, Invincible, RUNNING "IS" The best cardio to do in losing fat. It's been proven, so you were right.
> 
> I do that every day for 30 mins, run almost 5 K as I am going full out for at least 22 of those 30 minutes, at a pace not many could do and it took me two long years to get in shape to do this regularly.


Cardio like that is going to blow a mix of carbs/fat/muscle, not strictly just fat. It's legitimately a 1/3 ratio for each. You actually will burn more fat walking at a steady pace on a steep incline. Go read an article on that. You're wrong about that one but nobody can go wrong with either.



Austin101 said:


> 1) 2-3 hours in the Gym. I'll elaborate. I spend half an hour doing stretches reccomended by my physio-therapist which are vital for me, and inbetween my workout I give my muscles granola, gatorade and the like to re-store my blood-sugar levels and make sure my muscle tissue isn't eating away at myself. (Which is what happens when you spend to long at the gym) and whatever else needed. Therefore I am not doing any damage to my body and I know exactly what I'm doing thanks. Plus I use the Hot Tub and Steam Room in that 2-3 hours, so I actually only work out hard for 90 minutes. Not a problem at all.
> 
> 
> 2) Yeah, you are mistaken. Cardio-Vascular conditioning is used by a ton of athletes in martial-arts and the like, running is the #1 excercise to do to keep in shape. There are different forms, the one you mentioned works, but some others choose to run at different intervals. Again, I know what I'm doing.
> 
> 
> 3) I have asked popular sellers, reviews are mixed but the numbers don't lie. It's scientifically proven to be the best thing out there. You clearly don't know anything about supplements and if so, try listing the best ones. This could be fun to hear.


I've tried NO Xplode, not a bad supplement at all. Really solid but not worth the money to me personally. After a couple of cycles, my body stopped responding to it. It's worth the investment, see how it works for you, broski.



Austin101 said:


> And lastly...I'll stick to both thanks.
> 
> I am in amazing shape, I am not very tall but have a tremendous build so it definitely works.
> 
> 
> I am not cocky or anything, it's just everything I'm doing has worked so you really have no argument at all, and are completely OUT OF LINE to say I don't know what I'm doing, quite frankly...
> 
> 
> The #1 way to increase stamina is by running intervals at a medium pace to full pace and so on, NOT WALKING, and do this on an incline on the treadmill to build leg-strength as well.
> 
> I know some people will say that sub-maximal training is best for fat burning but this is based on a misinterpretation of scientific research.
> 
> Running is key, fuck it's common sense really.
> 
> You should really learn more about this if you want to give advice out.
> 
> I'd love to see what kind of shape you're in by the way, since ya know I am living proof that my method works.


Sounds cocky to me. Vids/pictures for proof, seems a little sketchy.


----------



## Austin101

It just amazed me how Rajah could say No XPLODE is shit when it is proven to work, almost every review of it is positive. It enhances your mental and physical state to work-out ten fold.

I mean I can't even begin to comprehend some of his logic.

He thinks WALKING is better then RUNNING...is he high?

You are right about running for a minute, then walking though, that works great, however it is best to say run for three minutes, walk for a minute, run for three, then walk for a minute and so on...just keep your heart rate up. This is best if you want to burn bodyfat of course...



FLEX-, That's why you take a few weeks off after 12 weeks, it says that on the bottle. I have other creatine supplements to take in the meantime. Then once you take it again your tolerance will be at the level it needs to be in order for it to work better.

As for me being cocky, well hell, I'm in the best shape of my life and it's because of the training I've done. Having someone tell me I don't know what I'm doing is beyond fucking retarded. I know what I'm doing...


----------



## El Conquistador

Austin101 said:


> It just amazed me how Rajah could say No XPLODE is shit when it is proven to work, almost every review of it is positive. It enhances your mental and physical state to work-out ten fold.
> 
> I mean I can't even begin to comprehend some of his logic.
> 
> He thinks WALKING is better then RUNNING...is he high?
> 
> You are right about running for a minute, then walking though, that works great, however it is best to say run for three minutes, walk for a minute, run for three, then walk for a minute and so on...just keep your heart rate up. This is best if you want to burn bodyfat of course...


I understand. Both sides of cardio have its benefits.. I'm just playing devil's advocate for the sake of it.

If you're really trying to gain lean muscle/strength, you can't do cardio the way you suggest to do so unless you're a nooob to the game. Otherwise that method is awesome.


----------



## bruteshot74

I tried a sample of NO XPLODE and I did not respond to it personally. It is different for every person though, everybody has there own opinion on what is good and what is not. For the money, I could just drink a 710ml of Monster before and I would get more of a kick.


----------



## Austin101

bruteshot74 said:


> I tried a sample of NO XPLODE and I did not respond to it personally. It is different for every person though, everybody has there own opinion on what is good and what is not. For the money, I could just drink a 710ml of Monster before and I would get more of a kick.




You're right that everybody is different.


Monster's or anything like that give me cramps and it doesen't have near the mental and physical uptake that No XPLODE has, but like you said, to each there own.


----------



## austinrockera

Austin101 said:


> You're right that everybody is different.
> 
> 
> Monster's or anything like that give me cramps and it doesen't have near the mental and physical uptake that No XPLODE has, but like you said, to each there own.


Really? I can't remember ever getting a cramp, at least not for the past 10 years for sure. It has to do with the amount of water you drink more than anything. I drink between 1 - 2 gallons per day every day. I also have taken up to 3 scoops of NOX (don't do that anymore) and I consistently drink 1 or 2 lo-carb monsters per day. Yea, probably too much caffeine I know, but I never get cramps. Caffeine is a diuretic, and will flush water out of your system, so that is a common cause of cramps. Austin, how much water do you drink per day? No flame, just curious.

Everyone is different.


----------



## Austin101

austinrockera said:


> Really? I can't remember ever getting a cramp, at least not for the past 10 years for sure. It has to do with the amount of water you drink more than anything. I drink between 1 - 2 gallons per day every day. I also have taken up to 3 scoops of NOX (don't do that anymore) and I consistently drink 1 or 2 lo-carb monsters per day. Yea, probably too much caffeine I know, but I never get cramps. Caffeine is a diuretic, and will flush water out of your system, so that is a common cause of cramps. Austin, how much water do you drink per day? No flame, just curious.
> 
> Everyone is different.




More then enough, at least seven bottles of 750 ML's of water.


----------



## brian8448

Austin, as far as running goes, he's right that bodybuilders don't run. Keep in mind what "bodybuilder" means, it most definitely doesn't mean "staying physically fit and being as healthy as possible". Being "physically fit" requires cardio, most any sport does as well, but that's not bodybuilding.



BM84 said:


> A101 is completely right about running. In fact, cardiovascular activity is *more important* than lifting weights. Period. Bodybuilders don't do it because they take drugs.


This is a bodybuilding discussion though, not gym class fitness tests.

On another side note, No Xplode does work, without a doubt, it's caffeine and arginine, those things both increase stamina while lifting. It's JUST caffeine and arginine though, all this talk about No Xplode "cycles" and the like is laughable and tells me you might be buying into the marketing of "No Xplode's gonna make you fuckin huge bro!" a little too much. It's caffeine and arginine, it works. It's not roids, BSN has no "magic" formula, you can get those 2 ingredients cheap if you like their effect on your workouts.

Austin, good to know you're seeing results but up to 3 hours in the gym 5 times a week is never a good idea, even if you're on roids that's a pretty outrageous amount of time and tells me you're not lifting heavy. Heavy as in, heavy for you, DIFFICULT.


----------



## El Conquistador

Austin101 said:


> FLEX-, That's why you take a few weeks off after 12 weeks, it says that on the bottle. I have other creatine supplements to take in the meantime. Then once you take it again your tolerance will be at the level it needs to be in order for it to work better.
> 
> As for me being cocky, well hell, I'm in the best shape of my life and it's because of the training I've done. Having someone tell me I don't know what I'm doing is beyond fucking retarded. I know what I'm doing...


#1: No shit on the supplement part. It's called cycling. You really think I didn't do it properly? There's not much of a need to cycle BSN's NO though.

I'm telling you that all those supplements really don't mean much (NO & Creatine). Supplements are supposed to be just that to your diet: supplements to help you obtain your nutritional needs. No product has magical effects and wont bring you results alone. It comes first and foremost through a good diet.

The only real supplements you need to take is a good whey protein shake and arguably a multi-vitamin; that's it.

#2: Just because you're seeing results doesn't mean you're doing it right. I'm not saying what's right for me is right for you but I'd check your technique on your lifts. You really don't have much of a clue what you're talking about cardio wise which is leading me to believe you struggle with the concepts of weightlifting. Chances are with you running the way you do that you aren't as strong as you'd like to believe, your technique isn't as great as it appears, and your diet is lacking a sound foundation.

I'm not accusing you of anything nor do I know you personally or your training personally but any beginner to weightlifting can make gains doing what you do with absolutely no knowledge.


----------



## brian8448

I'm not so sure about this "no running on steroids business". Bodybuilders don't run because it's counterproductive for what they're trying to do, but there are plenty of athletes that have to run A LOT that use steroids.


----------



## El Conquistador

My argument all along was that walking at a steady pace on a steep incline will burn more fat & keep more lean muscle mass at the same time. That's all I'm trying to get across really.

Nothing he said has been all that tragically wrong but I felt the need to shine some wisdom (not that mine means anymore than anyone else's).


----------



## Rajah

Austin101 said:


> It just amazed me how Rajah could say No XPLODE is shit when it is proven to work, almost every review of it is positive. It enhances your mental and physical state to work-out ten fold.
> 
> I mean I can't even begin to comprehend some of his logic.
> 
> He thinks WALKING is better then RUNNING...is he high?


Be careful.

This used to be a civilised discussion, trust the "wrestling fans" to come along and ruin it. Save the trash talk for the wrestling section where an opinion is just that - an opinion.

NO X-Plode is a good entry level product. There are much better products out there. No real supplement seller will recommend it.



austinrockera said:


> Now, to answer a statement said by Rajah... bodybuilders don't run for a simple reason... they are on steroids....





brian8448 said:


> I'm not so sure about this "no running on steroids business". Bodybuilders don't run because it's counterproductive for what they're trying to do, but there are plenty of athletes that have to run A LOT that use steroids.


Exactly.


----------



## AussieFan

Invincible said:


> Why a Jumper ?
> 
> Diet is the most essential thing to cut back the fat. If you can maintain that and then do like 30 - 45 mins cardio daily, then you'll lose the fat. What's your age and height btw ?
> 
> Best cardio imo is running. You could also go swimming to exercise all your muscles.


16, 5'11 and 85 kilos. Although I'm chubby.

I run sometimes, although I do the excercise bike 25 minutes a day plus various other excercises. I'm full dieting meaning no junk foods (chips, chocolate, lollies etc.), minimal eating alltogether and eating loads of fruit instead.



Rajah said:


> Running doesn't burn that much fat. Walking is more effective. You are best of doing a 20 minute walk run. Walk for 3 minutes, then do alternate minute of walking and 30 seconds of running followed by a 3 minute cool down at the end. This is called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). If you've never heard of it, Google it. You'll burn a shitload more fat than regular running or walking, and there is a lot of evidence to back this up, it's not an opinion.
> Also when training, have short rest periods of 60 seconds between each set. This'll keep your metabolism working harder.
> 
> *Wearing a jumper offers no benefit. You should be keeping up your water intake as it helps digest your food and flushes away toxins in the body. *
> 
> Nice set up Brute. Make sure you put it to good use.  Maybe add a couple of more attachment for the pulley's over time to hit your muscles from every angle.


Thanks for the heads up. I always believed the more you sweat the better. 



Austin101 said:


> Rajah, you are mistaken. I'm sorry but Running is The single most efficient excercise in fat burning. Going fullout for the first fifteen followed by a jog and then a cool-down walking session is more effective.
> 
> 
> I know some of you might not believe it knowing the long reviews I write-out on here but I am such a gym junkie.
> 
> Five days a week, 2-3 hours a day. Some say it's too long but fuck that, I make sure my muscles get the nutrients and lost fluid they need inbetween with breaks.
> 
> I just bought No-XPLODE for more energy and it's fucking incredible. No wonder it's so popular.
> 
> I love it.
> 
> The gym is my life...and oh yeah, I kind of enjoy Wrestling as well.
> 
> By the way, Invincible, RUNNING "IS" The best cardio to do in losing fat. It's been proven, so you were right.
> 
> I do that every day for 30 mins, run almost 5 K as I am going full out for at least 22 of those 30 minutes, at a pace not many could do and it took me two long years to get in shape to do this regularly.


Obviously I can't run as well as you can, but thanks for the tips I will take all this into consideration. Although tonight I'm bummed out, I might just do crunches and the exercise bike.


----------



## austinrockera

Rajah said:


> Exactly.


Don't cut off a quote of mine please, you don't get the true meaning of what I said. Steroids stress the heart, period... bodybuilders (many of which are close friends of mine) don't run or do any strenuous cardio because it adds extra stress to the heart. This is known to cause enlargement of the heart possibly leading to heart attack.

Running will eat away at your muscle only if you run miles at a time, not by doing HIIT or short wind sprints.

BTW, this is FACT, I'm not making it up.


----------



## BM84

brian8448 said:


> This is a bodybuilding discussion though, not gym class fitness tests.


What's a bodybuilding discussion?

I saw that running was being discussed--so as a runner I wanted to chime in. This is a staying in shape thread, after all.


----------



## Rajah

austinrockera said:


> Now, to answer a statement said by Rajah... bodybuilders don't run for a simple reason... they are on steroids, and very high doses, most times. Steroids make your heart work overtime anyway. Combine that with running or any other intense cardio, and you are at risk of your heart enlarging (common cause of death with alot of wrestlers). That's why most bodybuilders will do multiple 30 minute walking cardio sessions when they are in their contest prep. And yes, this is FACT.





austinrockera said:


> Don't cut off a quote of mine please, you don't get the true meaning of what I said. BTW,


I didn't cut anything off. I quoted the first sentence and removed the rest which wasn't relevant. 

And that is a FACT, I'm not making it up.


----------



## King of Kings

On this whole running/walking debate....If I'm not mistaken, don't you burn a higher percentage of fat when walking? You won't burn off as much as quickly as you would if you were to run, but I'm pretty sure walking burns a higher percentage of fat.

Anyone have sporting injuries that hinder their workouts? I don't run because I did a number on my left knee and ankle over the years and running is pretty high impact. I use an elliptical machine now for indoor cardio which I think works pretty good. 

Skating also is a great cardio exercise; it gets the blood going and will strengthen the legs/hips/ass. If I ever get around to it, I'll post examples of some of the power skating exercises I used to do. I could run full speed for say 10 minutes and won't get blown up, but do some of these and I'm gasping for air real quick.


----------



## Goku

Nothing major. Martial arts garners a lot of injuries but they all heal pretty easily.

I used to religiously swim like atleast 1 KM daily. That was probably the easiest full body exercise I've done.


----------



## AndY2J480

FINALLY GOT A 300 POUND SQUAT! Woohoo. I'm 16 and about 200 pounds by the way, I know it's not all that impressive but it's been out of my grasph for about the year and a half i've been seriously lifting.


----------



## El Conquistador

New PR for me today! 205 lb Push Press which is a 30 lb PR for me. I was shocked to see my PP go up that much as the only thing I've been doing Push Press wise lately has been high rep work from 135-155. 



AndY2J480 said:


> FINALLY GOT A 300 POUND SQUAT! Woohoo. I'm 16 and about 200 pounds by the way, I know it's not all that impressive but it's been out of my grasph for about the year and a half i've been seriously lifting.


Congratulations. Who gives a shit about your weight? I hover between 174-181 and struggle to hit 285x3 and that's only 100 lbs more than my body weight. Pretty big accomplishment, keep at it.


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King wants to know where to purchase some good fish oils!

Also, a buddy stated that vaginal liquids give an individual an acceleration in work out productivity!

Simply curious to know if this is true or false, lawls!


----------



## austinrockera

Starting the dirty 30s next week. Three working sets of 30 reps for each exercise. Three exercises for each body part. Check your ego at the door and get ready to hurt like you have never hurt before.


----------



## AndY2J480

Flex M.W. said:


> New PR for me today! 205 lb Push Press which is a 30 lb PR for me. I was shocked to see my PP go up that much as the only thing I've been doing Push Press wise lately has been high rep work from 135-155.
> 
> 
> 
> Congratulations. Who gives a shit about your weight? I hover between 174-181 and struggle to hit 285x3 and that's only 100 lbs more than my body weight. Pretty big accomplishment, keep at it.


I got a 195 push press, my goal was 185 so I'm satisfied. It's max week so here's my numbers from when we started in november to now. We didn't test push press the first cycle.

squat - 205 - 255 - 300
bench - 200 - 215 - 235
incline - 170 - 195 - 215
power clean - 160 - 175 - 200
push press - (didn't test) - 165 - 195


----------



## (-KinG-)

I recently bought some whey protein (2kgs), but I'm not too sure on how much/ how often I should take it. From research I have found two conflicting ideas: taking it after workouts or taking it daily.

Would I be better taking a small amount each day, or would I be better only taking it in larger quantities after each workout? In addition, when is the best time to take whey protein?

Is mixing protein with creatine supplements okay as well?


----------



## bruteshot74

For whey protein I have a shake after I workout and then on days I do not workout, I just have it randomly during the day. I have read a lot of stuff where guys are drinking them two to three times a day, which for me and probably yourself, you do not need to do.

Just take the scooper that came in your pale and that is good enough or whatever the recommended amount is on the pale. 

And yah you can mix protein and creatine.


----------



## Deshad C.

Im 5'9
Weigh anywhere between between 170 to 175 pounds.

I work out to get/stay lean so i don't use a lot of heavy weights, although i make sure to up the wights i do use a little bit every two weeks so my body doesn't get used to them. Its more about repetitions for me and doing a variety of different work outs the correct way with good form.

Im working towards my muscles having definition, i don't care really how much i weigh as long as i look good. 

I started P90X two months ago, it works pretty well. I love the plan they have because your working out everyday and it gives a variety of ways to meet your goal, whatever it may be. Push ups and pull ups are a big part of it, so your working with your own body to shape it. Although, i hate the instructor for the videos, Tony. I wanna punch that fucker sometimes. lol

Ive seen a lot of improvement in my arms and core.
My legs and back have always been good because i used to be on the drum line in high school. Marching with a heavy ass drum for 4 years will give you strong legs and back, but i still want definition in them as well so i don't neglect them. 

I used to jog 2.6 miles (according to google maps) three times a week but my knee started fucking up so i stopped although now because i have more strength in my legs I'm gonna start running again.

so that's it
if you guys have any suggestion for me it would be greatly appreciated =)


----------



## JayDeeSpur

What brand of protein shake would you guys recommend. Also what brand of creatine tablets would be the best, if it matters?


----------



## El Conquistador

I try to get 3 protein shakes a day. 1 Muscle Milk when I wake up, 1 Myofusion or Isoflex PW, and 1 Muscle Milk before bed (there's some slow digesting casein in there). 

Muscle Milk is amazinggg. The taste is oh so delicious, the fats are all healthy lean lipid fats which actually help burn fat rather than store it, and it helps meet your protein requirements. I'm not going to lie though, the content isn't really anything special. 16 grams per scoop isn't anything to brag about but the whole fat dilemma in Cytosport's Muscle Milk is often misinterpreted.


----------



## bruteshot74

JayDeeSpur said:


> What brand of protein shake would you guys recommend. Also what brand of creatine tablets would be the best, if it matters?


Protein: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html

This is what I take and I really like it. Do got to have it with a shake though, just mixing with water is horrible.

Creatine I could not tell you. I know nothing about the tablets, have not even read up on them at all. If you go with the powder, just go for something cheap tbf. That is the advice these guys gave me after I tried some of the more "Name Brand" stuff.


----------



## El Conquistador

JayDeeSpur said:


> What brand of protein shake would you guys recommend. Also what brand of creatine tablets would be the best, if it matters?


-Gaspari Nutrition's Myofusion
-Cytosport's Muscle Milk (mainly as a meal replacement, not PW)
-Scivation Whey
-Allmax Nutrition Isoflex
-Optimum Nutrition

As far as creatine goes, Green Bulge is a worthy creatine pill to test out. I just got off a cycle of that recently. It's the same thing as Controlled Labs' powder creatine, Green Magnitude, only consumed orally via pill.


----------



## Chiller88

Well, I'm 21, about 5'5", and I'm not sure what my weight exactly is, but I think it's somewhere between 170 - 180 lbs, which would technically make me really overweight or borderline obese. Anyways, what I've been doing for the past few days is walking/jogging on the treadmill 3+ miles a day for about an hour a day and I've planned on doing this about everyday for at least the rest of the summer to really lose some weight. I don't know if I should be doing more or less or anything other than walking/jogging. Any suggestions/help?


----------



## El Conquistador

Chiller88 said:


> Well, I'm 21, about 5'5", and I'm not sure what my weight exactly is, but I think it's somewhere between 170 - 180 lbs, which would technically make me really overweight or borderline obese. Anyways, what I've been doing for the past few days is walking/jogging on the treadmill 3+ miles a day for about an hour a day and I've planned on doing this about everyday for at least the rest of the summer to really lose some weight. I don't know if I should be doing more or less or anything other than walking/jogging. Any suggestions/help?


Sounds fine to me. Watch your diet / limit yourself a little bit more and the weight should fall right off of you.


----------



## itsmadness

Flex M.W. said:


> -Gaspari Nutrition's Myofusion
> -Cytosport's Muscle Milk (mainly as a meal replacement, not PW)
> -Scivation Whey
> -Allmax Nutrition Isoflex
> -Optimum Nutrition
> 
> As far as creatine goes, Green Bulge is a worthy creatine pill to test out. I just got off a cycle of that recently. It's the same thing as Controlled Labs' powder creatine, Green Magnitude, only consumed orally via pill.


Myofusion and scivation whey fucking owns. I have like 10 tubs of both of them.

Green Mag is a good creatine too


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King heard that taking steroids orally could cause liver damage!

Just curious to find out whether taking a smaller does orally will lessen the impact!

Anyone with information may be rewarded, for their input, lawls!


----------



## Word

Chiller88 said:


> Well, I'm 21, about 5'5", and I'm not sure what my weight exactly is, but I think it's somewhere between 170 - 180 lbs, which would technically make me really overweight or borderline obese. Anyways, what I've been doing for the past few days is walking/jogging on the treadmill 3+ miles a day for about an hour a day and I've planned on doing this about everyday for at least the rest of the summer to really lose some weight. I don't know if I should be doing more or less or anything other than walking/jogging. Any suggestions/help?





Flex M.W. said:


> Sounds fine to me. Watch your diet / limit yourself a little bit more and the weight should fall right off of you.


If your in it just to lose the weight, like Flex said everything is pretty much fine as long as it's done with a balanced diet.


----------



## Chiller88

Flex M.W. said:


> Sounds fine to me. Watch your diet / limit yourself a little bit more and the weight should fall right off of you.


Thanks. I've just been trying to avoid fast food, junk food, and big portions, but I'm not sure if that's good enough.


----------



## itsmadness

Chiller88 said:


> Thanks. I've just been trying to avoid fast food, junk food, and big portions, but I'm not sure if that's good enough.


its a start but won't do you much untill you start doing weights and cardio


----------



## Spiked.

Deshad C. said:


> Im 5'9
> Weigh anywhere between between 170 to 175 pounds.
> 
> I work out to get/stay lean so i don't use a lot of heavy weights, although i make sure to up the wights i do use a little bit every two weeks so my body doesn't get used to them. Its more about repetitions for me and doing a variety of different work outs the correct way with good form.
> 
> Im working towards my muscles having definition, i don't care really how much i weigh as long as i look good.
> 
> I started P90X two months ago, it works pretty well. I love the plan they have because your working out everyday and it gives a variety of ways to meet your goal, whatever it may be. Push ups and pull ups are a big part of it, so your working with your own body to shape it. Although, i hate the instructor for the videos, Tony. I wanna punch that fucker sometimes. lol
> 
> Ive seen a lot of improvement in my arms and core.
> My legs and back have always been good because i used to be on the drum line in high school. Marching with a heavy ass drum for 4 years will give you strong legs and back, but i still want definition in them as well so i don't neglect them.
> 
> I used to jog 2.6 miles (according to google maps) three times a week but my knee started fucking up so i stopped although now because i have more strength in my legs I'm gonna start running again.
> 
> so that's it
> if you guys have any suggestion for me it would be greatly appreciated =)


Squat. Its the best leg work out.



Tomorrow I am starting Madcow 5x5. Anybody else do this program?


----------



## Billy Kidman

I’ve been working out hard for the last couple of weeks to lose a few pounds and while I have been losing weight and eating good, I want to lose weight at a faster pace than right now.

Breakfast: Eggs and whole grain bread
Snack: Apple and yogurt
Lunch: Whole grain rice with a side of veggies
Snack: Mixed fruits
Dinner: Chicken with carrots

That’s my usual eating day. What am I doing wrong if anything? Am I being too unrealistic to think that I’m going to lose 20 or so pounds in a couple weeks?


----------



## El Conquistador

Spiked. said:


> Squat. Its the best leg work out.
> 
> 
> 
> Tomorrow I am starting Madcow 5x5. Anybody else do this program?


linear progression ftw.

really good program, stick to it for awhile.


----------



## King of Kings

Does anyone here have any good tips for cutting that last 10-15 pounds. I have definition in my pecs, upper abs, and obliques but right now the lower abdominals aren't as visable. 

Maybe cut/change/add something else out of my diet? Right now, I don't eat alot and I don't take any supplements so I was thinking about boosting my protein intake because protein helps cut some fat, correct? If that sounds like a plan, anyone suggest any particular type of whey?

I'm going to try and start doing maybe 20 minutes of cardio in the morning when I wake up. But I'm not going to lie, I'm a lazy fuck, so waking up a little earlier will be easier said than done. I do workout for about 45 minutes to an hour after work though.

so yeah...cutting techniques....


----------



## Lee_TheLAW

Right I know this is a little vague, But Im about 5'8 about 91/2 to 10 stones (dunno pounds) and m looking for a good work out program That will initially help me put on quite a bit of muscle and hopefully tone and define too. The situation Im is is Im an average size really, My shoulders and pecks are a good size and I can do 100+ Ab crunches without to much effort but I do have abit of fat on the stomach, not to much but it just hides away the Ab muscles. 
Anyway I was just wondering If anybody can suggest exercises and what I should eat in order too: 

Build ARMS, (The whole arm and shoulders really, they are the smallest part of my body and the weakest.)
To define abs 
And gain as much muscle as possible in other areas such as legs, although this one isn't as important as the two above.

Oh and Im 16 so i don't want a particularly High impact training program.


----------



## wayneyb

JayDeeSpur said:


> What brand of protein shake would you guys recommend. Also what brand of creatine tablets would be the best, if it matters?



As far as creatine goes I would recommend powder over tablets. Powder is absorbed quicker into your muscles as you do not have to break down the capsules in your body.

And as long as it is pharmaceutical grade creatine monohydrate it doesn't matter about the brand - its all the same, so just go for the cheapest. Well, unless you want any extras in it like an NO-booster or glutamine.


----------



## wayneyb

Nolo King said:


> Nolo King heard that taking steroids orally could cause liver damage!
> 
> Just curious to find out whether taking a smaller does orally will lessen the impact!
> 
> Anyone with information may be rewarded, for their input, lawls!


Taking steroids orally is the worst way, as it has to be processed and digested in your body (as opposed to injecting straight into the muscle) and can cause liver damage over time. Taking a smaller dose would theoretically minimise risks slightly, but the effects of the steroids (ie amount of testosterone) would be less too so it really wouldn't be worth the health risks. If someone does take them orally it is best to supplement with milk thistle tablets to help protect your liver.

Unless you are a professional bodybuilder who earns money from their physique, you really have to weigh up the pros and cons of steroids. Is it worth the associated health risks that come with them. I am a personal trainer and have trained myself for nearly 10 years and have a reasonably good physique which has been built through blood, sweat, tears and squats! I have never taken, nor would I ever take steroids but that is a personal choice. I never advise anyone to take/not take them - but if people are thinking about it, it is best to educate yourself on what you are taking, what it does in your body and the possible side effects. I have seen too many young lads abusing steroids and ending up with horrible acne, and other side-effects, and most don't even have a decent physique as they take steroids to make up for a poor diet and crap workout programme.


I will now step down from my soapbox, lol.


----------



## scukobyte

I'm currently doing morning exercies which are consisting of push-ups, squatting & pumping abs. Also i'm trying not to eat sweets, bread & any greasy food. I have some progress... but for a few days i'm become to lazy & allowed me to eat some sweets & bread. But i'm going to cancel it again because i'm working hard to lose weight & don't want to stop on progress made so far


----------



## The Whole F'N Show

I'm looking for some help. Over the last year or so I've lost a lot of weight (i'm around 150-160 pounds atm). Most days I do around 5k on a exercise bike that I bought and I also do a lot of walking. The thing Im looking for help for is that despite losing all the weight I still, for lack of a better term, have a Tommy Dreamer type gut(its probably actually a little worse than Tommy's). Im not looking to have a six pack or anything, but what can I do to lose some of the excess body fat??


----------



## Goku

Continue what you're doing. You can't really spot reduce fat so a good diet and enough cardio daily should do the job.

If it's just loose muscle, then stretches and crunches of all kind can help


----------



## The Whole F'N Show

Invincible said:


> Continue what you're doing. You can't really spot reduce fat so a good diet and enough cardio daily should do the job.
> 
> If it's just loose muscle, then stretches and crunches of all kind can help


Ok thanks. I do crunches (not as much as I should do probably). I just thought maybe there was something I was doing wrong, or more like not doing, as it has been a while since I noticed a difference. Thanks again.


----------



## Goku

If you want, you could start weight training a little before you do your cardio so that you burn more fat all around but diet is the most important thing.


----------



## The Whole F'N Show

Invincible said:


> If you want, you could start weight training a little before you do your cardio so that you burn more fat all around but diet is the most important thing.


Well I think my diet is ok for what I want. I eat plenty of fruit, all the meat I eat is grilled, plenty of pasta, rice etc. I rarely eat junk food or candy bars etc so I'll try and up the number of crunches etc I do and maybe do a little weight training before my cardio. Thanks again.


----------



## El Conquistador

The Whole F'N Show said:


> Well I think my diet is ok for what I want. I eat plenty of fruit, all the meat I eat is grilled, plenty of pasta, rice etc. I rarely eat junk food or candy bars etc so I'll try and up the number of crunches etc I do and maybe do a little weight training before my cardio. Thanks again.


I don't know if you have access to gym equipment or not but if not, try out this ab circuit below:

_Ab Circuit: (no rest)_

Reverse crunch: 20
Crunch: 20
Reverse crunch: 10
Crunch: 10
Reverse crunch: 5
Crunch: 5
Bicycle: 30 seconds

If you do every single rep with good form and squeeze, you'll be wincing in pain by the time you get to the 5 reverse crunches. Awesome circuit, you'll gain a fair amount of muscle in the abdominals from this.

Like Invincible said, you're doing everything right really. Just watch what you're eating and do a little bit of core exercises to help reduce the fat in the midsection.


----------



## bruteshot74

Thanks for the ab circuit Mitch 

I been looking for something good for a while now, going to give that a try tonight for sure.


----------



## El Conquistador

You're welcome. Let me know how it treats ya'.


----------



## The Whole F'N Show

Flex M.W. said:


> I don't know if you have access to gym equipment or not but if not, try out this ab circuit below:
> 
> _Ab Circuit: (no rest)_
> 
> Reverse crunch: 20
> Crunch: 20
> Reverse crunch: 10
> Crunch: 10
> Reverse crunch: 5
> Crunch: 5
> Bicycle: 30 seconds
> 
> If you do every single rep with good form and squeeze, you'll be wincing in pain by the time you get to the 5 reverse crunches. Awesome circuit, you'll gain a fair amount of muscle in the abdominals from this.
> 
> Like Invincible said, you're doing everything right really. Just watch what you're eating and do a little bit of core exercises to help reduce the fat in the midsection.


I tried the circuit today before I started my cardio and you're right I was wincing in pain when I reached the 5 reverse crunches. The circuit is awesome, thanks for sharing.


----------



## HeartBreak&Triumph

Hello to everyone.This thread has been very helpful to me so far.I am 6 ft 152 pounds so I would like to gain some weight,I have started going to the gym,I'm in a pretty good shape,so do you guys have any suggestions?


----------



## bruteshot74

Flex M.W. said:


> You're welcome. Let me know how it treats ya'.


First run through was good. I added 10 pound plate for the crunches to make it a bit more difficult on myself. Might add heavier plate when I do it next. Good shit, I suck at the bicycle crunches though


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> First run through was good. I added 10 pound plate for the crunches to make it a bit more difficult on myself. Might add heavier plate when I do it next. Good shit, I suck at the bicycle crunches though


Sure. Main thing is to just experiment around with different things. Don't hesitate to try something out of the ordinary. Some change can be good for ya'. Piece together what you can.

Tweak weight, tweak exercises, tweak form, etc,. etc,.

Good to hear though.


----------



## Goku

That's a pretty good circuit. Added a few more reps but effective.


----------



## Spiked.

Squatted 200lbs 5 times for 3 sets today. I know its not a lot, but I feel pretty manly considering I just started squatting like 3 months ago.


----------



## HIGHLIGHT

Anyone use a Bullworker? I'm not very muscular at all so I'm using this to build up a bit.


----------



## El Conquistador

Spiked. said:


> Squatted 200lbs 5 times for 3 sets today. I know its not a lot, but I feel pretty manly considering I just started squatting like 3 months ago.


Don't discredit yourself. It's not like you didn't work to be able to squat 200 lbs. A lot of bench/curl monkeys never get there in their own life time, let alone casual people. Keep at it.


----------



## austinrockera

Flex M.W. said:


> bench/curl monkeys


:lmao

I guess I'm the exact opposite... bench/curl are my least favorite exercises... I'm more of a rows/squat monkey


----------



## AndY2J480

Flex M.W. said:


> I don't know if you have access to gym equipment or not but if not, try out this ab circuit below:
> 
> _Ab Circuit: (no rest)_
> 
> Reverse crunch: 20
> Crunch: 20
> Reverse crunch: 10
> Crunch: 10
> Reverse crunch: 5
> Crunch: 5
> Bicycle: 30 seconds
> 
> If you do every single rep with good form and squeeze, you'll be wincing in pain by the time you get to the 5 reverse crunches. Awesome circuit, you'll gain a fair amount of muscle in the abdominals from this.
> 
> Like Invincible said, you're doing everything right really. Just watch what you're eating and do a little bit of core exercises to help reduce the fat in the midsection.


Good burn, i've been doing ab ripper x twice a day but i might try and offset it with that every now and again.


----------



## Northern Soul

Anyone got any treatments for pec/delt stretch marks? Mine are disgusting lately.


----------



## austinrockera

:no:

Attempting to get this thread back on track:

I am starting a new workout program next week. Upper/Lower program, but not sure which exact route to go. I have 4 days in the gym per week. I'm trying to bring up my legs, so I'm going to work them two days per week.

Here's what I'm looking at:
Day 1: Legs (heavy) and calves
Day 2: Upper (light)
Day 3: rest
Day 4: Legs (light) and abs
Day 5: Upper (heavy)
Day 6-7: rest

Or this:
Day 1: Legs (heavy) and calves
Day 2: Push upper (chest, shoulders, tris)
Day 3: rest
Day 4: Legs (light) and abs
Day 5: Pull upper (back, traps, bis)
Day 6-7: rest

opinions?


----------



## Vin Ghostal

I'm feeling pretty good at the moment...my knee injury and a crappy diet had gotten me all the way up to 199 in March, but now I'm back down to 187-188. I'm hoping to reach my college playing weight of 182 sooner rather than later, and maintain it for the long haul, adding muscle and cutting fat as I go. I've found that my best method for losing weight is on the treadmill, going for 90 seconds at a level, then up every 90 seconds until I hit my peak, then down again, then up again. For example, a 15-minute treadmill session would be 90 seconds each on levels 7-8-9-10-9-8-7-8-9-10.


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> :no:
> 
> Attempting to get this thread back on track:
> 
> I am starting a new workout program next week. Upper/Lower program, but not sure which exact route to go. I have 4 days in the gym per week. I'm trying to bring up my legs, so I'm going to work them two days per week.
> 
> Here's what I'm looking at:
> Day 1: Legs (heavy) and calves
> Day 2: Upper (light)
> Day 3: rest
> Day 4: Legs (light) and abs
> Day 5: Upper (heavy)
> Day 6-7: rest
> 
> Or this:
> Day 1: Legs (heavy) and calves
> Day 2: Push upper (chest, shoulders, tris)
> Day 3: rest
> Day 4: Legs (light) and abs
> Day 5: Pull upper (back, traps, bis)
> Day 6-7: rest
> 
> opinions?


Or you could do strength lower/hypertrophy upper/rest/hypertrophy lower/strength upper.

Lots of options out there but out of the ones you listed.. I like the second.


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> Or you could do strength lower/hypertrophy upper/rest/hypertrophy lower/strength upper.
> 
> Lots of options out there but out of the ones you listed.. I like the second.


My worries is that with exercise 1 or hypertrophy is that I won't get enough of a workout on my upper body. I only spend about 1 hour in the gym, and feel like i'm running around to finish up. 

I will try the push/pull double leg workout for a couple weeks and see what it does. Will probably be walking funny until I get used to it.


----------



## macmairon

Thank you


----------



## El Conquistador

*Quick back-building tip:*​
Today I reminisced before hitting the gym for my back day and realized I've been mistakenly wasting my time during back sessions. I thought to myself "let's change it up" before hitting the gym and when I came home I was reminded that pullups is the KINGPIN of back bulding. 

Hard exercise, very taxing but totally beats machines (lat pulldowns). While machines have their benefits, you could virtually hit all parts of the back better by doing different variations of pullups rather than the other typical exercises people often do. 

Example:

-Narrow Grip Underhand targets the upper back
-Narrow Grip Overhand targets the upper back
-Shoulder Width Overhand & Wide Grip Overhand develops your width 10x better than any other exercises
-Chin Ups will substitute for rows and hit the lower outter back
-VBar pull ups hit the much maligned rhomboids.

Even if you can't do pull ups, start off with strict form wide grip lat pulldowns and progress through by working up a better tolerance and more strength.

You truly are wasting time in the gym on back day if you're not doing pullups.


----------



## El Conquistador

deloading my squat today and starting a 5/3/1 cycle next week for four months. i'm really hyped to get going on that.


----------



## BY2J.Wall

I am 17years old and im about 5´11´´ and 145pounds.....i want to go to +-170 pounds......i go to the gym twice a week for 2-3months, i play basketball very often (4times a week), i take creatine monohydrate every day and gainer twice a week (1hour After workout)


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Anybody recommend the Perfect Push Up?


----------



## bruteshot74

JoseBxNYC said:


> Anybody recommend the Perfect Push Up?


I would not waste the money personally. You can change up the way you do push ups to have enough variety to work yourself in different ways instead of having some handle that does it.


----------



## El Conquistador

BY2J.Wall said:


> I am 17years old and im about 5´11´´ and 145pounds.....i want to go to +-170 pounds......i go to the gym twice a week for 2-3months, i play basketball very often (4times a week), i take creatine monohydrate every day and gainer twice a week (1hour After workout)


What's your question? 5'11 170 should be easy to obtain. Eat some food and take in a lot of protein. 2 days at the gym and protein once every while isn't anything to brag home about.



JoseBxNYC said:


> Anybody recommend the Perfect Push Up?


Nah. I mean, you rightfully can do so but why waste money when you can put it elsewhere? 

Diamond pushups
Pushups on your knuckles
Wide Pushups
Close Pushups
Plyo Pushups


----------



## brian8448

BY2J.Wall said:


> I am 17years old and im about 5´11´´ and 145pounds.....i want to go to +-170 pounds......i go to the gym twice a week for 2-3months, i play basketball very often (4times a week), i take creatine monohydrate every day and gainer twice a week (1hour After workout)


Ayo son, playing basketball isnt a way to gain weight. Work out at least 4 times a week and eat a lot. You'll have to find out on your own what you can eat a lot of, how your body responds to what training/diets, but make sure you're getting 150g protein a day if you're working out consistently.

As far as myself, I'm taking a couple weeks off, my joints/bones are aching a lot right now, and I lift with good form so it's probably just 3 months of consistent 5 times a week workouts catching up to me. Very satisfied with results. I'll probably still be eating 4-5k cals a day these next couple weeks.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Thanks to all that gave me advice on the Perfect Push Up. 

I'll just stick to my normal workout routine.


----------



## Nicky Flash

I hit up the gym yesterday and was able to bench my own body weight (140) 3 Reps 6 Times Each, curled 40lb dumbbells 3 Reps 6 Each, did 16 pull-ups, and about 75 push-ups. 

I was pretty pleased with myself. I'm running 3 miles later today too.


----------



## WorkoutKaitlyn

I'm part time staff at my local gym. It's an ok job I guess. I usually do the evening aerobics classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Anybody else work at a gym?


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

I just want to know about everybody's fitness status 

I am currently 5'8 and around 130 pounds.. good since I haven't really gained or lost any weight over a course of months 

What about WF member's fitness?


----------



## Rajah

WorkoutKaitlyn said:


> I'm part time staff at my local gym. It's an ok job I guess. I usually do the evening aerobics classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Anybody else work at a gym?


Not me.



TheRockIsCookin said:


> I just want to know about everybody's fitness status
> 
> I am currently 5'8 and around 130 pounds.. good since I haven't really gained or lost any weight over a course of months
> 
> What about WF member's fitness?


I'm 6'3" and weigh 117kgs/257lbs. I'm almost twice as big as you. :lmao

Here's me, having a drink.........


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

lol.. wouldn't want to get in a fight with you 

You seem pretty tough, THE TOUGH GUY RIDING THE HORSE!


----------



## BY2J.Wall

on my gainer it is written that i should drink it +-one hour after exercise and use about 40grams of gainer. But i think that 40grams are not sufficient, shouldnt I use more for example at least 75grams? because i 40grams of gainer there is 6-7 grams of protein which isnt much at all (although this protein is more effective thanks to carbohydrates and so on).... whats your opinion


----------



## El Conquistador

BY2J.Wall said:


> on my gainer it is written that i should drink it +-one hour after exercise and use about 40grams of gainer. But i think that 40grams are not sufficient, shouldnt I use more for example at least 75grams? because i 40grams of gainer there is 6-7 grams of protein which isnt much at all (although this protein is more effective thanks to carbohydrates and so on).... whats your opinion


Link me to the supplement and I'll help you.


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> Link me to the supplement and I'll help you.


I'd like to see what weight gainer has only 6-7 grams of protein in a 40g scoop.

As with any supplement though, there are limitations. For me even something as simple as whey makes my stomach hurt if I take too much. Remember, REAL FOOD IS KING. Supplements just help.


----------



## BY2J.Wall

the best gainers have about 15% of proteins....which means 40grams gainer=6g protein


----------



## austinrockera

BY2J.Wall said:


> the best gainers have about 15% of proteins....which means 40grams gainer=6g protein


I didn't believe you, but checked it out. 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/sm.html

best weight gainer IMO. 334g servings at 50g of protein for 14.9% protein to total weight. 

so that leads to my question, why take just 40g of a weight gainer? you want to gain weight, take in calories. just one serving of the above stuff is 334g at 1250 calories. 

6-7g of protein after a workout isn't enough is what I'm trying to get at. I'd say at least 20g of protein for smaller people.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOri5Tlm23c

It's called ''how to get a six pack in 3minutes.''. I must say, this is my 3rd day doing it 2-3 times a day and I can say that it's definitely working at a fast pace i'm doing it for the 2nd time today in a few minutes.. anybody wanna experiment? See if this actually gives you six pack abs? It said in a few weeks you will see results so that being said in 2-3 weeks I will give everyone my results..


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King stopped going to the gym a long time ago and the belly is coming!

Need to know some quick workouts that can be done to target that area!

If possible, something that involves pornography, lawls!


----------



## El Conquistador

TheRockIsCookin said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOri5Tlm23c
> 
> It's called ''how to get a six pack in 3minutes.''. I must say, this is my 3rd day doing it 2-3 times a day and I can say that it's definitely working at a fast pace i'm doing it for the 2nd time today in a few minutes.. anybody wanna experiment? See if this actually gives you six pack abs? It said in a few weeks you will see results so that being said in 2-3 weeks I will give everyone my results..


All that is bullshit really. I mean, crunches and raises are legit but not all that efficient. The abs job is to stabilize the core as well as the rest of the body.

Do the basic compound lifts (squats, rows, deadlifts) and keep your core tight requiring you to use your abs as they're meant to be used. Weightlifting will develop those abs 10x than any marquee ab exercise but the diet will reveal them.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Yeah, I am currently on a small diet also due to the fact that somebody said you also needed to diet.. so I am dieting  

Weeks away from fast food and chips, it's painful.. but it's worth it


----------



## the_hoff

I can't afford to diet. I'm 21, 6'10'', and weigh 137.


----------



## bruteshot74

the_hoff said:


> I can't afford to diet. I'm 21, 6'10'', and weigh 137.


Your a tad bit underweight don't you think for your size...


----------



## the_hoff

bruteshot74 said:


> Your a tad bit underweight don't you think for your size...


Slightly..I just never have an appetite..


----------



## bruteshot74

Not saying you should force yourself to be eating a bunch but should be eating the normal meals that most people do. Not getting all the nutrients and such from the foods is unhealthy. Might be alright now since you are young but is going to hurt you in the long run.


----------



## the_hoff

Yeah I know, I already feel the consequences for not eating. I'm sick quite often, and really have no energy to do anything at all.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Dude, THAT'S NOT GOOD LOL!!!!!!!

Seriously, please for the sake of your family and friends do anything to gain weight.. you say your sick quite often well that could result in getting REALLY sick and could ultimately lead to death..

I weight 128.. but I'm only 5'8.. I am going into high school and have a lot more growing up to do..


----------



## the_hoff

Yeah I know lol. Anyone have any extra fat they can donate and I could inject it into me somehow? Anyone?


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

lol, can't you get fat injected into you?


----------



## the_hoff

I think, but wouldn't that be kinda pricey? I figure I get people to donate some they don't need, and I inject it myself. Saves me some cash. And who can afford getting it injected these days?


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Here is a question for everybody that involves with the diet I am currently going threw.. it says NOT TO EAT MOST FAST FOOD, would barbequed burgers count? Because I would guess I would get lots of protein, and I am going to plan on running on the treamill tomorrow for atleast 30 minutes.


----------



## HeDcaSe

Barbequed burgers will have quite a high saturated fat content, unless they are low fat burgers. Sure you would get protein but also fat and a lot of sodium.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

ok, thanks.. I think I will have just one burger.. I am going out for a run before and after.. also going to be training on my punching bag I just got a little while ago


----------



## bruteshot74

Not going to lie bud, you should not be on a diet at all. You are going into high school which would mean you are like 15-16 years old and said you weigh under 130. Still got plenty of growing to do. Personally I would not worry to much what you are eating because you sound like myself. I was a bit heavier then that but really did not start to gain until I started to go hard at working out. Even now I still do not gain, but muscle has come in good which is the goal in the end for me anyway.

So eat as many fucking burgers as you want.

I lol'd at the guy wanting fat injected into himself. Don't be stupid.


----------



## the_hoff

Aww why'd you lol at me


----------



## brian8448

the_hoff said:


> I can't afford to diet. I'm 21, 6'10'', and weigh 137.


You're 6'10? Seriously? Honestly being 137 at that height sounds like you shouldnt be alive. I'm not making overstatements to say "you're skinny", I'm serious when I say those stats suggest you literally should be dead right now. Unless you don't eat or are a drug addict I would get into a doctor immediately.


As far as people asking "how can I get a six pack" you just shouldnt even be here, it's not happening.

Anybody have any sleep ideas for me? I've literally tried just about everything legal, I've had a lot of problems sleeping the last 3 weeks or so, I dont toss and turn but I wake up and feel like I just layed there for hours and didnt actually sleep. Any suggestions? I've tried ZMA, Melatonin, Ambien, and Xanax, might be forgetting something.

Oh, and as far as getting cals go, what I've done for the past few months that's made it so much easier to get around 5k cals a day even while working 8 hrs a day is eat packs of Ramen noodles. As in, run them under water, let them get soggy enough to chew (takes like 2 minutes) and eat them. Actually making them takes more time and the spices are ridiculously salty. Anyway each pack is like 400 cals and are very easy to eat.


----------



## El Conquistador

Wow @ the stupidity in this thread.


----------



## TKOK

the_hoff said:


> I can't afford to diet. I'm 21, 6'10'', and weigh 137.


Dude i'm 6"3' and i weight like 200, you need to see a doctor I was that weight when i was 13, you could see my ribs and everything.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

bruteshot74 said:


> Not going to lie bud, you should not be on a diet at all. You are going into high school which would mean you are like 15-16 years old and said you weigh under 130. Still got plenty of growing to do. Personally I would not worry to much what you are eating because you sound like myself. I was a bit heavier then that but really did not start to gain until I started to go hard at working out. Even now I still do not gain, but muscle has come in good which is the goal in the end for me anyway.
> 
> So eat as many fucking burgers as you want.
> 
> I lol'd at the guy wanting fat injected into himself. Don't be stupid.


Thanks for the advice 

Guess what, WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE BURGERS 

Instead we had chicken breasts and Ceaser Salad  yum.. after I went for a 20 minute run.. going to do a short workout session now before I go to bed..


----------



## BY2J.Wall

what is easier? normal bench or bench where egdes are moving thanks to some wheels or what the hell it is ( i think its called guard rail or sth like that)


----------



## El Conquistador

BY2J.Wall said:


> what is easier? normal bench or bench where egdes are moving thanks to some wheels or what the hell it is ( i think its called guard rail or sth like that)


Smith Machine Bench Press? That's the one with the hooks that you could rack a lot easier?

Smith Machine is easier as the weight load is a lot softer on the joints and it's simpler to establish a good pace/momentum on the Smith Machine as well.


----------



## thebigmarbowski

I used to be a chubby kid but i'm in pretty good shape now. I got good sexy abs when i'm upright but when i bend over or am sitting, i got quite a bit of soft extra skin, i assume because i was chubby. I eat pretty healthy, run alot and do alot of ab exercises but i cant get rid of it 

any tips?


----------



## TKOK

I need your guy's help on something. 

I normally exercise outside playing basketball, a few weeks ago i started to notice that my right calf was getting really tight/sore at around where your socks would be, and it tends to up about half way my calf on the left side. I usually don't pay much attention to stuff like this becuase it will normally go away once i stop playing .And it did that for a little bit. But then it would start to hurt when i would do things like walk to the store and back. So i took a few days off to rest it and it felt better. but today i go out and it starts to tighten up on me again. 

It doesn't sound like anything is severely wrong but it does suck. So is there anything i need to do, take time off, not exercise as rigorously, or see a doctor?


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

thebigmarbowski said:


> I used to be a chubby kid but i'm in pretty good shape now. I got good sexy abs when i'm upright but when i bend over or am sitting, i got quite a bit of soft extra skin, i assume because i was chubby. I eat pretty healthy, run alot and do alot of ab exercises but i cant get rid of it
> 
> any tips?


It depends on how long you exercise and if you eat healthy all the time. Try to do different kind of exercises besides for ther abs, but you can continue on with them. In getting a good body I believe there are a few steps first, including consistency but also inconsistency. So keep up with your normal exercises, but try to add something a little different into it once in a while.



the king of kings said:


> I need your guy's help on something.
> 
> I normally exercise outside playing basketball, a few weeks ago i started to notice that my right calf was getting really tight/sore at around where your socks would be, and it tends to up about half way my calf on the left side. I usually don't pay much attention to stuff like this becuase it will normally go away once i stop playing .And it did that for a little bit. But then it would start to hurt when i would do things like walk to the store and back. So i took a few days off to rest it and it felt better. but today i go out and it starts to tighten up on me again.
> 
> It doesn't sound like anything is severely wrong but it does suck. So is there anything i need to do, take time off, not exercise as rigorously, or see a doctor?


Growing pains? I mean if your older then it can't be growing pains.. but it's probably the reason if your still growing.



...

P.S - I just want to let everybody know about my fitness status so far, since I haven't posted in a bit.

I am now 5'9 and weigh 128 pounds.. now seeing as I am going back to school soon, I want to get into better shape then I was before.. but I decided to check my BMI to see if I was at a healthy weight, I was at a healthy weight already.. 18.5 and under would = underweight, I am just over with 18.9!

So, just wait a second.. I want to lose weight, NOT GAIN WEIGHT! I am a bit nervous because I am stuck here in two situations, either gain more weight or lose more weight.. is there anyway I can lose fat and gain abs? I am just going into my ''workout stage'' and I want to get a good body as I do have some excess fat I would love to remove, anybody want to help?

Thanks


----------



## austinrockera

TheRockIsCookin said:


> I am now 5'9 and weigh 128 pounds.. now seeing as I am going back to school soon, I want to get into better shape then I was before.. but I decided to check my BMI to see if I was at a healthy weight, I was at a healthy weight already.. 18.5 and under would = underweight, I am just over with 18.9!
> 
> So, just wait a second.. I want to lose weight, NOT GAIN WEIGHT! I am a bit nervous because I am stuck here in two situations, either gain more weight or lose more weight.. is there anyway I can lose fat and gain abs? I am just going into my ''workout stage'' and I want to get a good body as I do have some excess fat I would love to remove, anybody want to help?
> 
> Thanks


BMI is a crock. Back at the beginning of the year, I lost alot of weight, I'm 6'4" and got down to 194lbs. That put my BMI right at 23.5 which is seen as on the high side of normal weight. I had visible abs, and quite honestly looked puny. 

If you maintain any muscle mass, the bmi is thrown out the window.

Lets put it this way, my mother-in-law is 5'8" and weighs about 145. She is very fit, even called skinny by most. So, a male at 5'9" and 128... you need to eat.

Just my .02


----------



## That Guy

Here's something to start a conversation.
What's better, more reps with less weight or less reps with more weight?

From what I have been told, more reps with less weight helps you lose weight if you are a big individual, but say only three reps with a lot more weight would actually shape your muscles and make them look and stand out more. While if you want to lose a few kilo's you do the more reps like twenty or so with half the weight.


----------



## TKOK

TheRockIsCookin said:


> It depends on how long you exercise and if you eat healthy all the time. Try to do different kind of exercises besides for ther abs, but you can continue on with them. In getting a good body I believe there are a few steps first, including consistency but also inconsistency. So keep up with your normal exercises, but try to add something a little different into it once in a while.
> 
> 
> 
> Growing pains? I mean if your older then it can't be growing pains.. but it's probably the reason if your still growing.


Pretty sure it's not that as i'm 19. probably just overworking it.

Yeah the bmi chart is absolute crap. you could be Brock Lesnar and your BMI would be bad.

Lol I just checked my bmi, it said I'm overweight even though I'm 6'3" 200 pounds. have visible muscles and work out 4 or 5 times a week.


----------



## King of Kings

TheRockIsCookin said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOri5Tlm23c
> 
> It's called ''how to get a six pack in 3minutes.''. I must say, this is my 3rd day doing it 2-3 times a day and I can say that it's definitely working at a fast pace i'm doing it for the 2nd time today in a few minutes.. anybody wanna experiment? See if this actually gives you six pack abs? It said in a few weeks you will see results so that being said in 2-3 weeks I will give everyone my results..


Think someone already called this as b.s and I'm going to have to agree. Excerising will stregthen the muscles, but you need to get your body fat % down for your abs to really show...not always the easiest thing.

Thought this was kinda funny....earlier this morning (I'm at work right now) one of the girls I work with hired a personal trainer. Anyways, the trainer changed up her workout routine and she came in today complaining that it was hard and she is sore, lol.


----------



## OwenRocky

I just joined a gym, so hopefully this will push me to start exercising again.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Yeah, I forgot to tell everybody about my plan to stay healthy, and gain some more muscle..

See, probably on July 25th I decided that I was going to eat what I want to eat for the next few days, until the month of August.. then I decided that for the whole next month I would workout on a schedule, I will not eat foods with trans fats, I won't eat food with high intakes on sugar, sodium, etc.. 

I am going to try to eat more salads, even though I have probably 2-3 meals that involve salad (mostly Ceaser) a week. I understand that garden salad is more healthier for you and I will start having that with Cattalina or Ranch dressing. I am also going to try to eat more meat before workouts, including foot particles with more chlolesterol including spaghetti, one of my favorite meals. I am going to want to stay around 125-130 pounds by losing more excess fat and by gaining muscle which will add a few pounds.. so hopefully I will weigh around the same I have for a few months.. but I might be aiming for 130 lbs.


----------



## brian8448

I remember there being a discussion involving the phrase "bodybuilders don't run" a while back on here, and I was curious about something. One side said it was because running takes away from gains and another said it was because you shouldnt run on steroids... how does one come up with that second part when a lot of high level track athletes use?


----------



## raunotonts

I did greco-roman for like 3 years, so i didn't have to worry about getting out of shape that much. Then i stopped, and that was when all the partying began, and i did pretty much nothing. Now i started with gym again, eating all the protein and shit, and i'm almost in shape again. Next goal is to gain a lot of weight.


----------



## El Conquistador

brian8448 said:


> I remember there being a discussion involving the phrase "bodybuilders don't run" a while back on here, and I was curious about something. One side said it was because running takes away from gains and another said it was because you shouldnt run on steroids... how does one come up with that second part when a lot of high level track athletes use?


Bodybuilders really don't have to run but 80% do (if not more).

Theoretically, if you don't bulk and eat clean on a yearly basis then you shouldn't have to do any cardio. That is of course assuming you workout with a lot of volume or a lot of intensity.

Heavy compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and rows keep my midsection trim. All you have to do is keep your core tight during your set and waa-lah. 

But, part of me thinks that if you're serious about bodybuilding and competing, you HAVE to do cardio. You don't want your conditioning to seem weak against the world's best.


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> But, part of me thinks that if you're serious about bodybuilding and competing, you HAVE to do cardio. You don't want your conditioning to seem weak against the world's best.


True, I know alot of bodybuilders (NPC level guys), and basically, you can get to a certain bodyfat level without too much emphasis on cardio, but to get down to the dry/striated look you have to do cardio. Most guys do 2 or 3 30 min cardio sessions per day when they start contest prep about 10 to 14 weeks out.

Its all dependent on genetics. Some are going to be naturally lean, some aren't. The naturally lean sometimes only prep for 10 weeks, and do cardio for 6. The naturally chubby guys have to start as much as 14 weeks out with 3 times per day cardio.


----------



## brian8448

the king of kings said:


> Pretty sure it's not that as i'm 19. probably just overworking it.
> 
> Yeah the bmi chart is absolute crap. you could be Brock Lesnar and your BMI would be bad.
> 
> Lol I just checked my bmi, it said I'm overweight even though I'm 6'3" 200 pounds. have visible muscles and work out 4 or 5 times a week.


Muscle mass does not equal=healthy. Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman are not the peak of health. It's based strictly on what's healthiest, not American's ideal body image.


----------



## El Conquistador

healthy = fit


----------



## austinrockera

brian8448 said:


> Muscle mass does not equal=healthy. Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman are not the peak of health. It's based strictly on what's healthiest, not American's ideal body image.


Have you seen a Coleman video? That guy takes 60+ pills a day and most of them are prescriptions. I don't care what anyone says, the guy isn't healthy.

I have to disagree little to your post, muscle mass does equal healthy, but only to an extent. Someone that is 5'10" and shredded at 280lbs is probably not healthy. Someone that has visible muscle and not too much fat is probably healthy.

As far as America's ideal body image, Coleman and Cutler are far from it. Bodybuilders haven't been considered mainstream since the 90s, and most of them are referred to as freaks instead of having ideal body images. Aesthetics appeal left bodybuilding long ago and was replaced by un-human width and muscle mass.



-Flex- said:


> healthy = fit


??? I don't consider myself fit... can't run a mile without feeling like i'm dying. 6'4" tall and weigh 220 with a 37" waist. However, my cholesterol is 135, perfect blood pressure, perfect everything else. I'm perfectly healthy, but not fit.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

You don't have to be healthy to be fit.. I mean, you can be a fking lazy couch potato and still eat good foods and do everything that leads to a healthy life style, but I guess being a couch potato would lower how healthy you are 

Fit is having a good body.. atleast that's the main part. It means you can go fking run for a while lol.. I heard that in high school your ''major test'' is that you have to run around a 400 m course for 20 minutes.. if you run anything below, even 19 minutes.. you fail.


----------



## Ashleigh Rose

Probably a stupid question...
But should you stay away from working out if you are unwell?

I've had a kind of mild flu the past week or so, and the aches and pains/sore muscles have made me stay away from the exercise equipment in my home.
However, I'm going crazy not being able to use it! I feel like I'm gaining weight, just sitting around on my ass. Haha.

Any suggestions for light exercise I could possibly do in the mean time?
Or is that a bad idea?


----------



## brian8448

austinrockera said:


> Have you seen a Coleman video? That guy takes 60+ pills a day and most of them are prescriptions. I don't care what anyone says, the guy isn't healthy.
> 
> I have to disagree little to your post, muscle mass does equal healthy, but only to an extent. Someone that is 5'10" and shredded at 280lbs is probably not healthy. Someone that has visible muscle and not too much fat is probably healthy.
> 
> As far as America's ideal body image, Coleman and Cutler are far from it. Bodybuilders haven't been considered mainstream since the 90s, and most of them are referred to as freaks instead of having ideal body images. Aesthetics appeal left bodybuilding long ago and was replaced by un-human width and muscle mass.


I've just seen him work out. However, I've seen his body, which is enough, as well as what people toss around as his cycles. 

I'm not saying muscle mass is unhealthy at all, what I'm saying is people that are clueless about nutrition and bodybuilding (two very different things) seem to think that more muscle mass= more "in shape", healthier, more fit.


----------



## bruteshot74

Ashleigh Rose said:


> Probably a stupid question...
> But should you stay away from working out if you are unwell?
> 
> I've had a kind of mild flu the past week or so, and the aches and pains/sore muscles have made me stay away from the exercise equipment in my home.
> However, I'm going crazy not being able to use it! I feel like I'm gaining weight, just sitting around on my ass. Haha.
> 
> Any suggestions for light exercise I could possibly do in the mean time?
> Or is that a bad idea?


Just rest and get back to good health. I usually still run when I am feeling sick but really that is up to you.


----------



## El Conquistador

Ashleigh Rose said:


> Probably a stupid question...
> But should you stay away from working out if you are unwell?
> 
> I've had a kind of mild flu the past week or so, and the aches and pains/sore muscles have made me stay away from the exercise equipment in my home.
> However, I'm going crazy not being able to use it! I feel like I'm gaining weight, just sitting around on my ass. Haha.
> 
> Any suggestions for light exercise I could possibly do in the mean time?
> Or is that a bad idea?


Up your Vitamin C intake and hit the gym.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

I am in dying need of new exercises! 

Anybody have exercises that will start to reveal my already starting to reveal 6 pack? I am currently on vacation and I have probably eaten the most I have in like the whole summer, and I still have maintained a weight of 127 pounds! That means I only gained 1 pound! And surely, I am going on a hike with my grandparents in a few days so hopefully that will do something. 

I need exercises to reveal my 6 pack! I will green rep you if you give me good ones!


----------



## SKT T1 Blank

Does anyone have any suggestions for simple ab exercises?


----------



## austinrockera

hanging leg raises is the #1 ab exercise as said on Mens Health. Hang from a chinup bar (works grip too) and slowly raise your legs trying to make your knees touch your chest, then back down. DON'T SWING YOUR UPPER BODY AT ALL. If you are swinging, you are using momentum. Do 12 reps if you can, then do 3 more sets of 12.


----------



## El Conquistador

TheRockIsCookin said:


> I am in dying need of new exercises!
> 
> Anybody have exercises that will start to reveal my already starting to reveal 6 pack? I am currently on vacation and I have probably eaten the most I have in like the whole summer, and I still have maintained a weight of 127 pounds! That means I only gained 1 pound! And surely, I am going on a hike with my grandparents in a few days so hopefully that will do something.
> 
> I need exercises to reveal my 6 pack! I will green rep you if you give me good ones!


At 127 pounds your abs should show automatically unless you're like 5'0. You don't want any extra mass? Why the hell are you eating salads and starving yourself when you should be packing on muscle and gorging your mouth with food?

Anyways, for the two that asked questions about ab exercises/recommendations.. Look back in the thread. I've wrote up plenty of my views/concepts on what I do to keep a good mid-section.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Well, I am 5'8 or 5'9 and I am currently training for sports such as soccer and hockey.. I want to be more fit then I am because I feel as if I have let myself go just a tiny bit, I think that could be due to I havn't done much to none exercise. But that will change as I get back to my hometown as I will be working out everyday.


----------



## luminaire

Ashleigh Rose said:


> Probably a stupid question...
> But should you stay away from working out if you are unwell?
> 
> I've had a kind of mild flu the past week or so, and the aches and pains/sore muscles have made me stay away from the exercise equipment in my home.
> However, I'm going crazy not being able to use it! I feel like I'm gaining weight, just sitting around on my ass. Haha.
> 
> Any suggestions for light exercise I could possibly do in the mean time?
> Or is that a bad idea?


I don't see why that would be a bad thing. If you're doing cardio, you'll sweat more. If you're weightlifting, your muscles will be tired, which is the best time to train them.

Despite all this, you'll probably have a hard time finishing a complete workout if you're hacking up phlegm and coughing up a storm. And please, stay out of the gym. That's just cruel.


----------



## El Conquistador

TheRockIsCookin said:


> Well, I am 5'8 or 5'9 and I am currently training for sports such as soccer and hockey.. I want to be more fit then I am because I feel as if I have let myself go just a tiny bit, I think that could be due to I havn't done much to none exercise. But that will change as I get back to my hometown as I will be working out everyday.


@ 5'8 you should definitely see a six pack and all the definition that goes along with it. You don't have a strong base and foundation. Really work on the abs to gain more muscle in that core area. Hanging leg raises, decline crunches, roman v ups, squats, deadlifts, etc,.

Basically, you don't have enough muscle if the six pack isn't showing. You're virtually 5% body fat so you need to work hard on the exercising part of it then.


----------



## samuel05

This may seem like a stupid question but does lots of sweating mean you're unfit. As an amateur boxer I train 5 - 6 times a week. I thought I was fairly fit as I can go 3 rounds fine, but I sweat loads, is this a problem?


----------



## dele

Update: down 40 pounds (down to about 250 - my college football playing weight) since the beginning of the year. Fuck yeah.


----------



## El Conquistador

samuel05 said:


> This may seem like a stupid question but does lots of sweating mean you're unfit. As an amateur boxer I train 5 - 6 times a week. I thought I was fairly fit as I can go 3 rounds fine, but I sweat loads, is this a problem?


Not at all. I sweat bullets as well while training. It doesn't even have to be cardio. Heavy weight with moderate intensity will have me drenched by the end of a workout. I wouldn't put too much thought into it. Sounds like you're over thinking the situation.

Besides, most boxers are in great shape for the most part.


----------



## luminaire

Does tanning reduce sweat? I used to sweat pretty bad, but that was before I started cooking myself on a tanning bed weekly. Now, I don't sweat as much.


----------



## austinrockera

luminaire said:


> Does tanning reduce sweat? I used to sweat pretty bad, but that was before I started cooking myself on a tanning bed weekly. Now, I don't sweat as much.


Sweating is perfectly normal while you are working out. When you are taxing your muscles, you should sweat, its the body's way of cooling itself off.

If you do a hard workout and don't sweat, you might want to worry.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Thanks for everybody so far with the advice. Yeah, I weigh in about 130 and I have weighed in at 130 for practically ever since the beginning of the year.. I want to get at a weight of 135 when school starts, but I want that extra body weight to be muscle, and I want to lose the fat.


----------



## SKT T1 Blank

Is it a good idea to work out about 4-5 minutes after eating?


----------



## Evidense

Hey I'm getting a gym membership within the next 2 weeks. It's a gym that's inside of a local hospital here. It's really professional looking. It's $88 the first month then $33 every month after that. Is that average for a really good gym? How much are you guys paying?

Anyways. I just got back from the doctors today for a checkup since I have type-2 Diabetes. I used to weigh 392 pounds I'm down to 326. I'm 6'4 so I don't really look like 326 I kinda look like 280 probably. Anyways I haven't worked out all I've done was changed what I put into my mouth, what I drunk and I'm a bit more active like I walk alot more instead of sitting around all day. I don't mean I walk a mile a day but I'm more just generally more active with doing everyday shit instead of being a coach potato. I also don't eat all that healthy I just don't eat as much fast food but I still eat it. Which I hope when I get into the gym it motivates me to stay away and eat healthy.

I have a concern. Since my weight loss I've noticed my arms look a bit more defined which is awesome motivation but there's still alot of arm fat on my biceps and when I pull the skin on it and let go it doesn't go back into place it kinda stays there which concerns me because my goal is to cut down to 250 pounds and stay there and just build muscle and stay fit but I'm really concerned if I don't get into a gym fast and start lifting I'll be 250 pounds and have a shitload of loose skin that I can't get rid of unless surgery.

If I get a gym membership soon and start lifting + cardio will this stop loose skin? Or is it just a given that if you were morbidly obese and lose a ton of weight you're gonna have permanent skin damage (ie: stretch marks and loose skin)? Stretch marks I can deal with, they'll eventually fade but I'm really concerned about having loose skin. What do you guys recommend I do to keep my skin firm and tight. I'm not just talking about my arms either I still have a belly that hangs and would love to get it smaller and more tighter without any noticeable loose skin.

Any tips? I've never ever been inside a gym befor.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Well, it's your choice but I wouldn't really go into a gym. Gym's probably have more higher advanced technology, but I just do the basics.. lifting (Dumbells) which you can buy at any sports store for like really cheap.. I have a treadmill that I run on every night and I have certain programs I work on to work on my abs as that is what I am mainly focusing on as of now..


----------



## green been

im 17 and i know its not much but 100 sit ups and 50 push ups are doing the job for me at the moment thinking about going out and buying some weights also does anyone have any good tips/stretches to become flexable because i cant touch my toes while keeping my legs straight


----------



## El Conquistador

Ascent81 said:


> Suppose for the sake of argument that someone really discovered the best workout routine. Say it was backed up by years of scientific research and first-hand experience. It guarantees the best possible results — for everyone. But there’s one catch: It’s as boring as hell.
> 
> Perhaps this is what every workout routine shares in common: a total disregard for human psychology. We need to be excited about a program, and as soon as the excitement runs out, our motivation comes to a dead halt. We abandon the program. Maybe we stop working our all-together.
> 
> My point is that no matter how effective a workout routine is, if it bores you, it’s useless. I would even go so far as to say that a less effective but highly exciting routine is better than a highly effective but boring routine. The reason is simple. You will remain committed to working out more consistently when you are excited about working out. You will then in time get the results you’re after.
> 
> But let’s entertain another possibility. Maybe all workout routines are self-undermining because of this fact: they’re routines. And any routine — no matter how varied it starts off — will become boring. And as soon as boredom sets in, motivation drops. You stop looking forward to going to the gym, or you put less energy and focus in your training. As a result, you don’t make the gains or goals you’re after. It’s a vicious cycle.
> 
> Which brings me to my main point. Stop using a workout routine. Don’t stop training, of course. Just stop training along the same set of principles and rules that every program locks you into. Change up your workout frequency, your reps, your sets, your exercises. Or cycle through different routines. Experiment.
> 
> But wait a minute. You might be thinking, What if the constant change approach turns into a new program?! What if you become locked into the so-called ‘change principle’? Can we avoid that? Can we avoid the boredom that will inevitably set in from having to always experiment and change things up?
> 
> Here’s my solution. If all you’ve been doing is changing your routine, try staying consistent with one program. If you’re always experimenting, then not experimenting will be the new thing for you.


Read this on another website. This guy is actually shredded and has a ton of strength which is hard to obtain for many naturals. He squats 300x5, Benches 225x12 quite easily, and Deadlifts about 500lbs while maintaining a 4-8% body fat. 

I don't know if anyone is familiar with Kane Sumabat from Controlled Labs, but this guy is his full time, real life workout partner. I love reading his columns and insight, guy is always point on. A lot of his general thoughts apply to the way I go about training.

Thought people would maybe enjoy reading it a bit.


----------



## Panic!

OK guys, I just need to know if mid 13st is fat for a fifteen year old?


----------



## Goku

Mid 13st what ?


----------



## Panic!

Invincible said:


> Mid 13st what ?


Well...13st 6lbs and my height is near enough 5ft 10.


----------



## Goku

Kind of a stupid question to ask, considering you'd know best by looking in the mirror but I'd say not.


----------



## just1988

Panic! said:


> OK guys, I just need to know if mid 13st is fat for a fifteen year old?


I'd say no, but I'd be careful not to gain anymore, but it all depends on your muscle mass, seig as ur 15, u probably dont have much, as a 15 year old, you might wanna lose a stone, but don't pressure yourself, it's not the end of the world if you don't


----------



## bruteshot74

I read this in an article in mens fitness and really is the best advice anyone could get, especially all the young guys. How much you weigh is really just a number that you should not worry at all. I would not ever even look at a scale unless you are doing that cutting stuff for MMA, wrestling, etc. If you look in the mirror or whatever and are proud with how you look or the progress you are making then keep on going, do not let some number change that.


----------



## Evidense

I went back to the doctors I'm at 324.4 now I was 326 last Wednesday so in 4 days lost 2 pounds I guess. But I suppose that's common for bigger people right? Again I haven't gotten any real exorcised. I have a fast metabolism though I poop alot which I guess is where alot of it goes. I still wanna get in actual shape though. Fuck losing 70 pounds from just cutting down on fast food I'll look like this


----------



## Stock Pile

Gotta get my stamina up. Anyone know any good workouts besides boring old jogging for this?


----------



## Goku

Any form of cardio will do.

Go box.


----------



## El Conquistador

Stock Pile said:


> Gotta get my stamina up. Anyone know any good workouts besides boring old jogging for this?


Intervals


----------



## bruteshot74

I need some good chest workouts Mitch. I feel like I am making no progress in that area


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> I need some good chest workouts Mitch. I feel like I am making no progress in that area


I know you workout at home so what's your equipment look like? Bowflex adjustable dumbells, a bench press that isn't adjustable (to put it on incline or decline?), and a barbell with some weights to go along with it.

This is a really good size workout that I find really beneficial as far as chest growth goes:

*Dumbell Bench Press* 10 reps, 8 reps, failure
*Decline Butterflies* 12 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps
*Incline Dumbell Bench Press* 10 reps, 8 reps, failure
*Peck Deck* 12 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps

That's with full equipment at a fitness center.

Let me know what you have to work with and I'll cook something up for ya'. If you could figure out your 1RM on the bench, that would help as well. 

EDIT: Also, at this point what is your main goal? You want to get stronger or do you want a hypertrophy induced workout? Or are you looking to do both simultaneously?


----------



## bruteshot74

I got basically everything at home other then all those mechanical machines in the gym. Got the dumbells, barbell and then the power cage which I can do a bunch of stuff in.

I have all the necessary stuff to do that workout you have listed actually. Got a older machine to do butterflies and such on.

Main goal is to get bigger size wise but at the main time get stronger and lift more and more as I go along.


----------



## El Conquistador

Nice. Well that workout is immense in its own right. Give it a run and see how you like it. On the Decline Butterflies & Pec Deck, go slow to keep the TUT (time-under-tension) high. 

When you start stalling on progression (it's bound to happen strength wise), I'd explore 5x5, madcow, smolov jr., etc,. for bench press strength gains. 

I'm actually starting a smolov jr. cycle this upcoming Monday. 

But, yeah.. Let me know how that workout treats ya' after your next chest session, Josh. I'm actually doing some PT work independently on the side right now so hopefully my advice is helpful or else I'd be ashamed of myself.


----------



## bruteshot74

-Flex- said:


> Nice. Well that workout is immense in its own right. Give it a run and see how you like it. On the Decline Butterflies & Pec Deck, go slow to keep the TUT (time-under-tension) high.
> 
> When you start stalling on progression (it's bound to happen strength wise), I'd explore 5x5, madcow, smolov jr., etc,. for bench press strength gains.
> 
> I'm actually starting a smolov jr. cycle this upcoming Monday.
> 
> But, yeah.. Let me know how that workout treats ya' after your next chest session, Josh. I'm actually doing some PT work independently on the side right now so hopefully my advice is helpful or else I'd be ashamed of myself.


I went to actual gym tonight with one of my buddies and gave it a run through. Weight wise I was using pretty minimal...but it felt good to get some new chest workouts in there. Only thing I was really doing there before was the dumbell bench press which was one of my bread and butter workouts.

Thanks though man, shall keep it in my regular cycle and hopefully does some good.


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> I went to actual gym tonight with one of my buddies and gave it a run through. Weight wise I was using pretty minimal...but it felt good to get some new chest workouts in there. Only thing I was really doing there before was the dumbell bench press which was one of my bread and butter workouts.
> 
> Thanks though man, shall keep it in my regular cycle and hopefully does some good.


No problem. Anytime, anytime for a good pal.

Hey, it might not be for you. Different strokes for different folks.


----------



## Rajah

-Flex- said:


> Bowflex adjustable dumbells.....


I love my Bowflex dumbbells. I had to buy the next set up, the 40kg ones a few weeks back as the 24kg weren't heavy enough.

I'll have to sell the old ones at some stage.


----------



## ross_thefloyd

My left arm is weaker and somewhat smaller than my right, any tips for putting some muscle on my left and maintaining my right the same size?


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> I love my Bowflex dumbbells. I had to buy the next set up, the 40kg ones a few weeks back as the 24kg weren't heavy enough.
> 
> I'll have to sell the old ones at some stage.


Nice. Sounds convenient in a sense as it takes up less storage. A bit expensive though for the bigger set? Like, a couple of hundred dollars? I'd love to get a home gym in my house but I just don't have the money let alone a stable job.



ross_thefloyd said:


> My left arm is weaker and somewhat smaller than my right, any tips for putting some muscle on my left and maintaining my right the same size?


Heavy, compound movements will do the trick overtime. Lift heavy with sound technique and you shouldn't have to worry about it down the line.

For now, dumbells should help correct the problem. Dumbells would probably suit you best to help strengthen the non-dominant side.


----------



## El Conquistador

Mr. Olympia is in two weeks! Is anyone following it or looking forward to it as much as I am? The field is pretty well balanced and there's some good competition in there this year.

My favorite is Phil Heath and I fully expect him to run away with it. His entire upper body is massive and his legs are pretty damn big in their own right. Critics are saying that his arms are far bigger than his chest but I just don't see that though his biceps are ginormous! This is how I see it playing out:

1. Phil Heath
2. Kai Greene
3. Dexter Jackson
4. Dennis Wolf
5. Jay Cutler


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> Mr. Olympia is in two weeks! Is anyone following it or looking forward to it as much as I am? The field is pretty well balanced and there's some good competition in there this year.
> 
> My favorite is Phil Heath and I fully expect him to run away with it. His entire upper body is massive and his legs are pretty damn big in their own right. Critics are saying that his arms are far bigger than his chest but I just don't see that though his biceps are ginormous! This is how I see it playing out:
> 
> 1. Phil Heath
> 2. Kai Greene
> 3. Dexter Jackson
> 4. Dennis Wolf
> 5. Jay Cutler


Man, don't jump on the Heath bandwagon just yet. The reason he won't win the Olympia this year is muscle maturity. He won't look as grainy and dry as the older guys. 

As far as Kai, he just doesn't flow well to me. Compare his lower back to others. Just doesn't work right. He's just a big ass block of muscle.

1. Dexter Jackson
2. Phil Heath
3. Kai Greene
4. Victor Martinez
5. Jay Cutler

I'm putting Jay 5th, but he might well jump Victor and Kai depending on his conditioning. If he hits it, he is top 3, if not, 5th is a gift.

Edit: Love the sig


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> Man, don't jump on the Heath bandwagon just yet. The reason he won't win the Olympia this year is muscle maturity. He won't look as grainy and dry as the older guys.
> 
> As far as Kai, he just doesn't flow well to me. Compare his lower back to others. Just doesn't work right. He's just a big ass block of muscle.
> 
> 1. Dexter Jackson
> 2. Phil Heath
> 3. Kai Greene
> 4. Victor Martinez
> 5. Jay Cutler
> 
> I'm putting Jay 5th, but he might well jump Victor and Kai depending on his conditioning. If he hits it, he is top 3, if not, 5th is a gift.
> 
> Edit: Love the sig


Our top five is practically the same but no Dennis Wolf? Wow, you might be one of the only people I've come across that hasn't bought into his hype. 

Wolf's arms, chest, and midsection trumps Jay's but Cutler's legs are more massive and his back thickness is > Wolf's but Wolf is a bit wider. I guess it depends on what the judges are looking for.

I do like Victor but he's coming off an injury and I don't know if he'll have it this year. I was actually going to put him 5th over Cutler.

Kai is actually planning on heading into the Olympia at 264 which would make him more massive & more shredded than Dexter tbh. Yeah, Kai's just the freakiest mother fucker in the field. Pure mass and probably the biggest competitor in the Olympia this year all around.

I'm on the Heath bandwagon. I love the guy and feel he has the best package to offer. His physique is the most pleasing and I think that will pay huge dividends to the judges this year. We'll see how his legs look this year.

Cutler needs to come in conditioned and dry. If he can drop the 20 lbs of water weight that he's been known to carry around regularly come competition time, he has a good chance to place in the top 3.

Wolf makes everyone's back look Olympia Caliber so he wont win the O' until he makes huge strides in that department.

I think the only sure thing is Dex'. He's guaranteed to place top 5 as he's always the most consistent. I don't think he'll repeat this year due to the fact that Phil and Kai are mass monsters and they dwarf him in that category. It'll take a huge slip up from Phil and Kai in order for Dexter to take first imo.

And thanks on the sig compliment.


----------



## Rajah

I'm going to see Ronnie Coleman on the 17th of October here in Melbourne at the Victorian Championships.


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> Our top five is practically the same but no Dennis Wolf? Wow, you might be one of the only people I've come across that hasn't bought into his hype.
> 
> Wolf's arms, chest, and midsection trumps Jay's but Cutler's legs are more massive and his back thickness is > Wolf's but Wolf is a bit wider. I guess it depends on what the judges are looking for.


I was seriously thinking Wolf was going to get top 3 last year, but he missed his conditioning and came in way too flat. The more I look at Wolf, the more I realize that he is missing too much to win the O. His lower back is not good, and his upper back lacks the depth the other top guys have. Width is good, but it isn't the only thing judges look at.



-Flex- said:


> I do like Victor but he's coming off an injury and I don't know if he'll have it this year. I was actually going to put him 5th over Cutler.


Victor SHOULD do well, he has all the parts... we shall see.



-Flex- said:


> Kai is actually planning on heading into the Olympia at 264 which would make him more massive & more shredded than Dexter tbh. Yeah, Kai's just the freakiest mother fucker in the field. Pure mass and probably the biggest competitor in the Olympia this year all around.


Yes, he is freaky, but I don't care for his build honestly, but that's just me. He fits into the freak era of 5-10 years ago. The era of appealing physiques and overall flow hopefully is here to stay.



-Flex- said:


> I'm on the Heath bandwagon. I love the guy and feel he has the best package to offer. His physique is the most pleasing and I think that will pay huge dividends to the judges this year. We'll see how his legs look this year.


I agree, Heath is Mr. O many times over, but that will start in 2010. Not this year. I just about guarantee 2nd place for him, but I don't see them taking the title away from Dexter. He's just too consistent and comes in shredded every year.



-Flex- said:


> Cutler needs to come in conditioned and dry. If he can drop the 20 lbs of water weight that he's been known to carry around regularly come competition time, he has a good chance to place in the top 3.


It was reported that he actually lost 18lbs of water between prejudging and the show last year, that's sad, because he was the best during the night show. He could have won.



-Flex- said:


> Wolf makes everyone's back look Olympia Caliber so he wont win the O' until he makes huge strides in that department.
> 
> I think the only sure thing is Dex'. He's guaranteed to place top 5 as he's always the most consistent. I don't think he'll repeat this year due to the fact that Phil and Kai are mass monsters and they dwarf him in that category. It'll take a huge slip up from Phil and Kai in order for Dexter to take first imo.
> 
> And thanks on the sig compliment.


welcome on the sig.

I tell you what, looking at the competitors, I think other than Dex and Heath, 3-10 could just about be in any order.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Branch or Toney made the top 5.


----------



## RetroQuick

The way I stay in shape is just jogging and playing sports like mainly Hockey.


----------



## austinrockera

Rajah said:


> I'm going to see Ronnie Coleman on the 17th of October here in Melbourne at the Victorian Championships.


I've always wanted to meet him... I live in TX about 3.5hrs from Arlington, and have considered going to his old gym when I'm in the area. I would love to meet him and/or Branch while they are working out. Never happen with Ronnie now though b/c he works out at his home gym now.

Be ready to meet a huge sob, because I think he's running 300+lbs right now.


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> I was seriously thinking Wolf was going to get top 3 last year, but he missed his conditioning and came in way too flat. The more I look at Wolf, the more I realize that he is missing too much to win the O. His lower back is not good, and his upper back lacks the depth the other top guys have. Width is good, but it isn't the only thing judges look at.


I agree about Dennis. The back has to improve, no doubt about it. His conditioning will be good this year though. Rumors have him working out with Milos Sarcev again so those giant sets have to help him come in better condition than in previous years in various competitions.



> Victor SHOULD do well, he has all the parts... we shall see.


Talk about conditioning. He does have the entire package but he always looks bloated and out of condition. 



> Yes, he is freaky, but I don't care for his build honestly, but that's just me. He fits into the freak era of 5-10 years ago. The era of appealing physiques and overall flow hopefully is here to stay.


Best back in the business at the moment, best glutes/hams in the business, and his biceps/triceps are just as good as Wolf's & Heath's at this point. I don't see how Kai finishes any lower than second. 

He is a mass monster but his physique is the best if Heath doesn't bring it this year.



> I agree, Heath is Mr. O many times over, but that will start in 2010. Not this year. I just about guarantee 2nd place for him, but I don't see them taking the title away from Dexter. He's just too consistent and comes in shredded every year.


We'll see how it unfolds. Like I said, I don't think Dexter is big enough compared to the other specimens in the field but who knows? Didn't most say the same thing about Dexter last year?



> It was reported that he actually lost 18lbs of water between prejudging and the show last year, that's sad, because he was the best during the night show. He could have won.


He's like Victor to me. Massive but less symmetrical than Martinez. Cutler isn't in his prime anymore and I see him having a hard time hanging around with the likes of Phil, Kai, and Dexter. 

It sucks to be Cutler. Jay was in his prime way back in 01-05 but still couldn't compare to Ronnie.



> I tell you what, looking at the competitors, I think other than Dex and Heath, 3-10 could just about be in any order.
> 
> I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Branch or Toney made the top 5.


Oh yeah. Rumor is that Badell is in top notch shape and Branch has made improvements in his arms.



Rajah said:


> I'm going to see Ronnie Coleman on the 17th of October here in Melbourne at the Victorian Championships.


Lucky you. Let me know how big his 23' arms look in person.


----------



## Rajah

I've seen a couple of recent videos of him, and yeah, he's got the gut at the moment. With any luck he'll cut up for the show. This'll be the only chance I ever get to see him so it's worth going just for that. I'll be taking the camera so if I get any decent shots I'll post them.



-Flex- said:


> Oh yeah. Rumor is that Badell is in top notch shape and Branch has made improvements in his arms.


Gastavo won the Atlantic City Pro a week ago, beating Troy Alves and Melvin Anthony in the process.


1. Gustavo Badell
2. Hidetada Yamagishi
3. Troy Alves
4. Melvin Anthony


----------



## bruteshot74

Hey Mitch, I know you are a fan of Mariusz Pudzianowski so did you see he is making his MMA debut? Guess he has trained in boxing for 7 years and has a green belt in Kyokushin kaikan Karate.


----------



## Evidense

I'm new to this ;[ but WHY do body builders try to turn so dark for competitions? Those 2 white/asian guys look legit African American which is cool and freaky at the same time. 

Actually at a 2nd look it looks like a REALLY fucked up spray on tan.. can anyone give me input?


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> Hey Mitch, I know you are a fan of Mariusz Pudzianowski so did you see he is making his MMA debut? Guess he has trained in boxing for 7 years and has a green belt in Kyokushin kaikan Karate.


I love Pudzianowski. Greatest strongman athlete in history at this point though Poundstone might make a run at that.

But I had no idea bout that! I'd feel bad to be his opponent. Mariusz has admitted that he takes performance enhancing drugs regularly and they don't test for them at the WSM. I honestly didn't know he did mixed martial arts.


----------



## austinrockera

Evidense said:


> I'm new to this ;[ but WHY do body builders try to turn so dark for competitions? Those 2 white/asian guys look legit African American which is cool and freaky at the same time.
> 
> Actually at a 2nd look it looks like a REALLY fucked up spray on tan.. can anyone give me input?


My understanding is that they do it for two reasons. Tanning thins the skin, showing cuts and striations better. Then they put the protan on before the shows because with the stage lighting, it shows the cuts and striations even better.

Flex... correct me if I'm wrong, but I think i've read that before.



-Flex- said:


> But I had no idea bout that! I'd feel bad to be his opponent. Mariusz has admitted that he takes performance enhancing drugs regularly and they don't test for them at the WSM. I honestly didn't know he did mixed martial arts.


He would have to go off for a while before they let him fight. For any state athletic commission to sanction a fight, he would have to test clean.

On or off, he would twist someone in half though. He's a beast.


----------



## bruteshot74

austinrockera said:


> He would have to go off for a while before they let him fight. For any state athletic commission to sanction a fight, he would have to test clean.
> 
> On or off, he would twist someone in half though. He's a beast.


It is taking place in Poland so I have no idea what kind of sanctioning they have over there. Would not surprise me if it was like Japan where it was said that a lot of the Pride guys were on roids.


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> My understanding is that they do it for two reasons. Tanning thins the skin, showing cuts and striations better. Then they put the protan on before the shows because with the stage lighting, it shows the cuts and striations even better.
> 
> Flex... correct me if I'm wrong, but I think i've read that before.
> 
> 
> 
> He would have to go off for a while before they let him fight. For any state athletic commission to sanction a fight, he would have to test clean.
> 
> On or off, he would twist someone in half though. He's a beast.


No, you're right. The spray tan adds some extra depth or something like that which helps make one appear more striated and dry. I've read that, too. You know your shit. There was actually an article on bodybuilding.com about it. I'll have to see if I can find it.


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> Mr. Olympia is in two weeks! Is anyone following it or looking forward to it as much as I am? The field is pretty well balanced and there's some good competition in there this year.
> 
> My favorite is Phil Heath and I fully expect him to run away with it. His entire upper body is massive and his legs are pretty damn big in their own right. Critics are saying that his arms are far bigger than his chest but I just don't see that though his biceps are ginormous! This is how I see it playing out:
> 
> 1. Phil Heath
> 2. Kai Greene
> 3. Dexter Jackson
> 4. Dennis Wolf
> 5. Jay Cutler


SOOOOOO, Flex, you still sticking to your picks???


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> SOOOOOO, Flex, you still sticking to your picks???


Yessssir. For the most part.

Phil ftw.

Dexter or Kai for 2nd.

Wolf 4th, Cutler 5th.

I'm not too comfortable picking Kai over Dexter but I'll stick with it because I think Kai will out-mass him and that will play dividends.


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> Yessssir. For the most part.
> 
> Phil ftw.
> 
> Dexter or Kai for 2nd.
> 
> Wolf 4th, Cutler 5th.
> 
> I'm not too comfortable picking Kai over Dexter but I'll stick with it because I think Kai will out-mass him and that will play dividends.


you see the pics from the athletes meeting yesterday?

Cutler is looking very lean in the face. 

http://www.flexonline.com/09contests/09olympia/athletes_meeting1/index.htm

If his right leg and arm don't look too bad, he has a shot at top 3. I still think 4 or 5 is expected from him. I saw an interview with Coleman and he didn't even have Jay top 5. When asked, he simply said "Jay's done"

I just don't see anyone beating Dexter... not this year... that's my .02 and I'm sticking to it.


----------



## El Conquistador

Let's make a sig bet. I don't care how you want to do it. I'll ride with Heath, Kai, and Wolfy if you want to take Jay, Dex, and Big Vic'. We'll do it based on the winner and who's squad has the best overall average / median in terms of placing at the event?

Like, if Phil wins, I put one thing in your sig that you have to keep there for a couple of weeks; vice-versa if Dex wins.

If Phil, Wolfy, and Kai take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd then we'll double the time from two weeks - four weeks.

Unless you can come up with something better, but let's have a friendly wager and make this interesting.


----------



## Rajah

By the look of what I saw at pre-judging and comments on a body building forum I visit Jay's got this one in the bag.

Top 5 so far would be, in no order....

Jay Cutler
Dexter Jackson
Kai Greene
Branch Warren
Phil Heath


----------



## El Conquistador

Yeah. I think we all wrote Jay off. He definitely proved us all wrong. Besides Branch & Dex, Cutler was the only one to come in fully conditioned at pre-judging. He's so damn big that I think the judges would take a fully conditioned Jay over a fully conditioned Dex any day of the week. It's obvious that Jay's width and mass blows Dexter out of the water but Jackson is a lot more dense and detailed. We'll see how it goes tonight.

This is 2001-2002 circa Jay Cutler.

So disappointed in Heath & Wolf. Looks like big Vic is in trouble, too. Left leg looks horrible compared to his right.


----------



## Rajah

Gotta love live webcasts. I'll watch the finals later on today when i get home from work.


----------



## El Conquistador

Amen, brotha. epsi:


----------



## Rajah

Jay's looking good. Greene looked good as well. Jackson hasn't been on yet so it'll be interesting to see how he goes.

For those interested - 2009 Mr Olympia Stream- 

Its the same as posting a PPV stream.


----------



## Rajah

Ha, Stone Cold makes an appearance just before the winners are announced.


----------



## Rajah

6th - Victor Martinez
5th - Phil Heath
4th - Kai Greene
3rd - Dexter Jackson
2nd - Branch Warren
1st - Jay Cutler


----------



## El Conquistador

I thought the judging was pretty spot on for the most part.

*1st: Jay Cutler -​*
Impressive performance; probably the second most impressive behind Branch Warren's Olympia Weekend. Cutler entered the stage with the same massive size, same frame, more definition, way more detail, way more vascularity, way more definition, the same fullness, and a better haircut to distinguish him from Dennis Wolf. Proud of Jay for returning to the throne. He busted his ass to get back to where he is sitting again. There's no arguing whether or not he was deserving.

*2nd: Branch Warren -​*

Honest to God he was the highlight of the weekend along with Jay sending out his statement which told everyone that he wasn't out of his prime yet. Branch is always the best conditioned in almost every single competition. His structure isn't the best; hell, he isn't even all that balanced, but Branch gives it his all. It's about time he got some major recognition as one of the world's best bodybuilders.

Best legs in the business along with Cutler's imho. He could really use some work on his lats and width but I'm afraid that can't be done with his structure.

Good for Branch.


*3rd: Dexter Jackson -​*

After evaluating him and comparing him to the likes of Jay, I came across a few glaring weaknesses in Dexter this Olympia.

-His left bicep was much smaller than his right, which raised questions of symmetrical issues for the first time concerning Dexter.

-Believe it or not, Dexter wasn't on top of his game this Olympia. Still better than Kai, Vic, and arguably Phil and Branch but Dexter wasn't as sharp this outing. If you look at some of his back double biceps along with his lat spread from the back, you could tell he wasn't as detailed. Just look at a photo of him next to Jay on Friday night during pre-judging call outs: Dexter didn't have the glute/hamstring tie-in.

Like Dorian Yates said before the competition on Muscular Development, a same conditioned Jay Cutler will beat a same conditioned Dexter Jackson everyday of the week. Cutler is more massive, blows Dexter out of the water literally everywhere in terms of mass, and is as wide as a barn door.

*4th: Kai Greene -​*
Fell off Saturday. I don't know about everyone else but comparing his Saturday shots to his Friday shots he seemingly looked a lot more smaller & flatter.

The Kai type of bodybuilder is the bodybuilder of the future. Not a bad Olympia debut for Kai Greene by any means.

*5th: Phil Heath -​*

Came in a lot more sharp Saturday with more fullness. Too bad he didn't show up like that Friday before pre-judging, may have influenced a few votes. He's definitely the man of the future. Well, Kai and him at least..


----------



## El Conquistador

Hey, Rajah. Judging by your posting in this thread, I assumed I wasn't the only one following along the webcast? 

How was the event for you? Enjoy watching it or not? What do you think of the results? There's been a lot of contraversy circulating around (i know, already!) about Branch's second place finish, Dexter Jackson walking off the stage with absolutely no class and not accepting Branch's hand shake. Just wanted to get your two cents on the situation.

I thought the placings were fine. Dexter makes me look at him in a whole different light now. I'm really starting to believe Dex is a piece of shit.


----------



## Rajah

I must admit I have no idea how they judge these things. Jay did look by far and away the best on stage, can't deny him that. Best he's ever been. Warren getting second was a surprise but he looked really good.


----------



## Evidense

I only know one body builder and that's Ronnie Coleman. Where does he rank in everyone's opinion?


----------



## Rajah

Well, Ronnie's retired now but still guest posing. I'm seeing him in a few weeks. With 8 Mr Olympia wins he's definitely the best bodybuilder of the modern age.


----------



## austinrockera

BIG surprises in the O. Sorry, I was out of pocket until now or I would have been watching and posting. I didn't expect Wolf and Phil to disappoint like they did, but I did expect Jay to come in better than he had been the last couple of years.

Still trying to get the webcast to load for me so I can watch... so not too many comments just yet.


----------



## El Conquistador

Poor Wolf didn't even make the top ten, what a shame. Dennis over-dieted last year and came in too heavy this year. Guy is obviously working his tail off to provide the image the crowd / judges want from him but it seems like he is oblivious to the criteria the judges are looking for. 

I'm really doubting his potential now. Wolf's ceiling isn't as high as it once was, in my opinion.

Team Wolfy for life.


----------



## Rajah

Here's the score card. A few surprises in there.


----------



## austinrockera

Got an opportunity to meet Branch in just over 3 weeks at an NPC national qualifier show. He is guest posing there. Should be in pretty good shape still. Got a couple of friends competing, so I'm thinking about going.

As far as the O... my only question was them putting Dex third. My guess is that they are kind of punishing him because he wasn't a good ambassador for the sport at the time it needs one the most.

Dex looked really good Friday night, but didn't look quite as good Saturday. Branch brought it for sure... best he will ever look IMO. Jay is the freaking man... someone like him wins every time when he is in shape... too big.

I heard someone try to explain the difference between someone like Jay and Dex... They said that if Dex came and posed right in front of you, you would be impressed, not too much more... if Jay came and posed right in front of you, it would be like out of a cartoon and you wouldn't believe what you were seeing.


----------



## Evidense

This is a stupid question but I was wondering if there was an estimated time if you stop working out when the muscle you built will just go away? When I first got my gym membership I went out 4 times a week and noticed results fast then I kinda got lazy and here I am now, going twice a week sometimes not doing weights just cardio.. I gotta get my shit together and I'm starting to see the muscle I built kidna fading away. Granted it's not alot (I'm 320lbs lol) but my forearms started to become more bulky and muscular and I can actually flex my traps.


----------



## El Conquistador

Set a squat PR today of 275x4. Almost good for three caddys on each side.


----------



## bruteshot74

-Flex- said:


> Set a squat PR today of 275x4. Almost good for three caddys on each side.


Nice dude, not much of an accomplishment on my end but I am finally benching my own weight


----------



## El Conquistador

That's good, man. Give yourself credit where credit is due. Set small goals.. Make your next goal 1.25 x your BW for bench press. Seek to break that goal and set a new one, it's very motivating.

There's a lot of people who can't even bench their own body weight in the world so good job on that. Keep it up and the results will keep coming. Rome wasn't built in a day anyways. Amirit? 

I cut down to 168 and am only benching 255 for a 1RM which isn't much more than you if you look at it that way.


----------



## Spiked.

I hit 245x5 for both deadlift and squat. Feels good, man.


----------



## MasterDebater

I've got a few questions, would really appreciate some answers.

What are some good ab/upper body workouts that don't involve any weights (besides crunches/push-ups >_>). I'm in between my mother and fathers houses, so I kind of lose any of the small progress I make at my Dads.

Also, what kind of weights should I be lifting? I've been told it's high reps/low weight for toning and low reps/high weight for building muscle, but I'm wondering exactly how many that is. I'm unsure about my exact height, it's around the 6'1 mark and I weight about 80kg (which I think is about 170 pounds). Can anyone tell me how much I should be lifting?


----------



## El Conquistador

Spiked. said:


> I hit 245x5 for both deadlift and squat. Feels good, man.


I feel ya' on that. My squat is so much lower than my deadlift it's actually ridiculous. I've always been a horrible squatter but I keep working at it and have been doing so for awhile now. Took me about three years of squatting two times a week to get the squat up that high.

275 isn't a lot by powerlifting means or the avid gym go-er, but it felt good to me.

I mean, when you can almost bench as much as you can squat despite squatting more times throughout a week than you bench then you know you have a problem. I don't know if it's my structure or what but I've gone to seminars to figure it out and have some elite powerlifters correct my squat form. They all have concluded that it's right and there's no glaring weaknesses. I just suck.


----------



## austinrockera

-Flex- said:


> I feel ya' on that. My squat is so much lower than my deadlift it's actually ridiculous. I've always been a horrible squatter but I keep working at it and have been doing so for awhile now. Took me about three years of squatting two times a week to get the squat up that high.
> 
> 275 isn't a lot by powerlifting means or the avid gym go-er, but it felt good to me.
> 
> I mean, when you can almost bench as much as you can squat despite squatting more times throughout a week than you bench then you know you have a problem. I don't know if it's my structure or what but I've gone to seminars to figure it out and have some elite powerlifters correct my squat form. They all have concluded that it's right and there's no glaring weaknesses. I just suck.


I've always had trouble squatting too, mainly because i'm a taller guy (6'4) and I have a compressed disc at L1 (happened in 2005). I worked my legs twice a week for a couple of months, squatting both workouts. 

Right before leaving my old gym I did all three core lifts just to see what I could do. Not bad for only 4 solid years working out: 235 bench, 295 squat, 365 dead lift. Deads should have been more, but I was out of gas by then. Wanted 315 on squat, but when I tried it, I just slowly went down until the safety bar stopped me. Kinda embarrassing, but I don't care.

Edit: this is my new inspiration for working legs.


----------



## TKOK

How do i go for a run without feeling like i'm going to barf up a lung?


----------



## El Conquistador

Sounds like a personal problem. 

Don't gorge yourself with food before. Have a light snack like a power bar, nutrigrain bar, chewy bar, or another small snack that you kids eat nowadays. I always make sure to work out at least three hours after my breakfast or else I feel way too bloated. This is how I set my schedule up:

7:00 AM : Breakfast (egg whites, oats, apple)
8:30 AM : Pre workout shake (muscle milk)
9:00 AM : Pre workout supplements -- Green Bulge, Blue Gene, sometimes a Nitric Oxide when I have some leftover money.
10:00 AM : Workout 1
11:30 AM : Post workout shake + fast digesting carbs
12:30 PM : Lunch


----------



## Spiked.

-Flex- said:


> I feel ya' on that. My squat is so much lower than my deadlift it's actually ridiculous. I've always been a horrible squatter but I keep working at it and have been doing so for awhile now. Took me about three years of squatting two times a week to get the squat up that high.
> 
> 275 isn't a lot by powerlifting means or the avid gym go-er, but it felt good to me.
> 
> I mean, when you can almost bench as much as you can squat despite squatting more times throughout a week than you bench then you know you have a problem. I don't know if it's my structure or what but I've gone to seminars to figure it out and have some elite powerlifters correct my squat form. They all have concluded that it's right and there's no glaring weaknesses. I just suck.


I feel as if my deadlift should be way higher, but I can't get it above my squat. Squatting is a lot easier for me then deadlifting.

By the way I'm like 165-170lbs 6'0ish. I was at like 180 but I lost a lot of unwanted bodyfat and didn't lose strength during the cut, but I'm definitely looking on putting some weight on and hopefully some stength on this winter.


----------



## MasterDebater

MasterDebater said:


> I've got a few questions, would really appreciate some answers.
> 
> What are some good ab/upper body workouts that don't involve any weights (besides crunches/push-ups >_>). I'm in between my mother and fathers houses, so I kind of lose any of the small progress I make at my Dads.
> 
> Also, what kind of weights should I be lifting? I've been told it's high reps/low weight for toning and low reps/high weight for building muscle, but I'm wondering exactly how many that is. I'm unsure about my exact height, it's around the 6'1 mark and I weight about 80kg (which I think is about 170 pounds). Can anyone tell me how much I should be lifting?


Anybody?


----------



## bruteshot74

Plank is something you could do that does not involve weights.

Lifting wise, really depends on what you are doing. For most stuff you could do about 8 to 12 reps and do 3 or 4 sets. If you are squatting, dead lifting or doing bench, you may only do 1 to 4. Like I said before, depends weight wise.


----------



## austinrockera

MasterDebater said:


> Anybody?


Dips... either hang your ass off the front of a chair and do them that way, or if that's too easy, get two chairs (preferably metal) and put them back to back about 1 ft apart, dip.

other than that, different angles with pushups... put your feet on the couch or chair and you get inclines that way. Also, if you are acrobatic enough (i'm not) do a handstand against the wall and you get shoulder presses.

indian squats are good for legs... don't think they are hard enough??? do 100 of them... it will burn... also wall sit is good... simply rest your back against the wall with your legs at a 90* angle... sit there for 5 minutes if you can. your quads will burn like never before.


----------



## That Guy

MasterDebater said:


> I've got a few questions, would really appreciate some answers.
> 
> What are some *good ab*/upper body workouts that don't involve any weights (besides crunches/push-ups >_>). I'm in between my mother and fathers houses, so I kind of lose any of the small progress I make at my Dads.


If you want those flat six pack abs, running and lots of it. 
Go for a run around the block a few times, most people think that crunches / sit ups are what give you the six pack and abs but they aren't. EVERYONE HAS ABS ALREADY, if you didn't you wouldn't have any stomach muscles and wouldn't be able to sit up let alone stand up and support your own weight- you wouldn't have any center of balance. With that said everyone has a six pack, some people have a layer of fat above / around their pack which makes it invisible to the naked eye which means you have to run, sure crunches and things can help strengthen the abs but in the long run' running and jogging regularly and losing the body fat is what will make abs and packs visible. 

There is a guy called Scooby on youtube who also has a forum, he teaches tips and things like these. Feel free to look him up some time.

Edit/ if you want a before and after shot proof I can post one.. three weeks ago I didn't have abs for shit but I began doing about 45 minutes around the local park when I woke up before school (waking up early at like 6) and in the past few days I have really seen a difference and have a four pack (still working on the six, it won't come overnight)


----------



## El Conquistador

HarlemHeat said:


> If you want those flat six pack abs, running and lots of it.
> Go for a run around the block a few times, most people think that crunches / sit ups are what give you the six pack and abs but they aren't. EVERYONE HAS ABS ALREADY, if you didn't you wouldn't have any stomach muscles and wouldn't be able to sit up let alone stand up and support your own weight- you wouldn't have any center of balance. With that said everyone has a six pack, some people have a layer of fat above / around their pack which makes it invisible to the naked eye which means you have to run, sure crunches and things can help strengthen the abs but in the long run' running and jogging regularly and losing the body fat is what will make abs and packs visible.
> 
> There is a guy called Scooby on youtube who also has a forum, he teaches tips and things like these. Feel free to look him up some time.
> 
> Edit/ if you want a before and after shot proof I can post one.. three weeks ago I didn't have abs for shit but I began doing about 45 minutes around the local park when I woke up before school (waking up early at like 6) and in the past few days I have really seen a difference and have a four pack (still working on the six, it won't come overnight)


I refute your point. Number one, running isn't necessary at all. I do no cardio whatsoever and have a firm six pack. I stand 5'8, weigh 174 with a 7% body fat.

In theory, yes, we all have an abdomen structure (way to go out on a limb) but some have less muscle than others. 

Not everyone has a six pack. That might be the most absurd comment I've come across in this thread. Ever see an ecto, bra? Skinny little fucks with low body fat who have no ab muscle to show. They don't have "A LAYER OF FAT" over their a abs yet still don't have a six pack. You know why? Because they have no muscle.

The abs are stabilizers, you're right about that. Much like any other muscle group, you hit the core the same way. Training approaches shouldn't change when it comes to abdominal training.

Exercises & compound lifting gives you the muscle, diet allows the muscle to show visually.


----------



## TKOK

If everybody had a sixpack then no one would have the needto do crunches or sit-ups.


----------



## bruteshot74

Found a good arm workout tonight. Was watching the Flex Lewis Gaspari Nutrition workout series on youtube and he does an arm workout called twenty one's. When I was done my arms were on fire, I usually do not get that with my biceps as much as I did with this. You do 21 reps in each set, 3 at each stage of the workout and boy I could feel it after 3 sets. I recommend trying it to anybody out there. Here is the link for video so you can see what to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVJFVDGtv-8


----------



## Rajah

bruteshot74 said:


> Found a good arm workout tonight. Was watching the Flex Lewis Gaspari Nutrition workout series on youtube and he does an arm workout called twenty one's. When I was done my arms were on fire, I usually do not get that with my biceps as much as I did with this. You do 21 reps in each set, 3 at each stage of the workout and boy I could feel it after 3 sets. I recommend trying it to anybody out there. Here is the link for video so you can see what to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVJFVDGtv-8


Ronnie Coleman has been preaching about 21's for years. They are nothing new. I do them every now and then. You get a nice pump after those. Lately I've started doing preacher curls with the low pulley. You get continuous tension throughout the entire movement. I get a huge burn from those. 

And whoever said running will improve abs, ya right, diet will help more than any form of cardio. It's amazing how little a lot of people know in this thread. 

-Flex-, austinrockera and bruteshot74 know what they are talking about. Ignore advice from anyone else.


----------



## Spiked.

bruteshot74 said:


> Found a good arm workout tonight. Was watching the Flex Lewis Gaspari Nutrition workout series on youtube and he does an arm workout called twenty one's. When I was done my arms were on fire, I usually do not get that with my biceps as much as I did with this. You do 21 reps in each set, 3 at each stage of the workout and boy I could feel it after 3 sets. I recommend trying it to anybody out there. Here is the link for video so you can see what to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVJFVDGtv-8



Yeah, I've done those several times. Gives a really good burn.


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> Found a good arm workout tonight. Was watching the Flex Lewis Gaspari Nutrition workout series on youtube and he does an arm workout called twenty one's. When I was done my arms were on fire, I usually do not get that with my biceps as much as I did with this. You do 21 reps in each set, 3 at each stage of the workout and boy I could feel it after 3 sets. I recommend trying it to anybody out there. Here is the link for video so you can see what to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVJFVDGtv-8


Yes, sir. Good to throw in to the routine every once in awhile. I don't do them much anymore but they do stimulate a lot of growth in the muscle fibers through high intensity. I should actually give them a try sometime again. Good shit, glad you're still working your ass off when you have time. 

If you want to try something a little harder, do some 'buddy curls' with a partner. Same concept as twenty ones really but a little more difficult.

Directions:

Stand facing workout partner, about arms length away from one another leaving from for the curl motion. Choose a relatively light weight (probably 50% - 65% of 1RM) for bicep curls and bring that weight in between you guys. I do them with an EZ Bar (jagged type of bar) rather than a straight bar but both will suffice.

*Partner A* will lead it off by doing 10 reps. When he's finished with the 10 reps, he'll pass the bar to *Partner B*. When the bar is received, Partner B cranks out 1 rep with a really controlled, slow motion (especially the negative).

After the one rep, Partner B gives the rock straight back to Partner A and he's now cranking out 9 tough repetitions. 

_Partner A Repetitons:_
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

_Partner B Repetitions:_
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

The only rest in between your set is your partner's working set time under tension.


----------



## bruteshot74

Zydrunas Savickas: 2009 World’s Strongest Man
by Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. | ©2009 IronMind

Malta - In a sport that grew out of a TV show designed to entertain people, Zydrunas Savickas is distinguished not just for his overwhelming strength, but also for his quiet manner that is in striking contrast to the stereotype of what suits a man with his talents and in his line of work.

And today Zydrunas Savickas won the World’s Strongest Man contest - the contest that dwarfs all others in strongman. Beyond the glitzy title that now proclaims what he is, many would argue that Zydrunas Savickas also deserves that accolade even if all the letters are lowercase - he’s that strong.

This morning, Zydrunas Savickas won the Car Deadlift for reps, with Mariusz Pudzianowski and Derek Poundstone tying for second, and Brian Shaw and Terry Hollands tying for third. Next, it was the Atlas Stones, the final event of the contest, and this is where the 2009 WSM title would be decided.

Travis Ortmayer and Terry Hollands ripped through the course, with Travis winning the heat and setting the fastest time to that point - a time that would hold up as the best in this event. Next, it was Brian Shaw beating Derek Poundstone, and then the big matchup: Zydrunas Savickas versus Mariusz Pudzianowski. Shaw was guaranteed to be no worse that third overall at this point, but the most likely outcome was that Savickas and Pudzianowski would not be moving aside easily . . . one would win the title and the other would be second.

Zydrunas Savickas, steady as ever, was unstoppable, and even the fleet feet of Mariusz Pudzianowski were unable to match his pace - Savickas won the World’s Strongest Man contest, Pudzianowski was second and Shaw was third.

The coverage of the 2009 World's Strongest Man contest should be spectacular: watch the official World's Strongest Man website and the IronMind News for details on the broadcast schedule.

---------------

I thought a couple people would be interested in this. Sucks that there is so much lag time between when it takes place and went it is actually shown. I want to watch now :$


----------



## brian8448

What up brohams. I'll be seeing the inside of a gym for the first time in a couple months in about 5 minutes, this is going to suck.


----------



## El Conquistador

Savickas winning isn't shocking. He and Poundstone are the strongest men in the world. WSM has turned into a strength endurance type of event rather than an event to test who can lift the most weight and basing it off of brute strength. 

Zydrunas is literally the biggest and strongest competitor in the field so him doing well isn't shocking. I'm just surprised his conditioning held up. Big Z is a huge motherfucker (like 400 lbs) so that was definitely stunning.

I can't believe Poundstone had a poor outing. Sophomore slump..


----------



## bruteshot74

Squatted 225lbs this morning. Failed going for 235. First time I really tried to go all the way with squatting. Tend to just do something lighter and get 8 to 12 reps for 4 sets. Felt good though


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

lol, I still weight 128 pounds 

Ever since the end of the last school year, I have been around the 130 pound margin and I don't know what to do if I want to lose some weight or gain some weight. I mean, I run in cross country to get rid of some of that fat, but then I just eat it all up lol 

Ok, this is a question somebody can answer. HOW DO YOU STAY AWAY FROM JUNK FOOD? 

This is a question to anybody.


----------



## bruteshot74

Don't worry about your weight at all dude. I been going hard for a while now and the gains have been pretty minimal. Just recently I put on a few pounds but really now I am not even caring about doing the bulking stuff. Just going to workout hard and the muscle weight will come itself over time. Do not worry about losing or gaining, your young and should not be worrying about that kind of garbage. Stay active and by the sounds of it you are and do not worry about what you are eating. If you are active then you ain't going to get fat or anything.


----------



## Jerittude

I just got my gym membership last week. Anyone have any tips for a newbie?


----------



## Something Savage

I have actually spent the last week trying to decide on which certification (for personal training, natch) to pursue. I've dabbled in it with elective courses before, but I've never seriously considered it. But it just so happens that one of my best friend's girlfriend is doing it for a living, and she's almost talked me into it at this point.

I was thinking about the NCSF (although I know NCSA and ACSM are more "respected" within the industry), but I didn't want to jump the gun, so to speak. Anybody here have any ideas, suggestions, experience, or suggestions on this?

I'm definately thinking about giving it a try. Even if I do nothing with it after getting certified, it'd probably just be more of a personal milestone than anything else.


----------



## El Conquistador

Something Savage said:


> I have actually spent the last week trying to decide on which certification (for personal training, natch) to pursue. I've dabbled in it with elective courses before, but I've never seriously considered it. But it just so happens that one of my best friend's girlfriend is doing it for a living, and she's almost talked me into it at this point.
> 
> I was thinking about the NCSF (although I know NCSA and ACSM are more "respected" within the industry), but I didn't want to jump the gun, so to speak. Anybody here have any ideas, suggestions, experience, or suggestions on this?
> 
> I'm definately thinking about giving it a try. Even if I do nothing with it after getting certified, it'd probably just be more of a personal milestone than anything else.


ACE

Most corporate gyms prefer them but in the end it's all really the same material, just different organizations. You're better off working independently if you can gather up a clientele.

I'm currently certified as an ER trainer but am studying ACE as well as working on a degree in Exercise Science.


----------



## choyster

Guys i currently weight 167pounds and my height is around 5.7foot. 

I kinda has this tummy with fats there and i want a solution to get rid of it, i have a cross trainer at home so any advise for me?


----------



## sh1tk1cker

I just do a decent amount of running and biking to try and offset my large intake of junk food, kinda works, but I'll never be ripped.


----------



## Steve Awesome

I left school a few months ago and have put on like 15 pounds... I used to think I could eat whatever I wanted and not put on any weight... Then I realised I just kept the same size and weight because of all the walking I had to do at school. So tomorrow I'm going to start running and riding my bike more... Definately have to work on my cardio cause I can't run for too long with out losing my breath. What sucks is that my local gym/swimming pool is being referbished and is closed for 9 months! bad timing... 

Any tips on good workouts I could do at home?


----------



## Something Savage

Body weight exercises are simple, cheap, and effective for cardiovascular purposes. Pull-ups, push-ups, crunches, etc. done for high reps in intervals (and in a circuit with each other, back-to-back) will keep your heart-rate up.

I hate cardio, by the way. That shit should be a fucking sin, honest to God. I just can't stand it. I love lifting heavy weights. I'm not a runner. But I find when I *force* myself to do it, I almost enjoy the punishment of it all. Does that make sense?

To fellow bodybuilders, I'm sure it does. It's sort of like Legs day. I dread it like crazy until it comes, but the feeling of your quads knotting up & it literally hurting you to walk across the room makes it all worthwhile by that afternoon.


----------



## TheRockIsCookin

Just for interest, are there any runners in the WF forum? Just checking, I run the 100 and 200 sprints, I did 400 but decided that I didn't want to do it anymore. I represented my school last year provincial wide in the 200, did pretty well.


----------



## bruteshot74

Something Savage said:


> To fellow bodybuilders, I'm sure it does. It's sort of like Legs day. I dread it like crazy until it comes, but the feeling of your quads knotting up & it literally hurting you to walk across the room makes it all worthwhile by that afternoon.


I use to not be a fan of leg days at all but not that is probably the day I look forward to most because that is when I am lifting the most and the girls give you nice grin when you are leg pressing or squatting huge numbers 



TheRockIsCookin said:


> Just for interest, are there any runners in the WF forum? Just checking, I run the 100 and 200 sprints, I did 400 but decided that I didn't want to do it anymore. I represented my school last year provincial wide in the 200, did pretty well.


I was pretty decent at the 800m back when I was in junior high and high school. Went to provincials several times. Placed 3rd the one year.


----------



## El Conquistador

Something Savage said:


> Body weight exercises are simple, cheap, and effective for cardiovascular purposes. Pull-ups, push-ups, crunches, etc. done for high reps in intervals (and in a circuit with each other, back-to-back) will keep your heart-rate up.
> 
> I hate cardio, by the way. That shit should be a fucking sin, honest to God. I just can't stand it. I love lifting heavy weights. I'm not a runner. But I find when I force myself to do it, I almost enjoy the punishment of it all. Does that make sense?
> 
> To fellow bodybuilders, I'm sure it does. It's sort of like Legs day. I dread it like crazy until it comes, but the feeling of your quads knotting up & it literally hurting you to walk across the room makes it all worthwhile by that afternoon.


I echo this sentiment and empathize with you on this. I hate cardio to the fullest extent possible as well and absolutely dread it. I actually don't do much now (three times a week - two hours after my weightlifting session) but during the summer & cut, I just can't stand running.

So, what I do now is high incline walking (11.5 incline @ 2.8 speed) which keeps my heart rate steadily around 155 as well as some HIIT (80 M sprints followed by 80 M slow jogs/walks). I alternate between the two nowadays and it really does keep me interested in going back to the treadmill.

Plus, cardio isn't always needed - it burns through muscle, too.


----------



## Steve Awesome

bruteshot74 said:


> I was pretty decent at the 800m back when I was in junior high and high school. Went to provincials several times. Placed 3rd the one year.


I hate the 800m... I had to do it for a month or so in P.E... When I first did it I thought I would show off and sprint off in front of everyone. Was a lap ahead of everyone, then the watchamacallit acid started building up my legs... I ended up coming in last after the obese kid... and my legs were fooked for months:lmao


----------



## El Conquistador

Steve Awesome said:


> I hate the 800m... I had to do it for a month or so in P.E... When I first did it I thought I would show off and sprint off in front of everyone. Was a lap ahead of everyone, then the watchamacallit acid started building up my legs... I ended up coming in last after the obese kid... and my legs were fooked for months:lmao


What the fuck are you talking about? I mean, seriously.


----------



## Champ

Would like to hear from people who are focusing on massing up/gaining huge (say going for 200), feel free to talk about your workout sessions and food intake.


----------



## El Conquistador

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/vm18.htm

Anyone with chronic elbow pain should really give this a view. I finally really looked into what's causing my issues and I'm convinced this is what I have as most of this article applies to my situation. Iced my elbow for the first time for about thirty minutes earlier and it did work pretty well by subsidizing the pain a fair bit.

I thought I'd post it up here for anyone who is encountering the same problems as I am. I really need to get my joints healthy if I'm going to continue to progress.



Rock Bottom said:


> Would like to hear from people who are focusing on massing up/gaining huge (say going for 200), feel free to talk about your workout sessions and food intake.


I'm currently 169 @ 8% body fat right now and I will be starting my bulk next week. It wont be anything extravagant but I plan on getting up to 195. At this point, it's a lot easier for me to cut weight and become vascular/lean than it is for me to add mass so I'm going all out on this bulk - sacrificing vascularity for more muscle mass in a mixture with fat.

I wont be restricting or counting calories. I plan on eating 1000-1500 calories over maintenance which is about 2700 calories a day for me (roughly). They say 500 calories over maintenance is ideal to minimize fat gains but I don't care to go that route. 

As far as workouts go, my rep range will be sticking at 8 reps per set for the most part. Perfect rep range for mass & strength gains for myself.

Here's an example of an exercise:

DB Bench Press
50 lbs, 8 reps
60 lbs, 8 reps
70 lbs, 8 reps
80 lbs, 8 reps
90 lbs, 8 reps
100 lbs, 5 reps

In this example above, you add weight each set and try to stick at the same rep range. If you reach failure and struggle getting 8 reps but manage to do so, call it quits. If you reach below your target rep range, move on to the next exercise.

It's a low volume, heavy weight approach geared towards strength and overall mass. I believe a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle so that's how I approach training. Heavy weight gives you thick, dense muscle but wont give you a full, round look. My main goal in training is to become thicker and bigger overall.


----------



## Something Savage

Listen to _-Flex-_, kiddos. This guy definately knows his shit.

I'm also stuck in the same rut I've been in since LAST winter, by the way. Generally, I bulk every time around this year, and yet I let it pass me by last year. I stuck with the usual diet, focusing more on lower bf% and vascularity than anything else. Instead of taking the initiative to bulk & REALLY hammer some iron, I just stuck with the same old routine.

Somewhere along the way, I let work & school dictate my gains & diet. That's not to say I ate unhealthy. I just didn't eat enough - certainly not to bulk. And, of course, there were some days where there simply weren't enough hours in a day to justify that.

I fluctuate between the 165-170 mark myself. I'd love to reach something close to 200 pounds & find a way to maintain the mass gained from that, but it's kind of depressing when I think back & realize - hey fucker, that was your goal at this exact same time LAST YEAR.


----------



## bruteshot74

This thread has been pretty quiet so thought I would put the question out there. What are you guys numbers for leg press? I never had access to a machine because I was doing all my training at home before but since college started I been going to the gym there and have worked the leg press machine into my workouts. I seem to be the only one there actually put up big numbers though and the only guy who uses the machine...there are some girls who use it but they are forced to by the personal trainers they have and they are only doing like 75 pounds, some are doing 90. 

Anyways this morning I did 340 for 2 sets of 12 reps. Pretty sure if I drop to a lower amount of reps I could get pretty close to 400. Is that a good number? If it helps I am squatting like 235...


----------



## NWO4LYFE437

i try and lift weights every other day to keep my appeal to the ladies up


----------



## Spiked.

Lmao why did brute get banned?


----------



## El Conquistador

bruteshot74 said:


> This thread has been pretty quiet so thought I would put the question out there. What are you guys numbers for leg press? I never had access to a machine because I was doing all my training at home before but since college started I been going to the gym there and have worked the leg press machine into my workouts. I seem to be the only one there actually put up big numbers though and the only guy who uses the machine...there are some girls who use it but they are forced to by the personal trainers they have and they are only doing like 75 pounds, some are doing 90.
> 
> Anyways this morning I did 340 for 2 sets of 12 reps. Pretty sure if I drop to a lower amount of reps I could get pretty close to 400. Is that a good number? If it helps I am squatting like 235...


I suck at leg press for some reason only cause I can't really maintain a consistency form wise. 5 plates per side is what I do normally but I don't go too heavy as I use leg press as an assistance exercise mainly.

Back squats, front squats, GHRz, and deadlifts are what I really go heavy on. I'll focus on increasing my strength in a single exercise with everything else being assistance for different reasons.



NWO4LYFE437 said:


> i try and lift weights every other day to keep my appeal to the ladies up


That's cute.



Spiked said:


> Lmao why did brute get banned?


Not sure. Probably something to do with the rant that everyone revolted in. He's still a good guy in my book.


----------



## Isaias4u2nv

Does anybody here has the P90x workout dvd's?


----------



## El Conquistador

Isaias4u2nv said:


> YaY Happy birthday to me! Damn I feel old!


----------



## Rajah

-Flex- said:


>


I think he posted in the wrong thread?

Have we had a discussion about what supps people take? I'm we have, but here's my updated list. I have a heap of supps at home. The guy a buy from always gives me something new to try and review for him or gives me some older stock for nothing.

*Pre Workout* - I have a few at the moment. 
Jack3d - UPS
WTF - ALR Industries
BioCharge - BioFlex
Cold Fusion - Lg Sciences
Samples - Anadraulic State - LG Sciences. This is the _new_ taste. Tastes a hell of a lot better but still taste like crap. Leaves a tingle on your tougne for hours after.

*During* - 8 Beta Anabol - Epic Pro

*Protein* - Pure Whey - Champion Nutrition
Protein Bars - Hydroxy Phase - Max's

*After**Creatine* - Performade - Champion Nutrition
Creatine Extreme - Champion Nutrition. 

*Fatloss/Thermogenic* - Mitotropin - Gaspari Nutrition

*Test Booster* - T-Bol - ThermoLife

*Energy Boost* - E-911 - LG sciences.

I take krill oil and multivitamins everyday.

I'm waiting for him to get a new Lg Sciences product in called Postal. It's a post-workout supp that has protein, BCAA and creatine in it. One supp to take after a workout sounds great.
_Postal contains high BCAA proteins, creatine and singular amino acids, to help maximize muscle recovery. Postal also contains waxy maize starch to help pull these nutrients into the cells more quickly and effectively. Waxy maize starch and dextrose will help replenish the muscles glycogen stores, spike insulin and create the perfect anabolic recovery blend._

Only problem is it contains Yohimbine which is a banned substance in Australia so it has to be modified for our use. So not fair!


----------



## dele

I haven't worked out like a madman since I played college football. But I have lost nearly 50 pounds since New Year's Day 2009. I feel pretty fucking cool.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> I think he posted in the wrong thread?
> 
> Have we had a discussion about what supps people take? I'm we have, but here's my updated list. I have a heap of supps at home. The guy a buy from always gives me something new to try and review for him or gives me some older stock for nothing.
> 
> *Pre Workout* - I have a few at the moment.
> Jack3d - UPS
> WTF - ALR Industries
> BioCharge - BioFlex
> Cold Fusion - Lg Sciences
> Samples - Anadraulic State - LG Sciences. This is the _new_ taste. Tastes a hell of a lot better but still taste like crap. Leaves a tingle on your tougne for hours after.
> 
> *During* - 8 Beta Anabol - Epic Pro
> 
> *Protein* - Pure Whey - Champion Nutrition
> Protein Bars - Hydroxy Phase - Max's
> 
> *After**Creatine* - Performade - Champion Nutrition
> Creatine Extreme - Champion Nutrition.
> 
> *Fatloss/Thermogenic* - Mitotropin - Gaspari Nutrition
> 
> *Test Booster* - T-Bol - ThermoLife
> 
> *Energy Boost* - E-911 - LG sciences.
> 
> I take krill oil and multivitamins everyday.
> 
> I'm waiting for him to get a new Lg Sciences product in called Postal. It's a post-workout supp that has protein, BCAA and creatine in it. One supp to take after a workout sounds great.
> _Postal contains high BCAA proteins, creatine and singular amino acids, to help maximize muscle recovery. Postal also contains waxy maize starch to help pull these nutrients into the cells more quickly and effectively. Waxy maize starch and dextrose will help replenish the muscles glycogen stores, spike insulin and create the perfect anabolic recovery blend._
> 
> Only problem is it contains Yohimbine which is a banned substance in Australia so it has to be modified for our use. So not fair!


Jack3d is glorious! Here's what my stash looks like as of now:

*Upon waking up: Nature's Way Alive*
*Pre-workout:* USPLabs Jack3d
*Intra-workout:* Athletic Edge Nutrition's Wild Berry Intrabolic mixed with Gaspari Nutrition's Grape SizeOn (1 scoop of each roughly in 48 oz of water)
*Post workout:* Allmax Nutrition's Isoflex (Chocolate or Chocolate Peanut Butter)

*Before bed:* 1 scoop Gaspari Myofusion mixed with 1 scoop ON Casein

_*OR (easier breakdown):*_
_multi-vitamin_ - Nature's Way Alive or NOW's Adam
_creatine_ - Gaspari SizeON
_BCAA's_ - Athletic Edge Nutrition's Intrabolic
_whey protein_ - Allmax Nutrition's Isoflex & Gaspari Myofusion
_nitric oxide/preworkout_ - Jack3d
_joint support -_ Primaforce Cissus

And congratulations on achieving that, Dele!


----------



## Rajah

I've read on an Australian BodyBuilding forum that Jack3d is going to be banned here. It contains something "illegal" according to Australian customs. 

Rather stupid really, we can't put natural products in our systems yet a simple product like peanut butter that can kill people is available on every supermarket shelf.


----------



## El Conquistador

*Oh, Rajah & others:*

I forgot to mention the most essential component to my success.


----------



## Spiked.

I take Animal Multivitamins and some generic Fish Oil pills when I wake up.

Creatine Monohydrate preworkout.

Then Post workout I have a shake of ON 100% Whey and mix some Creatine Monohydrate in there.

Nothing too complicating or expensive.

Hahaha, Flex, I laugh every time I see that.


----------



## Rajah

Pity about that pic Flex, Ronnie is endorsed by BSN so whoever did that knows shit!

BSN and MuscleTech seem to be the 2 biggest supp companies out there. Good marketing from the start getting Ronnie, Jay, Dexter etc on board. I post at a few body building forums and can't recall anyone who actually takes BSN or MT. Much better products out there. Plus, anyone actually buy from places like GNC? They used to sell NO-Xplode here for about $110-$120 when you can buy it from eBay direct to your door the next day for about $70.


----------



## El Conquistador

Spiked. said:


> I take Animal Multivitamins and some generic Fish Oil pills when I wake up.
> 
> Creatine Monohydrate preworkout.
> 
> Then Post workout I have a shake of ON 100% Whey and mix some Creatine Monohydrate in there.
> 
> Nothing too complicating or expensive.
> 
> Hahaha, Flex, I laugh every time I see that.


That's one thing I would definitely look into investing in: fish oil. Bodybuilding's chum, I say. I can't believe I actually forgot about that supplement considering I was taking it regularly 6-7 months ago.

And yes, quite the funny poster/design. 



Rajah said:


> Pity about that pic Flex, Ronnie is endorsed by BSN so whoever did that knows shit!
> 
> BSN and MuscleTech seem to be the 2 biggest supp companies out there. Good marketing from the start getting Ronnie, Jay, Dexter etc on board. I post at a few body building forums and can't recall anyone who actually takes BSN or MT. Much better products out there. Plus, anyone actually buy from places like GNC? They used to sell NO-Xplode here for about $110-$120 when you can buy it from eBay direct to your door the next day for about $70.


Yeah, I was wondering the same thing..

$110 for NO-Xplode? Jesus. No wonder why nobody buys it. GNC actually had a black friday 50% off deal on their website so I had to take advantage of that. I myself don't typically ever venture into their stores but I did at one time before I started buying my supplements online - much more cost efficient.

The #1 rule I try to tell people about GNC is that the people their are sales people. It's in their job description. Their job is to sell you the GNC brand at all costs, lure you into the "big buys", and most of all, make sure they make a hard sales pitch. Some have knowledge with supplements but most don't know much besides the ingredients usually.

Case in point, one of my friends went into GNC the other day looking for a creatine monohydrate product. I had suggested him Gaspari's SizeOn. He made mention of it and the young man working at the counter said there's much better alternatives to Gaspari's Size On. He of course recommended the GNC brand first but my friend wasn't nibbling at the bait. 

So, shortly after the guy suggested this creatine monohydrate called EAS Phosphagen Elite which actually pales in comparison to SizeOn. 68 total carbs (66 sugar) and many more total calories. I could not stop laughing.


----------



## austinrockera

For me, the supps I take are:

CL Orange Triad - Multivitamin, joint support, and digestion help all in one
Fish oil
Milk Thistle

PreWO - NO Xplode (yes, I take BSN stuff... cheaper than an energy drink and L-Arginine)
During WO - Scivation Xtend

I'm about to start back on ZMA every night, and I also drink Whey once or twice a day depending on if I have food available. I prefer Syntha, just about any flavor.

That's about it for me.



Father Flex said:


> $110 for NO-Xplode?


That's Australian price right?

GNC's normal price is 59.99 or 69.99... not sure b/c I rarely go there... bodybuilding or fitrx are the places I order from regularly.


----------



## Deshad C.

Isaias4u2nv said:


> Does anybody here has the P90x workout dvd's?


I did P90X, ans stayed with it on and off for a while.
One of my buddy's really went hard on it and I can tell you that IT DOES WORK!

The reason why I didn't go hard on it was because I noticed I was getting bulky, when i wanted to be lean and cut. P90X does have a Lean workout plan (it offers about 4 different plans to get the body you want) but it was just too slow for my taste.

So I recently started doing Insanity with Shaun T.
I'll be in my second week monday and already I'm seeing results that I wanted to get in P90X.
It's balls to the walls cardio and resistance.

In all honesty at the end of Insanity I might do a modified version of P90X again because it is a good program...just not what I was looking for at the time.


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> For me, the supps I take are:
> 
> CL Orange Triad - Multivitamin, joint support, and digestion help all in one
> Fish oil
> Milk Thistle
> 
> PreWO - NO Xplode (yes, I take BSN stuff... cheaper than an energy drink and L-Arginine)
> During WO - Scivation Xtend
> 
> I'm about to start back on ZMA every night, and I also drink Whey once or twice a day depending on if I have food available. I prefer Syntha, just about any flavor.
> 
> That's about it for me.
> 
> 
> 
> That's Australian price right?
> 
> GNC's normal price is 59.99 or 69.99... not sure b/c I rarely go there... bodybuilding or fitrx are the places I order from regularly.


I've never really bagged on BSN products and I truthfully don't have the right to as I've never tried any of their products. They probably are the best marketed supplement brand; even in front of MuscleTech. I do love their labels though.


----------



## Rajah

austinrockera said:


> That's Australian price right?
> 
> GNC's normal price is 59.99 or 69.99... not sure b/c I rarely go there... bodybuilding or fitrx are the places I order from regularly.


Yeah, Australian dollars and that was a couple of years ago now. GNC sell it for about $75. Shipping adds a bit to our prices. Our dollar is worth just over 90 US cents so as a price comparison that's not bad.

I buy most of my stuff online or direct from the importer here in Australia. I have bought some stuff from GNC when they have their sales. My brother is a Gold Member and at times you can buy one product and get the next for half price. If you're spending big then that works out very well.



Father Flex said:


> I've never really bagged on BSN products and I truthfully don't have the right to as I've never tried any of their products. They probably are the best marketed supplement brand; even in front of MuscleTech. I do love their labels though.


I've used NO-Xplode many times. I used their Mass Stack - NO-Xplode, Nitrix and Cellmass a couple of years ago. Taking 6 Nitrix tablets was a pain in the ass, that tablets are huge. I find there are better products out there that are also cheaper. At the moment I'm a big fan of LG Sciences and Champion Nutrition products.


----------



## austinrockera

Father Flex said:


> I've never really bagged on BSN products and I truthfully don't have the right to as I've never tried any of their products. They probably are the best marketed supplement brand; even in front of MuscleTech. I do love their labels though.


I guarantee you that Syntha 6 is one of the best tasting whey proteins you will ever try. Its almost a meal replacement though, because it does have a little fat and carbs. One scoop is about 200cals.

NO Xplode is nothing more to me than a caffeine and Arginine hit that helps in the gym. All that other stuff it has only contains trace amounts, not enough to help. I do tend to build up a tolerance to it though, so after about one or two bottles, I go off for about 6 weeks or so.

Other than that, I haven't messed with alot of BSN stuff. I've used Cell Mass, just made me retain alot of water, Lean Dessert is good, but not as good as Syntha. True Mass tastes good, but expensive. Haven't messed with anything else.


----------



## austinrockera

Flex, question for the CPT:

I am a little lacking in my lower lats as well as back depth (that thick deep 3D look you can get in your back) My back is pretty wide overall, I just want to polish it up some.

What do you recommend? I've read that underhanded just about everything works the lower back. Is that right?

My back workouts are pretty crazy... here's what I did last week:

not including the warm up set that I do before every exercise. All increasing in weight every set.
4 x 12 bent rows regular grip
4 x 12,10,8,8 dead lifts
4 x 12 lat pulldowns wide grip
4 x 12 seated rows close grip with a drop set for the 5th set (10,10,10,12 of 180, 140, 120, 100lbs) with a spotter to change the pin so I don't really stop.
4 x 10 DB rows
4 x 15 lat pull over (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/CBBentoverPullover.html)

all that in 1 hour.


----------



## Rajah

Try bent rows with a reverse grip. Dorian Yates used them for years and he had one of the best backs ever.


----------



## El Conquistador

austinrockera said:


> Flex, question for the CPT:
> 
> I am a little lacking in my lower lats as well as back depth (that thick deep 3D look you can get in your back) My back is pretty wide overall, I just want to polish it up some.
> 
> What do you recommend? I've read that underhanded just about everything works the lower back. Is that right?
> 
> My back workouts are pretty crazy... here's what I did last week:
> 
> not including the warm up set that I do before every exercise. All increasing in weight every set.
> 4 x 12 bent rows regular grip
> 4 x 12,10,8,8 dead lifts
> 4 x 12 lat pulldowns wide grip
> 4 x 12 seated rows close grip with a drop set for the 5th set (10,10,10,12 of 180, 140, 120, 100lbs) with a spotter to change the pin so I don't really stop.
> 4 x 10 DB rows
> 4 x 15 lat pull over (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/CBBentoverPullover.html)
> 
> all that in 1 hour.


This may sound a bit different than what you're used to hearing but I honestly believe BB Rows are the king of lat development. Here's what I'd recommend when rowing:

1. Row a little lower to naval level. Rowing low will prevent using arm flexion as well.
2. You don't have to extend your arms completely. Yes, extend them as far as possible but you don't want your arms locked out. Locking the arms out takes tension off the lats.
3. Using a power tempo is much more beneficial than using a tension tempo here. Don't focus on going light and 'squeezing', it's not as efficient as using a power tempo.
4. You don't have to pull the bar to your torso but make sure you pull as close to it as you can get.
5. Momentum is useful in this movement.

Go heavy, cheat a little bit. Rows take awhile to get the full grasp of. I'm still trying to perfect it myself.

That looks like a little too much as far as a back workout goes. What's your split look like? I assume with all that volume/workload/intensity in one session that your back is worked only once a week, correct?

If you're looking for some thickness, I'd go with lower reps for some of the exercises. 

Here's a sample back workout off the top of my head:

*Chins (either hammer grip or close grip):*
Body weight x 6-15 reps (4 sets)

*Rack Pulls (setting @ mid shin):*
3-5 reps (4 sets)

*Chest Supported Row:*
6-10 reps (3 sets)

*BB Rows: *
5 reps (3 sets)

*Close Grip Seated Cable Row:*
8-12 reps (3 sets)

The closed grip chins would really add some width to your lower lats. I'm a big fan of pre-exhaustion methods. The chins will really help your muscle-mind-connection when doing the rack pulls and should help you pull hard to your pelvic area with the rack pulls. 

More than anything else, the close grip chins will help maintain that width that you're satisfied with. We're not looking to enhance your width (going off of what you said) so we'll try to maintain with the closed grip chins.

Judging by what you said, I'd feel this would be the best routine to help achieve your specific goals. You said you're happy with the width but are looking for a bit more detail/thickness (right? i'm not too sure what you mean by depth ~_~).

Heavy rack pulls, heavy barbell rows, and hammer strength chins are ideal for back thickness/detail. The chest supported rows and cable rows are just there to give you more volume as it seems like you feel you grow best with high volume.

Back and legs are the hardest body parts to develop. It's a craft more than anything else. 

I need a little bit more info to appropriately design something for you but that routine should really help in the thickness department. I left the weight open to you and gave you some options as far as the rep range goes so I'll let you interpret it openly.


----------



## austinrockera

thanks for the info... 3d effect is more of seeing the separation/definition of the muscles if you were looking at me from behind. My back has always looked "flat" from the back.

I will try adding some weight to the BB rows and see how that works. I've kept to 10+ reps and tried to control it more. I will switch that up.

Never tried hammer chins, will give it a shot next week.

As far as my workout program, I am doing a 5 day split currently.

Chest + Abs
Back
Shoulders + Traps
Legs + Calves
Arms + Abs

I am lucky to get 5 days from my wife, hated doing arms with back and chest, didn't feel like I had enough time to work everything properly. I only get about 1 hour of actual working out each day.

Our gym is supposed to get the chest supp row plate loaded machine soon, so I will be on that.

thanks for your advice


----------



## El Conquistador

Let me know how it goes, bro. I do the hammer chins followed by rack pulls myself every two-three weeks along with BB Rows following shortly after the pulls. I personally love it and it's worked wonders for me so hopefully it can help beef you up a bit, too! 

----------------------------------------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nppzGV1U8y8

I laughed.. Did you?


----------



## Evidense

Is there anyway for me to lose bodyfat and maintain or gain muscle in the process? I weigh 318 and would eventually like to settle down at 250, depending on my results maybe go lower (I'm 6'3). I have a good 70 pounds or so to go and I don't want to have a bunch of loose skin as a result of all the hard work. Right now at 318 my legs are muscular for a guy my size. Not just my calves but I used to work out 2 months ago and I ended up building up my quad muscles and now I still havedefinition in my thighs.

My main problem is my chest area and my stomach. My shoulders are kinda tight and I still can flex my trap muscles I made 2 months ago when I got my first gym membership. After the first month I got lazy and stopped going. Now after losing some muscle and watching my body degrade again I renewed my membership today and hope to go back tomorrow and do some cardio as a warm up.

I've always been a gym idiot kinda. I never touch the free weights only the weight machines and the treadmill. I don't know what will benefit me more should I do heavy weights and small reps (5-10) or light weights and heavy reps (15-20?).

Basically: Can I go from 318 to 250 and have muscle to show for it? If so should I be doing heavy weights and small reps or light weights and heavy reps?


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

God you guys on this thread really know a lot about working out with weights. I just stick to lots of curls with a 25 pound dumb bell and one of those rubberband stretching things where I hold it in a curl postition using my foot for 5-10 seconds with all five bands attached. I do this quite a few times but I won't ever wear myself out with this because that's what the curls on the dumb bell are for. Every once in a while I lift on the bench at home but I don't have anybody to spot me so I have to be really careful. I usually go no more then 165 pounds because I like to be able to do more then one rep at a time. 

My cousin is a legend in the gym or he calls himself one. He's not in good shape at all and is quite obese but he's huge. The guy lifts 300-400 pounds. The most he's ever was over 500. He makes jokes that if anybody else in his gym tried to do the weight he did they'd kill themselves immediately, the bar would drop on their throat. He's a funny guy.


----------



## El Conquistador

Evidense said:


> Is there anyway for me to lose bodyfat and maintain or gain muscle in the process? I weigh 318 and would eventually like to settle down at 250, depending on my results maybe go lower (I'm 6'3). I have a good 70 pounds or so to go and I don't want to have a bunch of loose skin as a result of all the hard work. Right now at 318 my legs are muscular for a guy my size. Not just my calves but I used to work out 2 months ago and I ended up building up my quad muscles and now I still havedefinition in my thighs.
> 
> My main problem is my chest area and my stomach. My shoulders are kinda tight and I still can flex my trap muscles I made 2 months ago when I got my first gym membership. After the first month I got lazy and stopped going. Now after losing some muscle and watching my body degrade again I renewed my membership today and hope to go back tomorrow and do some cardio as a warm up.
> 
> I've always been a gym idiot kinda. I never touch the free weights only the weight machines and the treadmill. I don't know what will benefit me more should I do heavy weights and small reps (5-10) or light weights and heavy reps (15-20?).
> 
> Basically: Can I go from 318 to 250 and have muscle to show for it? If so should I be doing heavy weights and small reps or light weights and heavy reps?


It's possible but very difficult to do so. Much like everyone else, you're looking for stability before fat loss which shouldn't be the priority. I don't have any pictures of you or any stats on you but I think it's fair to say you're a bit overweight if not obese. 

It all starts with your diet. Like I tell my obese father (I harp on him all the time cause he's run into a bunch of health issues), you don't have to completely restructure your diet, you just need to rethink/revise your eating habits. You're not going to lose weight if you max on some fried food after a workout on the treadmill or hitting up a weight circuit.

Chances are you don't have any core strength at all so you shouldn't have to overload the core. Your priority should be to keep moving at a fast pace with high intensity. Focus on low back strength. Sissy squats or partial squats will engage the core well enough. People who are overweight have a lot more weight that they need to move around which takes a lot of core strength in its own right.

When overweight, it's ten times harder on the joints than a normal person. The first month or so may be difficult on the joints as you'll be subjected to joint injuries due to your lack of exercise lately.

Compound exercises will lead you to success. Just make sure you be safe with it and are cautious. I wouldn't want my advice to turn into an injury.

Diet is vital. Start with gradual exercises to get yourself moving while watching what you eat. I'm not saying starve yourself or don't treat yourself to a nice dinner with the family every once in awhile, just have some sense.

I'd give you more advice but frankly, I'm not getting payed for it . 

Hope some of this knowledge helps..



ViolenceIsGolden said:


> God you guys on this thread really know a lot about working out with weights. I just stick to lots of curls with a 25 pound dumb bell and one of those rubberband stretching things where I hold it in a curl postition using my foot for 5-10 seconds with all five bands attached. I do this quite a few times but I won't ever wear myself out with this because that's what the curls on the dumb bell are for. Every once in a while I lift on the bench at home but I don't have anybody to spot me so I have to be really careful. I usually go no more then 165 pounds because I like to be able to do more then one rep at a time.
> 
> My cousin is a legend in the gym or he calls himself one. He's not in good shape at all and is quite obese but he's huge. The guy lifts 300-400 pounds. The most he's ever was over 500. He makes jokes that if anybody else in his gym tried to do the weight he did they'd kill themselves immediately, the bar would drop on their throat. He's a funny guy.


Lol. Sounds like a couple of guys I know. Ever wonder why there's weight classes in powerlifting? It's because a 155 lb guy can't and shouldn't be able to throw around the same weight as a 275 lb individual. Physics at its finest.

I wouldn't think too highly of an individual who is benching his bodyweight @ 300 lbs. I bench 2x my bodyweight but it may never be that amount of weight as we all have different body types, ya' know?

Surely would not look down on someone who thinks they're the shit like your cousin seems to believe, I'm certainly not implying that.

Fact of the matter is: hell yeah, 300-400 lbs is a lot of weight! I wouldn't look at him with pure amazement though.


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

Father Flex said:


> Lol. Sounds like a couple of guys I know. Ever wonder why there's weight classes in powerlifting? It's because a 155 lb guy can't and shouldn't be able to throw around the same weight as a 275 lb individual. Physics at its finest.
> 
> I wouldn't think too highly of an individual who is benching his bodyweight @ 300 lbs. I bench 2x my bodyweight but it may never be that amount of weight as we all have different body types, ya' know?
> 
> Surely would not look down on someone who thinks they're the shit like your cousin seems to believe, I'm certainly not implying that.
> 
> Fact of the matter is: hell yeah, 300-400 lbs is a lot of weight! I wouldn't look at him with pure amazement though.


He's been working out for years. I understand a heavy person might be stronger then somebody my size. He's a little over 300 pounds. My dad used to be pushing 300 but lost a lot of weight. My dad never works out and lifts and would probably not be able to lift anywhere close what my cousin could because he has been doing it for so long. The guy is fat but his shoulders and arms, forearms are just plain huge. My grandpa always says the guys built like Ivan Putski. He's only about 5'6 or 5'7.

May I ask how much you lift?


----------



## El Conquistador

ViolenceIsGolden said:


> He's been working out for years. I understand a heavy person might be stronger then somebody my size. He's a little over 300 pounds. My dad used to be pushing 300 but lost a lot of weight. My dad never works out and lifts and would probably not be able to lift anywhere close what my cousin could because he has been doing it for so long. The guy is fat but his shoulders and arms, forearms are just plain huge. My grandpa always says the guys built like Ivan Putski. He's only about 5'6 or 5'7.
> 
> May I ask how much you lift?


Not trying to attack your cousin, bro (just so you know). That wasn't my attention if you think it was (not sure if you do or not). Last thing I want to do is dig into someone I don't know.

307 lb person pushing around 307 lbs on the bench press is equivalent to a 143 lb person bench pressing 143 lbs. They're both pressing 1x the amount of their body weight. One isn't stronger than the other. There's a HUGE difference between relative and absolute strength.

My lifts? I have no problem since you asked.

Deadlift 1RM: 425 lbs
Squat 1RM: 340 lbs
Bench 1RM: 255 lbs
Standing Strict Military Press 1RM: 185 lbs

Body weight anywhere between 174-183 lbs right now. I bulk in the winter and don't keep track of my weight. Probably about 9-12% body fat right now.


----------



## Rajah

I know Flex is a fan - Mariusz Pudzianowski beat Marcin Najman in his first fight. Pudzianowski won the fight in 0:44 in the first round by tap-out.


----------



## imti_aka_raju

I want to start building up my muscle, I weight about 140 pounds and I would liek to build up pecs and theand a 6 pack. I'm in pretty decent shape, as I am pretty athletic, and my legs are pretty strong... just need to build up on my body and to be bulked up more.... I'm pretty new at it and need a routine...can someone please help me out/


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> I know Flex is a fan - Mariusz Pudzianowski beat Marcin Najman in his first fight. Pudzianowski won the fight in 0:44 in the first round by tap-out.


Pudzianowski is my boy! Haters can say what they want about his steroid usage and what not but you can't sit on your ass and dominate strongman the way he has. 

I thought transitioning from strongman to mixed martial arts could be smooth. Glad to hear. Thanks for the update on him.


----------



## Rajah

Here's a laugh for you.

Anyone else tried or heard about this? There has been a bit of talk lately of some professional athletes taking viagra to improve the "body pump" and increase blood flow. Before the jokes start viagra only works if you have a problem. You won't take it and necessarily walk around with a raging hard on. That being said my wife got me a couple as I asked her to get some as I'd be interested in taking it before a workout, gym workout that is.

I haven't had it yet, probably will try over the weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.


----------



## El Conquistador

Might have some big news soon.. I'm currently in discussion with a supplement company about being sponsored. They're sending me a free batch of products and want me to know how I feel about them before we go any further with discussions. I can't wait to see if these supplements are legit.

They're a pretty reputable/well known company, too. Hella' expensive so I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to guess.  



Rajah said:


> Here's a laugh for you.
> 
> Anyone else tried or heard about this? There has been a bit of talk lately of some professional athletes taking viagra to improve the "body pump" and increase blood flow. Before the jokes start viagra only works if you have a problem. You won't take it and necessarily walk around with a raging hard on. That being said my wife got me a couple as I asked her to get some as I'd be interested in taking it before a workout, gym workout that is.
> 
> I haven't had it yet, probably will try over the weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.


Never heard of that myth. Interesting to say the least.


----------



## Rajah

Who's the company? PM me if you don't wish to post it.

Here's a couple of articles about viagra in sports

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...source_roger_clemens_host_of_athletes_po.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/27/health/main4215586.shtml

One of my local supplements stores was having a sale yesterday so I popped in and bought a couple of things. Got some ZMA to try. Never had it before so it will be interesting to try. 

I've so far dropped about 10 kgs/22lbs in the last couple of months. Seemed to have hit a wall at the moment. Having sciatica didn't help the cause as I wasn't able to workout for about 3 weeks. And with Christmas coming up being good on the diet can be a challenge. My wife got me some Duramine (Phentermine) tablets. I've tried them before about 12 months ago. First time I had them I dropped 6 kgs in about 2 weeks with no diet change. They basically speed up your system. I had them again after the first cycle and they did nothing. I have a 2 month supply so I'll start them in the New Year. 

I bought some Size-On by Gaspari as well, thought I'd give that a go.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> Who's the company? PM me if you don't wish to post it.
> 
> Here's a couple of articles about viagra in sports
> 
> http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...source_roger_clemens_host_of_athletes_po.html
> 
> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/27/health/main4215586.shtml
> 
> One of my local supplements stores was having a sale yesterday so I popped in and bought a couple of things. Got some ZMA to try. Never had it before so it will be interesting to try.
> 
> I've so far dropped about 10 kgs/22lbs in the last couple of months. Seemed to have hit a wall at the moment. Having sciatica didn't help the cause as I wasn't able to workout for about 3 weeks. And with Christmas coming up being good on the diet can be a challenge. My wife got me some Duramine (Phentermine) tablets. I've tried them before about 12 months ago. First time I had them I dropped 6 kgs in about 2 weeks with no diet change. They basically speed up your system. I had them again after the first cycle and they did nothing. I have a 2 month supply so I'll start them in the New Year.
> 
> I bought some Size-On by Gaspari as well, thought I'd give that a go.


PM'd. 

Congratulations on that, Rajah. 

Is the Duramine and stuff like that all Fat Loss agents? Be careful with that. I know Slim Xtreme as well as Lean Xtreme have been recalled here by the FDA here due to some crazy side effects they were giving occupants. Ya' never know with that stuff. I have no experience with Fat Burners so I'll keep my preaching to a minimum as I'm sure you're more than knowledgeable. 

SizeOn is awesome. You wont be disappointed. I believe Gaspari is releasing a newer version of SizeOn called SizeOn V2.


----------



## Rajah

Duramine is a prescription drug here for extreme weight loss. It's given to people that are obese, not that I am. It's perfectly safe. Like I said I've used if before with good results. It's something you have to take first thing in the day as it really doe hype you up all day. I took it later in the day a couple of times and had sleepless nights. 

Here in Australia there are many supps we can't get that you can in the US. Yohimbie, I think that's correct, which is used in weight loss isn't allowed here. The main guy I get my supps from is looking to import a new product and because it has Yohimbie in it he has to get it modified by the company. Strange how we are able to put alcohol and tobacco in our systems so easily yet we're not allowed to give ourselves supplements to improve our physique.


----------



## Nolo King

Nolo King was in the gymanasium and could have sworn that someone took steroids before their workout!

Just wondering how to approach this woman as steroids can do severe harm to the body!

If there are ways to bring up this touchy subject without coming off as arrogant, please suggest, lawls!


----------



## EchoXL

Can someone thoroughly explain how smoking cigarettes affects your muscle growth.


----------



## Mia6969

Nolo King said:


> Nolo King was in the gymanasium and could have sworn that someone took steroids before their workout!
> 
> Just wondering how to approach this woman as steroids can do severe harm to the body!
> 
> If there are ways to bring up this touchy subject without coming off as arrogant, please suggest, lawls!


You at a gym...lawls!


----------



## Nolo King

Mia6969 said:


> You at a gym...lawls!


Nolo King would like to introduce the girlfriend!

Does not even like professional wrestling, just made an account to be annoying!

Women can be just so, clingy, lawls!


----------



## Rajah

EchoXL said:


> Can someone thoroughly explain how smoking cigarettes affects your muscle growth.


If you need to ask a question like that I wouldn't bother working out at all. Smoking is stupid, full stop.

Oh, and to answer the question "thoroughly", you'd need a hell of a lot of pages.


----------



## Mia6969

Nolo King said:


> Nolo King would like to introduce the girlfriend!
> 
> Does not even like professional wrestling, just made an account to be annoying!
> 
> Women can be just so, clingy, lawls!


Its fun annoying the king...and I do enjoy wrestling...Cena, Kofi guy...all good men who work out....


----------



## Rajah

So, how did everyone go with the Christmas feast and any diets they may have been in the middle of? I'm keeping my calorie intake at around the 2,500 mark, no idea how much I had yesterday. We didn't have a big lunch and we spent 5 hours walking around the Zoo so I would have burned of anything excessive anyway.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> So, how did everyone go with the Christmas feast and any diets they may have been in the middle of? I'm keeping my calorie intake at around the 2,500 mark, no idea how much I had yesterday. We didn't have a big lunch and we spent 5 hours walking around the Zoo so I would have burned of anything excessive anyway.


Pretty bad, LOL!

Over-excessive here. Luckily, I ate a lot of turkey rather than ham but I still couldn't help but throw in some mashed potatoes and the likes. My sweet tooth hit me hard around desert time, too. 

It was a good Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. Enjoyed the company of my family. Even drank for the first time in about 6 months on Christmas Eve. Probably had a modest seven heinekins and was pretty drunk. 

Here's a rare lat spread:










Waist definitely shows the binge eating. Absolutely no definition but oh well. What can ya' do?


----------



## Rajah

You have to enjoy yourself every now and then. I'm paying for many years of enjoyment.


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

My cousins moddow in working out is work out on everything except your belly. I was over at his place the other night and I was working out with his new commercial gym bench and weights set. I worked out my shoulders and chest. The gym he got looks fucking awesome. I was also working out with curls and working out my triceps with this new adjustable curl weights he got. They sit on a little stand and you adjust the weight and it works through a magnet he told me. I'm sore as can be right now in my chest.


----------



## Spiked.

ViolenceIsGolden said:


> My cousins moddow in working out is work out on everything except your belly. I was over at his place the other night and I was working out with his new commercial gym bench and weights set. I worked out my shoulders and chest. The gym he got looks fucking awesome. I was also working out with curls and working out my triceps with this new adjustable curl weights he got. They sit on a little stand and you adjust the weight and it works through a magnet he told me. I'm sore as can be right now in my chest.


*Motto.

Squats and deads naturally use your abs when you do them. I do some weighted declined sit ups too. Girls dig 6 packs, brah, and I dig girls. I figure if I'm gonna bust my ass on my body, might as well go commercial and get the 6 pack while I'm at it.


----------



## Rated R™

just bought two 20 lb dumbbells, and im totally new at this workout routine, how many sets should i be doing? it is pretty hard on the arms but i read thats a good thing for starters, i could easily do a couple though.

also read that i should work on triceps as well or else arms would look foolish, any way i could work out triceps and biceps accordingly?


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

Rated R™;7884785 said:


> just bought two 20 lb dumbbells, and im totally new at this workout routine, how many sets should i be doing? it is pretty hard on the arms but i read thats a good thing for starters, i could easily do a couple though.
> 
> also read that i should work on triceps as well or else arms would look foolish, any way i could work out triceps and biceps accordingly?


When I first started it was atleast five years ago and I'm only 19 right now. When I first broke in I started at 5, 10, 15, then 20 like you about 3-4 years ago was my regular. Now I lift 25 regularly but can do 30, 40, maybe even 50 pound curls. With dumbells there is also a exercise you can do that works out your triceps. For this you take one dumbell or even two and put them over your head and hold the ends of them and let them go down just a little bit and push up with them. It's kind of hard to explain but maybe theres a video on it or your father or somebody could explain it to you. As far as the curling goes if your 18 or not too young I'd say defenately use both weights at a time and feel free to try to push yourself to the limit. Since your new at it your arms will be sore at first but over time from doing it you'll get better at it. I recomend you then to try 25 out. Basically what I do with 25 is as many reps as I can. On my first set I could do about 25 reps. As time goes by and I do more and more sets my arms get worn out. I try to do as many sets as I can which is usually about 7 sets or maybe a little bit more. By that point the reps I could do goes down a lot. I'd say wait a couple of minutes and then do another set. You don't have to wait too long to move on to the next set. If you wait to long then the work out is no good. I also recomend you to try out a work out band. It's sort of like a thing with two handles and 5 rubberbands and you can take off some. I use this at times the same way I would do a curl. I step on one handle and curl with the other handle and hold it that way about 5-15 seconds and continually do this before working out with the weights. I don't know the advantages to this but it's became part of my routine along with curling weights. Also just keep in mind I can't remember the days I first started out with weights so probably the best bet is just use your own discretion and what you feel comftorable with. Your arms will be sore but I doubt you'll ever experience anything serious. I've never before. If I were you I'd immediately start doing what you can do. You'll like the feeling curling gives to you as long as you push the limits. This is a good feeling you should get in your body from doing many reps rather then stopping at a specific number like 10 or 15. Do as many as your arms can handle and you'll be ripped and like that feeling it gives you for a brief moment, or atleast I do.


----------



## Rated R™

Wouldn't it be over training If I go to the limit? I'm still not quite sure of the over training method.

After taking your advice so far it's like this.

Do as much lifts as I can in a set and then take a minute break and than start another set, got it! but how many sets should I finally stop at and call it a day?


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

Rated R™;7884949 said:


> Do as much lifts as I can in a set and then take a minute break and than start another set, got it! *but how many sets should I finally stop at and call it a day?*


It all depends. If you only have access to the two dumbells you just bought and your not working out in a gym or home gym then I'd say push the limit a bit. If you were gonna do everything at a gym then just do a couple of sets or maybe 4 the most somewhat quickly not taking too much time. Remember with working out there's only so much time in a day. That's why a lot of times I'd work out when I'm off from work and nobodys home to bother me or when I'm working the next day I'd do it before I go to sleep at night. Eventually a interferance like going to eat dinner usually tends to be the factor of when to stop for me. You'll defenately feel when the end of the workout is near. I'd say if your not tired do a workout now or when you wake up tommorow.

I also reccomend good posture when your lifting. Try to keep your body as straight as possible by only trying to move your arms to curl. Also each lift should be kind of slow not too fast even if the weight feels light to you.


----------



## Rajah

Father Flex said:


> P
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Waist definitely shows the binge eating. Absolutely no definition but oh well. What can ya' do?


Very smooth looking back. You wax? :lmao


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

So... I have a hernia, and I've been getting the whole "You got it from working yourself out excessively" comments from the family and doctors. Is it possible because of heavy lifting and from massive ab exercises (it's basically where my abs are) I have received one?


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

Speaking of Flex's back. I just did deadlifts for the first time last night with my cousin. Damn I never even knew you could work your back out or what deadlifts were. I've worked out on the bench, and curled many times but never done this before. My back is sore today when I bend it.


----------



## -GP-

Haven't been in this neck of the woods for a while...need some more educated opinions on something.

Last year (as in last Uni year, before summer) i was doing weights and cardio to lose some weight and general fitness. 
Nothing too drastic, half hour weights/half hour cardio 3+ times a week.

This year i've moved house to an apartment building that actually has a gym, so i dropped the membership to my old gym (which is now quite a long way off too).
The gym doesn't have any free weights, not even a Smith machine, but i does have some basic weight machines, so i figured it was worth the saved money since i wasn't too big on the free weights anyway.

Lately i've been finding myself being pretty damn bored tbh. I'll go down there and just find myself hitting the rowing machine until i'm beat. I don't know if it's the fact that i'm not paying for it or if it just doesn't inspire me, but i can't get motivated, and after all the holiday stuff and not keeping up with the gym for a while, it's starting to get ugly.

A friend is taking some classes and he suggested an MMA school in the area that does BJJ programms.
He says it's a good workout and pretty damn interesting to boot, so i'm considering it.

He's not a pure gym person so he can't comment on how it compares to a gym workout, which is why i'm here.
Anybody here with any experience on beginner BJJ courses? Is the workout good, how does it compare to a gym workout?
Is it worth it, or should i just try finding motivation for the gym?

I'll probably give it a test run anyway, but i was wondering if anybody had any insights on it.

Cheers.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> Very smooth looking back. You wax? :lmao


nah. never have done anything to my back in terms of wax/shave/etc,. just wait till those lower lats become wings and i spread them and fly away one day. 



ViolenceIsGolden said:


> Speaking of Flex's back. I just did deadlifts for the first time last night with my cousin. Damn I never even knew you could work your back out or what deadlifts were. I've worked out on the bench, and curled many times but never done this before. My back is sore today when I bend it.


Yep. I can't bench much but deadlifts are my forte'. Seriously can't stress enough how important they are to overall back development.


----------



## Something Savage

^^ Absolutely. Deadlifts are my favorite lift, and they'll tear up more muscle groups at once than any other single compound lift. Squats are definately beneficial, but they're second-place at best.

If you're deadlifting with heavy volume, high intensity, & correct form, then you're going to be hitting your quads, traps, back, etc. Deadlifts are an atomic bomb that *should* be the centerpiece of any true weightlifter, make no mistake about that.


----------



## austinrockera

Father Flex said:


> Yep. I can't bench much but deadlifts are my forte'. Seriously can't stress enough how important they are to overall back development.


agreed.

Deads and squats are what I concentrate on above anything else. 

My back has issues though, (compressed L1) so I can only dead lift every two weeks, but when I do, I destroy it.

So, you guys been seeing the fatasses come out of the wood works yet? I've been seeing some in the last couple of days at my gym. I'm just glad that the free weights are in the far corner of the gym, and most of them don't venture back that way. Cardio is right inside the front door.


----------



## El Conquistador

I haven't noticed many new commitments to the gym. I can't say I've been paying much attention but the LA Fitness I am a member at seems to have the same regulars.

Came across a bench press program that is supposed to add 50 lbs to your bench in 7 weeks time. There's two chest workouts a week which is awesome compared to a program like Smolov Jr. or something like that. 

So far, I've increased my 1RM to a 3RM and it's been a week and a half. Not trying to promote it and I'm not sure how my results will be at the end of the 7 week protocol, but I'm already impressed with my gains.


----------



## Evidense

-GP- said:


> A friend is taking some classes and he suggested an MMA school in the area that does BJJ programms.
> He says it's a good workout and pretty damn interesting to boot, so i'm considering it.
> 
> He's not a pure gym person so he can't comment on how it compares to a gym workout, which is why i'm here.
> Anybody here with any experience on beginner BJJ courses? Is the workout good, how does it compare to a gym workout?
> Is it worth it, or should i just try finding motivation for the gym?
> 
> I'll probably give it a test run anyway, but i was wondering if anybody had any insights on it.
> 
> Cheers.


This is just my opinion and I could be wrong but most MMA gyms to me seem to be superior to a regular gym. The cost I've seen around my area is usually 2x of what a normal gym is. My gym I was going to was $40 a month and a MMA gym around here is $80 a month to learn one martial art or $110 for unlimited training. From what I can tell the MMA gyms come equipped with weights and cardio equipment since cardio is such a big deal when it comes to MMA. So if you're looking to get big and lose weight = regular gym. In my opinion if you're looking to lose weight, get toned and gain some knowledge = MMA gym. As far as BJJ classes go you'll be focusing way more on cardio than you would weights, where as a wrestling class you may be focusing on strength more so than conditioning (again, correct me if I'm wrong this is just my opinion).

but it depends on how much you want to pay like I said since you can probably expect to pay 2x what you normally pay at your regular gym. The UFC are opening gyms around the United States (not sure where you're from).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I allowed my gym membership to expire the other day. I simply didn't have the passion to wake up every day and go and do cardio/weight machines (all the big guys use the free weights and I'm a little self conscious to work out with them). The only thing I'm going to truly miss is the cardio machines. I weigh 314 (maybe 312 right now). 

Last night I went to Walmart (I know, I know) and looked around and spent $126 on these items (I only had $145 to spend so I wanted to make my money count). I've yet to set my bench up I'm waiting for a friend to come over to help me. Here's a few pics of what I bought. Your opinion would be greatly appreciated on how you would go about using these. 

Note, I'm a big guy (6'3) with toned legs and a flabby chest/stomach/back area. My goal is to lose weight and ideally be down to 270-250 but without much loose skin to show for it. I believe I can lose the majority of the weight just from lifting, then eventually I'll have to bring cardio into the mix again and then pick if I want to diet and lose weight & muscle or eat, gain/maintain weight & gain muscle. But I believe I can lose weight and gain muscle right now since I have a large body fat % on my upper body. 

I'm not a trainer I'm just a gym idiot so if I'm wrong please correct me. 

Here's my bench I bought:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11993392

Here's a 100lb barbell set I bought (Mine was only $30):
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11089971

Here's the 40lb dumbbell set I bought (Mine is made out of the same material as my barbell set. Couldn't find it on Walmart's website):
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11089970


One downside I read to the bench was that the brackets for the barbell only support 110lbs which doesn't seem like alot but I don't think I can even bench press 100lbs in 3 reps right now. And the leg extender supports 50lbs which is kinda disappointing because the leg extender I used at my local gym I was doing 60lbs easily. 

However to me it looks like a good starter set for my bed room. My only concern is that I'll outgrow it too fast or I don't know how much the bench actually supports as far as weight limit goes because I don't of many $77 benches that support 300lbs. 

Thoughts?


----------



## Panzer

My dad works at a prison and last year, when I started working out, he told me of the prison method of getting in shape. The inmates do a pyramid process of exercise that I think works great.

I think complicated gym equipment is stupid. I've done just fine with them.


----------



## austinrockera

Pandemic said:


> My dad works at a prison and last year, when I started working out, he told me of the prison method of getting in shape. The inmates do a pyramid process of exercise that I think works great.
> 
> I think complicated gym equipment is stupid. I've done just fine with them.


Complicated gym equipment is overrated. Don't get me wrong, for people with a bad back, standing military BB press isn't good for them so some different equipment is a necessity. 

If you look at some of the Ronnie Coleman DVDs, (btw, Ron Coleman is the greatest bodybuilder of all time), you will see that he didn't do complicated stuff, he just did basic movements, and lifted heavy and lifted alot. It actually works, that and proper dieting will do you wonders. The other piece of the equation helps, ALOT, but it doesn't do magic, you have to do the other two for results.


----------



## Panzer

austinrockera said:


> Complicated gym equipment is overrated. Don't get me wrong, for people with a bad back, standing military BB press isn't good for them so some different equipment is a necessity.
> 
> If you look at some of the Ronnie Coleman DVDs, (btw, Ron Coleman is the greatest bodybuilder of all time), you will see that he didn't do complicated stuff, he just did basic movements, and lifted heavy and lifted alot. It actually works, that and proper dieting will do you wonders. The other piece of the equation helps, ALOT, but it doesn't do magic, you have to do the other two for results.


I just like going up to a dude and saying "How much did you pay for those abs?"


----------



## El Conquistador

So, I was lucky enough to work with the great Jim Cordova for two months until I finally couldn't afford his prices o)! It was a great experience and one that I will forever remember. Here's two of the many pics that shows how much my body changed in the little time that I worked with Jim:

*Before:*










*After:*









I was bulking in both pictures. Truly noticeable difference. Jim's awesome, check him out if you're looking for an awe-inspiring physique.


----------



## bige201

*heavy weight hi reps*

what will the result be? big and cut at the same time since high reps low weight and high weight low reps = cut bulk but high weight high reps what will that do


----------



## youngb11

*Re: heavy weight hi reps*

Heavy weight means HEAVY WEIGHT. So heavy that it's impossible to do high reps. If you can do high reps then it's not heavy weight it's light weight.


----------



## CMPunk665

*Re: heavy weight hi reps*

I thought this was a thread about "high ranking" forum members with the ability to give/take large amounts of rep.


----------



## Rajah

*Re: heavy weight hi reps*

Hello Workout Thread?


----------



## Rajah

*Re: heavy weight hi reps*



bige201 said:


> what will the result be? big and cut at the same time since high reps low weight and high weight low reps = cut bulk but high weight high reps what will that do


Technically you can't do heavy weights and high reps. The reasoning is if you go even heavier with less reps you will lift more.

Example.

Someone who can bench 100lbs at 4x15 reps. You'd be able top do 120lbs at 12 reps, and maybe up to 130-140lbs for 4-6 reps. You won't be able to do heavy weights and high reps, cause if you drop the reps, you'll lift more weight.


----------



## El Conquistador

Cool split to do while bulking:

*Day 1:* Lower (Power)
*Day 2:* Push (Hyper)
*Day 3:* Pull (Power)
*Day 4:* Off
*Day 5:* Lower (Hyper)
*Day 6:* Push (Power)
*Day 7:* Pull (Hyper
*Day 8:* Off

Power as in low reps, heavy loads. Hypertrophy as in typical bodybuilding approaches with lots of volume, higher reps, more sets.


----------



## WooKennedy

Sup guys. I'm off on holiday to Greece in July so I thought I better start working out so I look guuuurd in my swimming gear. 

I've never been to a gym before since I used to play football (soccer) 3 times a week but stopped last September. So now i'm carrying abit of baggage which isn't good for my look or confidence. 

What shall I start off doing? Get myself into the closest gym? If so, what should I be looking to do there? What should I be eating? etc.

I don't want to be massive and a big power house, just nice and toned. That'll do me. Thanks in advance.


----------



## RKO920

I recently started to use a work out bike. How long should I use it per day? I want to lose a few pounds and maintain it.


----------



## Spiked.

Deadlifted 275x5 the other day. Felt really fucking food.


----------



## Rajah

Spiked. said:


> Deadlifted 275x5 the other day. Felt really fucking food.


Nice. I've given up on deadlifts. Everytime I go all out doing deadlifts I pinch my sciatic nerve and I'm out of action for a couple of weeks.



RKO920 said:


> I recently started to use a work out bike. How long should I use it per day? I want to lose a few pounds and maintain it.


The popular routine these days is HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training. 

Basically you would warm up on the bike, slowly for the first few minutes, then do one minute very fast, then 2 minutes slow, one minute fast, 2 minutes slow for about 15 minutes, then a slow warm down of say 3 minutes. You can start off doing 15 minutes then work your way up to 20,25, 30. Do this 3-4 times a week.

More info.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training


----------



## Spiked.

Rajah said:


> Nice. I've given up on deadlifts. Everytime I go all out doing deadlifts I pinch my sciatic nerve and I'm out of action for a couple of weeks.


That's rough, man. What exercises are you doing to hit your back then?


----------



## Caduceus

I've been trying to get more of a back and chest lately, so I joined the gym a couple of weeks ago. My lats, traps and pecs are damn sore from the past few workouts. I've really been pushing myself to get in shape for awhile, I haven't been in shape since I was fourteen and it's a bit intimidating to go to the gym and see people who are sixteen in better shape than I am. I often ask myself the "what if?" question when I'm there, wondering what I'd look like today had I kept up with my exercises back then. Time goes by fast, so I ain't wasting time no more. I've gotten on the ball and I'm moving it forward, I'm pretty consistent with it and I'm feeling better with every passing day.


----------



## Evidense

Any friendly protein powders for diabetics? Or if I were to go to Walmart and look at their powders there would there be a specific legit brand I'm looking for in general?


----------



## Austin101

Caduceus said:


> I've been trying to get more of a back and chest lately, so I joined the gym a couple of weeks ago. My lats, traps and pecs are damn sore from the past few workouts. I've really been pushing myself to get in shape for awhile, I haven't been in shape since I was fourteen and it's a bit intimidating to go to the gym and see people who are sixteen in better shape than I am. I often ask myself the "what if?" question when I'm there, wondering what I'd look like today had I kept up with my exercises back then. Time goes by fast, so I ain't wasting time no more. I've gotten on the ball and I'm moving it forward, I'm pretty consistent with it and I'm feeling better with every passing day.



Good for you.

Remember this:


1) Don't go so hard so fast. Resting two, three days a week actually helps build more muscle then working out every day.

2) If you ever listen to that devil on your shoulder that says "Fuck the gym", rememeber how GOOD you feel after a workout and use that as motivation.

3) Keep going, you won't regret it.



I've only worked out consistently nearly two years and have managed this.

And I used to have zero muscle and a ton of fat.





















That was a half year ago, I have better pecs now.


----------



## Rajah

I'm off to the Australian Pro Grand Prix in 2 weeks time here in Melbourne. 

Confirmed competitors so far are...

Dexter Jackson, USA
Kai Greene, USA
Melvin Anthony, USA
Moe Bannout, Lebanon
DanielHill, Germany
Rusty Jeffers, USA
Michael Kingsnorth, New Zealand
Dragan Paunovic, Serbia
Fadi ZaaZaa, Lebanon
Eddie Abbew UK
Michael Kefalianos, Australia / Greece
Wong Hong, Malaysia
Grigori Atoyan, 
Lionel Beyeke, France

Organised tickets through a body building website I'm a member of and there are 11 of us going. The promoter, Tony Doherty, who is bringing the show to Australia for the 10 the year is an active member of the site and our tickets are 2nd row. Should be a good show.

Workout wise I'm trying a new supplement called NO-Beta. The site is your typical body building website but it's only open to Australian people. There are many site sponsors that offer samples and discount for members. I buy direct from one of the sellers house as he gives me a great deal. Another supp seller had a competition to log a sample use of the NO-Beta. I got a sample, posted my log and was one of the winners. I got a free bottle of the NO-Beta, 360 tablets, and all I have to do is log my workouts for the next month. About $100 worth of supps. Can't complain.


----------



## Isaias4u2nv

ok can somebody give me a crash course on how to loose a good amount of weight in 30 days, since I'm 15 pounds over weight and going to my vacation in 30 days.


----------



## rawesjericho

Isaias4u2nv said:


> ok can somebody give me a crash course on how to loose a good amount of weight in 30 days, since I'm 15 pounds over weight and going to my vacation in 30 days.


if you can do it try hiit cardio. like sprinting very fast for a minute, walk for 30secs, sprint again, walk, repeat for like 10-15 mins or more if you can handle. it will keep your metabolism elevated for hours or even days after your cardio session.


----------



## BabyBoy

I've been working out for about a month again and have gotten up to 175 with a ripped body. Once the camera works, ill put pics up.

I use creatine and protein. Anything else messes up my stomach.

I've only been lifting 135lbs lately to restrengthen my shoulder.

I also do cock pushups.


----------



## rawesjericho

i was a skinny fat before. been working out for 3 months now and i have gained 20lbs with 5x5 beginner's routine. i think every beginner should stry this routine http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

me now


----------



## Rajah

^^^Nice work, keep it up.




BabyBoy said:


> I also do cock pushups.


You use both hands for this I hope.


----------



## Alim

So my friends are telling me to sign up for weightlifting class next year because it seems like the new "thing" at my school. I guess it's a good idea because you don't have to pay for anything. I just hope I don't get made fun of by my peers because I'm not very strong for a guy my size.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> I'm off to the Australian Pro Grand Prix in 2 weeks time here in Melbourne.
> 
> Confirmed competitors so far are...
> 
> Dexter Jackson, USA
> Kai Greene, USA
> Melvin Anthony, USA
> Moe Bannout, Lebanon
> DanielHill, Germany
> Rusty Jeffers, USA
> Michael Kingsnorth, New Zealand
> Dragan Paunovic, Serbia
> Fadi ZaaZaa, Lebanon
> Eddie Abbew UK
> Michael Kefalianos, Australia / Greece
> Wong Hong, Malaysia
> Grigori Atoyan,
> Lionel Beyeke, France
> 
> Organised tickets through a body building website I'm a member of and there are 11 of us going. The promoter, Tony Doherty, who is bringing the show to Australia for the 10 the year is an active member of the site and our tickets are 2nd row. Should be a good show.
> 
> Workout wise I'm trying a new supplement called NO-Beta. The site is your typical body building website but it's only open to Australian people. There are many site sponsors that offer samples and discount for members. I buy direct from one of the sellers house as he gives me a great deal. Another supp seller had a competition to log a sample use of the NO-Beta. I got a sample, posted my log and was one of the winners. I got a free bottle of the NO-Beta, 360 tablets, and all I have to do is log my workouts for the next month. About $100 worth of supps. Can't complain.


Kai ftw



rawesjericho said:


> i was a skinny fat before. been working out for 3 months now and i have gained 20lbs with 5x5 beginner's routine. i think every beginner should stry this routine http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5...ining-program/


Nice. I started off on Rippetoe's Starting Strength which is very similar to that. Love programs like that. Nothing complicated, no overkill - just straight simplistic liner progression. You should do well on it. Looking good, by the way. Seems like we finally have another member with some credibility. 



Alim said:


> So my friends are telling me to sign up for weightlifting class next year because it seems like the new "thing" at my school. I guess it's a good idea because you don't have to pay for anything. I just hope I don't get made fun of by my peers because I'm not very strong for a guy my size.


It truly is an awesome hobby. Don't worry about the haters. Everyone has to start somewhere.


----------



## Rajah

The 2010 Arnold Classic is on now with some of the top bodybuilders in the world competing. 

For those interested there is a steam on bodybuilding.com - http://webcast.bodybuilding.com/fitshow/2010arnold/webcast/2010arnold.html


----------



## El Conquistador

Dexter should retire.

Phil brought his best package to the stage to date.

Kai was astounding.

Freeman looked 10 times bigger than everyone, lol. It was actually amazing.

Phil faded towards the end.

Branch doesn't have the right structure but topped his Olympia performance.


KAI = 2x Arnold Classic Champ.


----------



## Rajah

And I'll be seeing Kai on stage in 5 days!


----------



## The Diesel

I'm a football player, and have been on the grind since January 4th. I've gotten ridiculously strong in the weight room, since that's all we've been doing 80% of the time. I went from benching only 35's as my max to two plates. I squat almost three plates (2 plates, and a 35 with an additional 5). My only issue is, I don't see as many cuts as possible.

Understand me here, I used to weigh 200 lbs. in the 7th grade. I cut a lot in 8th grade, and now I'm at 160 in 9th grade. I'm trying to keep my weight, or if I'm gaining, it NEEDS to be muscle for my position (Varsity Linebacker). My biggest insecurity is my stomach, I still don't have abb's lol. I hate not wearing a shirt. Tanktops are my best friend because they show off my best feature's which are my chest, arms, and traps. Anyways, my point is, I want to get even more cuts, and I'm looking to buy Creatine.

I have no clue which one to buy. Can someone please offer some help here?


----------



## V1 Dante

Edit: wrong thread sorry.


----------



## Rajah

I attended the Australian Pro BodyBuilding Grand Prix yesterday in Melbourne. Kai Greene won again with Dexter Jackson in second.


----------



## El Conquistador

I was waiting for you to post about the Australian Pro as I could have sworn I remember you saying that you were attending, Rajah. 

How was it? Kai seemed to bring a better physique to the AP than he did to the Arnold Classic - way more conditioned. I saw his posing routine on youtube, guy is insane. What do you think about Roelly Winklaar? Besides his back (kind of amateurish'), his structure is awesome and he seems to have a bright future.

Evan Centopani, Roelly Winklaar, Brandon Cury, Phil Heath, Kai Greene.... The *future* of bodybuilding is bright.


----------



## Enigma

Right, so I bought a bench and 40kg weights. I'm a fucking pussy. I gave up after a week. Work your magic guys.


----------



## Blaziken

I just do my abbs by doin 50 situps in the morning and 50 at night, after a few months it seems to be working!


----------



## Rajah

Father Flex said:


> I was waiting for you to post about the Australian Pro as I could have sworn I remember you saying that you were attending, Rajah.
> 
> How was it? Kai seemed to bring a better physique to the AP than he did to the Arnold Classic - way more conditioned. I saw his posing routine on youtube, guy is insane. What do you think about Roelly Winklaar? Besides his back (kind of amateurish'), his structure is awesome and he seems to have a bright future.
> 
> Evan Centopani, Roelly Winklaar, Brandon Cury, Phil Heath, Kai Greene.... The *future* of bodybuilding is bright.


The judges said they were in better shape at this show than they were at the Arnold. I loved Rolley! He needs a little more width in his chest and he'll be awesome. I had never heard of him until last Saturday. I went with a bunch of guys from a bodybuilding forum. It was a good day in the end. Next time I'd only bother with the finals as i found prejudging a little boring. That finished around 4:30pm and the finals didn't start until 7pm so I had to kill time for 2 and a half hours. I went for a stroll around the city then came back and hooked up with another guy from the forum. We went to the sponsors tables and got samples and stuff. The finals were great. During the posedown Melvin Anthony and Dexter Jackson jumped in the crowd and posed all around the place. I couldn't get the setting right on my camera as Melvin was standing in front of me. 
It's amazing how humble Kai is. He's seems like a genuine nice guy. Melvin seemed pissed to get 5th.



Spiked. said:


> That's rough, man. What exercises are you doing to hit your back then?


Lat pulldowns - front and back, Standing lat pressdowns, seated row, bent over rows, dumbbells rows, t-bar rows. There are many exercises you can do besides deadlifts.


----------



## HeartbreakTriumph

*Does Pushups*

One thousand one........

One Thousand two........

3 TRILLION!

Just kidding guys. But If i have any advice. Well for me it would've been to start weightlifting earlier. I only started senior year of high school.
My lifts for the competition were 
155 Bench (Went up easily, dont really do a lot of chest work)
295 Squat (Could've done more, nice deep ROM)
345 Deadlift (Felt like a true 1RM)


----------



## Rush

got to have an x-ray done on my left collarbone, did it 2 weeks ago and was just hoping it'd be fine but its still painful and possibly fractured. doctors orders of no sports or any heavy lifting which sucks seeing as my football (soccer) season is just starting up now.


----------



## Patrik_Berg

Sticksy said:


> got to have an x-ray done on my left collarbone, did it 2 weeks ago and was just hoping it'd be fine but its still painful and possibly fractured. doctors orders of no sports or any heavy lifting which sucks seeing as my football (soccer) season is just starting up now.


That sounds sad, injuries are always bad...


----------



## Rush

^^^ got cleared  still out for a bit longer as its still painful and bruised but at least there's no fracture. Injuries to that region are a bitch because there really isn't much you can do but wait it out.


----------



## nwoblack/white

*HGH Supplements?*

I work out usually between 4-5 days a week taking every third week off. I have been doing so for about 6 years now and I have always used Hydroxycut and Whey Protein and have had fairly good results. However I am still not as lean as I’d like to be and am considering buying HGH powder supplements but before doing so I’d just like to know if anyone on here has tried them and if so what kind of results did you end up with?


----------



## brian8448

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

You won't be finding any HGH at GNC. Any HGH I could direct you to is expensive as hell, if your goal is just to lean out I would recommend stimulants pre-workout, ie hydroxide, caffeine, adderrall, etc.


----------



## 21 - 1

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

Why can't people just _work_ for things these days?


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

Nobody should need to take HGH. If you work hard everyday and lift weights you'll get there but from what I heard HGH makes your penis a lot bigger.


----------



## B-Dawg

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

Fuck HGH Powder. If you're going to do it, do it all the way. STEROIDS~!


----------



## nwoblack/white

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

I dont see the down side? It is perfectly legal and from what I've read the powder form you take with a glass of water or skim milk just like you would a prtien shake. There are no major side affects.


----------



## bige201

*hi guys is this a good diet*

i am about 6 1 about 180 pounds. i am pretty good shape. could be better like always is this a good way to gain more muscle plus i jog 5 miles 6 days a week. 200 push ups daily gym 5 times a week

meal 1 3 eggs 23 gram protein shake

meal 2 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret

meal 3 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret

meal 4 23 gram protein shake

meal 5 3 eggs 

meal 6 protein shake banana 

hardley any carbs and 1.5 grams of protein per body pound which is what i get in this diet what do you guys think thank you happy easter


----------



## Sal_Monella

*Re: hi guys is this a good diet*

Since you're talking about gaining more muscle and not trying to just lose weight, i think you'd be better off posting your workout routine as well. You can eat all the protein in the world but if what you are doing in the gym isnt up to snuff it wont matter.


----------



## bige201

*Re: hi guys is this a good diet*

monday chest triceps 
tuesday back biceps

wenesday shoulders legs

thursday chest triceps

friday biceps back


----------



## nwoblack/white

*Re: hi guys is this a good diet*



bige201 said:


> i am about 6 1 about 180 pounds. i am pretty good shape. could be better like always is this a good way to gain more muscle plus i jog 5 miles 6 days a week. 200 push ups daily gym 5 times a week
> 
> meal 1 3 eggs 23 gram protein shake
> 
> meal 2 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret
> 
> meal 3 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret
> 
> meal 4 23 gram protein shake
> 
> meal 5 3 eggs
> 
> meal 6 protein shake banana
> 
> hardley any carbs and 1.5 grams of protein per body pound which is what i get in this diet what do you guys think thank you happy easter


Dude if your trying to add on mass muscle you need tocut back on your cardio big time. Running 5 times a Week? either that or really start carbo loading before cause once your body burns off your carbs it starts burning protien defeating the whole purpose.


----------



## Alex

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

Be natural, the right food intake with the right workout can work wonders.


----------



## Alex

*Re: hi guys is this a good diet*



bige201 said:


> monday chest triceps
> tuesday back biceps
> 
> wenesday shoulders legs
> 
> thursday chest triceps
> 
> friday biceps back


Try not to be so vague, tell us the amount of reps on what particular muscles, you might get some better advice then.


----------



## nwoblack/white

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

I dont know of one guy who trians completely natural these days and has anykind of real definition.


----------



## Sal_Monella

*Re: hi guys is this a good diet*

Yeah thats pretty vague and as NWO said cutting back on the cardio is a MUST.


----------



## brian8448

*Re: HGH Supplements?*

There is no HGH powder in existence commercially, any supplement you buy that says "HGH" is a joke, I can direct you to the real thing but it's expensive and it's injectable. 

Haven't done any myself but everything I've read from users/studies seems to be that HGH is great if used properly, for any type of physical goal.


----------



## El Conquistador

lol @ this thread's current state.


----------



## Evidense

Thoughts on P90x? Is it too commercial or does it really work? I've seen enough real results from people online to say it does work but I would like some of your opinions on it. Also thoughts on Insanity?


----------



## Rajah

Father Flex said:


> lol @ this thread's current state.


I had to merge a couple of threads as some idiots felt the need to make new threads to ask the same things that have already been asked.

I've said it many times, you can't moderate against stupidity. It's a shame really.

I must admit I usually ignore this thread. I usually only pay attention to your posts Flex.


----------



## Rush

bige201 said:


> i am about 6 1 about 180 pounds. i am pretty good shape. could be better like always is this a good way to gain more muscle plus i jog 5 miles 6 days a week. 200 push ups daily gym 5 times a week
> 
> meal 1 3 eggs 23 gram protein shake
> 
> meal 2 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret
> 
> meal 3 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret
> 
> meal 4 23 gram protein shake
> 
> meal 5 3 eggs
> 
> meal 6 protein shake banana
> 
> hardley any carbs and 1.5 grams of protein per body pound which is what i get in this diet what do you guys think thank you happy easter


dude you need more carbohydrates in your diet.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> I had to merge a couple of threads as some idiots felt the need to make new threads to ask the same things that have already been asked.
> 
> I've said it many times, you can't moderate against stupidity. It's a shame really.
> 
> I must admit I usually ignore this thread. I usually only pay attention to your posts Flex.


It's all good, Raj'. I don't expect any moderation or any filtering of the novices. 

Chuckling at all the varying opinions in here, that's all. Not trying to sound like an elitist either by down-playing others' opinions but this is actually kidn of amusing. Most activity I have seen in this thread in quite some time. 

And... I'm honored! You and a few others are the only reason I continue exploring this thread as well. I do love the few legitimate, intelligent discussions we all do have in here.


----------



## bige201

i do not get why i need more carbs in my diet when i am trying to get ripped i mean i am lifting 250 on my bench press 3 sets of 5 and doing 130 pound bicep curls on the machine 4 sets of 13 and doing lots of back and shoulder workouts and legs once a week with abs daily


----------



## Rush

How do you think your body fuels itself? When you have an understanding of that then you'll understand why you need more carbohydrates.


----------



## El Conquistador

*And to answer a few posts above...*



nWoblack/white said:


> I work out usually between 4-5 days a week taking every third week off. I have been doing so for about 6 years now and I have always used Hydroxycut and Whey Protein and have had fairly good results. However I am still not as lean as I’d like to be and am considering buying HGH powder supplements but before doing so I’d just like to know if anyone on here has tried them and if so what kind of results did you end up with?


Winstrol. Look into it if you are serious about using pro-hormones. Seems like the best option for you.



Vintage Undertaker said:


> Why can't people just work for things these days?


Believe it or not, you do have to have a work ethic in order to blow up on steroids. You can't just show up to the gym and bench, curl, and do abs. There has to be structure, there has to be an okay diet, and there has to be some work involved.

A three month cycle can increase a typical male's muscle mass by 25% if cycled right with the right amount of nutrition and an appropriate regimen.

It's actually quite common to come across the retard who doesn't handle his cycle appropriately. 



ViolenceIsGolden said:


> Nobody should need to take HGH. If you work hard everyday and lift weights you'll get there but from what I heard HGH makes your penis a lot bigger.


Not true. If an individual is thinking about steroid/pro-hormone usage, one should weigh the pros' and cons' and determine which column is more significant to he or she. HGH has a purpose and serves its purpose.



bige201 said:


> i am about 6 1 about 180 pounds. i am pretty good shape. could be better like always is this a good way to gain more muscle plus i jog 5 miles 6 days a week. 200 push ups daily gym 5 times a week
> 
> meal 1 3 eggs 23 gram protein shake
> 
> meal 2 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret
> 
> meal 3 boiled chicken breast with a chopped carret
> 
> meal 4 23 gram protein shake
> 
> meal 5 3 eggs
> 
> meal 6 protein shake banana
> 
> hardley any carbs and 1.5 grams of protein per body pound which is what i get in this diet what do you guys think thank you happy easter


Speaking on the diet alone, it's off. Eat 4.5 grams of carbs pound of bodyweight, 1 gram of fat per lb of bodyweight, and 1.3 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight and you'll blow up in no time. 

Look at carbs and fat as energy and energy alone. As long as you don't under eat or over eat (carbs and fat), it really doesn't matter how much of them you eat. The only real macro that you should care about is protein. Count the grams of protein and monitor your carbs and fat.

It needs some serious revision, in all honesty.


----------



## Meez

long thread and i don't have time to search through all the pages so here it goes...

what's the best workout for lower abs? trying to get rid of a little 'pouch' before the summer.

thanks!


----------



## Rush

you can't lose fat from the one place just by working out that area. Do some cardio work (running, cycling, swimming, rowing, skipping, boxing etc) if you want to become leaner and lose the weight.


----------



## El Conquistador

Going to give a new routine a whirl in the next couple of weeks based on olympic weightlifting lifts and principles. Here's what I'm thinking:

Day
1a: Max sn, max cj, max fs---1b:Max sn + volume, max cj + volume, max bs + volume
2a: Max sn, max cj, max fs---2b:Max sn + volume, max cj + volume, max bs + volume
3a: Max sn, max cj, max fs---3b:Max sn + volume, max cj + volume, max bs + volume
4a: Max sn, max cj, max fs---4b:Max sn + volume, max cj + volume, max bs + volume
5a: Max sn, max cj, max fs---5b:Max sn + volume, max cj + volume, max bs + volume
6a: Max sn, max cj, max fs---6b:Max sn + volume, max cj + volume, max bs + volume
7a: Max bs + volume---7b: Max fs, misc assistance (prehab)

Note - 2 reps x 5 for all volume

**Bench Program**

_Week 1:_ 1x10 47.5%, 1x5 @ 60%, 1x2 @ 70% (warm up); 1x5 @ 80%, 1x4 @ 82.5%, 2x3 @ 85%, 2x8 @ 70%, 1xBurnout @ 70%

_Week 2:_ 1x12 @ 47.5%, 1x6 60%, 1x1 @ 72.5%, 1x1 @ 82.5% (warm up); 2x3 @ 87.5%, 1x2 @ 90%, 1x1 @ 95%, 3x6 @ 80%, 1xBurnout @ 80%

_Week 3:_ 1x10 47.5%, 1x5 @ 60%, 1x1 @ 72.5%, 1x1 @ 82.5% (warm up); 1x3 @ 87.5%, 1x2 @ 90%, 2x1 @ 95%, 3x4 @ 85%, 1xBurnout @ 85%

_Week 4:_ Max Out


----------



## austinrockera

*Re: And to answer a few posts above...*



Father Flex said:


> Believe it or not, you do have to have a work ethic in order to blow up on steroids. You can't just show up to the gym and bench, curl, and do abs. There has to be structure, there has to be an okay diet, and there has to be some work involved.
> 
> A three month cycle can increase a typical male's muscle mass by 25% if cycled right with the right amount of nutrition and an appropriate regimen.
> 
> It's actually quite common to come across the retard who doesn't handle his cycle appropriately.
> 
> Not true. If an individual is thinking about steroid/pro-hormone usage, one should weigh the pros' and cons' and determine which column is more significant to he or she. HGH has a purpose and serves its purpose.


I'm going to agree with most of this with a couple of exceptions... 

you have to have a great work ethic, great diet, along with proper ancillaries, and you can get great benefits from steroid usage, if you eat crap and don't take an aromatase inhibitor (estrogen blockers) you will become a bloated, acne laced piece of crap.

its very common to see some kid who has found a source and starts using when they have had about 1 week of knowledge they acquired from some gym rat

for steroid usage, you should be knowledgeable on what you are putting in your body, if you don't know what it is, how it works, and what to expect from it, you don't need to use it.


by the way, this is first hand experience, not just crap I heard from some gym rat.


----------



## El Conquistador

*Re: And to answer a few posts above...*



austinrockera said:


> I'm going to agree with most of this with a couple of exceptions...
> 
> you have to have a great work ethic, great diet, along with proper ancillaries, and you can get great benefits from steroid usage, if you eat crap and don't take an aromatase inhibitor (estrogen blockers) you will become a bloated, acne laced piece of crap.
> 
> its very common to see some kid who has found a source and starts using when they have had about 1 week of knowledge they acquired from some gym rat
> 
> for steroid usage, you should be knowledgeable on what you are putting in your body, if you don't know what it is, how it works, and what to expect from it, you don't need to use it.
> 
> 
> by the way, this is first hand experience, not just crap I heard from some gym rat.


What did you disagree with? Seems like you elaborated more on my brief statements.


----------



## austinrockera

Father Flex said:


> What did you disagree with? Seems like you elaborated more on my brief statements.


The main thing is the diet... "okay" won't cut it believe me.

25% seems like a bit much... it might be possible if some skinny kid that is a responder to AAS starts a perfect 12 week eating/working out/cycling that is perfect I guess it could happen.

that's really it...  I tend to be picky with people that comment on AAS that don't really know about it, meaning they haven't researched and haven't used or know someone well that does use. Flex, you are an exception because you know your stuff... others just seem to take a small piece of info and run with it like they are seasoned experts.


----------



## $id

guys I really need help, Im fat and wanna loose weight. I started brisk walking but my stamina really sucks ass and I wana start jogging, Ive heard stamina builds but mine is SOOO bad. I get really de-motivated....How do I build my stamina up man it fucking sucks cause I feel really nice after a nice brisk walk and wana start jogging but when I do I get tired in a fucking few seconds like bad, I really need some tips or any motivational shit to get me going man.Any tips?


----------



## Rush

how long do you 'brisk walk' for? Don't get too far ahead of yourself, you're not going to transform overnight. Weight loss is a gradual process and you've got to be prepared for that. For a very basic principle remember Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. Basically frequency refers to how often you train, intensity is how hard you work, time is the duration of each workout and Type refers to what exercise you're doing. 

Now not knowing what you're doing now these figures are just estimates but try and walk twice a week for 30 mins at a reasonably high intensity for your level (so in your case brisk walk). You'll notice (or hopefully notice) that as time goes on you're able to do the walk more easily than you did at the start. This is when you have to up either frequency, time or the intensity. Only modify one of these variables at a time. 

Now some people find it hard to find time to put aside for exercising so if time is a problem for you then there's various ways to increase your energy expenditure during the day. Instead of using the elevator use the stairs, if you drive to work, park a little further away and walk, if you catch public transport get off the bus a stop earlier than you normally would.

Personally if i'm having trouble getting motivated i'll use music to give me a bit of a perk up. Some people try and envisage their goals and what they want to progress to as a way of motivating themselves. Really depends on what works for you. Try and set some goals for yourself that you can use as a form of checkpoint. Say your long term goal is to be able to jog for 30 mins, set some short term goals that are attainable and work to make each of those. A lot of people start exercising and if you ask them why, a general response is to lose 10, 15, 20 kg/pounds etc but they don't have specific goals to work for. So they see a bit of weight come off but as its nowhere near what they're eventually trying to achieve they become disheartened and demotivated. 

so basically, set some short term and some long term goals to aim for, stick to the FITT principle and be prepared to work over a period of time to reach your goal.


----------



## roberta

hitting the gym is the best way to keep you in shape,burn your calories!


----------



## Rush

^^ gym environments can be intimidating for some people, its easier said than done.


----------



## $id

Thanks for the suggestion man.


----------



## austinrockera

Sticksy said:


> ^^ gym environments can be intimidating for some people, its easier said than done.


I agree with this, it was for me for a long time, but it all comes down to "do you want to get in shape or not" Sure, there will be some assholes that stare at you and try to make fun of something you are doing... this happens at most gyms, then you have some guys that are willing to help you. Doesn't matter, if you are serious, go, do some basic lifts, push yourself, and get stronger and better. All the while, start learning how to workout by researching online. I learned alot just by going to websites and learning.

For me, going to the gym is half of the battle... for a long time I would sit there and fight with myself... go to the gym, don't go to the gym, then I'd finally go and kill it every time..

If you aren't going to be able to join a gym, do your basic push ups, sit ups, dips, pull ups if you can. Get some dumbells and go some stuff with them... and walk. For me, if I walk and there's not a TV in front of me, I have to have an IPod. Without music, I'm getting bored in 5 minutes or less. Push yourself every time, that makes you better... if you go and walk for 30 minutes at 3mph, and aren't that tired after, you didn't do yourself any good with respect of increasing stamina.

Just my .02


----------



## TNAWCW4LYF

*bodybuilders on forum*

hey guys just wondering since all of you on here are wrestling fans, how many of you are bodybuilders yourselves?

ill start it off, been building for about 2 and a half years entering comps next year


----------



## prashantnew

*Re: bodybuilders on forum*

I'm nowhere near the level most you guys are at with regards to competitions etc... But I love weight training, I was in decent shape when I started in January this year and since then I've lost nearly 10kg, very recently I've been taking creatinine and glutamine to go with my whey


----------



## Sydney Aradi

when I work out, I do about 41 sit ups, 17 crunches, 5 jogs around the block where I live, I can bunch press 300 lbs and I eat some healthy foods to keep my athletic figure.


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Sydney Aradi said:


> when I work out, I do about 41 sit ups, 17 crunches, 5 jogs around the block where I live, I can bunch press 300 lbs and I eat some healthy foods to keep my athletic figure.


Wow I figured that workout would consist of a hell of alot more for someone who apparantly has a near record level bench press for a woman! :hmm:


----------



## bruteshot74

Sydney Aradi said:


> when I work out, I do about 41 sit ups, 17 crunches, 5 jogs around the block where I live, I can bunch press 300 lbs and I eat some healthy foods to keep my athletic figure.


:lmao

Sounds like a load of bullshit.


----------



## Alex

I need to get back into shape.

I used to go to the gym on and off but my membership ended and now I can't afford it every month and wondered if it would be cheaper to buy some dumbells and maybe a barbell and do it that way instead.


----------



## virus21

Im happy to have a job that burns alot of calories. Though I should try to work out additionally in my spare time.


----------



## El Conquistador

Derek Poundstone won the 2010 Mohegan Sun. I know, big shocker.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Hey guys am new to this section part of the forum (just realized about a month ago it existed, always wondered if I was the only one that workout here), am 23 years old. I have being going to the gym on and off for about almost 2 years (college kicked my ass, I know, there is no excuses). Last time I went is about a month ago. I was just wondering what supplements you guys use and if they work (I know that everyone is different). Am a hardgainer, I use,

-Serious Mass Protein by Optimum Nutrition (Taste great and definitely seen results)
-CellMass by BSN (Taste ok, good results)
-Opti-Man Multivitamin (One of the best Multi-vitamins out there IMO, bang for the buck)
-ZMA by Optimum Nutrition (Seen results, gives you crazy ass dreams though)
-Tribulus by Optimum Nutrition (Good results, more energy, got little aggressive attitude while on it)

I've tried NO supplements before (NO-Xplode, Xpand Extreme Pumpe -sample-, Super Pump, and Vassive NO. I think it is because I have a high tolerance for caffeine, drowsy meds, etc.... But no NO supplement has consistently worked for me. NO-Xplode by BSN worked for 1 day and then nothing the next day (yes I did use 3 scoops as it is the maximum you can use on NO-Xplode). Which NO supplements have you guys tried that work? I have just being eating a piece of Salmon (grilled) and with a good portion of white rice before I workout to give me energy (got insane energy from it when i used to worked out at 11:30pm at night after work). 

The workout plan I follow (keep in mind this is just for 2 weeks routine, then I change it up):
Monday- Chest, Tris, and Abs (3 sets of everything, 10-12 reps for chest and tris, 40-70 reps on abs)
*(Chest-Bench press, Incline bench press, Dumbell flye)
(Tris-"Skullcrusher," Overhead triceps extension, cable kickback) 
(Abs-Cable kneeling)*

Tuesday- Shoulders, Back, Traps (same as above)
*(Shoulders-Dumbell military press, cable front raise, barbell upright row)
(Back- Cable seated row, Barbell bent row, Deadlift) 
(Traps-Cable standing row, barbell shrug) * 

Wednesday- Back, Biceps, Forearms, and obliques (same as above on monday)
*(Back-Lat pulldown, One-arm row) 
(Biceps-Seated preacher curl, Standing dumbell bicep curl, Standing hammer curl) 
(Forearms- Reverse barbell curl, Reverse wrist curl) 
(Obliques- Plate side bend)*

Thursday- Legs (same as above, 10-12 reps 3 sets, also 10 minute jog warmup before leg workout)
*(Legs-Calf raise, Leg curl, Squats)*

Friday- off

Saturday- off

Sunday-Jog on treadmill 30-45 minutes 

Anything that needs to be fixed, added, or removed let me know. Would list what I eat but, its late right now, I will get to it later. Well I hope to be a regular in this section.


----------



## Rajah

I wouldn't change a routine every 2 weeks. You need to stick with it for a couple of months. You may be making progress but you never give your routine a chance.
I've stopped buying "premade" creatine supplements and started buying the creatine in raw powder form. Same thing as what you buy but without the bullshit and price tag that come with it. Mix 5gm of creatine in with your pre and post workout shake. I bought a kg/2.2lbs of Creatine Mono for $29 and a kilo/2.2lbs of Creatine Tri Malate for $25. At 5gm a serve pre and post, 10g a day, the 2 kilos of creatine will last me 200 days for a little over $50. You'll need 4 tubs of CellMass to compete with that.

As for a pre-workout I've used Jack3d and been happy with that. Next time around I'm going to buy the raw powders myself and make my own. All these magical proprietry blends can be made very easily.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Rajah said:


> I wouldn't change a routine every 2 weeks. You need to stick with it for a couple of months. You may be making progress but you never give your routine a chance.
> I've stopped buying "premade" creatine supplements and started buying the creatine in raw powder form. Same thing as what you buy but without the bullshit and price tag that come with it. Mix 5gm of creatine in with your pre and post workout shake. I bought a kg/2.2lbs of Creatine Mono for $29 and a kilo/2.2lbs of Creatine Tri Malate for $25. At 5gm a serve pre and post, 10g a day, the 2 kilos of creatine will last me 200 days for a little over $50. You'll need 4 tubs of CellMass to compete with that.
> 
> As for a pre-workout I've used Jack3d and been happy with that. Next time around I'm going to buy the raw powders myself and make my own. All these magical proprietry blends can be made very easily.


I keep changing it because of "muscle memory." I have heard about keeping the routine for a month or so. Since am a hardgainer, do you think doing the same routine will be more beneficial if I do it for a couple a months? Or does it matter? Also, I did not know about making your own blends. Sounds like something that I will take into consideration. I have heard nothing but great reviews from Jack3d. I think it is fairly cheap I heard too. Do you know by any chance where samples are available online? I just do not want to buy the whole container and not want it to work. I have given my NO supplements that do not work to my gym partner (Vassive-No worked for him the best) and I do not want to waste money like that. Furthermore, have you tried Animal M-Stak by Universal? It is for hardgainers, I heard and read 70% good results 30% decent to no results. Thank you.


----------



## Rajah

You are going to do similar exercises all the time no matter how much to try to change it up. You can always do heavy days and light days. Say one workout bench at 3x8 then the next you do 4x12. You're still working the muscle but putting different loads on it. I will usually stick with a routine for about 2-3 months depending on how I feel it's going for me. I started a new 3 day twice weekly split and I'm feeling great. 
For instance today I did incline chest work and triceps - cable work/pushdowns etc, and in 3 days I'll do flat chest work and triceps with free weights. 

Jack3d isn't expensive, I'm in Australia and it costs just over the $40 dollar mark. You may have to look around online to see if you can get a sample. Try a local supplement store. They maybe able to help you. I haven't tried any Universal products. I've been using a lot of Lg Sciences products lately. My local online supp supplier lives near my place so i go and see him for most of my products as he gives me a good deal. I think I may try a product called Natadrol soon. Many have spoken highly of it - _"The ingredients in Natadrol are 100% non-steroidal yet may give all of the positive benefits of optimized hormone levels! "_ I'll need a PCT afterwards, should be interesting. Our customs are a lot stricter than the rest of the world. There are many over the counter products we can't get here. I'm off to Fiji in a couple of weeks and I'm going to see if I can some decent stuff while I'm there.


----------



## Rush

personally i wouldn't go 4 days on then 3 days off the weights.


----------



## austinrockera

Outkazt2k9 said:


> I keep changing it because of "muscle memory." I have heard about keeping the routine for a month or so. Since am a hardgainer, do you think doing the same routine will be more beneficial if I do it for a couple a months? Or does it matter?


It is good to change up your routine, but how you change it up and how often is unique for every person. I know of alot of IFBB pros that do something different every week, and some that do the same things for months before changing. What matters is that you are challenging yourself. If you can finish the last rep of the last set without alot of effort, you need to up the weight. Your muscles do have "muscle memory" but its not obtained in 2 weeks.



Outkazt2k9 said:


> Also, I did not know about making your own blends. Sounds like something that I will take into consideration. I have heard nothing but great reviews from Jack3d. I think it is fairly cheap I heard too. Do you know by any chance where samples are available online? I just do not want to buy the whole container and not want it to work. I have given my NO supplements that do not work to my gym partner (Vassive-No worked for him the best) and I do not want to waste money like that. Furthermore, have you tried Animal M-Stak by Universal? It is for hardgainers, I heard and read 70% good results 30% decent to no results. Thank you.


Before I talk about this, know that I'm a supplement user... I use Jack3d also, and it is decent for one thing, it gives me a boost before I walk into the gym, whether its the "Proprietary blend" or the caffeine, doing it, IDK. Supplements aren't going to change what you are doing in the gym, or change your muscle growth enough to make a difference. Workout hard, eat right and you will see results. If you want to grow, eat alot, if you want to cut, don't eat alot. The types you eat need be changed up also depending on what you are doing, but I'm not getting into all that. Just remember, supplements don't do much. For the money, you are better off buying 10-20 bags of chicken breast than spending $60 - $100 on supplements. You WILL get more out of the chicken breasts.



Sticksy said:


> personally i wouldn't go 4 days on then 3 days off the weights.


I agree here, when my schedule is tight, I end up going to the gym 4 days in a row, and it tears me up. I normally go Saturday, Sunday, Monday, off Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and off Friday. My workout week starts on Saturday btw.


----------



## Tha_Frost

Hey guys I'm new to this thread but thought if I could get help it would be here.

*Background Information*
I've just turned 20 years old and see myself as a fairly fit guy although I do smoke around 20 cigs a day.I would say I have an average body though I do have a bit of extra weight on my stomach area. I am pretty disappointed that my arms are fairly skinny in proportion to the rest of my body. I am in the armed forces and have been working overseas for the last 3 months I've been a little disappointed that I have not lost a bit of weight due to the heat and the amount of patroling I have been doing. I have access to a small gym facilitty tht includes a exercise bike, a couple of sets of dumbells 14g 16g, a benchpress (weight unknown concrete attached), skipping ropes and a bar to do pull ups. 

What excercises, routines and tecniques would you recommend in order to build up the strength in my arms and get a bit bigger(bearing in mind I struggle with bicep curls at the moment) plus trim the pounds off my stomach. All help will be rewarded with rep thanks.


----------



## Rush

austinrockera said:


> I agree here, when my schedule is tight, I end up going to the gym 4 days in a row, and it tears me up. I normally go Saturday, Sunday, Monday, off Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and off Friday. My workout week starts on Saturday btw.


yeah i'm the same. In the gym Sunday, Monday and Thursday with soccer training and games being on the Wednesday and Saturday. Tuesdays and Fridays off due to work + just plain old rest.


----------



## bruteshot74

I tried Jack3d and was a fan of it. Definitely gave me a jolt before my workouts. Thing is though if you are going to go out and buy some then I would be getting a couple of containers because they don't last you pretty long. I had to do 3 scoops to get a kick so I was out pretty quick.


----------



## Rajah

bruteshot74 said:


> I tried Jack3d and was a fan of it. Definitely gave me a jolt before my workouts. Thing is though if you are going to go out and buy some then I would be getting a couple of containers because they don't last you pretty long. I had to do 3 scoops to get a kick so I was out pretty quick.


I bought a tub from a seller on eBay, liked it and then bought another 4 more.


----------



## Briggsy1875

Tha_Frost said:


> Hey guys I'm new to this thread but thought if I could get help it would be here.
> 
> *Background Information*
> I've just turned 20 years old and see myself as a fairly fit guy although I do smoke around 20 cigs a day.I would say I have an average body though I do have a bit of extra weight on my stomach area. I am pretty disappointed that my arms are fairly skinny in proportion to the rest of my body. I am in the armed forces and have been working overseas for the last 3 months I've been a little disappointed that I have not lost a bit of weight due to the heat and the amount of patroling I have been doing. I have access to a small gym facilitty tht includes a exercise bike, a couple of sets of dumbells 14g 16g, a benchpress (weight unknown concrete attached), skipping ropes and a bar to do pull ups.
> 
> What excercises, routines and tecniques would you recommend in order to build up the strength in my arms and get a bit bigger(bearing in mind I struggle with bicep curls at the moment) plus trim the pounds off my stomach. All help will be rewarded with rep thanks.


If you have limited equipment I would suggest looking for a routine by Reg Park. These are easily found by just typing 'Reg Park Workout' on google. Reg just used dumbbells, barbells and a chinning bar and built a fantastic physique around those, granted though he did have amazing genetics. 

For overall mass focus on heavy compound lifts i.e. lifts which use more than one muscle/joint such as bench press (Incline, Decline, Flat) squats, deadlifts, military press, clean and press, high pulls, pull ups, barbell/dumbbell rows. Google any of those if you're not sure what they are. For the last few months I had been doing a typical bodybuilders split e.g Monday: Chest/Triceps, Tuesday: Legs. etc. But have recently changed things up and now focus on heavy compound exercises 3 times per week. The benefit of compound movements is that becuase you're recruiting more than one muscle group to help you with the lift you're able to lift much heavier weights. 

Don't worry about your arms, they will grow in time when you add overall mass to your body. Don't forget the biceps are a relatively small muscle when compared to pectorals or quads and the triceps make up most of your arm mass. John Grimek had 19 inch arms and he barely did curls of any kind. 

Personally speaking I have seen more growth in my arms from doing compound lifts than isolation exercises such as concentration curls or kickbacks but that is down to my individual body. 

Also remember that you can have the best training plan in the world but if your diet is poor and you don't get enough rest you will barely grow. Plenty of protein, ideally 1g per pound of bodyweight, healthy fats such as omega 3 found in oily fish and good carbs such as sweet potato and oatmeal. As well as this try and get at least 8 hours sleep a night. 

I realise that all of this may be pretty hard for you due to your job, the best thing to do is improvise where possible. Like I said google Reg Park and have a look at some of his routines paticularly the 5x5.

All the best.


----------



## bruteshot74

Rajah said:


> I bought a tub from a seller on eBay, liked it and then bought another 4 more.


Yah I ordered a few more from bodybuilding.com. Kind of in a phase though where I am trying different things every time I make an order to see what works best.


----------



## btbgod

Hi guys.

I'm currently trying to lose weight - i'm 16, 6f1 and 19stone.

I have been doing 20 minutes jogging per day on the Wii Fit roughly around 4500km (4 milesish) and stuck to this diet the last few days.

The Diet i have been sticking to is roughly 1200-1500 calories a day and consists of the following

Breakfast : Weetabix, Boiled Eggs, Shreddies.
Lunch : Salads, Soups With 1 Slice Of Bread
Dinner : Low fat Chicken Currys, Spaghetti Bolognase with not much Rice or Pasta. Fish ( lots of Salmon) with few potatoes but more brocolli

Snacks : Apples, Bannnas and Crackerbreads.

Am i going about this correctly?


----------



## Rush

need more vegetables in that diet (otherwise there will be various vitamin deficiencies) and for a bloke your size you need more than 1200 calories per day. Also you're likely going to get really bored if you just stick to those foods.

Also 20 minutes isn't really much, try and increase the time you're exercising. In addition to that try and do more in your day to day life eg get off the bus a stop early and walk a bit further. little shit like that all helps.

However its a good start, is sustainable and is something that you can work on.


----------



## Word

I wouldn't really trust Wii fit. I would get out there and do some real physical work. 

Your dinners aren't the best tbf. I would pack more protein in there as protein helps to burn fats. I would recommend you keep having eggs in the morning and you can mix it up a bit by having tuna in like say an omelette or something to make food less tedious. Lunch and dinner time I would try to eat some chicken breats, steaks, salmon and with some low carb vegetables. Invest in some fish oils to take in the morning too, they always help.

If your going to take my approach and pack some protein in, I suggest a lot more dedication to running outside of the house and some occasional push ups and sit ups at home minimum.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

bruteshot74 said:


> Yah I ordered a few more from bodybuilding.com. Kind of in a phase though where I am trying different things every time I make an order to see what works best.


Sounds like everyone likes jack3d. Ebay is good to use too. Since I was comparing prices with bodybuilding.com with the site I go to, I thought I would post where I buy. Here is the direct link to jack3d; 
http://www6.netrition.com/cgi/prices.cgi?manu_id=504

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/usp/usp.htm

Its a couple a dollars cheaper than on bodybuilding.com. I go that that site too for product reviews mostly and some training tips.


----------



## El Conquistador

Jack3d is alright. Presurge Unleashed by Athletic Edge Nutrition is 10x better to me. And I hate pimpin' products.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Father Flex said:


> Jack3d is alright. Presurge Unleashed by Athletic Edge Nutrition is 10x better to me. And I hate pimpin' products.


I will look into that one too. Read great reviews. Couple of dollars more than Jack3d.


----------



## bige201

*jogging 5 miles 6 days a week*

i lift weights 4 times a week i squat dead lift bench press everything you can think of i eat 6 times a day boiled or grilled chicken and i keep my carbs to about 30 grams a day and drink 3 protein shakes a day/

i jog 5 to 7 miles 6 times a week i notice i have lost some fat i started jogging this much on monday i use to jog just 3 miles a day so if i contuine this diet and routine for anthor month will i be ripped i mean its not like im boney i do work out im alittle toned but not to cut


----------



## Rajah

*Re: jogging 5 miles 6 days a week*



bige201 said:


> i lift weights 4 times a week i squat dead lift bench press everything you can think of i eat 6 times a day boiled or grilled chicken and i keep my carbs to about 30 grams a day and drink 3 protein shakes a day/
> 
> i jog 5 to 7 miles 6 times a week i notice i have lost some fat i started jogging this much on monday i use to jog just 3 miles a day so if i contuine this diet and routine for anthor month will i be ripped i mean its not like im boney i do work out im alittle toned but not to cut


Workout thread, ya? No need for a new topic.

You give us no info to go on - weight, age, height, actual routine, body composition, actual goal etc.



Father Flex said:


> Jack3d is alright. Presurge Unleashed by Athletic Edge Nutrition is 10x better to me. And I hate pimpin' products.


How dare you bag Jack3d! Honestly, I don't get the pump everyone raves on about from any pre-workout drink. It's more the arginine that everyone is after. These days it gets mixed with everything else - creatine, citrulline, caffeine etc. I get a decent pump without a pre-workout supp, that's how I know I've had a decent workout.


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

Okay, I've been out of the loop for quite awhile. Used to go to the gym regularly last year. I'm 5'6, I was 165 in June of 2009. Toned and somewhat muscular. I kind of forgot my routine but I know I would run for 2 - 3 miles every two days and I usually did four reps of five of every workout I did when I last did. Benched 130 pounds, 65 pounds on each side. Nowadays, I'm a far cry from last year. I ate too much shit being in a depressive state for much of the latter half of 2009 and for the beginning months of 2010. I no longer have a gym membership, but is there anyway I can build myself up using nature? Not just running, but I also want to build up as well. I only have one dumbbell (25 pounds) and I have basically no money. I'm still 5'6 and I'm now 159 pounds. Lost some muscle and in turn now I have some fat. Looking to lose that. Problem is, I lose my breath faster than I used to. In that one year, I undid two years of progress.  Any help would be much appreciated. I also have Body Fortress Vanilla Whey Protein, which works well after workouts.


----------



## bige201

i am 6 1 180 23 years old goal is to get ripped and i did post my routine


----------



## bruteshot74

Goal is to get ripped :lmao

If you are serious about body building/getting in and staying in shape then you should have a better goal. Just saying I want to GET HUGE is a horrible way to look at things. Say you want to gain 15 pounds of muscle by a certain date or increase your bench press by 100 pounds by the end of the year or whatever.


----------



## El Conquistador

*Re: jogging 5 miles 6 days a week*



bige201 said:


> i lift weights 4 times a week i squat dead lift bench press everything you can think of i eat 6 times a day boiled or grilled chicken and i keep my carbs to about 30 grams a day and drink 3 protein shakes a day/
> 
> i jog 5 to 7 miles 6 times a week i notice i have lost some fat i started jogging this much on monday i use to jog just 3 miles a day so if i contuine this diet and routine for anthor month will i be ripped i mean its not like im boney i do work out im alittle toned but not to cut


Are you f*cking kidding me? Your goal is to do what with that diet? Become an Abercrombie and Fitch ******* model? 

No, you wont be ripped or cut or jacked or HYUGE, brah! You'll resemble an anorexic, insecure little girl struggling to eat! 

30 G CHO a day? Wow! Lower scale would be 1 G CHO per lb of BW. When I cut down for my first competition soon I'll be around 150 G of CHO a week before show time which is not considered healthy in itself. Now imagine eating 120 grams less than that and can you imagine how depleted you would be? 

Believe it or not, your body is just as dependent on carbs and fat as it is on protein when it comes to muscle building. All that protein is doing is being stored/used as energy because you eat nothing but protein shakes.

Consider revising your diet and also don't run so much if you want to put muscle on. Constant running (especially long distance) makes you fight an uphill battle when it comes to adding leg mass.

EDIT:



Rajah said:


> How dare you bag Jack3d! Honestly, I don't get the pump everyone raves on about from any pre-workout drink. It's more the arginine that everyone is after. These days it gets mixed with everything else - creatine, citrulline, caffeine etc. I get a decent pump without a pre-workout supp, that's how I know I've had a decent workout.


Oh, don't get me wrong - jack3d is solid. I echoe that sentiment on pre-workout products. Honest to God, I never get a pump from anything other than an l-carnitine product. The only thing I can say I love about pre-workout supplements are the edge in focus I get. 

You're totally right. Pre-workout products are way too over-hyped. One wouldn't be missing out on much by not using one.


----------



## Rush

Father Flex said:


> Believe it or not, your body is just as dependent on carbs and fat as it is on protein when it comes to muscle building. *All that protein is doing is being stored/used as energy because you eat nothing but protein shakes.
> *
> Consider revising your diet and also don't run so much if you want to put muscle on. Constant running (especially long distance) makes you fight an uphill battle when it comes to adding leg mass.


pretty much. 

excess protein turns to fat which in turn would get used a little by your body but not much as you need carbohydrates in order to help burn fat. Eating a tiny amount of carbs just leaves you glycogen depleted.



bruteshot74 said:


> Goal is to get ripped :lmao
> 
> If you are serious about body building/getting in and staying in shape then you should have a better goal. Just saying I want to GET HUGE is a horrible way to look at things. Say you want to gain 15 pounds of muscle by a certain date or increase your bench press by 100 pounds by the end of the year or whatever.


(Y) one of my lecturers is always banging on about SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, relevant, time) goals. Pain to hear a lot but its pretty true. Far easier to work towards a figure than a broad term of "ripped"


----------



## bige201

yes your right but i do eat atleast 6 meals a day butmaybe i need alittle more carbs i think i will up it to about 150 grams a day


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## bige201

also since i love to run so much i will up my eating to around 10 times a day 2 or 3 meals of carbs like pasta or wheat bread with a chicken breast cause of course all this running is buring alot of calaries and not to many carbs will make the protein store as fat as stated above


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

Caesar WCWR said:


> Okay, I've been out of the loop for quite awhile. Used to go to the gym regularly last year. I'm 5'6, I was 165 in June of 2009. Toned and somewhat muscular. I kind of forgot my routine but I know I would run for 2 - 3 miles every two days and I usually did four reps of five of every workout I did when I last did. Benched 130 pounds, 65 pounds on each side. Nowadays, I'm a far cry from last year. I ate too much shit being in a depressive state for much of the latter half of 2009 and for the beginning months of 2010. I no longer have a gym membership, but is there anyway I can build myself up using nature? Not just running, but I also want to build up as well. I only have one dumbbell (25 pounds) and I have basically no money. I'm still 5'6 and I'm now 159 pounds. Lost some muscle and in turn now I have some fat. Looking to lose that. Problem is, I lose my breath faster than I used to. In that one year, I undid two years of progress.  Any help would be much appreciated. I also have Body Fortress Vanilla Whey Protein, which works well after workouts.


Guys, help?  Any elements of nature I can use to help build myself up, since I no longer have a gym membership? I highly doubt ab crunches and using a 25 lb dumbbell will give me sufficient results. I'm 159, I want to be 170 with considerable muscle mass by the end of Summer. Is this a realistic goal, or no? I remember gaining at most 15 pounds of muscle from February - May last year with the gym alone. I no longer have that luxury.


----------



## Ross McTURTLE

I do yoga and I'm more ripped than my friend who is constantly at the gym. :lmao


----------



## bruteshot74

Caesar WCWR said:


> Guys, help?  Any elements of nature I can use to help build myself up, since I no longer have a gym membership? I highly doubt ab crunches and using a 25 lb dumbbell will give me sufficient results. I'm 159, I want to be 170 with considerable muscle mass by the end of Summer. Is this a realistic goal, or no? I remember gaining at most 15 pounds of muscle from February - May last year with the gym alone. I no longer have that luxury.


Could do squats, calf raises, lunges all just using your body weight. Since you will be just using your weight then are going to have to do considerably more then you probably would in a gym.

Then there is chinups, pushups, crunches and dips, all stuff that is easy to do with no equipment. There is tons of different pushups you can do to hit different parts, just look it up in google or just experiment yourself by placing hands in different positions.

I cannot see you putting on 15 pounds of muscle doing this but it will be a good start to at least start to get back on track.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Caesar WCWR said:


> Guys, help?  Any elements of nature I can use to help build myself up, since I no longer have a gym membership? I highly doubt ab crunches and using a 25 lb dumbbell will give me sufficient results. I'm 159, I want to be 170 with considerable muscle mass by the end of Summer. Is this a realistic goal, or no? I remember gaining at most 15 pounds of muscle from February - May last year with the gym alone. I no longer have that luxury.


Bodybuilding.com is a good place to find different exercises. If you have an iPhone/iTouch you can download iFitness. Best fitness app in the app store, its $2. It has everything logs, wanna workout a certain muscle its in there, it has a ton a crap (except nutritional tips). I got it and am glad I did, worth it. They do updates about every 3 weeks.


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Caesar WCWR said:


> Guys, help?  Any elements of nature I can use to help build myself up, since I no longer have a gym membership? I highly doubt ab crunches and using a 25 lb dumbbell will give me sufficient results. I'm 159, I want to be 170 with considerable muscle mass by the end of Summer. Is this a realistic goal, or no? I remember gaining at most 15 pounds of muscle from February - May last year with the gym alone. I no longer have that luxury.


Its unrealistic i think. On the short term though, how about getting the Perfect Pushup? I know people automatically assume something thats seen on an infomercial is bogus, but this is actually a decent piece of equipment for someone lacking sufficient weights. You can find it in stores for 20 bucks. That and a heavier dumbbell you should be good for a while.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Barry_Darsow said:


> Its unrealistic i think. On the short term though, how about getting the Perfect Pushup? I know people automatically assume something thats seen on an infomercial is bogus, but this is actually a decent piece of equipment for someone lacking sufficient weights. You can find it in stores for 20 bucks. That and a heavier dumbbell you should be good for a while.


That reminds me of the Tower 200(220lbs. of resistance). Its like $200 (you can make payments). You set it up on the door and your good. Its kind of like a home gym. I bought from target to give it a try but, I did not like it. The resistance bands are short (you can still workout) but if you want longer ones, get the X Factor. I got it at target because I read before I bought it that, the bands break sometimes and that people called if the company can replace them (while still under warranty, I think the bands were excluded from the warranty) but they said no. So I bought it at target just to be safe even though I had to drop 2 bills immediately, because they have a good return policy.


----------



## Rush

Barry_Darsow said:


> Its unrealistic i think. On the short term though, how about getting the Perfect Pushup? I know people automatically assume something thats seen on an infomercial is bogus, but this is actually a decent piece of equipment for someone lacking sufficient weights. You can find it in stores for 20 bucks. That and a heavier dumbbell you should be good for a while.


No need to spend $20 on something which is pretty much what you can do for free. As brute said, there are a whole heap of different pushups you can do to help gain strength.


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Sticksy said:


> No need to spend $20 on something which is pretty much what you can do for free. As brute said, there are a whole heap of different pushups you can do to help gain strength.


You cant duplicate the rotation though. Just putting some hex dumbells on the floor to elevate yourself or whatever isnt the same thing. Ive known quite a few people who've said theyre pointless until theyve used them. Its actually much harder than regular pushups, i was only able to get half of what i normally do the first time.


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

Thanks, guys. I'll heed your considerations and see what I can do. I'll look up some of these exercises on Google and go to bodybuilding.com as well. Can practicing a martial art (such as Muay Thai) also build up your stamina?


----------



## El Conquistador

bige201 said:


> yes your right but i do eat atleast 6 meals a day butmaybe i need alittle more carbs i think i will up it to about 150 grams a day


That's still not enough for a guy like you. I'm 5'7 and eat 150 carbs when DIETING. A guy that stand 6'1 or 6'2 (like you said you do) should never really go that low unless you are on a keto diet. Stick more around 250 g CHO. 

Plus, take into account your activity level.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

I found some calculators that can be useful (protein and carb daily intake, daily water intake, etc....) Someone needed how many carbs they should consume daily;
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calcarbs.htm

Protein;
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calpro.htm


For other calculators (must see)
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calculators.htm


----------



## bige201

hi all i got a question i work out 4 times a week i do legs one day along with back on the same day then biceps and shoulders the next day then chest triceps the next i currently take gnc 100 percent whey protein 20 grams of protein. i take hydroxycut advanced and n.o xplode.

my diet is eating 6 times a day grilled chicken with vegys. i do cardio 5 times a week about 5 miles a day my goal is to get cut i am 177 pounds right now is this good what i am doing any advice please i want to cut body fat to show the muscles

this is why i am on a low carb diet just about 100 grams a day maybe less until i start to bulk again which i will take weight gainer but do cardio when i am on the gainer and contuine with the hydroxycut


----------



## Icon™

rawesjericho said:


> i was a skinny fat before. been working out for 3 months now and i have gained 20lbs with 5x5 beginner's routine. i think every beginner should stry this routine http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
> 
> me now


Awesome dude. I have been out of the loop for about a year and a half now, working out occasionally. Back in March, I signed up for the gym again and since the semester ends next week, I am getting serious again throughout the summer. Thanks for showing this workout because I am going to be starting this thing next week. My splits are going to be Workout A M,Th, Sun and Workout B T, F, Sat. Wednesday and either Sat or Sun will be my off days. I'll rotate every weekend. Thanks again for this.


Question though, what is your diet?


----------



## El Conquistador

bige201 said:


> hi all i got a question i work out 4 times a week i do legs one day along with back on the same day then biceps and shoulders the next day then chest triceps the next i currently take gnc 100 percent whey protein 20 grams of protein. i take hydroxycut advanced and n.o xplode.
> 
> my diet is eating 6 times a day grilled chicken with vegys. i do cardio 5 times a week about 5 miles a day my goal is to get cut i am 177 pounds right now is this good what i am doing any advice please i want to cut body fat to show the muscles
> 
> this is why i am on a low carb diet just about 100 grams a day maybe less until i start to bulk again which i will take weight gainer but do cardio when i am on the gainer and contuine with the hydroxycut


Stop asking for advice if you're not going to take it.


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## Word

Right, I'm going away at the end of June, so I'm going to do a 30 day programme to keep in shape. I won't be going to the gym as I don't have the time, so mini workouts at home with minimal weights I have will be sufficient enough. I'd thought I would post my diet workout, not to really gain weight/size, just sort my shape out a little and keep my body looking alright for the summer.

*Diet*
Morning: 3 to 4 eggs
Snack: 2 pieces of Wholemeal bread
Lunch: Tuna salad.
Snack: Fruit/Beef Jerky
Dinner: Salmon/Steak/Chicken with green vegetables

Packs around 100g protein a day. If your having a protein shake too, it could be pushed up to 150g. Remember this is nothing intense, hardcore etc. merely to eat healthy and stay in shape for the summer.

*Workout*
Morning: 10 mins bike, 100 sit ups, 100 press ups
Afternoon: 15kg dumbbell curls 3 x 12. 30kg barbell curl 3 x 12. 30kg barbell shoulder press 3 x 12. 30kg barbell upright curls 3 x 12.
Night: 10 mins bike, 100 sit ups, 100 press ups

Nothing intense. I will probably raise the weight up by 10 to 15kg depending how I feel. I won't see dramatic effects, I know, it's better than jack shit though.

*Supplements*
Creatine Ethyl Ester HCL - 100g
BCAA - 100g
Whey Protein - 5lb

Creatine will help store more ATP and aid muscle growth. BCAA helps rebuilt muscle tissue quicker. Whey protein goes without saying too.

Once I come back from holiday, I will start a proper programme. More concentration on eating and more focus on all aspects of the body. Allocating a day of the day to a part of the body. Just thought I'd throw this out to some of you guys if you are interested in a little read. Recommendations, help, feedback is all welcome.


----------



## dratsab

touche


----------



## Word

Anyone care for me to post the Spartacus workout? It's pretty basic for most parts, 10 workout that you could do at home if you had right equipment (barberll,dumbbell or kettleweight). Its just super fucking intense.


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## Oda Nobunaga

Hmm... I'd be down. All I have is a 25 pound dumbbell, however.  My house is much too small for any sort of standard equipment. If I had a bigger house, yeah I'd be buying equipment, but even if I had the money, I have no virtually no space.


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## Word

*Spartacus Workout*

3 days per week
3 sets per session
1 set in succession allowing 15 seconds to move to different workout
2 minutes rest in-between each set

1. Goblet Squat
2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Swing
3. Split Jump
4. Dumbbell Side Lunge and Touch
5. Dumbell Lunge and Rotation
6. Mountain Climber
7. T-Pushup
8. Dumbbell Row
9. Pushup-Position Row
10. Dumbbell Push Press

60 reps on each workout/exercise. They say to use a weight that is challenging after 15-20 reps. If you can't go the full distance, wait a few seconds for going again. 

If you want to know what a certain exercise is, just ask and I'll try to explain.


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

How intense is this Spartacus workout? I'm guessing it's rigorous since it's named after a former Roman slave.  I'll look up the exercises, see what I find. Might be just the ticket.


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## Word

Well you are working 10 minutes flat out, and you have to do it 3 times. So the session would be around 30 minutes of solid work (breaks included). I have yet to do it but I'm guessing its super hard, but I like a challenge. Not forgetting how heavy the weights are. If you like a challenge, and have time to do this workout I would recommend it. Some exercises require no equipment at all and its all about pushing yourself for 1 minute/60 reps.


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## Enigma

What can I do with a 40kg weight set and bench? Need a plan guys, I'm pretty fucking weak


----------



## Word

All depends how weak your are? Can you bench the 40kg easily or is it an absolute struggle. Also, you have a dumbbell or just a barbell? I have a few exercises you could try out but that means eating right too. Can't just work out and then to down pub and has 5 pints and a kebab.


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## Enigma

No I am actually pathetically weak, so its a struggle. I've got the determination to get this right though, so I want to eat right too. Barbell and dumbbell.


----------



## Word

I presume it's top half only? No one cares about legs if you just want to look good. If your pathetically weak I'm suggesting 6 meals a day is pretty key.

Take a read at this too,http://www.ironmagazine.com/article68.html it should help a little. I could give you a little routine to do but not sure how it well it would work because I know nothing about you.


----------



## Chrisp_Morg

Take up BJJ it smashes your core to bits lol! 

I do that and football (soccer) for my running twice a week. I can't just run it has to have a purpose or else it gets boring.

Also when I worked in my local gym cycling and Swimming toned me up when on a low/little to nothing carb diet.

*edit*

sugars are important for this though otherwise your muscles will eat themselves lol. With the latic acid I presume, it's called metabolic or something.


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

I took the Spartacus challenge... Damn near killed myself.  Workout is tough. I couldn't keep up with it and I did less, but I will do it every two days and see where it takes me. Always up for trying a new workout.


----------



## Word

Caesar WCWR said:


> I took the Spartacus challenge... Damn near killed myself.  Workout is tough. I couldn't keep up with it and I did less, but I will do it every two days and see where it takes me. Always up for trying a new workout.


Haha. I'm starting it next week. They do say it's key to hit 60 reps in a minute but for your first time, you can't really complain. Some people refuse to do it at home though because they think you need hexagon dumbbells so you don't die. I;m doing this for 4 weeks before I hit holiday, as soon as I come back. Burn the alcohol from my system for another 2 weeks with this workout and then slowly implement it into a heavy weight training programme.

I don't mind swimming to keep fit but I knew a mate who did it as a normal sport, 5 or 7 days a week (cant remember) day and night. It's just constant swimming lengths over and over again, I couldn't think of a more boring training routine, so tedious and boring. It develops though (as I've heard or something on the lines of this) a different kind of muscle compared to weight training and such. He would swim every day and then play rugby for us on the weekend. He would just totally break down. He kept going down injured and asking for muscle rubs and you could see he had a definition from swimming, but it seemed as if he kept a layer of fat with prevented the definition. This kid was a fine, fine rugby player too. I'd swim to keep fit but not on a permanent 3 hour a day morning and night basis.


----------



## Rush

Enigma said:


> No I am actually pathetically weak, so its a struggle. I've got the determination to get this right though, so I want to eat right too. Barbell and dumbbell.


haha dude, one of the chicks in my uni course has a 10RM of 50kg. 



Chrisp_Morg said:


> Take up BJJ it smashes your core to bits lol!
> 
> I do that and football (soccer) for my running twice a week. I can't just run it has to have a purpose or else it gets boring.
> 
> *Also when I worked in my local gym cycling and Swimming toned me up when on a low/little to nothing carb diet.
> 
> *edit*
> 
> sugars are important for this though otherwise your muscles will eat themselves lol. With the latic acid I presume, it's called metabolic or something.*


sugars are carbohydrates so either you weren't on a low carb diet (which is pretty bad and won't cause fat loss) or you were and you're just talking out of you ass during the 2nd part (which you are as well ). Breakdown of muscles is called catabolism, as opposed to anabolism which is the construction of molecules from their consituant parts. Metabolism is the general overview term that is for the chemical reactions that take place in the body, thus catabolism and anabolism are metabolic processes. 



Word said:


> I don't mind swimming to keep fit but I knew a mate who did it as a normal sport, 5 or 7 days a week (cant remember) day and night. It's just constant swimming lengths over and over again, I couldn't think of a more boring training routine, so tedious and boring. It develops though (as I've heard or something on the lines of this) a different kind of muscle compared to weight training and such. He would swim every day and then play rugby for us on the weekend. He would just totally break down. He kept going down injured and asking for muscle rubs and you could see he had a definition from swimming, but it seemed as if he kept a layer of fat with prevented the definition. This kid was a fine, fine rugby player too. I'd swim to keep fit but not on a permanent 3 hour a day morning and night basis.


swimming is primarily stressing your aerobic energy system (depending on the distance obviously) and isn't a resistance based exercise (well it is kinda b/c water has a higher resistance than air but not the same as doing weights) thus your muscles aren't going to hypertrophy. Either way it shouldn't really affect how often he gets injured unless he's playing rugby while his muscles are fatigued and weakened.


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Enigma said:


> No I am actually pathetically weak, so its a struggle. I've got the determination to get this right though, so I want to eat right too. Barbell and dumbbell.


In the effort to keep you motivated, i should mention that my 12 year old nephew, who weighs 110lbs, can bench that 7 times after only working out for 2 months. 

Just giving ya a hard time, but really though, if you got some more weights you'd shoot up in no time. If you cant buy any, grab some buckets or something and fill them with sand and hang them from the ends of the bar.


----------



## Chrisp_Morg

Sticksy said:


> sugars are carbohydrates so either you weren't on a low carb diet *(which is pretty bad and won't cause fat loss)* or you were and you're just talking out of you ass during the 2nd part (which you are as well ). Breakdown of muscles is called catabolism, as opposed to anabolism which is the construction of molecules from their consituant parts. Metabolism is the general overview term that is for the chemical reactions that take place in the body, thus catabolism and anabolism are metabolic processes.



I lost fat and it was a low carb diet despite what you say.

So it's a metabolic reaction? - my "or something like that" should be an indicator that I wasn't fully up on the subject.

Not as if I'm trying to impress by 'talking out of my ass' just offering my opinion.


----------



## Rush

Chrisp_Morg said:


> I lost fat and it was a low carb diet despite what you say.
> 
> So it's a metabolic reaction? - my "or something like that" should be an indicator that I wasn't fully up on the subject.
> 
> Not as if I'm trying to impress by 'talking out of my ass' just offering my opinion.


you lost weight, not necessarily fat.

relax dude, just poking fun. Its really only b/c you're a dirty Englishman who likes Dan Hardy


----------



## Enigma

Barry_Darsow said:


> In the effort to keep you motivated, i should mention that my 12 year old nephew, who weighs 110lbs, can bench that 7 times after only working out for 2 months.





Sticksy said:


> haha dude, one of the chicks in my uni course has a 10RM of 50kg.


Heyyyy 

Just kidding, cheers for both those posts, you're lucky that type of motivation helps  I know I am incredibly weak but we all gotta start somewhere right?


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Enigma said:


> Heyyyy
> 
> Just kidding, cheers for both those posts, you're lucky that type of motivation helps  I know I am incredibly weak but we all gotta start somewhere right?


You're right! Dude honestly i was in the same boat way back when i was your age. I had never really benched before and could only do 90 lbs a couple times when i started. And i naturally had a pretty wide build, and weighed like 180! lol. So that was extra bad. Trust me, the transition from what you are lifting now to doubling that weight isnt hard, its known as newbie gains where it'll seem like you're adding weight every workout. Thats how it was with me, after just a couple months i was doing 150.


----------



## English Dragon

I don't have such a precise diet or workout regime. That doesn't mean I eat whatever shit I want, I'll just generally eat healthy with 5-6 small meals a day. My philosophy is that there have been strong men and good fighters throughout history and I doubt they all used a timetable. Hehe. =p

I do Muay Thai twice a week. Football ('soccer') Once. Lift weights and train cardio (skipping, running, hitting heavybag) on the other 4 days of the week. 

I prefer the technical side of things to the lifting, but I like to keep strong and have a nice body haha.


----------



## Chrisp_Morg

Sticksy said:


> you lost weight, not necessarily fat.
> 
> relax dude, just poking fun. Its really only b/c you're a *dirty Englishman* who likes Dan Hardy


Welshman


----------



## Enigma

Barry_Darsow said:


> You're right! Dude honestly i was in the same boat way back when i was your age. I had never really benched before and could only do 90 lbs a couple times when i started. And i naturally had a pretty wide build, and weighed like 180! lol. So that was extra bad. Trust me, the transition from what you are lifting now to doubling that weight isnt hard, its known as newbie gains where it'll seem like you're adding weight every workout. Thats how it was with me, after just a couple months i was doing 150.


Thanks for this, really helpful stuff. I'm going to make a vow to not post in this thread again until I've made more progress, then I can say I belong here


----------



## El Conquistador

Praise the lord for, Sticksy. Without him, this last page and a half has sucked.


----------



## Big_G

I just found this workout thread. It's pretty cool.

I wanted to ask what is the best way to lose fat from the stomach region in order to expose the packs? I do weight training 4 times a week, after each session I do a 15 minute intense cardio session. On my rest days I do some ab training at home. I only recently started the running and ab training, will this help me reach my goal?

I also need a better workout programme for my biceps and triceps. They grow quite slow. I am 5'11 and weigh 75kg, I think that's 165 lbs, or something to that effect and I am 21 years old. I started when I was 19 at which time I weighed 65kg or 143 lbs. My gains have really slowed down, This year I have grown muscle but my weight has only gone up by 2kg or something. I want to hit that 200 lbs area but I don't want to get fat hence the cardio/ab session that I have started. 

Any advice on the above?

Also, Here are some basic stats for me just in case you're wondering. The weights below are my max weights but I never do all of my sets on the following weights. I usually do 4 sets and go up by 5kg each set. I usually end up doing my max during my third set, and go up on the last set by another 5kg so I end up doing my max weight + 5kg. However, this last set is usually me getting helped by my spotter a lot rather than the occassional help. I figure that the whole point is to make the muscle suffer so my last set is usually a killer set. I also do the occassional drop sets after the fourth set. 

Squats; 100kg (220 lbs)
Chest; 80 kg (176 lbs)
Barbell Rows; 65kg (143 lbs)

I don't really do the deadlift, don't like it 

EDIT:

Just to let you guys, if you want a new workout routine then get it from this site; 

www.abcbodybuilding.com/

If you want to know how to do a certain exercise then find the exercise you want to learn about in this link

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/animatedexercises.html

They have animations for most exercises. So if you want to know how to do the Dumbbell Shoulder Press then find it in the above link and click it. Here is the link to the shoulder press

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/DumbellPresses/


----------



## Rush

You can't lose fat from a particular spot. Doing exercises to strengthen your core is a good thing as it can prevent postural problems and the like but you can't just do your abs, a little bit of cardio and expect to be ripped. Its just not going to happen.

Biceps and triceps are pretty small muscles in relation to your body anyway, focusing on getting big arms is such a douchebag way of thinking. You're not going to gain a large amount of muscle mass if you're not working much on your chest, back etc.

How're you going in terms of nutrition? A good diet is essential if you want to bulk. 

Also how many reps do you do in each set? Do you focus any time on any other exercises than the 3 you mentioned?


----------



## Big_G

Sticksy said:


> You can't lose fat from a particular spot. Doing exercises to strengthen your core is a good thing as it can prevent postural problems and the like but you can't just do your abs, a little bit of cardio and expect to be ripped. Its just not going to happen.


So what do you suggest that I should do? 



Sticksy said:


> Biceps and triceps are pretty small muscles in relation to your body anyway, focusing on getting big arms is such a douchebag way of thinking. You're not going to gain a large amount of muscle mass if you're not working much on your chest, back etc.


Yes, I agree with that but that doesn't mean I shouldn't workout my arms just as hard. I usually do Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Back & Biceps and Legs on separate days. It's just that I can see gains everywhere but my arms take ages. I have only put on 1/2 an inch since about 6 months! Is this normal, considering that I go gym 4 times a week?


Sticksy said:


> How're you going in terms of nutrition? A good diet is essential if you want to bulk.


My nutrition is fine, I get 200 grams of protein in. Here is what I am doing at the moment;

Breakfast: 6 eggs, 2 wholemeal breads, oatmeal shake (250l of milk, 1 table spoon of peanut butter, 1 cup oatmeal, protein powder).

SNACK: Shake

Lunch: Whatever my mum made 

SNACK: Shake

Dinner: Brown or white rice, with fish or chicken 

on a workout day the dinner would come after my post workout meal which is usually a shake and pasta chicken or a shake and a baby chicken. By the way, does anyone know how much protein there is in a baby chicken?

The shake that I take is BSN True Mass. I have only been using it for 2 weeks and I am seeing really good gains with that. It's even made me stronger on my lifts.



Sticksy said:


> Also how many reps do you do in each set? Do you focus any time on any other exercises than the 3 you mentioned?


The reps are usually 15, 12, 10, 8, and sometimes 6. Sometimes, if I am strong I'll do 12-15 reps on the first few sets but I'll simply keep going up in weight until I get to a point where I reach failure after 6 reps. As a rule of thumb I always try to do as many reps as I can do, if I can do 15 then I'll just put the weight back because it is way too easy. I would simply keep going up on weight until I can't handle it anymore and the next time I am in I'll start 5kg heavier than the time before. 

I focus on a lot of different exercises, the three I mentioned are the bulking ones though that I can't do without. 

Should I post my workout routine?


----------



## Rush

A decent cardio program will help you lose weight from your entire body, which will help to gain more definition in your abs. However mixing too much cardio into your program will inhibit your strength gains. You need to find a balance where you make a decent compromise between the 2.

Depending on how heavy your weights are, how many reps, how fast you perform them, how long you recover etc you can focus on different outcomes. Strength, power, endurance, hypertrophy. Just as a very very basic and general overview. 

Strength - Heavy weights (so 85-90% 1RM), low reps (4-6), controlled medium/slow speed 
Power - Heavy weights(75-85% 1RM), low reps (3-5), fast speed
Endurance - Light weights (40-60% 1RM), high reps (12+), shorter recovery time (about 90 secs)
Hypertrophy - Moderately heavy weights(65-80% 1RM), moderate-high reps (6-10), slow/medium speed

You seem to be mixing around your reps + weight too much. Have in mind a program for yourself and what you want to accomplish during each exercise, for example that you'll complete 4 sets of 6 reps doing a 100kg squat. Make sure you're completing each set properly, and when you can get 4x6 done bump up the weight next session. This enables you to set goals for yourself which is a good motivator, and a good way of tracking progress. Also don't get too hung up about lack of size gains, a lot of built blokes than throw around a large amount of weight in the gym are hopelessly disfunctional. For instance if you're playing Rugby and all you do is bench press at the gym, you'll see some big gains but its useless if you can't have a functional use for those muscles (unless you're becoming a bodybuilder where you need to look big and thats it)


----------



## El Conquistador

Big_G said:


> So what do you suggest that I should do?
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, I agree with that but that doesn't mean I shouldn't workout my arms just as hard. I usually do Chest, Shoulders & Triceps, Back & Biceps and Legs on separate days. It's just that I can see gains everywhere but my arms take ages. I have only put on 1/2 an inch since about 6 months! Is this normal, considering that I go gym 4 times a week?
> 
> My nutrition is fine, I get 200 grams of protein in. Here is what I am doing at the moment;
> 
> Breakfast: 6 eggs, 2 wholemeal breads, oatmeal shake (250l of milk, 1 table spoon of peanut butter, 1 cup oatmeal, protein powder).
> 
> SNACK: Shake
> 
> Lunch: Whatever my mum made
> 
> SNACK: Shake
> 
> Dinner: Brown or white rice, with fish or chicken
> 
> on a workout day the dinner would come after my post workout meal which is usually a shake and pasta chicken or a shake and a baby chicken. By the way, does anyone know how much protein there is in a baby chicken?
> 
> The shake that I take is BSN True Mass. I have only been using it for 2 weeks and I am seeing really good gains with that. It's even made me stronger on my lifts.
> 
> 
> 
> The reps are usually 15, 12, 10, 8, and sometimes 6. Sometimes, if I am strong I'll do 12-15 reps on the first few sets but I'll simply keep going up in weight until I get to a point where I reach failure after 6 reps. As a rule of thumb I always try to do as many reps as I can do, if I can do 15 then I'll just put the weight back because it is way too easy. I would simply keep going up on weight until I can't handle it anymore and the next time I am in I'll start 5kg heavier than the time before.
> 
> I focus on a lot of different exercises, the three I mentioned are the bulking ones though that I can't do without.
> 
> Should I post my workout routine?


Stop dedicating hours upon hours towards arms. They get most of their size indirectly from compound movements.

Note that there's a difference between training to get bigger and training to improve a lift. Generally, reps above 5 are used to enhance muscularity while reps between 1 and 5 are used to improve a lift.

Fuck all the assistance work, too. Focus on the key lifts and don't focus too much effort on the rest. It's called majoring in the minors. It truly doesn't matter what you do for bicep curls as long as your barbell row is progressing from week to week or month to month (however you set your progression up).

You're training with the wrong purpose. Get on a program like Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, hit the GOMAD, or look into Madcows 5x5, Stronglifts 5x5, or even 5/3/1 though I am sure you'll get routine A.D.D. and switch from it to another program before you even see any results.

You're not going to get bigger or 'more muscular' if you're not adding volume. Increase your weight, increase your reps, or decrease your rest times. But I strongly suggest looking into one of the routines I mentioned above.


----------



## Rajah

Big_G said:


> The shake that I take is BSN True Mass. I have only been using it for 2 weeks and I am seeing really good gains with that. It's even made me stronger on my lifts.


In only 2 weeks? Wow.


----------



## Ruiner87

First time into this thread, and I'll get to the point. I'm 16 years old, 189 cm (6'2") and weight 70 kg (155 lbs). That being said, I'm looking to get into shape, because I'm tired of being some weird, lanky ginger.

Any advice that you guys have on getting into shape would be very helpful. Simple stuff to start off, obviously (Don't suggest the gym, either. I'm broke. )


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Ruiner87 said:


> First time into this thread, and I'll get to the point. I'm 16 years old, 189 cm (6'2") and weight 70 kg (155 lbs). That being said, I'm looking to get into shape, because I'm tired of being some weird, lanky ginger.
> 
> Any advice that you guys have on getting into shape would be very helpful. Simple stuff to start off, obviously (Don't suggest the gym, either. I'm broke. )


You have any weights? Go to go,
www.bodybuilding.com for info. They got a butt load of stuff there.


----------



## bruteshot74

Ruiner87 said:


> First time into this thread, and I'll get to the point. I'm 16 years old, 189 cm (6'2") and weight 70 kg (155 lbs). That being said, I'm looking to get into shape, because I'm tired of being some weird, lanky ginger.
> 
> Any advice that you guys have on getting into shape would be very helpful. Simple stuff to start off, obviously (Don't suggest the gym, either. I'm broke. )


Just look through the thread a bit, the questions have been answered over and over again.

You will always be weird by the way, gingers tend to be like that :side:


----------



## El Conquistador

Ruiner87 said:


> First time into this thread, and I'll get to the point. I'm 16 years old, 189 cm (6'2") and weight 70 kg (155 lbs). That being said, I'm looking to get into shape, because I'm tired of being some weird, lanky ginger.
> 
> Any advice that you guys have on getting into shape would be very helpful. Simple stuff to start off, obviously (Don't suggest the gym, either. I'm broke. )


rosstraining.com


----------



## Rajah

bruteshot74 said:


> Just look through the thread a bit, the questions have been answered over and over again.


You haven't missed much. Same thing, I'm out of shape, need a miracle, do it all for me. Blah, blah, blah.....


----------



## bruteshot74

Rajah said:


> You haven't missed much. Same thing, I'm out of shape, need a miracle, do it all for me. Blah, blah, blah.....


Yah seems that way. All you got to do is a little research on google and you will find thousands of websites that can get you going in the right direction. People expecting within a few months are crazy.

My situation at the moment is pretty much no gym time. I got a physically demanding job in water and sewer company so I am pretty much doing compound lifts all day long which has actually has brought my strength gains up. Physique wise I lost a little though, not a big deal to me. Been doing cardio every couple of days in 45 minute sessions to stay slim.


----------



## Chrisp_Morg

Best way to loose body fat in general...GO!!?


----------



## Enigma

Rajah said:


> You haven't missed much. Same thing, I'm out of shape, need a miracle, do it all for me. Blah, blah, blah.....


Shit attitude to take, you can take a lot of motivation - especially as a beginner - by getting a personal response on here from someone who knows what they're talking about. Its hard otherwise; you get lost in a sea of posts that you don't understand. 

There's a bit of a shit attitude in this thread in general - and on other forums on this topic. There's some genuine posters who are willing to help, others sit back and make the odd comment like yours Rajah. What is the point? Its the 'elite' lot - the ones who have actually got somewhere - who seem to be unwilling to help anyone else.

Sorry for a bit of a rant. Maybe someone could organise a good little FAQ to put on the first post? Saves trawling through so many pages, plus you'll get an informed answer. I've posted questions that have probably been answered before, but it doesn't make my question any less valid. Also then you won't get annoyed at repeated questions, and the discussion can continue with new questions.


----------



## El Conquistador

Chrisp_Morg said:


> Best way to loose body fat in general...GO!!?


Eat better.


----------



## [MDB]

Usually never post in here, but what the hell right? Any runners in this thread? .. Dumb question of course there are, haha  Been running a lot lately, gives me a nice little escape and is a way for me to stay active and not be bored. 

Quick question: I have very bad posture, it isn't from slouching or anything it's because I have a bit of scoliosis. Which if you didn't know curves the spine. I can do situps and all that but it isn't always a pleasant task, any tips to execute a good sit up without relying too much pressure on the spine? or other exercises that might help out my back a bit? Thanks.

... Not really a quick question, haha. oh well.


----------



## Rajah

My wife has scoliosis so I know all about it. 

As for sit ups - DON'T DO THEM! Crunches are the way to go. Putting my "shit attitude" aside, crunches are similar to a situp but nowhere near as much pressure on the back.


----------



## Hamada

Father Flex said:


> Eat better.


Pretty much. One my favourite ways is to save up your favourite junk foods (chocolate, chips, curry, whatever) and have them occasionally. You don't miss out on what you like best, and you appreciate it a lot more when you have them.


----------



## Rush

In addition to what Rajah said, doing crunches on a exercise ball can also help in strengthening your core muscles and help reduce the overcompensation of your spinal muscles to keep you balanced.


----------



## [MDB]

Rajah said:


> My wife has scoliosis so I know all about it.
> 
> As for sit ups - DON'T DO THEM! Crunches are the way to go. Putting my "shit attitude" aside, crunches are similar to a situp but nowhere near as much pressure on the back.


Thanks for the advice, I do both so I think ill ditch the Sit-ups. I just did them because I thought they would stretch out my back more, but I guess it's just making it worse. Lol, thanks for the vid. 



Sticksy said:


> In addition to what Rajah said, doing crunches on a exercise ball can also help in strengthening your core muscles and help reduce the overcompensation of your spinal muscles to keep you balanced.


Been meaning to pick one up. In the meantime I just use soft mats or a light pillow. Doing it just on the carpet is a bit annoying. Again thanks for the heads up.


----------



## Enigma

Slight shakes when lifting...whats that about? I can lift the weight so I don't think its a question of it being too heavy.


----------



## Rush

when do you get the shakes? last set or so or straight away?


----------



## Enigma

Towards the end of the set usually. Probably just a case of me tiring too soon? I haven't been focusing on diet much so thats probably not helping.


----------



## Rush

nah thats just a normal part of fatigue. As long as your lifts are controlled and you're completing the sets then its fine.


----------



## dondeluis

I've been Pepsi clean for over a week


----------



## Outkazt2k9

dondeluis said:


> I've been Pepsi clean for over a week


Keep it up dude. Substitute it with something healthy like tea with honey (no sugar). I have not had soda in 3 years!!!!!!


----------



## Rush

Outkazt2k9 said:


> Keep it up dude. Substitute it with something healthy like tea *with honey (no sugar)*. I have not had soda in 3 years!!!!!!


what do you think honey is?


----------



## Goku

:lmao


----------



## Kamikaze™

Have to say reading through this thread makes me miss the free Uni gym. I was only a good cutting cycle with Lipo 6 and taking protein, TONS of cardio and controlling my diet. Went down from 232lbs to 212lbs in about 8 weeks, which is good. I've always been quite stocky, big shoulders and that. But I always wanted to get in shape for wrestling (which I am pretty semi-retired at the moment). But I have the Davey Richards size going, short (5'8") but stocked. But I went down into fitting into medium clothes (UK Size) which made me quite happy.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Sticksy said:


> what do you think honey is?


yeah I know but its not as bad for you.


----------



## Travis Bickle

I've dabbled in a fair few sports over the years but now mainly stick to running because its cheap and easy... 

I'm fairly decent but could be a lot better if I did an extra run a week - at the moment I average out about 30 miles each week but this is not a lot compared to some people. This summer I am hoping to run under 35 minutes for 10KM which is like 5:36 avg per mile I believe - gonna be a tough target but I'm definitely up for it.

As for diet, fuck it, the biggest joy about running is that I get to eat what I want when I want... I would enjoy running a lot less if I knew there was no sweet reward later on in the evening... I have a massive sweet tooth so it's a good job I exercise really...


----------



## JasonLives

Travis Bickle said:


> I've dabbled in a fair few sports over the years but now mainly stick to running because its cheap and easy...
> 
> I'm fairly decent but could be a lot better if I did an extra run a week - at the moment I average out about 30 miles each week but this is not a lot compared to some people. This summer I am hoping to run under 35 minutes for 10KM which is like 5:36 avg per mile I believe - gonna be a tough target but I'm definitely up for it.
> 
> As for diet, fuck it, the biggest joy about running is that I get to eat what I want when I want... I would enjoy running a lot less if I knew there was no sweet reward later on in the evening... I have a massive sweet tooth so it's a good job I exercise really...



Yeah im with you. I stick mostly to running, and as a reward I eat whatever I want. I would lose most of my motivation if I couldnt.

Been injuried for 2 weeks and im gonna go out in a moment and take a little run, 6 KM. Hopefully without any problems with my right shoulder or any of my knees for that matter.

I usually go to the gym 3-4 times a week ( just for an hour ), but during the summer its a lot harder for me to do. Why would I wanna sit inside and workout when the sun is shining?? Then I will just stick to running.


----------



## Travis Bickle

Did 100 squats before bed last night (for people who have trouble sleeping, this exercise works a charm) and this morning my legs feel like lead. How Benoit used to do 500 before a wrestling match is just beyond me....


----------



## Enigma

Alright, so I've finally got myself in the right frame of mind to actually give this bulking thing a go.

I've used up all the protein powder I had, and reading through this thread from the beginning, learnt that 'real' food is the best way to go. So, what does that include? If I went out to buy a fuck load of chicken breast, would that help the cause? Obviously I can't just eat chicken because thats crazy. :side:


----------



## bruteshot74

Enigma said:


> Alright, so I've finally got myself in the right frame of mind to actually give this bulking thing a go.
> 
> I've used up all the protein powder I had, and reading through this thread from the beginning, learnt that 'real' food is the best way to go. So, what does that include? If I went out to buy a fuck load of chicken breast, would that help the cause? Obviously I can't just eat chicken because thats crazy. :side:


Chicken
Lean Steak
Turkey
Egg Whites
Protein Shakes
Veal
Salmon
Tuna
White Fish
Nuts


----------



## Enigma

Excellent, reckon I've got most of that stuff somewhere, cheers mate.


----------



## Role Model

well Alex you love nuts, so at least you won't have to adjust your diet too much.


----------



## Enigma

only yours.


----------



## JasonLives

Working out on Fridays is my favorite day. You train extra hard just because the reward will be a weekend of eating whatever I want. 
Weekend is training free for me, a time to rest up my body and just pig out.

First week of being back in the gym after a 1 month rest from injury and some miltiary duties is done.
Didnt push myself all to hard though, if I reinjure myself I will seriosuly jump off a cliff...


----------



## Rush

man, this thread is really dead. Whats everyone up to lately? just started back in the gym myself, dinged my collarbone about a month ago which made me stop the weights for a little while and my ankle had limited my cardio but everything is back to normal now.


----------



## RatedRudy

i been going to the gym for the past month or so two, i already got my bench press up by 10 more pounds, my goal is 225 bench by next year, btw, anyone know if the assisted machine pull up machine is bad, does anyone use that?


----------



## Travis Bickle

Don't mind posing my daily training here - if other people want to join in then so be it:

*MORNING: *

30 minutes fast pedalling on the trainer - averaging 25 MPH

followed by some light weights and 100 squats 

*EVENING:*

20 miles on the trainer averaging 21 MPH 

Couldn't really be arsed to go out for a ride in the lousy weather so did all my cycling indoors today. As for food/drink, this pretty much covers it:

White Bowl of Frosties 

Cup of Tea w/ 4 sugars

Spaghetti with Quorn and Canned Chopped Tomatoes 

Triple Cheese Sandwich

6 Small Apple Pies 

2 Strawberry Cheesecakes 

Another cup of tea w/ 4 sugars

Curly Fries, Veggie Burger, Mixed Salad and 2 sausage rolls


----------



## bruteshot74

RatedRudy said:


> anyone know if the assisted machine pull up machine is bad, does anyone use that?


Chicks and fat guys...I have never used it, found it to be useless. If you got close to a 200 pound bench you should be able to do pull ups with out assistance from a machine anyways.


----------



## RatedRudy

omg i just had to post this, this is freaking hilarious, 





which brings me to ask you guys, do u ever encounter screamers at your gym or are your a screamer yourself? i really don't get the point if it, not once did i ever had to scream. i seriously just think ppl do it to let the whole gym know they are in pain, its like stfu seriously.


----------



## RatedRudy

bruteshot74 said:


> Chicks and fat guys...I have never used it, found it to be useless. If you got close to a 200 pound bench you should be able to do pull ups with out assistance from a machine anyways.


o ok cool, ill keep that in mind


----------



## Rush

RatedRudy said:


> i been going to the gym for the past month or so two, i already got my bench press up by 10 more pounds, my goal is 225 bench by next year, btw, anyone know if the assisted machine pull up machine is bad, does anyone use that?


There are pros and cons with any machines you use in the gym, primarily because they generally focus on single joints and don't cover a range of muscle groups. Cable machines and the like are handy as they also train the postural and synergist muscle groups that combine when doing an activity. When doing resistance training make sure you're aware of the functional aspect of it. Just b/c someone can bicep curl a huge amount means nothing, how often do you do a pure flexion at the elbow in everyday life? (and how often does the movement require a large amount of strength.



bruteshot74 said:


> Chicks and fat guys...I have never used it, found it to be useless. If you got close to a 200 pound bench you should be able to do pull ups with out assistance from a machine anyways.


Its useful if you're just new to lifting and are easing yourself into it.


----------



## Travis Bickle

*TODAY'S SHIZZLE *

*2 and a half hour ride in the countryside *- weather was great and it was enjoyable though by the end the huge array of hills were starting to piss me off and I was cursing my way up them on the last few. 

Today I ate one Oat Valley Bar, a white bowl of rice krispies, a cheap four cheese and tomato pizza, an apple and custard strudel, a bag of mixed salad, a strawberry cheesecake, a litre of coke and the usual 2 mugs of tea with lots of milk and four sugars.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

RatedRudy said:


> omg i just had to post this, this is freaking hilarious,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> which brings me to ask you guys, do u ever encounter screamers at your gym or are your a screamer yourself? i really don't get the point if it, not once did i ever had to scream. i seriously just think ppl do it to let the whole gym know they are in pain, its like stfu seriously.


Ohhhh man. The talker. This guy at the gym is a talker. He was there for like 3 hours man. He talks to the staff, some guys that workout there, and some girl that works there and also worksout there. This guy is built from what my friend said.

My friend went to use the bathroom at the gym one night. And he saw that one guy posing and flexing like he was at a competition. 

Anyways, he hits on this one female (maybe 22 years old) and the guys looks like in his early 30's. This girl basically shuts this guy down all the time. He talks yadadadada and she ignores him. I don't think he gets the thrift.


----------



## Kenny

This year has been a pretty bad year (some of you would know), and I need to change my lifestyle because of stress/weight gain.

What sort of lifestyle do you have? What sort of diet do you undertake? How much exercise do you do? Exercise etc...

I'm going to be making/organising a plan for myself soon, was just curious about other people.

Thanks.


----------



## Rush

I haven't been exercising much as of late due to a few injuries and since going back to uni my diet has suffered a touch but i try to get in the gym at least twice a week, as well as playing football every weekend. Would go to football training but it clashes with my timetable.

Diet wise i'm incrediably bad, too much softdrink, too much rubbish food but its getting better. My uni course (exercise physiology) is a pretty great motivator, if you've got any specific questions you can either ask in here or shoot me a PM.


----------



## ElRey210

hey have any of u guys have been or tried the supplement CLA? If u have can u give me any feedback if its worked for you or not?


----------



## Travis Bickle

King Kenny said:


> This year has been a pretty bad year (some of you would know), and I need to change my lifestyle because of stress/weight gain.
> 
> What sort of lifestyle do you have? What sort of diet do you undertake? How much exercise do you do? Exercise etc...
> 
> I'm going to be making/organising a plan for myself soon, was just curious about other people.
> 
> Thanks.


All I do is cycle though I also enjoy doing the occasional bit of weights / squat work. I used to take running quite seriously but I didn't find it enjoyable enough to continue so now I just hop on the bike and enjoy the experience. My advice for starting a training plan would be to work hard, eat hard. I have never followed a strict diet and don't intend to anytime soon - I see tasty food as a reward for climbing up some bad-ass hills. However different things work for different people - I just have an enormous sweet tooth and so it forced me to work out quite hard.


----------



## Rajah

Sticksy said:


> man, this thread is really dead.





King Kenny said:


> What sort of lifestyle do you have? What sort of diet do you undertake? How much exercise do you do? Exercise etc...


Sorry to use you as an example Kenny, you were the closest one, but we get the same questions all the time. That's the mian reason I don't bother with this thread as much as I used to.




ElRey210 said:


> hey have any of u guys have been or tried the supplement CLA? If u have can u give me any feedback if its worked for you or not?


Conjugated linoleic acid. CLA is used for weight loss. Never used it myself but i've been interested in trying it down the track. 

I'm currently in a bulking phase using Natadrol and Methyl 1-D. Been on it for about 4 weeks now and most of my lifts have increased by 10-12%. I have another 4 weeks and I'll see how I go once I'm of it. The Natadrol is a "non-steroidal androgen" and the Methyl 1-D is used for Post Cycle Therapy.


----------



## RatedRudy

does anyone know how important carbs are to build muscle? i heard different things from 1.7grams of carbs per bodyweight up to 4 grams of carbs per bodyweight lb. i'am 150 pounds and i'am taking around like 260 carbs a day. not sure if i need to up it. also anyone know about macro ratios, i heard 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fat, and others who say 50% carbs, 30% protien, 20% fat, not sure which is the best one.


----------



## Rajah

RatedRudy said:


> does anyone know how important carbs are to build muscle? i heard different things from 1.7grams of carbs per bodyweight up to 4 grams of carbs per bodyweight lb. i'am 150 pounds and i'am taking around like 260 carbs a day. not sure if i need to up it. also anyone know about macro ratios, i heard 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fat, and others who say 50% carbs, 30% protien, 20% fat, not sure which is the best one.


Carbs don't build muscle, protein does. Carbs are used as energy. All these sports drinks you buy like Powerade, Gatorade etc are carb based. The only time I incresemy carb intake is in my post workout shake, I add about 50-60g of dextrose (natural sugar) to help the delivery of the protein where it's needed. Dextrose is a key ingredient in a lot of bodybuiling supplements, especialy protein powers and creatine. Thing is it's a very cheap product to buy. In Australia it's less than $5 for 500g. A lot of your "weight gain" powders will have dextrose in them, as do creatine supps to help the uptake through your body. 
I'm trying to find the ad for a Muscle Tech creatine where they advertise the fact it's full of dextrose to help the creatine. You're better off buy raw creatine and adding a scoop of dextrose yourself than buying their prodcut. Same with protein powders, buy a low carb protein, have it during the day and add a scoop of dextrose to your pre and post workout shakes.


----------



## RatedRudy

Rajah said:


> Carbs don't build muscle, protein does. Carbs are used as energy. All these sports drinks you buy like Powerade, Gatorade etc are carb based. The only time I incresemy carb intake is in my post workout shake, I add about 50-60g of dextrose (natural sugar) to help the delivery of the protein where it's needed. Dextrose is a key ingredient in a lot of bodybuiling supplements, especialy protein powers and creatine. Thing is it's a very cheap product to buy. In Australia it's less than $5 for 500g. A lot of your "weight gain" powders will have dextrose in them, as do creatine supps to help the uptake through your body.
> I'm trying to find the ad for a Muscle Tech creatine where they advertise the fact it's full of dextrose to help the creatine. You're better off buy raw creatine and adding a scoop of dextrose yourself than buying their prodcut. Same with protein powders, buy a low carb protein, have it during the day and add a scoop of dextrose to your pre and post workout shakes.


o ok cool, so i would still build muscle if i eat 0 carbs then? how many carbs do u eat a day?


----------



## Rajah

You need carbs, plain and simple. Just keep your fat intake low. Not sure what I eat, I don't bother counting. I use the mirror as a guide. 

Found the Muscletech ad. Celltech Hardcore. Advertised as 10,000mg of creatine - which is a fancy way of saying 10grams - and 75 grams of dextrose. Again, cheaper to buy a straight creatine power and add dextrose.


----------



## RatedRudy

Rajah said:


> You need carbs, plain and simple. Just keep your fat intake low. Not sure what I eat, I don't bother counting. I use the mirror as a guide.
> 
> Found the Muscletech ad. Celltech Hardcore. Advertised as 10,000mg of creatine - which is a fancy way of saying 10grams - and 75 grams of dextrose. Again, cheaper to buy a straight creatine power and add dextrose.


o ok cool so like how many carbs would i need a day then?, i'am still not sure about that, ppl give me different numbers so yeah


----------



## El Conquistador

So, here's my new split that I'm digging a lot

Day 1 - Shoulders/Back
Day 2 - Legs
Day 3 - Off
Day 4 - Chest/Triceps
Day 5 - Shoulders/Back
Day 6 - Legs
Day 7 - Off

For anyone wondering, I get a lot of my chest size from incline db presses and weighted dips. Flat bench might be the most overrated chest mass building exercise. That is of course my 2 cents as I know a lot of people want to know how to build a thick and dense chest.

Anyways, my main focus right now is building up my incline db press to the 120 lbers for 8 reps, weighted pull ups, weighted dips, and squatting 385 at proper powerlifting depth.



Rajah said:


> Sorry to use you as an example Kenny, you were the closest one, but we get the same questions all the time. That's the mian reason I don't bother with this thread as much as I used to.


Yeah. Exactly how I feel. People should do some research then if they don't understand the information, that is when they should post for some help. Seems as though a lot of people put in little to no effort but expect some of the veteran recreational lifters to piece together a diet and training program for them. Tis' a shame. 



Rajah said:


> Conjugated linoleic acid. CLA is used for weight loss. Never used it myself but i've been interested in trying it down the track.
> 
> I'm currently in a bulking phase using Natadrol and Methyl 1-D. Been on it for about 4 weeks now and most of my lifts have increased by 10-12%. I have another 4 weeks and I'll see how I go once I'm of it. The Natadrol is a "non-steroidal androgen" and the Methyl 1-D is used for Post Cycle Therapy.


Nice. I've read up on that a bit and know a couple of guys that use natadrol. None of that stuff is for me but let me know how it goes.


----------



## El Conquistador

RatedRudy said:


> o ok cool so like how many carbs would i need a day then?, i'am still not sure about that, ppl give me different numbers so yeah


It is extremely difficult to give advice with no background information. How active are you? What is your weight, height, body type? Tell me a little bit about your diet, your goals, etc,.

Generally for a guy like me that stays in fitness model condition, I try to get about 300 g of carbs and 1 g of protein per lb of bodyweight. 2 g of protein per lb of bodyweight is a bit excessive. 

Of course consuming 2 g/per lb of bodyweight isn't bad but you can consume the same amount of calories in a day by lowering the protein intake and upping CHO's and receive more benefits.


----------



## Travis Bickle

About to pound out a session on the indoor trainer - putting on the athletics for motivation: 

planned 2 sets of 2 mile, 1 mile, half mile 

Hoping for 2 mile efforts in under 4 minutes, 1 mile efforts in under 1:55 and half mile efforts in under 55. 

Will report back after the blood, sweat and tears.... well mostly just sweat but whatever.


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## RatedRudy

Father Flex said:


> It is extremely difficult to give advice with no background information. How active are you? What is your weight, height, body type? Tell me a little bit about your diet, your goals, etc,.
> 
> Generally for a guy like me that stays in fitness model condition, I try to get about 300 g of carbs and 1 g of protein per lb of bodyweight. 2 g of protein per lb of bodyweight is a bit excessive.
> 
> Of course consuming 2 g/per lb of bodyweight isn't bad but you can consume the same amount of calories in a day by lowering the protein intake and upping CHO's and receive more benefits.


o ok cool, well i weighlifting like 3 times a week, might try doing a 4 day split soon though, i weigh 150 pounds and i'am 5'6", not sure what you mean by body type . my diet mostly on a daily basis will consist of carrots, chicken, fat free milk, protein powder, banana, almonds, olive oil, corn tortillas and of course water . Right now i get like between 265-280 grams of carbs a day and between 212-220 grams of protein a day and 53 grams of fat a day. my goals right now is just to gain muscle and strenght, i'am not doing any cardio right now cuz i don't want to risk jeopardizing my muscle gains. i do plan on maybe doing that later this year to start losing more fat to get that ripped look but right now i want to get the muscle first cuz i don't want to get ripped and then there isn't no muscle to show. not sure if it possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. i heard many different things like bulking up and cutting so yeah.


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## Travis Bickle

Good session. 

Times were as follows - 

2 miles in 3:55, 1 mile slow pedalling recovery, 1 mile in 1:55, half mile sp recovery, 800 metres in 54 

5 min rest 

2 miles in 3:54, 1 mile slow pedalling recovery, 1 mile in 1:54, half mile sp recovery, 800 metres in 54 

16 miles including warm up/warm down


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## Rush

RatedRudy said:


> i'am not doing any cardio right now cuz i don't want to risk jeopardizing my muscle gains. i do plan on maybe doing that later this year to start losing more fat to get that ripped look but right now i want to get the muscle first cuz i don't want to get ripped and then there isn't no muscle to show. not sure if it possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. i heard many different things like bulking up and cutting so yeah.


Doing cardio work and resistance training means you don't get the full benefit of either but you can find the right balance between strength and size gains and weight loss.


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## Something Savage

> *Originally posted by RatedRudy:*
> 
> _i'am not doing any cardio right now cuz i don't want to risk jeopardizing my muscle gains. i do plan on maybe doing that later this year to start losing more fat to get that ripped look but right now i want to get the muscle first cuz i don't want to get ripped and then there isn't no muscle to show. not sure if it possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. i heard many different things like bulking up and cutting so yeah._


It's much easier to see the results through cycles of bulking & cutting, to be honest. Trying to find a regimen, diet, or strategy that allows you to do both will just absolutely consume you. Simply put, one is detrimental to the other.

To cut or lose weight, your body needs to be in a caloric deficit. To bulk or gain mass, your body needs to be in a caloric surplus. It's really as simple as that.

Sure, you'll get gurus who come by & compare "good" carbs to "bad" carbs, etc. But the fact of the matter is, it's just simple mathematics. It's all about calories in versus calories out. It's what you take in versus what you expend.

Judging by your post, you want to look bigger. You want a considerable gain in mass. If that's correct, then just keeping hitting the weights. Hit 'em heavy & him 'em often. High volume. But you'll need to eat big too, otherwise you're just burning the candle at both ends, and you'll wear yourself too thin.

Eat. Train. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Train. Repeat.

^^ Basically.


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## Rajah

Something Savage said:


> It's much easier to see the results through cycles of bulking & cutting, to be honest. Trying to find a regimen, diet, or strategy that allows you to do both will just absolutely consume you. Simply put, one is detrimental to the other.
> 
> To cut or lose weight, your body needs to be in a caloric deficit. To bulk or gain mass, your body needs to be in a caloric surplus. It's really as simple as that.


I had a BodPod scan about 12 months ago before dropping weight and that's basically what the guy said as well, and it works. BodPod is like a giant egg you sit in and it measures you body's volume. You then do a resting metabolic test for 10 minutes to see how your metabolism works in a resting state. He calculated that for me to lose weight I'd have to consunme 2,500 calories a day, or less. In theory, I could KFC every day, as long as it totaled 2,500 calories.

And for those not wanting to sabotage their gains by doing cardio, drink a protein shake before your cardio workout. You muscles will feed on that whilst you burn fat. You either cut or bulk as you can't really do both effectivily. Somthing has to give.


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## Travis Bickle

22 miles on the trainer for me today. Hoping to actually bother getting off my arse and going out for a ride tmr though.


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## Barry_Darsow

Father Flex said:


> So, here's my new split that I'm digging a lot
> 
> Day 1 - Shoulders/Back
> Day 2 - Legs
> Day 3 - Off
> Day 4 - Chest/Triceps
> Day 5 - Shoulders/Back
> Day 6 - Legs
> Day 7 - Off
> 
> For anyone wondering, I get a lot of my chest size from incline db presses and weighted dips. Flat bench might be the most overrated chest mass building exercise. That is of course my 2 cents as I know a lot of people want to know how to build a thick and dense chest.
> 
> Anyways, my main focus right now is building up my incline db press to the 120 lbers for 8 reps, weighted pull ups, weighted dips, and squatting 385 at proper powerlifting depth.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah. Exactly how I feel. People should do some research then if they don't understand the information, that is when they should post for some help. Seems as though a lot of people put in little to no effort but expect some of the veteran recreational lifters to piece together a diet and training program for them. Tis' a shame.
> 
> 
> 
> Nice. I've read up on that a bit and know a couple of guys that use natadrol. None of that stuff is for me but let me know how it goes.



Ive scrapped the flat bench myself over the last couple months and have really been focusing on incline. Its been a neglected exercise of mine and i weakness ive needed to fix. Im really digging it more than flat. I was wondering though about the strength carryover to flat? Meaning if you say go up 50 lbs in incline, will your flat bench also have increased as well... even if you havent been doing it? Or are the gains just angle specific?


----------



## RatedRudy

Something Savage said:


> It's much easier to see the results through cycles of bulking & cutting, to be honest. Trying to find a regimen, diet, or strategy that allows you to do both will just absolutely consume you. Simply put, one is detrimental to the other.
> 
> To cut or lose weight, your body needs to be in a caloric deficit. To bulk or gain mass, your body needs to be in a caloric surplus. It's really as simple as that.
> 
> Sure, you'll get gurus who come by & compare "good" carbs to "bad" carbs, etc. But the fact of the matter is, it's just simple mathematics. It's all about calories in versus calories out. It's what you take in versus what you expend.
> 
> Judging by your post, you want to look bigger. You want a considerable gain in mass. If that's correct, then just keeping hitting the weights. Hit 'em heavy & him 'em often. High volume. But you'll need to eat big too, otherwise you're just burning the candle at both ends, and you'll wear yourself too thin.
> 
> Eat. Train. Eat. Sleep. Eat. Train. Repeat.
> 
> ^^ Basically.


o ok cool, that makes a whole lot of sense, thanks man


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## Rush

Something Savage said:


> To cut or lose weight, your body needs to be in a caloric deficit. To bulk or gain mass, your body needs to be in a caloric surplus. It's really as simple as that.
> 
> Sure, you'll get gurus who come by & compare "good" carbs to "bad" carbs, etc. But the fact of the matter is, it's just simple mathematics. It's all about calories in versus calories out. It's what you take in versus what you expend.


Thats a pretty archaic way to think of it and while it usually works for the majority of people there are a bunch of other factors that can make weight loss very hard. Telling people that you eat less and you will lose weight can lead to problems where they find themselves not having the cuts they desire so they keep eating less and less.


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## Rajah

Sticksy said:


> Telling people that you eat less and you will lose weight can lead to problems where they find themselves not having the cuts they desire so they keep eating less and less.


He's not telling people to eat less, he's telling people to eat correctly. Huge dufference. You can eat all day as long as you eat the right foods.


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## Rush

Actually he wasn't telling him to eat correctly, he was telling him to be in "caloric deficit" which in layman's terms is eat less. Not disputing his advice though, just saying you have to be wary of what you tell newer/novice lifters so they don't get the wrong ideas.


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## El Conquistador

Barry_Darsow said:


> Ive scrapped the flat bench myself over the last couple months and have really been focusing on incline. Its been a neglected exercise of mine and i weakness ive needed to fix. Im really digging it more than flat. I was wondering though about the strength carryover to flat? Meaning if you say go up 50 lbs in incline, will your flat bench also have increased as well... even if you havent been doing it? Or are the gains just angle specific?


The carry over is obvious, in my opinion. Incline really helps overload the front delts. Many people say that incline only works the upper part of your chest or that cable flies work the inner part of your chest, etc,... well that isn't necessarily true. In principle, when exercising or isolating a muscle, the entire muscle contracts - not just one part of the muscle.

But back to the question. Incline is a great way to hit the delts and emphasize the upper chest. Stronger delts and a stronger chest will always directly effect one's benching performance.

To an extent, I think that advanced lifters wont have the same carry over with incline > flat as beginner/novice lifters will but again, that's just speculation and a perception formed by myself.

With all that said, close grip bench and incline bench really work well for me. Those two exercises and some paused benching at the bottom of flat bench correlates well with the flat bench press.


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## Barry_Darsow

Thanks for the info. My goal right now is to get around 290-300 on incline (my bench at home goes roughly 30 or 35 degree on incline if i had to guess)by the end of the year...so ive been using that as my heavy chest exercise. Im also going to start doing close grip flat every week but probably in the 8-12 range for that. That way im still using the flat and im not left wondering whether its progressing or not like i asked about in my post. I dont have bodybuilding aspirations or anything and really just workout 2-3 times a week so im thinking that would probably be enough for me as far as benching goes.


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## Kamikaze™

I just began a Ketogenic diet with help from a few wrestlers I work alongside. It's going amazing thus far, I've gone down from 223lbs to 212lbs, so dropped nearly a stone which I imagine mostly is water retention. My goal is 14 stone (196lbs). But I am doing this for the six weeks until I return to the Uni (where I get free gym) and then will work back onto carbs. I've been informed about cheat meals and maybe it's foolish opitmism by I feel by the time I go back, I will have hit my goal.


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## Outkazt2k9

Kamikaze™ said:


> I just began a Ketogenic diet with help from a few wrestlers I work alongside. It's going amazing thus far, I've gone down from 223lbs to 212lbs, so dropped nearly a stone which I imagine mostly is water retention. My goal is 14 stone (196lbs). But I am doing this for the six weeks until I return to the Uni (where I get free gym) and then will work back onto carbs. I've been informed about *cheat meals* and maybe it's foolish opitmism by I feel by the time I go back, I will have hit my goal.


What are cheat meals? Is it when you eat something you are not supposed to because its bad for your diet? If it is, I do the same. Not necessarily a meal, but a snack. Like Hot Cheetos or a slice of pie. But sometimes I will eat a slice of pizza (along with what I usually eat) like once every 2 to 3 months.

Anybody else have meals or snacks that they have on their "cheating day(s)?"


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## Rajah

Outkazt2k9 said:


> What are cheat meals? Is it when you eat something you are not supposed to because its bad for your diet?


You've answered your own question.


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## Kamikaze™

Outkazt2k9 said:


> What are cheat meals? Is it when you eat something you are not supposed to because its bad for your diet? If it is, I do the same. Not necessarily a meal, but a snack. Like Hot Cheetos or a slice of pie. But sometimes I will eat a slice of pizza (along with what I usually eat) like once every 2 to 3 months.
> 
> Anybody else have meals or snacks that they have on their "cheating day(s)?"


Well I was told just to do a cheat meal, not a day. Basically you eat loads of carbs and calories to trick the body. On a Keto diet, one of the main changes is blocking out almost all carbohydrates, which are used by the body for energy. If you have a lot of carbs and a lot of fat, the body will burn (and even have an excess of carbs) and store fat and essentially that's how you get fat. Where as blocking the carbs out, means your body has nothing there to burn and then begins to burn stored fat. But it's also key to keep high on protein because theses diets can cause you to lose muscle mass. 

But yeah, the cheat meal tricks the body and makes your body think that it's taking in carbs. So basically it will stop your body hitting that plataeu where it is used to a no-carb diet, and you will continue to lose weight and cut at a good rate. Personally I cannot wait for mine lol. I am missing so many things right now like; pizza, pasta, chips, BBQ sauce and so on. It's hell but for the results it's so worth it.


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## Outkazt2k9

Kamikaze™ said:


> Well I was told just to do a cheat meal, not a day. Basically you eat loads of carbs and calories to trick the body. On a Keto diet, one of the main changes is blocking out almost all carbohydrates, which are used by the body for energy. If you have a lot of carbs and a lot of fat, the body will burn (and even have an excess of carbs) and store fat and essentially that's how you get fat. Where as blocking the carbs out, means your body has nothing there to burn and then begins to burn stored fat. But it's also key to keep high on protein because theses diets can cause you to lose muscle mass.
> 
> But yeah, the cheat meal tricks the body and makes your body think that it's taking in carbs. So basically it will stop your body hitting that plataeu where it is used to a no-carb diet, and you will continue to lose weight and cut at a good rate. Personally I cannot wait for mine lol. I am missing so many things right now like; pizza, pasta, chips, BBQ sauce and so on. It's hell but for the results it's so worth it.


Sounds interesting. I think I might try that. Thanks.


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## Outkazt2k9

What is on your mp3 playlist when you workout? 

I listen to mostly trance and Rock music when I workout, depending what I am doing. Armin Van Buren, Tiesto, and a dance podcast during cardio. For rock I listen to Motley Crew, Metallica, Drowning Pool, and Pantera are one I think of the top of my head for lifting.


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## RatedRudy

man i sure do need an ipod, stupid psp is bulky as hell, feels like a brick that is in my shorts, not worth it when working out, ill tell ya that much. anyway, does anyone in here do decline bench press, i heard it isn't good and it makes your chest look like a block or square or weird, i'am not sure, i mean the bench press does work all the pec muscle right? upper, middle, lower pec? it feels like my lower pec never feels sore from my workout, i mean i do flat bench, incline, incline flys, dumbbell flys, dips. idk its weird. anyone else have this problem


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## Something Savage

Ketogenic diets, in my experience & personal opinion, are best used in cycles. I always carb-cycle, but that's a different method altogether. Whereas I manipulate, reduce, and increase my carbs on a day-to-basis now, with a keto diet, you're dealing with a bigger picture & a longer timeframe.

They can be extremely beneficial, especially for people who are holding a lot of excess water weight. However, if you stick with a keto diet for a great length of time, you also run the risk of giving up some serious amounts of muscle mass in the process. Personally, I dealt with that. Just make sure you don't restrict yourself *too* much, in regards to your carb intake.

Also, as _Kamikaze_ noted, it's good for you to plan a cheat meal about once a week. Don't go overboard with it, but eat enough to satisfy any nagging cravings. It's also beneficial for your metabolism.

Some keto diets suggest eating a lot of fats, which I'm against. Healthy fats? Sure. But some have recommended that you take in (a lot of) fats to offset the amount of carbs you're giving up, in some sort of unhealthy balancing act.

Again, I know the keto diet works. It's good, especially for people that have hit a plateau with their bodyfat, etc. So, if it's giving you results, then that's great. But, as long as you're improving in the gym & busting your ass to force those numbers on the plates to go up, then there's no reason why a simple carb-cycling routine wouldn't bring you the same (or, in my case, even better) results.


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## RatedRudy

Something Savage said:


> Ketogenic diets, in my experience & personal opinion, are best used in cycles. I always carb-cycle, but that's a different method altogether. Whereas I manipulate, reduce, and increase my carbs on a day-to-basis now, with a keto diet, you're dealing with a bigger picture & a longer timeframe.
> 
> They can be extremely beneficial, especially for people who are holding a lot of excess water weight. However, if you stick with a keto diet for a great length of time, you also run the risk of giving up some serious amounts of muscle mass in the process. Personally, I dealt with that. Just make sure you don't restrict yourself *too* much, in regards to your carb intake.
> 
> Also, as _Kamikaze_ noted, it's good for you to plan a cheat meal about once a week. Don't go overboard with it, but eat enough to satisfy any nagging cravings. It's also beneficial for your metabolism.
> 
> Some keto diets suggest eating a lot of fats, which I'm against. Healthy fats? Sure. But some have recommended that you take in (a lot of) fats to offset the amount of carbs you're giving up, in some sort of unhealthy balancing act.
> 
> Again, I know the keto diet works. It's good, especially for people that have hit a plateau with their bodyfat, etc. So, if it's giving you results, then that's great. But, as long as you're improving in the gym & busting your ass to force those numbers on the plates to go up, then there's no reason why a simple carb-cycling routine wouldn't bring you the same (or, in my case, even better) results.


carb cycing is like where you have 3 low carb days and `1 high carb day right? i know it suppose help you get ripped by lowering body fat %, i'am thinking of doing that down the road some time after i gain some muscle first though.


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## Y2J™

Kamikaze™ said:


> But yeah, the cheat meal tricks the body and makes your body think that it's taking in carbs. So basically it will stop your body hitting that plataeu where it is used to a no-carb diet, and you will continue to lose weight and cut at a good rate. Personally I cannot wait for mine lol. I am missing so many things right now like; pizza, pasta, chips, BBQ sauce and so on. It's hell but for the results it's so worth it.


Really? I never knew that. I've been going on a low carb diet for 2 months, and I've had like 5 or 6 real cheat meals. I've also had a few cheat snacks (kitkats, galaxy bar, etc.) I thought one cheat meal would ruin a week's work, but I guess not. I lost 35 pounds already and I seemed to gain a pound on the scale the next day when I would weigh myself :x. Thanks for the info. Although I don't think pizza and chips are the best idea for a cheat meal...


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## El Conquistador

Why all this talk about cycling carbs and everyone doing keto diets? Bulk up and get stronger, ya' fucks.


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## Something Savage

> *Originally posted by Father Flex:*
> 
> _Why all this talk about cycling carbs and everyone doing keto diets? Bulk up and get stronger, ya' fucks._


I personally feel more energized when I'm cycling my carb intake. I don't really buy into the whole "carb sensitive" idea, but I usually feel sluggish after any meal containing a significant amount of carbs. Even breakfast.

I really fucked myself over when I origianlly tried to cut with the ketogenic diet, and I went overboard. I was very restrictive, and it ended up costing me a significant amount of hard-earned muscle mass I had achieved over the previous winter.

Then, when I bulked again, I felt too heavy & bloated. It's been a see-saw ever since, until I've settled pretty nicely into my current carb-cycling routine.

Meh, I like it. And it works for me.

It's not going to give me what a full-on bulking diet would, but it maintains and keeps me fired up in the gym.


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## Barry_Darsow

I just gained almost 25 lbs on my close grip bench in 4 days and i have no explanation! Just last Wednesday i got 220 for 8,...today i got 245 for 7. Just straight up obliterated my previous PR. Through my experience i usually drop a rep for every 5lbs or so that i add so my goal was 3 and i wouldve been happy! I only had 1 workout in between and that was basically a hodgepodge that featured snatch grip deadlifting, some preacher curling, and some external dumbbell rotations. It had to be the rotations?! Cause it was nothing supplement related and ive never had a gain like this before.


----------



## Panzer

Just started my long term work out plan today. All of it from the Snap Fitness website. It's really good. Even though my town's location is missing a few of the equipment, I can find suitable substitutes.

So does anyone else here work out at Snap Fitness and/or use their work out planner?


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## RICH ROCKHEAD

Ok I'm kind of new to working out. Basically I have a bit of a flabby stomach. Its nothing serious, but I wanna get it toned up. Not necessarily like a six-pack, but something better looking. What are the best things to do?

I hear running is the best strategy. Gonna order a treadmill in 2-3 weeks. I'm eating fatty food less, but don't really wanna go on a diet, since like I said my stomach is not a big issue. I'm currently doing 50 situps, 20 pushups, 10 ab crunches each day. I don't know what its really doing, but I hope its working for something. What altercations should I make to my daily routine?


----------



## Panzer

Rockhead said:


> Ok I'm kind of new to working out. Basically I have a bit of a flabby stomach. Its nothing serious, but I wanna get it toned up. Not necessarily like a six-pack, but something better looking. What are the best things to do?
> 
> I hear running is the best strategy. Gonna order a treadmill in 2-3 weeks. I'm eating fatty food less, but don't really wanna go on a diet, since like I said my stomach is not a big issue. I'm currently doing 50 situps, 20 pushups, 10 ab crunches each day. I don't know what its really doing, but I hope its working for something. What altercations should I make to my daily routine?


All of those sit ups and crunches will make your core tight but you won't see it because of all the fat so you need to diet. And nothing even drastic. Even simple things like switching from one pizza to another with less calories and fat.

This website has proved quite useful for me.

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/home


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## dondeluis

Hey, for some reason my leg strength seems to be improving yet my upper body just isn't. Any reason for this?


----------



## Rush

you're working your legs and not your upper body?

you're not training your upper body properly?



kinda need to give more info if you want a proper answer.


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## rawesjericho

maybe its just me but i have been eating high carb and protein diet like 150g carbs everyday and still losing weight, can see my abs now when i flex. and i dont even do any cardio. i just make sure total calories is slightly lower than my maintenance.


----------



## Panzer

rawesjericho said:


> maybe its just me but i have been eating high carb and protein diet like 150g carbs everyday and still losing weight, can see my abs now when i flex. and i dont even do any cardio. i just make sure total calories is slightly lower than my maintenance.


Makes sense. You have a high metabolism. People like you have it easy at losing weight.



> you're working your legs and not your upper body?
> 
> you're not training your upper body properly?
> 
> 
> 
> kinda need to give more info if you want a proper answer.


Oh and Sticksy, take it from me. Leg's are much easier to get muscular and tone than your upper body. The calf's especially. 2 weeks of working out and they feel like you've been working out for a year.


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## Rush

Disagree. They're easy to get strength gains in (as are other big muscle groups ie back, chest) but hard to hypertrophy. Regardless he wants to know why his upper body isn't getting stronger, and it doesn't take a genius to see he needs to give a lot more information like the exercises, weight, reps, sets, how often etc.


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Panther said:


> Makes sense. You have a high metabolism. People like you have it easy at losing weight.
> 
> Oh and Sticksy, take it from me. Leg's are much easier to get muscular and tone than your upper body. The calf's especially. 2 weeks of working out and they feel like you've been working out for a year.


The calves especially?!! Congratulations, you are in the 5 % of the population that doesnt bitch about their stubborn calves when it comes to hypertrophy. Theres a reason people are always searching for the "perfect calves routine"....and you get answers all across the board.


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## Rajah

I found the calves comment a bit off as well. They are the most stubborn muscle for anyone to get decent gains from.


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## El Conquistador

Panther said:


> Makes sense. You have a high metabolism. People like you have it easy at losing weight.


High metabolism? He considers a high carb diet 150 g CHO. That isn't very 'high'... Metabolism is based off of chemical reactions. There's anabolism and catabolism. Your metabolic rate, which is what you are refering to, is largely based off of metabolic conditioning. Judging by the way he/she is conditioning their metabolic rate, 150 g CHO being considered 'high carb' does not = high metabolism.

Calves are also reliant on genetics, for the most part. You'll see top level IFBB bodybuilders (cough - Dennis Wolf - cough) with horrible calves despite putting in insane amounts of work.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rockhead said:


> Ok I'm kind of new to working out. Basically I have a bit of a flabby stomach. Its nothing serious, but I wanna get it toned up. Not necessarily like a six-pack, but something better looking. What are the best things to do?
> 
> I hear running is the best strategy. Gonna order a treadmill in 2-3 weeks. I'm eating fatty food less, but don't really wanna go on a diet, since like I said my stomach is not a big issue. I'm currently doing 50 situps, 20 pushups, 10 ab crunches each day. I don't know what its really doing, but I hope its working for something. What altercations should I make to my daily routine?


Well, let me analyze this context. 

-You eat fatty food to a lesser extent than you did, which in all likelihood, can still be a lot of fatty food, as you termed it. 

-You haven't watched your diet intently nor do you want to monitor what you're fueling yourself with.

-Your stomach is not a big issue even though you're striving for a six pack? Contradiction... Unless of course you don't care what your stomach looks like but that defeats the purpose of striving for the said six pack?

-You are exercising like a woman.

-You are unsure about the effect it has had on you.

------------------------------------------------------

Here's a clue:

urdoinitwrongbro


----------



## Barry_Darsow

FUCK...ME. Just popped my shoulder out of socket again after tripping over a chair in a dark room and trying to catch myself on the wall from falling. That was 30 seconds of pure agony before it went back in somehow after moving my arm around. Ive had a shoulder instability issue for like 10 years since i originally hurt it but ive learned to deal with it by avoiding certain positions with my arm. Ive had some twinges here and there but this is the second time since the original injury though that i felt it completely pop out. Man...this is going to set me back now. I need a beer...cause that shit hurt!


----------



## Rush

alcohol induces more swelling. just saying :side:


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Well in that case its time to sleep anyway! Actually feels ok now, a little sore but im able to move my arm around at least. Ive tried various shoulder exercises thinking the instability is due to a weakness somewhere but its probably something only surgery can really fix. But thats just not an option right now. Just gotta be more careful and stop tripping over shit...lol.


----------



## Rajah

Sticksy said:


> alcohol induces more swelling. just saying :side:


And it also numbs the pain.


----------



## Panzer

Barry_Darsow said:


> The calves especially?!! Congratulations, you are in the 5 % of the population that doesnt bitch about their stubborn calves when it comes to hypertrophy. Theres a reason people are always searching for the "perfect calves routine"....and you get answers all across the board.


I find the pectorals the hardest to work out. I feel like I've been doing chest presses and cable crossover's forever.


----------



## Rush

^ bench press.

pecs are easy to work out


----------



## Word

If you want to work on your pecs, go buy a set of dumbbells if bench press ain't good enough.


----------



## Panzer

Word said:


> If you want to work on your pecs, go buy a set of dumbbells if bench press ain't good enough.


Believe me I have. My chest looks out of place compared to my stomach.

Btw, everyone should check out that Jillian Michael's Fat Burner if you're trying to burn off those stubborn love handles and muffin tops. It has worked wonders for me and every crunch is now worth 10 crunches and every mile ran on a treadmill or Arc Trainer is now worth 3. Speeds up melting the fat off.


----------



## Word

Panther said:


> Believe me I have. My chest looks out of place compared to my stomach.
> 
> Btw, everyone should check out that Jillian Michael's Fat Burner if you're trying to burn off those stubborn love handles and muffin tops. It has worked wonders for me and every crunch is now worth 10 crunches and every mile ran on a treadmill or Arc Trainer is now worth 3. Speeds up melting the fat off.


You pumping weights and doing a fat burner DVD? No wonder your chest looks out of place.


----------



## Panzer

Word said:


> You pumping weights and doing a fat burner DVD? No wonder your chest looks out of place.


Not the DVD. Diet pills. And I can get my pecs if I focus specifically on them. I don't take the diet pills anymore though. That fat burned off me like Sonic the fucking Hedgehog and my 6 pack is making it's appearance. FYI, I don't have man boobs. Hell no. Just not PECS.


----------



## El Conquistador

I do not want to sound rude because I am a harmless guy who hates confrontation, but Panther, you should not be giving advice. You are sounding extremely arrogant and all knowing, when in fact you are as clueless as the rest of us. I think the last couple of pages have exposed you a bit but I am certainly not trying to run you out of this thread, seeing as more opinions are, of course, beneficial for discussion purposes.

Misinformed - you are. It's okay to be misinformed. We all are at one point or another. However, acting like your intellect, wit, and information is better than the rest of our's is lunacy. 

Tone it down. While opinions and suggestions are fine, deceiving information promoted through your assurance (which is, after all, derived from self-fabricated beliefs) isn't beneficial to anyone.


----------



## Word

Father Flex said:


> I do not want to sound rude because I am a harmless guy who hates confrontation, but Panther, you should not be giving advice. You are sounding extremely arrogant and all knowing, when in fact you are as clueless as the rest of us. I think the last couple of pages have exposed you a bit but I am certainly not trying to run you out of this thread, seeing as more opinions are, of course, beneficial for discussion purposes.
> 
> Misinformed - you are. It's okay to be misinformed. We all are at one point or another. However, acting like your intellect, wit, and information is better than the rest of our's is lunacy.
> 
> Tone it down. While opinions and suggestions are fine, deceiving information promoted through your assurance (which is, after all, derived from self-fabricated beliefs) isn't beneficial to anyone.


Clueless as the rest of us? It's easy to see where he is going wrong.

His diet pills as he says are shredding the weight off him thus having minimal fat on his stomach to show his abdominal muscles. Every skinny fucker you see has a six pack, most of us just have a few pound in front of it. The thing is, it seems like he is taking the diet pills and working out. I'm wondering if these diet pills actually speed up your heart rate too which in turn tricks the body into thinking you are doing cardio when you aren't. If your pumping weights but shredding weight whatever it is at the same time, your never in a million years going to but on muscle. Your pecs are there, but you need to build on them. A balanced diet usually goes a long way too, plenty of protein is the trick.

Hey I'm not expert, but it's clear where your going wrong. Cut the diet pills which help you too lose weight, eat right (protein, protein, protein) and work relevant muscles whilst allowing them time to repair too.


----------



## rated_y2j11

I'm not sure if i'm meant to contribute to other peoples problems but i don't how much fitness knowledge so couldn't even if i wanted to...anyway i have a problem where my fairly well defined abs bulges out further than my chest kinda making me look fat. Not sure what to do to get my chest muscles bigger or if the problem is poor posture make my stomach stick out, tbh my lower back does have quite a curve and i have no idea how to sort that out. 

Thanks for all suggestions.


----------



## El Conquistador

Word said:


> Clueless as the rest of us? It's easy to see where he is going wrong.
> 
> His diet pills as he says are shredding the weight off him thus having minimal fat on his stomach to show his abdominal muscles. Every skinny fucker you see has a six pack, most of us just have a few pound in front of it. The thing is, it seems like he is taking the diet pills and working out. I'm wondering if these diet pills actually speed up your heart rate too which in turn tricks the body into thinking you are doing cardio when you aren't. If your pumping weights but shredding weight whatever it is at the same time, your never in a million years going to but on muscle. Your pecs are there, but you need to build on them. A balanced diet usually goes a long way too, plenty of protein is the trick.
> 
> Hey I'm not expert, but it's clear where your going wrong. Cut the diet pills which help you too lose weight, eat right (protein, protein, protein) and work relevant muscles whilst allowing them time to repair too.


?

...nice rant.

I wasn't refering to any of what you mentioned. I meant "clueless as the rest of us" in the sense that all of us seem to know more than we do, in actuality (including myself). I didn't mean nobody here has any knowledge when it comes to fitness.

All I meant was he/she should consider another manner of presenting his or her opinion(s).


----------



## Rajah

Hahaha, finally this thread gets lively!

Diet pills? A little more info would be good. Ones you get from supplement stores are thermogenic tablets that are supposed to increase your metabolism. Prescription ones we get here are usually called Duromine. My wife has been able to get it for me for free, she's a nurse. I took them to try them out and lost 6 kilos in about 2 weeks without trying anything different. A good diet is the best thing for anyone trying to lose weight. Situps/crunches etc won't enable you to lose fat. It's not possible.

I think what Father Flex is trying to say is people need to be careful with the advice they give and take from this thread. Experts seem to come and go. Offer advice by all means but be careful in the manner with which you do it.


----------



## Rush

rated_y2j11 said:


> I'm not sure if i'm meant to contribute to other peoples problems but i don't how much fitness knowledge so couldn't even if i wanted to...anyway i have a problem where my fairly well defined abs bulges out further than my chest kinda making me look fat. Not sure what to do to get my chest muscles bigger or if the problem is poor posture make my stomach stick out, tbh my lower back does have quite a curve and i have no idea how to sort that out.
> 
> Thanks for all suggestions.


do you have access to a gym, weights or anything? otherwise simple bodyweight exercises (push ups + the varients of those) are a decent way to start.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> I think what Father Flex is trying to say is people need to be careful with the advice they give and take from this thread. Experts seem to come and go. Offer advice by all means but be careful in the manner with which you do it.


This(!) is well said. 

And just because I mentioned this doesn't mean you have to listen, either. There's a fine line that if crossed, can steer someone's impression (in the fitness world) the wrong way. 

Only my two cents, of course. Giving some tips; that's all.


----------



## Legendary Ora

So I was wondering on opinions here.

What daily vitamin pills do you take or recommend taking. Just for maintaining or gaining a more healthy lifestyle and such.

I take Vitamin D daily, since I've been recommended it. 

No need for Vitamin C, since I have enough fruit.

I was wondering for not just Vitamins, but if those heart omega-3 pills or joint pills and such would effect positively no matter what. I mean I have some joint pain, but I mean I'm a young healthy guy, I wouldn't want to ruin it, reliant on a bunch of pills that damage me in any way. Thanks.


----------



## Rush

personally, i wouldn't take any vitamin pills whatsoever. you should be getting enough from a decent diet. As for vitamin D, you need more sun son :side:


----------



## Legendary Ora

Sticksy said:


> personally, i wouldn't take any vitamin pills whatsoever. you should be getting enough from a decent diet. As for vitamin D, you need more sun son :side:


Oh no I'm tanned and out enough. It's just proven that still most people benefit from getting Vitamin D, health wise.


----------



## Rush

most people get enough from sun exposure and a little from their diets.


----------



## TKOK

What are some foods that are high in carbs and fiber?


----------



## Rajah

High Carb Food

High Fiber Food

The brain gets stronger when you use it. Try it.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Legendary Ora said:


> So I was wondering on opinions here.
> 
> What daily vitamin pills do you take or recommend taking. Just for maintaining or gaining a more healthy lifestyle and such.
> 
> I take Vitamin D daily, since I've been recommended it.
> 
> No need for Vitamin C, since I have enough fruit.
> 
> I was wondering for not just Vitamins, but if those heart omega-3 pills or joint pills and such would effect positively no matter what. I mean I have some joint pain, but I mean I'm a young healthy guy, I wouldn't want to ruin it, reliant on a bunch of pills that damage me in any way. Thanks.


I take Opti-Men from Optimum Nutrition ( http://www26.netrition.com/optimum_opti_men_page.html ). For an Omega supplement, I add a teaspoon of Flax seed oil to my shake. I do not take fish oil supplements as you can burp and have a fishy smell coming from your mouth.


----------



## Panzer

My friend owes me 10 bucks now for saying I can't draw heat. 

Did I mention that the advice I take is from people I work out with at the gym who have been doing it for years? One guy has been doing it for almost 25 years in fact. So I know the specific diet pills I take are good. Of course, not everyone is the same and was told to quit if I experienced any adverse side effects. It may not help you but it helps me so fuck anyone for speaking for me. If I came off as too arrogant then I apologize but if I feel like I can give some input into a certain manner, I'm going to to damn well do so.

Father Flex, I'm pretty sure you know a lot more than me about working out but never speak for me.


----------



## RatedRudy

does anyone here take jack3d or any other pre-workout supplement, is it cool like if i mix up a jack3d drink but only drink half of it and save the other half for my next workout which can be like a few days, does it last in there or does it go bad, just making sure, also how many scoops do you take for it to be effective


----------



## Panzer

RatedRudy said:


> does anyone here take jack3d or any other pre-workout supplement, is it cool like if i mix up a jack3d drink but only drink half of it and save the other half for my next workout which can be like a few days, does it last in there or does it go bad, just making sure, also how many scoops do you take for it to be effective


I always drink mine after my workouts while my muscles are still tender so it will absorb quicker. And all it takes is one scoop and 8 ounces of milk for me. I have Body Fortress vanilla flavor. With the milk, it tastes like a fucking milkshake. It's great.

And it depends. What kind of drink are you using to mix with and how many scoops do you normally put in? At that, how many teaspoons is that scope? As for going bad, I wouldn't know. You can probably find out on their website.


----------



## Rajah

RatedRudy said:


> does anyone here take jack3d or any other pre-workout supplement, is it cool like if i mix up a jack3d drink but only drink half of it and save the other half for my next workout which can be like a few days, does it last in there or does it go bad, just making sure, also how many scoops do you take for it to be effective


I've been using Jack3d for a few months now and I think it's one of the better pre-workouts around. The ony thing I don't like with it is the caffeine content. I usually train in the evenings so I have to be careful soemtimes taking it too late otherwise it will interupt my sleep. I also use a product called Biocharge, which is made by an Australian company. More or less the same as Jack3d but has no caffeine.

Don't mix it and keep it. The creatine will breakdown into creatinine which is not good. Creatinine is basically the waste product of creatine. 

Why would you mix it and only drink half? I usually have 2-3 scoops of Jack3d and drink it all in one go, about 30 minutes before my workout.


----------



## RatedRudy

Rajah said:


> I've been using Jack3d for a few months now and I think it's one of the better pre-workouts around. The ony thing I don't like with it is the caffeine content. I usually train in the evenings so I have to be careful soemtimes taking it too late otherwise it will interupt my sleep. I also use a product called Biocharge, which is made by an Australian company. More or less the same as Jack3d but has no caffeine.
> 
> Don't mix it and keep it. The creatine will breakdown into creatinine which is not good. Why would you mix it and only drink half?


o ok yeah i'll just throw it away then. thanks. yeah its cuz it was just a sample they had given me at GNC. the total serving was like 16 grams and i heard somewhere that's the equiliavent of 3 scoops. it says on the sample on the back to pour all the contents into a cup of water and only drink half and if i don't feel it right away, to drink the other half but i didn't want to drink the other half knowing it was gonna be like 3 scoops in total, i heard 3 scoops is too much for some ppl so yeah, i'am new to this pre-workout supplement business so i just want to be careful.


----------



## Panzer

Rajah said:


> I've been using Jack3d for a few months now and I think it's one of the better pre-workouts around. The ony thing I don't like with it is the caffeine content. I usually train in the evenings so I have to be careful soemtimes taking it too late otherwise it will interupt my sleep. I also use a product called Biocharge, which is made by an Australian company. More or less the same as Jack3d but has no caffeine.
> 
> Don't mix it and keep it. The creatine will breakdown into creatinine which is not good. Why would you mix it and only drink half?


I use a hybrid of an isolate and concentrate. If having to choose one or the other as a single choice instead of a hybrid, would you choose isolate or concentrate? I mean, since isolate is more expensive, does that mean it's more effective?


----------



## Enigma

Anyone here used that 5x5 stronglifts plan?


----------



## Rajah

Enigma said:


> Anyone here used that 5x5 stronglifts plan?


Yeah, I used it a couple of months ago when using Natadrol (Google, or read previous posts for info). Strength increases were amazing, at least 10-15% across the board.


----------



## The Enforcer

*P90X*

Has anybody on here tried P90X? I recently decided that all of my old workouts were getting boring and wanted to give this a shot since it seems to be getting a lot of positive reviews. Not sure I want to drop $130 for a workout program though so any input would be great.


----------



## Amber B

*Re: P90X*

You can find the complete set on ebay for 90 bucks.

I did Insanity instead only because the original P90X commercials creeped me out and reminded me of Mark Wahlberg in Fear. I was already healthy and worked out a lot and Insanity kicked my ass.


----------



## Myers

*Re: P90X*

I have been doing P90X for the past six weeks. It's very intense but well worth the payoff. I'm sure you can find the dvd's to download online, that's what I did.


----------



## UnsungZer0

*Re: P90X*

I've seen torrents for it floating around on the net. I've heard it was well worth the cash though. I've considered trying it myself.


----------



## El Conquistador

@ Panther: do not know when I was speaking for you? 

@ Enigma: SL 5x5 isn't a bad program. I would actually recommend it to a beginner, next to Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. Nearly the same principles but in all honesty, novice lifters don't need 5 sets across. They can make extraordinary gains with 3 sets of 5 across at the same weight. So, I would say Starting Strength is the more appropriate program for novices but Stronglifts is a very nice alternative.

I actually went back on Starting Strength to increase my squat back up to what it was after losing some strength after a bout' with pneumonia. I can't promote the program enough.


----------



## Enigma

Thanks for the replies Rajah and Flex - I'll look into that Starting Strength program before starting one. Luckily I've just started a pretty labour-intensive job which involves a lot of lifting heavy stuff and a lot of walking around non-stop - tiring, but I imagine I'll be a lot stronger by the end of it.


----------



## Rush

make sure you have a decent lifting technique. had a couple of mates fuck their backs doing landscaping and labouring.


----------



## wildpegasus

Yeah, hard labour can be devastating on the body. It only takes one time to hurt yourself. Lift properly and do whatever you can to stay healthy.


----------



## Panzer

Sticksy said:


> make sure you have a decent lifting technique. had a couple of mates fuck their backs doing landscaping and labouring.


Speaking of lifting techniques, trust me when I say be careful on dumbbell squats. My legs feel like they're gonna collapse. And it all happened this past Wednesday! Doing better than I was though.


----------



## wildpegasus

Good collapse or bad collapse?


----------



## RICH ROCKHEAD

So I got myself a treadmill and have a set workout plan. I get on the treadmill for 30 minutes. 20 of which I will walk, and ten of which is running. The treadmill is also on a bit of an incline, which I am hoping helps. After that and a couple minutes rest, I do 50 situps followed by twenty pushups. Now I am trying to get rid of a bit of a belly, and shape up my stomach. Disregarding the pushup portion of the workout, would you guys say this is a good workout? Any altercations to be made?

P.S. I do the situps and pushups daily, but was planning on doing the treadmill 3 times a week. Open to suggestions.


----------



## El Conquistador

On a completely unrelated note, I am starting to makeover my garage into a gym. Just recently purchased some Pendlay bumper plates so they should be arriving soon. Starting to install a heating system in the garage, too as it is getting chilly here in Chicago.

Here's what else I need or should compile within the next month:

1. York Squat Rack
2. Pendlay Elite 20KG Bearing Bar
3. Platform / Rubber Mats
4. Pendlay Flat Bench
5. Collars, Technique Plates
6. New belt, do-win shoes, & foam roller

Still have about $1500 to invest (at the very minimum). It will be so worth it though.


----------



## Rajah

^^^Nice. I have a home gym setup.

*Multi station - high and low pulley, leg extension and machine press/fly. Approx 6 different bars and attachemnts
*Adjustable Bench - leg attachment and preacher pad attachment
*Smith Machine
*2 sets of Bowflex dumbells
*2 straight bars
*Ezy curl bar
*Weight stack with approx 200kg/440lbs worth of plates
*Treadmill
*Exercise bike
*Punch/Kick bag


----------



## El Conquistador

Rajah said:


> ^^^Nice. I have a home gym setup.
> 
> *Multi station - high and low pulley, leg extension and machine press/fly. Approx 6 different bars and attachemnts
> *Adjustable Bench - leg attachment and preacher pad attachment
> *Smith Machine
> *2 sets of Bowflex dumbells
> *2 straight bars
> *Ezy curl bar
> *Weight stack with approx 200kg/440lbs worth of plates
> *Treadmill
> *Exercise bike
> *Punch/Kick bag


Wow. Impressive. You've got it all, huh? Almost like a commercial gym with the multi station, free weights, and smith machine. I bet the gym treats you well. Sounds awesome.

An olympic weightlifting type of set up would work wonders for me. That's all I need. Platform to lift on, a squat rack, a barbell, and some bumper plates. I am salivating from the mouth while thinking about it. Mmmm


----------



## Rajah

The multi station is pretty basic but you can do a heap of stuff with it. Goes up to 180lbs/81kgs. I use mainly for pulldowns, seated rows and most tricep work. I love the Smith Machine.


----------



## El Conquistador

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxqquz4WeTk

Absolutely ridiculous.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Just a thought. 
There is a guy who is built like Batista (just comparing) but he is shorter. Probably 5'9. He comes to the pharmacy (where I work) and gets all these anti-depressants (he is a regular, being coming for 3 years maybe). The guy is kind of quiet, I talk to him a few times about supplements and working out for a little when we are not busy. He does not seem like he is happy. I try not get too personal with the guy as it is non of my business. But do some of you feel sad or depressed when working out? I mean I know your supposed feel "happier" as you get more self confidence, more energy, etc.... I myself feel great, but I just have little more of temper than usual (I have that latino temper), before I started working out years ago.


----------



## MF25

21 in January, 6.0ft 305lbs... Hey guys 8*D lol i embarked on my 'journey' when i injured my knee really badly playing football and couldnt really do much excercise for nearly a year, add to that a very poor diet for the last 4 years without ever really paying attention to my weight or rather, not caring too much it hit me a few weeks ago that maybe i should "sort myself out". 

I've lost 20lbs in 2.5 weeks with a diet consisting of a 'breakfast bar' (nutrigrain), no lunch (doubt many of you will think thats a good idea lol) and then dinner. I've also cut out all soft drinks and energy drinks (which i used to ONLY drink) and now drink water. I'm thinking that after a while this diet might backfire as i'm probably not gonna enough of something or other...

I have an elliptical trainer/cross trainer whatever theyre called and some weights, any ideas on some sort of routine? I've looked through the thread and i'm thinking i should do some weights before running, or walking as Rajah says it's better 

Also, am i right in thinking it's easier to turn fat into muscle? As opposed to simply gaining muscle from nothing? If this is the case then should i be turning a substantial amount of fat into muscle and THEN losing weight and thus becoming a tank? Or would i just end up looking like a smaller, whiter, version of Mark Henry?

Thanks for any help, maybe i should take a 'before' picture?


----------



## Rush

1. you can't turn fat into muscle.
2. your diet is still terrible. eat a better more nutritious breakfast, eat lunch as well. basically what is sounds like is that you're cutting way way back on calories, which is why you're losing weight. if you don't eat properly then your weight loss will plataeu, and you'll likely put the weight back on.


----------



## Goku

You cannot _turn_ fat into muscle. If you gain fat quickly, chances are you'll gain muscle quite quickly too, dependent on your body type. You can do both, build muscle and lose fat at the same time but I'd concentrate on one more than the other and let the other be a 'side-effect'.

If I were you, I would cut down on fat for a while until you're decently toned (8% - 10% body fat, maybe?). If you want a good physique, this would be better, but if you're in quick need of power and strength, then start lifting.

---

Question, how many calories do you burn usually per day? And what's your RMR?


----------



## MF25

On my iPhone so apologies for potential spelling and grammar mistakes.

According to 'shakeup.org' my RMR is 2421... As for how many calories I burn in a day it varies, most days I will be at a desk 9 to 5.30 so not very many but others I can be out and about lifting heavy items around and doing a bit of walking with said heavy items, how many calories that burns? Your guess is better than mine I'd imagine! And I try to burn 100 calories a night using my cross trainer, gonna step that up as of tonight though.

I'm reasonably strong due to lifting kit around so I'd say it's more about just losing weight, and a lot of it. I guess I took the 'noob approach' in thinking eating less is the be all and end all. From that shapeup site alone I can see why I still need a proper diet.

First thoughts atm are to wake up earlier, do say 10 minutes running/jogging/walking before having a shower and then some ACTUAL breakfast . As for lunch? Would something simple like chicken and salad sandwiches from the local shop and an orange be adequate?

And thanks for the advice so far.


----------



## Rajah

MF25 said:


> I have an elliptical trainer/cross trainer whatever theyre called and some weights, any ideas on some sort of routine? I've looked through the thread and i'm thinking i should do some weights before running, or walking as Rajah says it's better


Nutrigrain = sugar.

There are two "better" times to do cardio. First thing in the morning, before breakfast. If you're worried about losing muscle during that time you can have a protein shake before you cardio to feed your muscles. Otherwise cardio duirectly after a workout while your GH levels are hishest is also good. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go. 3 minute slow warmup, one minute fast, 30 seconds slow, one minute fast, 30 seconds slow etc and do a 3 minute slow cool down. You will burn more calories.fat this way than a constant run or jog.

For breakfast I sometimes zap 3 eggs in the microwave for just over 2 minutes. That'll give you a nice protein boost first up. Most breakfast cereals are high in sugar.

My resting metabolic rate is 3110. That was a 10 minute test with me hooked up to a machine with a tube in my mouth.


----------



## Goku

You can substitute oatmeal for cereals.

Also, I'm not a fan of steady state cardio but I wouldn't neglect it. I basically workout for _at least_ one hour daily (excluding martial arts, swimming, badminton, football, other sports etc.) and pretty much all of them bar swimming used explosive energy. Of course, for losing fat Intensity training would be more ideal but if sometimes, you have a little extra time on your hands, then just get some steady state cardio in. Always helps.

Also, from MF25's 'supposed' bodytype, I don't see him losing too much muscle with early morning cardio unless there's some drastic change to his diet.


----------



## Rush

MF25 said:


> As for lunch? Would something simple like chicken and salad sandwiches from the local shop and an orange be adequate?
> 
> And thanks for the advice so far.


yeah, simple things like tuna/chicken salad sandwiches are a good way to go. doesn't have to be a big meal but should be good to fill you up. 



Rajah said:


> There are two "better" times to do cardio. First thing in the morning, before breakfast. If you're worried about losing muscle during that time you can have a protein shake before you cardio to feed your muscles. Otherwise cardio duirectly after a workout while your GH levels are hishest is also good. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the way to go. 3 minute slow warmup, one minute fast, 30 seconds slow, one minute fast, 30 seconds slow etc and do a 3 minute slow cool down. You will burn more calories.fat this way than a constant run or jog.


A couple of my lecturers bang on about HIIT like its the best thing since sliced bread. So i did my assingment for one of their subjects on their research and other HIIT workouts comparing them to steady state workouts. While HIIT was better it wasn't as great as they talked it up which was dispponting. Also helped out some of the post-grad students to get some of my accreditation hours up, their protocols are 8 secs hard, 12 secs slow which is hard to stick to if you don't have their music tapes cueing you but it gets the heart pumping, doesn't take long and works reasonably well.


----------



## Goku

I usually do 40-hard, 20-slow secs for HIIT. 8,12 seems extremely short for intervals. Even Tabata goes 20,10 X 8.

HIIT using a kickbag is quite entertaining. 40,20 on it for 20 minutes will wear you thin.


----------



## Rush

its really more of a 10-10 split as you build up your speed with the count.

hard to explain exactly without having audio but

'slow' music 12 secs - countdown 3-2-1 while you build it up w/slow music
fast - 8 secs

rinse and repeat for 20 mins.

there are a ton of protocols for it though, just got to find one that suits you really.


----------



## Goku

No, I've seen it done before but it still seems too sharp, the turns.


----------



## Rajah

Hohenheim of Light said:


> You can substitute oatmeal for cereals.


Oats have carbs, not good for someone over 300 lbs trying to lose weight to have too many carbs.


----------



## MF25

Thanks for the advice gentlemen, would any of you reccomend any of the 'weight loss milkshakes' as a breakfast?


----------



## Goku

Not unless you like milkshakes for breakfast.


----------



## Something Savage

To be honest, his primary focus should be some resistance training. Even if he can't lift heavy, he should still be lifting first & foremost. Cardio is beneficial to someone in his situation, but it shouldn't be *the* focus.

If he's limiting his carbs (which he should) in order to help cut bodyfat, then he's going to be running low on glycogen stores at some point. It's more productive to generate his strength & energy toward an intensive and explosive session of resistance training than any cardio (regardless of whether it's done in the AM or the PM).

Resistance training and the resulting muscle mass will be more progressive for his goals than cardio, in the grand scheme of things.

Cardio is the seasoning. Resistance training's the main course. Eat up.


----------



## Kenny

Seeking help here. Don't shit all over me either. I'm a very demotivated person who has gone through a traumatic year - and would just like to know the eating patterns of some people on here, and what's a good startup for a beginner in terms of eating, exercise, fitness, cardio, weights, protein etc etc


----------



## RD25

Something Savage said:


> To be honest, his primary focus should be some resistance training. Even if he can't lift heavy, he should still be lifting first & foremost. Cardio is beneficial to someone in his situation, but it shouldn't be *the* focus.
> 
> If he's limiting his carbs (which he should) in order to help cut bodyfat, then he's going to be running low on glycogen stores at some point. It's more productive to generate his strength & energy toward an intensive and explosive session of resistance training than any cardio (regardless of whether it's done in the AM or the PM).
> 
> Resistance training and the resulting muscle mass will be more progressive for his goals than cardio, in the grand scheme of things.
> 
> Cardio is the seasoning. Resistance training's the main course. Eat up.


This.


----------



## Something Savage

> *Originally posted by King Kenny:*
> 
> _what's a good startup for a beginner in terms of eating, exercise, fitness, cardio, weights, protein etc etc_


It's pretty much impossible to pinpoint any sort of clear path for you without knowing your goals or where you're at now.

No one can give you directions if they don't know where you're leaving from or where you intend to go.

Any answer you'd get at this point would just be someone imposing their own ideas and goals on you.


----------



## Kenny

I want to lose 15-20kgs, and start working on getting into good physical shape.


----------



## Goku

Diet and exercise.

You can research your own diet. It isn't hard. For definite improvement, count them calories you ingest. Approximation will be enough as you should be consuming 20% less than what you'll expend. Desserts and sugar should be moderated as tightly as your will allows. Try and find healthier alternatives to everything you think is too loaded. Oats instead of cereal, wholegrain instead of refined, complex carbs instead of starch etc. Whatever helps you keep a good metabolism going. It's trial and error since your body will react distinctively.

Start off with some good steady state cardio (jogging, swimming, cycling etc). Around an hour each day (If you do decide to do more, might want to adjust your consumption so you don't get hypoglycemic/starved). You'll see easy improvement if you're just starting out. Once you've settled into the pace of things, experiment with HIIT (interval training) and circuit training. Add weights to your routines so you don't lose muscle mass (body weight exercises will work, depending on the intensity and technique).

Diet and exercise. Further doubts, ask.


----------



## Kenny

Thanks for that man, much appreciated.


----------



## OldschoolHero

so since this thread is dead....



Hows everyone coping with the Holidays? I know alot of people gain alot of weight, luckily im trying to gain some weight. Still trying to stay away from sweets though...


----------



## Kenny

Just after some opinions/insights on what/how everyone else does their exercise/fitness/working out in their gym/or whatever they have at home. Do you usually focus on one part of the body (e.g arms) in one day, or do you guys mix it up and try and balance out the body parts? 

Also, how does this sound for eating? I've been doing it recently, it's not the same everyday, but here's a general plan I guess:

Breakfast: 

Oates or Weatbix

Gym for 1-1.5 hours 
- So far I've been focusing moreso on my arms and shoulders, while still doing some workout on my legs. I've also done other parts of the body, but no real set plan yet as I've only joined the gym this week.

After or during my workout, I drink a whey protein shake. 

Lunch

Sushi Salmon Bento Box or Chicken wrap or Salmon Wrap (from a can)

Dinner

2 Wraps from the above

When home from work

Either bowl of fruit or another wrap.

What sort of exercises has suited you best for your arms/shoulders/legs/abs?


----------



## Rush

OldschoolHero said:


> so since this thread is dead....
> 
> 
> 
> Hows everyone coping with the Holidays? I know alot of people gain alot of weight, luckily im trying to gain some weight. Still trying to stay away from sweets though...


not gaining weight but staying steady although i haven't been at the gym as much as i'd like. cricket has been giving me some niggling injuries which make feeling like going to the gym a bit of a chore. like right now my hands are bruised right up and swollen atm which will take a day or so to come back down but they'll remain bruised for ages, still can't make a proper fist with my right hand due to dislocating a finger a couple of weeks back which means boxing is out (one of my favoured home activties), back is acting up a touch and my shoulder is ruined. getting back to it next week now that i'm completely done with uni for the year.


Kenny - as my goals in the gym are more centred on endurance rather than exercise i tend to do more cardio based activities although i do use cable machines for upper body work and occasionally some other machines. haven't done any bench pressing in ages due to fucking my collarbone up and i can't squat for shit. my form is absolutely awful.

generally do something like

a light warm up on either bike or treadmill. 
cable machine - chest press
push ups on a bosu ball
rowing machine
bike machine
cool down on a treadmill

i'l change out the cable machine and push ups for seated rows and lat pulldowns depending on days and whanot.


feeling like an absolute chick at the gym really but with all the injuries and whatnot i'm trying to be able to work for a long time (which works well in my sports) and scale back the bulking/strength training.

______________


what are you trying to work towards? (ie goals and whatnot)


----------



## bkkcheesepie

Hi Guys, Seems interesting, I would like to consult you guys on certain things

Overall I would like to loose weight before bulking up, I was at 90kg at a point, Now i'm down to 84kg, My target is 70-75 before bulking up...

Can i use protein completely to substitute carbohydrates?
How much is healthy?(So that no protein poisoning is involved)

For losing fats and gaining muscles, Is 2 cardio a week and 3 gym days enough? (Assuming arms and shoulders On Monday, Chest and back tuesday and legs on friday?) 

I feel that my weight loss is starting to plateau, In my first month I lost 6 kg in 3weeks Extremely happy with the results.. but slowly the change is not very visible now..(The weight is bobbing between 83 and 84..) I find that i'm starting to eat more carbs because I get this "feeling that i'm going to pass out" when i go for a 8km run..

So should i just focus on losing weight at first or should I do both weight training and Cardio (Since I need the strength in My legs for rugby and football..)

My diet, 

Usually on a gym day I'd eat slightly more protein (one cup of protein shake) and more carbs on a cardio day (half a bowl of rice/ noodles) 

I'm averaging about 1.7k calories on a cardio day and 2k on a Gym day.. 

However I'm starting to feel the effects of "Sugar fluctuations" (I'm not sure what the correct term is) I get hungry ever so often (like evry 4-5 hours) which results in occasional 4 meals a day... Is there a cure for this??


----------



## Rush

bkkcheesepie said:


> Can i use protein completely to substitute carbohydrates?
> How much is healthy?(So that no protein poisoning is involved)


absolutely not.



> For losing fats and gaining muscles, Is 2 cardio a week and 3 gym days enough? (Assuming arms and shoulders On Monday, Chest and back tuesday and legs on friday?)


depends on how hard you go really. intensity, types of exercise etc.



> I feel that my weight loss is starting to plateau, In my first month I lost 6 kg in 3weeks Extremely happy with the results.. but slowly the change is not very visible now..(The weight is bobbing between 83 and 84..) I find that i'm starting to eat more carbs because I get this "feeling that i'm going to pass out" when i go for a 8km run..
> 
> So should i just focus on losing weight at first or should I do both weight training and Cardio (Since I need the strength in My legs for rugby and football..)


focus on one or the other. either cut down or bulk up otherwise you're handicapping yourself. of course this also depends on your goals but doing both means you don't get a full benefit either way.


----------



## Kenny

Sticksy said:


> not gaining weight but staying steady although i haven't been at the gym as much as i'd like. cricket has been giving me some niggling injuries which make feeling like going to the gym a bit of a chore. like right now my hands are bruised right up and swollen atm which will take a day or so to come back down but they'll remain bruised for ages, still can't make a proper fist with my right hand due to dislocating a finger a couple of weeks back which means boxing is out (one of my favoured home activties), back is acting up a touch and my shoulder is ruined. getting back to it next week now that i'm completely done with uni for the year.
> 
> 
> Kenny - as my goals in the gym are more centred on endurance rather than exercise i tend to do more cardio based activities although i do use cable machines for upper body work and occasionally some other machines. haven't done any bench pressing in ages due to fucking my collarbone up and i can't squat for shit. my form is absolutely awful.
> 
> generally do something like
> 
> a light warm up on either bike or treadmill.
> cable machine - chest press
> push ups on a bosu ball
> rowing machine
> bike machine
> cool down on a treadmill
> 
> i'l change out the cable machine and push ups for seated rows and lat pulldowns depending on days and whanot.
> 
> 
> feeling like an absolute chick at the gym really but with all the injuries and whatnot i'm trying to be able to work for a long time (which works well in my sports) and scale back the bulking/strength training.
> 
> ______________
> 
> 
> what are you trying to work towards? (ie goals and whatnot)


Lose weight/gain muscle is my goal. I know that sort of sounds simple? But that's what I want. Sounds simple, but its not at all.

I joined the gym on Tuesday and so far from memory I've done:

Tuesday

- Treadmill for 10 mins
- Shoulder Press 
- Leg press 
- Chest 
- low/high pulleys
- Back workout
- Squat workout
- Exercise Bike to cool down

Thursday
- rowing exercise 
- pretty much the same from tuesday
- whey protein drink during workout/after workout

did the same yesterday and today really, and some other things like just lifting, etc. 

i haven't got the names of the cable machines all memorised as of yet, or a set plan, but yeah i've drank whey protein during/after my workout for the past 3 days, is that bad?


----------



## Barry_Darsow

King Kenny said:


> Lose weight/gain muscle is my goal. I know that sort of sounds simple? But that's what I want. Sounds simple, but its not at all.
> 
> I joined the gym on Tuesday and so far from memory I've done:
> 
> Tuesday
> 
> - Treadmill for 10 mins
> - Shoulder Press
> - Leg press
> - Chest
> - low/high pulleys
> - Back workout
> - Squat workout
> - Exercise Bike to cool down
> 
> Thursday
> - rowing exercise
> - pretty much the same from tuesday
> - whey protein drink during workout/after workout
> 
> did the same yesterday and today really, and some other things like just lifting, etc.
> 
> i haven't got the names of the cable machines all memorised as of yet, or a set plan, but yeah i've drank whey protein during/after my workout for the past 3 days, is that bad?


A couple things. First, is that the order of the exercises you're doing? If so, there are definitely some issues with it. Do the big muscles first...meaning doing shoulder presses before you do chest (whether it be bench press or whatever) is a mistake. The shoulders play a role in chest exercises, so what you're doing is tiring them out thus making your chest workout less effective cause you wont be able to handle as much weight. Also leg press before squat i dont like, leg press is more of a finisher type exercise...do squats first.

I think you've maybe got a little too much going on each workout. You'd probably be better off splitting it up (by muscle groups). An error alot of people make is doing too many exercises in one workout. They'll bounce from machine to machine to machine thinking the more exercises they do the better....and not even getting the full benefit from each lift. Rather than doing 6 or 7 different lifts per workout, try just doing 3 or 4 at the most and knock them out the park. Keep it simple. If you try and cram way too much into one workout right off the bat you'll probably get burned out to the point you start dreading going to the gym....and that will be that.

Im currently only doing one lift a day (thats the name of the routine) and loving it. Its an ideal program for me as the workouts are fast, and the program along with your goals is very cut and dry. If the weights didnt go up, you failed! I followed this routine for a few months a couple years ago and i have no idea why i even stopped in the first place. I dont think it would fit your goals though, as its more of a powerlifting type routine.


----------



## El Conquistador

OldschoolHero said:


> so since this thread is dead....
> 
> 
> 
> Hows everyone coping with the Holidays? I know alot of people gain alot of weight, luckily im trying to gain some weight. Still trying to stay away from sweets though...


I am enjoying the extra food. Training is okay - 2 sessions a day. A squat variation + clean variation everyday with some snatches, pressing, and occasional assistance thrown in. I have no reason to cut as of now so the sweets are delicious.


----------



## bkkcheesepie

Sticksy said:


> depends on how hard you go really. intensity, types of exercise etc.


Arms:
Curls, Reverse And regular, 60 times each. 15-20kg barbells(Depends if either one is being used at the moment)
Triceps extension 60 times (15kg both arms)
Triceps pull down 60 times (27kg~60pounds)
Regular and reverse grip wristcurls 60 times each. 10kg dumbells.

Shoulder
Shrugs 20kg barbell 120 times.
Shoulder presses 10kg 60 times
Something like a wing flap thing 10kg 60 time









Chest. 
Bench press 30kg 120 times.
Chest fly 20kg 60 times

Back 
Lats pull down 60 times 40kg.
Bent over rows 60 times 10-12kg dumbells or 20kg barbells

Legs
Squats(half and full) 60 times each 20kg barbells
Machine Hamstring stretcher 120 times 40kg (100 pounds)
Calf raises 120 times 20kg barbells or 10-12kg dumbells

Abs
Crunch 60 times.

Normally this is what I do. 3 sets of ten then I'd do the reverse side muscle (E.g Curls to tricep pull down)

Cardio Is usually 6 or 8km run, trying to break 30minutes and 40minutes respectively

The weights i'm using is considered tiring for me... especially when i'm doing the 90th-120th rep.. it always feels that my arms/legs/back is going to break.


In the case of Mine, I'm doing both because rugby season is going to start(2-3 more months).. and i think i need the strength excercises to help me.. 

So any ideas if i should maintain a 5day cardio to get me to 75 or do my current routine?


----------



## Goku

Break them down into sets. Are you doing 6 sets of 10 reps each?

If you're doing 60 reps straight (why would you do that?), then break them down into sets, increase weights and do like 8 - 12 reps a set.


----------



## Kenny

Barry_Darsow said:


> A couple things. First, is that the order of the exercises you're doing? If so, there are definitely some issues with it. Do the big muscles first...meaning doing shoulder presses before you do chest (whether it be bench press or whatever) is a mistake. The shoulders play a role in chest exercises, so what you're doing is tiring them out thus making your chest workout less effective cause you wont be able to handle as much weight. Also leg press before squat i dont like, leg press is more of a finisher type exercise...do squats first.
> 
> I think you've maybe got a little too much going on each workout. You'd probably be better off splitting it up (by muscle groups). An error alot of people make is doing too many exercises in one workout. They'll bounce from machine to machine to machine thinking the more exercises they do the better....and not even getting the full benefit from each lift. Rather than doing 6 or 7 different lifts per workout, try just doing 3 or 4 at the most and knock them out the park. Keep it simple. If you try and cram way too much into one workout right off the bat you'll probably get burned out to the point you start dreading going to the gym....and that will be that.
> 
> Im currently only doing one lift a day (thats the name of the routine) and loving it. Its an ideal program for me as the workouts are fast, and the program along with your goals is very cut and dry. If the weights didnt go up, you failed! I followed this routine for a few months a couple years ago and i have no idea why i even stopped in the first place. I dont think it would fit your goals though, as its more of a powerlifting type routine.


nah its not in order i did them, was just trying to remember what I did those days, and the ones listed first came into my head first.

so if i were to do a split, would something like this be good?

Monday (ARMS): 

(warmup) - rowing exercise
- Shoulder Press (10 x 10 reps of 25-30kgs)
- high/low pulleys (10 x 10 reps of 35-40kgs)
- Arm Press (10 x 10 reps of 30-35kgs)
- deadlift (30-40kgs on bar, 10 x 10 reps)
- bicep curls (if this is the one im thinking of), 10 x 10 reps of 30kgs)
- cardio exercise bike to cool down, burn fat - 10-15 minutes
(i'm a little braindead atm, so i cant think of the other ones I'd use atm)

Tuesday (cardio rest day) - 20-30 mins on exercise bike (i don't have much time on this day, so I use what I have at home, plus will lift weights most likely to)



Wednesday (legs)

(warmup) - Treadmill (10 Minutes)
Leg Press 10 x 10 reps of 45-50kgs
Leg Curl 10 x 10 reps of 40kgs
Calf workout - 10 x 10 reps of 30-40kgs
Squat workout - 10 x 10 reps of 35-40kgs)

(possible repeat of above)

cardio exercise bike 10 minutes to cool down

Thursday (chest)

This is the one I need help with, can someone recommend some exercises?

Friday/Satirday unsure at the moment.

I aim to go to the gym 4-5 days a week, with the days off used for cardio exercise bike + lifting at home.


----------



## bkkcheesepie

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Break them down into sets. Are you doing 6 sets of 10 reps each?
> 
> If you're doing 60 reps straight (why would you do that?), then break them down into sets, increase weights and do like 8 - 12 reps a set.


yeah i do in sets of 10, alternating the muscles every 3 sets. (I.e 3x10 curls to 3x10 triceps pull down) I believe its called super sets?

Oh and can you advise me if i should continue this routine or to do 5 days of cardio instead? I'm hoping to lose extra fats and then rebulk in the future


----------



## Barry_Darsow

King Kenny said:


> nah its not in order i did them, was just trying to remember what I did those days, and the ones listed first came into my head first.
> 
> so if i were to do a split, would something like this be good?
> 
> Monday (ARMS):
> 
> (warmup) - rowing exercise
> - Shoulder Press (10 x 10 reps of 25-30kgs)
> - high/low pulleys (10 x 10 reps of 35-40kgs)
> - Arm Press (10 x 10 reps of 30-35kgs)
> - deadlift (30-40kgs on bar, 10 x 10 reps)
> - bicep curls (if this is the one im thinking of), 10 x 10 reps of 30kgs)
> - cardio exercise bike to cool down, burn fat - 10-15 minutes
> (i'm a little braindead atm, so i cant think of the other ones I'd use atm)
> 
> Tuesday (cardio rest day) - 20-30 mins on exercise bike (i don't have much time on this day, so I use what I have at home, plus will lift weights most likely to)
> 
> 
> 
> Wednesday (legs)
> 
> (warmup) - Treadmill (10 Minutes)
> Leg Press 10 x 10 reps of 45-50kgs
> Leg Curl 10 x 10 reps of 40kgs
> Calf workout - 10 x 10 reps of 30-40kgs
> Squat workout - 10 x 10 reps of 35-40kgs)
> 
> (possible repeat of above)
> 
> cardio exercise bike 10 minutes to cool down
> 
> Thursday (chest)
> 
> This is the one I need help with, can someone recommend some exercises?
> 
> Friday/Satirday unsure at the moment.
> 
> I aim to go to the gym 4-5 days a week, with the days off used for cardio exercise bike + lifting at home.


Kenny- when you're writing "10 x 10 reps", do you mean 10 sets of 10 reps on EACH? That looks like a drastic overkill version of German volume training. That is waaaaay too much for that amount of lifts. That workout looks like it would take 2-3 hours. I wouldnt suggest doing more than 2 lifts per workout using 10 X 10. You really dont want your workout going much past an hour. If you want that rep scheme, i would suggest following something like this http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/luis13.htm You seem like your gunning for alot of volume so maybe that could work for you. Take it easy on the cardio though as this is a tough program and would end up being counterproductive and hurt muscle gains.

If you're doing your own routine, for chest you can get by just sticking to variations of the bench press, whether it be barbell flat/incline...or dumbbell flat/incline. Ive always been predominantly a barbell guy, but you could mix them up. Like maybe do barbell flat/dumbbell incline for a few weeks, and then flip flop it or something. Definitely dont do all 4 of them in one workout! I would suggest doing the barbell exercise first in the order if you do mix them, as ive always found it really awkward feeling going from dumbbell then to barbell. Theres also cable shit you can do as well as flies, but the benching is the meat and potatoes.

By the way, on a side note what you're calling your "Arms" workout, really isnt an arm day. Arm day is more commonly referred to as a triceps/biceps isolating workout...which i definitely wouldnt recommend anyway.


----------



## Barry_Darsow

bkkcheesepie said:


> yeah i do in sets of 10, alternating the muscles every 3 sets. (I.e 3x10 curls to 3x10 triceps pull down) I believe its called super sets?
> 
> Oh and can you advise me if i should continue this routine or to do 5 days of cardio instead? I'm hoping to lose extra fats and then rebulk in the future


A superset is this:

Set 1 : Barbell curl - 10 reps/ Triceps pull down - 10 reps (NO REST IN BETWEEN EXERCISES)

Rest (90-120 seconds or whatever...)

Set 2: same as set 1

Rest again

Set 3 : same

Rest again

and so on..


----------



## Rated Y2J

I hit the gym pretty damn hard this past year and a half and have dropped 8 stone. Because of which, i've lost a shitload of muscle aswell as fat. My problem now is loose skin, anyone have any recommendations to sort that shit out? The gym I go to is about 2 miles out and considering it's Christmas time, it's simply too cold to bike there, and unfortunately my Nan has passed away, when she used to drive me there. I can't drive, but i'm 18 so i'm planning on starting to learn to drive early next year. 

My Dad and I go perhaps once a week (Admittedly, as of late, sometimes no times a week), but he's working out in London so we can't go 3 times a week anymore. I do have some dumbells though, and an exercise bike. So yeah, is there anything I can do at home? I jog on the spot quite frequently for about 35 minutes. I just want to lose this loose skin on my stomach, I hear that after loosing 100 pounds or so you get loose skin and just have to wait for it to tighten seeing as it's been stretched for so long, is there any truth to this? It seems plausable.


----------



## Kenny

Barry_Darsow said:


> Kenny- when you're writing "10 x 10 reps", do you mean 10 sets of 10 reps on EACH? That looks like a drastic overkill version of German volume training. That is waaaaay too much for that amount of lifts. That workout looks like it would take 2-3 hours. I wouldnt suggest doing more than 2 lifts per workout using 10 X 10. You really dont want your workout going much past an hour. If you want that rep scheme, i would suggest following something like this http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/luis13.htm You seem like your gunning for alot of volume so maybe that could work for you. Take it easy on the cardio though as this is a tough program and would end up being counterproductive and hurt muscle gains.
> 
> If you're doing your own routine, for chest you can get by just sticking to variations of the bench press, whether it be barbell flat/incline...or dumbbell flat/incline. Ive always been predominantly a barbell guy, but you could mix them up. Like maybe do barbell flat/dumbbell incline for a few weeks, and then flip flop it or something. Definitely dont do all 4 of them in one workout! I would suggest doing the barbell exercise first in the order if you do mix them, as ive always found it really awkward feeling going from dumbbell then to barbell. Theres also cable shit you can do as well as flies, but the benching is the meat and potatoes.
> 
> By the way, on a side note what you're calling your "Arms" workout, really isnt an arm day. Arm day is more commonly referred to as a triceps/biceps isolating workout...which i definitely wouldnt recommend anyway.


Nah I didn't mean that. Sorry to confuse. 

I did my arms today (asked for advice on what to do) and has a good workout. What should I do tomorrow? chest or legs? what pattern or order do you guys usually follow in the week?

I'm seeing a personal trainer on Thursday, so hopefully that'll clear things up and help me out.


----------



## Rush

> * Chest: bench press, chest press machine, pushups, pec deck machine
> 
> * Back: seated row machine, back extensions, lat pulldowns
> 
> * Shoulders: overhead press, lateral raise, front raise
> 
> * Biceps: bicep curls, hammer curls, concentration curls
> 
> * Triceps: tricep extensions, dips, kickbacks
> 
> * Lower Body: Squats, lunges, leg press machines, deadlifts, calf raises
> 
> * Abdominals: crunches, reverse crunches, oblique twists, pelvic tilts


Here Kenny, just a rough guide on exercises to target different muscle groups.

Now of those, forget bout doing bicep and tricep stuff. Arm muscles are tiny in comparision to other muscle groups and are also getting a workout when you're doing other stuff. Not much point in trying to do isolated work on them unless you're trying to be a bodybuilder and want every bit of you to be ripped or you're vain and like to show your guns to everyone.

For me i don't do any abdominal or leg work in the gym. I can do all that at home and i don't need weights for my leg workout (basically just a lot of lunges and trying to squat with proper form and technique). Now in addition to that my shoulders are pretty well fucked for a lot of the time due to cricket so anything i do with them is more on ROM and basic strength things like cubans and whatnot. 

So for the gym i tend to alternate between chest and back. I try to get in the gym on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I have cricket training on Thursday and games on Saturday so i have Monday and Friday as rest days (when i'm actually on track )

Also 10x10?  you really do 10 sets with 10 reps?


----------



## bkkcheesepie

Hey sticksy, care to help me out?

I'm mainly training my body for rugby season (2-3 mths) from now, Should I be concentrating on Strength training or Focusing on losing weight(Since I can't sprint very fast) then bulking Up. I play prop/lock (Kinda Like blocks in AF)


----------



## Rush

i'm Australian, i know what rugby is 

Right now i'd be focusing on trimming the fat. Obviously with it being christmas time don't get too caught up in it, have some fun, enjoy some sweets, then start with the cutting. Once you've dropped the excess fat, then start bulking up with a more strength based program.


----------



## Goku

Fat loss is only governed by how much you eat and how much you expend. Concentrate on strength training while limiting your cardio. You won't lose your muscle and the body will be forced to burn fat. Just make sure that your nutrition is right and not to let yourself get too hungry.

Concentrate on fat loss. Then bulk. You'll risk gaining more fat unless you have your eating habits in check when bulking.


----------



## bkkcheesepie

Thanks Guys!!

I guess fat loss it is the way to go then.. I do need carbs in my diet right? So can i eat Unrefined Rice and beans instead of bread and potatoes?


----------



## Rush

yeah, you still need carbohydrates in your diet. Otherwise you'll just end up losing weight through being glycogen depleted (thus having no energy and losing the water that comes with storing that energy) and put the weight back on when you start eating properly.


----------



## bkkcheesepie

Ok thanks Sticksy(As well as the guy with a Lightning Siggy) Your guys a Big Help to me.. Just a few more question before i hit the gym. 

Should I do circuit training as in 0 rests between sets? I heard its as tiring as running 3 miles when done right..

Whats Carbo Reflux and Should i drink protein shake everyday??(Say today i gym and tomorrow I do Cardio like cycling or running, is it good to drink protien shakes)


----------



## Goku

You shouldn't be drinking protein shakes AT ALL. You're cutting down, what's the point of supplying your body with excess energy? Protein/carb recovery after strength training is important when bulking, not when you're cutting. Force your body to use break down fat and use that for the depleted glycogen. It's a 100X easier to lose FAT if you know exactly what to do. You can research it on the net quite easily. Then if you have doubts and need personal clarification, ask here. It's not that I'm not glad to help but you'll get a much better understanding and (dare I say it) motivation from doing the research yourself.

I know people don't like to do it (especially during the holidays) but I'm gonna say count your calories. Most effective way to burn fat.


----------



## bkkcheesepie

Hohenheim of Light said:


> You shouldn't be drinking protein shakes AT ALL. You're cutting down, what's the point of supplying your body with excess energy? Protein/carb recovery after strength training is important when bulking, not when you're cutting. Force your body to use break down fat and use that for the depleted glycogen. It's a 100X easier to lose FAT if you know exactly what to do. You can research it on the net quite easily. Then if you have doubts and need personal clarification, ask here. It's not that I'm not glad to help but you'll get a much better understanding and (dare I say it) motivation from doing the research yourself.
> 
> I know people don't like to do it (especially during the holidays) but I'm gonna say count your calories. Most effective way to burn fat.


Ok thanks bro, Shant be a Leech now.. But your making a damn good point there thanks!

Honestly I like running and cycling, It De/Un-Stress me from the busy assignments i have... Right now i'm averaging a 1.7-1.8k diet hopefully its enough to lose another 10kg 2mths from now..

>> Yuri for you =D


----------



## Kenny

Sticksy said:


> Here Kenny, just a rough guide on exercises to target different muscle groups.
> 
> Now of those, forget bout doing bicep and tricep stuff. Arm muscles are tiny in comparision to other muscle groups and are also getting a workout when you're doing other stuff. Not much point in trying to do isolated work on them unless you're trying to be a bodybuilder and want every bit of you to be ripped or you're vain and like to show your guns to everyone.
> 
> For me i don't do any abdominal or leg work in the gym. I can do all that at home and i don't need weights for my leg workout (basically just a lot of lunges and trying to squat with proper form and technique). Now in addition to that my shoulders are pretty well fucked for a lot of the time due to cricket so anything i do with them is more on ROM and basic strength things like cubans and whatnot.
> 
> So for the gym i tend to alternate between chest and back. I try to get in the gym on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I have cricket training on Thursday and games on Saturday so i have Monday and Friday as rest days (when i'm actually on track )
> 
> Also 10x10?  you really do 10 sets with 10 reps?


Nah, not 10x10. I think I made a mistake there. I'll do 1 set anywhere between 5-10 (depending on the weight im pushing). And then repeat that 5-10 more times (or lower for how many times I do it) Does that make more sense?

I haven't been at the gym for the past 2 days (sore from gym + work), but I'm just doing squats, situps, pushups at home today before I head into work. I see a personal trainer tomorrow at 8am, so hopefully that'll give me a better understanding of what I need to do.

I really appreciate the help from everyone, thanks heaps.


----------



## rawesjericho

Hohenheim of Light said:


> You shouldn't be drinking protein shakes AT ALL. You're cutting down, what's the point of supplying your body with excess energy? Protein/carb recovery after strength training is important when bulking, not when you're cutting. Force your body to use break down fat and use that for the depleted glycogen. It's a 100X easier to lose FAT if you know exactly what to do. You can research it on the net quite easily. Then if you have doubts and need personal clarification, ask here. It's not that I'm not glad to help but you'll get a much better understanding and (dare I say it) motivation from doing the research yourself.
> 
> I know people don't like to do it (especially during the holidays) but I'm gonna say count your calories. Most effective way to burn fat.


disregard this advice. go drink your protein shakes after training because your msucles need to recover whether you are cutting or bulking. you wanna lose fat not muscle


----------



## Goku

And it's because of conflicting advice that you should be researching your own stuff in the first place.


----------



## Rush

i say don't drink protein shakes if you're cutting as your diet should be enough to supplement the workout. Most people over do their protein from their diet alone and excess protein turns to fat which is the opposite of what you're trying to achieve here.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> i say don't drink protein shakes if you're cutting as your diet should be enough to supplement the workout. Most people over do their protein from their diet alone and excess protein turns to fat which is the opposite of what you're trying to achieve here.


any excess calories will turn into fat. as long as your total calories are not high its alrite to have high protein diet


----------



## Alim

So unlike others.. I need to put on weight. I'm 17 years old, 5'10 and weigh about 132lbs. I've been hitting the gym for the past couple of months and people are telling me I won't gain a lot of muscle unless I gain mass first. So how can I get 'bigger' while eating healthy at the same time? So please don't suggest eating McDonalds every meal and a stick of butter every 5 minutes.


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

rawesjericho said:


> disregard this advice. go drink your protein shakes after training because your msucles need to recover whether you are cutting or bulking. you wanna lose fat not muscle


agree with this.
You need your protein to help build muscle and recover.
The more muscle you have , the more calories you burn at rest.
You are going to lose some muscle cutting so you want to minimize it.
Just eat clean , get your macros and create a calorie deficit each day and you'll lose weight. 
Also drink lots of watch and drink and get in a good bit of fiber.

You want to cut down into a body with lean muscle , not into a flag pole


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

Alim said:


> So unlike others.. I need to put on weight. I'm 17 years old, 5'10 and weigh about 132lbs. I've been hitting the gym for the past couple of months and people are telling me I won't gain a lot of muscle unless I gain mass first. So how can I get 'bigger' while eating healthy at the same time? So please don't suggest eating McDonalds every meal and a stick of butter every 5 minutes.


well some people do dirty bulk.
They roll up to a fast food place and kill as much food as possible.
If you are 5'10 132 I'd almost suggest eating EVERYTHING you can get your hands on.
Just don't eat empty dumb stuff like twinkies and hohos. If you are going to pig out at least grab from protein out of it.

If you want to clean bulk .....
Steak , Chicken breasts and Fish allllllll day every day. Tuna , Cottage cheese , oats<-----
Also egg whites are money. When I bulk I can eat a carton of eggs a day. EGG WHITES. If you eat that many yellows I'm pretty sure you'll have a heart attack haha.
You need to be taking protein after EVERY work out and then eating about 30mins to an hour after.
Get your carbs from vegetables and get all your healthy fats in. 
For bulking you almost have to take a good mulivitamin. Not your crappy walmart men's 1 a day.
I suggest Animal Pak.
You also need to take fish oil and omega3.
You also need a GOOD protein and if you are really serious casein before bed. I'd mix them with 2% or even whole milk for the extra fat and calories.
Life heavy and eat , eat , eat , eat. Your body is made in the kitchen. 

You are probably going to gain a little fat , but that happens. You bulk up , cut down , bulk up , cut down etc etc.
Clean bulking will minimize fat tho

If I were you I'd be shooting for 2500-3000 calories a day

Also be patient. You aren't going to gain 70lbs of muscle in 3 months.
Just work , work , work and it will come


----------



## Kenny

so yeah, got a program made up for me today to tailor my goals/wants of weight loss (primary goal) and muscle building. this is just a startup, because im a beginner.

Treadmill for 5 minutes
Seated Row (12-15 reps, 3 sets)
Chest Press (12-15 reps, 3 sets)
shoulder press (12-15 reps, 3 sets)
hammer curl (12-15 reps, 3 sets)
bench dip (12-15 reps, 3 sets)
smith squat or alternate squat exercise (12-15 reps, 3 sets)
leg extension (12-15 reps, 3 sets)
oblique twist (10-12 reps, 2 sets)
MB crunch level 2 (10-12 reps, 2 sets)


----------



## Rush

rawesjericho said:


> any excess calories will turn into fat. as long as your total calories are not high its alrite to have high protein diet


now you're just talking out of your ass. excess protein will turn into fat regardless of what else your diet consists of. high protein diets are terrible.


----------



## Rush

WutChagoNAdoBrothA said:


> *agree with this.
> You need your protein to help build muscle and recover.*
> The more muscle you have , the more calories you burn at rest.
> You are going to lose some muscle cutting so you want to minimize it.
> Just eat clean , get your macros and create a calorie deficit each day and you'll lose weight.
> Also drink lots of watch and drink and get in a good bit of fiber.
> 
> You want to cut down into a body with lean muscle , not into a flag pole


you should be able to get enough protien from your diet. obviously if you can't work out your diet correctly to incorporate enough protein then a protein shake after a workout helps but honestly its just a waste imo.


----------



## Goku

Protein shakes aren't meal substitutes. They're supplements. You don't need to _supply_ your body with excess energy when you're cutting.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> now you're just talking out of your ass. excess protein will turn into fat regardless of what else your diet consists of. high protein diets are terrible.


seems like you dont know anything about nutrition. carbs, protein and even fats are used for energy first before they get stored. if you are eating less carbs then your body will use fats and proteins as your energy source. calorie deficit will cause you to lose weight regardless of how much protein is in your diet. 
look for keto diet, high fat and protein is a well known diet plan to lose fat. i have abs and i have high protein diet with no problem.


----------



## Rush

you don't burn fats without carbohydrates  Secondly, i hope you realise the adverse effects of a keto diet? for one, your cholesterol is probably through the roof.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> you don't burn fats without carbohydrates  Secondly, i hope you realise the adverse effects of a keto diet? for one, your cholesterol is probably through the roof.


its not for long term. keto diet for certain time to lose weight isnt going to do any harm.

anyways u were saying excess protein will turn into fat regardless of what else is in the diet. success of keto diet proves u didnt know what u were talking about


----------



## Rush

a keto diet will primarily dehydrates the body so while you lose weight, fat loss isn't great. In this guys case, fat loss is his primary concern atm, as he is looking to cut down on fat then bulk for an entire season of rugby (long term goal). Keto diets also generally just fuck around with your kidneys. The fact that you'd advocate it for a bloke who isn't a full on gym junkie and wants to cut and then bulk for rugby is asinine.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> a keto diet will primarily dehydrates the body so while you lose weight, fat loss isn't great. In this guys case, fat loss is his primary concern atm, as he is looking to cut down on fat then bulk for an entire season of rugby (long term goal). Keto diets also generally just fuck around with your kidneys. The fact that you'd advocate it for a bloke who isn't a full on gym junkie and wants to cut and then bulk for rugby is asinine.


well keto causes your body to use stored fat as primary energy source so no its not dehydration weight loss. 
and i wasnt telling him to go on a keto diet. i just brought it up as an example because of your claim of excess protein turning into fat. 
like i said calorie deficit will cause you to lose weight. so having little more protein in your diet as long as total calories count isnt above your maintenance will help u lose weight


----------



## Rush

Keto diets do not use your stored fats as an energy source. You cannot burn fat without carbohydrates. Keto diets use free fatty acids and also the breakdown of amino acids through gluconeogensis to fuel the brain. However they're not nearly as effective thus your brain function is impared, ph of your blood increase, cholesterol increases, kidney stones form etc etc. its great for bodybuilders, completely useless in this case.

You know why the keto diet was created? to treat epilepsy. Thats the function of a ketone diet, to reduce the overactive brain function associated with epilepsy. Any normal person just stacks on any weight they've lost on the diet straight back on when they eat properly.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> Keto diets do not use your stored fats as an energy source. You cannot burn fat without carbohydrates. Keto diets use free fatty acids and also the breakdown of amino acids through gluconeogensis to fuel the brain. However they're not nearly as effective thus your brain function is impared, ph of your blood increase, cholesterol increases, kidney stones form etc etc. its great for bodybuilders, completely useless in this case.
> 
> You know why the keto diet was created? to treat epilepsy. Thats the function of a ketone diet, to reduce the overactive brain function associated with epilepsy. Any normal person just stacks on any weight they've lost on the diet straight back on when they eat properly.


keto is low carb, not no carb. classic keto has very less carbs, but there are other modifications with added carbs. yea it was created for epilepsy but now is widely used for weight loss, not exclusive to bodybuilders. it will cause some problems at the beginning and thats why many quit but after sometime the body will get used to it. and again like i said its not for long term. after keto you will gain some water weight not fat. ofcourse if one goes back to eating carelessly not watching total calories intake you will gain fat. you could still gain fat in keto if you're in calories surplus.


----------



## llamadux

I need some exercises I can do in a very tiny space with maybe a few dumbbells. I'm starting to get a pug gut.
I don't really leave my house or my room so I can't run around or go lift weights. Any ideas?


----------



## Rush

rawesjericho said:


> keto is low carb, not no carb. classic keto has very less carbs, but there are other modifications with added carbs. yea it was created for epilepsy but now is widely used for weight loss, not exclusive to bodybuilders.


anyone who uses it who isn't suffering from epilepsy or is looking to shed weight before a competition is an idiot.



> it will cause some problems at the beginning and thats why many quit but after sometime the body will get used to it. and again like i said its not for long term.


both those sentences contradict one another.



> after keto you will gain some water weight not fat.


because you are losing water mass from being glycogen depleted. Carbohydrates stored in the form of glycogen are heavily hydrated. When you eat less carbs you have less glycogen (energy) and therefore lose weight through the dehydration due to not carrying the water in storing the glycogen in your muscles and liver.



> ofcourse if one goes back to eating carelessly not watching total calories intake you will gain fat. you could still gain fat in keto if you're in calories surplus.


thats true for any diet or any eating plan.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> anyone who uses it who isn't suffering from epilepsy or is looking to shed weight before a competition is an idiot.
> 
> 
> 
> both those sentences contradict one another.
> 
> 
> 
> because you are losing water mass from being glycogen depleted. Carbohydrates stored in the form of glycogen are heavily hydrated. When you eat less carbs you have less glycogen (energy) and therefore lose weight through the dehydration due to not carrying the water in storing the glycogen in your muscles and liver.
> 
> 
> 
> thats true for any diet or any eating plan.


there is no glycogen depletion on keto diet, though there is usually a short period of adjustment usually less than a week where you're losing water weight. but then your body will get used to the diet and protein can be converted to glucose.


----------



## Rush

there is a glycogen depletion. that week, thats your body depleting itsself of glycogen and the water associated with storing it. protein to glucose is just an inefficient way to fuel your body.

this argument has got so far off the original point :lmao


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> there is a glycogen depletion. that week, thats your body depleting itsself of glycogen and the water associated with storing it. protein to glucose is just an inefficient way to fuel your body.
> 
> this argument has got so far off the original point :lmao


your original point was excess protein will turn to fat which is not true. if you're on a calorie deficit u wont be gaining fat no matter how much protein is in your diet. 

about keto its a popular form of diet for weight loss and there have been many losing weight with it. your claim of it only being water weight is simple not true 



> When glycogen stores are not available in the cells, fat (triacylglycerol) is cleaved to give 3 fatty acid chains and 1 glycerol molecule in a process called lipolysis. Most of the body is able to utilize fatty acids as an alternative source of energy in a process called beta-oxidation. One of the products of beta-oxidation is acetyl-CoA, which can be further used in the Krebs cycle. During prolonged fasting or starvation, acetyl-CoA in the liver is used to produce ketone bodies instead, leading to a state of ketosis.
> During starvation or a long physical training session, the body starts utilizing fatty acids instead of glucose. The brain cannot use long-chain fatty acids for energy because only medium-chain fatty acids (which are scarce in most foods) can cross the blood-brain barrier.[1] However, the ketone bodies produced in the liver can cross the blood-brain barrier. In the brain, these ketone bodies are then incorporated into acetyl-CoA and used in the Krebs cycle.


----------



## Rush

no the original point was giving advice to the bloke who asked. excess protein in a normal diet will cause fat gain. end of. keto diets are not normal, they're not advisable and are certainly not healthy.

notice how they keep using terms in that blurb you just posted about starvation? its because you're not eating the right nutrients and you're starving yourself.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> no the original point was giving advice to the bloke who asked. excess protein in a normal diet will cause fat gain. end of. keto diets are not normal, they're not advisable and are certainly not healthy.
> 
> notice how they keep using terms in that blurb you just posted about starvation? its because you're not eating the right nutrients and you're starving yourself.


by starvation it obviously meant starving your body of carbs

im taking excess protein and im not gaining any fat. gaining or losing weight depends on total calories ur taking. having more protein in your normal diet is fine. if you did more research you would know.


----------



## Goku

No duh, calorie deficit wouldn't cause fat gain. But eating a high protein diet and thereby sacrificing carbohydrates and fats isn't the optimum way to create that calorie deficit. It will cause all sorts of problems. Your brain will starve b/c it takes more time for fuel to reach there. You'll get hypoglycemic, stay tired all the time etc..

Why did you bring up a ketogenic diet? Using such a diet for fat loss is very, VERY ill-advised.


----------



## rawesjericho

Hohenheim of Light said:


> No duh, calorie deficit wouldn't cause fat gain. But eating a high protein diet and thereby sacrificing carbohydrates and fats isn't the optimum way to create that calorie deficit. It will cause all sorts of problems. Your brain will starve b/c it takes more time for fuel to reach there. You'll get hypoglycemic, stay tired all the time etc..
> 
> Why did you bring up a ketogenic diet? Using such a diet for fat loss is very, VERY ill-advised.


that dude was talking about taking protein shake after training and u were scaring him off saying it will turn into fat lol. a little increase of protein in your diet isnt going to cause any problem.


----------



## Rush

rawesjericho said:


> by starvation it obviously meant starving your body of carbs
> 
> im taking excess protein and im not gaining any fat. gaining or losing weight depends on total calories ur taking. having more protein in your normal diet is fine. if you did more research you would know.


no, prolonged fasting or starvation. use your head mate.

you might not be gaining any fat but you're a fucking idiot for being on a ketogenic diet. don't give me the do more research crap mate, ketogenic diets will be and forever remain to be absolutely asinine to prescribe in this case. i don't give a fuck what you do but giving someone else flawed advice is just stupid.


----------



## rawesjericho

Sticksy said:


> no, prolonged fasting or starvation. use your head mate.
> 
> you might not be gaining any fat but you're a fucking idiot for being on a ketogenic diet. don't give me the do more research crap mate, ketogenic diets will be and forever remain to be absolutely asinine to prescribe in this case. i don't give a fuck what you do but giving someone else flawed advice is just stupid.


i didnt say i was on keto, i said im taking high protein, there is a difference. your initial claim of excess protein turning into fat regardless of what else is in the diet was retarded. that guy just wanted to take protein shake after training, he wasnt talking about going on extreme high protein diet. a little increase in protein is fine, losing weight depends on total calories count not on the amount of protein. more protein could instead help on preserving muscle while he is on a cut.

u dont see me gaining fat with excess protein


----------



## Goku

rawesjericho said:


> that dude was talking about taking protein shake after training and u were scaring him off saying it will turn into fat lol. a little increase of protein in your diet isnt going to cause any problem.


Drinking a protein shake will compensate calories from whole foods, which is BAD. Why would you want excess calories when you're cutting?


----------



## El Conquistador

I'm squatting everyday under the Bulgarian principles (more along the lines of John Broz's programming). So far I find it incredibly challenging. Without cycling intensity & volume, it's draining squatting to a max every single session and then doing back off sets @ 90% of your daily max. 

12 days deep so far. I've built up quite a tolerance. I don't get sore anymore. My legs are just numb to pain. The only real problem I've encountered is having the mental capacity to continue to keep the right approach in regards to technique. 

Must note that I'm hitting 92%-100% of my all time 1RM consistently now (well, the last five days at least). Still hoping for a PR to come along.


----------



## Bullseye

Is cardio the quickest way to shed fat?


----------



## Rush

having increased muscle leads to increased calories burned.


----------



## Bullseye

K, so dumbbell curls and benchpressing on top of that helps?


----------



## Rush

dumbbell curls are pretty useless imo. 

resistance exercises that use bigger muscle groups are always more effective. bench pressing is good, if you don't have access to a gym then bodyweight exercises are pretty handy. what do you do atm?


----------



## Goku

Stone Cold sXe said:


> Is cardio the quickest way to shed fat?


Yes, it is the _quickest_ way, coupled with a good diet.


----------



## Bullseye

Rush said:


> dumbbell curls are pretty useless imo.
> 
> resistance exercises that use bigger muscle groups are always more effective. bench pressing is good, if you don't have access to a gym then bodyweight exercises are pretty handy. what do you do atm?


atm I'm jogging and swimming, and using a pilates row-machine sorta thing (doing 30 reps per position)


----------



## Rush

meant in terms of time/distance/reps/sets/weights etc  hard to judge otherwise. like technically today i walked, jogged, spinted, swam and lifted some weight but i wasn't 'working out' so to speak. just general crap around my house.


----------



## Bullseye

Rush said:


> meant in terms of time/distance/reps/sets/weights etc  hard to judge otherwise. like technically today i walked, jogged, spinted, swam and lifted some weight but i wasn't 'working out' so to speak. just general crap around my house.


The backyard is 70m gate to gate so I usually jog that in a 10 "lap" circuit I guess (so 700m), then I usually do 20 laps of the 10m pool (so 200m), and with the pilates thing, inside the box it came with recommended exercises to do with it, and I do 30 reps of each exercise (6 different). Usually do all of this over an hour.

Not really lifting weights except for general shit around the house such as bags of concrete, laundry baskets etc.

I'd just go the gym but not really confident with that yet. Want to trim a little off and then hit it with my mates who do a shitload of weights and cardio


----------



## Rush

alright good start. Try and now increase the amount of distance you run and swim. Little bits at first, say another 2 laps of the pool and maybe an extra lap of the backyard over the next 2 weeks.


----------



## Rated Y2J

I'm planning on going to wrestling school late this year/early next, and obviously need to build some sort of muscle seeing as I only weigh 9st13, which is about 140pounds I believe, and i'm 5ft 10 1/2. I used to weigh 18st 6, and that was obviously fat, but i've slimmed down quite a shitload over the last year and a half after going to the gym constantly.

Basically, I did too much cardio work, and i've got a little bit of loose skin on my stomach area which needs sorting out. I was just wondering if anyone had any idea on how much I should train? I don't do many dumbells, or much lifting at all, infact. I've no idea where to start on that. Whenever I go to the gym I mostly run for 15 mins, chest press, ab toner, hip abductor, another ab toner, shoulder press, and then cool down. I know that's not enough, so I need some sort of guidelines to what I should be doing. The gym owner told me to eat twice as much too, which I admittedly find quite hard to do, but i'm determined enough to do it. I've got some 10kg dumbells at home and they're enough for me at the moment but I should obviously look to lift much, much more in the future. So any help will really be appreciated, thanks.


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

Stone Cold sXe said:


> Is cardio the quickest way to shed fat?


cardio it's self doesn't make you lose weight.
It's not like you can say .... oh i ran this morning so it's cool that I each this large pizza
It's all about calorie deficit. Cardio helps that obviously since you are burning calories to help create a deficit.
It's doesn't matter if you do 3 hours of cardio ... if you are still eating 2000 calories over maintenance you are going to gain weight/not lose weight.
A lot of people lose weight and don't even do cardio

Weight training > cardio since muscle mass burns calories.
Both combined is great , but the final answer is your diet is the quickest way to shed fat. Cardio is a great tool to aid in reach a calorie deficit each day


Also the whole excess protein makes you gain fat thing.... for the love of christ STFU
If the protein fits into your macros and a daily calories you aren't going to gain fat.
One certain macronutrient isn't going to make you fat as long as you are within your diet. 
On a bulk everyone is going to gain a % of fat depending on how clean your diet is. 
You need 1-1.5 grams of protein per lb of weight you are


----------



## Barry_Darsow

Rated Y2J said:


> I'm planning on going to wrestling school late this year/early next, and obviously need to build some sort of muscle seeing as I only weigh 9st13, which is about 140pounds I believe, and i'm 5ft 10 1/2. I used to weigh 18st 6, and that was obviously fat, but i've slimmed down quite a shitload over the last year and a half after going to the gym constantly.
> 
> Basically, I did too much cardio work, and i've got a little bit of loose skin on my stomach area which needs sorting out. I was just wondering if anyone had any idea on how much I should train? I don't do many dumbells, or much lifting at all, infact. I've no idea where to start on that. *Whenever I go to the gym I mostly run for 15 mins, chest press, ab toner, hip abductor, another ab toner, shoulder press, and then cool down.* I know that's not enough, so I need some sort of guidelines to what I should be doing. The gym owner told me to eat twice as much too, which I admittedly find quite hard to do, but i'm determined enough to do it. I've got some 10kg dumbells at home and they're enough for me at the moment but I should obviously look to lift much, much more in the future. So any help will really be appreciated, thanks.


Eating twice as much with that routine will get you nowhere. You might gain weight, but not in the form you're hoping for. But you already know that. I'd chill out on the ab stuff first of all...as well as the cardio. You can do some light running for maybe 5 minutes before you hit the weights, but dont overdo it. You dont want to be huffing and puffing before you even start lifting. 15 minutes is way too long. Throw that ab shit at the end of your workouts if you really want to do it....thats accessory stuff. You definitely dont want to be that guy who goes to the gym, does a bunch of ab exercises and dumbell curls and goes home. I would just stick with the basic big exercises for now, like bench press, rowing, and squatting. Something like the Starting Strength routine is always a good choice. Obviously though you will be massively limited in what you can accomplish at home as far as accumulating muscle with 20lb dummbells though.


----------



## Kenny

How does this sound? 

Trying to devise a plan/schedule again for my workouts.

Saturday - sort of the "start" of the week for me. 

*Back and Chest*

- lat pulldowns
- seated row (straight back)
- bent over row
- chest press
- bench press 
- cable standing fly
- dumbbell bench press

Sunday - either dayoff/break or exercise bike + weights at home (its all I have at home, so its undecided)

Monday -

*Shoulder + weight training exercises*

- sled shoulder press
- dumb bell front raise
- dumbbell shoulder press (maybe)
- EZ Bar Curl
- hammer curls
- preacher curls
- dips (tricep version)
bench dips
- something else (suggestions?) 

Tuesday - *BREAK*

Wednesday - *Focus on cardio*

Thursday - *Leg and Stomach Exercises*

- leg press
- leg extension
- leg curls or something else which I can't remember what its called)

(note: I'm not comfortable with squats at the moment, which is why I'm not doing the "best" squat exercises yet)

- decline abdominal crunches
- medicine ball or holding weight crunches
- oblique twists

Friday - unsure? 

Saturday - startover.

Would love your thoughts, but don't go ranting and raving about it, because I'm simply learning and getting the hang of things, designing a workout suitable for me.


----------



## Hotdiggity11

Stone Cold sXe said:


> Is cardio the quickest way to shed fat?





Cardio in itself doesn't lose the weight. It will also be food choice first, exercise second. You can do all the cardio in the world but if your food choice kills the entire effort, you will either gain weight or remain level.


----------



## mjrox

Hey up! Started a training log over on menshealth if anyones interested. 
http://www.menshealth.co.uk/community/forums/thread/1154211


----------



## mjrox

King Kenny said:


> How does this sound?
> 
> Trying to devise a plan/schedule again for my workouts.
> 
> Saturday - sort of the "start" of the week for me.
> 
> *Back and Chest*
> 
> - lat pulldowns
> - seated row (straight back)
> - bent over row
> - chest press
> - bench press
> - cable standing fly
> - dumbbell bench press
> 
> Sunday - either dayoff/break or exercise bike + weights at home (its all I have at home, so its undecided)
> 
> Monday -
> 
> *Shoulder + weight training exercises*
> 
> - sled shoulder press
> - dumb bell front raise
> - dumbbell shoulder press (maybe)
> - EZ Bar Curl
> - hammer curls
> - preacher curls
> - dips (tricep version)
> bench dips
> - something else (suggestions?)
> 
> Tuesday - *BREAK*
> 
> Wednesday - *Focus on cardio*
> 
> Thursday - *Leg and Stomach Exercises*
> 
> - leg press
> - leg extension
> - leg curls or something else which I can't remember what its called)
> 
> (note: I'm not comfortable with squats at the moment, which is why I'm not doing the "best" squat exercises yet)
> 
> - decline abdominal crunches
> - medicine ball or holding weight crunches
> - oblique twists
> 
> Friday - unsure?
> 
> Saturday - startover.
> 
> Would love your thoughts, but don't go ranting and raving about it, because I'm simply learning and getting the hang of things, designing a workout suitable for me.


It's look awful I'm afraid (not having a go just saying). If i were you i would something like this to start with then move onto something more advanced if you like. 

*note: I'm not comfortable with squats at the moment, which is why I'm not doing the "best" squat exercises yet)*

At the risk of sounding like a dick, the only way you will get comfortable with squats, is to squat i'm afraid. If you new to them start off with goblet squats (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKmrXTx6jZs ). These will help you get more used to the plane of movement.

Here is what i would do 

Workout A:
Goblet squat
Weighted dip
Bent over row
Military press
Bi curls
Planks

Workout B:
Deadlift
Benchpress
Chins (if you struggle then do lat pulldowns instead)
DB shoulder press
Tri pushdowns
Jacknifes

So the week would look like this:
Saturday: A
Sunday: off
Monday: B
Tuesday: off
Wednsday:A
Thursday & Friday off
Saturday: B
You get the picture.
Do 3 sets of 8 for everything.

Hope this is helpful


----------



## RKO920

I have been working out at the gym for 5 months. I do cardio, i do most of the machines for biceps and triceps at the gym and I do bicep curls. I have developed alot of muscle, but I only usually see it when I flex. Anyone know how long it will take to get cut?


----------



## Captain - Charisma

I go to the gym 3 times a week and do light weights with a lot of reps, I do jogging for cardio which is usually mon - fri.


----------



## Josh

RKO920 said:


> I have been working out at the gym for 5 months. I do cardio, i do most of the machines for biceps and triceps at the gym and I do bicep curls. I have developed alot of muscle, but I only usually see it when I flex. Anyone know how long it will take to get cut?


probably varies with different people i assume, what were you like before you started working out (skinny, fat, etc)


----------



## RKO920

I was like 200 when I started. Now I am at 194 because I recently stopped drinking soda. I never had alot of fat, but I lost some of it and still have some though. I had little muscle before hand.


----------



## Something Savage

There are so many variable factors to be considered here - diet, nutrition, training frequency, volume of weights used, cables versus free weights, amount of cardio, and the list just goes on.

If you're wanting to keep or build a big frame, focus on the compound lifts. These are the heavy hitters. They're the meat and potatoes, so to speak, of a good lifting regiment. These are your deadlifts, squats, bench presses, and military presses. Without them, you're wasting a lot of time & effort in the long run.

Think of it as a foundation. You can't build a two-story house or a skyscraper with no solid foundation. Bicep curls alone aren't going to amount to much without a wide/thick back, quads, larger traps, broader shoulders, etc.

I'll say it again. Cardio and isolation lifts are the seasonings and side platters. Heavy, compound lifts are your main course.

Dig in.


----------



## Goku

Has anybody here tried pushing the Tabata protocol into the 10 minute range? I get burned out after 6 minutes pretty much, even though you're only supposed to be able to sustain the effort for 4.


----------



## Rush

Tabata protocol is 20 secs hard, 10 secs rest right? Haven't tried it although i did have to help out a few of the postgrad students looking at a HIIT protocol of 8 secs hard 12 secs rest (although it was really more 10/10). Tried it out, was easy enough. 20 secs on, 10 secs rest would be a killer though.


----------



## Goku

Yeah that's it. Added it into my training routine b/c of how much it burns in so short a time. It's a pretty good trick to improve your anaerobic conditioning. I do it prior to my steady cardio workout usually (moderate intensity). Can also send your heart into hyperdrive so might not want to do it if you're not 100% heart-healthy.


----------



## DesolationRow

Agree with *Something Savage* (I'm often finding myself saying that around here). Compound lifting is the main thoroughfare, and the isolation workouts are side streets that are great to spend some time on, but in support of your travels on the main artery. Compound lifting is crucial to building substantial muscle mass. The more muscles utilized in one workout routine, the better. If you happen to have a big frame like I happen to, then compound lifting is like taking what should be a good foundation based on size, and taking it to, well, not its _full_ potential--but at least taking advantage of it. 

The Tabata protocol is a solid exercise for cardio; I do it regularly for about five minutes, but I don't want to take it any further than that (at least at 20 seconds hard, 10 seconds rest), because while I'm sure it does indeed do wonders for your heart health in a reasonable dose, I'm not personally intrigued by the possibilities that a lot of hardcore enthusiasts of it exclaim to be true. Just basic cardio training with a decent helping of the Tabata protocol for maximum fat loss--or at least maximum as far as I'm concerned I'm willing to go to at this juncture--does it for me. But there's definitely something to the Tabata protocol.


----------



## El Conquistador

Something Savage said:


> There are so many variable factors to be considered here - diet, nutrition, training frequency, volume of weights used, cables versus free weights, amount of cardio, and the list just goes on.
> 
> If you're wanting to keep or build a big frame, focus on the compound lifts. These are the heavy hitters. They're the meat and potatoes, so to speak, of a good lifting regiment. These are your deadlifts, squats, bench presses, and military presses. Without them, you're wasting a lot of time & effort in the long run.
> 
> Think of it as a foundation. You can't build a two-story house or a skyscraper with no solid foundation. Bicep curls alone aren't going to amount to much without a wide/thick back, quads, larger traps, broader shoulders, etc.
> 
> I'll say it again. Cardio and isolation lifts are the seasonings and side platters. Heavy, compound lifts are your main course.
> 
> Dig in.


Well said.


----------



## Henry Hill

I don't bother with weights, I build strength through running up hills.


----------



## Zen

Henry Hill said:


> I don't bother with weights, I build strength through running up hills.


me too!  FOr legs of course but I'm am planning to start squatting soon because of all the excellent benefits I've heard from it.


----------



## Something Savage

Squats are absolutely awesome for gaining mass & building strength. On the other hand, they slaughter my knees.

I think my own routine could use a serious boost from incorporating more regular use of squats in my regimen, but I'm a diehard deadlift-junkie.


----------



## Captain - Charisma

Henry Hill said:


> I don't bother with weights, I build strength through running up hills.


I really don't do much weights for my legs either, my runs keep them nice and toned.


----------



## Rush

my squat technique is terrible. comes from a combination of tight quads, never learned how to do it properly and me playing as a wickerkeeper for 6 years (and counting).


----------



## Zen

same I'd pick deadlift over squats anyday I hate squatting


----------



## El Conquistador

There's more of a positive correlation with squat > deadlift in contrast with deadlift > squat.

In a perfectly controlled trainining program, with the same variables, it seems as though increasing your squat numbers without training your deadlift will raise your deadlift numbers accordingly. Conversely, the same isn't necessarily true or proven yet in regards to the deadlift increasing your squat (if you were to train the deadlift without training the squat for weeks on end).

All in all, you would probably be better served training both concurrently unless you had some limitations. This is just a tested experiment that's been run across a few years ago (can't remember the year this experiment was published off hand).


----------



## Rated Y2J

I've been doing a few squats as of late, and been doing bicep curls lately also (That's not it, but the last week or so it is, as i've been pretty damn ill). I'm getting quite toned, but I still have the unfortunate loose skin problem, which I am actually going to see a doctor about next week as it's annoying the hell out of me. I'm going to Florida this year in September for the first time, so i'd like to be in some sort of shape so I can take my shirt off and enjoy the holiday.

I haven't been to the gym much as of late as i've just got over the flu, but i'm planning on going again this week. Instead of doing 15 minute jogging, I now do 5 minutes, and a fair share of weight training throughout the hour that i'm there. Infact last time I worked really hard, and really enjoyed it. It's enough for me, as I have a previous back problem that could stop me from even beginning wrestling training, so I wrote to my surgeon and i'm awaiting a reply on whether he'd advise me to take it up or not. If not, then I wouldn't have to work as hard, as I have to build atleast 40 pounds of mass or so, as i'm only 140lbs at the moment.

I'm not saying that if my surgeon tells me not to wrestle that I will give up working out, as I enjoy it. But I just wont work as hard to build the 40+ pounds or so of mass.


----------



## Zen

Do you guys ever follow some of the training programs on the internet ebooks dvd's etc or do you guys do your own workouts?


----------



## Rush

follow my own workout. most of the time i'm just mucking around in the gym. well not really mucking around, just not worrying so much about rigidly sticking to anything.


----------



## Something Savage

I'm a control freak. I'm extremely anal about my regimen, regardless of whether I intend to be or not. During downtime, I'll find myself thinking about what groups I've already hit, what groups I could hit again, and what's been lagging.

There's no doubt that squats are very important for building mass and building strength. I go through phases of dedicating a lot of time and effort to squats (and quads in general), but then I generally fall back off and resort to the same old same.

Deadlifts are definately my personal favorite. Squats are definately something I proscratinate and dread. And, in fact, I think I try to force it to the back of my mind & look for reasons to avoid them whenever possible - such as the fact that I work construction, in piperacks, etc. and *hate* the feeling of having sore legs for days on end - while having to climb and crawl and shit for work.

Regardless, I think I'll force myself to incorporate them into my routine more often again now. Why the hell not? I've already recognized that it's a problem. I just need to man up & get back to it more regularly.


----------



## El Conquistador

KnightMace said:


> Do you guys ever follow some of the training programs on the internet ebooks dvd's etc or do you guys do your own workouts?


I started off on Starting Strength and made some fairly good progress. Any training based around the theories of Bill Star and Mark Rippetoe are generally good for strength and mass gains. 

As of recently, I've transitioned into olympic weightlifting so I've been running the Bulgarian program for something along the lines of two & a half months now. My goal was to get my total around 1200 lbs then switch to something a bit more entertaining (OL).

Most programs you will find in magazines, on the internet, etc,. are highly falsified, let alone impractical.


----------



## Zen

Father Flex said:


> I started off on Starting Strength and made some fairly good progress. Any training based around the theories of Bill Star and Mark Rippetoe are generally good for strength and mass gains.
> 
> As of recently, I've transitioned into olympic weightlifting so I've been running the Bulgarian program for something along the lines of two & a half months now. My goal was to get my total around 1200 lbs then switch to something a bit more entertaining (OL).
> 
> Most programs you will find in magazines, on the internet, etc,. are highly falsified, let alone impractical.


That is true cause you read like 3 different things from different magazines to the same situation/problem etc.

The best trainer is trial/error or a proper program.


----------



## El Conquistador

KnightMace said:


> That is true cause you read like 3 different things from different magazines to the same situation/problem etc.
> 
> The best trainer is trial/error or a proper program.


Call me dull in the head but I can not make sense of this. I do not understand what you are speaking about in the quoted context (apart from the trial/error).


----------



## Rush

pretty sure he's basically saying that you hear different things from different people and you just have to use some trial and error to find what is best for you.


----------



## Something Savage

I'd agree with that. You can pick & choose bits or pieces from others' programs, but you're never going to just "stumble" across the perfect program for *YOU* without putting it into action for yourself.

Photos, videos, or the author of some article won't determine what's best for you. They won't keep you motivated enough, rested enough, or nourished enough to hit the gym 3-5 times a week.

Likewise, there's not one poster here who can answer your question of, "What should I do?"

We can merely offer advice and suggestions. It's going to take you applying it and seeing what works with your life, your schedule, and your body type to determine whether or not it's efficient in the end.


----------



## Nicky Flash

How do you guys split your workouts? This is my schedule:

Sunday: Chest/Tris
Monday: Biceps/Forearms
Tuesday: Abs/Legs
Wednesday: Back/Shoulders
Thursday: Full body

My friend who I go to with likes to do full body workouts on Thursday, but I feel like that is kind of pointless because we are over training. So what do you guys think? Yay or nay to full body?


----------



## Zen

Father Flex said:


> Call me dull in the head but I can not make sense of this. I do not understand what you are speaking about in the quoted context (apart from the trial/error).


what I meant was everyone is different different programs will have different results for some people, by listening to your body and trying out different things and seeing what works and what doesn't. That's what's best for you, not some random guy who has supposedly figured out the perfect workout.

Of course there are some things you should always follow such as form etc. But I am talking about the overall structure of the workout.


----------



## Zen

Skill said:


> How do you guys split your workouts? This is my schedule:
> 
> Sunday: Chest/Tris
> Monday: Biceps/Forearms
> Tuesday: Abs/Legs
> Wednesday: Back/Shoulders
> Thursday: Full body
> 
> My friend who I go to with likes to do full body workouts on Thursday, but I feel like that is kind of pointless because we are over training. So what do you guys think? Yay or nay to full body?


There is no point doing a full body workout on the same week when your already training pretty much all the muscle groups in your body, your not giving your muscles enough time to recover.


----------



## Nicky Flash

KnightMace said:


> There is no point doing a full body workout on the same week when your already training pretty much all the muscle groups in your body, your not giving your muscles enough time to recover.


Thats exactly what I thought, thank you.


----------



## Something Savage

You should generally aim for 3 days of recovery before training the same muscle group again. Of course, that's also dependent on other factors. Even so, you wouldn't want to make it a weekly ritual. Otherwise, you *are* going to hit a plateau and run into overtraining at some point.


----------



## Zen

What are your guys favorite exercises for back muscles? SUch as traps, lats, lower back


----------



## Nicky Flash

KnightMace said:


> What are your guys favorite exercises for back muscles? SUch as traps, lats, lower back


My personal favorites are one arm dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns, chin ups, and deadlifts.


----------



## El Conquistador

For anyone interested in my opinion on "overtraining", look into John Broz's philosophy. It's worth a read for anyone interested in training from a philosophical point of view.

I was going everyday, 2x a day for close to three months but recently lowered the intensity & volume to give my mind a break.

As of now, it's three full body workouts on non-consecutive days. Plan on going back in a few weeks.


----------



## X-Pensive Wino

I'm after some advise for exercises to lose weight and to just generally get into shape. Due to a pain that i get in my knees i've had no luck finding any kind of exercise that i can do regularly. In the past i've bought an exercise bike, a cross trainer and twist steppers, and had to sell them all because i just couldn't use them due to my knees.

I'm really unfit, and whilst i've always been very unhappy about it, due to my knees i've just had to put up with it, but i'm at a point now that i'm really sick of it and want to get into shape. Also my son's nearing the age where i'd really like to be able to take him to the park and kick a ball about and stuff.

I don't really need advice on muscle toning and the like, what i'm after is suggestions for low impact exercises that can aid weight loss (with a healthy diet of course).

EDIT: Actually low impact isn't what i really mean, rather something that wouldn't require constant bending at the knees.


----------



## Rush

swimming is a pretty good exercise that doesn't place huge strains on the knee. Not sure if you can swim though :side:


----------



## X-Pensive Wino

I'm not a particularly strong swimmer no, swimming lengths is not something that i'd do to well with.


----------



## Zen

Skill said:


> My personal favorites are one arm dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns, chin ups, and deadlifts.


Pretty much same for me.

I find back muscles harder to workout and gain mass


----------



## Goku

How many excess calories do you guys consume per day while bulking? (% if that's how you calculate) My body's relatively efficient with muscle mass building, so my week would most roam around the areas of 0 - 300 excess calories. Cut down to -300 once per week b/c my nutrition isn't as clean as I like. Seems to be working well at the moment.


----------



## Ham and Egger

I maintain a good body figure by having sex at least 3 times a week and I keep arms in shape by fapping with both arms. /sarcasm.


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

Hohenheim of Light said:


> How many excess calories do you guys consume per day while bulking? (% if that's how you calculate) My body's relatively efficient with muscle mass building, so my week would most roam around the areas of 0 - 300 excess calories. Cut down to -300 once per week b/c my nutrition isn't as clean as I like. Seems to be working well at the moment.



I do 500 over maintenance when bulking
500 under when cutting


----------



## Zen

Skill said:


> My personal favorites are one arm dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns, chin ups, and deadlifts.


you should try pull ups instead, harder but works the lats a lot more


----------



## seancarleton77

A buddy of mine is a fitness freak and he just comes over and we work out in my basement workout room. Been going every day for just about 2 weeks and I'm already noticing resluts. I'm also eating a lot of vegetables and fruits and getting my protein.


----------



## Something Savage

That's great. There's no motivation like seeing noticeable, positive changes. Results will keep you hitting the weights more than anything else, honestly.

What sort of lifts are you guys doing? A lot of compounds? If not, I'd suggest incorporating as many compound lifts as possible. Because, if seeing results is what you want, compounds will get you there a hell of a lot faster than isolation movements - the curls, extensions, etc.


----------



## seancarleton77

Something Savage said:


> That's great. There's no motivation like seeing noticeable, positive changes. Results will keep you hitting the weights more than anything else, honestly.
> 
> What sort of lifts are you guys doing? A lot of compounds? If not, I'd suggest incorporating as many compound lifts as possible. Because, if seeing results is what you want, compounds will get you there a hell of a lot faster than isolation movements - the curls, extensions, etc.


We try to mix it up a little. Cardio is my bread and butter. Not dying is my number two reason for being in shape, number one is keeping up with the woman.


----------



## Nicky Flash

KnightMace said:


> you should try pull ups instead, harder but works the lats a lot more


Thats actually what I meant. :$

I do chins up on my biceps/forearms day.


----------



## Dark Kent

I run 3 miles 2x a day. Once in the morning and the other in the evening. 

MWF I focus on my legs. Squats, power clean, etc.

TTH I focus on the arms. Bench, curls, dumbells, jerks, deadlifts.


----------



## Zen

Something Savage said:


> That's great. There's no motivation like seeing noticeable, positive changes. Results will keep you hitting the weights more than anything else, honestly.
> 
> What sort of lifts are you guys doing? A lot of compounds? If not, I'd suggest incorporating as many compound lifts as possible. Because, if seeing results is what you want, compounds will get you there a hell of a lot faster than isolation movements - the curls, extensions, etc.


Absolutely free weight compound exercises, (squats,deadlifts,benchpress) The king of upper,lower, and total body exercises.


----------



## Rated Y2J

The thing i'm struggling with right now is the nutrition side of things. Here's what i've had today just for basis;

breakfast -
2 weetabix
semi-skimmed milk

dinner - 
2 eggs
spaghetti
2 slices of thin sliced ham

And for tea i've got salad, with chicken and mash. I _think_ i'm okay when it comes to meals, but it's snacks where I fail on. Has anyone got any ideas on the type of foods I should be eating? I understand that protein is pretty much the way forward, although everything seems to be in 100g's so how would I weigh my intake of protein? Just any suggestions would help, as I struggle with the nutritional side. I do eat a lot of fruit, and i'm rather sick of eating it constantly for snacks. There must be something else that's decent for snacking on.


----------



## Rush

^ tuna + wholemeal crackers

or yogurt, some walnuts and oats

or celary/carrot sticks and cottage cheese or hommus

or fruit salad

or a small tin of baked beans

really depends on what your goals are, what you like to eat etc. Try things out see if they work for you.


----------



## Rated Y2J

Cool, thanks. I like pretty much everything you listed, with the exception of hommus. 

My goal is to just tone up at the moment really. Not seriously bulking up just yet, but i'd like to bulk up a bit as i'm only about 140 - 145lbs.


----------



## Zen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSJCDcAKShA

Yet I still see guys using the suicide grip


----------



## Spartanlax

Purchased the Total Gym since HBK endorsed it and I'm a huge fucking mark; coupled with my diet and weekly wrestling training I've lost 11 pounds of fat in the past month, down from 179 to 168, and am really starting to tone up. I still have a gut but it's shrinking every day. Pretty crazy to me considering this time a year and a half ago I was close to hitting 210 pounds.


----------



## Sheik

Good for you man, of course if it's the athletic look you're going for.

I used to be a 300 lb fatass without any muscle, now I'm 240-250, pretty massive if I say so myself 

Nah I'm just talkin shit, but it's obvious as pro wrestlers we're both going for different looks... you seem to be doing well with the quick paced athletic look.... i'm pretty close to achieving the look im going for










Of course I'm much taller than Tazz


----------



## seancarleton77

I'm 24 years old and I've only been working out and running steady for the last 2 weeks(I used to do it all the time from about since about 17 years old until I was just 23)I've dropped a lot of fat now and I'm at 260, and when I started my workout I was actually 265. So basically I look thinner but I have gained muscle. All without the aid of a special diet, just eating a good amount of decent food when I need to and laying off sugar and salt. I'm just so shocked because while I've always been tall and had a semi decent frame I've never been this big yet and at the same time so thin. I think part of it is just natural, not to knock any of my hard work thus far.


----------



## TKOK

I'm starting to get back into my routine, but i think t his time i'm going to change it up. It used to be core plus cardio five days a week and i got pretty bored with it. I'm going to try to focus more attention on my legs because i really want to improve my vertical leap.

My workout plan is going to look more like this now.

MWF Core exercises

TTH legs mostly

M-F playing basketball.


----------



## sharkboy22

I'm 16 5'9, don't know how much I weight but I've been lifting for 2 months now and I can't see any damn results. I know it's only been 2 months but damn. I do cardio basically everyday. 

How long does it take till you actually see results?

I do a good amount of reps nothing to the extent that I'll overwork myself yet I still feel the "burn" and a little tired when I'm done. 

So yeah how long does it freaking take? If by 6 months I don't see improvement I don't know what to do.


----------



## Goku

Don't do big reps. Do bigger weights instead. You don't even need to do much. 5 X 5 is very effective, 6 X 5 or 8 X 4 also work depending on the weight.

Also, what exactly do you do? Focus on presses, squats and deadlifts + pullups b/c they release the maximum amount of GHRH, which are used pretty much by all muscles to grow.

You also need to be eating enough, and perhaps cut out the cardio b/c if you're simply looking at gaining, then cardio is a non-factor. You can lean up later.


----------



## Rush

cut back on the cardio, it will affect your gains.

think of a rough guide as;

Power - Reps - 1-6, done quickly
Strength - 1-6
Hypertrophy - 8-12
Endurance - 15+

also, what kinds of lifts are you doing, exercises, resistance etc.


----------



## El Conquistador

TKOK™;9364477 said:


> I'm starting to get back into my routine, but i think t his time i'm going to change it up. It used to be core plus cardio five days a week and i got pretty bored with it. I'm going to try to focus more attention on my legs because i really want to improve my vertical leap.
> 
> My workout plan is going to look more like this now.
> 
> MWF Core exercises
> 
> TTH legs mostly
> 
> M-F playing basketball.


Cleans, squats, and a limited amount of snatches to improve vertical leap... Add in some box jumps every once in awhile, too.



shark boy22 said:


> I'm 16 5'9, don't know how much I weight but I've been lifting for 2 months now and I can't see any damn results. I know it's only been 2 months but damn. I do cardio basically everyday.
> 
> How long does it take till you actually see results?
> 
> I do a good amount of reps nothing to the extent that I'll overwork myself yet I still feel the "burn" and a little tired when I'm done.
> 
> So yeah how long does it freaking take? If by 6 months I don't see improvement I don't know what to do.


3 sets of 5 reps at the same weight for all the compound lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, press). i.e:

Squat:
45 lbs - 5 reps
95 lbs - 3 reps
115 lbs - 1 rep
125 lbs - 1 rep
135 lbs - 3 sets of 5 reps

Bench: 
45 lbs - 5 reps
65 lbs - 2 reps
85 lbs - 2 reps
105 lbs - 3 sets of 5 reps

+1 Pulling Exercise

If you get all three sets of 5 reps, add weight the next workout. If you don't, then you're not eating enough or resting properly.

Routine:

A: Squat, Bench, Cleans (or Chins, Back Extensions, Rows if you can't do cleans)
B: Squat, Press, Deadlift
C: Squat, Bench, Cleans '''

Rotate these on non-consecutive days. M/W/F or T/Th/Sat.


----------



## Macho Madness

Spartanlax said:


> Purchased the Total Gym since HBK endorsed it and I'm a huge fucking mark; coupled with my diet and weekly wrestling training I've lost 11 pounds of fat in the past month, down from 179 to 168, and am really starting to tone up. I still have a gut but it's shrinking every day. Pretty crazy to me considering this time a year and a half ago I was close to hitting 210 pounds.


Not for bulkheads, but a teriffic unit for general fitness, and very versatile. Love it!


----------



## Rush

Father Flex said:


> Cleans, squats, and a limited amount of snatches to improve vertical leap... Add in some box jumps every once in awhile, too.


pretty much. plyometrics are pretty handy for vertical jumps as well as squats and the like.


----------



## Sheik

I hate squats.
I love squats.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rush said:


> pretty much. plyometrics are pretty handy for vertical jumps as well as squats and the like.


Truth.


----------



## TKOK

Once i have to means to do squats and stuff i will, i don't have the moeny right now and i'm not in a exercise class. I might re-enroll in a core and conditioning class becuase we did a good amount of burbees there, even though i hated them but it's supposed to be a good exercise.

Also how much does jumping rope improve your jumping ability?


----------



## Rush

take a read - http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/increaseverticaljump.html

not everything you read is great but it should give you a good base to work from. never really tried to improve vertical jump or prescribed it to anyone so yeah. mix around a little.


----------



## Renegade™

So since I fractured my femur last September I was off my feet for 2 months, then wasn't cleared for just walking without crutches until late November. Since then I've slowly rehabbed myself and can walk, swim and bike, but cannot jump or run yet.

When I was off my feet I understandably put a few kilos on, mainly my gut. it's not massive by any means, but when before I fractured my femur I was 75k and am now 83k. I'm only easing back into work (Bar & Gaming attendant) so sometimes on bar I'm not moving around alot, when I do the gaming floor shifts I am though. I have an exercise bike at my mums which I use twice a day for 20-30 mins each ride depending on the temperature and how busy I am, doing 300 sit ups a day and am using the home gym set at my Dads place.

I know the best ways to burn away belly flab is cardio but seeing as I'm not allowed to run yet, what would you guys recommend I do. I'm cutting my carbs intake and sugary snacks too, but anyone got first hand experience with getting rid of some unwanted belly fat they can share with me, in regards with what to do etc within my limits. I used to be quite fit but havent really worked out or anything for maybe 4 years, so I'm fairly slim for 6'4 apart from this keg I've developed.


----------



## Goku

Being lean is mostly about will. Calories out > calories in will get you results. For some quick fat loss, I'd cut anywhere from 500 - 800 calories a day. Anymore and you might get tired. Diet is up to you, so long as your calories are accounted for. They work differently for different people. I get good results with anywhere from 3 - 7 meals a day. You'll get hungry some of the time. As long as you've got the will to resist cravings, you'll do fine.

As for cardio, you could try doing HIIT w/ the stationary bike. Interval or not, I'd do four days of steady state and 3 days of High Intensity, provided you aren't too burned out and need a rest day.


----------



## Renegade™

Thanks man. I'm not only asking this to shed the bit of a keg, but I wanna bulk up on muscle a bit, but I know I have to lose the bit of flab to gain muscle in the same area anyways.


----------



## Goku

If you want to bulk as well, I'd add resistance training to the mix. Without healthy legs the compound lifts you can do might be limited, the presses and pullups should do. Just try and do them at a good enough intensity that those exercises will suffice. The GH released should help in not storing food as fat and release the fat from the cells for energy. Add them into any of the steady state cardio days. Also, since you haven't 'worked out' in a while, you should get some great results.

Ignore if not fully rehabbed.


----------



## El Conquistador

TKOK™;9370337 said:


> Once i have to means to do squats and stuff i will, i don't have the moeny right now and i'm not in a exercise class. I might re-enroll in a core and conditioning class becuase we did a good amount of burbees there, even though i hated them but it's supposed to be a good exercise.
> 
> Also how much does jumping rope improve your jumping ability?


Jumping rope isn't going to aid in your search for a better vertical leap.

Where do you go to college? Most institutions have a recreational center or something along those lines. And, you can easily manage to do burpees at home, if you wanted to. Burpees do not require any equipment at all. Your floor or carpet is sufficient enough to get the job done.


----------



## TKOK

My college has a gym ,but i think you haveto be taking classes to be in there.


----------



## RKO920

I changed my routine up. I have a rest day on Wednesday usually, or whenever I feel like it lol.
1)Biceps and Triceps Mon
2)Chest and Shoulders Tue 
3)Legs and Back Thu

Repeat
This is with cardio and abs everyday. Should I keep it the way it is or change it? Thanks.


----------



## Goku

Biceps and Triceps day seems a waste. Shoulders, Back, Chest, Legs should be the main focus. That's 4 training days imo. Everything else can be supplemented w/ respect to needs.


----------



## RKO920

What do you mean? Don't I need to work those parts out to see more results?


----------



## Goku

You don't need to, necessarily. Isolation exercises are like simple carbs i.e. only do them if you think you deserve it. Most compound lifts will work your entire arms anyway, especially the biceps and triceps. If anything, deltoids deserve a little more attention but if you're like me and your deltoids are naturally big, then that won't be needed either.

Maximum amount of GHRH is released during Squats and Deadlifts, working the biggest muscles together. This is what stimulates the growth for the arms as well. Focus the majority of your training on the big muscle groups. The smaller ones will adapt to accommodate the strain.


----------



## Zen

Hohenheim of Light said:


> You don't need to, necessarily. Isolation exercises are like simple carbs i.e. only do them if you think you deserve it. Most compound lifts will work your entire arms anyway, especially the biceps and triceps. If anything, deltoids deserve a little more attention but if you're like me and your deltoids are naturally big, then that won't be needed either.
> 
> Maximum amount of GHRH is released during Squats and Deadlifts, working the biggest muscles together. This is what stimulates the growth for the arms as well. Focus the majority of your training on the big muscle groups. The smaller ones will adapt to accommodate the strain.


You got it dead on my friend.


----------



## Spartanlax

Sheik said:


> I hate squats.
> I love squats.


Never have truer words been typed.


----------



## Zen

Spartanlax said:


> Never have truer words been typed.


same thing ofr cardio for me


----------



## kinofkings 232

Sheik said:


> Good for you man, of course if it's the athletic look you're going for.
> 
> I used to be a 300 lb fatass without any muscle, now I'm 240-250, pretty massive if I say so myself
> 
> Nah I'm just talkin shit, but it's obvious as pro wrestlers we're both going for different looks... you seem to be doing well with the quick paced athletic look.... i'm pretty close to achieving the look im going for
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Of course I'm much taller than Tazz


:lmao You are not even half way close to having a physique like Tazz. Honestly, I doubt you ever will.


----------



## Sheik

kinofkings 232 said:


> :lmao You are not even half way close to having a physique like Tazz. Honestly, I doubt you ever will.


LOL, so you know me now? I'm 6'2", 245 lbs with 15% body fat. I leg press 1000+ lbs, bench 350 easy, and train consistently hitting every muscle group in my body.

That's all I need to say really. My training regimen is second to none quite frankly, not taking anything away form anyone on here because there are some very knowledgeable people. Tazz definitely has a shit ton of mass in his prime, but I'll be there sooner rather than later. I'm not that far off right now, just need another 6 months to a year of more bulking and leaning.\

Besides, Tazz is just that goal for me. You know, that one goal everyone has where they aim to shoot for and would like to eventually get there.


----------



## El Conquistador

Vids?

Too much e-stating nowadays. I'm one to give people the benefit of the doubt, regardless of the situation, but it's hard to know who you're dealing with.

I would be interested in seeing some videos if you have them. Not calling you out or anything but 350 is a lot of weight, no matter who is lifting it.


----------



## Sheik

..


----------



## Goku

He asked for proof because you were shooting your mouth off.



Sheik said:


> *My training regimen is second to none quite frankly*, not taking anything away form anyone on here because there are some very knowledgeable people.


I'm not really bothered tho.


----------



## Sheik

it's good that i wasn't trying to bother you then


----------



## Goku

Indeed.


----------



## Sheik

yeah i know i came off like a douche, my bad guys.

just proud of how far i've come.


----------



## Zen

Sheik said:


> yeah i know i came off like a douche, my bad guys.
> 
> just proud of how far i've come.


keen to see a video of your in the gym


----------



## Sheik

anyone have any ankle rehab exercise recommendations?

I sprained it about a week ago (third degree; torn ligaments and tendons) and swelling has come down. 

I'm already dong some techniques to get range of motion back, but you can never have too many. 

So if you've had experience with this I'd love to hear some advice.


----------



## UltraPanda Black

Lately i've been suffering from shin splints. My shoes aren't old or worn out. Perhaps i'm running too much?


----------



## El Conquistador

Arnold Classic this weekend!

Anyone interested in a stream, let me know. Jon North, Rob, Jared, and all the CalStrength boys are competing in ten minutes tonight. Pat Mendes and Rob Adell from Average Broz Gymnasium tomorrow around 4:30 EST.

Bodybuilding competition this weekend as well.


----------



## Zen

Father Flex said:


> Arnold Classic this weekend!
> 
> Anyone interested in a stream, let me know. Jon North, Rob, Jared, and all the CalStrength boys are competing in ten minutes tonight. Pat Mendes and Rob Adell from Average Broz Gymnasium tomorrow around 4:30 EST.
> 
> Bodybuilding competition this weekend as well.


greatest bodybuilder of all time


----------



## Zen

hey what do you guys do for warming up?


----------



## Goku

HIIT.


----------



## El Conquistador

KnightMace said:


> hey what do you guys do for warming up?


Warm up sets working up to my work sets...


----------



## Rush

Father Flex said:


> Warm up sets working up to my work sets...


That.

Warm ups are always more effective if your hitting the areas that are going to be worked


----------



## Heel

Thinking of starting a serious program to burn some fat (quite a lot of it), gaining muscle shouldn't be a problem since I have muscular arms and shoulders already. I just wondered if anyone had an idea of how much cardio I should be doing compared to weights. I am a member of my local gym which has quite a lot of equipment and have some dumbbells at home. Cheers.


----------



## Evidense

What shoes do you guys wear?

I wear Nike Free Run+, couldn't recommend a better pair, it's my first running shoe and very comfortable.


----------



## Sheik

MrMondayNight said:


> Thinking of starting a serious program to burn some fat (quite a lot of it), gaining muscle shouldn't be a problem since I have muscular arms and shoulders already. I just wondered if anyone had an idea of how much cardio I should be doing compared to weights. I am a member of my local gym which has quite a lot of equipment and have some dumbbells at home. Cheers.


If you have a lot of fat to burn, I'd definitely recommend investing into a heart rate monitor which tells you you're intensity levels, and doing interval cardio for quite efficient fat burning and quick endurance build up. Do these on off days where you're only doing cardio, for anywhere in between 30-60 minutes. Here's an article on interval training. 

http://exercise.about.com/library/blbeginterval3.htm

I'm sure you're aware, but you're diet will need to be in check as well.


----------



## Heel

Sheik said:


> If you have a lot of fat to burn, I'd definitely recommend investing into a heart rate monitor which tells you you're intensity levels, and doing interval cardio for quite efficient fat burning and quick endurance build up. Do these on off days where you're only doing cardio, for anywhere in between 30-60 minutes. Here's an article on interval training.
> 
> http://exercise.about.com/library/blbeginterval3.htm
> 
> I'm sure you're aware, but you're diet will need to be in check as well.


Cheers man, I may invest in one! Need to make sure I'm doing enough work.

I used to be in pretty good shape but I've really let myself go in the past year. I used to do interval training on the treadmill but I probably wasn't doing it the right intensity for it to really benefit me. I'm heading to the gym tomorrow so I'll try that workout out.

Haha, I know! My diet isn't too bad. I mean, I eat pretty good food but just too much of it (No fizzy drinks or crisps, rarely have chocolate and I always get my five fruit and veg a day). Bread is probably my biggest vice, eat far too much of it.


----------



## Sheik

Well, if you're also trying to add on more mass, there's really no problem with eating a lot of food. As long as it's chickens, eggs, fishes, veggies, fruits, dairy, protein shakes etc.. you should be getting in 2500-4000 calories (completely depending on your size and where ya wanna go.) Eat well, get big, burn fat. Just keep the starches to a minimum, and get some kashi protein cereal or otmeal in once a day for your fiber and some carbs for energy. Eat often, get that metabolism activated!


----------



## Heel

Sheik said:


> Well, if you're also trying to add on more mass, there's really no problem with eating a lot of food. As long as it's chickens, eggs, fishes, veggies, fruits, dairy, protein shakes etc.. you should be getting in 2500-3000 calories. Eat well, get big, burn fat. Just keep the starches to a minimum, and get in some kashi protein cereal or otmeal in once a day for your fiber and some carbs for energy. Eat often, get that metabolism activated!


I eat quite a lot of chicken, fish, fruit and veg so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm currently trying to bring healthier alternatives into my diet e.g. porridge instead of sugary cereal, mixed unsalted nuts instead of crisps, water and fruit juice instead of fizzy drinks.

A lot of people say you should eat little and often instead of three main meals. Would you say that's the right way to go about things or not?


----------



## Sheik

Absolutely. Eat often, but it really doesn't have to be "little" portions. Get in maybe 500-800 calorie meals in, 5 or 6 times a day. You want to load up on the protein, and I'd recommend protein shakes to make it easier for you.


----------



## Heel

Cheers for the advice! Hopefully I'll be able to stick to my diet and program, then I might see some results.


----------



## El Conquistador

Evidense said:


> What shoes do you guys wear?
> 
> I wear Nike Free Run+, couldn't recommend a better pair, it's my first running shoe and very comfortable.


Nike Romaleo typically but sometimes I'll rock my Pendlay Do Wins.

http://www.roguefitness.com/nike-romaleos-weightlifting-shoes.php
http://www.pendlay.com/2011-WL-Series-Classics_c_234.html

Perfect heel for squatting and oly work.


----------



## Goku

Sheik said:


> Absolutely. Eat often, but it really doesn't have to be "little" portions. Get in maybe 500-800 calorie meals in, 5 or 6 times a day. You want to load up on the protein, and I'd recommend protein shakes to make it easier for you.


Not to be argumentative but the guy wanted to burn fat. :|

But 3000+ calories a day for a guy who didn't even post his stats is kinda overboard, don't you think?


----------



## Sheik

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Not to be argumentative but the guy wanted to burn fat. :|
> 
> But 3000+ calories a day for a guy who didn't even post his stats is kinda overboard, don't you think?


Well, he said he's a big guy with broad shoulders and big arms, and gave me the impression he wanted to add lean mass and burn fat.

I lost 60-70 lbs of fat and have added plenty of mass on a 3000+ calorie diet. I don't see why he should eat any less, especially if he's looking to bulk while cut. (the impression he gave me at least)

You gotta eat big to get big.

Of course, I'm speaking from a body building perspective. If he's looking to get cut and lean, that's a whole different story.


----------



## El Conquistador

What in the world are you talking about, Sheik?


----------



## Sheik

What part don't you understand?


----------



## El Conquistador

All of it. Pure bro-science.


----------



## Sheik

Bro science? Not really familiar with that expression.

I'm speaking from my experience and what has worked for me and plenty of others. 

It's pretty common knowledge that you have to eat frequently and consume an adequate amount of calories if you'd like to burn fat and add mass.


----------



## El Conquistador

Sheik said:


> Bro science? Not really familiar with that expression.
> 
> I'm speaking from my experience and what has worked for me and plenty of others.
> 
> It's pretty common knowledge that you have to eat frequently and consume an adequate amount of calories if you'd like to burn fat and add mass.


Do you find any (or all) of that contradicting in any way?


----------



## Sheik

What, burning fat and building muscle at the same time?

LOL if you think that's impossible.


----------



## El Conquistador

No. That's not it. Continue on merrily, my friend.


----------



## Sheik

Dude, I know you're a large contributer to this thread, but you're not presenting any facts. I'm not here to play the "I know more than you" game. 

No need to knock the advice I'm giving someone else.

I just feel that if the guy eats properly and frequently, he'll still be burning more calories than he eats through his everyday regular activities and training.

Neither of us really KNOW what the guy weighs, and what BF level he's at, so there's no point in arguing. If he's trying to cut fat and add lean muscle, then I gave him the right advice. He needs to EAT.


----------



## Goku

That was nice.


----------



## Sheik

Eating 3,000 calories of burgers and ice cream is not the same as eating 3,000 calories from whole foods such as lean meat sources and complex, fibrous carbohydrates.


----------



## bobmrshl

Usually I go for heavy weight exercises especially bench press. Bench press are my all time favorite. I have been doing 5 sets of bench press with starting from 100 pounds to 200 pounds. I also prefer to do lot of warm up as its really good to have bigger muscles.


----------



## karl573

I work out a lot and after reading a few pages in the thread I thought I'd ask this here. I'm about 5'7", tipping the scales at 170 lbs and 24 years old. I work out 3-4 times a week usually splitting it up into upper, lower, abs, and cardio days. Only problem I have with doing this is I get pretty darn sore and usually need a good 5 days, sometimes 6 for upper due to chest, days of rest before I'm ready to go again. I'm not really interested in splitting up my work out days any further, just looking for some tips to help recover faster. I get a pretty good amount of protein in me through out the week, but I just stay sore for what feels like far too long compared to when I was 18 or so. I don't feel like I'm over training; I'm not leaving the gym in exhaustion.


----------



## Rush

what exercises are you doing and how good/poor is your technique?


----------



## Goku

I'd eliminate the cardio day completely, and tweak the diet to make do. Take out the calorie burn that the cardio gives you and subtract that even from the days you don't work out. For 600 calorie cardio burn, subtract 200 daily for the three rest days. I'd also not devote a whole day for abs. It will take an additional 10 minutes with your daily routine to work the abs. Just add it to one or two of the work-out days.

That leaves you with two workouts over four days. I'd split the days into chest (add. triceps), legs, shoulder (add. deltoids) and back (add. biceps). That's four days worth of workout. Abdominal exercise can be done on the days of chest + another session if you want. A healthy split would be -,1,2,-,3,-,4 (in the respective order of sessions I've explained).

Muscle recovery depends on rest and nourishment. For nourishment, get a reasonable amount of protein and carbohydrates following the workout. I'd eat prior to the workout too, although just a small snack will do. Keep yourself hydrated and make sure to stay with the homeostasis. Your body will only recover if it knows you're going to be putting yourself through the training all over again.

In other words, eat (appropriately), drink (water) and sleep (plenty). Additionally, keep track of your workouts. Some people have bodies that react better to slow and long workouts, which work over the body continually, while for others short, super-intense workouts give better results. You know your body better than anybody else, so you'll have to figure out what works for you.


----------



## wrestlemania2010

Some general advice needed guys.

Havent excercised for over two years due to health problems but would like to resume light excercise next week just to trim up

Would i be better sticking to cardio only at first to build up general fitness or go for weights and resistance training also.


----------



## Zen

wrestlemania2010 said:


> Some general advice needed guys.
> 
> Havent excercised for over two years due to health problems but would like to resume light excercise next week just to trim up
> 
> Would i be better sticking to cardio only at first to build up general fitness or go for weights and resistance training also.


yes do both, but start off lightly, until you feel fully fit and capable.


----------



## El Conquistador

wrestlemania2010 said:


> Some general advice needed guys.
> 
> Havent excercised for over two years due to health problems but would like to resume light excercise next week just to trim up
> 
> Would i be better sticking to cardio only at first to build up general fitness or go for weights and resistance training also.


Dive on in. Do both as much as possible, as often as possible, and as intense as possible within your body's limits. Make sure you monitor key ingredients such as intensity, volume, duration, distance, etc,. 

You will surely find the soreness unbearable at first but you can work past it. The body is capable of handling an unfathomable amount of workloads. For example:

-Marathon runners training miles upon miles a day.
-Olympic lifters squatting everyday, 14x a week. Training 4 hours a day, 2x a day.

Same applies here within reason. Start off by getting in quality work with the weights and cardio (if you want to delve into both) to get your body to adapt. Add resistance accordingly after, however you will (be it lifting more weight, more reps, less rest time; or longer runs, faster runs, more intense).

Pretty simple concepts/principles.

Also, change your mindset now! From this day forward, focus on making a true effort to change your lifestyle so it will correlate into a healthier life! No more excuses now that you are healthy!


----------



## Goku

^ That. Start within the limits, then when you're ready and willing, push past it.


----------



## MKC

Spoiler: AJ Workout Diary 2011























I am aiming for a six pack by the summer, this is me since last Sunday, vast improvement already. No strict schedule per say: running and cardio every night, eating healthier, walking 2 miles 5 days a week (which I have been doing a while but it adds), cut down on the beer unless its a big event and crappy food in-take and generally pushing myself out of a rut I was getting into, I am only 27. 

So yeah, for you fitness enthusiasts I am keeping a photo diary, welcome to check it out: HERE


----------



## Zen

^keep up the good work bro!


----------



## Alim

MKC said:


> Spoiler: AJ Workout Diary 2011
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I am aiming for a six pack by the summer, this is me since last Sunday, vast improvement already. No strict schedule per say: running and cardio every night, eating healthier, walking 2 miles 5 days a week (which I have been doing a while but it adds), cut down on the beer unless its a big event and crappy food in-take and generally pushing myself out of a rut I was getting into, I am only 27.
> 
> So yeah, for you fitness enthusiasts I am keeping a photo diary, welcome to check it out: HERE


What exercises are you doing?


----------



## MKC

thanks for the support guys! I shall re-post my development in a few weeks, just keep checking my flickr. I am going to keep at anyway, but how long do you think it will take to loose the remaining flab? it's just a tad annoying to see it each day, when I am working so hard but gives me something to work at I guess.

PS: Off to health shop on the weekend to buy one of those bumper packs of home-made protein drinks to start every day. You know the ones it's like a keg of crap that doesn't taste too great but helps :lmao



Alim said:


> What exercises are you doing?


No real schedule, I have quite a few crunches I got off the internet I hit everyday but with combination of walking, eating right, next to no beer and the running every night, I think it has made a difference in a short space of time. Anything else you can suggest? 

MKC.


----------



## Zen

MKC said:


> thanks for the support guys! I shall re-post my development in a few weeks, just keep checking my flickr. I am going to keep at anyway, but how long do you think it will take to loose the remaining flab? it's just a tad annoying to see it each day, when I am working so hard but gives me something to work at I guess.
> 
> PS: Off to health shop on the weekend to buy one of those bumper packs of home-made protein drinks to start every day. You know the ones it's like a keg of crap that doesn't taste too great but helps :lmao
> 
> 
> 
> No real schedule, I have quite a few crunches I got off the internet I hit everyday but with combination of walking, eating right, next to no beer and the running every night, I think it has made a difference in a short space of time. Anything else you can suggest?
> 
> MKC.


dude doesn't matter how long it takes to see results as long as you are GETTING some result then it's working, don't over train.


----------



## Alim

MKC said:


> No real schedule, I have quite a few crunches I got off the internet I hit everyday but with combination of walking, eating right, next to no beer and the running every night, I think it has made a difference in a short space of time. Anything else you can suggest?
> 
> MKC.


Check out this video. It's two parts. This is the same workout I'm doing.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1464945638519938565#


----------



## MKC

Well the more I look into this whole working out malarkey, it is apparent it's about 30% exercise and 70% diet. So I am very new to this whole diet thing and should start designing one, so does anyone have ideas?

My current eating schedule isn't exactly strict - cut down beer BIG time (bit of a party boy I am afraid), off take-away and microwave meals and normally cook fresh pasta and rice dishes, try to stay off coke and drink lots of water and juice now, eating brown bread for lunch and 1 packet of crisps, also looking to buy one of those big protein packs soon to start drinking everyday. So yeah I don't exactly want to buff out as a big as Triple H etc, but do want to tone up, even have a six pack. Check previous page for my flick, come along way in a short space of time but want to make sure I stay on the right track.

Thanks.
AJ/MKC.


----------



## Goku

My workout is 60% exercise and 40% diet, but if you're cutting fat, it should be about 90% diet. And for that, you should research your own diet. Advice can be generic "don't eat sugar, 7 meals per day" etc or it can be something that has worked personally for one guy but might fail on you.

So yeah, research your own diet.


----------



## El Conquistador

Switch the majority of your carbohydrate/sugary food intake over to fruits & vegetables. Eat lots of protein, etc, etc,.

Hard to give you macros or anything that resembles a dietary plan with no information on your identity or metabolism. Going to require some research on your part.


----------



## i$e

Sheik said:


> It's pretty common knowledge that you have to eat frequently and consume an adequate amount of calories if you'd like to burn fat and add mass.


Is this the typical level of advice in this thread? Hope not.


----------



## Goku

Nope.


----------



## Sheik

wuthering ise said:


> Is this the typical level of advice in this thread? Hope not.


You DO have to eat frequently and consume an adequate amount of calories to burn fat and add mass.

Are you really going to sit here and tell me that's wrong?

And Hohenheim, enough of your useless comments. If you want to dispute logic, let's see you try. 

To build muscle you gotta eat more calories than your body works off. Depending on what you're looking to do, you should realistically be eating 15-20 times your body weight in calories. You need a CALORIC SURPLUS.

Without proper nutrition your body's going to break down muscle tissue for energy. It's amazing how ignorant some people are.

"DURRR, YOU GOTTA STARVE YOURSELF AND WORKOUT DUDE. THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!"


----------



## Zen

MKC said:


> Well the more I look into this whole working out malarkey, it is apparent it's about 30% exercise and 70% diet. So I am very new to this whole diet thing and should start designing one, so does anyone have ideas?
> 
> My current eating schedule isn't exactly strict - cut down beer BIG time (bit of a party boy I am afraid), off take-away and microwave meals and normally cook fresh pasta and rice dishes, try to stay off coke and drink lots of water and juice now, eating brown bread for lunch and 1 packet of crisps, also looking to buy one of those big protein packs soon to start drinking everyday. So yeah I don't exactly want to buff out as a big as Triple H etc, but do want to tone up, even have a six pack. Check previous page for my flick, come along way in a short space of time but want to make sure I stay on the right track.
> 
> Thanks.
> AJ/MKC.


If your goal is to cut down fat then it should be like 80% diet


----------



## Goku

Sheik said:


> And Hohenheim, enough of your useless comments. If you want to dispute logic, let's see you try.


"take a step back and realize who i am kid." ~ Rep

Who the hell are you?


----------



## Sheik

dat dude. who the hell are you?

and why can't you argue with facts?


----------



## Goku

Nobody in particular. And what are we arguing? You're just getting mad and I'm not sure why.


----------



## Sheik

not mad man, just funny how people in here hate on my replies without even disputing the facts.

it's common sense, so if you're going to hate at least bring a damn argument to the table.

otherwise, just shut up.


----------



## Goku

I'll address your comment, but I'm not arguing this beyond this post. Also, this isn't _all_ my personal opinion.



> You DO have to eat frequently and consume an adequate amount of calories to burn fat and add mass.


Yes, ejecting energy from fat is a more complex process than output minus input, but it is the most reasonable way of getting a quantitative measure on fat loss.



> To build muscle you gotta eat more calories than your body works off. Depending on what you're looking to do, you should realistically be eating 15-20 times your body weight in calories. You need a CALORIC SURPLUS.


What I'm getting from your posts is that you're saying that with a CALORIC SURPLUS, you can burn fat and build muscle.

Provided you subscribe to this theory, the corollary must also be accepted, i.e. you can burn fat and build muscle on a calorie deficit (as long as you're talking in general, not accounting for body types or lifestyles). If your theory is that the fat gain from a calorie surplus will be burned by growing muscles, then the basis behind this is that fat calories in the body can be used for muscle growth. It is only theory.

And if both those cases are applicable, then you have to accept that the middle ground is also true. That while on a calorie maintenance, you can burn fat and add muscle.

All three of those statements are applicable to different people, but is that really advice at all? I have no problem with the advice you're giving. Obviously it works for you, but it isn't foolproof, nowhere near actually. And when I point that out, you get aggravated.



> Without proper nutrition your body's going to break down muscle tissue for energy. It's amazing how ignorant some people are.


This isn't a fully informed opinion either. I understand the basic thread of thought here but so long as the body recognizes the importance of the muscle tissues, it will not tear at the muscles (i.e. lethargy will eat away at muscle at a much faster pace than overtraining).

The body does not WANT to break down muscle tissue. It is when the adipose tissues are stubbornly holding on and glycogen levels are dangerously low that the body resorts to muscle. Even that has its own separate mechanism.

Everything I've dealt with I've dealt in theory b/c the practical nature of fat loss/muscle gain varies DRASTICALLY from person to person.


----------



## Sheik

Hohenheim of Light said:


> I'll address your comment, but I'm not arguing this beyond this post. Also, this isn't _all_ my personal opinion.
> 
> Yes, ejecting energy from fat is a more complex process than output minus input, but it is the most reasonable way of getting a quantitative measure on fat loss.


I'd stick with the qualitative way, but that's just me.



> What I'm getting from your posts is that you're saying that with a CALORIC SURPLUS, you can burn fat and build muscle.


Yes. 



> Provided you subscribe to this theory, the corollary must also be accepted, i.e. you can burn fat and build muscle on a calorie deficit (as long as you're talking in general, not accounting for body types or lifestyles). If your theory is that the fat gain from a calorie surplus will be burned by growing muscles, then the basis behind this is that fat calories in the body can be used for muscle growth. It is only theory.


The way I look at it, as long as your diet is on point and your doing proper muscle training with plenty cardio, building muscle's only going to aid you in burning calories. (again, just me)



> All three of those statements are applicable to different people, but is that really advice at all? I have no problem with the advice you're giving. Obviously it works for you, but it isn't foolproof, nowhere near actually. And when I point that out, you get aggravated.


You're right, it's not "foolproof" but it is sound advice. It's a different perspective, but it makes sense, and I believe in it. I just feel like that's the most efficient way of doing both simultaneously. Not everyone's going to agree on that though, I get that.



> This isn't a fully informed opinion either. I understand the basic thread of thought here but so long as the body recognizes the importance of the muscle tissues, it will not tear at the muscles (i.e. lethargy will eat away at muscle at a much faster pace than overtraining).
> 
> The body does not WANT to break down muscle tissue. It is when the adipose tissues are stubbornly holding on and glycogen levels are dangerously low that the body resorts to muscle. Even that has its own separate mechanism.
> 
> *Everything I've dealt with I've dealt in theory b/c the practical nature of fat loss/muscle gain varies DRASTICALLY from person to person.*


Exactly.


----------



## El Conquistador

wuthering ise said:


> Is this the typical level of advice in this thread? Hope not.


Typical of him. Most of his advice is laughable.


----------



## i$e

Sheik said:


> You DO have to eat frequently and consume an adequate amount of calories to burn fat and add mass.


Your definitions of 'adequate' are sketchy at best. Meal frequency is a myth. Eating at surplus won't burn fat. It will add mass; which type of mass depends on my next point. 



Sheik said:


> To build muscle you gotta eat more calories than your body works off.


You neglected to mention you need to be taking in at least 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass & lifting heavy three times a week. Without those two, eating at caloric surplus will just add more and more fat. I'm aware you told him to 'load up on protein', but proper numbers will help him more. 



> Without proper nutrition your body's going to break down muscle tissue for energy.


Correct, but you can eat at a good sized deficit and maintain every single lb of muscle if you follow the three rules above. 



> "DURRR, YOU GOTTA STARVE YOURSELF AND WORKOUT DUDE. THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT!"


Who said this?

To wrap up:

1. The guy wanted to lose fat. That's his primary goal.

2. Outside of initial 'noob gains', you can't add muscle and burn fat at the same time. One requires caloric deficit, one requires caloric surplus. It's easier to burn fat with more muscle, yes. Adding mass will aid in losing fat later, yes - but it's a two stage process. Bulk then cut or cut then bulk. They don't happen at the same time. So his goals for now are; 

~ Lose fat
~ Maintain muscle

That's easy. 

~ Eat 500 calories below maintenance.
~ 1-1.5g of protein per lb of bodyweight. 
~ Lift heavy 3 times a week (focusing on compounds)

Cardio is unessential but you can if you like. Get some EFA's down you too.


----------



## Sheik

> Typical of him. *Most of his advice is laughable*.


Just like your numbers.



> *You neglected to mention you need to be taking in at least 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass & lifting heavy three times a week. *Without those two, eating at caloric surplus will just add more and more fat. I'm aware you told him to 'load up on protein', but proper numbers will help him more.


fpalm

No shit.


----------



## i$e

Quote any numbers he posted which you find laughable. I haven't seen them. 

You didn't mention anything about quantity of protein so I did. Is a beginner supposed to guess? Maybe he should read your mind to find the numbers instead?



Father Flex said:


> Typical of him. Most of his advice is laughable.


I see. I hate misinformation being spread so I'll do my best to set the record straight where possible.


----------



## Sheik

Don't need to quote shit really. Dude runs his mouth to anyone who comes in here with different opinions throughout the thread. Get off your high horse, God knows you have no reason to be on it. As soon as I said what I'm generally lifting, kid catches a bitch case and ask me to post video proof. :no:

And nobody's "misinforming" anyone. Nothing I said was untrue.


----------



## Goku

Beginners should be encouraged to do their own research.


----------



## i$e

Sheik said:


> Nothing I said was untrue.


Heh. 



Hohenheim of Light said:


> Beginners should be encouraged to do their own research.


He asked in here, which counts.


----------



## Rush

you have to word things more carefully sheik.


----------



## Sheik

Nah, I'm sraight. I'll just let FATHER FLEXXX do his thing so when they FLEXXXX they can look like him. hahahahhha. what a joke.


----------



## Goku

Huh?


----------



## Sheik

Nothing, just talking shit.


----------



## Goku

Ok.


----------



## Hiplop

Sheik said:


> Don't need to quote shit really. Dude runs his mouth to anyone who comes in here with different opinions throughout the thread. Get off your high horse, God knows you have no reason to be on it. As soon as I said what I'm generally lifting, kid catches a bitch case and ask me to post video proof. :no:
> 
> And nobody's "misinforming" anyone. Nothing I said was untrue.


um what? You repped HoL saying "you don't know who i am, kid", and you're telling others to get off their high horse? Again, you're thinking you're above others because you have a few months of wrestling training.


----------



## Sheik

Didn't bring my training up actually, so mind your own business.

And I don't think I'm above anyone. Just bring the facts if you're going to run your mouth.

And I was obviously joking with that rep I sent HOL.


----------



## Hiplop

red repped me saying "what are you even doing in this thread"

what do you mean by this? I'm in shape, just not a bodybuilder ~_~


----------



## i$e

There have been multiple debunks of your statements but you've decided to chat shit instead of actually trying to reply.


----------



## Sheik

Hiplop™ said:


> red repped me saying "what are you even doing in this thread"
> 
> what do you mean by this? I'm in shape, just not a bodybuilder ~_~


again, you bring up my training. why? I have no fucking clue. that's two times now where my training has nothing to do with a subject and you decide to bring it up. get the fuck out of here with that shit, we're talking strictly fitness. 



wuthering ise said:


> There have been multiple debunks of your statements but you've decided to chat shit instead of actually trying to reply.


there haven't been any "debunks." Just different reasoning, and just like HoL put it, it varies drastically. So again, my advice was never wrong, just a different perspective.


----------



## Hiplop

Sheik said:


> again, you bring up my training. why? I have no fucking clue. that's two times now where my training has nothing to do with a subject and you decide to bring it up. get the fuck out of here with that shit, we're talking strictly fitness.
> 
> 
> there haven't been any "debunks." Just different reasoning, and just like HoL put it, it varies drastically. So again, my advice was never wrong, just a different perspective.


i didn't mention your training?


----------



## Rush

Sheik said:


> again, you bring up my training. why? I have no fucking clue. that's two times now where my training has nothing to do with a subject and you decide to bring it up. get the fuck out of here with that shit, we're talking strictly fitness.


he didn't bring it up in the post you quoted


----------



## Sheik

Hiplop™;9467957 said:


> um what? You repped HoL saying "you don't know who i am, kid", and you're telling others to get off their high horse? *Again, you're thinking you're above others because you have a few months of wrestling training.*


Second time. What in the fuck are you talking about?

At least this time you didn't lash out on me like a little bitch, "I DOUBT YOU'LL GET SIGNED!!"



Rush said:


> he didn't bring it up in the post you quoted


nah dude, i meant second time in general. hiplop decided to lash out in the chatbox like a hard ass and bring my training up over a Randy Orton argument, and now he seems to have found his way into a thread he's never posted in just to do it again.

Coincidence? No.


----------



## i$e

Sheik said:


> So again, my advice was never wrong, just a different perspective.


You think you can bulk significantly and lose fat at the same time?


----------



## Hiplop

i lurk this thread all the time. i rarely post because honestly i dont have much to add.

and i brought up your training, because you seem to think you're above us because you have a small amount of training. I'm not mad, so why are you?


----------



## Sheik

wuthering ise said:


> You think you can bulk significantly and lose fat at the same time?


I think you can bulk, and lose fat, yes.


Hiplop™;9467992 said:


> i lurk this thread all the time. i rarely post because honestly i dont have much to add.
> 
> and i brought up your training, *because you seem to think you're above us because you have a small amount of training*. I'm not mad, so why are you?


We were talking about fitness. Not my training. I never brought that up. *You're the ONLY one who brings my training up.* Are you really thinking about me that much Hiplop? Pathetic to say the least.


----------



## Goku

:lmao

Just stop, Sheik. This is embarrassing.


----------



## Hiplop

Sheik said:


> I think you can bulk, and lose fat, yes.
> 
> We were talking about fitness. Not my training. I never brought that up. *You're the ONLY one who brings my training up.* Are you really thinking about me that much Hiplop? Pathetic to say the least.


why are you so mad? I brought up your training, i didn't say anything negative about you training, i was talking about your attitude, and how you seem to think you are above others. Anyone can get wrestling training. I don't think about you ever? i recognize your posts in other threads and you act the same way.

and it was a sad way to argue against me by saying "LOL, WHY YOU IN THIS THREAD"


----------



## Sheik

Hiplop™;9468012 said:


> why are you so mad? I brought up your training, i didn't say anything negative about you training,* i was talking about your attitude, and how you seem to think you are above others.* Anyone can get wrestling training. I don't think about you ever? i recognize your posts in other threads and you act the same way.


I don't think I'm above others. That's just your imagination again.

And get your facts straight about me and my training if you'd like to keep bringing it up. It's not a few months, and definitely not something "anyone" can do.


----------



## i$e

Sheik said:


> I think you can bulk, and lose fat, yes.


You can for a few months when you first start training. After that, trying to bulk and cut at the same time is just treading water.

My view is also the one shared by the vast, vast majority of body-builders, trainers & nutritionists too. 

I'd like to know your scientific reasoning behind your opinion, so I can understand your perspective more. 

Don't take this as an attack either; I'm just discussing.


----------



## Goku

You can burn fat and gain lean mass if:

1) You're starting out.
2) You're resuming training after a hiatus.
3) You have a very high BF%, in which case the body will naturally burn fat during training to increase chances of survival.

Additionally, you can achieve both at a very slow rate but a single cycle of bulking and cutting will pretty much triple those results in the same duration. So trying to lose fat while gaining muscle is actually slower.


----------



## i$e

Yup.


----------



## El Conquistador

For the record, I never act as if I have a sense of entitlement, at least I don't try. Correct me if I am wrong but I think I have been fair since the inception of this thread to everyone. Rajah, Rush, HoH, and I have had a handful of debates, respectful conversations, etc,. 

Secondly, your training numbers were brought up because you were boasting about how strong you were and you said you resemble a poor man's "Taz". I asked for proof on virtue of the fact that you said something along the lines of you being able to squat 400, bench 350, and some other jazz. Not to test your credibility or embarrass you, just out of curiosity.

I politely asked after saying your claims were utterly sensationalized by you "do you find anything in your argument contradicting"? Instead of answering in a civilized manner you said "LOL @ YOU, LOLOLOL if you think that". I will debate, provide some insight, and occasionally be deemed wrong. When you resort to childish antics like that, I can not be damned to dignify you with a response and reply like i$e, HoH, and Rush all have.

Fact of the matter is you were wrong and condescending, that's it. Afterwards you became very bitter.


----------



## Sheik

In regards to me "boasting," I actually recall admitting to sounding like a jerkoff and apologizing. I don't see you in here asking anyone else for "video proof" so I reacted accordingly. 

My only problem was you looking down on my advice without even attempting to prove it wrong. That's all.


----------



## El Conquistador

Sheik said:


> Bro science? Not really familiar with that expression.
> 
> I'm speaking from my experience and what has worked for me and plenty of others.
> 
> It's pretty common knowledge that you have to eat frequently and consume an adequate amount of calories if you'd like to burn fat and add mass.





Father Flex said:


> Do you find any (or all) of that contradicting in any way?





Sheik said:


> What, burning fat and building muscle at the same time?
> 
> LOL if you think that's impossible.


My only problem was that whole little kid, "I'm right, you're wrong" attitude. I would have elaborated but in cases like these, I refuse to.

I wasn't holding a grudge but since you apparently have been, you have made yourself out as a fool. Congratulations. Relax next time. Don't take everything so personally.


----------



## Sheik

It's not as if you were exactly approaching me with respectful intentions yourself. First thing I recall you doing was labeling my logic as "bro science."


----------



## El Conquistador

Sheik said:


> It's not as if you were exactly approaching me with respectful intentions yourself. First thing I recall you doing was labeling my logic as "bro science."


Sheik:

what you were claiming was false. Your advice was misleading. You were wrong. This thread is transparent in the sense that it's here as a forum to discuss the science of working out and everything else that goes along with it.

The advice you were offering led myself (as well as others) to believe you weren't qualified to offer anything remotely close to useful advice.

Do you want me to go in depth on why you were wrong? i$e and Hohenheim already expounded upon the reasoning but I can if you're that butt-hurt or upset. I would much rather drop it and move on. I'll leave you the option.


----------



## TKOK

Sheik, just asking, but what type of work out do you actually do.

I got this MMA workout pack that came with a DVD, resistance bands/belt plus a jump rope/ resistance band combo. this workout is legit. it's not that the exercises themselves are hard but the amount your doing makes it a killer workout for me. Also taught me a couple new variations to sit ups and push ups that i've never tried. 

Also got these Ab straps that hook up to my pull up bar,so i'll be able to do some more intense ab work.


----------



## Zen

Hohenheim of Light said:


> You can burn fat and gain lean mass if:
> 
> 1) You're starting out.
> 2) You're resuming training after a hiatus.
> 3) You have a very high BF%, in which case the body will naturally burn fat during training to increase chances of survival.
> 
> Additionally, you can achieve both at a very slow rate but a single cycle of bulking and cutting will pretty much triple those results in the same duration. So trying to lose fat while gaining muscle is actually slower.


better to do both at the saem time at a slower rate, than the other two


----------



## Goku

TKOK™ said:


> I got this MMA workout pack that came with a DVD, resistance bands/belt plus a jump rope/ resistance band combo. this workout is legit. it's not that the exercises themselves are hard but the amount your doing makes it a killer workout for me. Also taught me a couple new variations to sit ups and push ups that i've never tried.
> 
> Also got these Ab straps that hook up to my pull up bar,so i'll be able to do some more intense ab work.


Before I say anything, are you training for MMA or just using pattern?



KnightMace said:


> better to do both at the saem time at a slower rate, than the other two


Why?


----------



## TKOK

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Before I say anything, are you training for MMA or just using pattern?
> 
> 
> 
> Why?


just using pattern. i'm not training to be a fighter, just seemed like a good cardio workout.


----------



## Near™

TKOK™ said:


> just using pattern. i'm not training to be a fighter, just seemed like a good cardio workout.


If I managed to use an MMA workout for cardio just for a kick, I would manage to powerlift just for 'shape' too. 

However I do hate cardio, so I am probably unfairly biased.


----------



## i$e

KnightMace said:


> better to do both at the saem time at a slower rate, than the other two


No.


----------



## TKOK

Near said:


> If I managed to use an MMA workout for cardio just for a kick, I would manage to powerlift just for 'shape' too.
> 
> However I do hate cardio, so I am probably unfairly biased.


it';s nothing super intese like a brock lesnar workout or anything. Just something I picked up while i was shopping.

All it really was just variations of sit ups, push ups, and some punch techniques. plus your normal stuff.


----------



## Zen

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Before I say anything, are you training for MMA or just using pattern?
> 
> 
> 
> Why?


well then maybe thats just me


----------



## Henry Hill

Decided to start running again tmr as I've been eating too much of the good stuff and piling on the pounds. Will probably enter a race for like six months down the line so that I'm forced to get off my arse and train. After all no worse feeling than racing hard without having done the miles.

Anyone else here run at all? I used to compete at a pretty good standard before I just cba one day and then stopped pretty much altogether.


----------



## TKOK

Henry Hill said:


> Decided to start running again tmr as I've been eating too much of the good stuff and piling on the pounds. Will probably enter a race for like six months down the line so that I'm forced to get off my arse and train. After all no worse feeling than racing hard without having done the miles.
> 
> Anyone else here run at all? I used to compete at a pretty good standard before I just cba one day and then stopped pretty much altogether.


 I don't run just as a exercise in itself but running is included in things i do to exercises, like playing basktball and such. . I also took up a core and conditioning class where i did a ton of running last fall.


----------



## Goku

Yeah, I run.


----------



## Henry Hill

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Yeah, I run.


Cool, do you do it regularly?


----------



## Goku

I do. I usually aim for a certain distance in a certain time.


----------



## Henry Hill

Nice. Best way to do it I guess. Keeps it interesting. I prefer an uphill/downhill route than a flat all the way round. Also prefer to do laps - nothing worse than going out 5 miles and realising that you've outdone yourself and still have to turn around and do it all again.


----------



## TKOK

When I did run i prefired to do laps too.


----------



## Zen

Henry Hill said:


> Nice. Best way to do it I guess. Keeps it interesting. I prefer an uphill/downhill route than a flat all the way round. Also prefer to do laps - nothing worse than going out 5 miles and realising that you've outdone yourself and still have to turn around and do it all again.


yea i agree. I love interval training and it goes well with the sport I play as well.


----------



## Hiplop

i always preferred laps as well.


----------



## Goku

I've been stretching the tabata protocol to up to 10 minutes.

Pro-tip. Don't use it for cutting/do it when below 8% bf. You'll risk an injury.


----------



## UltraPanda Black

I run a regular basis. I prefer to run on base outdoors but there are treadmills in the gym that is close to my apartment. At the moment I am for 6 miles under 60 minutes and I stop at whatever comes first (the 6 mile mark or the 60 min mark). So far my best time is 6 miles in 52 minutes. I would like to drop that down to 45 minutes within the next two months, seems like a realistic goal. 

I also do MMA. Mon/Wed/Fri I do Cardio Kickboxing/Muay Thai/Jiu-jitsu. I hope to continue this as long as I can. I don't want to be a fighter or anything but it's always good to have that kind of knowledge.


----------



## Henry Hill

Daffney's Boy Toy said:


> I run a regular basis. I prefer to run on base outdoors but there are treadmills in the gym that is close to my apartment. At the moment I am for 6 miles under 60 minutes and I stop at whatever comes first (the 6 mile mark or the 60 min mark). So far my best time is 6 miles in 52 minutes. I would like to drop that down to 45 minutes within the next two months, seems like a realistic goal.
> 
> I also do MMA. Mon/Wed/Fri I do Cardio Kickboxing/Muay Thai/Jiu-jitsu. I hope to continue this as long as I can. I don't want to be a fighter or anything but it's always good to have that kind of knowledge.


Wow, you have quite a packed schedule there. I bet the latter training is good fun. 
I got my 10KM PB down to 35:29 in 2009 but everyone insisting that I should run more miles actually put me off running full stop. If I enter a half marathon for the end of 2011 I will have no excuse but to train as I'm not one of those people who can just jog around a course and race for the sake of it. Once that whistle goes off I get quite competitive and something inside of me makes me want to give it everything.


----------



## JasonLives

I usually run on a regular basis when spring time hits until the first snow comes along. In the winter its a little less, I just dislike running treadmills. Its incredible boring. 
Probably gonna be atleast 1 month before I can start running regulary again. Hopefully the snow is gone by then.

At best ive gotten 42 minutes in 6 miles, a course that varies a lot from asfalt to soft surface in the woods, uphill and downhill. I aim to be under 40 minutes this summer. As long as my knee´s hold up. If they are not good the first 1 mile, then I will lose all motivation to run the rest of the way.
But ive been way too injury prone as of late. Knee´s, right shoulder and left wrist have not been my friends.

I tried half a marathon 2 summers ago. Wasent a official race, more like I would only do 3 miles but then thought "What the hell" and just continued. Ended up with 14 miles ( 22,5km ). Wrong decision to do it on one of the hotter days in the summer.
I was so dizzy after that, my hip and knees hurt like hell.


----------



## Henry Hill

Yeah treadmills suck - never been into them. 

That's a good 6 mile training time btw especially in light of the conditions.


----------



## smkelly13

I recently joined a gym, Snap Fitness. I like their facility, as it has plenty of machines, weight variations, etc.


----------



## Zen

Henry Hill said:


> Yeah treadmills suck - never been into them.
> 
> That's a good 6 mile training time btw especially in light of the conditions.


good for winter tho


----------



## smkelly13

I can't stand running on a treadmill. I'll find an indoor track if I want to run in the winter. 

I saw an older guy on a treadmill today. He had already ran over 8 miles. Craziness.


----------



## Henry Hill

Got back training this week and for the first time in months actually ran more miles than I ate cakes. Success! Now though there's the small matter of keeping it going.....


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Am gonna finally try Jack3d for preworkout. I have being reading and hearing for over a year about this supplement and I gonna give it a shot. I usually eat a small meal (usually fish and rice) an 1 hour before I hit the gym. I will let you guys know how it goes.


----------



## MKC

Henry Hill said:


> Yeah treadmills suck - never been into them.
> 
> That's a good 6 mile training time btw especially in light of the conditions.


Amen, the great out doors all the way.


----------



## AWR

My current fitness regime while studying full-time includes running 5km every second night, swimming 3km every second morning and 250 sit-ups four nights a week. I'm going to get into the gym though when it opens up at uni, as you all know gym memberships are quite costly.


----------



## Goku

You don't need the gym if you're cutting, which, judging by your routine, you seem to be after.


----------



## i$e

Hohenheim of Light said:


> You don't need the gym if you're cutting.


Depends if you're cutting weight or cutting fat and what your definition of gym is.


----------



## Goku

You don't need a gym to cut fat either.


----------



## i$e

Depends what your definition of gym is.


----------



## AB_WWEU PWE

Awesome thread, never seen anything like this one before.

I'm 17, looking to start all time on my soccer team, one problem is my fitness, even though im fit enough i just cant get past the point im at any suggestions?


----------



## Henry Hill

AB_WWEU said:


> Awesome thread, never seen anything like this one before.
> 
> I'm 17, looking to start all time on my soccer team, one problem is my fitness, even though im fit enough i just cant get past the point im at any suggestions?


How often do you run? How far? Have you tried interval training?


----------



## NostalgicDave

AB_WWEU said:


> Awesome thread, never seen anything like this one before.
> 
> I'm 17, looking to start all time on my soccer team, one problem is my fitness, even though im fit enough i just cant get past the point im at any suggestions?


I played football (*soccer) as a teen and i wanted something to do on the side and i took up boxing. After about 2 months i never got tired in football and it was easy as piss.

When i was undefeated after 13 fights i gave up football lol, but if you play in midfield a fitness advantage is KEY.


----------



## AB_WWEU PWE

Henry Hill said:


> How often do you run? How far? Have you tried interval training?


I don't actually run much myself, but we have training twice a week, and i have PE twice a week with my School so i do enough of it but i am determined to do more. 

What exactly is interval running?


----------



## NostalgicDave

Can anyone reccomend WHEN to start taking supplements/protien shakes ?

Ive been going to the gym for about a month and im not gunna touch the stuff yet but my friends have already started using Accai berries and protien shakes and they say they are good. Im a little more cautious and hesitant, maybe because i dont go as heavy on the wieghts and go more for cardial training for a good mix.

Also what is the most ideal to use ?


----------



## Henry Hill

AB_WWEU said:


> I don't actually run much myself, but we have training twice a week, and i have PE twice a week with my School so i do enough of it but i am determined to do more.
> 
> What exactly is interval running?


You need to do a few runs to maximize your fitness for the football pitch which is why all footballers have running in their training schedules (especially midfielders who can run up to 8 miles in a 90 minute game).

Examples of useful interval running for football: 20 x 20 second hard bursts with 20 seconds recovery in between


----------



## AB_WWEU PWE

Henry Hill said:


> You need to do a few runs to maximize your fitness for the football pitch which is why all footballers have running in their training schedules (especially midfielders who can run up to 8 miles in a 90 minute game).
> 
> Examples of useful interval running for football: 20 x 20 second hard bursts with 20 seconds recovery in between


Thanks, i will certainly look into this.


----------



## Henry Hill

What position do you play? I play for fun on Monday nights and tend to do a bit of everything.


----------



## AB_WWEU PWE

Henry Hill said:


> What position do you play? I play for fun on Monday nights and tend to do a bit of everything.


I am a striker/attacking midfielder.


----------



## Henry Hill

AB_WWEU said:


> I am a striker/attacking midfielder.


Cool.


----------



## El Conquistador

NostalgicDave said:


> Can anyone reccomend WHEN to start taking supplements/protien shakes ?
> 
> Ive been going to the gym for about a month and im not gunna touch the stuff yet but my friends have already started using Accai berries and protien shakes and they say they are good. Im a little more cautious and hesitant, maybe because i dont go as heavy on the wieghts and go more for cardial training for a good mix.
> 
> Also what is the most ideal to use ?


Post-workout is the absolute most essential time. If you could only schedule meals twice a day, ideally you would want those meals to be: 1) when you wake up, 2) post workout. Those two times of the day is when your body is the most depleted and feeding off of itself.


----------



## i$e

NostalgicDave said:


> Can anyone reccomend WHEN to start taking supplements/protien shakes ?


After workout and before bed.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

NostalgicDave said:


> Can anyone reccomend WHEN to start taking supplements/protien shakes ?
> 
> Ive been going to the gym for about a month and im not gunna touch the stuff yet but my friends have already started using Accai berries and protien shakes and they say they are good. Im a little more cautious and hesitant, maybe because i dont go as heavy on the wieghts and go more for cardial training for a good mix.
> 
> Also what is the most ideal to use ?


Before you workout (1 hour prior) you can eat a small meal with something that protein like chicken, or fish along with slow digesting carbs, brown rice or beans for example. Or just Oatmeal if your tight on time or a protein shake with a slow carb food (orange, banana, etc..) 

After your workout, your shake with a fast carb. Fast carb could be like a raisins, pineapple, pears, or peaches for example.

If you take creatine, you can take it after your workout, though some people like to take it during they are working out (intra). I prefer afterwards. Just make sure you cycle it and drink a lot of water throughout the day. I drink 1 - 1.5 gallon of water a day.

Oh I forgot, you can drink a protein shake as soon as you wake up since your stomach is starving for food. I do this every morning. Since am talking about your stomach craving food, before you go to sleep you can eat a slow digesting protein like cottage cheese (I learned to love it) or take a CASEIN protein shake like 30-45 before going to sleep. That way your body is not starving while you are sleeping.


----------



## i$e

Taking EFA's w/ a shake before bed is close to optimal.


----------



## Heel

Any of you guys use kettlebells? If so, do you recommend investing in some?


----------



## i$e

I don't personally, but I know people who rate them.


----------



## El Conquistador

MrMondayNight said:


> Any of you guys use kettlebells? If so, do you recommend investing in some?


Occasionally as a warm up. I'll do some KB swings or snatches to loosen up the tendons so they're well equipped to go through the workout I have in store for them (olympic lifts + squats mainly). As far as centering a routine around kettlebells, I would not. I feel as if the barbell should be universal.

They are effective. If you have an X amount of disposable income, then sure, why not? If not, pass on them.


----------



## Heel

Father Flex said:


> Occasionally as a warm up. I'll do some KB swings or snatches to loosen up the tendons so they're well equipped to go through the workout I have in store for them (olympic lifts + squats mainly). As far as centering a routine around kettlebells, I would not. I feel as if the barbell should be universal.
> 
> They are effective. If you have an X amount of disposable income, then sure, why not? If not, pass on them.


I only have dumbbells at home at the moment. I want to get a barbell but there's not much room in my flat for a bench, unless I'd be able to do some kind of bench-press without a bench.


----------



## Goku

Benches don't really take all that much room. I have one in my bedroom (along with dumbbells, a barbell, a kickbag and a climbing rope). Well, it is a pretty big room, so...

As for kettle-bells, if you're into circuit training for endurance then they'd be pretty darn useful, but then again you can easily center the training around a dumbbell as well. If you have spare money, go for it, but it'd be wiser to invest in a barbell (or bigger weights).


----------



## Rush

never used kettlebells, some mates rave about them, others aren't keen.


----------



## Heel

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Benches don't really take all that much room. I have one in my bedroom (along with dumbbells, a barbell, a kickbag and a climbing rope). Well, it is a pretty big room, so...
> 
> As for kettle-bells, if you're into circuit training for endurance then they'd be pretty darn useful, but then again you can easily center the training around a dumbbell as well. If you have spare money, go for it, but it'd be wiser to invest in a barbell (or bigger weights).


Honestly mate, my flat is TINY, a living room/kitchen, small bathroom and two small bedrooms. No room for a bench anywhere. I might buy a barbell anyway, for squats, etc.


----------



## Goku

What's your ground exercise routine/numbers (if you do one)?


----------



## Heel

Hohenheim of Light said:


> What's your ground exercise routine/numbers (if you do one)?


I usually do squats, planks, press-ups, etc. Pretty basic stuff.


----------



## i$e

Do a DB Floor Press if you don't have a bench.


----------



## Heel

i$e said:


> Do a DB Floor Press if you don't have a bench.


Just had a dumbbell workout at home and did the DB Floor Press, enjoyed it, cheers.


----------



## i$e

(Y)


----------



## Heel

Two questions: What is your favourite cardio? What do you eat after a workout?

I usually have bagel and a protein shake, which I'm told is the sort of thing you should eat. As for cardio, I find treadmills and exercise bikes really boring. Thinking about starting to go on runs..


----------



## Thad Castle

MrMondayNight said:


> Two questions: What is your favourite cardio? What do you eat after a workout?
> 
> I usually have bagel and a protein shake, which I'm told is the sort of thing you should eat. As for cardio, I find treadmills and exercise bikes really boring. Thinking about starting to go on runs..


My favorite cardio is biking but not on the exercise bikes. After a workout I have a double scooped protein shake mixed with fat free milk rather than water.


----------



## i$e

MrMondayNight said:


> Two questions: What is your favourite cardio? What do you eat after a workout?
> 
> I usually have bagel and a protein shake, which I'm told is the sort of thing you should eat. As for cardio, I find treadmills and exercise bikes really boring. Thinking about starting to go on runs..


I don't do cardio. When I did, it was 30 minutes HIT on a heavybag. 

Whey Protein shake (with semi-skimmed milk as always) straight after workout, followed by a proper meal about 90-120 minutes after.


----------



## snake332211

im 180 pounds and around 5'11 anyone know how many calories i should take in daily?


----------



## i$e

Depends what you're trying to do. 

Probably around 2600 to maintain weight.


----------



## Thad Castle

I weight 190 LBs and I'm 6'1". I'm actually consuming between 1,800 and 2,200 calroies a day myself. I get between 190 and 210 Grams of protein a day. I'm on a plan to lose a pound a week. I work out an hour five to six times a week and do at least 20 - 30 mins of cardio a day.


----------



## wrestlingistkrieg

I have a question for whoever wants to help. I'm a 16 year old girl, and I've always been in pretty good shape, compared to other highschool students. I used to do waterpolo, swimming,and parkour, but quit, and now I mainly just do bjj (brazilian ju jitsu). I'm still in relatively good shape, but between being depressed, eating a lot of junkfood, and not losing any weight from bjj, I'm starting to get flabby. My question is, should I even bother to get in shape if I'm only a teen? Idk it seems kind of pointless to put a lot of effort into looking fit when I'm young and can't go out, get drunk,have fun, get hit on by older guys, etc.


----------



## Goku

Yes, you should. Once new fat cells are created (neolipogenesis), they can never be destroyed unless by medical methods (which are almost never recommended).


----------



## Zen

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Yes, you should. Once new fat cells are created (neolipogenesis), they can never be destroyed unless by medical methods (which are almost never recommended).


u mean u cant burn the fat off?


----------



## Rush

fat cells can be removed HoL (although the average life of a fat cell is about 10 years from memory)


----------



## Goku

Well yeah, cells die all the time. What I meant was that fat cells don't die when you burn off fat. Burning fat is generally shrinking the cells to near non-existent size. The cells themselves still exist in case they're ever needed to store further energy, which is a good survival tactic, probably not best aesthetically though.


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

MrMondayNight said:


> Two questions: What is your favourite cardio? What do you eat after a workout?
> 
> I usually have bagel and a protein shake, which I'm told is the sort of thing you should eat. As for cardio, I find treadmills and exercise bikes really boring. Thinking about starting to go on runs..


Interval training cardio is my favorite. I get on the treadmill, do brisk walk for 5 mins, the sprint for 5 mins, rinse and repeat.

What you eat before depends on what you are trying to do. You should throw some fat in like natural peanut butter.


----------



## Goku

You sprint for five minutes?


----------



## Rush

if i tried to sprint for 5 mins i'd be dead. hell, a minute and i'd be fucked.


----------



## i$e

If I ever do HIIT it's 30 seconds on, 30 off. 

Five minute sprints can go fuck themselves.


----------



## Zen

I prefer interval training as well but not 5 minute sprints lol


----------



## [email protected]

haha i can sprint for about a minute and a half before i'm out! My metabolism is as small as a peanut cause i eat about 1500 calories a day, run a mile a day (Team Sports Class), and play basketball with friends but can't lose weight. Im not fat, just a lil chunky but it wont go away!!!!!


----------



## Goku

What's your maintenance level?


----------



## i$e

[email protected] said:


> haha i can sprint for about a minute and a half before i'm out! My metabolism is as small as a peanut cause i eat about 1500 calories a day, run a mile a day (Team Sports Class), and play basketball with friends but can't lose weight. Im not fat, just a lil chunky but it wont go away!!!!!


You need to be lifting weight, really. It can take a few weeks for weight to start dropping (due to water retention, body reluctance etc).


----------



## IWeskerI

It's easy enough to get big. I've put on over 13 pounds in 2 and a half months. Just eat a shit load of food and bust your ass in the gym.


----------



## Near™

IWeskerI said:


> It's easy enough to get big. I've put on over 13 pounds in 2 and a half months. Just eat a shit load of food and bust your ass in the gym.



That is weight, not muscle. Hell, I could put 13 pounds of weight on in two weeks- anyone could.

But as the originals of this thread know, I am not a big fan of just trying to put on clean muscle if you're trying to actually get big. 

Put thickness (combination of fat and muscle) on and then cut it to your desire.


----------



## Zen

New avatar baby, that's what it's all about.


----------



## Goku

Getting big is just a byproduct of getting strong for me. But I have increased strength X4 (around) w/ barely any increment in size over the last two months. I like it.


----------



## IWeskerI

Near said:


> That is weight, not muscle. Hell, I could put 13 pounds of weight on in two weeks- anyone could.
> 
> But as the originals of this thread know, I am not a big fan of just trying to put on clean muscle if you're trying to actually get big.
> 
> Put thickness (combination of fat and muscle) on and then cut it to your desire.


No, some is fat, some is muscle. It's impossible to get bigger without putting on fat aswell. Anyone who trys to get lean and no fat is going down a very, very slow road.


----------



## theREIGN™

I've been doing P90X for just over a month now, with the clean diet and all and I must say the results in overall strength and athleticism have been great. I've been training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai for a couple of years now as well. That's all basically my workouts throughout the week right now. P90X 7 days (rest day I stretch) and MMA on Tuesdays and Thursdays.


----------



## El Conquistador

I advise all concerned about strength than aesthetics to look into purchasing 5/3/1.


----------



## Zen

IWeskerI said:


> No, some is fat, some is muscle. It's impossible to get bigger without putting on fat aswell. Anyone who trys to get lean and no fat is going down a very, very slow road.


but at that pace I would think most is fat


----------



## Ross McTURTLE

Do many people here go to the gym as well as do yoga? I'd be really interested to find out what others are doing in regards to combining the two.


----------



## Goku

I've never done Yoga in my life, but I do martial arts.


----------



## That Guy

Never done Yoga, probably not going to. Did a few years of Martial Arts as a kid but you can keep yourself flexible without it at home. 

What sort of exercise would you suggest for bulking up your chest? I got a pretty flat chest compared to the rest of the body and want it to stick out more. Should I just eat more and then burn most of it off? I've heard also someone say that pushups with your fist is good for your chest.. but not to sure about that. Any pointers?


----------



## Goku

Why would knuckle pushups be good for the chest? 

Swear by the benchpress imo. Go really heavy. Best mass builder for the chest. Kinda obvious an answer though, isn't it?


----------



## That Guy

Yeah that was my reaction like what do the knuckle pushups have to do with anything though I did try them for a bit, felt it but no result.

Was hoping there was something else because that forces me to either go out and buy a bench press set for my room or get a gym membership which is a few hundred $ :lmao im someone that does it all by other means like go to a playground and do chin ups on the monkey bars and what-not.


----------



## i$e

flat bench, incline bench, military press, chin/pull ups & dips are what you're looking for Harlem


----------



## Goku

Okay. Try variations of push-ups. Weighted, elevated, raised feet, one arm (this for max mass) etc. Dips also works the chest though I wouldn't depend on it for mass gain.


----------



## Something Savage

Flat & incline benches are going to give you more visual results quicker than anything else regarding your chest. Throw in some flyes (cable, dumbell incline, or whatever you're most comfortable using), and go from there.

If you want, go light with the flyes & superset them with sets of push-ups (again, it doesn't matter if they're elevated or not). You'll feel it when you're doing it right.


----------



## Alim

This is my new workout routine, 4 day split. I'm still a beginner since I've only been working out since December 2010. Any comments are appreciated.

Day 1: Back, biceps, forearms

Pull-ups 3xto failure
Lat pull downs 3x5-10
Single arm db rows 3x5-10
Dead lifts 1x5 (1 warmup set)

Alternating db curls 3x5-10
EZ bar curls 3x5-10
Overhead cable curls 3x5-10

Cable pulls 2x10-20 
Inward wrist curls 1x25
Twisties 1x25

Day 2: Chest, triceps, abs

Flat bench db press 3x5-10
Incline db press 3x5-10
Incline db flyes 2x5-10
Pecfly machine 1x12-15

Closegrip bench press 3x6-10
Dips 3xfailure
Seated tricep press 3x6-10
Tricep pushdown 3x6-10

Sit ups on bench 6x25

Day 3: Shoulders, traps, and forearms

DB shoulder press 3x5-10
Front db raise 3x10
DB lateral raise 3x10

DB shrugs 3x5-10
Cable shrugs w/ bar 3x5-10

Cable pulls 2x10-20 
Inward wrist curls 1x25
Twisties 1x25

Day 4: Quads, hamstrings, calves

DB lunges 3x5-10
Leg press 3x10
Squats 3x5-10

Seated leg curl 3x10
Lying leg curls 3x10

Calf press 3x10

Sits up on bench 6x25


----------



## i$e

Needs more compounds.


----------



## SKT T1 Blank

One good & easy workout that should be done once a day, which is really effective is this:
20 Crunches
20 Leg Crunches
15 Crunches
15 Leg Crunches
10 Crunches
10 Leg Crunches
5 Crunches
5 Leg Crunches

it's been really great, I've been wanting abs and I've been getting results. It depends in what your current shape is, if your big and not fit, you might want to do this more then once a day, and results may take longer. If you're already extremely fit and just want to keep the abs or make them stronger or whatever, add more to it, like counting down from 30 or whatever you prefer.


----------



## El Conquistador

Alim said:


> This is my new workout routine, 4 day split. I'm still a beginner since I've only been working out since December 2010. Any comments are appreciated.
> 
> Day 1: Back, biceps, forearms
> 
> Pull-ups 3xto failure
> Lat pull downs 3x5-10
> Single arm db rows 3x5-10
> Dead lifts 1x5 (1 warmup set)
> 
> Alternating db curls 3x5-10
> EZ bar curls 3x5-10
> Overhead cable curls 3x5-10
> 
> Cable pulls 2x10-20
> Inward wrist curls 1x25
> Twisties 1x25
> 
> Day 2: Chest, triceps, abs
> 
> Flat bench db press 3x5-10
> Incline db press 3x5-10
> Incline db flyes 2x5-10
> Pecfly machine 1x12-15
> 
> Closegrip bench press 3x6-10
> Dips 3xfailure
> Seated tricep press 3x6-10
> Tricep pushdown 3x6-10
> 
> Sit ups on bench 6x25
> 
> Day 3: Shoulders, traps, and forearms
> 
> DB shoulder press 3x5-10
> Front db raise 3x10
> DB lateral raise 3x10
> 
> DB shrugs 3x5-10
> Cable shrugs w/ bar 3x5-10
> 
> Cable pulls 2x10-20
> Inward wrist curls 1x25
> Twisties 1x25
> 
> Day 4: Quads, hamstrings, calves
> 
> DB lunges 3x5-10
> Leg press 3x10
> Squats 3x5-10
> 
> Seated leg curl 3x10
> Lying leg curls 3x10
> 
> Calf press 3x10
> 
> Sits up on bench 6x25


Looks good - much better than others who post in here. A few suggestions for you:

-Start day 4 off with back squats, sets of 5.

-Limit the accessory exercises. No need for that many triceps or biceps oriented motions. Do 1 extra exercise in addition to your back + chest day. They'll be hit hard indirectly from pull ups, rows, and presses.

-Emphasize progressing linearly, from workout to workout or week to week.

-Take out some of the leg day exercises, too many. Focus hard on the squats to start it off. If your whole goal is aesthetics, add leg press or lunges along with 1 hamstring exercise and then calves. No need for squats, 2 quad dominant exercises, 2 hamstring exercises, calves, and abs. Bit excessive.

I like the routine. There's plenty of compounds in there. I would ignore that suggestion from i$e. Normally offers useful advice, I don't see how this advice applies.


----------



## i$e

Father Flex said:


> I would ignore that suggestion from i$e. Normally offers useful advice, I don't see how this advice applies.


I hate having to point it out, but I was being sarcastic. 

To give a helpful reply; lose all those pointless isolation exercises. For a beginner I wouldn't actually do a four day split. I'd do a three day full body compound program, smashing up Deads, Squats, Bench, Pullups, Dips & Military. 

You're just starting out so strengthening your core should be your main goal.


----------



## El Conquistador

Sincerest of apologies. I wasn't expecting sarcasm and certainly did not detect it. Sound advice there. I always tell people to stick with Starting Strength or something to the like.


----------



## [email protected]

cool thread. I'm overweight, but only a lil chubby not obese. I usually do sit-ups push-ups and run atleast one mile every week day, ride my bike, and play basketball. That's how i lose weight and it's effective. I was 220, now im like 196


----------



## [email protected]

Hiplop said:


> i always preferred laps as well.


my track that i use is 1/4 a mile per lap so i do like 4-8 laps a day.


----------



## Bubba T

I've been doing two a days at the gym for the last week or so. I feel that I'm getting a lot more out of myself when I go before and after work. Mornings I usually go a few miles on the bike, shoot some hoops, and do some weighted crunches. In the evening I go for weight training. I haven't felt so good in such a long time.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

You go to the gym to ride a bike? Nice dude.


----------



## Bubba T

Selective reading fail.


----------



## Zen

Bubba T said:


> I've been doing two a days at the gym for the last week or so. I feel that I'm getting a lot more out of myself when I go before and after work. Mornings I usually go a few miles on the bike, shoot some hoops, and do some weighted crunches. In the evening I go for weight training. I haven't felt so good in such a long time.


keep up the good work


----------



## i$e

Father Flex said:


> Sincerest of apologies. I wasn't expecting sarcasm and certainly did not detect it. Sound advice there. I always tell people to stick with Starting Strength or something to the like.


Aye, SS or something similar is the best route. 

I see too many people obsessing over wrist curls and shit when they're just starting out. It's a mistake everyone tends to make.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Being on Jack3d for about a week now. I love it. It definitely is not a let down. This is a quality product for sure. I would definitely recommend it. Its not really a bother (to me anyways) you get this tingly feeling in your body after you take it, that some were saying on the http://reviews.bodybuilding.com/ site.


----------



## Joshi

Regular exercise beats every diet for me, do fitness, even in your room you don't need a gym just to stay in shape, do some jogging also, and if you need to go somewhere WALK if you can 
Keyword is "regular" try to don't miss your exercices just cause you're a little tired, 10-20 minutes usually are enough


----------



## i$e

Diet > Exercise.


----------



## El Conquistador

i$e said:


> Aye, SS or something similar is the best route.
> 
> I see too many people obsessing over wrist curls and shit when they're just starting out. It's a mistake everyone tends to make.


Agree.

SS is the best cookie cutter program out there. All novices can benefit from running it. Parts of the program is impractical and it does neglect unilateral movements among other things but that's neither here or there. It's a great program.


----------



## Joshi

i$e said:


> Diet > Exercise.


Diet is better than exercise if you're alredy fat, if not do sports and you'll never need a diet


----------



## i$e

Joshi said:


> Diet is better than exercise if you're alredy fat, if not do sports and you'll never need a diet


Incorrect.

Try again.


----------



## Joshi

i$e said:


> Incorrect.
> 
> Try again.


Very clear...can you please explain why? I'm talking for personal experience here, always did sports, always ate everything I wanted (with some criteria of course), never needed a diet. I'm 168 cm high for 57 kg btw.


----------



## Walls

Joshi said:


> Very clear...can you please explain why? I'm talking for personal experience here, always did sports, always ate everything I wanted (with some criteria of course), never needed a diet. I'm 168 cm high for 57 kg btw.


Everyone's body is different. My ex fiance literally ate whatever she wanted, when she wanted, all the time and never gained a pound. And she is a pig with food, she used to easily out eat me every time by a large margin and she always stayed at 120 pounds, and she is 5'3. Never worked out a day in her life either. Then you have someone like my current fiance and she really has to workout to keep her body in check and has to watch what she eats. My current fiance of course loves hearing that 

But usually people can't get away with just eating decent and not exercising.


----------



## Joshi

Walls said:


> Everyone's body is different. My ex fiance literally ate whatever she wanted, when she wanted, all the time and never gained a pound. And she is a pig with food, she used to easily out eat me every time by a large margin and she always stayed at 120 pounds, and she is 5'3. Never worked out a day in her life either. Then you have someone like my current fiance and she really has to workout to keep her body in check and has to watch what she eats. My current fiance of course loves hearing that
> 
> But usually people can't get away with just eating decent and not exercising.


Fair enough, you proved me wrong with style here ^\\\^


----------



## Hiplop

Walls said:


> Everyone's body is different. My ex fiance literally ate whatever she wanted, when she wanted, all the time and never gained a pound. And she is a pig with food, she used to easily out eat me every time by a large margin and she always stayed at 120 pounds, and she is 5'3. Never worked out a day in her life either. Then you have someone like my current fiance and she really has to workout to keep her body in check and has to watch what she eats. My current fiance of course loves hearing that
> 
> But usually people can't get away with just eating decent and not exercising.


haha im the same way as the first one, i can eat as much as i want and i never gain anything. Im in great shape despite being rather lazy


----------



## Rush

i have to work everything off. damn you people. My brother is like that, we have pretty much the same diet but i have to work at it to stay in shape, he's just a skinny runt.


----------



## Goku

Hard gainers are hard gainers.


----------



## Henry Hill

I went through a two month period of no running except the odd football match and gained hardly any weight despite eating trash. Now I'm back training again and I can't get enough food down my system.

I feel sorry for anyone who has to diet - I couldn't go through with that shit at all. It's hard enough going without pudding.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

My routine is always like this...

Monday- Chest, Triceps & Abs
Tuesday- Upper Back, Lower Back & Biceps
Wednesday- Legs & Abs
Thursday- Light Chest, Triceps & Light Lower Back
Friday- Upper Back, Biceps & Abs
Saturday- Shoulders & Forearms
Sundays- Off

I use to be in great shape until I got jumped one day on my way to school. I suffered a fractured jaw and a knee injury both which required surgery. With my jaw fractured I wasn't allowed to eat solid food for six weeks and I went down to from 200lbs to 150lb. (I'm 5'10). I survived mostly on liquids and Ensure. Obviously after being allowed to eat again I packed up some weight. However, I really started packing up some weight fast because my metabolism went crazy and the fact that my knee hadn't recover really added more to that. I actually weighted 210 pounds in just two months after I was allowed to eat solid food again. It was rather depressing to be honest but once my knee got into decent shape I started working out again and now I'm down to 175 which is an ideal weight from someone my height. My diet has contributed to my success a lot but I wasn't on a extreme diet either. I just cut back on sugars and junk food, ate more lean meats and egg whites and made sure that I didn't eat after 7PM at least.


----------



## Something Savage

Genetics, metabolism, and other factors will always play a hand in how an individual gains/loses weight. That's just the nature of the beast. Some people are hardgainers, while others gain weight very easily.

Diet and nutrition are extremely important. You can hang & bang in the gym all you want, but it's not going to make a dent in your overall progression unless you have your diet & nutrition in check.

Pumping iron and pushing weight is where the hard work's at, sure. But that's only phase one. It's the process of tearing your muscles down. The key is building them back up, which is what proper diet & nutrition is all about.

Why would you go through all the trouble of lifting weights, if you're not going to properly capitalize with the rebuilding phase? Because that's what your nutrition is - it's the rebuilding of what you just tore down in the gym. You can't deplete yourself of glycogen and do a half-assed job of restoring it. You'll get bogged down and plateau fairly fast.

I, for one, never really understood the whole phobia of eating after a certain time at night. It's a ridiculous notion, for so many reasons. In fact, bedtime is a great time to think about ingesting some slow-digesting protein to help keep your body in an anabolic state throughout those 8 hours of rest.

Besides, if your macros are all kept in check throughout the other (earlier) hours of the day, then it's not going to make a difference whether you're eating at 5pm or 8pm. Calories in versus calories out. It's really as simple as that.


----------



## i$e

Something Savage said:


> I, for one, never really understood the whole phobia of eating after a certain time at night. It's a ridiculous notion, for so many reasons.


That's what years of broscience does. 

It's a pretty reliable constant that I'll hear four or five different myths in a given week when it comes to this stuff. These are people who think they know what they're talking about because some meathead in the gym told them. In fact, I still have friends who think that eating 6 times a day is better than 3, or that too much of a certain food makes you fat.

Calorie is king.


----------



## theREIGN™

i$e said:


> That's what years of broscience does.
> 
> It's a pretty reliable constant that I'll hear four or five different myths in a given week when it comes to this stuff. These are people who think they know what they're talking about because some meathead in the gym told them. In fact, I still have friends who think that eating 6 times a day is better than 3, or that too much of a certain food makes you fat.
> 
> Calorie is king.


6 smaller meals spread throughout the day is much better than 3. My metabolism would be shot if I tried going on three meals a day again. You shouldn't go long amounts of time without eating unless you're sleeping. Your digestive system slows way down, so it's good to have casein protein right before you go to sleep.


----------



## i$e

CCU.chants_13 said:


> 6 smaller meals spread throughout the day is much better than 3. My metabolism would be shot if I tried going on three meals a day again. You shouldn't go long amounts of time without eating unless you're sleeping.


Myth.


----------



## Henry Hill

JoseBxNYC said:


> My routine is always like this...
> 
> Monday- Chest, Triceps & Abs
> Tuesday- Upper Back, Lower Back & Biceps
> Wednesday- Legs & Abs
> Thursday- Light Chest, Triceps & Light Lower Back
> Friday- Upper Back, Biceps & Abs
> Saturday- Shoulders & Forearms
> Sundays- Off
> 
> I use to be in great shape until I got jumped one day on my way to school. I suffered a fractured jaw and a knee injury both which required surgery. With my jaw fractured I wasn't allowed to eat solid food for six weeks and I went down to from 200lbs to 150lb. (I'm 5'10). I survived mostly on liquids and Ensure. Obviously after being allowed to eat again I packed up some weight. However, I really started packing up some weight fast because my metabolism went crazy and the fact that my knee hadn't recover really added more to that. I actually weighted 210 pounds in just two months after I was allowed to eat solid food again. It was rather depressing to be honest but once my knee got into decent shape I started working out again and now I'm down to 175 which is an ideal weight from someone my height. My diet has contributed to my success a lot but I wasn't on a extreme diet either. I just cut back on sugars and junk food, ate more lean meats and egg whites and made sure that I didn't eat after 7PM at least.


That's quite the workout listed above. My only activity is running besides the odd bit of soccer skills for a laugh. 

I'm running six times a week at the moment with 2 hard race pace sessions, 1 long run of around 90 minutes, 1 easy run and 2 steady runs. I'm probably a shade under ten stone. Luckily you can afford to digest 60+ jaffa cakes a week when you're vegetarian. I eat whatever and whenever I want - I knew some club-mates once who wouldn't spread anything on their toast but I think life's too short for that bollocks.


----------



## theREIGN™

In no way is it a myth. You eat three big meals you're overloading in nutrients and your body's storing the extra calories as fat. You eat three small meals and you're going to send your body into starvation mode. It's not a known fact that 6 meals a day positively effects your metabolism, but it's a solid theory.

It goes hand in hand with your results. 5-6 meals is optimal for your metabolism because it takes around 2 hours to digest each meal which burns more fat and amino acids last around 3 hours in the bloodstream before going into the body/being used as energy.

The main benefit to eating 5-6 meals a day is to better stabilize blood sugar levels/prevent hunger. When your glycogen levels go down your body has to find alternate energy to use (at times muscle.) If you think you'll keep the same metabolic rate from eating 3 meals a few times compared to 6 you're crazy.

You might not be catabolic if you go 5-6 hours without eating, but you're headed towards that direction and you're becoming less and less anabolic the longer you go without eating...

Source - Coastal Carolina University Exercise & Sports Science Major


----------



## Goku

i$e said:


> In fact, I still have friends who think that eating 6 times a day is better than 3, or that too much of a certain food makes you fat.
> 
> Calorie is king.


Both of these are true. They may not be true for you yet, but they are general truths. Consult any nutritionalist.


----------



## i$e

CCU.chants_13 said:


> In no way is it a myth.


It is. 



CCU.chants_13 said:


> You eat three big meals you're overloading in nutrients and your body's storing the extra calories as fat.


Incorrect. Fat only gets stored if there is a surplus of *NET* calories. If my maintenance for any given day is 2000 calories, then I could eat 2000 in one meal and I wouldn't gain any fat at all (providing I don't eat again that day). It's obviously not smart, but it highlights the basic flaw in your thinking. The body does not simply take it's required nutrients from a meal and store the rest as fat. Calorie is king. 



CCU.chants_13 said:


> You eat three small meals and you're going to send your body into starvation mode. It's not a known fact that 6 meals a day positively effects your metabolism, but it's a solid theory.


Who said anything about three _small_ meals? The point is that you can get your daily caloric intake through whatever is convenient for you. It makes no different if that's through 3 large meals or 6 small meals. I personally do around 5-6 because it's easier for me; certainly not because it has any effect on my metabolism (it doesn't).



CCU.chants_13 said:


> 5-6 meals is optimal for your metabolism because it takes around 2 hours to digest each meal which burns more fat and amino acids last around 3 hours in the bloodstream before going into the body/being used as energy.


See above. Eating 6 small meals has no metabolic benefits over eating 3 larger meals on any given day. Studies can be provided if you still wish to disagree. 



CCU.chants_13 said:


> The main benefit to eating 5-6 meals a day is to better stabilize blood sugar levels/prevent hunger.


The blood sugar level notion is a contentious point. I won't disagree with it because I'm in no position to. With regards to hunger, I agree. That's why I eat smaller and more often. I just recognize it's not going to boost my metabolism.



CCU.chants_13 said:


> When your glycogen levels go down your body has to find alternate energy to use (at times muscle.)


You think that eating three square meals a day crashes your glycogen so much that its gonna start eating away muscle? Come on, man.



CCU.chants_13 said:


> If you think you'll keep the same metabolic rate from eating 3 meals a few times compared to 6 you're crazy.


I might be crazy, but I'd be right. 



CCU.chants_13 said:


> You might not be catabolic if you go 5-6 hours without eating, but you're headed towards that direction and you're becoming less and less anabolic the longer you go without eating...


You talk like I'm on about eating three meals consisting of a few grapes and a piece of toast. Everything I say revolves around caloric intake and the breakdown of macros to reach whichever goal we're trying to hit. Also, I'm presuming we're talking about this in the context that we're training with heavy weights.



Hohenheim of Light said:


> Both of these are true. They may not be true for you yet, but they are general truths. Consult any nutritionalist.


Incorrect. First point has been discussed at length if we're talking about metabolic rates. Refer to SS's post above for more about the relationship of calories & fat/weight gain/loss. Oh, and It's _nutritionist_.

This is fun.


----------



## Goku

i$e said:


> Incorrect. First point has been discussed at length if we're talking about metabolic rates. Refer to SS's post above for more about the relationship of calories & fat/weight gain/loss. Oh, and It's _nutritionist_.


So it is. Quoted from your post:



> Fat only gets stored if there is a surplus of NET calories. If my maintenance for any given day is 2000 calories, then I could eat 2000 in one meal and I wouldn't gain any fat at all (providing I don't eat again that day). It's obviously not smart, but it highlights the basic flaw in your thinking. The body does not simply take it's required nutrients from a meal and store the rest as fat.


This thought is linear and only looks to work in theory. It is not practical unless you're using an energy meter as opposed to a digestive system. You are working off the assumption that the body's homeostasis is divided into 24 hour intervals. It is not unless you've been religiously following a routine of eating one meal of 2000 calories daily. The point is not to toss the 3 meals a day routine into the burner, but to affirm that a 5-6 meal frequency will help the body adapt to its nutritional needs faster than a 3 or 1 meal per day would.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, it was never supposed to be a practical solution, which I highlighted. It was to show the relationship between caloric maintenance level & the non-issue of meal frequency/size with regards to fat gain/loss. Damn, proponents of the Warrior Diet would argue that one large meal gets the job done!

There are benefits of eating small and often, just as there are benefits to eating large and less frequently. The results will be the same if we train hard and rest well (and hit our macros/calories etc obv). 

I just want to stress again that I never said that eating 3 times is _better_ than 6. I'm saying that it doesn't matter. I eat 6, but I could happily go back to eating 3 and achieve my goals. The benefits of 6 are clear, but that's because it aids people in being able to have more manipulation of their macros (and stave off hunger) and not because it offers us any kind of metabolic boosts. It's all just a matter of calories in/calories out. 

I don't want some heated, sarcastic argument, btw. I hope we can all benefit.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Question: Which one is better the Elliptical or the Treadmill? Some people have told me that the treadmill puts some strain on your ankles and achilles.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Someone write me up a cardio only (weights later plz) weight loss routine. I know what to eat, I just don't know what a good starting place is for exercise. I'm looking to lose, I dunno, 20 pounds.


----------



## IDontSuckReally

Speaking of nutrition myths.. I really enjoyed when a few of my friends went on a diet to 'flush out their systems' by basically only drinking water/fruit juice for a week. Honestly, what crazy fads people will follow.


----------



## theREIGN™

i$e said:


> Yeah, it was never supposed to be a practical solution, which I highlighted. It was to show the relationship between caloric maintenance level & the non-issue of meal frequency/size with regards to fat gain/loss. Damn, proponents of the Warrior Diet would argue that one large meal gets the job done!
> 
> There are benefits of eating small and often, just as there are benefits to eating large and less frequently. The results will be the same if we train hard and rest well (and hit our macros/calories etc obv).
> 
> I just want to stress again that I never said that eating 3 times is _better_ than 6. I'm saying that it doesn't matter. I eat 6, but I could happily go back to eating 3 and achieve my goals. The benefits of 6 are clear, but that's because it aids people in being able to have more manipulation of their macros (and stave off hunger) and not because it offers us any kind of metabolic boosts. It's all just a matter of calories in/calories out.
> 
> I don't want some heated, sarcastic argument, btw. I hope we can all benefit.


You know this was an interesting argument before UFC came on and put my ass to sleep with boring $55 fights.  I can't believe me and my friends didn't just go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Now I have a headache.


----------



## Goku

@ GA: Doesn't matter what kind of cardio you do if your aim is fat loss. Just work the calorie count to around -500 per day. Run, Swim, Cycle w/e.



i$e said:


> I don't want some heated, sarcastic argument, btw. I hope we can all benefit.


Surely.


----------



## i$e

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Someone write me up a cardio only (weights later plz) weight loss routine. I know what to eat, I just don't know what a good starting place is for exercise. I'm looking to lose, I dunno, 20 pounds.


Doesn't matter, man. As long as you're in caloric deficit and are taking in enough protein to keep any muscle mass, you'll be golden. Like HoL said; aim for a 500 cal deficit below your maintenance level. I personally like to use a heavy bag, but cycling, running etc will be fine. 



CCU.chants_13 said:


> You know this was an interesting argument before UFC came on and put my ass to sleep with boring $55 fights.  I can't believe me and my friends didn't just go to Buffalo Wild Wings. Now I have a headache.


God, yeah. That show sucked apart from the Struve KO.



Hohenheim of Light said:


> Surely.


----------



## Tenacious.C

Just started going to the gym, used to be really active as a kid/teenager, but when i went to uni it all kinda stopped.

I'm a bit on the large side at 5' 9" 16 stone 10, more of an old school rugby type build than truly fat though. Still, saying that, the aim is to lose around 3 1/2 stone.

Been at it for a few weeks now currently going to the gym 3 times a week, mainly aiming to get a calorie burn of over 1,000. Mostly on the cross trainer and bike to reduce the impact on my joints whilst carrying this weight, I'm carrying a fair amount of muscle mass as it is so avoiding the weights for now, with the intention of toning up once I'm getting down in size. 

Also Playing golf 2-3 times a week which suprisingly gets a decent calorie burn due to walking/carrying clubs for 7,000 yards over a period of around 4 hours.

I've been recording my diet and exercise using livestrong.com and the aim for my diet is around 2,000 a day consumption which so far I've managed to adhear to for 11 days out of 14. So this week some of my days my deficit has been 1200-1400 calories based on a 2,000 calorie diet other days only 600-700.

Any advice is appreciated and will be taken on board with this.

Thinking of starting to record my results visually from next week to use both as motivation and a reminder once I get to my goal weight.


----------



## i$e

Tenacious.C. said:


> Been at it for a few weeks now currently going to the gym 3 times a week, mainly aiming to get a calorie burn of over 1,000. Mostly on the cross trainer and bike to reduce the impact on my joints whilst carrying this weight, I'm carrying a fair amount of muscle mass as it is so avoiding the weights for now, with the intention of toning up once I'm getting down in size.
> 
> Any advice is appreciated and will be taken on board with this.


I don't really think this is the best approach, mate.

I've PM'd you with a great cutting guide.


----------



## Goku

I wouldn't go overboard with the calorie deficit. There's a limit to how much fat the body is capable of releasing. The remainder burnt will only tire you out and cost your recuperation, even short-term.


----------



## i$e

Agreed. Plus you're just gonna cut into that muscle mass that you want to be preserving. 

The notion of 'toning' is a myth too. It's just lowering body fat!


----------



## Tenacious.C

Cheers guys, i$e I'll have a decent read of that tonight.

My diet is extremely healthy at the moment. I've not felt burnt out or tired after doing what I've been doing, and I'm feeling better in general along with it(not just the endorphine rush after exercise), only complaint is joint pain, but with my weight it's too be expected. Given my past fitness/sports history it was natural to me to jump in on the calorie/cardio side.

But after skimming i$e's link there's a lot I need to change in the gym. I'll probably be back in here in a week or two after changing it up to let you know how it's going. I might not stick to what the link says precisely as I need to cater to what I'm capable of, and what I have available.

The advice is definitely appreciated.


----------



## i$e

Let me know if we can help you once you've decided how you're going to go about it.


----------



## Ufried Erwha

Im 5'10 194 lbs. BF% 15
I bench 195 x 10 and max with 235. I squat 315 x 6.

I want to cut fat, but I don't want to lose muscle. In the end I want to be a lean 180.
If I lose the fat, Im going to lose some muscle wont I?


----------



## i$e

Ufried Erwha said:


> Im 5'10 194 lbs. BF% 15
> I bench 195 x 10 and max with 235. I squat 315 x 6.
> 
> I want to cut fat, but I don't want to lose muscle. In the end I want to be a lean 180.
> If I lose the fat, Im going to lose some muscle wont I?


Not if you eat right.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

i$e said:


> Not if you eat right.


Can you maybe link to a basic guide of stuff that's good to be eating. I mean Fruit and Vegetables are a given, but what else? Can I drink milk? Eggs? etc...shit that people commonly eat that is actually terrible for you (besides fast food). Diet has got to be the hardest part of this whole thing. I don't know if I'm eating enough or too much.

Today was technically day 1 of my getting in shape goal for this summer. Weighed in this morning at 207.6 (not terrible for my 6'4" size I guess) would like to drop 15-20 pounds.

Meals for today:
Woke up late and couldn't find anything to eat in the kitchen besides Oatz (ew) so I just snacked on a few handfuls of roasted salted almonds
At work I had a banana and some plain Greek Yogurt with Blueberries
Had a snack of Pomegranate Tea and a Low Fat Fruit Bar
Right now I'm feasting on a baked chicken breast and some asparagus
Drank water throughout the day of course

Did the math, looks like I ended up with ~1100 calories on the day. I think that's too low but I have no fucking clue. ;_; Help a novice out.




my goal. I believe.


----------



## Goku

I don't use calorie charts. I used to once but now it's pretty much instinctive. Google and you'll find useful sites. I only glanced over it. Not sure if everything is right, but here:

http://www.ntwrks.com/~mikev/chart1.html

I would've gone with oats over the almonds in the morning (I like oats, but if you don't, don't). Also 1100 calories is way too low. How are you not starving? Eating right =/= eating low. If you're satisfied for the day, then okay but tomorrow onwards I would recommend a lot more food.

I'm guessing at 200+ lbs, your daily calorie needs would equate to around 2500 (rough guess). At 1100 calories, you haven't even given your body half of what it needs.

As for what is good to eat, I'm not so strict on it as long as you don't indulge in something so much that you exceed your calorie limit. Milk and eggs are both great and should not be avoided imo. Things to avoid would be vegetable oil and other frying oils. In fact, avoid fried food if you want to make it easier. Limit sugar consumption.

However, by the way you're eating, I don't think I should be telling you what _not_ to eat.


----------



## i$e

Everything HoL told you is right. 

You need to find your maintenance caloric level first. 15 x bodyweight is a good starting point. So you're 207, meaning you're going to need roughly 3100 calories to stay at the same weight. So given that you're trying to lose some of that, I'd go with HoL's suggestion of eating 2500 cals a day, equating to a -500 caloric deficit which should yield 1-1.5lb of fat loss per week. 

Don't make the mistake of thinking that if you eat as much under maintenance as possible, you'll lose more fat. You won't. In fact, your body will cling onto it much more easily as it thinks you're starving! 1100 is FAR too low. 2.5k as a starting point; weigh yourself weekly. 

Good foods to eat off the top of my head ~ Oats, Eggs, Lean Meats (Chicken, Trimmed Steaks etc), Pasta, Rice, Milk, Vegetables, Fruits, Tuna, Salmon, Almonds etc

Just eat as clean as you can. Avoid junk. 

You're going to want to do weights whilst your doing this also. It speeds the process up and promotes fat loss and not muscle loss. A good macro-nutrient ratio is 40% protien, 40% carbs with 20% fats (over your daily caloric intake). So thats 1g of protein per 1lb of LBM (Lean Body Mass; Weight minus Body Fat). 

Eat plenty of HEALTHY fats. Omega 3 & Omega 6. Almonds, Walnuts, Salmon are king. Fish oil capsules are great. They have many benefits. 

A good link for you ~ 

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=401681611&postcount=4389&CJAID=10409403&CJPID=3176257

Sorry I'm rambling. I just woke up so couldn't be bothered to structure this properly.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Thanks a lot fellas. Snacking on a bowl of Granola and eating some Greek Yogurt. I'll aim for at least 2000 today even though it's an offday for me. I know it doesn't mean much, but when I weighed in this morning I was at 206.8.

Almost a fucking pound. I FUCKING LOVE THIS SHIT.


----------



## i$e

Water weight comes and goes.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Fine bro, I'll only weigh myself once a week then.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, once a week at the same time in the morning. After piss, before food. 

Write it down. If you're losing a 1-2lb's each week then stay at that caloric level. 

Good luck.


----------



## Rush

as i$e alluded to, your weight will change throughout the day in accordance to water mass. Don't get too focused on the scale is my bit of advice to chip in. Even if your only goal is to lose weight, think about why you want to lose the weight and focus on that ie is it to improve ADL's, sports performance, to feel better, to look better, etc etc. Focus on your bigger goal and think of the weight loss as a benefit of that.


----------



## Ufried Erwha

Up to 200 lbs X 10 on the bench 

Yeah like the other guys said, don't be too concerned about weight. I started about 5-6 months ago being serious about it. Back then I was 190 and I benched 135 X 10, now Im 194 benching 200 X 10(btw I do more than bench lol).

Pretty much same weight, but much better shape.

-My weight varies from 188 to 195. I haven't eaten well lately so im closer to 195.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

mmmm blueberries and oatz for dinner. yall jelly?


----------



## Goku

Drink milk.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

with milk


----------



## i$e

Milk is the drink of Gods.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Was under my calorie intake again today. =/ Ended up with around 1200. Still don't FEEL hungry though.

Those protein bars are good shit, though. Like 300 calories. Went ahead and bought five or six of them.


----------



## i$e

Man, I'd start smashing my place up if I could only eat 1200 a day. 

Start lifting and you'll start eating (and start losing weight).

GOGGOGOGOGO.


----------



## Ufried Erwha

How the fuck do you only eat 1200 calories? Anyone here ever use Purple K? Should I chase it with a light drink that has a bit of sugar to spike insulin?


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I actually started adding Super Sets to my routines. It feels awesome. I'm 3 pounds away from my goal which is 180.


----------



## Zen

JoseBxNYC said:


> I actually started adding Super Sets to my routines. It feels awesome. I'm 3 pounds away from my goal which is 180.


what exercises do you do for super sets
?


----------



## Henry Hill

Testing my form out with a mile on the track this morning. Gonna be rough but I'll be annoyed if I don't go under 5 minutes.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

I play this song before and after every work out.


----------



## D17

Can just about do 18.5 KG dumbells in each hand, for a 17 year old I guess that's okay.

My mate could do 25 kg in each hand at 18 and do 120 bench press too, i'm trying ro catch him up!


----------



## Goku

Do what? What's your weight?


----------



## D17

5-8 and 11 Stone, or 154 pounds rounded up.

Regular 2 seconds up and 4 seconds down curls.


----------



## i$e

What about the rest of your routine?


----------



## Something Savage

What kind of split do you guys utilize? Are you working upper/lower splits? Full body? 3 days a week? 4 or 5? I'm just curious... Trying to get some more discussion brewing.


----------



## i$e

Full body compounds 3x a week. Built in deload.


----------



## El Conquistador

Day 1:
Snatch
C+J
Back Squat (up to max 1, 2, 3 + back off sets)
Day 2: 
Powersnatch:
Cleans
Back Squat (up to max 5 + back off sets)
Day 3: 
Front Squat (max)
Snatch
Cleans
Front Squat (max + volume)
Day 4:
Repeat

That's what I did when I wasn't working this labor intensive job and was actually borderline strong. Now, it's more like 3-4 days a week. Sunday was typically my rest day where I would do some light squatting.


----------



## D17

i$e said:


> What about the rest of your routine?


Ermm all I really do is 3 sets of 16 KG dumbell curls (till the point of musclar failur in each arm). Chin ups on pull up bar, press ups, diamond press ups, front raises that work the shoulders and sit ups.

Each of these untill I can't go anymore. Not exactly a bodybuilder just trying to maintian good shape.

Not exactly a routine though.

* Although the front raises are annoying as my hand grip wear out before my muscles do.


----------



## Rush

why do the bicep curls?


----------



## i$e

Yeah, do a real routine.


----------



## Rated R™

I've been doing pushups the past two weeks, every other day and I'm seeing results, there pretty good.

I've been doing about 150 pushups every other day.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, do a real routine.


----------



## Svart

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Someone write me up a cardio only (weights later plz) weight loss routine. I know what to eat, I just don't know what a good starting place is for exercise. I'm looking to lose, I dunno, 20 pounds.


It really doesn't matter. You can jog up and down steps, do mountain climbers, jumping jacks.. anything that keeps your heart rate up. What I would do is pick 3 or 4 exercises (you can research) and do them at set intervals at different speeds. So one minute you could be walking and the next you could be jogging at a fast pace. This way you trick your body and get more done in a shorter amount of time. But don't overdo it. If you're out of breath, take a break. Do some stretches in between and drink water.


----------



## SKT T1 Blank

What are some things to help me out with my vertical? Nothing equipment related, stuff I can do inside/outside.


----------



## li/<o

I though it would be interesting to post my routine. When I decided to lose weight (i gained tones of weight back in college where all I did was go out and eat junk food and not excercise). After I was going to transfer (to the Uni) I was committed to lose weight since it was going to be an experience to meet new people (girls ). I basically did insanity (modified) and was losing weight, but very slowly I later realize what was my problems I was eating the same way. I changed my diet and kept doing insanity and man did I notice weight loss I started off at 233 lbs and now I am 193. I literally lost 40 pounds and feels amazing. I have kept doing the exercises and eat well (i won't leave junk food we only live life ones so once in a while you have to spoil yourself). Just try not to eat at nights if you do something light.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

What are you guys thoughts on ankle weights? I do jumproping for cardio everyday and I decided I might start putting on ankle weights while I do them. I'm only a little bit hesitant because some people have told me it will negatively effect your knees. Is this rumor true? Or should I just go for it and FIND OUT THE HARD WAY?


----------



## Rush

Canadian said:


> What are some things to help me out with my vertical? Nothing equipment related, stuff I can do inside/outside.


plyometric ie. tuck jumps, depth jumps. 

http://www.brianmac.co.uk/plymo.htm
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/increaseverticaljump.html



JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> What are you guys thoughts on ankle weights? I do jumproping for cardio everyday and I decided I might start putting on ankle weights while I do them. I'm only a little bit hesitant because some people have told me it will negatively effect your knees. Is this rumor true? Or should I just go for it and FIND OUT THE HARD WAY?


what are your goals? if its just to lose weight, get fitter i wouldn't wear them. If its to get more power/explosive movements then yeah, go for it.


----------



## CradleShockSabin

Hey, guys just started doing a summer routine and wanted to get your thoughts on it. I'm currently just under 10 stone and am 5 foot 8 so not really too bothered about losing or gaining a lot of weight, just wanna get fit and gain a bit of muscle to compensate for any weight loss. Roughly I do the following each week:

Day One - 7.5KM Rowing (at highest level), 2.5KM Cycling, 1KM Cross Trainer
Day Two - Go for a 15 minute run, think I run around 1.5 miles each time
Day Three - 2KM of swimming
Day Four - Resistance training on weights
Day Five - Rest since I usually go out on Thursday nights
Day Six - Either resistance or football with my friends
Day Seven - Resistance if I play football, rest if not

Does this sound like a good plan to people? I'm not really bothered to alter my diet but does it sound like I'm getting enough rest to everyone? Also, is it a good idea to eat before a gym session? I always feel sick whenever I do so try to avoid doing it.


----------



## El Conquistador

Not enough info.


----------



## i$e

Father Flex said:


> Not enough info.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


----------



## SKT T1 Blank

Rush said:


> plyometric ie. tuck jumps, depth jumps.
> 
> http://www.brianmac.co.uk/plymo.htm
> http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/increaseverticaljump.html


Thanks, I'll definitely start on those first thing tomorrow morning.



JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> What are you guys thoughts on ankle weights? I do jumproping for cardio everyday and I decided I might start putting on ankle weights while I do them. I'm only a little bit hesitant because some people have told me it will negatively effect your knees. Is this rumor true? Or should I just go for it and FIND OUT THE HARD WAY?


It could effect your knees depending how active sports-wise you are. People most use ankle braces to increase their vertical, not to lose weight. I don't recommend it unless you're over the age of 18, because if you aren't, you can completely damage your growth spur. If it's to lose weight, no.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

I'm 18 years old and my goals are to get more strength in my legs overall and increase my vertical. I'm already 6"3 so my growth spurt is basically done I'd say and I'm not really worried about that. I just want overall more strength and put on more muscle in my legs. Not trying to gain weight really. I'm 6"3 180 and I'm just tring to gain overall more muscle mass but also stay lean and ripped at the same time. I play basketball and just do jumprope for my main cardio routine when not playing basketball and decided I'm going to try the ankle weights I've had for sometime now.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fU_8kJeXeE

^ I've been doing this ab workout lately basically every other day. This or the P90x ab ripper I think are nice solid ab workouts that you can do in 15 minutes or under. My only problem is my diet consist of a lot of high calorie but high protein foods. I eat a lot of rice and chicken that my mom cooks which is nice for the protein and carbs. But the calorie fats I think are somewhat killing me in order to gain abs. You can somewhat see my abs when I flex them because I'm pretty lean. However I want to get the 6pack where you can see them without flexing. Can I work around my high protein\calorie\fat diet and just boost it up in cardio and try burning it off? Or it's a must to have a strict strict diet to get 6 pack abs?


----------



## i$e

JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> Can I work around my high protein\calorie\fat diet and just boost it up in cardio and try burning it off? Or it's a must to have a strict strict diet to get 6 pack abs?


You need a low bodyfat %. 

That involves a caloric deficit if you currently can't see your abs. So if by 'high calorie diet' you mean a diet in which you're in caloric surplus, don't expect to see abs until you start cutting. General rule of thumb if they start to show at around 12-13% bf (give or take) and they look really defined at 9-11%. Obviously diet and training dependant. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting in a decent amount of fats, either. Just make sure a good portion of them are EFA's.


----------



## Goku

I needed to come down to 7% to get great ab definition so it's entirely dependent on your genetics. Since I don't desperately need them 365 days a year, I usually float about 9-10%. But yeah, as long as fat layers the skin, abs won't be fully visible.


----------



## i$e

Brutal genetics, 7% seems low as fuck for abs. Fair enough for getting there, though. 

I'm good at 10 personally.


----------



## El Conquistador

I'm more around 12-14% myself, if I had to estimate.


----------



## Rush

I'm clearly the fattest here, boom. Mine was around 16-18% iirc. Probably worse now.


----------



## sharkboy22

Hey guys it's been about 2 months since I've had a proper workout. I've been really busy with school lately. Anyways, I finished Insanity months ago (quite frankly I don't recommend if you wanna gain muscle, it's fricking great cardio though. I do at least one exercise once or twice a week), but with respect to muscle building I started P90X. I started it, reached the first 3 weeks then my damn resistance bands burst. Was expected though as they were really cheap.

I wanna start back P90X or just doing my own workout, but I don't want to start weightlifting. I'm 16 years old and quite frankly I don't see myself lifiting weights until I reach 20. So my question is, would a pull up bar be a good investment?


----------



## HockeyGoalieEh

It wouldn't be a good investment, it would basically be a mandatory investment. If you're only using resistance bands, you're going to run out of workouts to use that work the deltoids fully. Not getting one for the program is asinine particularly when they retail at about 20 dollars.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

I have a video of me right here showing off my upper body. Nice ab shot at the end. I'm only 18 years old so I'm still growing. Tell me what you guys think.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmeWFsgYZnE


----------



## Woo Woo Woo

Hey, i just had a question about working out. Is it better to incorperate your abs workout into your cardio or do it seperately. For example at the moment i would do fartlek training (jog-sprint) around my local park, then do 15 modified crunches, repeat and do a different ab exercise. After i finish my set of ab exercises (usually 5 exercises) i walk for 2 minutes and drink some water and start again. I usually do this for 30-45 minutes. Should i change anything or is this good?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> I have a video of me right here showing off my upper body. Nice ab shot at the end. I'm only 18 years old so I'm still growing. Tell me what you guys think.
> 
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmeWFsgYZnE


uhhhhhhhhhhh

nice promo


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Ghetto Anthony said:


> uhhhhhhhhhhh
> 
> nice promo


Are you being sarcastic? or did you really dig the promo? or was my body that unimpressing?


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Woo Woo Woo said:


> Hey, i just had a question about working out. Is it better to incorperate your abs workout into your cardio or do it seperately. For example at the moment i would do fartlek training (jog-sprint) around my local park, then do 15 modified crunches, repeat and do a different ab exercise. After i finish my set of ab exercises (usually 5 exercises) i walk for 2 minutes and drink some water and start again. I usually do this for 30-45 minutes. Should i change anything or is this good?


I usually do my abs straight through and do cardio right afterwords. I think it's better to just do abs straight through intensely, you feel it more & you will be more sore the nexy day. Cardio can be done at any time of the day, it really doesn't matter at all.


----------



## Brye

Got a month membership at a place down the street to hold me over until I go back to college. Fucking old ass treadmill at my house broke and I smashed my face off of it about a month ago. ~___~

I love this gym I go to though. Never more than about 10 people in it and there's 8 different rooms so it's nice and quiet. And they got ESPN on TV in the cardio room. (Y)


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Ghetto Anthony said:


> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


Exactly where she needs to be.


----------



## exile123

Ghetto Anthony said:


> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


I want...... both.


----------



## RenegadeJT

eating oatmeal is very healthy even though its gross.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

RenegadeJT said:


> eating oatmeal is very healthy even though its gross.


Just plain Oatz? Yeah good carbs, I usually have a cup of Oatz for lunch. They were pretty brutal at first, but u get used to them


----------



## Zen

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Just plain Oatz? Yeah good carbs, I usually have a cup of Oatz for lunch. They were pretty brutal at first, but u get used to them


I usually buy the creamy honey flavor, delicious.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

I have oatmeal (steel cut, non-flavored). I put yogurt in it with a banana or 2. I also put 30 grams of protein powder in it (without the yogurt and banana). I put milk in the oatmeal, warm for 1:10 minutes and all set.


----------



## Fire Box

I try to eat oats everyday, mostly for my cholesterol, but also because they are tasty!


----------



## samizayn

What bullshit. Why would you hand out an entire booklet's worth of sports and activities you can do in the summer, then fail to mention that the vast majority of them are on the other side of the city. I was gonna go to some of these but man... 

And the ones that are local charge the GDPs of small countries to go to.


----------



## Scrubs

Hey guys, I need a few tips. I'm 6 foot 4, and roughly 99 Kilograms (217 pounds I believe). I'm 17 years old. Alright for starters. I'm not overweight by any means. I'm actually skinny looking but have a bit of fat around my stomach and legs. I really need to lose weight but I haven't been motivated. I was skinny my entire life up until roughly a year ago. When I was 13 to 16, I could eat anything like fatty foods and what not and not gain weight but now everything I eat seems to pile on the weight. I need some help on what to eat, how to maintain a diet and what kind of workout / exercises to do. I have been eating crap lately as well and really need to lay off the fatty foods. Any tips for that as well? Thanks guys and I hope to lose weight soon lol.


----------



## Goku

For easy starters, I'd avoid anything cooked in oil (fried), and desserts in general. If you want to get technical about it, then eat below maintenance. At 217 lbs, your maintenance should be around 3300 calories. Eat less than that to lose fat.

But at 17, I'd just focus on eating healthy and getting enough exercise. You can complicate your life later.


----------



## i$e

I'd actually advise you to add some mass before cutting. You're describing yourself as skinny fat and the quickest way out of that is usually to add some muscle then strip it back when you have something to cut down to. 

HoL is right also; eating good food and doing worthwhile exercise will see you undergo a decent recomp as you're just starting out.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

i$e said:


> I'd actually advise you to add some mass before cutting. You're describing yourself as skinny fat and the quickest way out of that is usually to add some muscle then strip it back when you have something to cut down to.
> 
> HoL is right also; eating good food and doing worthwhile exercise will see you undergo a decent recomp as you're just starting out.


I would imagine I'm reaching the point of skinnyfat as well then. I've lost about 10 pounds (207 to currently 195), but I'm concerned I'm going to hit a wall here pretty soon since all I'm doing is cardio and dieting... I'm too lazy go get a gym membership/have nobody to work out with. Isolation exercises won't be as effective so I don't know if it's worth it.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, it's possible you'll just become a smaller version of yourself. For some people that's fine, but for skinny fat (where I started years ago) looks awful at any stage as your body composition is all out of whack.

You could always get yourself a cheap barbell/bench combo and do heavy compounds at home if you have the space. Personally I prefer working out alone but that's just me.


----------



## El Conquistador

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj-gyl-e4y0&feature=player_embedded#at=75

Here's some motivation for you guys to push through the monotony of lifting.


----------



## Olympus

So I'm 17, about 6 foot, and roughly 185lb. I'm pretty lean, skinny compared to what I was 5 years ago. When I was 13 I went on Wright Watchers and lost 30lbs. Felt great, but slowly got off of it and have been for years. I have a nice bit of muscle on my calves and arms, mainly. I guess I'm...skinnyfat...not sure what that is, but basically I'm skinny enough to where I can look skinny in certain clothes, but still have some excess fat around my stomach and thighs.

Been hitting the gym multiple times a week with my older brother and eating better. I completely changed my eating habits when I was on WW years ago, but have really tried to get stricter now. Cool thing is that ever since I went on WW my metabolism has risen to the point where I can virtually eat anything and not really gain fat.

Now that the back story is out of the way, I just want to ask, how many calories should I be taking in daily? I'm mostly lifting at the gym hoping that the new muscle will burn and take place of the fat. I can sort of see it in my chest. It's becoming less "fatty" and more "muscley" which is a great motivator. At the same time though, I do want to rid myself of the fat as a whole.

So, how many calories should I take in a day and what exercises can help me get where I wanna be?


----------



## i$e

Scorpion said:


> Now that the back story is out of the way, I just want to ask, how many calories should I be taking in daily? I'm mostly lifting at the gym hoping that the new muscle will burn and take place of the fat. I can sort of see it in my chest. It's becoming less "fatty" and more "muscley" which is a great motivator. At the same time though, I do want to rid myself of the fat as a whole.
> 
> So, how many calories should I take in a day and what exercises can help me get where I wanna be?


Start with 13 * your bodyweight in lb's. Monitor weight changes (once a week; pre breakfast, post piss) and if it's a lot more than a 2lb loss a week then eat a few hundred more. You don't wanna lose it too fast or you'll eat up LBM. If you're the same weight then monitor for one more week (sometimes it takes a while) and if still the same then drop a few hundred cals off the dailies. FWIW, I'd never go below 1800 on a cut. 

If you're skinny fat I'd actually advise you bulk; as I posted a few up from yours. However you can achieve a decent recomp by eating a good diet, getting plenty of protein and lifting heavy 3x a week. 

As for which lifts; I'm a massive advocate of compound lifts. Deads, Squats, bench, Military, Rows etc. Nothing will build you strength and size better than those will. Check out Starting Strength or Madcows 5x5 routine. You really can't go wrong with either.


----------



## Olympus

i$e said:


> Start with 13 * your bodyweight in lb's. Monitor weight changes (once a week; pre breakfast, post piss) and if it's a lot more than a 2lb loss a week then eat a few hundred more. You don't wanna lose it too fast or you'll eat up LBM. If you're the same weight then monitor for one more week (sometimes it takes a while) and if still the same then drop a few hundred cals off the dailies. FWIW, I'd never go below 1800 on a cut.
> 
> If you're skinny fat I'd actually advise you bulk; as I posted a few up from yours. However you can achieve a decent recomp by eating a good diet, getting plenty of protein and lifting heavy 3x a week.
> 
> As for which lifts; I'm a massive advocate of compound lifts. Deads, Squats, bench, Military, Rows etc. Nothing will build you strength and size better than those will. Check out Starting Strength or Madcows 5x5 routine. You really can't go wrong with either.


Sounds good. Tomorrow's Sunday, guess I'll start then. Thanks for the advice.

I'll fill you in if anything else comes up.


----------



## Cole Phelps

I just got back from the gym i wont be going back im just to uncorinated for that shit even when people explain it to me i just don't get it so ill just focus on walking and getting fit that way


----------



## Cole Phelps

On second thought i do feel pretty sore i guess ill stop acting like a bitch and give it another go


----------



## Mankycaaant

Not ventured on here before. Everyone's different, so I don't believe in sharing work-out tips.
All of our bodies are different shapes, sizes and react to different things.
However, through experience. I'd stay off protein shakes if your still going through puberty.
It'll increase your hormones, and it'll leave you quite spotty and you'll have a greater urge to jack off :lmao

It's good for muscle recovery though.


----------



## Cole Phelps

*Work out and exercise*

How old do you think i am. mc ?


----------



## i$e

Mankycaaant said:


> I'd stay off protein shakes if your still going through puberty. It'll increase your hormones, and it'll leave you quite spotty and you'll have a greater urge to jack off :lmao


This isn't true.


----------



## Goku

lmao.


----------



## Mankycaaant

Cole Phelps said:


> How old do you think i am. mc ?


Wasn't directed at you Cole. It was just a general tip, as I know there are a lot of teenage users on here. 
Err, I think I remember you saying you were in your early 20's. Possibly 22-23?



i$e said:


> This isn't true.


My personal experience would say otherwise.
I'm pretty musculer now though


----------



## i$e

Mankycaaant said:


> My personal experience would say otherwise.


I deal in facts, not wild speculation from people who love to spread misinformation because they jacked off a lot & had acne when growing up.

Cheers for the tips though, fella.


----------



## Mankycaaant

i$e said:


> I deal in facts, not wild speculation from people who love to spread misinformation because they jacked off a lot & had acne when growing up.
> 
> Cheers for the tips though, fella.


Nope. Honestly, was over the usual teenage spot crisis when I started taking protein shakes for the first time.
It wasn't acne either. Just a collection of spots started springing up corresponding with use.

Never been a massive wanker. Again, had a greater urge when on them.

Hope this helps. I like to actually try things, instead of just guessing.


----------



## i$e

Mankycaaant said:


> Never been a massive wanker.


I beg to differ. 

Stop spreading misinformation.


----------



## Goku

Protein doesn't affect acne or sexual urges. What you're describing seems to be testosterone supplements.


----------



## Hiplop

Mankycaaant said:


> Nope. Honestly, was over the usual teenage spot crisis when I started taking protein shakes for the first time.
> It wasn't acne either. Just a collection of spots started springing up corresponding with use.
> 
> Never been a massive wanker. Again, had a greater urge when on them.
> 
> Hope this helps. I like to actually try things, instead of just guessing.


Those are called HIVES... I think you were allergic to whatever you were drinking


----------



## i$e

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Protein doesn't affect acne or sexual urges. What you're describing seems to be testosterone supplements.


ROIDZ.


----------



## Rush

speaking of roids

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8283698/sydney-bodybuilder-dies-in-thailand-sauna


----------



## Quasi Juice

I just do push ups every day.

That's it :side:


----------



## Rated R™

I've been doing pushups every other day for the past 8 weeks now, I do about 140 pushups in various sets. I'm pretty happy with the results and if you looked at me you would seriously think I lift some kind of weights, I honestly haven't.

I laugh at those people that have said that you need to life weights in order to see muscles in your arms/chest.


----------



## Walls

Push ups will only give you muscle up to a point and if you're happy with that, then more power to you. Eventually you're body will get used to it and you will stop seeing growth, you'll just be maintaining.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

I do set of 100 pushups every other day but that's not including every other body part I work. I do usually incline pushups but today I did backpack pushups putting some weights in my backpack and it seemed like it was pretty solid, Working the back and the front muscles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVTlphq6EBY


----------



## Walls

If you want to put on muscle pretty quickly, I highly advise getting some kettle bells. Those things will kick the shit out of you.


----------



## Rush

Rated R™ said:


> I've been doing pushups every other day for the past 8 weeks now, I do about 140 pushups in various sets. I'm pretty happy with the results *and if you looked at me you would seriously think I lift some kind of weights, I honestly haven't.*
> 
> I laugh at those people that have said that you need to life weights in order to see muscles in your arms/chest.


technically you are.



Walls said:


> Push ups will only give you muscle up to a point and if you're happy with that, then more power to you. Eventually you're body will get used to it and you will stop seeing growth, you'll just be maintaining.


that.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

How is he technically lifting weights by doing pushups? Am I missing something here??


----------



## Walls

You're lifting your own body weight.


----------



## Rush

Not going to mock but that did make me smile. Most people don't think about it but yeah, you're lifting your bodyweight or rather a % of it.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

I guess you can say that but he did say "Weights" which he was referring to actual utilities. Pushups are so basic I don't think you can even be considered a weight lifter or say you work out if you just do that ALONE and nothing else.


----------



## Rush

to get even more specific he said "some kind of weights" Not to argue over semantics though. I wouldn't call you a weight lifter if all you do is push ups, likewise i wouldn't call a lot of people who work out recreationally using machines weight lifters despite the fact that they are technically lifting a weight.


----------



## Goku

What does the label "weight lifter" do exactly, and who really cares?


----------



## Rush

nothing, just a personal thing.


----------



## Walls

Yeah, I don't see how you aren't a weight lifter if you're using machines. I prefer free weights.


----------



## Quasi Juice

Walls said:


> Push ups will only give you muscle up to a point and if you're happy with that, then more power to you. Eventually you're body will get used to it and you will stop seeing growth, you'll just be maintaining.


I'd be more than happy with a good body, but not overly muscly. I just simply cannot be arsed to go to the gym several times a week, watch what I eat etc.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rush said:


> speaking of roids
> 
> http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8283698/sydney-bodybuilder-dies-in-thailand-sauna


zyzz? He was so popular on a bodybuilding website I go on.


----------



## Rush

yeah, his youtube videos are pretty funny. shame he died so young.


----------



## Mankycaaant

To add to something I said a few pages back about whey protein causing spots.
Having looked into it, I have found that other people on the internet have had similar experiences.
It's as another user on here said, most likely an allergy.
It'll only affect the minority, so if you use whey protein or similar items, and don't break out on spots, ignore what I said.
If you do, well, there's nothing much you can do about it.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

zyzz isn't dead. Gods cannot die.


----------



## El Conquistador

Ghetto Anthony said:


> zyzz isn't dead. Gods cannot die.


son of Zeus, brother of Hercules, father of aesthetics. Forever immortal.


----------



## Red Flag

Mankycaaant said:


> To add to something I said a few pages back about whey protein causing spots.
> Having looked into it, I have found that other people on the internet have had similar experiences.
> It's as another user on here said, most likely an allergy.
> It'll only affect the minority, so if you use whey protein or similar items, and don't break out on spots, ignore what I said.
> If you do, well, there's nothing much you can do about it.


That's weird, I'm heavily allergic to cats but being around them doesn't make me want to wank it more..

The other side effects, the spots and whatnot are definitely coming from an allergy, something in the protein. If it's whey protein it could be linked to a cheese allergy, who knows. 

Anyway, I really enjoy working out. I wake up every morning, go to the gym for an hour or so, shower there and go from there. I wouldn't say I'm the biggest guy there (quite frankly I'm 5'10 // 150lbs.) but I treat working out as a sort of therapy, as machines like a bench press or a preacher machine are something I can take my anger out on. I also love seeing progress too! Just bought a post-workout recovery called MuscleTech CellTech Hardcore (or something like that) and it's stuffed with creatine monohydrate, something I need to bulk (along with an extensive appetite) and it has a lot of aminos, good for not feeling sore the next day!


----------



## Walls

Be careful with creatine, you should cycle that shit. I don't work out in the morning, too lazy. I often work out at night and then go right to bed, whenever I can fall asleep. I find muscle growth is easier for me that way. Sadly, my sleeping is beyond fucked so sometimes that's hard to do. I've always been able to put on muscle very quickly for some reason, I just attribute it to genetics.


----------



## Outkazt2k9

Childish Gambino said:


> That's weird, I'm heavily allergic to cats but being around them doesn't make me want to wank it more..
> 
> The other side effects, the spots and whatnot are definitely coming from an allergy, something in the protein. If it's whey protein it could be linked to a cheese allergy, who knows.
> 
> Anyway, I really enjoy working out. I wake up every morning, go to the gym for an hour or so, shower there and go from there. I wouldn't say I'm the biggest guy there (quite frankly I'm 5'10 // 150lbs.) but I treat working out as a sort of therapy, as machines like a bench press or a preacher machine are something I can take my anger out on. I also love seeing progress too! Just bought a post-workout recovery called MuscleTech CellTech Hardcore (or something like that) and it's stuffed with creatine monohydrate, something I need to bulk (along with an extensive appetite) and it has a lot of aminos, good for not feeling sore the next day!


Careful with that Celltech, it has a shit load of sugar. I take optimum Nutrition creatine monohydrate after I work out. And after a meal on non-training days. Less filler too.


----------



## Red Flag

Walls said:


> Be careful with creatine, you should cycle that shit. I don't work out in the morning, too lazy. I often work out at night and then go right to bed, whenever I can fall asleep. I find muscle growth is easier for me that way. Sadly, my sleeping is beyond fucked so sometimes that's hard to do. I've always been able to put on muscle very quickly for some reason, I just attribute it to genetics.


Two week cycles dude! 

And yeah I guess the time to work out is dependent on how much of a workout you're doing, or else you're gonna be tired for the whole day if you do a really deadly legs workout in the morning, I'm the same way 

And you're pretty lucky to be able to put on muscle quickly. Do you have an average build? (Not skinny, not fat)? I'm the kid who was 40lbs lighter then everyone else as a kid, so obviously it's stupid tough to gain weight with a metabolism as fast as mine haha. Need the help of weight gainers, creatines and stupidly huge diets.


----------



## i$e

Creatine is fine to take without cycling.


----------



## El Conquistador

Yeah, you don't have to cycle creatine. Ideally, you should when prepping' for a contest but most are just recreational lifters. And I'd look into an alternative brand. MuscleTech isn't great, kind of a rip off and a lot of artificial fillers in their supplements.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Creatine is completely safe as long as you take care of your body while taking it, You must drink a load of water.


----------



## i$e

Yeah. When I first took it I didn't up my water intake (noob) and I woke up with lips more cracked than the Sahara.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Rush said:


> to get even more specific he said "some kind of weights" Not to argue over semantics though. I wouldn't call you a weight lifter if all you do is push ups, likewise i wouldn't call a lot of people who work out recreationally using machines weight lifters despite the fact that they are technically lifting a weight.





Hohenheim of Light said:


> What does the label "weight lifter" do exactly, and who really cares?


Well somebody who says "I lift weights" and only does pushups everyday than tells somebody there workout routine, I'm sure there going to be disappointed finding out you only do pushups which is completely not a workout schedule. Weight lifters can be categorized to me as somebody who lift consistently four to five days a week different body parts. I don't think there's any problem with using machines, I actually think machines work very well for working certains aspects of the body such as abs but I think everybody should experience both free weights and machines and whichever one they prefer is personal preference. I prefer free weights because they put a little more pressure on you when you are lifting and I think ultimately makes you stronger than using machines but I have no problem using either one.


----------



## Rush

I should clarify, i have no issues with machines (i use them ;D) but the recreation part of that sentence. Weight lifter to me has a more sporting/competition/serious connotation to it. 



Father Flex said:


> son of Zeus, brother of Hercules, father of aesthetics. Forever immortal.


(Y)


----------



## i$e

I lift weights but I'm no weight lifter.


----------



## El Conquistador

Well, I do OL so I guess by verbage (referred to as olympic lifting or just weightlifting), I am a weightlifter? Though I wouldn't designate myself as one.

And who cares? Why get so literal with the term? It's only another label society places on you.


----------



## Limbo

This might be a silly question.

There's some dumbells and a pull up bar in my house. Is it OK if I do a full body (beginner) workout 2 times a week? I'm not really dedicated to getting RIPPED. I just want to stay healthy is all. I don't have time for a 3 time routine because I'm an assistant at a supermarket and I don't want to have a bad case of DOMS whilst holding crates of fragile shit. 

Like I said, I'm not interested in looking like Ryan Reynolds. I'm just wondering if there's any point to lifting now and then.


----------



## i$e

Yeah. 

Anything is always better than nothing. Pull Up's are also extremely good.


----------



## Limbo

Cheers. Sorry if it sounded weird. My sleeping pattern is kind of fucked all the time because I work night shifts so a regular routine is hard. I'm sure a lot of guys have done it before, but ya know...I ain't that dedicated. I can't really seem to find a website that doesn't expect you to put your heart and soul into getting in shape, although I do respect those that stick with it.

As for diet, I'm not dedicated enough for the six small meal and caloric deficit thing too. I do stick to the choices that your usual healthy person would make: brown bread instead of white, fruit and veg every day, no junk food asides from pizza once a week and a candy bar now and then, water all the time. Any tips on improving anymore?


----------



## i$e

Sounds fine man. 

Eat good and do what you can. A lot of people are in good shape doing this.


----------



## Rated R™

JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> Well somebody who says "I lift weights" and only does pushups everyday than tells somebody there workout routine, I'm sure there going to be disappointed finding out you only do pushups which is completely not a workout schedule. Weight lifters can be categorized to me as somebody who lift consistently four to five days a week different body parts. I don't think there's any problem with using machines, I actually think machines work very well for working certains aspects of the body such as abs but I think everybody should experience both free weights and machines and whichever one they prefer is personal preference. I prefer free weights because they put a little more pressure on you when you are lifting and I think ultimately makes you stronger than using machines but I have no problem using either one.


When did I say I workout? I get this is a workout thread and all, but I just stated I've been doing pushups and that's it and when I said I laugh at people who say muscle gain isn't possible without lifting, I mean every word of it.

BTW, gaining muscle is only possible through some sort of workout, so yeah pushups are a workout.


----------



## chargebeam

Didn't read the whole thread, but I was wondering if you guys can help me out. 

I've been training in a gym since May. Been mostly doing cardio but as of last month, I started training on the machines (shoulders, arms, legs, back). Even though I don't consider myself as an obese or fat person, my main objective is to lose my belly fat. It's not big, but it's there and I don't want it! 

So I was wondering what's the most effective way of losing weight? I run about 20 minutes on constant speed on the treadmill, sometimes 30, by taking breaks at every 10 minutes. Then, I start training my muscles on the machines for about 40 minutes. Should I run more? Also, what should I eat before or after training?

I'm about 1.65m, weight 160 lbs.


----------



## Rated R™

Walls said:


> You're lifting your own body weight.


I'll be honest I don't know shit about weights, but you're telling me weights will give me better results, but let's say I get 30 pound dumbbells, how can they possibly help me more than doing pushups? when I'm lifting more doing pushups (160 lbs, my weight).

I would think lifting 160 pounds would be better than 30 pounds, right?


----------



## Goku

Yeah, right. :lmao


----------



## Rush

you're not lifting the entirety of your bodyweight and with dumbbells you can target more muscle groups. If you're fine with that you're doing that is the main thing. The more people getting active the better.


----------



## Zen

anybody use Optimum Gold Standard 100% Whey if so can you give me your feedback on how good it is?


----------



## i$e

chargebeam said:


> Didn't read the whole thread, but I was wondering if you guys can help me out.
> 
> I've been training in a gym since May. Been mostly doing cardio but as of last month, I started training on the machines (shoulders, arms, legs, back). Even though I don't consider myself as an obese or fat person, my main objective is to lose my belly fat. It's not big, but it's there and I don't want it!
> 
> So I was wondering what's the most effective way of losing weight? I run about 20 minutes on constant speed on the treadmill, sometimes 30, by taking breaks at every 10 minutes. Then, I start training my muscles on the machines for about 40 minutes. Should I run more? Also, what should I eat before or after training?
> 
> I'm about 1.65m, weight 160 lbs.


I posted this a while back. Seems relevant.

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/9775661-post1566.html


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Rated R™;10121586 said:


> When did I say I workout? I get this is a workout thread and all, but I just stated I've been doing pushups and that's it and when I said I laugh at people who say muscle gain isn't possible without lifting, I mean every word of it.
> 
> BTW, gaining muscle is only possible through some sort of workout, so yeah pushups are a workout.


That post wasn't really directed entirely to you but let's just talk hypothetically here and say you look muscular and somebody asks you for your workout routine, I'm pretty sure they are going to be disappointed\surprised if you tell them "I do pushups and that's it". You were the one that claimed people would be surprised by looking at you that the only thing you do is pushups and there's a reason for that. Doing pushups isn't considered a full workout routine, Not even close for a matter a fact. As stated earlier in this thread, I agree pushups are considered "sort of a workout" and you can gain muscle from doing it but at the same time you are only going to maintain and doing pushups is only going to get you so far because it's not a full workout routine and I don't consider somebody who does pushups alone a "weight lifter" for lack of a better term. I'm not knocking you for doing pushups and it's entirely up to you whatever you want to do, Could care less. But everybody knows if you want to make serious strides in strength\body development than you must extend workout routine is all I was claiming.


----------



## chargebeam

i$e said:


> I posted this a while back. Seems relevant.
> 
> http://www.wrestlingforum.com/9775661-post1566.html


Cool, thanks!


----------



## Zen

Anybody here know how much protein in an egg white? I keep getting different answers.


----------



## i$e

3-5g.


----------



## Nitromalta

is the AB rocket good for six pack?


----------



## Walls

Doing regular sit ups like a man without a device is usually the better way to go.


----------



## El Conquistador

Or you can do compound lifts, diet right, and profit. No need for all that jazz.


----------



## rawesjericho

Nitromalta said:


> is the AB rocket good for six pack?


if u wanna use any device try ab wheel, its great for your abs. doing it on your feet requires super core strength.


----------



## i$e

Father Flex said:


> Or you can do compound lifts, diet right, and profit. No need for all that jazz.


^

My abs get ruined just doing my regular routine. No need for special exercises.


----------



## li/<o

Gonna have to cut down on my carbs in take a bit started a new workout (rev abs) if anyone has done it any feedback on it? It looks quite gay (also had negative comments, but it seems pretty good started yesterday) but when I woke up in the morning was very sore (I am moving away from Insanity to have less intense body pressure). Any types of recommendations of what to eat (to burn stomach and substitute with foods)? This focuses more on the abs and I want to have some recommendations of what foods to intake. I am hoping it works in the long run(also will modify this since I will probably do it 3 or 4 times a week since I am going to take a class in college to do weights). I seen very little reviews on this only one that a lady lost 20 pounds and toned up her stomach (she had pictures of before and after). That is my main focus for my stomach to transform I am not expecting at all to build a six pack however have less fat and have a form of a stronger core.


----------



## wrestlingistkrieg

Can someone please help me with losing weight. Right now I'm 5'5 125 pounds. I want to lose 5 or 10 pounds, just because I have a little excess flab.
I just don't know how to lose weight. People say it's simple, eat less, exercise more. But then others say if you eat too little you'll go into starvation mode and get fatter. So which one is true??? Should I eliminate all junk foods like candy, but still eat stuff like stew and meat? I don't want to completely change my diet, so will just eliminating the junk be enough?
For exercise I do bjj 3 times a week. I get sweaty after practice. That's mainly what I do, but I also go skateboarding and/or shopping (all day, it's a lot of walking) both at least once a week. When school starts I'll also be taking PE every second school day. I always take public transport so I get a bit of exercise there. Is this enough exercise, or do I need to add more? I may be able to do some at home workout that don't require equipment, but I'm not sure I can do much more. I don't have any equipment and don't like running, but if it's absolutely necessary I might be able to do kickboxing.


----------



## Goku

Look to eat approximately 1900 calories daily and do some exercise daily, weights or cardio.

But how old are you?


----------



## Walls

So, you're only 5'5 and you want to lose more weight, despite being only 125 to begin with? Sounds like you have some body issues.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

mmmm lunch. Cheese burger on whole grain bread + protein shake.

89g Protein
740 Cal (fucking bread)


Down to 189 fellas. Started at 207. I'm going to be so fucking lanky.


----------



## wrestlingistkrieg

Walls said:


> So, you're only 5'5 and you want to lose more weight, despite being only 125 to begin with? Sounds like you have some body issues.


I don't. I just think I looked better when I was skinnier, and I got a whole lot more attention. Then I got depressed and ate more junkfood and got bigger.


----------



## Annihilus

I don't get people's obsession with abs.. first of all, if you want them work on optimizing your diet. What exercises you do have fuck all to do with whether your abs are visible or not, you could do 10,000 crunches a day but if you have 15%+ body fat you won't see your abs no matter what. 

Abs are made in the kitchen, not through bullshit gimmick devices like the Ab Rocket. We all already technically already have 6 pack abs, every human has the same foundation of abdominal muscles but most people just don't have a low enough body fat % to keep them visible.


----------



## DragonFighterFight

Annihilus said:


> I don't get people's obsession with abs.. first of all, if you want them work on optimizing your diet. What exercises you do have fuck all to do with whether your abs are visible or not, you could do 10,000 crunches a day but if you have 15%+ body fat you won't see your abs no matter what.
> 
> Abs are made in the kitchen, not through bullshit gimmick devices like the Ab Rocket. We all already technically already have 6 pack abs, every human has the same foundation of abdominal muscles but most people just don't have a low enough body fat % to keep them visible.


This man speaks the truth as usual, if you dont mind me asking what are some of you stats? You seem smart and strong


----------



## D17

I guess this is on topic to a degree. But whilst doing circuit training, or regular weight training, but mostly for circuit training. What mindset should I have to keep myself going 100%? As alot of the time, about half way through I drift off and only put about 80% effort in on and of during it. Get the typical 'f**k it' mindset towards the end of it. I try not to beforehand, but it just overcomes me during it alot.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

The new king.


----------



## Rush

D17 said:


> I guess this is on topic to a degree. But whilst doing circuit training, or regular weight training, but mostly for circuit training. What mindset should I have to keep myself going 100%? As alot of the time, about half way through I drift off and only put about 80% effort in on and of during it. Get the typical 'f**k it' mindset towards the end of it. I try not to beforehand, but it just overcomes me during it alot.


i generally have headphones in blasting music which keeps me focused.


----------



## Something Savage

It's true. Abs are made in the kitchen. At the end of the day, whether you're going to sport that six-pack or not comes down to choosing the egg whites & chicken over whatever tasty treats you had in mind. It's strictly an issue of discipline.

I will, however, attest to the ab wheel & cable crunches being effective ab exercises. Of course, the benefits are more about adding a "touch-up" to your abs after they're already visible.

Start with the dieting & nutrition. Once you're seeing your abs, then you can work the extra stuff for the touch-ups. Until then, your core should be getting effective workloads from squats, deadlifts, presses, and benching.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

I'm at 190 now (holy fuck a 6'4" 190 pound dude. I told you nigz I was lanky). I'd imagine I have about 20 more pounds at most of body fat left on my stomach.

I'm going low carb mode to get rid of the rest of this fat. 80 carbs a day maximum. My question is, how long is my body going to be able to handle this extreme carbohydrate deficit? How fast am I going to need to burn off this fat before my body completely shuts down?


----------



## Walls

Or you could eat a few small meals a day and just do a shit load of cardio to get that fat off instead. Much easier than managing carbs.


----------



## i$e

GA just eat at deficit & lift. No need to worry about keto unless regular avenues are exhausted.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

i$e said:


> GA just eat at deficit & lift. No need to worry about keto unless regular avenues are exhausted.


Yes, that has worked wonders for me so far, but I'm sure I'm going to hit a wall here pretty soon.

I've heard from multiple sources you can't get lean/ripped without cutting carbs to an extent.

I know I'm going to regret it when I'm 6'4" 175 pounds and I look like shit...but at least I'll have a 6-pack, rite.


----------



## i$e

Ghetto Anthony said:


> I've heard from multiple sources you can't get lean/ripped without cutting carbs to an extent.


Your sources are chatting shit. 

Just do what you have been doing. It'll continue to work for you.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Ehhh. I tend to believe the HodgeTwins, i$e. Watch this and tell me how they're wrong/I'm confused?


----------



## i$e

I'm not going to tell you they're wrong, per say. You will probably always _look_ more ripped because of the relationship between carbs and water weight. You won't BE more ripped. 

Having said that, I just heard one of them say that to see your abs you need to be on 50g carbs a day. I don't know if these guys are good trolls (or you're trolling me or smth) but that's pretty ignorant. 

All that matters is low bf% and a good amount of lean mass to cut down to. 

Keto is a last resort. I can get ripped as fuck just eating at deficit, getting a good 40/40/20 macro split and lifting hard. Works for the vast majority, too.


----------



## Amsterdam

The easiest way to work out and get in shape is to get off the computer, go outside, and do something. 

I would, but uh, this Pepsi and Dominos pizza is too good to resist.


----------



## DragonFighterFight

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Yes, that has worked wonders for me so far, but I'm sure I'm going to hit a wall here pretty soon.
> 
> I've heard from multiple sources you can't get lean/ripped without cutting carbs to an extent.
> 
> I know I'm going to regret it when I'm 6'4" 175 pounds and I look like shit...but at least I'll have a 6-pack, rite.


Your 6'4" 175 pounds

Do you even lift?


----------



## Zaith143

Wow, How I wish I could have an abs like that


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

DragonFighterFight said:


> Your 6'4" 175 pounds
> 
> Do you even lift?


I'm 6'4" 190, and no. I don't lift. Neither does Jojan, but he is the king if Misc and fit.


----------



## El Conquistador

DragonFighterFight said:


> Your 6'4" 175 pounds
> 
> Do you even lift?


Classic misc verbiage.

GA: carb cycle brah.


----------



## K-Fed

Steroids a lean diet and tons of GTL. Worked great for Ronnie.


----------



## Zen

^^^Except for his pregnasnt stomach.


----------



## samizayn

What's Triple H's favourite sport?





Squash 8*D so by his recommendation, I played for the first time today. It was fun, although racket sports are my weakness.


----------



## Zen

Congrats to Phil Heath!! Mr. Olympia 2011!!!!!!!!!!!

He killed it


----------



## D17

Seeing as i'm trying to get back to working out. Anybody know the best workouts possible for limited stuff at this point in time. Primarily for biceps, shoulders, upper body. (I play alot of football and have naturally large legs so that's not that much of a problem).

With,
Dumbells which I can change the weight on, but 20 kg max on each one.
Training bars that go over door frames, which you can do press ups with and stuff.
A training bench.


----------



## Goku

Are you looking to add mass?


----------



## D17

Yes ^


----------



## Goku

Chin-ups and pull-ups. Try to make these the backbone of your workouts. Compliment with compound lifts like Presses and Rows. There's a host of compound lifts you can do with dumbbells. Hope 40 kg max takes some effort on your part. If they come easy, better invest in heavier weights. And if you still have gas in the tank afterwards, then work on the desired bodypart (which seems to be the biceps) with isolation exercises. A 3 or 4 day split should work. Bring in the food as well.


----------



## naitchnatureboy

If you want mass then go heavy weights, lower reps. Focus on compound lifts, i.e deadlifts, squats, bench press, bent-over rows. You will put on a lot of mass over 6 months doing this making sure you are eating 6-8 high protein meals and your routines are spot on.


----------



## i$e

Pretty solid advice. 

The key to ADDING mass is caloric surplus whilst controlling macro's and having a regular compound-heavy (as these guys have said) routine.


----------



## Zen

naitchnatureboy said:


> If you want mass then go heavy weights, lower reps. Focus on compound lifts, i.e deadlifts, squats, bench press, bent-over rows. You will put on a lot of mass over 6 months doing this making sure you are eating 6-8 high protein meals and your routines are spot on.


preferably 5-8


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

I workout my chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, legs, and do pullups about 5 days a week I spread it all out. I also do about 100 pushups on the side every other day just about. Incline and diamond pushups and about 100 a day. My question is...How ofton do you have to spread out pushups from your normal weight workout routine? Can you do pushups every other day or maybe even every day?


----------



## i$e

I don't see the point of doing pushups if you're already doing compounds to work the chest, biceps & triceps. It's just overtraining.


----------



## Henry Hill

Got a heavily reduced stationary bike from Amazon and the c******g left pedal has already come off and chipped the handle. Pissed off because its an amazing little machine ride-wise.


----------



## El Conquistador

Pan-Am Games (for anyone who follows oly like myself):






> 85 KG weightlifters. October 25.
> 
> Kendrick Farris (Louisiana) got bronze. SN: 157, C&J: 191 (he attempeted a 198 but he ran out of time. srs.) TOTAL: 348 (about tree fiddy)
> Carlos Hernan Andica (Colombia). Silver medal. SN: 157, CJ: 205 TOTAL: 362
> Yoandry Hernandez (Cuba) gold medal. SN: 158 CJ: 205 TOTAL: 363 (fuark!! Just by one kilo!!)


Kendrick is probably America's best lifter with the most legitimate chance of placing in London. Currently peaking for Paris; did not peak for the Pan-Am.



> Men 94 kg division results:
> 
> 1 [CUB]
> VANEGA Javier Enrique
> Total: 370
> 
> 2 [VEN]
> MARQUEZ Herbys
> Total: 365
> 
> 3 [ECU]
> GUADAMUD Eduardo Francisco
> total: 365
> 
> 4 [USA]
> NORTH Jonathan David
> total: 338 (he did 346 kg on US nationals)
> 
> 5 [USA]
> FLEMING Jared David
> Total: 335 (Althought he's able to do at least 351 kg)
> 
> There were 10 competitors in this division.
> 
> 6 [PUR]
> CARTAGENA Moises
> 328
> 
> 7 [MEX]
> SUAREZ Emmanuel
> 321
> 
> 8 [PUR]
> ROSADO Roberto Carlos
> 320
> 
> 9 [HON]
> PAVON Joel
> 310
> 
> 10 [PER]
> VIERA Hernan Moises
> 305


Jon is America's best 94KG lifter but doesn't really stand much of a chance to medal in London. Still as strong as an ox. Very likeable guy with a personable personality. Check out some of Pendlay's CalStrength videos featuring him. Jon displays an exuberance for the sport like no other.

Pat Mendes (Average Broz) is competing tomorrow; Donnie Shankle from CalStrength should be as well.

Here is a stream for the weightlifting portion of the Pan American Games. It airs at 1 EST. Thursday is the last day.

http://deportesus.terra.com/road-to-2012/2011-pan-american-guadalajara/live/5/#5


----------



## Nicky Flash

What are the best ab exercises?


----------



## Goku

Leg raises, crunches, reverse crunches..


----------



## Zen

Skill said:


> What are the best ab exercises?


leg raises definitely.


----------



## RKO920

Is incorporating pullups and dips in your daily workout a good idea?


----------



## Goku

What do you _think_?


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> Is incorporating pullups and dips in your daily workout a good idea?


Daily? Probably not. 

As part of an overall split? Yes.


----------



## RKO920

I mean for specific workouts. As for a example, a day where I do biceps and back.


----------



## i$e

Yes then. They're both boss.


----------



## Mankycaaant

Skill, do some crunches with weights, followed immediately by the cycle. You'll feel the burn son.


----------



## Wavy

Interesting thread.


----------



## dgeneration-nexus

I'm not in the worst shape, but I'm not in the best either. I'm 22 years old, little-below average height and weigh around 80KG.

I play soccer once a week and hit the gym a couple of times a week for some basic cardio and light weights (mainly working the arms and abs).

I've lost 10KG this year, and feel pretty great, but I still have a nice pair of moobs and a bit of a beer belly about me.

Was considering trying the P90X program to shed that last bit of weight and up my fitness, has anyone here tried it or have any recommendations?


----------



## DR JUPES

i do regular exercise (these days about 4 times a week), two days of chest and two days of back plus i'll try and do cardio on other days if i can and maybe shoulders, abs and arms but my biggest pain is that i don't have a bit of a fat chest and i'm by no means fat (honest) or even skinny fat, i'm carrying a little bit of extra weight but i just cannot shift this fat off of my chest or tone it in anyway and i work it hard constantly and it's always aching. i'm open to any suggestions about how i can work on toning and shedding fat off of my chest (i can actually lose weight and i'll see no improvement on my chest at all).


----------



## i$e

Add in a leg day for starters. 

What's your overall BF%? Could be Gyno if it's really low and you aren't seeing any improvement. 

Switch focus to your diet for fat loss - no such thing as toning (it's a by-product of reduced BF%), eat at a caloric deficit whilst maintaining a strong workout routine.


----------



## DR JUPES

body fat% in the summer was at an embarrassing 20% but in the past it was at 16 and 13 and i would assume atm i'm back around 15 (i do need to check). 

i did legs in the summer, i just stopped doing them but i was actually doing them for a good while. Yeah w/the toning thing i actually meant losing fat at least around that area. I'll probably add them on for cardio but what would the actual use be for them in terms of my goals (want to build a bit of muscle, not my primary concern or problem) i mainly want to cut down body fat percentage (which has been hard b/c i'm not eating as healthy as i'd like and too much alcohol, but that's the odd day really, usually i'm quite good for not eating that much.)


----------



## i$e

Ah, get down to like 10% and then see. Usually chest fat can be really stubborn.


----------



## sharkboy22

Hey guys, I wanna put on lean muscle. I don't wanna get big and bulky at all. I just wanna be lean and cut, problem is I don't know how to go about doing that. By upper body is sort of big (due to weightlifting) but my biceps suck completely! Triceps are fairly good. 

Any exercises you guys recommend?


----------



## Shazayum

i walk like 3 miles every day (cause i have to) and do some heavy lifting at work, thats pretty much my only work out. im in decent shape i'd say.


----------



## Zen

SummerLove said:


> i walk like 3 miles every day (cause i have to) and do some heavy lifting at work, thats pretty much my only work out. im in decent shape i'd say.


What work do you do?


----------



## Bubba T

sharkboy22 said:


> Hey guys, I wanna put on lean muscle. I don't wanna get big and bulky at all. I just wanna be lean and cut, problem is I don't know how to go about doing that. By upper body is sort of big (due to weightlifting) but my biceps suck completely! Triceps are fairly good.
> 
> Any exercises you guys recommend?


I have a lot of lean muscle. That is partly genetics, and partly because of my diet.

For me, I do a lot of weighted pull ups/chin ups/dips/sit-ups in order to gain strength. You also want to do more reps with lower weights when you do your regular lifts. I recommend checking out some exercises on bodybuilding.com because they really do help.

I haven't posted here in awhile, but when I started working out in April I was 147. I'm now 174 and still bulking. My goal is to reach 185.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

> I was 147


----------



## Bubba T

Hell yeah. I was as thin as Shad Gaspard's tenure in WWE.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Very funny. I will say tho, good job. Confused as to how you put on 30 pounds doing pushups and shit though.


----------



## Goku

*weighted* pullups, pushups etc.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Weighted pushups? So do you do pushups with a backpack filled with weights or something? How does that work exactly?

You seriously added 30 pounds of muscle by strictly pushups and pullups!!? This is pretty unbelieveable if true so I have a few questions...

1) How long did it take?
2) What is your complete pushup\pullup routine? Days\reps
3) Are you black?


----------



## Bubba T

JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> Weighted pushups? So do you do pushups with a backpack filled with weights or something? How does that work exactly?
> 
> You seriously added 30 pounds of muscle by strictly pushups and pullups!!? This is pretty unbelieveable if true so I have a few questions...
> 
> 1) How long did it take?
> 2) What is your complete pushup\pullup routine? Days\reps
> 3) Are you black?


Weighted pullups/chinups/dips. There is a belt where I can attach weight to. I usually put on a 45 weight.

It wasn't strictly pullups/pushups. I did those to help build my strength for other workouts, but I always dabbled in other exercises as well. I also did incline/decline bench presses, arm curls, squats, seated rows, you name it.

What I did was do pullups/pushups every day I work out no matter what body parts I'm working on for the day. When I started working out, I could barely do 10 pullups correctly, even assisted machine. Now I can do 15 normally with weights on.

Also, the weight I added wasn't all muscle. I usually go in bulking/cutting cycles to gain weight and tone out, so what I eat is extremely important. If you want to gain weight, you need to increase your calorie intake to be above what you are burning off for the day. You also need to increase your protein intake as that helps build muscle. But it is good to have some body fat on you, which is what I wanted.

1. I started lifting in late April, so it's been almost seven months. 

2. Today, I go to the gym four times a week, so every time I do 2x15 pullups and 2x15 chinups with weights. I also do 2x15 situps with a 15 lb medicine ball. This is all in addition to the normal weight training I do.

3. Yes I am. 

Now I have adjusted my routine from working out with friends, reading BB.com, and just experience. If you are just beginning, I would just do a normal routine with machines and make adjustments from there. And seriously, check out BB.com. They know what they are talking about there.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Bubba T said:


> Weighted pullups/chinups/dips. There is a belt where I can attach weight to. I usually put on a 45 weight.
> 
> It wasn't strictly pullups/pushups. I did those to help build my strength for other workouts, but I always dabbled in other exercises as well. I also did incline/decline bench presses, arm curls, squats, seated rows, you name it.
> 
> What I did was do pullups/pushups every day I work out no matter what body parts I'm working on for the day. When I started working out, I could barely do 10 pullups correctly, even assisted machine. Now I can do 15 normally with weights on.
> 
> Also, the weight I added wasn't all muscle. I usually go in bulking/cutting cycles to gain weight and tone out, so what I eat is extremely important. If you want to gain weight, you need to increase your calorie intake to be above what you are burning off for the day. You also need to increase your protein intake as that helps build muscle. But it is good to have some body fat on you, which is what I wanted.
> 
> 1. I started lifting in late April, so it's been almost seven months.
> 
> 2. Today, I go to the gym four times a week, so every time I do 2x15 pullups and 2x15 chinups with weights. I also do 2x15 situps with a 15 lb medicine ball. This is all in addition to the normal weight training I do.
> 
> 3. Yes I am.
> 
> 
> 
> Now I have adjusted my routine from working out with friends, reading BB.com, and just experience. If you are just beginning, I would just do a normal routine with machines and make adjustments from there. And seriously, check out BB.com. They know what they are talking about there.


I'm 6"3 175 lbs pretty lean and toned but I want to put on more size and get to about 190 - 200 lbs range. I do curls, bench press, leg workouts involving different routines. Basically I usee free weights to work out my chest, arms, legs and shoulders about 4\5 days a week. I do 100 incline pushups sets of 10 in about ten to fifteen minutes but I only do this once a week. I used to do incline pushups every other day I was finding some results but than I was told I was overtraining my chest because I was doing incline pushups on top of my normal chest workout routine with free weights. 

I'm glad I have heard from somebody that they do pushups\pullups everyday and still managed to find results. You didn't get intense soreness from doing pushups\pullups everyday? If so I don't think you should of continued? Would you advise doing pushups everyday besides the day I do my actual chest routine? 

My shoulders and biceps are quite solid. My legs are my obvious genetic weakpoint that I'm trying to slowly improve. The thing that I want to make progress the most however is my chest because it has been a struggle since the day I worked out and it does not fit feel as strong or fit in with the other parts of my upper body. What do you feel has been the best routine\workout strictly for your chest?

Thanks for the website and I will be checking this out without question. Just wanted to get your own personal feelings and thoughts of what you have experienced since you have seen so many dramatic changes in your body. Thanks!


----------



## RKO920

So I'm LOSING weight and gaining muscle and I'm confused about it lol. Aren't I supposed to be PUTTING on weight? I'm down from 195 to 180 and I'm cut in my arms and buff in the chest area.


----------



## i$e

You just started? 

Probably an illusion though. It's common to look bigger after a cut.


----------



## Rush

what is your diet like?


----------



## RKO920

Nah I been working out for a year and I slowly, but surly developed muscle. Now i go like five times a week. My diet is usually a bagel with cream cheese in the morning, a protein shake, and dinner, whatever that is for the night lol. And if I smoke, a little food mixed in lol.


----------



## El Conquistador

Gotta' eat big to get big, RKO.


----------



## i$e

Yeah it's def an illusion then. 

FF is correct.


----------



## Rush

yeah pretty much what Flex said. Eat more.


----------



## DR JUPES

i$e said:


> Ah, get down to like 10% and then see. Usually chest fat can be really stubborn.


i'll aim for that then, cheers.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

There seems to be a lot of insightful people in this thread regarding weight lifting and what to do and what not to do while working out. I eat reasonable healthy and lift weights consistently but I do smoke weed. I've already asked my "Getting high" buddies and they don't really believe that it would effect muscle growth. So what do you guys think? Does smoking Marijuana effect muscle growth and hold you back?


----------



## Rush

Long term use of marijuana can cause decreased levels of testosterone i think. So if you're a chronic smoker then i'd say it would be inhibiting you a bit. Other than that i can think of no reason other than some side effects of pot, "munchies" + lazyness, that would inhibit muscle growth.


----------



## DR JUPES

Nick Diaz gave some facts on weed in an interview once. 'i aint no doctor or scientist but i have smoked a lot of weed...'

was just checking my new avy tbh.


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

I went to the doctor and was able to get him to prescribe me testosterone. Interested to see if my gains pick up.

unfortunately it is androgel which I heard doesn't work for some.


----------



## Zen

ItsWhatIdo said:


> I went to the doctor and was able to get him to prescribe me testosterone. Interested to see if my gains pick up.
> 
> unfortunately it is androgel which I heard doesn't work for some.


You don't need testosterone to get big?


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

Cinderella Man said:


> You don't need testosterone to get big?


Of course you do. Which is why teenagers pack on mass like a guy on gear.


----------



## Rush

Its why women don't add mass like blokes. They have like a tenth of the amount of testosterone.


----------



## lewieG

Pretty basic question from me, I know the basics but I'd just like to see if you guys have any ideas. I'm 5'11'', 10% body fat and about 72kg. I'm pretty much just lean muscle, but I need to gain some weight for rugby. I have about 4-5 months before next season starts, and am doing plenty of training on my own/as part of an academy team. I'm also trying to increase my food intake, and I have a pretty good diet.

What I'd like some opinions on is:

1: Any particular exercises I should be concentrating on.
2: Any specific foods I should be eating.
3: Supplementing - should I be doing it, how much etc
4: Whether I should concentrate mainly on heavy weights/lower reps, or should I keep doing light weight/high rep days?

Thanks guys.


----------



## Rush

what position do you play? i assume you're not a forward b/c you're vey undersized for a prop, hooker or backrower. Bit small for a flanker as well.


----------



## lewieG

I've been playing halfback the last few years but this year I moved out to inside centre predominantly, and that's where I'm hoping to start next season.


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

Concentrate on compound lifts. Deadlifts, squats, and bench.


----------



## Rush

essentially that, focus on bigger muscle groups, and make sure you're working with a rounded program. Had a few mates try to bulk up for rugby and essentially just worked their chest way too much.

try the stronglifts 5x5 program

Workout A

Squat 5x5	
Bench Press 5x5	
Barbell Rows 5x5	

Workout B

Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5

now i've never tried i although i'm probably going to start it in my cricket off season to get back in shape seeing as i've started to stack on a few kg's this year.


----------



## starship.paint

I started regularly doing pullups at the start of July five/six days a week. I started at max 4 pull ups

By the start of November I could do a max of 15 at one go. I think for July and August I was mainly doing one set maximum, so from 4... increased 1 per week until 9. Then I got advice to do my pull-ups in sets instead, so instead of 9 in one go I started doing 5/5/5/x... Then it lead to 6/6/6/x then 6/6/6/6/x then 7/7/7/7/x... My max total was 33 I think 7/7/7/7/5. Around this time I tried doing one set again for the heck of it and I did 14 on one day and 15 the next day. 

I'm in an exam period right now so I don't want to overstress my muscles so I'm doing 6/6/8 for a total of 20.


----------



## lewieG

Cheers Rush/ItsWhatIDo


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Rush said:


> essentially that, focus on bigger muscle groups, and make sure you're working with a rounded program. Had a few mates try to bulk up for rugby and essentially just worked their chest way too much.
> 
> try the stronglifts 5x5 program
> 
> Workout A
> 
> Squat 5x5
> Bench Press 5x5
> Barbell Rows 5x5
> 
> Workout B
> 
> Squat 5x5
> Overhead Press 5x5
> Deadlift 1x5
> 
> now i've never tried i although i'm probably going to start it in my cricket off season to get back in shape seeing as i've started to stack on a few kg's this year.


is dat sum mark rippetoe


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M34I-zKD0M

Here's a good shot of my upper body. Tell me what you guys think my strengths and weaknesses are.


----------



## Stax Classic

So I got a gym membership for Christmas, and a free month beforehand as part of it (Y). I'm 6'3 250, was 175, but got sick and bedridden for a month and lost all semblance of a metabolism from a near liquid diet then. That was two years ago. I was 240 before and I whittled it done to that in my first couple years of college out of high school, so I know I can do it again. 

Looking to drop 20 pounds before visiting family for the holidays.

Right now I'm biking for about 45 minutes a day, and doing the circuit training area for 45 minutes, both 5 days a week. Take the weekends off. The thing is, I've never had a clue about anything, despite knowing it worked in the past for me. Just started this week.

My current routine:
Bicep curls: 5 sets of 15 at 20 pounds
Tricep Extensions: 5 sets of 25 at 30 pounds
Weighted crunches: 10 sets of 50 at 40 pounds, sets of 3 throughout the routine
Back extensions: 3 sets of 25 at 135 pounds
Inner and outer thighs: 5 sets of 15 at 50 pounds
Hamstrings: 5 sets of 25 at 50 pounds
Quads: 3 sets of 15 at 40 pounds

Still trying to figure out my target areas on this stuff:
Lat pull down: 3 sets of 12 at 30 pounds
Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 12 at 35 pounds
Pec/Delt fly: 3 sets of 10 at 30 pounds
bench press: 3 sets of 12 at 50 pounds
leg press: 3 sets of 12 at 80 pounds

I'm still trying to find my target weight on the last area because my upper core has been too sore since I set these on Monday. What size sets should I be using when I don't want to gain muscle? Ideally, if I was at 10% bf I'd like to be 185 pounds at most at 6'3. Is more reps at lower weights helpful? What percent of my max lift should I be doing? How much break should I have between sets? I have been doing a 10 count.


----------



## itsmadness

Haystacks Calhoun said:


> So I got a gym membership for Christmas, and a free month beforehand as part of it (Y). I'm 6'3 250, was 175, but got sick and bedridden for a month and lost all semblance of a metabolism from a near liquid diet then. That was two years ago. I was 240 before and I whittled it done to that in my first couple years of college out of high school, so I know I can do it again.
> 
> Looking to drop 20 pounds before visiting family for the holidays.
> 
> Right now I'm biking for about 45 minutes a day, and doing the circuit training area for 45 minutes, both 5 days a week. Take the weekends off. The thing is, I've never had a clue about anything, despite knowing it worked in the past for me. Just started this week.
> 
> My current routine:
> Bicep curls: 5 sets of 15 at 20 pounds
> Tricep Extensions: 5 sets of 25 at 30 pounds
> Weighted crunches: 10 sets of 50 at 40 pounds, sets of 3 throughout the routine
> Back extensions: 3 sets of 25 at 135 pounds
> Inner and outer thighs: 5 sets of 15 at 50 pounds
> Hamstrings: 5 sets of 25 at 50 pounds
> Quads: 3 sets of 15 at 40 pounds
> 
> Still trying to figure out my target areas on this stuff:
> Lat pull down: 3 sets of 12 at 30 pounds
> Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 12 at 35 pounds
> Pec/Delt fly: 3 sets of 10 at 30 pounds
> bench press: 3 sets of 12 at 50 pounds
> leg press: 3 sets of 12 at 80 pounds
> 
> I'm still trying to find my target weight on the last area because my upper core has been too sore since I set these on Monday. What size sets should I be using when I don't want to gain muscle? Ideally, if I was at 10% bf I'd like to be 185 pounds at most at 6'3. Is more reps at lower weights helpful? What percent of my max lift should I be doing? How much break should I have between sets? I have been doing a 10 count.


too many reps, no point in doing leg press after quads the day before, routine looks garbage. Do a 3, 4 or 5 day split


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

IF you're 250 you should be doing wayyyyyyy more weight. If you can't its not that big of a deal , gotta start somewhere.
I've never been a fan of circuit training . I've always done splits and it works great for me. (Chest - Monday , Legs Tues etcetc)
I take at least 45 seconds between sets
I'd do sets of 8-10 at a weight where reps 7, 8, 9 , 10 or 6, 7, 8 are going to be pretty hard to do. Not impossible to do , just a challenge.

Just remember when you are trying to lose weight .... your diet is key. working out is just a catalyst. You have to watch your calorie intake


----------



## i$e

Haystacks Calhoun said:


> What size sets should I be using when I don't want to gain muscle?


Why would you not want to gain lean mass? 

Anyway, it doesn't matter. Muscle gain is not determined by sets or reps or anything you do solely in the gym. It has WAY more to do with your diet. You want to lose fat - so eat 500 less calories than your BMR a day, eat a good balanced diet with plenty of protein, and lift 3x a week and watch the weight come off.


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

i$e said:


> Why would you not want to gain lean mass?


seriously this

you know you burn more calories at rest with more lean muscle

ur not going to get magically super beefcake jacked if thats what ur afraid of
that takes years of work and dieting ... or u know ... steriods


----------



## Rush

Haystacks Calhoun said:


> Right now I'm biking for about 45 minutes a day, and doing the circuit training area for 45 minutes, both 5 days a week. Take the weekends off. The thing is, I've never had a clue about anything, despite knowing it worked in the past for me. Just started this week.


okay for one, cycling every day and the weights 5 days a week is just going to lead to some epic DOMS if you're not used to it.



> My current routine:
> Bicep curls: 5 sets of 15 at 20 pounds
> Tricep Extensions: 5 sets of 25 at 30 pounds
> Weighted crunches: 10 sets of 50 at 40 pounds, sets of 3 throughout the routine
> Back extensions: 3 sets of 25 at 135 pounds
> Inner and outer thighs: 5 sets of 15 at 50 pounds
> Hamstrings: 5 sets of 25 at 50 pounds
> Quads: 3 sets of 15 at 40 pounds
> 
> Still trying to figure out my target areas on this stuff:
> Lat pull down: 3 sets of 12 at 30 pounds
> Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 12 at 35 pounds
> Pec/Delt fly: 3 sets of 10 at 30 pounds
> bench press: 3 sets of 12 at 50 pounds
> leg press: 3 sets of 12 at 80 pounds


bicep curls, tricep extension, inner and outer thighs can go. Your reps are all over the place. A real basic way to think of how many reps you should do is based on what you want out of the program. Strength 1-6 reps, heavy weights. Power; 1-6 reps, heavy weights, performed quickly, Endurance; 15+ reps, lighter weights or LBM; 8-10 reps (which based of what you said you should be doing)



> I'm still trying to find my target weight on the last area because my upper core has been too sore since I set these on Monday. What size sets should I be using when I don't want to gain muscle? Ideally, if I was at 10% bf I'd like to be 185 pounds at most at 6'3. Is more reps at lower weights helpful? What percent of my max lift should I be doing? How much break should I have between sets? I have been doing a 10 count.


You want to gain muscle, it burns more calories at rest. So do 3x10 reps, 45 secs beween sets. Break up your days a bit otherwise you'll keep feeling sore. Diet as i$e said is probably the most important thing here.


----------



## Stax Classic

Yeah, think I had split it up to arm and leg/upper core days in the past(more of a time constraint thing), but figured that since I can literally spend all day there now, I could do as much as I wanted.

Yeah, got some epic DOMS in the past, but I'm desensitized to feeling as a trait, so pain isn't as bad. Inner thighs were the fucking worst, somehow always aggravated those, no matter how much weight it was.

Think I split it up in the past legs MW, upper body TR, and Friday, everything. Or should I add in some more cardio then and lift every other day, with extra cardio on the off days? I'll try to figure out the weights for those sort of reps on Friday since tomorrow's Thanksgiving in the US, and get started on Monday with an altered routine. Had just started this routine on Monday and am sore beyond hell.

Also, whats a good speed for movement for an 8-10 rep set? Slow like the length of an exhale/inhale, or quick? I've found that slower seemed to help, because frankly I don't think I breathe enough as I often forget if I'm not synchronized with the movements. And how much water should I be drinking a day? I find myself drinking a gallon plus, with half a gallon before I even go since I go in the afternoon, and probably another half gallon while I'm working out, mostly during cardio.

And it's not that I don't want the lean muscle mass guys, frankly, I'm terrified of any mass at all as an ungainly giant that I'd accidentally hurt someone with my clumsiness. One of the reasons I'm drawn to the circuit training type machines versus free weights. It's a lot easier to be consistent in my motion with the machines vs free weights.


----------



## Rush

breathe out on exertion. go slower, more time under load = more benefit.


----------



## Goku

Haven't done a proper routine in months. Lost a lot of weight. I'll need to get back into some rhythm and start a bulk sometime soon. Hoping for the proper motivation to strike any time now.


----------



## i$e

Haystacks Calhoun said:


> And how much water should I be drinking a day?
> 
> And it's not that I don't want the lean muscle mass guys, frankly, I'm terrified of any mass at all as an ungainly giant that I'd accidentally hurt someone with my clumsiness. One of the reasons I'm drawn to the circuit training type machines versus free weights. It's a lot easier to be consistent in my motion with the machines vs free weights.


Gallon is good. 

You're not going to gain shit if you're doing what you should be doing to lose fat. 

It takes fucking ages to become huge naturally so don't worry about 6 months of training on a cut. Lifting weights =/= getting huge.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

So what is your guys opinion on soreness in general after working out? Do you believe in the no pain no gain theory or can you still have a successful workout making significant gains without being consistently sore? It's not really an issue I have currently but at times I used to have it so I was very curious about this. How ofton do you guys get sore working out usually?


----------



## Rush

depends on what you mean by pain. There's good pain and then there's bad pain. Good pain from DOMS is okay and is perfectly natural. Bad pain from doing movements wrong and injuring yourself is bad. A lot of people will do something wrong, feel some pain and interpret that as them doing work. As for how sore i get, depends really. I go in stages of being in the gym a lot to being a couch potato. If i'm working out a lot, DOMS isn't really much of a problem. Getting back into it gets that stiffness back into the muscles a day or so post workout.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Well what I was really trying to get to was how can you tell if you are making significant gains and getting stronger IF you are lifting consistently four to five days a week? 

There has been times when I felt so damn sore I thought it was 'DOMS' because I couldn't even move my arm but it was the first time I worked out my lats and just had an overall different feeling and effect than any other body part.


----------



## Rush

how do i tell? because im lifting more weight. thats always a good way to see


----------



## Goku

You don't need to be constantly sore to gain.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Rush said:


> how do i tell? because im lifting more weight. thats always a good way to see


I'm asking from a body feeling STANDPOINT and how it reacts to lifting more weight. My questions were not really concerning what you actually do it in the weight room but POST WORKING OUT...ya get it? I know if you are spending all that time in the rants section it's hard to keep up with a logical discussion\question but you must evaluate these things, especially when I'm typing.



Hohenheim of Light said:


> You don't need to be constantly sore to gain.


I understand that but *how ofton* should you be sore to make gains is what I'm trying to ask? 

:no:


----------



## Rush

JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> So what is your guys opinion on soreness in general after working out? Do you believe in the no pain no gain theory or can you still have a successful workout making significant gains without being consistently sore?





Hohenheim of Light said:


> You don't need to be constantly sore to gain.





JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> Well what I was really trying to get to was how can you tell if you are making significant gains and getting stronger IF you are lifting consistently four to five days a week?





Rush said:


> how do i tell? because im lifting more weight. thats always a good way to see




we answered exactly what you asked dickhead.


----------



## Goku

That's really vague. For example, if you get proper nourishment after a workout, you'll be considerably less sore than if you don't. That doesn't mean you're gaining more without proper nourishment. Seems obvious but focus on the workout and the nutrition and not the degree of soreness.


----------



## Obfuscation

K, I've been walking to this track that is about 30 minutes give or take from my house since last July. I go sporadically. A few times a week. Used to be everyday when I first began, then the buzz of energy eventually dwindled from the tedious walk. So by the time I get there, I already had a decent amount of cardio for the day. I get there and I do my thing:

Run, walk, run, walk, etc. I proceed to do the run the stairs treatment to give me something more. Do each side 10 times. Then I walk back home.

Now given that I have lost weight since I started. Down to 137 pounds right now. I'm not a tall guy so that might do something with it too. About 5'8. Anyways, should there be more that I incorporate to this to help me shed off the bit of flab I have remaining on me? I'm not very interested in lifting much. My arms have decent definition and they are the part of my body that I'm content with. Not looking to expand more on that. I suppose if a little a day will even out the balance with all the cardio then I could do with that.

I also don't have the most effcient diet out there. I know that HAS to change too. I don't eat much junk food per say, more or less I would have to steer away from the processed foods. I know those aren't gonna be too logical to munch on during this process. As far as liquids go I drink water whenever I run. Then it's usually green tea/vitamin water for me once I'm at home.

Any suggestions? Clearly I'm no pro but I'm looking to be a decently slim lad for right now. Nothing major.


----------



## Loudness

Hohenheim of Light said:


> That's really vague. For example, if you get proper nourishment after a workout, you'll be considerably less sore than if you don't. That doesn't mean you're gaining more without proper nourishment. Seems obvious but focus on the workout and the nutrition and not the degree of soreness.


I'm assuming everyone takes a good protein-rich meal/ a protein shake and a hour-two later carbs after training, but if not I guess one could get more sore than without training as the body will be "starving" for energy hence the reduced regeneration rate and added soreness, although you need to eat all the time (every 2-3 hours) nonetheless. 

Soreness signalizes that your body is changing. I always try to push myself doing an extra set, doing some extra help reps or reducing pauses, basically increasing intensity in each workout. To grow muscles effectively this is needed, you can't lift the same weights, doing the same reps, the same number of sets and having the same pauses training session after training session as this basically means you're not making any progress thus not gaining any strength and muscle, you're only mainitaining the muscle you already have that way. 

Even professional bodybuilders, powerlifters and olympic lifters feel sore after training so basically if you're working out right, you will never get past the soreness state. You can still improve without getting sore by training lighter, but the effects will be MUCH lower and it will take much more time to reach the same results as when going all out.


----------



## Zen

Loudness said:


> I'm assuming everyone takes a good protein-rich meal/ a protein shake and a hour-two later carbs after training, but if not I guess one could get more sore than without training as the body will be "starving" for energy hence the reduced regeneration rate and added soreness, although you need to eat all the time (every 2-3 hours) nonetheless.
> 
> Soreness signalizes that your body is changing. I always try to push myself doing an extra set, doing some extra help reps or reducing pauses, basically increasing intensity in each workout. To grow muscles effectively this is needed, you can't lift the same weights, doing the same reps, the same number of sets and having the same pauses training session after training session as this basically means you're not making any progress thus not gaining any strength and muscle, you're only mainitaining the muscle you already have that way.
> 
> Even professional bodybuilders, powerlifters and olympic lifters feel sore after training so basically if you're working out right, you will never get past the soreness state. You can still improve without getting sore by training lighter, but the effects will be MUCH lower and it will take much more time to reach the same results as when going all out.


Don't purely rely on soreness afterr the workout as your progress though.


----------



## Svart

*Re: Workout/Staying in Shape Thread (SHEP SUCKS)*


----------



## El Conquistador

For those interested in learning about exercise selection with limitied to no gym equipment, I encourage you to buy Never Gymless by Ross Enamait. It's not a gimmicky book, either. Many of these questions could be answered in great detail through that book.


----------



## Derry White

Can't wait to start back. Ate so much food over Christmas so looking to shift the beer belly


----------



## 2K JAY

Hey guys, I want to start getting in shape for the new year coming around. I'm not exactly fat, I'd just like to tone up and get rid of my gut. Any tips on getting slimmer? Like how much fat should be eating per day? I feel that I can cut out sodas and junk food. Can I eat red meat like sausages, bacon etc? What about fried eggs, potatoes and such? Cheers!


----------



## Loudness

Kentonbomb said:


> Hey guys, I want to start getting in shape for the new year coming around. I'm not exactly fat, I'd just like to tone up and get rid of my gut. Any tips on getting slimmer? Like how much fat should be eating per day? I feel that I can cut out sodas and junk food. Can I eat red meat like sausages, bacon etc? What about fried eggs, potatoes and such? Cheers!


Need stats, age/gender/height/weight/bodyfat estimate, of course your diet/training and most importantly bodytype. But there's some general basics to answer your questions.

1) Regarding food:

1a) No chocolate, sweets and most that bs. If you want sugar, eat fruits.

1b) Red meat usually has a lot of fat, more often than not a 2:1 fat/protein ratio (no carbs but it depends on the food), if you work out your body is going to use the protein for building muscle and use the fat as an energy source. If not, you're not going to build muscle, the fat is still going to be an energy source (as it always is) but chances are some of the fat will be stored in your body.

1c) No potatoes, nachos, or at least not more often than once a week. No cola either. I don't see a problem with fried eggs at all though, they are basic nutrition for most bodybuilders/fitness models. 50:50 fat/protein ratio with high biological value.

1d) Whole grain bread/rye bread > white bread due to the lower glycaemic index = raises your sugar level less and is beeing slower processed by your body which means most of it will be burned while also nurturing your body for a longer period of time.

2)

How much fat should you eat? Well people generally say 1:1,2-1,5 kg weight to fat ratio for the typical diet, but it also depends. If you really wanna cut, you'd be better off eating fat than carbs as carbs are the first source your body takes energy from when burning calories and after that the body starts burning fat, but you would also have to eat more fat than the previously mentioned 1,2-1,5g per kg as you'd diminish the kcal taken by carbs. Basically chances are more likely that you'll slim down from eating fat and dieting than eating carbs and dieting, unless you don't work out enough and/or eat like a roidjunkie powerlifter, aka in excess. 

But like I said, you can't expect good tips personally for you if you don't mention any of your stats.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

So when do you guys think is the best time to drink a protein shake? I realize it's basically just a meal replacer and you can drink it at anytime but I find myself having different results during different times of the day. Would you recommend taking it after a workout? or before you sleep or when you wake up? Does it really not matter?


----------



## sharkboy22

God, I really need to start back working out. I haven't done anything in 2 weeks! I need to start back doing some cardio, cause I love me some intense cardio. I wanted to start experimenting with weightlifting but didn't get the chance. That and I need to gain some freaking weight but I'm afraid I get fat so I still eat very little and do a bunch of cardio.


----------



## i$e

JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> So when do you guys think is the best time to drink a protein shake? I realize it's basically just a meal replacer and you can drink it at anytime but I find myself having different results during different times of the day. Would you recommend taking it after a workout? or before you sleep or when you wake up? Does it really not matter?


Post workout & before bed are the best times.


----------



## wildpegasus

Cinderella Man said:


> Don't purely rely on soreness afterr the workout as your progress though.


One cool thing I've found out over time is that the better you move your lymph the less sore you get.


----------



## Rated R™

Guys any help would be greatly apprciated.

I'm trying to lose my belly, it looks like I'm pregnant, I've been doing pushups for the past 6 months and my arms are pretty big, I'm already focused on my diet but I also have a treadmill that I could workout on but I heard that if you use that you might lose some muscle.

So what can I do to lose my belly fat and in the process keep all my arm muscles?


----------



## TankOfRate

HAYLEY AFICIONADO said:


> K, I've been walking to this track that is about 30 minutes give or take from my house since last July. I go sporadically. A few times a week. Used to be everyday when I first began, then the buzz of energy eventually dwindled from the tedious walk. So by the time I get there, I already had a decent amount of cardio for the day. I get there and I do my thing:
> 
> Run, walk, run, walk, etc. I proceed to do the run the stairs treatment to give me something more. Do each side 10 times. Then I walk back home.
> 
> Now given that I have lost weight since I started. Down to 137 pounds right now. I'm not a tall guy so that might do something with it too. About 5'8. Anyways, should there be more that I incorporate to this to help me shed off the bit of flab I have remaining on me? I'm not very interested in lifting much. My arms have decent definition and they are the part of my body that I'm content with. Not looking to expand more on that. I suppose if a little a day will even out the balance with all the cardio then I could do with that.
> 
> I also don't have the most effcient diet out there. I know that HAS to change too. I don't eat much junk food per say, more or less I would have to steer away from the processed foods. I know those aren't gonna be too logical to munch on during this process. As far as liquids go I drink water whenever I run. Then it's usually green tea/vitamin water for me once I'm at home.
> 
> Any suggestions? Clearly I'm no pro but I'm looking to be a decently slim lad for right now. Nothing major.


Sorting out your diet should help you the most. Cut down on sugar and "bad fats" and cut out as much processed food as possible. When you go shopping, make sure you read labels constantly. It makes your shopping trip a little longer, but it helps. When you read the ingredients, if you see any E numbers or strange ingredients you don't recognize/look unnatural, don't buy it. Natural wholefoods will keep your body healthy and running right. Oh, and try and stick to lean meat- like chicken and turkey- and fish. Pork, beef, lamb etc are higher in fat and generally less healthy. Incorporate a ton of fruit and vegetables into your diet- make shakes, fresh juices, salads etc etc. Just go shopping, find some natural, unprocessed food and experiment. Food is fun, just go for it. Cutting down your daily calorie intake should help you too. If you eat around 2000 right now, go down to something like 1500. 

As far as working out goes, I do most of my exercise at home. Invest in a yoga mat and buy books, DVDs or simply find routines online. Or go to classes if you can. Yoga's great for toning and it has helped me a ton. As well as that, do crunches, squats, lunges etc etc. I do between 50 and 100 of each a day, crunches are great especially for your abdomen. I do empty stomach cardio too which has been great for weightloss and slimming down. Before you eat in the morning and later on in the evening long after you've eaten for the evening. 

I think structuring your diet/workout plan is a great idea. It sounds tedious, but writing out a plan of your daily meals (including healthy snacks) and getting a workout plan together can be surprisingly good for your health. Structure in general is really good.



Rated R™;10851887 said:


> Guys any help would be greatly apprciated.
> 
> I'm trying to lose my belly, it looks like I'm pregnant, I've been doing pushups for the past 6 months and my arms are pretty big, I'm already focused on my diet but I also have a treadmill that I could workout on but I heard that if you use that you might lose some muscle.
> 
> So what can I do to lose my belly fat and in the process keep all my arm muscles?


Crunches! If you can't get to a gym, any abdominal workout should be good. Trying something like a 100 a day, maybe 50 or 75 if you can't. Yoga, as I said above, is fabulous for toning. If you incorporate your arm exercises into it, you shouldn't lose much muscle as a result, at least in my experience I haven't. If you keep at it, it'll really trim you down.


----------



## Rated R™

TankOfRate said:


> Crunches! If you can't get to a gym, any abdominal workout should be good. Trying something like a 100 a day, maybe 50 or 75 if you can't. Yoga, as I said above, is fabulous for toning. If you incorporate your arm exercises into it, you shouldn't lose much muscle as a result, at least in my experience I haven't. If you keep at it, it'll really trim you down.


Really? Crunches help you lose belly fat? That's awesome, I'll give crunches a try than.

So no need for the treadmill/cardio right?


----------



## TankOfRate

Rated R™ said:


> Really? Crunches help you lose belly fat? That's awesome, I'll give crunches a try than.
> 
> So no need for the treadmill/cardio right?


Cardio of course is great for weight loss, but if you want to target your belly specifically, crunches are one of the best ab workouts out there. Don't even need a gym, just set up a mat at home and off you go. I've been doing them for years and they've really worked for me.


----------



## Rated R™

TankOfRate said:


> Cardio of course is great for weight loss, but if you want to target your belly specifically, crunches are one of the best ab workouts out there. Don't even need a gym, just set up a mat at home and off you go. I've been doing them for years and they've really worked for me.


But I also heard that 6 packs or ab workouts don't show up when you got so much fat.


----------



## El Conquistador

A six pack is made in the kitchen. I suggest you keep smoking weed, binge out on food subsequent to that, and do your pushups. It has gotten you far.

Seriously, change your habits. Be disciplined and strive towards accomplishing a fitness goal you have. Develop an all-around, diverse approach. You wont see any improvement if food is scarce throughout the day and you certainly wont see the aesthetics you desire if you over-indulge.

I'm saying this as nicely as I can but are you that clueless? Why do you think your pushups everyday don't work?


----------



## Rated R™

First of all I'm not trying to achieve a 6 pack, I'm trying to lose belly fat, and you're telling me I'm clueless.


----------



## El Conquistador

You are clueless, but I'm done. I don't want to come off with a hint of spitefulness or any elitism in my posts. Do some reading and figure it out if you don't like my advice - in this thread or across the web.


----------



## Rated R™

I clearly stated I'm focused on my diet, yet you still had to bring up weed and the munchies.


----------



## i$e

Rated R™ said:


> Really? Crunches help you lose belly fat?


No. Absolutely not.


----------



## Rated R™

So I should be running on the treadmill and doing crunches, the thing is If I run on the treadmill I'm afraid I'll lose the muscle I have, or that a myth?


----------



## i$e

You'll only lose the muscle if you don't stimulate the muscles with weights and support yourself with an adequate diet.


----------



## Rush

this thread is a barrel of laughs sometimes.


----------



## i$e

It's what caused me to stop being so active in here.


----------



## kurtmangled

Anyone know a decent intermediate bulking program? Ive sorta hit a plateua.


----------



## Rush

whats your current program like?


----------



## itsmadness

This thread makes me facepalm so hard...


Want to lose fat? 

Eat under maintenance, do weights 3-5 days a week, do different body parts every day. Add in 30min of cardio a day. 


Want to gain muscle? 

Eat above maintenance, do weights 3-5 days a week, do different body parts every day. No cardio. 





is it really that hard?


----------



## i$e

itsmadness said:


> This thread makes me facepalm so hard...
> 
> 
> Want to lose fat?
> 
> Eat under maintenance, do weights 3-5 days a week, do different body parts every day. Add in 30min of cardio a day.
> 
> 
> Want to gain muscle?
> 
> Eat above maintenance, do weights 3-5 days a week, do different body parts every day. No cardio.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> is it really that hard?


Apparently.


----------



## 2K JAY

Loudness said:


> Need stats, age/gender/height/weight/bodyfat estimate, of course your diet/training and most importantly bodytype. But there's some general basics to answer your questions.
> 
> 1) Regarding food:
> 
> 1a) No chocolate, sweets and most that bs. If you want sugar, eat fruits.
> 
> 1b) Red meat usually has a lot of fat, more often than not a 2:1 fat/protein ratio (no carbs but it depends on the food), if you work out your body is going to use the protein for building muscle and use the fat as an energy source. If not, you're not going to build muscle, the fat is still going to be an energy source (as it always is) but chances are some of the fat will be stored in your body.
> 
> 1c) No potatoes, nachos, or at least not more often than once a week. No cola either. I don't see a problem with fried eggs at all though, they are basic nutrition for most bodybuilders/fitness models. 50:50 fat/protein ratio with high biological value.
> 
> 1d) Whole grain bread/rye bread > white bread due to the lower glycaemic index = raises your sugar level less and is beeing slower processed by your body which means most of it will be burned while also nurturing your body for a longer period of time.
> 
> 2)
> 
> How much fat should you eat? Well people generally say 1:1,2-1,5 kg weight to fat ratio for the typical diet, but it also depends. If you really wanna cut, you'd be better off eating fat than carbs as carbs are the first source your body takes energy from when burning calories and after that the body starts burning fat, but you would also have to eat more fat than the previously mentioned 1,2-1,5g per kg as you'd diminish the kcal taken by carbs. Basically chances are more likely that you'll slim down from eating fat and dieting than eating carbs and dieting, unless you don't work out enough and/or eat like a roidjunkie powerlifter, aka in excess.
> 
> But like I said, you can't expect good tips personally for you if you don't mention any of your stats.


Thanks for the help! I'm 8 days into my diet right now. I haven't took any cans or bottles of soda since the year started. I've been drinking water, orange juice and milk. What energy drinks would you recommend? Red Bull is packed with sugar, not sure about Lucozade but I'd imagine the same. 

I'll stick with eggs cause they're good to build muscle, but I'll probably just take boiled and scrambled. Can anyone give me an example of a good daily recipe? Every diet plan I'm finding is telling me to eat low fat, high carb stuff and the like. But I'm new to this stuff so I'm not sure what exactly to get, you know?

By the way, I'm 18. About 6'0 tall, and I'd say probably about 160lbs. I have no muscle definition, I'm just working on my abdomen right now, then I'll work on my arms and chest. I'm gonna start running in the morning and such.


----------



## Rush

why do you want/need energy drinks? i'd recommend none.


----------



## 2K JAY

Rush said:


> why do you want/need energy drinks? i'd recommend none.


I play amateur football.


----------



## Rush

still don't need energy drinks. In fact energy drinks spike you blood sugar, which in turn spikes your insulin level and leaves you feeling sluggish. 

sports drinks =/= energy drinks.


----------



## MRRSNTNO

Fuck energy drinks. I don't understand how people can feel replenished and revitalized after drinking them. It's like candy in liquid form that gives you an unhealthy sensation running through your body, where the last thing you want to do is do anything physically taxing.

Water. It's free and good.


----------



## Rush

pretty much. i drink energy drinks for the caffeine and sugar to perk up when doing last minute assignments or listening to early morning lectures. Couldn't imagine anything worse than playing football after smashing down a red bull.


----------



## 2K JAY

Not red bull, mainly Lucozade and such.


----------



## i$e

Lucozade Energy is actually a real nice boost after a tough workout. I don't use it all the time but it has a good amount of fast acting carbs to go along with my post-lifting meal (protein).

Apart from that, just drink water & milk. Fruit Juices are garbage.


----------



## Zen

Rush said:


> still don't need energy drinks. In fact energy drinks spike you blood sugar, which in turn spikes your insulin level and leaves you feeling sluggish.
> 
> sports drinks =/= energy drinks.


Agree, I use to take them and feel no difference whatsoever.


----------



## Loudness

Kentonbomb said:


> Thanks for the help! I'm 8 days into my diet right now. I haven't took any cans or bottles of soda since the year started. I've been drinking water, orange juice and milk. What energy drinks would you recommend? Red Bull is packed with sugar, not sure about Lucozade but I'd imagine the same.
> 
> I'll stick with eggs cause they're good to build muscle, but I'll probably just take boiled and scrambled. Can anyone give me an example of a good daily recipe? Every diet plan I'm finding is telling me to eat low fat, high carb stuff and the like. But I'm new to this stuff so I'm not sure what exactly to get, you know?
> 
> By the way, I'm 18. About 6'0 tall, and I'd say probably about 160lbs. I have no muscle definition, *I'm just working on my abdomen right now, then I'll work on my arms and chest*. I'm gonna start running in the morning and such.


Who mentioned energy drinks? I've never seen anyone work out while drinking energy drinks, I can't think of a single use for them and sports drinks are made for runners, usually with complex carbs to give them energy for running. You might want to use dextrose post training since your glycose storage (the part where your body takes energy for training) will be empty. By taking dextrose, you will recharge the storage without gaining fat. 

Based on your stats I'd say you need a calory intake of 2500-3500, depending on genetics. Do you generally eat a lot or not that much (judging by your weight gives me the latter impression but every body is different so I can't say for sure)? Post your whole daily diet.

When you start out it's mandatory to train your whole body since the gains you'll get in your first six months will be your biggest ones you'll ever get, also called "noob gains" and it makes the most sense to train a lot of bodyparts during that time period. Neglecting legs is the reason most people don't ever get a decent look since the bigger the bodypart = the more testosterone the body produces, and legs are obviously HUGE. Not to mention it's extremely unhealthy and looks very disproportionate after a few years of training. 



itsmadness said:


> This thread makes me facepalm so hard...
> 
> 
> Want to lose fat?
> 
> Eat under maintenance, do weights 3-4 days a week, do different body parts every day. Add in 30min of cardio a day.
> 
> 
> Want to gain muscle?
> 
> Eat above maintenance, do weights 3-*4* days a week, do different body parts every day. No cardio.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> is it really that hard?


Fixed that one part, training 5 times a week as a natty is more of a hinderance than help, 3-4 times a week gives better results by far, only pro bbs and fitness models train 5 days a week, or even more. There's no need to train a body part more than once a week or at least within a range of less than 5 days but I think you meant that by doing different bodyparts every day.


----------



## itsmadness

Loudness said:


> Who mentioned energy drinks? I've never seen anyone work out while drinking energy drinks, I can't think of a single use for them and sports drinks are made for runners, usually with complex carbs to give them energy for running. You might want to use dextrose post training since your glycose storage (the part where your body takes energy for training) will be empty. By taking dextrose, you will recharge the storage without gaining fat.
> 
> Based on your stats I'd say you need a calory intake of 2500-3500, depending on genetics. Do you generally eat a lot or not that much (judging by your weight gives me the latter impression but every body is different so I can't say for sure)? Post your whole daily diet.
> 
> When you start out it's mandatory to train your whole body since the gains you'll get in your first six months will be your biggest ones you'll ever get, also called "noob gains" and it makes the most sense to train a lot of bodyparts during that time period. Neglecting legs is the reason most people don't ever get a decent look since the bigger the bodypart = the more testosterone the body produces, and legs are obviously HUGE. Not to mention it's extremely unhealthy and looks very disproportionate after a few years of training.
> 
> 
> 
> Fixed that one part, training 5 times a week as a natty is more of a hinderance than help, 3-4 times a week gives better results by far, only pro bbs and fitness models train 5 days a week, or even more. There's no need to train a body part more than once a week or at least within a range of less than 5 days but I think you meant that by doing different bodyparts every day.



I wouldnt recommend a beginner to do a 5 day split right away, but you can still make great gains naturaly on a 5 day split without over training


----------



## billiam86

my problem is that Im motivated in the day while im at work to go home and work out, but then i get home and im exhausted. I just need to power through it and get my ass to the gym!


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

I've been going to the gym pretty consistently lately and I always try to take a good look at other guys body to compare myself to them and see what stage I'm at and things along those lines. I'm 19 years old and I'm pretty lean\ripped but I'm by no means bulky or buff and I'm trying to get there but it's a very slow process. I noticed a lot of older guys (as in older than me) who are probally around 26 - 29 years old and there bodys seem so much more polished and mature than guys my age. Is this strictly because they most likely have been lifting longer or is this because your body is naturally more mature and grows bigger when you get in your 25 - 30 years range compared to 17 - 22 range?


----------



## Rush

Both. A male isn't fully mature until they're 21 (there is variations with this like most things) and chances are they've been lifting for longer.


----------



## El Conquistador

-so i have to do presentation for class
-awkward as ****
-start working out
-not so awkward
-zyzz is my inspiration
-presentation again
-trembling
-just keep telling myself "i'm fawkin zeez bruh"
-get confident
-my turn
-i get up there
-start shaking uncontrollably
-start telling myself "i'm fawkin zeez bruh"
-teacher says I can start anytime
-I start off with "i'm fawkin zeez bruh"
-at this point I'm so nervous I blackout
-"i'm fawkin zeez bruh"
-repeat at least 4 more times
-look around the room, people are saying "why does he keep saying that?"
-girls start laughing
-I pass out
-hit head on the corner of teacher's desk
-minor concussion
-teacher thinks I was on drugs
-classmates call my zeezprah
-nickname eventually turns into zebra
-i haven't heard my real name in months
-haven't been this depressed since high school


----------



## janice201149

There are those who believe that penis enhancement exercises work similarly to the way you exercise your other muscles like your abdominals and biceps. After all, your penis is composed of at least 50 percent smooth muscle. However, there are practically no scientific, peer-reviewed studies that prove that male enhancement is effective, let alone explain why it is effective.


----------



## i$e

Cheers, Janice.


----------



## Lm2

zyzz is the man, rip king Fuarrkk


----------



## Olympus

Eating roughly 2100 calories a day, 2600 is maintenance, lifting, and running/cardio for 30 mins 4 times a week. Lost about 3lbs this past week.

My question is, does anyone think it would be possible to lose about 20lbs in 6 weeks? I'm taking a trip to an indoor water park/resort type thing in the Poconos in mid March and want to get shape. Sticking to this no matter what, but I'm just curious to what you all think as I'm going with a female that I'm interested in and would prefer to be in shape when the time comes.


----------



## i$e

You could easily lose 20lb in 6 weeks, but expect some muscle loss along with some fat and water. I wouldn't recommend that.

If you want to try anyway, you're not going to do that eating -500cal below maintenance. That's a lb a week, so unless you're doing mad cardio (even then tbh), you're gonna find it hard.


----------



## lewieG

Guys, I'd just like to hear your opinions on how much training will result in overtraining and actually being a bad thing. Everyone tells me different things, so I thought I'd see what you guys say about it.

Atm it's pre season so I'm doing 3-4 gym sessions a week, plus 2-3 cardio sessions, and 1-2 sport specific sessions with drills and whatnot, just to give you an idea.


----------



## Olympus

Atheist Panda said:


> You could easily lose 20lb in 6 weeks, but expect some muscle loss along with some fat and water. I wouldn't recommend that.
> 
> If you want to try anyway, you're not going to do that eating -500cal below maintenance. That's a lb a week, so unless you're doing mad cardio (even then tbh), you're gonna find it hard.


Well, I don't exactly know how much I need to lose to get to where I want to be. I've gained about 10lbs the last few months but I expect that to be from the gym. I've really picked up since late July. I want to lose stomach fat. My chest has gained a more muscley tone over the last few months so I can manage that. I really just want to lose the fat. I don't have a huge gut by any means and when I wear most hoodies, jerseys, etc. you'd never expect me to have one. I'll take a hit in muscle if I must, just nothing too significant. I can easily work that back up. My main thing is just my thighs and stomach.


----------



## i$e

Well you can't choose where the fat comes off, so just eat at your current defecit, take in plenty of protein, lift heavy and in 6 weeks you'll have made some positive progress. 20lb of fat is a lot for the average person though; even losing 4-5lb is noticable.


----------



## Olympus

Atheist Panda said:


> Well you can't choose where the fat comes off, so just eat at your current defecit, take in plenty of protein, lift heavy and in 6 weeks you'll have made some positive progress. 20lb of fat is a lot for the average person though; *even losing 4-5lb is noticable.*


Alrighty, kewl. That's certainly doable in 6 weeks right?


----------



## i$e

Yeah, easily.


----------



## Hiplop

I figure you guys are the ones to ask:

I am about 150 lbs, 5'7ish. I'm pretty damn skinny, but am lacking in strength. I was wondering what you guys would suggest for gaining muscle, specifically upper body/abs.


----------



## i$e

Sort your diet out, and begin on _Starting Strength_.


----------



## Hiplop

how would you suggest I sort my diet? I've never had the greatest idea on how to do balance it. 

I apologize for my ignorance, definitely not my field of expertise.


----------



## i$e

+500 cals to your maintenance (14 x bodyweight rough guess), 1 lb protein per 1 lb of bodyweight, decent amount of healthy fats (nuts, fish etc). Varied but consistently above maintenance. 

Then do Starting Strength and you'll get results. 

Someone can go into more detail than this, but I'm kind of busy right now.


----------



## Hiplop

thanks a lot I$e!


----------



## Olympus

Hit the gym today and did 30 minutes of cardio (treadmill, 2+ miles, 320 cals on varied speeds) which I've done the last three days. Did REALLY well last week and lost roughly 3lbs. Had a bad weekend, but since Monday I've been excellent. Gym/Cardio Tuesday, Cardio yesterday, and then ofc Gym/Cardio today. Feel good about about myself.


----------



## RKO920

I've been going crazy at the gym lately. I have gone 11 days in a row and feel amazing. My routine goes like this
Monday: Back & Bis, High intensity cardio, abs
Tuesday: Chest and Tris, High intensity cardio, abs
Wednesday: Rest day, but I do low intensity cardio for about 40 minutes and abs
Thursday: Legs and Shoulders, High intensity cardio, abs
Repeat
I had a decent amount of muscle before I started this, but I am wondering if I keep going at this rate, how long will it take for me to get bigger?


----------



## i$e

You're hindering your progress by doing that much, frankly. Take more rest days.


----------



## RKO920

Atheist Panda said:


> You're hindering your progress by doing that much, frankly. Take more rest days.


I was talking to a trainer they told me, I can do cardio on my rest days, but I'm probably gonna tone it down to 5-6 days a week.


----------



## Olympus

Going out to Walmart sometime this week and was thinking about vitamins/supplements. Last I was there I was looking at Spring Valley and some of the stuff they had sounded interesting.

I'm just trying to slim down and build muscle. 4-5 days a week I'm either lifting at the gym, running for 30 mins at home, or both. Anything anyone can suggest or should I stay away?


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> I was talking to a trainer they told me, I can do cardio on my rest days, but I'm probably gonna tone it down to 5-6 days a week.


Doing weights any more than 4 is def overkill. Cardio is alright but I'd still add in two full rest days. No need to do abs every day either.


----------



## Rush

Also cardio hinders strength gains RKO, take at least 2 full rest days. Keep making sure you try and increase the volume of your training if you want to keep progressing. By volune i mean intensity.


----------



## Svart

Rush said:


> Also cardio hinders strength gains RKO, take at least 2 full rest days. Keep making sure you try and increase the volume of your training if you want to keep progressing. By volune i mean intensity.


By that I think he means perform your reps slower. Also, weighted pull up's/chin ups are excellent. You lift what, like 98% of your bodyweight w/out weights? Also, yeah, rest days are absolutely essential. As long as you're sore, you should rest. This way you don't over-exert or injure yourself. There's no benefit in trying to go beyond your body's limitations.


----------



## RKO920

I want to switch protein. I heard good things about syntha 6. Has anyone ever tried it?


----------



## Svart

The hell is a syntha 6? Seems there's always some new type of protein. Honestly, the experience varies. You'd be better of researching and reaching your own conclusions. Don't buy a more expensive protein just 'cause someone else recommends it.


----------



## RKO920

Apparently it helps build more muscle and helps with weight management which is always good when you are trying to bulk and not get a gut.


----------



## i$e

Sounds like bullshit. 

Just get some honest natural protein down you then supplement with a well-reviewed whey.


----------



## Rush

Yeah, sounds gimmicky as hell.


----------



## Zen

RKO920 said:


> I want to switch protein. I heard good things about syntha 6. Has anyone ever tried it?


What Protein you using now?

The one you mentioned sounds dodgy


----------



## RKO920

Myoplex.


----------



## mikeie

Advice on how to increase number of reps for bench? Currently pumping out 4-3-3 @ 225 and need to get that up to min 15 by September. Should I keep increasing weight with low reps, decrease weight for higher reps, or stick it out @ 225 and see what happens? Mixture?


----------



## Svart

Start out with lighter weights, then add more each set. You can also perform your reps slower. It's not how much you lift, it's the intensity.


----------



## El Conquistador

mikeie said:


> Advice on how to increase number of reps for bench? Currently pumping out 4-3-3 @ 225 and need to get that up to min 15 by September. Should I keep increasing weight with low reps, decrease weight for higher reps, or stick it out @ 225 and see what happens? Mixture?


Emo's lift now? Advice: stop being a *******.


Nah, mickey. Google Macenko's bench program. Guarantee you'll make progress if you eat at maintenance and follow the program.


----------



## wwetnashow

I'm trying to drop 60 pounds by December. I'm cutting my calories in half and I'm doing only cardio at the gym. Do I need a supplement?


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

*idk if this has ever been posted in this thread but saw it and thought Id share 
pro wrestling workout 

LEVEL ONE: The Basics

1. 50 Hindu Push-ups
2. 100 Hindu Squats
3. Wrestler's Bridge-- 1 Minute, 30 Seconds
4. Grappling- 20 Minutes Total

LEVEL TWO: Intermediate

1. 100 Hindu Push-ups
2. 200 Hindu Squats
3. Rope Climbing-- 3 Laps or 15 Pull-ups
4. 50 Sit-ups
5. Handstand-- 3 sets to Failure
6. Wrestler's Bridge-- 3 Minutes
7. Grappling- 30 Minutes Total

LEVEL THREE: Advanced

1. 150 Hindu Push-ups
2. 300 Hindu Squats
3. Rope Climbing- 6 Laps or 30 Pull-ups
4. 100 Sit-ups
5. 15 Handstand Push-ups
6. Headstand- 2 Minutes Total
7. 25 Reverse Push-ups
8. Wrestler's Bridge-- 3 Minutes, Pressing 15 lbs
9. Grappling- 30 Minutes Total

LEVEL FOUR: Super Advanced

1. 200 Hindu Push-ups
2. 400 Hindu Squats
3. Rope Climbing- 9 Laps, or 45 Pull-ups
4. 200 Sit-ups
5. 30 Handstand Push-ups
6. Headstand-- 3 Minutes Total
7. 40 Reverse Push-ups
8. Wrestler's Bridge-- 3 Minutes, Pressing 30 lbs
9. Grappling- 30 Minutes

LEVEL FIVE: The God of Pro-Wrestling

1. 250 Hindu Push-ups
2. 500 Hindu Squats
3. Rope Climbing- 10 Laps, or 50 Pull-ups
4. 200 Decline Sit-ups
5. 50 Handstand Push-ups
6. Headstand- 3 Minutes Total
7. 50 Reverse Push-ups
8. Hindu Push-ups-- MAX REPS
9. Hindu Squats-- MAX REPS
10. Wrestler's Bridge-- 3 Minutes Total, Pressing 45 lbs
11. Grappling-- 30 Minutes



Notes*:
Don't move forward to the next workout until you are able to complete all of the prescribed reps without failure.
We've previously covered Hindu Push-ups, Squats, and the Wrestler's Bridge. You may use your hands in the first level until you can do the time without your hands. Remember to touch your nose to the mat.
The distance you cover in your rope should be about 12-15 feet. That means 12-15 feet from your chest height.
For the Grappling, you may wrestle, do submission grappling, judo, *****, or whatever grappling style you prefer.
This is not an unbeatable workout, but it will take you a long time to get to the top. Karl Gotch once did 9001 straight Hindu Squats (to best the Great Gama's record), so don't feel so bad about a measly 500.
That last set of Hindu Push-ups and Hindu Squats is designed to be the part of the workout that keeps it difficult, because it is maximum reps. If you are such a beast that the other parts of the workout don't whip you, you can wear yourself out on those before the bridging and grappling.


----------



## bearskinrug

anyone here tried using a wrestler's workout?


----------



## RKO920

I currently have alot of muscle mass, but I want to convert some of it into a lean cut. My friends told me to do low weight and high reps, and today I mixed it up and did a mix of both. Should I continue with this?


----------



## Goku

No.


----------



## Rush

No. Get your diet in order if you want to cut.


----------



## Goku

And keep lifting heavy or you'll lose strength.


----------



## Zen

Also incorporate cardio into your workout if you haven't done so already.


----------



## Evolution

Hey guys quick question (will probably seem stupid) but yeah anyway I've been working out for a while now and my arms are starting to get a bit bigger but before I started my left arm was significantly smaller than my right and although it's increased it's still about the same amount smaller than the right. I'm looking to balance it out while not neglecting my right arm.

Would you recommend anything to do to help balance it out? Or should I just work extra hard on the left and ease up on the right for a little bit until they balance out?

Again thanks for any help and sorry if it's a stupid question. Lots of great information in this thread.


----------



## The Enforcer

Has anybody here heard of or tried raspberry ketones? I saw them talked about on Dr. Oz as being the new 'miracle pill' for blocking fat and skyrocketing your metabolism. All of the GNCs and supplement stores around here are sold out of them so I'm assuming a lot of people are jumping on that bandwagon. I've got about 10 pounds I'd like to cut in the next month but I'm so far along with the workout/diet regimen that they take forever to drop now.


----------



## Olympus

Feel like such a gluttonous piece of crap to quote Vinny from Jersey Shore. Who knew VD would be a bigger detriment to weight loss than Thanksgiving? But yeah, mad chocolate for me today. Had a good dinner and lunch, slept after school today so didn't eat much, but loads of sweets. On top of that I've been neglecting cardio the last few days, 5 to be exact. Started about a month ago, was down like 6 pounds two weeks in, 5 as of this past Saturday, and I just feel frozen. Feel like I'm getting nowhere and it's frustrating with summer just months away. Seems like it gets closer while I get further from my goal. Just infuriating.

Still been lifting though so that's my silver lining. Keep telling myself I go hard tomorrow on out, but it never works out. :matt


----------



## iMiZFiT

The Enforcer said:


> Has anybody here heard of or tried raspberry ketones? I saw them talked about on Dr. Oz as being the new 'miracle pill' for blocking fat and skyrocketing your metabolism. All of the GNCs and supplement stores around here are sold out of them so I'm assuming a lot of people are jumping on that bandwagon. I've got about 10 pounds I'd like to cut in the next month but I'm so far along with the workout/diet regimen that they take forever to drop now.


Forget pills. The only way to lose weight is through hard work.

Do cardio, in particular some HIT.

Lift weights which will enable you to burn more calories even while resting.

Drink lots of water to help your body run smooth, remove toxins and help your metabolism.

Eat healthier and cut out fatty foods.
_
Thats how you lose weight, not some "miracle" pill.
_


----------



## Rush

iMiZFiT said:


> Lift weights which will enable you to burn more calories even while resting.


:hmm: i'd like to hear how you can justify this point.


----------



## iMiZFiT

> i'd like to hear how you can justify this point.


Try and do a little bit of research. Here is paragraph from a very reliable and trustworthy website:



> While cardiovascular exercise maintains lung and heart health and burns more calories than a weight-training session, there's one calorie-burning advantage lifting weights has over cardiovascular training: afterburn. Afterburn is a weight-loss phenomenon that causes your body to continue burning an increased amount of calories in the 24 hours after exercising. Women burn 100 more calories after an hour-long strength-training workout than they typically do after a cardiovascular workout session. By incorporating strength training into your workout, you not only build muscle, but you can burn added calories that translate into weight loss.
> 
> Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/399372-if-i-lift-weights-will-i-lose-weight/#ixzz1o9vimDnN


----------



## Rush

Afterburn of calories is more apparent after a sustained bout of aerobic exercise at a high intensity. If you did some research you'd see that. Not only that but your 'reliable source' has garbage references. Doing resistance training increases muscle mass which in turn increases the amount of calories you burn at rest. It isn't due to afterburn.


----------



## iMiZFiT

But my point still stands that doing weights burns calories while resting... So idk where you are going with this.


----------



## Lm2

what are some cardio routines people do, right now i just do 10km on bike, then i rest and do another 5 km on treadmill, then pushups and situps


----------



## RKO920

legendmaker2 said:


> what are some cardio routines people do, right now i just do 10km on bike, then i rest and do another 5 km on treadmill, then pushups and situps


Run 20 minutes on the treadmill or 20 minutes on the elliptical after lifting or on my off days I do 20 of each.


----------



## iMiZFiT

Doing long steadystate cardio can actually cause you to lose muscle as your body adapts by shaping your muscles to perform better at long distance and lose some of the muscle designed for shorter sprints (According to Askmen.com)

In my opinion Interval training is the best and least time consuming.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

iMiZFiT said:


> Doing long steadystate cardio can actually cause you to lose muscle as your body adapts by shaping your muscles to perform better at long distance and lose some of the muscle designed for shorter sprints (According to Askmen.com)
> 
> In my opinion Interval training is the best and least time consuming.


True, if you're massive and do massive amounts of cardio. Running for 40 minutes a few times a week won't burn an ounce of muscle, if you refuel properly. Since your body uses fat as it's main source of energy during low intensity cardio, a lot of research would recommend doing long bouts of low intensity cardio; hence you see body builders doing 40 boring-ass-fucking minutes on the elliptical a lot.

and interval training > then long distance low intensity training. I do like a nice long run though, and I have tons of audiobooks on my Ipod, so I enjoy it. But I love doing HIIT at the gym as well. because it's "the best and least time consuming."


----------



## Rush

This thread makes me feel as though my head is being smacked into wall sometimes :hmm:


----------



## Goku

Same. So I've stopped checking.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Check out this form


----------



## Rush

No weight on the bar, chick is obviously learning so i can't criticise.


----------



## Goku

Yeah, criticizing beginners is no fun. Criticizing people who think they're ALL DAT is a lot of fun.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

*****...her arms are like toothpicks. Beginner? Cmon man, she's doing her best to lift the _bar itself_. I just thought the picture was funny not like I'mma go to the gym and laugh at these bitches.


----------



## SPECIAL

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Check out this form


is that kelly kelly?


----------



## EliteNate

SPECIAL said:


> is that kelly kelly?


Still takes guts to get under that bar and not be a cardio bunny like the majority of her gender bro.

Edit: Or a machine hopper either.


----------



## ViolenceIsGolden

The most powerful punches come from somebody with horrible kicking technique(nothing to do with power) for Taekwondo or kicking in martial arts standards.


----------



## kazukek

Hello, I have a dilemma that has plagued me for some time, and I was wondering if someone has gone through the same thing or has some advice. I am 25 years old and since January of last year I have lost 150 pounds. I did this gimmick free just eating right and exercising everyday. Although I am comfortable with my size I wouldnt mind losing 20 more pounds, however it's not really a priority.

Here is my problem, I generally go three to four days eating healthy and jog three miles daily. However, one day I will start to crave bad food uncontrollably and binge really bad, (I was 350 pounds for a reason) thus I put on the weight that I lost a few days prior. This wouldn't be a big deal because as I am not really gaining weight overall, but I feel this is a waste of money and eventually will catch up to me either because of injury or age.

Does anybody have any advice? Yes I know some are just going to say stop, but when you are conditioned to eat that way for 10+ years it's not just easy to stop. Also, yes I did this once by losing the weight but when you're pretty happy with your size and you're not putting the weight back on the true hardcore motivation is gone. Can it be fixed by eating the right foods, more calories, or more variety? Or am I just doomed to repeat this cycle because of entrenched conditioning? I have tried to stop this several times and I don't do this from apathy, it is just some days all I can think about are bad foods to the point it controls me.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kazukek said:


> Hello, I have a dilemma that has plagued me for some time, and I was wondering if someone has gone through the same thing or has some advice. I am 25 years old and since January of last year I have lost 150 pounds. I did this gimmick free just eating right and exercising everyday. Although I am comfortable with my size I wouldnt mind losing 20 more pounds, however it's not really a priority.
> 
> Here is my problem, I generally go three to four days eating healthy and jog three miles daily. However, one day I will start to crave bad food uncontrollably and binge really bad, (I was 350 pounds for a reason) thus I put on the weight that I lost a few days prior. This wouldn't be a big deal because as I am not really gaining weight overall, but I feel this is a waste of money and eventually will catch up to me either because of injury or age.
> 
> Does anybody have any advice? Yes I know some are just going to say stop, but when you are conditioned to eat that way for 10+ years it's not just easy to stop. Also, yes I did this once by losing the weight but when you're pretty happy with your size and you're not putting the weight back on the true hardcore motivation is gone. Can it be fixed by eating the right foods, more calories, or more variety? Or am I just doomed to repeat this cycle because of entrenched conditioning? I have tried to stop this several times and I don't do this from apathy, it is just some days all I can think about are bad foods to the point it controls me.


I had the exact same problem. I was perfect from mon - thursday, then I'd eat a whole pizza on friday. 

trick is obvious, self control. But, better advice is to give into small urges now and then. It's better in the long run to be over your daily calorie deficit by 100 everyday then 1000 one day a week. I eat at 1800 a day for a 600 calorie deficit; so if I eat a few extra cookies, and end up at 1900, I'm chill and won't pig out on the weekend.

I'd also suggest keeping a food journal (annoying but recommended by any professional nutritionist) so you're 100% accountable for your diet. so if you want a slice of pizza you have to write it down first and calculate it out; it might just be the thing that makes your craving mind snap back to reality.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

do u even lift gebu


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Ghetto Anthony said:


> do u even lift gebu


I do, but I'm more into nutrition vs lifting. So I wouldn't really comment on form or muscle gaining stuff. Why? you need a lifting buddy?


----------



## kazukek

Gebu19 said:


> I do, but I'm more into nutrition vs lifting. So I wouldn't really comment on form or muscle gaining stuff. Why? you need a lifting buddy?


Where do most of your calories come from, fats or carbs? I lost most of my weight eating under 150 carbs per day, but I switched to 300+ now (good carbs not sweets and such) I feel this large amount contributes to my cravings for bad foods. However, at the peak of my weight lost, I was getting light headed when stood up and felt sick. This could be because I was jogging in summer heat plus p90x, or do you think this was because my body just wasn't getting enough glucose?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kazukek said:


> Where do most of your calories come from, fats or carbs? I lost most of my weight eating under 150 carbs per day, but I switched to 300+ now (good carbs not sweets and such) I feel this large amount contributes to my cravings for bad foods. However, at the peak of my weight lost, I was getting light headed when stood up and felt sick. This could be because I was jogging in summer heat plus p90x, or do you think this was because my body just wasn't getting enough glucose?


I don't believe carbs are bad, there are just some that don't help out. Like you said sugar...that can be good at the proper time. After a workout I prefer fruit though versus candy or other sweets. Basically you'll be lacking the extra vitmains and minerals you could be getting from fruit (other healthier carbs in general) rather than from a candy bar. But you seem to already have figured that out. 

Most of my calories do come from Carbohydrates, I have an intake of about 1800 calories a day. I try to focus on getting about 150g of protein and then fill in the rest with carbs and fat; that's easier for my sense, not for everyone though. 

Basically the idea behind low carb diets is to have your body switch to fat, ketones, for energy. cardio done at a low intensity level (long distance running) will use fat as the primary source though already. If your body switches to ketones (apparently completely skipping muscle they would have yo believe) then your body will be burning fat 24/7 instead of relying on glucose. so your body could have very well been in a low carbohydrate state, not yet using fat, and you felt funny because of it; like you said dizziness. read these,
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/low-carb-diet/NU00279
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/carbohydrates/MY01458

what has worked for me (FOR ME!), like I said, focus on the protein amount, then fill in the rest with the carbs and fat (like 30% protein, 20% fat, 50% carbs). I also prefer to have barely any food in my house except enough to last me 1 or 2 days; just simpler to cut out temptation vs trying to fight it.


----------



## kazukek

Are those 1800 cals net or total per day? I try and do Insanity a few times a week and it recommends 3100 cals a day, and this is not even accounting for my daily 3 mile jog which then states I should be eating 3600, which feels like way to much. I understand that will probably be net 2500 or so, but still feels rather high, but again this could be attributing to my wild cravings if I am only consuming 2000 total per day and I am possibly burning up to 900, for an adult male that might just be too low. Also what type of cardio are you doing?

This is what I hate about nutrition what works for someone doesn't necessarily work for another


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kazukek said:


> Are those 1800 cals net or total per day? I try and do Insanity a few times a week and it recommends 3100 cals a day, and this is not even accounting for my daily 3 mile jog which then states I should be eating 3600, which feels like way to much. I understand that will probably be net 2500 or so, but still feels rather high, but again this could be attributing to my wild cravings if I am only consuming 2000 total per day and I am possibly burning up to 900, for an adult male that might just be too low. Also what type of cardio are you doing?
> 
> This is what I hate about nutrition what works for someone doesn't necessarily work for another


apparently I need 2642.89 calories to maintain my weight of 191 lbs.(of sexy steel muscle). with a 500 calorie deficit that's 2142 calories. I don't see how I use up 2642.89 calories in a day though, I usually run in the mornings, lift at night, sit around and study or play games throughout the day. So I have a larger deficit, and I never go hungry at 1800 calories. 

according to this:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598
I need 2900 calories a day to maintain my weight, that's way too much in my opinion. I'd recommend setting a number you feel is low enough and satisfying enough, then wait a few weeks to see results; then fine tune. If I feel weaker at the gym or tired a lot at 1800, I'll adjust it. 

for cardio, I have a row machine in my house I do 30 minutes on occasionally. I've been running a shit load because it's nice out now, and I bought a cheap bike to go riding on. I generally do at least 30 minutes of one of those, shooting for 45 minutes; but I also listen to audio books so I don't get bored. 

I don't look at what I burn from exercise, that's hard to estimate. I just worry about staying within my deficit.


----------



## kazukek

I wish I could get into lifting, because muscle is more metabolic than fat, but i just find it too boring. Also, I would like to start a training regiment to run a marathon but until I get my cravings under control there really is no point.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kazukek said:


> I wish I could get into lifting, *because muscle is more metabolic than fat*, but i just find it too boring. Also, I would like to start a training regiment to run a marathon but until I get my cravings under control there really is no point.


I'm pretty sure you're body does burn more calories when you have more muscle (I can't find any source, but I have read this before). That's why if you plug in you're body weight into a calorie calculator you get an estimate base on weight alone (not figuring in muscle or fat); so I don't worry about cutting down more than 500 calories because you won't be sacrificing as much muscle as the _Bros_ at the gym would have you believe. 

and you can start training for a marathon with the munchies. If anything, it might be good that you're eating a little extra. But, don't overdo it


----------



## Rush

kazukek said:


> I wish I could get into lifting, because muscle is more metabolic than fat, but i just find it too boring. Also, I would like to start a training regiment to run a marathon but until I get my cravings under control there really is no point.


You find lifting boring but you want to run a marathon? Really dude?


----------



## kazukek

haha yeah. I love running, my day isn't the same without it. Granted I can not do it on a treadmill, but 3 - 6 miles just fly by on the street. How do you guys feel about pre workout supplements such as 1MR, C4, Noexplode, etc?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> You find lifting boring but you want to run a marathon? Really dude?


lol, that's a good point.

bro, I want to mention, don't try doing a whole lot of different things at once. I remember when I started lifting; I was doing low reps, lots of weight. I'd run miles a day, I'd swim miles a day, I'd bike miles a day. I just got sick and weak from over-training. Don't try to be a body builder/marathon runner/underwear model/michael phelps/lance armstrong.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kazukek said:


> haha yeah. I love running, my day isn't the same without it. Granted I can not do it on a treadmill, but 3 - 6 miles just fly by on the street. How do you guys feel about *pre workout supplements such as 1MR, C4, Noexplode, etc*?


my personal experience, nothing. No results. You have to drink the workout supplement; so you end up lifting on a full stomach of water and supps, very uncomfortable. Plus, I feel you need to train like you fight/fight like you train. You won't always have the option to take a pre-workout supp. before you go to battle (metaphorically) or even every workout. Lots of people then find excuses to not lift because they don't have their supps!

I've tried a shit load of pre/post/during supps too. All the ones you mentioned, plus more. basically, they pumped me up for my walk to the gym, then 5 minutes in, the pump was gone and I got super tired. eat evenly throughout the day (unless you're doing IF) and your energy should be fine.


----------



## kazukek

Thanks man, I completely get what you mean. Although, it sounds stupid but being over weight for my most of my life has made me want to be all of those things at once. Yeah, over training is dangerous and can lead to a lot of problems, but it's like a blind man being able to see for the first time. I couldn't as much walk up a flight of stairs without getting winded, now on a good day I can easily jog 6 miles. That thrill is why I never get tired of exercising (lifting excluded), but if I am not careful you are right I can get sick or possibly even worse.


----------



## Rush

Gebu19 said:


> I've tried a shit load of pre/post/during supps too. All the ones you mentioned, plus more. *basically, they pumped me up for my walk to the gym, then 5 minutes in, the pump was gone and I got super tired*. eat evenly throughout the day (unless you're doing IF) and your energy should be fine.


Thats because some of them are loded with caffeine and glucose. So you get a big rush of glucose which your body compensates for by releasing massive dump of insulin. Its why energy drinks like red bull and stuff are terrible to drink prior to any exercise.

I don't do pre-workout sups and i really don't take my training seriously enough to want to spend th emoney on post-workout stuff. I tend to prefer stuff like bananas about 60-90 mins before i head to the gym.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> Thats because some of them are loded with caffeine and glucose. So you get a big rush of glucose which your body compensates for by releasing massive dump of insulin. Its why energy drinks like red bull and stuff are terrible to drink prior to any exercise.
> 
> I don't do pre-workout sups and i really don't take my training seriously enough to want to spend th emoney on post-workout stuff. *I tend to prefer stuff like bananas about 60-90 mins before i head to the gym*.


and furthermore, that's exactly what I have been doing lately. Bananas or Spinach.

Milk is doing a new angle to promote chocolate milk as the perfect post-workout supp. and I have to say, I've only heard and read good things on it. I'm slightly lactose intolerant, so I can't drink milk straight, but I would if I could. Other than that, I think post-workout is way more important than pre-workout. (since I play the training montage song from rocky 4 on repeat during my workouts, I always have motivation) that's after your body used up it's glucose and stored glycogen, and you're muscles are at their 'peak' and thriving for nutrition. I'll do a protein shake if I can't get home soon enough to eat meat, then an apple or some yogurt.


----------



## kazukek

I have heard that too, but I wonder if it's really true. I have read nutrition books that downplay the significance of milk. Yes it's going to help restore glucose, but is it going to give you as many nutrients as a protein drink with some fresh fruit. Although, this probably doesn't really matter unless you're a serious athlete, where every calorie has to count.


----------



## Rush

It depends on what brand of supp you use, what you add to it, etc etc. Everything i've read or heard about chocolate milk is very bro-science and lacks any real scientific proof behind it. Its a cheaper option but the sugar content of chocolate milk is pretty high.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> It depends on what brand of supp you use, what you add to it, etc etc. Everything i've read or heard about chocolate milk is very bro-science and lacks any real scientific proof behind it. Its a cheaper option but the sugar content of chocolate milk is pretty high.


well for after a workout, I think that would be a good thing. However, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommends you drink chocolate milk after a workout, then they also recommend to not drink your calories; so WTF? 

I'll stick to my fruit/meat/bread diet, with the occasional veggies I throw in. thank you, America.


----------



## kazukek

Pretty much spot on, I try not to listen to anything the government says about health, because they say what is healthy based on who is giving them money. For instance, eggs used to be considered healthy and were recommended, then they were bad for you. As for milk, I have read that Americans in general get to much calcium as it is, and unless you have a condition where you need this excess calcium then milk should be avoided. This is because there are possible links to excess calcium to certain cancers. (what doesn't lead to cancer now though)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I wouldn't ignore the government (States in my case) totally, but for getting jacked and being a beast, they're not too reliable. They try to dumb it down and make it 100% general so anyone can follow it. Also, they're has to be some $$$ motivation for them to say some of the things they say (can't think of any off hand).


----------



## SandyRavage

I feel pretty bad reading this thread. I have a pretty ridiculous metabolism, if Im working out a lot I can pretty much eat what I want and still get pretty ripped. I do eat a lot of fruit etc but I eat junk as well and still get pretty ripped. A lot of it is luck I guess


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Pretty ripped you say?

Oatsforever69 is our new savior.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Low carb fuckin' sucks yall.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

SandyRavage said:


> I feel pretty bad reading this thread. I have a pretty ridiculous metabolism, if Im working out a lot I can pretty much eat what I want and still get pretty ripped. I do eat a lot of fruit etc but I eat junk as well and still get pretty ripped. A lot of it is luck I guess


Shouldn't feel bad. take advantage of that shit. I totally would. Imagine how easy it would be to gain mass though, and not the fat.


Ghetto Anthony said:


> Low carb fuckin' sucks yall.


Stupid as well. I don't think I could do it anymore, even if I bought into the hype again. I definitely feel like it works, but it's too hard, especially putting carbs back into the diet.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

> Stupid as well. I don't think I could do it anymore, even if I bought into the hype again. I definitely feel like it works, but it's too hard, especially putting carbs back into the diet.


I'm well below my calorie goals for the day. Like at 1100 on the day (no exercise) sitting on maybe 50 carbs all day. I'm getting hungry and I want to go get some McDonalds (lol) but all dem carbs man. It'll make the entire day worthless.

Gearing up to start running again, gonna drop 20-25 pounds this summer and be fuckin' ottermode. Sigh. Better than being fat I suppose.

6'4" 185 currently. <--- OH SHIT ****** WHAT ARE YOU DOING?


----------



## sharkboy22

I'm having trouble with my diet cause well it's just too damn expensive to main a healthy diet in a thrid world country. When fast food is cheaper than fruits, then you know you're in shit. I would really like to start stcoking up on fruits but they're way too expensive. Eating healthy on the whole is just to expensive. The healthy cereals are expensive, the fibre enriched bread, the everything! 

Also things like protein shakes are over priced as well. The main reason why for the past year I've been having little to no gains despite the intensity of my workouts. I won't lie though, I've been on and off with the weightlifting (another fricking expense)over the past year. Out of the 12 months, I've probably only lifed consistently for 3 or 4 months altogethe.

Right now the barbell weights that I have on is 25lbs (on each side) and I can only life 3, 4 max. I started the 7 weeks to 100 push up program to try to increase my strenght so I can get 8-10 reps out of it and move up to about 30lbs, hopefully more. 

But I know my diet is keeping me back a lot. I have a good metabolism but nonetheless I'm a skinny fat in the stomach region.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

Can you somehow skill your stamina without running or bicycling?


----------



## SandyRavage

You're Pretty Good said:


> Shouldn't feel bad. take advantage of that shit. I totally would. Imagine how easy it would be to gain mass though, and not the fat.
> .


I do haha, I don;t like to put on too much mass though. I prefer to stay around the 190 pound max if I working out a lot. I'm only 5 foot 9 so thats a pretty heavy weigh for me in terms of muscle


----------



## SandyRavage

sharkboy22 said:


> I'm having trouble with my diet cause well it's just too damn expensive to main a healthy diet in a thrid world country. When fast food is cheaper than fruits, then you know you're in shit. I would really like to start stcoking up on fruits but they're way too expensive. Eating healthy on the whole is just to expensive. The healthy cereals are expensive, the fibre enriched bread, the everything!
> 
> Also things like protein shakes are over priced as well. The main reason why for the past year I've been having little to no gains despite the intensity of my workouts. I won't lie though, I've been on and off with the weightlifting (another fricking expense)over the past year. Out of the 12 months, I've probably only lifed consistently for 3 or 4 months altogethe.
> 
> Right now the barbell weights that I have on is 25lbs (on each side) and I can only life 3, 4 max. I started the 7 weeks to 100 push up program to try to increase my strenght so I can get 8-10 reps out of it and move up to about 30lbs, hopefully more.
> 
> But I know my diet is keeping me back a lot. I have a good metabolism but nonetheless I'm a skinny fat in the stomach region.


Start using smaller weights and more reps unless the weights are huge, small amounts of reps aren't going to do to much. It's tempting to blast the heaviest thing you can but do something where you can rep 10-20 and build up from there. When you're building up well then you can move onto big weights and smaller amounts of reps. Doing weights also burns calories but it's still better to eat well or do cardio. Push ups are great, if you're doing 100 a day you should notice a pretty big difference soon. Abviously for your abs do loads of situps, they are a pain in the arse but great. Even push ups work the stomach, they work pretty much all the top half


----------



## Patrick Bateman

After doing my situp routine I always feel the burn way harder on my left side thatn on my right. Am I doing something wrong?


----------



## SandyRavage

RevolverSnake said:


> After doing my situp routine I always feel the burn way harder on my left side thatn on my right. Am I doing something wrong?


Do you lock your legs onto something while you do them? If so you're probably using your left leg to help pull up more, it'll slightly put more pressure on the left side.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

kazukek said:


> haha yeah. I love running, my day isn't the same without it. Granted I can not do it on a treadmill, but 3 - 6 miles just fly by on the street. How do you guys feel about pre workout supplements such as 1MR, C4, Noexplode, etc?


If you're already doing 3-6 miles with no problem, you don't really need them.

I used to be a supplement junkie, but 1) it's expensive 2) most of the time they're unnecessary, and 3) they can have harmful sides depending on your personal physiology.

That said I occasionally have some caffeine (coffee) or a Monster or Rockstar energy before working out, but the majority of the time I avoid the energy drinks and just do the cardio without supplements.


----------



## Adamj1987

Im doing a small intro to pro wrestling course and trying to get into shape. what exersizes do you recomend to strengthen upperbody strength if im going to do lifts etc.
ATM im doing crunchs, side sit ups, planking, leg lifts, tricep dips, push ups, hill climbers and squats

for cario extended length hill climbers 5 min each and im building up to 3 mile runs but im only at 1.5 - 2 miles in a single go atm

i know they are mostly focusing on core and legs muscles thats why i am asking for upper body mainly arms.

im getting some dumbells in the next week to do reps with them

also 11 weeks to the seminar


----------



## kazukek

From a cardio perspective I would recommend running stairs. Also, what worked for me, was start about a 12 min mile jog or however slow you need it to be. The longer you can stay at it the better you will eventually be able to do just try to push yourself as it becomes easier. Furthermore, this may make you look like a idiot, but if you listen to an ipod while you jog, sing along with the lyrics (to your self). I found this greatly increased my endurance, because A) I wasn't thinking about jogging, B) this forces you to breath in and out.

You mentioned dumbbells, I am not sure you mean run with them (if you don't I apologize) but i wouldn't recommend it, I have heard running with weights in your hands (vest on the other hand are good) is incredibly bad for your joints


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kazukek said:


> From a cardio perspective *I would recommend running stairs.* Also, what worked for me, was start about a 12 min mile jog or however slow you need it to be. The longer you can stay at it the better you will eventually be able to do just try to push yourself as it becomes easier. Furthermore, this may make you look like a idiot, but if you listen to an ipod while you jog, sing along with the lyrics (to your self). I found this greatly increased my endurance, because A) I wasn't thinking about jogging, B) this forces you to breath in and out.
> 
> You mentioned dumbbells, I am not sure you mean run with them (if you don't I apologize) but i wouldn't recommend it, I have heard running with weights in your hands (vest on the other hand are good) is incredibly bad for your joints


Eve torres does this, and it's no easy workout. 'stair way to a heavenly body', google her workout video. Yeah it's a chick, but it's still a ridiculous workout.

Lots of shoulder and other joint stability exercises. LOTS OF STRETCHING! then the basic power lifts: Bench, dead lift, squat. some wrestlers I'd follow up are:
+ John Morrison for stability exercises
+ John Cena for Strength Exercises
+ Randy Orton for explosive strength
+ Kofi Kingston for sretch exercises
Even if you don't like those wrestlers, that's mostly their specialties. So google some of their routines, then incorporate some techniques into what you want to be like; the strong Khali wrestler, the bouncy Kofi, the explosive Orton, maybe the grappling Bryan.


----------



## iMiZFiT

Stay away from all these fucking supplements. 

Don't do "low carb diets" or Fad Diets as they are known either.

Just eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise, thats how you lose weight and get in shape.

Don't drink energy drinks or take supplements before working out, have a bannana, theres tons of natural healthy energy.

Did cavemen do low carb diets? Hell no they eat a bit of everything and exercised and they weren't fat.


----------



## Goku

Did you live with cavemen?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

iMiZFiT said:


> Stay away from all these fucking supplements.
> 
> Don't do "low carb diets" or Fad Diets as they are known either.
> 
> Just eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise, thats how you lose weight and get in shape.
> 
> Don't drink energy drinks or take supplements before working out, have a bannana, theres tons of natural healthy energy.
> 
> Did cavemen do low carb diets? Hell no they eat a bit of everything and exercised and they weren't fat.


I lift twice a week, but haven't incorporated running into my routine yet this year. If I just eat whatever I want, but eat healthy I'm not going to lose any weight. Gotta watch dem carbs man.

I'm black so that's as close to a caveman as you can get I think.


----------



## Olympus

K so prom is in 2 months and I'd like to be in shape by then. I've lost 12 pounds over the last month and a half (196-184) and my chest has really started to get into form. I think I'm okay with losing fat as I'm planning on running 2 miles a day, 5 times a week ( comes out to like 300 calories according to my treadmill). The main thing I'm focusing on now is my chest. Still going to hit the gym regularly. I'm hoping to get there at least 3 times a week, every other day. Almost every workout I do works the chest and I do them every time and throw some biceps in here and there. They include:


Bench Press
Incline Press
Seated Dips
Assisted Dips (I'm making progress - went from 130 - 70 during the course of a month!)
Dumbbell Press
The rope (where you sit down, lock the setting in (I do the max, 7), and pull the rope down for 40 seconds)

I do all these at comfortable, yet challenging weights and do three sets of 11. I'm hoping to both cut the fat and build my chest and lose the moobs (they're actually getting less and less moobish lolz). Can I do this at this pace in 2 months? I'm hoping to drop another 15 pounds, don't know if that's going to get me where I want to be, but that's my target.

I eat well. Can't stand soda anymore, chips haven't touched my lips in months, and all greasy snack foods are out of the equation. I'm doing really well with the eating part and the exercise part is actually enjoyable. Is there anything else I can do to guarantee I reach my goal in 2 months or should I keep going at this pace?

Edit: I also grab a Chocolate Muscle Milk after every meal for protein.


----------



## Digital J

i think you all need to listen to me............

1. eat peanuts, and chicken breast, turkey breast (basic shit everybody knows) eggs 

2. workout with the heaviest weights you can even if its 1 or 2 reps 

make sure its using proper form any dumbass can swing weights like hes on crack

3. love to workout , dont do it because you want to be cool.... if youre in a gym and talking to friend GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY

4. keep aspiring to be like me. you can get THERE you can REALLY get there


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

Rush said:


> This thread makes me feel as though my head is being smacked into wall sometimes :hmm:


lol this

I can't believe some of the shit I read sometimes 

So much broscience , so many myths 

sigh


----------



## Rush

iMiZFiT said:


> Did cavemen do low carb diets? Hell no they eat a bit of everything and exercised and they weren't fat.


did cavemen have processed foods, bread, wheat etc? No. Paleo diets, of which there are variations, are all forms of no to low carb diets based on the philosophy of 'eating like a caveman'. So yes, cavemen did have low carb diets. Only the concept of a low carb diet wasn't invented.


----------



## sensi5446

Ive been on a green juice fast for the past 9 days and have lost 21 pounds  and fell great!


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

sensi5446 said:


> Ive been on a green juice fast for the past 9 days and have lost 21 pounds  and fell great!


wat


----------



## sensi5446

Ghetto Anthony said:


> wat


I juice fruit and veg using a masticating juicer, I use a lot of leafy greens so most juices are green in color. All fruit and vegs is organic


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

u lost 21 pounds in 9 days? Dayyum gimmie sum of that Green Drink, *****

Anyways I lost 4 pounds in the past week. Low carb is pretty meh, but da results are satisfying. 188.8-->184.4


----------



## sensi5446

Ghetto Anthony said:


> u lost 21 pounds in 9 days? Dayyum gimmie sum of that Green Drink, *****
> 
> Anyways I lost 4 pounds in the past week. Low carb is pretty meh, but da results are satisfying. 188.8-->184.4


lol

Check out Fat, sick and nearly dead its a good watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv3vEXy_EwU

I do all the cooking and baking in my house so its more a mental battle, It all part of detoxing my body only 11 more days to go (Y)


*sorry I miss calculated, doh! 18 pounds I was 231 and I'm now 213 *


----------



## Patrick Bateman

Is it okay to just do as much situps as possible or should I rather make set with 20 for example?


----------



## sensi5446

I can't see why not, i like to do reps of 10 between other exercises


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

sensi5446 said:


> lol
> 
> Check out Fat, sick and nearly dead its a good watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv3vEXy_EwU
> 
> I do all the cooking and baking in my house so its more a mental battle, It all part of detoxing my body only 11 more days to go (Y)
> 
> 
> *sorry I miss calculated, doh! 18 pounds I was 231 and I'm now 213 *


I watched the movie. I don't understand this shit where they can't eat any meat. Doesn't make sense to me.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Goldmine or Broscience?

http://www.youtube.com/user/lowcarbcory/


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

iMiZFiT said:


> Stay away from all these fucking supplements.
> 
> Don't do "low carb diets" or Fad Diets as they are known either.
> 
> Just eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise, thats how you lose weight and get in shape.
> 
> Don't drink energy drinks or take supplements before working out, have a bannana, theres tons of natural healthy energy.
> 
> Did cavemen do low carb diets? Hell no they eat a bit of everything and exercised and they weren't fat.


Low carb diets are very effective way of cutting. You should have a weekly refeed. I cut down to this after breaking my hand, and being out for nearly 2 months from the gym.









Nothing wrong with supplements. Creatine, protein, beta-alanine, citruline, and caffeine can really help you get a little more from your workout.

Cavemen were on there feet all day, and performing manual labor to survive. You have no idea what they looked like.


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Goldmine or Broscience?
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/user/lowcarbcory/


Pretty common knowledge that fruit/fruit juice does this. Its one of those foods you think are healthy but its secretly the reason your weight loss or cut plateaus 
Fruit has other benefits , you just have to balance out the good with the bad
Fruit > Juice tho

Not matter if you are bulking , cutting or maintaining .... sugar is always your worst enemy ( too much of it anyway )

It's just like anything else , all in moderation its good
Drink a glass or 2 of orange juice a week isn't going to ruin your life


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

On a cold Friday afternoon, I had come home from school. I had been thinking of the gym all day. I was hungry, didn't have any lunch. In fact, I didn't eat because I spent the money. For the past month I was saving up for something. Something special which I bought at GNC. I was surprised they didn't ask for ID; I was pretty sure the cashier noticed how nervous I was. Anyways, my mom asked my how my day was when I got home, but I ignored her. I have more important things to do. I run to the bathroom and unpack my bag. In my school bag is a white plastic bag from GNC. I open the bag, first removing the receipt and flushing it down the toilet to get rid of the evidence. My heart was racing now. I unpack the creatine monster from the bag.

I wonder what people will be asking me when they see that I will be 50lbs heavier. Should I say I was just eating a lot? I remove the label from the tub and tear it into a thousand small pieces. I flush that down the toilet, too. It is time now. I run up to my room when my mom ask me what I am holding. I panic, sweat drips down my forehead and my teeth chatter. "Mom, it's just for a school project". "What project?" "I don't know mom I just started it!". A tear runs down my cheek. I run upstairs and open the creatine, scooping upservings into a clear water bottle. What have I gotten myself into? I fill it with water and drink it. There is no turning back now. The creatine monster is inside me now, it will control me. What should I do if I die? I cant let my family know about this.

I open the creatine tub and throw it all out the window; a white cloud of mysterious dust sparkles into the wind so graciously. I feel the substance taking control of me; I am now the monster. I walk downstairs, its time to work out; time to get big. Now I worry, I don't want to get too big; people will think I use steroids. I do use steroids. No I don't. Creatine. All I see is the weights now, I am almost downstairs when I hear "Do you want a cookie I just baked". I know I do not have time for this **** now. "No mom I do not want a cookie" I walk in the basement and drop to my knees before the weights, tears running down my cheeks. I turn to the right and look at myself in the mirror. Oh god, what have I done?


----------



## Patrick Bateman

WutChagoNAdoBrothA said:


> On a cold Friday afternoon, I had come home from school. I had been thinking of the gym all day. I was hungry, didn't have any lunch. In fact, I didn't eat because I spent the money. For the past month I was saving up for something. Something special which I bought at GNC. I was surprised they didn't ask for ID; I was pretty sure the cashier noticed how nervous I was. Anyways, my mom asked my how my day was when I got home, but I ignored her. I have more important things to do. I run to the bathroom and unpack my bag. In my school bag is a white plastic bag from GNC. I open the bag, first removing the receipt and flushing it down the toilet to get rid of the evidence. My heart was racing now. I unpack the creatine monster from the bag.
> 
> I wonder what people will be asking me when they see that I will be 50lbs heavier. Should I say I was just eating a lot? I remove the label from the tub and tear it into a thousand small pieces. I flush that down the toilet, too. It is time now. I run up to my room when my mom ask me what I am holding. I panic, sweat drips down my forehead and my teeth chatter. "Mom, it's just for a school project". "What project?" "I don't know mom I just started it!". A tear runs down my cheek. I run upstairs and open the creatine, scooping upservings into a clear water bottle. What have I gotten myself into? I fill it with water and drink it. There is no turning back now. The creatine monster is inside me now, it will control me. What should I do if I die? I cant let my family know about this.
> 
> I open the creatine tub and throw it all out the window; a white cloud of mysterious dust sparkles into the wind so graciously. I feel the substance taking control of me; I am now the monster. I walk downstairs, its time to work out; time to get big. Now I worry, I don't want to get too big; people will think I use steroids. I do use steroids. No I don't. Creatine. All I see is the weights now, I am almost downstairs when I hear "Do you want a cookie I just baked". I know I do not have time for this **** now. "No mom I do not want a cookie" I walk in the basement and drop to my knees before the weights, tears running down my cheeks. I turn to the right and look at myself in the mirror. Oh god, what have I done?



/thread


----------



## El Conquistador

ItsWhatIdo said:


> Low carb diets are very effective way of cutting. You should have a weekly refeed. I cut down to this after breaking my hand, and being out for nearly 2 months from the gym.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nothing wrong with supplements. Creatine, protein, beta-alanine, citruline, and caffeine can really help you get a little more from your workout.
> 
> Cavemen were on there feet all day, and performing manual labor to survive. You have no idea what they looked like.


do you even lift, ****? grab a cheeseburger.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

WutChagoNAdoBrothA said:


> Pretty common knowledge that fruit/fruit juice does this. Its one of those foods you think are healthy but its secretly the reason your weight loss or cut plateaus
> Fruit has other benefits , you just have to balance out the good with the bad
> Fruit > Juice tho
> 
> Not matter if you are bulking , cutting or maintaining .... sugar is always your worst enemy ( too much of it anyway )
> 
> It's just like anything else , all in moderation its good
> Drink a glass or 2 of orange juice a week isn't going to ruin your life


wut no I was just talking about the dudes channel in general. He seems to have a lot of _interesting_ meal examples on there.


----------



## crazypwny

Biking is my workout of choice. Add in some light weight-training a few times a week, and I'm pretty happy.


----------



## That Guy

hi guys, first time in this thread (I think) just want some advice here. I've got a 3 year millitary service which starts in July, except I'm not as "big" or "bulk" as I would like to be. I had a few month membership for a nearby gym but it's very expensive and I'm wondering if going and doing "around the house" stuff will have the same effect or will I have to find a way to get a renewed membership? By "around the house" stuff I mean- pushups, situps, maybe getting myself a chin-up bar in the doorway when I enter the room, possibly pushups with a bag on my back with books, runs around the area... What I'm asking is will I get the same effect or do I need to go to machinery in gyms?

Thanks in advance.


----------



## sharkboy22

Hey can anyone please answer this question I need some clarification with.

When using a barbell let's say you have 25lbs on each side, does that mean you're lifing 25lbs or does it count as 50?


----------



## El Conquistador

sharkboy22 said:


> Hey can anyone please answer this question I need some clarification with.
> 
> When using a barbell let's say you have 25lbs on each side, does that mean you're lifing 25lbs or does it count as 50?


Are you a math major?


----------



## sharkboy22

Father Flex said:


> Are you a math major?


No, I'm not.

Shit, it's often a debate I have with some colleagues amd I finally want to put ot to rest. A lot of them keeo insisting it's 25lbs (think of it as holding a 25lb dumbell in each hand) but I insist it's 50 cause well, duh, 25+25=50.

Anyway, why I also ask is because when doind the bench press 50lbs is light. I could do like 15-20 reps with it. But when doing barbell curls I can barely do 3 reps. Is that normal? It makes me wonder if my bench press technique is wrong.


----------



## El Conquistador

It's 50. It largely depends on what type of barbell you're using, but in American commercial gyms (LA Fitness, XSport, 24HOUR, Charter, etc,.), barbells typically weigh 42-48 lbs themselves. So, if you're squatting a barbell in La Fitness with 25 lbs on each side, you're squatting 95 lbs.


----------



## That Guy

Flex any chance you could answer my question on the previous page?  sorry if dumb question pretty new to this stuff.


----------



## El Conquistador

The Bad Guy said:


> hi guys, first time in this thread (I think) just want some advice here. I've got a 3 year millitary service which starts in July, except I'm not as "big" or "bulk" as I would like to be. I had a few month membership for a nearby gym but it's very expensive and I'm wondering if going and doing "around the house" stuff will have the same effect or will I have to find a way to get a renewed membership? By "around the house" stuff I mean- pushups, situps, maybe getting myself a chin-up bar in the doorway when I enter the room, possibly pushups with a bag on my back with books, runs around the area... What I'm asking is will I get the same effect or do I need to go to machinery in gyms?
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Calisthenic are wonderful. The tricky part of tailoring your routine will be progressing on a program like that because you don't have access to weights. Here's a routine you could do:

Day 1:
Wide Grip Pull Ups
Push Ups
Handstand Push Ups

Day 2:
Bodyweight Squats
1 Leg Split Squats (put one leg up on couch, chair and squat on the other leg)
Pistol Squats (more advanced movement)

Day 3: 
Dips
Close Grip Pull Ups
Abs

Day 4:
Bodyweight Squats
1 Leg Split Squats
Pistol Squats

Are kettle bells and calisthenics better than free weights? No, not in my opinion. But you can accomplish a lot with dedication, a pull up bar, or by heading up to your local park/playground. Couple of references you can check out:

-Barstarz on youtube
-Realomegablaze on youtube (does a bodyweight only routine and looks damn good)
-Convict Conditioning (it's a book)
-Rosstraining.com (wrote an excellent tutorial on exercises you can do around the house with no equipment)



The Bad Guy said:


> Flex any chance you could answer my question on the previous page?  sorry if dumb question pretty new to this stuff.


Since you asked, of course.


----------



## Rush

sharkboy22 said:


> No, I'm not.
> 
> Shit, it's often a debate I have with some colleagues amd I finally want to put ot to rest. A lot of them keeo insisting it's 25lbs (think of it as holding a 25lb dumbell in each hand) but I insist it's 50 cause well, duh, 25+25=50.
> 
> Anyway, why I also ask is because when doind the bench press 50lbs is light. I could do like 15-20 reps with it. But when doing barbell curls I can barely do 3 reps. Is that normal? It makes me wonder if my bench press technique is wrong.


First of all, 

barbell










dumbbell










Using any barbell the weight is the amount you put at either end + the weight of the bar. So for example if you have an olympic bar, and you put 20 kg on either end and use it to squat then you are squatting the weights at either end (40kg) + the bar (20kg) for a total squat of 60kg.

Now as for bench press vs barbell curl. They use different muscles. Benching works your pecs, ant. deltoid and tricep, barbell curls works your bicep.


----------



## Rush

oh and to reiterate Flex, barstarzz


----------



## That Guy

Thanks a lot flex much appreciated.


----------



## El Conquistador

You're welcome. Happy to help. Let us know if you have any questions.


----------



## ItsWhatIdo

Father Flex said:


> do you even lift, ****? grab a cheeseburger.


Intredasting.jpg... I am not the OP therefore I can't be the *******. OP is always a *******.

I lift 4 days a week. I am more of a runner. I put in over 50 miles a week on 4 days of running.


----------



## sharkboy22

Can anyone explain what happened to me this morning. So I got up during my sleep in the early hours of the morning and I just flexed my bicep (not not because I flex my bicep every monring lol I think I was going to turn or something) and it was solid as fricking rock! Very tight and hard. But the when I woke back up later this morning I was back to normal.

What the heck bodily fucntions or reactions could have possibly caused that?


----------



## Zen

I'm guessing it's just blood rushing to your muscles like the ump you get.


----------



## That Guy

Father Flex said:


> You're welcome. Happy to help. Let us know if you have any questions.


yeah just something i'm not sure about is the meals in between work outs. 

to eat before a workout? after? both? 
what to eat? I've heard from a few people just basic stuff like bread, eggs, tuna etc. jsut wanna get a second opinion.


----------



## Mpressmc

Here's a pic from about a month ago.


----------



## WutChagoNAdoBrothA

The Bad Guy said:


> yeah just something i'm not sure about is the meals in between work outs.
> 
> to eat before a workout? after? both?
> what to eat? I've heard from a few people just basic stuff like bread, eggs, tuna etc. jsut wanna get a second opinion.


Most people like to get something carby in before workouts for energy (and protein , always protein)

your post workout meal is insanely important 
protein , protein , protein 
it helps you recover , and build muscle.

Some people stick to real food , some hit up a protein shake and eat an hour later , some eat and do a protein shake at the same time

I'm not a huge believer in meal timing , except for post workout


----------



## Panzer

What I've noticed help my muscle recovery so I'm not too sore to hit the gym the next day is 2 scoops of Casein with water before bed. One scoop would be enough for most people. I like leaving the gym sore, not arriving there sore. Your muscles recover when you sleep and the slow absorbing protein will only help the process more. I use Gold Standard; Chocolate Supreme flavor. Tastes awesome even with water.


----------



## EliteNate

My bench is stuck at 145 for 3 x 5. What do?


----------



## sharkboy22

Ok, can anyone explain why my strength has increase tremendously over the last 2 months but I haven't seen any gains? I use to only be able to do 20 push ups now I can do 60. Obviously at 17 years old and being a newbie, I'm not expecting to go from skinny to Hulk Hogan but .00001 increase in size is expected right? 

Is it time to start experimenting with the protein and creatine? I don't know what to do, I've been exercising for a year now and my body looks no different. I've started to take my diet really seriously the last few months but despite all of this, I'm still soft all over (except my legs cause I do a lot of cardio and plyo) but my chest, stomach and arms are just soft.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

Do you guys have a workout plan to get a physic like David Otunga?


----------



## Word

sharkboy22 said:


> Ok, can anyone explain why my strength has increase tremendously over the last 2 months but I haven't seen any gains? I use to only be able to do 20 push ups now I can do 60. Obviously at 17 years old and being a newbie, I'm not expecting to go from skinny to Hulk Hogan but .00001 increase in size is expected right?
> 
> Is it time to start experimenting with the protein and creatine? I don't know what to do, I've been exercising for a year now and my body looks no different. I've started to take my diet really seriously the last few months but despite all of this, I'm still soft all over (except my legs cause I do a lot of cardio and plyo) but my chest, stomach and arms are just soft.


Doing 20 sit ups next to 60 sit ups is obviously an improvement, but your hardly going to see an improvement, you need to lift weights. Do you go to the gym?

If so, I would devise a workout plan and an eating plan before you start and data collect everything you do so your organised. Protein is essential when building muscle are carbohydrates. I think your on about protein shakes. Though protein shakes are an easy way to fuel your muscles, eating protein through chicken, steak etc. is more beneficial to your body.

A lot more information is required before anyone can really advise you.



EliteNate said:


> My bench is stuck at 145 for 3 x 5. What do?


A lot of people when starting to bench press will shoot up because they are new to it and then slowly start to plateau. It's happened to me and all of my mates so your not alone. Keep persisting every week and eventually you'll start lifting bigger. At the end of the day you can't keep going up and up, something gotta give.



WutChagoNAdoBrothA said:


> Most people like to get something carby in before workouts for energy (and protein , always protein)
> 
> your post workout meal is insanely important
> protein , protein , protein
> it helps you recover , and build muscle.
> 
> Some people stick to real food , some hit up a protein shake and eat an hour later , some eat and do a protein shake at the same time
> 
> I'm not a huge believer in meal timing , except for post workout


Don't forget those carbs post workout, essential to replenish those glycogen stores. Protein shakes are convenient but a mammoth meal after a workout is better. 



Mpressmc said:


> Here's a pic from about a month ago.


Good going, bro.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

lolCrossFit


----------



## Dreya

I don't do weights or anything like that, as a girl I don't want muscle, but I do 1 hour on a exercise bike a day, plus I jog 3 miles 3 times a week, then my usual sports that I play (tennis, basketball, hockey).


----------



## Rush

Dreya said:


> I don't do weights or anything like that, *as a girl I don't want muscle*, but I do 1 hour on a exercise bike a day, plus I jog 3 miles 3 times a week, then my usual sports that I play (tennis, basketball, hockey).


I hear that all the time from chicks. Guess what? You're a chick, you cannot build muscle like men. You have about a tenth of the testosterone, you simply cannot build muscle like blokes.



Ghetto Anthony said:


> lolCrossFit


that video is taking the piss. Not all CrossFit places have garbage technique. 



sharkboy22 said:


> Ok, can anyone explain why my strength has increase tremendously over the last 2 months but I haven't seen any gains? I use to only be able to do 20 push ups now I can do 60. Obviously at 17 years old and being a newbie, I'm not expecting to go from skinny to Hulk Hogan but .00001 increase in size is expected right?


are you just doing pushups? You're not going to see huge gains with only doing pushups (there are a few exceptions here) 



EliteNate said:


> My bench is stuck at 145 for 3 x 5. What do?


mix it up. i assume you do a flat bench, try incline/decline. Could also try supersetting with dumbbell flys. Could also work the chest and tri's with other exercises like skullcrushers and dips for triceps and pushups variants for your chest.


----------



## rated_y2j11

I apologise in advance for the anecdote. 

For a year I have been going to the gym 3 times a week and after recently weighing myself I have found I’m the same weight I am when I started. During the course of the year I have been lifting heavier and heavier weights, as the lower weights started to become too comfortable. I guess it’s a given that since I’m the same weight I’m the same size as when I started, but I am more toned now. 

On workout days I’m doing all the pre and post workout meals including protein shakes and on days I don’t work out I don’t take protein shakes.

Also I only use machine weights since I have hypermobile shoulders and have been told by doctors to use supported weights, so I never use free weights. 

I’m 6 foot and 138lbs so I’m pretty sure there is room for me to fill out.

Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong or what I should start doing to get bigger?

Cheers.


----------



## Word

rated_y2j11 said:


> I apologise in advance for the anecdote.
> 
> For a year I have been going to the gym 3 times a week and after recently weighing myself I have found I’m the same weight I am when I started. During the course of the year I have been lifting heavier and heavier weights, as the lower weights started to become too comfortable. I guess it’s a given that since I’m the same weight I’m the same size as when I started, but I am more toned now.
> 
> On workout days I’m doing all the pre and post workout meals including protein shakes and on days I don’t work out I don’t take protein shakes.
> 
> Also I only use machine weights since I have hypermobile shoulders and have been told by doctors to use supported weights, so I never use free weights.
> 
> I’m 6 foot and 138lbs so I’m pretty sure there is room for me to fill out.
> 
> Any ideas on what I’m doing wrong or what I should start doing to get bigger?
> 
> Cheers.


How old are you?

138 is pretty small. For people to help you better we would need to know, for example, what you started bench pressing to what you bench today?

If you want to get bigger, you need to seriously start packing on the calories. Why don't you take protein on non workout days? You constantly need to fuel those muscles, every single day. A typical diet would be like this (this is a massively broad example and not specific to you, guidance only):

Breakfast: 3 egg whites and 2 slices wholemeal toast
Snack: Protein Shake
Lunch: 100g meat & 100g carbs (weight not actually 100g of protein in your meal)
Workout
Post Workout: Protein Shake
Dinner: 100g meat & 100g carbs & few green veg
Snack: Beef Jerky/Nuts/Peanut Butter/etc.

Total Protein (dependant on shakes used): 200g approx
Total Carbs: 60-80g
Fats: 20g max (remember some fats are good)

For someone like you, you would probably need to fit another meal in there, seeing as you weigh on 138 pounds and you want to get bigger, but I'm concerned about your age.

I've been told that muscles can only take 20g of protein per hour, this can vary 5g dependant on the person approx. but the rest is turned into energy, and if energy isnt released can turn into fats. I wouldn't recommend anyone throwing down about 2 chicken breasts per meal as it's expensive or unnecessary. 

I aim for 20-30g of protein every 2 hours or so, hitting around 200g a day.


----------



## rated_y2j11

Word said:


> How old are you?
> 
> 138 is pretty small. For people to help you better we would need to know, for example, what you started bench pressing to what you bench today?
> 
> If you want to get bigger, you need to seriously start packing on the calories. Why don't you take protein on non workout days? You constantly need to fuel those muscles, every single day. A typical diet would be like this (this is a massively broad example and not specific to you, guidance only):
> 
> Breakfast: 3 egg whites and 2 slices wholemeal toast
> Snack: Protein Shake
> Lunch: 100g meat & 100g carbs (weight not actually 100g of protein in your meal)
> Workout
> Post Workout: Protein Shake
> Dinner: 100g meat & 100g carbs & few green veg
> Snack: Beef Jerky/Nuts/Peanut Butter/etc.
> 
> Total Protein (dependant on shakes used): 200g approx
> Total Carbs: 60-80g
> Fats: 20g max (remember some fats are good)
> 
> For someone like you, you would probably need to fit another meal in there, seeing as you weigh on 138 pounds and you want to get bigger, but I'm concerned about your age.
> 
> I've been told that muscles can only take 20g of protein per hour, this can vary 5g dependant on the person approx. but the rest is turned into energy, and if energy isnt released can turn into fats. I wouldn't recommend anyone throwing down about 2 chicken breasts per meal as it's expensive or unnecessary.
> 
> I aim for 20-30g of protein every 2 hours or so, hitting around 200g a day.


I'm actually 22, though obviously a very small 22 year old. 

I only take protein shakes on work out days because I was told by a fitness instructor at my gym to only take it on work out days. Pretty confused right now.

Thanks for the advice.


----------



## Word

Well I'm only a guy behind a computer screen and they are the professionals but I'm concerned as to why he wouldn't want you to take them on non workout days. He probably wants your protein intake from meals as opposed to the shake, which is fair. But to build muscle you need to be eating every few hours, every single day, not just workout days. Protein shakes are a simple and effective way of getting protein into your system, I drink on average 3 a day although if I could i'd love to replace it with food.

My advice would be to eat, eat and eat. I would love to be in your situation now as you could pretty much bulk providing you hit the gym heavy. Keep at the gym, go with mates and try free weights, they'll spot you. I don't know much about you being hypermobile, I doubt that would affect your ability to get bigger. 

How much were you benching when you started compared to today?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

> that video is taking the piss. Not all CrossFit places have garbage technique.


case and point


----------



## El Conquistador

Just eat at a surplus and do a simple 3x5 progression on bench. Start low, work your way up each session by adding 5 lbs at a time. Bench 2x a week with 3 or 4 days rest in between. Make sure to do pull ups, dips, CG bench, and some sort of row (DB Row, BB Row) as your assistance. So, something like

Monday: 
Bench 100 lbs 3 sets of 5
Weighted Pull Ups 3 sets of 3 reps @ Bodyweight + 25 lbs
CG Bench 2 sets of 6

Thursday:
Bench 105 lbs 3 sets of 5 across
DB Row 5 sets of 10
Dips 5 sets of 5


----------



## Patrick Bateman

how do I get a defined body?


----------



## Word

Father Flex said:


> Just eat at a surplus and do a simple 3x5 progression on bench. Start low, work your way up each session by adding 5 lbs at a time. Bench 2x a week with 3 or 4 days rest in between. Make sure to do pull ups, dips, CG bench, and some sort of row (DB Row, BB Row) as your assistance. So, something like
> 
> Monday:
> Bench 100 lbs 3 sets of 5
> Weighted Pull Ups 3 sets of 3 reps @ Bodyweight + 25 lbs
> CG Bench 2 sets of 6
> 
> Thursday:
> Bench 105 lbs 3 sets of 5 across
> DB Row 5 sets of 10
> Dips 5 sets of 5


Twice a week isnt enough time for your muscles to repair but if you feel right go for it
.


RevolverSnake said:


> how do I get a defined body?


Do 100 sit ups and press ups a day and you'll be massive in no time.

Seriously though, that's such a broad question and you'll get such broad answers. One member will tell you different from another.

What we can all agree is get a workout plan, stick to it and eat a lot, especially protein. You won't get results overnight.


----------



## El Conquistador

Word said:


> Twice a week isnt enough time for your muscles to repair but if you feel right go for it
> .
> 
> 
> Do 100 sit ups and press ups a day and you'll be massive in no time.
> 
> Seriously though, that's such a broad question and you'll get such broad answers. One member will tell you different from another.
> 
> What we can all agree is get a workout plan, stick to it and eat a lot, especially protein. You won't get results overnight.


Strong broscience. I'd advise you to read some scientifically sound articles on working out instead of listening to the average Joe in the gym.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Word said:


> Twice a week isnt enough time for your muscles to repair but if you feel right go for it
> .
> 
> 
> Do* 100 sit ups and press ups a day and you'll be massive in no time.
> *
> Seriously though, that's such a broad question and you'll get such broad answers. One member will tell you different from another.
> 
> What we can all agree is get a workout plan, stick to it and eat a lot, especially protein. You won't get results overnight.


MASSIVE! 

I invented this thing called 6 minute abs. Would you like to hear about it? It only takes 6 minutes to explain how to get abs! lol.

Like post before me said; do research on your own with actually case study articles.

I just ate 1/2 tub of ice cream, so you can trust me.


----------



## Dreya

Rush said:


> I hear that all the time from chicks. Guess what? You're a chick, you cannot build muscle like men. You have about a tenth of the testosterone, you simply cannot build muscle like blokes.


Well I didn't know that, but I think I will still stick to my usual routine, been doing it for two years now and it's kept me in good shape so far.


----------



## Horselover Fat

Word said:


> I've been told that muscles can only take 20g of protein per hour, this can vary 5g dependant on the person approx. but the rest is turned into energy, and if energy isnt released can turn into fats. I wouldn't recommend anyone throwing down about 2 chicken breasts per meal as it's expensive or unnecessary.


totally agree, a guy at the gym told me this and he's ripped


----------



## Word

Father Flex said:


> Strong broscience. I'd advise you to read some scientifically sound articles on working out instead of listening to the average Joe in the gym.


I don't listen to an average Joe, I just assumed thought that it took a week for your muscles to fully heal. I couldn't fit two chest sessions a week anyway. 4 days a week is good enough for me but if you can do it then go for it.


----------



## WWWYKIBROSKI

The only thing that de-motivates me from staying in shape (Since I'm underweight for an 18 year old) is when I try to do a "Beginner's Workout" and totally suck at it.


----------



## PuroresuPride18

I do 4 hours on stationary bike daily. Is that good? Not trying to show off here or anything. Sometimes I feel like it's hardly enough.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

> 4 hours on stationary bike daily.


wat


----------



## El Conquistador

notsureifsrs


----------



## PuroresuPride18

Ghetto Anthony said:


> wat


Yes, it takes me about 5 hours to finish though to be honest. I take a 10-20 minute break after every hour. And even sometimes a 3-5 minute break after every half hour. I time everything with my iphone's stop watch and stop it it whenever I take the break, so it doesn't keep going during my break.


----------



## ULTIMATE DAVID

Its pretty good. my nutritionist says 90% of staying in shape is what you eat, but then 9 out of 10 nutritionists recomend kids eat weet-bix, so who knows.


----------



## Rush

why would you do 4-5 hours on a bike each day? :|


----------



## PuroresuPride18

Rush said:


> why would you do 4-5 hours on a bike each day? :|


Because I eat a lot. Back in high school I used to be able to do 400 sit ups daily. Now I can't even do 50....  (And yes I izserious)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

PuroresuPride18 said:


> I do 4 hours on stationary bike daily. Is that good? Not trying to show off here or anything. Sometimes I feel like it's hardly enough.


no point, unless you eat 3000 calories plus. I only lift maybe 4 - 5 itmes a week, with some cardio thrown in there. I eat lost of pizza and drink. Aint gained a pound, stalled at 186 lbs. 

I think 45 minutes is maz for cardio. 4 - 5 hours is a fucking joke. If your training for biking then 1-3 hours is plenty.


----------



## Rush

4-5 hours is just unneccessary.


----------



## Word

How do you have the time to do 5 hours of cycling a day? I bet some people can do the equivalent of what you do in 5 hours, in 30 minutes.

I'm not trying to knock you down or anything, but if I were you I would increase the gear ratio on the bike and go nuts for like 30 minutes. Unless you want to train for the Tour De France then go for it.

Whilst doing 400 sit ups a day is a good achievement it's also pretty unnecessary. A lot of people I know hardly do sit ups for abs, and it they do it's always weighted or done with variety. 

Can't knock for you doing 5 hours a day, I couldn't do that, but probably because of sheer boredom, vary your shit man.


----------



## Olympus

So I've plateaued. Went from 196 to 176 over the course of 3 months. I still want to lose another 10-15 as I do still have a good amount of stomach fat. I was accustomed to eating around 1500 calories a day, running 5-7 times a week (2 miles) and lifting 3 times a week. I've also started to do 8 Minute Abs from Youtube. I've seen results, but I'm still not there.

Yesterday I ran 4 miles and burned 650 calories. Didn't help I ate it all back at a restaurant. Nothing TOO bad. Chicken parm and some appetizers. I ended up 200-300 calories over 1500. What do I do now? Should I take a supplement? Should I ramp up cardio and cut calories? I wanted to drop these 10 pounds before prom. That was with three weeks till the date of it. It's now next Friday. Obviously not getting there which is massively upsetting, but now I'm aiming for this time next month.

Any help? I'm 5'11, 176.7lbs btw.


----------



## Walls

To lose weight you have to burn off more calories than you consume. I'd take to writing everything you eat down, calorie value, fat, carbs, everything. It's annoying as fuck at first but over time it becomes normal and you can monitor exactly what you put into your body. Running is also one of the worst types of exercises you can do. That will get me some heat, but the impact it has on your joints in the long run isn't worth it. Plus, there are better, more efficient ways to burn calories without the wear and tear on your joints. Try swimming, if you can. Works the entire body with little resistance. You need resistance of course but you can get what with your weight training.

I used to be 240 and I lost the weight by lifting 5 days a week and doing cardio 5 days a week. But what you eat is a major factor, moreso than the working out. It also depends on your body and how it reacts to things. I lose weight really quickly and am able to put on muscle very quickly, just how my body works. Also, don't do the same routine over and over again. Your body gets used to that particular type of stress and you need to shock your body with some new time of program.


----------



## jote

I'm in damn pretty good shape if I do say so my self. I don't believe in the whole setting goals for yourself. Think it's pretty damn stupid as I'm in shape without goals.

Also I'm totally against stuffing yourself to be a fat strong fuck. You're still fat and you're probably gonna die young from all the garbage you eat.


----------



## Walls

Oh lord..


----------



## Rush

Do some HIIT (high intensity interval training).

As walls said you need to mix up your routine to avoid getting used to the one routine. My latest goal is doing a triple k in under 20 mins. 1km row, 1km bike, 1km cross trainer. For me personally having goals like that motivates me. So while my overall goal is to lose weight, i have these other goals to keep me motivated.


----------



## RKO920

I bought a tub of protein that is 52 grams with 2 scoops. I want to put on more muscle, but not bulk. I should keep mixing the protein with water right?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

jote said:


> I'm in damn pretty good shape if I do say so my self. I don't believe in the whole setting goals for yourself. Think it's pretty damn stupid as I'm in shape without goals.
> 
> Also I'm totally against stuffing yourself to be a fat strong fuck. You're still fat and you're probably gonna die young from all the garbage you eat.


+1



> I should keep mixing the protein with water right?


GOMAD


----------



## Word

RKO920 said:


> I bought a tub of protein that is 52 grams with 2 scoops. I want to put on more muscle, but not bulk. I should keep mixing the protein with water right?


Water is the best imo.

You muscles can only take 20-25g of protein per hour anyway, so just take one scoop. You'll save money and an extra scoop. Protein shakes are efficient, instant protein but if you want to pack on muscle you should be eating your protein through meats and whatnot.


----------



## Walls

Only 20-25? Is that true? I take in 50+ per protein shake I have everyday and I have two.


----------



## Rush

There have been no studies to accurately measure protein absorbtion. As for the amount of protein, it depends on your bodyweight more than anything.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Word said:


> Water is the best imo.
> 
> Y*ou muscles can only take 20-25g of protein per hour anyway*, so just take one scoop. You'll save money and an extra scoop. Protein shakes are efficient, instant protein but if you want to pack on muscle you should be eating your protein through meats and whatnot.


No, it's actually 60g, or was it 100g, no wait, it was 12.4564333g. yeah that was it. Like Rush said, it depends on your body weight, that's all they really determined. But you should be getting in your protein form mostly food as well. Plus, I'm starting to turn towards the USDA's (US department of Agriculture) opinion of less protein. Basically, it's what I have been doing, and I haven't lost any strength or size, just some fat. Just using my own logic though, so keep reading believers! 



Rush said:


> There have been no studies to accurately measure protein absorbtion. As for the amount of protein, it depends on your bodyweight more than anything.


----------



## Walls

Rush said:


> There have been no studies to accurately measure protein absorbtion. As for the amount of protein, it depends on your bodyweight more than anything.


I've heard that you need 1 gram per pound on you but then I've also heard that that's too much and can lead to problems later in life.


----------



## Rush

Anywhere from 1.2-1.7 g/kg for athletes is the ACSM guideline which is about .5-.8 g/lb. Average person who isn't training needs even less. The definition of athlete there is pretty loose as well, basically if you're pretty active shoot for 1.2 g/kg

Too much protein can give you problems, and if you have a well rounded diet then you really don't need the protein shakes. I personally don't use them but i eat a fair bit of protein. All i really do is make a small glass of chocolate milk when i get home (like 200-250ml).


----------



## Walls

I used to be completely obsessed with all this shit and would drink 3 protein shakes a day, 5 full meals every few hours. I was putting on mass so I didn't have to worry about cardio as much. But it got to the point where I would be forcing myself to eat to keep that mass. And it worked out great, I floated between 200-205 but it was so hard to maintain. I can't force feed myself. So I changed it up and went with lighter weights with higher reps and converted it to lean muscle over time. I weighed myself yesterday, I was 185. Much easier. Lucky you that you can just do what you do and get the results you want.

Plus, with rolling BJJ you get a ton of cardio from that and I actually had my first muay thai session the other day so I plan on using that for cardio too. Just a word of advice: Leg kicks fucking hurt. A lot. Avoid them at all costs. I got dropped 3 times by them. I also have a tiny hole in my shin from kicking shit, you have to build up like a callous on your bones over time to make it so you don't hurt yourself while kicking.


----------



## Rush

thats how asian kids practice muay thai and kickboxing. they go out from a young age and kick trees. It stimulates bone growth so their tibia and fibula are ridiculously solid.

Really been getting back into the gym much more regularly now that cricket season is over and my shoulder has healed. Not sure whether i should switch it up and do a more bodyweight/core/endurance centred routine or leave it as it is. Still need to get my goal of a sub 20 on my 1km row, 1km cycle, 1km cross trainer. Row and bike i can do in about 7:30 or so but trying to get through a km on the elliptical in less than 12:30 is so damn hard. Could do it if i dropped off the intensity of it but i don't see the point of doing that.


----------



## Walls

Rush said:


> *thats how asian kids practice muay thai and kickboxing. they go out from a young age and kick trees. It stimulates bone growth so their tibia and fibula are ridiculously solid.*
> 
> Really been getting back into the gym much more regularly now that cricket season is over and my shoulder has healed. Not sure whether i should switch it up and do a more bodyweight/core/endurance centred routine or leave it as it is. Still need to get my goal of a sub 20 on my 1km row, 1km cycle, 1km cross trainer. Row and bike i can do in about 7:30 or so but trying to get through a km on the elliptical in less than 12:30 is so damn hard. Could do it if i dropped off the intensity of it but i don't see the point of doing that.



Yeah, usually they kick bamboo and banana trees to build it up. There is a video of Jon Fitch kicking down a tree in his backyard, it's pretty bad ass. But fuck I'd MUCH rather be punched in the face than kicked in the legs.


----------



## Rush

Rather not get hit at all if i'm honest. I bruise pretty nicely, i don't bruise easy but when i do it is pretty nasty. Had so many great ones on my legs and chest from cricket, if i ever got a properly good leg kick it wouldn't be pretty. Only ever been in 1 tumble that i'd call a fight and that was with a mate who's also a pretty huge MMA fan. He actually did BJJ for little while so we started just grappling for fun and it slowly got more and more heated b/c the dirty cunt kept biting me. Think we had about 3 or 4 'rounds', he caught me with an armbar twice, and i tapped once b/c i couldn't take the bites :lmao I ended the night with a black eye, cut chin, blood over my shirt, and bruises up and down my arm/shouler. He had 2 black eyes and a grazed up forehead. Also bruised my elbow when i hit the carpet instead of his head. Kinda glad it didn't hit him or he'd have been fucked up


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Walls said:


> Plus, with rolling BJJ you get a ton of cardio from that and I actually had my first muay thai session the other day so I plan on using that for cardio too. Just a word of advice: Leg kicks fucking hurt. A lot. Avoid them at all costs. I got dropped 3 times by them. I also have a tiny hole in my shin from kicking shit, you have to build up like a callous on your bones over time to make it so you don't hurt yourself while kicking.


I did BJJ for about 2 1/2 years, and 2 months of Mauy Thai. The fucking soccer kids killed in that class, because their shins were built up already. They get calcium deposits on the bones around there so they can start off kicking harder. Wait till you get shin splints and the instructor tries to massage your leg and rub them out (no ****, seriousness). Hurts like a bitch! 

Like Rush said, 1.2 - 1.7 grams per lb of body weight. However, I am 190 lbs, and I am only getting in maybe 120 grams a day (at most!) and haven't noticed any strength lose whatsoever. I kind of half and half the whole USDA vs Athlete case study thing.


----------



## Rush

You're Pretty Good said:


> I did BJJ for about 2 1/2 years, and 2 months of Mauy Thai. The fucking soccer kids killed in that class, because their shins were built up already. They get calcium deposits on the bones around there so they can start off kicking harder. Wait till you get shin splints and the instructor tries to massage your leg and rub them out (no ****, seriousness). Hurts like a bitch!
> 
> Like Rush said, 1.2 - 1.7 grams per lb of body weight. However, I am 190 lbs, and I am only getting in maybe 120 grams a day (at most!) and haven't noticed any strength lose whatsoever. I kind of half and half the whole USDA vs Athlete case study thing.


1.2-1.7 grams per *kilogram*  120 grams for 190 pounds is within ACSM guidelines.

Thats where a lot of confusion lies tbh, when people confuse lbs for kg and visa versa.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> 1.2-1.7 grams per *kilogram*  120 grams for 190 pounds is within ACSM guidelines.
> 
> Thats where a lot of confusion lies tbh, when people confuse lbs for kg and visa versa.


SEE, shit's ridiculous. In Muscle and Fitness magazines though, they do say per lb. of body weight. That's why I always thought it was too much. why would they recommend grams for lbs. (metric to American?) and not grams to kilograms. Good thing I'm getting less.


----------



## Olympus

So I think I broke my plateau. Was stuck at 176, but I recently weighed in at like 171.3 and just a few minutes ago at 172.8. Could be water weight, I don't know. Did I have a few cookie today, but didn't eat much else due to sleeping most of the day. Planned on doing a 3 mile run, but tapped at 2.6.  Also did some abs.

But I want to get to 166 or so. I feel another 5lbs should do it. It's mainly my stomach I'm focusing on. Started at 196 so there's definitely progress, but not beach body ready. Definitely want to drops some extra lbs and then work on tightening my mid section up which I'm also doing now simultaneously.

I heard some suggest running not being the best cardio workout because it's stresses your legs. Any suggestions on what kind of workouts to do? I'm super dedicated to my workouts so lay it on me.


----------



## Loudness

Thinking on going on dat dere clen for a while to get in better shape. Been eating pretty well for over 7-8 months preparing for this summer with a very clean bulk (only unhealthy thing I eat is white bread which I simply need for my food, fast food once per month max, no sweets or any really bad stuff at all) for the last months and working out 3-4 times a week ( intensely until total muscle exhaustion, no half assing around 15-21 sets depending on what I train) working every body part once a week except abs and sometimes legs which I did twice but still stuck at around 10% bf and finally want to get REALLY cut, around 6-7% so I'd wanna know if anyone used clen before. Would like to know if someone tried it in combo with a low carb diet. Eventual goal is to go down to 3-4%, but that's years away and not realistic right now, especially not without the cell tech considering I don't have that much muscle yet and don't want to look anorexic.


----------



## Regenerating Degenerate

Rush said:


> Do some HIIT (high intensity interval training).
> 
> As walls said you need to mix up your routine to avoid getting used to the one routine. My latest goal is doing a triple k in under 20 mins. 1km row, 1km bike, 1km cross trainer. For me personally having goals like that motivates me. So while my overall goal is to lose weight, i have these other goals to keep me motivated.


I hear about HIIT frequently, what is it, exactly?

Starting my diet again, last time I lasted 8 months before I faltered.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

anyone else having trouble sticking to a weight loss diet plan? I do great for like 4 days, then binge and drink for 3 days straight and off set it completely. Can't help it.


----------



## CallousWrestling

I find eating well and working out works for me...


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Some huge dude in the gym today told me I had "Fucking Cannons" for legs today at the gym. lol. Whether a compliment or a come on, I was flattered.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

First day at gym, I've spent most of the past year just running to stay in shape. Today was my first day of lifting. Starting strength, lol. God I'm weak. Kind of discouraging.

100 lb bench press MAX 
165 squat, might be able to go higher than that, idk

FUCK.


----------



## Lm2

Ghetto Anthony said:


> First day at gym, I've spent most of the past year just running to stay in shape. Today was my first day of lifting. Starting strength, lol. God I'm weak. Kind of discouraging.
> 
> 100 lb bench press MAX
> 165 squat, might be able to go higher than that, idk
> 
> FUCK.


don't worry about lifting man strength comes at times not everyone can lift 200 lbs, i started max at 130 now im at 190, just keep at it, switch up routines and youll strength will get their


----------



## Goku

Yeah, obviously. You're going to the gym to get stronger, not to prove your strength.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Anyone here do Thrusters? I mean, HHT (horrible horrible thrusters)? I maxed out today at 185 lbs (my weight) and then went for a second thrust and couldn't the bar up and it dropped in front of me really loud. Anyone else do these and have a love/hate relationship with them?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Yeah, obviously. You're going to the gym to get stronger, not to prove your strength.


I know but I thought I was stronger than that man. 100 lb bench? Damn I've got a long ways to go.

Anyways, back at it tomorrow.


----------



## El Conquistador

do you even lift, ****?


----------



## Von Doom

Gonna buy myself a rowing machine, already got a fair bit of muscle mass from going the gym a few years back, just looking to trim off the fat I'm starting to get/improve my general fitness. For a good one they're about £150, so hoping to have one soon.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

EFC Bronco said:


> Gonna buy myself a rowing machine, already got a fair bit of muscle mass from going the gym a few years back, just looking to trim off the fat I'm starting to get/improve my general fitness. For a good one they're about £150, so hoping to have one soon.


I got a row machine, not top of the line, about $300 USD. I have barely used it. However, my row machine at my gym is crap, so mine is better. And I guess I could use it as a bait for hot chicks! a Row Machine is cheap enough that if you buy it and use it periodically, you'll get your money's worth. good luck.


----------



## Goku

Buy weights.


----------



## Svart

Ghetto Anthony said:


> First day at gym, I've spent most of the past year just running to stay in shape. Today was my first day of lifting. Starting strength, lol. God I'm weak. Kind of discouraging.
> 
> 100 lb bench press MAX
> 165 squat, might be able to go higher than that, idk
> 
> FUCK.


What you can do is lift that weight slower to increase the tension.


----------



## Goku

Or alternates with isometrics. I realize it works differently for different people, but I've gotten massive gains with isometrics these past four months.


----------



## Von Doom

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Buy weights.


What would you suggest for someone who's already kind of bulky, not fat but stocky, and just wants to tone up a bit? Lower weights more reps I heard?


----------



## Realdonnyv

Yes that would tone you up. However, my suggestion would actually be to gain more weight. The fat you have can be converted into muscle and that muscle will help burn fat, and ideally you could get to around the same weight, just a leaner version.


----------



## Rush

Realdonnyv said:


> Yes that would tone you up. However, my suggestion would actually be to gain more weight. The fat you have can be converted into muscle and that muscle will help burn fat, and ideally you could get to around the same weight, just a leaner version.


Fat cannot be converted to muscle. Fat is a seperate molecule and doesn't magically transform into muscle through diet or exercise.


----------



## Walls

lol fat turning into muscle. Really?


----------



## Goku

EFC Bronco said:


> What would you suggest for someone who's already kind of bulky, not fat but stocky, and just wants to tone up a bit? Lower weights more reps I heard?


Nah, don't like the lower weights recommendations. Go for heavy weights but under a controlled diet. The diet alone will help you shed the fat, while the weights help you keep your muscle.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> Fat cannot be converted to muscle. Fat is a seperate molecule and doesn't magically transform into muscle through diet or exercise.


this , and



Hohenheim of Light said:


> Nah, don't like the lower weights recommendations. Go for heavy weights but under a controlled diet. *The diet alone will help you shed the fat*, while the weights help you keep your muscle.


a million times this. In fact, I'd go as far as saying, you could do 1 full body workout per week, but if you have a sparkling diet, you'll still be ripped. Diet is 100% of the battle IMO. Hence I am trying to get into the Nutrition field.


----------



## Rush

diet is about 70% imo. I mean you can be lean but not really ripped with diet alone. I don't count those razor skinny blokes as being ripped (abs on a skinny bloke don't count 8*D)

i went the other way than the nutrition field, did my bachelors in exercise physiology which is basically using exercise to treat chronic disease and the like.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> diet is about 70% imo. I mean you can be lean but not really ripped with diet alone. I don't count those razor skinny blokes as being ripped (abs on a skinny bloke don't count 8*D)
> 
> i went the other way than the nutrition field, did my bachelors in* exercise physiology* which is basically using exercise to treat chronic disease and the like.


So did John Cena! Oh My God, are you John Cena!

I started into Dietitics, but it was way too much science and more along being in the medical portion. So I just switched this summer and have only a year left of classes for Nutrition now. I was able to drop like 5 biology/chemistry classes.

But I'm also doubling in Economics, and hope to get some actual corporate health job where I can tell a lot of people how to eat. So much to learn first though.


----------



## Rush

Did some prac in corporate health, was pretty fun. Got to go to the Mars Australia offices and have a masterchef salad and get them to make salads and stuff. 2 people there actually used to be chefs and their salad dressings were unbelieveable.


----------



## Realdonnyv

Maybe Im off on this. However, doesnt protein need fat to build muscle?


----------



## Rush

Realdonnyv said:


> Maybe Im off on this. However, doesnt protein need fat to build muscle?


What? Protein doesn't require fat in the slightest.


----------



## Realdonnyv

Yes, turns out I have fallen for the myth that protein converts fat to muscle....... dummy


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

It's rough, with all the advice online. Personally, I've found lowering my protein and uping my carbs (still in a 500 calorie) deficit produced muscle. 

I'l add that protein isn't linked to fat storage. Unless your fat intake is 0% I wouldn't think your intake is too inadequate.


----------



## Goku

What?


----------



## Green Light

Anyone got any good suggestions for developing the traps? I've tried several things but those little bloody mice keep getting evading me

No but seriously (other than dumbbell shrugs which is what I mainly focus on)


----------



## Goku

Standing rows, cleans and presses?

If you want to isolate and work on one muscle group, isometrics is the way to go.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Hohenheim of Light said:


> *Standing rows*, cleans and presses?
> 
> If you want to isolate and work on one muscle group, isometrics is the way to go.


yep, upright rows. Maybe, if you're dangerous, behind the head pull ups. It can be bad, but I think correct form they're good for a lot of stuff. also, lateral deltoid helps. Even just sitting on an incline bench and holding the bar straight out, lifting it up and down while locking your arms is great for shoulders and even traps.


----------



## Realdonnyv

I think Im going to get a good leg workout in today(my favourite) Im still recovering from a bruised tricep. Only doing legs and cardio lately. Hoping the upper body will heal, I hate not lifting.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Yeah. I hate rest days or having to avoid an injured muscle. I busted up my left shin and dead lifting with the bar so close to my shin) was a complete bitch for a month. 

Dont forget your Hammies, especially if you're a girl


----------



## Rush

worst is when you fuck up one quad playing sport so no squats/leg press/lunges/etc. thats a pain.


----------



## RKO920

Honestly, eating alot of grilled chicken helped me lose weight. About 15 months ago I weighed 200. Now I weigh 180, with lean muscle. You just have to stay committed and do cardio. Cardio is key. It sped up my metabolism so much.


----------



## Realdonnyv

You're Pretty Good said:


> Yeah. I hate rest days or having to avoid an injured muscle. I busted up my left shin and dead lifting with the bar so close to my shin) was a complete bitch for a month.
> 
> Dont forget your Hammies, especially if you're a girl


I thought I could get away doing biceps the other day with my injured tricep. I picked up the barbell with no weights. Tried one curl, put it down.... wasn't happening. Looking to cut to 165 by August, 175 now.


----------



## WahhWahh

I'm fairly overweight and I'm looking for a regime that will get me into shape without excessive dieting. 

I have my own home gym that has a treadmill, a bicycle, a standard weight set with a few different options and a bench. I usually do 12-14 minutes of jogging, then move to some incline fast paced walking, then once I'm tired from that I do shoulders, 3 reps of about 11-12 on a weight level that pushes me to the limit. I do a few leg lifts (or whatever they're called, about 3 reps of 10 - I have bad knees hopefully this will strengthen this). After that I do around 70-80 odd ab crunches. Am I doing a workout that will help me to shed some kilos? I have been slightly watching what I've been eating, and will probably be able to do a workout nearly everyday, if not every 2 days. Should I add anything in for fast weight loss? Perhaps do some more weights?


----------



## Goku

What's your weight? And how much do you eat per day?


----------



## Flux

I'm 5'10, 150 pounds, more on the chubbier side with some puppy fat. Looking to lose the fat and tone up a little bit but in terms of the exercise, I'm not sure what order to do the things in. I'm not bothered about my weight as a number it's more my appearance, so if I stay the same weight but it's weight from muscle, that's no problem.

But yeah, the question; do I lose the fat with a lot of cardio and basic weight loss exercises AND then do the weights to bulk up, or vice versa? Or would it be best to do alternating workouts (monday = weight loss, tuesday = muscle gain, wednesday = weight loss etc.)? Obviously I'm going to be improving my diet, I've got that sorted and I know what I'm doing, it's the exercise I'm asking about.


----------



## Goku

Start lifting, while monitoring your diet.


----------



## sharkboy22

WahhWahh said:


> I'm fairly overweight and I'm looking for a regime that will get me into shape without excessive dieting.
> 
> I have my own home gym that has a treadmill, a bicycle, a standard weight set with a few different options and a bench. I usually do 12-14 minutes of jogging, then move to some incline fast paced walking, then once I'm tired from that I do shoulders, 3 reps of about 11-12 on a weight level that pushes me to the limit. I do a few leg lifts (or whatever they're called, about 3 reps of 10 - I have bad knees hopefully this will strengthen this). After that I do around 70-80 odd ab crunches. Am I doing a workout that will help me to shed some kilos? I have been slightly watching what I've been eating, and will probably be able to do a workout nearly everyday, if not every 2 days. Should I add anything in for fast weight loss? Perhaps do some more weights?


Take it from me bud, I was overweight from the age of 8. No lie. Then by the time I was about 11 or 12 I just started to lose weight- a lot of it. How? Just dieting. I cut the shit out. I never lifted a finger (unless pressing the x button repeatedly on my PS2 counts) and I lost a ton of weight. 

I still had some fat around my stomach and well shit, man boobs but by the time I was 15 I started exercising regularly and now I'm a skinny fuck.


----------



## Rush

I lift more often than i do cardio but i like to switch up my routine a bit. 



sharkboy22 said:


> Take it from me bud, I was overweight from the age of 8. No lie. Then by the time I was about 11 or 12 I just started to lose weight- a lot of it. How? Just dieting. I cut the shit out. I never lifted a finger (unless pressing the x button repeatedly on my PS2 counts) and I lost a ton of weight.
> 
> I still had some fat around my stomach and well shit, man boobs but by the time I was 15 I started exercising regularly and now I'm a skinny fuck.


there's this thing called puberty. helps a lot with that


----------



## DNoD

I keep managing to fuck up, 1 step forward, 2 steps back...


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> I lift more often than i do cardio but i like to switch up my routine a bit.


I lift way more than cardio as well, but you can't cut out cardio all together. Splitting your days up into fat loss/muscle building is non-productive. You eat more to gain weight (muscle) and eat less to lose weight. Depending on what you like to do, make that your main thing (weights, cardio, binge eating...). I love weights, but I keep at least 2 days where I do a 45 minute run; and then I might throw some running or biking (just a little bit) in after I lift. 

Chose one goal: lose fat gain muscle, and focus on that. Doesn't meant you have to stop lifting or running for either choice, but it helps on days your lost.


----------



## sharkboy22

So I'm leaving for Canada in the next three weeks and I'll be on vacation for two months. I would not have access to any weights (I'm not going to expense my relatives with it for just two months). I've only seriously started to lift weight over the last 3 months and while I have managed to get some sort of noticeable gains particularly in my chest, back and legs and triceps. Biceps are fucked up though. They don't seem like growing at all. Then again, it's only been 3 months and like I said the gains I have made thus far are (obviously) nothing too dramatic.

Anyway, what to do for the next two months? Will resistance bands help in maintenance? What about bodyweight exercises such as push ups? Also what foods to stay away from?


----------



## Realdonnyv

Lift your relatives....


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

sharkboy22 said:


> Anyway, what to do for the next two months? Will r*esistance bands help in maintenance? What about bodyweight exercises such as push ups?* Also what foods to stay away from?


if it's what you got, yes. You might lose some size, but regaining 3 months of work after 2 months of _proper_ maintenance shouldn't be impossible by any means. 

Foods to stay away from? lol. 

pizza
nachos
fried chicken
beer/alcohol
sugary shit
ice cream
2000 g steaks
pizza


but of course in moderation, you can eat pizza. Shit I manage a dominoe's pizza and have access to whatever I want from them for free but I manage to stay in pretty decent shape. Wish I had cuts like Morrison, but someday. just remember to have a limit of how much you'll eat, and a limit of how little you'll exercise. It's tougher to injure yourself doing body weight exercises (I find).


----------



## BULLY

I just started training again after a long absence. ATM I'm doing 15 minutes on the treadmill followed by a stretch, then lat pulldown, chest press and bicep curls, then lunges, squats and pushups. . 3 sets of each. Then I do stomach crunches and to end prone hold for at least 30 seconds. Then go for a swim and go home and have a protein shake and some fruit.


----------



## WahhWahh

Hohenheim of Light said:


> What's your weight? And how much do you eat per day?


6 feet 4 inches (193 cm's) and around 106-107 kilograms (not sure what that translates into as pounds). I eat and drink alot throughout an average day. I can cut out a lot of things but eating whatever dinner is put on the table is something I will have to to do. I drink a lot of soft drink.



sharkboy22 said:


> Take it from me bud, I was overweight from the age of 8. No lie. Then by the time I was about 11 or 12 I just started to lose weight- a lot of it. How? Just dieting. I cut the shit out. I never lifted a finger (unless pressing the x button repeatedly on my PS2 counts) and I lost a ton of weight.
> 
> I still had some fat around my stomach and well shit, man boobs but by the time I was 15 I started exercising regularly and now I'm a skinny fuck.


I lost weight through puberty aswell, I got tall and it sorta thinned me out. I'm still looking better than I used to be, only because of puberty but can feel myself slowly putting weight back on. 

Used to have a lot of comments about how much weight I lost, now they're gone. So yeah. I'd like to focus on cardio, because I've never been big on lifting, but I will do some lifting aswell because I have the equipment in my garage. Any good excercises? I'd particularly like to lose belly fat, as I have a gut.


----------



## Goku

WahhWahh said:


> 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm's) and around 106-107 kilograms (not sure what that translates into as pounds). I eat and drink alot throughout an average day. I can cut out a lot of things but eating whatever dinner is put on the table is something I will have to to do. I drink a lot of soft drink.


That's around 230 lbs. Translates to approx 3450 calories per day for maintenance. I'd down that to around 2700 - 2900. First, of course, you'll need to keep track of the foods you eat though.

Rule of thumb: start lifting weights, eat how much ever you need, while cutting off excess fat (think oil, butter, fried food etc), alcohol, and sugar (desserts, sugary snacks, soft drinks etc). You'll still notice the difference in the starting. Once you think you're plateauing, then track those foods.


----------



## WahhWahh

Watched my intake today. All I ate was an apple, a banana, 3 pieces of toast and meatballs with rice for dinner. The odd biscuit or two in between.

Ran around 7 minutes high intensity on the treadmill. Knees got sore so I moved on to shoulders, biceps and did some bike work/took my dog for a walk.

Any particular exercises that are good for the loss of belly fat? Anything else I should work on? Planning on doing more ab work in the next few gym sessions.


----------



## Goku

You can't isolate fat-reduction to one part of the body. Calories used per day - calories consumed per day will reduce fat from your body depending on your genetic spread. Unfortunately that means that the fat from your belly might be the last bit to go.

That food-spread seems extremely low for someone of your size. Keep doing cardio like running and biking, while monitoring your consumption. You can give in to temptation from time to time, just try not to binge too much.


----------



## CradleShockSabin

Right so I realise that you can't burn fat and build muscle at the same time, but do many people do 1 week of fat burn followed by 1 week of muscle gain and keep alternating? I thought this may be a good way of doing both and it'd make the fat burning a lot easier in week long bursts.


----------



## WahhWahh

Hohenheim of Light said:


> You can't isolate fat-reduction to one part of the body. Calories used per day - calories consumed per day will reduce fat from your body depending on your genetic spread. Unfortunately that means that the fat from your belly might be the last bit to go.
> 
> That food-spread seems extremely low for someone of your size. Keep doing cardio like running and biking, while monitoring your consumption. You can give in to temptation from time to time, just try not to binge too much.


Okay cool. So the exercises I've mentioned will all be fine for weight loss? Cardio and lifting, focus moreso on the cardio aspect and monitor what foods I eat. Sounds kinda simple. Thanks for the advice.


----------



## IAmLegend12.21.12

Can Someone Tell Me Some Great Baseball Workout ... Strength & Conditioning , Baseball Drills etc.


----------



## Punkhead

Does anybody know any good cardio excersises?


----------



## i$e

Don't come around often but thought I'd bang out a multi-quote reply to deal with some stuff from the last 5 pages. Sorry if they've been answered. I saw Rush & HOL posting so they're probably setting the record straight.



Walls said:


> Also, don't do the same routine over and over again. Your body gets used to that particular type of stress and you need to shock your body with some new time of program.


This isn't true. As long as you're progressively overloading then your muscles will adapt to that stress whether you've been doing that exercise for two weeks or two years. The only times I'd ever switch up my routine is if it's to incorporate new lifts, to motivate, or to put focus on a different aspect of hypertrophy (in which case I'll just change my rep/set ranges).



Word said:


> You muscles can only take 20-25g of protein per hour anyway, so just take one scoop. You'll save money and an extra scoop. Protein shakes are efficient, instant protein but if you want to pack on muscle you should be eating your protein through meats and whatnot.


None of this is true. Protein is protein, although I agree with the principle of eating whole foods as much as possible for overall nutritional balance and satiation. 



You're Pretty Good said:


> SEE, shit's ridiculous. In Muscle and Fitness magazines though, they do say per lb. of body weight. That's why I always thought it was too much. why would they recommend grams for lbs. (metric to American?) and not grams to kilograms. Good thing I'm getting less.


One gram per one pound of bodyweight is a great number to aim for. 



Hohenheim of Light said:


> Buy weights.


This.



Rush said:


> diet is about 70% imo. I mean you can be lean but not really ripped with diet alone. I don't count those razor skinny blokes as being ripped (abs on a skinny bloke don't count 8*D)


This. Maybe even 80%.



You're Pretty Good said:


> Personally, I've found lowering my protein and uping my carbs (still in a 500 calorie) deficit produced muscle.


What you thought happened didn't.



Rush said:


> worst is when you fuck up one quad playing sport so no squats/leg press/lunges/etc. thats a pain.


This times a million. 



CradleShockSabin said:


> Right so I realise that you can't burn fat and build muscle at the same time, but do many people do 1 week of fat burn followed by 1 week of muscle gain and keep alternating? I thought this may be a good way of doing both and it'd make the fat burning a lot easier in week long bursts.


Never do this, or you'll get nowhere. Bulk for a substantial amount of time then cut. I try to no go past 18% BF on a bulk, then I'll cut to 10%. 

'Disregard fat gain; acquire bulk status'.



TomasThunder619 said:


> Does anybody know any good cardio excersises?


Running, swimming, boxing are all good.


----------



## Goku

> Personally, I've found lowering my protein and uping my carbs (still in a 500 calorie) deficit produced muscle.


Still don't know what this sentence was supposed to mean.


----------



## Rush

TomasThunder619 said:


> Does anybody know any good cardio excersises?


gym setting or not?

In the gym i love rowing machines, and boxing. At home i perfer cycling, boxing and skipping. 

I'm not the type of person to just go out and run for 45 mins and be done. I prefer setting myself goals and challenges and switching it up so i don't get bored. So right now its 1km row, 1km bike, 1km cross trainer or 500m row under 2 mins, followed by 1km bike in under 2:30, 1km run in under 5:30.


----------



## Punkhead

Rush said:


> gym setting or not?
> 
> In the gym i love rowing machines, and boxing. At home i perfer cycling, boxing and skipping.
> 
> I'm not the type of person to just go out and run for 45 mins and be done. I prefer setting myself goals and challenges and switching it up so i don't get bored. So right now its 1km row, 1km bike, 1km cross trainer or 500m row under 2 mins, followed by 1km bike in under 2:30, 1km run in under 5:30.


That's it! Thanks. Cycling is what I need. I also run 1.5 km in under 6 minutes.


----------



## MKC

Going to sound a little random, but which is the better beer to have when working out? I enjoy a good brewski but I know some a lot more fattening then others, and given my social life I can't exactly say no to a good beer with friends! So being realistic I just want to lose the beer belly and it is going down, through my intense work out, but I want to keep it down!

MKC.


----------



## i$e

No such thing as a 'fattening' beer. If it fits into your calorie plan and you're meeting your daily macros then it's fine.


----------



## MKC

Try telling that to some of my friends! least I work out I say. Ok, duly noted, thanks!


----------



## Green Light

Chasing after the burger van at 4am on a Friday night is all the cardio I need


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Still don't know what this sentence was supposed to mean.


I meant I was taking in a horribly high ratio of protein to my body weight, and then very little carbs. So I upped my carbs and lowered my protein.

I was in a 50/35/12 (C/P/F) zone instead of 10/80/10 (C/P/F) ratio. But that's because I was doing that stupid low carb fad. I should of explained better. I ended losing weight because I cleaned up my diet.


----------



## Regenerating Degenerate

What do you need to calculate macros? Atm im just eating under my maintenance calories


----------



## Goku

Are you cutting?


----------



## MKC

For the fitness enthusiasts of you. I have started an account of my fitness work, I think I have made major, major improvements in 2 weeks! I will be damned to stop now. Please see: http://photobucket.com/beerbelly (password: exercise) for a before an after of 2 weeks and now. Obviously, if it's not your thing, don't click, don't hate - it's good for psychology and mental wellbeing


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MKC said:


> For the fitness enthusiasts of you. I have started an account of my fitness work, I think I have made major, major improvements in 2 weeks! I will be damned to stop now. Please see: http://photobucket.com/beerbelly (password: exercise) for a before an after of 2 weeks and now. Obviously, if it's not your thing, don't click, don't hate - it's good for psychology and mental wellbeing


What a Password! I mean, it just oozes Charisman, it should be pushed into the Main Event.

no, just kidding. cool dude, always good to keep track of pictures.


----------



## MKC

Fitness diary updated, not bad for like 3 weeks work no?


----------



## FrayedEndsOfSanity

Bit of a daft question but I have been doing cardio like a trouper for the better part of 4-5 months (Including at the gym, football, badminton and jogging) trying to get rid of a few love handles around my lower stomach. It doesn't seem to be working and it is fucking pissing me off. Anyone got any suggestions? I mean I have cut down on my junk food intake and had tried to eat healthier for the last 3 months but still doesn't pay off. Any one have any ideas on what to do?

On the plus side I feel a lot healthier internally and have more muscle mass on my arms compared to a few months ago.


----------



## i$e

Count calories and weigh yourself at the same point weekly (after you wake up, pre-breakfast, post-piss) so you can confirm if you're losing weight or not. If not, reduce caloric intake by 10% and see what happens. Repeat until weight is dropping. 

If you're not lifting then you'll be losing muscle before the fat.


----------



## FrayedEndsOfSanity

Atheist Panda said:


> Count calories and weigh yourself at the same point weekly (after you wake up, pre-breakfast, post-piss) so you can confirm if you're losing weight or not. If not, reduce caloric intake by 10% and see what happens. Repeat until weight is dropping.
> 
> If you're not lifting then you'll be losing muscle before the fat.


Thanks mate. I am lifting at least 3 times a week at the moment. Go gym three times a week (work on arms one day, general upper body chest, abs, back the next and then lower body on the third session) and do free weights at home twice a week.


----------



## Striker

Any good workouts for building muscle when you can't go to the gym and pick up some weights? I have a machine at home, is that suitable? It has a ton of positions and such.

Also, MXC what did you do to lose that? I have a similar belly and have been trying to lose it. I run on the treadmill for 45 minutes a day and in the morning and night do a few sets of crunches, push ups, etc. Basic stuff. 

One of my main problems is I can't really decide what I eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its whatever is made as I'm starting my first year of college this year, and still live at home. I do snack a lot and have a few too many sodas lol. So subbing those with a piece of fruit would probably help a lot.


----------



## cyrus_cesar

In 2004 I weighed about 96 kg (210 lbs), my highest weight ever, but I worked out so it wasn't too bad. I wanted to box again, but wanted to fight in a lighter class (jr middleweight 70kg (154 lbs)).

The solution was dieting, but I would have starved. I half-assed it by eating a hearty meal, towards the end of the day, but that would be my only meal lol. It would be whatever I wanted, but nothing too crazy. That and I weighed myself everyday to see just how to keep weight off. Time went on, and my diet got better because I learned what to eat, when and why(I study in the healthcare field lol). I actually weighed 68 kg(150 lbs) after about 6 months to a yr. 

(I also had to eliminate cakes, pies, junk food, sodas etc from my diet. I really don't eat sugar at all unless a case of munchies lol)


----------



## Rush

Striker said:


> Any good workouts for building muscle when you can't go to the gym and pick up some weights? I have a machine at home, is that suitable? It has a ton of positions and such.
> 
> Also, MXC what did you do to lose that? I have a similar belly and have been trying to lose it. I run on the treadmill for 45 minutes a day and in the morning and night do a few sets of crunches, push ups, etc. Basic stuff.
> 
> One of my main problems is I can't really decide what I eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its whatever is made as I'm starting my first year of college this year, and still live at home. I do snack a lot and have a few too many sodas lol. So subbing those with a piece of fruit would probably help a lot.


Bodyweight exercises. Push ups (and variants on push ups), dips, squats, lunges, plyometrics. 

what machine do you have? where do you want to be stronger?


----------



## Striker

I could upload a picture of it if that helps. I'm not sure on the exact machine though as I didn't purchase it. I will have to do some research to find it.

I was mostly trying to work on biceps, triceps, and abs for now and rotate to more things later on. I'm pretty weak now, like one pull up weak.


----------



## Rush

Abs: Crunches (and the various crunch variants), plank, side plank, russian twist, leg raises.

Triceps: Dips, Push ups and variants work your chest and triceps (among other things)

Biceps: Pull ups


to be honest, i wouldn't just leave it at just working your arms and abs. Squats, even if they're free weighted, lunges etc will also be of benefit. IMO everyone should squat or at least do some lower body strength exercises, even if its not your goal right now, learning proper squat technique is important, and has far more real world application than any other exercise you can do.


----------



## i$e

I'm a firm believer in squats & deadlifts being the foundation of any serious strength and size.


----------



## Striker

Machine I have:
http://westmd.craigslist.org/spo/3015841753.html


----------



## Rush

Alright that should be plenty if you're just looking to work your arms and abs. What are you aiming for, strength? endurance? size? power? and how long would you say you have to exercise?



Atheist Panda said:


> I'm a firm believer in squats & deadlifts being the foundation of any serious strength and size.


yeah pretty much that.


----------



## Striker

I'm mostly going for strength. 

I have work 9 AM-4 PM on weekdays, but it doesn't tire me or anything as its just work as a camp counselor so I'm free a ton of time. Except Friday and Saturday nights. Probably too much info lol.

I did a tiny bit yesterday and my arms are killing me.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Workouts have been coming along pretty nicely lately. I just have a couple questions regarding my weak areas.

1) How many days a week should I train my abs? 

2) What are the best exercises for calfes other than calf raises? and how ofton should you train your calfes each week?


----------



## Olympus

Down 35lbs since January. My main goal is to keep building my chest and tightening my abs as well as cutting a few extra lbs to kind of clean up my stomach area because there's still fat there I'd like and need to cut. Currently at 161lbs.


----------



## Zen

^Keep up the progress dude


----------



## Realdonnyv

I've decided to bulk up a bit before cutting. Im at 5'10, 177lbs. Starting using creatine again. Do you guys recommend mixing it with fruit juice or just drink it with water, and then eat a banana, oatmeal something high in carbs?


----------



## MKC

Striker said:


> Any good workouts for building muscle when you can't go to the gym and pick up some weights? I have a machine at home, is that suitable? It has a ton of positions and such.
> 
> Also, MXC what did you do to lose that? I have a similar belly and have been trying to lose it. I run on the treadmill for 45 minutes a day and in the morning and night do a few sets of crunches, push ups, etc. Basic stuff.
> 
> One of my main problems is I can't really decide what I eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its whatever is made as I'm starting my first year of college this year, and still live at home. I do snack a lot and have a few too many sodas lol. So subbing those with a piece of fruit would probably help a lot.




I run for 20 minutes straight on the tread mill; usually burning around 500 calories, then stop for 30 seconds, hit 3 variants of crunch machine - usually equaling 300-400 situps - 20x reps, then generally end on the bike machine, rowing machine or working on my legs. I hit gym Tuesday, Weds, Thursday without fail and run or hit gym again on the weekend! My gym is now part of my life, as soon as I finish work I hit it, that way not gone home and changed, or rest, I just honestly carry on like it's a daily thing.

- Hope this helps!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> Workouts have been coming along pretty nicely lately. I just have a couple questions regarding my weak areas.
> 
> 1) How many days a week should I train my abs?
> 
> 2) What are the best exercises for calfes other than calf raises? and how ofton should you train your calfes each week?


1.) I personally lift 4 -5 days a week, and end with some abs. Never been way too sore the next day. So I'd say any day you lift.

2.) calf raises and running. maybe the step machine as well. I just tack calves on with my leg day.


----------



## i$e

Abs get worked enough on your compound lifts. I'd also never lift more than 4 days a week although I guess it depends on your split. I do 3.


----------



## Rush

i'm in the gym about 3 days a week. Sometimes 4 but not too often. I generally do a bit of core work at home on days i'm not in the gym.


----------



## i$e

I'm about to do legs after a 10 day deload where I haven't the best diet (still pretty good).

In before strength loss.


----------



## Alez89

What Do you think about circuit-training? I mean a lot of people dislike it, even for losing wieght, but from 2 weeks I've changed my program with it and I feel better


----------



## Rush

Circuit training has its place. At the end of every cricket season i generally do about a month of a shoulder/cardio/core circuit to get back some strength and stability in my shoulder joint.


----------



## i$e

Pleased to announce I didn't suffer any losses in strength after the deload. First time this has happened. Maybe it's because I gave myself 3-4 extra days?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

How do I set up a good diet plan? I need around 200g of protein a day and figuring out what to eat without going over my 2500 calorie benchmark is a headache.

Do you guys plan what you're going to eat the night before or what? I feel like I'm going into each day not knowing what the fuck I'm going to eat and then failing to reach my protein goals or consuming 4000 calories just to reach my protein goal.


----------



## i$e

It's easier with time. 

I've been eating 2500 each day for the last 4 months and I think it helps to have 'stable' elements of your diet. For example my breakfast was always oats/bran w/ a scoop of whey in milk. Every single day I know I've had a 500 calorie breakfast. Then I know that my main meal is going to be around 600-900 a few hours later. Almost always a meat w/ veg etc. Then I know I have my main protein shake to come w/ almonds and fish oil, so that's the same X amount every day etc. 

Cliffs; get a solid routine of diet then just vary a few things once you're used to how many calories are in things based on your experience.


----------



## Striker

First day of doing strength and my arms feel extremely bad.


----------



## Rush

Striker said:


> First day of doing strength and my arms feel extremely bad.


probably just DOMS, everyone gets it. 



Ghetto Anthony said:


> How do I set up a good diet plan? I need around 200g of protein a day and figuring out what to eat without going over my 2500 calorie benchmark is a headache.
> 
> Do you guys plan what you're going to eat the night before or what? I feel like I'm going into each day not knowing what the fuck I'm going to eat and then failing to reach my protein goals or consuming 4000 calories just to reach my protein goal.


Depends on if i'm serious about keeping to the calories. Most of the time my diet is awful and i could be in far better shape than i'm in but i'm lazy like that. Generally i'll have breakfast planned out already and know roughly what i'm doing for lunch (sometimes i'll make it the night before and stick it in the fridge).


----------



## Striker

Thanks Rush. You seem to be big on fitness.


----------



## BrianAmbrose

How do you find a good balance of losing weight but also retaining muscle mass?
Having a high protein, low carb diet is tough because sure I'll have the strength to lift, but I'll have no energy to go as hard as I can cardio wise. 
Seems like a big contradiction. I'm currently 185 at 5"10. Just looking to drop a little weight in my upper thighs/sides, which is going to take a lot of cardio as those are the hard to burn areas. (my stomach is already flat). However, I don't want to lose the muscle mass I have in my arms and those areas tend to go first.


----------



## Lm2

how many users difference is their between natural and users that do suppliments, i want to try to stay natural but im looking into pre-workouts like N.O. Explod but i don't know any advice i know it gives you more energy but any other perks to it


----------



## BULLY

legendmaker2 said:


> how many users difference is their between natural and users that do suppliments, i want to try to stay natural but im looking into pre-workouts like N.O. Explod but i don't know any advice i know it gives you more energy but any other perks to it


For anyone who wants a good pre-workout try jack3d. I've been using it and I've really made big gains.


----------



## Rush

jack3d allegedly can fuck up your organs apparently so its probably going to get banned last i heard.

I personally don't use any supplements (although i drink coffee which always helps), if you do decide to use them make sure you have a look at the ingredients, some are loaded with sugar which isn't great. Try a few of them out and see what works best.


----------



## timfly

Three weeks into INSANITY and man, it is tough. But I see it working and I incorporate that into my offseason baseball workout and I feel great, much better than I did three weeks ago.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Rush said:


> Depends on if i'm serious about keeping to the calories. Most of the time my diet is awful and i could be in far better shape than i'm in but i'm lazy like that. Generally i'll have breakfast planned out already and know roughly what i'm doing for lunch (sometimes i'll make it the night before and stick it in the fridge).


Yeah you know I didn't realize how much protien chicken breast actually has in it. 8 oz is about a meal for me and that's around 64g alone. It's 4pm and I'm already at 155g on the day. Feel like I'm doing great now! Can't wait for those strength gains!


----------



## itsmadness

legendmaker2 said:


> how many users difference is their between natural and users that do suppliments, i want to try to stay natural but im looking into pre-workouts like N.O. Explod but i don't know any advice i know it gives you more energy but any other perks to it



Oh yeah because using a supplement like no xplode doesn't make you natural anymore


----------



## MKC

Major improvement from 4 weeks ago.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

mad mirin merlin


----------



## Brye

Dunno if this has been talked about recently but what do you guys do for a back workout? I've never really found anything that really made it feel good.

Been a bit lazy this Summer but the gym I used to go to has a really cheap deal right now.


----------



## i$e

^^^

deadlifts, deadlifts, deadlifts, deadlifts

(and rows)


----------



## APEX

*Anyone got a solid programme for Abs?
Including what NOT to eat?

Seems to be the hardest place for me to tone up on.*


----------



## i$e

That's because you can't chose where you 'tone'. You need a low body fat to see them, so your diet is key. There's nothing you should 'not' eat because it's all down to having a proper caloric deficit whilst hitting your daily macros for the required nutrients. It's also reasonable to assume, depending on your LBM, you might need to bulk then cut so you've actually got some mass in that area. 

Personally my front squats hit my abs enough as it is, but I'll throw in a few sets of weighted leg raises (and hanging leg raises) if I have some extra energy spare after a workout.


----------



## wkdsoul

Any of the late night dvd workout selections worth it, might download a couple and mix and match the exercises i need, not got much space in the room i'm at the min to be jumping around.


----------



## APEX

Atheist Panda said:


> That's because you can't chose where you 'tone'. You need a low body fat to see them, so your diet is key. There's nothing you should 'not' eat because it's all down to having a proper caloric deficit whilst hitting your daily macros for the required nutrients. It's also reasonable to assume, depending on your LBM, you might need to bulk then cut so you've actually got some mass in that area.
> 
> Personally my front squats hit my abs enough as it is, but I'll throw in a few sets of weighted leg raises (and hanging leg raises) if I have some extra energy spare after a workout.


*I've started to swim 40 minutes every tuesday and thursday on my cardio days. 
Would you say that will help? Or not any effect at all?

I've started trying to alter my workouts to focus on my abs, but I do find it hard.*


----------



## i$e

Yeah, it'll all help providing you have muscle to cut down to. You should know exactly what calories you need to be losing fat (or adding muscle) each day too; so much more efficient than guessing. 

Best advice is to work on your overall compound lifts and the abs will generally take care of themselves.


----------



## itsmadness

The Rebel said:


> *Anyone got a solid programme for Abs?
> Including what NOT to eat?
> 
> Seems to be the hardest place for me to tone up on.*













Lol @ "Tone up" 


Try lifting, do cardio and eat high protein medium carbs and low fat. Build your core from doing squats and deadlifts.


None of the girly "tone up" and "programme for abs"


----------



## Rush

Brye said:


> Dunno if this has been talked about recently but what do you guys do for a back workout? I've never really found anything that really made it feel good.
> 
> Been a bit lazy this Summer but the gym I used to go to has a really cheap deal right now.


deadlifts and rows if using free weights, lat pulldown, rows, pullups if using machines.


----------



## Goku

Bent over rows are the absolute best back exercises imo.

(I'm taking it for granted that everybody who lifts should be doing deadlifts regularly, along with squats and bench presses)


----------



## i$e

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Bent over rows are the absolute best back exercises imo.
> 
> (I'm taking it for granted that everybody who lifts should be doing deadlifts regularly, along with squats and bench presses)


I wouldn't assume that in here.


----------



## APEX

itsmadness said:


> Lol @ "Tone up"
> 
> 
> Try lifting, do cardio and eat high protein medium carbs and low fat. Build your core from doing squats and deadlifts.
> 
> 
> None of the girly "tone up" and "programme for abs"


*I was just asking, and yes i want to tone my abs. 
Theres nothing girly about it.
I don't go around acting like I know anything about it, I just go to the gym 4 times a week and work my ass off.*


----------



## i$e

Yeah, the fuck outta' here with bashing others for asking questions. 

Bash others if they start passing off misinformation as fact, but only then. Although you won't need to because I'll have already handled it.


----------



## itsmadness

You get abs from dieting and lifting weights. There is no such thing as toning up to get abs. its all in your diet


----------



## Josh

started jack3d today. didn't notice anything really, maybe a little extra focus. i only took 1 scoop, so i'll up my scoopage next time.

edit: went for a run just then and it helped out a lot.


----------



## Chicago Warrior

I recently started Rushfit, I have lost about 4 pounds in two weeks. It's an MMA style workout which is kinda cool, considering I like MMA and stuff.


----------



## sharkboy22

Am I the only one here who hates squats? As a matter of fact I reach a point during my squats where I just simply don't give a shit and get lazy and don't even bother to do any more reps or try to go to failure. I rather use a machine to do legs but I know I'm underestimating a very important lower body workout. Is there anyone that could offer me some sort of advice to keep focus and just squat my ass off. I know it's a mind over matter thing but anything would be useful at this point. I fricking hate squats.


----------



## Goku

Understanding the benefits of squats should motivate you enough to do it.


----------



## i$e

I hate actually doing squats but I love the benefits. Therefore I never skip them.


----------



## Rush

I could never squat properly (heels would always lift up, which dumb me just put a plate underneath) so now i'm working purely on technique but while i hate doing them, i know that they're good.


----------



## Goku

There, see? Everybody hates doing squats.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I love Squats. I hate Bench Press. and I just ate like a 2 kg of chocolate cake.


----------



## El Conquistador

I squat in some fashion 5 days a week and in a sadistic way, enjoy it more than any other movement. I benched, tried bodybuilding, etc,... and none of that was as gratifying as the way I train now (squat heavy program). My program centers around these movements only (though it is kind of sport specific training based on the hobby of OL):

-snatch
-clean and jerk
-power snatch
-power clean and jerk
-back squat
-front squat
-push press
-overhead press
-pull ups (once a week)

That's it. All I have is a squat rack, platform, Pendlay barbell and Pendlay bumper plates.


----------



## BULLY

j.konig said:


> started jack3d today. didn't notice anything really, maybe a little extra focus. i only took 1 scoop, so i'll up my scoopage next time.
> 
> edit: went for a run just then and it helped out a lot.


I only used one scoop for the first few sessions then upped it to 1 and a half. I'm on 2 scoops now. It really gives me a lift and can do a really solid 2 hour session sometimes longer. The only thing I've found, doing too much cardio can make my heart race and make me a little light headed.


----------



## StarJupes

Atheist Panda earlier in this thread a long while ago I asked the question about moobs. Wasn't so much that I had moobs but I found it hardest to lose any sort of fat on that region. Anyway got my body-fat down this summer to 12.5% (and still going down now I'd imagine) and I'm toning a lot more. Just took a bit more dedication w/diet when I was away from uni and allowed more time this summer to pursue the gym everyday. Noticed a major difference and already a lot bigger and broader than I was. So good advice to put my focus there, ty. 

Rush and Panda, what's your opinion on intermittent fasting. Have very little idea about it, my friend started doing it recently. It's where I believe he stops eating at 8pm sharp and begins eating again at 2pm.


----------



## Realdonnyv

I like doing squats, but legs are definitely my strong point. I've got thunder thighs from playing hockey. Remember strong legs, make everything else stronger


----------



## i$e

Waratah said:


> Atheist Panda earlier in this thread a long while ago I asked the question about moobs. Wasn't so much that I had moobs but I found it hardest to lose any sort of fat on that region. Anyway got my body-fat down this summer to 12.5% (and still going down now I'd imagine) and I'm toning a lot more. Just took a bit more dedication w/diet when I was away from uni and allowed more time this summer to pursue the gym everyday. Noticed a major difference and already a lot bigger and broader than I was. So good advice to put my focus there, ty.
> 
> Rush and Panda, what's your opinion on intermittent fasting. Have very little idea about it, my friend started doing it recently. It's where I believe he stops eating at 8pm sharp and begins eating again at 2pm.


Glad I could help. You should see an even bigger difference when you hit 10%. 

As for intermittent fasting, I've read a lot about it and it seems to make logistical sense, as well as having several high-profile advocates. I've never personally done it though.


----------



## StarJupes

Yeah I switched my focus to bfp and that worked for my certainly. 10 and below is the aim, though that'll be tricky b/c I'm going away to America for two weeks, think my family there have weights so i'll do a bit of those and a bit of running at night hopefully plus swimming in the pool; hopefully maintain and not lose any gains i've made since finishing uni for the first year.


----------



## i$e

Shouldn't notice any major changes in a couple of weeks tbh. Treat it as a deload period and hit it hard upon return.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

So does it make a difference on how you space our your workouts throughout the week? Most people train biceps\back or triceps\chest but can you seperate them and train them on back to back days? Let's say I work out my shoulders and chest on monday would it be perfectly fine to work out my chest and biceps the very next day? I prefer to work the full arm one each day with triceps\biceps instead of mixing it up with chest and the very next day would actually be the best time for me. Would my body respond the same exact way as spacing it out or would it feel overtrained a bit?


----------



## i$e

Nah that's not a good idea to hit the same bodypart two days in a row. You'll plateau really quickly.

I do a push/pull/legs split, with boxing on off days. 

That roughly equates to back/bis on Monday, legs/abs on Webnesday and chest/shoulders on Friday.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

I actually made a typo up there ^

I didn't mean working the EXACT body part as that's obviously not going to get the results. What I originally meant to say was working chest\shoulders on Monday and Biceps\triceps the very next day. Considering you hit your triceps while working your chest I'm very hesitant to do so.


----------



## i$e

I don't lift two days in a row, but you could probably get away with that then. Why not take the 'every other day' approach? Time restraints?


----------



## KSUbandgeek

I follow the skinny Vinny work out....I went from 135 pounds to 195 in the past two years.

It's pretty much a different group of muscles each day, arms on monday, legs on tuesday, rest....,shoulders on thursday and chest on friday.

I've gotten to the point where I can max out most of the machines...I'm pretty happy with it.


----------



## Rush

Maestro said:


> I squat in some fashion 5 days a week and in a sadistic way, enjoy it more than any other movement.


Yeah, i always enjoy the satisfaction of knowing i'm doing something. Get that feeling with squats more than anything else.



Waratah said:


> Rush and Panda, what's your opinion on intermittent fasting. Have very little idea about it, my friend started doing it recently. It's where I believe he stops eating at 8pm sharp and begins eating again at 2pm.


don't really know much about it tbh. I know it works in animals but i haven't read up much on human studies with it. 



JBL_Wrestling_God said:


> So does it make a difference on how you space our your workouts throughout the week? Most people train biceps\back or triceps\chest but can you seperate them and train them on back to back days? Let's say I work out my shoulders and chest on monday would it be perfectly fine to work out my chest and biceps the very next day? I prefer to work the full arm one each day with triceps\biceps instead of mixing it up with chest and the very next day would actually be the best time for me. Would my body respond the same exact way as spacing it out or would it feel overtrained a bit?


You'd plataeu quicker, and in the 2nd session you wouldn't be at your peak. Its not ideal but if you're limited by time, then back to back is better than just 1 session. Provided you have good technique and aren't hurting yourself.


----------



## Josh

anyone take pilates on here? they started running a class at my gym and the benefits look good from what i've read. 

plus i assume there will be some milfs there. who get lonely while their husbands are away at work. and want the company of a 20yr old greek god.


----------



## Rated R™

I want to lose fat, and I have a treadmill but the speed changer is broken so it's difficult to change the speed, is there any way I could lose fat, on the same speed (it is an accurate good pace speed that you can workout on).

Should I just jog for 2 mins and than walk for 2? I wanted to do the High intensity Intervals but I read you have to keep changing speeds for that.


----------



## Goku

Eat less/better.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rated R™ said:


> I want to lose fat, and I have a treadmill but the speed changer is broken so it's difficult to change the speed, is there any way I could lose fat, on the same speed (it is an accurate good pace speed that you can workout on).
> 
> Should I just jog for 2 mins and than walk for 2? *I wanted to do the High intensity Intervals but I read you have to keep changing speeds for that.*


remember HIgh Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) isn't just for running, biking, or cardio based ideas; you can do swimming, weights, jump roping, steps, a lot more. basically, depending on your fitness level, you'd be going like 85% your max for 1 minute, then 23% (or less) or a minute; then repeat something basic like that for 10 minutes. That's a really rough example, and you can find other people's personal ones probably by googling. Bodybuilding.com forums has a whole HIIT section I think? the idea is to constant raise and lower your heart rate; but not really lower it to complete relaxing.

as for IF (Intermittent fasting) if you haven't been here, http://www.leangains.com/, that site would make you swear by IF after a 1 hour read. But, like any diet, it's up to the user. I love breakfast and morning eating, don't mind going to sleep hungry. so I'd want to wake up and eat my (example) 2000 calories in like 6 hours, then fast for 18. But there is all different times and ways you can do it; that site is pretty good for it. I didn't like IF, especially if you don't do much throughout the day, the hunger hurts after a while. plus I like 2 a days sometimes, and that's rough to do hungry.


----------



## Rated R™

You're Pretty Good said:


> remember HIgh Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) isn't just for running, biking, or cardio based ideas; you can do swimming, weights, jump roping, steps, a lot more. basically, depending on your fitness level, you'd be going like 85% your max for 1 minute, then 23% (or less) or a minute; then repeat something basic like that for 10 minutes. That's a really rough example, and you can find other people's personal ones probably by googling. Bodybuilding.com forums has a whole HIIT section I think? the idea is to constant raise and lower your heart rate; but not really lower it to complete relaxing.
> 
> as for IF (Intermittent fasting) if you haven't been here, http://www.leangains.com/, that site would make you swear by IF after a 1 hour read. But, like any diet, it's up to the user. I love breakfast and morning eating, don't mind going to sleep hungry. so I'd want to wake up and eat my (example) 2000 calories in like 6 hours, then fast for 18. But there is all different times and ways you can do it; that site is pretty good for it. I didn't like IF, especially if you don't do much throughout the day, the hunger hurts after a while. plus I like 2 a days sometimes, and that's rough to do hungry.


The thing is I have no idea how the calory shit works, I know that you have to lose more than you eat in a day, but the problem is my treadmill is washed up (works amazingly but the speed changer is broken as is the LED screen so it doesn't say the speed nor the cardio loss).

So at the end I don't even know how many calories I just lost.

What I'm planning is just eating healthy (Vegs, Fruits, meat) and just running for 30 seconds and than walking for 90 seconds and so on for 20 minutes on a treamill.

Good enough?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rated R™ said:


> The thing is I have no idea how the calory shit works, I know that you have to lose more than you eat in a day, but the problem is my treadmill is washed up (works amazingly but the speed changer is broken as is the LED screen so it doesn't say the speed nor the cardio loss).
> 
> So at the end I don't even know how many calories I just lost.
> 
> *What I'm planning is just eating healthy (Vegs, Fruits, meat) and just running for 30 seconds and than walking for 90 seconds and so on for 20 minutes on a treamill.*
> 
> Good enough?


If that's what you can handle, then I think it's great. Go from a slow pace, then pretty much sprinting. I'll give you my favorite HIIT that I do. I live like 5 minutes from a park with a huge hill. Pretty much it takes about a minute to run up that bitch. So I run up it, then walk/jog back down, then sprint back up it, then walk/jog back down. It's fucking huge! but you're idea is good too; you'll generally want ot build up a longer sprint time, and less rest time, as if adding more weight to make a muscle continue to grow. 

and please don't just run, lift weights too. Someone last page said the 'workout every other day' method. I recently started that (along with a 5x5 RUSHRUSHRUSH) and am loving it. Hasn't made me loss anything (strength or fat loss progress) and I'm just more refreshed and stronger.


----------



## Rated R™

You're Pretty Good said:


> If that's what you can handle, then I think it's great. Go from a slow pace, then pretty much sprinting. I'll give you my favorite HIIT that I do. I live like 5 minutes from a park with a huge hill. Pretty much it takes about a minute to run up that bitch. So I run up it, then walk/jog back down, then sprint back up it, then walk/jog back down. It's fucking huge! but you're idea is good too; you'll generally want ot build up a longer sprint time, and less rest time, as if adding more weight to make a muscle continue to grow.
> 
> and please don't just run, lift weights too. Someone last page said the 'workout every other day' method. I recently started that (along with a 5x5 RUSHRUSHRUSH) and am loving it. Hasn't made me loss anything (strength or fat loss progress) and I'm just more refreshed and stronger.


Oh yeah, I've been toned for well over a year now, do pushups every other day (it might sound not enough to you but trust me, it's gotten me an amazing physique and I consider it a better workout than lifting any amount of weights).


----------



## Goku

Yeah, push-ups every other day is better than lifting any amount of weight. Amazing physique guaranteed.



Rated R™;11721277 said:


> Oh yeah, I've been toned for well over a year now, do pushups every other day (it might sound not enough to you but trust me, it's gotten me an amazing physique and I consider it a better workout than lifting any amount of weights).





Rated R™;11721253 said:


> The thing is I have no idea how the calory shit works





Rated R™;11721111 said:


> I want to lose fat


Learn how calories work and start lifting weights.


----------



## Rated R™

I didn't mean it that way about not knowing how calories work, I know what I have to do with them but my treadmill does not have a working screen where it says the info, so I don't know how much I've lost.


----------



## Goku

You can easily calculate how much you lose at a specific intensity for a specific time. It's about getting your mind used to the system.


----------



## APEX

This is more a question on the 'staying in shape' side of things.

For the last 3/4 years ive had on and off problems with my lower back.
Nothing to serious, it doesnt stop be from exercise or come up much. Literally once or twice a year I might pull my lower back out of no where. 

What excerises are best for strengthening your lower back to prevent injuries?


----------



## i$e

Deadlifts. Start light.


----------



## Rush

depending on how severe the back pain, you can start with easy stuff like glute bridging, 4 point kneeling etc but from the sounds of it you're fine so yeah, deadlifts. Make sure you have proper technique


----------



## sbuch

i just started the intensity work out program headed by shaun t and holy shit it is hard


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Atheist Panda said:


> Deadlifts. Start light.


I'd even do stiff leg deadlifting, but absolutely start light, with focus on the form.


----------



## baby_webhead

Im currently just doing home exercises. Push ups, next day crunches, next day squats. I think if i can get this routine going ill have good results. The idea being i can work to the point of soreness and each muscle group has 2 days rest before working out again.


----------



## i$e

Worth noting that soreness =/= indicator of 'successful' workout.


----------



## erockstar_

Now this is a great thread on here, lol. I'm trying to keep myself hitting the gym everyday. Just doing some jogging and inclined walking. Weights are so miserable to do!


----------



## Rush

weights are miserable to do but you like walking and jogging? really?


----------



## i$e

yeah i laughed


----------



## erockstar_

Really that seems weird? I thought that was pretty common to feel like weights suck but cardio isn't too bad. I understand how it could be either the other way though.

I find jogging pretty cathartic, er, whatever. It makes me feel good. Weights just make me feel weak as fuck (because I am).


----------



## Rush

Cardio is a pain in the ass, weights are good fun.


----------



## i$e

weights own

i enjoy my hiit boxing for cardio but if i had to run or cycle id have like 0 motivation

busting out a new deadlift PR >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 30 mins of jogging


----------



## erockstar_

Damn that is crazy.


----------



## Walls

I break my cardio and weights up into two separate sessions. I found that my weight lifting suffered when I did it right after cardio, as I go pretty hard when I do it. Once I realized this I do cardio not long after I wake up, so I have the most energy. Then later on in the day I'll do weights. But as of late I haven't really done my usual cardio shit because I've been training BJJ a lot lately and that shit is exhausting. My grip strength since starting though has improved considerably. 

Here's a tip: Don't think you're Rampage Jackson, because you aren't. I got caught in a Triangle yesterday and thought it would be cute to lift him up and slam him to try and get out of it. I got him up and slammed him, but on the way down I bit my tongue and now it's swollen as fuck and I had to tap anyway or go to sleep. Learn from me, kids.

And Rush, I know you're going to have some joke about me getting caught in a Triangle and Chael, so have at it.


----------



## erockstar_

Haha thanks for the tip. I've read on a weight lifting forum that cardio is really bad to mix with weightlifting because of muscle recovery times. Just something to consider since you mentioned cardio hurts your workout afterwards.


----------



## i$e

i do cardio on off days

pretty standard


----------



## erockstar_

Atheist Panda said:


> i do cardio on off days
> 
> pretty standard


That's what I thought too. So this post on the other site really confused me. Pretty sure I was reading it correctly when they were saying you don't really need cardio at all. But I don't know about all this.


----------



## Rush

nah, i've been caught in a bunch of armbars myself. Only from fighting friends though, i should get some proper BJJ training though.

Only way i can get motivated to do cardio is if i set myself a goal, like my 1km row, bike and cross trainer. Boxing is fun though, i have a bag at home that i use.

And yeah, reaching a new max lift is better than running.


----------



## i$e

erockstar_ said:


> Pretty sure I was reading it correctly when they were saying you don't really need cardio at all. But I don't know about all this.


suppose it depends on their definition

i do it for general well being, and when bulking i still do it for that reason (just compensating for calorie loss).


----------



## Walls

erockstar_ said:


> Haha thanks for the tip. I've read on a weight lifting forum that cardio is really bad to mix with weightlifting because of muscle recovery times. Just something to consider since you mentioned cardio hurts your workout afterwards.



Most people don't have the time do break it up throughout the day, but I do and it really is better to do it that way. Part of the problem is how hard I was going during cardio. I used to be about 50 pounds overweight 5 years ago and ever since I got serious about working out (thanks to MMA) I'm just paranoid about getting that way again. But as I said before, BJJ essentially is my cardio now and it's fun as fuck on top of it, so that part is a lot easier now.


----------



## Walls

Rush said:


> nah,* i've been caught in a bunch of armbars myself*. Only from fighting friends though, i should get some proper BJJ training though.
> 
> Only way i can get motivated to do cardio is if i set myself a goal, like my 1km row, bike and cross trainer. Boxing is fun though, i have a bag at home that i use.
> 
> And yeah, reaching a new max lift is better than running.



Escape through the back door, always. You should get some BJJ training, though. It's amazing. Everyone there is cool as fuck, which helps because you're going to get absolutely destroyed. I finally over the past 2 months have been able to afford to go to real training, not just my friend teaching me everything he knew (which was great, as it was free and he's far ahead of me). If you have any ego though, check it at the door or else you're fucked. Not saying you do have one, but a couple of weeks ago some douche came to our school and we all fucking humbled him, it was glorious. He had no idea what he was doing, I Omoplata'ed him :lmao

Edit: Sorry for double post.


----------



## Pol93

Does anybody have advice for how to get through a mental block? I've been making good progress lifting weights, but I find myself really struggling to get motivated to continue lifting weights.


----------



## Walls

Are you going too hard? That could be an option. Have you plateaued? If so, change it up a bit.


----------



## i$e

Pol93 said:


> Does anybody have advice for how to get through a mental block? I've been making good progress lifting weights, but I find myself really struggling to get motivated to continue lifting weights.


deload, deload, deload

ps. deload.


----------



## Rush

I <3 Faber said:


> Escape through the back door, always. You should get some BJJ training, though. It's amazing. Everyone there is cool as fuck, which helps because you're going to get absolutely destroyed. I finally over the past 2 months have been able to afford to go to real training, not just my friend teaching me everything he knew (which was great, as it was free and he's far ahead of me). If you have any ego though, check it at the door or else you're fucked. Not saying you do have one, but a couple of weeks ago some douche came to our school and we all fucking humbled him, it was glorious. He had no idea what he was doing, I Omoplata'ed him :lmao
> 
> Edit: Sorry for double post.


yeah, i only ever get caught by 2 mates who have actually done BJJ. I remember at a end of season cricket piss up we were all smashed and decided to have a competition. Fight round i got taken down and landed on my shoulder bounced up slightly and then copped his head right on my left collarbone. Couldn't use my left arm at all and i had no power whatsoever. eventually we got stood up and i got him in a one armed guillotine. Anyone with the slightest bit of knowledge would've been able to get out easy but he tapped 8*D Got it x-rayed like a week later, the guy taking the x-ray thought there was a fracture, the doc he send it to didn't but now that collarbone sits higher than the other and still causes some pain every now and again. And yeah, no problem on the ego thing. I know when i'm going to get my ass handed to me haha


----------



## Walls

I've hurt my shoulder too, I got slammed on it akward. I had a guy in a Guillotine as well and I tried to Jone Jones it because I have really long arms that help me get chokes from weird angles. Anywho, I had him in a standing Guillotine and he put his arms around me, lifted me up and slammed me side ways on my shoulder. I've had a few injuries this past year from training. I had some ligament strain from a Leg Lock and I've tweaked my knees a few times. I've been choked unconscious a few times, that's always interesting. I choked out some guy there a little while ago and I felt really bad. On the funny side, he was doing that snoring thing lol. But you have just gotta tap, I learned that the hard way. Takes about 4 seconds for someone to go out with the right leverage and he obviously didn't know that.


----------



## Goku

Powerbombing out of a triangle choke _really_ is the best way out of one once the hold is fully locked in (speaking from experience). If it's not fully locked in, it's a pretty easy game to counter.


----------



## Walls

You can also sit on your ass and attempt the escape that Chael tried in the first fight with Anderson but he fucked up his leg placement or else he would have been able to get out. That and Anderson locked on an arm bar as well.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!




----------



## B-balltm

sharkboy22 said:


> Am I the only one here who hates squats? As a matter of fact I reach a point during my squats where I just simply don't give a shit and get lazy and don't even bother to do any more reps or try to go to failure. I rather use a machine to do legs but I know I'm underestimating a very important lower body workout. Is there anyone that could offer me some sort of advice to keep focus and just squat my ass off. I know it's a mind over matter thing but anything would be useful at this point. I fricking hate squats.


The better your form is, the more you will enjoy squats. 

When I first began squatting, I had horrible form, and I hated squats. No workout punishes you more for bad form than squatting. 

As my form improved over the years, my enjoyment for squatting improved with it. I look forward to "leg" days now, instead of dreading them.

Some tips I learned over time:
- Keep the balls of your heels on the floor
- Don't just bend your knees to squat down. Stick your butt out like you are about to sit in a chair. 
- Keep your lower back arched
- Make sure the bar rests on your deltoids/neck. Don't let it slide down your back, using your arms for support. This makes it easier (temporarily), but takes the load off your lower body.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush, Check It Out!










I love great Hamstrings!


----------



## i$e

I tried hack squats today and decided they're fucking gay.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Atheist Panda said:


> I tried hack squats today and decided they're fucking gay.


I love Hack Squats, but prefer front squats.


----------



## Zen

Atheist Panda said:


> I tried hack squats today and decided they're fucking gay.


Yea not my thing either


----------



## i$e

Yeah I do front squats instead. Thought I'd switch it up but the cunting bar just scrapes the back of my calves (brag maybe), and smashes into my ass (no ****). 

Never again.


----------



## Rockstar

Is there any negative side effects of mixing my protein and creatine in my shake after a workout? I was told by the dude at the health food store to take the creatine 10 minutes or so before my protein to let the creatine get into my system first but it's just so much easier to take them at the same time. So yeah, is it fine to take them at the same time or no?

Not saying he's wrong, just looking for a second opinion.


----------



## i$e

It's fine.


----------



## wkdsoul

Ok, this might seem like a stupid question but for those in the know.. 

I wanna lose a bit of weight from my middle and get in shape abit, so it it better to lose the weight and then begin hammering the exercise? shall i hit both from the start? If you know what i mean? Get to the size i want then shape that or can both be achevied gradually, make sense? 

help?


----------



## i$e

There's no reason why you shouldn't fix your diet and start an exercise program from Day 1. 

I presume you mean weights by the way. In which case, starting on weights & sorting diet will get you the fat loss (provided you eat at deficit obv) anyway, whilst giving you the added benefit of strength gains which will help you when you go to bulk down the line. 

For what it's worth, when I started, I had a terrible diet and was skinny fat. I started smashing the iron, got my calories in order and dropped 25lb of fat, then I bulked.

If I misinterpreted your question, it's because you were too vague, but I think I got it. 

Cliffs : hit both from the start, no debating.


----------



## wkdsoul

Atheist Panda said:


> There's no reason why you shouldn't fix your diet and start an exercise program from Day 1.
> 
> I presume you mean weights by the way. In which case, starting on weights & sorting diet will get you the fat loss (provided you eat at deficit obv) anyway, whilst giving you the added benefit of strength gains which will help you when you go to bulk down the line.
> 
> For what it's worth, when I started, I had a terrible diet and was skinny fat. I started smashing the iron, got my calories in order and dropped 25lb of fat, then I bulked.
> 
> If I misinterpreted your question, it's because you were too vague, but I think I got it.
> 
> Cliffs : hit both from the start, no debating.


Repped. cheers glad you could follow what i was trying to ask, both it is.. ^_^


----------



## wkdsoul

Atheist Panda said:


> There's no reason why you shouldn't fix your diet and start an exercise program from Day 1.
> 
> I presume you mean weights by the way. In which case, starting on weights & sorting diet will get you the fat loss (provided you eat at deficit obv) anyway, whilst giving you the added benefit of strength gains which will help you when you go to bulk down the line.
> 
> For what it's worth, when I started, I had a terrible diet and was skinny fat. I started smashing the iron, got my calories in order and dropped 25lb of fat, then I bulked.
> 
> If I misinterpreted your question, it's because you were too vague, but I think I got it.
> 
> Cliffs : hit both from the start, no debating.


Repped. cheers glad you could follow what i was trying to ask, both it is.. ^_^


----------



## CradleShockSabin

What exercises are best for working triceps? All I'm doing at the moment is the rope pulldown and tricep dips, I never really get pain in my triceps after. Can anyone provide links to videos showing the best ones and how they're done?


----------



## Rush

Pain isn't an indication of performing an exercise correctly.


----------



## CradleShockSabin

Rush said:


> Pain isn't an indication of performing an exercise correctly.


Ah okay, just I've noticed over the past month and a half my chest, shoulders, back and biceps are a lot bigger, not really sure about legs (I only do squats) but my triceps are still the same.


----------



## i$e

Focus on the negative movements for tris. Like on heavy barbell curls (best single upper body compound IMO), on the downwards movement, slow it the fuck down.


----------



## Rush

dips, close grip bench press, skullcrushers. all good ways to go for triceps.


----------



## wkdsoul

How do you work out how muc hyou should use for say plate lifts and one legged dumbell rows etc? i dont wanna start with some thing thats to light or heavy, i presume something i can lift to about 15/16 reps per set? Is it just trial and error til ifind a suitable one to begin with?


----------



## i$e

Yes. 

Start light and you'll know by feel. Spend a week finding your ranges and start the week after. 

15/16 reps is too high also. Aim for 6-8 for most lifts.


----------



## Hotdiggity11

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/muscle/id/10/muscle/triceps


A good database for tris. I've been doing dips, standing dumbbell extension, and tricep pushdowns [A slight form adjustment] and my tris have been developing nicely.


----------



## Hotdiggity11

wkdsoul said:


> How do you work out how muc hyou should use for say plate lifts and one legged dumbell rows etc? i dont wanna start with some thing thats to light or heavy, i presume something i can lift to about 15/16 reps per set? Is it just trial and error til ifind a suitable one to begin with?



Find a weight you can do about 8-12 on and hitting failure. 15/16 is too high for anything but volume training [If you are weight lifting to lose weight].



I also found doing a few tricep isolation drop sets at the end of the workout is a good way to finish off tris.


----------



## ratedR3:16

is there a good way you can get a six pac without a serious diet, when it comes to working out and toning, cardio etc i'm really good at but i am not up for cutting carbs and restricting myself to the point where i feel malnourished and i do love my food. I'm not fat whatsoever im in good shape but i would just like to have a six pac being summer n all.


----------



## CradleShockSabin

ratedR3:16 said:


> is there a good way you can get a six pac without a serious diet, when it comes to working out and toning, cardio etc i'm really good at but i am not up for cutting carbs and restricting myself to the point where i feel malnourished and i do love my food. I'm not fat whatsoever im in good shape but i would just like to have a six pac being summer n all.


You need to get your body fat percentage low enough for the rectus abdominus muscles(abs) to show so unless you did a shitload of exercise on top weight training, you would need to alter your diet. Also do deadlifts and squats as they build up your core along with ab exercises.


----------



## ratedR3:16

CradleShockSabin said:


> You need to get your body fat percentage low enough for the rectus abdominus muscles(abs) to show so unless you did a shitload of exercise on top weight training, you would need to alter your diet. Also do deadlifts and squats as they build up your core along with ab exercises.


tanks man but what kind of diet without going extreme is ideal for me


----------



## i$e

ratedR3:16 said:


> is there a good way you can get a six pac without a serious diet


no


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

EDIT: beaten to it 



ratedR3:16 said:


> is there a good way you can get a six pac without a serious diet?


no


----------



## TRDBaron

ratedR3:16 said:


> tanks man but what kind of diet without going extreme is ideal for me


This what the gym owner of the gym i always go to told me, he was mr. Universe in 1976 so he knows his shit:
Eat lean meat like chicken, just avoid fat in your meat.
Stay away from dairy products, a bowl of yoghurt with cereal is OK but stay away from milk and limit cheese intake.
Eat your normal meals and keep it at that. Don't eat snacks in between, that one's really obvious ofcourse but OK.
Limit eating bread, even brown bread.
Eat stuff like nuts, eggs, salads.
Don't starve yourself, just eat your regular amount.

Keep active outside going to the gym, buy a bike and do your groceries on that, that's what we Dutchies do.


This is what he looked like then:










This is what he looks like now at the age of 62:










The man could benchpress 550 lbs back in the day, fucking sick.


----------



## Goku

TRDBaron said:


> Stay away from dairy products, a bowl of yoghurt with cereal is OK but stay away from milk and limit cheese intake.





TRDBaron said:


> stay away from milk





TRDBaron said:


> *stay away from milk*


What? Unless you can't process galactose, there's no reason to stay away from milk.


----------



## TRDBaron

You don't really need milk, i didn't say you should run away from it. :lol
Seriously though, if you want a six pack, you need to limit your dairy intake as much as possible because it's full of saturated fat.


----------



## i$e

TRDBaron said:


> Seriously though, if you want a six pack, you need to limit your dairy intake as much as possible because it's full of saturated fat.


100% untrue. 

Seriously, stop spreading misinformation. It makes more work my myself, Rush and HOL as we then have to correct it.


----------



## Goku

I drink milk everyday. I have six packs.


----------



## ratedR3:16

i do drink alot of milk, mostly semi skimmed, don't do protein shakes or anything like that. Probably cut down a little bit but not too much for it does have lots of protein and other nutrients.


----------



## TRDBaron

Hey i'm just repeating what the gym owner told me, i figured he most know for sure.
I guess it differs a lot per person but it doesn't hurt to test it.
It worked for me though, i stopped drink milk or eat yoghurt and it's easier to stay at the same weight level.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Sylvester Stallone said him and Franc Columbo used to eat a ton of yogurt to bulk up; then once they stopped they dropped weight like crazy. 

so yes, it does depend on the person. lol.


----------



## i$e

TRDBaron said:


> It worked for me though, i stopped drink milk or eat yoghurt and it's easier to stay at the same weight level.


Fucks sake. 

Calorie is king. I wish people would just learn this basic fact and it would mean a lot less repeating.


----------



## Yeah1993

You need to switch up your routine otherwise your body will get too used to it.

True, or bullshit?


----------



## i$e

Bullshit.


----------



## Rush

bullshit. You will need to adjust intensity and you may chuck in some iso stuff if you primarily do multi joint exercises ie if you squat, you may add in some leg press/leg extension on a machine.


----------



## APEX

I have a question, Im trying to slim down for holiday.
So i've cut down the weight training and im going to up my swimming to 4 times a week, and running to 4 times a week also.

I thought this was a good idea. Ive been told it won't work??

If I put these with ab excercises, to me, it should do the trick? No? Yes?


----------



## just1988

*I'm trying to get into the best shape possible ready for the upcoming hockey season. I've been doing basic workouts at home so far and been putting of joining a gym (my old gym got closed down.) Anyone got any links to good fitness regimes and/or dietary plans?

At the moment I just eat whatever I feel like but wan't to tilt more towards food sources which'll be more beneficial to me, reaching my goals.*


----------



## Rush

The Rebel said:


> I have a question, Im trying to slim down for holiday.
> So i've cut down the weight training and im going to up my swimming to 4 times a week, and running to 4 times a week also.
> 
> I thought this was a good idea. Ive been told it won't work??
> 
> If I put these with ab excercises, to me, it should do the trick? No? Yes?


diet diet diet.

Best way to cut is to get your diet in order. Doing ab exercises won't do anything as you can't spot reduce fat. I could do a million crunches and it wouldn't get me a six pack. The muscles would grow and get stronger but they'd still be covered by a bit of fat.


----------



## Goku

The Rebel said:


> I have a question, Im trying to slim down for holiday.
> So *i've cut down the weight training* and im going to up my swimming to 4 times a week, and running to 4 times a week also.
> 
> I thought this was a good idea. Ive been told it won't work??
> 
> If I put these with ab excercises, to me, it should do the trick? No? Yes?


Yeah, don't do that.

And yes, as Rush said, your diet will decide whether you lose fat or not. Just incorporate abs with your regular weight training routines. Overdoing abs won't do anything. They're very thin muscles.



just1988 said:


> *I'm trying to get into the best shape possible ready for the upcoming hockey season. I've been doing basic workouts at home so far and been putting of joining a gym (my old gym got closed down.) Anyone got any links to good fitness regimes and/or dietary plans?
> 
> At the moment I just eat whatever I feel like but wan't to tilt more towards food sources which'll be more beneficial to me, reaching my goals.*


Not sure what your goals are. Best shape possible as in aesthetically, speed and endurance or what?


----------



## i$e

Just co-signing Rush & HOL's last few posts.


----------



## Punked Up

Could someone help me out w/ diet/workout? Diet I hear you should eat 5-6 small meals a day, what is the ideal size/content? Can someone give me a few examples for what to eat for morning/night/afternoon meals? What time is ideal to eat if any? Also, I've started to workout lately, I'm at a decent weight now but would like to put on some muscle, I think my goal will be too lose a few more pounds and then build from there, I have a pretty good base of muscle already, I've worked out on and off before. Again, looking to slim down fat, and get toned/build a bit of muscle.

**Everyday, I run 1-3 miles depending on what I plan to workout that day (on legs days, I'll do a short run)**

Monday: Run, *LEGS:* 2 sets 10-15 squats, I could probably eek out 20 with the weight I use, but yeah. 2 sets 15 weighted lunges, 2 sets of like 50 calf raises with light weight. Also, I'll do leg extensions sometimes and than I'll wallsit for as long as I can. *ABS:* 50 situps, 50 crunches to the side, leg extensions, flutter kicks, etc. (about 8 sets of 50 or so reps in total)

Tuesday: Run, *ARMS:*3x10 bicep curl with each arm, 3x20 dips with little weight, 5 sets of pushups (the first four are 25, but I'm building that and the 5th is the maximum), tricep extensions, and I plan to add Pullups: 3xFailure once I get a pullup bar (other one broke). *ABS:*Same as Monday, but a little less.

Wednesday: Long Run. That's it.

Thursday: Repeat day 1

Friday: Repeat day 2

Saturday/Sunday: Long run each day, abs if I want, and I'dd just do some pushups, squats, situps etc. to keep lose.

So as you may see I'm a novice to working out, and I'm sure some of you hardcore lifters are facepalming looking at this plan. So, HELP PLZ.


----------



## Goku

Punked Up said:


> Could someone help me out w/ diet/workout?


Sure.



> Diet I hear you should eat 5-6 small meals a day, what is the ideal size/content?


You don't _have to_ eat 5-6 small meals. 3 well portioned meals can do the trick too. Just track your calories. It's a lot easier to lose fat when you can quantitatively ascertain the calories going in and out. You don't need to measure every single unit of energy but a good idea will help a lot.



> Can someone give me a few examples for what to eat for morning/night/afternoon meals?


A good variety of food. If you're cutting, you'll do good to eat various types of foods to account for all micros. General rule of thumb is, avoid anything fried, oily, sugary, desserts etc. You know, the usual unhealthy stuff.

Give a sample meal pattern and I'll tell you how to tweak it?



> What time is ideal to eat if any?


Eat in the morning. Eat after workout.



> **Everyday, I run 1-3 miles depending on what I plan to workout that day (on legs days, I'll do a short run)**


Do your cardio after weights imo. Don't do cardio on leg days.



> Monday: Run, *LEGS:* 2 sets 10-15 squats, I could probably eek out 20 with the weight I use, but yeah. 2 sets 15 weighted lunges, 2 sets of like 50 calf raises with light weight. Also, I'll do leg extensions sometimes and than I'll wallsit for as long as I can. *ABS:* 50 situps, 50 crunches to the side, leg extensions, flutter kicks, etc. (about 8 sets of 50 or so reps in total)


Reduce reps, add another set. 3 sets of 8-12 squats. Repeat for lunges. Calf raises is fine, but why are you using light weights? Go heavier even if you can only go like 20.



> Tuesday: Run, *ARMS:*3x10 bicep curl with each arm, 3x20 dips with little weight, 5 sets of pushups (the first four are 25, but I'm building that and the 5th is the maximum), tricep extensions, and I plan to add Pullups: 3xFailure once I get a pullup bar (other one broke). *ABS:*Same as Monday, but a little less.


Definitely add pull-ups. Don't keep doing abs all the time. You can probably cut the abs out of the legs day and do it this day.



> Wednesday: Long Run. That's it.


Okay.



> Thursday: Repeat day 1


Too soon imo. Legs won't have had enough time to recover. If they have, you probably didn't use enough intensity. Once a week for legs is enough.



> Friday: Repeat day 2


You should dedicate days for your chest, back and shoulders instead of repeating arms and legs.



> Saturday/Sunday: Long run each day, abs if I want, and I'dd just do some pushups, squats, situps etc. to keep lose.


Okay.

General advice:
-count your calories. Find your maintenance calories and reduce intake.
-dedicate weight training days for chest, back, legs and shoulders. Cardio on the remaining days. Arms and abs you can incorporate into those days.
-good luck


----------



## i$e

Punked Up said:


> Diet I hear you should eat 5-6 small meals a day, what is the ideal size/content?


Don't worry about it. Meal timing (pertaining to workouts/results) & meal frequency are myths. I eat 5-6 times because it stops me being hungry for long periods and it's easier to manage macros, but it doesn't matter if you eat one huge meal or lots of small ones throughout the day. As for content, I generally try to have protein/fat/cabs in each meal I have, only avoiding fats post-workout. 



Punked Up said:


> Can someone give me a few examples for what to eat for morning/night/afternoon meals? What time is ideal to eat if any? Also, I've started to workout lately, I've lost 16 pounds and want to lose 12 more and get toned and defined, I have a pretty good base of muscle already, I've worked out on and off before. Again, looking to slim down fat, and get toned/build a bit of muscle.


Lean meats. Good carbs like rice, pasta, oats. Lots of green veg. Some fruit (no need to overload on this). Generally as long as it hits your macros (40/20/20 split for protein/carbs/fats) then you're good to go (and obviously as long as you're hitting a caloric eficit which you obv are given results). Keep doing what you're doing if you're happy, but don't expect to gain any muscle whilst you're cutting like this. 



Punked Up said:


> **Everyday, I run 1-3 miles depending on what I plan to workout that day (on legs days, I'll do a short run)**
> 
> Monday: Run, *LEGS:* 2 sets 10-15 squats, I could probably eek out 20 with the weight I use, but yeah. 2 sets 15 weighted lunges, 2 sets of like 50 calf raises with light weight. Also, I'll do leg extensions sometimes and than I'll wallsit for as long as I can. *ABS:* 50 situps, 50 crunches to the side, leg extensions, flutter kicks, etc. (about 8 sets of 50 or so reps in total)
> 
> Tuesday: Run, *ARMS:*3x10 bicep curl with each arm, 3x20 dips with little weight, 5 sets of pushups (the first four are 25, but I'm building that and the 5th is the maximum), tricep extensions, and I plan to add Pullups: 3xFailure once I get a pullup bar (other one broke). *ABS:*Same as Monday, but a little less.
> 
> Wednesday: Long Run. That's it.
> 
> Thursday: Repeat day 1
> 
> Friday: Repeat day 2
> 
> Saturday/Sunday: Long run each day, abs if I want, and I'dd just do some pushups, squats, situps etc. to keep lose.
> 
> So as you may see I'm a novice to working out, and I'm sure some of you hardcore lifters are facepalming looking at this plan. So, HELP PLZ.


Is your goal strength and long term mass building? If so, you're lifting too light and too often, and you're badly missing core compound lifts. Bang in some Deadlifts, Bench Press, Push Press, Squats and go heavy. 3x6, 3x8 or maybe 5x5 if you want some endurance too. Going heavy will maintain your muscle mass whilst you're cutting as well as give you a strong core for when you eventually want to bulk (start adding mass)

Your cardio looks good. You'll be able to cut like a motherfucker doing that amount, just be warned that you'll be losing muscle as your workout stands.


----------



## Serbinator

I'm looking to lose a bit of weight before my holiday next week, I won't be able to lose a lot since it's that close. I'm around 150lbs and 5ft 7 and I just have a bit of belly fat really. I know that you can't really target a specific spot when losing weight, so I'm just going to have to drop a bit of weight then build up on the areas that look too thin. My diet: I usually wake up around 10am. I don't eat and then go straight into exercise, get showered then have lunch at around 1pm. I have dinner at 6pm but I'm willing to change this if it's more suitable.

What kind of exercises would you guys recommend for me to do? All running I do is on the exercise bike (not ideal, I know). I have enough space for press-ups, sit-ups, weights etc - not pull-ups though. Cheers for any help and sorry it's a bit vague and probably cliche too.


----------



## Goku

What's for lunch and dinner?


----------



## i$e

I'm going to write a cutting guide.


----------



## Goku

Cool.


----------



## Serbinator

Hohenheim of Light said:


> What's for lunch and dinner?


Lunch usually changes each day. Recently though, I've been having about 200g of rice and chopped up ham for lunch. I sometimes change the ham for a bit of chicken or change the rice for a baked potato. Dinner changes every night for me as it's my parents cooking. It normally consists of some form of chicken and either rice/baked potato/chips with a portion of vegetables.


----------



## Punked Up

Many thanks to Hohenheim of Light and i$e. Will rep for sure. I'll work on tweaking my workout. I'm looking for a little gain of muscle, but mostly definition. Here's what I took from your posts:

-Legs 1x per week
-Little less Abs, I'll do them 3x a week I think
-I'll cut the cardio a bit
-3 sets, a few less reps with heavier weight
-Seperate Upper Body into a few different days, I think I'll do Biceps/Chest one day and then Chest/Triceps/Back on another. (I go light on chest, so I think that's fine)

Obviously not perfect by any means, but I'll keep tweaking it.


----------



## i$e

Yeah that's better than it was before, but maybe try one of these splits, going into 3 days. No need to hit chest in both. 

Mon - Push
Wednes - Pull
Fri - Legs

or 

Mon - Back/Shoulders
Wednes - Chest/Arms
Fri - Legs/Abs

Both gave me great results over the years.


----------



## Punked Up

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Give a sample meal pattern and I'll tell you how to tweak it?


Sure. This would be a typical day, not too great but it's not like I'm stuffing my face either. I'll tell you whatever nutrition I know off the top of my head.

9AM: Wrap from Dunkin Donuts w/ cheese, eggs and bacon. 210 Cal/10 grams of protein

11AM: Bottle of Muscle Milk. 230 cals/25 grams of protein

1AM: 1/2 a sandwich (think like 2 inches wide, 2 inches long, small I know) with salami/ham/provolone/lettuce/O&V (this was leftovers from yesterday)

And now for what I plan to eat.

Around 4: Granola Bar/Peice of Fruit.

Dinner: Some salad w/ chicken and maybe a little pasta if we can cook (kitchen being renovated atm)


----------



## i$e

How much do you weigh? 150 right? Up protein levels for sure.


----------



## MMAMAN

i have a question

i do this program : Day 1: Heavy upper body
Day 2: Heavy legs
Day 3: Medium / light chest, shoulders and triceps
Day 4: Medium / light back, biceps and legs

Note: All reps should be performed alone without assistance from a partner.

Day 1, heavy torso. Have about 3-4 min break between each exercise and 2 min break if you are super for.

1) Bench press variation. 4 sets of 4-6 reps.
2) Pendleyrow, t-bar row or cable rowing. 4 sets of 6 reps
3) push press, shoulder press and seated shoulder presses all with a rod. 3 sets of 4-6 reps
4) pullups, chins or pulldowns. 4 sets of 4-6 reps
5) Narrow bench press or dips. 2 sets of 6 reps

Exercise 2 and 3, and 4 and 5 can be super by alternating between exercises until you have made all the sets. (Superset explained later)

Day 2 heavy bones. Have 3-4 min break between each exercise

1) Squats . 4 sets of 4-6 reps
2) Straight deadlift or good morning. 3 sets of 6 reps
3) Backward outcomes increments up or Bulgarian outcome. 3 sets per leg with 6 reps
4) Hip Trust. 3 sets of 6 reps
5) Optional abdominal exercise. Here are my favorites.

Day 3 medium / light chest, shoulders and triceps. 1-3 min rest between sets. (Use the longest pause multiple joints exercises and shorter break of isolation exercises)

- Incline bench press, bench press or shoulder press. Topsett (Top Set is explained later)
- Flat weight bench, weight bench sloping floor or manual pressure. 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbell flies 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
- Sideraise 4 sets 10-12 reps
- French Press or JM press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Push Down drop set (drop sets is explained later)

Day 4 medium / light legs, back and biceps. 1-3 min rest between sets

- Deadlift. top set.
- Chins or Pull-down ceilings. 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bench Rowing or other rowing exercise with chest support. 4 sets 10-12 reps
- Face Pull or rear split flies. 3 sets. 12-15 reps
- Standing Barbel Biceps curl 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Biceps isolation exercise. drop set
- Hack squat or leg press widowmaker (1 sett 20 reps)

Is this program good to bulid muscle?


----------



## Punked Up

i$e said:


> How much do you weigh? 150 right? Up protein levels for sure.


155, I'm like 5ft 10. Skinny I know, but I think I can work to get up. Any mark for how many Grams or Protein for day? I know it's like 50-60 normally but what should I be eating? Any calorie quantity I should go for as well?


----------



## i$e

About 150 grams of protein. Throw in a shake somewhere and you'll be close. 

I'd guess your maintenance is around 2300-2500, but it's a trial and error thing. 

You're still looking to cut so aim for 1800 and hit the cardio and you'll keep losing fat with the new approach to heavy lifting.


----------



## MMAMAN

Punked Up said:


> 155-160, I'm like 5ft 10. Skinny I know, but I think I can work to get up. Any mark for how many Grams or Protein for day? I know it's like 50-60 normally but what should I be eating? Any calorie quantity I should go for as well?


 well to get more muscle you have to eat calore surplus. 

usually it's 500 more than your maintenance level

go to this site to find out your maintenance level http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm 

eat 500 calories more the days you dont work out and 1000 calories more the days you work out 

example your mainteneace level is 2000 calories. you eat 2500 calores the days you dont workout and 3000 calories the days you do work out

you have to eat more the days you work out because you burn more fat

and also be sure to have the right intake of protein, carbohydrates and fat


----------



## Punked Up

My maitenance is around 2400 and then my cut is around 1900-2000 (I calculated it online, guessing it's at least pretty accurate). I think I'll stop cutting soon, maybe just a few more lbs. I'll up the protein and start packing on some muscle if I can. If I can cut some fat and lift heavy I'd hope to lose like 5 pounds of fat and bulk about 20-25 pounds? Still not too educated on all of this but I can try.


----------



## i$e

20-25lb of PURE muscle will take ages. Just bulk and aim for 1.5lb-2lb of lean mass a month.

Post in here again when you've finished cutting and we'll help you out.


----------



## StarJupes

i've been doing intermittent fasting(IF) so far. love it. just in case anyone was curious b/c I asked about it last time i posted in here. i'll eat between 2pm and 8pm then 'fast' till 2pm the next day. i'm finding it hard to consume all my calories in that 8 hour window (surprisingly) and what I'm finding is b/c i'm making myself so full i'm not really snacking like I would. It's also been pleasant to skip breakfast. all i have to say on that really.


----------



## Olympus

Back in May during prom weekend I didn't eat anything but a pretzel and diet coke from the boardwalk from the time I woke up until I passed out at like 2am. That combined with walking the boardwalk for 12 hours and I lost like 4lbs that weekend.

But that's because I kept busy and didn't really have an appetite to begin with. Nonetheless I DID keep it off and lost another 6-8lbs to get me where I'm at now. (160lbs) It's probably not the healthiest weight loss method out there, but it works exceptionally quick and if you have the work ethic and discipline to eat right and work out afterwards you can keep it off. I just can't do it anymore because I'm never that busy. Don't really have a need to either, but I've tried.


----------



## StarJupes

^just to make it clear, you're not responding to me or 'supporting' what i'm saying are you? i'd assume not but you start off kind of funny. if you are (which you're surely not) this is not the same thing really.


----------



## Olympus

Waratah said:


> ^just to make it clear, you're not responding to me or 'supporting' what i'm saying are you? i'd assume not but you start off kind of funny. if you are (which you're surely not) this is not the same thing really.


More or less just sharing my experiences with fasting is all.


----------



## StarJupes

oh okay. well i'm not the ambassador of IF but what i will say it's not really fasting. I consume all the calories I need in eight hours. I'm certainly getting all the food I need. i recommend it really for anyone. Last couple of days I've just felt leaner and fitter than I ever have.


----------



## Snowman

Waratah said:


> i've been doing intermittent fasting(IF) so far. love it. just in case anyone was curious b/c I asked about it last time i posted in here. i'll eat between 2pm and 8pm then 'fast' till 2pm the next day. i'm finding it hard to consume all my calories in that 8 hour window (surprisingly) and what I'm finding is b/c i'm making myself so full i'm not really snacking like I would. It's also been pleasant to skip breakfast. all i have to say on that really.


This is something I'd like to try as an experiment but just to make sure, do you mean 6 hour window or did you just a make a mistake with the times?


----------



## i$e

I might try IF.


----------



## StarJupes

sorry SNOWMAN yes I did. I meant 6 hour eating window. Do try it if you want to, it's awesome. i can just feel my fat percentage going right down.


----------



## StarJupes

check this out as well for IF: http://www.youtube.com/user/fastingtwins


----------



## Patrick Bateman

is it important to eat and stuff like that after workout or should you just get together your calories over the day?


----------



## Goku

^ Post-workout is a good time to eat. Goals?



Serbinator said:


> Lunch usually changes each day. Recently though, I've been having about 200g of rice and chopped up ham for lunch. I sometimes change the ham for a bit of chicken or change the rice for a baked potato. Dinner changes every night for me as it's my parents cooking. It normally consists of some form of chicken and either rice/baked potato/chips with a portion of vegetables.


Well, for a quick cut, I'd reduce up to 700-800 calories from the daily intake (below expenditure). You'll probably lose a bit of muscle too though. Sticking to 400-500 will get you leaner but it will take longer.

Your diet seems solid.


----------



## MMAMAN

I will ask again is this workout program good to bulid muscle? 

Day 1: Heavy upper body
Day 2: Heavy legs
Day 3: Medium / light chest, shoulders and triceps
Day 4: Medium / light back, biceps and legs

Note: All reps should be performed alone without assistance from a partner.

Day 1, heavy torso. Have about 3-4 min break between each exercise and 2 min break if you are super for.

1) Bench press variation. 4 sets of 4-6 reps.
2) Pendleyrow, t-bar row or cable rowing. 4 sets of 6 reps
3) push press, shoulder press and seated shoulder presses all with a rod. 3 sets of 4-6 reps
4) pullups, chins or pulldowns. 4 sets of 4-6 reps
5) Narrow bench press or dips. 2 sets of 6 reps

Exercise 2 and 3, and 4 and 5 can be super by alternating between exercises until you have made all the sets. (Superset explained later)

Day 2 heavy bones. Have 3-4 min break between each exercise

1) Squats . 4 sets of 4-6 reps
2) Straight deadlift or good morning. 3 sets of 6 reps
3) Backward outcomes increments up or Bulgarian outcome. 3 sets per leg with 6 reps
4) Hip Trust. 3 sets of 6 reps
5) Optional abdominal exercise. Here are my favorites.

Day 3 medium / light chest, shoulders and triceps. 1-3 min rest between sets. (Use the longest pause multiple joints exercises and shorter break of isolation exercises)

- Incline bench press, bench press or shoulder press. Topsett (Top Set is explained later)
- Flat weight bench, weight bench sloping floor or manual pressure. 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Dumbell flies 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
- Sideraise 4 sets 10-12 reps
- French Press or JM press 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Push Down drop set (drop sets is explained later)

Day 4 medium / light legs, back and biceps. 1-3 min rest between sets

- Deadlift. top set.
- Chins or Pull-down ceilings. 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Bench Rowing or other rowing exercise with chest support. 4 sets 10-12 reps
- Face Pull or rear split flies. 3 sets. 12-15 reps
- Standing Barbel Biceps curl 3 sets of 8-10 reps
- Biceps isolation exercise. drop set
- Hack squat or leg press widowmaker (1 sett 20 reps)


----------



## Goku

Covers the bench press, the squats and the deadlift. Has a decent variety of exercises too. Yeah, it's fine.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Fucking christ I hate CrossFit.


----------



## Serbinator

Hohenheim of Light said:


> ^ Post-workout is a good time to eat. Goals?
> 
> 
> 
> Well, for a quick cut, I'd reduce up to 700-800 calories from the daily intake (below expenditure). You'll probably lose a bit of muscle too though. Sticking to 400-500 will get you leaner but it will take longer.
> 
> Your diet seems solid.


Cheers for the advice, it's been helpful. Also wondering about the IF, since that would fit in well with my daily routine. My eating window would between 1:30-7:30pm and the rest would be fasting.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Fucking christ I hate CrossFit.


google Fran, that workout is a bitch. and Thrusters are the best and worse at the same time. 

the spartan 300 workout is fun though.


----------



## Jammy

Need some advice on how to cut salt. I'm fit, healthy and stuff. But, my salt intake is really high. I literally add salt with anything and everything. 

Any tips, substitutions, advice, scare stories, would be appreciated. Oh and am a Vegetarian, not sure if that makes a difference.


----------



## i$e

Stop adding salt?


----------



## Punked Up

Another day of diet/exercise down. I don't lift on weekends generally, today I did a 2-2.5 mile run and a quick ab circuit. Also a few curls to loosen my arms up. I also tried to up the protein a lot, as i$e suggested. I'll post it here and anyone can critique if they want. Still cutting, but I weighed in today and am only a few day from my goal hopefully. Diet:

Breakfast: Omellete w/ 2 eggs + cheese, 1 peice of toast, 14 OZ of Milk, about 30 grams of protiein by my estimate

-Shake that I split pre and post workout, 40 grams of protein total

Dinner: Chicken cutlet in franchaise sauce, 1.5 cups lettuce + asaparagus, Mozz. cheese and proschute (spelling?), 2 little peices of bread and 1/3 cup pasta.

So, a lot more protein than normal, by my estimate it was about 90-100 grams total. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.


----------



## Jammy

i$e said:


> Stop adding salt?


GOAT reply, it's inspired me.


----------



## i$e

Punked Up said:


> So, a lot more protein than normal, by my estimate it was about 90-100 grams total. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.


Still need more. Good start for sure though.


----------



## Rush

Jammy said:


> GOAT reply, it's inspired me.


well what do you want to replace it with? just don't add it, food tastes fine without it. pretty fucking simple.


----------



## RKO920

Went from no muscle at all and 200 LB's in winter 2010 to this 








(180 LBS)

I'd say I'm successful so far.


----------



## i$e

FUCK IT.

I'm going to try Intermittent Fasting for the rest of my cut, starting tomorrow. 

Anyone want me to keep a log?


----------



## Punked Up

Cena's workout/diet here: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/john-cena-workout-routine

Seems like he does a lot of reps and high volume of exercises. I might give this a go when I get my base all set.

To anyone who cares, no update today. Took a day off from the diet, still went for a run. I felt I deserved it after 5 weeks. I'll be back into the swing of things tomorrow.


----------



## Olympus

i$e said:


> FUCK IT.
> 
> I'm going to try Intermittent Fasting for the rest of my cut, starting tomorrow.
> 
> Anyone want me to keep a log?


Sure, would love to see it.

Think I'll start with this. I'm down 36lbs from January and have added a good amount of muscle mass. I'm basically skinny fat at this point (160lbs). I have some more fat to lose and muscle to tone especially around my stomach. Used to run 4-5X a week, but since hitting 160 I've lost motivation.

How exactly does this work? I get a certain window to eat or something?


----------



## StarJupes

TGO™ said:


> Sure, would love to see it.
> 
> Think I'll start with this. I'm down 36lbs from January and have added a good amount of muscle mass. I'm basically skinny fat at this point (160lbs). I have some more fat to lose and muscle to tone especially around my stomach. Used to run 4-5X a week, but since hitting 160 I've lost motivation.
> 
> How exactly does this work? I get a certain window to eat or something?


okay I do from 2pm till 8pm. That's my eating window. Only b/c I'm bulking atm and it takes me that long to consume all my calories. If you're going to do that, start w/6 hours eating window. If you do exercise, try not to do heavy cardio b/c you'll just burn muscle. And i posted about it before, look at the youtube link I posted b/c they (Hodgetwins) talk a lot about IF.


----------



## Olympus

Waratah said:


> okay I do from 2pm till 8pm. That's my eating window. Only b/c I'm bulking atm and it takes me that long to consume all my calories. If you're going to do that, start w/6 hours eating window. If you do exercise, try not to do heavy cardio b/c you'll just burn muscle. And i posted about it before, look at the youtube link I posted b/c they (Hodgetwins) talk a lot about IF.


Those guys are awesome. :lmao

I just want to lose the little bit of fat I have left. After I do that I plan toning. I want to get like 20-30 mins of cardio in a few times a week to help cut the fat as well as continue to lift to keep the muscle I have. I think it's near impossible to lose weight and build muscle at the same time since one involves eating at a deficit and the other involves eating more, correct me if I'm wrong, so I want to balance the two until I cut the fat I want to cut.


----------



## StarJupes

when i came back from uni for the summer i had sadly in the last couple of weeks really gained fat. wasn't fat but had a high body fat percentage and even gained a bit of a double chin. so hit the gym again properly after reuniting w/my friend back home and we take it dead serious. we have a body fat percentage machine in the gym, probably not dead accurate but gives you a decent idea. w/doing very little cardio and doing just weights and progressing, i'm finding myself not only building muscle but losing body fat percentage and not actually losing weight.


----------



## Olympus

I'm excited for this. It's 6:30am and I haven't really ate anything since like 9-10pm? And I'm about to go to sleep. (I'm on a fucked up sleep schedule that I'm trying to change today) This sounds like a challenge and I like that.


----------



## i$e

TGO™ said:


> I think it's near impossible to lose weight and build muscle at the same time since one involves eating at a deficit and the other involves eating more, correct me if I'm wrong, so I want to balance the two until I cut the fat I want to cut.


You're not wrong, although it's possible for a small amount of time if you're an absolute beginner. Forget it later on down the road though, it's all about the bulk/cut cycles there on out.

Really enjoying IF so far, will post after my first 7 days are up to discuss further.


----------



## Goku

Did Hack Sqauts today. Not bad. bama


----------



## i$e

They're in my 'fucking gay' column.


----------



## TRDBaron

Punked Up said:


> Cena's workout/diet here: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/john-cena-workout-routine
> 
> Seems like he does a lot of reps and high volume of exercises. I might give this a go when I get my base all set.


Looks like a great workout schedule, i wish i had the time to do as much training as he does, kinda sucks to be limited to 2-3 times a week.:sad:
On another note though, bench pressed 200 pounds for the first time last week, fuck that's heavy..


----------



## Goku

i$e said:


> They're in my 'fucking gay' column.


I know, I saw. Can't say it displeased me too much.


----------



## i$e

Did you have the same problem as me w/ the bar hitting the calves on the way up? I had to white flag and go back to fronts after a few sets of that shit.


----------



## DNoD

I need help with buidling muscle/losing fat. I am 9.3 stone and basically 'skinny-fat' with around 16% body fat percentage, probably higher now as I have just been sedentary for weeks on end doing nothing at all.

I was aiming for like 10% body fat for now and would re-assess my goals and targets after some time. Anyway, I worked out if I did get down to 10% body fat I'd be like 8 stone something and I think some pounds out of the range of being 'healthy' - and that was providing most of the weight I lost was fat.

My goal was to then build muscle (with as little amount of fat as possible and then depending on how I looked, lose fat to really show the muscle I had gained). I don't know if I should do that or just build straight away even with a fair amount of fat (although somehow I don't weigh that much - probably shows how little muscle I have).

I thought I had everything sorted, I was seeing results and everything you would expect but then I went off track and have never really got back on and although I have my issues/troubles/excuses I really just want to work hard at this. I thought having loads of time off would allow me to spend a lot of time focusing on working out, eating right and perfecting it but it's pretty much done the opposite...

Any help?

tl;dr? Skinny fat/16% bf/build muscle or lose fat first?


----------



## Goku

^ Lose fat.


I'll probably put together a bulking guide to go along with i$e's cutting one.



i$e said:


> Did you have the same problem as me w/ the bar hitting the calves on the way up? I had to white flag and go back to fronts after a few sets of that shit.


Nah. Wasn't doing free-weight. Used this:


----------



## DNoD

Hohenheim of Light said:


> ^ Lose fat.


How many sets/reps should I do?

By the way I can only really use dumbells/machines/pullies.


----------



## Goku

Of what?

Basically anywhere from 2-6 sets depending on the exercise, and 6-12 reps for the compounds.

Are you tracking your macros/calories?


----------



## i$e

What's your height? If above 5'9, bulk.


----------



## DNoD

I just meant in general. I will be tracking macros and calories, yes. I think I need around 1,800 kcals (to 2,000), how many of them should be carbs would you say?

And I am unfortunately not over 5'9" which sucks for me, wanted to be over 6 ft, slimmest of chances in getting there now.


----------



## i$e

Typical strategy is count your protein & fats and then the carbs will take care of themselves. 

I'd probably cut a bit first if you're smaller than 5'9 then. That's basically where it started out.


----------



## DNoD

I know I should be eating quite a lot of protein, but whenever I do this I seem to always end up short of kcals because of contradictorary sources. How much fat should I be getting? If I do the ratios, I then alawys come across something that tells me I'm eating too much protein, I'm eating too much fat etc.


----------



## StarJupes

how old are you and how tall are you?


----------



## DNoD

I'm 19 and 5 ft 7.

I've seen the 40-40-20 (c-p-f) ratio been thrown out there a lot but if I do 40% of 1800, that's 180g carbs and proteins, the carbs seems high and apparently that much protein could damage my liver..

So, as you can see, I get into this cycle of not knowing what the hell to do.


----------



## i$e

You could eat double that protein and it wouldn't damage your liver. Total myth.

40/40/20 is good.


----------



## DNoD

Well that's good news! 

As for working out should I just do it 6 times a week alternating between cardio and weights whilst doing ab exercises every time?


----------



## i$e

What's your routine? You don't need to do ab work if you're squatting and generally lifting heavy on the compound lifts. They get worked enough as it is and BF% is the key thing for abs.


----------



## DNoD

I don't have a routine yet, lol. I haven't worked out in a while apart from once or twice.


----------



## i$e

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/11870479-post2283.html

Make sure each day contains one of the big three compounds. Push day - Bench Press. Pull day - Deadlifts. Legs day - Squats. 

3/4 sets, 6-8 reps on these is a solid start. 

HOL/Rush can probably weigh in with a better breakdown as I'm busy at work right now.


----------



## DNoD

Okay thanks.


----------



## Goku

Sure.

I do the Deadlifts on leg days and work my pull-days around the various Rows and pull-ups. I work my legs really heavy on leg days that I can't do deadlifts properly on any other day. On the other hand, deadlifting on leg days and then working the shoulder some day after could overtrain the shoulder. It's important to balance out the routine so that everything gets hit strong and hard without over-exerting anything.

Pull: Deadlifts, Pull-ups/Chins, Barbell Rows, Cable Rows, Curls
Push: Incline/Flat Bench Press, Barbell/Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Dips
Legs: Leg-Presses, Squats (try the different kinds), Stiff-leg Deadlifts, Calf-Raises (if needed)

Throw abs in there somewhere, and rotate with enough rest. Feel free to research more exercises and incorporate them into the routine if you get bored.

Do cardio on off-days. Rest one or two days if you want to. Eat maintenance on work-out days and below on cardio/rest days.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

I was wondering if like just stepping or what I should call it I mean like jumping up and down on on feet and than the other. I really don't know how to explain It is kinda like jogging but not really. whatever if someone of you knows what I mean. I would like to know if that is as effective as jogging.


----------



## i$e

Woah, you dead & squat on the same day, or am I misreading that? That's cray. 

I'd like to recommend the Push Press to anyone looking for a great shoulder compound. Similar to Military except you do a little push with your legs to get the delts into a more comfortable position for the lift. You can load more on the bar without compromising ROM & it has great crossover benefits for the other push exercises like Bench.


----------



## Goku

No. I deadlift one week, squat the next two weeks (training weeks, not 7 day weeks).


----------



## Rush

hack squats with a barbell just look awkward. 

HOL's breakdown is pretty solid DNoD. If you can't use a barbell and rely on machines then rows on machines are pretty handy as are the various lat pulldown machines. If you really can't bench press then a chest press on machine is a semi-analogous exercise, leg press and lunges if you can't squat. 

squat + deadlift on the same day isn't the worst thing as long as you're not doing too many sets of either. 



RevolverSnake said:


> I was wondering if like just stepping or what I should call it I mean like jumping up and down on on feet and than the other. I really don't know how to explain It is kinda like jogging but not really. whatever if someone of you knows what I mean. I would like to know if that is as effective as jogging.


is that a convoluted way of saying running on the spot?


----------



## i$e

Yeah, I got thrown off by 'I do the Deadlifts on leg days', which as you can see is pretty misleading. 

Crisis averted.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

lol yeah, running on the spot!


----------



## DNoD

Thanks guys. I feel like I can get on with it now, knowing I know what I know is going to help me. (LOL) I look forward to seeing my results.


----------



## i$e

i$e's Cutting Guide v1.0
_*How to lose fat effectively *_

-----

I'm making this as it's probably the most sought-after information in this thread. I learnt all this years ago from Wave Length, a really good poster on a forum I used to frequent, and a LOT of pubmed reading. These are cut and dry rules, and will work with 100% success rate given it's followed.

Luckily, it's quite a simple process. The difficulty comes in consistently following the essential rules through hard work and dedication. This guide applies to anyone who wishes to lose body _fat_ (which is what people actually mean when they say they want to lose weight) whilst maintaining muscle mass and actually _increasing_ strength. I'll try and keep it as simple as I can.

*In a Nutshell*

- Fat loss occurs when we expend more calories than we consume.
- Lifting weights with high intensity maintains our muscle mass.
- Eating adequate protein, carbs and fats is the key to making them both happen. 

*Essentials*

Above is the basic logic behind a cut, so how do we achieve this in general terms? 

- Lift heavy 3/4 times a week. 
- Eat at a caloric deficit.
- Take in at least 1g protein per lb of lean mass daily.
- Include some essential fatty acids (omega 3/6/9) and vegetables daily.

Do that and you'll get results, 100% of the time. Counting calories is essential to locking down your numbers, but after a while they become second nature and you won't even have to use a calculator.

*How many calories should I eat?*

As we've been over, losing fat requires us to be in caloric deficit. To lose a pound of fat in a week, we must have a 3500 calorie deficit (there is 3500 calories in a pound, dur). So, that's a very manageable 500 calories a day that we must take in under our maintenance level (the amount of calories needed to maintain weight in a rested state + accounting for expenditure via exercise ). 

This deficit is best attained via diet (through management of caloric intake). Eat 500 calories less than your TEE (Total Energy Expenditure; maintenance calories) whilst following the rules outlined in the essentials above and you're on track. 

A bit of background of our maintenance level (TEE) - when we weight train (or do any physical activity for that matter), we expand a bunch of calories, which is in our interest obviously. The problem with this as a conscious consideration is newcomers often use it as justification to eat more. _Oh, I can have this cake because I did 30 minutes on the treadmill earlier. _ Whilst this makes some logical sense, it is usually counter-productive because in general people both overestimate how much calories they burn in the gym and underestimate how many calories they're eating. Just workout your TEE below and stick to it, focusing on creating your deficit in the kitchen.

_ Maintenance Calories_ = bodyweight in pounds x 15 (or 14 if you're female). That's a _rough_ estimate, which will take a few weeks of trial and error to really nail down. It might take longer, but luckily the scale will tell you where you're at. So..

If you weigh 160lb. 

160 x 15 = 2400. That will maintain weight. Eating 1900 a day (500 deficit) will yield a pound of fat loss a week provided the essential rules are met.

Simple.

*Tracking progress*

Obviously, this is key to knowing what we're doing is working, so here are my recommendations. 

- Weigh yourself once a week on the same day at the same time. Before breakfast, after bathroom. 
- Write it down. 
- If weight does not go down after three weeks and you've not made any obvious slip ups, reduce calories by 10%.
- The mirror is usually a better judge for you to go by, although scales help with 'knowing' you're achieving something. 
- Write it down. Included again because it's important to log progress. The same goes for your workouts.
- Using calipers will give you a good indication of fat loss. 

It's worth noting that sometimes you'll fluctuate in weight from day to day. This is water weight amongst other factors, and is the reason we weigh ourselves at the same time on a weekly basis and don't panic if we don't drop from one week to the other. As long as there is a general downward trend over the long term, you're golden. 

*Myths and other things that don't matter*

Given the amount of studies, blogs, forum posts (I realize the irony) and articles that you can read on the subject, it's no wonder that a significant amount of broscience has popped up over the years. Bullshit, in other words. *The following things are not essential to losing fat*. 

- Cardio.
- Meal timing, aside from eating pre and post workouts. 
- Meal frequency
- Protein 'maxes' per meal. 
- Significant analysis of carb/fat ratios, sodium intake, 'clean' foods etc.

Obviously, all of these things can be tweaked and considered as part of an overall strategy, but they're are absolutely not required for fat loss. 

*Frequently Asked Questions*

*Q*: How do I get abs? Do I need to train them every day?
*A*: You'll see your abs when you get to a low enough body fat percentage (10-11%, typically). Doing 1000 crunches a day won't do anything if you have a layer of fat covering them.

*Q*: How can I target and reduce fat from my stomach?
*A*: You can't. You have no control over where the fat drops off. You just have to get your overall % low enough and eventually it'll come. 

*Q*: Do I have to use weights?
*A*: To be honest, yes. Unless you're training for something different. It's the fastest and most beneficial way to get it done. 

*Q*: How much is a safe amount to lose per week?
*A*: Typically, 1-2lb is a good rule of thumb. If your BF% is above 20%, you can safely lose 3-4lbs, but if you're already at a low BF, it's best to go slower to prevent a catabolic reaction.

*Q*: What are some good food choices?
*A*: For protein, lean meats, fish, eggs, milk and whey supplements are great. Good carb sources include oats, pasta, rice and wholemeal bread. Good fats can be attained from salmon, mackerel, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts and getting some saturated fats in from butter etc is no bad thing at all (despite what you may have heard).

..and that's it. Hope this information helps as much as it has helped me over the years.


----------



## Olympus

^That's an amazing write up. Well done i$e. However, under "In a nutshell" one of your bullet points is "
- Fat loss occurs when we eat less calories than we consume. " don't you mean _burn more calories than we consume_ or some variant of that?

Anyways, first day of IF going good.Hadn't eaten anything from 10pm last night to 2pm today. Had a 7g of fat or less sub from Wawa (tracked the calories and everything, all is good) and a few pretzel rods. Fell asleep not too long after since I only to a one hour nap earlier to correct my sleep schedule. Got up around 6:30 and had some pasta with red sauce and watermelon to follow. About to hit the gym, hopefully, grab a muscle milk and perhaps a small healthy snack to top of the day and I'm set. I'm quite please with this. Surprisingly easier than I expected or maybe I just have more will power than I thought.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, I fixed the language. I wrote a pretty big paragraph on TEE and it's effect anyway but this is better. Thanks for that.

I'm also loving IF. Only 2 days in but my hunger is so much more controlled despite not eating for 16 hours of each day. First big leg day tomorrow so we'll see if the strength is holding up well.


----------



## Jerittude

What are some good foods to eat at restaurants? (Sometimes I have no choice, and I'd like to know what is the best food) I'd prefer to stay away from salads though, they make me feel sick for some reason. (Might be an allergy to lettuce?) I dunno


----------



## Rush

*Rush’s Beginners Guide To Workout Routines*

Okay, as i$e has his cutting guide and HOL is doing a bulking guide, I’m doing this as a kind of reference for beginners in designing a routine that works for them. Some may not have access to gym equipment etc so I will cover some exercises that require no equipment at all as well.

_*Basic Training Principles*_

SPORT - Specific, Progression, Overload, Reversibility, Tedium
FITT - Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type

These are the 2 basic acronyms you get taught in high school PE, and they work well to enable you to easily plan out your workouts in order to reach your goals. 

*Specificity* – training must be matched to the needs of the sport/activity to improve fitness in the body parts the sport/activity uses.
*Progression* – start slowly and gradually increase the amount of exercise and keep overloading. Ie if your goal is to run 20km, start small and work your way up. 
*Overload* - fitness can only be improved by training harder than you normally do. Increase the intensity to avoid plateaus.
*Reversibility* – any adaptation that takes place as a result of training will be reversed when you stop training ie if you don’t use it you lose it.

In planning a programme, use the FITT principles to add the detail:

*Frequency* - decide how often to train.
*Intensity* - choose how hard to train.
*Time* - decide for how long to train.
*Type* - decide which methods of training to use.

_*Goal Setting*_

When most people start out, or before they start out they say stuff like “I want to lose fat” or “I want to be fitter”. These goals may be the final result of a program, but it is important to use SMART goals to give you something to focus on, to achieve and something that is measureable. So instead of saying “I want to be fitter” you can have a goal of running 10km or bench pressing 75kg etc.

_*ACSM Position Statement*_

The ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) has various position statements that sum up the research that has been done up until that point on a various number of things. This is basically a summary of their position statement entitled “Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults: Guidance for Prescribing Exercise” - http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/F...nd_Quality_of_Exercise_for_Developing.26.aspx



> Cardiorespiratory Exercise
> 
> •	Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
> •	Exercise recommendations can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).
> •	One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions (of at least 10 minutes) are both acceptable to accumulate desired amount of daily exercise.
> •	Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk.
> •	People unable to meet these minimums can still benefit from some activity.
> 
> Resistance Exercise
> 
> •	Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.
> •	Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.
> •	Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.
> •	For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise, and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.
> •	Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.
> 
> Flexibility Exercise
> 
> •	Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.
> •	Each stretch should be held for 10-30 seconds to the point of tightness or slight discomfort.
> •	Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch.
> •	Static, dynamic, ballistic and PNF stretches are all effective.
> •	Flexibility exercise is most effective when the muscle is warm. Try light aerobic activity or a hot bath to warm the muscles before stretching.
> 
> Neuromotor Exercise
> 
> •	Neuromotor exercise (sometimes called “functional fitness training”) is recommended for two or three days per week.
> •	Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities (tai ji and yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults.
> •	20-30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise.


Now flexibility and aerobic exercise is fairly straightforward, not to many people have a problem in designing a program to help them there. Resistance training on the other hand results in a myriad of questions so that’s what I’ll be focusing on in the rest of this post. 

_*Weight Training - Reps and sets*_

Now that you’ve set yourself a goal, and you understand how you’re going to progress to that goal, you need to develop a routine/program in order for you to reach that goal. Reps (the amount of times you repeat a lift) and sets (how many groups of reps) are important as the amount you do should reflect the goal you’re setting for yourself. 

To put it in basics;

Increase strength - low reps, heavy weight, take your time in between sets. 1-8 reps x 3-5 sets.
Increase power - low reps, heavy weight, lift quickly, take your time in between sets. 1-8 reps x 3-5 sets.
Increase strength + size -medium reps, heavy weight, take your time in between sets. 8-12 reps x 3-5 sets. 
Increase endurance - high reps, lower weight, less time in between sets. 12-20 reps x 3-5 sets.

Now that’s just a pretty general guideline, and it is a continual scale so just because you lift higher reps won’t mean you don’t get any strength benefits and visa versa for lifting low reps, you will still gain some endurance benefits. 

_*Workout Splits*_

So you’re got your goal, how often you’re going to be training, how hard you’re training and how many reps/sets you’re looking at doing, now you have to work on getting a routine that will incorporate your knowledge of training into a way that will work for you.

Workout A - Push, Pull, Legs
This is a fairly common split, and as the name suggests on day 1 you do exercises involving pushing, day 2 is pulling, day 3 is focusing on legs. (when I say day 1, 2, 3 thats workout days not calendar days)

Workout B - 2 day split (upper, lower, rest/cardio, upper, lower, rest/cardio)
You split your workout into upper body exercises, and lower body with a rest day or a cardio day in between to allow you to recover. 

Workout C - 3 day full body split
As it says, you do a full body workout, 3 days a week with at least 1 day in between workouts

Workout D - 4 day split.
This is a fairly common split for those who are a little more advanced. A sample would be day 1 - chest/triceps, day 2 - legs/abs, day 3 - back/biceps, day 4 - shoulders, abs.

Now there are far more splits than these 4 but these are a nice starting/reference point. You don’t have to use one of these methods but be aware that muscles are rarely used individually and multi-joint exercises are the gold standard (eg exercises like deadlifts and squats, which use more than one muscle group)

_*Types of exercises*_

So you’ve got your goal, reps/sets, routine all down, now you can pick which exercises are best suited for your desired outcome. If you have access to a gym you will notice some people using free weights, some on machines, some doing bodyweight exercises etc. Which is the best? Answer: both free weights and weight machines each have their advantages and disadvantages. This is a straight copy and paste from - http://www.answerfitness.com/91/free-weights-weight-machines-weight-training-basics-answer-fitness/ if its too long, skip to the bottom and I did a very quick summary.



> *The Advantages of Weight Machines*
> 
> Weight machines are often the first choice of equipment for people who are new to weight and strength training. And this is for good reason.
> 
> Weight machines by design encourage good form, because they limit the range of motion to the specified exercise you are performing. They also isolate the specific muscle group you are targeting by disengaging secondary muscle groups that normally are called upon stabilize the body during performance of an exercise.
> 
> If you’ve never performed a bench press (a free weight exercise), for example, you may not be familiar with how to align your arms properly in relation to your body in order to perform the exercise effectively and with minimal risk of injury. A chest press machine, on the other hand, will ensure that your arms are positioned correctly and will give you a sense for how the movement should be performed.
> 
> By starting out on weight machines, you can work on get a feel for the exercise, which can then be applied to a free weight workout.
> 
> Machine weights also tend to allow you to use more resistance, because you aren’t limited by the smaller (and often weaker) stabilizer muscles that are called upon to balance a free weight. This can help you make bigger gains in strength, and can help beginners establish a more solid base before moving on to more challenging free weight movements.
> 
> *The Disadvantages of Weight Machines*
> 
> The primary disadvantage of weight machines is that they don’t engage stabilizer muscles or develop core strength and conditioning as well as free weights.
> 
> Your “core” is the chain of muscles that stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulder and provide a solid foundation for movement in the legs and arms. When you use machines, you don’t need to engage these muscles to balance your body. Over time, this can lead to weaknesses or muscle imbalances which can make you more vulnerable to injury. It can also create aesthetic imbalances in muscle size or definition.
> 
> Weight machines aren’t as effective in developing the smaller muscles and connective tissue that your body uses to balance resistance — for example, the rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons that help stabilize your shoulder. Because free weights require you to balance the weight during the movement, they can help you strengthen these critical muscle groups.
> 
> Finally, because weight machines isolate as specific group of muscles, your body doesn’t require as much energy to perform them as when you perform compound, free weight exercises that call on more than one muscle group to execute the exercise. So from a fat and calorie burning perspective, free weights require more energy which can help with fat loss.
> 
> *The Advantages of Free Weights*
> 
> Free weights such as dumbbells and barbells offer more flexibility and options in terms of movement and the different types of exercises you perform.
> 
> Many free weight exercises are considered “compound exercises.” A compound exercise is one that involves movement at more than one joint. This means it engages additional muscle groups beyond the primary one that is being trained.
> 
> For example, when you perform a dumbbell chest press on a bench, you engage not only your chest, but also your shoulders, abs, lower back and even legs to balance and stabilize yourself during the exercise. When you perform a chest press on a machine, the equipment does all of the stabilization and balancing for you, and isolates the movement so that it’s primarily limited to the muscle being trained.
> 
> Free weights also do a better job of accommodating the unique physical quirks that everyone has. No two people are built alike, and weight machines — because their motion is fixed — can force people into movements that are uncomfortable.
> 
> Free weights, on the other hand, allow you to make very subtle self-adjustments in the movement and your positioning, which increase your comfort and actually allow you to execute the exercise with better results.
> 
> This flexibility is especially important for people who have experienced injuries in the past, since machine weights can cause them to move the weight in a plane that aggravates their condition. Overhead shoulder press machines are infamous for this type of thing.
> 
> Free weights also allow you to try out different variations on an exercise. Because you control the positioning of your body and the plane of movement, you can target the muscles differently depending on how you perform the exercise. And because you are calling on stabilizer muscles during the exercise, many people find that free weight training gives them better overall muscle development and definition than when using weight machines alone.
> 
> *The Disadvantages of Free Weights*
> 
> There are two primary disadvantages to using free weights.
> 
> The first is that people who are new to weight or resistance training may not know how to perform an exercise with proper form. Because free weights don’t force a plane of motion, people can develop bad form habits more easily with free weights than with machines.
> 
> This is why it’s often beneficial to practice a bit on a weight machine to get a feel for the exercise before trying the free weight version. It’s also a good idea to have a personal trainer or member of the gym staff show you how to perform an exercise with free weights. They can make sure you are using good form and executing the exercise properly. Failure to do this can cause injury or muscle imbalances.
> 
> Free weight also limit the amount of weight you can use. This can be a good thing, because it lessens the chance that you’ll lift too heavy for your current conditioning, but it can also hamper progress, especially for more experienced lifters.
> *
> What About Cable Weight Machines?*
> 
> Cable weight machines can actually offer some of the benefits of both free weights and machines.
> Unlike fixed-motion weight machines, cable machines allow you to adjust the range and plane of motion much like free weights. They also require you to stabilize the resistance during the motion, which is excellent for strengthening smaller stabilizer muscles and connective tissue and building more functional coordination between muscle groups.
> 
> Cable machines also have advantages over both machine weights and free weights because they encourage constant tension on the muscle through the entire range of motion. This can translate into better strength gains and improved muscle size and development.


Tl;dr - free weights work on stabilisers, don’t lock you into a position, more functional strength gains. Machines, good for beginners, can provide a solid base of strength and enable you to isolate muscle groups.

I must emphasise the importance of proper technique. If you are unsure of how to perform an exercise, then ask a personal trainer or even someone at the gym. Some people don’t like helping others, some are more than happy to give a few pointers.
*
Next post - Sample workouts and a general overview of exercises for chest, back, triceps, biceps, shoulders, legs, abs, and bodyweight exercises. Might chuck in some rehab stuff that i prescribe for clients just incase anyone is suffering from back pain or something serious preventing them from engaging in physical activity.*


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

DO YOU RECOMMEND CROSSFIT

HOW MUCH KIPPING IS NECESSARY FOR MAXIMUM GAINS


----------



## Rush

personally i don't like crossfit as there are too many fucking idiots teaching dumb things. Not all crossfit gyms are bad, but some are absolutely woeful and lead to injuries.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

http://4chanfit.wikia.com/wiki/Harsh's_Worksheet_(WIP)
http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html


----------



## DNoD

If I do BW * 15 I get 1995 so maintenance is basically 2000? That means I'd be eating 1500 as a deficit Should I change that to 1800 and eat 1800 every day or should I eat more on weight lifting days? 1500 seems a little low.


----------



## Rush

how tall are you DNoD?


----------



## DNoD

5 ft 7


----------



## i$e

Seems about right. You could eat 1700-1800 and throw in cardio to make up the difference. 

FWIW I've cut on 1700 and it's easily doable if you're strict.


----------



## DNoD

So 1800 everyday would you say? I'll be working out 6 times a week alternating between weights and cardio, probably doing 40-40-20 (c-p-f) or 30-40-30 to start of with, dunno if it's better to have more carbs or fats for fat loss, I would say fat but idk. 

How much should I be burning with cardio, also?


----------



## i$e

Yeah, start there and adjust accordingly based on your results.


----------



## DNoD

Okay, one last question, I know it's best to include looks as well, but what body fat percentage would you say I should do this until?


----------



## i$e

Until you're happy, really. A lot of people cut to 10%, then bulk till 15%, then cut etc. 

I started bulking at 12% because I was skinny fat when I started so there wasn't much point in cutting down to nothing.


----------



## DNoD

Thanks, I think I need 10% to start even seeing abs a lil.


----------



## Jerittude

Hello, would someone mind answering my other question?


----------



## i$e

Anything centered around meat is good.


----------



## Goku

Jerittude said:


> What are some good foods to eat at restaurants? (Sometimes I have no choice, and I'd like to know what is the best food) I'd prefer to stay away from salads though, they make me feel sick for some reason. (Might be an allergy to lettuce?) I dunno


Seafood, poultry (not fried). Skip dessert.


----------



## Olympus

Day 2 of IF went well. Barely had an appetite. Only ate dinner. Haven't been TRULY hungry yet. I'm beginning to realize that certain "hunger pains" are just general food cravings and not necessarily true hunger pains. Also hit the gym and got a good workout in. Feeling great.


----------



## Zen

Makaveli said:


> Day 2 of IF went well. Barely had an appetite. Only ate dinner. Haven't been TRULY hungry yet. I'm beginning to realize that certain "hunger pains" are just general food cravings and not necessarily true hunger pains. Also hit the gym and got a good workout in. Feeling great.


I have very low tolerance for hunger pains, I find drinkig water helps


----------



## Ghetto Anthony




----------



## Glass Shatters

Dolce & Gabbana said:


> I have very low tolerance for hunger pains, I find drinkig water helps


Gallon of water a day with a few drops of NATURAL lemon juice will stave off hunger pains until meal time. I also found that my vascularity improved a great deal about 2-3 weeks after I had started with the gallon a day about a year ago. 

My other secret weapon? A scoop of Metamucil after each meal.


----------



## dynamite452

I'm just curious what's everyone's opinion on taking Spin classes?

I recently started 2 weeks ago and like it. It motivates me to go to class as I know on my own I would never push myself to work at that intensity and for the most part I've heard good things about it. However I was wondering what others have thought about it?

I've been thinking 2 spin classes/week + work out arms and a little bit cardio another day + try to head to the gym one more time in the week.


----------



## ForestCrush

Joining a gym is the best.

I lost 160 lbs and I joined a gym to get toned and it has really paid off. I have gotten a bit more toned and Im eating more and keeping it off.

I jumped from 177-187-189 now. That is since June 19 and it is muscle.


----------



## i$e

lol, you didn't add 12lb of muscle in 6 weeks dude


----------



## ForestCrush

i$e said:


> lol, you didn't add 12lb of muscle in 6 weeks dude


I know, he told me I would gain 5 or so as I am eating 5x a day opposed to 1


----------



## i$e

Hang on, what?


----------



## Horselover Fat

ForestCrush said:


> I know, he told me I would gain 5 or so as I am eating 5x a day opposed to 1


buff guy at the gym confirmed this for me


----------



## i$e

Spiced Out Calvin Coolidge said:


> buff guy at the gym confirmed this for me


----------



## ForestCrush

Spiced Out Calvin Coolidge said:


> buff guy at the gym confirmed this for me


I was really worried at first as I have been big for so long I didnt want to go back and the scale kept jumping. 177-181, then 185, etc. My trainer explained that I used to eat one meal a day and doing light cardio. Now I am doing cardio and weight training 5 days a week and eating more. 
He said my muscles need to be full before I can put muscle on


----------



## Horselover Fat

ForestCrush said:


> I was really worried at first as I have been big for so long I didnt want to go back and the scale kept jumping. 177-181, then 185, etc. My trainer explained that I used to eat one meal a day and doing light cardio. Now I am doing cardio and weight training 5 days a week and eating more.
> He said my muscles need to be full before I can put muscle on


ill have to ask the buff guy about this tomorrow


----------



## i$e

ForestCrush said:


> He said my muscles need to be full before I can put muscle on


You should get a new trainer.


----------



## ForestCrush

i$e said:


> You should get a new trainer.


So I should go back to eating 1 time a day (salad) and muscles will be put on?


----------



## i$e

lol no, but you're not really making any sense right now.


----------



## ForestCrush

i$e said:


> lol no, but you're not really making any sense right now.



Im just saying what I have been told. Dont listen to paid professionals. They are dumbass, you however Mr. Internet Man are the brains


----------



## i$e

Haha.


----------



## Rush

I've worked with a ton of trainers and just b/c they're paid to do something doesn't mean they know anything. Put it this way, me in a 4 year uni degree which is semi related (Exercise physiology) could ace the basic as shit qualifications to become a personal trainer. I've seen/heard some shit spouted by PT's and think to myself, what the fuck is this guy thinking. Like getting aged clients to try and do exercises which clearly exceed their ROM, telling people that wide grip on a lat pulldown machine makes you get that wider shape, getting a guy who had knee problems to use a leg press machine and just hold the weight for a minute rather than pressing etc etc.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, becoming a personal trainer is ridic easy. My brother became fully qualified in 4 weeks and he doesn't know much compared to me.


----------



## DNoD

I have completely messed up since I last posted in this thread. I have sat around and haven't been to the gym combined with eating not-so-good foods makes these last 2 weeks a major fail.

........


----------



## i$e

Just completed my home gym today. Finally a place to permanently have my squat rack and dead bar loaded without having to constantly swap shit around each set.


----------



## DNoD

Any help on how to get (and stay) focused. I just can't seem to do it. Look at hot chicks, look at myself in the mirror (and cringe), think of a few months time, 6 months, a year etc...

I've put on almost a stone... JEEZ.


----------



## Rush

i$e said:


> Just completed my home gym today. Finally a place to permanently have my squat rack and dead bar loaded without having to constantly swap shit around each set.


(Y) i have no room for pretty much anything at home, except my boxing bag.


----------



## Olympus

Quick question, is 155lbs a healthy weight for an 18 year old, 6ft tall man? I've dropped 42 pounds over the last 9 months and now my family and friends are telling me to eat because I look "unhealthy". I still have plenty of muscle mass in my arms and chest though it's been a few weeks since my last gym visit but I plan to go back very soon. I'm skinny, but I just need to tighten my midsection though I still have some definition there. I feel good and I'm ready to start I guess the term is bulking as in basically building muscle and all that. I could post a torso pic/side view for reference, but I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I've always had a wide frame and it shows. I'm not a thin, scrawny, boney, kid. Just not understanding the criticism I get.


----------



## i$e

It's on the light side, but it's not dangerous or anything. Hard to say without pictures, but bumping up to 170-180 would be a good look.


----------



## RKO920

Finally got up to 65 LB dumbbells, while doing chest flies. Progress.


----------



## Olympus

i$e said:


> It's on the light side, but it's not dangerous or anything. Hard to say without pictures, but bumping up to 170-180 would be a good look.


Me currently. (Excuse my awkward hand)









Left is me two weeks ago, right is 20 mins ago

As of this morning 155.1, but just went out and had a cheesesteak/fries. Feel like my metabolism is substantially high as I get away with a lot. Even went ham at Applebees yesterday, but then I fast for like 12 hours.

I'm not sure whether to keep losing weight to reduce the fat or if I should stay where I am. I really don't like my lower abdomen.


----------



## i$e

You don't look unhealthy at all. People clowning on you need to shut the fuck up to be honest. 

My point about bumping to 170-180 stands though. You don't need to cut anymore.


----------



## Olympus

i$e said:


> You don't look unhealthy at all. People clowning on you need to shut the fuck up to be honest.
> 
> My point about bumping to 170-180 stands though. You don't need to cut anymore.


How would I go about doing that? I'm deathly afraid of gaining weight due to the fact I've been overweight since age 8. Not something I wanna go through again.


----------



## i$e

I think HOL was planning on a bulking guide, but in general. 

~ Lift heavy.
~ Eat 300-500 more than your maintenance calories.
~ Eat lots of protein
~ Take it slowly, aim for 2lb a month.

That way you'll gain mostly lean mass and not tons of fat. 

It'll be really easy for you to strip off the last fat once you've got more lean muscle too.


----------



## Rush

Up your calorie intake for one. How depends on if you want to do a clean or dirty bulk. Lift heavy, and don't try and bulk too much too fast.


----------



## Olympus

Alright. I'll give it a shot. Thank you both for the advice. Much appreciated.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

SO I switched to Marketing from Athletic training about a week ago. I finally got me ACE personal trainer certification (almost a month ago) but haven't used it, and don't want to. I'm at PITT and did this program where you follow around an athletic trainer all day; since I had my ACE certification he let me follow him for a week. 

Basically we got up early and were supposed to lead workouts for the football team (by we I mean they, I just guest starred). But that was about it. We did deal with injuries; I did horrible there because I never played sports growing up. We didn't guide them on nutrition or help them in the weight room unless the coaches requested we help a certain player. I was super bored, even though it was everything I knew it would be. Super let down. I'm looking to open my own business now, hopefully a gym.

just wanted to share.


----------



## DNoD

Instead of eating less, would working harder be just as good? To me it sounds like if you burn more but eat more it's the same as if you eat less and burn less. Although if you work harder, you could burn more as your metabolism could be faster, right? And plus your metabolism will have to keep up if you eat more (providing you eat often).


----------



## i$e

DNoD said:


> Instead of eating less, would working harder be just as good? To me it sounds like if you burn more but eat more it's the same as if you eat less and burn less. Although if you work harder, you could burn more as your metabolism could be faster, right? And plus your metabolism will have to keep up if you eat more (providing you eat often).


Your metabolism doesn't speed up based on meal frequency. 

Eating less > working harder.


----------



## DNoD

Can someone explain fats to me, please. I keep getting confused. 

I eat 1 yolk a day, about 16g sunflower oil a day, 24+g Lurpak butter a day, probably about 15g of vegetable oil a day, and a few other things and apparently this is pretty bad for me. I've heard coconut oil is a good oil to cook food in (e.g. chicken) but a lot of yolks, sunflower oil, lurpak, vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, is bad for me. I've also heard olive oil is healthy, is this true?

I would rather not die from clogging up my arteries.

I have various websites contradicting each other (half say sunflower, canola, grapeseed, etc are bad and others say they are good). I've been eating a lot of fish in sunflower oil thinking it was healthy.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Been working out for 3 months now. Went down from 205 lbs to 185 lbs. I'm looking to gain 5 pounds on muscle now.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

Do you think one rep but with a lot of reruns could work?


----------



## i$e

Not really. 

Good gains @Jose


----------



## DNoD

@Jose nice! What was your bf% and what is it now? Good luck on the extra gains, I'm sure you'll get there.

Btw guys, what's the best type of pre-workout/post-workout meal for fat loss?


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I assume I was around 20% or 25%. Now I assume I'm around 16%. 

I heard that the body fat required to see abs is around 13%. Any true to this?


----------



## i$e

DNoD said:


> @Jose nice! What was your bf% and what is it now? Good luck on the extra gains, I'm sure you'll get there.
> 
> Btw guys, what's the best type of pre-workout/post-workout meal for fat loss?


You're thinking about it wrong. The purpose of the pre-workout and post-workout meals are to fuel and re-fuel, respectively. Neither meal is individually designed for 'fat loss' because that comes from having an overall caloric deficit when taking into account your entire diet. If you're asking what you should be taking in, then pre-workout you want high carbs, moderate protein, and post-workout you want high carbs, high protein, low-ish fat. Complex carbs before and simple carbs after is how I do it.



JoseBxNYC said:


> I assume I was around 20% or 25%. Now I assume I'm around 16%.
> 
> I heard that the body fat required to see abs is around 13%. Any true to this?


It's more like 10-11% for the average person (unless flexing) but I'm sure due to genetic differences some people could see theirs at 13%.


----------



## DNoD

Cool, nice going dude. Keep it up. 

As for abs, It depends on the person and where they store fat. I would say 12% for top abs, 10% for middle, 8% for a 6 pack, even if the bottom ones aren't too defined for average guys. These are just guesses, though. I store a lot of fat on my torso/stomach area and when I had 10% body fat you could only see the top ones, and they weren't that defined, and sometimes not really in certain light. Although having said that I could make them look more defined as well, but just normally they weren't that defined... If that makes sense.

And thank you, @i$e.


----------



## D17

If i've worked out earlier, so about 2-3 hours beforehand, then play football (which pretty much makes up my cardio as it do it a minimum of 4 times a week for atleast 2 hours), will I burn off muscle and/or get less gains as i've read many a times, regardless of how good my nutrition is (or tries to be, basically all the correct foods and calorie consumptions), or is it all bs seeing as the muscles primarily used in football are legs and hardly anything that I work beforehand (e.g. Tris, Bis, Chest etc).. ?


----------



## i$e

From a purely bodybuilding perspective, it'll have some effect on recovery, but as long as you've got the nutritional side locked down it won't be much of a deal. You'll be athletic as fuq.


----------



## Gang

My progress: 
6 moths ago - 6 ft and 148 lb
now - 6 ft and 165 lb

I am doing pull ups, muscle ups and push ups only. Next month i'll start lifting weights. Any tips on that?


----------



## Zen

^ Depends on what your goals are?


----------



## Buffy The Vampire Slayer

My goal at the end of year is to weight 190.

When this year started. I weighted 146 and at 6 feet tall. Now I am at is 168 pounds.

I have been doing sit up's, pull up's, push'ups, benching, leg pressing and lifting.


----------



## Rush

Gang said:


> My progress:
> 6 moths ago - 6 ft and 148 lb
> now - 6 ft and 165 lb
> 
> I am doing pull ups, muscle ups and push ups only. *Next month i'll start lifting weights*. Any tips on that?





BtheVampireSlayer said:


> My goal at the end of year is to weight 190.
> 
> When this year started. I weighted 146 and at 6 feet tall. Now I am at is 168 pounds.
> 
> *I have been* doing sit up's, pull up's, push'ups, *benching, leg pressing and lifting*.


 wut


----------



## D17

You quoted two different users *Rush *?


And 95% of the time I get a sound amount of sleep, 7 hours plus, but the odd occasion where I simply can't sleep, or have to get up early (dem away days mostly) and fail to fall asleep again, therefore get around 2-4 hours sleep.

Happened last night, worked my arms and only got about 4 hours sleep, much to my annoyance....as long as my nutrition is fine and get good nights sleeps for the next 3/4 days or so until my next arm day, they'll be fine and be normal in terms of growth (seeing as lack of sleep was one off)? Or will it mess up my gains for that particular workout untill the next one?

Asking this as i've heard, and indeed know about, how damn important sleep is to building muscle.


----------



## Snowman

Not sure if this is the right section but after doing a workout in which I focused on the upperbody, I went for a jog to cool down. After about 15 seconds I started to feel a pain around my Gluteus Medius & Gluteus Minimus* area on the left side all the way to the back of my left knee and could no longer run. Anybody experienced this before/know what it is/treatments? Thank you in advance

*I have no idea about biology so this is just a rough guess.


----------



## Rush

i noticed that but by that stage i couldn't be assed to edit it.


----------



## DNoD

39% carb
34% protein
27% fat

decent enough?


----------



## i$e

depends on goals/method but looks solid


----------



## DNoD

My goal is to lose body fat. My method? I guess that's how I'm doing it? If so, just eating less and working out w/cardio every other day more or less, is that what you meant?


----------



## i$e

Just how you're dieting. For example, I'm doing Intermittent Fasting, so I have higher fats on rest days and higher carbs on workout days. 

For the average cut, then yeah, your ratios look pretty solid.


----------



## DNoD

Err, yeah - just the 'average cut'. Is there a better way?


----------



## i$e

My guide is all my thoughts on cutting. There are alternative ways but it's more specific to different systems. Since you're not intermittent fasting, there's no need to do anything different to what I've laid out.


----------



## Rush

SN0WMAN said:


> Not sure if this is the right section but after doing a workout in which I focused on the upperbody, I went for a jog to cool down. After about 15 seconds I started to feel a pain around my Gluteus Medius & Gluteus Minimus* area on the left side all the way to the back of my left knee and could no longer run. Anybody experienced this before/know what it is/treatments? Thank you in advance
> 
> *I have no idea about biology so this is just a rough guess.


Its anatomy and not biology ftr.

Can you describe the pain? dull/sharp, muscular/nerve, intermittant/constant, does it only start with exercise, does it go away when you stop?


----------



## DNoD

43% carb
31% protein
26% fat

Should I keep the carbs lower? 

Also I had this chest pain whilst running (and continued on for some time after), it was at the top of the left pec, below the collarbone, across most of the pec. I also had a brief moment of pain/discomfort in my left arm (the pain was near the bicep then discomfort came and I think I had a panic attack) which I think was caused from anxiety/panic from the chest pain. Do you guys know what the pain in my chest could have been, it was like a sharp, but also kinda dull pain, constantly. I am going to the doctors for something else and will bring it up but this is over a week away. 

Thanks.


----------



## Snowman

Rush said:


> Its anatomy and not biology ftr.
> 
> Can you describe the pain? dull/sharp, muscular/nerve, intermittant/constant, does it only start with exercise, does it go away when you stop?


Sharp, nerve, constant and it only happens when I run/jog. Walking feels fine. It goes away a few seconds after I stop. Also it seems to be a sharp pain in a line not a whole area. Imagine someone digging a pen at the bottom of your back all the way in a straight line to the bottom of your buttock.


----------



## Glass Shatters

SN0WMAN said:


> Sharp, nerve, constant and it only happens when I run/jog. Walking feels fine. It goes away a few seconds after I stop. Also it seems to be a sharp pain in a line not a whole area. Imagine someone digging a pen at the bottom of your back all the way in a straight line to the bottom of your buttock.


Since you're absolutely clueless about most things, this is no surprise. I'll enlighten you with an e- diagnosis from the symptoms you described: sciatica.


----------



## Rush

Sciatica generally presents with pain radiating down the back of the thigh and lower leg. Could be piriformis syndrome which causes similar symptoms, but the cause is different than sciatica (in terms of whats considered 'true' sciatica). I'm assuming that you're a relatively young bloke? In which case most of the causes of sciatica don't fit (ie lumbar disc herniation, disc degeneration, spondylolisthesis, stenosis of the spinal canal etc) but piriforimis syndrome is a more likely cause.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Rush said:


> Sciatica generally presents with pain radiating down the back of the thigh and lower leg. Could be piriformis syndrome which causes similar symptoms, but the cause is different than sciatica (in terms of whats considered 'true' sciatica). I'm assuming that you're a relatively young bloke? In which case most of the causes of sciatica don't fit (ie lumbar disc herniation, disc degeneration, spondylolisthesis, stenosis of the spinal canal etc) but piriforimis syndrome is a more likely cause.


I know this isn't directed towards me, but I speak from experience with sciatica. It was first misdiagnosed as piriformis syndrome although I described a "shooting" pain from the left side of my lower back to right at the top of my hamstring. I specifically mentioned that the most it hurt was when I got out of bed in the morning and stood up until I got an MRI with contrast ordered. The sciatica was in plain sight. I got 3 injections in my discs until I experienced any relief. I was 21 when I was diagnosed with sciatica.


----------



## Rush

As i said, piriformis syndrome, is pretty much the same as sciatica as it affects the sciatic nerve but you treat it differently. As in your case, the causation of the pain was due to your discs, but based on his symptoms (ie hurting when running) and his age i'd put it down to that. Doctors tend to not focus on things like a 21 year old having problems with their discs, its not that common. Having said that it still happens, as you can obviously attest to.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Rush said:


> As i said, piriformis syndrome, is pretty much the same as sciatica as it affects the sciatic nerve but you treat it differently. As in your case, the causation of the pain was due to your discs, but based on his symptoms (ie hurting when running) and his age i'd put it down to that. Doctors tend to not focus on things like a 21 year old having problems with their discs, its not that common. Having said that it still happens, as you can obviously attest to.


Don't get me wrong, I definitely see where you're coming from. I used to be an avid runner. Seventy miles a week was the norm for my first three years in the military (sans deployment). I was on a distance run when all of a sudden something popped up out of nowhere and I could not de-contract my left buttock without experiencing extremely sharp pain. Like I said, I was 21 at the time, but have been extremely active and outdoorsy all of my life. 

His symptoms were extremely similar to mine starting out, but the treatment for the piriformis syndrome actually worsened it. Snowman, if you get it checked out ask them to rule out disc compression before you are treated for tightening of the nerve due to compression by the piriformis. If you are prescribed Prednisone off the bat, request something else.


----------



## AWR

What's everyone's opinion on 'roids? Been working out for a year.. personally just wanna take the next step, think it's a good idea?


----------



## Rush

Not at all. I'd prefer to maintain a completely natural physique. Not to mention the side effects of them. Also you've only been working out for a year, you still have a lot more to gain without steroids.


----------



## AWR

Also cardio? Better working at a lower intensity?


----------



## Rush

Cardio, depends on what you want out of it. I tend to go hard, and smash it on certain machines (rowing, cycling), but if i'm on a crosstrainer, or treadmill then i tend to take it easier. I like to set goals for myself, like 1km on a few machines in under a certain amount of time. I always do the amount i tried for and try and get quicker at it. Need to start back up again and do some more cardio. Been slacking for ages so i'm pretty poor right now.


----------



## Zen

Anybody here run with Nike plus?


----------



## i$e

AWR said:


> What's everyone's opinion on 'roids? Been working out for a year.. personally just wanna take the next step, think it's a good idea?


----------



## Heel

Lost about a stone over the past two months, purely by cutting down on carbs (I have some wholemeal bread now and again as well as brown rice/wholemeal pasta but that's about it), not eating sugary foods and eating fruit when I want a snack. Also been focusing a lot more on cardio recently (usually do about an hour at least 4 times a week) and it's really been working for me. I know it's not as complicated a work-out plan as most of you but I feel pretty good so must be doing something right!


----------



## Zen

AWR said:


> What's everyone's opinion on 'roids? Been working out for a year.. personally just wanna take the next step, think it's a good idea?


Obvious troll is obvious


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Fuck that. bullshit.


----------



## El Conquistador

Skyfall said:


> Fuck that. bullshit.


What are you insinuating?


----------



## Zen

Skyfall said:


> Fuck that. bullshit.


u mirin?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

just jealous


----------



## i$e

Loving my IF bulk so far. Fasted training giving me gains all over the place.


----------



## Hennessey

Finally passed my NASM test. Wooooo.

Has anyone else on here tried chocolate milk after working out. I drank it after every workout for 2 weeks and lost 6 pounds.


----------



## i$e

^ lol dead


----------



## Hennessey

Don't get it?


----------



## i$e

your post made me laugh is all


----------



## Rush

Are you trying to say there is a corollary between drinking chocolate milk and losing weight? Depends on what i've had during the day and the workout but i sometimes make up a small amount of chocolate milk (about 200ml). Not too much chocolate in it either.


----------



## DNoD

Had a little bit under 1,800 kcals but don't really feel that good... I had 51% carb, 28% protein and 21% fat, are the carbs too high? I'm having like up to 250g a day. Would it be better if I swapped the carb/protein percentages? I would say definitely but I've been surprised a few times by answers in this thread so I dunno?

Is it the kcals that are too much? I'm sedentary all day apart from the gym. 5 ft 7, I'm like 9 and a half stone when I get up, and I'm 19. Also I sleep a lot, lol like 10+ hrs and only having like 12-14 hr days when I assume most people are active for more so would burn more?


----------



## Zen

15 hours, 24 minutes till Olympia!


----------



## Champ

is the protein guideline of 1.5 times your lean body mass accurate or is anything in the 1-1.5 range sufficient?


----------



## TexasTornado

Anyone know of some neck/shoulder workouts? All I have is dumb bells. Mostly just wanna get a little more bulk there.


----------



## El Conquistador

Dolce & Gabbana said:


> 15 hours, 24 minutes till Olympia!


u aware?


----------



## i$e

Champ said:


> is the protein guideline of 1.5 times your lean body mass accurate or is anything in the 1-1.5 range sufficient?


1g per pound is fine


----------



## shutupchico

my routine right now is to ball in the afternoon, then go to the pool near my house and do 60 laps, come back home and fuck around with the dumbells for a little bit, and drink chocolate milk(not the shit with the corn syrup though). feel like it's getting me in decent shape. i recommend swimming, gives u the cardio/strength(at least a little) combo, and a little natural high afterwards.


----------



## Zen

Top tier athletes, after pre judging, look to be:

Phil Heath
Kai Greene
Shawn Rhoden
Dexter Jackson
Branch Warren


----------



## El Conquistador

dat dere cell tech


----------



## Zen

Can't wait till Kai and Phil coes out, this is too close for me to call.


----------



## El Conquistador

No Jay, no care.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

I've decided to stop doing Starting Strength. It's so fucking boring. I'm going to do a split 5 days a week. I hit chest, shoulders and triceps today. Felt awesome actually doing other exercises besides Squats...


----------



## El Conquistador

Do PHAT, brah.


----------



## i$e

RPT>>>


----------



## That Guy

I'm someone who loves running outside and staying fit but lately there have been storms and I'm not able to, thinking of alternatives for the next few weeks and would doing jump rope at home have a good effect?

edit. Basically just curious if it's a good form of cardio?


----------



## i$e

Yeah, anything that raises your heartrate is good.


----------



## That Guy

Alright thanks for that, just wasn't completely sure.


----------



## i$e

Boxers do a ton of rope skipping for cardio. It's a pretty damn efficient method.


----------



## Oda Nobunaga

How are those workout program DVDs, actually? Like RUSHFIT, Insanity, etc. I've been looking to get back into shape after working so much, but I'm just not interested in going to the gym (I do have a YMCA membership - I go a few days a week). Thing is, I don't know where to start, I don't have a personal trainer or expert to help me out with goals and planning, but I do know what I want to do - get fit and conditioned enough for pro wrestling, since it's what I want to do. I also need to keep in shape for the duration of my adult life, or for as long as I can. Right now, I'm at 145 pounds and I'm 5'6. I'm not sure how much is muscle and how much is fat. Can't afford a doctor because I have no insurance, so I'm fucked when it comes to getting an opinion on that. I need some serious help because I'm at a loss on what to do.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Tried out The Hodge Twins leg workout today and boy do I feel like a fucking moron now. Not doing leg extensions or leg curls again for a very long time. Seems like a waste of time after reading into it.

So I leg days what kind of exercises should I do? Deads, Squats and Leg Press...What other compound exercises can I do on leg days?


----------



## i$e

All you need is Squats, Stiff Leg Deadlifts and Calve Raises. Done.


----------



## kusksu

I need some advice guys. i've been going to do the gym for awhile, all well and good. I go four times a week (2 upper and 2 lower body workouts) and i have a gym bike at home which i do 25 minutes every morning on. So i think as workouts i'm fine, but i can't seem to gain much in the way of bulk.

I' 5'10 and about 67kg (147 lbs), so any hints for a good muscle gain diet? Is it true that i should be gulfing down some protein within 30 minutes of my workout ending?


----------



## i$e

That anabolic window is a bit of a myth. Obviously you'll want to be eating a high protein/carb meal post-workout but it makes no real odds if it's 10, 30 or 90 minutes after really. Sometimes it's getting on for a couple of hours before I have my main PW meal and my gains have been great. 

Bulking is easy anyway. Just eat 250-500 calories over your maintenance. Trial and error till you're gaining 2-3lb a month.


----------



## kusksu

Ahh okay thanks for the info


----------



## Punkhead

May I ask one thing? What's the best to do for my cardio during winter? I have no equipment


----------



## i$e

Buy a skipping rope or go swimming.


----------



## DNoD

Why the fuck does everything have to be so confusing.


----------



## i$e

This whole thing is remarkably simple. If you're confused then you're probably over analyzing.


----------



## Zen

DNoD said:


> Why the fuck does everything have to be so confusing.


What do yiu wanna know?


----------



## Lm2

buy a skipping rope for cardio if you don't want to go to a gym.


----------



## DNoD

What is my maintenance calories. I've used a number of different calculations and there is a 400+ kcal difference, which is annoying. That could be the different of cutting, maintaining or bulking. I'm 5 ft 7, 133 pounds, 19. Sedentary apart from gym everyday, small cardio, lifting.


----------



## i$e

15 x bodyweight in pounds, then trial and error from there based on weight gain/loss. No calculator will give you an exact figure because everyone is different. It's just something you get a feel for after a while.


----------



## Oakue

Any suggestions on getting extra calories. Each day I'm falling about 250-300 calories short of what is required. I'm not sure how to make that deficit up. Either spread it out, add some calories to lesser meals, etc?


----------



## i$e

2 glasses of milk.


----------



## DNoD

Is it okay to consume 30% of my calories from just milk?


----------



## Oakue

i$e said:


> 2 glasses of milk.


How about if you're lactose intolerant, which I am?


----------



## i$e

30 almonds.


----------



## DNoD

If everything is simple, how come my simple questions don't get answered, then?


----------



## i$e

Jesus Christ, the amount of questions we've answered in this thread and you're being all pissy because it got skimmed over. 

Of course it's fine to eat 30% of your calories from milk. Hit your caloric goals, eat your weight in protein and get some healthy fats and veg down you, lift hard, sleep a lot and profit.


----------



## Glass Shatters

moonmop said:


> Any suggestions on getting extra calories. Each day I'm falling about 250-300 calories short of what is required. I'm not sure how to make that deficit up. Either spread it out, add some calories to lesser meals, etc?





i$e said:


> 2 glasses of milk.


Excellent suggestion. 

A lot of people underestimate the value of milk as a protein and caloric rich supplement to their weight gain goals. I actually did the GOMAD diet for about 3 months and put on a significant amount of weight. Went from about 160 to 180 and I still kept up with my cardio by running so fat gain was minimal. Squatted twice a week and the gains started coming.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

Is it really that important to sleep alot?


----------



## A$AP

RevolverSnake said:


> Is it really that important to sleep alot?


I'd say lack of sleep is probably the most common mistake among people new to a work out regime.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

Aw shit. I love to stay awake for like ever.


----------



## i$e

RevolverSnake said:


> Is it really that important to sleep alot?


It's essential to everything.


----------



## Rush

DNoD said:


> If everything is simple, how come my simple questions don't get answered, then?


:jaydamn



i$e said:


> Jesus Christ, the amount of questions we've answered in this thread and you're being all pissy because it got skimmed over.


^^^^

we don't have to answer anything at all, don't get pissy if you don't get a response straight away.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Finally starting to feel comfortable in the gym. If I ever straighten up my diet I'll be an Adonis as hard as I go in there.

Had to do my 2nd ever roll of shame tonight on the bench, tho. Thought I could get one more rep in and my arms were like NOPE.


----------



## DNoD

That was like the 6th question that didn't get answered (until I got 'all pissy'). It's not like this thread is like the RAW discussion thread when RAW is live, is it?

It may be simple to you guys but some of us aren't so clear about it hence why we ask you questions, if you don't want to answer them then fine but it's just weird when you answer some and not others especially when mine got 'skimmed' over more than once. It was obviously not 'simple' to me, or else I wouldn't have asked, would I?


----------



## i$e

Read the thread. Your question has likely been answered a dozen times.

Alternatively buy some books & read some bb forums.


----------



## sharkboy22

Has anyone tried the stronglifts 5x5 workout routine?


----------



## Rush

sharkboy22 said:


> Has anyone tried the stronglifts 5x5 workout routine?


did it for a bit. Its alright, will probably go back to it but its also fairly tedious. Been slacking lately and my already poor diet has got really bad.


----------



## NoyK

It's the first time I post in this thread, so sorry if what I'm about to ask has been asked before in the last 250 pages.

I was a really skinny guy 3-4 years ago, so I started eating 2x more than I did before for a whole year, and gained 20 more pounds. After that I started working out aiming for a fit body, and it's actually been working nicely, I don't exactly have a Swimmer's body right now, but I'm pretty decent.

Anyway getting to the point; arm/chest exercices have been working pretty great, it's been 3 months and I already notice a big difference especially in my biceps, but there is one thing that somehow isn't working.

After 2 months, I grew a small but visible 4-pack, but somehow my lower abs haven't evolved at all, and the rest of them haven't evolved at all in a month aswell.

I usually do 8-minute abs exercices every day, with a 30 second rest each minute. Am I doing something wrong?

I know this forum isn't exactly filled with bodybuilding gurus, but I'm sure some of you have alot more experience than me, that's for sure.

Anyway, help in this would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

I think this site could help you.

http://www.fitwatch.com/weight-loss/top-3-lower-ab-exercises-560.html


----------



## i$e

Lower overall BF%.


----------



## EGame

I'm new to this. But too much negative shit has been happening in my life and I want to focus all this negativity into going to the gym. Commit myself 100%. I've always been a very lanky guy but I'm looking to put on some muscle.

Starting a gym schedule of 3 days with 1 off day. Rinse and repeat. 

Day 1- Chest/Core 

Day 2 -back and tricepts and some forearms 

Day 3- Legs 

I'd name some of the exercises but I can't remember them all the names since I just started () but my bro is legit at bodybuilding so he's taken me and I've just finished my first week. 

I've also have some supps like fish oil tablets, multivitamins, GP3 and Whey protein. I have a ridiculously active metabolism but I really want develop some muscle. I'm definitely committed to this and I was hoping for some tips from people that know their stuff and possibly any recommendations to help me improve my workouts.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Good on you. I'm new as well and I'm in the gym 5 days a week. I couldn't do 3 days a week, I enjoy being in there too much to be away 4 days out of 7.


----------



## EGame

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Good on you. I'm new as well and I'm in the gym 5 days a week. I couldn't do 3 days a week, I enjoy being in there too much to be away 4 days out of 7.


I can hardly take a day off tbh. My first off day was yesterday and I was itching to get to the gym but I realized it would be a bad idea. I'll probably be going 5-6 times per week 

My body is sore as fuck though after the first week. I assume it get's better over time though? 

I just got back from my second chest/core exercise but I couldn't bring myself to do dips because my forearms were so sore from my back and tricept workout 2 days ago.  Managed everything else though.


----------



## i$e

An extra day of rest is almost always better than an extra day lifting. 

3 days is fine.


----------



## sharkboy22

Holy shit, 5 days in the gym? Rest is very important. Rest is what builds muscle. Along with proper nutrition of course. And if you're sore as fuck, listen to your body!


----------



## EGame

Sorry I should have been more clear. 

My last forearm workout was 3 days ago, I did legs 2 days ago and then took an off day yesterday, I was still sore though today, I suppose my recovery is just slow. I'll see how I feel tomorrow before doing back and triceps.


----------



## i$e

I do legs on Friday and I'm hurting over the weekend. It'll happen.


----------



## Rush

EGame said:


> My body is sore as fuck though after the first week. I assume it get's better over time though?


yeah, DOMS is less of an issue if you've been doing it for awhile. You still will get a bit of stiffness after a hard workout though.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

sharkboy22 said:


> Holy shit, 5 days in the gym? Rest is very important. Rest is what builds muscle. Along with proper nutrition of course. And if you're sore as fuck, listen to your body!


Seems pretty standard. I see the same people in there 5 days a week.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

*Monday*- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Bench Press (4 sets)
Incline Bench Press (4 sets)
Decline Bench Press (4 sets)
Close Grip Bench (3 sets)
Front & Side Deltoid Raise (3 sets)
Arnold Dumbell Press (3 sets)
Triceps Pulldown (4 sets)
Reverse Grip Triceps Pulldown (3 sets)
One Armed Pulldown (2 sets)

*Tuesday*- Back, Biceps & Forearms

Inverted Row (4 sets)
Dumbell Row (4 sets)
Bent Over Barbell Row (4 sets)
Lat Pulldown (4 sets)
Cable Rows (4 sets)
Hammer Biceps Curls (3 sets)
Incline Dumbell Curls (3 sets)
Wrist Roller (4 sets)

*Wednesday*- Legs, Abs & Lower Back

Barbell Squats (4 sets)
Deadlifts (4 sets)
Leg Press/Calf Press (3 sets + 3 sets)
Dumbell Lunges/Calf Raises (3 sets + 3 sets)
Crunches (3 sets)
Sit Ups w/Weights (3 sets)
Leg Raises (3 sets)
Hyperextensions w/Weights (3 sets)

*Thursday*- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
Incline Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
Decline Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
Chest Flys (2 sets)
Incline Chest Flys (2 sets)
Close Grip Bench (3 sets)
Dips w/Weights (3 sets)
Triceps Pulldowns (3 sets)
Triceps Overhead Ext (3 sets)
Shoulder Lateral Raise (3 sets)
Arnold Dumbell Press (3 sets)

*Friday*-Back Biceps & Forearms

Pull Ups (5 sets)
Chin Ups (5 sets)
Lat Pulldowns (4 sets)
Cable Rows (4 sets)
Hammer Curls (3 sets)
Regular+Incline Dumbell Curls (2 sets+2sets)
Barbell Curls (3 sets)
Reverse Barbel Curls (2 sets)
Wirst Rollers (3 sets)

*Saturday*- Legs, Abs & Lower Back

Barbell Squats (4 sets)
Deadlifts (4 sets)
Leg Press/Calf Press (3 sets + 3 sets)
Dumbell Lunges/Calf Raises (3 sets + 3 sets)
Crunches (3 sets)
Sit Ups w/Weights (3 sets)
Leg Raises (3 sets)
Hyperextensions w/Weights (3 sets)

This is pretty much the routine I'm doing right now and I'm loving it. I usually do my routine around 30 sets since I don't think is neccesary to surpass that in my case. Currently not doing Cardio in my routine but I sweat pretty heavily in my routine since I like to do very intense weight lifting and with a 30/45 second rest time. I going to bulk up until December and then add 20-30 minutes of cardio after each weight lifting workout. As far as diet is concern I go with the usual fish, chicken, eggs, brown rice & veggies but healthy food is expensive as fuck these days and sometimes I just eat what I can grab with moderation of course.


----------



## Lm2

JoseBxNYC said:


> *Monday*- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
> 
> Bench Press (4 sets)
> Incline Bench Press (4 sets)
> Decline Bench Press (4 sets)
> Close Grip Bench (3 sets)
> Front & Side Deltoid Raise (3 sets)
> Arnold Dumbell Press (3 sets)
> Triceps Pulldown (4 sets)
> Reverse Grip Triceps Pulldown (3 sets)
> One Armed Pulldown (2 sets)
> 
> *Tuesday*- Back, Biceps & Forearms
> 
> Inverted Row (4 sets)
> Dumbell Row (4 sets)
> Bent Over Barbell Row (4 sets)
> Lat Pulldown (4 sets)
> Cable Rows (4 sets)
> Hammer Biceps Curls (3 sets)
> Incline Dumbell Curls (3 sets)
> Wrist Roller (4 sets)
> 
> *Wednesday*- Legs, Abs & Lower Back
> 
> Barbell Squats (4 sets)
> Deadlifts (4 sets)
> Leg Press/Calf Press (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Dumbell Lunges/Calf Raises (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Crunches (3 sets)
> Sit Ups w/Weights (3 sets)
> Leg Raises (3 sets)
> Hyperextensions w/Weights (3 sets)
> 
> *Thursday*- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
> 
> Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
> Incline Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
> Decline Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
> Chest Flys (2 sets)
> Incline Chest Flys (2 sets)
> Close Grip Bench (3 sets)
> Dips w/Weights (3 sets)
> Triceps Pulldowns (3 sets)
> Triceps Overhead Ext (3 sets)
> Shoulder Lateral Raise (3 sets)
> Arnold Dumbell Press (3 sets)
> 
> *Friday*-Back Biceps & Forearms
> 
> Pull Ups (5 sets)
> Chin Ups (5 sets)
> Lat Pulldowns (4 sets)
> Cable Rows (4 sets)
> Hammer Curls (3 sets)
> Regular+Incline Dumbell Curls (2 sets+2sets)
> Barbell Curls (3 sets)
> Reverse Barbel Curls (2 sets)
> Wirst Rollers (3 sets)
> 
> *Saturday*- Legs, Abs & Lower Back
> 
> Barbell Squats (4 sets)
> Deadlifts (4 sets)
> Leg Press/Calf Press (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Dumbell Lunges/Calf Raises (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Crunches (3 sets)
> Sit Ups w/Weights (3 sets)
> Leg Raises (3 sets)
> Hyperextensions w/Weights (3 sets)
> 
> This is pretty much the routine I'm doing right now and I'm loving it. I usually do my routine around 30 sets since I don't think is neccesary to surpass that in my case. Currently not doing Cardio in my routine but I sweat pretty heavily in my routine since I like to do very intense weight lifting and with a 30/45 second rest time. I going to bulk up until December and then add 20-30 minutes of cardio after each weight lifting workout. As far as diet is concern I go with the usual fish, chicken, eggs, brown rice & veggies but healthy food is expensive as fuck these days and sometimes I just eat what I can grab with moderation of course.


nice routine man, how much cals do you eat a day, and yeah ive been doing some cardio im cutting right now, and gotta work my stamina up.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

legendmaker2 said:


> nice routine man, how much cals do you eat a day, and yeah ive been doing some cardio im cutting right now, and gotta work my stamina up.


I'm eating 2,900-3,200 a day Calories right now. I'm doing a 40/40/20 diet. Protein %40, Carbs %40 & Fat %20. This split works for me. I'm going to go down %10 fat and add it to carbs once I decide to cut and lose fat.


----------



## i$e

You're overtraining tbh.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I actually feel great. Originally I started with 21 Sets per workout before reaching around 30 Sets.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Even the biggest motherfuckers I know don't train 6 days a week. Hell I'm considering cutting back to 4 because of shin splints.


----------



## EGame

Was talking to a friend friend at the gym and he described his diet when he started working out. He said he would basically eat mountains of food a day which for me is really unrealistic with school and work, I just don't have time to organize eating that much food through the day but I am planning to eat more but I fear it might be enough. 

I want to build some muscle and would like to put on maybe 10 lbs in the process. My metabolism is like a jet engine it's really hard for me to gain weight, so I was considering some supplements. What are your guys opinions on using supplements? I've heard many different opinions on them. Also if you recommend using them, any suggestions on what I should take?


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Even the biggest motherfuckers I know don't train 6 days a week. Hell I'm considering cutting back to 4 because of shin splints.


I actually didn't workout Saturdays. But I decided to add another day to do legs and abs. So people workout six days, some five, some four. Everybody has different theories and opinions on how many days to train, lift, etc. I'm just doing what I find comfortable for myself. The sixth day is sort of still on "tryout mode" sort of speak.


----------



## buckatee

Sup guys,

I'm looking to lose weight fast. I can only exercise once a week due to uni committments, and I have graduation in a month and I want to look good.

I am currently dieting. I eat three meals (breakfast, lunch and tea) daily and try to keep snacking to a minimum. One glass of diet pop a day. However, I also drink lots of water every day, three bottles at the BARE MINIMUM. Since I started drinking more water, my weight has decreased about 5 pounds.

Could anyone please help me? I don't wanna resort to crash diets or anything.


----------



## i$e

my sig.


----------



## itsmadness

JoseBxNYC said:


> *Monday*- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
> 
> Bench Press (4 sets)
> Incline Bench Press (4 sets)
> Decline Bench Press (4 sets)
> Close Grip Bench (3 sets)
> Front & Side Deltoid Raise (3 sets)
> Arnold Dumbell Press (3 sets)
> Triceps Pulldown (4 sets)
> Reverse Grip Triceps Pulldown (3 sets)
> One Armed Pulldown (2 sets)
> 
> *Tuesday*- Back, Biceps & Forearms
> 
> Inverted Row (4 sets)
> Dumbell Row (4 sets)
> Bent Over Barbell Row (4 sets)
> Lat Pulldown (4 sets)
> Cable Rows (4 sets)
> Hammer Biceps Curls (3 sets)
> Incline Dumbell Curls (3 sets)
> Wrist Roller (4 sets)
> 
> *Wednesday*- Legs, Abs & Lower Back
> 
> Barbell Squats (4 sets)
> Deadlifts (4 sets)
> Leg Press/Calf Press (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Dumbell Lunges/Calf Raises (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Crunches (3 sets)
> Sit Ups w/Weights (3 sets)
> Leg Raises (3 sets)
> Hyperextensions w/Weights (3 sets)
> 
> *Thursday*- Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
> 
> Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
> Incline Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
> Decline Dumbell Bench Press (3 sets)
> Chest Flys (2 sets)
> Incline Chest Flys (2 sets)
> Close Grip Bench (3 sets)
> Dips w/Weights (3 sets)
> Triceps Pulldowns (3 sets)
> Triceps Overhead Ext (3 sets)
> Shoulder Lateral Raise (3 sets)
> Arnold Dumbell Press (3 sets)
> 
> *Friday*-Back Biceps & Forearms
> 
> Pull Ups (5 sets)
> Chin Ups (5 sets)
> Lat Pulldowns (4 sets)
> Cable Rows (4 sets)
> Hammer Curls (3 sets)
> Regular+Incline Dumbell Curls (2 sets+2sets)
> Barbell Curls (3 sets)
> Reverse Barbel Curls (2 sets)
> Wirst Rollers (3 sets)
> 
> *Saturday*- Legs, Abs & Lower Back
> 
> Barbell Squats (4 sets)
> Deadlifts (4 sets)
> Leg Press/Calf Press (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Dumbell Lunges/Calf Raises (3 sets + 3 sets)
> Crunches (3 sets)
> Sit Ups w/Weights (3 sets)
> Leg Raises (3 sets)
> Hyperextensions w/Weights (3 sets)
> 
> This is pretty much the routine I'm doing right now and I'm loving it. I usually do my routine around 30 sets since I don't think is neccesary to surpass that in my case. Currently not doing Cardio in my routine but I sweat pretty heavily in my routine since I like to do very intense weight lifting and with a 30/45 second rest time. I going to bulk up until December and then add 20-30 minutes of cardio after each weight lifting workout. As far as diet is concern I go with the usual fish, chicken, eggs, brown rice & veggies but healthy food is expensive as fuck these days and sometimes I just eat what I can grab with moderation of course.


Holy over training not even a pro bodybuilder on every single possible anabolic would train this much

A better split would be chest shoulder tri / legs / back/bi off repeat... you are doing wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much


----------



## i$e

^


----------



## JoseBxNYC

i$e said:


> my sig.


Great Guide


----------



## Rush

JoseBxNYC said:


> I actually feel great. Originally I started with 21 Sets per workout before reaching around 30 Sets.


how many reps in each set?


atm i'm in the gym twice a week, because i have cricket training (~2 hours) + the match (~5 hours) on another 2 days so if i was to do any more my ankle and back would be fucked worse than they are now.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Rush said:


> how many reps in each set?
> 
> 
> atm i'm in the gym twice a week, because i have cricket training (~2 hours) + the match (~5 hours) on another 2 days so if i was to do any more my ankle and back would be fucked worse than they are now.


I always keep it 8 to 12


----------



## tarekayad

hey sorry!


----------



## JoseBxNYC

itsmadness said:


> Holy over training not even a pro bodybuilder on every single possible anabolic would train this much
> 
> A better split would be chest shoulder tri / legs / back/bi off repeat... you are doing wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much


The term over training is used way to much in fitness and is very misused and misleading. Just like the term buried in wrestling.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

tarekayad said:


> hey leute,
> 
> mag mich hier auch mal einbringen, Wrestling ist und bleibt Show, aber dennoch ist es unabdingbar gut in Form zu sein um das Verletzungsrisiko zu minimieren.
> Ich selbst weiss einiges darüber da ich als Personaltrainer arbeite.
> wer ein paar Tipps möchte wie er fitter werden kann schreibt mir eine pn oder erkundigt sich auf meiner hp tarekayad.de
> 
> ich stehe gern für jegliche art von fragen zur verfügung
> 
> lg tarek


tarkeyad, how though provoking.


----------



## Rush

Except that you're either overtraining or you're working at a rubbish intensity.


----------



## i$e

^


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ok, ending a long cutting cycle after October (after Halloween to be exact). I've dropping a lot of weight since I got to college (pittsburgh is full of hills and my house is up like a 2 mile hill). So, I've calculated my calories needed, but I'm not sure on the percentages of fat/carb/protein to go. I know of the 20/40/40, but I keep getting different answers all over BB.com nad elsewhere on the internet. So I'd like to add to that, what should my percentages be for gaining strength and size?


----------



## i$e

Honestly, don't worry about exact percentages.

Just eat your calculated calories, eat your bodyweight in protein (lb = gram), eat some EFA's from supps/food, and then eat a wide range of foods to make up the rest. You'll naturually fall into the right range.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Is it a bad habit if you eat chicken/steak with eggs in the morning constantly?


----------



## i$e

no


----------



## Glass Shatters

Alright, here's a question. I'm not the biggest guy, but I'm pretty well built and it is noticeable on my frame. Right now, I am carrying a little bit of extra weight from not working out going on 3 months. I'd say anywhere from 10-15 pounds would be an accurate assessment. However, I'm getting ready to start working out again, and will be taking 2 protein shakes (whey post workout and casein before bed), as well as a pre workout supplement with 3 solid meals a day, coming out to about 22-2500 calories. 

I plan to run 2 miles on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday and lift on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'll likely walk 2 miles on Tuesday and Friday. Now mind you, when I lift, I lift. I don't dick around and am intense as fuck. Do you think it would be a good idea to stack a fat burner with the aforementioned supplements and caloric intake and expect fat loss?


----------



## i$e

my sig ^


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

should I feel like a fatass since I'm supposed to be eating nearly 3000 calories a day to gain weight? It's actually 2978 (500 surplus). Like, it's fucking awesome


----------



## NoyK

i$e, I'm going to follow your sig guide. I might take a photo now, and in three months time or so I'll take one again to see the difference. Not sure if I should post it here though, would be kinda weird I guess. :lol

But anyway, I read your guide in a flash, it's pretty damn good. Going to read it carefully now, and follow the steps. Thanks for that 

Hopefully I'll se results ASAP. Cheers.


----------



## i$e

It's a 'no ****' situation to take photos. It's pretty much a great way of tracking progress and being able to get outside opinions. Post away.

Good luck.


----------



## Rush

Take pictures for yourself. Its a nice motivator to see how much you've toned up and/or lost weight since starting. A lot of people only look at the scales which can get demoralising if they aren't moving too much when in reality they've already lost size/fat from around their body.

Which reminds me, summer is around the corner so i should get my diet in order


----------



## i$e

We've just entered winter here so I'm plughing through a 20lb bulk.


----------



## Rush

i want to go to Canada and snowboard in jan or feb but apart from that i'm back to playing cricket, and considering i have a pool + live a couple of minutes from the beach i need to get back into swimming regularly.


----------



## i$e

dem dere heavy weightz?

In other news, I got into a huge argument with some cunt in a bar the other day who was trying to tell me that I should 'be eating breakfast mate' because 'it's the most important meal of the day' and I was 'doing long term damage by fasting 16 hours a day'. 

Fucking went off on him. Condecending prick for real.


----------



## Rush

I tend to ignore idiots most of the time. My bigger problem is when i see PT's in the gym with older clients. They're completely clueless about range of movement, how age affects it and how to deal with it. It infuriates me more than anything. That and people with poor technique.


----------



## i$e

Yeah. I'm getting my PT/Nutrition diploma in a few months. Time to make a career out of it rather than just spam this thread. I'll be one of the 5% good ones.


----------



## Rush

I should get my cert 3 & 4 and work as a PT until i start my masters degree (so i can qualify as a physio) but i couldn't be arsed.


----------



## i$e

Make it happen. The dumb thing is that I dropped A Level Biology after two weeks thinking I'll never use it. As soon as I graduated I regretted it because I should have gone down the sports science root. 

FUCK IT.


----------



## Rush

yeah, your school system in England is messed up. In ours you can do whatever courses you want, and if you have a change of heart and want to do a different uni course then you can without needing a A/B/C/etc in a certain subject to get in. Didn't matter for me though, i always kinda knew what area i wanted to go in so my subjects were advanced english, maths, pd/h/pe, biology, chemistry and physics so i got bonus marks on top of my uni admission score to get into my bachelors, and because the first semester was essentially biology, chemistry, a pd/h/pe type subject and psychology i breezed through the start of the course.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

i$e said:


> dem dere heavy weightz?
> 
> In other news, I got into a huge argument with some cunt in a bar the other day who was trying to tell me that I should 'be eating breakfast mate' because 'it's the most important meal of the day' and I was 'doing long term damage by fasting 16 hours a day'.
> 
> Fucking went off on him. Condecending prick for real.


I don't eat breakfast either and fast for 16 hours as well. It work for me. Some people tend to think they know it all when in reality they don't know squat. Plus at the end of the day our bodies are extremely different.

I know people that eat 3 meals a day, some eat six small meals a day and some fast. Some people hit 12-15 sets and are ripped as hell just by doing that. Some do between 25-30 sets and it works for them. The body works differently for everyone.


----------



## NoyK

Rush said:


> Take pictures for yourself. Its a nice motivator to see how much you've toned up and/or lost weight since starting. A lot of people only look at the scales which can get demoralising if they aren't moving too much when in reality they've already lost size/fat from around their body.
> 
> Which reminds me, summer is around the corner so i should get my diet in order


True, I believe I read somewhere that Muscle weights more than fat, so scales could fool you. Pictures/Looking at yourself in the mirror is a much better evaluation system in my opinion. 

Well I already started today, let's see where this goes.  

Here's a picture of myself at the moment. I put it up as a spoiler just in case. :lol
Let's see if in three months time I'll be able to invite girls to play checkers in my belly 8*D



Spoiler: Start; day 1


----------



## i$e

NoyK said:


> True, I believe I read somewhere that Muscle weights more than fat


Think about that for a second.


----------



## NoyK

i$e said:


> Think about that for a second.





> Common sense tells us a pound of muscle and a pound of fat have to weigh the same, but they do differ in density. This means if you look at five pounds of muscle and five pounds of fat side by side, the fat takes up more volume, or space, than the muscle.




Sorry, didn't explain as well as I should have 

What I was trying to say is, if you had two people with the same body volume, but one of them had more fat than muscle, and the other one vice-versa, the person with more muscle would weight more.
Not sure if I'm making sense here though, kinda speaking what I've read trough time.


----------



## i$e

That's true, worded a bit weird still.

A pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle. Fat just takes up more volume.


----------



## ratedR3:16

guys give me a heads up for any good deltoid exercises (links would great)


----------



## Rush

as i$e alluded to, a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle (exactly a pound as it were) but they differ in density. Thus you can lose fat/size, and not lose mass. 

^ what do you want the deltoid exercises for?


----------



## Lm2

does anyone else do jumping pushups, like push off the ground when you come back up from the ground with both feet and arms and clap, i feel like its a harder pushup but im getting use to it.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

No, I just do wall pushups because I'm a skinny fat ass. unk3


----------



## Lm2

haha i dont know if thats sarcasm at all, just wondering if anyone else trys it and if there is any significance from normal pushups.


----------



## Rush

Never tried it with my feet leaving the ground. I can push up and clap. I don't do them though, or any other push ups for that matter.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

I wasn't sarcastic. unk3


----------



## ratedR3:16

Rush said:


> as i$e alluded to, a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle (exactly a pound as it were) but they differ in density. Thus you can lose fat/size, and not lose mass.
> 
> ^ what do you want the deltoid exercises for?


need more exercises for that muscle group.


----------



## Lm2

i usually do as much pushups as i can before my arms give, but usually i do more chin ups, dips and situps then pushups, i think im going start running again too, gotta get the thanksgiving weight off sometime.


----------



## ratedR3:16

legendmaker2 said:


> does anyone else do jumping pushups, like push off the ground when you come back up from the ground with both feet and arms and clap, i feel like its a harder pushup but im getting use to it.


don't really need to do them there for showing off more then anything, try knuckle ups instead or pushups with weights


----------



## Lm2

ratedR3:16 said:


> don't really need to do them there for showing off more then anything, try knuckle ups instead or pushups with weights


yeah i usually do diamond pushups, or i try to go off chairs so i can get more of a strech with no floor stopping me.


----------



## ratedR3:16

legendmaker2 said:


> yeah i usually do diamond pushups, or i try to go off chairs so i can get more of a strech with no floor stopping me.


fair enough but diamond press ups work on your triceps so make sure your do normal ones as well, its cool to hear your trying different stuff out though to make your workouts more of a challenge


----------



## i$e

push ups are gay

incline bench, push press, military, lateral raises are good deltoid excersises


----------



## Lm2

how are pushups gay? if you dont have time for the gym or want a quick exercise before bed, its great.


----------



## ratedR3:16

i$e said:


> push ups are gay
> 
> incline bench, push press, military, lateral raises are good deltoid excersises


to say push ups are gay is immature they are a great form of basic core exercise and work on multiple muscle groups and are very practical and can be done nearly anywhere.

thanks for the deltoid exercises


----------



## RKO920

Now with school and work I barley have time to get to the gym. Is three days a week enough to keep my mass? Right now I have a decent cut, with a pretty good amount of muscle mass. I eat decently healthy by eating grilled chicken, and etc about 3-4 days a week.


----------



## i$e

3 days is fine


----------



## NoyK

I usually do 3 sets of 4 different pushups everyday, 10 each (Diamond, Normal, Wide, Side-To-Side, makes it 40) with a 3~5 minute rest just to keep my upper body strength as high as possible.

But I spend most time of my chest/arms exercises doing bench-presses for at least an hour 4 days a week, it's when I feel like I'm actually improving as I'm always sore the next day. 

Currently I'm concentrating a little more on cardio exercices, fat loss exercices, and ab workouts, since mine are barely visible. At least half an our of these after the Chest/Arms exercices are done, depending on how tired I am.

Not sure if I am overdoing it or if I should step it up a notch. 

Oh and quick question; are protein shakes (powder, not natural) worth it? Not sure if I want to spend 40$ on one.


----------



## i$e

you're overtraining on bench

1xhigh intensity a week is fine, 2x is pushing it unless you're new to lifting, 4x is wayyyyyyyyy too much.

protein shakers : yes if you can't reach your macros with whole foods

one of the best supps along w/ bcaa, omega3 and vit d

also soreness next day =/= sign of good previous workout


----------



## Glass Shatters

i$e said:


> push ups are gay
> 
> incline bench, push press, military, lateral raises are good deltoid excersises


Pushups are a well respected compound exercise throughout many fitness and bodybuilding circles. There is a reason branches of the military include them in their fitness tests. They're not exceptional for building mass, but they offer many variations and can shape well formed pectorals while increasing muscular strength and stamina. 

Besides, Greg Plitt, world renowned fitness model and former Army Ranger, disagrees. As does Herschel Walker, who did nothing but pushups and situps prior to attending college at Georgia enroute to one of the greatest collegiate football careers in history.


----------



## NoyK

i$e said:


> you're overtraining on bench
> 
> 1xhigh intensity a week is fine, 2x is pushing it unless you're new to lifting, 4x is wayyyyyyyyy too much.
> 
> protein shakers : yes if you can't reach your macros with whole foods
> 
> one of the best supps along w/ bcaa, omega3 and vit d
> 
> also soreness next day =/= sign of good previous workout


Eesh, thanks, so that's probably why I couldn't keep up as days went by like I wish I would. I'm overdoing it I see, thanks man. Going to reduce on bench-pressing, and going to do do some jogging instead then.

Cheers pal.

Edit: Kinda random, but am I the only one who sometimes works out listening to Ryback/Lesnar's theme? I can't be right? 
Right? :side:


----------



## i$e

never thought so many would get sensitive over an obvious joke

push up defence league up in this here bitch


----------



## ratedR3:16

i$e said:


> never thought so many would get sensitive over an obvious joke
> 
> push up defence league up in this here bitch


sorry but you can't really tell when you can't see a facial expression or tone of voice, tried some of the deltoid exercises by the way spilt them up into anterior lateral and posterior


----------



## iMiZFiT

Any help here guys?

I just want to get a more athletic look, not body building, similar to the Cam Gidandet look in Never Back Down. Speaking of films, how amazing is the Warrior?!

I don't have access to a gym atm and that will be hopefully changing soon.

I'm 17 and I would regard myself as decent shape. I saw some posts about BF% I am quite slim and can see some definition of the abs just by my weight.

At the moment, I can do around 30 press ups in one go.

I'm just wondering if you guys have any tips for things I can do at home to get myself going before I join a gym?

Thanks!


----------



## BULLY

I would suggest getting your diet and sleeping patterns right as lifting weights is only part of the deal. As far as diet goes eat foods that are rich in protein and low carbs, e.g. fish, chicken, lean meat, also eat fruit, try to avoid fatty foods. You are limited to what you can do at home but Situps, calf raises, stomach crunches, dips and of course pushups help. Also make sure you stretch to get your flexability. I would recommend going to the gym, as you're limited to what you can do at home. If you do go to the gym don't go overboard with the weight as you said you want an atheltic look, so go low weight high reps and just concentrate on getting your form right. e.g. tense your abs, keep your back straight etc.


----------



## iMiZFiT

Thanks, I really appreciate it. I already eat reasonably healthy, I don't drink fizzy juice or anything, only water, I eat fruit and I do eat chicken and meat, but I'll try to work some fish in.

Yeah I'll try and join a gym as soon as possible, just a matter of scraping the funds together (I never ask my parents for money or anything haha)

Cheers man!


----------



## BULLY

Another thing I would suggest is not to overdo it.I see a lot of people when they start at a gym are over-enthusiastic and train too hard and burn themselves out. Doing a 30-45 minute session 3 times a week is sufficient. Don't expect to see magical results straight away, be patient. If you work hard in the first couple of months, you'll see results.


----------



## Glass Shatters

iMiZFiT said:


> Any help here guys?
> 
> I just want to get a more athletic look, not body building, similar to the Cam Gidandet look in Never Back Down. Speaking of films, how amazing is the Warrior?!
> 
> I don't have access to a gym atm and that will be hopefully changing soon.
> 
> I'm 17 and I would regard myself as decent shape. I saw some posts about BF% I am quite slim and can see some definition of the abs just by my weight.
> 
> At the moment, I can do around 30 press ups in one go.
> 
> I'm just wondering if you guys have any tips for things I can do at home to get myself going before I join a gym?
> 
> Thanks!


Never forget that a true athletic look includes defined legs. You don't want to be wearing sweatpants to the gym during Summer. Make sure to include forward and reverse continuous walking lunges and prisoner squats. 

When you finally do get a gym membership, strive to look like Tom Platz, not this douche.










As far as pushups go, Stew Smith's program really helped me on that prior to my basic training. 

http://www.stewsmith.com/linkpages/pushuppush.htm


----------



## iMiZFiT

Haha of course I would never abandon my legs.

About the low carb thing, isn't that like a catch 22 because you need carbs for energy?


----------



## BULLY

Better off eating fruit for energy.


----------



## Rush

Too much fruit is bad for you.


----------



## BULLY

Yeah. A banana or apple before a workout doesn't hurt though.


----------



## i$e

Fruit is better afterwards, not before.


----------



## DNoD

Apparently it doesn't really matter what you eat, as long as it's not loads of crazy bad foods. Apparently, if you hit your macros and kcals then it's fine but eating as clean as possible is better. Maybe that's why I haven't gained any muscle... I'm doing what the 'pro's' are doing, everyone keeps telling me to stick at it and I will see results, well...

And if you need quick energy, I'm sure a piece of fruit is fine before.


----------



## i$e

All of what you said is correct.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

DNoD said:


> Apparently it doesn't really matter what you eat, as long as it's not loads of crazy bad foods. Apparently, if you hit your macros and kcals then it's fine but eating as clean as possible is better. Maybe that's why I haven't gained any muscle... I'm doing what the 'pro's' are doing, everyone keeps telling me to stick at it and I will see results, well...
> 
> And if you need quick energy, I'm sure a piece of fruit is fine before.


IIFIYM

and


----------



## DNoD

I just haven't gained any muscle. (but have gained fat, but have been lifting HARD). I've been eating above maintenance, also ate more after 2 weeks of not gaining just in case I got my maintenance wrong, but nope no gains. Can't even see any slight changes or strength/power differences when working out. I try and push myself but nope. I'm sedentary all day, every day apart from the gym, there is NO WAY I can be eating too little. 

Now it's just taking the piss cos I'm not even building with quite a bit of fat instead of minimal fat, it's just.. fat and no strength but I keep getting told to keep on at it and it will come............................... When apparently I should be stronger every week and sometimes even every workout. What the hell am I doing wrong. And no I'm not an ecto.


----------



## Glass Shatters

DNoD said:


> I just haven't gained any muscle. (but have gained fat, but have been lifting HARD). I've been eating above maintenance, also ate more after 2 weeks of not gaining just in case I got my maintenance wrong, but nope no gains. Can't even see any slight changes or strength/power differences when working out. I try and push myself but nope. I'm sedentary all day, every day apart from the gym, there is NO WAY I can be eating too little.
> 
> Now it's just taking the piss cos I'm not even building with quite a bit of fat instead of minimal fat, it's just.. fat and no strength but I keep getting told to keep on at it and it will come............................... When apparently I should be stronger every week and sometimes even every workout. What the hell am I doing wrong. And no I'm not an ecto.


Focus on gaining weight first. If you're not seeing strength gains you might want to consider the GOMAD/HGOMAD and squats routine. You will gain fat on that program but you will also gain strength and mass if paired correctly with clean eating, heavy lifting, and light cardio. You can always take the fat off later. It's bulking season, anyway.


----------



## Lm2

anyone else take pre workout shit, for extra energy im thinking of taking NO Explod but haven't really looked that much into it, i know it gives you energy and that extra kick to push harder, anyone else take a pre workout


----------



## BULLY

I'm taking amino energy. I've done no explod before, though it did make me feel sick in the stomach at times. I find the amino a lot cleaner and it can effect your heartrate when you're doing cardio.


----------



## Lm2

is there any huge difference between the two, was there something in the Explod that made you sick, or just your body wouldn't accept it?


----------



## i$e

DNoD said:


> I just haven't gained any muscle. (but have gained fat, but have been lifting HARD). I've been eating above maintenance, also ate more after 2 weeks of not gaining just in case I got my maintenance wrong, but nope no gains. Can't even see any slight changes or strength/power differences when working out. I try and push myself but nope. I'm sedentary all day, every day apart from the gym, there is NO WAY I can be eating too little.
> 
> Now it's just taking the piss cos I'm not even building with quite a bit of fat instead of minimal fat, it's just.. fat and no strength but I keep getting told to keep on at it and it will come............................... When apparently I should be stronger every week and sometimes even every workout. What the hell am I doing wrong. And no I'm not an ecto.


Post your current routine.


----------



## BULLY

legendmaker2 said:


> is there any huge difference between the two, was there something in the Explod that made you sick, or just your body wouldn't accept it?


I don't know, just felt sick when doing exercises that involved moving my torso. I guess everybody's body is different, I guess the best thing to do is just get a little sample bottle and try it, trial and error. But yeah from a personal perspective I would recommend the amino energy if you want pre workout stuff.


----------



## Lm2

BULLY said:


> I don't know, just felt sick when doing exercises that involved moving my torso. I guess everybody's body is different, I guess the best thing to do is just get a little sample bottle and try it, trial and error. But yeah from a personal perspective I would recommend the amino energy if you want pre workout stuff.


true enough bro, trial and error def is the best way to go, i was going try it just wanted others opinions first.


----------



## i$e

Deloading after this week. Lower back is aching and I'm taking ages to recover. Mindset is off and just had a pretty poor workout. 

Complete week off has been overdue for a long time.


----------



## Loudness

i$e said:


> Deloading after this week. *Lower back is aching* and I'm taking ages to recover. Mindset is off and just had a pretty poor workout.
> 
> Complete week off has been overdue for a long time.


Know that feel, I'm doing legs twice per week (only bodypart I hit twice) and I've incorporated deadlifts into it for my current plan, but I'm going to put them in my back day starting from next week for my new plan so I have more time to recover from them as my lower back can't handle it anymore. Plus, during the last 6 weeks my legs have been shaking like mad when bathing after workouts lol, squats+dl+lunges+leg raises = KO'd.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, leg day bodies me. I do them Friday and I need Sat/Sun off just to recover before hitting my next workout on the Monday. Brutal shit.

I used to DL/Squat on the same day when I started out, but once you get past a certain point, it's just not optimal anymore. 

FUCK IT. Week off, come back hard.


----------



## Loudness

Depends how you define certain point, I switch my routing every 6-8 weeks as I stop having good gains after that time period, if you keep doing the same things you'll slack after a while, regardless of exercise. That said, I never dropped dls, squats and benches.


----------



## i$e

Once you progress past beginner status, basically.


----------



## Loudness

300 lbs squats and 330 lbs deadlift (1 rm each) = beginner?


----------



## i$e

I think you've misunderstood what was said.

Doing squats and deadlifts on the same day past the beginner stage = not optimal (as you've discovered, hence moving your DL's to back day where they should be).


----------



## Loudness

Ah, I see. Well yeah, pretty much impossible for me to handle the dls on leg day twice a week over a prolonged time so I agree.


----------



## i$e

(Y)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I do DLs on Bicep Day. Stiff leg DL on leg day. I like it.


----------



## i$e

Same, except I do push/pull/legs


----------



## DNoD

i$e said:


> Post your current routine.


Not even in a solid routine yet but this is what I have done recently in terms of muscle groups. I've geared away from HIIT/cardio (apart from warm up cardio) just so I am consuming less so I can gain.

1. Chest/triceps
2. Back/biceps
3. Shoulders/traps
4. Calfs/hamstring/quads - haven't done many of these, so boring and if I do miss then I do cardio or chest/triceps again or I rest. I know I need to keep squats etc up.
5. If rested in 4 (usually do now). then: 5 = 1, 6 = 2 and 7 = 3. Probably done this more than anything else, upper body every day lol... Surely this can't be the problem, I see so many top heavies. I do abs every other day. 

Exercies:
1. Push ups/Bench presses/tricep pully cable thing (don't know the name lol, kickbacks?)
2. Deadlifts/wide grip pull ups - but I fail so hard at these, gonna have to use machine assister lol)/some back machines (yeah yeah machines are shit) gonna do single arm rows and the reverse fly thing on a bench. 
3. Shoulder press/alternating deltoid raise (stopped these but will continue)/shrugs/cable thing across body (don't know name lol)


----------



## Loudness

Are you by any chance really tall? Most giants have a hard time squatting and deadlifting due to large ROM and knees getting injured easier.

Still, no excuse for skipping leg day and doing chest instead, just do hacksquats, legpresses, legcurs, leg extensions instead if it's a height problem.


----------



## Rush

I really dislike hack squats. Just a weird position to be in.

Was meant to go to the gym today but i couldn't walk without a weird pain in my foot. Started at cricket training last night so i'm hoping its just a bit of inflammation around one of the tendons and nothing serious. Would suck if it were a stress fracture. 



DNoD said:


> Not even in a solid routine yet


I apologise if this sounds dickish but how do you expect to gain muscle if you're iffy on your routine, likely not working at a proper intensity, likely not working in a good rep range, and based on your post maybe not doing enough exercises.


----------



## Loudness

^Was just using hacksquats as an example, never done them tbh so can't comment on awkwardness effect, although they don't really seem that bad at all. I'm more of a classical training type though, I barely ever use machines (thinking about smith machines in hacksquat case) unless its for leg extensions and lat pulldowns, although I wouldn't say no to them per se, just never used them in my routines done so far yet.

To add to your post, he should also post his stats, diet and bodytype. I remember when I was still a beginner and followed a mesomorph diet plan (not knowing between the difference of bodytypes at that type), still beeing 175 lbs and thinking 2500 kcals was enough for maintenance, lost 22 lbs (10 kilos) in the process during so-called maintenance in all of three months and looked borderline anorexic as a result.


----------



## i$e

DnoD, do Starting Strength, eat +500 your maintainance and I promise you'll make gains accross the board.


----------



## Rush

Loudness said:


> ^Was just using hacksquats as an example, never done them tbh so can't comment on awkwardness effect, although they don't really seem that bad at all.


Just throwing my 2 cents in. I find them awkward, but thats just me.


----------



## i$e

I'm in the 'fuck hack squats' camp too. Shit wrecks my calves.


----------



## BULLY

Stepped up my cardio, hammies are getting really fucking tight.


----------



## ratedR3:16

is it fine to train on a sunday then on a monday have a 2 day break then train on a thursday then a friday, however i also do ju jitsu and football on a wednesday and football on a sunday and cycling in-between.

my gym sessions on a sunday and thursday are 45 min to an hour while my other two are 1hr 10m to 1hr 30m, so i raise the intensity on the second of the two days, i don't have specific training days like upper body, then lower body, i mix it all in together (toning, core training freeweights etc). i also don't take any supplements, and i am 18 yrs old.

just want to know so i know if i am building muscles, and not overtraining or over trying. Any advice would be great


----------



## i$e

ratedR3:16 said:


> toning












But seriously, I never train two days in a row from a strength perspective. However, it depends on your setup. If you're doing a light day followed by a heavy day, then I think you could make that work as you've got in a few days of rest after that. I'd never do two high intensity days together though. That's asking for injury and sluggish performance. I'd only ever do 3 days of all-body routine a week too. Four is excessive.


----------



## Loudness

Two days in a row is ok if you do legs one day and any upper body work the next day as they don't stand each other in their way (hence why I do legs twice per week without problems minus the deadlifting issue), obviously once a week. It depends if you're working out 3 or 4 days a week I guess.

Didn't get the part with randomly doing upper and lower body exercises the same though, WTF? And what the hell is toning supposed to be in the gym unless you're talking cardio? Better eat good food instead of taking some (obvious) broscience "workout tips". I mean I know people who do random exercises for "workouts" sake, I've never seen one of them looking decent or really fit though unless you count anorexic looking 140 lbs guys with abs fit. Better workout one bodypart well than halfassing two or more bodyparts.


----------



## i$e

'heavy deadlifts, squats, and presses 3 times a week doesnt sound as cool as 5 day min/max hypertrophy split using HIT-7 meso-cycles across a pre-anabolic maximal load.'


----------



## Loudness

^I lold, repped.


----------



## DNoD

Not doing enough exercises? I thought that was bogus and plus starting strength is like 4/5 exercises right? I'm doing more than that. And I can't use barbells for a while, which sucks, and is probably why I am not consistent with squats/deadlifts cos dumbbells are annoying for them. That's the only thing I mean by not in a proper routine, but like I said surely not doing them is the problem? I was doing 3/4 * 8, because I thought it was good, and everyone else I've asked said do 8.


----------



## i$e

He meant not doing enough as in you're not consistent. 

Get a barbell.


----------



## Loudness

Nah, get a gym membership instead.


----------



## ratedR3:16

Loudness said:


> Two days in a row is ok if you do legs one day and any upper body work the next day as they don't stand each other in their way (hence why I do legs twice per week without problems minus the deadlifting issue), obviously once a week. It depends if you're working out 3 or 4 days a week I guess.
> 
> Didn't get the part with randomly doing upper and lower body exercises the same though, WTF? And what the hell is toning supposed to be in the gym unless you're talking cardio? Better eat good food instead of taking some (obvious) broscience "workout tips". I mean I know people who do random exercises for "workouts" sake, I've never seen one of them looking decent or really fit though unless you count anorexic looking 140 lbs guys with abs fit. Better workout one bodypart well than halfassing two or more bodyparts.


when i say toning i mean press ups sit ups leg raises and adapted versions (you're toning defining your body in a sense), and i do proper exercises on upper and lower body i just do them together rather on separate nights, don't have time to spilt them up, i just assumed if i worked out 2 nights on a row and then had 2 nights rest i would be ok, and when it comes to diet i have a lot of milk, white meats, red meats and fruit and veg, no protein shakes or roids.


----------



## i$e

ratedR3:16 said:


> when i say toning i mean press ups sit ups leg raises and adapted versions (you're toning defining your body in a sense)


you're not.


----------



## Loudness

Guess we still need to clear up BASIC things for beginners here.

You can either gain muscle, or lose fat, there's no inbetween such as toning muscle. You can "tone" if your bodyweight gets lower (bodyfat wise) or stays the same while the bodyfat drops (which means muscle gains). You will never get 200 lbs and below 10% if you just hit the light weights and do shitty abs exercises, neglecting legs and any logical intesity and rep-range. Your muscles only grow if you give them stimulation to do so, so if you only go light, why should your muscles think they have any reason to grow? Better tren hard and eat clen instead of training hard and eating clean if that's your philosophy.


----------



## i$e

^ strong post is strong

beginners should bookmark that and realise that the only way to get anywhere is to keep it simple, eat smart and train heavy.

toning and all this gay broscience where you worry about every little detail will get you nowhere.


----------



## Nas

lol, broscience.

hey iSe, if it's not too much to ask can you do a guide to gaining fat/muscle for the skinny tall dudes out there (like me or EGame) I can easily digest your posts without having to read it over and over to fully understand. Or just link if you've already made a post similar to what I'm looking for.

Thanks, bbz.


----------



## DNoD

I have a gym membership but I have to wait before I can use the barbells, I could buy a bench, barbell set etc or I could wait and make do with dumbbells.


----------



## Rush

DNoD said:


> Not doing enough exercises? I thought that was bogus and plus starting strength is like 4/5 exercises right? I'm doing more than that. And I can't use barbells for a while, which sucks, and is probably why I am not consistent with squats/deadlifts cos dumbbells are annoying for them. That's the only thing I mean by not in a proper routine, but like I said surely not doing them is the problem? I was doing 3/4 * 8, because I thought it was good, and everyone else I've asked said do 8.





i$e said:


> He meant not doing enough as in you're not consistent.
> 
> Get a barbell.


^^^ that. Not doing enough as in the volume, intensity, consistancy is not high enough. 



Loudness said:


> Guess we still need to clear up BASIC things for beginners here.
> 
> You can either gain muscle, or lose fat, there's no inbetween such as toning muscle. You can "tone" if your bodyweight gets lower (bodyfat wise) or stays the same while the bodyfat drops (which means muscle gains). You will never get 200 lbs and below 10% if you just hit the light weights and do shitty abs exercises, neglecting legs and any logical intesity and rep-range. Your muscles only grow if you give them stimulation to do so, so if you only go light, why should your muscles think they have any reason to grow? Better tren hard and eat clen instead of training hard and eating clean if that's your philosophy.


(Y) repped



Nas said:


> lol, broscience.
> 
> hey iSe, if it's not too much to ask can you do a guide to gaining fat/muscle for the skinny tall dudes out there (like me or EGame) I can easily digest your posts without having to read it over and over to fully understand. Or just link if you've already made a post similar to what I'm looking for.
> 
> Thanks, bbz.


HOL was going to write one up, not sure if he ever did.


----------



## NoyK

Loudness said:


> You will never get 200 lbs and below 10% if you just hit the light weights and do shitty abs exercises, neglecting legs and any logical intesity and rep-range. Your muscles only grow if you give them stimulation to do so, so if you only go light, why should your muscles think they have any reason to grow?


*This is true, personal experience. I'm far from being a fitness guru, but I'll try to throw in my thoughts on this.

I did light weight and easy exercises for great amounts of time (2-3 hours) 3 times a week, and the results were not that great.

I bought a few more weights and instead of doing easy and light training, now I usually only workout for an hour but doing exercises a lot harder than before. Only one week has passed, and my bicep is starting to get hard normally, without me needing to do any strength for it to pop out.

More workout time = more results - X

--

Lately I've been trying to do this exercise that has been recommended to me (of course I do more than just this).

Instead of doing bench-presses/push-ups/dumbbells normally, I hold them midway trough until I can't take it any longer, and then rest for a while, and repeat.

Not sure if this is worthy, but I must say it has not disappointed so far.*


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

are you talking about negatives or time-under-tension?

you should all just do Stiff Leg Dead Lifts. You'll get huge; don't even do anything else as a matter of fact.


----------



## i$e

nah bra 50 reps of dumbell curls 6x a week gets you hugeeee


----------



## Nas

rush, you talking about Hohenheim of Light, right? I can always pm him...


----------



## i$e

I can write a guide if you want.


----------



## DNoD

Rush said:


> ^^^ that. Not doing enough as in the volume, intensity, consistancy is not high enough.


I don't understand fully, I was about to reply with they are good enough apart from squats/deadlifts but like I said surely that can't be the problem?

For my chest (for example), I'm doing bench presses, dips, push ups, diamond pushups, wide pushups, should I be doing more with dumbbells as well? Should I do flys/pullovers as well as incline bench presses? Even if I only did bench presses, and did a high enough intensity and volume and kept it consistent, surely I would see gains, just not as good as if I targeted the whole of the chest, right? It's the volume, intensity and consistency that is key?


----------



## i$e

DNoD said:


> I don't understand fully, I was about to reply with they are good enough apart from squats/deadlifts but like I said surely that can't be the problem?


Yes it almost certainly is, because the two exercises that you're not focusing properly on are the two that contribute the most to overall strength, power and growth.


----------



## Rush

Squats and deadlifts are fairly key. You can still add size without them but they're very handy exercises.

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/11893049-post2357.html

^^^ has the stuff i mean about intensity. If you dont push yourself then you wont get as much as you can out of your workouts.


----------



## DNoD

i$e said:


> Yes it almost certainly is, because the two exercises that you're not focusing properly on are the two that contribute the most to overall strength, power and growth.


Right. But what about upper-body people? You see them walking around with a skinny bottom half and then this big top half, they surely don't do squats and deadlifts. And shouldn't growth occur in every other muscle from eating a surplus and working them? Hell even if I just did bicep curls, it would look strange but wouldn't my biceps grow? Maybe not as well, but they would still grow?

I'll keep up squats/deadlifts although they're so annoying with dumbbells. I don't think it's the problem though but I'll try it.

@Rush I do push myself, I can feel it as well. I'm definitely working hard, eating a surplus and sleeping enough. My diet is not 100% clean but it's pretty good, and I'm counting things like bread, certain oils as 'not so clean' when I have been told they are fine. (I know bread doesn't make you fat lol, just makes me so bloated).


----------



## i$e

DNoD said:


> Right. But what about upper-body people? You see them walking around with a skinny bottom half and then this big top half, they surely don't do squats and deadlifts. And shouldn't growth occur in every other muscle from eating a surplus and working them? Hell even if I just did bicep curls, it would look strange but wouldn't my biceps grow? Maybe not as well, but they would still grow?


DL/Squats are HUGE compound lifts that work a vast number of muscles in all different areas. That's why they're the kings.

Of course you can be a Captain Upper Body if you want, but it looks terrible and you won't have any good base strength.

You're going to need to start using a barbell if you want any serious strength & size gains though.


----------



## DNoD

i$e said:


> DL/Squats are HUGE compound lifts that work a vast number of muscles in all different areas. That's why they're the kings.
> 
> Of course you can be a Captain Upper Body if you want, but it looks terrible and you won't have any good base strength.
> 
> You're going to need to start using a barbell if you want any serious strength & size gains though.


Yeah I don't wanna be 'Captain Upper Body' lol, I was just pointing it out. As for the barbell, unless I buy one and a bench etc, which I actually can't yet unless there are ones for like £20, I can't use the ones at the gym apart from one that is just lying around but I won't be able to change the weight or anything if it's too light), it may be completely the wrong weight. I'll check out out heavy it is, it may be good for deadlifts and/or squats so I can at least get something in but it doesn't look that heavy. 

I should still be gaining tho. And I'm not.


----------



## ratedR3:16

Loudness said:


> Guess we still need to clear up BASIC things for beginners here.
> 
> You can either gain muscle, or lose fat, there's no inbetween such as toning muscle. You can "tone" if your bodyweight gets lower (bodyfat wise) or stays the same while the bodyfat drops (which means muscle gains). You will never get 200 lbs and below 10% if you just hit the light weights and do shitty abs exercises, neglecting legs and any logical intesity and rep-range. Your muscles only grow if you give them stimulation to do so, so if you only go light, why should your muscles think they have any reason to grow? Better tren hard and eat clen instead of training hard and eating clean if that's your philosophy.


to be honest i don't really need to do lots of leg exercises due to the fact i play football, do lots of cycling, do lots of squats and i naturally have good legs anyway, its more the upper body i have needed to work on thanks for the advice, so i have decided to just work on upper body 3 times a week at the gym with some cardio as well


----------



## Nas

iSe, it would be awesome if you could write a guide. Much appreciated.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

DNoD said:


> Yeah I don't wanna be 'Captain Upper Body' lol,


Captain Upper Body's kryptonite is Stiff Leg Deadlifts.

by the way I just started Stiff Leg Dead Lifts after about like a 3 - 4 month hiatus due to hurting myself and being too scared to start them back up. Didn't realize how frail everyone else's Hamstrings were compared to mine.


----------



## DNoD

Gonna use barbells at the gym soon, probably the next time I go. Hopefully nobody asks questions about why I am using them right now instead of waiting.


----------



## Lm2

leg day for me, gotta do dat squats


----------



## DNoD

I tried to use barbells and I got asked to leave and go to the normal part of the gym.


----------



## SandyRavage

full body dumbbell workout today and some cross trainer. Tomorrow is gonna suck, always does after a full body day


----------



## DTD

So I'm training for wrestling school in December/January. I've been going to the gym 5 times a week, and go cardio 20 minutes to begin then I go work on whatever muscles I'm doing that day, I usually do 2 a day like today I did triceps and biceps. I'm shootin for being in good condition, since I know wrestling training is supposed to be hell and also I'm not trying to be the biggest most muscley dude. I kinda want my body like Arik Cannon, having a beer belly but still being fit and able to go long matches. Anyway, is there any advice anyone can give me so I'm ready to begin my dream?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

do whatever Chuck Lidell did. He kept his gut but was a beast cardiovascular wise.


----------



## DTD

Guess I'll google Chuck Liddel's work out routine post title win.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

:lmao how!


----------



## i$e

He has a bad case of lower cross syndrome / anterior pelvic tilt basically. Lordosis in the lumbar curve which pushes his gut further forward.


----------



## DTD

Skyfall said:


> :lmao how!


You're the one who told me!










Look at this badass. Has a beer gut but has the cardio and strength to wrestle.


----------



## RKO920

God damn I hate deadlifts. Always have the worst lower back pain the day after. No Pain, no gain.


----------



## SandyRavage

RKO920 said:


> God damn I hate deadlifts. Always have the worst lower back pain the day after. No Pain, no gain.


get a weight belt, makes a hell of a diference


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

RKO920 said:


> God damn I hate deadlifts. Always have the worst lower back pain the day after. No Pain, no gain.







Errrrbody wanna be a bodybuilder....But don't nobody want to lift heavy aaaazzz weights!

Light Weight! Light Weight!


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> God damn I hate deadlifts. Always have the worst lower back pain the day after. No Pain, no gain.


That's likely bad form rather than the exercise.


----------



## Rush

i$e said:


> He has a bad case of lower cross syndrome / anterior pelvic tilt basically. Lordosis in the lumbar curve which pushes his gut further forward.


*excessive lordosis. Everyone has some degree of lordosis, which is merely the inward curve that occurs in the cervical and lumbar vertebrae. 



RKO920 said:


> God damn I hate deadlifts. Always have the worst lower back pain the day after. No Pain, no gain.


as i$e said, likely to be poor form. Lower your hips, bar in closer, lower back straight, don't extend back too far at the top of the lift.


----------



## i$e

Rush said:


> *excessive lordosis. Everyone has some degree of lordosis, which is merely the inward curve that occurs in the cervical and lumbar vertebrae.


Yeah, that's what I meant. 

For deadlifts, push through your heels, then when the bar is at your knees, drive your hips forward and tighten your glutes simultaneously. Don't pull with your lower back, and don't round it either.


----------



## Genking48

Gonna start in a gym next month, so I might check this thread out, get some tips and shit  but anyways, one of my mates told me about this Planet Fitness anti-grunt thing.



> What’s more, Planet Fitness doesn’t allow you do any exercise that might result in grunting (squats, anyone?) or any other loud noise, such as plates banging on the floor.
> It’s all part of a their Judgement Free Zone (“No Judgment” is written on every machine), which they define as a way for members to “relax, get in shape, and have fun without being subjected to the hard-core, look-at-me attitude that exists in too many gyms.” Now we’re all for making gyms more inviting to folks who are intimidated because they are new to exercise, overweight, or just plain out of shape. But Planet Fitness may be taking this a bit too far. Case in point: Making a sound of exertion can set off the Lunk Alarm—a siren that flashes and blares when someone drops a weight, grunts, or “judges.” As if that’s not enough, challenging the Lunk Alarm could result in your immediate expulsion from the gym.
> 
> 
> Read more at Men's Health: http://blogs.menshealth.com/health-headlines/the-worst-gym-in-america/2010/12/29#ixzz2AEhZWXkv


Now me having never stepped foot inside a Planet Fitness I gotta know, is this true guys, like, is this going on in real life?


----------



## Evil Neville

Tinkerbell said:


> Gonna start in a gym next month, so I might check this thread out, get some tips and shit  but anyways, one of my mates told me about this Planet Fitness anti-grunt thing.
> 
> 
> 
> Now me having never stepped foot inside a Planet Fitness I gotta know, is this true guys, like, is this going on in real life?


What the fuck? 'Meruka i guess.



SandyRavage said:


> get a weight belt, makes a hell of a diference



Don't get a belt, it's brings you much more bad then good.


----------



## Evil Neville

Double post.


----------



## Loudness

Skyfall said:


> Errrrbody wanna be a bodybuilder....But don't nobody want to lift heavy aaaazzz weights!
> 
> Light Weight! Light Weight!


Ain't nothing but a peanut.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

Is it okay to split the workout up over the day or is it better to do it in one session?


----------



## itsmadness

RevolverSnake said:


> Is it okay to split the workout up over the day or is it better to do it in one session?


All in one session unless you are doing something like cardio in the morning then weights at night it would be fine


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Evil Neville said:


> Don't get a belt, it's brings you much more bad then good.


how so?


----------



## Joshi

Recently started to do Tai CHi at a friends gym, gotta say martial arts are very complete when it comes to staying in shape


----------



## BULLY

Fucked up on the bench, and I think I gave myself a shoulder injury, seems to be the front part of the shoulder (anterior deltiod?) went up 10 pounds and had a spotter with me, he said last one but I stubbornly pushed out another one anyway. Form was all over the place on the last rep and my shoulders noticeably sore. Not overly painful, but I'm not sure whether to press on or have a break for a few days, as I don't really wanna do further damage.


----------



## Rush

Where in the shoulder are you feeling pain? Muscular or joint pain?


----------



## BULLY

Joint. I think. It doesn't seem to worry me when I have my arms at my side but only feels uncomfortable when I raise my arm past my shoulder. Feels different than a mere torn muscle.


----------



## Rush

raising your arm in which way? flexion or abduction?


----------



## BULLY

Flexion. Exercises that require a pulling type motion I'm okay with it's pushing type motions that make my shoulder uncomfortable.


----------



## Rush

If its joint, could be your AC joint, if muscle it could be your rotator cuff. Obviously i can't say for certain, ice it and rest it for a few days. If its still bad then get it checked by a physio.


----------



## BULLY

Yeah sounds like good advice, icing it up now. I'll just take chest and shoulders out of my routine and concentrate on back, legs etc instead


----------



## Loudness

Do you train for powerlifting or anything else? Sounds like you put your hands in a bad angle and jerking the weights tbh, like going from straight hold to bending the weights (meh sry, english is my 3rd language and I can't explain it well at all, hope you get the jist) and not going up and using full body force and moving the weights recklessy. Had this problem a few years ago several times too until I got proper form, but I only train for looks so I only do exercises as long as I can maintain a near perfect form.


----------



## Loudness

Btw does anyone remind Ziggler of a slightly fatter, less alpha Greg Plitt? I dunno what it is, but Greg and Dolph have a similar style. Random post is random, but just watching WWE ME, Zigglers presentation and voice sounds a lot like Plitt lol, except less alpha of course. Sorry for doublepost.


----------



## NoyK

Sorry to change topic, but yeah.
So for those who remember the picture I posted 2 weeks (?) ago, this is how I am now. Damn, I'm proud. :










Aiming to be ripped as hell next summer. Can't stop now.


----------



## GothicBohemian

Not treating this thread like a substitute for medical advice, but quick question guys:

My right hip had been sore while running for a couple of weeks - nothing serious, just a mild aching – but over the last few days it`s gotten increasingly painful. I can`t lay on that side in bed without pain and pushing on joint hurts. This afternoon, I`m noticing it when I walk, especially getting up from sitting. Does this sound like bursitis?

I run approx. 60 – 80k a week (vary the distance and also speed from easy to race pace, one day rest weekly). I`m coming off a moderate left ankle injury whereby I`ve been instructed to run in my ankle brace, which I hate doing since it limits my mobility and, thus, alters my gait and has me hitting the ground harder with my right leg. I`m thinking this is the culprit, if I am developing bursitis. I haven`t made any changes to my strength training or any other activity.


----------



## BULLY

GothicBohemian said:


> Not treating this thread like a substitute for medical advice, but quick question guys:
> 
> My right hip had been sore while running for a couple of weeks - nothing serious, just a mild aching – but over the last few days it`s gotten increasingly painful. I can`t lay on that side in bed without pain and pushing on joint hurts. This afternoon, I`m noticing it when I walk, especially getting up from sitting. Does this sound like bursitis?
> 
> I run approx. 60 – 80k a week (vary the distance and also speed from easy to race pace, one day rest weekly). I`m coming off a moderate left ankle injury whereby I`ve been instructed to run in my ankle brace, which I hate doing since it limits my mobility and, thus, alters my gait and has me hitting the ground harder with my right leg. I`m thinking this is the culprit, if I am developing bursitis. I haven`t made any changes to my strength training or any other activity.


It sounds to me like you are over-training considering you have a a left ankle injury. Since you are over compensating on your right side for your left ankle injury, that would explain your right hip injury. My advice would be just to take it easy. And of course, see a doctor, he will probably get you to see a specialist, no point running (no pun intended) on assumptions.


----------



## GothicBohemian

^ I missed the peak part of my competitive season so yeah, I probably have pushed too much too soon hoping I could salvage something in terms of late season cross-country races. I plan on making a physio appointment when I have a free day next week and I expect to hear that I need to switch back to low-impact training. I could live with that, just not total down time `cause I find I need physical activity to keep myself sane.


----------



## BULLY

It's only a temporary measure until your injuries get better. Rather that than doing further damage to yourself and putting yourself out of action even longer and potentially doing long term damage to yourself.


----------



## GothicBohemian

Oh, you`re completely right on that. I know. I just hate taking time off, even when it`s for the best. I am holding off on running until I get a professional opinion next week, though. Best to take the safe route, like it or not.


----------



## ratedR3:16

hey guys does anyone know the best swimming exercise that works on your abs, btw nothing to advanced i've only just started swimming at my gym


----------



## BULLY

Do you know how to do the butterfly?


----------



## ratedR3:16

is that the one when you spin both of your arms forward


----------



## BULLY

Think you might be thinking of the breast stroke. Backstroke is good for abs too if you know how to do it. but Swimming in general will be good for your abs anyway.


----------



## ratedR3:16

breast stroke and back stroke are my favourites so i will be doing them, thanks for help repped


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Squatted LMAO2PLAET!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!! for reps yesterday. Not confident enough to do full ROM yet though =/


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

BULLY said:


> Do you know how to do the butterfly?


Rocky does it in Rocky 3. 

and side stroke is meant for stealth swimmers, hence the US Navy seals do it.


----------



## i$e

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Squatted LMAO2PLAET!!!!!!!!!!!!!111!!!! for reps yesterday. Not confident enough to do full ROM yet though =/


then you didnt squat 2 plates


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

plz

It sure felt like I was squatting 2 plates


----------



## i$e

drop weight and build up using rull ROM plz


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

jesus I did my sets at 185 then decided to try out 225 got maybe 3/4 ROM, be happy for me for once *******


----------



## i$e

sorry baby, good job


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I corrected a fat guy today doing horrible squats, knees over his feet, probably not even half way to parallel with the deck. I was nice about it, like; "excuse me, I know you're doing a lot of weight (he was only doing like 3 shitty reps), but you're knees are really going over your feet." All he said was he was doing low reps, high weight so it didn't matter :lmao

then he proceeded to tell me about how he just started a bulk cycle 2 days ago. I said I was jealous because eating a shit load of carbs is awesome; he replied with "oh no. I'm doing a clean bulk. like 400 g of protein and only a little bit of carbs and fat." I literally said "oh, ok." and walked away; looked like a fucking jackass, I didn't are.

oh his high weight wasn't even 3 plates. Only 275 :

EDIT: and not getting full ROM for reps is silly. If it was once or twice then you stopped because you didn't get ROM, that would be different.


----------



## i$e

dead @ low fat/carbs on a bulk

what a spaz


----------



## Dunk20

Cant afford to pay a gym, so I am going to start working out at home. Any advice on leg exercises? Its the most difficult part to gain mass for me. Running usuallly makes them actually look thinner.


----------



## BULLY

Do you own a bike? Calf raises and Lunges could be good. Pilates type exercises could be a possibility, depending on what you want to achieve, just look online for some info.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

i$e said:


> sorry baby, good job


No in all honestly my lifts haven't increased since I started lifting in June.

Still at 185 squat.
Still can't even bench 1 plate, was struggling with 95 today (jesus christ).

It's demoralizing.



> EDIT: and not getting full ROM for reps is silly. If it was once or twice then you stopped because you didn't get ROM, that would be different.


It was.


----------



## i$e

Oh.


----------



## El Conquistador

Ghetto Anthony said:


> No in all honestly my lifts haven't increased since I started lifting in June.
> 
> Still at 185 squat.
> Still can't even bench 1 plate, was struggling with 95 today (jesus christ).
> 
> It's demoralizing.
> 
> 
> 
> It was.


eat moar.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I was training six times a week but then I realized that the sixth day wasn't needed at all. Resting my muscles through the weekends gives me better results.

Monday- Chest ,Shoulders & Triceps
Tuesday- Upper Back, Biceps & Forearms
Wednesday- Legs, Abs & Lower Back
Thursday- Chest, Triceps & Shoulders
Friday- Upper Back, Biceps & Forearms


----------



## Olympus

Just read that diet soda can negatively affect your metabolism. I usually just grab milk or water and have the occasional diet soda and always keep it in small servings, but I was curious as to how true this is since there's 1001 myths/facts about diet sodas.


----------



## i$e

myth


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I managed to get my arms from 14 inch to 16 inch which was my goal. Now I'm trying to shed some fat in unwanted places.


----------



## sharkboy22

JoseBxNYC said:


> I was training six times a week but then I realized that the sixth day wasn't needed at all. Resting my muscles through the weekends gives me better results.
> 
> Monday- Chest ,Shoulders & Triceps
> Tuesday- Upper Back, Biceps & Forearms
> Wednesday- Legs, Abs & Lower Back
> Thursday- Chest, Triceps & Shoulders
> Friday- Upper Back, Biceps & Forearms


Wow that's a lot. My routine is

Monday- Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Wednesday- Legs
Friday- Back, Biceps
Depending on how I feel-Abs

I'm a lazy fuck when it comes to abs 

I've been wondering though, is it okay to work out the same body part twice in one week? I mean you're obviously doing it, but is it advised?


----------



## E N F O R C E R

I'm 18 and weigh 13 stone, reasonably shredded, BF around 10 I'd say. When I was 16 I used to be 16 stone!! My problem was, I'd eat garbage then smash the weights with big rests in between with absolutely no cardio... So, I put on fat and muscle. Diet was all wrong, protein was wrong, carbs was wrong, fats as wrong. The hardest part for was sorting my diet out, but after I did that my gym work was easier. I lost a hell of a lot of fat after I was more disciplined. I wasn't concerned with bulking or cutting, just got in the gym, built some nice lean muscle with 12-15 reps and hit the cardio. Used to be 40 mins cardio, one hour weights, finishing with 20 mins light cardio. Rounding off to two hours... I still do around the same routine but sometimes kick out the cardio or change it when I get bored. The problem is with working out is that people always tend to 'know best' when it comes to it but really there is no 'best way'. Diet, cardio and weight training is the only way you'll get results regardless if you wanna lose fat or gain muscle. Just sometimes you'll have to do more of one and less of the other. But yeah! That's my story. Gym 4 times a week, I tend to eat what on I want on rest days and not worry too much, long as you hit dat cardio . Also, I despise people who boast about how much they can lift. Look at Kai Greene's work outs, always reasonable weights with reasonable reps. He's not interesting in squatting 600 pounds because he knows it has absolutely NO benefit for him unless he strength trains which he doesn't... Don't care what other people say about you, lift an easy weight and work your way up.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Enforcer122 said:


> I'm 18 and weigh 13 stone, reasonably shredded, BF around 10 I'd say. When I was 16 I used to be 16 stone!! My problem was, I'd eat garbage then smash the weights with big rests in between with absolutely no cardio... So, I put on fat and muscle. Diet was all wrong, protein was wrong, carbs was wrong, fats as wrong. The hardest part for was sorting my diet out, but after I did that my gym work was easier. I lost a hell of a lot of fat after I was more disciplined. I wasn't concerned with bulking or cutting, just got in the gym, built some nice lean muscle with 12-15 reps and hit the cardio. Used to be 40 mins cardio, one hour weights, finishing with 20 mins light cardio. Rounding off to two hours... I still do around the same routine but sometimes kick out the cardio or change it when I get bored. The problem is with working out is that people always tend to 'know best' when it comes to it but really there is no 'best way'. Diet, cardio and weight training is the only way you'll get results regardless if you wanna lose fat or gain muscle. Just sometimes you'll have to do more of one and less of the other. But yeah! That's my story. Gym 4 times a week, I tend to eat what on I want on rest days and not worry too much, long as you hit dat cardio . Also, I despise people who boast about how much they can lift. Look at Kai Greene's work outs, always reasonable weights with reasonable reps. He's not interesting in squatting 600 pounds because he knows it has absolutely NO benefit for him unless he strength trains which he doesn't... Don't care what other people say about you, lift an easy weight and work your way up.


I don't believe you. and your over genrealization of everything is ridiculous


----------



## BULLY

Sounds like someone has low self esteem. Why begrudge somebody for having self confidence and being proud of how much they lift? To you that may seem like bragging, but I can only assume that's because you feel an element of shame and envy.


----------



## E N F O R C E R

BULLY said:


> Sounds like someone has low self esteem. Why begrudge somebody for having self confidence and being proud of how much they lift? To you that may seem like bragging, but I can only assume that's because you feel an element of shame and envy.


I'm glad you included the word 'assume'.


----------



## i$e

dead @ banging on about unessential factors like cardio then suggesting to lift an 'easy weight'.

for every 2 pages of solid info there's always one dumb post that sets everything back a few steps


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

BULLY said:


> Sounds like someone has low self esteem. Why begrudge somebody for having self confidence and being proud of how much they lift? To you that may seem like bragging, but I can only assume that's because you feel an element of shame and envy.


because it general bullshit.

I lift a whole lot. 

I don't need to do cardio.

Different things work for different people.

I do between 8 - 15 reps for some things.

I used to be fat, now I'm shredded.

I eat what I want and still lose weight.

Like reading a page out of Women's health. if it is true, I'd still be an asshole out of jealousy then.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I'm debating with myself on whether I should do cardio for 20 minutes after a weight lifting section or do it on a rest/non-lifting day day.


----------



## Loudness

JoseBxNYC said:


> I'm debating with myself on whether I should do cardio for 20 minutes after a weight lifting section or do it on a rest/non-lifting day day.


Depends if you're serious about it or not. If you're half-assing, do cardio and lifting at the same session. If you're serious about it, lift at one time and do cardio at another. I certainly wouldn't go for PRs on the lifts after I've been exhausted running for an hour, and I wouldn't run as long as I could after I did heavy dls/squats either. Doing Cardio and lifting at the same day isn't bad, doing both at the same time will make both worse though.


----------



## i$e

If I ever do cardio on the same day as lifting, I'd 100% do it after.

Optimal is to do it on non-lifting days.


----------



## Loudness

i$e said:


> If I ever do cardio on the same day as lifting, I'd 100% do it after.
> 
> Optimal is to do it on non-lifting days.


You can do 100% within a 12 hours interval. Not leg day though.

Anyway, I'd rather do both at maximum capacity than half-assing both. Good luck in emptying your glycogen storage and burning muscle wishes in 2012. I'd rather go to the gym and actually get results instead of wasting my time and returning weaker than I was before (not pointed at you i$e).


----------



## Rush

I never do any cardio on a weights day. 

Foot is still playing up heaps. My left ankle was the one that was hurting at the start of the season but now that its sweet (or rather, not painful) my right foot is playing up. Should stop bowling at training, its a killer.


----------



## Loudness

Rush said:


> *I never do any cardio on a weights day. *
> 
> Foot is still playing up heaps. My left ankle was the one that was hurting at the start of the season but now that its sweet (or rather, not painful) my right foot is playing up. Should stop bowling at training, its a killer.


I don't see why. I'm not saying you have to do them, but saying "o well I just lifted weights so I can't run on evening" seems like a pretty bad excuse. Now If you do heavy cardio three days a week, the days when you don't lift you get a pass, but I know a lot of lazy people who will use lifting as an excuse for non cardio-ing so I'm not sure what you're implying. You can do both in a week tbh. If you're a heavy lifter then gjdm, but for everyone else, still get your cardio in check.


----------



## i$e

I pretty much always advocate heavy lifting unless supplied with info to suggest it's not possible. 

Anyway, I don't do cardio because it's a non-essential factor to my goals. Just saying, _IF_ I were to do it on my lifting days, I'd do it after lifting, not before. Obv you can do whatever you want though and nobody is saying you can't do them both in the same day.


----------



## Rush

Its not that i can't, its just how i break up my week. I live a bit under 2km away from the gym so i walk there, jog back. I have a pool, a heavy bag, live near the beach and have a bike and play and train for cricket so my cardio mostly gets broken up throughout general activities during my week. Generally in the gym a max of 4 days a week, 2-3 lifting, 1 cardio.


----------



## Loudness

i$e said:


> I pretty much always advocate heavy lifting unless supplied with info to suggest it's not possible.
> 
> Anyway, I don't do cardio because it's a non-essential factor to my goals. Just saying, _IF_ I were to do it on my lifting days, I'd do it after lifting, not before. Obv you can do whatever you want though and nobody is saying you can't do them both in the same day.


It's all about effectiveness tbh. I don't see why you wouldn't do cardio unless you want to look like shit and have no stamina (not directed at you). If you're doing cardio three times/weight lifting 3-4 times a week, you've already won. I was mostly referring my statement to those, who apparently think doing cardio all the time will get you big, or to those who don't lift will make them big. Now this sounds like basic advice,but believe me, I've met so many people who thought they could get big from just running around and doing extremely light lifting or getting bigger from simply lifting light that it's hilarious. I lift for looks and still lift more than most of those "abs"-infested nerds, to get the size/strength, you gotta do something for it.



Rush said:


> Its not that i can't, its just how i break up my week. I live a bit under 2km away from the gym so i walk there, jog back. I have a pool, a heavy bag, live near the beach and have a bike and play and train for cricket so my cardio mostly gets broken up throughout general activities during my week. Generally in the gym a max of 4 days a week, 2-3 lifting, 1 cardio.


Yeah, but in your case it makes sense. Compare your workout to most of the guys who make excuses and you'll realise pretty soon that you're doing more than most of them. Totally different scenario. I'm talking of those who lift three times a week yet somehow still can't find the time do cardio at all.


----------



## i$e

Loudness said:


> It's all about effectiveness tbh. I don't see why you wouldn't do cardio unless you want to look like shit and have no stamina


I don't know if this is being lost in translation or what, but this is highly fallicous.


----------



## Loudness

i$e said:


> I don't know if this is being lost in translation or what, but this is highly fallicous.


I don't get it. I was simply administrating doing cardio more often instead of perma-bulking. Been working together with several types of guys, and the strongest ones, who were ironically into powerlifting, never did cardio. Those guys also never ate clean though, dunno what's hard to see about that. What's your goals?

Edit: Left out workout ideals in my quote LOL. You I see where you get that point. Was actually referring to the guy who said that non lifting and doing cardio all the time was a joke. Was saying that cardio was for fat burning was for what it is, and that lifting is for muscle gain. Can see where you got the doubts from that quote though.


----------



## i$e

Yeah, I get all that, it's just saying that you need cardio to look great isn't true. Cardio is a completely unessential factor in acheiving a desirable body composition and that point needs to be stressed tbh.

This is not me saying that cardio is useless or anything though. It certainly has benefits for people looking for increased cardiovascular endurance or for those who lack discipline in the kitchen.


----------



## Rush

Lifting gains muscle which in turn burns more calories thus helping reduce the amount of fat you have. You can do no cardio at all and still lose fat.


----------



## i$e

Chea.


----------



## Nas

hey iSe, how about that guide for gaining weight? I got the Scrawny to Brawny book, but talk about over complicating things, surely it's simpler than they say it is...


----------



## i$e

Yeah, I'll write it soon.


----------



## Nas

Cheers.


----------



## RKO920

I do like 15 minutes of cardio after I lift. I was told doing cardio after lifting burns straight fat. I went from 200 pounds of mostly fat to 180 pounds of mostly muscle, so it seems my strategy is working. Like once every two weeks I have a straight cardio day though of about 45 minutes.


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> I was told doing cardio after lifting burns straight fat


nah

glad you're getting your desired results though


----------



## RKO920

Is this overtraining for bis & tris? My mass has gone up since I started this, but I feel like I am overtraining.
*Biceps*
-4 sets of hammer curls at 40 LB'S
-4 sets of straight curls with dumbbells at 35 LBS'
-4 sets of preacher curls on 20 LB'S
-5 sets of straight bar curls, at 42.5, 57.5, 65.5, then 72.5, and then 15 until I fail
-3 sets of single arm curls with a cable on 10,15,20 LB's
-15 LB dumbbell curls until I fail
*Triceps*:
-3 sets of the excerise where you put the weight (dumbbell) behind your head and lift (IDK THE NAME) at 70,75,80
-4 sets of dips
-4 sets of tricep pulldowns at 42.5, 57.5, 65.5, then 72.5, and then 15 LB's until I fail
-4 sets of tricep extentions on the machine where you pull down with various weights.
-4 sets of single arm tricep pulldowns with 10, 15, & 20 LBS.
Then I usually do about 15 minutes of cardio after, then some abs if I feel like it.


----------



## Rush

depends on what else you do during the week. Do you do biceps/triceps on the 1 day?


----------



## El Conquistador

Way too much, RKO. They'll indirectly get bigger an hit hard on back, chest and shoulder day (any push or pull movement).


----------



## RKO920

I go about 3-4 times a week now.
For Example,
Monday: Bis, Tris, Cardio
Wed: Chest & Cardio
Fri: Back and Shoulders & cardio
Sat: Either repeat bis and tris, or do straight carido


----------



## i$e

You're doing way too much for just arms. 

You don't even need direct work. You could add significant mass just via deadlifting, chinning and dipping once a week. Once you take into account you're benching and doing military etc, you're getting more than enough without doing 50 sets of useless shit on top. 

Compounds, compounds, compounds.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

RKO920 said:


> Is this overtraining for bis & tris? My mass has gone up since I started this, but I feel like I am overtraining.
> *Biceps*
> -4 sets of hammer curls at 40 LB'S
> -4 sets of straight curls with dumbbells at 35 LBS'
> -4 sets of preacher curls on 20 LB'S
> -5 sets of straight bar curls, at 42.5, 57.5, 65.5, then 72.5, and then 15 until I fail
> -3 sets of single arm curls with a cable on 10,15,20 LB's
> -15 LB dumbbell curls until I fail
> *Triceps*:
> -3 sets of the excerise where you put the weight (dumbbell) behind your head and lift (IDK THE NAME) at 70,75,80
> -4 sets of dips
> -4 sets of tricep pulldowns at 42.5, 57.5, 65.5, then 72.5, and then 15 LB's until I fail
> -4 sets of tricep extentions on the machine where you pull down with various weights.
> -4 sets of single arm tricep pulldowns with 10, 15, & 20 LBS.
> Then I usually do about 15 minutes of cardio after, then some abs if I feel like it.


You are hammering your arms. Like mentioned before they hit indirectly when you do Back and Chest. Usually I do Biceps and Triceps after Back and Chest and stay around 6 to 9 sets depending how intense it was. Still you are pounding 40 sets on your arms is way to much. I finish a whole Back & Biceps routine around 25 sets.

I'm not a firm believer of over training though so just find your body's limit and stick with it.


----------



## Comrade Chico

RKO920 said:


> Is this overtraining for bis & tris? My mass has gone up since I started this, but I feel like I am overtraining.
> *Biceps*
> -4 sets of hammer curls at 40 LB'S
> -4 sets of straight curls with dumbbells at 35 LBS'
> -4 sets of preacher curls on 20 LB'S
> -5 sets of straight bar curls, at 42.5, 57.5, 65.5, then 72.5, and then 15 until I fail
> -3 sets of single arm curls with a cable on 10,15,20 LB's
> -15 LB dumbbell curls until I fail
> *Triceps*:
> -3 sets of the excerise where you put the weight (dumbbell) behind your head and lift (IDK THE NAME) at 70,75,80
> -4 sets of dips
> -4 sets of tricep pulldowns at 42.5, 57.5, 65.5, then 72.5, and then 15 LB's until I fail
> -4 sets of tricep extentions on the machine where you pull down with various weights.
> -4 sets of single arm tricep pulldowns with 10, 15, & 20 LBS.
> Then I usually do about 15 minutes of cardio after, then some abs if I feel like it.


You are lifting too light and you're flying all around everything without much direction. Here are some tips by which i work that gave me the best results on my body personally. 

1. When working a certain body part, i.e. biceps, do a maximum of 3-4 different exercises for them in a single workout. If you still feel like you got strenght/will power after you've gone through all of them do slow close grip muscle ups, they will drain whatever you've got left in your body.

2. Do the first set of an exercise with lighter weight, 15-20 reps to warm up your muscles and joints.

3. Then do 3 sets, 10 reps with the 80% of your max. weight 

4. Now finish it off with two sets with 90% of your max. weight by doing each set unitl failure. There's no given rep count that must do, just squeeze everything you got left out. Now remember, those 2 last sets are what will push your body forward so make sure you use everything you got in them.

There are many fans and equally many opponents of working out until failure. For me personally working til failure always gave me the best results. Only downside i've ever experienced from it is that you can get emotinally drained and lacking motivation after some time of doing it without rest. So make sure you keep your head in check and listen to your body. If you feel like you're having your mojo drained, take a day of rest. That day can mean a world both for your mental state and your exercises in the days ahead.


----------



## Rush

RKO920 said:


> I go about 3-4 times a week now.
> For Example,
> Monday: Bis, Tris, Cardio
> Wed: Chest & Cardio
> Fri: Back and Shoulders & cardio
> Sat: Either repeat bis and tris, or do straight carido


Yeah, way too much work on your arms.

I tend to split it up into back/biceps, chest/tris, abs/legs.


----------



## El Conquistador

Anyone ever try 5/3/1 for a long period of time without program ADD?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So when you notice you're not losing any weight for about 3 weeks, while cutting, should I drop calories some or up my cardio some more? I prefer eating pizza then not, but am willing to do either one.



El Conquistador said:


> Anyone ever try 5/3/1 for a long period of time without program ADD?


what's this?


----------



## Rush

Skyfall said:


> So when you notice you're not losing any weight for about 3 weeks, while cutting, should I drop calories some or up my cardio some more? I prefer eating pizza then not, but am willing to do either one.
> 
> 
> 
> what's this?


depends on what your caloric intake is to begin with but yes, diet is more important than exercise.

as for 5/3/1 - http://www.mensfitness.com/node/52747


----------



## Loudness

Skyfall said:


> So when you notice you're not losing any weight for about 3 weeks, while cutting, should I drop calories some or up my cardio some more? I prefer eating pizza then not, but am willing to do either one.
> 
> 
> 
> what's this?


Tbh, it depends on what you want. If you have high standards like me (I was 10% bf before summer cutting and at 7,5% now bulking), you'll always keep diet and cardio in check. However, if you're one of those average guys who think 12% bf is good, then just do cardio, or eat rationally clean. You won't look like a fitness model either way though unless you go 100% strict on diet, cardio and diet.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Who here is on IF and what times do you eat?


----------



## i$e

I am.

5PM till 1AM usually. Sometimes 2PM to 10PM if I'm training earlier the next day.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

i$e said:


> I am.
> 
> 5PM till 1AM usually. Sometimes 2PM to 10PM if I'm training earlier the next day.


do you do 2 a days ever?

Say I wanted to do 1 PM to 8 PM, but wanted to get up and run in the morning then lift later in the evening? Is more detrimental to me to do cardio on an empty stomach, then stay empty for like 5 hours?


----------



## i$e

I don't alter it ever. 16 hours fasted, 8 hours fed, repeat. I'd never train completely fasted (..BCAA's before lifting) but now I just hit a meal and train a few hours later. As for cardio I always did it after lifting so I can't really comment.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I use to hate legs days and now I look forward to every workout.


----------



## RKO920

Legs are a bitch. I always procrastinate when it comes to them, good thing I have naturally big legs.


----------



## RKO920

Rush said:


> Yeah, way too much work on your arms.
> 
> I tend to split it up into back/biceps, chest/tris, abs/legs.


Thanks for the adivce guys, and I used to this with shoulders mixed in on legs day, until I felt like I hit a plateau and changed it up.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

RKO920 said:


> Legs are a bitch. I always procrastinate when it comes to them, good thing I have naturally big legs.


I always had big legs as well due to family genetics but never had any definition. Once I started working on them they started to show some definition and actually lost a couple of inches.


----------



## Zen

New record baby!!!


----------



## BULLY

Well done.


----------



## Zen

Thanks bro! Trying to aim for under 6 minutes for the mile by June 2013.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So is IF as good as it sounds and feels so far? I fucking love not eating, then pigging out in 5 hours (I'm doing 19 fast, 5 eat). I tend to pig out a whole lot when I eat because 6 smaller meals sucks dick. It feels like everyday is cheat day kind; even when eating good food (chicken, broccoli, whole wheat bread...) instead of just buying a pizza and eating that (which I'm doing tonight). 

plus, if you get high you can fit your macros in in under like 3 hours.


----------



## i$e

Having done it for 3 months, the biggest plus point is easily being able to have huge meals and not really worry about it. I can't say I've noticed any changes in my attitude/focus or whatever, but I enjoy this method for sure. My bulk has been going really well on it.


----------



## Zen

What's your calorie intake and macros?


----------



## i$e

2800-3200, 160g protein, then whatever else I feel like as long as I supp in EFA's and eat some veg.


----------



## Zen

So your bulking with that? Is it hard to fit all that in a short time.


----------



## i$e

Yeah I've been slowly bulking nicely with that. Expecting to have to bump it up to 3200-3400 in 5-10lb or so. 

It's not really hard for me on a regular day. However, if I'm out during the window or busy etc it can mean extending it for that day, and then just eating a bit later the next day to compensate. It's one of those things that I try not to overanalyse. 9/10 I can eat 3200 easily in 8 hours though.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I barely eat vegetables. good bit of fruit though.


----------



## BULLY

Any of you listen to music while you train?

Got any good recommendations for good pump up music getting sick of the same old hot garbage on rotation at the local 'nasium.

Don't give a fuck what genre, as long as it's good.


----------



## The One

The final countdown should do you good.


----------



## i$e

read my megapost.


----------



## Zen

This is what I listen to every time I get under that bar..


----------



## El Conquistador

i$e said:


> Yeah I've been slowly bulking nicely with that. Expecting to have to bump it up to 3200-3400 in 5-10lb or so.
> 
> It's not really hard for me on a regular day. However, if I'm out during the window or busy etc it can mean extending it for that day, and then just eating a bit later the next day to compensate. It's one of those things that I try not to overanalyse. 9/10 I can eat 3200 easily in 8 hours though.


Any loss of strength in back squat, deadlift, bench, or strict press whilst experimenting with this?


----------



## BULLY

I'm a rap fan (not eminem so much) but it's not really the kind of music I want to listen to when I train, try to go for something more up-tempo for lack of a better word.

Currently downloading some of the electronic stuff that is on i$e's megapost thing so I'll see how that goes.


----------



## i$e

El Conquistador said:


> Any loss of strength in back squat, deadlift, bench, or strict press whilst experimenting with this?


Gains across the board, even when just training on BCAA's.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

BULLY said:


> Any of you listen to music while you train?
> 
> Got any good recommendations for good pump up music getting sick of the same old hot garbage on rotation at the local 'nasium.
> 
> Don't give a fuck what genre, as long as it's good.


My Top 10

1- St. Anger- Metallica
2- Let The Bodies Hit The Floor- Drowning Pool
3- Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)
4- Headstrong - Trapt
5- Rolling - Limp Bizkit
6- Undead- Hollywood Undead
7- You're Going Down- Sick Puppies 
8- Monster- Skillet
9- The Nameless- Slipknot
10- Chop Suey- System of a Down


----------



## Rush

BULLY said:


> Any of you listen to music while you train?
> 
> Got any good recommendations for good pump up music getting sick of the same old hot garbage on rotation at the local 'nasium.
> 
> Don't give a fuck what genre, as long as it's good.


I tend to listen to a lot of rap in the gym, if not then Enter Shikari goes pretty well. Check them out.


----------



## i$e

Fuck that shit. I busted out 3 new PBs yesterday by just having Every Time I Die - Roman Holiday on repeat. 

Woke up with my upper back hurting on neck rotation though. Fucking wanker. Hopefully fix itself by tomorrow for DEADLIFTS.


----------



## c-m_punk

BULLY said:


> I'm a rap fan (not eminem so much) but it's not really the kind of music I want to listen to when I train, try to go for something more up-tempo for lack of a better word.
> 
> Currently downloading some of the electronic stuff that is on i$e's megapost thing so I'll see how that goes.


if you want intensity in your workout you got to have some rock/metal

download some pantera, disturbed , godsmack, manowar, motorhead and you will see what im talking about..


----------



## i$e

Fuck all this wank nu-metal getting recced. 

Massive Attack - Angel. On Repeat.


----------



## Nas

the gym I go to played red hot chilli peppers greatest hits when I was there...


----------



## c-m_punk

Nas said:


> the gym I go to played red hot chilli peppers greatest hits when I was there...


love me some rhcp but they are not gym material (too mellow)
my gym once played manowar all morning. best workout ever


----------



## Nas

manowar are shit, and so are rhcp.


----------



## c-m_punk

Nas said:


> manowar are shit


who the fuck wants to listen to good music in the gym? when i go to the gym to workout i listen to songs that are going to ge me pumped doesnt mean that the are good songs but they do the job.

in the gym you need intesity and that shitty songs give you that


----------



## Rush

Depends what you consider good music. I mostly listen to music in the gym to stay focused on what i'm doing, block out the rest of the world so to speak. Doesn't matter if its Eminem or Ed Sheeran.


----------



## c-m_punk

Rush said:


> Depends what you consider good music. I mostly listen to music in the gym to stay focused on what i'm doing, block out the rest of the world so to speak. Doesn't matter if its Eminem or Ed Sheeran.


Music is a very powerful tool that many people dont use it

iv seen better results when working with music but afcorse people have different tastes

personally i want my gym music loud and full of rage to give me the extra boost and bench more weight, run faster etc, personaly their is nothing like bench press and listening to this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evc3Xtc84N0


----------



## BULLY

c-m_punk said:


> who the fuck wants to listen to good music in the gym? when i go to the gym to workout i listen to songs that are going to ge me pumped doesnt mean that the are good songs but they do the job.
> 
> in the gym you need intesity and that shitty songs give you that


I agree with this, hence why I asked for recommendations for "good gym music" I already know what good music is. I've looked at different genres of electronic type music and psycore seems to get me in the mood. Not the type of thing I'd listen to at home, but it seems to work at the 'nasium


----------



## Rush

c-m_punk said:


> Music is a very powerful tool that many people dont use it
> 
> iv seen better results when working with music but afcorse people have different tastes
> 
> personally i want my gym music loud and full of rage to give me the extra boost and bench more weight, run faster etc, personaly their is nothing like bench press and listening to this
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evc3Xtc84N0


I tend to go with some rap like 
















or stuff like
















^^^ explicit video clip of that is heaps better.


but as i said, i'll listen to pretty much anything i'd normally listen to out of the gym. 

____________


Also finally worked out what i did to my foot. Only took a major flare up playing cricket which meant i couldn't walk properly for 3 days, or pain free for 5 days :hb Haven;t been in the gym for ages now so next week time to get back in there and go hard.


----------



## i$e

c-m_punk said:


> who the fuck wants to listen to good music in the gym?












Me.


----------



## Zen

Fuck yeaaa !!!!!


----------



## Samoon

c-m_punk said:


> who the fuck wants to listen to good music in the gym?


I do. 
I wouldn't want to listen to shitty music in the gym. Listening to good music will motivate me.


----------



## i$e

RE: Nas's request. 

Since HoL is MIA, I'll write a bulking guide later today/tomorrow.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

5not a big deal for anyone else, but I'm super weak on bench. Yesterday I did 225 5 reps on my 4th set! Which is huge for me! Don't understand why I can row more than I can Bench?


----------



## i$e

They're good bench numbers, unless you're like 200lb+ and have been lifting for 2 years +. You must have a stonger back then chest if you can row more, or your form could just be better on that exercise.


----------



## Loudness

Starting on a bulk at 6'2" 183 lbs 7% bf, trying to go to ~198 lbs till march/april and then cut again. Would like to hit 5-5.5% bf at a reasonable size and hope it will work out. Wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't as I think two years will be needed to hit that bf at my current weight. Calorie intake is roughly 3750 for bulk. IIFYM atm, but will go on more strict diet in march.


----------



## i$e

pics of 7%?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm at 188lbs. I was in the US Navy where pullups and rows rule the world, so that's why I'm probably stronger there, I have such beautiful lats.

what cracks me up, I wanted to max on DLs on Monday, tried and hurt myself (3 plates + 2 10s = 335lbs). So I've been sitting awkwardly all week long due to the pain. I tried squatting on Wednesday night, stopped 2 sets in due to ridiculous pain. Then Thursday I tried benching and broke my record, no pain. 

I can do a lot of pullups and pushups though and run for a bit, so I odn't ever plan on being the fat guy who can only bench a whole lot and nothing else (oh except for shitty 4 plated squats).


----------



## i$e

exact same thing happened to me with regards to back/deadlifts AND the bench part actually. weird. 

backs still hurting during deadlifts and squats a month on so im gonna see a chiro, pretty sure its an SI joint problem. crock of shit.


----------



## Loudness

i$e said:


> pics of 7%?


Will not post any on this site tbh since it will look kinda dickish/showing off etc and I'm not working out for ego and from what I learned in life, there's a fine line between a "fit guy" and someone shredded like me, seen guys far bigger than me beeing considered dicks simply for posting so I won't have that happen. Will create a bodyspace soon to have progress pics and past them in the next weeks, going from starting size to bulk size. If you want pics you better go there. Will post the link to my bodyspace with pics/updates if you want, but random, non bobdyuiliding/fitness related sites I will not post in.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I met a man who deadlifted with Shin Guards on tonight...































Genius!


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Loudness said:


> Starting on a bulk at 6'2" 183 lbs 7% bf, trying to go to ~198 lbs till march/april and then cut again. Would like to hit 5-5.5% bf at a reasonable size and hope it will work out. Wouldn't be disappointed if it didn't as I think two years will be needed to hit that bf at my current weight. Calorie intake is roughly 3750 for bulk. IIFYM atm, but will go on more strict diet in march.


7 percent? Not even most olympic athletes :lmao


----------



## BULLY

You'll have to be on the juice if you want to achieve that.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

that's a super unhealthy BF%. I am not jealous. Brad Pitt went to 6% for fight club but said he would never do it again becuase he was unhealthy.


----------



## BehindYou

I've repeatedly read that short bursts of intense exercise are far better than longer ones...but is it true?
I'm 6ft4 and 210lbs of distinctively average man. Will 10 minutes of burpees/day be better for both my health and look than half hour-hour of jogging? 
My aim is to get reasonably fit with bodyweight exercises, expand to freeweights than hit the gym really hard in 6 months time.


----------



## Alim

So today I had my first workout in 11 months, it felt good so I went out and bought some Whey right after. When I came home I had a shake. 

I was wondering what other supplements would be good to take?

I have a whole bottle of Purple K creatine as well but probably won't start taking it until a couple of weeks from now.


----------



## i$e

All I ever rec is whey, vit d & omega 3 (unless you eat lots of salmon). No need to complicate things with extra shit.


----------



## Rush

Vitamin D? get some sunshine. ohwait you're a Brit nevermind :troll


----------



## i$e

You CUNT.


----------



## Rush

ique2

Foot held up well playing cricket today. Will probably get in a round of golf this week i think as well as gym + cricket training.


----------



## i$e

Do some ankle curls you weak CUNT.

<3


----------



## BULLY

BehindYou said:


> I've repeatedly read that short bursts of intense exercise are far better than longer ones...but is it true?
> I'm 6ft4 and 210lbs of distinctively average man. Will 10 minutes of burpees/day be better for both my health and look than half hour-hour of jogging?
> My aim is to get reasonably fit with bodyweight exercises, expand to freeweights than hit the gym really hard in 6 months time.


Depends what you're hoping to achieve I guess. I can get what I want done, in 45 minutes, my main concerns are explosiveness, power and size. But for other people whose main objective is to get uber-fit and train their body for endurance they can spend half the day in the 'nasium. Not to mention you'll only be starting out in the gym, you don't want to overdo it and burn yourself out.

Burpees are a good alternative to the regular treadmill/bike cardio as is skipping and boxing. It Doesn't hurt to mix it up.


----------



## Glass Shatters

BehindYou said:


> I've repeatedly read that short bursts of intense exercise are far better than longer ones...but is it true?
> I'm 6ft4 and 210lbs of distinctively average man. Will 10 minutes of burpees/day be better for both my health and look than half hour-hour of jogging?
> My aim is to get reasonably fit with bodyweight exercises, expand to freeweights than hit the gym really hard in 6 months time.


To make a long story short, this is pretty much the exact plan I followed about 21 months ago en route to the best shape of my life. I started a serious cut in February just running and calisthenics until about May. I lost about 30 pounds of both muscle and fat and got down to an all-time low of 139 pounds. I was running half marathons and could knock out push ups, sit ups, pull ups, prisoner squats, etc. like they were nothing. I started a bulk shortly thereafter cutting down but not eliminating the running. Transitioned to about 6 miles a week which were during unit PT hours with the bulk of cardio on my own time being steep incline walking on the treadmill. Lifted weights 3 days a week, following a powerlifting program centering around squatting, benching, and dead lifting. Was drinking half gallons of milk daily along with 2 protein shakes, a protein bar, and 3 solid meals. I got up to a very lean 180, and could still do calisthenics pretty easily because I still did them during unit PT along with my running. My overall strength was through the roof.

Following the plan you want to do, I was extremely well rounded fitness wise.

The burpees though, they will fucking smoke your legs. An awesome compound exercise, but don't overdo it.


----------



## i$e

i$e's Bulking Guide v1.0
_*How to gain lean mass effectively whilst limiting fat gain *_

-----

I've had quite a few PMs, reps and comments in here requesting that I make a companion post for my cutting guide, which seems to have been received very well. I had one guy tell me that his depression was less of an issue now, which is absolutely fantastic. So, here we are. Gaining lean mass without tons of fat gain. 

Like cutting, it's quite a simple process. The difficulty comes in being diciplined over a long period of time. It's something you have to initially dedicate a lot of time to consciously, then less so as you progress. So, fight the urge to alter things too quickly, which will fuck up your progress more often than not. Let's get into it.

*What is bulking?*



> _Bulk_: to gain weight by predominantly gaining muscle


*Who should bulk?*

Sometime in ones lifting career, one will always ask themselves the classic bodybuilding question: _should I bulk or cut?_ Whilst this is a personal decision 100% of the time, there are a few guidelines that I would suggest if you're open to both options. 

You should probably bulk if: 

- You're just starting out and you're <20% BF
- You've been cutting for a while and your strength is starting to decrease
- You're 'skinny fat' - pretty light overall weight but low LBM (lean body mass) and high-ish BF%.

You should definitely bulk if:

- You _absolutely_ want more muscle (dur)
- Your focus is on making significant strength gains
- You're skinny and weak, even if you have 'abz for dayz' (low bodyfat, low lean mass, low overall weight for height)

*Why should I bulk?*

Because you want to be bigger and stronger than you currently are. For some people it'll be for aesthetic reasons, for others it'll be for their own self-esteem etc. Everyone is different. 

My own story is that I was 155lb skinny fat. I hated my image and decided on a complete lifestyle change, with diet and training becoming a major factor in my life. For the first year, I focused on cutting body fat, rather than taking my own advice above and bulk. I lost 25lb+ of fat, but gained around 10lb of muscle (thus recomping) and made good strength gains - which is possible due to the so called 'newbie gains' (the reason that I reccomend bulking to newcomers even with moderate BF%; you'll gain muscle and strength and lose fat at the same time for the first 6-14mo).

Do I regret not bulking straight away? No, because this is a marathon and not a sprint. I may have had bigger strength gains if I hadn't cut for 12 months, but at the same time, I was walking around with a BF% that I was finally happy with. Then, I started bulking, and haven't stopped since. 

Moral of this little tale; bulk until you're unhappy, cut until you're unhappy, repeat. Eventually you'll be happy all the time. When? When you reach your goals. 

Once you've decided to bulk, climb the mountain to retreive a purple flower, then read on.

*Essentials*

All you need to know. 

- Lift heavy 3/4 times a week
- Eat at a caloric surplus
- Take in at least 1g protein per lb of lean mass daily
- Include some essential fatty acids (omega 3/6/9) and vegetables daily

Do that and you'll get results, 100% of the time. Counting calories is essential to locking down your numbers, but after a while they become second nature and you won't even have to use a calculator. At this point you may have noticed I've barely altered the essentials from the cutting guide, and that's because bulking is pretty much inverse from cutting. All we're doing is switching from a caloric deficit to a caloric surplus.

*How many calories should I eat?*

So, gaining LBM requires us to be in caloric surplus. Unlike cutting, our weekly goals are different. Whilst it's possible to lose 2lb+ of fat a week, you're going to be adding muscle much slower than that. In general terms, we can only gain 0.5lb of muscle per week, and that's with optimal training and diet planning. For the newcomer, you can probably add more than that for the first year of training (another reason I think newcomers should mostly be bulking straight off). So..

- If you're a newcomer and have decided to bulk, aim to gain 4-6lb a month (or 0.75-1.25 lb per week)
- If you're an intermediate+ lifter, aim to gain 2-3lb a month (0.5-0.75 lb per week)

These numbers might seem lower than you were expecting or commonly heard. But this so called 'lean bulking' will minimise fat gains (which are inevitable most of the time).

The caloric surplus is best attained via diet (through management of caloric intake). *Eat 200-500 calories more than your TEE (Total Energy Expenditure; maintenance calories) whilst following the rules outlined in the essentials above and you're on track. *

A bit of background of our maintenance level (TEE) - when we weight train (or do any physical activity for that matter), we expand a bunch of calories, which is in our interest obviously. The problem with this as a conscious consideration is newcomers often use it as justification to eat more. _Oh, I can have this cake because I did 30 minutes on the treadmill earlier. _ Whilst this makes some logical sense, it is usually counter-productive because in general people both overestimate how much calories they burn in the gym and underestimate how many calories they're eating. Just workout your TEE below and stick to it, focusing on creating your deficit in the kitchen.

_ Maintenance Calories_ = bodyweight in pounds x 15 (or 14 if you're female). That's a _rough_ estimate, which will take a few weeks of trial and error to really nail down. It might take longer, but luckily the scale will tell you where you're at. So..

If you weigh 160lb. 

160 x 15 = 2400. That will maintain weight. Eating 2700-2900 a day (200-500 kcal surplus) will yield between 0.25-0.75 of muscle gain a week provided the essential rules are met. The weight you gain will be a mixture of dry muscle, water, increased glycogen stores and fat, but provided you don't go overboard with the surplus, it'll be almost all lean body mass.

Simple.

*Tracking progress*

Obviously, this is key to knowing what we're doing is working, so here are my recommendations. 

- Weigh yourself once a week on the same day at the same time. Before breakfast, after bathroom. 
- Write it down. 
- If weight does not go up after three weeks and you've not made any obvious slip ups, increase calories by 10%.
- The mirror is usually a better judge for you to go by, although scales help with 'knowing' you're achieving something. 
- Write it down. Included again because it's important to log progress. The same goes for your workouts.
- Using calipers will give you a good indication of fat gain (and you can alter diet from here). 

It's worth noting that sometimes you'll fluctuate in weight from day to day. This is water weight amongst other factors, and is the reason we weigh ourselves at the same time on a weekly basis and don't panic if we don't gain from one week to the other. As long as there is a general upward trend over the long term, you're golden. 

*Myths and other things that don't matter*

Given the amount of studies, blogs, forum posts (I realize the irony) and articles that you can read on the subject, it's no wonder that a significant amount of broscience has popped up over the years. Bullshit, in other words. *The following things are not essential to gaining lean mass*. 

- Meal timing, aside from eating pre and post workouts 
- Meal frequency
- Protein 'maxes' per meal
- Significant analysis of carb/fat ratios, sodium intake, 'clean' foods etc
- Steroids

Obviously, all of these things can be tweaked and considered as part of an overall strategy, but they're are absolutely not required for LBM increase. 

*A note on Intermittent Fasting*

In this thread you may have noticed a lot of people who have started talking about IF recently. I follow this protocol and have done for the past 4 months. Basically, rather than eating in a regular 12-14 hour eating window, you get your calories in a 6-8 hour window instead. It's just a timing protocol. You can just do things normally if you wish, but should you want to read more on the subject, then have a read over at leangains.com. 

This is not essential for bulking, it's just another way of acheiving the same goals. 

*Frequently Asked Questions*

*Q*: Will I get fat?
*A*: Not if you take it slowly and monitor progress. Your overall fat levels will increase, but so will your LBM, so you won't necassarily look any 'fatter' as your BF% may stay the same or even lower.

*Q*: When should I stop bulking?
*A*: When you're happy with your weight, or when you've reached a BF% you're not happy with. Then you can cut or maintain. 

*Q*: Can I eat what I want?
*A*: I'm a big believer in 'IIFYM' (If It Fits Your Macros). Get most of your foods from good sources, and then fill in the gaps with things you enjoy. As long as you hit your calories, protein numbers, eat some healthy fats and veggies, there's no reason you can't have a snickers after a meal (I have a snickers every day and I'm gaining LMB steadily).

*Q*: What weight lifting routine should I do whilst bulking?
*A*: I reccomend Starting Stength if you're just beginning. Rush made a great post on the subject that I'm sure he'll dig out if asked. 

*Q*: Do I have to use weights?
*A*: To be honest, yes.

*Q*: How much is a safe amount to gain per week?
*A*: No more than 1lb a week. Any more than that will just store as fat, so what's the point?

*Q*: What are some good food choices?
*A*: For protein, lean meats, fish, eggs, milk and whey supplements are great. Good carb sources include oats, pasta, rice and wholemeal bread. Good fats can be attained from salmon, mackerel, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts and getting some saturated fats in from butter etc is no bad thing at all (despite what you may have heard).

..and that's it. Hope this information helps as much as it has helped me over the years.


----------



## BULLY

Just read over the guide. Good info there. (Y)


----------



## Glass Shatters

i$e said:


> *Q*: What are some good food choices?
> *A*: For protein, lean meats, fish, eggs, milk and whey supplements are great. Good carb sources include oats, pasta, rice and wholemeal bread. Good fats can be attained from salmon, mackerel, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts and getting some saturated fats in from butter etc is no bad thing at all (despite what you may have heard).


I think all natural peanut butter deserves a specific mention here. It's an okay protein source, but very dense in calories and poly and mono unsaturated fats, making it perfect for someone on a serious bulk. Really quick calories and for the hardgainer it's super easy to whip up a PB&J with a banana to drink with a casein shake before bed.

Overall, good guide for someone just getting in to lifting.


----------



## i$e

Agree, I didn't throw in PB because I personally hate the shit, but it's a good suggestion for sure.


----------



## Glass Shatters

i$e said:


> Agree, I didn't throw in PB because I personally hate the shit, but it's a good suggestion for sure.


Yeah, it's the quickest way to add calories to anything ever. A few tablespoons in your protein shake, oatmeal or yogurt, a few tablespoons with some celery, an apple or an banana and next thing you know you've just added about 400 calories and 15 grams of protein to something that was relatively light before.


----------



## i$e

Aye, I'm the same with milk. Just an extra glass here and there really helps in hitting numbers.


----------



## Nas

Thank you iSe. You are a gift to this forum.


----------



## Glass Shatters

i$e said:


> Aye, I'm the same with milk. Just an extra glass here and there really helps in hitting numbers.


Oh, dude, when I was seriously bulking I was drinking a half gallon of whole milk a day and following a hypertrophy to strength to power to peaking powerlifting workout and put on serious weight. Fortunately during this time, I was also eating an apple and taking a scoop of Metamucil after each meal so the milk didn't fuck me up too bad.


----------



## i$e

Haha, milk & squats >>>


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

i$e said:


> - You're skinny and weak, even if you have 'abz for dayz' (low bodyfat, low lean mass, low overall weight for height)


I wish I had been drinking milk so I could have spit it out at this. :lmao

I love these people


----------



## BULLY

All this milk talk :kurt


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

so can I just eat chicken, pizza, and apples to bulk up instead of all this other...healthy crap? I mean, IIFIYM...and calories...


----------



## i$e

Yeah but chicken, apples and pizza are pretty 'healthy' anyway tbh.


----------



## Alim

Great guide i$e.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

anyone here do Thrusters? and if so, how much weight do you do (rep/set wise as well)?


----------



## Glass Shatters

Wasn't dealing with the gym today, so woke up and did 100 each of pushups, situps, and prisoner squats along with 30 wrestler's bridges prior to the havoc that will ensue in about 2 hours. Happy Thanksgiving all - hope you don't become complacent after today and ruin your gains with the dreaded holiday season. Be sure to get back on track for another month after today!


----------



## Zen

Almost there!!


----------



## Thad Castle

A few years ago, I used to love to work out at home rather than going to the gym. However, I prefer actually going to the gym more because it keeps me motivated to want to work out harder. I don't usually do my cardio in the gym, but rather ride my bike or go for a hike to get the heart rate up.


----------



## Rush

Was out with friends that i hadnt seen in years last night. Got a few compliments which is always nice


----------



## DA

Bought some weights but haven't used them in ages :downing

Wanna go from this









to this









No idea how I'm gonna grow my nose that big though :downing


----------



## i$e

Don't forget.


----------



## TRDBaron

:lol true that..
Bench pressed 100 kilo's yesterday, my shoulders and chest still hurt like hell but it was worth it.


----------



## BULLY

Glass Shatters said:


> Wasn't dealing with the gym today, so woke up and did 100 each of pushups, situps, and prisoner squats along with 30 wrestler's bridges prior to the havoc that will ensue in about 2 hours. Happy Thanksgiving all - hope you don't become complacent after today and ruin your gains with the dreaded holiday season. Be sure to get back on track for another month after today!


Yeah no shit. Holiday season kinda sucks if you're trying to stay disciplined. I'm going to another state to see the fam for a few weeks, won't be anywhere near a gym, but I'm gonna take my dumbbell set with me. Better than nothing. But most of the time will be spent getting drunk, late night kebabs and lots of partying. Fuck.


----------



## Glass Shatters

BULLY said:


> Yeah no shit. Holiday season kinda sucks if you're trying to stay disciplined. I'm going to another state to see the fam for a few weeks, won't be anywhere near a gym, but I'm gonna take my dumbbell set with me. Better than nothing. But most of the time will be spent getting drunk, late night kebabs and lots of partying. Fuck.


Fucking a. I had an awesome workout the day after Thanksgiving, but was still bloated as fuck. This is gallon of water a day and Metamucil season for me. 

I can say a lot of bad things about holiday season, but I enjoy it all in all. It's the first 2 months after holiday season that I absolutely dread. I typically shun going to the actual gym (except for squat day - I need the rack) from the new year until mid-March to avoid the resolutioners who lack any tact or gym etiquette. They usually give up about 2 months in, so I make due going balls to the mother fucking wall with my Olympic weight set in the garage following Rippetoe principles and running about 10 miles/week until that time. 

If I were you, I'd simply take a barbell and some plates and knock out some basic compounds a few times a week for 25 minutes. I suppose you could knock out the same movements with a dumbbell set, however. I'm just a fan of the barbell.


----------



## Striker

Weights are expensive as fuck.

All I have is this machine at my house, but i'm sure weights would be better.

Any non-weight related workouts for slimming down? Right now I'm just jogging for about an hour a day.


----------



## i$e

Pull some chairs together and do dips. Bang out some push ups. Get a chin bar for cheap and do some weighted chins. Lose weight in the kitchen doe.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

anyone else find the gym right after Thanksgiving fucking packed! My campus gym has lines of freshman waiting for the Bench. and they'll wait in line for like 30 minutes, do their like 10 sets, then leave.


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## Striker

i$e said:


> Pull some chairs together and do dips. Bang out some push ups. Get a chin bar for cheap and do some weighted chins. Lose weight in the kitchen doe.


Thanks, bro.

Skyfall, what college do you go to?


----------



## Glass Shatters

Striker said:


> Weights are expensive as fuck.
> 
> All I have is this machine at my house, but i'm sure weights would be better.
> 
> Any non-weight related workouts for slimming down? Right now I'm just jogging for about an hour a day.


Jump rope to throw a little bit of change in with the jogging if you ever get tired of it. 

Also, the chairs that i$e recommended can be used to throw in a few variations of pushups. Incline, decline, and deep stretch by positioning the chairs a little wider than normal, allowing your chest to go further down than it would if it were on regular ground. Then you have normal, on the floor pushups. I swear by keeping your elbows as tight to your lats as possible and not teetering out. I read somewhere that great Russian strongmen of the past did hundreds of those a day with elbows in tight and ever since I've been doing them that way with better results. As you advance, throw in some plyometric or "explosive" pushups where you literally push your self off the ground. 

Then you can throw in your situps, air squats, lunges, calf raises, pull ups, chin ups, flutter kicks, planks, etc. 

Don't forget the neck though. Look up wrestler's bridges so you don't wind up looking like a John Basedow v. 2.0 toolbag.




Skyfall said:


> anyone else find the gym right after Thanksgiving fucking packed! My campus gym has lines of freshman waiting for the Bench. and they'll wait in line for like 30 minutes, do their like 10 sets, then leave.


The frat boys have nothing else to do now that football season is over for the most part. Got to get back in shape for next season's grueling beer pong tournament with their bros by adhering to the following routine:

Monday: Chest, abs and arms
Tuesday: Chest, abs and arms
Wednesday: Chest, abs and arms
Thursday: Chest, abs and arms
Friday: Chest, abs and arms
Saturday: Chest, abs and arms
Sunday: Chest, abs and arms


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## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Glass Shatters said:


> Jump rope to throw a little bit of change in with the jogging if you ever get tired of it.


I second the jump rope. I decided to do a bunch of it after I watched the whole Rocky series in high school for the first time, really good stuff. I think Ali also did like 5 hours a day, or maybe it was 15 minutes.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

question on the IF:
I get up around 8 or 9 AM, then I like to do cardio (though I almost never do) in the morning. I fast then till around 4/5 PM, will have an apple and some kind of protein, go lift, then really eat afterwards. Is it really necessary to 
a) do cardio as well as lifting on IF (I like to eat a lot)?
b) take a tiny protein shake after my morning cardio?


----------



## Scrubs

Okay guys need a bit of help..
I joined a gym this week and I have been going but I'm not exactly sure what I'm meant to be doing there, and what to eat and stuff. I got weighed in at 87.7kg and I'm 191cm tall with 16% body weight. My goals are to lose the fat off my stomach and to get bigger arms ya know.. 
So can anyone help me on what to eat, how often I should work out at the gym and what equipment to use. Would be rly greatful guys!


----------



## Zen

Anyone here do any contact sports?

Boxing, martial arts etc?


----------



## BULLY

Scrubs said:


> Okay guys need a bit of help..
> I joined a gym this week and I have been going but I'm not exactly sure what I'm meant to be doing there, and what to eat and stuff. I got weighed in at 87.7kg and I'm 191cm tall with 16% body weight. My goals are to lose the fat off my stomach and to get bigger arms ya know..
> So can anyone help me on what to eat, how often I should work out at the gym and what equipment to use. Would be rly greatful guys!


Just basics.. eat one gram per pound of your body weight so that would be about 192g for you. Get your protein from fish, chicken, red meat... if you can't get there from foods look at getting some protein whey is the best. Also eat veges and fruit and go easy on the carbs and sugar. If you want to get big, skip the machines and go for the free weights like dumbbells. Work different body parts on different days. e.g. chest/triceps on one day and back/biceps on another. Lift light to start and concentrate on good form. (keep your back straight, no swinging, tense your core (stomach) concentrate on your breathing inhale on the easy movement exhale on the hard movement. If you want to lose weight also add some cardio work to your routine, the rowing machine is good and it works your upper body as well.


----------



## i$e

Skyfall said:


> question on the IF:
> I get up around 8 or 9 AM, then I like to do cardio (though I almost never do) in the morning. I fast then till around 4/5 PM, will have an apple and some kind of protein, go lift, then really eat afterwards. Is it really necessary to
> a) do cardio as well as lifting on IF (I like to eat a lot)?
> b) take a tiny protein shake after my morning cardio?


No to both.



Scrubs said:


> Okay guys need a bit of help..
> I joined a gym this week and I have been going but I'm not exactly sure what I'm meant to be doing there, and what to eat and stuff. I got weighed in at 87.7kg and I'm 191cm tall with 16% body weight. My goals are to lose the fat off my stomach and to get bigger arms ya know..
> So can anyone help me on what to eat, how often I should work out at the gym and what equipment to use. Would be rly greatful guys!


My sig.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Dolce & Gabbana said:


> Anyone here do any contact sports?
> 
> Boxing, martial arts etc?


I do boxing on non lifting days.


----------



## Ray

I'm going to start doing kettlebells. Heard that shit is effective as hell for weight loss.


----------



## i$e

Jon Jones said:


> I'm going to start doing kettlebells. Heard that shit is effective as hell for weight loss.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

so, here it is:
monday - lifted
tuesday - lifted
wednesday - cardio afternoon/lifted evening
thursday - cardio afternoon/lifted evening
friday - cardio afternoon
saturday - *(lift)
sunday - *(cardio afternoon/lift evening)

*what I plan to do.

Is this over training, if I'm cutting? cardio is roughly 35 - 50 mins moderate; lifting is 45 - 60 mins hard.


----------



## i$e

swap tues and weds round and it looks good


----------



## Ray

i$e said:


>


Okay, admittedly, I had that one coming to me :lmao


----------



## Glass Shatters

Skyfall said:


> so, here it is:
> monday - lifted
> tuesday - lifted
> wednesday - cardio afternoon/lifted evening
> thursday - cardio afternoon/lifted evening
> friday - cardio afternoon
> saturday - *(lift)
> sunday - *(cardio afternoon/lift evening)
> 
> *what I plan to do.
> 
> Is this over training, if I'm cutting? cardio is roughly 35 - 50 mins moderate; lifting is 45 - 60 mins hard.


I get burned out quick working out 7 days a week. I need at least 1 full day of rest from any type of strenuous exercise and I think my workouts benefit from it. By the time I head back into the gym on Monday morning, I'm waiting for the bitch to open at 5 or I'm ready to start lifting cars. I know that it doesn't feel right not exercising when you're trying to cut, but try trading in your workouts Sunday for a light walk and some yoga with a smoothie for dinner so you don't feel bloated from not working out. 

If your gym has a sauna, go in there on Sundays, stretch lightly, and alternate three 15 minute sessions with a cold shower. Not only will you lose excess water weight and dead skin cells, but your muscles will loosen, you'll develop a greater range of motion, your skin will clear up, and the rise in heart rate from the shock of the cold water will give you a mini-cardio workout. Your body will say thanks.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm going to do a quick bulk week because Dominoes is 50% off online this week only. I hope I get really strong and gain no fat whatsoever!


----------



## Rush

Need to get back into a proper routine. So tomorrow, back in the gym, then cricket training then maybe a run/swim after that. Just need a big day to thrash it and get myself going again. 



Skyfall said:


> I'm going to do a quick bulk week because Dominoes is 50% off online this week only. I hope I get really strong and gain no fat whatsoever!


really hope that was sarcastic.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Skyfall said:


> I'm going to do a quick bulk week because Dominoes is 50% off online this week only. I hope I get really strong and gain no fat whatsoever!


You going to be on dat dere Frog Tech, brah. Dreamer bulk FTL. 

I know you're being sarcastic.


----------



## Cactus

Decided to do something I'd never thought I'd do and that is get myself in better shape. I'm 6'4 and 152lbs and quick frankly resemble a twig. Decided to up my protein, carbs and fat intake and I'll be signing up for a year membership down at the gym tomorrow to makes sure I stick to this and not give up after a week like I do with a lot of shit in life. Forgive me for my ignorance on the subject, but when one is trying to bulk up, is it an absolute necessity to keep track on exactly how much calories you are taking in?


----------



## i$e

my sig


----------



## Cactus

Ahhh. Thanks man. Very helpful stuff.


----------



## El Conquistador

Skyfall said:


> I'm going to do a quick bulk week because Dominoes is 50% off online this week only. I hope I get really strong and gain no fat whatsoever!


notsureifsrs


----------



## glennie12

By going through this post i must say that you guys have shared some wonderful information regarding the body workout. I was looking for the same kind of information online but didn't found anything useful. Anyways, please keep posting more.


----------



## glennie12

I completely agree with what Michigan Mike has to say on this. You need to concentrate on your base first and then move on to other things.


----------



## Cookie Monster

I'm not sure whether to bulk or cut right now. I weigh 15 stone which is about 210 lbs? Mostly muscle but not lean as fuck (dont like the look). I'm thinking of bulking as its the Christmas period and continue until about Spring where I will go on a cut for the summer.


----------



## i$e

How tall are you?


----------



## Cookie Monster

6'2


----------



## BULLY

Very hard to stay lean over Christmas/ new year


----------



## i$e

Hard to say really. If you're above 15% bodyfat then I'd tend to suggest an 8 week cut or something. Otherwise there's no harm in bulking to say 225 and re-evaluating, which might be more viable as this time of the year is pretty tough to restrict on calories.


----------



## Cookie Monster

yeah, the Christmas period is the one I do dread every year in regards to staying healthy and in shape. Eat like a fucking hoover in winter. Think I'll just keep going to the gym, lighter though as I tend to be a bit busier this time of the year and eat more and get ready for the new year.


----------



## i$e

Winter bulk (Y)


----------



## iMMORTALTNA

there have passed by 2 months since i started my new diet and started to work out regularly and have lost 42lbs since. cheers :d


----------



## BULLY

iMMORTALTNA said:


> there have passed by 2 months since i started my new diet and started to work out regularly and have lost 42lbs since. cheers :d


Awesome (Y) keep it going


----------



## Cookie Monster

iMMORTALTNA said:


> there have passed by 2 months since i started my new diet and started to work out regularly and have lost 42lbs since. cheers :d


That is awesome! Keep it going!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm 19% BF, but I think I might do a winter bulk too. No girls to impress while I'm home, and lots of cookies and turkey to eat.


----------



## RKO920

I'm trying to get a clean bulk, while not gaining weight. If I take up your mass while doing cardio at least twice a week is it worth it?What I have now:


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> I'm trying to get a clean bulk, while not gaining weight. If I take up your mass while doing cardio at least twice a week is it worth it?


No. Clean bulk without gaining weight is just a recomp attempt that probably won't get you that far (unless you want to maintain current composition)


----------



## RKO920

merry i$emas said:


> No. Clean bulk without gaining weight is just a recomp attempt that probably won't get you that far (unless you want to maintain current composition)


I don't mind gaining the weight, I'm just scared it will turn to fat. The reviews for this via my concern seem positive though. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mhp/mass.html


----------



## i$e

Check out the post I made in my sig. Should ease your worries about fat gain.


----------



## sharkboy22

Hey guys, it's skinny fuck me again. Ok, so i started to lift really seriously back in September. Now, I'm doing this at home. All I have is a barbell and a bench. So my exercises consist of variations to bench press, barbell curls, bent over barbrell reps, squats and the bench machine has a leg exercise thing attached to it.

I started off benching 40lbs, now I'm at 50. Started off curling 20lbs, now I can get 2 good sets out of 25lbs and then finish up with some 20s. Bent over rows went up from 25lbs to 30lbs. Squats went from 25lbs to 30lbs. 

And I know it's only 3 months but I'm lifting more right, so shouldn't my body reflect that a little? I'm expecting too like John Cena over night here but to me I haven't made a single damn gain in size since Spetmeber. So when the hell would it start to look like I actually do start working out? I've seen people make some damn good progress in 3 months (people that I actually know) so what the fuck's the problem with me?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

sharkboy22 said:


> Hey guys, it's skinny fuck me again. Ok, so i started to lift really seriously back in September. Now, I'm doing this at home. All I have is a barbell and a bench. So my exercises consist of variations to bench press, barbell curls, bent over barbrell reps, squats and the bench machine has a leg exercise thing attached to it.
> 
> I started off benching 40lbs, now I'm at 50. Started off curling 20lbs, now I can get 2 good sets out of 25lbs and then finish up with some 20s. Bent over rows went up from 25lbs to 30lbs. Squats went from 25lbs to 30lbs.
> 
> And I know it's only 3 months but I'm lifting more right, so shouldn't my body reflect that a little? I'm expecting too like John Cena over night here but to me I haven't made a single damn gain in size since Spetmeber. So when the hell would it start to look like I actually do start working out? I've seen people make some damn good progress in 3 months (people that I actually know) so what the fuck's the problem with me?


how much do you weigh and how much are you eating? possibly just bumping calories will help. Those are decent results though; like I said, bumping calories will probably speed up results and make them better.

with a barbell you can pretty much do everything necessary: skull crushers, curls, bench, dead lift, rows; don't know how you can safely squat with only a bench, but you can just do that free weight during the break then start up once you get back to a gym. 

you can always buy that pullup bar you put onto a doorway; pullups are the best!


----------



## Glass Shatters

sharkboy22 said:


> Hey guys, it's skinny fuck me again. Ok, so i started to lift really seriously back in September. Now, I'm doing this at home. All I have is a barbell and a bench. So my exercises consist of variations to bench press, barbell curls, bent over barbrell reps, squats and the bench machine has a leg exercise thing attached to it.
> 
> I started off benching 40lbs, now I'm at 50. Started off curling 20lbs, now I can get 2 good sets out of 25lbs and then finish up with some 20s. Bent over rows went up from 25lbs to 30lbs. Squats went from 25lbs to 30lbs.
> 
> And I know it's only 3 months but I'm lifting more right, so shouldn't my body reflect that a little? I'm expecting too like John Cena over night here but to me I haven't made a single damn gain in size since Spetmeber. So when the hell would it start to look like I actually do start working out? I've seen people make some damn good progress in 3 months (people that I actually know) so what the fuck's the problem with me?


First and foremost, you should be running a split for maximum hypertrophy. Secondly, you need to eat. I seriously hope that you're not doing bench, curls, rows, squats, and leg extensions every single time you work out. More like back and biceps on Monday, chest and triceps on Wednesday, and Legs on Friday to start off until you find what works for you. 

Also, you can do a lot more with a barbell than the exercises listed. 

Off the top of my head, try throwing in these exercises and variations if you haven't already:
DEADLIFT <-THIS SHOULD BE A FOCAL POINT OF ANY MASS BUILDING ROUTINE
Stiff legged deadlift
Military press
Behind the neck press
Shrugs
Behind the back shrugs
Forearm curls
Reverse forearms curls
Behind the back forearm curls
Hack squat
Upright rows
Reverse grip curls
Walking lunges
Power clean (get the technique down with an empty bar first)
Weighted calf raises

Using the weight plates:

Wrist rollers
Steering wheel
Weighted sit-ups
Weighted push ups
Weighted dips
Donkey calf raises

All in all, you should really focus on the big three: bench, squat, and deadlift. Operate on a serious *clean* caloric surplus. You can look at i$e's signature for the basics of a bulk. Look into investing some money into a weight gainer if you are truly that thin such as Optimum's Serious Mass that you take in addition to 3 solid meals a day and a snack or two (peanut butter and jelly with a glass of milk, yogurt, fruit and peanut butter, etc). 



Deck the skyfalls said:


> don't know how you can safely squat with only a bench


He may have the multi position barbell frame that allows him to adjust the barbell vertically.



> pullups are the best


Indeed. Calisthenics should never be totally phased out of a muscle building routine.


----------



## i$e

you havent gained because you're lifting wayyyyyyy too light

eat loads of food and do starting strength (google), report back in 3 months

good luck


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

glass shatters, what's the fitness test for the Army? In the navy (to pass satisfactory) it's 12:00 min 1.5 mile run; 42 pushups; 50 situps; sit & reach to your toes. that's for a 19 year old; it gets easier of course.

do you guys have to do pullups?


----------



## Glass Shatters

Deck the skyfalls said:


> glass shatters, what's the fitness test for the Army? In the navy (to pass satisfactory) it's 12:00 min 1.5 mile run; 42 pushups; 50 situps; sit & reach to your toes. that's for a 19 year old; it gets easier of course.
> 
> do you guys have to do pullups?


USASOC has pull up standards but regular Army guys don't.

Minimum 42 pushups, 53 situps, and a 15:54 2 mile run for an 17-21 year old male in regular Army. I do know that before I ETS'd that they were trying to implement a new APFT that phased out sit-ups and replaced them with rowers, shortened the pushup time from 2 minutes to 1 minute, and added a standing long jump and shuttle run while keeping the 2 mile run the same. 

I was never a big fan of the standard APFT, and was really impressed with the new combat fitness test that they were putting out. It had stuff like litter drags and ammo carry runs (think farmer's carry), and "point, engage and move" type event for time. I think that this is the one that should be held to standard for every Soldier considering it is far more practical for actual patrols and the sort.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Glass Shatters said:


> I was never a big fan of the standard APFT, and was really impressed with the new combat fitness test that they were putting out. It had stuff like litter drags and ammo carry runs (think farmer's carry), and "point, engage and move" type event for time. I think that this is the one that should be held to standard for every Soldier considering it is far more practical for actual patrols and the sort.


this is why I asked. Last October before I left Camp Lemmonier (Djibouti, Africa) I saw all the NG dirt bags doing new shit that looked cool and not like stupid exercise. Plus at Fort Jackson, there were pullup bars EVERYWHERE!!! it was awesome. I was there for like 2 weeks, but since we were doing the NARMY training, I got to do pullups with IBA on. Ah man, I was a beast when I left.


----------



## RKO920

I'm going on a diet while bulking, so since I barley have time to cook, is something like a subway sandwich too bad?


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> I'm going on a diet while bulking


Waaaa?


----------



## El Conquistador

Maybe he means he's tracking his macros and micros while bulking, essentially making it a clean bulk of sorts?


----------



## Raging Eboue

Any suggestions for good songs to work out to? Having to make my own playlist as I'm skipping the gym this month in favor of working out at home due to having a lot of family over.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Raging Eboue said:


> Any suggestions for good songs to work out to? Having to make my own playlist as I'm skipping the gym this month in favor of working out at home due to having a lot of family over.


check Entertainment > music forum. there was a thread with workout songs there. Other than that, if you're not going to the gym, are you asking for home workout music? running music? swimming music(how does that work?)? 

I live in a city, I run around there. I like pop/techno music (something that can be on the background but I won't get distracted by it). I downloaded the "Dredd" soundtrack because it's dark and gritty and fits certain parts of Pittsburgh quite well.

motivational? I have some WWE songs (HHH, Lesnar, Edge) and then other victorious songs, feel good stuff.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Disturbed - Glass Shatters
Disturbed - Dropping Plates
Accept - Balls to the Wall
Armin Van Burren - Hold on to Me
Breaking Benjamin - Blow Me Away
DJ Encore - Walking in the Sky
Ellie Goulding - Lights (Bassnectar Remix)
Dokken - Breaking the Chains
Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark (Live) 
KISS - God of Thunder
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
Limp Bizkit - My Way
Lost Phrophets - Rooftops
Nonpoint - In the Air Tonight
Ozzy Osbourne - I Don't Know (Live off of Randy Rhoads Tribute)
A Perfect Circle - Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
Pantera - Walk
Red Rider - Lunatic Fringe
Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
Wynter Gordon - Dirty Talk (Laidback Luke Remix)

- My current workout playlist


----------



## Raging Eboue

Deck the skyfalls said:


> check Entertainment > music forum. there was a thread with workout songs there. Other than that, if you're not going to the gym, are you asking for home workout music? running music? swimming music(how does that work?)?
> 
> I live in a city, I run around there. I like pop/techno music (something that can be on the background but I won't get distracted by it). I downloaded the "Dredd" soundtrack because it's dark and gritty and fits certain parts of Pittsburgh quite well.
> 
> motivational? I have some WWE songs (HHH, Lesnar, Edge) and then other victorious songs, feel good stuff.


I'm looking for home workout music pretty much, just something I can lift weights to. I'll have a look at the thread in the music forum and I might try and include some WWE themes in as they're pretty good motivational songs.



Glass Shatters said:


> - My current workout playlist


Thanks for that, I'll have to check some of those out.


----------



## RKO920

El Conquistador said:


> Maybe he means he's tracking his macros and micros while bulking, essentially making it a clean bulk of sorts?


Yes. A clean bulk. I am having straight cardio and abs days, while eating clean. Grilled chicken, veggies, roasted and sweet potatoes, and etc. Peanut butter sandwiches are good too right?


----------



## El Conquistador

All relatively good food choices. It's not really about what you eat, but how much of it you eat. Find your BMR and generally slowly add (bulk) or subtract calories (cut). Sweet potatoes and veggies are magnificent because they're rich in many different micronutrients and fiber (come at me, IIFYM people). For me, my BMR is around 2200 calories. If I want to cut, 500 calories under 2200 will make me lose 1lb/week. Play around with your numbers because 500 calories +/- isn't the sweet spot for everyone. Start off at a +300 calorie trend your first couple of weeks and monitor your weight and body composition. If you're not getting any bigger, add more calories.


----------



## i$e

word

i covered clean bulking in my sig also if you want more detail

layne >>>


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I've been thinking of doing cardio at 6am and weights at 6pm for one month. Has anyone done a similar split before?


----------



## Glass Shatters

JoseBxNYC said:


> I've been thinking of doing cardio at 6am and weights at 6pm for one month. Has anyone done a similar split before?


Everything I've read on the subject advises anyone serious about gaining mass to always lift prior to cardio due to the fact that cardio will deplete your glycogen storage, not giving you the balls-to-the-wall, 200% focus and energy required to pack on serious muscle.

EDIT: I'm unsure how long it takes for glycogen stores to fill back up (I assume a few meals), but I'd always lift first. Cardio can kick some serious ass and that split after a day of work and hard cardio 12 hours earlier...well.


----------



## i$e

I'd always lift first also. Glycogen will probably be restored by then but I'd rather compress my exercise into one session. Easier on the nutritional side.


----------



## Rush

Depends on why you're exercising tbh. If you're trying to bulk up, lifting should be your main priority.


----------



## i$e

Seeing a doctor about my back injury later. Going to be annoying because a) I'll know a lot more than him about it and b) he's going to tell me to rest and ice it and I'm going to get mad. 

Bellend better refer me to a chiro.


----------



## Rush

wait what, you need referrals to see chiros in England? One of my junior football coaches is a physio so i've got heavily discounted chiro for years :hb


----------



## i$e

Nah they don't refer to Chiros here. 

Anyway, doc agreed with my diagnosis and referred me to a Physio. Good step.


----------



## Striker

Quick question: When should I workout? Here goes my eating schedule.

Breakfast - 6:15 AM

Lunch - 12:25 PM

Snack after school - 2:45 PM

Dinner 6:30/7:30 PM

What would be the best time to workout? Before I have a snack right when I get home or after that?

I jog for about 45 minutes and the do some basic push ups and etc. On Wed, Thurs, Friday, and Sat I do weights after my jog.


----------



## i$e

Change that snack to a proper pre workout meal, then workout, then have your dinner.


----------



## Bel Air

No point in making new thread so should I ask this girl out at the gym? I think she likes me but not 100% sure.


----------



## i$e

Yes, but ask after 6.00pm or you'll lose muscle mass.


----------



## Yeah1993

:lmao


----------



## chargebeam

Hey i$e. I have just read your guide to cutting body fat and I think I'm on the right track. I have recently started a diet that a friend of mine made for me. Basically, it's:

*Breakfast:* bowl of unflavored oatmeal (one cup) with a little scoop of regular peanut butter. Coffee.
*Lunch:* 1 1/2 white chiken breast with curry seasoning + steamed broccoli
*Snack:* 250 g fat-free vanilla greek yogourt
_(Workout) + (post-workout "Power Whey Isolate [31g protein] shake)_
*Diner: *turkey chili with red beans and diced tomatoes

Workout: I mostly do cardio (about 45 mins) on the threadmil. I don't know exactly what weight-lifting exercices I should be doing, so I use the machines instead. I don't push too much, but now that I've read your guide, I think I should work out more with weights. As of this month, I spend about 1h / 1h15 at the gym, four times a week.

I currently weight 150lb and I wanna lose the belly fat, so I've decided to follow this diet (started 3 weeks ago). I forgot to check out my weight before I began, so I don't know if I lost something yet. 

I just wanted to know if there's any other meals you could be recommending me to switch with those meals. I barely eat anything else, cause I don't wanna "cheat" too much. I occasionally eat a can of tuna in water to replace the turkey chili or curry chicken. I also wanna know if that's okay to eat as low as 1000 calories a day or if that's bad for my body. Myfitnesspal.com says I should eat more calories.

Thanks for helping.


----------



## Olympus

merry i$emas said:


> Yes, but ask after 6.00pm or you'll lose muscle mass.


:lmao :lmao :lmao


----------



## i$e

chargebeam said:


> Hey i$e. I have just read your guide to cutting body fat and I think I'm on the right track. I have recently started a diet that a friend of mine made for me. Basically, it's:
> 
> *Breakfast:* bowl of unflavored oatmeal (one cup) with a little scoop of regular peanut butter. Coffee.
> *Lunch:* 1 1/2 white chiken breast with curry seasoning + steamed broccoli
> *Snack:* 250 g fat-free vanilla greek yogourt
> _(Workout) + (post-workout "Power Whey Isolate [31g protein] shake)_
> *Diner: *turkey chili with red beans and diced tomatoes
> 
> Workout: I mostly do cardio (about 45 mins) on the threadmil. I don't know exactly what weight-lifting exercices I should be doing, so I use the machines instead. I don't push too much, but now that I've read your guide, I think I should work out more with weights. As of this month, I spend about 1h / 1h15 at the gym, four times a week.
> 
> I currently weight 150lb and I wanna lose the belly fat, so I've decided to follow this diet (started 3 weeks ago). I forgot to check out my weight before I began, so I don't know if I lost something yet.
> 
> I just wanted to know if there's any other meals you could be recommending me to switch with those meals. I barely eat anything else, cause I don't wanna "cheat" too much. I occasionally eat a can of tuna in water to replace the turkey chili or curry chicken. I also wanna know if that's okay to eat as low as 1000 calories a day or if that's bad for my body. Myfitnesspal.com says I should eat more calories.
> 
> Thanks for helping.


Don't eat 1000 calories. You're 150lb so if you're anything like me, around 1800 will be fine to cut on. Read my cutting guide for more on that.

Providing you want a good base of core strength, build your program on compound lifts. Deadlifts, Squats, Rows, Bench, Chins, Dips. Few sets, 6-8 reps. Warm up with light weights for a few sets. Be intense.

Diet looks fine. Don't overthink things or you'll go mad. Just eat the right amount of calories for your goal, with plenty of protein, fats and veg and what not. 

Sorry for disjointed reply, I'm on phone.


----------



## Zen

Bel Air said:


> No point in making new thread so should I ask this girl out at the gym? I think she likes me but not 100% sure.


DO some curls first.


----------



## El Conquistador

*Hip Mobility in the Squat*

Hip mobility in the squat is crucial. Today I was doing my first prescribed set of 5/3/1 @ 245 lbs, which, isn't much for me. My top set for the day was 335lbsx3+. I royally tweaked my hip, despite dynamic stretching and a rigorous warm up. I've been stretching about 3x a week currently and after the incident today, it dawned upon me that 3x a week isn't enough. I'm going to implement static stretching and flexibility work 2x a day (once upon wake up & once post workout). I'm just posting this video below here to give everyone a list of 5 stretches that have worked quite well for me. It is useful to anyone with tight hips or to anyone having trouble reaching parallel. Please note: this is not my video but this guy has multiple videos on opening up the hips. It's always been problematic for me, so maybe this will help somebody else who runs into the same issue I've had.


----------



## i$e

^ word man

I've royally fucked my SI joint cos of poor hip flexibility in the back squat


----------



## El Conquistador

That sucks, man. I was reading in here that you hurt yourself. How long of a recovery are you looking at?

I did the whole Rippetoe & Wendler thing and eventually moved to WL (snatch, C+J, back squat, front squat). It was there where I got the most useless and misleading advice ever from John Broz, who said in some correspondence I had with him online "work through it and keep squatting. My athletes don't stretch but we squat everyday. Squatting fixes mobility". That couldn't have deliberately tortured my body anymore than it did. It has taken some time and some research, but I've learned along the way that the key is working on flexibility/mobility as vigilantly as you would in a normal workout.

I'm still not as flexible as I'd like, but this discovery stage and learning thing is the first step...


----------



## Glass Shatters

I sucked at squatting until I did the third world squat routinely for a solid year. Talk about improved hip flexibility, posture, less back pain, etc. I go A2G on squats now. Tight hamstrings and hips can cause more problems in the gym than I care to know about.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

My current split. I'm lifting at 6am and doing cardio at 6pm since I'm on a 4 week break from college. I'm doing abs every other day.

*Monday- Chest*

Incline Barbell Bench Press (4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 8) (switch with DB every other Monday)
Barbell Bench Press (4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 8) (swicth with DB every other Monday)
Decline Barbell Bench Press (4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 8)
Incline Dumbbell Flyes (3 sets, 12,10, 8)
Flat Dumbbell Flyes (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Pec Deck (4 sets, 12, 12, 10, 10)
Cable Crossovers (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)

*Tuesday- Back*

Pull Ups (3 sets, 12, 12, 12)
Chin Ups (3 sets, 12, 12, 12)
Bent Over Barbell Rows (4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 8) (sometimes I do DB Rows instead)
V-Bar Pulldown (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Wide Lat Pulldown (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Seated Cable Row (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Cable Pullover (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Weighted Hyperextensions (4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 8)

*Wednesday-Legs*

Back Squats (5 sets, 10, 8, 6, 6)
Deadlift (5 sets, 10, 8, 6, 6)
Barbell Glute Bridge (3 sets, 10, 10, 10)
Leg Press w/Calf Press (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Hack Squat (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Leg Extensions + Hamstring Curls (2 supersets, 12 each)
Standing Calf Raise (3 sets, 20, 20, 15)
Seated Calf Raise (3 sets, 20, 20, 15)

*Thursday- Off/Cardio*

*Friday- Shoulders & Traps*

Bradford Press (4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 8)
Barbell Upright Row (4 sets, 3 different grips, last set all grips)
Dumbbell Shrugs (4 sets, 12, 12, 10, 10)
Arnold Press (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Front Lateral Raise (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Side Lateral Raise (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Reverse Peck Deck (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)

*Saturday- Biceps & Triceps*

Weighted Dips (3 sets, 12, 10, 10)
Close Grip Bench Press (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Skull Crusher (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Overhead Rope Extension (1 drop set)
Barbell Curl (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Preacher Curl (3 sets, 12, 10, 8)
Hammer Curl (3 sets, 12, 10,8)
Alternate Dumbbell Curls (1 drop set)
Cable Curls/Triceps Pulldown (3 supersets, 12, 10, 8)

*Sunday- Off/Cardio*


----------



## funckygarcon

*what do you think of my workout sets?*

Biceps:-
Barbell Curl
Barbell Preacher Curl
Dumbbell Curl
Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Cable Curl
Cable Preacher Curl

Triceps:-
Barbell Close Grip Bench Press
Barbell Lying Triceps Extension "Skull Crusher"
Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension
Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Cable Pushdown
Cable Pushdown (with V-bar)

Shoulder:-
Barbell Military Press
Barbell Lying Rear Delt Row
Dumbbell Arnold Press
Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
Cable Upright Row
Cable One Arm Upright Row

Forearm:-
Barbell Wrist Curl
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Cable One Arm Reverse Wrist Curl

Back:-
Barbell Shrug
Barbell Seated Shrug
Dumbbell Bent-over Row
Dumbbell Lying Row
Cable Close Grip Pulldown
Cable Pulldown

Chest:-
Barbell Bench Press
Barbell Incline Bench Press
Dumbbell Fly
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise
Cable Standing Fly
Cable Incline Fly

Legs:-
Squat
Lunge
Leg Curl (on stability ball)
Hamstring Raise
Standing Calf Raise
Reverse Calf Raise

abs:-
reverse crunch
Toe Touches
Plank


----------



## Jammy

*Re: what do you think of my workout sets?*

do you even lift?


----------



## Zen

*Re: what do you think of my workout sets?*

Why did you post the same thing in tw different sections? There is a thread for workouts


----------



## El Conquistador

Picked up some new weightlifting shoes. My old ironlifts were falling apart at the soles. I purchased the wei-rui warriors to squat in. Serves as a Christmas gift I suppose.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I only wear K-Swiss. I think their BOGO sale just ended. I wore the same shoe as Cena for like 3 years; but I wore them first. he copied me.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Felt good getting back into the gym today. 6 days until the gym will be a clusterfuck.  Maybe they won't come out to the gym at night when I lift.

On the topic of weightlifting shoes I don't think I'm lifting heavy enough for it to matter, but I've been looking at the Nike Romaleos 2. They look nice although seem a bit pricey.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Felt good getting back into the gym today. 6 days until the gym will be a clusterfuck.  Maybe they won't come out to the gym at night when I lift.


Yeah, I appreciate it though. I rely heavily on calisthenics, my running shoes, and the three big powerlifting lifts at the beginning of the new year. I go to the gym mainly for squat day seeing as I have an Olympic weight set in the garage and can bench and deadlift from there. It works out in my favor because I get real nice and lean (160-165) before I can start bulking and the results (180-185) can be seen much quicker for the Summertime after I start lifting heavily in mid-March. 



> On the topic of weightlifting shoes I don't think I'm lifting heavy enough for it to matter, but I've been looking at the Nike Romaleos 2. They look nice although seem a bit pricey.


I squat, deadlift and overhead press in my bare feet. Not a single fuck is given. You should try it.


----------



## RKO920

I hate the gym this time of year. All the people who have "new years resolutions" of getting big, come for 2 weeks, pack it out, and leave.


----------



## li/<o

RKO920 said:


> I hate the gym this time of year. All the people who have "new years resolutions" of getting big, come for 2 weeks, pack it out, and leave.


LAWL it always happens you will hear a bunch of people saying for there new year resolution "tonight is the last night I eat junk food like this" they say they will focus on losing weight and guess what they give up within a few days. People go extreme want to cut foods like crazy doesn't work like that cut the easy things, most important things any sugar drink is easy to cut and eat less and within time eat less and less fats. Keep working out (don't over do it or your body will want to quit on you). I have been working out for years and all I do is push myself when I think its time more reps/heavier weights.


----------



## Glass Shatters

RKO920 said:


> I hate the gym this time of year. All the people who have "new years resolutions" of getting big, come for 2 weeks, pack it out, and leave.


Most New Year's Resolution gym goers I come across are from people who already are big, if you know what I mean. 



li/<o said:


> LAWL it always happens you will hear a bunch of people saying for there new year resolution "tonight is the last night I eat junk food like this" they say they will focus on losing weight and guess what they give up within a few days. People go extreme want to cut foods like crazy doesn't work like that cut the easy things, most important things any sugar drink is easy to cut and eat less and within time eat less and less fats. Keep working out (don't over do it or your body will want to quit on you). I have been working out for years and all I do is push myself when I think its time more reps/heavier weights.


Yeah, the same people who think drinking a Diet Coke loaded with aspartame is good for you because it doesn't have sugar in it are the ones you're going to encounter. Fucking disgusting.

Anyway, anyone go running with this Nike+ Running App? I jus downloaded it Thursday and put in a LSD 15 miler this morning. Needless to say, an aspirin before bed and ice packs on the knees and ankles all day tomorrow.


----------



## Rush

I'm trying to avoid the gym as much as possible for january. Ramping up the amount of swimming and cycling i'm doing.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

The gym is already packed! On a Sunday Night! Damnit.

Better to go early or mid -afternoon. and I'll say good bye to Bench press for at least a month.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

First workout of the year tonight. A Wednesday night...expected the gym to be packed with phaggots and was pleasantly surprised to see only the regulars in there.  Only saw one moron doing some stupid shit at the smith machine.

Today was a good day.


----------



## RKO920

I actually enjoy my cardio and abs day.


----------



## El Conquistador

Ghetto Anthony said:


> First workout of the year tonight. A Wednesday night...expected the gym to be packed with phaggots and was pleasantly surprised to see only the regulars in there.  Only saw one moron doing some stupid shit at the smith machine.
> 
> Today was a good day.


Are you still doing SS or have you moved onto something else?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

lol

I'm doing ABABxAB with occasional two day rests depending on how sore (usually my legs) I am.

A:
Bench 3x6
Bentover Barbell Rows 4x10
Incline Bench 3x6
Preacher Curls 3-4x10
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown 3-4 to failure
Dips 3-4 to failure

B:
Squats 3x5
Leg Press 5-6 x 10
Calf Raises 3x15
Deadlifts 3x5
Lunges 4-5x5


PLEASE HELP ME IMPROVE MY NOVICE SHIT PROGRAM

I'm eating a lot better at least.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

gym was hilarious today :lmao Fat people are afraid of free weights, which is great, so I was in & out in about 40 minutes. 

@Anthony 

I think that's a bit much, ABABxAB (assuming x is a rest day). too repetitive; even if you're not sore, that's gotta be boring. Plus, since with only 1 rest day, that's hardcore body builing scheduling there; since it's that, you're doing too much each day. I don't really want to comment on the rep/set number; I find whatever suits the individual is the way to go.

Why no pull-ups? I would seperate your 'A' day into (at least) a chest/tri day & back/bicep day. I think that's common to do too. your A day right now is more a sampler platter than anything. 

I do chest/shoulder, then bi/back, then shoulder, then legs. and I like your leg day (though I deadlift on my bi/back day).


----------



## Glass Shatters

Ghetto Anthony said:


> lol
> 
> I'm doing ABABxAB with occasional two day rests depending on how sore (usually my legs) I am.
> 
> A:
> Bench 3x6
> Bentover Barbell Rows 4x10
> Incline Bench 3x6
> Preacher Curls 3-4x10
> Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown 3-4 to failure
> Dips 3-4 to failure
> 
> B:
> Squats 3x5
> Leg Press 5-6 x 10
> Calf Raises 3x15
> Deadlifts 3x5
> Lunges 4-5x5
> 
> 
> PLEASE HELP ME IMPROVE MY NOVICE SHIT PROGRAM
> 
> I'm eating a lot better at least.


You need to go to a split immediately. Like, now. Pronto. As soon as possible. On the dot. 

First and foremost, there is a complete absence of tricep isolation exercises, while you have preacher curls for bicep isolation as well as reverse grip lat pulldowns which also work the biceps. The tricep is 2/3 of the "showcase" upper arm. Every guy who lifts wants big arms. Most guys ignore triceps. Don't. I'm not advocating extreme focus on the triceps, but you need to throw in some skull crushers, lying cross shoulder triceps extensions, close grip bench presses, and tricep pushdowns just to throw some out there.

I'm also not a huge fan of doing squats and deads on the same day. Seeing as it is one of the primary lifts that I concentrate on, I want to give my balls to the wall effort on each of them. I know that if I go all out on squats, I'm not going to be able to turn around and deadlift at full strength. Try something like this:

Monday: Squat ASS TO GROUND (go lighter if you need to, form is everything in power) , Pause Squat ASS TO GROUND (1 set only), Leg Extensions, Hamstring Curls, Weighted Calf Raises (alternate bi-weekly for Donkey Calf Raises), Box Jumps (alternate bi weekly for weighted lunges), Weighted sit-ups, Barbell Swings, etc.

Tuesday: OFF

Wednesday: Bench, Dumbbell bench (alternate incline/decline bi-weekly here, the DB gives you a deeper stretch than a barbell will and you must use better form with dumbbells allowing the incline/decline to actually do the work), Dumbbell flyes, Military Press, Upright Rows, Shrugs, etc.

Thursday: ARMS < - - THEY MAD. I do this 

Friday: Deadlift, Lat pulldowns, Bent Over Barbell Rows, T Bar Rows, Good Mornings, Wrestler's Bridges (this is important, you must do them. Look them up.), etc.

Saturday: Cardio

Sunday: OFF

EDIT: Now, this isn't meant for you to follow to the T, but just showing how a split would better suit you. Working all of those muscle groups 3 and four times a week is hindering your progress more than anything. Create an outline on the three main lifts and tailor it to your liking. It's important to make your workouts short and intense. Every guy that I've personally known that was truly huge was in the gym for MAYBE an hour at a time. We're not IFBB pro's and shouldn't train as such.



Skyfall said:


> gym was hilarious today :lmao Fat people are afraid of free weights, which is great, so I was in & out in about 40 minutes.


BRB phaggots thinking they're strong because they can chest press 250 pounds on the machine. Always good for a laugh.


----------



## El Conquistador

lol.


----------



## i$e

lol


----------



## Zen

Yo anyone here when bulking notice that all the fat they put on goes to one place? Cause That's what's happening to me, my arms and chest are staying lean but I'm building fat on my abs.


----------



## Rush

Posterizer said:


> Yo anyone here when bulking notice that all the fat they put on goes to one place? Cause That's what's happening to me, my arms and chest are staying lean but I'm building fat on my abs.


Guys generally add weight to their waist/stomach area first. Chicks tend to see it go their their legs/ass first.


----------



## Zen

Rush said:


> Guys generally add weight to their waist/stomach area first. Chicks tend to see it go their their legs/ass first.


Ok sweet, I am in the majority then


----------



## IJ

*Weirdest thing happened during/after hockey practice yesterday. I got the most intense stomach cramps which I never usually get. We weren't doing anything over the top either, it was just a casual practice. My stomach hurt immensely and it resulted in me not being able to move too well after practice and this morning. I'm not sure if it's because we didn't do much exercise over break being that we had no practices or games during the holidays, or because I ate a bit more than usual right before the practice (A footlong subway, instead of 6 inch), or possibly a combination of both. It could've also been a combination of both but it really hurts to move, it doesn't feel sore it's like a sharp stabbing pain in my gut. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow, because honestly this isn't fun.*


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> lol.





i$e said:


> lol


What's so "lol"? It is pretty much the same of the beginning powerlifting routine I used when I first started. 

That is, unless Wrestling Forum's resident expert weightlifters want to question the tried and true methods of a 2 x Alabama State Powerlifting champion. :busta


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I don't think they were laughing at you; just the fatties at the gym comment.

@Tantrum

might be if you haven't done it in a while? other than that, probably just the food. Worst case scenario: a hernia. but it'd probably hurt more, and keep hurting (not stopping).


----------



## IJ

Skyfall said:


> I don't think they were laughing at you; just the fatties at the gym comment.
> 
> @Tantrum
> 
> might be if you haven't done it in a while? other than that, probably just the food. Worst case scenario: a hernia. but it'd probably hurt more, and keep hurting (not stopping).


*I guess we'll find out tomorrow if it doesn't stop hurting. Couldn't go to school today because I literally couldn't get out of bed this morning.*


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

I'm reading the replies to my post in a minute. Just want to clarifying I'm not doing ABABx that was a mistype. I'm on ABxABx.


----------



## RKO920

Ever since I started taking Up your mass and straightened out my diet, I have 100 percent gotten more cut/mass, which is kinda ironic. Guess the term is definition, but I like what I am seeing. My lifting weight has gone up also.


----------



## RKO920

What's the opinion on oxylite pro for when I start cutting?


----------



## i$e

What makes you think you need it?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

RKO920 said:


> What's the opinion on oxylite pro for when I start cutting?


it sucks. get anabol.


----------



## RKO920

i$e said:


> What makes you think you need it?


I have a decent stomach. Not flat, but not a "gut" I'm trying to cut my BF and develop a six pack, eventually.


----------



## i$e

Or just eat a wide range of healthy foods, set and stick to a modest deficit, train hard and get lots of rest. Y'know, instead of cycling on a bunch of shit you don't need to achieve your goals.


----------



## RKO920

I've been. I start my day with a up your mass shake. My breakfast is usually a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, or egg and cheese on a whole wheat bagel with coffee with skim milk and three sweat and lows. After I have my workout, I have 2 scoops of Gold Standard whey protein. For lunch I usually have grilled chicken with roasted potatoes and veggies, or Turkey on whole wheat. Finally for dinner, I have either chicken or steak, then a shake before I go to bed.


----------



## i$e

Sounds good. No need to complicate it with anything else my man.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Got a personal record on bench today, 265 lbs. as my max. I finally got someone to spot for me and decided to go up, and I did it. Last chest workout I'll be getting in for probably a month or 2 also.

and i$e you are right, veggies are key to a good diet. I use to skip over them, not anymore!


----------



## TehBrain

so I just got a tablet and I've been playing with apps for the first time, and I'm wondering if anyone here has heard of or uses any sort of exercise apps?

I've got a calorie counter/ log app'and a nice app for measuring my jog distances and times, but I'm looking for something that can help me put together exercises/log exercise reps, weght, etc. I've seen a few in the app stores but thought i'd ask here to see if anyone knows about anything better


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

BACK IN DA JIM WIFF TMW

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

FUCK OUT DA WHEY


----------



## El Conquistador

^
look at that form! look at it. look at it - NOW RESPECT IT.

That Popeye's video they did was superb. Funniest one I've seen from the Hodge Twins.


----------



## Bel Air

Haha, the Hodge Twins are epic. 

Anyway, I have some questions. I've been bulking for around 2 and a half months, and at first I saw some gains, about 6 pounds to half a stone, increasing weight, etc (my workouts weren't even that good compared to now, like only doing standard bench presses for chest lol). Now, the only real increase I am seeing is with my chest, everything else is basically staying at the same weight. I'm getting enough protein, sleep, surplus of calories etc, but I am not seeing any (real) gains and on the scales I am the same and have been for a few weeks.

I split my workouts into a 3 day split 2x a week, can't do deadlifts or squats or many real leg exercises because my knees are totally fucked (not using it as an excuse, they hurt all the time) and the next day my knees hurt like a bitch and can't actually walk, even with a relatively light weight. I give myself a rest day here and there but otherwise I'm going at it everyday whether it's 'cardio' or weights so could this be over-training? 

My diet isn't totally awesome but most of my foods are good, healthy foods like egg whites, meats, etc. I'm noticing that I'm getting fatter but not really more muscular so it's bugging me. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Hodgetwins are two clowns but they making 400,000 plus a year now so I can't hate on them. Would never follow their advice.


----------



## Callisto

So I did some handstand push ups for the first time this morning. Holy shit, that is some difficult stuff.


----------



## 2K JAY

People with abs, TELL ME WHAT YOU DO.

What do you eat,
What workouts do you do.

I realise it will take a while but I feel like I need a step by step guide. I do cardio.


----------



## xdoomsayerx

Bebe said:


> People with abs, TELL ME WHAT YOU DO.
> 
> What do you eat,
> What workouts do you do.
> 
> I realise it will take a while but I feel like I need a step by step guide. I do cardio.




ab workouts, cut carbs late at night, and burn more calories than your daily intake.


----------



## 2K JAY

:yum:


xdoomsayerx said:


> ab workouts, cut carbs late at night, and burn more calories than your daily intake.


What sort of ab workouts? What are the ones you do.


----------



## i$e

xdoomsayerx said:


> ab workouts, cut carbs late at night, and burn more calories than your daily intake.


Only one of those is true, and even that one is dependant on other factors.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

you have to do 1000 sit-ups a day, otherwise it's only possible with roids; injected in the ass.

or 

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/11891414-post2352.html

I put emphasis on the veggies. I used to skip them, but they really help.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Holy fuck I've been hitting the gym for 8 months now and I haven't run into anyone as autistic as this guy tonight. Guess this is what I get for not bringing my headphones.

Smith machine pushups, doing overheard press in front of the free weights instead of on the platform and SLAMMING the weight as hard as he could onto the floor, some kind of crazy crossfit kip-up pullups followed immediately by push ups, shaking his shaker cup as loudly as possible and grunting like an ape, not unracking his weight...all around fucking autist. Saw him laying in the floor in exhaustion as I limped out of the gym tonight.

Never seen him before so hopefully he never comes back. Idiot.


----------



## Klee

I fit in fitness when I can and have recently started doing DDP yoga morning and evening. (I have some joint issues, nothing serious).

Was wondering what (work-out) routines people have if you work full time?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

@Ghetto Anthony, didn't you know, the harder you slam your weights down, the stronger you get.  duh.


----------



## i$e

Did my first deadlifting in over 3 months today after that nasty SI joint injury. Pleased to report that I completed several sets of 50% intensity lifts without any pain, which is great considering I couldn't even put socks on without folding over a month ago.


----------



## Olympus

Okay so I'm conflicted.

Been going back to the gym this past week. I'm usually in there everyday to either lift or play basketball. Any days I don't go it's usually because I played ball that day. I'm at roughly 159-162lbs and I'd consider myself skinny fat. I've been wanting to work on my abs and toning up, but at the same time I've lost a lot of strength the last few months and I kinda want to bulk up too. Is there a way I can do both at the same time, if that makes any sense? I lost 40lbs last year and as a result have some annoying loose skin around my stomach that I really want to tighten before summer, but getting bigger is something I want to do again.


----------



## i$e

I'd bulk.


----------



## El Conquistador

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Holy fuck I've been hitting the gym for 8 months now and I haven't run into anyone as autistic as this guy tonight. Guess this is what I get for not bringing my headphones.
> 
> Smith machine pushups, doing overheard press in front of the free weights instead of on the platform and SLAMMING the weight as hard as he could onto the floor, some kind of crazy crossfit kip-up pullups followed immediately by push ups, shaking his shaker cup as loudly as possible and grunting like an ape, not unracking his weight...all around fucking autist. Saw him laying in the floor in exhaustion as I limped out of the gym tonight.
> 
> Never seen him before so hopefully he never comes back. Idiot.


Yeah? That's GOOD man, that's REAL GOOD.



i$e said:


> Did my first deadlifting in over 3 months today after that nasty SI joint injury. Pleased to report that I completed several sets of 50% intensity lifts without any pain, which is great considering I couldn't even put socks on without folding over a month ago.


Were you on the Texas Method? Good to hear that you've recovered a fair bit. And what's your problem with squatting? Is it externally rotating your hips?


----------



## Rush

xdoomsayerx said:


> ab workouts, cut carbs late at night, and burn more calories than your daily intake.





i$e said:


> Only one of those is true, and even that one is dependant on other factors.


that. Abs are made in the kitchen. You can do all the ab workouts you like but they're comparatively small muscles, and so if your diet isn't right & body fat % isn;t low then they won't show.


----------



## Olympus

Reading i$e's bulking guide has gotten me to sway toward bulking. Kind of nervous about intentionally gaining weight in any form just because of my past with weight issues, but I think I can do it. Just been getting cocky with my eating habits and don't have much self control these days. :shaq But thankfully I have actually been getting busy in the gym so I think I'm good.

Downloaded an app to track my calories. Gonna try to start eating better, not just for bulking, but as a whole. I was thinking of going to GNC to maybe search for protein powders or vitamin packs that would maybe help with this process. Any recommendations or should I stray from these?


----------



## i$e

El Conquistador said:


> Were you on the Texas Method? Good to hear that you've recovered a fair bit. And what's your problem with squatting? Is it externally rotating your hips?


No to texas method; it was just my first week back after a christmas break, so I always go 50%, 80%, 100% in terms of the following three weeks back. 

Problem I have with back squats is lack of hip flexibility and tight hamstrings, mainly due to my APT. I've fixed my weak glutes now so I get much more power through, although I've made the permanent switch to front squats due to increased quad dominance. I'm aware that I should really look at fixing the hips, but after such a bad injury I'm happy just being able to train 3x a week pain-free, especially given that I'm not really doing this to power lift or anything.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Makaveli said:


> Downloaded an app to track my calories. Gonna try to start eating better, not just for bulking, but as a whole. I was thinking of going to GNC to maybe search for protein powders or vitamin packs that would maybe help with this process. Any recommendations or should I stray from these?


I use OptiMen multi vitamins, Gold Standard 100% Whey for my post workout shake and Muscle Pharm casein before bed. I think Gold Standard is the best bang for your buck, and it really doesn't taste bad at all. 

Anyway, just added a 6 week, 90 mile running goal to achieve before I start hitting the gym regularly again. Got 4.09 miles done since Thursday, and plan to add minimum 15 over the course of the week.


----------



## funckygarcon

now i know that the 6 basic compound movements are:-
1-Squat
2-Deadlift
3-Bench Press
4-Chin-Up or Pull-Up
5-Bent-Over Row
6-Military Press

but if you were to put all of these in a 2 day schedule, how would you do it? knowing that i will be alternating day one and day two then day one...ect.


----------



## El Conquistador

A:
Squat 3-5x5
Bench 3-5x5
Row 3-5x5
Chins 2xfailure

B:
Squat 1-5x5
Press 3x5
Deadlift 1x5


----------



## i$e

^ yeah


----------



## Dunk20

If you want to stay fit, avoid lenghty relationships. Just kidding. I'm currently doing 70 push ups in the morning and another 70 by night with some more when I feel like it. Too lazy to run lately and poor to afford going to the gym (although I could stop smoking and pay for it instead) Wrong life choices.


----------



## Zen

WHat are your goals


----------



## Perfect.Insanity

Posterizer said:


> WHat are your goals


Headlining Wrestlemania


----------



## Boulle

Went on my first run of the year today (yeah i know it's near February) , went to my martial arts class and i also succeeded in doing 3 pull ups. 

Beach clothes are in the shops aren't they. Time to stop being a lazy twat.


----------



## Bel Air

My dumbbell bench has gone up 18 pounds in a month, is this a decent amount?


----------



## MusculosoBarbaro

because of my recent addiction to lucha libre and pro wrestling in general, it's actually pushed me to become "more in shape". I've been doing a series of pushups before going to bed (~30-50) and a series right when I wake up (again ~30-50). From those alone I've already seen an increase in my stamina, and that's not including the series of chin-ups i've been doing every day for the past week, as well as sit ups, squats and practicing shoulder rolls and headstands. I'm going to the New England Pro Wrestling Academy this Saturday for a visit to see if it's something I'd like to commit to......actually, let me word that differently. I know it's something I'd like to commit to, but I want to see some training in person to become even more committed and even possibly throw down a check to the school for professional training. Wrestling is changing my life and I love it. I absolutely love it.


----------



## Hennessey

Might be a dumb question but has anyone on here tried the new hydroxycut pills? A friend recommended them so I bought a small pack. I took one pill today 20 minutes before a workout and I ended up working out twice as long as I usually do. I mean just typing this on here is irritating because I feel like going back and doing it some more. What is in this shit?


----------



## Boulle

Sparta101 said:


> Might be a dumb question but has anyone on here tried the new hydroxycut pills?



Whats the name of them? Cause i tried the new Hydroxycut gummies and they were rubbish. Do you mean the "hardcore Elite' ones? I read they are pretty good for a massive energy boost.


----------



## Olympus

I'd stay away from diet pills ESPECIALLY Hydroxycut. From what I've heard they can fuck you up.

Just eat at a deficit and hit the gym.


----------



## Jeff Hardy Hater

Man, I have to work out today even if it misses some time studying for finals. 

What do you guys normally do with just a pair of barbells and a floor? I try to do like 20 burpees or so and some lifts and squats and run, and ride my bike 10 miles or so if I can.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Makaveli said:


> I'd stay away from diet pills ESPECIALLY Hydroxycut. From what I've heard they can fuck you up.
> 
> Just eat at a deficit and hit the gym.


Really? They affect everyone differently. I took a cycle of Oxy Elite Pro and not only looked, but felt like a million bucks afterwards. Granted I was a skinny little bitch, but I was MySpace ripped fo sho. I got down to a low weight and low body fat, and bulked from there to actually looking like I lifted. 



Jeff Hardy Hater said:


> Man, I have to work out today even if it misses some time studying for finals.
> 
> What do you guys normally do with just a pair of barbells and a floor? I try to do like 20 burpees or so and some lifts and squats and run, and ride my bike 10 miles or so if I can.


You mean a pair of dumbbells, right? You can do a lot with a pair of dumbbells. 

Military press
Behind the neck military press
Upright rows
Shrugs
Side lateral raises
Front lateral raises
Dumbbell curls (21's to really get a pump)
Hammer curls
Forearm curls (regular, reverse, behind the back)
Lying cross triceps shoulder extensions
Triceps kickbacks
Triceps dumbbell extensions
Dumbbell flys
Spidey crawls with the dumbbells
Bent over dumbbell rows
Ab swings
Lunges with dumbbells
Squats with dumbbells
Calf raises with dumbbells
Ankle flexions

Just off the top of my head. You're on the right track.


----------



## Hennessey

Boulle said:


> Whats the name of them? Cause i tried the new Hydroxycut gummies and they were rubbish. Do you mean the "hardcore Elite' ones? I read they are pretty good for a massive energy boost.


This one said Hydroxycut Hardcore Pro. Honestly it has been great for me today, and no side effects so far. I finished working out for an hour, and usually I am pretty tired after, but today I just felt like I had so much energy so I did another hour, until finally I couldn't lift anymore. 

Another thing it did is control my appetite. I ate this morning at around 9 am, and I didnt even start feeling hungry until around 6 pm. I also didn't crash at all during the day.



Skyfall said:


> Got a personal record on bench today, 265 lbs. as my max. I finally got someone to spot for me and decided to go up, and I did it. Last chest workout I'll be getting in for probably a month or 2 also.
> 
> and i$e you are right, veggies are key to a good diet. I use to skip over them, not anymore!


265 is great. I have not tried my luck on the bench since I was 18 in high school, and back then my max was around 230, and I nearly shit myself. I might have to get back to see if I have improved at all.




Bebe said:


> People with abs, TELL ME WHAT YOU DO.
> 
> What do you eat,
> What workouts do you do.
> 
> I realise it will take a while but I feel like I need a step by step guide. I do cardio.


Eat healthy. That is THE most important thing. I am sure there are a lot of good posts in this thread that talk about what to eat. There are a million different ab exercises.


----------



## RKO920

Glass Shatters said:


> Really? They affect everyone differently. I took a cycle of Oxy Elite Pro and not only looked, but felt like a million bucks afterwards. Granted I was a skinny little bitch, but I was MySpace ripped fo sho. I got down to a low weight and low body fat, and bulked from there to actually looking like I lifted.
> 
> 
> You mean a pair of dumbbells, right? You can do a lot with a pair of dumbbells.
> 
> Military press
> Behind the neck military press
> Upright rows
> Shrugs
> Side lateral raises
> Front lateral raises
> Dumbbell curls (21's to really get a pump)
> Hammer curls
> Forearm curls (regular, reverse, behind the back)
> Lying cross triceps shoulder extensions
> Triceps kickbacks
> Triceps dumbbell extensions
> Dumbbell flys
> Spidey crawls with the dumbbells
> Bent over dumbbell rows
> Ab swings
> Lunges with dumbbells
> Squats with dumbbells
> Calf raises with dumbbells
> Ankle flexions
> 
> Just off the top of my head. You're on the right track.


Oxyelite is worth it when cutting? I have been thinking about taking it in April.


----------



## Glass Shatters

RKO920 said:


> Oxyelite is worth it when cutting? I have been thinking about taking it in April.


It was plenty worth it. I did an 8 week cycle on it:

Week 1: 1 pill before breakfast
Week 2: 1 pill before breakfast, 1 pill before dinner
Weeks 3-6: 1 pill before breakfast, 1 pill before lunch, 1 pill before dinner
Week 7: 1 pill before breakfast, 1 pill before dinner
Week 8: 1 pill before breakfast 

A shit ton of running and endurance training went into it, but I felt great on it. Really set the tone for an awesome bulking phase and I could feel it working. I sweated fucking buckets, though. Drink plenty of water.


----------



## MusculosoBarbaro

How would you guys recommend going about bulking up? I've been raising my protein intake substantially (couldn't tell you the exact amount, i should probably keep track). I currently weigh 169lbs and 6'4. In other words I'm a string bean with a little muscle.


----------



## Yuffie Kisaragi

*I have been doing DDP yoga for over a week or so now, its legit.  DDP hasn't lifted in 3 years and looks the way he does damn! And of course its the workout that saved Chris Jerichos career so I def had to try it myself. Love the workouts he has on these DVDs, you work every part of your body there is even a kick ass 1 hour Cardio workout and an amazing core/ab builder. I have never really worked out all that much just did alot of running over the years. DDP Yoga has already helped me manage Anxiety problems among other things and is already working to build my abs and other muscle groups, so glad I gave it a try. The only type of working out that I have ever stuck with. My gf does the Jillian Michaels Yoga and also goes to the gym often but Im not a gym person lol.*


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Seeing some gains on my new 6 day split. Not going to failure on any of my sets either. It allows me to recover quicker.


----------



## Glass Shatters

MusculosoBarbaro said:


> How would you guys recommend going about bulking up? I've been raising my protein intake substantially (couldn't tell you the exact amount, i should probably keep track). I currently weigh 169lbs and 6'4. In other words I'm a string bean with a little muscle.


Lifting weights and eating at a huge caloric surplus because your body type obviously requires it. 

Look into weight gainers, and try to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before bed with a casein shake every day. Possibly try GOMAD if you don't mind putting on a few extra pounds of fat that you can cut off later on. You *will* gain some solid mass on GOMAD while lifting heavy...or entirely the wrong kind of weight if you don't lift at all. Regardless, look into it.


----------



## MusculosoBarbaro

Glass Shatters said:


> Lifting weights and eating at a huge caloric surplus because your body type obviously requires it.
> 
> Look into weight gainers, and try to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before bed with a casein shake every day. Possibly try GOMAD if you don't mind putting on a few extra pounds of fat that you can cut off later on. You *will* gain some solid mass on GOMAD while lifting heavy...or entirely the wrong kind of weight if you don't lift at all. Regardless, look into it.


Thank you for your input! I realized just a few days ago that I should've been putting regular milk instead of almond milk in my protein shakes this entire time....whoops. You live and learn I guess...

I bought a pack of chicken breasts yesterday and have been eating one (cooked, obviously) every 2-3 hours, along with a glass of milk.


----------



## Hennessey

Anyone here remember when years ago Randy Couture showed a video of him training at Sky Zone, which is a giant building full of trampolines? He praised it like no tomorrow. Well we just got one of these places 5 minutes away from where I live, and I started going to their one hour long fitness aerobic classes once a week. Well damn, it works great. I was sweating like crazy and my watch said that I burned over 700 calories at the end. Overall it's a great little workout for just 10 bucks. Very fun and very effective.


----------



## RKO920

Glass Shatters said:


> It was plenty worth it. I did an 8 week cycle on it:
> 
> Week 1: 1 pill before breakfast
> Week 2: 1 pill before breakfast, 1 pill before dinner
> Weeks 3-6: 1 pill before breakfast, 1 pill before lunch, 1 pill before dinner
> Week 7: 1 pill before breakfast, 1 pill before dinner
> Week 8: 1 pill before breakfast
> 
> A shit ton of running and endurance training went into it, but I felt great on it. Really set the tone for an awesome bulking phase and I could feel it working. I sweated fucking buckets, though. Drink plenty of water.


Any negative effects from it?


----------



## i$e

MusculosoBarbaro said:


> How would you guys recommend going about bulking up? I've been raising my protein intake substantially (couldn't tell you the exact amount, i should probably keep track). I currently weigh 169lbs and 6'4. In other words I'm a string bean with a little muscle.


my sig


----------



## Glass Shatters

RKO920 said:


> Any negative effects from it?


Not really. The only thing that could be considered even remotely negative was that I sweated ten times more than usual - but that was evidence that it was working. I would literally be soaking wet, and I'm not exaggerating in the slightest. 

I don't think I had any negative effects like the jitters or whatever because I correctly cycled it and allowed my body to acclimate to the pill in doses. The bottle tells you to start taking two pills until you feel well enough to take three, but I thought it was much better to start off with one dose, increasing by one pill a week until you hit that main cycle of weeks 3-6. Then you allow yourself time to wane off of it in weeks 7 and 8.


----------



## Hennessey

Holy fuck, I ordered Insanity for my little sister from Beachbody, and I swear I spent 28 minutes on the phone ordering it. The lady on the other side tried to sell me so much shit, and she kept repeating herself so many times, no matter how many times I told her I just wanted to buy dvd's. She kept telling me "well just to let you know in case you are interested". Holy fuck, that entire company is so money hungry. I am giving you a 120 bucks already and you are still trying to sell me a bunch of shit.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

you should try Jack3d Stuff was awesome until I heard it puts holes in your heart. 

best pre-workout I've ever used (and actually re-ordered) was Plasma Jet by Gaspari. 
http://supplementreviews.com/gaspari-nutrition/plasma-jet

Only stuff that didn't make me feel all tingly, suddenly excited but tired, and actually worked. I don't use pre-workout supps anymore however.


----------



## funckygarcon

*Is a compound only workout effective enough?*

first of all, my goal is to build muscle and strength. now, i've wasted about 6 months doing isolation movements and i wasn't seeing much of results except maybe in my biceps and chest, but that's it. i did a lot of research about workout types and read a debate between compound movements and isolation. Compound absolutely smoked the competition and after a long time of heavy research for a routine to do. i learned that the 6 basic compound movements are:- 
-Squats
-Deadlifts
-Bench Presses
-Pull Ups
-Bent-Over Rows
-Military presses.
so i decided to split those 6 into a 2 day schedule, like A and B and alternate A and B and then A again in a 3 days fashion.
but this is where i got stuck! i couldn't split the movements and didn't know which exercises go together. so, to put it short: how do i split the basic 6 exercises into 2 days, each day 3 exercises?
my second question is: will doing these 6 only, be effective? are 3 exercises a day enough? thank you for replying


----------



## MOX

*Re: Is a compound only workout effective enough?*

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/anything/444916-workout-staying-shape-thread.html

You'll get a lot more joy in there.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Hoooooly shit. Any of you guys ever partake in foam rolling? I was just in the local running store and tested one out and you seriously don't know how tight you are until you roll your back and hamstrings on one of those things. They showed me a few exercises I could do on it, and each one was fucking orgasmic. I loved it so much I bought it. Highly recommended.


----------



## Boulle

Glass Shatters said:


> Hoooooly shit. Any of you guys ever partake in foam rolling?


I have one actually. it was recommended to me to use after a workout as it gets all the knots out and gives a pretty decent massage, Amazing for flexibility too. Well worth a purchase isn't it.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

*Re: Is a compound only workout effective enough?*



funckygarcon said:


> first of all, my goal is to build muscle and strength. now, i've wasted about 6 months doing isolation movements and i wasn't seeing much of results except maybe in my biceps and chest, but that's it. i did a lot of research about workout types and read a debate between compound movements and isolation. Compound absolutely smoked the competition and after a long time of heavy research for a routine to do. i learned that the 6 basic compound movements are:-
> -Squats
> -Deadlifts
> -Bench Presses
> -Pull Ups
> -Bent-Over Rows
> -Military presses.
> so i decided to split those 6 into a 2 day schedule, like A and B and alternate A and B and then A again in a 3 days fashion.
> but this is where i got stuck! i couldn't split the movements and didn't know which exercises go together. so, to put it short: how do i split the basic 6 exercises into 2 days, each day 3 exercises?
> my second question is: will doing these 6 only, be effective? are 3 exercises a day enough? thank you for replying


So you only working out twice a week?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Glass Shatters said:


> Hoooooly shit. Any of you guys ever partake in foam rolling? I was just in the local running store and tested one out and you seriously don't know how tight you are until you roll your back and hamstrings on one of those things. They showed me a few exercises I could do on it, and each one was fucking orgasmic. I loved it so much I bought it. Highly recommended.


try it after a cycling class. then you'll really orgasm. Once my instructor recommended it took me only one time to go buy one. But I got it really stiff; I like it stiff, what can I say.


----------



## Glass Shatters

funckygarcon said:


> first of all, my goal is to build muscle and strength. now, i've wasted about 6 months doing isolation movements and i wasn't seeing much of results except maybe in my biceps and chest, but that's it. i did a lot of research about workout types and read a debate between compound movements and isolation. Compound absolutely smoked the competition and after a long time of heavy research for a routine to do. i learned that the 6 basic compound movements are:-
> -Squats
> -Deadlifts
> -Bench Presses
> -Pull Ups
> -Bent-Over Rows
> -Military presses.
> so i decided to split those 6 into a 2 day schedule, like A and B and alternate A and B and then A again in a 3 days fashion.
> but this is where i got stuck! i couldn't split the movements and didn't know which exercises go together. so, to put it short: how do i split the basic 6 exercises into 2 days, each day 3 exercises?
> my second question is: will doing these 6 only, be effective? are 3 exercises a day enough? thank you for replying


You pretty much described something along the lines of Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" to a T. Do some research on it and go from there. It's what you're looking for. 



Boulle said:


> I have one actually. it was recommended to me to use after a workout as it gets all the knots out and gives a pretty decent massage, Amazing for flexibility too. Well worth a purchase isn't it.


Well worth it, indeed. I honestly can't wait to get up and run tomorrow morning after I rolled on this thing for the better part of an hour after purchasing it. I've always been pretty flexible, but not "loose" per se, as in I could stretch far but to mild discomfort. A few minutes on this thing and I had no limitations.



Skyfall said:


> try it after a cycling class. then you'll really orgasm. Once my instructor recommended it took me only one time to go buy one. But I got it really stiff; I like it stiff, what can I say.


I have a slightly altered gait when I run, and kind of pronate inward slightly. I had been running with Reebok Reelflex's for about a month and a half and that turned out to be a huge fucking mistake because I knew I needed the support but wanted to try a lighter shoe. They wreaked havoc on my knees and ankles, and I don't look like an average runner so I carry muscle which amplified the lack of support. I just went in today to purchase a new pair of shoes because I was stiff as fuck, and saw this blue thing sitting in the corner. I rolled my foot on top of it, and my mouth watered. I got home and rolled pretty much my entire torso and leg area for a while and am totally relaxed and have absolutely no soreness whatsoever. This after running 6 miles today, and over 12 in the past 4 days.


----------



## i$e

I foamroll.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

All this foam rolling has been intrigued


----------



## Rush

Glass Shatters said:


> Hoooooly shit. Any of you guys ever partake in foam rolling? I was just in the local running store and tested one out and you seriously don't know how tight you are until you roll your back and hamstrings on one of those things. They showed me a few exercises I could do on it, and each one was fucking orgasmic. I loved it so much I bought it. Highly recommended.


Don't have one but i have used it a few times, and given some basic exercises with them for clients to do. Pretty great stuff when you're feeling stiff. I try and stretch every day as it is though to stay flexible.


----------



## RKO920

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/exclusive-combos/mens-summer-shredded-stack.html Thinking about ordering this, worth it?


----------



## i$e

Looks like a load of shit you don't need.


----------



## RKO920

Recommend any good stacks for cutting season?


----------



## i$e

Honestly, no. I'm a massive advocate of just doing it simply and naturally by just training hard and adjusting my diet accordingly.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

RKO920 said:


> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/exclusive-combos/mens-summer-shredded-stack.html Thinking about ordering this, worth it?


Bodybuilding .com always trying to sell supplements you don't need. Just stick to food bro. Is the best fuel your body needs whether you're on a bulk or a cut.


----------



## RKO920

Bought muscle pharm assault and opti-men today to take with up your mass and gold standard whey. The up your masss 100 percent has worked. I look more defined.


----------



## Glass Shatters

RKO920 said:


> Bought muscle pharm assault and opti-men today to take with up your mass and gold standard whey. The up your masss 100 percent has worked. I look more defined.


Hopefully you didn't get that rancid watermelon flavor for the Assault. I choked down an entire tub of that shit over the course of a month and regretted ever buying it. It works, though. Still prefer Jack3d.


----------



## RKO920

Glass Shatters said:


> Hopefully you didn't get that rancid watermelon flavor for the Assault. I choked down an entire tub of that shit over the course of a month and regretted ever buying it. It works, though. Still prefer Jack3d.


Fruit Punch. Should I take it before my workout or during?


----------



## Glass Shatters

RKO920 said:


> Fruit Punch. Should I take it before my workout or during?


I always took it about 20 minutes before lifting with a tall glass of warm water to help it dissolve quicker so I could chug it down without my throat getting chalky.


----------



## RKO920

Glass Shatters said:


> I always took it about 20 minutes before lifting with a tall glass of warm water to help it dissolve quicker so I could chug it down without my throat getting chalky.


You experienced gains?


----------



## Boulle

Bought myself some Raspberry Keytone fat burner tablets today. I've just read it and it's loaded with caffeine! Not complaining. I've heard good reports about these products.


----------



## Strongside

Has anyone tried the DDP Yoga program?


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Here's my current split

*Monday- Legs*

Leg Extensions- 3 sets
Front Squats- 5 sets
Hack Squat Machine-3 sets
Jefferson Squat-3 sets
Seated Hamstring Curls-3 sets
5 sets of Lower Abs

*Tuesday- Chest & Back*

Decline Barbell Bench Press- 4 sets
Romanian Deadlift-4 sets
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press- 3 sets
T-Bar Rows- 3 sets
Flat Dumbbell Bench Press- 3 sets
Seated Cable Rows- 3 sets
Incline Cable Flyes- 3 sets
Straight Arm Pulldowns- 3 sets
5-6 sets of Calves


*Wednesday- Shoulders & Traps*

Dumbbell Arnold Press- 4 sets
Side Lateral Raise- 3 sets
Front Lateral Raise- 3 sets
Reverse Pec Deck- 3 sets
Barbell Shrugs- 3 sets
Reverse Barbell Shrugs- 3 sets
Dumbell Shrugs- 3 sets
5 sets of Upper Abs

*Thursday- Triceps & Biceps*

Close Grip Bench Press- 4 sets
Wide Grip Barbell Curls- 4 sets
Skull Crushers- 3 sets
Barbell Curls- 3 sets
Weighted Dips- 3 sets
Spider Curls- 3 sets
Triceps Pushdown- 3 sets
Preacher Curl Machine- 3 sets
Reverse Triceps Pushdown- 2 sets
Hammer Curls (or Rope Hammer Curls)- 2 sets
5-6 sets of Calves

*Friday- Legs*

Jefferson Squats- 3 sets
Back Squats- 5 sets
Leg Press- 5 sets
Stiff Legged Deadlift- 3 sets
Leg Extensions + Seated Hamstring Curls- 2 supersets
Single Legged Hamstring Curls- 2 sets
5 Lower Abs 

*Saturday- Chest & Back*

Incline Barbell Bench Press- 3 sets
Bent Over Barbell Rows- 4 sets
Flat Barbell Bench Press- 4 sets
Dumbbell Rows- 3 sets
Cable Crossover- 3 sets
V-Bar Pulldown- 3 sets
Incline Cable Flyes- 3 sets
Straight Arm Pulldown- 3 sets
Pec Deck- 3 sets
5-6 sets of Calves

*Sunday-OFF*

This split has done wonders for me. I have noticed great gains in my arms and legs. My arms are getting that nice round shape. My traps and back are getting larger as well. I'm eating 4-5 meals per day but I've basically cut out anything unhealthy. It has come to the point that I leave my wallet when I leave my house just so I would make sure I don't get cravings for a gressy or sugary treat when I'm outside.


----------



## BANKSY

Anyone have/had a Nike Fuel band?


----------



## JasonCage

Currently using Insanity, bless you Shaun T.! DDPYOGA is next


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

JasonCage said:


> Currently using Insanity, bless you Shaun T.! DDPYOGA is next


you'll think it sucks dick on the second set of workouts and the recovery day. It's the hardest of all of them and fucking impossible.


----------



## JasonCage

Skyfall said:


> you'll think it sucks dick on the second set of workouts and the recovery day. It's the hardest of all of them and fucking impossible.


My friends doing Insanity are wiped out everytime I see 'em, so it's kinda expected.


----------



## StraightEdge91

Insanity Asylum is pretty bad ass as well.


----------



## RKO920

Trying to drop from 180 to 170 for the summer. Oxy Elite Pro or Animal Cuts?


----------



## JasonCage

StraightEdge91 said:


> Insanity Asylum is pretty bad ass as well.


Probably heading to that eventually. I'm doing Insanity for the 60 days, and unless i decide to do Asylum I will repeat Insanity a few times.


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> Trying to drop from 180 to 170 for the summer. Oxy Elite Pro or Animal Cuts?


Try running a cycle of caloric deficit and heavy compound lifts.


----------



## Shining_Wizard1979

I'm down 62 lbs. in about 50 weeks.


----------



## StraightEdge91

Went from running 3 miles a day on the treadmill to 5-6 miles a day with 2-3 months and I hurt my achilles tendon a little bit. There's no pain now but whenever I move it around it makes a weird springy sound.. anyone ever had this issue and how did you treat it?


----------



## Zen

BANKSY said:


> Anyone have/had a Nike Fuel band?


I'm thinking about getting that, right now I just use the Nike running app?

Anyone else use that? Challenge me :kobe


----------



## Glass Shatters

RKO920 said:


> You experienced gains?


It's hard to pinpoint what I get my gains from, because any time I bulk I always have a pre workout, a whey shake, a casein shake, a protein bar, and a lot of milk and peanut butter daily. I'm at 185 right now, but will probably be down to about 175 by the end of the month before I start hitting the weights heavy again. However, to be frank, I would get a nice pump out of it. It never got me "in the zone" like Jack3d did when it first came out, but it was effective.



Posterizer said:


> I'm thinking about getting that, right now I just use the Nike running app?
> 
> Anyone else use that? Challenge me :kobe


Nike Plus? I go for distance though, not speed. Send me your username via PM.

Also, are you really proficient with it? I swear I run a lot further than it says I do, and I can run marked tracks and it always comes up short. I think my calibration on it is fucked.


----------



## Zen

Glass Shatters said:


> It's hard to pinpoint what I get my gains from, because any time I bulk I always have a pre workout, a whey shake, a casein shake, a protein bar, and a lot of milk and peanut butter daily. I'm at 185 right now, but will probably be down to about 175 by the end of the month before I start hitting the weights heavy again. However, to be frank, I would get a nice pump out of it. It never got me "in the zone" like Jack3d did when it first came out, but it was effective.
> 
> 
> Nike Plus? I go for distance though, not speed. Send me your username via PM.
> 
> Also, are you really proficient with it? I swear I run a lot further than it says I do, and I can run marked tracks and it always comes up short. I think my calibration on it is fucked.


I go more for speed, cause I like to keep my mass. When I am in training season for running the longest I'll ever run is a mile cause I'm trying to get under 6 minutes which I am very close to. But right now I run 3-4km before my workout or training.

My calibration is pretty accurate, I run on a track and whenever i do 4 laps it comes up as 1.6km which is correct . 

PM me your Nike plus username lol I don't even know my properly.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> I go more for speed, cause I like to keep my mass.


I hear you. Come bulking time in a month and a half I'll be hitting the sprints, 60/120's, and timed runs like no tomorrow. I'll be giving you some competition by the end of the summer hopefully. Those fast twitch muscle fibers are going to be kicking.

I just try to lean out as much as possible prior to hitting the weights heavily again after being kicked out of the gym the first few months of the year by Crossfit people and people that curl in the squat rack. 



> When I am in training season for running the longest I'll ever run is a mile cause I'm trying to get under 6 minutes which I am very close to. But right now I run 3-4km before my workout or training.


A 6 minute mile is no easy task and I know your pain. The last 10 seconds are the hardest to shave off. My fastest time during a military PT test (2 mile) was 11:54 but I weighed like 155 pounds. I don't ever want to drop that low again so I've been hitting the hills a lot lately for when I do start sprinting.



> PM me your Nike plus username lol I don't even know my properly.


Sent.


----------



## Zen

Yea I do all sorts of training. Cause I play so much sports Tennis, Basketball, Boxing, Swimming. 

I am currently on 6:08 for the mile, but that was achieved on 22 Novemmber 2012. Which was around the time I stopped running intensely and started my bulk for boxing. Put on a lot of muscle but now that boxing is over for me, until August, I'm lacking motivation to lift weights and eating at a calorie surplus everyday. I was eating around 4,000 calories. 

I am finding building muscle on it's own with no purpose, to be overrated now. I'm starting to lean towards that swimmer's physique now.

Now I am doing a lot of plyometrics and resistance training, for basketball and tennis. I wanna increase my vertical which is sitting on around 35 inches. 

Sweet I got you. Before my app use to be able to compete with friends individually but it's gone now. Now it just shows the most distance ran, I'm just ahead of you haha.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> I am currently on 6:08 for the mile, but that was achieved on 22 Novemmber 2012.


Mine is at 7:40 but my calibration is fucked. I'm nowhere near the shape I was in when I took that PT test I referenced, but I'm not running a 7:40 especially when I just ran a hand timed mile and a half at a regulation track a week ago in 10:18. I need to figure that shit out pronto. My longest run is 15.0 miles.



> I am finding building muscle on it's own with no purpose, to be overrated now. I'm starting to lean towards that swimmer's physique now.


Been there. I loved the feeling of being ripped and having sick vascularity and definition, but I have grown to want bulk. 



> Sweet I got you. Before my app use to be able to compete with friends individually but it's gone now. Now it just shows the most distance ran, I'm just ahead of you haha.


Yeah. You must run with a lot more frequency daily than I do. You already have 17 runs this month. I typically run 4-5 times a week, but just started a streak of my own a few days ago. I'm looking at running for 50 consecutive days over 2 miles a day with a long run once a week. Starting day 3 tomorrow.


----------



## Zen

Yea I always try to use my app whenever I am doing any sort of running. So I am constantly logging in runs.

Bulking is a lot more fun than dieting lol. But especially when people are just dieting to look good, where as now i am looking to be actual strength muscular. I find doing 10kg pullups is more impressive than benching 100kg


----------



## StraightEdge91

Achilles tendon problems after running? Nobody?


----------



## Glass Shatters

StraightEdge91 said:


> Achilles tendon problems after running? Nobody?


Can't say that I know anything about it. I've been lucky enough to skirt any type of achilles injury due to running and I've been running consistently going on 6 years now. 

http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/owners-manual-treating-and-recovering-achilles-injury?page=single
That might help you a little bit. Sounds like you're overusing it and/or causing extra pressure by running with bad form on the treadmill.


----------



## StraightEdge91

Glass Shatters said:


> Can't say that I know anything about it. I've been lucky enough to skirt any type of achilles injury due to running and I've been running consistently going on 6 years now.
> 
> http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-treatment/owners-manual-treating-and-recovering-achilles-injury?page=single
> That might help you a little bit. Sounds like you're overusing it and/or causing extra pressure by running with bad form on the treadmill.


Thanks. :


----------



## Deck The Halls With Funes Mori

Right you muscular freaks! 

I intend on shredding some of this puppy fat I've gained the last few months and getting back to how I was before my severe lazy attitude kicked in and 'fuck it, I've just finished work' mentality hindered me to bed and take aways. 

Now I bought myself some 'USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic 4000 g Chocolate Lean Muscle Gain Shake Powder' and 'Maximuscle Promax Diet 1200 g Weight Loss and Definition Shake Powder'..

Would you suggest I stick with the diet powder with lots of running to get rid of my fat before moving on to the muscle gain powder? 

Cheeeers for any help lids.


----------



## i$e

My sig.

Alarmed at the magic pill brigade invading this thread lately.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> Yea I always try to use my app whenever I am doing any sort of running. So I am constantly logging in runs.
> 
> Bulking is a lot more fun than dieting lol. But especially when people are just dieting to look good, where as now i am looking to be actual strength muscular. I find doing 10kg pullups is more impressive than benching 100kg


Alright, I'm working on getting my calibration down. 

Ran a mile today on a marked track and it logged me at 0.74 in about 6:30. I calibrated it to a mile (only to find out that it never stopped and logged over a minute of extra time) so it gave me credit for 1 mile in 7:58. :kobe I knew it was shortchanging me big time, but I never would have guessed it was cheating me out of 1/4 mile. Ridiculous.

From that point I did quarter mile splits. Two at a relaxed pace (1:47 and 1:55) and two at about 95% (1:33 and 1:32). 

I'm going to do this again on Wednesday and Friday to give it a good average to calibrate on sandwiched in between 2+milers on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday until I start going to the hills and distance again full time next week. 



ROUSEY said:


> Would you suggest I stick with the diet powder with lots of running to get rid of my fat before moving on to the muscle gain powder?
> 
> Cheeeers for any help lids.


I made a post a while back that pretty much detailed my experience with a severe cut followed by a clean bulk. I never looked, felt, or performed better through all-around fitness than I did at the end of that.


----------



## Deck The Halls With Funes Mori

Good lads, I'll keep the two of them saved. Ta


----------



## RKO920

Starting Oxy Elite pro tomorrow and cutting out all carbs, while adding more cardio. Excited to see what I look like in a months time.


----------



## Lady Eastwood

My job is literally an eight hour work out but I eat like shit and I love my Dr. Pepper.


I really need to stop eating so horribly....


If I didn't have the job I have, I would probably weight about 400 pounds.

I try to get in the habit of salads and fruits and veggies but veggies are the only things that fill me up. I am always still hungry after a salad and fruit.


----------



## Rush

i$e said:


> My sig.
> 
> Alarmed at the magic pill brigade invading this thread lately.


Pretty much. 

You don't need all the powders, shakes, pills etc to lose weight, gain muscle etc. A good balanced diet, supplemented with a correct exrcise program sees results. For instance RKO, you know whats in oxyelite pro? You know what it does? There are a few active ingredients, one of which is caffeine, one which has a similar effect to caffeine, and a few that increase levels of some thyroid hormones. It has side effects like most things and considering that it has a vasoconstricting effect raises the risk of a heart attack and stroke while exercising. If you don't drink much coffee, or anything with caffeine in it then you can experience an array of symtoms associated with that like headaches, anxiety, insomnia etc. You're going to sweat a lot more while using it, and essentially you're making the body feel stressed constantly. Which will make you lose weight, but its not the most healthy thing in the world.


----------



## El Conquistador

Serious question... how would you guys prepare for a 1.5 mile run if you have limited aerobic training over the past three years? I have a test coming up for a police department and have neglected cardiovascular healthy and fitness. Since some of you seem like good runners, and I don't do much else aside from squatting-snatching-clean and jerking, I figured I'd ask for some advice. What if I wanted a routine that emphasized both strength training and cardio? I know my lifts will suffer, but is such a thing even possible.jpeg? Anyone have experience with balancing this?



RKO920 said:


> Starting Oxy Elite pro tomorrow and cutting out all carbs, while adding more cardio. Excited to see what I look like in a months time.


Good bye, sweet sanity.



Catalanotto said:


> My job is literally an eight hour work out but I eat like shit and I love my Dr. Pepper.
> 
> 
> I really need to stop eating so horribly....
> 
> 
> If I didn't have the job I have, I would probably weight about 400 pounds.
> 
> I try to get in the habit of salads and fruits and veggies but veggies are the only things that fill me up. I am always still hungry after a salad and fruit.


dat dere fiber


----------



## Zen

Glass Shatters said:


> Alright, I'm working on getting my calibration down.
> 
> Ran a mile today on a marked track and it logged me at 0.74 in about 6:30. I calibrated it to a mile (only to find out that it never stopped and logged over a minute of extra time) so it gave me credit for 1 mile in 7:58. :kobe I knew it was shortchanging me big time, but I never would have guessed it was cheating me out of 1/4 mile. Ridiculous.
> 
> From that point I did quarter mile splits. Two at a relaxed pace (1:47 and 1:55) and two at about 95% (1:33 and 1:32).
> 
> I'm going to do this again on Wednesday and Friday to give it a good average to calibrate on sandwiched in between 2+milers on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday until I start going to the hills and distance again full time next week.
> 
> 
> I made a post a while back that pretty much detailed my experience with a severe cut followed by a clean bulk. I never looked, felt, or performed better through all-around fitness than I did at the end of that.


SO what was your actually mile time? 6:58?


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> Serious question... how would you guys prepare for a 1.5 mile run if you have limited aerobic training over the past three years? I have a test coming up for a police department and have neglected cardiovascular healthy and fitness. Since some of you seem like good runners, and I don't do much else aside from squatting-snatching-clean and jerking, I figured I'd ask for some advice. What if I wanted a routine that emphasized both strength training and cardio? I know my lifts will suffer, but is such a thing even possible.jpeg? Anyone have experience with balancing this?


Start running. 

Seriously though, how much time are you looking at until the test and what events do you have to do prior to the run? What time do you need to pass it? Max it? 



Posterizer said:


> SO what was your actually mile time? 6:58?


No, it logged well over a minute over time. It was either 6:30 or 6:38 from when I looked at my screen. You can look at my chart for my 1 mile run today and see I was going in the red at a snail's pace for a good portion of the latter half. That was me walking after I told my fucking IPod to stop so I could calibrate the mile.

EDIT: I'm going to try to complete the mile for time again on Wednesday, but I might break that down into four 1/2 mile splits and complete the mile for time with four 1/4 mile splits again on Friday.


----------



## El Conquistador

About 45 days, 44 after today. 12:51 is the required time. It is graded pass/fail. If I had to hustle and run a mile, my estimation would be somewhere around 9:30 - 10 minutes, if I'm being honest.


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> About 45 days, 44 after today. 12:51 is the required time. It is graded pass/fail. If I had to hustle and run a mile, my estimation would be somewhere around 9:30 - 10 minutes, if I'm being honest.


First off, don't even sweat it. You have *plenty* of time. If you were within a month the only thing I could have told you to do is hit a treadmill on a steep incline a few times a week for 2 miles. No cramming is necessary and yes, you can keep your mass and still smoke the 1.5 mile. Sprints recruit the same muscle fibers - fast twitch - as lifting for strength. Incorporate them into your program. 1.5 miles isn't that big of a deal and you won't start to look like a marathoner.

Most importantly, you need to find out what your actual time for said 1.5 mile run would be right now. Gauge your current time before you do anything else. Follow the "Couch to 5K" 6 week program and alter it to your current capability. 

http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7BCB7A7973-02A1-4FBD-938F-CCD59C2BFEC9%7D/RACE%20FOR%20YOUR%20MEMORIES%205K%20TRAINING%20GUIDE.PDF

What events do you have to complete prior to the run though? Just 1 minute pushups and 1 minute situps? If you have to do anything involving legs, train legs before you run. Perfect practice makes perfect.


----------



## El Conquistador

Yeah, 1 minute pushups and 1 minute sit ups before. There's an obstacle course type of thing after. I'm not worried about anything anaerobic. I'm relatively strong. It's been such a long time that I've done anything that hasn't revolved around squats, it is almost ridiculous and makes me realize how impractical my training was/is.

I'll take a look at that. I'm not trying to become a great runner - just more fit and well-rounded for the test and the subsequent academy (if I make it). I would be fibbing if I said I intend on carrying that over into my life because I don't get much enjoyment from running. But anyways, thanks.


----------



## RKO920

Why goodbye sanity? Lol. Read good reviews.


----------



## 2K JAY

Guys, are fried eggs good if you're trying to burn fat and get muscular? I know they're not as healthy as boiled, but I wanna know how much of a difference they would really make. I really want a toned stomach. I run for 40 minutes every day.

Also,are Wheatabix good breakfast?


----------



## i$e

^^^ Read links in my sig. No food is 'good' or 'bad' - it is about quantity and content (which is then related to your macro-nutrient requirements). 



RKO920 said:


> Why goodbye sanity? Lol. Read good reviews.


He's basically saying, along with me and Rush, that you're going wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy overboard on supplements, which will cause you more long term damage than results.

Anyone needing supps and 'cycles' to cut 10lb needs to sit down and read the basics on nutrition, fitness and general human biology. It's absurd.


----------



## BULLY

Going to see physio about my shoulder. Have been out of action for the last couple of weeks due to aggravating an old injury that I got from the bench. Even the most mundane of tasks ( like taking off a shirt) causes me discomfort. hopefully I don't require surgery. (hopefully not ) kinda sucks right now as there's not a lot I can do that doesn't require the shoulder. 

Just a tip to everyone, always maintain correct form. I acquired my injury on the bench trying to lift too heavy and my form suffered as a result.


----------



## united_07

because I dont know much about it, is this a good diet? as ive just joined the gym after not going for a while



> *breakfast:
> *Oatmeal with raisins and almonds
> 4 egg white omelette/protein shake
> 
> *before workout
> *banana
> 
> *after workout
> *protein shake
> 
> *lunch
> *2 wholemeal Pitta breads with ~200g chicken/turkey and spinach
> 
> *snack
> *wholemeal bread with ~100g chicken/turkey
> 
> *dinner
> * 150g brown rice/pasta
> ~200g chicken/turkey
> + vegetables
> 
> *before bed*
> milk protein shake


----------



## i$e

looks great, throw in some fish oil and you're golden


----------



## El Conquistador

i$e said:


> ^^^ Read links in my sig. No food is 'good' or 'bad' - it is about quantity and content (which is then related to your macro-nutrient requirements).
> 
> 
> 
> He's basically saying, along with me and Rush, that you're going wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy overboard on supplements, which will cause you more long term damage than results.
> 
> Anyone needing supps and 'cycles' to cut 10lb needs to sit down and read the basics on nutrition, fitness and general human biology. It's absurd.


Yep.

You guys need to realize it's not about what you eat, it's about how much of it you eat (sure, there are more micronutrient dense foods than others, that's not my point). There's things you need to determine - BMR, activity level, maintenance calories, goals and then proceed from there. Some of these questions are redundant and somewhat perplexing. i$e and Rush give you all the same response and foundation each time. It's not about supplements, or cutting all carbs (totally unnecessary). Believe it or not, you can lose weight in a healthy manner with as many G's of CHO in your diet as PRO. You don't have to take drastic measures.

As much as I'm foreign to cardiovascular fitness, I'm doing my best to research it, look into it, and become more knowledgeable on it. You guys can do the same with dieting and nutrition. It just seems like some don't even bother to research and form their own opinion. It gets tiresome beating a dead horse.

Sorry if it seems like a rant, RKO. It's frustrating.


----------



## i$e

Great post. 

People over-think every little detail when it comes to fitness and health, when in reality it's just about knowing the basic core principles.


----------



## Glass Shatters

I'll never understand the hate for supplements. No one has said that they "need" them to do anything. Supplements are going to do just that: supplement your gains or losses. It doesn't make anyone less smart or have any less understanding of general fitness because they choose to take a bottle of OxyElitePro. That mentality only applies to people who think that they can train and eat like idiots and take a pill and things will be alright. There is no substitute for hard work and if you choose to supplement your hard work, more power to you.


----------



## APEX

I've started to put more Abs workouts in my routine. So im doing at least a full session a week now.
After the work out im finding my abs to be feeling 'delicate'. Not in an awful lot of pain but they feel strange.
Sort of like a stomach ache i suppose.

Does everyone get this after a hard abs workout? And is there a way to speed up recovery time?

Or is it just part and parcel.

In the past I've done swimming, running and playing football to keep my body toned. This is the first time I've really worked hard on my abs.


----------



## i$e

Probably just DOMS due to working them harder. Should get easier week on week.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

don't forget to stretch! seriously.

also, if you want abs, you don't need to focus on just ab workout sessions. That will help, but (I'm sure you've been told before) diet is more important. and not to kiss ass, but i$e's cutting guide is so simple and has everything you need in it. the secret is vegetables.

@Glass Shatters, all I used to do was use supplements. I've only met two kinds of guys at the gym; those who abuse supps and those who don't use supps. Either they don't know why their taking No-explode! but they take so much of it. Or they did that already and it didn't work so they blame all their failures on the supps and don't use them. Not calling anyone out here; I'd take supplements if I couldn't get the nutrition from simply eating. Sheamus takes vitamin D since he never goes out in sunlight.


----------



## El Conquistador

Glass Shatters said:


> I'll never understand the hate for supplements. No one has said that they "need" them to do anything. Supplements are going to do just that: supplement your gains or losses. It doesn't make anyone less smart or have any less understanding of general fitness because they choose to take a bottle of OxyElitePro. That mentality only applies to people who think that they can train and eat like idiots and take a pill and things will be alright. There is no substitute for hard work and if you choose to supplement your hard work, more power to you.


It doesn't make anyone less smart, it just makes them blind. Instead of examining the proper procedures, they're fixated on "you have any gains with product X". Hard to be less smart when you're not applying yourself to become more knowledgeable in the first place, despite three notable posters (i$e, Rush, HoH mainly) who continuously contribute on this same topic regularly. I'm not bashing supplements or anyone who explores them. Some stuff is anecdotally proven to aid in one's quest. But for those who stall (fall into the money pit without expanding their base of knowledge) and don't search deeper for the answers, I have no sympathy - and that's what I'm trying to convey. 

I'm more or less knocking his approach to weight loss. But then again, I don't really know why I'm passionately speaking out on it. I should just ignore those who overlook some good, pertinent information.


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> Hard to be less smart when you're not applying yourself to become more knowledgeable in the first place, despite three notable posters (i$e, Rush, HoH mainly) who continuously contribute on this same topic regularly.


Contributing to a topic regularly on a message board does not make one any more or less knowledgable. I know personal trainers with 6 inch wrists and bitch tits with a powerlifting total of less than 600 that could go on and on about telling people to eat right and IIFYM. Asking someone if they saw gains using a supplement does not mean that they just pop it in and expect to become a hulk or be shredded within a week. A supplement is there to supplement your hard work. 



> But for those who stall (fall into the money pit without expanding their base of knowledge) and don't search deeper for the answers, I have no sympathy - and that's what I'm trying to convey.


I would agree with you if he had said that he wasn't going to bust his ass and expected a miracle from a little purple pill. How do you know what his intentions were? Maybe he had researched proper weight loss techniques and wanted to supplement his hard work with a fat burner (which I had great results with, by the way and no, I wasn't fat). I don't see how taking a pill for weight loss is any different than someone who takes whey protein powder to gain muscle. Surely they could just eat more food like someone wanting to lose weight should eat less?


----------



## i$e

Me, HoL, Rush & El Conquistador are all very knowledgeable, and it's not because we just post in here a bunch.


----------



## Glass Shatters

i$e said:


> Me, HoL, Rush & El Conquistador are all very knowledgeable, and it's not because we just post in here a bunch.


I never singled out any names, just saying that posting in here regularly does not make someone knowledgeable on a topic as was claimed. Results via aesthetics and weight totals are all the knowledge you need. There are people that might know way more than I do, but can't do half the shit I do in the gym or on the track.

EDIT:



SKYFALL said:


> @Glass Shatters, all I used to do was use supplements. I've only met two kinds of guys at the gym; those who abuse supps and those who don't use supps. Either they don't know why their taking No-explode! but they take so much of it. Or they did that already and it didn't work so they blame all their failures on the supps and don't use them. Not calling anyone out here; I'd take supplements if I couldn't get the nutrition from simply eating. Sheamus takes vitamin D since he never goes out in sunlight.


That's your fault then. If you want to go eat steak, chicken, and pork by the truckload be my guest. I eat over 800 calories at each of my three main meals, have two protein shakes, a bar, and about 1/4 a gallon of chocolate milk daily. I'm pretty sure my caloric totals surpass many others and I'm a short dude 5'8, 185. The fact that you think that supplements can't be used as a mere supplement to good nutrition and proper training really leaves me baffled.


----------



## i$e

That's not the point being made though.


----------



## El Conquistador

I'm not even sure what you're arguing or why you felt obligated to quote my post and say I was renouncing the use of supplements. Are you insinuating that I told RKO that posting makes him more knowledgeable? Or that I think posting myself makes me a beacon of knowledge? I don't get where you're going with this.


----------



## RKO920

El Conquistador said:


> It doesn't make anyone less smart, it just makes them blind. Instead of examining the proper procedures, they're fixated on "you have any gains with product X". Hard to be less smart when you're not applying yourself to become more knowledgeable in the first place, despite three notable posters (i$e, Rush, HoH mainly) who continuously contribute on this same topic regularly. I'm not bashing supplements or anyone who explores them. Some stuff is anecdotally proven to aid in one's quest. But for those who stall (fall into the money pit without expanding their base of knowledge) and don't search deeper for the answers, I have no sympathy - and that's what I'm trying to convey.
> 
> I'm more or less knocking his approach to weight loss. But then again, I don't really know why I'm passionately speaking out on it. I should just ignore those who overlook some good, pertinent information.


I have knowledge in all of this. I started 200 pounds of fat and turned it to 180 LB's of muscle. Obviously I know what I am doing. I have had success changing my diet a swell as incorporating certain supplements into my daily routine. While bulking I take up your mass to help me gain muscle mass, whey protein after my workouts to repair my muscle tissue, amino acid during my workouts to keep my self going, and now oxy elite to burn some extra Fat while adding in cardio and being strict on my diet. I wouldn't take certain supps if I didn't look them up and know their effects.


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> I'm not even sure what you're arguing or why you felt obligated to quote my post and say I was renouncing the use of supplements. Are you insinuating that I told RKO that posting makes him more knowledgeable? Or that I think posting myself makes me a beacon of knowledge? I don't get where you're going with this.


So why would you renounce his approach to weight loss? Did you automatically assume that he was hoping for a magic pill and wasn't planning to bust his ass? Why would you knock his approach if it involved supplementing hard work? 



> Are you insinuating that I told RKO that posting makes him more knowledgeable? Or that I think posting myself makes me a beacon of knowledge? I don't get where you're going with this.


No, I didn't insinuate anything. 

You posted:



> Hard to be less smart when you're not applying yourself to become more knowledgeable in the first place, despite three notable posters (i$e, Rush, HoH mainly) who continuously contribute on this same topic regularly.


What would make these posters "notable"? Have you seen their physiques? Have you raced them? Or do they post on this forum?

I don't get why you all responded the way you did to him inquiring about weight loss supplement usage. You pretty much called him lazy by claiming that people who ask for a supplement review "stall and fail to look further and gain a deeper knowledge" because he asked me if I saw results from a supplement he was interested in. You did not delve into whether or not he's been busting his ass and needs a boost or plans to bust his ass and just use this as boost during the initial phase.


----------



## i$e

Glass Shatters said:


> What would make these posters "notable"?


Our posts are always right on the money. 

For what it's worth, there isn't some 'us vs you' divide here, but alarm bells start ringing when people are asking about cycling supps to fucking lose 10lb.


----------



## El Conquistador

RKO920 said:


> I have knowledge in all of this. I started 200 pounds of fat and turned it to 180 LB's of muscle. Obviously I know what I am doing. I have had success changing my diet a swell as incorporating certain supplements into my daily routine. While bulking I take up your mass to help me gain muscle mass, whey protein after my workouts to repair my muscle tissue, amino acid during my workouts to keep my self going, and now oxy elite to burn some extra Fat while adding in cardio and being strict on my diet. I wouldn't take certain supps if I didn't look them up and know their effects.


I'm not doubting your hard work or willingness to do it. I think you're missing the bigger picture here. A lot of the stuff you're doing is counterintuitive and less efficient. Why take a mass gainer when you're cutting? Do you know what the point of that is? Do you know your macros? Do you know your maintenance level? Do you get the bigger picture? Ultimately, how do you lose weight? What is your ideology behind cutting out carbs completely?

That's all I'm really pointing out. Examine things. Research. Does that mean my way of dieting is better? To me - sure. To you - perhaps not. We can agree to disagree. But these guys have made great information accessible and I think you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least LOOK at it. You continue to talk over it and ignore it.



Glass Shatters said:


> So why would you renounce his approach to weight loss? Did you automatically assume that he was hoping for a magic pill and wasn't planning to bust his ass? Why would you knock his approach if it involved supplementing hard work?
> 
> 
> No, I didn't insinuate anything.
> 
> You posted:
> 
> 
> What would make these posters "notable"? Have you seen their physiques? Have you raced them? Or do they post on this forum?
> 
> I don't get why you all responded the way you did to him inquiring about weight loss supplement usage. You pretty much called him lazy by claiming that people who ask for a supplement review "stall and fail to look further and gain a deeper knowledge" because he asked me if I saw results from a supplement he was interested in. You did not delve into whether or not he's been busting his ass and needs a boost or plans to bust his ass and just use this as boost during the initial phase.


I wasn't renouncing supplements, though. You're missing the point. I know Rush has studied material at university. I know i$e from another forum, where we have talked about training a little bit more in depth. From my experience not only them, but recomping and shedding weight myself, I agree with their methodology. Is any of it less sound than taking a mass gainer while cutting? Does that not seem counterintuitive? 

I was never trying to make this into a i$e/Rush thing vs. you two and I'm not sure why you took it that way. For that, I apologize. My whole point is he's been experimenting with working out and nutrition principals for some time in here (which we encourage, please keep posting - that's what the thread is for). Yet he seems every bit as aimless as he was. Not aimless as in he doesn't know what his goals are, but aimless in the sense that he's going through any type of motions to fulfill them, without really grasping what it is he is doing.


----------



## RKO920

I stopped the mass gainer today. It just ran out. I start Oxy Elite and cutting tomorrow. I reached a weight plateau. What I was doing, obviously worked for losing weight, but lately I have stayed at 180.


----------



## Glass Shatters

i$e said:


> Our posts are always right on the money.


It's not difficult when half the time it is "eat less/more and do compound lifts". That's good, basic advice and really hard to miss the mark. 



> For what it's worth, there isn't some 'us vs you' divide here, but alarm bells start ringing when people are asking about cycling supps to fucking lose 10lb.


Maybe it's a stubborn 10 pounds that he's been trying to lose for a while? Maybe he's at a plateau and through trial and error, nothing has worked? What then. Eat less than he's already been eating at the sake of mass? LOL. No thanks, Jeff. 



El Conquistador said:


> I know Rush has studied material at university


This is nothing against you Rush, but studying material at a University doesn't mean shit. 

There are people with degrees in areas of fitness that have 6 inch wrists and bitch tits, can't run a mile or put up 1k raw in the big 3. I'm sure Rush had a few of these in his class. I don't have a fitness degree and can run a mile in sub 6:30 and have put up 1k raw a year ago although I probably couldn't do it right now. I've seen certified personal trainers do some really stupid shit and would be more inclined to take advice from someone who looks like they lift compared to a string bean with a degree for the sake of them having studied from a book.



> From my experience not only them, but recomping and shedding weight myself, I agree with their methodology. Is any of it less sound than taking a mass gainer while cutting? Does that not seem counterintuitive?


I do, too. But I'm not going to sit back and say that supplementing it wouldn't help. Where exactly did he say he was going to take Up Your Mass with OxyElitePro? I missed that one...



> For that, I apologize.


Nah, I think this whole thing is a misunderstanding. No apology needed from anyone.



> Yet he seems every bit as aimless as he was. Not aimless as in he doesn't know what his goals are, but aimless in the sense that he's going through any type of motions to fulfill them, without really grasping what it is he is doing.


Based on wanting to take a supplement to aid in weight loss after an obvious bulking phase?


----------



## El Conquistador

It had nothing to do with the supplements. That wasn't the original point to begin with.


----------



## Rush

Glass Shatters said:


> This is nothing against you Rush, but studying material at a University doesn't mean shit.


I don't say it does. 

My degree is in exercise physiology which means i'm great with chronically injured clients, have a good rappore with all my clients but i find it much much harder to motivate and get results out of a healthy person. For more in depth questions on nutrition i'd refer them elsewhere seeing as its not a subject i'm overly knowledgable about. 



> *There are people with degrees in areas of fitness that have 6 inch wrists and bitch tits, can't run a mile or put up 1k raw in the big 3*. I'm sure Rush had a few of these in his class. I don't have a fitness degree and can run a mile in sub 6:30 and have put up 1k raw a year ago although I probably couldn't do it right now. I've seen certified personal trainers do some really stupid shit and would be more inclined to take advice from someone who looks like they lift compared to a string bean with a degree for the sake of them having studied from a book.


Absolutely. Having said that though, just because someone can lift, or run, or look huge doesn't mean they're great on giving advice. I wasn't the biggest, the best runner, the strongest etc in my course but i knew why i was training, i knew what i wanted to get out of it, i knew about proper form and i knew about motivating someone. Some of the blokes with the best physiques dropped out early or failed a ton of subjects because they're fucking retarded. Its a bit of a lottery getting advice from people at the gym, can be excellent and practical advice or it can be a load of broscience.

I hate so many personal trainers. I cringe when i'm at the gym and i see some of these idiots training someone. Poor form, dumb exercises, inappropriate exercises etc. Its just bad. None of them has any idea about ROM or changes associated with age at all. I've seen a few trainers trying to get older clients to use the lat pulldown machine when they clearly don't have the range of movement in their shoulders to perform the exercise with proper form. 



Glass Shatters said:


> I'll never understand the hate for supplements. No one has said that they "need" them to do anything. Supplements are going to do just that: supplement your gains or losses. *It doesn't make anyone less smart or have any less understanding of general fitness because they choose to take a bottle of OxyElitePro.* That mentality only applies to people who think that they can train and eat like idiots and take a pill and things will be alright. There is no substitute for hard work and if you choose to supplement your hard work, more power to you.


Didn't say it did. I wasn't having a go atRKO, just used OxyElitePro as an example. The general gist and tone of his posts in here lately have all been about supplements, rather than ways of getting over a plateau so it raises a few alarm bells.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

i'd do roids. Just saying.


----------



## i$e

It is difficult when 80% of the posts in this thread are from people who don't understand that 'basic advice'. I've not spent a day at University studying any of this either.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Rush said:


> I don't say it does.


Right. I was just putting your name out there because it was bought up as you being knowledgable because you studied it in college. Nothing could be further from the truth.



Spoiler: Average Personal Trainer
























> Absolutely. Having said that though, just because someone can lift, or run, or look huge doesn't mean they're great on giving advice.


Of course it doesn't mean they are great at giving advice. It does mean they know what works and have applied it practically to prove that it works - much like someone who has taken a supplement and one who hasn't. I wouldn't take advice from someone who has never lifted more than me. Would you? That would be like a football player taking advice from a coach who never played the sport at any level. He may know, but he never applied it practically. 

For what it's worth, I don't have the most impressive physique, am definitely not the leanest or most vascular right now, but I fill out a shirt and jeans well and you can tell that I can put up some weight.


----------



## El Conquistador

You're misconstruing a personal trainer, who takes a weekend certification course, with someone with a degree - often 4-6 years (in the US, at least) with extensive education. I think it's important to make that distinction. An entirely different type of coursework. More stringent, more rigorous.

EDIT:

Yeah, there are people who get a degree and go the personal trainer route, but that isn't particularly lucrative.


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> You're misconstruing a personal trainer, who takes a weekend certification course, with someone with a degree - often 4-6 years (in the US, at least) with extensive education. I think it's important to make that distinction. An entirely different type of coursework. More stringent, more rigorous.


No, I'm pairing anyone who has a degree or certification in something yet lacks the knowledge of actually practically applying it themselves together.

Bookworm: "I know how to get a 500 pound squat, I went to college for it."
Me: "Can you Squat 500 pounds?"
Bookworm: "No."
Me: "







"

Of course it is altogether different if someone has the knowledge and has applied it.


----------



## Rush

Glass Shatters said:


> Of course it doesn't mean they are great at giving advice. *It does mean they know what works and have applied it practically to prove that it works* - much like someone who has taken a supplement and one who hasn't. I wouldn't take advice from someone who has never lifted more than me. Would you? That would be like a football player taking advice from a coach who never played the sport at any level. He may know, but he never applied it practically.
> 
> For what it's worth, I don't have the most impressive physique, am definitely not the leanest or most vascular right now, but I fill out a shirt and jeans well and you can tell that I can put up some weight.


Indeed, but what i mean most by that is that isn't that they can't get results but some of the biggest guys have the absolute worst form, and its only a matter of time before they hurt themselves.


----------



## El Conquistador

Has applied it to what? 

I think you're confusing knowledge with something else. Just because a person doesn't practice what they preach doesn't mean he/she is any less knowledgeable on the subject. It's much like a tattoo artist who doesn't have or wear tattoos, but has established good will and credibility through his work. 

I understand what you're alluding to, just unsure how to word it.


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> Has applied it to what?
> 
> I think you're confusing knowledge with something else. Just because a person doesn't practice what they preach doesn't mean he/she is any less knowledgeable on the subject. It's much like a tattoo artist who doesn't have or wear tattoos, but has established good will and credibility through his work.
> 
> I understand what you're alluding to, just unsure how to word it.


Let's use it in the context then. Someone who has never taken said supplement yet has knowledge gained solely from books is a credible source for supplement information on whether or not they work or if anyone else should take them? Again, it's like a football coach that has never played football on any level. 

Fitness isn't like a history subject where you can read about it and don't really have to experience it. Fitness is an ever-evolving series and progressions in the industry are being made every single day.


----------



## i$e

Odd logic.


----------



## sharkboy22

Anyone have any good barbell tricep exercises that they can recommend? I don't have time to go to a gym and I'm looking to make an investment in a set of dumbells later down the road but for now all I'm stuck with is a barbell and a bench. Note, the bench is a stupid bench that prohibits me from doing skull crushers. So that's out the window. Any suggestions?


----------



## Glass Shatters

sharkboy22 said:


> Anyone have any good barbell tricep exercises that they can recommend? I don't have time to go to a gym and I'm looking to make an investment in a set of dumbells later down the road but for now all I'm stuck with is a barbell and a bench. Note, the bench is a stupid bench that prohibits me from doing skull crushers. So that's out the window. Any suggestions?


Close grip bench press. I really can't think of any more with a barbell and you're probably better off doing dips and diamond push ups if your bench is shoddy.


----------



## i$e

Barbell curls with a focus on slow negatives.


----------



## El Conquistador

I did the first day of the cardio program today, Glass Shatters. I did the 6 minutes steady state @ 5.3 MPH (I know, pretty embarrassing) and the 2 minute walk to lower the heart rate at 2.8 MPH. Repeated that same cycle after. I wasn't sure where to start. By the 13th minute, I wanted to quit. Eventually, I got through it, but it SUCKED. I have a lot of work to do. I'm going to follow that program you linked me to and defer to your knowledge.

Pulled 375x3 for my deadlift prior to the workout for the lawls. I have no idea how to program my weightlifting, with 3 days of steady state cardio that my body probably wont be used to for a week or two.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer, I'm coming for you brother. My calibration is getting down. Foam rolled the knots out of my legs and lower back yesterday after my run and woke up this morning feeling great. Had a jelly donut and some Gatorade an hour before I went out and...



Spoiler: Run Time






















We'll see how well that stacks up when I'm done my streak of 50 days consecutive running prior to bulking up for the summer and hitting the weights heavy again.

El Con - check your PM's in a few.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Guess it's time to start cutting...


----------



## Zen

Glass Shatters said:


> Posterizer, I'm coming for you brother. My calibration is getting down. Foam rolled the knots out of my legs and lower back yesterday after my run and woke up this morning feeling great. Had a jelly donut and some Gatorade an hour before I went out and...
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler: Run Time
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We'll see how well that stacks up when I'm done my streak of 50 days consecutive running prior to bulking up for the summer and hitting the weights heavy again.
> 
> El Con - check your PM's in a few.


COME AT ME BRO!!! IT'S OOOOOOON NOW! ::kobe2

Nice run, and congrats on new record, almost as good as mine. :kobe

I'm considering running a mile again just to be ahead of you lol, I'll have to see if it fits into my schedule somewhere


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> COME AT ME BRO!!! IT'S OOOOOOON NOW! ::kobe2
> 
> Nice run, and congrats on new record, almost as good as mine. :kobe
> 
> I'm considering running a mile again just to be ahead of you lol, I'll have to see if it fits into my schedule somewhere


You're not catching me unless you start running distance, brother. From here on out, it's 2+ miles/day for the next 40 some odd days with many far exceeding 2. The foam roller is going to be a life saver for me - literally. Ever tried that shit after a particularly rigorous run? It's worth it.

EDIT: 


Spoiler: My Latest...


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Less = More

Something I have learned that past 4-5 months of training. No need to workout and lift six days straight. Instead I decided to do some hot Yoga with a 4 day lifting split.


----------



## Rush

JoseBxNYC said:


> Less = More
> 
> Something I have learned that past 4-5 months of training. *No need to workout and lift six days straight. *Instead I decided to do some hot Yoga with a 4 day lifting split.


Fairly certain everyone in this thread told you that ages ago :lol


----------



## Zen

Glass Shatters said:


> You're not catching me unless you start running distance, brother. From here on out, it's 2+ miles/day for the next 40 some odd days with many far exceeding 2. The foam roller is going to be a life saver for me - literally. Ever tried that shit after a particularly rigorous run? It's worth it.
> 
> EDIT:
> 
> 
> Spoiler: My Latest...


Fuck me, looks like you got this. :kobe2

Speed >> Distance though :kobe4


----------



## Lady Eastwood

Skip to 1 minute mark.

I AM SOLD LOLOLOLOLOL


----------



## Boulle

i've been eating only a real clean diet recently and back training in martial arts for the past month now and i am so pleased with myself as although i've only lost a few pound i look so much better. I'm back to my goal weight and after being a lazy bastard over christmas etc i'm back to normal. Yerssss.


----------



## ColtofPersonality

Anybody using DDP Yoga? Is it worth buying?


----------



## GothicBohemian

Oh, I want in on this running challenge deal. I'm female, so I'm slow, but I can kill it as far as distances go.

My daily average is 8 -10k, thou sometimes I train the 5k:
10k super lazy speed – up to an hour
10k race pace – high 30s to mid 40s min range, depending on lots of factors. Mostly well into the 40+ territory of late unless it's a really good day. 

I've been a slug lately – I'll blame it on the snow – but come spring, I'm aiming for six days a week, one off, with two at slow, three reg training speed and one race pace.


----------



## Glass Shatters

GothicBohemian said:


> Oh, I want in on this running challenge deal. I'm female, so I'm slow, but I can kill it as far as distances go.
> 
> My daily average is 8 -10k, thou sometimes I train the 5k:
> 10k super lazy speed – up to an hour
> 10k race pace – high 30s to mid 40s min range, depending on lots of factors. Mostly well into the 40+ territory of late unless it's a really good day.
> 
> I've been a slug lately – I'll blame it on the snow – but come spring, I'm aiming for six days a week, one off, with two at slow, three reg training speed and one race pace.


You have Nike+Running? Calibrate it and send me a PM.


----------



## Olympus

I think I'm going to need to start running again. Cutting without cardio for me isn't working. I'm at 168lbs. About 13lbs heavier than what I was maybe 4-6 months ago and I can notice it. Cardio gives me more discipline plus the burned calories isn't so bad. All I know is something must be done immediately. lol


----------



## GothicBohemian

Glass Shatters said:


> You have Nike+Running? Calibrate it and send me a PM.


I don't, but I can get it easily enough for my ipod. It's snowing heavily again this morning, so I may not be getting back into my normal schedule for a bit yet, unless treadmill running at the gym counts.


----------



## Svart

I miss the days when I could run a mile in 6 minutes.


----------



## Glass Shatters

GothicBohemian said:


> I don't, but I can get it easily enough for my ipod. It's snowing heavily again this morning, so I may not be getting back into my normal schedule for a bit yet, unless treadmill running at the gym counts.


Yes, you can calibrate it to a treadmill indoors. Download it and hit me and Posterizer up via PM. That goes for anyone else who wants to join.


----------



## GothicBohemian

^ Will do.


----------



## SUPER HANS

Been running for the past year now, and I've entered a half marathon, coming up at the end of March, I'm fairly aware of what I need to doing, but wondering if anyone with some experience could offer some advice to how frequently I should train. Currently I'm doing a 12 mile run every 5 days, takes me about 2 hours, I do 1 6 mile run and 3 3 mile runs in between, should I be doing more/less?


----------



## APEX

ashes11 said:


> Been running for the past year now, and I've entered a half marathon, coming up at the end of March, I'm fairly aware of what I need to doing, but wondering if anyone with some experience could offer some advice to how frequently I should train. Currently I'm doing a 12 mile run every 5 days, takes me about 2 hours, I do 1 6 mile run and 3 3 mile runs in between, should I be doing more/less?


That sounds fine, you do alot more than me and I do marathons every year.

2 hours for a 12 mile run is also quite impressive.

On the race day you will have tons of adrenaline pumping anyway, you'll find it a breeze.

The only tip I would give you is to start as close to the front as you can, otherwise 15 minutes will have gone before you get going.

Good luck.


----------



## Jordo

Has anyone tried DDP yoga?


----------



## RKO920

Just started cutting. Miss bagels already. My breakfast is now special K with skim milk. Is it bad to incorporate whole wheat bagels in my diet, say twice a week?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

RKO920 said:


> Just started cutting. Miss bagels already. My breakfast is now special K with skim milk. Is it bad to incorporate whole wheat bagels in my diet, say twice a week?


serious question? 

yes, that's fine. Unless you're on a specific "No Bagel" Diet, why would it hurt you? As long as you fit it into your calorie allowance. Like if your 2 feet tall and burn only 100 calories a day, then no bagels.


----------



## RKO920

Skyfall said:


> serious question?
> 
> yes, that's fine. Unless you're on a specific "No Bagel" Diet, why would it hurt you? As long as you fit it into your calorie allowance. Like if your 2 feet tall and burn only 100 calories a day, then no bagels.


Trying to lower carbs intake.


----------



## i$e

Won't make a jot of difference. Calorie is king.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

RKO920 said:


> Trying to lower carbs intake.


well, if that's the case, it depends on how many carbs you can allow each day into your diet. if 0, then no bagesl, if 10, then probably no bagels, if 40, then probably a bagel. Just have to do some math. 

I agree with i$e, easier to have a normal diet.


----------



## RKO920

Anyone got any good snack recommendations? I don't want to drop below 1500-2000 calories a day.


----------



## Ham and Egger

Well I started working out 2 months ago and I've moved up from 116 to 125 and I work out at least three times a week in my home. I'm hovering at this weight but I try to eat a lot to move up in weight.


----------



## i$e

RKO920 said:


> Anyone got any good snack recommendations? I don't want to drop below 1500-2000 calories a day.


Milk & Almonds. Classic combo.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

broccoli, hot dogs, nuts, bacon, pork rinds (if you have to), lunch meat, cheese, certain yogurt, lobster stuffed salmon :yum:, really dark chocolate.


----------



## Josh

RKO920 said:


> Trying to lower carbs intake.


if you're trying to cut, just drink water and do a cycle of dnp. dieting is for bitches.


:banplz: :banplz:


----------



## Zen

Sweet bro hit me up with PM.

Getting rolled by Glass Shatters right now


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> Sweet bro hit me up with PM.
> 
> Getting rolled by Glass Shatters right now


I'm spending more time foam rolling and stretching than I am running at this point. 40 more days...:jose


----------



## BULLY

Shoulders still causing me pain.

Kinda bored from not training. Added cardio is helping me drop weight but I fear I may also be dropping muscle from the upper from not training arms, chest etc.


----------



## Rush

What did you do to your shoulder?


----------



## BULLY

Remember how I told you a while back that I did damage to it on bench?

Well I aggrevated it again, a few weeks ago. It's never been 100 percent right really, just sorta push through the pain. But it's a lot worse now. Even taking my shirt off is uncomfortable. So I pretty much can't do *anything* atm except basic cardio.

The doctors booked me in to see a physio.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Time to work those calves then. / kayfabe FTW


----------



## Rush

so at least one of your rotator cuff muscles is fucked? happens a lot in the elderly :troll


----------



## BULLY

@ Gs: yeah. even working calves is limited without using dumbbells/barbells

@ rush: lol fuck you. Funny thing is it happened during my birthday and my mates said the same thing.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I haven't done a pullup or lat pulldown since January 16th (I had surgery) and it's driving me insane. I can't really lift my arms all the way up above my head yet either. I can do guns and some shoulder work. I've been doing close grip bench but only really light weight on Bench. 

Haven't done a Thruster since then either  

I know how you feel bully.


----------



## i$e

Rush said:


> so at least one of your rotator cuff muscles is fucked? happens a lot in the elderly :troll


----------



## Zen

Glass Shatters said:


> I'm spending more time foam rolling and stretching than I am running at this point. 40 more days...:jose












YEAAAAAAAA BUDDDY under 6 mnutes on my firt attempt at breaking the record, since 22 November 2012. I still got it :kobe


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BDhEhlsCAAAL0Y4.jpg:large[IMG]
> 
> YEAAAAAAAA BUDDDY under 6 mnutes on my firt attempt at breaking the record, since 22 November 2012. I still got it :kobe[/QUOTE]
> 
> Congratulations! Keep it up. The race has come to a stalemate. I dropped my IPod Touch and cracked the screen across the bottom right corner to about halfway across the screen. Fuck. Still going to run every day, so we shall see when I buy a new one.


----------



## Zen

Glass Shatters said:


> Congratulations! Keep it up. The race has come to a stalemate. I dropped my IPod Touch and cracked the screen across the bottom right corner to about halfway across the screen. Fuck. Still going to run every day, so we shall see when I buy a new one.


Thanks bro!

Can the ipod ot work at all?

That's a shame


----------



## GothicBohemian

Posterizer and Glass Shatters

Just wanted to drop by and mention I haven't forgotten about this. I installed the Nike app, but it crashes every time I try to log in. Seems it's not compatible with the latest OS update. I'll have to wait for them to fix that.

Anyway, it's still snowing, but the temps have gone up so I may well just start once I get back outside running, which should be in the next week or so.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> Thanks bro!
> 
> Can the ipod ot work at all?
> 
> That's a shame


Oh, it works. What's funny is that I was listening to Brock Lesnar's theme song while simutaneously doing the 100 pushups app. It slipped out of my armband and smacked against the pavement. I picked it up and Lesnar's face looked like Luna Vachon's with the fucking cracks on the glass. Fuck.


----------



## Zen

GothicBohemian said:


> Posterizer and Glass Shatters
> 
> Just wanted to drop by and mention I haven't forgotten about this. I installed the Nike app, but it crashes every time I try to log in. Seems it's not compatible with the latest OS update. I'll have to wait for them to fix that.
> 
> Anyway, it's still snowing, but the temps have gone up so I may well just start once I get back outside running, which should be in the next week or so.


What iOs you won? I'm running it just fine on the nike app


----------



## MusculosoBarbaro

just got back from my second class and it's safe to say I REALLY need more arm strength. We were doing drills, and one of the drills was popping up off of the turnbuckle with our arms (basically a push up from a running position) and then lifting your legs high enough and kicking out so your opponent can run in under neath you. I hurt.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Marc Lobiner's MTS Whey and Drop Factor are awesome. Not to mention I got Drop Factor for free. Best chocolate protein I've ever tasted.


----------



## Zen

Glass Shatters said:


> Oh, it works. What's funny is that I was listening to Brock Lesnar's theme song while simutaneously doing the 100 pushups app. It slipped out of my armband and smacked against the pavement. I picked it up and Lesnar's face looked like Luna Vachon's with the fucking cracks on the glass. Fuck.


I'm on a roll 141km :kobe4


----------



## Glass Shatters

Keep it up. I ran about 5 miles yesterday and 4 today so I'm still packing on miles, just not on the app. I wouldn't have kept the streak alive yesterday if I didn't hit up some motivation videos on Youtube and put on the Mizuno's because I swear I ate about 20 pieces of bite sized chocolate candies (Twix, Snickers Peanut Butter, Snickers, York Mints,) and about 4 handfuls of jelly beans and I just wasn't feeling it yesterday. But when I hit the road I was flying. I guess it is true what they say about all of those African runners having ridiculous glucose intake and it benefits their runs. 

On another note, I found my ideal physique for the summer bulk: Jeff Monson. I'd probably need to get up to around 215 pounds to look something like this at 5'8 and that's not going to happen because I'll probably peak at 192-195 and I don't use steroids. I'm down to 179.2 with 35 days left to complete THE STREAK. I can dream though and eat a shit ton of high starch foods, drink a lot of milk and protein, eat a lot of peanut butter, and bust my balls while cutting cardio down to a 1 mile for intensity two to three times a week.


----------



## Zen

Nice bro keep it up, you should get on the app ASAP


----------



## RKO920

Bananas a good snack?


----------



## i$e

yes


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> Nice bro keep it up, you should get on the app ASAP


I'll be back on as soon as I buy a new IPod. Not on my list of priorities though. My touch screen still works to play the music controls, but as far as scrolling and whatnot it's impossible. 

I hit up a run of about 3 miles today and felt pretty good as I hit my full stride early and finished in a little over 20 minutes. I'll be knocking out the hill sprints and uphill agility drills (karaokes, high knees, bear crawls, backpedals, squat jumps etc.) tomorrow for about 30 minutes. Tuesday I'll probably keep it low milage at right around 2 just to let my body recover before taking it for distance again on Wednesday. 

I am thinking about purchasing a bag of dry concrete to do 1/4 mile jogs with it on one of my shoulders up to a mile for form twice a week when I'm done with THE STREAK. We used to use ratchet straps around our waists strapped to old tires to provide some resistance when I served and not coincidentally that was when I posted my all time fastest 2 mile and had legs like a roadmap.


----------



## Zen

Nice.

Do you foam roll, just your lower body or whole body


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> Nice.
> 
> Do you foam roll, just your lower body or whole body


The only thing I don't roll is my arms, stomach, and groin. Everything else is fair game and a foam roller is worth it just for rolling the IT band and your shins if you do nothing else with it.


----------



## Zen

Yea I'm thinking of buying one, I tried it at the gym and it was SO GOOD


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> Yea I'm thinking of buying one, I tried it at the gym and it was SO GOOD


Totally worth it. One of my favorite stretches with it is just lying on it vertically with your spine supported by the roller and your neck resting on the end and just putting your arms in an "L" shape as far back as they can go. Opens up your entire chest area. 

Anyway, hit up the hills today after a 6 miler yesterday. Did two sets of lunges up hill (about 20 per leg per set). Didn't really concentrate on the agility drills as much as I just sprinted up / walked down or jogged up / jogged down for about half an hour. Brutal workout, my glutes and hamstrings are on fire. Going to go for 2 miles at an easy pace tomorrow I think. 

I want this streak to be over so bad. I'll be getting a new IPod next week, FWIW.


----------



## i$e

try foam rolling a quad with your other leg resting on top

holy fuq


----------



## Zen

I love that


----------



## JoseBxNYC

i$e said:


> try foam rolling a quad with your other leg resting on top
> 
> holy fuq


I know that feeling brah


----------



## El Conquistador

Shaved a minute and fifteen seconds off my mile time. I went from a 10:45 mile on my initial assessment after not running for two-three years, to a 9:30ish mile today. I'm relatively happy about that considering I'm carrying a lot of weight for my frame. I could have done better, but I'm developing some type of shin pain in my left shin, so I did have to walk for 30ish seconds during the run to lessen the impact on the shin, if that makes any sense at all.

My 1.5 mile is at a 14:48, which is also a three minute improvement from my first week's assessment, too. Best part is, I'm not really losing any strength. I actually hit a PR on bench and tied a PR on back squat. I've went from 227 to 221 in three weeks. MAKING ALL KINDZ OF GAINS. 

Still slow, though.


----------



## Hennessey

Thoughts on tanning? Makes your definition look even better supposedly.


----------



## Glass Shatters

El Conquistador said:


> Shaved a minute and fifteen seconds off my mile time. I went from a 10:45 mile on my initial assessment after not running for two-three years, to a 9:30ish mile today. I'm relatively happy about that considering I'm carrying a lot of weight for my frame. I could have done better, but I'm developing some type of shin pain in my left shin, so I did have to walk for 30ish seconds during the run to lessen the impact on the shin, if that makes any sense at all.
> 
> My 1.5 mile is at a 14:48, which is also a three minute improvement from my first week's assessment, too. Best part is, I'm not really losing any strength. I actually hit a PR on bench and tied a PR on back squat. I've went from 227 to 221 in three weeks. MAKING ALL KINDZ OF GAINS.
> 
> Still slow, though.


Still following the "Couch to 5K" program that I linked? Stick with it, keep cutting weight, and running will only get easier. You'll hit the time for the Police Exam before you know it. Throw some hills or incline running on the treadmill as an extra workout and you'll feel superhuman the next time you run on flat ground.

The pain that you describe in your shin: is it the actual bone or the muscle right behind the shin that flexes if you plant your heel in the ground and lift your toes up? If it's the latter, try the ice cup method. Also make sure that you're tying your shoes properly with the Runner's Knot.


----------



## JustTooSweeeet

Glass Shatters said:


> Still following the "Couch to 5K" program that I linked? Stick with it, keep cutting weight, and running will only get easier.


I used that app and went from a 10:15 mile to a 6:45 mile. I am pretty consistent at being at the upper 6 minute, low 7 minute mark now. Highly recommend it.


----------



## El Conquistador

I'm still using that program. I think the shin pain is more muscle than the skeletal bone.


----------



## VRsick

Started DDP yoga today. Has gone through it? How did you like it?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

El Conquistador said:


> Shaved a minute and fifteen seconds off my mile time. I went from a 10:45 mile on my initial assessment after not running for two-three years, to a 9:30ish mile today. I'm relatively happy about that considering I'm carrying a lot of weight for my frame. I could have done better, but I'm developing some type of shin pain in my left shin, so I did have to walk for 30ish seconds during the run to lessen the impact on the shin, if that makes any sense at all.
> 
> My 1.5 mile is at a 14:48, which is also a three minute improvement from my first week's assessment, too. Best part is, I'm not really losing any strength. I actually hit a PR on bench and tied a PR on back squat. I've went from 227 to 221 in three weeks. MAKING ALL KINDZ OF GAINS.
> 
> Still slow, though.


Fat fuck


----------



## El Conquistador

I know, ****.  

I neglected cardio for an extended period of time after seriously getting into olympic lifting. Squatted 4 plates, Deadlifted 4 plates, Benched 255 (when I benched regularly), clean and jerked 115KG, snatched 80KG. But BRB, could hardly run for 3 minutes @ a steady pace without wanting to collapse.

feelsbadman.


----------



## MiRixG

So, need to ask... Has someone tried DDP Yoga?


----------



## Rush

No, no one has tried DDP yoga.


----------



## That Guy

I know this doesn't have anything to do with anything, but the past few weeks I've been working hard at home on my push-ups and variations of them. I'm now able to ( with proper form ) do Bruce lee, two finger push-ups. 

Will add video of myself doing it and chuck it on youtube.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> I'm on a roll 141km :kobe4


I'm back up. Logged 2 miles at the park today on the app and hit up some pushups, situps, and dead hang pullups as well.


----------



## Zen

Leggo!

I'm gonna start to attempt at breaking my mile record at 5:59 again soon.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Posterizer said:


> Leggo!
> 
> I'm gonna start to attempt at breaking my mile record at 5:59 again soon.


I have 22 days left before my daily running streak is completed. I'm down to about 176 now, and I'm running in a 5k on April 6th before I start bulking again. I'll still run about 3-4 times a week during that time, most of it sprints and hills. Probably add a 1 mile for time a week within those 3-4 runs.


----------



## Oxidamus

Decided to sign up for a gym now that the government gives my NEET ass some money for nothing, being hella unfit is atrocious. Jogging for 30 seconds and being winded is horrible.


----------



## El Conquistador

Just keep running. The more you do it, the more the body adapts. I started close to a 11 minute mile some time ago and continue to break that mile team each week (train the actual mile timed run once a week). I started off struggling to even make it through a workout. Running at a steady rate of 5.5 MPH for 2 minutes was challenging. There were many times I wanted to quit, but today, I can say I'm thankful I didn't. The same tasks I struggled with are becoming easier and easier. I'm not even an avid runner. In fact, I've hated running for quite some time.

Stick with it, track progress, and make a plan. You can do it.


----------



## Serbinator

I weighed in at 158 pounds (11st 4) near the beginning of the year. I now weigh 146 pounds (10st 6) which I feel is quite good considering I haven't been focused entirely on cutting weight; I've just been doing a bit of cardio and beginner lifting to keep in shape. I have a little bit of belly fat still present that I'm aiming to get rid of. Afterwards, then I'll start doing ab exercises to improve my core because otherwise it'll just push my stomach out if I don't lost the fat first.

I'm interested in hearing if any of you have cut weight before, it's always good to hear how people are doing. I'm presuming some of you have, and probably have cut more/had a more impressive cut than me.


----------



## Zen

Oxitron said:


> Decided to sign up for a gym now that the government gives my NEET ass some money for nothing, being hella unfit is atrocious. Jogging for 30 seconds and being winded is horrible.


Just gotta keep pushing it, you will get results, especially at the beginning


----------



## J89LDN

Oxitron said:


> Decided to sign up for a gym now that the government gives my NEET ass some money for nothing, being hella unfit is atrocious. Jogging for 30 seconds and being winded is horrible.


Good luck, a clean healthy diet is important.

Eat clean + train hard = results


----------



## Zen

Consistency is just as important


----------



## Jeff Hardy Hater

I'm sure that you guys have been over it plenty, but what's the general opinion on using Creatine for somebody who is 16?


----------



## Oxidamus

Thanks guys, I've been looking in to this for almost 2 years now and I've only just got the motivation and money to do it.
Being a little under 5ft 9 and weighing upwards of 100kg (220lbs+) may not be ridiculously unfit but I've seen guys bigger than me jog on a treadmill for minutes longer; and bigger guys stay on a cross trainer for 3/4 an hour. I don't think it's the weight that's bothering me so much any more, but the fact I can't do anywhere near what people bigger than me can.

I got heaps of work to do :lol.

The one thing I never really got to understanding was if I wanted to be athletic but still strong, something around 90kg (185-190lbs~) would I do cardio and shred the fat first, then do weights, or do them at the same time? :$


----------



## Punked Up

I'm not one of those 'lose weight only fat 5 minutes on your couch eating cake' kind of guys, but is there a way to lose weight while minimizing the amount of muscle lost?

Currently down 6 pounds in 2 weeks, about 15 more to go.


----------



## i$e

Punked Up said:


> I'm not one of those 'lose weight only fat 5 minutes on your couch eating cake' kind of guys, but is there a way to lose weight while minimizing the amount of muscle lost?
> 
> Currently down 6 pounds in 2 weeks, about 15 more to go.


my sig


----------



## VINT

Hey wassup. I recently got back in the gym and just ran on the treadmill for about 30 minutes, it felt great but uncoordinated. Since I have a very busy schedule rock) I kinda have the weekends free to work out. I actually want to gain some muscles and get back in shape a little bit. I'm not looking forward to get THAT BULKY but I wanna get a little bigger than I am. I currently weight at around 69-71 KG and I'm about 6 foot 9. Anyone here can provide a schedule or something for like 2 work out sessions a week for me? If yeah that would be great.


----------



## Glass Shatters

VINT said:


> Hey wassup. I recently got back in the gym and just ran on the treadmill for about 30 minutes, it felt great but uncoordinated. Since I have a very busy schedule rock) I kinda have the weekends free to work out. I actually want to gain some muscles and get back in shape a little bit. I'm not looking forward to get THAT BULKY but I wanna get a little bigger than I am. I currently weight at around 69-71 KG and I'm about 6 foot 9. Anyone here can provide a schedule or something for like 2 work out sessions a week for me? If yeah that would be great.


6'9, 150 pounds. 

:kobe

Troll fail.


----------



## VINT

Glass Shatters said:


> 6'9, 150 pounds.
> 
> :kobe
> 
> Troll fail.



That wasn't a troll. I'm looking to improve my body image and muscle mass. I look horrible tbh.


----------



## i$e

lol

my sig

probs the most repeated post on this forum


----------



## BruiserKC

Oxitron said:


> Thanks guys, I've been looking in to this for almost 2 years now and I've only just got the motivation and money to do it.
> Being a little under 5ft 9 and weighing upwards of 100kg (220lbs+) may not be ridiculously unfit but I've seen guys bigger than me jog on a treadmill for minutes longer; and bigger guys stay on a cross trainer for 3/4 an hour. I don't think it's the weight that's bothering me so much any more, but the fact I can't do anywhere near what people bigger than me can.
> 
> I got heaps of work to do :lol.
> 
> The one thing I never really got to understanding was if I wanted to be athletic but still strong, something around 90kg (185-190lbs~) would I do cardio and shred the fat first, then do weights, or do them at the same time? :$


Do both...alternate your workouts. I have been doing that for over 3 years now, and I have gained a very good amount of muscle. I'm about 5'9", 200 pounds...but I am down to 15% body fat. What happens is that you put the muscle on at first, then it will eventually burn off the fat. Doing one or the other really won't help...you want to combine them both. Every other day, I alternate between cardio and weights/strength. Then, on Sundays, I do whatever, sometimes I may work out or not.


----------



## i$e

BruiserKC said:


> What happens is that you put the muscle on at first, then it will eventually burn off the fat. Doing one or the other really won't help...you want to combine them both.


haha what the fuck are you talking about


----------



## Oxidamus

i$e said:


> lol
> 
> my sig
> 
> probs the most repeated post on this forum


Why do you keep doing it then? If I wanted a decent 'mega post' I'd go to /fit/ not to your post.


----------



## Rush

Oxitron said:


> Why do you keep doing it then? If I wanted a decent 'mega post' I'd go to /fit/ not to your post.


:jt2 

why don't you go there then instead of this thread?


----------



## Oxidamus

Rush said:


> :jt2
> 
> why don't you go there then instead of this thread?


Cause it's not a thread it's a wiki article.

Also too much information disinterests me and I usually stray from it if it's any more than two paragraphs honestly.


----------



## Rush

Didn't say it was, i called this a thread. Yeah, who needs information on why you're doing something? Just blindly follow, works for many broscientists


----------



## Oxidamus

Rush said:


> Didn't say it was, i called this a thread. Yeah, who needs information on why you're doing something? Just blindly follow, works for many broscientists


I just want a simple <two sentence answer.

My inability to give my whole attention to a 'mega post' shouldn't come in to i$e's need to post "LOOK AT MUH SIG" all the time though.


----------



## Rush

Yeah, and a simple 2 sentence answer from someone in here could be complete shite. If you have no idea of the concept behind why you're working out then you won't be able to filter out the obvious bullshit from the 'hmm, might give that a try and see if it works for me' answers.


----------



## Oxidamus

Rush said:


> Yeah, and a simple 2 sentence answer from someone in here could be complete shite. If you have no idea of the concept behind why you're working out then you won't be able to filter out the obvious bullshit from the 'hmm, might give that a try and see if it works for me' answers.


I don't really like i$e but considering the guy has a relatively large post on fitness (which I cba reading the entirety of to get a sentence for an answer) I trust him enough to not take the advice of someone he replied to in a condescending matter.


----------



## i$e

Oxitron said:


> I just want a simple <two sentence answer.
> 
> My inability to give my whole attention to a 'mega post' shouldn't come in to i$e's need to post "LOOK AT MUH SIG" all the time though.


You're going to get nowhere in life.


----------



## Glass Shatters

VINT said:


> That wasn't a troll. I'm looking to improve my body image and muscle mass. I look horrible tbh.


Okay, bro.

Dis you, VINT?






She probably weighs more than 150 lbs, though. 

:drake2


----------



## RKO920

Moes whole grain burritos are the best post workout meals.


----------



## Oxidamus

i$e said:


> You're going to get nowhere in life.


Weirdly I'm not the one obsessed with my own posts and get mad about it :lol


----------



## Rush

VINT, if you really are 6'9 and only 150 pounds then you don't need this thread. You need to fucking eat because you're anorexic.


----------



## BULLY

Hmmm. Looks like the trolls have taken over this thread.

Sad to see when there are people actually serious about getting in shape and others taking the time to help them.


----------



## Lady Eastwood

BULLY, it's clear from your pics that you don't even lift so stop coming to this thread.


----------



## BULLY

:meetmeinrants


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So I'm gonna go on a mass gaining cycle this Summer 8*D. just wanted to know which of the bad carbs I should avoid. Also, I can still drink redbulls & vodka right? 

I also do 100 situps a day.

:troll


----------



## Alim

For the regular lifters, do you guys like full body workouts or isolation? I'm doing isolation but I've heard good things about full body workouts too. Personally I don't think I'm going to completely change my routine because I've been making some pretty good gains but I was wondering what you guys do.


----------



## i$e

Oxitron said:


> Weirdly I'm not the one obsessed with my own posts and get mad about it :lol


Been informed you're a troll. You are dismissed.


----------



## Oxidamus

i$e said:


> Been informed you're a troll. You are dismissed.


I asked a question, you whined about posting "look at my signature give me attention", I responded negatively, I'm not a troll, I'm just telling you that you probably shouldn't bother continuously posting that if it makes you annoyed pal.


----------



## Rush

Oxitron said:


> I asked a question, you whined about posting "look at my signature give me attention", I responded negatively, I'm not a troll, I'm just telling you that you probably shouldn't bother continuously posting that if it makes you annoyed pal.


either read the post which answers a lot of questions or fuck off out of the thread. Its fairly simple. 



Alim said:


> For the regular lifters, do you guys like full body workouts or isolation? I'm doing isolation but I've heard good things about full body workouts too. Personally I don't think I'm going to completely change my routine because I've been making some pretty good gains but I was wondering what you guys do.


Depends on how often i can get to the gym really. If i'm busy with work or stuff and i'm only going to be in the gym once, maybe twice then i'll do more of a full body workout. Otherwise its generally back/biceps, chest/triceps, legs/core with some cardio thrown in there as well.


----------



## Oxidamus

Rush said:


> either read the post which answers a lot of questions or fuck off out of the thread. Its fairly simple.


:lol it's sad how you guys would rather argue over something so stupid than to actually assist someone, when the answer is ten times easier than arguing.


----------



## Rush

No, what's sad is that you said that you can't read anything longer than 2 paragraphs. Whats the point of answering any questions you have?


----------



## Oxidamus

Rush said:


> No, what's sad is that you said that you can't read anything longer than 2 paragraphs. Whats the point of answering any questions you have?


It is isn't it?
What's the point arguing? 
You guys aren't like... addicted to internet disagreements and arguments... are you?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Alim said:


> For the regular lifters, do you guys like full body workouts or isolation? I'm doing isolation but I've heard good things about full body workouts too. Personally I don't think I'm going to completely change my routine because I've been making some pretty good gains but I was wondering what you guys do


1 thing i like doing: fish day. It's almost an off day. When you go to the gym, you try all new things you've read/heard about. It's a good break, and you get to try new things to see if you like them. So do what you do, end of month, FISH day...and you'll find out if you even want to do full body work outs.

Other wise, door me it's like rush said; if you have enough tune to hit the gym 3, 4 + days a week, isolation is better. And of choose if you're looking to focus more on cardio, you might hit the gym less if you're running more; in that case fewer days would lead you to do full body workouts, out look in to trying circuits. 

You know loves circuits? Daniel Craig. You know who loves Daniel Craig?


----------



## i$e

Oxitron said:


> I asked a question, you whined about posting "look at my signature give me attention", I responded negatively, I'm not a troll, I'm just telling you that you probably shouldn't bother continuously posting that if it makes you annoyed pal.


lmao you're 'that guy' that all of us have had the misfortune to deal with at somepoint in our lives :lol


----------



## Oxidamus

i$e said:


> lmao you're 'that guy' that all of us have had the misfortune to deal with at somepoint in our lives :lol


I don't really know why you're so mad, you probably shouldn't give in and post for people to check your signature all the time if it gets you mad. Either way, we're shitting up the thread.


----------



## i$e

You're so weird :lol


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Anybody aware of CT Fletcher. He says he is natty. :lmao


----------



## Josh

Oxitron said:


> If I wanted a decent 'mega post' I'd go to /fit/ not to your post.


quoting for funniest post of the year


----------



## i$e

yeah lmao


----------



## Nicky Flash

Right now I'm 5'8 and ~173 pounds. I want to get down to 165. Is it better to devote all of my workouts to cardio or should I stick to my normal weight lifting workouts (5x a week) but consume less calories?

What's the best way to go about dropping those 8 or so pounds without losing muscle?


----------



## Zen

Thanks Oxitron for the laugh. Dam Glass Shatters got banned.

Did a full weight lifting workout in 2 weeks, haven't lost any strength at all. :kobe3


----------



## Alim

Skyfall said:


> 1 thing i like doing: fish day. It's almost an off day. When you go to the gym, you try all new things you've read/heard about. It's a good break, and you get to try new things to see if you like them. So do what you do, end of month, FISH day...and you'll find out if you even want to do full body work outs.
> 
> Other wise, door me it's like rush said; if you have enough tune to hit the gym 3, 4 + days a week, isolation is better. And of choose if you're looking to focus more on cardio, you might hit the gym less if you're running more; in that case fewer days would lead you to do full body workouts, out look in to trying circuits.
> 
> You know loves circuits? Daniel Craig. You know who loves Daniel Craig?


This is interesting. I'll give it a try at the end of the month. 



Skill said:


> Right now I'm 5'8 and ~173 pounds. I want to get down to 165. Is it better to devote all of my workouts to cardio or should I stick to my normal weight lifting workouts (5x a week) but consume less calories?
> 
> What's the best way to go about dropping those 8 or so pounds without losing muscle?


If you don't want to lose muscle while you cut, keep lifting. Just consume less calories while still making sure you get the proper amount of protein, carbs, etc.


----------



## Zen

No one will lost 0% muscle during a cut, provided steroid free. Just minimize the amount of muscle loss with thte advice given.


----------



## Nicky Flash

Posterizer said:


> No one will lost 0% muscle during a cut, provided steroid free. Just minimize the amount of muscle loss with thte advice given.


So you're saying I should take steroids? :side:


----------



## Rush

No, what he's saying is that you're going to lose some muscle mass on a cut. Depending on how quick the cut will depend on how much you lose. No one goes on a cut and keeps the same amount of muscle mass. What you do get from a cut (done properly) is a lower BF%, and a proportionally higher amount of muscle mass.


----------



## Oxidamus

:stern


----------



## Zen

Skill said:


> So you're saying I should take steroids? :side:


Lol no what I meant was what Rush said lol.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

217 lbs. hehehehehehe. 

Tiem to cut.


----------



## El Conquistador

hehehe ty men


----------



## RKO920

Went from 180 LB's to 173 LB's so far on my cut. Stomach has flattened out. Diet paying off. Anyone have good core workouts beside Russian twists, and etc?


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Ghetto Anthony said:


> 217 lbs. hehehehehehe.
> 
> Tiem to cut.


That's what I said I'm 218 right now.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

JoseBxNYC said:


> That's what I said I'm 218 right now.


r u a 6'4" built like a machine genetic freak ***** tho?


----------



## APEX

Excuse me if this makes no sense, as I'm struggling to type what I mean 

I've been working on toning for the last few months. Everything is going well, abs are starting to show etc.

How do you get more depth to your stomach? (If that makes sense)

So if you turn to the side, your wider in that respect? So your abs stick out more.

Sorry if this makes no sense whatsoever.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

i$e, what are your thoughts on drinking alcohol while in a deficit for losing weight?


----------



## Callisto

Fortitude said:


> Excuse me if this makes no sense, as I'm struggling to type what I mean
> 
> I've been working on toning for the last few months. Everything is going well, abs are starting to show etc.
> 
> How do you get more depth to your stomach? (If that makes sense)
> 
> So if you turn to the side, your wider in that respect? So your abs stick out more.
> 
> Sorry if this makes no sense whatsoever.


Change up your diet.


----------



## i$e

Skyfall said:


> i$e, what are your thoughts on drinking alcohol while in a deficit for losing weight?


same as anything really, its all just calories. if you can fit it in then its fine, i used to have a few beers on a cut and it worked out


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Ghetto Anthony said:


> r u a 6'4" built like a machine genetic freak ***** tho?


I'm 5'10 Lol


----------



## Boulle

Bought myself a exercise hula hoop. Gives you a flat stomach apparently, so far my backs broke from picking it up off the floor. 3 spins record so far. Waste of money.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Boulle said:


> Bought myself a exercise hula hoop. Gives you a flat stomach apparently, so far my backs broke from picking it up off the floor. 3 spins record so far. Waste of money.


:lmao please post pictures!


----------



## Boulle

Skyfall said:


> :lmao please post pictures!



:sad: can't cope with my lack of hula.


----------



## Zen

What has this thread turned into now


----------



## dizzylizzy87

Boulle said:


> Bought myself a exercise hula hoop. Gives you a flat stomach apparently, so far my backs broke from picking it up off the floor. 3 spins record so far. Waste of money.


this made me literally LOL


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Boulle said:


> Bought myself a exercise hula hoop. Gives you a flat stomach apparently, so far my backs broke from picking it up off the floor. 3 spins record so far. Waste of money.


:lmao


----------



## Glass Shatters

Can't wait until Monday, April the 8th. Going to officially start my bulking period. I'm sitting at 172 right now, and think I'm pretty leveled off to where I've lost all I'm going to lose. I've been torching about 30 miles/week, have decent vascular disposition going on in my calves and thighs, and I just feel so much lighter. The goal is to be between 188-190 by August 1, and cut down to a lean 182-184 via minimal cardio, but heavy weights and proper diet by December 1.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*What are some good exercises for bulking?*


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *What are some good exercises for bulking?*


wot


----------



## Glass Shatters

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *What are some good exercises for bulking?*


64 ounce curls from a half gallon jug of milk and whatever the amount of food on your fork weighs. It's all about the nutrition during that period, and honestly I don't change up my routine that much because I include the big three in my program as it is.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*So bulking is mainly dieting? You're going to have to forgive my ignorance.

*


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

i recommend doing SS and GOMAD if ur gonna bulk


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *So bulking is mainly dieting? You're going to have to forgive me ignorance.
> 
> *


I'd say yes. Like Jay cutler (I think 3 time Mr. Olympia said...) "it's 90% diet, 10% lifting". And that's true. Lifting is like a catalyst, it only quickens your growth (unless you're eating a surplus and sleeping or doing nothing 24/7). 

You have to, have to, have to, have to have an exceeding limit in calories. IF you burn 2000, you need to eat at least 2400 if not more. It's ok to overestimate while bulking; as long as you realize you'll be gaining some fat during bulking. 

Technically, you can bulk "clean" without gaining fat in a perfect optimal condition; not going to happen. Expect some fat and some muscle. If you're brand new, eat a whole lot and get huge!:mark:


----------



## Glass Shatters

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *So bulking is mainly dieting? You're going to have to forgive me ignorance.
> 
> *


Pretty much eating at a caloric surplus. And let me be clear, try to keep it as clean as possible to avoid a Dreamer Bulk. :mancini2



Ghetto Anthony said:


> i recommend doing SS and GOMAD if ur gonna bulk


Starting strength is good if you don't already include the basic compounds in your workout, and GOMAD is good too if your stomach can handle it. I stick to a half gallon of whole milk and gladly take the 1200 calories and 64 grams of protein in. If you do GOMAD though, ease yourself into it. Don't just starting drinking all of that milk or...else.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I read i$E's bulking guide and I need to eat over 2560 calories a day to properly bulk. If I run track for an hour a day, how many calories would I have to eat in order to properly bulk? *


----------



## fastfrosty

I'm probably just another member of the 95% who hit the gym sporadically about 20x per year. But haven't really thought as much about it as i have now. 

Does anybody have links to information on dieting and following the right trend not to become Arnold ... but just to develop a good circulatory system? I'm currently 191cm/86kg (19yo), looking to gain 8-10kg over the next year to avoid looking like a lanky dude. 

Any info would be helpful


----------



## Serbinator

Whilst round my uncle's house for Easter dinner, he found an old Bullworker X5. Has anybody had any experience with equipment like this before? Obviously, it won't produce great results but if combined with lifting, dieting and cardio, it might just help a little.


----------



## Zen

Skyfall said:


> I'd say yes. Like Jay cutler (I think 3 time Mr. Olympia said...) "it's 90% diet, 10% lifting". And that's true. Lifting is like a catalyst, it only quickens your growth (unless you're eating a surplus and sleeping or doing nothing 24/7).
> 
> You have to, have to, have to, have to have an exceeding limit in calories. IF you burn 2000, you need to eat at least 2400 if not more. It's ok to overestimate while bulking; as long as you realize you'll be gaining some fat during bulking.
> 
> Technically, you can bulk "clean" without gaining fat in a perfect optimal condition; not going to happen. Expect some fat and some muscle. If you're brand new, eat a whole lot and get huge!:mark:


You mean 2400 calories above maintenance level right?


----------



## Glass Shatters

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *I read i$E's bulking guide and I need to eat over 2560 calories a day to properly bulk. If I run track for an hour a day, how many calories would I have to eat in order to properly bulk? *


Science says the average person burns around 2,000 calories a day by simply existing. Of course, we are not all average. This is where the "Recommended 2,000 calorie diet" stuff you see on nutrition labels comes from. Let's say you run track for an hour, and burn another 500-750 calories. In order for you to sustain your current weight, you would have to eat 2,500-2,750 calories. That's just a general figure.

Find out what your daily caloric maintenance would be and estimate the amount of calories you burned from track and weightlifting through research, add them together, and then add around 500 calories above that if you're just starting out. Once you experiment and see how your body is reacting to all of the excess nutrients, then you can gradually add more.



fastfrosty said:


> I'm probably just another member of the 95% who hit the gym sporadically about 20x per year. But haven't really thought as much about it as i have now.
> 
> Does anybody have links to information on dieting and following the right trend not to become Arnold ... but just to develop a good circulatory system? I'm currently 191cm/86kg (19yo), looking to gain 8-10kg over the next year to avoid looking like a lanky dude.
> 
> Any info would be helpful


Working out in general is good for your circulatory system.



Serbinator said:


> Whilst round my uncle's house for Easter dinner, he found an old Bullworker X5. Has anybody had any experience with equipment like this before? Obviously, it won't produce great results but if combined with lifting, dieting and cardio, it might just help a little.


It's a nice resistance workout. My grandpa had one that I used when I was little. Now, I have an Ivanko Super Gripper that I use AFTER some forearm curls to end my arm workouts and it's killer. If you're into all of that P90X/muscle confusion stuff I don't think it would hurt you by adding a different exercise routine to your regime after you do what you normally do for an extra burn. 



Posterizer said:


> You mean 2400 calories above maintenance level right?


Dreamer bulk engaged.


----------



## kingfunkel

Is anyone a professional bike rider of kinds? I'm doing a monster weekend in the summer, doing a 370mile cycle to the top of scotland and camping up there for 2days and then cycling back down. So it's 740 miles in 4 days. Just for the adventure.

So I'm gonna eat healthy, start spinning and cycling around 20-30miles for every 2days till like May, gradually increase the distance till around August and then going to places for days out till September when we do the weekend cycle.

Would that work or am I heading down the wrong road with the planning?


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Made it to 405 on Squat today for two reps. New personal record.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I somehow squatted 500 lbs once. Never before and never again. Eat your heart out WWE.*


----------



## Hennessey

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *I somehow squatted 500 lbs. Never before and never again. Eat your heart out WWE.*


Did you shit yourself a little?


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*No, but I almost sprained my back.*


----------



## Hennessey

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *No, but I almost sprained my back.*


Congrats, you should be proud. That is a hell of a lot of weight to do. And to think that I was going to call you a bitch a few minutes ago because of the color of your text.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *I somehow squatted 500 lbs once. Never before and never again. Eat your heart out WWE.*


***** it doesnt count if u bend your knees and dip 3 inches then come back up.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Aye bruh, I went all the way down. You can't tell me nuthin. Understand that. Ya dig?*




*I'm really bad at this.*


----------



## Rush

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *I somehow squatted 500 lbs once. Never before and never again. Eat your heart out WWE.*


squat or leg press? unk2


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Leg press.*


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Aye bruh, I went all the way down. You can't tell me nuthin. Understand that. Ya dig?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I'm really bad at this.*


*I think you may have to disregard this, as I get the exercises confused. It wasn't a squat. It was a leg press.*



Sparta101 said:


> Congrats, you should be proud. That is a hell of a lot of weight to do. And to think that I was going to call you a bitch a few minutes ago because of the color of your text.


*Got to learn how to coordinate man.
*


----------



## Rush

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Leg press.*


well yeah, thats a big difference from a 500 lb squat. I can leg press a fuckload more than i can squat.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Leg press.*


:lmao dude, leg press? I have 7 seven plates (630 over all, not including the press) on each side for reps; it's completely different. some people do calf exercises on a leg press machine with 500 lbs. Don't want to say your weak, but you definitely don't want mix the two things (squat or leg press) up like that.

I did thrusters once with 195 lbs. I'm 185 lbs. That's a lot of weight to thrust (lol); I remember spitting out a huge lugey when I came up and it hit the mirror in front of me.


----------



## TheeJayBee

Who here does the leg press with one leg? Feels much better than doing it with two, in my opinion.


----------



## iMMORTALTNA

some of you may remember my last post here in this thread. basically about 6 month ago i decided i had enough and started a new diet and started to workout regularly. well it has been 6 month and i have lost 84 pounds since . i just wanted to thank everybody in this thread for their tips , i don't post regularly here but i visit it often and it really helps . thanks guys.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

Rush said:


> well yeah, thats a big difference from a 500 lb squat. I can leg press a fuckload more than i can squat.


*Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how I mixed the 2 up.*


Skyfall said:


> :lmao dude, leg press? I have 7 seven plates (630 over all, not including the press) on each side for reps; it's completely different. some people do calf exercises on a leg press machine with 500 lbs. Don't want to say your weak, but you definitely don't want mix the two things (squat or leg press) up like that.
> 
> I did thrusters once with 195 lbs. I'm 185 lbs. That's a lot of weight to thrust (lol); I remember spitting out a huge lugey when I came up and it hit the mirror in front of me.


*I feel really dumb for making that mistake. 500 pounds is still pretty impressive to me.*


----------



## TheeJayBee

iMMORTALTNA said:


> some of you may remember my last post here in this thread. basically about 6 month ago i decided i had enough and started a new diet and started to workout regularly. well it has been 6 month and i have lost 84 pounds since . i just wanted to thank everybody in this thread for their tips , i don't post regularly here but i visit it often and it really helps . thanks guys.


This lad deserves his props, people. Whether you're just coming off a bulking phase and looking to cut, or you're morbidly obese and want to change your lifestyle, and anything in between, we can all understand that this is hard work.

The fact you've lost that much weight in half a year is crazy. Congratulations, mate, and I wish you all the best if you are looking to lose more! (Y)


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Congrats! 


What do you guys put in your oatmeal?*


----------



## El Conquistador

water


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Anything else?*


----------



## Zen

I have mine with milk, but water is fine.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*You guys eat it plain? I'm probably going to start taking mine with milk.*


----------



## Glass Shatters

Whole milk and about half a scoop of plain vanilla protein powder.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Where'd you buy the powder?*


----------



## Glass Shatters

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Where'd you buy the powder?*


I order all of my supplements off of bodybuilding.com.


----------



## Mithro

Truenutrition.com is one of the best places for protein powder. It's great quality stuff and at a pretty damn good price.


----------



## Serbinator

Hi guys, I'm looking to cut down my body fat so my abs are visible. I'm 15 years old, 170cm and 147 pounds (5ft 7 and 10st 7) but I still have a bit of fat around the stomach. I've read that the best thing to do is to keep lifting weights, do a little bit of cardio but the most important thing is diet. 

Is there anything that you guys could recommend to help me cut the fat quicker? Thanks in advance. And by the way, I can post a picture later if it helps.

Edit: Pictures below. I didn't know how to do the spoiler tags (appreciate any help with them), so I posted the links instead. I'm not sure how big or clear the images are, so apologies in advance.

http://oi48.tinypic.com/34dsrbm.jpg
http://oi48.tinypic.com/2ii79s6.jpg


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Do some math to find out how many calories you have to east to maintain your weight. Then eat 20% our 500 calories less than that.

Keep lifting, do some cardio if you want. It's all about less calories than you burn.

Enjoy your abs


----------



## Serbinator

Skyfall said:


> Do some math to find out how many calories you have to east to maintain your weight. Then eat 20% our 500 calories less than that.
> 
> Keep lifting, do some cardio if you want. It's all about less calories than you burn.
> 
> Enjoy your abs


Cheers, my maintenance would be around 2200-2300 calories. So I just have to eat 500ish calories below that, by cutting out the fatty foods and making my portion sizes slightly smaller. As I'm on half term and getting up at around 11am, I've been getting up and then lifting/cardio then I'd get lunch at around 1 after having a shower and getting changed. Would this help me by skipping breakfast or is it more harmful?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Serbinator said:


> Cheers, my maintenance would be around 2200-2300 calories. So I just have to eat 500ish calories below that, by cutting out the fatty foods and making my portion sizes slightly smaller. As I'm on half term and getting up at around 11am, I've been getting up and then lifting/cardio then I'd get lunch at around 1 after having a shower and getting changed. Would this help me by skipping breakfast or is it more harmful?


It doesn't matter skipping time frames to eat in unless your diet is designed like that. Intermittent Fasting (Which I have done and loved) is eating only a certain amount of hours per day. Like from 1 pm to 9 pm you eat all your food [just an example]. 

If you think you'd like something like that (I think you can find a million examples if you google Intermittent fasting IF), give a shout for a week or 2 to see if you're liking it (eating less than your maintenance is what's going to drop weight) and continue. Otherwise, you can eat whenever you want. make a 4 meal diet, 6 meal, 1 meal, whatever.

I personally lay out what I when though. For example, I won't eat all my fruit before bed time because that's wasting the natural boost you'd get from it. same, I wouldn't just eat cheese and crackers after a workout because that's when your body is primed for recovery. 

enjoy your abs


----------



## Serbinator

Skyfall said:


> It doesn't matter skipping time frames to eat in unless your diet is designed like that. Intermittent Fasting (Which I have done and loved) is eating only a certain amount of hours per day. Like from 1 pm to 9 pm you eat all your food [just an example].
> 
> If you think you'd like something like that (I think you can find a million examples if you google Intermittent fasting IF), give a shout for a week or 2 to see if you're liking it (eating less than your maintenance is what's going to drop weight) and continue. Otherwise, you can eat whenever you want. make a 4 meal diet, 6 meal, 1 meal, whatever.
> 
> I personally lay out what I when though. For example, I won't eat all my fruit before bed time because that's wasting the natural boost you'd get from it. same, I wouldn't just eat cheese and crackers after a workout because that's when your body is primed for recovery.
> 
> enjoy your abs


Thanks for your help. I'll post later on in this thread when I progress a bit.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I love trying to calculate my caloric maintenance

23 years old
male
189 lbs (85.9 kg)
5'10" (177.8 cm)

I get (to maintain my weight) from 3 random websites
2769 calories
1980 calories
2546 calories

then from bodybuilding.com formula 1976.07. so, that's all nice to know.


----------



## Zen

Use my fitness pal?


----------



## Rush

First day doing any form of cardio in ages and man did it ever suck. Had a bit of time at the end of my workout as i was only doing a light routine. Did 3km on the bike then 1km rowing and felt like spewing. Ridiculous how much my cardio has dropped off recently :lol



Skyfall said:


> I love trying to calculate my caloric maintenance
> 
> 23 years old
> male
> 189 lbs (85.9 kg)
> 5'10" (177.8 cm)
> 
> I get (to maintain my weight) from 3 random websites
> 2769 calories
> 1980 calories
> 2546 calories
> 
> then from bodybuilding.com formula 1976.07. so, that's all nice to know.


Depends on how often you're exercising. Shoot for around 2600 for maintenance and try and error from there.


----------



## Ziggler Mark

So, I started eating healthier at the beginning of this week. I need to cut a bunch of weight for myself (as well as my brother's wedding that I'm best man for in September)

I also wound up downloading the DDP Yoga videos, and did the first one tonight (it came with a schedule). I heard alot of good things about the program, and I'm giving it a shot. I'll post progress if and when I start to see it.


----------



## Zen

Fuck lacking motivation recently, what you guys do when this happens?


----------



## ColtofPersonality

Anybody got any suggestions for a workout playlist?


----------



## Rush

ColtofPersonality said:


> Anybody got any suggestions for a workout playlist?


Depends on what music you like really. I tend to go with either house/dubstep music or rap. 

this one gets a lot of play when i'm in the gym






in terms of rap then stuff like 





 or


----------



## JoseBxNYC

ColtofPersonality said:


> Anybody got any suggestions for a workout playlist?


I always use a mix of rock/metal, dubstep and some rap. Soft shit like Coldplay for cardio


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Started working arms everyday and they getting stretch marks 0_0. Gains probably stop after month though.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

is there a way you can post an excel file; if not on WF somewhere online I can link to?

I made a simple spread sheet for calculating macro and caloric needs.


----------



## Striker

Skyfall said:


> is there a way you can post an excel file; if not on WF somewhere online I can link to?
> 
> I made a simple spread sheet for calculating macro and caloric needs.


You could copy and paste it to a Google Docs spreadsheet.


----------



## D17

JoseBxNYC said:


> Started working arms everyday and they getting stretch marks 0_0. Gains probably stop after month though.


Assuming you are blitzing them, I recommend giving them a 5-6 day break before the next workout, then keep that up. Only just advice...you can


----------



## APEX

Has anyone tried the insanity workout? Im starting it tomorrow.


----------



## Jeff Hardy Hater

Posterizer said:


> Fuck lacking motivation recently, what you guys do when this happens?


It never really happens to me but I'd just listen to music and pick a time

do you have a gym or do you work out at home?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1x7ckMviU9cbzJKTnQxajNBLTg/edit?usp=sharing

ok, hope this works. You just have to download the .xlsx

and enter your weight, height, age. (all in US [lbs, inches]


----------



## Zen

Jeff Hardy Hater said:


> It never really happens to me but I'd just listen to music and pick a time
> 
> do you have a gym or do you work out at home?


Go to a gym


----------



## Glass Shatters

Going to make some paddles out of some stacked 2x4's and start doing these before I take my casein shake and shower at night on chest days for one last pump.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Is that even healthy?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Oh Boy! I sure do love eating most of my casein shake! :troll


----------



## i$e

haha jeez


----------



## Glass Shatters

JoseBxNYC said:


> Is that even healthy?


Not sure if serious.



Skyfall said:


> Oh Boy! I sure do love eating most of my casein shake! :troll


I honestly don't think you even understand half the shit you write.



i$e said:


> haha jeez


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

It won't break down, no matter how much I shake it lol). I might just get a shit blender; those particles are nasty.

the protein shake I mean. I just got some newer casein I wanted to try and it's shit so far.


----------



## Ziggler Mark

So I guess it's check-in time for me. I just finished my second full week of DDP Yoga. I've gotta say, I didnt think Yoga would be what got me back into being healthy and working out again, but sure as shit, I wake up every day and look forward to my workout after work. 

I've dropped 7 pounds since I've started. It's the first time in a really long time that I'm taking a workout/fitness/diet plan 10000% serious. Once I start to have some visible results, pics will be posted.



Skyfall said:


> It won't break down, no matter how much I shake it lol). I might just get a shit blender; those particles are nasty.
> 
> the protein shake I mean. I just got some newer casein I wanted to try and it's shit so far.


http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-QB900B-...&qid=1366511851&sr=1-2&keywords=ninja+blender


----------



## Jeff Hardy Hater

Is it okay for me to start bulking now? 

Age 16
140 lbs
5 foot 5 inches
10-12% BF (haven't checked) 
Usually have around 1800 calories/day

Am I too young or small to start bulking? I'm not super toned but I have a 4-pack and my arms are toned. I go to the gym pretty much every day now that a new one opened finallyup nearby and I have a membership. And how many calories should I have while bulking?


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

http://liamrosen.com/fitness.html


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jeff Hardy Hater said:


> Age 16


unless obese, Bulk like a mofo. at 16 you'll soak it up like a sponge.

Oh Hi Ziggler Mark. glad to hear about the weight lose, congrats.


----------



## ratedR3:16

Jeff Hardy Hater said:


> Is it okay for me to start bulking now?
> 
> Age 16
> 140 lbs
> 5 foot 5 inches
> 10-12% BF (haven't checked)
> Usually have around 1800 calories/day
> 
> Am I too young or small to start bulking? I'm not super toned but I have a 4-pack and my arms are toned. I go to the gym pretty much every day now that a new one opened finallyup nearby and I have a membership. And how many calories should I have while bulking?


no wait a bit you will want to get a bit taller first, training at a young age can stop you gettting tall if you do poor technique, and by the sounds of it you have no experience with weights. just do core exercises and press ups maybe some therma bands thats about it though


----------



## Ziggler Mark

Skyfall said:


> Oh Hi Ziggler Mark. glad to hear about the weight lose, congrats.


:ddp BANG!


Thanks, it's been kicking my ass. But when I see results I dont mind at all.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

you're not too young; but he's right about lifting correctly, definitely. I don't see how height would matter, lifting correctly won't make him shrink.

I personally think you should use weights, but yes, correctly. You could always get a personal trainer for 1 month to get a feel for the gym.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Currently %13-14 bodyfat right now and feeling pretty good but having doubts whether I should go down to 10%. I really don't want to spend my summer irritated with a diet.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

I want to stay in shape but I'm such a lazy piece of shit. What can I do?


----------



## xD7oom

I started a fitness program 3 months ago, and i lost 27 pounds, also i have cheat day everyweek.
But now i don't know why i can't lose more weight, it's the same weight everyweek!, any help?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

JoseBxNYC said:


> Currently %13-14 bodyfat right now and feeling pretty good but having doubts whether I should go down to 10%. I really don't want to spend my summer irritated with a diet.


just stay, unless it bothers you. if it does, then go down. It's summer. Afterwards bulk up if you want. Summer is the perfect time for running which doesn't exactly compliment bulking.


Patrick Bateman said:


> I want to stay in shape but I'm such a lazy piece of shit. What can I do?


stop being lazy, read i$e cut or bulk guide. Lift 3 - 4 times a week, add a little bit of cardio if you can, eat veggies, eat carbs, eat meat. get a calender and mark each day a success or failure, that helps. get a workout buddy or just someone to talk to about it. even if it's only on here, reporting your work helps.


xD7oom said:


> I started a fitness program 3 months ago, and i lost 27 pounds, also i have cheat day everyweek.
> But now i don't know why i can't lose more weight, it's the same weight everyweek!, any help?


first, congratulations. That's over 2 lbs a week, that's incredible. Don't do a cheat day, do cheat meals. you would need to give us specifics if you really want help. you might need to lower your calories; I'd suggest upping cardio becuase lowering calories sucks.

when in doubt, i$e it out. vegetables are key as well.


----------



## sharkboy22

So I've been lifting for 6, 7 months now and I've made absolutely NO gains. Why? Well, trying to put on muscle and now gain weight at the same time fpalm. Now I've been lifting on and off for about 2 years but I got really serious about it within the last 6 months. No matter how much I read online and even got advice from other lifters (and even family members who are buff mofos), I still thought that I could have built muscle by eating like a 12 year old girl. Why? 

Well I was overweight as a child, I'm talking about between ages 8-10. But puberty hit around 11, 12 and whatever it was I started to lose weight. The I got serious about losing the extra pounds when I was about 15 and started doing cardio, sports and eating less. Got really skinny. 

However, I didn't just get skinny. I got skinny fat. So bulking was always a fear for me. 1) I used to be fat 2) Technically, I am fat despite my skinny frame. But I finally said "Fuck it!" and for the past 4 days I've been eating like a beast. Also I've increased my workout days from 3 (every other day) to 5 days a week. I also plan on buying a weight gainer pretty soon (won't have time to eat as much once the new semester starts next week) 

There is, however, one problem I have with bulking. I don't have appetite at all and it's almost as if I'm forcing to myself to eat. I am slowly increasing my calories but even that seems like a challenge to me. Normally, I'd wake up in the morning feeling pretty full and won't eat until about 3 hours after. Now, I have to force myself to eating in the morning. Overall, I'm forcing not just to eat throughout the day but the increased size of my plate as well. What should I do?


----------



## i$e

Skyfall said:


> when in doubt, i$e it out.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

xD7oom said:


> I started a fitness program 3 months ago, and i lost 27 pounds, also i have cheat day everyweek.
> But now i don't know why i can't lose more weight, it's the same weight everyweek!, any help?


How much do you eat on this cheat day?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

sharkboy22 said:


> There is, however, one problem I have with bulking. I don't have appetite at all and it's almost as if I'm forcing to myself to eat. I am slowly increasing my calories but even that seems like a challenge to me. Normally, I'd wake up in the morning feeling pretty full and won't eat until about 3 hours after. Now, I have to force myself to eating in the morning. Overall, I'm forcing not just to eat throughout the day but the increased size of my plate as well. What should I do?


First off, Boo-Fucking-Hoo. 

so, advice on how to eat more? Eat more tiny meals throughout the day maybe? I've never had a problem with eating too much. If you can hit your macros and then throw in some cheat food to encourage you to eat it more, that could help. Try smoking a blunt, you'll probably have no problem eating then.

Your appetite should be pretty high if you're really lifting; try doing some tiny bits of cardio too. Not so much it counters the increase in appetite by burning it off, but enough to increase your appetite and that's it.


----------



## F1MAN8

An effective way to lose 14 lbs?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

F1MAN8 said:


> An effective way to lose 14 lbs?


shave your entire body, trim your nails, take a crap. you'll be about lighter in minutes. 

or take a look at i$e cut guide. Eating vegetables are key; this is so important, it helps so ridiculously much.


----------



## JackieLackey

I dropped from 260 to 150 lbs. 4 summers ago when I was sick and haven't been able to put on much weight since. I want to bulk up so I don't look and feel so flimsy and flabby but I don't want to do any exercises yet until I can find ones that won't damage the mesh implant I had put in my upper abdomen last year during surgery. Need some muscle to fill in my skin.


----------



## Punked Up

Always been in decent shape, never jacked or anything, but one thing I've never understood about serious lifters is:

What's the point of losing 30+ pounds in a 'cut' just to gain it back in a 'bulk'...why not just get to a weight/physique you like and maintain it?


----------



## Rush

The idea being in a bulk you're adding muscle. Which in order to do means more calories and you're going to gain some fat. Then you cut, thereby getting rid of a lot of the fat you gained via bulking while also retaining as much muscle as you can. Rinse and repeat. So ideally you're adding muscle over time.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Punked Up said:


> Always been in decent shape, never jacked or anything, but one thing I've never understood about serious lifters is:
> 
> What's the point of losing 30+ pounds in a 'cut' just to gain it back in a 'bulk'...why not just get to a weight/physique you like and maintain it?


the 30 pounds you cut isn't just muscle, it's fat and muscle (hopefully more fat than muscle). You drop as much fat as you can, then bulk to build up muscle, and hopefully not too much fat. So, with the correct balance, you're constantly making gains while bulking. 

plus, a bodybuilder probably would never be cutting 30 pounds; if they can than that means their way overweight. a 200 lb body builder doesn't cut 30 lbs, then bulk back up 30 lbs again and a again.


----------



## WWE_Legend

Any advice for me guys? I've put on pretty much 60+% fat and 40-% muscle on a bulk, yes on a bulk. Needless to say my bulk failed miserably. I didn't even put on that much weight, either, I went from 133-143 in 6 long months, also needless to say I failed miserably. Went from 16.5% body fat to 19.5% body fat . Should I cut down to at least 14% or something and then bulk again, properly, though? Would a 3 day split be good?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

WWE_Legend said:


> Any advice for me guys? I've put on pretty much 60+% fat and 40-% muscle on a bulk, yes on a bulk. Needless to say my bulk failed miserably. I didn't even put on that much weight, either, I went from 133-143 in 6 long months, also needless to say I failed miserably. Went from 16.5% body fat to 19.5% body fat . Should I cut down to at least 14% or something and then bulk again, properly, though? Would a 3 day split be good?


3 day split is fine, but it really is up to you. I lift sometimes 6 days straight (but I have my workouts made so I can do that and not be crap), other times I'll lift every other day or even take 2-3 days off in between. 

a 3% gain in BF isn't bad if it was over 6 months; I'd say that's pretty damn fine imo. I don't understand what this "60+% fat and 40-% muscle" meant, but bulking isn't easy, even if it sounds like fun. If you're fine with what you look like now, keep bulking. But if you feel like a fat cow, then cut. 19.5% BF is a bit, but not in everyone's opinion, not mine. Summer is already here, might as well try bulking correctly for another 6; think about it.


----------



## WWE_Legend

Skyfall said:


> 3 day split is fine, but it really is up to you.  I lift sometimes 6 days straight (but I have my workouts made so I can do that and not be crap), other times I'll lift every other day or even take 2-3 days off in between.
> 
> a 3% gain in BF isn't bad if it was over 6 months; I'd say that's pretty damn fine imo. I don't understand what this "60+% fat and 40-% muscle" meant, but bulking isn't easy, even if it sounds like fun. If you're fine with what you look like now, keep bulking. But if you feel like a fat cow, then cut. 19.5% BF is a bit, but not in everyone's opinion, not mine. Summer is already here, might as well try bulking correctly for another 6; think about it.


Thanks for the response. 

I only put on 10 pounds in 6 months of which 6 pounds was fat and 4 pounds was muscle; 60% fat and 40% muscle gained on a bulk which is poor, plus the fact it was only 10 pounds. I really dislike my body so I was thinking of cutting but in about 10+ months of progress, I'd pretty much be the same as what I started with a pound more muscle.


----------



## Glass Shatters

First and foremost, you need to map out what your caloric/protein/fat/carbohydrate goals are if you want to bulk the right way. Research different types of diets and find something that you know would work for you. *It is a marathon, not a sprint.* Very few people can get by on eating whatever they want, however much they want and coast in the gym to achieve awesome results. From the sound of it, you went on something called a "Dreamer Bulk" or a flat out dirty bulk where you ate straight shit the majority of the time and didn't train right to boot. I would definitely start a proper cut to lose the fat, research proper bulking procedures, find out what your nutritional goals are, and then start over. Bulk clean next time and cutting will be a breeze. 

A 3 day lifting split is fine if those 3 days are legitimate balls to the wall, drenched in sweat type of training. Fitness is just like everything else in life - you get what you work for.


----------



## Mithro

Rush said:


> The idea being in a bulk you're adding muscle. Which in order to do means more calories and you're going to gain some fat. Then you cut, thereby getting rid of a lot of the fat you gained via bulking while also retaining as much muscle as you can. Rinse and repeat. So ideally you're adding muscle over time.


Bulking and cutting like that really isn't necessary, if done right you can gain muscle without having to put on all that fat:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/

Scooby knows what he's talking about, you should read his article


----------



## Glass Shatters

Scooby lost all credibility after he decided to call out Jeff Seid, who looks 200% better than him, for no reason whatsoever. I don't care how condescending Seid is or how he tries too hard to be like Zyzz, Scooby is like 50 years old and jealous of a 19 year old dude. :lol


----------



## Mithro

Jeff Seid is a personalityless boob, I tried watching one of his videos, it was fucking torture. Him attacking Jeff Seid was funny.

Scooby has more personality, knowledge and credibility in his pinky finger than Jeff has in his whole body.

People like Scooby and still like Zyzz because they have have/had a personality, or a funny gimmick, while Jeff has neither. No amount of muscle is gonna make Jeff interesting.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Like I said, I don't give a shit how condescending he is. 



Spoiler: LOL K


----------



## Mithro

Jeff Seid may be more aesthetic, but I think Scooby's plethora of knowledge is worth more. 

Let's just agree to disagree at this point, as I respect most of your opinions, even when they differ from mine.


----------



## WWE_Legend

So it looks like I should cut. Hopefully my experience of failing helps me in the future as I know how horrible it is to feel the way I do. 

I know there are several factors but what bf% would be good to get down to before bulking? I was thinking at least 14%?

Lastly, should I do the same exercises (squat, deadlift, bench press, etc) but just higher the reps and lower the weight when cutting or keep it the same (but obviously don't increase it over time)? I was doing 12 reps before.


----------



## i$e

no, lower reps when cutting


----------



## WWE_Legend

So 15/16? Or more?


----------



## i$e

lol what

lower means less


----------



## WWE_Legend

:lmao I'm an idiot.

Why less, though? Do you mean less with the same weight or less with more weight?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

less reps, more weight. I did a 5x5 for a bit, 5 sets of 5 reps. I don't know the science wording, but it engages more muscle that way, burning more calories in the long run because you get more muscle. something like that.


----------



## WWE_Legend

Alright. Confused a little, I thought doing lower reps was best when trying to build muscle whether mass or strength. My calories will be on a deficit so the muscles won't be able to build? Oh well, I'll do it. 

Thanks.

Btw, I am going on holiday next week and there's no gym, should I just do like push ups, (pull ups if I can find somewhere), sit ups, planks, shoulder taps, etc or just leave it and wait till I come back?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

depending on how long your break is, don't bother. If it's like just a week, you can afford to take of; but there's no reason you have to, some people just find it easier rather than having to think about working out. do your pushups and stuff, etc. but don't feel guilty if you don't.

lower reps is better for building muscle. Even on a cut you won't just stop building muscle, it just halts it more. But, the idea is your engaging the muscles you do have better by doing lower reps; thus burning more calories. Harder work causes more testosterone release, a big reason they tell people to squat and deadlift; those are huge muscle groups. 

I personally, imo, I think, if it were me, I would rather do more reps while cutting. But I like the idea of endurance training while cutting. you don't _HAVE_ to do lower reps, but I can see why i$e would recommend it.


----------



## Glass Shatters

WWE_Legend said:


> Alright. Confused a little, I thought doing lower reps was best when trying to build muscle whether mass or strength.


Look up "Starting Strength Program". That will give you an idea of where to start. 



> My calories will be on a deficit so the muscles won't be able to build?


Bullshit. If you have never followed a set program and have never lifted seriously before, your muscles will respond regardless of whether or not you eat at a surplus.



> Btw, I am going on holiday next week and there's no gym, should I just do like push ups, (pull ups if I can find somewhere), sit ups, planks, shoulder taps, etc or just leave it and wait till I come back?


Never, ever pass a pull up bar without knocking out a few reps. Pushups, situps, leg raises, flutter kicks, prisoner squats, lunges, etc. will all get you by. There are some pretty ripped dudes who do nothing besides calisthenics and are bigger than people who have lifted weights for years.


----------



## Goku

Getting my diet sorted out after getting back from the Himalayas. Had to have some tasty but not healthy food after coming back, being away from it for so long.

It was probably the most intense physical training of my life there. Food wasn't bad, but monks are monks.

Probably in the best shape of my life right now aside from when I was pro.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Hohenheim of Light said:


> Getting my diet sorted out after getting back from the Himalayas. Had to have some tasty but not healthy food after coming back, being away from it for so long.
> 
> It was probably the most intense physical training of my life there. Food wasn't bad, but monks are monks.
> 
> Probably in the best shape of my life right now aside from when I was pro.


WHAT! what did you do there? Just climb mountains and do kung fu? that sounds awesome.


----------



## Goku

Went as a tribute to my MMA teacher who died three months ago. He always talked about it. I spent most of my time near (well about 500 Kms removed) a little mountain town called Leh in Kashmir.

And yeah, climbed mountains, ran up them, martial arts, a little bit of chores etc. GOAT monks. They were so hospitable, worked me like a dog but hospitable nonetheless.


----------



## Ziggler Mark

Weekly check in...DDP Yoga and a cleaner diet has yielded a 13 pound loss for me in less than a month. Obviously that's massive gains very quickly, so I dont expect to keep that pace up, but I'm THRILLED with my progress.


----------



## APEX

*Insanity Workout DVD*

Has anyone tried it? I know it's kind of pricey.

I'm on day 16, and it's killing me! I can see why it gets great reviews. Im not noticing too much difference in my body yet, just little things like more fllexable and my legs are far more toned.

Has anyone else give it a go?


----------



## Hennessey

*Re: Insanity Workout DVD*

I did Insanity, P90X, Beast Body and that Tap Out XT. I kind of like trying new workout dvd's and I loved Insanity. Your body will be killing you, but it really works, especially in month 2. In month 1 I lost about 10 pounds, but in month 2 I lost another 18 pounds. My cardio also got much better.


----------



## APEX

*Re: Insanity Workout DVD*



Undertaker said:


> I did Insanity, P90X, Beast Body and that Tap Out XT. I kind of like trying new workout dvd's and I loved Insanity. Your body will be killing you, but it really works, especially in month 2. In month 1 I lost about 10 pounds, but in month 2 I lost another 18 pounds. My cardio also got much better.


Nice to here it worked!

When did you start to notice a different in your abs? Ie: Toning

I've only done 2 of the cardio abs disks up to now.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

*Re: Insanity Workout DVD*

I completed insanity. it's good. it's great for flexibility, you're right. the only hard/bad part about it is the 2nd half with the stretching day (or they call it "off-day"); it's super hard for guys who aren't real flexible.

check out the workout thread at the top of 'Anything' section. A few people in there have tried it, plus lots of other similar programs.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I can't believe I found this; I've been watching gym fails on youtube like crazy :lol


----------



## Patrick Bateman

WHINY CUNT said:


> Weekly check in...DDP Yoga and a cleaner diet has yielded a 13 pound loss for me in less than a month. Obviously that's massive gains very quickly, so I dont expect to keep that pace up, but I'm THRILLED with my progress.


That's awesome, dude. :clap


----------



## Boulle

30 day squat challenge starts tomorrow. gonna give my hula a month off.


----------



## Hennessey

*Re: Insanity Workout DVD*



Fortitude said:


> Nice to here it worked!
> 
> When did you start to notice a different in your abs? Ie: Toning
> 
> I've only done 2 of the cardio abs disks up to now.



Month 2 easily. Month 1 kind of brings you down because you work hard and dont see much of a differance, but month 2 really helps in toning your body. O and dont care about cardio abs too much. Pretty much all of the discs concentrate on your abs anyways so its hard not to get a toned stomach.


----------



## li/<o

*Re: Insanity Workout DVD*

Insanity best workout ever! You can't go wrong with it when I did it I was over weight shredded a ton of fat; builds endurance, burns fat, and you become much flexible. My favorite part of insanity is the works are short and when your done you feel like you accomplished hours of workout. It just depends if your a heavy set or skinny. I always tell people if you want to burn fat do insanity, but if your bones all your going to do is build endurance you won't build much muscle if you want muscle than P90x is the way to go(doing that at the moment in hybrid style).


----------



## Evolution

*Re: Insanity Workout DVD*

Workout thread at the top of this section will give you much more discussion with some people who know their shit (like i$e).

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/anything/444916-workout-staying-shape-thread.html

Boom.


----------



## Patrick Bateman

That chick in Evo's sig is in pretty good shape. :draper


----------



## SUPER HANS

Just started training for my second half marathon, aiming for 1hr 45.


----------



## IJ

Alright, May is here and it's time for me to start getting me shit together. 

I'm currently 5'9, 180 pounds. I'm quite big around the stomach area mostly and have a slight double chin and it's time to change that. I'm tired of being the guy in my group of friends that is known as being nonathletic (even though I am they just don't think hockey is a real sport since we're in West Virginia and I came from Michigan) and chubby. Last season in hockey I was pretty good for a defenseman, but I and everyone else noticed that I could be a lot faster than what I was and I think it held me back from reaching my full potential.

One of the primary reasons I'm overweight is that I love pop AKA soda. I usually take in two cans of mountain dew right after school, which isn't good at all, I know this. However, it seems like I sort of need it to get through the day, it's like smoking to a smoker. Yesterday instead of having Mountain Dews and PopTarts like I usually do I decided to go a bit healthier and have Tuna and Crackers, and a bottle of water. I then proceeded to go upstairs and watch TV, to which I fell asleep to and basically slept until about 10 o'clock last night. I slept from 4 PM to 10 PM and then couldn't sleep the rest of the night, making today quite horrible.

I also started to try and do a little bit of weight lifting, just doing some basic lifting with two 15 pound dumbells, usually try to do like 15-20 reps, about 4-5 sets. I'm not sure if this is not enough at all or if I should go heavier because I'm not sweating or even losing my breath doing them but the next day I did notice my arms were a bit sore, so I must have been doing something remotely correct.

I'm planning to start running every day, which I'm quite bad at as we stand right now. I can usually only run for about maybe a minute jog and then I have to stop from breathing hard just to catch my breath. I really need to get in better shape for a few reasons, I'd like to look better/increase my self esteem, be a lot more explosive/powerful when hockey season comes around, and I just want to be healthier. Another problem I encounter is I'm a very picky eater and I don't like too many things.

Does anyone have any tips/recommendations for me for starting trying to do this? Are 15 pound weights heavy enough to start? How much should I try to run for a day to start? I'd really appreciate it if anyone could sort of lend a helping hand for this. (Y) sorry if it was tl;dr.


----------



## Glass Shatters

TantruM said:


> I also started to try and do a little bit of weight lifting, just doing some basic lifting with two 15 pound dumbells, usually try to do like 15-20 reps, about 4-5 sets. I'm not sure if this is not enough at all or if I should go heavier because I'm not sweating or even losing my breath doing them but the next day I did notice my arms were a bit sore, so I must have been doing something remotely correct.


Of course your arms were sore because you are not used to lifting free weights. Something is better than nothing, but you will eventually get tired of it and want to move up. It's not going to take long until those 15 pound dumbbells feel like a bottle of water in your hand. If you don't have access to free weights (and even if you do), throw in some calisthenics. There are so many variations to all of the exercises that you will never get tired of doing them. Plus, they offer a great base to any type of strength and conditioning program.



> I'm planning to start running every day


I, personally, wouldn't start running every day out of the gate. You will get burned out quickly. Take my word for it. I had a 50 day run streak earlier in the year and if you do decide to do it anyway it's got to be something that you commit to. Raining? Run. 95 degrees outside with 100% humidity? Run. Long day at work or school? Run. Knees and ankles ache? Run. Muscles sore? Run. 



> which I'm quite bad at as we stand right now. I can usually only run for about maybe a minute jog and then I have to stop from breathing hard just to catch my breath. I really need to get in better shape for a few reasons, I'd like to look better/increase my self esteem, be a lot more explosive/powerful when hockey season comes around, and I just want to be healthier. Another problem I encounter is I'm a very picky eater and I don't like too many things.


Couch to 5k program. 

Of course it goes without saying that you can exercise all you want, but you have to feed the machine properly in order for it to run at its full capability. Discipline.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Decided to drop from 12% to 10%. Wish me luck brahs!


----------



## SUPER HANS

TantruM - I've been in the same position as you, keep motivated and stay determined, you can do bro.


----------



## IJ

Thanks guys, I think the hardest part will honestly be getting over my caffeine addiction which is basically all in my head. I just hope I'm not tired all the time because of stopping.


----------



## Obfuscation

TantruM said:


> Thanks guys, I think the hardest part will honestly be getting over my caffeine addiction which is basically all in my head. I just hope I'm not tired all the time because of stopping.


Especially once in a decent swing of exercising, cutting out sodas is key. Assuming that's where you were going at with the "caffeine addiction" comment. You'll almost see results asap. I know I did.


----------



## JBL_Wrestling_God

Working out about as hard as I can ever imagine lately. This workout partner thing can do wonders if you are comfortable with the same routine as your partner and both don't fuck around. I have a workout partner who compliments my personality and gets down to business and bigger guns means bigger paychecks mindset. I've done my career life numbers 85 dumbell incline chest press, 75 dumbell shoulder press, 215 squat (Even improving in quads & hamstrings a bit). As some of you may already know I'm a fitness model in pursuit and just got an email from the owner of the company booking me to a shoot next week. I have to shave my legs and get prepared because this is going to be fantastic.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jay Cutler & Phil Heath! there was some GNC event yesterday and my store (Muscle Maker Grill) is right next to it.


----------



## Western Illinois

5'11; I went from 249 to 180 in 36 weeks. I have some progress pics that I'll post once I get a recent one of me. I just do a lot of running and lifts weights like twice a week but nothing major. Think my waist is about a 32-34 (depending on the jeans) when it was originally a 38-40. Can now comfortably fit into a lot of my high school clothes from about 3-4 years ago. 

And I finally learned how to ride a bike today, so I'll probably start commuting to school via that too. I really enjoy working out.


----------



## Boulle

Well I started this new diet today where I consume 813 calories or below to lose the weight I want. I'm absolutely fucked right now. I don't think I have the energy to pull the lid off my mascara let alone do my crunches and squats.


----------



## VILLAIN

^ Do not go on such a ridiculous diet where you consume so few calories than your use to otherwise you lose energy like you said. Just eat a healthy all round diet making sure you hit your reccomended calorie for your weight/gender. Trust me, please do not go on stupid diets you wont last - as soon as you eat regularly again, the weight will come back on.


----------



## Boulle

okay i've just done one of the calorie calculator things and even for extreme weight loss i'd have to consume over 1000 calories a day. Cheers for that.


----------



## shutupchico

i don't see how starving yourself would be healthy. eating healthy foods, and doing a lot of activity sounds like a better plan to me


----------



## Boulle

i've had a few months off working out to be fair. well the whole winter actually. Today i lashed my bikini on and disgusted myself cause i gave it stretch marks. So i took the route of an 800 calorie fast. not even lying, if someone brought me a burger now i'd let them bum my ear. 

ps cheese and bacon on it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

If you're over 5 feet tall, you most likely need 1000+ calories. even that's to lose weight; unless you sleep 24/7.


----------



## Arya Dark

Spoiler: picstretchesscreen


----------



## Shazayum

Any of you guys know of the Stronglifts 5X5 Program? Been doing it for a couple of weeks.


----------



## Goku

Uh, yeah. That's a pretty standard routine.


----------



## Kenny

I've lost about 12 kilos this year so far. I'm happy with that.


----------



## Goku

I've gained about 2. I'm happy too.


----------



## xD7oom

> I've lost about 12 kilos this year so far. I'm happy with that.


I've lost 13 kilos in 3 months and i think it's not good enough :/.


----------



## Goku

13 in 3 months is madness


----------



## Kenny

Hohenheim of Light said:


> I've gained about 2. I'm happy too.


How much do you weigh?


----------



## Goku

61 Kgs

5'7''

Yeah, I'm short.


----------



## Kenny

I'm about 6'0", 112kgs now.


----------



## Blake"Pure"Holyman

Hohenheim of Light said:


> 61 Kgs
> 
> 5'7''
> 
> Yeah, I'm short.


5'8

72kgs

Yeah, I'm short too.


----------



## xD7oom

> 13 in 3 months is madness


True , because now i gained 4 kilos, i'm gonna start again in the summer, i hope everything goes well.


----------



## xD7oom

Who tried the insanity workout?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

xD7oom said:


> Who tried the insanity workout?


Everyone in this thread. Ask away...


----------



## Overgiver

Nvm


----------



## APEX

Insanity is really wearing me down now. My calfs feel like they are going to explode and just overall i am slacking in the workout.

At the end of the workut Shaun T always says drink your recovery drinks?

Does he mean protein shakes? Or?... please help?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Fortitude said:


> Insanity is really wearing me down now. My calfs feel like they are going to explode and just overall i am slacking in the workout.
> 
> At the end of the workout Shaun T always says drink your recovery drinks?
> 
> Does he mean protein shakes? Or?... please help?


their specific shakes his company sells. Basically it's just some veggies and probably protein. If you have a healthy diet though you're already getting what you need and that's just unnecessary.

Insanity is intense, some even say it's insane no. I'm in decent shape so I did fine for the first half. The only hard one (at least to me) was the rest/stretch days in part 2. I stopped there because that one physically fucking hurt me. It's the weirdest positions and stretches that seriously hurt me. 

Take it at your own pace; and if you're also working out on the side or doing cardio (i lifted and ran while doing insanity) you should probably stop if it's getting too much.


----------



## APEX

Skyfall said:


> their specific shakes his company sells. Basically it's just some veggies and probably protein. If you have a healthy diet though you're already getting what you need and that's just unnecessary.
> 
> Insanity is intense, some even say it's insane no. I'm in decent shape so I did fine for the first half. The only hard one (at least to me) was the rest/stretch days in part 2. I stopped there because that one physically fucking hurt me. It's the weirdest positions and stretches that seriously hurt me.
> 
> Take it at your own pace; and if you're also working out on the side or doing cardio (i lifted and ran while doing insanity) you should probably stop if it's getting too much.


I'll pass on the shakes then, Im just looking for anything to help :lmao

That will be the problem, I've been running 10k's and half marathons on the side along with weight training. I'll try cutting it out.

It's just only doing the Insanity 40min workouts a day doesn't feel like alot. Although it does hurt.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

If it's your legs mostly, take it easier on lower leg exercises then obviously. It won't really ruin the whole insanity thing. If it's just your calves, you might just have weak calves and need to suck it up though.

Also, check out 'Foam Rollers' online or at a sports store. They're fantastic for sore legs.


----------



## BruiserKC

Skyfall said:


> their specific shakes his company sells. Basically it's just some veggies and probably protein. If you have a healthy diet though you're already getting what you need and that's just unnecessary.
> 
> Insanity is intense, some even say it's insane no. I'm in decent shape so I did fine for the first half. The only hard one (at least to me) was the rest/stretch days in part 2. I stopped there because that one physically fucking hurt me. It's the weirdest positions and stretches that seriously hurt me.
> 
> Take it at your own pace; and if you're also working out on the side or doing cardio (i lifted and ran while doing insanity) you should probably stop if it's getting too much.


Recovery drinks=protein shakes, etc. At the gym I belong to, my cardio-kickboxing instructor says that after a workout you want to put protein into your system within 30 minutes. So, what I do is either down a protein shake or in some cases I have a smoothie and add the protein mix to it. I have a juicing machine that my father-in-law bought us for Christmas, he's been on this massive health kick the last six months or so but I actually end up using it every day.


----------



## Glass Shatters

Fortitude said:


> That will be the problem, I've been running 10k's and half marathons on the side along with weight training. I'll try cutting it out.


I wouldn't cut it out wholly, but instead take the recommendation of toning it down a bit. Too much too soon can really lead to a burnout and the next thing you know one day off turns in to ten days off. Keep it up, but add an extra day of rest in there so you don't defeat yourself. For the tight calves, apart from the foam roller suggestion, you also may want to look into compression sleeves. 



> It's just only doing the Insanity 40min workouts a day doesn't feel like alot. Although it does hurt.


Never associate effort output with time working out. Successful workout sessions are those that are balls to the wall and intense as if your life depended on it. There are days when I go and lift for 45 minutes and feel sluggish and like I got nothing done. There are also days where I'm crunched for time and limit my workout to 15 minutes. I then hit up a superset of pull ups, chin ups, and dips until failure and then start over two or three times. By the time I'm finished, I feel accomplished and look like I just got finished working out for two hours.

It's all about the intensity. Chances are if you're working out on a program called INSANITY for 40 minutes and feel like you can do more you're not doing it as intense as you should.


----------



## APEX

Glass Shatters said:


> I wouldn't cut it out wholly, but instead take the recommendation of toning it down a bit. Too much too soon can really lead to a burnout and the next thing you know one day off turns in to ten days off. Keep it up, but add an extra day of rest in there so you don't defeat yourself. For the tight calves, apart from the foam roller suggestion, you also may want to look into compression sleeves.
> 
> 
> Never associate effort output with time working out. Successful workout sessions are those that are balls to the wall and intense as if your life depended on it. There are days when I go and lift for 45 minutes and feel sluggish and like I got nothing done. There are also days where I'm crunched for time and limit my workout to 15 minutes. I then hit up a superset of pull ups, chin ups, and dips until failure and then start over two or three times. By the time I'm finished, I feel accomplished and look like I just got finished working out for two hours.
> 
> It's all about the intensity. Chances are if you're working out on a program called INSANITY for 40 minutes and feel like you can do more you're not doing it as intense as you should.




Thanks alot for that, it makes sense. At the end of insanity I am pretty much a sweaty heep on the floor lol.

Thanks for all the tips you and skyfall, I'll take them all on board.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Jaw surgery next and I have to go on a liquid diet. Working out is out of the question since my jaw will be tight shut and will be hard to breath. I might easily lose a whole year of hard work.


----------



## MF83

Damn, this is a good thread I've never been in before. I'm about 5 foot 8 and 190 lbs. My three lift total is ~800 lbs (I'm max deadlifting 350lbs, max squatting Ass to Grass at 250lbs, max benching 205lbs). I've been taking weightlifting pretty seriously for about 9 months now and the gains are still on a steady rise. I supplement with a multi, omega 3s, whey, casein, BCAAs and a ZMA complex before bed AKA pretty much natural. 

On a somewhat related note, Omar Isuf on youtube is just the greatest. Anyone seen his videos?


----------



## TheeJayBee

Anybody else in this thread do MMA?

I've just come off of a cut and I'm sitting at 16 stone exactly, and I'm 6'4''. Started MMA recently at a gym where my friend has been doing it for years and I'm loving it. The guy that runs that place has been desperate for more guys to come and fight heavyweight so he's really cool with me right now.

It kicks your arse though! Always considered myself tough and in good shape but it's made me realise my cardio is nowhere near as good as it should be!


----------



## Ziggler Mark

I had a particularly awesome session the other night, and I'd seen other people had posted similarly on the DDP Yoga page when they've had great nights, so I posted on DDPYOGA's wall...I thought nothing of it, just figured I'd get it out there. But, I had a pretty cool mark out moment last night when I came home from work and had a notification on Facebook, opened it up and saw this reply (yes, that's his personal account):


----------



## Swark

BruiserKC said:


> Recovery drinks=protein shakes, etc. At the gym I belong to, my cardio-kickboxing instructor says that after a workout you want to put protein into your system within 30 minutes. So, what I do is either down a protein shake or in some cases I have a smoothie and add the protein mix to it. I have a juicing machine that my father-in-law bought us for Christmas, he's been on this massive health kick the last six months or so but I actually end up using it every day.


Drinking your protein within 30 minutes is just broscience isn't it, takes hours to absorb protein anyway.


----------



## MF83

Studies have shown that whey isolates (alone or with water) can digest in the intestines in as little as 1.5 hours. How that's physically possible, I don't know, but that's the studious science according to google. You get something like Isosensation 93 Strawberry that is almost pure protein and there are essentially no wasted calories. Add in whatever BCAAs and micronutrients and whey is definitely worth it. Initial breakdown can occur in saliva and digestion begins In the stomach so the sooner it's in you, the sooner your muscles start recovering.

Recovery type powders can also mean idealized ratio macronutrients (2:1:1; protein:carbs:fat for example) plus whatever other goodies they put in their formulas for post workout meal replacement. I literally just asked a Popeyes worker this the other day because I was wondering the same thing. I'd rather eat food after my shake but something like MP's Recon is one healthy mix.

Casein is good before bed cause of the slow release, but for me because it tastes fucking delicious in my all bran buds/milk combo and the higher fat count leaves me full at only ~300 Cal.


----------



## VRsick

Can anyone give me some good suggestions or tips on buying a good pair of running shoes. I skateboard and haven't bought a pair of non skateboarding shoes in probably 13 years and haven't a clue about what makes a good running shoe. Non of the stores around me have any knowledgeable sales people.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

VRsick said:


> Can anyone give me some good suggestions or tips on buying a good pair of running shoes. I skateboard and haven't bought a pair of non skateboarding shoes in probably 13 years and haven't a clue about what makes a good running shoe. Non of the stores around me have any knowledgeable sales people.


If you're just getting back into/starting out running, go to a new balance store and they have a machine that determines your feet type; albeit only for their shoe system. Otherwise go to a foot locker and try different shoes out.

I am a k-swiss guy; I know there are a few "better" running shoes out there, but my feet are used to k-swiss now. And really, it's about what your feet get used to in the long run. I tried saucony, new balance, vibrams, nikes; I just liked the feel of k-swiss. light enough, but sturdy.

I don't know if anyone's used the nike free run shit shoes. They have a strong sole but it's like a 2 part shoe, the sole and then the covering part. If you turn too fast the sole will fold under your feet.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

I am at a loss right now on my squat/dead stats. I can dead 315 comfortably for reps, but if I load up 225 on squat I struggle to do 5 reps at only 3/4 ROM. I feel comfortable with 185, but 225 feels like I have a fuckin' house on my back. Something is wrong here guys...?


----------



## MF83

Stretch your hips and do full ATG ROM, fix your form, do more glute work such as one of my favourites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCm-70-9_XE


Low weight ain't a bad thing as long as you got the form down. Make sure you're wearing flat shoes for squats.


----------



## i$e

Swark said:


> Drinking your protein within 30 minutes is just broscience isn't it


yeah it is


----------



## Glass Shatters

Skyfall said:


> If you're just getting back into/starting out running, go to a new balance store and they have a machine that determines your feet type; albeit only for their shoe system. Otherwise go to a foot locker and try different shoes out.
> 
> I don't know if anyone's used the nike free run shit shoes. They have a strong sole but it's like a 2 part shoe, the sole and then the covering part. If you turn too fast the sole will fold under your feet.


Yeah, the Free Run / minimalist / light shoes will fuck you up though if you don't have the feet for them. I need support in my shoe and have had zero problems with Mizuno Wave Enigma's and the Brooks Ghost series. Take that suggestion to get your gait analyzed by a professional at a running / shoe store and they can tell you what you need.


----------



## Nolo King

I am a bit too lazy to go through this thread, but if anybody can refer me to a site where I can get nutritional information and/or workout routines, I will be forever grateful.

I used to work out quite a bit, but got lazy throughout the years and want to get back in better shape.

It sucks looking back at photographs of when you were in better arms and actually had definition to see your sausage arms just dangling around.


----------



## MF83

Nolo King said:


> I am a bit too lazy to go through this thread, but if anybody can refer me to a site where I can get nutritional information and/or workout routines, I will be forever grateful.
> 
> I used to work out quite a bit, but got lazy throughout the years and want to get back in better shape.
> 
> It sucks looking back at photographs of when you were in better arms and actually had definition to see your sausage arms just dangling around.


Bodybuilding.com 

Or I attempt to amateurly design a program;

Build day one around deadlifts + traps + forearms + abs, 
day two around Bench/Row + other chest/mid back, 
day three around squats, glutes and legs, 
day four around chin-ups/military press + biceps + triceps.

If wanting to lose weight, do cardio almost every day of the week (after lifting on lifting days or in the morning if lifting at night).

Boom, amateur-created beginner program.


Nutrition? MyFitnessPal app for phones. Most thorough tracker of nutrition I know of. Don't eat less than 1500 calories and don't eat more than 2200 if trying to lose weight and living sedentary.

Also, find omarisuf on YouTube and watch all you can from him.


----------



## TheeJayBee

Anybody here do full body workouts? I feel like they improve my "functional strength" as such and are helpful in cutting weight as opposed to splits. I mostly focus on 3-4 compound movements and finish up doing an exercise that isolates a different muscle. So like, maybe at the end of the workout, I'll throw in a couple of quick tricep exercises, or work abs etc.


----------



## MF83

My past week: 

+ indicates togetherness


6 sets Deadlift
6 sets bench press
3x Pallof Press + 3x kneeling ab crunch 
4 sets Suitcase deadlift/side bend thing + 4 sets barbell shrugs 
3 sets Inside windmill dumbbell bicep curls + 3 sets ab roll

6x Standing military press + 5x pull ups
4x barbell bent over row + 4x closed grip decline bench 
3x Wide grip pulldown + 3x incline dumbbell flye
3x cable cross push down + 3x lateral raises

7 sets ass to grass back squats
4 sets barbell hip thrusts
4 sets good mornings
3 sets circuits of leg extension/hamstring leg curls/sitting calf raises/hangin leg raises/standing calves 

5x Dumbbell bench press + 5x wide grip row
3x Flye + 3x bent lateral raise
3x wide grip stiff arm cable pushdowns + 3x stiff Arm cable front raises
3 sets of a Biceps and triceps and forearm circuit


Lots of cardio after those (minus leg day, just a ten min walk after) and on other days as well.


----------



## Arrogant Mog

I'm 22 years of age, 5'9 162 pounds and Im just wondering if I continue cutting i'll eventually reach 145 pounds or so. That 15 or so pounds doesn't seem like i'll be lean at all to be honest, and 145 pounds is really thin for me imo. Just don't know what to do.


----------



## guru of wrestling

I like calisthenics for mass dips,pullups,pushups with pushup bar anyone else a fan?

will be interested when i exceed my 12 reps and i got to add weight vest,belt?which is best


----------



## Arrogant Mog

guru of wrestling said:


> I like calisthenics for mass dips,pullups,pushups with pushup bar anyone else a fan?
> 
> will be interested when i exceed my 12 reps and i got to add weight vest,belt?which is best


Yeah dude, pull ups/push ups/dips are muscle building exercises. Those alone if you do them consistently can build muscle, and alot of it. If you add some compound workouts to that you're good :mark:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

guru of wrestling said:


> I like calisthenics for mass dips,pullups,pushups with pushup bar anyone else a fan?
> 
> will be interested when i exceed my 12 reps and i got to add weight vest,belt?which is best





DatKidMog said:


> Yeah dude, pull ups/push ups/dips are muscle building exercises. Those alone if you do them consistently can build muscle, and alot of it. If you add some compound workouts to that you're good :mark:


pushups, pullups, dips; those aren't really mass building exercises. That's why their so frequently done in high rep forms; they build endurance more so.

chest mass can be built on the bench the easiest. I mean, you'll build mass doing any exercise and eating right, technically. But bench and using more weight with fewer reps is the "tits" for building mass.


----------



## sharkboy22

Does anyone have any advice on resistance band training? Does anyone even recommend it? 

I don't have the time at all to go to the gym (I really don't) and I can't afford a set of dumbells atm. For now I have a barbell with a substantial amount of weight. I'm getting bored of the same exercises and I need some variety. So I'm thinking of getting a resistance and but I wanna know if they're even worth shit.

I really want to get it to increase my arms. My chest, back, legs, and shoulders (sort of) are growing nicely but arms are lagging behind like a bitch. As a matter of fact, I see no visible difference in my arms at all. I'm seeing results (although it's not much but it's still more than what I started off with) everywhere else except for my arms.

And I know the reason why. The barbell allows me to hit chest a lot. Likewise, back, legs and shoulders. But I really don't have much options for arms other than curls and skull crushers. I don't hit arms with the same intensity as I do my other parts. Like I said, can't get dumbells now but I'm able to get a resistance band. Do they work? I mean, what's the difference between dumbell curl and a resistance band? It's the same motion right?


----------



## xdoomsayerx

Going away to Florida in 3 weeks. I'm 5 11 and weigh about 180 pounds. 

Best way to get somewhat cut/flatten my stomach??? Abs. (I know 3 weeks isn't much)


----------



## MF83

Low calories, kill carbs and do high cardio. Weights can't hurt but you're looking for a calorie deficit. Visible abs is merely a lack of body fat and being unbloated. You won't be able to build big ab muscles in that time frame so go for big weight loss.



sharkboy22 said:


> Does anyone have any advice on resistance band training? Does anyone even recommend it?
> 
> I don't have the time at all to go to the gym (I really don't) and I can't afford a set of dumbells atm. For now I have a barbell with a substantial amount of weight. I'm getting bored of the same exercises and I need some variety. So I'm thinking of getting a resistance and but I wanna know if they're even worth shit.
> 
> I really want to get it to increase my arms. My chest, back, legs, and shoulders (sort of) are growing nicely but arms are lagging behind like a bitch. As a matter of fact, I see no visible difference in my arms at all. I'm seeing results (although it's not much but it's still more than what I started off with) everywhere else except for my arms.
> 
> And I know the reason why. The barbell allows me to hit chest a lot. Likewise, back, legs and shoulders. But I really don't have much options for arms other than curls and skull crushers. I don't hit arms with the same intensity as I do my other parts. Like I said, can't get dumbells now but I'm able to get a resistance band. Do they work? I mean, what's the difference between dumbell curl and a resistance band? It's the same motion right?


If you're truly strapped for time so that you can't fit three or four hours into the gym a week, resistance would be a fine alternative. However, closed grip bench is a triceps staple and/or you can do dips on pretty much anything. With that pair and crushers you're hitting all three triceps heads. Make sure you do standing military as well as that's great for arms, core and obviously shoulders in general. A half press focuses more so on the arms, YouTube it!

Do bent over rows with your bar and chin-ups of some kind before doing curls. With resistance bands you'd be able to get a decent faux-row mechanism thing going so do that too before isolating biceps. Deadlifts and shrugs (front and behind) with your same bar bell and grip it tight to get strength in your forearms. When curling, keep your wrists straight cause Bending them in negates the biceps. Try doing an overhand grip with your bar. Yeah! More variety is better especially if you can't hit the muscles in other ways.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

xdoomsayerx said:


> Going away to Florida in 3 weeks. I'm 5 11 and weigh about 180 pounds.
> 
> Best way to get somewhat cut/flatten my stomach??? Abs. (I know 3 weeks isn't much)


You can lose decent amount of weight in three weeks if your diet is spot on and you exercise regularly. But at 180 pounds you should be at your actual weight.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Skyfall said:


> pushups, pullups, dips; those aren't really mass building exercises. That's why their so frequently done in high rep forms; they build endurance more so.
> 
> chest mass can be built on the bench the easiest. I mean, you'll build mass doing any exercise and eating right, technically. But bench and using more weight with fewer reps is the "tits" for building mass.



Actually they are mass building exercises its called adding weight you sound like a beginner so ill let you off for that one



DatKidMog said:


> Yeah dude, pull ups/push ups/dips are muscle building exercises. Those alone if you do them consistently can build muscle, and alot of it. If you add some compound workouts to that you're good :mark:


i add other stuff :krieger2


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

guru of wrestling said:


> Actually they are mass building exercises its called adding weight you sound like a beginner so ill let you off for that one
> 
> i add other stuff :krieger2


don't use krieger smileys, I like krieger; he's not an idiot. 

pushups, dips, pullups aren't mass building exercises. I'm guessing you have man boobs and consider that mass.


----------



## Glass Shatters

guru of wrestling said:


> *RED*




Anything can be a mass building exercise if weight is added or someone is just starting to work out. They were talking about calisthenics in general and if you're not a genetic freak like Herschel Walker, you're not going to get huge off of them. 

Negged for emphasis.


----------



## Rush

Need to fix my bike up so i can cycle to work. Its about 9km to get there, 9km back and has some nice hills in there. Should be fun seeing as its winter and i'm getting a bit of a gut back 



TheeJayBee said:


> Anybody here do full body workouts? I feel like they improve my "functional strength" as such and are helpful in cutting weight as opposed to splits. I mostly focus on 3-4 compound movements and finish up doing an exercise that isolates a different muscle. So like, maybe at the end of the workout, I'll throw in a couple of quick tricep exercises, or work abs etc.


yeah, when i'm pressed for time with work and stuff and i can't get to the gym too often then i'll do some full body workouts.


----------



## ChocBM

I used to ado amateur wrestling, which was a great workout. Used to do some olympic lifting as well. It's helped me transition over into Crossfit as I work near a crossfit gym. Makes life all that more convenient without having to push myself to go out of my way to go to a gym. Plus it helps the gym fees are high, so I feel compelled to go!


----------



## guru of wrestling

Skyfall said:


> don't use krieger smileys, I like krieger; he's not an idiot.
> 
> pushups, dips, pullups aren't mass building exercises. I'm guessing you have man boobs and consider that mass.


Wrong again son adding weight=mass building


----------



## guru of wrestling

Glass Shatters said:


> Anything can be a mass building exercise if weight is added or someone is just starting to work out. They were talking about calisthenics in general and if you're not a genetic freak like Herschel Walker, you're not going to get huge off of them.
> 
> Negged for emphasis.


I don't care what your boyfriend was talking about if you think weighted dips/pullups won't give you size then you clearly don't know anything about the subject


----------



## Glass Shatters

guru of wrestling said:


> I don't care what your boyfriend was talking about if you think weighted dips/pullups won't give you size then you clearly don't know anything about the subject


That's what I said. ANYTHING weighted can be a mass building exercise. 

Other than that, Im not allowed to comment on your stupidity.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Glass Shatters said:


> That's what I said. ANYTHING weighted can be a mass building exercise.
> 
> Other than that, Im not allowed to comment on your stupidity.


Then what were you crying about


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

guru of wrestling said:


> I like calisthenics for mass dips,pullups,pushups with pushup bar anyone else a fan?
> 
> will be interested when i exceed my 12 reps and i got to add weight vest,belt?which is best


First off fatass, 12 reps? 12 reps of what? It doesn't even matter, 12 reps of any 3 of those "derp derp Mass building exercises derp derp" is fucking pathetic. 

Second, as long as you eat more calories than you burn, you gain mass by that logic. So with all the dick you must be eating I know you're gaining mass. You don't have to move to gain mass.

Third, No one does dips, pull-ups, or push-ups to gain mass, especially not 12 pussy reps.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Skyfall said:


> First off fatass, 12 reps? 12 reps of what? It doesn't even matter, 12 reps of any 3 of those "derp derp Mass building exercises derp derp" is fucking pathetic.
> 
> Second, as long as you eat more calories than you burn, you gain mass by that logic. So with all the dick you must be eating I know you're gaining mass. You don't have to move to gain mass.
> 
> Third, No one does dips, pull-ups, or push-ups to gain mass, especially not 12 pussy reps.


:lmao you're very angry just because are insecure about being fat


----------



## Glass Shatters

guru of wrestling said:


> :lmao you're very angry just because are insecure about being fat


I doubt you could even do 12 unweighted pullups.


----------



## Skins

whats up everybody just have a question- tuesday I starting to go to the gym three times a week with my friend. My objective is to become more lean more toned. Im 186 ib but its primarily fat, any routines I should start off with, Im not trying to like a wwe superstar but get back in shape ?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

guru of wrestling said:


> :lmao you're very angry just because are insecure about being fat


this isn't a sentence. 

I'm upset knowing that you're out there somewhere trying to help people with working out, but since you can't seem to read or write properly, you must be giving out so much incorrect information; for example, derp derp mass building exercises derp derp.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Glass Shatters said:


> I doubt you could even do 12 unweighted pullups.


I doubt you can even get of your chair on your own will


----------



## Glass Shatters

guru of wrestling said:


> I doubt you can even get of your chair on your own will




I'm not allowed to comment on complete and utter stupidity.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Skyfall said:


> this isn't a sentence.
> 
> I'm upset knowing that you're out there somewhere trying to help people with working out, but since you can't seem to read or write properly, you must be giving out so much incorrect information; for example, derp derp mass building exercises derp derp.


I'm laughing at your stupidity :lmao


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

redskins25 said:


> whats up everybody just have a question- tuesday I starting to go to the gym three times a week with my friend. My objective is to become more lean more toned. Im 186 ib but its primarily fat, any routines I should start off with, Im not trying to like a wwe superstar but get back in shape ?


do calisthenics, stuff like dips, push-ups, pull-ups. They're great for building endurance and staying lean, definitely not a mass building exercise. Just do those in a lot of reps, throw in some running or other cardio; you'll lean out. 

figure out a diet too.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Glass Shatters said:


> I'm not allowed to comment on complete and utter stupidity.


You shouldn't be allowed to comment at all


----------



## guru of wrestling

Skyfall said:


> do calisthenics, stuff like dips, push-ups, pull-ups. They're great for building endurance and staying lean, definitely not a mass building exercise. Just do those in a lot of reps, throw in some running or other cardio; you'll lean out.
> 
> figure out a diet too.


If you want to be one of those bench n curlz people then fine but you will regret it.I suggest you mix up workouts and work each muscle group instead of just bi's and chest.Also spot reduction is a myth.So now you are saying weighted Dips and pullups aren't good for mass....make up your mind


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

guru of wrestling said:


> I'm laughing at your stupidity :lmao


Show me what anything I've said in the last couple of pages is wrong. show me anything that doing Bench, squats, dead lifts, actual weighted exercise don't build more mass than calisthenics.


----------



## MF83

Dips and pull-ups, weighted or otherwise, absolutely build mass and are bodybuilding and powerlifting staples. They're big time compound movements. Higher reps will build more size and lower will build the strength, given it's intense enough. 



redskins25 said:


> whats up everybody just have a question- tuesday I starting to go to the gym three times a week with my friend. My objective is to become more lean more toned. Im 186 ib but its primarily fat, any routines I should start off with, Im not trying to like a wwe superstar but get back in shape ?


When starting out, full body compound movements and cardio after.

Things like: front squats, back squats, deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, good mornings, hip thrusts, cable rows (varied grips and angles), bent over rows, pull downs/chin-ups, dips, lunges, bench press (flat/incline/closed grip variations), *standing* military or overhead press, bent lateral raises, etc! 

Just mismash your full body compound movements for a few months before splitting into more focused work. Always review form via trainer or YouTube at least and get lots of sleep. Do cardio practically every day (after lifting on those days) and eat right. SLEEP!

I once again recommend omarisuf on YouTube for so very much. Dude is amazing.

Just bought his shirt;


----------



## guru of wrestling

Skyfall said:


> do *calisthenics, stuff like dips, push-ups, pull-ups. They're great for building endurance and staying lean, definitely not a mass building exercise.* Just do those in a lot of reps, throw in some running or other cardio; you'll lean out.
> 
> figure out a diet too.





Skyfall said:


> Show me what anything I've said in the last couple of pages is wrong. show me anything that doing Bench, squats, dead lifts, actual weighted exercise don't build more mass than calisthenics.


^^ Remember this was about calisthenics with added weight


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

guru of wrestling said:


> I like *calisthenics* *for mass* dips,pullups,pushups with pushup bar anyone else a fan?
> 
> will be interested when i* exceed my 12 reps* and i got to add *weight vest,belt*?which is best





Skyfall said:


> pushups, pullups, dips; those aren't really mass building exercises. That's why their so *frequently done in high rep forms*; they build endurance more so.
> 
> chest mass can be built on the bench the easiest. I mean, *you'll build mass doing any exercise and eating right, technically*. But bench and using more weight with fewer reps is the tits for building mass.


I know you're just trolling me, but this is so anyone else can see what I said to you and immediately know not to listen to you because you can't read or write.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Skyfall said:


> I know you're just trolling me, but this is so anyone else can see what I said to you and immediately know not to listen to you because you can't read or write.


trolling you?first you said they are good for building mass then you said they are definitively not good for building mass make up your mind.


----------



## MF83

I probably watched 6-8 hours of Elliott Hulse YouTube videos over the last couple of days. The man knows exactly what he's talking about. He typically takes a single question per video that sets up rants and tangents all over the place but in such an informative, improvised, knowledgable and honest way. Inspirational, ingenious, no bullshit content.


----------



## Shazayum

guru of wrestling said:


> I doubt you can even get of your chair on your own will


Try harder, bro science dork.


----------



## guru of wrestling

Shazayum said:


> Try harder, bro science dork.


:aryamad looks like we got another fatty^


----------



## Olympus

MF83 said:


> When starting out, full body compound movements and cardio after....
> 
> Do cardio practically every day (after lifting on those days) and eat right. SLEEP!


So cardio is recommended after lifting? I was contemplating it the other day at the gym but ended up skipping on it. I read somewhere, maybe in this thread, that cardio after a workout is counteractive to muscle gains.


----------



## i$e

It's probably optimal to try and separate weight and cardio days, but if you're going to do it then after >>>> before


----------



## MF83

Ideally, you want to space cardio and weight work by 6 hours on the same day (giving body time to recover). Is this realistic for most people? No. So, the next best thing is to do it post-workout. Your body is already past that first carb-only fuel source barrier that it normally takes 20+ minutes of moderately intense cardio to achieve and into the fat burning zone. If you go hard with ideally HIIT or otherwise intense cardio post-lifting for 20-30 minutes you're making the best use of time. Longer than 60 minutes on a cardio-only day or much more than *half an hour (*don't quote me on this number, a memory figure) and you risk depleting the tertiary source, your protein.

If I'm jacked and have energy after a workout I've gone an hour on the elliptical. However, I'll typically have an apple/half scoop protein/scoop of BCAAs/caffeine before starting lifting and a scoop of whey/scoop of BCAAs post workout. I'm not imagining the difference in a feeling of fueling, especially the post-shake. It works for me, but I'm not saying it doesn't stunt my muscular gains on those days. I just know when I'm done, I eat some starch (white rice or potatoes or something) and fruit (peaches and cherries are ideal post workout... I'll find a source for that) ASAP and I get on fine. Then again, I'm moreso strength training as opposed to bodybuilding so what do I know?

Brisk walking on fasted stomach has ever increasing support for boosting PNS (rest and digest nervous system) recovery activity and boosting dem gains. I plan on incorporatin it into my program. Google 'strategic cardio'.

First time going for a 1RM on my closed grip row with correct form today. 230lbs! 240 or 250 felt doable though. Oh well, next time! 

*Jumping* has made all the difference in my explosiveness. "WTF he talking bout?" This:







Edit: fruit stuff - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1010468&p=13458897&viewfull=1#post13458897



> PREWORKOUT
> These fruits provide higher fructose than glucose for sustained fuel
> that won't block fat burning. Eat one or two servings.
> 
> FRUIT TOTAL SUGARS* FRUCTOSE* GLUCOSE*
> 
> Pear (1 medium) 16 11 5
> Watermelon (1 wedge) 18 12 6
> Apple (1 medium) 14 9 5
> Cantaloupe (1/2 melon) 22 12 10
> Grapes (1 cup) 24 13 11
> Strawberries (2 cups) 14 8 6
> Raspberries (2 cups) 10 6 4
> 
> MORNING
> These fruits provide equal or nearly equal fructose and glucose to
> restock liver and muscle glycogen to help halt muscle breakdown. Eat two
> or three servings.
> 
> FRUIT TOTAL SUGARS* FRUCTOSE* GLUCOSE*
> 
> Pineapple (1 cup diced) 13 7 6
> Honeydew melon (1 wedge) 13 7 6
> Orange (1 medium) 12 6 6
> Banana (1 medium) 18 9 9
> Blueberries (1 cup) 14 7 7
> Nectarine (1 medium) 10 5 5
> Kiwi fruit (2 medium) 12 6 6
> 
> POSTWORKOUT
> These fruits provide more glucose than fructose for restocking muscle
> glycogen and enhancing muscle growth. (The last five fruits from the
> morning fruit category are also decent choices postworkout, for their
> ability to fill glycogen stores.) Eat one or two servings along with
> white bread, baked potatoes or a carb drink.
> 
> FRUIT TOTAL SUGARS* FRUCTOSE* GLUCOSE*
> 
> Cherries (1 cup) 14 6 8
> Peach (1 medium) 8 3 5
> 
> * Quantities are in grams.


----------



## messi

I'm no expert when it comes to bulking up, but I can give you some advice. The biggest problem everybody has is committing to their workout and diet. If you can overcome that and just stick to it, you will be good to go. It also takes a long time to notice results. I know this is frown upon, but I recommend steroids if you want faster results. Speaking from experience, just because you use it, doesn't mean you're going to get jacked without putting in any effort. It is a lot of hard work, but I recommend you do your own research before you take them. And you will need to eat well, or else you are just wasting your time. Whether you want to get bulked the legit way or not, it both requires a ton of effort and most of it is mental. That's just the basic advice I can really give you all guys, however, if you want specifics then feel free to pm me and I will respond.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

are you trying to sell via Wrestlingforum? :lol


----------



## JoseBxNYC

messi said:


> I'm no expert when it comes to bulking up, but I can give you some advice. The biggest problem everybody has is committing to their workout and diet. If you can overcome that and just stick to it, you will be good to go. It also takes a long time to notice results. I know this is frown upon, but I recommend steroids if you want faster results. Speaking from experience, just because you use it, doesn't mean you're going to get jacked without putting in any effort. It is a lot of hard work, but I recommend you do your own research before you take them. And you will need to eat well, or else you are just wasting your time. Whether you want to get bulked the legit way or not, it both requires a ton of effort and most of it is mental. That's just the basic advice I can really give you all guys, however, if you want specifics then feel free to pm me and I will respond.


You recommend steroids? :lmao


----------



## APEX

messi said:


> I'm no expert when it comes to bulking up, but I can give you some advice. The biggest problem everybody has is committing to their workout and diet. If you can overcome that and just stick to it, you will be good to go. It also takes a long time to notice results. I know this is frown upon, but I recommend steroids if you want faster results. Speaking from experience, just because you use it, doesn't mean you're going to get jacked without putting in any effort. It is a lot of hard work, but I recommend you do your own research before you take them. And you will need to eat well, or else you are just wasting your time. Whether you want to get bulked the legit way or not, it both requires a ton of effort and most of it is mental. That's just the basic advice I can really give you all guys, however, if you want specifics then feel free to pm me and I will respond.


----------



## SUPER HANS

Anyone done a Tough Mudder before? Just easing into some full body work outs for it


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ashes11 said:


> Anyone done a Tough Mudder before? Just easing into some full body work outs for it


I've done competitions similar when I was in the military. There was a TM near me a few months ago, but I had never heard of it before. I definitely would do one if it comes near me again.

It's like a crossfit dog's dream come true.


----------



## Zen

Who here does HIIT? For fat loss


----------



## MF83

I do. It's way more effective, for one, and secondly - I don't get bored. All my attention is focused on surviving/recovering and then into full on 100%-Go mode so there's no daydreaming and boredom like can happen with cardio. 

I prefer the elliptical for it allows me to go all out, full body, as opposed to running which can also be dangerous (slip and die? Could be embarassing. :lol ) going that fast. Biking fucks my knees up for some reason so I don't do that too often anyway. 

Finally went and bought my own chalk instead of stealing from the bubba who leaves his at the gym sometimes or relying just on wrist straps for deadlifts. Never really considered it for other stuff too but it was immense for bar shrugs and chinup grip. Who knew for a frickin 5 dollar block of chalk it could help so, so much? Goodbye weak grip, hello man hands!



Anyone ever do two-a-day workouts? I was just done after deadlifts, chinups and shrugs so I figured I'd do one today. The idea is to go hard and heavy on 1-4 compound exercises in the AM, take at least a six hour break, and then do more exercises in the higher rep range in the PM. You get/have to eat more too so it all works out!


----------



## JoseBxNYC

My new leg routine is killer but I'm getting crazy gains

Leg Extension (30 reps) Superset with Hack Squats (15, 12, 10, 10)
Leg Press (20 reps) Superset with Sissy Squats (20 reps)
Leg Extensions (15 reps) Superset with Seated Hamstring Curls (15 reps)
Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift (10 reps) Superset with Lying Hamstring Curls (10 reps)

Can't walk after I leave the gym.


----------



## TheeJayBee

Weighed in today at 225 pounds, so now I'm going to bulk a bit and see if I can put a stone of lean muscle on before the summers end, where I'll cut before I take a week away. Really want to hit 17 stone, soon.

Am I the only person that absolutely loves to do the barbell row? I never see anybody doing it but I think it's a great exercise.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

TheeJayBee said:


> Weighed in today at 225 pounds, so now I'm going to bulk a bit and see if I can put a stone of lean muscle on before the summers end, where I'll cut before I take a week away. Really want to hit 17 stone, soon.
> 
> Am I the only person that absolutely loves to do the barbell row? I never see anybody doing it but I think it's a great exercise.


maybe it's just your gym? People in mine do them all the time; to the point of frustration on my part from the racks always being full. 

I row a lot. Rows, pulldowns, upright-rows; the big "V" if you will...


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I prefer T-Bar Row over Barbell Rows but I throw them into my routine once in a while especially Reverse Grip Barbell Rows.


----------



## IJ

Here is how out of shape I am: Few weeks ago I went and played basketball with my friend, and then we went for a short like 20 minute on and off jog since I'm just starting out. It was cold, probably in the low fifties. I couldn't run longer than like a minute without breathing really hard, and I could feel a ton of congestion in my chest. Every time I took a breath you could hear it inside my lungs, which definitely is not good. So I walk home, and when I get home I use an inhaler, and it felt a bit better and the wheezing/loudness in my chest went down.

The next day I wake up, I'm fine. Normal day. The next day however I wake up with a 99.3 fever or something, but I felt like I was dieing and could hardly breathe. We go to the doctor and they give us a steroid pack, antibiotics, and more. Turns out I had bronchitis, which was awful. They said I should be better in two days. I wake up two days later with a 100.9 fever, so we went to the doctor again. They said I was getting worse, and prescribed even more medicines including an cough syrup, inhaler, breathing treatment solution, steroid nasal spray, and gave me two shots including a steroid shot which made me sweat and very very uncomfortable. I had to go to the hospital for blood I do all that for a weekend and a few extra days and I'm still not feeling completely well, but of course I go to school. 

The day after that I wake up and it's the same feeling only without a fever, so we go back to the doctor and they figure out that I have asthma, which really really sucks. For the next week I was taking close to 7 pills every morning, a breathing treatment, inhaler, nasal spray, cough syrup, and more. 

It's just ridiculous, I never thought that me going out and trying to exercise would make me that sick and all. Good thing summer is coming so it won't be cold, because I'm not going to let that get me down. I'm really looking to get in better shape, and this will just be a roadblock I guess.


----------



## Swark

Rows are the one.


----------



## MF83

Real bent rows (90 degreee StrongLifts style) are the shit. Bodybuilding style half shrug rows are not the shit.


----------



## Zen

TheeJayBee said:


> Weighed in today at 225 pounds, so now I'm going to bulk a bit and see if I can put a stone of lean muscle on before the summers end, where I'll cut before I take a week away. Really want to hit 17 stone, soon.
> 
> Am I the only person that absolutely loves to do the barbell row? I never see anybody doing it but I think it's a great exercise.


Barbell rows are awesome


----------



## RKO920

Made to 100 LB's with dumbbells today during chest press. Got 6 reps, happy about it.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

i$e said:


> It's probably optimal to try and separate weight and cardio days, but if you're going to do it then after >>>> before


*Isn't moderate cardio (like 10 minutes on a treadmill) good for warming up before a workout?*


----------



## Rush

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Isn't moderate cardio (like 10 minutes on a treadmill) good for warming up before a workout?*


I just do a warm up set at a lower resistance than i plan on doing.


----------



## MF83

Jogging seems too high impact for a warmup, for me at least. I'd do five minutes low resistance bike just to get the synovial joints warm and lubed, if that. A ten minute jog seems like it would damage my squats or deadlifts to some degree. I just do 2 or 3 warmup sets for the big lifts.

I'm really pleased with my lower body and back progress but now it's time to up my presses and non-back upper body in general. Copied an Omar Isuf chest workout on Friday.

Bench Press (7 sets; 2 warmup/4 heavy/1 high rep)
Floor Press 
Trap Bar Press (dumbbell neutral grip or closed grip bench for those without a trap bar)
Incline guillotine Press (dangerous as hell if you go heavy, stray from form or do it outside the cage with Safety bars)
Low cable flyes
- My additions (accessory tricep and ab work in a circuit)

That guillotine gets you in the upper clavicle area like nothing else I've felt before. Eventually, it produces the top half of them huge chest plates. I'd recommend that bitch for strength training a chest day.




Next day Edit: 

Woot! My squat numbers took a hit when I switched from parallel to full Ass-To-Grass. I've pulled it back up to 3x265 with full ass to grass form. Pretty pumped. Followed that with my first reps above 200 for the Stiff Leg Deadlift. Trying to train my hamstrings as they're the weak point of my normal 350lb deadlift! 

Edit 2 - followed it up with a 4 exercise circuit. Leg day!


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I'm thinking about doing yoga on my off days as cardio, but I'm going to have to make up for the calories burned, though. *


----------



## Glass Shatters

ashes11 said:


> Anyone done a Tough Mudder before? Just easing into some full body work outs for it


Did one in Tampa in December of 2011. Fucking blast. I don't drink, but I had the traditional Dos Equis afterwards. 

I didn't really do anything outside of the traditional military bodyweight training with a twist. Push ups in different variations, sit ups, low crawls, high crawls, bear crawls, spidey crawls. Hit burpees and torso twists hard. Throw in continuous walking lunges and pull-up/chin-up variations out of the ass. Do flexed arm hangs too so you're not one of THOSE GUYS that walk in the muddy water like a jackass because you can't progress from bar to bar on the monkey bars. Put them into circuits. Probably the most important thing you can do is run on a treadmill with a gradually increasing incline or intense hill sprints so you're not wasting energy trying 10 times to get over Everest. Oh, and start taking ice baths so you don't go into shock. 

Good luck.


----------



## SUPER HANS

Glass Shatters said:


> Did one in Tampa in December of 2011. Fucking blast. I don't drink, but I had the traditional Dos Equis afterwards.
> 
> I didn't really do anything outside of the traditional military bodyweight training with a twist. Push ups in different variations, sit ups, low crawls, high crawls, bear crawls, spidey crawls. Hit burpees and torso twists hard. Throw in continuous walking lunges and pull-up/chin-up variations out of the ass. Do flexed arm hangs too so you're not one of THOSE GUYS that walk in the muddy water like a jackass because you can't progress from bar to bar on the monkey bars. Put them into circuits. Probably the most important thing you can do is run on a treadmill with a gradually increasing incline or intense hill sprints so you're not wasting energy trying 10 times to get over Everest. Oh, and start taking ice baths so you don't go into shock.
> 
> Good luck.



Cheers for the advice man, it's not till September so i'm confident I can hit the training hard and smash it. I'm not really worried about cardio, I can run a half marathon comfortably - doing one on sunday actually.

I did a 10K in 44:30 yesterday, 3 minutes better than I'd ever done it, was delighted with it!


----------



## MF83

Well done.


I hoisted 135 for a first time 1RM try on the overhead press. I only incorporated it three weeks ago so that's a nice start I think. 

My new, somewhat stable shoulder routine:

Overhead press
Behind neck barbell press
Trap bar press
Face pulls
Rear delt fly
Lateral raises 
Cuban press (rotator cuff segment)
*left leg ahead, right leg on bench at 90 degrees, right elbow on elevated knee* rotator cuff raise thing 

Pair up and superset the above outside of the first two and you got yourself a shoulder day!

I did accessory triceps work because I was wired and pumped for some reason too. It was a good one!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm doing 100 pullups a day this week. yesterday it took me 7 sets all together, and that was spaced out through the day.

today I did 53 in the morning in 3 sets; 17 when I got home. 30 more to go, shooting for 2 sets hopefully (15/15 or amrap/leftover)


----------



## BringThePain513

I'll sometimes use the equipment after closing or I'll just come in before opening and do my workouts then. As I mentioned in Post Your Picture Thread, I work at a gym in the lobby.


----------



## Callisto

I'll be finally restarting my vertical jump routine by next week. I scraped my left shin on the edge of the plyometrics box two Sundays ago, and abruptly stopped doing my routine for the past week. Luckily the scabs are about to peel off, but ugh, the shooting pain and bruising that followed was a cruel bitch. The fear of injury is a bit of a confidence killer and it was my first time injuring myself during my vertical jump exercise, but hopefully I won't scrape my legs again.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

TehJerichoFan said:


> I'll be finally restarting my vertical jump routine by next week. I scraped my left shin on the edge of the plyometrics box two Sundays ago, and abruptly stopped doing my routine for the past week. Luckily the scabs are about to peel off, but ugh, the shooting pain and bruising that followed was a cruel bitch. The fear of injury is a bit of a confidence killer and it was my first time injuring myself during my vertical jump exercise, but hopefully I won't scrape my legs again.


:lmao
I was doing box jumps over a year ago, slipped, hit the box, got a huge bump on my right shin. There's still a scar there today, and it almost always rips open when I deadlift. 

It sucks, I know. Bengay can be your best friend you know.


----------



## MF83

Anyone have any experience with deloading?

Every 6-16 weeks you're supposed to cut sets and weight drastically for a week and go for speed and/or form to help recover muscles and let the CNS heal. I've been lifting steady for six months so I think I'm going to do a deload week next week. I'm just really fricking tight even with foam rolling and stretching, and I'm needing recovery days more often so I think it's time.


----------



## i$e

Deloading is essential. 

Started my cut yesterday. I want a fucking Snickers right now. Gah.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

i$e said:


> Deloading is essential.
> 
> Started my cut yesterday. I want a fucking Snickers right now. Gah.


1 day in and you're cracking? You're gonna look terrible in your dress for the big dance in that case.


----------



## i$e

Haha fuck off, I've cut for 7 months before, this is just a 7 week job after a pretty lengthy bulk. 

I'll handle it. Coffee is my friend.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

8 Week Cut Right here. Started this week too.


----------



## FreakyZo

I got to loose 60 lbs so I can get in the Air Force. Now I know it can be done but I'm just wondering if that's healthy. I'm 72in and 260 is my weight. 

I just don't want to look really lanky and I think it suck that you have to weigh a certain amount to qualify


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

FreakyZo said:


> I got to loose 60 lbs so I can get in the Air Force. Now I know it can be done but I'm just wondering if that's healthy. I'm 72in and 260 is my weight.
> 
> I just don't want to look really lanky and I think it suck that you have to weigh a certain amount to qualify


well, honestly, unless you're solid muscle, you're overweight. It will be healthy for you to lose weight (unless you do it in a few days), of course. I would think 60 lbs, at 2 lbs per week, you'd need 30 weeks, nearly 8 months. However, at such a high weight, you can safely lose larger portions per week (slowly decreasing though). 

If you talk to a recruiter (I think they're picky in the Air Force, not like any other branch) they might be able to give you an exercise program. They might even have weekly sessions, DEP (delayed entry program), where they exercise together. You should join the navy though; Air Force is for hot blondes (hot by military standards).


----------



## FreakyZo

Skyfall said:


> well, honestly, unless you're solid muscle, you're overweight. It will be healthy for you to lose weight (unless you do it in a few days), of course. I would think 60 lbs, at 2 lbs per week, you'd need 30 weeks, nearly 8 months. However, at such a high weight, you can safely lose larger portions per week (slowly decreasing though).
> 
> If you talk to a recruiter (I think they're picky in the Air Force, not like any other branch) they might be able to give you an exercise program. They might even have weekly sessions, DEP (delayed entry program), where they exercise together. You should join the navy though; Air Force is for hot blondes (hot by military standards).


Thanks for the advice. Also I'm a pretty big guy but not around the waist just abnormally big, I have a gut but you won't see it poking out, kinda guy and people are already saying that I look skinny( for my size) so I don't think I'm at an unhealthy weight.


----------



## LeapingLannyPoffo

Need workout advice? Read no further than my sig.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

hope I didn't sound like a douche. I was in the navy by the way. beforehand they had weekly meetings where they forced us to exercise; and they also waived a few people off, even though they were overweight. That was in 2008 though and they were pretty desperate. 

A lot of the branches are getting rid of people right now though, so the rules might be more tightly enforced.


----------



## MF83

Went to tie (well, beat technically since I used collars today) my 1RM (tree fiddy) on deadlift today for a bet. Problem was, I went heavy on back squats and hammys (including stiff leg deads) on Monday. [edit: ya, my screenshot workout is the first post on the last page]. The result? An amazing-because-of-tinypic's-aspect-ratio fail vid. 

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2qscdc7&s=5


Yeah, I'm deloading next week. No doubt about it.


----------



## FreakyZo

Skyfall said:


> hope I didn't sound like a douche. I was in the navy by the way. beforehand they had weekly meetings where they forced us to exercise; and they also waived a few people off, even though they were overweight. That was in 2008 though and they were pretty desperate.
> 
> A lot of the branches are getting rid of people right now though, so the rules might be more tightly enforced.


Nah you cool man....I was also considering the navy but the Air Force just seemed to have much more interesting job opportunities. The navy was asking me to loose 40lbs actually. I just might end up there....


----------



## RKO920

Took Muscle Pharm "Assault" yesterday for the first time. BEST WORKOUT OF MY LIFE.


----------



## MF83

i$e, as a fellow INTP and from what little else I know about you being respectable, want to brand me a creatine? Never used it before but with intermediate-ish lifting numbers and recognizing where the added ATP boost would help I think now is as good a time as ever to start... I just need to select one.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I remember when I was in in, around, 9th or 10th grade, and my dad started making me go to a chiropractor. The dude was a huge workout freak and tried helping me get into shape. I was totally against physically activity at all back then.

he gave me a 1000 push-up challenge; do 1000 push-ups in a week (so 7 days). I think I to like 60 after 3 days and just quit. what a bitch. I could probably do 1000 in 2 days now. lol.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Skyfall said:


> I remember when I was in in, around, 9th or 10th grade, and my dad started making me go to a chiropractor. The dude was a huge workout freak and tried helping me get into shape. I was totally against physically activity at all back then.
> 
> he gave me a 1000 push-up challenge; do 1000 push-ups in a week (so 7 days). I think I to like 60 after 3 days and just quit. what a bitch. I could probably do 1000 in 2 days now. lol.


Well now you've got to add a zero to the end...
10,000 push-up a week challenge. 
Report back on that...and try not to end up hospitalized!

Well given your estimate of 1000 in 2 days, better start with 
the 5,000 a week milestone first... (srs on that one)


----------



## i$e

MF83 said:


> i$e, as a fellow INTP and from what little else I know about you being respectable, want to brand me a creatine? Never used it before but with intermediate-ish lifting numbers and recognizing where the added ATP boost would help I think now is as good a time as ever to start... I just need to select one.


The best thing about creatine is that pretty much all of the monohydrate varieties (from budget to high-end) have shown very similar results, so you don't have to break the bank. Having said that, CreaPure has always been an excellent brand for me. German, so you know it's well made. It's essentially just 99.99%+ pure, so you can't go wrong.


----------



## MF83

Exactly what I was hoping for, thanks.


----------



## MF83

Nothing like taking three depressing days off completely before making a triumphant return to front squat 3 sets of 95 lbs before moving on to light assistance work for twenty minutes. Fuck deload week. :lol: in other news, I bought a creapure supplement and took my first dose today. Hooray!

Ew:


----------



## The Cowboy!!

I'm fairly strong and in good shape but I have no stamina it's a pain in the ass, anyways to improve stamina? I go out for 3-4 mile walks with my dogs every day it doesn't improve it much!


----------



## MF83

Lift heavy and eat plenty. That'll do it.


----------



## El Conquistador

MF83 said:


> Went to tie (well, beat technically since I used collars today) my 1RM (tree fiddy) on deadlift today for a bet. Problem was, I went heavy on back squats and hammys (including stiff leg deads) on Monday. [edit: ya, my screenshot workout is the first post on the last page]. The result? An amazing-because-of-tinypic's-aspect-ratio fail vid.
> 
> http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2qscdc7&s=5
> 
> 
> Yeah, I'm deloading next week. No doubt about it.


That was painful to watch.


----------



## SUPER HANS

Did my first half marathon in 1:47 at the weekend, treated myself to my first bit of fast food in 18 months - all the hard work worth it, but at the same time could go another 18 months without the dodgy food.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I did my first marathon in Djibouti, Africa. My time was 2:42, but it was also about 118 degrees out with the sun right next to me. 1:46 is pretty good time, and that's even considering it's your first. Good job bro.


----------



## SUPER HANS

Fuck that sounds unbearable - fortunately I did mine in England - no such concern for temperature.


----------



## dstoke85

That's insane


----------



## ChocBM

The Cowboy!! said:


> I'm fairly strong and in good shape but I have no stamina it's a pain in the ass, anyways to improve stamina? I go out for 3-4 mile walks with my dogs every day it doesn't improve it much!


Walking isn't going to help too much as you aren't getting your body to work at a pace that elevates your heart rate. Try short but fast jogs to start off, of 1.5 to 2 miles.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

The Cowboy!! said:


> I'm fairly strong and in good shape but I have no stamina it's a pain in the ass, anyways to improve stamina? I go out for 3-4 mile walks with my dogs every day it doesn't improve it much!


If you're stoned and trying to get a tan this sounds perfect. I did it for like 2 weeks once I hurt my shoulder and couldn't lift.


----------



## Zen

ashes11 said:


> Did my first half marathon in 1:47 at the weekend, treated myself to my first bit of fast food in 18 months - all the hard work worth it, but at the same time could go another 18 months without the dodgy food.


Wow that's awesome, never tried a marathon before, not that type of athlete but cognrats


----------



## MF83

Amazing workout today. After the 9 days (mostly) off my squat bottom is even lower while my torso is more upright, thanks to stretching and mobilty work. My previous ATG max was 265x1 or something and I had 295 comfortably today, again, going even lower, without max effort. Deload week for the win! 

Although, I will probably start 4 week cycling 
1. Higher reps 
2. Equal rep/intensity 
3. Low reps/high intensity or 1RM tries 
4. Active Deload 
for the next while instead of going hard as fuck for months before breaking/breaking down again.

I did vertical pressing yesterday as well. My primary focus of deload week was to fix up my cuffs, elbows and hips and holy shit, did my overhead improve in all regards. Recovery, Bubba!




NEXT DAY EDIT:

Bench is up 30 lbs without maxing. God damn, Deload WEEK~!


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

About to go on a 14 mile round trip bike ride. #hills #speed #cruisin' #sparetire


----------



## Scott Hall's Ghost

i'm starting on slow-carb and intensive sessions to drop fat for the next several months. daunting, but hopeful. i've had some good false starts, but i'm tired of not being healthier overall and it's time to string together a long-term effort to get right. it'll be hard, but i know it'll be so worth it. it's good having some encouragement and accountability too, instead of the usual 'good luck, fatass' lol good people make life much better, don't they?


----------



## SUPER HANS

Tyler Durden said:


> Wow that's awesome, never tried a marathon before, not that type of athlete but cognrats


Cheers, I would have thought the same when i started and struggled to run 2 miles. It's more achievable than you might think.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

295 lbs on stiff leg DL today, 3 times. I even asked a trainer I know there to watch me to make sure I had good form (said I did). Felt like a fucking beast! 

I hadn't stiff legged in a few weeks either.

He even took a picture of :


Spoiler: me resting


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Yeah so my bike ride ended up being probably closer to 16 miles round-trip but get this, 
the bike chain fucking broke in half! (then fall off completely). So I had to skate board style it 3 miles back home. Luckily there was some slight downhill parts to aid me but still...:cussin:

Now I gotta get it fixed again.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Update: Paid bike shop to fix bike earlier today. New chain, new sprocket. 
Good to go! 
But fooooock riding today. It's HOT. 90 degrees. 
Today I'll be working out indoors in the cool fan or A/C. 
Also looking into getting one of those bike mounts that you can ride your bike indoors on.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

i deadlifted 295 lbs. for 4 reps today, after 3 previous sets too. i got huge bruises on my shins, and cuts now from such sexy form. 

i then did "Fran" in just over 9 minutes. then some chest extensions & concentration curls. 2 leftover things. it was like a 40 minute workout, entering and leaving the gym. 

i am a beast. i hope stallone and Daniel Craig are proud.

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## Olympus

First run with the Nike+ Running app. First time I've ever did a complete run outdoors and my first complete run in a while.

I'm happy with the results now for now. I was on pace for an 8 minute mile after running .52 in 4:08 but the stamina isn't there for me.

Also thinking about getting a Nike Fuel Band. Does anyone else have one and if so how do you like it?


----------



## NathWFC

Still trying to get my body fat as low as possible whilst maintaining lean mass levels, weigh 175lb with body fat at about 8-9% at the moment. I don't think my new found love of Reese's Cups is going to help much though...


----------



## APEX

So I've been pushing myself a lot harder this last month with weight training. Trying to get to the gym before and after work. 
My body is getting better, the only problem is I've been picking up more niggling injuries. Ie: knee pain, 
Just little annoying things.

Is it best to slow the training down, or would drinking a recovery / protein shake help out?


----------



## NathWFC

Fortitude said:


> So I've been pushing myself a lot harder this last month with weight training. Trying to get to the gym before and after work.
> My body is getting better, the only problem is I've been picking up more niggling injuries. Ie: knee pain,
> Just little annoying things.
> 
> Is it best to slow the training down, or would drinking a recovery / protein shake help out?


What exactly does your training consist of? Including warm ups and cool downs.


----------



## OML

hey i am looking to tone up a little and try and get a 6 pack.I dont have time or money to go to the gym or do insanity. What do you guys suggest. I have been runnig a mile a day, doing some pushups, and trying to eat better any really good suggestions. I am 5'11 and weigh 170 but wanna cut down on body fat


----------



## APEX

NathWFC said:


> What exactly does your training consist of? Including warm ups and cool downs.


It alternates weekly, but briefly:

Monday: Morning workout would contain a 10 minute warm up, light jogging, stretches and I usally throw some abs in.
I would then move on to the training. Mondays is usually Arms. I'll do 3 sets of 4 different exercises for arms and try and get some shoulders in as well.
This would mainly be military presses, press ups, bench press, 21's and bar bell curls.

I will then go back in my dinner our to do a little more.

Tuesday: Same again in the morning with the warm up, then I would move on to chest. Peck deck, bench press, and a machine that I don't know the name of lol 

Same again with going back on dinner.

Wednesday: Swimming in a morning.

I will go back on dinner and try and 5k run amd on alternate weeks I will do my legs (weight bases)

Thursday: Rest day from the gym as I would have a football match.

Friday: I try and fit a full body work out in two hours in the morning.


All this depends on my shift pattern at work and will be chopped and changed accordingly.

Its only brief, but all my plan is at work!


----------



## Boulle

C


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

OML said:


> hey i am looking to tone up a little and try and get a 6 pack.I dont have time or money to go to the gym or do insanity. What do you guys suggest. I have been runnig a mile a day, doing some pushups, and trying to eat better any really good suggestions. I am 5'11 and weigh 170 but wanna cut down on body fat


search for i$e by username in this thread and read his cutting/bulking guide. It's easier than googling it. 

- Eat less 
- move more
- lifting weights would really help, but you need to
- eat lots of protein, but within your caloric limit

all my magazine tips. Doing pushups and situps and running will help you lose eight, but so will simply eating less food. Really too general, and easily internet searchable, of a question.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Makaveli said:


> First run with the Nike+ Running app. First time I've ever did a complete run outdoors and my first complete run in a while.
> 
> I'm happy with the results now for now. I was on pace for an 8 minute mile after running .52 in 4:08 but the stamina isn't there for me.
> 
> Also thinking about getting a Nike Fuel Band. Does anyone else have one and if so how do you like it?


Nice run stats there. Makes me wish I had a smart phone. Once it's finished is it just a button you click to get that screen shot sent online?

I have however started using a GPS on my bike which is pretty fun too. 
It records basic stats too: distance, speed (MPH), averages and all that. I was up to 26 MPH and probably faster than that down the really steep hills.

Can't post the GPS stats like you did though unless I just literally take a pic of the screen.


----------



## Olympus

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> Nice run stats there. Makes me wish I had a smart phone. Once it's finished is it just a button you click to get that screen shot sent online?
> 
> I have however started using a GPS on my bike which is pretty fun too.
> It records basic stats too: distance, speed (MPH), averages and all that. I was up to 26 MPH and probably faster than that down the really steep hills.
> 
> Can't post the GPS stats like you did though unless I just literally take a pic of the screen.


Well I have an iPhone so I just hit the home button and lock button and it screen shots. From there I have to upload it to a photo sharing website like Photobucket/Tinypic than post the IMG code as you would with any picture so beside the screen shot, it's nothing you couldn't do with a decent phone I don't think.

I want a Nike Fuel Band though. I'm a huge stats guy especially when it comes to my own. Giving me a tool that records a litany of different stats and allowing me to compete against myself is a monumental motivator for me. The idea of Nike Fuel is pretty cool.


----------



## JasonLives

Two weekends ago I started training a little harder. Started a 4 week vacation so I wanna get the routine in before its back to work. Then its easier to keep it up.

What I want right now is to do a 6km ( 3.7 miles ) run followed by 30 minutes of weights 6 days a week. Get myself one lazy day when its too shitty weather or just rest up the body.
So far so good, the 6km isnt a problem. The only goal I have this summer is to do 10km ( 6.2 miles ) under 40 minutes, and keep myself in good shape.


----------



## MF83

Making myself a program template piggybacking off the Ed Coan deadlift program for Saturdays. How bout I work the kinks out on here?



Spoiler: program



Saturday: Deadlift Day

1. Deadlifts
8 reps bar
3x135
3x225
3x315
three-five working sets of doubles/singles

2. 3 sets speed deadlifts

3. 3 round, 8reps per set circuit:
a) stiff-leg deadlifts
b) reverse pulldowns
c) bent rows
d) goodmornings

4. a) Windmill bicep Curls
b) Glute/Ham curls

Monday

1. Bench
2. Dips
3. Floor Press
4. Trap Bar Press
5. Incline Guillotine Press
6. Triceps Pull-Aparts
7. Ab wheel or planks

Tuesday

TWO-A-DAY
1.Front Squats
2.Barbell Hip Thrusts
-Break-
1a. Leg Press
1b. Leg Press Calves

2a. Pallof Press
2b. Kneeling Cable Crunch
2c. Lunges

3c. Side bend
3d. Hanging Leg Raise

Thursday
Overhead Press
Inverted Rows
Incline Bench
Single arm hanging lateral raises
Face Pulls
Bent lateral raises
Cuban Press
Rotator abduction
Cuff Stabilizer hold





Or something. I'll edit this when I get inspired to.


----------



## MF83

Deadlift raw PR'd last week at 315 and overal PR'd at 350 with belt and straps. 

Today, I raw lifted 345 like nothing. I got 370 up but failed to lock, with only a belt and no straps. I failed again with straps, and was clearly frustrated so this guy who had to be 55-60 years old, a powerlifter (who was squatting an impressive 485 lbs), started coaching me. He humbled me straight away and fixed four or five things I knew to do but evidently wasn't doing. I was unconsciously lifting with my back at the start, hence it being drained and unable to lock. He showed me how to lock out properly, got me to tape myself and he gave me pointers as I worked my speed sets with higher reps and only two plates. 

If I do these things correctly I may be able to do 400 lbs next week just because of some fundamental improvements. He said he'd be here next week too. Thank you, Harvey.


The workout I did, piggybacking off the Ed Coan Deadlift program (with some additions AKA #3):



> 1. Deadlift
> i) 8xbar
> ii) 3x135
> iii) 3x225
> iv) 3x315
> three to five working sets of doubles and singles
> 
> 3 sets of 8 speed deadlifts
> 
> 2. Circuit (3 rounds of 8 reps each):
> a) stiff-leg deadlifts
> b) reverse-grip pulldowns
> c) Yates-style barbell rows
> d) Good mornings
> 
> 3. a) Windmill Biceps Curls
> b) glute-hamstring machine
> c) light weight, high rep, 90 degree Pendlay style barbell rows
> 
> 4. 10 minute walk


Try that shit out and make sure to stretch after. You shall be sore the next day, I can guarantee that.


----------



## Zen

Fuck what is good snacks to munch on when you are cutting?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Saturday: Deadlift Day
> 
> 1. Deadlifts
> 8 reps bar
> 3x135
> 3x225
> 3x315
> three-five working sets of doubles/singles
> 
> 2. 3 sets speed deadlifts
> 
> 3. 3 round, 8reps per set circuit:
> a) stiff-leg deadlifts
> b) reverse pulldowns
> c) bent rows
> d) goodmornings
> 
> 4. a) Windmill bicep Curls
> b) Glute/Ham curls


Is this a freaking joke :lol 

That's worse than some Gym Jones shit, man. Deadlifts followed by speed-deadlifts, followed by good mornings and stiff legs, and then leg curls? 

good luck moving for the next 3 days :lmao you're insane


----------



## MF83

I hear ya. I thought it would be impossible when I stumbled onto it. I was sore until, oh, Thursday after doing it last Saturday. :lol It's just starting to ache 9 hours later today. That fucking circuit is just devastating. 

Omar Isuf led me to the program (http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/3279/articles/ed-coan-deadlift-routine), and since he adds to it I figured, why not? He took his deadlift from 405 to 505 in 10 weeks (and up to 565 by now I think) and since I love me some deadlifs I figured I'd try something similar. I was DONE at the end of the workout both times. I only did the ham machine cause they weren't totaled last week and biceps because I don't do them any other day of the week. That circuit kept me hungry, but I'll surely pay for it later. 

Here's Omar doing week four: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7AJ0smySJw


----------



## Rush

Skyfall said:


> Is this a freaking joke :lol
> 
> That's worse than some Gym Jones shit, man. Deadlifts followed by speed-deadlifts, followed by good mornings and stiff legs, and then leg curls?
> 
> good luck moving for the next 3 days :lmao you're insane


yeah, pretty much summed up my thoughts. I like deadlifts as much as the next person but have no interest in hobbling around for a few days afterwards :lol


----------



## i$e

yeah that's a shortcut to some major lower back injury even with perfect form


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

past 3 weeks.

deadlifts :
225 x 8
245 x 7
265 x 6
285 x 3
followed by Fran at 10:18

-next week- 

Deadlifts:
225 x 10
255 x 8
275 x 6
295 x 4
followed by Fran at 9:28

-next week-

Deadlifts:
255 x 10
285 x 7
305 x 4
305 x 4
Followed by Fran at 9:00 


I am Skyfall! King Kong ain't got Shit on me!


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Am I the only that like Smith Machine Squats better than regular squats?*


----------



## MF83

Yes, cause fuck the smith machine.

ATG Front squat went up forty pounds today. Failed 235 last week but hit 255 today. 

8x45
3x135
3x185
2x215
1x235
1x255
4x185
6x185
9x45

Then worked up to a third set of 5x345 on barbell hip thrusts because strong ass >

Called that session one then two-a-day'd abs and leg/glutes accessories after work. Figuring this program out, oh indeed.


----------



## JerseyScottie

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Am I the only that like Smith Machine Squats better than regular squats?*


Squats or deadlifts with the smith machine is not fully developing your muscles. You are simply using at track to guide that bar up. Proper form with just a regular bar will always be the #1 way to go for results with squats / deadlifts.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*True, but a lot of the time I don't have a spot. If that's true, I'll guess I'll got the natural way more.*


----------



## Rush

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Am I the only that like Smith Machine Squats better than regular squats?*


Don't do squats with a smith machine. Cannot stress that enough. You're locked into the one position so a) you're only working in a single, fixed plane of motion, and its not a natural movement b) your stabilising muscles aren't getting worked c) easy to develop muscle imbalances d) easy to get knee injuries.

If you're worried about not having a spotter then if there's anyone around just ask if they could help out. Some people will give you a spot, depending on how much of a dick they are :side:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Yes, cause fuck the smith machine.
> 
> ATG Front squat went up forty pounds today. Failed 235 last week but hit 255 today.


I was gonna say yes on front squats, upright rows, and shrugs (maybe lunges as well). but..


JerseyScottie said:


> Squats or deadlifts with the smith machine is not fully developing your muscles. You are simply using at track to guide that bar up. Proper form with just a regular bar will always be the #1 way to go for results with squats / deadlifts.


this. not for squats or deadlifts. But I constantly scrape my shins when I deadlift, and I don't on a Smith machine; which is good? yes or no?

and then doing squats, I can never _not_ lean back into the bar. Might as well Hack squat properly instead.


----------



## Rush

Skyfall said:


> I was gonna say yes on front squats, upright rows, and shrugs (maybe lunges as well). but..
> 
> 
> this. not for squats or deadlifts. *But I constantly scrape my shins when I deadlift*, and I don't on a Smith machine; which is good? yes or no?
> 
> and then doing squats, I can never _not_ lean back into the bar. Might as well Hack squat properly instead.


wear long socks, long pants or shin guards if it bothers you.


need to cancel my membership at the gym i'm currently at, and join one where a bunch of my mates are going. Always get more motivated if i have morepeople i know around


----------



## MF83

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *True, but a lot of the time I don't have a spot. If that's true, I'll guess I'll got the natural way more.*


I've never once squatted with a spotter because squat rack safety pins/bars do that job even better.


----------



## JerseyScottie

Skyfall said:


> I was gonna say yes on front squats, upright rows, and shrugs (maybe lunges as well). but..
> 
> 
> this. not for squats or deadlifts. But I constantly scrape my shins when I deadlift, and I don't on a Smith machine; which is good? yes or no?
> 
> and then doing squats, I can never _not_ lean back into the bar. Might as well Hack squat properly instead.


As far as shins being scraped..make sure your hips aren't lower than your knees like they would be for a squat (common problem), also ensure the bar isn't any further towards you than half of your foot. Alternatively you do what I do when I deadlift, I use a pair or longer socks(tube socks) to save my shins..you can also use sports tape, shin guards etc etc.

Leaning back into the bar, lighten up the weight, or even just use the bar with 0 weight(nobody will laugh at you). Practice your form and slowly add some weight, once you feel you may be leaning back into the bar - stop adding weight there. Even if you're only using say 90lbs , it's the form that will matter and will save your spine in the long run. Proper form will always outweigh heavy weights. Using this technique will DEFINITELY help you find your balance so to speak without the help of a track, just take your time and never give up (Y)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Do other people scrape their shins when deadlifting a lot? I get the occasional scrape now & again and thought of wearing socks or even sweat pants. But should I not be scraping my shins at all?

- ninja'd. when I DL my ass always goes probably just below parallel with the floor. I actually thought that was the point. Weirdly I scrape my shins less with heavier weight than less weight.


what are people's opinions on wrist wraps? I've only been using them on dead lifts (stiff and normal) and rows sometimes. But I also do a ton of pullups and use free weights daily. I won't suffer too much from using wraps, correct?


----------



## JerseyScottie

Skyfall said:


> Do other people scrape their shins when deadlifting a lot? I get the occasional scrape now & again and thought of wearing socks or even sweat pants. But should I not be scraping my shins at all?


I have long legs so I scrape a lot, hence the use of long socks. It really all depends on the length of your limbs and of course form _could_ play a role for some people as well.


----------



## MF83

I hit my knees by accident once in a while on the way down but I don't recall hitting shins too often... Tape yourself and see if its a form thing.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I only just started using wrist wraps about a month ago. I definitely helps me get more weight, noticeably. I know some people are 100% for or against them.


----------



## JerseyScottie

wraps are a savior, especially if you have weak wrists or wrists that often give you issues. I am personally all for them when the time calls for them such as with deadlifts and seated low rows


----------



## MF83

With wrist straps: using them is going to stunt your grip strength. Not using them is going to stunt your overall strength gains. I used to use them too much until I discovered and started using chalk. Chalk them palms up heavily, pull with a mixed grip and the added boost of straps are significantly lowered. I'll still use straps if I'm going heavier than I know my hands can handle (i.e. a 90% or higher set) but I'm trying not to for the rest anymore. Chalk is great for rows, shrugs, etc. and to some extent even pushes like bench or overhead, but that's probably overkill.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> With wrist straps: using them is going to stunt your grip strength. Not using them is going to stunt your overall strength gains. I used to use them too much until I discovered and started using chalk. Chalk them palms up heavily, pull with a mixed grip and the added boost of straps are significantly lowered. I'll still use straps if I'm going heavier than I know my hands can handle (i.e. a 90% or higher set) but I'm trying not to for the rest anymore. Chalk is great for rows, shrugs, etc. and to some extent even pushes like bench or overhead, but that's probably overkill.


yeah, that's what I heard. But I heard it's worth it for Deadlifts, and I only use them sometimes on rows (like if I'm fucking dead tired or they're ate the end of my lift).

chalk isn't allowed at my local LA fitness


----------



## MF83

Never tried it myself but I always read the Eco Ball (leaves no trace) http://www.amazon.com/Metolius-Non-Marking-Chalk-Substitute-colors/dp/B000212TGA is the next best thing for situations like that.


----------



## Olympus

_*#PROGRESS*_

Improved my mile by a minute since I hustled a little more. I've only ran twice this past week but every time I do I feel so much better, mentally and physically. Gotta start doing this more often.


----------



## APEX

Anyone who could help me, I would very grateful.

I posted a week or so ago about an injured knee / leg.

I've since been to the GP's and been advised I have an enflamed muscle behind a bone in my lower leg. So every time I run, this aggravates the muscle and causes my leg to have a numb / dead leg / weak feeling.

I need rest etc.

I have a 10k on 21st July and I need to do everything I can to sort this problem. Has anyone ever had anything like this before? And how did you combat the pain and recover quickly?

Just a swing in the dark that someone can help, really.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Fortitude said:


> Anyone who could help me, I would very grateful.
> 
> I posted a week or so ago about an injured knee / leg.
> 
> I've since been to the GP's and been advised I have an enflamed muscle behind a bone in my lower leg. So every time I run, this aggravates the muscle and causes my leg to have a numb / dead leg / weak feeling.
> 
> I need rest etc.
> 
> I have a 10k on 21st July and I need to do everything I can to sort this problem. Has anyone ever had anything like this before? And how did you combat the pain and recover quickly?
> 
> Just a swing in the dark that someone can help, really.


ice it? which leg, which bone, which muscle? it could easily be ITB or shin splints. but i don't know, be more specific (how long on a run till out hurts, where, sharp pain or just weak feeling?). 

ice, stretch, massage (depending).

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## APEX

Hmm. The Doc didn't even tell my exactly which muscle. Its basically the outisde of my lower leg, so knee down. After running for 30 seconds, the dead leg comes on straght away, its almost like my leg loses all strength.

Have you heard of anything like that before?


----------



## B.B Initials

Yep wouldn't mess about with an injured knee coz it can become far more worse if you push too much on it ...maybe you should check with a doctor specialist with sports in France we call them " medecin du sport" specialist with all sports injuries. I have been having an Achille's tendonitis right foot for more than a month now and can't run at all on it ..I 've tried but it comes back all the time and I take the risk of it becoming chronic. I've iced it,just started to do protocole stanish, I'm doing transverse deep friction massages, got orthopaedics soles to a foot doctor but I reckon I will need to see a physiotherapist. Did you check a foot doctor ? sometimes knee problems can result from a foot problem ( flat foot, curve foot etc ...) my advice would be check this with another doctor !!!!! He should have been able to give you more details !


----------



## B.B Initials

Fortitude said:


> Anyone who could help me, I would very grateful.
> 
> I posted a week or so ago about an injured knee / leg.
> 
> I've since been to the GP's and been advised I have an enflamed muscle behind a bone in my lower leg. So every time I run, this aggravates the muscle and causes my leg to have a numb / dead leg / weak feeling.
> 
> I need rest etc.
> 
> I have a 10k on 21st July and I need to do everything I can to sort this problem. Has anyone ever had anything like this before? And how did you combat the pain and recover quickly?
> 
> Just a swing in the dark that someone can help, really.


How I understand ( even if I'm not running 10K yet ) ! It's been really hard for me to stop running, but unfortunately you will need to be patient, if you want it to solve quikly, running on it you just maintain the injury I'm afraid..


----------



## Rush

Fortitude said:


> Anyone who could help me, I would very grateful.
> 
> I posted a week or so ago about an injured knee / leg.
> 
> I've since been to the GP's and been advised I have an enflamed muscle behind a bone in my lower leg. So every time I run, this aggravates the muscle and causes my leg to have a numb / dead leg / weak feeling.
> 
> I need rest etc.
> 
> I have a 10k on 21st July and I need to do everything I can to sort this problem. Has anyone ever had anything like this before? And how did you combat the pain and recover quickly?
> 
> Just a swing in the dark that someone can help, really.





Fortitude said:


> Hmm. The Doc didn't even tell my exactly which muscle. Its basically the outisde of my lower leg, so knee down. After running for 30 seconds, the dead leg comes on straght away, its almost like my leg loses all strength.
> 
> Have you heard of anything like that before?


So its basically pain in your peroneus longus or tibialis anterior muscle? do you have a foam roller at all at home? if you do, or have access to one then use it.


----------



## i$e

if you dont have a foam roller use a tennis ball


----------



## APEX

Rush said:


> So its basically pain in your peroneus longus or tibialis anterior muscle? do you have a foam roller at all at home? if you do, or have access to one then use it.





i$e said:


> if you dont have a foam roller use a tennis ball


We have them at my gym.

Im sorry I can't describe the injury in a little more detail.

I was very nervous / scared at first, just because of the numbness and dead leg sensation I was getting, I've never had anything like that before.

Usually it's just a blatant injury, ie: Twisted ankle.

But this came out of no where.

I've never used the rollers. But I found this on YouTube, is this what I should be doing? Will it just stretch and warm my leg up?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Fortitude said:


>


:yum: for both her and how great foam rolleys are.


----------



## i$e

ill admit when i fucked my SI joint i watched foam roller vids for the girls when i should have been watching to learn tips

same w/ yoga


----------



## Rush

Yeah basically you want to stretch the muscle in your leg there. Foam roller + some stretching and see if it makes a difference for you.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

so, I got a tattoo on my left ribcage ("007", it's pretty awesome), and wanted to know if you think Thrusters, pullups, and chest extensions (and flyes) will fuck it up. Pain wise I'm fine, it was yesterday and feels fine today; also I've stretched my arm around and it doesn't look like the skin stretches much at all. So I should be good to do most things. I'm just worried with the above mentioned lifts; any tips on dealing with a tattoo while at the gym for the first 2 weeks?


----------



## NoyK

Hey guys quick question; is it hazardous to drink large amounts of fresh water on your workout breaks? Is it safer to just drink a few sips instead?


----------



## JJJ

Skyfall said:


> so, I got a tattoo on my left ribcage ("007", it's pretty awesome), and wanted to know if you think Thrusters, pullups, and chest extensions (and flyes) will fuck it up. Pain wise I'm fine, it was yesterday and feels fine today; also I've stretched my arm around and it doesn't look like the skin stretches much at all. So I should be good to do most things. I'm just worried with the above mentioned lifts; any tips on dealing with a tattoo while at the gym for the first 2 weeks?


95% of the time tattoos won't be too affected depending on its size, it's more comparable to sunburn, I've not noticed anything significant/degradation of the tattoo when working out after getting one & I've got a fair bit :lol.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

NoyK said:


> Hey guys quick question; is it hazardous to drink large amounts of fresh water on your workout breaks? Is it safer to just drink a few sips instead?


well honestly I think it's personal preference. Most people would tell you sips, as large amounts of water will make you sluggish and upset your stomach during lifting. I don't know the science behind it, but it's like moving a fish bowl around without water as compared to with water. Which one sounds harder?

I do 1 long sip for like 3 seconds on breaks, or no water breaks at all. Just don't take shots of whiskey in between sets.


----------



## xdoomsayerx

Easiest/fastest way to cut weight for the next 5 days? I know cardio but what about diet? Cut as many carbs as I can?


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

NoyK said:


> Hey guys quick question; is it hazardous to drink large amounts of fresh water on your workout breaks? Is it safer to just drink a few sips instead?


Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication 
Then decide for yourself.

I will quote this from that article though.


> Under normal circumstances, accidentally consuming too much water is exceptionally rare.


I've drank 2 quarts regularly during strenuous cardio sessions with no ill effects other than sloshing and bathroom breaks.

Nowadays, during cardio workouts, I fill a pint sized water bottle (maybe re-fill and drink the refill partially too) and take sips, but also make sure you're getting adequate fluids throughout the day...(64 oz. recommended by many sources, but adjust to your comfort...the point is drink enough to avoid being dehydrated. If you're sweating a lot, you're losing a lot of water.)



xdoomsayerx said:


> Easiest/fastest way to cut weight for the next 5 days? I know cardio but what about diet? Cut as many carbs as I can?


Just reduce the amount you eat by a few hundred calories (per day), keep up the cardio, and you'll be set. You don't need to cut out carbs for your weight loss, but you still may if you choose.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

xdoomsayerx said:


> Easiest/fastest way to cut weight for the next 5 days? I know cardio but what about diet? Cut as many carbs as I can?


in 5 days? easiest?

no carbs, 45 minute cardio sessions, optional lifting, 10-15 sauna sessions, no sodium, smoke, eat chicken and broccoli.

5 day cut. 8*D

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## MF83

I've overconsumed water before. I thought I was offsetting for high caffeine intake but little did I know I was verging on cellular destruction. I'm talking 5+ litres in only 5 or 6 hours. Really scary situation that got me learning the science behind proper hydration. Tired, confused, bloated, weak, etc. - I pissed five times before taking in another liquid after that. :lol

As for between sets, I'd only recommend it if you're Truly dehydrated but your thirst receptors will screw off every time you take a small sip.

Pulled 365 raw after warm up sets yesterday but didn't continue the working sets cause I didn't want to be pulverized before a 9 hour active work shift. Still did the circuit from hell and windmill curls after though. Closing in on 400, woot! 

Bumped my overhead press PR up to 150lbs today which was nice/surprising because I didn't think I would do it. Got into angry kill mode and boom, that was a great feeling. It's becoming my second favourite movement because just like with the deadlift, you either lift that shit and lock out or you fail. There's no cheating either really (as long as you refrain from using legs on the OH).


----------



## Rush

xdoomsayerx said:


> Easiest/fastest way to cut weight for the next 5 days? I know cardio but what about diet? Cut as many carbs as I can?


why are you only cutting for 5 days? also what are you cutting for?



NoyK said:


> Hey guys quick question; is it hazardous to drink large amounts of fresh water on your workout breaks? Is it safer to just drink a few sips instead?


i always just take a few sips.


----------



## wrestlingistkrieg

Guys I need help. I'm crazy out of shape now. I haven't done any physical activity since may when my hs sports season ended. But Im planning on joining an mma gym next month when it opens, and I need to gain way more cardio before I can even dream of joining. So what's the fastest way to gain cardio? I hate running outside because I feel like I'm going to faint. I don't know if Im just pushing myself too hard or something is wrong. Is it better to take fitness classes? Or just go to the gym and do hours on the treadmill?


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

wrestlingistkrieg said:


> Guys I need help. I'm crazy out of shape now. I haven't done any physical activity since may when my hs sports season ended. But Im planning on joining an mma gym next month when it opens, and I need to gain way more cardio before I can even dream of joining. So what's the fastest way to gain cardio? I hate running outside because I feel like I'm going to faint. I don't know if Im just pushing myself too hard or something is wrong. Is it better to take fitness classes? Or just go to the gym and do hours on the treadmill?


Either or. Classes are good if you like a structured, group-type workout but there may be a slight learning curve for some of the moves and exercises compared to plodding along on the treadmill. This can be a good thing because it'll keep your mind occupied. 

You may also just be running too fast and you can always go slower and work up your pace as you improve.


----------



## MF83

Strength train also. Do high intensity interval training. Do strength circuits. Do calisthenics. Do plyometrics. Eat lots. Take caffeine before. Swim. Intensity will be key for an MMA gym.


And my last two-a-day legs before a deload. Wound up doing five push/pull/leg cycles over the last four weeks or so and yeah, body says chill so I shall.


Barbell hipthrusted 405x4 because fuck yeah: strong ass. I wrote that same-ish sentence last week for 345. Nobody does the damn movement but everyone should because it's a killer.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Strength train also. Do high intensity interval training. Do strength circuits. Do calisthenics. Do plyometrics. Eat lots. Take caffeine before. Swim. Intensity will be key for an MMA gym.
> 
> 
> And my last two-a-day legs before a deload. Wound up doing five push/pull/leg cycles over the last four weeks or so and yeah, body says chill so I shall.
> 
> 
> Barbell hipthrusted 405x4 because fuck yeah: strong ass. I wrote that same-ish sentence last week for 345. Nobody does the damn movement but everyone should because it's a killer.


what exactly do you mean "hipthrusted"? I do thrusters, is that what you mean? like a front squat into a push-press. But I can barely do my own body weight more than once (188lbs)

edit: ok, nevermind. I googled it, I do thrusters you do isolated hip thursters. I did those one in my life; but I also used to do kettle bell swings with 100 lb, when I had access to a kettlebell. 405 is a lot though.


----------



## Sex Ferguson

I'm getting out of shape guys, but i have no motivation for the gym! how do you guys get motivated!?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Sex Ferguson said:


> I'm getting out of shape guys, but i have no motivation for the gym! how do you guys get motivated!?


----------



## APEX

Sex Ferguson said:


> I'm getting out of shape guys, but i have no motivation for the gym! how do you guys get motivated!?


I always think about my next holiday and how I would like to look for it.

Plus its a nice feeling being confident in how you look, but the main thing of all is just enjoying it. I enjoy going to the gym and trying to better myself.


----------



## Raging Eboue

Sex Ferguson said:


> I'm getting out of shape guys, but i have no motivation for the gym! how do you guys get motivated!?


Watch This shit.


----------



## MF83

Skyfall said:


> what exactly do you mean "hipthrusted"? I do thrusters, is that what you mean? like a front squat into a push-press. But I can barely do my own body weight more than once (188lbs)
> 
> edit: ok, nevermind. I googled it, I do thrusters you do isolated hip thursters. I did those one in my life; but I also used to do kettle bell swings with 100 lb, when I had access to a kettlebell. 405 is a lot though.


Yeah, this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCm-70-9_XE drains energy on par with squats or deads. I only have the regular sized pussy pad at my gym so my legs in line with my crotch hurt a lot/might bruise :lol


----------



## wrestlingistkrieg

Are there any good cardio workout vids on youtube? Has anyone actually tried those and think it helped them out? Maybe I'll be more motivated to workout at home.


----------



## Sex Ferguson

Cheers fellas, fuck Cesaro is a beast. once i get beack into a routine i'll be ok! appreciate the help


----------



## D17

Sex Ferguson said:


> I'm getting out of shape guys, but i have no motivation for the gym! how do you guys get motivated!?


have your mates get to the gym, get a competition going on or something.

and do you guys reckon benching 150kg/or 330 pounds, for a 19 year old is decent?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

D17 said:


> have your mates get to the gym, get a competition going on or something.
> 
> and do you guys reckon benching 150kg/or 330 pounds, for a 19 year old is decent?


depends on his size. if he's an average 19 year old size then I say that's a lot.


----------



## MF83

A 330 bench press is advanced-elite at almost any size...


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I"m 190 and I can do 235 lbs. probably twice. I always felt my bench was weak too, so this is reassuring chart. do you have any other charts?


----------



## MF83

Yep. That's just a screenshot from http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html exrx is an amazing site in general.

The other big three...


----------



## Magic

what is "untrained"? Because I can safely say I couldn't do most of those weights when I first started. 


I know some other people that couldn't do their respective weights either. Although I guess we could have been all just WEAK compared to the average person. 8*D :side:


----------



## MF83

Those are all one rep max measures. 

At 187lbs, my new raw deadlift PR today is 385lbs! (Took a video to prove it too!) Got 400 off the ground but it wasn't gonna happen.

I'll test my 1RM back squat within the next week or so but given my deadlift progress, glute focus, front squat 1RM of 255lbs, and my last max test of 275x2 two or three months ago, it will be somewhere north of 300.

My bench is terrible relative to everything else and I can admit that. It took everything and full hype to do 205 once a couple weeks back.

My overhead press, on the other hand, is relatively great considering only training it since late May. 150lbs 1RM a week or so ago.

So I'm comfortably intermediate on all of them except the bench, which is pretty sweet. Deadlift, press and squat may all see advanced level before the year's out. Hooray for progress.


----------



## Rockstar

I'm having trouble gaining muscle and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I work out 5 days a week (Chest day, arm day, back day, leg day and shoulder day), I eat very healthy, take in about 150 grams of protein a day and I get plenty of sleep. I feel like I'm doing everything you need to do (Although I have heard from some places you need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight). 

Do I need more protein in my diet? What can I do to gain more muscle quicker. By the way, I'm 6'1, around 190 pounds with a BF% of 14.6.


----------



## MF83

For muscle building you do want at the very least 1g per pound of body weight so aim for 200g or more. Maybe post your workouts so we can see what you're doing too. Google maintenance calories for your height/weight and aim for that in general.


----------



## Rockstar

Here's my workouts for the week:

*Chest Day*
Bench Press (5x5)
Incline Bench Press (3x10)
Dumbbell Flys (3x10)
Front Raise & Pullover (4x10)
Incline Dumbbell Flys (3x10)
Cable Crossovers (3x15)

*Back Day*
Lat Pull Down (4x10)
One Arm Dumbbell Row (4x10)
Pull Up (4xFail)
Close Row (3x10)
Shrugs (4x10)
Machine Pulldown (3x10)
Deltoid Row (3x10
I will do dead lift on occasion but at the gym I go to currently, it is difficult to get dead lifts in

*Arm Day*
Preacher Cable Curl (4x10)
Tricep cable Pushdown (3x10)
Concentration Curls (3x10)
Lying Tricep Extension (4xFail)
Standing Dumbbell Curl (4xFail) Superset with the Tricep Extensions
French Press (3x10)
Hammer Curls (3x10)

*Shoulder Day*
Military Press (3x10)
Seater Arnold (4x10)
Single Shoulder Press (3x10)
Reverse Flys (3x10)
Dumbbell Front Raise (4x10)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise (4x10) Superset with the front raises

*Leg Day*
Squats (4x5)
Standing Calf Raises (4x25)
Leg Extensions (4x10)
Leg Curls (3x10)
Leg Press (4x10)

At the end of every day I also do 45 crunches, 1 minute of plank and 1 minute of scissor kicks. I also have an abs day, which I consider more of a rest day since it's pretty light, here is what I do for ab day:

*Ab Day*
Crunches (4x30)
Leg Raises (4x15)
Heel Touches (4x15)
Toe Touches (4x15)
Scissor Kicks (4x:30)
Plank (4x:30)
Side Planks (4x:20) 4 on each side

I do that as a circuit, no breaks in between each workout. 

Now don't get me wrong, I have seen some progress. I'm in the best shape of my life, I'm much leaner than I've ever been before, but I want to gain more muscle. For supplements I take whey protein after every workout, I take pre-workout, I take fish oil pills and multi-vitamins and I also take a fat burner (Trying to get bf% to 10%).


----------



## MF83

Ah, this is where i$e steps in and tells you to pick one of either bulking or cutting. The calorie deficiency needed to cut fat is counterintuitive to the caloric surplus needed to build some real mass. For other supplements: perhaps creatine and I love ZMA (zinc/magnesium/B6... people lack the first two in their diet a lot of the times/it boosts testosterone/sleep is improved). Also, slow-release casein powder before bed to keep you anabolic overnight.

Beyond that, I feel like taking a stab at this so here comes my own non-expert, biased, somewhat brosciencey editorial: 

I'd recommend possibly cycling in some kind of simpler strength training cycle for a while just to boost the numbers you'll be using with all of that bodybuilding volume. For example, I have no idea what numbers you're using but if you did a strength training program for a short period of say, 2-3 months, your big lifts/all other lifts will go up at a rapid pace... so you'll be doing high volume with that much more weight, meaning MORE GAINS. 

It's pretty clear your posterior chain is missing out on all the action it needs and your body will suffer in the long term. You want to build size... the deadlift is the king of mass building. If you don't want to clang on the ground then do stiff legged, deficit, etc. variations or at least do good mornings. You hardly have any low back, hamstring, or glute work in there at all. What do the bench press, overhead press, deadlift, and squat all have in common? They all use the glutes! Who doesn't like a big, strong ass? Especially since the gluteus maximus is the body's largest muscle!

If working the mid-low posterior chain more sounds appealing, I'd add triceps onto shoulder/chest days and biceps at the end of your now two "back" days. So, you're pushing twice, pulling twice, and leg/abbing twice in some kind of split. The reason I say that is because chest/shoulders already warm up/drain your triceps a bunch so finishing them off with isolation work makes sense; ditto for rows/chins/etc. and biceps afterward. 

Squats, deadlifts, etc. that drain the full body all release more hormones = more growth, so keep that in mind as well.

I did lots of high rep ab work like that as well, but then I got turned onto lower volume ab work and it has made all the difference, for me at least. This article~! http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/21st_century_core_training_1

I'd also recommend watching everything you can from omarisuf (http://www.youtube.com/user/OmarIsuf) on youtube. That guy is clear, concise, funny, entertaining and has a video for about every question/topic out there. Elliot Hulse (strengthcamp channel on youtube) is amazing too, and he's probably my favourite human being. T-nation.com; its articles and forums, is a fucking library of knowledge on all of this as well.

I hope any of that helps you.


----------



## Rush

drop the reps down, lift heavier. 

compound exercises are king if you want to build mass - squats, deadlifts etc. 

why anyone does a purely arm day, bodybuilders aside, is beyond me. Mix in your workouts a bit more - Chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs/abs are the 3 splits i like to do with shoulders generally on a chest day. Depends on how i'm feeling b/c my right shoulder is a pain in the ass.


----------



## i$e

full time work is fucking with my training

sigh


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> The other big three...


um, bullshit. How does a 198 lb. man go from 155 to 290 in one step? Is that a mistake? That's nearly double. I'm only 190 lbs. and I max 315 on a great day. I want to find their pullup chart. 

I also think the squat chart was very low. 



i$e said:


> full time work is fucking with my training
> 
> sigh


Bro, you need to bench more.


----------



## MF83

It probably didn't take you very long to get from nothing to 2.5 plates though, and if you train them hard enough you could get to 400 in a few months. Deadlift "noob gains" are fricking rapid so that one makes sense to me. This thread and the guys calling 400 lbs nothing is honestly what got me pushing to up my deadlift like I have been: http://tnation.t-nation.com/free_online_forum/music_movies_girls_life/getting_to_a_400_lb_deadlift

As for squats, that's powerlifting parallel (edit: nope, full range ATG) so that looks good too. These are long standing standards so I'd trust them. Maybe you're a natural squatter?

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_squat_4_times_per_week_experiment&cr= I read this a while back and am now two workouts into this cycle of doing four squat sessions a week for the next month. I plan on doing one of each front squatting, single leg squatting, back squatting and overhead squatting once a week, second exercise at 3xhigh reps, under deadlifts, bench, overhead and my newest addition of power cleans!


----------



## kingfunkel

So what's everyones preference, Eating before a workout or after?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kingfunkel said:


> So what's everyones preference, Eating before a workout or after?


Both. Not a huge meal before though, and definitely not sushi though. Holy shit that was a horrible workout

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----------



## Dark-Angel

I don't really contribute much to this thread but its really helped me out lately with getting a solid workout plan going, Appreciate guys!


----------



## Rockstar

kingfunkel said:


> So what's everyones preference, Eating before a workout or after?


I usually do both. I'll have a banana/apple and pre-workout before the gym and afterwards I'll have a protein shake and something light (yogurt, peanut butter, etc.).


----------



## MF83

I always eat an apple or two with whatever caffeine for hypenergy pre-workout, then protein immediately or even at the end of or during my workout after them big starter lifts if they drain me, and ideally fruits/something starchy and something fatty and meat/eggs a bit after. My gym has a smoothie bar so I get that after deadlift days at the very least, they put juice/couple fruits/yogurt/whey and it's so amazingly refreshing.


----------



## SUPER HANS

Anyone else struggling to maintain workouts in the hot weather? I've really slacked off running in the past few weeks. Time to start early morning before the heat.


----------



## JerseyScottie

ashes11 said:


> Anyone else struggling to maintain workouts in the hot weather? I've really slacked off running in the past few weeks. Time to start early morning before the heat.


just got back from the gym..the heat outside definitely hit me in the face when walking out of the gym but it's a lifestyle I've committed myself to.


----------



## Rush

kingfunkel said:


> So what's everyones preference, Eating before a workout or after?


I will have a banana or something light beforehand, then after will be either a shake or a proper meal depending on the time. 



ashes11 said:


> Anyone else struggling to maintain workouts in the hot weather? I've really slacked off running in the past few weeks. Time to start early morning before the heat.


I prefer the heat honestly. Granted that its always reasonably hot here


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

ashes11 said:


> Anyone else struggling to maintain workouts in the hot weather? I've really slacked off running in the past few weeks. Time to start early morning before the heat.


No, I just move my workouts indoors and turn on the A/C when it gets like it's been (in the 90s)

You could join a cheap gym with A/C and run on treadmill in there or if you have A/C you could buy some used equipment that you can use at home or buy no equipment at all and just do a lot of body weight circuits that get you sweating for a half an hour or more.


----------



## kingfunkel

ashes11 said:


> Anyone else struggling to maintain workouts in the hot weather? I've really slacked off running in the past few weeks. Time to start early morning before the heat.


I struggle during hot weather but it's more due to the fact I don't feel like eating  I almost have to force feed myself, absolute nightmare


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

http://forum.dutchbodybuilding.com/f75/female-workout-pics-vids-284354/
this is a beautiful thread of woman pics/gifs. enjoy.


----------



## RKO920

Starting tracking my macros today via my fitness pal. This should be fun.


----------



## MF83

^ Terrific app.


CAN ATG SQUAT 300+; can overhead box squat 4x75. That shit is humbling.


----------



## Rockstar

RKO920 said:


> Starting tracking my macros today via my fitness pal. This should be fun.


Yeah I just got that app too. Fantastic, very useful.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


>


well, I'm sitting at about 188 lbs, 5' 10", Today I did
Deadlift
275 x 8
295 x 6
315 x 3
315 x 3

So I'm not even Intermediate. and then I did "Fran" afterwards in 9:03".


----------



## MF83

Those are all one rep max totals though. Try for a big single next week. 

Do something like 

8x45
3x135
3x225
2x315
1x335
1x355
1x?

You may be blowing your load too early with all those heavy reps if you're trying to post a big number. Take a longer break between those working singles and get refreshed and fully hyped for the big numbers.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> 8x45
> 3x135
> 3x225
> 2x315
> 1x335
> 1x355
> 1x?
> 
> *You may be blowing your load too early* with all those heavy reps if you're trying to post a big number. Take a longer break between those working singles and get refreshed and fully hyped for the big numbers.


_that's not happening_ :side:

I've only ever done 4 sets. maybe 5, but then it'd by 5x5 or something similar. I usually rest at 1:30 to 1:40 between the sets. Lately, wrist straps. I go naked shins and usually regret it. Also, people have told me "you don't have to hit the floor each time you come down", which I think is essential. 

I can DL more than the average man I think, but not Bench (since that's all the average man worries about). an average chest day would be

Bench:
185 x 8-10
205 x 8
205 x 6-8
225 x 2-4 

I really want to be able to just start with 2 plates like everyone else. I hate looking bigger than 1/2 the people there, but that half still bench more than me. Probably the only thing I still lift based on what everyone else thinks. Endurance wise I'm kind of Beast. I can do with one arm what takes most people 2! #Cesaro


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

this is my 5 workout plan. maybe I'll go 5 days straight (maybe more), or maybe I'll do 2 workouts a week. Preferably, it's 2 on/1 off. But, real life, you know? the numbers to the right are my set numbers depending. Is this retarded?

#1 - extra
Deadlift (3/4/5)
FRAN
lying chest extension (3/4)
Concentration curl (3/4)

#2 - Back
Barbell Row (4/5)
Preacher Curl (3/4)
Bent over Cable Cross-overs (3/4)
Upright Row [smith machine] 93)
Barbell Curls (4)
Single Arm Rows (3/4)

#3 - chest
Bench Press (4/5)
Seated Lat Pull Down(3/4/5)
Skull Crusher (3/4)
Over Head Tri. ext. (3/4)
Dips (4)
Pec Flyes (3/4)

#4 - leg
Squat (4/5)
Calves (3/4)
Stiff DL (3/4)
Leg ext. (3)
Leg curl (3)
Hip Flexor (4)
Hack Squat (3/4)

#5 - shoulders
Should Press (4/5)
Pull ups (AMRAP to 50)
Tricep Pulldown (3)
Shrug [smith machine] (3/4)
Arnold Press (3/4)
Lateral Deltoid Raises (3/4)


----------



## MF83

For the deadlift - Those are fine sets for training it in general but bad if you're trying to test your 1RM. You just seemed bummed compared to that chart or something. I swear you could pull 350 if you warmed up lighter. You do have to hit the floor or else it's not a deadlift... It's an alive lift? :lol


I did my first good chest-centric day in forever yesterday. 9 Bench sets with chin ups and overhead box squats between them, dips, incline guillotine, a trap bar 15 rep complex (5xeach of skull crushers, overhead press, bench press in a row), stiff pushdowns and then rotator cuff stability work. 

Last deadlift day (July 15th) I did my high dead sets, then a 3 set pairing of front squats and stiff leg deads, and then debuted the snatch grip high pull: http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5676522 and I love it. High rep Kroc rows followed by biceps and it was a good day.


Having a deadlift-off with my coworker tomorrow. Should be great. Tomorrow might just be the day I hit 400. So pumped.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I might try this then. 

I knew a Chief in the US Navy, he was just under 50 years old. along distant runner, about 5'9" roughly, probably 160 lbs. He won our base (in Africa where there were marines, army, special forces...) dead lift for his weight class. 455 lbs. Impressive alone, but the fact was he was pretty slim, a runner. That was almost 2 years ago when I could dead lift like, maybe 225? Since then I've been trying to go _ELITE_!

Crossfit games are on ESPN. Some dude did FRAN in 2:52. It takes me over 9 minutes.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

If you do any one thing before you die, let it be watching this.

*Don't listen to her voice!*


----------



## MF83

That voice warning line ain't big enough

I finally looked up what FRAN was. That shit looks fun. I'm going to have to try it one day.


Today. Oh dear, today. Today was the first day training hard with a partner. I've fooled around with friends casually in the gym plenty before but never gone beast mode with another person side-by-side. This is a coworker who happens to go to the same gym. The deal was we stop when he quits. He has worked out enough to know what to do, so that was good. He claimed high rep sets of 315 on deadlift with straps, plus that he is tall with long gorilla arms, I figured he could go heavy with me for singles. And how. 

8 sets of deadlifts: we both failed at 405... BOO. On video replay it's clear I kept my hips way too high at the start, which sucks cause I got the bar close to my knees. Damn peer pressure fucking with my form. Anyhow, that was good and I'll get it next week.

I'm doing the 4 times a week squatting thing so we supersetted stiff leg deads with high rep back squats. My third set of light squats was 30 reps ATG with the 45lbs bar. That was fun. He is not too strong squatting so I thought he was gonna quit after that. Nope.

2 sets of (for me) higher rep hip thrusts at only 225lbs. Not sure the rep totals cause I was busy teaching how to do them. I was getting a little nauseous at that point but we kept going. 

Supersetting snatch grip high pulls at (for me) 95 or 115 lbs x 8 for three sets with (for me) 135 x 8 90 degree Pendlay rows. Holy shit. We drank our shakes and we kept going cause he wasn't quitting. 

Reverse barbell curls mixed in with high rep Kroc rows (23x30lbs per hand, 16x30lbs, 8x30lbs). A couple sets of windmill curls later and he submitted. 

Holy shit. An hour and a half of HEAVY lifting. We walked and stretched and I went home to eat. And eat. And eat... My CNS is still fuckered and I've done nothing but eat since. :lol One of the hardest workouts of my life. Dumb, yes, but amazing. Gon' be sore tomorrow.


----------



## El Conquistador

Nice. Looking thick, solid and tight. Keep us all posted on your continued progress with any new progress pics or vid clips. Show us what you got man. Wanna see how freakin' huge, solid, thick and tight you can get. Thanks for the motivation.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*On my 4th week of bulking. I've gained 6.2 lbs. so far. So far so good, I still have to work on my deadlift and squat form, though. I must say this is a lot more fun than I expected. *


----------



## APEX

*Hey, this question is probably directed at Skyfall but if anyone else has some good knowledge I would be really grateful.

Im trying a cutting diet. But I can't get the food / diet spot on. 

My workouts are fine, it's the insanity workout mixed with swimming and some weight training to maintain my strength.

The problem is my food, at the minute this is what im eating on an average weekday:


Breakfast: Porridge and some fruit, banana and apples.

Snack mid day: Nuts

Dinner: 1/2 chicken breasts with raw carrots / mushrooms with some cottage cheese.

Tea: Steak / salmon / pork / chicken (changes everyday) with lots of veg.

And that's it, I've only tried this for 2 days but im finding myself very hungry after my tea. Im fine in the day, pretty full and not craving.

Am I missing out on too many carbs????

If anyone has any advice I will take it on board. Im trying to do this without any supps as well.

Im 6"1 and weigh 82kg. My body size is fine im just now trying to cut up. But im basically a beginner at this and don't want to get it wrong. *


----------



## kingfunkel

If you've only tried it for 2 days give it another 2-3 days for your body to adjust. Once it's routine you'll be sorted!

Also if you're hungry then just eat something like a banana! Instead of eating 4 meals, try reducing the size of your meals and instead of having 4 have 6 in a day. No one can tell you how to eat as everyone is different. So what works for 1 person may not work for another.


----------



## APEX

kingfunkel said:


> If you've only tried it for 2 days give it another 2-3 days for your body to adjust. Once it's routine you'll be sorted!
> 
> Also if you're hungry then just eat something like a banana! Instead of eating 4 meals, try reducing the size of your meals and instead of having 4 have 6 in a day. No one can tell you how to eat as everyone is different. So what works for 1 person may not work for another.


Thanks mate.

It just feels like I haven't got the right balance. With the carbs. I mean, im not sure if I should be eating any bread / pasta etc.


----------



## kingfunkel

Fortitude said:


> Thanks mate.
> 
> It just feels like I haven't got the right balance. With the carbs. I mean, im not sure if I should be eating any bread / pasta etc.


It's all trial and error basically. People can give you tips on what to cut down on etc. but everyone's body is different and takes to food differently. Chances are if it doesn't feel balanced after like 4days then change it up.

My tip is if you go to a gym and see people working out with a body that you're after, just pick their brains. Find out what they're eating etc. you'll probably end up with a new work out buddy too  it's easy me giving advice over the Internet but you're better off asking someone who can physically see you and is watching your progress.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

kingfunkel said:


> It's all trial and error basically. People can give you tips on what to cut down on etc. but everyone's body is different and takes to food differently. Chances are if it doesn't feel balanced after like 4days then change it up.


this is fairly true. You can really get intricate and count all your macros, but that's dumb unless you're a professional athlete or going into a contest. 

You're diet is real low on carbs. Definitely add some, at least after a workout. I try cutting like every other month and give up a week into it. Fuck that. I don't know how anyone in college or not with a full-time job (allowing easier organizing of meals) can get cut. I'm convinced anyone who is cut in college is based on roids or genetics (or their a nutrition major maybe). I think cutting is the worst thing ever; some people would say "well then you're not doing it right." 

find the use i$e's signature and read his cutting/bulking guide. You can even google a calculator to see how many calories you should be eating. In my opinion, they always say too much; but if you stick with exactly what they say for at least 2 weeks and you lose weight, then continue. Obviously if not, change something.

I didn't really answer any questions. I just got high and wanted to talk nutrition.

we could cut together bro (fortitude). We could be Shredheads and make all these other fat kids on here eat our dust!


----------



## APEX

Skyfall said:


> this is fairly true. You can really get intricate and count all your macros, but that's dumb unless you're a professional athlete or going into a contest.
> 
> You're diet is real low on carbs. Definitely add some, at least after a workout. I try cutting like every other month and give up a week into it. Fuck that. I don't know how anyone in college or not with a full-time job (allowing easier organizing of meals) can get cut. I'm convinced anyone who is cut in college is based on roids or genetics (or their a nutrition major maybe). I think cutting is the worst thing ever; some people would say "well then you're not doing it right."
> 
> find the use i$e's signature and read his cutting/bulking guide. You can even google a calculator to see how many calories you should be eating. In my opinion, they always say too much; but if you stick with exactly what they say for at least 2 weeks and you lose weight, then continue. Obviously if not, change something.
> 
> I didn't really answer any questions. I just got high and wanted to talk nutrition.
> 
> we could cut together bro (fortitude). We could be Shredheads and make all these other fat kids on here eat our dust!


Ahaha shredheds 4 life bro!

Thanks for the info, its the first time I've really tried this and it is very hard.
I think I will have to add some more carbs in.

I'll have a look at i$e's guide today.


----------



## RKO920

IIFYM. It works. Look it up. Flexible dieting.


----------



## MF83

Disclaimer: 7th consecutive workout featuring at least one squat variant over the last 12 days. Yesterday, we did 3 sets of high rep front squats and I was stiff and sore heading into the workout today, so naturally I decided to test a max. Sore, not firing at 100%, with a full stomach, my Iron Sheik Camel Clutch shirt, featuring a shit stance and mediocre form:






Hooray. A horrific fail try on 335 followed, but that's alright because I was nowhere near 100% today. We did a few diversified variants afterwards and finished with a bar-only front squat set for maximum reps. 40x45lbs is recorded on my buddy/coworker's camera and it was glorious because there's pre-antics, dancing, and I'm squatting to the beat of Phil Collins' _In the Air Tonight_. I need to get that footage. :lol

Also, my deadlift vid from July 15:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Also, my deadlift vid from July 15:


sweetness. What's your stiff-leg dead lift up to?


----------



## MF83

No idea. Never tested it heavy before since I usually do it higher reps after deads or squats. Maybe one of these days I'll find out. Just figured I should post a couple vids so people know I'm not completely full of shit. :lol


----------



## Rayfu

Good way to stay in shape? fuck a bitch, like Rayfu.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

Rayfu said:


> Good way to stay in shape? fuck a bitch, like Rayfu.


:lmao


----------



## Rockstar

What do you guys recommend for a pre-workout supplement? I'm currently using Cellucor C4 Extreme but I find I have to keep upping the dosage to feel anything. Right now I'm looking at Gaspari Superdrive because I've heard it was good and I had a sample which worked well. Thought I'd see what you guys use before I order it though.


----------



## MF83

I've never used a preworkout before. I eat fruit, a scoop of BCAAs and drink sugar-free Rockstars, OR coffee + Siberian ginseng + B50 Complex. Omegas and Multivitamin sometime before that add to the hype, as well as the daily creatine. Yeah. I'd imagine one with some kind of safe stimulant + beta alanine (which I might try out) + caffeine + BCAAS will do the job. I've always wanted to use one but meh, haven't neeeeeeeeded it before, and I'm a recovering addict so fucking around with stimulants probably isn't the best idea. :lol


PS: Finally Bench Pressed 225, 235lbs (math! edit #2: MATH. Two plates and a ten per side. Bah gawd.) today yesterday. 

245
315
385
+__
945. 55 LBS AWAY FROM THE 1000 LBS TOTAL CLUB~! This shall be my goal for August.


----------



## Zen

Rayfu said:


> Good way to stay in shape? fuck a bitch, like Rayfu.


Teach me :lebron7


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rockstar said:


> What do you guys recommend for a pre-workout supplement? I'm currently using Cellucor C4 Extreme but I find I have to keep upping the dosage to feel anything. Right now I'm looking at Gaspari Superdrive because I've heard it was good and I had a sample which worked well. Thought I'd see what you guys use before I order it though.


Jack3d, Pink Magic, or a banana. 2/3 puts holes in your heart though.


----------



## RKO920

Rockstar said:


> What do you guys recommend for a pre-workout supplement? I'm currently using Cellucor C4 Extreme but I find I have to keep upping the dosage to feel anything. Right now I'm looking at Gaspari Superdrive because I've heard it was good and I had a sample which worked well. Thought I'd see what you guys use before I order it though.


I used Assault and liked it, but got used to it, so I just bought C4.


----------



## Rockstar

Decided to go with The Curse. Corny name but I've heard it's pretty darn good and the price was right so I thought I'd give it a shot.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

Rockstar said:


> Decided to go with The Curse. Corny name but I've heard it's pretty darn good and the price was right so I thought I'd give it a shot.


Is a pre workout meal always needed ? i ask because i like to workout first thing when i wake up on an empty stomach then fuel myself after the workout for recovery ?


----------



## Rockstar

Hart Break Kid said:


> Is a pre workout meal always needed ? i ask because i like to workout first thing when i wake up on an empty stomach then fuel myself after the workout for recovery ?


I personally like to have a meal. Nothing big. That's just me though, I feel like I have more energy that way.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

Rockstar said:


> I personally like to have a meal. Nothing big. That's just me though, I feel like I have more energy that way.


dont get me wrong if for some reason i miss a workout in the morn and have one in the evening... it will always come after ive ate but usually like an hour or so... i find if i have too much food or liquid before heavy lifts i get sick during lifts or hiit cardio.... i eat like a horse afterwards right enough lol


----------



## MF83

I don't have studies, videos or articles on this right now, but you should find them because fasted workouts are counterintuitive to progress, and the only thing I've found evidence for it helping is fat loss and parasympathetic recovery via low intensity cardio in the morning (it helps weight loss in general, but it will be much harder to do, potentially eat away at muscles without fuel in you if you do anything intensely). For strength, size, etc. gains and weightlifting in general, doing it without fuel is not smart. I know the last time I had to do it, my strength was probably 70% of normal. Yeah, eat especially carbs and protein (ideally an hour or two so it can digest a bit) before going to the gym. I've started an hour after eating four fruits and three scoops of protein and been fine, combined with caffeine of course.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

MF83 said:


> I don't have studies, videos or articles on this right now, but you should find them because fasted workouts are counterintuitive to progress, and the only thing I've found evidence for it helping is fat loss and parasympathetic recovery via low intensity cardio in the morning (it helps weight loss in general, but it will be much harder to do, potentially eat away at muscles without fuel in you if you do anything intensely). For strength, size, etc. gains and weightlifting in general, doing it without fuel is not smart. I know the last time I had to do it, my strength was probably 70% of normal. Yeah, eat especially carbs and protein (ideally an hour or two so it can digest a bit) before going to the gym. I've started an hour after eating four fruits and three scoops of protein and been fine, combined with caffeine of course.


yeah i think you might be right about the not having 100% power without something to eat.... as i do feel i aint lifting as good on an empty but on the plus side im not bring back up what i ate when im doing it this way... 

Theres something about going hard lifting or cardio that makes me sick if ive eaten beforehand even if i give it a good hour before hand... might just try eating something lighter see if it helps just so i have something in me before working out in future.


----------



## TheeJayBee

I like to have two bananas about 15 minutes before I walk to the gym. I chop them in to pieces and eat them slowly with a glass ice cold water. Then, I'll sit and get my trainers on and read the back of the paper or something just before the energy kicks in and I will head to the gym. I only start to feel hungry after an intense workout, then. After that, I'll walk home and throw two chicken breasts on the grill and have that with some asparagus and more water and I don't need to eat for a while, then.

Am I the only person here that doesn't feel the need to supplement? I feel as though I make good gains without it and it saves me some extra cash, which is all good. I just like to sleep well and eat proper food at the right times and I genuinely don't see any difference between how quickly I gain. I did try supplements at one point, but bar the added energy you get from some, it doesn't make much of a difference. Maybe I was just doing it wrong, I dunno! Haha!


----------



## Hart Break Kid

TheeJayBee said:


> I like to have two bananas about 15 minutes before I walk to the gym. I chop them in to pieces and eat them slowly with a glass ice cold water. Then, I'll sit and get my trainers on and read the back of the paper or something just before the energy kicks in and I will head to the gym. I only start to feel hungry after an intense workout, then. After that, I'll walk home and throw two chicken breasts on the grill and have that with some asparagus and more water and I don't need to eat for a while, then.
> 
> Am I the only person here that doesn't feel the need to supplement? I feel as though I make good gains without it and it saves me some extra cash, which is all good. I just like to sleep well and eat proper food at the right times and I genuinely don't see any difference between how quickly I gain. I did try supplements at one point, but bar the added energy you get from some, it doesn't make much of a difference. Maybe I was just doing it wrong, I dunno! Haha!



your probably like myself in that your an endomorph... which means your an easy gainer when putting on size be it muscle or fat... and find it hard to get cut ? like i can gain muscle easily without supps just a decent feed. but i need to reall work my arse off and watch what im eating to burn the fat off.

i found protein shakes even using water instead of milk were making me fucking huge.. both muscle and fat.. so i stopped them and just stick to eating lean and lots, which seems to give me good gains and help cut some fat.


----------



## Rockstar

Man, I wish I was like that. I eat all kinds, I take supplements, I work hard and I have a hell of a time gaining any weight at all.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rockstar said:


> Man, I wish I was like that. I eat all kinds, I take supplements, I work hard and I have a hell of a time gaining any weight at all.


hahaha! cry little one! Cry! 

I gain weight fast; I have to eat really carefully too. I've never been on (and stuck to) a bulking cycle for more than a few weeks because I end up getting super fat. This winter I'm really going to nail down a correct diet and try to bulk though.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

Rockstar said:


> Man, I wish I was like that. I eat all kinds, I take supplements, I work hard and I have a hell of a time gaining any weight at all.


Yeah if Endo's work hard they can see great results but at the same time we can't slack or eat shit or we put it all back on overnight... and can take a lot of time to get it back off... i actually wish i was on the other end of the scale... as i fucking love eating and i love junk food... but cant have it without a lot of hard work afterwards.

just incase you might be doing it... but steady state cardio in big amounts cant hinder muscle growth if you do it... supposedly hiit sprinting is the best cardio to compliment lifting and muscle growth as it doesnt eat away at muscle.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

Skyfall said:


> hahaha! cry little one! Cry!
> 
> I gain weight fast; I have to eat really carefully too. I've never been on (and stuck to) a bulking cycle for more than a few weeks because I end up getting super fat. This winter I'm really going to nail down a correct diet and try to bulk though.


I am the exact same.... Ive stopped bulking for muscle growth completely as i put fat on way to easily and it aint worth it having loads of muscles but still looking fat as fuck over it lol.

I instead eat at a deficit and lots of cardio to cut.. and i still do my lifting and i know i'll not be getting anywhere near the muscle gains i would on bulk but id rather stay lean with some muscle growth than have huge growth but covered in loads of layers of fat.


----------



## MF83

For people having trouble with gains, read Wendler's 5/3/1. If you're good with torrenting, the ebook is something like 130 .pdf pages of wisdom that you can read in an hour or two. The programming is take-it-or-leave it (I will take it once my noob gains run out... hopefully not soon), but his no-bullshit outlook and wisdom to training, eating and gaining is what stuck with me. The portion of the book on nutrition has changed my life. The best tip he gave me is having protein powder before every meal, instead of the age old wisdom of simply a glass of water. 

I've eaten roughly 3000 calories a day (250g protein minimum), lift HEAVY four times a week, sleep AT LEAST 8 hours a night. This has been key over the last few months as I continue to shed fat, build muscle and produce stupid fast intermediate gains. As a former fatty, I was terrified of eating too much and gaining weight so I fucked around in the 2000 Cal range, doing too much cardio, when I should have been eating more and doing less, more intense cardio. 

Listen to Omar on the subject, the second one specifically:









 

I have an active job, go on long walks, etc. but I've largely cut out bouts of long cardio. It's about maintaining higher Calories at a CONSISTENT level with intense output. Unless you're cutting, but you can't cut properly without heightened baseline maintenance calorie level anyways.

Or something. I'm hungry. I'm deadlifting tomorrow. I will do 405 and post it here or fucking die trying. Yay!


----------



## Regenerating Degenerate

Lost 6 stone just by cutting. I'll have inevitably lost some muscle mass, so a quick question.

Is it possible to cut enough to get a six pack and your abs to look quite good with just good diet, some cardio and a little weights? Or is strength training quite important for a good athletic physique? I dont wanna be mass


----------



## kingfunkel

Does having a cold bath help you lose weight? My mate was on about it and it was the first time I had ever heard this.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

For The Win said:


> Lost 6 stone just by cutting. I'll have inevitably lost some muscle mass, so a quick question.
> 
> Is it possible to cut enough to get a six pack and your abs to look quite good with just good diet, some cardio and a little weights? Or is strength training quite important for a good athletic physique? I dont wanna be mass


everybody has abs even without working them and if you get to a low enough bodyfat they would show through... obviously it might be a ridiculously low bf level to get them to show if they weren't very defined...

i think if your watching your input and working out it with a mix of weights and cardio and your overall output was more than your input you will lose more and more bf and begin to see your abs come through.... core exorcises are great if you don't like targeted ones like situps and crunches like me.... try squats and dead lifts with a barbell and weights.



kingfunkel said:


> Does having a cold bath help you lose weight? My mate was on about it and it was the first time I had ever heard this.


I know that when out bodies are warm we bloat up and look puffy and fat and when i have a cold shower it reduces this... just like putting ice on a bump brings the swelling down... but i don't think a cold bath would actually lose weight permanently, although i would imagine a freezing cold bath would elevate your heart rate into a fat burning zone... and if you were able to stay in it long enough you might burns some cals lol


----------



## Regenerating Degenerate

Cheers. Just switching stuff up since my weight loss has stalled and I'm stuck at like 20% bf.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

For The Win said:


> Cheers. Just switching stuff up since my weight loss has stalled and I'm stuck at like 20% bf.


I'd suggest switching your cardio from steady state to hiit if thats what you are doing right now.... as it burns way more fat in the long run as it has the safe effect as lifting in that it burns fat even when your finished for a lot of hours.

so basically sprint/walk/sprint..... so on.


----------



## Regenerating Degenerate

Yeah thats what I do, did it whilst trying to jog then realized it was a thing


----------



## MF83

...Died trying. Ah, working out with a partner and the things it will do. Fuck, my hips were too high again. Got it past phase one but couldn't get it higher, because of the shit start. Drained myself trying a second and third time. Got mad, pulled off the fourth plate and repped out 315 too many times. Did too many speed deadlifts after. 

THEN we did the Ed Coan circuit (3 rounds of a. stiff leg deadlifts b. reverse pulldowns c. 45 degree bent rows d. good mornings). 

A little nauseous, but the 4xweekly squat program dictates I have to do at least three sets of squats a workout! Didn't have it in me to front squat, so remembering something I read yesterday - Zercher squats.






8x95. 8x135. (Did them wrong - kept arms outside of knees instead of the correct, arms inside wide stance. Oh well...)

Oh shit.

PUKED. 

Bleh. Felt good. Felt real good actually. There's the sick puke and then there's the effort puke that comes with a sort of ecstasy. Awesome. Rejuvenated, drank some water, got some gum from the car, carried on.

15x45

Alright, good to go. Buddy wanted to do some high pulls. 

a. Explosive snatch grip high pulls b. 90 degree barbell Pendlay bent rows

3 sets stiff leg glute/ham machine ("The anti-rape device" - Omar Isuf), one set 30 reps 12 lbs per arm kroc rows, followed by like 6 sets of biceps curl variants. Just silly.


What a stupidly high volume day. Just dumb. But it was a good one. Time to eat the night away again. 

Post-workout - scoop whey powder, 2 pieces (one white/one whole grain) toast + butter dipped in ketchup, cup of milk, 250 mL egg whites, three eggs, 4 pieces NATURAL bacon.



Mistakes - high volume, dick swinging contest with workout partner, trying to max a deadlift three weeks in a row, going hard after puking :lol, waking up at 11:30 and working out at 12:30 on a full stomach, I may have taken two multivitamins by mistake, not getting hips mobile enough before deadlift, fuck. Oh well, it was okay. Nah, it was actually pretty damn good. HUMBLING, in a word.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

does anyone have a strongly recommended formula (or already pre-programmed calculator) to determine calorie needs? I mean, you've used it before and it was accurate. I'm getting way too different of numbers. at 5'10" 191 lbs, I'm looking to cut a little more drastically before winter, if I decide to bulk up. Would like to be at 2 lbs a week at this point. I keep getting between 1787 to 2875 for calories. I've used some stuff from body building.com, and I've gotten a few different answers. Pretty sure I can't cut well at 2875, and I'd starve at 1787. Fuck! why doesn't Mayo clinic have a formula?


----------



## MF83

Google got me Omar's excel sheet for macros and cutting: http://omarisuf.com/cutting/ Didn't even look at it but it may help you.


Did an awesome workout today. I did something like 16 sets of overhead presses, the rest of the exercises done in between sets of that.

8x45
5x115
2x135
failx155
6x115
4x135 (yes, it went up, strength training!)
1x150
failx160
6x135
6x115
failx165 lol, LIKELY)
1x135 (static hold)
4x115
5x95
6x75
7x55

One or two sets of these between overhead pressing:

high jumps
chin-up varieties 
hanging from chin bar, legs on the overhead barbell pull-up/inverted row thingy that worked surprisingly well 
narrow grip bench
front squats (FOUR TIMES WEEKLY SQUATS~!)
Single arm skull crushers
Face pulls
static side single press static heavy dumbbell hold thinger for rotator cuffs
triceps pull aparts


That looks like a lot but it wasn't that long of a workout. It was a unique one, though. I may incorporate this kind of huge volume of main lift workout more often.


----------



## SUPER HANS

Any of you guys want to help me out for a workout?

I'm a pretty good runner, but working on some strength right now to train for a tough mudder. Badly bruised my leg a few days back and its got me more focused on the strength training, right now I'm getting a bit fed up of doing push ups constantly with no variation.

As I'm to lazy and not nearly inventive can anyone suggest a daily 30-60 mins strength work out? I'm not going to be with a gym for a few weeks so have minimal equipment, any help would be appreciated. (Y)


----------



## Cyon

Thoughts on the DDP Yoga/YRG workout program? I've recently found out about it and am kind of interested.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ashes11 said:


> Any of you guys want to help me out for a workout?
> 
> I'm a pretty good runner, but working on some strength right now to train for a tough mudder. Badly bruised my leg a few days back and its got me more focused on the strength training, right now I'm getting a bit fed up of doing push ups constantly with no variation.
> 
> As I'm to lazy and not nearly inventive can anyone suggest a daily 30-60 mins strength work out? I'm not going to be with a gym for a few weeks so have minimal equipment, any help would be appreciated. (Y)


lot's of squats and jumping-squats. With the jumping-squats you can treat them like a football workout, jumping side to side or back to back all coming to a squat.

pushups of course, but also planks. planks with your hands in different locations or your whole body at different heights.

flutter kicks.

pull ups. pull ups. pull ups. and then some pull ups. lots of different obstacles to climb, so pull ups are key. try using your whole body for some, like kipping. get used to using the whole body because you might instinctively do it in the actual mudder.

seriously, crawl around. You have to get used to it, even though we all know how to simply _crawl_, lot's of crawling.

stretch. flexibility will be huge in this sort of thing.


----------



## TheeJayBee

To the lad who asked if I was an endomorph a couple pages back, I've always been pretty much in the middle of endo and meso. I haven't got overly wide hips but my waist isn't narrow at all, whilst I've always had broad shoulders and a broad upper back. The only difficulty I find with my body type is that I have to be very, very careful when bulking because I balloon and then either a.) my clothes don't fit or b.) there's too much fat covering my muscular gains and I have to cut for a bit for it to be seen. 

Maybe one day I'll just think fuck it and go for the Big E. Langston look...


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

http://theathleticbuild.com/the-top-20-fittest-bodies-of-crossfit/

edit - eh, I posted before I saw the 2nd 10 were all dudes. whatever :side: #8 of the girls is smoking hot.


----------



## Rockstar

I really enjoy the Hodge Twins and their videos. In one of their videos they said that for awhile they worked each muscle twice a week. I started to consider doing this. I was just wondering what you guys think about it, is it too much? How would one go about that, I guess hitting the weights twice a day? What are your opinions on this?


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Well I'm a beginner, so I definitely wouldn't train anything twice a week. I'm on a 3-day split, and my body takes some time to recover. I wouldn't do myself any favors doing what they do.*


----------



## Rockstar

By the way, I don't mean work the same body part twice in that day. For example, chest in the morning, legs in the evening.


----------



## Jeff Hardy Hater

You don't need pre-workout supplements. They're unnecessary and very overrated. Just eat blueberries and some lean protein and you'll be fine.


----------



## El Conquistador

Rockstar said:


> I really enjoy the Hodge Twins and their videos. In one of their videos they said that for awhile they worked each muscle twice a week. I started to consider doing this. I was just wondering what you guys think about it, is it too much? How would one go about that, I guess hitting the weights twice a day? What are your opinions on this?


I'm not on a body part split anymore, but I'm an advocate of 2x a week over 1x a week. Limit your volume accordingly, or else you wont be able to adjust to the new adaptation of 2x a week as optimally as you would like. I think it is almost empirically proven at this point that, for a natural athlete, 2x a week is more advantageous than 1x a week, assuming all other variables are fixed and controlled.


----------



## Rockstar

El Conquistador said:


> I'm not on a body part split anymore, but I'm an advocate of 2x a week over 1x a week. Limit your volume accordingly, or else you wont be able to adjust to the new adaptation of 2x a week as optimally as you would like. I think it is almost empirically proven at this point that, for a natural athlete, 2x a week is more advantageous than 1x a week, assuming all other variables are fixed and controlled.


I'm not on a body part split either. Some guys in here have suggested I do a split and I've been thinking about it but I just want to do at least a few more weeks of my workout regime. I was only planning on doing twice a day for a month as well, mostly because I'll be going back to school in a month. Want to try to gain as much as possible before then so I thought I'd give it a shot. So basically what I was thinking was something like this, just for example:

Day 1: Chest (Morning and heavy) and Back (Evening and light)
Day 2: Arms (Morning and heavy) and Legs (Evening and light)
Day 3: Shoulders (Morning and heavy) and Chest (Evening and light)
Day 4: Legs (Morning and heavy) and Arms (Evening and light)
Day 5: Back (Morning and heavy) and Shoulders (Evening and light)


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

Rockstar said:


> By the way, I don't mean work the same body part twice in that day. For example, chest in the morning, legs in the evening.


*Oh, that's fine.*


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rockstar said:


> I'm not on a body part split either. Some guys in here have suggested I do a split and I've been thinking about it but I just want to do at least a few more weeks of my workout regime. I was only planning on doing twice a day for a month as well, mostly because I'll be going back to school in a month. Want to try to gain as much as possible before then so I thought I'd give it a shot. So basically what I was thinking was something like this, just for example:
> 
> Day 1: Chest (Morning) and Back (Evening)
> Day 2: Arms (Morning) and Legs (Evening)
> Day 3: Shoulders (Morning) and Chest (Evening)
> Day 4: Legs (Morning) and Arms (Evening)
> Day 5: Back (Morning) and Shoulders (Evening)


You're gonna get to eat whatever you want, and then some, if you're doing that much. unless you're like 2 ft tall you're going to have to eat like 6,000 calories a day.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

mon: boxing and Cardio ( 2 mins sprint treadmill then 4 mins all out on the bag and repeat for 20mins)
tue: chest + shoulders and cardio ( 20 mins steady state cardio)
wed: arms + abs and cardio ( 20 mins steady state cardio)
thurs: Sqauts and deadlifts and cardio ( 10 mins of sprints and resting)
frid: boxing and cardio ( same as monday)
sat: 1 hour incline walk
sun: day off.

eat whatever my body craves, all lifts are light weights with high reps.


----------



## MF83

If you get enough sleep, stretch, foam roll, eat a ton, take care of your joints in general and deload every fourth or fifth week, you can safely work a muscle group four or more times a week. It's all about recovery. If you eat and sleep enough, your muscles will be fine. They won't grow in size as much as if you were resting but your strength will skyrocket. It's your joints and connective tissues you gotta worry about. I've been doing the four times a week squatting program for the past three weeks and I love it. My legs/knees don't hurt because I stretch and foam roll twice a day; in fact my legs and posterior chain are stronger and more importantly: sturdier. I grow more in size on deload weeks when everything gets to rest. It's pretty cool actually.

Two a days, man, it's all about how you do them. Never workout for longer than 45 minutes, an hour absolute tops for them. Do just one or two, maybe three heavy compounds in the morning and accessories at night. You gotta eat so much more (carbs especially) than usual on those days as well. Make sure you take six hours minimal between workouts to recover.

You say you're doing different body parts... In my experience (and what I believe is more effective but could be wrong), I do it to annihilate one group.

Last cycle I did:

8-10 sets low rep squats
3 sets heavy low rep hip thrusts

Break

15-20 sets of leg/ass/abs accessories at night 

Or something like heavy bench and something else in the morning and whatever higher sets of the push muscles at night.

Google two a day workouts. There's lots of literature on it but most will recommend limiting them three or four times a week, for one week a month, or only once a week regularly. Powerlifters may do two a days, everyday, for three weeks in a row, however. You never know what they're ingesting though. The key is keeping them short time wise. AND STRETCH AND FOAM ROLL.


----------



## Ziggler Mark

Cyon said:


> Thoughts on the DDP Yoga/YRG workout program? I've recently found out about it and am kind of interested.


I have posted about this program in this thread. I started in April. Stepped on the scale the night before my workout program began, and I was a gross 255 or so lbs. Since that day, I've followed the program and have added work to my "off" days (they build off days into the schedule) and I have seen really good results. As of my last weigh in (last week), I am down to 225 lbs.

I might be down more, but I'm not really adhering to the mainly-vegan diet plan that DDP suggests. I'm a carnivore, and I don't think I'll ever change that :

People have seen incredible results from this program, and it's not based around starving yourself. It just requires you to leave all of your thoughts about yoga being "only for women" at the door. Embrace it, and have fun with it, and you'll see results. One thing I've learned since starting this trek to get my body back to where I once was is that if you arent enjoying the workout, then it's just WORK (regardless of what plan you follow). I look forward to my sessions every night when I get home from work, and I look forward to seeing the improvement I make doing certain poses from week to week. 

There's alot to be said about the TeamDDPYoga website as well. It's a great support network to help you get through any challenges you're having with the program, and DDP hosts a weekly web radio show to address concerns/progress with people who call in or send messages in.

I cant say enough good things about the program, really. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to send me a PM or post it here in the thread. I've enjoyed the program so much, that I'm most likely gunna be headed to next year's DDP Yoga Retreat in Mexico. :


----------



## iJeax

*Post your STATISTICS and MUSCLES*

Alright, if you weight lift/body build post your pics here and talk about anything to do with bodybuilding, diet etcetc.


me n my dad


----------



## TheeJayBee

Your Dad has one legit physique for a guy his probable age.

I'm a big advocate for full-body workouts. I used to do splits but I just find them repetitive, whereas with full-body workouts I can change it up with different compound movements and then I throw in either an ab workout, calves or I just overload my traps.


----------



## RebelArch86

Rockstar said:


> I'm having trouble gaining muscle and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I work out 5 days a week (Chest day, arm day, back day, leg day and shoulder day), I eat very healthy, take in about 150 grams of protein a day and I get plenty of sleep. I feel like I'm doing everything you need to do (Although I have heard from some places you need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight).
> 
> Do I need more protein in my diet? What can I do to gain more muscle quicker. By the way, I'm 6'1, around 190 pounds with a BF% of 14.6.


you need more rest days


----------



## RebelArch86

Rockstar said:


> What do you guys recommend for a pre-workout supplement? I'm currently using Cellucor C4 Extreme but I find I have to keep upping the dosage to feel anything. Right now I'm looking at Gaspari Superdrive because I've heard it was good and I had a sample which worked well. Thought I'd see what you guys use before I order it though.


go natural, honey and water


----------



## RebelArch86

kingfunkel said:


> Does having a cold bath help you lose weight? My mate was on about it and it was the first time I had ever heard this.


if you're hung, and shrinking it you might lose a pound or two


----------



## RebelArch86

Cyon said:


> Thoughts on the DDP Yoga/YRG workout program? I've recently found out about it and am kind of interested.


awesome,youtube ddp yoga transformation, cry, then get it


----------



## RebelArch86

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Well I'm a beginner, so I definitely wouldn't train anything twice a week. I'm on a 3-day split, and my body takes some time to recover. I wouldn't do myself any favors doing what they do.*


are you open to advice? Split training is an intermediate/advanced routine. You could build better using a 2-3 day full body compound lift routine. Look up strong lifts 5x5.


----------



## BringThePain513

Use Dymatize Elite Mass Gainer


----------



## TheeJayBee

To the person who posted about cold baths: I like to have cold showers on days where I'm going to the gym. The cold water aids circulation and boosts your metabolism, and I also find that I feel much more energised when I have a cold shower. It really perks me up - you should try it!

I don't know if it helps me keep fat off or not, or if it's ever helped me lose weight when I've put some on, because I tend not to weigh myself. I'm more of a 'go by the mirror' guy, though I know that when I did MMA I always fought heavyweight and I believe I was around 240 pounds in my last fight. Since I stopped MMA though I haven't weighed myself.


----------



## incommision

Just got back into town from a month long vacation and I'm more then excited to hit the gym again, only problem would be I've run out of pre workout. I was previously using super pump max and am quite pleased with how that went, but I want to change things up and I'm thinking about purchasing C4, surprisingly I've never used it and have always heard and seen it around with lots of buddies and I'm wondering if it's worth the money? Hoping to post on this thread a fair bit!


----------



## Rush

TheeJayBee said:


> To the person who posted about cold baths: I like to have cold showers on days where I'm going to the gym. *The cold water aids circulation *and boosts your metabolism, and I also find that I feel much more energised when I have a cold shower. It really perks me up - you should try it!
> 
> I don't know if it helps me keep fat off or not, or if it's ever helped me lose weight when I've put some on, because I tend not to weigh myself. I'm more of a 'go by the mirror' guy, though I know that when I did MMA I always fought heavyweight and I believe I was around 240 pounds in my last fight. Since I stopped MMA though I haven't weighed myself.


what? how exactly do you think cold water aids circulation?



RebelArch86 said:


> if you're hung, and shrinking it you might lose a pound or two


:kobe


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

RebelArch86 said:


> are you open to advice? Split training is an intermediate/advanced routine. You could build better using a 2-3 day full body compound lift routine. Look up strong lifts 5x5.


*My routine consists of just about nothing but compound lifts with some isolation lifts here and there. *


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

incommision said:


> Just got back into town from a month long vacation and I'm more then excited to hit the gym again, only problem would be I've run out of pre workout. I was previously using super pump max and am quite pleased with how that went, but I want to change things up and I'm thinking about purchasing C4, surprisingly I've never used it and have always heard and seen it around with lots of buddies and I'm wondering if it's worth the money? Hoping to post on this thread a fair bit!


I don't use pre workout supplements any more. a few people here prefer something like a piece of fruit or protein shake. But if you're going to use a pre-workout supplement don't use C4. Hyde is better.

Plasma Jet by Gaspari is wonderful; however it might have been discontinued. It doesn't have any high points or jitters, it's just a real easy pump up. Best pre-workout I ever used.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!




----------



## vault21

RebelArch86 said:


> go natural, honey and water





RebelArch86 said:


> if you're hung, and shrinking it you might lose a pound or two





RebelArch86 said:


> awesome,youtube ddp yoga transformation, cry, then get it





RebelArch86 said:


> are you open to advice? Split training is an intermediate/advanced routine. You could build better using a 2-3 day full body compound lift routine. Look up strong lifts 5x5.


How about multi-quoting?

Also, I sense alot of Myspace lifters here that invest 5x more effort into bullshitting and over-calculating their pre-workout/post-workout/iPod playlists/hairstyle/fart regimes then actually working out.

Try lifting. Anything.


----------



## Regenerating Degenerate

Skyfall said:


>


:mark:


----------



## TheeJayBee

Rush said:


> what? how exactly do you think cold water aids circulation?


I'm not a science guy, but based on what I do know, it stimulates the blood flow and forces your body to circulate it more effectively to warm up.


----------



## Pycckue




----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Pycckue said:


>


the 2nd part was super awkward to watch. I seriously only lift when I'm at the gym; I have a stop watch for all my rests and don't waste second. But still, if I saw someone approached like that I'd freak out.


----------



## Rush

TheeJayBee said:


> I'm not a science guy, but based on what I do know, it stimulates the blood flow and forces your body to circulate it more effectively to warm up.


I am a science guy so look at it logically. Cold shower would mean that blood is pumped away from the extremities to the organs so you don't lose too much heat. Its a principle that works with hot/cold showers, the blood is 'flushed' through your system from your extremities to your organs and back.


----------



## vault21

Skyfall said:


> I don't use pre workout supplements any more. a few people here prefer something like a piece of fruit or protein shake. But if you're going to use a pre-workout supplement don't use C4. Hyde is better.
> 
> Plasma Jet by Gaspari is wonderful; however it might have been discontinued. It doesn't have any high points or jitters, it's just a real easy pump up. Best pre-workout I ever used.


It's all about that Top Ramen and tuna


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

let's design a new workout for Skyfall. 5 day schedule.

chest/tri
back
legs 
bis/crossfit
shoulders/bis

looking to do lots of reps on my new schedule. I definitely got stronger with my previous schedule; low reps, high weight. Want to take a break from that going into winter. Looking to up my cardio to a definite 3 x a week (instead of maybe twice). Looking for high rep sets, preferably 3 sets of 12 - 20 reps. 

Want to:
- increase bicep size
- lose that belly fat
- work on obliques

I realize this is everyone's goal. let's work on a good bicep day. throw em' at me!


----------



## RKO920

Heavy compounds >>>>


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Increasing bicep size is a big priority for dudes. I say fuck that I will have stick arms. What I want is an XBAWKS HUEG chest. so I hit chest twice-three times a week.


----------



## MF83

RKO920 said:


> Heavy compounds >>>>


Yep. He knows that though. Specifically, I'd train them twice a week hard. Once, high rep, after heavy back work. Say, rows, pulldowns, chins ups, etc, that hit biceps in the compound. Something I like is supersetting some kind of biceps work with Kroc rows. Second, I'd do them heavy on either overhead or bench day, and work like 3 different pairs of supersets of biceps and triceps after the primary compound (bench or overhead). 


___


K, so deloaded last week and am on day two of my last hard cycle before uni starts again.

Yesterday: Deadlifts. Like 10 sets of deadlifts with a variety of rep shemes. Then, pulled out the box and did deficit deadlifts. Did them because my weak point is off the ground. I always keep my ass/hips too damn high. Fixed that yesterday. Then, on the same box, deficit snatch grip deadlifts. Wound up doing one straight deficit set, three mixed variation sets and two straight snatch grip sets.

Worked three sets of front squats in there. Finished with glute-ham raises and chin ups. Only took an hour or so, but what a fucking devastator. Big time stretching and foam rolling yesterday and this morning. My hamstrings, somehow, were not sore, but my chest, lats, and biceps were done. You just never know what's going to hurt after deadlifts.



Today: Overhead Press Day

1. 7 sets overhead press with a wide variety of rep numbers and weights. Worked face pulls and inverted rows between sets.
2a. 3 sets bradford press b. 3 sets dips (did 15 bodyweight dips first set after all that OHP; was really happy about that)
3a. Speed bar curls b. dumbbell skull crushers
4a. Cuban Press b. 21 complex hammer curls
5. high rep triceps pull apart finisher



I love the first week back from deload. So fresh; so hyped. Yay.


----------



## The_It_Factor

Rush said:


> I am a science guy so look at it logically. Cold shower would mean that blood is pumped away from the extremities to the organs so you don't lose too much heat. Its a principle that works with hot/cold showers, the blood is 'flushed' through your system from your extremities to your organs and back.


doesn't it also promote vasoconstriction (which i assume would have a negative impact on circulation)?

on a related note - that's why athletes take ice baths, to reduce acute swelling and inflammation in hopes of recovering faster. such cold bath's draw blood to one's core like you mentioned; and if my theory is correct, also cause vasoconstriction.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Spoiler: sexy






















I want biceps like the one on the left :lol


----------



## Rush

The_It_Factor said:


> doesn't it also promote vasoconstriction (which i assume would have a negative impact on circulation)?
> 
> on a related note - that's why athletes take ice baths, to reduce acute swelling and inflammation in hopes of recovering faster. such cold bath's draw blood to one's core like you mentioned; and if my theory is correct, also cause vasoconstriction.


indeed, cold causes vasoconstriction, heat the opposite.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ok Muscle & fitness 1983 (or MF83 ?); my new 5 day routine.

*Chest & Bi:*
Bench Press
Concentration Curl
Decline Bench
Seated lat Pull downs
Pec Flyes (2 flat, 2 incline)
alternating curls
Incline Bench

*Hamstrings & Quads:*
Squats
Stiff Leg DL 8*D
Leg Extension
Leg Curls
Leg Press (I switched from Hack Squat)
Hip Flexor

*Back & Tricep:*
Barbell Rows
Skull Crusher
Over Head Tri extension (w/ rope)
Row [of some kind]
dips
Front deltoid raises

*Shoulder & Bi:*
shoulder press
preacher curl
laterial deltoid raise
standing barbell curls
arnold press
shrugs/pull-ups
Tricep Pulldown

*Extra:*
Deadlift
Corssfit [varies]
calves
Upright Rows


now, I talked to a personal trainer who said this routine, for a beginner, is way too much. However, for someone like me (his words), it's plenty. I'm shooting for the lowest rep range to be 15 on all my sets. Compound lifts will be 4 sets, other will be 3. The *Shoulder & Bi* day might drop something (or change that preacher curl to pronated curl instead (again, the trainer's recommendation) .

Tell me what you think of my leg day. My old one was identical, except I did calves; I also did Hack Squat instead of leg press. 

*TL;DR*?


----------



## Rockstar

I had previously been doing a arm day (bi and tri) but I decided to split it up and do chest/tri and back/bi. I'm really liking the chest/tri day, getting a good pump, have improved the amount of weight I lift. Back has been good to but I just feel like my biceps aren't getting worked enough, I don't get nearly as much pump now as I used to with arm day. So I've been thinking of keeping on with chest/tri and then splitting back and bi into their own days. What do you guys think about a day just for biceps?


----------



## MF83

A day for just biceps is bleh, no. Do a few sets of heavy curls before your back work ending with more biceps. That'll fix your problem.

Skyfall, man, don't even stick to a routine if you like the variety. Just listen to your body and plan a week at a time.


----------



## Rockstar

MF83 said:


> A day for just biceps is bleh, no. Do a few sets of heavy curls before your back work ending with more biceps. That'll fix your problem.
> 
> Skyfall, man, don't even stick to a routine if you like the variety. Just listen to your body and plan a week at a time.


Alright, I'll give that a try, thanks for the advice.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

a whole day for just biceps seems silly to me. any single muscle group seems silly to me. It gets too tiring too fast. going from a curl, to a different curl, to a seated curl, maybe pull ups. I find I just lose too much strength by the end of my workouts (or used to when I did 1 muscle group a day), hence my workout is in splits.

That's my personal preference. I used to do a bicep & tricep day; even that wore out my arms and I could barely lift them at the end. I'm all for being worn out and dead at the end of a workout, but if if I'm starting a chest day with benching 225 lbs, and ending it with decline bench at less that 135 lbs, then hell no.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Skyfall said:


> *Back & Tricep:*
> Barbell Rows
> Skull Crusher
> Over Head Tri extension (w/ rope)
> Row [of some kind]
> dips
> Front deltoid raises


high rep workouts are bitches. Fuck. I couldn't finish this one today. I got to dips, did 3 sets and was literally falling over. Like faint and almost puking. I had to go sit in the locker room to regain my conscience. I went for a 4th set of dips, felt like puking, and then called it quits. Maybe because I've eaten shit for the past week, maybe it's just the high reps. I'm just going to continue on with my routine and hope for the best:genius


----------



## MF83

2-a-day on tuesday. Squats in the morning hit a new PR of 325lbs ATG fairly easily then thought, sure, lets go for 345. Shit slid down my back, pulled on my wrists and tore at my shoulder, with the pain felt where the biceps meets elbow. Went back later did hip thrusts, and leg/abs accessories. THEN GOLFED THE NEXT(/my rest)DAY. My shoulders hated me this morning.

Naturally, did 10 sets bench today. Ouch. Then, Did 2: a. Narrow grip bench b. wide dips for two sets and 3. Incline guillotine for 3 sets.

That was more than enough. :lol. Went to work stiff and after, fucking mad for a bunch of reasons, randomly went for a half hour run outdoors which is something I never just do. Stretching/foam rolling paying off cause my knees/ankles don't even hurt right now. Feeling good. Yay.



Doing power cleans seriously for the first time tomorrow. Pumped!


----------



## Rush

Rockstar said:


> I had previously been doing a arm day (bi and tri) but I decided to split it up and do chest/tri and back/bi. I'm really liking the chest/tri day, getting a good pump, have improved the amount of weight I lift. Back has been good to but I just feel like my biceps aren't getting worked enough, I don't get nearly as much pump now as I used to with arm day. So I've been thinking of keeping on with chest/tri and then splitting back and bi into their own days. What do you guys think about a day just for biceps?


why on earth would any average bloke want to do a day exclusively on biceps? What exercises are you doing on you back/bicep day?



Skyfall said:


> high rep workouts are bitches. Fuck. I couldn't finish this one today. I got to dips, did 3 sets and was literally falling over. Like faint and almost puking. I had to go sit in the locker room to regain my conscience. I went for a 4th set of dips, felt like puking, and then called it quits. Maybe because I've eaten shit for the past week, maybe it's just the high reps. I'm just going to continue on with my routine and hope for the best:genius


why are you doing a high rep workout?


----------



## Rockstar

Rush said:


> why on earth would any average bloke want to do a day exclusively on biceps? What exercises are you doing on you back/bicep day?


Like I said, I just feel like they aren't getting enough of a workout and the pump isn't nearly as good as it used to be even though I'm still doing the same exercises as I did before. For that day I'm doing:

Deadlifts (4x3)
Pullups (4xfail)
Preacher Cable curls (4x10)
Close rows (4x5)
Barbell curls (4xfail)
Lat pulldowns (4x10)
One arm cable curls (4x10)
Hammer curls (4x5)


----------



## Rush

Okay mate, look at it objectively. Can you lift more? Are your arms bigger? That should be the 2 key things that are guiding you considering that you either want to get stronger arms, or you want them to get bigger. If you are lifting more then a subjective thing like "i don't feel the pump bro" doesn't matter, or if you're lifting the same but finding it easier then increase the resistance. Basic principles of exercise, specificity and overload.


----------



## RKO920

Cardio after squats is pure death.


----------



## Rockstar

Rush said:


> Okay mate, look at it objectively. Can you lift more? Are your arms bigger? That should be the 2 key things that are guiding you considering that you either want to get stronger arms, or you want them to get bigger. If you are lifting more then a subjective thing like "i don't feel the pump bro" doesn't matter, or if you're lifting the same but finding it easier then increase the resistance. Basic principles of exercise, specificity and overload.


I'm not seeing much difference but I'm quite critical of myself. Other people tell me there's a difference so I suppose there is. Thanks the advice.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> why are you doing a high rep workout?


Not really any reason, I just wanted to change up my workout. I'm in good enough shape that I an toy around a bit. And it's feeling really effective so far, besides just the other day. I'll do it for sure for 1 month. If I don't like it I'll probably jump back to lower reps.

You Only Live Twice


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!




----------



## Rush

Rockstar said:


> I'm not seeing much difference but I'm quite critical of myself. Other people tell me there's a difference so I suppose there is. Thanks the advice.


Going purely by feel is a hard way to judge progress. Use an objective measure such as strength gains, or girth measurements to see how you're progressing. 



Skyfall said:


> Not really any reason, I just wanted to change up my workout. I'm in good enough shape that I an toy around a bit. And it's feeling really effective so far, besides just the other day. I'll do it for sure for 1 month. If I don't like it I'll probably jump back to lower reps.
> 
> You Only Live Twice


Fair enough. Just in general different rep ranges work different elements so low rep but maximal lifts (so like a 5RM for example) will work strength, 15-20+ endurance etc.


----------



## MF83

Why not train strength on the first big compound then do bodybuilding reps for the rest?


Power cleans. Studied video/articles for a couple hours to make sure we had some kind of idea of proper form going in today. Such a fun movement. 

First ever sets:
?x45 warmup
6x95 
5x115 (clean and jerk last rep!)
4x135 (clean and jerk last rep!)
3x155 (clean and jerk last rep!)
3x175










_not bad for a pair of first timers_

It's, like, less muscularly demanding, more CNS-wake up/draining. Really different in a good way. Glad I worked front squats the last few month or else the catch would not have been pretty.


Snatch grip deadlifts, chin ups, pendlay rows, Kroc rows, cable rows, barbell curls, windmill curls, rotator cuff work, walk, stretch, damn. What a long, but satisfying workout.


----------



## MF83

So my partner bailed today. I get there and by some feat of super saiyan majin buu Jesus both squat racks were freshly occupied. That never happens. Good thing I can power clean now!

Improv workout:

Clean up and then 6x95 press with 8 back squats immediately following the last press
Clean up 1x135
Clean up 6x105 press with 12 back squats
Clean up 10x95 Bradford press
Clean up 3x115 press 8x front squat
Clean up 185 fail
Clean up 185 8xfront squat 

Rack free!!!

This 66 year old powerlifting veteran year critiques my 325 lbs squat video. Says "very good actually" aside from my de-rack which we fix and he tapes me.

3x275 back squat
4x275 back squat
2x275 back squat 

A. 3 sets 5 reps 235 lbs deficit (on boxes) stiff leg deadlifts
B. 3 sets (10/8/5 reps) good morning 135 lbs


Did some facepulls for my shoulders but that was one hell of a workout. Couple well earned rest days forthcoming!


----------



## TAR




----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83, you need to do thrusters. You'd love those.


----------



## Hiplop

going to get back into working out. This uni year I guess i inherited stress eating. My big trouble is motivation to go to the gym (I justify not being THAT out of shape as a reason not to go.)

question: is going say 3 times a week overly effective?


----------



## RKO920

Is it wrong I take it as a complement when people ask me if I juice? LOL


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

RKO920 said:


> Is it wrong I take it as a complement when people ask me if I juice? LOL


Only if you really don't and never have.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

3 times a week is not too much at all. even for a beginner. 

if you're fat and big, being asked if your on roids is an insult to roids and lifting in general.

if you're just huge and shredded, not on roids, and asked if your on roids, say "fuck yeah I am! how else will someone get this big!" because most people in the world don't think you can gain muscle without roids and it's funny to crush them and their lazy dreams.


----------



## RKO920

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> Only if you really don't and never have.


All natural. Been going at it for 3 years, tomorrow.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

RKO920 said:


> All natural. Been going at it for 3 years, tomorrow.


(Y) Then just soak up the love from the haters.


----------



## Olympus

Went to the gym tonight to play basketball as I do 5-6 times a week and after just one game my back began to get really tight. Pretty much exactly where my trapezius muscle is.










Like exactly there. (the lower of the two points)

It was bad enough to make me leave the gym. After it had time to tense up on the way home I favored it so much walking inside that I was almost hunched down and to the left. It hurts when I breathe (not as bad as at the gym) and I had the same pain in my chest in basically in the same location as in my back. I had a family member massage it and say it was a knot. Took two ibuprofen and am icing it.

Talked to the guy at the desk who was studying...I can't remember exactly what but was basically into the body and told me it could be a dehydration issue since I haven't drank much today. Any ideas on what may have caused it and what could reduce the pain? It's a major annoyance.


----------



## Rockstar

I'm no expert but you could try putting some heat or cold on it. Try a rice bag or an ice pack, could relieve some of the tension and pain.


----------



## Olympus

A hot shower brought the pain down so much it felt as though it was gone. Not it's back and has returned in my chest. Gonna continue the ice pack. I may have a rice bag.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

icing it directly after hurting it is good. After that, heat is good. Do light, I mean light, stretching. Too much stretching will probably just irritate it a bit (won't necessarily make it worse). I literally tweaked my right trap and Rhomboideus about 2 months ago while doing arnold presses (because I didn't warm up). 

Hydration could have been a factor in getting the injury, but it won't cure it afterwards (other than the obvious "you should be hydrating anyways"). A massage will feel great too (might make it heal a little faster, but not instantly). Plus, if he/she is good, they can offer some advice on what to do (instead of going to a doctor). I used advil myself. Just have to take it easy with weights or exercise for a bit. 

Of course, if it gets worse over the next week, I'd see a doctor ASAP. if it stays the same (and your not lifting or doing stupid stuff), just wait another week and see if tones down. I'm not a fan of doctors when it comes to muscle soreness; I'll tough it out as long as possible.

I hope this advice is all right; it's more what I did personally. but ice is for directly after, heating is after-after. I actually would put something heavy on a heating pad to get pressure and heat onto my shoulder/back. I think it helped, I healed up in 3 1/2 weeks (but I did shoulders too soon into recovery and hurt my self again after the 2nd week).

and fuck yeah, hot showers feel so good with an injury. I'm with you there.


----------



## Olympus

Pain is practically nonexistent. Just residual sensations that barely affect me. I think it's just a result of a piss poor mattress, lack of stretching, and dehydration. I haven't lifted in weeks and play ball 4-6 times a week for upwards of 2 hours. I've never had this happen. Thought it was just the result of fatigue. Feels good now though. If it continues I'll look into it more, but as of now I think it's gone.

Thanks for the help guys.


----------



## Alim

I hate how protein powder is so expensive.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

it's like $20 online for a huge barrel of it...


----------



## Rockstar

Skyfall said:


> it's like $20 online for a huge barrel of it...


Jesus, what websites are you shopping at!? I'd love to take a look there!


----------



## Rush

Makaveli said:


> Went to the gym tonight to play basketball as I do 5-6 times a week and after just one game my back began to get really tight. Pretty much exactly where my trapezius muscle is.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Like exactly there. (the lower of the two points)
> 
> It was bad enough to make me leave the gym. After it had time to tense up on the way home I favored it so much walking inside that I was almost hunched down and to the left. It hurts when I breathe (not as bad as at the gym) and I had the same pain in my chest in basically in the same location as in my back. I had a family member massage it and say it was a knot. Took two ibuprofen and am icing it.
> 
> Talked to the guy at the desk who was studying...I can't remember exactly what but was basically into the body and told me it could be a dehydration issue since I haven't drank much today. Any ideas on what may have caused it and what could reduce the pain? It's a major annoyance.


luckily for you, i'm currently doing my masters in physio. When you say the lower of the 2 points, do you mean exactly where that 2nd line is? or lower than that? b/c if its around that area & lower, and you're having pain in your chest then i'd be pretty confident in saying its a problem with your rhomboid(s) not your trap. Its literally a textbook case of a rhomboid strain. You get it from overuse of the muscle, particularly from repeated overhead movement (ie basketball), you feel it when you breathe and can occasionally cause referred pain to the chest. Seeing as its a few days post injury then heat is the appropriate method as you really only want to ice something during the inflammatory phase which you should be coming out of now. So basically hot showers will help, stretch your rhomboid, and use a foam roller if you have one, or even something like a tennis ball up against a wall or floor and massage it out. Then you can also do rows, making sure you are trying to control the scapula movement and in laymans terms, squeezing the scapula together. Best to try that with a theraband or something similar. 

http://www.ndortho.com/Pt_Advisor-WEB/Rhomboid_Strain.pdf

^^^ fact sheet if you want to look it up.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html

$28 for 2 lbs. that should last you at least 1 month if all your meals are protein shakes. I literally buy 1 tub of protein per year. I might have 1 shake per week (at 1 scoop), but even at 1 shake per day, you'll last 2 months easily.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/gain.html

even less $$$ for more muscles.

Foam Roller :homer


----------



## Rush

foam rollers are GOAT. But if you have somewhere there who knows a bit about massage (ie properly knows, not just 'i give great massages') then they will be better for you.


----------



## Rockstar

Skyfall said:


> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html
> 
> $28 for 2 lbs. that should last you at least 1 month if all your meals are protein shakes. I literally buy 1 tub of protein per year. I might have 1 shake per week (at 1 scoop), but even at 1 shake per day, you'll last 2 months easily.
> 
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/gain.html
> 
> even less $$$ for more muscles.
> 
> Foam Roller :homer


That link doesn't work, but anyway, I see it's bodybuilding.com. That's where I get my stuff too. Never got anything for $20, mainly because I only buy 5 pounders. I have one protein shake a day so a 2 pounder wouldn't last me long.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

yeah it BB. that should last you like 2 months. 2 lbs. unless your doing 4 scoops or something. they'll even have deals a lot of times; as long as you don't go to a nutrition store to buy your stuff, you shouldn't be breaking the bank. Plus, I steer away from protein shakes for solid food, so yeah, 2 lbs will last me 6 months easy.

You must be buying that solid gold protein, with midichlorians in it.


----------



## Rockstar

Skyfall said:


> yeah it BB. that should last you like 2 months. 2 lbs. unless your doing 4 scoops or something. they'll even have deals a lot of times; as long as you don't go to a nutrition store to buy your stuff, you shouldn't be breaking the bank. Plus, I steer away from protein shakes for solid food, so yeah, 2 lbs will last me 6 months easy.
> 
> You must be buying that solid gold protein, with midichlorians in it.


Yeah I do a scoop and a half every day that I work out. Will only really buy stuff on sale.


----------



## Magic

10 lbs lasts me around a month or month and a half. :side:


Shit is way too expensive, but I'll probably use it even more in uni for meal replacements when I'm lazy.


----------



## RKO920

Hydrobuilder. Worth every fucking penny.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Magic said:


> 10 lbs lasts me around a month or month and a half. :side:
> 
> 
> Shit is way too expensive, but I'll probably use it even more in uni for meal replacements when I'm lazy.


are you eating that stuff out of the tub? are you like 300 lbs or something magic? Even professional athletes wouldn't go through 10 lbs in a month. Are you constantly on a bulk :lol 

if you're avoiding buying actual food because of money concerns, then that makes sense, but please don't go on a velocity diet or something. that's 6 protein shakes a day (no carb protein) and 1 actual meal per week. God, your kidneys would explode.


----------



## MF83

I'm going through tubs faster and faster. Wendler said in 5/3/1 to eat a 50g shake before every meal. After reading that, I started just dumping partial scoops of whey in my mouth throughout the day to satisfy snack cravings. :lol


----------



## Magic

6 shakes a day is only like 150 grams. I also really like smoothies. :side:


----------



## TheeJayBee

I've never really supplemented but I've just started taking 'MRM CLA 1250'. Anybody used that or something similar before? Trying to cut down a little more body fat at the moment.


----------



## Alim

Skyfall said:


> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html
> 
> $28 for 2 lbs. that should last you at least 1 month if all your meals are protein shakes. I literally buy 1 tub of protein per year. I might have 1 shake per week (at 1 scoop), but even at 1 shake per day, you'll last 2 months easily.
> 
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/univ/gain.html
> 
> even less $$$ for more muscles.
> 
> Foam Roller :homer


I see that's bodybuilding.com

It costs an arm and a leg to get stuff shipped here in Canada


----------



## sharkboy22

Ok guys, I'm in serious shit cause I've been taking serious mass. I need some advice.

So about 5-6 months ago I started taking serious mass. Back then I was 150 pounds (think fuck!) and couldn't lift shit in the gym. Today I can curl 15 pounds heavier, bench 40 pounds more, squat 40 more and a whole bunch of other numbers have gone up. So what's the problem? Well, I'm 174 pounds is what!

Now, when I look at myself in the mirror I've put on some weight. Although, it's not much. It's not like belly's all out there but there is fat. Some. Okay, alot. I put on 24 freaking pounds in 6 freaking months. The thing is though, I'm noticed so much increase in size overall. Belly fat aside, my back has gotten wide and my arms and chest bigger. Even firmer! But I know at 4 pounds a lot, if 1 pound of it is muscle that's a lot.

I know it's time to cut. And I'm gonna start from next week. I'm gonna make my workouts even more intense and add an extra day of cardio. Also, I need to do abs. I'll be honest, I neglect abs the way some guys neglect legs. Maybe that's the reason for the the belly? My problem is though, is that I still have a partially used bag of serious mass that I just bought last week :cussin: I can't afford protein right now and it's very difficult for me to meet my protein requirements with food alone. It really is.

So, what I'm asking is, would anyone still recommend taking the remaining serious mass? I plan to really, really hit the weights hard and bring up cardio.


----------



## MF83

What are your lifting numbers? How many calories are you taking in? You taking any other supplements? That belly just sounds like you're overindulging calorie wise, especially taking in 250 g carbs a serving - shit! If you just eat maintenance calories or slightly more, hit the right macro levels (protein especially) and focus on strength, that belly will go down in time and muscle will build itself. I know you say you can't afford protein but you might just have to try and prioritize it. Build your shit around the big slow lifts - deadlift, squat, bench, overhead and the STRONGTH will come. Since christmas, I've personally gone from skinny-fat 190 down to 170 and back up to an even leaner (BF wise) 190. Ain't got shit for arms but getting bigger and bigger everywhere else just training strength for the most part. Creatine has made a lot of difference for me and its relatively cheap.

I've lifted 9 times in the last 11 days. Taking a three day rest going to a couple cabins and enjoying the weekend before coming back and trying to join the illustrious 1000 lbs total club. I'm going to shoot for 405 deadlift, 345 squat, 250 bench to make that happen. Any of those might be smashable (deadlift most likely) as much as any of them may not happen (bench. Did 255 before with a possible spot assistance although he claims he didn't help. I rarely go low rep on it cause of my sometimes fucked shoulder). Should be goooooood.


----------



## Punked Up

A little backstory, would appreciate responses ASAP:

I have football practice 6 days a week. 2 days are full contact. 3 days a week they give us an hour in the weightroom or so. We are supposed to alternate upper/lower, but they don't really regiment us too much. How is this workout?: I've been using it since the start of July, can lift much more now thankfully:

UPPER DAYS:
- 5x6 bench press
- 5x6 push press
- 60 reps of resistance band exercise (pulling outward from chest)
- 3x10 tricep push down (IF TIME)

LOWER DAYS:
- 5x6 squat
- 5x6 power clean 
- 3x10 leg press (IF TIME)

EVERDAY (done on both upper and lower days)
- 60 push-ups
- 150 sit-ups
- 5 minutes of jump rope
- neck stretch/strengthening machine
(Push-ups and sit-ups may or may not be done weighted)

Everyday after practice I have a shake with 1 scoop of whey protein powder/2 scoops of some multivitamin shake. Just took whatever the guy at GNC said to, ish was expensive but he seemed to know what he was talking about.


----------



## sharkboy22

MF83 said:


> What are your lifting numbers? How many calories are you taking in? You taking any other supplements? That belly just sounds like you're overindulging calorie wise, especially taking in 250 g carbs a serving - shit! If you just eat maintenance calories or slightly more, hit the right macro levels (protein especially) and focus on strength, that belly will go down in time and muscle will build itself. I know you say you can't afford protein but you might just have to try and prioritize it. Build your shit around the big slow lifts - deadlift, squat, bench, overhead and the STRONGTH will come. Since christmas, I've personally gone from skinny-fat 190 down to 170 and back up to an even leaner (BF wise) 190. Ain't got shit for arms but getting bigger and bigger everywhere else just training strength for the most part. Creatine has made a lot of difference for me and its relatively cheap.
> 
> I've lifted 9 times in the last 11 days. Taking a three day rest going to a couple cabins and enjoying the weekend before coming back and trying to join the illustrious 1000 lbs total club. I'm going to shoot for 405 deadlift, 345 squat, 250 bench to make that happen. Any of those might be smashable (deadlift most likely) as much as any of them may not happen (bench. Did 255 before with a possible spot assistance although he claims he didn't help. I rarely go low rep on it cause of my sometimes fucked shoulder). Should be goooooood.


All my workouts are centered around the big lifts. I go heavy for low, then drop the weight and get some more reps in one the next sets. Some weeks I just do heavy for low, others I do a little lighter for higher reps and some days I just do a combination. You know, just to mix it up.

I take half serving of the serious mass,, so that's 125g of carbs. But yeah, I'm taking in way too many calories. I'm gonna take your advice. I'm trying to eat at 100-200 more calories now. Maybe even maintenance. I plan on doing some cardio for the next three days and start hitting the weights again on Monday. Hopefully all goes well and within a month or two I can get rid of this damn belly that's preventing me from doing crunches lol.

I'm going through the same thing you're going through though. I don't have big arms but everywhere else just seems to be growing. Especially my back. 

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback and advice man.


----------



## MF83

One thing I learned early was that people tend to be torso or limb dominant in muscle growth. Like you said, you're probably getting big shoulders, traps, back, etc first which to me is the better of the two :lol. Do high rep arm work for assistance lifts for hypertrophy after the big ones but realize real mass is in the torso. Gotta pimp Omar Isuf on youtube right now. Watch all you can by him. His philosophy is "athletic aesthetic" ie good lifting numbers while looking good. He's set to break some powerlifting records in his weight class while looking like a natural fitness model. Unlimited respect for him.


----------



## Punked Up

Punked Up said:


> A little backstory, would appreciate responses ASAP:
> 
> I have football practice 6 days a week. 2 days are full contact. 3 days a week they give us an hour in the weightroom or so. We are supposed to alternate upper/lower, but they don't really regiment us too much. How is this workout?: I've been using it since the start of July, can lift much more now thankfully:
> 
> UPPER DAYS:
> - 5x6 bench press
> - 5x6 push press
> - 60 reps of resistance band exercise (pulling outward from chest)
> - 3x10 tricep push down (IF TIME)
> 
> LOWER DAYS:
> - 5x6 squat
> - 5x6 power clean
> - 3x10 leg press (IF TIME)
> 
> EVERDAY (done on both upper and lower days)
> - 60 push-ups
> - 150 sit-ups
> - 5 minutes of jump rope
> - neck stretch/strengthening machine
> (Push-ups and sit-ups may or may not be done weighted)
> 
> Everyday after practice I have a shake with 1 scoop of whey protein powder/2 scoops of some multivitamin shake. Just took whatever the guy at GNC said to, ish was expensive but he seemed to know what he was talking about.


Hate to be a prick but wouls really like some responses as some of my teammates are now following this routine and I don't want to hurt anyone. My coach is pretty anti dead lift so that's out,

My diet is okay. Not nearly enough fruit/veggies but I take in a good amount of protein.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

shit. PR day for me.

315 x 5 for 2 sets. 

I did what you said MF83, I warmed up with lower weight and less reps.

135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
315 x 5
225 x 6
135 x 8

followed by FRAN in under 9 minutes. I had yogurt afterwards to celebrate.


----------



## MF83

Right on man. I swear you have 365x1 in you.

Did 405!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Deadlift 

8x135
5x245
3x285
1x325
1x365
1x405
Fail 415

Will edit when I'm done :lol so so so pumped


Edit:

Speed deadlifts

5x315
5x315
5x315

3a. Stiff leg deadlift 3 sets 8x225
3b. Wide grip pull-up/drop set wide grip pulldown 

4.a barbell curls 3 sets 6 reps 60lbs
4b. Single arm cable rotator cuff external rotation 

5.A. Pinwheel biceps curls
5b. Lying Hamstring machine


----------



## RKO920

Started doing HIIT after weight training today. I AM DEAD.


----------



## MF83

^ What kind?


SKYFALL. Seriously, try this!










135x8
215x5
255x3
295x1
325x1
365x1
(385x1?!)

Then do some high reps speed sets.


K, I'll tackle this. I'm no expert but I'll give you some personal opinions:




Punked Up said:


> A little backstory, would appreciate responses ASAP:
> 
> I have football practice 6 days a week. 2 days are full contact. 3 days a week they give us an hour in the weightroom or so. We are supposed to alternate upper/lower, but they don't really regiment us too much. How is this workout?: I've been using it since the start of July, can lift much more now thankfully:
> 
> UPPER DAYS:
> - 5x6 bench press
> - 5x6 push press
> - 60 reps of resistance band exercise (pulling outward from chest)
> - 3x10 tricep push down (IF TIME)
> 
> LOWER DAYS:
> - 5x6 squat
> - 5x6 power clean
> - 3x10 leg press (IF TIME)
> 
> EVERDAY (done on both upper and lower days)
> - 60 push-ups
> - 150 sit-ups
> - 5 minutes of jump rope
> - neck stretch/strengthening machine
> (Push-ups and sit-ups may or may not be done weighted)
> 
> Everyday after practice I have a shake with 1 scoop of whey protein powder/2 scoops of some multivitamin shake. Just took whatever the guy at GNC said to, ish was expensive but he seemed to know what he was talking about.


Why is your coach anti-deadlift? If you feel you can do it correctly, do it!

First off, your back probably sucks. You don't do anything for it. That is functionally and aesthetically detrimental. You need a healthy dose of pulling in there.

Don't do the same two workouts on repeat. If you're gonna do a 3 day split, do some order of Push/Pull/Legs. Train around the big movements. Keep sets in the 3-5 rep range on the primary movements and 6-8 after. Go high rep on your finishing exercises (abs/biceps/triceps/whatever).

Eat more protein and food in general. 

JUST MADE IT NOW EXAMPLE: 



> Week One
> 
> Monday (legs): 1. ASS TO GRASS (don't cheat) Back Squat. Assistance: 2.leg press/calves complex 3. Good Morning 4. A couple heavy abs exercises
> 
> Wednesday (push): 1. Bench 2. dips 3. incline bench 4+ pushups/flyes/triceps stuff
> 
> Friday (pull): 1. Deadlift 2. stiff leg deadlift 3. chin ups/pull downs 4. ham strings 5. biceps
> 
> Week Two
> 
> Monday (legs): 1. Front Squat 2. barbell hip thrust 3. calves 4+ heavy abs
> 
> Wednesday (push): 1. Standing Overhead Press 2. dips 3. narrow grip bench 4. bent lateral raises 5+ triceps
> 
> Friday (pull): 1. Pendlay Row 2. Every-set-different-grip Chinups 3. stiff arm pushdowns 4. inverted rows 5. reverse barbell curls 6. dumbell pinwheel curls


Then repeat those, if you want a set split. As a football player you're going to need much more posterior chain and back work in general.

Throw three or four sets of 2 reps of powercleans once or twice a week before the #1 movements to warm yourself up. I've only been doing them for a couple weeks now but everything I've read about power cleans says do them first or don't do them, because they're perfect for nervous system warmup and explosiveness but need you to be fresh because they're so technical. If you wanna do them heavy, do it on a pull day as the first movement. 

Situps/pushups... Man, those situps are gonna do nothing good for you. The situps will fuck up your posture for minimum benefit. Throw heavy abdominal work in there instead. You can throw them at the end like I did up there or do them on their own days, but do them heavy. 

READ THIS: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/21st_century_core_training_1 


Watch all the Elliott Hulse you can. He's a former football player/strength trainer and he is seriously fucking ingenious. Strengthcamp is his youtube account. 


YEAH. K, I'm done for now. :lol


----------



## Magic

Man, I really dont think I could ever take a 5-15 minute break at the gym. :lol Id be bored as fuck and I was basically taught to have my heart rate constantly high so when Im not doing reps Im usually doing pushups, burpees, etc.

That does look rather intense though, but I usually stray away from doing one rep maxiums as I never really saw the point of them.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> 3a. Stiff leg deadlift 3 sets 8x225
> 3b. Wide grip pull-up/drop set wide grip pulldown


225 for only 8 reps? weak sauce.



> 5.A. Windmill biceps curls
> 5b. Lying Hamstring machine


what are windmill bicep curls? Just correct curls, :lol ?

This week I'm definitely going up in weight on Dead lifts. It's just I'm dropping calories and doing high reps on everything but Dead lifts. 

Do you use wraps, or just chalk? I really don't think wraps will hurt your grip if you train properly else where. I mean, shit, I can do lat pulldowns at 185 x 15 reps for 3 sets. that's my body weight. 

and yeah, resting for 5 minutes? I'll have to think about that. I rested 3 minutes between 315x5 and felt silly.

I used to want to get my bench up, but it just wouldn't happen. Maybe I trained like shit back then (probably 2 years ago). I can still do 225 for 3 reps, which is pretty low considering my how big I do look. Deadlift and rows are the only things I am actually trying to improve on and have seen results.


----------



## MF83

Yeah, I was dead from the earlier stuff though. Shouldn't have done that much, once again, but I was hyped.

Fuck, that break goes by faster than you think it would. Resting that long for me was waiting a minute to calm down from the last one, waiting a minute and doing a high jump, sitting down and getting in the zone, drinking some water, doing a few quick hang barbell-only hang cleans to juice up the nervous system, pacing and hyping myself, chalking up, walking up and pussing out twice, THEN doing it. :lol 

Doing it without chalk and no straps would make your grip stronger but you probably couldn't lift as much, so I donno. Straps are straps, they'll work the same as chalk really, only you get to use the double-pronated grip, and your grip won't get stronger. Doing Farmers walks and chinup hangs and shit to strengthen it would do the same thing, I guess, I just love the chalk.


Edit: windmill curls are like... pinwheel curls, I guess. Maybe I've been calling them the wrong thing this whole time. HA.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I can kind of imagine what a windmill curl is anyways. I know people are either 100% for or against straps, but I don't know why. If you do pullups, rows, and everything else without straps, and then only use them for dead lifts...that should be fine. 

I use to do walks with a 70 lb kettlebell, except I'd hold it straight up over my head, the heavy part facing up and me balancing it with my grip. I was beast mode back then. Kettle bells are great for grip strength. Back in those days, I didn't need a woman to make me feel good...


----------



## MF83

Yeh I was just miscalling pinwheel curls as windmill curls :lol. They're good for the large ROM, isolating, and hitting the brachialis all at once.

The thing with 1RMing is to do it once a month, if that. I just do it cause there's nothing better than beating a 1RM, for me personally, and knowing/breaking my true limit. Thanks to Bret Contreras I've started tracking my 3RMs and 5RMs too and try to beat one of the three (on the big lifts at least) every session. 

Assuming I hopefully finally total 1000lbs on the big three this week I think I might do an 8 week cut after deloading, but haven't decided yet. Start of semester and all is probably the best time to do it for me personally. I'm loving eating all these calories but dropping ten pounds of fat couldn't hurt at this point, and my joints could probably use a break from the constant overload. Who knows though, it's just something I'm toying around with right now.


----------



## MF83

245 bench today following that same warmup scheme!!!! Went for 255 after without enough rest, and almost broke my rib. Some spotter my partner is. :lol. That means 350 squat on Friday (I'm gonna try 355) and then the summer's goal of 1000lbs (1005) big three PR total will be met right in the nick of time! I should have taken a video, ah! I will on Friday. So hyped.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

BroScienceLife is the funniest youtube channel ever, but only if you lift. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS-oRydlnCE&feature=c4-overview&list=UUduKuJToxWPizJ7I2E6n1kA


----------



## MF83

Yeah, that guy is fucking hilarious. They share his videos on the Gym Memes facebook page.

Catch me looking fat as fuck with that belt on as I hit my year's goal of the 1000lbs total mark with a HORRIBLE squat, but I got low enough and survived so I'm counting it.






405 deadlift/245 bench/355 squat. YAY.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Fucking real man. I don't go that low even, only a bit bellow parallel :lmao

I got stuck up on 5 x 315 yesterday on deadlifts. I did 1 set of 5. then rested for about 4 minutes, tried 335, couldn't lift it; lowered to 315, couldn't lift it. I pretty much blue balled myself. 

But I recovered with a FRAN (crossfit) time of 8:43; 17 seconds faster than my best time 8*D

I'm just blaming it on reduction of calories and laziness.


----------



## amari

I run 60 miles a week (20 per day - 3 days a week), gym 3 days a week.


----------



## Quasi Juice

At what point do you guys recommend protein shakes? If you don't work out much for a while, does it turn into fat?


----------



## APEX

Quasi Juice said:


> At what point do you guys recommend protein shakes? If you don't work out much for a while, does it turn into fat?


Yeah you'd put on weight. I don't know all the ins and outs, but I can talk from personal experience.

When I was 17 I started taking them whilst working out a lot, put on a lot of muscle. But then I got real lazy and carried on taking them, and not going to the gym.

I turned out chubby :lmao 

Took me 3/4 months to work off all the weight, and I haven't touched them since.

In the best shape of my life now and I don't take any supps.

Just eat my fair share of veg, a big breakfast and a nice balance between cardio and weight training.


----------



## chaoskid

I walk a couple a miles a day, mainly up and down hills


----------



## MF83

Quasi Juice said:


> At what point do you guys recommend protein shakes? If you don't work out much for a while, does it turn into fat?


Not sure if serious but if so: a. Take protein when you're trying to build strength and/or size and/or aren't eating at least a g of protein per lb of bodyweight. 

b. voluntary muscles are composed of skeletal muscular tissue. Fat is mainly adipose tissue. They're two completely different things that work independently to one another. If you ingest more calories than you burn, the extra energy wind up stored in (first) old empty adipose cells and later in new adipose cells if you fill up all your old adipose cells with fat. That's why it's harder to get fat in the first place than it is once you've already been fat, ie. for teeter totter dieters, as outside of surgery, you keep the fat cells you've developed, they just empty out. Unless you actually lose your muscle cells to a horrible starvation or something, all the skeletal muscle cells you attain growing up are the cells your body works with (granted you stay natural) for life. Recovery from lifting just creates more and larger muscle fibers within those skeletal muscle cells. Anatomy and physiology, baby!


----------



## Wayne Rooney's Fellatio Slave

Being the vanilla midget that I am I have never really spent any amount of time in the weight room. But that is going to have to change in the very near future. My career path (Law enforcement/Fire) is one that requires one to be physically fit and to do so I'm gonna have to hit the gym.

Anyone have any suggestions on how I should go about getting started?


----------



## Rush

buy a gym membership and walk in the door :troll 



MF83 said:


> Not sure if serious but if so: a. Take protein when you're trying to build strength and/or size and/or aren't eating at least a g of protein per lb of bodyweight.
> 
> b. voluntary muscles are composed of skeletal muscular tissue. Fat is mainly adipose tissue. They're two completely different things that work independently to one another. If you ingest more calories than you burn, the extra energy wind up stored in (first) old empty adipose cells and later in new adipose cells if you fill up all your old adipose cells with fat. That's why it's harder to get fat in the first place than it is once you've already been fat, ie. for teeter totter dieters, as outside of surgery, you keep the fat cells you've developed, they just empty out. Unless you actually lose your muscle cells to a horrible starvation or something, all the skeletal muscle cells you attain growing up are the cells your body works with (granted you stay natural) for life. *Recovery from lifting just creates more* and larger muscle fibers within those skeletal muscle cells. Anatomy and physiology, baby!


Evidence on hyperplasia in human skeletal muscle is pretty poor/not definitive. Your fibres definitely get bigger but its not really known if you actually gain a measureable increase in the number of muscle fibres. Either way you get your strength gains from neural adaptations initially and then its pretty much all hpyertrophy after that


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Hank Scorpio said:


> Being the vanilla midget that I am I have never really spent any amount of time in the weight room. But that is going to have to change in the very near future. My career path (Law enforcement/Fire) is one that requires one to be physically fit and to do so I'm gonna have to hit the gym.
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions on how I should go about getting started?


get a personal trainer for a month. Even it's like $400 total, it's worth it to people who don't know what they're doing. I think people often forget how helpful they (some :side can be. They'll make you feel comfortable in the gym, that's the biggest thing from them.

Otherwise, grab a Muscle & Fitness magazine and do one of the workouts in there. if you're a fireman, make sure you do leg and back work, don't neglect it. You have to support all your gear, plus dragging people around (in worse case scenario).


----------



## D17

here's one for yarl

which lift do you hate doing the most?

I personally hate doing overheads with dumbells, and of course squats. Was talking to a friend of mine who has been training for years on end and he hates doing barbell curls (if he's doing them heavy that is), thought that was an odd one tbh


----------



## MF83

Squats rule. All the big lifts rule. I dislike direct ab work the most, probably. Oh, and lunges. Always hurt my knee on the floor bump :lol. Barbell hip thrusts so very much so > lunges, for me.

Moved towns for university. They have a gym with a room dedicated to powerlifting, including four squat racks, two Olympic platforms and a trap bar. Fuck yeah. They also have another big room dedicated to Crossfit shit and another room for real conditioning with things like ropes and I think tires. All that on top of your typical commercial gym setup. Oooooooh bubba.


----------



## Rockstar

MF83 said:


> Squats rule. All the big lifts rule. I dislike direct ab work the most, probably. Oh, and lunges. Always hurt my knee on the floor bump :lol. Barbell hip thrusts so very much so > lunges, for me.
> 
> Moved towns for university. They have a gym with a room dedicated to powerlifting, including four squat racks, two Olympic platforms and a trap bar. Fuck yeah. They also have another big room dedicated to Crossfit shit and another room for real conditioning with things like ropes and I think tires. All that on top of your typical commercial gym setup. Oooooooh bubba.


Damn that's awesome. I also moved for uni and the gym at my school is decent but nothing special. Nothing like what you have.


----------



## D17

MF83 said:


> *Squats rule*. All the big lifts rule. I dislike direct ab work the most, probably. Oh, and lunges. Always hurt my knee on the floor bump :lol. Barbell hip thrusts so very much so > lunges, for me.


Of course. Just mentioning the dislike for them , ask Ed Corney if he likes them :cool2


----------



## MF83

Yeah, used the regular university gym this morning. Had to sneak in chalk for my deadlifts hehe. Brought a big chunk that lasted all three sets! Went for an actual bah gawd 5x5 today.


----------



## Olympus

^ What app is that?


----------



## MF83

Gym Hero for iPhone. I love it.


----------



## Olympus

Sweet. Heading to the gym now. Gonna put it to use. (Y)

Any tips on how to improve my vertical? I've head a lot of information. Some good, some bad. I've heard a lot about functional training and training explosive movements.

Essentially, the main body parts I've been told are best to train are your quads, gluts, hams, calves, your core, and shoulders. Are those good body parts to attack? My goal is to be able to dunk. I haven't measured my vertical yet which I know is important, but I'm grabbing maybe 6"-8" from the rim? Just wondering if anyone has any advice to offer in regards to improving your vertical.


----------



## MF83

Heavy Squats. Ass to grass is key for that. But yeah, front squats, low bar back squats; just squat - heavy! Train high jumps and long jumps too. Power/full cleans are excellent for explosiveness, as are snatches if you think you can learn that. Combine that with a strong posterior chain (deadlifts!) for hamstring and the ever underrated glute strength and watch it skyrocket. Finally: sprint. Not jogging or running but fucking sprint as fast as possible. Find a track (or even the street, but i dont like the random street angles personally) and do it. I recently started doing it and it's amazing. Sprints, jumps, deads and squats will work your calves and everything else in explosiveness. Other big lifts like bench and overhead and rows and what not are all good for explosiveness. Elliott Hulse has tons of videos on this subject on his strengthcamp youtube channel.


----------



## Olympus

MF83 said:


> Heavy Squats. Ass to grass is key for that. But yeah, front squats, low bar back squats; just squat - heavy! Train high jumps and long jumps too. Power/full cleans are excellent for explosiveness, as are snatches if you think you can learn that. Combine that with a strong posterior chain (deadlifts!) for hamstring and the ever underrated glute strength and watch it skyrocket. Finally: sprint. Not jogging or running but fucking sprint as fast as possible. Find a track (or even the street, but i dont like the random street angles personally) and do it. I recently started doing it and it's amazing. Sprints, jumps, deads and squats will work your calves and everything else in explosiveness. Other big lifts like bench and overhead and rows and what not are all good for explosiveness. Elliott Hulse has tons of videos on this subject on his strengthcamp youtube channel.


Would rep again if I could. Awesome advice! Gonna get a program sorted out. I'm already trying to bulk, put on muscle, and overall lift more. Been too much into basketball the last few months, but I'm finally getting back to it. Might be tough fitting this in.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Heavy Squats. Ass to grass is key for that. But yeah, front squats, low bar back squats; just squat - heavy! Train high jumps and long jumps too. Power/full cleans are excellent for explosiveness, as are snatches if you think you can learn that. Combine that with a strong posterior chain (deadlifts!) for hamstring and the ever underrated glute strength and watch it skyrocket. Finally: sprint. Not jogging or running but fucking sprint as fast as possible. Find a track (or even the street, but i dont like the random street angles personally) and do it. I recently started doing it and it's amazing. Sprints, jumps, deads and squats will work your calves and everything else in explosiveness. Other big lifts like bench and overhead and rows and what not are all good for explosiveness. Elliott Hulse has tons of videos on this subject on his strengthcamp youtube channel.







just to confuse you...


----------



## Alim

I've been on and off lifting for a little about 3 years now. This time I'm really motivated to stick to it. I've been bulking all summer with lean foods. I weighed 140lbs in April and now I'm 165lbs. This is the most I've ever weighed. I got myself a 5lb tub of whey protein the other day and will be getting fish oil sometime soon too. Gym membership hopefully this weekend. 

Was wondering if I should do Rippetoe Starting Strength or just do my own workout? I'm pretty familiar with most equipment and popular gym exercises, but even though I've gained quite a bit of mass these past few months, I'm still pretty weak. I went to the gym a few times this summer, I never did any of the powerlifting exercises like barbell squats, deadlifts, or bench press but I have in the past.


----------



## Rush

MF83 said:


> *Heavy Squats. Ass to grass is key for that. But yeah, front squats, low bar back squats; just squat - heavy! *Train high jumps and long jumps too. Power/full cleans are excellent for explosiveness, as are snatches if you think you can learn that. Combine that with a strong posterior chain (deadlifts!) for hamstring and the ever underrated glute strength and watch it skyrocket. Finally: sprint. Not jogging or running but fucking sprint as fast as possible. Find a track (or even the street, but i dont like the random street angles personally) and do it. I recently started doing it and it's amazing. Sprints, jumps, deads and squats will work your calves and everything else in explosiveness. Other big lifts like bench and overhead and rows and what not are all good for explosiveness. Elliott Hulse has tons of videos on this subject on his strengthcamp youtube channel.


strength =/= power though. Need to be lifting fairly quickly to develop that power.


----------



## Josh

Alim said:


> I've been on and off lifting for a little about 3 years now. This time I'm really motivated to stick to it. I've been bulking all summer with lean foods. I weighed 140lbs in April and now I'm 165lbs. This is the most I've ever weighed. I got myself a 5lb tub of whey protein the other day and will be getting fish oil sometime soon too. Gym membership hopefully this weekend.
> 
> Was wondering if I should do Rippetoe Starting Strength or just do my own workout? I'm pretty familiar with most equipment and popular gym exercises, but even though I've gained quite a bit of mass these past few months, I'm still pretty weak. I went to the gym a few times this summer, I never did any of the powerlifting exercises like barbell squats, deadlifts, or bench press but I have in the past.


ss is intended to build your strength in order for you to progress onto a more extensive program.


----------



## RKO920

Nothing like taking a 3 day break to get the fire back. Sometimes you need it.


----------



## MF83

Breaks are everything. I follow the loosest 5/3/1 program out there but it calls for a deload week every fourth week. Those weeks make me whole again, not just physically. It's a great break for the CNS too and I get a lot of real life stuff done those weeks, typically. Ya get to work on mobility, joint pain, and form/speed with lighter weights. It rebuilds the hype and desire like nothing else too. 

For example, this week, all trying for 5x5 working sets on the main movements, I've done six workouts in five days but that's fine because I've gotten my sleep, ate well, and have stretcheded and foam rolled like crazy. What's more, strength is still gaining like mad. For example, I randomly went for a single 405 lbs deadlift yesterday (something I had to ramp up to PR style last deadlift day/my 1RM) after working sets, did it so easily that 425+ felt doable, man... I love this shit. This is my week so far; the only reason I'm doing so much is I'm keeping the workouts short:

Monday: Squats/legs
Tuesday: AM - bench/pushes PM - power clean/pulls 
Wednesday: front squat/abs
Thursday: Overhead Press/arms
Friday: 8 sets deadlifts 

And I'm just waiting for my food to digest to go bench press

Edit: did bench press, then a clean/press/pendlay row medley before rotator cuff exercises and heavy farmers walks. Probably gonna take a solid two or three day break now. Wooooo.




Rush said:


> strength =/= power though. Need to be lifting fairly quickly to develop that power.


Yeah, that's true. Though when you get to squatting heavy, speed becomes automatic because you probably ain't gonna hit that heavy ass weight going slow.


----------



## itsmadness

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> get a personal trainer for a month. Even it's like $400 total, it's worth it to people who don't know what they're doing. I think people often forget how helpful they (some :side can be. They'll make you feel comfortable in the gym, that's the biggest thing from them.
> 
> Otherwise, grab a Muscle & Fitness magazine and do one of the workouts in there. if you're a fireman, make sure you do leg and back work, don't neglect it. You have to support all your gear, plus dragging people around (in worse case scenario).


Lol what? No it isnt. $400 for a personal trainer that likely dosent know what they are doing is not worth the money. Watch youtube vids for free. M&F magazines arent the best things to read either.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

itsmadness said:


> Lol what? No it isnt. $400 for a personal trainer that likely dosent know what they are doing is not worth the money. Watch youtube vids for free. M&F magazines arent the best things to read either.


Do you know what a personal trainer is? They're "supposed" to be certified in _personal training_. For a newbie in the gym, they're 100% better off hiring a personal trainer for 1 month than hoping they remember what they saw from a million different sources on youtube. 

You can sew a personal trainer if they're shit and hurt you as well. You can only give a thumbs down on a youtube video. And anyone can post a youtube video, only people who are certified can be a personal trainer. The personal Trainers at my gym (an LA Fitness) are good though. I do believe you if you've met stupid personal trainers though, it's easily possible. 

M&F magazines give really simple/basic workout plans for beginners. They're great, for a beginner.


----------



## MF83

Who has experience with straight beta alanine? Just took my first 3mg evurrr and am excited to see how it works out for me. Getting ready to feel the STRONGTH on deadlift day after a two day break. :mark:

Trying out Liquid Grip today as well. Gym doesn't allow the chalk here so it will be interesting.

Edit - MEH to the liquid grip. It, I mean, it kind of dries one's hands? Maybe I didn't use enough. Gotta experiment some more. Anyhow, snuck in a chunk of chalk after just one liquid grip set :lol: 

1. 8 sets 1-5 reps Deadlift 2a 3x10-12 front squat 2b 3x8 snatch grip high pulls 3. 3x8-10 Reverse hyperextensions. Fucking wrecked. Great workout.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

wow, i just googled liquid grip. I'm probably buying it now. If not to lift weights, then for lube purposes. I've only been using straps if I have an overhand grip with both hands. Over/under I don't use straps anymore.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

There is nothing better than bulking season. Lots of food, sleep & training volume.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

I've been hitting the local track more. Making running my new 'thing' lately. I'm not in terrible shape but I'm no star athlete either. My times are way below average for athletic track/cross country people but I've been smoking the average joes out there. 

I paced the middle school football team for their (and my) 2 warm-up laps just by chance the last time out :lol 



MF83 said:


> Who has experience with straight beta alanine? Just took my first 3mg evurrr and am excited to see how it works out for me. Getting ready to feel the STRONGTH on deadlift day after a two day break. :mark:


None with straight but used various pre's that have considerable doses. The prickly feeling on your skin is oddly motivating! Iss good shhht mang.


----------



## MF83

I don't know if it was the Beta Alanine or what but fuck - Took everything and then some for me to hit 1x355 three weeks ago and if you saw the video you saw it was horrendous, but I hit 3x345 clean today. The goal was 3x335 (previous 3RM 315) but I cleared that too easily and went for the successful 345. Probably was the beta alanine: the point is I'm a happy camper with it/myself today. I'm going to aim for 375 x1 next week!

I work the loosest 5/3/1 there is but it's great because hitting multiple new PR 5RM (first week), 3RM (second week) and 1RMs (third week) every week and then resetting/relaxing for a deload week is so fucking satisfying.


----------



## Boulle

I got my pony tail caught under the foam roller before. It was like being scalped.


----------



## Rockstar

Man I need some new workout music. What kind of stuff do you guys like to jam out to? I like Slipknot, Disturbed, Buckcherry, MGK, Rob Bailey, Eminem, Rob Zombie, that kind of stuff.

Recommendations?


----------



## MF83

Edit: ^ shit man, I need to buy headphones. The loudspeakers at my old gym played (usually) the Sirius XM 90s station so that was good enough for me but this gym has crappy radio on quietly and it doesn't do the trick. Whatever builds hype AKA actual neurotransmitter release to legitimately boost your strength is good enough for me.


Ended a sour 1RM week on a high note. Was too tired/undernourished/under recovered to break deadlift PR, lost balance/fell back on squat pr try, would have had the bench but the randy who spotted me helped it up for fuck sakes :cussin:... Hit an honest Overhead Press PR today though ((35+10+10+5)(2))+45)=165lbs: 







"Advanced" for 181 lbs bodyweight is 165 and 175 for 198 lbs bodyweight. I'm somewhere in the middle of that so I'm pretty much "advanced" at something. Fuck yeah~!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rockstar said:


> Man I need some new workout music. What kind of stuff do you guys like to jam out to? I like Slipknot, Disturbed, Buckcherry, MGK, Rob Bailey, Eminem, Rob Zombie, that kind of stuff.
> 
> Recommendations?


I literally just updated my ipod:
The Mountain - Haken
MGMT - MGMT
Ask the Dust - Lorn
To Beast or not to Beast - Lordi (top recommendation)
Styx Greatest hits - Styx
The Electric Lady - Janelle Monae


not a lot, but so far it's helping me. I also like Epica, a lot of WWE entrance themes, Eminem, I'll even listen to Gaga.


----------



## Rush

Rockstar said:


> Man I need some new workout music. What kind of stuff do you guys like to jam out to? I like Slipknot, Disturbed, Buckcherry, MGK, Rob Bailey, Eminem, Rob Zombie, that kind of stuff.
> 
> Recommendations?


get some stuff by Enter Shikari. Also Can't Be Touched is a good workout song, DMX has some great tracks for workouts as well.






the hook definitely gets you going. 











Everytime i listen to this song i get reminded of snowboarding in Whistler. Mostly b/c i played the fuck out of it. Nothing better than being on the top of a mountain strapping in with this song blaring and just ripping the fuck out of a run. Awesome fun.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I tried front squats yesterday on leg day. Holy Shit. Haven't done a lot of weight on front squats in a while, could barely do my body weight.

I'm starting bulking for real now. I'm down to 14% BF according to a fat caliper and personal trainer at LA Fitness. so, Gonna eat a shit load. Going to out do you asap MF83.


----------



## MF83

And I need to cut... but I don't wanna! Waiting for an injury or spring for that. Finally rounded up all my maxes.


----------



## MF83

My deload isn't even going to be lightweight/speed this week. I'm just going to straight up rest until Friday or Saturday, only doing foam rolling and stretching, and maaaaybe some HIIT.

My next 5/3/1 (or 3/1/5... or 3/5/1... I haven't decided) strength split for the next four-ish weeks is going to focus on these primary movements:

Bench (and triceps/shoulders)
SUMO DEADLIFT (and ass/hams/quads)
STRICT BARBELL CURL (and biceps/upperback)
Rest
Overhead Press (and other shoulders/chest/triceps)
Squat (and abs/quads/calves)
Power Clean (and upper back/biceps)
Rest
Rest

So yes, I'm going super bro with a biceps curl primary movement, but I want to train them lagging biceps for strength, so so be it.

Switching up to Sumo Deadlift for a change because why the fuck not? Plateauing on standard a bit, so this oughta help things out. Maybe I wind up preferring it? Who knows.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Sumo deadlift is the shit. I find the form so much easier to maintain. Sheamus was in a muscle and fitness Mag doing about 630 on them, that's the only reason I have them a try. Lol. 

Triple h did pull ups with 90 lbs hanging from him for reps. I did that twice, one time

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## MF83

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/wo...t-jim-wendlers-5-3-1-powerlifting-system.html
5/3/1 summed up for the uninformed including a link to the ebook. I go too hard on week one (typically 6-8 sessions on week one after deload but I'm pretty good otherwise) and my gains are still noob-gains so I increase the weight more than it calls for, but 5/3/1 y'all! I try to do a high frequency 6 day split but it always comes down to the 4 core lifts on weeks two and three when I inevitably work back/biceps into a push or deadlift workout. :lol


----------



## SUPER HANS

Sup guys

I'm doing my Tough Mudder on saturday, and I'm sitting here thinking to myself whether I should go for a run, or do a strength workout. I told myself at the start of the week that I needed a light week in preparation, I ran about 10k yesterday, and did a workout the day before.

I'm pretty sure skyfall has done one of these, has anyone else, should I be resting this week?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I did a military version of it, of which I was lifting up till the day of. But if you're actually doing it for competition, I'd stop lifting 3 days prior (so off/off/toughmudder day). then add in light running up until the day if you want. I mean, 30 minute jog the evening before. Or instead of running, try light swimming or biking.

I literally stole this advice from a "Runner's World" magazine I once read for a triathlon preparation week. I never did a triathlon, but I still read it.


----------



## nadine

I did the Tough Mudder in Toronto in May. It was hella cold. Most of the course is endurance. Our course was on Mount Saint Louie Moonstone which is a ski resort. Unsure where you are completing yours, but the advice I can give is train hard on cardio. Also try running up and down hills. 

There were times where we were submerged in freezing cold water, which tenses up your lungs and makes it difficult to catch your breath. If you can control your breathing, and run a good distance - you should be fine. 

I would also recommend building your upper body, as there are quite a few walls you have to pull yourself over. Work on your arms - overhead press, bicep curls, tricep extensions, bent over rows, front raises, reverse bridge dips or high side planks. 

Good luck!


----------



## FBrizzle

Just noticed this thread and being that I LOVE to workout...

I figured I'd post my current routine for you guys.

Now, keep in mind, I've been working out for about 4 years...

And started out in a bad place BUT...this stuff works.

Mon, Wed, Fri - Bodyweight Training (Lunges, Jumping Squats, Burpees, Mountain Climbers, etc)

Tues/Thurs - Yoga, Plyometrics, or Boxing (Depends on my mood)

Sat - Sprints, Powerwalking, or Light Jog (Around 15 min)

Doing this (and I was over 300lbs when I started)...

I lost around 21 pounds the first 2 months...

And about 7 or 8lbs a month since...

If anyone wants the actual workout, let me know!

It'll save you $$$ from buying some BS DVD set.


----------



## Rockstar

Proud to say I've reached my small goal of getting up to 200 pounds. Gained about 15 pounds over the Summer. Next goal is about 225.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

ashes11 said:


> Sup guys
> 
> I'm doing my Tough Mudder on saturday, and I'm sitting here thinking to myself whether I should go for a run, or do a strength workout. I told myself at the start of the week that I needed a light week in preparation, I ran about 10k yesterday, and did a workout the day before.
> 
> I'm pretty sure skyfall has done one of these, has anyone else, should I be resting this week?


Just checked out the Tough Mudder website to find out some more (sorta new to the concept). I took their quiz and got an 88 (Mudder Ready) on the readiness score. 

I would recommend a strength workout since you already did your run. Give your legs a break and work your upper body.

Good luck at the TM.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

nadine said:


> I did the Tough Mudder in Toronto in May. It was hella cold. Most of the course is endurance. Our course was on Mount Saint Louie Moonstone which is a ski resort. Unsure where you are completing yours, but the advice I can give is train hard on cardio. Also try running up and down hills.
> 
> There were times where we were submerged in freezing cold water, which tenses up your lungs and makes it difficult to catch your breath. If you can control your breathing, and run a good distance - you should be fine.
> 
> I would also recommend building your upper body, as there are quite a few walls you have to pull yourself over. Work on your arms - overhead press, bicep curls, tricep extensions, bent over rows, front raises, reverse bridge dips or high side planks.
> 
> Good luck!


well there you go. I second the hill running, steps if you're stuck in a city (I'm in Pittsburgh so I get both :dance). People ignore building resistance to shin splints, hills help against that a bit. 

Did they make you jump into a freezing cold pool only to dive a few feet down under some obstacle. I swear to God, the military wouldn't allow it because it was too dangerous. The US military.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Bulking on 3500 calories right now. Doing lots of sets and reps and the results have been amazing thus far. My current split is...

Chest & Traps w/Calves
Triceps & Delts w/Abs
Back & Biceps w/Calves
Quads & Hams w/Abs
Off
Chest & Back w/Abs
Arms & Traps w/Calves
Legs & Delts
Off
Off

I actually follow this ten day split now due to work and I've tested my body enough to know what it needs. I'm trying to get my arms to 17-17.5 inches (currently 16.5 inches) and work on some weak point like my traps.


----------



## MF83

I feel like such a pussy in the gym during my light workouts on deload week. I'm gonna design a shirt that says "I ain't weak - It's deload week!" Or something. :lol Though it was pretty funny throwing up a couple light sets of 50lb per hand dumbbells x8 for standing military while some bros were struggling on 35s seated, right in front me me. . That said, a rest week always translates to a lot more productive life.


----------



## nadine

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> well there you go. I second the hill running, steps if you're stuck in a city (I'm in Pittsburgh so I get both :dance). People ignore building resistance to shin splints, hills help against that a bit.
> 
> Did they make you jump into a freezing cold pool only to dive a few feet down under some obstacle. I swear to God, the military wouldn't allow it because it was too dangerous. The US military.


YES! I think it was called Arctic Enema? Something ridic. It was so cold during our course, my bones tensed right up after I started running. Surprisingly enough, that wasn't as bad as another obstacle - where you have to scale a grid, laying on your back. There's constant water splashing on your face as you're moving through which gives the sensation of drowning. Total head game, I was tripping right out.

Anyways, look forward to hearing about the poster's experience at TM. Train hard.


----------



## E N F O R C E R

Anyone else here suffer from shin splints? I used to think it was because I was fat, but after I lost all the weight I still have them 

:ziggler1

Makes running on a treadmill absolutely horrific. I try not to do too much cardio these days anyway, but if I do I stick to low impact machines or exercise bike. Got any advice how to manage shin splints?


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

E N F O R C E R said:


> Anyone else here suffer from shin splints? I used to think it was because I was fat, but after I lost all the weight I still have them
> 
> :ziggler1
> 
> Makes running on a treadmill absolutely horrific. I try not to do too much cardio these days anyway, but if I do I stick to low impact machines or exercise bike. Got any advice how to manage shin splints?


Yep as we speak. Intense runs and/or hills can cause them to happen more often.
In a nutshell, rest and stretching. For more serious pain, see a doctor.
Usually for me 1-3 days off plus stretching and I feel better. 0-1 rest day(s) for lighter workouts and 2-3 rest days for more intense workouts.

You could forgo running altogether and stick to the lower impact machines. This would also likely take care of it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

E N F O R C E R said:


> Makes running on a treadmill absolutely horrific. I try not to do too much cardio these days anyway, but if I do I stick to low impact machines or exercise bike. Got any advice how to manage shin splints?


it's the opposite for me. about 30+ minutes of running and I get shin splints; usually lighter the less I run. On a treadmill I'm great though. 

You don't have to run for cardio, but I mean, running should be done by everyone for all sorts of reasons. It's fantastic for leg muscles, helps prevent zombies, cardio possible anywhere, aids ability to outrun psychopath, can be really fun in groups (or with a girl friend), and help certain races escape the cops better.

I force myself to run because it's such a primal exercise humans barely have to do anymore. I mean, people have been running since the dawn of mankind. Show some respect and run a flight of steps fatty.


----------



## MF83

I get shin splints when I haven't run in a while. Do it, like, three times in one week and they'll disappear. 

Two days into the new cycle/5RM week: 
Workout 1 - 215x5 Bench Press [accessory: 3 sets each of weighted (25lbs) dips, static Pallof Press holds, dumbbell skull crushers, explosive pushups]
Workout 2 - 335x5 Squat (form sucked but the weight moved so fuck yeah. Programming said I should have only gone for 325 but fuck that shit). [accessory: 3 sets of weighted (25lbs) decline situps and weighted (25lbs) reverse hyperextenstions)


----------



## FBrizzle

*Let ME Help YOU Get In Shape*

Did M100s today. Pretty brutal.

YouTube em' if ya ain't tried em'.


----------



## MF83

So I did my strict biceps barbell curl primary lift workout today. Fuck, son. Worked light power cleans into it and it looked like this:

Curl 4x95
Clean 2x95
Curl 3x95
Clean 5x95
Curl 5x85
Clean 8x85
Curl 4x85
Clean 8x85
Curl 3x85

What do you guys curl? Is that weak, strong or what? Barely train biceps at all and that's probably why the following happened;

Then I went for wide grip pull-ups. Failed after four and my elbows were on fire with pain. FUCK. Foam rolled the shit out of my arms, chest, and shoulders and did a neutral grip set, but that made it even worse. Stretched and whatnot after but my biceps still hurt. Yikes.

Followed that with Kroc rows. 30x35, 21x35, 14x35... Love that shit. And finished off with six gym lengths of 85lbs dumbbells per hand farmers carries.


----------



## FBrizzle

MF83 said:


> So I did my strict biceps barbell curl primary lift workout today. Fuck, son. Worked light power cleans into it and it looked like this:
> 
> Curl 4x95
> Clean 2x95
> Curl 3x95
> Clean 5x95
> Curl 5x85
> Clean 8x85
> Curl 4x85
> Clean 8x85
> Curl 3x85
> 
> What do you guys curl? Is that weak, strong or what? Barely train biceps at all and that's probably why the following happened;
> 
> Then I went for wide grip pull-ups. Failed after four and my elbows were on fire with pain. FUCK. Foam rolled the shit out of my arms, chest, and shoulders and did a neutral grip set, but that made it even worse. Stretched and whatnot after but my biceps still hurt. Yikes.
> 
> Followed that with Kroc rows. 30x35, 21x35, 14x35... Love that shit. And finished off with six gym lengths of 85lbs dumbbells per hand farmers carries.


This is just my opinion of course...

But why so many with so little variety?

Again, this is just purely opinion but...

I'd definitely recommend changing that up.


----------



## MF83

So many what? 

I train strength with a 5/3/1 main lift then 1-4 assistance lifts and call it a day. Week one is ideally five sets of five, week two is 5-8 sets of 3 and week three is 1 rep max week on the main movements.

If Kroc rows are what you mean specifically, read this shit: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../kroc_rows_101 they're supposed to be done with really high reps.


----------



## Magic

Skipping= best cardio, or at least th most fun


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> So I did my strict biceps barbell curl primary lift workout today. Fuck, son. Worked light power cleans into it and it looked like this:
> 
> Curl 4x95
> Clean 2x95
> Curl 3x95
> Clean 5x95
> Curl 5x85
> Clean 8x85
> Curl 4x85
> Clean 8x85
> Curl 3x85
> 
> What do you guys curl? Is that weak, strong or what? Barely train biceps at all and that's probably why the following happened;
> 
> Then I went for wide grip pull-ups. Failed after four and my elbows were on fire with pain. FUCK. Foam rolled the shit out of my arms, chest, and shoulders and did a neutral grip set, but that made it even worse. Stretched and whatnot after but my biceps still hurt. Yikes.
> 
> Followed that with Kroc rows. 30x35, 21x35, 14x35... Love that shit. And finished off with six gym lengths of 85lbs dumbbells per hand farmers carries.


I do lat pull downs on chest day. Go figure. I do major chest with a little Bicep work, that includes the lat pulldowns. I have a row/tricep day as well. Basically I don't like doing biceps/and something that incorporates biceps together. 

If those are standing curls (with a barbell, and you include the 45 lbs bar into your posted weight), that's low for the rep range. 4 reps for 95 lbs? Combined with cleans it's alright. I will comment and say, if you're deadlifting and rowing and doing all sorts of crazy grips, I'd think you'd be able to do more right off the bat.

I have found high repetition works best for my biceps, key word, "my biceps". I don't know if you care about size or just strength though, MF83. I have 2 days, in my 5 day split, for biceps.

I just started doing 4 sets of standing barbell curls, 2 normal grip, 2 overhand grip. normal I can do 95 lbs x 10; overhand it's like 75 x 10. Also, I love doing preacher curls and concentration curls. However, I also started doing preacher curls wide grip, and holy shit that's effective. I'm keeping it high reps lately though. 

tl;dr, that's weak sauce


----------



## MF83

Weak sauce is good. Gives me something to go for. Going for strength over size cause the goal now is to get over that weak sauce... make some fucking strong sauce, and size will come along with it. I'm thinking that's why I have elbow/forearm pain, because my triceps are waaay stronger and bigger than my biceps and that's gotta cause some kind of bad tension. Goooood feedback, sir.


----------



## FBrizzle

MF83 said:


> So many what?
> 
> I train strength with a 5/3/1 main lift then 1-4 assistance lifts and call it a day. Week one is ideally five sets of five, week two is 5-8 sets of 3 and week three is 1 rep max week on the main movements.
> 
> If Kroc rows are what you mean specifically, read this shit: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../kroc_rows_101 they're supposed to be done with really high reps.


I meant so many sets (9 sets) with so little variety (only 2 exercises).

I'm just now sure why you'd start off with that?

If that's what works for you, more power to you though.

And again, I'm not sure what your goal is...

But unless it's strictly endurance...

That's not the route I'd ago. Again, just my opinion.


----------



## MF83

Strength for biceps? That's a poorly executed 5x5 due to barely getting the five reps but that's pretty standard strength training. That power clean weight is tiny/just something to keep me warm between curl sets/practice form. The rest is adaptation to injury.

Today I was sooo close to 145x5 on overhead but I slipped on the fifth rep.  

First deadlift day in quite a while tomorrow. Yay!


----------



## Rush

FBrizzle said:


> I meant so many sets (9 sets) with so little variety (only 2 exercises).
> 
> I'm just now sure why you'd start off with that?
> 
> If that's what works for you, more power to you though.
> 
> And again, I'm not sure what your goal is...
> 
> But unless it's strictly endurance...
> 
> That's not the route I'd ago. Again, just my opinion.


How on earth is doing 3 reps in a set working for endurance at all? The amount of sets doesn't influence whenther you're working for strength or endurance, the number of reps does. If he does a 3 RM in each of those sets (or really anywhere from 1-10) then he's absolutely working for strength and its no different than doing a standard 5x5 program which is a common way people train for strength. "Only" doing 2 exercises for biceps is enough, you don't need to do a hundred variations of things at all. If you're struggling with motivation at the gym then by all means vary your routine, but MF83 seems like a motivated bloke, you don't need to thrash your biceps with 10 variations of curls to achieve a good biceps workout. Its a small muscle group, better off focusing on your big lifts ie bench, deadlift and squat. Working arms should be accessory to your work on those.


----------



## Not Lying

I want to ask about this program :
Monday - Chest, Biceps, Abs ( 1:05h)
Tuesday - Shoulders, Triceps, Abs ( 55min)
Wednesday - Chest, Biceps (50min)
Thursdat - Shoulders, Triceps, Abs( 55mim)
Friday - Legs and Abs( and next friday , back and abs)
Saturday- chest, biceps 
Sunday- rest or just abs. 

I weight like 68kg and I'm 173cm, i've been going to the gym for like 2 month, but for the next month i can't so I'll work out at home from the dumbles/axe/weights that I own , and I really want to focus on my chest, abs and biceps

Also I'm considering taking nitro-tech 

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## MF83

Rush said:


> How on earth is doing 3 reps in a set working for endurance at all? The amount of sets doesn't influence whenther you're working for strength or endurance, the number of reps does. If he does a 3 RM in each of those sets (or really anywhere from 1-10) then he's absolutely working for strength and its no different than doing a standard 5x5 program which is a common way people train for strength. "Only" doing 2 exercises for biceps is enough, you don't need to do a hundred variations of things at all. If you're struggling with motivation at the gym then by all means vary your routine, but MF83 seems like a motivated bloke, you don't need to thrash your biceps with 10 variations of curls to achieve a good biceps workout. Its a small muscle group, better off focusing on your big lifts ie bench, deadlift and squat. Working arms should be accessory to your work on those.


Exactly. Working a primary curl isn't the worst since it's all chins and rows afterwards, and my biceps are so disproportionately weak compared to the rest of my body.

But, working typical 5/3/1 I found myself overpushing/underpulling so I switched back to a push/lower/pull split. I think I posted it a few pages back, but this cycle has turned out like: 

1. bench 2. Squat 3. Strict Curl 4. Off 5. overhead 6. *Deadift* 7. Power clean 8. Rest 9. Rest

I meant to have deadlift at 2/squat at 6. But wasn't feeling it that day. Oh well.

Rush, man, post more shit about yourself. You've got the wisdom to inspire people.


----------



## APEX

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I do lat pull downs on chest day. Go figure. I do major chest with a little Bicep work, that includes the lat pulldowns. I have a row/tricep day as well. Basically I don't like doing biceps/and something that incorporates biceps together.
> 
> If those are standing curls (with a barbell, and you include the 45 lbs bar into your posted weight), that's low for the rep range. 4 reps for 95 lbs? Combined with cleans it's alright. I will comment and say, if you're deadlifting and rowing and doing all sorts of crazy grips, I'd think you'd be able to do more right off the bat.
> 
> I have found high repetition works best for my biceps, key word, "my biceps". I don't know if you care about size or just strength though, MF83. I have 2 days, in my 5 day split, for biceps.
> 
> I just started doing 4 sets of standing barbell curls, 2 normal grip, 2 overhand grip. normal I can do 95 lbs x 10; overhand it's like 75 x 10. Also, I love doing preacher curls and concentration curls. However, I also started doing preacher curls wide grip, and holy shit that's effective. I'm keeping it high reps lately though.
> 
> tl;dr, that's weak sauce


I've never tried an overhand grip for bicep curls, are they worth doing?

And I know you've done the Insanity programme, have you ever tried T25? I've just bought it, looking forward to starting it as well.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

etrbaby said:


> I want to ask about this program :
> Monday - Chest, Biceps, Abs ( 1:05h)
> Tuesday - Shoulders, Triceps, Abs ( 55min)
> Wednesday - Chest, Biceps (50min)
> Thursdat - Shoulders, Triceps, Abs( 55mim)
> Friday - Legs and Abs( and next friday , back and abs)
> Saturday- chest, biceps
> Sunday- rest or just abs.
> 
> Also I'm considering taking nitro-tech


that's a lot of chest biecps. I would drop 2 of those days. you'll probably have trouble doing shoulder/triceps the day after chest day, and then back to chest day, and then back to shoulder/tricep day. 

Monday - Chest, Biceps, Abs ( 1:05h)
Tuesday - cardio ( 55min)
Wednesday - Shoulder, back, abs (50min)
Thursday - Legs and Shoulder, back, abs
Friday - cardio
Saturday- Tricep, Deadlifts 
Sunday- rest or just abs. 

oh man. I'd love it if I could keep a split like that. 


Fortitude said:


> I've never tried an overhand grip for bicep curls, are they worth doing?
> 
> And I know you've done the Insanity programme, have you ever tried T25? I've just bought it, looking forward to starting it as well.


never heard of T25

They're called Pronated curls. Definitely hits the forearms a lot more. But I think it helps you practice focusing on your grip, and then in turn helping you achieve a better peak when doing traditional curls. It's hard, I'd use an ez-curl bar at first.


----------



## Rush

Essentially there are 3 grips that you can use to curl with, supinated, pronated and mid prone. Each will work your elbow flexors in different ways. To put it in general terms, supinated works more biceps, pronated works more brachialis, mid prone gets more brachioradialis. Now in each grip you can't isolate a muscle, but you can use one particular muscle more than you ordinarily do. Its handy to try different grips as its more functional in terms of how we lift, carry and hold things in everyday life.


----------



## APEX

Rush said:


> Essentially there are 3 grips that you can use to curl with, supinated, pronated and mid prone. Each will work your elbow flexors in different ways. To put it in general terms, supinated works more biceps, pronated works more brachialis, mid prone gets more brachioradialis. Now in each grip you can't isolate a muscle, but you can use one particular muscle more than you ordinarily do. Its handy to try different grips as its more functional in terms of how we lift, carry and hold things in everyday life.





cesaro_ROCKS said:


> that's a lot of chest biecps. I would drop 2 of those days. you'll probably have trouble doing shoulder/triceps the day after chest day, and then back to chest day, and then back to shoulder/tricep day.
> 
> Monday - Chest, Biceps, Abs ( 1:05h)
> Tuesday - cardio ( 55min)
> Wednesday - Shoulder, back, abs (50min)
> Thursday - Legs and Shoulder, back, abs
> Friday - cardio
> Saturday- Tricep, Deadlifts
> Sunday- rest or just abs.
> 
> oh man. I'd love it if I could keep a split like that.
> 
> never heard of T25
> 
> They're called Pronated curls. Definitely hits the forearms a lot more. But I think it helps you practice focusing on your grip, and then in turn helping you achieve a better peak when doing traditional curls. It's hard, I'd use an ez-curl bar at first.


Thanks guys. I'll give them a go.

And T25 is Shaun T's new programme.


----------



## Thad Castle

I think I'm about to start doing more Cross Fit work outs. I've done a few of them in recent months with a few friends and they seem to give you a hell of a work out.


----------



## Olympus

How do you guys feel about mass gainers?


----------



## Corey

Makaveli said:


> How do you guys feel about mass gainers?


Absolute waste of money, unless it's somehow impossible for you to just eat more. All mass gainers are just a shit ton of extra calories and carbs essentially, the protein amounts are relatively the same (if not less) than most whey protein powders. You wanna gain weight, just eat more brah.

That's my introductory post into this thread.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Makaveli said:


> How do you guys feel about mass gainers?


Funny, I was just considering one today. If you use them correctly (as a supplement), they can come in handy for sure. Just don't go overboard with them. Think short term bulk and get enough regular food also.

Caveat: If you are one of those people who can eat and eat and eat and never gain, then definitely go all out with a mass gainer (also eat tons of real food). You'll pack on some muscle.
(Y)


Swamps said:


> I think I'm about to start doing more Cross Fit work outs. I've done a few of them in recent months with a few friends and they seem to give you a hell of a work out.


I'm not a "Crossfitter" personally but if done safely (key word) it seems like a solid program. I do have somewhat of a traditional weight lifting background though, but more so general fitness. 
I hit the deadlift last night for the first time in a while. Trying to strengthen my already screwed up back. A tricky balance with that lift for sure. I can still walk today so everything appears OK.


----------



## 5*RVD

Guys, I just started Ju-Jitsu last week on Friday and I've been to class twice. I'm really enjoying it and it gives me a great alternative as a workout. After my second class, which was Wednesday, my abs really hurt. I'm usually not a soft guy, I played football for two years with a bad knee (I know, not smart). Do you think I should rest a little and go back next Wednesday and not today? I can't even do a proper situp right now.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

go today. Don't worry about it. Remember, if you're hurting, so are a lot of other people. And it's not just a workout you get when you go to BJJ class, it's a lesson too. So you'll benefit regardless.

I did it for 2 years and that's pretty much exactly what my instructor told us.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

etrbaby said:


> I want to ask about this program :
> Monday - Chest, Biceps, Abs ( 1:05h)
> Tuesday - Shoulders, Triceps, Abs ( 55min)
> Wednesday - Chest, Biceps (50min)
> Thursdat - Shoulders, Triceps, Abs( 55mim)
> Friday - Legs and Abs( and next friday , back and abs)
> Saturday- chest, biceps
> Sunday- rest or just abs.
> 
> I weight like 68kg and I'm 173cm, i've been going to the gym for like 2 month, but for the next month i can't so I'll work out at home from the dumbles/axe/weights that I own , and I really want to focus on my chest, abs and biceps
> 
> Also I'm considering taking nitro-tech
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


Back and Legs only every other week substituting for each other? Abs grouped into 2 days then an off day? 
Provide more detail why you chose this plan?

Instead I'd rather see back once a week, legs once a week, and abs have a rest day in between killing them every other day.
I see you want to focus on upper body more so, but keep in mind your physique is going to look a bit off with pencil legs and no back vs. built chest & arms given your current plan..

As far as nitro-tech goes, I'm not big into MuscleTech products in general but it's just protein powder. I haven't tried it so can't comment on taste but I'd say just go for a budget protein powder since it seems like you're just getting started. I've bought the cheapest stuff out there and still have had results. Whey is whey. Some just tastes better than others. You're usually paying more for taste and maybe some creatine thrown in there.


----------



## MF83

Squat 345x3! http://youtu.be/qbn-h7DjBk0


----------



## Oxidamus

Starting again, again, again. Gonna ignore legs for a bit. :$


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

MF83 said:


> Squat 345x3! http://youtu.be/qbn-h7DjBk0


Well done. Way to go deep in the hole. (Y)

And just because I feel like bragging a bit..

Today's bike stats (obtained using a simple Bell bicycle computer):

Total Moving Time: 38:48 (probably closer to an hour+ because I didn't keep the computer on the whole time)
Total Distance: 12.87 miles (probably closer to 16-17 mi.)
Max Speed: 33.3 MPH! :ex: (hey it's "fast" on a mountain bike)
Average Speed: 10MPH (walked the bike for parts so it's probably a bit slow) 
Calories: 209.7 (lower than should be because I reset this for whatever reason)
Fat Calories: 16 (that's it? )

I also ran a total of 6 miles today (not all at once though). The biking wore my legs out for the last 4 of the evening. After the first evening mile I didn't even feel like doing the following 3 I had planned but I did anyway. 








<- how I felt when I was done. And this: :faint:


----------



## Corey

MF83 said:


> Squat 345x3! http://youtu.be/qbn-h7DjBk0


God that looked painful. Low bar squatting is something I just cannot do. I commend you for your depth though, no form police comin atcha for that. You have no problems with your knees I'm guessing?


----------



## MF83

Knees are perfectly fine. Form was a bit shaky but that was easier than I expected. I stretch and foam roll on the daily for prevention and recovery. It's the wrists, biceps and rotators that take the pain on low bar. Fuck, I should have put the rack one down though. Starting that high puts so much strain on the aformentioned parts when setting up and re-racking.


----------



## Zen

Is anyone here on a gluten free diet


----------



## Corey

MF83 said:


> Knees are perfectly fine. Form was a bit shaky but that was easier than I expected. I stretch and foam roll on the daily for prevention and recovery. It's the wrists, biceps and rotators that take the pain on low bar. Fuck, I should have put the rack one down though. Starting that high puts so much strain on the aformentioned parts when setting up and re-racking.


I gotcha. I thought I was the only one who got wrist pain when squatting, so that's nice to hear.  I feel like it'd be dumb to wear wrist wraps, but I may just have to next time.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

wrist pain from squats? :lmao

I consistently have a left hamstring soreness, upon which stretching makes go away temporarily, every time I deadlift. I'd describe it as "that feeling that I need to stretch more," but that's not fixing it. I only feel it on deadlifts/straight DLs. A little bit on squats (I think I have a tendency to use more of my right side than left, so it might be a compensation issue).

Perhaps some one can identify why I have that, kind of minor, but specific pain every deadlift.


----------



## Corey

Yes, wrist pain from squats. The way I hold the bar. I have small joints so I get pains pretty much everywhere at times. Wrists, knees, elbows, etc.


----------



## MF83

Pretty sure he was rofling at the idea of wrist straps on squats and not pain. :lol

Let's see your form, man!

Today










Then we went to an indoor trampoline facility for an hour called Skyzone. Talk about cardio, holy shit.


----------



## FBrizzle

Adrien Mercier said:


> Is anyone here on a gluten free diet


Probably. Most wrestling fans hate anything "wheat" related.

:agree:


----------



## Corey

MF83 said:


> Pretty sure he was rofling at the idea of wrist straps on squats and not pain. :lol
> 
> Let's see your form, man!
> 
> Then we went to an indoor trampoline facility for an hour called Skyzone. Talk about cardio, holy shit.


I laugh at the idea too, I may just have to extend my arms out to the plates like you see many lifters do.

I've never filmed myself in the gym but don't squat for strength. My achilles doesn't allow for good depth so I squat with 25 lb plates underneath my heels. Burns the FUUUUCK outta the quads. I probably haven't went past 260 all year, honestly.

That trampoline thing sounds fun as shit.


----------



## Rush

Adrien Mercier said:


> Is anyone here on a gluten free diet


fuck no



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> wrist pain from squats? :lmao
> 
> I consistently have a left hamstring soreness, upon which stretching makes go away temporarily, every time I deadlift. I'd describe it as "that feeling that I need to stretch more," but that's not fixing it. I only feel it on deadlifts/straight DLs. A little bit on squats (I think I have a tendency to use more of my right side than left, so it might be a compensation issue).
> 
> Perhaps some one can identify why I have that, kind of minor, but specific pain every deadlift.


weak left hamstring.


----------



## Nicky Flash

I just recently started getting pain in my calves after running. I've never gotten this pain before, but it hurts like hell after I get back from a run.

Could this just mean that I need new running shoes or is this something else?


----------



## Rush

what kind of terrain are you running on?


----------



## Nicky Flash

Rush said:


> what kind of terrain are you running on?


Streets/sidewalks mostly


----------



## Rush

any hills/inclines?


----------



## Nicky Flash

Rush said:


> any hills/inclines?


No


----------



## Rush

any history of calf pain after running? do you run often?


----------



## vault21

Nicky Flash said:


> I just recently started getting pain in my calves after running. I've never gotten this pain before, but it hurts like hell after I get back from a run.
> 
> Could this just mean that I need new running shoes or is this something else?


You sure it's the calves themselves and not the achilles? Because you probably got tendinitis. Rest up until it completely heals, and if you have to run on hard surfaces (sidewalk as you said), buy shoes with better padding.


----------



## Rush

The achilles is the tendon that attaches the 2 calf muscles onto the calcaneus. So to be a wanker about it, an achilles injury can be a calf injury.


----------



## Bullseye

Any recommendations on how to overcome general soreness after doing a lengthy walk or bike ride (as in 3km walk, 10km ride?) Kinda hard to motivate oneself to repeat the dose when feeling like shit. Perhaps a mug of concrete to harden up, or are there any stretches or cool downs that I can use to assist?


----------



## Rush

DOMS will lessen as you get used to exercise, but a cool down and stretching can help.


----------



## vault21

Rush said:


> The achilles is the tendon that attaches the 2 calf muscles onto the calcaneus. So to be a wanker about it, an achilles injury can be a calf injury.


As everyone else probably managed to figure out, what I wanted to ask is, is the soreness in the muscle itself or the tendons.



Bullseye said:


> Any recommendations on how to overcome general soreness after doing a lengthy walk or bike ride (as in 3km walk, 10km ride?) Kinda hard to motivate oneself to repeat the dose when feeling like shit. Perhaps a mug of concrete to harden up, or are there any stretches or cool downs that I can use to assist?


Always stretch out afterwards, and if the soreness is that bad, massage it with some painkiller gel/cream to help the blood circulation, relax the muscle and relieve the pain. However, watch out so the massage is not too intense, as it could worsen the microfractures in the muscle and by it the DOMS.


----------



## Rush

Brother None said:


> As everyone else probably managed to figure out, what I wanted to ask is, is the soreness in the muscle itself or the tendons.


:banderas

Already pointed out that i was taking the piss. However seeing as achilles pain can be felt up the back of the leg ie the lower calf area where it joins up with the muscle its a fairly irrelevant question to ask whether he feels the pain "in the muscle itself or the tendon" without knowing the mechanism of injury.


----------



## vault21

Rush said:


> :banderas
> 
> Already pointed out that i was taking the piss. However seeing as achilles pain can be felt up the back of the leg ie the lower calf area where it joins up with the muscle its a fairly irrelevant question to ask whether he feels the pain "in the muscle itself or the tendon" without knowing the mechanism of injury.


The only thing irrelevant here is your pointless blabbering and gymnastics. I recon for most people of sound mind, it's pretty easy to pinpoint whether the pain comes from the calf muscle or the inflamed tendon in the back of the ankle. But please, loom over this exciting and rare superpower some more.


----------



## Rush

Brother None said:


> I recon for most people of sound mind, it's pretty easy to pinpoint whether the pain comes from the calf muscle or the inflamed tendon in the back of the ankle.


:banderas so you're either saying he's not sound of mind, or you're just ignoring the fact he said it was his calf. Or you're just being a sarky, contradicting muppet. One of the three. 

My point is you can't say for sure what it is, nor the cause of the injury so he doesn't have recurring calf pain based off what he's said so far. If he usually runs, and went for a run on an uneven or hilly surface then you'd say it was tendonitis or DOMS based on the increased eccentric loads caused the inclines/declines, if he doesn't normally run then it could be from poor technique or simple overuse, if he's upped his intensity then its overuse, could be from overpronating in which case a new pair of shoes could be the solution. But sure, keep thinking that coming to a bleedingly obvious conclusion is the only thing you have to think about here.


----------



## Hart Break Kid

Just finished my first MMA/Boxing style workout and fuck me... muscles that i didn't know i had are aching, I've always thought i was a fit guy jogging daily and lifting regularly but some of the things those guys do to keep in shape use parts of the body that unless you do the stuff they do, must never be worked in normal daily life.!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Bullseye said:


> Any recommendations on how to overcome general soreness after doing a lengthy walk or bike ride (as in 3km walk, 10km ride?) Kinda hard to motivate oneself to repeat the dose when feeling like shit. Perhaps a mug of concrete to harden up, or are there any stretches or cool downs that I can use to assist?












Try yoga too; yoga for some people is like a good combination of stretching and body weight exercises (basically). they have free videos on Netflix or Hulu actually. I've done a few if I'm too sore to lift but want some high intensity stretching.


----------



## Nicky Flash

Rush said:


> any history of calf pain after running? do you run often?


It just started happening to me this past summer. I used to run a fews times a week and now I'm only running once or twice per week.


----------



## MF83

Today was a good day for confidence in the CNS. 1RM Bench Press day. 

5x135
3x160
2x185
1x205

At this point, I called a random over to lift me off. 
1x240
He held it too long on the way down but whatever. I told him to just lift off on the max try.
1x265 Try - I got it 3/4 up and the struggle began. I would have had it~! The fucker spotted it up. RAWR. 

I figured I wouldn't get it on a second try so I wanted to complete 245 unassisted. I've never done that before. I squeaked out 2x245 rather easily.

Fuck this shit. I'm going for it. I got this shit. 265 unassisted, clean, and without struggle.

Failed 275 then repped 135 for 15 reps. 

T'was a good day.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Today was a good day for confidence in the CNS. 1RM Bench Press day.
> 
> 5x135
> 3x160
> 2x185
> 1x205
> 
> At this point, I called a random over to lift me off.
> 1x240
> He held it too long on the way down but whatever. I told him to just lift off on the max try.
> 1x265 Try - I got it 3/4 up and the struggle began. I would have had it~! The fucker spotted it up. RAWR.
> 
> I figured I wouldn't get it on a second try so I wanted to complete 245 unassisted. I've never done that before. I squeaked out 2x245 rather easily.
> 
> Fuck this shit. I'm going for it. I got this shit. 265 unassisted, clean, and without struggle.
> 
> Failed 275 then repped 135 for 15 reps.
> 
> T'was a good day.


I've never been able to bench well. Don't understand, maybe I just have a shit chest genetically. I mean, (not to brag lol) I have a body builder's chest. It gets the ladies, but you would assume I'm starting with 2 plates (225 lbs for you Euros) on each side for reps. I can only max 255 x 1. 

I also never ask people to spot me, I haven't had a spot in about 3 years. Kind of sad. 

how much do you weigh, height too?


----------



## PGSucks

Today's my last workout for this week, but fuck, I saw so many dudes at my university gym this week that I wanted to roundhouse kick unk6 style.

Anyone else ever see skinny guys (or just guys with really unimpressive physiques) in cut-off shirts and backwards baseball caps pose in the mirror for 5 minutes, curl with shitty form, and then hit abs? I swear that's 75% of my gym's population. :side:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

PGSucks said:


> Today's my last workout for this week, but fuck, I saw so many dudes at my university gym this week that I wanted to roundhouse kick unk6 style.
> 
> Anyone else ever see skinny guys (or just guys with really unimpressive physiques) in cut-off shirts and backwards baseball caps pose in the mirror for 5 minutes, curl with shitty form, and then hit abs? I swear that's 75% of my gym's population. :side:


duh.

average college guy workout:
1) Bench
2) water fountain
3) curl
4) crunch
5) water fountain
6) start to run on treadmill
7) leave

average college girl workout:
1) some stretching
2) some abs
3) some random tricep machine
4) some treadmill walking
5) leave


I live, literally, a 2 minute walk from my university gym. I never go there because they're are literally lines for the Bench press and [1, btw] squat rack. Some times on Saturday morning or Sundays it won't be too packed; not with dumb freshman who are too hung over to go lift.

These are the same people who have like 3 things of protein on top of their fridge and will swear they have to eat within 30 minutes after lifting or it won't count, yet never use that protein and eat at McDonald's instead. They're the guys who watch broScience on youtube and don't find it funny.

These are those fucks who come in packs of 5 guys, but only 1 lifts while the other 4 just watch and talk on their phones. The people who ask you why you write things down in a journal, or..."can I work in with you?" NO! Fuck off! I waited 15 minutes for the squat rack! Eat a dick!

HEY YOU! WATCH OUT! YOU'RE NOT BOUNCING THE BAR OFF YOUR STERNUM ENOUGH YOU DUMBASS!


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

I hate those douchebags that curl in the squat rack. 
Even worse when they have a partner to help them. Ya know. Curl in the squat rack. fpalm
"We'll be done in like 20 minutes brah.."
:cuss:


----------



## Corey

Hahaha. I love reading people bash those annoying ass teenage/college lifters who don't do SHIT. I'm trying to seriously train here, get the fuck outta the gym going from your 95 pound incline bench to a god damn swinging biceps curl getting 4 reps each arm with some 35s. But anyway...

Cesaro you asked about bench numbers and our body types. Here's mine:

1RM - 260 lbs (that was a GOOD ASS day)
3RM = 225 lbs

I'm 6'0" and 210 pounds at the moment. Benched 260 when I was around 205 lbs. Numbers don't really phase me though. I go for the bodybuilding style, just looking to build muscle and get bigger. All about range of motion, hypertrophy, hitting the muscle at all angles, etc. All that good shit.

My normal bench press routine is 185 for three sets of 8. Sometimes I hit it, some I'll do 8,8, and fail at 7. Depends on the day.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jack Evans 187 said:


> Cesaro you asked about bench numbers and our body types. Here's mine:
> 
> 1RM - 260 lbs (that was a GOOD ASS day)
> 3RM = 225 lbs
> 
> I'm 6'0" and 210 pounds at the moment. Benched 260 when I was around 205 lbs. Numbers don't really phase me though. I go for the bodybuilding style, just looking to build muscle and get bigger. All about range of motion, hypertrophy, hitting the muscle at all angles, etc. All that good shit.
> 
> My normal bench press routine is 185 for three sets of 8. Sometimes I hit it, some I'll do 8,8, and fail at 7. Depends on the day.


I'm stronger than somebody 8*D lol. I'm just messing man.


I bought some Mr. Hyde today. will try it tomorrow afternoon.


----------



## Magic

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> duh.
> 
> average college guy workout:
> 1) Bench
> 2) water fountain
> 3) curl
> 4) crunch
> 5) water fountain
> 6) start to run on treadmill
> 7) leave
> 
> average college girl workout:
> 1) some stretching
> 2) some abs
> 3) some random tricep machine
> 4) some treadmill walking
> 5) leave
> 
> 
> I live, literally, a 2 minute walk from my university gym. I never go there because they're are literally lines for the Bench press and [1, btw] squat rack. Some times on Saturday morning or Sundays it won't be too packed; not with dumb freshman who are too hung over to go lift.
> 
> These are the same people who have like 3 things of protein on top of their fridge and will swear they have to eat within 30 minutes after lifting or it won't count, yet never use that protein and eat at McDonald's instead. They're the guys who watch broScience on youtube and don't find it funny.
> 
> These are those fucks who come in packs of 5 guys, but only 1 lifts while the other 4 just watch and talk on their phones. The people who ask you why you write things down in a journal, or..."can I work in with you?" NO! Fuck off! I waited 15 minutes for the squat rack! Eat a dick!
> 
> HEY YOU! WATCH OUT! YOU'RE NOT BOUNCING THE BAR OFF YOUR STERNUM ENOUGH YOU DUMBASS!



I find this insulting, even though none of it applies to me. I'm not even too sure why anyone brings a phone to the gym(although I regretted not bringing one today as we saw some random chickens knocking over trash cans and eating garbage).

I'm sure the people that aren't actually there to workout long term will be gone by November. The majority of the weak ones already left and the ones that don't come regularly usually stop in October or November. All the asians stop once midterms start. :hayden3


That uni gym sounds like shit though. Although we have 8 squat racks and they're still always full.



Btw you're a dick if you don't let people do sets in between your sets(unless you're doing in endurance stuff and have small breaks anyways). There's nothing worse than douchebags that sit around on benches, machines, etc and just sit there...and sit...and sit. I've literally done whole sets while these people are still on their "break". Not saying you do that, but it really isn't too much trouble letting others do a set while you wait a minute or 2. :kobe


----------



## PGSucks

:lol at the responses to my post. Well, I AM a freshman in college (and Asian :side, but I've been lifting for about 3 and a half years, so I'd say I don't fit into that group 

As for the benching discussion, I usually do 3x8 and the most I can go right now with 8 reps of good form is 205. Slowly improving :cena3

My body type is 5'10" and I was a bulky guy (with a fair bit of fat unk3) for the last two years of high school, but I've been cutting for the better part of the last 4 months and I really want to have a ripped look overall.


----------



## MF83

I bring my phone because of the stopwatch and Gym Hero apps, plus whatever else I might need it for. Ain't the type to text away though.

I'm five foot 8 and 195ish lbs.


----------



## PGSucks

I bring my phone to listen to music. Can't stand the guys who text away or even worse, take pictures of themselves at the fucking gym. fpalm


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I've taken pics of myself at the gym, but I was in the lockerroom after my workout. Luckily I don't have to deal with any of the type of people. My main annoyance is the group of 4 or 5 that hogs one of the benches their entire time there doing nothing.*


----------



## MF83

ATG 375lbs Back Squat Good Form Competely RAW that-we-thought-was-only-365-lawl


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

LUCK said:


> Btw you're a dick if you don't let people do sets in between your sets(unless you're doing in endurance stuff and have small breaks anyways). There's nothing worse than douchebags that sit around on benches, machines, etc and just sit there...and sit...and sit. I've literally done whole sets while these people are still on their "break". Not saying you do that, but it really isn't too much trouble letting others do a set while you wait a minute or 2. :kobe


I rest for 1:30 and go again. No one I've ever met can do a set and get out of my way in that little of time.

I will however, if the person is bigger than me :lol, let them work in. But I would agree, if you're just moseying around on a piece of euipment (since something like a bench, letting someone work in will require them to take off and put on weights taking longer) you can easily let people work in with you.

But I've literally had groups of dudes ask me if they can bench in between my sets.  Like really? These fucks expect me to stand therefor 10 minutes in between their laborous sets? Nah. But you're right, if I'm on a machine, I'll usually let someone work in fast.


PGSucks said:


> :lol at the responses to my post. Well, I AM a freshman in college (and Asian :side, but I've been lifting for about 3 and a half years, so I'd say I don't fit into that group
> 
> As for the benching discussion, I usually do 3x8 and the most I can go right now with 8 reps of good form is 205. Slowly improving :cena3
> 
> My body type is 5'10" and I was a bulky guy (with a fair bit of fat unk3) for the last two years of high school, but I've been cutting for the better part of the last 4 months and I really want to have a ripped look overall.


well good luck man. My mini-rant was very generalized, so don't worry about it.


I took two scoops of Mr.Hyde 45 minutes prior to deadlifts. I did 225 x 10 super fast. 315 x 5 super fast. 365 x 2 fast. Threw up in the bathroom. Holy shit 2 scoops made me tingly and on fire and dizzy. I had no idea that would happen. Had to cut it short. I'm wired right now and all pale. I only rested like 1 or 1:30 minutes in between. Brock Lesnar's theme + 2 scoops = HOLY SHIT!


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I don't know why it took me so long to start doing cable crossovers, but now I'm definitely not going to stop. My chest is on fire!*


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Had a decent workout today.
Did abs in the morning then deads, squats, shoulders this evening.
Picked up some weight gainer. Adds 600 calories to my regular daily intake. (Y)

Oh and don't fuck around with _gear _in this guy's gym :lol


----------



## MF83

5x215
3x255
2x295
1x340
1x385

1x425 (45+45+35+45+10+10)x2 + 45

...like five seconds after the fire alarm began! :lol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXTvpAvoCb8

Then 3x8 295 stiff leg deads, 3x8-12 135 front squats, finished off with 3 sets of high rep (21/15/12) 60lbs per hand Kroc Rows. #STRONGTH

LET THE DELOAD WEEK BEGIN!


----------



## xdoomsayerx

Currently starting my bulking period til December. 

How many calories y'all usually take during your bulking process? I'm thinking 3100. I'm 5 11, at 179 lbs.


----------



## Corey

xdoomsayerx said:


> Currently starting my bulking period til December.
> 
> How many calories y'all usually take during your bulking process? I'm thinking 3100. I'm 5 11, at 179 lbs.


I've been dirty bulking for a few months. I don't even count calories. Just eat plenty and get lots of protein and carbs. I've gained probably 15 pounds in about 2 and a half months. If you wanna seriously get bigger though, I'd highly recommend bulking past December. I'll be taking mine til the middle of February.


----------



## xdoomsayerx

Jack Evans 187 said:


> I've been dirty bulking for a few months. I don't even count calories. Just eat plenty and get lots of protein and carbs. I've gained probably 15 pounds in about 2 and a half months. If you wanna seriously get bigger though, I'd highly recommend bulking past December. I'll be taking mine til the middle of February.




Ahh yea I usually only bulk for 2 months, I feel like my heart will explode if I continue after that. Definitely a dirty bulk. Mcdoubles and instead of fries I go for the nuggets.


----------



## H

I've enjoyed reading this thread a little bit, but also feel super lazy for not having exercised full time since college. Once I got to graduate school, there was just no time to do anything. I've run here and there, and I keep a set of 20 lb and 5 lb barbells in the house. 

My metabolism finally caught up with me the last 3-4 years. All that beer I drank in college has also done a number on my gut.


----------



## PGSucks

xdoomsayerx said:


> Ahh yea I usually only bulk for 2 months, I feel like my heart will explode if I continue after that. Definitely a dirty bulk. Mcdoubles and instead of fries I go for the nuggets.


Dirty bulking is the best. 

I've been cutting for most of the last 4 months (other than the week before, of, and after SummerSlam where I ate like shit unk3), and I feel great.


----------



## Rockstar

I've been bulking for awhile now. Up from 185 to about 205. Feeling pretty good. I think I'm gunna try to keep it up until after the Christmas holidays and then I'll cut. Getting tough because a lot of my clothes are starting to not fit.

On another note, just got a sweet deal from GNC (Shocking, I know)! Got a $50 pre-workout for $10!


----------



## Corey

Rockstar said:


> I've been bulking for awhile now. Up from 185 to about 205. Feeling pretty good. I think I'm gunna try to keep it up until after the Christmas holidays and then I'll cut. Getting tough because a lot of my clothes are starting to not fit.
> 
> On another note, just got a sweet deal from GNC (Shocking, I know)! Got a $50 pre-workout for $10!


What did you get?


----------



## Rockstar

Jack Evans 187 said:


> What did you get?


All right, well, I'll admit, I was duped. I asked the guy for a pre-workout that was on sale, he pointed me to this. It was $10 so I just bought it. Turns out it isn't even a pre-workout, it's a BCAA blend. 

Can anyone give me some info on this stuff? It's called Anabolic Link. Worth taking or should I just return it? I already take some BCAA pills.


----------



## Corey

Rockstar said:


> All right, well, I'll admit, I was duped. I asked the guy for a pre-workout that was on sale, he pointed me to this. It was $10 so I just bought it. Turns out it isn't even a pre-workout, it's a BCAA blend.
> 
> Can anyone give me some info on this stuff? It's called Anabolic Link. Worth taking or should I just return it? I already take some BCAA pills.


Hahaha, it's alright man. Most GNC employees don't know what they're talkin about. Since you only paid $10 for it, might as well keep it. I take free form BCAAs during training. Marc Lobliner's studies (the guy who started Scivation, the brand that makes Xtend) have shown that BCAAs during training lead to more gains in lean mass than just drinking water or nothing, so it won't hurt. Only make things better.

EDIT: Just looked up the label. It's got the classic 2:1:1 ratio for BCAAs plus 1 gram of citrulline malate (which is great for a pump), so I'd definitely say take a scoop or two and drink it during training. Looks like a simple, effective profile.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Rockstar said:


> All right, well, I'll admit, I was duped. I asked the guy for a pre-workout that was on sale, he pointed me to this. It was $10 so I just bought it. Turns out it isn't even a pre-workout, it's a BCAA blend.
> 
> Can anyone give me some info on this stuff? It's called Anabolic Link. Worth taking or should I just return it? I already take some BCAA pills.


That's a budget based question. You could keep it to replace your pills once they run out and go out and buy a pre or you could return it and buy a pre. In any case you wanted a pre and didn't get it so go and get that pre.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

don't buy from GNC, they're literally double, if not triple, the prices of Bodybuilding.com. MrHyde was $65 for me; it's about $23 (might be $32, one of these prices) online. The guy complained to me as well that it's hard competing with BB.com; it's not my fault you guys double your damn prices. They were doing this shit before BB.com was even popular. pretty much the Best Buy of supplements.

BCAA's are great. but that product isn't pre-workout.


----------



## Corey

You paid $65 for Mr. Hyde!? Jesus Christ, I'd take that back immediately and just say you didn't like it to get your money back.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

yeah,thanks. :lol I bought some GNC "AMP" which did nothing, I returned that. But, I already took enough of the Hyde and I don't care at this point. I feel I deserve it for not buying of BB.com in the first place. Now I'm learning my lesson the hard way.


MF83 - I can only squat 265 3 times. but I can stiff leg 265 6 times. Do you leg press? I got 540 for 8 reps yesterday which I think it weak sauce (albeit the last thing I did on leg day).

also, my left lat is so much larger than my right side it actually gets sore when sitting in a chair (at least the shitty chairs at my college). Like, I have to sit at an angle to compensate it. I might go see a chiropractor to see if it is my left lat being huge (which it visually does look larger) or bad posture.


----------



## MF83

I only leg press if I'm working calves. I'll finish off a leg day with a few high rep leg press/calf raise supersets one after the other. Front squats > leg press for quads, plus it works 100 other things. My quads have shrank in size since I stopped doing leg extensions and leg press but the strength is fucking skyrocketing still. It's all about what you're going for, as always. My upper legs went from like massive blocks to, like, half moons with sexy hip muscles since focusing more on hips and posterior chain. MY ASS IS GORGEOUS THOUGH. 

Got me a girlfriend a couple weeks ago and it's going good. HOWEVER, brief/intense cardio is going to have to work its way back into my program next cycle. WAY TOO SWEATY/OUT OF BREATH in the bedroom. :lol:


----------



## RKO920

Just got Jack3d. Dun dun dun


----------



## Rockstar

Alright, well I guess I'll keep it and take it during my workouts. Nearly out of my pills anyway. Thanks for the advice guys. 

And I don't usually buy from GNC but I was at the mall so I thought I'd pop in and see if there were any deals.


----------



## Corey

RKO920 said:


> Just got Jack3d. Dun dun dun


Advanced formula? That shit is LEGIT.

------------

Don't you guys hate having an off day in the gym? Did back and biceps today and just wasn't feeling it. Decided to deadlift and could only do 275 for sets of 5. Wasn't happy with it.


----------



## -SAW-

Jack Evans 187 said:


> Don't you guys hate having an off day in the gym? Did back and biceps today and just wasn't feeling it. Decided to deadlift and could only do 275 for sets of 5. Wasn't happy with it.


Yeah, those days suck :lol Feel like total shit afterwards. Like I didn't work hard enough. But, in reality, I did pretty good for being so exhausted.

I don't post alot in here, but I'd appreciate a few tips. Trying to lose about 10-15 pounds. I'm about 6'1, 210lbs and in pretty good shape. Used to be about 350 in 09, so I know a thing or two about dropping weight. But, what I can't seem to get down is my fucking diet. Trying to lose fat, so I assume lowering the amount of consumed fat, but not _all_, is essential. But, the biggest thing I think is killing me is sugar. So, no more vending machine, no more energy drinks, pretty much no more shit.

I hit the gym about 4-5 times a week, sometimes 6 times if I'm pumped :lol. But, I do about 2-3 miles of high incline on the treadmill, about 2-3 miles of high level cycling on the elliptical. Lifting is pretty varied. I'll do the leg press, chest press, biceps, shoulders, pretty much everything I use. I don't kill myself lifting, though. Just until I know I'm working it without overdoing it.

Either way, if you guys could suggest anything, that'd be great.


----------



## PGSucks

I'm far from a nutrition expert, but I've been dropping weight recently and I've just been eating Paleo. I eat a moderate amount of fat, but eat low carb, low sodium, and rarely ever eat sugar.


----------



## RKO920

Got Jack3d from the vitamin shoppe. Here we go.


----------



## Oxidamus

omg on my way now :mark: huzzah

wish i could cut caffeine out of my diet like cold turkey ya know
shit's hard
gotta have at least 600mL of coke a day because i hate coffee.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

-SAW- said:


> Yeah, those days suck :lol Feel like total shit afterwards. Like I didn't work hard enough. But, in reality, I did pretty good for being so exhausted.
> 
> I don't post alot in here, but I'd appreciate a few tips. Trying to lose about 10-15 pounds. I'm about 6'1, 210lbs and in pretty good shape. Used to be about 350 in 09, so I know a thing or two about dropping weight. But, what I can't seem to get down is my fucking diet. Trying to lose fat, so I assume lowering the amount of consumed fat, but not _all_, is essential. But, the biggest thing I think is killing me is sugar. So, no more vending machine, no more energy drinks, pretty much no more shit.
> 
> I hit the gym about 4-5 times a week, sometimes 6 times if I'm pumped :lol. But, I do about 2-3 miles of high incline on the treadmill, about 2-3 miles of high level cycling on the elliptical. Lifting is pretty varied. I'll do the leg press, chest press, biceps, shoulders, pretty much everything I use. I don't kill myself lifting, though. Just until I know I'm working it without overdoing it.
> 
> Either way, if you guys could suggest anything, that'd be great.


do you eat your vegetables? 

@MF83: Dump the girl. Save your Squat. 
weights before dates.


----------



## Magic

Oxitron said:


> omg on my way now :mark: huzzah
> 
> wish i could cut caffeine out of my diet like cold turkey ya know
> shit's hard
> gotta have at least 600mL of coke a day because i hate coffee.



...are you saying you just need the caffeine and nothing else in the equation matters? so basically you just need straight caffeine. damn brah, guess you're shit out of luck as there isn't any other way of getting caffeine without all that sugar. hopefully one day they start selling things like caffeine pills or something, ya know, that just gives you straight up caffeine. :hayden3


----------



## BehindYou

Have't really exercised at all since I was in my 1st year of uni (5 years ago) other than perhaps a calisthenics routine for a month at a time before I got bored of it. 

I'm 6ft5 210 lbs and skinnyfat (ie skinny with a bit of a belly and neck fat)



As of Wednesday I'm doing 5x5s 3 times per week. Ive heard its good for beginners in terms of strength and muscle growth?

In terms of diet, I have never done one before so I am trying to keep it simple.
Breakfast
Oatmeal with fruit and protein powder or egg whites omelette on wholewheat bagel

Mid Morning Shake
Natural yogurt, protein powder, oats, whole milk, peanut butter and blueberries

Lunch
Chicken or tuna or steak with whole grain pasta salad

Mid Afternoon Shake
Same as morning

Dinner
Chicken tuna or steak with roast veg and light carbs (wholegrain rice or yams)


I don't want to be a monster or anything, just wanna even out my body and put on some weight. ANy advice or should this get me there?


----------



## Corey

Sounds like your diet is definitely on point. What exercises are you doing 5x5's with? Bench, squat, deadlift?


----------



## BehindYou

The main exercises (though mixing them up so the 3 days are different) are:
Deadlift
Squat
Incline / Standard Bench
Dumbell Rows
Lat Pull Down (temporary until i can actually do pull ups)

I may be missing one too.... cant think off the top of my head.


----------



## FBrizzle

Anyone tried this workout? 3 minutes long and looks intense.

Do you agree that it'll burn the calories equivalent to one hour of jogging?

Might give it a go this week...


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

that's just crossfit in disguise.


----------



## MF83

Lol mike chang pls


Fuck it, I'm going to get certified as a strength coach one day. I've gone from untrained circa January to (I will be by the new year) "advanced" in every lift at 198. Training my roommates is awesome. So cool to see noobs get started off with near perfect form. Trained my buddy all summer as a guinea pig. And I enjoy it. Making much money off of Jim Wendler philosophies is a solid side job prospect.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Do people know what theyre body types are?

Ectomorph, Mesomorph, Endomorph.

I"m a mesomorph, although I'm got some baby fat left over. I think a bulk would do me wonders, but I'm too afraid of the fat gain and always chicken out about 1 week into it.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm


----------



## Magic

Closest to a mesomorph.

Also nice link fail. :hayden3



You might also be the only person I've ever met that's afraid to bulk. Although most people also use it as an excuse to eat shitty/unhealthy food. :lmao


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I've known for some time I'm an ectomorph. It sounds like a pain to be considering the fact that it's harder for me to gain muscle, but it I don't gain a lot of bodyfat from bulking...and that's just great. 



On an unrelated note, people that are so self-assured in their bro-science knowledge are quite annoying.*


----------



## MF83

"Honest Supplement Review #2"
Elliott Hulse's best video ever. Sssooooo fucking funny for him. :lol


----------



## El Conquistador

Yooooooooooo Ellllllioooooooot!


----------



## MF83

The fastest to-100k-views video he's ever done too! Elliott Hulse is my favourite person I've never met, hands down.


----------



## Corey

Don't you guys love getting back in the gym after a lengthy absence? I know I do.  I was out for 6 days because of working overtime and I got back in today and set another PR. 185 on the incline bench for 4 reps, no spot. That may not sound like much but incline bench isn't exactly a main focus on many occasions. Decided to start off with it today.


----------



## PGSucks

I haven't taken a break of any notable length since the week after going to SummerSlam (which was also the week before this semester started). I happened to also eat like shit during that week, so I felt awful unk3

Got a good LEG~! workout in today. What annoyed me was this girl (no, she wasn't cute) walked downstairs from the treadmill area, texted while half-assing it on the hip adduction machine, texted while doing leg extensions, and then walked out. fpalm


----------



## Alim

I heard that oats aren't a "complete"source of protein, is this true?


----------



## Corey

Alim said:


> I heard that oats aren't a "complete"source of protein, is this true?


They're pretty close but I don't think they have all the essential amino acids so I guess it's "incomplete." But the question is, who cares?


----------



## Alim

Yeah I guess protein is protein.

I'm debating if I should invest in a George Foreman grill.


----------



## Corey

Alim said:


> Yeah I guess protein is protein.
> 
> I'm debating if I should invest in a George Foreman grill.


One of the most important things any bodybuilder (or just someone looking to stay lean) should have. Take some already somewhat lean burgers or chicken and grill that shit up and it takes out even more of the unwanted grease fat and calories. (Y)


----------



## Catsaregreat




----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Alim said:


> Yeah I guess protein is protein.
> 
> I'm debating if I should invest in a George Foreman grill.


Naples, Italy. US Navy base. late 2008 - late 2010. 

We had a subway on base and were given no ovens or stoves. I used the george foreman grill like it was my job. Get the high end one (unless you have a tiny counter), because if you properly use it and are in a health kick, you'll keep using it for a while.

They're so easy to set up, clean up, and cook meat. 5/5 stars says cesaro_ROCKS; 10/10, would bang; :homer


----------



## MF83

What are your guys' best lift? I'm (comparatively) best at overhead pressing, personally.


----------



## Corey

MF83 said:


> What are your guys' best lift? I'm (comparatively) best at overhead pressing, personally.


Any form of rowing, basically. My last set of dumbbell rows are usually with the 110s and I get 8-10 reps each arm. Seated unilateral Hammer Strength rows I've gone up to 4 plates for 8 reps each arm. My back is probably the strongest part of my body.


----------



## Alim

Yeah I'm getting a George Foreman grill, fuck it. I've gained 28lbs since May, so roughly 4.5lbs/month. I think I eat pretty well, but I need more meat in my diet because milk, yogurt, nuts, and whey just ain't cutting it anymore. I need MORE to get dat lean mass. 

I'm 5'11 and 168lbs. Probably around 18-20% BF.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm ok with Rows. I can do 185 for 10 reps on a good day. (I'm at 190). 

Lat pulldowns thought, I can do 245 for 8 - 10. for multiple sets.


----------



## MF83

I was refreshed and fed, yet I couldn't deadlift 385 even once when I should have been doing a 5x5 at that weight today. Had to do only 3x5 at 315 instead. Fuck, I hate random weakness days.


----------



## MF83

Hahaha new BroScienceLife on How To Bulk 









Oh and









:lol


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Hahaha new BroScienceLife on How To Bulk


I literally have been going back and forth since Septemeber with bulking and cutting. this is a perfect timed video.

also love how that curling scene where he just curls everything...and then supersets :lmao


----------



## MF83

Yeah, he fucking rules. I watch him, Elliott Hulse and Omar Isuf regulary now. 


Two-a-day bench press focus today. 

Part one:











Edit: PART TWO


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

CHEAT DAY!!

I had a calf cramp yesterday, scariest thing ever. My big toe curled up and I couldn't un-curl it. I had to take off my show and force my toe straight, but it was so tight. Jesus, it hurt so bad. It was my fault though. I took HYDE, ran to the squat rack to Deadlift and do crossfit (because if you don't take the rack fast enough someone else will). I blew a load Deadlifting 335 x 5 reps (a PR for me now at 184 lbs), killed FRAN, and then almost cried at the gym.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I've been doing front deltoid raises with a barebell, as most people use dumbbells I see, and on the incline bench. I find I get a broader range of motion while keeping gravity the enemy the whole time and I don't engage anything else but shoulders and delts. It's hard, literally the most I've done is 65 lbs. (that's a barbell with two 10 lb weights on it) and I get stares because I look like I can put up weight but this exercise is so hard when done correctly.


----------



## MF83

You should try out the Muscle Snatch. It's the same idea only with a larger ROM. http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/muscle_snatch_for_strength_and_power


In small town Saskatchewan at my gf's place and we go to the local gym. I tested out the whole woman-influencing-testosterone level thing today. I did 4x5 and 1x4 overhead press (SO CLOSE to a full 5x5 but I push pressed the very last rep) at 145lbs and I should not have been able to do that. Inter-set hanky panky in an empty gym ftw.


----------



## Redwood

Alim said:


> Yeah I guess protein is protein.
> 
> *I'm debating if I should invest in a George Foreman grill.*


I'm actually considering this as well, as I plan to change my diet this month.

Sidenote: Been a while since I've worked out, so I'm starting to pick up the habit.


----------



## MF83

Video from the third set of my last post. Posted to show how to makeshift an OHP station in a shithole without a squat rack plus post-set crotch chop and DIRTY second rep action.


----------



## Alim

Is getting stretch marks from bulking/lifting normal? I'm starting to get some near my armpit, knee, and back thigh.


----------



## Redwood

No. Stretch marks are pretty bad, tbh.


----------



## Magic

yes, that means you're making PROGRESS and getting muscle. good job brah.



or you're becoming really fat and you're getting fat stretch marks in which lololol.



here's a random link for stuff: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stretchmarks.htm



they're not bad btw. that's absurd.


----------



## Corey

Alim said:


> Is getting stretch marks from bulking/lifting normal? I'm starting to get some near my armpit, knee, and back thigh.


Completely normal. Just means you're making progress and getting bigger.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Video from the third set of my last post. Posted to show how to makeshift an OHP station in a shithole without a squat rack plus post-set crotch chop and DIRTY second rep action.


"Don't get saucy. Just lift." - MF83's slave girl :lol


----------



## 5*RVD

Can I discuss sport-related injuries as well? 

If yes, I got a pretty bad hand-sized bruise on the back on my thigh from jujitsu training. It's dark red/blue/green etc. and it hurts a little. It was bad on Friday immediately after the training. I know that we will do hip throws in the next session where I would land on it over and over again. Any danger to that?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

yes. Danger of you being a puss :side:

seriously though, it's likely you'll just prolong the recovery of it. A bruise is only broken blood vessels. Why yours is all different colors might mean something else though(does it hurt like a bruise or something worse?). You obviously don't want to contact a bruise much. 

Personally, I would just bandage it up so you don't have constant friction upon the skin from your gi and basic slams. It will just hurt a lot more and take longer to heal. I have no certification or degree though, I mostly speak from my personal experience from Jujitsu and getting bruises. 

Do you have red marks around your neck from getting choked? :lol


----------



## 5*RVD

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> yes. Danger of you being a puss :side:
> 
> seriously though, it's likely you'll just prolong the recovery of it. A bruise is only broken blood vessels. Why yours is all different colors might mean something else though(does it hurt like a bruise or something worse?). You obviously don't want to contact a bruise much.
> 
> Personally, I would just bandage it up so you don't have constant friction upon the skin from your gi and basic slams. It will just hurt a lot more and take longer to heal. I have no certification or degree though, I mostly speak from my personal experience from Jujitsu and getting bruises.
> 
> Do you have red marks around your neck from getting choked? :lol


Thanks for your reply 

Well, I can take some pain and I wouldn't mind going to the next training session. I already had that bruise before the last session and I willing got hip-thrown on it for about 30 times. Just wondering if I should give it a rest. The pain is like a bruise, a bit sharper maybe if you know what I mean. 

Haha, we did chokes from the back for the first time. The sensei demonstrated it on me because I didn't do it properly at first. That's some scary stuff if you haven't been in that position before.


----------



## MF83

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> "Don't get saucy. Just lift." - MF83's slave girl :lol


Hehehe.


Did heavy triples deadlifting yesterday and fuck, was I on and thus dead today. Exam season has it so that training tomorrow and Friday are bad moves so I started 1RM week with bench today and shouldn't have. I almost hit 275, mind you, but failed halfway up, and completely failed a second try. HOWEVER, I didn't want to be a total failure so I beat my two week old 5RM of 225 with 235lbs right after. Yay!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I actually have lost about 5 lbs since October, now at 184. However, I've increased my max bench to 245 x 1, and 225 x 4 (no spot, never have a spotter).

Also, went HAM tonight and DL 315 x 5 for 3 sets, then 335 x 3. Followed that up with FRAN in under 8 minutes. a new PR for me. Properly dieting and no drinking are doing wonders for me, I even stopped smoking hash. Getting a really defined 6 pack as well. Hello....Ladies.


@MF83 You should superset Stiff leg DLs with back extensions. Just make sure, if you do it hard enough, you have nothing planned for the next day. I used to do good mornings instead of back extensions. However, do to sloppy form by the end of your sets, I think back extensions are just all around safer in the long run.

I saw a guy who was doing single arm rows with a barbell instead of a dumbell because it makes you have to balance the weight a lot. I used to do turkish getups with a barbell instead of a kettle bell sometimes for the same reason. BEAST WARS!


----------



## MF83

Yeah, that sounds like a devastating combo. I'll have to do it. 

I've let my deadlift take a backseat as my number one goal is a 400lbs squat, ideally before the end of the year. My 1RM deadlift has only gained twenty pounds since August though, which is pretty telling. 

Number two goal is a 315 bench press/body weight overhead press but those are, oh, four or five months away probably.

AND I have to cut sometime soonish. Fuck. Or I could just start doing conditioning again. Meh, a strict diet sounds easier then cardio at this point. :lol Eating whatever the fuck I've wanted to for the last year has been nice but I'm probably twenty pounds too fat right now. HMMMMMMM.


----------



## MF83

So, I was all worried I'd miss my 1RM 385 squat try today (previous 1RM 375). Did it once EASILY and called an audible, hitting two reps! My roommate taped it and some guy came up after and shook my hand saying it was one of the most impressive things he'd ever seen. Hyped and happy, I added twenty pounds and hit 405! This is only the second video I've put on Facebook cause fuck yeah, second long term goal accomplished (two months early!).


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!




----------



## Alim

I picked up some creatine monohydrate and Cellucor's C4 Extreme Pre-Workout. What should I use first?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

well, you'd use the pre-workout C4 stuff before you lift to get pumped. Then the creatine after to feed dem muscles :dance

not related to you ^^^







this is a beautiful video.


----------



## RKO920

ERASE PRO.


----------



## Alim

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> well, you'd use the pre-workout C4 stuff before you lift to get pumped. Then the creatine after to feed dem muscles :dance


Someone told me it's better to take creatine before your workout, like 30 minutes before.


----------



## MF83

Just take it the same time everyday. It will refuel you after but will be lower before your next workout, although still within the therapeutic range, ASSUMING you workout everyday at the same time. I take mine when I wake up and eat fruit because as I understand it, carbs help activate it. The whole point of creatine is keeping a set therapeutic level within your body though. Then you add your C4 and its creatine and I have no idea what happens to the combo.


New rule for myself: minimum one day rest before Bench/Overhead 1RM tries; minimum two days rest before Squat/Deadlift 1RM tries. Did the squat above with two days rest, which as I wrote, was twenty pounds more than I figured possible. 

Deadlift try for 435 today. Deadlifted 425 clean and smoothly last month so it should have been easy. Failed my first attempt at the 390 or 90% single. FUCK. Hit it after but there was nothing higher going up. RAWR. Only had one day between another underrecovered OHP max fail (day after squatting) and today. I always get antsy and always suffer. Oh well.


----------



## Corey

Alim said:


> Someone told me it's better to take creatine before your workout, like 30 minutes before.


Well there's already creatine in the C4 so you'll technically be taking some before your workout. Usually you burn off all that creatine while you're working out though, so it seems wasteful to take it before. I personally take my monohydrate after I workout, with my whey shake.


----------



## nikola123

So yeah

I dont usually workout and im kinda in the middle of things.
I am not fat nor skinny,basicly flat 

I want to try and slowly get into working out since I feel it would make me feel better about myself and raise my self-esteem

A buddy sent me this from 9gag(yeah I know >.>) and I was just wondering if this was a good begginer workout and how many times a day would I have to do it?
Also should I include dumbell workouts (they arent rly heavy,only 5kg)

pic http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/agyg0bW_460s_v2.jpg


----------



## MF83

You should do a Starting Strength program. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/starting-strength-review-of-mark-rippetoes-barbell-bible.html

Get strong before you worry about anything else.


----------



## Rockstar

Got "tennis elbow" apparently and working out has been a bitch for the last week. Gunna take a rest day or two and hopefully it'll be good to go soon.


----------



## PGSucks

Hitting SHOULDERS today, which is probably my second favorite split behind chest. :hhh2

I've actually been eating vegan (I usually eat Paleo) this week (other than whey protein obvi) because I didn't feel like buying meat and Thanksgiving is next week. Actually not too bad bama


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

yeah, on thanskgiving week I'll switch to bulking instead while visiting my parents.


----------



## El Conquistador

Creatine increases ATP. What in the heck is therapeutic levels?


----------



## PGSucks

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> yeah, on thanskgiving week I'll switch to bulking instead while visiting my parents.


Same. It'll be my first time eating whatever I want since the week I went to LA for SummerSlam. Dirty bulking FTW


----------



## Thad Castle

I run everyday except one. The days I lift I will run 30:60s, but staring Sunday will go to 60:120s. The days I don't lift I run distance, 3-7 miles. I will change up and bike every now and again too.


----------



## MF83

Finished my cycle but as I have a 3 week practicum for uni starting tomorrow and had a few spare days I decided to try a bench and then a squat day of 5/3/1 Boring But Big. 

The program is designed for strength AND size AND form perfection due to so many reps. 

The idea is to do standard warmup, 3 work sets of 5, 3, or 1 and then do 5x10 of either the same main exercise or the other same-muscle group lift (i.e. 5/3/1 Bench then either 5x10 Bench or 5x10 Overhead Press; 5/3/1 Squat & 5x10 Squat or 5x10 deadlift). 

The 5x10 sets are to be done with 50% training max weight for week one and then 60% next week and 70% third week before deloading and upping the numbers.

5x10 sets are to be supersetted on upper days with lats and biceps. Lower body days to be supersetted with abs. It's that simple, hence "Boring But Big".

Anyway, Bench day was a vile initiation. I only got 8 on hypertrophy sets 4&5 with 135lbs, although I underestimated it and did 5 work sets instead of the standard 3. Still sore in the tits and triceps (oh, how it burns them triceps) and that was on Friday.

Today? Squats, then more squats. Again, underestimated it and did 5x345 (PR!), 5x345(twice in one day!), and then 3x345. Should have only done the lighter recommended work sets load but whatever.

High rep time: 10x205 squat paired with 10x25lbs behind head decline situp. Again. Again. I was nauseous as fuck so I stopped abs at just three situp sets. Grabbed the garbage can. 10 more squats. PUKE PUKE PUKE. :lol ... Felt so good after... 10 more. 76 squats total. A long foam roll and stretch session followed. 

Whew. A good test run. 

At this point I'm either gonna keep going with it, deload, or finally cut. Gotta see how the practicum hits me first. 5 8+ hour unpaid shifts for 3 weeks starting at 7AM. Gr... 


/longpost


----------



## BehindYou

If I were to add some light hypertrophy sets to my stronglifts at the end of each session what would people reccommend?


I'm making strength gains every week and that's great but I do want to look better too. Strict diet is helping but yeah, I'd like to see some size gain in chest/arms/kneck/shoulders etc too.

i was going to add some 8/10/12 sets of chest flys, seated dumble curls and shrugs and see how that went?

Im also going to start adding creatine to my diet too now.


----------



## TSE

Hey guys, I want to get in good shape. 

if I post my pics and stuff can you guys tell me an estimate until I get a six pack??? I want a body that looks like Dolph Ziggler's.

I got so much time on my hands since not working and living off EBT that I need to get in shape.

Also how do you guys eat so healthy? When I try and eat healthy and go to Subway and order a chicken sub with all the veggies, I am still hungry afterwards until I get some junk food.

And do those testosterone boosters you hear about on the radio work?


----------



## Thad Castle

TSE said:


> Hey guys, I want to get in good shape.
> 
> if I post my pics and stuff can you guys tell me an estimate until I get a six pack??? I want a body that looks like Dolph Ziggler's.
> 
> I got so much time on my hands since not working and living off EBT that I need to get in shape.
> 
> Also how do you guys eat so healthy? When I try and eat healthy and go to Subway and order a chicken sub with all the veggies, I am still hungry afterwards until I get some junk food.
> 
> And do those testosterone boosters you hear about on the radio work?


Hey bro, hate to be so blunt, but it is next to impossible to give you a time estimate as to when you will get a six pack. There are several factors involved, I.e; Body Fat %, genetics (the biggest one), your work out intensity, and how clean you eat. 

As far as eating healthy, its all about discipline and will power.


----------



## Redwood

You also have to learn how to read the Nutrition Facts label printed on just about any product you buy.


----------



## Rush

Been out of the gym for so long with exams and whatnot happening. Finally will be done after i hand in this last assignment so i will get some time in to train. Feeling like shit lately :hmm:



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> yes. Danger of you being a puss :side:
> 
> seriously though, it's likely you'll just prolong the recovery of it. A bruise is only broken blood vessels. *Why yours is all different colors might mean something else though(does it hurt like a bruise or something worse?)*. You obviously don't want to contact a bruise much.
> 
> Personally, I would just bandage it up so you don't have constant friction upon the skin from your gi and basic slams. It will just hurt a lot more and take longer to heal. I have no certification or degree though, I mostly speak from my personal experience from Jujitsu and getting bruises.
> 
> Do you have red marks around your neck from getting choked? :lol


bruises will change colour depending on the stage of healing. 



Rockstar said:


> Got "tennis elbow" apparently and working out has been a bitch for the last week. Gunna take a rest day or two and hopefully it'll be good to go soon.


its an overuse injury. Merely resting for a day or 2 isn't going to do anything. 



TSE said:


> Hey guys, I want to get in good shape.
> 
> if I post my pics and stuff can you guys tell me an estimate until I get a six pack??? I want a body that looks like Dolph Ziggler's.
> 
> I got so much time on my hands since not working and living off EBT that I need to get in shape.
> 
> Also how do you guys eat so healthy? When I try and eat healthy and go to Subway and order a chicken sub with all the veggies, I am still hungry afterwards until I get some junk food.
> 
> And do those testosterone boosters you hear about on the radio work?


stop eating junk food, and stop eating fast food. Subway also isn't really that healthy once you add in the sauces, if you get a footlong, type of bread etc etc.


----------



## APEX

Ok, strange request here. Ive been arguing with someone at work about protein shakes :lmao

He is totally against them and says they are bad for you, full of crap, make you fat, bad for your health and any GP would advise not to take them.

In a nutshell can anyone talk me through the benefits of protein shakes and reasons which would disagree with the above, I can only explain so much to people, im not an expert like you guys. I just eat and drink what my nutritionist tells me to!


----------



## TSE

Today with the last $90 I have in my possession (i still have EBT for food now), I went to target, got some workout clothes, went to GNC and got some whey protein, and the guy there told me to get a pre workout booster called C4... said its like taking steroids but healthy for you. I then got a 6 month beginner membership at my gym.

all ready to go!!!

what kind of food should i start buying that tastes fatty but is still good for you??? im ready to get a six pack hopefully by spring

i will also ride my bike about 2 miles round way to this gym whenever i go.


----------



## APEX

TSE said:


> Today with the last $90 I have in my possession (i still have EBT for food now), I went to target, got some workout clothes, went to GNC and got some whey protein, and the guy there told me to get a pre workout booster called C4... said its like taking steroids but healthy for you. I then got a 6 month beginner membership at my gym.
> 
> all ready to go!!!
> 
> what kind of food should i start buying that tastes fatty but is still good for you??? im ready to get a six pack hopefully by spring
> 
> i will also ride my bike about 2 miles round way to this gym whenever i go.


I always start the morning with a pint of milk and cereal, if I have time then Ill have eggs.

I snack on peanut butter from the jar, its good fat and cheap.

Try eating rice and chicken for dinner and for snacks, and be sure to get lots of white meat and veg.


----------



## TSE

Oh yea and how fat am I really?

5'11 205 pounds... I am assuming I am just pudgy or am I... fat?


----------



## Rockstar

TSE said:


> Oh yea and how fat am I really?
> 
> 5'11 205 pounds... I am assuming I am just pudgy or am I... fat?


No one can answer that. No one knows what you look like and no one knows what your body fat percentage is.


----------



## Rush

Fortitude said:


> Ok, strange request here. Ive been arguing with someone at work about protein shakes :lmao
> 
> He is totally against them and says they are bad for you, full of crap, make you fat, bad for your health and any GP would advise not to take them.
> 
> In a nutshell can anyone talk me through the benefits of protein shakes and reasons which would disagree with the above, I can only explain so much to people, im not an expert like you guys. I just eat and drink what my nutritionist tells me to!


Depends on whats in the protein powder you buy tbh. Some are full of shite that isn't great for you. In that sense he's right, you also don't need a protein shake if your diet is good. But if you want benefits then it can aid recovery and can be a handy, easy to make meal replacement post workout.


----------



## Jaxx

Finally got a nice shed built in my garden where I'll put a small home gym. Got my bench already and a couple weight plates, gonna order an Olympic bar soon and a couple other bits and pieces.

I'm so excite :suarez1


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*If you're a busy person, protein shakes/meal-replacement shakes are a god send.*


----------



## Fitch3k

Been working out with tree trunks from a tree that got cut down in the nieghborhood.


----------



## Magic

my gym flooded and now it's inaccessible for idk how long. :kobe2


----------



## goldigga

LUCK said:


> my gym flooded and now it's inaccessible for idk how long. :kobe2


November to January is probably the worst time to go to a gym, people want to 'tone up for summer', or have new years resolutions which last a few weeks.

Better off training at home or at a mates for awhile bro, I just stopped my membership but I'll start again in late January.


----------



## goldigga

Wait you meant flooded as in flooded by water wow. I guess I can go to that 'ever had a dumb moment' thread and add another comment, fucking hell that was retarded.


----------



## PGSucks

A flood? Shit, I'm glad I don't have to worry about that.

I go to my university gym, and while I'll be staying over the winter, the gym will be dead from mid December to late January for Christmas break. So that means I get to stay the HELL away from resolution-ers! :delrio


----------



## Magic

Some pipe broke or some bullshit and ruined the whole system. So no they can't provide any water out of their fountains and can't get reopen until that gets fixed. There's one free gym at the uni I think, but I'm pretty shit it's complete ass.


----------



## DA

LUCK said:


> There's one free gym at the uni I think, *but I'm pretty shit* it's complete ass.


Don't be so hard on yourself. :kobe9


----------



## MF83

For me, a gym goes from shit to minimally acceptable as long as it has a (NOT a Smith machine) power rack.


----------



## xD7oom

Lost 5.2 pounds this week, feels so good .


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Fortitude said:


> Ok, strange request here. Ive been arguing with someone at work about protein shakes :lmao
> 
> He is totally against them and says they are bad for you, full of crap, make you fat, bad for your health and any GP would advise not to take them.
> 
> In a nutshell can anyone talk me through the benefits of protein shakes and reasons which would disagree with the above, I can only explain so much to people, im not an expert like you guys. I just eat and drink what my nutritionist tells me to!





ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *If you're a busy person, protein shakes/meal-replacement shakes are a god send.*


depending on what's in your protein shake is the only bad thing you can say about a protein shake. Nothing in the world will "make you fat" except for eating more calories than you burn (you can eat fried chicken all day and still be skinny if you eat within your caloric limit). Most (at least US) doctors think protein shakes are terrible, that's only if you abuse them. Kids who eat nothing but protein shakes, fries, and beer obviously won't get all the benefit from a protein shake. 

really, a simple google will give you a ton of articles, studies, and bro-science crap on why protein shakes are perfectly fine. I bet your friend is a weak little bitch too.



TSE said:


> Today with the last $90 I have in my possession (i still have EBT for food now), I went to target, got some workout clothes, went to GNC and got some whey protein, and the guy there told me to get a pre workout booster called C4... *said its like taking steroids but healthy for you.* I then got a 6 month beginner membership at my gym.
> 
> all ready to go!!!
> 
> what kind of food should i start buying that tastes fatty but is still good for you??? im ready to get a six pack hopefully by spring
> 
> i will also ride my bike about 2 miles round way to this gym whenever i go.


go slap that GNC employee. 

protein is great. i would buy online btw, GNC charges way too much for EVERYTHING (but some employees are smart and can be helpful if you're new). C4 is a pre-workout supplement. You take it before your workout to get a "pump", basically you'll feel slight tingles and should feel stronger. 


what you need to concern yourself is this: FAT, PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES

look for foods with lower fat, don't cut it out completely, you need fat. high protein is always a plus. 

protein:
chicken
beef
pork
salmon
lentils
protein shake
meat in general

fat:
nuts
Peanut Butter :yum
olive oil

carbs:
whole wheat bread
kashi cereal
yams
brown rice
fruit

get in a lot of protein, a good amount of carbs, and low fat. 
protein repairs muscle, carbs build muscle, fat circulates stuff. that's so dumbed down.


----------



## MF83

Was reading up on Mag10. It's a pre-digested protein that a host of the T-Nation folk swear by. It takes less protein to do the job in a faster manner. Might order some. The point that struck me was the idea of "pumping" the doses at set times, as the standard is to simpy get as much protein as possible, whenever. Hmmmm

Anyone ever have MCL issues? Pretty sure I strained mine according to Google.


----------



## Rush

Nope, my ankles, left in particular, and right shoulder are my problem joints. What'd you do to your knee?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Mag10 sounds like nothing special tbh. I never bought anything off TNation, I did try the plazma RTD though and ... bama it was pretty good. Mag10 is like $65 though, I'll wait to see if you like it.

My mother tore her MCL when she fell like 10 years ago. She fell down a flight of steps and only tore her MCL and broke her patella. Pretty lucky I figure. You lunge too deep or something?


----------



## MF83

Pretty sure it happened in the bedroom but I can't pinpoint when :lol . It fits the description pretty bang on although I've done a heavy squat and a heavy deadlift workout with it since with only a little pain so who the fuck knows. It seems okay today. Might need to see a physiotherapist to be sure.


----------



## PGSucks

Got a good workout in today at my hometown gym, but I'm probably gonna end up destroying it by eating


----------



## Rush

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Mag10 sounds like nothing special tbh. I never bought anything off TNation, I did try the plazma RTD though and ... bama it was pretty good. Mag10 is like $65 though, I'll wait to see if you like it.
> 
> My mother tore her MCL when she fell like 10 years ago. She fell down a flight of steps and only tore her MCL and broke her patella. Pretty lucky I figure. You lunge too deep or something?


how would lunging too deep fuck your MCL? :kobe


----------



## OldschoolHero

Rush said:


> how would lunging too deep fuck your MCL? :kobe


Maybe if he had really crappy form? 


I forgot we had this thread haha. I workout about 5-6 days a week. Im more from the old school train of thought: Hit everything twice a week, feel the muscle dont just jack up weight, isolation movements are fine.

I actually hate where the fitness world is going, bodybuilding is getting phased out so that this new hybrid of core shit is coming in. I love going to these websites and they say shit like "ring pullups are the best back builder"...who the hell has access to rings at there gym. Oh and this emphases on olympic lifting for regular/newbies lifting annoys the piss out of me. Most of those lifts are very very detailed oriented and should not be just randomly done by someone without proper coaching.

Look no further than the wwe training center. There having everyone train in this new crossfit style. Where is the individuality in that? Remember back in the day, you would have powerlfters like the Road Warriors,bodybuilders like Hogan and then more endurance guys like Shawn Michaels? Now everone trains the same damn way...but thats another rant.

I also love when people talk about splits being bad for you and bad for recovery. Yet the same people advocate doing full body workouts 3-4 times a week and say "oh well, your muscles are fine after 48 hours"...

My philosophy is just train. If you like strength trainig like 5/3/1, bill starr 5x5, then fine go for it. If you want todo bodybuilder workouts, thats fine to. Hell if you want to train for endurance..go for it. Just get your ass off the couch and workout dammit!.

Sorry for the rant haha just had to get that off my chest. Bout to hit Chest/Arms, will feel better afterwords.


----------



## Rush

Your form would have to be insanely bad to do your MCL on a lunge. Like having a ridiculously weak glute med so your knee ducked in and basically collapsed on you.


----------



## MF83

Lunging is a recommended recovery exercise. :lol. Wendler preaches the Agile 8 for a warmup and the hip rotations alone have helped. I've began stretching my ankles both flexion and extension for the first time. Probably unrelated, but my knees have been less clicky. 

There's an EliteFTS (probably the best content site I've found so far and the only shit they seem to pimp is their Safety Squat Yoke bar, unlike T-Nation which is basically ads under the guise of quality articles) article dubbed 52 asked questions about 5/3/1 and much of it is conditioning based. I read just enough to finally plan out a conditioning schedule. I'm going to do two aerobic and three intense sessions a week, the days off being the days before DL and Squat. He recommends the easy cardio for upper days and the intense cardio for lower days, which is interesting cause I would have guessed the opposite.


----------



## Magic

I hate weighted lunges so very much, but I really should start doing them more consistently. Probably the exercise I despise most tbh.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

OldschoolHero said:


> Maybe if he had really crappy form?
> 
> 
> I forgot we had this thread haha. I workout about 5-6 days a week. Im more from the old school train of thought: Hit everything twice a week, feel the muscle dont just jack up weight, isolation movements are fine.
> 
> I actually hate where the fitness world is going, bodybuilding is getting phased out so that this new hybrid of core shit is coming in. I love going to these websites and they say shit like "ring pullups are the best back builder"...who the hell has access to rings at there gym. Oh and this emphases on olympic lifting for regular/newbies lifting annoys the piss out of me. Most of those lifts are very very detailed oriented and should not be just randomly done by someone without proper coaching.
> 
> Look no further than the wwe training center. There having everyone train in this new crossfit style. Where is the individuality in that? Remember back in the day, you would have powerlfters like the Road Warriors,bodybuilders like Hogan and then more endurance guys like Shawn Michaels? Now everone trains the same damn way...but thats another rant.
> 
> I also love when people talk about splits being bad for you and bad for recovery. Yet the same people advocate doing full body workouts 3-4 times a week and say "oh well, your muscles are fine after 48 hours"...
> 
> My philosophy is just train. If you like strength trainig like 5/3/1, bill starr 5x5, then fine go for it. If you want todo bodybuilder workouts, thats fine to. Hell if you want to train for endurance..go for it. Just get your ass off the couch and workout dammit!.
> 
> Sorry for the rant haha just had to get that off my chest. Bout to hit Chest/Arms, will feel better afterwords.


I like you OldschoolHero.

when I looked up MCL issues it listed lunges as a possible cause. I was just copying google.


You might like my signature video OldschoolHero. I literally just created a 7 day split (lifting all 7 days straight) that I'm cycling in a manner to go non-stop. You must love Big E 
:langston


----------



## Rush

I was just going by my brain and my knowledge from my degrees and life :draper2


----------



## OldschoolHero

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I like you OldschoolHero.
> 
> when I looked up MCL issues it listed lunges as a possible cause. I was just copying google.
> 
> 
> You might like my signature video OldschoolHero. I literally just created a 7 day split (lifting all 7 days straight) that I'm cycling in a manner to go non-stop. You must love Big E
> :langston


I do like Kai, thought he was robbed the last two years at the Olympia to be honest and this is coming from a Cutler fan. 7 day? Nice, I usually have something pop up once a week that forces me out of the gym. Big E is awesome, heard hes switched to wwe style training though and only does like 3 days a week...I also like David Otunga, one of the last true bdoybuilders in wwe and proudly shows it.


----------



## MF83

What did you study, RUSH?

Another solid squat session today, on probably 3-4 hours sleep, hit a new 3RM at 355lbs. Yay. Puked after the fourth Boring But Big 5x10 at 215lbs squats/Decline Situps superset; still finished another pair of sets after before ye olde foam roll and stretch. 

What are your guys' numbers? Do you track? These are my current maxes. Weighed in at 205lbs fat and bloated after pizza last night.


----------



## BehindYou

Maybe i just go to an average joe gym....but i'm pretty sure that Americans are a lot stronger on average than those of us in the UK.

I've been doing 5x5 for about 3 weeks and have gone from 0 squat (as in seriously, couldnt do it with non weighted squats at first) up to 60k.

60k (132lbs) is nothing but makes me the strongest of my friends already other than one guy. And even the biggest squatters in the gym aren't doing much over 200lbs.

Yet in America, your average guy seems stronger than that....

The dumbells only go up to 130lbs combined which again, seems very small.

So this is a reflection on my friendship group/gym or are we genuinely weaker in the UK? The american sporting system and college athletics seem to push people to being stronger....here our most played sport by a long way is football.


----------



## APEX

Working on my biceps so they look like randy ortons rton2

On that note, I notice you see some guys who go to the gym with really bulky arms, but then you look at ortons and the definition of the bicep.

How do you get the latter, or is just genetics.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

You have to have muscle there, but general mass is what you commonly see. It's obvious of course, I'm not treating you like a dummy. But, with large arms, once you get down to a low body fat percentage you get the really good definition. Also, working the "bicep peak" helps. My video in my sig talks about actual body building and biceps specifically.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Yeah, working the peak will do that for you. I believe hammer curls will get you that nice peak Orton has, as long as it is accompanied by his famous low BF %.


I used to love leg days, but now I'm not as enthusiastic. It's because I had a busy 3 weeks and didn't get to go to they gym. Getting back in the groove is going to be a chore. Especially with my calves that seem to get used to everything far too quickly.*


----------



## Alim

Fortitude said:


> Working on my biceps so they look like randy ortons rton2
> 
> On that note, I notice you see some guys who go to the gym with really bulky arms, but then you look at ortons and the definition of the bicep.
> 
> How do you get the latter, or is just genetics.


Do preacher curls

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## PGSucks

I was actually wondering what the best workouts for bicep peak are. I've only begun working biceps seriously (in terms of form during my exercises and volume) for a couple of months, but despite having pretty big arms in terms of mass, my bicep peak's always been pretty bad.

My bicep workout generally includes 3x8 of wide grip barbell curls, alternating dumbbell curls, incline dumbbell curls, preacher curls (bb and db), concentration curls, and sometimes cable curls. Any help would be appreciated


----------



## Alim

I never spend too much time on arms. My main focuses are chest, back, shoulders, and legs. When you work back, you're working your biceps anyway. Same with chest and triceps. I read that a lot of legit bodybuilders spend less than 10% of their time working on their arms specifically. I only do 3-4 exercises when I'm doing biceps/triceps. 

My 4 day split:

Chest/biceps
Back/triceps
Shoulders/traps
Legs

Some bicep exercises I do:
- E-Z bar curls
- Preacher curls
- Alternating curls
- Alternating hammer curls

Triceps exercises: 
- Dips (assisted for me, I can't do the real ones just yet)
- Close-grip bench press
- Straight bar and rope pulldowns
- One arm dumbbell extentions


----------



## Rush

MF83 said:


> What did you study, RUSH?


my undergrad was a bachelor of exercise physiology, currently doing my masters in physiotherapy.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Personally I've had better results with a higher rep count. Usually 3 x (15/12/9) or 4 x (13/13/10/8). Concentration curls done correctly will get that peak. I do them like you're setting up for a single-arm dumbell row, only your opposite hand is on the bench for support. It takes practice to be able to do them properly tbh. 

Preacher curls, I use an ez-bar, go wide grip. seated alternating curls, watch my sig video to see that. Standing barbell curls. I just started cable curls as well for a better resistance training. I really spread my bicep work throughout my split though (7 days). Usually a little bit of bicep work every other workout.


----------



## OldschoolHero

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Yeah, working the peak will do that for you. I believe hammer curls will get you that nice peak Orton has, as long as it is accompanied by his famous low BF %.
> 
> 
> I used to love leg days, but now I'm not as enthusiastic. It's because I had a busy 3 weeks and didn't get to go to they gym. Getting back in the groove is going to be a chore. Especially with my calves that seem to get used to everything far too quickly.*


Hammer Curls are also great for the fore arm.

Find a leg routine you like, dont be afraid to mix it up. I recently (because of some pains) did a routine that looked like this:
5 sets of bodyweight squats(to failure)
Single legs squat 3x10
stiff legged dl 3x10 superset with leg cur 3x20
walking lunges 3x20 each leg*
leg exstensions 3x20-50

By no means a traditional bodybuilder routine but it was different and left me sore. I also remember last winter being snowed in and doing bodyweight squats for an hour, only resting when need be and it killed me for days.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I want to do one-arm pullups. Actually both pullups and chinups. Besides what I will do already (weighted pullups, one arm lat pulldowns, assisted one arm pullups/chinups) what else can I practice?


----------



## Magic

Muscle ups?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Well, I already do muscle ups. Besides, those are mostly using momentum and then triceps at the top. If I could do one arm muscle ups I'm sure that would be cool too.


----------



## MF83

So we have a bah gawd PT authority in RUSH on WF, nice! 

^
Snatch Grip Deadlifts
Thibadeau loves his snatch grip high pulls; says theyre the best upper back developer of all. 
Kroc Rows


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Holy Shit lunges. And I thought you could only get ass rapped in jail. I haven't done them in at least a full year, and I'm feeling it. 

However, I find myself, when I do a lunge, putting my right foot out and going down properly no problem. Yet, when I come back up I feel as if I'm doing something wrong. I start to push through with the heel of my right foot but then when my hips get as high as possible with my front foot still on the ground I have to push off and stand back up. I can do this now because I'm only doing 135 lbs. But if I add on more weight I might fail at it.

How do you stand back up after lunges? Or am I doing it right and just over thinking it?


----------



## PGSucks

I've been doing lunges for a couple of months now, and I also struggle getting up, but it's mainly because I do them as my last workout and they're just hard to me.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

It just feels like if I go up in weight, pushing off with my front foot is going to be so hard, cause me so much imbalance, I'll be putting too much stress on my foot and possibly injure myself. It looks better to go back instead of forward. 

I might try them in the smith machine. I just really want to be able to focus on my ass during the lunge and not the push off of getting back up.


----------



## MF83

Try Bulgarian Split Swuats instead?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

yep. I was thinking of switching to those. I only tried those a few times with some girl I was seeing who did them for her ass. She had a little ass so I figured they were useless. 

Now...to smith or not to smith? that is the question.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

secret? said:


> Secret of the pros: This may be very unconventional in its approach but it works. Intermittent fasting, where you drop your calories to roughly 500-600 calories a day a couple times a week, will activate brown fat stores in the body which will in turn help burn up intramuscular fat. When this happens, you reach a level of conditioning worthy of an Olympia stage.


http://thegymlifestyle.com/10-ways-to-get-shredded/

what do you think of this Rush? Unless I'm reading it wrong, it suggests dropping to 500 - 600 calories a day while doing IF. Never heard this before, but this website has some good articles.


----------



## MF83

Smith Machine: not even once.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

YOU DONT!


----------



## PGSucks

Fuck smith machines. I'm glad the gym I go to doesn't even have them, but instead has ten squat racks/Oly lifting stations :mark:

And about the intermittent fasting, I kinda do that. I hate working out after I eat, so most of my workouts are in a fasted state unless I have class all day and I basically have to eat something.


----------



## Rush

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> http://thegymlifestyle.com/10-ways-to-get-shredded/
> 
> what do you think of this Rush? Unless I'm reading it wrong, it suggests dropping to 500 - 600 calories a day while doing IF. Never heard this before, but this website has some good articles.


It wouldn't be a long term thing, but say you wanted to get cut just before a beach holiday or someting and you were a little bit off your goal then it would work. Things like that are never a long term option. You're seen Christian Bale in the Machinist right? See how he was emaciated as fuck, that was from a diet of around 100-250 calories a day.


----------



## MF83

I've gotta say that after just two werks (the 5 and 3 weeks) of 5/3/1 Boring But Big, I have to advocate it. I'm still getting stronger in all the main lifts doing only three work sets per session and I've already noticeably grown, most notably in the arms. It has fixed my deadlift plateau (3x395 today... Fuck yeah, form reinforcement!), and I've attained 5RM and 3RM PR's in literally everything else. All that before the target of the program i.e. Hypertrophy. Yay.


----------



## Luke88

5/3/1 is a good solid program. Amateur strongman checking in, new to the site.


----------



## Alim

I was squatting today and I come home from the gym, take my shirt off and see these red marks on my shoulders. Is this common or am I doing something wrong?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

from the squat bar you know. Common. Hopefully it doesn't hurt. Hopefully it's evenly distributed too. I can't say of you have the bar to high up on your neck, I'd need to see you squat. Otherwise don't worry about it. I don't squat with a foam thing, don't need to.


----------



## MF83

Hahahaha yes, he finally did the CrossFit video!






10/10


----------



## OldschoolHero

Best part: Crossfit emphasizes on form...and not needing it.


Anyways, training legs today, got a bit of a cold and didnt sleep well, see how this goes.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

"5!... Yeaaaaah! That's 100 of um!" :lol


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

scanned this in from FLEX. Look at Coleman's leg days;


Spoiler: lower right


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

^ Testosterone rats. :lol


----------



## Punked Up

Been doing this at school for football/baseball, how it is? Posted something similar a while back, but no responses, it's all good.

Day 1
- 6 sets of squats, 5 reps each
- 3 sets of cleans, 5 reps each
- 150 sit ups, weighted
- 60 pushups
- band work for flexibility
- 2 sets of leg press, 10 reps each
- neck machine, 10 reps each side of neck

Day 2
- 6 sets of bench press, 5 reps each
- 3 sets of push press, 5 reps each (sometimes skipped :side: )
- 150 sit ups, weighted
- 60 pushups
- band work
- neck machine
- sometimes dips / tri pushdowns.

EDIT: Each workout is only done once a week, since Monday and Tuesday are actual baseball workouts and the weight room is closed on Thursday.


----------



## MF83

Needs a lot more pulling but not that bad overall.

Hit a 275 bench single yesterday. So fucking pleased. I can already taste 300. :mark:


----------



## Alim

Punked Up said:


> Been doing this at school for football/baseball, how it is? Posted something similar a while back, but no responses, it's all good.
> 
> Day 1
> - 6 sets of squats, 5 reps each
> - 3 sets of cleans, 5 reps each
> - 150 sit ups, weighted
> - 60 pushups
> - band work for flexibility
> - 2 sets of leg press, 10 reps each
> - neck machine, 10 reps each side of neck
> 
> Day 2
> - 6 sets of bench press, 5 reps each
> - 3 sets of push press, 5 reps each (sometimes skipped :side: )
> - 150 sit ups, weighted
> - 60 pushups
> - band work
> - neck machine
> - sometimes dips / tri pushdowns.
> 
> EDIT: Each workout is only done once a week, since Monday and Tuesday are actual baseball workouts and the weight room is closed on Thursday.


Needs more deadlifts


----------



## Punked Up

Alim's EGG NOG said:


> Needs more deadlifts


They're not allowed anymore at my school :lmao

Some kid got hurt doing them and almost sued, so they pulled the plug. BS.

I mean, some kids still do them after most people have left (coaches generally turn the blind eye unless an administrator's around) but it'd mean staying till everyone's gone, nearly an hour longer, so it's not feasible to include as part of my routine.


----------



## MF83

You need to do chin/pull ups and rows and high pulls then. Very little back work in there. Cleans but no deadlifts? Your school... :lol


----------



## PGSucks

Finals and writing papers have completely fucked my gym schedule.:vince7

I'm still gonna try to get all my workouts in this week, but damn do I feel tired.


----------



## OldschoolHero

PGSucks said:


> Finals and writing papers have completely fucked my gym schedule.:vince7
> 
> I'm still gonna try to get all my workouts in this week, but damn do I feel tired.


Im tired all the time, its what happens when you have a family lol.

I was at the gym the other day and this guy said to his buddy "where were you yesterday", buddy responds "only got 6 hours of sleep so I knew I shouldnt work out on a lack of sleep like that"...Friend responds "you have a vagina down there ?" I thought it was awesome.

So Im trying this hybrid thing out, my conditioning sucks but because of the weather, I cannot do running and stuff. So I might do some of the insanity workouts as part of my conditioning. We will see how this goes.


----------



## Alim

I've been working out regularly (4 times/week) again for the past month and a half. Since then all my lifts have increased by a good margin except for my bench press. Why is my bench lagging so hard? 

Starting/current:

Squat: 95/185 3x5
Deadlift: 95/200 3x5
Bench Press: 95/115 3x10


----------



## MF83

Because you're doing reps of ten (size) instead of 5 (strength) or less. Plus your form probably isn't great. Watch this. This is the best bench video around IMO. I love Dave Tate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnwAoesJvQ



Pulled 435 for an eeeeasy PR 1RM deadlift yesterday. Now for a deload after six weeks solid work.


----------



## Magic

so finals+my gym flooding=SO MANY LOSES.


I hate going to the gym just to re-establish what I was doing before. :bron3


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

at least most of the new years resolution people are just doing cardio or machine curls. All you have to do is use the free weights. 

Ben Pakulski had a good barbell v dumbell press video too.





common things we all I see at the gym:
1) people bouncing the bar off their sternum/chest plate. go down slow, push up fast. overall, you should have full control of the weight throughout the movement
2) not touching the bar to your nipples (aka. not full range of motion [ROM]). Actual body builders or power lifters use different ranges (for specific reasons), but for the 99% of average people, full ROM is what you want.
3) when people put their legs on the bench and then bench press! FUCK! it's ok to do that to get into position, but it will fuck you up to actually bench like that.
4) uneven grips. maybe you want to go wide, maybe close. any grip, make it even.
5) helping your spotter do heavy curls. don't put so much on and just let the spotter do the work.

I liked MF83's video. I would say, for most people, don't concentrate on increasing weight every time. concentrate on your form, speed of reps, and what muscles are contracting (most people think Bench works chest and triceps only).


----------



## PGSucks

OldschoolHero said:


> Im tired all the time, its what happens when you have a family lol.
> 
> I was at the gym the other day and this guy said to his buddy "where were you yesterday", buddy responds "only got 6 hours of sleep so I knew I shouldnt work out on a lack of sleep like that"...Friend responds "you have a vagina down there ?" I thought it was awesome.
> 
> So Im trying this hybrid thing out, my conditioning sucks but because of the weather, I cannot do running and stuff. So I might do some of the insanity workouts as part of my conditioning. We will see how this goes.


I've actually done the Insanity program twice. It's good cardio IMO and you'll lose weight if you supplement it with weight lifting and a decent diet, but don't expect it to give you great cardio.


----------



## Jimshine

I can't be the only person in this thread who spends all of January getting back into shape after Christmas :woolcock


----------



## Alim

I'm looking forward to seeing all the people crowd the treadmills at my gym in January because "getting jacked" is their New Year's resolution, only for them to disappear two weeks later. 

Good thing I don't do cardio :bark


----------



## PGSucks

Getting my bench up (slowly). At 8 reps of 215 with no spot (because my friends are lazy sacks of shit...I need new friends.) :delrio

My shoulder would not cooperate with me when I was doing dumbbell extensions or skull crushers though. :vince7


----------



## MF83

On Saturday I did a max squat try but failed my 80% warmup... And then 6 or 7 hours did a max overhead try and came close but no cigar. Just stupid but I was stressed :lol . Anyhow, calling another OHP 1RM try today before really deloading. Call it an end of semester gift to myself.

Edit: garbage. Caffeine withdrawal headache/nausea did NOT clear within the 45 minutes before workout when I drank a sugar-free Rockstar. Wanted to puke the whole time. Failed my 175lbs Overhead Press 1RM 3 times (should have quit after one but got mad) all in the same spot (just above my head) which is a good indicator of muscular/technique weakness to investigate. Anywho, did 3x10 pull/chinups and 3x10 OHP @ 110lbs and called it a (deload) day. Booooo. [/humbled]


----------



## Punked Up

FWIW, Bear Crawls are a pretty great exercise. Quick and work the full body. Anyone can gauge how much they're able to do once they do it, but I usually do 100 yards down and back, sometimes less but with a weight vest.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

It took me 3 attempts to hit my max Deadlift. I do this thing/ritual whenever I load up to do my max I will put on a 2 1/2 lb weight on both sides of the bar. After a minute I'll take them off. Then I'll attempt my max. 

I had 340 on the bar, a 2 1/2 lb on each side. I forgot to take them off and failed two times. I then remembered to remove them and was able to get it on the third. I looked retarded taking off baby plates and then being able to lift it. My grip has been shit lately, finals been keeping me busy working that grip. :side:


----------



## MF83

For C_R, Christian Thibadeau on the high pull: http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5676522 

Got straps for Christmas so I can start to go do a bunch of snatch grip shit that my wrists just can't handle heavy at those angles. Snatch grip shit is the only time the hardcore strength coaches seem to encourage strap use so yay.


----------



## Punked Up

EDIT: Dislocated my shoulder doing bear crawls. I'll try to work through it but it's gonna be a bitch swinging a baseball bat :lmao


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Because you're doing reps of ten (size) instead of 5 (strength) or less. Plus your form probably isn't great. Watch this. This is the best bench video around IMO. I love Dave Tate. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnwAoesJvQ
> 
> 
> 
> Pulled 435 for an eeeeasy PR 1RM deadlift yesterday. Now for a deload after six weeks solid work.


I tried out this form, I was able to do 225 for 3 reps easy (probably should have done 2 more). So I went up to 240 and got it. But I think I'll be sticking with a full rom and flat back for now. I'll know tomorrow if my chest is on fire or if it's everything around my chest.


----------



## MF83

Yeah, that's powerlifting form. Leg drive and the arch move that weight. For bodybuilding it isn't ideal since the ROM is less.

Fuck, I love training people. Definitely going to get certified eventually.


----------



## OldschoolHero

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> at least most of the new years resolution people are just doing cardio or machine curls. All you have to do is use the free weights.
> 
> Ben Pakulski had a good barbell v dumbell press video too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *5) helping your spotter do heavy curls. don't put so much on and just let the spotter do the work.
> *
> I liked MF83's video. I would say, for most people, don't concentrate on increasing weight every time. concentrate on your form, speed of reps, and what muscles are contracting (most people think Bench works chest and triceps only).


I know some people want to push heavy weight, thats great. As long as you have great form, I say go for it, I really do. But I NEVER understood the point of going heavy on isolation movements...I just feel like slow, higher reps are better for that.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^ I agree with that. It's mostly ego in my opinion. I've recent read (keep in mind an article in _FLEX_) that hypertrpophy is easier to achieve at your 3RM > 1 RM. Plus, I never have a spotter. 

But it can be nice to know where your max is, at least because everyone always asks: "What do you bench?" I used to say, "my bodyweight, a lot, and then some pushups." :lol


----------



## MF83

So I've begun to follow through with my plans to condition again and drop some weight. Track sprints yesterday and today I did a barbell complex I found on Bodybuilding.com and modified it a bit:

6x Snatch Grip High Pull
6x Hanging Power Snatch
6x Push Press
6x Good Morning
6x Pendlay Row

4 Rounds of that with just 65lbs. Talk about dat cardio! That after my deload Bench Press/Overhead Assistance workout featuring many chinups... 

While simultaneously teaching my woman how to lift on my own custom two day full body beginner split (Day One today):

Day 1
Squat 5x5/Bench 5x5 
Kroc Row 3x10-20/Weighted Glute-Ham Raise 3x15
Side Bends or dumbell suitcase deadlift

Day 2
Deadlift 5x5/Strict Overhead Press 5x5
Chin-ups/Dips (using the assistance machine since weak)
Weighted Situps


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*3 days until I'm through with finals and school for a good 2 weeks. I'll finally be able to get back on schedule with my gym days*.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

What the hell kind of a gym do you go to MF83? I'm getting mighty jealous of this bar work going uninterrupted.


----------



## MF83

Just an average small university gym. It's not very big actually. For me, there's two squat racks and one olympic platform to deadlift on. They ban chalk but i sneak it in. Did that complex on a random floor spot though. There's a bench press and a seated shoulder press stations with barbells too, so I guess there's five barbells, and an EZ curl bar and that's it; although they have dumbbells up to 100lbs and kettlebells too. 

Sounds like you need a new gym?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

We're not supposed to slam down weights crossfit style. I do when I deadlift of course, but that's about it. Sometimes the staff will give mats to someone doing stuff with barbells. 

We have 1 squat box-thing, 2 squat racks. I guess assume I'd get yelled at if I threw around weights too big.


----------



## MF83

I would hate that, damn. Is there nowhere else to go?

I've been mulling it over for a while. My squat and deadlift 1RM tries have been either blow out good or fail-the-90%-warmup of late. My bench took two or three attempts to finally hit 275 and my overhead has failed three times at 175. I think I'm plateauing. Thusly, the time has come for me to do 5/3/1 by the book.

That means using the 90% of real max Training Max. It also means a 3x5 week (5x65%, 5x75%, 5x85% of training max), 3x3 (70/80/90) and a 5/3/1 (75/85/95) week, before deloading (40/50/60). Thirdly, it means sticking to a four days a week lifting schedule. Working out five or six times a week was awesome but this will be better for recovery and allow me to train cardio too.

With the release of Beyond 5/3/1, there are so many accesory templates to follow too and that's why I'm finally okay with it. The third working set is alays for max reps so that is where the PRs come in. I start tomorrow so now all there is to do is pick an assistance template and do it!


----------



## Alim

I think I injured myself at the gym today. I was benching and after my third set I went to go do another exercise and I started feeling a sharp pain in the back of my left forearm, just under the elbow. I couldn't even finish my workout because I was having trouble holding anything in my left hand. 

Should I just take a couple days off from the gym or what?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

sounds like a heart attack! 

no, that's a joke. Please read, JOKE. But I do think people have pain along their forearms during a heart attack. Sounds like a grip issue, not necessarily a weak grip but still that area. Could be you were dehydrated and your clamping up. Could be when you had the bar in your hand your palm was really badly positioned and the pressure from the bar did something to fuck you up. I had a sharp pain in my traps when I was doing underhand grip bench. After repositioning myself, all gone. 

Don't take off for something like that. Work through if it's bearable, or around it of course. It was probably something temporary.


----------



## MF83

9/10 times when I get forearm or elbow pain it is in fact a shoulder issue. Do more pulling to offset the pushing. This always fixes the issue for me. I've also started to foam roll my entire arms harder and haven't had pain in a long time.


----------



## xD7oom

I've been doing this workout over a week, it's OK to add 5 more minutes everyweek? or should I add everyday?




I did 20 minutes today, so fucking hard.


----------



## MF83

First 5/3/1 day today (5s Deadlift). Actual max 435. Training max (what % based off) - 390.










So my 85%, third work set was the 5+ 335, of which I did ten reps. Feeling like a million bucks, tried out the fabled Joker Sets concept. Add 10% or 5% to the money set and go for more. Aimed for and got 5x95%, 3x100%, 1x105%. Using the Simplest Strengh template for assistance so three sets of ten front squats at 50/60/70% of TM. Used the brand new ELITEFTS powerlifting belt my woman bought me for Christmas for the first time and it was awesome.

Showed my 405 1RM squat for critique to the 205lbs class Canadian record holder for deadlift, Brent something, who pulled I think 750 raw and natural tbis year. (Edit: this guy - http://youtu.be/f6DR-djyEsU) He said i have "perfect form" and that I'm built to be a great powerlifter and told me to look into competing. Solid ten minute talk with a champ made it extra special. Obviously loving the program after just one workout. Yay.


----------



## NoyK

xD7oom said:


> I've been doing this workout over a week, it's OK to add 5 more minutes everyweek? or should I add everyday?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I did 20 minutes today, so fucking hard.


I've been doing this one for 2 days, it's a lot harder than it looks, I can't finish it all in one go.

Usually I do 30~45m of weight lifting, then half of the video afterwards, then take a 15~20 minute rest, and repeat.
It makes you sore all over, but god damn it feels good.


----------



## PGSucks

Probably taking the rest of this week off because I fucked my shoulder up pretty badly a couple of days ago. Tried training back yesterday and it wasn't gonna happen. :vince7


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> First 5/3/1 day today (5s Deadlift). Actual max 435. Training max (what % based off) - 390.
> 
> Showed my 405 1RM squat for critique to the 205lbs class Canadian record holder for deadlift, Brent something, who pulled I think 750 raw and natural tbis year. (Edit: this guy - http://youtu.be/f6DR-djyEsU) *He said i have "perfect form" and that I'm built to be a great powerlifter* and told me to look into competing. Solid ten minute talk with a champ made it extra special. Obviously loving the program after just one workout. Yay.


8*D did you choke up? 

Look up doing thrusters (not hip thrusters). It's basically fast front squats into a press. You would love them. Actually, you might already do them and just call them something else.

Do you hack squat MF83? IF so, how much? I set a PR yesterday, 410 lbs for 3 reps. Some girl was near the machine so I added 2 25 lbs to beast it up.


----------



## PGSucks

Aren't thrusters a CrossFit movement? I might try to incorporate them into my shoulder workout.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

The thrusters I'm talking about are from crossfit.


I spent about 20 minutes practicing deadlift today. Finally noticed when I come up my left knee begins to poke out. It's because of a weak Hamstring (like Rush pointed out). When I kept my left in I felt the muscle in that portion of the hamstring. Pretty crazy actually to figure it out and notice it, it's pretty important. I've been doing some extra leg curls on my left side as well. 

I could probably be doing better at sumo deadlifts if I just took a wider tance since that's how I've been lifting accidentally.


----------



## Rush

> I think I injured myself at the gym today. I was benching and after my third set I went to go do another exercise and I started feeling a sharp pain in the back of my left forearm, just under the elbow. I couldn't even finish my workout because I was having trouble holding anything in my left hand.
> 
> Should I just take a couple days off from the gym or what?


rest it, its probably from poor technique/bad grip



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> sounds like a heart attack!
> 
> no, that's a joke. Please read, JOKE. But I do think people have pain along their forearms during a heart attack. Sounds like a grip issue, not necessarily a weak grip but still that area. Could be you were dehydrated and your clamping up. Could be when you had the bar in your hand your palm was really badly positioned and the pressure from the bar did something to fuck you up. I had a sharp pain in my traps when I was doing underhand grip bench. After repositioning myself, all gone.
> 
> Don't take off for something like that. * Work through if it's bearable, or around it of course.* It was probably something temporary.


you can get pain radiating down your entire arm during a heart attack. 

also working through it would just make it worse.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'll be picking my pre-workout the same way from now on. :lmao


----------



## MF83

Brofessor > everything.

I've done thrusters before.. You pimp them often. They're good shit. Might try FRAN for cardio at the end of Ovehead Press day tomorrow. 


Goddamn I love the 5/3/1 "money set". Makes you give your everything at that optimally warmed up zone in the heart of a workout. On my seventh bench rep a couple days ago I paused (struggling but would have completed it and more) and my noobie spotter helped it up and fucked my flow. Today was a different story.

Squat max 405/TM 365; so the third 5+ Set was 85% of TM so 310lbs. I did 8 and probably should have stopped but whipped out two more and only that tenth one was bad (forward lean). Did a joker set 95% or 345 for five more after a nice break then did First Set Last for 3 sets of 6 with a pause in the hole at 235, or the weight of the first work set (65% of TM). Supersetted the FSL squats with three sets RDL, did some real hanging leg raises and then called it a day. Foam rolled/stretched fucking everything for 40 minutes after. T'was a good day. :lol

I switched to a thumbless grip for squats today after watching a Mark Rippetoe video explaining that a straight elbow to fingers path eliminates elbow/wrist pain, especially when properly notched against the inferior border of the scapular spine. I have to give him oodles of credit for being right, in my case at least. I'd been dreading squats a bit due to the pain on my shoulders/elbows/wrists afterward but today there was none of that! Youtube Rippetoe's squat grip video; it's 18 minutes well worth your time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tyOLvArw0


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Looks like I'm going to have to fix my squat form if I don't want to destroy my knees.*


----------



## MF83

DAT MONEY SET. Called for 5 minimum/as many reps as possible without failure. Did 12 @130lbs with False Grip. Elbows flare quite a bit upon review so I should change my grip width but yeah: 

http://youtu.be/anVoOqRW3kM

Then worked a 5x145 and 1x160 for Joker Sets after, followed by 12x105 (First Set Last). 50 chinups variations completed between sets, then supersetted 3 sets of Pendlay rows and incline bench. 

I love this program already, with only a week under my belt.


----------



## the-guru

I am currently training to run in a marathon in May and am just stepping up my training. One tip I got recently that I thought I'd pass on is on a treadmill a great cardio training exercise was to set your treadmill at a comfortable speed, I use between 10 and 12 km per hour, then every minute you minute you increase the incline by half a per cent. I'll go up and back down which takes just over 40 mins and is a real killer.

However I think the area I'm struggling with is my diet. Does anybody have any tips for dieting during endurance training. I am currently 5ft 11 and roughly 145 pounds. Thank in advance


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

lots of carbohydrates. Whole grains like wheat bran cereal, brown rice, potatoes or yams, granola, wheat bread. fruit is great too. 

You sound like a stick. I'm 5' 10" 190 lbs. don't be afraid to eat a lot of carbohydrates. Protein can be chicken, pork, fishes, some lean beef, just add 1-2 protein shakes to your current diet and that will help. Fat is important for endurance as well, eat fish for that, almonds/brazil nuts/pistachios, peanut butter, milk. 


I did back today. I did some hardcore Trap exercises that left me super sore right now. Amazing. I'm pretty happy with the results.
lousy quality picture


Spoiler: Back to the Future


----------



## Redwood

http://greatist.com/fitness/fix-common-workout-mistakes/

Interesting article.


----------



## MF83

C_R looking cut as fuck.

Instead of the obligatory facility tour, that article should be mandatory for every beginner starting out. :lol


First time with 3s week today. Deadlift AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) Money set with 350lbs. It should be good since I took two rest days beforehand. I still need to see a doctor or PT about my knee though. It's not constant or consistent. For example, it didn't hurt for the past two days minus last night when I was going to bed. I don't get it. Anyways~!

"We About to Kill the Gym (Like It's January 1st)"


----------



## PGSucks

I'm hoping praying that my university gym won't be full of Resolutioners for the first couple weeks of January, because I'll have to go back up to Reno early to take classes over the winter. My gym in Vegas is the absolute WORST in early January. :jay


----------



## Alim

I've only gone to the gym once in the past 9 days. Getting sick set me back so much now I feel small as shit. Dem gainz losses. Going to return tomorrow and train hard as fuck.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

I've been bulking (aka eating like shit) lately, but yeah there comes a point where you're just gettin fat, so it's time to put it in reverse and get back on track.. Gonna be shredded by Summer '14.


----------



## MF83

The 3+ work set deadlifts was supposed to be 350 but I accidentally did 360 for six. :lol. Drank my caffeine later than usual and it kicked in right around then. Hyped, did 3x390, 1x410 and 1x430. Front squats, Glute-Ham raises and Ab Wheel after.

We then decided to run hill sprints. My friend had Mandarin oranges and I brought bananas so we ate them and foam rolled before driving to a nearby hill. 10 sprints up a hill where oodles of kids were toboganning, after deadlift day, was enough. Holy fuck are those harder than I thought they'd be; although, the temperature and snow didn't really ease things. Dat manly cardio. Went for Perkins for 3:30pm breakfast after... A fantastic call.


----------



## X-Train

I'm needing help/advice. Looking to add muscle, I'm naturally a very skinny guy also naturally very fit cardio wise - can do nothing for months then go on a long run without difficulty. Never had much success though in trying to add weight. Previous attempts have stopped because I've not seen any gains after months of working out. I have a very high metabolism so think I need to create the right meal plans along with supplements to increase my calorie intake.

I need help with what routine I should be doing in the gym along with what I should be doing meal wise. Thanks


----------



## MF83

Get strong (look at Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5), eat 200g protein a day and over 3000 calories a day, get 8 hours or more of sleep per night, and drop long bouts of stationary cardio. Gains are made recovering (ie food and sleep).


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ok.
Squats (lbs.)

185 x 12
225 x 10
275 x 2 - rerack rest (15s)- 1 (3 total)
225 x 6

Holy fuck, I went HAM today. I didn't think I'd get 3 reps of 275, it was rough. I figure I'd get one shitty one, call it a max. yeh


----------



## PGSucks

Well, I'm about to start a hard cut/shred after eating so poorly for a good part of December. The only positive of having winter classes is that the university gym is pretty much completely empty. :moyes1

Hope all my fellow lifters at WF have a good New Year's Eve/Day


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

a university gym empty...after new years??? I don't think that's a thing. 

My gym was getting full yesterday at 3 PM. that's some shit. It was nice being the biggest guy there though :lmao Plus, I noticed one guy was literally doing everything I did right after me. It was creepy but flattering so I didn't say anything.


----------



## APEX

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> a university gym empty...after new years??? I don't think that's a thing.
> 
> My gym was getting full yesterday at 3 PM. that's some shit. It was nice being the biggest guy there though :lmao Plus, I noticed one guy was literally doing everything I did right after me. It was creepy but flattering so I didn't say anything.


You say that now, when he rocks up next week in the same clothes as you, same haircut, same gym bag, doing the exact workout as you....:lmao


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I only started logging my workouts as of April 13th, 2013. From then on I logged all my reps, all my weights, and how many sets. I did some math:

Bench Press as of 4/13/13: 234.565 lbs

as of 12/31/13: *240 lbs* (2% increase)

pushing 177,580 lbs in 1050 reps


Standing Barbell Curls as of 4/13/13: 110 lbs

as of 12/31/13: *115 lbs* (4% increase)

pushing 24,550 lbs in 867 reps


Squat as of 4/13/13: 256 lbs

as of 12/31/13: *291 lbs* (12% increase)

pushing 150,710 lbs in 753 reps


Deadlifts as of 4/13/13: 261 lbs

as of 12/31/13: *335 lbs* (23% increase)

pushing 164,475 lbs in 685 reps


Pullups: *405** 


Dips: *1505* 

(*_these only include solo pullups_ [_no supersets, no crossfit included_])

Most of my increases were within the past few months. I really started concentrating on these lifts, the form and concentration. So, while the increases have been small, the form of what I've lifting is now correct. I took a more aesthetic and bodybuilding approach. I had to drop weight in some areas, I aimed for a rep range between 8 - 12. This log was only started in April, it was 151 workouts altogether. Starting this year I'll be doing weekly body pictures too to track physical changes. I definitely increased size, but I didn't take pictures along the way. I'm ending my bulking phase and will not begin to lose some fat.


----------



## EGame

I need to make more gainzz bros, i need to make more gainzz! 

Fuarrrk


----------



## PGSucks

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> a university gym empty...after new years??? I don't think that's a thing.


My school's still on winter break and I'm only here because I'm taking classes (which suck :side, and it's been empty lately. I could also be horribly wrong though. :vince7


----------



## MF83

Emailed the local Crossfit Box or whatever the fuck they're called to see if I could pay to use their facility without having to do random team WOD bullshit. Fingers crossed cause it looks beautiful with all the barbells and chalk in the world.

5/3/1 calls for breaking all sorts of PRs. Gonna look back at this in a year.

Big Four Lifting Maxes as of December 31st, 2013:

*Squat*
1RM: 405lbs
2RM: 385lbs
3RM: 365lbs
4RM:
5RM: 345lbs
6RM:
7RM: 330lbs
8RM:
9RM:
10RM: 310lbs

*Press*
1RM: 165lbs
2RM: 
3RM: 160lbs
4RM:
5RM: 150lbs
6RM:
7RM: 
8RM: 140lbs
9RM:
10RM: 
11RM:
12RM: 130lbs

*Deadlift*
1RM: 435lbs
2RM: 
3RM: 390lbs
4RM:
5RM: 370lbs
6RM: 360lbs
7RM: 
8RM:
9RM:
10RM: 335lbs

*Bench Press*
1RM: 275lbs
2RM: 250lbs
3RM: 240lbs
4RM:
5RM: 235lbs
6RM:
7RM: 210lbs
8RM:
9RM:
10RM: 175lbs


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm getting 4 plates on dead lift by summer.

I did hit 360 today. That was after 3 fails and a search for Brock Lesnar's theme song on my ipod


----------



## PGSucks

Brock's theme song is one of my go-to songs for deadlift, bench, shrugs, and pretty much any heavy lift  :brock


----------



## Pratchett

I could use some advice. With age becoming more of a factor for me, I have found in recent years that I am really losing a lot of flexibility. I need to get into better shape than I am now, but most of all I want to increase my flexibility first.

Can anyone recommend a good program or workout for that? My first thought is something like yoga, but I have spent a lot of time the past couple years being lazy. Last year I started with certain cosmetic improvements, and this year I want to focus on overall physical health. Any tips to point me in the right direction would be appreciated.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

How much body fat do you guys think a person can lose in the span of 12 weeks at a healthy rate?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Zombie Apocalypse said:


> I could use some advice. With age becoming more of a factor for me, I have found in recent years that I am really losing a lot of flexibility. I need to get into better shape than I am now, but most of all I want to increase my flexibility first.
> 
> Can anyone recommend a good program or workout for that? My first thought is something like yoga, but I have spent a lot of time the past couple years being lazy. Last year I started with certain cosmetic improvements, and this year I want to focus on overall physical health. Any tips to point me in the right direction would be appreciated.


start stretching. do yoga. run every now and then. lift weights.

in my opinion, running is the best form of cardio you can do. For overall physical health. You can start a basic strength program (just google something); bench press, shoulder press, squat, deadlifts, rows, pullups, dips, etc. I'd suggest lifting 4 days a week, run 2-3, stretch 5-6 days. 



JoseBxNYC said:


> How much body fat do you guys think a person can lose in the span of 12 weeks at a healthy rate?


depending on how much you weigh right now, a whole lot. Fatter the person, the more fat they can drop. If you have a good program you can expect to lose 1-2 lbs. That would be healthy. It gets harder the lower Body Fat % you have. What are you doing to lose the weight?

foam roller :mark: :hb :cheer :dance


----------



## MF83

^ Buy a good foam roller ASAP. Warmup with Joe Defranco's Agile 8 or Limber 11 (google it). Learn every stretch you can and incorporate it, if not daily, then as a cooldown after you workout. I personally foam roll before stretching after lifting and it takes about half an hour. I'll foam roll at night ideally every night but at least three or four times a week. Learn your tight weaknesses you already have and mobilize them daily. 

Depends how fat they are but 20-25 lbs sounds optimal if there's some real weight to be shed.


----------



## Pratchett

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> start stretching. do yoga. run every now and then. lift weights.
> 
> in my opinion, running is the best form of cardio you can do. For overall physical health. You can start a basic strength program (just google something); bench press, shoulder press, squat, deadlifts, rows, pullups, dips, etc. I'd suggest lifting 4 days a week, run 2-3, stretch 5-6 days.


Thanks. I will probably start walking more and work my way up. I used to do that and I was in a lot better shape. I also should start riding my bike more when the weather warms up.


----------



## xD7oom

I lost 7.2 lbs this month, feels great .


----------



## MF83

Winnipeg has been dropping down low in -40 to -50 Celsius range over the last couple days. The furnace busted at the gym today. It was, to be frank, fucking cold in there today. Shoeless deadlifts at just above freezing makes for a tight body and COLD feet. I did 6x370 and then couldn't pull a single for 410. LE BRRRRR. Oh well. It was good. Did 11x295 deadlifts after front squats and then did 50 reps with just the bar of ROMANIAN SUMO deadlift :lol for a finisher after abs. Just like playing football in the snow...


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I might be switching over to sumo deadlifts instead of regular deadlifts(not cutting stiffies though, not a chance). 

The spartan workout (for the movie _300_) is: (link

Pullups - 25 reps
*Barbell Deadlift with 135 lbs. - 50 reps*
Pushups - 50 reps
24-inch Box Jumps - 50 reps
Floor Wipers - 50 reps
Single-Arm Clean-and-Press with 36 lbs Kettlebell - 50 reps
Pullups - 25 reps

(300 reps altogether)
When I was Navy I had my time at about 12 minutes. I beat Leonidas. That link has beginner, middle, and hard versions of it. I should try this again soon (my gym has no kettle bells over 12 lbs though )


----------



## WWE

I am a newbie here.

I want to build up my cardio/stamina (and obviously lose a couple pounds in the process, durr)

By going on the treadmill daily (for about half an hour max each day, jogging/sprinting for half that time and fast walking for the other half). Would that give me good results?

I drink only water nowadays, and I dramatically cut down fast foods and stuff like that


EDIT: if it helps, i'm 5'10", about 185-190 pounds


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Short answer is yes. Any physical activity will help. But fuck, lift weights too. If you're worrying about "bulking up," stop. It's obviously hard to bulk up otherwise everyone would be doing it.

ok, sorry for ranting. You sound like your plan is to do some different intensities on the treadmill. That's great, the different intensities will really help (look up "HIIT" [High intensity interval training]). I wouldn't do the treadmill everyday. First, you'll begin to get "wear & tear." That's just common muscle soreness you'll get from running. So, you could mix it up and do some cycling (if you have a gym with a spin class check it out at least once), elliptical, swimming if you're lucky, and then have some high intensity (cardio focused) workouts. Second, you'll get tired of the treadmill. But that's where the alternatives come in. 

If you begin to run outside (which is really different from a treadmill), prepare for shin splints. That's soreness in your shins. You'll most likely google it because most people get them as beginners. Proper stretching can help about that, but don't focus on it or be afraid of it. 

30 - 60 minutes a day is great. If you need to rest though, do so. On the other hand, if you're going 7 days a week and not feeling like you need a day off, you might want to start increasing your workouts. I'd throw in at least 3 days of weight lifting. Lifting weights will also help your running improve, not to mention the workout can be an alternative to your running session (giving you a rest day from running, but you're still getting a workout). 

For working out, I'd just suggest some simple full body workouts. You can google samples, ask here if you need to, or even go to bodybuling.com and check out the forums there. A lot of people on that website are just people who lift weights with no proper training or certifications and just want to blab, kind of like me. I got nothing but muscles!

Look into "crossfit" workouts too. Those are designed for explosive movements and lots of cardio. Just don't become a dick once you start. 

It's good you have a pretty specific goal, it's great you have a rough, and it's tremendous you're only drinking water (I'm a 'Mio' addict). You're the kind of person we want sticking around at the gym after January.


----------



## NoyK

Finally finished this one all in one go :mark:
Strangely, the thing that hurts the most is my coccyx though.

Highly recommend this one for those that only have 4 abs and want those finally two bastard squares that are the hardest to get, or hell, want to burn some fat in general. The little gut I had is slowly going away, hopefully they'll be showing (not fully, but visible) in a month or so 

Now time to hit the actual weights (Y)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> weak left hamstring.



I broke my left big tow when I was a little kid. I think from all the years of walking on it with some sort of limp/pronation/curve/something, whatever my muscles did to compensate for that for so long, that was what made my hamstring lag. I used to get sore all in my big toe region after running or doing leg work. Now I don't so much, the other muscles must be compensating.

I actually can't curl my left big toe. I think I need to check out the muscles there. It might be a stretch, but I definitely can have a different stance when I dig my left toe into the ground. I think that's problem. I might see a specialists.


----------



## kingfunkel

So just out of curiosity have any of you gain weight over Christmas?
I'm 8pound heavier but nothing a bit hard work won't fix 


Sent from Verticalsports.com App


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

lol. I think everyone in this thread did. Only, some of us were trying to gain weight and took advantage of the Holiday season for that. I went from 184lbs to 192 lbs, now trying to cut back a bit more.


----------



## MF83

I gained a pound but went from a tight two holes to a loose three holes on my belt hole so... Yay?


----------



## APEX

Ermm... the guy I biy my protein from told me to start taking 80g post workout in a shake?

A tad excessive don't you think? :lmao


----------



## PGSucks

I don't know how much weight I gained, but I ate like absolute shit despite still working out hard pretty much the second half of December. Been eating clean since the last few days of December though and I'm cutting down again 

Anyone go to the gym early in the morning? I've been trying to make that my usual routine for a while and I finally started today. I actually like it a lot because the gym is empty and I don't have to worry about working out.


----------



## Alim

Fortitude said:


> Ermm... the guy I biy my protein from told me to start taking 80g post workout in a shake?
> 
> A tad excessive don't you think? :lmao


I usually get 60g post workout. Two scoops of whey = 50g but then the milk is also another 10g or so.

You can make your own shakes in a blender with high protein ingredients like oats and peanut butter to hit 80g

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## MF83

PGSucks said:


> I don't know how much weight I gained, but I ate like absolute shit despite still working out hard pretty much the second half of December. Been eating clean since the last few days of December though and I'm cutting down again
> 
> Anyone go to the gym early in the morning? I've been trying to make that my usual routine for a while and I finally started today. I actually like it a lot because the gym is empty and I don't have to worry about working out.


I'll wait 1.5-2 hours after getting up to digest some food (largely carbs) but morning is my favourite time to lift.

Deload week; been teaching people how to lift at night. Got there fifteen minutes early and started full cleaning and power snatching 95 lbs before working up to 285lbs Sumo deadlifts (gonna make them my main deadlift next cycle)... And then the chicks finally showed up. That was my first time ever snatching heavyier than like 65lbs and I got deep on a few reps too. Felt like a fucking boss.

Fixed my bench form after too. Switching to flat foot (as is mandatory in competition) fucked my bench up horribly this past month. I think I got it though. Did many reps with 95lbs then a set of 205x5 fairly cleanly. VERY PRODUCTIVE session with lots of recovery while the girls did their thing. Yippee.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83, try using machines during the deload week. You'll like it, I know I did :mark:


----------



## MF83

I usually do Dumbbells and machines to rest the joints but get ZAH PAUMP. It was my deadlift deload day and I watched the only other Strength guy do snatches the day before so Light Oly Lifting just seemed like the way to go. Gonna do light benching three or four times this week just to get dat form.

Doing 5/3/1 spinal tap for overhead next cycle. You do the 3, 5/3/1 and then 5 weeks worth of the main lift every week, supersetting back and biceps between sets. Like 12 sets pressing total. The training max goes up every week and since my OHP max has led to the most money set reps, this is a useful way to boost the TM ten extra pounds. Fuck yeah.


----------



## PGSucks

Got a good chest and tris workout (DAT BRO SPLIT) in today. The cut continues. :vince7 

Trying to get some olympic/Crossfit lifting in this week too. I was able to get 2 reps of 195 for push press and 1 of 165 for strict press last week, which I consider decent since my shoulders are definitely not my strongest body part. :delrio


----------



## MF83

7x215 bench, 9x340 squat for money sets so far this week. Wendler formula wise, that equals a 440 squat max. Holy poop.


----------



## VILLAIN

I've been going back to the gym recently, I am currently doing

Monday - Chest/Tris

Tuesday - Back/Biceps

Thursday - Legs/Shoulders

(I change the order of these on a weekly basis)

The thing I am asking is, although I am eating a good diet and cardio etc. I am not doing 2- 3 reps etc. I usually do 4 sets of 8 - 10 reps. Is that okay? I am trying to just get a good body, nice bit of muscle on there but I am not doing the whole push for 2 reps at the end thing, but instead slowly going with a weight I can just handle and on my last set, I push out on a weight I can just about hit 6 reps on.


----------



## DGenerationMC

Liquid diets don't always last....but I'd do it anyways.

But in all seriousness, every day I do....
1)Stretch for 10 minutes
2)30 push-ups, sit-ups
3)Run around the track (30 Laps, I think.)
4)Something fun (Football, Basketball, Ping Pong?)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

The Wrestling Junkie said:


> I've been going back to the gym recently, I am currently doing
> 
> Monday - Chest/Tris
> 
> Tuesday - Back/Biceps
> 
> Thursday - Legs/Shoulders
> 
> (I change the order of these on a weekly basis)
> 
> The thing I am asking is, although I am eating a good diet and cardio etc. I am not doing 2- 3 reps etc. I usually do 4 sets of 8 - 10 reps. Is that okay? I am trying to just get a good body, nice bit of muscle on there but I am not doing the whole push for 2 reps at the end thing, but instead slowly going with a weight I can just handle and on my last set, I push out on a weight I can just about hit 6 reps on.


I would recommend (off personal experience mostly, only a few articles or research read, 'it works for me') higher reps. 15 - 9. Usually scale is depending on how many sets (3-4, sometimes 2 even). Bodybuilders (from what I've read and seen) do higher reps and focus on the contractions and release. go down slow come up fast (but not sloppy). Sounds like you're already doing that. That just increase the rep size because it should create better hypertrophy (increase in muscle size). Strength workouts are usually associated with lower reps (6 - 8).

4 sets:
x 15
x 12
x 12
x 9

3 sets:
x 15
x 12
x 9

I personally respond better to higher reps (consequently, lowered weight). I think it just allows you to concentrate on the lift and getting that contraction and stretch better than if you were to struggle with 6 - 8 reps. I seated alternating dumbell curls with 30's and 35's for 15, 12 reps. I haven't seen an increase in my bicep size as good as this since I started lifting 5 years ago. 

I won't tell if your split is good or not, I think that's extremely personal based. I don't do chest, tricep, or shoulders on the same day, or even within 2 days. I just don't like it. The muscles are too closely involved with the others in lifts, so I don't feel as strong. That's just me, and it's something you'll find out if you like. (most people do it like you do)


----------



## VILLAIN

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I would recommend (off personal experience mostly, only a few articles or research read, 'it works for me') higher reps. 15 - 9. Usually scale is depending on how many sets (3-4, sometimes 2 even). Bodybuilders (from what I've read and seen) do higher reps and focus on the contractions and release. go down slow come up fast (but not sloppy). Sounds like you're already doing that. That just increase the rep size because it should create better hypertrophy (increase in muscle size). Strength workouts are usually associated with lower reps (6 - 8).
> 
> 4 sets:
> x 15
> x 12
> x 12
> x 9
> 
> 3 sets:
> x 15
> x 12
> x 9
> 
> I personally respond better to higher reps (consequently, lowered weight). I think it just allows you to concentrate on the lift and getting that contraction and stretch better than if you were to struggle with 6 - 8 reps. I seated alternating dumbell curls with 30's and 35's for 15, 12 reps. I haven't seen an increase in my bicep size as good as this since I started lifting 5 years ago.
> 
> I won't tell if your split is good or not, I think that's extremely personal based. I don't do chest, tricep, or shoulders on the same day, or even within 2 days. I just don't like it. The muscles are too closely involved with the others in lifts, so I don't feel as strong. That's just me, and it's something you'll find out if you like. (most people do it like you do)



Ah sound cheers man. Also, I am having trouble doing squats - I don't know if this is a common problem. My technique is fine, and I never have a sore neck as I always position it right... and I always put the pressure on my heels but my problem is I cant squat low enough. It's like I physically cant go really low, so I feel like I am doing a half-ass squat. Don't get me wrong, I feel it the day after but I want my ass to grass. I just dont feel comfortable going really low.

Is smith machine okay for squats? I know barbell is better, but to feel comfortable going low, should I use smith first?


----------



## MF83

Never use the smith machine. It's silly and dangerous.


Rippetoe on squat position. Watch this shit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2tyOLvArw0


My opinion on muscle building is this: get strong first (low reps, high intensity). That way, when you do switch to high reps for muscle building, you're squatting, say 405, ten times instead of 225 ten times, and are thus bigger. Ronnie Coleman was a powerlifter before becoming who he became. He squats sets of 2 reps squats at 800 lbs every week. Steroids aside, he still trains strength.


----------



## Rush

As a rough, generalised scale you should think of it as 

1-6 reps strength
8-12 hypertrophy
15+ endurance

Now its a continuum so even if you're doing 15 reps for stuff you'll gain strength etc. Personally i like a rep range of 5-8 but thats just me.

Smith machine is one of the worst machines to even have been invented. There is nothing functional about it, and you will gain nothing as your body has no idea how to stabilise itself if you lift something tracking along a fixed axis. As far as squats go, to 90 degrees is adequate.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

might be some hip flexibility problems if you can't get passed parallel. Look at us and our youtube heroes! 8*D Smith machine is only acceptable if you have serious injuries, at an old age, or put the bar up top to do pull ups off of. I do upright rows on the smith machine, but so much other trap, deltoid, lat work I don't suffer from stabilizing issues. 

@MF83, since you posted that video last time, I love the arm position he teaches. I still get numb or tingly arms a little bit though, so I have to work on it. But I definitely feel the difference in my traps. and thanks to that power lifters form on Bench, I can do 225 x 4 now. instead of 225 x 0. My chest is big and flat enough I just want to get it stronger, so I'm looking in to that 5/3/1 you drool over so much. 

I actually just did hamstrings and got 250 x 6 on stiff leg deadlifts for 3 sets.


----------



## MF83

^^^  There's lots of hypertrophy templates for it as well. Boring But Big is the most famous but there a few more. Buy or "acquire" the second edition of 5/3/1 and then read Beyond 5/3/1 after. Even if you don't use it, it's got tons of good logical advice from a legend. 

I tried the Spinal Tap variant for the first time today, actually, for my Overhead Press. The idea is to do a month's worth of work sets in one day, adding joker sets if you want along the way. Superset the whole thing with lat, rear delt, biceps type work and voila, I had one of the best workouts of my life today. Add 5 lbs to your training max every week for three weeks. 

Training Max = 160lbs

Warm up:
45x8 | face pulls
65x5 | face pulls
80x5 | face pulls
95x3 | 10 neutral grip chin ups

{3's}
110x3 | 10 chinups
130x3 | 10 pullups
145x3 | 20 Bent Lateral Raises with 5's

{5/3/1}
120x5 | 15 Bent Lateral Raises with 10's
135x3 | 10 neutral chin ups
150x1 | 10 chin ups

*Joker Set: 165! Tied PR! Shit flew up in the air too; could have gone for more but chose not to.

{5's}
105x5 | Barbell Curls
120x5 | Barbell Curls
135x5 | Barbell Curls

Accessory: 2 sets 15x45 lockout behind the head press | 2 sets 10 reps per hand kroc rows with a 50lb dumbell

ALL IN UNDER ONE HOUR. Amazing.


----------



## OldschoolHero

The Wrestling Junkie said:


> I've been going back to the gym recently, I am currently doing
> 
> Monday - Chest/Tris
> 
> Tuesday - Back/Biceps
> 
> Thursday - Legs/Shoulders
> 
> (I change the order of these on a weekly basis)
> 
> The thing I am asking is, although I am eating a good diet and cardio etc. I am not doing 2- 3 reps etc. I usually do 4 sets of 8 - 10 reps. Is that okay? I am trying to just get a good body, nice bit of muscle on there but I am not doing the whole push for 2 reps at the end thing, but instead slowly going with a weight I can just handle and on my last set, I push out on a weight I can just about hit 6 reps on.



You can always cycle reps aswell. For instance you could do 8 weeks of 8-12 reps, 8 weeks of 4-6 reps(look up a program like MAX OT when on this phase) and then do a couple weeks of 15-20 reps.

Now if you do something like pushups or bodyweight squats, afterwhile 20 reps will be easy, so those can always be done in higher rep fashion.

Also track your numbers on the big lifts and try increasing the weight weekly/bi weekly.

Or you can just do a program like 5/3/1 boring but big. You go heavy on the main lifts(squat,deadlift,bench,overhead press) and then you pick a few assistance exercises for whatever rep range you want. He has a program for hypertrophy, one for endurance and one for powerlifting.

I actually ran 5/3/1 about 2 years ago(holy shit, time flies) but I did add a 5th day for extra upper back/core and arm stuff.

Someone mentioned Rippetoe...dude is insane lol. I wish I could do a 5x5 program where you squat 3x a week but my lower back is like "nice try,jackass". Also most of those have you do Overhead press and deadlift on same day with the squats...my bad discs in my back would love that lol.


----------



## MF83

Full body beginner programs scare me at my level too but I'm testing them on the New Years Resolutioners at my university, for my own experimentation/their benefit. 

I have them do a Monday/Wednesday/Friday week 1 ABA week 2 BAB split with 
A: deadlift/press/(assisted) dips/(assisted) chins/abs & B: squat/bench/rows/back raises/abs (I think; off the top of my head). 

My 5ft8 140 lbs girlfriend is borderline EXRX standards "Advanced" (132bw=220, 148bw=240) for deadlift (2 plates) after training for like a month without any kind of supplementation. Her squat best is 5x105. She could barely do a rep with the bar squatting and 95lbs was heavy for her first deadlift day. 30 lbs gains every week is fucking boggling. :lol Dem noob gains harvested correctly, man. It's fucking magical. I train around noon then go with her (and whoever else) at night and foam roll/stretch/skip whatever and my body hasn't felt more recovered since I started lifting. It's win-win as hell, plus I get to test out this idea of me wanting to train people and do all the experimenting on guinea pigs. 

____


Boring But Big and Wendler's other size templates makes people huge but it's awesome because you still do three strength work sets for your press/bench/squat/DL every workout. 

5/3/1 is doing so much good for my lifts, except for bench, but that's my own damn fault for switching forms (and even then I'm figuring it out). I remember how I failed however many times in a row to hit a 405 Dl and finally did at the end of August. Joker setted 400x3 today, after my money set of 8x360. All the fucking gains. I love this shit.


----------



## vault21




----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

started doing single leg squats on a bosu ball with a kettlebell in one hand (25 lbs) again. Literally only to impress a girl who was doing crossfity stuff nearby. Can't believe I can still do them so well. Even decided to do some old Turkish Getups :lol They're still easy to me (at 70 lbs).


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!




----------



## PGSucks

Semester starts for me tomorrow, which means the gym will be PACKED.

Good thing I go early in the morning anyways. :troll


----------



## OldschoolHero

Saw a guy in the gym last night doing powercleans in the smith machine...wtf.


Have a group of "tough mudders" who come into my gym now. There workouts consist of 10 jumping jacks, 3 pullups and step up curls to press or something, and then 20 minutes bashing heavy lifting or volume workouts.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Tough Mudders are absolutely lost in a commercial gym. A Crossfit gym they can sort of figure things out to a point, but they still will just do pushups in the corner by themselves if at all possible. Really don't need a gym to train for a tough mudder. Running around and playing like a kid is training. There is a couple at my gym, guy and girl, who do non stop squats on the smith machine and then superset it with bench dips. All the time, I've never seen them do anything else.

Some man asked me if I was the Lochness monster and how much I deadlift. I said "I am not the Lochness monster, and I deadlift about three fiddy (350 lbs)." new PR today. #5/3/1 liking it.


----------



## MF83

:lol


Started the 5/3/1 program by the book 5+ weeks ago, finally due to my third failed OHP max. Joker setted a 170 single for a new 1RM, already fatigued, and that shit flew up in the air clean (I have 180+ in me). I've used Spinal Tap template for OHP these last two weeks and it is insane! Counting the three sets of rack presses I did after the main work, I did 17 press sets.  (4 warmup; 9 work; 1 joker; three rack). Supersetted six sets of varied-grip chinups, 5 sets of curls and bent lat raises, and a bunch of other rear delt/rotator work in there too. Finished off with 25xbar bent rows using my new Fat Gripz. Spinal Tap indeed.


----------



## PGSucks

I haven't done 5/3/1 since my last bulk 

Woke up at 6 to go to the gym today, but then realized I didn't have a university parking pass for this semester and had to go at 7 PM. Place was completely packed with Resolutioners :vince7


----------



## MF83

Did two workouts today. The first was deads/sumos. Second was a lighter casual workout featuring snatches, a bunch of grip work with my new Fat Gripz, and abs. 

Couple videos from the last two days: 

Press 170x1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seT0uT52jPk

Deadlift 340x11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY1rUinFInw


----------



## OldschoolHero

MF83 said:


> Did two workouts today. The first was deads/sumos. Second was a lighter casual workout featuring snatches, a bunch of grip work with my new Fat Gripz, and abs.
> 
> Couple videos from the last two days:
> 
> Press 170x1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seT0uT52jPk
> 
> Deadlift 340x11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY1rUinFInw


Nice lifts.

Looks like im doing a half asleep home workout today lol. One of my family members was up all night sick, was helping them out. You know your tired when your coffee takes you from dead ass tired to just tired lol.


----------



## MF83

SVR template calls for a 1RM test on week three. After hitting it I went for a 95% of TM max rep set. New 1RM (425) and new 5RM (355). Today was a good day.  Not sure if I'm gonna aim for 445 or 455 for deadlift but I have that test on Wednesday or Thursday as well.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

batista's legs are soooooooooo tiny. :lmao


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!




----------



## OldschoolHero

Just curious, how many days a week do you guys lift? I currently lift 5-6 days a week but am thinking about switching to a 4 day strength split next week.


----------



## MF83

4 times a week for me with 5/3/1 though I was doing 5-6-7, I even did 9 in 7 days at one point in like October. Ye olde overtraining. :lol

Going for either 445 or 455 deadlift today. Did 435 easy on December 11. I think I should have the strength for 455 but it might be a grinder. 445 I know I can do. I might settle for 450 but it depends how I feel in give-or-take an hour. PUMPED. :mark:


----------



## MF83

Fuck yeah. 90% warmup at 410lbs flew up and I was feeling great so I went for 455... which also flew up so I went for 475 and got that too.  Fuuuuuuuck yeah. Was thinking about going for five plates after but figured three sets of sumo deadlifts would be more beneficial than a possible fail and grinder rep. 






Excuse the shitty camera angles. I didn't even aim on the second one, just kinda set it down. :lol


Sooooo I added 60lbs to my gym total in four days.  1175 with squat/bench/deadlift 1RMs combined.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Fuck yeah. 90% warmup at 410lbs flew up and I was feeling great so I went for 455... which also flew up so I went for 475 and got that too.  Fuuuuuuuck yeah. Was thinking about going for five plates after but figured three sets of sumo deadlifts would be more beneficial than a possible fail and grinder rep.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Excuse the shitty camera angles. I didn't even aim on the second one, just kinda set it down. :lol
> 
> 
> Sooooo I added 60lbs to my gym total in four days.  1175 with squat/bench/deadlift 1RMs combined.


should have went for 5 plates :lol that's ridiculous. I aim to just get to 4 plates on Deadlifts by summer.

I got stuck on my max today myself. Only 345, 2 fails (2 minutes apart). Then I switched from Brock Lesnar to Rocky and got it up like a Boss. Figuratively light weight. I even said "Fuck You" aloud, but very calmly. Figured someone might go apeshit in an LA Fitness. 


I started super-setting Good Mornings with Fire Hydrants (body weight). I think the GMs can help even out a dominantly huge left side of my back, and the fire hydrants can strengthen up a disproportionally weaker left hamstring. I can only go up to about 135, and that would probably be a max for me. Really hope as I go up in GMs my deadlift will tag along.


----------



## MF83

5/3/1 baby. Hehe. Fire hydrants look neato.


Found myself bitching to my friend that on a day I felt shitty (today) I only hit 330x9 on squats. My 10RM is 320 and 9RM is 340. That's still four extra reps for 5s week though. :lol: plus, dead from deadlifts on Thursday and SPINAL TAP bench on Friday. 

Yeah, Spinal Tap was four warm up, 9 work sets, then three bottom pause sets = 16 bench press sets... All supersetted with back and biceps. Bench plateau gonna die, it will.


----------



## FalseKing

First post in this thread.

I'm usually the first in my GYM every day in between 6 / 7 AM. I feel the best moment to train is early in the morning. Add do that an empty GYM all for myself and the treat is full.

I've recently changed my workout program and twisted a bit my eating habits. Started using supplements on a more regular basis also - Protein,Glutamine,BCAA. All good.

I've moved from the typical bodybuilding 'one muscle group a day, five days a week' workout to a program which will transition me into the fighting world. 

Strengh. Endurance. Cardio. 

I'm transitioning myself into MMA and I'm planning on going full out at it. I used a local pro bodybuilder to do me a special program for my needs, but I'm kinda questioning myself about it since I still haven't discussed it with my MMA coach. I should defo get my shit together and speak with him about it next time.

I'd post my program but I'm struggling with some of the english terms and I have to put some time in it.

Oh well.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Welcome FalseKing. How much do you deadlift?


I got a max of 255 lbs (second rep I needed the spotter's help) on Bench yesterday. That's nearly 45 lbs passed my max in November. BOOM. However, the previous Day I really hurt my back on my deadlift. I bought a weight belt afterwards. But today, rows were a bitch. I warmed up with 185 for 5 reps; then 4; then 3; then stopped because I was in pain. But I went up in cable rows with the weight belt. 

some day, I'll be able to afford a chiropractor who can work on my back. Obamacare to the rescue!


----------



## Luke88

MF83 said:


> Fuck yeah. 90% warmup at 410lbs flew up and I was feeling great so I went for 455... which also flew up so I went for 475 and got that too.  Fuuuuuuuck yeah. Was thinking about going for five plates after but figured three sets of sumo deadlifts would be more beneficial than a possible fail and grinder rep.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Excuse the shitty camera angles. I didn't even aim on the second one, just kinda set it down. :lol
> 
> 
> Sooooo I added 60lbs to my gym total in four days.  1175 with squat/bench/deadlift 1RMs combined.


Nice work, was pretty smooth for a 1RM.

I do 4 gym sessions and one strongman events session every week.


----------



## MF83

There's a provincial powetlifting meet on the 16th I'm going to enter if I can. :mark: Emailed the organizers with some questions. I need to buy a singlet and deadlifting socks! :lol


----------



## SnapOrTap

Hey guys, I'm a pretty skinny dude and I recently just started working out. I want to get a little bigger (Not too big) and I usually do cardio. I'm not really sure about how to plan a proper workout for myself. Do you guys have any tips?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

For someone who sounds like they don't lift, I'd suggest looking at bodybuilding.com (tons of workout programs on their forums) or a fitness magazine for a basic workout program. It doesn't have to be crazy technical; basically just lifting weights around your major muscle groups. Brand new to lifting, you should get plenty from a simple program. Don't worry about "getting too big," that doesn't exist. If you ever meet anyone who thinks "I'm getting too muscular," please let us know what he is doing then. :lol

choose a split:

1) divide days into full body workouts mabye 3-4 times a week
2) divide days into specific muscle groups
3) either the above and eat lots of protein, lots of carbs, and some fat.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Don't worry about "getting too big," that doesn't exist. If you ever meet anyone who thinks "I'm getting too muscular," please let us know what he is doing then. :lol


I can't get enough of that line "I don't want to get too big." I have a friend who occasionally says this (but he's actually decently built compared to a lot of guys who lift too) but still... 

:lol Laugh to myself every time I hear it.

Too Big Guy, if you don't want to get too big, just don't eat 4000+ calories a day, lift like an absolute beast on a permanent/regular basis, and of course, do steroids.Otherwise, you're not gonna get too big... 
In fact, there's a great trick for not getting too big out there also, it's called: forget lifting and do P90x. 

I'll leave you with this










SnapOrTap said:


> Hey guys, I'm a pretty skinny dude and I recently just started working out. I want to get a little bigger (Not too big) and I usually do cardio. I'm not really sure about how to plan a proper workout for myself. Do you guys have any tips?


My tip is drop the cardio. Bodyweight exercises might be good for you too. Don't underestimate them. Pushups, Situps, Dips, etc...keep try to do more every time. Then just get some dumbbells and curl those till your arms fall off. I think you'll get what you're shooting for with this plan. Or again, just do something like P90x. Workouts like this give muscular definition but aren't bodybuilding based therefore, no getting "too big" :lol


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

I eat a lot of protein and calories on a daily basis...the farts are ridiculous.


----------



## OldschoolHero

FalseKing said:


> First post in this thread.
> 
> I'm usually the first in my GYM every day in between 6 / 7 AM. I feel the best moment to train is early in the morning. Add do that an empty GYM all for myself and the treat is full.
> 
> I've recently changed my workout program and twisted a bit my eating habits. Started using supplements on a more regular basis also - Protein,Glutamine,BCAA. All good.
> 
> I've moved from the typical bodybuilding 'one muscle group a day, five days a week' workout to a program which will transition me into the fighting world.
> 
> Strengh. Endurance. Cardio.
> 
> I'm transitioning myself into MMA and I'm planning on going full out at it. I used a local pro bodybuilder to do me a special program for my needs, but I'm kinda questioning myself about it since I still haven't discussed it with my MMA coach. I should defo get my shit together and speak with him about it next time.
> 
> I'd post my program but I'm struggling with some of the english terms and I have to put some time in it.
> 
> Oh well.


Welcome buddy. Glad to have an mma fighter talk about his training. Starting to get a good mix here.

Shoulders/arms day. Pretty damn sore from the last two days so tomorrows day off will be welcomed.


----------



## SnapOrTap

Thanks guys for the advice!


----------



## HLRyder

If your bulking x amount of calories and you over do it one day, such as yesterday Super Bowl Sunday lol, do you continue eating normal bulk calories the next day? Or less to try and even out your overage?

I do 2700 a day, prolly ate like 3700 yesterday. Should I eat like 2000 today to even it out or still stay at 2700


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----------



## L-E-S-S-T-H-A-N

Hi all! Bit of a fatty here. (Look a bit like a smaller Samoa Joe)

Just moved into a new apartment and the living room is huge, so it's forced me to buy the new Kinnect and all that stuff, but I'm also going to give some fitness DVD's a go with the GF. Do you think DDP Yoga will help me shed a few points and just in general, get me fitter? If not any recommendations?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

HLRyder said:


> If your bulking x amount of calories and you over do it one day, such as yesterday Super Bowl Sunday lol, do you continue eating normal bulk calories the next day? Or less to try and even out your overage?
> 
> I do 2700 a day, prolly ate like 3700 yesterday. Should I eat like 2000 today to even it out or still stay at 2700
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


No. Eat normal to what your limit is. One day won't hurt, especially in a bulk. I might recommend some light cardio and maybe some sauna usage if possible the morning after.



L-E-S-S-T-H-A-N said:


> Hi all! Bit of a fatty here. (Look a bit like a smaller Samoa Joe)
> 
> Just moved into a new apartment and the living room is huge, so it's forced me to buy the new Kinnect and all that stuff, but I'm also going to give some fitness DVD's a go with the GF. Do you think DDP Yoga will help me shed a few points and just in general, get me fitter? If not any recommendations?


Search for the user "Ziggler Mark." He used the DDP yoga DVDs and was really successful, lost quite a bit I believe. I would personally recommend basic cardio and basic weight lifting (if weights are available). Basic cardio: running, biking, swimming. Stuff many people might have access to.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

BRRROCK-LESNAR said:


> I eat a lot of protein and calories on a daily basis...the farts are ridiculous.


*So true. 
*


----------



## pryme tyme

HLRyder said:


> If your bulking x amount of calories and you over do it one day, such as yesterday Super Bowl Sunday lol, do you continue eating normal bulk calories the next day? Or less to try and even out your overage?
> 
> *I do 2700 a day*, prolly ate like 3700 yesterday. Should I eat like 2000 today to even it out or still stay at 2700
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


That really ain't shit for a bulk so don't worry, 2000 calories is like a standard caloric diet for someone that doesn't even lift. If your trying to put on mass you should be eating 4000+ calories a day. If you have trouble eating that much just from food look into getting a weight gainer (I highly recommend Real Gains chocolate ice cream flavor) and make shakes with whole milk, bananas, natural pb, oats. You can easily get 1500-2000 calories in that bitch and just chug it down and be done with it.

edit: Also what's your height/weight as that factors into it but generally 2700 isn't putting you at a caloric surplus which you need to hit to put on muscle/mass


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

L-E-S-S-T-H-A-N said:


> Hi all! Bit of a fatty here. (Look a bit like a smaller Samoa Joe)
> 
> Just moved into a new apartment and the living room is huge, so it's forced me to buy the new Kinnect and all that stuff, but I'm also going to give some fitness DVD's a go with the GF. Do you think DDP Yoga will help me shed a few points and just in general, get me fitter? If not any recommendations?


I'd also say just basic cardio. I personally don't know much about DDP yoga but doing weights and adding muscle will help burn fat as well. Just remember that diet is number one when it comes to weight loss, you can never outwork a poor diet. Just make an effort to eat healthier, do cardio a few times per week and be patient because changing your body doesn't happen overnight.


----------



## MF83

Yep, officially entering the Manitoba powerlifting provincials on Feb 16. Last heavy deadlift session went well. Gonna do three light squat-bench-dead combined days then take a week break. Entering the 93kg class. Fuck yeah. :mark:


----------



## xdoomsayerx

Hey guys, trying to get more of a lean and more cut look. I know diet is key, I'm 6 0 foot, 207 pounds. Any tips? More cardio? More lifting? Or combination of both?


----------



## DGenerationMC

Someone told me my workout routine resembles one of a high school gym class. Should I be insulted?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Combination of cardio and lifting, diet is biggest factor. eat your food whenever you want. eat fruit still. 

If your gym class in school was weak, yes. For the average all though, playing and jumping around as much as a child would kill them today. So it can be a good cardio compliment possibly. Or you're the fast kid who gets picked last. 

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----------



## DGenerationMC

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Combination of cardio and lifting, diet is biggest factor. eat your food whenever you want. eat fruit still.
> 
> If your gym class in school was weak, yes. For the average all though, playing and jumping around as much as a child would kill them today. So it can be a good cardio compliment possibly. Or you're the fast kid who gets picked last.
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


I think I'm good. I've lost 25 pounds in 3 months, starting to bulk up alittle.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

xdoomsayerx said:


> Hey guys, trying to get more of a lean and more cut look. I know diet is key, I'm 6 0 foot, 207 pounds. Any tips? More cardio? More lifting? Or combination of both?


What does your routine consist of? How many days of cardio/lifting per week and for how long?


----------



## pryme tyme

How many of you guys take a pre-workout? I've seen my workout desire/intensity go through the roof since I started taking Ritual (best pre-workout since Craze imo). Only draw back is that it get's addicting and it's kind of a crutch for me on the days I just don't feel like dragging myself into the gym and smashing the weights. It's become a must have supplement for me in the last 6 months, I just feel alpha as fuck in the gym when I take it and feel like my intensity is much higher then everyone else's in there. Then on the flip side the weeks I take off from stims I feel groggy and unmotivated. Time off stims can suck but at least you can look forward to having a low tolerance again when you get back on them.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ACG3, recommended between 1 - 2 scoops, I take 1/2 a scoop. I usually wake up to a protein shake + the little preworkout. Then I might go lift in the AM, or lift later (but won't take another preworkout). I don't drink coffee however, so I guess I sub that with preworkout. 

I never felt groggy off of it or dependant on any preworkout.


----------



## pryme tyme

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> ACG3, recommended between 1 - 2 scoops, *I take 1/2 a scoop*. I usually wake up to a protein shake + the little preworkout. Then I might go lift in the AM, or lift later (but won't take another preworkout). I don't drink coffee however, so I guess I sub that with preworkout.
> 
> I never felt groggy off of it or dependant on any preworkout.


This might be why I'm feeling a dependence on my pre-workout. I take max dosage (2 scoops) and get a nice buzz going before I lift (Ritual is super concentrated to begin with). I think I need to lower my dosage so I'm not using it as a crutch for natural motivation/intensity. I love the results I get off that 2 scoops because my PR's have gone up fairly quickly since I started taking it but if I cycle off of it for a week it's real tough to workout with the intensity I have when I'm on it. Gonna try taking just 1 scoop when I start taking it again next week to see if it makes a difference.


----------



## PGSucks

I don't take pre workout, but I take an intra-workout BCAA powder.

Got a really good chest pump for the second week in a row. To offset that is the fact that my bench has hit a really bad plateau ever since I hit 8 reps of 215 for my last 2 sets. Probably gonna drop some weight next week and focus more on form and try to work my way back up. :jose


----------



## pryme tyme

PGSucks said:


> I don't take pre workout, but I take an intra-workout BCAA powder.
> 
> Got a really good chest pump for the second week in a row. To offset that is the fact that *my bench has hit a really bad plateau* ever since I hit 8 reps of 215 for my last 2 sets. Probably gonna drop some weight next week and focus more on form and try to work my way back up. :jose


Bench is definitely the one compound lift that has a lot to do with just raw size. It's easier to have a high deadlift/squat relative to your body weight then it is for bench. So at the body weight your at you can only get so strong at the bench press. If you feel like your still getting stronger in your deadlift/squat even though you plateau'd on the bench press this is probably the case. If your technique is on point your best option is to put on some body weight. I know that may not be what you want hear but I can say from personal experience it's the best option to break out of a bench plateau. I had the same problem a couple months ago when I got to around 290 for a 1 rep max which I'm guessing is in your neck of the woods for a 1 rep max as well.


----------



## PGSucks

Yeah, I've been gaining strength in squats and deadlifts while hitting a plateau on bench (it also helps that I was a meathead in high school and that I just started doing squats and DLs again last semester). I'm actually cutting right now so I'll probably have to be content with hovering around a decent bench :vince7


----------



## pryme tyme

PGSucks said:


> Yeah, I've been gaining strength in squats and deadlifts while hitting a plateau on bench (it also helps that I was a meathead in high school and that I just started doing squats and DLs again last semester). I'm actually cutting right now so I'll probably have to be content with hovering around a decent bench :vince7


Yeah man I'd rather have my physique look the way I wanted then to try to gain weight just to get stronger on a lift. For the average person that's still a really strong bench. Last time I cut I remember my usual bench sets feeling heavier and heavier as I went down in weight so it's totally normal for someone cutting to not be increasing their bench.


----------



## MF83

I'm worried about my bench for the meet. I'm confident I'll likely break PR's in squat/deadlift but the pause aspect of the bench is fucking with me. I've done 275 touch and go but fucked up 240 the other day using faux-judge "Start! Press! Rack!" Commands. My bench is shit compared to eveything else; my military smokes it, relatively speaking. It's going to become my main focus over the coming months.


----------



## OldschoolHero

MF83 said:


> I'm worried about my bench for the meet. I'm confident I'll likely break PR's in squat/deadlift but the pause aspect of the bench is fucking with me. I've done 275 touch and go but fucked up 240 the other day using faux-judge "Start! Press! Rack!" Commands. My bench is shit compared to eveything else; my military smokes it, relatively speaking. It's going to become my main focus over the coming months.


Do you train with other powerlifters or just by yourself?


As far as pre workouts go, I take green tea or just crystal light energy packet.


Going to try backsquats today. Havent done them in months.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> I'm worried about my bench for the meet. I'm confident I'll likely break PR's in squat/deadlift but the pause aspect of the bench is fucking with me. I've done 275 touch and go but fucked up 240 the other day using faux-judge "Start! Press! Rack!" Commands. My bench is shit compared to eveything else; my military smokes it, relatively speaking. It's going to become my main focus over the coming months.


I wouldn't be worried, that' a main reason people go to those meets, to fix problems like yours. I'm sure they'll embrace you with open arms. :dance

275 isn't your max though, right?


----------



## Nicky Flash

Is it a good idea to sit in the sauna after a workout? Or maybe just a cardio workout? And if so, how long should I be in the sauna for?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I personally think Sauna use is highly individual based. I like between 8-10 minutes after some workouts, some days I like 1 minute or none. It's not exactly "good" to sit in the sauna, but it's not bad either. It feels good, you sweat, maybe some light stretching will feel better in there.

cardio after a workout is fine. I wouldn't go over 20 minutes myself, but I also do cardio standalone for 40+ minutes sometimes. My idea is to match the cardio with your goal: lose weight = some more cardio, gain weight = some less cardio, general fitness = a few separate sessions of cardio (favorably on your non-lifting days). There are so many forms of cardio too, I can get more specific if you need any help


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

Isn't the Sauna just making you lose water weight? I don't think its very effective in terms of weight loss.


----------



## MF83

I train with other people occasionally but never with anyone on my level or better, unfortunately. Usually by myself on days that "matter".

275 is the most I've ever benched, yeah. 

Benched exhausted yesterday and worked up to 245 or 255 when the only other strength lifter at that gym and I got to talking... for half an hour, about all this shit. A convo two years in the making after all the mutual 'mirin and silent respects. I was very happy with my bench though. It's aaaaall coming together. :lol


----------



## RKO920

Got my leg press to 640 for 3 reps all the way down. I can't walk.


----------



## Nicky Flash

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I personally think Sauna use is highly individual based. I like between 8-10 minutes after some workouts, some days I like 1 minute or none. It's not exactly "good" to sit in the sauna, but it's not bad either. It feels good, you sweat, maybe some light stretching will feel better in there.
> 
> cardio after a workout is fine. I wouldn't go over 20 minutes myself, but I also do cardio standalone for 40+ minutes sometimes. My idea is to match the cardio with your goal: lose weight = some more cardio, gain weight = some less cardio, general fitness = a few separate sessions of cardio (favorably on your non-lifting days). There are so many forms of cardio too, I can get more specific if you need any help


I usually bike for about 30 mins or run for 15ish in terms of my cardio. Would like to be able to run for longer though


----------



## MF83

The first RAW squat in competition over 1000lbs took place today. Andrey hit 1014. Holy fuck.


This guy weighs 165 and pulled 718. Holy shiiit.







Dan Green totalled 2099 at 220. 


All kinds of records at RUM7 yesterday/today.


----------



## xD7oom

I did this workout last night:




So fun and entertaining, and so fucking hard at the same time, I can't even move my hands right now :lmao.
I've been doing different exercises every week/month for the last 3 months, and I lost 25 lbs, feels great .


----------



## Luke88

MF83 said:


> The first RAW squat in competition over 1000lbs took place today. Andrey hit 1014. Holy fuck.
> 
> 
> This guy weighs 165 and pulled 718. Holy shiiit.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dan Green totalled 2099 at 220.
> 
> 
> All kinds of records at RUM7 yesterday/today.


A 165lb guy almost deadlifting as much as me saddens me  haha. RUM was awessome.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

good thing that you didn't bench then MF83 :lmao sorry. 

That guy deadlifting it like it was nothing. NOTHING! I'm 180lbs and can only do 365.


----------



## PGSucks

The guy deadlifting in that video has the same last name as me (assuming it's spelled wrong at the beginning) 

LEG DAY~! today. I feel that I enjoy it a lot more than I used to, but still dread it somewhat


----------



## Alim

I'm 175 and deadlift 265. I only started lifting 4 months ago though. I wanna get to three plates on that shit soon


----------



## Corey

I've probably deadlifted less than 10 times in my entire life and the highest I've went is 315 for 4 or 5. Don't remember which. Either way I'd say that's still pretty solid when I don't even keep up with it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Fat kid asks me how he can improve his bench. During the conversation I show him my workout log and he tells me that my dead lift is too high in comparison to my bench. 365 to 255. 

GTFO get the fat out of here

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----------



## OldschoolHero

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Fat kid asks me how he can improve his bench. During the conversation I show him my workout log and he tells me that my dead lift is too high in comparison to my bench. 365 to 255.
> 
> GTFO get the fat out of here
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


Fats are the worst when it comes to advice. Its different if there fat and strong but then theres just fat. I used to be fat so I hope I wasnt like that. I had one fat guy who joined the gym the same time as me say "everyday I see you, and your at the weights, how many days do you weight train?" I mention taht its usually 6 but occasionally just 4-5 if life gets in the way. He flips "OH DUDE, THAT SO BAD FOR YOU, YOU WILL NEVER SEE GAINS" Since the 18 months we have been here, he looks the exact same, if not fatter. I tried telling him that I know what Im doing but he repeats his same spiel over and over again.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

JAN 1st:


Spoiler: before bulk















today (2/2/14):


Spoiler: after bulk






















I did a pretty dirty bulk annd started cutting Monday. I think I might keep bulking as I really put on little fat. It's the genes.

my current beard is only 2 weeks old.


----------



## pryme tyme

I ended up trying to drop my pre-workout dosage to 1 scoop, no dice. Couldn't even get the slightest buzz going and I don't drink coffee or any other stim. My tolerance still feels pretty high even after taking a week off. It's like Craze all over again, it gives you the energy to make serious gains but you also can't work out without it after a while.


----------



## MF83

You look better now than pre-bulk. Keep on bulking, bubba. 

My front shoulder to chest (ie probably my pec minor) hurt after bench practice last Saturday and it still hurts two days out from the meet. My fault for stopping for half an hour to talk to a guy but fuck is that bad timing. It isn't so bad I can't use it but it sure is lingering. Just resting, stretching and foam rolling now. So pumped.

Aiming for kg equivalents of 365-400-435 squat, 225-245-265 bench, 400-450-500 deadlift. That'd be 1200 total. Yippee kayay.


----------



## PGSucks

I wish I could dirty bulk and not put on fat :vince7

Had to hit the gym twice today because I'm going out of town this weekend to visit my dad. Can't really complain though :jesse


----------



## FalseKing

Anyone here competes in a fighting sport?

I've just got in MMA so I've got a shit ton to learn as far as training regimes go. I'm guessing I need to browse the internet and educate myself from different UFC fighters and every other possible fighting source I can find.

What I do know is you need to mix your training depending on what you lack. However when you're beginning you lack everything.

Like now I'm doing a high intesity program where I have a few phases. Every phase consists of 3 different exercises I do for 4 series each with a higher amount of reps with no breaks in between exercises. Super series if you will. I'd post my program but my God I struggle to find the names of the exercises in english. 

Anyway I'm gonna stick with this for a while, but I'm gonna need to mix it up and focus on different things in the future. Hopefully, I'm gonna learn fast enough and I'll adjust accordingly with time and improve on all possible aspects.

Man whoever thinks this is easy should go fuck himself.


----------



## kingfunkel

Does anyone know any good recovery tips? My knee is aching and I have a 39hr week of work over the next 5days ahead of me 


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----------



## Rush

kingfunkel said:


> Does anyone know any good recovery tips? My knee is aching and I have a 39hr week of work over the next 5days ahead of me
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com App


ice/heat, rest. standard stuff really.



FalseKing said:


> Anyone here competes in a fighting sport?
> 
> I've just got in MMA so I've got a shit ton to learn as far as training regimes go. I'm guessing I need to browse the internet and educate myself from different UFC fighters and every other possible fighting source I can find.
> 
> What I do know is you need to mix your training depending on what you lack. However when you're beginning you lack everything.
> 
> Like now I'm doing a high intesity program where I have a few phases. Every phase consists of 3 different exercises I do for 4 series each with a higher amount of reps with no breaks in between exercises. Super series if you will. I'd post my program but my God I struggle to find the names of the exercises in english.
> 
> Anyway I'm gonna stick with this for a while, but I'm gonna need to mix it up and focus on different things in the future. Hopefully, I'm gonna learn fast enough and I'll adjust accordingly with time and improve on all possible aspects.
> 
> Man whoever thinks this is easy should go fuck himself.


Trying to be a jack of all trades will make you master of none. If you properly want to get into fighting and going into amateur MMA then you should pick and choose a few things to work on. Work on training your conditioning, boxing and wrestling. There is so much to learn in both of those styles that you'll be pretty flat out for awhile. Once you learn how to throw a punch properly, get some footwork, learn how to duck, weave, slip punches, work combinations etc and you learn at least some basic takedown defense then you could head to a BJJ class and start learing that. Thats if you want to properly get into MMA. If you just want to do the workouts and not actually fight then do everything you have an interest in.


----------



## MF83

First meet was today!

Disappointed with my squat. 160/350 clean, they gave me two reds on my second 177.5/390 lbs squat for not reaching depth although the video looks low enough, failed 195kg/430 in the hole.

Bench was good. 105/231 clean, 112.5/248 good, failed 260 at the bottom.

Deadlift was good too! 182.5/402 & 205/452 good. Got 225/485lbs halfway up then something hurt in my ass so I dropped it. I hope it's all right. 

Scary as fuck and my total is lower than hoped (495kg/1091lbs; wanted a 545/1200 total) but what a good day! 


Edit: Wait, I added it up. Apparently that squat counted then? I definitely got a 495 total. Oh well. :lol:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^^ Is 485 your max or shooting for max?

Leg Press = 720 lbs x 5 (legit ROM). I was going to skip today because I was sore, but went anyways. 
stiff leg deadlifts = 315 lbs x 2 (legit ROM)

Good PR day. 

hi Rush 8*D


----------



## MF83

475 was my max. You can see I could have had it but something popped in my right ass cheek and I dropped it. It doesn't hurt anymore thankfully.

2 flights of lifters over four hours (ie 3 rounds squat flight A, then 3 rounds squat flight B, break, repeat with bench, break, repeat with deadlift) plus two more hours from weigh-ins to squat start. Fucking draining but wicked. Very humbling. I still don't know about that second squat, but here's everything I did in a 3 min video! Didn't realize my bench was so uneven.


----------



## FalseKing

Rush said:


> ice/heat, rest. standard stuff really.
> 
> 
> 
> Trying to be a jack of all trades will make you master of none. If you properly want to get into fighting and going into amateur MMA then you should pick and choose a few things to work on. Work on training your conditioning, boxing and wrestling. There is so much to learn in both of those styles that you'll be pretty flat out for awhile. Once you learn how to throw a punch properly, get some footwork, learn how to duck, weave, slip punches, work combinations etc and you learn at least some basic takedown defense then you could head to a BJJ class and start learing that. Thats if you want to properly get into MMA. If you just want to do the workouts and not actually fight then do everything you have an interest in.


Nah, I don't think you understood me. I know that training my striking and ground game is essential and I can never drop them from my regime.

I was more concerned about the workout that gets me into the best possible condition psychically. I'm not very well educated about the programs most elite MMA fighters go through to condition themselves. I'm guessing they're doing intensive workouts that push their endurance and strengh to the limit. I've currently got a program made by a pretty elite bodybuilder who has focused on composing me a pretty tough program that drains me out. I was more curious in seeing how others condition themselves in the best possible way and how can one refresh his training routine when he wants.


----------



## FalseKing

By the way - How the fuck do people like Overeem and Lesnar (used to) mantain their psysics?

They look like bodybuilders and not like MMA fighters. How do you mantain such a psysic when you condition yourself like an elite fighter and not like a elite bodybuilder? There is a huge difference in the training regimes of those two sports.

I want to increase my muscle mass, but how do I achieve that when I have all of these intensive fighting workouts who are the polar opposite of a bodybuilding workout?

I'm confused.


----------



## ReyMisterioFan2

Anyone can help me? Like i have been stuck at this for quite a while. I am an ectomorph, thats first. I am 5'10 70 kg, and around 15% body fat so my problem is i can't get weight anymore (i lose it) even when i eat 5-6 times a day. Kinda inconsistent in the gym cuz i got exams and shit to do so any advice how to mantain my body weight and my body without hitting the gym all the time?


----------



## MF83

ReyMisterioFan2 said:


> Anyone can help me? Like i have been stuck at this for quite a while. I am an ectomorph, thats first. I am 5'10 70 kg, and around 15% body fat so my problem is i can't get weight anymore (i lose it) even when i eat 5-6 times a day. Kinda inconsistent in the gym cuz i got exams and shit to do so any advice how to mantain my body weight and my body without hitting the gym all the time?


Drink a gallon/4L of whole/**** milk every single day.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

FalseKing said:


> By the way - How the fuck do people like Overeem and Lesnar (used to) mantain their psysics?
> 
> They look like bodybuilders and not like MMA fighters. How do you mantain such a psysic when you condition yourself like an elite fighter and not like a elite bodybuilder? There is a huge difference in the training regimes of those two sports.
> 
> I want to increase my muscle mass, but how do I achieve that when I have all of these intensive fighting workouts who are the polar opposite of a bodybuilding workout?
> 
> I'm confused.


It's hard to both gain mass and keep off fat and have great conditioning permanently. 

Technically you would just do those MMA workouts, eat a ton, lift weights, eat a ton, get muscles and cardio. If you're eating plenty, and properly, you should be able to do both. But that's a bitch. That's why people like Lesnar get paid millions and are champs. 

Look at Batista. He started training MMA and lost tons of mass; it also looks like he stopped training in general to some extent :side:. I hate to say this, but checkout cross fit if you're too sore after class to lift.


----------



## ReyMisterioFan2

MF83 said:


> Drink a gallon/4L of whole/**** milk every single day.


that's like impossible and it might cause diarrhea.


----------



## Rush

FalseKing said:


> Nah, I don't think you understood me. I know that training my striking and ground game is essential and I can never drop them from my regime.
> 
> I was more concerned about the workout that gets me into the best possible condition *psychically*. I'm not very well educated about the programs most elite MMA fighters go through to condition themselves. I'm guessing they're doing intensive workouts that push their endurance and strengh to the limit. I've currently got a program made by a pretty elite bodybuilder who has focused on composing me a pretty tough program that drains me out. I was more curious in seeing how others condition themselves in the best possible way and how can one refresh his training routine when he wants.


you mean physically? 

Its not so much one program that you can do to increase your conditioning. There are a ton of exercises you can do from simple stuff like running, skipping, swimming, cycling, rowing, boxing etc to HIIT to interval training to circuit training etc. Mix it up otherwise you will get bored. Simply typing "exercises for cardio" gets over 34 million hits on google, there are a ton of exercises you can do. Best advice i can give you is to watch videos on youtube of people doing their workouts and find some good exercises. Manny Pacquiao had a 15 minute ab workout up there which has some great exercises. Obviously you're probably not going to bust out the exact same routine as him but you can use these resources to develop some programs that you enjoy doing. 

Just a quick look gives a complete conditioning workout for Pacquiao;






One of the ab workouts i was talking about






Essentially there are a ton of videos that show how fighters work out. Watch a few of them, pick out the exercises or even whole routines that look to work on an area you'd like and then develop your own program. A bit of trial and error will be needed to workout how many exercises you want in a session. Personally i like circuit training when i do cardio or at the very least i'll do a combination of 3km (1km cycle, 1km rowing, 1 km treadmill) if i'm in the gym. Need to get back into it b/c i've been lazy as fuck for a few months now, and i strained my achilles at cricket training which has been a pain in the ass to heal. 

If i'm doing a circuit then stuff like bear crawls, a bear crawl variant (just using my arms with a sheet of laminated paper under my feet so they slide along), push ups, pull ups, planking, flutter kicks, squats, lunges etc are all things i can chuck in there. If you want you can add in some plyometric exercises ie box jumps, plyometric push ups etc.



FalseKing said:


> By the way - How the fuck do people like Overeem and Lesnar (used to) mantain their psysics?
> 
> They look like bodybuilders and not like MMA fighters. How do you mantain such a psysic when you condition yourself like an elite fighter and not like a elite bodybuilder? There is a huge difference in the training regimes of those two sports.
> 
> I want to increase my muscle mass, but how do I achieve that when I have all of these intensive fighting workouts who are the polar opposite of a bodybuilding workout?
> 
> I'm confused.


Easy answer? get on the cycle. Overeem already got done for roids and is without a doubt going back on them. Lesnar is a genetic freak so its hard to compare yourself to him. Otherwise its just time. You have to take the time to get big, maintain your size and develop you endurance. Its not an easy thing. Look at some heavyweights, they're simply too bulky to maintain proper cardiovascular strength.


----------



## Máscara Dorada

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> ^^^^ Is 485 your max or shooting for max?
> 
> Leg Press = 720 lbs x 5 (legit ROM). I was going to skip today because I was sore, but went anyways.
> stiff leg deadlifts = 315 lbs x 2 (legit ROM)
> 
> Good PR day.
> 
> hi Rush 8*D


Seriously? Dude your legs must be huge. I do 320 lbs x 12 in leg press and I think it's hard as hell. Sometimes I do 350 but then I can only do like 8 reps.


----------



## Rush

Doradafan said:


> Seriously? Dude your legs must be huge. I do 320 lbs x 12 in leg press and I think it's hard as hell. Sometimes I do 350 but then I can only do like 8 reps.


if you don't mind me asking, why do you do 12 reps? If you're after increasing your strength then you should be looking at lower reps.


----------



## Máscara Dorada

Rush said:


> if you don't mind me asking, why do you do 12 reps? If you're after increasing your strength then you should be looking at lower reps.


I'm more after stamina and fitness than volume. It works for me, I don't know. I just don't feel it with doing fewer reps. But since I do a little more lower body workout than upper I usually go with fewer reps and more weight for my upper body just to keep the volume even.


----------



## pryme tyme

I'm a believer in mixing in one heavy set of 4-6 reps to focus on strength for most exercises but all my other sets are 10-12 reps. I'm personally more about aesthetics so the higher rep ranges work better for me. The higher rep ranges are more common in the bodybuilding community because it focuses on time under tension. Unless your a powerlifter you really only need one heavy set per exercise to keep increasing your strength. Rep ranges really depend on what your goal is in the gym.


----------



## MF83

Went to the shitty crowdedasfuck YMCA on Monday as it's spring break so I'm back in Winnipeg, and my dad/bro have a family membership AKA I get free entrance, and it was only military press day so nothing special was needed.

I kinda want to go back just cause I love when bros are mirin', and that was only a 6x150 press set. I really wanna squat heavy, on their one old school squat rack, at like 7pm on a Monday. That would be fun. :lol


----------



## will321

Is there any way I can lose weight doing abdominals 3x in one week, weights 3x a week and walks around the neighborhood plus the occasional basketball or am I gonna have to do more?


----------



## Jimshine

Lads please help.

Any tips to get rid of my fucking *Beer Belly *? It's like i'm pregnant over here


----------



## MF83

You're being active. Check, that's an okay activity level. Weight loss is made in the kitchen though. Every fat loss person (fat loser didn't sound right) should memorize this article: http://www.t-nation.com/training/regular-cardio-will-make-you-fat



I get to olympic lift with the University of Manitoba team tonight. My friend is on the team and they're doing a "Buddy Session" or some shit. Hooray for learning more about snatches...


----------



## will321

MF83 said:


> You're being active. Check, that's an okay activity level. Weight loss is made in the kitchen though. Every fat loss person (fat loser didn't sound right) should memorize this article: http://www.t-nation.com/training/regular-cardio-will-make-you-fat
> 
> 
> 
> I get to olympic lift with the University of Manitoba team tonight. My friend is on the team and they're doing a "Buddy Session" or some shit. Hooray for learning more about snatches...


Is there a way I can read the article without men in speedos? Its like Vince McMahon's sick and twisted fantasy site yuck!


----------



## Luke88

Rush said:


> if you don't mind me asking, why do you do 12 reps? If you're after increasing your strength then you should be looking at lower reps.


Low reps on the leg press is silly imo, use it as assistance to put on mass and keep the reps higher.


----------



## dizzylizzy87

Progress picture thread needed :robben2


----------



## Rush

pryme tyme said:


> I'm a believer in mixing in one heavy set of 4-6 reps to focus on strength for most exercises but all my other sets are 10-12 reps. I'm personally more about aesthetics so the higher rep ranges work better for me. The higher rep ranges are more common in the bodybuilding community because it focuses on time under tension. Unless your a powerlifter you really only need one heavy set per exercise to keep increasing your strength. Rep ranges really depend on what your goal is in the gym.


As you said, it depends on what your goal is. I asked the question as the point was about how much doradafan was pressing in comparison to cesaro_rocks. 



Luke88 said:


> Low reps on the leg press is silly imo, use it as assistance to put on mass and keep the reps higher.


Depends what your goal is. Some people can't squat for whatever reason but can use some leg press machines to try and increase their quad strength. A lower rep range is far more beneficial if you're trying to improve strength.


----------



## Luke88

Rush said:


> As you said, it depends on what your goal is. I asked the question as the point was about how much doradafan was pressing in comparison to cesaro_rocks.
> 
> 
> 
> Depends what your goal is. Some people can't squat for whatever reason but can use some leg press machines to try and increase their quad strength. A lower rep range is far more beneficial if you're trying to improve strength.


I respectfully disagree, heavy heavy leg presses can put a lot of unwanted strain on your lower back and joints. The risk reward between injury/strength gains is not worth going anywhere near your max. You can make plenty of strength gains in the 8-15 rep range. I could probably leg press 1000lbs but there is zero point.


----------



## Rush

Depends on the leg press machine (45 degree vs horizontal) and again, the bloke who posted was talking about how in comparison to a 720 x 5, he could only do 320 x 12 ie a strength based observation. Of course you're going to add strength in the 8-15 rep range but its not the optimal range to do so. Biggest problem for people on any machine isn't their total reps, its the fact they do half reps. Leg press is a common machine where you see people doing heavy weights in a ridiculously small ROM.


----------



## Undertaker23RKO

I'm currently on a program of going twice a day. I've loved the results I've been getting and I feel way stronger in my upper body. I've kinda slacked off on the legs because I'm so far ahead there but I'll start getting serious with that again soon. Although just two weeks ago I absolutely dominated the leg press. Unfortunately I can probably only do one more rotation of this workout before I need to start cutting for football. My best trait is my speed and I've got 15 lbs of fat I should really cut.


----------



## Luke88

Rush said:


> Depends on the leg press machine (45 degree vs horizontal) and again, the bloke who posted was talking about how in comparison to a 720 x 5, he could only do 320 x 12 ie a strength based observation. Of course you're going to add strength in the 8-15 rep range but its not the optimal range to do so. Biggest problem for people on any machine isn't their total reps, its the fact they do half reps. Leg press is a common machine where you see people doing heavy weights in a ridiculously small ROM.


A fair comment. I don't even use the leg press lol.


----------



## FalseKing

It's all about the GAINS!



Spoiler: big ass picture that stretches the page















I need to use the bigger table from now on.


----------



## MF83

Learned to snatch and clean & jerk properly from the U of M coaches last night. I had an idea how it worked but I had no idea how to do the first pull/scoop properly. Got it down fast and the assistant coach worked me up faster than typical. I could already overhead squat and catch a low clean so I had a hand up on most beginners. I think I may add them into 5/3/1 next cycle. They didn't teach me the hip bounce advanced technique but I learned a lot. We front and high bar squatted at the end and it was nice to be good at something. Coach said nothing was wrong with my form except dropping down too fast and they were impressed I was repping 140kg haha. The head coach is prejudiced to powerlfters due to typical lack of mobility/athleticism but by the end he apologized and tried recruiting me :lol. He once squatted 180 something kg at a 50something kg bodyweight. A little, wise, genius man he is. I just don't hapen to live in Winnipeg 8/12 months of the year or I probably would join. He was shocked I had no coach "just the internet and ebooks!" And gave me a solid five minute lecture on not losing or wasting my mobility and flexibility. I don't plan on it, as stretching and foam rolling every day is a priority. ANYWAY.

Yeah, it was a nice ego stroke and a terrific learning experience. 10/10 would recommend. 

However, Bench 20 hours later was horrible. Underrecovered from yesterday/jerking in particular didn't help. T'was a shitty city gym my buddy wanted to go to with one barbell, except it was smaller diameter than regular. The rack height was juuuust too high so I had to use the second hooks and that too fucked me up. Bench was lower than usual to the ground as well. Failed my third rep of 235 and fuck that, calling it a deload.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^ try going to a crossfit gym and ask them to teach you how to snatch/clean&press. :lmao video tape it too. I don't even snatch anymore (lifting or sex ). But that's pretty impressive. I really need to work on my flexibility too. Were your wrists really sore the day after all those lifts (with proper form)?

Got 275 lbs on Squat today as a max. kind of bummed, but my form is now perfect (plus I took a huge bong rip before I lift today, it was interesting). HACK SQUAT 4 PLATES! :mark: for 4 reps. Some guy told me he can only max 2 plates. That's 360 lbs. Felt like Stallone in _Cliffhanger_.


----------



## OldschoolHero

Enjoying my one day off of the week. Gearing up for leg day tomorrow. Already got a whole day of eating planned lol. Going to have Pizza for breakfast, buffet for lunch then trying some new sub place for dinner. Gonna be a good day.

You guys ever get one bodypart more sore then the other? Like a left bicep more sore than the right? Its so wierd to me.


----------



## Alim

I'm so tempted to start my summer cut right now but I know if I do this bulk is going to go down the shitter. Only two more months.


----------



## Jimshine

Nobody willing to hit me with some own-experience tips on how to shift the beer belly without losing mass?

I will give crazy green


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jimshine said:


> Nobody willing to hit me with some own-experience tips on how to shift the beer belly without losing mass?
> 
> I will give crazy green


find or make a lift plan focusing on these lifts: Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift, Shoulder Press; possibly a 4 day split with one of those lifts being the focus of each workout. Add 2-3 cardio sessions a week; 30-40 minutes of jogging, biking, swimming, etc. 

yes HIIT exist, but I don't like it. 45 minutes of sweaty, sustained cardio is my preference. Stop drinking beer or heavily restrict it.


----------



## Alim

You're only going to lose your beer belly if you start shredding fat and if you want to shred fat you need to 

1. Go to the gym
2. Maintain your calories

Get on a proven beginner lifting program and go to the gym and start lifting. If you are trying to cut fat you will need to watch what you eat. Go to iifym.com and it will tell you how many calories, carbs, fats, protein you will need to reach your goals. All you have to do is enter your stats and it will pump the numbers out for you.


----------



## MF83

-27 degrees Celsius and 42km/h wind, a foot of snow to get to the hill, and I still ran ten big hill sprints tonight. Such a struggle to breathe. That's manly conditioning bubba.


----------



## Magic

Why would you cut fat before building muscle which would then allow you to burn more fat/weight when you do want to cut? @ alim


also you should do abs every other day, jimshine. it wouldn't make your beer belly go away any faster, as fat burns all over your body rather than a selected area, but once it does go away you'd have some nice abs to look at.


----------



## PGSucks

Hit shoulders today. Incorporated some drop sets and shortened my rest periods and I think I'm gonna start doing that for more of my workouts. Gotta get shredded for SPRING BREAK~!


----------



## Alim

Magic said:


> Why would you cut fat before building muscle which would then allow you to burn more fat/weight when you do want to cut? @ alim
> 
> 
> also you should do abs every other day, jimshine. it wouldn't make your beer belly go away any faster, as fat burns all over your body rather than a selected area, but once it does go away you'd have some nice abs to look at.


Because I don't know how fat he is. If you're fat to begin with, what's the point in getting even more fat? And by fat I don't mean skinny fat where someone is like 5'10 and 150lbs. I'm talking like 5'10 and 200lbs. There's no point in bulking at that point. You're better off cutting first and then start a slow, lean bulk where you're gaining 0.5/1lb a week.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

PGSucks said:


> Hit shoulders today. Incorporated some drop sets and shortened my rest periods and I think I'm gonna start doing that for more of my workouts. Gotta get shredded for SPRING BREAK~!


Do you do 'Arnold Presses'? you might like/love/hate them


----------



## OldschoolHero

In a bit of a pickle. Tomorrow is my scheduled off day but Ill be heading out of town tomorrow night and Im not sure if there will be a gym where Im going on Saturday. If I workout tomorrow it will be my 7th in a row. Not a huge deal as Ive done this before but just curious about your guys thoughts on it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

are you sore? yes - rest. no - lift. my current 8 day split is designed to not need a rest day, and it was successful for a while. Work has fucked me currently though.


----------



## Punked Up

I'm not _exactly_ a beginner, but a beginner question - what is the advantage to working a couple of muscle groups a day? I've always done upper lower just on the basis that the day my upper body will be resting I'll hit legs, the next when my lower needs rest I do upper (core everyday though). Are there certain benefits to doing something like chest/tris, back/biceps, etc. over doing upper/lower?


----------



## Magic

Chest/tries usually go together as some of the chest workouts use tris as a secondary muscle so you're working them out anyways and it makes sense to do them together. Same thing with back/bicep/lats exercises, although to a lesser extent I believe. 

Not really sure if there's any real type of benefits, it just works well as a schedule. The only real one I can think of is how your recovery would go when you do them together opposed to do arms on a separate day from chest/back. 


Personally I find arms days really boring and weak too so I just prefer having them in there. Oh I guess another benefit is that you're always doing a big lift when you have biceps with back and tries with chest(deadlifts/bench) whereas you don't when you do arms on a separate day.


----------



## pryme tyme

Punked Up said:


> I'm not _exactly_ a beginner, but a beginner question - what is the advantage to working a couple of muscle groups a day? I've always done upper lower just on the basis that the day my upper body will be resting I'll hit legs, the next when my lower needs rest I do upper (core everyday though). Are there certain benefits to doing something like chest/tris, back/biceps, etc. over doing upper/lower?


Absolutely nothing wrong with the upper/lower split.. in fact I recommend it to beginners-intermediate especially. I actually just switched back to an upper/lower split myself. The type of split your talking about is commonly referred to as a bro split, 1 or 2 muscle groups for high volume. The idea is if you burn out your chest with high volume your getting diminishing returns if you train biceps/tri's later that workout also with high volume. I don't see a split like that being beneficial to someone who's just beginner-intermediate, your not going to be working with the kind of volume that requires so much rest per muscle group.. it's leaving gains on the table.

Keep your current split and just focus on these 3 things

- Eat a caloric surplus, it goes without saying but it's absolutely essential to putting on muscle. Sufficient protein is also a must

- Progressive Overload, it basically means that you should force yourself to improve every workout. Even if you can't add weight to one of your lifts do more reps then you did your last workout. If you do the same weight for the same reps every workout your leaving gains on the table.

- Compound Lifts, ask Mark Rippetoe.. these lifts are your most effective tools in building a solid base for yourself in the gym. Squats, Bench, Deadlifts, Rows, Overhead Press, Pullups/Chinups


----------



## MF83

God damn did I ever need this deload. Last three workouts before were shit and I couldn't rep PR. Started deload OHP on Sunday. I could have squatted today but thought "nah, I don't feel like working out" and that NEVER happens unless I'm sore or burned out. I'm so much better at sex on deload week. :lol 

Military Press is my favourite lift. Starting Spinal Tap Template with it Sunday. :mark: Race to bodyweight press is my number one long term goal right now. 500 deadlift is short term goal ichiban. Sticking to my schedule (not skipping rest days) and doing conditioning is most important to focus on overall though. I need to drop some fat. Yay.


----------



## OldschoolHero

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> are you sore? yes - rest. no - lift. my current 8 day split is designed to not need a rest day, and it was successful for a while. Work has fucked me currently though.


Your right, re read that post... I sounded like such a little bitch lol. I once went about 23 straight days without a day off back when I was a beast.


I looked at myself in the mirror the other day and said "Jesus, Im fat" NOw Im not obese, but I do have some chub. The last few months of probably overly dirty bulked lol, and I can see it. Yes I have decent arm size, I have broad shoulders and a solid chest, but its for sure cut time. My biggest problem is Ive slacked on the diet and cardio. Theres no excuse to not at least do 3 cardio sessions of 20-50 minutes a week. If people can run in the damn snow lol, I got no excuse. Thinking about doing a food log and a weekly weight post here. 

Anyone else gearin up for a cut?


----------



## GiveMeAHellYeah

I used to workout a lot. Filled my body with protein and went to the gym consistenly for months. Then I just stopped going for about 6 months or more and lost a lot of weight due to my fast metabolism. I now have 2 really noticable stretch marks, any tips on how to fade them?


----------



## Punked Up

'Rest' days over the weekend, meaning cardio and maybe some bodyweight stuff. I've never believed you have to take days totally off, the human body wasn't designed to need a day of rest just because it was exercised. Just my 2 cents.

Nice lower day today.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!




----------



## FalseKing

Anyone else here minimizes his rest days per month as much as possible? 

The majority of people I know that train have from 2 to 4 rest days a week. That's fucking ridiculous in my mind. While the body does need rest you'll always gonna have at least a couple of days rest for each muscle group regardless. You don't need a whole fucking week to rest a single muscle group. 

I feel like if I'm not in the GYM every single day I'm regressing and not progressing. What's the point in having more rest days a week than days you've worked out? There's nothing worse than staying home all day without putting any effort into anything.


----------



## OldschoolHero

FalseKing said:


> Anyone else here minimizes his rest days per month as much as possible?
> 
> The majority of people I know that train have from 2 to 4 rest days a week. That's fucking ridiculous in my mind. While the body does need rest you'll always gonna have at least a couple of days rest for each muscle group regardless. You don't need a whole fucking week to rest a single muscle group.
> 
> I feel like if I'm not in the GYM every single day I'm regressing and not progressing. What's the point in having more rest days a week than days you've worked out? There's nothing worse than staying home all day without putting any effort into anything.


Pretty much the mentality I have.

Sadly, I have come down with either food poisoning or the flu so Ill be out for a few days.


----------



## Luke88

FalseKing said:


> Anyone else here minimizes his rest days per month as much as possible?
> 
> The majority of people I know that train have from 2 to 4 rest days a week. That's fucking ridiculous in my mind. While the body does need rest you'll always gonna have at least a couple of days rest for each muscle group regardless. You don't need a whole fucking week to rest a single muscle group.
> 
> I feel like if I'm not in the GYM every single day I'm regressing and not progressing. What's the point in having more rest days a week than days you've worked out? There's nothing worse than staying home all day without putting any effort into anything.


Totally depends on how you train/your level etc. I do fullbody sessions so I need my 2 days off a week otherwise I'd be fucked. TBH I am thinking about dropping it down to 4 sessions a week as my schedule is beating me up(especially with the weights I am using compared to beginnners etc)

Some people need less rest/some need more.


----------



## MF83

It depends on your goals but mostly on the intensity/volume/frequency relationship. As someone strength training, unless I go in and do half hour lifting sessions there will be too much volume for me to recover from more than four days a week (at "advanced" lifting numbers... Minus bench. The higher the loads, the more your body needs to recover). If I did work sets and left I could go seven days a week but that wouldn't work as I know I'd overdo it. High frequency, lower intensity/volume can have lesser, equal or better results. It all depends on recovery and programming. 

Omarisuf just put out his split, explaining how he trains six-seven times a week using varying intensities and lower volume.


----------



## FalseKing

Yeah, I agree with both of you.

I was targeting mainly the people who train every day a different muscle group. But even there it depends on your level and goals. The more advanced level you are, the bigger rest you'll need. It never gets easier, does it? :lol

Btw, you do fullbody sessions but with what purpose? You're competing in something?

I've been doing fullbody sessions for a certain amount of time now and sometimes it gets extremely exhausting. Considering I've got a fulltime job and also do MMA at night, it's fucked up :lol 

I'm kinda on the fence thought as what GYM work out should I stick with. Thinking about going back to my typical bodybuilding work out to add some mass and then transition back again into some mix of fullbody/crossfit training. At this point I don't feel psychically up to par for fullbody,mma and a fucking job on tops.


----------



## Luke88

FalseKing said:


> Yeah, I agree with both of you.
> 
> I was targeting mainly the people who train every day a different muscle group. But even there it depends on your level and goals. The more advanced level you are, the bigger rest you'll need. It never gets easier, does it? :lol
> 
> Btw, you do fullbody sessions but with what purpose? You're competing in something?
> 
> I've been doing fullbody sessions for a certain amount of time now and sometimes it gets extremely exhausting. Considering I've got a fulltime job and also do MMA at night, it's fucked up :lol
> 
> I'm kinda on the fence thought as what GYM work out should I stick with. Thinking about going back to my typical bodybuilding work out to add some mass and then transition back again into some mix of fullbody/crossfit training. At this point I don't feel psychically up to par for fullbody,mma and a fucking job on tops.


I compete in strongman  the fullbody training totally kicks my ass.


----------



## FalseKing

Strongman? That's sick (Y)(Y) Work outs must be completely brutal :agree:

I watched today a strongman competition from China which was a qualifier for the biggest event if I'm not mistaken.

Brian Shaw placed 1st and Terry Holand 2nd.


----------



## OldschoolHero

Since this is a pro wresting forum, I was wondering, have you any of you ever tried copying a pro wrestlers workout? A long time ago I did one of John Cenas routines-it was a five day bodypart split, high reps. It was ok, but it took me awhile to get it done. I also did one of Trips routines it was a 4 day and it was like legs/back and chest/tricep/shoulder hit twice a week.

But that was when I was young and experimenting (didnt sound right lol)

Decided to switch from my 6 day push/pull legs to a bodypart split. Still will probably train 6 days a week though. Been looking at Gregg Plitt videos, the dude is on more cocaine then Flair in the 80's but hey, its motivating.


----------



## Rockstar

OldschoolHero said:


> Since this is a pro wresting forum, I was wondering, have you any of you ever tried copying a pro wrestlers workout? A long time ago I did one of John Cenas routines-it was a five day bodypart split, high reps. It was ok, but it took me awhile to get it done. I also did one of Trips routines it was a 4 day and it was like legs/back and chest/tricep/shoulder hit twice a week.
> 
> But that was when I was young and experimenting (didnt sound right lol)
> 
> Decided to switch from my 6 day push/pull legs to a bodypart split. Still will probably train 6 days a week though. Been looking at Gregg Plitt videos, the dude is on more cocaine then Flair in the 80's but hey, its motivating.


Yeah, I actually did John Cena's routine for awhile. Modified it for my experience level and the equipment I had and after awhile I slowly changed it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I do the 300 Cross fit main WOD sometimes. 

Daniel Craig's split was one thing that got me into lifting back in 07'. 

A lot of the things you'll see Cesaro doing I did back in the military. Now, it's mostly a winter bulk, just lifting weight simplified. But I start a cut soon and will up the intensity (supersets, more cardio, crossfit) in my workouts and will Cesaro myself to Greatness.


----------



## MF83

380x7 deadlift and I could have struggled a couple more. So many gains. Last 7RM was 345 not long ago. :mark:

Edit: nope, that was my squat 7RM. Yay, I have a deadlift 7Rm!


But fuck, do not try and tell me 250x3 warmup is too heavy for me, ignorant staff member. It's a deadlift; AAAAAHHH I rage. One literally cannot silently deadlift more than one plate per side without an audible clang... ON AN OLYMPIC PLATFORM, yet.


----------



## Luke88

FalseKing said:


> Strongman? That's sick (Y)(Y) Work outs must be completely brutal :agree:
> 
> I watched today a strongman competition from China which was a qualifier for the biggest event if I'm not mistaken.
> 
> Brian Shaw placed 1st and Terry Holand 2nd.


It is a lot of fun. One day I'll make it to the big leagues I hope.


----------



## Alim

So I have two months left on my bulk and I want to maximize my results before I start cutting. Should I just go HAM and dreamer bulk? Currently ~175lb (5'10) and my goal was 180lb. Still 5 more lbs to go. I think I can do it but I still haven't reached my strength goals yet.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Dreamer Bulk. Pizza Everyday.


----------



## DesolationRow

As an experiment, with two people watching me, I did 5,000 deep squats extremely early this morning in one huge, sprawling "set," so to speak. According to a friend's stopwatch (which corresponds with what a clock was saying, give or take by a minute), it took me 2 hours, 7 minutes and 33 seconds to complete the 5,000 squats. lol. Took me about two or three minutes to feel my legs afterward, but it now feels so stupendous, think I might do that more often, heh. Can't wait to see how I feel as the day continues to progress/tomorrow morning. (For the one person out there wondering, I always do 100 squats a day as simple routine.)

Have slowly worked up to the every-other-day 310-pound bench press 3 sets of 10 reps, too, and I feel completely content with that as an approximately 210-pound guy. Shoulder presssing 200, 3 sets of 8 reps, and I really don't want to go higher for now. Damned shoulders. I've historically done big leg curls all the time but with some right knee cartilage issues, been laying off of them more recently. As a rule, I run for 30 minutes a day, didn't do that today, though, lol.

So tired of some of the old core workouts like the plank, reverse crunch, bicycle, etceteras. Anyone have something fresh? lol.


----------



## Magic

:bosh


----------



## Punked Up

Essentially...


:bosh


----------



## DesolationRow

:lol What's the Guinness world record on squats? I need to find out.

Holy fuck:


> The most squats performed in one hour is 4,708 by Paddy Doyle (UK) at Stamina's Boxing Self Defence Gym in Erin Go Bragh Sports Centre, Birmingham, UK


4,708 squats _in one hour_?


----------



## Klee

DesolationRow said:


> As an experiment, with two people watching me, I did 5,000 deep squats extremely early this morning in one huge, sprawling "set," so to speak. According to a friend's stopwatch (which corresponds with what a clock was saying, give or take by a minute), it took me 2 hours, 7 minutes and 33 seconds to complete the 5,000 squats. lol. Took me about two or three minutes to feel my legs afterward, but it now feels so stupendous, think I might do that more often, heh. Can't wait to see how I feel as the day continues to progress/tomorrow morning. (For the one person out there wondering, I always do 100 squats a day as simple routine.)
> 
> Have slowly worked up to the every-other-day 310-pound bench press 3 sets of 10 reps, too, and I feel completely content with that as an approximately 210-pound guy. Shoulder presssing 200, 3 sets of 8 reps, and I really don't want to go higher for now. Damned shoulders. I've historically done big leg curls all the time but with some right knee cartilage issues, been laying off of them more recently. As a rule, I run for 30 minutes a day, didn't do that today, though, lol.
> 
> So tired of some of the old core workouts like the plank, reverse crunch, bicycle, etceteras. Anyone have something fresh? lol.


One of the DDP yoga routines is a core based routine and it's pretty sweet. I normally add it to one of the other routines every day/other day, but you could do it anytime. I think it's about 12-13 mins long.


----------



## Klee

DesolationRow said:


> :lol What's the Guinness world record on squats? I need to find out.
> 
> Holy fuck:
> 
> 4,708 squats _in one hour_?


That's only twice as fast as you were going. At least you've got a target to aim for!


----------



## Pharmakon

I usually remain constant weight, I moderate on what I eat, the problem is that I eat too fast, even vegetables
I better hit dat' DDP Yoga


----------



## Punked Up

Q: How does eating fast really matter? Calorie is king right? Technically, why does how fast you eat matter if you consume the same amount of calories?

---

30 minute lifting session today, just 6 sets of bench and 5-10 minutes of ab work. School was closing so I had to be quick. Followed it up with a 40g shake, and later 25 minute T25 cardio tape and 1.6 miles of running.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Has anyone tried intermittent fasting and gained more definition?


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## OldschoolHero

EscapedIllusion said:


> Has anyone tried intermittent fasting and gained more definition?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


I used todo what I called "not on purpose" intermittent fasting. Id be babysitting and would be chasing them around and wouldnt eat for about 5-6 hours. Id sip on powerade zero though. I think a combo of that and all the running I was doing(it was nice out) helped me drop about 10 lbs. So im not saying Im for it, because I could have lost muscle with taht 10 lbs, but Im not really against it. Its something you will just have to try for yourself.


----------



## SUPER HANS

So I'm doing a half marathon on the 23rd of March, and I started my training on monday because I've had a tight hamstring for a month. Should be interesting.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Punked Up said:


> Q: How does eating fast really matter? Calorie is king right? Technically, why does how fast you eat matter if you consume the same amount of calories?
> 
> ---
> 
> 30 minute lifting session today, just 6 sets of bench and 5-10 minutes of ab work. School was closing so I had to be quick. Followed it up with a 40g shake, and later 25 minute T25 cardio tape and 1.6 miles of running.


Eating slower is just meant to give someone discipline. If you eat slower you should technically get the "full" feeling before you eat a whole ton more than you need. Also, this will stop munching on stuff while watching TV or something. Same amount of calories is key. There might be some really in depth science that your body's metabolism changes if you eat slow, but I doubt it's enough to make it worth while. I eat rather quickly because I'm a college student.



EscapedIllusion said:


> Has anyone tried intermittent fasting and gained more definition?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


yes. I only enjoy when I'm super busy though, otherwise the hunger pains are legit. I had a 12 hour watch in the Navy and I tried it, I almost passed out on duty. But then I had 12 hour roving watch (moving around base) and I loved it. The idea of IF is completely dependant on the person. I did lose weight, but also got weaker (probably my fault on that part with a not so perfect diet).



ashes11 said:


> So I'm doing a half marathon on the 23rd of March, and I started my training on monday because I've had a tight hamstring for a month. Should be interesting.


Have you ever ran before? I wish you all the luck regardless of past experience, but if you haven't ran before (other than as a child for something) that's starting very late for marathon training. Do you have a legit, organized schedule that you can maintain? Like Monday: run for xx mins, Tuesday: run for xx mins, Wednesday: lift, etc. That's what will help you get the most of your training, an organized plan. And tons of stretching.


----------



## Magic

my science expertise doesn't compare to Rush's, but eating everything at a short period of time in the day rather than throughout the day would affect your metabolic cycles and where your body derives its energy from. When you eat food your body uses that food to produce energy and stops using the liver produced fuels, such as lipids, ketone bodies, etc. 

Skyfall is right about the full feeling. After you're done eating, the insulin in your bloodstream signals to the body that you have enough glucose in the bloodstream and don't require anymore and turns off genes that encode PEPCK, which stops gluconeogensis from happening. this means your body will use that glucose rather than glucose/fuels produced from the liver.


also when your body is low on glucose, which is produced from all the metabolic cycles after eating, it will slowly start taking more and more from the fat storages(and send the glucose that is in the body/being produced to the organs that need it most to function such as the brain that cant function with other fuels such as fat).


hopefully this makes a lick of sense, basically eating during a small period in the day, rather than throughout the day, will slow down your metabolism and also make the body use more stored fats for energy. 

ill end this all with a I THINK, in case rush corrects me anyways. :side:




edit: i just reread your post and think you meant eating fast rather than eating everything during a short interval at a day. fpalm nevermind, 99% sure it doesn't matter how fast you eat your food during a meal as long as you chew probably.


----------



## SUPER HANS

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Have you ever ran before? I wish you all the luck regardless of past experience, but if you haven't ran before (other than as a child for something) that's starting very late for marathon training. Do you have a legit, organized schedule that you can maintain? Like Monday: run for xx mins, Tuesday: run for xx mins, Wednesday: lift, etc. That's what will help you get the most of your training, an organized plan. And tons of stretching.


I've ran 2 half marathons, in reasonable times too, 1hr:47 being my PB. I run all the time actually, up until last christmas I was running a 10 mile run and a few 5 miles nearly every week, so I'm reasonably fit. Then as I signed up for this half it coincided with me hurting my hamstring playing football, so my running has been cut dramatically in the last few months hoping it would loosen up. 

I'm pretty good at getting my fitness up after having breaks, normally if I can do a 6 miles I don't have any trouble doubling it, problem is my leg starts to ache after about that. I went out yesterday for about 7 miles, felt absolutely fine for cardio, then after about 6 miles the leg starts to ache bad.

I'm going to try a 10 mile run tomorrow, if I can manage that without being in agony I can do it, if not I might have to think of withdrawing.

I'm also shockingly lazy with stretching, need to give myself a slap and do it properly after a run, I just sat down and drank a beer when I came in the other day.


----------



## Rush

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Eating slower is just meant to give someone discipline. If you eat slower you should technically get the "full" feeling before you eat a whole ton more than you need. Also, this will stop munching on stuff while watching TV or something. Same amount of calories is key. *There might be some really in depth science that your body's metabolism changes if you eat slow*, but I doubt it's enough to make it worth while. I eat rather quickly because I'm a college student.


Absolutely no evidence for that. In fact majority of what "health blogs" and articles say about metabolism is absolute shite. 



Magic said:


> hopefully this makes a lick of sense, basically eating during a small period in the day, rather than throughout the day, will slow down your metabolism and also make the body use more stored fats for energy.
> 
> ill end this all with a I THINK, in case rush corrects me anyways. :side:


Not really much evidence to support it really. Calorie is king. Hypothetically it makes absolutely no difference if you have 6 small meals making up X amount of calories or eating 1 meal of X amount of calories. Obviously its a bit of a simplification but the key issue with metabolism and weight loss is the quality and quantity of food you eat. Most people who are overweight and complain of a slow metabolism are simply lazy as fuck, underestimate the amount of food they eat and have no concept on portion sizes. Conversely its the opposite for skinny blokes who complain that they can't add mass. Usually they simply don't eat enough. 

Now as i said, hypothetically eating it all in 1 meal will have the same effect but thats just on a pure physiological level. Real world speaking you're unlikely to want to consume your entire caloric intake in 1 meal. The whole lots of small meals vs 3 normal meals issue really comes down to personal preference. Some people feel that they snack a lot during the day so 6 small meals works best for them. Others find that they prefer 3 average size meals and they don't snack.


----------



## DesolationRow

Klee said:


> One of the DDP yoga routines is a core based routine and it's pretty sweet. I normally add it to one of the other routines every day/other day, but you could do it anytime. I think it's about 12-13 mins long.


Oh, thanks! Will certainly look into that.



Klee said:


> That's only twice as fast as you were going. At least you've got a target to aim for!


:lol Thanks for the encouragement.


----------



## li/<o

Summer is coming and I wanted to ask what someone thinks of a little 5 to 10 minute intense night workout. I want to tighten my chest a bit and my stomach. So if I was to do this once every night say. Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday 50 push ups, 30 diamond, 30 military, 30 long hand. As also adding a little bit of abs would that really make a difference? Course I would continue my regular routine of working out I am just curious. Also any tips in what to eat especially? I have been lagging it eating a lot at nights so I need to cut that down since the summer is coming any recommendations more than welcome.

I am not looking to get all ripped just a bit toned up anything that will tighten my body and make it look less flappy in anyway possible.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

I ate McDonalds french fries today. No fucks given. 
Calories in, calories out.


----------



## OldschoolHero

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> I ate McDonalds french fries today. No fucks given.
> Calories in, calories out.


You ate with a clown, I ate with a King last night. HAHA just messen, I f*ckin love dollar menus. Good food, good calories.

Did a little outside HIIT session yesterday after my leg day...dafuq was I thinking haha. Might do some battle ropes today.


----------



## MF83

180lbs Military! PR!!!


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

OldschoolHero said:


> You ate with a clown, I ate with a King last night. HAHA just messen, I f*ckin love dollar menus. Good food, good calories.
> 
> Did a little outside HIIT session yesterday after my leg day...dafuq was I thinking haha. Might do some battle ropes today.


OK I went H.A.M. on some chicken wings today. Ate probably around 30 some wings today :shocked:. 

Fucks definitely given. Oops.  Oh well, gotta live it up now and then. Oh and that clown I ate with wasn't Ronald. Her name's Heather and she's a straight FREAK! What's that? You say you ate with a King?....That's a man baby! 

Yeah HIIT after weights isn't really recommended. In fact, I'd just do HIIT on non-lifting days or if that doesn't work, definitely NOT on leg day as you found out.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

*All She Can* is a movie about a high school girl power lifter. It was pretty lousy, but there is a montage scene at a meet and it's pretty exciting for people who lift. Anyone else won't give a damn. 2/5 stars


----------



## xdoomsayerx

So, my bench bar broke. To help tone chest will a good amount of pushups work well? If so, how many?


----------



## Alim

Eating around 4000 calories/day now for the final stretch of my bulk. Need to maximize my gains before cutting. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up though.


----------



## Klee

Does anybody in here use Kettlebells at all?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

xdoomsayerx said:


> So, my bench bar broke. To help tone chest will a good amount of pushups work well? If so, how many?


As many as possible. It depends. If you can do 100 pushups, then you shouldn't do less than 100 pushups when working out, only more.



Klee said:


> Does anybody in here use Kettlebells at all?


I love kettle bells but LA Fitness (at least mine) don't have any. I used to do kettle bell swings, waiter walks, snatches, push/press, turkish getups, so much more! I loved them. I would even switch over to just one-hand barbell sometimes to work on the imbalances to help improve my kettle bell grip.

I haven't used one in like 3 years.


----------



## FalseKing

Yeah, I use kettlebells.

They're great.


----------



## El Conquistador

I've been implementing a lot of kettlebell work myself lately. Walking on uneven terrain, ties, and ballast for miles on end each day for work has taking an impact on my left knee, hips and middle back. Not that I'm advocating taking this approach, but based on my job and where my life is now, I've almost completely dropped heavy weight lifting from my routine. It's not practical for me to devote myself to that line of thinking any more. My joints are already taxed. I'll do one workout every ten days on the basic compound lifts. Otherwise, it's been exclusively yoga to help with my flexibility and balance, bodyweight exercises, kettlebells (great tool), and low impact stuff.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

xdoomsayerx said:


> So, my bench bar broke. To help tone chest will a good amount of pushups work well? If so, how many?


A lot. Just keep going until you can't. But get a new bar too because doing 1000s of pushups will get old.



Klee said:


> Does anybody in here use Kettlebells at all?


To mix it up yes but not exclusively. I tend to want to go heavier with them which probably isn't the best idea when you're swinging something. :lol I usually just stick to hex dumbbells and the Olympic bar & plates.


----------



## DGenerationMC

Ok, I want to put on at least 15 pounds of muscle. What the fuck do I do?


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

DGenerationMC said:


> Ok, I want to put on at least 15 pounds of muscle. What the fuck do I do?


You eat a ton of food and you lift heavy. No, really that's it. You can either do a different body part on 5-6 days of the week or you can do a general full body workout 2-3 times a week. Both will work as long as you're working hard and eating enough.


----------



## Lariat From Hell

How can I try and start to cut? I don't have too much fat and I work out near regularly.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

IWCsOnlyRybackMark said:


> How can I try and start to cut? I don't have too much fat and I work out near regularly.


Eat low carb for a few weeks and you're set. Workout exactly the same. 
Don't do low carb for more than a month though because if you do you'll probably go crazy and besides it's a 'diet' so it's meant to be temporary. 
Good luck.


----------



## DesolationRow

Yes... Got up to 320 benching today. 

Think I'll try the 5,000 squats deal again first thing in the morning. Hope I can shave a _few_ minutes off my last squats odyssey.


----------



## OldschoolHero

DesolationRow said:


> Yes... Got up to 320 benching today.
> 
> Think I'll try the 5,000 squats deal again first thing in the morning. Hope I can shave a _few_ minutes off my last squats odyssey.


Rediculous. Best of luck lol.

Starting to add alot of HIIT style bodyweight workouts to my weekly routine. Still hitting them weights though...still trying to figure out how I want to schedule it. Thinking about a 5 day split with 30 minutes of bodyweight hiit workouts and 30 minutes of weight lifting.


----------



## Thad Castle

I see a lot of guys training for mass. Does anyone here do any cardio? If so, what do you do and how much?


----------



## Punked Up

Thad Castle said:


> I see a lot of guys training for mass. Does anyone here do any cardio? If so, what do you do and how much?


Repping you for Blue Mountain State. 

For my cardio, I either do a T-25 cardio tape (brother/dad both use it a lot), or a 2.5 mile run on the street about twice a week. And then for football twice a week we have speed camp, which is absolute hell and some of the most intense cardio I've ever done.

---

HS baseball season starts today :mark: , but I was wondering:

Will six 2-hour baseball practices, four 40-minute lifting sessions, and two 1-hour speed camps, in addition to recreational exercise like playing basketball with friends, start to be a little much? I'm in HS so no job or anything, and it doesn't interfere with my other stuff, but I'm worried about overexercising to the point it wears on my knees/ankles too much (where I've been getting mild pain).


----------



## FalseKing

Cardio

running 3 times a week, ~6/7 kms, adding a 100/150m sprints in every 1~1,5km

you can mix with riding a bike for 20/30 kms.


----------



## Rush

Cricket season is now over for me so i really need to book in to see the physio and get a confirmation on exactly whats wrong with my shoulder. Doing shoulder assessment, treatment and diagnosis atm for one of my subjects this semester so i have a feeling i know what it is. Just a pain in the ass b/c it kills me to do any overhead activities, bench pressing is out, push ups, planking and other bodyweight stuff is out. All in all, not much lifting for me until i get it fixed. 



Thad Castle said:


> I see a lot of guys training for mass. Does anyone here do any cardio? If so, what do you do and how much?


I try and get out on my pushy as much as i can. If i'm at the gym then 1km row, 1km cycle, 1 km run. Then circuit around doing bodyweight/core stuff.


----------



## MF83

Dealing with a "chest infection" (doc didn't swab for confirmation... Gr), my asthma has reappeared at a dangerous level for the first time in many years. Taking Ventolin every few hours yet minimal exercise e.g. taking stairs too fast is setting it off. Squat day was supposed to be yesterday but it may not happen until Sunday or later. Asthma is one thing but coughing up bloody mucous is another. Aaaaah. 

Addiction is fighting through bad nausea and weakness for a 5+ deadlift set of 8x355 on Tuesday, and Thursday a bench 3+ set of 6x220 dealing with this asthma shit and general weakness. I started using my traps shrugged when benching again and that made a huge difference actually. Neither are PRs and I barely did any assistance but I was so happy to even be able to hit the prescribed reps on days I was otherwise bedridden.


----------



## OldschoolHero

MF83 said:


> Dealing with a "chest infection" (doc didn't swab for confirmation... Gr), my asthma has reappeared at a dangerous level for the first time in many years. Taking Ventolin every few hours yet minimal exercise e.g. taking stairs too fast is setting it off. Squat day was supposed to be yesterday but it may not happen until Sunday or later. Asthma is one thing but coughing up bloody mucous is another. Aaaaah.
> 
> Addiction is fighting through bad nausea and weakness for a 5+ deadlift set of 8x355 on Tuesday, and Thursday a bench 3+ set of 6x220 dealing with this asthma shit and general weakness. I started using my traps shrugged when benching again and that made a huge difference actually. Neither are PRs and I barely did any assistance but I was so happy to even be able to hit the prescribed reps on days I was otherwise bedridden.


Glad I read this post. I was in bed like "oh ive worked out the last six days, maybe I should just lay in bed". So I get on here and read this. Im workin out lol. Your a damn beast brother.


----------



## Rush

You do realise working out while being that sick is just going to trash your immune system potentially making you more ill.


----------



## WWE

*anyone use the myfitnesspal app for counting calories?* I have no time for exercise (Class, and night shifts) so I count my calories using that app as a way of attempting to lose weight.

2000 calories a day to now less than 1600 calories. Drinking only water, prohibiting myself from fast foods, eating oat's/grains for breakfast. and I've lost 1 pound in a couple days. 1 pound is what I consider progress (Y)


----------



## OldschoolHero

Rush said:


> You do realise working out while being that sick is just going to trash your immune system potentially making you more ill.


Possibly, really depends on him. He knows his body better than us. I had a horrible case of food poisoning that lasted 48 hours. It was terrible but on that third day, I still felt like shit and had about 6 hours of sleep in that time. I really wanted to train that day. So I took a short nap and went for it, and I felt back to normal right after. I think sweating it out helped. Granted taht was a completley different case, but the point Im making is, he knows his body so its his call.




> anyone use the myfitnesspal app for counting calories? I have no time for exercise (Class, and night shifts) so I count my calories using that app as a way of attempting to lose weight.
> 
> 2000 calories a day to now less than 1600 calories. Drinking only water, prohibiting myself from fast foods, eating oat's/grains for breakfast. and I've lost 1 pound in a couple days. 1 pound is what I consider progress


I used to be OBSESSED with counting calories, but between work and other crap I just couldnt find the time. Doenst help my phone is broke and I cant get on the internet really. But congrats buddy, small steps are the best way to go.


Did a 40 minute bodyweight boot camp workout found on youtube. Wasnt extremely hard but got me sweating. Followed it with a 20 minute Chest workout. Chest workout was brief but intense. Tomorrow will probably be Back day with some jogging if weather allows.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I used fitness pal, but then I also sort of stopped counting calories. I keep a general idea of how much protein I intake, that's about it. 

Spring breakwas not kind on me. Could barely dead lift 315 yesterday. That's my normal working weight 

I don't work out when too sick. But sometimes if it's a head cold I might, only because I enjoy. I definitely wouldn't take preworkout when sick with the runs already.


----------



## Rockstar

Thuganomics said:


> *anyone use the myfitnesspal app for counting calories?* I have no time for exercise (Class, and night shifts) so I count my calories using that app as a way of attempting to lose weight.
> 
> 2000 calories a day to now less than 1600 calories. Drinking only water, prohibiting myself from fast foods, eating oat's/grains for breakfast. and I've lost 1 pound in a couple days. 1 pound is what I consider progress (Y)


Yeah, I use it too. Currently trying to lose some weight so I'm taking in 2460.


----------



## Alim

Spring break is here and the 16-17 year old douchebags are filling up my gym in their tank tops trying to show off their 11 inch guns so they can get "toned" for summer.

I usually don't wear tank tops to the gym, but wore one today because my usual gym shirt needed a wash. I must say, I looked pretty swole because a lot of guys were looking at me and quite evidently miring my 5 month progress :titus


----------



## OldschoolHero

Alim said:


> Spring break is here and the 16-17 year old douchebags are filling up my gym in their tank tops trying to show off their 11 inch guns so they can get "toned" for summer.
> 
> I usually don't wear tank tops to the gym, but wore one today because my usual gym shirt needed a wash. I must say, I looked pretty swole because a lot of guys were looking at me and quite evidently miring my 5 month progress :titus


Shouldve done a drop set of curls and barked like Titus.

Bought the wwe classic Savage shirt the other day. I look fuckin jacked in it lol.

Hitting back today. Just realized, Ive done some sort of workout for like 9 days in a row (did calisthenics boot camp on my off days) and I feel fine. Thinkin today is high volume back day. If things are going good, Ill probably throw in the biceps to. Back a couple years ago I used to always do BI's and Tri's on the same day but now if I do that I feel like I didnt get a complete workout in.


----------



## MF83

Rush said:


> You do realise working out while being that sick is just going to trash your immune system potentially making you more ill.


Is why I did work sets and left. It was likely unwise to go but I needed it at the time.

I dropped a few pounds this past week and although likely just the respiratory sickness, my squats SUCKED yesterday. 5+ set should have yielded 10 reps minimum. For instance, last workout was 3+ and I got 8x350... Yesterday I got a shitty 3x330 and then left. I'm just calling another deload to let my body recover without getting out of the groove. My asthma is still making me take Ventolin 3-4 times a day and I'm hacking up phlegm from deep down still. Very frustrating but that's life.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Just a general comment on counting calories. Everyone should attempt it at least once by either just writing the totals down themselves, or using an app...

If anything it'll make you more aware of your eating habits. 

I've counted for months at a time and was extremely successful by doing so but it requires a whole lot of dedication. I no longer do (at the moment), but I have a general idea of what I'm eating or when I'm eating too little or too much (by doing mental calculations). 

The only thing is I think it also adds to the stress of "getting in shape". When you're always aware of your calorie (or fat, carb, etc) totals then and it can be easy to beat yourself up if you go higher or lower than you prescribed for yourself. It's best for someone who can just work it in within a 5-10 minute window in the morning or at night or someone who needs a real fool proof plan to getting in shape and can dedicate fully to it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Met a woman who squats 275 for reps. :dance:faint::woolcock:cheer 

_and they never heard from Skyfall again..._


----------



## Alim

I hit a pr on deadlift today 295x3 and grunted pretty loudly on my first rep. After I finished my set this old guy points to his ear and says I'm too loud and need to work out quieter because I'm distracting others. Yet the only one to say something to me was this douchebag who is sitting behind me doing barbell curls. 

And as expected, I walked off without saying a word and got water. I came back for another set and grunted even louder just to piss him off.


----------



## OldschoolHero

I was once doing dumbbell presses with only like 60's and I set one down about 3 inches from the ground, it made a noise and this old lady looked at me and shook her head lol. Another time I went to heavy on shoulder presses and dropped one of the weights. When I started I was by myself in the area, but right as I dropped it some guy came over doing like walking lunges and the weight rolled right into his path. Luckily he didnt care, felt like a dick though.


----------



## MF83

What are all your guys' goals?

Long Term
1. Bodyweight (205-210) strict military press; current 1RM -180.
2. Slowly lose some fat

Short Term:
1. 500lbs deadlift (current 1RM 475)
2. Satisfy my quest for better squat form


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Long Term
1. Bodyweight (190 - 200) 50 pull-ups straight
2. Be absolutely ripped
3. more flexibility

Short Term:
1. 405 lbs deadlift (current 1RM 365), and then another plate for each marker.
2. Do tons of cardio over the summer as well, mostly running


----------



## PGSucks

Short-term Goals:
- Improve cardio
- Start working out consistently again (been slacking lately because I've been sick the past couple of weeks and I'm pledging this semester)

Long-term goals:
- Abs
- Get really solid squat and deadlift numbers (those are probably among my weaker lifts)
- Be able to swing motherfuckers :cesaro


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

I got a question, does anyone know how are some some people able to bench 3 plates naturally?
Are they just naturally strong?

I can do 275lbs for 6-7 clean reps and kind of stuck there, and im a pretty big for a natural 235-240lbs.
What are your thoughts?


----------



## MF83

Wendler's 1RM calculator says a 6x275 equals a 330 1 rep max. You should be able to do 315 at least once. Natty 315 is doable for most people with the right training, especially for guys over 200lbs. Natural 4 plates isn't out of the question for a five-ten plus year trainee.


----------



## Alim

Long term goals
1. 180lb, 10% BF
2. 1000lb total on my big 3 lifts

Short term goals
1. 315lb deadlift (295x3 current)
2. Improve squat form (go 100% parallel as opposed to 80%)
3. Bench press (in general, my weakest big lift. Currently 145x5 which is pretty bad considering my current size. Would like to get to at least 175x3 before cut)
4. Get to 180-185lb BW and start summer cut (currently 176lb with another 6 or so weeks left before I ideally start cutting)

am I gonna make it brahs?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Yes

John Cena is in the new muscle and fitness Mag. He and cesaro lift together because cesaro lifts close to the same weight as Cena. :mark: further confirmation faith in my username was well placed. Cesaro squats 495 x 5

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## pryme tyme

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Yes
> 
> John Cena is in the new muscle and fitness Mag. He and cesaro lift together because cesaro lifts close to the same weight as Cena. :mark: further confirmation faith in my username was well placed. Cesaro squats 495 x 5
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


Pretty fucking impressive considering Cesaro is almost certainly natty and Cena has been on gear for a lot of his career (no doubt about it considering his bodybuilding connections/history)


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

pryme tyme said:


> Pretty fucking impressive considering Cesaro is almost certainly natty and Cena has been on gear for a lot of his career (no doubt about it considering his bodybuilding connections/history)


He's a lean 240-250lbs, i'd say he's on something, doesn't have to be as much as Cena, he can be cycling a lower dose.


----------



## pryme tyme

BRRROCK-LESNAR said:


> He's a lean 240-250lbs, i'd say he's on something, doesn't have to be as much as Cena, he can be cycling a lower dose.


Yeah not disagreeing, he easily could be. Cesaro's physique is within the realm of possibility for a natural though, you can get lean like that from good cardio and good genetics. Cena definitely isn't natural unless he had insane genetics which I can confidently say is not the case (Especially after I heard he doesn't do cardio). Cena is juiced to the gills, I'm sure Cesaro has experimented with pro-hormones at some point in his career but I'm way more inclined to believe he isn't an habitual user.

The wellness policy is a joke though, it's ridiculously easy to piss clean in this day and age. There's guys a lot less aesthetically built then Cesaro who are on something so you never know. Guys most people would never think are on something like Cody Rhodes, Jinder Mahal, Heath Slater, ect, I would almost guarantee have been fucking around with deca/test in the last couple years. Far more unnatural guys in WWE then people think so I agree that Cesaro isn't guaranteed natural but I still think he could be.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

pryme tyme said:


> Yeah not disagreeing, he easily could be. Cesaro's physique is within the realm of possibility for a natural though, you can get lean like that from good cardio and good genetics. Cena definitely isn't natural unless he had insane genetics which I can confidently say is not the case (Especially after I heard he doesn't do cardio). Cena is juiced to the gills, I'm sure Cesaro has experimented with pro-hormones at some point in his career but I'm way more inclined to believe he isn't an habitual user.
> 
> The wellness policy is a joke though, it's ridiculously easy to piss clean in this day and age. There's guys a lot less aesthetically built then Cesaro who are on something so you never know. Guys most people would never think are on something like Cody Rhodes, Jinder Mahal, Heath Slater, ect, I would almost guarantee have been fucking around with deca/test in the last couple years. Far more unnatural guys in WWE then people think so I agree that Cesaro isn't guaranteed natural but I still think he could be.


Good point, many people tend to believe that most PED users are roided up freaks but don't realize that guys like Lance Armstrong and other bikers were on stuff.

I believe Ziggler failed a welness test a few years ago, so you're right, its pretty tough to know for sure who's on or not (besides the obvious ones like Cena, Big E, Ryback, etc).


----------



## InfiniteCrisisBomb

Alim said:


> Long term goals
> 1. 180lb, 10% BF
> 2. 1000lb total on my big 3 lifts
> 
> Short term goals
> 1. 315lb deadlift (295x3 current)
> 2. Improve squat form (go 100% parallel as opposed to 80%)
> 3. Bench press (in general, my weakest big lift. Currently 145x5 which is pretty bad considering my current size. Would like to get to at least 175x3 before cut)
> 4. Get to 180-185lb BW and start summer cut (currently 176lb with another 6 or so weeks left before I ideally start cutting)
> 
> am I gonna make it brahs?


If you take supplements, what do you take?


----------



## Rush

BRRROCK-LESNAR said:


> Good point, many people tend to believe that most PED users are roided up freaks but don't realize that guys like Lance Armstrong and other bikers were on stuff.
> 
> I believe Ziggler failed a welness test a few years ago, so you're right, its pretty tough to know for sure who's on or not (besides the obvious ones like Cena, Big E, Ryback, etc).


Thats because the term PED encompasses a large variety of things. PEDs can be stuff like anabolic steroids, growth hormones, EPO (which is a blood booster that endurance athletes have been on), blood doping in general, diuretics, to stuff like painkilers, stimulants (like amphetamines, methamphetamine etc), sedatives (like diazepam etc) the list goes on.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

You forgot protein shakes and creatine in that list, Rush. :side:

Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## Rush

Depends on your definition of drug but protein shakes definitely don't come into it, creatine would depending on the source of it :brodgers


----------



## Alim

InfiniteCrisisBomb said:


> If you take supplements, what do you take?


- Kaizen 100% All Natural Whey Protein (2 scoops on workout days, mixed with 1 cup milk)
- Allmax Creatine Monohydrate (5g on workout days, mixed into my post-workout protein shake)
- Cellucor C4 Preworkout (not every workout, only when I haven't eaten something in a 1 hour+)
- Fish Oil Capsules (2 a day)
- Multivitamin (1 a day)


----------



## MF83

^you should take your creatine everyday as it's designed o stay at a maintenance level, not as a a short acting recovery tool.

I take:

Creatine Monohydrate ~4mg every morning after breakfast
Isosensation 93 Whey (Natural flavour), probably 4-6 scoops a day
400/200 EPA/DHA Omega 3 pills, 4-6 usually throughout the day
D3 1000 iu (in winter months)
Beta alanine, 3-4 doses of 2-3mg 
Zinc 50mg, Magnesium 250mg before bed
1 multi (Opti-Men)


----------



## DesolationRow

Alim said:


> Long term goals
> 1. 180lb, 10% BF
> 2. 1000lb total on my big 3 lifts
> 
> Short term goals
> 1. 315lb deadlift (295x3 current)
> 2. Improve squat form (go 100% parallel as opposed to 80%)
> 3. Bench press (in general, my weakest big lift. Currently 145x5 which is pretty bad considering my current size. Would like to get to at least 175x3 before cut)
> 4. Get to 180-185lb BW and start summer cut (currently 176lb with another 6 or so weeks left before I ideally start cutting)
> 
> *am I gonna make it brahs?*


Uh, I dunno. Do. Or do not. There is not try. Or something. :side:



Alim said:


> - Kaizen 100% All Natural Whey Protein (2 scoops on workout days, mixed with 1 cup milk)
> - Allmax Creatine Monohydrate (5g on workout days, mixed into my post-workout protein shake)
> - Cellucor C4 Preworkout (not every workout, only when I haven't eaten something in a 1 hour+)
> - Fish Oil Capsules (2 a day)
> - Multivitamin (1 a day)





MF83 said:


> ^you should take your creatine everyday as it's designed o stay at a maintenance level, not as a a short acting recovery tool.
> 
> I take:
> 
> Creatine Monohydrate ~4mg every morning after breakfast
> Isosensation 93 Whey (Natural flavour), probably 4-6 scoops a day
> 400/200 EPA/DHA Omega 3 pills, 4-6 usually throughout the day
> D3 1000 iu (in winter months)
> Beta alanine, 3-4 doses of 2-3mg
> Zinc 50mg, Magnesium 250mg before bed
> 1 multi (Opti-Men)


I take Creatine Monohydrate; Beta alanine; Double strength Taurine; Fenugreek seed; 7-Keto; Co Q-10; Forskolin 250; Fish oils capsules; D-Aspartic Acid; Vitamins C and E; Zinc; Magnesium. 

Fenugreek seed or Fenugreek seed extract is quite potent in spurring glycogen resynthesis from what I have gathered.


Anyway, I did shave off almost exactly seven minutes from my previous 5,000 squats undertaking. lol. Now just 2 hours, 32 seconds.


----------



## OldschoolHero

I take whey. Thats about it...
Thinking about buying the BCAA brand that has added caffeine in it. Anyone try it?


Am I the only one who thinks its kind of funny how wwe wrestlers are all jumping on the "crossfit style" bandwagon. I read Cena's latest workout routine, and he completely dissed his bodybuilding days. Now, Im open to any style of working out but I just love how the wwe says these guys are doing it for more injury prevention then anything. Cena has been hurt more times since switching to his buddy Robs style of training then before. Now age and just overall wear and tear could be apart of that, but killing yourself in the gym by doing a power lifting/Olympic lifting hybrid program and then going out and wrestling and doing such a hectic schedule where you average 5 hours of sleep probably doesnt help...just saying.


----------



## Luke88

Urm just whey and creatine when I remember really. Hit a bench pr yesterday. 341 x 3 paused.


----------



## MF83

Very nice. How much do you weigh?


----------



## Luke88

MF83 said:


> Very nice. How much do you weigh?


235 ish right now.


----------



## The Big Bad Wolf

I take 
370mg test sust
100mg test prop
200mg mast
300mg tren
150mg primo
150mg EQ
100mg NPP
150mg winny inject
110mg var
110mg proviron
20mg halo
50mg oral winny
750mcg oral tren
55mcg T3
60-80mcg clen
10-12iu GH
IGF-1 
slin 
synthol 
:vince3


----------



## OldschoolHero

The Big Bad Wolf said:


> I take
> 370mg test sust
> 100mg test prop
> 200mg mast
> 300mg tren
> 150mg primo
> 150mg EQ
> 100mg NPP
> 150mg winny inject
> 110mg var
> 110mg proviron
> 20mg halo
> 50mg oral winny
> 750mcg oral tren
> 55mcg T3
> 60-80mcg clen
> 10-12iu GH
> IGF-1
> slin
> synthol
> :vince3


Thats it? Need to bump it up bruh.

Chest day today. Also had Wendy's last night. Hadnt had it awhile. Now I know why, my stomach is killing me....

Yesterday was back day and for a home workout, my lats are pretty sore. Been trying single bodypart training to see if I like it more than my 6 day push pull legs routine.


----------



## Rush

The Big Bad Wolf said:


> I take
> 370mg test sust
> 100mg test prop
> 200mg mast
> 300mg tren
> 150mg primo
> 150mg EQ
> 100mg NPP
> 150mg winny inject
> 110mg var
> 110mg proviron
> 20mg halo
> 50mg oral winny
> 750mcg oral tren
> 55mcg T3
> 60-80mcg clen
> 10-12iu GH
> IGF-1
> slin
> synthol
> :vince3


:downing



OldschoolHero said:


> I take whey. Thats about it...
> Thinking about buying the BCAA brand that has added caffeine in it. Anyone try it?
> 
> 
> Am I the only one who thinks its kind of funny how wwe wrestlers are all jumping on the "crossfit style" bandwagon. I read Cena's latest workout routine, and he completely dissed his bodybuilding days. Now, Im open to any style of working out but I just love how the wwe says these guys are doing it for more injury prevention then anything. Cena has been hurt more times since switching to his buddy Robs style of training then before. Now age and just overall wear and tear could be apart of that, but killing yourself in the gym by doing a power lifting/Olympic lifting hybrid program and then going out and wrestling and doing such a hectic schedule where you average 5 hours of sleep probably doesnt help...just saying.


crossfit is the worst. i know its been posted in here before but it sums it up so nicely


----------



## The Big Bad Wolf

OldschoolHero said:


> Thats it? Need to bump it up bruh.
> 
> Chest day today. Also had Wendy's last night. Hadnt had it awhile. Now I know why, my stomach is killing me....
> 
> Yesterday was back day and for a home workout, my lats are pretty sore. Been trying single bodypart training to see if I like it more than my 6 day push pull legs routine.


3'cc's of synthol in every muscle fibre


----------



## OldschoolHero

NO Idea why I said the other day was chest, meant shoulders. So I tried the whole single bodypart training for a few days....but I think im going back to training everything twice a week. Thinking Back/Shoulders, Legs, Chest/Arms.

This may have been asked(maybe by me lol) but how many hours of sleep you guys average a night? Im usually asleep by 11 and up by 5. Sometimes during days off of work I sleep till 6.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

I'm seriously mind blown by the amount of people that don't work legs.


----------



## Rush

OldschoolHero said:


> NO Idea why I said the other day was chest, meant shoulders. So I tried the whole single bodypart training for a few days....but I think im going back to training everything twice a week. Thinking Back/Shoulders, Legs, Chest/Arms.
> 
> This may have been asked(maybe by me lol) but how many hours of sleep you guys average a night? Im usually asleep by 11 and up by 5. Sometimes during days off of work I sleep till 6.


depends on uni tbh. Generally around 5-6 hours on the days i have uni, 8-9 on days i'm off. 



JoseBxNYC said:


> I'm seriously mind blown by the amount of people that don't work legs.


i always get amused by blokes who have bulky torso's and skinny legs.


----------



## Alim

Technically the people that don't train their legs are neglecting, literally, half their body. 

The worst are the ones who will go hog a squat rack and do barbell curls. You can curl anywhere in the gym, why the fuck do you need to curl in the only place you can do squats? Douchebags who think they are huge because they can curl a 45lb bar with 10s on each side. SMH


----------



## OldschoolHero

Alim said:


> Technically the people that don't train their legs are neglecting, literally, half their body.
> 
> The worst are the ones who will go hog a squat rack and do barbell curls. You can curl anywhere in the gym, why the fuck do you need to curl in the only place you can do squats? Douchebags who think they are huge because they can curl a 45lb bar with 10s on each side. SMH


I think what bothers me worse than that is when personal trainers t ake like 6 sets of dumbells and spread them in little "stations" They will have client do like curls on one leg, then lunge somewhere else todo presses. Its annoying. Also hate when people do a circuit on a bench press station....but dont use the bench. There multiple benches that can be moved to a private area but they take the damn bench press station. Or the people who stretch in the weights area instead of the stretching mats...good lawd that gets to me. Had one older lady start doing her stretching right by the squat rack with me there. Mid set I look over and shes shooting me this look and shakin her head...so i shake my head. The next week some guy is squatting there and she says "you better not hit me in my stretching area" the guy just stops mid set and stares at her lol.

sorry, rant over.


----------



## Máscara Dorada

Alim said:


> Technically the people that don't train their legs are neglecting, literally, half their body.
> 
> The worst are the ones who will go hog a squat rack and do barbell curls. You can curl anywhere in the gym, why the fuck do you need to curl in the only place you can do squats? Douchebags who think they are huge because they can curl a 45lb bar with 10s on each side. SMH


I understand what you're trying to say, but I don't want to run all around the gym, I like to have my own spot and I often pick the squat/benchpress area because the benchpress is rough to move & there is often alot of free space in that area. I bring a few dumbbells and then I settle down and do basically all my workout in one place (except for the leg press).


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

Alim said:


> Technically the people that don't train their legs are neglecting, literally, half their body.
> 
> The worst are the ones who will go hog a squat rack and do barbell curls. You can curl anywhere in the gym, why the fuck do you need to curl in the only place you can do squats? *Douchebags who think they are huge because they can curl a 45lb bar with 10s on each side.* SMH


:ti Its hilarious when you can tell they're trying to show off when they're just small/skinny and delusional.


----------



## Tammy88

Wow you are all really fit! I thought I'd pop in and say hi but you all sound like super strong! haha *totally out of place!*

Basically had a kidney transplant in December so just getting back into the gym now but I really need a strict routine and diet I think...


----------



## kendoo

I've been threatening to join a gym for a cpl of months now and I finally did last week, since I stopped smoking 7 weeks ago I've probably put on an extra stone in weight and I plan on using more of my energy by going to the gym most nights after work, I have only been 4 times since I joined and I've just been doing some cardio work to try and get into the swing of it. Just wondering if anyone has any good tips on helping to burn of some fat.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

kendoo said:


> I've been threatening to join a gym for a cpl of months now and I finally did last week, since I stopped smoking 7 weeks ago I've probably put on an extra stone in weight and I plan on using more of my energy by going to the gym most nights after work, I have only been 4 times since I joined and I've just been doing some cardio work to try and get into the swing of it. Just wondering if anyone has any good tips on helping to burn of some fat.


Congrats on quitting smoking and taking the initiative to start training. Basically for weight loss, diet is king. If you eat burgers/chips/sweets/drink regularly, you probably wont see a difference even if doing cardio everytime you're at the gym. Its all about making better choices, instead of having a pizza you can eat chicken breast with salad or rice, instead of ice cream eat an apple, just common sense stuff. 

You have to be patient because changing your body doesn't happen overnight, depending on how much weight you need to lose, it will most likely take months. Just tell yourself you are going to focus on being a healthier person and the weight loss will come. If you think about it doing a "diet" doesn't really make any sense because what happens after you've achieve your weight loss goals? You're just going to go back to eating the way you used to? Of course not. 

So try to make this a lifestyle; eat veggies/fruits everyday, consistently do cardio (at your own pace, doesn't have to be too intense, you will work your way up) and even try a beginner weight training regiment because that will help shed pounds and build muscle. After awhile when you start losing some weight, you will feel so much better and will get hooked to training.


----------



## MF83

Hit a 185 military press on Saturday. http://youtu.be/i1-N8zo2Te4 Really right arm dominant but I got it. Race to bodyweight press continues! I've added 20 lbs to it in less than four months with 5/3/1. Results!!!

Going for my first five plate deadlift tomorrow or Wednesday. Excited.


----------



## Redwood

Diet will be nothing without Zinc.


----------



## Luke88

MF83 said:


> Hit a 185 military press on Saturday. http://youtu.be/i1-N8zo2Te4 Really right arm dominant but I got it. Race to bodyweight press continues! I've added 20 lbs to it in less than four months with 5/3/1. Results!!!
> 
> Going for my first five plate deadlift tomorrow or Wednesday. Excited.


Good work man. I hit a 275 strict log this weekend. Overhead prs all round 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnFJBGWwuKw


----------



## kendoo

BRRROCK-LESNAR said:


> Congrats on quitting smoking and taking the initiative to start training. Basically for weight loss, diet is king. If you eat burgers/chips/sweets/drink regularly, you probably wont see a difference even if doing cardio everytime you're at the gym. Its all about making better choices, instead of having a pizza you can eat chicken breast with salad or rice, instead of ice cream eat an apple, just common sense stuff.
> 
> You have to be patient because changing your body doesn't happen overnight, depending on how much weight you need to lose, it will most likely take months. Just tell yourself you are going to focus on being a healthier person and the weight loss will come. If you think about it doing a "diet" doesn't really make any sense because what happens after you've achieve your weight loss goals? You're just going to go back to eating the way you used to? Of course not.
> 
> So try to make this a lifestyle; eat veggies/fruits everyday, consistently do cardio (at your own pace, doesn't have to be too intense, you will work your way up) and even try a beginner weight training regiment because that will help shed pounds and build muscle. After awhile when you start losing some weight, you will feel so much better and will get hooked to training.


 Cheers for the reply and thanks 7 weeks I never thought I could do it. 

I have totally changed what I eat, eating loads more fruit/veg, no more white bread no more fizzy drinks and so on. My main goal is to eventually get down to 15stone currently I'm 16s10lbs and my height is 6'1.4 and my bmi is about 33 I think, pretty poor I know. my first goal is 16s which I know it may take a few months but hopefully with the right diet and workout routine should be pretty easy.

I was mainly just looking for pointers on what types of cardio work to do or is it best to do a bit of everything.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

kendoo said:


> Cheers for the reply and thanks 7 weeks I never thought I could do it.
> 
> I have totally changed what I eat, eating loads more fruit/veg, no more white bread no more fizzy drinks and so on. My main goal is to eventually get down to 15stone currently I'm 16s10lbs and my height is 6'1.4 and my bmi is about 33 I think, pretty poor I know. my first goal is 16s which I know it may take a few months but hopefully with the right diet and workout routine should be pretty easy.
> 
> I was mainly just looking for pointers on what types of cardio work to do or is it best to do a bit of everything.


The point of cardio is to train your heart. When you are good at cardio, your _resting heart rate_ will drop lower, since the heart will exert much less effort during your day to day activities. So there isn't a significant difference between the types of cardio machines, just try to pick one and go at a reasonable pace for at least 30mins (you can switch things up by doing 15 mins on two different machines if you get bored). Just a heads up, when you are carrying a lot of weight, its probably not a good idea to do extensive running because after awhile it will be tough on your knees. Wait till you get leaner before starting a jogging routine.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I started implementing a 5/3/1 (and some) plan. I'm also focusing on sumo deadlifts right now. I find myself really squatting too deep for deadlifts, I'm trying to fix this too.

I can only do 145 on military press, max. But I also only just started that after only ever doing dumbell shoulder presses.

I recently got a job at a supplement store. This place is like heaven and I hope I can get tons of discounts and samples. They were telling me they constantly give their employees samples of stuff so they can try it out. Time to get huge!


----------



## MF83

Luke88 said:


> Good work man. I hit a 275 strict log this weekend. Overhead prs all round
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnFJBGWwuKw


Jeez, fails try one but then hits it seconds later. Beastly. 


Five plates! Donno what's up with my neck/head going so far back but I got it!






Followed it up with a 4x410 set which is a rep PR itself. After front squats I did three laps of farmers walks with the 100s dumbbells, the biggest that gym has. A splendid day.


----------



## MF83

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I started implementing a 5/3/1 (and some) plan. I'm also focusing on sumo deadlifts right now. I find myself really squatting too deep for deadlifts, I'm trying to fix this too.
> 
> I can only do 145 on military press, max. But I also only just started that after only ever doing dumbell shoulder presses.
> 
> I recently got a job at a supplement store. This place is like heaven and I hope I can get tons of discounts and samples. They were telling me they constantly give their employees samples of stuff so they can try it out. Time to get huge!


Discounts!!' Yay! Military (false grip) is my favourite lift. I hope you fall in love with it too haha.


----------



## Jaxx

What are the best exercises for increasing tricep mass? I currently do weighted tricep dips, skull crushers and tricep bench in my workouts.


----------



## The Big Bad Wolf

Principino said:


> What are the best exercises for increasing tricep mass? I currently do weighted tricep dips, skull crushers and tricep bench in my workouts.


Close grip bench is my favorite triceps exercise, but I have to admit that skullcrushers and overhead triceps extensions do more for mass (for me). Overhead triceps extensions give the "sagging" triceps look that makes your arms seem much bigger. Also Cable tricep pushdowns with a rope.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

close grip incline and flat is insane for triceps. I remember when I first started doing them for incline, I increased my incline bench a ton. For me it's cable push downs or dips. Considering getting a belt so I can add weight actually. 

things not mentioned...triceps kickbacks? I hate those. Fuck them.


So, I meet the President of USP labs today at my new job. He gave me a few samples of the preworkout/fat burner/test booster Aplhamine. Stuff is pretty good. The container recommends 1-2 scoops and the samples serve 2 scoops; I should have taken only 1 scoop. I was pumped like a mofo. I was sweating my ass off, I hit a new squat PR, my heart was on fire (literally had to sit for about 10 minutes). Definitely trying again. 

My 3rd level boss told me he hates people stealing his product because he constantly hooks his employees up with free supplements. "Want a 5 lb jug of Cellucore? Give me a call and I'll get it for you." About busted a nut when he said that.


----------



## Alim

MF83 said:


> Jeez, fails try one but then hits it seconds later. Beastly.
> 
> 
> Five plates! Donno what's up with my neck/head going so far back but I got it!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Followed it up with a 4x410 set which is a rep PR itself. After front squats I did three laps of farmers walks with the 100s dumbbells, the biggest that gym has. A splendid day.


Nice man. I hit a PR of my own on deadlift again this week. 315x1. Now on the route to the 4 plate club.


----------



## Punked Up

Nice 5x5 with squats today. Squatting heavy twice a week is tough but I really like my current upper/lower split.

Bought a foam roller and honestly want to marry it.


----------



## WWE

Either my weight scale is fucking with me or I really did just lose 9 pounds (195lbs to 186 lbs) in just a month :mark: :mark:


----------



## kendoo

Thuganomics said:


> Either my weight scale is fucking with me or I really did just lose 9 pounds (195lbs to 186 lbs) in just a month :mark: :mark:


:clap well done, I lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks:agree:


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

Good Job guys, its all about consistency. Keep it up!


----------



## colt falcon

Hey guys new to this thread i gym 6 times a week including cardio days. i am currently at a small 81 kgs trying to cut down to 75 kgs then do a lean bulk upto 90kgs. I'm 6ft2 and just turned 19. I do a lot of crossfit and compound exercises and today just hit my max on deadlifts at 185 kgs.

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----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

19? Eat a shit ton and lift heavy. Don't cut unless you're obese.


----------



## Alim

I think it's messed up how much my bench sucks compared to my other lifts. It's unbelievable how bad I am. I'm barely benching 145 and I can't do more than 3 reps without a spotter helping me and I'm not even going all the way down (80%). What the fuck, I'm getting fed up with this shit. It's just the flat bench press that's plateauing. Incline and decline dumbbell presses have all progressed well over the last few weeks but bench is still the same as it was like 2 months ago.


----------



## colt falcon

Na i know i just wanna b more ripped then do a lean bulk from there kinda thing i was 96 kgs last year haha

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----------



## colt falcon

Alim said:


> I think it's messed up how much my bench sucks compared to my other lifts. It's unbelievable how bad I am. I'm barely benching 145 and I can't do more than 3 reps without a spotter helping me and I'm not even going all the way down (80%). What the fuck, I'm getting fed up with this shit. It's just the flat bench press that's plateauing. Incline and decline dumbbell presses have all progressed well over the last few weeks but bench is still the same as it was like 2 months ago.


do u do bent over dumbell bench rows??? That usually will strengthen your back then help your flat bench. If you do 50kg rows the night before chest day u will be able to have a stronger lift. 

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----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Alim said:


> I think it's messed up how much my bench sucks compared to my other lifts. It's unbelievable how bad I am. I'm barely benching 145 and I can't do more than 3 reps without a spotter helping me and I'm not even going all the way down (80%). What the fuck, I'm getting fed up with this shit. It's just the flat bench press that's plateauing. Incline and decline dumbbell presses have all progressed well over the last few weeks but bench is still the same as it was like 2 months ago.


that's how it was for me. Literally, exactly the same when I first started lifting. I could do 225 on decline long before flat, and I'm just getting to 225 on incline (although incline I usually use dumbells). 

I wouldn't worry too much. You might be at a plateau or just weak, but here is some broscience: You'll get stronger. I could deadlift and squat a ton more than bench, I over benched, and now I can bench nearly as much as I squat. 

Try 5/3/1 plus, find the video MF83 posted on bench form. That helped me a ton. MY form was awful. Major point of this post: it's the same for a lot of people so don't feel silly.



colt falcon said:


> do u do bent over dumbell bench rows??? That usually will strengthen your back then help your flat bench. If you do 50kg rows the night before chest day u will be able to have a stronger lift.


Cean said a common bench mistake is a weak back (mainly aiming the comment at guys who only ench and curl though) in the most recent M&F actually. Not sure about the night before advice, but a weak back can definitely be an issue.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

Alim said:


> I think it's messed up how much my bench sucks compared to my other lifts. It's unbelievable how bad I am. I'm barely benching 145 and I can't do more than 3 reps without a spotter helping me and I'm not even going all the way down (80%). What the fuck, I'm getting fed up with this shit. It's just the flat bench press that's plateauing. Incline and decline dumbbell presses have all progressed well over the last few weeks but bench is still the same as it was like 2 months ago.


What I did when I started, was 4 sets of flat dumbell chest press for 6-10reps. I progressed for a few months and then moved to barbell bench. Incline i've always done with dumbells. 

If your not going all the way down then those 3 reps aren't doing much. Just try working with dumbells for a few weeks and don't let the weight bother you too much.


----------



## MF83

Alim said:


> I think it's messed up how much my bench sucks compared to my other lifts. It's unbelievable how bad I am. I'm barely benching 145 and I can't do more than 3 reps without a spotter helping me and I'm not even going all the way down (80%). What the fuck, I'm getting fed up with this shit. It's just the flat bench press that's plateauing. Incline and decline dumbbell presses have all progressed well over the last few weeks but bench is still the same as it was like 2 months ago.


The vid Skyfall refers to:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnwAoesJvQ

Some personal tips:

- go all the way down; always.
- leg drive: If flat footed, hips out, heels planted, ass squeezed, abs tight, momentum pushing forward. Ass should never leave the bench so find the right foot placement for that. Always be tight but at the bottom explode with your legs.
- squeeze shoulders together for lats and shrug up to activate traps. Head on the bench always
- big arch will help. So will a strong/big upper back and big/strong arms. Biceps strength is actually useful for the eccentric half and triceps are half the battle anyhow
- train military press and do dips. Paused reps off the chest are beautiful.
- wrists directly over elbows always
- find the right width for hand placement and try and tuck your elbows about 45 degrees from the armpit angle.
- push yourself into the bench, don't lift a bar (if that makes sense)
-never lose back/trap/hip/ab/grip tightness, ever. It should almost be painful due to tightness. I stretch/foam roll legs/hips for optimal leg drive.
- bar in hand over wrist, not in middle of palms making wrists bend back 
- squeeze the bar as hard as possible, trying to bend it in half for better tricep activation
- Bench is the "big lift" most strongly tied to eating and weight apparently.
- Learn the Valsalva maneuver for this and all lifts. Hold your breath.

Yeah. It's fucking technical. Record yourself and show us?

Bench tends to respond well to lots of volume (many sets) and higher frequency (some variation multiple times a week). Stay between 3-5 reps for strength and more for size.


----------



## OwenRocky

Really let myself go last year. I'm 195 lbs now at 5'10". Want to get back to 180. Ive been going to the gym 3x a week the whole time, but the weight gain still happened. I know its more nutrition than exercise, but I eat healthy mostly; a few cheat meals here and there. Been doing research and trying to find a good handle on this,


----------



## Velvet onion

I just ordered ddp yoga. No doubt it has been talked about alot here but i was just wondering what results people have from it and is it as good as everyone says it is, read alot about it and not heard a bad thing. It will arrive in six weeks because i live in the uk and im not paying an extra £20 to get it a week or so earlier.


----------



## Alim

Thanks for the help regarding my bench press frustration brahs. I never did Starting Strength or any other "proven" routine. I've always been a bro split guy. But those strength building routines only have you benching once a week anyway which is what I get with my current split. 

Here is my chest routine

3x3-5 Bench Press
3x10 Dumbbell incline press
3x10 Dumbbell decline press
9x10 Various cable work

I don't think it's bad. I'm hitting all parts of my chest and I'm working triceps twice a week. I've taken everything you guys have said and will apply my next workout. Maybe I'll try and get a video up here so you can critique. 

Thanks!


----------



## Saber Rider ^-^

OwenRocky said:


> Really let myself go last year. I'm 195 lbs now at 5'10". Want to get back to 180. Ive been going to the gym 3x a week the whole time, but the weight gain still happened. I know its more nutrition than exercise, but I eat healthy mostly; a few cheat meals here and there. Been doing research and trying to find a good handle on this,


Doing it the healthy way is a combination of exercise and nutrition - its equally as important.

It's all about finding the right combination between the two but the right combination for you specifically. 

You have to vary what you're doing in the gym whether you go 3xweek or more. Variation is the key don't let your body get used to just one exercise always mix it up. The more different types of things you do the less chance you'll plateau with anything whether losing weight or gaining muscle.

The best advise I ever got was ALWAYS RECORD EVERYTHING YOU DO, no matter what, that way when you set yourselves specific targets you have a measureable barometer of what works to get to that target - Changed my life that advise.


----------



## MF83

Alim said:


> Thanks for the help regarding my bench press frustration brahs. I never did Starting Strength or any other "proven" routine. I've always been a bro split guy. But those strength building routines only have you benching once a week anyway which is what I get with my current split.
> 
> Here is my chest routine
> 
> 3x3-5 Bench Press
> 3x10 Dumbbell incline press
> 3x10 Dumbbell decline press
> 9x10 Various cable work
> 
> I don't think it's bad. I'm hitting all parts of my chest and I'm working triceps twice a week. I've taken everything you guys have said and will apply my next workout. Maybe I'll try and get a video up here so you can critique.
> 
> Thanks!


Just saying - if strength in the bench press is your goal (complaining about 145 max and all), then that is probably not the best layout. Might be fine for bodybuilding but man, get strong before bodybuilding. 10x315 is more effective than 10x135 and you only get to 315 after a couple years strength training. That's just my opinion though.

For strength, I'd do warmup sets then then five plus sets of three to five (yeah, starting strength style) bench press. I'd superset that with chinups or rows. I'd pick one of the dumbbell presses at most AFTER doing 3-5 sets of dips, again supersetted with back or biceps. Finish with high rep triceps pulldowns or something. Wider Dips > decline or anything really, for chest.

I'd make your second upper body day focus on the standing overhead press. When that goes up, so does bench. 5ish worksets again, supersetted with chins or rows, then do narrow grip bench and another dumbbell variant if you so chose.

Cables ain't doing anything for strength. Yessir. Or ignore me interfering with your shit haha. I just like designing things.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I only do low cable pulls, pec flye version pulling up from the bottom, for chest conditioning. it fucking carves out your inner top chest. Think if you were kissing your bicep, that rang of motion, but you're pulling the weight up and contracting your chest; think about pulling the weight up at a 45 degree angle, I do them one handed so my other hand can feel the inner top part of my chest to make sure I'm contracting the chest and not using my bicep/back/anything else more so. Might take a few attempts to get the movement down pat, but it's great for aesthetics.

to boost about my chest now...



Spoiler: me














taken yesterday


----------



## Punked Up

Alim said:


> Thanks for the help regarding my bench press frustration brahs. I never did Starting Strength or any other "proven" routine. I've always been a bro split guy. But those strength building routines only have you benching once a week anyway which is what I get with my current split.
> 
> Here is my chest routine
> 
> 3x3-5 Bench Press
> 3x10 Dumbbell incline press
> 3x10 Dumbbell decline press
> 9x10 Various cable work
> 
> I don't think it's bad. I'm hitting all parts of my chest and I'm working triceps twice a week. I've taken everything you guys have said and will apply my next workout. Maybe I'll try and get a video up here so you can critique.
> 
> Thanks!


This is the kind of stuff that makes me feel inadequate. My chest routine is literally

6x5 bench
60 pushups
some band work

Making solid progress though, I'm a simple guy.


----------



## Rockstar

Jeez, looking at what you guys do makes me think I have too much on chest/tri day. Mine is:

Bench press (5x5)
Decline bench press (4x5)
Incline bench press (4x5)
Front raise pullover (3x10)
French press (3x10)
Incline flys (3x10) superset with incline dumbbell press (3x5)
Tricep cable pushdown (4x10)
Flat dumbbell press (3x10)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Why do you lift weights? That really should be the determining factor to a workout. 

A bodybuilder might want higher reps, but slower reps with tons of focus on contraction and extension. They'd incorporate complimentary exercises to a body part (chest: pec flyes, over head chest extensions, dips, pull downs, skull crushers). 

But if you're in the military and need to pass a fitness test, 6x5 bench and 60 pushups can be a good workout. 

Whatever program you do, stretch.


----------



## Rockstar

I lift weight to build muscle, but also for strength. Beginning pro wresting training at the end of the month.


----------



## OwenRocky

Saber Rider ^-^ said:


> Doing it the healthy way is a combination of exercise and nutrition - its equally as important.
> 
> It's all about finding the right combination between the two but the right combination for you specifically.
> 
> You have to vary what you're doing in the gym whether you go 3xweek or more. Variation is the key don't let your body get used to just one exercise always mix it up. The more different types of things you do the less chance you'll plateau with anything whether losing weight or gaining muscle.
> 
> The best advise I ever got was ALWAYS RECORD EVERYTHING YOU DO, no matter what, that way when you set yourselves specific targets you have a measureable barometer of what works to get to that target - Changed my life that advise.


 Im going to start recording what my gains are. I want to build strength but lose fat too, but its hard to do at the same time. Ive been lifting weights but at a calorie deficit which inhibits muscle growth. I have to find a program that works for me and choose what I want to do first, get strong or lose fat.


----------



## MF83

This program sounds devastatingly awesome: http://www.t-nation.com/workouts/6-weeks-to-superhero

I wish I had guarantee of space and multiple bar access cause I'd switch over to that for six weeks for sure.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I always start to fall back on my heels with cleans and deadlifts!!!!:mark:

Yeah, without 24/7 access to a barbell and squat rack that looks hard. :lol I'm thinking of doing deadlifts, then follow it up with rack pulls. It's appropriate to do these on the same days, yes?


----------



## The Big Bad Wolf

Anyone cycled on any substances before?


----------



## Punked Up

Rockstar said:


> Jeez, looking at what you guys do makes me think I have too much on chest/tri day. Mine is:
> 
> Bench press (5x5)
> Decline bench press (4x5)
> Incline bench press (4x5)
> Front raise pullover (3x10)
> French press (3x10)
> Incline flys (3x10) superset with incline dumbbell press (3x5)
> Tricep cable pushdown (4x10)
> Flat dumbbell press (3x10)


Yeah, this seems like too much to me. I'm no expert or anything, but for getting stronger I just go as intense/heavy as a I can on a small amount of exercises. 13 sets of bench is just superfluous.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

255 x 3 on bench! Swole Warrior right here.


----------



## OldschoolHero

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> 255 x 3 on bench! Swole Warrior right here.


Nicely done.

45 minutes of calisthenics plus Back workout=an exhuasted me lol.


----------



## Joey_Swoll

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> 255 x 3 on bench! Swole Warrior right here.


That is 115kgs! Nice work.

I can flat bench 110kg x 6 with no spotter.

That's at the top of my chest pyramid.

12x60kg(132lbs) - Warm-up set
8x90kg (198lbs)
6x100kg (220lbs)
4x110kg (242lbs)
6x110kg (242lbs)
8x100kg (220lbs)
10x90kg (198lbs)
2mins between each.

That's with no spotter. With a spotter I feel more safe and go for 1RPMs. Not much I know, but progressive. Eventually add 5kg every 2 weeks. Not looking forward to plateau'ing. I hope it isn't untill 200kg :ex:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I've been doing 3 sets x 5 reps, slightly copying 5/3/1. But then I go for a max + drop set. So I did 255 x 3, 245 x 2, 225 x 2, 205 x 3, 185 x 3, all consecutively. I freaking love it.


----------



## RAB

If you want to stay fit in general then I'd definitely recommend cycling.

Perhaps not if you're trying to bulk muscles as much as possible but for general cardiovascular fitness and endurance it's amazing.


----------



## Luke88

Hit a 550lbs pausedish squat today. A bit high but still happy enough.


----------



## MF83

Would rep again if I could. That was perfectly legal and swell.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

Good Job Luke, that was awesome.


----------



## OldschoolHero

Got about 4 hours sleep total last night, morning workout should be fun lol.


----------



## MF83

It's only been roughly a year of training and I went from noob weak to a legal 260lbs bench, 425 squat, 185 military press and a couple weeks ago got the elusive 5 plate/495lbs deadlift. It's been a fun road but I've all but dropped cardio.

I got stronger this past year but in doing so I've put on 40-50 lbs. I'd wager half of that is muscle but there has definitely been fat gains too.

I do not want to lose strength but oughta lose some fat. Ideally, I should be walking around at 185-190 but I'm at 210-220 these days. 

To do this, I've began a walking program. Walking does not burn much if any muscle and does not do enough damage to fuck with the CNS so no strength loss to be anticipated. Cardio benefits are well known and I've been missing them.

This is the program: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/get_ripped_get_walking

That and once/twice a week intense conditioning (hill sprints/track sprints/etc.) oughta trim me up and have me feeling better. Plus, I need to look the part if I want to get certified. Yay!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

:mark: I've done that program. Last summer. Mine included a lot of weed smoking over cardio, but I did a ton of step running and just walking everywhere, plus that program. Only, I was eating so little and drinking a bit towards the end of the summer. That destroyed my progress because then I got stuck in the "bulk or cut?" phase. But thanks to you, MF83, I realize I could do a very successful bulk, plus discover I wasn't eating enough for years. 

I liked the program because it's easy, but mind numbingly boring. So...smoke maybe?


----------



## MF83

God, my squat is just dying. Grinded the third of three of my 3+ set at 350 and it's been like this since my chest infection. My 350 PR was 8 reps on March 6. Fuck. Gonna lower my training max, train without a belt, and switch some things around. I'm weak that second quarter out of the hole, and I have a weak core. Kill weaknesses and thrive.


----------



## OldschoolHero

Leg day on my moving day might not be a good idea lol. Very excited about my apartment complex gym. Its probably the best apartment complex gym I have seen. Its not the greatest but its a step up from my basement weights. Sad thing is, I wont have internet for awhile so I dont know when Ill get on here. You guys are all badass and I wish you luck in the future.


----------



## Punked Up

4 hours of baseball this morning followed by squat day  got a lot of work in but I'm absolutely drained.

I'm working up a laundry list of nagging injuries - sprained left ankle, soreness and loss of mobility in me left wrist (and I've had tons of wrist problems in the past), a sore back, and a lot of bruises on my hip from falling during a basketball game. Might take a few weeks off of lifting or tone down my schedule.


----------



## Rockstar

Tried using lifting straps for deadlifts for the first time. Wasn't a huge fan. I liked that the bar didn't slip, obviously. I found it harder to get psyched up though.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rockstar said:


> Tried using lifting straps for deadlifts for the first time. Wasn't a huge fan. I liked that the bar didn't slip, obviously. I found it harder to get psyched up though.


I do a 3x5 for deadlifts with my straps, then a max on the 4th but with a drop set(without the straps). It's weird at first because now you're focusing on your grip just as much as your footing. I can't see any serious setbacks (aside from some very minor grip strength loss) to using straps though,especially if you're in a Gold's Gym that doesn't allow you to use chalk...FUCKERS!


----------



## Darkness is here

I just do the basics, have been doing it for past 7months.
I hate cardios.
I just take 40 min walk(3.5/hour) and walk up/down the stairs, about 300 steps, have 6 meals a day and the results have been really good.

Many of my relatives/friends are impressed with the weight I have lost.


----------



## MF83

Fuck it. Going to do my second powerlifting meet on June 14th. Was hesitant since it's 3 hours away but I'm in. That gives me 8 weeks. Going to do an active deload, then six weeks cycle, then a nothing-week deload, then the meet. It works out well since I went too hard on my last deload week and it really didn't even wind up counting as a deload and thus I'm fucking exhausted one week into this cycle. Time to refresh and refocus.



EDIT: Actually, found 5/3/1 for Powerlifting online. It has an 8 week prep cycle. I'm going to have to man up and do three weeks more before deloading, then deload, then three weeks meet prep, then man up and take a week off, then go for broke at the meet. 

I just OHP'd yesterday but it calls for it again tomorrow. I suppose that's what I'll be doing tomorrow then.


----------



## kingfunkel

Absolutely kaned myself on Friday, on a bike ride that lasted longer than I had planned. I had under ate and ended up binge eating this weekend...Absolute bank holiday massacre  it felt so good at the time, now feels shitty. Going hard this week to make up for it...plenty cardio and healthy food


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

This is a tad long, I trimmed some footage in like an hour. But, my form is fairly good. Very happy with my squat. Not so much on the one filmed behind me (you can see my left leg push in a bit). Someone told me my pullups were dangerous because I fully extend when I come down. I disagree, but I appreciate feedback on anything and will review it myself.

key points I worry about:
1) my dips. Is that shitty form? not so much my depth, I think that's fine. But my elbows and body.
2) Deadlifts and Squats in general
3) 1 of the 3 clips of me benching I do a terrible last rep so please don't bother telling me about it. I know.


----------



## Corey

Is there a reason why you do pause reps on the bench? Your negative is so slow and controlled into the pause on your chest (which is fine of course) but it looks like you could get a clean 3-5 at 225 without the pauses.

What in the world would be wrong with fully extending at the bottom of a pull up?  Nothing but fully stretching and contracting the lats there.

Also, if I did a dip like yours it would eternally fuck up my shoulders and elbows. It looks like you must be double jointed or something because that seriously looks painful as hell with how deep you go and how your elbows lock past their normal position.

Your grip is much wider than mine when it comes to deadlifts, but as long as you're not putting any extra strain on your biceps you should be ok. Great depth on those squats!


----------



## Alim

Was doing deadlifts today and a bunch of morons who I've never seen even attempt a deadlift were telling me to wear a belt or else I could fuck up my back. I told them that I had my form checked by two different gym trainers and posted it on a bodybuilding forum and they were still trying to broscience me. Hate when people smaller than me tell me what to do in the gym.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jack Evans 187 said:


> Is there a reason why you do pause reps on the bench? Your negative is so slow and controlled into the pause on your chest (which is fine of course) but it looks like you could get a clean 3-5 at 225 without the pauses.


yes. To make it perfectly clear it's a press and not a bounce. I see way too much of that to ever fall into the trap. Plus, I think that's how power lifting competition is judged. You have to pause somewhat with the eight. 

None of those were not my maxes, just heavy weight at probably 80% max. Bt yeah, I posted to this to get feedback. I'm not sure if I should be going so slow and doing the pauses. But I only bench, deadlift, and squat for strength now.


----------



## MF83

Pause benches teach tightness and trains strength from the bottom since the stretch reflex is taken away. And in powerlifting you unrack the weight and keep it locked out, get a start command to lower the bar, then once it is settled we get a press command. Once you lock it out you have to wait for a rack command.


Says I can't watch it in Canada!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

yeah. Youtube recognizes published music and restricts it on some devices (my phone) and countries. I had to change settings, try again. Impressive a computer can do that automatically, but annoying for me.


----------



## DesolationRow

Don't know why but I feel like I am becoming addicted to triceps dips. Also finding myself doing more pushups, more basic cardio. Should probably go back to more squats starting tomorrow, too. Very satisfied with my bench pressing.

Anybody else use a slosh pipe? I have a 6'-length pvc pipe, fill it up to about two-thirds capacity with water and cap the ends. Performing presses, overhead carries and deadlifts with it is more arduous and fun than you may think. Of course, you have to construct your own gripping equipment for it--I crafted a fairly decent wrist roller for it and wrapped duct tape around the pipe where I can grip it rather soundly.


----------



## Alim

Bench press update: 

So if you guys recall I asked you guys for advice with my bench press and how much it sucks. I've fixed my form. I had multiple "gym rats" check my form today and the trainer in the gym gave me some tips too. Forget to take a video, but I'm making it brahs!


----------



## DesolationRow

Good for you, *Alim*. 

I figured that it was _probably_ something along those lines but didn't want to make presumptions.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Pvc pipe? Never heard of it, but now on interested. 

I literally was stuck at 185 on bench until I fixed my form (evidenced in my vid) and now can Max 255. That was since February, maybe. I did 265,but a random Fucker (after I said no lift off, only help if I fail) lifted me off and held the bar the whole time. 2 non counting reps

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----------



## pryme tyme

Anyone ever deal with shoulder joint pain during bench? The joint in my left shoulder has recently been bothering me on my first couple sets even after taking a week off from bench. After a few sets the pain tends to dissipate but even thorough stretching hasn't taken care of it affecting my first couple sets. I've adjusted my form to put less pressure on my shoulder joints and rely more on my triceps and it's seemed to help but I'm curious if anyone else on here has had a similar issue. Like I said I've made the adjustment in my form already but I'm more interested in how long it's taken people to get back to 100% after working through a training induced joint injury.


----------



## Corey

Have you tried dumbbells instead? Some guys just aren't physically able to do flat bench for the same reasons.


----------



## Alim

Dat feel when you're squatting and hear that sound where your shorts are ripping

Feels

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----------



## Corey

Did chest and tri's today and for some reason I still had a lot of energy and felt like doing legs. So i stretched out for a couple minutes and did some goblet squats with a dumbbell to open up the hips. Wasn't feelin it so I said what the fuck, let's deadlift! Did like 5 or 6 total sets and ended up maxing out at 355 lbs. First let me say I've never even ATTEMPTED anything over 315 and I've deadlifted less than 10 times in my entire life. So I'd say that's not too shabby. I put on 365 and didn't have anything left to get it off the ground.  Fuck it, I'm happy with it though. Oh and for anyone who may ask, I do double overhand conventional. Did some sumo to warm up with 135 and 225.


----------



## Rockstar

Had easily my worst back workout in my entire life today. Usually I work my way up to 345 for deadlifts for a couple of sets, today I struggled so much that I was having a tough time with 295. No idea why. Might post a video later on of me doing deadlifts from a few weeks ago, maybe you guys could tell me if I'm doing something majorly wrong. Extremely frustrated after today.


----------



## MF83

My second meet is June 14th! Following 5/3/1 for powerlifting. It's 4 days a week and the pre meet program is 8 weeks. Following that walking program for conditioning and maybe once a week sprints.

Keep assistance and minor conditioning for the first four weeks

8 weeks out: military 3s week (3x3), no money set. Deadlifts/bench/squat 3s week, no money set, then two singles at 85% and 92.5% of meet goal weights.
7 weeks out: 3x5, no money sets
6 out: military 5/3/1, no money set. Deadlift/bench/squat days: 5/3/1, no money set. 85% single of meet max goal, 95% of max meet goal.
5: deload

Minimal assistance/no conditioning until post-meet

4: 3s week, no money sets or singles
3: 5s week, no money sets or singles
2: 5/3/1 week, no money sets or heavy singles
1: week off from Saturday to the next Saturday's meet
Meet day: PEAK AND OWN IT


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

Rockstar said:


> Had easily my worst back workout in my entire life today. Usually I work my way up to 345 for deadlifts for a couple of sets, today I struggled so much that I was having a tough time with 295. No idea why. Might post a video later on of me doing deadlifts from a few weeks ago, maybe you guys could tell me if I'm doing something majorly wrong. Extremely frustrated after today.


We all have our bad workout days, it could be anything from not enough sleep, not eating or even training at a different time than usual.


----------



## The_It_Factor

pryme tyme said:


> Anyone ever deal with shoulder joint pain during bench? The joint in my left shoulder has recently been bothering me on my first couple sets even after taking a week off from bench. After a few sets the pain tends to dissipate but even thorough stretching hasn't taken care of it affecting my first couple sets. I've adjusted my form to put less pressure on my shoulder joints and rely more on my triceps and it's seemed to help but I'm curious if anyone else on here has had a similar issue. Like I said I've made the adjustment in my form already but I'm more interested in how long it's taken people to get back to 100% after working through a training induced joint injury.


it's just really hard on the shoulders/rotator cuff's. bench press is just a really macho lift (i'm guilty of it too, as i hate staying away from benching for too long), so if possible, switch to dumbbell presses. they might not look as cool or be as popular, but they're definitely the way to go if you're looking to put some size on your chest, and they're a lot easier on your shoulders. however, it's good to practice your form with dumbbells too by trying to bring your elbows closer in to your sides like you said you've been doing with bench (by relying more/activating the triceps more). 

like i said, we all love to bench, haha, but if it's causing problems, you should try switching to dumbbell bench. it might not look as cool, but it'll give good results, and most importantly, may keep you away from injuries... there's no point in doing a lift if it's going to hinder your gains by causing nagging injuries.. i've had to learn that the hard way.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

deadlifts, 4x5
sumos, 3x5
rack pulls, 3x5

and screw this Gold's Gym with a calf machine where you press down. WTF? Weight lifting is literally the sport about fighting gravity. How do you screw something up?

I also got told I couldn't wear socks while squatting and deadlifting...in Gold's Gym...where Arnold use to workout barefoot. Some guy came up to me and told me the place was bullshit because they wouldn't let him workout while he had his gun with him. I just agreed with him and nodded, hoped he would like me and not kill me later.


----------



## Olympus

Could anyone recommend some new chest workouts I could throw into my chest day? Lately it's just been:

Flat bench - 3x11
Incline bench - 3x11
Cable Crossovers 3x11
Not sure of the exact name, but it's a machine and I'm pressing straight forwarding.Probably just a sitting bench press I guess? 3x11

Then all add in an ab workout and squats to help work my core and to work my legs a little because I've been told doing legs helps stimulate your entire body and I don't get to legs much.

Also, I've noticed a lot of people do 4 or 5 sets a machine as opposed to 3 which is what I've become accustomed to over the years. Is there a reason for this? Will adding sets increased gains?

And what is your guys' opinion on BB.com's workout database? It essentially puts together a workout for you based on your desires.

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

Looking into it ATM and considering giving it a shot.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

:mark:

What are you lifting for? Strength or aesthetics? I'm guessing both, generally that's what everyone wants. I'd do lower reps with higher weights on Bench.

my chest day: (sets x reps)

Bench 3 x 5 or 4 x 4(or 6)
Cleans 3 x 5

then I move to aesthetics...

- incline flyes 2 x 12-15
* low cable pulls (or decline flyes) 2 x 12-15
- Dips 3 x till failure, or just 50 as fast as possible
- lateral deltoid raises 3 x 12-15
- skull crusher 3 x 12-15

A chest workout doesn't have to have everything target chest and triceps. This works for me, I like it. you might not, but that's the fun part about training. Trying all sorts of stuff to see what you like. 

I usually will do 3 sets of something ab related at the end of all my workouts. Real easy, more so for speed or to hit obliques (situps, flutter kicks, leg raises,...). Sometimes I'll skip if I'm spent.


----------



## Luke88

MF83 said:


> My second meet is June 14th! Following 5/3/1 for powerlifting. It's 4 days a week and the pre meet program is 8 weeks. Following that walking program for conditioning and maybe once a week sprints.
> 
> Keep assistance and minor conditioning for the first four weeks
> 
> 8 weeks out: military 3s week (3x3), no money set. Deadlifts/bench/squat 3s week, no money set, then two singles at 85% and 92.5% of meet goal weights.
> 7 weeks out: 3x5, no money sets
> 6 out: military 5/3/1, no money set. Deadlift/bench/squat days: 5/3/1, no money set. 85% single of meet max goal, 95% of max meet goal.
> 5: deload
> 
> Minimal assistance/no conditioning until post-meet
> 
> 4: 3s week, no money sets or singles
> 3: 5s week, no money sets or singles
> 2: 5/3/1 week, no money sets or heavy singles
> 1: week off from Saturday to the next Saturday's meet
> Meet day: PEAK AND OWN IT


Plan looks good mate. I had a comp yesterday, it went pretty well.


----------



## Olympus

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> :mark:
> 
> What are you lifting for? Strength or aesthetics? I'm guessing both, generally that's what everyone wants. I'd do lower reps with higher weights on Bench.
> 
> my chest day: (sets x reps)
> 
> Bench 3 x 5 or 4 x 4(or 6)
> Cleans 3 x 5
> 
> then I move to aesthetics...
> 
> - incline flyes 2 x 12-15
> * low cable pulls (or decline flyes) 2 x 12-15
> - Dips 3 x till failure, or just 50 as fast as possible
> - lateral deltoid raises 3 x 12-15
> - skull crusher 3 x 12-15
> 
> A chest workout doesn't have to have everything target chest and triceps. This works for me, I like it. you might not, but that's the fun part about training. Trying all sorts of stuff to see what you like.
> 
> I usually will do 3 sets of something ab related at the end of all my workouts. Real easy, more so for speed or to hit obliques (situps, flutter kicks, leg raises,...). Sometimes I'll skip if I'm spent.


Well, yeah, both. Mainly aesthetics ATM, but once I reach my goal I'll get bored and wanna add some more mass. But yeah, I'm starting to learn that you really don't need that man chest workouts considering they're basically all variations on the bench press and working the same area.

Thanks for the help. Repped.


----------



## MF83

Strongman is so badass. That was a manly performance, Luke.


Sweet video, Skyfall. You have beautiful dips. For the deadlift, from the side view it's pretty clear you start your shoulders too far in front of the bar and your arms are at an angle as a result. You want shoulders right over top of the bar for better leverage. Something else - maybe grip it slightly narrower (right near the edge of the knurling?) and possibly narrow your stance a bit too. The narrower grip lowers the ROM, eases the starting position, keeps the arms tighter on your legs. That's just a suggestion though. Squat looked fine for high bar but I'd need more angles.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I literally just started putting my shoulders over the bar too. That Elliot guy said so. :lmao My previous problem was that I was just doing a squat and was throwing my center of gravity around. But I'll fix that.

You, my bud, and the trainer said my stance was too wide for deadlifts. So that's obvious to me now. But I go wide on everything (bench, squat, overhead press, and deadies). Not sure if I should fix this, making it awkward for me, or if it's just my body type? 

I don't know if you noticed on the squat from behind, my left leg wiggles. I cringe everytime I watch it now.


----------



## TheeJayBee

I stopped doing splits at the start of the year and now I go full-body 3 days a week. It's brutal but the rewards are fantastic. I feel more powerful than ever right now and it's helped with my cardio too. The exercises I do are decline dumbbell press, barbell bench press, close-grip bench press, pull-ups, deadlifts, t-bar row, squats and dumbbell curls. Usually takes me about 90 minutes to do, with about half and hour of that being stretching and cardio. I do more cardio twice a week and on these days I throw in some crunches, sit ups and the dreaded plank (hate that exercise more than any other).

I know you guys all have your own routines and that, but does anybody else go full-body? It was a shock to the system when I first tried it and I'm always knackered, but I get an insane pump from doing it and it's improved my overall well-being massively.


----------



## Magic

We have a full body day in our split with a day off before and after. Full body days are usually pretty fun/rewarding?



Can anyone else do handstand pushups? I finally got my handstands done perfectly and can almost do them. :mark:


----------



## TheeJayBee

Well, I find them fun mate! You know those days where you wake up one morning and you just feel well up for it, going harder than ever in the gym (I know we all probably push ourselves, but everybody has that day where they go full throttle x 2)? If you feel like that and do full body you pretty much feel like Hercules when you're done xD The pumps I get off full bodies are unreal to me. 

I used to be able to do handstand push-ups when I very briefly did MMA with a friend (he's great at them), but I could literally do 2 and that would be it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jay Cutler was there too, and 3 other Mrs Olympias. Phil Heath was supposed to come but he didn't, we got lucky and had Kai instead. It was hard to control my :mark: self for 2 hours. Cutler knew all the GNC employees too. I didn't get any autographs so this will have to do. FYI, I was flexing right up until the photo was taken. Just saying.


----------



## Punked Up

Currently at 181. Need to cut down for memorial day weekend!

Is 175 realistic? How low could I reasonably get? I'll mostly be cutting calories considerably and maybe going on an extra run or two a week.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

It's realistic if you cut down water weight. That's 6 pounds in almost 3 weeks. The general scheme is to lose 1 lb a week through diet and exercise (cutting 500 cal a day x 7 days a week = 3500 calories = 1 lb). So you'd have to do 2 per week. While I think that is possible, it won't just be fat, and probably mostly not fat. 

But if you cut 1000 calories a day you'll lose some fat, water, and muscle (being made of water, go figure), and lose the 6 lbs. However, it will then be easier to gain back. That's why good diet programs recommend 1 lb a week. Some will say 1.5, 2, 3, 15, etc. I'd aim for 1 lb. If you need to drop to 175 for a weigh in then sit in a sauna, run a lot, hydrate, sit in a sauna, run a lot. It won't be healthy but wrestlers do it all the time then eat a ton.

If you think you'll physically look 6 lbs lighter, you won't so don't do it for that.


----------



## FalseKing

Dayum, I want a photo with Kai too.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

This was hilarious :lmao


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I can clean 225 lbs. BEAST WARS! I did it for 2 reps, but the second was so sloppy I don't want to even count it. But damn. cleaning 225...Cesaro would be proud. 

In November I could only clean about 135, on a good day. I also have 3 jugs of protein, 6 different pre-workouts, and 2 new things creatine right now. Being a supplement salesman, and being a supplement junkie with a discount, is dangerous for me :lmao. Plus I just got some test boosters. My next vitapak I'll be starting has 2 test boosters (fenugreek, tribulus) and Creatine HCL (which you don't have to cycle off of nearly as much like monohydrate you should), as well as milk thistle which helps the liver. Very excited. I start that in 5 days.


----------



## MF83

Sweet pic man.

I think the butt came off the bench but I hit a 265 bench after my supposed to be top single of the day of 265. Finally started using my wraps for the first time too. Hypes me up real well.

Last heavy squat single day before the meet today. Should be good.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

How do you prepare for a Max PR? Like, say I wanted to test a 375 on deadlifts. What would be the warm up routine in your opinion MF83? 

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----------



## MF83

.4 x 5
.5 x 3
.6 x 2
.7 x 1
.8 x 1
.9 x 1
100%!

Focus on exploding. Keep adding weight if you think you have more in ya!

Do the Defranco Agile 8 for a dynamic warmup maybe?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

these stretches sound great; but all the lifting seems so much for working up to a PR max. How much rest do you take? OR do you have a youtube video for that as well? I do about half of these stretches right now, in 2 minutes, before squatting and deadlifting already. Very excited to try the whole thing in 2 days for my deadlift Sunday! 

and seriously, if you aint rolling...you be trolling. (I had "foaming" at first but nothing rhymed with that :lol)


----------



## MF83

Agile 8 rules and DeFranco's a guru. I'll foam roll the back and individual hamstrings too but that's just me.

Trust in the CNS re: the deadlift warmups. They're just priming you for heavy ass weight and to cement form. That's only 13 submax reps before you max and so your muscles will be fine. I got that workup sets template off some TNation article many months ago and it has served me very well. The earlier sets don't matter too much for rest intervals but 2-5 minutes between singles is good. Go only when you KNOW you're gonna rip it up perfectly and no sooner. Five minute rest of adding weight to the bar, hyping yourself up, resting, and preparing mentally/physically is not long at all in reality. Explode!

Shit, no, the one I put above was from somewhere else. This is the TNation one:

1. 8x 30-50%
2. 5x 60%
3. 3x 70%
4. 1 x 80%
5. 1x 90%
6. 1 x 100%

But either would work.


----------



## Naka Moora

I need an honest answer here, I'm 5'9 and 190LBS now is it possible to drop 30-35LBS in 2.5 months with a good training/diet?

I'm 24% BF too, I'd like to drop that to around 15%


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

not possible without limb removement. 

skip this if you know how the body works:
3500 calories = 1 lb of fat. Healthy weight lose is between 1-2 lbs a week; eating 2000 calories over 7 days, you'd drop 500 calories a day and lose 1 lb per week. Drop 1000 calories a day you'd drop 2 lbs. Even on the velocity diet (protein shakes all week with one solid meal once per week) you probably can't lose 10+ lbs a month. Having higher BF% means your body will target fat over muscle more optimally at first, but then towards a lower BF% (as I currently struggle with), it's difficult to target fat.

You could probably lose 3-4 lbs of weight (muscle, fat, water; mostly water technically and literally) a week if you went super dangerous dieting. Then you'd have no energy and it would backfire and you'd either die or gain back the weight. 

the user i$e has cool links in his sig:
http://www.wrestlingforum.com/11891414-post2352.html = cutting
http://www.wrestlingforum.com/12277174-post2817.html = bulking

very easy to follow. I would think you might intake 2200 calories (super rough, off the top of my head, guess). So dropping 700 would be an absolute max for you to drop. I'd never drop beneath 1500 (my current weight I barely drop below 3000). You have to factor in exercise as well. What are you doing exercise wise?


----------



## MF83

At the girlfriend's house for a few days and went to a gym in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Hit a few rep PRs with military (145x9, 110x16, 95x20) and a few heavy singles, totalled 100 chin up variation reps... And then did tire flip and prowler sprints for the first time ever! I neeeeeeed one now. Never been so exhausted so quickly. A top notch workout today. That place rules.


----------



## Klee

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Jay Cutler was there too, and 3 other Mrs Olympias. Phil Heath was supposed to come but he didn't, we got lucky and had Kai instead. It was hard to control my :mark: self for 2 hours. Cutler knew all the GNC employees too. I didn't get any autographs so this will have to do. FYI, I was flexing right up until the photo was taken. Just saying.


:brie



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I can clean 225 lbs. BEAST WARS! I did it for 2 reps, but the second was so sloppy I don't want to even count it. But damn. cleaning 225...Cesaro would be proud.
> 
> In November I could only clean about 135, on a good day. I also have 3 jugs of protein, 6 different pre-workouts, and 2 new things creatine right now. Being a supplement salesman, and being a supplement junkie with a discount, is dangerous for me :lmao. Plus I just got some test boosters. My next vitapak I'll be starting has 2 test boosters (fenugreek, tribulus) and Creatine HCL (which you don't have to cycle off of nearly as much like monohydrate you should), as well as milk thistle which helps the liver. Very excited. I start that in 5 days.


I'm gonna need some advice on supplements soon, man. I just need to set some goals. I've done the weight loss but now want to tone up and get some strength, which I have somehow lost a ton of over the last 2-3 years for whatever reason. 

I'll hit you up, home boy.


----------



## SUPAH STRONG STYLE

So... I've been heading to the gym lately. 

Starting my project "the next dragon" where I finally set some goals in my life. The problem is, with achieving some of the goals I want in the project, I realized I wasn't in the best shape.

I was never out of shape. Always have been in the healthy fitness zone. It's just I never worked out as much once I got out of high school. That's been two years, now? About two weeks ago, or three, I signed up to head back into a local gym. 

It's all been going really amazingly for me there. I'll post some of my stats later.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

"The Next Dragon"? Fuck, that's a cool name for a getting back in shape (or into better shape) program. Gonna call my progrom "BEASTWARS" from now on.


----------



## Iambic

Cool thread. I'll definitely check in from time to time.


----------



## Joshi Judas

Damn Cesaro rocks, you're huge :lol

Gotta lose some weight first, be calling on you for supplements advice soon (Y)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

spent $342.67 at GNC because they had a buy one, get one half off sale on all GNC products for memorial day weekend (US holiday on last monday of May). $180 of it was for my parents, the rest was for my MUSCLES!

I got Bio-Gro (product) Sounds like bullshit. But I've wanted to try it for the last month since not a single person has asked about it or bought it. Probably because $50 for a small little bottle is a terrible marketing decision.


----------



## Magic

Man it feels good to be able to squat 2 plates again for sets. :jose I'm hoping I can do three sets, with 6-8 reps each, of 3 plates by the end of the summer. 


It's amazing how much better yours gains are in the summer when you can 1) eat properly 2) sleep properly 3) maintain a gym schedule. Fuck school. My brother and I are doing a 4 day split of chest/tris; back/bis; shoulders; legs that we do nonstop so it's been pretty fun so far. Kind of miss doing all body days though since they were usually the most intense, but my brother fucked up his wrist doing cleans so we're stuck with this routine for awhile.


----------



## Corey

I've been through 3 or 4 tubs of Bio Gro. It's a pretty good product if you have the money for it. I saw strength gains rather quickly and recovery was sped up too as long as you keep up the dosage (I went with 3 scoops a day since I'm just over 200 lbs). Not a necessity but a good product to add to the stack. Shouldn't have spent so much for it though, man. It's buy one get one free at muscleandstrength.com for $39.99 right now. I know you work at GNC and all, but jesus Christ their prices are way too much. Only time I'll shop there is if I have a coupon or if they're running a sale so I can get some fish oil.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

GNC isn't the best for non-protein products in the long run. But if you're buying certain things in bulk it can work out. 

That sale in particular ^^^ though sort of pisses me off right now. We have some really great protein (Wheybolic Extreme 60) though. So, there's that going for us. :lol I'm also doing a bulk right now because I lost so much weight since I started working there; so I'll WEIGHT 2 months before I even use it.


----------



## Corey

Shit if you're bulking right now that Bio Gro is gonna work wonders for you. Make sure you add it to meals that are high in protein, i.e. shakes or... like a chipotle bowl or something. haha. It'll speed up the absorption rate of the protein and help the overall digestion of it so you'll get more bang for your buck (which in turn is what's gonna help you gain weight, recover faster, get stronger, etc.). Let me know how it's working for you over time. Oh and do yourself a favor and leave the scoop OUTSIDE of the container, or else you're gonna waste a lot of it.


----------



## MF83

Jim Wendler just put out a new challenge on his private (yeah, I paid twenty bucks for a month) forum called Boring But Strong. 4 days a week for 13 weeks, focusing on each press, DL, bench, squat where you do normal 5/3/1 then 10x5 same movement with 75% until the last three weeks when you do 10x5 with 85% of your training max. Looks fucking daunting.


----------



## Corey

I think Brandon Campbell did that a couple months ago. I remember getting sick of seeing him do the same lifts over and over and over again.  Sounds ridiculously challenging though.


----------



## MF83

He probably did Boring But Big aka 5x10. This is 10x5 and a brand new challenge. Dayum. Oh yeah, no more than 90 second rest intervals too!

Likely won't do it for a while/ever. Plan is getting in shape condition and look wise after my June meet. Plan to slowly drop 30+lbs over the next many months while trying to maintain strength or even improve if possible.


----------



## DesolationRow

Ran across the Golden Gate Bridge from north to south, down by Fort Point, all the way down through the Marina on Marina Boulevard and then Fisherman's Wharf to the Embarcadero to around AT&T Park, then ran through the Financial District to Franklin and back to the Marina and back across the bridge this quite early this morning. Phew, so much fun. :mark:


----------



## Jaxx

Right, so I'm gonna start bulking, in fact I started today as I really wanna put on the pounds. So this my food log for the day:

4 eggs with 2 yolks fried with olive oil removed plus a piece of home made bread and one piece of brown pitta bread. 
Glass of milk with small handsized pancake. 
One pack of crisps 
Post workout - 4 eggs, 2 slices of seeded brown bread
Milk with Small hand sized pancake
Handful of walnuts, handful of sultanas
Chicken thigh and Chicken Leg
2 and a half chicken breast wraps with some lettuce
And before bed, bowl of yogurt and cucumber mix

Loads of water throughout the day as well

So I used the BMR calculator and the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate the number of calories I need daily to achieve what I want. I'm 6ft 1, 21 years old and weigh 180lbs so it came to 3100 calories to put on the mass. Anyone give me any advice?


----------



## MF83

Started at 3:15AM (hence talking to myself over silence) cause why not and hit three Military Press PRs: 175x3, 190x1, 140x10! 

http://youtu.be/H0IvCLBXjHg


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Principino said:


> Right, so I'm gonna start bulking, in fact I started today as I really wanna put on the pounds. So this my food log for the day:
> 
> 4 eggs with 2 yolks fried with olive oil removed plus a piece of home made bread and one piece of brown pitta bread.
> Glass of milk with small handsized pancake.
> One pack of crisps
> Post workout - 4 eggs, 2 slices of seeded brown bread
> Milk with Small hand sized pancake
> Handful of walnuts, handful of sultanas
> Chicken thigh and Chicken Leg
> 2 and a half chicken breast wraps with some lettuce
> And before bed, bowl of yogurt and cucumber mix
> 
> Loads of water throughout the day as well
> 
> So I used the BMR calculator and the Harris Benedict Equation to calculate the number of calories I need daily to achieve what I want. I'm 6ft 1, 21 years old and weigh 180lbs so it came to 3100 calories to put on the mass. Anyone give me any advice?


Don't be discouraged when you don't adhere to that diet exactly, since you won't, a lot of times.  Besides, if you're bulking, you can let yourself slip a few times and not stick to such a strict diet. Kudos for going the clean route though.

Try things like pasta and brown rice too. potatoes. Also, why no steak? and don't worry about avoiding so much fat, you want that stuff (I notice only 2 egg yolks ). AND PLEASE EAT CARBS, INCLUDING BEFORE BEDTIME WHILE BULKING. Hell, eat a 16" pizza twice a week; I do that when I'm not bulking.


----------



## Jaxx

Knew you'd reply :banderas

I'm not worried about fats tbh, I'll lose that when I start cutting. It's more that I have read that yolks really affect your cholesterol which is why I only had two, hell, I love the yolk, best part of the egg. 


It's really hard keeping up with this,had 4 eggs in the morning today with a glass of juice and 4 slices of brown seeded toast. Had to work today which was good as I could go get some grilled chicken from the takeaway,had half a chicken and chips,can of fanta as well (fizzy is all they had). After work bought a pot of pasta and a coconut bar to eat on the way home. Im sitting here with a bloated stomach which I've had all day, hard keeping up with 3000 calories a day. Don't know how I'm gonna eat for the rest of the day.

Also, 16" pizza, what in the hell you beast.


----------



## Alim

How am I doing? Body fat estimate? In October I was 155lb and now I'm around 180lb, give or take depending on my creatine cycle. Bulk or cut?


----------



## Jaxx

Dude that's awesome so far. What kind of diet were you on?


----------



## Corey

Great progress, Alim. Getting them newbie gains.  Keep bulking for sure.


----------



## Alim

Prince Jax said:


> Dude that's awesome so far. What kind of diet were you on?


I don't have a strict diet. The only things I keep track of are calories and protein. I try to eat around 3000 calories and 1g protein per lb of bodyweight.

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----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Only cut if you're going to be at the beach all of August. Otherwise, keep bulking. Hell, even dirty bulk :lol THAT'S THE BEST WAY! And strength recordings you want to amaze us with too? 

Bio-Grow is fantastic and I can't understand why, even after researching it and physically using it myself I would still say it's bullshit. Might just be a placebo effect.


----------



## Iambic

Bulking is always a blast! Lol

What is Bio-grow? I don't really use any supps and I'm always behind when people talk about them.


----------



## Alim

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Only cut if you're going to be at the beach all of August. Otherwise, keep bulking. Hell, even dirty bulk :lol THAT'S THE BEST WAY! And strength recordings you want to amaze us with too?
> 
> Bio-Grow is fantastic and I can't understand why, even after researching it and physically using it myself I would still say it's bullshit. Might just be a placebo effect.


Deadlift 335lb
Squat 270lb
Bench 175lb

All 1 rep maxes. Started at 90lb for all of them. Not that impressive but I want dem aesthetic gains. Strength is just an added plus for me

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----------



## Magic

If you mostly care about the aesthetic look and not that much about strength wouldn't it make sense to cut now since you're at 185? How else are you going to get that six pack brah? :hayden3


Unless you don't want a strict diet, in which case you probably wouldn't want to cut and bulking is always more fun like skyfall said.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Dominos has Large pizza with 2 toppings for $5.99 until June 1st. You can't _not_ bulk up till then. :mark: GAINZ!


Bio-grow is some powder that's supposed to speed up recovery I think. I just know that I'm on vacation at home and eating shit, even drinking a bit, and since I've been using it I've been recovering faster.


----------



## Magic

dominoes in victoria had a 50% off for any pizza deal and an all/any/extra toppings large pizza for 11 dollars during the year. dominoes clearly looking out for the dirty bulkers out there. :side:


----------



## Corey

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Only cut if you're going to be at the beach all of August. Otherwise, keep bulking. Hell, even dirty bulk :lol THAT'S THE BEST WAY! And strength recordings you want to amaze us with too?
> 
> *Bio-Grow is fantastic *and I can't understand why, even after researching it and physically using it myself I would still say it's bullshit. Might just be a placebo effect.


Tried to tell ya...



Iambic said:


> Bulking is always a blast! Lol
> 
> What is Bio-grow? I don't really use any supps and I'm always behind when people talk about them.


It's not exactly blowing up on the mainstream market just yet, mainly on smaller supplement sites like Tiger Fitness & Muscle & Strength, but it's basically a powder that enhances the digestion rate of protein peptides. It ensures that you use more of the protein you eat so you in turn recover faster, get stronger, and gain more muscle. It sounds a little too good to be true, but I've seen some good results out of it. It's called Bio Gro by iSatori.



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Dominos has Large pizza with 2 toppings for $5.99 until June 1st. You can't _not_ bulk up till then. :mark: GAINZ!
> 
> 
> Bio-grow is some powder that's supposed to speed up recovery I think. I just know that I'm on vacation at home and eating shit, even drinking a bit, and *since I've been using it I've been recovering faster.*


:agree:


----------



## Choke2Death

Speaking of newbies, I finally stopped being lazy and bought my gym membership 3 months ago. Been working out non-stop for the most part and I like the progress so far. I'm pretty skinny (143 lbs, 5'10") so I'm looking to gain weight and bulk up slightly but not too much.

I don't try max weight or anything like that, I just start from the bottom and when I feel comfortable with a certain weight, I upgrade. I dedicate one day for the 5 major body parts (shoulder, arms, legs, back & chest) and do a 5 minute session on my abs daily. Any advice from the '_experts_' on whether I should change anything or any specific exercises that are worth trying?


----------



## MF83

I've been taught that Rule#1 = deadlift. Do compound movements (squat/bench/deadlift/cleans/standing overhead press/pullups). Get strong (low reps heavy on said exercises) before moving on to size work because 315x10 gets you bigger than 135x10. Do "legs" more than once a week and squat to or below parallel. Fuck strict arm day when you're new (add triceps to shoulders and/or chest; add biceps to back and/or chest/shoulders). Don't use the Smith machine. Eat a lot. Read every article you can from reputable places like T-Nation and EliteFTS. Subscribe to Omar Isuf on YouTube. Don't waste newb gain potential. Oh shit, the waitress just brought my food.


----------



## Choke2Death

But I like the Smith machine too much.  (specially for bench-press)

I might add a certain amount of squats as a daily thing if they're really important. Will also add deadlift as I haven't done much standing exercises with the barbell other than squats.

I like the tricep/bicep session too much so I think I'll keep on doing it. Other than losing majority of belly fat I had, the most progress I've noticed is with the arms so far. Biceps were nonexistent when I started, now it's around 11 inches.


----------



## Corey

Choke2Death said:


> *But I like the Smith machine too much.  (specially for bench-press)
> *
> I might add a certain amount of squats as a daily thing if they're really important. Will also add deadlift as I haven't done much standing exercises with the barbell other than squats.
> 
> I like the tricep/bicep session too much so I think I'll keep on doing it. Other than losing majority of belly fat I had, the most progress I've noticed is with the arms so far. Biceps were nonexistent when I started, now it's around 11 inches.


Bro... come on. Drop that smith machine. Smith machine bench press is a no-no.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Choke2Death said:


> But I like the Smith machine too much.  (specially for bench-press)
> 
> I might add a certain amount of squats as a daily thing if they're really important. Will also add deadlift as I haven't done much standing exercises with the barbell other than squats.
> 
> I like the tricep/bicep session too much so I think I'll keep on doing it. Other than losing majority of belly fat I had, the most progress I've noticed is with the arms so far. Biceps were nonexistent when I started, now it's around 11 inches.


Do you have any injuries that are causing you to rely on a smith machine? Otherwise avoid it. It isolates muscles, restricts full Range of Motion, and also it lessens the weight you use (so benching 225 on a smith machine =/= 225).

If you're benching so much that you require a smith machine as a back-up spotter (to just twist the bar to stop it), then you're benching too much weight in the first place or you should just ask for a spot. 

Settle for dumbdell bench or basic bench. This is all considering you don't have a legit reason to need to use the smith machine. I won't bash it like most people, it does have its purpose. I use it for upright rows sometimes.


----------



## Choke2Death

Jack Evans 187 said:


> Bro... come on. Drop that smith machine. Smith machine bench press is a no-no.


But it's so comfortable! 

What I like about the Smith machine is the fact that my movement is in a straight line. When I bench-press with free weight, the movement is too shaky and I don't like it much.

I just looked it up on google and it seems that it is bad to use if you wanna gain strength but does not affect your progress in getting lean (which is what I'm mainly aiming for and bulking is just a bonus). If that is the case, I wont drop anything. 



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Do you have any injuries that are causing you to rely on a smith machine? Otherwise avoid it. It isolates muscles, restricts full Range of Motion, and also it lessens the weight you use (so benching 225 on a smith machine =/= 225).
> 
> If you're benching so much that you require a smith machine as a back-up spotter (to just twist the bar to stop it), then you're benching too much weight in the first place or you should just ask for a spot.
> 
> Settle for dumbdell bench or basic bench. This is all considering you don't have a legit reason to need to use the smith machine. I won't bash it like most people, it does have its purpose. I use it for upright rows sometimes.


I have some small nagging pain in my knees (but they don't have an effect on my workouts). Other than that, everything is fine.

I don't bench much at all as I can do that with free weight too, I just like the Smith machine because like I said to JE187, the movement is consistent.


----------



## Rush

Choke2Death said:


> But it's so comfortable!
> 
> What I like about the Smith machine is the fact that my movement is in a straight line. When I bench-press with free weight, the movement is too shaky and I don't like it much.


Drop the weight and do it with a bar. That shakyness as you put it is a clean sign the weight is too heavy for you. Drop the weight, build up your strength so the muscles that stabilise are working effectively and the shakyness won't be an issue. As cesaro_rocks said, unless you have an injury that stops you from doing it with a bar you shouldn't need to do it with a smith machine.


----------



## Magic

I never do cleans at all. Would you guys consider it a necessary exercise or just a really good one to do?




Choke2Death said:


> Speaking of newbies, I finally stopped being lazy and bought my gym membership 3 months ago. Been working out non-stop for the most part and I like the progress so far. I'm pretty skinny (143 lbs, 5'10") so I'm looking to gain weight and bulk up slightly but not too much.
> 
> I don't try max weight or anything like that, I just start from the bottom and when I feel comfortable with a certain weight, I upgrade. I dedicate one day for the 5 major body parts (shoulder, arms, legs, back & chest) and do a 5 minute session on my abs daily. Any advice from the '_experts_' on whether I should change anything or any specific exercises that are worth trying?



5 minutes of abs isn't enough, even if it's done daily. Look up some routines on youtube, I recommend some of the p90x ab exercises(although i just prefer them myself from doing them), and get a solid 20/30 minute routine going. also make sure you get enough exercises to cover every area, especially bother lower and upper abs, so you don't end up with fucked looking abs. 


doing them every other day instead of daily is smarter as well since abs need to repair and recover just like any other muscle and you're not getting the most of out it if you're just tearing your muscle fibers every day without letting them ever recover. 


i also don't think using dumbbells in place of a bar for squats/deadlifts is such a good idea. Not entirely sure, pretty sure, but I think the bar exercises for those are a hell of lot better than using dumbbells.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Clean like your mama is coming after you. Just basic cleans (from floor to shoulders), squat clean or clean & press are when it gets dangerous imo. You could do those too, but unless you're competing for something cleans suffice for fitness purposes. I love cleans because you'll almost never see anyone doing them correctly. I'm sure I'm probably messing something up too. 

But I can do 225 lb cleans, so suck it poindexter.


----------



## goldigga

*Choke2Death*

The first injury I picked up doing weight training was from benching on the smith and most people I have asked have a similar problem. 

The fact that like u said the movement is "consistent" can be a problem for ur joints. Honestly I was scared at first to do bench press on my own but Dumbell bench press is a godsend.

First of all its a compound exercise, not as great as squats or deads, but it uses and develops strength in your stabilizer muscles (which is important too prevent injury), triceps, lats, forearms and chest (duh). More importantly if u said you want to get lean and build muscle, you can burn far more calories on free weight excercises like Dumbell bench press.

Trust me bench is one excerise you don't want to do on a machine. You never want to get comfortable on an exercise, start out light, develop your form and you will notice massive changes in strength and size. 

Good luck with it man.


----------



## Choke2Death

I actually do the dumbbell chest press every time when I'm working chest (which will be today when I hit the gym in a short while) and it's one of my favs. It's not so much that the machine makes it easier as much as I've figured that doing it in a straightforward motion would help the muscles grow more 'properly'. But with so many speaking against it, I guess it's better to do it with free weight. I know one thing I'll never do on the Smith machine for sure, that's squats. I did them last time I worked legs and although I finished the 10 rep, 3 set that is my routine, it felt like I was risking injury every time I went up and down.

I've also seen the machine used more often in the gym compared to the free weight so I never got the notion that it's bad/limits your growth.



Red Viper said:


> 5 minutes of abs isn't enough, even if it's done daily. Look up some routines on youtube, I recommend some of the p90x ab exercises(although i just prefer them myself from doing them), and get a solid 20/30 minute routine going. also make sure you get enough exercises to cover every area, especially bother lower and upper abs, so you don't end up with fucked looking abs.
> 
> doing them every other day instead of daily is smarter as well since abs need to repair and recover just like any other muscle and you're not getting the most of out it if you're just tearing your muscle fibers every day without letting them ever recover.


The 5 minute session is actually one I took from youtube. It consists of 9 different exercises (20 repetitions) working around your abs and you take 10-20 second breaks after 3 in a row. I did them last year for a while and lost plenty of belly fat. Now I started doing them daily a few weeks ago and it feels like I'm progressing every day.

I tend to do around 6-10 different exercises for each body part, so I'd assume that is just about enough.


----------



## Magic

I've never used the smith machine for anything aside from traps. Does it cause you to lock your joints when you do movements because I'm pretty sure that repeatedly locking your joints on every rep would result in you getting arthritis when you're older. never lock your joints on any exercise basically.

it's not about the number of exercises, just making sure you cover each muscle area of your body when you're working out a particular muscle group.


----------



## MF83

Behind the body straight line (press... Shrugs...) movements are the only time I could see it being advantageous and even then barbell or dumbbell would be better. A proper barbell bench technique has a // bar path, not || that the Smith machine promotes. Use the designated body part machines if you want a muscle pump, just not the shitty smith machine. But as them Hodge twins say, this is just our advice, do whatever the FUCK *camera shakes* you wanna do!


Breaking out the classic smith machine vid: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IHBLxCPmnVc&feature=kp


----------



## EscapedIllusion

I couldn't workout today cause I forgot my shorts at home when I showed up at the gym,I'm beyond disappointed.Anyways how much protein am I suppose to eat on off days and should I have protein before bed?


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----------



## Magic

casein protein is the type of protein you take before bed. it's a slow release as it goes through your digestive process allowing your body to metabolize the proteins all night. im sure skyfall can tell you all about what supplements are best to take before bed.


and you should be getting a gram per pound of your entire body weight of protein every day, regardless of whether or not you go to the gym. if you're bulking it's usually 1.5 grams per pound of body weight.


----------



## [email protected]

*Weightlifting Thread*

General Weightlifting thread. Stories, what you can lift, etc.
I'm 18 and started lifting sophomore year at school and it was one of the best things I ever did. Lifting weights made me feel better mentally and physically, i've gained strength, muscle, and confidence. 

Weight:235
Bench:255
Squat:400
Clean:185 (I don't have the best form on cleans)
Deadlift:380


----------



## Rush

*Re: Weightlifting Thread*

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/anything/444916-workout-staying-shape-thread.html


----------



## TAR

*Re: Weightlifting Thread*

I can't participate in this thread..


----------



## Rush

Red Viper said:


> I've never used the smith machine for anything aside from traps. Does it cause you to lock your joints when you do movements because I'm pretty sure that repeatedly locking your joints on every rep would result in you getting arthritis when you're older. never lock your joints on any exercise basically.
> 
> it's not about the number of exercises, just making sure you cover each muscle area of your body when you're working out a particular muscle group.


Nothing should really cause you to lock your joints, that would be poor technique on your part if you're locking out on a machine. 



Choke2Death said:


> I've figured that doing it in a straightforward motion would help the muscles grow more 'properly'.


The thing i try and drill into people is what i've been taught my whole life which is "function, function, function". In real life you don't move in a straightforward motion. You need those stabilising muscles to be working properly. I've had massive blokes, with built physiques struggle to do scapula exercises with proper technique. They're not even weighted exercises, they just lack the stability required.


----------



## Dj.IcE

*Re: Weightlifting Thread*

Weight:177
Bench:264
Squat:440
Clean:Never do cleans... sciatica
Deadlift:450

28 years old
3 weeks in to the cut now, Target 170 current 175































image hosting 5mb


----------



## Dj.IcE

My kind of thread....

Weight:177
Bench:264
Squat:440
Clean:Never do cleans... sciatica
Deadlift:450

28 years old
3 weeks in to the cut now, Target 170 current 175































image hosting 5mb


----------



## Zakerias

*Re: Weightlifting Thread*

I'm 22. I go to the gym once a week(ish).

I have been lifting a few years so I'm quite big but nothing special.


----------



## Choke2Death

Looks like you've got the same tattoo as Randy Orton on your left arm. 



Rush said:


> The thing i try and drill into people is what i've been taught my whole life which is "function, function, function". In real life you don't move in a straightforward motion. You need those stabilising muscles to be working properly. I've had massive blokes, with built physiques struggle to do scapula exercises with proper technique. They're not even weighted exercises, they just lack the stability required.


Yeah, I see what you mean. Did bench-press yesterday on free weight and it's more of a struggle since I've used the Smith machine for most of the past month but the posts here have made me realize that the results will be much better if you don't take shortcuts/the easy route. I'll get used to it eventually.

v @ pryme tyme: If you follow the conversation here, you'll see that I've come to the conclusion to make the switch from Smith to regular.


----------



## pryme tyme

Choke2Death said:


> *But I like the Smith machine too much.  (specially for bench-press)*
> 
> I might add a certain amount of squats as a daily thing if they're really important. Will also add deadlift as I haven't done much standing exercises with the barbell other than squats.
> 
> I like the tricep/bicep session too much so I think I'll keep on doing it. Other than losing majority of belly fat I had, the most progress I've noticed is with the arms so far. Biceps were nonexistent when I started, now it's around 11 inches.


Good way to fuck up your shoulder. The Smith machine only allows movement in a straight line, when benching you also need to move the bar slightly back and forward to take the pressure off of the joints in your shoulder (specifically the AC joint get's problematic with Smith bench). Even if you have to drop weight you should definitely switch to regular bench so you can activate the triceps more and keep the pressure off your shoulder joints. 

Also if your just starting out (first 6 months), I would go with full body work outs to build a nice all around base for yourself. The bro splits and upper/lower splits will come in time but right now you should be hitting the compound movements. (bench, squat, overhead press, deadlift, pull ups, ect.)


----------



## MF83

Bonus because it rules: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnwAoesJvQ

^ Dave Tate's Bench Press Cure video. I watch it whenever my form feels off. 

My squat sucks. I need to up the frequency, volume and grow my quads. My deadlift, bench, and especially military press are steadily rising but my squat has regressed and this displeases me. I may aim just to hit a 380 (did 390 second attempt last time) at the meet and save my juice for the other two lifts.


----------



## Dj.IcE

Choke2Death said:


> Looks like you've got the same tattoo as Randy Orton on your left arm.



yup,back one too,Damn expensive to complete the set.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I was asked to spot a guy incline benching on the smith machine today. I did, and he still didn't do a full Rep.


----------



## Alim

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I was asked to spot a guy incline benching on the smith machine today. I did, and he still didn't do a full Rep.


Did he have clips on too?

:ti :ti :ti :ti


----------



## FalseKing

Full reps are for sissies.

I heard Kai loves doing halfs on the smith machinezzz.


----------



## Jaxx

I remember once this huge Polish guy asked me to spot him on the bench press, not sure how much he was pressing but it was a crap load. I suddenly thought this guy will kill me if I can't spot him (I said yes already without thinking), so I called my friend over and we literally took an end of the bar each and spotted him that way. Never again.


----------



## Magic

I love the people who literally cheat use their entire body doing curls. like the one muscle you should be able to easily isolate and people still fuck it up. :lmao


anyone got any good tips to strengthen stabilizer muscles? they're HOLDING me back on moving up in some things and it's annoying the hell out of me. ive started doing forearm and rotator cuff are alternating days to strengthen them more, but I need MORE. I hate failing on something like chest press because my wrist gives out before I actually tire otu.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I would hammer curls for wrists, but use plates. Like, grab 25 lb plates and grip them however and hammer curl them. I do those for burn outs a lot. Crazy awesome because it's a hammer curl, but do to your awkward grip your killing your forearms as well. That's going to help.

Cena said you need a strong back to increase your bench. And Cena always wins so I'd take his advice. 

Also, Arnold press. They're should presses (with dumbells) but when you come down you stop at about a 90 degree angle and bring the weights in, like a pec flye only you're sitting so it's going to heavy. These are 100% not recommended if you have shoulder problems. But they're great for should stability. John Morrison does a ton of these for all his parkour stuff too. I only do about 40 lbs at 8 reps; focus on form over everything because they can fuck you up.


----------



## Magic

I already do all of those in super sets. Like we do arnold press directly after shoulder press every time followed by some resistance band exercise. Usually do hammer curls with a dumbbell, but I'll give plates a shot and see how it goes. 


my back is pretty weak comparably to the rest of my body so I definitely have to strengthen that. Moreso my upper back than my lower back which is kind of weird, but that's what it turned out...somehow. Gotta FIX that shit though. Thanks for the tips, skyfall. (Y)


----------



## Pharmakon

Obama was flexing Hard, talk about Power. bama4


----------



## Choke2Death

Did shoulders today and among those was shoulder press and immediately after, I did the Arnold press. Feels good when you successfully finish it (3 sets, 10 reps for me). Pushed through for the front and side raises because I was really feeling it around the elbow area with every raise.

Another exercise I did today is the Landmine 180 which works the abs. It's already one of my favorites, anyone else done them?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

he's 52 and a politician. I think he's doing alright. At that age flexibility and mobility are way more important anyways. :lol It was still funny though.

@magic, especially your upper back. If you look at what is in contact with the bench (your upper back and butt mostly) that's what's giving you all your stability (besides triceps and shoulders). Traps, Rhomboids, and upper lats. I think an imbalance in your arms especially (left side coming up before the right) would probably be a weak/imbalanced back over a weak chest or shoulders. 

upright rows, reverse cable crossovers (I do those bent over), shrugs. That's why you see power lifters get such a ridiculous arch in their back when benching. Also, stretch out your butt before you bench because you should be getting power from there.

You'll love the hammer curls using plates. really, anything that makes your grip akward or imbalanced. even a kettlebell would work.


----------



## Magic

i love kettle swings with plates so im sure ill find hammer curls with plates fun.


and yeah I think youre right, skyfall. Do you think pullups would also help with that area of weakness or nah?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Frank Columbo is the man










yes. It will help widen your lats which well definitely help in stabilizing you on a bench. Just remember to keep your shoulders back when you're pulling up; I looked at videos but this picture is a better example. You don't have to touch your chest to the bar (eventually, yes), but you have to have enough of a curve that your lats are doing the pulling and biceps are only secondary. You probably know how to do pullups though.

That's the form you should shoot for. He's getting such a great lat squeeze in the back. I also do my cable crossovers (reverse) bent over to simulate the same squeeze.


----------



## Corey

Red Viper said:


> I love the people who literally cheat use their entire body doing curls. like the one muscle you should be able to easily isolate and people still fuck it up. :lmao
> 
> 
> anyone got any good tips to strengthen stabilizer muscles? they're HOLDING me back on moving up in some things and it's annoying the hell out of me. ive started doing forearm and rotator cuff are alternating days to strengthen them more, but I need MORE. I hate failing on something like chest press because my wrist gives out before I actually tire otu.


Ever tried standing shoulder press with dumbells? You won't be able to do nearly the amount of weight you can throw up while seated, but it works WAY more than the shoulders. Typically the next day I'll be sore in the shoulders, upper chest, serratus, and the sides of the lats close to the armpit. Factor that in with the fact that you have to balance the dumbbells overhead PLUS need to keep your posture in the lower back/glutes tight at all times, it should help with several stabilizers.

Try to switch over to dumbbell bench press for a while too. Get stronger in that and your bench numbers should go up as well.


----------



## DesolationRow

Jack Evans 187 said:


> Ever tried standing shoulder press with dumbells? You won't be able to do nearly the amount of weight you can throw up while seated, but it works WAY more than the shoulders. Typically the next day I'll be sore in the shoulders, upper chest, serratus, and the sides of the lats close to the armpit. Factor that in with the fact that you have to balance the dumbbells overhead PLUS need to keep your posture in the lower back/glutes tight at all times, it should help with several stabilizers.
> 
> Try to switch over to dumbbell bench press for a while too. Get stronger in that and your bench numbers should go up as well.


This is precisely what I have found as well. 

Standing shoulder presses with dumbells tend to work out the back and upper chest considerably more than inclined dumbbell shoulder presses. 

Also, I'm remarkably late on this subject, but Smith machines are evil and it is folly to utilize them. I never have (well, I did precisely one rep once and knew that I loathed it) and never will.

My current morning routine at the moment is stretching for about fifteen minutes, running 3.5-4.5 miles, depending on how I feel that day, about 30-40 minutes of basic crunches and upside-down sit-ups and p90x abs workouts, 40 reps with 114-pound biceps curls, triceps dips and 8-12 reps of 320-pound bench press.


----------



## Corey

DesolationRow said:


> This is precisely what I have found as well.
> 
> Standing shoulder presses with dumbells tend to work out the back and upper chest considerably more than inclined dumbbell shoulder presses.
> 
> Also, I'm remarkably late on this subject, but Smith machines are evil and it is folly to utilize them. I never have (well, I did precisely one rep once and knew that I loathed it) and never will.
> 
> My current morning routine at the moment is stretching for about fifteen minutes, running 3.5-4.5 miles, depending on how I feel that day, about 30-40 minutes of basic crunches and upside-down sit-ups and p90x abs workouts, 40 reps with 114-pound biceps curls, triceps dips and *8-12 reps of 320-pound bench press*.


:bow


----------



## DesolationRow

lol.

It's funny, I forgot to state that I do leg presses, leg curls and squats. See, even when you actually do leg exercises, you forget that you do them. :lol


----------



## MF83

Squatted my opener 350lbs today and it was light but fucking beautiful if I may say. Hips rising early/weak quads have finally been taken care of and just in the nick of time! My bench opener is 240 and 242ish went up fine on Wednesday with commands and an extra long chest pause. 430 deadlift flew on Monday. Now, IPF rules state 14 is max for flights and there was 30 competitors as of yesterday. 3 flights is gonna take fucking 6-7 hours. I hope I somehow maintain strength to hit my main goal of a 512 deadlift. Benching 270 competition paused is almost equally as important to me but that'll have to have perfect execution and energy state. Squats are my wildcard though since retooling them to get deeper, better formed and more quad-y, I could fail my second or go for 420+ and hit it with ease; I'll likely go lower than what I think I can do because of the super long day.

Anyway, the point of this post is that I have to take 7 full days off. I haven't done that in years. Aaaaaaaah!!!!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^:lmao That sounds awful.

So, I've hit a plateau. My two lifting buddies have left my city (one is gone for the summer the other got a job elsewhere). I've been busy as fuck with school and work and visiting home. My Deadlift is healthy and I'm doing fine to increase that. So are my squat, clean, and Row. Only I'm moving up in reps; I was doing a 3 x 5, sometimes 3 x 5 with a bonus 1 max attempt. 

But my Bench went from 3 sets by 5 reps at 225-235, to this:

12 x 185
6 x 205 
6 x 205
4 x 225

Is this shit? Its way more reps, but it's still shit, right? That's a decrease.


----------



## The_It_Factor

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> ^^^:lmao That sounds awful.
> 
> So, I've hit a plateau. My two lifting buddies have left my city (one is gone for the summer the other got a job elsewhere). I've been busy as fuck with school and work and visiting home. My Deadlift is healthy and I'm doing fine to increase that. So are my squat, clean, and Row. Only I'm moving up in reps; I was doing a 3 x 5, sometimes 3 x 5 with a bonus 1 max attempt.
> 
> But my Bench went from 3 sets by 5 reps at 225-235, to this:
> 
> 12 x 185
> 6 x 205
> 6 x 205
> 4 x 225
> 
> Is this shit? Its way more reps, but it's still shit, right? That's a decrease.


Meh, that's still a big increase percentage-wise from 185 to 225.

The worst is me doing 225x14 (could never hit 15 for some stupid reason, haha) but not being able to go much over 300 for 1.

Bench has always been my worst lift, but c'mon.

Whatever, I'm getting too old for benching and am focusing on trying to do lifts that don't strain my joints as much... Too bad my genetics suck. 

I've always said, if I can't be very strong, I'd at least like to look like val Venis or some other decently large/aesthetic dude, and if I can't be cut, I'd at least like to be strong/large and imposing like undertaker circa 99 or lesnar haha.

Oh well, gotta settle for not very strong and kinda flabby despite my ridiculous efforts at dieting (and lifting for 12 years)


----------



## MF83

12x185 warmup probably did more harm than good. Do that high rep stuff after your strongth shit.


----------



## Choke2Death

That's what I've figured. Makes no sense to use heavy weights as warmup since you should save all the energy for the main exercises.

I feel great today because I finally managed to do the dips after struggling to even do one of them when I first started. Managed to complete 10 reps on first set.


----------



## Goku

Choke2Death said:


> That's what I've figured. Makes no sense to use heavy weights as warmup since you should save all the energy for the main exercises.


And somehow the body is supposed to distinguish between your supposed warm ups and mains?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> 12x185 warmup probably did more harm than good. Do that high rep stuff after your strongth shit.


I've been wanting to increase rep range lately. Keep it to around 8-12. I thought I would get at least 8 on 205. After only hitting 6, I aborted the plan and wanted to hit 225 at the end. So, that 12x185 was not an intentional warmup.

But I guess I'm not as strong as I thought. I did manage to bust a button down dress shirt right around my chest area at work. We had to sew the button back on.


----------



## MF83

Not my best day but I went 6 for 9 with a 1096.8 Pounds Total

Squat: 341.7, 369.3, 407.9 (fail)
Bench: 231.5, 253.5, 264.6 (fail)
Deadlift: 435.4, 474.0, 501.6 (epic fail)

http://youtu.be/EDS9sGtPqGo


Now time to lose some fucking weight and look the part!


----------



## DojoBrother

Since I want to start getting in shape, how would be an easy way to start? I'm planning to start going running every few days or so once it stops raining. Or is this just a stupid question?


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*Switching to DB Bent over Rows from the barbell was one of my best decisions in the gym. I can now fully target my left/weaker side.*


----------



## Arcturus

DojoBrother said:


> Since I want to start getting in shape, how would be an easy way to start? I'm planning to start going running every few days or so once it stops raining. Or is this just a stupid question?


To be honest, running is just a waste of time if you are after fat burning, if you really want to melt fat the best way is to run up & down a flight of stairs as fast as you can for 10-15 minutes, believe me in 2-3 weeks you'll have dropped at least 8-9 pounds of fat, intense 10-15 minute cardio sessions are much better at burning fat than boring 30 minute long jogs outside.


----------



## El Conquistador

Arcturus said:


> To be honest, running is just a waste of time if you are after fat burning, if you really want to melt fat the best way is to run up & down a flight of stairs as fast as you can for 10-15 minutes, believe me in 2-3 weeks you'll have dropped at least 8-9 pounds of fat, intense 10-15 minute cardio sessions are much better at burning fat than boring 30 minute long jogs outside.


So much bro science it hurts.


----------



## Goku

Arcturus said:


> To be honest, running is just a waste of time if you are after fat burning, if you really want to melt fat the best way is to run up & down a flight of stairs as fast as you can for 10-15 minutes, believe me in 2-3 weeks you'll have dropped at least 8-9 pounds of fat, intense 10-15 minute cardio sessions are much better at burning fat than boring 30 minute long jogs outside.


is this real life?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

DojoBrother said:


> Since I want to start getting in shape, how would be an easy way to start? I'm planning to start going running every few days or so once it stops raining. Or is this just a stupid question?


Have you ever lifted weights before? Not like just gone to a gym a few times, but lifted for a sport or tough mudder or anything? 

In my opinion, running is the best form of cardio to do, overall. You'll mostly only ever have to run from situations or run in sports, so it meets lots of standards. Zombie apocalypse, robber, if you outrun a tidal wave you don't have to worry about swimming... 

but in seriousness, I would lift some weights. There are some base lifts to add to any workout program (Squats, Shoulder/Chest Press, pullups, maybe rows and deadlifts). Base some workouts around those. Running is great. Just make you sure you rest up; especially if you're not a runner shin splints are sure to ensue. I just find that shin splints turn new runners off to that form of cardio the quickest. 



Arcturus said:


> To be honest, running is just a waste of time if you are after fat burning, if you really want to melt fat the best way is to run up & down a flight of stairs as fast as you can for 10-15 minutes, believe me in 2-3 weeks you'll have dropped at least 8-9 pounds of fat, intense 10-15 minute cardio sessions are much better at burning fat than boring 30 minute long jogs outside.


I agree with some of this. 10-15 minutes of stair running is great for cardio. Any cardio is good for burning fat. Complete Bro-science: I've heard and read online, magazines, [Kai Greene, Heath, Cutler, Warren, Bailey] blogs, that long, low resistance cardio sessions help keep of fat primarily. 

I run steps myself however, following it up with lunges (last thursday was a 1/2 mile and FUCK ME). I also can't say how much fat you'd lose without knowing how much you weigh and what your BF% is.


----------



## DojoBrother

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Have you ever lifted weights before? Not like just gone to a gym a few times, but lifted for a sport or tough mudder or anything?
> 
> In my opinion, running is the best form of cardio to do, overall. You'll mostly only ever have to run from situations or run in sports, so it meets lots of standards. Zombie apocalypse, robber, if you outrun a tidal wave you don't have to worry about swimming...
> 
> but in seriousness, I would lift some weights. There are some base lifts to add to any workout program (Squats, Shoulder/Chest Press, pullups, maybe rows and deadlifts). Base some workouts around those. Running is great. Just make you sure you rest up; especially if you're not a runner shin splints are sure to ensue. I just find that shin splints turn new runners off to that form of cardio the quickest.


I have never lifted weights for sport or anything like that.

So when I start running, how long do you recommend? I have an Oval nearby that is where I'd probably start. I would do some stair runs but I don't know anywhere I could go to start doing them...I mean other than a flight of stairs.


----------



## Goku

Define your goals, DojoBrother


----------



## Alim

I do 10 minutes of HIIT cardio every workout. 1 minute of fast walk/slow jog followed by 1 minute sprint. Repeat 4 more times and that's 10 minutes.


----------



## Goku

I do no cardio every workout. Swell.

Although I do martial arts from time to time so my conditioning's alright.


----------



## FalseKing

Best way to start in my humble opinion is to do some HIT training in the beginning.


----------



## MF83

Started counting my calories and macros for this slow cut I'm doing. Didn't change anything, I just wanted to see about how much I was taking in a day. I probably don't need 400 g of protein a day. :lol: Didn't realize just how much powder I eat a day (yesterday was 8 scoops... holy fuck). Going to cap that at four max from now on. Figured it was a nice, light-average day Calorie wise... 4100 by bedtime. That was enlightening. 

Got to do heavy military press again yesterday <3 and set a couple rep maxes, which is nice. About to go figure out my front squat max by working up in triples until I fail a rep or figure I can't go heavier and use Wendler's formula to figure out my max. This is a figure-shit-out week.

I'm working a decent job this summer so I might spend like 700-800 dollars on a weighted vest and a Prowler sometime soon. Oh hell yeah. I didn't really want to do that meet so training the last couple months was dull and my performance was fairly disappointing but now I get to program again and fuck am I repumped with a new goal and a better attitude.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

ROGERTHAT21 said:


> *Switching to DB Bent over Rows from the barbell was one of my best decisions in the gym. I can now fully target my left/weaker side.*


I do both. Bent Over Barbell Rows and One Arm DB Rows. My lats feel like they are going to explode.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Started counting my calories and macros for this slow cut I'm doing. Didn't change anything, I just wanted to see about how much I was taking in a day. I probably don't need 400 g of protein a day. :lol: Didn't realize just how much powder I eat a day (yesterday was 8 scoops... holy fuck). Going to cap that at four max from now on. Figured it was a nice, light-average day Calorie wise... 4100 by bedtime. That was enlightening.
> 
> Got to do heavy military press again yesterday <3 and set a couple rep maxes, which is nice. About to go figure out my front squat max by working up in triples until I fail a rep or figure I can't go heavier and use Wendler's formula to figure out my max. This is a figure-shit-out week.
> 
> I'm working a decent job this summer so I might spend like 700-800 dollars on a weighted vest and a Prowler sometime soon. Oh hell yeah. I didn't really want to do that meet so training the last couple months was dull and my performance was fairly disappointing but now I get to program again and fuck am I repumped with a new goal and a better attitude.


fuck weighted vests. Also, they should only run you at most $100. You're better off getting a sturdy military backpack and putting heavy stuff in it, then you also have a nice backpack. I bought a vest and it was too restricting, a pain in the ass to adjust, and you just never care enough to use it. A back pack is easy; you slip it on and slip it off. you can go out in public and go hiking with a backpack and still be cool. A weighted vest makes you look like a dork.


I started an awful, butt raping, cardio plan. I run steps (12 flights of 15 steps) and then lunge up hill (on pavement) for about 1/10 of a mile. Then repeat as many times as possible. Only have gotten to 3 rounds, and that's giving up on the lunges the 3rd time around.

Also, WWE is in Pittsburgh next Tuesday, so I'll be going to my gym downtown all day in hopes Cesaro shows up.


----------



## Alim

Go to Gold's Gym if there is one in your area in hopes to see WWE superstars. Most of them have memberships to Gold's


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Alim said:


> Go to Gold's Gym if there is one in your area in hopes to see WWE superstars. Most of them have memberships to Gold's


I KNOW BRO!!! THAT'S MY GYM. I'M CAMPING OUT IN A CESARO SHIRT! I'LL BE THERE AS SOON AS THEY OPEN WAITING NEXT TO THE SQUAT RACK (because there's only one).


----------



## Alim

What do you guys wear in the gym? No ****

I want to invest in some good gym gear. I usually just wear Nike/Adidas/Puma sweatpants and tank top with Nike gym shoes. Is Under Armour any good?


----------



## MF83

Converse All Star Low Tops (Chuck Taylors) shoes for cheap flatness and stability, but I keep running shoes in the bag for walking or running. I want oly lifting shoes though. Sleeveless on upper body days because it's so painful for my getting fabric between my biceps and forearms on certain movements. I like to squat and deadlift in sweats because squats have ripped many gym shorts and deadlift scrapes are then avoidable. I avoid shorts that constrict hip movement for bench because leg drive and such. Yeah, I dress functionally. :lol


----------



## Choke2Death

Most of the time I wear all Adidas gear. My favorite is a black and green F50 Adidas t-shirt, along with sneakers and a tracksuit. I take off the track top during exercise and mostly use it just in case it's cold on the way back home (not that the gym is far away) as well as keeping cellphone and gym card in the pocket.

Will probably just train with the sleeveless tank top underneath once I gain some more muscle.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I've always been a K-Swiss guy, since 3rd grade when I was allowed to chose my own shoes. 

Short shorts. Almost crossfit/runner shorts. great mobility.

baggy T shirt. I could rock a sleevless cut off, but I feel like a douche, or MF83 8*D. 

I now have a clip for my ipod on my shorts and run the wire underneath my shirt. The arm band keep breaking open underneath my massive bicep pumps. 

boxer briefs. tighty whiteys aren't a bad idea for squatting and deadlifting though. and sweats too for deadlifts, but I like getting blood on the bar.


----------



## Iambic

Alim said:


> What do you guys wear in the gym? No ****
> 
> I want to invest in some good gym gear. I usually just wear Nike/Adidas/Puma sweatpants and tank top with Nike gym shoes. Is Under Armour any good?


I only go with under armor "cotton-charged" (I think that's what they're called) shirts because I haven't had good experiences with the other material; they tend to warp quickly and can be inconsistent in size/fit it seems. Maybe I'm crazy though. I have a ton of otherwise random t-shirts that I usually wear, some of which have been modified to accommodate acquired mass (see avi), so I don't really buy any "workout" shirts often. I do have a few pairs of UA shorts and I think they last forever. I've had one pair for years and they still look great. Can't comment on shoes much as I really only wear Chuck Taylors to the gym, but I have a pair of Vibrams that are quite nice.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I also keep in my gym bag:
1) Weight belt
2) Barbell CLips
3) Straps
4) Head Sweat Band
5) Back up sample protein packet (only for emergencies)


----------



## Magic

backup protein. :lmao not laughing at you skyfall, just the idea is amusing to me. 8*D



I go in a regular t-shirt, jordans and some running shoes. Might wear a sleeveless some days, but usually I just go roll with that. 


Guys that wear polos at the gym or girls that wear ridiculous amounts of makeup always kill me though. :ti



Oh and I went for a 2 hour bike ride today that had me dying at the end of it(as it was literally about 30 minutes of steep uphill. Clearly need to get in better shape for that cardiovascular activity but at the same time I don't want to because I don't really play sports regularly anymore. :bron3


----------



## DesolationRow

LOL "going to a gym." :


----------



## MF83

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> baggy T shirt. I could rock a sleevless cut off, but I feel like a douche, or MF83 8*D.


Hehe, they're functional, I swear! 

I keep...

1. Skipping rope
2. Fat Gripz
3. Chalk
4. Liquid Grip
5. Wrist Straps
6. Wrist Wraps
7. Loose change
8. Workout log/pen
9. Spikey plastic massage ball

...In my bag and bring my foam roller and belt along too.


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I keep it simple with a tank top, basketball shorts, and some random Nike running shoes.*


----------



## Corey

I find it impossible to wear a t-shirt to the gym. It limits my movement so much and doesn't feel natural. Gotta be sleeveless, brahs. If you can pull it off of course. What's in my gym bag? A lot:

- Lifting belt
- Foam roller
- Gym towel
- Versa gripps
- Elastic stretch bands
- Lacrosse ball and the same spikey plastic massage ball
- Wrist wraps
- Knee wraps


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Anyone know what's the best mass gainer for endomorphs?


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## MF83

An endo using a mass gainer sounds oxymoronic.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Right I meant Mesomorph lol I got tangled up for a second there.


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Mesomorphs? Any mass gainer. Arnold iron mass, elite dymatize mass, GNC XXX mass. Those are 3 pretty good ones. I'd look for some creatine too. 

But eat a ton of carbs as well

PHOONE


----------



## MF83

So a guy at my gym who has won powerlifting tournaments nationally and competed in the Arnold is giving me Russian training programs he had translated from the Russians in the early 2000s. It's the Sheiko stuff as well as other programs he had a Russian friend translate years before they were loosely translated and began emerging online. Fuck. Yes. :mark:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Please share. 

Exercise 1: find needle
Exercise 2: find steroids
Exercise 3: inject in ass
Exercise 4: Montage


PHOONE


----------



## ROGERTHAT21

*I'm going to need a good, big bag of mass gainer powder really soon as I'll start working soon.*


----------



## MF83

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Please share.
> 
> Exercise 1: find needle
> Exercise 2: find steroids
> Exercise 3: inject in ass
> Exercise 4: Montage
> 
> 
> PHOONE


Four full body sessions a week for the intermediate-advanced, five a week for the elite, and three two-a-days a week for the "pros " apparently.


----------



## Magic

wouldnt 5 full body days a week be bad for your recovery/repair for your muscles? Since you'd end up having to do consecutive full bodies...



and does anyone here go two times a day to the gym/have they? And if you have how much better are the results?


----------



## Gandalf

Red Viper said:


> wouldnt 5 full body days a week be bad for your recovery/repair for your muscles? Since you'd end up having to do consecutive full bodies...
> 
> 
> 
> and does anyone here go two times a day to the gym/have they? And if you have how much better are the results?


when i was in between jobs i would go two times a day simply because i had nothing to do, and i noticed size gains, but was way more sore than just 1 session. 

worth it if you have the time.


----------



## DesolationRow

Red Viper said:


> wouldnt 5 full body days a week be bad for your recovery/repair for your muscles? Since you'd end up having to do consecutive full bodies...


Probably. Although I generally do five a week. I find that the benefits derived from volume tend to override the necessities of repair, _typically_. Which ties in to your second question...



Red Viper said:


> and does anyone here go two times a day to the gym/have they? And if you have how much better are the results?


I sometimes work out twice a day, yep. Definitely attain greater results, by and large.

As an aside that is not too far removed from this topic, however, I find that biceps and abs are two muscles which need the least amount of recovery. You can pretty much shred or blast them every day, although I generally don't with biceps. I personally feel that way about chest and upper body; I take like one day off a week from bench pressing, but I know many people's bodies are designed quite differently. 

In the end, adopting whatever works for you is primarily the best policy, I guess.


----------



## Magic

Appreciate the answers, guys.


And I figured that working twice a day would give you quite large benefits. i might try it out once im going back to school(a session early on in the morning and one later at night) as the benefits are probably well worth the extreme soreness/fatigue that would come as a result of it.


----------



## Choke2Death

5 full body workouts a week sounds brutal. 5 day splits a week, on the other hand, is awesome and I've been doing well with it for the past month.

Still not sure what to do for abs in the midst of this. I stopped doing the same workouts daily because it felt as easy as breathing and that is not supposed to happen. Been thinking of picking out a few different ab exercises and fitting them in somewhere 2-3 times a week. Although my abs not quite what I want yet, they are better toned now so I must be doing something right.


----------



## MF83

Two-a-days are great if you keep them short and on different energy systems. I fucked around with them for a while, doing just a strength movement ie bench sets and leaving and then doing high rep tri/chest/back/shoulders shit at night. I remember hitting 9 sessions in 7 days last fall just to see if I could and saw big gains, although I was still in noob gain land. Try heavy squats in the morning then going bodybuilding on leg press, abs and stiff leg deads at night. Fuck yeah. 

Six hours minimal breaks and excess carbs/Cals are all the requisites I remember reading when researching this.


----------



## DesolationRow

*Choke2Death*:

Have you performed any p90x abs exercises? I find that working out with them for roughly half an hour's worth of them a day will suffice. Although I've been doing upside down sit-ups, too. Been watching GIANTS games that way, and lo and behold, their world is indeed becoming upside-down.


----------



## MF83

And on five days a week - they will be typically be heavy/medium/light for the three target areas generally. Ie heavy squats/light dumbbell press/speed pulls and minimal assistance for low volume and moderate intensity from whAt I understand. I'll report back once I get the programs. Although what's available from Sheiko is insane (google some of the programs).


----------



## Choke2Death

*@Des:*
Yeah, I gave a look into the p90x exercises. Done _Ins & Outs_, the bicycle one (was part of my old ab workout too) and _Cross Leg Sit Ups_ a couple of times a week. The latter has been pretty good but I'm curious if you do 25 for each side or just 25 combined? I've just done 10 on each side.

Also does anyone do any flexibility exercises? Sometimes I lay on the bed or floor with my leg stretched upwards and as painful as it is, the feeling once it's done is great.


----------



## Magic

For the P90x exercises that require you to do both sides I usually go for thirty combined, but I think what you're shooting for is 25 on each side(or at least what my brother does after doing this for a few years).


Resistance band situps is also TOP NOTCH stuff, imo. We usually rotate resistance band situps with weighted situps and they're extremely difficult, moreso than the weighted ones I'd say.


----------



## DesolationRow

Choke2Death said:


> *@Des:*
> Yeah, I gave a look into the p90x exercises. Done _Ins & Outs_, the bicycle one (was part of my old ab workout too) and _Cross Leg Sit Ups_ a couple of times a week. The latter has been pretty good but I'm curious if you do 25 for each side or just 25 combined? I've just done 10 on each side.
> 
> Also does anyone do any flexibility exercises? Sometimes I lay on the bed or floor with my leg stretched upwards and as painful as it is, the feeling once it's done is great.


I always do 25 for each side, so 50 in all. 

Yes, I do some yoga/flexibility exercising, almost always to start out. Supine twist, cat and dog, cobra pose and a few others to start out with.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I do 2x a day sometimes. I lifted this morning and ran after work. I'll be lifting tomorrow morning and playing a frisbee game later. Too much stress on your body, and this my experience, comes from bad diet, lack of sleep, and/or sloppy workouts. I had an 8 day program that was designed to be continuous with enough time for each muscle group to recover. so no off days, becuase those suck (maybe like 1 or 2 8*D)

Are you worried about overtraining Magic?






You White Bread Eating Motherfucker!

(he might say "light bread")


----------



## MF83

But always remember


----------



## Punked Up

I feel like I've lost a decent amount of speed/athleticism from lifting and eating heavy over the past few months. Gonna look to trim about 14 pounds (actually already lost 4), and go for a leaner/toner look. Want to be in the best baseball shape possible - strong shoulders and legs, flexible, not too big, not too small. 

My plan all year was 4x lifting (upper/lower split) and I all but ignored cardio. Now I'll be lifting 3 times a week (more focus on flexibility, mobility, explosiveness) and running 5-6 days a week.


----------



## pryme tyme

Punked Up said:


> I feel like I've lost a decent amount of speed/athleticism from lifting and eating heavy over the past few months. Gonna look to trim about 14 pounds (actually already lost 4), and go for a leaner/toner look. Want to be in the best baseball shape possible - strong shoulders and legs, flexible, not too big, not too small.
> 
> My plan all year was 4x lifting (upper/lower split) and I all but ignored cardio. Now I'll be lifting 3 times a week (more focus on flexibility, mobility, explosiveness) and running 5-6 days a week.


Add in some cardio for sure bro. I would also recommend some plyometrics, they really help with explosiveness and fast twitch muscle fiber (Great plyo examples on youtube). I do plyo's with all my clients that train for a sport. 

Cardio is a must for an athlete though, gotta get that body fat percentage down fairly low for maximum athletic performance. Plus getting rid of some of those layers of fat over your muscles will really show more definition as well. You'll look and feel better. Just find something that you can enjoy for cardio, I hate running on a treadmill but I quite enjoy doing open field sprints, kettle bell cardio routines, and good ole' jumping rope.


----------



## Magic

You don't need cardio to cut, that's pretty much all diet. Cardio obviously helps a lot in burning calories, but it's not exactly necessary to get toned/cut. 


Obviously for any athlete cardio is a must and plyo is great for anyone playing basketball/football. 



And skipping is still my favorite type of cardio. That and swimming, but I'm typically too tired after a workout to go for laps in the pool rather than just lounge around in the pool/hottub. :side:


----------



## PGSucks

Been counting calories and macros (which I usually never do ) and working out pretty hard for a few weeks now. Fuck cutting :side:

Oh, and FUCK cardio. :side:


----------



## Punked Up

Most of you guys have probably heard of this, but I'm just gonna leave it here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=160565211

Guy on bodybuilding.com (not a site I use to post but I lurk this thread from time to time) was over 600 pounds, but with the financial/moral support of others there he's lost over 200 pounds and posting updates on his exercise/diet everyday. Really inspirational and puts a perspective on what we're all working out for.


----------



## Tammy88

Has anyone here tried DDP yoga?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Tammy88 said:


> Has anyone here tried DDP yoga?


Ziggler Mark did. DDP replied to him on Facebook too :mark: Chris Jericho also testifies to its greatness. 



Ziggler Mark said:


> So, I started eating healthier at the beginning of this week. I need to cut a bunch of weight for myself (as well as my brother's wedding that I'm best man for in September)
> 
> I also wound up downloading the DDP Yoga videos, and did the first one tonight (it came with a schedule). I heard alot of good things about the program, and I'm giving it a shot. I'll post progress if and when I start to see it.





Ziggler Mark said:


> So I guess it's check-in time for me. I just finished my second full week of DDP Yoga. I've gotta say, I didnt think Yoga would be what got me back into being healthy and working out again, but sure as shit, I wake up every day and look forward to my workout after work.
> 
> I've dropped 7 pounds since I've started. It's the first time in a really long time that I'm taking a workout/fitness/diet plan 10000% serious. Once I start to have some visible results, pics will be posted.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Ninja-QB900B-...&qid=1366511851&sr=1-2&keywords=ninja+blender





Ziggler Mark said:


> :ddp BANG!
> 
> 
> Thanks, it's been kicking my ass. But when I see results I dont mind at all.





Ziggler Mark said:


> Weekly check in...DDP Yoga and a cleaner diet has yielded a 13 pound loss for me in less than a month. Obviously that's massive gains very quickly, so I dont expect to keep that pace up, but I'm THRILLED with my progress.





Ziggler Mark said:


> I had a particularly awesome session the other night, and I'd seen other people had posted similarly on the DDP Yoga page when they've had great nights, so I posted on DDPYOGA's wall...I thought nothing of it, just figured I'd get it out there. But, I had a pretty cool mark out moment last night when I came home from work and had a notification on Facebook, opened it up and saw this reply (yes, that's his personal account):





Ziggler Mark said:


> I have posted about this program in this thread. I started in April. Stepped on the scale the night before my workout program began, and I was a gross 255 or so lbs. Since that day, I've followed the program and have added work to my "off" days (they build off days into the schedule) and I have seen really good results. As of my last weigh in (last week), I am down to 225 lbs.
> 
> I might be down more, but I'm not really adhering to the mainly-vegan diet plan that DDP suggests. I'm a carnivore, and I don't think I'll ever change that :
> 
> People have seen incredible results from this program, and it's not based around starving yourself. It just requires you to leave all of your thoughts about yoga being "only for women" at the door. Embrace it, and have fun with it, and you'll see results. One thing I've learned since starting this trek to get my body back to where I once was is that if you arent enjoying the workout, then it's just WORK (regardless of what plan you follow). I look forward to my sessions every night when I get home from work, and I look forward to seeing the improvement I make doing certain poses from week to week.
> 
> There's alot to be said about the TeamDDPYoga website as well. It's a great support network to help you get through any challenges you're having with the program, and DDP hosts a weekly web radio show to address concerns/progress with people who call in or send messages in.
> 
> I cant say enough good things about the program, really. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to send me a PM or post it here in the thread. I've enjoyed the program so much, that I'm most likely gunna be headed to next year's DDP Yoga Retreat in Mexico. :


----------



## MF83

Kewl.


Went to a gym with people I met at the meet for a deadlift day. First of all, the bar we used was fatter and I swear weighed 55+ Lbs but I couldn't confirm that. Anyway, 385x8, 430x4, 475x1... So I was tired. Did 4 sets of squat variations supersetted with side bends then me and a guy did an impromptu challenge to see who could do the most TEN SECOND PAUSE squats with 135. I went highbar and did 7. That shit's crazy.


----------



## Rockstar

Fuckin' hate going to a new gym and the bars are fatter. When I came home from school, the gym I started going to had really big bars, fucked me up for awhile, couldn't get a good grip.


----------



## Tammy88

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Ziggler Mark did. DDP replied to him on Facebook too :mark: Chris Jericho also testifies to its greatness.


Thanks for that post! Yeah I've only heard good things about it so might be worth a shot


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I prefer fatter bars, but only if the grip is good. My Gold's gym has 2 fat bars with fresh grip, then about 15 skinny and fat bars with completely warn grip. Really, it's all dependent on the grip in my opinion.

I did 20 minutes of cardio today by simply putting away weights people had left all over or in the wrong place :lmao. Very therapeutic and good cardio. I recommend it. I did it after my workout, and I actually went a little fast through the workout because I was excited to do it. :lol


----------



## Punked Up

MF83 said:


> Kewl.
> 
> 
> Went to a gym with people I met at the meet for a deadlift day. First of all, the bar we used was fatter and I swear weighed 55+ Lbs but I couldn't confirm that. Anyway, 385x8, 430x4, 475x1... So I was tired. Did 4 sets of squat variations supersetted with side bends then me and a guy did an impromptu challenge to see who could do the most TEN SECOND PAUSE squats with 135. I went highbar and did 7. That shit's crazy.


Do you have a regimented schedule or just semi-wing it depending on what you need to work on that day?


----------



## MF83

I do the 5/3/1 program four days a week, currently using "joker sets" and "first set last" (except on deadlifts) for whatever the main lift of the day is. The above example was my 5s week for deadlift. The third work set is for as many reps as possible and it called for 85% of my training max which is 450lbs right now, the training max being about 90% of true max. So 8 which seemed low (Wanted 10; I blame the bar) Went for a 10% jump to 430 for a joker set of five but only got four (I blame the bar again). Did another 10% jump for a single at 475. If I was doing First Set Last with deadlifts too, I'd have done as many reps as possible afterwards with 65%, or the first work set weight. 

Anyway, I wanted to do 5x10 front squats with 50% of my front squat training max supersetted with abs but then it took a life of its own due to the little deadlift party crowd. But programming and not winging it is key for progress!


----------



## Choke2Death

After reading a bit more on workout routines yesterday, I decided to make a major change to my schedule - starting with today. Instead of the 5 day split focusing on one body part each day, I've decided to put them all together and do the 3 day full body workout.

Being that I'm still considered a beginner having trained <6 months, I heard that this works best for as much gain as possible. Did 2-3 exercises for each part (except abs, which I will do on off days using the P90X thing DesRow mentioned) with major focus on compound exercises (did barbell squats for the first time). It felt damn great when I was finished and the deadlifts were killer for my lower back.

Now I don't have to put all the pressure into going to the gym 5/7 days and each part gets worked on more than once.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

No Cesaro, No Cena. But the NXT best thing!



Spoiler: Eat your heart out Alim













I felt bad for the guy because he looked tired. It was 6AM at this point; I had gotten there at 5 AM. I asked him "I was hoping Cesaro would show up," but he said Cesaro hadn't gotten in yet. Not that I was disappointed in only seeing Titus, but I am a Cesaro fan obviously. I waited till 7:30 for anyone else and no one. No big deal. At least my plan of going early to the gym paid off. 

On another note, I hit 235 on bench for 3 x 5 this morning, then killed some arnold presses too. So a good workout as well.

:titus:bark


----------



## MF83

Because my squat is still regressing despite everything else going up I'm switching to a full body three day template next cycle. After I lose some significant weight I'll be doing Sheiko. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=116588481 (third post xls file... Google sheiko 29 calculator if that link doesn't work) enter your maxes and voila, ChaseT's spreadsheet for the different templates. The guy at my gym used specific master class formulas that I'm not good enough for. Still, the volume in Sheiko is ridiculous but effective because it rarely goes above 80% with averages at 70%. Yeeehaw.


----------



## Punked Up

7 pounds down, 8 to go. This isn't as hard as I thought. I also haven't really been lifting as I have no access to a gym right now, only when the baseball team lifts which starts Monday. From there it'll be 3 times a week. 

Just been doing it old school. Write down everything I eat, count calories, run each day.


----------



## TheeJayBee

Need to go on a serious cut. I've gained way too much body fat lately. I'm slacking 

I'm also going to start boxing again. It whipped my ass into shape before, and it'll do it again now.


----------



## MF83

Boys, I've gone from 1 notch, tight, on my power belt to 2 loose. I'm getting stronger yet smaller in the gut. This cutting thing ain't so bad thus far after a few weeks. Week one - adjust body to taking in less than 4000 Cal a day. Week 2 & 3 - 3600 Cal. Week 4 (this week) 3500 Cal per day.


----------



## Magic

cant see you keeping up that strength for long. eventually you lose some strength while cutting. unless you're just a GOD mf83(or on roids 8*D).


----------



## MF83

Yeah, I know.  that's why I'm taking it really slowly. Strength is my game, fat is my shame. If I can somehow keep my strength but lose 25-30 lbs over the next six months I'll be all kinds of advanced.


----------



## Punked Up

To eat over 3000 calories and lose weight must be heavenly. Fast metabolism? Over the past 2 weeks I've been at around 2,000 calories with heavy running. Has me shedding pounds (8 to be exact), but I had to concede strength losses. 7 more pounds, then I'll try to build back my strength while adding much less fat than before. Seems like a rudimentary plan but why not give it a go 

Back in the weight room after two weeks off (cardio only) tomorrow. Really excited.


----------



## Punked Up

4 x 5 squat
4 x 5 power clean
4 x 5 stiff-legged dead lift

2 x 10 leg curl
2 x 10 leg extension
2 x 10 weighted lunges

100 sit-ups 
50 push-ups

Really productive leg day. Going to stick to this routine for a while.


----------



## AWR

Flat Bench 40kg dumbbells x 10 reps/ 4 sets
Incline 32.5kg dumbbells x 10 reps/ 3 sets
Incline Fly's 20kg x 10 reps / 3 sets
Decline Bench (Smith) 80kg x 10 reps / 3 sets
Cable flys 3 sets/ 10 reps


----------



## MF83

5x20 Power Snatch
200 pushups
100m handstand walk
500 pushups
5x20 power snatch pt 2
5 mile run

#crossfit


----------



## Corey

MF83 said:


> 5x20 Power Snatch
> 200 pushups
> 100m handstand walk
> 500 pushups
> 5x20 power snatch pt 2
> 5 mile run
> 
> #crossfit


How the fuck is ANY of this humanly possible? :lol


----------



## MF83

Got coached on Sumo today. Tested what I can do with it. 405 went up fast. 455 failed but it was a technical fail as I shot my hips up early. Did 5 total singles with 405. Projected max of 440 having never trained it heavy? I can live with that. Going to switch over for the foreseeable future to go with my new 3 day full body split.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I popped a blood vessel in my left calf while doing curls. fucking curls. I was going HAM and felt the eye of the tiger I guess. I was on my 4th set and was way past failure, cheating like a mofo. You can barely tell but it's a light dark spot. Kind of impressed actually.


----------



## MF83

Congrats. That's a battle token right there.


Gonna use Wendler's 1000% Awesome template he has on his private forum, probably.

Day 1
Squat 5/3/1
Bench 5 x 5 85% of TM
Assistance

Day 2
Deadlift 5/3/1 
Press 5/3/1
Assistance

Day 3
Squat 5x5 85% TM
Bench 5/3/1
Assistance

...until I change my mind again.


----------



## Punked Up

Fuggit. Trying Smolov after I'm done cutting down. Not nearly strong enough or experienced enough but I'm gonna see how long I can make it.


----------



## DesolationRow

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I popped a blood vessel in my left calf while doing curls. fucking curls. I was going HAM and felt the eye of the tiger I guess. I was on my 4th set and was way past failure, cheating like a mofo. You can barely tell but it's a light dark spot. Kind of impressed actually.


Ouch.


So, yes, no updates on what I'm doing in general but the yoga I've tried has allowed me to very recently (as in, the last two months) re-gain the height I "lost" from some knee cartilage depletion. Whoohooo!


----------



## MF83

Punked Up said:


> Fuggit. Trying Smolov after I'm done cutting down. Not nearly strong enough or experienced enough but I'm gonna see how long I can make it.


It's such an unnecessary program but one it seems I need to do too at some point just to say I survived it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I"m definitely considering DDP yoga. Been fooling around with strength lifting for Deadlift, bench, squat, overhead press, and row, then just bodybuilding basics for secondary stuff. But I might just really fosuc on some strength (5/3/1, but actually do it the real way) and yoga. 

I really hurt my lower back trying to hit a PR on overhead press. Still was bothering me on deadlifts today. Couldn't do 3 x 5 on only 315, pretty upset about that.


----------



## MF83

T'was my first full body non-meet-prep workout in over a year I'd guess. Operation squat gains/gut-be-gone hath commenced.

1. Squat 5/3/1 (5 week); resetted training max down to 345 because new shoes/wide stance/start too light principle. 
- worked up to 10x295 without a belt. My legs and feet were falling apart in pain from the shoes/tightness from Sumo a few days ago so I did a double at 330 then took my Adipowers off and proceeded on.

2a. Bench 5x5 @ 85% of 245 Training Max or 210lbs. 
2b. Kroc Rows 5x10 per hand with 70lbs dumbbell.
-band pull aparts between warmup bench sets. [email protected] was fucking intense but I never came close to failing so I was pleased.

3a hamstring curls (this will be reverse hypers next week)
3b EZ curls 3x12 
3c 3 sets decline situps
3d triceps pushdowns

A good day. Hyped for this full body shit.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

Just started hiit on the treadmill good stuff


----------



## MF83

My first ever Sumo money set was 9x340. Bonus points for minimal pain during/after! Overhead Press was only a tough 150x8 after that and I hit 150x10 last week, so I suppose I learned the hard way that deadlift obviously drains a fair chunk of energy. Did leg extensions and bent lateral raises for prehab during the pressing. Abs/biceps/good mornings before some farmers carries and I called it a day! This full body shit is exciting to program and fuck around with. I'm a fan.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

SUMOS!!!! hell yeah. Sometimes if I don't hit what I wanted on deadlifts, I'll add on some sumos. Sometimes I'll just do them anyways. Love them. I have an issue with my left hamstring and I find it much better, easier, when doing Sumos. Stiff legs are about aqual to deadlifts for me.


----------



## Klein Helmer

I'm so disgustingly out of shape I'll probably have a heart attack, but I'm going to hit the weights this week even if it literally kills me.


----------



## -SAW-

Saw some discussion about DDP Yoga. Yeah, I'm heavy into it right now. Not because I want to lose weight (at least that's not the concern atm), but because I'm fairly certain I've got a herniated disc in my low back. Sciatic nerve pain shooting down my left calf almost into my foot. Hurt it lifting improperly at work a couple months back. Yeah, probably not the "strained muscle" the doctor diagnosed it as.

L&I closed my case without my knowledge, so I'm in limbo and can't get _any_ treatment until they approve my appeal. So, in the meantime, I've been doing alot of DDP. First few times were hell. Excruciating. Couldn't do down dog at all, pushups had to be on my knees, folding forward was a definite FUCKNO and so on. Almost just said fuck it until I saw these...











Fuckin spot on with my situation. Except on his right side...and a bit worse :lol. Gave me hope that if Jericho can work a fuckin wrestling match with his herniated disc, I can at least go back to work pain free. Week and a half later, I'm still in pain, yeah. But, getting up in the morning (which is the absolute worst pain-wise) is easier. Not by much, but definitely noticeable. I'm really hopin to pull a Jericho here and fix this shit.

Anybody else use DDP Yoga to rehab an injury? Not the typical reason to use it, but just thought I'd throw my two cents in there.


----------



## Punked Up

Was doing so well slimming down, had just 4 pounds to go. Then I went out for dim sum :lol

Ended up eating literally thousands of calories. Pork buns, pork cakes, a whole order of general tsao's chicken, multiple cups of rice, lo mein, it just kept coming and then I followed it up with a milk shake :lmao 

So I gained 3.6 pounds even though most is probably water weight.

Went for a 6 mile run and kept calories really low today to make up for it. Going to go really hard the next week and finish this off.


----------



## OML

Ok wanted some suggestions.. I wanna trim some fat and get a six pack. I'm like 5'11 and 180. I am not fat but have gotten a bit of a beer gut. What is the best way to trim the fat and get a six pack?

I don't wanna pay for a gym membership unless i have to. Anybody have some workout suggestions maybe? I have started running about 2 miles a day. 

Also in terms of diet what should I be eating every day?


----------



## Dec_619

What're peoples favourite workout songs? Feel free to list a few. Need some while I do cardio!


----------



## SOR

I've started the Paleo Diet (Have to get abs for a film) and it's very very tough but for people looking to drop body fat percentage or lose kilograms in general it's allegedly one of the more popular options out there.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

i started animal pump today shits awesome kada


----------



## MF83

New job merchandising/truck delivery helper with Pepsi AKA lifting and moving shit all day plus watching my diet and I'm down 8-10 lbs already but still hitting PRs. Pulling this strength maintenance cut shit off.


----------



## Choke2Death

My workouts are coming along so well. Finally getting the hang of squats with the use of barbells and it feels great. And somehow, the more I've done squats and lunges, the knee pain that I mentioned a while back is fading further away.

For a full body workout, how many different exercises are recommended for each part? I tend to do 2 for 6 different parts with abs occasionally added (although I do Ab Ripper X on off days 2-3 times a week). Thinking of doing only one bicep curl variation with 15 reps and 3 sets so that should be taken care of with one exercise. Sometimes go up to 4 exercises for legs or back since they are bigger muscles and various exercises target specific sections.



Dec_619 said:


> What're peoples favourite workout songs? Feel free to list a few. Need some while I do cardio!


Don't know what kind of music you like, but as a hip-hop fan, these are some songs that I use in my iPod whenever I bring it with me. Dunno if they work for running since I do zero cardio atm.



Spoiler: songs



DMX - X Gon Give it to Ya
DMX - Party Up
Snoop Dogg - Pump Pump
Big Daddy Kane - Nuff Respect
LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (duh)
Eminem - Till I Collapse
Public Enemy - Give it Up
Public Enemy - Can't Truss It
Public Enemy - Brothers Gonna Work it Out
Public Enemy - Shut Em Down
Public Enemy - Lost at Birth
Naughty by Nature - Hip Hop Hooray
M.O.P. - Ante Up
Onyx - Slam
LL Cool J - I'm Bad
Ice Cube - Wicked
Redman - Time 4 Sum Action


----------



## elhijodelbodallas

My arms are getting freaking huge dude, I'm getting even bigger than I was in high-school.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

OML said:


> Ok wanted some suggestions.. I wanna trim some fat and get a six pack. I'm like 5'11 and 180. I am not fat but have gotten a bit of a beer gut. What is the best way to trim the fat and get a six pack?
> 
> I don't wanna pay for a gym membership unless i have to. Anybody have some workout suggestions maybe? I have started running about 2 miles a day.
> 
> Also in terms of diet what should I be eating every day?


without the gym you have to rely on plyometrics and jogging/cycling. Unless you can swim somewhere for free. 

run. run steps. run hills. change pace for different intervals. Try lunging a mile. _try_, because you won't be able to do .10 mile. 

You can do pushups and situps. Find a park with a pull up bar and go to town. do some dips on any two close objects that would allow a dip. find some good core workouts. You won't just cut fat from your stomach, that's spot reducing and it doesn't exist. Your body will lost fat how it wants to lose fat. 

A gym with weights is a better option. Eat protein (chicken, beef, pork, turkey, nuts, eggs) and carbs (whole wheat bread, pasta, cereal; brown rice; fruit; vegetabels) and fat (beef, nuts, peanut butter). I time my carbs for the morning, and before and after my workouts, and then when I want carbs.



Dec_619 said:


> What're peoples favourite workout songs? Feel free to list a few. Need some while I do cardio!


Jericho's, Lesnar's, Reigns', Swagger's, Rusev's, Triple H's, Edge's, Mysterio's, Charolette's, NXT's, Acension's theme songs.

Rocky soundtrack, Santigold, Lady Gaga, Janelle Monae, Wings, Electric, Styx, Van Halen, James Bond Soundtrack, 



elhijodelbodallas said:


> My arms are getting freaking huge dude, I'm getting even bigger than I was in high-school.


pics or it never happened.


----------



## PGSucks

SOR said:


> I've started the Paleo Diet (Have to get abs for a film) and it's very very tough but for people looking to drop body fat percentage or lose kilograms in general it's allegedly one of the more popular options out there.


Gah I hated Paleo when I did it. If you can stick with it, more power to you


----------



## imti_aka_raju

What is the most efficient way to loose body fat. I workout 4 days a week but never do cardio but want to lose body weight now... What would be the best way. At the moment I'm 19% body fat i want to get to around 10-12%.


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## ROHFan19

SOR said:


> I've started the Paleo Diet (Have to get abs for a film) and it's very very tough but for people looking to drop body fat percentage or lose kilograms in general it's allegedly one of the more popular options out there.


I actually didn't think Paleo was that bad...I did it for a little bit over a month to try and lose some weight quick. It definitely works...the problem is that it's so fucking expensive and time consuming lol.


----------



## Corey

imti_aka_raju said:


> What is the most efficient way to loose body fat. I workout 4 days a week but never do cardio but want to lose body weight now... What would be the best way. At the moment I'm 19% body fat i want to get to around 10-12%.
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


If you don't want to do cardio you'll have to cut your calorie intake. You can eat more if you start doing cardio at the gym. Setup an account on MyFitnessPal and set a goal for yourself.


----------



## TheeJayBee

I've started boxing again and I'm loving it. Probably going to take up freestyle wrestling classes soon, too. I've managed to sort myself a little set-up in a shed I've got at my place. Punch bag, dumbbells, a 20 kg powerbag and a 50kg powerbag and a mat for me to stretch out on, do my core work on and whatnot. I've been inspired by some of Brock Lesnar's training videos - some of the feats of strength he can pull off with limited resources, just using his body, plyometrics etc. are extremely impressive. 

HIIT is my thing for cardio. Always hated slow, long-winded cardio. I don't want to go out and run for half an hour, I want to be able to go and smash out my cardio balls-to-the-wall style and get on with my day. Really enjoyed doing HIIT lately. Tabata's and my own little circuit I've developed consisting of bodyweight squats, burpees, mountain climbers etc. kick your ass if you do it right but you feel great for it eventually.


----------



## SOR

PGSucks said:


> Gah I hated Paleo when I did it. If you can stick with it, more power to you


It really sucked for the first two or three days. Just constantly hungry and you're drinking your water trying to get full and it works for about 10 minutes and then you're hungry again.

After that it generally gets easier. Hunger begins to subside and your cardio doesn't suffer at all. Have noticed a few small changes with my stomach as well, the ab definition I did have is looking better and the diet is slowly revealing the abs I didn't have before.

I'm pretty happy with it to be honest but you need a lot of will power for it. I wouldn't be doing it unless I had a reason.


----------



## mr21gf

I have gone from karate to kickboxing/free style karate recently. Its a much better work out I am always soaking of sweat after a lesson but it definitely makes you tough as you actually hit people in the face and stomach full power. Very good sport though.


----------



## Stinger23

Just ran across this thread by accident. I've battled my weight most of my life. At one point I weighed 370 lbs. and my eating was out of control. Finally I figured things out and now I weigh 199 lbs. At 6'2 I would like to get down anywhere from 175 to 189 but I'm finally almost there.

Losing 171 lbs. wasn't easy but the secret for me was Wal-Mart great value toaster pastries. I ate a box of them everyday (8 in a box/1600 calories), drank nothing but water, and exercised at least 5 times a week (usually walking). Of course check with your doctor first but man I'm telling yall it saved my life.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Stinger23 said:


> Just ran across this thread by accident. I've battled my weight most of my life. At one point I weighed 370 lbs. and my eating was out of control. Finally I figured things out and now I weigh 199 lbs. At 6'2 I would like to get down anywhere from 175 to 189 but I'm finally almost there.
> 
> Losing 171 lbs. wasn't easy but the secret for me was Wal-Mart great value toaster pastries. I ate a box of them everyday (8 in a box/1600 calories), drank nothing but water, and exercised at least 5 times a week (usually walking). Of course check with your doctor first but man I'm telling yall it saved my life.


First off, 171 lbs lost is an incredible feat so congrats on that. 

I hope you've since introduced some more variety now that you've lost the weight because you need more nutritional substance than is available in those pastries. If you haven't yet, try introducing some fruits, vegetables, or smoothies combining the two for more simplicity but with better nutrition. (Y)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

365 on deads, Max. Finally. Haven't hit it in a while. That was after a 5, 3, 3 on deads too. 

Probably could hit 395 after a perfect warm up, maybe a belt

Trapped inside an ice cream van


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> 365 on deads, Max. Finally. Haven't hit it in a while. That was after a 5, 3, 3 on deads too.
> 
> Probably could hit 395 after a perfect warm up, maybe a belt
> 
> Trapped inside an ice cream van


Did 215 Max clean today. I know I can do 225.

Followed up with rack pulls at 405 x 4.

Now for pizza

Trapped inside an ice cream van


----------



## Corey

What is this ice cream van nonsense?


----------



## Magic

it's his phone automatic message. :lol


----------



## MF83

Congrats


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I can't get over this 135 cap on over head press. I got 125 x 5, 135 x 3, 145 x 2, 155-fail. 

I definitely increased from about 105 in the winter. But I hate little college kids popping 135 up like its nothing

Trapped inside an ice cream van


----------



## MF83

Press responds, of the four big lifts I train, best with higher volume. 5/3/1, heavy joker set, as many reps as possible with first set last was the ticket to steady gains for me. So like (% based on training max) 5x65%, 5x75%, AMRAPx85%, 1-5 reps x 95%, maaaaaybe a single at 100-105% if I was feeling excellent, ARMRAP x 65%. All kinds of rep ranges got that shit gaining steady every week. 


Then I switched to "1000% Awesome" 5/3/1 full body 5x5 5/3/1 hybrid and since JULY 12TH I have gone from 310x6 to a 320x8 squat. What the actual fuck. Insane gains. Full body ftw. Of course I praise a 3 day program now that I'm really damn busy and training is almost a burden (or my stress relieving mistress. yeah, that.), but still.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Press responds, of the four big lifts I train, best with higher volume. 5/3/1, heavy joker set, as many reps as possible with first set last was the ticket to steady gains for me. So like (% based on training max) 5x65%, 5x75%, AMRAPx85%, 1-5 reps x 95%, maaaaaybe a single at 100-105% if I was feeling excellent, ARMRAP x 65%. All kinds of rep ranges got that shit gaining steady every week.
> 
> 
> Then I switched to "1000% Awesome" 5/3/1 full body 5x5 5/3/1 hybrid and since JULY 12TH I have gone from 310x6 to a 320x8 squat. What the actual fuck. Insane gains. Full body ftw. Of course I praise a 3 day program now that I'm really damn busy and training is almost a burden (or my stress relieving mistress. yeah, that.), but still.


I stretched today after I hit the gym after work and did some aesthetic stuff. Like I literally took 15 minutes at the end of my 30 minute workout to stretch. Hit everything. Felt so weird. Not lifting, just stretching. 

I have to do it again, and again, and so on. But, I hope it gets easier. 

I failed a 155 overhead press in front of freshman girls today. Pretty sure they all were laughing. Fuck em. Stupid freshmen girls with their long legs, smooth skin...perky tits....tight- ok. I'll be ok.


----------



## MF83

I take average half hour to foam roll and stretch after every single fucking session and take 10 minutes to roll/stretch the important shit ahead of time. Makes all the difference in outside life and in the gym.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm going to start the stretching now, seriously. 

And no pizza for the month of August :lol. Going with boring brown rice instead, maybe sushi when I'm craving good tasting carbs. And I'm done classes for a few weeks; expecting to lose a ton of weight

Trapped inside an ice cream van


----------



## MF83

My girlfriend, myself and a couple we competed with are having a double deadlifting date tomorrow and I'm so fucking pumped. Last time I lifted with them we broke out smelling salts and went way higher than intended and followed with stupid 10 second pause squats, etc. (I shared this here back when it happened). :mark:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I actually like pause squats; and they should only be done with good company. 

Like you don't break out the fine china every taco Tuesday, only when your best bud show up for tacos. Delicious analogies

I can bent over barbell row 245 x 1. This is super useful for something 

Trapped inside an ice cream van


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Recently Changed My Routine

Monday- Chest, Shoulders & Abs
Tuesday- Back, Traps & Calves
Wednesday- Arms & Abs
Thursday- Legs & Calves
Friday- Chest, Shoulders & Abs
Saturday- Back, Traps & Calves
Sunday- Legs

I always go 20 minutes ofJump Rope after each weight lifting section. Currently cutting with 2500 Calories (Started with 2750 Calories). Losing 1-1.5 pounds per week which is what I'm aiming for since I decided to do a very slow and steady cut. Current weight 225 pounds, 16% bodyfat . I'm 5'11.


----------



## MF83

425x5 deadlift, 160x8 overhead press. Feck yeah PRs all around. Great day fueled by group pressure.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I just got somee super cheap, fantastic, creatine (HCL and Creapure). Fuck I'm excited! 

Trapped inside an ice cream van


----------



## DesolationRow

Wow, I just purchased those exact same kinds of creatine, *cesaro_ROCKS*. Excellent! 

This morning, working on the battle ropes for a damned hour and a half. I'll challenge John Cena to a battle ropes competition! Between all of the intensive arms and full body exercises you are conducting by throwing them around, doing running hops between them, then back over and outside them, and vice versa, as they lay down, for half an hour is a terrific way to become wringing wet.

Did a seven-minute plank after that and worked abs and triceps on a Roman chair. A hundred squats on an exercise ball holding a pvc pipe with water... Then biceps, then some more cardio.

Exhilarating but feel like I need to eat the biggest steak in the state of California after all of that.


----------



## Coach

*Heya

New to this thread so thanks in advance for all the responses I get for this question:

I just brought a juicer so I can take in more fruit into my diet, With fruit mainly being sugar should I be adding protein to it (I am a vegetarian)? 

I'm after some recipe suggestions, best ways to make use of my juicer in terms of being healthier and What protein powder should I use if needed? 

I brought this juicer; http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breville-Bl...id=1407092860&sr=8-4&keywords=breville+juicer*


----------



## DesolationRow

This in response to your first query, *Coach*: http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vegetables-high-in-protein.php

I'm currently using chocolate-flavored Myotein for protein powder. I'm pleased with it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Protein powder won't hurt you at all. 

Whey protein (if you don't know, it'll be a first ingredient if it's not on the label) is dairy, milk. As is caesin and...milk protein. That's if you're strict vegan though. 

There are plenty of veggie, plant, soy, rice, egg (vegan?) protein. I use a veggie protein for the antioxidant blend and fiber in my morning smoothie. A GNC brand. 

But I recommended adding a scoop of protein to something once per day. An extra 25 g is great. It'll be about 150 calories maybe, and some make tasting smoothies great. 

Trapped inside an ice cream van


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

http://media.crossfit.com/awset/OTL_ CrossFit_53dd9d4449fc6_HD.mp4

Jesus Christ this is painful. Shame on ESPN and shame on CrossFit.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Ghetto Anthony said:


> http://media.crossfit.com/awset/OTL_ CrossFit_53dd9d4449fc6_HD.mp4
> 
> Jesus Christ this is painful. Shame on ESPN and shame on CrossFit.


Thoughts, 
Crossfit is retarded. Completely retarded.

On the other hand, Mark Rippletoe is pretty legit.

Crossfit's just some made up competition/workout with made up buzzwords that they've invented and members subscribe to. "Box", AMRAP, WOD, Fran...etc...

I get it. It's the 'cool' thing to be involved in and there's a competition atmosphere but I've seen so many videos of Crossfit "trainers" letting their trainees go about with absolutely horrific form which leads to injuries and just doing the stupidest "for time" workouts as if doing something as absolutely as fast as you can amounts to anything except the potential for more injuries. 

Overall it's just a big pile of idiocy that I can't get behind.

Learn how to train properly and do it for yourself, not to "win" some game.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Crossfit's only problem, and I mean only problem, is that the fitness industry is taking advantage of it. 

A newb to any from of fitness wouldn't immediately hit squat, bench, and deadlifts maxing out and do a 5/3/1 program. So acting like Crossfit can stay the same for all levels of participants, expect a person whose never lifted a weight before to do cleans and deadlifts for a competition is silly. That's when it gets abused, like any sport. Only, crossfit became popular the same time as social media took off so of course it's the current fitness fad in the limelight. 

Any new fitness fad starting in the early 2000's would be all over social media and laughable. This is why I try not to judge crossfit, just the idea it's for everyone and you can just jump in a be safe.


----------



## Ray

So yesterday was the first time in a few months that I really dived into a chest workout. 

Everything was going fine, until I got to the inclined dumbbell press. I was doing 70's, and during my last set, felt my shoulder pop out, then right back in. Ruined the whole workout. Still had 3 more exercises to do too.

Shoulder really isn't in any pain, but just feels sore. That'll teach me for going full force first day back :side:


----------



## MF83

Stumbled upon the site www.strstd.com and filled er out:










FUCK YOU LAGGING BENCH!

In other news, that bodyweight press is coming by the end of the year gawdammit!




I gained 30lbs on my 7RM squat in less than 6 weeks with this program. Feck yeah. Nearly back to where I was in February.


----------



## MF83

Third day in a row full body today. I have a big work week coming up and wanted to get on with my first deload in almost two months. Only did 3x5 squats and didn't do any superset for my bench. Did 240 for 6 and a PR. Said let's go higher. 260x2. Second PR. 270x1. New 1RM. 280?

http://youtu.be/ZSHHtW9ksSY

Failed 290 cause of a bad setup and eccentric but I could do it on a different day. Hell yeah. This fucking template.


----------



## Corey

So jealous of your bench. Thought Fortis Fitness was the only gym to have one of those.


----------



## Iambic

Sorry, double post.


----------



## Iambic

MF83 said:


> Third day in a row full body today. I have a big work week coming up and wanted to get on with my first deload in almost two months. Only did 3x5 squats and didn't do any superset for my bench. Did 240 for 6 and a PR. Said let's go higher. 260x2. Second PR. 270x1. New 1RM. 280?
> 
> http://youtu.be/ZSHHtW9ksSY
> 
> Failed 290 cause of a bad setup and eccentric but I could do it on a different day. Hell yeah. This fucking template.


Nice! Good luck with 290.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

so I've been doing my 5/3/1 with nearly max weight. None of the 80% - 90% stuff. A little confused on how you can increase your gains if you're not hitting near your max often enough.










bascially I'd do a 225 x 5, 225 x 5, 235 x 4 on bench. then similar % for squat, deadlift, and press. Really shit on my overhead press. Going ham tomorrow morning.


----------



## Punked Up

Could someone link me to some nice foam roller stretches?


----------



## Skyeborne

Hi, I just found this thread. I am not sure if this is really a place for me though...I guess I am looking for some place I can kinda share my progress in weight loss without being judged too much...?
I've had weight issues all my life. I know I should blame myself, but a lot of it comes from my parents. They were lazy and didn't want to cook so I got school lunch and McDonalds as a diet all my life.
I want to turn that around though, but I am not really sure where to start...I don't really want to be muscular...just in shape I guess? 
I am kinda embarrassed to post my weight and stuff though...:S


----------



## TheSeasonofReason

Today I took home a log from my local conservation center. Finally, after 10 + years, I finally know what it's like to run with a badass log on my shoulder. Just like Brock Lesnar.


----------



## Iambic

Skyeborne said:


> Hi, I just found this thread. I am not sure if this is really a place for me though...I guess I am looking for some place I can kinda share my progress in weight loss without being judged too much...?
> I've had weight issues all my life. I know I should blame myself, but a lot of it comes from my parents. They were lazy and didn't want to cook so I got school lunch and McDonalds as a diet all my life.
> I want to turn that around though, but I am not really sure where to start...I don't really want to be muscular...just in shape I guess?
> I am kinda embarrassed to post my weight and stuff though...:S


I don't imagine anybody in this thread would judge you; if anything, you'd get some encouragement. Good luck!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

TheSeasonofReason said:


> Today I took home a log from my local conservation center. Finally, after 10 + years, I finally know what it's like to run with a badass log on my shoulder. Just like Brock Lesnar.


Nice! I'm pretty jealous. 

If I could get my own giant tire to flip, holy crap! My life would be complete.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Benched 355 for 5 reps today. My goal has been achieved.


----------



## nikola123

I would like to ask you guys something.
I am not fat,like its not a giant problem.
I am 170cm 64 kg.

However I do have a bit of a stomach and I have tried to get myself to excercise for some time,I think Ieven posted in this thread once before.
I have been forceing myself to do it for a few days now and I plan to keep going but I would like some advice on what excercises I should do if possible.

So far all I do is 30 squats,50 crunches,doing some stuff with 5kg dumbells and all I can do is 10/15 push ups at most.
I know it isnt alot but I rly dont know what to include in a home workout,what is good,what is bad,if I am even doing stuff well,will what I did now have any effect or is it just not enough?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

If you don't have access to a gym and are only doing at home stuff, start yoga. The most underrated form of exercise for losing weight imo. There are different variations too, like more intense forms to building/strengthening muscle versus some for flexibility/overall wellness.

You already have the core workouts for at home (situps, pushups, squats). If you can add in pullups, flutterkicks, planks, lunges, and maybe jumping rope, I think you'd be solid. You can do a ton more of course, but don't start doing a smorgasbord of stuff or you'll get confused (and it's unnecessary). 

as a supp salseman, I'd said look into SST Performix as a powerful fat burner. For non-stim stuff add CLA (3-4 g), L-Carnitine, Green tea extract, and green coffee bean (which comes in non-stimulating versions and stimulating versions [containing caffeine]). But you can just exercise and diet right and save your money. A multi-vitamin never hurts though.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Is Creatine worth getting? The only thing I'm using right now is a mass gainer and some vitamins.My diet is virtually flawless at the moment but I can't seem to get stronger.Any supplement suggestions?


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----------



## Magic

^it makes you bigger and stronger, but you retain very little of that once you stop using it.

p90x is pretty good for YOGA routines/ab workouts nikola.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

your body produces creatine. Creatine is converted into ATP, usable energy for muscles. Creatine + CoQ10 would be a sick combination as well come to think of. CoQ10 helps cells convert ATP energy. 

but, that's like the basic explanation. So creatine is safe. You have to cycle it (*google that because it's dependent on your body weight). There is Chreatine monohydrate, hydroclorhide (not sure that's the name but it's HCL for short), nitrate, citrate, and more. You'll find HCL isn't supposed to leave you bloated and you don't have to cycle it as much. monohydrate fills your muscles with water basically (which is why it's important to drink a ton while on creatine, plus you'll find creatine in detox products for drug tests). Nitrate is the creatine inside of some pre-workouts like C4, Arnold's iron CR3, and I think jack3d. It's easier to absorb and use for energy versus the kind you'd bulk with.

I love creatine. I use CRE (by cellucore) which has Creapure, the most pure version of monohydrate out right now. Crea-core, 1.75g of HCL and 600mg of Fenugreek. and then XXX Amplified Creatine by GNC (170 calroies to 10g of a creatine blend). But I'm also cycling and got them all cheap. 

You have to decide if you're looking to gain size and strength, going on a creatine cycle(monohydrate or HCL). Or if you're just looking for an extra kick in your workout, creatine nitrate from a preworkout.


----------



## MF83

Yeah, creatine is the best supplement for the weight room. I don't plan on ever cycling off of it as I've never read it neccessary.


Fucked my back at work. Lumbar aggravation affects deadlifts and thoracic pain has me having to switch to "safe" braced core military pressing. I did 160x8 press a couple weeks ago. Failed to get a fifth rep at 140 this week. Yikes. Retooling time. Bench/squat better than ever and unaffected though thankfully.


----------



## Choke2Death

I've had some decent gains in what is nearly 6 months now with no diet plans or use of supps but now I'm considering getting some supps to speed up the process. Been considering creatine and whey but this friend of mine who I see in the gym every other day has recommended "mutant mass gainer" so I'm a bit unsure on what to choose. Any suggestion on what I should choose for a good bulk?


----------



## Corey

Choke2Death said:


> I've had some decent gains in what is nearly 6 months now with no diet plans or use of supps but now I'm considering getting some supps to speed up the process. Been considering creatine and whey but this friend of mine who I see in the gym every other day has recommended "mutant mass gainer" so I'm a bit unsure on what to choose. Any suggestion on what I should choose for a good bulk?


Never any need for mass gainer imo unless you just REALLY have a problem getting calories in your diet. Whey protein, creatine, and a possible pre workout (if you want it) is all you really need. All the other additives like BCAAs or other things aren't completely necessary but do help if you have the money to spend.


----------



## RKO920

Casein is good too. Helps me with recovery after heavy lifts.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

If you're serious and dedicated to your workout and supplementation regimen, 
creatine is awesome. 

For the average Joe, weekend warrior type lifter, it's not going to make too much of a difference. 
You need to take it, keep taking it, and train all the while.
I've had significant strength gains after taking it religiously.
The cycling probably isn't necessary but I usually did it anyway just to see the difference and it was major. 

Mass gainer is fine as long as you're constantly hitting the weights in Beast Mode and having trouble chowing down all your bulking calories in solid form. Sometimes it's just nicer to pound a 700 calorie chocolate shake and be done with it.


----------



## Choke2Death

Let's just say I'm not a prolific eater. I've been getting better in the past five years but in my younger days, I would barely eat twice a day. However, I've been genetically blessed so I was never in danger of being too skinny. (still skinny but it was never a matter of being worried) Seems like I got the mesomorph body type and if what they say about it is true, then I'm damn lucky!

I don't keep track of my calories but I find it hard to eat a full plate more than twice in a day so the mass gainer seems to be a good substitute to give me what I need in order to gain weight. Think I'll give it a try and once it's finished, I'll look into creatine and whey. Right now I weigh 65-66 kgs (think that's 145 lbs) and my goal is to reach 80 kgs (around 30 more pounds if I'm not mistaken). Obviously, I wanna cut the fat down to get some solid abs (have around 12-14% atm) and replace it with muscle.

The lifting part is certainly not a problem for me. I'm motivated, dedicated and hit the gym 3 times a week for full body training and depending on the exercises I do, I do feel plenty of soreness. Like right now, my calves are still sore from yesterday after some heavy standing calf raises. And Mondays usually kill me since I reserve all the big compound exercises for that day (benchpress, squats, deadlifts, military press). Don't do too heavy lifts either because I care more about form and quality rather than my maximum and last thing I need is an injury.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

So I bought some creatine and some BCAA and I'm loving it.I feel stronger already.I feel like I was missing out for such a long time.Any other must have supplements?


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----------



## MF83

Life is much harder when I'm off omega 3. I'm stupider and lazier.

I feel like less of a man when I don't take zinc (jizz volume goes up and I perform better). I feel less recovered without magnesium. DOMS is more annoying and present when I'm off beta alanine. My joints hurt more when I don't take tumeric circumin. I'm more irritable when I don't take vitamin D3. 

How much of that is psychological/imagined I don't know but those are my supps of choice.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm taking creatine, a multi, fenugreek & tribulus, amino acids, pre-workout, papaya enzymes, milk thistle, fish oil, CLA, extra B12, biotin, fiber/probiotics chews, krill oil, and ZMA. 

I've been cycling tons of stuff though to see what I like. I'm pretty sure a solid base for me will eventually consist of a multi, fish oil, and papaya.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

God damn I feel even more left out now,gotta pick up some more stiff.Any good Pre-Workout recommendations?


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----------



## Corey

EscapedIllusion said:


> God damn I feel even more left out now,gotta pick up some more stiff.Any good Pre-Workout recommendations?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


Cellucor C4, USPLabs Jack3d Advanced, or Neon Sport Volt. By far the three best I've ever used.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Thanks.I'm really behind in the supplement race.


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----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

EscapedIllusion said:


> God damn I feel even more left out now,gotta pick up some more stiff.Any good Pre-Workout recommendations?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


narrow down what you want from your preqorkout.

-Creatine?
-Caffeine?
-agmatine sulfate?
-beta-alinine?
some pres are more for focus and energy while some are for the "pump" and being stronger.

I currently use MetRX's Nuclear X. It has everything listed out in the portion sizea and has everything I just listed. Don't take a preworkour with a "proprietary blend" of ingredients because you don't know how much you're getting of everything. That's 1MR, Jay Cutler's stuff, I think Neon. C4 falls in that category, but it's actually a good blend.

But ALWAYS begin with 1 scoop to test your endurance with that specific one regardless of how much crap you've taken before. 

Carnivore (by Kai Greene, MedLabs) makes a great caffeine free pre: NO BULL. Love that stuff. Rivalus makes a caffeine free pre that's ok.

C4 has caffeine, creatine Nitrate (which is supposed to be easier absorbed than the creatine HCL inside my Nuclear X), and beta alinine. If you don't like C4, there is also NO3 which is nearly the same thing but without creatine.

Cellucor also has P6 Black. It's a lesser test booster than their main P6, but it's a decent preworkout. Just expensive. 

ON has "Pre" which sucks. MusleTech has Neurocore which has DMAE in it and it's fantastic for focus. Holy Crap I loved that.

Gaspari made "PlasmaJet" before and it's the best pre I ever took. I'm not sure if it's still on the market or not. 

Assault by MusclePharm (UFC brand) is popular and decent. I got a whole tub on sale ($10, 2 lbs) last month and take it occasionally. Nothing too special.

Shatter, by Hydroxycut (MuscleTech) is caffeine and nothing special. although the first time I tried it I broke an overhead press PR. But it's nothing otherwise.

BSN has NO Explode, and their newer formula. Haven't notice anything different from it and think it sucks.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Awesome read Cesaro.Save me a ton of research.Thanks a lot man.


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----------



## Skyeborne

I just had a depressing moment...

a couple weeks ago I made the decision that I need to lose weight and try to get into shape. (I am pretty big...) I cut out all soda from my diet, and started walking for an hour everyday. Now 2 weeks later, and I found out I gained 3 pounds. 

Maybe it's pointless...


----------



## MF83

It's likely you lost fat so congrats. Sodium/water/food and poop and pee in body/time of day/etc. all factor into a weigh in.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Skyeborne said:


> I just had a depressing moment...
> 
> a couple weeks ago I made the decision that I need to lose weight and try to get into shape. (I am pretty big...) I cut out all soda from my diet, and started walking for an hour everyday. Now 2 weeks later, and I found out I gained 3 pounds.
> 
> Maybe it's pointless...


According to the scale I've gained two pounds in the last four weeks even though I look slimmer and my clothes fit better.


----------



## Skyeborne

MF83 said:


> It's likely you lost fat so congrats. Sodium/water/food and poop and pee in body/time of day/etc. all factor into a weigh in.





JoseBxNYC said:


> According to the scale I've gained two pounds in the last four weeks even though I look slimmer and my clothes fit better.


So, gaining a little weight isn't a horrible thing??

Sorry...I am still new to trying to learn nutrition and exercising, etc.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Skyeborne said:


> So, gaining a little weight isn't a horrible thing??
> 
> Sorry...I am still new to trying to learn nutrition and exercising, etc.


I'm saying that the scale isn't everything and on some ocassions it will lie to you. Focus on how you feel and how your clothes fit. Don't make unrealistic goals either because you'll end up letting yourself down.


----------



## MF83

Y'all know I moaned over my shitty squat from February to June. I hated every squat day because the numbers just kept on going down. One day a week 5/3/1 just wasn't enough volume for me so I switched to Wendler's "1000% Awesome" three days full body template, ft bench/squat both getting each 5x5 once a week and 5/3/1 once a week. Was in awe over my squat progress getting back up to 335x7 two weeks ago. Did 330 for 10 today. This program is ridiculous. Estimated 1RM 440?! Yes. Please. If I keep this up I could get to 500 by the end of the year. Bench is going up equally fast... ON A CUT. Wtf. Jim Wendler is a genius.


----------



## Rockstar

Worked my way up to a 365 deadlift. This week I was in the fucking zone, somehow managed to pull 385. Couldn't believe it. Will be interesting to see if I can get it again next week or if it was a one time thing that will take awhile to get back to. 

Found deathcore music to be amazing for deadlifts, certainly helped hit the new PR.


----------



## Punkhead

Hey, has anybody here tried Insanity workout? If so, what are the results?


----------



## MF83

For quick fat loss, if you eat right and stick to the program as written, I bet it's up there with anything else for efficiency. Intense calisthenics that frequently is going to burn a lot of fat. However, it's a fat burning quick fix that won't last after the three months if a lifestyle change hasn't happened as well. There's no room for progression afterwards and "survival" exercise workout routines don't tend to last as well as progressive overload programs. 

Imo do it if you want to lose some fat quickly but then sign up to a reputable gym immediately after and start lifting weights. 

Disclaimer: never tried it.


----------



## MF83

Ran outdoor track sprints today. 5x90m (realized we were starting 10m ahead of the proper start line) and I was done. 10 days unemployed spent doing nothing and I am already out of shape. Did six laps with my buddy's weight vest after until my left arm went numb from stretching out my sore left shoulder. Sounds shitty but it was so fun and I haven't felt the cardio mood boost in so long. Gonna do 3 days a week conditioning from now on so that I can stay active on off days to prevent getting restless and doing back-to-back full body lifting sessions that really just fuck me up.


----------



## JSullivan

What pre-workout supplements do you guys use?

I started working out a couple of years back but stopped. Just getting back into it again, but in the time I've gone jack3d has been watered down (I've read a lot about some horrid side effects of it happening to people) and I need a replacement.

Any recommendations?


----------



## Corey

JSullivan said:


> What pre-workout supplements do you guys use?
> 
> I started working out a couple of years back but stopped. Just getting back into it again, but in the time I've gone jack3d has been watered down (I've read a lot about some horrid side effects of it happening to people) and I need a replacement.
> 
> Any recommendations?





Jack Evans 187 said:


> Cellucor C4, USPLabs Jack3d Advanced, or Neon Sport Volt. By far the three best I've ever used.


^^ (Y) Jack3d Advanced has worked very well for me as long as you don't exceed 2 scoops. Then you just get real jittery and it gives me the shits.  Jack3d Micro is shit, if that's what you're referring to. No beta alanine = NO THANK YOU. I wanna feel it.


----------



## JSullivan

Jack Evans 187 said:


> ^^ (Y) Jack3d Advanced has worked very well for me as long as you don't exceed 2 scoops. Then you just get real jittery and it gives me the shits.  Jack3d Micro is shit, if that's what you're referring to. No beta alanine = NO THANK YOU. I wanna feel it.


The old Jack3d I used to use had the black box warning on it. Stuff used to be mental. I'd take it and about 15 minutes later I'd be sweating like crazy, my vision was what can only be described as going from standard definition to blu-ray, and I'd get all itchy.

The energy was ridiculous.

I thought they dumped out all the good stuff in Jack3d? I know a lot of it is banned in the UK now...


----------



## Corey

Yeah they had to redo the formula for it, hence the new names attached. Not sure why but I think it might've been because of a substance banned by sports associations or something. Idk. Phenylthaline? Amphetamine? Who knows.

If you like shit with warnings on it then you'll probably enjoy Hemo Rage Black. Almost put me in the hospital. Dropped my blood pressure and shit, WAY too strong.


----------



## JSullivan

Jack Evans 187 said:


> Yeah they had to redo the formula for it, hence the new names attached. Not sure why but I think it might've been because of a substance banned by sports associations or something. Idk. Phenylthaline? Amphetamine? Who knows.
> 
> If you like shit with warnings on it then you'll probably enjoy Hemo Rage Black.* Almost put me in the hospital. Dropped my blood pressure and shit, WAY too strong.*


I think I might have to give that one a miss 

Edit: Something about DMAA being in jack3d I think I read...


----------



## MF83

Pre workout I have a cup of coffee and a sugar free Rockstar.


----------



## Punked Up

Anyone have a shake as they workout? Always use 2-3 scoops of whey with water, drink in between sets and stuff. Helps with hydration obviously, and I don't know if it's just the psychological benefit but I feel much better after taking a few sips.


----------



## MF83

I take a water bottle and a two scoop shake with me. Sometimes I wait until the end, usually I finish it after my main movement of the day, sometimes that shit gets tapped into during my first exercise. It helps me when I'm hungry, that's for sure.


----------



## The Deaner

As far as pre-workouts go, my buddy swears by Jym. I'm hoping to try DYE Oxide. As is, I use C4, always gets me pumped and my skin itchy.


----------



## JSullivan

MF83 said:


> Pre workout I have a cup of coffee and a sugar free Rockstar.


I wish I could get away with Coffee, but I (think I) have IBS. I'm lactose intolerant and the last few years of holding it in when I'm getting stomach cramps has probably contributed. Really annoying. Coffee sets it off.

I usually go for the Blue monster (other energy drinks give me hypos), but I've never had it pre-workout as I don't want to crash during.



Punked Up said:


> Anyone have a shake as they workout? Always use 2-3 scoops of whey with water, drink in between sets and stuff. Helps with hydration obviously, and I don't know if it's just the psychological benefit but I feel much better after taking a few sips.


Only ever post-workout. I usually take one in the 20 minutes following a workout as it seems to be the most effective then.

Most people I know have said not to bother with shakes during workout as it has no particular benefit at that point. Again, it's all opinions I suppose. I stick to water during workouts.


----------



## nikola123

Small update: I stuck with my usual routine and implemented 15-30 min workouts on the elliptical
So far I lost 3 pounds.

Still need to force myself to workout tho,not quite enjoying it xD


----------



## Magic

^finding a friend to workout with makes it a lot more enjoyable tbh. well for me at least. i can only tolerate one though, with more than one the workout just seems to go by way too slow(unless everyone does their own thing).


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

nikola123 said:


> Small update: I stuck with my usual routine and implemented 15-30 min workouts on the elliptical
> So far I lost 3 pounds.
> 
> Still need to force myself to workout tho,not quite enjoying it xD


wait till you see some gainz and then you'll find something you like to do consistently. It could be an aesthetic gain or a strength gain. I remember when I could do more pullups than everyone else. But when I began to do muscle ups and no one else could, that's when I was hooked.

and partners help too. Especially one who can out-do, to some degree. So it's a friendly competition. And that's why I love lifting. It's not a competition where you win or lose; you always gain, just sometimes you GAINZ more than someone else.


----------



## DesolationRow

*nikola123*, aside from what others are suggesting, also try doing some stretching and a lengthy set of squats and crunches before going on the elliptical. Never spent too much time thinking about it but doing some fundamental core exercises that are a little bit tedious in nature to begin with kind of makes you look forward to the cardio portion of your exercise time. Though I actually enjoy those exercises because I'm sort of weird, I am thinking.


----------



## nikola123

Honestly,squats murder my stamina and then I just drag myself through the rest of the workout.I do 100 of them (25/small break/25/repeat till 100) but its such a pain xD.


----------



## DesolationRow

Sometimes I like to "cool down" with those kinds of exercises, too, so whatever floats your boat as they--whoever "_they_" are--say.

Been performing more upside-down sit-ups lately and of course pull-ups and muscle-ups as *cesaro_ROCKS* was talking about, too. Battle ropes are fun but exhausting as well for a different version of the core/cardio workout.

I suppose there's some truth to be had in that the leg press is a marginal or perhaps even useless exercise but I just got up to 630 pounds with it so I'm nevertheless sort of pleased. Should have been this high for a while, honestly.


----------



## JSullivan

Had a good week off now from working out - been trying to sort out my partners aches and pains at the doctors. She's now been told she can't do any resistance work until her shoulder is better.

Looks like she'll be doing 100% cardio.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I want to be Drax the Destoryer (Batista from Guardians of Galaxy) for Halloween. I actually have the size down close (although bigger legs than batista :lol). I just got a free bottle of Hydroxycut, so I think I'll do that for September, then perhaps a 10 day water shed before halloween so I'll be leaned out. 

Add a little cardio, lift heavy, no pizza....sounds easy enough.

@nikola123, do you just work out at home? Or do you go to a gym?


----------



## JSullivan

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I want to be Drax the Destoryer (Batista from Guardians of Galaxy) for Halloween. I actually have the size down close (although bigger legs than batista :lol). I just got a free bottle of Hydroxycut, so I think I'll do that for September, then perhaps a 10 day water shed before halloween so I'll be leaned out.
> 
> Add a little cardio, lift heavy, no pizza....sounds easy enough.
> 
> @nikola123, do you just work out at home? Or do you go to a gym?


I did my leg measurements. 28 inches around the thigh. I'm pretty happy with that. More or less rock solid, although the inner thigh is a little flabby like most peoples.

All those years of cycling!


----------



## The Big Bad Wolf

Hydroxycut isn't too bad, I prefer Lipo6, anyone heard of or used Clen?


----------



## PGSucks

I've been lifting but also eating like shit because it's the first week of the semester and I don't really care (also, freshman girls always wanna get something to eat )

Gonna do a good cut in a bit though. Probably over winter because fuck bulking season (not really, but I usually don't bulk over winter)


----------



## WWE

Managed to jog for 12 whole minutes on the treadmill without stopping  

i remember the good old days when i would rage after like 2-5 minutes. :side:


----------



## JSullivan

Triceps are KILLING today. I tried to get in the bath. I managed. Then I tried getting out...


----------



## DesolationRow

Did weighted lunges for two miles this morning. Think my legs fell off a little while ago.


----------



## MF83

So I bench/squat twice a week and deadlift/overhead press on my middle day. Many moons of overarching my back in the name of weight on the bar for overhead press instead of properly bracing my core has my spine in much pain. I've tried lighter weight and proper bracing but I still leave fucking sore. I'm gonna drop it but I can't decide what to do between seated overhead, weighted dips or close grip incline. 

My bench weak point has become my triceps. Since pausing my reps and adding dumbbells once a week, my chest is relatively strong as hell and I failed at lockout last week, which is ass backwards for a raw guy. 

Dips: My sternum hurt so bad the last time I did dips because my form sucked or something. Maybe if I can fix it up this is the best choice. Dips carrover-to-bench potential is huge. I can superset with weighted chins and finally put my dip belt to use.

Seated overhead: just seems like a waste for some reason. Sure, it's the same movement but there's something shitty about doing it seated.

Closed Grip Incline: hits the delts and triceps hard, which is where I'm weak and what I need to hit.

What do I do?


----------



## Skyeborne

I know this is gonna sound stupid, but I am really proud of myself.


For the past few weeks I've been going out and walking for an hour today. Today, however, I waited until it was dark out and I went out for an hour again, but this time I started to jog!! I couldn't do it very long, and I think I ended up walking more than jogging, but I still jogged a good amount. I ended up jogging for 10 seconds, walking for 20 seconds and back and forth. 

As well as, 

I have tried cutting back on soda, it is really hard though as it is one of the only comforts I have..., but I know if I manage to lose weight I might start feeling less depressed. I didn't have any soda today!

I know it's stupid, but it's little feats I've accomplished and I am proud...


----------



## Dec_619

Have been following a diet/Gym routine for two full weeks. Started at 92.4KGS. Weighed in yesterday morning at 89.5. It's amazing what a little bit of dedication and hard work can do. 

My aim is to get around 80kg-85kg, somewhere in between there. 

Routine is: Monday - Chest, Tuesday - Back, Wednesday - Shoulders, Thursday Legs, Friday - Arms and Saturday - Cardio (60 Minutes) 

Before each session I do 15minutes on the Cross Trainer and finish off with 5 minutes on the treadmill after each session.

I'm starting to really enjoy the gym + the foods i'm eating.


----------



## Corey

MF83 said:


> So I bench/squat twice a week and deadlift/overhead press on my middle day. Many moons of overarching my back in the name of weight on the bar for overhead press instead of properly bracing my core has my spine in much pain. I've tried lighter weight and proper bracing but I still leave fucking sore. I'm gonna drop it but I can't decide what to do between seated overhead, weighted dips or close grip incline.
> 
> My bench weak point has become my triceps. Since pausing my reps and adding dumbbells once a week, my chest is relatively strong as hell and I failed at lockout last week, which is ass backwards for a raw guy.
> 
> Dips: My sternum hurt so bad the last time I did dips because my form sucked or something. Maybe if I can fix it up this is the best choice. Dips carrover-to-bench potential is huge. I can superset with weighted chins and finally put my dip belt to use.
> 
> Seated overhead: just seems like a waste for some reason. Sure, it's the same movement but there's something shitty about doing it seated.
> 
> Closed Grip Incline: hits the delts and triceps hard, which is where I'm weak and what I need to hit.
> 
> What do I do?


I vote for dips. Not much of an overhead presser myself (I prefer seated dumbbell shoulder press) and close grip incline really hurts my wrist. Dips should hit the triceps and delts a good bit as well if that's what you're aiming for.


----------



## Tammy88

Right, I'm officially a member of the gym! Did one class the other day (mostly yoga/pilates type stuff) and got dizzy a few times. Need to remember not to push myself too hard (had a kidney transplant several months ago and not worked out really since) but at the same time, I want results so I'll need to find a compromise!

The gym do these guides for 99p each for a 6 week program so thinking I'll get one of them... just to decide if I'd rather get ripped/toned/trim or strong.. all seems the same to me generally! 


Also, apart from protein shakes and other supplements, what foods or drinks can I take before/during/after a workout to help me feel more energised/less crap and dizzy?


----------



## Choke2Death

Dips are one of the most awesome exercises. They are effective and something not everyone can do which makes it more special when you can do them. Next time I have them in my workout, I think I'll try max reps instead of doing the usual 8x4 / 12x3 routine. Is it as effective to do one set to failure instead of the typical?

Also does anyone know any good lower-back exercises other than deadlift and back-extensions? According to the guide by the machines, lat pulldowns hit the lower back so if that's the case then it's great as I enjoy doing them.


----------



## MF83

Good mornings, back raises, reverse hyper, glute ham raise, kettlebell swings, deadlift variations 

Yeah. I'm going with dips.


----------



## Corey

Tammy88 said:


> Also, apart from protein shakes and other supplements, what foods or drinks can I take before/during/after a workout to help me feel more energised/less crap and dizzy?


Complex carbs. Maybe some oatmeal or a granola bar before the workout, even some whole grain cereal. Post workout have some lean meat with brown rice or potatoes.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

after missing 4 days in the gym...






Literally how my biceps felt today. I was cumming all workout.


----------



## nikola123

Some more random updates >.O

Lost 6 pounds,bumping up the number of crunches etc as I go on.
Working out nicely I guess.


----------



## WWE

nikola123 said:


> Some more random updates >.O
> 
> Lost 6 pounds,bumping up the number of crunches etc as I go on.
> Working out nicely I guess.


Congrats (Y)

What's the fastest way to lose belly fat? I'm 5'10/190LB. Want to look very slim before I start building a lot of muscle.

And... Is it a bad thing to try and build muscle while working on cardio?


----------



## NeyNey

I try to lose weight since 2009, but it never really worked. 
(Stupid diets, Lazyness, no endurance, excuses excuses excuses)

So last month a co-worker motivated me to go to the gym with her and it was really fun.
Now I even go alone when she has no time after work. :dance2
(4 times a week)

I'm currently 83 kg (182 lbs). :will
Two milestones, sub 75 kg (165 lbs) and sub 70 kg (154 lbs).
Depending on how I'll look I'd love to aim at 60-65 kg (132-143 lbs) one day.

"Only" lost 1 kg (2,2 lbs) in August 'cause I still eat fucking shit. 
Fast Food, Chips, chocolate and all that crap.
Also I only drink 0,5-1L a day. TRYING to minimize my soda consumption and drink at least 2L water a day.
Today I bought some stuff to prepare healthy food and some things to make it easier, since that is one of my top problems. 
So my official weight loss begins tomorrow. 
I decided to post my "journey" in here since this is the Forum I visit the most and it'll always remind me when I log in.
When I reach 70 kg (154 lbs) I'll post some Before/After Pics including in my Shield Shirt lol.

Also, my mothers 50th birhday is in december, 21st. 
Haven't seen my whole family for 2 1/2 years and the last time my Ma saw me was in may. 
Can't wait to see how much I'll lose in that time. So fucking motivated. :banderas


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

WWE said:


> Congrats (Y)
> 
> What's the fastest way to lose belly fat? I'm 5'10/190LB. Want to look very slim before I start building a lot of muscle.
> 
> And... Is it a bad thing to try and build muscle while working on cardio?


Fat is lost however the body loses it. So, there is nothing you can do to specifically target belly fat. 

but, losing fat all together will help obviously. Lift weights, do cardio. Don't do long bouts of cardio (45- 60 mins) multiple times a week while lifting to build muscle. keep maybe 2-3 30 minute sessions of cardio and 2-4 weight ligting sessions per week. Not because "you'll burn off all that muscle." But because it's not necessary.

CLA - a fat burning supplement clinically studied to target belly fat primarily. Could get some of that, but it's not going to be instant. Should wait at least 1-2 months before it's really efficient for you.


----------



## JSullivan

Been missing the Gym too much recently.

Got down today though - just got back in fact. Feeling a LOT better for it.

Back and Biceps today. My first proper day working in this method. Actually paid some attention to my arms as I lifted. Didn't realise my arms could get that big. Left me feeling awesome as I'm not one for self-confidence in terms of my body.


----------



## MF83

Haven't been posting much on here cause I started a log on Bodybuilding.com. This program is still working wonders. Might just squat 500/bench 315 by the end of the year. Did 320x12 squat today and 235x8 bench the other day. :mark:


----------



## Choke2Death

I've been thinking about registering to bodybuilding.com but I always find any question I have through google and the forum seems to be filled with complete douchebags.

Mass gainers arrived today, now it's time to get started! :mark:


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Choke2Death said:


> I've been thinking about registering to bodybuilding.com but I always find any question I have through google and the forum seems to be filled with complete douchebags.
> 
> Mass gainers arrived today, now it's time to get started! :mark:


Having been on their forums for many years (as a reader, not poster) I can tell you that really all this "Workout/Staying in Shape" can get extremely over-analyzed there. That said, you could still register and just not participate in the forums but still track your progress.

But really all of this is simple stuff that people like to over-complicate. 

To Lesnarize it:

EAT 
CONQUER (Your Workouts)
EAT
SLEEP
REPEAT

That's it. You'll get muscle. 
Supplement if it's in the budget.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

I'm at about 13% body fat,with the help of CLA how long would it take to get down to 10% or below?


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Holy dick I need to carbo load. Been doing well, dieting now very well. But I've been carb cycling fantastically. Or maybe not. I got 315 x 1, 315 x 1, 335 x 1, 275 x 5 for deadlifts today; coming off after about 3 weeks of a max at 375. Sooooo tired today. Lack of sleep, cutting, and no caffeine for working out maybe me a mere mortal in the gym. 



EscapedIllusion said:


> I'm at about 13% body fat,with the help of CLA how long would it take to get down to 10% or below?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


As a supplement salesman: You should notice results at the half way point of the supply. So a 30 day serving should yield noticeable results at about 15 days. Make sure you're taking the recommended 4 g serving per day to really help oxidize that fat and use it for energy more efficiently. Oh, there buy one get one half off-

As a bro: You have to cut calories. CLA may help. But it's similar to a healthy fat. So, eating nuts and fish are going to be as effective, only CLA isn't a calroie dense nutrient like your poly, mono, or un/saturated fats. 

and it's only *one* of the very promising supps to help. It does have way more clinical studies to back it up than Garcinia, green coffee bean, raspberry ketones, and tons of other bullshit supps. So that's a benefit. 

Best stack would be some extra L-carnitine & CLA together for a non-stim, natural weight loss aid to a <maintenance diet. I didn't say a healthy diet, just a <maintenance diet. 

You could always just buy "re-Shred," "Xpel," "waterex," or "L2," to drop some water weight quickly. Something akin to a body builder before a show. But that's water weight. That's only if you're about to go to the beach or something. I'll be doing a re-shred before Halloween.


----------



## Choke2Death

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> Having been on their forums for many years (as a reader, not poster) I can tell you that really all this "Workout/Staying in Shape" can get extremely over-analyzed there. That said, you could still register and just not participate in the forums but still track your progress.


The funniest part to me is when someone creates a thread asking a question or making a statement and somebody responds by posting OP's stats. ("Height: 5'7 Weight: 130 lbs") Just seems so random.



> But really all of this is simple stuff that people like to over-complicate.
> 
> To Lesnarize it:
> 
> EAT
> CONQUER (Your Workouts)
> EAT
> SLEEP
> REPEAT
> 
> That's it. You'll get muscle.
> Supplement if it's in the budget.


Live life with a LESNAR STATE OF MIND! :brock


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Choke2Death said:


> The funniest part to me is when someone creates a thread asking a question or making a statement and somebody responds by posting OP's stats. ("Height: 5'7 Weight: 130 lbs") Just seems so random.


It's not really random though. It's taking the piss outta those stats because from a bodybuilding POV they are indeed weak. 5'7, 170-180 of pure muscle is much more desirable from a bodybuilding POV then 130 even if you are a ripped and shredded 130 because first and foremost it's a body *BUILDING *website, not a general fitness site. 

But that's why there's plenty of other avenues for non-bodybuilders out there like LIVESTRONG or MEN'S FITNESS or MEN'S HEALTH, the list goes on...

I subscribed to Men's Health for a while and found it the best match for the average guy that still wants to have a stellar physique but doesn't necessarily want to be a bodybuilder.


EscapedIllusion said:


> I'm at about 13% body fat,with the help of CLA how long would it take to get down to 10% or below?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


I personally wouldn't recommend CLA but that's just me. 
I've used it and for me it was a dud. Plus all those big soft gels...:no: 

YMMV.
That's another thing though too. For every guy that touts how awesome a product or specific supplement is, another one says it's worthless. 

But yeah, CLA (N)


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

Would like to say hello to all the usual contributors and say that I lurk this thread every now and then and admit that it has helped me learn about training so thank you guys for that. I got a question.

Has anybody used a hexbar for squats? and does it work you as much as a barbell?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Are you holding the bar beneath your waist and then squating? I don't know how you'd put it on your shoulders if not as I mentioned before. 

You can't do as much weight, id think, if you're having to hold the weight and then squat. And unless you're tiny or the hexbar is wide enough, you won't get the space to actually squat back properly. (or my ass is too big :lmao) deadlifts work because you're not going to a complete squat. I'd stick with a bar.

If you don't want the bar to press on your shoulders, use a machine: standard leg press or other standard squat similar machines. 

I'd worry, when trying something new, does it interfere with the motion the exercise is intended for? Hexbar seems like it would. Those machines don't, and only use less stabilizing muscles (but they were made as alternatives so don't feel silly using them for that purpose).


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Are you holding the bar beneath your waist and then squating? I don't know how you'd put it on your shoulders if not as I mentioned before.
> 
> You can't do as much weight, id think, if you're having to hold the weight and then squat. And unless you're tiny or the hexbar is wide enough, you won't get the space to actually squat back properly. (or my ass is too big :lmao) deadlifts work because you're not going to a complete squat. I'd stick with a bar.
> 
> If you don't want the bar to press on your shoulders, use a machine: standard leg press or other standard squat similar machines.
> 
> I'd worry, when trying something new, does it interfere with the motion the exercise is intended for? Hexbar seems like it would. Those machines don't, and only use less stabilizing muscles (but they were made as alternatives so don't feel silly using them for that purpose).



Thanks alot. I don't have access to machines or equiptment in my area. So I'm going to stick with the barbell for now and get hex later on with a set of plates.

What triggered my idea was having the bar roll down my back twice now and thought maybe I could use a hexbar and a platform to get the same benefits as a normal bar on shoulder squat. But as I thought and like you said I wouldn't get the full movement from it.


----------



## MF83

Gonna skip another quarterly meet and aim for the February provincials for my next meet. Aiming for a 500 squat, 315 bench, 550 deadlift. Yay!


----------



## Tammy88

Just me feel out of my depth in here some times? Very impressive guys! 

I need to get a set routine going with my little weights - the other day I just messed around, had no determination to do anything. I'm also really annoyed with how unfit I've gotten (well more weak than anything else - I swear I used to be able to do heavier weights) I think I just have no patience...


----------



## WWE

Currently under going BodyChange(John Cena's changetime thing) already lost 2 pounds in week 1 out of 10. My work pants actually fit comfortably on my waist now! 

Thank God he has 1 day as a Load day(to eat whatever the hell you want). Mine was on Saturday. And this is what I ate. I apologize if image is too big. 

This is going to be a very fun 10 weeks! Protein! Protein! More Protein!


----------



## MF83

My recent 5s week's Wendler sets! 

Did 5x10 dips last week in place of OHP. Going to try and get to 20 reps per set then add weight.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

If you're not willing to pay for a gym membership you shouldn't be allowed in a universities gym for free. 

Fucking pathetic these kids hogging a bench with two 10's on a barbell. And you know, i can't even blame these kids or be pissed at them. PITT just let's them run free in the gym with no guidance. There should be trainers hired to check over new people in this gym. Fuck, how has PITT not been sued into oblivion? 

Chest day + freshman = injuries & no gains. I just don't get how these fucks get up at 8 and 9 am to do chest on Mondays. If you're not willing to at least google exercise you shouldn't be allowed in the gym.


----------



## WWE

Wow I would get so irritated if that happened.

Over here at good ol' Sheridan College we have about 2-3 trainers going around making sure people are doing the proper form on deadlifts/bench press/curls/blah blah blah.

But I'm normally on the treadmill so they never bother me :cesaro


----------



## JSullivan

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> If you're not willing to pay for a gym membership you shouldn't be allowed in a universities gym for free.
> 
> Fucking pathetic these kids hogging a bench with two 10's on a barbell. And you know, i can't even blame these kids or be pissed at them. PITT just let's them run free in the gym with no guidance. There should be trainers hired to check over new people in this gym. Fuck, how has PITT not been sued into oblivion?
> 
> Chest day + freshman = injuries & no gains. I just don't get how these fucks get up at 8 and 9 am to do chest on Mondays. If you're not willing to at least google exercise you shouldn't be allowed in the gym.


Agreed.

We get loads of underage kids (the minimum age is 18, but these are all easily 15ish) who are using awful form and hogging the free-weight section for hours on end - doing 100 reps of 5kg and looking at themselves in the mirror.

Absolutely ridiculous.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I was all hyped up on preworkout when I wrote that too. :lol I was standing around for 5 minutes, even after asking every person at the 10 squat racks, and just gave up because there were about 3 people ahead of me.

If you have a bodybuilding.com shirt you should have to at least read one article and learn something from it.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

I workout at home.
No lines. No waiting. No "brahs".
:CAM


----------



## Dec_619

So I started at 92.4KGS, weighed in today at 85.6KGS. Feeling so bloody good! Will look at losing another 2-3KGS before I add a cheat day to my week. I've been hitting the gym quite hard, building muscle slowly. 

Always remember Once You See Results It Becomes An Addiction


----------



## MF83

Finally broke 500 legit!

[youtube]U6Cb08_7yQ[/youtube]


515 was going up but got caught on my bunched up sweats right after! 525 sounds about right for a 100% peak true max.


----------



## Loudness

Does anybody here have a shoulders/clavicle and height fetish here?

I don't know but there's some seriously ridiculously wide guy in the NBA. Dwight Howard for example










Dude just looks ridiculous. He's not that big., 6'11" 264 which is not big for his height but his width is ridiulous, he dwarfs guys twice as big as him.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Not here to discuss width fetishes but that's a damn wide pic. 
Spoiler that thing at least.


----------



## MF83

So all the bodybuilders cried PHIX when Heath won again. I don't know how bodybuilding works enough to care or have an opinion but I have enjoyed reading the rage online.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Phil Heath was better. 

There's big difference was kai got in facebook and instagram and a ton more social media this year. So kai basically had the ibbc on his side. 

Kai was not add conditioned, cut, as Heath. And I'd say: again! He had the same problem last year. So a repeat problem hurts


----------



## The Ice King

Anyone here do DDP Yoga?? 
I don't know if there's a thread for this already.

I meditate and routinely do regular yoga already, wanted to build more stamina, become more toned, yet still work on flexibility, so I figured I'd try this out instead of lifting weights. I didn't need to lose weight cause I'm 6'3 160lbs (don't want to be big or anything) I knew this would be different and intense. I just finished the 13th week of the Intermediate course, and it's incredible. This has been perfect! I'm currently starting the advanced level, the videos are no joke! I'm drenched in sweat during the majority of them, did the "Double Black Diamond" on Saturday and looked like I just got out of the pool.

For anyone wanting to lose weight, build stamina, build flexibility, and tone their body this is an amazing way! I still haven't done a 180 on what I eat (it comes with a full meal plan), but I've changed a lot of my diet (again not for weight purposes, but just to feel better and be healthy). More veggies/fruit and little to no fast food. It's forced me to learn how to cook more at home which is nice.


----------



## Dec_619

Hey guys,

Anyone go much on Pre Workouts? I'm contemplating buying Mr Hyde.

Any thoughts?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

The Ice King said:


> Anyone here do DDP Yoga??
> I don't know if there's a thread for this already.
> 
> I meditate and routinely do regular yoga already, wanted to build more stamina, become more toned, yet still work on flexibility, so I figured I'd try this out instead of lifting weights. I didn't need to lose weight cause I'm 6'3 160lbs (don't want to be big or anything) I knew this would be different and intense. I just finished the 13th week of the Intermediate course, and it's incredible. This has been perfect! I'm currently starting the advanced level, the videos are no joke! I'm drenched in sweat during the majority of them, did the "Double Black Diamond" on Saturday and looked like I just got out of the pool.
> 
> For anyone wanting to lose weight, build stamina, build flexibility, and tone their body this is an amazing way! I still haven't done a 180 on what I eat (it comes with a full meal plan), but I've changed a lot of my diet (again not for weight purposes, but just to feel better and be healthy). More veggies/fruit and little to no fast food. It's forced me to learn how to cook more at home which is nice.


search ZigglerMark in this thread. He used it 


Dec_619 said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Anyone go much on Pre Workouts? I'm contemplating buying Mr Hyde.
> 
> Any thoughts?





cesaro_ROCKS said:


> narrow down what you want from your preqorkout.
> 
> -Creatine?
> -Caffeine?
> -agmatine sulfate?
> -beta-alinine?
> some pres are more for focus and energy while some are for the "pump" and being stronger.
> 
> I currently use MetRX's Nuclear X. It has everything listed out in the portion sizea and has everything I just listed. Don't take a preworkour with a "proprietary blend" of ingredients because you don't know how much you're getting of everything. That's 1MR, Jay Cutler's stuff, I think Neon. C4 falls in that category, but it's actually a good blend.
> 
> But ALWAYS begin with 1 scoop to test your endurance with that specific one regardless of how much crap you've taken before.
> 
> Carnivore (by Kai Greene, MedLabs) makes a great caffeine free pre: NO BULL. Love that stuff. Rivalus makes a caffeine free pre that's ok.
> 
> C4 has caffeine, creatine Nitrate (which is supposed to be easier absorbed than the creatine HCL inside my Nuclear X), and beta alinine. If you don't like C4, there is also NO3 which is nearly the same thing but without creatine.
> 
> Cellucor also has P6 Black. It's a lesser test booster than their main P6, but it's a decent preworkout. Just expensive.
> 
> ON has "Pre" which sucks. MusleTech has Neurocore which has DMAE in it and it's fantastic for focus. Holy Crap I loved that.
> 
> Gaspari made "PlasmaJet" before and it's the best pre I ever took. I'm not sure if it's still on the market or not.
> 
> Assault by MusclePharm (UFC brand) is popular and decent. I got a whole tub on sale ($10, 2 lbs) last month and take it occasionally. Nothing too special.
> 
> Shatter, by Hydroxycut (MuscleTech) is caffeine and nothing special. although the first time I tried it I broke an overhead press PR. But it's nothing otherwise.
> 
> BSN has NO Explode, and their newer formula. Haven't notice anything different from it and think it sucks.



Mr Hyde is a preworkout you'll feel. 3 g of beta alinine, and 300 mg of caffeine. But I'd think you crash hard. Jekyll is probably better because it has less caffeine and I've personally liked it better.


----------



## Dec_619

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> search ZigglerMark in this thread. He used it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Mr Hyde is a preworkout you'll feel. 3 g of beta alinine, and 300 mg of caffeine. But I'd think you crash hard. Jekyll is probably better because it has less caffeine and I've personally liked it better.


Thanks dude, i'll check Jekyll out!


----------



## sharkboy22

Ok..so where do I start. I've been doing shit with weights for about four years now. I've made every fuck up in the book. From working out way too long, to not having any fucking idea what I'm doing, to not having a proper knowledge of nutrition, every newbie mistake you can think of I've made it. It wasn't until about mid last year I really understood what I was doing. I went from 140 pounds to 175 in just 4 months. Of course, quite a bit was fat. Anyway , I got the weight down to about 165 by the end of the year and as of January this year started building back up. About 2 months ago, I went up to about 178 and found that I was getting too fat again. Currently, I'm 171 and honestly, I look and feel much better than I did at 178. I definitely have more size overall at 171 than at 178. I'm not one too get caught up with the numbers. I'm more concerned with what I'm seeing in the mirror.

While I do look and feel better at my current weight, it's no really saying much. At 178, I looked like shit. At 171, I look like less shit. I don't know what it is, and I don't want to throw the term out there loosely, but I guess my body just doesn't want to build muscle, or is really stubborn to do so. First off, here's a little backstory:

I use to be FAT. I was an OBESE child. It took me four years (from 12 to 16) but I managed to get my weight under control. I'm sure the process could have been much shorter had I exercise more frequently and more knowledge of dieting but the fact is I lost the weight. However, despite getting down to a puny 140, or probably less, I was still 'fat'. For some reasons the fat on my chest, belly and around the hips never disappeared. As a matter of fact, at 171 I have a lower bf % than I did at 140. There's less fat around my hips despite bulking TWICE within the past year. So, while I do have less body fat than when I was 140, I still struggle with this stubborn fat around my chest and belly. 

I have definitely packed on size between January of this year and now. I see overall growth. However, I have two main issues 1) I don't think I've put on as much as other people would and 2) I still look like crap.

1) I have friends who don't know what the fuck they're doing, yet somehow build muscle faster than me. I'm talking about guys who spend two hours in a gym everyday doing 5 and 6 different movements per body part and ignoring all the main lifts. Not to mention, their diet sucks. Yet somehow, their bodies look ten times better than mine! Why is it that I have such a hard time putting on size? My routine is as follows:

Workout A:

Military press 5x5
Incline barbell/dumbell 3x5-8
Flat bench 3x5-8
Chest fly 3x8-12

Dips 3 sets to failure
Close grip bench 3x5
Skull crushers 3x8-12
Some sort of isolation machine just to finish off triceps

Workout B
Squat 5x5
Deadlift and/or bent over row 5x5

Pull ups 3 sets till failure
Seated curls 3x6-10
Barbell curls super-set seated curls 3 sets till failure

Lately I've thrown in an arm specialization day. I use to just repeat Workout A. Sometimes, I'd do workout B twice a week. Note: I've only started this routine about 2 months now (this being my second month)


2) My upper body looks like shit! Despite these workouts, my upper body is a freaking mess. My legs are fantastic. Good size and well toned. Only thing that will make them better is if I go into full body-builder mode and work on bringing out all 3,000 different muscles in there. I'm not gonna lie, I got my legs from my mom. It's pure genetics. Even my calves, which I rarely workout, are good. I know a guy that works out legs twice a week and can't build them. As a matter of fact, he wishes he had mine. Here's the interesting part. On my dad's side of the family, the men and women have the same features. For the men, fat around the chest, belly and hips. The women have it around the belly and hips as well. I don't come from a line of muscular people, on both sides. 

I don't wanna be that guy that blames it on genetics, but could it be a factor? Is there anything I could do? Maybe my workout routine does suck? I meet all my macros and I haven't had fast food in months. And I generally stay away from sodas and anything with excessive sugar. I'm sorry if my thoughts are disjointed but quite frankly that's how my mind is right now. Currently, I ear at maintenance or just a tad bit over it. I use weights three or four times a week and cardio two or three times. I really don't think there is anything wrong with any of my workouts or my diet. Am I just gonna have wait slowly but surely to see any significant changes in my body?


----------



## MF83

Your friends are smashing out a tremendous volume load and isolating more total area than you. Provided they're eating right, they will be bigger, regardless of rhyme or reason.

Get stronger. Follow a program. I'd suggest the 5/3/1 Boring But Big challenge, personally. Google it, there's an entire article on it. My friend is in bis second month and has added like 40-50lbs to his squat and deadlift, about 30 to his bench and 20 to his overhead press. He's gained 5-10 lbs as well, I believe. 

Eat a surplus and sleep. Voila.


----------



## sharkboy22

So I should start spending 2 hours in the gym?

Also, I already did and still try to incorporate SS in my routines.

I'll take you up on the 5/3/1 for now though.


----------



## WWE

Is rice good for you when trying to lose weight?

Brown or white rice? I know white isn't at all, but what about brown rice? Is brown rice good for you?


----------



## MF83

sharkboy22 said:


> So I should start spending 2 hours in the gym?
> 
> Also, I already did and still try to incorporate SS in my routines.
> 
> I'll take you up on the 5/3/1 for now though.


Starting strength is awesome for strength gains but if you want size it won't do a whole lot, especially upper body. Size comes if you ate enough to compensate for a shitload of volume while you sleep.

It's not so much time spent but volume per muscle groups. For upper body you have three sets a week for your entire upper back (if you deadlifted and didn't row). That's at least half the battle for upper body size! BBB for example has you doing minimal 100 upper back compound reps a week and it is a veeery simple size plan. You have no core work either. Some people recommend up to a 2:1 upper body pullush reps for health and posture.

You seem scared to eat. I'm a former obese guy and that's how I was. I would go 1700 Cal and was skinny fat before I started training powerlifting. When you slowly condition the body to eat above maintenance, maintenance goes up, especially as you gain muscle. Add 100 Cal/day a week until you hit a real bf maintenance, weight gain number. That's a suggestion. 

Yeah, that's just my opinions though. I ain't a bodybuilder. That's Skyfall's domain.

I squatted and deadlifted with week old ass cheek stitches and a strained vastus lateralis quad muscle today! Woo!


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Just got back from a 4 mile run. 
Hit 101% of my max heart rate (recently adjusted...by formula I would've hit 105%). :shocked:
They don't call me "Maniac" for nothing...I go balls to the wall.
But seriously, I'm gonna have to have a talk with my doc about that. :/


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Sweet. 

Got a lifting buddy now at U-Pitt. This female body builder. Set to do legs Wednesday morning. I hope I can keep up because she claims she's on Pitt's bodybuilding team (which is just a club, not a competitive team).


----------



## EscapedIllusion

So I'm at a crossroad.I want to get bigger but at the same time I wanna stay ripped.I started a half assed paleo diet (half assed because I'm still taking a non paleo mass gainer) and I have seen tremendous results in terms of definition.I have visible abs! But I still feel small.Some time a couple weeks ago I was standing directly in front of a shirtless Ricochet and he was way bigger than me yet we were the same height and he had a full eight pack.That's what I want, I wanna put on a lot of mass but I wanna keep my body fat levels low.Any tips on how to achieve this?


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----------



## MF83

He was very skinny for a long time. Time plus food = size. Condition the fat down if that's an issue but eat! 



Hit THE bench-mark of 225x10 for the first time today. Did 345x11 squats yesterday. Estimated 471 max. I did 370 at my June meet. This fucking program, I swear to Baba.


----------



## Magic

did you stop doing actual max sets and instead just calculating them, mf? I've never really thought much of a max rep tbh, doesn't mean a whole lot to me I guess.


----------



## MF83

I've only tested a max deliberately once (just to finally get over a 500lbs deadlift) since June, although heavy "joker" sets after the max rep "Wendler sets" happen a lot, if I'm having a good day. The weight x reps x 0.0333 + weight = 1RM forumla is usually very accurate for me within five or so pounds. Mixing them rep ranges for all the gainz.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

EscapedIllusion said:


> So I'm at a crossroad.I want to get bigger but at the same time I wanna stay ripped.I started a half assed paleo diet (half assed because I'm still taking a non paleo mass gainer) and I have seen tremendous results in terms of definition.I have visible abs! But I still feel small.Some time a couple weeks ago I was standing directly in front of a shirtless Ricochet and he was way bigger than me yet we were the same height and he had a full eight pack.That's what I want, I wanna put on a lot of mass but I wanna keep my body fat levels low.Any tips on how to achieve this?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


Get big. You might find even with a semi-healthy diet you won't gain a ton of fat. That's if you're lifting. I was stuck with that mentality, but you have to consider the lifting factor. A ton of results are diet related, but you can't factor out the weight lifting. You might drop from a 6 pack to a 2 pack. But the muscle will be so welcome. And you can always diet later on. It'll be more benefical if you can learn to diet to get big and lean too.


----------



## Punked Up

MF83 said:


> I've only tested a max deliberately once (just to finally get over a 500lbs deadlift) since June, although heavy "joker" sets after the max rep "Wendler sets" happen a lot, if I'm having a good day. The weight x reps x 0.0333 + weight = 1RM forumla is usually very accurate for me within five or so pounds. Mixing them rep ranges for all the gainz.


Don't have an account, but have been following your log on BB.com. Really nice work man. How's the cut going?

Loving cross country/distance running and getting in great condition, but really can't wait to hit the weight room consistently starting Nov. 1st!


----------



## EscapedIllusion

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Get big. You might find even with a semi-healthy diet you won't gain a ton of fat. That's if you're lifting. I was stuck with that mentality, but you have to consider the lifting factor. A ton of results are diet related, but you can't factor out the weight lifting. You might drop from a 6 pack to a 2 pack. But the muscle will be so welcome. And you can always diet later on. It'll be more benefical if you can learn to diet to get big and lean too.



I was think about getting "Serious Mass" so I can get bigger,but the ingredients are a huge turn off for me.I was also considering getting a paleo protein powder and mixing with other ingredients such as coconut oil and some fruits to make a somewhat organic mass gainer.I do fairly well with the lifting,I lift 5 times a week and continue to get stronger but I never feel strong enough.


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----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Bro, you never _ARE_ strong enough. 

Serious Mass is such shit. Unless you're a cancer patient who is literally dying in need of calories. It has 1270 carlories per serving, and I didn't even look that shit up. I just know off the top of my head because little kids come in and buy it for $40. Fuck that. Eat food, take protein shakes, fuck, get results. 

My overall point is this: You can eat more than you think you can. More than a scientific formula tells you too. If you want to stick to Paleo, that's ok. Just time your carbohydrate intake for when you need carbs (morning, pre-post workout). Always be taking in enough protein. Eat vegetables and you won't get fat. Unless you have specific dietary issues, I honestly think this extremely generalized info can be applied to anyone. 

But, if you're considering a mass gainer, GNC's Rebuilt Mass is great. But it's pricy. Arnold's Iron Mass or EPIC Gainer are good too, as is Dymatize Mass and Mass Tech. Listed in order of best to worst. If you're going to use a mass gainer, don't get one just with extra calories. Get one that has calories but also extra aminos, creatine, betaine, tons of shit in Rebuilt Mass, Arnold, EPIC.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Great post man.I gonna start eating 3000+ calories a day.My biggest problem is I never have time to eat between working/working out/and training I have a small window to eat.I strongly need to meal prep since most of my calories come from protein bars and a shitty mass gainer I've been experimenting with.


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----------



## MF83

Punked Up said:


> Don't have an account, but have been following your log on BB.com. Really nice work man. How's the cut going?
> 
> Loving cross country/distance running and getting in great condition, but really can't wait to hit the weight room consistently starting Nov. 1st!


Cool! That log has me accountable now so I train smarter. 

Cut has slowed down this month. Surgery, bad knee (turned out to be a minor strain) and getting back into university mode had me drop conditioning but I've brought that aspect back this week. I think my lowest weigh-in recently was 212? I was right under 230 in June. My estimated gym maxes have all shot up which is the best part. The slooow cut, Bubba!

November 23rd meet lines up with my cycle. Oh mai gawd! Srsly considering it. I'd likely have to compete in the 230 class again cause I probably can't healthily make 205 in 7 weeks... Or could I?!


----------



## Punked Up

7-9 pounds in 7 weeks? I don't see why not. Couple sessions of HIIT or any intense cardio and very low carbs for 2 days, then a refeed on the third day always has body fat melt off for me.


----------



## Choke2Death

What's some good HIIT on an elliptical? Not planning on any cardio at this point in time but with my bodyfat already being rather low and in the standard/healthy area (around 12-13%), I guess it shouldn't take _that_ much work for my abs to show, which I'm planning on having by summer time.

Around May time is when I want to have reached my goal. I weigh around 147 lbs currently and my goal is to reach 176 lbs and 8% body fat. I've felt that my body has responded a lot faster in terms of gains ever since I switched to full body workouts 3 times a week in early July. Still, I'm hesitant to train my legs as hard as my upper body because they already look pretty big in comparison to the rest of me.


----------



## RatedR10

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Bro, you never _ARE_ strong enough.
> 
> Serious Mass is such shit. Unless you're a cancer patient who is literally dying in need of calories. It has 1270 carlories per serving, and I didn't even look that shit up. I just know off the top of my head because little kids come in and buy it for $40. Fuck that. Eat food, take protein shakes, fuck, get results.
> 
> My overall point is this: You can eat more than you think you can. More than a scientific formula tells you too. If you want to stick to Paleo, that's ok. Just time your carbohydrate intake for when you need carbs (morning, pre-post workout). Always be taking in enough protein. Eat vegetables and you won't get fat. Unless you have specific dietary issues, I honestly think this extremely generalized info can be applied to anyone.
> 
> But, if you're considering a mass gainer, GNC's Rebuilt Mass is great. But it's pricy. Arnold's Iron Mass or EPIC Gainer are good too, as is Dymatize Mass and Mass Tech. Listed in order of best to worst. If you're going to use a mass gainer, don't get one just with extra calories. Get one that has calories but also extra aminos, creatine, betaine, tons of shit in Rebuilt Mass, Arnold, EPIC.


Precision Big Time is a good weight gainer too with minimal sugars and fats and whatnot IIRC.

Also, whoever takes all four scoops of a weight gainer shake and consumes those 1200+ calories in one shake is nuts.


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Deadlifted 495 (5 plate). 

Feels good man. 6 plate is next. Seems so far away.


----------



## JohnCooley

I really wanna start working out, but I think I might be too young(?)


----------



## RatedR10

JohnCooley said:


> I really wanna start working out, but I think I might be too young(?)


if you're old enough to post here you're old enough to workout.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

JohnCooley said:


> I really wanna start working out, but I think I might be too young(?)


How old are you?

Working out doesn't have to be gym specific. Running, swimming, pushups, playing football with friends.

If you're talking about bench, squat, deadlift, etc. I would talk to a sports coach, at your school of you're in school. See what programs they would recommend to someone your age. 

I'd think 13+ used old enough to lift weights on a gym, once you hit puberty specifically.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I got some DAA-3K today. It's D aspartic acid, 3 g a serving. So I'm test boosting now



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> How old are you?
> 
> Working out doesn't have to be gym specific. Running, swimming, pushups, playing football with friends.
> 
> If you're talking about bench, squat, deadlift, etc. I would talk to a sports coach, at your school of you're in school. See what programs they would recommend to someone your age.
> 
> I'd think 13+ used old enough to lift weights on a gym, once you hit puberty specifically.


----------



## MF83

Ghetto Anthony said:


> Deadlifted 495 (5 plate).
> 
> Feels good man. 6 plate is next. Seems so far away.


Good job.

Plates and Time 

1-2
2----3
3-------------------4
4-------------------------------------------------------------5
5----------------------------------/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
6--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------7



Etcetera. You get it. / is me.


----------



## MF83

Went to a deadlift party last night.

Round one: shoot for a 1RM
Round two: work up in triples in 20lbs increments on whatever bar you're on (135, 225, or 335). I was on the 335 bar (inner plates are 55s) and got to 435. Pinky ripped open on 455
Squatted/abs after. Held a 225 pause squat for 30 seconds.

515 in a singlet and a party hat! PR! 






All the PRs that night:






So many free 100% whey/casein sample packets given away. I was there for 4 hours :lol:


----------



## Ghetto Anthony

Your form looked good mate but all kinds of back snapping going on there. Watching some of your other vids. ur strong as fuk mate.

I am always ashamed of myself when I realize I'm back rounding during a pull. That means it's time to drop the weight/stop deadlifting immediately.


----------



## Luke88

MF83 said:


> Good job.
> 
> Plates and Time
> 
> 1-2
> 2----3
> 3-------------------4
> 4-------------------------------------------------------------5
> 5----------------------------------/----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6
> 6--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------------------------------7
> 
> 
> 
> Etcetera. You get it. / is me.


I went from 6 plates to 7 plates faster than 5 to 6.


----------



## Luke88

Ghetto Anthony said:


> I am always ashamed of myself when I realize I'm back rounding during a pull. That means it's time to drop the weight/stop deadlifting immediately.


Not really. I purposely round while setting up for deadlifting, allows me to move more weight and my back is strong enough to handle it. It is when you go from unrounded to rounded during the lift that problems will occur.


----------



## sharkboy22

Would anyone like to be a good sport and give me a mass+strength routine? Perhaps one that you've used and seen results with?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm ready for Halloween

edit - I was on my phone and didn't realize how big. :lol


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

^ Damn man. Image resize or spoiler tag. :no:
Good stash though. _Once I could scroll over and find it._
I got some nice samples last time I bought some stuff online too.


----------



## WBL Studios

Has anyone here tried DDP Yoga?


----------



## APEX

Little help needed,

I’ve just switched to a new protein. (USN Hardcore w/ Creatine)

I’ve never had creatine before, and ive heard people talking about the correct use etc etc and a loading period.

Does this still apply if im taking it within my normal protein?

I currently have my shakes at 4.00 and before bed everyday. And I think there is a little creatine in my new protein bars.

Whats the best way to approach this new protein? Should I take a different protein before bed, or carry on usuing it before bed?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

as far as protein, that's only a milk protein and soy isolate. Unless you're allergic to milk, there is nothing different you do from your last whey. it's like 385 calories per 63 g of protein. So just calculate any difference.

As far as creatine, it's sort of up to you. A creatine loading phase would have you consume a specific amount (based on your body weight) for about 4 weeks, stop 1 week, 1 week again, then reset. The "loading phase" is dependent on body weight. I had to do 28 - 31g of creatine the first week, then drop down to 17-19 g for 3 weeks. 

3.5 g of monohydrate won't do much in a protein. It might help with recovery improvement by .0000001%. so nothing. A little before a workout is great though. tons of pre-workouts will have different forms of creatine (creatine nitrate being the easiest to absorb before a workout). You have mono-hydrate in your protein which is more specifically for gaining size and stregth, and thus 3.5g of it is useless unless your 85 lbs.

You do have to drink a lot more water on creatine; but I don't that small amount will be even noticeable. It will show up in a piss test if you're into that kind of thing. Not a drug test, but if you're a wrestler or can't use it. Keep in mind.


----------



## RDEvans

So I've been trying to lose some lbs, I've started walking 3-5 miles a day, doing sit ups, push ups and jumping jacks, anyways I was wondering is consuming 1300 calories a day in your diet healthy? Or will I enter into starvation mode?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

how much do you weight? how tall?


----------



## RDEvans

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> how much do you weight? how tall?


6ft 249


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

then that's too little. Look up a BMR calculator. You probably need something like 2500 calories. so drop about 750-500 calroies, or 20% of that, as you lose weight. 1300 is half what you should be eating and you might lose some weight at first. But it won't be fat, you'll be done tired and weak, and you'll give up because fuck that.

work out, eat 20% less than you're supposed to eat.


----------



## SUPAH STRONG STYLE

6", dropped down to 155 lbs. Plan on staying there. Gotta find my last post here. Hell yeah to that progress.

Gonna start building the muscle now. Was always gradually working on them, and the results show most with my abs and legs. Chest needs work, but it shows progress along with arms.

Really proud on how this is working. Now, my question: Muay thai or jiu-jitsu. Heard with length and dedication, muay thai is perfect. Also trying to work on standing more than on ground game. However, heard jiu-jitsu is more useful nowadays.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

I can only speak from my experience, but I'd definitely recommend loading creatine. 
It can be a pain in the ass though. I remember carrying a tea spoon and the creatine tub everywhere I went for the week. 
And as already stated. Water. Water. Water.
But if you do this correctly you will notice the difference in short time and it's a good one. 
Basically, all those heavy weights suddenly get a whole lot lighter. (Y)

There's all sorts of 'designer' creatines out there that claim to not need loading. 
I can't speak for whether they work or not but I believe in, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 
Creatine Mono, loaded, is the way to go.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

Has anyone everyone else every gotten constipated from creatine?
It happened the last two times (cycles), I take Purple K pills. 

I drink enough water. 
I had to stop after 2 weeks the last time. Its not a good feeling, when you eat a lot and then stay bloated. 
Perhaps the powder is different.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

JD said:


> 6"10, dropped down to 155 lbs. Plan on staying there. Gotta find my last post here. Hell yeah to that progress.
> 
> Gonna start building the muscle now. Was always gradually working on them, and the results show most with my abs and legs. Chest needs work, but it shows progress along with arms.
> 
> Really proud on how this is working. Now, my question: Muay thai or jiu-jitsu. Heard with length and dedication, muay thai is perfect. Also trying to work on standing more than on ground game. However, heard jiu-jitsu is more useful nowadays.


Yeah. I'm really hoping you didn't mean to say 6 foot and 10 inches at 155 pounds. That's so unhealthy. EAT everything and then eat more. 155 lb for me (5'10") is starting to get too light. 



BRRROCK-LESNAR said:


> Has anyone everyone else every gotten constipated from creatine?
> It happened the last two times (cycles), I take Purple K pills.
> 
> I drink enough water.
> I had to stop after 2 weeks the last time. Its not a good feeling, when you eat a lot and then stay bloated.
> Perhaps the powder is different.


unless there is something specific in that certain product, I've never heard of people having problems like that. I could see it being possible if hydration levels are fucked with, but you sound to be drinking lots of water. Could be the Kre-Alkalyn might have a different absorption method than non-buffered ph...blah blah (I don't get it) mono. 

have you had the same problems with normal mono or mono powder? And you do know many times standard mono creates a sort of bloating, often desired?


----------



## SUPAH STRONG STYLE

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Yeah. I'm really hoping you didn't mean to say 6 foot and 10 inches at 155 pounds. That's so unhealthy. EAT everything and then eat more. 155 lb for me (5'10") is starting to get too light.


Ooooo, no.

I meant 6", and 155 lbs. I'm going for the more, lightweight build.

Any idea on that Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu thing? Probably going to learn both but.


----------



## BRRROCK-LESNAR

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> unless there is something specific in that certain product, I've never heard of people having problems like that. I could see it being possible if hydration levels are fucked with, but you sound to be drinking lots of water. Could be the Kre-Alkalyn might have a different absorption method than non-buffered ph...blah blah (I don't get it) mono.
> 
> have you had the same problems with normal mono or mono powder? And you do know many times standard mono creates a sort of bloating, often desired?


I've never had this problem with the powdered monohydrate products. 
Yup, I'm aware about the bloating caused by creatine (water retention). I just meant when constipated you feel sort of bloated and its not a great feeling. 

The absorption method might be different since you don't need a loading phase with the pills. Also, the other difference is that the 4 pills per day equate to 3 grams which is less than the one scoop of mono which is usually 5 grams. 

I might just go back to the powders, its been used for 30 years and will always be reliable.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm all about HCL and mono... Hydrate creatine. 

Prefer simple additional aminos lately though


----------



## Goku

JD said:


> Any idea on that Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu thing? Probably going to learn both but.


but they're completely different.

you seem to want Muay Thai b/c you said you're more interested in strikes, I think.


----------



## MF83

Signed up to compete on November 23rd

Got 370/255/475 in June 

Want 429/292/523 ideally, for this sumbitch.


ALSO

I ordered an Xvest from EliteFTS in June. YESTERDAY, they emailed me cancelling it/refunding me after months of back and forth customer service shit and promises of ship dates. Fuck off. 

Bought a 90lbs MiR vest this morning. Should be here within a week or two/before next September.


----------



## Vic Capri

Work Out

Eat Right

Sleep Right



You'll see changes within 3 months if you're consistent.

- Vic


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> Signed up to compete on November 23rd
> 
> Got 370/255/475 in June
> 
> Want 429/292/523 ideally, for this sumbitch.
> 
> 
> ALSO
> 
> I ordered an Xvest from EliteFTS in June. YESTERDAY, they emailed me cancelling it/refunding me after months of back and forth customer service shit and promises of ship dates. Fuck off.
> 
> Bought a 90lbs MiR vest this morning. Should be here within a week or two/before next September.


255? Beat you


----------



## MF83

Mafucker I got the brospot (by my gf no less!) on 295 today. I might have grinded it out, might not have, but for fuck's sake. :lol: hit 285 right before.

Some antics and my bench day^^^ and some late night squats in homemade "Samurai Shorts" to Zeppelin IV and a blooper deadlift set. 

http://youtu.be/C3nvb7DNueY


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

OMG we both lift in pokemon shirts. :lmao

I don't squat that wide anymore. I used to however, then I closed my legs lol) a bit. Same thing with my deadlifts (which are very close to yours only my face is a lot more red and it's less weight). 

Should I go back to wearing a belt when I deadlift? Some farm-hand strong guy convinced me not to.


----------



## MF83

GOTTA CATCH EM ALL

You get stronger without one but you can lift more with one. That's the conundrum. I put it on over 405, which is just under 80% now, but I'd be stronger if I didn't... in an endless cycle. I do a lot more abs and low back work recently though so I get away with it. Beltless 5x5s have been magic for squats though. I only put the belt on for heavy shit now, like 3 rep max shit or less reps. I belt for heavy benches to save my back, really. Helps pressurize the arch and not fuck my shit up. It doesn't actually do much strength wise though.


----------



## Luke88

MF83 said:


> GOTTA CATCH EM ALL
> 
> You get stronger without one


Myth.
http://gregnuckols.com/2013/12/04/should-you-wear-a-belt-or-not-study-write-up/

I put my belt on at 400lbs and my max is 770.


----------



## Choke2Death

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I don't squat that wide anymore.


What difference does it make?

I use plenty of width when doing squats and the feeling I get is that my hamstrings grow more than my quads. That's also where I feel the post-workout soreness.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Luke88 said:


> Myth.
> http://gregnuckols.com/2013/12/04/should-you-wear-a-belt-or-not-study-write-up/
> 
> I put my belt on at 400lbs and my max is 770.


This is false. You do indeed get stronger once you catch em all. As far as a weight belt goes, you're right tough.


@2Death. I used to squat wide stance and then went more narrow. The major difference is where it hits your muscles. I just prefer right outside of shoulder width (which is wide for me :lol). Surprisingly, I go super wide on Sumo deadlifts. Like, people have came up and told me I go too wide.

You can never go to wide on Sumos.


----------



## MF83

Intriguing. Regardless of said myth or not I've always worn a belt heavy on deads so this is good. Strong science. What about squats though? I seem to get stronger beltless. Valid?


----------



## WWE

I'm back with my regularly scheduled question and random departure :cesaro


Is anyone familiar with different types of sugars? Are milk and fruit sugars good for you?


----------



## BehindYou

Hey guys,

finally looking to get back to the gym this week after a long hiatus [if you can even call it that, ive never been that good at going!].

I'm 6ft5 / 210lbs. I'd say my build is fairly average at the moment, bit of muscle and probably 20% bodyfat. Currently I just do DDP yoga once or twice a week and my diet is pretty bad too.

I want to keep doing DDP because otherwise i find my body aches more but put on some muscle too, what's my best option?

I was thinking a strict 2x DDP week and a 2 day lifting program for my first month?

Combine with a high protein diet [1.5grams per lb] that will be relatively healthy but I won't be counting my calories and will probably still eat some bad food on occasion.

Is that a good starting point? If so, does anyone have any recommended 2 day gym programs? 

Thanks!

_ Edit > 
Looking at this split_

Lower – Mondays

Squat – 3×5 (followed by 3×15 with 50% 1RM)
Step-Ups, Split Squats, or Lunges – 3×10
Stiff-legged Deadlift – 3×8 (followed by 2×10 50% 1RM)
Calf Raises 3×15
Hanging Leg Raises (pikes) 3×10



Upper – Thursdays

Close to Medium Grip Bench Press – 3×5 (followed by 3×15 with 50% 1RM)
Overhead Press 3×5 (followed by 3×15 with 50% 1RM)
Kroc Rows (elbow out) 3×15
Pullups or Chinups 3xFailure
DB Curls 3×12

Thoughts?


----------



## APEX

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/2311...3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108

My new favourite protein bars...SO nice!

I recommend. Great for a snack at work. I usually get them on amazon, but they've all sold out


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^ Those look pretty great actually. Looked them up and their legit. Has Creatine too, but probiotics (which is weird because those usually have to be refrigerated). 

I'll buy em


----------



## sharkboy22

I've been doing this workout for the past 2 weeks now and I'm loving it! It's also really kicking my ass. The basics of it is this: 

You take one compound exercise (deadlift, squat, bench, pull up, bent over row, power clean) and you do 10 sets. The rep scheme is 10, 10, 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 8, 10, 10. And that's it. One exercise, 6 days a week. I'm gonna try for it about 2-4 more months and see if I get any results.


----------



## DesolationRow

Reached 720 pounds on the leg press. :mark:

Triple leg extensions, bench step-ups and lunges, too, oh my. Phew. Feeling it.


----------



## kingfunkel

What the thoughts on a Greek style yoghurt post workout? The kind in my fridge is loaded in protein but also pointless added sugar with 0% fat. Seems a good option but the additives make me fearsome


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I'm stuck on deadlifts. 

My Squat has gone up. my Bench has returned to normal and getting better. Even my overhead press is healthy. But my deadlifts are going to shit. I think I need more rest and probably stop deadlifting so fucking much. But I'm not sure. Even with a belt I can't hit my max from last fall. can barely get 315 x 5. max was 365 last Feburary.


----------



## Rush

11 weeks down of my physio placement (out of 15). Haven't been in the gym for 12 weeks now. Down a notch on my belt since starting :lol


----------



## DesolationRow

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I'm stuck on deadlifts.
> 
> My Squat has gone up. my Bench has returned to normal and getting better. Even my overhead press is healthy. But my deadlifts are going to shit. I think I need more rest and probably stop deadlifting so fucking much. But I'm not sure. Even with a belt I can't hit my max from last fall. can barely get 315 x 5. max was 365 last Feburary.


I know that feel. 

Was stuck at 300 x 10 for the longest damned time until I finally decided to do something a little radical about it. 

I finally took a whole _month off_ from deadlifts and went back to them yesterday. I was shocked by how good it felt and I did a set of 330 x 20. It was exhilarating feeling that immediate gain, picking up a pair of 60-pound dumbbells and feeling like they were 40-pounders or lighter. I'm looking forward to seeing how I do with deadlifts tomorrow, might be the toughest day of my "deadlift regimen reentry." :hmm:


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^ Well I'm changing up my method. I was doing 3 x 5. then some 5x5. But I was scheduling my workouts around a bud so everything was getting overlapped or mixed up.

Went back to a 4 x 10 yesterday and killed it. Mght do that for a month, then travel back to a 5x5. I think my form was getting sloppy. Anyways, 275 x 10 was my 4th set and I was really happy because it was all perfect.

For whatever reason my squats are going up consistently and I don't particularly train legs. attempting 325 tomorrow.


----------



## DesolationRow

Sounds good. Sloppiness in form and technique can definitely happen with deadlifts somewhat easily; I hypothesize that I was letting my ass drift too far down like a squat before I took a lengthy break from them. Good luck with your squats, too!


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Crushed my Achilles tendon running yesterday.








Feels bad man.

By crushed I mean it probably won't need medical attention (at least I hope) but it's been quite painful to walk on for the entire day today. Hoping it fades by Friday or Saturday.


----------



## Savage Elbow

Have any of you guys ever tried Anavar?


----------



## MF83

Two more heavyish sessions and then it's pre-meet deload.

I think for this meet I'm going to aim for 5-10lbs less than what I think I can can do to secure a 9 for 9 total. That looks like 424/286/518 vs my instincts to go all out for 430/292/523. 11 days to go!



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> ^^^ Well I'm changing up my method. I was doing 3 x 5. then some 5x5. But I was scheduling my workouts around a bud so everything was getting overlapped or mixed up.
> 
> Went back to a 4 x 10 yesterday and killed it. Mght do that for a month, then travel back to a 5x5. I think my form was getting sloppy. Anyways, 275 x 10 was my 4th set and I was really happy because it was all perfect.
> 
> For whatever reason my squats are going up consistently and I don't particularly train legs. attempting 325 tomorrow.


How many times a week do you deadlift?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^ it was all over and random. It was a girls fault, and now we're broken up so I'll get strong again. Plus I have a stable 9-5 job and have been killing it since I started. Doing cardio 3x a week, plus lifting 5-6. carb cycling. It's been easy because I hate a very set routine with work finally (after about 2 years of sporadic classes + retail work).

I'll be deadlifting once per week but then a secondary day (seems like DL on monday and secondary on friday at this rate). 

I hit a max on squats: 315 lb. It was funny because I did 290 (forgot a 5 lb on one side :lol) twice with ok form. then I destroyed the 315 beautifully.


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

^^ I read 315 and I thought you meant KG the entire time, :drake1 

I just recently hit my max on squats and benchpress lifting all the weight I have (only 300lbs.) 

The next day I went on to military press for the first time ever with my olympic bar. I didn't think I was ready yet. So I tried on 135, that went well, almost too easy. Then leapfrogged to 150, and that was challenging, I heard a pop on my last rep. Didn't feel anything so I tried on 160 and could only get 3 up before I felt my arms would tear off.

I had to do it sitting because my ceiling is too low for a standing press. :sad:

If I can get abs going on, I might give wrestling another shot. So my goal is to get atleast a 4 pack going on by the end of the year, I already got the first 2 abdomen muscles. You guys are cool, Im always picking up bits of usefull info when it comes to methods and theory.


----------



## DesolationRow

Deadlifts are alive and kickin'! Damn they feel good right now. I'm up to 335 x 30 reps, 3 sets of 10. ISO high-lat rows are the par to my workout that makes me kind of growl like a dragon with each rep, though, haha. I'm at 360 X 24, 3 sets of 8. The toughest part of it is that my arms are too damned long to use the handles, so I just cup my hands over the big bars off of which the handles hang and pull down that way, lol.


----------



## sharkboy22

Does anyone else in here have duck feet? I honestly thought it was perfectly normal till one day a trainer in the gym was telling me how fucked up my squatting form is because of it. He said my feet should be pointing forward, not angling to the side. The thing is, if I try to straighten my feet out, when I can't squat at all because my knees hit together. The trainer told me it's a problem with my hip or my hip flexor or something like that.

I really don't know what to make of it honestly. The trainer told me to work on it by bringing in my feet a little bit at a time until it's sorted out. But it feels so natural when I point my feet outward. Heck, I can squat about 180lbs for reps that way. I can bring it in a little but it still feels awkward. I was thinking if I should just do free weight squats for time being to work on it. If i try to use weight, I will fall and fuck my shit up. If anyone can help, I'll appreciate it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

my left foot is sort of overpronated. I broke my big left toe when I was little, stubbed it at least a billion more times. So I've always been walking a little bit wrong to compensate. I really notice it with shitty shoes, the front ball of my foot stings like crazy sometimes. But I don't squat weird.

Your problem sounds bad if your legs are hitting together. practice body squats. bosu ball squats. and then maybe ankle exercises to build up strength in a certain position.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

damn some dude today at the gym fucked up his elbow doing skullcrushers 

he fell to the floor and started yelling for a minute or 2 :bron4

got up and said he was fine :kobe we were all like no dude you need to go to the e.r asap

his elbow quickly swelled up to the size of a golf ball :deandre


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^ probably plays Soccer. :lmao

dislocate your elbow with 455lbs on your back and then come get me. (happened to a friend while I spotted him :deandre)


----------



## Confuzzled

I fricken love the "Zombies, Run!" app. I'd suggest it for anyone who finds themselves a little bored with their cardio routine. I haven't tried the 5k training variation but I've heard good things about it as well. 
https://www.zombiesrungame.com - If anyones interested in details.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

nah the guy was pretty built and he even had a spotter :hayden3


----------



## MF83

Finished 8/9 (2 reds for not locking hips on the last deadlift even though I got the down signal. :lol AH! Fair call though). Weighed in at 217 after a health breakfast and fluids, and lost a competitive battle for silver in the 105kg class. 

Went 424/281/518 for thirds with some room to spare on all of them. Goal was 9 for 9 without going crazy on anything. Got a one lb PR on paused bench and would have got three lbs PR on DL if it counted, but it didn't so I finished with a 501 pull. Purely a technical error as the strength was there; I just assumed it was locked out! Very pleased with my performance today. Check the second bench attempt for the sponsor poster falling off the wall mid-lift. Hooray! 

June: 1096
November: 1207

111 lbs total gain in five months. Sweet. 

http://youtu.be/ApL_LexcnKs


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Frank Zane said:


> Crossfit is going to be the greatest boom ever for physical therapists. They should be grateful that CrossFit exists because they will have unlimited business. It's one of the most dangerous things I've ever seen. People are not meant to be doing high-repetition two-hand snathes. Everybody is going to get hurt sooner or later, and it will die just like all other fads. It's being touted for everybody, and that's the mistake. any extreme is not the way. It's not about resorting to extremes, it's about finding middle ground.
> 
> What are you after? Volume training is good for conditioning, but it won't get you much size. The answer is, don't be in a hurry! Don't expect to get in shape in a month or two months.


Frank Zane p.118 Muscle and Fitness magazine Dec/Jan 2015

:duck


----------



## MCBLCTS

Any fun ways to do cardio? I get bored of using the treadmill or just straight jogging, need some ways to switch it up. That zombie run thing looks quite cool just seeing if anyone had any others.


----------



## MF83

Skyfall's post is gold.

^ Buy a weight vest. I bought an XVest from EliteFTS in June. Four months later they refunded me for not being able to ship, AH! Bought an MiR 85lbs vest and just finished assembling it. Yussss. Trains traps/low back/abz whilst providing manly conditioning. 

Doing another meet in February. 

New template:

Sunday
Weight Vest Walk - 2 miles

Monday

Off

Tuesday
1. Squat 5/3/1
2a. Bench 5x5 w 85% [Paused 5x5 is what I owe all my recent bench progress to]
2b. Upper Pull
3. Deficit Deadlift 65%x3, 75%x3, 85%x3 [extra medium "work"]
[optional abs/curls]

Wednesday
Weight Vest Walk - 2 miles

Thursday
1. Deadlift 5/3/1 
2a. OHP Variant or OHP 5/3/1 (once cleared by chiro) [Triceppy/delty bench assistance]
2b. Upper Pull
3. Front Squat 5x10 [squat weakness = quads/staying upright.]
[Optional Abs/curls]

Friday
Weight Vest Walk - 2 miles

Saturday
1. Squat 5x5 w 85% [1000% magic]
2a. Bench 5/3/1 [PRs Rule]
2b. Upper Pull [dropped or lightened to face pull or BPA if snatch grip follows]
3. Rack Pulls or Snatch Grip Deads [LOCKOUT WORK]


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

^^^ 

you should go hiking in parks and smoke a bowl. relaxes you, active recovery, bowl.

Also, it's great seeing your workout regimen next to mine and seeing how much of a powerlifting routine you go for and I go for a body building routine. Interesting. Good luck summoning the 5x5 lockout God.


----------



## Loudness

Ronnie must have sucked a lot of dicks to win this Mr.O this year,


----------



## MCBLCTS

Cheat day. :homer


----------



## Addychu

Cardio will never be fun... I like to test myself with jogging for longer/faster... but the only way to make it bearable is music!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Bicep Blowout:

1) 60 lbs x 5, 70 lbs x 5, 80 lbs x 5, 70 lbs x 5, 60 lbs x 5 (non-stop)
2) 20 lb x 7, 30 lb x 7, 40 lb x 7, 50 lb x 7, 60 lb x 7, 70 lb x 7, 80 lb x 7 (non-stop)
3) 40 lb x 50


----------



## Addychu

Im squatting 45kg now and im 50kg, GO ME!


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Just killed an angry workout. Got sent home way too early from work (you can read my rant if you'd like) and took out my anger on the weights. (Y) 
Feel a little better actually. Time to gorge on some food at one of my favorite restaurants. It's been a while since I've dined out. (Y)



Addychu said:


> Cardio will never be fun... I like to test myself with jogging for longer/faster... but the only way to make it bearable is music!


I usually run with my music but there's been times where the battery's died and I was forced to run without it. At first it's like "damn, that sucks" but then I just keep on running until I get into this zen like state where I'm just existing while my body seems to be moving by itself. You've got to run some miles for this to happen though but when it does it's awesome. It can happen with music too but then you're more just in sync with the music whereas what I'm describing you're more in sync with your very existence.


----------



## MF83

This crooked, hellwrath of a fucking set:






That was on Tuesday. I haven't done hard high rep shit or much conditioning in like 7 or 8 weeks and then that happened. 340x12, I nearly passed out on 9 due to cardiovascular inadequacy and not a strength fail. 

That combined with some deficit DLs and no cooldown contributed to the most severe DOMS possibly ever for me. I went to deadlift after taking a rest day and couldn't bring myself to start loading the bar. I did some cardio shit to loosen up my legs and after three rounds of attempts finally got my legs able to handle some foam rolling. Yowza. 

Both my spine and knee aren't liking the vest. I'm going to have to start way lighter and progressively add weight. 85lbs out the gate has been painful.


----------



## RDEvans

Update: So I'm down to 237 12 pounds less then where I started from a few months ago, I've been eating a little over 2000 calories a day and been working out like crazy, should I drop my calorie intake or keep it the same in order to lose more weight?


----------



## HiddenFlaw

MCBLCTS said:


> Cheat day. :homer


:cudi i feel ya bro


----------



## Undertaker23RKO

MCBLCTS said:


> Any fun ways to do cardio? I get bored of using the treadmill or just straight jogging, need some ways to switch it up. That zombie run thing looks quite cool just seeing if anyone had any others.


Racquetball


----------



## Undertaker23RKO

sharkboy22 said:


> Does anyone else in here have duck feet? I honestly thought it was perfectly normal till one day a trainer in the gym was telling me how fucked up my squatting form is because of it. He said my feet should be pointing forward, not angling to the side. The thing is, if I try to straighten my feet out, when I can't squat at all because my knees hit together. The trainer told me it's a problem with my hip or my hip flexor or something like that.
> 
> I really don't know what to make of it honestly. The trainer told me to work on it by bringing in my feet a little bit at a time until it's sorted out. But it feels so natural when I point my feet outward. Heck, I can squat about 180lbs for reps that way. I can bring it in a little but it still feels awkward. I was thinking if I should just do free weight squats for time being to work on it. If i try to use weight, I will fall and fuck my shit up. If anyone can help, I'll appreciate it.


Strengthen your abductors and your knees won't go in.


----------



## SUPAH STRONG STYLE

RDEvans said:


> Update: So I'm down to 237 12 pounds less then where I started from a few months ago, I've been eating a little over 2000 calories a day and been working out like crazy, should I drop my calorie intake or keep it the same in order to lose more weight?


1. What are you working for?

2. Are you enjoying your life style as is?

3. If 2, regardless: Your plan is working for you. It's showing. If you're enjoying life and you're overall happy with your progress now, you can continue doing the same thing to lose weight.


----------



## Gandalf

bulk season begins today. 

300 pound goal lel


----------



## Gandalf

my supps right now are mutant mass and cellmass, i literally plan on getting to 300.


----------



## Rush

My shoulder is proper fucked. Playing cricket today, it hrut throwing like it normally does b/c i know i have a bad shoulder. On one throw in particular i got pins and needles in my hand, and atm its painful abducting my arm towards the EOR and same with flexion. IR is limited but i knew that beforehand. I should probably stop with the throwing sports, the physio i was working with recently said i'd need surgery on it at some point :argh:



sharkboy22 said:


> Does anyone else in here have duck feet? I honestly thought it was perfectly normal till one day a trainer in the gym was telling me how fucked up my squatting form is because of it. He said my feet should be pointing forward, not angling to the side. The thing is, if I try to straighten my feet out, when I can't squat at all because my knees hit together. *The trainer told me it's a problem with my hip or my hip flexor *or something like that.
> 
> I really don't know what to make of it honestly. The trainer told me to work on it by bringing in my feet a little bit at a time until it's sorted out. But it feels so natural when I point my feet outward. Heck, I can squat about 180lbs for reps that way. I can bring it in a little but it still feels awkward. I was thinking if I should just do free weight squats for time being to work on it. If i try to use weight, I will fall and fuck my shit up. If anyone can help, I'll appreciate it.


My feet point out like that. My hip abductors are strong ie no glute weakness. Just how i grew. If your trainer said it was due to your hip flexors then they are a fucking idiot and you should find a new trainer. 




cesaro_ROCKS said:


> Frank Zane p.118 Muscle and Fitness magazine Dec/Jan 2015
> 
> :duck


Just recently finished up my private practice/musculoskeletal placement. Had a few crossfit inuries. I'm forever getting asked my opinion on crossfit and i say the same to everyone. In theory its okay. I'm all for people getting in shape but the way they do it is just plain dangerous. Their form is hopeless, and everything is geared towards finishing a particular workout regardless of the persons condition. That is just a recipe for injury. 



MCBLCTS said:


> Any fun ways to do cardio? I get bored of using the treadmill or just straight jogging, need some ways to switch it up. That zombie run thing looks quite cool just seeing if anyone had any others.


If i'm doing cardio i go 1km row, 1km cycle, 1km run. Then repeat. Good way to break it up, and i get small rest break in between changing to each machine which is always nice because cardio is boring and i suck at it.


----------



## Kinkykat

MCBLCTS said:


> Any fun ways to do cardio? I get bored of using the treadmill or just straight jogging, need some ways to switch it up. That zombie run thing looks quite cool just seeing if anyone had any others.



Swimming is a great cardio and works your whole body. 

My workout mainly consists of running, weights and squats.


----------



## MF83

February 21st is my next competition, the Manitoba provincials. I'm 32.5kg away from a nationals qualifying total, holy feck. That makes the standards seem pretty low :lol. That said, "elite" is another almost 160kg on top of me so, ya know... I say that with me entering 93kg (sub-205lbs) class in mind, as opposed to the 105kg (205-231lbs) class I've been in all meets prior. I was 219.8 after the deadlift party on Friday (video at the bottom) but was 214.2 after workout yesterday. I keep forgetting to do my morning weigh-in! Started cutting on Saturday, with goal of 200ish lbs in mind for the meet in 9.5 weeks. I'll probably overshoot my goal which I'm not terribly upset with. Losing weight for a greater wilks is fun but I could also use it health-wise and sexiness-wise. 

New 1RM 525lbs Deadlift in a PR Party hat ft nostril explosion as my nose started gushing during haha:


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

Wow, the most I've deadlifted was 255 and I felt my nose and scalp were going to fall off. 

Been sick for a week. Everytime this happens it sets me back 2.  . Audio is a must to get through cardio. I enjoy listening to audiobooks, podcasts, or Howard Stern when I'm running. I've dropped leg extensions completely ever since starting to go heavy on squats. Don't think I need them anymore, so I traded them in for calf raises.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I sharted myself squatting today.

So proud.


----------



## Alim

Pulled a 365lb deadlift for my new 1 rep max

Feels good brah



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I sharted myself squatting today.
> 
> So proud.


Today you became a man


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I don't know how, but I hit a new PR on overhead press. Last week I failed 155, then failed 145. 

today I hit a max at 155lbs. then did 145 x 2. Then did a drop set after. I was on fire with the press. Girl at the squat rack next to me was the motivation most likely.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

So I'm bulking.  
My stomach hurts. 
No, not from ab crunches. 
From gorging on real food and weight gainer. 

Hard part is deciding exactly when to cut. 
Too early and not enough mass. 
Too late and no beach body by summer. 
I'm already putting back on a bit of fat but nothing serious...it goes with the territory (bulking).
Screw a clean bulk, where's the fun. I'm not doing a terribly dirty bulk either but definitely not clean. Just ate a tons of ribs. :faint:

I'm going to shoot for February at the latest I think. 
So about 1 1/2 months left of bulking then a nice 4 month cut in Feb March April & May


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> I'm going to shoot for February at the latest I think.
> So about 1 1/2 months left of bulking then a *nice 4 month cut* in Feb March April & May


"nice" :ti


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

cesaro_ROCKS said:


> "nice" :ti


OK yeah it'll probably be torturous going back to 100% clean eating but the results will be nice. 4 months may be too long but it allows for unplanned deviations.


----------



## MF83

Congrats on your PRs, boys. 

Squat Sharting is only impressive if you continued the set. :lol


Squatted a mild PR yesterday and did singles up to a fast 405. Strength has not faded yet! Weighed in low at 212.8 yesterday, down from my peak weight of 219.8 after DL party on Friday.


----------



## A. Edwards

I've got to be honest when I say that it hasn't been long since I started an effective muscle-building plan. I've never been in bad shape, but I set myself the goal of toning up & strengthening muscle growth earlier in the year. I'm quite content with my progress thus far.

Everything I'm applying to my routine is based at home. I've got to be honest when I say that I have been involved at gym's in previous years, but I could never seemingly find the ambition to go out and take part. Everything I'm doing is within the comfort of my own home & I can use my equipment whenever I wish.

I was bought a weight bench as an early Christmas present, along with a set of dumbbells & a barbell. I already had a pull-up bar which I bought earlier in the year. On average, I'll do 25-30 minutes of basic cardio 4-5 times a week. I'll also do basic crunches with a dumbbell & bicep curls etc. Got to be honest when I say that I'm not lifting a massive amount at the moment, but what I am lifting, I can already see improvement. On average, I spend roughly an hour-an hour and a half per day (4-5 times a week) working out.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I am on fire this week and am going for a DL PR tomorrow. I did some rack pulls, this thing where you lift only a few inches and hold for 5 secs, something where you go down about half way and raise it really fast (sort of like deadlift/rows as rack pulls but less weight), and 1 easy sumo set, all on Wednesday.

So tomorrow @MF83 I plan to do 375 PR. Honestly expecting to get it twice with how good of a week I'm having.


----------



## sharkboy22

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> So I'm bulking.
> My stomach hurts.
> No, not from ab crunches.
> From gorging on real food and weight gainer.
> 
> Hard part is deciding exactly when to cut.
> Too early and not enough mass.
> Too late and no beach body by summer.
> I'm already putting back on a bit of fat but nothing serious...it goes with the territory (bulking).
> Screw a clean bulk, where's the fun. I'm not doing a terribly dirty bulk either but definitely not clean. Just ate a tons of ribs. :faint:
> 
> I'm going to shoot for February at the latest I think.
> So about 1 1/2 months left of bulking then a nice 4 month cut in Feb March April & May


Bro, take it from me, what you're doing is complete and utter bullshit. I made the see-food diet mistake TWICE. I just recently came off another see-food diet and feel much better already. Took me two months, but I lost the gut and the general feeling of unwell from being a fat fuck. Oh trust me, I thought my fat gains were nothing major as well.

I vividly remember one day my meals looked like this:

Breakfast- 6 slices of toast, 4 eggs, 8 strips of bacon
Snack- two packs of peanuts
Lunch- KFC chicken breast+wing and fries
Snack- two pack of peanuts
Pre-workout- ham sandwich
Post workout- weight gainer filled will 625 cals of sugars, carbs and other crap.

I ate fast food everyday!The end result? A wide back, wide chest, decent size arms....covered in fat. Not to mention of course my waist went up 4 inches. 

I don't know how long you've been bulking for but at the end of it, trust me, that "it comes with the territory" fat will just keep getting worse and worse as the weeks go by. Also, by the time you're done cutting you'll be back to phase one. All the fat will be lost and so will all the "mass" you thought you had. 

If you want to put on size focus on strength. Eating a bunch of carbs and fats isn't going to build muscle. Get a 5x5 program or any other program that focuses on compound movements. Eat CLEAN or as clean as you can possibly get. Excess of amounts of ribs, boxes of cereals and other junk food isn't going to build muscle. There's a reason there's a correlation between fast foot and obesity. 

Keep track of your macros! I use to underestimate this part a lot. Plan just one day. Plan about 4-6 meals for that day and add up the cals, protein, carbs and fats. You'll be surprised how quickly they add up. When you're done doing that, add up how much you ate the previous day on your dirty bulk. Don't be surprise that you probably went 500-1000 cals over how much you need to put on size. Also, you'll probably realize how much more carbs and fats you had than protein. Oh, and throw away the weight gainer. They're garbage. Running low on cals for the day? Drink a glass of milk or add some oats to your protein shake. 

Finally, stop watching the scale. The numbers don't mean shit. I'm 168 now but I look ten times better than I did at 175. In fact, I look bigger and more defined. Why, cause it was mostly fat. I'm not a big guy nor do I have a jaw-dropping physique, but I do wish I had someone to give me this advice two years ago. So yeah, you can just say "fuck off" and not listen to me. But just remember this is someone who has done the whole "screw clean bulking, have fun!" diet TWICE!

The mistake a lot of people make when pigging out is that they don't work out hard enough. Are you doing cardio? Or you lifting heavy?? Or are you just doing a bunch of curls? I prefer to not have to do hours of cardio to burn off a big plate of ribs by body did not need in the first place. Also, four months is way too long for a cut. If you need four months to cut then it's all fat. If you just eat 200-500 above maintenance, eat clean, and track those macros, there should be no real need to cut cause you're not fat. Also, by incorporating some kind of HIIT cardio three times a week into your week it helps reduce the fat. You should be doing cardio regularly and eating clean anyway. It's all part of living a healthy lifestyle which is what working out/staying in shape is.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Appreciate your comments @sharkboy22. 
I agree there's a fine line between bulking and just gorging to gorge. 

I am doing a bit of running (HIIT style) and many compound movements. Definitely not just doing a few curls and calling it a day. If you breakdown enough tissue the bulk calories will be necessary to rebuild. I know I don't _need _a gainer, but I prefer the convenience of having one. 600-700 calories in a few seconds is hard to beat vs. the real food equivalent. I buy a good one though that's a little more pricey but not loaded with tons of sugars like the others. 

But again, thanks for the reply because* it is* easy to get carried away during a bulk.


----------



## sharkboy22

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> Appreciate your comments @sharkboy22.
> I agree there's a fine line between bulking and just gorging to gorge.
> 
> I am doing a bit of running (HIIT style) and many compound movements. Definitely not just doing a few curls and calling it a day. If you breakdown enough tissue the bulk calories will be necessary to rebuild. I know I don't _need _a gainer, but I prefer the convenience of having one. 600-700 calories in a few seconds is hard to beat vs. the real food equivalent. I buy a good one though that's a little more pricey but not loaded with tons of sugars like the others.
> 
> But again, thanks for the reply because* it is* easy to get carried away during a bulk.


Np bro 

Just looking out for my working out peeps. It seems like you know what you're about. I just started to panic and immediately saw a flashing red light when I saw your post lol. 

Anyway, this question is for the strong guys in here. How exactly do you guys train for your PR? What I mean is that do you just randomly decide to do a 1RPM or is it usually incorporated into your workout? Hope my question makes sense.


----------



## MF83

1RM days are fun but they're sort of a waste of a training day since you don't build any strength or size going that hard with low volume. Do it as often as you want but ye olde 5x5 or 8x3 or something sexy within Prilipin's table is still the best way to build strength. Max Effort is another method which would fall under 1RM day but you can't do it all the time. 

Ideally you periodize it to the end of a mesocycle.

Ie build up 6 to 13 weeks from higher volume/lower intensity to eventually a test week with maxes on the last week or ideally a meet before a deload.

Tl;dr max as infrequently as possible. Ideally only once or twice a year. 5x1 at 90% is so much better for you than 1x100% ya know?



cesaro_ROCKS said:


> I am on fire this week and am going for a DL PR tomorrow. I did some rack pulls, this thing where you lift only a few inches and hold for 5 secs, something where you go down about half way and raise it really fast (sort of like deadlift/rows as rack pulls but less weight), and 1 easy sumo set, all on Wednesday.
> 
> So tomorrow @MF83 I plan to do 375 PR. Honestly expecting to get it twice with how good of a week I'm having.


GET IT!!


(If you haven't done it yet

135x8
155x5
185x4
225x3
265x2
300x1
340x1 wait AT LEAST 5 minutes
375x1


Good luck!!!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So we're gonna pretend I meant tomorrow for my pr attempt. Yeah, tomorrow.

For the Max question, my last official attempt was in May. I hit a Max in January, but I was buying and smoking weed. 

Hitting a Max is different from a pr attempt.


----------



## MF83

Last day of this cycle. Taking a deload, a very very light one, as in no barbell all week to heal some nagging injuries, then implementing an 8 week peak for my meet in February. I made the damn thing in only an hour or so. It's pretty and I love it. I was 212.6lbs this morning. Under 205 for February should be easy. :nerd:


Edit: 290 touch and go!

http://youtu.be/EbsoRkgxAcw


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Started jumping rope with a 45lbs vest two months ago. Calves looking joocy 24/7.


----------



## Imran Becks

I go for my usual run, about 2km+ on alternate days.. Sometimes in the morning or at night, depends. I eat as per usual but in moderation, and I always avoid eating after 8pm. Been doing this for almost a year now and its doing good so far.. Of course, gotta drink plenty of water as well. I've lost 10 pounds since I started running and I look better in shape now than I did about a year ago with my slightly bloated belly back then.. Yikes!


----------



## MF83

Making a WrestlingForum bench press challenge:

150 for one max reps set. I did 28 today for a deload workout. 211.2 lbs bodyweight this morning. Yuh need video:


----------



## HiddenFlaw

i cant work out today the gym is closed :batista3

merry christmas


----------



## JoseBxNYC

HiddenFlaw said:


> i cant work out today the gym is closed :batista3
> 
> merry christmas


My gym was full yesterday. I guess everyone knew it would be closed today :laugh:

Good thing everyone seemed focused on just doing upper body. Had the Leg equipment basically all to myself.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I went at 5AM to avoid any christmas eve slugs. Totally rocked, dead gym and I did a crazy leg day (deload, but whatever).

My hometown gym has 4 benches, all with J hooks, one squat rack that has a max weight of 365lbs. Some one seriously built a squat rack only able to support 365lbs, and someone bought it. :lol

Yet they provide chalk and chains, so I was doing cleans and weighted dips with chains. Looked super badass in the new yellow (king of swing) cesaro shirt.


----------



## MF83

Best touch and go bench - 290

My gf bought me a Full Boar Slingshot for Christmas and I used it for the first time today - 315x2 with shitty form. Goddamn that's gonna be a difference maker for my lockout.


----------



## kingfunkel

Oh dear. Was I the only 1 who gained massive weight over the Christmas  haven't moved much in a week and ate quite bad in bulks too  so the next few days i'm gonna eat plenty fiber and detox/cleanse my body. 2 weeks of unhealthy eating should take like a month to get back to where I was in November I hope...optimistically


----------



## APEX

I've had such bad Christmas for food, lost my abs and feeling real unhealthy :lmao

Going to get back on the training from Monday, i'll have to hit the interval training after workouts hard to shift the excess fat.

Quick question for everyone, if you work at a desk / or any job where you cant access an oven etc.

What do you take for your dinners? Im running out of ideas

I usually take some home made stew or protein pasta with some sauce.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I have an oven in my house. 

So I'm switching to a complete body builder routine. Maybe one power lifting fast every 2 weeks. But body building for 2015. Considering competing. Just have to eat right. Christmas didn't destroy me, but I'm killing myself wanting to go home and eat healthy again.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So I only watched a small interview section in this when I initially posted it. It's not worth a watch. It's all just negative points of views towards steroids with no science. There are a bunch of people who say what the negative side effects are (which aren't cited or backed up) and then some personal accounts of lost ones "because steroids". But I'll keep it up because some of it is just silly. "It wasn't until baseball players were discovered using steroids, cheating to win." :serious:


----------



## Sick Graps-V2

I workout for 5 hours, run 19 miles a day, swim across the Atlantic ocean; I'm in unbelievable condition, I'm the man of the hour, the man with the power, too sweet to be sour.


----------



## $9.99 Brother

I went home for the holidays at 189. Went back at 196+ on Sunday. I'm back at 190.6 as this morning. Super clean cut, subway was my cheat meal.

1) if you have a temptation food, try to find a different flavor or perpetuation of it. Like, instead of cookie dough ice cream, which I love, I keep boring vanilla. So if I'm craving my ice cream I get bored, but still the general satisfaction, after 1 serving. 

2) building on 1, if there is a healthy food you don't like, try a bad version of it. I hated sweet potatoes, but I started eating sweet potato fries and now love that taste and it's transitioned over to actual sweet potatoes for me. Try cheesy broccoli and you might start enjoying just broccoli.

3) don't be afraid to cheat. Just have an absolute cutoff point. Don't go out shopping and see what you want, decide beforehand and determine exactly what you can have/how much. This also helps keep you in the state of mind off being in the diet.


----------



## DesolationRow

My bench has regressed over the last month and I'm wondering why. I'm maxing out at about 270 pounds when I was hitting 330 just a couple of months ago. However, my deadlifts are good at 320 pounds. Hammer Strength Iso Lateral High Row, I'm going strong at 360 pounds with the Hammer Strength Iso Lateral High Row. Doing a ton of dips. Been slacking on my upside-down sit-ups but I'll get back to those very soon. Back to 900 pounds with the leg pressing. I've been kind of weak with my squats, though, like my bench. Eh. One thing I need right now, and that is sleep.


----------



## Magic

the lack of sleep might explain the decrease in strength? 



not eating enough to maintain/gain, not getting enough sleep/rest for recovery, not getting enough protein might all contribute to it, but i literally have no idea of your schedule or eating so it's impossible to guess. :lol


don't think i've ever seen someone with a stronger bench than their deadlift. :bosh impressive to me since my chest is weak as fuck compared to the rest of my body regardless of how much i focus on it. although i cant even really do bench anymore, usually stick to dumbbells, as i fucked up my rotator cuff is sort of fucked from bad form from the summer.


----------



## MF83

Went from peak summer weight of 229 down to 214, weighing in at 217 for my November meet.

Peaked after that after food and drink on December 12th at 219 (on a 2lbs lighter than my present scale, scale).

I'll be 207 or 208 tomorrow (on a two lbs heavier than prior scale, scale). This cut plan my buddy made me is fucking magical. The best part is I'm stronger in all three powerlifts since beginning. 360x9 squat, 240x9 bench, 455x5 deadlift are some recent PR sets for me. 

Competing again in four weeks and four days, February 21st for the Manitoba Powerlifting Provincials. 

My only goal for the meet was to make the 205lbs class, but I was anticipating strength loss! Now I'll be under and able to PR all three lifts (hopefully!). Feck yeh!


----------



## DesolationRow

LUCK said:


> the lack of sleep might explain the decrease in strength?
> 
> 
> 
> not eating enough to maintain/gain, not getting enough sleep/rest for recovery, not getting enough protein might all contribute to it, but i literally have no idea of your schedule or eating so it's impossible to guess. :lol
> 
> 
> don't think i've ever seen someone with a stronger bench than their deadlift. :bosh impressive to me since my chest is weak as fuck compared to the rest of my body regardless of how much i focus on it. although i cant even really do bench anymore, usually stick to dumbbells, as i fucked up my rotator cuff is sort of fucked from bad form from the summer.


Yep, I'm always in need of more sleep, seemingly, haha. Finally got several hours of sleep again last night and it felt good.

Having hypermobile shoulders my bench has fluctuated in part because of that. Rotator cuff injuries, yeesh. Not fun. 

Dumbbells can be quite effective. Perhaps I should try Triple H's workout that WWE's hawking right now in the coming weeks, haha.


----------



## JafarMustDie

My abs are fading :crying:


----------



## Addychu

JafarMustDie said:


> My abs are fading :crying:


Im sure they arent.

What ab exercises does everyone do?
I find crunches and sit ups so boring. :/


----------



## JafarMustDie

Addychu said:


> Im sure they arent.
> 
> What ab exercises does everyone do?
> I find crunches and sit ups so boring. :/


Why are you sure?

I find sit-ups boring too, I do these


----------



## Addychu

JafarMustDie said:


> Why are you sure?
> 
> I find sit-ups boring too, I do these


Well im sure you are still working them out etc, unless you are eating too much sh*t? Can we swear here?

And thanks, I do core stuff, so my stomach is okay but thats the only thing I dont work out anymore ha, or do a focusing exercise on.


----------



## VIPER

I am starting my semi - get in shape month since I'm taking a Health and Wellness class at college. We're required to work out at least 175 minutes each day for 6 days and wear an activity tracker on our arms and report our information.

I'm almost trying to eat healthy by having oatmeal this morning so...we'll see how this goes. I have this workout dvd set I purchased online and haven't used it yet but I hope to soon. I think I mainly just struggle with being active and portion control. I really like to eat.


----------



## Addychu

VForViper said:


> I am starting my semi - get in shape month since I'm taking a Health and Wellness class at college. We're required to work out at least 175 minutes each day for 6 days and wear an activity tracker on our arms and report our information.
> 
> I'm almost trying to eat healthy by having oatmeal this morning so...we'll see how this goes. I have this workout dvd set I purchased online and haven't used it yet but I hope to soon. I think I mainly just struggle with being active and portion control. I really like to eat.


Work out, as in just cardio etc? Sorry working out to me is more about weights nowdays so I forget people can do just cardio, doing 175 minutes a day with weights would kill my body lmao, but if exercise, definitely good... And meh, I like my food too, cant do the clean eating, as long as you exercise enough and atleast not have junk food everyday then you will be fine...


----------



## BrettSK

I'm a certified Personal Trainer.

I went from 235lbs in January 2013 to 190lbs by August all by myself before I became certified.

My current training is:

Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Legs
Wednesday - Back/Biceps
Thursday - Triceps
Friday - Shoulders/Traps
Saturday - Biceps/Forearms
Sunday - Day off

I incorporate Abs and Calves into my workout every 2nd day and cardio 4 times a week.

It's all about hard work, commitment and nutrition, it's not too complicated.


----------



## Addychu

BrettSK said:


> I'm a certified Personal Trainer.
> 
> I went from 235lbs in January 2013 to 190lbs by August all by myself before I became certified.
> 
> My current training is:
> 
> Monday - Chest
> Tuesday - Legs
> Wednesday - Back/Biceps
> Thursday - Triceps
> Friday - Shoulders/Traps
> Saturday - Biceps/Forearms
> Sunday - Day off
> 
> I incorporate Abs and Calves into my workout every 2nd day and cardio 4 times a week.
> 
> It's all about hard work, commitment and nutrition, it's not too complicated.


I do training 3 times a week, use to be four but sadly im too busy working... I do simply arms days, leg day and then arm and leg day... cardio abit each time but I just run with the dogs/walk and work keeps my cardio up too.

I dont do clean eating but try and eat as healthy as I can without looking at what I eat, I mean I dont eat sweets/cakes blah blah... try to keep that to once a week but thats tough as I have such a sweet tooth omg.

I bet your body is in good shape.


----------



## VIPER

Addychu said:


> Work out, as in just cardio etc? Sorry working out to me is more about weights nowdays so I forget people can do just cardio, doing 175 minutes a day with weights would kill my body lmao, but if exercise, definitely good... And meh, I like my food too, cant do the clean eating, as long as you exercise enough and atleast not have junk food everyday then you will be fine...


We can do any workout we want, as long as it's for the amount of time given basically. So we could jog or walk, do some yoga, anything.

I try to sustain from junk food every day and eat some healthy foods but health is expensive lol.


----------



## Addychu

VForViper said:


> We can do any workout we want, as long as it's for the amount of time given basically. So we could jog or walk, do some yoga, anything.
> 
> I try to sustain from junk food every day and eat some healthy foods but health is expensive lol.


Yes you sound like me, apart from I do some weights etc ha, but maybe you do too? Ah okay, well what are your plans?

Good luck btw!:laugh:


----------



## Rush

LUCK said:


> although i cant even really do bench anymore.


Neither can i. Trying to rehab my shoulder is really hard when i play cricket twice a week which absolutely fucks over any work i do with it :lol


----------



## VIPER

Addychu said:


> Yes you sound like me, apart from I do some weights etc ha, but maybe you do too? Ah okay, well what are your plans?
> 
> Good luck btw!:laugh:


Thanks! 

I'm planning on doing mostly cardio haha but I will do some weights as well and see what else I can get into. Our university has a great gym so I'm gonna take advantage of it more.


----------



## JafarMustDie

Addychu said:


> Well im sure you are still working them out etc, unless you are eating too much sh*t? Can we swear here?
> 
> And thanks, I do core stuff, so my stomach is okay but thats the only thing I dont work out anymore ha, or do a focusing exercise on.


I haven't worked out in a while now but nope I don't eat too much.

My biceps are okay that's why i'm working on my abs now.


----------



## li/<o

Reading some stuff good info man I have been lagging it big time. Been gaining weight lost a lot of muscle and built fat. Trying to get back in shape once again eating healthier and starting my workout (day 2 again of my old workouts). It really sucks gaining so much weight my co worker at work (she saw me at my peak when I was in shape when I started working their) "she was whats happening to you you didn't look at all like this". I will read off and see what else I can grab as constructive advice.


----------



## Rush

I hope people in here realise you don't spot reduce fat ie doing ab exercises won't help you lose weight around your stomach.


----------



## Magic

BrettSK said:


> I'm a certified Personal Trainer.
> 
> I went from 235lbs in January 2013 to 190lbs by August all by myself before I became certified.
> 
> My current training is:
> 
> Monday - Chest
> Tuesday - Legs
> Wednesday - Back/Biceps
> Thursday - Triceps
> Friday - Shoulders/Traps
> Saturday - Biceps/Forearms
> Sunday - Day off
> 
> I incorporate Abs and Calves into my workout every 2nd day and cardio 4 times a week.
> 
> It's all about hard work, commitment and nutrition, it's not too complicated.


not to question you or anything, but wouldn't it be better to just have triceps with chest day and biceps/forearms on back day?

like i've been doing a 5 day rotation of:

back/biceps/rotator cuff
shoulders/traps/strength abs(resistant band situps, one legged situps, leg raises, knee ups)/stamina abs(as in a really shitty version of the p90x abs since i literally fail a lot quicker these days and can never get to the 50 rep goal)
legs/forearms
chest/triceps/strength abs/stamina abs
day off


although the gym i go to here sucks because it closes at 8pm on the weekend. aint nobody want to get their together on the weekend and quickly go to the gym early in the day. ut


also i saw some of your other videos mf83, really impressive shit. it seriously looks like you're going to collapse on some of your really heavy lifts. :sodone


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rush said:


> I hope people in here realise you don't spot reduce fat ie doing ab exercises won't help you lose weight around your stomach.


Of course not. The only way to lose weight is walking fast and drinking cold water. :side:


----------



## Magic

this is a random complaint, but the revolutioners are really fucking gay when it comes to drinking water. i like to take a small sip of water after a set or two sets, take a 30 second or minute break, and go onto the next set, but instead i'm forced to stand at the water fountain and wait while they try drinking a gallon of water. 

or even worse they'll refill their entire water bottle as a bunch of people lineup behind them. 


luckily they'll be gone soon. :side:


----------



## Jackal

Music - Motivation!!!! (getting fit)

Walk - Run - Sprint!


----------



## BrettSK

LUCK said:


> not to question you or anything, but wouldn't it be better to just have triceps with chest day and biceps/forearms on back day?
> 
> like i've been doing a 5 day rotation of:
> 
> back/biceps/rotator cuff
> shoulders/traps/strength abs(resistant band situps, one legged situps, leg raises, knee ups)/stamina abs(as in a really shitty version of the p90x abs since i literally fail a lot quicker these days and can never get to the 50 rep goal)
> legs/forearms
> chest/triceps/strength abs/stamina abs
> day off
> 
> 
> although the gym i go to here sucks because it closes at 8pm on the weekend. aint nobody want to get their together on the weekend and quickly go to the gym early in the day. ut
> 
> 
> also i saw some of your other videos mf83, really impressive shit. it seriously looks like you're going to collapse on some of your really heavy lifts. :sodone


The triceps and biceps get worked enough with a chest and back session, so I train them again on a seperate day in order to get the most out of it.

I'm too fatigued after my chest and back sessions so I use another day when I'm fresh to hit the arms with isolation movements, therefore you work them twice as much than you would by incorporating them into your other workout.


----------



## Jackal

BrettSK said:


> The triceps and biceps get worked enough with a chest and back session, so I train them again on a seperate day in order to get the most out of it.
> 
> I'm too fatigued after my chest and back sessions so I use another day when I'm fresh to hit the arms with isolation movements, therefore you work them twice as much than you would by incorporating them into your other workout.


When you go to bed - Tense your back.....Every 10 seconds. Tense it for 5. After a workout night. That'll keep your back muscles working when you sleep!

Best tip i ever had!!!!!


----------



## Rush

Buzzard Follower said:


> When you go to bed - Tense your back.....Every 10 seconds. Tense it for 5. After a workout night. *That'll keep your back muscles working when you sleep!*
> 
> Best tip i ever had!!!!!


No, it won't. 



LUCK said:


> this is a random complaint, but the revolutioners are really fucking gay when it comes to drinking water. i like to take a small sip of water after a set or two sets, take a 30 second or minute break, and go onto the next set, but instead i'm forced to stand at the water fountain and wait while they try drinking a gallon of water.
> 
> or even worse they'll refill their entire water bottle as a bunch of people lineup behind them.
> 
> 
> luckily they'll be gone soon. :side:


you mean resolutioners? :evil

I don't mind people refilling a water bottle (i do that, or rather i have a water bottle that gets filled when it gets empty but if there is people waiting then i'll just fill it 1/4 of the way or so) but if they're filling it the whole way while people line up behind them then thats just annoying.


----------



## Jackal

Rush said:


> No, it won't.
> .


It will!!!


----------



## Rush

Buzzard Follower said:


> It will!!!


Okay explain the mechanism as to how squeezing your back muscles prior to sleeping makes them work while you're asleep (big hint, there is none)


----------



## DirectorsCut

I fill almost daily a jug that is roughly 1.5 liters at the gym before starting my workout but let people cut in front of me if they get to the fountain at a relatively similar time to myself. TBH I think it's weird not bringing a water bottle and instead constantly running to the fountain to get sips of water.


----------



## Magic

i actually got the water bottle people wrong. it's usually not that bad unless two or three people in a group do it a line. it's not exactly a huge deal when it's just one guy or girl, except again if it's the entire thing when the gym is really busy.


----------



## NatsuMaki

I always lose all motivation when it comes to leg day, fuck that.


----------



## LFC_Styles

Just started going gym again. Can barely lift the weights haha.

Endurance is good tho


----------



## MF83

A certified trainer who has a 6 day program with 1x week frequency and designated biceps day, what? 


206.0 today! Gonna be comfortably under 205 for Feb 21.


----------



## Addychu

LUCK said:


> this is a random complaint, but the revolutioners are really fucking gay when it comes to drinking water. i like to take a small sip of water after a set or two sets, take a 30 second or minute break, and go onto the next set, but instead i'm forced to stand at the water fountain and wait while they try drinking a gallon of water.
> 
> or even worse they'll refill their entire water bottle as a bunch of people lineup behind them.
> 
> 
> luckily they'll be gone soon. :side:



OMG atm at peak time..5-7pm there are too many people at my gym, I had to wait an hour for the squat rack... everyone using equipment... bloody gay!


----------



## Magic

ya 4-7 is unbearable.


someone took a bench yesterday to stretch with...when the gym was completely full. i guess it was somehow justified because the girl was with a trainer, but that's annoying as fuck.


----------



## VIPER

So we took this fitness test in our class the other day (I'm seriously out of shape) and part of the class requires 200+ minutes of fitness activity for the week so I've started going back to our school's gym and I got in over an hour and a half of work out time. Basically cardio, thinking of joining this yoga class.

My goal is to actually lose some weight and get back down to my original weight from like years ago lol. Since I'm short, I'm technically considered overweight, but I'd like to just have a nice, flat tummy.


----------



## sharkboy22

Ummm, I'm not sure what my question is so I'll just state my situation and see where I go from there. 

So basically my arms are 14 inches flexed. Basically, last year I only gained .5 inch on my arm. I wanna get to 15 as quickly as possible but I have no freaking idea what I'm doing wrong. 

When I first started lifting back in 2012 they were a puny 12. I managed to get them to 13.5 by the end of 2013 and 14 by 2014. What the fuck happened in 2014? I know shit starts to slow down after a while but I'd like to think that's when the guns reach about 16 or 16 inches, not 14!

And yeah I know it's all about proportion which trust me I do have. I'm not just some guy that wants big arms and a chicken chest and legs. Everything is proportion which of course, you guessed it, is my next point. Why is shit growing so slow?

I got a friend who was skinnier than me and started lifting a year after me and is BIGGER than me. I just don't get it and it's pretty confusing. This may seem weird but I always keep asking myself after I take a look at the buff dudes in the gym, "How do you build muscle?". They all give me the same answers, "Lift heavy and eat bro!" But I do that! I've been doing that for almost three years now yet guys who've only been lifting for one have seen more progress than me.

I should also probably mention that I'm stuck in a perpetual skinny fat phase. At first I hate way over my maintenance levels and got fat. Lost some weight (10 pounds) and still skinny-fat. For the past 3 months I've been eating slightly above my maintenance calories, so in about 3 more months I'll see how things go.

I know my post is confusing af but that's because my mind is so all over the place. Bottom line: I wanna lose the shitty fat still lingering around from my skinny fat days and make some fucking gains.


----------



## Jingoro

i don't know what's happened to me. after 4 years straight of being a hardcore 4-5 days a week runner i hurt my knee for a second straight year early in the winter and have just lost most of my drive to get back to it. it's really cold, windy, and snowy this year and i'm just like fuck it. 

my knee needs to get better, but i'm almost glad i can't run yet cause i don't want to go out there. i've never felt like that before. last year when i hurt my knee i was devastated and the first week i didn't run at all felt like a month.

i remember a couple years ago actually going to my local high school track after a snow storm with a shovel and clearing a lane all around the track and it's a full sized 1/4 mile track. i didn't know about the bike trail around the school at the time that always gets plowed. that's how into it i was. now i'm just like fuck it. i'll sit on my ass inside and eat potato chips.


----------



## VIPER

So I managed to lose 2 lbs so far. I thought I lost a lot more but I'll take it :cheer

I go to the gym about 5 times a week, rest for two days and I'm also planning on taking a Yoga class every weekend.


----------



## RCSheppy

Currently 5'8'', 180. I want to drop to 165 by the time Vegas rolls around in May!

My biggest thing is my eating habits, I eat like a lunatic. If I can get that under control i'll be fine I think.

I was once 195 lbs (my highest weight ever) and ended up dropping to 170 in 4 months just from eating and drinking right.


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

I've pretty much given up on the dream of a 6 pack. It won't happen for years if it does. Now I've incorporating deadlift to my routine. I've worked on it over the holidays to perfect a circuit that I can get done under 80 mins and still get in my run. 

I rarely did deadlift, when I started, it was at 140. Now I'm up to 260 in 2 months. Everyother day does it for me. I made the mistake of having a really big meal on an off day and to counter balance, I had a really quick workout. The next day on I paid for it. I could barely curl past 20 reps.


----------



## Magic

I ♥ KEMONITO;45155425 said:


> I've pretty much given up on the dream of a 6 pack. It won't happen for years if it does. Now I've incorporating deadlift to my routine. I've worked on it over the holidays to perfect a circuit that I can get done under 80 mins and still get in my run.
> 
> I rarely did deadlift, when I started, it was at 140. Now I'm up to 260 in 2 months. Everyother day does it for me. I made the mistake of having a really big meal on an off day and to counter balance, I had a really quick workout. The next day on I paid for it. I could barely curl past 20 reps.


Not quite sure what you mean by the end part there, but I really hope you're not working out the same muscle group repeatedly and overworking your muscles before they have a chance to recover and heal(you do tear muscle fibres when working out and they do need at least a day of recovery before you should work them out again).

as in i hope you didn't do curls on your quick workout and then the next day thought you should do more curls, which is an extremely bad idea. it won't help you gain more strength and is extremely counter-productive.


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

Trust me, I've learned.


----------



## Addychu

So I basically work out... weights... I am trying to have protein... But protein powder makes me feel sick? Dizzy... Light headed and just ill for a few hours? Does anyone know why? HELP lol!


----------



## Choke2Death

In a few weeks, it'll be a year since I started working out and damn it feels good to look at all the progress I have made. Went from being a rather skinny twig to looking more buff and lean. Have gained 15 lbs since the summer and it's been nothing but muscle mass and I've even noticed a slight decrease in fat because my stomach is more flat than before. Some friends have been lifting for at least a year or two more than me and I've pretty much caught up with them by now. The funny thing is, other than taking some gainers post-workout, I've not done dieting of ANY kind. Not big on chicken or fish but I still eat pizza, chips, ice cream and all that "unhealthy" stuff. (trying to cut out chips, though) I still wanna gain 10-15 more pounds of muscle before I'm really satisfied but it all comes with time. That'll be when I can actually compare to those who take their lifts more seriously. Made decent strength gains over time but I'd still look small compared to the type that are really into bodybuilding and have done it for a while.

All that remains to achieve the complete beach body is more visible abs. I need a good tan before summer and other than that, just more ab workouts like the ones that have helped the lines show up a little. They look decent when I'm fully flexed but are near non-existent in relaxed mode. Will also do a bit cardio so whatever remaining extra fat goes away. (think I stand at 11-12% right now)


----------



## MF83

I compete for the fourth time on Saturday. I'm down to between 202-204 for the 205 class. I weighed in at 217.0 at my last meet in November. 

I want a 440 Squat/286 Bench/529 deadlift. I went 424/281/501 in November carrying a lot more bodyweight.

Absolute strength has still Increased despite having lost 15-17 lbs since mid December

I look better and feel alright. This was a lot easier than anticipated thanks to the careful cut mealplan my friend made me.

I think I may drop down to the 83kg/183lbs class come this time next year. Who knows? Weight loss is easy when there's a concrete goal.


----------



## MF83

Dropped my last deadlift at lockout but I went 8 for 9, weighing in at 199lbs (was 217 at November meet).

Squat: 396/418/440.9 or 200kg!
Bench: 259/275/286.6
Deadlift: 474/501(/523 missed)

http://youtu.be/wM8L6zI_kgE


----------



## mikehayman

MF83 said:


> Dropped my last deadlift at lockout but I went 8 for 9, weighing in at 199lbs (was 217 at November meet).
> 
> Squat: 396/418/440.9 or 200kg!
> Bench: 259/275/286.6
> Deadlift: 474/501(/523 missed)
> 
> http://youtu.be/wM8L6zI_kgE


Good shit. I need my buddy to start filming my lifts. Finally squatted 495 today and benched 365 last week. Still working on my deadlift though, just started again after not deadlifting for 7 years.

My buddy took a video of me squatting 455 a few weeks ago. Quality is absolute dog shit which is why I haven't had him film since.


----------



## Magic

private videos brah.


congrats on the weight loss, MF, getting into great shape while maintaining strength. (Y)


----------



## mikehayman

My bad, should work now.


----------



## VIPER

So I've lost a total of 5lbs now, which I'm really happy about. They say the first 5 lbs are the hardest so I hope that's true. I actually jogged for the first time in like years. I'm very rusty but I'll work on it. We have a fitness test coming up soon and I wanna do good this time. My initial scores were horrid.

Also have been eating (a little) but more healthy. I eat more fruits and veggies and less fried foods but I still get cravings for fast food but I think I do a good job of balancing eating wrong with exercise and eating right.


----------



## JohnCooley

Y'all I need your help. Im trying to gain weight/get toned. Im around 115 pounds and I'm so skinny, legit like a twig. What do I do?

I've tried eating more but my stomach just gets big for a couple hours then it just goes down.


----------



## OldschoolHero

Eat.Lift.Repeat.


Seriously, get your ass in the gym. Lift weights a few days a week. Since your new to lifting I suggest an Upper/Lower split. Or if you wanted todo bodypart split then fine. As far as diet goes. Look up bodybuilding diets. Throw in one cheat day a week and you should be good. This of course is the simple suggestion. If you want Im sure me or someone else here could get more specific for you.


----------



## VIPER

Yeah, lifting seems to be the way to go. I've been told it also burns fat as well so you'll just get toned and buff more. I also think diet wise, lots of protein is included.


----------



## Addychu

JohnCooley said:


> Y'all I need your help. Im trying to gain weight/get toned. Im around 115 pounds and I'm so skinny, legit like a twig. What do I do?
> 
> I've tried eating more but my stomach just gets big for a couple hours then it just goes down.


You need to eat protein.. have bulking up shakes... 3 meals a day or 4... brown pasta, chicken... protein shakes... snacks like nuts... You need to do a proper diet that isnt fast food or pure fat, my bf bulked up that way, it worked a treat!

And lift, heavy weights, he did that too LOL!


----------



## 9hunter

im kind of all over the place atm. i couldnt afford the gym so i cancelled my membership in november so im in between ashtanga yoga, running and ddp yoga. ive been doing ashtanga for a couple of years and started ddp yoga just over a month ago.

problem is as much as i enjoy those activities, they make me look all skinny. i feel like if i was to bulk up id have to give up on almost all that and almost soley focus on lifting (which i do like)


----------



## OldschoolHero

9hunter said:


> im kind of all over the place atm. i couldnt afford the gym so i cancelled my membership in november so im in between ashtanga yoga, running and ddp yoga. ive been doing ashtanga for a couple of years and started ddp yoga just over a month ago.
> 
> problem is as much as i enjoy those activities, they make me look all skinny. i feel like if i was to bulk up id have to give up on almost all that and almost soley focus on lifting (which i do like)


Could you invest in some home workout equipment? Even a pair of dumbbells, a resistance band and a stability ball is a good start. If you can get that, google home workouts. Theres plenty to start with.


Did my first bout of cardio in a long time yesterday, f*ckin killed me lol. I always try doing cardio on days off of work. It so happens I have today off and its supposed tobe legs, should be fun.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Started my cut yesterday but I'm going to slow cut this year all they way to July/August. They aim is 1-1.5 pounds per week. Was bulking for a years before that. Right now I'm 235lbs and at 16% bodyfat.


----------



## MF83

Did week one of acclimation (three days in a row) and have done the first three days of the Smolov Junior Bench Program. 

Smolov Jr is 6x6, 7x5, 8x4, 10x3 all in the same week, then adding weight and doing it again for another two weeks. My bench is weaker than my sq/dl so I figured I would try it out post-meet when nothing really matters. Should put me over the 300 lbs mark for the first time ever when I test in a few weeks.


Doing Candito lower body strength/hypertrophy with High Bar and Sumo as my main lifts for a change. 

So, benching 4 times a week and squatting/deadlifting two times a week at higher volume. 

Pulling this off six days a week because I'm bulking! Plan is to be under 183 for next year's February meet. Ate my way back up to about 205 from 199 at the meet on Feb 21. A lot of that is just water, salt, poop and food weight. 

The plan is gain two pounds over a month, lose 8 over two months, gain 2, lose 8, etc. Long term training planning, bubba!

Switching to RPE training after this cycle. Maybe RTS intermediate or something else but that is the plan!


----------



## Choke2Death

Switched from full body to a four day split again on Monday, starting with chest day. Felt damn great and haven't felt this sore anywhere outside of legs and lower back (after heavy DLs) in a long time.

Full body has worked well but I got bored of it and was unable to really go heavy with any lifts because I'll need the same muscles two days later and can't use heavy weights.


----------



## OldschoolHero

Considering switching todo a 3 day split like 5/3/1 and subbing front squats for back squats(gym has bench but its set a low level so I cnt do back squats).

Im starting to learn why some people have trouble getting to the gym. My job starts between 5 and 6 am and as soon as a iget off my wife goes in and Im in with the kids for the night. If my shift starts at 6, I can get in a mini workout before work. I figure I can do two of the 5/3/1 workouts on my off days and maybe do a home workout of assistance work.


----------



## MF83

Today I did

5x8 high bar
3x8 deficit DL
5x15 barbell (squat stance) Calf raises 
3x12/side side bends
3x10-12 hamstring curls
3x8-12 weighted situps

I'm so not used to this rep range. Candito Hypertrophy dayz. Could not walk after deficits for a while. Holy fuck.


----------



## legendkiller316

I recently discovered how many calories are in a typical pint of beer and it's scary. Now I know where I've been going wrong with my diet and I wish I'd been more aware of this as I tend to drink beer at night when I'm not going to burn it off before bed. Not a heavy drinker usually but went out the other day and had 5 beers, which seems to work out at like 700 calories. Add in a meal too and it gets depressing.

I'm 188 lbs and am trying to get to 165. I'm going out again tomorrow and don't want to be that guy who doesn't drink, I think I'll get a beer and nurse it all night, hope nobody notices.....


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

legendkiller316 said:


> I recently discovered how many calories are in a typical pint of beer and it's scary. Now I know where I've been going wrong with my diet and I wish I'd been more aware of this as I tend to drink beer at night when I'm not going to burn it off before bed. Not a heavy drinker usually but went out the other day and had 5 beers, which seems to work out at like 700 calories. Add in a meal too and it gets depressing.
> 
> I'm 188 lbs and am trying to get to 165. I'm going out again tomorrow and don't want to be that guy who doesn't drink, I think I'll get a beer and nurse it all night, hope nobody notices.....


This isn't a shot at you personally, but it amazes me how so many people don't know nutrition. Whether there own ignorance or they were just never taught while growing up, it's amazing. The guy who picks up a bag of breaded chicken fingers and explains "this is a great source of protein". The girl who eats a 300 calorie salad after lifting weights. So much of nutrition seems like common sense to me, so again, I'm not making fun of you at all.

Beer is a lot of calories. 7 calories per gram of alcohol (which I don't know how to calculate gram % of alcohol). But then you have to account for the alcohol's effect on testosterone production, the fact your body has to "process" the alcohol before other calories consumed, and then the downside that these are healthy/useful calories for building muscle. Obviously, it's all about a healthy amount of consumption, like any nutrient. I think even at 2 beers a day the average person will be fine if they account for it in total calories in/out. Unless you're competing I wouldn't sweat a few drinks now and then.


With all that said, I need help increasing my deadlift. I got 335 x 2 for 3 reps, 355 x 1 rep. I only wanted to do a 3x2, but was pumped up still. Not great form for the 355, but I liked it. 

What is a good strength training program for deadlifts? I've been doing (on bench, squat, overhead, deads, sometimes rows) 5x3, 4x3, 3x3, 3x2, then start over. But I did great with squats, bench, and especially overhead press (went from a 145 max to being able to do 145 x 4 after 4 weeks; probably just mental). I started with 315 at the 3x5 and really struggled.


----------



## legendkiller316

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> This isn't a shot at you personally, but it amazes me how so many people don't know nutrition. Whether there own ignorance or they were just never taught while growing up, it's amazing. The guy who picks up a bag of breaded chicken fingers and explains "this is a great source of protein". The girl who eats a 300 calorie salad after lifting weights. So much of nutrition seems like common sense to me, so again, I'm not making fun of you at all.
> 
> Beer is a lot of calories. 7 calories per gram of alcohol (which I don't know how to calculate gram % of alcohol). But then you have to account for the alcohol's effect on testosterone production, the fact your body has to "process" the alcohol before other calories consumed, and then the downside that these are healthy/useful calories for building muscle. Obviously, it's all about a healthy amount of consumption, like any nutrient. I think even at 2 beers a day the average person will be fine if they account for it in total calories in/out. Unless you're competing I wouldn't sweat a few drinks now and then.


No offense taken, I admit I knew little about nutrition and am still learning all the time. I agree with you a couple of beers isn't going to derail everything, I'll pace myself. And I wont exceed my overall calorie target for the day which is 1800 plus any I burn off through exercise. Thanks for your comments anyway.


----------



## GGGGGGGG_G_UNIT

does anyone know where I can download the beep test ? I've googled it, and a few sites pop up, if anyone has downloaded the genuine test. I would greatly appreciate a link, 

I don't want to download the wrong one that's all......


I have zero interest in lifting weights or stressing over what I eat, I would like to improve my cardio though and this seems like a good way to do it, it was my favourite sports related activity at school because it pushes you too your limits


----------



## TheRealFunkman

JohnCooley said:


> Y'all I need your help. Im trying to gain weight/get toned. Im around 115 pounds and I'm so skinny, legit like a twig. What do I do?
> 
> I've tried eating more but my stomach just gets big for a couple hours then it just goes down.


-Brotein shakes brah

-Lift heavier, fewer reps

-And remember you gotta *eat big to get big* and make dem Gainz

you should be eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound you weigh on the daily.


----------



## GGGGGGGG_G_UNIT

does anyone know any other good cardio challenges/games I can do ? The beep test, is the most obvious but their must be others right ?


----------



## APEX

How much difference would you guys say your protein shake choice makes to your body outcome?

Basically if I keep my same diet, workout routine, literally everything but change to a protein shake that is called maximuscle mass gain with creatine?

Ive been using USN standard protein with whey, but this was on offer this month.

Will the change in shake make a difference to my physique?

The reason I ask is that I've been working on getting abs back since Christmas and it's going well, I don't want to ruin it with a new shake.


----------



## MF83

If it has creatine you might get puffier. Creatine should be a constant dose separate to protein imo. Protein is basically just a supplement for those who can't get enough protein from their food... You pay for quality but it's largely all the same.


----------



## APEX

I think the protein has like 3g of creatine per dose?
I might just use this for 3 weeks until I use it all and go back to my normal stuff.

Do you not think the 'lean' protein powder really makes a difference either then?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I hit 225lbs on Power Cleans. Perfect form too. 



APEX said:


> How much difference would you guys say your protein shake choice makes to your body outcome?
> 
> Basically if I keep my same diet, workout routine, literally everything but change to a protein shake that is called maximuscle mass gain with creatine?
> 
> Ive been using USN standard protein with whey, but this was on offer this month.
> 
> Will the change in shake make a difference to my physique?
> 
> The reason I ask is that I've been working on getting abs back since Christmas and it's going well, I don't want to ruin it with a new shake.


While there is different types of protein and different quality of protein, to get ripped/jacked/build muscle, it comes down to calories. If you're sure keeping your diet the same is right, then adding in 3g of creatine isn't going to puff you up. Might help recovery a small bit, maybe you'll be a tad bit stronger, that's it. 3g of creatine isn't going to hurt you or do much at all. Mark McClusky, who wrote _Faster, Higher, Stronger_ said 3g of creatine a day helps in recovery and maintenance in building muscle, but elite athletes use more. I recommend the book HIGHLY. 

Personal use of creatine, I lost weight because it made me stronger and recover faster so I was able to do more. I absolutely recommend 3 g a day while lifting. If you have kidney problems I'd do more research first, but the average person will only benefit from 3g in a protein shake.


----------



## VIPER

Anyone know some good ways to get rid of water weight? I believe most of my weight is water because I believe I retain a lot of it and when I exercise, I sweat like a lot, so obviously there's a lot of water being absorbed. Anyone know a good way or ways to get rid of it?


----------



## Magic

been sick for the past week so i wasn't going to the gym. decided i was fine today, even though i still had obvious symptoms, and went to do legs.

i was delirious during squats and woozy throughout the workout and then punked after i got home, but at least i didn't skip leg day. :drose :mj2

i knew i felt fucked, but at the same time i was already there and didn't want to go home after doing half a workout. :lol




VIPER said:


> Anyone know some good ways to get rid of water weight? I believe most of my weight is water because I believe I retain a lot of it and when I exercise, I sweat like a lot, so obviously there's a lot of water being absorbed. Anyone know a good way or ways to get rid of it?


at most you probably have 5 lbs of water weight and that fluctuates depending on how much water you've drank in the day/peeing and stuff. there's no real way of getting "rid" of water weight, if you want to get rid of real weight(aka fat) then you need to exercise.

i also don't think there's any correlation between how much you sweat and how much water weight you store. sweating is just a cooling mechanism that your body does when it's overheating, if you're sweating a lot while you exercise your heart rate is probably just really high due to you not being in the best shape. 

not trying to offend you or be harsh, hopefully you don't take this the wrong way, i'm just trying to give you an accurate response.

@Rush can correct me if i'm wrong. :side:


----------



## Rush

WIGGINS said:


> at most you probably have 5 lbs of water weight and that fluctuates depending on how much water you've drank in the day/peeing and stuff. there's no real way of getting "rid" of water weight, if you want to get rid of real weight(aka fat) then you need to exercise.
> 
> i also don't think there's any correlation between how much you sweat and how much water weight you store. sweating is just a cooling mechanism that your body does when it's overheating, if you're sweating a lot while you exercise your heart rate is probably just really high due to you not being in the best shape.
> 
> not trying to offend you or be harsh, hopefully you don't take this the wrong way, i'm just trying to give you an accurate response.
> 
> @Rush can correct me if i'm wrong. :side:


Sweating a lot during exercise isn't really an indicator of poor physical fitness (in fact it can be the exact opposite in some cases) but aside from that then you're pretty spot on Magic. 

Sweating is purely designed so the body can cool itself down. Fit people sweat more because they're working at a high intensity and their body is adapted to the rise in core temperature so their sweat glands are ready to produce more sweat, faster and without losing as many electrolytes. Overweight people also sweat quickly but more because their fat acts as an insulator combined with the exercise raising their core temperature. 

Your water weight will fluctuate due to diet and whatnot, and also water will follow glycogen around in the body. So the more glycogen you have stored in your muscles, the more water will be there as well. If you want to think of it as water binding to glycogen (even though it doesn't bind) so when you use that glycogen, then the water attached will leave the muscle.

I doubt you're holding too much water weight, unless you're noticing oedema in your feet/ankles which is generally an indication of a more serious problem. The body is very good at maintaining water levels when everything is working properly.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

cut carbs and sodium from your diet for 2-3 days and you'll lose water weight (puffiness). Have fun being tired and with diarrhea. Don't do it often. Body builders play around with their carb and sodium intake before a show (and I really don't know too much because I've never competed). Have sex in a sauna, eat nothing but ground turkey, drink 1 glass of vodka a day. You'll look shredded for the day. :lol


----------



## Oui Monsieur-hehe

Hi, I'm 5 ft 5, 61 kg and female. I've been wanting to join a gym but I'm leaning towards joining an all women's gym, just because I'm not fully confident to be looking horrendous in front of men... what do you men think when girls are exercising at the gym?

Also, do you have any advice for me to burn a maximum amount of fat and gain decent muscle?


----------



## OldschoolHero

Oui Monsieur-hehe said:


> Hi, I'm 5 ft 5, 61 kg and female. I've been wanting to join a gym but I'm leaning towards joining an all women's gym, just because I'm not fully confident to be looking horrendous in front of men... what do you men think when girls are exercising at the gym?
> 
> Also, do you have any advice for me to burn a maximum amount of fat and gain decent muscle?


Depends the guy lol. I tend to not really not pay attention as my time is limited. Now if a girl is doing something impressive or really dumb I might look haha. Honestly, just do your thing and if you feel more comfrotable joining a womens gym then so be it.

Doing legs on 4 hours sleep, should be fun .


----------



## Krul

Anybody use kettlebells? 
Thinking of buying a pair to mix it up a bit, pretty bored of just lifting standard weights and doing pushups/squats


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I had a badass chest day today. 

I ended up do pec flyes, which I avoided for a few months because my chest is already very well developed (yes, bragging). But I always found lower reps on presses and higher reps on pec flyes and pec/chest extensions work wonders. Usually I'll do dumbell pec flyes when doing neutral, or flat and level. Then I'll move over to cables so I can do an incline & decline angle. Just remember to hold for a sec or 2 when contracting. And really I can't think of much more to do with cables for chest. I'll super set some tricep pulldowns or tricep extensions (imo, extension are easier skull crushers). I really liked single cable flyes from the bottom; just helped me get a better feel in my chest and contraction (but I didn't find the same for top down pec flyes).

I also do negatives on a plate press for Bench power. But I've only done them for month so I can't say how beneficial they are; I'll keep people updated.


----------



## wrestling Rs

20 Push Ups, 20 Burpees, 20 squats and 20 sit ups then do 15, 10, then 5, a sure fire way to get you and also working out a range of muscles


----------



## MF83

So I ran Smolov Jr. (An intro week then Four times a week benching for 3 weeks). Tested yesterday and got 305 (I think I'm good for 310-315). Hit 286 on February 21st at my meet so this is huge. Hopefully I retain most of my strength. I went to a deadlift party and hit 455 sumo. My best conventional is 525 so failing 475 sumo is interesting. Something to train harder I guess.

The bench: http://youtu.be/8tnlqDNHGlg


----------



## JJayBANE

Hey, all. I'm new here and I'm pumped I've found this thread. Lifting is my passion. Can't wait to hit the gym today for a back/biceps session.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

MF83 said:


> So I ran Smolov Jr. (An intro week then Four times a week benching for 3 weeks). Tested yesterday and got 305 (I think I'm good for 310-315). Hit 286 on February 21st at my meet so this is huge. Hopefully I retain most of my strength. I went to a deadlift party and hit 455 sumo. My best conventional is 525 so failing 475 sumo is interesting. Something to train harder I guess.
> 
> The bench: http://youtu.be/8tnlqDNHGlg


How much do you weigh? I had a 168lb guy next to me (with a Westcoast barbell shirt on though :lol) benching 375 (3 plates, a 25, a 5, feel free to double check math), while I'm at 188 and hitting 265 for 1 rep struggling. :lol

Also, I'm having trouble finding "low bar" squats info/opinions. And I can't see why those are beneficial when I could stick to high/normal bar squats.


----------



## MF83

Somewhere between 200 and 210. The cut begins again on Wednesday. I want to be 83kg/183lbs class next February. 

Two damn good articles on high/low bar:

http://www.strengtheory.com/its-time-to-end-this-nonsense-high-bar-vs-low-bar-squatting/
http://www.strengtheory.com/high-bar-and-low-bar-squatting-2-0/

I started training beltless high bar this month, randomly tested it for an easy 425 at the end of one day. I'd never touched 385 without a belt before then.

Then, after a full deadlft session, using Converse shoes and a general brand new technique, beat my best ever squat on a whim with 445 (did 440 grinder of my life at the meet). 

Short explanation: I can display strength with low bar better, but some say training high bar builds more strength and I'm starting to agree with that.


----------



## mikehayman

Put up a PR of 515 lbs on squat yesterday. This had come in the midst of dieting for my wedding so I'm happy I haven't lost any strength thus far AND I am down 7 lbs in a little over 3 weeks thus far.

I started at 250 lbs, I'm looking to be around 220 for my wedding in July.


----------



## Leon Knuckles

You guys are beasts. While I'm here doing 30 lb curls and calisthenics and cardio training.

How do I get my neck swole like :rollins

I am 6'0'' and 170 lbs. Skinny or nah? I'm trying to flatten the gut, very tiny, but it wont go away! :cry


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> This isn't a shot at you personally, but it amazes me how so many people don't know nutrition. Whether there own ignorance or they were just never taught while growing up, it's amazing. The guy who picks up a bag of breaded chicken fingers and explains "this is a great source of protein".


I know my nutrition but will still have some breaded chicken strips from time to time. Sure, it's not as healthy as say lean, boneless, skinless chicken breast but it IS a good source of protein depending on which brand you buy and how much or little filler they use. 

Definitely not something you want to rely on though so your point is taken there but I don't rule out chicken strips either because, they're damn good man and I still make progress but again, I know my nutrition and that includes timing and moderation.


----------



## benighted

Over the last few years, I have managed to lose around about 6 1/2 stone (approx. 90 pounds) which I have been able to keep off. I still would like to lose a little more, but finding it really hard to do now even when I'm eating right. Does anyone have any ideas at all for diet or exercise?


----------



## TheRealFunkman

Leon Knuckles said:


> I am 6'0'' and 170 lbs. Skinny or nah? I'm trying to flatten the gut, very tiny, but it wont go away! :cry


Decline sits up are your best friend, also try holding a plate behind your head while doing them. FEEL THE BURN.

Hypertensions I have also notice helps, not directly but helps get rid of love handles too.


----------



## Oui Monsieur-hehe

JJayBANE said:


> Hey, all. I'm new here and I'm pumped I've found this thread. Lifting is my passion. Can't wait to hit the gym today for a back/biceps session.


LOL 'lifting is my passion' :ti For real? I get the love for it but PASSION that's a lil messed up. Get out in the world. Try and use your brain power in many other avenues of life.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So I'm stuck at the 945lb club. Really, a 375 deadlift that should be at least 405. And with 3 sets of 2 reps at 295 squats, I could probably hit 315 for that.



Leon Knuckles said:


> You guys are beasts. While I'm here doing 30 lb curls and calisthenics and cardio training.
> 
> How do I get my neck swole like :rollins
> 
> I am 6'0'' and 170 lbs. Skinny or nah? I'm trying to flatten the gut, very tiny, but it wont go away! :cry


I only do about 30-35lb curls myself while I'm doing alternating curls. I think that's skinny from what you're saying. I'm 5'11" 190lbs. But that doesn't mean you are or aren't fat. You could have high body fat % even looking skinny; but I've never seen you :lol so I don't know. 

What have you done so far to lose your gut? and schedule of working out? And I don't think Seth Rollins has a thick neck at all. guy's in great shape, but he's really sllim. Rusev, Lesnar. they have thick necks. 



benighted said:


> Over the last few years, I have managed to lose around about 6 1/2 stone (approx. 90 pounds) which I have been able to keep off. I still would like to lose a little more, but finding it really hard to do now even when I'm eating right. Does anyone have any ideas at all for diet or exercise?


Diet and exercise better? :lol What do you do when you exercise? How often? Do you know how many calories you're supposed to eat per day and are you eating below that (to lose weight)?

You've lost those 90 lbs (sorry, Murican), so you've got the stuff to lose some more. It could be your diet is off if you're stuck in a rut, could be sleep, could be lack of intensity exercise.



Oui Monsieur-hehe said:


> LOL 'lifting is my passion' :ti For real? I get the love for it but PASSION that's a lil messed up. Get out in the world. Try and use your brain power in many other avenues of life.


unkout on a wrestling forum, in the workout section, bashing on posters. :lmao


----------



## mikehayman

Oui Monsieur-hehe said:


> LOL 'lifting is my passion' :ti For real? I get the love for it but PASSION that's a lil messed up. Get out in the world. Try and use your brain power in many other avenues of life.


----------



## Jersey

Starting tonight I'm gonna try this


----------



## Oui Monsieur-hehe

mikehayman said:


>


I bet I've got more muscle than you.


----------



## mikehayman

Oui Monsieur-hehe said:


> I bet I've got more muscle than you.


Ha!

I have 18" arms, 49" chest, and 28" thighs.

I bench 375 lbs, squat 515 lbs, and deadlift 495 lbs. So I'm gonna go ahead and say, no, you don't.


----------



## Oui Monsieur-hehe

mikehayman said:


> Ha!
> 
> I have 18" arms, 49" chest, and 28" thighs.
> 
> I bench 375 lbs, squat 515 lbs, and deadlift 495 lbs. So I'm gonna go ahead and say, no, you don't.


lol don't get too confident.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Don't turn this thread into a dick measuring contest. We all like to lift, so just discuss your gains and knowledge and offer advice, or ask for it.



PaigeLover said:


> Starting tonight I'm gonna try this
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49wGuUDiD_o


:lol But when you do it and don't have awesome music playing it won't seem as awesome. Still, looks really hard. Do you already do calisthenics and body wieght stuff?


----------



## Jersey

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Do you already do calisthenics and body weight stuff?


 Sometimes


----------



## benighted

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Diet and exercise better? :lol What do you do when you exercise? How often? Do you know how many calories you're supposed to eat per day and are you eating below that (to lose weight)?
> 
> You've lost those 90 lbs (sorry, Murican), so you've got the stuff to lose some more. It could be your diet is off if you're stuck in a rut, could be sleep, could be lack of intensity exercise.


Well I mainly use a cross trainer and I run, but I guess not enough... a couple a time a week thats even if I get time. Calories... well I don't think I do go over 2000 a day which is 'guideline' for women but sometimes i can eat a lot less (or more depending on special occasions haha ). I may just have to up the intensity I guess.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Find out how many calories you need to maintain your bodyweight. 

I'm around 2800 (roughly). Use online calculators if you want. I usually use a few of them, then find the average between 3 or 4 (since they're all a tad different). Obviously, you already know "eat less than that." Make sure you're eating less. Keep a journal if only for a day, measure out a day of food so you can physically see how much you're eating.

I personally might play around with carb timing. I can have carbs in the morning and after I lift and not go crazy, not everyone can. But the important thing is overall calories. I would always up the veggie count though. I always have more success in cutting weight with vegetables. 

so calories + veggies + intensity in working out. Could try lifting weights and cardio seperately to get more out of both.


----------



## quizno subman

hey guys I'm trying to lose weight

how many calories do i eat a day and if i walk half an hour around lakes a day is that enough?

also does it matter what i eat as long as i get under the calories limit?


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

I've made some pretty great progress with my deadlift. Hit a pr. Got 345lbs up once. Which is really good for me because, deadlift was never part of my routine. Since around the holidays I began to incorporate them. I did the lift over a year ago, but never more than 160 and only for a couple weeks.

Squats went up for me aswell to 365lbs. Now just trying build my bench back up. Once I get that up to 315, or around there I'll want to lean out and get trim. The hardest part is getting the time to train.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Barbell curls......wider or closer grip? Or should length? 

I usually do shoulder length, but today did a wider grip. Noticed it hit my forearms more an didn't like, but still finished my sets.


----------



## MF83

Switched to a DUP autoregulation style program I'm writing for myself. Doing highbar and sumo, baby!

Tuesday

Speed bench
Squat strength
DL hypertrophy

Thursday

Speed deadlifts
Bench strength
Squat hypertrophy

Saturday

Speed squats
Deadlift strength
Bench Hypertrophy


Then, I'm doing a bodybuilding day to hit everything else. It is insane.

Current Sunday Template (two weeks in):
Snatch high pulls/behind the neck push press
Leg press/calves
Kroc rows/press variant
Leg extensions/back raises
Biceps/triceps
Abz

It is somewhat torturous. I can't imagine training for size exclusively.


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Barbell curls......wider or closer grip? Or should length?
> 
> I usually do shoulder length, but today did a wider grip. Noticed it hit my forearms more an didn't like, but still finished my sets.


Shoulder length is the best, it'll hit both your bicep heads hard, but narrowing your grip will put more stress on the longer head of your biceps, and a wider grip will put more stress on the short head of your biceps. It's just hitting your biceps from different angles, which is a good thing to vary it up.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Let's discuss rest days. 

I did 5 2xa-day lifting sessions. Yesterday did legs, today did a crappy shoulders day. I was beat, but wanted to lift. I wanted to eat a ton and sleep more, cutting the rest days, this week. However, I missed sleep due to finals, work, grad prep. Still ate pretty clean and a more. But, I don't do steroids and think I finally can safely say.... "I over trained this week".

Probably will do it again this week, but more sleep.


----------



## Rush

So after fucking my shoulder repeatedly for pretty much the entire cricket season i'm finally rehabbing it properly. Which is going to last until the start of next season imo. Then this whole process starts all over again like it has the last few years :argh:

Just been working on scap stabilisation stuff, rotator cuff strength, and am starting to get some push ups going. Can now get to 10 in a set before any pain kicks in which is quite something. Its a weird feeling to go from working out, benching and whatnot to not being able to do more than 2 pushups without it feeling a fuckload of pain.


----------



## DesolationRow

That is a shame about your shoulder injury, *Rush*. As someone who has had some major scap injuries with hypermobile shoulders I can indubitably empathize. Scap stabilizers are highly useful; I perform 24 scap pushups every day and 100 pushups every other day and it's certainly helped my shoulders. Hope your shoulder keeps feeling better and better. Shoulder injuries are simply no fun at all.


----------



## Tavernicus

Rush said:


> So after fucking my shoulder repeatedly for pretty much the entire cricket season i'm finally rehabbing it properly. Which is going to last until the start of next season imo. Then this whole process starts all over again like it has the last few years :argh:
> 
> Just been working on scap stabilisation stuff, rotator cuff strength, and am starting to get some push ups going. Can now get to 10 in a set before any pain kicks in which is quite something. Its a weird feeling to go from working out, benching and whatnot to not being able to do more than 2 pushups without it feeling a fuckload of pain.


Yeah I fucked my shoulder in cricket season too, in my return to cricket off a 2 season break, fucking bullshit way too -- just pushing my bag into the car, felt a stabbing pain in my shoulder. Didn't think anything of it, trained for about 40 minutes and then it just went. Couldn't bowl at all for about 1 1/2 months. It's alright now, still not great. 

Started weight lifting on WM day, lost 8kg since then, can see muscle gains too. So things are looking up in that regard. Making sure I'm fitter and stronger for next season, need to bowl some real heat!


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

Rush said:


> So after fucking my shoulder repeatedly for pretty much the entire cricket season i'm finally rehabbing it properly. Which is going to last until the start of next season imo. Then this whole process starts all over again like it has the last few years :argh:
> 
> Just been working on scap stabilisation stuff, rotator cuff strength, and am starting to get some push ups going. Can now get to 10 in a set before any pain kicks in which is quite something. Its a weird feeling to go from working out, benching and whatnot to not being able to do more than 2 pushups without it feeling a fuckload of pain.


Are we talking regular push-ups? 



Tavernicus said:


> Yeah I fucked my shoulder in cricket season too, in my return to cricket off a 2 season break, fucking bullshit way too -- just pushing my bag into the car, felt a stabbing pain in my shoulder. Didn't think anything of it, trained for about 40 minutes and then it just went. Couldn't bowl at all for about 1 1/2 months. It's alright now, still not great.
> 
> Started weight lifting on WM day, lost 8kg since then, can see muscle gains too. So things are looking up in that regard. Making sure I'm fitter and stronger for next season, need to bowl some real heat!


Are you a bowler and cricket player, or like what is your main focus?


----------



## Jersey

Diamond Push ups are so underrated


----------



## Rush

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> Are we talking regular push-ups?


Yeah, just regular push ups. It feels a bit silly to be happy about something so minor but after barely being able to support my bodyweight without pain shooting its a start.


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

PaigeLover said:


> Diamond Push ups are so underrated


It's because a lot of people can't do many, or any at all. 



Rush said:


> Yeah, just regular push ups. It feels a bit silly to be happy about something so minor but after barely being able to support my bodyweight without pain shooting its a start.


I feel ya. I decided to do push-ups today, so I busted out a set of over 30, then I waited a couple minutes. I attempted to do decline push-ups and the second I lowered myself down I pretty much collapsed because of my left elbow, I wasn't expecting that. Just sheer pain. But then a few minutes after that I attempted regular push-ups and it felt fine. I decided to just let it be for today, because I don't know if that is a one time thing or something that can be an ongoing issue. 

Not to sound rude, but what is your bodyweight, just to get an idea of how much weight you are supporting? As for you being happy being able to do several regular push-ups without pain is nothing to feel silly about.


----------



## Jersey

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> It's because a lot of people can't do many, or any at all.


True but they really try to push themselves to do more


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

PaigeLover said:


> True but they really try to push themselves to do more



I agree. 

Also, the other night, at the gym I saw some guy do a lot of incline diamond push-ups on one of those boxes you can do step-ups or just jump and all that on. He was doing them with one of his feet on top of the other too.


----------



## Jersey

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> I agree.
> 
> Also, the other night, at the gym I saw some guy do a lot of incline diamond push-ups on one of those boxes you can do step-ups or just jump and all that on. He was doing them with one of his feet on top of the other too.


 That's cool too. I think Diamond Push ups are equivalent to bench pressing


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

PaigeLover said:


> That's cool too. I think Diamond Push ups are equivalent to bench pressing


I just feel uncomfortable doing diamond push-ups for some reason, I prefer doing decline ones or some other form of push-ups. Just imagine doing weighted diamond push-ups!!! That would just make someone want to scream.


----------



## Jersey

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> I just feel uncomfortable doing diamond push-ups for some reason, I prefer doing decline ones or some other form of push-ups. Just imagine doing weighted diamond push-ups!!! That would just make someone want to scream.


 Diamonds are very tough to do. Trust me I tried to do 50 but lasted to 35.


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

PaigeLover said:


> Diamonds are very tough to do. Trust me I tried to do 50 but lasted to 35.


I wouldn't dare attempt 50 diamonds.


----------



## Jersey

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> I wouldn't dare attempt 50 diamonds.


 I like to challenge myself


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

Think of your family, think of your friends! I like to challenge myself as well. I actually like to do weighted push-ups, but I don't do them often because I don't want to jack up my shoulder.

What do you think of one-handed push-ups?


----------



## RDEvans

Update: Down to 188 lbs and 8 lbs close to my goal. Is there a way I can maintain my weight without it going much down and up or what?


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

RDEvans said:


> Update: Down to 188 lbs and 8 lbs close to my goal. Is there a way I can maintain my weight without it going much down and up or what?


Maybe cut out drinks, besides water to prevent extra calories. Do you work out as in running or intense cardio or lift? If so, how much?


----------



## RDEvans

I do running, usually a mile or two a day along with 2-3 miles of just walking. I also do 100 pushups and sit ups a day.


----------



## Rush

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> Not to sound rude, but what is your bodyweight, just to get an idea of how much weight you are supporting? As for you being happy being able to do several regular push-ups without pain is nothing to feel silly about.


I'm usually around 80kg which is something like 175 pounds but i'm up around 84kg atm which is around 185 pounds. Normally pretty fit, shoulder is just from nearly 20 years of playing cricket, and a lot of overhead throwing.


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

Rush said:


> I'm usually around 80kg which is something like 175 pounds but i'm up around 84kg atm which is around 185 pounds. Normally pretty fit, shoulder is just from nearly 20 years of playing cricket, and a lot of overhead throwing.


Haha, I'm pretty close to you in weight, especially when you are around your regular 80 kg. I don't know much about cricket, just a regular Pennsylvanian. I see it on television occasionally, but not too often. I just know repetitive throwing motions for that many years is going to take a toll on most people, whether they are doing it the proper way or not. 20 years haha, it makes me sound so young.


----------



## EireUnited

Never been training harder or eating better than I have the last few months. Starting to see real results.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Now in the 955 club. If I can get to 4 plates on deadlifts by the end of summer, and then go up 5 lbs on Bench, I'll hit the 1000 mark. then me and Big E can party!


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

RDEvans said:


> I do running, usually a mile or two a day along with 2-3 miles of just walking. I also do 100 pushups and sit ups a day.


My bad, I didn't notice that you replied because you didn't quote me. Anyways, you want to lose about 8 more lbs, so why are you trying to maintain?



EireUnited said:


> Never been training harder or eating better than I have the last few months. Starting to see real results.


Good job, what kind of exercising do you train hard for?



Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Now in the 955 club. If I can get to 4 plates on deadlifts by the end of summer, and then go up 5 lbs on Bench, I'll hit the 1000 mark. then me and Big E can party!


Good job, most people in this world do not ever hit 1,000 combined ever. It seems like you left out squats, couldn't that go up higher to where your other lifts don't have to go up as much?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> Good job, most people in this world do not ever hit 1,000 combined ever. It seems like you left out squats, couldn't that go up higher to where your other lifts don't have to go up as much?


I just hit a PR 315 on squats today. My deadlift is suffering 365-375. I squat maybe twice a month, and it keeps going up. so I'm not worried about it. But I was deadlifting nearly twice a week; so I have to cut down on deadlifts.


----------



## Jersey

Since it hasn't been mentioned but Cold Showers/Baths play a huge role in decreasing weight and putting on muscle


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

There's a reason that hasn't been mentioned...:side:

(_it's not true_)


----------



## SkandorAkbar

.


----------



## MF83

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> I just hit a PR 315 on squats today. My deadlift is suffering 365-375. I squat maybe twice a month, and it keeps going up. so I'm not worried about it. But I was deadlifting nearly twice a week; so I have to cut down on deadlifts.


Why are you squatting so infrequently? Let your squat be the big grower. A big squat can build a big deadlift but the reverse effect isn't nearly the same.

Sumo'd 500 for the first time since switching in March. 455 on March 20th, 500 on April 25th. It's fucking skyrocketing. My best conventional is 525. I'm interested in where it's at right now. My current program is incredible.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Well, I've been steadily increasing my squat. since I've increased from about 275 in November to 315 today, I don't really want to change that method. But I've been stuck on my deadlifts, so that obviously needs fixing.

edit: to add, I read this Article on Bodybuilding.com. Westside method, with Louie Simmons.

I really need to build a better foundation for deadlifting. I'm not going to _not_ squat. Just doing a heavy squat workout every other week seems to be working for me. And I think it might carry over to heavy deadlifts.


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> I just hit a PR 315 on squats today. My deadlift is suffering 365-375. I squat maybe twice a month, and it keeps going up. so I'm not worried about it. But I was deadlifting nearly twice a week; so I have to cut down on deadlifts.


By the time you get your deadlifting number up, your squat PR will probably go up, and hopefully your bench too. It seems like you'll get near your goal by end of the summer.


----------



## RDEvans

Pittsburgh_412 said:


> My bad, I didn't notice that you replied because you didn't quote me. Anyways, you want to lose about 8 more lbs, so why are you trying to maintain?


I want to maintain after I lose the 8 lbs I have left ( I'm bad with wording :frown2: )


----------



## Pittsburgh_412

RDEvans said:


> I want to maintain after I lose the 8 lbs I have left ( I'm bad with wording :frown2: )



I kind of figured that's what you meant, but clarification is always nice. 

Alright, so you said you were running/walking frequently, along with those push-ups and sit-ups. Do you plan on continuing doing all of those things as frequently once you drop the final 8 lbs. Just trying to find out all the info to give you a better answer.


----------



## Tavernicus

Finally got a bench, squat rack, leg extention machine w/ cable machine attachment -- loving life. Time for more real gains with the benching, squats and deadlifts. 

On that. Getting bad pain through my knees when squatting and deadlifting, anyone know the reason for this and what should be done? It's the outside of the knee, not the inside.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Met Phil Heath, Dennis Wolf, and Kai Greene (again), at a Pittsburgh (conveniently right down the street from me). Dennis Wolf is terrifying. Holy christ. :lmao He's huge nad terrorist-like looking.


----------



## Addychu

Tavernicus said:


> Finally got a bench, squat rack, leg extention machine w/ cable machine attachment -- loving life. Time for more real gains with the benching, squats and deadlifts.
> 
> On that. Getting bad pain through my knees when squatting and deadlifting, anyone know the reason for this and what should be done? It's the outside of the knee, not the inside.


You could be wearing the wrong shoes and partly doing them wrong, maybe get some knee support? My wrists are so weak and I need some support for them.


----------



## Tavernicus

Addychu said:


> You could be wearing the wrong shoes and partly doing them wrong, maybe get some knee support? My wrists are so weak and I need some support for them.


Thanks for the reply, but I found out what was wrong; inflamed ligament, that makes for the clicking in my knee. Just need to strengthen my quadriceps.


----------



## VIPER

Alrighty, so since I started working out and eating a tad bit more healthy, I weighed myself about 2 days ago and discovered I've lost 10lbs :woo I'm quite shocked but I hope that I can continue and the pounds will just melt away. I've been slacking on the gym time as I've been busy with school and finals but I hope to get back into it.


----------



## Addychu

Tavernicus said:


> Thanks for the reply, but I found out what was wrong; inflamed ligament, that makes for the clicking in my knee. Just need to strengthen my quadriceps.


I'm glad you have sorted it out, do you do a lot of leg stuff? My boyfriends legs are too weak to squat as he doesn't really work them out lmao.


----------



## Tavernicus

Addychu said:


> I'm glad you have sorted it out, do you do a lot of leg stuff? My boyfriends legs are too weak to squat as he doesn't really work them out lmao.


I do leg extensions, and just started squatting again, not a full squat, but enough to get tension in my quads. I was able to deadlift today for 3 sets of 6 reps, only at 45(ish) kg. But it's something since it's been such a bitch lately.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

and then I hit 315 x 2 today. Squatmaster starting here.

^^^leg extensions are fantastic, when done correctly. make sure your butt isn't lifting when you're in motion. It's the best for definition in the quads imo. Superset it with single leg squats :done


----------



## Tavernicus

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> and then I hit 315 x 2 today. Squatmaster starting here.
> 
> ^^^leg extensions are fantastic, when done correctly. make sure your butt isn't lifting when you're in motion. It's the best for definition in the quads imo. Superset it with single leg squats :done


Yeah, for sure, they really are great. Working up my leg strength again, I've done some single leg squats, can't go down fully with my dodgy knee, but was deadlifting yesterday which was a good sign that things are getting better. 

BTW. nice work with the squat, man!


----------



## MF83

This is the best squat set I've ever done, weight and form wise:

405x6 http://youtu.be/dD6JqUJxnkY





The High bar switch has been good to me. 

295x3 bench today. That 3 plate bench is mine, sooooon.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

MF83 said:


> This is the best squat set I've ever done, weight and form wise:
> 
> 
> 
> 405x6 http://youtu.be/dD6JqUJxnkY
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The High bar switch has been good to me.
> 
> 
> 
> 295x3 bench today. That 3 plate bench is mine, sooooon.



Tremendous! Any tips on hitting depth?


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


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## MF83

EscapedIllusion said:


> Tremendous! Any tips on hitting depth?
> 
> 
> Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


Thanks.
Take 80% of what you can do high and do it properly. That's what I did. I've never had physical limitations with depth though, just ego. Usually, with depth issues, people don't want to lose precious numbers in the name of hitting below parallel. Find a form you can reliably break parallel with. If you can't physically hit it, get mobile stretching your hips and ankles, sit in a third world squat and push your knees out with your hands or elbows whenever you can throughout the day. Always train as low as possible. Yeah.


----------



## EscapedIllusion

Thanks man,my squat is the only lift I don't feel confident in at the moment.I have to fix it.


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


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## MF83

Wouldn't pass in competition but I got 315 for the first time today!!!

http://youtu.be/eyjUmXNgQIA


----------



## Addychu

Deadlifts are what I suck at.


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## Tavernicus

Addychu said:


> Deadlifts are what I suck at.


They can be a bit tricky, I had to really look into it when I first started, but now I find it pretty easy and have issues with my knees too -- only thing that doesn't agree with me is squats. 

What's your issue with them?


----------



## HiddenFlaw

Finally started doing deadlifts with no problems :eva2


----------



## Codename Bags

I recently got over mono so all the progress that I did have from working out kind of went away. So I just started meal prepping and just now managed to get back in the gym. I'm trying to tone up my physique as best I can.


----------



## Kenny

I'm glad I was able to track this thread down. I need your help all.

I don't intend to go to a gym or anything, but need advice on what I have in my house, and to see if I can get something into a plan. 










I've got about 3-4 of these, with a range of weights that I can add onto them. 










one similar to that with range of weights

an exercise bike. I don't mind walking, jogging and a little bit of running.

I'm 112kgs as of now, and my aim is to get to 80-90kgs, lean with muscle. 

I play futsal (indoor soccer) each week and that's one of the main reasons why I want to get fit.


----------



## Codename Bags

Kenny ^^

I'd reccomend using that exerise bike to your advantage. Don't fall into the comment cliche that things like that are for women. It's important to sweat and get your blood pumping before lifting weights, and 30 minutes on a bike is perfect for that. Just be sure to spend 45 minutes to an hour lifting weights, isolating specific muscle groups like chest/triceps, back/biceps, ect.


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## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So dumbell chest extensions superset with underhand grip barbell shrugs destroyed my upper delts and traps. I figure all the tension chest ext. bring would compliment the shurgs, and I was right.

Highly recommended.


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## slickg

KENNY said:


> I'm glad I was able to track this thread down. I need your help all.
> 
> I don't intend to go to a gym or anything, but need advice on what I have in my house, and to see if I can get something into a plan.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've got about 3-4 of these, with a range of weights that I can add onto them.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> one similar to that with range of weights
> 
> an exercise bike. I don't mind walking, jogging and a little bit of running.
> 
> I'm 112kgs as of now, and my aim is to get to 80-90kgs, lean with muscle.
> 
> I play futsal (indoor soccer) each week and that's one of the main reasons why I want to get fit.


You could start with something like this https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html

since you have full barbells you can integrate them into the plan as well and modify some of those lifts with the barbells instead on things like curls and squats, deads, etc. Up your protein intake to at least .8 grams per every pound of body weight and you will see some impressive gains for sure.

utilize that exercise bike to get your cardio in on off days.


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## Rush

Tavernicus said:


> Thanks for the reply, but I found out what was wrong; inflamed ligament, that makes for the clicking in my knee. Just need to strengthen my quadriceps.


Physiologically speaking that makes no sense whatsoever. Inflammation to a ligament doesn't cause clicking in your knee and strengthening your quad does nothing to sort out why you would have inflammation to one of your knee ligaments. 



MF83 said:


> Thanks.
> Take 80% of what you can do high and do it properly. That's what I did. I've never had physical limitations with depth though, just ego. Usually, with depth issues, people don't want to lose precious numbers in the name of hitting below parallel. Find a form you can reliably break parallel with. *If you can't physically hit it, get mobile stretching your hips and ankles*, sit in a third world squat and push your knees out with your hands or elbows whenever you can throughout the day. Always train as low as possible. Yeah.


Pretty much that is what limits my squat. My calves are tight as fuck. I try and get the foam roller out and use it every 2nd day to try and loosen them (among other things) which works well enough. Only trouble is when you get lazy and stop doing it everything gets tight again :lol


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## Tavernicus

Rush said:


> Physiologically speaking that makes no sense whatsoever. Inflammation to a ligament doesn't cause clicking in your knee and strengthening your quad does nothing to sort out why you would have inflammation to one of your knee ligaments.


Iliotibial Band Syndrome.


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## Rush

Tavernicus said:


> Iliotibial Band Syndrome.


Yeah and your ITB isn't a ligament for one and strengthening your quad doesn't fix it.


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## Oui Monsieur-hehe

Hi guys, I'm trying to lose some weight but I feel like I have an addiction. An addiction to chocolate. I can go without eating other stuff but if chocolate is around... forget it! 

So, I was just wondering if anyone has tips on how to cut out foods that you desperately crave?


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## slickg

Oui Monsieur-hehe said:


> Hi guys, I'm trying to lose some weight but I feel like I have an addiction. An addiction to chocolate. I can go without eating other stuff but if chocolate is around... forget it!
> 
> So, I was just wondering if anyone has tips on how to cut out foods that you desperately crave?


Personally I would recommend allowing yourself a cheat day every week and allow yourself to have some chocolate or whatever food you crave. That way it's like a reward when you arrive at your cheat day. 

Another way would be to find a good tasting chocolate protein powder that you could drink post workout that would allow you to get the taste of chocolate without the unhealthy side-effects. 

Or another way would be to allow yourself a very tiny bit of chocolate daily while still maintaining your calorie intake level.

Just some suggestions that may help.


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## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

As for a sweet tooth, I'm 100% on board with doing alternative food choices like slickg said. Chocolate protein powder. As well as protein bars (just make sure it's good; lots are just as bad as candy bars). When it comes down to fighting a craving, having the lesser of two evils is never the worst choice.

Also, eating chocolate everyday won't keep you fat. You really just need to portion it out. You can still have chocolate, only choose a dark chocolate type and eat only 100-300 calories instead of 3 bags of M&Ms. 

Also, the timing of chocolate could work in your favor. Having chocolate milk after a workout is very beneficial because of the fats. Again, it comes down to portioning. Have some chocolate after a workout along with healthy/lean protein, fast absorbing (some slow) carbs, and some fat (less of fat than the other two macronutrients). Your body needs fuel after you workout, so timing your sweet tooth than can play in your favor (or at least more so than chowing down randomly throughout the day). IMO, calorie is king, but you can take advantage of timing your nutrients to an extent.


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## Addychu

So im finally going back to the gym today after a week or so out... I was ill but now I feel about 90% better, so I hope I can actually run alittle bit now.



Oui Monsieur-hehe said:


> Hi guys, I'm trying to lose some weight but I feel like I have an addiction. An addiction to chocolate. I can go without eating other stuff but if chocolate is around... forget it!
> 
> So, I was just wondering if anyone has tips on how to cut out foods that you desperately crave?


And I swear im addicted to sugar, seriously... I use to have anorexia... Use to binge on sweet things like crazy and feel guilty.
I did this theses past 2 days and now I feel like shit, fat and just meh but I really think you can get addicted to sugar, if I dont have any, I think of it until I finally get some, its horrible and I hate it, going cold turkey again today and trying to eat healthy as I actually do weights and make a big effort to goto the gym.

So I know the feeling.


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## slickg

Grrrrrrrrrr I think I slightly pulled something in my back near the end of my lifting session this morning. So frustrating when that happens....I'm feeling it now. I knew exactly when it happened....luckily near the end of my workout so I took it slightly easier last couple reps. Have a bad feeling it's going to be stiff in the morning but I've been lucky in the past...popped a couple advils just in case. Luckily tomorrow is a cardio day.


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## slickg

Yup my upper back is totally stiff this morning...can hardly move without pain. Gonna try to loosen it out with cardio this morning.


----------



## Dead Seabed

Hi guys, I need some personal advice. I'm preparing for the upcoming World ***** Championship, competing in combat division, and I'm experiencing some severe joint issues that are really slowing down my progress. It's my knees. They've always been shit. Ever since the age of 16 it feels like there's nothing but chalk inside of them. Just chunks of chalk, grinding inside my knees every time I squat, sprawl, etc. Crouching for any period of time longer then 1 minute is physically impossible for me, the pain is immense. Also, since I've started in combat *****, I've been getting lowkicked, A LOT, and that's really not helping the issue.

Do any of you guys experience similar knee problems and how do you go about your training regarding them?


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## Ham and Egger

I ran 4 miles today. My cardio has gone up significantly on my fifth run. I just need to get into the flow of getting back into weight training.


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## Rush

I'm getting guilted into doing a 30km run for charity (thats about 18 miles or so for you Americans). Haven't trained for something like this before and i know its going to be a punish. Heading out tomorrow for a run with my brother and one of our mates who is running the race as well.


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## kingfunkel

Oui Monsieur-hehe said:


> Hi guys, I'm trying to lose some weight but I feel like I have an addiction. An addiction to chocolate. I can go without eating other stuff but if chocolate is around... forget it!
> 
> So, I was just wondering if anyone has tips on how to cut out foods that you desperately crave?


First and foremost work out your BMR, there's calculators you can find on google. It's only an estimate but gives you a rough idea of what you burn by doing nothing but breathing.

Depends on your weight to how to respond:

If you're fairly overweight: you'll lose weight even if you eat chocolate as long as it's in moderation.

If you're like a stone over: try not to be around chocolate to give you the opportunity. Lower your activity so you don't get as hungry/crave chocolate. If you need to snack try a fruit of some kinds then after about 2 weeks, your cravings will be fully gone.
Everyone has a guilty pleasure....mine is fruit pastilles


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## Addychu

Rush said:


> I'm getting guilted into doing a 30km run for charity (thats about 18 miles or so for you Americans). Haven't trained for something like this before and i know its going to be a punish. Heading out tomorrow for a run with my brother and one of our mates who is running the race as well.


Good luck, I dont think I could run that far...


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## Green Light

Hello friends, I come here in need some of your expert nutritional advice. I recently started taking a fish oil supplement to boost my intake of dem dere essential fatty acids EPA+DHA and ever since I've been having the wildest, most vivid dreams. Some are not fish related (for example in one dream I was a tank commander fighting against aliens on the moon) but most are related to fish and marine life. I am usually the fish and I'm usually swimming away from bigger, terrifying fish. And sometimes sharks. One dream in particular was very frightening as I was swimming away from a giant squid and I woke up in a cold sweat. Scary stuff. I've also noticed great increases in my 50m breast stroke time.

Is this normal?

@Rush



> If you dream of being a fish, it could be an expression of your spiritual desires, or your romantic longings.
> 
> If you were caught in the dream (in a net, or on a hook), you might find yourself “caught” in a complicated life situation. Look to your values for the answer, or imagine how the person you want to be in 5 years would deal with all of this.


Found this on the net :hmm: Interesting


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## Rush

Are you taking fish oil or LSD m9 :evil


----------



## kingfunkel

Rush said:


> I'm getting guilted into doing a 30km run for charity (thats about 18 miles or so for you Americans). Haven't trained for something like this before and i know its going to be a punish. Heading out tomorrow for a run with my brother and one of our mates who is running the race as well.


dunno how wise you are to running but make sure you have appropriate footwear, something to cushion the pavement for you. My current favourites are nike structure 18. 
Also it's good to wear sunglasses too because the glare off the sun can be a nightmare but also it stops muck, flys among other things in your eyes. A green fly in the eye irritates like a cunt. Also a bee of kinds can cause a black eye.
It's a long run so don't blast it, run at your own pace even if you're slower than your mates, don't let your ego get in the way.


----------



## Addychu

kingfunkel said:


> dunno how wise you are to running but make sure you have appropriate footwear, something to cushion the pavement for you. My current favourites are nike structure 18.
> Also it's good to wear sunglasses too because the glare off the sun can be a nightmare but also it stops muck, flys among other things in your eyes. A green fly in the eye irritates like a cunt. Also a bee of kinds can cause a black eye.
> It's a long run so don't blast it, run at your own pace even if you're slower than your mates, don't let your ego get in the way.


I agree about the trainers, plus having pretty ones now make me want to run more haha!


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## 3MB4Life

Rush said:


> I'm getting guilted into doing a 30km run for charity (thats about 18 miles or so for you Americans). Haven't trained for something like this before and i know its going to be a punish. Heading out tomorrow for a run with my brother and one of our mates who is running the race as well.


I did a 30k for charity once too. As others have said, don't push yourself too hard from the start and just take it at your own pace or else you're gonna wipe yourself out before you even get anywhere. Essentials include appropriate footwear, suncream if the sun's beating down (seems obvious but my friend once didn't wear suncream when we were doing a 20k and he got sunburn and almost didn't finish) and I saw someone say sunglasses which you wouldn't think of but getting stuff in your eyes when your running is a bitch. I once got sand in my eyes doing hurdles and I was going off instinct alone and I nearly fell on my face tons of times. Keep hydrated and make sure you have something to keep your energy up. Good luck with it, and trust me you feel great once you finish the run. That sense of achievement is brilliant.

And also, have you ever done a 30km before and if so, what was your time? Always helps to know what you can do so you can work out some kind of tactic to run smarter and not get tired out as easily.


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## kingfunkel

How did I miss the hydration. Don't chug it down like a warrior because you have to carry that weight in your belly. I dunno how to describe it but you end up feeling like a shithouse. Steady, small sips because that way you're replace the fluids lost anything more will just go straight through you and you'll have to put stop in a bush...Once you stop sometimes it's hard to get going again. I like to splosh it around my mouth before I swallow.

Also eat about 2 hours before, oat meal, fruit and toast.
I like to blend fruit up and put it in the pan as the oatmeal is brewing. Eat plenty blueberries high in fiber and it should get rid of unwanted weight that is stuffed away waiting to drop.

Maybe put some haribo jelly rings on your fingers. Added sugar boost, complex carbs, light and simple to digest

also you'll sweat off the suncream, so I don't use it...I just cover up as best I can


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## 3MB4Life

kingfunkel said:


> How did I miss the hydration. Don't chug it down like a warrior because you have to carry that weight in your belly. I dunno how to describe it but you end up feeling like a shithouse. Steady, small sips because that way you're replace the fluids lost anything more will just go straight through you and you'll have to put stop in a bush...Once you stop sometimes it's hard to get going again. I like to splosh it around my mouth before I swallow.
> 
> Also eat about 2 hours before, oat meal, fruit and toast.
> I like to blend fruit up and put it in the pan as the oatmeal is brewing. Eat plenty blueberries high in fiber and it should get rid of unwanted weight that is stuffed away waiting to drop.
> 
> Maybe put some haribo jelly rings on your fingers. Added sugar boost, complex carbs, light and simple to digest


This too, don't chug all the fluids you bring. I'd recommend taking an energy drink but water is fine too. And with eating, make sure you have carbs in the morning and something sugary while you're running. And the point on fibre is good too, may sound disgusting but you don't wanna be carrying around the excess weight.


----------



## Rush

kingfunkel said:


> dunno how wise you are to running but make sure you have appropriate footwear, something to cushion the pavement for you. My current favourites are nike structure 18.
> Also it's good to wear sunglasses too because the glare off the sun can be a nightmare but also it stops muck, flys among other things in your eyes. A green fly in the eye irritates like a cunt. Also a bee of kinds can cause a black eye.
> It's a long run so don't blast it, run at your own pace even if you're slower than your mates, don't let your ego get in the way.


I'm fairly wise to running, don't do it much myself as i prefer to swim, cycle or row for cardio but i'm an exercise physiologist, and am getting my masters in physiotherapy so i'm fairly au fait with it all 



3MB4Life said:


> I did a 30k for charity once too. As others have said, don't push yourself too hard from the start and just take it at your own pace or else you're gonna wipe yourself out before you even get anywhere. Essentials include appropriate footwear, suncream if the sun's beating down (seems obvious but my friend once didn't wear suncream when we were doing a 20k and he got sunburn and almost didn't finish) and I saw someone say sunglasses which you wouldn't think of but getting stuff in your eyes when your running is a bitch. I once got sand in my eyes doing hurdles and I was going off instinct alone and I nearly fell on my face tons of times. Keep hydrated and make sure you have something to keep your energy up. Good luck with it, and trust me you feel great once you finish the run. That sense of achievement is brilliant.
> 
> And also, have you ever done a 30km before and if so, what was your time? Always helps to know what you can do so you can work out some kind of tactic to run smarter and not get tired out as easily.


Never run 30km in my life, furthest i think i've ever done is around the 10km whilst playing football. Not even sure i'm going to do the 30km run, there is a 13km one a few weeks before which is my personal goal.


----------



## ★Th0t Patr0L★

Never posted in this thread, but via my nutrition course and a renewed drive in my personal health, I've been slowly changing my life since the start of the year. Little things, not totally drastic or anything, but making sure to focus on lifestyle changes instead of crash diets or killing myself working out (both of which I've done and both of which I paid for in the end). 

Fortunately, though, I've been more active and eating better than I can remember. And, while I'm somewhat hovering around the same weight (lost about 15 lbs. in the first few months, been around that weight for about a month now), my body fat percentage has decreased. It's pretty exciting and I hope to share more wonderful news with the fit individuals on this forum.


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## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Back 2 the Future! 

I haven't barbell rowed in maybe 4 months. Still can hit 225 x 3 perfectly.

Then I can bench 235 x 3, it's deadlift 335 x 3. Lol my past priorities are obvious. 2 plate Pullups though, thanks to a M&F magazine article with triple h


----------



## I ♥ KEMONITO

Added 30 lbs to my bench press! 40 to go!


----------



## 3MB4Life

Out of curiosity @Rush, when are you running the 30k?


----------



## Rush

Sometime in September, not sure on the exact date off the top of my head.


----------



## mikehayman

Have gotten kinda fat this year, which is now really evident after watching myself squat. Was going to attempt 495 on squat today but my back wasn't feeling good. Still managed to get 455 for 2 though.


----------



## rikers10

Hi guys, Ive been going to the gym now for nearly 6 months with the intentions of losing weight and toning up, anyway weighed myself a few weeks ago for the first time in 3 months to be quite horrified and have put weight on i was 16st, now I'm nearly 17st, I don't feel as though I have put weight on, if anything I do feel more muscly (obviously) but I don feel like I've lost body fat (which is what my problem is i think) so I'm just looking for some suggestions on how to lose weight and lean up.

My workout routine is as follows.
every day I start my session off with a run (except wednesdays now where I do Insanity since I found out i put weight on) and I usually run for 10 minutes start of at the pace of 4mph then alternate each minute from 4mph to 10mph.
Monday: Chest and Bi's (4 different exercises on each 3 sets of 12 reps)
Tuesday: Shoulders and Tri's (4 different exercises on each 3 sets of 12 )
Wednesday: Insanity
Thursday: Back (5 Different exercises of each 3 sets of 12)
Friday: Legs (5 different exercises of 3 sets of 12)

I don't think it is particularly my workout routine that is my problem I think its more to do with my diet which I'm really struggling with, I use a diet whey protein after every session, but its my cravings for sugar that lets me down, also eating takeways for dinner a hell of a lot (as i work across the road from a street of about 10 takeaways) so I always give in to temptation. What i think is letting me down is the drinking of sugary drinks such as Coca-Cola ect.. and I always tend to have a can of monster in the morning, because I don't drink coffee and need a pick me up in the morning, I always find myself saying to myself that I will start my diet, which I do but then I get bored of drinking water ect.. and end up giving up and going back to my old diet, I just find it so hard to not give into temptation. Also I find it hard to find the right stuff because i'm a very fussy eater (hate fish, wholemeal stuff and many many more foods) and get bored with just eating chicken all the time and the fact that eating healthy is very expensive and I don't have the best of jobs at the moment (just a stop gap until I can obtain my driving licence and carry join with Joinery) so I cant afford to buy healthy stuff all the time.


I would just like some sort of advice if possible by anyone would appreciate it.. thanks.

Edit:Oh another thing is... I like to have a drink at the weekend (Cider) as I do work hard during the week so always feel i need a drink to let my hair down. (usually drink 10 cans on a friday and bout 5 on a saturday)


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

my sticking point is the initial pull in deadlifts. I've never had problems from midway up, I an do 465 on rack pulls comfortably. What can I do to work on the initial pull; stuck at 365. 



rikers10 said:


> Hi guys, Ive been going to the gym now for nearly 6 months with the intentions of losing weight and toning up, anyway weighed myself a few weeks ago for the first time in 3 months to be quite horrified and have put weight on i was 16st, now I'm nearly 17st, I don't feel as though I have put weight on, if anything I do feel more muscly (obviously) but I don feel like I've lost body fat (which is what my problem is i think) so I'm just looking for some suggestions on how to lose weight and lean up.
> 
> My workout routine is as follows.
> every day I start my session off with a run (except wednesdays now where I do Insanity since I found out i put weight on) and I usually run for 10 minutes start of at the pace of 4mph then alternate each minute from 4mph to 10mph.
> Monday: Chest and Bi's (4 different exercises on each 3 sets of 12 reps)
> Tuesday: Shoulders and Tri's (4 different exercises on each 3 sets of 12 )
> Wednesday: Insanity
> Thursday: Back (5 Different exercises of each 3 sets of 12)
> Friday: Legs (5 different exercises of 3 sets of 12)
> 
> I don't think it is particularly my workout routine that is my problem I think its more to do with my diet which I'm really struggling with, I use a diet whey protein after every session, but its my cravings for sugar that lets me down, also eating takeways for dinner a hell of a lot (as i work across the road from a street of about 10 takeaways) so I always give in to temptation. What i think is letting me down is the drinking of sugary drinks such as Coca-Cola ect.. and I always tend to have a can of monster in the morning, because I don't drink coffee and need a pick me up in the morning, I always find myself saying to myself that I will start my diet, which I do but then I get bored of drinking water ect.. and end up giving up and going back to my old diet, I just find it so hard to not give into temptation. Also I find it hard to find the right stuff because i'm a very fussy eater (hate fish, wholemeal stuff and many many more foods) and get bored with just eating chicken all the time and the fact that eating healthy is very expensive and I don't have the best of jobs at the moment (just a stop gap until I can obtain my driving licence and carry join with Joinery) so I cant afford to buy healthy stuff all the time.
> 
> 
> I would just like some sort of advice if possible by anyone would appreciate it.. thanks.
> 
> Edit:Oh another thing is... I like to have a drink at the weekend (Cider) as I do work hard during the week so always feel i need a drink to let my hair down. (usually drink 10 cans on a friday and bout 5 on a saturday)


sweet potatoes, rice, oats, whole grain cereal....turkey, lean pork, chicken, beef, tofu (eww), nuts

your workout isn't what I would do, but I have different goals. It seems standard and if you're sticking to, stick to it.

stop drinking soda and [so much] booze. water, suck it up. get fake stuff to add to it that won't hurt you till you're 70.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

They're closing my favorite 24hr gym :cry but they're opening a Super 24hr gym that's just as close by :mark:


----------



## MF83

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> my sticking point is the initial pull in deadlifts. I've never had problems from midway up, I an do 465 on rack pulls comfortably. What can I do to work on the initial pull; stuck at 365.


Weak quads or a form issue usually. Post a video? If quads - more squats! Or leg press/front squat/oly style squat/etc.


----------



## Magic

my left leg is weaker than my right leg, mostly due to the fact i would mostly jump with my right leg when i used to play basketball and the left one just never fully caught up. it's so fucking infuriating. :mj2 


it's not a huge difference as i've helped it a lot with isolation lifts, but it's still annoying that it isn't caught up yet and whenever i stop going to the gym the left one seems to get a lot weaker than the right one.


----------



## kingfunkel

rikers10 said:


> Hi guys, Ive been going to the gym now for nearly 6 months with the intentions of losing weight and toning up, anyway weighed myself a few weeks ago for the first time in 3 months to be quite horrified and have put weight on i was 16st, now I'm nearly 17st, I don't feel as though I have put weight on, if anything I do feel more muscly (obviously) but I don feel like I've lost body fat (which is what my problem is i think) so I'm just looking for some suggestions on how to lose weight and lean up.
> 
> My workout routine is as follows.
> every day I start my session off with a run (except wednesdays now where I do Insanity since I found out i put weight on) and I usually run for 10 minutes start of at the pace of 4mph then alternate each minute from 4mph to 10mph.
> Monday: Chest and Bi's (4 different exercises on each 3 sets of 12 reps)
> Tuesday: Shoulders and Tri's (4 different exercises on each 3 sets of 12 )
> Wednesday: Insanity
> Thursday: Back (5 Different exercises of each 3 sets of 12)
> Friday: Legs (5 different exercises of 3 sets of 12)
> 
> I don't think it is particularly my workout routine that is my problem I think its more to do with my diet which I'm really struggling with, I use a diet whey protein after every session, but its my cravings for sugar that lets me down, also eating takeways for dinner a hell of a lot (as i work across the road from a street of about 10 takeaways) so I always give in to temptation. What i think is letting me down is the drinking of sugary drinks such as Coca-Cola ect.. and I always tend to have a can of monster in the morning, because I don't drink coffee and need a pick me up in the morning, I always find myself saying to myself that I will start my diet, which I do but then I get bored of drinking water ect.. and end up giving up and going back to my old diet, I just find it so hard to not give into temptation. Also I find it hard to find the right stuff because i'm a very fussy eater (hate fish, wholemeal stuff and many many more foods) and get bored with just eating chicken all the time and the fact that eating healthy is very expensive and I don't have the best of jobs at the moment (just a stop gap until I can obtain my driving licence and carry join with Joinery) so I cant afford to buy healthy stuff all the time.
> 
> 
> I would just like some sort of advice if possible by anyone would appreciate it.. thanks.
> 
> Edit:Oh another thing is... I like to have a drink at the weekend (Cider) as I do work hard during the week so always feel i need a drink to let my hair down. (usually drink 10 cans on a friday and bout 5 on a saturday)




First and foremost cut back on your workout. It makes you hungry, do this for approximately 2 weeks and after those 2 weeks your cravings for all things sugar/chocolate/takeaways/soda/cider etc will be fully gone. Sort your diet first as it's most important of weight loss. As a joiner you'll burn calories doing your job so you'll lose weight.

Then after 2 weeks begin to up your workout: to lose weight you need to be minus 3,500 calories. To do that you need to work out your BMR and you need to eat that for your body to operate fully. So if you burn 500 extra calories by exercise a day, you'll lose 1LB of fat a week. That would be healthy weight loss. Remember calories is energy not the enemy! It's the additives that gains you weight not calories. 
I don't know how much weight you wanna lose to give you anymore advice. You need a mix of cardio and weight because when you do cardio it eats calories, sugar, fat and muscle...so you need to replace that muscle loss by doing weights. 
Muscle is denser than fat so while you could remain the same weight you could be getting leaner which is the aim.


----------



## DesolationRow

I'm doing this oddball thing with some Brazilian jujitsu buddies, a "300 Single Arm-Medicine Ball Pushup Challenge." We did 300 single armed-medicine ball pushups on Monday evening and we're going to do them again on this next Monday and do them for 20 days in a row beginning on that day. 

I'm curious about this as an experiment. I've always alternated days between workouts for muscles, with some leniency toward repeating every day with biceps, triceps, delts and abdominals, so this seems... Interesting...? Haha. 

Have been incorporating a hip flexion routine into my general workout and am enjoying that.


----------



## rikers10

kingfunkel said:


> First and foremost cut back on your workout. It makes you hungry, do this for approximately 2 weeks and after those 2 weeks your cravings for all things sugar/chocolate/takeaways/soda/cider etc will be fully gone. Sort your diet first as it's most important of weight loss. As a joiner you'll burn calories doing your job so you'll lose weight.
> 
> Then after 2 weeks begin to up your workout: to lose weight you need to be minus 3,500 calories. To do that you need to work out your BMR and you need to eat that for your body to operate fully. So if you burn 500 extra calories by exercise a day, you'll lose 1LB of fat a week. That would be healthy weight loss. Remember calories is energy not the enemy! It's the additives that gains you weight not calories.
> I don't know how much weight you wanna lose to give you anymore advice. You need a mix of cardio and weight because when you do cardio it eats calories, sugar, fat and muscle...so you need to replace that muscle loss by doing weights.
> Muscle is denser than fat so while you could remain the same weight you could be getting leaner which is the aim.


Cheers for the reply pal, To be honest a few people have commented on that I look like I have lost weight, but my main problem is my ass haha its quite big for a guy and I do have huge legs...My friend calls me Mark Henry legs haha but they don't seem to be fatty to me just huge (I have to buy pants 2 sizes up just so they fit my calfs but then are way to big on my waist) but anyway yeah I was hoping to get down to something like 13.5/14 stone but yeah doesn't seem to be working out at the mo.


----------



## kingfunkel

rikers10 said:


> Cheers for the reply pal, To be honest a few people have commented on that I look like I have lost weight, but my main problem is my ass haha its quite big for a guy and I do have huge legs...My friend calls me Mark Henry legs haha but they don't seem to be fatty to me just huge (I have to buy pants 2 sizes up just so they fit my calfs but then are way to big on my waist) but anyway yeah I was hoping to get down to something like 13.5/14 stone but yeah doesn't seem to be working out at the mo.



That might be because you've gained muscle and lost fat. You'll find if you do that then you'll stay roughly the same weight but will have gotten leaner. When losing fat you lose it throughout your body so it will eventually lead to lose fat around your ass and legs. Everyone is different but you'll find you'll lose fat round your face and arms first so it'll look like you'll lost weight in the face. So its good signs you're heading in the right direction, your mates confirming it is also good...it'll help you keep your focus as you get compliments 

Not sure about the weight because I don't know your height and age but you can find a BMI scale on google which should tell you your healthy operating range. How long you been stuck at a weight for? You might have hit a plateu...just drink plenty water, eat smaller plates at more frequent times and you should break through it. Getting fit doesn't happy overnight as you already know but just stick to it.


----------



## rikers10

kingfunkel said:


> That might be because you've gained muscle and lost fat. You'll find if you do that then you'll stay roughly the same weight but will have gotten leaner. When losing fat you lose it throughout your body so it will eventually lead to lose fat around your ass and legs. Everyone is different but you'll find you'll lose fat round your face and arms first so it'll look like you'll lost weight in the face. So its good signs you're heading in the right direction, your mates confirming it is also good...it'll help you keep your focus as you get compliments
> 
> Not sure about the weight because I don't know your height and age but you can find a BMI scale on google which should tell you your healthy operating range. How long you been stuck at a weight for? You might have hit a plateu...just drink plenty water, eat smaller plates at more frequent times and you should break through it. Getting fit doesn't happy overnight as you already know but just stick to it.


I'm 21 and am 6 ft tall But yeah I know what you mean I wish it did happen overnight hahaha, What I'm more looking to do is try to lose weight from my stomach area, But I've been stuck at 16st for about a year now I was 14 st at one point (which i want to get back too) but I put it all on over a 2 year period (had a girlfriend and got very comfortable and ate shite all the time) It doesn't help that my family (dad's side) all are on the fat size and my dad being honest is really fat so maybe that has something to do with it being harder? but i always said to myself i'll never let myself get to that point so is why I'm doing something now, I Think i have the type of build where IP put muscle on quite easy (been going with my mate to the gym we joined at same time and I'm a lot more muscly than him and we lift the same but he's lost more weight than me)


----------



## kingfunkel

rikers10 said:


> I'm 21 and am 6 ft tall But yeah I know what you mean I wish it did happen overnight hahaha, What I'm more looking to do is try to lose weight from my stomach area, But I've been stuck at 16st for about a year now I was 14 st at one point (which i want to get back too) but I put it all on over a 2 year period (had a girlfriend and got very comfortable and ate shite all the time) It doesn't help that my family (dad's side) all are on the fat size and my dad being honest is really fat so maybe that has something to do with it being harder? but i always said to myself i'll never let myself get to that point so is why I'm doing something now, I Think i have the type of build where IP put muscle on quite easy (been going with my mate to the gym we joined at same time and I'm a lot more muscly than him and we lift the same but he's lost more weight than me)


Your healthy range is between 9st10 and 13st3. It depends how you want your build to what your goal should be.
Unfortunately for everyone who wants to lose weight the stomach is the last place you'll lose fat..its so difficult  
yeah the gf plays a massive factor...I'm sure they make us gain weight on purpose. When I was with my ex I was 10st6 and normally ran 80-90 miles a week but after a while I slowed down my activity and ate cake (my 1 weakness)...Also fruit pastilles and went up to 12stone. So don't feel bad about gaining weight when in a relationship, most people gain weight during a relationship.
People like to blame genetics but truth be told your genetics play little to no part in weight etc. But your dad's eating habit can be passed to you by watching him as a kid..don't enter the mind set where you put the blame onto someone else, that'll defeat you.

I don't know the reason why your stuck at a weight. You have to list like a daily intake for you and what you'd eat over a week. Weight loss is 60% diet, 25% cardio and 15% weights. As you can see it's diet heavy.


----------



## VIPER

Alrighty, been a few weeks since I posted in here. Still continuing with my weight loss goal. So far I've managed to lose 11lbs in like a month or so. I just started (finally even though I brought this last year) the 21 Day Fix/Beach body thing. I started working out last night with the dvd and I also get on the treadmill for about a hour or so every other day. Probably still need help with the food part but I'll get there. I'm doing the Shakeology thing as well, just made my first one and it's the chocolate but I think it tastes disgusting on its own so I put some chopped bananas in it and it tastes okay. I'm basically trying to get an acquired taste for it but it doesn't taste all that great like they said. It's also supposed to help you burn fat and help your insides or whatever.

I'm really sore from working out the other morning, like my abs and legs are killing me, so I think I'll probably try to workout later today or just wait until tomorrow.


----------



## MF83

Hit my first big summer goal of 3x8 with 405 sumo! I was horrible and clueless with this lift having always trained strictly conventional. My first hypertrophy working sets were with 315 a few months ago. Added a full plate per side to that number in 12 or so weeks. Woo. Hoo. 

http://youtu.be/AZCA-F1sDAM





I want 3x8 high bar with 365 next. 

This off season high rep shit is a different kind of beast.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Does deadlift....goes hard and feels great.

Does overhead press...goes hard and feels great.

Does front squat...goes hard and feels great.

Decides he's so hard and feels so great he'll go up 10 lbs. Feels a strain in his lower spine and finishes with only 1 rep. Goes home with only minor pain, decides inversion table will help. :ti

Can barely walk. Sits through a job interview riving in pain. gets job. NO PAIN NO GAIN!!

So I front squatted 235 (from 225). Obviously not great form.


----------



## kingfunkel

Broke my 5k, 10k and 10 mile running records  so obviously I was feeling like Brock Lesnar when I went to the gym and upped the weights I lifted on lats and squats! Usual weight on biceps and tris


----------



## MF83

475 lbs high bar squat

http://youtu.be/lT-IcH2_9SQ






So proud of this because it is near max without form breakdown. Yay. 500! We comin for you!


----------



## Rush

rikers10 said:


> It doesn't help that my family (dad's side) all are on the fat size and my dad being honest is really fat so maybe that has something to do with it being harder?





kingfunkel said:


> People like to blame genetics but truth be told your genetics play little to no part in weight etc. But your dad's eating habit can be passed to you by watching him as a kid..don't enter the mind set where you put the blame onto someone else, that'll defeat you.


Genetics do play a part tbf. Not in terms of "oh my parents are fat so thats why i'm fat" but they do play a part in how easy it is to gain, lose muscle. If you subscribe to the 3 body shapes idea, endo, ecto and mesomorph you can get an idea of the kind of body you will have if/when you work out. My 2 brothers are definitely ecto, i'm more endo/meso. I don't find it particularly hard to gain muscle but if i don't watch what i eat then i gain fat very easily as well. Don't be the kind of guy that blames genetics for everything, but know how your genetics will play a role in what you look like.


----------



## The Big Bad Wolf

Didn't see this thread

http://www.numisc.com/forum/showthr...log-Test-Tren-Mast-Superdrol-Anavar-and-Winny

Check my log, join up and get mod repped 

This is my log on WF

http://www.wrestlingforum.com/anything/1707849-do-you-even-lift.html


----------



## kingfunkel

Ergh! How can people work out in gyms when it's so hot?  it's impossible. I want to get working out but when I get there I end up just going through the motions


----------



## Natecore

Decided to stop being a lazy sack o crap and exercise for the first time in 2015.

24 chair assisted pull-ups
60 push-ups
1 2 minute plank
50 body squats
8 20lb bicep curls

I blew up faster than a Batista/Reigns match. Bottom barrel numbers but I gotta restart somewhere. Only up from here.


----------



## Apple iGrave

Its funny cause wrestling fans are usually fat and lazy but you guys are pumping irons like a fat kid farts 
:ha


----------



## OldschoolHero

Did back/biceps today. Sticking with only dumbbells and bodyweight exercises has really helped my low back pain. But damn do I miss heavy rows and deads


----------



## Addychu

SO yesterday I decided to have a cider after my workout... I didn't eat before or after and I just thought I would be okay, but I wasn't, I only had one... All night I had the shakes, my body temperature kept changing, I felt very nausea and had bad stomach pains, I also couldn't stand up without feeling faint, does anyone know why this happened? Im still not well now, my stomach is still painful and every time get up I get a shooting pain on the side of my head.


----------



## DeeGirl

Addychu said:


> SO yesterday I decided to have a cider after my workout... I didn't eat before or after and I just thought I would be okay, but I wasn't, I only had one... All night I had the shakes, my body temperature kept changing, I felt very nausea and had bad stomach pains, I also couldn't stand up without feeling faint, does anyone know why this happened? Im still not well now, my stomach is still painful and every time get up I get a shooting pain on the side of my head.


Maybe you should see a Doctor if you still have your symptoms tomorrow. 

Better safe than sorry after all


----------



## StillReal2MeDammit

Best bulking meal is poutine! Real poutine with squeaky cheese curds and beef gravy! Calorie overload, just make sure you have sufficient protein intake before you eat it, or make newfie fries and throw some beef in with it. Even when your bulking though dont overdo it with the protein you can only absorb 20 grams per hour plus 20 grams during your 20 minute anabolic boost period after a workout. Make sure you get sufficient sleep if you are having trouble bulking, you are actually really anabolic at night and its very important if you want to use the protein efficiently. Also have the 3-1 carb-protein ratio when taking protein otherwise the protein will also absorb less, you need carbs, usually sugar to digest the protein efficiently. Also do 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets to gain size when using compound weight lifts, on isolation lifts for smaller muscles it should more like 12-16, and big muscles like quads should be 6-8. If you do less you are more likely to gain strength, if you do more you will gain stamina, once you start to see results dwindle shake it up before going back to mass building and you should start to see results again, unless ofcourse you reach your natural limit in which case you can either juice or work to maintain your shape.


----------



## StillReal2MeDammit

Mr. Fusion said:


> Maybe you should see a Doctor if you still have your symptoms tomorrow.
> 
> Better safe than sorry after all


This usually happens if you workout and do not provide nutrients for recovery, your body needs the nutrients to recover.


----------



## OldschoolHero

Anyone do the stuff on the athlean x YouTube page? With my current limitations that guy has given me some good ideas.


----------



## Magic

kingfunkel said:


> Ergh! How can people work out in gyms when it's so hot?  it's impossible. I want to get working out but when I get there I end up just going through the motions


does your gym not have air conditioning or fans at least? :chan


----------



## HiddenFlaw

:dahell a gym with no fans or air conditioning


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Does deadlift....goes hard and feels great.
> 
> Does overhead press...goes hard and feels great.
> 
> Does front squat...goes hard and feels great.
> 
> Decides he's so hard and feels so great he'll go up 10 lbs. Feels a strain in his lower spine and finishes with only 1 rep. Goes home with only minor pain, decides inversion table will help. :ti


Been there, done that. 
Your post reminded me of a time (years back) where I lifted all the time, multiple times a week, and had the dedication of an amateur bodybuilder.

One day I did the exact same thing. 
Squats, warm-up, okay 1st set at whatever challenging weight I had worked upto...
10 reps, beast mode.
Next set same weight 10 reps again feeling way easier than it normally would. Great workout!
Third set yeah I'm feeling it!...up this shit 10lbs I got it.
Think I got 6 reps or so!

Yeah so I'm now feeling like THE BEAST INCARNATE so surely 15 *more *lbs is totally doable for 6 reps! 
I think I got about 2 maybe 3 reps tops, the 3rd rep was awfully lopsided and I barely re-racked the weight :lol 
There was a pain too and it wasn't a good one. :shocked: Oops. 

Sometimes you gotta give it the ole college try though but sometimes that bites you in the ass.



Addychu said:


> SO yesterday I decided to have a cider after my workout... I didn't eat before or after and I just thought I would be okay, but I wasn't, I only had one... All night I had the shakes, my body temperature kept changing, I felt very nausea and had bad stomach pains, I also couldn't stand up without feeling faint, does anyone know why this happened? Im still not well now, my stomach is still painful and every time get up I get a shooting pain on the side of my head.


You were probably dehydrated from your workout and added alcohol on an empty stomach to the equation. You probably got mild alcohol poisoning, which from experience I can tell you is awful. This next message is going to be somewhat graphic but, I would've forced myself to vomit immediately if I were you. Alcohol poisoning is nothing to screw around with. 

I've been there after consuming many drinks, far too quickly, with very little food. 

The other possibility is that it was rotten cider. Or maybe a bit of both.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So I can barely squat parallel now. I really hurt my lower back doing front squats a month back. I was able to do front squats and squats today, heavy for me. But, I could only go just a little bellow parallel. Otherwise my lower back would probably cry. 

Also discovered my squat form had no concept of tensing my core when squating. 

Should go a see a doctor, can't afford it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Does deadlift....goes hard and feels great.
> 
> Does overhead press...goes hard and feels great.
> 
> Does front squat...goes hard and feels great.
> 
> Decides he's so hard and feels so great he'll go up 10 lbs. Feels a strain in his lower spine and finishes with only 1 rep. Goes home with only minor pain, decides inversion table will help. :ti
> 
> Can barely walk. Sits through a job interview riving in pain. gets job. NO PAIN NO GAIN!!
> 
> So I front squatted 235 (from 225). Obviously not great form.





Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> So I can barely squat parallel now. I really hurt my lower back doing front squats a month back. I was able to do front squats and squats today, heavy for me. But, I could only go just a little bellow parallel. Otherwise my lower back would probably cry.
> 
> Also discovered my squat form had no concept of tensing my core when squating.
> 
> Should go a see a doctor, can't afford it.


just quoting these to show my healing progress. today I hit a PR in squats, 325. SO I'm all healed up.






that struggle :banderas


----------



## Addychu

I'm still having problems with dead lifts... I wont even do them now.


----------



## KO Lariat

im avid weightlifter so im gonna post my daily workouts and track my progress. 

August 1, 2015

SHOULDERS
Standing one armed Military presses: 4 sets 90lbs, 140lbs, 160lbs, 180lbs
Upright Rows: 4 sets 70lbs, 80lbs, 80lbs, 80lbs
Shrugs: 4 sets 180lbs, 270 lbs, 360lbs, 450llbs

BICEPS
Overhead cable curl: 4 sets 30lbs, 40lbs, 50lbs, 60lbs
Standing bicep curls: 4 sets 20lbs, 25lbs, 30lbs, 35lbs
Hammer curls: 4 sets 25lbs, 30lbs, 35lbs, 40lbs

TRICEPS
Incline skullchrushers: 4 sets 70lbs, 80lbs, 90lbs, 100lbs
One arm cable tricep extension: 4 sets 50lbs, 60lbs, 70lbs, 80lbs
Tricep pushdown: 4 sets 100lbs, 110lbs, 120lbs, 130lbs, 

BACK
Suspeded cable rows: 4 sets 120lbs,130lbs, 140lbs, 150lbs
Standing Cable rows 140lbs, 150lbs, 160lbs, 170lbs
Seated cable rows: 4 sets 90lbs, 110lbs, 120lbs, 130lbs


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

One arm military press? Like, 180 lbs on one arm pushing vertically up?


----------



## KO Lariat

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> One arm military press? Like, 180 lbs on one arm pushing vertically up?


Yes.


----------



## KO Lariat

Sunday was day down the shore. so no gym time just alot of food and a lot of yeager shots/bombs

Monday was a cardio and recovery day.

August 4th

CHEST
Flat bench dumbell press: 80lbs, 90lbs. 100lbs, 110lbs
Incline dumbell bench press: 70lbs, 75lbs, 80lbs, 85lbs
Pec deck: 115lbs, 130lbs, 145lbs, 160lbs


----------



## Wabbit!

So your bench is 110lbs and one-armed military press is 180 lbs? Side or bent press?


----------



## KO Lariat

Wabbit! said:


> So your bench is 110lbs and one-armed military press is 180 lbs? Side or bent press?


I bench 2 110lbs dumbells


----------



## Jersey

Any good cardio workouts to a for warm up?


----------



## Wabbit!

KO Lariat said:


> I bench 2 110lbs dumbells


You have a weird way of counting your weights. Just out of curiousity, what's your ORM on Bench?


----------



## KO Lariat

Wabbit! said:


> You have a weird way of counting your weights. Just out of curiousity, what's your ORM on Bench?


Honestly I don't know. I haven't benched with a bar in I can't tell you how long and I've never went for max.


----------



## kingfunkel

Has anyone tried the branch chain amino acids(BCAA)?

Never tried them but I was chatting with a guy at the gym and he swears by them. Just curious about other people's past expierence with them


----------



## KO Lariat

kingfunkel said:


> Has anyone tried the branch chain amino acids(BCAA)?
> 
> Never tried them but I was chatting with a guy at the gym and he swears by them. Just curious about other people's past expierence with them


I do. I get the caps. I take 12 a day. 3 when I wake with my protein, 3 before the gym, 3 after the gym and 3 before I go to bed. I absolutely recommend them.


----------



## Jonasolsson96

To anybody that is trying to bulk up/add muscles do powerlifting only low reps until you can deadlift 2,5 X your weight. Squat double your weight and bench 1,5 times your weight. Doesnt have to be exact but you get my point. Why? When you lift low reps you are working central nerve system more then your muscles which gives you a denser/tighter look and then when you start doing more of a bodybuilding rutine you will always have that dense base and look so much better. Isometrix exercises are also great for dense toned muscles.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jonasolsson96 said:


> To anybody that is trying to bulk up/add muscles do powerlifting only low reps until you can deadlift 2,5 X your weight. Squat double your weight and bench 1,5 times your weight. Doesnt have to be exact but you get my point. Why? When you lift low reps you are working central nerve system more then your muscles which gives you a denser/tighter look and then when you start doing more of a bodybuilding rutine you will always have that dense base and look so much better. Isometrix exercises are also great for dense toned muscles.


Squats build your butt. Deadlifts build your back. Bench can build your shoulders, triceps, traps, and pecs, and more.

strengthen your whole body, increase all the other stuff. People who are just doing bench press, squats, and deadlifts- yes. They will have a tougher time gaining mass. But gaining mass comes down to eating more than you burn. 

I know I personally want to get bigger and tighter, but I don't want to sacrifice improving my bench, squat, deadlift, and overhead press numbers just for mass.


----------



## JoseBxNYC

Lost 20 pounds in 16 weeks. Slow and steady cut after bulking for almost two years.


----------



## xdoomsayerx

Going on a bulk soon for the rest of the year. My last bulk I put on too much fat (I knew I was gonna put it on, but not as much as I did) 

Amy suggestions for bulking diet wise? I was pretty much on a dirty bulk last time. Minimum/maximum calorie intakes? Whats the few things I should look at to not put on as much fat.


----------



## Magic

xdoomsayerx said:


> Going on a bulk soon for the rest of the year. My last bulk I put on too much fat (I knew I was gonna put it on, but not as much as I did)
> 
> Amy suggestions for bulking diet wise? I was pretty much on a dirty bulk last time. Minimum/maximum calorie intakes? Whats the few things I should look at to not put on as much fat.


go find the member i$e's profile and in his sig he has a pretty good guide on bulking, which includes things like calorie intake and how much protein you need, etc.


----------



## Reaper

Today was my first serious day back in the gym after 9 years ... Since then I've put on 60 pounds mostly fat around my waist/stomach/neck/chest area. I was 140 pretty lean for 5'-8" then and am currently sitting on an out of shape over-weight, pre-diabetes body of 200 pounds .. :ugh2 

I'm having trouble remembering much though. I have no clue what my capabilities are anymore and really have no rythm or routine that I can remember that I should get back into. My previous routine was basically using the set piece machines (working different muscle groups every other day). 

I want to lose weight steadily. Goal is about 20 pounds every two months till I can get it down to a nice 150 in about 6-8 months. Don't mind taking it slow and probably don't have much choice either because I'm pre-diabetes. 

On a positive though ... for days my sugar level was showing up around 150 fasting .... 2 hours after working out for 2 hours today, I had my lowest sugar reading in a month at 118 .... this was despite having McDonald's before going to the gym. So I feel really fucking good. Had some steak and mashed potatoes tonight ... raring to go back in tomorrow. 

Send some encouragement my way folks ... I have to keep going.


----------



## siloka26

You work too much!


----------



## The Masked One

The Apostate said:


> Today was my first serious day back in the gym after 9 years ... Since then I've put on 60 pounds mostly fat around my waist/stomach/neck/chest area. I was 140 pretty lean for 5'-8" then and am currently sitting on an out of shape over-weight, pre-diabetes body of 200 pounds .. :ugh2
> 
> I'm having trouble remembering much though. I have no clue what my capabilities are anymore and really have no rythm or routine that I can remember that I should get back into. My previous routine was basically using the set piece machines (working different muscle groups every other day).
> 
> I want to lose weight steadily. Goal is about 20 pounds every two months till I can get it down to a nice 150 in about 6-8 months. Don't mind taking it slow and probably don't have much choice either because I'm pre-diabetes.
> 
> On a positive though ... for days my sugar level was showing up around 150 fasting .... 2 hours after working out for 2 hours today, I had my lowest sugar reading in a month at 118 .... this was despite having McDonald's before going to the gym. So I feel really fucking good. Had some steak and mashed potatoes tonight ... raring to go back in tomorrow.
> 
> Send some encouragement my way folks ... I have to keep going.


Don't give up! :cena2 Keep moving and eating healthy. Good to see that u've set some goals. Try to keep injury free though. I work out 6/7 and by mixing up cycling, fitness and crossfit/fitness I never got injured. Keep us updated!


----------



## Reaper

The Masked One said:


> Don't give up! :cena2 Keep moving and eating healthy. Good to see that u've set some goals. Try to keep injury free though. I work out 6/7 and by mixing up cycling, fitness and crossfit/fitness I never got injured. Keep us updated!


Lol. 

Love working out. It's one of those things where you have a really hard time just getting started, but once you start you can't stop  

Body is sore as hell but in a good way ---- means I'm doing something right. When it gets too sore, I give it a 2-3 day rest. Lot of injuries occur when people get sore muscles and instead of resting them and giving them a day or two (sometimes it requires up to 5 days) keep pushing through them. I don't do that. I work different muscle groups every other day so basically one muscle group only gets worked out every 4 days. I'm not looking to get a Randy Orton physique ... I'm alright if I end up looking like a little less fat version of Owens


----------



## MF83

I haven't been around in a while, eh?

Well, got another meet September 26th. Going for 501 squat, 341 bench, at least 567 deadlift. Should be fun. If the stars align and I hit my planned thirds I'll break 1400lbs total at under 93kgs for a >400 Wilks coefficient.


----------



## Reaper

Funny thing is, declaring my health problems (sugar problems) on this forum is partially responsible for keeping me motivated now. I've gotten my weight down to 190, but more importantly, my fasting sugar level is a cool 118 mg/dl every morning (down from 160 odd). 

I follow a very simple routine. 30 minutes stationary bike + 40 minutes strength training + 30 minutes water walking with weights. 

Also starting to look better already - and just feeling great overall.


----------



## Heath V

The Apostate said:


> Funny thing is, declaring my health problems (sugar problems) on this forum is partially responsible for keeping me motivated now. I've gotten my weight down to 190, but more importantly, my fasting sugar level is a cool 118 mg/dl every morning (down from 160 odd).
> 
> I follow a very simple routine. 30 minutes stationary bike + 40 minutes strength training + 30 minutes water walking with weights.
> 
> Also starting to look better already - and just feeling great overall.


That's good man, keep it up!


----------



## Corey

Haven't posted in here in god knows how many months. Had no time or motivation over the summer to lift due to working all over the place and putting in back-to-school overtime hours, but the motivation has luckily came back full force. Did chest today and I was alone in the gym so I decided to try two exercises I've never really attempted before; that being front squats and overhead press.

Front squats were a success on the first attempt. My body is just not made for squatting to begin with and back squats are painful for me (especially on the knees), but front squatting felt really natural. Only went up to 95 lbs but I got a couple sets of 8 in. I'll take it for the first time. Only problem was that I felt the bar slipping off my shoulder from sweat on the last couple reps. I wiped my shoulders, hands, and the bar off but it didn't really help much. You guys have any tips for that? I don't have any chalk, but should I just wear a t-shirt when I do them? I'm one of those guys who just literally can't go to the gym unless I'm wearing a sleeveless shirt.  I feel constricted if I don't.

Overheard press was rock solid, especially after doing an entire chest workout (dumbbell bench, barbell incline, dips, and flies). I wanted to go as heavy as I could to test my strength and I ended up getting 115 for 2. On a fresh day I know I could've gotten a 3rd or 4th in. Not bad for a first time, huh? Obvious problems to work on were balance and posture, but that will come with time.


----------



## Jynxmazed

I recently started using a sledge hammer onto a tractor tire. It makes me tired after about 40 swings, and eventually switch to lefty. Probably starting this week, I will swing 75 on each arm. I have no idea what muscles it works, but I presume it does something.


----------



## MF83

Damn, this thread is dead. Report! 

7/9 @ 92.3kg for 607.5 kg/1339lbs total today. Needed 605kg for nationals in February, I found out afterwards. Now I get to decide if I want to lose Nationally or not! They're in Regina so that's only a six hour drive from where I live. 1400 obviously didn't happen, haha. Cutting down to 93kg took a toll on me, at least for squats. I need to stop being so de facto fat. Technical failed my third squat - just folded forward onto my toes before I even had a shot. Oh well. Hurt my back on second bench and my third was hopeless. However, got my first 3/3 deadlift in comp. Won the 93s with a 383 wilks. 468(miss 490)/319(miss 330)/551. Took 551 for a safe third attempt and class win instead of my planned 567. It was the right call. Definitely not my best day but that's okay. 

VID

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4eeftODi9s


----------



## Magic

what are the advantages of static exercises? like i've always done static bicep curls just because i thought they were fun to do(and challenging), but i wanted to know if there's an added benefit in there for things like static dumbbell press or something like that.


----------



## MF83

Four days into a 4.5 month cut. Going down to 183lbs class for powerlifting nationals. Was 204-205 this morning. Was at or over 30% bodyfat at 214lbs.

1300 Cal, 60g carb off days, man. Better sooner than later, I guess. Health benefits alone make it worth the drop.


----------



## MF83

Down about 8-10lbs morning weight in about two weeks


----------



## Jynxmazed

I am up to a hundred each arm with the sledge hammer/tractor tire swings. They seem to work out the mid body as well as the arms. 

I am going to look into any weights that I can carry or wear while running the benches.


----------



## Wayne Rooney's Fellatio Slave

Put on a solid 20 pounds since starting working out seriously for the first time in my life last September. Getting in shape for the fire department so I'm taking it slow while building cardio capacity and muscle mass.

I'm going to start utilizing supplements and protein powder properly and responsibly (hence why I haven't touch them yet) in line with doctors recommendations. Taking this slow and steady since I've got time on my side (21).

I'm playing men's soccer and lacrosse so that's a little extra stuff to keep me happy and shaping up


----------



## Jynxmazed

I can do 150 sledgehammer blows with each arm (total 300) pretty well now. I could start timing myself now. I purchased some boxing gloves and will start hitting the heavy bag starting Monday.


----------



## MF83

Hit a 25lb Sumo PR of 525lbs dressed up as André the Manlet last night after no sumoing in four months lol

http://youtu.be/v1LCc7YcPSs


----------



## HiddenFlaw

i just got thru food poisoning and thought i was good enough to hit the weights again. 

Man that was not a good idea i almost passed out towards then end of my work out 

it was kinda scary :mj2


----------



## MF83

I'm so proud of this program I made for my next month of training. Had to share:


----------



## SonnenChael

Gonna finally restart mid in Dezember, after 2 years hiatus. Maybe I'm gonna post something. Regards.


----------



## kingfunkel

Anyone tried something called Myo-blitz? I went to the gym today but had no energy so I gave it a go. The cunt is gonna kill me. I feel like I'm gonna pass out or die, my heart is beating a million! Fuck me I know to avoid that shot like the plague


----------



## Magic

guys i keep getting knots in my neck and it really hurts. help plz.



aka @Rush



yes i know tennis balls help.


----------



## Rush

Go get a massage :draper2


----------



## Jersey

Anybody try Burpees?


----------



## BehindYou

Anyone tried Paleo?

Is it too extreme, would high fat/protein and low carbs work as well if I'm working out regularly?

Edit > bought a weeks worth of food, it was massively expensive £65 [almost $100] so hopefully it works for me!


----------



## MF83

Was almost 239 June 2014.
Made 199 in Feb
Back up to 215... Slow loss and cut back down to 203 September 26
Walking around 209 October 5th
188 lbs this week.

Have lost minimal strength. Almost down a full weight class. Going to powerlifting nationals in February! Dream total of 1400lbs. Yippee


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

BehindYou said:


> Anyone tried Paleo?
> 
> Is it too extreme, would high fat/protein and low carbs work as well if I'm working out regularly?
> 
> Edit > bought a weeks worth of food, it was massively expensive £65 [almost $100] so hopefully it works for me!


Just reminded me I need to shop for food.

Just try the Paleo and your body will tell you if it's too extreme. 

I am in a phase right now where I'm just eating everything in sight (including some fast food). That doesn't mean I'm only eating fast food or being a fat lazy bastard though. I work out very hard in the gym. 

I'm going to shop and then workout in short order as soon as I log off. 
Good luck with the Paleo.


----------



## BehindYou

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> Just reminded me I need to shop for food.
> 
> Just try the Paleo and your body will tell you if it's too extreme.
> 
> I am in a phase right now where I'm just eating everything in sight (including some fast food). That doesn't mean I'm only eating fast food or being a fat lazy bastard though. I work out very hard in the gym.
> 
> I'm going to shop and then workout in short order as soon as I log off.
> Good luck with the Paleo.


 After a week I feel pretty good and people have already mentioned I look fitter [though I hadn't seen them in a month and having been trying to watch what I eat a bit more].

I don't often weigh myself but at just over 200 lbs I'm the lightest I've been in years [and at 6ft4 just slipping into healthy BMI]

I've cheated a few times, I ordered a shish kebab takeaway one day [without the pitta], a naked burrito [salad instead of rice, no wrap] for lunch and got through a large bar of dark chocolate over the week.

Just doing my DDP with this to get fitter than back to the gym.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

BehindYou said:


> Just doing my DDP with this to get fitter than back to the gym.


Been considering DDP for a while. 
How's that working out?


----------



## BehindYou

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> Been considering DDP for a while.
> How's that working out?



I really enjoy it, DDP is surprisingly motivating. It's more cardio than anything so I guess most people would work some gym days in but for someone just looking to get fitter its working great.

And yoga is amazing for my back.

And even better for my sex-life, trust me this is a great reason to do yoga.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

BehindYou said:


> I really enjoy it, DDP is surprisingly motivating. It's more cardio than anything so I guess most people would work some gym days in but for someone just looking to get fitter its working great.
> 
> And yoga is amazing for my back.
> 
> And even better for my sex-life, trust me this is a great reason to do yoga.


(Y)


----------



## TheRealFunkman

Anybody dabble in some PEDs?... HGH, prohomormones, sarms, etc..


----------



## LaMelo

I need to workout but all of the gyms around here are small.


----------



## Corey

New Day Jingle Bell Rocks! said:


> I need to workout but all of the gyms around here are small.


Make due with what ya got! I started out lifting in an Anytime Fitness that didn't have a whole lot of things that you would think would be essential to a gym.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Making progress replacing my body fat with lean mass, still not enough for a shirtless pic tho :lol

Kinda hit a plateau with my no carbs/low fat/hyper proteic diet, *anyone around here willing to coach me into intermittent fasting, keto or paleo*?


----------



## Addychu

Count Vertigo said:


> Making progress replacing my body fat with lean mass, still not enough for a shirtless pic tho :lol
> 
> Kinda hit a plateau with my no carbs/low fat/hyper proteic diet, *anyone around here willing to coach me into intermittent fasting, keto or paleo*?


Without being a bitch etc but what's the point of posting a picture like this? You can't see your progress at all...

But anyway, ive finally learnt how to do deadlifta. :cesaro


----------



## Count Vertigo

Addychu said:


> Without being a bitch etc but what's the point of posting a picture like this? You can't see your progress at all...
> 
> But anyway, ive finally learnt how to do deadlifta. :cesaro


It is kinda visible for anyone who saw pics of me from 2 months ago ^_^ I can finally wear my lovely skinny jeans for example aige

Did a few deadlifts today aswell, really a back killer, the form is even harder to perfect than free weight squats, so good for you, I still need to do lots of them with light weight to perfect the form so I don't fuck up my back.


----------



## Magic

since my brother came back we changed up our workout to be mostly compound exercises(with some isolations), 5 sets of each aiming for around 8 reps(6 on the later sets as it's meant to be heavy).


doing both squats/deadlifts on leg and back days now and doing more back with chest. 

today we did flat bench, pullups, dumbbell incline, bent over reverse grip rows, tricep dips, rows on the machine, crossbody press on a machine(no idea what a name for this would be), and then wide grip lat pulldowns. :drose


only issue is time, it took us 2 hours and 15 minutes. gotta be faster. :mj2


----------



## 5 Star Giulia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

@Loudness *Thoughts on Triple H's workout here?* https://www.instagram.com/p/_b17DYPwFI/?taken-by=tripleh


----------



## Loudness

Merry Blissmas said:


> @Loudness *Thoughts on Triple H's workout here?* https://www.instagram.com/p/_b17DYPwFI/?taken-by=tripleh


Just a usual routine for a guy with his goals, building muscle which is all about muscle hypertrophy, but as far as building just muscle it's not a big issue to look into. A lot of bodybuilders believe that time under tension with lighter weight works well and it does for them, however a lot of others disagreed and still built Mr.Olympia Physiques or broke world records in olympic lifting/powerlifting/strongman so it's just what works best for your body. For natural users the rule is to generally use lower reps and higher weight...then again it depends on the routine. Everything works as long as you put in the intensity, 5x5, 5/3/1 and P/P/L work the best, you can even use brosplits as long as they work. But generally, for geared users lower weight, higher reps is better for building quality size as it decreases risk of injury.

However Ronnie Coleman did bench with 200lbs dumbells and it got him 8 Mr.Os






Not to forget 800lbs deadlift and squat for reps











So basically you can even be the GOAT Bodybuilder and still using strength routines. It really doesn't matter. All you need to know is stimulating your muscle fibers.


----------



## 5 Star Giulia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

@Loudness

*Thanks buddy. Here's The Rock's usual routine btw. I guess you didn't get the tag in the Man of The Century thread.*


> Johnson hits the gym six days per week, usually focusing on one body part per day. At 40, he's a seasoned, instinctive trainer. "I go by feel," he says, and notes that when he's in the gym it's all business. "I have my headphones on. I'm listening to my music. I'm 100% focused. There's no wasted time and no wasted effort when it comes to me and the weights." And The Rock's favorite body part? Legs, which is why he leaves them for Saturday when he has extra time to train them.
> 
> 6 days on/1 day off rotation
> Train Biceps and triceps the same day
> Prefers 3 sets per exercise to the more traditional 4
> Trains calves 3 times per week
> 
> Dwayne Johnson’s workout is always evolving as he constantly tweaks it and tries new things. Typically, though, he likes to hit big muscle groups once a week and smaller muscles (biceps, triceps and calves) twice. For each set he starts with relatively high reps, about 15, and does fewer reps as he progresses to heavier weight. He performs a drop set on the last set of nearly every exercise. Rest periods are short (30–60 seconds) to maintain his conditioning. The following is a typical shoulder workout; it takes about 1 3⁄4 hours from start to finish.


----------



## Loudness

Merry Blissmas said:


> @Loudness
> 
> *Thanks buddy. Here's The Rock's usual routine btw. I guess you didn't get the tag in the Man of The Century thread.*


What do you want to know about it? It's just a typical bro-split shoulder training with low weight, high reps, high sets.


----------



## 5 Star Giulia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loudness said:


> What do you want to know about it? It's just a typical bro-split shoulder training with low weight, high reps, high sets.


*
So the powder is the reason he got so buff? He doesn't seem to be doing anything extraordinary.*


----------



## Loudness

Merry Blissmas said:


> *
> So the powder is the reason he got so buff? He doesn't seem to be doing anything extraordinary.*


You seem to be extremely naive.

Working out does matter and he does train hard but as far as bodybuilding goes it's like this

In a professional sense:

90% Genetics 5% drugs 3% diet 2% training

In a low-level environment as you expect

60% expect 20% drugs 15% diet 5% training

The Rock looks the way he does because he has round muscle bellies, wide shoulders, not too wide hips, low lats, good calves length and many more facts.

The only guy who can look as good or better than The Rock are guys with as good as Rocks or better than Rocks genetics. Bodybuilding isn't about building just size, but about shape, symmetry and simply put...genetics. You can't lift hard to get a better shape, you can only lift to make the best out of yourself.

For a guy that is a Roman Reigns fan I'm surprised to see you're beeing so unknowledgable about bodybuilding, Reigns has excellent genetics actually:



















Don't fool yourself, The Rock may be juiced out of his mind...but 99% of juiced guys that try to recreate his body will fail. It's much harder than it looks. Drugs can never beat pure genetics. You'll always look like an ugly gnone instead of a pussyslayer. Beeing 260lbs and well proportioned and aesthetic is extremely hard, believe me.


----------



## 5 Star Giulia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loudness said:


> You seem to be extremely naive.
> 
> 
> For a guy that is a Roman Reigns fan I'm surprised to see you're beeing so unknowledgable about bodybuilding, Reigns has excellent genetics actually:


*I am uneducated about this topic, and that's why I tag you in all workout related threads. I don't follow bodybuilding at all, but have some friends who do, and their workout tangents are always interesting to me. However, I do know that Samoan genetics make them more prone to being fat. As you should know, Roman didn't always look like that, and The Rock used to be a bit chubby himself. What's confusing to me is how big The Rock has gotten, compared to when he was actually wrestling.*


----------



## Loudness

Merry Blissmas said:


> *I am uneducated about this topic, and that's why I tag you in all workout related threads. I don't follow bodybuilding at all, but have some friends who do, and their workout tangents are always interesting to me. However, I do know that Samoan genetics make them more prone to being fat. As you should know, Roman didn't always look like that, and The Rock used to be a bit chubby himself. What's confusing to me is how big The Rock has gotten, compared to when he was actually wrestling.*


If you do cardio like The Rock and do megadose gh and steroids your metabolism can stand as high as 10k calories. Rock isn't a pro Bodybuilder so his genetical weaknesses won't be relevant ever to real life. But hard work will always destroy any slight deficiencies any guy has ever had.

This is a guy who megadoses drugs but was a serious pro BBer (RIP):









The Rock does not possess the ability to ever get as shredded, nor do 99% of people. That's just life.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

^ That's nasty anyway. No one looks like that outside of the day of or leading upto a competition.


----------



## Rush

Merry Blissmas said:


> *
> So the powder is the reason he got so buff? He doesn't seem to be doing anything extraordinary.*


As Loudness said, it is partly genetics but also it is the intensity of the workouts the Rock does. There is no magic exercise that the really big guys use to get big. You get a good grasp of the basic mechanics of the movement of an exercise, you increase the weights while maintaining these good mechanics and keep increasing the weights while adding in a few exercises to your main lifts (which are squat, deadlift and bench). 

I can write a program for 2 identical twins. Just modulating the intensity between the 2. One working at a high intensity will gain more muscle than someone doing the same exercises at a low intensity. It all comes down to the basic concepts you get taught in school about the SPORT principle. Specificity, progressive overload, reversibility and tedium. Anything you do in the gym needs to be specific, progressively increase the weights as you get stronger, if you take time off the effects will reverse and make things interesting to keep up engagement in exercise.


----------



## Count Vertigo

So yeah, had my first time experience with counting macros, it's a fucking hassle and I didn't take into account salt and condiments, but I managed pretty well. 

My stats for the day while cutting (6'1, 165 lbs): 950-1000 kcal, 140 grams of protein, 38 grams of healthy fat, between 60-80 grams of carbs (had a pack of sugarfree gum and I can't quite figure out how to get the exact number of carbs I got with it :lmao)


----------



## Corey

60-80 grams of carbs!? Damn dude, did you have any energy at all? :lol


----------



## Count Vertigo

Jack Evans 187 said:


> 60-80 grams of carbs!? Damn dude, did you have any energy at all? :lol


Quite frankly my workout sucked, but this was a high carb day for me, so it wasn't that, dunno, guess my head just wasn't in it today. I actually eat a lot, just a lot of healthy stuff:

*Breakfast*:
-4 egg whites
-2 tbsps of oats

*Before cardio*: 
-1 pill of Thermo Grenade Detonator

*Snack between cardio and weight training*:
-mandarin orange

*Post workout lunch*:
-200 grams of roasted perch
-100 grams of cucumber
-30 grams of red onion
-half a teacup of pickled hot peppers

*Lunch*:
-130 grams of roasted beef
-100 grams of cucumber
-50 grams of red onion

*Dinner*:
-300 grams of roasted perch
-half a teacup of pickled hot peppers

*Extras*:
-a pack of sugarfree Airwaves gum
-2 glasses of Coke Zero


----------



## Corey

Count Vertigo said:


> Quite frankly my workout sucked, but this was a *high carb day for me*, so it wasn't that, dunno, guess my head just wasn't in it today.


60-80 grams is high carb for you? Holy moly. That's a simple bowl of cereal in most cases or like two cups of rice.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Jack Evans 187 said:


> 60-80 grams is high carb for you? Holy moly. That's a simple bowl of cereal in most cases or like two cups of rice.


Edited in my diet for the day, but yeah, I avoid carbs, I've grown quite fearful of them. Only ones I get are from my daily 2 tbsps of oats, my daily fruit and whatever quantity of veggies I eat.


----------



## Corey

If you're looking to build any substantial muscle or size (idk what your goals are), you absolutely need some form of carbs. Potatoes, rice, cereal, breads, etc. If you avoid them you're just gonna end up looking and probably feeling flat (both in appearance and energy levels).

If you're still fearful of them, try eating most of your day's carbs before you go to the gym. That way you can feel better about it while you're burning the calories and some of the carbs while you're there. Definitely will help with performance in the gym as well.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Jack Evans 187 said:


> If you're looking to build any substantial muscle or size (idk what your goals are), you absolutely need some form of carbs. Potatoes, rice, cereal, breads, etc. If you avoid them you're just gonna end up looking and probably feeling flat (both in appearance and energy levels).
> 
> If you're still fearful of them, try eating most of your day's carbs before you go to the gym. That way you can feel better about it while you're burning the calories and some of the carbs while you're there. Definitely will help with performance in the gym as well.


I actually want to lose weight, my height/weight may give the impression that I am either fit or skinny but I still have a little above 20% BF :lol

I can send you some pics if you want, I heard that it's a lot of fat and I don't have much muscle, that I am pretty defined and it's all loose skin, lots of comments but I maintain my opinion that it's fat :lol


----------



## Corey

Count Vertigo said:


> I actually want to lose weight, my height/weight may give the impression that I am either fit or skinny but I still have a little above 20% BF :lol
> 
> I can send you some pics if you want, I heard that it's a lot of fat and I don't have much muscle, that I am pretty defined and it's all loose skin, lots of comments but I maintain my opinion that it's fat :lol


That's completely up to you. I don't consider myself a coach by any means. I acquired all my knowledge from people I subscribed to on Youtube. Chris Jones from POG/PumpChasers, Marc Lobliner at Tiger Fitness, Elliot Hulse, Omar Isuf, Matt Ogus, etc etc. I always recommend people do the same when they're new to the lifestyle. (Y)


----------



## HiddenFlaw

its time for the all the new year newbies to crowd the gym for a few days


----------



## Corey

HiddenFlaw said:


> its time for the all the new year newbies to crowd the gym for a few days


FUCK


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

HiddenFlaw said:


> its time for the all the new year newbies to crowd the gym for a few days


It's time for me to work out at home and avoid the gym at all costs.


----------



## BehindYou

ManiacMichaelMyers said:


> It's time for me to work out at home and avoid the gym at all costs.


 Amen to that!

Probably had my healthiest ever Xmas in terms of still exercising and avoiding bad food... still probably added a few lbs.

Need to get out and buy a ton of good food tomorrow to get fully back on track, got some resistance bands for Xmas so I can continue to progress with home workouts and put off going back to the gym.


----------



## Slickback

Do you guys have your shakes with milk or water??

Does it make a difference in terms of absorption etc


----------



## Savage Elbow

I do my shakes mostly water with a splash of milk, I've always thought all water generally tastes like shit & all milk makes them too thick & a bit of chore to actually drink


----------



## Corey

Bones said:


> Do you guys have your shakes with milk or water??
> 
> Does it make a difference in terms of absorption etc





Savage Elbow said:


> I do my shakes mostly water with a splash of milk, I've always thought all water generally tastes like shit & all milk makes them too thick & a bit of chore to actually drink


Agreed with that. Using all water usually makes them taste like watered down shit piles. I usually do half and half with it (6 oz. water and 6 oz. milk or a cup of milk with the rest water) and it turns out pretty well.

Milk slows down the absorption rate but it's not a big deal. The whole anabolic window is stupid anyway so it doesn't bother me.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

used to use milk then went with water but now im using soy milk :kobe3


----------



## Magic

HiddenFlaw said:


> its time for the all the new year newbies to crowd the gym for a few days


they add a solid 20-30 minutes to workouts just by occupying shit you need. :mj2


if you're going to start working out, fuck off with starting on the new year as a resolution. that's not how it works and there's a reason most don't stay committed. anyone that waits until new years to do anything usually won't stay committed otherwise they would just start right away.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

Magic said:


> they add a solid 20-30 minutes to workouts just by occupying shit you need. :mj2
> 
> 
> if you're going to start working out, fuck off with starting on the new year as a resolution. that's not how it works and there's a reason most don't stay committed. anyone that waits until new years to do anything usually won't stay committed otherwise they would just start right away


:lel thats so true 

so far so good i don't think its going to be a problem for me i recently switched to working out in the mornings


----------



## Count Vertigo

Fucking 4-pack achieved somehow :thecause


----------



## LaMelo

Count Vertigo said:


> Fucking 4-pack achieved somehow :thecause


I hope to get there one day. :tucky


----------



## Magic

Count Vertigo said:


> Fucking 4-pack achieved somehow :thecause



"somehow" i hope that somehow isn't losing weight to the point you got skinny abs. :deandre

if it was done just through ab work then good job! overall abs just start showing once you're at a certain body weight percentage.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Magic said:


> "somehow" i hope that somehow isn't losing weight to the point you got skinny abs. :deandre
> 
> if it was done just through ab work then good job! overall abs just start showing once you're at a certain body weight percentage.


They aren't a real 4-pack tho, it's visible only after abs workout or when I flex them and drag the loose skin down, but I still feel great about it regardless .


----------



## Count Vertigo

Still in fucking shock phase after being a fat fuck for so long :lmao


----------



## KO Lariat

Bones said:


> Do you guys have your shakes with milk or water??
> 
> Does it make a difference in terms of absorption etc


Egg whites and a scoop of protein shakes. It doesn't taste bad like you would think. The protein taste completely takes over


----------



## Slickback

Just tried it with coconut milk, fuckin delicious. :yum:


----------



## HiddenFlaw

anyone jump rope? i just started during my rest days. So far I'm liking it more than running on a treadmill


----------



## Count Vertigo

I just got told for the first time in my life that I am too skinny by someone other than my relatives :lmao

Anyway, about 3 more weeks of cutting until I get to 155 lbs morning weight and then we go on lean bulk :fuckyeah








Am awesome workout song to add to the good mood I am in:


----------



## Magic

@Loudness @MF83

if you're hitting your knees on the way down on a deadlift is that a problem with your form or is it meant to happen? :hmm:



I've been deadlifting for awhile now, started out with some shitty form so I had pretty much restart, but I can't figure out if this is a problem with my form or just how it goes. I've looked online and there's conflicting stuff. One site said you should be bending with your hips first to avoid this, but the form they showed seemed like it'd have more strain on your lower back than normal. Other places said this is normal and just to wear pants to avoid the pain.


----------



## Loudness

Magic said:


> @Loudness @MF83
> 
> if you're hitting your knees on the way down on a deadlift is that a problem with your form or is it meant to happen? :hmm:
> 
> 
> 
> I've been deadlifting for awhile now, started out with some shitty form so I had pretty much restart, but I can't figure out if this is a problem with my form or just how it goes. I've looked online and there's conflicting stuff. One site said you should be bending with your hips first to avoid this, but the form they showed seemed like it'd have more strain on your lower back than normal. Other places said this is normal and just to wear pants to avoid the pain.


Keeping your back straight and pulling your chest out was the most effective advice I've applied when doing deadlifts. To me it sounds like you have a bad form, possibly a rounded back that makes the weights move closer to you than it should which can be potentially harmful and most likely, *weak leg engagement*. There's usually tons of mirrors in every gym, you'll see for yourself if the movement looks awkward or right. Remeber to use hip-drive and activate your ass and hamstrings. If you don't feel your ass and hamstrings doing any work you're doing it wrong and this isn't even up for discussion. You're not supposed to pull the weight with back alone unless you're looking for a hernia.

Basically you lack leg drive, that's what makes the knees go forward. Remember deadlifts are not an isolation exercise, they're a compound exercise. Pulling with your back alone will give you the bad form you have which will make you more prone to injury AND lift less. Basically work your legs more and try to activate them during deadlifts. Drop the weights until your legs are up to par. Shitty form won't make you progress anyway, you'll either hit or have already hit a plateau due to that.

Check this vid out if you want to see how my described form looks when an elite guy does it, he actually discusses the knee issue you have (that I explained in the paragraph above somewhere in the video but not sure where):


----------



## HiddenFlaw

after a jump rope session it gets me all like


----------



## Blackbeard

Can someone please explain to me what the hell Andy is doing here?.......


----------



## Count Vertigo

Down to 155, bulking time :lenny5


----------



## truelove

Count Vertigo said:


> Down to 155, bulking time :lenny5


Did you drop to that but regardless that's a solid body good work dude :applause


----------



## truelove

I'm trying to do this transformation program which should last until mid April but having two days where my classes are from mid morning to 8 at night is difficult to eat proper. I'm on day 7 and it's not that I'm out of shape but if I had a picture at the peak of where I once looked like you all see I let myself go.
Anyone have healthy cheap snack advice or ways to lower body fat steadily?


----------



## Dead Seabed

HiddenFlaw said:


> anyone jump rope? i just started during my rest days. So far I'm liking it more than running on a treadmill


I do, but only because I need it for foot work, since I'm really good at grappling and really shit at boxing. If you're doing it just for cardio, don't, you should pick some much more effective exercises.



Magic said:


> @Loudness @MF83
> 
> if you're hitting your knees on the way down on a deadlift is that a problem with your form or is it meant to happen? :hmm:
> 
> 
> 
> I've been deadlifting for awhile now, started out with some shitty form so I had pretty much restart, but I can't figure out if this is a problem with my form or just how it goes. I've looked online and there's conflicting stuff. One site said you should be bending with your hips first to avoid this, but the form they showed seemed like it'd have more strain on your lower back than normal. Other places said this is normal and just to wear pants to avoid the pain.


I got the same problem with straight bar because of my long legs. Use the trap bar. Problem solved.












Blackbeard said:


> Can someone please explain to me what the hell Andy is doing here?.......


Single leg takedown defense.


----------



## Count Vertigo

truelove said:


> Did you drop to that but regardless that's a solid body good work dude :applause


Didn't understand the question man, drop what? If you mean the extra pounds, then yes :lol



truelove said:


> I'm trying to do this transformation program which should last until mid April but having two days where my classes are from mid morning to 8 at night is difficult to eat proper. I'm on day 7 and it's not that I'm out of shape but if I had a picture at the peak of where I once looked like you all see I let myself go.
> *Anyone have healthy cheap snack advice or ways to lower body fat steadily*?


Fruit/0% fat drinking yogurt/cheap protein bars you can get at any grocery store is what I snack on:


















As for lowering BF%: caloric deficit, basic lifting routine, cardio is optional but recommended. When I was cutting I was eating very low carb (under 80 grams a day), but I made sure I was getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.


----------



## Addychu

I plan to do a wheatfree diet starting from tomorrow, clean eating with alot of protein as I need to sort my diet out.

Wish me luck guys. :thumbsup


----------



## Magic

Chainsaw said:


> Single leg takedown defense.


I actually figured it out. I have minor scoliosis where my back bends to the right a bit so when I go down on deadlifts(and apparently squats) my back bends a bit more to one side. I fixed it by using a belt(even though I hate using belts since I feel it weakens you in the long run).

I'll probably keep using the belt and hope it helps fix it and then go back to not using a belt. I got tired of not being able to up my weight solely due to this reason though, so I'm happy I can start actually progressing again after this bullshit.

Had a hell of a workout yesterday. Doing deadlifts/squats on both back and legs day(so twice a week) has helped my stamina a lot as far as lifting goes. We went 2 and half hours yesterday(need to start bringing snacks) :banderas


----------



## Dead Seabed

Magic said:


> I actually figured it out. I have minor scoliosis where my back bends to the right a bit so when I go down on deadlifts(and apparently squats) my back bends a bit more to one side. I fixed it by using a belt(even though I hate using belts since I feel it weakens you in the long run).
> 
> I'll probably keep using the belt and hope it helps fix it and then go back to not using a belt. I got tired of not being able to up my weight solely due to this reason though, so I'm happy I can start actually progressing again after this bullshit.
> 
> Had a hell of a workout yesterday. Doing deadlifts/squats on both back and legs day(so twice a week) has helped my stamina a lot as far as lifting goes. We went 2 and half hours yesterday(need to start bringing snacks) :banderas


There's a lot of stigma about lifting belts and I do think they stunt the progress of your lower back, weakening your whole body structure in the long run, at least to some degree. However, I don't go through weight training that often, so when I do, I use the belt, solely out of my fear of getting another hernia. The last one needed surgical repair and put me on the shelf for a while.


----------



## Master Bate

Saved up some money to go grocery shopping tomorrow, and I'm actually going to buy food that's purely good for me. No bread (Which I love) or starch and I'm planning to buy DDP Yoga and see what goes from there lol


----------



## HiddenFlaw

just started to master the criss cross on the jump rope :banderas


----------



## Count Vertigo

These bad boys just arrived, can't wait to start taking'em on Monday :banderas


----------



## Magic

HiddenFlaw said:


> just started to master the criss cross on the jump rope :banderas


jump rope and getting better at jump rope is so much fun. i can't even really explain it, but i used to have a blast when i would do it on the regular. :lmao


----------



## HiddenFlaw

Magic said:


> jump rope and getting better at jump rope is so much fun. i can't even really explain it, but i used to have a blast when i would do it on the regular. :lmao


yup every time i jump rope i try to add a new trick hell of a workout :eva2


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

There is this Arnold 5k Pump & Run in Columbus, OH the beginning of March. Depending on your sex and age (for a 26year old male it's 100% of your body weight) you bench a certain percentage of your weight for as many reps. Then you run a 5k; you get 30 seconds off your time for each successful bench rep. I signed up back in November and only recentylstarted running about a few weeks ago.

However, I was trying to hit the 1000lb club (12/3/15 - B:285/S:3345/D:385) and bulking a bit (aka eating pizza on top of my regular diet). So I was 199-200lbs 2 weeks ago. Desperately trying to lose 199-200 lbs before the Arnold :lol. Basically doing 1 max effort and 2 higher rep bench days per week, maybe sub one of those for overhead press. Then running twice.

Moral of the story is....running sucks and you should never do. "It's the most natural form of cardio...cardio is important for your heart" Running was literally invented to survive. Everytime you're running you're literally doing something that someone _ONLY_ did to not die. Running is the seatbelt of the fitness world. I just want to bench 195 for 20 reps and I'll be happy.


----------



## Magic

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> There is this Arnold 5k Pump & Run in Columbus, OH the beginning of March. Depending on your sex and age (for a 26year old male it's 100% of your body weight) you bench a certain percentage of your weight for as many reps. Then you run a 5k; you get 30 seconds off your time for each successful bench rep. I signed up back in November and only recentylstarted running about a few weeks ago.
> 
> However, I was trying to hit the 1000lb club (12/3/15 - B:285/S:3345/D:385) and bulking a bit (aka eating pizza on top of my regular diet). So I was 199-200lbs 2 weeks ago. Desperately trying to lose 199-200 lbs before the Arnold :lol. Basically doing 1 max effort and 2 higher rep bench days per week, maybe sub one of those for overhead press. Then running twice.
> 
> Moral of the story is....running sucks and you should never do. "It's the most natural form of cardio...cardio is important for your heart" Running was literally invented to survive. Everytime you're running you're literally doing something that someone _ONLY_ did to not die. Running is the seatbelt of the fitness world. I just want to bench 195 for 20 reps and I'll be happy.



are you telling us to run or not to run. :hmm:


----------



## BehindYou

ItsaNewDay said:


> Saved up some money to go grocery shopping tomorrow, and I'm actually going to buy food that's purely good for me. No bread (Which I love) or starch and I'm planning to buy DDP Yoga and see what goes from there lol


 DDP is a great program if your goal is fitness and wellbeing. However, you won't e amazingly strong or look incredible because of it just so you are aware.


Had some pretty bad developments with my diet and exercise, just got back from the hospital for Kidney stones. I've never had them before but supposedly my low car/high protein paleo diet [which I thought was going great] is largely responsible.

They discovered I have a 'horshoe kidney' which means that this is further amplified for me and my doctor has recommended my maximum protein intake from now on as 0.4 grams of protein per kilo of weight. 

Does anyone know if there is anyway around that or am i doomed to be a skinny weakling now, general consensus is you need atleast 1g per KG of protein to get anywhere.


----------



## Corey

BehindYou said:


> They discovered I have a 'horshoe kidney' which means that this is further amplified for me and my doctor has recommended my maximum protein intake from now on as 0.4 grams of protein per kilo of weight.
> 
> Does anyone know if there is anyway around that or am i doomed to be a skinny weakling now, general consensus is you need atleast 1g per KG of protein to get anywhere.


This may sound silly, but have you ever heard of Bio Gro? It's known as a protein synthesis amplifier, so it essentially uses whatever protein you intake to the maximum level. I've taken it before but it's been a couple years. Can't necessarily say whether it works as well as they claim it does, but it can't hurt to try if you're looking for a solution. And before you look it up and do a bunch of research, it does have breast milk in it. :lol


----------



## Count Vertigo

Just ate at McDonald's for the first time in fuck knows how many months, ate nothing but 8 oz of baked perch, 2 protein shakes and oatmeal with milk and cocoa powder for the rest of the day, barely managed to hit my protein minimum and stay near my calorie target but the fat is double what it should be :mj2 It was a non workout day too :lol

The struggle is real.


----------



## Addychu

So do all these new skinny teas etc work? Like Bootea, flattummytea etc for bloating? Or is it just green tea?


----------



## Count Vertigo

Addychu said:


> So do all these new skinny teas etc work? Like Bootea, flattummytea etc for bloating? Or is it just green tea?


All nicely marketed lies.


----------



## Addychu

Count Vertigo said:


> All nicely marketed lies.


I will try and do some research with what is really in them... I need something natural and herbal for my stomach tbh.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

I've started to cook/make my own meals. 

Tomorrow morning I'm making some blue berry protein pancakes :banderas


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Magic said:


> are you telling us to run or not to run. :hmm:


Do some steps or sprints, never run

I recommend spandex for leg day and deadlifts, though. Such awesome ROM


----------



## MF83

Checking in

Doing CPU Nationals on Thursday

Going for 485/308+/563+/1355+

Dropped down another weight class to 83kg

Projected ~410 wilks

Excited


----------



## Count Vertigo

"I'll start a nice clean bulk today, man, I wonder how the hell can I eat 2800 calories..."
























































:mj2

#GAINZ


----------



## Dead Seabed

Count Vertigo said:


> These bad boys just arrived, can't wait to start taking'em on Monday :banderas


MyProtein? You heathen :tripsscust


----------



## Count Vertigo

Chainsaw said:


> MyProtein? You heathen :tripsscust


I could've followed the flock and gotten the ON Gold stuff, but did my research on the lab tests on it :lol


----------



## $id

hey guys do you guys think its possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time if so what should my diet be like ? as I am currently skinny fat....lost 40 kgs just doing some cardio and eating less calories...I really wana build some muscle now as well as lose some more fat so started lifting weights

another question, how important is good form when lifting....if my form is a bit off will the workout give me the results?


----------



## Count Vertigo

$id said:


> hey guys do you guys think its possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time if so what should my diet be like ?


*NO.*

Caloric deficit (burn more than you consume) equals weight/fat loss. The best thing you can hope for here is maintain as much muscle mass as possible while losing weight, and you do that by making sure you are getting at the very LEAST 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and LIFTING.

Caloric surplus (consume more than you burn) equals weight/muscle gainz.



$id said:


> lost 40 kgs *just doing some cardio and eating less calories.*..I really wana build some muscle now as well as lose some more fat so started lifting weights


That's why you got skinny fat instead of lean. Should've started lifting from the very beggining, cardio is optional, both while cutting and bulking.



$id said:


> another question, how important is good form when lifting....if my form is a bit off will the workout give me the results?


Extremely important. If your form sucks you will simply not get even half of the results you could have gotten with proper form.
If you can't even get 6-8 reps with proper form, it's time to put the ego aside and lower the load.


----------



## $id

So what in your opinion should I do?
should I bulk or cut ? 

and what in your opinion should I do about love handles will it go by cardio or caloric deficit

I really want to get rid of fat but wana build muscle as well so am very confused


and can I bulk without putting on fat as I stated above I was extremely obese will I just put on all fat if I go on a bulking diet?


----------



## Rush

$id said:


> another question, how important is good form when lifting....if my form is a bit off will the workout give me the results?


Good form is essential. Helps you get the most out of your workout and most importantly it keeps you safe and free from injury. 

If you're fairly new to lifting then i'd say it would be beneficial to get a trainer that knows what they're doing and have a couple of sessions to start teaching you how to perform with optimal technique. 



Count Vertigo said:


> *NO.*
> 
> Caloric deficit (burn more than you consume) equals weight/fat loss. The best thing you can hope for here is maintain as much muscle mass as possible while losing weight, and you do that by making sure you are getting at the very LEAST 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and LIFTING.
> 
> Caloric surplus (consume more than you burn) equals weight/muscle gainz.


Yes and no. You can build small amounts of lean mass while losing fat but it really depends on your body type prior to starting and how good your diet is. You're obviously not going to get massive gains or anything but there are studies out there that have shown small lean mass gains and moderate-large fat loss throughout a program.


----------



## $id

One more question, if i continue lifting on a calorie deficit now will i get lean and lose my skinny fat body? 

Thanks for the replies guys really appreciate it


----------



## Count Vertigo

Rush said:


> Yes and no. You can build small amounts of lean mass while losing fat but it really depends on your body type prior to starting and how good your diet is. You're obviously not going to get massive gains or anything but there are studies out there that have shown small lean mass gains and moderate-large fat loss throughout a program.


I talked from experience, I wouldn't count the little definition I got from losing all my fat as muscle gainz, my lifts went up by only 10-20 pounds depending on exercise in 5 months.



$id said:


> One more question, if i continue lifting on a calorie deficit now will i get lean and lose my skinny fat body?


Basically yes, I don't know your personal stats or how you look so I can't talk certaintities but since you did absolutely no lifting you should see some little muscle gain and continued fat loss, that's what I did essentially and here's my little over 4 months progress:

















Just make sure the deficit is relatively small and the protein is high if you consider yourself skinny fat.

Currently at around ~10% BF, enjoying a good old (kinda) dirty bulk until around mid May until I cut again for the summer.


----------



## J-B

Hit 100kg on a back squat earlier, I feel so proud haha. I actually like MyProtein's stuff too, it has been working for me!


----------



## Count Vertigo

Get Like Banks said:


> Hit 100kg on a back squat earlier, I feel so proud haha. I actually like MyProtein's stuff too, it has been working for me!


Nice work man, I still struggle going over a full set with 60 kg, but I hate training legs so it ain't really bugging me as long as I hit em and they aren't complete sticks compared to the rest of my body.

What flavour of MP do you take? I got the Cookies and Cream which somebody described as "the sweetest thing ever" and it just tastes like some sweetened milk something, looking forward to the next bag, I'm thinking either Double Chocolate or PB&Chocolate :lol :thumbsdown


----------



## BehindYou

If your currently skinny fat I definitely wouldn't eat a calorie deficit, when I attempted that my body wasn't getting enough energy and I lost muscle as well as fat despite lifting which added to the issue. A calorie deficit is hard to balance whilst working out cause it's easy to miss out on things you should be getting in your diet each day.

You can build muscle whilst burning fat but the poundage in muscle will be very small, maybe even only a pound every month or 2 BUT the overall difference in your appearance will be much more striking and to the untrained/educated eye it will look like a significant difference.

EDIT> instead of standard cardio like running etc I do 20-30 minutes of yoga a day, it's great for your stabilizing muscles and helps a lot with muscle ache/reducing your chance of injury.




Count Vertigo said:


> I talked from experience, I wouldn't count the little definition I got from losing all my fat as muscle gainz, my lifts went up by only 10-20 pounds depending on exercise in 5 months.
> 
> 
> 
> Basically yes, I don't know your personal stats or how you look so I can't talk certaintities but since you did absolutely no lifting you should see some little muscle gain and continued fat loss, that's what I did essentially and here's my little over 4 months progress:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just make sure the deficit is relatively small and the protein is high if you consider yourself skinny fat.
> 
> Currently at around ~10% BF, enjoying a good old (kinda) dirty bulk until around mid May until I cut again for the summer.


 Amazing progress dude.


----------



## J-B

Count Vertigo said:


> Nice work man, I still struggle going over a full set with 60 kg, but I hate training legs so it ain't really bugging me as long as I hit em and they aren't complete sticks compared to the rest of my body.
> 
> What flavour of MP do you take? I got the Cookies and Cream who somebody described as "the sweetest thing ever" and it just tastes like some sweetened milk something, looking forward to the next bag, I'm thinking either Double Chocolate or PB&Chocolate :lol :thumbsdown


I've been using the True Whey for the past 6 months switching between different flavours. Cookies and cream is sooo good, same goes for PB&Chocolate and the milk chocolate flavours. I usually have 1 scoop for breakfast, 2 post workout and 1 before bed. Unless the progress starts to dry up I'm definitely sticking to this stuff!


----------



## Count Vertigo

BehindYou said:


> If your currently skinny fat I definitely wouldn't eat a calorie deficit, when I attempted that my body wasn't getting enough energy and I lost muscle as well as fat despite lifting which added to the issue. A calorie deficit is hard to balance whilst working out cause it's easy to miss out on things you should be getting in your diet each day.
> 
> You can build muscle whilst burning fat but the poundage in muscle will be very small, maybe even only a pound every month or 2 BUT the overall difference in your appearance will be much more striking and to the untrained/educated eye it will look like a significant difference.
> 
> EDIT> instead of standard cardio like running etc I do 20-30 minutes of yoga a day, it's great for your stabilizing muscles and helps a lot with muscle ache/reducing your chance of injury.
> 
> 
> 
> Amazing progress dude.


Loose skin kinda fucked me up a little on the inside (I was dragging it AND flexing the abs in the second pic :lol), but I got over it, enjoying a bulk until the beggining of May when I cut again for the summer.



Get Like Banks said:


> I've been using the True Whey for the past 6 months switching between different flavours. Cookies and cream is sooo good, same goes for PB&Chocolate and the milk chocolate flavours. I usually have 1 scoop for breakfast, 2 post workout and 1 before bed. Unless the progress starts to dry up I'm definitely sticking to this stuff!


I just take one scoop post workout and the occasional morning scoop when I'm out of eggs or something, I get a shit load of protein (around 200 grams a day) without the shakes; more would be overkill for me at least (155 lbs)


----------



## Count Vertigo

Stuck in bed with a flu and can't finish off the week with arms day, my favorite :mj2

Fuck my life.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Broly's theme song got me PUMPED for my workout earlier today, great listen :thumbsup


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

So....

At the Arnold 5k Pump & Run, aside from meeting Arnold and having him scream "Geht to dah choppa!" before we all ran, I weight in at 195 lbs; benched that for 14 reps; ran a 25:30min 5k. The time is reduced for each rep, so the score would count as 18:30min,

I got 426 over all out of 1000 people. Beat the old ex-girlfriend (who I initially signed up with while dating) by 10 spots. :mark:


----------



## Yuffie Kisaragi

*I do DDP Yoga and push ups. And running in spring/summer. Thats enough to keep me in great physical and mental shape. Vitamin B supplements for mind and Muscle Milk too.*


----------



## J-B

Prompto Argentum said:


> *I do DDP Yoga and push ups. And running in spring/summer. Thats enough to keep me in great physical and mental shape. Vitamin B supplements for mind and Muscle Milk too.*


DDP Yoga is brilliant. When all I did was DDP Yoga and running I managed to get pretty defined abs at one point from doing it religously for about a month or two. I just didnt like having such a strict low calorie diet so I went back to doing weights and eating more, lol.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Killed chest today, bulk is coming along nicely. 

Put on a ridiculous 7 lbs in 3 weeks :lol

Abs are probably gone in a week or 2 :sad


















Also, my creatine order is supposed to arrive tomorrow, can't wait


----------



## That Guy

Wanted some advice guys, I am used to being fit and active, working out on a daily basis and before new years just finished 3.5 years in the millitary which got me in top shape. 

Two weeks ago I broke my wrist, fell hard on it when I slipped down the stairs and have it in a cast at least for another month. Lately, I havent been working or have been able to do much excersize at all because of it and feel I am wasting away healing at home. 

Is it alright to train other parts of the body while healing for example runs and leg workouts, or is it best to just wait it out and be patient? I don't want to make things worse.


----------



## Corey

That Guy said:


> Is it alright to train other parts of the body while healing for example runs and leg workouts, or is it best to just wait it out and be patient? I don't want to make things worse.


It's totally fine. Assuming you avoid putting any pressure on the wrist, working legs and lower body won't do you any harm.


----------



## Count Vertigo

That Guy said:


> Wanted some advice guys, I am used to being fit and active, working out on a daily basis and before new years just finished 3.5 years in the millitary which got me in top shape.
> 
> Two weeks ago I broke my wrist, fell hard on it when I slipped down the stairs and have it in a cast at least for another month. Lately, I havent been working or have been able to do much excersize at all because of it and feel I am wasting away healing at home.
> 
> Is it alright to train other parts of the body while healing for example runs and leg workouts, or is it best to just wait it out and be patient? I don't want to make things worse.


I think it would be best to wait for it to heal up nicely while eating maintenance calories.

Running would be fine IMO.


----------



## J-B

Been doing high weight/low reps for the past couple of months, really been making progress (hitting PB's frequently) but my cardio has gone down the shitter as a result, completely neglected it. Do you guys put a lot of time into cardio during your workouts and if so what do you do? (treadmill, jump rope etc)


----------



## Count Vertigo

Get Like Banks said:


> Been doing high weight/low reps for the past couple of months, really been making progress (hitting PB's frequently) but my cardio has gone down the shitter as a result, completely neglected it. Do you guys put a lot of time into cardio during your workouts and if so what do you do? (treadmill, jump rope etc)


I was hogging all the cardio machines to myself when I was cutting but I haven't been on a treadmill longer than 5 minutes for more than a month :lol

Eat everything in sight and don't go near cardio is my approach to this short bulk, a month left :lol


----------



## Magic

Corey said:


> It's totally fine. Assuming you avoid putting any pressure on the wrist, working legs and lower body won't do you any harm.


I mean, it depends how long the injury is. While it does no harm, it can lead you to having a disproportioned body in terms of strength and muscle, which always isn't a good thing and can be a bad look as well(i.e. the loads of people that only do upper body and have chicken legs that look absolutely ridiculous).


----------



## Corey

Get Like Banks said:


> Been doing high weight/low reps for the past couple of months, really been making progress (hitting PB's frequently) but my cardio has gone down the shitter as a result, completely neglected it. *Do you guys put a lot of time into cardio during your workouts* and if so what do you do? (treadmill, jump rope etc)


Not at all for me.  I recently started my cut for the summer (or at least attempted to) and got on the ellyptical for 10-15 minutes and I'm pretty sure my heart rate ran at a steady 180 for a while. hahaha. I lift like a bodybuilder, but haven't done any steady cardio in at least a year. I did it on a regular basis when I was younger and first started lifting, but my knees aren't in the best of health so it's usually based on how I feel that day. If you have a stairmaster at your gym (one where it's a constantly revolving staircase pretty much), take advantage of that shit. It's incredibly taxing in a way that you'll burn a fuckload of calories in a quicker fashion, sweat your ass off, and work your legs big time in the process.



Magic said:


> I mean, it depends how long the injury is. While it does no harm, it can lead you to having a disproportioned body in terms of strength and muscle, which always isn't a good thing and can be a bad look as well(i.e. the loads of people that only do upper body and have chicken legs that look absolutely ridiculous).


Oh yeah, of course, but unless it's an injury that will keep him the cast or brace for a few months and he's doing nothing but legs multiple times a week, I don't think it'll have any long term effects as far as his legs being much bigger and his stronger than his upper body.


----------



## kingfunkel

Umbreon said:


> Been doing high weight/low reps for the past couple of months, really been making progress (hitting PB's frequently) but my cardio has gone down the shitter as a result, completely neglected it. Do you guys put a lot of time into cardio during your workouts and if so what do you do? (treadmill, jump rope etc)


I used to run marathons but haven't ran in 5 months while blasting heavy weights and eating everything in sight...now I can't walk up stairs without being fucked 

I just blast 15mins at an incline at 6kph(9mph) on the treadmill 3 times a week. Not holding on


----------



## Count Vertigo

What are some of your biceps routines guys? Mine are really lagging tbh. Haven't been swore the day after working them for more than a month, weight and reps have been staying the same for about even longer. Really dunno what I should do. I started working them twice a week (post back day and on arms day), still nothing... Same can be said for my legs, but I'm not really worried about them, I like them proportionate and defined instead of the usual "tree trunk" stuff, I like my skinny jeans :lol


----------



## kingfunkel

Count Vertigo said:


> What are some of your biceps routines guys? Mine are really lagging tbh. Haven't been swore the day after working them for more than a month, weight and reps have been staying the same for about even longer. Really dunno what I should do. I started working them twice a week (post back day and on arms day), still nothing... Same can be said for my legs, but I'm not really worried about them, I like them proportionate and defined instead of the usual "tree trunk" stuff, I like my skinny jeans :lol


I do very few bicep curls and stuff. I normally focus mostly on my triceps and do minimum bicep isolation. When I do its mainly just dumbell curls and barbell curls. Biceps and triceps will get worked out during most exercise anyways; is it every push exercise it's tri and every pull exercise is bi? (Don't hold me to that) 

Just remember to squeeze during every rep and don't let your arms go behind your back on the retraction


----------



## Count Vertigo

kingfunkel said:


> I do very few bicep curls and stuff. I normally focus mostly on my triceps and do minimum bicep isolation. When I do its mainly just dumbell curls and barbell curls. Biceps and triceps will get worked out during most exercise anyways;* is it every push exercise it's tri and every pull exercise is bi? (Don't hold me to that) *
> 
> Just remember to squeeze during every rep and don't let your arms go behind your back on the retraction


Yep, that's it.

My triceps gets killed after a chest workout and destroyed after an arms workout, yet my biceps just continues to exist in mediocrity anything I do :crying:


----------



## Corey

Count Vertigo said:


> What are some of your biceps routines guys? Mine are really lagging tbh. Haven't been swore the day after working them for more than a month, weight and reps have been staying the same for about even longer. Really dunno what I should do. I started working them twice a week (post back day and on arms day), still nothing... Same can be said for my legs, but I'm not really worried about them, I like them proportionate and defined instead of the usual "tree trunk" stuff, I like my skinny jeans :lol


Try doing some big drop sets. Grab some dumbbells that you can do 8-12 reps with (each arm) and then drop 10 pounds and do another set to failure, then finish it off with a 3rd set on lighter weight. Zap the fuck out of those biceps. Also just try switching your exercises. Ever done straight arm curls with a rope? Really good way to work the long head and the forearms while keeping constant tension. I also like to finish off my bicep routine with doing single arm burnouts on the preacher curl machine. Pump the shit out the blood.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Got a pretty bad ass back shot today, amazing workout overall, broke 2 PRs and I didn't even deadlift :lol


----------



## Magic

Biceps are involved in almost no other exercise and are literally the most useless muscle in a lifting sense(as in helping in other lifts). I really wouldn't worry about them. That's not to say they don't look nice and I can understand why people want big biceps for that reason(luckily genetics are in my favour in terms of bicep size and strength...and legs/shoulders/back, while my chest is awful in comparison).

And honestly, anyone that doesn't want long term injuries from lifting as you get into heavier weights should absolutely work on rotator cuff and general forearm exercises. Rotator cuff injuries can fuck you long term and seem to be reinjured quite easily and forearm is important in most exercises, except like legs stuff(that isn't front squats).


----------



## ROSITA MARINO

*Re: Wrestler's Pride*

Are You A True WRESTLER? This HANES TAGLESS TEE IS FOR YOU! 
Other colors & styles are available.


----------



## Count Vertigo

Anybody around here that got new tattoos while going to the gym? Getting a forearm piece in 2 weeks and I really don't know how many days should I take off.


----------



## J-B

I was wondering how strictly you guys diet or do you even diet at all? I don't count calories at all, and I just make sure my protein intake is every few hours. If the results weren't showing then I'd have changed things up by now but each week I'm making good progress.

I eat a relatively balanced diet with fruits, shit loads of water (pretty much all I drink along with milk & coffee) and loads of chicken/fish. Though I do like to eat high carb stuff like bread (brown bread) and I do have a chocolate bar every other day because I just get these major sugar cravings.


----------



## kingfunkel

I am pretty strict usually but during the winter I'll have a few days were I'll just drink and go out to restaurants. I don't get cravings for chocolate, pizza and stuff

For 8 months of the year I eat more than my body weight in protein (salmon, chicken , Turkey, steak, wild boar, ostrich, kangaroo and crocodile burgers) Carbs through oatmeal(with scoop of protein powder), brown rice, whole pasta, sweet potato and normal potato. Fibre through fruit and veg. Fats through mainly nuts and whatever Fats are in the meats I eat. Drink plenty water. Basically my food game, just mix it up. If I'm in a rush I'll have a protein shake and throw in some oats for a slow burning carbs.
I'm not 1 to calorie count. I just eat every 3 hours...using a meat, a carb and fibre. I don't use a calculator, measure my sizes, have a food diary or anything. Just if I'm not getting progress then it's not working and needs changing. It works for me so I'm happy


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I bought cesaro's arm wraps thinking I'd love them, but it's summer so they're super hot to wear. But "lmao I'm going to wear them for deadlifting tomorrow, I can bring the globe up to my knee cap and look cool, and promote the Swiss superman. It's silly. 

I also hit a 165lb overhead press, I'm at 197lbs. I think it's a lot for a strict overhead press.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ziggy hood goes to my gym in Pittsburgh. Just met him briefly today. The guy was casually squatting 4 plates and rolling around on a bosu ball in between sets :lol. 

I have a question about 5/3/1. How much do you increase the weight each cycle? I can't find a "%", only "increase upper body by 5 lbs, lower body by 10 lbs. That doesn't make sense to me since everyone is a different size. A 95 lb person isn't going to jump up 10 lbs every cycle on squat. Last 3 x 5 I did sqauts at 275 lbs. Today I did 3 x 5 at 285 lbs, a joke of 295 x 4. but tomorrow is shoulders, i had done 3 x 5 with 115 lbs, so I was hoping to do 125 for 3 x 5. Is this wrong? Or can I just do whatever the fuck I want since I have my suplex city cutoff and look fucking jacked?


----------



## MF83

I have 8 clients I'm custom programming online now. Nice. Looking for more if anyone is interested and wants to PM. Things are going very well in life and in training.

Well, I ate my way back over 200lbs from 182 weigh-in at Nationals in February, and have since dropped under 190 since the end of March. My gut is a see-saw. Gains have maintained and increased. Yusss.

Next competition is in August in Kamloops, BC. Going more for the vacation than lifting hehe


----------



## J-B

Been very naughty and have not squatted in like 2/3 weeks bc of sheer laziness. Going on holiday in 5 weeks so just going into full on meathead mode atm :vince3


I have never really been much of a cardio guy but wow I decided to do burpees for the first time in years earlier and was blowing out my arse after about 15. Got worse cardio than Ryback.


----------



## krtgolfing

I just started dieting again. Not looking to really bulk up, just looking to lose some weight and tone up some. Mainly now I want to lose some weight in the guy region. Looking to lose probably thirty pounds. Hoping to maybe but on a little muscle, but really just want to tone up some! Already not liking not getting to eat pizza and a bacon double cheeseburger and drinking a glass of Malbec or IPA, but it needs to be done! Mainly doing cardio and eating a lot more healthy things, watching calories, etc. Any other information would be appreciated!


----------



## Magic

MF83 said:


> I have 8 clients I'm custom programming online now. Nice. Looking for more if anyone is interested and wants to PM. Things are going very well in life and in training.
> 
> Well, I ate my way back over 200lbs from 182 weigh-in at Nationals in February, and have since dropped under 190 since the end of March. My gut is a see-saw. Gains have maintained and increased. Yusss.
> 
> Next competition is in August in Kamloops, BC. Going more for the vacation than lifting hehe


Go to the Okanagan if you're coming to Kamloops because Kamloops is a :ugh2 spot.

Vancouver would be nice too if you're the city type. There's great camping spots all over the province though, definitely recommend checking them out.


----------



## MF83

Magic said:


> Go to the Okanagan if you're coming to Kamloops because Kamloops is a :ugh2 spot.
> 
> Vancouver would be nice too if you're the city type. There's great camping spots all over the province though, definitely recommend checking them out.


My long term plan is to get the fuck out of Manitoba. I owe much money coming out of university but have secured a full time position with base salary of 70k that has essentially unlimited overtime at double pay potential. :nerd: I want to pay off my debt and save a bit, do grad school, and/then go to BC to live out my days. I have only ever been to Fernie but all my researching says BC is the best place to live in Canada for my particular set of wants and likes. YAY, ADULTING.


----------



## kingfunkel

krtgolfing said:


> I just started dieting again. Not looking to really bulk up, just looking to lose some weight and tone up some. Mainly now I want to lose some weight in the guy region. Looking to lose probably thirty pounds. Hoping to maybe but on a little muscle, but really just want to tone up some! Already not liking not getting to eat pizza and a bacon double cheeseburger and drinking a glass of Malbec or IPA, but it needs to be done! Mainly doing cardio and eating a lot more healthy things, watching calories, etc. Any other information would be appreciated!


Remember when doing cardio your body won't just burn fat, calories, sugar but it will also eat muscle. Your body would rather store fat and eat it's muscle than just burn off the excess fat. So don't overdo cardio. 

If you're in it for the long term fitness then just hit the treadmill on an incline at 6kpm (9mph) for 15-30mins without holding on. Also muscle burns more calories during the day, so lift weights! You won't go down the weight as quick but you'll become more lean as muscle takes up approx 20% less space (not sure that percentage is accurate)

Good luck with your goals mate


----------



## krtgolfing

kingfunkel said:


> Remember when doing cardio your body won't just burn fat, calories, sugar but it will also eat muscle. Your body would rather store fat and eat it's muscle than just burn off the excess fat. So don't overdo cardio.
> 
> If you're in it for the long term fitness then just hit the treadmill on an incline at 6kpm (9mph) for 15-30mins without holding on. Also muscle burns more calories during the day, so lift weights! You won't go down the weight as quick but you'll become more lean as muscle takes up approx 20% less space (not sure that percentage is accurate)
> 
> Good luck with your goals mate


Thanks for the input. I really do not care what my actual weight is, but know what I want to look like. Do not want to be crazy bulky/ muscular just nice and toned. My wife knows more about this dieting stuff than I know. She is pushing my ass to get healthy. I am not crazy overweight. Probably want to lose about 20 pounds total.


----------



## kingfunkel

krtgolfing said:


> Thanks for the input. I really do not care what my actual weight is, but know what I want to look like. Do not want to be crazy bulky/ muscular just nice and toned. My wife knows more about this dieting stuff than I know. She is pushing my ass to get healthy. I am not crazy overweight. Probably want to lose about 20 pounds total.


If I was you I'd spend 40mins lifting weights and 20-30mins cardio treadmill, bike, rower, cross trainer. 
A lot of people who try to lose weight under eat ridiculously meaning they end up crashing on chocolate and pizza because their diet is too low.
remember that "calories is energy not the enemy" when it's good food. If you eat decent you'll end up not having cravings. Try to hit your BMR and then all workout (weights/cardio) is burnt calories; 3,500 calories = 1 pound. That means you need to burn an excess of 70,000. If you burn 500 calories a day that's 140days to lose 20 pounds. 


http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/


----------



## paladin errant

someone has some exercices to build up the lower back? 

this is my weak point,thanks.


----------



## Corey

paladin errant said:


> someone has some exercices to build up the lower back?
> 
> this is my weak point,thanks.


Deadlifts, good mornings (these look kinda stupid), and hyperextensions (the most common one). You can also aid your lower back and core by keeping tight on all your exercises and engaging it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

paladin errant said:


> someone has some exercices to build up the lower back?
> 
> this is my weak point,thanks.


That's funny man, that's a huge focus for me right now.

I do good mornings on leg day. hyperextensions on Deadlift day; I'll usually superset with ab rollouts.

I've really been focusing on those accessory exercises + abs. I have to say it's been paying off. I can do good mornings with 155 lbs x 8 now. Deadlifting more, and not donzo sauce the day after doing a 5/3/1 program.


----------



## Empress

I've been drinking more water lately and go for some jogs.


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

Becky With The Good Hair said:


> I've been drinking more water lately and go for some jogs.


I've been doing some 12 oz. curls lately.
Great for the biceps.


----------



## J-B

Any advice for deadlift form? I've always avoided deadlifts because it seems like a lift where if your form isn't bang on then you can really fuck your lower back up in the long run. Though when I first started back squatting my form was dreadful and over the months my range of motion got better and better to the point where my form became good.


----------



## kingfunkel

Umbreon said:


> Any advice for deadlift form? I've always avoided deadlifts because it seems like a lift where if your form isn't bang on then you can really fuck your lower back up in the long run. Though when I first started back squatting my form was dreadful and over the months my range of motion got better and better to the point where my form became good.


When I do deadlifts I go down like a squat but don't go down too far with my bum sticking out a bit and then just straighten. Tbh get a member of staff who work at the gym to just watch your form and they'll give you tips on how to perform it safely. When in doubt always ask
If I could kick any workouts into touch it'd be deadlifts and squats. I hate them!

Looking forward to trying out some single armed press; just seen HHH doing them on instagram. If anyone would know what's best for the chest it'll be someone like him


----------



## J-B

kingfunkel said:


> When I do deadlifts I go down like a squat but don't go down too far with my bum sticking out a bit and then just straighten. Tbh get a member of staff who work at the gym to just watch your form and they'll give you tips on how to perform it safely. When in doubt always ask
> If I could kick any workouts into touch it'd be deadlifts and squats. I hate them!
> 
> Looking forward to trying out some single armed press; just seen HHH doing them on instagram. If anyone would know what's best for the chest it'll be someone like him


Speaking of HHH, I've taken a few of his workout techniques and added them into my own. That's how I discovered Spider Curls, awesome for biceps.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Triple.H prayed himself holding a bar horizontalally, width wise, in front of him. He would lower to his waist, then bring it up above, do a behind the head press, then repeat. Its killer with a standard barbell. 

Man, we must all like wrestling or something :lol

I got my power belt today. An Inzer, red white and blue! Not sure if it should do tight it doesn't budge, or just tight enough I can breathe. But it's super stiff and fantastic quality. Only $100, lifetime guarantee


----------



## J-B

Started using a heavy bag and been jumping rope lately. Such simple things but I love it. It's good for me since I knew my cardio was a joke from only lifting weights at the gym and not bothering to do anything cardio related. It's nice to change things up a little.


----------



## kingfunkel

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Triple.H prayed himself holding a bar horizontalally, width wise, in front of him. He would lower to his waist, then bring it up above, do a behind the head press, then repeat. Its killer with a standard barbell.
> 
> Man, we must all like wrestling or something :lol


I've been doing them. I can only do a set of 5 of them. Just torture my arms especially when I lower the bar at a steady and controlled speed. Not 100% certain what it works; arms, traps, delts and maybe lats?


----------



## Corey

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Triple.H prayed himself holding a bar horizontalally, width wise, in front of him. He would lower to his waist, then bring it up above, do a behind the head press, then repeat. Its killer with a standard barbell.


I'm struggling to figure out how this exercise works. :lol Do you have a video of it?


----------



## Nolo King

I've been following the Athlean X program and seeing decent results

Going to move on to something else once my three months is done because the regiment is too much like my high school wrestling practice

While I get the idea is to get functional muscle, I do want to have more noticeable gains without having to chug gallons of over priced supplements


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

The barbell thing is on his faceebook, from April 30th. I don't know how to post it. 

It's a frontal raise with a barbell, keep your arms stiff. But, from your waist to above your head 180•. 

Then, once over your head you do a behind the neck press. Repeat the whole thing. 

I wouldn't bother trying heavy. I warm up with 30lb pre-loaded EZ bar before shoulders now. 45 was too much :lol


----------



## MF83

I love powerlifting.


----------



## Jackal

Hi, just a quick question - So i've been lifting weights for a few months now (i work out mainly to tone up rather than bulk up), and i've been adjusting the weight in which i work out with gradually over time. However, over the last couple of weeks i've been suffering from pretty unbearable back pain during and usually about 2 hours after my work out. It mainly starts when i move onto standing alternative dumbbell press. My lower back seems to want to give out, yet my arms and shoulders feel more than up for the task.....Anyway, i was wondering if this was down to bad form, and/or too heavy a weight, or just my back adjusting to the change in weight?


----------



## J-B

Buzzard Follower said:


> Hi, just a quick question - So i've been lifting weights for a few months now (i work out mainly to tone up rather than bulk up), and i've been adjusting the weight in which i work out with gradually over time. However, over the last couple of weeks i've been suffering from pretty unbearable back pain during and usually about 2 hours after my work out. It mainly starts when i move onto standing alternative dumbbell press. My lower back seems to want to give out, yet my arms and shoulders feel more than up for the task.....Anyway, i was wondering if this was down to bad form, and/or too heavy a weight, or just my back adjusting to the change in weight?


You're best off dropping the weight if it's becoming that unbearable but if you're only looking to tone up then you should only really be lifting lower weight and higher reps anyway. I hurt my back from doing seated DB presses earlier because I never bothered to warm up, just went straight into them. Hurts like a motherfucker rn.


----------



## Corey

Buzzard Follower said:


> Hi, just a quick question - So i've been lifting weights for a few months now (i work out mainly to tone up rather than bulk up), and i've been adjusting the weight in which i work out with gradually over time. However, over the last couple of weeks i've been suffering from pretty unbearable back pain during and usually about 2 hours after my work out. It mainly starts when i move onto standing alternative dumbbell press. My lower back seems to want to give out, yet my arms and shoulders feel more than up for the task.....Anyway, i was wondering if this was down to bad form, and/or too heavy a weight, or just my back adjusting to the change in weight?


The standing overhead dumbbell press is a lift that requires a shit ton of muscles being activated, the biggest of which being the core and the lower back which have to handle all of the load being forced down on it and of course to help you keep your balance. It's totally normal for you to get back pain when doing it and the biggest thing I can recommend is to wear a lifting belt. Keep it tight and learn to load your abdomen with air on the way down and exhale on the way up.

If the belt doesn't fix the pain, it could be a few things. Your lower back may be overcompensating due to a muscular imbalance or it just simply could be your body type isn't set up to handle that type of lift. Poor posture, too much sitting, etc. Definitely try a belt though if you're not already wearing one.

You also may need to throw in some accessory work for the spinal erectors. Hyperextensions, deadlifts, rack pulls/lockouts, etc.


----------



## kingfunkel

We all know gyms have those weirdos in them; just curious as to the weirdest conversations you've had in it?

I ask because I was involved in 2 strange conversations today.

Someone I've never met or seen was starring at me and then the conversation went something like this:

"Do you live *place* because I see you there sometimes, walking about"
"Ahhh do you live there"
"No I just pass through on a bus and see you"

Then when in the shower some guy was telling me about his crossfit and some guy called josh; he then got out the shower and stood 2 feet from me as I'm soaping up my bollocks asking me what I thought the UK leaving the EU.


----------



## Jackal

Fuck me, I've been reading a booklet from Mens Health on nutrition (i want to get about 10lbs off my body), it has recipes and meal plans that look amazing. That's all good and well if you have a shit ton of cash, and literally fucking hours spare a day to cook and prepare it all. I don't like cooking anyway, i like cooking to be as simple as possible. On an average day i have 2 large eggs (scrambled) with edam cheese, and either turkey, chicken, ham or salmon and a bag of spinach in the mornings. A light leafy salad lunch, with one of the previous mentioned meats and sweet potato. Late afternoon i have a hand full of seeds, or nuts in fat free greek yogurt with blueberries or strawberries and a little honey. Night i have a bit of chicken, or something meant based!

Is that effective enough for weight loss? That's just a rough example tbh i eat in a given week -

Meat -
Chicken breast. Whole Chicken. Either grilled or oven cooked.
Turkey breast. Lean Turkey bacon. Sliced Turkey. Grilled/oven cooked.
Pork. Lean. Probably only once a week.
Beef. One stake a week. Jerky as a snack a couple times a week.

Fish -
Salmon. Ready to eat. Mainly at breakfast. 2/3 times a week.
Prawns. Ready to eat. Mainly with lunch. 1/2 times a week.

All kinds of salad and veg etc....

Blueberries daily. Nuts and seeds 6 times a week.

I also have 2 black coffees a day. A green tea pill in the morning. Along with a multivitamin and garlic pill.

I don't count calories, or fat content. I just make sure to eat the right fats. Based on all that, should i lose weight without having to worry about cooking all these unrealistic meals the 'experts' say you 'need'?

What has worked for others in their weight loss plans, and goals?


----------



## J-B

Buzzard Follower said:


> Fuck me, I've been reading a booklet from Mens Health on nutrition (i want to get about 10lbs off my body), it has recipes and meal plans that look amazing. That's all good and well if you have a shit ton of cash, and literally fucking hours spare a day to cook and prepare it all. I don't like cooking anyway, i like cooking to be as simple as possible. On an average day i have 2 large eggs (scrambled) with edam cheese, and either turkey, chicken, ham or salmon and a bag of spinach in the mornings. A light leafy salad lunch, with one of the previous mentioned meats and sweet potato. Late afternoon i have a hand full of seeds, or nuts in fat free greek yogurt with blueberries or strawberries and a little honey. Night i have a bit of chicken, or something meant based!
> 
> Is that effective enough for weight loss? That's just a rough example tbh i eat in a given week -
> 
> Meat -
> Chicken breast. Whole Chicken. Either grilled or oven cooked.
> Turkey breast. Lean Turkey bacon. Sliced Turkey. Grilled/oven cooked.
> Pork. Lean. Probably only once a week.
> Beef. One stake a week. Jerky as a snack a couple times a week.
> 
> Fish -
> Salmon. Ready to eat. Mainly at breakfast. 2/3 times a week.
> Prawns. Ready to eat. Mainly with lunch. 1/2 times a week.
> 
> All kinds of salad and veg etc....
> 
> Blueberries daily. Nuts and seeds 6 times a week.
> 
> I also have 2 black coffees a day. A green tea pill in the morning. Along with a multivitamin and garlic pill.
> 
> I don't count calories, or fat content. I just make sure to eat the right fats. Based on all that, should i lose weight without having to worry about cooking all these unrealistic meals the 'experts' say you 'need'?
> 
> What has worked for others in their weight loss plans, and goals?



Perhaps your body is getting too much proteins for what it needs (don't take my word for it though). I'm not the best when it comes to diet, I don't get how people do all of that "meal prep" stuff either.


----------



## kingfunkel

Buzzard Follower said:


> Fuck me, I've been reading a booklet from Mens Health on nutrition (i want to get about 10lbs off my body), it has recipes and meal plans that look amazing. That's all good and well if you have a shit ton of cash, and literally fucking hours spare a day to cook and prepare it all. I don't like cooking anyway, i like cooking to be as simple as possible. On an average day i have 2 large eggs (scrambled) with edam cheese, and either turkey, chicken, ham or salmon and a bag of spinach in the mornings. A light leafy salad lunch, with one of the previous mentioned meats and sweet potato. Late afternoon i have a hand full of seeds, or nuts in fat free greek yogurt with blueberries or strawberries and a little honey. Night i have a bit of chicken, or something meant based!
> 
> Is that effective enough for weight loss? That's just a rough example tbh i eat in a given week -
> 
> Meat -
> Chicken breast. Whole Chicken. Either grilled or oven cooked.
> Turkey breast. Lean Turkey bacon. Sliced Turkey. Grilled/oven cooked.
> Pork. Lean. Probably only once a week.
> Beef. One stake a week. Jerky as a snack a couple times a week.
> 
> Fish -
> Salmon. Ready to eat. Mainly at breakfast. 2/3 times a week.
> Prawns. Ready to eat. Mainly with lunch. 1/2 times a week.
> 
> All kinds of salad and veg etc....
> 
> Blueberries daily. Nuts and seeds 6 times a week.
> 
> I also have 2 black coffees a day. A green tea pill in the morning. Along with a multivitamin and garlic pill.
> 
> I don't count calories, or fat content. I just make sure to eat the right fats. Based on all that, should i lose weight without having to worry about cooking all these unrealistic meals the 'experts' say you 'need'?
> 
> What has worked for others in their weight loss plans, and goals?


People over complicate weight loss so much it's ridiculous. Eat less than you burn and you'll lose weight. A pound is 3,500 calories so basically eat 500 calories less than you burn daily and over a week you'll drop a pound. Put it simpler eat your BMR estimate and excerise a bit. 

You can make a days worth of food in 1 doing and put it in little containers...then eat when the time is right. Throw 5 pieces of chicken breasts in the oven, boil some brown rice with some veg then separate them into containers to eat over the day. Might help more


My diet on a gym day:

Oatmeal with Protein powder, banana
Post gym shake
5 egg white, vanilla protein powder pancakes, crushed almonds, peanut butter, banana, strawberry
Turkey/steak, with brown rice and a 3 egg white omelette, orange, banana, pineapple
Protein shake with handful of oats
Chicken, whole pasta, veg, sweet potatoes
Steak/turkey (whatever I didn't eat earlier)
Banana on toast
Protein shake
3 egg white omelette


----------



## Jackal

kingfunkel said:


> *People over complicate weight loss so much it's ridiculous.* Eat less than you burn and you'll lose weight. A pound is 3,500 calories so basically eat 500 calories less than you burn daily and over a week you'll drop a pound. Put it simpler eat your BMR estimate and excerise a bit.
> 
> You can make a days worth of food in 1 doing and put it in little containers...then eat when the time is right. Throw 5 pieces of chicken breasts in the oven, boil some brown rice with some veg then separate them into containers to eat over the day. Might help more
> 
> 
> *My diet on a gym day:
> 
> Oatmeal with Protein powder, banana
> Post gym shake
> 5 egg white, vanilla protein powder pancakes, crushed almonds, peanut butter, banana, strawberry
> Turkey/steak, with brown rice and a 3 egg white omelette, orange, banana, pineapple
> Protein shake with handful of oats
> Chicken, whole pasta, veg, sweet potatoes
> Steak/turkey (whatever I didn't eat earlier)
> Banana on toast
> Protein shake
> 3 egg white omelette*


They really do. I've always thought that. At the end of the day it's a company, trying to sell you their product!

Fuck dude, you must be built like a brick shithouse???? :bob


----------



## Corey

kingfunkel said:


> My diet on a gym day:
> 
> Oatmeal with Protein powder, banana
> Post gym shake
> 5 egg white, vanilla protein powder pancakes, crushed almonds, peanut butter, banana, strawberry
> Turkey/steak, with brown rice and a 3 egg white omelette, orange, banana, pineapple
> Protein shake with handful of oats
> Chicken, whole pasta, veg, sweet potatoes
> Steak/turkey (whatever I didn't eat earlier)
> Banana on toast
> Protein shake
> 3 egg white omelette


Is this real life? You're telling me you consume 11 egg whites and anywhere from 4-6 scoops of protein powder a day? Four bananas!? Do you have the rankest nastiest gas on an every day basis? :lol That's a crazy ass diet, dude. That's like 300+ grams of protein.


----------



## kingfunkel

Corey said:


> Is this real life? You're telling me you consume 11 egg whites and anywhere from 4-6 scoops of protein powder a day? Four bananas!? Do you have the rankest nastiest gas on an every day basis? :lol That's a crazy ass diet, dude. That's like 300+ grams of protein.


Ask my girlfriend when I put her head under the planket and goes in a mega strop with me  I blame the spinach!! Need protein for them gains


----------



## Jackal

Just to update........My back was hurting more doing the Alternate Dumbbell Press because the increased weight caused me to sag/arch over. I've stuck with the same weight, but decreased the amount of reps i do. I was doing 10 each arm, now im doing 8. It's so much more effective making sure you stand straight, and not allowing your back to arch. I can feel so many more muscles working now. It's killer, but it feels fucking great!

Im starting to see my 6-pack come through now also. It's given me a massive incentive to keep going. Knowing what im doing is actually working is a massive motivator!


----------



## kingfunkel

Been cutting carbs for a week...looking smaller which isn't feeling nice. Think I should have bulked for another 2 months before cutting. Got the timing all wrong for summer this year! So annoying.
Hoping the loss I'm seeing is just mainly water retention and fat loss Once my body fat drops hoping the popping muscles with give the illusion of more muscle  

Gonna start the bulk early this year


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

At anyone (@MF83), what do people think of the 5/3/1 with a joker set? I like the Joker set because I never feel like I do enough reps with 5/3/1. From my understanding, you do your 5/3/1 sets, then a 4th set for AMRAP (as many reps as possible) with a higher weight. for example, I did 305 x 3 on squats, waited 5 minutes and did 315 x 3 failing a 4th attempt. 

I'm mainly asking because my joker sets for bench, squat, and overhead are usually pretty successful, the least getting 1-2 extra credit reps. But, for deadlifts I can never get more then 1 extra rep. I understand they're 'optional', and deadlift is my weak link, but I'd still expect a little more umph.


----------



## Jackal

Creatine.....Is it worth it?

Also, can you drink the powder with water?


----------



## floyd2386

First time entering this thread, are there any cyclists in here?

I'm looking to buy a new bike and am stuck between getting a hybrid (Trek 7.2 FX) and a mountain (Trek Marlin 5). I just test rode them both and can't make up my mind which one to get (I can only afford 1.) I've talked about it to a few people, but would appreciate fresh perspectives.

I'm mostly a city rider, which the hybrid seems to be more suitable for, it's lighter, 24 speed (vs 21) and comes with puncture resistant and somewhat slick tires, however the mountain has front suspension, huge ass 29 inch tires and disc brakes, making it a lot more suitable for winter riding. It also appeals a LOT to my inner child.

Either one are lightyears better than my current Huffy, so there isn't a bad choice between those 2. Which one would you guys choose and why. Thanks.


----------



## ranov

Many collegiate athletes, including myself always ask what type of protein or creatine they should use throughout practices and during workouts. I assume different proteins are better for different sports and I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on what it is I should be using as well as what other athletes should use.
As a soccer player, I'm searching for something that does not build too much mass, but helps in definition, strengthening, and recovery.


----------



## kingfunkel

Just spent 2 hours in the gym....only 53mins on the workout. The rest of the time was spent chatting. Thinking I need to join a different gym.

Don't mind when it's as I arrive or leave and little conversations between sets but recently it's been 15-30mins interuption during sets. I get distracted when chatting about stuff sometimes


----------



## J-B

Back from 2 weeks in spain of drinking booze every night and straight back into the gym today. Was like a man possessed, I haven't been so motivated in a long time and surprisingly haven't dropped that much in weight on various lifts. Not looking forward to my chest being in bits tomorrow morning though.


----------



## J-B

How do you guys keep track of your macros? Any apps in particular?


----------



## Corey

TheyDon'tWantNone! said:


> How do you guys keep track of your macros? Any apps in particular?


My Fitness Pal


----------



## DesolationRow

Been working myself into adapting the methodology of performing 20 burpees, then moving across the room, performing 19, then walk across the room, execute 18, and so on, all the way until you get down to 1. It helps stabilize the rest of the workout, or at least that is what I have found. I just reached 210 reps in precisely 15 minutes so that feels good. Another ingredient I'm throwing in is the performance of 4 pushups over the course of 15-16 seconds for 20 whole minutes, no stoppages, no rests.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

TheyDon'tWantNone! said:


> How do you guys keep track of your macros? Any apps in particular?


on Android, there is "simple macro". it's simple, Mac. I like it because you can enter g/oz, your macros, then base it on servings/%. you can save a food so then just bring it up and enter maybe 1/2 the food if need be. But, it's very free in what you can enter which is the takeaway. they don't ask you "is that dannon yogurt???? Giant???? yoplait????" it's yogurt....with whatever macros you assign it. and it keeps track of your goal marcos.

i really wish there was a macro counting app that could exported to excel. Other than using excel itself on mobile.


----------



## J-B

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> on Android, there is "simple macro". it's simple, Mac. I like it because you can enter g/oz, your macros, then base it on servings/%. you can save a food so then just bring it up and enter maybe 1/2 the food if need be. But, it's very free in what you can enter which is the takeaway. they don't ask you "is that dannon yogurt???? Giant???? yoplait????" it's yogurt....with whatever macros you assign it. and it keeps track of your goal marcos.
> 
> i really wish there was a macro counting app that could exported to excel. Other than using excel itself on mobile.


I've been using My Fitness Pal lately, and it's so quick and easy to use, so it doesn't make keeping track of your diet such a chore. Do you use anything in particular to measure how many calories you've burned in a workout?


----------



## Saaby

*How quickly to grow muscles?*

I began to occupy in a trainer hall. I rock muscles during two months. I'm a novice is on this, but I want good results and quicker. 
How more correct, quicker and more effective to grow muscular mass? Maybe to try some special sporting feed?


----------



## Dead Seabed

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*

cycling trenbolone with test, somas for breakfast, road warrior workout, #beastmodeengage


----------



## THE HAITCH

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*

Go to the gym-uhh. 

Lift the weights-uhh.

Listen to THE GAME-uhh while working out.


















And don't forget to *EAT SHIT LOADS of food*.


----------



## The Tempest

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*

Learning English would be a good start.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*

steroids :draper2


----------



## ManiacMichaelMyers

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*

First off, there's a dedicated thread to this but since you didn't post in there, I will do my *worst *to answer you.

Wake up, chug 1/2 bottle of egg whites (ain't nobody got time to cook!), 
hit the gym, do legs heavy until you vomit up your eggs, then chug the other 1/2 bottle, even if it's warm!
then do back and arms until your muscles feel like they will pop if you do one more rep. 
then go home and drink another full bottle of raw egg whites mixed with 8 tablespoons of raw sugar . 
jerk off for wrist workout, then take ur sturroids 
eat at mcdonalds and order any 2 value meals in the largest size and chow down
do shoulders, neck, and dick weights too! jerk it again 
legs again up to the point of puking but no puking
if you start to puke, man up and swallow it
then take a whole bottle of multivitamin and more sturroids 
wash it down with no less than 8 scoops of weight gaining protein
your body should be completely spent and you should be limping around and not able to jerk off anymore or do anything until the next morning. wear a diaper, you might piss or shit yourself at night. 

----
Note: The thing is, if you did follow this god awful advice, it very well might work brilliantly even if you'd feel like shit all the time. :lol


----------



## themuel1

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*



Saaby said:


> I began to occupy in a trainer hall. I rock muscles during two months. I'm a novice is on this, but I want good results and quicker.
> How more correct, quicker and more effective to grow muscular mass? Maybe to try some special sporting feed?


"Quick" often means rushed. Don't rush it or you'll injure yourself. Diet, rest and a good routine are vital in equal measure. Plenty of beginners books will help you plan a schedule/workout, advise you on a proper diet and other important tips. Good luck!


----------



## themuel1

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*



The Tempest said:


> Learning English would be a good start.


I bet it's better than the majority of other users second languages....he was perfectly understandable.


----------



## blackholeson

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*

Lift weights and eat well. Find out your blood type. Eat right and work out.


----------



## LaMelo

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*

If you are going to do it the right way then it takes time.


----------



## Grenet

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*



Saaby said:


> I began to occupy in a trainer hall. I rock muscles during two months. I'm a novice is on this, but I want good results and quicker.
> How more correct, quicker and more effective to grow muscular mass? Maybe to try some special sporting feed?


Mainly - it is correct to occupy, with a trainer, it is correct to have a rest, feed. If to execute all of it, then muscles will grow systematic. Here a result can not be rapid. However, it is possible to try legit pharma grade gear, here *Anabolicenergy.com* for example.
But here it is needed correctly to choose preparations. Looking what results you want to obtain and for what?:wink2:


----------



## Saaby

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*



Grenet said:


> it is possible to try legit pharma grade gear


How is it long needed to occupy, to try it?


----------



## NoyK

*Hey-a guys!

So finally, 2 months ago, I've been given the (Y) to begin working out 100% after a surgery I had last year. Gained 9kg (went up to 86kg) and managed to cut 12kg in these said 2 months; but I really want to cut that measly little lower belly fat, which seems to be the hardest thing to do, everything else I've noticed a massive change (chest, arms, shoulders, sides, etc). I'm thinking about, every morning during 3 days (1 rest, then repeat) going for a swim, like 1h30/2h, doing some laps in a beach nearby. I've heard that swimming is one of the best workouts to get fit and cut off fat; if I do begin this routine, plus the 1h30 gym routine (also 3 days straight, 1 rest), will it boost results significantly, or is it not worth it? *


----------



## Corey

NoyK said:


> *Hey-a guys!
> 
> So finally, 2 months ago, I've been given the (Y) to begin working out 100% after a surgery I had last year. Gained 9kg (went up to 86kg) and managed to cut 12kg in these said 2 months; but I really want to cut that measly little lower belly fat, which seems to be the hardest thing to do, everything else I've noticed a massive change (chest, arms, shoulders, sides, etc). I'm thinking about, every morning during 3 days (1 rest, then repeat) going for a swim, like 1h30/2h, doing some laps in a beach nearby. I've heard that swimming is one of the best workouts to get fit and cut off fat; if I do begin this routine, plus the 1h30 gym routine (also 3 days straight, 1 rest), will it boost results significantly, or is it not worth it? *


Sounds like a great plan. Definitely can't go wrong with swimming. Excellent all-around body exercise with low impact on the joints. Good luck doing it three days in a row though. Shit wears ya out. :lol


----------



## Magic

Can finally do 90 lb one legged hamstring curls and 160 one legged extensions. :drose


I've finally been able to go to the gym consistently this summer and I should be able to go strong until school starts again. Major gains, but everyone else is cutting while I'm bulking. Fuck beach bodies. :side:


----------



## Grenet

*Re: How quickly to grow muscles?*



Saaby said:


> How is it long needed to occupy, to try it?


There are cycles even for beginners. It's possible without problems to try it, if if to accept in due form.
What results do you want?:smile2:


----------



## kingfunkel

I was meant to start cutting back carbs in February..it's now July and my cut is pushed back till Jan next year...oppss!!! GAINZ! 

Every so often I replace 1 work out with another. this time round I've added Bulgarian lunges to my workout, I dropped 3 sets and went and sat on the floor. Caused jelly legs.


----------



## J-B

Attempted to workout in a gym with no working air con earlier and struggled to even make it to 30 minutes, one set in and I was already breaking a sweat. Fuck this weather.


----------



## J-B

Does anyone here use Alpha Brain? Is it worth giving a go?


----------



## Magic

i think my new(not really that new but still) favourite/hilarious thing in the gym is the big guys that wear sweaters/hoodies until they get a pump going and then promptly take it off. be bigger than 90% of the people there and still feel insecure about your size. :lmao


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

ok. I was 197 on July 4th, now at at a solid 185. I've been dieting down for an Oct 1st competition, this will be my first. Not really feeling my coach is a good coach, but I decided to stick with the 1 source for my first show I'll then reevaluate after. 

I can't say if competition prep is hell or not, judging by my coach it is. Way too much cardio and food imo. But, I'm crushing audio books with 45 minutes every morning and 30 minutes evening after lifting. Somehow I haven't had any food cravings. But since Monday I was cutting workouts short and skipping cardio just so I could sleep a little longer since I'm dead all day long and running on 6 hours of sleep thanks to a 10 hour job and constant cooking and eating. So my coach told me to go eat a burger and fries today, I now love him again :lol


----------



## Master Bate

Just signed up for a Planet Fitness tonight lol I'm 22 and so out of shape hoping to change that, I went in blind tbh tonight. Only did a mile on the treadmill with the incline at 10, and did a few sets of Ab workouts. Got to actually google workout routines when I go back tomorrow lol.


----------



## yeahbaby!

I've recently changed to a ketogenic diet (not super strict but I've cut out bread, pasta, rice etc and most sugar and mostly eat high fat/protein) and that's been great in losing my saddle bags and such.

Also due to time constraints I'm doing living room workouts to youtubers with a focus on HIIT cardio and kickboxing workouts. I didn't think I'd be into it at first but it's really cool and quick and easy. Some of my favourite channels are Millionare Hoy and Hasfit for kickboxing. It's good stuff.


----------



## SUPAH STRONG STYLE

Gonna be starting cross fit next month. 

I'll do some before and after pics. Changing my diet as well. Show everyone how it goes. Should be interesting.


----------



## Catsaregreat

Hey guys so im trying to gain weight, I want to gain 10 pounds by the end of september. Problem is eating is hard for me as I get full fast so im trying to make up the calories I cant eat in nutritional drinks. I just started this week on some random drinks and I can down them pretty fast but theyre expensive. Anyone have any suggestions for high calorie meal replacements? If I can drink 1000 calories a day that would be great, I do plan on doing some light workouts on the way so its not all fat i gain.


----------



## Corey

Catsaregreat said:


> Hey guys so im trying to gain weight, I want to gain 10 pounds by the end of september. Problem is eating is hard for me as I get full fast so im trying to make up the calories I cant eat in nutritional drinks. I just started this week on some random drinks and I can down them pretty fast but theyre expensive. Anyone have any suggestions for high calorie meal replacements? If I can drink 1000 calories a day that would be great, I do plan on doing some light workouts on the way so its not all fat i gain.


Add olive oil to your shakes. It's pretty much nothing but calories and fat.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]


Catsaregreat said:


> Hey guys so im trying to gain weight, I want to gain 10 pounds by the end of september. Problem is eating is hard for me as I get full fast so im trying to make up the calories I cant eat in nutritional drinks. I just started this week on some random drinks and I can down them pretty fast but theyre expensive. Anyone have any suggestions for high calorie meal replacements? If I can drink 1000 calories a day that would be great, I do plan on doing some light workouts on the way so its not all fat i gain.


your height and weight, activity level, would help. thanks. What do you mean you get full fast? As in, you eat too much in one sitting or in general you can't eat much? Everyone will come back to you telling you to eat more meals at lower volume food if that's the case. 

I'm 4 weeks from my first show, carb cycling, so I envy your full self. I wouldn't use shakes as meal substitutes, instead always use solid food.


----------



## Catsaregreat

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> [YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]
> 
> your height and weight, activity level, would help. thanks. What do you mean you get full fast? As in, you eat too much in one sitting or in general you can't eat much? Everyone will come back to you telling you to eat more meals at lower volume food if that's the case.
> 
> I'm 4 weeks from my first show, carb cycling, so I envy your full self. I wouldn't use shakes as meal substitutes, instead always use solid food.


im 5'9 140 pounds im not really active but I am on my feet walking around for almost 8 hours a day at work. I cant eat because after a meal im just done and am not hungry for the rest of the day. I plan on using a mass gainer while still trying to eat 2 meals a day and some nutritional shakes too. I can get 3k calories in me a day that way with the drinks but there is no way on earth I can do that with food. Im starting to do push ups, squats and small weights so I can at least get some muscle and not just fat.

Ive read that gaining 1 pound a week is the healthy way but I want it now so im shooting for 3 pounds a week.



Corey said:


> Add olive oil to your shakes. It's pretty much nothing but calories and fat.


Thats a good idea, its not gonna give me the shits though is it?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Catsaregreat said:


> im 5'9 140 pounds im not really active but I am on my feet walking around for almost 8 hours a day at work. I cant eat because after a meal im just done and am not hungry for the rest of the day. I plan on using a mass gainer while still trying to eat 2 meals a day and some nutritional shakes too. I can get 3k calories in me a day that way with the drinks but there is no way on earth I can do that with food. Im starting to do push ups, squats and small weights so I can at least get some muscle and not just fat.
> 
> *Ive read that gaining 1 pound a week is the healthy way but I want it now so im shooting for 3 pounds a week.*


Was this a joke?


What is causing you to be full? What/how much are you eating that's filling you up? 3600 calories is 1 pound, for your reference, keep that in mind. Are you eating 2000 calories in 1 sitting?


----------



## Catsaregreat

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> Was this a joke?
> 
> 
> What is causing you to be full? What/how much are you eating that's filling you up? 3600 calories is 1 pound, for your reference, keep that in mind. Are you eating 2000 calories in 1 sitting?


Whats a joke? Trying to gain 3 pounds a week? I usually eat aboout 2k calories throughout the day maybe a little less sometimes, im hoping upping that to 3k to 3.5k a day will add some pounds.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Catsaregreat said:


> Whats a joke? Trying to gain 3 pounds a week? I usually eat aboout 2k calories throughout the day maybe a little less sometimes, im hoping upping that to 3k to 3.5k a day will add some pounds.


I'm jealous if you're getting full on 2k calories :lol 

It does sound like uou'll need to eat at least 3.5k a day to gain weight. So......do shakes if you need to. I suggest eating more food, more frequently. But I also get time and convenience. Gaining weight is fun, so that's a reason I suggest food. My starting diet in July for a show in Oct was:

1 - 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup blueberries, 8 egg whites, 2 eggs
2 - 8 oz ground meat (92% fat free) + 1 cup white rice
3 - 8 oz chicken + 1 cup white rice
4 - 8 oz chicken + 6 oz sweet potatoes
5 - 8 oz tilapia + 1 cup green beans
6 - 8 egg whites w/ spinach + 12 almonds

protein shake = 2 scoops whey + 60g waxy maize + creatine + glutamine

That was everyday and I was stuffed like a turkey before my cardio was increased to 45 mins/day. By that I mean, more activity will make you hungrier. If I find where I wrote those macros down, I'll post them.


----------



## BehindYou

The above looks like a great meal plan for a clean bulk but if:
a) you have a great metabolism
b) your really struggling to put on weight

You can be dirtier with it, if your going to struggle to get a healthy meal down, it will be better for your goals to grab a cheeseburger than not eat.

I'd really push to get a 3rd meal a day in or a decent size snack, for me I find a spinach omelette goes down pretty easy late at night. Make it a 1 egg omelette if need be at first but you should definitely trying to build up towards 3 meals a day minimum.

Make sure you make your shakes with full fat milk if your not already. Make it your drink of choice with every meal too, it's full of calories, fat and protein and is cheap as shit.
Hell, on a budget I'd buy the cheapest vanilla icecream you can and put that in your shakes too.

(If dairy fucks you up like it does me, you can get months of lactose pills for barely any $, it's definitely worth it.)

Take progress photos, its possible your metabolism isn't as good as you think or your actually under 2000 calaories currently so if you go dirty you should track it more carefully


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

BehindYou said:


> The above looks like a great meal plan for a *clean bulk* but if:
> a) you have a great metabolism
> b) your really struggling to put on weight


and this is exactly what it felt like when I started (July 4th). I was only doing 30 minutes of cardio 5x a week. My coach bumped me up to 45 AM/30 PM (everyday) and then I could eat it all because I was starving. I'll probably go back to this exact diet late November and slowly build up calorie, with less cardio, to do a bulk. 

for my current cut, I had 1 cheat meal. A burger about 1 1/2 months into it. It had a certain cheese I was allergic to and I threw it up . That's been it. And now I've switched to carb cycling #4weeksout and I hate it. So that above diet is a miracle compared to anything I'll be doing this last month. Haha, I just can't understand being "too full" to eat right at this moment. Maybe in a few months.


----------



## Mra22

What's a good way to drop 40 pounds in a month ?


----------



## Corey

Mra22 said:


> What's a good way to drop 40 pounds in a month ?


That's not a very healthy expectation. Idk what you look like, but dropping that much weight in that short a span would leave you looking like nothing, i.e. you'd be losing both fat and muscle. If you're trying to simply cut down on fat and maintain your body muscle, you'd want a more drawn out approach of losing probably 1-3 pounds a week.

BUT, if muscle has nothing to do with it and you wanna just lose weight, start simple. Cut out soda completely and cut out fast food and you'll likely feel a difference in the amount of energy you have throughout the day (which will help in exercising and working out). Get enough sleep on a regular basis as that plays a lot into weight loss. Take the steps instead of the elevator, start measuring your food, drink more water throughout the day, etc etc. 40 pounds in a month is probably not realistic tbh.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Mra22 said:


> What's a good way to drop 40 pounds in a month ?


coffee, grapefruit, sauna. eat only that and you'll easily drop 40+ lbs. you don't even have to exercise or count calories!!!:ghost


----------



## Scarecrøws

Deleted


----------



## DesolationRow

Today I finally hit 1,000 pounds on the leg press with full ROM. Strangely felt compelled to share. 

Of course squats are a must for the core and glutes, but leg presses certainly do a number on one's quads.


----------



## Poyser

Oh crap, been here for a few years now and only just seen this thread.
Been on a losing weight mission, just over 1 week out from hitting a year, lost 91 lbs (officially, although I didn't weigh in til 3 weeks after I started) so far. Slowed down considerably over the last few months which was hard to take, was totally flying throughout months 1-6. It'll be a mixture of my metabolism coming down with weight loss and not being quite as strict as I was in the beginning, but damn. Used to regularly lose 6 lbs in a week (not every week obviously but regularly) and now I have weeks where I'm expecting to lose 3 lbs+ and end up gaining a pound :lol Obviously water plays a part too, and I'm still trending downwards but still, the slow progress is a killer and I'm not sure I got it in me to be 1,500 calories per day strict like I used to be. I do so much cardio as well, can't really up that at this point.

On the subject of cardio, has anybody ever dealt with hip problems? Couple of months ago I started getting a sharp pain in my left hip every so often which would last a couple steps and then would be, for lack of a better term, "walked off". I thought it had gone because I hadn't felt it in a while but over the last few weeks it's really come back and seems to be getting worse. Especially when I first get up, it'll bother me whilst I'm walking around the house getting ready the whole time, and then it'll go when I'm walking to work. Obviously it'll crop up when I'm running too (but not as often as when I'm just walking which is weird). Anybody got any ideas? Kinda scared to go the doctors in case it turns out to be something permanent like arthritus as a biproduct of when I used to be 320 lbs... 

If they tell me to stop exercising I think I might die because I'm really enjoying it atm and also really enjoy playing fitba and trying to train for my first ever 10k run in march. I've done it on the treadmill a couple of times but too nervous to take it outside just yet! Currently taking me around 1 hr 10 mins, would like to get it sub 1 hour by race time, which is not gonna happen if this hip issue doesn't fuck off.


----------



## J-B

Anyone got a good/easy diet plan to follow when doing strictly DDP Yoga? I'm thinking of switching things up for a month or two but the diet plans DDP provides are filled with foods which are either expensive or they're a pain in the ass to find. Shall I just have lots of fruits, cut simple carbs etc?


----------



## Jaxx

I'm 6ft and weigh 87kg (191 lbs) but I wanna get closer to 95kg cos it's BULK SEASON!!

Just a bit of a struggle getting in the required amount of calories, I aim for between 3100-3500 calories a day.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I did my first bodybuilding competition on Sep 24th, a week prior to my target show of Oct 1st. My coach said I was ready though, so I did it. 

I competed in lightweight novice bodybuilding and middleweight open. I took first in lightweight novice as the only competitor, but then beat the only heavyweight competitor in overall novice. For middleweight open I beat a guy in his 3rd year competing, to take first in middleweight (but didn't win overall). I made the post in imgur (https://imgur.com/gallery/BAS75) if you want to see pictures. I can also better explain the competition or answer any other questions if you have them.

I competed at middleweight, 169 lbs to 176 lbs. First show I weighed 174-175. The next week I weighed at 171. I'm looking to bulk up to 195 and then cut back to the same weight class with some much added muscle.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

i tweaked my back trying a new exercise the other day :fuck


today i used fat gripz fucking hell my arms are sore as fuck


----------



## Magic

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> I did my first bodybuilding competition on Sep 24th, a week prior to my target show of Oct 1st. My coach said I was ready though, so I did it.
> 
> I competed in lightweight novice bodybuilding and middleweight open. I took first in lightweight novice as the only competitor, but then beat the only heavyweight competitor in overall novice. For middleweight open I beat a guy in his 3rd year competing, to take first in middleweight (but didn't win overall). I made the post in imgur (https://imgur.com/gallery/BAS75) if you want to see pictures. I can also better explain the competition or answer any other questions if you have them.
> 
> I competed at middleweight, 169 lbs to 176 lbs. First show I weighed 174-175. The next week I weighed at 171. I'm looking to bulk up to 195 and then cut back to the same weight class with some much added muscle.


those tans are legit ugly imo, why are yall forced to do them?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

LUCK said:


> those tans are legit ugly imo, why are yall forced to do them?


you are not "forced" but it' necessary to see definition on stage. I was way too dark for my first show, WAY TOO DARK. But, I'm also a pale guy and look strange tan. When you consider the lighting, distance you are up on stage, and lack of photoshop, being tan is a necessity. I disliked the Saturday I was tan, but the week after I was gorgeous. 

2nd show I was much lighter and better looking.


----------



## DesolationRow

Feeling satisfied with finally reaching the 400-pounds-for-whole-multiple-sets threshold in deadlifting last night. Been very gradually working toward this for a long, long time. :drose 

Special thanks to @Invictus who taught me about going shoeless for those and squats. Has definitely helped, _a lot_! 

Will get back at it Monday after taking this weekend off, haha.


----------



## cgs480

Haven't lifted in weeks due to finals and winter break. Gonna be hell getting back into the gym once the semester rolls around.


----------



## DesolationRow

:dance2 4-0-5! 4-0-5! :dance2 

:woo Gotta keep going! :woo @AryaDark


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

DesolationRow said:


> :dance2 4-0-5! 4-0-5! :dance2
> 
> :woo Gotta keep going! :woo @AryaDark


belt or no belt? I maxed at 405 (w/belt) before I started doing shows, last June. Since I've been bulking I've yet to even reach 365. It's all mental because I've hit a 405 max on squat without a belt. 

I think I keep asking too many different people to watch my form for advice. But, my form is fine and I'm just an idiot.

edit: congrats btw. 4 plates is great! didn't mean to belittle that.


----------



## DesolationRow

Eddie's Sandwhich said:


> belt or no belt? I maxed at 405 (w/belt) before I started doing shows, last June. Since I've been bulking I've yet to even reach 365. It's all mental because I've hit a 405 max on squat without a belt.
> 
> I think I keep asking too many different people to watch my form for advice. But, my form is fine and I'm just an idiot.
> 
> edit: congrats btw. 4 plates is great! didn't mean to belittle that.


Have never felt comfortable with the belt so I went without in spite of the advice of others (though I workout at home). 

I'm sure you'll get back to that if you have hit 405 max on squat without a belt, which is something I have yet to do!

Thank you, no worries!


----------



## Not Lying

Has anyone here tried intense electric muscle stimulation workouts? (ex: Miha bodytec) 

There's currently a sale to do 8/9 sessions a month, I think I might go for it, it used be like 40-50$ a session...


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

:lmao :lmao: :crying

My coach took me from Oct 1st to Jan 1st on a reverse diet/bulk. I was 176 at middleweight, wanted to be just at 195. Then, cut down for an April 15th show. 

I cam back at 194 around the holidays, still lean and mean. My coach said he would put me on a quick cut for Jan, then be able to keep me carb happy till my show with slow shredding. I was so blind, and lazy to not do my own nutrition, I accepted. I didn't plug in his diet till last week after getting sick and having lost all strength. 

This fucker had me carb cycling on 1,200 and 1,500 calories. low carb was 15g, high carb was 100g. This was 2/1/3/1 of low carb/high carb/low card/high carb cycling. Jesus Christ. And I was still in the gym and doing 30-45 minutes of fasted cardio in the mornings. I dropped his ass, now doing my own macros (still under maintenance by 400) and already notice I can move and lift heavy weights again. WTF. I'm so pissed, more so embarrassed I so blindly trusted him. This was literally less than what he gives his bikini competitors. 

Needless to say, i'm doing my own macros till I can find a coach I trust. Thought I'd share. Don't blindly trust a coach, even with good testimonials. He may get 1/100 right and only use the good examples.


----------



## sharkboy22

So...I have a stupid question. 

I prefer to go the gym from Thursday because that's when the gym is pretty much empty and I don't have to worry about sharing equipment and getting it all sweaty. That and I really hate a crowded gym. I'm think about making Monday and Tuesday my cardio days with Wednesday being a rest day. Then I will do a 4 day split from Thursday to Sunday? Is this advisable? I mean, it's not like the body knows it's lifting weights on a Monday. I guess my question is, does anyone else have a routine similar to this?


----------



## Corey

sharkboy22 said:


> So...I have a stupid question.
> 
> I prefer to go the gym from Thursday because that's when the gym is pretty much empty and I don't have to worry about sharing equipment and getting it all sweaty. That and I really hate a crowded gym. I'm think about making Monday and Tuesday my cardio days with Wednesday being a rest day. Then I will do a 4 day split from Thursday to Sunday? Is this advisable? I mean, it's not like the body knows it's lifting weights on a Monday. I guess my question is, does anyone else have a routine similar to this?


No problem with this at all as long as that one day gives your body enough time to rest and recover. What's gonna be your 4 day split though if you're doing them all in a row?


----------



## sharkboy22

Corey said:


> No problem with this at all as long as that one day gives your body enough time to rest and recover. What's gonna be your 4 day split though if you're doing them all in a row?


I found this workout online. Basically two days upper body, two days lower body; alternating the upper and lower body days. 

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-muscle-building-workout-routine/

I'm not sure if 48 hrs would be enough rest time once the weights start getting heavy, especially on the lower body day.


----------



## Corey

sharkboy22 said:


> I found this workout online. Basically two days upper body, two days lower body; alternating the upper and lower body days.
> 
> http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-muscle-building-workout-routine/
> 
> I'm not sure if 48 hrs would be enough rest time once the weights start getting heavy, especially on the lower body day.


Yeah I wouldn't personally be able to do legs twice in a 3 day span.  You could do a variation of that where your 4 day split looks like this using all the exercises they provided you:

Thursday - Chest & Triceps (calves if you feel like it)
Friday - Back & Biceps
Saturday - Legs (calves included)
Sunday - Shoulders & Abs

You can hits abs and calves twice during that span once you get used to it. They recover up real quick.


----------



## DesolationRow

Today I got up to 420 lbs. deadlifting for multiple sets! :woo :woo :woo @AryaDark :dance2 :dance2


----------



## HiddenFlaw

DesolationRow said:


> Today I got up to 420 lbs. deadlifting for multiple sets! :woo :woo :woo @AryaDark :dance2 :dance2


good job brah


----------



## SonnenChael

Thanks to the loss of cortisol in my blood stream I've lost 25 kilos = 55 pounds (?). Now building some mass up with deadlift, bench pressing etc, also to gain strength and a higher burn rate of calorines. 

Good luck to everyone and myself!


----------



## Kenny

I just have a few general questions or possibly if you can redirect me to some other sites or if you can help in any way possible. I'm 127kg, I'm fat and I hate looking at myself and have finally mustered enough strength/motivation to want to better myself. I know for some it may be easy, but I've just struggled to get in any sort of direction, started the year alright then dropped off again. I'm hoping to join a gym by the end of the week and to be utilising as much as physically possible. I think for the most part (example Monday-Thursday) I will be using it in the evening due to other commitments throughout the day with more room to change up times Friday-Sunday. I've been making slow steps at the moment; I quit smoking cigarettes on Saturday (which is actually pretty big if anyone knows me well here) and have been dieting/cutting down on foods lately but not to the 100% greatest effect. I just have a few general questions: 

What muscle types go with other muscle types in a work out session on a day to day basis, what routines/schedules fit well? I'm looking to focus a lot on cardio but enjoy doing weights/other exercises. I hope this has made sense - I feel like a newb but I've been out of the game so long that I'm looking for help, inspiration, motivation, anything to get me going. 

Thank you and much love.


----------



## SonnenChael

It's hard to say. The most important step is, after going regulary, to have fun. I would recommend to try out some stuff at first, if you like free weights and bench pressing as example more than machines, asking some gym trainers and get a program, that works for you. Know your preferences in fitness and it's easier to help you, I weighed 135 kg lost 35 kg, gained 35 kg again because of cortisol and now 95 kg with muscles and I'm not tall. 5 ft 8,3 in (173,5 cm).

Good luck and do great!


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Jürgen Klopp said:


> I just have a few general questions or possibly if you can redirect me to some other sites or if you can help in any way possible. I'm 127kg, I'm fat and I hate looking at myself and have finally mustered enough strength/motivation to want to better myself. I know for some it may be easy, but I've just struggled to get in any sort of direction, started the year alright then dropped off again. I'm hoping to join a gym by the end of the week and to be utilising as much as physically possible. I think for the most part (example Monday-Thursday) I will be using it in the evening due to other commitments throughout the day with more room to change up times Friday-Sunday. I've been making slow steps at the moment; I quit smoking cigarettes on Saturday (which is actually pretty big if anyone knows me well here) and have been dieting/cutting down on foods lately but not to the 100% greatest effect. I just have a few general questions:
> 
> What muscle types go with other muscle types in a work out session on a day to day basis, what routines/schedules fit well? I'm looking to focus a lot on cardio but enjoy doing weights/other exercises. I hope this has made sense - I feel like a newb but I've been out of the game so long that I'm looking for help, inspiration, motivation, anything to get me going.
> 
> Thank you and much love.


I'm a strong believer in keeping it simple. And, firstly it doesn't sound like you have a setback at all. You tried, didn't acclimate well, and are now asking for help. You can see my previous posts where I competed in bodybuilding; like you said, it comes easy to some. I wanted to read a lot in 2017, only having 1 book complete so far and infrequently trying because it's SO VAST of a thing to jump into. Point is: it sounds like you're going about this correctly by simply asking. 

Some tips that are of my opinion and I find effective, not that I hold any certifications except for competitive body building (9 weeks out!):

1) simple workouts. 

do a workout where pull stuff. think *curls *(bicep), *row *(back), *pullup/down* (lat), *deadlift variations* (back/all), *back extensions* (back).
do a workout where you push stuff. think *bench press* (chest), *tricep pulldowns on a cable machine* (tricep), *shoulder press* (shoulder), *lateral *[arms at your side] *shoulder raises* (shoulder, hold weights are your side, raise your arms up to your side).
do a workout with leg stuff, squats, leg extensions, leg curls, leg press, something for your butt.

google "push & pull workout routines". simple programming of 3 sets of the exercise, 10 - 14 reps (start 14, next set 12, next set 10...ideally increasing weight each set).

You can't go wrong with keeping it simple.

2) end with cardio, do cardio separate of lifting weights.

This is really personal preference for me. I'll do 15-25 minutes of interval training after I lift. that's really fast for 45 secs, moderate for 2-3 minutes. Lots of articles suggest this over long distance, steady cardio. I prefer the interval after I lift to save time; literally, only to save time. Keep that in mind when planning a workout, what will work in your timeframe not just what someone suggests

Long distance, steady cardio is on non-lifting days. I'll do 45 minutes of power walking on a high incline, treadmill. I'll sweat but it's not running intense. nice slow burn- I've read it targets fat primarily.

3) stretch.

stretch. look up stretches, but you need to stretch for at least 10 minutes for every workout session. OR! wait till you hurt yourself, then stretch. That's what I didn.



So, keep it simple at first. biceps, back, hamstrings- are pulling muscles I would pair together if new. chest, tricep, quadriceps - are pushing exercises you could pair. or keep legs separate. feel free to DM. I like lifting and tend to talk too much about it


----------



## Magic

I hit I hit 315(6 reps for 2 sets, 5 reps for 2 more sets) on deadlift, 245lb on squat for 7 reps on 4 sets, and I'm not going to talk about my forever weak chest shortly after January before taking a break due to boredom/school/wanting to game a bit more and now I gotta get those all over again(not that I fell far, but boy does it ever feel good to actually be lifting some bigger amounts).

Not really much to add except I felt like I was being a bitch for a long time and not upping my weight when I probably could have, mostly due to concerns of form and wanting to be PERFECT before moving up, but ya, it didn't taken too long to get up there after actually striving to get there and eating more from the start of summer to Jan.


----------



## Magic

Jürgen Klopp said:


> I just have a few general questions or possibly if you can redirect me to some other sites or if you can help in any way possible. I'm 127kg, I'm fat and I hate looking at myself and have finally mustered enough strength/motivation to want to better myself. I know for some it may be easy, but I've just struggled to get in any sort of direction, started the year alright then dropped off again. I'm hoping to join a gym by the end of the week and to be utilising as much as physically possible. I think for the most part (example Monday-Thursday) I will be using it in the evening due to other commitments throughout the day with more room to change up times Friday-Sunday. I've been making slow steps at the moment; I quit smoking cigarettes on Saturday (which is actually pretty big if anyone knows me well here) and have been dieting/cutting down on foods lately but not to the 100% greatest effect. I just have a few general questions:
> 
> What muscle types go with other muscle types in a work out session on a day to day basis, what routines/schedules fit well? I'm looking to focus a lot on cardio but enjoy doing weights/other exercises. I hope this has made sense - I feel like a newb but I've been out of the game so long that I'm looking for help, inspiration, motivation, anything to get me going.
> 
> Thank you and much love.


trying to make it even more simple than what cesaro said, what I started with initially when I started walking out was:

day 1: chest/tris/abs
day 2: back/bis/forearm and wrist exercises/cardio(I hate cardio and didn't need to lose a whole lot of weight so this didn't happen often)
day 3: shoulder/traps/shoulder cuff/abs
day 4: legs/hip flexor/10 minute biking at the end as it helps prevent accumulation of lactic acid and you don't feel as sore
rest and repeat

it was basic, easy to follow, prevents overlapping muscle usage on consecutive days. By that I mean you don't want to be using the same muscle groups on consecutive days, like you wouldn't want to do chest two days in a row as you don't give you muscles any chance to recover and grow, for similar reasons you don't want to do chest/shoulders(although it is possible). I did deadlifts on back day when I initially started so I wanted a day between before doing squats on my legs day(now I do them on both days with heavy sets on legs day and a lighter sets on back day). 

Keep in mind I also worked out with my brother who helped me learn all the exercises and kept me in check, which is probably why I've never severely injured myself. I'd always warm up before workouts and stretched after, which helped too. These workouts were also long as shit(90 minutes minimum, but 2 hours to 2 and half weren't uncommon and these days I like 2-3 hour workouts as working out is pretty fun to me in general) as I started in the summer, so you don't have to do all this in a day, but we typically went for 6 exercises of each thing(for the accessory stuff like bis/traps/etc 3-5 was fine or could be skipped altogether if we were short on time/just wanted to go home). 

I think the most important things to keep in mind is one: don't overtrain, if you feel hurt don't overdo it as it's better to not hurt it further and call it an early day than risking something more severe. Core strength is huge and important for your overall lifting ability on squats/deadlifts and will help keep you healthy longterm, same with back strength. Don't skip certain days too often and end up doing shit like chest/back on alternating days and end up with an disproportional body. I mean you can, but personally guys with skinny legs and huge upper bodies will always look goofy to me. Watch out for shoulder related injuries as it seems to be the easiest muscle group to hurt and fuck up doing exercises. Don't be afraid to ask someone for a spot/check your form/advice/etc, again I had my brother and that was a huge help, going it alone can be tough and people at the gym are usually kind and more than willing to help someone out. REST is vital. There are guys that can workout every day, you sort of build this up after awhile, but rest allows muscle regrowth and recovery. 




If you don't like cardio then building up muscle and THEN cutting is also a good way to lose weight. Personally, if it isn't a sport, I hate doing cardio. The treadmill is boring, cycling is boring, etc(I like skipping, idk why). If you have more muscle you will burn more calories, so building up muscle and then cutting down weight afterwards is also a good way to lose body fat. The results aren't as quick and it ain't as pretty at first, but it's better to go that route than trying to lose a bunch of weight and then after gaining muscle.


----------



## Smarkout

Do any of you guys have any experience running? I had to stop playing hockey in the summer due to a concussion and totally stopped working out but I want to try something else. 

After only playing golf from June-February my endurance is God awful and I should probably lose a few pounds now too. 

My goal is 3 miles a day but I want to start out with 2 miles a day. I'm probably going to have 2 rest day per week for when I have a hockey game or practice. 

Would that work for a bit of weight loss and help with endurance?


----------



## DesolationRow

:woo :woo @AryaDark @Invictus :woo :woo

Just hit 440 pounds for three sets of deadlifting! :mark: :mark: :mark:

It's all so simple... Just keep lifting, then lift heavier, then keep lifting, then lift heavier... :mark:


----------



## Master Bate

Doing DDPYoga I've losted 15 pounds in 2 months yoooo.

Maybe not a whole lot but that's good for me.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

today i started using 115 dumbbells for bench press :zayn3


----------



## MillionDollarProns

ItsaNewDay said:


> Doing DDPYoga I've losted 15 pounds in 2 months yoooo.
> 
> Maybe not a whole lot but that's good for me.


What's your experiences with DDPYoga so far, if you haven't posted them already?


----------



## Master Bate

MillionDollarProns said:


> What's your experiences with DDPYoga so far, if you haven't posted them already?


I feel like a lot better, not really eating the way I should be though. But I do feel more energetic, and they have some neck exercises that have been helping out a lot, since I use to get a lot of neck pains as well.

I use to have a lot of strain on my feet as well due to the weight gain, but after doing DDP Yoga, I've been jogging and going a lot longer.

Though like I said, I don't eat right, so I haven't lost the maximum amount of weight needed, but I do feel a lot better, which is more than I expected.

There's other positives as well, but these are the ones that stick out.


----------



## MillionDollarProns

When you're working out and Trips' theme comes on the shuffle :mark:


----------



## DesolationRow

@AryaDark @Invictus

Just got to 470 pounds deadlifting for several whole sets! :woo :woo


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

I said it as a joke in the wrestlemania snack thread, but hates my diet about 7 weeks out from a show. 

8am - 1/2 cup of egg whites; 2 eggs; 3/4 cup of oatmeal w/ 1/2 cup of mixed berries
11am - 1/2 cup greenbeans and carrots; 5oz lean 90/10 ground turkey 
2pm - 1/2 cup broccoli; 4 oz chicken; 1/2 cup of pistachios 
5pm - 1/2 cup broccoli; 5oz salmon; 1/4 cup beans (pre-workout)
*protien sgake post lift
8pm - 1/2 cup of white rice; 5oz tilapia; 1/2 cup green beans 
10pm - 1.2 cup of egg whites; 2 slices fatty bacon. 

After this week I'll likely start cycling carbs. This year I'm really paying attention to my fats. I'm 186 today; need to be 176 Fort May 20th. I've been losing fat visually, but not enough on the scale for a bb competition. Only 2 strict sessions of cardio a week though; I'm saving the heavy cardio for if I'll really need it


----------



## BiscuitsNgravy

Losing those last 10 pounds or so is a fucking pain. I only weigh 130 pounds now (I'm only 5'6) and still have a layer of fat covering my bottom abs lol I've had to drop my calorie intake from 1300 a day to 1000 a day to get any changes on the scale, beginning to think fuck abs and bulking back up to 170 lol


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

BiscuitsNgravy said:


> Losing those last 10 pounds or so is a fucking pain. I only weigh 130 pounds now (I'm only 5'6) and still have a layer of fat covering my bottom abs lol I've had to drop my calorie intake from 1300 a day to 1000 a day to get any changes on the scale, beginning to think fuck abs and bulking back up to 170 lol


cutting 10 lbs is tough. Do you focus on calories or do you manipulate your macros,too? And, if you're lean, but not that lean, at 130, bulking to 170 will either take 5+ years or <1 year of horrible eating and a ton of fat gain. That's a very unrealistic goal......if you're staying natural :x


----------



## Erik.

Hello ladies and gentleman. 

I am going to start becoming a better version of myself and as this thread had 500+ pages, I'm confident there are many knowledgeable individuals in here. 

What I wanted to know is if anyone can point me in the right direction of a great workout routine to get me started. I used to do the stronglifts 5x5 but we are talking over 18 months ago now. 

Am I best if restarting that? Focusing on getting core strength first? I mean ultimately, I just want to look better. Not particularly worried about strength, although thats obviously a perk that comes with it. 

I mean ultimately if I'm just wanting to look good, isn't isolating particular muscles better for me? Arms one day, chest another etc. Or is this a simpleton way of looking at things? 

Any particular websites I should be looking at? 

Just wanting some advise guys.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

Erik. said:


> Hello ladies and gentleman.
> 
> I am going to start becoming a better version of myself and as this thread had 500+ pages, I'm confident there are many knowledgeable individuals in here.
> 
> What I wanted to know is if anyone can point me in the right direction of a great workout routine to get me started. I used to do the stronglifts 5x5 but we are talking over 18 months ago now.
> 
> Am I best if restarting that? Focusing on getting core strength first? I mean ultimately, I just want to look better. Not particularly worried about strength, although thats obviously a perk that comes with it.
> 
> I mean ultimately if I'm just wanting to look good, isn't isolating particular muscles better for me? Arms one day, chest another etc. Or is this a simpleton way of looking at things?
> 
> Any particular websites I should be looking at?
> 
> Just wanting some advise guys.


bodybuilding.com has helped me out

and this guys youtube channel i like him his because hes very informative in his videos 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC274DguAKnbBuECcu0-m79Q


----------



## skypod

Find it really hard to decide on what to eat/times for the gym.

I've had problems with abdominal pain/bloating/stomach problems all year, been to the doctors but there's nothing conclusive. But it really puts me off going, and when i do go I don't achieve much.

If I eat a big bowl of cereal in the morning, and go an hour later I have no energy. I've tried bananas, coffee, fruit. Pre-workout doesn't seem to work on me as I can't feel anything. Not sure if it's because my lethargy is psychological or what. Went yesterday after the cereal and felt faint/almost threw up but I think that may be because I hadn't gone all year.

What do people usually eat before the gym?


----------



## Corey

skypod said:


> What do people usually eat before the gym?


Personally, I eat nothing. I go on an empty stomach in the mornings because that way the pre workout has a greater effect and because what I'm using for energy is basically fat or anything else that's stored in my body since I didn't eat anything. Have you tried that? Even like a little chewy bar or something before hand so you're not _totally _starving but it's not really a meal either.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

I love Morning workouts best time to go


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Going to the gym isn't going to primarily use fat as energy. While it's super more in depth (over my head), the edge it gives working out fasted is really only beneficial to competitors trying to drop weight. 

That said, I do fasted cardio a ton because I prefer it. :lol I also love lifting in the morning. :lol but I'll eat before I lift, or have had a large cheat meal the night before. 

In the mornings I eat eggs, oatmeal, Blueberries. That doesn't change, only I'll do it before I lift v after fasted cardio. I have 6 meals a day, so depending when I lift I'll never be on an empty stomach. Chewy bar isn't bad either; stickiness makes you think you're eating more


----------



## Gift Of Jericho

First workout in months today. Had to work around a sprained so mainly machine lifting, but I feel really good despite all the strength and muscle I've lost.


----------



## Jaxx

That feeling when you bench 2 plates for the first time :banderas


----------



## DesolationRow

:woo This week has seen me hit new "maxes" with three sets of 10 reps of 1,100 pounds on the incline leg press as well as this morning 3 sets of 6 reps of 485 pounds deadlifting! :woo


----------



## DesolationRow

Hip flexor screaming at me today after a marathon late-night workout, going to give myself two days off. :lol Giving the body a little bit of extended rest from time to time is probably a far-too-overlooked good idea. Still doing at least 30 minutes of cardio for those two days, though, haha.


----------



## El Conquistador

Anyone have success with the Couch to 5K program?


----------



## The Tempest

Oh hey, I found it 

Okay so, some of the chatbox peeps already know this, I started going to the gym 2 weeks ago and I feel great :woo but here's something I noticed: last time I weighted (this past monday) I was 105 Kg (231 lbs) which compared to when I started I lost something around 4 Kg. Now I weight again today and I gained 2 Kg?! :CENA How is this possible? I stopped eating junk food and I drink a lot of water, so how is this possible? Could this be that I'm gaining muscle mass or whatever it's called?

P.S.: Please excuse my ignorance about this situation, I'm new to all this stuff so I don't know what to do :CENA


----------



## Corey

The Tempest said:


> Oh hey, I found it
> 
> Okay so, some of the chatbox peeps already know this, I started going to the gym 2 weeks ago and I feel great :woo but here's something I noticed: last time I weighted (this past monday) I was 105 Kg (231 lbs) which compared to when I started I lost something around 4 Kg. Now I weight again today and I gained 2 Kg?! :CENA How is this possible? I stopped eating junk food and I drink a lot of water, so how is this possible? Could this be that I'm gaining muscle mass or whatever it's called?
> 
> P.S.: Please excuse my ignorance about this situation, I'm new to all this stuff so I don't know what to do :CENA


Your weight's gonna fluxuate by the day. If you weigh yourself often you'll come up with an average but it'll likely be different every day. All depends on water weight, whether you've pooped or not, how much sleep you got, the amount of carbs in you, what you ate the night before, etc. Tons of factors. Don't be alarmed by it.

But I mean yeah you could actually be gaining weight depending on your caloric intake, especially if you're in a surplus and lifting weights.


----------



## FasihFranck

I used to be skinny 5 years ago but then I went into depression which led me to gain weight and now everything seems going downward since then and I am getting fatter but I am still not in the fat category


----------



## 2K JAY

So I'm getting braces installed on Thursday and I figured what better way to start transforming my body than when I'm waiting for the brace to come off... I have 6 months till I take the brace off and I am expecting good results but there's no point in having a nice smile if I don't have a nice body to go with it. 

Here's a few pics of my body now. Probably not ideal cause its late and I ate so I probably look a bit more bloated than usual. 

http://i66.tinypic.com/fcim1z.jpg
http://i64.tinypic.com/p2j50.jpg

I am 24 and have never really done this before although I always fantasised about having a body that I'm proud of and other people can admire. I picked up two 5kg dumbbells and have been doing various exercises with them at home, as well as walking/jogging in the morning and night for cardio. 

My diet consists of steak/chicken fillets/turkey/beef/pork chops for main. Mixed Vegetables on the side always and either rice or baby potatoes. For snacks, I eat fruit, yogurt, eggs, and maybe the odd protein bar every now and then. 

Am I on the right track? 

I am 6ft and not sure what weight I am or what my body fat percentage is but I know I have to lower it by burning more calories than I consume. Is this the only way I can achieve this or will simply changing my diet lower my BF%? Are protein shakes vital for what I'm trying to do? Any other tips?

Also is it normal for your arms to have cramps the day after working out? It's kind of frustrating cause my arm doesn't seem to bend during the rep after a while so I can't complete my sets. How long should this last?


----------



## Leon Knuckles

What are some meals you guys are taking to work and cooking for dinner? I love cooking, but I'm looking for more ideas. (Protein heavy)


----------



## Nolo King

I was doing the Athlean X-1 and X-2 program (I know, I'm an idiot for paying for it) and was surprised at how well it worked out for me. I kinda let myself go during my vacation month and decided to cut down.

Having lost a lot of fat, I tried some bro workout from Bodybuilding.com and wasn't making much progress after a few months and I also did research only to find a lot of the exercises aren't optimal.

I've been using the Alpha Destiny Novice program which is essentially like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts. I'm happy with my progress so far. My shoulders and quads develop better than everywhere else. I have a long way to go, but it's so fun seeing myself get stronger. Only thing I don't like doing is the floor press because I feel like a tool doing it.

Does anyone here do floor presses or have experience doing it? I really hate explaining that it's a legit workout to the bros.


----------



## Corey

Nolo King said:


> Does anyone here do floor presses or have experience doing it? I really hate explaining that it's a legit workout to the bros.


Done them a few times before. Kinda hurts my elbows and I feel like I'm not doing a proper exercise, even though I'm fully aware of the benefits it may have to benching.  Don't really like them much tbh.


----------



## J-B

I like to do DB floor presses for the triceps, just switch around from heavy to light weight and get them really burning.


----------



## The Tempest

I can finally see my biceps :CENA although I have a feeling my right arm is bigger than the left one, I really don't want to look so unequal or whatever the word is


----------



## HiddenFlaw

Leon Knuckles said:


> What are some meals you guys are taking to work and cooking for dinner? I love cooking, but I'm looking for more ideas. (Protein heavy)


ive been eating tuna/cream cheese with siracha sauce

sounds gross but its not that bad :bjpenn

quick and easy to make


----------



## Magic

So ive been doing more low bar squats recently(used to only do mid or high bar) and it's causing some pain in my shoulder blades. It's not hurting my flexibility or anything, but it definitely hurts when it makes contact with stuff. Basically does anyone know if this is a common thing when starting low bar squat or am I placing it wrong?


----------



## Rugrat

I don't think there's any difference in terms of which is better between the two regarding low and high. It's just recommended to do whichever one is better suited for your build. From what I've seen and read, most seem to favour the high bar.


----------



## kellyon

I also want to lose some weight. I started to attend the gym and run every morning. Additionally my trainer advised me to keep on a healthy diet. I order special containers at https://allinpackaging.co.uk/food-packaging/catering-containers/ to take homemade balanced food even to work and drink protein cocktails twice a day.


----------



## 5 Star Giulia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*I might start working out soon. I'm getting FAT!*


----------



## Chris JeriG.O.A.T

Legit BOSS said:


> *I might start working out soon. I'm getting FAT!*


Long as you don't end up looking like Kevin Owens lol. I need to get back in the gym too, all my weight loss has been from dieting so I've lost a shit ton of muscle too.


----------



## The5star_Kid

Anyone here going off doing weights and doing more push ups, press ups and running? I feel al ot better like this. Less stiff, more athletic and I look better too.


----------



## Jersey

The5star_Kid said:


> *Anyone here going off doing weights and doing more push ups, press ups and running?*


 Yeah, just got back on my push ups game but before that I was on pull ups heavy.


----------



## 5 Star Giulia ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chris JeriG.O.A.T said:


> Long as you don't end up looking like Kevin Owens lol. I need to get back in the gym too, all my weight loss has been from dieting so I've lost a shit ton of muscle too.


*
I've been eating too much pizza and not doing enough physical activity since graduating and it's slowly catching up to me. Time to hit this gym and channel my inner Steph Curry :curry *


----------



## The5star_Kid

PaigeLover said:


> Yeah, just got back on my push ups game but before that I was on pull ups heavy.


Man I'm back on pull ups too. Added ankle weights and so on. Seriously feel so much more loose.


----------



## Jersey

The5star_Kid said:


> Man I'm back on pull ups too. Added ankle weights and so on. Seriously feel so much more loose.


 Typewriter pull ups is what I'm currently trying.


----------



## The5star_Kid

PaigeLover said:


> Typewriter pull ups is what I'm currently trying.


good stuff lad!


----------



## Jersey

The5star_Kid said:


> good stuff lad!


Very challenging but I like the challenge.


----------



## The5star_Kid

PaigeLover said:


> Very challenging but I like the challenge.


I know man. I first tried it a while back after watching some tutorials, takes a while to get used to. As long as your strong, you just need to get the technique right. Practice practice practice


----------



## Jersey

The5star_Kid said:


> I know man. I first tried it a while back after watching some tutorials, takes a while to get used to. As long as your strong, you just need to get the technique right. Practice practice practice


 THat's how I learned was from tutorials and watch never back down where Michael jai white was doing them and the kids were amazed by it.


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

Rich Piana = :dead2

http://www.tmz.com/2017/08/25/rich-piana-dead-at-46/



quote said:


> Bodybuilding sensation Rich Piana has died ... nearly 3 weeks after going into a coma following a medical emergency at his Florida apartment, TMZ Sports has learned.
> 
> We broke the story ... Piana collapsed while getting a haircut on August 7. His girlfriend, Chanel, tried to revive him but was unable to wake him.
> Piana was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was placed into a medically induced coma -- but was unable to recover.
> 
> The District Six Medical Examiner in Florida confirms Piana passed away early Friday morning at the hospital.
> 
> A preliminary search at his apartment revealed more than 20 bottles of steroids and a white powder -- but it's unclear if the substances played a role in his death.
> 
> 46-year-old Piana competed and won several bodybuilding competitions over the years -- including Mr. California -- and became an Instagram sensation, racking up more than 1 million followers.
> 
> R.I.P.


Raally I'm surprised he lasted so long. I really enjoyed his youtube shows, just being honest about his steroid use. I met him a few times and he was nice, nothing bad about him. He did so many roids though. My condolences to his family and friends.


----------



## Magic

The5star_Kid said:


> Anyone here going off doing weights and doing more push ups, press ups and running? I feel al ot better like this. Less stiff, more athletic and I look better too.


I do those with weights(not running because fuck running :side.

Body weight exercises are always good shit to do. The only ones I avoid are dips because I'm scared it will fuck up my shoulder/I get severe pain in my right hand when gripping for some reason.


----------



## The5star_Kid

LONZO said:


> I do those with weights(not running because fuck running :side.
> 
> Body weight exercises are always good shit to do. The only ones I avoid are dips because I'm scared it will fuck up my shoulder/I get severe pain in my right hand when gripping for some reason.


Yeah, I got a jammy right shoulder cos I dislocated it years ago so I avoid exercises that cause too much pain there. Totally get you. 

Btw I should say, I'm not totally off doing weights lol but I do a lot less of them.


----------



## Slickback

Rest in Peace Rich Piana


----------



## $id

Delete


----------



## HiddenFlaw

fak you hurricane harvey :vincefu 


im having gym withdrawals open the gawd damn gym


----------



## J-B

Worked out for the first time in about 2-3 months today, and even before that I was barely committing myself to the gym and haven't been since October last year. I still have muscle but I struggle to barely even look at it after seeing how much my body has declined over the past year. 

Couldn't really do much in the gym today, just some bicep and forearm work but the muscles got shocked so quickly my body had given up after 45 minutes. I'm determined to get back to my old self, muscle memory will help speed up the process and I'm aiming to be back to lifting what I did before by around December perhaps, could be earlier who knows. I feel shitty for allowing myself to lose so much progress but oh well, just gotta get over it and keep working at it.


----------



## ★Th0t Patr0L★

I have recently been taking working out seriously. I've been able to get 30 minutes in everyday this week and I think I'll be able to keep it up, but I've been doing real rudimentary things with limited supplies.

What are some good workouts/equipment the more seasoned people would recommend for people who are just starting and working out in their home?


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

This may be more rant than advice, but god damn getting a job as a personal trainer is next to impossible. Becoming one isn't hard, but i haven't gotten a single interview since March.

I had 2 years as a fitness coach in the military, but no personal training. I've completed in bodybuilding and got my cert from ACE (one of, if not the, best organizations) in March.

Nothing. Not for part time at the worst gym ever, not full time at the Y. Like, what they fuck? I got a full salaried job that paid more, with benefits easier than this. But, I want to do training at least part time for the experience so i can go solo.


----------



## Slickback

Anyone else use Nike Run club, I'm currently aiming to reduce my 1 mile personal best, to under 5:15


----------



## Nolo King

I lost a lot of fat, but got weaker in the process.

Can't stand having to go back up in weights slowly as it's a blow to the ego, but I do look a lot better though.

Moral of the story, do not dirty bulk!


----------



## Xenus

So for the last 12 weeks, I've been hitting the gym, trying to get back into shape after 5 years of what can only be described as the "See Food" diet.

I started the year at 245 pounds (I'm 6 foot 3), 35% body fat and in a really bad place. I took up running as a way of clearing my head and seeing slow progress, promising myself that it'd be worth the money in joining a gym if I could run a 5k - kind of set myself the challenge. I did it in April and had lost about 15 pounds so was pretty happy - then I went on my honeymoon and plateau'd hugely. Joined a gym in September with a personal trainer and had my stats taken:


230 pounds
25% body fat

I was pretty happy with that as a starting point, having my measurements taken again on Saturday so will update them, but at last measurement I was about:


220 pounds
19% body fat

I'm now 216 pounds and beginning to see muscle coming through, which is a great thing. Signed on for another 12 weeks with my PT and want to get down to around the 12%-15% BF mark, hopefully about 205 pounds. Suffering with my shoulder at the moment, thanks to a dodgy rep on a bench press, but soldiering on! 

Would be good to interact with some of you guys/girls who are either starting your journey like me, or have any pearls of wisdom. 

Diet is 40/40/20(fat) at around 2000 cals with the aim of a cut.


----------



## Xenus

El Conquistador said:


> Anyone have success with the Couch to 5K program?


This is how I started after getting fatttttt (see above!). It's a great programme for someone who's not used to exercising, but note that it get's boring after you finish (I couldn't do 5k to 10k as I was so bored by the end of it). Use it as a starting point in your fitness journey, it's not something to rely on as something to get you fit.


----------



## Reservoir Angel

So I went to the gym the other week, for the first time. Then went last week for the second time.

How the hell do people do this so regularly? I've spent a cumulative total of 2 and a half hours there and both times I felt like I was literally falling apart for days afterwards.


----------



## Xenus

Reservoir Angel said:


> So I went to the gym the other week, for the first time. Then went last week for the second time.
> 
> How the hell do people do this so regularly? I've spent a cumulative total of 2 and a half hours there and both times I felt like I was literally falling apart for days afterwards.


You might be doing too much too soon. What were your workouts like? Were they splits, push/pull, or a whole body?


----------



## Jaxx

Reservoir Angel said:


> So I went to the gym the other week, for the first time. Then went last week for the second time.
> 
> How the hell do people do this so regularly? I've spent a cumulative total of 2 and a half hours there and both times I felt like I was literally falling apart for days afterwards.


Your body gets used to it. First time goers will notice they ache a lot more after their first couple of sessions but as time goes on, you feel it less and it just becomes routine. I remember the first time I went and did biceps, I couldn't stretch my arms out for like 2/3 days :flair Be sure to take in enough protein to help with the recovery process too.


----------



## samizayn

Reservoir Angel said:


> So I went to the gym the other week, for the first time. Then went last week for the second time.
> 
> How the hell do people do this so regularly? I've spent a cumulative total of 2 and a half hours there and both times I felt like I was literally falling apart for days afterwards.


Are you consuming PROTEIN?


----------



## andymoore

*How to build six pack?*

What should I do for making my six-pack


----------



## Chris JeriG.O.A.T

*Re: How to build six pack?*

Have a sub 9% body fat percentage. That's about it.


----------



## Lesnar Turtle

Reservoir Angel said:


> So I went to the gym the other week, for the first time. Then went last week for the second time.
> 
> How the hell do people do this so regularly? I've spent a cumulative total of 2 and a half hours there and both times I felt like I was literally falling apart for days afterwards.


Your body will get used to it pretty fast. Just make sure to eat plenty of (good) food, get plenty of sleep, maybe use creatine and protein powder if you feel you really need it, and warm up properly, otherwise you're asking for injuries and you wont get anywhere near as much benefit.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

*Re: How to build six pack?*



andymoore said:


> What should I do for making my six-pack


reduce daily calorie intake


----------



## DesolationRow

Performed 30 reps of 1,270-pound legpressing this morning. Quads of steel! :woo :woo :lol

Otherwise, kind of plateaued with everything else at the moment, but I feel happy with that for now. Shoulders feel good, which at times feels like half the battle.


----------



## Corey

DesolationRow said:


> Performed 30 reps of 1,270-pound legpressing this morning. Quads of steel! :woo :woo :lol
> 
> Otherwise, kind of plateaued with everything else at the moment, but I feel happy with that for now. *Shoulders feel good, which at times feels like half the battle.*


Shit man that's at least half the battle.  I constantly have either some kind of shoulder or elbow pain. Can't stand it, but that's what 6 years of lifting will do to ya on top of getting older. :lol


----------



## virus21

Lost 10 pounds in a week as of Wednesday. Feels good. Need to lose more though.


----------



## DesolationRow

Thank you, @Corey. So very true. Keep those shoulders and elbows iced! And knees, too. :lol

Now at 1,290 pounds legpressing (yes just added ten-pound plates to each side, ha)! :woo :woo :woo


----------



## UniversalGleam

Reservoir Angel said:


> So I went to the gym the other week, for the first time. Then went last week for the second time.
> 
> How the hell do people do this so regularly? I've spent a cumulative total of 2 and a half hours there and both times I felt like I was literally falling apart for days afterwards.


basically because your body isnt used to it, you are probably using muscles you havnt used in ages so its painful.

I used to walk about 15 miles every weekend and the first few times I did it I could hardly get out of bed the next day, after a while you get used to it and it doesnt even factor in.

keep going with it and that will disappear. I would suggest giving your body time to heal before doing it again, do it more regularly when you get used to it otherwise you are just exercising damaged muscles.


----------



## TripleG

Little before and after here. The first pic is from a few years ago, but I've been pretty doughy and out of shape most of that time. 

In late November of last year, I decided to start working out regularly. The 2nd pic shows what I look like now. 

I'm happy with the results.


----------



## $id

I have barbell anxiety ..so much so that i use a trainer. Trainers in india are like 7 bucks an hour so money is not an issue

I want to get over it. Im scared il pick a weight i can initially lift but will cause me to collapse as i squat or bench. I can work with dumbells. Find it safer. I dont even mind my trainer as i get a good workout with him but i eventually be it one year or whatever ...want to lift on my own. Any tips to overcome fear?


----------



## Xenus

$id said:


> I have barbell anxiety ..so much so that i use a trainer. Trainers in india are like 7 bucks an hour so money is not an issue
> 
> I want to get over it. Im scared il pick a weight i can initially lift but will cause me to collapse as i squat or bench. I can work with dumbells. Find it safer. I dont even mind my trainer as i get a good workout with him but i eventually be it one year or whatever ...want to lift on my own. Any tips to overcome fear?


Put some safety bars in place on the squat racks. They need to be high enough that if you collapse under the barbell it doesn't matter, but you can't rest the bar on them when you're in the full squat. That little bit of reassurance really helped me overcome this with squat, you can even drop the bar down unweighted and crawl underneath it so you know you can't hurt yourself. That's just a mental thing.

In bench presses, the worst that can happen is you can't lift it up again. It won't hurt you, just roll it down your body and not towards your neck. I've seen a few people try to put it back over their heads, which is stupid. If you can't lift it again, then just roll it downwards and sit up - easy.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Magic

$id said:


> I have barbell anxiety ..so much so that i use a trainer. Trainers in india are like 7 bucks an hour so money is not an issue
> 
> I want to get over it. Im scared il pick a weight i can initially lift but will cause me to collapse as i squat or bench. I can work with dumbells. Find it safer. I dont even mind my trainer as i get a good workout with him but i eventually be it one year or whatever ...want to lift on my own. Any tips to overcome fear?


Just use the bar. Do squats with just the bar, do bench with just the bar, do deadlifts with the bar+10lb coloured plates(the olympic lifting plates as they're the proper size if you want to practice).

You can't hurt yourself with that little weight, trust me.

I've also seen people fail with 400+ lbs on squats. Even at that point my friend was able to just let it fall behind his back. Your natural instincts will kick in to protect you, just don't try to fight against failing when it's happening as that's how you get hurt.



Xenus said:


> Put some safety bars in place on the squat racks. They need to be high enough that if you collapse under the barbell it doesn't matter, but you can't rest the bar on them when you're in the full squat. That little bit of reassurance really helped me overcome this with squat, you can even drop the bar down unweighted and crawl underneath it so you know you can't hurt yourself. That's just a mental thing.
> 
> In bench presses, the worst that can happen is you can't lift it up again. It won't hurt you, just roll it down your body and not towards your neck. I've seen a few people try to put it back over their heads, which is stupid. If you can't lift it again, then just roll it downwards and sit up - easy.
> 
> Hope this helps.


For what you said about bench, this is only true at lower weights. You definitely do not want a shit ton of weight to just get stuck on your chest as there's no guarantee you will be able to roll it off.


----------



## Corey

I'd also recommend finding yourself a lifting partner. Having someone there with you (not a trainer) will ease your mind tremendously and they'll always be able to spot you. I can't tell you how much it changes my mindset going into a bench workout by myself compared to with a friend. I may stop and rack it before one last rep where I know I can _probably_ get it up but don't wanna take the risk whereas if I've got a spotter that I know, I'm pushing that shit as far as I can take it cause he's got me. It's a game changer.


----------



## $id

I guess bench is very scary. But if i were to follow a barbell based programme would it be ok if i lift dumbells instead. Dumbells seems so safe. 

About starting with just the bar. Have already been lifting with a trainer. Ive made quite the strength gains. Im to reliant on a trainer and i feel i need to work on my own after a while atleast. I guess i have to just suck it up.


----------



## Explicitx

Reading through this thread is surprising to me. Most of you are adults and should know this by now... You don't go to the gym and lift the amount of weights that someone who's been going for years does. You don't go to the gym as a beginner and work out for as long as someone who's been going for years does... You start at your OWN paste. If you're a beginner, a half hour of an intense work out is enough (obviously you have to diet too). And as your body adjusts and gets used to it, you can lift heavier and heavier weights or work out longer or just make the workouts more intense. You don't start at the bottom as a beginner and then shoot up 10 levels. That's not how working out works. And it's NOT maintainable or realistic.

Start small as a beginner and gradually work up to the next level. Also, you can work out till the cows come home, if your diet is not right, don't expect much results.


----------



## Xenus

Magic said:


> For what you said about bench, this is only true at lower weights. You definitely do not want a shit ton of weight to just get stuck on your chest as there's no guarantee you will be able to roll it off.


Agreed, but the dude who's just starting isn't gonna be lifting 300lbs - it's just advice to get confidence at this stage.


----------



## Corey

$id said:


> I guess bench is very scary. But if i were to follow a barbell based programme would it be ok if i lift dumbells instead. Dumbells seems so safe.


Depends on whatever program you're trying to use. Most benching programs base off of your one rep max and then give you percentages to lift every week so you get stronger as you go on. A one rep max isn't exactly something you wanna figure out with dumbbells cause that's just dangerous as fuck and totally unnecessary.


----------



## skypod

Been skinny all my life but have developed a fat belly/some back fat over the last 2 years. I'm basically like skinny fat.

I've cut chocolate/caffeine/heavy sugar cereal bars etc. out of my diet, for a month now. No takeaways, melted cheese, pizza, crisps (chips to you yanks) and I've honestly seen no improvements.

This is with some short cardio sessions on cross trainer and treadmill after work through the week (I do a chest day/biceps/back/legs etc. every other day).

Think I'm going to build up to try swimming at my gym, but I get out of breath quickly so done a few lengths today. But yeah this lack of losing weight is frustrating. More frustrating than not gaining muscle mass as quick, as at least I can explain that with not going hard enough with weights (my diets improved here too, I tend to have rice/chicken, pasta/fish most nights and have high protein low sugar bars in the morning and eat a 127g can of tuna every other day. 

Anyone else think they've hit a wall with losing body fat?


----------



## Corey

skypod said:


> Been skinny all my life but have developed a fat belly/some back fat over the last 2 years. I'm basically like skinny fat.
> 
> I've cut chocolate/caffeine/heavy sugar cereal bars etc. out of my diet, for a month now. No takeaways, melted cheese, pizza, crisps (chips to you yanks) and I've honestly seen no improvements.
> 
> This is with some short cardio sessions on cross trainer and treadmill after work through the week (I do a chest day/biceps/back/legs etc. every other day).
> 
> Think I'm going to build up to try swimming at my gym, but I get out of breath quickly so done a few lengths today. But yeah this lack of losing weight is frustrating. More frustrating than not gaining muscle mass as quick, as at least I can explain that with not going hard enough with weights (my diets improved here too, I tend to have rice/chicken, pasta/fish most nights and have high protein low sugar bars in the morning and eat a 127g can of tuna every other day.
> 
> Anyone else think they've hit a wall with losing body fat?


Are you counting calories? Honestly what you eat or don't eat really doesn't matter all that much as long as you're hitting your calories and macros. Simply gonna be calories in vs. calories out.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

why isn't this thread more active :mj2


----------



## The Tempest

If I had any clue about what I'm doing I'd participate more :mj4


----------



## Scissor Me Daddy-O!!

HiddenFlaw said:


> why isn't this thread more active :mj2


What do you want to know?

Ask a former bodybuilder and certified personal trainer anything. ANYTHING.


----------



## li/<o

Would love to give my recent experience in losing weight and getting into shape. 

First and foremost I have been in a roll coaster I lose weight and I gain weight. The most recent was around I think October or November where I had some anxiety attack it was so weird never happened I thought I was going to die I felt like I was choking (at some hard cookie and couldn't breath). I was afraid of eating certain foods that were hard after that.

So I was eating less losing weight I cut soda and wasn't eating chips and lots of fatty foods. People at work noticed that I was losing weight my pants would start falling I had to buy a new belt hell everyone at work said that I was looking amazing. Only workout I would do I guess was just walk at times and also walk a lot at work.

So not long ago I started to do workout bought some protein powder and been pumping my iron. I feel amazing and I have noticed my body transforming. I am hoping I can get to a point where I can feel comfortable on the beach (I mean I feel comfortable now, but I want to just have a nice rock body or almost their). At this point I can put on any type of cloths and feel confident. 

My advice is change your diet I guess when that incident happened I cut hard foods (I love chips), but overall cut my food intake and little by little I lost weight. Drink lots of water and eliminate soda and those nasty sugar drinks (once in a while I guess if you crave it take it). As of now since I started building muscle my arms have grown you can see my forearms are stronger than ever and veiny. 

It also takes time I think I lost would say 40 to 30 pounds in within the 4 to 3 month span. I still eat junk food here and their, but not all the time. It just feels amazing to just get into shape


----------



## kellyon

I'm not a big fan of regular trainings, to stay in shape I take the stairs to my office, on the fifth floor. No beverages with calories. Take my dog for an hour walk a day. Use free weights to work my glamor muscles when I'm feeling pumped (like watching ufc or an action movie or something). Also I make coolsculpting new york city once a year. This procedure helps me to get rid of fat cells in the short period of time. I'm in pretty good shape now.


----------



## Raw-Is-Botchamania

I calculated my calories, of course, but if you mainly stick to lean meat, fish, salads and veggies, with some nuts and fruit, and eat potatos for example instead of pasta or rice, I think it's difficult for the average male to exceed maintenance calories.

I go for a 30 minute run every day after waking up, then eat a nice breakfast with overnight oats or a simple porridge, with either an egg white omelette or a protein shake. Then over the course of the day, I eat what I said above. Three or four times a week I do a muscle workout in the evening. About half an hour before that, I either eat a simple banana, or a shake with some instant oats.
Afterwards, I tend to eat potatos with either chicken or fish.
When I have to skip a meal, I replace it with another shake. I do my own little shake, with organic whey protein (25g per serving), mixed with a teaspoon of Maca, 2g L-Arginine, and 2g of Citrulline Malate. Really gives you a boost.

For healthy fats, I use unrefined coconut fat for sauteeing, and a blend of Omega 3-6-9 for using in dressings or drizzling over veggies.

Getting the Body ready for summer.

I don't understand why people spend 2+ hours at the gym. Unless you prepare for a Marathon and do cardio that long, there really is no reason to spend that time. I spend 45 minutes MAXIMUM. When you're concentrated and focus on the exercises, that's all you need. Chances are, if you are able to exercise for 2 hours, you're not doing it right.

I also don't really subscribe to the idea that calorie intake is all that matters. Combinations of macro nutrients influence how effective digestion works, and in times of intense digestion, your body is lower in energy. 3/4 of your body's energy is used for digesting. I subscribe to the advice of eating two macros at once, not a combo of all three, to make digesting easier and keeping your energy Level up.


----------



## Draykorinee

I don't do anything to stay in shape. I have and always have had a BMI of 18, I eat absolutely anything all day everyday, my calorie intake can be as high as 6-8000 some days. I often go to 2 meals for 1 restaurants with friends and polish off both meals myself followed by beers and pudding. I once ate a restaurants 'challenge' burger then ate another full burger meal after.

I run 30 minutes 2 times a week and play football for an hour, otherwise my exercise is walking everywhere.

I'm guessing my metabolism is just that high, I actually had self esteem issues due to my skinniness but have since overcome those, I could probably buff up if I cared enough but I just don't. Everyone says it will catch up with me one day.


----------



## Brock

When's the best time to weigh yourself for an accurate number? Once a week, first thing in the morning?


----------



## Carter84

Brock said:


> When's the best time to weigh yourself for an accurate number? Once a week, first thing in the morning?[/
> 
> My doctor I see said in the morning when u first wake up as it's when u are gonna be ur lightest @BROCK
> 
> It's about cutting out the sugar and eating things in moderation , not to over indulge in fatty foods and instead of having sugar in tea try sweetex , I used to have four sugars in every cup pa I had and boy did I pay for it over the years , I ballooned to 17 and half stone , at xmas time I thought I need to get healthy not to be a gym fanatic but just get in shape and cut out the excesses alcohol each night after a stressful day, once a month now ( depends) or even longer, it's easy to put weight on , it's harder to lose it and I'm struggling each day as I love sweets but I have beat the cravings and will continue to try,
> Remember sugar is 7 times more addictive than cocaine
> Peace to u all.


----------



## Corey

Brock said:


> When's the best time to weigh yourself for an accurate number? Once a week, first thing in the morning?


First thing in the morning every day. Empty stomach, post-morning pee/poop, and in as little clothes as possible.


----------



## Xenus

Thought I'd share that in the last year I've lost 40 pounds! 

I'm now 6 foot 3, 205 pounds and 18% BF.

I want to get down to 15% BF then I'll start a bulk, but definitely getting there.


----------



## Brock

Theuk said:


> Brock said:
> 
> 
> 
> When's the best time to weigh yourself for an accurate number? Once a week, first thing in the morning?[/
> 
> My doctor I see said in the morning when u first wake up as it's when u are gonna be ur lightest @BROCK
> 
> It's about cutting out the sugar and eating things in moderation , not to over indulge in fatty foods and instead of having sugar in tea try sweetex , I used to have four sugars in every cup pa I had and boy did I pay for it over the years , I ballooned to 17 and half stone , at xmas time I thought I need to get healthy not to be a gym fanatic but just get in shape and cut out the excesses alcohol each night after a stressful day, once a month now ( depends) or even longer, it's easy to put weight on , it's harder to lose it and I'm struggling each day as I love sweets but I have beat the cravings and will continue to try,
> Remember sugar is 7 times more addictive than cocaine
> Peace to u all.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Corey said:
> 
> 
> 
> First thing in the morning every day. Empty stomach, post-morning pee/poop, and in as little clothes as possible.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> k
Click to expand...


----------



## DesolationRow

First thing in the morning, @Brock. 

Deadlifting 500 lbs. and feeling good! :woo


----------



## J-B

I probably own enough weightlifting equipment to run a small gym :lol


----------



## $id

Hey i progressed for two sets of 8 in my bench press last session did 7 the 1st. 5 the second and 4 the third.

I couldnt do a single rep in the 3rd this week so I deloaded but still couldnt get more tgan 4 reps. What went wrong? Did i push myself too much in the second set to reach 8?


----------



## Corey

$id said:


> Hey i progressed for two sets of 8 in my bench press last session did 7 the 1st. 5 the second and 4 the third.
> 
> I couldnt do a single rep in the 3rd this week so I deloaded but still couldnt get more tgan 4 reps. What went wrong? Did i push myself too much in the second set to reach 8?


You have good days and bad days. Are you keeping the weight the same each set?


----------



## TripleG

My workouts are still going well. 

Now if I could only tan...


----------



## Jaxx

Regularly hitting 6-8 reps of 100kg on the bench press now, never thought I'd say that when I first started and could barely lift 40kg :flair

Did 2 reps on 110kg last week too. Was weird but one time I shared the bench with another guy and he told me to try 120kg I was like kay he kept his hand on the bar and to my shock I managed 3 reps but I'm a bit iffy on how much he was helping. He insisted it was all me but 3 reps on 120kg seems mad for me to do on my own. It was either a really good day or there was a mental benefit to him just keeping his hand around the bar.


----------



## BehindYou

Thoughts on protein suppliments?

I saw a mini-doc about supplements at the same time I was tight on money paying for a holiday so I didn't order a new pouch 2 months ago.

I feel great, no DOMs or anything and my diet is pretty ok, see what I ate on Friday for a typical example:
Breakfast - Oats, strawberry, bannana & almond milk smoothie

Snack - Peanut butter wholemeal sandwich

Lunch - Spinach Salad with tuna, eggs and avacado

Dinner - Jacket Potato, 2 chicken breasts, broccoli, refried beans


But I measured up today and my chest and biceps have shrunk 2 inches and 1.5 inches respectively in the 2 months. 

I've ordered a pouch on Prime to arrive tomorrow. 

So have I been suckered into the hype?
Or does a lanky hard gainer like me need the fat and 35g protein of a wholemilk shake post workout to even sustain their (already unimpressive) size?


----------



## Corey

BehindYou said:


> Thoughts on protein suppliments?
> 
> I saw a mini-doc about supplements at the same time I was tight on money paying for a holiday so I didn't order a new pouch 2 months ago.
> 
> I feel great, no DOMs or anything and my diet is pretty ok, see what I ate on Friday for a typical example:
> Breakfast - Oats, strawberry, bannana & almond milk smoothie
> 
> Snack - Peanut butter wholemeal sandwich
> 
> Lunch - Spinach Salad with tuna, eggs and avacado
> 
> Dinner - Jacket Potato, 2 chicken breasts, broccoli, refried beans
> 
> 
> But I measured up today and my chest and biceps have shrunk 2 inches and 1.5 inches respectively in the 2 months.
> 
> I've ordered a pouch on Prime to arrive tomorrow.
> 
> So have I been suckered into the hype?
> Or does a lanky hard gainer like me need the fat and 35g protein of a wholemilk shake post workout to even sustain their (already unimpressive) size?


You definitely still need it and should continue buying it. Even if you're not sore, it doesn't necessarily mean you're still growing (as you found out). Whey protein powders are more of a food substance than a supplement and it's the easiest way to get a huge chunk of your daily protein out of the way instead of stuffing your face with grilled chicken all day.


----------



## Jaxx

Anyone tried intermittent fasting? I'm trying to get leaner, I'm in decent shape as of now but I've never been lean so I'm gonna try to get there. Going for the 16/8, eating hours are 12pm-8pm. Never been a cardio kind of guy so hoping the fasting will do the trick here, might incorporate some skipping into my workouts though. Always a bit worried about losing muscle when cutting, think I need to get the balance right.

Anyone who has tried it before, any tips?


----------



## Erik.

Jaxx said:


> Anyone tried intermittent fasting? I'm trying to get leaner, I'm in decent shape as of now but I've never been lean so I'm gonna try to get there. Going for the 16/8, eating hours are 12pm-8pm. Never been a cardio kind of guy so hoping the fasting will do the trick here, might incorporate some skipping into my workouts though. Always a bit worried about losing muscle when cutting, think I need to get the balance right.
> 
> Anyone who has tried it before, any tips?


All I know is my brother lost a load of body-fat by doing it.

He went from 215lbs to 196lbs in a few weeks.

But it depends on what works for you, I suppose. Maybe it's worth a try? I doubt you'll lose noticeable muscle if you give it a go for a short period of time.


----------



## Corey

Jaxx said:


> Anyone tried intermittent fasting? I'm trying to get leaner, I'm in decent shape as of now but I've never been lean so I'm gonna try to get there. Going for the 16/8, eating hours are 12pm-8pm. Never been a cardio kind of guy so hoping the fasting will do the trick here, might incorporate some skipping into my workouts though. Always a bit worried about losing muscle when cutting, think I need to get the balance right.
> 
> Anyone who has tried it before, any tips?


I've done it before and it worked pretty well for me. It wasn't very difficult on gym days because I always go around late morning/lunchtime on an empty stomach but it's a bit trickier on rest days. You're kinda just sitting around waiting for it to be time to eat.  But yeah it definitely did help with fat loss and your energy levels are pretty good if you drink plenty of water.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

Jaxx said:


> Anyone tried intermittent fasting? I'm trying to get leaner, I'm in decent shape as of now but I've never been lean so I'm gonna try to get there. Going for the 16/8, eating hours are 12pm-8pm. Never been a cardio kind of guy so hoping the fasting will do the trick here, might incorporate some skipping into my workouts though. Always a bit worried about losing muscle when cutting, think I need to get the balance right.
> 
> Anyone who has tried it before, any tips?


jumping rope is the way to go man

i do 5 min before my workout and 5 min at the end 

i keep droping pant sizes feels good man wens3


----------



## Nostalgia

Jaxx said:


> Anyone tried intermittent fasting? I'm trying to get leaner, I'm in decent shape as of now but I've never been lean so I'm gonna try to get there. Going for the 16/8, eating hours are 12pm-8pm. Never been a cardio kind of guy so hoping the fasting will do the trick here, might incorporate some skipping into my workouts though. Always a bit worried about losing muscle when cutting, think I need to get the balance right.
> 
> Anyone who has tried it before, any tips?


I've been doing IF for about 3 years now. I usually eat between 11am and 6pm so I'm getting 17 hours of fasting. I don't work out though, but it's good for fat loss. I usually do a bit of fasted cardio in the morning. IF helped me get to my lowest weight of 147 pounds last year which at 5'10 was fine, I was pretty lean. 

People are usually not hungry the first thing when they wake up and they force themselves to eat breakfast because it's ''the norm'' but it's completely unnecessary. If you're a bit hungry, just have a coffee and you'll be fine until lunchtime. It might take a bit of time for your body to adapt, but very quickly it will become routine. I see IF more as a lifestyle than a quick fix. 

You could see even better results with IF with working out though, but I found good results with IF, healthy eating and light exercise (walking a few miles everyday).


----------



## MarkyWhipwreck

I should probably start probably start posting here. I'm 5'11 and 157 lbs, I've been working out since the summer of 2015 and started seeing good results around spring of 2016. I slacked off my diet around christmas time last year (eating a lot of junk really) and starting losing my cuts but since the beginning of the year and at max I'm taking it about 2000 calories a day and I'm the most ripped I've ever been tbh.

*The current supplements I take are:*

Caesin Protein (1-2 scoops depending on the day)

Creatine 

And occasionally an amino energy as a pre-workout.

*My weekly routine is:*

Monday - arms (legs at home)

Tuesday - legs

Wednesday - chest (legs at home)

Thursday - shoulders

Friday - arms/back

Saturday - legs/cardio

Sunday - chest/cardio

I do abs everyday as well :lol


----------



## Magic

HiddenFlaw said:


> jumping rope is the way to go man
> 
> i do 5 min before my workout and 5 min at the end
> 
> i keep droping pant sizes feels good man wens3


Skipping+rowing will make you into a beast in no time. I gotta get back into skipping though and cardio in general but I typically have no energy left at the end of workouts. :mj2


----------



## Jaxx

Erik. said:


> All I know is my brother lost a load of body-fat by doing it.
> 
> He went from 215lbs to 196lbs in a few weeks.
> 
> But it depends on what works for you, I suppose. Maybe it's worth a try? I doubt you'll lose noticeable muscle if you give it a go for a short period of time.


Yeah agreed. Never heard anyone say IF hasn't worked for them, your brother seems like another in a long line of successes. Sounds like he was a pretty hefty fella to begin with.



Corey said:


> I've done it before and it worked pretty well for me. It wasn't very difficult on gym days because I always go around late morning/lunchtime on an empty stomach but it's a bit trickier on rest days. You're kinda just sitting around waiting for it to be time to eat.  But yeah it definitely did help with fat loss and your energy levels are pretty good if you drink plenty of water.


That's one thing I was worried about, the energy levels in the gym on a fast. I like to strength train these days and I don't want it affecting my lifts. Although the only day I would be training on a fast is Saturdays since I work Mon-Fri anyway, I train after work on work days.



HiddenFlaw said:


> jumping rope is the way to go man
> 
> i do 5 min before my workout and 5 min at the end
> 
> i keep droping pant sizes feels good man wens3


Awesome man. Skipping is the only cardio I think I could be okay with so glad to know it works.



Nostalgia said:


> I've been doing IF for about 3 years now. I usually eat between 11am and 6pm so I'm getting 17 hours of fasting. I don't work out though, but it's good for fat loss. I usually do a bit of fasted cardio in the morning. IF helped me get to my lowest weight of 147 pounds last year which at 5'10 was fine, I was pretty lean.
> 
> People are usually not hungry the first thing when they wake up and they force themselves to eat breakfast because it's ''the norm'' but it's completely unnecessary. If you're a bit hungry, just have a coffee and you'll be fine until lunchtime. It might take a bit of time for your body to adapt, but very quickly it will become routine. I see IF more as a lifestyle than a quick fix.
> 
> You could see even better results with IF with working out though, but I found good results with IF, healthy eating and light exercise (walking a few miles everyday).


Good job man. Guy who sits next to me at work does the same as you. IF and healthy eating and the dude lost a ton of noticeable weight and he does almost np exercise.

Appreciate the tips guys. Think I might hold off on the cardio for now and see results without it, I sweat quite a bit from weight lifts anyway. I'll start incorporating skipping if it isn't going as I'd hoped. Now need to work out how I'll get my 140g-160g of protein into 8 hours.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

MarkyWhipwreck said:


> I should probably start probably start posting here. I'm 5'11 and 157 lbs, I've been working out since the summer of 2015 and started seeing good results around spring of 2016. I slacked off my diet around christmas time last year (eating a lot of junk really) and starting losing my cuts but since the beginning of the year and at max I'm taking it about 2000 calories a day and I'm the most ripped I've ever been tbh.
> 
> *The current supplements I take are:*
> 
> Caesin Protein (1-2 scoops depending on the day)
> 
> Creatine
> 
> And occasionally an amino energy as a pre-workout.
> 
> *My weekly routine is:*
> 
> Monday - arms (legs at home)
> 
> Tuesday - legs
> 
> Wednesday - chest (legs at home)
> 
> Thursday - shoulders
> 
> Friday - arms/back
> 
> Saturday - legs/cardio
> 
> Sunday - chest/cardio
> 
> I do abs everyday as well :lol


damn bro no rest day huh lol


----------



## MarkyWhipwreck

HiddenFlaw said:


> damn bro no rest day huh lol


Not at all :lol as I get older I'll probably incorporate a rest day but as of now no days off lol. I can't lie, the gym 7 days a week plus the home workouts get tiring.


----------



## Corey

I just wanna clarify here, skipping isn't a slang word for anything else right? Like, you guys are literally skipping for cardio? That seems odd.


----------



## skypod

What does everyone use as their fat intake on their diet? I don't get enough when I cut out junk food. I'm trying to lower my carbs, my protein is decent and sugar always on/below recommended. But fat is usually lower than recommended. I struggle to lose weight on a diet and I'm wondering if my bodies retaining more fat because I'm not getting enough? But I thought my carb intake going over recommended would cancel that out? 

I've been told to have things like nuts but honestly its so boring sitting at my desk at work eating something so dry. 

Usually have high nutty/protein breakfast bar, yoghurt and 2 apricots in the morning. Chicken/potato soup at lunch. And pasta tuna for dinner (though I'm trying to have just chicken breast/brocolli/asparagus instead now with less or no rice/pasta)


----------



## Nostalgia

skypod said:


> What does everyone use as their fat intake on their diet? I don't get enough when I cut out junk food. I'm trying to lower my carbs, my protein is decent and sugar always on/below recommended. But fat is usually lower than recommended. I struggle to lose weight on a diet and I'm wondering if my bodies retaining more fat because I'm not getting enough? But I thought my carb intake going over recommended would cancel that out?


Eggs, Fish, milk, coconut oil. I was eating nuts, but nuts bought in the supermarket are processed and roasted with unhealthy oils, so I've cut that out for now.


----------



## Corey

skypod said:


> What does everyone use as their fat intake on their diet? I don't get enough when I cut out junk food. I'm trying to lower my carbs, my protein is decent and sugar always on/below recommended. But fat is usually lower than recommended. I struggle to lose weight on a diet and I'm wondering if my bodies retaining more fat because I'm not getting enough? But I thought my carb intake going over recommended would cancel that out?
> 
> I've been told to have things like nuts but honestly its so boring sitting at my desk at work eating something so dry.
> 
> Usually have high nutty/protein breakfast bar, yoghurt and 2 apricots in the morning. Chicken/potato soup at lunch. And pasta tuna for dinner (though I'm trying to have just chicken breast/brocolli/asparagus instead now with less or no rice/pasta)


Eggs, fish, and red meat. If you drink milk you can just buy 2% or whole if you need the extra fat too (I prefer skim all year round). Nuts are a waste of time because of how high in fat they are for being so tiny but peanut butter could be better for you since it's more filling and tastier.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

i usually mix it up between 2% milk and soy milk


----------



## MarkyWhipwreck

What are you guys opinion on weight-lifting belts? Do they help any? Was considering purchasing one.


----------



## Corey

MarkyWhipwreck said:


> What are you guys opinion on weight-lifting belts? Do they help any? Was considering purchasing one.


I really don't use mind that often these days but they come in handy if you're doing heavy squats, deadlifts, shrugs, or rack pulls for that lower back support. It's always a nice thing to have in the gym bag, especially as a one time purchase where you'll keep it and use it for years.


----------



## Jaxx

Corey said:


> I just wanna clarify here, skipping isn't a slang word for anything else right? Like, you guys are literally skipping for cardio? That seems odd.


Lmao I just thought of what you must think skipping is. Imagine doing that through the gym for cardio :Rollins 

Skipping = Jumping rope


----------



## Corey

Jaxx said:


> Lmao I just thought of what you must think skipping is. Imagine doing that through the gym for cardio :Rollins
> 
> Skipping = Jumping rope


Oh thank god. That makes WAY more sense. :lol


----------



## HiddenFlaw

lol you thought skipping was actually skipping


----------



## DesolationRow

Broke my own deadlift "record" tonight with lifting 530 pounds. Feels good.


----------



## BehindYou

skypod said:


> What does everyone use as their fat intake on their diet? I don't get enough when I cut out junk food. I'm trying to lower my carbs, my protein is decent and sugar always on/below recommended. But fat is usually lower than recommended. I struggle to lose weight on a diet and I'm wondering if my bodies retaining more fat because I'm not getting enough? But I thought my carb intake going over recommended would cancel that out?
> 
> I've been told to have things like nuts but honestly its so boring sitting at my desk at work eating something so dry.
> 
> Usually have high nutty/protein breakfast bar, yoghurt and 2 apricots in the morning. Chicken/potato soup at lunch. And pasta tuna for dinner (though I'm trying to have just chicken breast/brocolli/asparagus instead now with less or no rice/pasta)


 I'm surprised no-one mentioned avacados. 

Tonnes of vitamins and minerals, good fat & high calorie count.
There also delicious and easy to get into other meals or have on the side. Put it straight into your tuna bake for example. They go especially well with anything spicy because they're cool and creamy.

Lastly, you're no where near where you should be fibre wise.... half an avacado a day could be a huge quality of life/ movement improvement.


----------



## skypod

BehindYou said:


> I'm surprised no-one mentioned avacados.
> 
> Tonnes of vitamins and minerals, good fat & high calorie count.
> There also delicious and easy to get into other meals or have on the side. Put it straight into your tuna bake for example. They go especially well with anything spicy because they're cool and creamy.
> 
> Lastly, you're no where near where you should be fibre wise.... half an avacado a day could be a huge quality of life/ movement improvement.



Honestly fibre doesn't agree with me too much, I feel like someone's fed me laxatives and I get stomach aches later in the day.

When I have time I do have 3 weetabix in the morning though. There's also fibre breakfast bars but I find the highest fibre ones tend to have a lot of sugar too.


----------



## Nostalgia

If someone is not adjusted to eating more fibre it's recommended to take some time to build it up. Suddenly adding a lot more can cause issues, you have to build up gradually. I get plenty of fibre daily from eating leafy greens + other veg, beans and oats. 

Eating Weetabix or breakfast bars sounds a terrible breakfast, especially if trying to lose weight. Something like eggs or anything more high in protein and fat would keep you much more satiated with no sugar high and sudden drop in blood sugars a few hours afterwards.


----------



## Overcomer

At the start of June I was a few pounds short of 230. I had a gut and some of my shorts no longer fit anymore so I knew I had to do something about it. I would drink a lot of soda like coke and eat chips, candy, and all sorts of junk. I started going to the gym since then, so almost a total of 2 months. I went 5 days a week (on the weekend I would walk 2 hours per day) - I would do cardio exercise for 1 hr and then weight training for another 45 min to an hour (I've worked out at the gym before so it didn't take me long to get back into the groove of things). I weighed myself yesterday and I am down to 203. My goal was to get to 200 by September - I am on pace to go beyond. My aim is to now get down to 180. I haven't weighed that much since like 2006 or something.


----------



## Overcomer

skypod said:


> What does everyone use as their fat intake on their diet? I don't get enough when I cut out junk food. I'm trying to lower my carbs, my protein is decent and sugar always on/below recommended. But fat is usually lower than recommended. I struggle to lose weight on a diet and I'm wondering if my bodies retaining more fat because I'm not getting enough? But I thought my carb intake going over recommended would cancel that out?
> 
> I've been told to have things like nuts but honestly its so boring sitting at my desk at work eating something so dry.
> 
> Usually have high nutty/protein breakfast bar, yoghurt and 2 apricots in the morning. Chicken/potato soup at lunch. And pasta tuna for dinner (though I'm trying to have just chicken breast/brocolli/asparagus instead now with less or no rice/pasta)


You need carbs for energy so don't eliminate them completely, although you can zero carb to lose weight (this should be done for a very short interval. I personally don't do it because I hate feeling like shit)

For fats Avocado is good - I drink one table spoon of olive oil, red palm oil and coconut oil per day. I'm Portuguese so I have olive oil a lot with different types of food.


----------



## Overcomer

BehindYou said:


> Thoughts on protein suppliments?
> 
> I saw a mini-doc about supplements at the same time I was tight on money paying for a holiday so I didn't order a new pouch 2 months ago.
> 
> I feel great, no DOMs or anything and my diet is pretty ok, see what I ate on Friday for a typical example:
> Breakfast - Oats, strawberry, bannana & almond milk smoothie
> 
> Snack - Peanut butter wholemeal sandwich
> 
> Lunch - Spinach Salad with tuna, eggs and avacado
> 
> Dinner - Jacket Potato, 2 chicken breasts, broccoli, refried beans
> 
> 
> But I measured up today and my chest and biceps have shrunk 2 inches and 1.5 inches respectively in the 2 months.
> 
> I've ordered a pouch on Prime to arrive tomorrow.
> 
> So have I been suckered into the hype?
> Or does a lanky hard gainer like me need the fat and 35g protein of a wholemilk shake post workout to even sustain their (already unimpressive) size?


I have a tub of whey protein from Nutrabio. The truth is you don't need any of that crap but it's worth it strictly for the convenience. There is no substitute for food however.


----------



## HiddenFlaw

BehindYou said:


> I'm surprised no-one mentioned avacados.
> 
> Tonnes of vitamins and minerals, good fat & high calorie count.
> There also delicious and easy to get into other meals or have on the side. Put it straight into your tuna bake for example. They go especially well with anything spicy because they're cool and creamy.
> 
> Lastly, you're no where near where you should be fibre wise.... half an avacado a day could be a huge quality of life/ movement improvement.


i work at a mexican restaurant as a side job and get all the avocados i want for free


----------



## DesolationRow

@HiddenFlaw; with that avocado access. :banderas

:woo Just finished performing 100 pullups! Feels good late at night, so cool, haha. :woo


----------



## Mox Girl

I wish there was more exercises I could do, but after breaking my shoulder in 5 places, I can barely reach up high and I can't lift anything heavy anymore, so I can barely work out now :/ I'm gonna be like this for the rest of my life as well. I can't even do sit ups cos the position you need to put your arms in is hard for me fpalm


----------



## Nostalgia

Ambrose Girl said:


> I wish there was more exercises I could do, but after breaking my shoulder in 5 places, I can barely reach up high and I can't lift anything heavy anymore, so I can barely work out now :/ I'm gonna be like this for the rest of my life as well. I can't even do sit ups cos the position you need to put your arms in is hard for me fpalm


Just wondering, do you want to exercise more for weight loss? Weight loss is 90% what you eat so the idea of exercising more to shift some pounds is the wrong mentality. Diets don't work either, especially faddy ones because people can't stick to them long term and revert back to their old habits. The best way is to make a lifestyle change and try to eat healthy consistently, but eat healthy foods and meals you enjoy to promote long term success and longevity.

As I mentioned in this thread, I don't work out. I don't do any serious cardio either, I just walk several miles a day (usually getting my 10,000 steps in) and eat healthy. I don't eat great every single day, rarely I'll have some junk, but being consistent most of the time is working for me and I've been a healthy BMI since mid 2015. 

However, I was once 200 pounds and bordering on obesity so as a former fattie I know how to lose weight and it's 90% down to what you put in your mouth.


----------



## DesolationRow

Just ran seven miles in almost exactly 49 minutes on my treadmill. (Don't worry; I showered before entering this thread. :curry) :sodone :mark: :mark: :mark:


----------



## Super Sexy Steele

I joined my local Y a few weeks ago and having been lifting weeks 2-3 times a week plus a couple days of cardio. I feel much better and have lost 10 pounds which ain't bad considering I'm still trying to cut back on my food intake which is the harder part.


----------



## Leon Knuckles

*I LIKE THIS THREAD LETS MOTIVATE EACH OTHER! :fuckyeah

#GAINS*


----------



## Raw-Is-Botchamania

Starting a two week period of Steak and Egg Diet before my vacation. 

30 minutes of moderate cardio in the morning, a maintaining workout at night 3 times a week, let's see what happens.

My favourite snack before going to bed has become vanilla almond milk mixed with a tbsp of vanilla protein, a tsp of cashew butter, a cup of blueberries, and some grapeseed powder.
That's an awesome sweet kick at night that you can look forward to during the day when you're dieting and depraving yourselves of sugar.

Also, a cruel trick I find works for me to keep discipline during the day: if you have a tendency to be hard on yourself with a bad consciousness when you eat something you shouldn't, which I am, I eat a little piece of the most unhealthy candy imagineable in the morning, like one or two little gummi bears. In calories and carbs, it's really negligible, but I get such a bad consciousness from eating it, that I get the determination during the day to stick to my diet.
I call that a mental hook.

Is it mindfuck? Sure is. But it helps.


----------



## Mox Girl

Nostalgia said:


> Just wondering, do you want to exercise more for weight loss? Weight loss is 90% what you eat so the idea of exercising more to shift some pounds is the wrong mentality. Diets don't work either, especially faddy ones because people can't stick to them long term and revert back to their old habits. The best way is to make a lifestyle change and try to eat healthy consistently, but eat healthy foods and meals you enjoy to promote long term success and longevity.


It's not all weight loss related. I gained a bunch of weight after the broken shoulder cos I was forced to sit around for months on end. But I've lost most of it now and I mainly want to work out a bit cos I hate the thought of sitting around on my ass all the time. But apart from walking, there's not much else I can do.


----------



## yeahbaby!

Anyone got any good ideas for healthy snacking stuff? I'm thinking low or no carb, like keto type stuff.

I like to think I'm fairly fit and not too overweight but my big problem is my dad bod fatty middle, biggish hips, belly fat like a lot of men have issues with. I grew up fat and overweight (118 kgs at my worst - I'm about 94kgs now - 6"3 btw) so it seems to be left over from that period and I hate the way it looks and feels.

Another thing I know I need to do is reduce things like hot chips, bread, crisps, sugar. I don't eat a lot but I do eat too much - when I get hungry though my discipline is poor and I just think ''fuk it'!


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## DesolationRow

yeahbaby! said:


> Anyone got any good ideas for healthy snacking stuff? I'm thinking low or no carb, like keto type stuff.
> 
> I like to think I'm fairly fit and not too overweight but my big problem is my dad bod fatty middle, biggish hips, belly fat like a lot of men have issues with. I grew up fat and overweight (118 kgs at my worst - I'm about 94kgs now - 6"3 btw) so it seems to be left over from that period and I hate the way it looks and feels.
> 
> Another thing I know I need to do is reduce things like hot chips, bread, crisps, sugar. I don't eat a lot but I do eat too much - when I get hungry though my discipline is poor and I just think ''fuk it'!


We're the same height! :woo

Many people regularly eat candy but my version of candy is fundamentally apples and almonds. Sometimes trail mix. Dried fruits (dried cranberries are a favorite). Half of a handful of walnuts from time to time. Dairy is primarily limited to mornings, during which time a small cup of non-fat Greek yogurt and a small glass of milk is nourishing. Boiled eggs--one or two every two or three mornings. Avocado is a winning snack/almost small meal, providing numerous benefits while tasting good. Guacamole is delicious--not exactly stunningly healthful but not bad in moderation, and one can bake some slivers of chicken breast with which to spear some guacamole. Some leaves of curly kale may provide sustenance, and I like to make salads of Chinese cabbage, red leaf lettuce, tomato slices and onion slices. Squeeze a lemon, whisk the lemon juice with a couple of teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and a teaspoon of all-natural honey, and you have yourself a good dressing. Doubtless leaving some things out but this is not an altogether shabby start!


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## HiddenFlaw

Trail mix is the way to go for snacks Costco has a great trail mix with dried mangos :zayn3


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## DesolationRow

HiddenFlaw said:


> Trail mix is the way to go for snacks Costco has a great trail mix with dried mangos :zayn3


Driving down to Los Angeles in late June I stopped only once at a gas station in Lost Hills, California. They had huge bags of trail mix for $1.50 each so I grabbed four of them (sort of wish I had bought more). Such a good snack while driving down that straight line at about 80 miles per hour. :side: :lol


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## Nostalgia

yeahbaby! said:


> Anyone got any good ideas for healthy snacking stuff? I'm thinking low or no carb, like keto type stuff.


As far as no carb snacks, boiled eggs would be the best for sure. For a little amount carbs nuts are good. Berries have the lowest amount of carbs of any fruit. 

Recently I buy protein shakes as a meal replacement, they're higher in carbs but have more protein and they kept me satiated so I don't snack at all until the next meal. Snacking is just bad in general, because every time you eat you spike insulin and it can stop fat burning. 50 years ago people didn't snack, it used to be 3 square meals a day and that was it and obesity was very rare back then. Bodybuilders can get away with 6 meals a day because they train a lot, but for the average joe not training and with a sedentary job, there is no need to eat 3 meals and several snacks throughout the day. So I make a habit now with myself to never snack and just eat 3 meals and that's it (though its more like 2 proper meals with a meal replacement lately and intermittent fasting to increase fat burning). 

Must be nice to be 6'3, when I was in the 90kg area I was pretty much obese. :lol


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## RowdyRondaRousey

hey , i have been trying to lose weight mostly because an unhappy with my body am 4 "11 and 91kg i have in the past have had an eating disorder but am now better from that 
am vegan and i dont drink alcohol i have lost weight recently i was 97kgs before am obese i try and walk more and more and am trying to change the fat i do have into mussle and work out more often i do have mobility issues due back pain and balance i have fell over 5 times this year one i ended up with big bruise all the way down my leg after falling over a step yeah am some what clumsy as well


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## Undertaker23RKO

The best advice I can give people for being healthy is to be active and to count your calories. If you do those two things, odds are you will end up fit.


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## ChrisMC

Sorry if this has been discussed already but I wasn't going to read 500+ pages. Lol. Has anyone been following a keto diet? I started on it the first week of May and have lost 65lbs so far. It's honestly way easier than I expected.


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## TripleG

Truthfully, the biggest positive change in my diet was cutting out sodas. 

You'd be surprised how much of a difference that makes. 

Switch to water everyone. You can't go wrong with high quality H2O!


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## Nostalgia

ChrisMC said:


> Has anyone been following a keto diet? I started on it the first week of May and have lost 65lbs so far. It's honestly way easier than I expected.


No. I do follow more of a lower carb, higher protein sort of diet, but I know that is more Atkins than Keto as Keto is high fat. I follow a few Keto channels on YouTube though. 

Just getting the processed carbs out of the diet makes a big difference though. I rarely ever eat junk and I don't eat rice, potatoes or pasta either. Bread is only very occasional if I'm eating a sandwich out and the only carbs I eat on a regular basis is oats and beans and the rest of my diet is healthy veg, protein and good fats.


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