Here Today... Gone To Hell!

gym rats, weightlifters, bodybuilders, powerlifters, etc..

Hope there isn't a topic already but I fugred I'd start one.. Talk about your lifting routines, your diets, or whatever else you have to say in regards to the gym.. Supplements (creatine, L-glutamine, whey protein, Branch chain amino acids, etc..

I'm into bodybuilding, I eat very clean going for muscle mass at this point of the season.. I try to keep my workouts old school with basic compound movements like deadlifts, bench press, military press, bent rows, squats etc.. Excerises that hit more then one muscle..

I try to eat every 3 hours, usually like a chicken breast or two with a cup of rice or oatmeal and some steamed veggies..

My protein intake is probably about a little over a gram per pound of my bodyweight..

Sources are tuna, chicken, turkey, nuts, beans, beef eggs..

carbs are usually from, baked potatos, rice, oatmeal, 9 grain breads from gnc, veggies.. NO simple sugars like white bread..

I'll get into this more, I think D inspired me to start tthe thread..

that is awesome!

eating clean is very hard and i admire anyone that can do it!

I started working out cause all through school i was a chubby overweight kid and i got tired of it.

Watching wrestling really inspired me to start lifting weights cause i wanted to look like Triple H *ive came close a time or two* where my measurements were just barely off his. he is 6'4 however and i am 5'8 so that makes it bout impossible.

Anyhow my oldest brother went through a divorce and started lifting and really changed his body so that gave me motivation also that it was possible.


anyhow right now im in more of a maintain phase, i came off of 5 months of very hard intense training.

Im trying to get leaner right now and more cut, im big and bulky but the thing about me is, when i get big and bulky i want to be lean, when i get lean i want to be big and bulky.


im startng a new routine monday that focuses on alot of supersetting and cardio, im gonna go for a really hard anaerobic type workout.

i get to the gym and i will do my abs, then i get on the treadclimber type machine and i will run for an hour and a half straight *i run watching around the horn,Pardon the interruption and I,Max* that alone burns off around 1,500 calories

i will then lift weights, right now i hit two body parts at a time and i will superset

if i do Triceps and Shoulders together ill do a set of tri's then go immediately and do a set for shoulders, rest about 20 seconds and keep goin

ill do anywhere from 10-12 sets per exercise.

Our basketball gym is closed down right now and hasnt reopened but i usuallyplay full court basketball for 2 hours 3 or 4 times a week when the gym is open.

My eating isnt the greatest though, which is why i totally admire and respect anyone that can eat clean, food is definitely my weakness.

Eating clean is very hard, I haven't had a beer, pizza, cheese, cake, or any fast food since the last week of march 2004.. Hardest tthing in the world.. My house is like chicken central, just grilling tons of chicken..
I understand your problem with when you get leaner you want to get bigger and vise versa, the trick is to not lose muscle when you lose weight.. I know you said food is your weakness, but eating is 1/3 of the muscle building program.. Of course the other 66% is sleeping and the workouts..

When you are leaner and begin to work out to become bigger, the trick is to gain as little fat nas possible while bulking up.. Eating clean is the key, small meals eaten frequently (2 and a half-3 hours..)

Right now I'm still trying to grow, the summer is over and the body is coveredd for a while so my calories will be upped.. I like to eat beans (lentils, kidney etc) some brown rice with cut up grilled chicken breast made in olive oil.. It's very high in protein and complex carbs..

Just to give you an idea of my workouts.. I've had to acl surgerys so my leg training isn'tt o tough.. I'm not a pro bodybuilder so it's not my money maker so I don't risk another huge injury..

I hit each muscle very hard, intensity is the key, maxamize your time in the gym, no bullshiting like a teenage girl..

I have a partner once a week for chest.. It helps bring up my intensity..

My routine is

Sunday Chest- light triceps..
Monday-back, traps, light biceps
tues-Legs
Weds- Shoulders
Thurs-Biceps, triceps, forearms-heavy..
Friday-saturday off

Now my routine changes and abs and cardio is more when I want then a set plan, if something is to routine I get bored.. I train early in the morning when testosterone levels are at tehir highest,, Might as well use whate ever to your advantage..

Wrestling definetly played a big part in my interests, but it was Hulk Hoga, warrior, paul orndoff, etc.. I love the world's strongest man competitions.. I played football in HS, but lost interest because teh training was what I liked best..

I was a big drunk for years, so I lost sight of things, but now I'm all business...

Soooo, now I understand!  :P :hihi:

Seriously, I give you guys credit for sticking to your guns - great willpower!  :yes:

You caling me sexy or bitchy,,Yes it's tough, but worth it, cheers :beer:

Wicked thread Mike i just found it now : ok:

I just started weighlifting. I'm 17, is that still to young?..

I tried using a gym but found the people were all stuck up and the price was too much to keep it up...i can't be fucked getting a job lol.

But my uncle had like a mini-gym machine thingy...u know the bench press thing that u can also use those weights for ur legs n shit.

I wanted to start at 15 but dad said that it wouldn't be healthy yet as i still had a few more years of growing left.

I have a pretty shocking diet if truth be told. But i'm cutting back all the time and at least making sure that if i eat junk all through the day i have a very healthy dinner. My biggest problem is either giving up coke or doing very little. I'm fuckin addicted to that shit.

I basically do my weights every night bench presses and bicep curls. Sit up's and push up's.

I wanna get pretty buff. So Mike seeing as you know what ya talking about any chance of ya giving me some tips on the exercises and a diet that will help? I have scrambled eggs daily i hear that it helps bodybuilders?

Thanks Champ

Cool thread.. I was thinking about starting one recently too..

Following a recent illness I decided this last week or so to hit the gym.. just increased my weights for the first time. Was just able to complete the sets on my second go with the new weights. I prefer the machines to the free weights but I'm starting to feel like I should do more on each muscle so might look at doing some free weights as well as the usual routine soon.

I've been fairly healthy following my illness and have noticed a big difference in my general mental health and wellbeing. I see all these fairly built people in the gym getting into these various shakes and bars etc. Are they actually beneficial? What the hell are they? Which is best and would you recommend any of these shakes? When should you take them?

gunner down under..

Let me just mention what you aske3d involving shakes n bars...

Nothing is better then whole foods, getting your nutrients, vitamins, minerals, carbs, proteins, etc.. Shakes are best for people on the go, those who don't have time to grill chicken, make rice, bake potatoes, sit down for a meal..Well you get my drift..  I would never have two supplement meals in a row, your body needs quality food for health reasons n weightlifting..

I would like to address your machines over free weights.. Free weights will hit the muscles better, they will use more muscles to support the weight.. IE.. If you bench with free wights (dumbells barbells) your muscles will need to work to balance them, so your chest isn't the only thing working, therefore you will become more powerfull in a shorter time..



MATT, this is for you, there's no such thing as to young, especially when you're a teen, the stunt your growth is a old wive's tale.. I don't know where that started in years past, but it happens to every young lifter.. They say do push ups, but don't use weights, like your body knows the diference between push ups n benching  :hihi:
You need to try n save soime money and join a gym, unless you can get a friedn who has the essentials for lifting.. And olympic bar and an assortement of plates, and dumbells.. I did train for about a year in a friend's basement.. It works, just the actuall gym atmosphere is great for lifting..I would say do some basic lifts, get a workout book to get some info and do what you can until you raise the money..

good luck

Thanks for the advice. Of course your body needs its regular meals etc. I do not need to lose weight (I am a skinny little thing).. rather I am trying to gain body tone/muscle.. so my aim is not to try and cut down on eating or anything to lose weight.. my aim is to do whatever I can to increase results.. and ive heard these protein shakes etc. are quite effective?

Thanks for the advice too about the machines/free weights.. I think I'm going to modify my routine to take on a bit of both. Need to extend the length of my workout.

I just started again with a focus on diet more than anything.

As I have gotten older I slowly have been looking at the things I put in my body and realizing they are no good for me. So even before I started up, I dropped sodas, diet sodas, sugar, candy, and other junk food.

Eating 6 meals a day is awesome. It's like I'm always eating. They are smaller meals like those listed above. And the results have been amazing so far.

I have only been lifting for one month now and I look better than I did the last time I lifted already. It's totally diet.

I have one "free day" which is on Sunday. I don't really deviate from my diet too much. I just eat chips and salsa and more fatty foods. This Sunday I had a pizza and chips and salsa.

I have more energy now and I really love the diet. I could easily stay on it the remainder of my life. Overall it makes more sense and it seems to keep everything (mood, energy level) well balanced through the day.

I only lift 2 times a week too! It's all diet!!!

I don't want to be big, I just want to have a lean build with nice tone., and have overall good health. I realized that I will be 40 in 6 yrs (bday in Feb) and I want to have a six pack when it happens! I want to be the guy that people say "Wow he looks good for his age." LOL!

Plus there are so many things I want to keep doing as I get older: ski, hike, travel, and I want to be in shape where it is not an issue if I can or not. I see people in their 40's that are just a train wreck: 80 pounds over weight, don't move, don't do all these awesome things outside. They just: sit. They have kind of given up and say "I'm too old now." Well screw that man, I am not going out like that!

Lift, walk, run, hike ski, good diet...live!!!!

 ;D

Just eat frequent healthy meals and keep your reps high, like 10-12 to tone.. All should go good..

I have a question for you gym-buffs:

I have never been fat,and I'm not fat now,but lately I'm concerned by the fact that my upper legs,ass,stomach and tits(dont't fuckin laugh!) are starting to get a little chubby,especially my legs.

I have a pretty active lifestyle,do sports occasionally and lately I've been going to the gym once a week.
Also,I don't eat too much crappy food,but I do drink a lot of Coke.  What can I do to reclaim my title as an international sex symbol??

Didn't Kramer invent the 'bro'.. the bra for men?  :hihi:

In my teens I was always skinny and could eat whetever I wanted whenever I wanted.. now in my 20's i'm discovering that's definately not the case.

Anyway as you're eating well.. I'd say once a week at the gym isn't enough. I go three times a week, I'd like to do 4 or 5 but unfortunately my muscle recovery time is still quite slow. I'd go 2 or 3 times a week if your time is limited.. and take a walk once or twice a week as well. You'll see the results in no time!

I'll answer this a little later, but soda is like liquid fat..

Coke is horrible. It's got like 39 grams of sugar per can. That equals something like 12 teaspoons of sugar in each can (some one correct me if I'm off).

Sugar causes your insulin levels to spike and then crash. The insulin swings cause your body to store fat. Diabetes happens often times down the road. Diet sodas have aspartame in them and they cause all kinds of horrible symptoms/problems.

My choice was to not drink either. They are both total crap, and bad for you.

I don't know the ratio... AN insulin spike right after a workout is good with natural sugars from fruit.. Otherwise sugar is bad, all the white powders are bad :hihi:

I only drink water for the most part...

this was my workout from May till  august, i did this religiously.


sundays 
walk three miles
play basketball from 7pm till 9:30 pm
box, each punch 3 rounds  1 minute and then combos 3 rounds 1 minute
ride my bicycle from 2:30am till 4am


Mondays
walk three miles
play basketball from 7pm tll 9:30
lift weights chest and triceps  midnight till 1:30am
ride my bicycle 3am till 4 am

tuesdays
walk three miles
play basketball 7-9:30
lift weights shoulders/legs midnight till 1:30am
ride my bike  3-4


wednesdays
walk three miles
play ball
lift weights biceps and back
box
ride my bike
thursdays
walk three miles
play ball
lift weights light chest heavy triceps,forearms
ride my bike

fridays
walk 3 miles
box
ride my bike

saturday off


and i did that from may till august without missing a day

ive been maintaining here lately, i havent gained, havent really lost but i got kinda burnt out, but im about to start another big phase here next week.

I personally feel D that you do way to much, there's so much easier ways tobe fit then doing all that stuff in one day.. Also I would never do triceps before shoulders,,

The order should be chest, shoulders triceps.. tricpes n shoulders support the chest in lifting, tricpes support teh shoulders in militairy n dumbell presses.. The triceps are worked last because they get isolated..

If I worked out triceps monday then did shouldeers tuesday I would have tricpe failure before shoulder during presses... You should have at least a day off between if you do triceps first..

I think walking three miles, playing ball, then running n boxing is to much for one day.. It's ok if you're strictly cardio, but that way to much with weightlifting..

I mean hey if it works for you that's cool, I mean onmly you know what you want..

If I was pressed for time I would just eat right, do my lifting, and do cardio for about 45 minutes...

I don't know man...

One of my freinds went all out with the weight training at a young age and he not only stunted his growth, but shrunk 2-3 inches as well, no joke!

39 grams of sugar. Holy shit...seriously i mean holy shit. I have 6 litres of coke a day :o

I would really hate to see what my insides look like :nervous:

I'm gonna die early :crying:

Maybe he became a hunch back

6 litres a day! That's crazy! Forget your insides, I think ure teeth are gonna fall out first if you dont cut down!

Im so frustrated, have been sick again this entire last week and a half and way too fatigued to go to the gym.. feel like all my initial will have totally been for nothing! Hopefully can get back to the gym in a couple of days!

I have 42" arms. Don't fuck with me.

I go to the gym probably 3-4 days a week. I work 2 jobs so I don't have much chance to monitor what I eat. I just bring a lunch box with sammiches. I don't enjoy working out at all, I just do it to stay in shape really.
And as far as "gym rats" I think they're all latently homosexual. I don't think theres anything wrong with being gay but I think 90% of the people at my gym do and they try to cover it up by working out. I mean you should hear these people. The ones who yell at each other while working out and slam weights on the floor when they're done with them. Plus the fucking locker room! I swear theres a gym locker room waiting for me in hell. The scale is by the door and the showers are as far away from it as possible. And of course these guys have to walk naked to the scale because of all the weight a pair of shorts will add will fuck up any kind of accuracy one could hope for while trying to attain an accurate figure for how much you weigh. And maybe I am a prude about it but what the fuck is up with talking to people and hanging out in there naked? I mean I just think of it as a common courtesy to others that you don't do that shit. At my gym there's these 2 guys, one refers to himself as big donny and the only person other than himself who seems to call him that is his friend marsh. They are loud, obnoxious, and generally ruin the experience for all around them. The other day they were talking about kicking peoples asses and hating fags and other stupid macho mutherfucker talk....and then proceeded to rub this lotion on each other. My friend and I were almost on the floor laughing. So I guess they do have some redeaming value, that being how laughably stupid they are, but I would prefer it if they didn't exist. Sorry if this doesn't go along with the thread but this is what came to mind when I saw the title. I am sure alot of people can relate if they go to a gym.

You go to the same gym as D?!  :hihi:

I think you may be paying a bit too much attention to those around you at the gym and over-analysing them a little too much.

Actually, I went to a gym which was full of your typical gym junkies, and did find it a little overwhelming when I am just starting out.. maybe you need to look around at other gyms.. my latest gym is really cool.. cool instructors to help you out.. nice balance of people, quiet during times and very friendly.

Yeah i know man. I'm seriously hooked on this stuff. I get like withdrawel symptoms if i dont have it. I'm very angry and agitated if i dont have coke with me.

If you want basic gyms that have normal people then join bally or dolphin, or places that are chains./// Most mom n pop gyms are crazy..

I did some lifting and stuff a few times a week back in the late 90s when I was still playing football (soccer), but not now.

other than lifting heavy stuff at work all day i don't lift much more than my drumsticks and my guitars ;D

Ronnie coleman ties Arnold for 7th mr olympia..

No hunch...

Ronnie Coleman is amazing, probably the best physique ive ever seen, but had Arnold not been more into wanting to be an actor he probably would have won 20 mr olympia's.




I like going to the gym when i have it to myself, i usually go at night, i dont have any problems lifting around others, but i concentrate better and work out more intensely when im not around a humongous group of people.

i hold the record for leg press at the gym i go. i did 8 plates on each side which was 680 pounds i did a set of 6. most i ever saw anyone else do was maybe 5 plates on each side.

I just hate waiting to use equipment, i like keeping a good pace, minimal rest of maybe 20-30 seconds, i dont like takin 2 hours to do a 45 minute workout
i hate partners that try to bullshit too much. i like getting in, working out extremely hard and getting the fuck back out.

i start back hard training Monday and i cant wait!

When I was in undergrad I was hardcore into lifting.  I did most of the standard lifts such as Mike said.  I eat tons of protein and took Creatine for awhile.  The most I weighed was about 220 at about 7.5% body fat.  I used to be able to lift a pretty good amount also.  I entered a 3 lift competition before my sophmore year in college and did pretty well.

Now its sad to say that Im pretty pathetic.  Since I went to law school my strength and muscles have deteriorated a lot.  I attempted to get back into heavy lifting last summer, but I got the recurring pain in my palm that has forced me to only do certain lifts.  Right now I have been doing dumbells, cause it hasnt hurt my hand.  I also try to focus more on cardio now than I used to.  I do a lot of sprinting.  I go to the track and run 100s and 200s.  I find that almost better than any type of training you can do if you want to get ripped.  Im not sure if I will ever get into heavy lifting again.  To tell you the truth, I dont think there is much reason for it if you arent playing sports.   It just causes more injuries once you get older.  Now Im about 200 pounds but I lost a lot of my strength.

I also have had some mysterious medical problems, such as high blood pressure.  I also get lots of muscle twitches.  Do any of you that lift all of the time find that you get twitches all of the time? 

Yeah, I'm going to bump this because I'm fed up of being an unhealthy bastard...

I want to start getting in shape, because what with the summer break basically here now, and next year I'll only be part time at college, I will have more time on my hands.

But first I need to sort out my diet....

It's been answered in this thread before, but not very clearly.

I'm stupid when it comes to food groups, so be specific...

...What kind of things should I have for breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Elevensees? Tea? Snacks? I don't know. Food!

Tell me what to eat and I'll eat it.

Chicken? Brilliant, that's a start. What else?


PS: Can I get into shape (just a pretty good physique and such, not a brick like D or Mike) even though I smoke and drink a fair bit?

I realised that if you want to get in shape, gym is not the best solution.

Lately I've playing Football, basketball and tennis a lot, and I look and feel great, despite my smoking, drinking and reeeeealy unhealthy diet.

And it's a lot more fun

As if it came as a surprise to anyone if you want to lose weight do cardio.  If you want to put on mass do weights.. god who knew

Ok, i just read over Mike's workout and I'm not NEARLY that focused...  I just basically alternate between upper and lower body and do a lot of cardio.  Is there a more specific order I should be following that will give me results quicker?

used illusions... the thing with drinking is whether or not you can motivate yourself with a hangover.  I definetaly can't drink as much as I used to if I want to maintain a schedule at the gym.  The thing is, once you've been going for awhile, you won't want to drink as much as you do now (if you drink everyday, every other day, whatever) because you'll have a natural buzz that you won't want to kill.

I don't smoke, but I'm willing to bet it will murder you at the gym.

The best way to exercise and get in shape is to do something u love.

Not everyone is a weight lifter, not everyone can run on a treadmill *I cant*

In my prime I could run 5 miles but on a treadmill it is all I can do to run 1 mile. Just running and not going anywhere sucks.

Try something u absolutely love to do, for me I love playing basketball and bike riding, that doesnt even feel like exercise cause I love it so much.

Weightlifting is an acquired taste, it hurts, it is painful but If u can stick to it for two weeks and get it into your routine and I promise you when you start seeing your results u will be hooked.

Going and working out will become like getting up and taking shower.

What kind of body do u want UI?

There are different kinds of diets for different bodies, if u wanna gain muscle or lose weight there are different ways to approach it.

Which are u tryin to do?

I dont agree bad tripp

After running your metabolism stays high for only around 30 minutes, after resistance training your metabolism can stay high up to 2 hours!

So a great mix of cardio and weight training is the ideal for getting the right body.

me personally I love being able to run, I'd much rather be able to run 3 miles than to bench 300 pounds (of course I can do both, not to brag :hihi:)

Also there is no tomorrow, so many people say "ill start tomorrow" u can't do that, u gotta start immediately or u never will.

Can?t stand to use a  treadmill.  :rant:



I always work out the whole body when I go to the gym. But I break it up so that I work the Upper harder one day and the lower the next .

Okay, well I am saying that I'll start 'tommorow', but for a good reason, being that I don't want to start now because I'm halfway through my exams.

I definatly don't want to lose weight...

I weigh about 14 stone, whatever that is in real money.

So I just want to have a more healthy body, in as far as what I eat, as well as putting on some muscle.

If you dont wanna lose weight, basically just start exercising and that alone will tone your body up,maybe cut down on  junk food, try to get a lot of protein.

Eat when you first wake up to get your metabolism going.

If u want to start lifting weights, u can find good routines that will just tone you up and won't make your muscles huge.

I myself and trying to get leaner right now, so I've put the heavy weights down and I do lighter weights with more reps, I've also stopped drinking soft drinks which is like a crackhead giving up crack.

Basically it won't be hard for you to tone up, just find something u enjoy doing and try to exercise 4 to 5 times a week, cut down on the junk food, eat more fish,chicken,steak stuff like that, try not to eat right before you go to bed,drink more water and u shouldnt have much problem getting your desired results.

Okay, cool.

Well see, I wouldn't mind building my body up as well. What kind of routine would you advise?

One of my biggest problems is that before I go to bed, I always watch a DVD or some TV and end up eating shit like crisps, cheese, sandwich, chocolate and such.

First, I obviously need to cut that out.

I'll try to drink more water, but I do that anyway so that isn't too bad.

While I don't think I can quit smoking I'm going to cut down; I'm going to try smoking 5 a day during the week, and between 10-20 if I go out. Which, for a smoker isn't that much. I mean it's not healthy but....

Do you advise early morning runs then? That's what I want to try and aim for during the summer, to get up about 6 when I can, go running along the beach, and then come home and shower and such...And then go to the gym in the evening. Maybe about four five times a week? Monday - Thursday and possibly Sundays.

How long would you suggest staying down the gym to begin with? (With a focused routine)

You have to understand....I've never worked out or anything of the sort, so I really am clueless.

As far as things I enjoy go, I'm going to play even more football. I played for my work team yesterday, and my level of fitness actually suprised me. While there were times when I thought I was going to be sick, my heart rate seemed to return to normal pretty quickly.

Thanks for the help, by the way.

Oh man,  I used to down about 6 or 7 Coke's a day... it is fucking hard to stop.  I never have soft drinks anymore though.  My sister is HOOKED on Diet Coke and I can tell its really fucking with her, I think soft drinks have a bigger impact on your health (both mentally and physically) than you'd think.

Giving up Soft drinks was a mother fucker.

But  after a about a month it isn't really that bad.

Well, personally, I found crack a lot harder to give up.

But soft drinks were a bitch to cut down on too.

Working out without proper diet is a waste of time.

I get sick easy with sinus infections, so I am often taking a week off from the gym. However I stay on my diet no matter what.

Sugar is hard as shit to give up. Hard! Ultimately though you feel so much better once all the crap is deleted from your diet.

See that's cool if you play football, that will motivate you even more to lift weights and do more jogging. cause once u are playing in something competitive, u want to do the best u can, so the stronger and better shape u are in, the better u will be able to perform, so playing a competitive sport always helps with overall fitness.

I had gained about 12 pounds and went to play ball and some shitty dudes were scoring on me and it pissed me off, so I lost that in about 2 weeks just  out of being competitive.

Hell yeah if u get up that early, jog, I am up all night and sleep into the evening so i do all my exercising in the evening and at night, I will ride my bike at 2am, so anytime u have spare time and feel like it, jog,bike ride,play football.

As far as lifting weights go, if you dont know what the exercises are, it is kind of tough to explain. Best thing to do is go to a bookstore and buy a muscle and fitness magazine or anything like that and follow a workout they have in there, once u are familiar with the different exercises it will be a lot easier to explain, I will PM u later when I get the time and give u a workout and explain the lifts the best I can.

If you give up that food before u go to bed *which is hard as shit* and just play more football, jog inthe mornings and start lifting weights when u can   u should see good results.

God damn no caffeine is making me feel weird as shit, I feel all disoriented, tired and just weird

how long till that goes away?

How long has it been since you quite ?

it lasted  about a month for fot me.

today is my 3rd day

how exactly did u feel?

Im actually a little worried cause I havent ever felt like this before, it almost makes me feel schizophrenic or something. seriously no joke, I just feel disoriented and shit.

Did u feel like that?

Yeah I felt disoriented and  tired.

The Tiredness is  from your body not getting the caffeine that it is used to  getting .

Being disorientedis more then likey cause your body isn't getting the amount of sugar it's used to getting ,which is causing your suger to drop .be carefull with that caus if it drops to low you can pass out .


But after the first week it all starts to get better then by a month you really want feel that way.

D did you just quit cold turkey?  How much did you usually drink during a day?

What I did was take a week where you just have one soft drink per day, then the following week cut it off completely.  You'll feel all shitty for the rest of that week, but after that it should be almost back to normal.

I would agree that it takes about a month or two to get rid of any cravings.  Stick with it though, it will feel really good once you're not drinking that shit anymore.

I get headaches when I quit drinking coffee. When I have quit I felt tons more energy and better overall.

I am down to 1-2 cups in the morning. If and when I do quit again, I'd taper it off. The withdrawl should last no more than a week. Tops.

Shit guys I was drinking 5 a day at least plus lots of sugary cereals.

yeah Eazy i quit cold turkey, My mom told me that I should cut down and gradually stop. like go from 5 to 3 then down to 2 and then 1, but I have little control, If I drink one Ill drink more, so the only way is to quit cold turkey.

Im glad feeling weird and disoriented and tired are just side effects, I am a hypochondriac and was getting concerned!

I've already lost 4 pounds in 3 days since I gave that shit up, I just want the side effects to seize, but Im thru with it. I can tough it out.

Yeah Timothy I felt a little dizzy earlier but I drunk a bunch of water and a little orange juice*which has sugar but i feel is much better than a coke*

Im not gonna cut sugar completely, Ive never been a big candy eater or ice cream eater though, so really Coke was my biggest sugar product, cause I dont eat a lot of sugar outside of that.

going to the movies and not drinking coke with nachos or popcorn is gonna be my biggest test

nothing like some popcorn and a large coke at the movies or some nachos, but I've realized that the food taste good on its own and that coke doesnt enhance the taste which has helped me a lot to quit.

I quit because I have been stuck on the same weight for over a year and a half, Im tryin my best to lose about 10-15 more pounds but Ive had no success.

I evaluated my diet and what I was doing, changed it now for the good and hopefully Ill hit my goals.

Well, unless you're going to make a living from it, I don't really see the point in completly giving up sugar, soft drinks or such.

I'm just going to try and cut down.

My biggest test will be not eating chocolate or crisps when I watch a movie before I go to bed.

And D, come on, let's be serious here....

....Screw going to the movies and not having a coke!! If ever there is a time to need a coke, it's at the cinema. That said...

....It's because of how much coke I drank that I couldn't concentrate on the Anakin / Obi-Wan fight, because of how much I needed the toilet....................

Okay, right.

Over the last couple of weeks I've sorted my diet out; I now drink a lot of water, eat more fruit and...etc., as well as eating hardly any chocolate, crisps and such...

...It's a start.

I'm going to start going for regular runs Monday comming up. But, before I start working out properly (I've decided, I want to work out as much as I can...No point doing it if you're only going to do it half assed?) I want to start doing just general work out routines...

...Now, I have started doing push-ups and sit-ups, but what else should I do, and how useful is it?

Answers on a stamped adressed...Urm, post.

Actually, forget the stamp. Just reply.

push ups and sit ups are very beneficial.

I had a friend tell me once that If i just did 20 pushups a night before I went to bed that I would be able to tell improvement and he was right.

I allow myself a cheat day a week. one day out of the week I can stray from my diet and eat late while watching movies and all that which is cool cause it makes the diet less stressful and less of a pain in the ass.

Do squats also, just squat down and then back up and do a bunch of thoughs and they will strengthen your legs a whole lot just doing that.

If u can stand it do lunges. u extend your right leg out and drop down on your left knee and then stand up, then extend your left leg out, drop down on your right knee and stand back up, do about 10 with each leg.

just little stuff like that will get u started.

but hit the gym when u can and do weights.

they should have workouts for each body part posted in the gym somewhere, do about 3 lifts and 9-10 sets for each body part.

do two body parts a day and u can do the whole body in 3 days.

i do Chest and Triceps one day
Biceps and back the next day
Legs and shoulders the third day and every body part is hit.

Brilliant man, thanks a lot for the help.

Ideally, I'd like to go down the gym about four or five times a week, and hit the weights properly...

...So how would I spread that out? Have three days where I do everything, like you said, and then a couple of days where I just mix it up, changing it every week? Or would not not be very useful?

Also, how long do you think I should spend down the gym, when I'm just starting off?

I'm actually taking this seriously, I'm planning on giving up smoking completly in the next few weeks......

If U wanna go to the gym more often u can always just do one body part a day, for instance

monday chest
tuesday legs
wednesday biceps
thursday shoulders
friday triceps
saturday back

or u can split some days

monday chest
tuesday legs
wednesday biceps and triceps
thursday shoulders and back


U can play around with it and see what feels comfortable

or u can do *put any two body parts together that u want, this is just an example*

monday chest and triceps  *triceps are used while doing chest so u already are workin them with chest which is why I go ahead and do those together
tuesday biceps and back Biceps are used during back so just as above its good to do them together, u dont have too though but it really hits that area very well.
wednesday legs and shoulders

then u could go on friday and do a total body workout where u do one exercise for every body part. take saturday and sunday off and start back monday

or if u like to go out on the weekends and dont wanna hit the gym on friday, do it thursday. your body parts only need 48 hours of rest before u can work them again so it would be ok to do that on thursday.

starting off your muscles are gonna fatigue pretty fast. id do for the first week or two maybe 6-8 sets per body part and after a few weeks go up to 9-12 sets per body part.

The first 1 or 2 times you use weights you HAVE to make sure they aren't too heavy.  I've had some people come with me to the gym before who say "I don't go that often", which basically means "I never go".  Then they try to "prove themselves" by lifting a heavy weight to start, and they'll be able to do it.... but then you won't see them back in the gym for a few weeks.  The next day they probably can't even straighten their arms.  Even if you're sure you CAN do more the first time you go, don't.  Also make sure you do a lot of stretching.


How often do you guys eat?  I've heard that if you eat small meals more frequently its supposed to keep your metabolism going, but if I do this I could easily end up eating 4 or 5 times a day.  Wouldn't that be worse?

I need to add some variety to my diet too... I can't cook anything.  What kind of stuff do you guys make?  I could go for some suggestions.

they have some great healthy choice dinners with high protein and low fat in the frozen foods sections that u can microwave.


If u eat 4 or 5 small meals, it keeps your metabolism going

U dont eat high fat high calorie food for 4 or 5 meals but for instance

breakfast oatmeal,eggs, a couple pieces of toast

a couple hours later maybe an apple or a piece of fruit

lunch maybe some baked chicken and corn

a couple hours later maybe another piece of fruit or some kind of vegetable

then eat dinner

and eat a few cups of natural popcorn or some fruit for a night snack.


Totally agree about not lifting too much weight

number 1 rule is "Be Humble"

Dont try to show off or do more than u can.

fuck everyone else, dont let people pressure u into doin more than u are ready to do.

U dont want an injury or to totally blow your muscles out at first.

Do you mostly eat microwave dinners and easy to make stuff?  It feels like that's all I do... I'm trying to learn how to do some actual cooking.  I figure learning to cook is a skill that won't ever go to waste, and microwave dinners always feel like a cop-out to me.

LOL, and D you basically just named off what I'm eating each day... eggs/toast/cereal for breakfast, chicken and corn, and then maybe some pasta and a salad for dinner (with fruit spread out through the day).  I want to learn how to make good stir frys n shit.

How about protein shakes and stuff?  Do you drink that?  I remember having the shaker bottle and Whey protein back a few years back.

Sure u can learn how to cook but in the meantime those are some suggestions.

I use to drink the shit out of protein shakes

Id take some chocolate and put it in the blender, Id add Ice to make it smooth and cold, Id add 3 raw eggs and a tablespoon of peanut butter and mix it up

it would taste like a peanut butter chocolate smoothie, was great!

Im gonna invest in some protein powder when I get somemoney and start back doing that.

In that case, eat breakfast,lunch and dinner and drink a shake sometime in between breakfast and lunch and sometime before u go to bed.

invest in some cook books, follow the instructions and it is basically trial and error stuff. but eventually it will be good.

i love sport
i run a lot
i play soccer and tennis like 4 times a week

but i CAN'T go work out
thats one of the reason i stopped soccer, it was getting too serious (national champ) and coaches were asking for 2 work outs a week  4 training session ...

i hate working out
it's gay
it's full of sweating men
it's full of dirty ness

and what i hate the most , 90% of people working out : THEY DONT DO ANY SPORT
they just work out to .... i dunno ... get girls ? have muscles ?

i can't work out. it's boring. gay. like tyler durden said it's masturbation.

the only thing cool is that with friends, we go there and pretend we're doing commercial for gym machines, like chuck noris ads and stuff lol :)


i'm not even gonna start about protein diet and working out diet .... come on ... our world is already so fake. can't be just eat normal stuff.

fake boobs. fake muscles. fake food. fake teeth :)

peace :)

Can't decide if you sound like a homophobe or a whiny valley girl...  :confused:


To be... healthy? Fit? In shape?  People who don't do sports need exercise too, besides, I think the majority of the people that work out DO play sports.  Also, you don't like girls?  You don't like to look the best you can?


I must admit, that IS cool.  : ok:


Not only are we living in a world that gets fatter by the second, but the people who are actually living a healthy life are "fake"?

Trust me, mikegiulana and D both have 100% real boobs.

lol
i forgot to note that i was just being extreme on my comments.

1 - im not homophobic
1.5 - im not gay
2 - im not a valley girl
3 - i like valley girls

it's just taht i dont like the atmosphere in the working out area
and about sweat and dirtyness, i havethe right not oo like it


be healthy ?
- you can be healthy without working out : walking,  do some REAL sport, eat normally

i look good without muscles. i like looking the best i can that revolves around : clothes, cleanness, and style
but muscles doesn't do it for me :)

if you really do a real sport that needs to be super muscular ok.
but for everyday life ?
when i was in the us, i saw all these dudes working out and trying to look like schwarzeneger (with pills and drugs) for no reason.

about FAKE aspect.
it's just that more and more, people are using artificial methods or drugs helpers to achieve becoming what they wanna be.

they whithen (sp?) their teeth
they get implants
they take drugs to be bigger and stronger

im sure in 10 years people will buy real looking masks to look like pretty people.


and again, im not saying every person that works out is a dummy. it's just that i dont like the concept of it when it's not for professional or advanced class sport.

d ronnie coleman has one nasty physique.. he's a one big mmofo but I would never want that build.. I love how he is now whoring it for BSN.. I happen to think the bsn line is quite good, but he just took the money like cutler did with muscle tech..

I wouldnt wanna look like Ronnie Coleman or any of those guys either

I guess Ronnie is trying to cash in and make as much money as he can while his window of opportunity is still strong.

I mean what will he do once his body building career is over?

I havent tried any BSN line products but Id say Ronnie has done a little more than BSN products to look like he does.

I have tried two products but haven't used the entire mass stack from bsn.. They make cellmass and NO-explode and these pump pills called Nitrix. The last one is what I am missing..

I think vic martinez has a great build.. Gustavo badell, or the amazing lee priest.. The two guys to me with great freakish all around mass is branch warren and johnnie jackson

Drink tons of water (besides the obvious health benefits) it is good for your kidneys if you are drinking those protein shakes.

I have something wrong with my right wrist (insert blind joke here) but it has stopped me from  really getting aggresive with building my biceps. Curls are almost impossible, and free weights are getting out of the question (only for biceps though). Any suggestions?

get a woman and save those wrists! :hihi: :hihi: :hihi: :hihi:

u knew that was coming

Really no solution but to just rest and let em heal, it sucks but unless u just go really light on weight or tough it out, I dont have any other ideas.

Hurts too damn much to tough out. It is impossible. I can't lift light objects without serious pain. Only way it goes away is when I quit doing biceps. Very frustrating.

Happened to my left wrist a couple years back, but I was not lifting then. Not sure what it is.

go to the doctor or use ez curl bars or cables.. if it hurts so much then you have an injury or tendonitis.

Or use wraps or some type of wrist wrap to keep it stiff..

anyone buy products at say gnr, vitamin shop/? I have been checking for cheaper prices and  prosource.com looks good

I always order from Prosource

U get amazing deals and wholesale savings.

what u pay 40 bucks for at GNC u can get for 20-25 at prosource. I highly recommend ordering from them, they have everything u want.

yeah NO explode, cellmass and nitrix are quite expensive at gnc... NO n cellmass are like 60 each.. All my shit is going from prosource...

D do you read MD? I love the ramblin freak gregg :hihi:

I just recieved Pump_tech a muscle tech product to go with my NO explosion n cell mass from BSN.. It has some crazy dosages.. if you weight over 200 pounds they suggest 16 pills 2 times daily.. One dose before a workout.. One later.. I have decided to just take 4 pills before my workout and none later..

Prosource.net is definetly the shit for supplements..

What do you goes suggest to get my calfs to pop more?

Reps? Weight?

Do I do more reps to make them pop?

I can do heavy weight and low reps, but see little results.

What say you?

I believe calves are somewhat genetic kind of like forearms. When you mean "pop" you mean stick out look ripped or just complete? I suggest higer reps just like legs..? The upper body imo reacts beter to lower reps like as low as 6 to as high as 12, lower half is more with higher reps.. Standing calf raises might be what I would go heaviest on, then using the bottom of the leg press I wouldget peak contraction on the top and stretch deep on the bottom (no rocking), even one legged calf raises with a? dumbell in hand and finally seated calf raise up to three times a week.. I think a few body parts like calves n forearms abs are good to hit multiple times per week.. Ditching the sneakers on certain calf movements is important too..

Ive always said I have a better chance of my dick growing than my forearms and traps.

somethings grow easy and fast on some, and just never seem to on others.


do exactly what MIke said hell I think Ill start doing that as well, really excellent workout plan for the calves their mike. : ok:

Ive had problems staying motivated here lately

i quit drinking coke for 8 days, watched what I ate, exercised like a maniac and gained 2 pounds

Im so aggravated

I cant get any lower than what I am and I need to lose 10-15 more pounds but it is seeming impossible and Im getting discouraged

Im wanting to drop around 3 more inches from my waist as well but I guess Ive reached my limit or something cause it isnt coming down no matter what I try

Ive had the same measurements and weight for the last year and a half and it is very discouraging.

any ideas?

just eat right dude, up teh cardio a bit.. A pound of fat is like 3,500 calories an hour of regular pace work on say the treadmill will burn about 500 calories so you need a week to lose a pound.. Pretty crazy right? Well the fact is you could lose more weight but who wants to sacrafice whatever gains you have made?

I workout each morning very early because of a shitty scheduel.. I start at 4am in the morning but before (half hour before) I drink a few bcaa's(with simple sugars), No explode, and take a few pump tech pills.. I then go to the gym and usually bring a 32 ounce bottle of water with some liquid bcaa's and do my hard ass workout.. Cellmass right after then my simple carbs with whey protein shake, glutamine..

My first meal after is 2 whole eggs + 8 whites with a little salad and either brown rice or a baked potato..
everything after is basically 6 ounce chicken breasts with brown rice, or bake potato ,sometimes oatmeal.... I juggle that for the next 3-4 meals.. The rest of the meals are spaced out from about 2-3 hours each day plus I take some digestive enzymes.

Towards say 5pm on I will have some tuna with some cut up veggie and maybe *mustard*(supposed to help promote fat loss) and brocoli and stay away from teh starchy long lasting carbs (potatos rice )

By around 8pm my meals are liquid now just designer whey and some bcaa's...

That was a basic outline of my diet... Eggs are great protein right after lifting... Rice or potatos are good during the busier hours.. Veggies like spinach, brocoli, esparagus are better towards the less active times of the day

Just watch what you eat, eat clean cut carbs down at the right times.. Cardio is best done when you first wake up, you have some protein and you stay carb free and your body will burn fat instead of the new energy..



traps

First off never mind weight, go by feel.. Grab a dumbell like 50-60 pounds start with palms faced in and do 20 reps, then move up 5's each time with a peack contraction each time, I also do hammer shurgs on abench press front and back, also sometimes I shgrug the 45's laying around keeping the hands tight to my side. of course regular bar shrugs just don't worry about weight feel teh movement... deadlift, deadlift, deadlift that is a key to trap size..

stick in there man sometimes it takes a long time to see changes, when you see decreases that's the time to worry.

When I have problems  I always go back to basics I check to i have postitive balance make sure I am in a muscle building zone at all times even outside of the gym.. I make sure I am not going to the gym without 25-30 grams of protein, 50-100 grams of carbs, my bcaa's, my pre workout NO or pump tech... I make sure to have all these things in place so I am in a muscle building mode.. making sure to get ample sleep is important too, after my workout, I mean immediatly I take in my cellmass, muscle is craving and ready for consumption.. ten minutes after the post workout shake, the glutamine the whey, the simple sugars(white bread is good wtih some jelly also) right after is when simple sugars are great with no fat because that slows down energy consumption.. That is why a milkyway would suck.. I wrote this in parts always adding soemthing.. Just make sure evrything possible for building msucle is always in place and don't overtrain.. : ok:

I dont know what u do for a living mike but if u ever get tired of it, u would be one damn good personal trainer to the stars.

I guess I have that Adonis complex or whatever its called where I want the absolute perfect body so I get frustrated at times with the slightest imperfection.

I am gonna write down what u just posted and I am gonna try that.


So if u are gonna eat carbs eat em early in the day right?


so carbs in the afternoon arent as bad for u as eating carbs at night? is that correct?

anyway thanks a lot and Im gonna see if I cant get jumpstarted and lose that access 10 pounds so i can look more ripped.

thanks!

Yes, I mean stick out more. My legs look good (finally got that spring dress on I've been dreaming of :hihi:) but they could be more defined I think.

I will try that method and see how it works. I had a big improvement on my upper by using heavier weights and lower reps. I really need a workout buddy to help me bench more though. My right wrist is slowing my progress on the biceps, but I still am a lean killing machine........ :hihi:

thanks trainer to the stars, I'd probably get invites to partys and become a fat drunk :hihi:

Carbs just about all day are good just different types for different parts of the day.. When you wake up your body has nothing in it besides that wasted protein shake you had at bed time (even if it was pm protein, it's long gone) SO depending on when you go to bed carbs first thing in the morning high grain breads, some fruit, complex carbs like potatos, black beans(great protein too), oatmeal, brown rice etc are good all through the day until about 4 hours before bed, the last 2 hours before bed I would maybe have a salad with tomato or a cup of raw or steamed brocoli just to stay away from the heavier carbs that you aren't going to burn up..

No carbs in the afternoon aren't as bad, just make sure to have mass building carbs, clean complex carbs (no simple sugar or fatty additions-sauce butter cheeses etc-

I would say after a really hard workout if you have a little sweet tooth or like cheese make a big omlette with eggs and put a slice of cheese for calcium on the whites for easier consumption (sometimes eggs make me want to barf)

Also be creative get some ground sirloin or turkey and cut up veggies, or buy a bag of mixed frozen veggies and mix it into the meat, little garlic, onions into some olive oil for that nice aroma  and taste... Cook with garlic for healthy living..

anything else just ask, just know we all have those days where progress seems like it never happens and we are not liking what we see in the mirror..

Another great way that I find is lots of stretching between sets, Like pulllups pulldowns grab something stable stretch the lats, doing chest stretch the pecs on the side of a high machine, flexing makes muscles tighter and brings out striations..  Doing biceps, drop a double biceps in the mirror, doing pullups do a lat spread flex the back.. Doing squats flex the quads tight and hold them...
peacer bro off to the gym by 6:30 today :beer:

stretching is one thing I have always been lacks on, and I started stretching my biceps after every set and I get a great pump everytime now.

I need to work on stretching before and after I jog,play ball, bike ride etc and then stretch afterwards as well.


I have a bad habit of overtraining as well and keep getting little nagging injuries which piss me off as well, so i gotta learn to pace myself and not to try and do a big triathalon everyday.

The eating plan sounds amazing and I am gonna copy that down and duplicate it to the letter.

thanks Mike!

problem is people always stretch their biceps, no one bothers with muscles they can't see or flexing their backs.. Definetly stretch, it is good and flexing makes the muscle tighter... :beer:

D look at this price difference, adn the highest priced one is actually cheap by gnc vitamin shop standards

pro source

http://www.prosource.net/product.jsp?path=-1|12764&id=12667

mass nutrition

http://massnutrition.com/products.cfm?cur_man=BSN&item=BN004

I believe I will switch

very interesting, Im gonna have to find somewhere cause shit is just too high it costs a fortune to supplement right it seems


mike i have a question from one of my friends and Im not exactly sure so I figured id ask u


the area that connects your back to your chest thats under your undearm and above your side

how do u tone that up especially if there is a layer of fat there? what exercises would u recommend for that area?

I hope Ive described it well enough for u to know what IM talkin about.

its not really the lats its just before your lats right there under your arm, when u put your arm down to your side its the part your bicep is touching, how do u tone that up and lose the fat besides liposuction?

there is no real excersie to target that area... Lat pulldowns or pullovers.. The serratus muscle is right around there.. Body fat is why that is there and losing weight all over is the only way I can see.. If you had love handles doing oblique exersises aren't going to make you lose the weight, cardio is.. I know what youmean though, some people look like their pecs go all the way around to their back do to the fat pocket..
diet cardio : ok: That fat is just a trouble area between the chest n back

thanks

I couldnt remember how in the world I ever toned that area so Ill tell him to get his ass running : ok:

I did a great back workout today... I don't always go by sets, I go by time in the gym,,,. I move fast and keep the intesity high..

I came in did 5 minutes running lightly to make the muscle heat up, light sweat...

did about 5 minutes of stretching the back and especuially the lats on different stable pieces of equipment in the gym.Stretch good all the way until you feel the lower lat tie in stretching out..
So my workout started..

*wide grip chins with a full contraction on top adn a slow desending to full stretch on the bottom*
*underhand pulldown with my back erect not leaning back to squeeze lowe middle and stretch the lats*
*underhanded grip barbell bent row Take it to the lower stomachand squeeze the back tight*
*corner of the gym straight bar with V handle T-bar rows Stretch all the way down as you hunch and squeeze tight*
*one arm dumbell rows hold at the top sqeeuze lats tight then stretch them deep down slowly*
*deadlifts*
 
stretching and flexing here n there

I also did light biceps today

Barbell curls

preacher curls

seated one arm dumbell curls

forearms

hammer curls

behind the back wrist curls



Did all that in about 70 minutes..

sounds awesome! and u answered my next question, I need a good back workout as a I cant seem to really blow it out, now i have one!

I did legs yesterday and they are so sore I cant hardly even sit down.

I had got a little lazy doing legs the last few months but now Im back totally committed to them and boy am i payin for layin off on them.

I thought all the runnin I did would be sufficient and i was wrong again. I use to be so intelligent about workin out. but I got dumb somewhere and started coasting.

Now Im back hitting it at full tilt.

I did a cool shoulder workout... I go back n forth from seated barbell press to seated dumbell just to mix it up

today I did dumbell press
I started at 15 reps, then went 12, then 10 then 8 then 6 with a few forced reps and a drop set... Each 5 pound increase worked out perfect//

Then did seated side laterals, followed by one handed side laterals with my arm straight out.. Did it with a lighter weight, burnt like hell.. Then did rear delts by putting my chest in my lap and rasing the dumbless... To hit them more I did the same with light weight and used cables while bent over paralell to the floor, then did some uprights.. I do traps on another day

do u ever do hell sets for shoulders?

I did today and damn they burn

i do 25 pound weights

8 reps of everything

I dont do this every workout but when Im pressed for time or want a particularly great burn ill do it.

i do side raises,front raises,presses, bend over and bring the weights from my waist all the way back where u end in a butterfly position*cant remember the name*and then bent over standing rear delts.

do 3 sets of that and u are ready to fuckin die. rest for a minute or so between sets, but no rest between each lift.

in that order


Pressed for time,. I'm working 10 hours 7 days a week fopr the summer in the hot summer doing construction from 4pm to 2:30am then traveling two hours home in which my wife leaves for work by 6 then I have to babysit all day bvefore leaving for work again by 2pm :'(

thanks god I'm of today... Be headed to the gym when it opens at 8am..

hey, well i've finally joined a gym (never thought i'd see the day).

i'm as unfit as a sloth these days, i'm still really slim and stuff but incredibly unhealthy.

so a few questions.

1. I wanna gain weight. About 10 or so kilos. I'm only a very measily 66kg. Number one i have to do is eat more, eat in normal way like normal people (breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner etc) because right now i just eat whenever im hungry. What sort of diet do i need to go on.

2. Now, i also want to get fit. I've always been the sprinter sort. Really good at short bursts of stuff, 100m dashes etc but anything long distance or for a long ammount of time and i am awful. Now is it possible i can still go for runs, and work on cardio stuff without having to worry about losing the weight im trying to gain?

3. I want to increase my strength. Over these years i've come out of highschool i've slowly become a weak little girl. I want to increase my muscle mass a bit, but more importantly be strong and toned. I don't want to become a beefcake, i want a gymnast sort of body you know? Incredible weight to strength ratio and thats big enough for me Do i do small reps of heavy weights?.....more reps of lighter weights? what sort of stuff should i do?

i know i should probably read this thread from the beginning and it'd probably answer my questions so i'll accept if you just say "read the thread". But maybe some of you want to be nice? :hihi:

just eat small healthy meals  every 3 hours (6 ounces of grilled chicken breast, serving of brown rice, cup of brocoli).... For strength do basic power movements that hit mutliple muscle groups like bench press, deadlifts, squats, militairy press, etc reps from 6-12. sleep train eat... : ok:

ok a little progress on how i've been going.

i've gained like 5 kg.....another 5-8 to go.

i've discovered im a real retard with the free weights/dumbells so i stay clear of them and just use various weight lifting machines. can i achieve what i want by just using the machines? every machine has a little picture of the muscle groups it works on so i just target what i want.

so my plan that i've been doing for 3 weeks now, going to the gym 3 days a week is;

200 situps on those ab roller things, 100 of them being curled ones (dunno the name for it, but u lift ur legs up to ur chest at the same time)

followed by using 4 machines and i do 3 sets of 10 on each one. mostly targeting biceps, triceps and pecs.

im starting to feel a little bit stronger, like i haven't changed the weights on the machines but now they've become easier and my arms arent even sore at the end. i do all of it in about 45mins. i'm aiming now for a 1 and a half hour workout where i do 300 situps and 2 more machines that target legs.

which leads me to my next point. i have the skinniest most girly legs ever. is there anyway to add mass to my legs or am i just stuck with them and can only make them stronger or more defined?

oh and another thing.......every 1-2 days i cook a massive meal of bacon, mince meat veal and 4 eggs. is it bad to eat this sorta food? because its all i can cook. anything in a frying pan im fine.

I'm bumping this because I'm trying to change my routine at the gym...

I haven't really been doing anything to target my forearms, can anyone suggest any good exercises for forearms?

There are a couple that I like:

Front and back wrist curls
I am also a fan anything involving a rope (old fashion, I know), the grip gets your forearms
Finally, (although it can make you look like a meat head) I like grabbing a 45lb plate by the top and hold it at your side and do laps around the gym until you can't hold them anymore.

You can also do more straight bar curls, which work the forearms more than the EZ Bar or dumbells.  In fact, I would just start to do this.  If you focus on just doing a forearm set then you will end up looking like Popeye.

if at the gym do reverse curls and hammers with bicep training or back.. maybe do one with each.. Also include wrist curls with palms up and down,also try wrist curls behind the back... Hand grips are cool to or taking a metal bar with a weight n string and rolling it up and down..

My advice is do heavy compound movements like rows, heavy shrugs, or deadlifts as well as those isolating movements and your forearms should get big

Anyone here use Creatine Powder? I've been using it for the past few months and it's been a Godsend i have been able to increase my weight bit-by-bit with out compromising the movement or amount of reps and over this summer i've seen the biggest improvements ever....maybe it's cos i'm 19 going on 20....so does anyone use it?

Creatine ha sbeen around for about 15 years.. I remember when it became mainstream in the early 90's.. Creatine is found in red meat just to let you know... I have used several different creatines over the years, monoydrate from twinlab, cell mass from bsn, cell tech from muscle tech and none of them have ever helped me in any way. The only supplements that have ever helped me really is whey protein and l-glutamine, n bcaa's..

For me creatine is like throwing money out the window.. I think 10 percent of people have no gains with it...

A buddy of mine just started using a BSN product which you use before a workout called No Explode (i use it as well) and he has blown up, or should I say his muscles look a bit fuller.. That is like a pre workout creatine and besides an energy boost it gives me nothing, no strength or good pump (well better then my own natural one)

So ifit works use it because it can add mass... Just watch out for water retention which is what it basically does..

ideal training would be good protein source before a workout alone with a simple sugar, then intense training then a post workout shake very similar to restore glycogen// About 8 hours of sleep at night.. Bodybuilding is very touigh and sucks for people who work hard like mysekf.. I have a really good build but the sleep part is holdinhg me back a bit..

It just gives me an extra boost really i'm definately not into the bodybuilding dieting or stuff...

Creatine is fairly expensive thankfully i don't have to pay for it ;D

It's Pure Creatine Monohydrate Hardcore Formula....which means very little to me, i go to the Gym with my Dad he's 59 and still going strong and he just teaches me everything he knows, he buys the stuff, it works for me so i have no complaints, i did not expect much but it's been great

I have switched up my hand grip on biceps.. What a difference the biceps are hit so much harder forcing you to drop weight.. Instead of the thumb over keep it under with all the other fingers.. What a pump n burn.. I had always did this with forearms..

I have finally found my perfect back workout..

Pullups

deadlifts

one arm dumbell rows

low pully rows

Love that one, it makes my back so sore.. Hyperextensions are done with abs for me..

Do you also use straps when you do your pullups?  I have found that they have the same effect that placing your thumb under the bar does with curls.  It takes your forearms out of the workout and focuses on the back (or biceps).

Do you do your back workout in that order?

I prefer to start with deadlifts (although I must admit, I am going lighter on these than I used to).  I then go to pullups.  Your workout looks pretty similar to my backworkout.  The only thing I do differently is that I add another pull, rather than two rows.  I have found that I only need one row, where I get a lot of benefit out of doing close grip pull-ups. 

I used it a lot in high school and college.  I am sure they have better stuff now.  I found that it had a huge effect on me.  I always got an instant boost the few weeks after I started using it.  I am not sure I would actually advise using it though.  I am not sure of the side effects it may have.  It is sure not worth the risk to be stronger now for health risks down the road.  Protein and vitamins should be sufficient to get in really good shape.

I heard using it too much can effect liver and kidneys or something, but controlled use is okay/safe enough, like i said i let my dad handle things, he's like my coach, i have 100% faith in him and know he would not give me anything harmful, he's like anti-drugs, smoking, steroids etc. so im not too worried.? It's more like an energy thing i find, at points in the workout where i would normally of been too exhausted too push the weight i get that extra boost.

Just drink a lot of water.  I am sure your dad has your best intentions at heart.  I just don't think there have been a lot of long term studies on the stuff.  I took it for awhile.  I have had a few health problems, but I am not sure what to attribute them to.  I would just say, better safe than sorry.  If you need energy then drink a cup of coffee.  It is probably psychosematic more than anything.  I would say it will probably do you more good than harm, but just thought I would give my two sense.  I definately would not go beyond creatine.  Half of that shit that comes out no one knows what the long term effects are, such as: Ephedrine, androstene, and other hormone type stuff.  Remember, this stuff is not FDA approved.  In other words, the FDA usually bans this stuff years after it hits the market, which is different than most drugs that the FDA approves before it hits the market.  Just be cautious. 

It is good to see that you are working out hard and with your dad.  It is nice to get help from someone that knows what they are doing.  Keep it up.  How old are you?  What kind of weight are you lifting?  Do you do high rep or low rep?  Do you ever max?

The Supplement industry has profited and gotten so rich off people.

I love how they say, "Use this product for 6 weeks with diet and exercise and u will see massive results"


NO fucking shit!!!!

Its not the Creatine or whatever supplement, its the diet and exercise.

Ive been on a strict exercise and diet regimen without any supplements for 8 weeks now and Ive lost 14 pounds and U would swear I was on steroids.

Supplements are a mental edge, u take something and think by takin it and workin out u are guaranteed results so its a motivational tool but in reality, as long as u eat properly and workout properly, u are gonna get great results.


Andro,Creatine and supplements like that were invented to mask steroid use.

ask anyone who takes steroids and they will tell u they take andro,creatine,cell tech,No2 etc etc

Only thing guaranteed to make u huge in a hurry is Steroids, those over the counter supplements are ok, but not as beneficial as they lead u to believe.


Proper working out, eating right with proper protein and time will give u the body u want.

You mean to flush the shit out of my system? Well i drink a lot anyway, stupid and sad as it sounds i prefer water to other drinks and have a shitload of it i can't be doing with fizzy crap like coke and lemonade.

He does have the best of intentions and he's like 59 (i think) i'm sure it's his 60th next year.  It's amazing what he can do for his age, could pass for being way younger easily, and he's being doing it for so many years (and properly to).  It pisses me off when you see guys at the gym doing things totally and utterly wrong.  Best thing to remember is; Train your body, NOT your Ego.  You see so many struggling to lift a weight which is clearly beyond them so their either twisting their backs or swinging into it (or when bench pressing often having a mate standing their helping them lift it).  It's BULLSHIT they are actually kidding themselves into thinking they can lift that weight, i've been taught that it's about reps and doing it properly and getting the full movement (the amount of people who do half-a-movement just to get more reps in is outstanding).  In a way i don't think it's THEIR fault, many haven't had someone to show them how to do it properly, still it's annoying.  Health problems suck especially when you don't know what their from, i've had a dodgy back injury for years, i don't know whether it is from years of doing a heavy ass paperound or years at Judo it messess up a lot though which is not good at my age and the physio has never sorted it out on a permanent basis.  As for needing energy, i think i must of mis-worded things, i meant energy in a more increased strength kind of sense, it gives me that strength boost (not energy), it's energy in one way because not only do i feel increased strength (so-to-speak), i can also keep going for longer.

Never would! Despite have a username like i do (i am fairly sensible).

Yeah it's awesome going to the gym with my Dad.  When i started like 3 or 4 years ago i wasn't that keen, and being at university last year i went less and less (for obvious reasons).  From about June though since i have been back home it's become part of my routine, i could n't imagine NOT going i get so much enjoyment out of it, it's my NEW addiction and the best one yet.  I realise though even this has to be controlled, the body breaks stuff down and needs time to re-build the muscle, i wish it was physically possible to go every day (there is such a thing as overtrain though) and when i go i want to put 110% into it.  Obviously i work different body parts each time so the rest can be re-building but the body still works like a team in the way you can often be physically knackered all over.  Now i've effectively quit smoking (apart from the odd weed binge now and then) i can start on the cardio-vascular stuff, getting another day in there.  I'm 19 soon to be 20 (i probably sound younger with my AMATEURISH knowledge).  What kind i weight am i lifting, mmmm..... (I'll probably sound clueless when saying this...) Well obviously with Pull-Ups and Bar-Dips it's my own body weight.  When i'm on the inclined bench press using dumbells (20kilos), when working the shoulders pushing dumbells above (14kilos....i have a dodgy arm injury like a trapped nerve....still waiting to see the physio....damn health service...which has caused my left arm to buckle several times even though i've felt fine), When i'm doing the same for the shoulders put using the machine it's 90 kilos, i can and have done more but that's the weight i can get a decent amount of reps out at.  I always do sit-ups in-between sets cures me occupied i hate standing around.  When i working the upper back (on this like cable pull down machine - i'm shite with the names of these things) i'm using 90kilos again.  Those are the things i can remember off the top of my head (i'm useless with the names), there's 3 other upper body things but i can't for the life of me remember (probably didn't know in the first place) their names.  Thing is always sucking at science at not having a good knowledge of the body it's upto my Dad to know what to do, what's good and right etc. I just learn from him, now i've improved it's more of a fun competiveness between us it's great it's awesome father-son bonding stuff, we both agree that we help motivate the other more and push each other.  I do like 8 reps no matter what i'm doing often i want to and can do more but my Dad tells me not to (and wisely to) as we try to do plenty of sets and their is no point exhausting myself and fucking myself up for later.  Depending on what we've been working at the end of thw rok out with what energy we have left we'll see who can do more reps on either pull-ups or bar dips (i love doing these so much, great way to start and finish...).

D... i see what you're saying about the mental edge.  What makes me think it's NOT that is because when i used stuff in the past it did fuck all, i had very little faith in supplements and wasn't optimistic when using Creatine first few times i did not really notice anything (probably wasn't pushing myself enough...) but then after that without even thinking about it i noticed an amazing difference.  It's not a magic potion it's just an aid, but it still requires your own imput, you have to push yourself for it to carry you through, you push yourself and make the effort and it comes good, at least that's how it's been for me...

As for dieting never really been interested, i'm not overweight and feel theirs no need, i have no intention of being a bodybuilder and trimming way down seen too many people do it and look totally drained (+ they often use steroids to), for me it's about keeping in shaping, improving my body and enjoying myself, simple as that, it's all good ;D

I can start with either but I like to go right to pull ups first.. part of my madness is so I can do a lot of pullups trhen rest my biceps during deadlifts to have more strength on my rows.. I have been known to do pull ups and chins then deadlifts then two rows.. it depends.. I give it a little extra because I hit each body part once per week.. Rest and nutrition is far more important then peiople think.. I am really loving ,muscle milk, and using BSN product.. Lot's of L-Glutamine to after my workouts.. I am a big believer in supplements for pre n post workouts.. Lots of fucking oatmeal to before (1/2 cup dry with my muslc milk, then No explode n nirtix before the workout)? I drink lots of water

Also for traps I have been using the rope attachement (smallest one I can find) doing high pulldowns n spreading them at my upper chest to develop that mid n upper traps thickeness

Also no i don't use straps.. I can shrug 4-5 plates and have an iron grip

Am I overtraining?

For 2 years I weighed between 240-245.

I didnt like the way i looked but I could run all fuckin day just about it.


the last 4 months Ive gotten back totally focused on my nurtrition, working out consistently everything.

I am now weighing in at 219 pounds. So ive dropped 25 pounds in about 4 months.

Thing is I work out 5-6 days a week for about 3 hours a day.

this includes, running,lifting,swimming,steam room,basketball,sprints

thing is, When i was 240-245 I could run for an hour on the EFx machine no problem, with high intensity and just kill it.

now though here lately, within 10 minutes my legs feel totally juiceless and exhausted all the time. My legs feel dead as fuck.

So am I overtraining?

what should I do?


I know u dont lose 25 pounds and get in worse shape.

i would say that you need to let your body recoup from the work out a little longer then you maybe doing .

Maybe instead of hitting the EFx machineas hard as you did the day before trying doing a little work out on it .

How do you find time to workout for three hours per day six days a week?  Do you work?


I agree with rest.  You are working out far too hard and too long.  I am not sure how you structure your workouts, but I would not workout for more than 1.5 hours at a time.  Maybe separate your cardio from your lifting?  The thing is, it doesn't look like you lost your weight too fast.  Maybe eat more?

no one trains that much... I am in the best shape ever... I train 4-5 times per week in the gym no more then 45-50 minutes, try to get plenty of sleep at night and usually eat small meals up to 7 a day..

You are obviously over trained... if you wanted to looose weight lift weights n do cardio just do cardio in the AM then lift in the pm

Everyone is different so I can't make out a routine for you, but all that stuff you mentioned is way to much,, Plus all that cardio steam room etc will drop your testosterone levels

Top pros are mostly in and out of the gym with split routines that are short intense sessions... Fuck marathon training

My back  have never been better just doing pullups deadlifts and one arm dumbell rows sometimes with hammer rows..

Things are very simple, good diet with multy muscle compund movements...  If I didn't have a fucking job with a family I would really make this my life..

Just remember good well balanced diet with small meals... As much rest as possible straight... Need the REM sleep, and I personally wouldn't hit each muscle more then once per week with heavy intense sets of compound movements with forced reps n drop sets spending no more then 45 minutes on a two muscle session..

I have been eating the omega 3 eggs and drinking whey protein along with keeping a good deal of veggies like broc, spinach n esparagus, tomatos in my diet.. Mostly getting carbs from brown rice n oatmeal.. It's no big secret just make a nice diet of food that contain the muscle building nutirients.. I also take l glutamine n BCAA's after my workout along with a nanna and whey prteins

Thanks Mike, u are definitely right, I am wayyyyyyyy over doing it.

I took a week off to kind of get back energized and Im ready to start back.

Im in between jobs right now as I recently moved to a new city, so while getting situated all ive really had to do is workout, cause only person I know is my fiancee and I dont have any friends so i basically stay at the YMCA all day long but its took its toll.


Thanks for the advice on the steam room, my strength has went ridiculously down as well.

Its just I am obsessed for some reason. Ive never been this focused and its like im training for the olympics or something.

i dont take any supplements either so im definitely messing myself up.

Im gonna do what u said, lift and maybe cut my cardio down to 20 minutes a day and see how that works.

my goal is to be 205 and Im just so close its like Im tryin to lose it too fast now instead of taking my time like I did with the previous 25 pounds.

well you'll get there quicker with less.. Sometimes less is teh answer, your body can only take so much, ......

small meal that are clean will rev up your metabolism, the early morning cardio (just take a whey shake) will use fat as energy and the pm weight training will give you enough time to have meals inside you for a good effort...  I would suggest you have something like a whey prtein shake after your workout with glutamine and a simple type sugar with health like a banana then within the hour a whole meal with protein complex carbs and healthy fats...

also just pic 3-4 movements per body part with around 3-4 sets then get out... It's crucial to be in and out to restore glycogen levels.. To marathon train you need to take in sugars proteins and maybe some bcaa's otherwise you'll use muscle for energy as well...

I workout fairly regularly butI injured myself almost 3 months ago. I hurt my back doing deadlifts. My own fault I should know better. I've been wroking out for about 9 years and this is my first workout related injury. I let my form slip and that's all it took. I feel fine now and have for about a week. Gonna hit the weights again on monday. I'll be smarter this time.

I notice alot of you have a negative opinion about creatin. To be honest it's all relative to who uses it. I know people who don't use it because it just doesn't have an effect on them. Me personally though my body reacts amazingly well to it. I do use creatin in cycles. Useually 3 months on 3 months off. Though if I had to choose one supplement other than a protien supplement it would be Glutamine.  It helps minimize the deterioration of muscle and helps to speed recovery between workouts. Basically Glutamine doesn't discriminate the way creatine does. It will work for everyone.

Thanks Mike

Today I ran for 30 minutes and made myself leave and the whole day i have felt amazing.

I took the week off and still weigh in at 220, so the time off didnt hurt me at all.
ive actually been doing pretty good with nutrition and thats what led to my 25 pound weight loss.

So im gonna only run for maybe 20 minutes a day on weight lifting days and maybe 40 minutes on non lifting days.

u are definitely right about less being more, I just would feel so guilty if I didnt do everything at once.

I got kinda fat there for a minute and I take pride in my body, so now im back in great shape I was just frantic thinking if I missed a day or didnt go 2 hours a day I would gain weight back.

now i realize that isnt gonna happen as long as I keep eating right and doing what Im doing.

have u ever tried any Xcience supplements?

never heard of those D.. I have been sticking with BSN and some designer whey protein.. The amount of companies with product ou there today is rediculous..


has never done a thing for me.. I think it's over hyped myself..

If I had to buy only a few products it would be l-glutamine, whey protein, and bcaa's all would be ingested pre n post workout

Ok, I need some help before the spring/summer weather starts to pick up.  This year I want to start playing a lot more basketball (because I've stopped for the past couple of years)... When is the best time to work in basketball with a weight lifting schedule?  When I'm at the gym I try to exhaust myself, and I don't think my muscles could handle playing basketball right after... and I also don't think my workout would be as good if I played beforehand... So what's the best thing to do?  If I play on the days I don't usually go to the gym, does it not rest my muscles as much as they need?

I am an avid basketball player and to get in peak basketball shape there is basically only one thing u can do.


PLAY BASKETBALL!

play as much as u can, when u work out do legs religiously to build up your explosiveness and endurance, run a lot of stop and go sprints, lots of suicides.

Bench Press, curls, shoulders, basic workouts apply, I dont recommend tryin to add a whole lot of bulk cause it will be devastating to your jump shot.


Remember the only way to get in true basketball shape is to play the game.

Last Night I played ball for 3 hours, today I can barely move, I actually had to take two tylenols and I am a guy who works out running,lifting,swimming for 2 and a half hours 6 days a week.

I hadnt played ball in about 3 months though and it fuckin killed me.

If u have the schedule and the time u could workout during the early part of the day and then u should be rested enough to play ball later on in the day as long as u gave yourself 4 to 5 hours of rest in between.

U could work out on days u dont play ball and u would be alright, thing is if u are tryin to keep strength be sure to take in lots of protein and if u have a high metabolism u will want to eat 4 or 5 good meals or else all that cardio from playin ball will rapidly decline your strength.

If u are lifting heavy weight, I highly recommend shooting a whole lot afterwards so u keep your stroke on your shot, cause before u start lifting u know how hard to shoot etc, but after u lift and get stronger it takes some adjustment so be sure to shoot a lot on days u lift just to keep your stroke.


some people also recommend Jumping rope to really help get in basketball shape.

D, I don't have the least bit of a problem with playing a lot of basketball.  Once I start I will continue for HOURS.  I find my biggest problem is stopping, taking that final shot where I will say "ok, that's it for today".  I just always want to keep going.

I should be able to eat enough, but that sort of depends on the job I get in the summer.  I doubt I will be able to workout in the early part of the day and then play afterwards (unless I start getting up really early, but my body doesn't usually allow for that). 

So you don't think it's a problem lifting one day and then playing a lot the next day?  Doesn't that interfere with giving your muscles the rest they need?


D, you're getting me fired up to get out there again.  March Madness already has me getting excited and your post just about pushed me over the edge.

I tried it once (for a week) and 'bout shit myself...........

Ive played twice already this week and its the first time Ive played in about 3 months and I had the most fun Ive had in a very long time.

where Ive been working out hard and losing that 25 pounds has made me explosive as fuck again.

Dude play ball till u cant walk, it wont hurt you.

If u play ball on monday and lift weights on Tuesday u will be fine. I will workout my legs and then go run for an hour.

Remember though, its almost impossible to keep a lot of strength if u are gonna be out there playing hours and hours of ball.

So I lift for cuts and tone, I dont even fuck with heavy weight anymore.

I use to bench 325 but I guarantee I couldnt probably bench 250 anymore, but I look 50 times better, I move around so much better and I can run like a motherfucker and never get tired.

Just be ready though to be humbled if u are a guy who is into numbers on a bar cause playing hours of ball will diminish strength some but its a small price to pay.

If u are wanting to build size and be super fit cardio wise, then U are gonna have to take in a lot of protein and u are gonna have to eat a lot!!!!!!!!!

running releases cortisol which eats muscle, so its very hard to have the cake and eat it to unless u do roids or something.

To have a nice mix though u could play ball 3 days a week and then lift 3 days a week with one full day to just rest.


taking supplements help, protein powders, glutamine really help restore what u lose through running.

I am playing again Thursday Night and I cant wait.

My game is like Ron Artests mixed with Steve Nash

Of course im nowhere near that good but when I play with my friends thats how my style is, cause I am a good 3pt shooter and a good passer and set up man like Nash but I play relentlessly on Defense and I hustle, dive on the floor, all that.

how would u describe your style of play?

just lift mon weds frid and then play basketball on the other days... or do morning cardio to get into basketball shape first then lift weights in the early evening

anyone have pics from the gym..??

(http://www.blows.com/chat/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=151023)

I'll try to maybe get one action photo one of these days :hihi:

Can I use the above photo as a means to collect money? ^^^

I'll cut you in on ten percent..............

sure do wahtever you like

I have been doing arms a bit different ... It's almost like one giant set per exersise of a rest/pause ... Say i do tricep pressdowns (rope, ez curl bar, straight bar, or v handle)  I will do a warm up set of like 15-20 reps.. The next set will be one continuous working set that causes such pain ,the lactic acid can knock you down before failure does..  My first working set will be about 12 reps until failure, then rest 10-15 seconds while raising the weight ten pounds then pushing out another say 8 reps to complete failure, then rest the same10-15 secs and raise the weight yet again ten pounds then get about 6 reps (maybe some partials, but absolute failure..  Same goes with a few other movements for triceps, as well as biceps, rest pause, increas ethe weight go to failure.. The burns n pumps are unreal.. very nice change up if you are stuck or bored..

Im gonna try that mike.

Ive been bored to death with my workout routines, Ive changed them around 2 or 3 times but I cant get something that is fun and challenging.


UFC figher Rich Franklin does a very excitin workout.

He sets his stopwatch at 1 hour.

he sets up 10 different machines to target the total body, he does it three times a week and for the entire hour he goes from machine to machine with no rest until the entire hour is over.

He ends up doing like 1500 reps.

I thought of doing something similiar, maybe drop it down to 6 stations or something and do one lift per body part and do the whole superset routine.


Right now im tryin to stay tone and get leaner while im losin weight down to my ideal.
right now i am 218 pounds, Im wanting to get down to 205 and then start packin back on the muscle and id like to get back to around 220.

but it sucks losin size and strength while getting rid of excess body fat.

Ive learned though, u gotta tear it down to build it back up, at least thats how i have to do it.

I thought I was doing pretty well with my 4-5 sessions at the gym a week, but some of you guys. :nervous:

I try to do 3 cardio and weight sessions a week. I'll do 30-40 mins cardio tops, using a rower and then either a treadmill or cross trainer. I do about 10 minutes of abs work and various press-ups using a swissball and medicine ball to vary the angle of attack. I then do a variety of upper body free weights.

I then try to supplement this with 1 or 2 30 minute sessions in the pool.

But there is no way I'll look like Mike G for quite a while. :nervous:

well forget cardio and lift weights...  It's all about lifting hard n heavy on basic ,multi muscle movements like squat bench deadlifts over head presses.... The the rest is eating good eevry few hours then getting good amounts of rest.. It's so damn easy it just takes time

^ Well, as I'm a few years older than your good self, I need to keep the cardio stuff up as my metabolism is beginning to slow up. ;D

I'll add some extra weights and keep it simple.

But the food thing ain't too easy with my job, so I just do what I can. : ok:

I don't think that I actually want to start going down the gym yet, but I do want to start doing at least some weight training, so I was thinking of buying some weights.

What would you recommend, to start of with? How often, and for how long...Being that I'm only just starting up really, I don't want do myself any damage.

Ahh, this helps!


Like what, eh?

At the age of nineteen your natural testosterone is the best it will ever be... I would go join a gym and hit the weights hard and you'll see the results quicker then say someone starting the same routine at 30..  If I could go back and take my training more seriously at your age I would do it in a second.. Eat right, sleep, train hard you'll be built with something within a year...

I would do 2-3 excersises 6-9 sets for each body part no more then twice per week... When you start anything you can only go up... keep it plain n simple , just basic movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, bent rows for back, press over head with a barbell, barbell curls, lying triceps extensions (skull crushers)

That's cool.

So, how long do you think I should be spending for each session at first? How would I go about spreading it out? Say, what, half my exercises and then spread it over four days? Or, what's best?

I want to get in a lot of running as well, push ups and sit ups. The thing with sit ups though, is that I can really kill myself with them. I don't know why it is, but I can push the pain barrior insanely with them. But I don't want to hurt myself doing it... Do you do them a lot? I don't know how often, or how many, I should be doing of exercies like that. I don't want to go into overkill...

I want to start running every day, and maybe a long run about twice a week.

I'm not impatient, but how long do you think that it will be before I start seeing results? I just want a rough idea, if I'm taking it seriously...

sit ups are fucking useless, do crunches; hanging leg raises... I think for someone brand new worrying about abs is  a waste, I might do them one a week tops, especially if I was skinny

I would do something like

mon-day 1 chest shoulders
tues-back traps
weds- the entire leg
thurs-  triceps, biceps, forearms
fri-rest
sat rest if still sore
sun-repeat

maybe do some pushups at the end of your chest workout.. I think if you'll be lifting weigths you won't need pushups, byut I would do dips(chest tricpes) n pullups(backs_

Well, the thing is, I'm not skinny. I mean, I'm not big, but I do want to get rid of the shit that is my stomach right now.

Right, quality, I'll do that program for a week, starting from tommorow, and see how I get on with it.

Well here's the bottom line you don't build size n strength while loosing weight,,, You can't choose where you loose weight either.. Not like you can get some magic sweat belt that makes your belly thin out.. No relacore for belly fat either (stupid commercial) :hihi:

Just eat a balanced diet, buy a book to keep up a log of your reps weight and sets, sleep well and rest your muscles...

Give it more then a week there, only thing you'll be after a week is sore

lol, I wasn't going to stop after a week. Just see how I took to it.

I'll find a way to choose where I lose weight god damn it! Somehow.

When you lose weight, does the difference you can see appear at random locations?

If you could see me you'd know I don't work out much!  :P

To try and get fit though I've been playin 5 a side with the boys from work on a Sunday night!

it's working a treat aswell!!

Well depending where you loose it it can be your face thinning out or you arms or your thighs... Stomach can be the last, the love handles ,or the rolls in your lower back

Ah I see, thanks.

question, and i'd appreciate anyone's thoughts.

i'm just getting back into training. the days i make it to the gym vary, but i usually make it 3 or 4 times a week.

i'd like to get on a 3-day split. i've been doing the following:

Day 1 - back, bi's
Day 2 - chest, tri's
Day 3 - shoulders, legs

anyone else hit every muscle within 3 days? if so, what muscles do you train each day?

my goal is to go 4 times a week, so each week i'm doing one of the Days twice (week 1 i'd hit back and bi's twice, week 2 i'd hit chest and tri's twice, etc.).

is this too much?

like i said, any thoughts would be appreciated. 

Ive actually done that before.


Bi's and back together are  good cause u use biceps while doing back so it works them both well, same with Tri's and chest.

I dont see any harm in doing a 4th day, Id rotate them though like u said so each week u are workin a different one twice.

looks good though!



Weight loss is different for each individual.

for me, i lose it in my back,face,chest and upper stomach first.

then I lose it off the legs,arms next

the lower stomach seems to come off last which i am thankfully on now.

I have lost about an inch and half off my waist over the last month so its finally coming off the area i want it to come off.

Yesterday was a great workout

I ran for 1 hour 5 minutes burning off 1000 calories

I then sit for 30 minutes in the sauna, 15 minutes in the steam room


i came home ate, relaxed went back down to the gym and did 12 sets for back, 9 sets for triceps and hit the sauna for 30 more minutes.

Great workout I burnt off probably close to 1,500 calories yesterday.

And Im bout to go and do it all again.

d you do way to much.. Never expect strength gains during this extreme calorie loss...  Sitting in these hot rooms will lower testosterone. Reason your nuts hang low is to keep them a few degrees cooler then your body temp.. Even if you are just inot weight loss this sounds like a fat muscle loss system.. Anytime you read a pro's diet secrets steam room is never part of it.. maybe clean out your skin

Simple cardio in the am weights in the pm with small healthy meals

Right now Im basically in a strip down mode.

Im trying to pry every inch of body fat off through intense cardio programs and Im only lifting right now to keep toned.

Once I lose bout 10 more pounds, Im cutting the cardio way down, pickin back up the supplements and gonna concentrate strictly on weight lifting, gaining back strength and muscle.


I hate losing strength but Ive lost over 30 pounds and Ive never been able to drop a huge amount of weight while maintaining strength, so I just kind of take the loss of some muscle and? strength as part of the deal to ultimately get the body ive always wanted.

I get depressed when I think of the strength ive lost but ill get it back.

at 240 i benched 325
at 215 i can bench around 240-245

but i havent? worked on a bench in almost a year, i do strict dumbells now, I do lower weight, higher reps.

In my pic on the forum in that black shirt I was 218, I went through a bad period in life and gained about 50 pounds up to almost 270.

I looked like shit, now im back to 215 and looking like that pic again for the most part, in that pic my arms were about 17.5/18 pumped, now my arms are about 17/17.5 pumped but im full confident once I get down to bout 200 pounds and start my massive weight training/protein/supplement  program, it may take a few months but Ill be back to full strength and muscle mass.

This time is the last time though, Ill never get back out of shape again i dont care what happens or what kind of tragedies i face in the future, Ill never stop again.

Fucking hell you take all this a bit serious dont u?

Is it worth it

\
depends if you want to look a certain way... This isn't like basketball where you have a talent and can get by with natural ability.. Sure some Bodybuilders or powerlifters are genetically gifted, but most have to bust some serious ass and live around it 24 hours a day to achieve something special in muscle...

Look at how many fat fuckers spend years looking like shit yet they bust their hump at the gym constantly..  The gym is only  asmall part of success, the rest is how you eat, how often what you eat how much you sleep.. it's really a science that most fail at..

Its sad really

I moved here to Chattanooga Tn about 9 months ago and joined the YMCA.

since that time Ive lost around 30 pounds, cut probably 10 percent off my body fat and I keep making gains weekly.

I see people workin their ass off and they dont look any different now than how they looked when I started.

so some people bust their ass for years and never see any results, I know they must go home at night and do some serious fucking eating.

I take in 2,000 calories a day and still lose 2 to 3 pounds a week.

I just cant wait to get rid of this last 15 pounds so I can start back focusing on the weight lifting and mass building part of it all.

2000 calories a week and lose 2-3 pounds a week, that is drastic.. A pound to two tops weekly during weight loss otherwise muscle comes off too.. All gains muscle wise mass wise always come during the off season for any pro, no one makes gains during extreme diet muscle wise that is.. If it wors for you fine, but I wouldn't go so drastic... I mean D if you worked out in a field breaking ass 10 hours a day and ate eevry few hours but kept loosing I could understand but doing it on purpose at that rate is a bit much..  Take things slow and you'll kep more muscle..

I am a maniac though, I dont know, its like I just go all out and feel like shit if I dont.

The flip side of the coin is though, I do the same once I start my hardcore weighttraining, i am just as maniacal about it as i am the cardio.

I am a classic Ectomorph, I have always slapped on muscle pretty easily, so Im not too concerned, im still thick as hell and muscular.

I dont do that every single day though, I do that hardcore runnin bout 3 to 4 times a week.

3 to 4 times a day? Are you a Greek god?

I have a question. The gym's around here that are worth the monthly payment all want that 12 month bollocks... I'm moving away in about 6, so I'm going to wait until then to start going to the gym.

So for the moment I'm doing quite a bit of running, some leg work and then just using free weights, with an aim just to tone up, look better, feel good and run three hundred miles a day, like Donnie. Well, not that last one.

Is there anything that you guys would recommend putting into my schedule, which is something like a short run twice a week, one of medium length another 2 and then a long run once a week; weights on the weekdays and then push ups, sit ups... What else would you say is worth doing?

(Okay, so that isn't strictly on topic... But hell, you guys know what you're talking about.)

Yea same question!

Except I aint goin runnin, dont like it!

I meant 3 to 4 times a week!!!


LOL

Bad typo.


Its hard recommending running, cause I dont know your fitness level. the experts say to run three times a week, say for instance on Monday,Wednesday, and Friday, me personally I run extremely hard 3 days a week and then 2 days I do kind of a medium run.

So if I run for an hour 3 days, the other 2 i may run for 30 minutes.

Mike will have to help u on pushups, Ive heard U can do em everyday but Dont quote me on that cause Im not 100 percent sure.

with weights its important to hit all the body parts at least once a week.

I love lifting one body part a day but its hard as hell to keep that schedule, so the best way in my opinion is to do two body parts 3 days and then some auxillaries on a 4th day.

for example

Monday Chest-triceps  some people do push/pull methods which means u would do chest with say biceps
Tuesday Shoulders-Legs
Thursday Back-Biceps or if u do the push/pull  back/triceps or some do back/shoulders
Saturday auxillaries forearms,calves,shoulder shrugs

Pushups I would just do every other day... I mean you "can" do them each day but I see no reason to...

if I had no weights I would hit the play ground and do dips, pullups and pushups with different hand widths and leg elevations

When all the gyms closed where I lived Id do pushups and dips using a chair and a crate, I had a 15 pound guitar amplifier and I would hold it by the handle and do endless sets of curls alternating arms until I felt a great burn.

Okay gym boys, I've been using free weights for about a month or two now. As I say, I'm not joining a gym for at least a few months (because I can't.....) but I am doing it 5 days out of 7. I have a bench as well, so.....

I've been mixing about my routine to try and find one that I am comfortable with, and I am at a level right now where I can do a decent set with the the right ammount of weight to do about 12 reps.

I'm looking to find a schedule to stick to now, but I'm not too sure what is most beneficial... I like days when I hit every body part, but I would like to spread it out. Say I do do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, as said above, how many sets do you think I should do for each body part? Should they be the same exercise or different; for example, changing between dumbell and barbell, how should I mix it up... How many different types of excercise for a single body part in each session, how many the same?

At the moment I'm not looking to get huge, I'm going to try and get into running bigtime, just definition...

Jim I kinda got to where you are up to earlier in the year. I was going so well and then I kinda found it difficult when I changed the routine to really concentrate on say two body parts per session and really smash those (which I was advised to do - concentrate on one or two muscle groups per session). I had started to kinda plateau out in terms of progress so I changed.. I found it a bit too much and lost motivation.

On Friday I returned and started from scratch again after like 5 months out (I've lost all my work and progress and am back to skin and bones again) and I am still sore now big time! I am going back tomorrow though! I am really moviated.. just hope I can keep going this time!  :hihi:

I love lines like this.. Most likely even if you wanted to get huge you wouldn't..

running knocks down testosterone just to let you know..

stay leans and that's how you look defined... I can lift heavy weight and have low body fat and look ripped..

do 8-15 reps 15, 12, 10, 8

I find best ways of training is 2 bps per day

chest shoulders
back traps
legs
arms
off
repeat or rest another day depending on soreness

You can hit each bp anywhere from every 5 days to 7..

mix it up with dumbells and barbells... I prefer dumbells for certain things, better stretches, better range of motion, not stuck in one position....

simple thing would be barbell curls, seated dumbell curls, bar preacher, dumbell hammer curls..

What?

Oh. Thank you.

Hey Mike I've been meaning to ask ya.

I've been working out for most of my life, even though there are times when I get lazy and don't work out and eat fast food too much.  I'm 5'10 190 pounds and do the whole protein shake and creatine thing.  I've been trying to maintain  about 200 grams of protein a day.  I work out 4 times a week like this.

With a curl bar with 80 pounds on it:

5 sets of 12 curls

5 sets of 12 military press (lifting behind the neck)

5 sets of 12 pulling the curl bar up to my chest.

To cool down I do 30 pound dumbells:

5 sets of 10 curls on each arm

then I put my knee on one side of the couch and on the other side lift my dumbells on one arm up to my upper chest if that makes sense I do this 5 sets of 10 if I last on each arm.

Going more than 200 grams of protein a day gets a bit expensive.  My protein shake is 20 grams per scoop, and there is 34 servings.  I do 3 scoops a day (60 grams) and it lasts about 12 days, then i have to buy a new thing of protein. 

Does my regiment look halfway decent?  And do you know of any conveinent ways to boost up to about 300 grams a day without eating constantly?

well how's it working out for you muscle wise?

I just feel you need basic movements like bench press, deadlifts and squats for overall total body mass, multi muslce movements, those are 3 movememtns that hit every skeletal muscle and develop power..

I use protein supplements but more like before after workouts and one shake before bed.. Otherwise I eat all the time... try qucik shit like a can of tuna, or nuts seeds (any kinds peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, etc).. That can be your snacks,.

order online because the supplements are cheaper.... prosource.net or massnutrition.com

I see zero reasons to jack the protein intake in another 100, if you weigh 200 keep it 1 for 1....

your routine is pretty bad, you are just hitting a few muscles, shoulders and biceps...

you should do 2-3 movements per body part then experiment as you se results..

chest -bench
legs-squat
triceps-dips, skull crushers pushdowns
biceps-barbell curls
shoulders presses ,laterals
back-pull ups, rows, deadlifts
calves calf raises

you ned to have each hit..
join a gym home working out is BS, never is the same unless you have a big basement well stocked with a partner who is into it..

Thanks Mike.

Yeah my routine is pretty biased towards upper body.  I've never felt the need to really do bench presses.  My shift has changed so I have more time in the morning so I'll probably join a gym soon and work some lower body muscles.  Thanks for the tip on the snacks as well. : ok:

Okay, so I've been working with some free weights and I've recently changed the exercises I've been doing with them. And, it's been 2 weeks since that has happened. But, now my left shoulder hurts and it won't stop hurting. It's not a constant pain, but I feel when I do stuff like I stretch my arms or I reach or something high or something like that.

So, can anybody tell me what to do?

well what exercise causes the pain, what did you change two weeks ago...

Does it hurt when you lift it in a press motion or more like a lateral front movement (like a crain boom, salute)..

If it seems really fucked up then I would see an orthopedic and let him check it out... Could be a rotator cuff, a minisucus, etc.. Certain things can be pulled or torn and not hurt unless used..

You have to be very carefull with certain movements, like behind the neck presses, upright rows, pec deck, lat pulldowns behind the neck.. Should is very fragile, it takes nothing to injur it, and doesn't heal easily ,and if torn surgery is the only answer, or giving up lifting anything heavy..

just back track and see what changed and when it started hurting..
I tore my shoulder in the gym adn I know the exact point it happened..

Well, it actually doesn't hurt really at all when I actually exercise just certain movements like the ones I've mentioned. The only exercise I do for shoulders is the lateral raises so that may have been what caused it.

well take a week off and rest it then see what it's like.... or recreate the movement and see what cause the pain...  I can't do the exact movmeent I hurt myself on and it would ring a bell..

Alright, thanks for the advice.

Hi,

I finally decided to get over my laziness and enrolled in a gym. Problem is I have no idea what to do. They do have some trainers, though they don't seem to be any good. Can anybody give me some tips on what to do, eat and generally what to watch out for? I don't have a weight problem nor do I want to look like Arnold. Just to be toned. Any suggestions would be welcome.  :beer:

I've been looking around at some books and other things to help out my brother but I thought why not ask you guys too. Basically my little brother is 21 and has never worked out a day in his life. He came to me to ask for help and I'm gonna help him. He weighs just under 300 and its pretty much all fat and tells me he's never lifted before, never ran before, never done really any exercise. I'm gonna put him on a gradually stricter diet. Similar to what you guys have talked about here. But since he's never done any type of diet before, and he doesnt have the greatest will power I figure the only way he would do it is to gradually diet. My question is how should I work him out?? How hard should we take it from the begining. I have a feeling if I push him too hard he'll give up. He knows it will be hard work, and I think he'll put in the hard work but I need help on how hard and what kind of routine I should put this kind of person in? He is not strong person, very weak, which comes from really doing nothing for 21 years. He probably has muscles he hasnt used in years or ever. I figure we'll have to take it slow and make sure to do all the stretching and make sure he doesn't push himself to hard.  I really want to help him better himself, and he's seems to be committed, I am just wondering if theres any cautions i should take with someone that has never done exercise?? ?:smoking:

I'm on an exercise and fitness management course at college.

First thing we are told is, for someone who's never exercised and isnt sure of their own health they are best to contact a doctor first, get a few check ups and all to see if they are ok to undertake exercise.

Starting out all you need to do is some time on a treadmill and some lights weights.  You don't want to be pushing a shitload just some to get the cardio going and to build some muscle tone.  Work out at speed is the best way to stay in shape as it does the cardio to, power is something he should focus on later.

As for diet, best to try and cut out all the fast foods, get him used to making his own food, have say 1 day as a treat day where he can have a takeaway or something... : ok:

Final hit a bench press of over 400 lbs this week . fuck yeah been stuck in the 300's for something like 4 years .

Good thing to do hightimes, is to not do too much too fast. People who hate exercise hate it cause they think its hard and all that.

So take it easy and let him gradually build up. that way he doesnt get intimidated by the challenge and give up thinking that everytime he exercises its gonna hurt and last that long.


Start off with light workouts and gradually help build his muscle endurance and cardio for at least a few weeks before pushing for harder workouts.

Diet is everything. Someone who weighs 300 pounds will drop the first 50 or 60 Fast if they stay committed cause u can take in a shit load of calories when u weigh that much.

Also try different workouts.

Personally I love running. it gives me a feeling that is indescribable but its not for everyone. Everyone has different exercises that interest and make them feel good. So change it up till he finds something he really enjoys doing.

1 treat per 5 pounds.

Thats how I see it. U lose 5 pounds u can have a small something of whatever u love to eat.

U serious?

If so thats some serious fuckin weight. : ok: : ok:

Woah...You bench pressed a Mark Henry....well done : ok: In time maybe you could bench press a Yokozuna :P

Can't believe this thread has gone untouched for so long, has everyone given up to training? :P

I messed up my shoulder 3 months ago and could not do any upper body work at the Gym and all my damn physio told me was it should be alright in 3 weeks.  Well a Doctor or two visit later and having seen a specialist I'm meant to start doing physio sessions in a few weeks.

The injury has obviously been improving, but anyone training knows how much it sucks waiting.  I've been able to refocus on leg work and cardio stuff which is good but I enjoy upper body stuff the most.  One thing that I did manage to get doing not too long after the injury was back stuff like dead lifting so I've improved loads on that.  I'm now at the stage where I'm benching, squating, deadlifting and doing pull ups again.  Got Triceps Pull downs back in to, only thing that I can't do to well is Bicep Curls, basically I just do that with virtually no weight, and well obviously Shoulder Pressing I can't do at all.

All the physio I've seen has told me is I have some kind of shoulder impingement and it's deep (hence the lack of tenderness of the surface).  But bit by bit things are getting better, just sucks being restricted training, can't train at my martial arts club either 'til I'm back to full strength, when I tried that 6 weeks since I was like the one arm bandit and it did not do my shoulder any good (oops).

I guess the best way to sum it up, is it's like your climbing a mountain, your reaching you peak, your training is going great, then some jackass kicks you down it and you have to start over.  Thankfully once you've been there a time or two, it's a lot easier to get back than it was getting up there in the first place.

started out a bit this monday, starting out light with a crosstrainer.. haven't trained for a half year maybe and i wasn't training that much back then but it'll be more serious this time around..

it's nice listening to slipknot or watching some tv while on it  :) have also changed my diet quite a bit

hitting it around an hour and a half a day last 3 days.. what do u think? should i stay at this level, or go harder or softer? i don't do it 90 minutesstraight, maybe half an hour 3 times, with maybe 5-10 minutes rests in between.. i think i'm going to go at it harder since i have time for it.. any problems with that?

gonna hit the gym next week if all works out [lame pun intended] :P

i'm 6'1, 205lbs whatever that has to do with anything ;D

I've started working out seriously some time back (a few months now) and have seen some good changes. Read up a lot, changed my diet and I have all things (workout, diet, sleep) going correctly now. Should see some serious gains in about a year or so. (I'm ectomorphic :()


I think 90 minutes is good, certainly not more than 2hrs a day. I suggest you hit it hard in those 90 mins. 5-10 min rests are too much. As for how many days.... well that's up to you. If you can cover all the body parts with at least 48hrs rest between workouts for each part, it's fine. I workout 4 days a week and it's fine for me...

Ill give some advice.

The thing with diet and exercise is, u don't want to overdo it either.

the way to have the most success is adapting a plan that u can conceivably do the rest of your life.


2 hours a day on a crosstrainer is probably a little too much.

Also, if u can go  hours on a crosstrainer and u haven't trained in a long time, chances are, u aren't putting a lot of resistance on it.

So up the resistance and shorten the time and u will burn more fat,calories and get a much better workout in half the time.

I don't recommend working out more than an hour a day 4-5 days a week especially starting out.

Cause, what will happen is, u will go Gung Ho and do great for a a week and then get burnt out and quit.

doing 45 minutes to an hour 5 days a week, keeps it fresh and easier to stay committed.

Since I started back eating meat, WOW, It seems so much easier to eat healthy, Don't fry anything, NO FAST FOOD. Throw out the sodas or at least cut them in half, NO FRENCH FRIES, potato chips or other foods that are empty calories.

Also

Eat spaced out meals every 4 hours or so. what happens is, after about 4 hours, your blood sugar levels start dropping and thats when u start craving quick fixes or junk.

If u keep your body filled every 4 hours with healthy food, lean meats, veggies, fruits etc, it helps tremendously fighting the cravings.