Lifestyle physical health/fitness thread

[popemobile]

anyone have some effective dynamic stretches, especially for hip flexors? I've been doing some but my hips are still tight as hell. Granted I used to be quite a bit more flexible but then I got lazy with it and I'm back to not being nearly flexible enough to squat/deadlift effectively

halp

 

[kalphite]

Alright, so I posted a couple pages back about looking for a routine to start cutting with which didn't really get much of a response, so I looked around other places, found Starting Strength, and intend on starting that up. However, I still have one thing I'm wondering about. My goal is to eventually start putting on muscle; however I still have a bit more fat on me than I would like (5'4" and 132 pounds now after 2 weeks of eating on a deficit). I was originally intending on just keeping the deficit up and just adding the freeweight exercises on to make the cut work better because I wanted to do that first. However, my goal was only to lose ten pounds by the time I come home for Christmas break, and I've lost two. I've read that when absolute beginners start lifting they can lose fat while they're putting on muscle for a while. If this is the case, should I just start eating a surplus when I start lifting because that's what my end goal essentially is, or should I stick to cutting the weight I want to lose off before I start putting muscle on like I originally intended?

 

[popemobile]

unless you are severely overweight, I'd always recommend putting on muscle before doing a cut for beginners. having more muscle not only makes cutting easier but also makes you look better at the end of a cut.

 

[Stallion]

Alright, so I posted a couple pages back about looking for a routine to start cutting with which didn't really get much of a response, so I looked around other places, found Starting Strength, and intend on starting that up. However, I still have one thing I'm wondering about. My goal is to eventually start putting on muscle; however I still have a bit more fat on me than I would like (5'4" and 132 pounds now after 2 weeks of eating on a deficit). I was originally intending on just keeping the deficit up and just adding the freeweight exercises on to make the cut work better because I wanted to do that first. However, my goal was only to lose ten pounds by the time I come home for Christmas break, and I've lost two. I've read that when absolute beginners start lifting they can lose fat while they're putting on muscle for a while. If this is the case, should I just start eating a surplus when I start lifting because that's what my end goal essentially is, or should I stick to cutting the weight I want to lose off before I start putting muscle on like I originally intended?

If you're a beginner, I can assume that you don't have much muscle mass in the first place. Tbh I'd just find a routine you like, eat relatively healthy and plenty, as well as aiming for approximately 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight. Noob gains are the greatest thing ever, dont stress about doing a full on cut (just some cardio was enough for me when I started) till you have some muscle under the fat you wanna ditch.

 

[kalphite]

Alright thanks, haha. Yeah I'm not really fat now at all, I'm in a healthy bmi range, I just figured it would be easier to actually see the gains I was making, but that also makes sense.

 

[Commander Vimes]

I have finally begun exercising. I have relatively little experience- does anyone have any tips? I'm 17 years old, 6'1", and somewhere between 160 and 175 pounds. I'm fairly thin- I've always had a fast metabolism. I'm hoping to lose weight, gain more muscle definition, improve my endurance, and bulk up slightly. I can't make many changes in terms of diet, but I expect to be eating largely chicken for the near future. Can someone please give me some advice?

 

[DM]

anyone have some effective dynamic stretches, especially for hip flexors? I've been doing some but my hips are still tight as hell. Granted I used to be quite a bit more flexible but then I got lazy with it and I'm back to not being nearly flexible enough to squat/deadlift effectively

halp

this baby works for me every time like gangbusters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZIIRUPTdQbo#t=177s

 

[Stratos]

Alright thanks, haha. Yeah I'm not really fat now at all, I'm in a healthy bmi range, I just figured it would be easier to actually see the gains I was making, but that also makes sense.

actually, if you're a beginner bodybuilder, you can typically put on muscle and lose fat at the same time, as long as you increase the amount of protein you eat while decreasing the amount of carbs. A bulking/cutting routine is really only necessary for people who've been bodybuilding for a long time

 

[omgocd]

anyone have some effective dynamic stretches, especially for hip flexors? I've been doing some but my hips are still tight as hell. Granted I used to be quite a bit more flexible but then I got lazy with it and I'm back to not being nearly flexible enough to squat/deadlift effectively

halp

I've found lunges (stretches the leg you're not putting weight on) and running backwards with an emphasis reaching back by flexing your hip to be pretty good.



As for me- I'm running a marathon this suday. I'm really excited but also nervous since it will be my first. I feel pretty confident in my training- my longest run was a bit over 26 miles, plus I've done quite a few runs in the 20-24 mile range over the past couple months. My speedwork has been a little shaky compared to what I did 2 years ago when I ran my best half marathon (1:15:03 was my time), but overall I feel like I'm in decent shape. My goal is to be around 2:45, but I won't be disappointed unless I'm slower than 3:05 (qualifying standard for Boston marathon). 2:45 is about 6:18 per mile, which sounds tough but I think it's reasonable based on what I've been doing.

I've also finally started strength training (something I've never done in the past). I'm probably weak as shit compared to most people in this thread (6'0" ~145 lbs, and I'm 21), but I am noticing that I'm getting a bit stronger, and lifting weights is actually pretty fun. There's one thing I'm confused about though. I've read a couple things that say higher repetitions with less sets are meant for building size, and lower reps with more sets (and I'd assume higher resistance?) are meant for building strength. As someone who doesn't really care about getting bigger, is there any reason not to just do low rep/more sets training? Like, does muscle size have much of an impact on strength? Or does that kind of training promote muscular endurance as well?

 

[yee]

I don't see why you're nervous- you've already run a marathon! That's a very impressive time to shoot for too, nothing I'd expect for someone doing their first one.

We're pretty similar in build (I'm 6"2 150) so as a fellow ectomorph who's done research and lifted a few weights in the past hopefully I can give you good advice. I'm not sure where you heard that the amount of sets changes the goal of the workout. Weight and reps are the things to adjust for power / endurance, not reps / sets. Doing more sets just burns your muscles further whichever route you choose.

Low reps high weight is for building strength, and high reps low weight is for building endurance. Once you add a really significant amount of strength your muscles will probably be bigger, but adding endurance will not jump up your size. For example, most endurance runners have small flat abs but bodybuilders have deep ridges in their abs. They had different goals in their workouts and got different results. You can put the bodybuilder / powerlifter in a pool with massive, powerful lats but if they haven't swim any significant distance trying for a long swim will be their hardest workout. They're conditioned for low reps high weight and swimming is very low weight and very high reps. The swimmer trains his lats everyday too but may not be able to lift huge amounts of weight because he had a high rep low weight workout plan. Hopefully this clears things up a little for you.

In summary making yourself more powerful will cause your muscles to grow but it won't cause you to burst out of your shirt- people with our kind of build can expect maybe 5 lbs of muscle growth per year (this includes a protein rich diet). You'll look exactly the same in the mirror for a VERY long time.

Good luck and have fun at your marathon!

 

[Razza]

In summary making yourself more powerful will cause your muscles to grow but it won't cause you to burst out of your shirt- people with our kind of build can expect maybe 5 lbs of muscle growth per year (this includes a protein rich diet). You'll look exactly the same in the mirror for a VERY long time.

this is not true whoever told you that ectomorphs can only put on 5lb of muscle in a year is talking crap, in your first year of training as an ectomorph with a high calorie high protein diet, you should be looking at around 30lb of weight gain without too much of a rise in bodyfat.

 

[yee]

http://scoobysworkshop.com/muscle-gain-calculator/

Scooby here told me a realistic expectation is 5 lbs / yr, he has been bodybuilding for 30 years and made tons of observations- if you actually read the site for a whole day you'll decide he's not "full of crap" but spreading well-informed experience to everyone. It's not an exact science, but if an ectomorph is gaining 30 lbs of muscle in a year there's probably less than a 1% chance that it's not the result of steroids and / or puberty spurts.

Edit- Noob gains definitely are different, but I'd still say 30 lbs of raw muscle first year is more than a little unrealistic for an ectomorph.

 

[Razza]

http://scoobysworkshop.com/muscle-gain-calculator/

Scooby here told me a realistic expectation is 5 lbs / yr, he has been bodybuilding for 30 years and made tons of observations- if you actually read the site for a whole day you'll decide he's not "full of crap" but spreading well-informed experience to everyone. It's not an exact science, but if an ectomorph is gaining 30 lbs of muscle in a year there's probably less than a 1% chance that it's not the result of steroids and / or puberty spurts.

i am an ectomorph, i have gained over 30 lbs in the last 10 months, my bf has only risen slightly, im currently sitting at around 12% i reckon, for someone who has been training for years 5lbs would be a realistic goal in a year, for someone just starting out 30lbs in one year isnt an unrealistic goal, noob gains are a powerful thing.

 

[popemobile]

http://scoobysworkshop.com/muscle-gain-calculator/

Scooby here told me a realistic expectation is 5 lbs / yr, he has been bodybuilding for 30 years and made tons of observations- if you actually read the site for a whole day you'll decide he's not "full of crap" but spreading well-informed experience to everyone. It's not an exact science, but if an ectomorph is gaining 30 lbs of muscle in a year there's probably less than a 1% chance that it's not the result of steroids and / or puberty spurts.

Edit- Noob gains definitely are different, but I'd still say 30 lbs of raw muscle first year is more than a little unrealistic for an ectomorph.

scooby is probably the last person you want to listen to for lifting advice,hth

 

[Razza]

has anyone here tried layne norton phat,are the gains good?

 

[Nosferalto]

lol @ scooby

brb doing pushups for maxmimum gainzzz

 

[DavidSteven8100]

According to recent research, water and green tea is the best way to lose your weight.I took 8 to 12 glasses of water gradually and 2 to 3 times cup of tea in a day.And now i feel much difference in my weight.
I'm happy with my progress.Fat become in my control.

 

[Scimjara]

has anyone here tried layne norton phat,are the gains good?

yes and yes

 

[Lee]

According to scooby's calculator my maximum natural bodyweight (provided I work really hard and stick to a strict diet) is...um...30lbs lighter than my current bodyweight. And apparently I should only gain 3lbs this year yet I gained 15 in September alone. Blatantly flawed formula aside calculators like that are only going to help you to justify your mediocrity ('hey I only gained 3lbs this year but that's okay because scooby said...!!!). Don't get caught up on it.

Anyway, about 10 days since my 'return to running' post so here's a small update. I've been running every other day on a route just over 2 miles featuring fairly steep downhill and uphill sections (serving the dual purposes of helping me get my speed back while giving my knee the chance to adjust to a range of inclines). While running my cardio feels solid but, after almost four years of babying my leg, my lower body muscular endurance and, to a lesser extent, power is a catastrophe. My calves have been sore since Day 1 and I don't seem to have anywhere near the explosiveness I once had. Building those back up is going to be a problem. Thankfully my knee pain hasn't risen to a level I deem unacceptable so, starting on Monday, I'm going to switch from 'every other day' to 'two out of every three days.' Monday is also the day I plan to start cycling again so I hope the two don't prove to be mutually exclusive.

Also going to buy some of these to help reset my biomechanics aswell as a new pair of running shoes with as much cushion and shock absorption as possible.

tl;dr at the ten day point: pretty good but I've got my work cut out... * *

 

[kalphite]

Alright so I started my routine yesterday and I've switched to a caloric surplus, but I'm having some trouble getting enough protein in in a day. I'm on a University meal plan and its hard enough to get enough calories of actually healthy food in when I can't control what my meals are. I've tried just drinking more milk but I was wondering if you guys had any other tips for this. Figured I should get this straightened out early, haha.

 

[BlakBlastoise]

Alright so I started my routine yesterday and I've switched to a caloric surplus, but I'm having some trouble getting enough protein in in a day. I'm on a University meal plan and its hard enough to get enough calories of actually healthy food in when I can't control what my meals are. I've tried just drinking more milk but I was wondering if you guys had any other tips for this. Figured I should get this straightened out early, haha.

Buy some whey protein if you can afford it. Nuts are also a good source of protein and good fats, but they're not exactly cheap either.

 

[Scimjara]

.

its true as long as diet is in check a routine like LAYNE NORTON PHAT would definitely bring them gains.

gained most my muscle gainz from a similar routine..

 

[popemobile]

most important thing for any program is consistency. you can do a very basic split, even a bad one, and make great gains if you consistently lift more volume and eat properly over a long time. No program is going to magically transform your body unless you put in a ton of effort.

 

[Scimjara]

most important thing for any program is consistency. you can do a very basic split, even a bad one, and make great gains if you consistently lift more volume and eat properly over a long time. No program is going to magically transform your body unless you put in a ton of effort.

agreed 100%

only doing 6 sets for each bodypart now but heavy and still makin them gainz

 

[Ninahaza]

Alright so I started my routine yesterday and I've switched to a caloric surplus, but I'm having some trouble getting enough protein in in a day. I'm on a University meal plan and its hard enough to get enough calories of actually healthy food in when I can't control what my meals are. I've tried just drinking more milk but I was wondering if you guys had any other tips for this. Figured I should get this straightened out early, haha.

My tip is going to go along the lines of what Blackblas said. I mean, especially with your university situation, you'll have to spend money. Thank God i am once again financially stable. I dont mean that you have to spend alot of money, no, but do expect to spend money in general. If your meal plan is anything like what college meal plans typically are, then i suggest you look for a job/some source of income if you hope to follow a good clean bulk. also keep in mind that just because you cannot get the diet part down to the level you wanted, it doesnt mean you still cant move ahead with your original goals. yeah you would have had a huge advantage if you could have gotten the foods you needed, and yeah your results will be affected, but exercise itself doesnt require money (excluding gym fees), just time and dedication.

also Lee's mini update reminded me of a post i wanted to make myself. It has now been a month since i officially started my bulk, and i have already put on 10 pounds..... also yeah that muscle gain equation from scoobys workshop is very flawed. i mean, 10 pounds in a month, that right there should tell you that its wrong. Also please dont take that as me bragging. I am actually concerned. i mean, i have been taking this bulk very slow. i started out at a 250 cal surplus, and i've been at that for more than half of the 1 month that has gone by. i should not even be close to a 10 pound gain. also no its not mostly fat, just the small surplus i mention, plus what i see in the mirror, tells me that its not mostly fat. this cannot be genetics related as i have shit genetics. all i need to do is look at my past and at my family. my metabolism isnt anything special either, and i'm well past noob gains. we'll see how i do in another month. if i gain 5 pounds or more at the end of month 2, well i really wont know what the fuck is going on and my concern levels will increase. i like being able to explain what is happening, and at the moment i cannot so this bothers me