For BG fitness fanatics, a question..

[Odesseiron]

hey thanks!

i think those pants are 54?

im around size 40 lol~ 42 give or take. you wouldnt think so thought right? genetics are a cheating favor in my part on being healthy i guess lol.

im trying to find some decent deals on N02, but this working out break is fucking killing me. i been playing FF13 when i get home, and if i hear fang's crocodile accent say something stupid again, im gonna taru punt a baby to hell man. im about to start pulling out my hair

Wow man, that is tremendous! (The weight loss, not your pants! LOL)

That is some serious dedication. I'm white, so I don't have "good" genetics haha. I don't weigh myself every day nor every week cause you just drive yourself nuts. The last time I weighed myself about 3 weeks ago, I was 227. Today I weighed myself and I am 221. I know weight fluctuates and all, but when it does for me it's usually higher. So to see it lower is very pleasing.

A question for you Rich. I've seen you in a few pics in the RL pic thread, and you're a pretty big guy (arms & frame I mean) Since you had lost a lot of weight before, do you find yourself with a lot of extra, I dunno how to put it. Skin I guess? A lot of people who lose a significant amount of weight can't ever really get rid of a belly. I'm not huge, but I've got another 20-30 lbs I want to go. Ideally I want to be 190-200. I'm just worried when I lose the rest of the weight I won't have all this extra "stuff" Or how to get rid of it. I don't have this huge stomach or anything, but I'd like to get it down some more. I know eating less helps, as I've seen lately.

[Weiing]

A question for you Rich. I've seen you in a few pics in the RL pic thread, and you're a pretty big guy (arms & frame I mean) Since you had lost a lot of weight before, do you find yourself with a lot of extra, I dunno how to put it. Skin I guess? A lot of people who lose a significant amount of weight can't ever really get rid of a belly. I'm not huge, but I've got another 20-30 lbs I want to go. Ideally I want to be 190-200. I'm just worried when I lose the rest of the weight I won't have all this extra "stuff" Or how to get rid of it. I don't have this huge stomach or anything, but I'd like to get it down some more. I know eating less helps, as I've seen lately.

Think he sort of answered it before in a reply he had with me (it's spoilered for length)...about lifting weights. Not sure about how much *he* has.

However, if you are worried...your skin should be very elastic. Lifting weights as you lose weight DOES help with this actually. Slow weight loss progression also helps with this. If you lose weight slowly, then it gives your body (and skin) time to catch up and recover. If you lose too fast, you will end up with more loose skin. As I said, lifting weights really helps with this too... Yes. Lifting weights is REALLY important... Well Ok. Not just lifting weights, but some sort of strength training/something to challenge your muscles. So pushups/pullups/rock climbing/swinging a sledgehammer/etc can challenge your muscles just the same.

[Angelsin]

Kinda what I was thinking but good to have some one who has the knowledge on this stuff to back up my thoughts. Thanks for the tips Weiing.

[In Flames]

For those of you who are into weightlifting, how often do you change your routine? I've heard every 6 weeks or so is a good idea, but then I think if your current regime is still giving you benefits at that point, why change it?

My first regime I stuck with for about 3 months, second for about 2 and now my third is coming up on week 7. #1 and #2 were done by my gym team but the third is a template (westside) and is working very well. Might just change a few of the exercises around but keep the template the same. Thoughts and opinions? Could even post it up if you wanna have a look at it.

[Weiing]

I change my routine every 3-8 weeks... It really depends on what I'm doing. It's up to you how long you want to keep doing the same workout. If you are still seeing gains and are able to keep adding more weights to your lifting, it's working well then. May I see the template?

The main reasons for changing routines is for your muscles to not get complacent and stimulate them in new ways, as well as so you don't get bored of the same routine. Minimal changes can go a long way, too. Such as instead of doing normal squats, do front squats. It's still squatting and the only real difference is where the bar is, but it's drastically different.

[barber2006]

For future reference about caloric intake/workout:

http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/

You have to sign up which takes 2 minutes. Its not exact, but its fairly accurate. I use it to estimate my intake/work estimates in order to maintain my bodyweight. It even includes values for alcohols so if you want to know the exact caloric intake of your drinking session you can~

This is exactly what I needed. I've dropped about 30 pounds since Feb 1st, but the last week or two motivation has been rough. Having progress tracked by charts and being able to see at the end of everyday that I've done what is needed is really nice. It's almost like seeing a 'fitness increases by .2' message across the screen.

[Norellicus]

Well it seems I spoke too soon on the injury one week in and I did something to my right foot that left it painful to keep weight on it haha. Odd thing was I didn't do anything unusual during the run and it didn't hurt until several hours afterward. Took it to doctor and he couldn't find anything wrong though, even with xrays, so they just have me on two weeks of ibuprofen 800 and orders to stay off it as much as possible.

So knowing that I'll have to restart the regimen after that (I still really want to do it, even what little I did felt really good!), I figure I might as well come in equipped and avoid other (and potentially more dangerous) problems! So I have questions.

1) Shoes are obviously important; a friend suggested finding someplace to have a gait analysis done to find the 'right pair'. Is that useful or just a lot of smoke and mirrors? Is there a particular variety of the process that's reliable (google searches show different methods, from just arch measurement to full biometrics; and of course they all decry eachother as being inaccurate or a waste of time), or even better, recommendations for a shop in the greater DC area that does it well?

2) Other gear recs in general I guess, I've been wearing some loose fit slick track pants that are comfortable, a loose fit t-shirt and just whatever socks I have on that day. I'm not savvy enough to know if I'm doing anything wrong here or what would be prudent to avoid injury or will really make a big efficiency difference as just essentially a casual startup runner. I know for sure I'd like some kind of gear that will let me run in the rain (I don't mind rain itself, I just don't like the soggy clothes feeling, if that helps distinguish anything) as well as just some kind of general pullover with secure pockets so I can actually carry essentials without feeling like they're going to fly out of my pocket. Cold weather gear is another consideration but I'll worry about that later.

I'm hesitant to ask these questions of people who stand to directly profit from their 'assistance', so hoping I can get some insight here and just go shopping for exactly what I need rather than end up getting suckered.

[sephir]

question: How can I calculate my anaerobic/lactate threshold without going to a lab or buying those expensive self test kits? It doesn't need to be exact but anything within +-5 bpm will do.

[Zoolander]

Well it seems I spoke too soon on the injury one week in and I did something to my right foot that left it painful to keep weight on it haha. Odd thing was I didn't do anything unusual during the run and it didn't hurt until several hours afterward. Took it to doctor and he couldn't find anything wrong though, even with xrays, so they just have me on two weeks of ibuprofen 800 and orders to stay off it as much as possible.

So knowing that I'll have to restart the regimen after that (I still really want to do it, even what little I did felt really good!), I figure I might as well come in equipped and avoid other (and potentially more dangerous) problems! So I have questions.

1) Shoes are obviously important; a friend suggested finding someplace to have a gait analysis done to find the 'right pair'. Is that useful or just a lot of smoke and mirrors? Is there a particular variety of the process that's reliable (google searches show different methods, from just arch measurement to full biometrics; and of course they all decry eachother as being inaccurate or a waste of time), or even better, recommendations for a shop in the greater DC area that does it well?

2) Other gear recs in general I guess, I've been wearing some loose fit slick track pants that are comfortable, a loose fit t-shirt and just whatever socks I have on that day. I'm not savvy enough to know if I'm doing anything wrong here or what would be prudent to avoid injury or will really make a big efficiency difference as just essentially a casual startup runner. I know for sure I'd like some kind of gear that will let me run in the rain (I don't mind rain itself, I just don't like the soggy clothes feeling, if that helps distinguish anything) as well as just some kind of general pullover with secure pockets so I can actually carry essentials without feeling like they're going to fly out of my pocket. Cold weather gear is another consideration but I'll worry about that later.

I'm hesitant to ask these questions of people who stand to directly profit from their 'assistance', so hoping I can get some insight here and just go shopping for exactly what I need rather than end up getting suckered.

There are tons of stores these days that will do free gait analysis and will check out your arches, which is also important. I know Fit2Run doesn't work on commissions so they give pretty unbiased information and do gait analysis + check your arches. Some New Balance store in my hometown checks your arches but they didn't have any treadmills for gait analysis.

Socks can make a difference when it comes to avoiding blisters on your feet and maybe keeping the temperatures at appropriate levels, thats about it though. Clothes are really just about whatever you are comfortable in and again what is appropriate for the weather.

Not really an expert on feet or what exactly is goin on in your foot, but coulda just been a minor stress fracture or something like that. Shit does happen.

Is it so bad you can't even ride a bicycle or do ellipticals or something like that? Plenty of low impact ways to get your cardio. Swimming is pretty boss too.

Having progress tracked by charts and being able to see at the end of everyday that I've done what is needed is really nice. It's almost like seeing a 'fitness increases by .2' message across the screen.

Same for me, every time I up the weight its like lvling up in Final Fantasy, except 100x better. I always was a fiend for building up characters stats in video games, so working out is fucking awesome to me and its so much better seeing those tangible results on your body and in the gym.

[Tyche]

Well it seems I spoke too soon on the injury one week in and I did something to my right foot that left it painful to keep weight on it haha. Odd thing was I didn't do anything unusual during the run and it didn't hurt until several hours afterward. Took it to doctor and he couldn't find anything wrong though, even with xrays, so they just have me on two weeks of ibuprofen 800 and orders to stay off it as much as possible.

So knowing that I'll have to restart the regimen after that (I still really want to do it, even what little I did felt really good!), I figure I might as well come in equipped and avoid other (and potentially more dangerous) problems! So I have questions.

1) Shoes are obviously important; a friend suggested finding someplace to have a gait analysis done to find the 'right pair'. Is that useful or just a lot of smoke and mirrors? Is there a particular variety of the process that's reliable (google searches show different methods, from just arch measurement to full biometrics; and of course they all decry eachother as being inaccurate or a waste of time), or even better, recommendations for a shop in the greater DC area that does it well?

2) Other gear recs in general I guess, I've been wearing some loose fit slick track pants that are comfortable, a loose fit t-shirt and just whatever socks I have on that day. I'm not savvy enough to know if I'm doing anything wrong here or what would be prudent to avoid injury or will really make a big efficiency difference as just essentially a casual startup runner. I know for sure I'd like some kind of gear that will let me run in the rain (I don't mind rain itself, I just don't like the soggy clothes feeling, if that helps distinguish anything) as well as just some kind of general pullover with secure pockets so I can actually carry essentials without feeling like they're going to fly out of my pocket. Cold weather gear is another consideration but I'll worry about that later.

I'm hesitant to ask these questions of people who stand to directly profit from their 'assistance', so hoping I can get some insight here and just go shopping for exactly what I need rather than end up getting suckered.

Shoes are very important. Running shoes are designed specifically for particular gaits, so no, it's not smoke and mirrors. If you needs motion control and try to run in neutral shoes, you'll increase the risk of injury. Now, with that said, sometimes it just doesn't matter. I forefoot strike, so I have no pronation in transitioning from heel to forefoot, simply because there isn't a transition. I could throw on just about any shoes and run in them. I try to balance comfort and weight. People run barefooted, people run in crocs, people run in flats, people run in $200 newtons. Shoes are a science, find the right ones.

As far as clothes, just wear what's comfortable. Try to stay away from cotton, as it doesn't exactly wick moisture well, and could cause friction issues (bleeding nipples, rash on your nuts, etc). I usually throw on some dri-fit shorts and that's it. I don't typically wear a shirt or underwear. You may want to invest in running shorts with a liner to hold your nuts, or get some kind of underarmor undergarment, because having your nuts bounce all over the place can suck. The only thing I'll carry is my iphone. I don't even carry water. I'll just stop along the route and grab a drink from a fountain in the park. If possible, try to plan routes around places you can snatch a drink, because carrying something gets laborious.

[In Flames]

I change my routine every 3-8 weeks... It really depends on what I'm doing. It's up to you how long you want to keep doing the same workout. If you are still seeing gains and are able to keep adding more weights to your lifting, it's working well then. May I see the template?

The main reasons for changing routines is for your muscles to not get complacent and stimulate them in new ways, as well as so you don't get bored of the same routine. Minimal changes can go a long way, too. Such as instead of doing normal squats, do front squats. It's still squatting and the only real difference is where the bar is, but it's drastically different.

I love trying out new/different exercises to break the monotony a little, so I suppose it's more that I don't want to get bored of the routine.

At the moment I'm still trying to put on some weight and size, although soon I may have to start adjusting that aim a little.
In september when I started lifting I weighed only 59kg and had practically no definition. 7 months down the line and I'm up to around 68kg, much stronger and have gained a fair bit of definition, all of which I'm happy with.

This is the routine I'm doing currently. It doesn't adhere to the template exactly, and I've thrown in a couple of extra exercises for areas I felt were missing:

Thursday (Upper body heavy lifts)

Bench Press - 1 or 2 sets of 5 reps. As much as i can lift basically.
Dumbbell Bench Press - 3/4 sets of 6/10 reps. Alternate between 3/6 and 4/10, depending on how hard I went on bench press.
Bent Over Dumbbell Rows - 4 sets of 10/15 reps. Do 4/10 for this one.
Standing Face Pulls - 2/3 sets of 12/15 reps. Do 3/15 here.
Dumbell Side Bends - 3/4 sets of 8/15 reps. Do 3/8.

Saturday (Lower body heavy lifts)

Straight Bar Deadlifts - Program says a max set of 5, but I do 2 sets of 5. 1 set for each alternate grip.
Speed Skater Squats (1.5 reps) - 3/4 sets of 8/15 reps. Do 3/8. These absolutely destroy me, but it's worth it.
Cable Pull Throughs - 3/4 sets of 6/10 reps. Alternate between 3/6 and 4/10, depending on how I feel after the above 2.
Smith Standing Calf Raises - These are one of the extras I've put in. Have only been doing these a couple of weeks and have been doing 3 sets until failure as heavy as I can.
Barbell Wrist Curl - 3 timed sets, usually 45 or 30secs.
Reverse Wrist Curl - 3 timed sets again, try to keep it to 30secs but sometimes drop to 25/20. These are a little harder than regular wrist curls =/.

Monday (Upper body supplementals)

Tricep Dips - 3 sets until failure.
Skull Crushers - 3/4 sets of 5/10 reps. I aim for 3/8 normally. Loooove these.
Chin/Pull ups - 4 sets of 8/12 reps. Sometimes do 2 of each, sometimes four of one. 8 reps. Can do them quite easily without the weight reduction assistance but my form suffers a little, so usually knock 12kg off.
Dumbbell Shrugs - 3 sets of 10/15 reps. Go for 3/10 on this, heavy as I can as per usual.
Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 8/10 reps. Do 3/8.
AB Circuit - I'm kinda stuck with what to do here really. Just been cycling through sit ups, twist crunches, ball crunches and plank 2 or 3 times. I really don't know much about ab exercises.


So that's the routine. Template is here: http://www.defrancostraining.com/art...**s-part1.html

I do like the lists you can choose from when wanting to change the routine. There are loads of combinations you could do with this. I am open to trying some other routines though, and have seen lots mentioned on another forum I frequent for my supplements (http://www.myprotein.co.uk/).

What sort of program are you following Weiing?

[Zoolander]

I forefoot strike, so I have no pronation in transitioning from heel to forefoot, simply because there isn't a transition. I could throw on just about any shoes and run in them.

I don't typically wear a shirt or underwear. You may want to invest in running shorts with a liner to hold your nuts, or get some kind of underarmor undergarment, because having your nuts bounce all over the place can suck.

Yea fuck you, I overpronate like a mother fucker and have pretty flat feet, idk what the hell changed between high school and now but I have had chronic shin splints for months even with the "proper" footwear.

And the truth right there, balls bouncing freely is a bad time.

[Weiing]

@in flames

Looked over the general template. Looks pretty good actually, for the most part.
However, a few things:
I wish they made you do at least one set of some form of squats. I know they offer some squatting exercises...but you would still have to choose from that. I would love to see SQUAT ONRY set.
Again, I am very biased with my disdain for isolation movements like curls...
As for ab workouts. There really is no point in focusing on that TOO much or doing too many exercises for them. Planks are pretty good, though, as it's really focusing on your core. So are wall sits/squats. As long as you are maintaining your core strength while you do deadlifts, pull-ups/chin-ups, squats, push-ups, etc...it's fine.

Not sure if your program has any room for it, but you can also add in supersets and compound movements (front squat+push press, power clean, romanian deadlift+bentover row).

Right now I'm being lazy and following a book called New Rules of Lifting. Sometimes I get really lazy or time-crunched and just pick a program out of a book and follow that for however long they recommend. However, when I'm done with that, I'm thinking I may check into the thing you linked--but make modifications (more squatting, no curling, no tricep isolation movements like extensions). Or I may just go to the ABA push/pull split. I haven't figured out what I want to do yet. I do like New Rules of Lifting though...The hypertrophy stages are fun.

In the end, I'm a big supporter of doing more natural/useful/functional movements.
Even something as simple as this, from www.marksdailyapple.com, is effective
A
Squat 5×5
Pull-ups 5xFailure (add weight if “Failure” is becoming more than 12 reps)
Overhead Press 5×5

B
Squat 5×5
Deadlift 1/2/3×5 (your choice; deadlifts can be incredibly taxing, and with exhaustion comes poor form, so be careful; sometimes it’s better to do a really heavy load for a single set)
Bench Press 5×5

C
Squat 5×5
Pull-ups 5xFailure
Overhead Press 5×5

Remember, it doesn't have to be a complex/complicated workout regime to make it good. But sometimes, I like doing more workouts than the basics...haha.

[In Flames]

I'm really not a fan of isolation exercises either if I'm honest. My first 2 routines written by gym team were about 50/50 on isolation and compound, kinda sucked. They also consisted of 8 exercises per session as well, which in my opinion is far too much to ask of your body especially when on each of those you're going as heavy as you can.

Your routine reminds me of stronglifts 5x5 somewhat. I kinda regret not doing that when I first started, but I'm a little too far in now to make the switch. Although they do have an intermediate program which I may look into.

And I definitely know what you mean with the squats, when I first saw this template that was my immediate thought. Think I'll change some of the exercises around after these next 3 sessions and focus a little more on my leg stuff. Only problem is my gym doesn't have a squat rack, only a smith machine. I've tried doing regular and front squats on it but because the bar is on an angle you have to stand at the same angle while performing the exercise, which isn't ideal at all.
Any recommendations to get around that? It's a major pain in the arse having to rest the bar on my shoulders as well as it really digs in. Tried using a towel as padding but it didn't really work =/.

[In Flames]

I'm really not a fan of isolation exercises either if I'm honest. My first 2 routines written by gym team were about 50/50 on isolation and compound, kinda sucked. They also consisted of 8 exercises per session as well, which in my opinion is far too much to ask of your body especially when on each of those you're going as heavy as you can.

Your routine reminds me of stronglifts 5x5 somewhat. I kinda regret not doing that when I first started, but I'm a little too far in now to make the switch. Although they do have an intermediate program which I may look into.

And I definitely know what you mean with the squats, when I first saw this template that was my immediate thought. Think I'll change some of the exercises around after these next 3 sessions and focus a little more on my leg stuff. Only problem is my gym doesn't have a squat rack, only a smith machine. I've tried doing regular and front squats on it but because the bar is on an angle you have to stand at the same angle while performing the exercise, which isn't ideal at all.
Any recommendations on how to get around that? It's a major pain in the arse having to rest the bar on my shoulders as well as it really digs in. Tried using a towel as padding but it didn't really work =/.

EDIT: Connection dip = double post.

[Weiing]

Yeah. I think you should be able to modify any workout routine to what you want to do. If you can't, then that's really lame/stupid of the program creator. I think every template/program should have the option of more flexibility, if anything, in order to cater to your goals.

8 exercises does seem like a lot...hah.

As for only a smith machine... I don't know. Sorry. I've always had both at my gyms. Usually I can do normal squats fine on them when I do use smith machines. Maybe try to sweet talk the gym to get a squat rack? ;o Show some boobs?

[Norellicus]

Is it so bad you can't even ride a bicycle or do ellipticals or something like that? Plenty of low impact ways to get your cardio. Swimming is pretty boss too.

Never actually learned to ride a bike or swim, never liked or had the desire to either one enough to pursue it to completion >.>a

No gym (reasonably) nearby to do ellipticals and that would probably still have the weight on it enough to cause stress anyway I'd think?

It's slowly gotten better, I can walk in a normal stride now and it's just sore rather than straight up painful. Still whines at me if I run though, like I had to do this morning to catch my train

[Atreides]

I'm really not a fan of isolation exercises either if I'm honest. My first 2 routines written by gym team were about 50/50 on isolation and compound, kinda sucked. They also consisted of 8 exercises per session as well, which in my opinion is far too much to ask of your body especially when on each of those you're going as heavy as you can.

Your routine reminds me of stronglifts 5x5 somewhat. I kinda regret not doing that when I first started, but I'm a little too far in now to make the switch. Although they do have an intermediate program which I may look into.

And I definitely know what you mean with the squats, when I first saw this template that was my immediate thought. Think I'll change some of the exercises around after these next 3 sessions and focus a little more on my leg stuff. Only problem is my gym doesn't have a squat rack, only a smith machine. I've tried doing regular and front squats on it but because the bar is on an angle you have to stand at the same angle while performing the exercise, which isn't ideal at all.
Any recommendations to get around that? It's a major pain in the arse having to rest the bar on my shoulders as well as it really digs in. Tried using a towel as padding but it didn't really work =/.

does your gym have a power rack? You can do back squats on that if you learn how to bail out if there's a problem, or just use bumper plates. My old gym only had a smith machine too, that was the reason why I went and found a new one.

Chances are if your program is designed by a professional, it's calling for back squats or whatever squats for a specific purpose, usually because those specific stresses and muscles worked are essential to the rest of the program and feed into the rest of the lifts. If you switch things up you're no longer doing that program, and you risk overexerting a muscle group while neglecting another entirely.

I made the mistake when I first started of trying to substitute zercher squats for back squats, which absolutely killed my deadlift progress by overstressing my lower back, and didn't make much progress on my hamstrings/glutes because they don't engage as much compared to back squats. Then I changed gyms and started following my program to the letter, and my squat more than doubled in like 2 months, lol. Just something to think about I guess.

edit: also it's not ideal but have considered learning to clean the weight up to your chest and then going into a set of front squats? You'll probably run into a wall here eventually since you can most likely squat a lot more than you can clean, but it's doable I guess. Then again, it's another substitution, so yeah.

Never actually learned to ride a bike or swim, never liked or had the desire to either one enough to pursue it to completion >.>a

No gym (reasonably) nearby to do ellipticals and that would probably still have the weight on it enough to cause stress anyway I'd think?

It's slowly gotten better, I can walk in a normal stride now and it's just sore rather than straight up painful. Still whines at me if I run though, like I had to do this morning to catch my train

is the pain mainly on the bottom of your foot, almost like you're standing on something sharp and it feels like the skin/muscles on the bottom of your feet are really tight? Maybe radiating into the ankle or a tightness/pulling in your calves too? It sounds a little bit like Plantar Fasciitis, which can be really fucking painful, but can be (hopefully) solved with orthotics/shoes to correct whatever's wrong with your gait.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantar_fasciitis
could this be what you have?

[Norellicus]

That's what some other folks thought it might be but it doesn't really fit the description. I've felt what that describes before, and don't think this is it. It hurts deep 'inside' the foot, deep enough that I wanted to say it was bone depth at first (thus my doctor's visit, which was inconclusive), along the outer edge. Only hurts when weight is applied, and the pain is progressive and regressive in conjunction with how long I spend on and off it (i.e. sleeping for 6+ hours = I can get up and stand around on it without any perceptible issues for a few minutes, but then it starts to complain).

Regardless, the fact that it manifested despite me not doing anything perceptibly wrong in the run is reason enough that I was definitely planning to get some shoes to correct whatever natural problem(s) I have once I can get back on the running.

[Caiyuo]

Do they all have tons of caffeine?

Caffeine doesn't really do shit to me - soda, 5-hour energy, whatever, I never feel anything.

hey, sorry I missed this, haven't been paying attention to threads much lately. The 3 I tried and I'd guess most all have caffeine, but they usually use a handful of things in the actual "nitric oxide" complex listings they use. I think a big one is Arginine, but that's equally possible that's entirely wrong.

and if i hear fang's crocodile accent say something stupid again, im gonna taru punt a baby to hell man. im about to start pulling out my hair

fuck youuuuuuuu, Fang is neither a crocodile nor a lesbian. The last just seems to be implied everywhere lol To pick Fang over Vanille even, c'mon man.