do you work out?

[Guest fiznuthian]

just do compound lifts. its body building 101. bench, squats, dead lifts. There's other stuff you can add, but those lifts work your whole body

 

My favorites.. The realm of power lifters.

 

From my personal experience working out at high intensities every single day in a row, I find that my body just simply takes it and then some. Depends on how clean i'm eating though, which for a long time now hasn't changed at all. I just have no desire to eat anything else, I constantly crave whole food. Blanket you're probably experiencing the same thing, that a well-fed body can take insane amounts of punishment and keep on going.

 

I've since found that my best strategy is sticking to infrequent bouts of high intensity exercise. If i'm lifting, i'm lifting low-rep heavies then I take some time off. If i'm running, it's always a series of sprints. If i'm on the resistance bike i'm doing sprints. If i'm practicing muai thai strikes on the bags, I strike so frequently and intensely that after 15 minutes a strong sensation of panic appears and then I push through. Certainly came close to vomiting all over the floor a few times, but then i'd sip on some water catch my breath and continue again until I could hardly move at all. You won't catch me running for more than an hour whatsoever or taking anything lightly, slowly, or easy. But at the same time, my resting period is important to me. Like you Blanket, I heal insanely fast now and could easily do these things every single day. I largely attribute this to my carefully planned nutrition. My workout partner was frustrated by this.. he would eat some tuna, chicken, etc every night and in general tried to eat better and was in many ways, but his main source of carbohydrate was whole grain pasta, some breads, very little fruit or tubers or vegetables and he wasn't careful in his selection of fats. Most days I wanted to reenter the gym he would simply refuse and after a month in the gym it was obvious that my endurance while lifting seemed to have no end while after a short period of lifting heavy he would refuse to go on anymore. This kept occurring every time and in retrospect I am certain that he hated it. Nonetheless I was kind about it and would stop though I knew it was holding me back a bit from my goals. Ended up just lifting on days without him but never mentioned it.

 

You're also eating ketogenically.. I've spent and do spend a lot of time in ketosis and though purely anecdotal I find that my recovery and healing when either fasting or inducing ketosis on a high-fat, very low carb diet is wicked fast. Ketosis also occurs when we run out of food to eat and enter a deep fast. I have suspicions that healing rapidly during ketotic state is another clever survival adaption that our species developed but who knows why.. To keep us not just alive but strong until our next kill? It's not like killing animals with hands or spears is that easy and for a human who has no readily available plants to eat running out of food then becoming weakened by it would have ensured out swift death.

Make no mistake our ancestors who did rely on primarily animal food sources ate infrequently.. gotta make do best with what you've got right?

[Guest fiznuthian]

i honestly just get a new 20 dollar pair at walmart/target every two-three months...but then again they aren't exactly the most comfortable.

 

poor man's exercise YEAAHHH

 

 

 

I have a question for you more experienced lifters:

 

So I have been increasing very very nicely on arm strength; since Ive started I have moved up the weight for all arm related exercises roughly 10-15 lbs. Is this a "normal" increase? I'm pretty damn sure my form is right, nothing feels like its been pulled, and I do my reps very very slowly. I suppose when you begin putting on muscle it just piles on no problem, but starts tapering off the further in you go? (Hence professional weightlifters being lucky if they put on a pound of muscle within a year?)

 

Also in addition to that, I was curious as to whether you guys know of an intense workout on the upper body/arms that not only increases mass but helps define it? Like, strength and endurance simultaneously? Are those superman reps something akin to this?

 

I ask because I am starting to get pretty big; I want to add on a bit more muscle, but not so much that I start looking like a meathead. Want my muscle development to be practical, in other words.

 

I really like doing power cleans, standing military press, bench press.. I'm pretty sure these are all compound movements too.

 

er... I think power cleans are only half-way. Power clean and hang? Basically I pop it up to my neck, then pump the bar up above my head in one go.

[Braintree]

Are any of you on active.com? I'm thinking of doing this:

 

http://www.active.com/running/san-francisco-ca/chinatown-street-scramble-2012

[Guest fiznuthian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq_iiDsC-nA&feature=related

 

This is what I meant..

And a sexy lifter doing it to boot!

 

You know.. Why are almost all girls afraid to lift? They all seem to think by lifting they will turn into a super ripped bodybuilder with ugly veiny monstrous arms..

[kcinsu]

With my new job, I have to commute with a bike, so I am riding about 14/15 miles a day total... It's a pretty intense step up on my biking routine! This is day 4 and I'm pooped! Luckily the buses in SF have bike racks, so I can take the bus if I'm exhausted, but once I'm out of the city I need the bike.

 

Just trying to not over do it!

[marf]

i would suggest going to a good running store and try on shoes with an expert so they can give advice. You really have to feel the shoes and if you are prone to injury you might have to try a few pairs and you might even buy the wrong pair cause you wont get an injury until you've used the shoe for a while. I know i need a lot of support and a cushiony shoe. Its taken me about 400 dollars in shoes to find this out. What do i know

[Guest fiznuthian]

Tried running barefoot shoes? I'm thinking about ordering a pair sometime.

[Guest Blanket Fort Collapse]

Yeah, I've never tried the Vibram FiveFingers but I've been really thinking about buying a pair too. They aren't really much more than most running shoes and they seem like they would be extremely durable. I don't know if stores well let you try them on, you cant really wear them with socks can you?

 

Like I said, because of one of the counselers up at the Muscular Dystropy Association camp last year talking about why he loves his pair and why their so natural I decided to try running on the balls of my feet. It sure has worked wonders for me, feels like really low impact on my joints by comparision to before. I'm pretty positive I wouldn't even be able to walk on my bad knee at this point after running so often if I had continued smashing down my heels like most are taught.

[Guest underscore]

yes, they make toe socks for shoes like the five fingers.

 

if the store will not let you try them on you need to find a different store. it is very important to get a proper fit with the five fingers. it needs to fit like a glove, unlike regular shoes (where you want a little bit of space for your toes.) at the same time, it needs to not be so tight that your toes are bending up.

 

edit: I don't run often since I've gotten into cycling, but when I do run I love my five fingers.

[marf]

there's a slew of injuries you can get with barefoot running. isn't that the point of switching to barefoot? to avoid the injuries you get with shoes? smells like a fad to me. ive read that it doesnt burn as much calories too.

[marf]

you can try aqua shoes to see if you can run barefoot. they are under 10 dollars

[Guest Iain C]

I just bought the same cheap-ass trainers they give (gave?) to new recruits in the Army:

 

 

If you're just running to get fit, who gives a fuck about whether your trainers are slightly more efficient? These cost like £20.

[Guest Ron Manager]

I went to a running shop in Dundee and they really were extremely helpful. I was getting a bit more into it and my old pair of bog-standard NB trainers didn't seem like they were doing me any favours. They let me try on loads of different pairs on treadmills, and they did all this fancy pronation testing to help you choose an appropriate shoe. In the end I liked the Nike Lunarglides the best, so I got them, and they said I could exchange them even after using them for a month. So to anyone interested in a decent pair of running shoes, I'd say it's definitely worth finding a decent shop with staff who know what they're talking about.

[BOCfan]

i honestly just get a new 20 dollar pair at walmart/target every two-three months...but then again they aren't exactly the most comfortable.

 

poor man's exercise YEAAHHH

 

 

 

I have a question for you more experienced lifters:

 

So I have been increasing very very nicely on arm strength; since Ive started I have moved up the weight for all arm related exercises roughly 10-15 lbs. Is this a "normal" increase? I'm pretty damn sure my form is right, nothing feels like its been pulled, and I do my reps very very slowly. I suppose when you begin putting on muscle it just piles on no problem, but starts tapering off the further in you go? (Hence professional weightlifters being lucky if they put on a pound of muscle within a year?)

 

Also in addition to that, I was curious as to whether you guys know of an intense workout on the upper body/arms that not only increases mass but helps define it? Like, strength and endurance simultaneously? Are those superman reps something akin to this?

 

I ask because I am starting to get pretty big; I want to add on a bit more muscle, but not so much that I start looking like a meathead. Want my muscle development to be practical, in other words.

 

This sounds pretty normal. As you mention in your post, your experiencing noob gains, which is a wonderful time as your numbers shoot up and you start gaining a lot of mass (if that's you aim). Just keep plugging on.

 

I think if you're looking to gain strength and endurance simultaneously, you'll have to train for both. At the moment, I'm doing a Push/Pull split 4 days a week (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri - Push, Pull, Push, Pull respectively), and I'm training rep ranges for both strength and size. So, I'll do exercises for the chest for example, doing an exercise at the 3-5rep range with a heavy weight for strength, and then I'll throw in an exercise or two for the same body part at the 8-12 rep range for size. I find it gives a nice balance towards both goals, and training for strength elevates the numbers I can use for higher rep exercises.

 

If you're looking to train for strength and endurance, then I'd suggest looking to incorporate exercises into your workout with those goals in mind; train heavy at low reps for strength, and include exercises that use a weight that you can bang out for 12-15 reps for the endurance side of things.

[sergeantk]

starting a program based on 5/3/1 next week, ill be in the gym 4 or 5 times a week.... damn this is gonna be a long journey

[SR4]

it gets easier and at times, incredibly enjoyable.

[sergeantk]

ive been lifting for some time but this will be the first time with actual structure... and im gonna have to start eating a lot different... that will probably be the hardest part for me

[Guest fiznuthian]

Good luck Serg!

Don't stop trying whatever you do.

[gaarg]

I'm demotivated by the fact that I could work out like a madman gaining muscles for a year or two, but after not doing it after a couple of months it would all go back to thin.

[marf]

exercise is a lifetime thing. just like food is a temporary pleasure. being fit is also a temporary pleasure.

[Guest Blanket Fort Collapse]

lol

[SR4]

I'm demotivated by the fact that I could work out like a madman gaining muscles for a year or two, but after not doing it after a couple of months it would all go back to thin.

 

but you can pretty much maintain your muscle by doing some simple exercises for like 15-30 min three times a week.

[syd syside]

Above all though, working out is good for the brain and it gives you more energy.

[SR4]

ok, so I think Im finally starting to slow down my growth/improvement in most exercises...sorta disappointing as Im only up to 35 for arm curls and 35 for triceps..was hoping my arms would get a little bigger but I spose that'll come in due time. My chest exercises are now focused more or less completely on endurance/toning as I don't really want a gigantor weightlifting chest.

 

Minor improvements in cardio workout in terms of numbers, but amazing results in terms of how I feel during and afterwards. No more feeling sluggish, just straight up runner's high. I need to get some stuff to do a body fat measurement, would be interesting to see where Im at and if I can get any better in the coming months.

 

My diet has improved quite a bit, as my body seems to want less sugary stuff and more easily recognizable foods. Mostly fish or meats for dinner with veggies, I try to eat a good bit of fresh fruit every other day (i don't have the money for daily purchases)..eggs in the morning, and PBJ's or trail mix whenever I want a snack.

 

Question for peoples, maybe chen of BFC, etc.: Can you recommend some back exercises? I realize I have been concentrating on the upper body and shoulders, but I would really love to strengthen my back for support when Im unloading supplies.

 

Oh also, for those of you that find motivation in looking good, Ive received some really awesome compliments from the ladies in the past week! And I wouldn't say Im that good looking of a guy, so there you go! Hope everyone is still pushing along...haven't seen many updates.

[guyd]

ok, so I think Im finally starting to slow down my growth/improvement in most exercises...sorta disappointing as Im only up to 35 for arm curls and 35 for triceps..was hoping my arms would get a little bigger but I spose that'll come in due time. My chest exercises are now focused more or less completely on endurance/toning as I don't really want a gigantor weightlifting chest.

 

Minor improvements in cardio workout in terms of numbers, but amazing results in terms of how I feel during and afterwards. No more feeling sluggish, just straight up runner's high. I need to get some stuff to do a body fat measurement, would be interesting to see where Im at and if I can get any better in the coming months.

 

My diet has improved quite a bit, as my body seems to want less sugary stuff and more easily recognizable foods. Mostly fish or meats for dinner with veggies, I try to eat a good bit of fresh fruit every other day (i don't have the money for daily purchases)..eggs in the morning, and PBJ's or trail mix whenever I want a snack.

 

Question for peoples, maybe chen of BFC, etc.: Can you recommend some back exercises? I realize I have been concentrating on the upper body and shoulders, but I would really love to strengthen my back for support when Im unloading supplies.

 

Oh also, for those of you that find motivation in looking good, Ive received some really awesome compliments from the ladies in the past week! And I wouldn't say Im that good looking of a guy, so there you go! Hope everyone is still pushing along...haven't seen many updates.

 

For lower back, i'd recommend dead lifts. Just make sure that you have good form when doing them, or you may injure yourself. Also, I do a lot of pull ups to work my upper back when I can. I'll also throw some skydivers in my back routine to work the core as well.