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[grumble]

Hey there guys. I used to be a gym rat in Japan when I was in the Air Force but after getting out and coming back to America I've gotten lazy and out of shape. Normally running and exercise would get me back together but I'm an ectomorph with a high metabolism. I didn't realize it but in Japan I was doing a lot of isolation type exercises with the only real core stuff was the leg press and bench press. My question is: what exercises should I be doing to build myself up? 6'0", 161lbs by the way.

You should focus on these movements:

1. Barbell back squats to parallel or slightly below
2. Barbell deadlifts
3. Barbell Bench press
4. Barbell Overhead Press
5. Chinup/Pullup
6. Dips

Maybe some curls, calf raises if you want. I like powr cleans too, they help translate muscle into power and synergize with the DL.

 

[blackflag]

Here's what daily fasting, 2-3 dozen eggs a week, 4-5 nights of red meat for dinner and copious quantities of whey protein does for my blood cholesterol:

Total Cholesterol: 154mg/dL
LDL: 96mg/dL
HDL: 51mg/dL
Triglycerides: 36mg/dL
LDL/HDL Ratio: 1.9

If anything I'm wondering if numbers here are too low, but I suppose that's to be discussed with the doctor.

That looks good working out and eating high fat/low carb dropped me from over 200 to 113 total with 69 HDL.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Nothing wrong with that.

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it, just something you don't see every day. Seems like a weighted vest would work better though.

I'm an ectomorph with a high metabolism.

Turn 30 and raise a few kids.

 

[MjFrancis]

im not a doctor but that looks perfect to me.

That looks good working out and eating high fat/low carb dropped me from over 200 to 113 total with 69 HDL.

Thank guys. I'm fervent in my belief that kicking the sedentary liftstyle and consistent resistance training is what does the trick. You can always lose weight without exercise, but training alongside a healthy diet comes across as a more holistic view of health and fitness. Using the scale as the measuring stick of health obfuscates quite a bit.

Getting good bloodwork really improves my confidence in my lifestyle. I cheat enough that I wondered how much it would affect my health.

Well, the bulk is back on. Another 2-3 months of hypertrophy-based training and copious quantities of food should do the trick.

 

[Vio-Lence]

Are cable exercises (tricep pushdowns, cable crossovers, etc) considered machine exercises, or do they lean more towards free weights?

its connected to a pulley, its a machine.

 

[entremet]

Hey there guys. I used to be a gym rat in Japan when I was in the Air Force but after getting out and coming back to America I've gotten lazy and out of shape. Normally running and exercise would get me back together but I'm an ectomorph with a high metabolism. I didn't realize it but in Japan I was doing a lot of isolation type exercises with the only real core stuff was the leg press and bench press. My question is: what exercises should I be doing to build myself up? 6'0", 161lbs by the way.

Do the beginner Full body program via linear progression. Eat at a surplus of calories with at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight.

Find your TDEE-Total Daily Energy Expenditure and add 20 percent of calories for lean bulk. If you have hard time getting calories, drink chocolate milk and eat pizza to your numbers up.

But you want to be doing full body body routines as a novice.

 

[andycapps]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it, just something you don't see every day. Seems like a weighted vest would work better though.

It's just another piece of equipment to buy. Still, weighted vest is a good thing to eventually have for doing weighted chinups or pullups when you can move beyond bodyweight. I'm not at that point yet, but eventually I'll probably get a vest.

They actually want me to increase my HDL some. I clocked in at 39.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I'm by no means a deadlift expert but my deadlift is also only 10 lbs heavier than my squat (410 for squat and 420 for deadlift 1rep maxes @ ~148) but from the video, it seems like you were weaker from the floor initially. I also have the same issue according to my lifting buddy. I'll look like I have trouble getting it off the ground but make the lockout look easy. I've read and been told to improve that initial get up and to do that you have to improve your initial force off the ground. A couple things to improve that would be deficit deadlifts and speed pulls, which is also why I'm looking to give the Westside template a try.

This article has many good suggestions:

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online...raining_performance_repair/deadlift_diagnosis

The quick ass bounce you did up and down to set your grip is going to cost you some tightness. This is how I do my DLs, and it sets me perfectly every time:




When you do that quick up and down, you may pull with your back more than your glutes, which is no bueno.

Thanks for the tips, guys. I think I'm going to focus on improving my "start" position/setup, since I've gotten a lot of feedback related to that. I'll try to post an update in a month or so.

 

[balddemon]

keeping track of my food today for the first time....the stuff I eat is pure lolz.

for instance, the pepperoni party pizza by totinos: 740 calories, 40g fat, 24g protein, and 70g carbs. never realized how much those were haha.

 

[entremet]

keeping track of my food today for the first time....the stuff I eat is pure lolz.

for instance, the pepperoni party pizza by totinos: 740 calories, 40g fat, 24g protein, and 70g carbs. never realized how much those were haha.

Yeah. It's eye opening.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

I used to eat a lot of junk, but now that I've been eating better I kinda find it unappealing whenever I do eat it on the weekends. It's kinda crazy, like "Shit, I was eating this stuff every other day for years!" Like, I use to to drink a LOT of soda, now I can't really stand the taste, it's been nothing but water for years now.

Wish I could find some vegetables/greens I could enjoy, though. Man can't live on fruit, brown rice and lean meats alone.

 

[rando14]

keeping track of my food today for the first time....the stuff I eat is pure lolz.

for instance, the pepperoni party pizza by totinos: 740 calories, 40g fat, 24g protein, and 70g carbs. never realized how much those were haha.

Nearly twice as much fat as protein? impressive lol

 

[ToxicAdam]

Wish I could find some vegetables/greens I could enjoy, though. Man can't live on fruit, brown rice and lean meats alone.

I've come to learn of the deliciousness of spinach. It's super cheap, doesn't wilt quickly and packed with some nutrients.

Sometimes I throw a small handful of shredded cheese and some chicken chunks on it for a great lunch.

 

[blackflag]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it, just something you don't see every day. Seems like a weighted vest would work better though.

Yeah vest would definitely be easier

 

[Noema]

Form check!

Deadlift 425x1 @ 204 lbs.

Okay, so I am trying to figure out why my deadlift is only 5-10 lbs heavier than my squat. You'll notice that 425 is pretty smooth--I could maybe have gotten 3, but the variation of 5/3/1 I'm on calls for just hitting the prescribed reps.

However, squatting 420x1 last week was similarly "easy"--I could have definitely had 2 reps, but just got 1.

I am expecting my dead to be 30-50 lbs heavier than my squat, so I have to think there is something with my form. Some advice I've already gotten:

-Don't spend so much time in the whole, or at least in the "squatted" position--a big deadlifter at my gym said he may grip the bar, but stay kinda straight legged until he's ready to pull. At that point, he basically pulls the bar and himself "into" position and lifts
-Set my hips a bit higher. I have short legs and a long torso, so it's easy for me to do a "deep" deadlift position, but maybe if I raised my hips a bit, it would help my leverage.

Any thoughts are welcome--thanks.

It looks pretty good from the angle you posted. Like you yourself said, maybe you could do with raising your hips a bit before pulling to improve leverage and increase hamstring tension.

Also remember that anthropometry is very important when it comes to lifting mechanics. You have short legs and a long torso. This type of proportions are well suited for squatting but not so much for deadlifting, so it's not strange at all to me that your deadlift and squat maxes would be close to each other.

A person with different proportions might have a much different gap between those two lifts. For example, I have a short torso for my height (I'm 6'2") and ridiculously long legs and specially arms. My arms are so long that my arm span is longer than my height. So benching and OHP are tough for me. But it also means I have a good build for deadlifting since I can keep my back fairly vertical while raising my hips. In my case there's a 100lb+ gap between my deadlift and my squat, and I attribute that to many reasons, but mostly to anthropometry. But it just means I have to work harder at squatting than I do at deadlifting.

 

[sphinx]

Wish I could find some vegetables/greens I could enjoy, though. Man can't live on fruit, brown rice and lean meats alone.

thaw some pieces of Broccoli in a pot and when they are soft, put a small portion of white chesse on them. Mix it in the pot, watch as the cheese melts. Serve as a side dish. Proceed to eat and enjoy brocolli.

 

[SeanR1221]

I used to eat a lot of junk, but now that I've been eating better I kinda find it unappealing whenever I do eat it on the weekends. It's kinda crazy, like "Shit, I was eating this stuff every other day for years!" Like, I use to to drink a LOT of soda, now I can't really stand the taste, it's been nothing but water for years now.

Wish I could find some vegetables/greens I could enjoy, though. Man can't live on fruit, brown rice and lean meats alone.

Man up and eat those veggies, son. I eat a good 2-4 cups a meal. Spinach, broccoli, squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, egg plants, peppers, cucumbers, etc.

 

[Petrie]

Man up and eat those veggies, son. I eat a good 2-4 cups a meal. Spinach, broccoli, squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, egg plants, peppers, cucumbers, etc.

God do I ever hate veggies. I force myself to each broccoli.

Pretty sure my aunt making me sit at the table till I finished a plate of green beans when I was little traumatized me.

 

[SeanR1221]

God do I ever hate veggies. I force myself to each broccoli.

Pretty sure my aunt making me sit at the table till I finished a plate of green beans when I was little traumatized me.

That's cause you haven't had my veggies. Come over, I'll grill for you.

 

[Mully]

That's cause you haven't had my veggies. Come over, I'll grill for you.

What's inside those peppers? It looks glorious.

 

[CrankyJay]

That's cause you haven't had my veggies. Come over, I'll grill for you.

Come on son, you can fill up those peppers with more meat.

 

[SeanR1221]

What's inside those peppers? It looks glorious.

Steak and provolone.

Come on son, you can fill up those peppers with more meat.

I know!! I didn't realize how huge the peppers were until I started cooking my steak.

 

[Petrie]

That's cause you haven't had my veggies. Come over, I'll grill for you.

OMW!

That does look pretty damn good, even if I hate the texture of peppers.

 

[SeanR1221]

OMW!

That does look pretty damn good, even if I hate the texture of peppers.

Trust me, grilling makes everything better.

Grilling some pork chops tonight. Haven't decided on the vegetable side yet...

 

[Szu]

God do I ever hate veggies. I force myself to each broccoli.

Pretty sure my aunt making me sit at the table till I finished a plate of green beans when I was little traumatized me.

Think of broccoli as little trees. Trees that you uprooted and devour with a single bite. Makes you feel like a giant.

 

[sphinx]

hehe, would you guys rate Broccoli lower than Spinach?

I HATE spinach, I imagine that's how (er, unused..) wet toilet paper would taste

 

[steadfast]

hehe, would you guys rate Broccoli lower than Spinach?

I HATE spinach, I imagine that's how (er, unused..) wet toilet paper would taste

Switch to baby spinach mixed with romaine for salads. A little sweeter and it's the perfect salad bed.

Eventually, just go all baby spinach. Also, spinach with bacon is about the best thing ever.

 

[Davidion]

Anyone on www.graze.com?

$5 a week gets you a shipment of super healthy snacks. Nuts and chocolate galore.

I have a referral code, 75Q9P5H, if anyone wants to get in. If referral codes are an issue to post, let me know and I'll remove.

 

[f0nz0]

Anyone on www.graze.com?

$5 a week gets you a shipment of super healthy snacks. Nuts and chocolate galore.

I have a referral code, 75Q9P5H, if anyone wants to get in. If referral codes are an issue to post, let me know and I'll remove.

Just how much stuff do they send you? Handful of nuts?, 1-2 chocolate bites?

 

[Davidion]

Just how much stuff do they send you? Handful of nuts?, 1-2 chocolate bites?

I'll report in when I get my first box.

So far according to the intarweb it looks like these.

https://www.google.com/search?q=gra...06,d.dmQ&fp=a2cf363cd65cbedf&biw=1920&bih=933

 

[jdouglas]

So I uh took someone's [(everyone's...by way of universal agreement)silence is confirmatory/affirmative/something etc)] advice and tightened my core in response to some pressure I felt in my lower back during my Over Head Presses. Made all the difference in the world.

(Would have been) Relevant (about 6 hours ago): my mother has higher HDL cholesterol than LDL as a non-vegetarian because of the insane amounts of olive oil she puts in everything.

Not-relevant (to aforementioned discussion): When I do my low-bar squats [(high-bar squats are the devil!) I just got into them] whenever I go to a higher weight, the bar feels like it's starting to slip off of my back. It doesn't, but it feels like it will. Anyone know what's up?

 

[IronBubbles]

Not-relevant (to aforementioned discussion): When I do my low-bar squats [(high-bar squats are the devil!) I just got into them] whenever I go to a higher weight, the bar feels like it's starting to slip off of my back. It doesn't, but it feels like it will. Anyone know what's up?

Gravity pulling the bar down?

Take a more narrow grip to create a tighter shelf. Or build some more shoulder mass.

 

[CrankyJay]

Trust me, grilling makes everything better.

Grilling some pork chops tonight. Haven't decided on the vegetable side yet...

Last night I made sauteed kale greens with chopped up bacon (2 slices for the salt and oil), artichokes, garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and just a little bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Doesn't take too long if you don't mind the cooking aspect of it. Pair with any protein.

 

[Noema]

Not-relevant (to aforementioned discussion): When I do my low-bar squats [(high-bar squats are the devil!) I just got into them] whenever I go to a higher weight, the bar feels like it's starting to slip off of my back. It doesn't, but it feels like it will. Anyone know what's up?

Raise your elbows. Also, you are probably placing the bar too low.

Watch this: http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/video/platform_the_squat_bar_position

 

[Chittagong]

Can anyone think of a good household item to put underneath my chest when doing pushups to ensure I am going low enough (by touching it)?

 

[CrankyJay]

Can anyone think of a good household item to put underneath my chest when doing pushups to ensure I am going low enough (by touching it)?

nintendo wii?

tennis ball?

 

[mr stroke]

Can anyone think of a good household item to put underneath my chest when doing pushups to ensure I am going low enough (by touching it)?

Just touch the ground with your chest?

 

[roosters93]

nintendo wii?

tennis ball?

Wii u or bust

 

[jdouglas]

Gravity pulling the bar down?

Take a more narrow grip to create a tighter shelf. Or build some more shoulder mass.

Raise your elbows. Also, you are probably placing the bar too low.

Watch this: http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/video/platform_the_squat_bar_position

Thanks (I don't know if this single-word-reply is a breach of etiquette, but I feel it's appropriate nonetheless).

 

[Ripclawe]

Tried the Questbars (Brownie and Cinnabon) Taste is okay, no bad aftertaste, didn't realize there is 70% daily fiber content in one bar until after eating two at a time.

Also started that Layne Norton PHAT workout and finished the 3rd day and I was tired after the workout. I have hyper lower body and I am going to have to grind thru it because my legs are still sore from Monday

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Anyone on www.graze.com?

$5 a week gets you a shipment of super healthy snacks. Nuts and chocolate galore.

I have a referral code, 75Q9P5H, if anyone wants to get in. If referral codes are an issue to post, let me know and I'll remove.

Yep, been using it here in the UK for a couple of months.
It's good for trying out new types of snacks, and if I end up liking something I try to grab it wholesale cheaper.

 

[balddemon]

I am such a fatass

3190 calories, 147g fat, 73g protein (no shake though...), and 325g carbs. in one day. I either need to lower carbs or increase protein and calories. preferably the latter, and maybe a bit of both...idk. the carbs just seems excessive to me.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

I am such a fatass

3190 calories, 147g fat, 73g protein (no shake though...), and 325g carbs. in one day. I either need to lower carbs or increase protein and calories. preferably the latter, and maybe a bit of both...idk. the carbs just seems excessive to me.

I've been cutting until recently on 300 carbs. Gotta play around with the numbers a bit is all since these kinda things are very individual. That protein looks low, but then I don't know your size, just going off the ratio to carbs.

 

[balddemon]

I've been cutting until recently on 300 carbs. Gotta play around with the numbers a bit is all since these kinda things are very individual. That protein looks super low though.

ah ok that makes me feel better. today's protein was low because I woke up at noon and missed an entire meal. I also didn't have any shakes, I'd be closer to 150g (still low imo, but whey better) if I had breakfast + midmorning snack + 2 shakes.

 

[TheDarkStark]

I am such a fatass

3190 calories, 147g fat, 73g protein (no shake though...), and 325g carbs. in one day. I either need to lower carbs or increase protein and calories. preferably the latter, and maybe a bit of both...idk. the carbs just seems excessive to me.

Carbs are fine, you fat is way too fucking high, like more than double what it should be.

We have a queen. It isn't the size, it's the damn position she wants to be in the "cuddle". I flat out told her I can't lay that way anymore though, it's wrecking my shoulder.

I have a hard enough time sleeping by myself most of the time, I can't get a WINK of sleep if I've got a woman in the bed with me. Most of the time I tell them "look I've got to be up really early and I have a very hard time sleeping, if you're tossing and turning I'm going to leave/ask you to leave"

 

[TheDarkStark]

double post

 

[Trey]

I know how you feel, bro.

Hilariously accurate.

 

[Chittagong]

nintendo wii?

tennis ball?

these are good! worried I'll crush my Wii though, so maybe I'll go with a tennis ball

 

[abuC]

Didn't update but was able to get up 150lbs dumbbells x 6 on bench

 

[SquiddyCracker]

Didn't update but was able to get up 150lbs dumbbells x 6 on bench

Congrats man!