-
Check out the relaunch of our general collection, with classic designs and new ones by our very own Pissog!
-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
The Fysical Phitness Thread
- Thread starter Psycho
- Start date
- Status
The best way to get better at running is by running. It's wonderfully simple like that! :)
I found the most effective ways to build up speed were hill-running, Fartlek training and running with weight. It all varies from person to person so just experiment and play around with it.
I found the most effective ways to build up speed were hill-running, Fartlek training and running with weight. It all varies from person to person so just experiment and play around with it.
Ok I'm gonna come right out with it.
I'm a fucking weakling. I've been avoiding phys ed for the last two years now, simply because of the fact that I a) cannot lift weights worth a damn unless they are machines and i cheat at them; i bench the bar and that's it and b) i can do a mile in like fourteen minutes if i actually try.
I'm not fat, I'm skinny as a rail, but I just have zero muscle mass.
I've been trying to remedy this as best I can; I've been riding my bike a lot recently, like three or four hours a day and it's been pretty strenuous, I've gotten a good amount of sleep. But my question to you folks is, how can i make myself not a weakling without the assistance of a weight room?
Do I just keep doing CV workouts on my bike and hope by some miracle I become a faster runner?
Or what?
Help please. :V
I'm a fucking weakling. I've been avoiding phys ed for the last two years now, simply because of the fact that I a) cannot lift weights worth a damn unless they are machines and i cheat at them; i bench the bar and that's it and b) i can do a mile in like fourteen minutes if i actually try.
I'm not fat, I'm skinny as a rail, but I just have zero muscle mass.
I've been trying to remedy this as best I can; I've been riding my bike a lot recently, like three or four hours a day and it's been pretty strenuous, I've gotten a good amount of sleep. But my question to you folks is, how can i make myself not a weakling without the assistance of a weight room?
Do I just keep doing CV workouts on my bike and hope by some miracle I become a faster runner?
Or what?
Help please. :V
dude, you can get really damn strong with body weight exercises and some assisted bodyweight exercises (using heavy objects like sledgehammers and sandbags etc) i don't really want to go into a gigantofuck post right now so i'll just recommend you one of my favorite books of all time. its called the underground warriors guide to fitness by ross enamait(sp?) i got my copy on amazon a few years back. it really caters to martial artists/MMA fighters and boxers (the author was a boxer) so it is pretty intense and nearly all the exercises are bodyweight exercises alone.
lee that sucks about your knee man, i feel where you are at. i tore one of the ligaments that connects the shin to the femur during a soccer match (kicked in the side of the knee when shooting...) and was out for 3 mos. i'd just do tippy toes. i do mine with my 50lb vest on but start wherever is comfy, don't want to damage your knee any further. basically you just stand flat footed and rise up onto the balls of your feet as far as you can go without locking the ankle joint and then lower yourself back down. do around 50 of those and you'll start to like them >:).
the only reason my posts have been getting more informative is because it really pisses me off when people who don't know much about exercise come in preaching really bad ideas in full ignorance...god i hate that shit, i almost attacked this dude at my gym the other day because he came up to me while i was doing commando pull ups and told me that wasn't how i was supposed to be doing a normal pullup. he was also quite obviously in worse shape than i am so i told him to fuck off before i ate his face and he scurried away like the cuttlefish he is.
also, i guess i have to post up a pic of myself now haha, i've been trying to get my back ripped and so far i am only satisfied with my trapezius muscles...
i couldn't take the picture while flexing my back and shoulders so they look tiny :( haha
lee that sucks about your knee man, i feel where you are at. i tore one of the ligaments that connects the shin to the femur during a soccer match (kicked in the side of the knee when shooting...) and was out for 3 mos. i'd just do tippy toes. i do mine with my 50lb vest on but start wherever is comfy, don't want to damage your knee any further. basically you just stand flat footed and rise up onto the balls of your feet as far as you can go without locking the ankle joint and then lower yourself back down. do around 50 of those and you'll start to like them >:).
the only reason my posts have been getting more informative is because it really pisses me off when people who don't know much about exercise come in preaching really bad ideas in full ignorance...god i hate that shit, i almost attacked this dude at my gym the other day because he came up to me while i was doing commando pull ups and told me that wasn't how i was supposed to be doing a normal pullup. he was also quite obviously in worse shape than i am so i told him to fuck off before i ate his face and he scurried away like the cuttlefish he is.
also, i guess i have to post up a pic of myself now haha, i've been trying to get my back ripped and so far i am only satisfied with my trapezius muscles...
i couldn't take the picture while flexing my back and shoulders so they look tiny :( haha
I think you may have misunderstood what i was saying, I know that doing less weight will not help you build muscle as well as more weight will, which is why less weight is suggested if you want lean muscle. you won't be building much muscle so you won't get very big, but at the same time you're still working out so you won't be losing strength, and you'll be burning calories so you can stay lean.
let me help you out here.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS LEAN MUSCLE!
muscle is muscle, there are two types of muscle fibers and that is ALL THE DIFFERENCE THERE IS.
when you say you want to build lean muscle you are saying "i don't want to be such a fat mother fucker anymore and i want to have good muscle definition but still have a smaller waist" which is exactly what will happen if you work out like a mad mother fucker until you get where you want to be.
controlling your caloric intake and watching the carb/protein/fat percentages of your diet will get you to and keep you at where you want to be.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS LEAN MUSCLE!
muscle is muscle, there are two types of muscle fibers and that is ALL THE DIFFERENCE THERE IS.
when you say you want to build lean muscle you are saying "i don't want to be such a fat mother fucker anymore and i want to have good muscle definition but still have a smaller waist" which is exactly what will happen if you work out like a mad mother fucker until you get where you want to be.
controlling your caloric intake and watching the carb/protein/fat percentages of your diet will get you to and keep you at where you want to be.
lean muscle
Speaking of the two types of muscle fibers (fast and slow-twitch), I've found that there's not really much you can do about improving one or the other. I've read a couple articles that state that you're pretty much stuck with the fast to slow twitch ratio that you're born with. It's always bothered me how there's skinny chicken-legged kids on our track team that are just ridiculously fast without working out at all, but I have to do tons of drills, form exercises, and specific muscle workouts just to improve a tenth of a second. Oh well.
Anyways, I second vespa's notion that genetics (aside from fast/slow twitch muscle fibers) don't play as big of a role as many people think, or at least can't stop you from getting muscular. Just look at me! At the beginning of wrestling season, I weighed 132lbs, but now I average out at 148, and it's only been like six months or so. From the beginning of my "workout phase" where I started getting bigger, I put on at least 15lbs, got a 30lb increase in my powerclean max (so freaking close to hitting 225lbs today), a 45lb increase in my bench (still sucks though), and like a 70lb increase in my squat (somewhere around 300). The key that I've come to find out is just working consistently, sticking to a regimen, and lifting/working out at least three times a week.
Here's a more recent pic, non-flexing and right after a mild workout:
I really need to work on my lats, triceps, and upper abs as with the weight gain comes less definition that I need to regain. Also, notice the difference in size between my right and left pecs :(.
edit: great use of a post nightfalcon =\
Anyways, I second vespa's notion that genetics (aside from fast/slow twitch muscle fibers) don't play as big of a role as many people think, or at least can't stop you from getting muscular. Just look at me! At the beginning of wrestling season, I weighed 132lbs, but now I average out at 148, and it's only been like six months or so. From the beginning of my "workout phase" where I started getting bigger, I put on at least 15lbs, got a 30lb increase in my powerclean max (so freaking close to hitting 225lbs today), a 45lb increase in my bench (still sucks though), and like a 70lb increase in my squat (somewhere around 300). The key that I've come to find out is just working consistently, sticking to a regimen, and lifting/working out at least three times a week.
Here's a more recent pic, non-flexing and right after a mild workout:
I really need to work on my lats, triceps, and upper abs as with the weight gain comes less definition that I need to regain. Also, notice the difference in size between my right and left pecs :(.
edit: great use of a post nightfalcon =\
lol sorry i just couldnt help it hahaha.
measured biceps today....about 13.5 inches or so.
measured biceps today....about 13.5 inches or so.
Try this: http://hundredpushups.com/index.html
They have one for sit-ups and squats as well and they are great if you don't go to a weight room.
Anyone saying they have trouble getting big just doesn't eat enough. Obviously, if you're doing a lot of activity you're burning more calories than if lounging around, so you'll need to eat more to have enough calories to add to your biomass after all your activity/metabolic processes to stay alive, etc.
I thought I was going to be a skinny weakling at 135 pounds my whole life. I just ate larger meals and added 2-3 jars of peanut butter a week (awesome source of calories. Anything with high amounts of fat has lots of calories. Take shots of olive oil throughout the day/put them in drinks). I now weigh a fairly lean 187 after 9 months.
I thought I was going to be a skinny weakling at 135 pounds my whole life. I just ate larger meals and added 2-3 jars of peanut butter a week (awesome source of calories. Anything with high amounts of fat has lots of calories. Take shots of olive oil throughout the day/put them in drinks). I now weigh a fairly lean 187 after 9 months.
I know that, but lean muscle is a common term meaning muscular but not bulky or fatty
So this summer I am going to be working out to build muscle.
Here comes the n00b questions:
Is the standard 10 reps, 3 sets thing still the best way to build muscle? I hear some people doing one set and just lifting to failure.
I will be using whey protein to increase my intake of protein. I understand it's best to drink it after a workout but is there a time-frame for maximum benefits?
Thanks!
Here comes the n00b questions:
Is the standard 10 reps, 3 sets thing still the best way to build muscle? I hear some people doing one set and just lifting to failure.
I will be using whey protein to increase my intake of protein. I understand it's best to drink it after a workout but is there a time-frame for maximum benefits?
Thanks!
Get your protein after a workout, within an hour or so preferably. Beforehand you want to get lots of carbs and any other pre-workout stuff (like creatine), and make sure you stay hydrated.
As far as regimens go, something like 3 sets of 5 reps (or 3x6, 5x5, etc) generally works best. More reps/less weight doesn't really stress your muscles nearly as much as more weight/less reps does, and muscle stressing, tearing, and then rebuilding is what increases mass.
Lifting to failure is fine at the end of a workout. Sometimes I'll do pushups, curls/dips, and bench to failure.
Anyways, I bought a red bull tonight to drink before lifting tomorrow morning. I know that if I get jittery and pumped up I'll hit 225 like nothing. Btw, the high schol state record powerclean for my weight class is 260, so if I continue to lift over the summer and hold my weight, I might be able to beat or at least tie it next year.
As far as regimens go, something like 3 sets of 5 reps (or 3x6, 5x5, etc) generally works best. More reps/less weight doesn't really stress your muscles nearly as much as more weight/less reps does, and muscle stressing, tearing, and then rebuilding is what increases mass.
Lifting to failure is fine at the end of a workout. Sometimes I'll do pushups, curls/dips, and bench to failure.
Anyways, I bought a red bull tonight to drink before lifting tomorrow morning. I know that if I get jittery and pumped up I'll hit 225 like nothing. Btw, the high schol state record powerclean for my weight class is 260, so if I continue to lift over the summer and hold my weight, I might be able to beat or at least tie it next year.
I would say 3 sets, 8 reps is better than 5. To me 5 is generally too little, 8 is perfect.
Also I read in Muscle & Fitness magazine the other day that they tested patients taking Protein before and after a workout and that actually if you take Protein BEFORE a workout that it's a lot lot more effective so do that.
Also Bam said to take Creatine. The thing to remember about Creatine is that you're generally supposed to take it twice a day. Once an hour before you workiut and again an hour after you workout. They also say that for every time you take Creatine you should be drinking a gallon of water. I've also heard that you don't have to take it twice and once will suffice just fine.
Generally with Creatine though you're supposed to take that with no Whey Protein for a month straight. What Creatine basically does anyways is puts water into your muscles so your muscles will get really big but they may feel a bit mushy. After this take Whey Protein for a month straight, no Creatine. Protein takes the water out of your muscles and builds muscle mass. The combination of Creatine/Protein is very effective if you want to get big quickly. I have not taken Creatine personally but I know many people who have and have told me nothing but good results.
Also I read in Muscle & Fitness magazine the other day that they tested patients taking Protein before and after a workout and that actually if you take Protein BEFORE a workout that it's a lot lot more effective so do that.
Also Bam said to take Creatine. The thing to remember about Creatine is that you're generally supposed to take it twice a day. Once an hour before you workiut and again an hour after you workout. They also say that for every time you take Creatine you should be drinking a gallon of water. I've also heard that you don't have to take it twice and once will suffice just fine.
Generally with Creatine though you're supposed to take that with no Whey Protein for a month straight. What Creatine basically does anyways is puts water into your muscles so your muscles will get really big but they may feel a bit mushy. After this take Whey Protein for a month straight, no Creatine. Protein takes the water out of your muscles and builds muscle mass. The combination of Creatine/Protein is very effective if you want to get big quickly. I have not taken Creatine personally but I know many people who have and have told me nothing but good results.
You're a bit off there.
Creatine is meant to be taken before working out. If you take it afterwards, it's just reabsorbed into the bloodstream and excreted via urine.
Aside from what I said in my quoted post above, creatine works like this:
Check out wannabebig.com for some great articles and stuff.
Creatine is meant to be taken before working out. If you take it afterwards, it's just reabsorbed into the bloodstream and excreted via urine.
Aside from what I said in my quoted post above, creatine works like this:
- your body naturally produces creatine
- however, you run out during a workout and must replenish
- taking a creatine supplement basically maxes out your creatine reserves over a short period (about three weeks) when you start using it, and then you continue taking creatine afterwards to keep the reserves stocked
- if you stop taking creatine, the reserves will run out, and if you take too much creatine, it won't really do anything and will only be excreted in your urine, which is why...
- the goal of creatine usage is to take the least amount possible daily that will keep you stocked, as any more won't help you at all (you'll just piss it out)
- generally, this is 3-5 grams per day for the average person
- depending on the form of creatine you're taking, you may want to take more or less than that amount, as some forms are more efficient in being absorbed than others
Check out wannabebig.com for some great articles and stuff.
i usually do 6-8 reps with 3-4 sets. it really depends on the muscles i'm focusing on and how i feel that day. i never do less than 6 though and i always train at 90-95% of my max. so far i have never needed to be "rescued" from the equipment i am using.
i also strongly disagree with working out until failure unless it is very infrequent. you can seriously injure yourself by thinking you can do just one more rep and failing halfway. i will go until i think i can only do one more and stop unless i am trying to set a new max or PR for reps.
also, like nighthawk said get protein before and after workouts its better for your body. 30 minutes right after you exercise is the prime time to get the protein into your system because some crazy scientist figured out that is when your body can make the most of the nutrients its given
edit: BAM is completely right. i take my creatine with my breakfast in shake form (just mix it in with a protein shake)
i also strongly disagree with working out until failure unless it is very infrequent. you can seriously injure yourself by thinking you can do just one more rep and failing halfway. i will go until i think i can only do one more and stop unless i am trying to set a new max or PR for reps.
also, like nighthawk said get protein before and after workouts its better for your body. 30 minutes right after you exercise is the prime time to get the protein into your system because some crazy scientist figured out that is when your body can make the most of the nutrients its given
edit: BAM is completely right. i take my creatine with my breakfast in shake form (just mix it in with a protein shake)
Yeah Bam I've heard from some that twice a day on Creatine is better and I've also heard that once(before workout) is best. Just didn't know which was right.
I generally only burn out when I have friends around to spot and when I'm planning on not lifting for the next two days.
Unfortunately I've been so busy I haven't been able to go to the gym in forever, but I've been lifting in school every other day (not that seriously, though, as school is nearly over and all I want to do is clean 225 before summer starts as my gym doesn't have a powercleaning/deadlift station). I'm planning on going Friday night, though, and will be going at least three times a week over the summer. I'm also lifeguarding this summer so I can get nice a tan.
I really really want to start off my senior year benching over 200 and squatting at least 330. I have a loooong way to go on bench (only at like 175-180) but squat shouldn't be too hard.
Unfortunately I've been so busy I haven't been able to go to the gym in forever, but I've been lifting in school every other day (not that seriously, though, as school is nearly over and all I want to do is clean 225 before summer starts as my gym doesn't have a powercleaning/deadlift station). I'm planning on going Friday night, though, and will be going at least three times a week over the summer. I'm also lifeguarding this summer so I can get nice a tan.
I really really want to start off my senior year benching over 200 and squatting at least 330. I have a loooong way to go on bench (only at like 175-180) but squat shouldn't be too hard.
Lol Bam you make yourself sound like a big ass fuckin powerlifter haha.
There's a guy that was in my Weight Training class(school ended today), and he was just HUGE. His stats were just INSANE. He benches 325, squats 375, and deadlifts 420. I think I saw him curl a 60 or 65 pound weight on one arm before. I saw him MAX out on Leg Extension(250) and also did it with max and while this guy was putting some of his weight on the weights by STANDING ON IT and he still did it, it's nuts. He did like 105 on Calf Raises on 1 leg.
Gives me so much motivation to want to improve a lot.
There's a guy that was in my Weight Training class(school ended today), and he was just HUGE. His stats were just INSANE. He benches 325, squats 375, and deadlifts 420. I think I saw him curl a 60 or 65 pound weight on one arm before. I saw him MAX out on Leg Extension(250) and also did it with max and while this guy was putting some of his weight on the weights by STANDING ON IT and he still did it, it's nuts. He did like 105 on Calf Raises on 1 leg.
Gives me so much motivation to want to improve a lot.
Somebody who graduated from my school last year was recently titled America's strongest teenager, with a raw bench of 450, a squat of something like 600, and a deadlift of at least that much.
We actually just had three guys join the 1000lb club this year, all of them have monster benches and squats (like 360 min on bench and then 440 min on squats) and then just finished off with a light powerclean to round off the total. It's cool watching people lift stuff that heavy, but sucks knowing you'll probably never be able to do it :P.
We actually just had three guys join the 1000lb club this year, all of them have monster benches and squats (like 360 min on bench and then 440 min on squats) and then just finished off with a light powerclean to round off the total. It's cool watching people lift stuff that heavy, but sucks knowing you'll probably never be able to do it :P.
- Status