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[Ether_Snake]

Always remember that soreness is not equal to progress. Just because you didn't get sore, doesn't mean you aren't making progress. I haven't been extremely sore in a few weeks, but the weights lifted and my bodyweight are going up.

What are your goals? How are you eating/lifting? Being 132 at 5'8", you gotta put on a lot of weight if you're trying to balance out the big head problem. I'm 5'11" and only felt my body was catching up to my head after I hit 175. :lol

My goal is just to feel like I'm fine. I eat enough, but I almost never eat fast food or junk food. Can't remember the last time I had a soft drink. I'm not a health freak, I just lost craving for fast food and junk food when I was around 16 or so (I'm 25). That's when I lost weight (I used to be chubby). I'm in good shape otherwise. Anyway I work out, I eat right, and I'm trying to eat bigger meals. I've been gaining weight, so it's good. I'm aiming 140 first, then it will be a question of working out moreso while aiming for 160. I don't want to lose balance and end up gaining more fat while not working out enough.

 

[Christopher]

yeah I thought I was the only one who noticed the gym has been PACKED recently I was like what the fuck the last two days - it takes forever to get to do some cadio in so I've been skipping it up until where I took the cycling class today...omg those classes are no joke :lol - but they are so worth it.

 

[Joe]

can i take a weight gaining supplement to make up for the 700-1000 calories i'm not getting a day?

 

[Anton Sugar]

Drink more milk.

What's your diet look like?

And you can.

 

[Wraith]

What's the deal with fatty foods + high-GL carbs? I've been avoiding this for a while because of something I read, but I never really looked into it. I've always thought it was an issue with the amount of insulin released blocking fat mobilization and leading to storing more fat because of this. Is that basically the problem in a nutshell, or am I way off base?

 

[Nolan.]

Damn it iv'e taken about a month off my reigeme and I only just started again, I need to be more strict!.

 

[lil smoke]

yeah I thought I was the only one who noticed the gym has been PACKED recently I was like what the fuck the last two days - it takes forever to get to do some cadio in so I've been skipping it up until where I took the cycling class today...omg those classes are no joke :lol - but they are so worth it.

I know where I live, this is the time where many people dust off the winter cobwebs and get the early start for summer muscle building. People want to bulk back up before spring starts. I'm of this lot. I find it hard to have the drive to get up and go to the gym when it's 20-30 degrees out.

Gotta get back to it, probably in 2-3 weeks. I just really hate the 1st 2 weeks of soreness. Especially leg sorness!

 

[Captain Glanton]

I know where I live, this is the time where many people dust off the winter cobwebs and get the early start for summer muscle building. People want to bulk back up before spring starts. I'm of this lot. I find it hard to have the drive to get up and go to the gym when it's 20-30 degrees out.

Gotta get back to it, probably in 2-3 weeks. I just really hate the 1st 2 weeks of soreness. Especially leg sorness!

If you're in a college town, a lot of what you're seeing is probably students using some juice to get in shape before Spring Break. Steroid use among college students and police is >>>>>> athletes and bodybuilders.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Yup. Had a decent amount of huge shredded guys in the gym, who only worked upper body or had shitty lower body strength. Juice will help you grow on just about any workout.

And I had these seasonal surges, because you know 90% of those fucks are gonna be out of the gym in a few months because it "got too hard" or they "got too busy". What a waste of time.

 

[lil smoke]

If you're in a college town, a lot of what you're seeing is probably students using some juice to get in shape before Spring Break. Steroid use among college students and police is >>>>>> athletes and bodybuilders.

Well the college students in that case are probably prospective atheletes, no? I really hope the average kid isn't doing this to look good for girls these days. Had a guy in high school actually who shot up. It's really obvious when teens use roids. This guy looked and moved like a robot. I wonder whatever became of him LOL . And as for Police... they arent really intimidating when they look like a skinny wimp!

It is true though, seasonal gym practice is a waste of time. It's an annual cycle of build up muscle, then lose it all. There is a threshold you can't pass by doing it this way, but I'm ok with it. I just can't do the entire year. Maybe if I ever move down to sunny Florida...

 

[Joe]

regarding creatine cycles, is this how it should work:

1 week of loading
3 weeks of maintaining
4 weeks of rest/no creatine

then rinse and repeat?

would it be ok to do this cycle for 6 months?

 

[Chichikov]

As long as we're whining about our gym, did Dr. Phil had an episode about the benefits of squats or something?
I work in a huge gym (I read somewhere it's the biggest in North America) but one with only 3 power cages.
I'll repeat that: three power cages.
Yeah, we have more swimming pools than power cages, and yeah, we have more basketball courts as well.
But for the 6 years I've been working there I've never had any problems with it, I work off the peak hours and the most people there are IT people who spend most of their time doing weird shit with their personal trainer and stay away from free weights.
But for the last month or so they got real busy, many people doing terrible terrible squats (I'm talking 10 degrees knee bending shit) and taking 10 minutes rest between sets, pissing me off.

Hey fuckers, stay off the power cages, this is my territory, don't make me piss on the barbell to mark it.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Well the college students in that case are probably prospective atheletes, no? I really hope the average kid isn't doing this to look good for girls these days.

It's more like the average fraternity member. Steroid use has become rampant among them in the last few years, I believe.

As long as we're whining about our gym, did Dr. Phil had an episode about the benefits of squats or something?
I work in a huge gym (I read somewhere it's the biggest in North America) but one with only 3 power cages.
I'll repeat that: three power cages.
Yeah, we have more swimming pools than power cages, and yeah, we have more basketball courts as well.
But for the 6 years I've been working there I've never had any problems with it, I work off the peak hours and the most people there are IT people who spend most of their time doing weird shit with their personal trainer and stay away from free weights.
But for the last month or so they got real busy, many people doing terrible terrible squats (I'm talking 10 degrees knee bending shit) and taking 10 minutes rest between sets, pissing me off.

Hey fuckers, stay off the power cages, this is my territory, don't make me piss on the barbell to mark it.

I'm usually pretty polite about this sort of thing, but on occasion I have been known to 'ask' people to move. Only when they're doing something worthless and I'm doing something serious, though.

regarding creatine cycles, is this how it should work:

1 week of loading
3 weeks of maintaining
4 weeks of rest/no creatine

then rinse and repeat?

would it be ok to do this cycle for 6 months?

Why are you going a month off creatine? All creatine does is allow your muscles to hold more water, making them more productive. It's not a drug, and I don't think you need to cycle.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Gather round, kids, because Grandpa Glanton has some wisdom to impart: Do not ever do The Tabata Method [search the thread for info] with Ninja Warrior pullups [ditto].

That is all. Now somebody go fetch Grandpa some bourbon.

 

[Captain Glanton]

T-Nation article on fruit, fructose, and the sugar industry. Interesting to note, too, that when refined sugar was first introduced to Europe, no one wanted it. The world's first major advertising campaign was by sugar producers to convince people that putting sugar on and in their food improved the taste. So when your body feels like it needs sugar, keep in mind that's an unnatural response that's been created by growing up on a diet of sugary foods.

 

[perryfarrell]

Does anybody in this thread have experience with ACL injuries?

A few months ago, I think I aggravated an old knee injury by doing some ill-executed squats. I pulled something where the quad meets the kneecap.

I didn't do anything quad-related for three weeks, and everything felt fine again. But yesterday during a standing hamstring stretch, my knee seemed to hyperextend a little bit (i.e. my shin came forward too far). Nothing hurt and I had a good work-out, but I'm a little apprehensive about the state of my knee.

What are the symptoms of a partial ACL tear?

 

[BigGreenMat]

Why are you going a month off creatine? All creatine does is allow your muscles to hold more water, making them more productive. It's not a drug, and I don't think you need to cycle.

Creatine does do more than increase water levels. It does also increase levels of creatine in the blood as well in muscles. The reason for cycling though is pretty obvious to me though. The idea is that anything that increases or decreases in the body will eventually be compensated for. Also just from personal experience I find that taking time off will allows for the supplement to have additional impacts upon reintroduction. Just like you don't do the same exercises, you take time off and cycle them.

Does anybody in this thread have experience with ACL injuries?

A few months ago, I think I aggravated an old knee injury by doing some ill-executed squats. I pulled something where the quad meets the kneecap.

I didn't do anything quad-related for three weeks, and everything felt fine again. But yesterday during a standing hamstring stretch, my knee seemed to hyperextend a little bit (i.e. my shin came forward too far). Nothing hurt and I had a good work-out, but I'm a little apprehensive about the state of my knee.

What are the symptoms of a partial ACL tear?

A partial ACL tear? Well there would be significant tenderness and swelling in the knee most likely, although swelling is not always present. Besides that though a partial tear isn't really very diagnosable without an MRI and even then it is usually a guess. The pain and swelling should be on the interior of the knee capsule and not really peripherally at all. Your instability could be a symptom of ligament damage although not necessarily the ACL. Really a classic stability test by an athletic trainer or orthopaedist should tell you a lot.

 

[demon]

So what is a good creatine cycle like?

 

[Anton Sugar]

Does anybody in this thread have experience with ACL injuries?

A few months ago, I think I aggravated an old knee injury by doing some ill-executed squats. I pulled something where the quad meets the kneecap.

I didn't do anything quad-related for three weeks, and everything felt fine again. But yesterday during a standing hamstring stretch, my knee seemed to hyperextend a little bit (i.e. my shin came forward too far). Nothing hurt and I had a good work-out, but I'm a little apprehensive about the state of my knee.

What are the symptoms of a partial ACL tear?

Definitely get it checked out, but remember that properly executed squats do not really stress or strain the ACL at all.

 

[perryfarrell]

Definitely get it checked out, but remember that properly executed squats do not really stress or strain the ACL at all.

I read that ACL injuries can be caused by flexing the knee too far in either direction. If you straighten your leg out too far, the ACL is stressed; and if you bend the knee too far, the ACL is stressed. A deep squat definitely involves bending the knee quite far, so I'm not sure about your claim that squatting doesn't stress the ACL.

Thanks for Biggreenmat for the pointers as well.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I read that ACL injuries can be caused by flexing the knee too far in either direction. If you straighten your leg out too far, the ACL is stressed; and if you bend the knee too far, the ACL is stressed. A deep squat definitely involves bending the knee quite far, so I'm not sure about your claim that squatting doesn't stress the ACL.

Thanks for Biggreenmat for the pointers as well.

A proper athletic squat that takes advantage of the posterior chain does not pose any danger to the ACL. When your hamstrings are not active in a squat, the ACL takes the brunt of the load, preventing your knee from slipping out of place. However, a proper squat that activates and uses the hamstring at the parallel/below parallel position does this instead, stabilizing the knee joint by acting as a counterforce and holding it in place. The ACL is not bother at all. The more your knees extend over your toes while you are in the full squat position, the less your hamstrings are activated, and your ACL suddenly takes on whatever weight you have on your back in the most vulnerable position. Not good.

Front squats and olympic squats, which do not utilize the hamstrings, can be more dangerous for the ACL. This does not mean they are dangerous--just that the stability provided by the hamstring is not there.

So, it's not just hyperextension or hyperflexion that can cause ACL injuries, but the bearing of a load that could be supported by your muscles instead of your ligaments. This is why half or partial squats are harmful as well, because the hamstring is never activated at this position and the ACL is bearing it all.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Just joined a small Gym with my pops and did weighted crunches for the first time ever. God I feel like I'm going to DIE (or pass out). I had a dizzy spell at the Gym itself :lol

I feel fantastic now though. The Gym is like something Rocky would have gone too. Theres this one machine that they call "The Drago". It just like the machine Drago used to do crunches.

 

[Christopher]

Just joined a small Gym with my pops and did weighted crunches for the first time ever. God I feel like I'm going to DIE (or pass out). I had a dizzy spell at the Gym itself :lol

Eat more blue - and DO NOT over do it dude. I had a dizzy spell the other week, but I'm really reving it up. Your new, and I know it might feel stupid - but just really start out light and don't push yourself too hard yet.

Go everyday as well Blue - just goal yourself, and don't give up dude! 3 of my friends signed up for the gym in Jan and no one goes now :lol

 

[Mr.City]

God, I hate holidays sometimes.

I went to the gym today and it was PACKED. The gym I go to is small enough without 1,000 people walking around and it was nearly impossible to get anything done. I was trying to get some Clean High Pulls in and what not, but some guy was using the only area where those moves are actually possible for like the entire hour I was at the gym. I had to cut those out and figure out something else to put in. Anyways, it resulted in a pretty crappy work out.

Damn you President's Day. Damn you!

Yeah, moments like that make me wish I had the space and money to have some gym equipment in my house. Although most of time, most of that stuff is a waste.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Yeah, I think that was it (Food). I just ate a modest plate of pasta and I feel much better now. I pretty much woke up at 6pm (I work nights) and jumped into the workout at 7:30pm without eating :lol . I knew it was dumb but I did it anways ;_;

I'll definitely stick with it too. I'm doin' it up with my Father and my sisters boyfriend so we've pretty much made a pact to keep eachother motivated.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Just bought 4.4lbs of Designer Whey Protein (Chocolate) Mmmmmmmmm. I need to buy a blender at Target since I'm ghetto like that (use a spoon)

 

[Naked Snake]

Just buy a shaker bottle, I find it more convenient than an electric blender machine... And I'm fucking sick of chocolate whey, I'm sick of all sweet flavored shakes actually. Maybe I should try the natural non-flavored stuff?

 

[perryfarrell]

A proper athletic squat that takes advantage of the posterior chain does not pose any danger to the ACL.... [more stuff]

Thanks for the elaborate answer. I'll try to sit back further in my squatting. So far, my knee is holding up fine, so I don't think it was an ACL injury.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Just bought 4.4lbs of Designer Whey Protein (Chocolate) Mmmmmmmmm. I need to buy a blender at Target since I'm ghetto like that (use a spoon)

My last blender from Target only lasted about six months, and it was half-broken for about four of those. I'm convinced you have to go super-$ to get a blender that will stand up to real workout-ready shakes.

 

[JasoNsider]

I've made one or two posts in this thread with advice but now it is I who needs GAF's assistance!

Three years ago I was fat. Straight up fat at 6 foot 3, 245 pounds or so. Completely changed my lifestyle and started working out like a maniac, etc. Went to Karate and ended up losing a bit of weight and developed a lot of muscle.

Then I discovered running and loved it. A year ago I was in incredible shape, 180 pounds. Only one problem: I lost a crap load of muscle after doing the running. Friends were telling me that I was looking, what was the term...Something akin to "skinny but too skinny". Words fail me at the moment.

In any case, I digress. It affected me negatively as I started being self conscious and ate too much and stopped doing aerobic workout like running. Now I'm fairly healthy but have a bloated gut. It sucks. My body just can't seem to find a happy medium, you know?

My question is - if I would like to start running again, what kind of diet should I pursue? Also, is it possible to run and ALSO retain muscle mass properly? I really loved having muscle before I started running all the time, but even with push ups, etc. I was not able to keep that muscle mass. If I run 25 minutes a day, what do I have to do to be in great shape AND keep muscle? Any advice and I would be grateful! You guys rock

 

[demon]

^ doing lots of long bouts of cardio is not good for maintaining muscle mass. If you toned it down and maybe did HIIT instead, and focused your exercising on resistance training, you should be ok.

oh and push-ups won't do shit. use weights.

I had the same problem the first couple years of exercising. I did way too much cardio, not enough real weight lifting, sometimes didn't eat enough, and I wondered why I had no muscle.

 

[JasoNsider]

^ doing lots of long bouts of cardio is not good for maintaining muscle mass. If you toned it down and maybe did HIIT instead, and focused your exercising on resistance training, you should be ok.

oh and push-ups won't do shit. use weights.

I had the same problem the first couple years of exercising. I did way too much cardio, not enough real weight lifting, sometimes didn't eat enough, and I wondered why I had no muscle.

Well frig me. I better look into this HIIT thing, as I've never heard of it. Is it healthy to do both cardio AND weight lifting all the time though? Keep in mind I love running more than the other stuff. Doing resistance training is fun, but I get real reward out of running and would love to do marathons and such if possible. Can I have both or is that just a pipe dream? I've seen some people running outside that had great, great muscle.

You're also on to something about not eating enough. I was drinking water like a mofo but the eating was sometimes too little, I admit.

Your background sounds similar to mine, really.

 

[Slo]

oh and push-ups won't do shit. use weights.

Oh hell. You've done it now!

 

[JasoNsider]

Oh hell. You've done it now!

I take it this is a sore spot on the forum?

The funny thing is that one of the few really great things I took from Martial arts is that you really don't need anything in life to get you fit other than your own body and a well focused mind. We didn't life weights, didn't get on any treadmill. I had about 2 feet by 7 feet of space around me and a hardwood floor. That's it. Yeah, books can double as weights as well I suppose.

On the diet side of things - what kind of diet should I be looking at if I feel like running every day? Eggs and such in the morning, lots of veggies and fruit? My problem is that I just ate whenever I was hungry instead of preparing meals at specific times in a day. I don't think that was the best way to do it. Ideas?

Thanks again guys

 

[beelzebozo]

uh, yeah, i'm a big believer in push ups and just general "no equipment" exercises as a great way to stay fit. i guess if you're looking to bulk up it may not do much, but for general toning i find push ups, crunches, leg lifts, pull ups, etc. to be perfectly adequate

 

[demon]

Pushups are great for getting good at pushups. They're not nearly as good for chest strength as weighted exercises or much more advanced bodyweight exercises, and won't do shit for building mass. And I believe JasoNinsider mentioned something about wanting muscle mass.

That's not to say bodyweight exercises are useless; I didn't say that at all. I do pullups all the time and am working towards doing the planche. Regular pushups however are usually an afterthought.

Oh, and "toning" is a useless term. You can build muscle, lose fat, and gain strength. Pushups do nothing for the first two and little for the third.


As for diet, yes eggs are good. Don't fall for the "it'll kill you with cholesterol" bullshit. They're probably the best source of cheap protein you have access to. Eat lots of lean meats, some red meat is fine, lots of veggies, a little to moderate amount of fruit, don't overdo the carb-heavy foods, and stay away from fruit juices if you're serious about losing or keeping off fat. Basically, high protein, high (healthy)fat, low-to-moderate carbs, low sugar diet.

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

Pushup help build muscle for people who can't do past 8. If you can do more than eight easily it's not going to do anything.

So basically if have zero muscles, pushups are good.

 

[JasoNsider]

Great feedback here! Thanks guys

Okay, Pull ups...hmm, I'd probably have to find a tree or something nearby :lol.

As far as eggs go, does it matter how you prepare them? Poached or boiled I take it is best?

Take it easy on fruits, eh? Wow, amazing how everything you hear around you about eggs, fruit, milk, etc. really has very little basis in reality for people moving to better health!

 

[kathode]

Take it easy on fruits, eh? Wow, amazing how everything you hear around you about eggs, fruit, milk, etc. really has very little basis in reality for people moving to better health!

Well, fruits have a lot of good qualities - lots of vitamins and healthy chemical stuffs. But you gotta realize they have a lot of simple sugars in them as well. Basically it comes down to everything in moderation. Except protein. Fucking choke yourself with that shit! :lol

 

[Anton Sugar]

Well frig me. I better look into this HIIT thing, as I've never heard of it. Is it healthy to do both cardio AND weight lifting all the time though? Keep in mind I love running more than the other stuff. Doing resistance training is fun, but I get real reward out of running and would love to do marathons and such if possible. Can I have both or is that just a pipe dream? I've seen some people running outside that had great, great muscle.

You're also on to something about not eating enough. I was drinking water like a mofo but the eating was sometimes too little, I admit.

Your background sounds similar to mine, really.

Unfortunately, if you have a love for running and wish to do marathons, you're not going to get very big or much bigger. Weight training is a completely different type of activity. Running 2 times a week, 3 times MAX (and even then...), and lifting...you might be able to get away with it. But your gains wouldn't be nearly as good in either.

 

[Trident]

I wouldn't put too much pressure on the low-carb, high-fat claims. I'm sure that works for some body chemistries, but high-fiber carbs have always filled me up faster and kept me thinner than healthy fats (while still allowing for muscle gain). I eat a lot of oatmeal now.

But obviously the high protein part is good, and some healthy fats are necessary.. just not necessarily as the greater part of your non-protein diet.

 

[Christopher]

Push ups are good to do. There's nothing like doing your own body weight as opposed to machines.

I at least try to do 50 a day, minimum.

 

[JasoNsider]

Yeah, I'm not switching off carbs any time soon. My love for bread is never ending, but some people said that carbs are good for runners, so hopefully that hurt me too much.

The impression that I'm getting is that it is hard to have muscle and be a runner at the same time. I'm not entirely surprised. Your body tries to streamline itself to be more efficient at whatever it is you're doing, and I'm running a lot it's probably just going to get rid of all the "extras".

Thanks for the pointers, everyone! I think I'm going to move to Oatmeal and/or eggs in the morning with a bit of fruit, snack on carrots and other nice things during the day, and then veggies, soup, and/or lean meat for dinner.

 

[Captain Glanton]

I went out to run my sprints tonight, and some fuck took my log. GRRRR.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Did my triceps (forward pull down), pecks (horizontal bench presses, flies and inclined bench) and my shoulders. My whole upper body feels gooooooood

 

[Boogie]

Well frig me. I better look into this HIIT thing, as I've never heard of it. Is it healthy to do both cardio AND weight lifting all the time though? Keep in mind I love running more than the other stuff. Doing resistance training is fun, but I get real reward out of running and would love to do marathons and such if possible. Can I have both or is that just a pipe dream? I've seen some people running outside that had great, great muscle.

It may be an oversimplification, but I find that this thread knocks cardio waaaay too much.

Cardio is important, and you can see strength improvements while doing cardio. I would go so far as to say the ideal fitness routine involves both.

My situation is not typical, but I came out of 6 months of RCMP training in phenominal shape.* And every week, I did a minimum of 3 days of cardio, and 2 days of strength, each day's workout being a minimum of 30 minutes.

Of course, it all depends on your goals, too. For me, as a martial artist, cardio is extremely important. And for you, if you love running, do the running and supplement it with strength workouts.

I don't know much about the science behind it, but my own experience is that when it comes to doing cardio and improving your strength, you can have your cake and eat it too.

But above ALL ELSE, my philosophy behind fitness is to do what you love. If you love running, then HALLELUJAH: run! The secret to lifelong fitness is doing what you enjoy.

*pics available upon request

 

[Chichikov]

What Boogie said.
It is true that gaining muscle mass while losing lots of weight from fat can be tricky, but you absolutely can gain a muscle mass while doing serious cardio.
The main problem is fitting both into your schedule and making sure you eat enough.
I’m a runner first and foremost, and I also managed to put some nice muscles on me with proper nutrition and strength training.

 

[armubaba]

So as of late I've been looking to get in shape, and, as you'll probably be able to tell from the rest of this post, I'm a complete newbie at this stuff. So, uh, here goes nothing.

For the past month and a half or so, I've been running two to four miles about five times a week and cutting down on my calorie intake. I haven't really done much weights at all, and have focused all my attention on cardio. I have seen a noticeable difference. I've gained quite a bit of endurance, shaved at least a minute off my mile time, and, from the looks of it, melted some fat off both my face and my stomach.

My plan is to first burn off the fat, then bulk up. For a while now, I've been having about 1,500-1,750 calories daily. Once I feel I've burned off enough fat, my plan is to slowly up my calorie count, add more proteins and meats in, and move on to muscle workouts.

My question is- is this healthy? Is there anything else I should be doing? Any advice?

Thanks a whole lot in advance, I really appreciate it.

 

[Slo]

I don't quite understand the infatuation with going from a fat ass to a toothpick and then trying to build back up to looking "normal". I see this in a lot of threads on a lot of forums. Why not start weight training right now and go straight from chubby to athletic and muscular?

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

I don't quite understand the infatuation with going from a fat ass to a toothpick and then trying to build back up to looking "normal". I see this in a lot of threads on a lot of forums. Why not start weight training right now and go straight from chubby to athletic and muscular?

There's a misconception that you can't simultenously lose fat and gain muscle. Mostly due to horrible training schedules/diets that have you eating too many calories and not stressing your muscular system properly.

Plus it's easier to "lose" weight all around than it is to lose fat and gain muscle. Then packing on weight appears easier because your putting fat and muscle on the same time. Very redudant way of changing your body.