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[Para bailar La Bomba]

When is the best time to schedule a legs workout if you're doing heavy cardio?

I aim to cycle 5 times a week. (Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat)

Normally I do my legs routine on Wednesday night (after cycling for three consecutive days). I realize this is not efficient from a building leg strength pov, but lets ignore this for the time-being.

Thursday is a rest day.

The big issue is that it takes me more than 2 days to recover from doing legs forcing me to skip my Friday cycle.

 

[Petrie]

Im trying to cut, and have calculated my calorie intake to be around 2000 calories in order to drop a lb a week, however I'm curious how many additional calories you think i should allow for on workout days, so i dont lose too much and burn through muscle. I guess since i have not cut since beginning to take working out seriously almost a year ago, I want to be certain I do everything right and would rather err on the side of caution. Thoughts? Good resources online even?

 

[Mr.City]

Guys, please don't give me shit about this, as I'm switching over my program at the gym for a number of reasons (mainly I want to go back to a Mon/Wed/Fri full body and incorporate a couple of compound exercises) and I can't get a profissional on this atm.

This is what I did Monday:

Barbell Bench Press
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Lat pulldown
Leg Press (I should mention again I don't have access to a squat rack or cage)
Deadlifts

2 sets of 10 reps and then a final set of 8 reps for every exercise.

Anyway, tomorrow (Wednesday) this is what I'm thinking:

Bicep, tricep and shoulder work
Barbell Bench press
Leg press
Calf raises

??
My main doubts here are about doing barbell bench press again instead of keeping that as a Monday and Friday exercise (like I'll do for deadlifts). Or the lat pulldown. I want to get better at that so I can replace it with pull-ups ASAP, so I don't know if I should do it 2 or 3 times a week. Overall I'm a bit lost here.

Im trying to cut, and have calculated my calorie intake to be around 2000 calories in order to drop a lb a week, however I'm curious how many additional calories you think i should allow for on workout days, so i dont lose too much and burn through muscle. I guess since i have not cut since beginning to take working out seriously almost a year ago, I want to be certain I do everything right and would rather err on the side of caution. Thoughts? Good resources online even?

Lyle McDonald has some good stuff on his site.

 

[Veezy]

335# Deadlift for nine reps. However, I didn't faceplant.

Feels good.

 

[Chittagong]

Any suggestions / comments on my weekly program - primary goal is to burn fat and build muscle? Have been developing pretty well for the first two months but now slowing down so was wondering whether I should shake things up.


Monday
PT session - 60 min - e.g. squats, lunges, burpees, core exercises, 2000m row

Tuesday
---

Wednesday
Spinning - 45 min

Thursday
Body Pump - 45 min

Friday
PT session - 60 min - boxing/sparring, core exercises

Saturday
Body Pump - 45 min

Sunday
---

 

[Timedog]

I think I finally felt what a clean is supposed to feel like today, the quick snap into position feeling. Got 7 reps instead of 3 on my 5th set on PR weight.

 

[Cheeto]

Dodgeball is fucking awesome.

that is all

 

[entremet]

So I'm doing a cycle of P90x, after a couple of years of Rippetoe/Stronglifts protocols. Even though those programs are not metabolically demanding, they really built a strong foundation for me. I'm not really wiped out by any of the workouts, well as much as I thought I was based on the internet horror stories.

I do miss my barbells, though.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Saturday
Body Pump - 45 min

Sunday
---

What the hell is body pump?

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

There's nothing worse than Fox News being displayed on one of the three TVs in my gym. I ignore the TVs in general, but sometimes when I pop my head up, I'd rather watch ESPN than whatever douchebag is on FN. Of course the old people love it.......that and Price is Right.

 

[Mr.City]

Any suggestions / comments on my weekly program - primary goal is to burn fat and build muscle? Have been developing pretty well for the first two months but now slowing down so was wondering whether I should shake things up.


Monday
PT session - 60 min - e.g. squats, lunges, burpees, core exercises, 2000m row

Tuesday
---

Wednesday
Spinning - 45 min

Thursday
Body Pump - 45 min

Friday
PT session - 60 min - boxing/sparring, core exercises

Saturday
Body Pump - 45 min

Sunday
---

Well, that goals aren't going to happen with routine. If you want to continue progressing, you'll need something that allows for progressive build-up of strength over time, i.e linear progression, i.e, adding a little bit of weight to the bar each time. None of these progressively challenge you, so eventually you're going to (or sounds like it has) hit a wall.

Also, all you have is a bunch of cardio, one day of lifting weights (which is probably done in a circuit training session, like another form of cardio). And I have no idea what the hell body pump is, but it either sounds very silly or very erotic.

A lot of guys are going to be asking this, but the best way to get bigger stronger (sans drugs) is to eat food and lift heavy weights. You can't do a bunch of cardio if you haven't worked regularly and expect to be beach body ready. Some will say this is dogmatic and that this is just more Rippetoe gospel. Reality-check: this is pretty much how the old school guys did it, and it still works just as well as today and much better than Zumba, P90, etc.

 

[Petrie]

What the hell is body pump?

Silly shit marketed to "tone". Way too many reps. Zumba but with light weights.

Chitta, any workout will give a complete beginner results. What you are doing isnt going to build muscle. You may lose some fat along with a proper diet, but dont expect to get any bigger or stronger with such silliness.

 

[MjFrancis]

14 toe to bars - dead hang from a pull up bar and (how it's supposed to be done) keep your legs straight and raise your toes to the bar. (now, factor in that 20% slop, you get this odd flailing that totally destroys the point of the movement)

21 double unders - it's jump rope, but two revolutions under your body per jump.

Unfortunately, it's not really a good circuit. Toe to bars are an abdominal movement you can't really do quickly without swinging and double unders are aren't really a good endurance movement. I'd say, for a strong person a beter scheme would be..

At 135# (scale for skill/strength)
Five rounds for time

7 deads
7 hang cleans
7 front squats
7 push presses
7 back squats

It's enough reps (35) that you'll feel it at the end, light enough for a person with a year or so under their belt can reasonably do, will take the wind out of you regardless of your fitness level, is short enough to not kill a novice even if the go light, and laid out in a way that discourages resting. When you do the toe to bars or double unders, walking from one station to the other adds time and encourages a break. Then again, this is just a stereotypical barbell circuit that's been used for decades.

Thanks for the extended explanation of more of the crossfit lingo. And your own suggestion for a good circuit.

The "toe to bars" sounds like a hanging leg raise that goes all the way to the bar. I love these, but doing them in a circuit or for time would just kill it for me. You're absolutely correct that this is a movement where form breaks down fast. As you alluded to, it's real easy to skip the dead hang part and rely on momentum, swinging instead of pulling with the abdominals. It's in this that I would be more apt to train with 14 sets of 1 than 1 set of 14.

 

[Tess3ract]

Lmao. Don't do this people.

 

[Petrie]

Lmao. Don't do this people.

We need to know a lot more about his diet and activity levels before we can really judge anything.

 

[MjFrancis]

Garbage in, garbage out.

 

[Tess3ract]

Garbage in, garbage out.

I'd just like to highlight this:

How terrible would it be for me to eat nothing but peanut butter, eggs, bacon, and hot dogs for the next two or three weeks?


all of my wat

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

We need to know a lot more about his diet and activity levels before we can really judge anything.

True, but either way I only eat bacon and eggs like, once a month.

Oatmeal is where it's at.

 

[Petrie]

I'd just like to highlight this:

How terrible would it be for me to eat nothing but peanut butter, eggs, bacon, and hot dogs for the next two or three weeks?


all of my wat

I missed that part. Just saw the repeated eggs and bacon fat questions. Yeah, that's pretty shit.

I'd just like to highlight this:

How terrible would it be for me to eat nothing but peanut butter, eggs, bacon, and hot dogs for the next two or three weeks?


all of my wat

Eggs are a staple of my diet. Bacon less so, but it's not something I avoid, that's for sure. Sometimes I sub in turkey bacon, depends on my mood.

I try to eat more oatmeal, I really do wish I enjoyed it more. Though green veggies are the Achilles heel I simply can't stomach, at least oatmeal I don't hate.

 

[JB1981]

Just did some Tabata for the first time

Pushups (Intervals 1,3)
Air Squat (2, 4)
Medicine Ball Slams (5,7)
Jump Rope (6,8)

Did this at the end of my workout. Was pretty hard. Definitely have to get better at jump rope and next time have to go at it with a little more intensity. Definitely doing this more often.

 

[JB1981]

HDL cholesterol at 69 is amazingly high.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Yeah, I was wiped out from doing tabata when my special forces friend decided we should do it at my school's gym last year. We did snatches, kettle bell raises, incline bench press, lat pulldowns, and push ups.

I was fucking dead.

 

[Veezy]

Just did some Tabata for the first time

Pushups (Intervals 1,3)
Air Squat (2, 4)
Medicine Ball Slams (5,7)
Jump Rope (6,8)

Did this at the end of my workout. Was pretty hard. Definitely have to get better at jump rope and next time have to go at it with a little more intensity. Definitely doing this more often.

Have you tried burpiees instead of jump rope? After the squats and the push ups, burpiees will give you the jump motion of the rope but are easier to be more intense with and hit your harder with your fatigued muscles..

 

[JB1981]

Have you tried burpiees instead of jump rope? After the squats and the push ups, burpiees will give you the jump motion of the rope but are easier to be more intense with and hit your harder with your fatigued muscles..

I have not yet, but I did see a Medicine Ball burpee on youtube today which looks kind of cool. I might add burpees next time but I do like doing the jump rope ..

I like having a timing/skill based movement somewhere in there

 

[reilo]

Medicine Ball burpee?

Erm. Just do a regular burpee. You only need to jump six inches in the air (six inches above your standing reach).

If jumpropes are becoming too easy for you, try learning how to do double-unders.

 

[JB1981]

Medicine Ball burpee?

Erm. Just do a regular burpee. You only need to jump six inches in the air (six inches above your standing reach).

If jumpropes are becoming too easy for you, try learning how to do double-unders.

What is wrong with it. It's a slam right into a burpee, very natural transition. I suck at jump rope, so I won't be doing double-unders any time soon.

 

[abuC]

Have you tried burpiees instead of jump rope? After the squats and the push ups, burpiees will give you the jump motion of the rope but are easier to be more intense with and hit your harder with your fatigued muscles..

Mix in some pushups with the burpees as well, I love and hate them.

 

[beastmode]

HDL cholesterol at 69 is amazingly high.

yep, people in this thread are jumping to conclusions too fast. for all you know that person might have have had high LDL and low HDL and the diet actually raised the HDL more than the LDL. besides, cholesterol is dumb and not really important.

oh, and eating like that every day is weird and makes me wanna call bullshit.

 

[FallingEdge]

FallingEdge, you're going to force my hand and make me get some smores tomorrow.

Do it. It feels so good. I already feel all the energy from my PWO poptart.

 

[rage1973]

Im trying to cut, and have calculated my calorie intake to be around 2000 calories in order to drop a lb a week, however I'm curious how many additional calories you think i should allow for on workout days, so i dont lose too much and burn through muscle. I guess since i have not cut since beginning to take working out seriously almost a year ago, I want to be certain I do everything right and would rather err on the side of caution. Thoughts? Good resources online even?

Try the leangains method and go +20%, -15% so 2400 on workout days, 1700 on rest days.

 

[MjFrancis]

Petrie has mentioned before he can't do IF. He may correct me if I'm wrong but that's been my understanding.

 

[Enco]

:lol at that pic.

If he's not trolling damn his levels are crazy.

Normal levels.

Total cholesterol >=240 means High risk
LDL Level > 190 is Very high

I'm guessing it's a load of rubbish but I suppose all that fat n grease would do it.

 

[bro1]

I just ran my first Rugged Maniac this weekend on the spur of the moment and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a 5K race with a ton of muddy obstacles (walls, tunnels, ropes, tubes, barbwire, etc).

I currently do a modified CrossFit/Starting Strength routine in my garage. I have eliminated all of the BS exercises, or any circuit that requires possibly unsafe Olympic lifts done in high volume which is dangerous.

I want to incorporate running into my routine, but not too much, as I HATE IT and I get awful shin splints. I currently do a M-W-F routine with about 3-5 exercises per workout, all doing the major lifts.

If I wanted to add running into the mix, should i do it on my off days? Would interval training be ok for these mud runs?

 

[Chittagong]

Well, that goals aren't going to happen with routine. If you want to continue progressing, you'll need something that allows for progressive build-up of strength over time, i.e linear progression, i.e, adding a little bit of weight to the bar each time. None of these progressively challenge you, so eventually you're going to (or sounds like it has) hit a wall.

Also, all you have is a bunch of cardio, one day of lifting weights (which is probably done in a circuit training session, like another form of cardio). And I have no idea what the hell body pump is, but it either sounds very silly or very erotic.

A lot of guys are going to be asking this, but the best way to get bigger stronger (sans drugs) is to eat food and lift heavy weights. You can't do a bunch of cardio if you haven't worked regularly and expect to be beach body ready. Some will say this is dogmatic and that this is just more Rippetoe gospel. Reality-check: this is pretty much how the old school guys did it, and it still works just as well as today and much better than Zumba, P90, etc.

Thanks - some good thoughts there.

Definitely will need to begin to emphasize weight progression even though my most urgent goal is to shed some fat. But muscle increases metabolism they say.

re; what is bodypump - it's an instructor led form of group circuit training. There is no coreography involved, simply reps of moves. Like in their hype film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_rNm1uNW-M

I can up the weights on a constant basis in bodypump, however like Petrie says the sets are pretty long so it won't be max weights training.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

I eat like that guy and when I went to the doctor a couple week ago my cholesterol was like 120/60?

Is that bad?

 

[rage1973]

Petrie has mentioned before he can't do IF. He may correct me if I'm wrong but that's been my understanding.

I am not saying do intermittent fasting but use those daily calorie calculation figures.
Also do carb loading after workouts.

 

[entremet]

I eat like that guy and when I went to the doctor a couple week ago my cholesterol was like 120/60?

Is that bad?

Same. I don't really see anything two wrong with that. Maybe too much calories if he's trying to lean out? But sans sugar, gluten and processed foods, much better than the Standard American Diet.

 

[Mr.City]

Thanks - some good thoughts there.

Definitely will need to begin to emphasize weight progression even though my most urgent goal is to shed some fat. But muscle increases metabolism they say.

re; what is bodypump - it's an instructor led form of group circuit training. There is no coreography involved, simply reps of moves. Like in their hype film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_rNm1uNW-M

I can up the weights on a constant basis in bodypump, however like Petrie says the sets are pretty long so it won't be max weights training.

HOLY SHIT LOOK AT THAT DUDE REP OUT 55 LBS LIKE IT'S NOTHING

 

[bro1]

Thanks - some good thoughts there.

Definitely will need to begin to emphasize weight progression even though my most urgent goal is to shed some fat. But muscle increases metabolism they say.

re; what is bodypump - it's an instructor led form of group circuit training. There is no coreography involved, simply reps of moves. Like in their hype film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_rNm1uNW-M

I can up the weights on a constant basis in bodypump, however like Petrie says the sets are pretty long so it won't be max weights training.

not sure of the benefit of bodypump. I like having a cardio response while weight training, however I also beleive that 5-8 reps is the best for gaining muscle.

You could do this at home by yourself or in the gym by setting up a circuit.

I used to do heavy squat, heavy deadlift, dumbell shoulder press, chin, dip, and weighted leg raise in a circuit for 3 times and it would kill me. probably more effective than body pump and done faster with heavier weight.

 

[Petrie]

Try the leangains method and go +20%, -15% so 2400 on workout days, 1700 on rest days.

Wouldnt i be burning more calories than i want to then? If 2000 a day should result in 1lb of fat loss if we dont include working out, it seems like going even lower than that on non workout days will result in more weight loss than I'm actually trying to go for. Maybe im missing something here, but I'd think it would still be 2000 on non workout days, and more on workout days since I'm burning more, if I only want to lose 1 lb a week.

Petrie has mentioned before he can't do IF. He may correct me if I'm wrong but that's been my understanding.

This is sadly correct. Type 1 diabetes does not allow me the flexibility to reliably avoid any calories for 16 hours a day. Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night and simply have no choice but to take in sugar, defeating the whole point of the program.

I am not saying do intermittent fasting but use those daily calorie calculation figures.
Also do carb loading after workouts.

Yeah, it just seems like those calorie values are too low. Should I be basing them on my maintenance calories and working from there? 2000 is the level where I should be dropping 1 lb a week if I do no workouts.

 

[Spiritreaver]

Oatmeal is where it's at.

Seriously it's about all I eat aside from chicken and veggies. It's magical I swear... mixes with just about anything, it's hearty, and it's good for you. Get out of here. I do love eggs when I'm doing keto though for similar reasons.

That pic though... low carb diets and keto are nearly idiot proof, but people still manage to fuck the shit up.

 

[Domino Theory]

Im trying to cut, and have calculated my calorie intake to be around 2000 calories in order to drop a lb a week, however I'm curious how many additional calories you think i should allow for on workout days, so i dont lose too much and burn through muscle. I guess since i have not cut since beginning to take working out seriously almost a year ago, I want to be certain I do everything right and would rather err on the side of caution. Thoughts? Good resources online even?

Leangains proposes +20% maintenance on workout days when doing body recomposition and +10% when cutting.

 

[GameCat]

Thanks - some good thoughts there.

Definitely will need to begin to emphasize weight progression even though my most urgent goal is to shed some fat. But muscle increases metabolism they say.

re; what is bodypump - it's an instructor led form of group circuit training. There is no coreography involved, simply reps of moves. Like in their hype film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_rNm1uNW-M

I can up the weights on a constant basis in bodypump, however like Petrie says the sets are pretty long so it won't be max weights training.

Bodypump primarily trains muscular endurance. It isn't an efficient way to get stronger or add muscle mass, and it isn't very effective as a cardio workout either, compared to e.g. running.

If I had limited time for working out, I would skip the bodypump and focus on strength and cardio instead. The easiest way to shed fat is to eat less, but working out regularly is great for your health so you should do it anyway.

Find something you enjoy, you can train strength by lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises and any form of cardio works as well. Running, rowing machines, basketball, soccer whatever you enjoy.

When training strength, try to do compound exercises that work many muscles at once, that way you get more out of a given exercise. So for example don't do biceps curls which train very few muscles, do pull ups that train most of your upper body.

I know you're Finnish, so if you can read Swedish, check out http://traningslara.se it's an excellent blog on fitness. There's also http://tranastyrka.se which is more focused on strength.

 

[Lasthope106]

Almost two weeks since my Apendix surgery. I'm hoping I can start slow next Monday - can't wait to get back to the gym.

 

[Houston3000]

So I've been working out for something like 2 or 3 months now... maybe a little longer but I had to take like a week and a half break at some point when I went on vacation a few weeks ago. I don't know if you all remember when I posted here last time but I was pretty lambasted for what I was proposing my routine would be like when I joined the gym.

My routine is still pretty out of the ordinary I suppose, I don't use the ball or anything like that anymore but I'm not exactly focusing on the most efficient combound exercises and I've also been doing very long full body workouts every other day instead of spacing out my routines. I am seeing pretty good improvements though, in my arms especially - when I started I was curling 8.5lbs (seriously, it was hard and embarrassingly low I know) but now I'm starting to curl 25lbs and will hopefully be up to 30 or so within the next few weeks. This goes for all the arm exercises I do, including triceps, deltoids, etc... I've also seen a relatively similar improvement in my Traps, Lats, Lower Back, and Obliques. My Abs are showing slower improvement but improvement none the less, I really need to get in more leg lifts. I'm also working out my legs with squats, lunges, leg extensions, and leg curls but I only fit that in once a week instead of 3 or 4 times like everything else.

Now, I've been very disappointed with improvement to my chest. I've been doing flies on the cables as well as chest dips and chest presses on the selector machines but I believe the machines (at least for the chest press) have my hands too far spread apart because I feel it ALOT in my arms as opposed to my chest. I assume the answer to this is to start doing bench presses which I will probably start tomorrow with dumbbells but I'm not sure with what weight to start with - experimentation I suppose at this point.

 

[abuC]

Why didn't anyone tell me about behind the back shrugs, was there a secret meeting on their greatness that I was left out of? I did them for the first time today and I love them dearly now, added to my routine.

 

[Izick]

So today was my first leg day in like 3 weeks...and I think I pulled a hamstring.

I'm so bummed out right now, I don't even know what to do. It didn't even really hurt at the gym. I did a couple light sets of other exercises, and then just left...I put some ice on it when I got home, and it's a bit more sore now.

I think it's like a level 1, or the weakest kind of pull, but I'm still really upset over it. I just don't know what to do anymore. First my knee got messed up, and then I waited 3 weeks with no legs, and now this....I just don't know...

 

[Petrie]

Leangains proposes +20% maintenance on workout days when doing body recomposition and +10% when cutting.

Ok. My maintenance is 2030, so what would that mean for my workout and non workout days?

 

[Lasthope106]

So today was my first leg day in like 3 weeks...and I think I pulled a hamstring.

I'm so bummed out right now, I don't even know what to do. It didn't even really hurt at the gym. I did a couple light sets of other exercises, and then just left...I put some ice on it when I got home, and it's a bit more sore now.

I think it's like a level 1, or the weakest kind of pull, but I'm still really upset over it. I just don't know what to do anymore. First my knee got messed up, and then I waited 3 weeks with no legs, and now this....I just don't know...

Cheer up bro. I know how it feels to have an injury derail months of hard work. Rest and go to the Doctor if you need to.

 

[blackflag]

Lmao. Don't do this people.

Seriously need more info. What were his levels below.

I only eat bacon, steak, chicken, eggs, cheese, ground beef, heavy cream, olive oil, coconut oil, broccoli, and spinach for the most part.

my overall cho is under 200 and my HDL is over 60 which is great. My triglicerides are super low. My cholesterol improved a crap ton when I started eating like that.

I eat 160g of fat everyday.