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Fitness |OT9|...You looked better before

B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Windtrick said:
Thank you for the input! I went ahead and checked out my local one to discover they only have fixed barbells. Unfortunately I didnt have a lot of options of other gyms so I went ahead and signed up.


So today I started doing the beginner workout in the OP as opposed to just cardio rather than going to a gym. I'm completely unfamiliar with weights so today was pretty exciting to finally take a shot at it after all the reading and video watching. I do have a few questions concerning the workout though:

I tried out the smith machines, and I think I was putting way too little weight on the barbells than I was supposed to? I felt nowhere near tired after doing 3 reps of 5 at 20lbs for Squats, Bench, or 1x5 Deadlift. I had to increase the reps to 3x10 or so. I know the OP says to increase weights after a completed set but the wording is slightly confusing if it's on the next day or the next rep.

The second is unfortunately, I hear that the smith machines aren't the best as BlueTsunami may have implied above. Especially since I'm a tall guy at 6'2, I've read and heard they're prone to hurting me since they make me stand perfectly straight or summit of the sort? Trying to do a Deadlift using them was extremely awkward. Does Fitness GAF have any potential advice? Should I genuinely just look elsewhere even if it's inconvenient?
Click to expand...

Do they have kettlebells? You may be better off using that dumbbells for these movements.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
I'm trying to look into a new routine. I want to really increase my focus on cardio. I'm aiming for 3 days of cardio a week and want to avoid lifting on the same days. Not sure if it's viable to do weight training and cardio on alternate days, looking for advice on this.

I know this will limit my strength gains but I really want to improve my fitness and conditioning.
 
P

Psychotext

Member
The research says it's better to do it on the same day, with cardio after weights, but I never got on with it.

I've been doing alternate day training for years with no problems. I've accepted that I'll never be a strength monster like some here though!
 
S

ShadowgeistX

Member
Mr. X said:
Where I'm at:
Don't need to do Cardio/Abs 3x a week.
Remove some exercises, do more weight in the ones that stay.
Keep the compound lifts in: Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts
But should I keep them 3 separate days?

I like going or trying to go every morning but it might not be a good idea with regards to recovery and getting the most out of the next days workout. Would be better to go every other day? Might need to see once I cut out excess exercises.

My current leg day is how I think I should make my push/pull days. It's 45 minutes about, others are over an hour which is probably too long. Legs I was thinking I should cut out lunges and maybe add deadlifts in there somewhere 1x5.
Click to expand...

I'll add that you're screwing with your recovery with that much volume. Your chest/arm day in particular. OHP directly screws with your bench press, so if you're wondering why your bench sucks in particular then that's probably a good place to start. Also 5x5 is kind of a shitty program/scheme to work from.

On another note, "life got the better of me" is almost always going to happen when you need to partition 6 days a week out of your schedule to work out. There's next to no flexibility so life will just have to nudge you a bit to completely screw over your schedule. Don't really have any suggestions for you past that without knowing where you're at body composition wise and lifts and such. Besides that I'm sure killerbea has got your bases covered with his suggestions.

I wonder if anyone would take my posts seriously in here with an obese cat as my avatar lmao.
 
S

SomewhatGroovy

Banned
My legs are in pain , GAF.

Bumped my squat weight load from 110 to 135 lbs today. Legs are not happy.

My question is, in addition to lots of water, is there anything else i should be doing to ease the pain? Stretching etc? Gonna be bad in the morning.
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Mr. X said:
I.

My goal is still an athletic build like Bruce Lee/Boxers
Click to expand...

You're killing yourself with all that volume. Id say do something like Wendlers 531 with two or three accessories specific to the days movement that makes that movement stronger. Do this with an emphasis on conditioning. Maybe only allow 90 seconds of rest between your accessory sets to get the heart rate up.
 
A

ArkhamFantasy

Member
SomewhatGroovy said:
My legs are in pain , GAF.

Bumped my squat weight load from 110 to 135 lbs today. Legs are not happy.

My question is, in addition to lots of water, is there anything else i should be doing to ease the pain? Stretching etc? Gonna be bad in the morning.
Click to expand...

You'll get used to it , the more you work out the less soar you get.
 
W

Widdle Puppy

Banned
Mr. X said:
I fell off the wagon for couple months, life got the better of me but now I'm getting back but I've come to the realization I might be doing too much too frequently and not letting my body rest/recover, especially as the weights get heavier. Weights have stuck at same weight or do same weight and can't do the full reps. Kind of put me in a rut, felt stagnant and want to review and revise my routine.

My goal is still an athletic build like Bruce Lee/Boxers.

Current routine
Day 1 Pull
  • Deadlift 5x5
  • Chin Up 5x5
  • Pull Up 5x5
  • Barbell Bent Over Row 5x5
  • Cable Rows 5x5
  • Back Extensions 3x10
  • Dumbell Curls 3x10
  • Incline Dumbell Curl 3x10
  • Barbell Spider Curl 3x10
  • Dumbell Reverse Flys 3x10
  • Dumbell Lat Raise 3x10
  • Day 2 Abs/Cardio
  • Hanging Leg Raises 3x10
  • Dragon Flags 3x10
  • Spider Crawl 3x30
  • Frog Sit Ups 3x20
  • Leg Pull In 3x20
  • Jump Rope 6 repsx5min, 1 min rest
  • Interval Sprint 45/15 for 10 min

Day 3 Push
  • Standing OH press 5x5
  • Bench Press 5x5
  • Dumbell Bench Press 5x5
  • Dumbell Incline Bench Press 5x5
  • Tricep Dips 3x10
  • Cable Tricep Pulldowns3x10
  • Overhead Tricep Extension 3x10
  • Cable Crossover High 3x10
  • Crossover Mid 3x10
  • Crossover Low 3x10
  • Dumbell Front Raise 3x10

Day 4 Abs/Cardio

Day 5 Legs
  • Squat 5x5
  • Dumbell Lunges 3x10 each leg
  • Seated Calf Raise 3x10
  • Leg Curls 3x10
  • Leg Extensions 3x10
  • Plate Shrugs 3x10

Day 6 Abs/Cardio

I need assistance in cutting out the redundant stuff and making my routine more efficient. Trying to work smarter and maximize.

Where I'm at:
Don't need to do Cardio/Abs 3x a week.
Remove some exercises, do more weight in the ones that stay.
Keep the compound lifts in: Squats, Bench Press, Deadlifts
But should I keep them 3 separate days?

I like going or trying to go every morning but it might not be a good idea with regards to recovery and getting the most out of the next days workout. Would be better to go every other day? Might need to see once I cut out excess exercises.

My current leg day is how I think I should make my push/pull days. It's 45 minutes about, others are over an hour which is probably too long. Legs I was thinking I should cut out lunges and maybe add deadlifts in there somewhere 1x5.
Click to expand...

Is this something you've put together because your deadlift is like 600ibs and you've had to make your work out more and more complex and individualized in order to keep making gains? because otherwise there is literally no reason for you to be doing all this and you're likely just wasting your time and not making yourself any stronger.

EDIT: you should read starting strength
 
J

Jokab

Member
Heh, okay. I redid the calorie calculator in the OP and this time also inputted waist and BF%. Apparently now my workout day should be 2560 kcal, down from ~3300 lol. That seems a bit more reasonable.

So right now, at my specs:
Age: 24
Weight: 75kg
Height: 189cm
BF%: 17 (estimated)
Waist: 89cm
Workout 3days/week, otherwise sedentary lifestyle
Goal: Gain muscles and get stronger without getting fat in the process. Essentially a lean bulk

I'm looking at:
Cal: 2560kcal
Protein: 160g
Carbs: 320g
Fat: 71g

Reasonable?
 
A

ACE 1991

Member
Jokab said:
Heh, okay. I redid the calorie calculator in the OP and this time also inputted waist and BF%. Apparently now my workout day should be 2560 kcal, down from ~3300 lol. That seems a bit more reasonable.

So right now, at my specs:
Age: 24
Weight: 75kg
Height: 189cm
BF%: 17 (estimated)
Waist: 89cm
Workout 3days/week, otherwise sedentary lifestyle
Goal: Gain muscles and get stronger without getting fat in the process. Essentially a lean bulk

I'm looking at:
Cal: 2560kcal
Protein: 160g
Carbs: 320g
Fat: 71g

Reasonable?
Click to expand...

That sound be fine to start out, but you're going to gain very slowly at that weight and calorie count. Personally I think a lean bulk at 75kg and around 2800 calories is the way to go. Also, doing worry about getting too bogged down in the macro split. As long as it's relatively balanced and you're getting .7g~ of protein per pound of body weight per day, you'll be fine.
 
J

Jokab

Member
ACE 1991 said:
That sound be fine to start out, but you're going to gain very slowly at that weight and calorie count. Personally I think a lean bulk at 75kg and around 2800 calories is the way to go. Also, doing worry about getting too bogged down in the macro split. As long as it's relatively balanced and you're getting .7g~ of protein per pound of body weight per day, you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

Yeah sure on the macros, I just wanted to find out if I was totally off base or if it seemed reasonable. I'll try to go for 2700 to land inbetween my estimate and yours. Thanks. :)
 
C

Chorazin

Member
SomewhatGroovy said:
My legs are in pain , GAF.

Bumped my squat weight load from 110 to 135 lbs today. Legs are not happy.

My question is, in addition to lots of water, is there anything else i should be doing to ease the pain? Stretching etc? Gonna be bad in the morning.
Click to expand...

A 25lb jump in one day? No shit they hurt like a mofo. Increase that slowly!!
 
J

JCX

Member
My left knee and ankle have been bothering me lately, so I got an x-ray. Nothing wrong with either thankfully, but they did say I have early signs of arthritis in that knee. I dunno how common that is. Must be from being obese for so long.
 
L

Laekon

Member
JCX said:
My left knee and ankle have been bothering me lately, so I got an x-ray. Nothing wrong with either thankfully, but they did say I have early signs of arthritis in that knee. I dunno how common that is. Must be from being obese for so long.
Click to expand...

How old are you? The older you get the more common it is. Trying to control inflammation and having good muscle balance is all you can really do for now. Having to get it replaced later is probably likely.
 
J

JCX

Member
Laekon said:
How old are you? The older you get the more common it is. Trying to control inflammation and having good muscle balance is all you can really do for now. Having to get it replaced later is probably likely.
Click to expand...

I'm 27, and I've only been lifting for about 3 years, which is why the arthritis surprised me.
 
M

Marz

Member
Can anyone recommend a workout that me and my girlfriend could do together even if we have different fitness goals? I'm trying to gain weight and muscle, she's trying to lose some belly fat and tone everything.

I'm about 6'2" 185 lbs, lean athletic build

She's 5'6" around 173 lbs. Athletic as well more muscle than fat (really strong legs and glutes)
 
mdsfx

mdsfx

Member
Marz said:
Can anyone recommend a workout that me and my girlfriend could do together even if we have different fitness goals? I'm trying to gain weight and muscle, she's trying to lose some belly fat and tone everything.

I'm about 6'2" 185 lbs, lean athletic build

She's 5'6" around 173 lbs. Athletic as well more muscle than fat (really strong legs and glutes)
Click to expand...

Well, you could both lift weights together, while she could take shorter breaks or do some cardio in between sets to keep her heart rate up. You eat at a surplus. She eats at a deficit.

Fake edit: Boy, i grossly over-simplified that...lol
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Marz said:
Can anyone recommend a workout that me and my girlfriend could do together even if we have different fitness goals? I'm trying to gain weight and muscle, she's trying to lose some belly fat and tone everything.

I'm about 6'2" 185 lbs, lean athletic build

She's 5'6" around 173 lbs. Athletic as well more muscle than fat (really strong legs and glutes)
Click to expand...

Heavy squats, baby! Or sumo deadlifts. Squats will give you a nice muscular base, and they may appeal to her. Sumo deadlifts are great for the posterior chain and will be an advantage for your girlfriend if she has strong legs.

If she has any reservations about lifting heavy, show her some of the girl powerlifters on YT. You wont look like a hulkamaniac if you're female and lift. In fact, with the right bodyfat all it does is accentuate the female form more.
 
A

ACE 1991

Member
Jokab said:
Yeah sure on the macros, I just wanted to find out if I was totally off base or if it seemed reasonable. I'll try to go for 2700 to land inbetween my estimate and yours. Thanks. :)
Click to expand...

Sounds like a plan! Make sure you weigh yourself first thing in the morning before any food/water so you can accurately judge whether or not you're gaining too fast or too slowly. Weekly averages will be the key to monitoring this, which is important because you'll eventually have to up the calories to keep the Gains Train chugging along.
 
D

Draper

Member
So I've been doing pushups and lifting for a few months now, but about 2 weeks back, my shoulder 'popped' as I was doing pushups. Since then, it's been sore, and almost feels like it gets caught at certain angles. So I've fully retired all of it since then in the fear that I'll make it worse.

Thoughts?
 
P

Poison-

Neo Member
Draper said:
So I've been doing pushups and lifting for a few months now, but about 2 weeks back, my shoulder 'popped' as I was doing pushups. Since then, it's been sore, and almost feels like it gets caught at certain angles. So I've fully retired all of it since then in the fear that I'll make it worse.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Go get it checked out. Shoulder injuries are definitely not something to ignore
 
P

Psychotext

Member
Starting to go a bit crazy that I can't train. Shoulder will need at least another 5 days I reckon, and my legs are properly screwed (even professional massages aren't helping much).

Stressing me out as it's been about three weeks since I've lifted any weight now and I'm definitely seeing significant changes in my body. :(
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
CopperPuppy said:
GAF, what's the best multivitamin bang for my buck? If there are any that are worthwhile, of course. I'm talking most bioavailability.
Click to expand...

I've been taking Orange Triad, good bump in vitamin C but Psychotexts link has me reconsidering

I get my calcium from three cups of milk a day, supplement my magnesium, and get the rest of my potassium from Lite Salt.
 
C

Chorazin

Member
Psychotext said:
Starting to go a bit crazy that I can't train. Shoulder will need at least another 5 days I reckon, and my legs are properly screwed (even professional massages aren't helping much).

Stressing me out as it's been about three weeks since I've lifted any weight now and I'm definitely seeing significant changes in my body. :(
Click to expand...

Have you been eating like you're still training like you're healthy?
 
C

CopperPuppy

Member
BlueTsunami said:
I've been taking Orange Triad, good bump in vitamin C but Psychotexts link has me reconsidering

I get my calcium from three cups of milk a day, supplement my magnesium, and get the rest of my potassium from Lite Salt.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my diet is pretty well-rounded and I already supplement magnesium. I'm not liking anything I'm seeing and will probably just go with a D3 supplement and keep focused on diet.
 
X

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Any treadmill recommendations in here? Our current one is old as hell (the instruction manual talks about connecting a VCR to the unit) and is starting to die. We do not need anything fancy and are looking to spend no more than $700. We were looking at the ProForm 505 last night and it seemed alright, just wanted to reach out to you guys for any recommendations.

Thanks!
 
P

pokeystaples

Banned
ApatheticDolphin said:
fitgaf my legs have been looking A+ lately and i need everyone to see it tbh

5lbs of chub to go and then maybe 5 more who knows. down 13lbs this year yeee
mHl73SL.png
Click to expand...

Legs are looking good, yo. Congrats on the weight loss.

---
Went to a new gym yesterday and had the tv to myself. Watched some Destiny 2 gameplay videos on a treadmill. Kept turning myself slightly to the right to watch the tv and having to recorrect my gait now the left knee is pretty mad. Gonna take a run rest and ride the bike for a bit then do some bi/tri/ab work.
 
O

Oblivion

Fetishing muscular manly men in skintight hosery
So, as I mentioned before, I've been undergoing physical therapy for my elbow injury a while back and something occurred to me. So my injury only prevents me from doing press movements, but pulling movements are totally fine. So basically, I can still build my biceps, but the triceps are going to be lagging far behind. With that being the case, is it bad idea if I continue trying to build my biceps in the sense that it will cause muscle imbalance?
 
J

Jokab

Member
Three questions:

1) To what extent can you compensate for a too high calorie intake the day after? If my goal is 2700/day and I eat 3100 on Monday, can I do 2300 on Tuesday and all will be fine?

2) How does the ratio of carbs : fat affect me, other than fat being more calorie-dense?

3) Do you guys like doing barbell rows with bar over mid-foot or in line with shoulders (at toes)? Does it matter?
 
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