Weight Loss and Fitness 2013

[Jon]

From what I've read basically have one whenever suits but just not too close to each other. The *need* to have one right after finishing the gym is a bit of broscience (but still good practice, as a routine, nonetheless). I would go one with morning, afternoon and post-workout.

 

The reason for after the gym is fairly standard. After you're workout, your muscles are at their most damaged and fatigued. The quicker you can them protein the quicker they'll repair themselves. It's a lot easier to down a shake than a whole chicken breast whilst at the gym

[Ashley]

So I'm at the end of the six week programme the trainer suggested and while I can ask for another session...I can't be bothered with humans.

 

Anyone have any recommendations. Can give further details about what I've been doing if it helps.

 

Trying to focus more on my upper body to bring its strength more in line with lower body (basically I walk/cycle everywhere but only lift wine glasses).

[Fierce_LiNk]

On the subject of protein shakes: I take one in the morning and one definitely after workouts. Depending on how I feel, I may have one before a workout, too.

 

So I'm at the end of the six week programme the trainer suggested and while I can ask for another session...I can't be bothered with humans.

 

Anyone have any recommendations. Can give further details about what I've been doing if it helps.

 

Trying to focus more on my upper body to bring its strength more in line with lower body (basically I walk/cycle everywhere but only lift wine glasses).

 

The traditional type of workouts you'll be given will be something along the lines of:

 

Monday: Chest

Wednesday: Back

Friday: Shoulders

 

Then using one of the other days for legs. It really depends on what you want to do. If you're aiming to add a bit of strength to your body, then looking at the four main compound exercises of: Bench Press/Chest Press, Deadlift, Shoulder Press/Military Press, Squats.

 

They are very technical exercises, mind. Particularly the deadlifts and the squats. I wouldn't advise you try those by yourself straight away. If you can, enlist the help of somebody to teach you how those exercises work.

 

If you didn't want to go down that route, there's your typical machines that you'll find in the gym to assist you. There's usually a machine to help you with a chest press (so, instead of being lying flat, you'll be sat upright and pushing the weight away from you) and a seated shoulder press. There's your everyday leg press machines, too. For back, a lat pulldown (also try to do pullups if you can):

 

 

That's what the pulldown looks like. What has your trainer been doing with you for your routine?

[Ashley]

I've been doing squats, LAT pulldowns, RDL (I think that's what it's called), assisted dips and planking (but not the kind that was popular a few years ago alas). And started off finishing that off with a jog/sprint combo for 10 minutes but found myself getting very hot towards the end of the workout (and before the treadmill) and felt a bit lightheaded so I've been either skipping it or just doing a light session on the bike machines.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I've been doing squats, LAT pulldowns, RDL (I think that's what it's called), assisted dips and planking (but not the kind that was popular a few years ago alas). And started off finishing that off with a jog/sprint combo for 10 minutes but found myself getting very hot towards the end of the workout (and before the treadmill) and felt a bit lightheaded so I've been either skipping it or just doing a light session on the bike machines.

 

It's good that your trainer was showing you those particular exercises, especially the squats and deadlifts. I've seen trainer cop-out in the past and only show machine-related exercises. :p It really varies.

 

What was your split like for those six-weeks? Did you have one session a week or was it more like 2 or 3? A typical 4-day-a-week routine would be like the one I posted above, spending a day focusing on each part. It can get more complicated and complex than that, depending on what you want to achieve. Some people will squat and deadlift on the same day, for example, or squat and shoulder press.

 

Chest day again yesterday. 75kg for two sets of 4 reps. Couldn't get that elusive 5th rep. My tris were still a tiny bit saw from a few days before. I've broken down that wall now. It really shows how you need to exercise consistently in order to improve. My job made it almost impossibly before and I'd be lucky if I could bench for 3 weeks consecutively.

[Ashley]

Was doing all of those things 3 times a week, with occasional other stuff (rowing, jogging, cycling etc) in between.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Was doing all of those things 3 times a week, with occasional other stuff (rowing, jogging, cycling etc) in between.

 

There's positives and negatives doing that for a longer period of time. Looking at that routine, it's good for your legs and back, but there's not really enough of a shoulder or chest workout there. I'd incorporate the bench/chest press into there and probably shoulder press, too.

 

The plus side is that you're hitting your legs and back more than one time a week, which will see them get stronger relatively quickly.

 

Here's a list of the exercises for each body part:

 

Legs - Squats, leg press, hamstring curls, calve raises (essential if you have uber tiny calves)

 

Shoulders - shoulder/military press, upright rows, front raises, side raises, shrugs.

 

Back - deadlifts (any variation), lateral pulldowns, bent over rows (LOVE this), pull-ups (some might keep deadlifts for leg day since it works the arse and hamstrings)

 

Chest - flat bench press, incline bench press, decline bench press, cable cross-overs/dumbbell flies.

 

Arms - dumbbell/barbell curls (biceps), hammer curls (bicep), forearm curls/reverse barbell curl (very good for forearm strength), tricep kickbacks, skullcrushers (tricep), dips (tricep), tricep pushdowns.

 

The ones that I've bolded are the ones that are pretty much essential to what you want to do. I've underlined the additional exercises that will also help you with strength gaining, but are not quite as important as the bolded ones. You want to basically make sure that you hit the bolded ones, you could also possibly do some of the others in rotation. So, some weeks you could do front raises, some days you could do shrugs. (I shrug about 2/3 times a week at the moment as it's a lagging body part)

 

How did you find it doing the same exercises 3 days a week? Did you prefer that or would you rather have a different routine for each time you exercise? There's benefits of both, but personally I'd struggle trying to do deadlifts, squats, benching and shoulder pressing on the same day three times a week.

 

Here's roughly what Tom Hardy did to get into shape for Warrior. So, he was squatting and deadlifting about twice a week. He's hitting the chest, shoulders, backs and legs about twice a week but it's not really the same exercise twice, as they are different variations.

Edited March 17, 2013 by Fierce_LiNk

[Ramar]

Just ran 18km in a fraction under 1 hour 30 mins. I think my legs hate me.

[Blade]

Did spinning this morning. My arse hurts

 

Re protein shakes. I have one straight after work out and then one before bed. Anymore and im farting, shitting and pissing it out therefore wasting it. Your body can only take so much protein as you will also get it from your food annaul

 

Protein farts are foul.

[Jon]

Did spinning this morning. My arse hurts

 

Re protein shakes. I have one straight after work out and then one before bed. Anymore and im farting, shitting and pissing it out therefore wasting it. Your body can only take so much protein as you will also get it from your food annaul

 

Protein farts are foul.

 

You're body can take as much protein as you give it. You'll never get enough from food alone unless you're eating Chicken by the bucketloads. The average chicken breats has 30 grams of protein. If you're lifting weights to add size you need to be getting at least 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. if you weigh 160 pounds, you'll be shooting for at least 240 grams of protein.

[Raining_again]

I think its more of a gastro issue with protein shakes. I'm the same, anymore than 2 portions a day will make me feel sick and give me toilet problems. Most of them have an element of sweetener in them, even if only tiny.. so drinking more than one portion can bring out issues if you are sensitive (or don't consume a lot of sweetener).

 

I was with my pt today, moar deadlifts, and working on my clean technique with high pulls and kettlebell high pulls (which are awesome fun but hard as fuck when you're used to having "dead" arms with a kb swing)

 

I've been feeling like garbage, think my immune system has taken a hammering with me being sick quite a few times this winter... so I wasn't at the gym at all this week. But I feel like all is not lost, and fully look forward to an ass kicking week =)

 

Still on a PR of 100kg deadlift, but getting more and more confident with the form and the weight..

[Fierce_LiNk]

Leg day, done. Am tired. Body sleep. Food eat then bed soon.

[Captain Falcon]

Despite it being cold, windy and little bit wet, and having had very little sleep and almost nothing to eat all day, I decided to go out for a run last night - I just needed to use as much energry as possible so an over active mind couldn't keep me awake again. It sounds mad to do so in those conditions and that's because it is. But it is also a strangely inviting prospect when you realise that if you can get you butt outside in conditions as bad as those, then doing it when it's nice becomes that much easier.

 

Still, it hurt... a lot. I have some proper running shoes which do help (they feel like socks and are by far the most comfortable footwear I've ever had for anything) but I've been having some knee trouble for the last 4 months ever since swapping gyms and using different treadmills. It was never an issue before that though and that's the only thing that changed. It started off ok, but by the end, my knee was aching.

 

Still, compared to my throat it wasn't that bad. It felt raw as if it had been heavily scratched and bleeding. That's cold weather for you - really hard to breathe in it. At least I didn't get a nose bleed this time so that's something. Still got that exhaustion style coughing thing though which took a while to shift.

 

Fun times.

[Mr_Odwin]

Just ran 18km in a fraction under 1 hour 30 mins. I think my legs hate me.

 

At least you can run.

 

I went to a physiotherapist yesterday morning as my leg injury has just been going on forever (3 weeks). £42 for a half hour consult - urgh. I've strained my soleus muscle and developed scar tissue around it. YAY! Quick massage given, some ultrasound given, then some strengthening exercises and stretches prescribed. It already feels better. I'm going back next Tuesday and that's hopefully where she'll tell me I can run again.

[Raining_again]

I did the very same to the lower part of my quads - right over the knee.

 

If you deal with it when the injury is new it should be quick enough to heal... Don't leave it 5 years like I did :/

[Blade]

Since being told that im likely to be made redundant ive been eating crap. Need to man up a bit to be honest.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Since being told that im likely to be made redundant ive been eating crap. Need to man up a bit to be honest.

 

That's pretty shit news, sorry to hear that. Use that anger to lift rather than to eat badly.

 

Tiredings o'clock. I saw a split a few days ago somewhere where you do 3 days on and take a rest day. It's effectively Legs, Push (shoulders and chest), Pull (back), rest, then repeat. The idea is that you focus on the important exercises and then you train each body part twice in a week.

 

I tried the Push part today. Never done shoulders and chest on the same day before, and it went better than expected. I've figured out a way to do dips at home using the spotter's catch on the squat stands. Overall, it took me around 90 minutes and I managed to get in some tricep work.

 

I didn't go for the usual 5 set 5 reps, cut it down to 4 for the main lifts and 3 for some of the non-as-important things. Just finished dinner and am still hungry.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Pull/back day. Deadlifted 123kg for 3 reps. Couldn't do any more, as my grip was taking a battering.

 

New record for me, beating the 120kg I managed before and better than last week's 118kg.

[Charlie]

I'm going to deadlift 100kg tonight! Tonight is the night. I managed 90kg pretty easily last week and then 95kg on Monday night.

[Raining_again]

I promised my pt I'd hit 105 on Sunday. been putting in the work so it should happen

[Fierce_LiNk]

Rest day today! The DOMS hasn't actually been terrible either, I was expecting to be drained completely, but I almost feel the opposite. Definitely going to go with the Leg/Push/Pull split for now.

 

Raineeng, what's your routine exactly? Do you Bench/Squat/Shoulder press?

[Raining_again]

Most of my training is powerlifting, I do power cleans, shoulder presses (47.5kg) snatches (22.5kg but still learning) and deadlifts (100) with my trainer. A lot of my week is taken up by accessory work for the above and my quad rehab. Lots of unweighted skwatttts. It's getting to a point where I can do a full ATG without any pain so hopefully ill be hitting the weighted ones soon. My trainer also calls me the kettlebell queen, I use them into every session, and I've grown out of the gyms kettlebell kit, 24kg swing is now pretty routine for me

 

I haven't actually benched at all, I had a giggle watching my pt spot someone else, honestly I'd struggle to keep my composure with a male crotch so close to my face

[Captain Falcon]

@Fierce_LiNk Apart from a 6 month stint, I've always done workouts based on pull/push days rather than a Chest/Back/Arms/Shoulders.

 

On a push day, I'll do 2 chest (a press and fly), 2 shoulder(press and lateral raise) and 2 tricep (dips and usually a cable pull of some kind) and it is generally in that order. Shoulder or Chest isn't that much of a deal breaker, though I do aim for chest first, but tricep always has to come last or you won't stand a chance trying to press something in the others.

 

On a pull day, it's 2 back, 2 trap and 2 bicep. Normally start with upright rows, then into pull downs, single arm bicep exercise, shrugs, double arm bicep, and then deadlifts. For bicep, I alternate between sitting and standing each time.

 

Since the exercises on any given day hit a lot of the same areas, you can still get just as good a workout as you would by concentrating on just one muscle group but you gain a little bit more flexibility and you can generally mix up what exercises you do. One thing that always annoyed me when doing one area a session was knowing I was going to be doing the same 5 exercises every time I went in on that day. This I find easier to inject more variety into the workout and that's good for me as it keeps me interested. It's also easier to fit around other people using the equipment too when at the gym.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I haven't actually benched at all, I had a giggle watching my pt spot someone else, honestly I'd struggle to keep my composure with a male crotch so close to my face

 

Hahahaah, I understand this completely. It's uncomfortable asking someone for a spot, and then looking up from the bench and seeing them looking down at you...most uncomfortable feeling ever. Try not to make eye contact, even for just a second.

 

@Fierce_LiNk Apart from a 6 month stint, I've always done workouts based on pull/push days rather than a Chest/Back/Arms/Shoulders.

 

On a push day, I'll do 2 chest (a press and fly), 2 shoulder(press and lateral raise) and 2 tricep (dips and usually a cable pull of some kind) and it is generally in that order. Shoulder or Chest isn't that much of a deal breaker, though I do aim for chest first, but tricep always has to come last or you won't stand a chance trying to press something in the others.

 

On a pull day, it's 2 back, 2 trap and 2 bicep. Normally start with upright rows, then into pull downs, single arm bicep exercise, shrugs, double arm bicep, and then deadlifts. For bicep, I alternate between sitting and standing each time.

 

Since the exercises on any given day hit a lot of the same areas, you can still get just as good a workout as you would by concentrating on just one muscle group but you gain a little bit more flexibility and you can generally mix up what exercises you do. One thing that always annoyed me when doing one area a session was knowing I was going to be doing the same 5 exercises every time I went in on that day. This I find easier to inject more variety into the workout and that's good for me as it keeps me interested. It's also easier to fit around other people using the equipment too when at the gym.

 

I'm debating whether or not to keep chest flies in my routine, or whether it's better to replace them with an incline bench press instead. But then, I wonder if then that'll be too much pressing. Flat bench press, shoulder press, incline bench. Could be too much. I've had mixed advice about flies.

 

The only thing I would change with your routine is where you do your deadlifts. I'd need to do it much earlier, as that's when I'd feel fresher. I try to do most of my compounds at the start. (although I do pullups before deadlifting, as it doesn't impact too much).

 

The benefits of doing leg/push/pull is that you do work out everything in those 3 days. I was going to start the split again and do legs yesterday, but had to run an afterschool football club. Came home to watch the England game and fell asleep immediately afterwards on the sofa. Too tired.

[Jon]

I've changed my programme a lot over the past few weeks. I had far too many isolation exercises as well as compound moves. Some muscle groups were being worked far too often.

 

My programme basically consists of this now.

 

Bench Press

Military Press

Barbell Rows

Barbell Curls

Straight-Leg Deadlift

Calf Raises

Squats

Press-Ups

 

I also do an ab workout involving some planks, crunches and leg raises as well as 15 minutes of interval training on a Stat bike.

 

I've found it works really well, targets all the major muscle groups and is great time-wise. Far more simple and now I actually enjoy each workout as opposed to before it always felt like a chore. After 3 times a week for 2 weeks, I've really do feel much stronger.