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I usually don't lift if I'm really hungover, but I try not to get that hungover in the first place. If I stick to beer and drink enough water I can usually drink forever and still feel well enough to lift the next day
I find exercise to be the best cure for a hangover - yeah it feels terrible at first but by the end of the session I'm starting to feel human again whereas if I'd spent that time lying in bed feeling sorry for myself I'd probably still be feeling like shit.
Today I decided to do the mile walk to my home from school instead of the lazy 5 minute walk to my grandparents :)
P.S. I sweated a lot, its 85 F degrees outside :|
Having moved houses, I'm finally close to a good gym and wanted to put on muscle, going with a goal of 10 lbs of muscle in 3-5 months, being a complete beginner at weightlifting. The problem is that my body type is of the type where I am naturally thin and its tough for me to gain weight / muscle, which after some searching is an ectomorph. I'd like to get some tips and pointing in the right direction to be able to achieve my goal such as workouts and what to eat. I'm 16 years old, 5 ft 9 160 lbs. I weigh on the higher end of the healthy range of the BMI, but I look like I weigh less than my weight suggests. Also, is it possible to include calisthenics in weights workouts, as I hear they are better at building strength? If so, then how would I incorporate them into a weights workout / routine? And is it possible to achieve 10 lbs of muscle with ONLY calisthenics? I also heard about GOMAD, any experiences you guys have had with that? I'd generally want to put on muscle without putting on too much fat, but if it's usually easier to go with the the approach of putting on fat along with muscle, then I'll do that, since iirc it's easier for ectomorphs to lose fat. I'm actually skinny fat, and would want to work around that too
I posted this in the middle of a heated debate (should've waited a little longer..), and it got sent back a few pages with no response, so bumping this.
I guess, but it would be a hell of a lot quicker doing it with compound lifts
I also heard about GOMAD, any experiences you guys have had with that? I'd generally want to put on muscle without putting on too much fat, but if it's usually easier to go with the the approach of putting on fat along with muscle, then I'll do that, since iirc it's easier for ectomorphs to lose fat. I'm actually skinny fat, and would want to work around that too
You don't necessarily have to do GOMAD, but if you're having trouble putting on weight then you need to eat more, plain and simple. Track your calories, and if you aren't gaining weight then add more calories. GOMAD just adds a bunch of calories on top of what you're already eating.
Hi.
So, I've been in college for a month now, and I figure it's finally time for me to start taking advantage of the gym here. I'm currently 18 years old, 5'4" and 135 pounds (yeah short as fuck for a guy whatever), and I'm trying to set a realistic goal to start off by losing 10 pounds by Christmas break (so ten pounds in ten weeks, which I feel should be pretty doable). I know I'm in the healthy BMI range for my height, but I'm still flabbier than I would like so I want to start working on getting that sorted out, then after I cut down to a better weight start building again. However, I know absolutely nothing about how to get started with an exercise routine - I know a large part of it is diet, and I have pretty good food available to me here, but I was wondering if you guys could help give me a routine that I could use? I'm a complete beginner at this, lol.
EDIT: Or is my low goal combined with being an absolute beginner enough to just start building and lose fat as I gain lean muscle like some people have been talking about in this thread? In which case a routine for that would also be nice, haha.
Afterburn, you probably won't make great gains (at least not quickly anyway) on calisthenics since they're a shitty means of gaining weight and, as an ectomorph, you're ill-predisposed to gain muscle anyway. Still fit them into your workout though as they're excellent for endurance and I feel they enforce the functionality of your strength gains. At the end is probably best, you don't want to tire yourself out and suffer on your compound lifts. Bench Press, Overhead Press, Deadlifts and Squats should all feature somewhere as they're excellent for building mass. If you're aiming for hypertrophy then sets of 8-12 is best.
especially true for an ectomorph; diet is as important as training. Your metabolism is already presumably quite efficient so eat like it's your job. GOMAD is very effective at what it does although most people find a gallon to be a bit excessive - half a gallon is far more manageable for beginners. Go with whole milk if you can stomach it but it leaves me feeling shitty downstairs so I go with semi-skimmed.
dont hide behind your ectomorph status either - I am/was one too and although you'll generally have to work a little harder you do have advantages. if you buy into the somatotype theories then you oughta have naturally good endurance so you should be able to push out an extra set here and there. enough hard work will always win out over genetics on the end. and don't worry about being skinnyfat, it's just bullshit bro science.
If you want to go the GOMAD route always buy whole milk, no 2%. Whole milk has way more calories, which every bit counts. If you have the money for it, might as well go ahead and buy the flavored milk, which they sell in gallons, let it be chocolate or strawberry; these tend to have a lot more calories as well. Just follow what Lee posted on how to consume it.
---
Seems like I caught some type of skin infection, which is started as what I thought a "matburn", since I had several of these before on my knees, and it ended up getting bigger. I got alarmed once I noticed the skin around it started peeling off by itself, and it formed some type of circle. What I thought was matburns on my left ear ended up being this same infection as well, but luckily my instructor was able to notice it on time. Usually a doctor is needed for this type of infections, called staph infection, but I'm a little too broke for all that. Since I'm kinda of his little "prodigy in the working", he really took care of me. He gave me some antibiotics in capsule form to kill this on the inside and some cream to put on the infected areas, free of charge. He told me to not be alarmed; it's common around wrestlers and combat sports, it just needs to get taken care of. He said he wasn't surprised I got it because I really train a lot on in days, sometimes twice a day, so it was really all a matter of time.
Moral of the story: Hygiene is very important. Doesn't matter if you sweat a little or sweat a lot. Always shower after doing whatever you do, weather it be lifting weights or boxing. Carrying some hand sanitizer or wipes around is not a bad idea either. I showered everyday in the gym but this can be contracted from the sweat of other people as well, it's inevitable if you're into contact sports.
I think its time i/we started to fill the posts that were reserved at the beginning of this thread. Ah, although still in its early stages, it seems as if this thread has already seen quite a bit. heck it even saw its very first heated argument, but i'm glad we toned things down.....
When i first reserved those posts at the beginning, i really had no clear direction and plan for them, i just knew eventually in time they would come to be filled as the thread took shape. There are a couple of things i would like to start filling those reserved posts with, and here they are
i was going to wait for Lee to post his journal and progress pictures so far before making this post, but let us begin. also please keep in mind that all of this is optional participation. I don't know why i feel the need to remind people of that, but there. although participation is optional, i highly encourage you to take part :) 1: Personal Story
like i said in the OP, how personal your experience in this thread ends up being is going to depend on you. along with sharing your current fitness goals, you are free and welcome to post a picture, one of two that will eventually serve as your "current" picture to the "after" picture that you'll hopefully share when you reach your goal. Whether it be for something official or just personal keeping track, having a visual aid to compare can be a big help. its just great to have pictures to document your journey or to just look at as you strive to achieve your goals. Pictures can even come in handy for those moments when you need to be reminded that progress is not always hitting that mark you set, but being better today than you were yesterday. Also they can be a great source of motivation when you have "current" or "before" pictures (i think its because they enforce the need for "after" pictures or something. they sure motivate me personally)
Anyways, in the first reserved post, for those that wish to join in, i plan on keeping track of each persons current fitness goals along with his/her current and after pictures (and any pictures in between they wish me to add). and please feel free at any point to let me know when you wish for something to be edited/updated on your own section in that reserved post.
Like i said, i originally had planned to make this and start keeping track with Lee's update post that includes some pictures, but after further thought i came to the conclusion that i'll post pictures as well along with lee to help get the ball rolling, but lee's pictures will put mine and everyone else s to shame so why not just post mine before his. just kidding lee, i know this is not a competition. no, seriously, i hope no one feels intimidated by any pictures posted in this thread for any reason. Fitness is not a competition and the only person you'll truly have to answer to in the end is yourself.
I only started my bulking phase a week ago, but already i feel both the size and the fat I've put on. ugh, when you've done nothing but cut for so long, its not an easy pill to swallow, at least not for me. anyways here are some pictures to start things off, and one will serve as my current/before picture.
I give these pictures the theme and title: Fall/Winter is no time for abs
I try to go in when the gym is empty and make sure not to get any faces or naked people in pictures
I noticed i never posted any back pictures ever. This is a relaxed/non flexing picture of my back. i hope to add some more size to it as well when i'm done bulking (i know, make my back and neck bigger, as if my head didn't already look small. is there a head exercise? math? maybe i'm just sensitive at this area)
NSFW maybe?
N......NSWF.... this last one is just me going over board/having fun at this point. one of the things i enjoy the most about the gym is the shower afterwards. it feels so fucking good
of course you dont need to go crazy with pictures like i do sometimes........... but i encourage you to post 1 picture at least so you have something to go with your current goal(s)
Hi.
So, I've been in college for a month now, and I figure it's finally time for me to start taking advantage of the gym here. I'm currently 18 years old, 5'4" and 135 pounds (yeah short as fuck for a guy whatever), and I'm trying to set a realistic goal to start off by losing 10 pounds by Christmas break (so ten pounds in ten weeks, which I feel should be pretty doable). I know I'm in the healthy BMI range for my height, but I'm still flabbier than I would like so I want to start working on getting that sorted out, then after I cut down to a better weight start building again. However, I know absolutely nothing about how to get started with an exercise routine - I know a large part of it is diet, and I have pretty good food available to me here, but I was wondering if you guys could help give me a routine that I could use? I'm a complete beginner at this, lol.
EDIT: Or is my low goal combined with being an absolute beginner enough to just start building and lose fat as I gain lean muscle like some people have been talking about in this thread? In which case a routine for that would also be nice, haha.
Having moved houses, I'm finally close to a good gym and wanted to put on muscle, going with a goal of 10 lbs of muscle in 3-5 months, being a complete beginner at weightlifting. The problem is that my body type is of the type where I am naturally thin and its tough for me to gain weight / muscle, which after some searching is an ectomorph. I'd like to get some tips and pointing in the right direction to be able to achieve my goal such as workouts and what to eat. I'm 16 years old, 5 ft 9 160 lbs. I weigh on the higher end of the healthy range of the BMI, but I look like I weigh less than my weight suggests. Also, is it possible to include calisthenics in weights workouts, as I hear they are better at building strength? If so, then how would I incorporate them into a weights workout / routine? And is it possible to achieve 10 lbs of muscle with ONLY calisthenics? I also heard about GOMAD, any experiences you guys have had with that? I'd generally want to put on muscle without putting on too much fat, but if it's usually easier to go with the the approach of putting on fat along with muscle, then I'll do that, since iirc it's easier for ectomorphs to lose fat.
First of all please dont feel like i am picking on you or singling you out Kalp and Afterburn, i am merely using you two as an example for this next section. As it was in the Physical Fitness thread, i expect there to be quite a few posts asking for basic direction, from how to get started on exercise to exactly what to eat. now i know there isn't one universal answer to these type of questions in the fitness world, everyone is different and are in different situations, but i hope to save a few of us from having to repeat ourselves a lot. I hope to turn one of the reserved posts into an area where people can find answers to basic questions that fall into similar categories, like the few sentences put in bold in the quotes above. this way instead of someone having to repeat themselves over and over, they can just refer a user to a section in this post.
I noticed a lot of repeat answers from the same people in the previous thread, and this section aims to eliminate some if not most of that. that is the basic summary of what the second reserved post would be turned into. of course i will need A LOT of help creating such a storage of information, and most of it would be added as we go, or rather, as questions are answered. but those of you that love to give advice, from beginner programs to diet advice to go along with such programs, i am going to need your help filling up this post/section.
EDIT: anyways, tomorrow and all of next week i will start putting things together and start filling those reserved posts. see DM, i told you i didnt reserve them just to help me hit 1k posts.
My cut had been going really poorly and my eating hadn't been the best for the past few weeks, so I bought myself some supplements (I always seem to work out better and eat cleaner when I have them cause I hate wasting money) and have started a routine known as "Lose fat like you're on crack" that can be accessed here. My goal is to get to 10 % or less bodyfat by the end of November. I had my first sesh yesterday and fuck me, it is THE hardest workout I've ever done. The Overhead Squats at the start just set the tone, and the lack of rest time means that I was puffing harder then I have in a long time. Today my legs feel like they've been shot and my abs are somewhat sore, I normally recover from workouts well but today I'm just really achy haha. This program doesn't really hit arms and to a lesser extent back, so I'll have to add in a separate day for them just to make sure they don't lag behind! http://www.metabolicalchemy.com/lose-fat-like-youre-on-crack-part-one/
I'm so disappointed, I was incredibly excited for my circuit routine yesterday and during split squats (lunges with a barbell on your shoulders just like squats), I hurt my back of all fucking things. My technique was good and everything too. The personal trainer said it was the rhomboid/lat and it was just unlucky, cause when your back is flexed like that and you're doing lunges, it can sometimes put more strain on one side which it clearly did. I've done this exercise without problems before though :/. Anyway I know it's not a pinched nerve cause I don't feel tingling and stretching helped quite a bit with pain. It's currently 4am and I'm icing it, hurt it at about 7pm so seven hours ago. It's not too severe I don't think but it hurts a bit, and it's always worrying when it comes to the back. I refuse to take more then a few days off at most though unless I've actually torn something (I haven't), I have goals which are already difficult to meet and resting isn't going to do fuck all to meet them. This undos the exciting information I was gonna share that I've already lost 1.5-2 kilos in approximately a week and maintained muscle mass (1 g of protein per pound ingested each day). This isn't going to slow me down in the slightest though....all it means is that:
a) I'm gonna do dumbbell lunges instead
b) I'm not going to do back followed by legs in consecutive days, I think the circuit was designed to be legs/back/rest instead of back/legs/rest for a reason!
just be careful man, always think long-term - you're definitely thinking short-term right now. Taking a few weeks off now would be preferable to a niggling back pain that could last years. listen to your body.
just be careful man, always think long-term - you're definitely thinking short-term right now. Taking a few weeks off now would be preferable to a niggling back pain that could last years. listen to your body.
I iced it at 4 am when it was hurting me and stretched + took painkillers, stretched again this morning and the pain has subsided substantially. Nowhere near what it was yesterday which is an excellent sign. A few days off max is all I'll need I think :).
just be careful man, always think long-term - you're definitely thinking short-term right now. Taking a few weeks off now would be preferable to a niggling back pain that could last years. listen to your body.
This is absolutely true. I pulled a muscle in my upper thigh during track season a week before counties, and i was absolutely desperate to run. Well, through a carefully crafted diet of painkillers i was able to run the two-mile like i'd wanted - 12:44 was my time. Totally not worth it, and even to this day my right leg bothers me when i run too long or too hard, especially up hills.
I haven't been around Smogon in awhile and noticed the Physical Fitness thread was gone and this one has taken its place. meh
Well I'm a Powerlifter in High School. I was in the 181 weight class but I gained some weight and now I'm in the 190 class. I'm looking forward to dropping some weight (which I already have, I was at 190ish now I'm back at 180) Without sacrificing anything on my lifts.
My numbers:
Bench- 250
Squat- 335 (It went down over the summer but its coming back up)
Deadlift- 350 (worst lift i need to improve loads)
Power Clean- 205 (could get more but its not a lift we do at the meets so i dont focus on it)
what is hook grip on deadlifts? im worried about getting a bicep tear on heavy mixed grip deadlifts, but i hate double overhand and i cant seem to figure out what double overhand hook grip is even after a google search
what is hook grip on deadlifts? im worried about getting a bicep tear on heavy mixed grip deadlifts, but i hate double overhand and i cant seem to figure out what double overhand hook grip is even after a google search
Haven't posted in a while. I bulked up for a solid year and since June of this
year I went from 172 lbs to 151 lbs in approximately
3-4 months. I went on a cut and lost 21 pounds and my body
fat is 9.6% and my height is 5'8 and I'm 21. My physique
is a swimmers body type since I was a swimmer in high
school and swam year round for a club team. Till this day
I swim 5 days a week and I roughly swim anywhere between
5,000-7,000 yards a day. My weightlifting routine is currenty
a legs/push/pull workout with 3 days on/1 day off repeat
protocol. I'm a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness and
I work part-time at the moment because of college. I typically
ate during my cut all slow digesting carbs in the morning
to give me energy and satiety so I wouldn't get hungry too soon.
In the early morning I always do moderate pace cardio for about 1 hour and try to burn
off 500-600 calories to further help my deficit since
I enjoy eating and I don't mind the extra work. At around noon
I weight lift and I focus on intensity and proper rest betwen
sets. And after work I swim for two hours and it's a great way
way to get your mind clear from stress. Core training and foam rolling are my staple things I do before anything. Having a strong core is very important
in overall fitness aspects and my main exercises are prone planks
and side planks for 1 minute each side and I do a mini core
training circuit. Foam rolling has many benefits before you hit
the weights and myofascial release is a good way to prevent
tightness in the muscle. Many people have tight hip flexors because
they either sit a lot during the day or have developed poor posture.
The beauty of fitness is we try to improve those weak
points each and everyday.
started p90x again
got the .iso files for the dvds years ago
and wrote down the workout plan in order to do them
went though it once but after i finished i stopped like an idiot
started to go at it again on labor day
kinda skipping some cardio
but schools in nyc for me
so i walk a lot
be careful, i was ill for a few days didnt eat very much, hit the gym for the first time in a week today, dropped 5-10 kg on squat and bench press feelsbadman :(