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Official Fitness Thread of Whipping Your Butt into Shape

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deadbeef

Member
Damnit, it's just as bad as I thought it would be. I was able to work up to a 205x5 for bench press, 245x5 for squat (*cries*) and 345x3 for Deadlift.

Sheesh. This sucks. Gonna be a long hard road.
 

Ace 8095

Member
winnarps said:
Revised again:

I'm using the Rippetoe Starting Strength guide/book to get into lifting.

Starting off with the basic MWF alternate exercises (all barbell lifting)- squats, bench, deadlifts, etc. With some small extra ab work thrown in (needsize situps, to get the lower areas). I've started with minimal weights on each, generally bar + 30 lbs. I'm gonna add about 5-10 lbs. every workout for the next 2 weeks and see where I'm at.

Is this safer? I feel like I've scaled back a lot from my previous plan(s).

I also picked up whey protein and I'm purging my diet of shitty foods. Basically gonna eat lean meat, eggs, brown rice, and a mix of fruits/veggies for the next month straight just to see how it goes. Drinks are tons of water, a little green tea, and tons of skim milk.

I think I'm on the right track now. I just need to keep a journal and a record of digital pics.
Sounds good, but I have a little advice. Your standing press will not go up 5 pounds a workout for long. I suggest rigging some smaller weights. I used this site to make mine and they are invaluable http://www.geocities.com/elitemadcow1/Topics/Microloading.htm
Also don't be afraid to drink whole milk. Rip recommends whole milk as a weight gaining substance, and skim milk as a protein supplement. If your body can take in one gallon of whole milk a day and not put on fat, then by all means drink the whole milk.

I wish you the best of luck on your journey. If you stay dedicated and focused, you will be an entirely different man one-year form now, both physically and mentally.
 
Hey, strong Gaf. I'm wanting to get myself into shape. I'm wondering if I can do so without owning a barbell set. I have a nice array of dumbbells I can use, and would also like to get on some sort of regular H.I.I.T. routine.

Am I doomed without a barbell, or is there some sort of plan I can do?
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
IamMattFox said:
Hey, strong Gaf. I'm wanting to get myself into shape. I'm wondering if I can do so without owning a barbell set. I have a nice array of dumbbells I can use, and would also like to get on some sort of regular H.I.I.T. routine.

Am I doomed without a barbell, or is there some sort of plan I can do?

You can develop muscles with just dumbbells but 1) It depends on how many weights you can pack onto said dumbells and 2) if you could use something as a bench.

Without a Barbell, your missing out a Power moves and good compound workouts like Bench pressing and curling the barbell. There's also Presses, Deadlifts and Squats you wont' be able to do.

You could still do Bent over rows (one arm at a time, best with a bench to level yourself), Dumbbell presses (you need a bench) and Dumbbell shoulder presses (not as good as with a barbell).
 

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
IamMattFox said:
Hey, strong Gaf. I'm wanting to get myself into shape. I'm wondering if I can do so without owning a barbell set. I have a nice array of dumbbells I can use, and would also like to get on some sort of regular H.I.I.T. routine.

Am I doomed without a barbell, or is there some sort of plan I can do?
I've found the best thing to do is get dumbbell bars, a barbell, and plates that you can use on both. That way you don't have shitloads of different sized dumbbells sitting around.
 
Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Unfortunately, I already have a bunch of dumbbells.

Would it be cool to do the limited amount of things I can do with dumbbells and bench now, and then start working out with a barbell at some point in the future? I haven't really worked out in a long time, so I'm assuming that doing anything will be better than what I'm currently doing (see: nothing).
 

Jirotrom

Member
JzeroT1437 said:
Can someone who saved it post the OP? I know he probably did it for a reason, but it was very helpful.

If not, can someone PM it to me? I know some people mentioned having copied and pasted it.

Also, I did some Roman Chair situps today. Those things are holy crap effective. I immediately felt it working.
when do you sit up when doing a Roman Chair, arent you parallel to the ground at all times.
 

Jirotrom

Member
IamMattFox said:
Hey, strong Gaf. I'm wanting to get myself into shape. I'm wondering if I can do so without owning a barbell set. I have a nice array of dumbbells I can use, and would also like to get on some sort of regular H.I.I.T. routine.

Am I doomed without a barbell, or is there some sort of plan I can do?
yes you can, go to a park, do pull ups, push ups, dips, Squat jumps, sprints, pull tires, run up hills. You don't "need" barbels. Go do 150 pushups on some parallel bars and tell me how you feel after.
 

winnarps

Member
Thanks for the feedback guys.

I was curious though. I have a dedicated diet plan for the workout days and I'm set there.

Do I just take out the whey protein on off-days? Or should I substitute with other stuff?
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
winnarps said:
Do I just take out the whey protein on off-days? Or should I substitute with other stuff?

I personally load up on protein everyday. If Snrub was here he would tell you that your constantly in a state of recovery (in regards to your muscles). So providing your body with protein is always good.
 

Chichikov

Member
Jirotrom said:
when do you sit up when doing a Roman Chair, arent you parallel to the ground at all times.
I'm not sure I follow, but no, you start parallel (or a bit lower) and sit up.
winnarps said:
I was curious though. I have a dedicated diet plan for the workout days and I'm set there.

Do I just take out the whey protein on off-days? Or should I substitute with other stuff?
Muscles are not built while you work out.
Muscles are built between workouts.
So yeah, eat on your day off.
 

Sullen

Member
I'm having a hard time knowing how many reps and sets of an exercise I should do. I have been trying to keep it simple by doing bench press, squats, and deadlifts. I'm pretty weak atm, so 5 reps seems to be working me pretty hard right now. Sets are what is really getting me though, how many should I do overall?

Also, say I do 3 sets of bench press, how long should I rest between sets?
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Sullen said:
I'm having a hard time knowing how many reps and sets of an exercise I should do. I have been trying to keep it simple by doing bench press, squats, and deadlifts. I'm pretty weak atm, so 5 reps seems to be working me pretty hard right now. Sets are what is really getting me though, how many should I do overall?

Also, say I do 3 sets of bench press, how long should I rest between sets?

Not sure if the other posters in this thread agree but my rule of thumb is...

4-6 Reps = Building power (doing your max weight)

7-9 Reps = Building Mass/Power

10-12 Reps = Building Mass/Endurance

12+ Reps = Building Muscle Endurance

Depending on what your aiming for, you should maintain the weight and reps that cause you to nearly fail or completely fail at said numbers. So if your doing your max, you would probably fail at say, 5 Reps. If your aiming to build Mass then you would want to put on weights that your sure to fail around 7-9. Etc, etc.

I split my sets into 3 and sometimes 4 sets. 3 should be fine.
 
Sullen said:
I'm having a hard time knowing how many reps and sets of an exercise I should do. I have been trying to keep it simple by doing bench press, squats, and deadlifts. I'm pretty weak atm, so 5 reps seems to be working me pretty hard right now. Sets are what is really getting me though, how many should I do overall?

Also, say I do 3 sets of bench press, how long should I rest between sets?

For smaller lifts (bicep curls, bent over rows, etc), I tend to aim for ~25 total reps, split up as 3x8 generally, but sometimes 5x5.

For squats, I started with 3x8 but as my load increased, I found it overly taxing to the point I wasn't keeping proper form. I'd recommend a 3x5 for squatting and deadlift, it has been working for me personally.

Try 5x5 for bench press. I try to rest for at most 1 minute between sets, for the first few sets I can rest about 30 seconds and be good to go, by the final sets, I need more time, closer to a minute or even a bit over, I think. Depends how close to your 1 rep max you're pushing for each rep.

As posted by Snrub on page 88 (on default page layout count):

repetitioncontinuum.jpg
 

Jirotrom

Member
Chichikov said:
I'm not sure I follow, but no, you start parallel (or a bit lower) and sit up.
.
ahhh see, I've always done them with a friend, and we hold parallel from 30 seconds to a minute, then the friend helps sit you back up.
 

Jirotrom

Member
I don't know but maybe it was Amir0x, I just saw a vid on youtube of him preparing fro Yakuza, hilarious. It looks like he was preparing to take over this thread in Glanton's place. I probably get banned for stating this comment just now.
 

OriginX

Member
So here's my story. Two years ago at age 18 I weighed about 250 lbs, over the last 2 years I've gotten down to about 195 lbs just with small lifestyle changes(some diet, physical job). Now I want to go for the gold. My problem is I don't have gym access at this time(financially stressed), all I have 25lb dumbbells and my own bodyweight. So here's what I've been doing the last couple of days:

My plan of attack is as follows:
Sunday- Relax and enjoy life
Monday- Lift and Run
Tuesday- Lift and Run
Wednesday- Lift
Thursday- Lift and Run
Friday- Lift
Saturday- Lift and Run

8:00 AM: Wakeup
9:00 AM: Various Dumbbell Exercises/Routines and core workout
9:45 AM: Run/walk 2 miles
10:15-10:45 AM: Eat my first meal- usually a protein bar and serving of creatine
1:00 PM- Lunch - Salad and Baked Potatoe
3:30-4 PM- Snack- Protein Bar or Fruit
7:00 PM Dinner- Chicken Breast with salad/potatoe
11:00PM-12:00AM- I go to bed

How does that look? I'm not sure how to get started with all this and reading a bunch of different articles has me confused on whether I should workout on an empty stomach or a full stomach. Basically, I just don't want to waste my time if ultimately what I"m doing isn't going to benefit me. I'd rather just adjust my routine now rather than later.

Some questions I have:
1. Should I be doing cardio twice a day, everyday, or is my current plan of attack good?
2. Should I be working out on an empty stomach so early in the morn, or eat then workout?
3. I do about 2 miles of running a day, but it only takes me about 20 mins to get finished, should I be running a further distance since I've read 40+mins of cardio is best.

Most people aren't able to tell I'm fat unless I have my shirt off, which makes me kind of lucky I guess, but I would like to hit up the beach next summer with a good body.

I think my main problem is I just don't think I have the equipment or the knowledge to make this possible, but if I have to lose the weight with all cardio and then build muscle when I can afford a gym membership, thats fine too. I just want to get started before winter comes rolling around.
 

Omne

Banned
OriginX said:
So here's my story. Two years ago at age 18 I weighed about 250 lbs, over the last 2 years I've gotten down to about 195 lbs just with small lifestyle changes(some diet, physical job). Now I want to go for the gold. My problem is I don't have gym access at this time(financially stressed), all I have 25lb dumbbells and my own bodyweight. So here's what I've been doing the last couple of days:

My plan of attack is as follows:
Sunday- Relax and enjoy life
Monday- Lift and Run
Tuesday- Lift and Run
Wednesday- Lift
Thursday- Lift and Run
Friday- Lift
Saturday- Lift and Run

8:00 AM: Wakeup
9:00 AM: Various Dumbbell Exercises/Routines and core workout
9:45 AM: Run/walk 2 miles
10:15-10:45 AM: Eat my first meal- usually a protein bar and serving of creatine
1:00 PM- Lunch - Salad and Baked Potatoe
3:30-4 PM- Snack- Protein Bar or Fruit
7:00 PM Dinner- Chicken Breast with salad/potatoe
11:00PM-12:00AM- I go to bed

How does that look? I'm not sure how to get started with all this and reading a bunch of different articles has me confused on whether I should workout on an empty stomach or a full stomach. Basically, I just don't want to waste my time if ultimately what I"m doing isn't going to benefit me. I'd rather just adjust my routine now rather than later.

Some questions I have:
1. Should I be doing cardio twice a day, everyday, or is my current plan of attack good?
2. Should I be working out on an empty stomach so early in the morn, or eat then workout?
3. I do about 2 miles of running a day, but it only takes me about 20 mins to get finished, should I be running a further distance since I've read 40+mins of cardio is best.

Most people aren't able to tell I'm fat unless I have my shirt off, which makes me kind of lucky I guess, but I would like to hit up the beach next summer with a good body.

I think my main problem is I just don't think I have the equipment or the knowledge to make this possible, but if I have to lose the weight with all cardio and then build muscle when I can afford a gym membership, thats fine too. I just want to get started before winter comes rolling around.

You're not going to get very far owning just a set of 25 lb dumbbells. One of the most effective ways of lifting is by constantly changing weights, reps, etc. so having just one set of dumbbells will hamper you in the longrun.

Doing cardio once a day is fine, but you have to be a little more intense than you are being currently. A lot of people have the perception that running for 30 minutes is fine. It won't really do anything for you unless you're doing it hard. Do sprints, alternate jogging with sprinting, increase your jog speed, whatever. You won't see results if you're running 10 minute miles. Try running for 10-15 minutes instead, but as hard as you can. It's a better workout and it's better for you in the long run.

I'm a college sprinter, here is my cardio plan (I do cardio 6 days a week):

Day 1: 2 mile interval run (treadmill) + 30 min. swim

1 minute at 7 mph
30 seconds at 9.5 mph, 30 seconds at 10 mph
1 minute at 7.5 mph
30 seconds at 10 mph, 30 seconds at 10.5 mph
1 minute at 8 mph
30 seconds at 11 mph, 30 seconds at 12 mph

(Repeat until 2 miles)

Day 2: Sprints + 30 min. swim
3x 100 yard sprint
3 x 200 yard sprint
2 x 400 yard sprint
1 x 800 yard sprint

Day 3: 2 mile interval run (treadmill) +30 min swim
Start at a comfortable speed, increase the speed by 0.8 mph every 30 seconds. Usually I get up to about 12-12.5 mph, then start again.

Day 4: Sprints +30 min. swim

Rinse, repeat

Just work yourself hard. Never take the easy way out.
 

OriginX

Member
Omne said:
You're not going to get very far owning just a set of 25 lb dumbbells. One of the most effective ways of lifting is by constantly changing weights, reps, etc. so having just one set of dumbbells will hamper you in the longrun.

Doing cardio once a day is fine, but you have to be a little more intense than you are being currently. A lot of people have the perception that running for 30 minutes is fine. It won't really do anything for you unless you're doing it hard. Do sprints, alternate jogging with sprinting, increase your jog speed, whatever. You won't see results if you're running 10 minute miles. Try running for 10-15 minutes instead, but as hard as you can. It's a better workout and it's better for you in the long run.

I'm a college sprinter, here is my cardio plan (I do cardio 6 days a week):

Day 1: 2 mile interval run (treadmill) + 30 min. swim

1 minute at 7 mph
30 seconds at 9.5 mph, 30 seconds at 10 mph
1 minute at 7.5 mph
30 seconds at 10 mph, 30 seconds at 10.5 mph
1 minute at 8 mph
30 seconds at 11 mph, 30 seconds at 12 mph

(Repeat until 2 miles)

Day 2: Sprints + 30 min. swim
3x 100 yard sprint
3 x 200 yard sprint
2 x 400 yard sprint
1 x 800 yard sprint

Day 3: 2 mile interval run (treadmill) +30 min swim
Start at a comfortable speed, increase the speed by 0.8 mph every 30 seconds. Usually I get up to about 12-12.5 mph, then start again.

Day 4: Sprints +30 min. swim

Rinse, repeat

Just work yourself hard. Never take the easy way out.


Well here's the thing. I'm extremely out of shape as is so the whole 10-min mile thing is something I"m working on improving on. I have tried HIIT running like your suggesting, but it literally leaves my legs as jello for about 3 days making it impossible for me to walk down a flight of stairs let alone do it again the next day. I'll give it another try on my next running day, but if I get the same insane soreness I got the last few times I tried HIIT, I'm going to pass for the time being.
 

satori

Member
OriginX said:
Well here's the thing. I'm extremely out of shape as is so the whole 10-min mile thing is something I"m working on improving on. I have tried HIIT running like your suggesting, but it literally leaves my legs as jello for about 3 days making it impossible for me to walk down a flight of stairs let alone do it again the next day. I'll give it another try on my next running day, but if I get the same insane soreness I got the last few times I tried HIIT, I'm going to pass for the time being.

1. Should I be doing cardio twice a day, everyday, or is my current plan of attack good?
Depend on the cardio, if its not intense cardio, aka jogging where you are not out of breath and can still continue a conversation, everyday is ok.

2. Should I be working out on an empty stomach so early in the morn, or eat then workout?
So much therioes on this one. I came to the conclusion, at least you are doing cardio, does it matter when? You are already do more than the average joe. On that note though my comment is directed at cardio. Now for lifting weight be sure your body has fuel before you even attempt to do anything. No fuel, your body will break down muscle for fuel = bad.

3. I do about 2 miles of running a day, but it only takes me about 20 mins to get finished, should I be running a further distance since I've read 40+mins of cardio is best.

IF you can do 2 mile of running in less than 20 min. Read below. Give Hiit a try, it seem your conditioning is decent enough to not totally collapse :p. And no, running more than 40 min is not a good thing IMO, at least not at a face pace. Walking is ok. But if you are jogging for a long period of time, you will be burning Muscle, a big no no. IF you plan to do long session of cardio then make sure its LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State). At this stage your body will be using Fat as a fuel source. And not protien (aka muscle).

Need proof, look at long distance runner bodies.

Hiit is very demanding on your body, and mentally. But it is a great way to get into shape. I would definately recommend you to work on your condtioning first before attempting HIIT. The thing with running, at least for me, is the more you do it, the more you will adapt to it. Give your self a few rest days as well, especially if you plan to do HIIT. Treat HIIT running as you would a work out day. It is much more demanding than running 30min at a jog pace.

My rule of thumb is try running a mile within 10 min before attempting Hiit running. When I first did Hiit running, I could complete the mile in about 6 min (jogging). I thought I was going to die and felt like a pussy though after my first Hiit attempt :p. I think I made it to about the 5 min mark and my body just collapsed on me, but like any work out your body condition itself and it will be easier.

If you are serious about getting into shape, you need to find a way to work with weights. Try to join a gym. Running is great and all but nothing beats changing your body like lifting weights. I am talking about ass to grass squats, dead lifts that would wake the dead, etc. A tip on gym, if you can not afford the local gold gym (enter any other brand name location) try going to your local college. All the college in my area allow others to use the gym at a very cheap rate. Mine was 3 dollars for non-college student a visit, or 20 bucks for a month.

Another Key is, as you touch base ealier, is diet. Cut all the crap like you have been doing. Matter of fact a clean diet is the best way to lose the weight. Get rid of all the process crap, and stick to whole foods.

Does anyone have a copy of Capt G. OP? Too much good info in that, and if I am not mistaken he was ok for us to repost it. If someone has it, please do everyone a fav and repost it.

A lot of people I talk to do not realize how important having off days to rest and recover really is. It is just as, if not more important than the work out itself. No one in their right mind would do Hiit training every day. Hell 4 days a week is really pushing it.

One last thing about your legs feeling like jello and cant walk down the stairs? Learn to love that feeling :p It is just your body screaming at you for making it do shit it is not use to. Tell your body to stfu, feed it and let it recover, and then keep pounding it. Please do not lift/run everyday. I will promise you in about 1-2 weeks you will not be sore from running anymore. Hiit on the other hand...prepare for hell :)
 

Ace 8095

Member
OriginX said:
Well here's the thing. I'm extremely out of shape as is so the whole 10-min mile thing is something I"m working on improving on. I have tried HIIT running like your suggesting, but it literally leaves my legs as jello for about 3 days making it impossible for me to walk down a flight of stairs let alone do it again the next day. I'll give it another try on my next running day, but if I get the same insane soreness I got the last few times I tried HIIT, I'm going to pass for the time being.
The soreness will go away. Start with 1 HIIT session a week for the first week. The second week do 2 HIIT sessions. The third week do 3 HIIT sessions. If 3 are to many do 2 HIIT sessions for about a month, then go back to 3 a week.

You say you want to go for the gold in fitness, yet your limiting yourself to 25-pound dumbbells and LSD cardio. That's not how you achieve the gold.
 

Chichikov

Member
satori said:
Walking is ok. But if you are jogging for a long period of time, you will be burning Muscle, a big no no. IF you plan to do long session of cardio then make sure its LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State). At this stage your body will be using Fat as a fuel source. And not protien (aka muscle).
While significant protein catabolism (burning of muscle tissue for energy) can happen in long distance running, it's something that most beginners should not worry about, as long as they eat enough.
There's a whole lot of (mostly unfounded) fear of cardio in the weight lifting circles these days, and it's a shame, improved aerobic capacity offer great health benefits in general, and help your strength training in particular.
I personally think it might be tied to the fact that people just don't get enough carbs in their diet.
 

satori

Member
Agreed Chichikov, but one must take into concideration that those who are trying to lose weight will be in calorie deficit diet (or should be atleast). Therefore there is a high chance they will not have enough calories let alone carbs to maintain a high/long level of cardio. I am not saying doing long cardio is bad, far from it. But nothing to the extreme as some of my friends who runs 3 hours a day etc, and eatting sub 2200 calories etc. One must adjust their diet to in according to what is demanded of the body, aka if you do more, eat more.

Like you stated doing both is a sure way to get fit, and a healthy way to get fit. Lifting weights will help build/maintain LBM. While running will help with the fat burning process and more importantly improve heart,lungs, etc health.

And with someone who is overweight, and just started to work out, just farting they will start losing not just pounds but a small %of their body fat a week :). Ok not maybe not fart but anything they do will shed the pounds.
 

Troblin

Member
Anyone have a couple good shoulder exercise recommendations? (Namely front and rear delts)
Upright rows and Military Press are out of the question due to pre-existing rotator cuff problems.
 

OriginX

Member
So I just tried a session of HIIT running. I started off with slow jogging for about 3-5 minutes, then I sped up for about 1 minute, and then went sprinting for about 30 seconds. Then I slowed back to a normal jog for about 3-5 minutes and then repeated. I cycled this process 2 times and then it hit me hard and sent me into an asthma attack. I rarely, rarely have asthma attacks like I just did. Is this a good sign I'm not ready for HIIT or is it just a fluke. I want to get healthy, but not kill myself in the process.:lol Opinions?
 

Nemo

Will Eat Your Children
OriginX said:
So I just tried a session of HIIT running. I started off with slow jogging for about 3-5 minutes, then I sped up for about 1 minute, and then went sprinting for about 30 seconds. Then I slowed back to a normal jog for about 3-5 minutes and then repeated. I cycled this process 2 times and then it hit me hard and sent me into an asthma attack. I rarely, rarely have asthma attacks like I just did. Is this a good sign I'm not ready for HIIT or is it just a fluke. I want to get healthy, but not kill myself in the process.:lol Opinions?
First time I did HIIT (on a bike) I was gasping for breath for about 15 mins. After a few sessions you get used to it. So yeah, I guess it's pretty normal. Keep on going!
 

Sol..

I am Wayne Brady.
You'd be surprised how casual you can be with cardio to get results. I think your aim (at first) should be to wear yourself out (however you go abouts doing that) and be able to do so 4 or 5 plus times a week then focus on the crazy shit some people are suggesting.

I follow some guy's little methodology: F.I.T.T.

Frequency Intensity Time and Type.

3 to 5 times a week
50 to 85% of maximum heart rate (depending on fitness level)
No more than 60 minutes no less than 20
On something that helps you do this efficiently and use the most muscle mass (I use a stationary bike on average, DDR if i'm exhausted from working multiple days, and a flight of stairs if i'm feeling randy).
 

Onemic

Member
Okay when I was buying some Fresca, a random woman came up to me stating all these alleged facts about aspartame, like how it's used as poison to kill ants, how it changes your DNA, slows your metabolism, kills your liver and kidneys, and a bunch of other stuff. Is all of this true? If so, I'm going to stop buying anything diet.
 

Sol..

I am Wayne Brady.
onemic said:
Okay when I was buying some Fresca, a random woman came up to me stating all these alleged facts about aspartame, like how it's used as poison to kill ants, how it changes your DNA, slows your metabolism, kills your liver and kidneys, and a bunch of other stuff. Is all of this true? If so, I'm going to stop buying anything diet.

I personally woulda clicked off at the DNA part.
 

OriginX

Member
I guess you guys are right about getting a gym membership. I just called the local YMCA and their rate is $75/3mo, which I can sacrifice. My question is, isn't it pretty much a requirement to have a workout buddy, someone to spot you and shit? Because I don't have one, so I'm guessing I would have to find one before really doing anything weight wise?
 

YYZ

Junior Member
Is there a reason why Olympic bumper plates are expensive as fuck? I bought a pair of 10lb bumper plates a few months ago and it cost me around $150! I looked online and a whole set is over $3K I think.
 

Struct09

Member
onemic said:
Okay when I was buying some Fresca, a random woman came up to me stating all these alleged facts about aspartame, like how it's used as poison to kill ants, how it changes your DNA, slows your metabolism, kills your liver and kidneys, and a bunch of other stuff. Is all of this true? If so, I'm going to stop buying anything diet.

How many cases have you heard of where any of that has actually happened? Zero. Aspartame is fine, you'd have to drink a ludicrous amount (probably die of water intoxication first) before you could harm yourself.
 

lil smoke

Banned
OriginX said:
I guess you guys are right about getting a gym membership. I just called the local YMCA and their rate is $75/3mo, which I can sacrifice. My question is, isn't it pretty much a requirement to have a workout buddy, someone to spot you and shit? Because I don't have one, so I'm guessing I would have to find one before really doing anything weight wise?
No you'll be alright without a spot for now. When you're more advanced and want to go big, just ask anyone and they'll be glad to spot.

for now, lift only what you're comfortable with, be patient and work your way up.
 

Chichikov

Member
satori said:
Agreed Chichikov, but one must take into concideration that those who are trying to lose weight will be in calorie deficit diet (or should be atleast). Therefore there is a high chance they will not have enough calories let alone carbs to maintain a high/long level of cardio. I am not saying doing long cardio is bad, far from it. But nothing to the extreme as some of my friends who runs 3 hours a day etc, and eatting sub 2200 calories etc. One must adjust their diet to in according to what is demanded of the body, aka if you do more, eat more.

Like you stated doing both is a sure way to get fit, and a healthy way to get fit. Lifting weights will help build/maintain LBM. While running will help with the fat burning process and more importantly improve heart,lungs, etc health.

And with someone who is overweight, and just started to work out, just farting they will start losing not just pounds but a small %of their body fat a week :). Ok not maybe not fart but anything they do will shed the pounds.
One of the worst thing an out of shape who's trying to get in shape can do is cutting his calorie intake drastically.
Sure, you should get off the junk food, but you just started working out, your body is going to need more energy, not less.

Other than that, I mostly agree.
 

satori

Member
OriginX said:
I guess you guys are right about getting a gym membership. I just called the local YMCA and their rate is $75/3mo, which I can sacrifice. My question is, isn't it pretty much a requirement to have a workout buddy, someone to spot you and shit? Because I don't have one, so I'm guessing I would have to find one before really doing anything weight wise?

I been lifting for a while and I dont have a lifting partner. A nice weight rack is all the lifting buddy you will need, O and can not forget the rocky music! Make sure when you lift to take it nice and easy. Try working out with free weights (bars and bells) and stay away from machines IMO. It will help build your stablizer and cores. Include complex work outs that incorprate more than one muscle group. Squats and dead lifts are great examples.
 

satori

Member
Chichikov said:
One of the worst thing an out of shape who's trying to get in shape can do is cutting his calorie intake drastically.
Sure, you should get off the junk food, but you just started working out, your body is going to need more energy, not less.

Other than that, I mostly agree.

300-500 cut in calorie is nothing drastic at all imo. And as I stated the more you work your body the more you will have to feed your body :p.

Now if all he is doing is sitting on his butt and find his daily Mant intake is lets say 2500 calorie, cutting it to 2200ish will not be harmful. I never suggest cutting more than 500 calories from your daily mant. Again I have seen people go over 1k below there mant requirement and they wonder why they are still unhealthy, or lose weight but still flabby aka my sister.

My point, do not starve yourself. Just remember to lose weight = you must burn more calorie then you intake. Please becareful of cutting too much, the worse thing, as chichikov pointed out is cut your calorie intake drastically. Your body will go in starvation mode, and trust me, I have done it before and it is not fun...
 

DSWii60

Member
Hi guys, I'm a complete noob to proper training so I was wondering if I could get some pointers:

At the moment I'm doing one day weights, one day cardio + core workout and one day rest.

I'm trying to lose fat whilst gain a little bit of mass, but mainly gaining strength. I'm not really a hardcore bodybuilder, I'm just mainly looking to lose the fat I have.

Weight day:
Bench press - 10 reps, 3 sets, 40kg (88 pounds) (I vary the grip and positioning during these sets i.e. sometimes I do closegrip bench press and sometimes guillotine etc.)
Shoulder press - 10 reps, 2 sets, 40kg
Bent Over Row - 10 reps, 2sets, 40kg
Upright Row - 10 reps, 2 sets, 40kg
Clean and Press weightlift - 5 reps, 2 sets, 40kg
Squats - 20-30 reps, 1 set, 20 kg (44 pounds) (I do these with 10 kg dumbells in each hand, I can't get comfortable with a barbell on my neck)
One-legged Bicep Curls - 10 reps, 2 sets, 10kg each arm. 5 standing on one leg, 5 on the other.

I do this all in one go and it takes about 45 mins. I cycle a lot and my legs are already so big that I can't fit into normal jeans hence why I don't really work out my legs. I only do squats and at the weight and number of reps I do, they're easy.

Cardio / Core workout day:
This is the part which I need most help with. I want to work out my core muscles (by which I mean internal / external obliques etc.) but I'm not really sure what to do. I do various sit-up variations as much as I can before it becomes too painful. For Cardio what I do is I run on a treadmill as fast as I can for 2 minutes then take a short rest and repeat (is this HIIT?). I suck at running so I'm hoping this method may enable to run for longer which I simply can't do at the moment. Alternatively I cycle for 2 hours as hard as I can.

Rest Day: Normally I'll rest, but sometimes I end up cycling on these days aswell.

I've been doing this for a month now and I definitely have improved a lot (I've increased the weight on each exercise by about 10kg). My diet is well controlled, I don't really need any help with that. However I know I'm probably doing quite a lot wrong so any tips would be appreciated.
 

reilo

learning some important life lessons from magical Negroes
Cut your reps in half. Increase your weight.

Less reps, more weight.

5 is the golden number. 25 is the max for whatever body part you are working out.

And, wow.

20-30 reps of 1 set of squats? Dudeeee.

3 sets of 5 reps is all you need.

You are also doing too many workouts in one day, split it up if you have to. As a beginner, all you really need is squats, bench press, deadlift, and then supplement as you go along with stuff like bicep curls or ab work, but don't overdo it.
 

Mr.City

Member
onemic said:
Okay when I was buying some Fresca, a random woman came up to me stating all these alleged facts about aspartame, like how it's used as poison to kill ants, how it changes your DNA, slows your metabolism, kills your liver and kidneys, and a bunch of other stuff. Is all of this true? If so, I'm going to stop buying anything diet.

Did you try telling her to fuck off?

On a different note, I've been having a really annoying problem with my HIIT sessions. I feel a soreness in my ankles and shins. I've mentioned this before the thread and the answer was that my form was wrong.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong though. My feet always seem to come down so hard on the ground. Damn these flat feet.
 

DSWii60

Member
reilo said:
Cut your reps in half. Increase your weight.

Less reps, more weight.

5 is the golden number. 25 is the max for whatever body part you are working out.

And, wow.

20-30 reps of 1 set of squats? Dudeeee.

3 sets of 5 reps is all you need.

You are also doing too many workouts in one day, split it up if you have to. As a beginner, all you really need is squats, bench press, deadlift, and then supplement as you go along with stuff like bicep curls or ab work, but don't overdo it.

Thanks, I'm naturally quite built already so I thought I'd get straight into it. I'm going to switch to 5 reps from tomorrow, but I don't really want to gain too much mass just yet so will 5 reps cause me to gain a lot of mass? Also, I have trouble with squats, I just can't get a heavy barbell on my back/neck properly hence why I do it with very little weight and a lot of reps. Any way of getting around this? By the way are there any exercises that I could do for my hamstrings with just a barbell and some dumbells and a bench?
 
YYZ said:
Is there a reason why Olympic bumper plates are expensive as fuck? I bought a pair of 10lb bumper plates a few months ago and it cost me around $150! I looked online and a whole set is over $3K I think.

Why buy 10lb bumper plates? Bumper plates are more expensive than regular plates, because you can drop 'em on hard surfaces. It's best to get some 45lb bumper plates, and get the other plates (10, 25, 35) in regular plates. Either way, you got ripped off. Did you shop around at all?
 

reilo

learning some important life lessons from magical Negroes
DSWii60 said:
Thanks, I'm naturally quite built already so I thought I'd get straight into it. I'm going to switch to 5 reps from tomorrow, but I don't really want to gain too much mass just yet so will 5 reps cause me to gain a lot of mass? Also, I have trouble with squats, I just can't get a heavy barbell on my back/neck properly hence why I do it with very little weight and a lot of reps. Any way of getting around this? By the way are there any exercises that I could do for my hamstrings with just a barbell and some dumbells and a bench?

Are you using any cushions on the barbell? That could help.

If you put the barbell on your back with heavy weights and it feels awkward, set it down again and try again. If you are placing it too high on your shoulders [meaning, closer to the neck], then try lifting the barbell closer to your shoulder blades.

If that doesn't help, you can do front squats.
 

DSWii60

Member
reilo said:
Are you using any cushions on the barbell? That could help.

If you put the barbell on your back with heavy weights and it feels awkward, set it down again and try again. If you are placing it too high on your shoulders [meaning, closer to the neck], then try lifting the barbell closer to your shoulder blades.

If that doesn't help, you can do front squats.

Thanks for the tips.
 

lil smoke

Banned
reilo said:
Are you using any cushions on the barbell? That could help.

If you put the barbell on your back with heavy weights and it feels awkward, set it down again and try again. If you are placing it too high on your shoulders [meaning, closer to the neck], then try lifting the barbell closer to your shoulder blades.

If that doesn't help, you can do front squats.
Or develop bigger shoulders :lol
 
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