Forums → The Tavern → [REQUESTED] Health and fitness
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I've been contemplating making this thread for quite some time, because I'm not sure how many people here aside from myself actively go to the gym or workout.
Well, here's a topic where you can talk about a wide range of topics relating to health and fitness. What you do when you workout, your gym experiences, when you started working out, how much you can lift, what you did today while working out/at the gym, etc.
It's always good to be healthy and physically fit, so if you don't currently workout and are lazy, I'd recommend getting into a routine. It does wonders for your body and you'll feel amazing. If you're worried about time or money, don't be. A gym membership only costs around 20 dollars at a local gym and if you have time to be on the internet, you should have time to go to the gym.
As I talk about these topics, at the bottom of some of them I'll be posting some links to reading material on the subject.
Some starting topics:
What supplements are good to use?
I personally only use creatine monohydrate. Whey protein and some other types of protein supplements are good, but I only see those as necessary if you're not intaking enough protein from food.
What creatine monohydrate does is it improves performance and makes you heal more quickly by retaining water in the muscles. Creatine is naturally found in the body, this just enhances it. The only real con to using creatine is having problems with your kidneys, but that's only if you don't drink enough water. You're supposed to drink around a gallon of water a day while on it.
When using creatine, expect to gain 5-10 pounds in water weight and look more swole. Why? Because it retains water in your muscles.
There's been some discussion regarding if you should cycle creatine or not. What that means is if you take it for let's say three months, some people think you should stop taking it for a few weeks, around two weeks. It's not necessary. What you're basically doing is just taking all that creatine that improves performance and heals you more quickly out of your body.
No, creatine is not steroids. When I usually tell people who don't workout that I use creatine, they think it's steroids.
Creatine
Creatine monohydrate
What exercises are good to do at home/that don't involve weights?
Pushups, dips, pullups, squats, planks, crunches, and calve raises. Those are exercises that'll workout your whole body without weights.
Pushups for chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. Dips specifically target triceps. It depends on how you do pullups, certain ways will target muscles more than others, but they usually work the back and biceps. By certain ways, I mean underhand and overhand grip. The underhand grip (palms facing you) and having your hands close together will work the biceps more, while overhand and having your hands around shoulder width or wider will do more back action.
Those are good if you don't currently have a gym membership, but most of them are only good for so long. Pullups and dips are the best because they measure your true strength; pulling your entire body up and with dips lowering yourself and pushing up. If you can't already do a reasonable amount (I'd say 10 reps each) of pullups and dips, there's something wrong.
A good schedule for home exercises:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Pushups and dips
Tuesday - Squats and calve raises
Wednesday - Pullups
Thursday - Dips and pushups
Friday - Squats and calve raises
Saturday - Pullups
You'll see a slight difference from Monday and Thursday. On Monday pushups is the primary, as in you do it first, and dips the secondary. And on Thursday it's the other way around. You also get a few rest days for those muscles alone with that schedule. Once you do a great pushup and dip workout, you don't want to do them again the next day. Your muscles require time to rest and grow.
Again, this will only get you so far. After about a month of doing this stuff it'll seem easy, which is why investing in a gym membership is excellent. It's around twenty dollars a month at most local gyms.
How many days of the week and how long should I workout?
Six days a week with one rest day is what I usually do and recommend. Gives you enough time to target specific muscles and you have a day where you don't do anything.
I also weight train for about an hour and a half then do twenty-thirty minutes of cardio. I don't think I'll increase either of those times, but if you're a beginner at the gym you may want to start lower. I'd say around forty-five minutes of weight training then fifteen minutes of cardio, then work your way up.
Believe me, the first week is very difficult. Halfway through the workout you'll probably feel very tired and sore, and the next day will be even worse. Once you wake up you'll wish that you hadn't worked out, but it pays off. Just stick with a solid schedule and you'll see.
What's good to do at the gym?
It depends on what you're doing there, as in what muscle(s) you're working out that day.
My schedule:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Chest and shoulders
Tuesday - Biceps and legs
Wednesday - Back and traps
Thursday - Triceps and shoulders
Friday - Legs and biceps
Saturday - Back and traps
I do around 30 sets in total by the time I'm done, depends on the day. It's usually more sets on the days I do legs and biceps. I usually try to do three-four sets on most of the machines that will target those muslces and other things.
Chest and shoulders - 7 sets of flat or incline bench press, 3 sets of flies, 3 sets of seated chest press, 3 sets of seated chest press on another machine, and 3 sets of dumbbell press.
4 sets of shoulder press, 4 sets of seated incline shoulder press, and 4 sets of lateral raises.
Do as many pushups as you can do when you're done.
Biceps and legs - 3 sets of seated preacher curls, 3 sets of standing wide grip curls, 3 sets of standing close grip curls, 3 sets of regular dumbbell curls, 3 sets of hammer curls, and 3 sets of concentration curls.
5 sets of leg press, 5 sets of squats, 5 sets of quad curls, 10 sets of hamstring curls, and 5 sets of calve raises.
Back and traps - 3 sets of regular cable rows, 3 sets of wide cable rows, 3 sets of wide lat pulldowns, 3 sets of regular lat pulldowns, 3 sets of lat rows on machine, 3 sets of dumbbell rows, and 5 sets of deadlifts.
5-10 sets of shrugs and 5 sets of upright rows.
Do as many pullups as you can do when you're done.
Triceps and shoulders - 6 sets of close grip flat bench press, 4 sets of skullcrushers, 4 sets of tricep extensions, and 4 sets of tricep pulldowns.
4 sets of shoulder press, 4 sets of seated incline shoulder press, and 4 sets of lateral raises.
Do as many dips as you can do when you're done.
Legs and biceps - Legs is first and biceps is second, same exercises, but in a different order.
Back and traps - Same exercises, but in a different order.
I may have to do deadlifts on leg day though. I tried to do them earlier and was very tired. It was probably because I did legs yesterday and when doing deadlifts they require leg muscles.
Also, sometimes on back day I'll do extensions. Some people consider it an exercise, but I just use it loosen up my lower back. More of a stretch for me.
Image of back extensions
I'd also like to talk about the subject of traps. They don't help you that much with lifting, it's more of an aesthetic thing. Most people probably don't want to be walking around with a box body. Doing trap exercises makes a big difference in how your body will look.
Just take a look at these two photos:
No traps.
Big traps.
Does the 1 rep max matter?
Well, only on these three exercises: Bench press, deadlift, and squat. Otherwise, no, it doesn't matter. And on those exercises, don't go for your 1 rep max often. It tears a lot of muscle fibers and if you do that weekly you're bound to get injured. I personally only do it once or twice a month.
Anyway, mine are:
Bench press - 290 pounds
Deadlift - 315 pounds
Squat - 250 pounds
Those were the numbers last time I did went for my 1 rep max, which was a week or two ago. I just got back into squats, which is the reason why it's so low. Your squat should be somewhere around your deadlift, never lower than your bench, because your legs are supposed to be stronger than your upper body. But I'll probably get it there in a few weeks.
They say you're not truly strong with weights unless you can lift your body weight on those three exercises. I somewhat agree with that. You should be able to lift up your body weight on those exercises. You're using many muscles with them. I'd also consider being able to do a good amount of pullups and dips a good measure of strength.
What is good form?
It's not using your other muscles when you are trying to work a certain one. For instance, bicep curls. For the love of Talos don't jerk them around; don't use your back, legs, and keep your elbows in the starting position. The only thing that should be moving up is your arm.
Another is bench press. You want to go down and up nice and slow. Control the weight. Don't bounce if off of your chest, don't have a huge arch in your back, don't use your legs, and don't lift your butt off the bench. You're not even working chest anymore if you do those, and the only thing that'll happen over time is that you'll injure yourself. It's okay to have a small arch and pin your shoulders back slightly, but that's it.
It doesn't matter how much people can lift unless they do it with good form. You're not getting proper gains unless it's with good form.
Demonstration video for bicep curls
After that video, look at the featured videos list with her in them and watch.
Demonstration video for bench press
Breathing:
It's important to breathe when working out. I know you guys already breathe, but I mean properly breathing. Such as with bench press. Before you take the weight off the rack, take a deep breath, as you go down keep it in, then release as you go up, repeat. Exhale on the hard parts and inhale on the easy parts. The bench press video above shows how to breathe properly.
How often should I run?
Not that often. Running often will cause muscle atrophy. If you have some excess fat and want to get rid of it, I'd say run for around fifteen minutes a day or every other day. Otherwise you should only walk at a good speed at an angle to keep the blood flowing after weight training or jogging. I personally set the treadmill at an angle so it's like I'm walking up stairs, and I do it for twenty minutes. I tried running last week, and it takes too much out of me. I'm also worried that it'll mess up my gains, because prolonged running will damage your muscles over time.
Marathon runner and sprinter
The importance of stretching, core training, and resting:
I've found that stretching once you wake up and before you sleep helps loosens up your muscles, and when you do this you'll be able to lift weights without pain. I also think that it'll reduce the chances of you injuring yourself. I just do some basic stretches when I wake up and before I sleep for around ten-fifteen minutes.
Core training. This doesn't mean that you need to work for washboard abs. Just stregnthening your core. A strong core will allow you to lift weights easier and reduce the chances of getting a hernia. I do some core training every other day when it's night. I like to do a few sets of crunches and planks. I aim for 100-200 crunches and a few sets of 1-3 minute planks.
It's imperative to have at least one rest day, where you don't work out any of your muscles. It'll repair them and such. It's also good to get at least 8 hours of sleep. That's mostly when they'll repair.
Some people like to have a deload week, and those are good, but I wouldn't do them often. It's a week where you don't workout or do less than what you currently are. It's a solid week of resting and letting your muscle fibers repair themselves. I usually do it after a month of working out, the beginning of next month I'll have a deload week.
The deload week and why you should use it
Bodybuilding or powerlifting?
Well, I like to do both. I mix them in a month together. Such as one week I'll do bodybuilding and one week powerlifting, or sometimes I'll even do a few sets for reps only and a few for power, etc. Bodybuilding is when you go for reps and try to build more muscle.
While with powerlifting you're simply aiming for power. It'll get you stronger, but you won't see as much muscle growth as with bodybuilding. However I like both, mixing in high reps for muscle growth and low reps for power works wonders. Though if you just do one you'll see more results with them. Such as if you just bodybuild you'll build more muscle, and if you'll just build strength.
Bodybuilding
Powerlifting
Intermittent fasting:
Intermittent fasting is when you tell your body when to eat. Such as you eat 2-8 and fast/only drink water for the rest of the time. It's good for getting rid of stubborn fat. I did it for around three weeks before stopping, because I started going to the gym and I workout around noon, so if I were to do what I am now on an empty stomach, I'd probably puke.
How it works:
When you workout on an empty stomach, your body isn't going to use the food as resources, instead it'll use the fat. Then on your fasting period and you drink water, your body will retain it and you won't feel as hungry.
For the first few days you'll probably feel a little sick in your stomach, but that's natural. Your body has to adjust. My first week it felt like I was gonna puke after I ate my first meal, but I didn't and my body soon adjusted.
Note:
Intermittent fasting isn't a diet. You're just telling your body when to eat. It's imperative that you intake all your calories and protein in that eating window.
Intermittent fasting
What should I eat?
I keep my diet high protein and low fat. I'd suggest the same for everyone.
What I normally eat:
Breakfast: Oatmeal or cereal with tuna sandwich, cashews, and orange juice
Lunch: Turkey burger or lean ham/turkey sandwich, tuna, beans, rice, and fruit shake/smoothie
Dinner: Rice, chicken or steak, beans, vegetables, and tea
What I put in the shake/smoothie:
A cup or two of skim milk, 1 frozen banana, 2 strawberries, 2-4 blackberries, and 2 spoons of chocolate nesquik
Excellent health and fitness YouTube channels:
TwinMuscleWorkout
FastingTwins
Scooby1961
There are some others if you look, but those are the only ones I keep track of.
So, today at the gym my dad (workout partner) accidentally broke the cable row machine. He usually does the whole stack on the machines, but it seems like this one couldn't handle it and/or the wire was worn out. It was hilarious, because as it broke he fell backwards. It was around the start of our workout.
- 429 Replies
Like do you lift significantly more when you use them? Or are they more for stability?
A bit of both. I've used knee wraps a few times and they seemed to increase my strength. It takes a lot of strain off the joints too, which'll help you in the long run.
It's similar to using straps for deadlifts and wrist wraps for bench press.
Straps - poor grip or want to lift more weight.
Wrist wraps - decrease the strain on your wrists from heavy weight on bench press. Allows for a more controlled press
Reminds me, I should get a pair of wrist wraps today or tomorrow. Next week is my heavy week, which includes bench press. I should also get a pair of knee wraps for squats.
The belt is also good for anything that involves using your lower back and core, I'd suggest everyone to wear one if they're doing things like deadlifts, squats, bent over rows, t-bar rows, etc. Anything that'll put strain on your lower back and is heavy. I've seen a few videos with those pro bodybuilders wearing them the entire workout, or most of it.
Belts, wrist wraps, straps, knee wraps, and probably elbow wraps are probably I'd ever use for working out. Offers stability and takes pressure off important areas you don't want hurt. Everything else I wouldn't use, they take away from you actually lifting the weight.
For example, a bench press shirt. Those make your arms basically like a spring. While wearing one you can probably lift 50-100 more pounds than you can do now, but it's not really you doing the lifting.
A total of 30 sets for chest and triceps.
Just wanted to put this out there: I probably won't be able to achieve this on every workout. I go based on feel, I don't set a goal of sets to do for myself. If I'm feeling tired and sore at around 20 sets while doing back or whatever other muscle, I'll leave. I won't force myself to do more exercises. That's how you end up hurting yourself.
They say "no pain no gain", it's somewhat true, but if you're doing several exercises and aiming for high reps, then you should stop at a decent amount of sets.
Also changing my workout schedule, nothing dramatic, just moving some muscles around. I'll post it later when I'm done.
Came up with this last night:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Chest and shoulders
Tuesday - Back and traps
Wednesday - Legs and biceps
Thursday - Chest and triceps
Friday - Back and traps
Saturday - Biceps and legs
I don't want to do back and legs on the same day because they're the biggest muscles on the body and I think they deserve their own day. Doing traps and biceps on those days won't interfere much either, those muscles aren't difficult to work and don't require a lot of sets.
I'll be doing squats on my first leg day and deadlifts on the second.
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Chest and shoulders
Tuesday - Back and traps
Wednesday - Legs and biceps
Thursday - Chest and triceps
Friday - Back and traps
Saturday - Biceps and legs
Nope, **** that. I'm aiming for intensity, so I did a good number of leg exercises for a lot of reps, once I switched over to biceps I felt like I was gonna puke.
I think that I'll keep most things down to once a week, but I want to fit in back and legs twice a week because they're so big.
I'll post a new schedule later.
Wow you seem to be doing quite a good job. Did you ever get costochondritis where your rib cage and chest wall hurt but it feels more like a heart attack? Because if you do, it's often caused by stress.
Just wanted to put this out there: I probably won't be able to achieve this on every workout. I go based on feel, I don't set a goal of sets to do for myself. If I'm feeling tired and sore at around 20 sets while doing back or whatever other muscle, I'll leave. I won't force myself to do more exercises. That's how you end up hurting yourself.
However, you should not exceed 75 to 90 minutes for your workouts. This is when cortisol levels begin to rise, leading to catabolic effects on the muscle. That's not to say that you won't build any muscle with daily two hour sessions, but you're not maximizing your gains by doing so.
Do weight belts and knee wraps actually help with your lifts? Like do you lift significantly more when you use them? Or are they more for stability?
Knee wraps compress your knees giving less mobility but they work as a spring sort of and keep everything compact.
Weight Belts support your lower back and Your abdominal. I use it with anything that has to do with barbell rows, deadlifts, squats, etc.
Wrist Wraps have ups and downs. They help with keeping the bar on your hands but they also limit your grip strength, I use them later in the sets when my forearms are dead.
However, you should not exceed 75 to 90 minutes for your workouts. This is when cortisol levels begin to rise, leading to catabolic effects on the muscle. That's not to say that you won't build any muscle with daily two hour sessions, but you're not maximizing your gains by doing so.
Honestly I don't believe in that at all. I've worked out for 2+ hours my whole life, and I've gotten amazing gains.
Ps- Squatted 320 for 5 reps saturday, my supposed "off day." Can't stay out of the gym haha. I was geared with knee wraps, a belt, and a small amount of chalk.
Pss- My weight has dropped at a steady rate, I am at 178ish Lb's without the sauna. Anyone want a progress picture for 2 weeks on a cut?
Oh and I'm sorry, double post but...
Using gear increases the weight, so you lift more then normal, my theory is... you LIFT MORE, you GAIN MORE. So by using gear to up your weight your muscle is somewhat shocked. Just a theory, what do yall' think?
Using gear increases the weight, so you lift more then normal, my theory is... you LIFT MORE, you GAIN MORE. So by using gear to up your weight your muscle is somewhat shocked. Just a theory, what do yall' think?
While your logic is sound, based on what I've been reading, I don't really think there's a need for support. People on bodybuilding.com are saying that they're only necessary in times when your lower back/core/knees can't properly support the weight you're lifting without assistance.
I'm going to try this schedule starting tomorrow:
Sunday - Rest
Monday - Chest and triceps
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders and traps
Friday - Biceps
Saturday - Legs and back
Saturday will be a half and half. I'll do half of what I'd do for those muscles, so about 20-24 sets in total. That's a day where I'll focus on areas that require more attention. On Tuesday and Wednesday I'll just do most of the exercises to target all the muscles there.
I'm also going to fit in forearm exercises once or twice a week. Most likely on my back and biceps days. About 4-6 sets at the end of the workout.
Did you ever get costochondritis where your rib cage and chest wall hurt but it feels more like a heart attack?
No
However, you should not exceed 75 to 90 minutes for your workouts. This is when cortisol levels begin to rise, leading to catabolic effects on the muscle.
Kai Greene and other pro body builders have said this is bull****. If you want to get anywhere in bodybuilding you have to train long and hard. If you're eating and sleeping right, you shouldn't have a problem. You shouldn't worry about time while in the gym, you should worry about what you're going to accomplish there.
I'm also only in there for about an hour and a half. Shorter rest periods to increase the intensity.
People on bodybuilding.com are saying that they're only necessary in times when your lower back/core/knees can't properly support the weight you're lifting without assistance.
It's necessary with heavy weight so you don't end up hurting yourself in the long run.
I can get 315 up on a deadlift without the belt, but I'm not going to do that because it'll harm my lower back in the long run.
Leg pressing or squatting heavy weight without knee wraps will hurt those joints. My knees were hurting after I got done leg pressing on Saturday because I don't own knee wraps. I'm usually in the 400-600 weight range on leg press, so I'll have to get some soon if I want to go any heavier.
If you plan on doing any heavy weight make sure you have gear.
Anyway, try it for yourself. You'll see once you start getting above the 200 mark on most exercises your joints will start to hurt if you're not using gear.
Kai Greene and other pro body builders have said this is bull****. If you want to get anywhere in bodybuilding you have to train long and hard. If you're eating and sleeping right, you shouldn't have a problem. You shouldn't worry about time while in the gym, you should worry about what you're going to accomplish there.
Unfortunately, Kai Greene and other pro bodybuilders are also on steroids. (And they're not scientists either.) And I'm not using "steroids" as a hackneyed cop-out response; anabolic steroids mimic testosterone, which is, at least regarding muscle building, essentially the inverse of cortisol.
Again, that's not to say that you can't build muscle by working out for 2+ hours; it's just less effective. Besides, if you're able to work out for that amount of time, you may want to consider reevaluating the intensity of your regimen. But I'm sure this is largely based on individual physiology; I'd stay in the safe range.
Anyway, try it for yourself. You'll see once you start getting above the 200 mark on most exercises your joints will start to hurt if you're not using gear.
I'll see what happens when I get to that weight range. But I'd argue that if you're experiencing joint pain without any support, you either are lifting too heavy or have some sort of medical condition. Or you're not warming up properly.
From various users on bodybuilding.com, it seems like the consensus is to use knee wraps mainly for high weight, low rep lifts (1RMs for instance). I imagine it'd be the same for weight belts. You don't want to become reliant on them.
And they're not scientists either.
It's not to be arrogant or anything, but I'm not going to listen to some puny lab rat when my body speaks for itself.
Just like I'm not going to let some 150 pound trainer in the gym tell me how to bench press or squat. If it's working for me and I'm fine, no need to change.
But I'd argue that if you're experiencing joint pain without any support, you either are lifting too heavy or have some sort of medical condition. Or you're not warming up properly.
I can hit 225 on bench for 8-10 reps. It's considered heavy weight to a lot of people. If you do heavy bench press without any sort of gear, in the long run you'll be experiencing joint pain (elbows and wrists). It's not an immediate thing, it takes time to develop.
You see those big guys that can bench press 405+ for 10+ reps? They're almost always wearing some kind of gear. Be it wrist wraps, elbow wraps, and/or a belt. It's dumb to not workout with those, because heavy weight will have an affect later on.
And on leg press it's kinda mandatory to wear knee wraps. A lot of people with strong legs can lift heavy on that machine.
From various users on bodybuilding.com, it seems like the consensus is to use knee wraps mainly for high weight, low rep lifts (1RMs for instance).
It depends on the person. If you can do heavy weight like 315+ squat for around 10 reps, you'll want to wear knee wraps. Heavy weight like that has an affect on you after a long time of not wearing gear.
I imagine it'd be the same for weight belts.
Weight belts are for lower back and core support. Lowers the chance of getting a hernia and pulling out your back. I'd say to wear a belt for most things that involve the use of those two body parts.
It's not relying on them, just taking safety measures. Gear isn't going to dramatically increase the weight you lift, it's around 10-30 pounds for the gear mentioned. It's mostly there to protect you.
It's like a helmet for a motorcycle. Sensible people aren't going to drive a motorcycle without a helmet, because if you fall off you're going to get a major head injury. The helmet reduces the risk of that.
It's not to be arrogant or anything, but I'm not going to listen to some puny lab rat when my body speaks for itself.
I'd say bodybuilding and powerlifting are more meticulous processes than the layman would think. Yes, pro bodybuilders have results to prove themselves, but they're on steroids and have personal trainers who have knowledge about the scientific framework that goes into bodybuilding. Those alleged "uny lab rats" may not be big for a number of reasons, be it time constraints, lack of interest, etc. But puny is a generalization; I suggest checking out Eric Helms or Alan Aragon, scientists who have been involved with bodybuilding. They're treasures troves of information with physiques to prove it.
I mean, this whole "broscience" thing...yes, everyone is different, and in the end, you have to figure out what works best for you. But there are certain things that have been proven by science that shouldn't be ignored. Furthermore, blindly following others because "it works for them" can be potentially dangerous. At best, they should only serve as suggestions to your own protocol.
Then again, **** really isn't THAT serious. Studying the science behind bodybuilding/powerlifting mainly applies to those who want to stand on stage or drop below 10% body fat or squat more than two times their weight. Specific goals that go beyond casual weightlifting. I myself have a few of these kinds of goals that I'm aiming for, but more importantly, I just want to maximize my gains after every session in the gym. For me, it's worth it to learn, especially since I find nutrition, health, and lifting interesting.
And about knee wraps...this. Pretty much what I was thinking. Squats can actually be good for your knees if you let them be. The same rationale goes into the usage of weight belts.
Now if you're recovering from an injury, that's a different story.
I'd say bodybuilding and powerlifting are more meticulous processes than the layman would think.
It takes a lot of dedication, concentration, and knowledge. You have to know what to eat, when to eat, when to sleep, how long to sleep, when to workout, how long to workout, what muscles to target, how you'll target them. It's more than the physical aspect, if you don't have the mental part down, you won't get far. It's not just about pushing iron around, it's far deeper than that.
Take Kai Greene for example. His body is a masterpiece, all of those guy's bodies are. It takes a lot to get to where they are. It's not simply take steroids and push iron around.
Or if you don't want to take guys who are on steroids, take Scooby, Hodgetwins, or Ogus. It's not cut out for everyone.
they're on steroids
That means that they have to put forth twice the effort. Just because they're on steroids doesn't mean it's going to be super easy for them. You can't just take a steroid and stick to your normal routine and expect to get big. Getting a body like Kai Greene and those other pros will take years of immense training. There are other things to consider as well.
But there are certain things that have been proven by science that shouldn't be ignored.
I know, but I'm not going to constrain myself to being in the gym for only an hour.
I've worked out for only 45-60 minutes before for some months, and I didn't see much results. In the beginning of the summer for about two months I did everything in my basement, and I had all the necessary equipment to hit all the muscles, but I could only do those things for so long.
When I go to the gym my mindset is to hit my muscles in every way possible and so hard that I'll be able to feel it and see results. To do that I have to be in there for an hour and a half to two hours.
I've tried the 45-60 minute time constraint in the gym before, and it just doesn't do it for me. It's not enough time to do everything I want to do and I don't feel much afterwards.
Then again, **** really isn't THAT serious.
Bodybuilding, powerlifting, etc, is very serious. If you don't have the dedication and concentration for it, you won't get anywhere. You have to sacrifice a lot to get somewhere with it and keep to a solid routine. I'm not just talking about the workout routine, but the eating, drinking, and sleeping as well.
If you go into the gym with the mindset that "I'll be here for 45 minutes and do this and that then go and see my friends", good luck. It's way more serious and deeper than that.
Furthermore, blindly following others because "it works for them" can be potentially dangerous.
You have to try things to see if they work or not. That's a big part of it all: if you don't have experience in it then how will you truly know?
@Links: That's pretty obvious. Don't use weight belt while doing core training or light weight. If you go into the gym and use a weight belt for 135 pound bench, you're doing something wrong.
Took this from a Bodybuilding.com article:
weight sessions should be no longer than 45 minutes.
Yeah... if I only worked out for 45 minutes I'd be nowhere near where I am now. I know bigger guys at the gym that work out for about the same time as me.
In the end, I say don't worry about it and go based on feel. If you still feel great and want to keep going at the one hour mark, go ahead, but if you start feeling sick and sore, stop.
Take my Saturday workout for example: I was in there doing legs and my leg workout lasted around an hour, give or take a few minutes, then I went onto my first set of biceps and after that I felt like I was gonna puke. I gathered myself in the locker room then left.
That also taught me that I should not work EVERYTHING out twice a week. I'm still gonna do back and legs twice a week since they're the biggest muscles, but I'm going to have days where I just do that, then a day where I'll split it up. almost everything else will be done once, since I'll be aiming for high intensity now.
My chest and tri's day last week lasted about an hour and a half, and I felt soreness in those areas for a few days, which told me that I should stick with that routine.
It takes a lot of dedication, concentration, and knowledge. You have to know what to eat, when to eat, when to sleep, how long to sleep, when to workout, how long to workout, what muscles to target, how you'll target them. It's more than the physical aspect, if you don't have the mental part down, you won't get far. It's not just about pushing iron around, it's far deeper than that.
Bodybuilding, powerlifting, etc, is very serious. If you don't have the dedication and concentration for it, you won't get anywhere. You have to sacrifice a lot to get somewhere with it and keep to a solid routine. I'm not just talking about the workout routine, but the eating, drinking, and sleeping as well.
Exactly, but that being said, if you're turning a blind eye to the most technical aspects of bodybuilding, it's probably not as serious as you think.
Or if you don't want to take guys who are on steroids, take Scooby, Hodgetwins, or Ogus. It's not cut out for everyone.
They're all big and experienced (though Scooby isn't too aesthetic), but the only one among them that I would listen to for actual advice is Ogus. He takes a more scientific approach to bodybuilding, especially with Eric Helms behind his back. (Check out the videos with Helms on Ogus's channel.)
That's pretty obvious. Don't use weight belt while doing core training or light weight. If you go into the gym and use a weight belt for 135 pound bench, you're doing something wrong.
Er, I was more referring to the not using them for the below 80-85% 1RM lifts part. So yeah, if you feel comfortable with 315 on your back, and you're able to squat a max of 405, there really isn't a need for knee wraps or weight belts as long as your quadriceps and hamstrings are balanced.
Of course, if you can show me definitive proof that squatting heavy for reps leads to negative consequences in the long-term, I'll shut up. I, however, am a skeptic, as most people should be, bodybuilding or not. So far, it seems like just another one of those bodybuilding myths.
My chest and tri's day last week lasted about an hour and a half, and I felt soreness in those areas for a few days, which told me that I should stick with that routine.
To be fair: 1) 1.5 hours is fine, though borderline; 2) DOMS is actually caused primarily by the eccentric or negative phase of your lifts. So if you want to experiment, try condensing your workout but giving specific focus to the negatives of every lift.
And in my opinion, the most efficient way to gauge how effective a previous workout was is to simply wait a week and see how much stronger you've gotten. It's crude, but typically, increases in strength mean increases in muscle mass. Soreness isn't such a great metric because people go out of their ways to alleviate it (supplements, hydrotherapy, foam rolling).
if you're turning a blind eye to the most technical aspects of bodybuilding, it's probably not as serious as you think.
I've just never had any issues with long workouts.
Most days this week should last an hour to an hour and a half. The exception will be biceps. Since your biceps are the smallest muscle when compared to everything else and the fact that you use them for a lot of exercises, you don't have to work them that much. And when I do biceps I try to keep the rest period down to 30 seconds to keep that pump going.
Soreness isn't such a great metric because people go out of their ways to alleviate it (supplements, hydrotherapy, foam rolling).
For me, it kinda is. If I can feel soreness in the muscles near the end of my workout and the day after by flexing those areas and it's difficult for me to do any more exercises, it tells me I've done something right. I warmup and stretch well before going to my main workout, but I don't think that has much effect on my soreness after.
So if you want to experiment, try condensing your workout but giving specific focus to the negatives of every lift.
I already give emphasis to the negatives on most exercises. I mean, I'm not going 5+ seconds on it, but around 2-3 seconds.
They're all big and experienced (though Scooby isn't too aesthetic), but the only one among them that I would listen to for actual advice is Ogus.
I'm more inclined to listen to Scooby, because he's in his 50's and still has a masterpiece of a body. More experienced.
Anyway, I'm supposed to lift heavy today for bench. I'll see if I've gotten stronger or not.
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