-- Weightlifting & Nutrition Thread -- v9.0 Optimized

[CrouchingTiger]

**Useful Links**
Men's Health detailed routine (very helpful) (http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article/0,2823,s1-1-0-0-199,00.html)
Men's Health Fitness Forum (http://forums.menshealth.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1)
Diet Plans (for gaining, not losing) (http://bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=MassGainDiets)
Explanations of exercises (http://bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm)
How to tone up those abs (http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/abs/absFULL.html)

Most of you probably didn't expect a thread like this from a skinny guy like me, but I don't think the old one still exists, so here's a new one.

Some beginning weightlifting suggestions can be found on these websites, such as this:


Great - you've decided to try bodybuilding. Perhaps you want to build mass, tighten up your midsection or slim down; those are all possible with strength training. Whatever your reason (and you should definitely write down your goals for starting and your realistic expectations of what you hope to achieve in the short and long term),m you should follow a clearly defined program.

Don't expect us to provide you with any so-called success; let's state for the record right now that some training methods are smarter and better than others, but nothing resembles a secret. Our role here is to teach and guide you through your first three months so that you can take your training to the next level and design a personal routine that meets your needs.

Is there one program that's right for everyone? No. Did you really expect that one routine would serve the needs of the female college basketball player who wants to make a more dominating presence on the court, the 45 year old businessman looking to firm his body and improve his health, and the young man interested in competitive bodybuilding? Every person who trains has different motivations, desires and genetic potential, and each must make his or her own adjustments in putting together a particular program. It's really not so difficult. But before you get started, here are some points you'll want to consider.

1. Get a physician's release if you are over 40 or have had any sort of previous injury or impairment.

2. Be realistic but positive. Assess your current condition and where you want to be in three months, one year and five years. Keep focused on your goals and know you'll achieve them.

3. Commit yourself to three months before making any judgements about whether it's working or not. The truth is, you're probably a bit impatient, and sculpting your physique takes time. Changes take place incrementally, but three months is long enough to notice some significant changes in strength and size. Persistence and dedication are characteristics that all successful bodybuilders have in common. Do you?

Designing Your Exercise Program

Before getting into your program, you need to develop an understanding of how and why you're building your exercise routine. Although we've gone ahead and designed a program for you, just about everything in ti can be changed depending on your particular circumstances. Your primary objective here, as a beginner, is to build a solid foundation - and not just any training program will take you there in an efficient manner. Study the following points to better understand your bodybuilding program.

Bodypart Training

Bodybuilders group exercises by bodypart and train one muscle group at a time. Working one are with 1-3 exercises ensures that you train it thoroughly. Experience says that this type of training is the most efficient for bodybuilding. (Circuit training, on the other hand, allows you to do movements for different bodyparts back to back with no rest in between).

Every major muscle group should be developed to prevent muscle imbalance and the risk of injury. The major muscle groups include legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes), chest, shoulders, back (Trapezius, lats, erectors), abdominals and arms (biceps, triceps).

Exercises

You can choose from any number of movements that target a particular muscle group, but beginners should stick with the basics to develop a solid foundation. The first exercise you do for a given bodypart should be a compound movement. (A compound or multijoint movement, unlike an isolation exercise, has movement at two or more joints and thus brings in a greater number of assisting muscle groups. Note: Some bodyparts like biceps, triceps and calves can be worked with pre-dominatantly isolation exercises.)

Some basic movements can be done in a number of ways; for example, you can do a bench press with a barbell, with dumbbells or on a machine. Eventually, you'll learn how to do them all and use the in your training arsenal.

Two similar exercises can target a muscle differently. For example, the bench press is a good exercise for most of the chest, but the incline press (essentially a bench press done on an incline bench) works the upper pectorals more effectively. When you put exercises together to form a routine, you'll want to include those movements that hit the same muscle in different ways. That's why you normally include 2-3 exercises when you work each bodypart.

Weights

During the first couple of training sessions, you'll want to go pretty light just to get a feel for how to do the movement correctly. After you feel comfortable with the form, begin adding weight.

Even an experienced lifted should always do his first set as a warm-up with practically no weight to flush to target muscle and connective tissue with blood. On the second set, add a couple of small plates and do the exercise again. Was it still east? If so, and assuming you used good form, add more weight. If you struggled to reach 12 repetitions, add just a little bit of weight. (Adding weight on successive sets is called pyramid training and is one of the safest ways to train.)

Continue adding weight until it becomes tough to complete 8-12 reps. Your goal is to train in the range where you reach muscular failure at 8-12 reps. Once you find a challenging weight, stick with it. So you'll become stronger and be able to increase the number of reps. Once you can do 12, it's time to increase your training poundage by about 10%. At this heavier weight, you won't be able to do 12 reps, but with time you'll once again be able to. Keep working in this fashion.

The principle behind this type of training is known as overload. It states that for improvements to occur, you must impose a demand on your muscles greater than what they're accustomed to (for bodybuilding purposes, about two-thirds of your maximal strength). Your muscles compensate for this strain on the cellular level by adding protein to grow thicker and stronger. At that point, the same load is no longer sufficient to induce further changes, more load must be added. That is, you must progressively add training stimulus to make continued improvements.

Keep track of your training poundage by recording your weights, sets and reps in a training log alongside a list of your exercises.

Some bodybuilders swing and heave, cheating for the sake of pushing heavier weights. Remember, the name of the game here is not weightlifting, but rather bodybuilding.
(to be continued)

[CrouchingTiger]

(continued from above)

Sets

A set is a combination of any number of reps of a single exercise. As a beginner, you'll normally want to do 1-2 light warm up sets of each movement (especially the first movement for a given bodypart) before doing 1-3 heavier sets. That equals 2-4 total sets per exercise.

Reps

A rep is a single execution of one exercise. if you do a set of 10 bicep curls consecutively, that's 10 reps. During your first week or two, keep the weights very light so that you can complete about 15 reps in good form. This is a change for you to practice good form while you work on your neuromuscular coordination and lean the proper 'feel' for the movement. Developing that feel with become even more critical later on because it will tell you if an exercise is working.

After that initial break-in period, to build size and strength you want to do 8-12 reps per set (after your warm-up set of 15 reps, which you should do at the start of each exercise). Use a weight that allows you to do the recommended number of reps and still reach muscle failure.

Muscle failure means that you cannot do any more reps with good form. If you can't do eight strict reps, the weight's too heavy. If you can do more than 12, the weight's too light. Adjust the weight for your next set. (Note: The numbers eight and twelve are not arbitrarily derived. Exercise scientists have conducted numerous tests and have found that working with a weight about 70% of your one-rep maximum produces the fastest results. Most bodybuilders can lift about 70% of their one-repetition maximum 8-12 times).

Though you don't have to train to muscle failure to grow, you need to come pretty close. Bodybuilders call this intensity. How do you know if you're close to working at 100% intensity? Simple: If you can do another rep with good form, do it! If you can do still another, do it.

After you build you base, you may want to experiment with a program that alternates periods of high reps (which build muscle endurance) to medium reps (builds muscle mass) with low reps (builds strength and power) and back up again. This is called cycling. The idea here is to progress to a higher level of strength each cycle. (Note: Advanced strength athletes like powerlifters use slightly different training methods, most notably the number of reps, that do bodybuilders. You'll get stronger as you build muscle, but training to maximuse strength isn't identical to the type of training that maximizes mass.)

Proper Form

We'll say this again and again, but it's far better to use a weight that allows you to perform the movement correctly than to cheat with a heavy weight that will, sooner or later, result in an injury.

Speed of Movement

Use a smooth, controlled motion during all phases of the lift. This deliberate rep speed produces the greatest results for bodybuilding purposes. Super-fast reps with ballistic movements and jerking can be harmful to muscles and connective tissues, while slow training accomplishes very little. In general, most bodybuilders use a formula that approximates a two-second positive contraction (raising the weight), a momentary squeeze of the muscle at the point of peak contraction, and a two-second negative contraction (lowering of the weight).

Breathing

Most people don't think much about breathing until they begin lifting weights, but it should still come naturally. Start each set with a deep inhalation and exhale as you push through the most difficult part of the lift. Inhale at the top (or the easiest portion of the lift) and exhale as you push.

Rest between Sets

In general, rest as long as it takes for you to feel recovered from your previous set. That normally ranges from 45-90 seconds. Larger muscle groups take a bit longer to recover; smaller muscle groups clear low pH levels are are ready to go more quickly. Don't fall into the all too common mistake of talking with your buddies for 3-4 minutes between sets, during which time your muscle can become cold. This is counterproductive and lengthens the time you spend in the gym.

If you want to emphasize strength, take a little longer rest between sets. On the other hand, less rest means you won't be able to lift as heavy, but you'll be stressing your endurance. Of note: How much you can lift on a given set and the number of reps you do are directly related to the length of your rest period.

Use a Full Range of Motion

Use a full range of motion in your exercise movements. You want to work each target muscle through its natural range of motion for complete development and to prevent injury.

Training Frequency

Say you train your entire body on Monday. Should you do it again on Tuesday, or wait until Wednesday? The answer is that your body requires a minimum of 48 hours to fully recover after exercise, sometimes even longer. Physiological processes at the cellular level require rest and nutrients before you can train that same muscle group again. A good rule of thumb: If you're even slightly sore, you're not ready to train that bodypart again.

If you're an advanced bodybuilder and split up your workout into, for example, one day for upper body and another for lower body, you can train on consecutive days as long as you don't repeat the same workout. As a beginner, you don't want to go more than 96 hours (four days) without training the same muscle group again. Timing too infrequently results in submaximal gains.

The answer for the beginner, then, is to train every 2-3 days (or three times a week). A Monday - Wednesday - Friday (or similar) schedule is ideal.

Training Duration

If you follow the exercises, sets, reps and rest prescription, you should complete your resistance training in about an hour. Never mind those two hour plus sessions; who could possibly maintain the high level of intensity and mental fortitude of a marathon training session? What matters is the quality of your workout measured by the intensity you create, not the length of time you spend in the gym. Remember that.

[CrouchingTiger]

As for nutrition, people seem to agree more on it than they do the weightlifting aspect of a good fitness routine. Whereas there are several contradicting views on weightlifting, nutrition seems more straightforward. Again, a useful article from www.getbig.com :


Daily Caloric Intake

This is an area that has been used and abused a lot over the past several years. At one point, high calorie diets are in and a year later low calorie diets are back in fashion. The same holds true for Proteins, Carbohydrates and Fats. Opinions seem like they're changing on a daily basis and they are! The following formula is tried and true. lf you follow it and make adjustments where they're needed, you can't help but to achieve nutritional nirvana. Many complex formula's for figuring daily caloric needs have been introduced. My formula is a simplified and effective version.

Take your current body weight or a realistic body weight goal (Up or Down), and multiply it by your desired factor (either 12, 15, or 18). If you want to lose weight or have a slower metabolism, multiply your weight by 12. For maintaining your current weight, multiply your weight by 15. And for hardgainers or those looking to gain weight, multiply your weight or desired weight by 18. This is a starting point for figuring out your daily caloric needs. (Example: Male who is 200lbs x 15 = 3000 calories per day, Female wh is 130 lbs x 15 = 1950 calories per day). You may need to adjust your caloric need by 50 - 100 calories per day should you stagnate and not be achieving your desired goals. This formula also works as a nice starting point for a bodybuilder looking to figure out the different caloric needs over the course of a year.

A Pre-Contest bodybuilder would use their desired body weight multiplied by 12. An off-season bodybuilder would use their weight or desired weight multiplied by 15 or 18 depending on how fast their metabolism is and how lean they want to stay in the off-season. I personally use my body weight multiplied by 15. This allows me to grow and stay very lean in the off-season. This formula works equally well for both men and women.

After figuring your daily caloric needs, you now need to figure out how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat you'll take in per day. Roughly 30-35% of your calories should come from protein, 50-60% from carbohydrates and 10-15% from fats. Each gram of protein or carbohydrate is equal to 4 calories. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories. Your calories should be partitioned somewhat equally throughout 5-6 meals or more per day. Higher calorie post workout meals are encouraged and will be discussed later in this article. Although vitamins and minerals will not be discussed in detail in this article, I do recommend everyone use some type of Mega Multi Vitamins or Vitamin Pack on a daily basis. Such supplementation provides daily insurance and eliminates the worry of meeting required needs for general health and recovery.

Protein

Protein is essential for the repair and growth of muscle tissues. The amino acids derived from proteins form the building blocks for all cells in the human body. Without protein, your organs, hair, nails, immune system and every other part of your body would not survive. Those who work out need to supply their bodies with enough protein to carry out the bodies regular day to day functions along with recovering from your daily workouts. Daily protein requirements for active people have been disputed for years between sports medicine professionals and those who decide on the US RDA's. My personal opinion and that supported and accepted by most sports nutritionists and bodybuilding experts is 1 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. This is a perfectly safe and very effective amount. Any less and your recovery and growth will suffer. Higher amounts of protein don't seem to be any more beneficial, either.

Your protein intake should be approximately 30 - 35% of your total caloric intake. A 200 lbs male eating 3000 calories per day would want to consume 250 grams of protein per day, this would be 33% of his total calories. A 130 lb female eating 1950 calories per day would want to consume roughly 160 grams of protein per day, this would be 33% of her total calories. Your protein intake should be divided somewhat equally throughout all of your meals. If our 200 lbs male consumed 6 meals per day, he would want to consume 35-43 grams of protein per meal. If our 130 lb female were eating 6 meals per day, she would want to consume 20-30 grams per meal.

Best Protein Sources: Protein Powders and Supplements, Turkey, Chicken, Fish (White), Lean Red Meat, Egg Whites.
(to be continued)

[CrouchingTiger]

(continued from above)

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the bodies preferred energy source. For the purpose of this article, I will break them down into two categories: Simple carbohydrates and Complex carbohydrates, Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates that are broken down slowly and elicit a mild blood sugar response. With the exception of post workout meals, complex carbohydrates should represent the majority of the carbohydrates in your diet.

Simple carbohydrates are only recommended during the first two hours following your workout. The reason for this is simple carbohydrates elicit a rapid rise and fall in your blood sugar levels. This not only causes you to feel sluggish and tired but it also causes such an insulin spike that the body begins to convert and store those simple carbohydrates as fat, sometimes even before the simple carbohydrates leave the liver. Needless to say you've triggered hormones that are more conducive to fat storage than they are to fat burning and muscle building.

However during that two hour period following your workout, often considered the post workout window of opportunity, your body and your muscles are very receptive to simple sugars. Spiking your insulin levels at this time will not only help to begin refilling all your depleted glycogen stores but will also help you recover and feel revived from your intense workout. It is believed that 60 - 80% of your glycogen replenishment (carbohydrate storage & replacement) needs to take place within two hours after training. In other words, the quicker you can get the carbohydrates into those hungry muscles, the better your chances of having a great workout the next time out. It only makes sense that simple carbohydrates would work the quickest and get the job done with no drawbacks. But remember this is really the only ideal time for simple carbohydrates in your diet. During all other time frames, complex carbohydrates will help you to sustain a nice steady energy level that delivers a steady flow of carbohydrates to the muscle.

Carbohydrates should make up 50-60% of the calories in your diet. As with proteins, you need to space your carbohydrates throughout your meals for the day. A good ratio would be 1 - 1.5 grams of carbohydrates per gram of protein in all your regular meals and 2-3 grams of carbohydrates per gram of protein in your two post workout meals. I mention two because one should come immediately at the gym usually in the form of a drink or bar or both depending on your size, and the other should come about 60-90 minutes later in the form of a meal at your home, office or other destination. These two meals should represent 30-45% of your total calories and carbohydrates for the day. If you use a higher carbohydrate pro workout meal (60-90 minutes prior to training), its perfectly fine to make adjustments in your other meals ratio's to balance out your daily percentages.

If you do eat foods that contain simple sugars, an easy way to combat the insulin spike is to simply make sure your eating complete meals. In other words, taking in protein with simple sugars, or for that matter any carbohydrates will slow down the absorption rate for a much more favorable and growth promoting blood sugar profile.

Best Complex Carbohydrate Sources: Oatmeal, Brown Rice, Beans, Hot Air Pop Corn, Green & Yellow Vegetables, Shredded Wheat, Yams, Sweet Potatoes.

Best Simple Carbohydrate Sources: (Post Workout). American Body Buildlng's Critical Mass, XXL, Bulk Force, Amino Force, Carho Force, Steel Bar's, Amino Power, Super Shakes (The product of choice depends on your size and caloric needs). Foods include Boboli Pizza with Fat Free Cheese, Whole Wheat or Buckwheat Pancakes, Whole Wheat Pasta's, Syrian Bread sandwiches with real turkey or chicken, etc.

Best Meal Replacements: American Body Building's High Voltage.

Fats

All the fat you need should occur naturally in your everyday diet. However, if your fat intake is extremely low (below 10%), I would recommend supplementing a tablespoon of flaxseed oil, olive oil or even a serving of peanuts just to make sure you get your essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids do play a role in growth, recovery and day to day well being. My recommendation is your daily caloric intake consist of 10-15% fat.

Mid Night Meals

At one time or another you've probably been warned not to cat anything before bed or in the middle of the night because it will turn immediately to fat. This is Dead Wrong! One of the biggest mistakes a bodybuilder can make is to go 10 or more hours without eating. If you eat every 2 - 4 hours during the day to prevent catabolism, what logic could convince you to fast every night for 10 - 12 hours. This might be the easiest way to interrupt recovery and growth on a daily basis. The following recommendation might be the most important growth promoting tip you've ever received. Eat 1 - 2 times during the course of the evening. I'm not talking about a full meal but rather a small protein based meal. Carbohydrates are not all that important during the middle of the night simply because you're not doing anything but sleeping. However, protein will help to prevent catabolism and, during the all important Growth Hormone releasing sleep, promote anabolism. l'd recommend either drinking a protein shake, taking some amino's, eating 3 - 4 egg whites or having a cup of cottage cheese just before bed and then once again in the middle of the night when you get up to go to the bathroom. All you need is about 75 - 125 calories in each meal and don't forget to include them in your daily counts. Start eating in the middle of the night and you'll be growing around the clock, and don't worry, I guarantee you won't get fat.

Summary

As I stated in the beginning of the article, nutrition is by far the most important factor and is almost always responsible for either success or failure in bodybuilding and most fitness programs. Although very complex, a basic understanding can guide anyone in the right direction. As you progress in your bodybuilding and fitness programs and gain further understanding of the relationship between performance, recovery and nutrition, you'll be able to find certain nutritional strategies and manipulations that will help drive you to new heights. In future articles, we'll discuss such strategies and manipulations. Until the next issue, good luck to all and hopefully bodybuilding's nutritional jigsaw puzzle is a little easier for you to understand now.

[CrouchingTiger]

Now that I've covered the basics and reasons behind workout routines and nutrition plans, here is an actual routine. Supposedly, this is the routine Brad Pitt used for Fight Club. It can be found at various places on the intarweb.


Monday Chest
3 - 25 push ups
3 - nautilus press 45,55,65
3 - nautilus incline press 55,65,70
3 - pec deck machine 40,45,50

Tuesday Back
3 - 5 pull ups
3 - seated rows 75,80,85
3 - lat pull downs 85,90,95
3 - t bar rows 50,55,60

Wednesday shoulders
3 - arnold press 35,35,35
3 - laterals 15,15,15
3 - front raises 10,10,10

Thursday Bicep/Tris
3 - nautilus curl machine 20,25,30
3 - ez curls cable 30,35,40
3 - hammer curls 15,20,25
3 - push downs 50,55,60

Friday
Treadmill 45 minutes 65-75% MHR

Sat/Sun off

Reps Range From 20-30 reps on all exercises

Not a lot of weight, but only giving your self about 30 seconds of rest between sets keeps heart rate up which leads to burning fat and putting on a toned or ripped look.

I think I'm gonna give that routine a try, because I would love to look like this (http://www.cineclub.de/images/fight_club4.jpg), minus the cigarette and shadowy eyes of course.

However, I have some questions about that routine. What are: nautiless press, pec deck machine, arnold press, hammer curls, push downs? Also, what's the difference between: seated rows, and t-bar rows? And what is "laterals" for shoulders? Lastly, what does MHR mean on the treadmill?

Oh also, where are his legs and abs workouts? While I hear his legs are small, surely he has to do something else for his abs...

[darthJones]

anyone know what toby maguire's workout routine is. he was able to do that within 3 months on a vegetarian diet (or so i've read). that's awesome.

[erco]

MHR = Maximum Heart Rate
Laterals = Pulling weight down from above your head to work your back.

LOL, you wanna look like Brad Pitt? I find that funny, don't know why.

EDIT: Toby was on Yoga Yoga Yoga workout.

[The Fireboy]

I was wondering if anyone was going to make this thread again, I was thinking about it last night, but I'd feel stupid since I'm not muscular and only looking to get that way. But for your questions, check Bodybuilding.com I think it was posted in the last thread, they have an area of the site that tells you (With pictures) just about every strength training exercise you could think of.

And as of right now, I'm doing 8-10 reps and 5 sets. But my friends keep telling me to put on a lot of weight with less reps will work just as good, if not better. Anyone know if I should be doing HIT? Or just stick to my current ways of doing things?

[CrouchingTiger]

I was wondering if anyone was going to make this thread again, I was thinking about it last night, but I'd feel stupid since I'm not muscular and only looking to get that way.
Hey, don't feel bad. I'm in the exact same boat, and that didn't stop me. :karate:

As for Toby McGuire, I don't know the details, but I remembering hearing he got that way in 5 months, not 3, and I think he strayed from his vegetarian diet a bit to get at least a little bit of protein. I also believe he spent roughly 5 hours a day doing exercises. A regular weight workout, probably some aerobics, and like someone else mentioned lots of yoga.

I'm gonna try that Brad Pitt routine, like I already stated, coupled with some leg and ab workouts. Only thing I need now is a nutrition plan. All those numbers aren't easy to interpret in terms of food. I need someone to lay me out a weekly menu. :clap:

[margalis]

And as of right now, I'm doing 8-10 reps and 5 sets. But my friends keep telling me to put on a lot of weight with less reps will work just as good, if not better. Anyone know if I should be doing HIT? Or just stick to my current ways of doing things?

Just as good at what?

Low reps at high weight gives you bigger, stronger, twitch muscles.

High reps at low weight gives you endurance muscle and a better cardio workout.

There isn't any better, it just depends on what you want. And nothing says you can't mix them. Personally, I would rather be lean and muscular than just plain big.

[The Fireboy]

Only thing I need now is a nutrition plan. All those numbers aren't easy to interpret in terms of food. I need someone to lay me out a weekly menu. :clap:

I don't know too much since I just started as well, but from what I read is, it's a calorie game, and the best thing to eat would be anything with protein. And only a few carbs like starchy carbs as rice and what not, and then fibrous carbs like green vegetables but I'd look up on it, since I could be wrong (Or the entire article I read could be a lie. :xeye: )

I had a similar question, I have a good protein intake for my body (I eat just about nothing but steak as of late.) But would something like whey protein shakes be worth it as I'm only trying to lose body fat currently, but retain as much muscle as I possibly can.

[blood_sin]

Just don't push it to the limit with the lifting, unless you don't mind a prolapsed colon.

[True_Tech]

i personally frequent the mens health forum they always give good advice and i'm following the homegrown muscle program they have links below
homegrown muscle
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article/0,2823,s1-1-0-0-199,00.html
the fitness forum
http://forums.menshealth.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1
if you're a beginner like me homegrown is a good program to follow till you have enough knowledge to start your own

ask them what you should eat and you'll get plenty of replies and links about a weekly plan and how you should eat and i'll tell you now what they'll tell you,eat 4 to 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism boosted so it burns more fat and calories

[CrouchingTiger]

eat 4 to 6 small meals a day to keep your metabolism boosted so it burns more fat and calories
But is that what someone like me, who weighs 130 pounds, wants? I'm one of the few people out there who aren't trying to lose weight, but gain it. I don't wanna put on fat though, I wanna stay lean and just add muscle.

After looking at that link briefly, I would indeed like to look like this (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_homegrownmuscle.jpg) and this (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_ironmanual.jpg). Or at least somewhere between Pitt/that. I just don't wanna get too big ya know.

[Big Pete Roasa]

Heres an assload of articles about weight gain diets and what not.

http://bodybuilding.com/fun/bbinfo.php?page=MassGainDiets

[Romie]

Yayyyy, it's back.

I've been meaning to start another thread, but I don't come to the boards as much anymore... damn school...

[ShotoKlownIori]

i'm interested in toning down my midsection.
could you guys point me toward the right direction/website/diet?

I'm doing alright so far, but i can tell i'm not doing the right thing by just doing 100 sit-ups at night. so yeah, i'd appreciate some tips.

[LordViperScorpn]

nautilus is just a brand that makes workout machines.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/102-1663641-7812960?node=3408311&no=3684491&me=AZPP3FBYJ6TUE

so he is just doing a bench and incline bench machine.

[CrouchingTiger]

i'm interested in toning down my midsection.
could you guys point me toward the right direction/website/diet?

I'm doing alright so far, but i can tell i'm not doing the right thing by just doing 100 sit-ups at night. so yeah, i'd appreciate some tips.

I think you might find this useful: http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/abs/absFULL.html

It basically says you're going to need to cut the fatty foods (it explains how to figure all that out), and NOT do situps. Crunches are more effective, whereas situps are too easily done improperly, causing strain on your back and not enough focus on your abs. Also it says situps will add bulk to your obliques (love handles) which would increase your midsection. Not what you're looking for. Do crunches and leg raises, as described in that article. It's a fairly short read. Read it. :)

And cool LordViper, I thought that might be what it was. What about the other exercises I had in question? RPDrookie said hammer curls are just as if you were holding the dumbell like a hammer, vertically. What about the rest?

Also that Men'sHealth link seems very informative, but I've only skimmed over it as of now. I'll add that to the first page so newcomes can find the info quickly.

[True_Tech]

But is that what someone like me, who weighs 130 pounds, wants? I'm one of the few people out there who aren't trying to lose weight, but gain it. I don't wanna put on fat though, I wanna stay lean and just add muscle.

After looking at that link briefly, I would indeed like to look like this (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_homegrownmuscle.jpg) and this (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_ironmanual.jpg). Or at least somewhere between Pitt/that. I just don't wanna get too big ya know.
yeah thats what you want cause you always want to burn fat so that you gain more muscle and less fat but gaining just means you eat more calories then you can burn theres plenty of calorie calculators on different sites where you put in your stats and it tells you how much to eat to get this and this so to like gain so much weight, you'd eat so many calories. gotta love technology

[HeaT]

But is that what someone like me, who weighs 130 pounds, wants? I'm one of the few people out there who aren't trying to lose weight, but gain it. I don't wanna put on fat though, I wanna stay lean and just add muscle.

After looking at that link briefly, I would indeed like to look like this (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_homegrownmuscle.jpg) and this (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_ironmanual.jpg). Or at least somewhere between Pitt/that. I just don't wanna get too big ya know.

if you want to look like that thats at least 10 years of SERIOUS lifting and nutritioning...

laterals for sholders are where you grab dumbbells in each hand and starting from you sides lift them up laterally untill they are parallel to the floor, like when someone tells you to lift your arms to take your chest measurement...

im outi

Roberth

[Herny]

Nice!!
I, myself, am a SCRAWNY guy....like REAL skinny and I've always been too embarrassed to go to the gym since I am kind of weak too.....
So, What am I supposed to do...? To start off?
I've read some of it, and I am not 100% sure which one is right for me?
Help?

Oh....and would it be GAY if people start posting pics of how they look NOW? like a Before & After thing..... -_-
So gay =P

[erco]

Ok, hope you guys can help me out here.

I can stand to lose a few pounds, and just tone up in general. I don't have access to a gym at my apt complex, nor do I want to spend $150 + $30/month to join a gym in my neighborhood, but I do have a good set of adjustable dumbells. Any help here, or am I just much better off going and spending the money to join Bally's or 24hour?

[CrouchingTiger]

Nice!!
I, myself, am a SCRAWNY guy....like REAL skinny and I've always been too embarrassed to go to the gym since I am kind of weak too.....
So, What am I supposed to do...? To start off?
I've read some of it, and I am not 100% sure which one is right for me?
Help?
Same here. I finally just bit the bullet and went though. You should too. Everybody has to start somewhere. All the buff guys you see in there used to either look like you, or were fat. Besides, I think in most cases you'll find that you're not the only scrawny one in there.


HeaT: 10 YEARS?? Wow. Toby McGuire went from basically where I am to the way he is in Spiderman in 5 months. I don't have the time to spend on it like he did, nor the professional trainers and nutritionists to help me... so I imagine I could achieve what he did in a year to a year and a half. Maybe those pics I posted were a bit too much heh. My target weight is 160-170... how much do you suppose those guys weighed?

[Romie]

Brad Pitt can't be more than 170lbs (Fight Club days). And McGuire can't be more than 150.

Norton in AHX was wayyyyyyyy bigger than any of them. No idea why he got so small again.

[CrouchingTiger]

Brad Pitt can't be more than 170lbs (Fight Club days). And McGuire can't be more than 150.
Yeah, from what I've read Pitt was 160ish during Fight Club. How much do you think these guys weigh? 1 (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_homegrownmuscle.jpg) 2 (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_ironmanual.jpg)

[Rhio2k]

Just don't push it to the limit with the lifting, unless you don't mind a prolapsed colon.

Maaco can't fix THAT kind of blow-out. :lol:

[Romie]

Yeah, from what I've read Pitt was 160ish during Fight Club. How much do you think these guys weigh? 1 (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_homegrownmuscle.jpg) 2 (http://www.menshealth.com/images/cma/video_ironmanual.jpg)

Depends on how tall he is. He looks around 175lbs. If he's taller, then he'd weigh more.

[glass]

i was recommended to go to http://www.wannabebigforums.com, but haven't checked much of it out.

i did find a little motivational article taken from T-mag.com:
http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?t=573&page=1&pp=25

[True_Tech]

Nice!!
I, myself, am a SCRAWNY guy....like REAL skinny and I've always been too embarrassed to go to the gym since I am kind of weak too.....
So, What am I supposed to do...? To start off?
I've read some of it, and I am not 100% sure which one is right for me?
Help?

Oh....and would it be GAY if people start posting pics of how they look NOW? like a Before & After thing..... -_-
So gay =P
look at the homegrown link its made for people who either workout at home or a gym they have exercise you can do with dumbells or like me i only have a barbell with enough weight to be a challege so for every exercise theres 2 or 3 ways to do it depending on what you have

[CrouchingTiger]

Nice!!
So, What am I supposed to do...? To start off?
Before you start any weight plan, you should probably spend a couple of weeks jogging or doing other sorts of cardio, and using some really light weights and doing a lot of repetitions. That way you will build your endurance, something you'll need if you are to actually go for heavy weights and no more than 90 seconds rest between sets (the general recommendation). Also, using light weights to start off will let you get used to doing the proper motion. If you start off right away with tough stuff, and you end up doing it wrong, you're not beneffiting as much. Quality over quantity. It's better to use weight you can have good form with and do correctly, than to use a large amount of weight for an ego boost or bragging rights.

edit: not saying you don't want to challenge yourself. Definately push it to the limit, just know what that limit is.

[CrouchingTiger]

I just calculated my nutritional intake for the day, and here are the results:

cheese - 70
5g fat
2g carb
4g protein

eggs - 70 x 2
4g fat
1g carb
6g protein

juice - 110 x 2
26g carb
2g protein

bacon - 35 x 4
2.5g fat
2g protein

tuna - 60 x 2.5
1g fat
13g protein

mayonaise - 100 x 2
11g fat

bread - 60 x 8
.5g fat
12g carb
3g protein

pot pie - 400
23g fat
37g carb
10g protein

jelly - 50 x 2
13g carb

peanut butter - 190 x 2
16g fat
7g carb
8g protein

milk - 130
5g fat
12g carb
8g protein


--------------
-fat- 41%
1003.5

-carb- 39.5%
964

-protein- 19.5%
474


-total calories-
2441.5
--------------

Well, I'm meeting the caloric formula of "current weight * 18" in order to gain, but I'm getting the calories from the wrong area it seems. I had no idea I consumed that much fat. That frozen pot pie was unhealthy, as is my regular mayo. I should buy nonfat kind.

[Magnus Huang]

okay, most of the sources out there preach that to cut-up, your body must use up (external activity and internal functions combined) more calories than one consumes in a given day. i assume that the human body is smart enough to know when it's getting less energy than it's using.

what exactly does this mean? besides cutting up (by either fat or muscle shrinkage)...will you be feeling hungry all the time? (body's way of saying it needs more energy), feel fatigued, etc.?

[CrouchingTiger]

^ I'm not sure. I don't think that's accurate. In order to be cut, I believe you have to have a combination of muscle, and low body fat. I don't believe you would have to burn more calories than you intake daily... like you said, I don't think that would be good. You should probably be burning off most/all of your fat calories though, however that works. Cardio, and lots of it basically.

Don't quote me on this, I don't know the magic to getting cut yet. ;) It shouldn't be hard for me though, my metabolism is like an unstoppable freight train. I just need to get the muscle.

Question. I read from several sources that 55:30:15 is the ratio of carbs:fat:protein that you should strive for... but that getbig site says that's the ratio of carbs:protein:fat. Is consuming as little as 15% fat healthy? Not to mention how hard that would be to consume that little fat.

[bowiegranap]

i assume that the human body is smart enough to know when it's getting less energy than it's using.

what exactly does this mean? besides cutting up (by either fat or muscle shrinkage)...will you be feeling hungry all the time? (body's way of saying it needs more energy), feel fatigued, etc.?

Unfortunately, it isn't. The body has weird mechanisms that you have to overcome. For example, dropping your cholesterol intake sharply, your body will start producing cholesterol on its own and you end up with higher cholesterol than when you started dieting.

The immediate effect of burning up calories than you eat will result in several things, among which you already mentioned. You feel more tired easily, you feel hunger more easily, etc. Of course, in losing weight you also put less stress in your heart and muscles, so long term effect would feeling less tired and less hungry.

CrouchingTiger:

If I remember correctly, the formula to losing weight would be to cut down 1000 calories (daily) from whatever diet you should be following based on your body mass index. This would result in approximately pound loss per week, given normal activities. The loss of 1000 calories also limits the resulting "binge" eating that results from dieters feeling hunger all the time.

For each 9.3 calories of excess enermgy entering the body, 1 gram of fat is stored.

55:30:15 Carb:protein:fat is approximately correct, at least for normal activity ("Dietary Guidelines for Americans", US Deparment of Agriculture and Deparment of Health and Human Services). You are correct, however, in saying that different sources argue (the second book I picked up listed 45:14:45, which means 45% comes from fat).

Sorry, don't have data for those in an body building regimen. In any case 15% fat is next to impossible to achieve unless you prepare all your food yourself. As for 15% fat being healthy, sure it is. The body has ways to compensate... and I actually have to look for a case where a person suffered a condition from lacking eating fat (will get back on it).

[True_Tech]

okay, most of the sources out there preach that to cut-up, your body must use up (external activity and internal functions combined) more calories than one consumes in a given day. i assume that the human body is smart enough to know when it's getting less energy than it's using.

what exactly does this mean? besides cutting up (by either fat or muscle shrinkage)...will you be feeling hungry all the time? (body's way of saying it needs more energy), feel fatigued, etc.?

every time you cut you lose *some* muscle but if you exercise and eat right you lose less muscle and more fat, and no you won't feel hungry if you're eating as planned because you can always have a healthy snack i'm partial to jerky myself, really you're eating more,because you have more then the usual 3 meals a day

[CrouchingTiger]

If you lose muscle when you cut, should I be doing this "Brad Pitt routine?" Cuz I don't have much muscle to begin with, I'm 130lbs. I have next to no fat as well, but still... Cuz at 20-30 reps a set (which I can't even do that many yet), I would assume the main goal of this workout is to cut up.

Should I be doing heavier weights and less reps until I gain some weight/muscle, THEN switch to this type of workout? It's all so complicated. :sad:

[Romie]

If you lose muscle when you cut, should I be doing this "Brad Pitt routine?" Cuz I don't have much muscle to begin with, I'm 130lbs. I have next to no fat as well, but still... Cuz at 20-30 reps a set (which I can't even do that many yet), I would assume the main goal of this workout is to cut up.

Should I be doing heavier weights and less reps until I gain some weight/muscle, THEN switch to this type of workout? It's all so complicated. :sad:

No. Generally speaking, you should keep the same rep and set scheme ALL the time. Doesn't matter if you're cutting or bulking. You should be using heavy weight and less than 10 reps all the time. More reps than that is for endurance training. Low reps build strength and mass.

The only difference between cutting and bulking is diet and cardio, the training should be the same.

[True_Tech]

at 130 you should be bulking but still make sure you watch what you eat because that and exercise is the different between gaining more muscle or gaining more fat

[jamessalas]

I remember there were some tips in one of the old threads about how to go about problems working out the chest. I haven't made much progress lately.

[Romie]

I remember there were some tips in one of the old threads about how to go about problems working out the chest. I haven't made much progress lately.

Then you should change your routine a little bit. Incline DB presses are by far the best exercise there is for chest.

Or you could change your rep scheme. If you do 6-8 reps, you might want to aim for 10. You'll definately feel a difference.

[Herny]

OK, I thought it over for the past week
I've finally decided and realized who had the perfect body (Not intended to sound gay)

Bruce FUCKING Lee
Its perfect, plus its just the right size for chinese ppl (not too big or small)
BUT, how can i achieve this??? Any special rountine?

[True_Tech]

OK, I thought it over for the past week
I've finally decided and realized who had the perfect body (Not intended to sound gay)

Bruce FUCKING Lee
Its perfect, plus its just the right size for chinese ppl (not too big or small)
BUT, how can i achieve this??? Any special rountine?

only if you plan on training like bruce lee he was known to train up to 14 hours a day, i would tell you just find a good workout program you like and follow and just watch what you eat

[Big Pete Roasa]

Heres perfect.

[MagnusMadness]

crouching tiger.....without steroids it's gonna take you a long fuckin time to gain 40 pounds of muscle....I'd say with the way u describe ur metabolism ur looking at at least a couple years.

Also people gotta realize that 67% of what u look like is what you eat...if ur not taking in enough protein in a given period of time u might just be wasting ur time in the gym...

Another reason u should eat like 6 meals a day is so ur body can actually use all the protein you give it...I wanna say most people's bodies can't really take in more than 35-40 grams of protein at one sit in...and you really should be aiming to take in a gram of protein for every pound you weigh.

Also...some proteins are better and more "complete" than others..and that's why I drink a couple protein shakes a day...You guys may already know this but one of the most perfect, naturally occuring protein is egg whites...boil some eggs...peel the whites off...season em with a little salt and pepper and go to town.

I weighed 145 in high school and am now at almost 170

And about getting cut...unless ur pretty overweight..the muscle mass you put on will help metabolize fat tremendously..but you can also try staying away from salts and stuff with sodium cuz without the water weight you'll see a big difference and ur skin will look a little thinner.

[CrouchingTiger]

Actually I finally settled on a routine and have been going at it for about a month now. I already feel better, and though I haven't gained maybe more than a pound yet, there is actually a slight noticable difference.

While I've settled on a good routine, I'm still trying to iron some of the wrinkles out of my diet plan, but once I get that final piece of the equation, the gains should be flowing in hopefully.

This is my routine:

---Monday---
Barbell Benchpress 3x8
Dips 3x8
Standing Military Press 3x8
Side Lateral Raises 3x8

---TUESDAY---
30min cardio

---Wednesday---
Wide-grip Chins 3x8
Bent-over Barbell Rows 3x8
Barbell Curls 3x8
Dumbell Shrugs 3x8

---THURSDAY---
30min cardio

---Friday---
Squats 3x8
Stiff-legged Deadlifts 3x8
Calf-Raises 4x8
Decline/Weighted Crunches 3x20

---SATURDAY---
rest

---SUNDAY---
30min cardio

My diet has been for the past week, roughly 2500 cals a day at 45:35:20 ratio of carbs:protein:fat. When I run out most of my current food and have to go to the grocery store again, I plan on getting food to fit this diet:

www.muscletalk.co.uk][/url]

*** Rapid weight, while staying lean ***
By Bigfella � MuscleTalk Moderator

For me this is the best method for adding rapid weight while dropping bodyfat and maintaining leanness. I have tried and tested this in practice with many experienced and novice trainers.

Begin with a maintenance diet (one that holds body weight steady). It must be minimum 1g protein/lb bodyweight, 15% from healthy fats and the rest from mostly complex carbs.

12lb lean mass in 6 weeks is possible by doing the following:

Add 1000kcal to each daily intake from above in the form of 450kcal of protein, 450kcal of carbs (which may be maltodextrin) and 100kcals of fats, this will give 7000kcals excess per week which equates roughly to 2lb bodyweight, small adjustments maybe needed as you gain but essentially this is pretty close.

Now the above diet is for week one only, and as each week goes by, you are going to load protein which accelerates the accumulation of lean muscle tissue, do this by adding 25g (100kcal) of protein to each day�s food intake and reduce 25g (100kcal) of carbs (maltodextrin). This new dietary change is followed for a week and then performed again the next week and so on for all 6 weeks; the results of the loading can be remarkable if rest, training and food choices are optimal.

[Romie]

Actually I finally settled on a routine and have been going at it for about a month now. I already feel better, and though I haven't gained maybe more than a pound yet, there is actually a slight noticable difference.

While I've settled on a good routine, I'm still trying to iron some of the wrinkles out of my diet plan, but once I get that final piece of the equation, the gains should be flowing in hopefully.

This is my routine:

---Monday---
Barbell Benchpress 3x8
Dips 3x8
Standing Military Press 3x8
Side Lateral Raises 3x8

---TUESDAY---
30min cardio

---Wednesday---
Wide-grip Chins 3x8
Bent-over Barbell Rows 3x8
Barbell Curls 3x8
Dumbell Shrugs 3x8

---THURSDAY---
30min cardio

---Friday---
Squats 3x8
Stiff-legged Deadlifts 3x8
Calf-Raises 4x8
Decline/Weighted Crunches 3x20

---SATURDAY---
rest

---SUNDAY---
30min cardio

My diet has been for the past week, roughly 2500 cals a day at 45:35:20 ratio of carbs:protein:fat. When I run out most of my current food and have to go to the grocery store again, I plan on getting food to fit this diet:

You really need to add more to that routine. I see almost no isolation work there, and way too many sets to stimulate your muscles.

For chest alone, I'd do at least 9 sets. 8 for quads, 4 for hams, 5 for calves, 6 for tricep, 6 for bicep, 4 for each head of the shoulder, 6 for traps, 8 for lats and middle back, 4 for lower back.

[MagnusMadness]

that's a decent workout I guess....I notice ur not doing any kinda incline press and that's essential..You'll also want to throw in a decline press exercise as well...dips do hit the very bottom of ur chest, but only ever so slightly.

Other than that..ur hittin the major muscle groups, but after about another month...u should seperate ur muscle groups into different days and start to REALLY tax them...cuz that's the only way ur going to put on some mass...I've been at this a couple years off and on but this past 6 or 7 months I've gotten serious and alot more hardcore. Here's my weekly routine...but I can already here the naysayers tellin me I'm over training

Day 1: Chest and Tri's

dumbell press
Incline dumbell press
dumbell flies
hammer strength decline press
cable cross decline flies
dips
tricep pull downs
curl bar nosebreakers
dumbell kickbacks

Day 2: Back and Bi's

Pull ups (ABSOFUCKINLUTELY necessary)
wide grip lat pull downs (in front of neck to simulate a pull up motion)
more lat pull downs on a different machine and slightly closer grip
Don't know what this is called but u take a dumbell and lay over a flat bench and hold it out and let it go back behind ur head and pull it back up over u...(this is sposed to stretch ur ribcage out while workin ur lats at the same time)
One arm dumbell rows
Seated rows with a different grip
dumbell curls
concentration curls with a curl bar
hammer curls with cables.
Sometimes a couple exercises for forearms too here of late.

Day 3: Shoulders and traps

seated dumbell military press
military press on a cybex machine
lateral raises
frontal raises
I hit the rear delts on a machine for flies, u just turn around and do reverse flies...and I down set those
barbell smilies
side shrugs with dumbells
frontal barbell shrugs (be sure to roll the weight each rep and hold to make sure u hit the back of ur traps too)

Day 4: Legs

Squats on a smith machine
Leg press
Leg extensions
6 sets of reverse curls for hams on two different machines
6 sets of calf raises on two different machines...one seated and one standing.

(Sometimes) Day 5: Either Chest again or Bi's/Tri's

Repeat chest workout

Or do 9-12 sets each of whatever I feel like doing for bi's and tri's

I also try to do abs at least 3 times a week whenever I can.

[CrouchingTiger]

Hmm, I cut down my routine because I was previously "overtraining." I don't really know what kind of isolation work I should be doing right now, nor how I would add any in without overtraining once again.

Not only that, but I'm usually too wasted after that to do any remaining isolation exercises: On Mondays, after benches and dips, I don't really have anything left in my chest for another exercise, and barely enough left in my triceps for a military press. The only reason I even do laterals is because I feel my shoulders are by far my weakest area, so I figured I could work them a bit harder than everything else. Wednesdays, my biceps are pretty worked after the chins and rows, so all they have left in them is enough for some type of curls. I had originally settled for concentration curls, but was advised to go for barbell curls. On Fridays, my legs DEFINATELY won't be doing any extensions after squats. I might could get in some leg curls, but the SLDL's seem to work my hamstrings pretty good anyway.

The reason I have the days split up like they are is due to what muscles are synergistic to the rest. Chest/tris/shoulders all get worked together, as do back/bis. My routine is basically a traditional push/pull/legs routine. I think I would prefer a four day routine, giving shoulders/traps their own day apart from chest/tri, but I was again advised against that, being told that unless my shoulders are already becoming defined, they shouldn't get their own day. And as I already stated, my shoulders being my weakest point, they are far from defined right now.

If you want to lay out a workout plan for me Romie, feel free to heh. But every time I try to add in an isolation exercise, I start to feel like "well if I'm isolating this, why not isolate that?" And before I know it I have 15 exercises per session lined up, and I'm back in the overtraining boat again.

As for chest, I do probably need an incline in there... I was planning on swapping it out with the flat bench after a couple months when I change my routine up a bit. But dips feel like they hit my chest pretty hard, particularly if you cross your feet behind you and lean forward. I certainly didn't see the point of dips and decline presses, so I opted for one over the other.

[CrouchingTiger]

Any thoughts on that Romie/MagnusMadness? As another example, today was back/bicep day, and my biceps literally couldn't do another curl near the end of my third set of BB curls. Chins and BB Rows were already taxing my biceps, and curls finished them off.

[erco]

no ab work at all?

[True_Tech]

with exercises like that you're already preexhausting your biceps if you want to do the chin ups you can face your hands forward and it won't work your biceps as much if at all but they're aloooooooooot harder pull ups are easier cause you have your biceps to assist you

also remember incline and decline is alot harder then reg benchpress i found this out the hard way a few weeks back in my room and i had to slide under the bar cause it got to heavy after the 5th rep

[MagnusMadness]

with exercises like that you're already preexhausting your biceps if you want to do the chin ups you can face your hands forward and it won't work your biceps as much if at all but they're aloooooooooot harder pull ups are easier cause you have your biceps to assist you

also remember incline and decline is alot harder then reg benchpress i found this out the hard way a few weeks back in my room and i had to slide under the bar cause it got to heavy after the 5th rep

as for pull ups I ALWAYS face my hands forward and have them about shoulder width apart maybe a little farther apart...pull ups are supposed to be for ur lats don't put it all on ur biceps...they'll be smoked by the time ur done anyway.

As for incline yes it's a pretty good bit harder...but decline should be easier...cuz ur moving the weight less distance and should be able to use more of ur tricep...it probably seems harder cuz u do it last.

Crouching tiger:

Just try a regular 4 day routine as follows: (this is what worked for me, and it's what I liked..but everybody's different)

Day 1 chest and tri's:
flat bench press
incline press
decline press
dips
tricep pull downs
kick backs (on the kick backs, when u extend ur arm turn ur wrist making ur palm face the ceiling)

Day 2: Back and Bi's
PULL UPS...(hands facing forward)
wide grip lateral pull downs
rows
Bicep curls (try dumbells while laying on an incline bench, this one is the shit)
concentration curls

Day 3: shoulders and traps
Military press
lateral raises
frontal raises
Then lay on ur stomach on an incline bench and do reverse flies for ur rear delts
shrugs ( I started really feeling my traps when I started doing 6 sets)

Day 4: Legs
Squats
Leg Extensions
reverse curls (hams)
calf raises

There see?? That's not overtraining at all..that's just hitting all the major muscle groups and that's important early on...cuz one day ur gonna plateau and it's gonna be alot harder to move up in weight and shit starts to get frustrating. After a while you'll get comfortable with this routine and u will prolly need to start adding sets and adding exercises to really tax ur muscles. I was fortunate enough to be friends with alot of big motherfuckers at the gym who showed me everything I know and still show me new shit all the time and always offer advice...It's always a good idea to be polite in the gym, offering folks a spot every once in a while if they need it...shits real important to people like me who go to the gym alone. I know everybody at my local gym now..and if I need anything (even the hookup on all kinds of supplements) all I gotta do is ask.

[CrouchingTiger]

I do like that routine... I think I will switch to that one after about 2 months on my current one. I've been workin out for about a month and a half, though the first month wasn't "routine" at all. It was pretty much a different exercise every day/week, trying to find ones I liked and ones that felt good. Now that I finally chose something, I'm gonna stick with it for a bit. I like the idea of "phase training" where you alternate between two routines every 8-12 weeks or so, so maybe that will be the routine I switch to.

[Chaos]

Long time no see, good to see a new version of this thread. To the people citing Toby/Brad Pitt workouts and results, they used gear to accomplish their changes. At the very least they had someone to monitor their diet and supplementation 24 hours a day, something you will not. Using their routine and expecting similar results is setting yourself up for disappointment. Argue if you want but it is commonplace in hollywood to use test/Clen/etc. for physique changes.

As far as recommended workouts, I'm currently following DC style training, its interesting to say the least. Romie have you tried it, you're the lifter in here who I think has adequate muscular base/experience to give it a whirl. It is the most taxing workout I have ever done though, beating the log book is getting to be tough. I'm now doing 315 for 8 reps on floor deadlifts though, going for ten tomorrow. I'm about 6'1, currently at 200 pounds so thats not a bad lift.

[Romie]

Throw me a link to it man. I'm always up for different styles of training.

BTW, in case some of you didn't know, I was gone for a while due to a dislocated shoulder and slight injury to my rotator cuff while playing baseball. I'm at 100% now, although my shoulder makes a clicking sound when I bench.

[Chaos]

Heres a link to the basics.

http://www.chadnicholls.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11851

Not for the weak of heart, nor for those who wanna look like male strippers year round (read- those of you who want to keep a constant 6-pack).

And as an aside I strongly suggest you drop flat bench (bar) from your program, otherwise your asking to reinjure yourself. Bar bench locks your shoulder into a range of motion that puts lots of stress on teh rotator cuff, the supraspinatus most notably. Just my .02 worth.

[Romie]

I do incline DB presses. I didn't even do flat bench before the injury.

Good heads up though.

I've heard of doggcrapp training before. I'm still a little confused on some stuff. If you can, hit me up on AIM, my sn is y0ureign0rant

[R.P.D rookie]

Where is a good website to order whey from?!

[AHVB]

I Just Started Working Out. So I'm Getting Pain In My Chest / Arms, Wich I Know Is Normal, Here's My Question:
How Do I Mimimalize The Pain, Does Massaging Or A Cream Work, Its Annoying As Hell.

[Romie]

Stretching and exercising with no weights really help. Like if you were doing chest and your chest is sore, do some pushups.

[AHVB]

Thanx :)

[MagnusMadness]

Where is a good website to order whey from?!


Do a search for nitro-tech...that's a good protein...(you can also get it at GNC, kinda expensive though, around 70 bucks for a 4 pound tub)

You may want to check out sports-performance-news.com...they sell nitro max protein powder..I've tried it at my gym and it's one of the best tasting protein powders around...and if you get the 25 pound tub it's a great value at only 150 bucks. (around 165 after shipping I believe)

[opticallyinviz]

about stretching, don;t stretch too hard on your chest during your chest workout....it can actually limit the growth of your chest

do very light stretching of your chest before, during and after the workout.....

chest was one of my biggest problems but it's getting better...stronger anyway not so much bigger

[toastcrumb]

Try 1000mg of vitamin C in time-release capsules daily for muscle soreness. I used to work with a doctor who was in to weightlifting, he was chock-full of handy tips.

[Romie]

Do a search for nitro-tech...that's a good protein...(you can also get it at GNC, kinda expensive though, around 70 bucks for a 4 pound tub)

You may want to check out sports-performance-news.com...they sell nitro max protein powder..I've tried it at my gym and it's one of the best tasting protein powders around...and if you get the 25 pound tub it's a great value at only 150 bucks. (around 165 after shipping I believe)

Nitro is frikkin expensive man. Optimum Nutrition is probably the best you can get for your money. I personally use Isopure.

[Ajil]

about stretching, don;t stretch too hard on your chest during your chest workout....it can actually limit the growth of your chest

do very light stretching of your chest before, during and after the workout.....

chest was one of my biggest problems but it's getting better...stronger anyway not so much bigger


Absolutely false, there is evidence extreme stretching in and of itself my cause muscle hyperplasia.

[Quicksilver3007]

I have some questions about lifting and nutrition, obviously. Anyways I am about six feet tall and I weigh 155 lbs. Since I have about 10-12% body fat I am just looking to get bulk on my muscles so they can show through. What kind of foods can help me with a 3 day a week lifting routine? I also have protein powder that I make shakes with but when is the best time to use it?

[MagnusMadness]

I have some questions about lifting and nutrition, obviously. Anyways I am about six feet tall and I weigh 155 lbs. Since I have about 10-12% body fat I am just looking to get bulk on my muscles so they can show through. What kind of foods can help me with a 3 day a week lifting routine? I also have protein powder that I make shakes with but when is the best time to use it?

read the directions on the protein powder...most tell you the best time to take it...and most say right after you work out, or before, or right as you wake up...I would suggest one right as you wake up...and one after you work out. As far as foods go...I would suggest alot of red meat first and foremost...because aside from having the necessary protein they also have more fats than chicken and fish and a 6 footer who ways 155 needs all the fats and calories they can get.

The name of the game is weight gaining...and to do it you need to work out...and load up on carbs and calories while taking in a gram of protein for every pound you weigh every day. Consistency is crucial.

Romie...nitro is expensive but it's rumored to be one of the best so me and my roommate tried it out...My roommate did nitro and weight gainer (1/2 servings) and put on 7 pounds already (it's only been 2 or 3 weeks.)

And isopure tastes so bad it makes my asshole wanna suck on a lemon.

Anyways romie..check out that website sports-performance-news.com and read the artical on their protein NitroMax. It's an interesting read.

[Rocky Dean]

Here ya go "guys" - http://queerabs.com

[AL the great]

I Just Started Working Out. So I'm Getting Pain In My Chest / Arms, Wich I Know Is Normal, Here's My Question:
How Do I Mimimalize The Pain, Does Massaging Or A Cream Work, Its Annoying As Hell.

you cant minimalize the pain when u just start out. what should do is do less work out cuz u just started. and also make sure to rest up until the pain is totally gone before you go again. dont injure urself.

[MagnusMadness]

clay

Next time ur back in town, I want you to come to ironworks with me and show me this training in person..I'm starting to plateau pretty hardcore and this training sounds like the truth. I think it'd be fun too.

[Chaos]

No problem I will be home for four weeks for holiday break from around december 14th or so until January 10th. Extra long break for us to balance up the quarter schedule.

[MagnusMadness]

ok guys...I need help putting together a good diet, cuz I think that's the one thing I'm lacking...I'm about to get alot more serious here next week..I was reading that link chaos made to the DC training and I noticed him saying something about taking in 500 grams of protein a day...that's an ungodly amount of protein...is that really necessary?? I've always heard the rule 1 gram for every pound you weigh...

[DEF]

I noticed him saying something about taking in 500 grams of protein a day...that's an ungodly amount of protein...is that really necessary?? I've always heard the rule 1 gram for every pound you weigh...


Yeah the general rule is 1 gram for every pound of your weight. I read a article a sometime ago and it said that even 1 gram for every pound was a lil too much but didnt hurt, ill try to look it it up and post a link.
what kind of diet are you looking or leaning towards?

[MagnusMadness]

Yeah the general rule is 1 gram for every pound of your weight. I read a article a sometime ago and it said that even 1 gram for every pound was a lil too much but didnt hurt, ill try to look it it up and post a link.
what kind of diet are you looking or leaning towards?

well I'd like to put on some weight...but only lean mass not fat...I'm afraid that I'm not eating enough that's all. Cuz I sleep in for the most part every day ( I wait tables at night) wake up drink a shake...go to the gym...drink a shake...and the shakes leave me pretty satisfied for the most part and then I get ready and go to work.

I've read about people loading up on carbs and calories and am wondering if I should follow suit...

[Quicksilver3007]

Preciate the info Magnus. Yeah I probably can afford to eat a lot more when I want to just because of how damn skinny I am. I'm trying to eat a more balanced diet along with taking in more protein.

[CrouchingTiger]

My metabolism is unstoppable. I few weeks ago I was eating my usual 2000 or so calories a day and I weighed 130. I upped my calories to 2500 calories a day, and only gained half a pound. I then upped my calories again to 3000 calories a day, and lost a pound heh. Now I'm 129.5.

[Chaos]

You don't eat enough crouching tiger, point blank. I'm 6'1 or so, 200 pounds and I'm currently eating 5-6000 calories a day. I'm gaining weight, but I'm also getting chubby, such is life. I find it much easier to diet down where I want to be than to gain weight, eating the way I currently am is a pain in the ass. Just make sure your getting in as many meals a day as you can, gains will come. Also you may be weighing yourself to often, I would weigh at most once every two weeks, always on teh same scale, always at the same time of day. Your weight can vary drastically throughout the day remember.

Perry, the 500-600 grams of protein DC and some of his elite clients (silverback,Inhuman) take in is because they are elite level lifters. 300-ish pound people. Basically DC suggests around 2 times bodyweight in protein daily, 5-6 meals. The eating is one of the toughest parts of the training system, it just wears on you after a time. Also after about 5 weeks on the program when you get back to the exercises for the third and fourth times the weights start to get daunting. Tomorrow I to smith squat 3 plates for 20 reps, and I know now its gonna be totally balls out. In short the reason he demands such high protein intake is that the system is designed for gaining mass, and it stresses your bodies ability to recover.

[acesmith5]

Thanks for the info guys. Interesting reads.

I'm currently like 6'1 and 220 lbs. So, yeah I'm big enough to scare off my sister's would be boyfriends :rofl: Most people that find out my weight are like "Where are you hiding it?!? O_O " So...whatever.

anyways, lately I've been kinda on this vegetarian kick. Fruits for breakfast, salads for lunch, veggie pizza or whatever for supper, and random glasses of fresh carrot juice through the day. Please note I am NOT A HIPPIE! lol I love meat and have no problems killing animals for food, but it's a good diet for me because I have a medical problem with my Kidney and protien will kill me :(

But anyway, it was interesting because when looking into this way of eating they made the point that meat is not as essential to muscle growth as we thought. They go into the scientifics of it all, but a logicalpoint being that humans and gorrillas have like the exact same digestive/whatever system. Meaning both of our bodies use food in exactly the same way. And the gorrila's #1 favorite food is fruit and if it can't find fruit it'll eat vegetables. No meat whatsoever. However just look at the gorilla, I would kill to be as buff as a gorrilla! :lol: Just not the hair :p

But anyway, was curious if anyone else has tried this stuff. I'll let you guys know (with seski gay pics like
Herny wanted LoL j/k )if it magically works and I get buff as fuck. :rolleyes:

Keep up the good work :tup:

[Magnus Huang]

random question...

what technique do you guys use to spot someone who is lifting heavy or attempting a max for flat dumbbell bench?

elbow or wrist spotting? feet/knee position? shoutting encouragement? verbal count of what rep they're on? etc.

i'm still trying to find the best/most stable spotting position for me. although i'll turn down a request for a spot if it's an ungodly weight...i'd like to prevent someone from getting pancaked or sent to the ER

[MagnusMadness]

random question...

what technique do you guys use to spot someone who is lifting heavy or attempting a max for flat dumbbell bench?

elbow or wrist spotting? feet/knee position? shoutting encouragement? verbal count of what rep they're on? etc.

i'm still trying to find the best/most stable spotting position for me. although i'll turn down a request for a spot if it's an ungodly weight...i'd like to prevent someone from getting pancaked or sent to the ER

I spot at the elbows...no reason in particular though...

Some people wait for someone to practically drop the weight before they spot them and they just help them finish the rep...that's not what I do...

I give a little help at their weakest point on the rep I see them struggling...after that rep...I don't give a fuck how many they've done they're givin me two more...on the first of those two I again help at the weak point ever so slightly and on the last one I give them as little help as possible to ensure they got a good strong set with a good failure rep.

On a side note...if ur not taking ur sets to failure...ur failing to do ur sets. The only set in my workouts that I don't take them to failure is a warm up set.

[MagnusMadness]

alright guys...let's talk something serious...anybody ever tried steroids??

I haven't...but I've been reading up on winstrol and it seems like a much safer alternative and from what I've read it doesn't support water retention and when you come off it you don't have to take an antiestrogen to balance out your hormone levels. Basically it doesn't share alot of the side effects of more popular steroids and you keep most of the gains you get after your cycle is over.

Any of you guys ever tried it or know anything about it??

[Chaos]

Tons. Never tried it, never will. I'm not willing to take the risk of obtaining and using AS. Physically they are quite safe (IMO) if used correctly and reasonably, but I just don't feel like taking the risk. On an aside you should have at least 2 years of hardcore training underneath your belt before you start with AS it represents a huge step in the game. As for aromatization, I would still do a post cycle with nolva to be on the safe side.

As an aside, in no way do I condone the use of steriods by any individual, and all information I post is in the interest of science.

[SaiYuk]

any tips for a little weight gaining for a 120 lbs guy?

i've read the majority of the posts on this threads... unfortunately i'm an engineering student and have work to do (labs/projects/study) pretty much all day, and have to stay in the labs for pretty long hours every day. eating 6~8 meals a day or visiting the gym every day of the week simply isn't possible for me. however i'm not really looking to be brad pitt or anything, all i want is at least a 20-pound gain to 140 lbs. (that'll at least put me into 'average' for an asian guy)

i was actually only 110 before last year. i spent a few months at the gym (not too often, just twice or so a week) and tried to eat more in general (not calculating fat/carbs/proteins) and after that few months i got to 120. but i stopped doing it for a while, and started it again just 2 months or so, but don't really see any gain so far. any suggestions?

thanks.

[p republic]

Damn, its like all you guys are trying to get big. I'm already naturally big, I just need to get ripped up more.

The only question I have is this . .I can EASILY do 200+ crunches in one sitting. My abs are nice I guess but I'm always hurting the next day, and since I work out each night before I go to bed it seems like I'm always in some kind of pain the next day. Do I need to lower my reps and keep it down to less than 7 days a week?

It may sound like overkill but I'm used to it.

[MagnusMadness]

Damn, its like all you guys are trying to get big. I'm already naturally big, I just need to get ripped up more.

The only question I have is this . .I can EASILY do 200+ crunches in one sitting. My abs are nice I guess but I'm always hurting the next day, and since I work out each night before I go to bed it seems like I'm always in some kind of pain the next day. Do I need to lower my reps and keep it down to less than 7 days a week?

It may sound like overkill but I'm used to it.

Ripped up = low body fat percentage...

If ur existing muscle mass is not metabolizing the fat necessary to make you look more cut...then you should try dieting. 67% of what you look like is what you eat....

As for working out 7 days a week...I don't know what you do...but I can hit every major muscle group of the body in 4 days of working out 1.5 to 2 hours...if I add a 5th day it's to either hit bi's and tri's together with compound sets or I hit chest again. You have to remember that you're muscles aren't getting any bigger/stronger while you're actually working out...it's the rest in between workouts where you're muscles recover and rebuild where they grow and grow stronger...without adequate rest it's safe to say you won't really see that much in the way of results...or at least not as much...

If I did workout a sixth day that day would be reserved for abs and cardio.

The pain ur describing...is it good pain...like sore from a good workout...or a sharp pain that feels like u pulled/tore something??



And as for the asain guy trying to gain weight but can't find time to eat 6 times a day....just try taking weight gainer...maybe two servings a day...that'll put some meat on ur bones...and whatever you do...don't do any cardio...stick to heavy weights.

[goodgravy]

alright guys...let's talk something serious...anybody ever tried steroids??

I haven't...but I've been reading up on winstrol and it seems like a much safer alternative and from what I've read it doesn't support water retention and when you come off it you don't have to take an antiestrogen to balance out your hormone levels. Basically it doesn't share alot of the side effects of more popular steroids and you keep most of the gains you get after your cycle is over.

Any of you guys ever tried it or know anything about it??

Well I've never tried steroids, but i've been taking creatine for the last 2 weeks and that stuff makes pretty strong. my bench went from 225 to 250. so that could be an option.

[Romie]

alright guys...let's talk something serious...anybody ever tried steroids??

I haven't...but I've been reading up on winstrol and it seems like a much safer alternative and from what I've read it doesn't support water retention and when you come off it you don't have to take an antiestrogen to balance out your hormone levels. Basically it doesn't share alot of the side effects of more popular steroids and you keep most of the gains you get after your cycle is over.

Any of you guys ever tried it or know anything about it??

Post cycle therapy is always needed after ANY steroid cycle. I don't care who told you, but even if the steroid doesn't artomize, there's still a rebounding effect after the cycle with your hormone levels. Your estrogen levels will increase post cycle if you don't take something like Nolva or Clomid. Not doing PCT is where most people fuck themselves up and start growing tits and get severe acne.

IIRC Winstrol will shut down your natural test in 1-2 weeks. And any cycle with Winstrol under 6 weeks isn't worth anything. So proper PCT is a MUST.

*I don't reccomend anyone under 21 doing steroid cycles. Or anyone with less than 2 years training. You must have your diet down to the dot and know what you're doing. *

It's alright to talk about steroids here, but if anyone wants specifics such as what to take when, doseages, etc. PM me, or Chaos if he's willing to answer PM's.

I've personally done a few cycles before. Although I'm only 17, I had a professional trainer by my side, did tons of research months before I did the cycle, and followed instructions to a dot. At the time I had 4 years of training behind me and I was already naturally 200lbs.

I don't reccomend cycles for anyone who's like 150lbs and just wants to add a few lbs of muscle. 150lbs is nothing. You can gain a lot more weight naturally before you even think about steroids.

*This post was for informational purposes only. Any information here is not to be used as any type of guideline for steroid use.

[qwazy]

i've got a question for anyone that can help.

i've been workin' out pretty religiously for the past three years of highschool, starting freshmen year and i'm a junior now. i've got pretty good definition and i'm satisfied with that, but i've always been pretty skinny and now i wanna fill up. i was thinkin' of takin' creatine but everyone made andro (i dont know the full textbook name, sorry) sound more worth it. i know it's a pro-testoserone (sorry i butched the name, lol) a reliable friend of mine told to just take 1-2 tablets before working out + protein shake and then protein shake after workout. it worked for him so i was pretty convinced but i need to know from you guys if there's anything significant i should know

right now my weight, maxes and workouts go like this;

weight - 145lbs

last maxes
bench - 190lbs
dead - 280lbs
squat - 290lbs

workout (set x reps)
since i'm in a class i have to do the workouts i'm assigned;

bench - 4x4-6
dead - 4x3-5
squat - 4x6-10

those are my core lifts and after i do those, i'll do aux.

hammer curls (5-6x10-15) at about 35lbs
concentration curls (5-6x10) at about 25lbs
pull downs (5x10) at about 125lbs
and a couple forearm lifts.

that's mostly what my workouts consist of.

ok, back to the topic; should i take andro? are there major side effects? better alternatives?

thanks.

[CrouchingTiger]

I don't know about using steroid stuff, but you could try not doing isolation exercises. Doing nothing but compound exercises will help you gain mass quickest. Like a 5x5 routine, high intensity.

[Ajil]

Andro is absolutely worthless for a high schoool junior, and anyone who tells you differently is greatly misinformed. Your endogenous testosterone levels are off the charts already. There is no need for prohormones as your body isn't going to convert much anyway with natural levels so high. And in addition to that andro is a very weak prohormone. Creatine is vastly superior to someone in your shoes, trust me. Let them take andro, you will be better serviced by taking creatine and eating properly.

[Romie]

i've got a question for anyone that can help.

i've been workin' out pretty religiously for the past three years of highschool, starting freshmen year and i'm a junior now. i've got pretty good definition and i'm satisfied with that, but i've always been pretty skinny and now i wanna fill up. i was thinkin' of takin' creatine but everyone made andro (i dont know the full textbook name, sorry) sound more worth it. i know it's a pro-testoserone (sorry i butched the name, lol) a reliable friend of mine told to just take 1-2 tablets before working out + protein shake and then protein shake after workout. it worked for him so i was pretty convinced but i need to know from you guys if there's anything significant i should know

right now my weight, maxes and workouts go like this;

weight - 145lbs

last maxes
bench - 190lbs
dead - 280lbs
squat - 290lbs

workout (set x reps)
since i'm in a class i have to do the workouts i'm assigned;

bench - 4x4-6
dead - 4x3-5
squat - 4x6-10

those are my core lifts and after i do those, i'll do aux.

hammer curls (5-6x10-15) at about 35lbs
concentration curls (5-6x10) at about 25lbs
pull downs (5x10) at about 125lbs
and a couple forearm lifts.

that's mostly what my workouts consist of.

ok, back to the topic; should i take andro? are there major side effects? better alternatives?

thanks.

At 145lbs you're still way too small to be even thinking about taking andro (which is a waste of money anyway). So get that idea out of your head right now. Stick to protien and creatine.

And andro,just like steroids, WILL SHUT DOWN YOUR NATURAL TESTOSTERONE. And just be aware, most andro's on the market artamize heavily. Meaning they convert to estrogen. So andro's are shit, don't use them.

[Crazymojo]

In all honesty I'm a fat fuck (not obese, just chubby at the paunch/glutes) at 5'11", 220 pounds, and I am also a pussy when it comes to weightlifting and stuff. I can only do about 5-10 pushups before I become tired. I have a medium-semibig body build (fairly wide shoulders naturally) I am so goddamn out of shape >_<

Should I get my ass on cardio and try to lose some weight first then work on increasing my strength? Or should I try to convert my fat mass to pure muscle and focus more on strength training over Cardio?

[Romie]

In all honesty I'm a fat fuck (not obese, just chubby at the paunch/glutes) at 5'11", 220 pounds, and I am also a pussy when it comes to weightlifting and stuff. I can only do about 5-10 pushups before I become tired. I have a medium-semibig body build (fairly wide shoulders naturally) I am so goddamn out of shape >_<

Should I get my ass on cardio and try to lose some weight first then work on increasing my strength? Or should I try to convert my fat mass to pure muscle and focus more on strength training over Cardio?

You can't turn fat into muscle. You can either lose fat or gain muscle. It's almost impossible to put on muscle and lose a lot of fat at the same time.

I'd put on some muscle if I were you. Since its winter you won't be wearing tight clothes and such, so you won't have much to show off. And then come early spring, start dieting and cutting up in case you want to go to the beach in the summer, so at least you know you would have put on some muscle so you would look bigger when you cut.

[MagnusMadness]

You can't turn fat into muscle. You can either lose fat or gain muscle. It's almost impossible to put on muscle and lose a lot of fat at the same time.

I'd put on some muscle if I were you. Since its winter you won't be wearing tight clothes and such, so you won't have much to show off. And then come early spring, start dieting and cutting up in case you want to go to the beach in the summer, so at least you know you would have put on some muscle so you would look bigger when you cut.

ACTUALLY...me and my roommate both slim down when we lift weights. For one...lifting in the morning is supposed to make u burn more calories during the day...and I've always been told by trainers that ur metabolic tissue is muscle.

I've lost over 20 pounds since I started lifting 6 months ago...I'm trying to gain some of it back in the way of muscle mass now though...getting a lot more strict on my diet. And by that I mean making sure I take in a solid amount of protein on a daily basis.

And about not being able to turn fat to muscle...in a way body fat helps...because the metabolism of a person with no body fat will be working against them alot more than a person with body fat...burning muscle mass in the place of fat...

[p republic]

Ahh I see.

And no, the "pain" wasnt anything major, but today I took a break anyhow. I sorta ate a little careless today as well but I'll pay for it tomorrow with some serious cardio.

[trunkszero157]

what exercises could I do to broaden out my shoulders, and whats the best way to gain 70-80 pounds

[goodgravy]

what exercises could I do to broaden out my shoulders, and whats the best way to gain 70-80 pounds


Eat like a madman. I also highly recommend creatine, that stuff makes you gain muscle like crazy, my bench went from 225 to 250 in a month so i'm very satisfied. thats one route i'd take if i were in your shoes.

side note: try adding a protein bar to ur daily meals. :tup:

[goodgravy]

Also a question to the weightliftin pro's, how effective is it to take creatine with grape juice vs water? i mixed my creatine with grapejuice for the first 5 loadin days, then i just used water after that, some people tell me the juice has insulin that helps it absorb better.

comments?

[Romie]

ACTUALLY...me and my roommate both slim down when we lift weights. For one...lifting in the morning is supposed to make u burn more calories during the day...and I've always been told by trainers that ur metabolic tissue is muscle.

I've lost over 20 pounds since I started lifting 6 months ago...I'm trying to gain some of it back in the way of muscle mass now though...getting a lot more strict on my diet. And by that I mean making sure I take in a solid amount of protein on a daily basis.

And about not being able to turn fat to muscle...in a way body fat helps...because the metabolism of a person with no body fat will be working against them alot more than a person with body fat...burning muscle mass in the place of fat...

No, I mean literally, fat can't turn into muscle. There are fat cells, and muscle cells. They can only get larger or smaller, they don't turn into one another. Losing fat would tend ot make people look more muscular, because more of their muscles are showing, making most people believe that they turn fat into muscle.

And about burning muscle. Everyone will burn muscle no matter how big or small they are if their diet isn't proper. Like training or doing cardio in the morning before eating. That's very bad because your cortisol levels will rise and your body will start to break down muscle, don't get me wrong, you'll also burn fat, but you'll also be losing more muscle than you should. That's why bodybuilders eat 5 or 6 tiems a day, so cortisol levels won't peak because they're never hungry, and it speeds up their metabolism because their body is constantly processing foods.

goodgravy:

Grape juice is good to go, if you can handle all that sugar. Just don't use anything citrus based, as it can diminish the effects of creatine.

trunkszero157:

For shoulder width, I'd suggest side lateral raises and military presses. Don't expect to widen them more than a few inches in a few years.

And to gain 70 or 80 lbs of muscle usually takes a couple years. Most people that workout would gain about 20-30lbs a year of muscle depending on their experience.

If you wanna gain something other than muscle, then by all means, eat anything you'd like.

[p republic]

My cousin asked me this today and I had no clue so I'm asking:

1.Can you work on certian areas of your body and tone them up, then work on other parts until your entire body is where you want it?

I couldnt answer his question because I work most of my body at once instead of "one at a time".

[MagnusMadness]

My cousin asked me this today and I had no clue so I'm asking:

1.Can you work on certian areas of your body and tone them up, then work on other parts until your entire body is where you want it?

I couldnt answer his question because I work most of my body at once instead of "one at a time".

It would be stupid to work on one part of ur body at a time...and you'll look pretty funny too. Some people work out different muscles harder than others for different reasons (maybe it's their strongest muscle group and they enjoy really taxing it...or it's their weakest muscle group and they are trying to build it up) But they still work everything out on a weekly basis.

The worst mistake alot of people make is not working out their legs...maybe they're lazy and don't like working out legs or maybe they think their legs are big enough and don't care what they look like. Thing is..the quads and glutes are big muscles and from everything I've been told alot of testosterone is released when you work these muscles which in turn can help everything grow.

uhh..I hope that helps answer ur question in some way.

[goodgravy]

My cousin asked me this today and I had no clue so I'm asking:

1.Can you work on certian areas of your body and tone them up, then work on other parts until your entire body is where you want it?

I couldnt answer his question because I work most of my body at once instead of "one at a time".

if ur talkin about muscle isolation, then yea a muscle or two a day is good. but like a muscle a year is stupid, and it takes too long. no one has that much time.

[p republic]

I guess he was doing exactly what you are saying in a way, but I guess you call it being stupid.

I work my legs out, but I have yet to see those lines that runners get. I have big calf(sp?) muscles and my thighs are toned but I dont have the lines in the front, just the back and the sides. I guess im doing the wrong kind of exersise because I never feel the burn in my upper legs, its always below the knee.

[goodgravy]

I guess he was doing exactly what you are saying in a way, but I guess you call it being stupid.

I work my legs out, but I have yet to see those lines that runners get. I have big calf(sp?) muscles and my thighs are toned but I dont have the lines in the front, just the back and the sides. I guess im doing the wrong kind of exersise because I never feel the burn in my upper legs, its always below the knee.

yea i have the same problem, i do leg extentions like crazy but still i have yet to see any improvements.

[Romie]

Squats my man, squats. Full ass-to-grass squats. Those will definately make your legs grow. I stopped doing leg extensions because I felt like I got nothing out of them. Squats, hack squats, front squats, and leg pressing are way more taxing.

Also, what I reccomend to people who say their legs don't grow:

20 REP SQUATS

These things are killers. If they don't make your legs grow, nothing will. 20 rep squats with a 2-1-4 rhythm will bring tears to your eyes (two seconds going up, one second pause at the top, 4 seconds going down).

[BIG BAD MOG]

What's a good thing to drink after a workout? I heard some type of mix of bananas and soybeans does the trick. Also a friend of mine who does bodybuilding says that you can't really expect to gain much muscle if you're going to try to develop a more defined six pack because of the decrease in appetite you get. Is that true?

[Romie]

What's a good thing to drink after a workout? I heard some type of mix of bananas and soybeans does the trick. Also a friend of mine who does bodybuilding says that you can't really expect to gain much muscle if you're going to try to develop a more defined six pack because of the decrease in appetite you get. Is that true?

Drop anything soy. Soy promotes estrogen. A 50g protien shake is best.

And yeah, if you're dieting down, you won't gain much muscle due to lower calories.

[MagnusMadness]

Drop anything soy. Soy promotes estrogen. A 50g protien shake is best.

And yeah, if you're dieting down, you won't gain much muscle due to lower calories.

I think that's why I haven't exploded yet.

What do you think about weight gainers?? If they promoted weight gain...would you be able to put on more muscle mass and become stronger in the process?? Cuz I'm having a helluva time going up in weight in some areas now and it's pissin me off...I just started taking my creatine again and I've been considering a weight gainer of some sort.

[trunkszero157]

I've been considering a weight gainer of some sort.

I have too, I want to know what are the pros ands cons of using it, same goes for the whey protein

[Apoc]

My cousin asked me this today and I had no clue so I'm asking:

1.Can you work on certian areas of your body and tone them up, then work on other parts until your entire body is where you want it?

I couldnt answer his question because I work most of my body at once instead of "one at a time".

Ok, since I didn't see my answer anywhere let me throw it out.

NO! No, you can't tone one part by itself. You can build up a part more than the other but tone is about low fat percentage.

For example. If you have a gut, weighted crunches are only going to build the muscle. If you want it ripped and toned, you need to burn the fat. That means cardio. You can't spot reduce fat.

So again, no. You can't tone a bodypart at a time. You can only build that way. You need cardio and everything will be toned.

BTW, Romie, you rock! Listen to this guy folks, he knows his shiet. I just learned about soy and estrogen a month or two ago. All of SRK should be letting Romie educate them.

Apoc.

[Apoc]

I guess he was doing exactly what you are saying in a way, but I guess you call it being stupid.

I work my legs out, but I have yet to see those lines that runners get. I have big calf(sp?) muscles and my thighs are toned but I dont have the lines in the front, just the back and the sides. I guess im doing the wrong kind of exersise because I never feel the burn in my upper legs, its always below the knee.


After you build, try going crazy on cardio.

Apoc.

[Perfect Cell]

Well he's mostly correct. Don't bother taking 50g's protien thou, you'll only abosorb 30g's in 1 setting. So spead it out into mutilple shakes. I suggest 1 scoop of GNC Pro Mega Isolate. Also, unless this kids stacking (and I hope he's not) it won't matter if he takes whey or soy. It's not going to make enough difference to effect what he's trying to get.

btw Madness: are you on a titrate or monohydrate ?

[AL the great]

Hey guys i'm trying to lose weight. do you guys recommend any suplements that help burn weight? i hear some dangerous things from my friends long time ago that made him lose conciousness cuz he would lose like 10 pounds a day.

thx for the help.

[teqnique]

Can someone look at my daily workout? What I want to do is basically cut down my weight and work on my chest, love handles, and abs. I have a horrible diet, I have a cup of coffee for breakfast, eat lunch around 3-5pm which probably entails of a cheeseburger + fries, dinner is usually around 9pm and is probably fast food as well.

I'm 5'9", 168 lbs.

Monday: (Biceps/Back)
3x10 Barbell Curl (20 lbs, each hand)
3x10 Dumbell Curl (20 lbs + bar?)
3x10 Lat Pulls (50 lbs)
3x10 Wrist Rollers (20 lbs)
3x10 Seated Rows (70 lbs)

Tuesday: (Cardio/Legs)
1.25 Mile Run
3x10 Squat (155 lbs)
3x10 Leg Press (270 lbs)
3x10 Leg Flexion (75 lbs)
3x10 Calf Raises (180 lbs)

Thursday (Chest/Triceps)
3x10 Bench Press (95 lbs)
3x10 Incline Press (75 lbs)
3x10 Military Press (55 lbs)
3x10 Decline Press (85 lbs)
3x10 Pec Dec (70 lbs)

Friday: (Cardio, sort of)
Box Routine
5 Min Jump Rope
3x20 Medicine Ball Situps
3x30 Crunches
3x10 Leg Raises

[Perfect Cell]

Al: Post your stats. Also is there something you're trying to lose wieght for in a hurry is this a general thing.

[AL the great]

Al: Post your stats. Also is there something you're trying to lose wieght for in a hurry is this a general thing.

Yo here's what i do. i only work twice a week.
i'm 5'1 and weigh 178 pounds. i worked out heavily for 3 years and stopped for 2 years and now i'm trying to regain it back. thing is i dont have motivation to work out 5 times a day anymore like i used to. and since i turned 20 my metabolism has gone to shit. i'm askin for suplements cuz it's harder for me to lose weight now.


monday and sundays
run: 1.8-2.0 miles.

bench: light weights and do a burn out till i cant do more for
the night.

after bench i do all upper body. i rarely do sit ups which i know i should do more.

========
i just cut back on all soda and have noticed weight loss from it.

[Perfect Cell]

Can someone look at my daily workout? What I want to do is basically cut down my weight and work on my chest, love handles, and abs. I have a horrible diet, I have a cup of coffee for breakfast, eat lunch around 3-5pm which probably entails of a cheeseburger + fries, dinner is usually around 9pm and is probably fast food as well.

I'm 5'9", 168 lbs.

Monday: (Biceps/Back)
3x10 Barbell Curl (20 lbs, each hand)
3x10 Dumbell Curl (20 lbs + bar?)
3x10 Lat Pulls (50 lbs)
3x10 Wrist Rollers (20 lbs)

Tuesday: (Cardio/Legs)
1.25 Mile Ru