Thread: Building Muscle/Working out

I've been doing most of these for about 30 to 60 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week, since ≈1970. Crunches, dumbbells (5 exercises 30 reps each), pullups, and pushups are always included. The rest of the exercises are in rotation. The only equipment used is a pullup bar and the dumbbells and some rope. I've slowed down slightly on the aerobic exercises in the last 4 years for various reasons.

Originally Posted by Cornelius

My problem is nutrition. When I go work out, I cannot seem to eat enough protein. There's only so much chicken, tuna, eggs and vanilla flavored flatulence-inducing protein shakes I can stuff into myself. When I look at reports on what the bodybuilders eat, I'm not surprised that I dont get anywhere. They eat more in a day than I can eat in a week! Granted, there's no comparison in terms of workout, but still.
Now when I dont go to the gym, I seem to be able to eat much more... junk, that is, and it shows. The whole thing seems like a setup.
Roids seem like a good idea - I read somewhere here that they make your beard grow!

this is the perfect example of using crap protein. you shouldn't feel like crap after drinking a protein shake and it should NEVER give you gas. a typical guy can only assimilate around 45g of protein in a day and considering how many different types of protein there are in foods and how many different places we can get protein, a shake with 26g of good quality protein is plenty. the key is good quality. the best type is high alpha lactobumine whey protein.

another huge factor here is the rest of your diet. if you want to actually have energy to work you have to be consuming quality fruits and vegetables, especially greens ones and good fats. good fats include some saturated fats (contrary to what advertisers want you to think) like coconut oil which is one of the best, and you need some type of animal fat. so don't get the lean chicken and beef, get the free run organic stuff that doesn't have the hormones and other crap, and eat the fat too.

oh and the amount of carbohydrates from grains that we actually NEED is very low, and they are the worst thing you can eat for breakfast, they slow the metabolism and are almost immediately stored as fat. fruits and veggies for breakfast with a tbsp of coconut oil is great for breakfast.

if you eat a well rounded diet and are active along with working out, you will never have to worry about bulking up and then leaning down because your body will keep itself at your healthy weight.

When I was in college and could walk to the gym I used to erg. Ergs are the machines crew teams use when they're not out in actual boats. I have found it to be the best full body workout. The only real muscle group I can think of that it doesn't hit is pecs and tri's. Plus it's great cardio and zero impact.

I'm about the same size as I was in college (being only a year out), but, as my girlfriend likes to remind me, I used to be cut and now I'm just thin.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

When I was in college and could walk to the gym I used to erg. Ergs are the machines crew teams use when they're not out in actual boats. I have found it to be the best full body workout. The only real muscle group I can think of that it doesn't hit is pecs and tri's. Plus it's great cardio and zero impact.

I'm about the same size as I was in college (being only a year out), but, as my girlfriend likes to remind me, I used to be cut and now I'm just thin.

Thin beats chubby any day I'm not ripped, or even in great shape, but I'm more or less satisfied with myself at my current level of exercise and diet.

The hardest thing for me with a quality workout is having a proper diet. It's often times too demanding (money, time, and palate wise) to have a proper diet. I've cut back on the badder stuff though, so I feel good about that. I guess this'll continue until my metabolism slows down...that'll be a ****ty wake up call

Nobody has mentioned creatine. Has it gone out of fashion/been proven to be junk?
Or just pointless unless you are doing extreme workouts?

I mostly ride a bicycle. I was doing mostly off road trails the last few years but I am back on the road now waiting for an elbow injury to heal. Can't take the hits on the trail and heal too.

I broke a collarbone and separated my AC joint in a bicycle accident 5 years ago. When I healed up I got into free weights to build bone density and muscle. I did basic power lifting including squats and deadlifts. I didn't do bench presses but I did do military presses instead among other moves.

I got away from it the last year or so as at 60 I don't have the energy to ride the bike, lift weights and work for a living. I ain't giving up the bicycling and I can't give up the work so that left the weights. I am thinking of trying to work it in and ride less. I do miss it.

To anyone who hasn't tried it and says they are afraid of getting "big", it is easier said then done. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication and hard work to get the kind of body that a Bill Pearl or an Arnold have. The average person will never come close but the benefits of health and strength are for real and are atainable.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Nobody has mentioned creatine. Has it gone out of fashion/been proven to be junk?
Or just pointless unless you are doing extreme workouts?

no but pretty much everyone is wary of it. there was some study linking it to renal failure a few years ago, i'll dig it up when i'm a bit more awake :-P

even if it's not true, it had everyone spooked in the late 90's, so creatine fell out of fashion and caecin (however you spell it) came back in and people quit trying to do 3 full body routines in 72 hours.

I'm kinda into strength training, all free weights and body weight exercises. I first decided to start strengthening up about a year ago when my (now ex)girlfriend was sitting on my lap and I decided it would be a good idea to try to stand up without removing my girlfriend...I came down on her like a tree. The only things hurt were my pride and a small scrape on my knee, but I've been working out on and off ever since.


...oh and that incident had nothing to do with us breaking up.

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Nobody has mentioned creatine. Has it gone out of fashion/been proven to be junk?
Or just pointless unless you are doing extreme workouts?

Originally Posted by Mike7120

The only supplements that I take are a good daily vitamin, creatine, and whey protein.

I use it every day, and most of the guys at the gym I go to take it as well.

I was always in soccer/wrestling throughout hs so i was always kinda tall and lanky. Then when i went to college i took a weight training class. I went from being 138lbs my frosh yr to 190 lbs at graduation. Heaviest i got was 255 lbs in grad school benching 415lbs 3 rep max. That's when my girlfriend was like, huhh don't you think you're too big. Mind you i'm 6'1" and all that weight was making me walk kinda funny. For some reason girls got this magic number of 200lbs in their heads is perfect and no more. Now that i'm 30 i've cut down to 195lbs and my bench dropped to 315. But who cares anymore really... I'm more concerened about mortgage pmts, prostate cancer, and male pattern baldness. If you're training like i used to train.... invest in some good leathers - gloves and belt. After all you wouldn't use any old leather strop on your razor would you?!