Getting fit with SwordsMaster

[SwordsMaster]

I was recovering from a training session a couple of weeks ago and my attention gravitated to the fact that the gym was unusually packed that day. And then I realized that summer was close and everyone rushed to the gym to get that sporty figure and look good in speedos ( :fainting: ) or the diverse beach complements. Like it is going to happen in 3 weeks....

Anyway, I thought that I might somehow contribute to destroying some myths of fitness and become a myth myself, and maybe help people keep fit all year as opposed to the 3 weeks before summer and decided to post a big compilation of all the information I came across during my training career.

I'll try to update this thread as frequently and regularly as I can and of course I accept suggestions and comments.

Maybe this could be stickied for reference.

Today: Sleep

So what are the symptoms of sleep deprivation?

* Drowsiness
* Forgetfulness
* Weight gain
* Mood shifts ranging from depression to being irritable.
* Reduced immunity to disease
* Reduced ability to think logically and analyze new information
* Reduced vocabulary
* Reduced motor skills and coordination
* Decreased reaction time
* Decreased stamina and energy

- Now add all these up together and now imagine trying to break a plateau -

But what is the worst part about sleep deprivation?

After the first 3-4 hours of sleep your body releases 60-90% of your daily GH (Growth Hormone) amount. So short cutting sleep obviously spells your doom.

Growth Hormone is responsible for the growth of your bones and muscles. It also prepares fat for energy use and spares lean body mass. In regards to muscle growth it causes muscle cells to increase protein synthesis, decrease protein breakdown, increase amino acid uptake in muscular tissue, and divide. Basically it causes growth of muscle and bone tissue.

Is that it? No, decreased levels of GH indicate a drop in your body's ability to metabolize glucose, this means fat is not metabolized at it's peak rate; Your exercise capability is reduced as well as your muscle mass.

Another negative effect of decreased GH levels is a weakened immune system. GH stimulates bone marrow growth which boosts the immune system function. A lack of sleep will slow the growth and repair of this tissue; Studies have also indicated that a lack of sleep will reduce your white blood cell count down a good margin.

Finally sleep deprivation increases levels of cortisol in the body the next day. But what the hell is cortisol? It's the 'Stress Hormone', it's your opponent on the road to increased gains in your physical endeavors. Med definition is - The major adrenal glucocorticoid, stimulates conversion of proteins to carbohydrates, raises blood sugar levels and promotes glycogen storage in the liver. To make it simple for you cortisol causes hyper tension, stress, and synthesizes the amino acids in your muscles to fuel more vital organs (like lungs, heart, brain). In excessive amounts It can cause memory impairments, restrict tissue repair, and increase insulin resistance. It's nasty! Furthermore, elevated cortisol levels have been identified in patients with adrenal tumors. Cancer is not the sex.

More interesting facts I have stumbled upon -

* Athletes who only get 6-7 hours of sleep a night have to work twice as hard to process the same amount of fuel. This means less fat loss and less energy for your workouts.
* If you're not getting the right amount of sleep your body will be in a catabolic state all day long. How catabolic? Multiply it by two post workout
* We cannot adapt to less sleep, overtime a 'sleep debt' will start accumulating. Too little sleep will have a direct connection to a loss of intensity in your workouts
* 6 hours of un-broken sleep is better than getting 8 hours of broken sleep. The reason this is true is because if we cannot sleep without being awoken our bodies do not progress through the 5 cycles of sleep as it should.

There is always something you can be doing better, sleep is an easy one to start with. So how much sleep do you need? On average younger people between the ages of 12-25 need more than adults. We need between 8.5 and 9.25 hours of sleep per night. Harder working athletes will require more than that! It's easy to figure out exactly how much sleep you need. Go to bed, and wake up! Figure out how many hours passed while you were asleep and 'voila', you now know how much sleep you should be getting each night.

(Thanks to Jujimufu at www.trickstutorials.com)

I hope this has been useful.

:bow:

[Laridus Konivaich]

Neat info! I might have to consider some of it myself :embarassedg:

[SwordsMaster]

Well, thanks to LAridus bumbing every single post in the Frontroom, Im going to update this soon : NOW ~D .

Today: Breakfast

So, you get a good nights sleep, now what?

Breakfast, right.

Here are some common excuses people give for not eating breakfast, and my reasons for why these excuses are worthless.

1. I don't need it, because I'm not hungry.

Yes you are, you just don't know it! You just slept for god's sake you haven't eating in 8 or more hours! While you're asleep, your body feeds on liver glycogen stores, which is drained by morning. When the body runs lows on glycogen (fuel) the body synthesizes amino acids from your muscles to fuel the brain, nervous system, and other vital organs and tissues. This sends your body into negative nitrogen balance, which is when excreted nitrogen wastes exceed that from consumed nitrogen fuel (protein). Your metabolism has turned catabolic (breakdown of muscle tissue for energy metabolism). This means your metabolism not only slows down greatly, but it's using your own hard earned muscles as fuel. When you start moving your body needs fuel much more in contrast to when you slept because you're moving around and not laying like around like a log! So your metabolism is catabolic and slow when you wake, that explains why sometimes you aren't immediately hungry on rising. You need the food badly, here is a quick analogy for your understanding:

Body's metabolism is slow and catabolic upon rising. Skip breakfast // Stretches the period of catabolism and lose more and more muscle while feeling miserable with a low metabolism.

Body's metabolism is slow and catabolic upon rising. Eat a complete breakfast // Ends catabolism (Breakdown of own muscle tissue for fuel) and starts anabolism (Fueling/Growth/Preservation of muscle tissue). Metabolism takes a huge boost for healthy fat loss and you're energized for the day.

2. I have no time for breakfast.

The very minimum for breakfast can be a ready to drink (RTD) shake such as carnation good start or an instant protein beverage. Fruit is great as well for breakfast. How about a bowl of cereal? You have to be an idiot if it takes more then 1 minute to prepare a bowl (NO COOKING INVOLVED). You can even put cereal in a plastic bag and eat it on the way to work or school if you're in that much of a hurry. Oatmeal? Easy, takes 3 minutes for me to prepare and cook. Not only can breakfast be fast, it's easy and nutritious. Breakfast is also the prime meal for fitting important nutrients into your diet. Many foods eaten at breakfast contain significant amounts of Vitamins C and D, calcium, iron, and fiber. Milk/Grains/Orange juice? It's all healthy! You should make time for breakfast my young apprentice...

3. I'm on a diet, so I skip breakfast.

No wonder you're not losing weight! Read the first reason people give for skipping breakfast and the explanation on why you shouldn't skip breakfast. When you don't eat your body uses muscle as fuel before it uses fat. So you'll be processing muscle for fuel first. Is this a bright idea? No! Because the more muscle you have the more calories you need on a day to day basis. Such as monster body builders, they require ungodly amounts of food to maintain their body mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. The more calories you burn, the more calories you can eat. The more calories you can eat, the more food you can eat! Eating a complete breakfast sends your metabolism into a state of anabolism. This means your muscle is preserved and is now fueled to burn off the fat you're trying to rid yourself of. Just by eating breakfast, containing all of the three main components (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) can raise your metabolism 60-100%. So for a quick analogy:

Eat a balanced and filling breakfast > Metabolism soars and sends you in a state of anabolism / Muscles are fuelled so you can kick ass, burn fat and are ready for a brave new day

Don't eat breakfast > Metabolism remains at a crawl and preserves your body weight. This keeps you in a catabolic state induced by sleep / Muscles are not fuelled, you burn more muscle then fat. You lose...

The myth: Exercising before breakfast promotes fat loss >
The fact: Exercising before breakfast promotes muscle loss >

Reason is simple! Basically when you slept, your body has used all it's fuel (glycogen) and is now catabolizing your muscle as fuel, sending you into negative nitrogen balance. Which means, you're pissing out your muscle! Go for a jog before you eat and you'll be pissing out more muscle cause as you run you're body will be using muscle as fuel!


Other breakfast related things:

Fat loss:

Studies show that eating breakfast regularly significantly lowers your body mass index, which is the ratio of your weight to your height. A lower BMI is an indicator of general good health. Skipping breakfast causes a mid-morning, low-sugar slump, which often results in your grabbing something lie a chocolate bar to eat. But high-sugar, high-fat foods only make you feel even worse then the food you ate, fatigued and hungry for more junk. Start off healthy to avoid the crash, and don't eat junk, it's not right.

Eat for your brain:

It's a known fact that people perform better on memory and attention tests after eating a good breakfast. Your brain relies on glucose for fuel and the typical breakfast is usable energy for the brain as all meals are. So if you're enrolled in school you can make better grades with breakfast. If you have a job, at least you will be sharp enough as to not get caught not working... Generally though, you will gain a mental edge if you fuel in the morning with breakfast.

And lastly a few ideas on food for breakfast:

Good sources of protein and ways to include them into your breakfast :

Your body requires 20 different amino acids and can only make 13 of them on it's own. It must obtain the rest through your diet. Protein sources with the amino acids your body can't produce must be obtained through the foods we eat. If a protein doesn't contain all the essential amino acids it won't be absorbed efficiently. Proteins with the full amino spectrum are called complete proteins.

Complete protein ideas:

* Whole eggs
* Egg whites
* Egg beaters
* Milk
* Yogurt
* Protein powders (whey, egg, milk, soy)
* RTD drinks (Such as carnation good start or met RX instant meal replacement)
* Tofu
* Cottage Cheese
* Meat (such as bacon or sausage, although this is high in saturated fats)
* Fat free american cheese (like.. scrambled eggs with cheese eh?)

If you combine an incomplete protein and a complete protein, you will still be getting the full amino spectrum. Eating an incomplete protein alone doesn't do much for you, but combining them with a complete will add a lot to your meal.

Incomplete protein ideas to combine with complete proteins:

Grains such as :
* Barley
* Oats
* Rice
* Pasta
* Rye
* Wheat

Legumes such as :
* Peanuts
* Soy beans

Nuts/Seeds such as :
* Sesame seeds
* Sunflower seeds

You can sprinkle nuts in your cereal or oatmeal for a crunch. Your oatmeal also contains incomplete proteins, cool huh?

Including a protein source will bring you into positive nitrogen balance, increase the metabolism through the digestion of the protein itself, and increase fat mobilization for fuel. Also including protein in an already carbohydrate rich breakfast will slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream, helping to keep your energy levels constant and consistent until your next meal.

Resources :

http://www.fitforsuccess.com.au/breakfast.html
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/zaino3.htm
Men's Fitness / May, 2001
http://www.bodybuilding.com/teen/brent16.htm
www.trickstutorials.com

Enjoy.
:bow:

[Al Khalifah]

Good stuff SwordsMaster. Have recently returned to full exercise regime, from my usual occasional activities - yes partially because I'm going to Crete in a few weeks, my heart is in the right place.

I have always eaten a good healthy breakfast because when I was growing up my parents wouldn't have it any other way. They actually claimed that only homosexuals don't eat breakfast..... well they might have done it for the wrong reasons, but it did me good anyway.

I don't think I get enough sleep though. I don't feel tired as result, but in general I only get around 7 1/2 - 8 hours. I didn't realise there were such negative health consequences of this. Will have to improve this.

[Laridus Konivaich]

Well, thanks to LAridus bumbing every single post in the Frontroom, Im going to update this soon : NOW ~D .
Not true! I only posted in 65 topics! That's not even the first two whole pages :sadg:

[SwordsMaster]

I have always eaten a good healthy breakfast because when I was growing up my parents wouldn't have it any other way. They actually claimed that only homosexuals don't eat breakfast..... well they might have done it for the wrong reasons, but it did me good anyway.

I have to say thats the most curious argument for eating breakfast I've ever heard ~D


I don't think I get enough sleep though. I don't feel tired as result, but in general I only get around 7 1/2 - 8 hours.

I know, I dont usually get more than that either, but before I started minding it I was getting 6-7 at most. Now that college is over I try to get at least 9 hrs every day (which yesterday meant skipping "The good, the bad and the ugly" :embarassed: )
But I do feel much better after I incorporated that into my habit.

Anyway, the amount of sleep you get is very personal. You should sleep until you wake up by yourself without the alarm ringing, and that would be the amount of hours your body needs.


Not true! I only posted in 65 topics! That's not even the first two whole pages

man, youre bored....

[Al Khalifah]

Should get more excercise Laridus

[The Wizard]

Interesting stuff. I always thought I needed eight hours of sleep regularly. Even with that in mind I sleep about 7 hours on weekdays (9 to 11 hours in the weekend). Might have to change that, come to think of it.

Tell me, is a sandwich or two of whole grains (brown bread etc) with plant oil-based (as opposed to cream-based) butter and various toppings (cheese, meat, pathé etc) enough for your wholesome breakfast?



~Wiz

[SwordsMaster]

Interesting stuff. I always thought I needed eight hours of sleep regularly. Even with that in mind I sleep about 7 hours on weekdays (9 to 11 hours in the weekend). Might have to change that, come to think of it.

Tell me, is a sandwich or two of whole grains (brown bread etc) with plant oil-based (as opposed to cream-based) butter and various toppings (cheese, meat, pathé etc) enough for your wholesome breakfast?



~Wiz


Not really. Even if you are getting some proteins, carbs and fat, you are getting saturated fat from the pathe or meat (unless its chicken or turkey) and not unsaturated fat which is preferrable. Also you are getting no vitamins and very little carbs. And brown bread is better than white bread but it is still not as good as a bowl of cereal.

I'll post an example of a good breakfast so that you can compare.

[The Wizard]

Hm. Expected as much. The problem is I have to take pills every morning which prohibit me from eating for another hour. I guess I'll have to take them later on in the day.



~Wiz

[SwordsMaster]

Example of a good breakfast


First, a glass of water before breakfast, then: two whole eggs, 1 piece of fat free cheese, 1 serving oatmeal, 1 banana, 1 glass of water, multivitamin, 1 scoop of whey protein. Two whole eggs have 16 grams of protein and have the 2nd highest quality protein you can eat (whey protein being the highest quality of protein available). 1 piece of cheese is 6 grams, and 1 scoop of whey is 20 grams of protein. That's 42 grams of protein. Add in an incomplete protein, oatmeal, and I now have 47 grams of protein for breakfast. If I made my oatmeal with milk I'd be getting even more. It's easy to get protein in your breakfast. Next a banana has awesome electrolytes and is good source of carbohydrates and fiber, while oatmeal is a great source of carbohydrates with lots of fiber. Natural oats also raise testosterone a bit (good for a guy again :charge: ) and lowers cholesterol. The multivitamin must be taken with food, and it goes well with this meal. 1 glass of water helps take care of water soluble vitamins.


This breakfast takes me 12-16 minutes to cook and eat.
If you dont feel like building muscle, then you could drop the whey and maybe substitute 1 glass of water with a glass of orange juice. If you are preparing your oatmeals with milk you can also skip the cheese if you want (again if you dont really need that much protein).

This will keep you going for 3-4 hours.

Enjoy

:bow:

EDIT:

Hm. Expected as much. The problem is I have to take pills every morning which prohibit me from eating for another hour. I guess I'll have to take them later on in the day.



~Wiz


PS: You can always take your pills after breakfast.

[The Wizard]

Yes, I have to take them either one hour before or two hours after eating (excluding snacks; but I stopped such jokes a while ago).

About the sleeping part. What are the tabs on siestas? Say, you slept 6-7 hours. Does that mean a nap of 2.5-1.5 hours brings you to the right level of sleep needed? Does that have only have effect on exercises after the siesta?



~Wiz

[SwordsMaster]

Yes, I have to take them either one hour before or two hours after eating (excluding snacks; but I stopped such jokes a while ago).

About the sleeping part. What are the tabs on siestas? Say, you slept 6-7 hours. Does that mean a nap of 2.5-1.5 hours brings you to the right level of sleep needed? Does that have only have effect on exercises after the siesta?



~Wiz


It is important that you sleep is uninterrupted. Meaning that it is better to sleep 8 hours uninterrupted than to sleep 6 and then another 3. As I said before, the Growth Hormone is released and used during your sleep and reaches its maximum release after some 4 hours of sleep on average. Yeah, but then it has to be used. It is much better used in your sleep. Thats why sleeping has those "healing" properties, you are basically rebuilding damaged tissue.

If you take short naps during the day, it mught help your digestion but it will not serve the purpose of rebuilding damaged tissue as the GH hasnt had time to be released.

You could, say wake up for an hour and then go back to bed and resume sleeping without too much damage to your healing process (assuming you slept for more than 6 hours in the first place), but a nap after lunch will only serve to rest your muscles and provide a good digestion.

If you do intense weight training (which I will consider in further updates) then the amount of hours you sleep will go up and a 2 hour nap during the day coupled with the right supplements will help you train again in the afternoon. Anyway that applies if you are a professional bodybuilder or "World's strongest man" and hardly applies to human friendly levels of training.

Wow, the post is longer than I intended. Going back to study now.
~:cheers:

[mercian billman]

I find having a morning routine helps a lot when it comes to health and fitness. When I wake up in the morning do a set of pushups, down a bottle of Aquafina do a set of pushups, go the bathroom and do another set of pushups.

After all this I breakfast comprised of only fruits. Usually a couple of apples, or bannanas, I should add that I usually do not mix fruit either. Fruit for breakfast is a great way to get yourself energized and filled up. It's also easy to prepare and there's no clean up.

[Kongamato]

I used to ride the exercise bike before breakfast. It would wake me up and get me going. The ride takes around 40 minutes. Right now, I'm doing the ride before dinner. This allows me to get more sleep, as I don't have to get up so early. What time of day is best for doing cardio work, if there is one?

[SwordsMaster]

I find having a morning routine helps a lot when it comes to health and fitness. When I wake up in the morning do a set of pushups, down a bottle of Aquafina do a set of pushups, go the bathroom and do another set of pushups.

After all this I breakfast comprised of only fruits. Usually a couple of apples, or bannanas, I should add that I usually do not mix fruit either. Fruit for breakfast is a great way to get yourself energized and filled up. It's also easy to prepare and there's no clean up.

3 series of pushups is not really a big workout, but I would still recommend having something beforehand, say a banana or an apple, just to get your methabolism going. And you are not getting any proteins from fruit.... So I would still go for a more complete breakfast....



I used to ride the exercise bike before breakfast. It would wake me up and get me going. The ride takes around 40 minutes. Right now, I'm doing the ride before dinner. This allows me to get more sleep, as I don't have to get up so early. What time of day is best for doing cardio work, if there is one?


Well, the time of the day isnt so important as your own state of readyness. I mean you should eat about 1-2 hours before exercising, you shouldnt be hungry, but you should feel light, drink a good amount of water about an hour before, and about a pint of water during your exercise.

You shouldnt take a big meal right afterwards but eat some fast absorbing sugars first (a banana, or a jam sandwich) and about an hour later you could have your dinner.

You can get good results doing cardio in the morning, but it doesnt mean you shouldnt have breakfast or do the cardio before breakfast. As I said before that is counterproductive. You will burn muscle and your fat will mostly remain where it was.

If you want to do cardio in the morning "before" breakfast you should wake up, drink a glass of water, a glass of orange juice, have a banana and a toast and 20 mins later you are ready to do your cardio. When you are back, though you must have a complete breakfast.

[Al Khalifah]

1 scoop of whey protein
What would you recommend for this?

[SwordsMaster]

What would you recommend for this?
`
Dont really understand the question. You can buy whey protein.

[Al Khalifah]

Yeah I know. I mean what brand / type would you recommend?

[SwordsMaster]

Oh, got you.

Higher Power Whey is cheap and good, ON tastes good even with water. You could just experiment with a few and see what you like most.

[SwordsMaster]

Today: Water


Water is a magic potion, I swear it. Also it's important because it's the preferred drink of HARDCORE people. Obviously being HARDCORE is a good thing. Note: The word HARDCORE must always be written in capital letters exclusively because it's very prestigious (Thats Jujimufu's theory). In this article I'm going to explain to you it's secrets and magic properties. Training yourself to drink water can be hard if you're spoiled on wimpy sugar drinks and equally fussy drinks. Soft drinks are not HARDCORE. Hell, they can't be if they have the word "Soft" in the name. They are for weak people. So I'll start by explaining the benefits of water and how it can aid in your athletic career. Then I'll share with you some ways to convert to a strict water consumer.


Let's start off with healthy fat loss. An active athlete will want to minimize his fat intake and body fat ratio for maximum performance. Fat is a great energy source of course, but we want to use that energy not store it. Stored fat adds useless weight, and if you have some rolls or paddy legs you're going to want to get rid of it for obvious reasons.



So if you are wanting to lose weight or use fat more efficiently for energy, water can do this. Water helps the body metabolize fat, but how? The kidneys can't function properly without enough water to filter them clean. They don't work to their full capacity when dirty or overloaded. Now, when the kidneys cannot finish all their work some of that load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to burn off stored fat into useable energy. The liver is one bad-ass organ, appreciate the fact that you have one. Anyway, when the liver has it's job and some of the kidney's job then it can't do this to the full extent and operate at full capacity. So overall you metabolize less fat and weight loss stops if you don't get enough pure water. Another useful thing to know -Water naturally suppresses the appetite - You will not be as hungry for un-needed food if you drink ample amounts of it.


Water also helps you use energy more efficiently as I've said. The way it does this is because water is PURE! It can help push substances such as waste and chemicals out of your system. Out with the old, in with the new! Also water can help your body absorb vitamins or nutrients more efficiently. Ever hear of the term "Water soluble vitamin?" Some vitamins can only be absorbed in your body with the aid of water. Any form of liquid can do this but water does this the best because it's pure as pure can be. Vitamin C for example is a water soluble vitamin.


Water helps your body stay cool when you work out. You sweat a lot when you work out; If you don't keep your body clean and cool you will become weak, dizzy, or dehydrated. Dehydration, if it grows to moderate or severe levels, can cause the following: Low blood pressure, fainting, convulsions, bloated stomach, fast and weak pulse, skin's loss of firmness, and heart failure. All that shit sucks, heart failure isn't cool. So when you workout you will have to drink a nice supply of fluids. The best bet is to combine water with an energy drink when you workout. Also, pour it all over yourself so you're all slick...


Water helps the body remove toxins. It's pure so it can absorb the junk inside your body and flush it out! Then you feel fresh and clean!

Water helps you fight colds and other viruses. Combine water with an insane amount of antioxidants, laughter, and rest and you will totally ELIMINATE the disease in your body. It's also good for preventive measures!


Friends have told me that drinking a load of water can help curb cravings for cigarettes! This is a really cool tip to try if you're trying to quit smoking.


Water will reduce overall water retention and bloat. For instance, your body always needs a balance of sodium and fluids. If you don't get enough sodium you will faint or feel incredibly dizzy. If you don't get enough water your skin retains the rare amounts of water it has making you "Look" and "Feel" thick and heavy, wearing you down and decreasing oxygen exchange in the lungs. So if you drink plenty of "pure" water, your system will regulate this back to normal; Making you feel slimmer, faster, and cleaner.


Lack of water is the #1 cause of daytime fatigue, causing you too feel sluggish and not ready to train.

Increased water intake hydrates your skin keeping it firm and healthy, transforming you into a stunning figure!

A 2% drop in body water can trigger short-term memory loss which will make you stupid. You forget little things like your car keys, a date, or maybe you'll forget it's raining outside. Drink more and you will remember more, you'll be more focused and it will make you smarter.


Water drops cancer rates! Drinking just 5 glasses a day (8 ounces is one glass) decreases your risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and cuts the risk of bladder cancer by 50%!


Water is a catabolic substance, meaning it actually takes your body energy to digest it and let it go through your system. You lose fat just from drinking it. A cool fact is the colder the water the more calories it burns. To keep your body in homeostasis (balanced function) it actually takes energy to keep your body warm as the cold water goes into your system. You burn 150 calories extra a day just from drinking 1 gallon of icy water. Then again you might get a cold so use at your own discretion...

Water lubricates your joints. Joint pain can decrease with increased water intake.

Among the health benefits I have stated it's also less expensive and will save you money! It can be very cheap and can make all the difference in the world when you convert. A soda or Sobe beverage costs E1 or more for 20 ounces. Water is free! Just go out and drink from the hose in your backyard. Drinking from the hose is HARDCORE.




Lets look at the how:



Basically the best way to train yourself to like it is to start working out really hard. If you train hard I guarantee that taste won't matter to you much when you're gasping for air and collapsing on the ground from fatigue in whatever training you're doing. You lose liquids from intense activity, and trust me when you're this tired your body won't care what form of liquid you put in it.


So start training hard and drinking some water in combination with an energy drink during your training. When you've gotten used to that start adding water into some meals here and there. That's all there is to it! If you keep at it and stop drinking other stuff such as soda or high GI drinks on a normal basis your body will accustom itself to the blander liquid. Not to say those other formulations don't have their place in your diet, cause obviously you need a high glycemic carbohydrate drink post workout with fast proteinsas I probably said in some other post, but you should almost exclusively drink water overall. It even enhances the taste of a meal. Those other beverages are just sugar garbage that spoils your sense of taste with corruption. Definitely not HARDCORE...



Lastly how much water should you drink? Experts have for years stated that 8 glasses a day is enough for the standard individual. 8 glasses is 64 ounces. However, the average individual is not HARDCORE. HARDCORE people need a helluva lot more water! If you are one of those average people you can get your daily supply by drinking 4 (16) ounce bottles. If you're HARDCORE though you'll need to down the bottles down like crazy because you'll be losing precious fluids tearing open street gang members with your bare hands on a daily basis. I hope you realize water intake can vary between the activity levels of individuals.



Once you convert you'll never go back. The feel is as incredible as the money you save! Drink WATER!



Resources :


www.trickstutorials.com
http://www.fijiwater.com/site/health_benefits.html

:charge:

[English assassin]

Good thread. That info on breakfast was interesting, I knew breakfast was important but I always thought something like two bits of toast with marmite was enough to kick things off. Obviously its not.

This inspires me to get a bit more organised with my gym work again too.

[SwordsMaster]

Before going into actual strength or weights training I thought stretching and flexibility would be in place. Everyone could use some more flexibility. So:

Today: Working towards the splits

Basically there are 2 main areas of flexibility: legs, and back.

To increase them both this is a nice and handy program that you can do in about 30 mins. about 40 including the warmup.

First, to get out of bed in the morning do a bridge, hold for 15-20 secs doing your best, then relax and follow your usual morning routine, do the bridge again before going to bed.

The following program is aiming at doing splits. Yes, you can. Try it and then tell me if it works.


It's much like weight lifting. To get gains you have to work very hard. But to maintain you don't have to do quite as much.

Do a stretch until you begin to feel main. Breath in through your nose out through your mouth and relax. Wait until it does not hurt and then push out a little farther. Repeat. Do it as long as you want. The longer you spend the faster you will see results. I don't like spending much time on stretching so I prefer to get people flexible quickly and then help them to maintain it.

There is nothing special about stretching.


THE PROGRAM:

First it is important to follow some simple rules if you want to increase flexibility.

1. Stretch after working out to improve flexibility.
2. All movements should be done slowly while stretching.
3. Never Bounce "balistic stretching" you will get gains but it will increase the risk of injury dramatically.
4. Do not force a muscle to go beyond its range of motion.
5. Expect pain but it should not be extreme.
6. If you suffer a pulled or strained muscle rest a few days before attempting to stretch for flexability again.
7. as for times to hold stretch. minimum of 60 sec. unless you get stabbing type pain then stop the stretch or relax it a bit. Hold the stretch as long as is necessary. If you start it and it is hard for you hold for a minute and see if you can increase the stretch, keep trying hold, stretch, hold stretch to work your way down. once you feel you have made sufficient progress for the day you can stop. I'd say 1 to 5 minutes as a guildline but you have to learn to listen to your own body.
8. Breath deeply when stretching, Breath out as you go down into the stretch and continue to breath deeply.


First stretch
Sit on the floor with both legs directly in front of you both feet should be touching. Pull your self down to your knees using your arms. (if this is difficult wrap a rope or belt around your feet and use that to pull down.) Hold position for 5 minutes or until pain subsides. Then pull down until chest is against the knees (or as close as you can). Try not to arch your back. continue this for as long as you want up to about 30 minutes DO not bend knees

Second stretch
Stand place legs together. place left leg behind right and pull yourself down to touch your toes. then switch legs and repeat.
Do not bend knees any more than necessary.

Third stretch
Sit on your feet in the kneeling position. and simply lie back until you are lying on the floor. Do this very slowly until you are sure you can do this with out injury. Hold position until pain subsides and go further down. Hold for 1 to 5 minutes once you are able to lie all the way down on the floor. (if you have knee problems be very careful with this stretch) This stretch have -when hold long enough- a VERY relaxing effect on your entire body.

fourth stretch.
Sit and place both soles of your feet together. pull the feet towards you and push down on your knees until they touch the floor. Then try to put your nose to the floor.

fifth stretch
Sit on the floor put legs as far apart as possible. Place left arm behind you palm flat on the floor put right arm in front palm on floor. Lift yourself and slide your left heel straight out as far as you can. Hold position and place both hands behind palms flat.
Keep back straight and lower down to the middle until chest is flat to floor then go down over the left and right legs. Hold for 5 minutes or until pain subsides. Then swith hands left hand in front right hand behind. Lift and slide the right heel out straight.
Make sure to keep the other leg stationary. Repeat above.

NOTE: after you are done stretching pull yourself backwards and let your legs come together then use your hands to lift them up at the knees and shake them a bit to warm them up before standing.
Do not bend knees DO NOT BOUNCE!!!!!

:bow:

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Interesting. Maybe getting 3hrs of sleep a night and never eating breakfast is making me so sickly and stupid all of a sudden? Hrm...I need more sleep. Gah I cant wait till summer.

[DemonArchangel]

I wish I could hire you to be my personal trainer SwordsMaster.

Meanwhile, I wish I could flaunt my six pack to boast of my perfect figure to the .org to make you all jealous.

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

Stickied, as I quite like the sentiment behind the thread.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

I wish I could hire you to be my personal trainer SwordsMaster.

Meanwhile, I wish I could flaunt my six pack to boast of my perfect figure to the .org to make you all jealous.
And I wish I could flaunt my extremly disgusting back hair do gross you all into submission!

[DemonArchangel]

*Uggg..*

[ichi]

As we approach summer in the desert here I try very hard to focus on staying hydrated.

Drinking lots of water is so important, for your kidneys, liver, skin, it aids in digestion and helps prevent muscle cramps.

When your working out or just having fun, hydratin is essential to maintaining good health.

ichi ~:cheers:

[SwordsMaster]

You think, ok. Im more flexible than before, I sleep well, I have good breakfast but Im NOT fit. What I want to do is to get fit.

Ok, you wanted it soldier, get in line.

*Puts on Green Beret sargent uniform*

I'll get you fit like real men! Now you got 30 seconds to get dressed to sweat and get back in line. Move!

Today: Fit for service

- Ok, you lazy bums. I dont know how you got here, but I'll make sure your mom is not ashamed of you when you go back to your insignificant lives after you've served your countries. -

Here is a 7 week program that will get you fit for service as an average infantryman. If you served in the army before you'll probably remember some of it. I compiled this info from some of the armies' bulletins, and after you've finished it you will pass your army access with no prob ~;) .

Later on I'll get into the tough army training, I've compiled from special units. Namely Royal Marines, Green Berets and SEALS. So be very afraid *evil grin*. You wont survive a day of the other training if you cant complete this one, so be warned.

Running :

Week 1-2: 2 miles/day no more than 8.30 mins/mile (5 min/km) on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Week 3-4: 3miles/day, 8.30/mile, M/W/F
Week 5-6: 2,3,4,2 miles 8,00/mile (4'45 min/km), M/Tu/Th/F
Week 7 and successive: 4/4/4 miles 8.00/mile, M/W/F

Conditioning:
All M/W/F: recommended before the running.

Week1: 4sets x 20 pushups
3x40 situps (no longer than 1 min each set)
You can do 2 sets of normal ones, and another 2 for the obliques (one hand by your side, and go to the opposite knee)
3x5 pullups (if you cant do 5, start with 3)
3x50 squats (normal squats, straight back, hands in front)

Week 2: 5x25 pushups
4x45 situps (or 3 normal ones and 2 oblique)
3x6 pullups
3x70 squats
2x5 planche pushups (lie on the floor facing down with your nads at your hips' level. Lift yourself off the ground. Hard huh? Now as you get better at this you should lift your feet off the ground too and basically hold your whole body with your arms)

Week 3: 5x30 pushups
4x50 situps (or the obliques alternative)
3x 8 pullups
3x100 squats
3x5 planche pushups

Week 4:
5x40 pushups
4x60 situps
3x10 pullups
2x200 squats
3x7 planche pushups

If you made it here, congratulations. You have to couple this with good stretching to avoid soreness, etc. after a workout drink water and eat something that releases fast energy (a banana or a toast with jam).

Dismissed!
*/Green Beret uniform*

:army:

[Taohn]

How much recovery time between each set? No more than 30 seconds?

Edit:
One more thing: the exercises should be done in the order given, correct? That is, one shouldn't do one set of push-ups, do one set of sit-ups (or crunches?), and then go back to push-ups. Also, for weeks 1 through 4 and 7, is it all right to do some weightlifting on the off days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, with Sunday as a break)?

Thanks

[SwordsMaster]

How much recovery time between each set? No more than 30 seconds?


The recovery time should be enough to be able to do the next set, but no more than 3 minutes.



Edit:
One more thing: the exercises should be done in the order given, correct? That is, one shouldn't do one set of push-ups, do one set of sit-ups (or crunches?), and then go back to push-ups. Also, for weeks 1 through 4 and 7, is it all right to do some weightlifting on the off days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, with Sunday as a break)?

Thanks

Not necessarily, you could do a set of pushups and then do a set of crunches as long as you dont do 2 cosecutive sets of exercises that work the same muscles.

It is ok to do some weightlifting, but tou wont put on much muscle and your perofrmance will be worse if you are not letting the muscle recover after the effort. Specially if you are doing heavy weights, you should rest your muscles for at least a day in between weight sessions.

Either way I dont recommend starting to do weights if your bodyweight is not something you can handle.

Cheers ~:cheers:

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Also, for weeks 1 through 4 and 7, is it all right to do some weightlifting on the off days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, with Sunday as a break)?

Thanks

The program outlined was an endurance/cardiovascular routine, I seriously doubt you could gain much muscle by working the off days. You're going to have to focus on one or the other.

[Taohn]

Seeing as it's a Wednesday, I decided to give it a go. I could only manage 2.5 sets of push-ups before stating to take breaks longer than a minute and had to walk a bit during the run (it's quite hot today). Feels quite good after having some water, a shower, and that piece of jam bread. :bow:

About that weightlifting, I was referring more to high rep, low weight exercises so as to develop more muscular endurance and also to target areas like the forearms, calves, and maybe the shoulders and trapezius. It would be more for toning than anything else, except for the forearms, which could probably handle some more specific, heavier exercises since they don't get worked on very often. Basically, as long as it's not heavy/too prolonged it should be okay?

One last question about a couple of the exercises. Should the pull-ups be underhand, so as to stress the biceps more, or overhand? With the squats, I've read that one shouldn't lower the thighs past a level parallel with the floor when doing weighted squats. Does this carry over to unweighted squats?

[SwordsMaster]

Seeing as it's a Wednesday, I decided to give it a go. I could only manage 2.5 sets of push-ups before stating to take breaks longer than a minute and had to walk a bit during the run (it's quite hot today). Feels quite good after having some water, a shower, and that piece of jam bread. :bow:

About that weightlifting, I was referring more to high rep, low weight exercises so as to develop more muscular endurance and also to target areas like the forearms, calves, and maybe the shoulders and trapezius. It would be more for toning than anything else, except for the forearms, which could probably handle some more specific, heavier exercises since they don't get worked on very often. Basically, as long as it's not heavy/too prolonged it should be okay?


Yup, the program is good, Im doing it myself. ~;)
To train your forearms the best exercise Ive seen is tie a weight to the end of a rope. tie the rome to the center of a bar you could hold with both hands. Now turn the bar so as to pull the rope and get it all wrapped around the bar and then in the opposite direction.

If you want to focus more on your shoulders and traps (and you dont have enough with nose-to-the-floor pushups) you can do handstand pushups. If you manage 10 you get a virtual cookie. Do them with a wall to support your handstand or a partner to hold your legs.

See, low-weight high-high rep training tends to be boring and not really useful as you are handling your bodyweight (which is usually heavier than your light weights) and doing high reps anyway. Of course if you want to do it just for tone, there is nothing wrong with it and it wont hurt you, but then I recomment eating more protein and vitamin C so that your muscles repair quicker. Also eat lots of bananas. Bananas are HARDCORE ~D



One last question about a couple of the exercises. Should the pull-ups be underhand, so as to stress the biceps more, or overhand? With the squats, I've read that one shouldn't lower the thighs past a level parallel with the floor when doing weighted squats. Does this carry over to unweighted squats?

You can do a set of underhand pullups and then a set of overhand ones, depending on what you want to focus on. I tend to do them overhand.

Thats not really important unless you are talking really heavy weight and your knee is weak (which tends to happen to bodybuilders) as you get more "push" the straighter your leg is. Do the squats until you sit on your heels. If you want to grab a free weight to add to entertainment you can too. You can do variations of squats as well, if you want some more explosivity, jump a few inches off the ground with every squat and you´ll notice the difference.


The program outlined was an endurance/cardiovascular routine, I seriously doubt you could gain much muscle by working the off days. You're going to have to focus on one or the other.

Not necessarily. You can do both if you want to. Usually athletes dont do both at the same time because if they are training to put on muscle they do it as fast as possible and then go through a cutting period to minimize fat. It is impossible to put on serious muscle without eating a LOT and that means putting on some fat too.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

About that weightlifting, I was referring more to high rep, low weight exercises so as to develop more muscular endurance and also to target areas like the forearms, calves, and maybe the shoulders and trapezius. It would be more for toning than anything else,

Well for toning you need heavy weight low reps, like 10x3 with 90% of your 1RM, if by toning you mean increasing resting muscle tension.


With the squats, I've read that one shouldn't lower the thighs past a level parallel with the floor when doing weighted squats. Does this carry over to unweighted squats?

Squat to parallel is the powerlifting squat, squat all the way down is Olympic squat, like so:

http://www.qwa.org/qwaclubs/cougars/bestlifters/images/benturner.jpg

The olympic squat is better. Powerlifters only squat to parallel because that is used in competition to determine completion of squat.



The program outlined was an endurance/cardiovascular routine, I seriously doubt you could gain much muscle by working the off days. You're going to have to focus on one or the other.


Not necessarily. You can do both if you want to. Usually athletes dont do both at the same time because if they are training to put on muscle they do it as fast as possible and then go through a cutting period to minimize fat. It is impossible to put on serious muscle without eating a LOT and that means putting on some fat too.

I did both at once when I was doing crew, and gained mass at about a sixth the rate I am now in summertime. You burn to many calories with the endurance cardio to gain much mass, and the weights make you tired when you're donig the endurance cardio. Much more efficient to do one at a time.

[SwordsMaster]

I did both at once when I was doing crew, and gained mass at about a sixth the rate I am now in summertime. You burn to many calories with the endurance cardio to gain much mass, and the weights make you tired when you're donig the endurance cardio. Much more efficient to do one at a time.


Thats the thing, its hard to find a balance, so you would just bulk for a month and then cut for a month. It is inevitable putting on fat while bulking anyway.

[Duke Malcolm]

What an interesting method... I might just try it, if I can find the ability to do push ups... the 2 mile run isn't too bad, though, and the good breakfast is also tempting...

[ah_dut]

I do something very similar anyways...so I am not particularly worried. I am also very low body weight and trying to gain muscle slowly and without the 6 meals a day advised for professional bodybuilders.

I am resting at the moment due to cripping my knee in a friendly game of rugby.

but my usual routine centres around strength and speed as my cardio is ok so you know, focus on your weaknesses

3x50 bomber boy press ups
1x100 normal press ups off bars,
2x100 'frog' press ups, (for shoulders)
4x50 'hindu' squats
2x10 burpees
1x10 clapping press ups
5x8 pull ups and one set of 10 at the start

I will do all of this with 30 seconds break between sets...and afterwards I feel royally crap. I of course indulge in a heart breakfast and my cardio is quite limited but there was a paper out that said that cardio can be improved by small spurts of hardcore spriting and hill running

[SwordsMaster]

I do something very similar anyways...so I am not particularly worried. I am also very low body weight and trying to gain muscle slowly and without the 6 meals a day advised for professional bodybuilders.

I am resting at the moment due to cripping my knee in a friendly game of rugby.

but my usual routine centres around strength and speed as my cardio is ok so you know, focus on your weaknesses

3x50 bomber boy press ups
1x100 normal press ups off bars,
2x100 'frog' press ups, (for shoulders)
4x50 'hindu' squats
2x10 burpees
1x10 clapping press ups
5x8 pull ups and one set of 10 at the start

I will do all of this with 30 seconds break between sets...and afterwards I feel royally crap. I of course indulge in a heart breakfast and my cardio is quite limited but there was a paper out that said that cardio can be improved by small spurts of hardcore spriting and hill running


Not bad. I´ve also read something about the high intensity training thinghy, but I´m waiting to see it confirmed by some other sources before changing my routine dramatically.

[ah_dut]

Not bad. I´ve also read something about the high intensity training thinghy, but I´m waiting to see it confirmed by some other sources before changing my routine dramatically.
I have read a few articles...not completely sure about the high intensity thing either. But I don't really have time as a schoolboy to do hours of roadwork, I can't do work in the mornings and I need my 9 hours of sleep or I feel seriously ill. Some rugby and rowing team people do far more than me ~:eek: but you know, they're fitter so they recover faster. I only started doing this kind of thing a few months ago ~D it was jokes, I couldn't even do 30 press ups... :embarassed:


What an interesting method... I might just try it, if I can find the ability to do push ups... the 2 mile run isn't too bad, though, and the good breakfast is also tempting...
Malcolm, I am not joking when I tell you that 8 weeks of press ups every day, say 3-4 sets to failure will result in a 3-5 fold improvement. I mean I was starting at 25-30 press ups before falling flat on my face, now I am over 120 ~:eek: It's amazing feeling like this you know? It takes a little bit of work and determination. I have been physically crap at most things for the whole of my life ~:cool: of 14 years anyways...you're at an age where you can improve really quickly :bow:

[Kongamato]

Is it normal to feel a sort of soreness not unlike a shin splint in the sternum after a weightlifting session, or is this an indicator of bad exercise form?

Are plyometric exercises a worthy pursuit, or should they be ignored?

[DemonArchangel]

Well, AFAIK some soreness is a fact of working out.

[ah_dut]

Is it normal to feel a sort of soreness not unlike a shin splint in the sternum after a weightlifting session, or is this an indicator of bad exercise form?

Are plyometric exercises a worthy pursuit, or should they be ignored?
Pain is a perfectly normal part of weights...especially if you do a lot of dips etc...

Plyometrics is great. If you can do one rep, you can build on it can't you? it will really make a difference, but so will most excercises if you pursue them with dedication ~D

[Kongamato]

I understand the pain and muscle soreness. What I'm feeling seems more like bone stress.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Is it normal to feel a sort of soreness not unlike a shin splint in the sternum after a weightlifting session, or is this an indicator of bad exercise form?



I remember feeling something similar, but it was after some intense cardio. I suspect it was something to do with breathing real hard but I don't really know.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I am also very low body weight and trying to gain muscle slowly and without the 6 meals a day advised for professional bodybuilders.


but my usual routine centres around strength and speed as my cardio is ok so you know, focus on your weaknesses

3x50 bomber boy press ups
1x100 normal press ups off bars,
2x100 'frog' press ups, (for shoulders)
4x50 'hindu' squats
2x10 burpees
1x10 clapping press ups
5x8 pull ups and one set of 10 at the start

I doubt you will gain muscle, even slowly. All of the exercises except pullups have too high a rep range for hypertrophy. Get some weights, or try one handed pushups and handstand pushups and one legged squats if you can't afford them.




I will do all of this with 30 seconds break between sets...and afterwards I feel royally crap. I of course indulge in a heart breakfast and my cardio is quite limited but there was a paper out that said that cardio can be improved by small spurts of hardcore spriting and hill running

Dr. Tabatas research showed huge improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic capacity when his subjects followed a program of 20 seconds all out effort, followed by 10 seconds mild effort, followed by 20 seconds all out. Total time was 4 minutes which was increased as the subjects got fitter.

[ah_dut]

I doubt you will gain muscle, even slowly. All of the exercises except pullups have too high a rep range for hypertrophy. Get some weights, or try one handed pushups and handstand pushups and one legged squats if you can't afford them.
.
I go to the school gym twice a week for an hour. In terms of excercise though, I do handstand pushups and one armed pushups every other day...about 20 of each.

What re range should I be doing these excercises and what benefit do I currently gain?



Dr. Tabatas research showed huge improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic capacity when his subjects followed a program of 20 seconds all out effort, followed by 10 seconds mild effort, followed by 20 seconds all out. Total time was 4 minutes which was increased as the subjects got fitter.
So I'll get fitter? ~D


I understand the pain and muscle soreness. What I'm feeling seems more like bone stress.
My breastbone hurts after doing dips...I have ok form, I think it's normal

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I go to the school gym twice a week for an hour. In terms of excercise though, I do handstand pushups and one armed pushups every other day...about 20 of each.

What re range should I be doing these excercises and what benefit do I currently gain?




24-36 reps is for max strength with some hypertrophy (divided into sets like 5x5 or 10x3, with near maximal weights).

36-50 is for max hypertrophy (divided into sets like 4x12, 3x12, 5x10 etc)

anything more just builds endurance.

[ah_dut]

24-36 reps is for max strength with some hypertrophy (divided into sets like 5x5 or 10x3, with near maximal weights).

36-50 is for max hypertrophy (divided into sets like 4x12, 3x12, 5x10 etc)

anything more just builds endurance.
Then I'll get that doing weights on Modays and Thursdays won't I?

I get my endurance during the week doing my own bodyweight... ~;)

[SwordsMaster]

Sorry for not keeping up guys, got a new job had to settle and all that.


24-36 reps is for max strength with some hypertrophy (divided into sets like 5x5 or 10x3, with near maximal weights).

Actually for pure strength you dont really need more than 6-8 reps with max weight, then another 6-8 with 90% of max weight. And thats it. Thats what powerlifters do.

What Im talking about is fitness, i.e, conditioning.


What re range should I be doing these excercises and what benefit do I currently gain?

You can do a set of 10 of one handed pushups every day and as many handstand pushups as you can manage.


I understand the pain and muscle soreness. What I'm feeling seems more like bone stress.

I would say you dont warm up properly. Or jerk. Rest for a few days and try again with a lower weight. If it still hurts go see a doctor. It happened to me a couple of times but it usually goes away after a couple of days of rest and taking it easy.

[ah_dut]

6-8 reps max weight is probably iincredibly stupid at my age...even if I do like the idea of max strength.

I do sets of 1 handed push ups and handstand push ups (next to a wall for obvious reasons of balance...I have none) every other day...

[SwordsMaster]

6-8 reps max weight is probably iincredibly stupid at my age...even if I do like the idea of max strength.


Oh, I know, I didnt mean for you, I meant in general.


I do sets of 1 handed push ups and handstand push ups (next to a wall for obvious reasons of balance...I have none) every other day...

Actually your balance can also be trained, I started looking at it 3 weeks ago and now can even walk a few steps in a handstand, so just be patient and keep trying.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

6-8 reps max weight is probably iincredibly stupid at my age...even if I do like the idea of max strength.

I do sets of 1 handed push ups and handstand push ups (next to a wall for obvious reasons of balance...I have none) every other day...

No problem with weight lifting at a young age:

http://www.cbass.com/Weights_kids.htm

[The_Doctor]

@Swordmaster

Right now I am doing:

15 push-ups and 30 sit-ups in the morning.
An 8.5Km (about 5 miles) cycle everyday (Ok, there is the odd day I don't)
15 push-ups and 30 sit-ups in the evening (normally after I have been cycling)

The number of push-ups and sit-ups is increasing as I get stronger.

What should I add to this list.

[SwordsMaster]

@Swordmaster

Right now I am doing:

15 push-ups and 30 sit-ups in the morning.
An 8.5Km (about 5 miles) cycle everyday (Ok, there is the odd day I don't)
15 push-ups and 30 sit-ups in the evening (normally after I have been cycling)

The number of push-ups and sit-ups is increasing as I get stronger.

What should I add to this list.

well, depends on what are you trying to work out aswell.... basically you are only working out your pecs and legs. I am doing the program I´ve mentioned above and find that it works most of the body although I do go to the gym and do some deadlifts or pronerows twice a week or so.

It depends on your age as well, how old are you?
If you are above 16, 30 situps is low. I think you should take off at 50 and work from there. Specially because a 8km cycle is not too much unless you are cycling up the Rockies (which I assume you are not). Do 2 sets of 50 and 2 sets of 15 puchups. Basically you should really push yourself to get stronger. You (and this also goes for the girls afraid of using weights in case they put muscle on) NEVER put on muscle accidentally.Every ounce of muscle means weeks of working really hard, so dont be afraid of doing that.

It is good you actually are doing something about it, just keep going.
~:cheers:

[The_Doctor]

I am 20.

Ok, so I should do more.

Is there any other exercises that I could do at home?

[ah_dut]

Oh, I know, I didnt mean for you, I meant in general.


Actually your balance can also be trained, I started looking at it 3 weeks ago and now can even walk a few steps in a handstand, so just be patient and keep trying.
Thanks for the clarification...I just think everyone is my age ~;)

As to balance, I am not surprised, but hey...I'll be taking it safe till I can persuade my brother to help me with my handstand pushups....



No problem with weight lifting at a young age:

http://www.cbass.com/Weights_kids.htm
I know there's nothing wrong with weights, I do them 2-3 times a week. I jsut said there's a problem with powerlifting style weights...I am not sure on the science but doesn't sound like a particularly great idea to me

[SwordsMaster]

I am 20.

Ok, so I should do more.

Is there any other exercises that I could do at home?


Oh, yeah, lots of them. crunches, leg raises, one handed puchups, planche puchups, pretty much everything I´ve mentioned above except maybe pullups, but Im sure you can find something suitable within an acceptable distance from your home.

Read through my program and see.


I'll be taking it safe till I can persuade my brother to help me with my handstand pushups....

You can use a tree or a wall...

[The_Doctor]

Oh, yeah, lots of them. crunches, leg raises, one handed puchups, planche puchups, pretty much everything I´ve mentioned above except maybe pullups, but Im sure you can find something suitable within an acceptable distance from your home.

How do you do these exercises?

I think I know "leg raises", is that when you lie on your back and lift up your legs? Leg-ups I called them.

[SwordsMaster]

How do you do these exercises?

I think I know "leg raises", is that when you lie on your back and lift up your legs? Leg-ups I called them.

Yup. Thats right.

crunches: situps. lie on your back, flex your knees , hands behind your head, work your abs.

one handed pushups: same as pushups but with one hand only (doh)

planche puchups: this one is trickier, Í dont think you are fit to do this one until you can do 50 pushups in 1 set.

[The_Doctor]

Ok, thanks for your help. ~:cheers:

[SwordsMaster]

Ok, thanks for your help. ~:cheers:

No problem mate. Thats what we do. ~;)

[ah_dut]

You can use a tree or a wall...
Use the wall already...

btw, what is a plance pushup? I can do 80 push ups off bars so I should be fine... ~D

oh yeah, any advice on improving the no. of dips and one armed pull ups I can do? I like bragging about it ~:cool: ~;) Just joking...I hear they're good excercises so might as well get cracking.

[SwordsMaster]

planche pushups are hard.
Lie flat on your stomach with your hands at your hip-level. put your palms on the floor and push up. You will drag your feet on the floor which is normal until you get strong enough as to lift your whole body.

For dips, use ankle weights or a weighted belt.
One handed pullups...you can use weights as well, although I think you should just do more. If you plateaux, change them around, take 1 rep off each set and add an extra set or something like that.

[ah_dut]

nice excercise...sounds like I'll be ripping my muscles up for a good time to come with that one ~D btw...just tried it arms by yout hips!? I can't even reach that far :embarassed:

Ok then, I'll see if I can get them. But yeah, to be honest...I should jsut do more reps for everything. I am damn lazy though

[Taohn]

Well for toning you need heavy weight low reps, like 10x3 with 90% of your 1RM, if by toning you mean increasing resting muscle tension.

Yeah, that's what I meant, but looks like I had it arse backwards ~D Thanks.

[SwordsMaster]

Here is a planch:

clicky (http://www.drillsandskills.com/images/display?path=planch.jpg)

You can see the up position.

[ah_dut]

Here is a planch:

clicky (http://www.drillsandskills.com/images/display?path=planch.jpg)

You can see the up position.
I swear that is humanely impossible...every time I do it, I rocket forwards or backwards as I do the thing ending up there...does it still excercise the pecs? I seem to be getting a bit of pressure on the back doing it

[Al Khalifah]

I managed one of those last night. I felt like an Olympian God for it.

[SwordsMaster]

I swear that is humanely impossible...every time I do it, I rocket forwards or backwards as I do the thing ending up there...does it still excercise the pecs? I seem to be getting a bit of pressure on the back doing it


It does exercise the pecs, but most of the force is coming from your abs, shoulders, and back. It is really hard to do (I still drag my feet), but man it works out everything.

[ah_dut]

hmm, I thought I was doing it really wrong. I didn't feel much strain at all on the pecs but I thought my back, shoulders but not so much abs were falling off in sheer pain...btw I did 10 reps, dragging my feet a lot though, just can't seem to get it up. Oh well, I guess I'll just work at it the way I worked at normal press ups...

[Beirut]

Tree killer exercises: Putiing the truth into annoying statements like "What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

The Log Lift.

Look at wood. Breathe heavy. Worry.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/horsesass/treejob020.jpg

Pick up wood. Grunt loud enought to scare little animals away.
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/horsesass/treejob021.jpg

Give the finger to cameraman because he's too much of a woosy to pick the damn thing up himself. (And especially because he makes more money than you do.)
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/horsesass/treejob022.jpg

Then, after work, go to the gym. Not! Go home, drink beer, and attack girlfriend. ~:cheers:

[SwordsMaster]

LoL ~D Nice one. Are you the guy "exercising" or the cameraguy? How heavy is that anyway? 120lb?

Sorry about me not updating this thing as often, work gets most of my time now and then spending my honestly earned money gets the rest... when I get 2-3 days off I'll post another big update.

[Beirut]

I'm the dog with the log. ~:cheers: The cameraman is the tree climber. I'm just cleaning up his mess.

I'm not really sure about the weight. It's a (was a) balsam tree. Soft wood, but not light. My guess is about 150lb, compared to 66lb bags of cement, which I am very well aquainted with.

Always feels good to tote around logs like that. Feels even better putting them down. :tongue3:

[SwordsMaster]

I'm the dog with the log. ~:cheers: The cameraman is the tree climber. I'm just cleaning up his mess.

You're pretty fit for a man of your age ~;) . only joking. You've got a good tan though. Or is that dirt? ~:)


I'm not really sure about the weight. It's a (was a) balsam tree. Soft wood, but not light. My guess is about 150lb, compared to 66lb bags of cement, which I am very well aquainted with.


I used to lift 60 kg (130lb) bags of flour last summer when I was working on a flour plant.... Imagine putting 200 of those in a truck and then unloading the truck an hour later.... I was damn fit. Couldnt get the girls off me. ~D

[Beirut]

You're pretty fit for a man of your age ~;) . only joking. You've got a good tan though. Or is that dirt? ~:)

Not bad for 41. ~:) No choice though. I'm either able to do what I can do or I have to learn another job skill. And I like doing what I do.

Oh, the "tan" is my personal concoction of sun, dirt, and balsam gum. Looks good - smells good. I can work into a filthy stinking sweat and still smell like a car air freshener at the end of the day. ~:cheers:



I used to lift 60 kg (130lb) bags of flour last summer when I was working on a flour plant.... Imagine putting 200 of those in a truck and then unloading the truck an hour later.... I was damn fit. Couldnt get the girls off me. ~D

That's real work. I respect that very much.

Damn straight the girls love it! I don't care how much money the guy has or how fast his car goes, when they're standing next to a guy who can work, all that flash and cash is trash. The chicks want the real men who can be the bear and keep them warm at night. :thumbsup:

[ah_dut]

seems like I do no working out then ~D You know...as a schoolboy, my teachers would piss themselves in anger if I carried that heavy a weight around...My bag only weighs 15kg...15kg of books. Damn, why do we do this to the kids? I mean not everyone's 6 foot tall ya know...


Damn straight the girls love it! I don't care how much money the guy has or how fast his car goes, when they're standing next to a guy who can work, all that flash and cash is trash. The chicks want the real men who can be the bear and keep them warm at night.
Work, what work? :wink:

[SwordsMaster]

Oh, the "tan" is my personal concoction of sun, dirt, and balsam gum. Looks good - smells good. I can work into a filthy stinking sweat and still smell like a car air freshener at the end of the day.

*notes down carefully for future application*



Damn straight the girls love it! I don't care how much money the guy has or how fast his car goes, when they're standing next to a guy who can work, all that flash and cash is trash. The chicks want the real men who can be the bear and keep them warm at night.

...And we boys want to keep them warm at night ~:cheers:



Work, what work?

Curiously enough, after a whole year sitting behind a PCin summer I always get jobs where I have to carry stuff. Last summer it was the flour plant. This summer, I´m a porter in a huge hotel and carry people´s bags around the place.

[ah_dut]

work is work though right Swordsmaster?

[Beirut]

Some work is better than other work. That's a personal observation about the personal qualities of the work.

But anyone who works and ins't a lazy leech on society still deserves respect. ~:cheers:

[ah_dut]

Some work is better than other work. That's a personal observation about the personal qualities of the work.

But anyone who works and ins't a lazy leech on society still deserves respect. ~:cheers:
Does school count as work? I sure hope so with those hours I've wasted on that maths coursework...all that typing up...serious cardiovascular work ya know? ~;) ~D

[Beirut]

Does school count as work? I sure hope so with those hours I've wasted on that maths coursework...all that typing up...serious cardiovascular work ya know? ~;) ~D

No, it doesn't count. Unless you consider having a good job and making five times at much money as me as important to you.

:angry: mumble... grumble...

[The Wizard]

This sounds suspiciously like a communist gathering... "workers of the world unite!" and all that crap...

Nah, just kiddin' dogs, respect and all that etc..

Wow, I can keep up the planch for exactly 1 second. I think I'm going to applaud myself now.

*notes: extend workout by an hour tomorrow*

[ah_dut]

This sounds suspiciously like a communist gathering... "workers of the world unite!" and all that crap...

Nah, just kiddin' dogs, respect and all that etc..

Wow, I can keep up the planch for exactly 1 second. I think I'm going to applaud myself now.

*notes: extend workout by an hour tomorrow*
Notes: Don't overtrain.

I did that and went psycho
i.e. 6-700 press ups a day, 50 handstand pushups, 5-600 squats, 4x1 minute wrestler's bridges, running up stairs etcetc...

I just got less muscular by the day (I did this in the holidays where I have more time.) Even with 8 hours rest and a crapload of protein etc, you WILL overtrain if you add an hour to your workout.

Cut all that down by to a third and you've roughly got where I am today...and I work out about 3-5 days a week, and muscles are GROWING, your muscles don;'t grow if you don't give em time to repair. And I can hold it for 5 seconds ~D

The power of training. My cardio endurance is improving (don't ask me why but Bethaks (Matt Furey calls em Hindu squats) do wonders for your cardio endurance) also skipping.

[ah_dut]

I have read Pavel's book the naked warrior. The 'tension' techniques are amazing. I still can't rock off a decent 1 armed squat or press up. I mean Pavel style of course. I never realise I'd been subconciously 'greasing the groove' but I can swear it works, 1 half pull up to 12 full chins with right arm only (6 with the other arm) it's amazing.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

You can do 12 chins with just your right arm but not a 1 leg squat or press up? How much do you weigh?

[ah_dut]

I can't do the full RoM it's weird, I weigh 110 lbs...max by the way I am not joking. I can do 10-15 1 arm pushups with my right and 5 less about 10 with my left. But I can rarely mantain balance that well and my form is dodgy

[SwordsMaster]

I read that book yesterday and started doing 1h pushups today.Managed 6 with my right and 4 with my left in good form, after that about another with each hand with the form of a wounded cobra.... Gotta work on that...

[ah_dut]

Evil aren't they? I can do about 10 with either arm...maybe 15 with the right now...my form is horrible though

[SwordsMaster]

I thought you might find this (http://www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm) interesting.
:army:

[The_Doctor]

I need more advice.

How do I use weights?

I am doing two exercises with them, but do not know if I am doing them properly.

- I have my arms next to my sides then lifting the weights towards my chest.
- I have my arms next to my sides then lift outwards until my arms are horizontal.

[SwordsMaster]

Well, from what I can tell from your description you are doing bicep curls and the other one looks like a deltoid exercise.

If you want something more detailed about weights I need to know a few things first. Your age, injuries and previous experience with sports/weights are the major ones.

[The_Doctor]

If you want something more detailed about weights I need to know a few things first. Your age, injuries and previous experience with sports/weights are the major ones.

Age- 20

Injuries- Nothing major, I am very lucky. ~D

previous experience with weights- Other than PE lessons where we used the gym, nothing, which is why I need advice.

previous experience with sports- Other than PE lessons, cycling and a bit of running last year.

[SwordsMaster]

Just another thing that will come into play a little bit later, what are you aiming for?

Do you want to increase your speed, resistance, general fitness, size, strength?

With weights as with any other thing you have to have an objective and keep it in mind.

The program I recommended earlier would be a good place to start for any fitness program, basically there is no point in getting bigger weights if you cant handle your own bodyweight, is there?

Some exercises that will definitely help you grow faster in that respect are bench-presses, weighted squats, deadlifts and bicep curls. My own program is based on those 4 mainly with more specific exercises added depending on the specific requirements of the moment.

Bench-presses: I think you know what they are. Start with a bar only to get your coordination right. At all times, SPECIALLY WHEN TRYING A GREATER WEIGHT have someone who can handle the weight spot you (basically ask anyone in the gym, they have to be real jerks to refuse) and start with 3 sets of 5-6 reps with plenty of rest between sets. If you can manage 3 sets of 10 reps with a given weight, its time to increase the weight until you can just manage 5-6 again.

Before starting with Weighted squats and deadlifts there are a few requirements: You should be able to do 50 bodyweight squats (ie with no weight but your own) and to touch your toes with your back and legs straight.

Weighted squats: I think you would have seen these too. Get a bar, put in on your shoulders and squat keeping your back as straight as possible to avoid back injuries. Here, you are aiming at 3 sets of 10 reps each. If you can handle more than 15, add weight. After you manage to squat 2x your bodyweight your legs are really strong and if you are not specifically training for some competition you might reconsider keep adding weight.

Bicep curls: you are doing them already. Do 3 sets of 6-8 reps, increase weight when you can do 12, and keep good form (its probably easier with a bar rather than barbells).

Deadlifts: Do NOT attempt these at the beginning until you find out how much weight you can handle. ITs a very good exercise but requires good form and careful handling because your back can be easily injured even with relatively light weights. I'll post more on this one later and I'll try to find pictures of proper execution.

Good luck! I hope this helps.

PS.If you have any doubts dont hesitate to contact the gym staff. They are there to help you out.

PPS. Proper nutrition is also necessary for more effective training. Read through my articles on Breakfast and Sleep.

[The_Doctor]

Thanks ~:cheers:

One problem, I don't go to the gym.

For some reason we actually have a bench-pressing thing in the loft and a load of weights. All because my uncle travels around a lot.

[SwordsMaster]

Thanks ~:cheers:

One problem, I don't go to the gym.

For some reason we actually have a bench-pressing thing in the loft and a load of weights. All because my uncle travels around a lot.
Well, then do lots of bodyweight exercises, do one handed pushups if you are tired of the normal ones or one legged squats if you can do 50 of the normal ones. That should be challenging enough for a while...

I'll post my own weights/strength program later when I get the chance for all of my readers to enjoy (yeah, ALL three of you ~;) )

[ah_dut]

I have returned Drill Serjeant SwordsMaster...been off on a bit of a tangent commonly known as school and piano exams...

I have now got the 1 armed press up nailed...and am trying the fingertip, knuckle and a few other versions...The one leg sqaut on the other hand :furious3: no luck. I keep losing balance. I can do 150 bodyweight squats without excessive difficulty so I think it's a balance as opposed to strenth issue.

Also, for those without weights: pullups off doorframes if possible. I do a set of 10 pullups then 10 chinups every time I get out of my room...therefore I rack up quite ludicrous numbers of pull/chinups. In the beginning, 1-2 pulls or chins is better than 10...it took me months to work to here and I am a teenager ~;)

I misunderstand the point of the bench...it's not really all that functional is it? I prefer deadlifts and bw squats (my back isn't the greatest ever created) I find there's less pressure doing a deadlift than squat (not stiff legged of course.)

Bomber boy/hindu pressups are excellent upper body killers Martinus. In addition, I cannnot say a bad word for the excercise known as the vacuum.

I am a member of www.combatfitness.co.uk and wholeheartedly recommend it for a) the depth of knowledge of it's members and it's excellent bwe section.

lastly: handstand pushups are excellent, if extremely difficult ar first

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I misunderstand the point of the bench...it's not really all that functional is it?


Functional is possible one of the most misused buzzwords in the fitness area...along with "core".

[ah_dut]

Functional is possible one of the most misused buzzwords in the fitness area...along with "core".
Excuse me if I am wrong here...but when are you going to be lying down on a bench, with space down two sides, lifting a heavy weight? That's not a movement used much in real life is it? I guess a better word for what I am trying to say is real life carryover.

And a strong 'core' of lower back and abs is very important to prevet injury during heavy lifts and general life to my knowledge

[Geoffrey S]

Some very interesting info here, I've certainly picked up a number of useful tips. If I post my general routine and what I'd like to achieve could someone give pointers on what to improve, what to start doing, and where I'm doing things wrong?

[SwordsMaster]

Excuse me if I am wrong here...but when are you going to be lying down on a bench, with space down two sides, lifting a heavy weight? That's not a movement used much in real life is it? I guess a better word for what I am trying to say is real life carryover.

And a strong 'core' of lower back and abs is very important to prevet injury during heavy lifts and general life to my knowledge

Well, it works out your pecs, abs, shoulders, triceps and pretty much everything in your upper body. And of all people, rugby players need a strong "push" very often.


Some very interesting info here, I've certainly picked up a number of useful tips. If I post my general routine and what I'd like to achieve could someone give pointers on what to improve, what to start doing, and where I'm doing things wrong?

I'll do my best.

[ah_dut]

Well, it works out your pecs, abs, shoulders, triceps and pretty much everything in your upper body. And of all people, rugby players need a strong "push" very often.

true, but the actual movement is not replicated like that nearly so much is it? The point I am making is that the movement is supported by the bench, which is stable. This doesn't happen all that much in real life. Now if you did it on a swiss ball ~D I am just joking...that'd probably kill you if you dropped it...

I prefer press ups with my legs on a stability ball...keeps you on your feet ~D well it makes sure you're concentrating: unless you like falling flat on your face ~;)

[Geoffrey S]

I probably don't know what I'm letting myself in for... 'kay...

Age: 18
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 60 kg
Sport: swimming

In general what I'd like to achieve is more endurance and a more muscular body (athletic, not bulky). In particular I'm aiming for better developed upper legs and the ability to use both my arms and legs intensively over a period of a couple of minutes (due to swimming). I'm a bit short of money so a gym isn't an option, mainly what I'm looking for are exercises for at home or schedules for things like jogging. The main goal is to be able to produce more power when swimming and keep this up over a longer period of time so I can compete better over longer distances.

My usual breakfast consists of four slices of brown bread with cheese, a bowl of cornflakes, an apple, and two glasses of orange juice. On a usual day, outside of holidays, I'd cycle 13.9 km to school and back at no high speed (about 45 min to an hour). On tuesday, wednesday and friday evenings (sometimes on saturday morning) I go for swimming training for one hour. As it's a holiday at the moment there's no training, so I swim on tuesdays and fridays for 3-4km. I've been thinking about trying to plan in jogging, but I'd need some information on ideal distances and how to build up the jogging.

In the evening before sleeping I do 20 pushups, 50 situps, 40 squats, 30 pushups, 50 situps, 40 squats, 30 pushups. Would it be a good idea to plan something similar for the mornings?

General advice on what needs to be improved would be much appreciated, particularly on the evening (and possibly morning) exercises and on how to plan out jogging sessions. Information on the proper techniques for exercises like pushups and situps would also be very helpful (perhaps quality links?).

Very many thanks beforehand.

[ah_dut]

Ok, so it's evident you have reasonable stamina, your cardio is pretty good and your bmi isn't crazy either way...a good sign

First thing is first: I wouldn't advise excercise just before sleep, I dont' think it's nearly as good as excercise when you have jsut risen (personal preference, despite the fact I hate waking up in the mornings.)

I am a bodyweight excercise freak...who goes to the gym while at school, so bear with me here.

try
20 pushups
30-40 squats
20-50 crunches (some people can do prodigious numbers of these)
rest 30 seconds
20 bomber boy pushups (lethal, I assure you.)
10 chinups
10 pull ups...

repeat cycle 2-5 times.
Ultimate burpees...aren't a bad idea either. You're doing well if you can do 3x1o

other good excercises include handstand pushups, planches and various bridges.

onto the main thing, my pet hate sit ups I absolutely detest them. To my knowledge, they use your abs in an isometric state...so surely a 5 minute plank is harder no? they also work your hip flexors more than the abs...which isn't all that great.

Crunches are good but can apparantly shorten the hip flexors...oh well, I don't know either way to be honest. Not really old enough to have too many overtraining issues.

on the cardio front, swimming is excellent, better than running by miles imo as it is easier onthe joints

Try my cycle above 2-3 times a day 4 days a week along with some cardio (swimming or other) 2-3 times a week and you'll be fine. You're not suddenly going to become some ripped beast but hey...you should be stronger than before. I find it funny how people like you say strength and endurance but don't want to get huge (no offense intended.) I mean unless you are a genetic masterpiece in terms of bodybuilding potential, it;s ludicrously difficukt to get huge. So train hard, eat well and results should come quickly

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Excuse me if I am wrong here...but when are you going to be lying down on a bench, with space down two sides, lifting a heavy weight? That's not a movement used much in real life is it? I guess a better word for what I am trying to say is real life carryover.

And a strong 'core' of lower back and abs is very important to prevet injury during heavy lifts and general life to my knowledge

You push things all the time, the laying down part doesn't matter. More often than pulling yourself up as in a pull up (unless your a rockclimber). A strong core is important but the swiss ball craze takes it too far. You can train your core by doing the heavy lifts just fine.

[ah_dut]

You push things all the time, the laying down part doesn't matter. More often than pulling yourself up as in a pull up (unless your a rockclimber). A strong core is important but the swiss ball craze takes it too far. You can train your core by doing the heavy lifts just fine.
True, I just thought an element of instability would be more like real life...

I am not a swiss ball maniac by any means...but it's a useful tool that has it's (admitedly small) place.

And on the point of the bench: surely a deadlift has more real life carryover? I mean we pick things up like that (not barbells obviously, more like boxes) every day no?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

And on the point of the bench: surely a deadlift has more real life carryover? I mean we pick things up like that (not barbells obviously, more like boxes) every day no?

Deadlift is a great exercise, #1 to my mind, but you shouldn't diss bench just because it's popular. It's easily in the top 5.

The isolation exercises are the ones without too much carryover.

[SwordsMaster]

Deadlift is a great exercise, #1 to my mind, but you shouldn't diss bench just because it's popular. It's easily in the top 5.

The isolation exercises are the ones without too much carryover.

True, isolation is only useful for recovering from injuries IMO. Bench and deadlifts are 2 exercises that I consider basic, all my programs are built around those 2 plus dips and pullups which I do without law or order on every opportunity (reasonable oportunity, not when I'm having dinner with my gf that is ~;) )

Swiss balls are beautiful for building up your core and abs, but I wouldn't recommend using weights on them because you could hurt yourself. Badly. So use at your own risk.


@Geoffrey S

Have a look at the link I provided above for the SEALS program. That might be a tad too much to begin with but it's something to look up to. Also the program I posted a page or 2 earlier (the green beret one ~:) ) will help you greatly working towards the SEALS one.

As I said earlier it is important to let your body rest, and give it enough protein and carbs to support all that exercise. So keep that in mind when going for a tougher routine.

[ah_dut]

Deadlift is a great exercise, #1 to my mind, but you shouldn't diss bench just because it's popular. It's easily in the top 5.

The isolation exercises are the ones without too much carryover.
I guess I exagerrate like hell. I am just stressed at people's strange obsession with bench pressing. Most of the fellow gym loonies at my school treat it as if the bench was the only form of strength testing ever created...that or bicep curling ~:eek: life is weird


(reasonable oportunity, not when I'm having dinner with my gf that is )
Are you sure those dips and chins aren't more important than the gf ~;)

[SwordsMaster]

Are you sure those dips and chins aren't more important than the gf

Oh, she likes me doing them. ~D


I guess I exagerrate like hell. I am just stressed at people's strange obsession with bench pressing. Most of the fellow gym loonies at my school treat it as if the bench was the only form of strength testing ever created...that or bicep curling life is weird

Challenge them to a one-handed pushup contest. Or the traditional arm-duel. ~:cheers:

[Geoffrey S]

ah_dut and SwordsMaster, thanks! I'll try out your advise and see how it goes.

[ah_dut]

Oh, she likes me doing them. ~D

Challenge them to a one-handed pushup contest. Or the traditional arm-duel. ~:cheers:
I see, a woman with taste in excercises ~D

I'd win on a one arm pushup contest but lose on the arm duel...

so I'll challenge them to the ol one armer in September ~;)

[Voigtkampf]

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/horsesass/treejob022.jpg

Then, after work, go to the gym. Not! Go home, drink beer, and attack girlfriend. ~:cheers:

Putting the famous notion of Beirut the Treekiller to a picture. ~:) Impressive, I might say. ~D

[SwordsMaster]

Well, well, well, my dear friends. You have been relaxing for too long now and now I'm back to give your muscles something to worry about other than reaching the tv remote.

First things first, a workout routine doesnt have to be complicated. The one I've been using for the last 4 weeks consists of only 3 (well, technically 4) exercises.

This is my proposition for lazy bums like myself that don't want to make it to the gym:

Get a pullup bar. I suggest one of those you can stick in your bedroom doorframe, but as long as you have it somewhere where you spend lots of time (home, work, mistress' place :P) it should work all the same.

Now, that is going to be the only device you need.

Start by doing a set of pullups. Bend your knees and do NOT swing. Do as many as you can at least 5 times throughout the day. It should be the same amount in every set, so push yourself.

Tomorrow you will add one pullup to the set. Everytime you add 5 pullups (ie, 5 days in theory) you subtract 2 the next day and start again (say you got up to 15, next day you do 13, then 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and then back to 16, 17, etc...)

You limit is your imagination, of course, but I do not recommend going further than 30 per set. Instead change your leverage, stretch your legs in front of you, for example and do pullups like that.

Next exercise: pushups. Personally I alternate, I do a set of pullups, then 30 pushups, then a set of pullups, then 10 one-armed pushups with each arm.

Easy.

Next up are squats: proper squats, all the way down and 50 should be your minimum acceptable goal. If you feel brave you can do one legged ones.

And jog for 30-40 mins everyday or at least every second day. Don't tell me you dont have 30 mins a day to waste......

Thats about it. If you manage the above, your ma will be proud. :P

[ah_dut]

my personal routine is a bit different.

I do pullup ladders, like 1 rep then 2,3,4,5,6 and then stop. Do some one armed pushups (again laddering, alternating hands) and get up to 10 usually...

that's upper body over with.

I feel like normal squats wreck your knees to some degree so I do reverse squats instead (no chance of knees over toes) and yes I do feel the effect of worn down cartilige at my age which is very, very bad...

I run up stairs instead, don't feel bad in the joints afterwards

[mfberg]

Now I just need all of this in a pdf file to print.
When I was young and fit I fenced twice a week, practiced fencing the 2 other days, did light/medium lifting at work for about 2 hours a day and bicycled everywhere. Now I am older and have a small keg instead of a 6-pack, live too far from work to bike, all I do is walk about 2-4 miles a day while at work, and occasionally 80-100 stomach crunches at night. I shall reclaim my weight bench, and put a rounded 2x4 for pull-ups outside and see if I can't get back into decent shape once again.

mfberg

[ah_dut]

All righty...

I am probably not the right person to talk to about the getting old buisness and physical decline...I like to think I'm very much on the rise at my age...:laughsatself:

I don't think that many crunches will do you much good. The keg as you name it is fat...all crunches will do is make it seem even bigger...not good eh?

Weights, sure...but remember to ease into it. pullups and dips are great excercises. Also try squats and deadlifts. Great for overall getting into shape.

Can't say better than the olympic lifts in my opinion though

[SwordsMaster]

Well, I can't make it a pdf just now, but I've found a pretty cool article at trickstutorials.com that I wish to share with you lot.
(Thanks to compleks)

Training & Conditioning
Common Myths & Misconceptions:

You may have seen me mention that I was working on this, well it took a little longer than I expected but I finally got around to finishing it after a few delays.

The fitness industry is plagued with lies, scams, myths, ignorance, and misconceptions. Some of these myths have been around for decades without any evidence or truth what so ever, and yet they still seem to be believed by so many. No matter where you go or whom you speak to you are bound to hear someone say something that is untrue. Hopefully this thread will help inform you on some of the common myths you are likely to hear, or may have heard already. Trouble is that so many people believe these myths, which cause them spread so fast, and few people actually step back and question their validity.
Below is what I believe to be the 10 of the most common myths and/or misconception surrounding the fitness industry. Most people here are probably well aware of most of these, but occasionally you still hear someone mention them. I got a bit off track at points so excuse any rambling. I don’t expect anyone to read the entire thing (I don’t blame you, I barely even proof read the thing) but at least browse through the sub-titles to make sure there isn't anything you may have believed. I think there is some useful information in there for most people, even if it is completely off topic.

Now, if you have anything you think should be added then feel free to reply and let me know. If you would like to write something up yourself to be added then PM it to me, or just reply back here and I will cut and paste it into the original post along with the name of the author. I know Maverick said he would like to add something about getting shredded abs I think, so that would be a good addition.
If you have any questions or criticisms or you disagree with anything I wrote then please reply and let me know so I can try to clarify or justify myself.

Toning:
myth-"Doing lots of reps with a light weight will tone up my muscles"
Wrong. Tone, when referring to muscle composition is either a myth or at very least a poor choice or words. The definition of tone is described as "the amount of tension in a muscle", so the easiest and quickest way to increase tone is to contract your muscles - there you go, instant toning without any real work.
Most myths surrounding the fitness industry stem from some minor truth or misguided logic. In this case I assume the myth began when someone decided to use weight training as a form of cardio by doing a ridiculous amount of light weight, high rep training (which really negates the purpose of weight training). Now we know that cardiovascular training is an effective form of exercise, which in this case may have reduced body fat in a number of people doing this form of high rep training. This reduction in body fat would have increased the visibility, or definition of their muscles, which may have been mistaken as 'tone'.

Since then the word has spread and the 'toning' myth has since plagued the fitness industry. Now I don’t have anything against high rep training, as long as you are doing it for the right reasons such as increasing your muscular endurance, practicing your technique etc...
There are a few basic guidelines when it comes to resistance training and rep ranges, but basically training over 15-20 repetitions will primarily work as an endurance exercises, increasing the rate at which your muscles can produce and use energy for extended periods of time. This will also target your slow twitch muscle fibers more specifically, which decreases the likelihood of muscular hypertrophy (muscle growth). Of course this could well be a good thing depending on your goals, and the rep range will also vary depending on the individual and experience.
You will probably have to come to accept the term 'tone' and will probably even find yourself using it, which isn't the problem. The real problem here is the belief that high rep training is an effective way to increase 'tone'.
To summaries, if you want to 'tone up' then your real goal is most likely to increase muscle definition. Increasing definition can be achieved by lowering your body fat and/or increasing muscle mass, in which case you will need to adjust your training and/or diet.

Spot reduction:
myth-"Exercising a certain muscle will reduce the amount of fat covering or surrounding that muscle"
eg: Doing situps to decrease stomach fat.
This myth is often blended in with toning, especially amongst the female population trying to loose weight from around their hips, glutes and thighs while trying to 'tone' them up at the same time. Fat is an important energy source used during exercise, especially lower intensity longer duration type training such as jogging, or in this case it's usually high rep training once again.
Using situps as an example, the prime mover is obviously the rectus abdominus, which for men is generally directly below a major storage site for adipose tissue (fat). Females tend to store the majority of their fat in their lower limbs causing the 'pear' shape, where men are more likely to deposit their fat around their torso giving them more of an 'apple' shape. This fat deposition is largely determined by genetics and hormones, and from a health perspective women may have an advantage over men with abdominal and torso fat being a larger health risk factor than fat stored in the limbs.
Back to the issue, it is common to see people doing hundreds of situps in an attempt to burn fat from their stomach. Yes, muscle will utilize fat as an energy source under the right conditions, but fat cannot simply pass directly into the working muscles from its surroundings. The process is allot more complicated than that and the fat must first be broken down into useable molecules before entering the bloodstream and continuing to the desired location. Since your body has to undergo this complicated procedure the location of the fat being used is of little importance, and cannot be determined or manipulated by training different muscles. Your body will most likely burn fat evenly from around your body, breaking down fat from all over. You may notice some difficult fat retention around your main storage sites, even with a low total body fat percentage, this is no different to any other form of fat and should be dealt with in the same manner as any other fat, which is proper diet and cardiovascular training. Situps are not an effective means of cardio, and will not utilize a significant amount of fat as energy

Muscle to Fat:
myth-"That unused muscle will turn to fat, or that with training fat will turn to muscle"

Okay, I have no idea where this myth began but if I had to guess I would say it was just simply ignorance. I'm hearing this less and less as of lately which is a good sign that people may finally be wising up to this one. There isn't alot to be said here unless you want to get into the molecular composition of muscle and fat and why it is impossible for one to transform into the other. This statement is just as absurd is implying that bone can turn to muscle, or that wood can turn to steel or that paper can turn to rock etc... You get the idea.
Muscle and fat are two completely different substances, they are divided within the body and don't even make direct contact with one another. It is completely false and illogical to believe that one such tissue or compound can be converted to the other.

Weight training & Hypertrophy:
myth-"Resistance training will make your muscles huge, and the process is irreversible"
eg: "I don’t want to do weights because I don’t want to get huge" or "I'm lifting the light weights so I don’t bulk up"
Many aspiring bodybuilders find this particular myth to be especially frustrating, because they know how much effort, knowledge, discipline and dedication is required in order to increase muscle mass. Bulking up will not happen overnight, you will not wake up one morning, look in the mirror and realize you are massive. Alot of people have seen images of professional bodybuilders and don’t wish to look like that, so they avoid weights all together which is a shame. Adding muscle is a very slow process; it requires a well-structured routine and strict diet, as well as alot of patience. If you do manage to stick it out and actually accumulate this desired muscle you must continue all your hard work in order to maintain it, or it will atrophy (shrink, decrease, waste away). Fact is that very few people have the commitment or knowledge to increase their muscle mass even significantly.
Hypertrophy (enlargement, growth) of your muscles occurs when you consistently apply overload to them while supplying your body with the right nutrients, your body will respond accordingly by increasing your muscle mass and strength. In a reverse scenario if you are not using your muscles consistently or are not supplying them with the right nutrients then your body will be unable and unwilling to maintain them, this will cause atrophy of your muscles.

Muscle tissue:
myth-"That there is a structural difference between big bulky muscle and lean 'toned' muscle"
eg: "I want to look like Bruce Lee not Arnold, so I'm just going to do bodyweight exercises"
I'll start by letting you know that Bruce Lee lifted weights frequently as part of his routine, and he understood the benefits of doing so and had the knowledge to make weight lifting as effective as possible for his specific goals.
Basically speaking, muscle is just muscle. To quote Maverick, "Bruce Lee and Antoine have the same type of muscle, Antoine just has more.” All I am referring to here is the makeup of muscle on a cellular level, nothing else. No amount of bodyweight, high rep, low rep or cardio training is going to alter the chemical composition of your muscle tissue.
That said, there are things you can do to train your muscle to act in a way you desire. You can train for strength, size, endurance, functionality, speed, power etc... but your muscles will always be just muscle and most of these changes will occur or a neurological level.
Without going into any real detail, because my knowledge on the subject is very limited, it does appear possible to increase muscle density. When it comes to muscular hypertrophy it can occur on two levels, sarcoplasmic or sarcomere hypertrophy. Sarcomere hypertrophy is an increase in the contractile portion of the muscle, which in turn increases the density of a muscle.
"Sarcomere hypertrophy involves an increase in the number and size of the sarcomeres which comprise the myofibrils. These are added in series and/or in parallel with the existing myofibrils. It should be noted that only parallel growth will lead to an increase in the ability to produce tension. In contrast to sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, with sarcomere hypertrophy there is an increase in myofibril density and a significantly greater ability to exert muscular strength. The type of hypertrophy that you experience from your training depends on the manner in which you train. High volume/moderate rep (8-12) training leads to more sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, while lower volume/low rep (1-6) training leads to more sarcomere hypertrophy (Nikituk & Samoilov, 1990)."
You cannot single out one type of growth over the other, however you may be able to emphasize the amount at which one occurs. This may be particularly useful for strength training athletes, but regardless the muscle is still just muscle and the previous writing still applies.

Bodyweight V's Weights:
myth-"Bodyweight training will harness different or more functional results than weight training"
eg- "I heard doing bodyweight training will increase functional strength."
Well this may actually be true in a sense, depending on how you look at it. For example, if a breakdancer were to train doing bodyweight exercises then he may benefit from the increase of functional strength. But what makes his strength functional is really dependant on how he intends to use it. A bodybuilder may not typically be referred to as having functional strength, but it depends in what context you are looking at it. His strength is certainly functional for his lifestyle of bodybuilding. But generally when people talk about functional strength they are simply referring to the ability to perform everyday tasks with ease, like picking up a heavy object, or unscrewing a tight lid from a jar. Just simple daily tasks that some untrained people may struggle with. I would also add the ability of your muscles to work co-operatively as a team to perform a required task.
However you choose to look at it doesn't really have any impact on this myth, so don't get distracted by it.
The real issue here is whether or not bodyweight training has any functional advantage over weight training. My answer is, maybe. Now I would be typically inclined to say that there is no advantage, but I would find it very difficult to do many isolation bodyweight exercises, and that's what my argument comes down to. I'm basing everything here on the fact that functionality is defined by the ability of your muscles to perform as one to accomplish a task (which isn't always the case if you are training for something specific).
Now this isn't to say that weight training cant be just as beneficial if not more so than bodyweight training. More importantly here is the selection of exercises, and obviously compound exercises are going to out perform isolation exercises in functionality, based on the previous description.
Why I said bodyweight exercises may have some benefit over weight training is simply because it is very difficult to perform many isolation exercises using just your bodyweight. But if you are using weights and performing compound exercises I see no difference between the two in that sense. Your body cannot tell the difference between weights and bodyweight, so in the end it comes down to how well you know what you are doing.
I believe that if you know what you are doing then you will be capable of planning an effective program regardless of equipment, meaning that you should be able to get a good workout using weights or bodyweight. However I also believe that weights are easier to use effectively and that a good bodyweight routine will require alot more thought and improvisation, depending on your goals.
Okay, well that got a little off topic, but this was particularly difficult to explain because everyone has a different point of view and the myth can vary depending on your definition and goals etc... But basically speaking your body does not differentiate between bodyweight and weights, and neither will increase functionality any more than the other, it all depends on how you train with either option.

Speed and flexibility:
myth-"That weight training will reduce your speed and/or flexibility"
First I will deal with flexibility. Studies dating as far back as the 1960's have been produced to prove that correctly performed resistance training will not negatively effect your flexibility. Resistance training does however have the potential to decrease muscle length when performed in a limited range of motion. But it is always encouraged that you perform any weight lifting exercises through your fullest possible range of motion. So resistance training when performed correctly will not reduce your flexibility. There are even studies that suggest resistance training has the ability to increase your flexibility when performed correctly.
This all makes perfect sense when you break down the essence of flexibility, which is defined as 'the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion". I'm sure you all saw Antoine doing the splits in the 'heat' sampler. Ronnie coleman also does the splits, and he's about as big as they come.
http://trickstutorials.com/forum/at...tachmentid=5864
Speed is in a similar situation as flexibility. Like most things in the fitness industry there are alot of variables to take in, meaning that the answer depends on alot of other factors. Speed is generated by muscle contractions, so the hypertrophy of ones muscles would not negatively impact their ability to produce speed. What may impact their speed is how they are implementing resistance training into their routine.
As I mentioned, speed is generated by the contraction of ones muscles, and what increases speed is the rate at which a muscle can contract. On a physiological level speed is determined by the effectiveness on ones nervous system to recruit the largest number of motor units in the shortest possible time. The physiology of muscles would also indicate that the prime candidate for these fast contractions would be the type IIa muscle fibers, which also happen to be the muscle fibers effected most during resistance training. What I am getting at here is that resistance training can actually be a great tool for increasing ones speed, if performed correctly.
Specificity is one of the fundamental principles of resistance training, or any type of training. Meaning that if you want to be able to jump higher then practice jumping, want to run faster then practice running etc... Of course this can have its limits, muscle mass and strength being one of them. There is also merit in using variation and alternative training to accommodate your goals, and in this case it happens to be resistance training. Basically if you want to be faster at a certain activity, then you should practice that activity with speed. But if you want to enhance your speed further or faster then resistance training may be what you are looking for. Now using that principle of specificity it may be of even more benefit to lift with explosive speed, in order to train your nervous system to recruit more motor units quicker. Though I don’t believe even slow resistance training would negatively impact your speed anyway.

Muscle shaping and emphasis:
myth-"That you can isolate or emphasize different areas of a muscle along the same fiber"
Just to clarify what I am talking about here are a few common examples. Upper and lower abs, inner and outer pecs, upper and lower bicep etc...

Now to understand why this is not the case you first need to understand some of the anatomy and physiology of your muscles. Skeletal muscle, as the name implies is muscle attached to your skeleton, it makes up the majority of your muscle mass and is the type of muscle being targeted with resistance training. Skeletal muscle is responsible for all movement involving your joints. This movement is achieved by the contraction of the muscle fibers. All skeletal muscle has at least one origin and insertion, which are the apposing points where the muscle attaches to bone via its tendons. Between these two points the muscle is arranged like a rope, with all the tiny threads (fibers) running the entire length of the muscle from origin to insertion.

Now your muscle contracts when your nervous system sends a message to the muscles motor unit(s), which is a nerve attached to a bunch of muscle fibers. When a muscle fiber receives the message to contract, it will contract along the entire length of the fiber from origin to insertion. This is why it is impossible to emphasize one end of a muscle when the fibers are oriented in that same direction.
I'm not going to go into any detail on all the muscles, but if you are interested here are two files with all the muscles you will need along with their origin, insertion and a picture.
ftp://tricks:tricks@67.18.198.27/Mu...n-insertion.zip
With those files and the information above you should be able to figure out yourself, which muscles can or cannot be emphasized in different areas.

Post exercise stretching reduces doms:
myth-"That stretching after exercise will reduce the effect of DOMS."
DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness is still somewhat a mystery. Most people believe it is cause by a combination of things, such as micro trauma to the muscle, lactic acid and tearing of the muscle fibers. There isn't yet any real solid evidence on the cause of this soreness experienced after an intense workout, but there are plenty of theories on how to reduce the effects, stretching being the most common one. I'm sure you have all heard that you should stretch after exercise to reduce the soreness; well there isn't actually any evidence to prove that stretching has any effect on soreness what so ever. Stretching does has numerous other benefits when performed after exercise, or even performed on it's own but reducing DOMS is not one of them.
There is one study I know of carried out many years ago that may have been the beginning of this myth. This particular study apparently 'proved' that stretching reduced soreness in the subjects the following day, however the study was shown to be tainted and results were discarded as simply a placebo effect. More recent studies have been conducted which have indicated stretching to have no effect on DOMS at all.

Resistance training stunts growth:
myth-"That resistance training will stunt growth in children, or anyone not finished growing"
This has been a major problem surrounding resistance training for as long as anyone can seem to remember. I have no idea where it began, but even today you constantly hear of and meet people that believe this.
Before I get started, some background information on how we grow: There are different classifications for different types of bones in our body, but the majority of them are classified as 'long' bones, and these are the bones which will have the greatest effect on our height. Our bones begin as simple cartilage models that later will be transformed into bone, this process is called ossification (the formation of bone). Most of this ossification will occur before or shortly after birth, and for the next 18-23 years your bones will continue to develop and grow.

Bone can grow in a number of ways, appositional growth and endochondral growth being the primary ways affecting height. In 'long' bones it is endochondral growth, which will determine the length of a bone, which inevitably effects a persons height. At both ends of a long bone there is an epiphyseal plate, which is a layer of cartilage separating the epiphysis (end) from the diaphysis (shaft). This epiphyseal plate is what allows the bone to grow in length (endochondral growth). This layer of cartilage is continuously growing and expanding, as new cartilage is formed nearest the diaphysis the old cells are ossified (turned to bone), and this process is what makes our long bones grow.

The two main effectors of bone growth are nutrition and hormones. Nutrition is important for providing your body with the necessary energy, nutrients, vitamins and minerals to continue growing. In times of illness or malnutrition children can show signs of arrested growth, which is a line of increased bone density caused by a period of slow growth. Hormones are obviously vital for bone growth, growth hormone, thyroid hormone, and sex hormones are all vital for normal bone growth, these hormones can also be effected by diet. Females tend to stop growing earlier than males due to an increase in estrogen levels. Bone growth will cease when the epiphyseal plate becomes completely ossified.
Now if you happen to fracture a long bone at a young age then there could be some complications, especially if the fracture occurs at the epiphyseal plate. A break at the epiphyseal plate will result in damage to the cartilage that can interfere with the growth of that particular bone. These injuries are quite common amongst children and often result in one arm or leg being shorter than the other. This can largely impact the entire balance of a person’s body and distort the positioning of their back, all leading to possible future difficulties. Especially those spinal related.
Back on topic. Now the forces generated with heavy weight lifting can be enormous, but it is highly unlikely that these pressures will have any significant effect on bone growth at all. If you do plan on avoiding resistance training for these reasons then it would be advised that you avoid physical activities all together, since the forces generated in jumping or running can be far greater than those of resistance training.
There are no studies or evidence what so ever that show resistance training to have any effect on height, though many people still believe this myth without question. One common argument is the size of professional weightlifters, who are generally all of very short stature. This has nothing to do with their weightlifting or training, rather the process of natural selection. A 5"1 80kg person would have a large advantage over a 5"10 80kg person when it comes to professional powerlifting. Why? Because the shorter person has much shorter levers, meaning they can generate more power and need to move the weight a shorter distance. These people are not short because they are professional weightlifter; they are professional weightlifters because they are short.
In my opinion resistance training is often a great way to encourage growth when performed correctly, because participants are often interested in getting their diet and lifestyle in order aswell. If they do the proper research then I think they will have the knowledge to live a healthy lifestyle and grow to their fullest potential. It is sports like dancing, gymnastics and wrestling which can have a negative impact on height. This is due to the weight categories and calorie restricted diets put in place to encourage these athletes to stay small and light, which can have a huge impact on their development.

[ah_dut]

I've read that article before and love it...especially the muscle tone buisness....

[SwordsMaster]

http://www.trickstutorials.com/index.php?page=content/flexibility


just copy and paste in your browser for a great page on flexibility and stretching. For some reason this computer I'm on doesnt allow me to use the hyperlink button....

[SwordsMaster]

right, my dears, you thought I forgot about you and you could lazily enjoy your beer and tv lifestyle?

Well, you can! ~D

But for those of you willing to put on some muscle and burn out some fat, here (http://www.eas.com/training/52weekseries/phase1.asp) I found a yearly program to build up your strength and size. Take into account that it is a bodybuilding website, so you might want to skip the hypermetrophy parts if you do not want to get too big.... but for most of you it wount be a problem.

There is a lot of useful info on the page so I recommend you to take a stroll even if bodybuilding is in your list of priorities somewhere between drinking machine oil and adopting a polar bear...

Enjoy.

[ah_dut]

Or if you're more equipment lacking, try simple one leg squats, pressups and chinups. Believe me, if you can do them, you're well worthy of some respect

[SwordsMaster]

Or if you're more equipment lacking, try simple one leg squats, pressups and chinups. Believe me, if you can do them, you're well worthy of some respect


Of course, but that has been mentioned already, and my job is provide you with the information and suggestions, but I can´t choose for you...

[ah_dut]

Don't know, but why don't some of you try out the power to the people routine, especially those of us in schools...

[Sasaki Kojiro]

But for those of you willing to put on some muscle and burn out some fat, here (http://www.eas.com/training/52weekseries/phase1.asp) I found a yearly program to build up your strength and size. Take into account that it is a bodybuilding website, so you might want to skip the hypermetrophy parts if you do not want to get too big.... but for most of you it wount be a problem.

There is a lot of useful info on the page so I recommend you to take a stroll even if bodybuilding is in your list of priorities somewhere between drinking machine oil and adopting a polar bear...

Enjoy.

bleh...I have to say there's a lot of garbage on that site. And they are making it a lot more complicated than it is. It can be as simple as:

Eat a lot.

Lift a lot.

Rest a lot.


Nutrition is the most important thing if you are trying to gain muscle. Eat about 6 meals a day...a big breakfast, a meal before you workout, a meal after you workout, and a meal before you go to bed + 2 other meals. I end up consuming over 5000 calories, but then I weigh 200 pounds and have a fast metabolism. When I started lifting I was only eating 4000 and made gains with that. You should gain some fat with this amount of food. Protein and fat and whole grain is what you want. Cottage cheese, peanut butter, and milk are all great foods.


When you lift...first of all squats and deadlifts and other compound leg lifts should be the focus of your lifting routine. Train your back as often as you train your chest, keeping to compound lifts like pullups, rews, dips and bench press (shoulder press for your shoulders). Your arms will most likely get enough stimulation from the chest and back exercises. Train each bodypart at least twice a week.

Drink a lot of water and sleep a lot...don't do much cardio at all...

[ah_dut]

I'm not sure about the train each bodypart twice a weekbut I think you've summarised it in 3 sentances

[Togakure]

I'm not sure about the train each bodypart twice a weekbut I think you've summarised it in 3 sentances

Indeed: I can think of at least one body part that should be trained as often as possible. :hide:

[SwordsMaster]

Indeed: I can think of at least one body part that should be trained as often as possible. :hide:


Beware of Beirut and his axe.... You are getting into slippery terrain.. ~D

[Byzantine Mercenary]

this thread is realy interesting, I just have a few questions

do you need to eat a lot more protein when trying to gain muscle, i read in a weight lifting book that most people eat enough protein in their normal diet for a professional body builder?

what are the main nutrients you need to maintain muscle mass?

[SwordsMaster]

this thread is realy interesting, I just have a few questions

do you need to eat a lot more protein when trying to gain muscle, i read in a weight lifting book that most people eat enough protein in their normal diet for a professional body builder?

what are the main nutrients you need to maintain muscle mass?


To build muscle you will need extra protein and generally people put on extra fat during the "build up" phase. If you are looking for size, then you should establish a "bulking" phase -say 3 months- and then a "cutting" phase - say 8-9 weeks - that will get rid of the extra fat.

To mantain muscle during the cutting phase you still need to visit the gym at least once a week to keep the muscle , otherwise it will start becoming fat again and you are back to square one.

The first thing you need though if you really want to get fitter and stronger is to sort out your nutrition. There is no point having the best program in the world if you are going to throw a few deep fried Mars bars on top....

As of nutrients, you will need protein - obviously -. You can get it from lean meat, egg whites and supplements although supplements alone are not recomendable. You should also ensure you eat enough vitamins and fiber. Fiber will provide you with a long lasting energy source that you will need for a workout. And vitamins just have to be there. Think that you will most likely restrict the foods you are going to intake, so its best to make sure your body still gets all the stuff it needs. Therefore add a multivitamin or similar to your diet.

Another thing is energy. You will need almost twice the energy you need when you are not working out. So you will probably have to introduce meals during the day. They don´t have to be big, but it is best if you can reestablish the energy you just spent working out.

Regards

[ah_dut]

Just shove in some more meat, more regularly and you'll be fine. And you DO need protein to build muscle, no matter what anybody says

[Byzantine Mercenary]

thanks for your replys guys, another question, whats the most you should lift on dumbbells, is there a limit?

[ah_dut]

The limit!?the limit is your 1rm ~D no seriously though, you lift as much or as little or as heavy/light as your aims are...what are they?

Put on muscle, what you can lift for 6-8 not necessarily to failure but getting close.

[Byzantine Mercenary]

I thought so, its just this weight training manual said that you can lift more with a barbell so i was wondering if that meant that you cant put as much weight on a dumbell.
Talking of aims, at the moment im about to do a charity arm wrestleing thing against a superhumanly strong farmer to defeat him is my aim at the moment. What is the best way to strengthen the muscles you use during an arm wrestle?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Talking of aims, at the moment im about to do a charity arm wrestleing thing against a superhumanly strong farmer to defeat him is my aim at the moment. What is the best way to strengthen the muscles you use during an arm wrestle?

Practice armwrestling.

[ah_dut]

Sasaki has a point, you need to get your pretensing and other tension techniques up as well as you're going to need every advantage you can get hold of.

In a way dumbells are better then barbells as you get to even your arms out better. My right arm and leg are stronger then my left arm/leg for example

[Byzantine Mercenary]

you're going to need every advantage you can get hold of.

I sure will,
Ive been lifting dumbells so far, and my arms seem to be quite balanced.
Is twisting your wrist allowed when arm wrestling?

[ah_dut]

I believe not...depends on the person and this is a charity event so we'll say every legit advantage, I believe it is frowned upon if not downright illegal. Basically, When you're about to take him, crush his hand to pulp before it begins, tense your abs for a punch and clench your buttcheeks. Hold your breath and push. That's the best advice I can give you. I don't know any excercises that seem to have any type of direct relationship with arm wrestling over anything like the short term

[SwordsMaster]

sorry about not replying earlier -was away for the weekend-. For arm-wrestling you need to develpo all the little muscles in the higher part of your arm that are usually overlooked as they don't add much to size, and your shoulder.

So my best advice is strengthen your forearms, and use dumbells in a motion as similar as possible to the one you will use in arm wrestling.

[Togakure]

My buddies who used to be into arm-wrestling have said to me: "it's all in the wrist."

I will abstain from describing my favorite wrist exercise here ... ~;p.

[ah_dut]

It is all in the wrist and you've got to get your muscles tense before the go, that believe it or not is supposed to give you 20% more power...and hammer curls might work

[edyzmedieval]

Hey SwordsMaster.

How many abdomens are recommended to do for a day?!
I mean, I'm doing about 300 per day.

Good?! Or not enough?!

[SwordsMaster]

Hey SwordsMaster.

How many abdomens are recommended to do for a day?!
I mean, I'm doing about 300 per day.

Good?! Or not enough?!


The limit is the sky. I've never heard of any injuries or secondary effects of doing too many abs, so as far as I know you can do as many as you like.

[ah_dut]

I'd like to disagree...do too much ab work vs lower back work and you might end up in a bit of pain...

[SwordsMaster]

I'd like to disagree...do too much ab work vs lower back work and you might end up in a bit of pain...


Well, yeah, keep it balanced, although as I said, I never heard or seen anyone injured with too many abs....

[ah_dut]

Unfortunately I have...a couple of hundred situps and serious backpain...not me but a friend definitely

[edyzmedieval]

I mean sit-ups....Anyways, I can build up my abdomen, to look good in front of the ladies... ~D

[ah_dut]

One wee little hint...if you want an abdomen to be proud of, you'd better go get rid of all the fat (if any) you're carrying around your abdomen. Look up high octane cardio and mike mahler to see what I'm going at...

May I also recommend that if your object is to look good for the ladies, please keep your reps low and resistance high. A billion sit ups a day would do little but give you amazingly tight hip flexors and a destroyed back (ok, with the calorific expenditure of a billion you'd be dead and ripped by a use of fat but nevermind...) amazing abs of course, should you be able to recover and do this again and again ~D

Basically, as long as your situps are amazingly hard and you're always flexing your abs, and your reps are below 10 a set...you should b fine for your ''looking good for the ladies'' trust me on thar

[edyzmedieval]

Thanks Ah.

Reps = pause?!

[ah_dut]

reps=repetitions or amount of times you do it...If you want muscle growth, try having shorter breaks...holding tough parts of a rep is also good as it makes you get harder muscles as long as you do it often...

btw: I'm dut :wink:

[SwordsMaster]

Ho,Ho,Ho!!! "Now I have a machine gun" ~;p - Thats from "Die Hard"

But basically I just found a great article about how to structure your diet an I though that because it's Christmas and all I'd share it with you.

The article, that is, not Christmas. ~D

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/complete.htm

[ah_dut]

Ahh yes, Beradi...Check out T-Nation for some of his other articles

[LeftEyeNine]

Ho,Ho,Ho!!! "Now I have a machine gun" ~;p - Thats from "Die Hard"

But basically I just found a great article about how to structure your diet an I though that because it's Christmas and all I'd share it with you.

The article, that is, not Christmas. ~D

http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/complete.htm

That's what I absolutely need, SM. :bow:

[Byzantine Mercenary]

Sordmaster, in your routine you say that if you don't eat any breakfast that your body will start metaboliseing its own protein, why does this happen, I thought that the body only metabolised protein as a last resort, when there was no other reserves such as fat left?

[SwordsMaster]

Sordmaster, in your routine you say that if you don't eat any breakfast that your body will start metaboliseing its own protein, why does this happen, I thought that the body only metabolised protein as a last resort, when there was no other reserves such as fat left?


Not exactly. Fat is the hardest thing to use because it is very dehydrated so it will get used last. It is supposed to be the "reserve" that will see you through the cold winter months when the hunting is scarce and all of that. In modern life, unless you still hunt your breakfast (in which case you won't metabolize muscle because you are using it), you don't need fat reserves. You will not lose muscle you lose either, but if you want to put on muscle you need to give your body extra slack and not live on the minimum. Besides, you are not using muscles during the night, so you might just lose them in the morning if you don'y put some food into your stomach fast.

And you can try it yourself. HAve breakfast and then hit the gym after a couple of hours some day.

And on another day, don't have breakfast and then hit the gym. And then compare the results and tell me which day you felt better.

[Vladimir]

Ok let’s see if anyone’s still reading this.

Age: 28 ½ (yes I still count the halves)

Gender: Male

Injuries: *deep breath* Tore 3 tendons/ligaments in my right ankle (if I step on so much as a pebble in the wrong spot I’m on my arse), left shoulder injury (rotator cuff I think, pretty bad. It happened in basic training and they said “Take Motrin and do these rubber band exercises”), broken left arm (it was years ago, a rather beautiful 45 degree break. The problem is that now I don’t feel pain in my left bicep), plus the various pains of someone who was never really in good shape to begin with (because it can’t be my age of course)

Height: 6 feet 1 ¼ inches (because every inch counts), 1.8m or whatever

Weight: 88kg, 195lbs

Body fat percentage: Good question, I have about an inch (OK, maybe more) on each side to get rid of. In the winter of ’97 it was over 30 percent. I’m trying to get some cute chick that works there to measure that so I’m in no hurry to find out.


Diet: Breakfast: 1 packet of that 40 gram Mealplex from GNC mixed in milk, and one banana. (30-45min before exercise)
Lunch: Samich with 4 slices turkey on soft oatmeal bread, 1 slice fat free sharp cheddar (because that’s what froggy likes and I don’t like American cheese).
Dinner: one piece chicken (leg or thigh), one can veggies, 1 wheat Kaiser roll toast with honey, one cup yogurt. I’ve been addicted to yogurt ever since I heard it’s the arch enemy of Montezuma. I’ve been sneaking apples rather than goodies from the candy bowl.

Workout: All mornings 30 minutes on the elliptical at a heart rate of 140
After work:
Monday: Biceps 60/10 add 10 by 10s up to 100 (total not each arm), Triceps pull down things 90/10 120/10 add 10 by 10s to 150,
Tuesday: Chest push ups using hand weights 60/10 by 10s to usually 120/10, inclined 30/10 add 5 by 10s up to 40 (or until it hurts too much), and whatever back/rowing stuff I feel like.
Wednesday: Abs/stomach (the only exercise that feels good), I’m not worried too much about those I’ve always been good there.
Thursday=Monday
Friday=Tuesday
All work’s followed by light to moderate bike for 15 min.

Goals: Mainly to do something productive until traffic dies down, 200 lbs bodyweight with 10(?) percent body fat. Overall: continuous, long-term improvement in strength and endurance with increased flexibility.

So what do I need to do to gain just 5 pounds of muscle? Am I doing anything counterproductive? My motto is usually “Stop before I black out from the pain”, of which there’s plenty, mostly in my left shoulder. Any suggestions what I should do to reach those goals? Excellent idea for a thread considering the context of this site. Thanks all for your help.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

With all the injuries you've had, you need to see a trainer/sports doctor before doing any weightlifting.

[Vladimir]

Nah, I just drink water (j/k). Some of the negative effects may have been exaggerated for the sake of humor. The only real pain comes from heavy exercise and usually at the end, which is why I made the comment about going until the pain's too much.

[SwordsMaster]

Well, well. I'm glad this is still being read by someone. Maybe not that surprising after all those Christmas excesses :laugh4:

Anyway.

Injuries. You should be really careful with them. On average a ligament injury takes a couple of years to heal fully, and will have some reduced flexibility in that ligament for quite some time unless you do something about it. Bone injuries take about as long, although because a bone is rigid and isn't subjected to the same kind of stresses as a ligament it tends to heal faster.

So:

To strengthen your ankle: Firstly you have to stretch it. Gently as it seems quite sensitive still if you can't walk on pebbles. Stretch it consistently every day, several times a day if you can, holding every stretch for at least a minute. If there is real pain, you should visit a doctor, as there is only so much I can do giving advice over the internet.

Once you have stretched you can start doing some bodyweight exercises. Calf raises, etc. Your aim is to do them slow throughout the whole range of motion of the joint. There will be some pain. That is normal, and after the session, the joint should feel like jelly, but again, if the pain seems exaggerated, stop and ask some specialised advice.

Your arm injury should be healed if it is years old, so just watch it, and exercise normally.

About te shoulder: Keep doing those rubber band exercises until it feels easy. Then I would recommend doing bodyweight stuff, again, slow and long, through the whole range of motion.

Do pushups, pullups(chinups) and dips. That should workout both shoulders and arms enough to keep you happy. Aim for 5 sets of each exercise. You will probably start at something like sets of 2-3 reps depending on how fit you are already.

I assume all the weights on your weight routine are in lbs. Its not bad, but IMO you should start with bodyweight exercises and then work up, weights are not the best place to start.

In any occasion, I would rework your schedule a bit. Start every session with 15 mins of moderate bike, which should be a bit of a warm up for your ankle too.

After that I recommend you the pushup-pullup-dip routine, at least 3 times a week, you can work on abs or lower back or legs the other 2 days.

For fat loss I recommend a 2 mile row (if there are any rowing machines available in the gym, otherwise I think cycling and running are your only options). If you row, you should do 2 miles in under 10 mins (it's pretty tough, but you should really aim at 8 mins) and then jog for some 20 mins (2 miles) or cycle for 30 (at least 80 rpm).

Again, this routine is pretty solid and you probably woun't be able to do all that from the very beginning but it something to aim at. After a month or so, you'll see it is not as hard as it seems.

Food:

There is a breakfast example somewhere up in the thread, and I can also recommend you to have a look at this page for inspiration:

http://www.eas.com/nutrition/fatloss_plan.asp

Some general notes:

Stretch before and after exercise. Hold every stretch for some 20-30 sec, specially concentrating on the musclegroups you are going to work that session.

It's all I can think of at the moment. Hope this helps you, and good luck recovering!


PS: Just remembered. Watch you posture! Always. You can just hang on a pullup bar for a few seconds or so at the beginning and end of every session just to make sure your spinal column is straight and your nerves are more-less where they should be. The extreme pain in the shoulder could be exaggerated by some nerve getting pinched somewhere.

[Sartaq]

Great thread SwordsMaster, learned much up to this point.
I've just enlisted in the USCG (Coast Guard) and am leaving for boot camp early April. Have about 3 full months to train and I want to make the most of it.

Age: 21, male
Ht. 5'11"
Wt. 145-150lbs. fluctuates quite a bit.
Body fat: last I checked it was 8%.
Sports: Previous: Basketball, Soccer. Current: Mountain Biking.
Injuries: Nothing really. Occasional joint pain in ankles, probably from soccer & basketball.
Diet:
Breakfast: cereal/banana/toast/yogurt. definatly need to add eggs and multivit.
Lunch: turkey/chicken/roast beef sandwich, salad, yogurt.
Dinner: lot of mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, rolls, chicken, roast beef, steak when I can get it.
Snacks: sometimes I get lazy and fill up on junk. chocolate bars/chips.
Drinks: 80% pure water 20% milk, soda, juice. I do my best to drink water as often as possible.

Workout:
running 4mi. 3x/week m/w/f
pushups 4x20 m/w/f sometimes do an extra set whenever.
crunches 4x15 m/w/f sometimes do an extra set whenever.
mtn bike 6-10 mi. dirt trails/hills 2-3x/month
been doing the above for 6 weeks. except the biking which I have been doing for the last 5 years. would like to add swimming but my pool is unheated and very cold right now.

Goals: Make boot a total breeze fitness wise! Be above and beyond physical fitness requirements for graduation. Increase muscle mass by 5-10lbs. Increase muscular strength/endurance esp. upperbody. Increase flexibility. Mostly concerned with flexibility and muscular development. I feel that my cardiovascular fitness is good enough, but nowhere near a marathon runner or SEAL obviously!

Thank you for any advice.

[SwordsMaster]

Wow, 2 requests in 2 days! Right.

I see you are pretty fit, no need to lose bodyfat.
You definitely need some protein for breakfast, think eggs (2 or 3 at least) or chicken even. And you also need a meal an hour or so before bed. Most people find that some fiber and cottage cheese work ok before bed.

Keep in mind that approx 20% of the calories you eat a day should come from fat, both saturated and insaturated, otherwise you won't keep muscle. Colesterol is responsible for generating testosterone, which helps build and keep muscle (why do you think girls are more attracted to guys with muscle? because muscle means they generate enough testosterone), so don't overlook that.

The best thing to avoid junk food is to actually include it into your schedule. Schedule a day a week when you can eat anything you want so you don't feel guilty about it.

The best thing I can probably do is to give you the SEALS requirements and let you work towards that:

Here is the routine and approach they use in boot so you get an idea. Yes. It is pretty tough.

Good luck!


PHYSICAL FITNESS STANDARDS ©2005 NavySEALs

PHYSICAL EVOLUTION REQUIRED TIME
FIRST PHASE

50 meter underwater swim PASS/FAIL
Underwater knot tying PASS/FAIL
Drown proofing test PASS/FAIL
Basic Lifesaving test PASS/FAIL
1200 meter pool swim with fins 45 min
1 mile bay swim with fins 50 min
1 mile ocean swim with fins 50 min
1 l/2 mile ocean swim with fins 70 min
2 mile ocean swim with fins 95 min
Obstacle course 15 min
4 mile timed run 32 min

POST HELL WEEK

2000 meter conditioning pool swim without fins Completion
1 1/2 mile night bay swim with fins Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 85 min
4 mile timed run 32 min
Obstacle course 13 min

SECOND PHASE

2 mile ocean swim with fins 80 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 31 min
Obstacle course 10:30
3 I/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion
5 1/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion

THIRD PHASE

Obstacle course 10 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 30 min
14 mile run Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 75 min


Academic standards are required on written tests before graduation from BUD/S are:
80% or above for officers 70% or above for enlisted

SUGGESTED STUDENT PREPARATION

The following workouts are designed for two categories of people: Category I are those future BUD/S students that have never or have not recently been on a routine PT program. Category II is designed for high school and college athletes that have had a routine PT program. Usually athletes that require a high level of cardiovascular activity are in Category II.

Swimming, running and wrestling are good examples of such sports.

WORKOUT FOR CATEGORY I

RUNNING: The majority of the physical activities you will be required to perform during your six months of training at BUD/S will involve running. The intense amount of running can lead to over stress injuries of the lower extremities in trainees who arrive not physically prepared to handle the activities. Swimming, bicycling, and lifting weights will prepare you for some of the activities at BUD/S, but ONLY running can prepare your lower extremities for the majority of the activities. You should also run in boots to prepare your legs for the everyday running in boots at BUD/S (Boots should be of a light-weight variety i.e. Bates Lights, Hi-Tec, Etc.).

The goal of the category I student is to work up to 16 miles per week of running. After you have achieved that goal, then and only then should you continue on to the category II goal of 30 miles per week. Let me remind you that category I is a nine week buildup program. Follow the workout as best you can and you will be amazed at the progress you will make.

RUNNING SCHEDULE I

WEEKS #1, 2: 2 miles/day, 8:30 pace, M/W/F (6 miles/ week)
WEEK #3: No running. High risk of stress fractures
WEEK #4: 3 miles/day, M/W/F (9 miles/wk)
WEEKS #5, 6: 2/3/4/2 miles, M/Tu/Th/F (11 miles/wk)
WEEKS #7,8: 4/4/5/3 miles, M/Tu/Th/F (16 miles/ wk)
WEEK #9: same as #7,8 (16 miles/ wk)


PHYSICAL TRAINING SCHEDULE I (Mon/Wed/Fri)
SETS OF REPETITIONS
WEEK #1: 4X15 PUSHUPS
4X20 SITUPS
3X3 PULL UPS
WEEK #2: 5X20 PUSHUPS
5X20 SITUPS
3X3 PULL UPS
WEEK #3,4: 5X25 PUSHUPS
5X25 SITUPS
3X4 PULL UPS
WEEK #5,6: 6X25 PUSHUPS
6X25 SITUPS
2X8 PULL UPS
WEEK #7,8: 6X30 PUSHUPS
6X30 SITUPS
2X10 PULL UPS
WEEK #9: 6X30 PUSHUPS
6X30 SITUPS
3X10 PULL UPS


* Note: For best results, alternate exercises. Do a set of pushups, then a set of situps, followed by a set of pull ups, immediately with no rest.

SWIMMING SCHEDULE I
(sidestroke with no fins 4-5 days a week)

WEEKS #1, 2: Swim continuously for 15 min.
WEEKS #3, 4: Swim continuously for 20 min.
WEEKS #5, 6: Swim continuously for 25 min.
WEEKS #7, 8: Swim continuously for 30 min.
WEEK #9: Swim continuously for 35 min.


* Note: If you have no access to a pool, ride a bicycle for twice as long as you would swim. If you do have access to a pool, swim every day available. Four to five days a week and 200 meters in one session is your initial workup goal. Also, you want to develop your sidestroke on both the left and the right side. Try to swim 50 meters in one minute or less.

WORKOUT FOR CATEGORY II

Category II is a more intense workout designed for those who have been involved with a routine PT schedule or those who have completed the requirements of category I. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WORKOUT SCHEDULE UNLESS YOU CAN COMPLETE THE WEEK #9 LEVEL OF CATEGORY I WORKOUTS.

RUNNING SCHEDULE II
(M/TulTh/F/Sa)

WEEKS #1,2: (3/5/4/5/2)miles 19 miles/week
WEEKS #3, 4: (4/5/6/4/3) miles 22 miles/week
WEEK #5: (5/5/6/4/4) miles 24 miles/week
WEEK #6: (5/6/6/6/4) miles 27 miles/week
WEEK #7: (6/6/6/6/6) miles 30 miles/week


* Note: For weeks #8-9 and beyond, it is not necessary to increase the distance of the runs; work on the speed of your 6 mile runs and try to get them down to 7:30 per mile or lower. If you wish to increase the distance of your runs, do it gradually: no more than one mile per day increase for every week beyond week #9.

PT SCHEDULE II
(Mon/Wed/Fri)

SETS OF REPETITIONS
WEEK #1, 2: 6X30 PUSHUPS
6X35 SITUPS
3X10 PULL UPS
3X20 DIPS
WEEK #3, 4: lOX20 PUSHUPS
10X25 SITUPS
4X10 PULL UPS
10X15 DIPS
WEEK #5: 15X20 PUSHUPS
15X25 SITUPS
4X12 PULLUPS
15X15 DIPS
WEEK #6: 20X20 PUSHUPS
20X25 SITUPS
5X12 PULL UPS
20X15 DIPS


These workouts are designed for long-distance muscle endurance. Muscle fatigue will gradually take a longer and longer time to develop doing high repetition workouts. For best results, alternate exercises each set, in order to rest that muscle group for a short time. The below listed workouts are provided for varying your workouts once you have met the Category I and II standards.

PYRAMID WORKOUTS

You can do this with any exercise. The object is to slowly build up to a goal, then build back down to the beginning of the workout. For instance, pull ups, situps, pushups, and dips can be alternated as in the above workouts, but this time choose a number to be your goal and build up to that number. Each number counts as a set. Work your way up and down the pyramid. For example, say your goal is "5."

# OF REPETITIONS
PULL UPS: 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1
PUSHUPS: 2,4,6,8,10,8,6,4,2 (2X # pull ups)
SITUPS: 3,6,9,12,15,12,9,6,3 (3X #pull ups)
DIPS: same as pushups


SWIMMING WORKOUTS II
(4-5 days/week)

WEEKS #1, 2: Swim continuously for 35 min.
WEEKS #3, 4: Swim continuously for 45 min.with fins.
WEEK #5: Swim continuously for 60 min. with fins.
WEEK #6: Swim continuously for 75 min. with fins.


* Note: At first, to reduce initial stress on your foot muscles when starting with fins, alternate swimming 1000 meters with fins and 1000 meters without them. Your goal should be to swim 50 meters in 45 seconds or less.

STRETCH PT

Since Mon/Wed/Fri are devoted to PT, it is wise to devote at least 20 minutes on Tue/Thu/Sat to stretching. You should always stretch for at least 15 minutes before any workout; however, just stretching the previously worked muscles will make you more flexible and less likely to get injured. A good way to start stretching is to start at the top and go to the bottom. Stretch to tightness, not to pain; hold for 10-15 seconds. DO NOT BOUNCE. Stretch every muscle in your body from the neck to the calves, concentrating on your thighs, hamstrings, chest, back, and shoulders.

NUTRITION

Proper nutrition is extremely important now and especially when you arrive at BUD/S. You must make sure you receive the necessary nutrients to obtain maximum performance output during exercise and to promote muscle/tissue growth and repair. The proper diet provides all the nutrients for the body's needs and supplies energy for exercise. It also promotes growth and repair of tissue and regulates the body processes. The best source of complex carbohydrates are potatoes, pasta, rice, fruits, vegetables. These types of foods are your best sources of energy.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are the three energy nutrients. All three can provide energy, but carbohydrate is the preferred source of energy for physical activity. It takes at least 20 hours after exhaustive exercise to completely restore muscle energy, provided 600 grams of carbohydrates are consumed per day. During successive days of heavy training, like you will experience at BUD/S, energy stores prior to each training session become progressively lower. This is a situation in which a high carbohydrate diet can help maintain your energy.

The majority of carbohydrates should come from complex carbohydrate foods that include bread, crackers, cereal, beans, peas, starchy vegetables, and other whole grain or enriched grain products. Fruits are also loaded with carbohydrates. During training, more than four servings of these food groups should be consumed daily.

Water intake is vital; stay hydrated. You should be consuming up to four quarts of water daily. Drink water before you get thirsty! ! ! Substances such as alcohol, caffeine and tobacco increase your body's need for water. Too much of these substances will definitely harm your body and hinder your performance. Supplemental intake of vitamins, as well, has not been proven to be beneficial. If you are eating a well balance diet, there is no need to take vitamins.

TRAINING TABLE CONCEPT

NUTRIENT INTAKE
Carbohydrates 50-70% of calories
Protein 10-15% of calories
Fats 20-30% of calories


IN SERVICE CANDIDATES

Requirements and procedures for BUD/S training application. Package Requirements:

1. Meet ASVAB test score requirement
2. Meet age, EAOS and rating requirement (page 13 may be required)
3. Pass physical screening test
4. Pass diving physical
Procedures:

1. Put in a "Special Request Chit" through your chain of command requesting BUD/S training.
2. Submit a "Personnel Action Request" (Form 1306/7) to SPECWAR/Diver assignment. Submit the following with your request: a. A certified copy of your ASVAB test scores b. Your physical screening test results c. Pressure and oxygen tolerance test results (if completed) d. Your completed diving physical (Form SF88 - SF93) e. Certified copy of your latest performance evaluation report


3. Mail your package to:
SPECWAR/Diver Assignment
NMPC 401D
Department of the Navy
Washington D. C. 20379
Phone number: Com (703) 614-1091
DSN 224-1091/92

REQUIREMENTS
Physical/Mental

1. Pass a diving physical exam

2. Eye sight cannot be worse than 20/40 in one eye and 20/70 in the other eye and must be correctable to 20/20 with no color blindness

3. Minimum ASVAB score: VE + AR= 104, MC = 50

4. Must be 28 years old or less

5. Only men are eligible

Physical Screen Test 1. 500 yard swim using breast and/or side stroke in 12:30 Ten minute rest

2. Perform minimum of 42 pushups in 2 minutes Two minute rest

3. Perform minimum of 50 situps in 2 minutes Two minute rest

4. Perform at least 6 pull ups, no time limit Ten minute rest

5. Run 1.5 miles wearing boots and pants in 11:30

*As a reminder, there are no maximums on these physical tests. Prospective trainee should provide the best scores possible, i.e., give his best effort.

[Sartaq]

I'm getting the protien into my breakfast. Picked up plenty of good fats and cholesterol, multivitamins, cottage cheese (have to get used to eating that stuff heh), and some shakes today. I think sat/sunday will be a good day for eating junk. I'll feel lazy and ready to work on monday.

The SEALs program looks like worlds of fun/pain. :)




Good luck!

Thanks SwordsMaster

[Byzantine Mercenary]

I know its a odd question but is there any way to work out body fat without an anyliser as i don't have one?

also you say you need to eat fat to keep muscle, why is that?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I know its a odd question but is there any way to work out body fat without an anyliser as i don't have one?

also you say you need to eat fat to keep muscle, why is that?

Analyzers aren't that accurate any way...the % isn't really important, if you're trying to measure progress just use the mirror or a tape measure around the waste.

Fat is part of any healthy diet. The way you'll lose muscle is from not using it, dieting, or doing lots of running/cardio.

[ah_dut]

The mirror or and objective person (for the narcissists among us:wink:) is good enough for most people

[SwordsMaster]

If you want really accurate measures, go to a doctor or pharmacist. Most of the time squeezing your belly works :laugh4:

[Byzantine Mercenary]

i know, its just that the diet you found required you to know your lean body mass to work out how much to eat and i wanted to know how to work out by % body fat to work it out

[SwordsMaster]

Hello again,

I thougth I'd revive the thread a little, and brag about my new program while i'm here anyway. It had to be done.


I developed a new program after christmas to help me get back into shape pretty quickly and still build some muscle although at a much slower rate. So this is what I do:

Program is to be performed on Mon, Wed, Fri, with friday's being the lighter session.

Stretching

Rower: 2000m in 8min

3 mile jog


5x10 pullups
5x10 dips
I usually superset these, take about 2 min break in between each set of pullups-dips
_________________

On Mon/Fri

5x8 Clean Jerk - this is a great exercise but needs good form. You could hurt yourself.
______________________
On Wed

5x8 Benchpress
______________________
Always

5x8 Upright Row
5x6 Bicep curls - alternate underhand grip and overhand grip

5x8 Squats - weighted obviously

5x4 one handed pushups with each hand. This might look like too little, but your arms are not capable of much more, trust me.

4x10 dragonflies. If you don't know what this is, its a bit hard to explain, you should find a picture somewhere.

Cool down.


Enjoy:2thumbsup:

[SwordsMaster]

Stumbled upon another article while messing around with my PC. Here is the link (http://www.trickstutorials.com/index.php?page=content/adin).

[Vladimir]

Good link, I like the language and ideas. :2thumbsup: Unfortunately I had to strangle my cook and manservant (he witnessed me killing the cook) so I'm preparing MY OWN meals and don't have time to dally about as much as the article suggests. Oh and I think I'll stay away from the jellyfish banana smoothie.

[SwordsMaster]

try this one (http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php)

[Vladimir]

try this one (http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php)

Bookmarked! To what extent does soil quality affect nutrient content? I'm from black dirt country and kinda have a gardening fetish.

[SwordsMaster]

Bookmarked! To what extent does soil quality affect nutrient content? I'm from black dirt country and kinda have a gardening fetish.


Can't answer that one, mate. I grew up in a city. Although, I think that the less **** you put in the soil, the better, but can't back it up with any figures.

[Vladimir]

Can't answer that one, mate. I grew up in a city. Although, I think that the less **** you put in the soil, the better, but can't back it up with any figures.

Huh. I thought more **** the better. :laugh4:

[SwordsMaster]

Tadaaaa!!!

I'm back! You thought you had enough fitness, and I had enough with giving advice but you should think again. I'm back with new and foolproof methods for strength training and nutrition advise.

Food:
this is what you should eat:

1. Oatmeal
If I could only choose one source of complex, starchy carbohydrates for a fat loss program, this would be it! Oatmeal is the one carbohydrate food that virtually 100% of all bodybuilders and fitness models eat on a daily basis. What makes it so great? Well, although it’s a starchy carbohydrate, oatmeal has a nice balance between carbs, protein and good fat. A half a cup contains 3 grams of fat, 27 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein. The low glycemic index, combined with the presence of protein and fat makes oatmeal a very slowly released carb – exactly what you’re looking for when you want to get lean.
Make sure you choose the all-natural oats; either old-fashioned oats or the quick oats. Stay away from the sweetened and or flavored oatmeal packets.

2. Potatoes (white or red)
Potatoes have earned an undeserved reputation as a food to avoid on a fat loss program. But think about it; Potatoes meet every criteria of a great carbohydrate: potatoes are a complex carb. They are all-natural. They contain fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are filling. They are low in calories. So why do people avoid them? One reason is because they confuse a dry potato with a loaded potato. Smother a potato with butter, sour cream and bacon bits and then you’ve got yourself a fattening, calorie-dense ensemble. Eat it dry or top it with Butter sprinkles, salsa or your favorite low fat, low calorie topping and you can’t go wrong.


3. Green fibrous vegetables (broccoli, green beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc)

4. Fresh Fruit

5. Chicken Breast (and Turkey Breast)

6. Egg whites

7. Fish and shellfish
Many people complain about the lack of variety in a bodybuilding-style fat-burning diet, which typically has you eating egg whites, tuna and chicken day in, day out.
What most people don’t eat enough of is fish and seafood. By using different types of fish and shellfish as protein sources, you can add an incredible amount of variety a well as getting those valuable good fats. Here is just a partial list of fish to consider: salmon, tuna, haddock, flounder, mackerel, trout, snapper, sea bass, swordfish, mahi mahi, perch, orange roughy, sole, Halibut, herring cod and catfish.
As with other meats, eat your fish baked, grilled or broiled and avoid fatty, high calorie sauces and butter. Most fish are very low in fat and high in protein. Some fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout, are high in fat. However, because fish is so high in Omega 3 fatty acids, these fish can and should be used liberally. Shellfish have many of the benefits that fish have and it can add some variety to your diet if you’re getting bored of egg whites and chicken. This category includes shrimp, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. By the way, when you’re eating in restaurants, fish is a great choice, as long as you make sure there are no hidden bad fats or extra calories

8. Lean red meat
Bodybuilders are quite famous for loving their red meat. Many bodybuilders believe that red meat helps muscle growth, and there may be much truth in that statement. Red meat is high in protein, B-12, iron and creatine. The problem with most cuts of red meat is the high fat content. However, not all cuts of red meat are the same. It’s a mistake to label the entire red meat category as a no-no because of high fat content. If you carefully choose the leanest cuts possible and keep your portion sizes small, red meat can be a great addition to a fat burning program. For example, a 6 oz serving of lean, trimmed top round steak has only 9 grams of fat, while a 6 oz of untrimmed porterhouse has 37 grams of fat (and the 18 oz porterhouse you’re often served in a steak house has over 100 grams of fat!)

(Some of the explanations are compiled from Tom Venuto's Foods that burn fat, foods that turn to fat)


Tomorrow we'll come back with some training advice

[Strike For The South]

Hello Ive been lifting for about a year and half now and wanted to get some opinions

Gender:Male
Age:15
Heghit: 6
Weghit:226

Injuries: busted up my right ankle pretty bad last year some guy stood me up and another hit me from behind and everything moved...ecept the ankle. The only other major injury Ive had was a broken hand I got when 2 football helemets decided to say hello.

Body Fat: I dunno not that bad but could be better

Diet: Breakfest (note what usually/try to have)

2 Eggs
2 slices of cheese
ethier bagels or tortillas
Banna
OJ
Milk
Whey
Vitaman

Lunch

milk
gatorade
2 chicken sandwhices

Dinner

Big Bowl of Spagetti and Meatballs (or another good carb and meat)
PB sanich
Banna
Vitaman
Gatorade
Milk

I need to keep a good supply of calories for the absolute hell the foot ball coahces put us though

M-F 1 and half hours in 100 degree weather doing pushups running hitting eachother jumping rope all in full pads!1!

Then they make us come after school to lift I max the follwing

Bench: 240
Squat: 365
Power Clean: 205

Am I doing right?

[Vladimir]

Damn, I can't even lift as much as a 15 year old. :shame:

Continuing the fat burning post:

What is more important for burning fat, getting enough sleep or not eating before you sleep? I'm starting to think that going to the gym after work and fighting the traffic after isn't giving me enough time between eating dinner to going to bed. There's at most a 3 hour difference between the two. I'd love the option to stay up later or sleep in later but unfortunately that's not possible.

[Byzantine Mercenary]

another question, if you build up muscle and then stop compleately for a few months will you lose all of the muscle or just some of it?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Damn, I can't even lift as much as a 15 year old. :shame:

Continuing the fat burning post:

What is more important for burning fat, getting enough sleep or not eating before you sleep? I'm starting to think that going to the gym after work and fighting the traffic after isn't giving me enough time between eating dinner to going to bed. There's at most a 3 hour difference between the two. I'd love the option to stay up later or sleep in later but unfortunately that's not possible.

Well, how much are you eating before going to bed? It also depends on what you are eating.

Sleeping is almost the ideal way to burn fat. All the little movements you make when sleeping burn primarily fat for energy. Because of this, light cardio right after waking up, before breakfast, is the best for burning fat. Your body has lots of fat already in the bloodstream ready to use for energy.

[Vladimir]

Well, how much are you eating before going to bed? It also depends on what you are eating.

Sleeping is almost the ideal way to burn fat. All the little movements you make when sleeping burn primarily fat for energy. Because of this, light cardio right after waking up, before breakfast, is the best for burning fat. Your body has lots of fat already in the bloodstream ready to use for energy.

What do you recommend? Usually it's two pieces/filets of chicken/fish or a piece of lamb (must have my mutton), a can of vegetables, a couple cups of (oh yes) Earl Grey tea, and a cup or yoghurt. Maybe some honey toast if I'm still hungry.

[SwordsMaster]

Wow, thats a lot of replies. Ok, in order.


2 Eggs
2 slices of cheese
ethier bagels or tortillas
Banna
OJ
Milk
Whey
Vitaman

Lunch

milk
gatorade
2 chicken sandwhices

Dinner

Big Bowl of Spagetti and Meatballs (or another good carb and meat)
PB sanich
Banna
Vitaman
Gatorade
Milk

I need to keep a good supply of calories for the absolute hell the foot ball coahces put us though

M-F 1 and half hours in 100 degree weather doing pushups running hitting eachother jumping rope all in full pads!1!

Then they make us come after school to lift I max the follwing

Bench: 240
Squat: 365
Power Clean: 205

Am I doing right?

First piece of advice: there is a "Spell check" button. You should use it.

Apart from that: If you are trying to cut on some fat you have to have a calorie deficit. That doesn't mean not eating, but you should end up, some 3-400 calories under your daily needs. So the obvious thing to do is cut out a bottle of gatorade and a sandwich ater the spaghetti (why would you do that anyway?) if "sanich" means sandwich...

And you probably don't need vitamin twice a day. If you take it in the morning, you shouldn't take it again, there are vitamions that are necessary in small amounts but are very nasty in large quantities (vitamin A for example), besides you will be getting vitamin from food also.

Also, for lunch, if there is any possibility you could swap both sandiches for a proper meal, do it. White bread in general has too much stuff in it you don't need, saturated fat being one of those things.

In the morning, if you already had 2 eggs and some cheese, you don't need the whey. There is only so much protein your body can methabolise at once. So I would take the whey after the workout (some half hour after, and eat a proper meal in another half hour or so. BTW, whey is best methabolised with milk), and make your milk low fat.

About an hour before bed,I would recommend an oatmeal and some cottage cheese, and you sure as hell dont need gatorade before you go to bed.



What do you recommend? Usually it's two pieces/filets of chicken/fish or a piece of lamb (must have my mutton), a can of vegetables, a couple cups of (oh yes) Earl Grey tea, and a cup or yoghurt. Maybe some honey toast if I'm still hungry.

As I said just above, my sleeping stack consist of oat porridge (with some honey, the flesh is weak:shame: ), low fat cottage cheese, and maybe some fruit like a banana or prunes, no apples. Tea will slow down your digestion, and technically is ok, but some people might find it has an effect similar to a coffee.


another question, if you build up muscle and then stop compleately for a few months will you lose all of the muscle or just some of it?

You stop what? Living? Then yes. It depends for how long you stop and if you are using that muscle in your life or not. You won't lose it if you use it. Its like maths. As long as you keep at it, you're ok, if you stop for a year you've forgotten everything you knew.


What is more important for burning fat, getting enough sleep or not eating before you sleep?
I don't think I've ever recommended not eating before going to bed. Quite the contrary.

Anyway, I know I promised an update, but I got an urgent request for a program to write, so it'll have to wait until the weekend.

BTW, one last thing: SFTS, my maximums are close to yours, only a few pounds difference, but I weight 179 lb. My sport is boxing though. But maybe you don't need all that bulk. Or did you weight yourself with the pads on? jk

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Well, you need weight if you are tackling people :p

How tall are you SwordsMaster?

[SwordsMaster]

Well, you need weight if you are tackling people :p

How tall are you SwordsMaster?

Well, I played rugby a few years ago. I'm 1.78m, which is 5'11 I think. You are right though, if SFTS is 6'6 then his weight is perfectly appropriate.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Well, I played rugby a few years ago. I'm 1.78m, which is 5'11 I think. You are right though, if SFTS is 6'6 then his weight is perfectly appropriate.

Weights for football are going to be a lot higher for rugby though. You don't have the constant running in football so the emphasis is more on size than in rugby. I'm about your size proportionatly (6'2 215), I was actually going to do rugby this spring but got shin splints :no: I was a good size for rugby team but the football players are all much thicker. Even at my school which is hardly athletic. 6 foot 226 is what you'd expect for a football player.

[Strike For The South]

Congrats Swordsmaster! your the 100th person to tell me to use the spell check:2thumbsup: Honestly though thanks Ill try to change some things

[SwordsMaster]

Congrats Swordsmaster! your the 100th person to tell me to use the spell check:2thumbsup: Honestly though thanks Ill try to change some things


You know what they say: Vox populi, vox dei. Maybe you should listen.... :book:


Weights for football are going to be a lot higher for rugby though. You don't have the constant running in football so the emphasis is more on size than in rugby. I'm about your size proportionatly (6'2 215), I was actually going to do rugby this spring but got shin splints I was a good size for rugby team but the football players are all much thicker. Even at my school which is hardly athletic. 6 foot 226 is what you'd expect for a football player.

Yeah, I noticed yankees just can't play rugby. They look big, they are fast, but they still lose. Then again there aren't that many american football teams in Europe.

[ah_dut]

Cottage Cheese is good for pre bedtime as it absorbs very slowly (it's casein.) for a post workout drink, chocolate milk is good, as is whey in milk or with some other carb source (say gatorade?)

Strike For The South...try eating more for lunch. Good to see a decent breakfast.

I don't pretend to understand football and I know you may not be overly interested in a weights program but try Joe DeFranco's Westside for skinny b********s
http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/archive/articles_westside.htm

[SwordsMaster]

Ok, sorry about the delay, my dear potential six-pack sporters, I've been injured, and Real Life in general was quite hectic.

Nuff complaining, let's get down to business.

So you mosey down to the gym. And there it is, the room full of fat, skinny, strong, weak, but most of all sweaty guys (or girls - the feminists have won this one -), and as you watch them manhandling weights of different sizes, shapes, colours and composition you wander what to do next. Here is the latest addition to SwordsMaster's training routines' family.

This program consist of mostly complex exercises, and the goal is both to build some muscle without spectacular results - something like 4 lbs a month until you reach your optimal shape, then it will get slower, and you'll have to shake it up -
; and to lose some weight.

So to start thigs off (and assuming you are warmed up):

10-8 min row. Get on the rower, set the reistance to 5, and the distance to 2000 m or yards. You MUST do the distance in under 10 min. The optimum is 7.30, but 8 min is a good goal.

After this, you set off jogging for 30 min or 3 miles trying to sprint for at least 10 % of the total distance (I do laps on a 1 mile circuit, with 2x100 m sprint on every lap).

Then you are finally ready to do some weights. There are 2 "setups" for convenience I call the MWF setup first, and then the TTh setup.

On MWF, you will:

Dips: 5 sets of 10. I like them supersetted with pullups for completeness
Pullups: 5 sets of 8, aiming at 5x10.

Bench press: If you can, do a loading (3 set) and then the heavy (3 set) stages: Mine are loading :3x6 for the loading stage, and 3x8 for the heavy one.

Superset the bench press with a prone row machine or set it up youself. with similar sets.

And that's it for the day. Go home ang get a nice meal.


On TTh you will:

Warm up:

Squats:
2x10 loading: progressively get lower and lower, with good posture.
3x8 heavy: start low, and stay low. A greater range of motion means more muscle being worked.

Clean-jerk: 2x6 loading. This is a complex exercise, get the form right before starting to put on heavy weight.
3x6 heavy. This exercise will work every muscle in yur body.

Lastly: Deadlifts: 3x6 loading
2x6 heavy. At this stage, your legs should be in bits, so keep good form.

After this, stretch your legs, and if you feel energetic, fill in with some ab work.

What I also like to do, is on Saturday, go to the swimming pool for an hour. You will feel completely refreshed on Monday.

Last thing: after 3 weeks of pushing the weight up, on week 3 drop it by about 20%. On week 4 your threshold will be much improved.

Enjoy. And use responsibly.

[Avicenna]

Great guide! I love this bit:


How about a bowl of cereal? You have to be an idiot if it takes more then 1 minute to prepare a bowl (NO COOKING INVOLVED).

[SwordsMaster]

How about a bowl of cereal? You have to be an idiot if it takes more then 1 minute to prepare a bowl (NO COOKING INVOLVED).


Great guide! I love this bit:


As true now as when it was written. :2thumbsup:

[Avicenna]

Haha, did someone actually think that you needed to cook cereal?

[SwordsMaster]

Haha, did someone actually think that you needed to cook cereal?

I hope not. It was just making a point to encourage proper breakfast.

[Avicenna]

But is just one shake actually enough for breakfast?

[SwordsMaster]

But is just one shake actually enough for breakfast?

If it has all the right nutrients, then yes. I used to have a pint of shake for breakfast for some 6-7 months. Will probably go back to that, when I finish my exams and start training properly again.

[naut]

I've got a question, and this seemed the apropriate place to post it:

Anyone know any good knee stretches, my knees give me trouble, and with the soccer season aproaching I have to make sure I don't damage my knees

Thanks :2thumbsup:

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Well you don't stretch your knee. You stretch the hamstrings and quads. If one is more flexible than the other then you will have knee problems. I think you can tell which you need to stretch by where the pain is when you have problems, but I can't remember.

You can't go to wrong with stretching quads and hams, do hip flexors and calves as well.

[SwordsMaster]

You should stretch either way even if you are not injured.

[mercian billman]

I don't want to take away anything from Sword Master's excellent thread, but I just thought I'd throw in my workout routine, basicaly it's a variation of the Bigger, Faster, Stronger program, which I used in High School and most American High School athletes are probably familiar with. It's a basic M/W/F program which emphasises Bench Press, Deadlifts, and Squats, each of these are worked once a week allowing plenty of time for recovery;

Monday
Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Dumbbell Bench Press
Weighted Dips

Wednesday
Dead lift
Straight Legged Dead lift
Good Mornings
Bent Over Rows


Friday
Squat
Leg Press
Lunges
Calve Raises

All of these excercises (with a few exceptions which will be mentioned later are done with 3-5 working sets and 3-5 repitions per set. The purpose of the routine is to build strength that can be carried over into sports such as football, wrestling, basketball etc, the total program also includes a lot of conditioning work, and plyometrics which I don't do because I don't have the workout guides for them. I still do conditioning work, which I will mention in another post.

The lifts that aren't done with 3-5 repitions per set are Dumbbell Bench Press, Straight Legged Dead Lift, Good Mornings, Lunges and Calve Raises. These workouts are done with higher repitions between 8-12 a piece with moderate weight. It's especially important to do Wednesdays workout with light weights if you've never lifted before or if you've never executed those lifts. They primarily work the lower back and it's especially important to take caution when working with your back. Also a lot of people don't do dips and may find it dificult to do them with weight, if that is the case; work yourself up to being able to do 3 sets of 10 repitions with your own bodyweight. Squats also deserve special mention, it's important to not go further than parallel and the first few times you do them your legs will cramp up; make sure to stretch between each set and understand that the feeling is normal. Your legs should be in pain after doing a hard squat workout.

[The Stranger]

I'm asking for advice about which trainings i could do at home (without buying equipment) to increase my chest and arm muscles.

:bow:

[Kääpäkorven Konsuli]

I'm asking for advice about which trainings i could do at home (without buying equipment) to increase my chest and arm muscles.

:bow:

It is practically impossible to get you muscles bigger without weights, but you can get muscle strength for example doing pushups.

[Duke Malcolm]

Crunches, methinks. A healthy bout of crunches of a morning.

[The Stranger]

you can get abs by doing situps. well i could buy weights but i dont want to buy any machines, i hate them

[drone]

Dips work well, if you can find a place to do them. 2 high chairs or a gap between kitchen countertops.

[The Stranger]

im not familiar with that term. is that lifting your self up?

[drone]

This exercise:
http://www.pfc-fitness.com/index.cfm?act=Catalog.cfm&catalogid=4382&browse=&MenuGroup=Home%20Fitness
(not an advertisement, best I could find on short notice)

[Kääpäkorven Konsuli]

you can get abs by doing situps. well i could buy weights but i dont want to buy any machines, i hate them

Stay away from machines! Many of them are completely useless. Weights and of course a place to lift them is all I have needed. And if you start exercising, exercise whole body. It would be fun to just train arms, but it has nasty side effects.

[Avicenna]

Would you end up looking like a gorilla?

Anyhow, weights are the simple thing to do, if you want something easily done.

[Kääpäkorven Konsuli]

Exactly.

[Beirut]

The Stranger's thread is now merged with Swordmaster's excellent fitness thread. :bow:

[Beirut]

I'm asking for advice about which trainings i could do at home (without buying equipment) to increase my chest and arm muscles.

:bow:

Pushups. If you need more resistance, put on a backpack with books in it.

[mercian billman]

I'm asking for advice about which trainings i could do at home (without buying equipment) to increase my chest and arm muscles.

:bow:

Like everyone else I would advise you to do push-ups and dips, also there's a lot of different variations you can use to push-ups. For instance there's close grip, wide grip, chinese push-ups etc. In addition you could use the deck of cards routine, basicly turn over a card and do the face value of the cards. Try doing 5 cards between commercials and gradually increase the number of cards as time goes by.

[SwordsMaster]

I'm asking for advice about which trainings i could do at home (without buying equipment) to increase my chest and arm muscles.

:bow:


All the equipment I have at home is a chinup bar. If I can't make it to a gym, I do pushups, pullups, upside down crunches, and a shoulder exercise which is based on rotating your legs over your head while hanging, touching the floor and then rotating back.

Works great. I'd do about 50 pullups and 300 pushups a day. in 5 sets

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I just finished putting on muscle for now, problem is I'm about 70 pounds heavier and my cardiovascular ability has gone down the drain. I've started up sprinting and finding it tough going, does anyone have a good progression? I'm not training for any event in particular just trying to get back in shape.

[SwordsMaster]

I just finished putting on muscle for now, problem is I'm about 70 pounds heavier and my cardiovascular ability has gone down the drain. I've started up sprinting and finding it tough going, does anyone have a good progression? I'm not training for any event in particular just trying to get back in shape.

Actually i would recommend 8x 10 second sprints set, with 20 sec in between sprints. Evolving into 8x20 second, with 10 sec in between.

[SwordsMaster]

Aha! You though the lion was dead because you couldn't hear him roar? (With apologies to Bismark)

I'm back with some more facts, advice, and a cardio program for those of you who want to get in good shape before clogging up your arteries again with Christmas turkey or Halloween pumkin.

Facts:

Building muscle: Tests on rats in the UK have shown that they will grow muscle mass, if that muscle has been under stress for 160 seconds or more in one "session". Therefore, if it takes you 3 seconds to do one rep, and you are doing 4 sets, how many reps should you do in 1 set? I'll leave you to do this one so you develop your numeracity as well as your guns.

Advice:

If you are lifting heavy, do more sets, with less reps and at least 90 sec rest in between.

If you are lifting light, do not do more than, say 15 reps per set, do less sets (2-3) and rest some 30 secs in between sets.


And here is the cardio program:


Warm up with focus on your legs, hamstrings, quads, glutes and calfs are going to suffer. Also if you are prone to shinsplints take extra precaution, stretch.

1.- Cross (Eliptical) trainer:

3 min at 60% pace, 20 % resistance
3 min at 60% pace 80% resistance
4 min at 80% pace 20% resistance
2 min at 60% pace 60% resistance

These are to be done in one go. You can rest between the stations, but not between the "sets".

2.- Rower: 10 minutes

Your aim is to do 2.5 km or 2500m in 10 minutes. If you can't, do 2000m in 8 min the first 3 sessions. If you can't do that either, start with 2000m in 10 min and work up from there.

3.- Threadmill: here is where the pain starts:
2 min, 1% incline, 7.3mph
2 min, 4% incline, 7.3 mph
1 min, 6% incline, 7.3 mph
1 min, 8% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 10% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 8% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 6% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 4% incline, 7 mph
3 min, 2% incline, 6.5 mph

Now, the speeds are orientative, you can adjust depending on your condition, but the inclinations are strict, and if you are not puking by the end of this, you are not pushing yourself hard enough. This is a 13 min run. Don't tell me you can't make time.

4a.- Bike: Personally I prefer 4b, but it's up to you. This makes another 10 min.

90 sec, 95% speed
90 sec, 40% speed
60 sec, 95% speed
60 sec, 40% speed
30 sec, 95% speed
30 sec, 40% speed
4 min 70% speed

4b. - The pain continues. 25m (30 yards?) sprints.Do 6 sprints in 30 seconds. Sprint for 25m, touch the ground, turn, sprint back, touch, turn, etc, 6 times.

Rest 30 sec between sets.

Repeat 6 times.

It takes 6 minutes to get through, and again if there is no blood in your lungs, you ain't trying hard enough.

Well, get fit ladies, what'cha waiting for? :whip:

[Beirut]

Glad to see you back.

You'll be happy to know I've been doing lots of lifting and carrying the past while. I have the sore knees, hips, back, wrists, and neck to prove it.

[SwordsMaster]

Glad to see you back.

You'll be happy to know I've been doing lots of lifting and carrying the past while. I have the sore knees, hips, back, wrists, and neck to prove it.


Peanut butter and fish oil should help if it is a tendon-joint kind of sore. For your back I recommend a sensual massage delivered by the females of your choosing.

[Blodrast]

Good to have you back, SwordsMaster. ~:thumb:
Btw, where do I get fish oil from ? Also, how do you eat that, I'd imagine it'd be kinda disgusting just swallowing it by itself ?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I bet you can get it in pill form.

[Beirut]

SwordsMaster,

I take 2 to 4 cod liver oil pills every day. The kids get one with breakfast. We call them "fish eggs". When I had pneumonia a few years back, a fellow up here who is an herb doctor on an Indian reserve nearby told me, "cod liver oil, very good for the lungs!" Since then I've been taking them almost every day.

As for peanut butter... also every day.

As for the massage, well, that was last night. Maybe tonight again if I do the dishes.

[Blodrast]

@Beirut: you're tired ~:) , that was for me, not for SwordsMaster.
@Beirut, Sasaki: pills sounds pretty good. Thank you to both of you. I have problems with my shoulders, and recently somehow messed up some tendons in my right leg as well... If they also help with the lungs, that's a bonus, since I also have crappy lungs :yes:

[SwordsMaster]

@Beirut: you're tired ~:) , that was for me, not for SwordsMaster.
@Beirut, Sasaki: pills sounds pretty good. Thank you to both of you. I have problems with my shoulders, and recently somehow messed up some tendons in my right leg as well... If they also help with the lungs, that's a bonus, since I also have crappy lungs :yes:

Well, if you messed up your tendons, just eating fish oil pills is not going to heal you... It helps, but you still need rest, stretching and if it is very bad - medical advice.

To get your cardio back on stage, try the program I wrote up above for 6 weeks.

Beirut, there is always a price to pay...:laugh4:

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

I do WeightLifghitng,and Treadmill, including Sit ups. You want huge muscles then, I say do push ups,weights,etc.....

[Vladimir]

Good to see you posting again, but, uh...

.- Cross (Eliptical) trainer:

3 min at 60% pace, 20 % resistance
3 min at 60% pace 80% resistance
4 min at 80% pace 20% resistance
2 min at 60% pace 60% resistance

2.- Rower: 10 minutes

3.- Threadmill: here is where the pain starts:

2 min, 1% incline, 7.3mph
2 min, 4% incline, 7.3 mph
1 min, 6% incline, 7.3 mph
1 min, 8% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 10% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 8% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 6% incline, 7 mph
1 min, 4% incline, 7 mph
3 min, 2% incline, 6.5 mph

4a.- Bike: Personally I prefer 4b, but it's up to you. This makes another 10 min.

90 sec, 95% speed
90 sec, 40% speed
60 sec, 95% speed
60 sec, 40% speed
30 sec, 95% speed
30 sec, 40% speed
4 min 70% speed

I don't think that I'm going to be pushing that many buttons every ~90 seconds. I'd have to take a notebook with me just to remember all that. :thumbsdown:

[SwordsMaster]

90 sec is an awful long time when you're pedalling at 95% of your capacity. it's only 2 buttons anyway. Speed up and speed down.

Try it before complaining. And I carry a notebook with me anyway....

[Vladimir]

90 sec is an awful long time when you're pedalling at 95% of your capacity. it's only 2 buttons anyway. Speed up and speed down.

Try it before complaining. And I carry a notebook with me anyway....

Well I guess that's the difference between master and apprentice. :laugh4:

[Craterus]

I eat a lot of carbs. Is this a problem if I don't do that much exercise?

Bear in mind that I'm still young and very slim. I was just beginning to think that I can't use the "growing boy" excuse forever, cos one day it won't be valid and I'll be a fattie.

[Blodrast]

Well, if you messed up your tendons, just eating fish oil pills is not going to heal you... It helps, but you still need rest, stretching and if it is very bad - medical advice.

To get your cardio back on stage, try the program I wrote up above for 6 weeks.

Beirut, there is always a price to pay...:laugh4:

ok, I'm back. No, my tendons are not too bad - it's a light thing, and I can't do much of the cardio thing, because it's my ankle tendons. So I can't really run. I think it'll go away in a few days... not sure what stretching to do for it though.

Anyway, got'em cod liver oil pills, thanks for the tip, but I have a question: does it matter which fish it is ? 'cause they had halibut liver oil, salmon liver oil, ...

Also, Beirut, the pharmacist told me that the only counter-indications are that I shouldn't be taking anything else that has too much vitamin A together with these. I'm just pointing that out, since you said you're taking quite a few of these, and if you're also taking other vitamins or multivitamins, well... Just a heads-up, nothing more.

Again, thanks for the tip, fellas.:2thumbsup:

[SwordsMaster]

I eat a lot of carbs. Is this a problem if I don't do that much exercise?

Bear in mind that I'm still young and very slim. I was just beginning to think that I can't use the "growing boy" excuse forever, cos one day it won't be valid and I'll be a fattie.

Yeah. You should eat carbs, of course, but try eating more complex carbs, fibre.

Blodrast:

There are planty of ankle stretches in the internet, or you can ask your coach or gym instructor.

Fish oil is usually some kind of cod oil, but it is all good. If it has several, you get more kinds of good fats.

[Blodrast]

okay, thanks, SwordsMaster.

[Craterus]

Hmm. I'm playing basketball again now anyway. I should work any excess/unnecessary extra carbs off.

Thanks anyway.

[Masy]

Howdy. I am 19 years of age, and weigh a 13 stone (at height 6 ft 1). I play a lot of rugby, and am in fairly good shape. However, I would like to bulk up some more (I play as a flanker, if that means anything to anyone), and my main problem with the tips given in the thread is this:


Drink a lot of water and sleep a lot...don't do much cardio at all...

Drink and sleep I would do happily. But sadly I do a LOT of cardio (3 CV sessions a week plus a match a week). I find that no matter how much I eat (3 sausages and a steak yesterday!), and although I have been lifting free weights for the past 2 years, I never seem to put on a significant mass. I am reasonably lean, with adequate strength (I was always taught to do lots of reps with low weights)

I want to keep an athletic shape, as I need to sprint around the pitch (not Arnie style build then), but I find that the more I run, the more this counters my bulking efforts.

Any thoughts on a meal plan and workout routine to resolve this? I would really appreciate any help.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Well you can keep the cardio...you will just have to eat a LOT more. Find a calorie calculator online and see how much you are really eating. I remember I had to eat over 5000 to gain weight. Its really a pain.

[Masy]

Right, for the weight I want, taking into account the activity of my lyfestyle, I need over 3700 a day...poo. Time to start downing the eggs I guess.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Dense is good to keep from feeling full. I went for chocolate milk...not the most healthy option but it got the job done. And it tastes good lol.

[Masy]

Chocolate eh? Doesn't sound too bad :2thumbsup:

I will prob find it hard to fit in enough sausages into my day though, so does any one have any protein supplement reccomendations. Some guy I knew took a whole load of creatine and it made him ill, so I would rather not go down that path. In fact, I would rather keep it as natural as possible. Chocolate milk, eggs, steak...anything else?

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Cottage cheese is good protein...so is string cheese. I never saw the point of most of those protein supplement things. What do they do that regular food doesn't?

[Blodrast]

Whey protein.
@Sasaki: higher concentration of whatever you're looking for. You'd need to eat 4 eggs a day to get the same protein intake as some equivalent Whey Protein powders, or Egg Protein powders. That's just to get some 25 grams of protein. During a day, you may need anywhere between 80-120 grams of protein, or more, depending on your weight, and the intensity of your training.

The most efficient (i.e., concentration of protein per unit of weight) way to get protein is from eggs, but you'd have to eat a whole lot of eggs for that...

Obviously, this is inconvenient, I don't wanna eat 4+ eggs/day, every friggin day.
Whereas a powder that you dissolve in water/milk is a lot easier to drink.
From what I know, whey protein powders are among the few ones that are pretty safe to take. The only thing is not to take more than one serving every x hours (don't remember exactly how many, sorry), because in the long run it might affect your liver. But otherwise, it's "natural".
Of course, excess of anything will eventually have negative side-effects...

If you can go with a lot of eggs every day, do it, by all means.

Also, I'll try to find the links for the calculator I had when I get home tonight.
5000 calories sounds ridiculous to me, unless you're a pro weightlifter weighing 300 lbs already... for instance, I'd need some 2700 calories to grow, where I weigh about 130 lbs and am some 5'11" tall.

Also, don't take my word as gospel, of course. I'm saying what I've read, I'm not certified or anything.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I was 200+ and fairly active at the time.

[Blodrast]

Ok, well, I can't post the calculator because it's an excel file, and I haven't been able to find it again on the web, so's I can give you a link.
But if you want it, you can email me, and I'll send it over.
Btw, in case it's not obvious, it's not "my" calculator, it's made by some dude.

Masy: for the workout plan, I suggest you switch to few reps with heavy weights, but you probably already know this. You can look up the 5x5x5 routine, that might give you some ideas. Haven't personally used it, but spoke to people who did and do (and yes, they're big).

[Papewaio]

Add nuts to your diet, they have protein and mono fats some are high in Omega ... I think flax has Omega 6. So you have a high energy density food that is good for you. I eat a lot of almonds and pistachios.

Chocolate milk is good... high energy level. I would go for coffee milk drinks... caffeine speeds up your metabolism as does calcium. Thing is you are a youngster at 19 so you don't really need to boost too much the met rate.

I would go for quality food where possible. Add deep sea fish for the protein and healthy omega 3... salmon is a great choice there but by no means the only one.

Drop as much empty calories as possible. Don't snack on crap food, subsitute crisps with trail mix, cheeses and yogurt.

Creatine is okay iff you take it properly. No real need to take it if you eat enough beef.

I use whey protein... you have to adjust to it slowly, too much rich food at once and it will go to waste. :laugh4: It is a matter of how much food you can eat and how much the protein costs... whey and eggs are very good dollar value... eggs tend to be harder to eat as much protein overall... as smoothies are easier to consume.

[Vladimir]

Smoothies are great for blending with supplements but don't forget to mention the other nutritional values. Personally I like to blend in as many kinds of berries as I can for the antioxidants.

[SwordsMaster]

True, don't forget some milk, honey and a little almonds for that extra substance.

[Strike For The South]

Well My maxes are pretty much the same. We are still playing but I plan to bulk up here are my goals for next season.

Bench:315
Squat:550
Power CLean:275
40yrd: 5 flat

I need to bluk and get faster. Anyone know any good supplememtns?

[Beirut]

This thread has been quiet for a while. Guess a lot of us have been in winter mode. (Evidenced by the ten pounds of uselessness I've accumulated over the winter.)

My newest form of SwordsMasterian fitness is a 2 1/2 mile walk (verified with Google Earth) each night with 50lbs of steel weights in a backpack. The walk is mostly uphill and downhill, about a 1/4 of it is flat. It's really not that hard a walk, either because I'm an excellent walker (I am) or 50lbs just isn't that much. Mind you, the last 1/2 mile is all uphill and I admit to breathing a bit hard coming into my driveway. It was windy and rainy and snowy and very dark. Very enjoyable. Must be my Norwegian roots coming out.

I don't do any sports at all, can't stand group activities unless it's me and lots of women, but walking is wonderful, and the extra weight does make you control your breathing and stride more than you normally would. It takes a conscious effort to relax while walking with the weight on your back and not to stress up, but I think that's the brass ring in this kind of exercise.

Now, after a nice long shower, I'm drinking an excellent dark 9% Trois Pistoles beer and it tastes really, really good. ~:smoking:

[naut]

I do an 8km run every 2-3 days, which includes about 100-150 stairs (GAH!). Mainly to build up endurance for Football/Soccer.

[Beirut]

I do an 8km run every 2-3 days, which includes about 100-150 stairs (GAH!).

I wish I could run but the asthma limits me to a trot.

[naut]

But 50lbs of weight in a backpack! (~:eek:) That more than compensates, that's double my school bag.

[edyzmedieval]

Thank God for stairs. I've been running on 130 stairs per day since 1997. It kept me fit.

How do I find out by BMI? (Body Mass Index)