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Since we are mostly men here I thought I would throw out this topic. Working out!
I am a 25 year old man that considers himself pretty fit. I currently hit the gym 4 or 5 days a week.
Just wondering if anyone else out there is like me and has any good tips, programs, or anything else that may help others who would like to or are currently workinig out.
when I am not in the process of moving as I currently am, I generally lift about 3 times a week, and do cardio once or twice. (need to do that more, I know)
if you want to get strong, the absolute best thing in the world is squats. nothing else will make your whole body strong like squats will.
When I was 25 I also worked out 3-5 times a week.:nj
I'm now 42 however, and haven't seen the gym in a while!:rolleyes:
Hi,
I've used every kind of gym equipment over the past few decades. Without a doubt the best equipment is one of the oldest. Maybe the straight razor of the workout. I have found kettlebells to be the most versatile piece of kit I have ever used. You need to find a good instructor. I just wish I'd discovered them thirty years ago.
I started weight training in the 70's. I've been a member of Bill Pearl's gym in Pasadena, Brignole's Gym in Pasadena, and the original World Gym in Santa Monica (this was the one Joe Gold opened after he sold Gold's). I was a member of LA Fitness for many years until I got tired of getting colds and the flu. I now have my own home gym set up (now the only nastiness I have to worry about on gym equipment is my own).
Best tips I can give you are:
1) Be realistic about your goals - not everyone is genetically gifted to be a Ronnie Coleman (he'd be a big man even if he didn't lift, or use "other" things). You might be more of a Frank Zane. Just be the best YOU. At 25 you still have the advantage with plenty of endogenous hormones circulating.
2) Stay natural - drugs may give you fantastic results in the short term (very tempting when you are a young stud), but you may pay a heavy price in the long run (very regretable when you are older and hopefully wiser).
3) Use common sense and don't fall for all of the marketing hype that saturates the fitness industry. Do your homework. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember - most supplements come from good old whole foods. Don't throw your money away.
4) Stay basic with your training. Use compound exercises to maximise time and muscles incorporated. Squats, benches, dips, pull-ups, and dead-lifts (assuming no back injuries) should be the foundation of your program.
5) Have fun and don't go overboard - you'll burn out fast. Remember that rest is just as, if not more, important as training. Don't always lift heavy. Lighten it up once in a while.
Scott
Good tips so far from everyone and I will definitely agree with jockeys about the squats.
I am a free weight guy. Have bought various workout programs from a few fitness sites. I will give the links for the ones i have and I will say that if followed they do give results.
My biggest problem is the nutrition. Not enough consistancy...good one week horrible the next.
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Optimum Anabolics Natural Body Building Program Breakthrough!
It has been a few years since I hit the gym with any intent, but here some of the things I think are important. I am old-school, so please forgive me for what might sound like a rant/lecture.
In my opinion, free weights help develop stabiliser muscles and balance and encourage correct range of motion and extension. Machines have their place, but I never used them to develop strength. Proper form is vital with free weights - cheating can slip in on machines and increase the risk of injury, particularly if you are using them for heavy work. I am talking things like smith machines for benching, military presses, or squats, for example.
As well as squats, dead lifts also develop core strength. Keep good form or expect to kill your back.
I used to do light days and heavy days. Plus I used to do one body part or muscle group per workout. I think if you are starting out, a more holistic programme is more beneficial.
Heavy days were power lifting type stuff - squats, deadlifts, shrugs, bench etc. Low reps, high weight. Light days were the shaping and burning type stuff - high reps, low weight, supersets, short recovery breaks etc.
It is also massively important, for overall symmetry and aesthetics, and general strenght, to try very hard not to fixate on those parts of your body that develop faster or are stronger than other parts. Lots of lifts use multiple muscle groups. For example, the bench press involves the pecs but also incorporates the delts too. At best fixating on your "good" bits will make you look out of symmetry, and limit your potential to lift heavier. At worst, you could injure yourself badly.
And of course a good mix between the anaerobic and aerobic excercises is essential. And diet. Cannot stress the importance of diet enough. Diet that is appropriate to your excercise goals. A diet that provides sufficient energy to allow you to do what you are doing, suffiecient nutrients to allow reasonable recovery time etc. A bodybuilder's six-pack is hard to see under a 3 inch layer of torso fat. :D
James.
I simply carry a handgun everywhere I go. It makes me feel like the strongest man in the world! :D
But seriously, I think I've got a pretty good frame. I have no interest in bulking up, but being "fit" or "ripped" would be good.
Jimbo I couldnt have said it better myself. I am still relatively young but consider myself pretty educated in weightroom warfare.
I see so many guys in the gym each week and they have two routines...bi's/tri's and then chest. And to see guys lift legs is so rare. I dont know why but no one does it. Granted I hate leg days but i feel great the next day.
Also I noticed that soo many people think an hour of cardio is gonna get them thinner when really you need to build that muscle base first...cuz its the muscle that burns that fat and burns it all day as opposed to cardio which just burns for the hour you are at the gym...
and O yeah...hammer the PROTEIN...chicken fish eggs protein shakes...protein is a calorie burning food so dont forget to pound the protein especially post workout.
I've been lifting pretty seriously for about, 20 years. I don't have much advice or real zeal for a thread on the subject.
For me I was a marathon runner in the mid-80s and transitioned over to lifting. I needed more bulk. I do not train all my muscle groups with enough balance. Things change dramatically after you turn 40, rest time wise.
I used to work two muscle groups out, once or twice a week. I've always needed/used lots of off-time for growth. Turning 40 made the problem worse.
Lately I've been working mutliple body parts twice a week based on the theory that growth hormones are released by specific muscle groups when worked. We'll see in a few months.
My only advice would be to eat often, min 7 meals a day, minimum. Keep your aerobics up so you don't get fat. Big is great, fat and big kinda sucks. I've been using a Nitros Oxide supplement which is great for an energy boost before working out. I use something called "Superpump 250". Its a rockin' supplement.
So, 7 meals a day, protein at every meal and two good work outs a week lifting, with lots of rest, offset with atleast one good quality aerobics session a week. Thats what I do. Mind you I'm also a full time Executive, government consultant, and grad school student. Some of the grown-up cr*p gets in the way.
sounds like you are a busy man...
If you like superpump try MRI Blackpowder...if you havent yet i would suggest you try it ...i like that one alot...no jitters...no stomach ache and good pump ...
Here's a link to the program I'm on:
20 Months to a Champion Physique - by Bill Pearl - Bill Pearl Enterprises, Inc.
It is probably more frequency than I'll be able to keep up for to long, but if you want to be a bodybuilder and lift for life, it gives you a bunch of different exercises structured to build you up from never having lifted before to safely lifting a lot, often. It also helps you try out a bunch of different exercises so you learn what works for you.
Don't forget muscles grow when you are sleeping not in the gym.
The only thing about squats is that if you haven't been athletic in a while you should work up to them, this is for the older lurkers out there, you won't have the flexibility, or the back strength to get the most benefit from them without building up to them, that what I like about the above program, he puts you through a few months of exercises that build the necessary flexibility and accessory strength to really benefit from the big movement before introducing them. A lot of guys just dive right in and do them but while that works when young it hurts when you get old, and can even cause injury.
I also don't go in for much in the way of supplementation, just vitamins, joint support (I'd take these even if I didn't work out) and protein. Again if you are just starting out, eating many meals throughout the day is an ideal, as is a very controlled calorie count and specific macro's, but if you start out trying to do everything right you are more likely to burn out and do nothing right. I'd make one dietary change a month until you are eating the way you should. for instance give up pop and drink water could be a goal for a month. Then next month split you lunch into two separate smaller meals. That way you will slowly build perfect habits you will stick with over the long term.
I work out at home with my wife as my workout partner, we're on the same program, just different weights. I never liked crowds, so going to the gym pretty much sucked even when there was a decent one close to where I lived.
i have to be brutally honest for this, i have never given a &#^# about trying to look big or strong, and that seems to be the goal of most of the guys at the gym. i hate hearing "i just wanna look trimmer and get a little bulk for when i go to the beach".
almost all the supplements that are out there are crap! i know i am gonna get in trouble for saying this but it is true. even if they do work they kill your kidneys and liver and usually once you stop taking them it all reverses. the only thing that i ever take or recommend is a good quality protein that has no preservatives or artificial sweeteners or artificial colouring. and there are very few people who need more then 22g of protein in one shake, as long as it is good quality protein. creatine isn't bad if you get a good quality product but it is another one that once your stop using it your size goes down, though it will help in muscle recovery.
Ultimate protein by Brad King is the best stuff i have found so far, though Genuine Health Proteins Plus is pretty good to because Brad King actually developed it for them. i haven't had a person yet tell me they don't notice an immediate difference with this protein and these were guys and girls from the full spectrum of weight lifters to just normal people.
as far as the actual weight lifting goes i always find free weights to be better for strength as it premotes balance and support muscle growth. i like that someone already mentioned that simpler is better. a great product that i really like and have found the best strength gains with is the Universal Strength Apparatus. very simple and much harder then most people think.
if anyone has a chance, read Pavel Tsatsoulines book the Naked Warrior. it is amazing. he also has some great books on Kettle Bell workouts that i can't wait to try, but i have to save up to buy the Kettle Bells.
PS. for those avid weight lifters (and anyone for that matter) it made a big difference for me when i started doing one arm at a time for everything, again it is for the support muscles, and i was really surprised how much of a change it made.
Who cares whether you're actually healthy? It's all about whether you look good. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by chee16
Why the hell else do any of those at the gym punish themselves the way they do? If they couldn't see the results in the many mirrors in those places, there's no way they'd keep coming back.
The way I look at it, when you're young, you're a flower in bloom. Make the best of those sunny days, before your pedals fall off. I'lll worry about feeling good long-term later in life.
Here is a 15 week training program.
It is only based on swimming, running and exercises with your own body weight.Its pretty hard to follow, and it takes a lot of time.But you will get some serious results fast.And thats a promise.
I'll only type the first six weeks.If anyone would like me to type the rest, I'll do that.Just ask.
Kristoffer
Coming Soon...
This didn't work.How do I make an excel document visible.I spent like an hour on the program.....
I've been lifting for about 5 years or so. I didn't get real serious about it until 2 years ago, and since then I've been on a good workout and diet schedule. Most of the guys I workout with follow something similar to this routine...
Monday - chest/triceps
Tuesday - legs
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - shoulders/traps
Friday - back/biceps/forearms
Saturday and Sunday - rest
Each of my workouts take less than an hour to complete. I use all free weights when doing my workouts. If I am sore or just feel weak for whatever reason, I do not lift that day. I also try to do cardio about three times a weak. The only supplements that I take are a good daily vitamin, creatine, and whey protein. Getting an adequate amount of sleep is critical, but for me, this is the weak link in my routine because I go to school fulltime and work part-time and do not get enough sleep.
Most of my friends bulk during winter and cut during the summer, but because I do not care about getting that ripped look, but rather desire a more massive body, I never cut.
My diet is pretty simple and not extreme at all. I try to stay away from fatty foods and eat a lot of lean meat and vegetables, but if I want a pizza, a Bigmac, or whatever, I will eat it.
This is how I build muscle and it has worked for me. :rock:
Hope this helps.
Ok, here it is. somewhat short.Its a really good old school program.:gl:
Kristoffer
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! :eek: 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. :w
Roids seem like a good idea - I read somewhere here that they make your beard grow! :roflmao
I've been training for ten years. I work out at Bailey's Gym around 3 x a week...I'm pretty muscular, about 5'8" 195..
These guys who are consuming 6000-8000 Kcal/ day diets are also using steroids. A natural guy trying to consume that much food in a day is asking for trouble.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cornelius
Of course in the muscle mags they never reveal the real reason for their huge gains. They tell all about their protien intake, carbs, fats, etc. But not their anabolic steroid cycles.
Scott
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cornelius
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.
Thin beats chubby any day:D 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.Quote:
Originally Posted by holli4pirating
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:gth
Nobody has mentioned creatine. Has it gone out of fashion/been proven to be junk?
Or just pointless unless you are doing extreme workouts?:confused:
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.
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 :-PQuote:
Originally Posted by Rajagra
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.
:rofl2:
...oh and that incident had nothing to do with us breaking up.:p
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajagra
I use it every day, and most of the guys at the gym I go to take it as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike7120
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?!
Fantastic, thanks! I didnt know most of this. The cereal I've never liked or had a good feeling about. I'm more of an egg for breakfast person. Hormones are not allowed in breeding here in Europe, so I trust that they dont use any. Didnt know about coconut oil, I eat mainly (raw) oilve oil. Is that anywhere near as good?Quote:
Originally Posted by chee16
True to a point. If you are prone to gas in general, or get gas when you eat fast, even iso whey can give you a case of gas but it should not be worse than any other food.Quote:
Originally Posted by chee16
This is the lowest daily intake of protein max I have ever seen anywhere, Reference? I exceeded that before lunch today. Most I have seen say at least 60. Most diet plans for muscle gain recommend anywhere from 1 gram per kilo to one gram per pound daily. I personally go with roughly one gram per kilo of lean body mass and have no dietary problems such as gas, or anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by chee16
I usually get around 24 per shake, but I buy a relatively inexpensive whey blend, mostly because I can't afford the best, but also because I see good results. Of course I only have one or two per day, most of the protein need should be met through diet. Learn to love eggs and fish. Fish also geets you the best of the healthy fats.Quote:
Originally Posted by chee16
Its still pretty popular in the high intensity workout circles, it and protein are the two most recommended supplements. It's benefits seem to be temporary though so cycling on and off is more common and that make sit a bit more complex for a beginner to mess with and if your not doing physique competitions it might not be worth it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajagra
Personally it is the only thing I have thought of adding to my regime but I haven't reached the point where I think I would get the most gain out of it so for now it can stay on the tore shelf.
When I was into the weight training along with my bicycling I got into taking Universal Animal Pack and 1 protein shake with Muscle Milk daily. The animal pack was 11 pills and they recommended taking it twice a day. I did one pack as in my late fifties at the time and not lifting heavy I figured that was enough. Now I think it was probably overkill for an old guy but what the heck, I don't think I suffered from the possible overload. I also took glucosamine sulfate daily for joint health. Now due to some physical problems I don't take anything and I seem to be doing alright.
The only thing I can really add here is that I think it's important to change up your workouts every now and then (3-6 weeks?). I think your body gets used to doing the same old thing and can use a shake-up.
I've also been having pretty good results from lower volume, high intensity workouts - say, 4-6 exercises of 3-5 sets. I also do 2-3 different routines a week, all hitting the same muscle groups. If you work those few exercises really hard, you shouldn't have the energy to do some of the 10+ exercise programs I've seen. I suppose it depends on your goals though.
Jordan
I, too, have heard the rule of 1g protein per 1kg of DESIRED body weight. e.g. if you want to weigh 100kg, take 100g a day. I prefer caecin to whey as it tends to work better for me. Try both, some people have better results with whey (fast absorbing) some people with caecin (slow absorbing) depending on metabolism. I have had the best results with Just Protein, but others are prolly just as good.
Quit using creatine years ago, but I still use a nitric oxide supplement (NOxplod) which is great, and also I make sure to get lots of calcium and take the joint supplements. (collagen or something, can't remember.)
another good thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/finer...6-protein.html
I firmly believe in protein shakes...also in multivitamins...and also creatine. creatine is much better now than it was in the early 90s when it became the supplement for highschool and college athelets...
it is pure now and as long as you keep your supplement to around 2-3 grams pre workout and around 5 grams post workout you can benifit greatly. cycle this supplement 2 months on 1 month off and you will be fine...
and as far as only needing 46 grams of protein that is simply too low...that is what the fda says...but they are the ones that came up wtih the food pyramid that had people eating 11 servings of grains and made people fat from all the carbs....
if you are working out...1 to 1.2 grams of protein for every 1 pound of lean muscle mass...so if you are 200 lbs with 25% body fat you have 175 pounds lean muscle...so you can easily take in 175 grams of protein in a day...
you only need carbs in the morning and some preworkout...then some quick digesting carbs post workout...even just sugar is good after a workout...along with your 30 to 40 grams of protein and some good fats...
high protein diets burn more calories ... plain and simple...
I like how this thread has taken off...i thought this may be a good topic for people to discuss...fitness and diet are two of the most debated topics next to government healthcare steroids in baseball...hahaha :)
jockeys...have you tried MRI Black powder...works better than xplode for me...
and i just use plain old GNC brand protein
and plain old gnc creatine monohydrate...
good so far...
O yeah and as for the creatine factor....
when you first start your cycle you will imediately notice big gains...when you start your second cycle you will again gain but just not as noticible as the first time...
but it does work...
Test boosters..no, hi sugar creatine drinks...good but too expensive...all the other sups...stay away from...
creatine monohydrate powder with cinnomon and some sugar...these help to absorb and utilize the creatine...
the only other supps to try would be Glutamine or BCAA these are amino acids from protein...the most important aminos for muscls growth.
man i love this topic...
References please.Quote:
Originally Posted by chee16
Scott
I'm curious about this too. I've always read that 2-4 proper servings a day (earlier in the day being better) of a good whole grain was optimal.Quote:
Originally Posted by honedright
Jordan