The Fysical Phitness Thread

[Stylish Interval]

if you run 3 miles a day twice a day, that's 42 miles a week. 46 aint that much if you think about it. in his prime, Haile G ran 160+ miles per week



anyways yeah I'm SUPER DUPER insanely out of shape. it's gonna be a tough road back.

if you run 3 miles a day 10 times a day you're running 210 miles a day psssh no big deal :P haha there's no way i could run 3 miles twice; i'd finish the first 3 and not even go out for the second. maybe i'll make a challenge for myself to try that though this friday (my day home from soccer).

I'm still jealous of the mileage you can put up. I wanna get that high. But I don't think I can get that high and lift as high as I wanna end up lifting. :/ ffs hate this

 

[Stathakis]

come winter time, I'm going to start lifting for track season, as I was finally convinced to become a 400/800 guy rather than a 800/1600 guy. we can be beginners together!


ps the key to building up mileage is starting low and BUILDING, like I've always said. it's just a matter of getting out the door and keeping it easy most days. I tried to hammer myself into racing shape and all that happened was severe overtraining which ended up sidelining me for a month and leaving me with a shitty 2:06 and 4:52 to my name, despite multiple indicators of 1:55 / 4:20 shape. the speed was there. the endurance was there. but I forgot to let myself recover, and I paid for it. my advice is just get out and enjoy it. run today in such a way that will make you want to run tomorrow.



pps come winter time im gonna need your help 'cause i don't know too much about lifting except that heavy compounds are good

 

[Stylish Interval]

come winter time, I'm going to start lifting for track season, as I was finally convinced to become a 400/800 guy rather than a 800/1600 guy. we can be beginners together!


ps the key to building up mileage is starting low and BUILDING, like I've always said. it's just a matter of getting out the door and keeping it easy most days. I tried to hammer myself into racing shape and all that happened was severe overtraining which ended up sidelining me for a month and leaving me with a shitty 2:06 and 4:52 to my name, despite multiple indicators of 1:55 / 4:20 shape. the speed was there. the endurance was there. but I forgot to let myself recover, and I paid for it. my advice is just get out and enjoy it. run today in such a way that will make you want to run tomorrow.



pps come winter time im gonna need your help 'cause i don't know too much about lifting except that heavy compounds are good

you other posters in this thread do not how many times he has actually told me that. no matter the medium - skype, msn, smogon - he always tells me 6.6

anyway yeah man i'll just head outside in the 10 degree weather come winter and start rackin up those miles (legggooo! three layers) and you lift and we'll be beginners together! also i'm going to put your "run today...run tomorrow" quote on facebook for everyone to see kthx <3

 

[Lee]

Just got my aquajogging kit through in the post so I'm off to the pool to give it a go.

It's basically this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INRrsls4kaU&feature=related - and I'm obviously doing it for rehabilitation purposes but I'm just throwing it out here because apparently it's a fantastic way to improve your running too thanks to the additional resistance of the water, or just something to allow you to keep your training up during a minor injury or something.

 

[Stathakis]

I've heard a lot of good things about aqua jogging for injured people. I hear it's not quite as good as running, but it's a great way to add extra stimulus to your legs without extra pounding to your feet.

when I hit the sea in Greece, if my legs are feeling good at 85 mpw I'm going to add some aquajogging instead of extra running. thing is, if I'm in the water I'd rather just swim. definitely tell me how it goes!

 

[Venom]

So for the past 5 months I've done = shit. Got a job in December and well too much partying (even though I don't drink beer) and I managed to gained about 17 pounds, so gonna get back to it.

I'm sitting at 215 pounds right now and I gained another inch in height in a 6 month period (weird im 5'9 1/2 now). I tried benching my same weight from 5 months ago the last time I did Ripptoes, which my max was 155, and today I lifted 160 no problem. I'm not sure what's going on with my shoulders seem to be getting bigger and broader and I haven't done shit besides eating for the last 5 months, which I weighted 200 pounds then. Even though my strength in Ripptoes isn't much, I feel like my strength is very, very different now. Carrying 60 pound boxes at work used to be something I was breaking a sweat doing, and now I can even carry 2 stacked on top of each other.

I'm not sure what's going on with my body but my main goal is to be 170-180 before Christmas is here. Here are my numbers;

Last year around this time in June first time lifting max;

Bench: 65
Squat: 85
Military Press: 45 (I was struggling with the fucking bar itself no weights on)
Deadlift: N/A (didn't know how to perform properly so I wasn't taking any chances)

Today;

Bench: 160
Squat: 205
Military Press: 105
Deadlift: 185

Gonna get started on a calorie deficit next week, gonna aim for 1500 calories to 2000 calories each day, with most coming from Protein since there is always cooked beans at home.

I've cut weight before; I was 255 and cut down to 202 in a 6 month period last year (Jan-June) but is it any different or harder to cut from 216 to 170? Will I be needing more effort? I'm kinda inexperienced in this so any high school wrestlers out there that cut weight any tips would be appreciated.

 

[Stathakis]

I'm not sure what's going on with my shoulders seem to be getting bigger and broader and I haven't done shit besides eating for the last 5 months, which I weighted 200 pounds then. Even though my strength in Ripptoes isn't much, I feel like my strength is very, very different now.

that's puberty bro. enjoy it



PS don't you dare eat 1500 calories a day unless you want to watch all your strength, muscle, etc. go away. I weigh 120 pounds and eat 3500 cals to maintain. eat at least 2500-3000 or so, lift hard, and lose weight slowly, so that you've got something to show when all the fat's gone. good luck!



edit: i dunno who cares, but check out the future of american middle distance running

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08oImhIeXi8


...wow.

 

[uragg]

I actually have regular access to a weight room this summer, so I'll be trying out the stronglifts 5x5 thing starting tomorrow. Wish me luck I guess, I'll try to keep you guys updated. Does anyone have any specific suggestions for that regimen, or is it p simple to follow?

 

[Stylish Interval]

Suggestions:

• Don't miss a workout unless you have to
• [Stat voice] Start low and build up [/Stat voice]
• Make sure you're doing the lifts correctly, or else it'll bite you at higher lifts
• You might feel like skipping weight if you're starting low. Don't.
• Make sure to always know which weights you'll use going into the workout
• Stretch like it's your job

Also, stay hydrated. I swear, on the days I drink more water I feel like I could do double what I'm doing. Anyway, use everything for motivation. Your cat looked at you funny this morning? Push the iron and then come back and tell that cat "fuck you i pushed 100x your bodyweight 10 minutes ago" or something that is just that intimidating.

alright that last part was more of a joke but seriously good luck. oh one more tip: stack plates if they aren't the right height. nothing is worse than doing a deadlift or row with the plates too low to the ground. that's just asking for pain and trouble, and they're pretty good brothers.

you're just in it for the summer?

 

[popemobile]

I just started my internship this week. Waking up before 7 am for the first time since high school, and it fucking SUCKS as I expected, and I've been tired as shit this week. Didn't miss any workouts but they definitely suffered due to lack of sleep. Hopefully I get used to this soon.

 

[uragg]

thanks for the tips Stylish Interval, I'm looking forward to actually lifting regularly for the first time in my life but I'll try not to get into it too quickly. This summer is really the first time I'm going to have the opportunity to lift, since I can't drive by myself yet and my dad refuses to let me to to the gym or school weight room or anything because he doesn't know shit about lifting and insists I can get stronger without weights. And idk if I'll have time once school starts to regularly lift, so for now it's only for the summer.

The downside to lifting I guess is that I have to do it at like 7 am after swim practice since that's the only time I can do it, so I'll live with it. also might have to go in with no spotter some days, so safer and lower weights and slower progress I guess. started with only the bar today. I feel like it's not productive to start so low since it's not like I'm completely weak and out of shape, but I guess I should just stick with the regimen and build slowly

 

[Stylish Interval]

I feel like it's not productive to start so low since it's not like I'm completely weak and out of shape, but I guess I should just stick with the regimen and build slowly

ah man i feel ya on that one. i actually started with all my lifts down low (remember bbr / dl start at 95 iirc) and man it was killer to sit there and do such low weights. but afaik this is the surest way to build the base to your strength pyramid.

the only weight i'm not doing this is bench, and that's just because i could do 135 5x5 before i started (well it was probably really like a 3x5 without a little help but still...) anyway so instead of going through 3 months and THEN getting to where i was i'm increasing by 10 lbs up to 120 and then going back to 5 lbs increments. but that's the only one. not even my deadlift am i doing that (which i was doing 215 10x8 before this, but i feel like starting low can only bring good things for me).

in short, keep on truckin with the knowledge that this is gonna help you get shit done and you'll be fine :D

there was a post here but damnit i'm a pussy and i figured that i needed to shut the fuck up and deal with my problems. although i think mods can look at this anyway (have fun lee xD)

also @pope, the popester, SL bro4lyfe, etc. there is a guy at SL who lifts >600 squat, >500 DL, >300 bench and he lifts early in the morning starting with a shot of some energy drink (venom or something maybe? idk). maybe you could try that to get you up in the morning? also i'd work on the sleep lol, but damn i'm not gonna lie when i changed my bedtime from midnight to 10 pmish i had to do it by like, 10 minutes a week to work my way down. gl to you. what kind of internship / where is it?

 

[Deck Knight]

Been going to the gym for the past month and trying to adhere to a schedule, but I'm very fail at it. I'm still getting there on the days, mind, it's just I'm supposed to be getting up early morning and going to the gym and then going to work, not working and then going to the gym in the evening. Consistency ugh.

In any event, I have fairly bad seasonal allergies & asthma so my legs and heart will only take me as far as my lungs can carry me. My workouts thus have mostly been focused on endurance and a longer length of time. I've been going for the past month or so and I'm finally up to an acceptable minimum, which is a no less than a 5k (constant min speed 3.2 mph) in the span of an hour. I'm preparing for a 5k in July and I basically just want the event to be a leisurely stroll.

It's starting slowly and I'm doing it Mon/Wed/Fri for now. My worst fear is that I'll overdo it, have a burnout, and then lose my motivation, so even though I pushed really hard when I started out to get to that acceptable minimum, I'm beginning to go more for enjoyment and a more gradual progress. I'm not going for sports or competition, mostly because I was almost starting to creep up to like Size 38 pants and I'd sooner die.

Don't have a lot of money so meals basically consist of lunch meat + cheese (w/ no bread) for breakfast and a bit of cereal when I get to work to refuel a bit. I have a sub for lunch (tuna or chicken usually), and I'm usually on my own for dinner or whatever family makes (usu. fish, sometimes chicken, more burgers in the summer. We grill a lot in summer).

So right now it's all lower body w/ treadmill with the idea being constant effort over the hour timeframe. I'm deathly afraid to try weights alone for some reason, and my legs are fine but now I'm grousing about my midsection (and thighs for some reason, you'd think walking uphill 10+ miles a week might hit something other than my calves significantly... bah). I don't have space for any equipment at home but I know the gym has the stuff.

Sorry if this was a bit rambly.

 

[Stylish Interval]

Hey Deck, welcome to the humble thread. I see that you're working on cardio / fitness more than weights / lifting, and while that's probably more in the realm of Lee or Stat, I figure I'll give it a go since I'm here.

First: I know what it's like to have asthma. My brother has a sports-related asthma and it took him a while to fight it to the point where he could play successfully again. The struggle it takes is a hard battle, and I admire you for fighting through your asthma and allergies to work on this. While it might not seem like it to you, that's a great deal of dedication. Major props.

Gradual progress is excellent. In fact, that's how I assume Stat will tell you to go about it anyway. (Old joke is old but...."start low and build up".) How exactly are you choosing to progress? Is it that you're jogging at the speed of 3.2 mph for 10 minutes one week, then working up to 60? Or did you build up from something like a 1 mph walk over an hour to 3.2 mph jog over an hour?

Your diet should honestly be the least of your worries. In fact, I'm sitting at a comfortable 206 lbs with probably the most poor diet in the world (and waist line of 36...which could be bad or good but I honestly don't care either way). One thing I'm doing right now is cutting out soda. It's mainly for health reasons, but it's a great choice to limit, if not cut out soda. (It's actually the root cause / aggravator of three diseases I have, but I was eventually going to quit for fitness reasons, I swear!)

I was actually consuming >2 lbs of soda per week without even thinking about it. It's kind of hard to believe, but I tracked my soda progress for a week without subduing myself to guilt and found out that I was drinking much more than I thought I was. Water is a great improvement over soda and I am glad I'm being forced into the switch. It's an easy (well....not exactly easy but you get the idea) change into your diet that can help you drop two or three inches on your waistline and save you money :D

Other than that you should have no real reason to worry about your diet. The only thing is to make sure you eat when you're hungry and if you're trying to lose weight there is only one rule to follow: Burn more calories than you consume. Follow that rule and you should be fine. I'd also try and reduce fat where possible. Fat is good but too much is never good, so avoid things like excess candy and such.

It kind of sounds like a lot but honestly, these few tweaks actually add up to a lot. An increased water intake (I aim for 0.75 US Gallons per day) will help your energy and honestly -- it did this for me, anwyay -- will just make you feel happier overall. Being hydrated is a good thing too :P Even if you only drink something like 120 oz of soda a week, that'll drop a solid 1/2 pound of useless calories per week.


Your 5K goal is an excellent one to work for. You still have until July and I'm just assuming you have another month to do it. I'd love to know how you go about your training. And I hope you keep working after the 5K as well! Maybe you'll even decide to try out weights. In fact, here is a solid quote from www.theheart.org that I've taken from the SL 5x5 Blog:

STRONG MUSCLES MAKE A MORE EFFICIENT HEART
Weight training lowers cholesterol levels, slightly decreases blood pressure (BP), reduces body weight and fat stores, and improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. And, in contrast to what many doctors tell their patients, regular weight training, over a period of months, improves cardiac function by reducing heart rate and BP responses during lifting of heavy loads.

“Weight training makes the heart more efficient. Because the muscles are stronger, any given load now represents a lower percentage of one’s maximum capacity. As a result, you have a lower heart rate, and lower blood pressure, and since those are the two primary factors that determine demands on the heart, you have lower cardiac demands. Stronger muscles translate into less effort to lift any given load,”

Maybe this'll help convince you to try weights! But your 5K goal comes first and I'd focus on that. I wish you a ton of luck and I hope you succeed! (and don't worry about rambly, that's how I am all the time and I'm pretty sure I'm accepted here...)

in the next post from stylishinterval who probably posts in this thread too much, you can expect:

my stronglifts spreadsheet / chart stuff things starting from monday
my (hopeful) new workout plan for going into the season
and i think i might get together a timetable
plus many more, exclusive things that you have to be a resident member of this thread to find out about (because you'd probably check in and see anyway!). stay tuned.

 

[Deck Knight]

My workout is fairly simple. Basically while I was building up the first two weeks or so I use the treadmill, which has those bars that give a sort of paraphrased level of effort. It goes from 1-7.

My workout has basically to keep within a 4 effort range for the entirety of the workout, with bumps up to 5 when I feel I've stabilized enough, or lateral movements from my base of 3.3mph to 3.8mph. Rule #1 of my workout is that I *must* last the entire one hour period. The only time I didn't was actually Monday, and that was because my body felt really, really wrong. I don't know if it was an upset stomache, the fact I was still breaking in new sneakers, felt like a rock in my shoe, general fatigue, or some combination but basically I just finished my pace until I reached a mile and then decided to head home. I always try to listen to my body, which sucks sometimes because I get an inordinate amount of allergy fatigue at work and it really grates on me when I have to duck out because it overwhelms me. I need to see an allergist because it's starting to affect my work performance. No real allergy problems at the gym, I just have to go at a pace where I can control my breathing and I can go for as long as I please.

That was an aside, in any event, I simply go at the speed/incline combination necessary to get into the 4 point zone, which is enough effort for a constant sweat. I finished up tonight going about 7.5mph for 2 mins at the end of the hour session. I could probably start a workout doing that, and maybe I could do it for 5 minutes. Then my lungs would tell me "good day, sir" and I'd get basically nothing out of the experience. No sense killing myself when the point is general fitness. Sometimes I feel bad because my pace is kinda slow compared to people running for 20 mins at a time, but I know my limitations and I focus solely on continuing for the whole hour. I'd rather walk for an hour than run for 5 minutes. I haven't quite found a good jogging speed, I can either sorta control my breathing going fairly fast for a little while or maintain complete control while going at my base speed (3.3mph), which is essentially a brisk walk, I haven't found a good middle ground yet because the legwork is a bit odd inbetween.

I think the max I've been able to upshift to a faster walking speed (I've built up gradually, currently its 3.8 but next week I might try upping it again) is about 20 mins, so my average end-session mileage is working up to 3.5 miles in an hour. I'll try to build that up a bit as time goes on, but I'm satisfied with it a month in. We don't have a scale at home but I know before I started in May I was at 185 or so And I'm certain I've dropped at least 10 lbs or so. I certainly feel a lot better/lighter. I'm 5'6 but I've got broader shoulders and a bit stockier build so I've never really felt "fat" but it was starting to get up there and I'm quite pleased so far.

As far as calorie burn I'm pushing it up to about 400 each session these days, which is still less than I consume but in the aggregate its 1200 calories a week I wasn't burning off before. My chief concern at the start (and why I had the Mon/Wed/Fri schedule) is that I didn't want to shock my legs and burn out. Logic being going from near 0 to 1hr walking sessions daily would be killer, but 0 to 1 hr sessions with a 48hr recovery period inbetween wouldn't be an issue. Now that I've been going regularly my goal for July or end of August will be to try and push for six days (All but Sunday) a week. Just like anything else, setting a pace and then resting for a little bit can be beneficial.

 

[art-of-tennis]

Alright guys, so instead of some corny workout program that I have to adhere to for 60 days or whatever, I'd decided to try to make my own sort of thing. I joined a gym and I'm trying to start going about 3 days a week and play tennis in between.

I'm trying to do a full body workout program each day instead of a split, I'd love to know what you guy's take on that is. Here are the things I try to do each time I'm there.

Compounds- Pick 4 of:
dips
db bench : 100
bar-on-back Squats : 145
deadlift : 145
bent over rows : 80

Isolation-Pick 3-4:
pec deck machine : 110
Cable pull back : 120
Cable Cross-overs : 60 per cable
leg lifts(that machine your hold yourself in and swing your legs up)
tricep extensions : 50
DB pullover : 40
DB overhead press : 30 per DB
BB curl : 60
Cable curl : 90
DB curl : 30 each
(I usually do only one or two of the curls, not all three)

For each of those I'm trying to do 3x8-10, except on the leg lifts I do 3x12. I know the squat/deadlifts are low, I can probably do more that that, I'm just waiting to have a PT look at my form first. I just got back from a golfer's elbow injury and I don't want to sideline myself again. If anyone has any tips on doing those exercises, I'd heavily appreciate it. When I squat my shoulders are sore after. I try to grip the bar with a thumb-less grip and put my thumb on the ring part.

My diet is basically kashi go lean for breakfast, a few bars or something about 2 hours after breakfast, fruit and a TV dinner for Lunch, (or sometimes pb/j), milk and graham crackers about 3 hours after lunch, usually some sort of chicken or eggs for dinner, and oatmeal with whey and peanut butter in it at about 8:00 P.M..

What I'd like to ask you guys is if I'm over training and if this seems like a good program/diet. I play tennis almost everyday for 3-5 hours; does this mean I should refrain from cardio? Also, I'm doing this for tennis, so if anyone has some advice for things I should add/quit, I'd be interested in hearing that too. I've thought about trying to add cleans, but tbh they look a bit dangerous to me.

Thank you guys for any help you offer, and I really appreciate it.

 

[Stathakis]

Deck Knight, you're doing a whole lot of things right i.e. long effort > hard effort, etc.


I think that your goal isn't to be as fast as possible, but rather to train for overall fitness. Thus, you should structure your training like a 800 meter runner, as that's the event that combines power, explosiveness, sprinting ability, etc. with endurance. I have some suggestions for you.

1. turn your 1 hour brisk walk into a 1 hour slow jog. You don't even have to up the speed, but try getting used to the running motion i.e. having both feet in the air and that sort of thing. in the beginning you may struggle, and you may need to stop and walk, and that's fine. work up to where you can jog the whole thing for an hour. once you can do that, I suggest you get off the treadmill (actually you should probably get off the treadmill as soon as possible but DEFINITELY once you can jog the whole thing get off). the reason I say this is as you run more and more miles, your body adapts to them by getting fitter, and you find yourself able to go faster at the same effort level. if you're on a treadmill with controlled speed, you deny your body the chance to go faster with the same effort, forcing it instead to go the same speed with less effort (not a bad thing but at 3.2 mph you should focus on getting a lil' faster. running a 1 hour 5k is pretty boring I'd imagine as that's almost 20 minutes per mile). so yea, get to the point where you can run the whole thing then take it to the road (or trail or forest or beach or track or whatever your preferred medium is).


2. add something to your in-between days. you mentioned wanting to go 6 days a week and now is the time to start! keep them easy and build up. start with 10 minutes in between each day, build to 20 then 30 etc. and one day you'll find yourself able to go an hour a day 6 days a week! if you can hit that point and then eventually hit the point where you're running the whole thing an hour a day 6 days a week, then you can really start rockin' and rollin.' of course I'd say until you can run your whole m/w/f days keep your in-between days to walking. slow them down even, if you want. keep them easy because you still do need to recover. as you get fitter, your body will be able to do more work and still recover fully, with the goal being that point where you can go at a good effort every day and still feel fresh.

3. do some kind of resistance training. start super low and keep it pretty easy. I'd say do it on m/w/f in order to keep your easy days easy. ideally, you'd be able to go twice a day, walking/running in the morning and weights in the evening. if that's not possible, then do them together but take the weights even easier. hell, you don't even have to use weights. you can start out with pushups/situps/etc. working to pullups and once you have a decent base of strength (i.e. they feel easy) then you can move on to weights. not sure on this but definitely don't bite off more than you can chew. it's better to err on the conservative side as you learn about your body's limits and slowly edge them up.



of course, don't try and build to all running, all week, and add weights at the same time, or you might hurt yourself. the thing to take away is keep building. perhaps that means building everything at the same time, just really slowly. perhaps that means building things one after the other. nobody can answer that question except you (or somebody knowledgeable who knows you in person and can coach you). I'd say over the course of the next few months you should be able to get yourself running 6 (or 7 if you so desire) days a week, 1 hour a day, and lifting weights. if you can hit that point you'll find yourself strong, yet able to maintain that strength over a period of time. you'll also probably get jacked if you can get the diet right (though at 5'6 185 you probably already have muscles and a layer of fat, so just keep cutting slowly and maintain the muscle). never be afraid to dial back a day or week, but try not to do NOTHING for an extended period of time.


always be building. make sure your body has time to recover. be patient and consistent and do good work, and good results will come.

 

[Stylish Interval]

Haha, I'd been waiting all day for Stat to reply because I knew I was way out of my zone when it came to answering DK. I'm glad he did xD

---

Charts

I finally got around to getting the spreadsheet for Stronglifts, mostly because I was so interested in what it was. I hadn't received it with my 2010 ebook or 2011 ebook, so I had to get a second 2011 ebook in order to get this. It was weird at first, but I'm glad I have this kind of chart to look at.

I put in all the lifts I'll be starting with on Monday and I wanted to see what I would look like in three months. I checked it against Strength Standards to see where I would be, and I'm glad that I'm going to be near intermediate level if I don't stall anywhere. It is, of course, highly likely that I'm going to stall on all of my lifts (especially with soccer involved), but I'm still happy to know that it's achievable to be there.

So anyway, here is what my schedule should look like until soccer starts...

Sunday: Rest
Monday / Wednesday / Friday: 5x5, 1.5 miles
Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday: 3 miles

I'm hoping two my legs will adjust to training while under the stress of running. I don't want to have to give up lifting for soccer if I don't have to. It almost makes me wish I didn't have that trip to France >,>

I've got a solid month before two-a-days so I'm looking to possibly up the mileage as well. To be honest, I wouldn't mind over-preparing. I want to make sure that I can continue training throughout the season, so I'm going to give this 110%. This will be reflected in my diet as well. I can't play maximum effort unless my body can give maximum effort. So (damnit I'm a sheep) I got my fitday account up and running. Only problem is I have to eliminate nuts from my diet (doctors orders) so that sucks. Nothing some extra chicken can't fix though xD

So yeah, obligatory tell me what to fix / what you reccomend / your experience.

---

Stuff

So tennis, here's the deal with this: I've done this sort of workout too. Our weightlifting coach had us do all sorts of these exercises for soccer, and honestly, it helped me out tons. I don't know if that's because before I started I was out of shape or if they're good stuff, but I haven't had bad experience with the stuff you're describing.

The things I disagree with you doing: Everything that's not dumbbell on your isolation exercises (except leg lifts, which are okay in my book). The way I've been taught and read is that dumbbell is superior to other options when going for any iso-related exercise. You'll obviously want some more feedback from others but I wouldn't do any of those. Maybe it's just an old-school thing or something, haha.

Your diet looks fine to me. Much better than what I'm eating xD

Honestly I don't have enough experience with soccer after stronglifts to say anything in comparison to my old lifting routine (which was similar to what you're going to be doing). I can say that I felt great at camp, with minimal cardio work I felt like I could run much longer than before. But I can also say that sophmore season I felt great too (the season after finishing a year of working out like you are about to). The only things I can say for sure is keep your technique good (which you appear to desire :D) and stay committed. Good luck and keep us posted on how the new workout treats you.

 

[art-of-tennis]

So tennis, here's the deal with this: I've done this sort of workout too. Our weightlifting coach had us do all sorts of these exercises for soccer, and honestly, it helped me out tons. I don't know if that's because before I started I was out of shape or if they're good stuff, but I haven't had bad experience with the stuff you're describing.

The things I disagree with you doing: Everything that's not dumbbell on your isolation exercises (except leg lifts, which are okay in my book). The way I've been taught and read is that dumbbell is superior to other options when going for any iso-related exercise. You'll obviously want some more feedback from others but I wouldn't do any of those. Maybe it's just an old-school thing or something, haha.

Your diet looks fine to me. Much better than what I'm eating xD

Honestly I don't have enough experience with soccer after stronglifts to say anything in comparison to my old lifting routine (which was similar to what you're going to be doing). I can say that I felt great at camp, with minimal cardio work I felt like I could run much longer than before. But I can also say that sophmore season I felt great too (the season after finishing a year of working out like you are about to). The only things I can say for sure is keep your technique good (which you appear to desire :D) and stay committed. Good luck and keep us posted on how the new workout treats you.

I get that machines are bad, so I don't use those, but in my opinion cables are kind of like the little brother to free weights. To me, the reason that machines suck is because you aren't using any stabilizer muscles. With cables though, you have the ability to move the weight around still to some degree.

Also, I know that cable curls work the muscle a bit different than db and bb curls, because the lift is hardest at the top instead of at the bottom. Are you saying that you think I should sub db flies or incline/decline bench in for the cable flies? I've thought about trying to do skull crushers instead of tricep extensions, but I don't have a spotter. Isn't that an issue?

Anyways, thanks for the advice, and sorry for the late'ish response.

 

[Stylish Interval]

I think it's just what's been engraved into my brain as opposed to yours. I decided to go read up a lot more (and I kept getting stupid websites that said nothing ffs) and ultimately I think it's just that cables are fine and I'm just brainwashed against cables (well...not completely but I would still pick db > cable any day of the week if it was an option). i say go with what you have and see how it works. if you feel better when you play / just generally feel better than you're doing good man.

itt: one man gives opinions on another mans workout without any input from others. summoning the rest of the thread-frequenters.

also running in this heat is hard as fuck ugh i am thinking about quitting but i can't quit T_T why did we go from 60 degree weather to 90 degree weather ugh

 

[Taylor]

managed to cut down cigarrettes to 10 a day on average; i used to go through a twenty-deck, so im happy ive made some progress.

trying to build some muscle now also after weighing a measily 133 pounds, which is considerbly low for a 20-year-old standing at 5'7". been told i look more naturally fit when im in mid 140s so i gotta start hitting the gym as well as continue my interval training; ive been training like this for a few months now to help improve my fitness.

so uh, im actually stuck on a diet that would work for me atm.

 

[Lee]

pretty simple really, just increase your calorie intake (and make sure it takes your training program into account) and put an emphasis on protein. I think they're saying 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight these days so that's um...90g of protein a day? Also, the best advice I can give is EAT REGULARLY. don't stick solely to breakfast/dinner/tea 'cos it's not enough - snack away. Another thing is make sure you're not smoking in place of eating...i know my mam does that a lot. congrats on the cut-down as well...good man.

definitely tell me how it goes!

Swimrunning is going well, it feels great to be doing cardio again after all this time!

 

[Stylish Interval]

T_T Tears of joy...

managed to cut down cigarrettes to 10 a day on average; i used to go through a twenty-deck, so im happy ive made some progress.

trying to build some muscle now also after weighing a measily 133 pounds, which is considerbly low for a 20-year-old standing at 5'7". been told i look more naturally fit when im in mid 140s so i gotta start hitting the gym as well as continue my interval training; ive been training like this for a few months now to help improve my fitness.

so uh, im actually stuck on a diet that would work for me atm.

Congrats on the cut, Taylor! I hope you do well with future progress. I agree with Lee that there should be both a caloric increase and an emphasis on protein with it. I'm actually doing 1.5g / kg like Lee suggests (well, trying anyway) and it's not as hard as I thought it would be.

I like Chicken, Milk, Eggs, Cottage Cheese (Quark is a cheaper European variant apparently?), and Turkey. I use Whey on workout days with my PWO meal. What you use doesn't matter as long as you're getting plenty :)

Also agreeing with the suggestion to eat regularly. To add onto that, mix in a healthy variety of fruits and vegetables. I actually only eat bananas, strawberries and blueberries (can't eat most vegetables due to IBS, nor some fruits like apples) but they add volume and flavor to meals and I like 'em.

Final suggestion: Eliminate soda and add plenty of water. I've been forced to cut down on soda (working on eliminating it...factor in all my sicknesses) and I've been doing >1 US Gallon / day now and I feel better. I guess it's true that soda really is *that* bad for you. I don't know, just something I've noticed. Plus increased water intake is never a bad thing. I've got a 24oz water bottle that I just try to fill up and drink at least five times daily. Combined with food that's at least a gallon of water I'm taking in. Sometimes I get eight or nine fill-ups.

I gotta say man, changing my diet around hasn't been easy for me (I'm still having some soda, eating some really bad stuff, neglecting fruits) but on those days when I get it right I feel great.



I'm going to let someone else handle the running part. I'll mention how I've worked conditioning into my workouts later, but Stathakis and Lee are legit runners and they have 100x the experience I have.

For the workout, I'm thinking this is what pope had in mind:

http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

You read the end of that URL correctly. Beginner Strength Training Program. It's built for people who are just starting out but it turns you into an intermediate lifter in just 12 weeks if you stick to it. Not hooked yet? Then read the success stories listed on the side of that page. I've been registered on the forums there for nearly a year and a lurker since 2009. All of those stories are true. I've read every single log they've kept. People who are older than 50 pick up weights for the first time and get back into shape. People who weigh over 400 pounds drop 200 while moving their lifts up to the 300+ range. This program works. I do it. popemobile does it. Venom does another which is extremely similar and he gets results. So here is what it is:

3 days a week you go to the gym. No more 5 days a week. You hit the gym each day and you do exactly what the program tells you. It's broken down into two workout days.

Day A: Squat, Bench Press, Barbell Rows
Day B: Squat, Overhead Press, Deadlifts

These are simple to learn compound lifts that will work muscles you didn't even know you had in your body. You just do 5 sets of 5 reps, only those 3 exercises and you get amazing results. You might be reading these and saying to yourself something like, "What ._. I don't even know what those are." Don't fret. The creator of this program provides everything you need on his website. On the main page in the left sidebar there is a section labeled "Must Read Guides". The links there illustrate for you how to do each exercise. If that isn't enough you can search for examples on Youtube. If you still need help, this thread is a great place for advice. Since I decided to fix my mess of a life in early 2010 I've asked everyone here for advice and I've never been let down. They provide experience, opinions, and facts for your viewing pleasure.

I reccomend you go the page I linked in the beginning and read through it. Download the ebook. Read the ebook (you don't actually have to read all the success stories, but read a couple). Read the guides on the lifts. Go to the gym and put it into practice.

I started on April 28, 2011 when I finally got the opportunity to do the program. Here's my gains so far (as of today's workout):

Squat: 45 --> 95
Bench: 45 --> 115
BBR: 95 --> 135
OHP: 45 --> 80
DL: 135 --> 155

Note that I've missed two weeks due to not being able to workout in addition to resetting my Squats down from 105 to 45 due to flexibility issues. I'm extremely happy with these gains. In the last post I made there was a chart illustrating the gains I'm going to make in the next 12 weeks if I don't stall (stalling means to hit a weight and not be able to lift it for the full 5 sets of 5 reps). Considering that most of my lifts will be bodyweight by the time school starts again, I'm pretty happy.

Remember to use the internet to your advantage. You can search for examples, register on other forums to ask for advice, watch professionals lift on Youtube, the list goes on.

As for my conditioning that I work in: I've been running / jogging 1.5 miles on workout days and 3 on non-workout days. It's tough. At one run I had to walk for a little while. But I'm making it rigorous on purpose. I have to be ready to lift during the season and I'm determined to make sure that I am.

There are only two rules when it comes to lifting as far as I'm concerned:

1) "Eat like a horse. Sleep like a baby. Grow like a weed."
2) Be mentally tough and stay determined to lift.

That's it. That actually seems like more than two rules but I don't care. It pretty much encompasses my thoughts on the matter.

This is a lot to take in I guess. I was a little rambly / not succinct. But this program will get you results. Just read the link I gave you, read the guides on the lifts, and check out the page on diet. What I said for Taylor should apply to you as well. Just to sell you a little more, I'm going to show you the results you'll get in 8 weeks alone:

So I hope someone builds on this, I'm out of time and I can't really revise this to sound better haha. Post any questions you have and everyone here should be able to answer for you (since the SL forums are closed :()

 

[Delta 2777]

Alright so I may as well post about my status, accomplishments, shortcomings, etc. since I've been hitting the gym regularly for a couple months now.

I'm 16 years and 10 months old, weigh roughly 165 lbs (75 KG), I'm about 6 feet tall and I've changed between a few workout routines. About a year ago I was probably 0% muscle, weighing in at 140 pounds.

At first I started doing P90X, which I will say is a great routine if you stick with it, although it isn’t really for people with specific goals, but rather just for people who want to get in great shape. Unfortunately, I always lost motivation three weeks into the program (I made three attempts at it, sometimes I would stray away from the advised sequence of the DVDs), but despite that, I definitely got my feet wet in the fitness world. About a month ago I started actually going to the gym; I try to do stronglifts, 5x5 with most of the exercises that I do (the main exception being any variation of the bicep curl). Anyway here are my limits and maximums from experience.

Bench Press – 185 lbs, 2 reps (1 set, followed by 155 lbs, 5 reps 4 sets)
Deadlift – 225 lbs, 5 reps (5 sets)
Standard Bicep Curls – 40 lbs (per arm), 8-9 reps (2 sets)
Squat – 185 lbs, 5 reps (2 sets, followed by 155 lbs, 5 reps 3 sets)

I do other stuff like Lat Pulldown (if I don’t do deadlifts that day), Shoulder Press, and Machine Leg Extension.

So that’s that. I’ve never Power Cleaned, I’ve never done Inclined Bench Press, and I rarely do rows.

The only thing that I’m really proud of at all is how much I can bench, and even that isn’t very impressive at all. I have to say this, though: I HATE squatting. I know it’s one of the best exercises out there, but I can’t stand doing it. I always find myself using less weight than I’m capable of for squats, and I’ve never done over 185 lbs, even though I know I can definitely do more. Do you guys have any suggestions for this, and would you say that Machine Leg Extension is a viable alternative for squatting?

Deadlifts are weird for me. I rarely up my weight because I don’t know how many I should be doing. If anyone could give me a suggestion/schedule for deadlifting that would be fantastic, because I can never tell when/if I’m making enough progress. I’m sure my form for deadlifts isn’t spectacular either, but that’s not really something you guys can help me with.

I really don’t give a shit about my weight for curls, I just do what feels right. “I do curls for the girls” as my friend Mike says.

So what do you guys think I should work on? I don’t really have a set schedule for what to work; whenever I go to the gym I just do whatever exercises I feel like (although I have to make myself do squats sometimes), I just do a variation of the exercises that I mentioned above. Also I try to eat 2,500+ calories a day and I’m trying to break 170 pounds.

As far as cardio is concerned, my endurance is pretty sub-par. I may start running on off days to get more endurance, but I kind of don't want to hurt my weight/lifts either. What do you guys suggest?

 

[art-of-tennis]

text

I would definitely not try to do leg extensions instead of squats. Leg extensions are terrible for your knees as are leg curls. If you squat and deadlift that should basically cover your legs unless you want to do a bit of leg press after squatting sometime. (don't have to)

Also, if your form on your deadlift is bad, fix it before adding weight. People say that it's one of the most dangerous exercises around, so if you aren't doing it right, you will in fact end up dead. (well not really, but you know what I mean lol)

As far as cardio and stuff on top of what you're doing, I've sorta been wondering this as well. I try to work out three times a week on a full body plan and play tennis at least 18+ hours of tennis a week. I'm able to do that and still make gains. I just started jump roping too, but I haven't done anything huge with that yet.

Anyways, that's about all I have to say in terms of advice for you. I just started seriously working out in the fall, so I still have plenty to learn myself. Feel free to call me out if any of you find errors in what I said.