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Fitness |OT3| BroScience, Protein Dysentery, XXL Calf Implants, and Squat Rack Hogs

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Domino Theory

Crystal Dynamics
Ok. My maintenance is 2030, so what would that mean for my workout and non workout days?

Cutting:

Training - 2230 cal
Rest - 1500 cal

Body Recomposition:

Training - 2436 cal
Rest - 1600 cal

Do cutting if you have a decent amount of fat on you (11% or above). Do body recomposition when lower.
 
Why didn't anyone tell me about behind the back shrugs, was there a secret meeting on their greatness that I was left out of? I did them for the first time today and I love them dearly now, added to my routine.
Yup, by far my favorite exercise for traps. I don't even remember why I started doing them, never saw it in a video, no one suggested it, I just decided to do them from behind the back one day. Felt good.
 

Izick

Member
Cheer up bro. I know how it feels to have an injury derail months of hard work. Rest and go to the Doctor if you need to.

I'm just seriously bummed out. I just don't know why this happened to me. I guess I didn't stretch them enough. Maybe I went too far down on my squats, but they weren't even that much weight...

I just don't know. This seriously is fucking with my mind right now. They say that once you pull one, it's more likely to be injured again.
 

Petrie

Banned
Cutting:

Training - 2230 cal
Rest - 1500 cal

Body Recomposition:

Training - 2436 cal
Rest - 1600 cal

Do cutting if you have a decent amount of fat on you (11% or above). Do body recomposition when lower.
Alright thanks. Something to keep in mind if i find my body fat % isnt dropping from my current method of 2000 calories a day, and then an extra 300 on lifting days. Its another case where because of my illness, i wouldnt want to drop down to 1500 a day without talking it over with my endocrinologist first.

I appreciate the help regardless.

I just realized i gave the wrong number. My maintenance is 2530, 2030 is if i want to lose 1 lb a week. Ill have to figure out how that would alter those numbers.
 
I think I'm going to have to drop Deadlifts down to 1x5 from 3x5. I am completely hosed after three working sets of deadlifts, not to mention my grip loss.
 

JB1981

Member
Seriously need more info. What were his levels below.

I only eat bacon, steak, chicken, eggs, cheese, ground beef, heavy cream, olive oil, coconut oil, broccoli, and spinach for the most part.

my overall cho is under 200 and my HDL is over 60 which is great. My triglicerides are super low. My cholesterol improved a crap ton when I started eating like that.

I eat 160g of fat everyday.

Those are great numbers wow. Any HDL above 40 is really good
 
I remember once upon a time I tried to increase the amount of pushups I could do, and the amount of pull ups come to think of it. Failed horribly and just with every exercise I ever try, I improved for like the first two week and then somehow gradually got worse.

I'm one of those skinny tossers who is naturally slim. I always get little burst of motivation to work out, stick to it for like a month and then like I said, somehow get worse at the stuff I've been doing. Pain in the ass.
 

kylej

Banned
I improved for like the first two week and then somehow gradually got worse.

I'm one of those skinny tossers who is naturally slim. I always get little burst of motivation to work out, stick to it for like a month and then like I said, somehow get worse at the stuff I've been doing. Pain in the ass.

Eat more. A lot more.
 
Eat more. A lot more.
I have a terrible diet. Everything I eat is shit. The only remotely healthy part of my diet is 90% of my fluids are water, and maybe at a stretch, I eat 3 pieces of fruit a day. I've been a fussy eater since I was child. Everything smells and looks good, but no matter how much I try I can't expand my pallet. I think if I was to eat more I'd just eat more junk.
 

kylej

Banned
I have a terrible diet. Everything I eat is shit. The only remotely healthy part of my diet is 90% of my fluids are water, and maybe at a stretch, I eat 3 pieces of fruit a day. I've been a fussy eater since I was child. Everything smells and looks good, but no matter how much I try I can't expand my pallet. I think if I was to eat more I'd just eat more junk.

Then eat 12 cheeseburgers and 4 pizzas and a bag of cheetos a day. If you're skinny as hell and your body gets worn out fast after you start exercising, you need to eat like a horse and keep at it.
 
Then eat 12 cheeseburgers and 4 pizzas and a bag of cheetos a day. If you're skinny as hell and your body gets worn out fast after you start exercising, you need to eat like a horse and keep at it.
I'm going to assume this is sound advice and do this. Cheers.

Edit: If I end up a fat bastard because of my 12 cheesburgers and 4 pizzas (don't even like pizza, see, fussy eater) a day. I'll be looking at you kylej :lol
 

grumble

Member
I have a terrible diet. Everything I eat is shit. The only remotely healthy part of my diet is 90% of my fluids are water, and maybe at a stretch, I eat 3 pieces of fruit a day. I've been a fussy eater since I was child. Everything smells and looks good, but no matter how much I try I can't expand my pallet. I think if I was to eat more I'd just eat more junk.

Didn't say eat 'healthy'! Eat MORE.

Here's breakfast:

6 pieces of bacon (make in microwave)
4 eggs (make in microwave)
2 tall glasses of whole milk (don't microwave hahaha)

Snack:

1 cup trail mix (get one that has lots of nut in it, not just dried fruit)
milk if you can get it

Lunch:

2 sandwiches (yes I said two, eat them fairly quickly or you'll get full! good trick is to not put them down until they're done)
fruit, veggies, more milk

Snack:

Beef jerky, trail mix, milk, nuts, protein shake, protein bar, etc

Dinner:

Large hunk of meat, pile of veggies, milk

Snack:

Whatever, just eat if you can force it down.


Most important meal is breakfast: you eat that, your body's prepped to eat for the day.

It's hard for the first week or two, easy after that. Just stuff your face. If you're lazy and buy junk food and fast food, choose options with a high protein content and try to avoid the sugar, heavily procesed stuff and empty carbs.
 

Petrie

Banned
I'm going to assume this is sound advice and do this. Cheers.

Edit: If I end up a fat bastard because of my 12 cheesburgers and 4 pizzas (don't even like pizza, see, fussy eater) a day. I'll be looking at you kylej :lol
Get over it and learn to eat a good amount of your food for nutrition, and not taste.

That and quit thinking youre naturally skinny and cant figt this. Youre wrong. Eat more. Then keep eating. You will get bigger.
 
Didn't say eat 'healthy'! Eat MORE.

Here's breakfast:

6 pieces of bacon (make in microwave)
4 eggs (make in microwave)
2 tall glasses of whole milk (don't microwave hahaha)

Snack:

1 cup trail mix (get one that has lots of nut in it, not just dried fruit)
milk if you can get it

Lunch:

2 sandwiches (yes I said two, eat them fairly quickly or you'll get full! good trick is to not put them down until they're done)
fruit, veggies, more milk

Snack:

Beef jerky, trail mix, milk, nuts, protein shake, protein bar, etc

Dinner:

Large hunk of meat, pile of veggies, milk

Snack:

Whatever, just eat if you can force it down.


Most important meal is breakfast: you eat that, your body's prepped to eat for the day.

It's hard for the first week or two, easy after that. Just stuff your face. If you're lazy and buy junk food and fast food, choose options with a high protein content and try to avoid the sugar, heavily procesed stuff and empty carbs.
This going to end either really well, or really terribly. I'll get back to you guys. Bed time now.

Cheers for the advice.

Get over it and learn to eat a good amount of your food for nutrition, and not taste.

That and quit thinking youre naturally skinny and cant figt this. Youre wrong. Eat more. Then keep eating. You will get bigger.
I should note, I'm not trying to get huge or anything, I was more interested in becoming more physically fit (if you catch my drift?). But I guess the lack of food is what stops me from improving because I probably lack energy.

I'm not a great lover of food, I eat so as not to drop over dead.
 

grumble

Member
This going to end either really well, or really terribly. I'll get back to you guys. Bed time now.

Cheers for the advice.

I should note, I'm not trying to get huge or anything, I was more interested in becoming more physically fit (if you catch my drift?). But I guess the lack of food is what stops me from improving because I probably lack energy.

I'm not a great lover of food, I eat so as not to drop over dead.

Good tricks are experimenting with what works for you. For example what works for me:

Chicken breast covered in medium salsa = delicious
Broccoli, microwaved = delicious
Milk = DELICIOUS
Jerky = delicious
Trail mix = delicious (and easy to eat lots of if you have a bowl of it next to the computer)
Pork tenderloin w/ apple sauce = delicious
Homemade hamburgers w/ pieces of chopped onion, garlic, red pepper and spice = DELICIOUS (and you can make a bunch for later!)
Frozen veggies = delicious (kinda)
Stir fry (sliced meat, rice from rice cooker, cheap frozen veggie mix and a spicy sauce) = delicious!
Sausages sliced up w/ a mix of half bbq sauce and half dijon = delicious

etc, etc, etc. All extremely easy to make (most have 1-2 ingredients, take under ten minutes and are healthy and tasty (and pretty cheap)!

My god I'm hungry now.
 
So, so nice to have carbs in my diet again. I had the best arm workout in about well... forever, pretty much every lift went up higher than ever before. I can't wait to hit chest and legs, so excited.
 

MjFrancis

Member
I am not saying do intermittent fasting but use those daily calorie calculation figures.
Also do carb loading after workouts.
Thanks for the clarification. It makes good sense, certainly.

This is sadly correct. Type 1 diabetes does not allow me the flexibility to reliably avoid any calories for 16 hours a day. Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night and simply have no choice but to take in sugar, defeating the whole point of the program.
At least it looks like you've arrived at a suitable plan of action. Keep us updated as you progress.

---

I'll also echo Petrie's advice that settling into a mindset that one is naturally skinny or naturally fat is counterproductive. It may take a bit more effort for some people, some for psychological reasons, others physiological even, but settling into that frame of mind won't make it any better.
 

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
Alright thanks. Something to keep in mind if i find my body fat % isnt dropping from my current method of 2000 calories a day, and then an extra 300 on lifting days. Its another case where because of my illness, i wouldnt want to drop down to 1500 a day without talking it over with my endocrinologist first.

I appreciate the help regardless.

I just realized i gave the wrong number. My maintenance is 2530, 2030 is if i want to lose 1 lb a week. Ill have to figure out how that would alter those numbers.

Seems to me like it would depend on how many days a week you work out, and if you want more calories on workout days in order to retain muscle or to have more energy during your workout.
 
So i've been going to the gym for somewhere around 2 weeks now (probably a bit less) and i've been following a simple plan giving to me by one of the trainers. I'm not sure if it's any good though and i was looking for some advice. It's basically as follows (all of them are 12 reps and 3 sets weight in kilos) and the numbers are the weight i started at and what i'm doing now.

Leg Press 35 - 55

Lat pulldown 30 - 35

Shoulder press 10 - 25

Back extension

Chest press 19 - 33

bicep curls 25 - 39

Pectoral fly 25 - 47

Plus some ab exercises. It feels like a pretty general routine and i'm not sure if that's really a good thing. I've seen some gains but i feel like that is probably more because the weights i started on were too small. I did say i was a beginner so they gave me a fairly simple routine. I also said my main goal was to improve my fitness as i wasn't sure what else to say.

I'm wondering if i should really change up my routine or if it's ok to stick too for now.

My other question is about squats. I was trying to give them a go but i just couldn't get my form right and i found the grip very uncomfortable. Does anyone have any tips for getting started or am i better asking someone at the gym?
 

MjFrancis

Member
I did say i was a beginner so they gave me a fairly simple routine. I also said my main goal was to improve my fitness as i wasn't sure what else to say.
I'll start out with the bolded. If you have a more defined goal, like building muscle or getting stronger, that will make it easier for the members of this thread to assist you. Should you have a specific goal, like being able to bench press 225lbs for reps, that would be even better.

Likewise with the strength programs in the OP. They would make a better routine than what you have been handed, and any questions regarding those will happily be addressed.
 

bro1

Banned
This morning I am working on my squats first. Going to find my 3 rep max, which should be fun!

After that, its going to be 3 rounds of:
Squat 185lbs for 21, 15, 9
Burpees 25 reps
Chins 10 reps
Weighted dips 45lbs for 10 reps


I should be puking by the time I'm done. Still have to figure out how I can work running into my routine and schedule.
 
I'll start out with the bolded. If you have a more defined goal, like building muscle or getting stronger, that will make it easier for the members of this thread to assist you. Should you have a specific goal, like being able to bench press 225lbs for reps, that would be even better.

Likewise with the strength programs in the OP. They would make a better routine than what you have been handed, and any questions regarding those will happily be addressed.

Well i just want to increase my overall strength and fitness (it's for rugby so pretty much everything is important). I find it very difficult to make goals regarding exact weights because i have no idea what is realistic.

I guess i could try the routine in the OP. My main questions are as above related to how to get used to the form and grip for squatting. That plus in terms of weights do i just start with the bar and work my way up? Also should i be aiming for a weight where i can complete the full sets of 5 or should i go for a weight where it's really hard to actually complete the full sets.

I guess i should probably look a little more into the guides in the OP.
 

abuC

Member
Went riding last night, felt fantastic, will probably sprint today.

Im thinking of doing:

Monday/Thursday - Ride
Tuesday/Friday - Sprint


I haven't been this light in years either.
 

bro1

Banned
This morning I am working on my squats first. Going to find my 3 rep max, which should be fun!

After that, its going to be 3 rounds of:
Squat 185lbs for 21, 15, 9
Burpees 25 reps
Chins 10 reps
Weighted dips 45lbs for 10 reps


I should be puking by the time I'm done. Still have to figure out how I can work running into my routine and schedule.

What a workout! Couldn't get through all of it.

Got my 3 rep max squat to 285 (low bar) and then tried the routine.

Got through the first round and could barley breathe. On the second round, I could only do 10 squats and had to stop, skipped the burpees on the second round, did 10 chins, and then did weighted dips (90lbs) for 4 reps.

Didn't do the third round. Two rounds took me 16 minutes, which sucks.
 

thomaser

Member
Resistance bands, are they any good?

The store near me has a max of 50 lbs resistance bands for about $30 or so.

Good alternative to weights or are they bullshit?

They're not an alternative to weights, but they are really useful for mobility exercises and stretching. If you watch mobilitywod, they often use bands to make mobility exercises more effective.
 

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
I went ahead and bought one of those Iron Gym thingies (well, a knock off one that will actually be better for me since I'm so tall) to do pull ups at home because my pullups are fucking pathetic. I can only do 3 (granted I weigh 250, but still).

How often do you think I can do pullups at home without overtraining?
 

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
So i've been going to the gym for somewhere around 2 weeks now (probably a bit less) and i've been following a simple plan giving to me by one of the trainers. I'm not sure if it's any good though and i was looking for some advice. It's basically as follows (all of them are 12 reps and 3 sets weight in kilos) and the numbers are the weight i started at and what i'm doing now.

Leg Press 35 - 55

Lat pulldown 30 - 35

Shoulder press 10 - 25

Back extension

Chest press 19 - 33

bicep curls 25 - 39

Pectoral fly 25 - 47

Plus some ab exercises. It feels like a pretty general routine and i'm not sure if that's really a good thing. I've seen some gains but i feel like that is probably more because the weights i started on were too small. I did say i was a beginner so they gave me a fairly simple routine. I also said my main goal was to improve my fitness as i wasn't sure what else to say.

I'm wondering if i should really change up my routine or if it's ok to stick too for now.

My other question is about squats. I was trying to give them a go but i just couldn't get my form right and i found the grip very uncomfortable. Does anyone have any tips for getting started or am i better asking someone at the gym?

1) What are your goals (build muscle, lose fat, better cardio, etc)

2) How many reps are you doing for those excercises.

3) What's uncomfortable about the grip on squats? What part/s are in pain or are uncomfortable?
 

MjFrancis

Member
I don't suppose you can do very many pull-ups with too much frequency when your max reps are at that level.

If you can only do three pull-ups, you might want to focus on doing negatives. I'd suggest kipping pull-ups, but doing those on a doorway bar is asking for injuries. Or at least a broken door frame. Maybe do negatives two, maybe three times a week and do 2-3 sets of a single pull-up, but taking 6-15 seconds on the way down. Slowly improve your time from workout to workout. Just an idea taken pulled from thin air, so take it for what you will.

The problem is that since you can only do 3 full range, awesome pull-ups is that doing them on any frequent basis throughout the day would be too intense. Smaller guys can do them with frequency because doing 5-10 pulls ups several times throughout the day represents a much smaller fraction of their one-rep maximum. At 3 full pulls-up and >20% bodyfat they are too intense to perform more than three times a week. You wouldn't bench or squat at 85% of your 1RM more than three times a week at this point, and the same goes with pull-ups. It's just not necessary.

But definitely keep at it. Barbell rows or horizontal pulls are other good exercises you could look into at this point, since you can do more repetitions to build strength and size.
 

MrOogieBoogie

BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
I went ahead and bought one of those Iron Gym thingies (well, a knock off one that will actually be better for me since I'm so tall) to do pull ups at home because my pullups are fucking pathetic. I can only do 3 (granted I weigh 250, but still).

How often do you think I can do pullups at home without overtraining?

The twenty pull-ups challenge.

A nice starting routine. Give it a try.
 

bro1

Banned
I don't suppose you can do very many pull-ups with too much frequency when your max reps are at that level.

If you can only do three pull-ups, you might want to focus on doing negatives. I'd suggest kipping pull-ups, but doing those on a doorway bar is asking for injuries. Or at least a broken door frame. Maybe do negatives two, maybe three times a week and do 2-3 sets of a single pull-up, but taking 6-15 seconds on the way down. Slowly improve your time from workout to workout. Just an idea taken pulled from thin air, so take it for what you will.

The problem is that since you can only do 3 full range, awesome pull-ups is that doing them on any frequent basis throughout the day would be too intense. Smaller guys can do them with frequency because doing 5-10 pulls ups several times throughout the day represents a much smaller fraction of their one-rep maximum. At 3 full pulls-up and >20% bodyfat they are too intense to perform more than three times a week. You wouldn't bench or squat at 85% of your 1RM more than three times a week at this point, and the same goes with pull-ups. It's just not necessary.

But definitely keep at it. Barbell rows or horizontal pulls are other good exercises you could look into at this point, since you can do more repetitions to build strength and size.

Arthur Jones and Elliot Darden (Nautilus) were huge proponents of doing super slow negatives. At a gym I used to go to, we would do an all negative workout that consisted of
Negative Duo-Hip Leg Press (Nautilus Machine)
Negative Dip
Negative Chin

You would do 10 reps for each exercise, lowering the bar over a 10 second period. It was intense and you would have DOMS for days. It would take about a week to recover.
 

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
I don't suppose you can do very many pull-ups with too much frequency when your max reps are at that level.

If you can only do three pull-ups, you might want to focus on doing negatives. I'd suggest kipping pull-ups, but doing those on a doorway bar is asking for injuries. Or at least a broken door frame. Maybe do negatives two, maybe three times a week and do 2-3 sets of a single pull-up, but taking 6-15 seconds on the way down. Slowly improve your time from workout to workout. Just an idea taken pulled from thin air, so take it for what you will.

The problem is that since you can only do 3 full range, awesome pull-ups is that doing them on any frequent basis throughout the day would be too intense. Smaller guys can do them with frequency because doing 5-10 pulls ups several times throughout the day represents a much smaller fraction of their one-rep maximum. At 3 full pulls-up and >20% bodyfat they are too intense to perform more than three times a week. You wouldn't bench or squat at 85% of your 1RM more than three times a week at this point, and the same goes with pull-ups. It's just not necessary.

But definitely keep at it. Barbell rows or horizontal pulls are other good exercises you could look into at this point, since you can do more repetitions to build strength and size.

Sweet thanks. Doing the Starting Strength program in the OP, I was doing assisted pullups on a machine and I've barely seen any progress there whereas all my other lifts shot way up. Just felt really weird on a machine. Even when I was in high school and really strong I could only do about 9-10 due to height/leverage and weight. I will definitely try the slow negatives thing and take your recommended routine and try not to overdo it as far as reps and go from there.

Also how does fat percentage affect anything? I mean, obviously it makes me heavier for the time being, which makes the exercise harder, but are you saying that if I could only do 3 pullups at a lower bodyfat recovery would be affected?
 

balddemon

Banned
i like SS and all the squats and deadlifting, but i want to bench more, because that's the lift i can't do. where should i add it in? since i don't do power cleans, what about replacing it with bench? so that the routine looks like this:

Day A (no particular order)
Squat 3x5
Deadlift 1x5
Bench 3x5

Day B (no particular order)
Squat 3x5
OHP 3x5
Bench 3x5

And then accessory work on the off days
 

bro1

Banned
i like SS and all the squats and deadlifting, but i want to bench more, because that's the lift i can't do. where should i add it in? since i don't do power cleans, what about replacing it with bench? so that the routine looks like this:

Day A (no particular order)
Squat 3x5
Deadlift 1x5
Bench 3x5

Day B (no particular order)
Squat 3x5
OHP 3x5
Bench 3x5

And then accessory work on the off days

That looks fine and I would stick with that order. You may want to alternate Bench with Weighted Dips.

When you say accessory work, what do you mean? A huge component of any good strength regimine is getting enough rest. I would not do any additonal work on the days that you are not lifting.
 

Brolic Gaoler

formerly Alienshogun
i like SS and all the squats and deadlifting, but i want to bench more, because that's the lift i can't do. where should i add it in? since i don't do power cleans, what about replacing it with bench? so that the routine looks like this:

Day A (no particular order)
Squat 3x5
Deadlift 1x5
Bench 3x5

Day B (no particular order)
Squat 3x5
OHP 3x5
Bench 3x5

And then accessory work on the off days

Take it from someone who can bench a decent amount. Stay on the SS program (don't alter it). Squat/dead is where you make your money. Bench/OHP plateau faster (way faster) than squat/dead, especially squat.

I think my natural plateau for bench is going to be around 400-405, and anything over that is going to take months/years of work (raw), however, my squat is increasing like mad.

This is of course if you're simply going for strength gains. If you're going for more aesthetic/body building goals, well that's different.
 

balddemon

Banned
That looks fine and I would stick with that order. You may want to alternate Bench with Weighted Dips.

When you say accessory work, what do you mean? A huge component of any good strength regimine is getting enough rest. I would not do any additonal work on the days that you are not lifting.

2 exercises for the previous day at 3x8, plus pullups or dips at 3x5. that's what i've been doing, and it's worked semi-well. although with the extra benching, i probably wouldn't need more than pullups
 

JB1981

Member
This morning I am working on my squats first. Going to find my 3 rep max, which should be fun!

After that, its going to be 3 rounds of:
Squat 185lbs for 21, 15, 9
Burpees 25 reps
Chins 10 reps
Weighted dips 45lbs for 10 reps


I should be puking by the time I'm done. Still have to figure out how I can work running into my routine and schedule.

185x20 is murder, dude. Especially after doing a 3 rep max. You're crazy.
 

Petrie

Banned
2 exercises for the previous day at 3x8, plus pullups or dips at 3x5. that's what i've been doing, and it's worked semi-well. although with the extra benching, i probably wouldn't need more than pullups
They are called rest days for a reason. Youre going to hurt your long term progress.
 

bro1

Banned
2 exercises for the previous day at 3x8, plus pullups or dips at 3x5. that's what i've been doing, and it's worked semi-well. although with the extra benching, i probably wouldn't need more than pullups

If you want to do those exercised, do them on the lifting days, not the rest days. It's going to kill your progress if you are doing this stuff on rest days.

Also, make sure you are doing weighted chins and dips. High reps are nice, but the weighted ones are much better.
 
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