Support NeoGAF

[Captain Glanton]

Can we see some pics of hot GAF members with hot chiseled bodies please?
And when i say hot GAF members i mean MALES.

Do you get lonely each night or what?

 

[Anton Sugar]

I've always wanted to post some videos of Konstantinov's deadlift this guy is raw power like you've never seen.

880 deadlift x 2 off 15cm box

948 deadlift @ 275 WR

He's a class act, I hear.

I forget which video (I think it's him), but he's getting a WR dead, lifts it up with ease, smiles at everyone, drops the weight.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Can we see some pics of hot GAF members with hot chiseled bodies please?
And when i say hot GAF members i mean MALES.

Seriously, though, maybe you should start a separate thread for that. Last thing I need is to be browsing this forum at work and see a page full of half naked dudes.

I look like my avatar.

 

[Anton Sugar]

and to answer snrub. I have two dumbbells. The bar type where you add weight n' whatnot. I got weights going up to 25 (2.5, 5, 10, 25). I also have a barbell bar, but the lack of space encouraged me to just do dumbbells. Right now I lift 30 (not counting the bar weight which has large screws) up from 10 a couple weeks ago (which was easy, but i was doin it to get used to lifting). I want to go to 40 now but i have to get some more of the smaller weights. For some reason i'm missing a couple 5s and 2.5s

So basically you're suggesting less work? 4 days? 3 days? (keeping in mind i don't want to get swole or anything. I need to trim up and gain some serious core strength)

Is it ok to do something light on off days like a lil time on the bike?

Don't worry, it's harder to get "swole" than think, especially with just dumbbells.

It sounds like, since you don't like being bored and want to mix things up, you should give circuit training a try. You could do 4 days a week, or just threes. You familiar with circuit training at all?

 

[Sol..]

Don't worry, it's harder to get "swole" than think, especially with just dumbbells.

It sounds like, since you don't like being bored and want to mix things up, you should give circuit training a try. You could do 4 days a week, or just threes. You familiar with circuit training at all?

I think so.

but i've only heard about it in a track n' field sense. It was like Run a quarter mile, stopping two to four times to do push ups and/or situps, hit the stadium stairs twice, repeat.

 

[Wraith]

I think so.

but i've only heard about it in a track n' field sense. It was like Run a quarter mile, stopping two to four times to do push ups and/or situps, hit the stadium stairs twice, repeat.

Circuit training basically means that you do one set of each exercise in your routine with little to no rest in between sets, rest a short period(or not), and then do the second set of each exercise in your routine. It adds a cardio aspect to a weight-lifting workout.

EDIT: Reading Wikipedia, I may be wrong - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circuit_training. This is why I should leave responses to those more experienced. =(

 

[Anton Sugar]

Wraith, you had it about right. There are many ways to use circuit training, and it looks like he wants to use weights and cardio.

Sol, if I were you, I'd do a three day a week routine (yes, some light biking or jogging can be done on off days, if only to get some blood flow/stimulation to the area to increase recovery). I don't know how you want to incorporate DDR, but being tired for weight lifting usually spells disaster as far as form and performance go.

Here is a circuit you could try:

Lungesx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Squatsx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Military Pressx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Bent rowsx10
30 seconds Bike Riding

Repeat, 3-4 times.

This should get your heart rate up. Could save DDR for the end or something. Try that out and let me know what you think. Do these exercises back to back, with maybe a 60-120 second break between cycles.

 

[Struct09]

Circuit training basically means that you do one set of each exercise in your routine with little to no rest in between sets, rest a short period(or not), and then do the second set of each exercise in your routine. It adds a cardio aspect to a weight-lifting workout.

Sounds like you're describing something similar to supersets

 

[Sol..]

Wraith, you had it about right. There are many ways to use circuit training, and it looks like he wants to use weights and cardio.

Sol, if I were you, I'd do a three day a week routine (yes, some light biking or jogging can be done on off days, if only to get some blood flow/stimulation to the area to increase recovery). I don't know how you want to incorporate DDR, but being tired for weight lifting usually spells disaster as far as form and performance go.

Here is a circuit you could try:

Lungesx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Squatsx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Military Pressx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Bent rowsx10
30 seconds Bike Riding

Repeat, 3-4 times.

This should get your heart rate up. Could save DDR for the end or something. Try that out and let me know what you think. Do these exercises back to back, with maybe a 60-120 second break between cycles.

Okie dokie i'll give it a try tonight.

 

[Brendonia]

Hey guys, I'm wondering about a small analysis of my diet. I typically eat pretty clean, and have been trying to cut down on carbs as I'm currently in a cutting phase rather than a bulking phase, so experts on this let me know what you think:

Breakfast:
2 eggs + 1-2 egg whites scrambled, some veggies (usually green pepper or broccoli), and lunch meat like ham (small amount) in an omelette.
Banana
Glass of Skim Milk

Lunch:

Typically this will be a salad with some grilled chicken and cheese on it + dressing
Orange or Apple
Diet Coke

OR

Sandwich using that lite low-carb wheat bread w/ ham, turkey, or tuna
Small salad
Orange or Apple or both
Diet Coke

Snack (around 3:30 or so):

Carrot Sticks or Granola Bar
Low Fat String Cheese
Sometimes Whey Mix + Water

Dinner:

Grilled Chicken Breast, grilled ground turkey burger, Tuna salad (depending on the day)
Steamed Veggies (lots of broccoli)
Brown Rice or Yams/Sweet Potatoes (been cutting these out lately)
Sometimes another salad

Snack:

100 Calorie pack of popcorn

I also always have Whey + water immediately after a workout, which is usually around 6:30-7PM. Dinner I wait until about 7:45-8 to eat, and then the snack is like an hour after that, though I don't have it every night. I try not to cheat as much as possible, but I usually do pretty poorly on weekends and also just had a cookie with lunch today, but whatever, not going to get upset about that.

Mainly I guess I'm looking for an overall analysis of what I'm doing right/wrong. I've been trying to cut carbs down more and more and could probably get rid of the popcorn and moving towards eating less bread in general. I drink water throughout the day but also probably drink too much diet pop (never drink regular pop), so what can I cut out/add to make my diet get to my goals of cutting fat?

My workout schedule is that I lift 3-4 times a week and each week have a dek hockey game on Tuesdays and a Basketball game on Thursdays. Those are typically when I do my cardio workouts since I do total body when I lift and my legs usually don't have enough energy to do much after I lift. Any ideas on changes to this would be good too.

 

[Qwerty710710]

I was wondering what was your guys take of my workout plan on the last page.

 

[Anton Sugar]

This is my work out plan I've been using to get some muscle in my body since I'm "weaker" for my age (22).

Tuseday
Bench Pressing 2 x 5-7
Incline DB Pressing 2 x 5-7-Between shoulder press, bench, and dips, your chest is going to be completely covered as far as stimulus goes.
Dips 2 x 5
Shoulder Press 2 x 5-7
Shoulder Lateral raise 2 x 10-12-Focus on shoulder press more, these are next to useless for most people
Tricep extension 2 x 5-7
Overhead Tri ext 2 x 5-7-Basically repeating the exercises above

Thursday
Squat 2 x 7
Leg press 2 x 7-Work the squats more instead
Stiff legged deadlifts 2x 5-7
Leg Curls 2x 5-7-Focusing on stiff legged deadlifts is better than this
Standing calf raise 2x 10-12
Seated calf raise 2x 5-7-Again, same thing, its a repeat exercise and you can probably handle more weight standing

Saturday
Deadlift 2x 5-7
Overhand pull ups ( I generally use a machine for this one since I can't do too much on my own) 2x 5-7
Bentover barbell rows 2x 5-7
DS Shrugs 2 x 10-12
E-Z bar barbell Curls 2x 5-7
Alt DB curls 2x 5-7-Your biceps will have plenty of stimulation if you work this routine in a more focused manner
Wrist curls 2x 10-12-Same thing

Thats what I've been using since early this year.

This actually doesn't look too bad. I bolded the stuff you could cut out, to give the program a little more focus and get optimal gains. Here's what I'd change it to:

Bench Pressing 5 x 5-7
Shoulder Press 3 x 5-7
Dips 3 x 10
Tricep extension 3 x 8-10

Thursday
Squat 5 x 5-7
Stiff legged deadlifts 5x 5-7
Standing calf raise 3x 10-12

Saturday
Deadlift 2x 5 -Edited for sanity, thanks Chichikov
Overhand pull ups ( I generally use a machine for this one since I can't do too much on my own) 2x 5-7
Bentover barbell rows 3x 8-10
DS Shrugs 2 x 10-12
E-Z bar barbell Curls 2x 8-10

I'm 22 as well and weak for my age, considering how much time I dicked around doing useless shit. While I'd recommend squatting multiple times a week, if you have an attachment to this routine, I'd do the above. If you work the hell out of most of your main exercises, you won't really have a need for so many assistance exercises. I also changed some of the rep schemes, as you say you'd like some muscle, but since you say you're weak for your age, I kept the reps for the main exercises fairly low. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[cryptic]

Arm in the center ( in front of your chest), other arm behind your back, spread your legs as far as you can. After you eat the floor for the first time, try it on your knees instead of on your feet. =P

I can do those fine. I don't even really need to spread my legs.

I want to do it as if it was a regular pushup, though, military style, and am wondering what I should do to set up for that.

I currently do on average about three sets of 50 pushups (military) at a slow pace and maybe one or two sets of 10 hand stand pushups against the wall.

 

[Chichikov]

Hey guys, I'm wondering about a small analysis of my diet. I typically eat pretty clean, and have been trying to cut down on carbs as I'm currently in a cutting phase rather than a bulking phase, so experts on this let me know what you think:

Seem reasonable to me.
I do wonder why you (and many other people) take popcorn as a snack.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a carb nazi and I do love popcorn (seriously, I don't think I can movies without it) but for a hunger breaker when you're trying to cut carbs and weight it seems like a less than optimal choice.

This actually doesn't look too bad. I bolded the stuff you could cut out, to give the program a little more focus and get optimal gains. Here's what I'd change it to:
[snip]

Saturday
Deadlift 5x 5

5 x 5 deadlifts is quite a lot in my mind for an untrained and a weaker person.
For best results you want to work deadlifts with heavy weights, an untrained person is likely to have form problems in the last few sets.
I would stick to 1 X 5 to 3 X 5.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Seem reasonable to me.
I do wonder why you (and many other people) take popcorn as a snack.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a carb nazi and I do love popcorn (seriously, I don't think I can movies without it) but for a hunger breaker when you're trying to cut carbs and weight it seems like a less than optimal choice.


5 x 5 deadlifts is quite a lot in my mind for an untrained and a weaker person.
For best results you want to work deadlifts with heavy weights, an untrained person is likely to have form problems in the last few sets.
I would stick to 1 X 5 to 3 X 5.

Good call, I must have been in a 5x5 mode, I don't even do 5x5 deads right now. :lol Thanks.

 

[Boogie]

Can we see some pics of hot GAF members with hot chiseled bodies please?
And when i say hot GAF members i mean MALES.

But seriously, make another post like this in the thread, and I'm PM'ing some mods to take care of you.

 

[Brendonia]

Seem reasonable to me.
I do wonder why you (and many other people) take popcorn as a snack.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a carb nazi and I do love popcorn (seriously, I don't think I can movies without it) but for a hunger breaker when you're trying to cut carbs and weight it seems like a less than optimal choice.


5 x 5 deadlifts is quite a lot in my mind for an untrained and a weaker person.
For best results you want to work deadlifts with heavy weights, an untrained person is likely to have form problems in the last few sets.
I would stick to 1 X 5 to 3 X 5.

On the popcorn thing, I'm not sure, I guess I just really really like it, ha-ha. It's a pretty small amount, and has about 20g of carbs so it's not too much. Beyond that I felt like my diet was pretty strong, and I'm not exactly trying to lose a ton of weight, moreso the fat. I weight about 180 and am a shade under 6', and am in pretty good shape. The reasoning behind being in this cycle right now (as I know I could and should be getting bigger) is that my right shoulder is not in the best of shape right now, so lifting heavily on things like bench press are not viable options at the moment. Either way I appreciate the input.

 

[-viper-]

Currently I have a pair of dumbbells which go up to 40kg.

Is it worth for me to invest in a barbell on my mission to gain muscle?

I've got my diet sorted and I think my training is sorted too.

Thinking:
Chinup
Shoulder Press
Bent Over Row

Bench Press
Incline Press
Tricep Extension
Bicep Curl

Squat
Leg Curl
Calf Raise
Shrugs/Front Row

 

[Anton Sugar]

I'd say it's a requirement. You can get a decent set of 300lbs with a bar for $150.

 

[Sol..]

Wraith, you had it about right. There are many ways to use circuit training, and it looks like he wants to use weights and cardio.

Sol, if I were you, I'd do a three day a week routine (yes, some light biking or jogging can be done on off days, if only to get some blood flow/stimulation to the area to increase recovery). I don't know how you want to incorporate DDR, but being tired for weight lifting usually spells disaster as far as form and performance go.

Here is a circuit you could try:

Lungesx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Squatsx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Military Pressx10
30 seconds Bike Riding
Bent rowsx10
30 seconds Bike Riding

Repeat, 3-4 times.

This should get your heart rate up. Could save DDR for the end or something. Try that out and let me know what you think. Do these exercises back to back, with maybe a 60-120 second break between cycles.

Ok just did it.

Uh, it gets me tired....that it does. But I doubt i'll be feelin' it tomorrow. I could take some more work if you can brew up a little extra. Or i could just slap DDR at the end, but odds are i won't be able to do much DDR after 4 sets of squats n' lunges lol. I already learned doin' lower body stuff before DDR does not work lol. My legs are wobbly just walkin' right now.

 

[MeowMeow]

hehe nice boogie. i have a workout and nutrition regimen that im working on also..
ill show you guys my results around late may early june. Wish me luck!

But seriously, make another post like this in the thread, and I'm PM'ing some mods to take care of you.

Wait what? what the hell did i do? Its ok to post pics of girls with massive bozongas but not ok to see guys in the same manner?

And the pics that im asking for is not really some webcam porn thing im asking for, its more like progress of your fitness and nutrition goals. You cant say ive gained lots of muscles without showing your body pics in a non how u say...umm...xxx webcam manner?

 

[Boogie]

Wait what? what the hell did i do? Its ok to post pics of girls with massive bozongas but not ok to see guys in the same manner?

The point isn't the pictures, the point is you shitting up the thread by repeatedly asking for people to post pictures.

And the pics that im asking for is not really some webcam porn thing im asking for, its more like progress of your fitness and nutrition goals. You cant say ive gained lots of muscles without showing your body pics in a non how u say...umm...xxx webcam manner?

It is quite clear that your requests were not based on a desire to assess someone's progress fitness-wise, but rather to drool over GAF's beefcakes.

Go read throught the POST NEW PICS thread for that.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Ok just did it.

Uh, it gets me tired....that it does. But I doubt i'll be feelin' it tomorrow. I could take some more work if you can brew up a little extra. Or i could just slap DDR at the end, but odds are i won't be able to do much DDR after 4 sets of squats n' lunges lol. I already learned doin' lower body stuff before DDR does not work lol. My legs are wobbly just walkin' right now.

Cool. How hard are you biking in those 30 seconds? I meant to put that it should be 30 seconds of intense biking, sorry. The only reason why I didn't put the DDR in is because I'm not sure how well it can compare to biking. If DDR is easy enough to do for 15-30 minutes straight, its probably not a good fit in circuit training.

And "feeling it tomorrow" is NEVER an important indication of a good workout. "Feeling it" is largely dependent on your body's recovery ability, your diet, and your rest. Soreness is still a misunderstood/unknown function/symptom of the body.

 

[Captain Glanton]

hehe nice boogie. i have a workout and nutrition regimen that im working on also..
ill show you guys my results around late may early june. Wish me luck!



Wait what? what the hell did i do? Its ok to post pics of girls with massive bozongas but not ok to see guys in the same manner?

And the pics that im asking for is not really some webcam porn thing im asking for, its more like progress of your fitness and nutrition goals. You cant say ive gained lots of muscles without showing your body pics in a non how u say...umm...xxx webcam manner?

If you want to post your regimen, that's fine. People will help you with it.

The pics I posted on the last page were most definitely tongue in cheek [and the product of some insomnia]. There's a world of difference between posting a few Google Image links and saying you want to masturbate to pics of actual posters here. Like Boogie said, there's a separate thread for GAFer pics, and there are actually a few beefcake shots in it [by the standards of a video game board anyway].

Also, today I'm returning the last of a huge stack of grading I've been working on. Starting this weekend I will be able to go through the last few pages and see if there's anyone who's been asking for help and hasn't gotten it.

 

[Mash]

Hai Guys.

Anyway, I just started out again after a 4 month hiatus. I'm not that new to working out so I just need a little bit of advice for now at least. I'm trying to keep my sessions short and intense due to all the obvious reasons.

What I need is the most effective way to work out the tricep area. Are kickbacks and Ez-curl extensions on my back enough just to kick the muscles back into shape? Should I add another exercise, I'm not looking for a Spartan body here, just tighten and bulk up this slowly softening muscle.

 

[Brendonia]

Hai Guys.

Anyway, I just started out again after a 4 month hiatus. I'm not that new to working out so I just need a little bit of advice for now at least. I'm trying to keep my sessions short and intense due to all the obvious reasons.

What I need is the most effective way to work out the tricep area. Are kickbacks and Ez-curl extensions on my back enough just to kick the muscles back into shape? Should I add another exercise, I'm not looking for a Spartan body here, just tighten and bulk up this slowly softening muscle.

Close grip bench press is the best tricep exercise in my opinion.

 

[Mash]

Close grip bench press is the best tricep exercise in my opinion.

I've heard that before but when I tried it I didn't feel any effect, how heavy should the bar be relatively speaking with that exercise?

 

[Sol..]

Cool. How hard are you biking in those 30 seconds? I meant to put that it should be 30 seconds of intense biking, sorry. The only reason why I didn't put the DDR in is because I'm not sure how well it can compare to biking. If DDR is easy enough to do for 15-30 minutes straight, its probably not a good fit in circuit training.

And "feeling it tomorrow" is NEVER an important indication of a good workout. "Feeling it" is largely dependent on your body's recovery ability, your diet, and your rest. Soreness is still a misunderstood/unknown function/symptom of the body.

Welp for me it's like, Biking as hard as I can will generally get my heart rate in the mid 140s. I blame my bike. I don't know what it is, but i just can't push over 150. It's one of those sit down bikes. Maybe I need a standing one. DDR can get me well into the 170s with a minimum of mid 140s. So it's not easy for me to do. I do the 6 to 10 minute group sessions because it keeps me up and in the game, but i can't keep a high energy level the whole time. It would be like sprinting the whole time.

Also should I be changing up the lifts by the session or is it always gonna be those 4?

 

[Anton Sugar]

Hai Guys.

Anyway, I just started out again after a 4 month hiatus. I'm not that new to working out so I just need a little bit of advice for now at least. I'm trying to keep my sessions short and intense due to all the obvious reasons.

What I need is the most effective way to work out the tricep area. Are kickbacks and Ez-curl extensions on my back enough just to kick the muscles back into shape? Should I add another exercise, I'm not looking for a Spartan body here, just tighten and bulk up this slowly softening muscle.

This that the only exercise you're going to be doing?

Kickbacks in my opinion are pretty useless. The weight you can handle is compromised by the inefficiency of your body position. Lying triceps extensions/triceps extensions is a much better "isolation" exercise.

But really, you should be working everything out.

And as has been mentioned, pressing is generally the best exercise to strength/increase the size of this muscle group.

 

[Mash]

This that the only exercise you're going to be doing?

Kickbacks in my opinion are pretty useless. The weight you can handle is compromised by the inefficiency of your body position. Lying triceps extensions/triceps extensions is a much better "isolation" exercise.

But really, you should be working everything out.

And as has been mentioned, pressing is generally the best exercise to strength/increase the size of this muscle group.

Of course I'm working everything out. And thanks for the advice, I think I might do extensions and close presses for now for the triceps, I think they've been getting worked when doing other areas anyway.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Welp for me it's like, Biking as hard as I can will generally get my heart rate in the mid 140s. I blame my bike. I don't know what it is, but i just can't push over 150. It's one of those sit down bikes. Maybe I need a standing one. DDR can get me well into the 170s with a minimum of mid 140s. So it's not easy for me to do. I do the 6 to 10 minute group sessions because it keeps me up and in the game, but i can't keep a high energy level the whole time. It would be like sprinting the whole time.

Also should I be changing up the lifts by the session or is it always gonna be those 4?

Well, the important thing is getting a high heart rate and maintaining it. With DDR, do you just PEAK at 170? I can't imagine maintaining that.

But again...I'm not a DDR guy, so I'm not exactly sure about how it works for you.

Yes, you can change it by session, that was just an example and I wanted to see how it felt for you. You could actually do two things: keep the exercises and vary the intensity, or change up the exercises.

Think about this:

Varying Intensity
Same workout for each of the three days, BUT:

Monday: do the circuit 4-5 times
Wednesday: do the circuit 3-4 times
Friday: do the circuit 5-6 times

Another way of varying it is by doing the circuit the same amount of times, but change the reps:

Monday: do the circuit with 10 reps per exercise 3-4 times
Wednesday: do the circuit with 5 reps per exercise 3-4 times
Friday: do the circuit with 15 reps per exercise 3-4 times

You can switch it up, depending on how burnt out you're feeling or if you've been having a bad recovery week. The problem with many of these metabolic conditioning routines is that you have to be able to gauge when you may be overtraining. Listen to your body.

Varying Exercises:
Just assume doing an intense, heart rate elevating cardiovascular exercise between these exercises:

Squats
Lunges
Presses
Rows

Jumping Squats
Romanian Deadlifts
Push Presses
Pull Ups

Exercises that combine movements get your heart rate up even more:

Front Squat + Press ("Thruster") is a great one that can be used in substitution of squats and presses, and really helps to get your heart rate elevated.

Basically, pick exercises that evenly work the muscle groups of your body.

By just reducing your workload from 5 to 3 days a week, you should see some progress, as long as you are eating right. Recovery cannot be underestimated.

 

[Wraith]

Front Squat + Press ("Thruster") is a great one that can be used in substitution of squats and presses, and really helps to get your heart rate elevated.

Oh, I have a question about this. How does it work if you can't press as much as you squat, or vice versa? I imagine you have to stick with the lower weight, but doesn't that compromise the effectiveness of the other exercise you're doing? Obviously it puts your heart rate through the roof, too, which means you're probably going to be doing less reps.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Of course I'm working everything out. And thanks for the advice, I think I might do extensions and close presses for now for the triceps, I think they've been getting worked when doing other areas anyway.

Cool. Close grip bench presses are a great triceps exercise. As far as weight used, I usually pick something I can do for 3 sets of 10 reps. Close grip doesn't necessarily mean your grip is touching. My hands are about 8 inches apart.

BE CAREFUL. Mechanical compliance is an issue with CGBP's, as you may be fine on rep 9, but rep 10 isn't doing it. Because your pecs are not contributing greatly to the movement, once your triceps give out, the movement is DONE. Can be dangerous as you get up to heavy weight, which does NOT mean don't use heavy weight, but just be careful, and get a spotter for your last set if you start feeling it.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Oh, I have a question about this. How does it work if you can't press as much as you squat, or vice versa? I imagine you have to stick with the lower weight, but doesn't that compromise the effectiveness of the other exercise you're doing? Obviously it puts your heart rate through the roof, too, which means you're probably going to be doing less reps.

Exactly, just use what you can. Since his goal is not necessarily getting stronger in the front squat or press, but losing weight, we're focusing on the metabolic effect of the exercise. Using the front squat to aid in the press also increases the weight that can be used. You wouldn't want to use maximal weight with this, as it would limit your reps too much.

 

[Sol..]

Well, the important thing is getting a high heart rate and maintaining it. With DDR, do you just PEAK at 170? I can't imagine maintaining that.

But again...I'm not a DDR guy, so I'm not exactly sure about how it works for you.

Yes, you can change it by session, that was just an example and I wanted to see how it felt for you. You could actually do two things: keep the exercises and vary the intensity, or change up the exercises.

Think about this:

Varying Intensity
Same workout for each of the three days, BUT:

Monday: do the circuit 4-5 times
Wednesday: do the circuit 3-4 times
Friday: do the circuit 5-6 times

Another way of varying it is by doing the circuit the same amount of times, but change the reps:

Monday: do the circuit with 10 reps per exercise 3-4 times
Wednesday: do the circuit with 5 reps per exercise 3-4 times
Friday: do the circuit with 15 reps per exercise 3-4 times

You can switch it up, depending on how burnt out you're feeling or if you've been having a bad recovery week. The problem with many of these metabolic conditioning routines is that you have to be able to gauge when you may be overtraining. Listen to your body.

Varying Exercises:
Just assume doing an intense, heart rate elevating cardiovascular exercise between these exercises:

Squats
Lunges
Presses
Rows

Jumping Squats
Romanian Deadlifts
Push Presses
Pull Ups

Exercises that combine movements get your heart rate up even more:

Front Squat + Press ("Thruster") is a great one that can be used in substitution of squats and presses, and really helps to get your heart rate elevated.

Basically, pick exercises that evenly work the muscle groups of your body.

By just reducing your workload from 5 to 3 days a week, you should see some progress, as long as you are eating right. Recovery cannot be underestimated.

Ok so compound only? cool. Are these lifts strictly for the purpose of upping heart rate or for strength too?

Also, yeah I peak at 170, lol at that point i'm practically sprinting in space to keep up with the game lol. On average I can hover in the low 150s. Slightly above what i have to really push for on the bike which overworks the legs w/out much work to the heart rate. Biking is definitely more efficient (in terms of moving to and from the bike in circuit) than DDR, but i need a better bike. What I got gives me performance problems.

 

[Mash]

Cool. Close grip bench presses are a great triceps exercise. As far as weight used, I usually pick something I can do for 3 sets of 10 reps. Close grip doesn't necessarily mean your grip is touching. My hands are about 8 inches apart.

BE CAREFUL. Mechanical compliance is an issue with CGBP's, as you may be fine on rep 9, but rep 10 isn't doing it. Because your pecs are not contributing greatly to the movement, once your triceps give out, the movement is DONE. Can be dangerous as you get up to heavy weight, which does NOT mean don't use heavy weight, but just be careful, and get a spotter for your last set if you start feeling it.

Ok sounds good I'll give it a try tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[beelzebozo]

i've had the flu for three days. i haven't been able to run. it's horribly depressing

 

[Slo]

I find the flu to be a very effective weight loss tool. Good work, keep it up!

 

[JasoNsider]

i've had the flu for three days. i haven't been able to run. it's horribly depressing

I hear ya. Not being able to run (my main source of exercise) makes me feel so slothful and gross. Get better soon!

 

[beelzebozo]

trying. i thought today would be the day i came out on the other side of it and got a good run in, but instead it's that awful in-between day where you're almost better, but just bad enough that running is out of the question. luckily you're still cognizant enough to feel like a piece of shit for not doing anything for four days!

 

[Google]

What is up with the DDR?

Guys, give videogames a rest - they shouldn't feature in your fitness regime.

Honestly...

 

[Sol..]

What is up with the DDR?

Guys, give videogames a rest - they shouldn't feature in your fitness regime.

Honestly...

d00d i hardly even play games anymore. I just do DDR because it's a fun way to get my heart rate up and dammit if it aint effective. so xcuuuuuuse me.

 

[YYZ]

DDR is pretty damn hard if you're going for the 8-10 footers (are there 10's?). It's pretty much the only game where I would say you can use it to effectively lose weight, but I don't know about the strain on the knees.


I have a question for those of you that do deadlifts. Do you feel a strain in your lower back when doing them? NOT a pain like "ooh I fucked something up", but just muscle strain like you would feel in your legs after doing squats or something. Not nearly as intense as that, but I feel something in that area.

 

[FordStang]

Ibought some ironmaster dumbbells. it is simply beautiful

 

[Anton Sugar]

I have a question for those of you that do deadlifts. Do you feel a strain in your lower back when doing them? NOT a pain like "ooh I fucked something up", but just muscle strain like you would feel in your legs after doing squats or something. Not nearly as intense as that, but I feel something in that area.

Oh yeah. The lower back is the connecting element between the supporting elements (upper body) and contracting elements (lower body). I don't want to say you SHOULD feel strain (strain is such a negative word), but yeah, your lower back will be worked hard with deadlifts.

 

[Google]

DDR is pretty damn hard if you're going for the 8-10 footers (are there 10's?). It's pretty much the only game where I would say you can use it to effectively lose weight, but I don't know about the strain on the knees.

I've no doubt it's a decent way of gaining more exercise, but often, removing yourself from the things that kept you from being healthy in the first place (bad food, bad relationships, bad habits) will often help change your mindset and thus help with weight loss.

This includes videogames.

 

[Dwayne]

26 pages, you know the drill, no time reader, first time poster...

So I got some gut. The rest of my odd bodily shape is skinny, skinny arms, legs, like that.

Anyhow, I just wanna eliminate that. I eat very simply most days, a shake for breakfast, a nashi sometime before lunch, and a tofu sandwich and yogurt at lunch. Most days I might have a bit of toast and some soy milk for dinner. Occasionally i'll have a full meal for dinner, and occasionally (like, 2-3 times a week) i'll have a sweet of some sort, dessert you know.

Currently I do zero exercise, and have an open half an hour at 7am on Tues, Weds, and Thurs, and could probably find another half an hour sometime on a Saturday afternoon.

So what can you suggest? I read OP but it seems to be more for building muscles and like that, while i'm just trying to look like a skinny nerd. Clues please!

Edit : oh and I have access to an exercycle.

 

[Captain Glanton]

26 pages, you know the drill, no time reader, first time poster...

So I got some gut. The rest of my odd bodily shape is skinny, skinny arms, legs, like that.

Anyhow, I just wanna eliminate that. I eat very simply most days, a shake for breakfast, a nashi sometime before lunch, and a tofu sandwich and yogurt at lunch. Most days I might have a bit of toast and some soy milk for dinner. Occasionally i'll have a full meal for dinner, and occasionally (like, 2-3 times a week) i'll have a sweet of some sort, dessert you know.

Currently I do zero exercise, and have an open half an hour at 7am on Tues, Weds, and Thurs, and could probably find another half an hour sometime on a Saturday afternoon.

So what can you suggest? I read OP but it seems to be more for building muscles and like that, while i'm just trying to look like a skinny nerd. Clues please!

Edit : oh and I have access to an exercycle.

Using the exercycle during your free time would be a good place to start. As you build up your endurance, you might start going out and running--you're better off running hard in shorter bursts than going at a slower pace over a longer period of time.

Your diet looks pretty bad, frankly. It doesn't look like you are getting any fruits and vegetables and very little protein. To lose weight properly you need to eat properly, and that means giving your body all the nutrients and calories that it needs. You will lose more weight, more quickly, and in a healthier way by eating a full diet of the right foods than you will by cutting your calories down as far as you can stand. I've seen people try to lose weight on the type of diet you're on now, and they work very hard and make themselves very miserable for very small results.

Hey guys, I'm wondering about a small analysis of my diet. I typically eat pretty clean, and have been trying to cut down on carbs as I'm currently in a cutting phase rather than a bulking phase, so experts on this let me know what you think:

Breakfast:
2 eggs + 1-2 egg whites scrambled, some veggies (usually green pepper or broccoli), and lunch meat like ham (small amount) in an omelette.
Banana
Glass of Skim Milk

Looks great.

Lunch:

Typically this will be a salad with some grilled chicken and cheese on it + dressing
Orange or Apple
Diet Coke

Less great. Keep the greens, up the amount of chicken ["some" sounds like very little], drop the cheese.


OR

Sandwich using that lite low-carb wheat bread w/ ham, turkey, or tuna
Small salad
Orange or Apple or both
Diet Coke

Snack (around 3:30 or so):

Carrot Sticks or Granola Bar
Low Fat String Cheese
Sometimes Whey Mix + Water

The sticks are great, but drop the granola bar [unless you're cooking them yourself] and the cheese. Keep the whey shake, of course. Here's my midafternoon shake: skim milk, raw oatmeal, natural peanut butter, whey, 1/2 a Diet Cherry Coke.

Dinner:

Grilled Chicken Breast, grilled ground turkey burger, Tuna salad (depending on the day)
Steamed Veggies (lots of broccoli)
Brown Rice or Yams/Sweet Potatoes (been cutting these out lately)
Sometimes another salad

Looks great.

Snack:

100 Calorie pack of popcorn

Not every day. The occasional low fat microwave popcorn is fine, and it can be a great solution to the "pizza/subway/ice cream" jonseing we all get. But it's a sometimes thing; you don't need a snack every night.

I also always have Whey + water immediately after a workout, which is usually around 6:30-7PM. Dinner I wait until about 7:45-8 to eat, and then the snack is like an hour after that, though I don't have it every night. I try not to cheat as much as possible, but I usually do pretty poorly on weekends and also just had a cookie with lunch today, but whatever, not going to get upset about that.

Mainly I guess I'm looking for an overall analysis of what I'm doing right/wrong. I've been trying to cut carbs down more and more and could probably get rid of the popcorn and moving towards eating less bread in general. I drink water throughout the day but also probably drink too much diet pop (never drink regular pop), so what can I cut out/add to make my diet get to my goals of cutting fat?

My workout schedule is that I lift 3-4 times a week and each week have a dek hockey game on Tuesdays and a Basketball game on Thursdays. Those are typically when I do my cardio workouts since I do total body when I lift and my legs usually don't have enough energy to do much after I lift. Any ideas on changes to this would be good too.

I'm just giving you some tweaks, in part so that others can see what diet tweaking looks like. You're already most of the way there, and it's great to see someone taking their chicken, greens, and fruits and veggies so seriously.

 

[Mikazuki]

DDR is pretty damn hard if you're going for the 8-10 footers (are there 10's?). It's pretty much the only game where I would say you can use it to effectively lose weight, but I don't know about the strain on the knees.


I have a question for those of you that do deadlifts. Do you feel a strain in your lower back when doing them? NOT a pain like "ooh I fucked something up", but just muscle strain like you would feel in your legs after doing squats or something. Not nearly as intense as that, but I feel something in that area.

I've played DDR CONSTANTLY since 2000. My knees feel perfect. A very pleasant suprise. DDR's a great way to burn calories, but weights and spriting or some kind of interval training is MUCH better. Well, Max 300 have step layouts that feel a lot like interval training. :lol

I get a big pump in my lower back doing deadlifts.

 

[Mikazuki]

I've no doubt it's a decent way of gaining more exercise, but often, removing yourself from the things that kept you from being healthy in the first place (bad food, bad relationships, bad habits) will often help change your mindset and thus help with weight loss.

This includes videogames.

I barely play video games nowadays. I've only played less than 4 hours of Smash in fact. For whatever it's worth, my brain categorizes videogames into "Dancing Games" and "Everything else". Playing a dancing game does not make me want to play a "normal" video game afterwards at all.