Fitness/Muscle question

[Talus]

You definitely need good form in any exercise with free weights. Machines are more forgiving, limit range of motion and don't recruit as many stabilizing muscles in the movements.

As far as squats specifically - you're loading weight axially along your shoulder girdle and spine, have a trainer/PT (like Norelco suggested) watch you for proper form. It doesn't matter if you can squat 100 lbs or 700 lbs, if you're doing it with improper form, you will eventually hurt yourself, and medical bills are way more expensive than a trainer or PT's time.

[Vandalhart]

When I started in September with my "workout" (it's a lazy workout
compared to most), I could barely do 30 Pushups in a set. Now I'm doing 2
sets of 50 pushups and dips in the morning after I get up with a set of 20
squats in between the sets. I have my workouts at lunch, then I repeat
the aforementioned workout again before I go to bed.

The reason why I call it a lazy workout is because I do my pushups
against a set of stairs, and my dips with my feet flat on the floor instead
of out in front of me. I try not to use my lefts to help left when I do the
dips, and I've been moving my pushups down a set of stairs every so
often to make them tougher.

This routine of mine paired with my better eatting habits seems to be
working so far. I have dropped nearly 30 lbs since the start of October.

[Meat]

How do you people who run all the time have tiny thighs?

I used to run, play football (sawkker), and field hockey as a kid and skate for years and my thighs are fucking huge from it. (Well, one of them, the other wasted away thanks to surgery).

Thanks for asking about thigh workouts though, just recently joined a gym and now I know what/how to work on them.

because running isn't a muscle building exercise. compare a marathon runner's body to a sprinter's.

[Meat]

Am I being whooshed?

Why in the hell are fruits a horrible idea?

Fruits are generally high in sugar carbs and fructose, i'm assuming if he's coming off a huge ass layoff he's got a ton of fat to burn off. you want your carbs from a cleaner source (oats, green vegges). Shit like cucumbers, watermellon and berries are cool, they're a bit less glycemic.

[Tyche]

Watermelon actually has a pretty high GI. I pretty much shop fruits based on their GI. Eating fruit and carbs will actually aid in recovery and help replinish lost glycogen. Fruit is great in the short term for right after a workout, as oats and wheat and other high complex carbs also are high in fiber and have a little longer turnaround. High complex carb/high fiber in the long term, unrefined carbs/low fiber right after a workout.

[MrW]

I was always under the assumption that the sugars from fruits were ok compared to the high fructose corn syrup that really hinders your muscle gaining abilities. I could be way off though.

[Norelco]

Watermelon actually has a pretty high GI. I pretty much shop fruits based on their GI. Eating fruit and carbs will actually aid in recovery and help replinish lost glycogen. Fruit is great in the short term for right after a workout, as oats and wheat and other high complex carbs also are high in fiber and have a little longer turnaround. High complex carb/high fiber in the long term, unrefined carbs/low fiber right after a workout.

I save my fruit/carb eating to right before workouts, and when paired with protein, after a workout.

Honestly, I think the Body for Life book got it right when he said try to get a protein and carb paired together for every meal. The body will turn to the carbs first for energy while the protein will be used to build/repair muscle.

[Tyche]

I'll do the same, I'll eat pretzels, oranges, bananas, w/e before, after, and during a workout if it's long enough. Certainly don't stray from fruit though, just don't have it as the basis for your diet. Stick to complex carbs and just pop an orange or banana or something in the hours before and after a workout.

[archibaldcrane]

I was always under the assumption that the sugars from fruits were ok compared to the high fructose corn syrup that really hinders your muscle gaining abilities. I could be way off though.

Oh boy, we don't need to go down the high-fructose corn syrup vs. fruit juice road again. Let's let that sleeping dog lie.

[Serif]

When I say fruits I am referring to avocados/oranges/bananas/strawberries.

Oranges and bananas before and after a workout and strawberries with granola, mmmmm...

Do a workout where you run out of your glyc and not eat anything to restore it and then do the same workout and eat an orange after it. Can tell quite a difference, well I can.

[Talus]

Watermelon actually has a pretty high GI. I pretty much shop fruits based on their GI. Eating fruit and carbs will actually aid in recovery and help replinish lost glycogen. Fruit is great in the short term for right after a workout, as oats and wheat and other high complex carbs also are high in fiber and have a little longer turnaround. High complex carb/high fiber in the long term, unrefined carbs/low fiber right after a workout.

But it's so delicious!!! A few good things about watermelon is it's low calorie, has high water content (how it got its name, I guess), and also the presence of lycopene (also found in higher amounts in tomatoes/tomato sauce) and beta carotene. The initial research on lycopene has been insufficient but there seems to be an inverse correlation between the consumption of lycopene and the development of certain types of cancer. Beta-carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, which is needed for vision, heart health, red blood cell formation, and immune function among other things.

And you can spit the seeds. :D (as long as it isn't seedless, obviously)

Speaking of complex carbs, it's hard to beat quinoa.

Also, am I the only one that eats well most of the time but craves junk food after a long run? I swear to God, the longer I run, the more I want like.. pizza, chocolate chip cookies and pie.

[lovehatehero]

I have been drasictly changing how i have been looking at health and over sense of being fit since i got into my new job ( search and rescue for the navy) and i have ran across a guy I work with who has helped me a ton. I recomend CrossFit to anyone looking to get back into shape, get faster, stronger, etc. The intensity of the work out and the way they work you is unlike anything i have ever done. Crossfit.com for their site and they have a lot on awsome info about them and getting started and such.

On the diet/food issue same guy got me started on a diet called " The Zone" diet..in short it basicly keeps your intake of fats, carbs, and protein all equally proporientent to each other. which in turn has fueled my body better than any other diet/food regimen and also has helped me cut down my weight. The diet takes a bit of disipline like any other of course but it requires messuring things liek serving sizes and such and can be a hassle but very much worht it. The diet is about balancing your hormones within a specific range to control hunger on fewer calories while still getting the proper nutrients your body needs for long-term health. It can best be described as a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, moderate fat diet that has approximately one gram of fat for every two grams of protein and three grams of carbohydrates.

[Tyche]

Losing weight has never been a goal for me. I've never weighed over 140lbs for more than a day (I've hit the 140 mark before races). 5'11 or 6' depending on if it's tuesday or not, and right at 135. I'm a pretty tiny dude.

[Denchi]

Yeah I'm pretty skinny too. When I was "in shape" I was 6' 155lbs. After hernia surgery and subsequent lazyness I was down to 140. Now I'm hovering around 150 again.

Skinny ftw.

[lovehatehero]

well gain or lose it really works in both ways, just all dpeneds on what your goal is...

[Meat]

I have been drasictly changing how i have been looking at health and over sense of being fit since i got into my new job ( search and rescue for the navy) and i have ran across a guy I work with who has helped me a ton. I recomend CrossFit to anyone looking to get back into shape, get faster, stronger, etc. The intensity of the work out and the way they work you is unlike anything i have ever done. Crossfit.com for their site and they have a lot on awsome info about them and getting started and such.

On the diet/food issue same guy got me started on a diet called " The Zone" diet..in short it basicly keeps your intake of fats, carbs, and protein all equally proporientent to each other. which in turn has fueled my body better than any other diet/food regimen and also has helped me cut down my weight. The diet takes a bit of disipline like any other of course but it requires messuring things liek serving sizes and such and can be a hassle but very much worht it. The diet is about balancing your hormones within a specific range to control hunger on fewer calories while still getting the proper nutrients your body needs for long-term health. It can best be described as a moderate-carbohydrate, moderate-protein, moderate fat diet that has approximately one gram of fat for every two grams of protein and three grams of carbohydrates.

you mean your standard 40\40\20 diet?

[archibaldcrane]

you mean your standard 40\40\20 diet?

That would actually be a 50/33/17 (Carbs/protein/fat) diet.

[lovehatehero]

wel lits based off a way of measuring you rfood content called "blocks" for each main meal ( in my case ) is 5 blocks, and my snacks are 2 blocks. so 5 2 5 2 5 respectively for 3 main meals and 2 snacks throughout the day. 1 "block" would be 7 grams of protein 9 grams of carbs and 1.5 grams of fat. my main meals would be 35 grams protein, 45 grams crabs, and 7.5 grams of fat. It takes a lil bit of disipline to have to measure out serving sizes ans such but so far it has done wonders for me.

[Tyche]

I could never have that kind of discipline. Ever...ever ever. I mean, I'll buy the foods and drinks I need to maintain myself, fruits, veggies, carbs, the essentials I need, there's really no discipline in knowing what food to buy. Where I would have a problem is indulging. If I want to go to the dairy queen and buy a damned brownie earthquake, I'm going to the damned dairy queen and buying my brownie earthquake. Hell, I'm working down one of those gigantic hershey kisses that are the size of my fist as we speak. I could eat more efficiently and increase my potential I'm sure, but it's not worth it to me.

[Meat]

That would actually be a 50/33/17 (Carbs/protein/fat) diet.

that makes like no sense, if anything you'd want 50% protein/33% carbs/17% fat for trying to lose weight.