Weightlifting.

[peam]

I'm planning on starting a pretty regular regiment of weight-lifting within the next few weeks, and I know there's at least a couple people on here who lift so I figured I'd try pan-handling for some advice.

I've been working on putting together a workout plan, but I'm pretty fresh to this so I'm not sure I'm doing it right.

The plan I'm following is based off of the website http://stronglifts.com/ which seems to contain some fairly legitimate advice.

If any of you guys could recommend any plans or reading that you suspect is more useful, or even tips in general, I'd appreciate it.

As for my setup, I'm planning on focusing on free-weights due to the benefits in comparison to machines. I have a YMCA membership so I have access to excellent facilities.

[Drinin]

I'm a fan of free-weights myself, mostly because my garage has cable tv and I can enjoy the weather. My advice is to take things in moderation and don't expect huge results in a short amount of time. I made that mistake 10 years ago and stopped lifting for 2 years because I wasn't seeing the results I wanted. I've got a good metabolism so I get away with eating/drinking a lot of crap and still manage to stay in good shape. I'm not sure what shape you're in now, might need to look into some kind of nutrition plan.

[kookiegod]

Age bro, and current condition?

I'll write you a fairly detailed thing, heck, i'm in great shape, and my new trainer is kicking my ass with some changes in my program and I am in heaven. Needed to get kicked out of my comfort zone I got in.

Was on the treadmill the other day and some chick gushed over the size of my guns and the trainer laughed and said, this is our second workout, wait a few weeks. I would have been dying laughing if i could breath as i was on a 15 percent incline at 5mph.

I'm 42 and I can do that and hang clean 185, squat 475, and do 30 mins of intense plyo. My recovery time has started to increase after harsh workouts, but you'lll have to kill me to ever say I quit.

[AnticorRifling]

Generic workouts are a good place to start but everyone reacts differently to various physical stimulus.

Most personal trainers are fucking retarded be wary.

The biggest question you need to answer is what is your end goal? You can be in the gym 7 days a week but if you're not training with specific results in mind you might as well get out of there because you're just in the way.

[IorakeWarhammer]

in my experience the best way to see strong results is to do the same workout on the same day every week. one summer i bulked up pretty heavily and increased my bench by about 100 pounds and this is what I did:

every monday: 3 sets of 10/8/6 of the following

regular bench
decline bench
single arm tricep pushdowns on the machine
incline bench
take the curl bar and do triceps lying down on bench pointing elbows to the sky (i forget the name)
flys
tricep bench press (use curl bar, its like bench, but put your hands close together and use less weight)

that workout plan made my chest huge and increased my bench from 130 to 230 in one summer (keep in mind i was 6 feet tall and weighed 140 pounds at the beginnin of the summer)

[peam]

Generic workouts are a good place to start but everyone reacts differently to various physical stimulus.

Most personal trainers are fucking retarded be wary.

The biggest question you need to answer is what is your end goal? You can be in the gym 7 days a week but if you're not training with specific results in mind you might as well get out of there because you're just in the way.

Primary goal is weight loss. The preferred route is weight lifting, though I do plan on implementing cardio and dietary plans.

I have no intentions of getting a personal trainer.

[peam]

in my experience the best way to see strong results is to do the same workout on the same day every week. one summer i bulked up pretty heavily and increased my bench by about 100 pounds and this is what I did:

every monday: 3 sets of 10/8/6 of the following

regular bench
decline bench
single arm tricep pushdowns on the machine
incline bench
take the curl bar and do triceps lying down on bench pointing elbows to the sky (i forget the name)
flys
tricep bench press (use curl bar, its like bench, but put your hands close together and use less weight)

that workout plan made my chest huge and increased my bench from 130 to 230 in one summer (keep in mind i was 6 feet tall and weighed 140 pounds at the beginnin of the summer)

Shut your baba ghanoush eating mouth.

[Sam]

I think personal trainers are just good for motivation, or making you workout to avoid feel guilty since you actually need to cancel your appointment if you don't want to show up..

[IorakeWarhammer]

okay i forgot the question: the best way to begin jason is to do a full body workout with reps of 15. this will develop the muscle generally so you can then go off into whatever option you want like: bulk or tone, etc..

i would do this:
of course maintain perfect posture and form, no struggling to get the weight up like the guys in the gym who scream at every rep. look for mechanical motions rather than struggling to get the weights up at the end of your reps.
run 1/2 a mile
stretch your legs
20 pushups
stretch your arms
3 sets of 10 bench press with a medium weight
3 sets of 15 bicep curls with a medium weight
3 sets of 15 rows or bar pulldowns (for back) with a medium weight
3 sets of 15 triceps with a medium weight
3 sets of 15 shoulder press with a light weight
3 sets of 15 leg press with a light weight
3 sets of 15 leg extensions with a medium weight
3 sets of 15 lateral raises with a medium weight
if you have energy at the end of this, do 3 sets of as many as you can each of the following:
pull ups, push ups, and dips
I would do this workout twice a week at least for a month and then go into workouts that specialize in different muscle groups

then it will be 3 sets of 10/8/6, where 10 will be a medium weight and the 8 and 6 will be your threshold weight

good luck

[IorakeWarhammer]

and working out with a friend is the best way to go because you will push each other. and peam i didnt post this for you but for the others so feel free to take it easy

[Sam]

and working out with a friend is the best way to go because you will push each other. and peam i didnt post this for you but for the others so feel free to take it easy

Your flinching is a sign of weakness. This is why you get picked on. Yejib Alayk an Takun Aqwa habibi.

[thefarmer]

I think personal trainers are just good for motivation...

http://queensbootcamp.com/images/Rebecca-Wenner2.jpg

[Sam]

Nice. I prefer my avatar though.

[AnticorRifling]

Peam please note that IorakeWarhammer is clearly fucking retarded. The only good advice he had was having a workout partner. It's not the "best" way to go as he mentions but most people do find benefit from having someone push them and someone to, in turn, push.

[AnticorRifling]

Primary goal is weight loss. The preferred route is weight lifting, though I do plan on implementing cardio and dietary plans.

I have no intentions of getting a personal trainer.

The biggest things you need for weight loss are strict diet and cardio. Weights are still important because you don't want to look like a PoW. That being said I've got solid knowledge that I don't apply when it comes to weight loss because, if I'm being perfectly honest, I currently lack the balls to tell my wife to quit feeding me :)

Before trying to get into any kind of specific workout and diet I'd need to know your current bench marks (kind of what Paul was getting at).

[Asha]

I need advice for all the same reasons. I've kept up with cardio and lifting moderately but not had a program and seen no change or results.
I'm 31, not fat, not thin either (totally middle build I guess). 5 '11 tall and 182lbs.
I've been drinking beer and eating unhealthily (between periods of extreme Vegitarianism I'll flip out and go meat mental) for about 2 years.. so got pounds in all the wrong places.

I'm a strong guy and have excellent endurance. But I'd like to man up and just get fucking ripped hopefully for next summer?
:)

[AnticorRifling]

Beer has been shown to stop fat loss. I'd have to find the study (but isn't there a study proving the pros and cons of everything?!).

If you're seeing no results and no change then change what you're doing!

As for the extremes on the diet your body doesn't know what the fuck to do so it's hording energy ie fat stores. Also vegans are hippies and don't deserve nice things.

Also I like the "by next summer" that's a year and a very real goal as opposed to people that think "man I can stick with this for a few weeks and be shredded by June"!

[Sam]

I've been slowly getting out of shape for the last 5 years since I left the Army.. I "acquired" a copy of P90X and am probably going to start that soon.. maybe I'll post some before pics and do a member journal thing.. We can all sort of motivate each other and keep each other accountable. And remind ourselves to get off the PC..

[AnticorRifling]

I've been slowly getting out of shape for the last 5 years since I left the Army.. I "acquired" a copy of P90X and am probably going to start that soon.. maybe I'll post some before pics and do a member journal thing.. We can all sort of motivate each other and keep each other accountable. And remind ourselves to get off the PC.. Fuck that what else would I do while I'm waiting on a shit here at work?!

Yeah I gotta get some pics together it's a great slap in the face motivator. The problem is when I get in the mirror to take them then the pants come off and I start doing the flying towel trick, or helicopter, etc. So they never get done.

[Asha]

rofl the Anticopter imagery entered my head before I could stop it!

Yeah I'm gonna get on weights and fitness big time and have a really hard working summer this year, by winter I'll be seeing changes and hopefully by next year I'll be able to calm down a bit and then just STAY in shape.
I aint taking pictures but yeah I should start a totally truthful journal.

[AnticorRifling]

I keep forgetting to update my keeping track journal, so much for keeping track.... Me I gotta dial in the diet, the weights and cardio are there but I eat like absolute ass. Which is why I always say the understanding of theory and the application of theory are two totally different things. I know exactly what needs done, I just don't.

[Sam]

I keep forgetting to update my keeping track journal, so much for keeping track.... Me I gotta dial in the diet, the weights and cardio are there but I eat like absolute ass. Which is why I always say the understanding of theory and the application of theory are two totally different things. I know exactly what needs done, I just don't.

I've been a vegetarian for 3+ years, but it's still pretty easy to eat unhealthily. I decided to cut out dairy and go totally vegan starting last monday, which is significantly harder [ no cheese :( ]. Fortunately my wife doesn't work and prepares all my food.. I think the hardest part about good dieting is that you can't be lazy and get microwavable garbage.

For me the dieting is a lot easier than getting the motivation to work out. It's always "well I'll just get up early tomorrow and work out before work." Then when the alarm rings I tell myself, "I'll just work out right after work!" and go back to bed... it's a terrible cycle.

[Asha]

Fortunately my wife doesn't work and prepares all my food..

You fucking legend.

[AnticorRifling]

See my wife does most (IE when it's my turn to cook I order pizza because I'm never in the mood to actually cook even though I can) of the cooking but it's all whole milk, cream, butter, fried, bacon, chocolate, AWESOME!!! She's like 100lbs soaking wet, carrying a brick however I walk in the house smell the chow and gain 2lbs before I get to the table.

I work out in the mornings and to be honest the first month is brutal. You have to force yourself and it sucks, then it gets easier as it becomes habit.

[Sam]

You fucking legend.

Also, my wife is actually the girl my avatar. Granted that's from like 4 years and one childbirth ago..

[Nuc]

The Strongman 5 x 5 is no different than Mark Rippletoe's Starting Strength or Madcow's program. It is a decent weightlifting program for all but advanced athletes (who require a more rigorous program). Be advised though that the recommendation to add weight on a weekly basis may frustrate you on all of the lifts except for the squat, bench, and deadlift (unless you're on HGH or roids). On the big lifts you should be ok with adding weight as the program recommends. I'd recommend stopping the program when you stop benefiting from it, which will probably be around 8-12 weeks in. After that, when you decide whether you want to continue bulking or start cutting, I'd recommend checking out Jacob Wilson's workouts.

More important than the actual lifting is strict diet. Get used to eating nothing but lean meat, chicken, fish, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, brown rice, and cottage cheese. A lot of cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is like bad beer - it's an acquired taste. Expect to give up :drink: as well. It is a lot easier to drag oneself to the gym and feel pumped up after lifting than to look at a tub of cottage cheese and think, "Wow this looks amazing I can't wait to dig in!"

If you have any questions on diet, lifting, or natural supplementation (sorry I can't help you with HGH questions) let me know.

[IorakeWarhammer]

Also, my wife is actually the girl my avatar. Granted that's from like 4 years and one childbirth ago..

who else has the balls to put their wife in their avatar? we got 2 people so far..

i'd like to see some other people's weightlifting regimens listed and see how they stack up

[Sam]

if my wife knew, she'd cut my balls off probably.

[Nuc]

I've been a vegetarian for 3+ years, but it's still pretty easy to eat unhealthily. I decided to cut out dairy and go totally vegan starting last monday, which is significantly harder [ no cheese :( ]. Fortunately my wife doesn't work and prepares all my food.. I think the hardest part about good dieting is that you can't be lazy and get microwavable garbage.

For me the dieting is a lot easier than getting the motivation to work out. It's always "well I'll just get up early tomorrow and work out before work." Then when the alarm rings I tell myself, "I'll just work out right after work!" and go back to bed... it's a terrible cycle.

I'm curious to see how you do as a vegan. I've heard that a lot of people have trouble gaining/maintaining muscle mass without animal protein. There seems to be something about eggs and whey that soy protein can't make up.

[Sam]

I'm curious to see how you do as a vegan. I've heard that a lot of people have trouble gaining/maintaining muscle mass without animal protein. There seems to be something about eggs and whey that soy protein can't make up.

Well we shall see.. I think my heavy lifting, creatine, protein powder days are pretty much behind me.. I'm not too worried about bulking up. I seem to have a mesomorphic body type too, so that will help with retaining mass anyway.

I haven't done any serious lifting in a few years, and when I do work out (not much lately) I stick to plyometrics and stuff that just uses my body weight as resistance. I'd like to get back into jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, but it's tough to justify spending so much time in the gym with a 2 year old at home.

[Malvadere]

I'm a personal trainer who focuses on functional training that corrects musculoskeletal mobility and stability while working on the clients specific goals. While most of my business are referred to me for post rehab work from physical therapist, I have years of experience successfully training the general population using the same methodology. I mostly use kettlebells, ropes, sandbags, TRX, plyo boxes and bands. No machines ever.

That said, and I'll just get this out of the way, from some of the post I've read already a lot of you will disagree with me. 1) Don't use machines, 2) don't do muscle isolating movements, 3) strongly limit bilateral movements, 4) stop thinking cardio and strength training are separate, 5) train movements not muscles, 6) no torso flexion, and 7) don't train like a bodybuilder.

To expand a bit
1) Don't use machines: Machines simply don't translate into real world functional strength. Having your core stabilized with a backrest/wherever rest eliminated the use of your core stabilization and while its great to be lifting and all, its all muscle isolating movements...

2) Don't do muscle isolating movements: Unless its your job to push/pull X amount of weight X number of times in a single plane of motion...its worthless. You're not a bodybuilder, don't train like one. When you incorporate full body movement and engage multiple muscle groups, you're not only working on real usable strength, but strengthening your core, increasing mobility and balance all while working on you VO2 (cardio) level.

3) Strongly limit bilateral movements: Pretty much rules out the straight bar...and this is where most will disagree with me. Back squats, bench press, military press, straight-bar dead-lifts; just don't do them. First off, it places a dangerous load on you axis and core, you will get injured its just a matter of time before the lumbar flexion catches up to you. Secondly I have clients who can do huge amounts of weight on the back squat (for whatever reason, not sure why they want/need it) who have huge differences in strength of each individual leg. When you use both legs at a time, one leg is doing more work...always.

Front squats are better, but do single leg squats on a plyo box or bench. I can go on about this forever but a supported/unsupported progression on single leg squats is healthier for your joints, increases strength more uniformly, and again, translates to real functional strength (athletes spend less then 20% their game time on both legs, and even then when are you ever going to need to lift 400 pounds straight up. Never, its a completely man made exercise that is never needed outside of the gym).

4) Stop thinking cardio and strength training are separate: When you use full body movements in high intensity intervals, you burn as much, or more calories than a comparable pure cardio bout of the same length. So with the equal gains in VO2 max, the one guy doing the lifting also has an increase in lean muscle mass. Get more out of your workouts. Stop talking, put in your earphones and get intense with higher reps, less rest, doing two or three exercises/lifts back to back resting the specific movement, but never my entire body (upper/lower body, and push/push pull examples, one rests while the other works)

5) Train movements not muscles: This goes along with several points I've already made but it should be the focus on your workouts. You also need to make sure you are moving correctly before you try to ad strength to your dysfunction. See if anyone locally can do a joint by joint movement screen, or uses the Functional Movement Screen. Any kinesiologist or functional physical therapist/chiropractor can do this (as well as a personal trainer who isn't behind the 8-ball). A single joint with limited mobility will interfere with the proper body mechanics (and neurological muscle memory) of all the other joints being used in the lift too.

6) No torso flexion: Don't do situps...ever. Or any other exercise that trains your to flex your spine. This is not what your core was meant to do. Your core is there to resist flexion and to keep your body stable while it is subjected to outside forces via your arms/legs/gravity. Train it accordingly. Also, if your doing torso flexion its just a matter of time before your lumbar develops pain. Your lumbar is for stability not mobility, while your thoracic spine is for mobility not stabilty.

7) Don't train like a bodybuilder: Breaking up muscle groups to train during the week ("Legs day bro") is ineffective, and makes no sense to use for the general population/athlete. You never single out muscle groups in reality, why train like you do? What they're doing is very specific to hypertrophy, to look "good" in brown paint, with special lighting and in no way is useful for anything else. Its a shame that people guy those magazines and browse through retarded supplement adds, to use some even more retarded workout plan. Also, someone who works just one muscle group a week works on that muscle 52 times a year, where as someone who is doing full body workouts three times a week, gets 156 times a year, all while increasing their VO2 and burning more calories after their workout with EPOC (look it up).

Never typed that much before, hope it gets you thinking. Hard to help without knowing anything about you too.

TLDR version: Do heavy heavy backsquats until it hurts, then do more or you're a pussy. Eat more twinkies too, you gotta eat big to get big bro.

[kookiegod]

And I'm going to totally disagree with you.

While I do believe in whole body movements and heavy squats, machines have a place, as does plyo etc.

But having chatted with Peam, he's had some recent back surgery and deconditioned, so we're gonna ease him into a training regimen, refine his diet, hydration and sleep in a holistic manner.

Starting with squats doesn't make good sense, leg presses and leg curls, and moving up from there when we got a base to work from does.

[AnticorRifling]

Malv is a hater.

[kookiegod]

To expand, you have some good ideas, I love and use kettlebells myself, and do lots of functional strength and movements, lots of plyo drills, but I'll tell ya, if you know how to USE machines, you can get a lot of use from them by using them in ways most people don't have a clue on. Experiment.

As I've gotten older /sigh, I have cut down on the heavy ass squats and deadlifts, but they are still great for functional gains. I just do more reps now with impeccable form. Hang cleans, clean and press, the snatch, etc. I've trained with an Olympic hopeful runner, and a bodybuilder , and some other guys and take what I can and expand.

I been doing a lot of plyo drills, box jumps, hundreds of mountain climbers, using physio and medicine balls lately, but some days, I just want a heavy bar and move weight too.

Whatever keeps me going forward in progress.

[DoctorUnne]

4) Stop thinking cardio and strength training are separate: When you use full body movements in high intensity intervals, you burn as much, or more calories than a comparable pure cardio bout of the same length. So with the equal gains in VO2 max, the one guy doing the lifting also has an increase in lean muscle mass. Get more out of your workouts. Stop talking, put in your earphones and get intense with higher reps, less rest, doing two or three exercises/lifts back to back resting the specific movement, but never my entire body (upper/lower body, and push/push pull examples, one rests while the other works)

5) Train movements not muscles: This goes along with several points I've already made but it should be the focus on your workouts. You also need to make sure you are moving correctly before you try to ad strength to your dysfunction. See if anyone locally can do a joint by joint movement screen, or uses the Functional Movement Screen. Any kinesiologist or functional physical therapist/chiropractor can do this (as well as a personal trainer who isn't behind the 8-ball). A single joint with limited mobility will interfere with the proper body mechanics (and neurological muscle memory) of all the other joints being used in the lift too.

7) Don't train like a bodybuilder: Breaking up muscle groups to train during the week ("Legs day bro") is ineffective, and makes no sense to use for the general population/athlete. You never single out muscle groups in reality, why train like you do? What they're doing is very specific to hypertrophy, to look "good" in brown paint, with special lighting and in no way is useful for anything else.

I pretty much agree wholeheartedly with everything he says. You don't want to look like a bodybuilder. You want to look like an athlete, so train like an athlete. Take less rest in between sets and push yourself until you're going to drop. Don't sit on your ass or socialize in between sets. I have an extremely busy schedule so I go to the gym for like 45 minutes per session but by the end I feel like I'm dead. It's much better cardio then jogging for 45 minutes. Also do as many full-body exercises as possible and do a lot of unilateral exercises too. I had never heard bilateral ones were bad but you want to at least balance. I love barbell lunges.

In all, you'll get better results AND it takes less time out of your schedule. Win win.

[Malvadere]

To expand, you have some good ideas, I love and use kettlebells myself, and do lots of functional strength and movements, lots of plyo drills, but I'll tell ya, if you know how to USE machines, you can get a lot of use from them by using them in ways most people don't have a clue on. Experiment.

As I've gotten older /sigh, I have cut down on the heavy ass squats and deadlifts, but they are still great for functional gains. I just do more reps now with impeccable form. Hang cleans, clean and press, the snatch, etc. I've trained with an Olympic hopeful runner, and a bodybuilder , and some other guys and take what I can and expand.

I been doing a lot of plyo drills, box jumps, hundreds of mountain climbers, using physio and medicine balls lately, but some days, I just want a heavy bar and move weight too.

Whatever keeps me going forward in progress.

Absolutely, but I'm not sure where we're disagreeing here. The TLDR version was an absolute joke that went 100% against what I wrote.

As far as helping Peam, I have no idea what their situation is, history, how they move, posture, age, I don't even know they're male/female. As far as back issues and other conditions, that is my specialty, but I can't explain years of logistics, education, and experience in a post on a GS4 forum.

We do use machines in a post rehab setting, and depending on the injury, we may have to work them into the latter phases of training. The stabilization they provide for your core controlling your movement on a track has its place too. Taking people who are deconditioned, post-surgery/physical therapy are 80% of my business or myself and three employees and what I said in my original post still pertains to them, but once they are fully functional. I never laid out a routine, they're different for each person and each situation, I just put down a few basic guidelines to separate the old dirty bodybuilding gym mentality, from a healthier, functional and updated training.

And I love the versatility, effectiveness and fun that medicine balls and plyometrics bring to training, both rehab and prehab. Not sure how you thought otherwise. The only think I haver do that is close to heavy, for myself who is perfectly healthy with excellent joint by joint mobility and stability are deadlifts using a shrug bar, which is rare because I'm mostly doing one leg deadlifts (which are hard to coach and not for 95% of the people who I or my staff treat.)

[kookiegod]

And I love the versatility, effectiveness and fun that medicine balls and plyometrics bring to training, both rehab and prehab. Not sure how you thought otherwise. The only think I haver do that is close to heavy, for myself who is perfectly healthy with excellent joint by joint mobility and stability are deadlifts using a shrug bar, which is rare because I'm mostly doing one leg deadlifts (which are hard to coach and not for 95% of the people who I or my staff treat.)

One leg straight leg deadlifts on a coreboard. :)

Oh, I think we agree more than ya think, I've laid out a holistic plan to get him started. I'd agree with a movement screen and a lot of stretching, want to get him started. Build a base, and some basics.

[peam]

I don't even know they're male/female.

I'm whatever you need me to be.

[Asha]

Paul do you do nutrition advice too?
@ Malvadere I enjoyed your post but still have to say if I want to look ripped, I'm going with weights + cardio + healthy eating

[Asha]

I've just realised I only know yours and Stanleys first names of anyone on the boards. Oh and Nikki.

[kookiegod]

Paul do you do nutrition advice too?
@ Malvadere I enjoyed your post but still have to say if I want to look ripped, I'm going with weights + cardio + healthy eating

I know a few things, and i'm always glad to help out and worked with some good folks.

[Clove]

Was on the treadmill the other day and some chick gushed over the size of my guns...Now there's a side of you I never saw...

http://media.photobucket.com/image/gun%20show/Justinfox213/Gun-Show.jpg

[Malvadere]

@ Malvadere I enjoyed your post but still have to say if I want to look ripped, I'm going with weights + cardio + healthy eating

Absolutely, what I do and what I have all my clients do too. In my post I never said anything about not doing these things, I cycling swim and run in my triathlon training, try to get 2-3 lifting workouts a week and eat healthy as well. All I was saying is that you can alway do it better and smarter. When I lift, I'm lifting not only to increase/maintain strength and stamina, but to correct any postural/mobility/stability/imbalances I have as well. Same goes with my clients.

As far as being ripped, I've always been in great shape. However, even at 26 I've noticed things getting tougher (whether it be less time, or aging or whatever). With my clients, both general pop. and rehab, and myself I have overwhelmingly found that the more I train people with functional training, corrective exercise and under the general guidelines that I very, very briefly describe in my original post, the easier and quicker they meet their goals. On top of that, there has been less pain as well. Your workouts should never lead to pain, immediate or twenty years down the road.

[Danical]

Malvadere gives great advice. Unfortunately, I think 95% of all men at gyms in the US are vanity training (i.e., bodybuilding) and not health training.

[Nuc]

Breaking up muscle groups to train during the week ("Legs day bro") is ineffective, and makes no sense to use for the general population/athlete.

Probably the most important comment I took away from Malv's post. Your training should match your goals. Every physical therapist and sports club personal trainer I know says exactly the same thing that Malv does. Everyone I know who trains to be a bodybuilder will agree with Malv only on the machine and torso flexion comments.


I think 95% of all men at gyms in the US are vanity training (i.e., bodybuilding) and not health training.

More than just vanity training, in a number of professions, having a large and intimidating presence makes you more successful. Overweight and out of shape keep you down on the corporate ladder. Blame marketing.

[Methais]

Malvadere gives great advice. Unfortunately, I think 95% of all men at gyms in the US are vanity training (i.e., bodybuilding) and not health training.

But if you're all ripped out, you'll get to bang lots of hot chicks, and banging hot chicks is healthy as long as she doesn't have AIDS.

Therefore vanity training is health training.

[AnticorRifling]

Malvadere gives great advice. Unfortunately, I think 95% of all men at gyms in the US are vanity training (i.e., bodybuilding) and not health training. I'm training to move iron, for no other reason than to move lots and lots of iron. It's not like I need to push 400 lbs over and over as a software ANALyst.

[thefarmer]

Malvadere gives great advice. Unfortunately, I think 95% of all men at gyms in the US are vanity training (i.e., bodybuilding) and not health training.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00166/Bodybuilder-185_166313a.jpg

[Methais]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00166/Bodybuilder-185_166313a.jpg

http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/102/1028776/altered-beast-arcade-20090928073517693_640w.jpg

[AnticorRifling]

I can't see Methais' pic he linked because of my firewall but the one farmer linked...yeah synthol is always classy.

[Archigeek]

Question for Malv. I thought VO2 Max was difficult to nearly impossible to increase as it is largely genetic, (VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen in your blood). You mentioned increasing it. How?

Liked most of what you said though. Having been through 3 rounds of physical rehab, (plantar faciatis, repeated shoulder subluxation, and hip repair surgery), I am a big believer in it and in the value of proper mechanics for the body. Love the medicine ball, and hate lunges, even though I think they're a pretty great exercise. I've also found that Pilatis helped a ton with my core, as did yoga.

I got myself into good shape last year, (lost 10% of my body weight and probably converted another 5% from fat to muscle), but have been a total slacker for the last 9 months and need to get my ass back to the gym.

[Methais]

I can't see Methais' pic he linked because of my firewall but the one farmer linked...yeah synthol is always classy.

It's a pic of that buff guy from the other pic in his first job, as the main character in Altered Beast after you get 2 powerup orbs.

[Morph]

6) No torso flexion: Don't do situps...ever. Or any other exercise that trains your to flex your spine. This is not what your core was meant to do. Your core is there to resist flexion and to keep your body stable while it is subjected to outside forces via your arms/legs/gravity. Train it accordingly. Also, if your doing torso flexion its just a matter of time before your lumbar develops pain. Your lumbar is for stability not mobility, while your thoracic spine is for mobility not stabilty.



So if you don't do sit ups, what do you do to work your abs?

[Nuc]

Crunches. Leg lifts.

[Morph]

oh psh crunches and sit ups are like the same thing!

[Nuc]

No

:fish:

[Malvadere]

Don't have time to answer in depth but crunches have as much torso flexion as sit ups. What you want is to resist outside force isosmetrically. Think of (and YouTube) kneeling anti rotation, anti flexion exercises and stability ball roll outs ( don't use those wheel things, they put your spine into extension). I'll say more about VO2 when I'm not using my iPhone.

[Asha]

You know what? Fuck all this. If you want to score chicks just carry a plectrum around in your loose change and make sure to flash it when you sift through your coins at a counter where a hot chick works.
Done.

[Stanley Burrell]

Just do standing and sitting curls, like twice a day, max, and right after you throw down the weights, flex your shit until you can't feel your hands. It seems to be working for me... I mean, I have zero stamina, but my arms aren't unbelievably skinny like they have been for 23 years of my life.

I mean, look at crocodiles man: They just need a few seconds of fast twitch muscle movement and can murderlize shit.

Be one with the crocodile.

[Drinin]

So if you don't do sit ups, what do you do to work your abs?

Crunches with a 25lb weight on your chest.

[Asha]

That has got to be bad for your back?

[Drinin]

Might be, but I've never had any injuries in 14 years of lifting.

[Malvadere]

Question for Malv. I thought VO2 Max was difficult to nearly impossible to increase as it is largely genetic, (VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen in your blood). You mentioned increasing it. How?

Liked most of what you said though. Having been through 3 rounds of physical rehab, (plantar faciatis, repeated shoulder subluxation, and hip repair surgery), I am a big believer in it and in the value of proper mechanics for the body. Love the medicine ball, and hate lunges, even though I think they're a pretty great exercise. I've also found that Pilatis helped a ton with my core, as did yoga.

I got myself into good shape last year, (lost 10% of my body weight and probably converted another 5% from fat to muscle), but have been a total slacker for the last 9 months and need to get my ass back to the gym.

Didn't it feel great to get back into shape? Keep it up. Yoga and Pilates are excellent....once your body is moving correctly. If you have any mobility imbalances, stretching everything equally will not help those imbalances. As far as your injuries, seems like you have some superficial back line issues. Do a lot of tennis ball rolling on your foot? For your shoulder, try something called shoulder packing, good example of that here http://www.youtube.com/user/jsansalone3

VO2 max can definitely be trained. Pretty quickly and relatively easy too. Studies used to say that there was no difference in VO2 max between people who are trained vs untrained by measuring the ration of VO2 max vs bodyweight. But then they measures VO2 max compared to body surface area and found the increase of those who are conditioned.

Studies show that you can significantly increase your VO2 max by regular training and by gradually increasing your activity level until you can work at an intensity that raises your heart rate to between 65 and 85% of its maximum for at least 20 minutes 3-5 times a week. Interval Training too.

[Stunseed]

< Studies show that you can significantly increase your VO2 max by regular training and by gradually increasing your activity level until you can work at an intensity that raises your heart rate to between 65 and 85% of its maximum for at least 20 minutes 3-5 times a week. >

Glad I'm doing something right.