weightlifting, gym rats, bodybuilders,

[SLCPUNK]

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..

Yes, I mean stick out more. My legs look good (finally got that spring dress on I've been dreaming of ) 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........

[mikegiuliana]

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!

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

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

[D]

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!

[mikegiuliana]

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...

[mikegiuliana]

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

[D]

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?

[mikegiuliana]

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 That fat is just a trouble area between the chest n back

[D]

thanks

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

[mikegiuliana]

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..

[D]

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.

[mikegiuliana]

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

[D]

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.

[mikegiuliana]

in that order

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.

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..

[Oddy]

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?

[mikegiuliana]

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...

[Oddy]

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.

[Eazy E]

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?

[Surfrider]

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.

[mikegiuliana]

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?

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

[Hammy]

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?