Getting into shape

[archibaldcrane]

...and I thought I had it bad when some douchebag does 20 sets of 65 pound curls in the squat rack and holds me up from getting my squats in.

WTF is wrong with some people?

This shit happened today at my gym.

If you do curls at the squat rack, I don't care how many sets, you are a fucking asshole. There are 400 ways to do curls, don't take the squat rack to do them.

@OP Since you're a thin dude, get a gym membership and start lifting. Squats, Deadlifts, Bench, Pullups, and then whatever else you feel like doing. Use free weights, do not use the lame-ass Smith machine. Cardio as you see fit. Use light enough weight to keep good form, but if you can do more than 10 reps in your first set you're lifting too light.

If you want to up your bench, this is by far the best routine to follow: Muscle Media's Benchpress Routine - tells you exactly what to lift given your current 1-rep max. It's fucking awesome.

I do squats in 5X5 (5 sets of 5 reps). Try to find a starting weight you can do 2 or 3 sets of 5, but not 5X5 (with good form, bending your knees so your thighs are parallel to the floor) and then keep doing that weight until you can do 5X5. Then up it 10 lbs next workout and keep going.

Good luck!

[Norelco]

I do squats in 5X5 (5 sets of 5 reps). Try to find a starting weight you can do 2 or 3 sets of 5, but not 5X5 (with good form, bending your knees so your thighs are parallel to the floor) and then keep doing that weight until you can do 5X5. Then up it 10 lbs next workout and keep going.

Good luck!

You don't happen to have a copy of Rippetoe's Starting Strength do you? I do 5 x 5 ... currently trying to get my squat to match my bench.

225 bench 5 rep max
185 squat 5 rep max

I know...I'm embarassed I can bench more than I can squat. I'm working on fixing that (one leg is smaller than the other muscle-wise do to ACL surgery).

[Jazz Kazuko]

Well, just got back from lunch with my stair climb today. Thought I drop by since I got 10 minutes left before try to recover a DS3 . . .

Happy Earth Day everyone,

and Pop'eyes is having a sale on 8 piece of chicken for 4.99 :\

KFC introduced their new grilled chicken bucket.

Though I never had Pop'eyes but why . . . . why on Earth day? Damn everything to hell.

[archibaldcrane]

You don't happen to have a copy of Rippetoe's Starting Strength do you? I do 5 x 5 ... currently trying to get my squat to match my bench.

225 bench 5 rep max
185 squat 5 rep max

I know...I'm embarassed I can bench more than I can squat. I'm working on fixing that (one leg is smaller than the other muscle-wise do to ACL surgery).

I'm not sure where I got the 5X5 for squats thing from, it was some online workout, although I'm not following the rest of his recommendations, just worked out well for me.

5 reps of 225 bench is nothing to sneeze at, most I've done is 2 sets of 2 - I could probably do 3, maybe 4 if that's what I focused on. My current 1 rep max on bench is 235, but my workout progression will have me attempting 245 in 2 weeks or so.

But yeah, get those squats up Norelco - I just finished 5 sets of 5 at 205 last workout, so I'm moving up to 215 next time. So far it takes me about 3 workouts attempting 5X5 at a new 10-lb. increment until I can finish it.

How tall are you/what do you weigh? I'm 5'10.5 and about 178 right now.

[tyven]

Sorry, I skimmed over the last four pages but.. what's p90x? >_>

edit: nevermind, I googled it.

DO IT

[Duwie]

So I started my 10k training program to prepare me a bit better for marathon training since I got till december to train. Today I was supposed to do 10 min warmup run + 8 x 400m /w 400m RI (since my most recent 5k run was 28mins I had to run the 400s in 2minutes) + 10 min cool down. I was trying out my new watch (garmin forunner 305) and it owned except for one thing. I set it up for Interval training, run distance/distance rest, but the problem was that it didnt keep track of the pace I ran each interval in. Is there a way of setting that up? or am I going to just have to keep looking at my watch to keep track of my pace as I'm running? Its pretty hard to read the watch as I'm running... anyone know D: ?

[Tyche]

You can set up alerts if you go above or below a certain pace (pace zones) and it'll beep when you fluctuate too much. You can also set auto-laps.

[Norelco]

How tall are you/what do you weigh? I'm 5'10.5 and about 178 right now.

6'2 196 ... main goal right now is to lose weight but if I can gain or preserve strength in the process I'd take it.

Like I said, one leg is visibially skinnier than the other. Everyone keeps saying the legs will even themselves out if I work out both, but I think I might need to isolate the weaker one.

[Oulanbator]

If you don't like running, what about swimming ?
The good thing about swimming is you don't have to care about the weather or about other people, since everyone in the swimming pool will be here to swim as well).

[kuronosan]

Swimming's a great way to get in shape. It works almost all of your muscles and your cardiovascular system at the same time. Plus, you have fun and time goes quickly in the pool. Just be careful of where you go.

[Meat]

You don't happen to have a copy of Rippetoe's Starting Strength do you? I do 5 x 5 ... currently trying to get my squat to match my bench.

225 bench 5 rep max
185 squat 5 rep max

I know...I'm embarassed I can bench more than I can squat. I'm working on fixing that (one leg is smaller than the other muscle-wise do to ACL surgery).

Come on Checkpoint Charlie I expect more outa u, are you heavy deadlifting and squatting in the same week\day? Going heavy on both takes a toll on your cns and one of the 2 suffers

[Norelco]

Come on Checkpoint Charlie I expect more outa u, are you heavy deadlifting and squatting in the same week\day? Going heavy on both takes a toll on your cns and one of the 2 suffers

No, I don't deadlift and squat on the same days. That would kill me. I think it's more of a mental issue.

[archibaldcrane]

No, I don't deadlift and squat on the same days. That would kill me. I think it's more of a mental issue.

Heh, I do.

Maybe I'm just crazy. I don't really push the deadlifts though, doing more than about 245 I feel like I'm going to just destroy myself one lift. I always do squats first, since that's what I'm focusing on for strength gains, the deadlifts I just tack on the end - kind of plateaued there.

[Sythe]

ugh reading this make me see i need to get back in there. Just sucks going solo all the time.

[Norelco]

ugh reading this make me see i need to get back in there. Just sucks going solo all the time.

I understand. I've been going for over a year straight now, and luckily I have a workout buddy who is as committed as I am with a similar schedule.

There are days though that he's not there and I'm tempted not to go, but I push myself anyway.

[Meat]

ugh reading this make me see i need to get back in there. Just sucks going solo all the time.

that's what the smith machine is for

[archibaldcrane]

that's what the smith machine is for

Smith machine sucks hard.

Ask a random gym-goer for spots on the bench, do not use the Smith machine unless absolutely necessary.

[Norelco]

Smith machine sucks hard.

Ask a random gym-goer for spots on the bench, do not use the Smith machine unless absolutely necessary.

I agree.

I think when people start lifting they are somewhat intimidated by the free weight room.

Get over it. Everyone I have ever met in the gym has been extremely friendly, and if they are normally mean, then they're too tired to be a dick because they are working out hard.

I never minded when someone asks me for a spot and I ask for a spot when I need it.

[Meat]

Smith machine sucks hard.

Ask a random gym-goer for spots on the bench, do not use the Smith machine unless absolutely necessary.

What's your basis on it sucking hard?

I do most of my pressing movements on the smith machine, and i can guarantee you that I'm both bigger and stronger than you. I'm not a power lifter and i'm not lifting for ego

[FNH]

What's your basis on it sucking hard?

I do most of my pressing movements on the smith machine, and i can guarantee you that I'm both bigger and stronger than you. I'm not a power lifter and i'm not lifting for ego

rofl on the last comment, but anyway there has been studies done on the smith machine. freeweight strength on bench press was higher than on the smith machine, but the smith was slightly higher with squat. Due to the design your form suffers on bench and just about every exercise, due to the lack of arch angle or something.