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[AssMan]

haha, Wrong, not even close really.

Actually, he's right if you want to get strong quickly. Doing squats is the best workout in releasing testostrone (can't spell it =\) throughout your entire body, which is good in not only building your lower body, but your upper body too.


All it comes down to are pull ups, dips, push ups, and squats if you really can't afford to go to a gym. Hell, even if you do go to a gym they're still good to do.

 

[Dilbert]

Not to take this in the opposite direction, but...

What is the best workout regimen for losing weight? I would guess that it would involve restricting calorie intake and cardio (well, duh), but more specifics would be helpful:

1) How often should cardio be done when starting out, and what is a reasonable progression for, say, the first six weeks?

2) How much (if any) weightlifting should be done while in a weight loss phase?

3) What variation in length/intensity of cardio (if any) is conducive to weight loss?

4) Is there a preferred time of day to exercise for maximum weight loss effectiveness? Morning, afternoon, evening? What impact, if any, does eating after cardio have?

Thanks...now that I've ballooned to 600 pounds, I think I should start taking this seriously.

 

[Lil' Dice]

I agree with fatghost, no offense but DJ Sl4m's advice is best suited for those who enjoy moderate/light workouts and are casual lifters. I've been working out for a little over 8 years, have consistently employed the habit of a 'full stretch' with each and every rep. In other words, when i bench i touch my chest with the bar, when i dip my elbows break 90degrees, when i shoulder press i touch my collar bone with the bar. All this, nine years strong and never a single injury, sure I've had my shares of soreness from being a bit over zealous in the gym, but I've always been back in the gym on my next scheduled day.

If you're serious about lifting, you want to be strong, not some pretty boy looking for a reason to take his shirt off any time a few women are around, then do some deadlifts, squats (ass to ankles), pull ups, bench(flat/incline) and some dips. For your traps/shoulders do some upright rows military press and some clean and jerk.
Sure everyone develops differently, but doing these on a regular basis will greatly increase your core strength which is the building block of a true body weightlifter.

I'm living proof, I'm only 180lbs and bench 385, deadlift 315 and curl 65lbs on each arm.

 

[Orion]

Can anyone reccomend a good way to strenghten the knee area? Mine have gotten to the point where it hurts to bend them and ascend/descend stairs. Thanks.

 

[Ristamar]

Can anyone reccomend a good way to strenghten the knee area? Mine have gotten to the point where it hurts to bend them and ascend/descend stairs. Thanks.

It might be a good idea to see a physical therapist before tackling the weights. You may only aggravate the problem...

 

[AssMan]

(ass to ankles),

I dissagree with you because going down that far will cause injury to your knees. You want to stick your butt out, tighten your abs, and go down to a point where you slightly bend your legs, like taking a shit on a toilet, but not go so far down as you mentioned. Also, don't place the bar on your neck. Keep the bar placed on your rear delts. Sure it will put a little pressure on your shoulders, but it's the right way to do squats.

 

[Fatghost]

I dissagree with you because going down that far will cause injury to your knees. You want to stick your butt out, tighten your abs, and go down to a point where you slightly bend your legs, like taking a shit on a toilet, but not go so far down as you mentioned. Also, don't place the bar on your neck. Keep the bar placed on your rear delts. Sure it will put a little pressure on your shoulders, but it's the right way to do squats.

Bar goes against the upper shoulder, not the neck as you described. BUT doing half rep squats is harder on the knee than the full squat. Your squatting technique is an ACL blow out waiting to happen.

 

[duderon]

I'm living proof, I'm only 180lbs and bench 385, deadlift 315 and curl 65lbs on each arm.

That deadlift is weak compared to your bench.

How often do you work on it and do you do squats?

 

[effzee]

Damn, you guys getting worked up over nothing. There is no point in arguing cause the two different workout methods both have scientific proof behind them that shows that they do indeed help u gain muscle mass. But as iI've said earlier on, there are many different workout philosophies and routines that work, you just have to find out which one is the best and most efficient.

I personally don't agree with Fatghost28, over the last 6 years I've worked out, I've tried that workout he refers too and my switch to Max OT has gotten me alot more gains than ever I've ever experienced before. But thats just me, if you guys are truly looking for the best way to workout, read the websites, read the articles, check up on the sources, and even do both workouts. See which one is better.

What is the best workout regimen for losing weight? I would guess that it would involve restricting calorie intake and cardio (well, duh), but more specifics would be helpful:

Best workout for losing weight would be high intensity cardio over a short period of time (around 15-25 minutes).

1) How often should cardio be done when starting out, and what is a reasonable progression for, say, the first six weeks?

Unlike most excerises, its not wise to dive head first into cardio and trying it at the highest difficulty. Progression is very important. You should start of with doing cardio twice a week, each session being 16 minutes. The type of training i would recommend is the bicycle at the gym, because it does not require any sorta of skill or balance to do it and that way you can put out a maximum effort. Set the bike to the interval training and try not to start of slow. Do it one or two times to see how much cardio you can do for 16 minutes. Once you've settled into doing the bike, try to set the resistance to the amount that in 16 minutes you will completly max out your energy reserves.

Now, as for moving on progressively, you can do 2 time a week for the first two weeks, than go to 3 time a week for the next two weeks, and the last two weeks, go 3 times a week but go twice every day. Its been proven by research that two 15 minute cardio sessions 6 hours apart burn much more calories than one 30 minute cardio session. I hope this all makes sense, I'm sorta sick right now so just bare with me.

2) How much (if any) weightlifting should be done while in a weight loss phase?

Weight lifting can be an effectivel tool to lose weight. As I'm sure you know, muscles help breakdown the fat and therefore the more muscles you have, the better it is for your metabolism. Now one thing you have to be aware of is that you shouldn't do cardio and weight lifting back to back. If you want to do both in the same day, make sure you do them atleast 6 hours apart from each other. If you do them back to back, your muscle tissue will not get time to recover and start breaking down.

3) What variation in length/intensity of cardio (if any) is conducive to weight loss?

I think I already answered this, short high intensity cardio workouts.

4) Is there a preferred time of day to exercise for maximum weight loss effectiveness? Morning, afternoon, evening? What impact, if any, does eating after cardio have?

Time of the day is not important but eating after cardio is every important. Treat Cardio as a normal weight lifting session, after the cardio session you have a 3 hour period in which you need to eat alot of protein and carbs to replenish your body. The first half and hour right after cardio is the most important, make sure you get alot of carbs and proteins in this time frame. After that, i would recommend eating two small meals also high in protein and carbs an hour apart from each other.

 

[DJ Sl4m]

Actually, he's right if you want to get strong quickly. Doing squats is the best workout in releasing testostrone (can't spell it =\) throughout your entire body, which is good in not only building your lower body, but your upper body too.


All it comes down to are pull ups, dips, push ups, and squats if you really can't afford to go to a gym. Hell, even if you do go to a gym they're still good to do.

I agree with doing squats for leg and overall mass, but every other day is absurd and utterly rediculous.

Let him post pics and lets see who's full of it, and who isn't.
I'm more than willing to call him out on progree comparisons.

 

[effzee]

Btw, I was doing a lot of research lately on fat loss and I guess I’ll just copy and paste it here since I believe many people will benefit from it. Most of this is from Max OT so don't thank me, thank them

Increase calcium intake
Source: High protein dairy products and high in calcium (Calcium helps speed up metabolism)

Calcium Comparison:
*Low fat milk (1 cup)...................................300mgs
*Powdered non fat milk (1 tablespoon)......50mgs
*Non fat yogurt (1cup)................................400mgs
*Non fat cottage cheese (1 cup).................400mgs
Sardines (with bones)3oz...........................370mgs
Salmon (with bones)3oz.............................210mgs
Spinach (1 cup)...........................................170mgs
Broccoli (1 cup)...........................................150gms
Turnip greens (1cup)...................................190gms
*VP2 Whey Isolate(2 scoops).....................200mgs
*Ny-Tro PRO-40(1 packet)..........................500mgs

Eat breakfast between the first 30 minutes of waking up
Source: Anything with high amounts of protein and carbohydrates

Increase meal frequency without increasing total calories consumed
Example: If you eat 3 meals usually with 3000 calories total (1 meal =1000 cals), you should try to eat 6 meals a day with 3000 calories total (1 meal= 500 cals)

Increase vegetable intake
High bulk and low calories, tricks your body into thinking your eating something with large amount of calories

Leave room for improvement in cardio
Progressively step up the difficulty in the cardio, that way your body constantly keeps increasing the metabolic rate because your body constantly keeps getting challenged.

Drink more water
Water increases your metabolic rate and prevents you body from going into a catabolic state

After working out, increase your calorie intake
Working out increases your metabolism greatly for the 3-6 hours after the training and because of that you have to consume a lot more calories after working out to make sure your body muscle tissues are not broken down. Since the muscles promote fat breakdown and increase you metabolism, this will help in losing fat

Timing of eating after working out:
Half and hour after working out: Take in a small amount of carbohydrates and than take in a large amount of protein (preferably in liquid form because it dissolves straight into the blood stream)

After the half and hour window for eating ends: eat a meal also consisting of carbohydrates and protein. (I.e. Burgers)

An hour later, eat another meal: Also consisting of carbohydrates and proteins.

Do two sessions of cardio a day, 2-3 days a week
Doing two 15 minute sessions of cardio 6 hours apart from each burn twice as many calories as one 30 minute session of cardio.

Green Tea
Increases metabolic rate and helps in keeping the weight from accumulating again after you have lost it

Increase Caffeine Intake
Best way to do this is coffee because not only does coffee provide the right amount of caffeine, it also has many other benefits like reducing muscle pain, lowering risk of cancer, etc…

Chlorogenic acid and Caffeine, which are both found in coffee have been proven to effectively increase individuals metabolism rates significantly if taken moderately throughout the day (3 times a day) 400 milliliters

Calories in should be less than calories out
Basically the amount of calories you consume per day should be less than the amount of calories you burn. The fastest way of using this system to your advantage is simply by lowering your calories by slightly adjusting your diet and at the same time, increasing your cardio to burn more calories. This will speed up the fat loss program by two folds.

 

[Fatghost]

I agree with doing squats for leg and overall mass, but every other day is absurd and utterly rediculous.

Let him post pics and lets see who's full of it, and who isn't.
I'm more than willing to call him out on progree comparisons.

Anectdotal evidence. Why don't you post the science behind your assertions?

 

[Lil' Dice]

That deadlift is weak compared to your bench.

How often do you work on it and do you do squats?

I work out every other day, which usually equals 3 days one week, and 4 days another.
I've really only started doing deadlifts 6 months ago, and when i say i deadlift 315 that's 10 reps.

Deadlifting 'ass to ankle' has not hurt me yet because i don't free squat too heavy (185lbs max), then i go to a leg press machine and press 600 (or whatever 12 plates is) four sets of ten, then your usual lunges, leg curls and extensions. My leg workouts are not like those of an immobile bodybuilder, but rather like that of an athlete since i play recreational sports.

Anyway if anyone lives near LA feel free to stop by 24Hour Fitness in Glendale on Mondays, I'll show you why they call me "The Real Deal"

**Edit**, i'd like to see DJ's and fatghost's pics......

 

[duderon]

I've really only started doing deadlifts 6 months ago, and when i say i deadlift 315 that's 10 reps.

Okay, nevermind then

 

[effzee]

Pictures don't really prove anything, the physical appearance of muslces does not tell us how strong the person is nor does it tell us how they got there, what they did differently and how their genes played into it.

 

[DJ Sl4m]

Anectdotal evidence. Why don't you post the science behind your assertions?

I'm collecting links now, and I'll post pictures later.

 

[Lil' Dice]

Pictures don't really prove anything, the physical appearance of muslces does not tell us how strong the person is nor does it tell us how they got there, what they did differently and how their genes played into it.

Jesus Christ, you're like the grumply old man of "GA Street'.....

 

[AssMan]

Have a workout plan that fits you best. I don't really ask for other's opinion on how they set up their workout plan. I just find what's right for me. Everybody develops differently. Don't do weight lifting exercises that feels uncomfortable.

It's all about INTENSITY. You can go into the gym, do 1 or 2 sets and be done for the day. Just push yourself hard. I think about the Rocky movies. That usually gets me motivated.

 

[DJ Sl4m]

Pictures don't really prove anything, the physical appearance of muslces does not tell us how strong the person is nor does it tell us how they got there, what they did differently and how their genes played into it.

It does if he's not even in shape or obviously not in shape enough to prove he knows what he's trying to push.

 

[Fatghost]

It does if he's not even in shape or obviously not in shape enough to prove he knows what he's trying to push.

Kid, I'm still waiting on all these links. I'm still waiting to hear where you learned your basic biology too.

Pics don't prove anything. You're already stating that every olympic and professional strength coach, every champion powerlifter, most professional athletes including NFL, NHL and other professional leagues are all training incorrectly and stupidly.

You're also saying Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dorian Yates, Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Steve Reeves and other champion bodybuilders trained incorrectly.

Seriously, stop reading the muscle comic books and start using your brain.


What kind of training protocol do you support? Based on your posts, you're a believer in that do 12-20 sets per body part once a week or less bullshit.

Let me ask you something: if the human body reached an optimal level of fitness from exercising a muscle once a week or less, how the fuck could anyone have ever survived before modern times? If farmers were continually destroying muscle mass, how could they have managed to perform intense, long duration physical labour for 20-30 years before the industrial revolution? How could soldiers have marched hundreds and thousands of miles with heavy equipment and still be in shape to fight?

You think Alexander the Great had an army of super genetic freaks? Or do you believe that he only had his soldiers march one day of the week and take 6 days off for recovery with protein shakes?

Seriously, that once a week bullshit doesn't hold up to any scientific analysis, shit, it doesn't even hold up to common sense. It's only popular because soccer moms and recreational body builders and lazy people like the idea that "less is more" because it supports them not working out hard enough.

Have you ever tried to squat and deadlift 3-4 times per week? It's very difficult and intense. It's also incredibly rewarding and the fitness benefits are incredible.

 

[DJ Sl4m]

Nonsense. If the human body couldn't tolerate exercise frequently, we'd all be dead. Ever see monkeys? Or chimps, our closest related species. They're doing dips and chins ALL DAY LONG EVERY DAY.

And a grown chimp could rip your arms off.

Tell you what: you post your scientific proof of your claim and I'll post scientific proof of mine.

Since you've obviously never heard of overtraining in humans, let me help educate you.
Trying to compare an animal to a human trying to push themselves beyond the normal mold of how your own genes think you should be is...... ignorant and like comparing apples to oranges.

About 50 articles on overtraining can be read here:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=Overtraining

Very good read:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/david53.htm

The Consequences Of Overtraining.

There are three potential consequences of overtraining. The fist consequence is staleness, which we have and will continue to discuss. The second possible outcome is injury. As you train harder and harder, your body is more susceptible to injury. Think about car racing for a second in order to illustrate this point. If you've watched car racing before you will have noticed that by the end of a race, almost every car has had some sort of problem that needed fixing. This is because the cars are running close to their maximum potential, and thus are at a higher risk of breaking down (developing injuries while overtraining is analogous to developing engine problems during a car race).

The third possible outcome is biologically and physiologQUOTE=Fatghost28]ically adapting to overtraining while psychologically adapting as well by maintaining adequate motivation and mental health. These adaptations will increase your overall performance. This final consequence is the one reason why you would want to overtrain in the first place. However, if motivation and mental health suffers, staleness is the result.

As previously stated, the major risk of overtraining is developing staleness. The concept of staleness is nothing new, but does get overlooked by many who talk about overtraining. Even the American Medical Association, during the 60's, included staleness in conjunction with athletic injuries. The problem with staleness is that the causes due to overtraining are not yet well established. However, there are physiological and psychological changes that are associated with staleness that may have some use in detecting and preventing staleness. There again, a problem arises in trying to find physiological or psychological markers that are sensitive to changes in training, specific to changes in training, and can be measured by a practical, easy method. It has been demonstrated that there are specific physiologic changes that occur with overtraining such as:

Physiologic Changes Occuring With Overtraining:

* An increased resting heart rate
* A decreased VO2max and submaximal VO2 An increase in rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise compared to normal RPE of the same exercise intensity
o (see A Quasi-Comprehensive Definition & Explanation of Intensity for an understanding of RPE)
* Increased blood lactate levels during exercise compared to normal blood lactate levels of the same exercise intensity
* Decreased muscular strength
* Increased muscle soreness
* Change in hormones like creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and Interleukin-1 (IL-1)
* Chronic fatigue
* Increased number of infections
* Loss of body weight
* Altered function of the endocrine, immune, and central nervous systems

These physiologic markers are all associated with overtraining and staleness. However, the reliability and specificity of these markers for overtraining and staleness is still unknown.

In addition to these physiologic markers, there are also psychological changes that accompany staleness such as:

Psychological Changes That Accompany Staleness:

* Increased irritability
* Increased apathy
* Lack of appetite
* Sleep disturbances
* Increased mood disturbances

Of these markers, mood disorders have been the most extensively reported on. Mood disturbances can be evaluated by using the profile of mood states (POMS), which is a questionnaire that aims to quantify the intensity of moods. The POMS questionnaire evaluates 6 mood states including:

The 6 Mood States:

* Tension
* Depression
* Anger
* Vigor
* Fatigue
* Confusion

http://www.medicdirectsport.com/athletictraining/default.asp?step=4&pid=69

http://physiotherapy.curtin.edu.au/resources/educational-resources/exphys/00/overtraining.cfm

http://www.sportperformance.org/Volume_51.pdf

Still need more proof of overtraining ?

Why don't you go tell that to Steve Reeves or Eugen Sandow or Arthur Saxon or any other great strong man or bodybuilder who did full body workouts very frequently. Or why not tell that to the guys behind HST http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html.

Or better yet, explain how Westside protocols produce champion after champion. After all, Westside trains the same muscle groups 2-4 times per week, exercises close to daily, and yet consistently produces top strength athletes.

Your number of sets and reps under the HST ruitine is absud like I said, the HST plan uses a very low number of sets and reps every other day, your recomendation was this:

Best way to build muscle (naturally)


Squats, Deadlifts, Chins and Dips (weighted).

Do about 6 to 8 sets of 3 to 5 reps of a weight that is about your 6 rep max.

Repeat every other day.

Overtraining is guarenteed with your recomendation, you need to read more of the principle you're trying to push, the HST doesn't go completely overboard as you're suggesting.

You obviously don't bench press properly. Your form would be disqualified in an actual bench press meet.

I don't compete in events to test my strength or how I look, I lift to gain and sculp muscle in the proper proportions and for my own satisfaction. If you're working out is based on strength training go ahead and spill it, as most everyone knows strength training physichs look nothing like bodybuilders or people who try to keep overall body symetry.

Are you aware that the current popular (and wrong) body building methodology was invented only about 20-30 years ago, and was not how the vast majority of superior strongmen, athletes, and weight lifters trained?

No shit eh ? WHat, did you just get your first flex mag, look spare me the beginner history.

Are you aware that today, champion weight lifters and power lifters still workout with full range of motion and very frequently?

And did you know that power lifters have some of the absolute worst physics ?

 

[DJ Sl4m]

Kid, I'm still waiting on all these links. I'm still waiting to hear where you learned your basic biology too.

Pics don't prove anything. You're already stating that every olympic and professional strength coach, every champion powerlifter, most professional athletes including NFL, NHL and other professional leagues are all training incorrectly and stupidly.

You're also saying Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dorian Yates, Bill Pearl, Reg Park, Steve Reeves and other champion bodybuilders trained incorrectly.

Seriously, stop reading the muscle comic books and start using your brain.


What kind of training protocol do you support? Based on your posts, you're a believer in that do 12-20 sets per body part once a week or less bullshit.

Let me ask you something: if the human body reached an optimal level of fitness from exercising a muscle once a week or less, how the fuck could anyone have ever survived before modern times? If farmers were continually destroying muscle mass, how could they have managed to perform intense, long duration physical labour for 20-30 years before the industrial revolution? How could soldiers have marched hundreds and thousands of miles with heavy equipment and still be in shape to fight?

You think Alexander the Great had an army of super genetic freaks? Or do you believe that he only had his soldiers march one day of the week and take 6 days off for recovery with protein shakes?

Seriously, that once a week bullshit doesn't hold up to any scientific analysis, shit, it doesn't even hold up to common sense. It's only popular because soccer moms and recreational body builders and lazy people like the idea that "less is more" because it supports them not working out hard enough.

Have you ever tried to squat and deadlift 3-4 times per week? It's very difficult and intense. It's also incredibly rewarding and the fitness benefits are incredible.

Tell ya what little man, pics prove I can back my talk with my walk, & I'm calling you out to do the same!!!
But I know you wont post any because power lifters have terrible shape.

I never said I work each body part 1x a week, so I don't know where you dream up this garbage that I do or why you'd make such an ill assumed post about it.

I use a ruitine Extremely similar to the heavy/light ruitine Ronnie Coleman does, ever heard of him ? He's the largest bodybuilder with the best overall symetery in the history of bodybuilding. BAM!! oh you gotta hate that

 

[Makura]

I'm with DJ on this one. I've read alot of articles about building mass and most of the things Fatghost is saying are often categorized as bodybuilding myths.

 

[Fatghost]

I was going to write a long rebuttal and particularly address the fact that djslam doesn't have a fucking clue about actual powerlifting and olympic lifting, and obviously suffers from the same tunnel vision most recreational bodybuilders have (and why they are the biggest fucking problem gyms have today).

But instead let me say this:

Those are many pretty articles on the dangers of overtraining. Which I won't dispute.

However: how do you know when you are overtraining? There is no established test, short of a muscle biopsy and extensive blood work.

The reality is this: the only way you can know you are overtraining is if you don't get stronger week over week. I get stronger week over week doing frequent sessions of heavy squatting, deadlifting, with chins and dips for supplemental work. Everyone else I have put on a similar program has also improved in a similar fashion.

My 600+ lb deadlift doesn't think I am overtrained.

 

[DJ Sl4m]

I'm with DJ on this one. I've read alot of articles about building mass and most of the things Fatghost is saying are often categorized as bodybuilding myths.

The funny part of it all is he assumes I'm too ignorant to know when he brings up Paris, Arnold, and the like doing a particular ruitine, that I wont realise that those guys (who used an archaic method of trying to gain muscle back then anyway) never stuck to a ruitine their entire career lift.

Every bodybuilder changes his ruitines, set numbers, ruitine layout, everything, it's always changing and never stays the same, so if anyone actually believes that any of those guys got built doing what he's talking about only is probably crazy enough to believe they also got that way from taking the suppliments they endore inside magazine ads.

And bringing up Bob paris who was a deca only guy in the past world of test is humorous.

 

[DJ Sl4m]

I was going to write a long rebuttal and particularly address the fact that djslam doesn't have a fucking clue about actual powerlifting and olympic lifting, and obviously suffers from the same tunnel vision most recreational bodybuilders have (and why they are the biggest fucking problem gyms have today).

Ok, but again, I never said I cared or gave a shit about power training, I'm focused on scuplting my body.

 

[Lil' Dice]

So how do you explain someone who powerlifts, but never "overtrains"?
I powerlift, yet still only have around 6-8% body fat.

 

[SlickWilly223]

Don't fuck with any supplements like weight gainer, stick to creatine and protein and you're set. I've only taken creatine during my weightlifting career and i have the body of a Greek god......

I'm actually pretty scared to take creatine... my body is OK, not Greek god status, but I'm happy with it really. I'm really considering taking Creatine though... have you had any negative affects of it?

I'm living proof, I'm only 180lbs and bench 385, deadlift 315 and curl 65lbs on each arm.

Not too shabby at all, damn. Even though you have about 6 more years of workout-experience than me (I've only been working out for 2 years) I think I'm doing alright, though I probably won't reach the kind of strength you have for a waaaaay long time...

I can only bench 250, but I never take benching TOO seriously because I can't find a spotter all the time. With that said, I'm only 16 years old and I'm curling 50 pounds on each arm PROPERLY. I can actually sit down at a bench, and do concentrated 50lb curls, and for that I must say I am pleased, especially since I've never taken any protein or creatine, or any supplements for that matter.

I'm currently 210lb, 6'4.

 

[Lil' Dice]

I'm actually pretty scared to take creatine... my body is OK, not Greek god status, but I'm happy with it really. I'm really considering taking Creatine though... have you had any negative affects of it?



Not too shabby at all, damn. Even though you have about 6 more years of workout-experience than me (I've only been working out for 2 years) I think I'm doing alright, though I probably won't reach the kind of strength you have for a waaaaay long time...

I can only bench 250, but I never take benching TOO seriously because I can't find a spotter all the time. With that said, I'm only 16 years old and I'm curling 50 pounds on each arm PROPERLY. I can actually sit down at a bench, and do concentrated 50lb curls, and for that I must say I am pleased, especially since I've never taken any protein or creatine, or any supplements for that matter.

I'm currently 210lb, 6'4.

The thing with Creatine is to know when to lay off it. Look at it like caffeine, the first time you take it you'll be buzzed like a motherfucker, then your body will gradually adapt to it and you'll feel less and less of an effect from constant use.
I only take liquid creatine, five eye drops under the tongue 20-30 minutes before a workout, and ONLY on the days i work out, no side effects like the shits and upset stomach. After i finish off a bottle I'm off for the next 6-12 months, however liquid creatine does not linger in your system like powder which has to be taken on a daily basis, therefore you could probably cycle it every 3-6 months(meaning taking 3-6 months off after finishing a bottle).

Contrary to popular belief, creatine does not increase mass but will ensure you have ample energy and muscle hydration needed to continue when you would normally be fatigued.

And remember this, the best energy drink on the market is water....drink at least 6 cups a day and one cup every 15 minutes during a workout.

 

[tt_deeb]

Okay guys I think I have a bad routine. A friend said I should focus on separating my workouts into:

Triceps/Chest
Biceps/Back
Abs/Legs

Is this correct? Also I plan on trying to achieve a good workout with just freeweights at home. What are some good exercises for legs in general with just freeweights? And chest also?

 

[Future Trunks]

Wow! This was great. :lol

 

[effzee]

Okay guys I think I have a bad routine. A friend said I should focus on separating my workouts into:

Triceps/Chest
Biceps/Back
Abs/Legs

Is this correct? Also I plan on trying to achieve a good workout with just freeweights at home. What are some good exercises for legs in general with just freeweights? And chest also?

Nothing seems wrong with that, just try to lift heavy for 4-6 reps and 6-9 sets per muscle group.

For legs, try lunges, and squats, nothing beats squats for legs. You can also try stiff leg deadlifts.

For chest, try bench press, (incl, decl,etc...) and avoid doing dumbell flies, etc....

Overall, good rule of thumb is to avoid isolation movements, and stick with compound movements.

 

[mint]

DJ Sl4m IS the bodybuilder in GA. I seen his pics and he's definately built proportionally, and KNOWS what he's talking about. I don't know about you Fatghost28, but if you can't back yourself up with pics then you're nothing but talk, and probably just lies too.

 

[El Papa]

Anyway if anyone lives near LA feel free to stop by 24Hour Fitness in Glendale on Mondays, I'll show you why they call me "The Real Deal"

I'll take you up on that. I'd like to check out your cardio routine, I'm in dire need of one. I live right off the 5 on the Broadway exit, next to Elysian Park.

I stopped lifting shortly after the fall semester started, and I'm hating myself for it. I also gained wait (read: fat) because my eating habits are terrible, often I don't eat all day then eat a big meal at night. I plan and getting back on my lifting routine this weekend, since Thursday is my last day for finals and I'm on vacation for 3 weeks.

 

[Meatpuppet]

Not to take this in the opposite direction, but...

What is the best workout regimen for losing weight? I would guess that it would involve restricting calorie intake and cardio (well, duh), but more specifics would be helpful:

1) How often should cardio be done when starting out, and what is a reasonable progression for, say, the first six weeks?

2) How much (if any) weightlifting should be done while in a weight loss phase?

3) What variation in length/intensity of cardio (if any) is conducive to weight loss?

4) Is there a preferred time of day to exercise for maximum weight loss effectiveness? Morning, afternoon, evening? What impact, if any, does eating after cardio have?

Thanks...now that I've ballooned to 600 pounds, I think I should start taking this seriously.

It's probably not what you wnt to hear, but cut breakfast, and eat 0 snack-foods, period, for a few months. Do a reasonable amount of exercise, eat dinner at lunch-time, and just have a large bowl of plain pasta for dinner.

I did this mainly due to being stingy with my cash (university student), and I wound up dropping over 5 stone (over a quarter of my starting bodyweight) in about 6 months.

It's not too hard to do, and it leaves more cash for entertainment.

 

[effzee]

It's probably not what you wnt to hear, but cut breakfast, and eat 0 snack-foods, period, for a few months. Do a reasonable amount of exercise, eat dinner at lunch-time, and just have a large bowl of plain pasta for dinner.

I did this mainly due to being stingy with my cash (university student), and I wound up dropping over 5 stone (over a quarter of my starting bodyweight) in about 6 months.

It's not too hard to do, and it leaves more cash for entertainment.

Cut breakfast? Wow thats a horrible idea. It will make u lose weight but not fat.

 

[teiresias]

Skip breakfast and your metabolism goes all to hell, that's the worst thing I've heard someone suggest in a while.

 

[Meatpuppet]

Hey, I can only recommend what has worked for me, not something that hasn't.

 

[DJ Sl4m]

Before I answer any questions I first want to address a debate/arguement I had with another member about how to best add muscle in a short time.

It got a lil ugly when actually it probably shouldn't have, he's not a liar, and neither am I, the best interests were in mind when we both posted.
He's giving advice from the background he has, and I the same.

Here's where the problem was, he's into strength training, and I'm into muscle building/sculting.

With the direction he's taking yes, you can build strength and muscle, in that order.
It's a plan that's taken to build as much strength without packing on as much muscle, it's primarily used by teens in high school for lifting competitions.

I'm into increasing my muscle size and fullness as quickly as possible, but also to keep the muscle size and growth in proportion to each other.

Both work, but his way is faster for strength growth, and mine faster for muscle growth.

Since the poster was asking for help in gaining muscle in a short amount of time, I still figure my way is the best course of action to take for the circumstance, but that's certainly not to say he doesn't know how to train properly, because yes there is a valid system with what he's talking about. It just depends on your goals.

Just keep in mind it's almost impossible to gain muscle without getting stronger just as it's almost impossible to gain strength without gaining muscle, the 2 go hand in hand, but the rate of growth is different to each depending on which path you take.

*In case anyone missed this in the other thread*

 

[DJ Sl4m]

Contrary to popular belief, creatine does not increase mass but will ensure you have ample energy and muscle hydration needed to continue when you would normally be fatigued..

Oh man, if the creatine you're taking isn't making your muscle bellies more full and larger, I'd have to start wondering if it's real creatine or enough of it.

When I take creatine, I take Celltech (mainly because of the ALC and preloaded carbs) and usually gain between 8-12 lbs in 2 weeks and all my muscles look very full and larger than normal.

Creatine is an extremely strong signal for your body to draw in more water into the muscle than normal, which is the cause for larger muscles while taking it.