I want to start working out this summer...

[BS87]

So advise me please. Nothing hardcore, i'd only be doing it around 3-4 days of the week at most. I know a little bit, but the two strategies around these parts are A) Load up on Creatine and pump away or B) Load up on protein shakes and rediculous diets.

My goal is not to be mega ripped or even "ripped" per say. I dont want, or need sculpted pecs or a 16 pack abs. I would just like to be in better health, with maybe a bit more definition (IE See my abs, right now they're just a flat blob). Any ideas other than "join the armed forces"?

[nojmaster]

Cardio stuff is what's gonna lose you fat; running and cycling and swimming and skipping, all the things I hate.

[Loké]

I too am investigating possible ways to lose some of my flab (read: as much as possible) so I'd like to know too

[CaptCommy]

I second the whole running, cycling, swimming thing. Swimming especially. That can be a really beasty work out.

[Airborne506]

I wouldn't bother with creatine or protein stuff unless you're going to start training for something in particular. It's mainly for athletes who train constantly, or hardcore weightlifting and such. For cardio I'd run (good because you work your arms and your legs), bike, swim (also good arms and legs), if you can get on a rowing machine for a little too they work a lot of the body. You can do some lifting too just to improve your strength like benchpress, squat, shit like that. It's nice if you can find someone to do this with you. As for abs I know a few ab circuits that I do for crew if you want them, they leave you burning afterwards which is always good. Also you could slightly alter your diet, nothing too crazy just not so much french fries, ice cream, shit like that. I need to start getting in shape too once school ends cause I'm a bit on the heavy side.

[pk!]

Walk long distances over rough terrain while carrying a pack. Nothing like walking up a mountain for sorting your legs out.

[Daywalker]

i've started working out in the last couple weeks. I usually just get on the bike, eliptical thing, or stairs for some cardio. Then I bounce around the weight machines trying to alternate which muscles I do. Kind of hap hazard, working out alone does get boring, which is why sometimes I just leave early.

I should probably try to get a more structured apporach and keep track of how much weight im lifting and how many reps, but I am just suprised I've been able to keep going for a month straight.

[MGCeilidh]

My goal is not to be mega ripped or even "ripped" per say. I dont want, or need sculpted pecs or a 16 pack abs. I would just like to be in better health, with maybe a bit more definition (IE See my abs, right now they're just a flat blob). Any ideas other than "join the armed forces"?

Skip the Creatine, what it does is convert ADP back into ATP which allows you to excercise for longer before switching over to the fat burning metabolic state, you won't get good definition unless you burn fat...

Exercise aerobically to develop a good base of fitness, Coopers points system http://www.fitnessforlife.org/HighSchool/student/16/1/ and http://www.cooperaerobics.com/Radio/BBAerobicsPointSystem.aspx might be a helpfull guide this will increase your VO2 max meaning you can exercise harder for longer...

Don't overtrain at first as this can be counter productive...

Once you have a good aerobic fitness base look into building muscle...

[MGCeilidh]

...Swimming especially. That can be a really beasty work out.

Its worth noting that swimming is great because...

1)It builds both aerobic fitness and upper body strength (unlike running and cycling)...

2)It can be very effective at conditioning core muscles...

3)It lends itself well to Fartlek or other forms of interval training...

4)Oft times there will be a sleek young thing in the lane next to you....

[Degree:N]

5) Low impact

[Col. Psycho]

watch your daily intake of calories. if you burn more than you use in a day, you will lose weight. also, watch carb intake. and sugar intakes. anything with 'ose' at the end of it is pretty much sugar in one form or another. fructose, sucrose, glucose, etc.

exercises shouldnt be over done - overtraining is a bad thing. dont starve yourself, studies have shown that starving yourself causes your body to metabolise proteins in your muscle mass - aka you lose whatever muscle mass you might have. try and work out for at least 45 minutes to 60 minutes, no more than that a day. and vary exercises. for instance, follow something like this:

monday and wednesday:

50 pushups.
100 situps.
15 minutes jogging.
20 minutes rowing.
15 minutes cycling.

layer the exercises, and drink alot of fluid. i.e for layering - 10 pushups, then 20 situps. alternatively, do sets of maximum reps. for instance: 3 sets of as many pushups you can do, and 3 sets of as many situps you can do. dont stop until you cant do it anymore each set.

total time: approx 60 minutes.

tuesdays and thursdays:

20 minutes in the pool doing lengths.
15 minutes of cycling at a decent pace.
15 minutes of rowing at a decent pace.
10 minutes of various standing exercises - stair climbing and star jumps, for example.

total time: approx 60 minutes (with breaks in between exercises.)

the idea is that mondays and wednesdays you push yourself, and tuesdays and thursdays you take it easy. the weekend can be used as recovery time (this does not mean you can binge eat / drink etc.) and you can do other activities to keep up exercise.

as i said before, try keep your exercises within the 60 minute limits. however, as you do this and get fitter and lose weight, you might want to increase certain things. i.e pushups can be worked up to 100, etc. just make sure you dont overwork your body by going past the 60 minute mark.

keep yourself well hydrated and eat things that your body will need to recover - some carbs are good for you, in moderation. also, protein is good for you. im not telling you to go buy some suppliments, but eating alot more protein related foods will help. also, structure your meals so you eat small amounts, but you eat 3 - 5 times a day. this speeds up your metabolism. try not to eat much else after 8pm, as your metabolism is winding down, and to top that off, you dont burn the calories you eat before you go to bed - they sit there and get converted into fat for later usage. (in saying that, you do use some calories when asleep, but not enough.)

if i really wanted to lose alot of weight, i'd follow the above plan, but im happy with where i am (i do aim to lose a few kilos, but im just watching what i eat and i ride every day of the week anyway.) so im not going to push myself for a while.

[FaKToR]

Walk long distances over rough terrain while carrying a pack. Nothing like walking up a mountain for sorting your legs out.

Emphasis on "up" cause going down hill, especially with heavier weights on a steep incline can wreak havoc on your knees.

[MGCeilidh]

Going into more detail...

I swim most days of the week (skipping the day before and the day of a rugby match) what I tend to do is along the lines of...

Warm up

400 m/y Freestyle
200 m/y kick
200 m/y pull
200 m/y Back

set 1

10 x 50 m/y Freestyle on 0:55/0:50 interval
10 x 25 m/y Kick (hard) with 0:10 rest

200 m/y Back

set 2

10 x 100 m/y Freestyle on 1:45/1:40 interval (swimming reasonably hard, 75% or so, I will be getting 0:20 or so rest)

200 m/y Freestyle drills

10 x 25 m/y kick (hard) with 0:10 rest

warm down

100 m/y Freestyle

[pk!]

Warm Up - Put water on stove. Walk to bush and have a pee. Walk back and make tea. Drink tea while packing up tent and sleeping bag. Walk 3 miles to pub.

Eat fried breakfast 2x(sausage, bacon, fried eggs, black pudding, fried bread, toast)+chips+beans+litre tea.

Walk up mountain for ten miles.

Eat sandwiches and drink tea. Also biscuits.

Walk down mountain to pub.

Drink four pints Theakston's Old Peculier, eat meat pie and roast potatoes, maybe apple pie.

Walk 3 miles to campsite drunk in the rain in the dark

Make tea. Pee on bush. Put up tent and sleep in it. Do not get bush and tent confused.

[MGCeilidh]

Warm Up - Put water on stove. Walk to bush and have a pee. Walk back and make tea. Drink tea while packing up tent and sleeping bag. Walk 3 miles to pub.

Eat fried breakfast 2x(sausage, bacon, fried eggs, black pudding, fried bread, toast)+chips+beans+litre tea.

Walk up mountain for ten miles.

Eat sandwiches and drink tea. Also biscuits.

Walk down mountain to pub.

Drink four pints Theakston's Old Peculier, eat meat pie and roast potatoes, maybe apple pie.

Walk 3 miles to campsite drunk in the rain in the dark

Make tea. Pee on bush. Put up tent and sleep in it. Do not get bush and tent confused.

That all sounds horribly familiar, did I pass you on the way from St Bees head to Robin Hoods bay one summer a few years back...

*ABE* Bugger must spread etc....

[Army GI]

Lots of great info in here:

http://forums.worldatwarmod.com/showthread.php?t=12345&highlight=workout

Use what you need; but retain these basic guidelines:

Keep calories low
Don't worry about "carb free" and all that bullshit. You need carbs. Eating good carbs is even better.
Drink lots of water.

Tailor all the information in that thread to your lifestyle. Nobody likes to be following "somebody else's" workout routine without any flexibility.

[Gopats]

Running is my personal favorite cardio activity. Avoid using a track though, running in a circle 10 times can get very very boring.

Lower your calorie intake so that you will burn more than you consume

For strength, I would start with pushups, pullups, dips. Once you get a good number (i'd say 50 pushups in a row, 10 pullups, 10 dips) I would move on to weight training.

[TheSock]

For strength, I would start with pushups, pullups, dips. Once you get a good number (i'd say 50 pushups in a row, 10 pullups, 10 dips) I would move on to weight training.

Good idea but if the person is overweight (like I was/am-ish) then chinups are nearly impossible.

I'd say hit a gym, and start weight training. You'll really notice a difference in the way you feel, and lots of people will notice, even if it is just a few pounds.

[Canuk]

Do negatives if you can't do pullups or dips.

[Ramirez]

I wouldn't bother with creatine or protein stuff unless you're going to start training for something in particular.

Exactly, and also don't start spending money on protein shakes or things like that. Go to the local gym and listen to the instructor. Watch what you eat, that means:

No sodas
No burritos
No pizzas/hotdogs/hamburgers.

Eat more things like fruit, milk, meat and chicken. Oh, and don't push yourself too hard or you'll quit quite soon.

[HodgeMASHEEN MkIII]

train for a triathlon.


eventually you'll get to a point where you don't care what the food infront of you is. calories are calories and you just consume all that is available.

[Daywalker]

I should start training for an Ironman competition, just so I can finish and say I am one. That'd show people

[BS87]

I was never going to do the creatine/protien shit. I was just pointing out that it's the only kind of "Advice" you get around here.

I dont need to lose weight at ALL (ffs i'll look like neko). I'm just trying to stay in shape and add some muscle mass and tone to my body.

[pk!]

Robin's Hood to St. Bee's? I did that in 1985 - except I cheated and got the bus from Kirkby Stephen to Shap.

[maggie]

Martial arts are wonderful for strength and overall fitness, and they're fun too. All the cardio stuff people have mentioned is great, as is weight training. Stuff like yoga is good for core strength (it's not just for girls!) and toning, and can give you the support muscles you need to be able to weight train and do the cardio stuff more effectively.

[MGCeilidh]

Robin's Hood to St. Bee's? I did that in 1985 - except I cheated and got the bus from Kirkby Stephen to Shap.

Some friends and I went across the other way in '96 It was some good walking, I think you chose the better route though as the Lake district is a better finale than the Yorkshire moors...

[BS87]

Well after a few days of basic stuff, pushups, crunches, etc, i remember why i probably stopped a while ago. The burn feels good and then for like 2 days afterwards my Body just laughs at me and says "ahah NO"

[[Political] Slayer]

you dont really need the creatine, 7 months of army pt got me pretty ripped compared to what i used to be, and i never used it... its all about keeping a steady schedule for working out and pushing yourself to the limit, and even farther every once in awhile.

[Denwad]

fireman carrys are great

probably bad for your back though, then again everything is bad for your back these days.

[HodgeMASHEEN MkIII]

Well after a few days of basic stuff, pushups, crunches, etc, i remember why i probably stopped a while ago. The burn feels good and then for like 2 days afterwards my Body just laughs at me and says "ahah NO"

soreness = good. rest. recover. repeat for win.

pain = bad, though :(

[HodgeMASHEEN MkIII]

I should start training for an Ironman competition, just so I can finish and say I am one. That'd show people

lol... worst reason EVER to do an IM.

[maggie]

I'd try to do an Ironman if it weren't for all that damned swimming >:\

[Gopats]

BS87, take two days off and keep going

If you take more than a 2 day rest you probably won't get back into it

[BlindSite]

Run, far and hard, stop eating fast food and drinking booze and sodas/pop/softdrink whatever you call it, fuck off iced tea and fruit juice too. You can live off water.

Cut down on portions, instead of eating a massive steak with veggies, eat more vegetables and a piece of steak the size of a pack or playing cards or something. The simple shit to cut down on your calories.

Then run, as many times a week as possible, about 5k, or something like 2.5 miles.

Lift weights, start of with something like 50 pounds bench press and do the same with curls. Do leg weights too, I used to be able to leg press something like four hundred pounds. Its good, it'll build explosion too.

Take up a martial arts class, once a week or something, it'll keep you fit and break up the monotony of running.

soreness = good. rest. recover. repeat for win.

pain = bad, though

Fight your way through it and work out even while sore, it'll make your body heal faster and is better.

[FaKToR]

I'd try to do an Ironman if it weren't for all that damned swimming >:\

Maggie no like water?

[Degree:N]

English





Jay Kay

Prolly cause of the cold ocean although I've never swam off the English coast so I don't know, would be the main bullet point of this post.

[Milkman Dan]

I'm starting to workout, too. I bought a cheap (but good quality) Total Gym knockoff for about $120. You can buy them in-store for about $108. http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1073982 It'll make you just as sore as if you were weight lifting. I try to do it before I go to work (which may end up killing me).

[Canuk]

The only problem with those is how limiting they are in their resistance and the exercises you can do, although I assume you could come up with some pretty interesting exercises given the imagination.
The key, as with anything else that you plan on doing for a long time, is to make it part of your routine. Incorporate working out into your weekly schedule, think of it as you would showering or brushing your teeth. It's simply another aspect of your maintenance that you have to go through. It can take a while to get to the point where you actually thoroughly enjoy working out and lifting really heavy shit. The day I was able to deadlift 250 lbs was probably mine, I'm now up to a 300 lbs deadlift and working out just makes me happy. You may not enjoy what you're doing at first but give it some time and I'm sure you will, as long as you maintain some variety.
Also...the single best way to lose weight and feel better is lifting heavy shit. Lift, light cardio, eat, lift, sleep, eat, lift, etc.

[Milkman Dan]

The only problem with those is how limiting they are in their resistance and the exercises you can do, although I assume you could come up with some pretty interesting exercises given the imagination.
It's actually really fun to work out on, and I've seen pictures of people who got ripped on a Total Gym. I had trouble doing the chest press on the medium incline with 50 lbs. on it, and that shows I have a lot of growing room for that. Right now I just basically do all sorts of exercises to work every single upper body muscle. I've been trying to do it for at least 15 minutes, spending about 2-3 minutes on each exercise (which usually ends up with me being sore). I worked out so hard yesterday I puked. I haven't had that feeling in a long time. I get a serious fucking sweat going on that thing. My entire shoulders and arms are pretty much tighter than a 12 year old.

[Canuk]

hahaha, sweet. One caveat though - those pictures of people who got "ripped on the total gym"...well you can be pretty much guaranteed they didn't :p

[HodgeMASHEEN MkIII]

Fight your way through it and work out even while sore, it'll make your body heal faster and is better.

Despite how HARDKORE that "advice" sounds, it's still not good advice.

[Canuk]

Yes but recovery workouts actually do help. If you're still in a lot of pain you can go and target the muscles that are in a lot of pain with really lightweight and higher rep exercise to pump more blood into the muscles, which helps them recover and develop faster. Do NOT go back in there and do what you'd usually lift because you'll just make things worse : )

[Gopats]

Yay lacrosse is over, i'm gonna start running and lifting tomorrow

Does anyone know any good ab exercises that can be done in 3x10 reps? It gets very boring doing 100+ situps

[Milkman Dan]

Anyone recommend anything to keep me energized during a workout. I tend to do it before work (manual labor there, too), and feel a little tired/woozy after working out. Also, energy/protein bars? Are they worth it?

[Gopats]

If you are feeling lightheaded after working out I'd eat more beforehand.

[Degree:N]

iirc protein supplements are to aid recovery, so use after the training not during.

[maggie]

Energy bars are really only useful during very very long workouts where you need something fast and portable.
Ideally, you should be eating real food instead.

[Canuk]

If you're serious about working out you should be consuming as much protein as you can get your hands on, and if you can't shove enough food down your gullet then protein shakes are good as something extra but definately NOT a substitute for food. I take at least one protein shake every day for an extra 45 grams of protein. If you're lifting a lot you should try to take in your body weight (in pounds) of protein in grams. I weigh 170, I should try to keep taking in 170 grams of protein a day but that is only if I'm working out consistently.

[Army GI]

If you're serious about working out you should be consuming as much protein as you can get your hands on

Actually, that happens not to be the case.

There was a study done by Dr. Ellington Darton (yes, him) regarding this very subject. I don't remember the specific quantity, but your body does not need more than 70-something grams of protein a day. After that, your body just pisses it out. This study was conducted on himself (who is an avid body builder, not just weight lifter) during his regular body building routine. Conventional hypothesis is that if you are trying to gain mass and body building, you need an ass load of protein. His experiment threw a monkey wrench into the whole machine.

As a weight lifter myself, I must agree with his conclusion.

[Canuk]

Oy vey. Not to rag on Darton, bless his soul, but that's simply not true.

Read:
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=615251
Read more:
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=844243
And for a different source (despite the 25 citations in the second article), here (same thing, but I know how everyone hates t-nation for no particular reason...except for the forums being quite ridiculous of course):
http://www.sportsnutritionsociety.org/site/pdf/JISSN-3-1-42-50-06.pdf

[guernica]

Its worth noting that swimming is great because...

1)It builds both aerobic fitness and upper body strength (unlike running and cycling)...

2)It can be very effective at conditioning core muscles...

3)It lends itself well to Fartlek or other forms of interval training...

4)Oft times there will be a sleek young thing in the lane next to you....

Cycling works upper body strength. Not nearly as much as your legs, but if you are doing serious cycling, your upper body will have a great workout.

[BlindSite]

Despite how HARDKORE that "advice" sounds, it's still not good advice.

Actually, champ, it is and it came from my personal trainer when I asked him.

[HodgeMASHEEN MkIII]

Actually, champ, it is and it came from my personal trainer when I asked him.
Oh you certainly could go work out again while still sore from a previous workout, but you're not gaining anything from doing so.

[Canuk]

Most personal trainers are absolutely retarded and over half have very little clue as to what they're talking about. Like I go to the gym and I see trainers showing people how to do squats and they go into a fucking quarter squat and tout it as correct form. Leave your ego at the fucking door, lower the goddamn weight and do it properly you jackasses! GAH! Sure there's the odd guy who knows what he's doing but for the most part they're morons, just like 90% of people who workout.

[BlindSite]

Most personal trainers are absolutely retarded and over half have very little clue as to what they're talking about. Like I go to the gym and I see trainers showing people how to do squats and they go into a fucking quarter squat and tout it as correct form. Leave your ego at the fucking door, lower the goddamn weight and do it properly you jackasses! GAH! Sure there's the odd guy who knows what he's doing but for the most part they're morons, just like 90% of people who workout.

yeah well this guy knew his shit, plus we've actually got certified trainers at our gyms. For a start this guy had been a PT instructor in the army and was at one stage in the Paratroopers (3rar I think he said). Knew his shit.

[Canuk]

Certifications mean fuckall. It still doesn't mean he knows what he's talking about.

[MGCeilidh]

yeah well this guy knew his shit, plus we've actually got certified trainers at our gyms. For a start this guy had been a PT instructor in the army and was at one stage in the Paratroopers (3rar I think he said). Knew his shit.

Had a rugby coach at uni that was an army PT type once, he knew sweet FA about overtraining and recuperation, the guy would flog us on tuesday evenings before we played on wednesday afternoons....

Most of the team also played for local club sides on saturday and come sunday morning he would try to flog us again...

What a tit...

[maggie]

In general it's considered a good thing to do some slow easy exercise on the day after a hard burn. Keeps things limber without damaging anything. If you work out hard, then work out hard again while still sore, your body sometimes says 'fuck it' and starts eating up the injured muscle tissue instead of repairing it. It's a matter of efficiency.

[Gopats]

I just started deadlifting this week

No one I know deadlifts (not even the football team to my knowledge), so I'm just wondering what a good goal is for a 1RM? Right now I am doing 3x10 of 135 lbs

[Canuk]

Don't worry about 1 rep maxes at all yet. Build a solid base first and once you're comfortable at around 200, throw in a workout of 10x3's. 10 sets of 3 reps each at about 85ish% of your 1 rm (you don't actually need to do a 1 rm to estimate it. It really pushes your nervous system to get used to the weight.
Most people don't do deadlifts because they're afraid of hurting their back. Here's a really good article on how to and how NOT to do deadlifts:
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1588392
Don't read the forums...just don't. The articles are an amazing resource though.

[Chunkywheats]

My arm length/leg lenght/ girth would all work against me back in my deadlifting days. Plus I found them to not really be that helpful for me in the long run. It really only works one side of the quads in addition to the stabilizing muscles in the back, and a little bit of the trap/shoulder area. I just moved on to the more explosive power cleans in addition to the squats. I was more happy and I felt like I was getting more out of it.