Anybody who finishes that type of event gets mad respect.
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Fitness |OT4| Squat Booty, Summer Cuts, and Super Swoletrophy
- Thread starter Mr.City
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Anybody who finishes that type of event gets mad respect.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
If you're working out seriously, then yes it's pretty bad. Sleep is probably the most important part of the entire workout routine, but I know that falls on dead ears most of the time. Today's world is too go-go-go with work or play (tv, games, internet) and telling people to go to bed at 9 or 10 usually gets laughed at. Sometimes I get to bed late too (kids), but I was just commenting on the huge difference I felt waking up today (yesterday was shoulders/tris) than I did a few days back sleeping for 6 hours after my legs day.
As for the convo on doing "whatever" in the gym, there are definitely people it works for and people it doesn't work for. I have a feeling if I told other runners my marathon diet/routine I'd get some seriously weird looks, but I finished all of them in less than 4 hours with no issue. No doubt that guy exists at every gym, there every day, looks the same every day... for years. But there's no reason to accuse anyone posting here of wasting their time if they don't follow some sort of strict regimen.
I get about 7, and I always feel like 1 more hour would hit the spot. I really should go to bed around 10.
'Diminishing returns' for what? If your goal is not to be bigger and stronger in the fastest amount of time possible ... but instead to actually enjoy the process of being active?
I've been that guy for the first 6 years of doing weight training (ages 18-24). I logged everything, workouts/diets/supplements etc. I consumed every single fitness book available at my local library (this is pre-internet). My lifting partners (roommates) were all amature bodybuilders of varying success and we would all bounce ideas/techinques off of each other.
It became boring as fuck, a mental dead-end and made me burn out on the entire 'gym culture'. So to me (that's the crucial phrase here), the 'diminishing returns' is when you treat working out like a religion or 'serious business' and it then becomes a job. That doesn't mean you shouldn't have a strict mentality when working out. If your goal is to maximize your time in the gym, then by all means, you better do it.
I do have goals. It is to look better than my peers, run some 5k races, and be in the best shape of my life.
Once I reach that? Maybe I will make new goals and strength/muscle gain might be a part of them.
If they are happy doing it and are being active in the process, why the fuck should you care or even notice? Now if these guys are loudmouth/know-it-alls coming up to you and trying to tell you how to workout (I know these guys!), then you should judge away.
Then go hiking if you want to enjoy being active. I had a long reply typed out but I think you already have your mind made up here.
TheDarkStark
Member
Going to have to seriously up my Calorie intake soon. Eating 2000-2200 calories a day and still losing weight. Not a bad thing, I'm out of shape right now. The good thing is that my strength is still shooting up despite the weightloss, so I'll keep it going until I start to plateau.
I'm down to 195 from 200 on 7/14, could stand to lose another 5 but only if my strength keeps increasing.
I'm down to 195 from 200 on 7/14, could stand to lose another 5 but only if my strength keeps increasing.
Why is it so antithetical to attempt to enjoy yourself while being in a gym? Why can't doing dumbell flys be as enjoyable as taking a walk in the woods? To me, it is.
I don't have my mind made up. I just have experiences that have shaped my mind, but I am always open to learn new things. That's why I am in the thread.
It's hard not to notice when the same guy is at the gym at the same time every day for like a year, and literally hasn't made a bit of progress.
I care because when someone is putting in that time, I'd like to see them be succesful.
For some reason though you have this idea that having a progression plan has to mean wanting to get huge, etc. It doesn't.
And that's great. If they are as enjoyable, fantastic, but there can still be a bit of programming around it.
This would probably explain why you've been having trouble losing more weight.
I consider myself to be progressing and I'm actually on a caloric deficit, so I'm not getting big. I think I'm getting that body you want compared against your peers.
That's all we are trying to say, to get you the most out of the gym for the time you put in.
Do you think you would enjoy the gym less if you had a plan as to what you wanted to do? Would it make it seem more like a chore to you?
I don't think taking one guy and extrapolating him to every other person is the wisest thing to do. But, I know what you mean. I have been at enough gyms in my lifetime (in 4 seperate cities) to know that guy.
There have been numerous scientific studies showing that being physically active makes you mentally better off and extends your life. So, in that regard, the guy is already 'making progress'.
I do have a plan. I want to keep my heart rate elevated the entire time I am at the gym and I want to target very specific muscles.
I am a terrible swimmer. There's no way I could ever do a triathlon. So anyone who can gets mad respect from me.
Maybe my goal should be to be a better swimmer. Currently, I can't do two laps around the pool without feeling like I'm gonna drown. My stamina's fine since I do HIIT running all the time. It's just something about swimming that really takes the wind out of me.
Maybe my goal should be to be a better swimmer. Currently, I can't do two laps around the pool without feeling like I'm gonna drown. My stamina's fine since I do HIIT running all the time. It's just something about swimming that really takes the wind out of me.
FallingEdge
Member
Here are some routines that still have a solid progression program but are a bit more varied and follow a split:
http://www.simplyshredded.com/mega-...ll-powerhypertrophy-routine-updated-2011.html
http://forums.lylemcdonald.com/showthread.php?t=1696
Wendler's 5/3/1
I think that your goals are fine but there could be better and more effective ways of getting there. For me, just being in the gym is fun but I can understand how doing the same thing over and over will burn someone out
Agreed and I will do my best to give out advice to match it. That being said, I'm always open to learning more.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Totally agreed, though that subset doesn't post often enough!
I dunno, it applies to everything for me. If I'm going to run every day, I'm going to run alightly farther, or faster, otherwise my body isn't being challenged. Same with biking now, I make sure I go farther or faster, even if just the tiniest bit.
You don't have to be a powerlifter looking for PR's in order to have a plan for progression.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Right, but that's what works for you. Doesn't mean it's universal advice you can give to everyone.
Hm. I never considered that. I'll make an effort to get 8 hours (at least) every night.
I'm exited to see what my first weigh in will be on this new diet. I'll be keeping track every Friday morning.
Thanks! The awesome this is that I'm more inspired than ever to do more. I'm entering in a series of 5 Tris, one every 2 weeks. Going to lift today and run tonight. My goal is to increase my 5K by 1K every week.
fredrancour
Member
Even though I don't know a ton and thus can't really give a lot of advice to most people, I guess I'm still in a bad habit of assuming that people who mention weight training are like me and my friends prior to learning a bit more about actual lifting, where the progression-oriented advice really would give them what they want even though they don't give a shit about powerlifting or serious bodybuilding. I'd guess a lot of more prolific posters here are the same way.
The only people I know who go to the gym and don't actually want some progression and are just looking to maintain their fitness level and have fun are the already-thin people who go on the cardio machines for eons just looking to not get fat.
Also if the goal is weight loss, the PRs/ lifting talk is kind of useful, no? Progression = continued weight loss.
Poor/inadequate sleep causes leptin to tank.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/
Leptin is the master energy hormone that tells your brain (it binds to specific neurons that regulate appeite and energy expenditure) if you're getting adequate nutrition. Consequently, less leptin signaling in the brain due to less serum leptin can cause your metabolism to slow down.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Not enough food! Rar! Nomnom!
Everyone's body does work in a way where the same amount of effort becomes easier and therefor gives diminishing returns. This isn't something unique to me. If you run a mile every day, eventually your body adjusts and that mile doesn't exert the same effort, or raise your heart rate as much, etc. Hence why progression is important no matter what, even if his only goal is a conatant increased heart rate.
Sounds like ToxicAdam is just wanting to maintain his health. As we don't have pictures to judge by, if he's happy with where he's at and wants to stay there, I don't think that can be begrudged. This thread is very focused on gains and increases, so I can understand why some might not understand/relate to that.
But who does that? It's natural human instinct to lift more, run more, do more reps and bike further as your body becomes stronger and adapts. Even if you don't meticulously write it down or plan it out.
Actually, I started at 231 in mid-May and am at 196 (as of yesterday). I couldn't even run a full mile (without walking) and now I am running 3 1/2 miles under 30 minutes. My goal weight is 180 (@ 6'0).
I just don't have the urge to maximize strength/muscle size.
Again, nobody said you had to write things down and such. When you say you can't tell us what your workouts involve, that shows that even in your head there's not a logical plan for progression. I don't have to write anything down to make sure that if I run twice a week, I run a bit farther each time, but the plan for progression is still there, even in its simplest form.
And I don't know what human instinct your talking about because since the dawn of man, we have looked for ways to make things easier and for them to take less work. Those pushing themselves the way you describe are the exception, not the norm.
TheDarkStark
Member
And I would argue that 75% of people going to the gym have absolutely no idea what the hell they're doing, or how to accomplish their goals. I would say a good number of them don't even have goals.
A lot of people have been mis-informed or lead to believe things that couldn't be further from the truth.
Everyone who fails in the gym fails for the same reasons: They don't have a plan, they don't know how to accomplish their plan, or they don't want it bad enough. Getting healthy, losing weight, bulking up, all this things require a LIFESTYLE change, not just lifting a few weights here and there or running a couple miles now and then.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
I don't feel like going much further with this since talking with you is sometimes like trying to talk with a textbook. People can progress in their own way that isn't similar to your way or pace. I respect your opinion and generally agree with what you say, but the way you dispense your thoughts is sometimes so rough that it's no surprise a poster like Adam will get defensive. Dude is happy with what he's doing, that's all. If he's losing 1lb a year instead of the 10 he "should" be and he's still proud of himself, I see no issue.
I'm sure there are tons of things you do wrong or not to perfect, optimal standards during your workouts - we all do. Giving advice on how to improve is great, but comparing Adam to "that guy in the gym who is just wasting his time" is a bit condescending.
Anyway, enough of that, to the gym!
lastflowers
Banned
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
Then I should sleep less to gain weight, you're saying
Problem with that is your muscles don't have enough recovery to build new tissue and you end up completely wasting your time at the gym and during sleep and the money you spend on everything you put in your body. BOOM.
Then I should sleep less to gain weight, you're saying
Sure, if you want to gain fat
Poor sleep will always negatively affect body composition, whether you are looking to add muscle or lose fat.
This I can agree with. I do tend to at times focus too much on the science and "ideals" without taking into account the homan part of the entire thing. I tend to be a stats guy, etc, and can definitely lose touch with the fact that sometimes sanity takes precendence over an extra 10% gain or what have you. I will try and work on that delivery a bit in the thread in the future though, as I can 100% see your point.
My apologies folks.
Pulled a groin muscle over the weekend. I'm on the starting strength program as outlined in the OP. Do I need to skip any of the exercises because of the pulled muscle? I'm most concerned about the squat, but after trying a few unweighted, it didn't seem to be an issue. But I don't want to make things worse.
I'd always be cautious. Better to be too safe.
entremet
Member
Oh definitely. But that's were you want to look at your goals. It seems that Toxic Adam has those squared away and has been progressing nicely.
However, when someone comes in this thread and ask why they're squat is stalling, I can understand the more specific question to get more info in terms of routine, diet, rest, etc.
Yea, and that's my bad. Like I said, I can become too focused on the science and eeking out that extra 10%. Sometimes that human element is lost to me when it comes to this subject. Too much of a textbook indeed.
Rice-Eater
Member
Got a question guys, I've been dieting for the past week. And I'm ready to hit the gym this week, I'm planning on getting a membership at a local gym today. My question is how should I be working out with my current job? First off I've lost some weight, but I haven't done any typical exercises that most would do. I work at a food distribution center, I have to ride around(on a riding jack) a big warehouse picking items according to a ticket that I'm given. These tickets can get as big as 200-300 cases and be as tall as two 7 foot pallets. I've been taking it easy for a while. But ever since I started my diet, I've been busting my ass more and it's shown as I tire more easily and sweat more. I do this about 8-9 hours a day, 4 days a week. It's my job so regardless of what you guys think about it, I have to keep doing it.
But anyways, that should be more than enough as cardio, right? It's not intense cardio, but it's still a lot of walking, jumping(to reach for certain items), and lifting for 8+ hours a day. Should I only be lifting on my days off or should I work out before I go to my job? Should I continue pushing myself a little harder or ease off? Just wondering what you guys think about my situation.
But anyways, that should be more than enough as cardio, right? It's not intense cardio, but it's still a lot of walking, jumping(to reach for certain items), and lifting for 8+ hours a day. Should I only be lifting on my days off or should I work out before I go to my job? Should I continue pushing myself a little harder or ease off? Just wondering what you guys think about my situation.
FallingEdge
Member
Meh, it happens. I remember when I first started lifting I was all about SS and compound lifts and would tell people about how curls are bad and a waste of time. Of course, I was wrong and was acting like an asshole in regards to it all lol.
We still love you. =P
At least you're passionate about it.
Friend bumped into me as I was eating chicken wings and was like "woah, you lost a ton of weight"...felt really good as I was saying thanks and licking grease/hot sauce off my fingers. LOL.
Motivation to finish my goal and hopefully do a bulk, or just maintain and enjoy some new clothes.
But you have to write things down if you want to reiterate exactly what you did and for what amount.
My workouts involve 6-12 common exercises for each body part and I do them in various orders and with various types of sets/reps/weight. The other day I was feeling pretty good, so I did 150 lbs on the seated row for 2 sets of 10 (when I first started I was doing 110 max). Then I transitioned to dumb bell rows at a low weight (about half of what I usually do) and blasted out sets of 20. Then I went into some machines and did some max-to-fail sets on them. Then on and on. Next week it's going to be totally different and based on how I feel that day. I might start at 140 lbs for the seated rows and plataeu each set down until failure. We'll see.
So, as you can see, there are times when I am doing "progressive" things in my workout, but it's not the main focus of my workout.
The key word there is 'my' workout. Not what others should do.
People that consistently participate in physical fitness will always look to do better. Those mini-accomplishments produce an endorphin rush and is what keeps people motivated to do more. There is an entire 17.6 billion dollar industry built around this.
I personally wouldn't need to write any of that down, but that's because I have the type of mind that just works that way. I can tell you without issue my numbers, sets, and reps for every lift in the last workout I did them, but I understand what you mean.
I do think that isn't a human instinct though, that's a learned behavior.
I do think that isn't a human instinct though, that's a learned behavior.
Fitocracy here. Feeds that delicious MMO style addiction but in a positive manner.
Khalifa Jayy
Banned
Do you guys feel that adding two/three reps per set on a certain exercise the next week is a good interim between adding weight? For example: I did 60x10 on my dumbbell bench 4x two weeks ago. Last week I did 60x12x4. This week I'm planning on 65x10x4. Does that sound logical?
It's a learned behavior because you have a biochemical machine inside your head that is constantly peppering you with drugs everytime you make some progress.
RPG's aren't popular because they are fun.
I play RPGs because they're fun :-(
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