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[Deleted member 12837]

I've been doing SL 5x5 for about 9 months now, but it's been a while since I've done any cardio. I used to play a lot of pick-up basketball, but now that I'm out of school I don't have the time for it. I have a pretty sedentary job. I noticed how unconditioned I was this weekend, when I visited and walked around DC (about 5-6 miles) and wasn't really tired at all, but woke up sore and tight in weird spots in my legs the next day. Maybe "unconditioned" is the wrong word; I feel like my aerobic conditioning stays decent from some of the lifts, squats especially, and the body weight exercises like dips and pull-ups/chins. But I can certainly tell I'm missing something.

How would you guys recommend integrating a little cardio back into my routine? Or possibly alternative options (yoga for flexibility perhaps? I'm still a member of my university's gym and can take any of the fitness classes)

 

[MjFrancis]

I like Jim Wendler's basic template for training, which is composed of 1)stretching 2)lifting and 3)sprinting. You focus on one at a time while never abandoning the other two. Add in a proper diet and it's a good recipe for general physical fitness, wellness, or whatever else you want to call it.

Unconditioned may be the right word. Consider trying out yoga or seeking out some flexibility and joint movements to keep you well rounded. Reintroducing some sprinting on occasion might not hurt either, or just reintroducing yourself to walking around for miles if that much walking is noticeably absent from your routine. I don't know what the exact benefits are, but I typically walk 6-8 miles a day and take 10+ mile urban and nature hikes most weekends. It's not strenuous, it's not training, but I feel there's something to be gained (or retained maybe?) from keeping the body in motion rather than sitting all day long. A good complement to the big three for training.

 

[mr afghan jones]

So this weekend I successfully cracked out a one armed pushup left and right side.

And I am sooooo close to a one armed chin up. Currently able to do it whilst using my off-arm to grip the forearm of my pulling arm just above the elbow. Soon. Soon.

 

[Brolic Gaoler]

So this weekend I successfully cracked out a one armed pushup left and right side.

And I am sooooo close to a one armed chin up. Currently able to do it whilst using my off-arm to grip the forearm of my pulling arm just above the elbow. Soon. Soon.

Back in 2004 I could do 4 finger pullups (no numb) just the first two fingers on each hand. Felt good man. Grats!

 

[Idde]

So this weekend I successfully cracked out a one armed pushup left and right side.

And I am sooooo close to a one armed chin up. Currently able to do it whilst using my off-arm to grip the forearm of my pulling arm just above the elbow. Soon. Soon.

How did you train toward this? You must be freakishly strong :S I've been training this using an assisted chin up machine for one armed chin ups. Currently at 90pounds counterweight and reducing that. And doing weighted chin-ups with 80 pounds extra (and increasing, one rep max). I still think I'm far removed from an actual, totally bad ass true one arm chin up.

 

[Deleted member 12837]

I like Jim Wendler's basic template for training, which is composed of 1)stretching 2)lifting and 3)sprinting. You focus on one at a time while never abandoning the other two. Add in a proper diet and it's a good recipe for general physical fitness, wellness, or whatever else you want to call it.

Unconditioned may be the right word. Consider trying out yoga or seeking out some flexibility and joint movements to keep you well rounded. Reintroducing some sprinting on occasion might not hurt either, or just reintroducing yourself to walking around for miles if that much walking is noticeably absent from your routine. I don't know what the exact benefits are, but I typically walk 6-8 miles a day and take 10+ mile urban and nature hikes most weekends. It's not strenuous, it's not training, but I feel there's something to be gained (or retained maybe?) from keeping the body in motion rather than sitting all day long. A good complement to the big three for training.

Ok. I'd definitely agree about the walking. I used to walk at least a mile or two today just trekking back and forth across campus, but now I just sit at a desk 8-10 hours a day, and when I get home essentially do the same thing.

I'll try adding yoga, and to be outside more walking around on weekends.

As far as running goes, would a 2 mile 15 minute run (is that too slow?) pre-workout be detrimental to my lifts? I'd love to keep my training to 3 days a week, but if that's not a good idea I could do it on off-days.

 

[jmdajr]

Think I'm going to have to quit running. Just cant get rid of the aches and pains. Some things are popping now that never used to. I'm not in EXTREME pain or anything, but I think I need to do something different, maybe build up my leg power doing something else with less impact.

disappointing, I thought I was doing good for awhile..last 3 months or so..
I'll stick with yoga/pilates/gym stuff

 

[MjFrancis]

So this weekend I successfully cracked out a one armed pushup left and right side.

And I am sooooo close to a one armed chin up. Currently able to do it whilst using my off-arm to grip the forearm of my pulling arm just above the elbow. Soon. Soon.

Congrats! I can only do so with my other arm grabbing my wrist. So, a one-handed pull-up, but still using both arms. Similar to yours but it sounds like you grip lower on the arm.

The one-armed pushup is another beast entirely. I've a ways to go before I can get one of those down.

 

[GiJoccin]

Congrats! I can only do so with my other arm grabbing my wrist. So, a one-handed pull-up, but still using both arms. Similar to yours but it sounds like you grip lower on the arm.

The one-armed pushup is another beast entirely. I've a ways to go before I can get one of those down.

i've busted out 8 one armed push-ups in a row (yes going all the way down)... but one armed pullups have been my holy grail for a while now. i just the other day got ALMOST all of the way up using my dominant arm. no dice on my off arm.

 

[ShaneB]

So, some one tell me something like this exists. If not…. Patent pending! I’ll create it myself somehow. If I’m missing something obvious, by all means, point it out.

Basically just looking for a ‘workout randomizer’ program/application. Want to enter in my target area for the day, “legs”, enter in how long I will be working out (this could be irrelevant I guess), and the program will spit out a bunch of leg exercises that targets all key areas, and show me how to do those exercises via the gifs from ExRx or something.

Good idea? Bad idea? I mean I know there are staple exercises that should be in every workout I guess, but as I mentioned in my last post, I enjoyed knowing that every day at the gym could be something entirely different, and that keeps things fresh.

 

[Azzurri]

Think I'm going to have to quit running. Just cant get rid of the aches and pains. Some things are popping now that never used to. I'm not in EXTREME pain or anything, but I think I need to do something different, maybe build up my leg power doing something else with less impact.

disappointing, I thought I was doing good for awhile..last 3 months or so..
I'll stick with yoga/pilates/gym stuff

Can you ride the stationary bike or an elliptical machine?

 

[FallingEdge]

Baking eggs in a muffin tin turned out to be pretty good and now I have a few more ways I can take eggs to work. What I will do next time is sprinkle in some bacon along with the spinach and be good to go.

 

[MjFrancis]

Ok. I'd definitely agree about the walking. I used to walk at least a mile or two today just trekking back and forth across campus, but now I just sit at a desk 8-10 hours a day, and when I get home essentially do the same thing.

People vastly underestimate the detriments of a sedentary lifestyle. The time you spend training is important, but what you do with the other 96% of your week has an impact, too. People who have "slow" metabolisms tend to be sedentary while people with "fast" metabolisms tend to move around a good bit outside of their training. Just an observation I've noted in the past few years, of course there's exceptions. Usually skinny guys who don't eat much in addition to not doing much, either.

I'll try adding yoga, and to be outside more walking around on weekends.

I've never taken classes, but I've tried a few things at home. Good luck finding something that you'll like.

As far as running goes, would a 2 mile 15 minute run (is that too slow?) pre-workout be detrimental to my lifts? I'd love to keep my training to 3 days a week, but if that's not a good idea I could do it on off-days.

I do a half-mile run five days a week, and it works fine for me. It's closer to a jog on leg days and more like a sprint on upper body days. Play around with stuff and see what works, it's how I've done it. I use it just as a warm-up to get the blood going, though. Two miles might be a bit much preworkout from what I understand, so moving them to separate days might be warranted.

Take it easy as you add new things to your training and good luck.

 

[X-Frame]

Eating albacore tuna and guacamole w/ swiss cheese on ezekial bread. Pretty good!

So far my go-to tuna recipes are tuna + unflavored greek yogurt + salsa, and now this.


On a side note, is there any truth to the whole "the mercury from albacore tuna means you can't have it more than a couple times a week" or is that BS?

 

[Gvaz]

What are those muscles/tendons in your crotch region called? I was doing 115 squats and felt good about the weight (that I could do my 3x5 Starting "Mark Rippletits" Strength plan completely) and was so excited to move up to 1plate squats, but that region of my body felt really uncomfortable and strained. I told my gf about this because she was checking my form (which she said was good) but it was just really uncomfortable, like "if I keep doing this I'm going to hurt myself". I dropped down to 95 but even then it still felt shitty. When I did my warmup set of 65, I didn't feel anything, nor when I was doing body weight squats.

How do I fix that? I was so bummed out

 

[Deleted member 12837]

Baking eggs in a muffin tin turned out to be pretty good and now I have a few more ways I can take eggs to work. What I will do next time is sprinkle in some bacon along with the spinach and be good to go.

Did you freeze the leftovers? I wonder how long they'd last in the fridge, or how good they'd still be thawed after freezing. I want to give this a try though, regardless.

 

[parrotbeak]

Baking eggs in a muffin tin turned out to be pretty good and now I have a few more ways I can take eggs to work. What I will do next time is sprinkle in some bacon along with the spinach and be good to go.

What temp and how long?

Eating albacore tuna and guacamole w/ swiss cheese on ezekial bread. Pretty good!

So far my go-to tuna recipes are tuna + unflavored greek yogurt + salsa, and now this.


On a side note, is there any truth to the whole "the mercury from albacore tuna means you can't have it more than a couple times a week" or is that BS?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albacore#Mercury_levels

I have no idea. I figure we're so full of toxins from plastics and pesticides anyway.

I'll have to try the tuna with yogurt. I'd thought about it, since I always have both, but I usually mix tuna with avocado.

What are those muscles/tendons in your crotch region called? I was doing 115 squats and felt good about the weight (that I could do my 3x5 Starting "Mark Rippletits" Strength plan completely) and was so excited to move up to 1plate squats, but that region of my body felt really uncomfortable and strained. I told my gf about this because she was checking my form (which she said was good) but it was just really uncomfortable, like "if I keep doing this I'm going to hurt myself". I dropped down to 95 but even then it still felt shitty. When I did my warmup set of 65, I didn't feel anything, nor when I was doing body weight squats.

How do I fix that? I was so bummed out

Hip adductors? It probably just needs to catch up with your larger muscles. I failed at the bottom of leg presses last night and had to drop down for the rest of my sets. It was just at that bottom where I couldn't get out but if I can't do full rom it's not a full rep to me. I'd say just keep doing your 3x5 and it'll get stronger and stop feeling uncomfortable. As long as it's not pain. I'd say try warm up to 95 again next time and see if you can't get 95 3x5 without discomfort. It might have just been that it was shocked after the 115. What increments are you moving up in each session and in warm up sets?

Check out these hip warmups also. I usually would do some version of these before squatting or leg presses.

http://stronglifts.com/squats-improve-hip-flexibility-exercise/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkCZym9CT54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRom9tGnxI

 

[reilo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkCZym9CT54

Ah, the inch-worm and the hurdle stretch. My trainer makes me do a lot of the similar stuff he does in the video. It helps.

Also a good one: Spider-Man stretch.

Get into a push-up position with your arms completely stretched out, and pull your right foot forward next to your right hand and hold it for 2-3 seconds. Repeat with the other leg for a total of 12 reps.

http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel//.../f8/SpiderMan0001.jpg/406px-SpiderMan0001.jpg

You should sort of be doing that except your other leg completely straight. That should activate the hip-abductors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRom9tGnxI

I could watch this stretch all day.

 

[parrotbeak]

I could watch this stretch all day.

I think that would be a good video to watch before the gym to boost testosterone levels per the article X-Frame linked a few pages back.

 

[reilo]

I think that would be a good video to watch before the gym to boost testosterone levels per the article X-Frame linked a few pages back.

Which article?

 

[parrotbeak]

Which article?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=31645726&postcount=5101

 

[Gvaz]

Hip adductors? It probably just needs to catch up with your larger muscles. I failed at the bottom of leg presses last night and had to drop down for the rest of my sets. It was just at that bottom where I couldn't get out but if I can't do full rom it's not a full rep to me. I'd say just keep doing your 3x5 and it'll get stronger and stop feeling uncomfortable. As long as it's not pain. I'd say try warm up to 95 again next time and see if you can't get 95 3x5 without discomfort. It might have just been that it was shocked after the 115. What increments are you moving up in each session and in warm up sets?

Check out these hip warmups also. I usually would do some version of these before squatting or leg presses.

http://stronglifts.com/squats-improv...lity-exercise/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkCZym9CT54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGRom9tGnxI

Are Leg Presses the same thing as Barbell Squats, cause I was doing the latter.

I just did 65 a couple times to warm up and went to 115 because I did 115 last time. Then I went down to 95 and it was still eh.

GF said sometimes the ball of my feet were coming up a bit and that my knees weren't straight (I wasn't aware of that). Usually I'm pretty good about the heels thing, but for some reason when I was doing my warmup I felt like I was "off" but couldn't figure out what it was. Like I was less flexible that day or something.

 

[reilo]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=31645726&postcount=5101

Hopefully I don't fall asleep before I get to the gym...

Are Leg Presses the same thing as Barbell Squats, cause I was doing the latter.

Not even close.

 

[Gvaz]

Hopefully I don't fall asleep before I get to the gym...


Not even close.

Okay I guess he was confused then. lol

edit: no I got confused, my bad.

 

[reilo]

Okay I guess he was confused then. lol

edit: no I got confused, my bad.

GF said sometimes the ball of my feet were coming up a bit and that my knees weren't straight (I wasn't aware of that). Usually I'm pretty good about the heels thing, but for some reason when I was doing my warmup I felt like I was "off" but couldn't figure out what it was. Like I was less flexible that day or something.

You should be on your heels the entire time, pushing off of your heels, and your knees and feet should be at a sub-30 degree angle the entire time. Push your knees outward as you are coming back up. If your knees are trembling, you are doing it wrong.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Good lord, Gvaz, I know we're all learning new things, but you're stuck at the bottom when it comes to diet and exercise, lol.

 

[Gvaz]

Good lord, Gvaz, I know we're all learning new things, but you're stuck at the bottom when it comes to diet and exercise, lol.

Sorry I'm trying

I'm logging my calories, trying to have low carbs and high protein, having small portions, not eating junk food, etc

 

[Draft]

I've been doing SL 5x5 for about 9 months now, but it's been a while since I've done any cardio. I used to play a lot of pick-up basketball, but now that I'm out of school I don't have the time for it. I have a pretty sedentary job. I noticed how unconditioned I was this weekend, when I visited and walked around DC (about 5-6 miles) and wasn't really tired at all, but woke up sore and tight in weird spots in my legs the next day. Maybe "unconditioned" is the wrong word; I feel like my aerobic conditioning stays decent from some of the lifts, squats especially, and the body weight exercises like dips and pull-ups/chins. But I can certainly tell I'm missing something.

How would you guys recommend integrating a little cardio back into my routine? Or possibly alternative options (yoga for flexibility perhaps? I'm still a member of my university's gym and can take any of the fitness classes)

HIIT after legs days. Get on a bike, crank the resistance up just a bit to something between 10-15 (varies depending on the bike) then alternate between barely pedaling and pedaling your fucking ass off every 15 seconds. Do that for four minutes.

 

[reilo]

Good lord, Gvaz, I know we're all learning new things, but you're stuck at the bottom when it comes to diet and exercise, lol.

Don't be a dick.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

HIIT after legs days. Get on a bike, crank the resistance up just a bit to something between 10-15 (varies depending on the bike) then alternate between barely pedaling and pedaling your fucking ass off every 15 seconds. Do that for four minutes.

I do HIIT every day but my legs day, I tried once but I really couldn't get my heart rate up to what I usually do.

 

[parrotbeak]

Are Leg Presses the same thing as Barbell Squats, cause I was doing the latter.

I just did 65 a couple times to warm up and went to 115 because I did 115 last time. Then I went down to 95 and it was still eh.

GF said sometimes the ball of my feet were coming up a bit and that my knees weren't straight (I wasn't aware of that). Usually I'm pretty good about the heels thing, but for some reason when I was doing my warmup I felt like I was "off" but couldn't figure out what it was. Like I was less flexible that day or something.

Leg press:

I was just using it as a way to relate since it's the same bottom position where most people are weakest.

Ya, if your heels were coming off the ground it's probably flexibility. Wiggle your toes around to make sure you're weight is on the heel. Sounds like you didn't warm up enough and jumped too far. You could probably do 115 but warm up more and go up in shorter increments. Maybe at least 65 2x5, 95 2x5, but see how you feel. It's a judgment cuz you need to warm up sufficiently but don't want to tire out before your work set.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Don't be a dick.

WHOOOOOOOOOOO!

But seriously, I'm sorry.

 

[Draft]

I do HIIT every day but my legs day, I tried once but I really couldn't get my heart rate up to what I usually do.

Maybe try some other stuff? The bike is what kills me, but there's all sorts of ways to do HIIT. An elliptical with the resistance up can be brutal, and barbell complexes are beastly.

The thing with HIIT is that it can be faked. You really have to push yourself.

 

[Gvaz]

Leg press:

I was just using it as a way to relate since it's the same bottom position where most people are weakest.

Ya, if your heels were coming off the ground it's probably flexibility. Wiggle your toes around to make sure you're weight is on the heel. Sounds like you didn't warm up enough and jumped too far. You could probably do 115 but warm up more and go up in shorter increments. Maybe at least 65 2x5, 95 2x5, but see how you feel. It's a judgment cuz you need to warm up sufficiently but don't want to tire out before your work set.

Yeah I thought so, it just sounded weird and I figured you meant what I was talking about, its why I got confused.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Maybe try some other stuff? The bike is what kills me, but there's all sorts of ways to do HIIT. An elliptical with the resistance up can be brutal, and barbell complexes are beastly.

The thing with HIIT is that it can be faked. You really have to push yourself.

Pretty much any type of HIIT involves your legs, and I kill my legs on leg days.

 

[parrotbeak]

Yogurt, Japanese cucumber, salami, fresh dill, cayenne pepper mixed together. 2 minute prep time, really tasty.

 

[reilo]

Yogurt, Japanese cucumber, salami, fresh dill, cayenne pepper mixed together. 2 minute prep time, really tasty.

Pizza.

Come at me.

 

[balddemon]

i see your pizza and raise you

double quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, large powerade.

come at me, bro.

 

[parrotbeak]

Haha, for the last couple days I've been smelling pizza from somewhere in my building and I almost got some tonight. Been snacking too much at work lately; need to eat better when it's food I'm buying.

 

[reilo]

Haha, for the last couple days I've been smelling pizza from somewhere in my building and I almost got some tonight. Been snacking too much at work lately; need to eat better when it's food I'm buying.

I make my own pizza these days. Besides, I'm still in "gain" mode until I hit my weight goal. Then I will go into maintenance/cut the excess mode.

 

[mr afghan jones]

Congrats! I can only do so with my other arm grabbing my wrist. So, a one-handed pull-up, but still using both arms. Similar to yours but it sounds like you grip lower on the arm.

The one-armed pushup is another beast entirely. I've a ways to go before I can get one of those down.

For the pull ups Ive really just being doing pullups and chins as often as possible. Started off with the wrist grip and have just been working my way down the arm basically so the off arm is doing less and less of the work but helps keep me facing the right way rather than twisting all over the place.

For the push up, keep the leg on your pushing side in line with your torso, and stick the leg on your off side out to the side a fair way to keep you balanced. (Not sure if this counts as a bit of a cheat but its the way Rocky and G I Jane did it so good enough for me!)

 

[FallingEdge]

Chili cookoff at my work today.

Come at me bro.

 

[X-Frame]

I'm close to working up to one-arm push-ups for reps. Right now I have my legs together like a normal push-ups yet my off hand it straight out to the side on a med ball for balance only.

I don't want to do push-ups with my legs so wide and a lot of videos I see people move way too much with push-ups it seems. For example, the images in Convict Conditioning the demonstrator is perfectly straight up and down. That's what I want.

As far as pull-ups, I have no interest to doing one-arm pull-ups now or in the near future. Unless I can do them with a TRX so my hand can rotate, I feel they'd be more of a feat to display but not something to actually train with (as opposed to push-ups).

That's just me though. I'd much rather load the pull-ups with 2 hands since that's easier to do rather than push-ups.

 

[FallingEdge]

What temp and how long?

Sorry, just saw this post. 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

http://epicureanbliss.com/2011/01/31/when-an-egg-met-a-cupcake-tin/
http://sweeetheartfever.blogspot.com/2008/07/counting-your-eggs.html

Be sure to spray the muffin tin/cups with nonstick spray so that the egg will be easy to come off. Took a few for lunch yesterday and they warmed up just fine.

 

[J Tourettes]

Well after searching through the internet, I think I've found what's causing my sternum pain. Costochondritis appears to be the culprit. The good news is that it's relatively harmless. After today and Saturday's session, I'm off on holiday so a nine day break will probably do me the world of good, will just have to take it easy on bench on Saturday.

 

[MjFrancis]

I'm almost anxious to continue advancing in some of my bodyweight calisthenic endeavors: the one-arm pullup, pursuing flag variations or one-arm pushups. In the wrong frame of mind I've occasionally asked myself how long until I can start moving on to some of these skills. Thankfully I come to my senses and realize I'm progressing just fine: I'm maintaining a high volume of pullups and still hit a chins PR a few weeks back, all while adding ten pounds to my frame. As long as I'm getting something out of what I'm doing now, I'm happy with my progress.

One more rep to twenty pullups. It'll happen when I'm ready.

 

[weekend_warrior]

Just went for a run in the 30 degree and snowy weather. Feels good man.

 

[Clott]

Just went for a run in the 30 degree and snowy weather. Feels good man.

Where do you live?

 

[ceramic]

So I know you're supposed to eat big to get big, but I have an issue with abdominal fat at the minute, or maybe it's posture.

When I started my current routine I found myself having to eat more to stay the same weight. OK, so that's obviously going to happen. I recently weighed myself and found that I haven't gained much, if any weight since i started (~between 140 - 145 lbs), but my abdomen looks and feels noticeably more big / flabby and e.g. work pants/trousers are tighter around the waist (32 inch waist). I'm not sure exactly what's causing this. I want to just push ahead but I don't want to end up like that guy who who tried to bulk but ended up really fat.

It could be posture, are you supposed to contract your abs all the time? I tend to just let it all hang out as anything else feels uncomfortable.

My routine is just your standard bodyweight exercises like pull-ups (assisted as not strong enough to do a single full one yet), push-ups, dips, squats ( but no abdominal exercises)... they're challenging to me and I plan to increase the difficulty of the exercises as I progress, so the issue is not intensity (besides, this same issue came up when I attempted a weights based programme similar to Strongifts 5x5).

 

[Enco]

Started doing pull ups. I can do around 8. Gotta crank more out.