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[ipukespiders]

The problem is that calves are the only thing anyone can see. Damn fashion trend for shorts these days is like around (or past) knee length.
"HAHA, I laugh at your chicken legs"
"No really, you should see the rest of my legs... wait, come back!"

If it was the 80s again, I'd be displaying my glorious quads!
(shudders)

 

[MjFrancis]

But if we strip the genetic argument and assume that calves can gain a lot just by walking around with a decent body weight .. it would likely that hitting the calf machine or doing donkey raises, etc maybe 3x per week for high reps would get them growing.

Everyone's different -- but that would make the most sense.

Thinking out loud, as I did in my self-contradicting post - I'm giving less weight to the genetics predisposition theory of calf development. Calves are engaged with every footstep, so a high-rep, high-weight and high-frequency routine for them would only seem logical to force hypertrophy. All three in a simultaneous endeavor may be the key.

 

[DragonKnight]

I went on SS and the GOMAD last year but is there any specific reason why my neck gained so much size? I thought it was a thyroid problem but I don't have the symptoms. It all feels like muscle to me. Maybe it was the squats and the faces I made coming up.

 

[Masta_Killah]

The problem is that calves are the only thing anyone can see. Damn fashion trend for shorts these days is like around (or past) knee length.
"HAHA, I laugh at your chicken legs"
"No really, you should see the rest of my legs... wait, come back!"

If it was the 80s again, I'd be displaying my glorious quads!
(shudders)

hmm... naw. 80's style shorts should stay in the 80's. lol

 

[reilo]

I hate coming home really late and not having had a chance to eat my dinner. It's 10:30PM right now and just about five minutes ago I started to make my dinner. I'm hungry as hell and need to keep gaining. Going to bed later is gonna be fun.

 

[MWS Natural]

The way I remember it is that calves, while a muscle like any other, are more dependent upon frequency and volume rather than worrying about increasing so much weight.

Like you said, people that tend to be heavy don't have toothpick calves -- they're big. Mine would be considered big as well and I never touched them when I lifted. They're at least 1.5x the size of my arms.

But if we strip the genetic argument and assume that calves can gain a lot just by walking around with a decent body weight .. it would likely that hitting the calf machine or doing donkey raises, etc maybe 3x per week for high reps would get them growing.

Everyone's different -- but that would make the most sense.

I have been working out with less frequency and volume with more intensity. I have been seeing major increases in strength but many here may not have the same goals as I do.

 

[Price Dalton]

Calves are famously unresponsive to resistance training because they are constantly engaged. Even the laziest bastard gives his or her calves a decent workout on a daily basis, just from walking around, so it takes a lot to stimulate enough muscle protein synthesis in them.

 

[FallingEdge]

Aight! Back to the gym today. I'm tempted to knock off 5lbs today and do 5+ @ 185 for bench but fuck it. I'm going to do 5+ @ 190. Go all out.

That will prolly be the diet I will be sticking to for the next 6-8 weeks. See how far I can go with it.

 

[rando14]

Aight! Back to the gym today. I'm tempted to knock off 5lbs today and do 5+ @ 185 for bench but fuck it. I'm going to do 5+ @ 190. Go all out.



That will prolly be the diet I will be sticking to for the next 6-8 weeks. See how far I can go with it.[/QUOTE]

Awesome! :)

 

[ipukespiders]

That's a lot of rice.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

I'm surprised my chest isn't that sore considering I BB benched for the first time in years yesterday. My rib cage is sore, though. Then again I only did three exercises, two being machine chest exercises since I was in a rush.

 

[MjFrancis]

That's a lot of rice.

Three cups is twice what they give me at the Teriyaki place down the street. And I typically only eat half that.

 

[taylor910]

I've lost 40 pounds since January, I'm currently had 160 even.

My current routine is treadmill for 55 minutes, 15 on a steep incline walk, 30 running and 10 minutes walking, then 5-15 minutes on a bike to cool down then use the equpment for a half hour or more

What was your routine at your heaviest? Meaning how long on the treadmill were you doing to push yourself when you first started, etc.

I'm asking because I need to lose 30 lbs.

 

[Mr.Squirrel]

I just realized how many calories there are in my favorite alcohol

 

[FallingEdge]

That's a lot of rice.

True, but I figured that it is the easiest way for me to add calories in order to hit what I am aiming for. There will prolly be some days where I opt for a sandwich instead and will lower the amount of rice as necessary.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

It's unfair to see skinny guys with big or nice calves. Seriously. Since I'm eating better and consuming more protein, I'll try and pound the fuck out my calves until I start to shake.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

It's unfair to see skinny guys with big or nice calves. Seriously. Since I'm eating better and consuming more protein, I'll try and pound the fuck out my calves until I start to shake.

Okay then Johnny drama.

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Okay then Johnny drama.

I swear to god I was going to bring up drama's name. For a second I forgot his first name and decided that nobody would get the reference. :lol:

 

[Corky]

Need feedback on my revised low carb diet that I had to change because of hitting a plateau. The changes basically include removing chicken, cheese sun flower seeds and reducing whey protein and replacing them with other stuff :

- 100g eggs
- 100g bacon
- 200g salmon
- 50g sesame seeds
- 200g mackerel
- 1 portion whey 80.
+ vegetables & oliveoil with the salmon meals.

Calculated dietary values , rounded off ;
Energy : 1650 kcal
Protein : 150g
Fat : 150g
Carbs <10-15g

edit : woops this was meant for the weightloss thread

 

[Masta_Killah]

I swear to god I was going to bring up drama's name. For a second I forgot his first name and decided that nobody would get the reference. :lol:

Your only solution is implants, brah.

 

[Orgun]

I did the Oxford Town and Gown (10k) run the other day, did it in the fasted average pace i've managed and finished at 57:31 - http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy93/OrgunUK/SSP_TR_0443EM.jpg a pic

 

[GiJoccin]

Aight! Back to the gym today. I'm tempted to knock off 5lbs today and do 5+ @ 185 for bench but fuck it. I'm going to do 5+ @ 190. Go all out.

That will prolly be the diet I will be sticking to for the next 6-8 weeks. See how far I can go with it.

what do you use to calculate your calories you're getting from foods? as in what program did you use that looks like that? looking for something to use when i start my cut in a few weeks

 

[deadbeef]

what do you use to calculate your calories you're getting from foods? as in what program did you use that looks like that? looking for something to use when i start my cut in a few weeks

That looks like www.fitday.com




Note to self: bring pencil and paper to gym when you are planning on doing 7x5 @80% 1RM squats. I think I lost count, so I probably did 8x5. Tomorrow is 10x3 @85%.

Finished strong though.

 

[kehs]

Heed the skullcrusher warning embedded in its name people.

 

[ipukespiders]

Heed the skullcrusher warning embedded in its name people.

Can you expand on that?

 

[rando14]

I'm guessing he lost control of the barbell and it bashed against his forehead.

 

[kehs]

Yea, nearly crushed my nogging tonight. Try not to them toward the end of a work out session, lol.

 

[SeanR1221]

Ok, two separate questions. I want to incorporate a core program and get everyone's opinion on food.

For the core program, I'd be doing this pretty much every day, either at the gym, or when I wake up.

- Crunches
- Twister situps
- Hanging led lifts
- Toe Touches
- planks
- reverse situps
- russian twists
- wood chopper
- back extensions

-----------------------------------

For food, here are foods I typically buy. If you guys add or take food away please EXPLAIN why. Also, keep in mind, I'm on a very tight budget, both with money and time. As a grad student, my income is tiny after my bills are paid. For example, I know blueberries are great, but it's a million times cheaper for me to get 3 pounds of bananas for 1.50 at BJs. Or greek yogurt, I know it's better than the Dannon fat free yogurt, but I'm trying my best with my budget.

MEATS
- Grilled chicken
- Canned tuna
- Turkey burgers
- Tilapia
- Turkey Bacon

FRUITS
- Bananas

Veggies
- Brocoli
- Peas
- Asparagus

Dairy
- Skim Milk
- Fat free Dannon yogurt

Grains
- 100% whole wheat bread, no HFCS.
- Plain oatmeal
- Plain cereals (honestly, I'm trying to get away from cereal, I find them to be a big carb waste)

Others
- Reduced fat peanut-butter
- Almonds
- eggs

So those are things I typically buy.

 

[BlueScrote]

I just realized how many calories there are in my favorite alcohol

They are all really bad for you. Makes them good candidates for cheat day. Even light beer has a hefty amount of calories.

 

[SeanR1221]

I try to stay with Bacardi Superior mixed with a little diet coke.

You still have 90 calories in a shot, but you don't deal with the carb of beers, plus it's not a sugary liquor.

Oh, one food I forgot from my list, I get nonfat cottage cheese.

I just started using FitDay.com. That site rocks.

 

[rando14]

Ok, two separate questions. I want to incorporate a core program and get everyone's opinion on food.

For the core program, I'd be doing this pretty much every day, either at the gym, or when I wake up.

- Crunches
- Twister situps
- Hanging led lifts
- Toe Touches
- planks
- reverse situps
- russian twists
- wood chopper
- back extensions

-----------------------------------

For food, here are foods I typically buy. If you guys add or take food away please EXPLAIN why. Also, keep in mind, I'm on a very tight budget, both with money and time. As a grad student, my income is tiny after my bills are paid. For example, I know blueberries are great, but it's a million times cheaper for me to get 3 pounds of bananas for 1.50 at BJs. Or greek yogurt, I know it's better than the Dannon fat free yogurt, but I'm trying my best with my budget.

MEATS
- Grilled chicken
- Canned tuna
- Turkey burgers
- Tilapia
- Turkey Bacon

FRUITS
- Bananas

Veggies
- Brocoli
- Peas
- Asparagus

Dairy
- Skim Milk
- Fat free Dannon yogurt

Grains
- 100% whole wheat bread, no HFCS.
- Plain oatmeal
- Plain cereals (honestly, I'm trying to get away from cereal, I find them to be a big carb waste)

Others
- Reduced fat peanut-butter
- Almonds
- eggs

So those are things I typically buy.

I'd remove plain cereals (like you said, carb waste and you can get whole grains elsewhere), and replace peas with mixed vegetables (I think it's marginally more expensive, but mixed veggies include carrots, lima beans and more and can be eaten plain). Peanut butter is a tremendous source of calories, so if you're planning on bulking they're great, if you're planning on trying to gain muscle while losing fat I'd take out PB entirely.

I don't know how you plan to cook your foods, but I find that salsa is a great low-calorie addition to otherwise boring meat and veggie dinners. For example, I might have a large breast with balsamic vinaigrette and salsa and a bowl of mixed veggies. Steamed broccoli is also fantastic.

Also for dairy, I'd add cottage cheese but it seems like you already added that in another post. Low-fat is fine. I'm not sure if you're worried about sodium or not, but fat free tends to have the most.

How much is tilapia? I remember when I was on an ultra budget a while back I had to basically remove fish because chicken was much more cost effective.

 

[SeanR1221]

I sometimes get coupons for the Tilapia, but chicken still outranks it greatly. I can get 10 pounds of raw chicken for 20.00 or 4 pounds pre cooked (for easy microwaving and eating) for 10.00.

For the peanut-butter, I usually only put 1-2tbs on my sandwich for lunch. I'd definitely like to lose a little more weight, especially belly fat, so I'm on a calorie deficit every day.

I guess I should have mentioned I'm not exactly new to this. I've kept 50 pounds off for 5 years now.

The Salsa is a good idea. Thanks.

 

[deadbeef]

Alcohol will really throw you off your progress. As you age it will affect you even more. I've pretty much cut it out except maybe once every few months, and then just a drink or two.

 

[BertramCooper]

I'd go with Greek yogurt instead of the regular type. It's higher in protein and generally lower in carbs. And it tastes so much better.

Chobani is my favorite. The plain stuff is good, but I typically go with a cup of the vanilla with lunch (it's only 13 carbs - the plain is around 6 or 7).

 

[parrotbeak]

I only know one market with reasonably priced greek yogurt and I make a special trip there once every couple months to stock up. It's so versatile also. Eat it plain, make dips, add as a soup thickener, throw some honey in it for dessert, top chicken with it and sprinkle with dill.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Just added MjFrancis's GREAT information on bodyweight exercises to the OP! Thanks, Francis!

 

[deadbeef]

Just added MjFrancis's GREAT information on bodyweight exercises to the OP! Thanks, Francis!

Are you gonna make a new thread when we get shut down? Isn't there some sort of post limit?

 

[parrotbeak]

Well done, Francis!

I got a pressure point massage on my shoulders and hips on Thursday and it still hurts. Interestingly they didn't affect my squats and presses yesterday, although the soreness in my hips freaked me out at one point near the end of my squat sets, as I had forgotten about it and mistook it for lower back pain.

 

[cuevas. PhD.]

Just added MjFrancis's GREAT information on bodyweight exercises to the OP! Thanks, Francis!

You should just start the new thread

 

[MjFrancis]

Thanks, I'm glad you folks are happy with it. I tried pointing to expert opinion wherever possible, but I also just kept focus on squats, pull-ups, push-ups, dips and leg raises. Five simple movements with a myriad of variations. It's enough that, if done consistently, could keep anyone healthy and physically active no matter their starting point. Hell, that's 70% of my training right now, except I'll add weight to some of those movements and perform presses and deadlifts.

 

[reilo]

Looks like the thread is at 20,000 posts. OT2 time?

 

[BertramCooper]

I only know one market with reasonably priced greek yogurt and I make a special trip there once every couple months to stock up. It's so versatile also. Eat it plain, make dips, add as a soup thickener, throw some honey in it for dessert, top chicken with it and sprinkle with dill.

Are you in the U.S.? Greek yogurt is available pretty much everywhere nowadays.

After Chobani and FAGE took off, all of the mainstream brands like Dannon and Yoplait started making their own lines. And it's really not that expensive - a six ounce cup of Chobani is around a buck, and you can usually find 16 and 32 oz. containers for no more than five or six bucks.

I have a definite bias for Chobani. They're based in upstate New York and I've worked with them a lot through my job. They're really cool folks - they were a small little operation that exploded in popularity and now they're one of the best-selling brands of yogurt in the country. They're actually really struggling to keep up with demand right now.

 

[parrotbeak]

In Hawaii. I guess it hasn't hit here yet. I look in the regular supermarkets that I shop at and only find the lowfat fruit at bottom stuff. Even the plain yogurt is fat free or lowfat and full of corn starch and hfcs.

I buy the Wholefoods 365 whole milk yogurt, which while isn't "greek," is the cheapest decent yogurt I've found at about $3 for 32 oz. Also the Greek Gods brand, which I think is like $5 for 20 oz. I guess both aren't actual greek yogurt, but it's affordable.

 

[SeanR1221]

I double check the prices at BJs next time on the greek. I think for the same price as the fat free dannon, I was only getting half the amount of yogurt, but I'll check.

My gf is killing me. She's offering to take me to the local sushi buffet tonight. Ahhh man, I know I should say fuck it and chow down, but I've really been trying to be good and I know I'm going to a BBQ with plenty of beer and burgers tomorrow.

 

[MjFrancis]

Broke GAF appreciates the affordable stuff. That's why I'll push people away from 95% of the supplements on the market... better to buy steak and other protein-rich whole foods than SuperMax Proprietary Muscle Blend with Acai and Dingleberry.

 

[BertramCooper]

In Hawaii. I guess it hasn't hit here yet. I look in the regular supermarkets that I shop at and only find the lowfat fruit at bottom stuff. Even the plain yogurt is fat free or lowfat and full of corn starch and hfcs.

I buy the Wholefoods 365 whole milk yogurt, which while isn't "greek," is the cheapest decent yogurt I've found at about $3 for 32 oz. Also the Greek Gods brand, which I think is like $5 for 20 oz. I guess both aren't actual greek yogurt, but it's affordable.

Yeah, that would probably explain it. I can't imagine you have much variety in the dairy aisle in Hawaii when you have to have all of it shipped from the continental U.S.

 

[parrotbeak]

Yeah, that would probably explain it. I can't imagine you have much variety in the dairy aisle in Hawaii when you have to have all of it shipped from the continental U.S.

Ya, we finally got local whole milk on the shelves a year or so ago. I'm hopeful that they'll start producing yogurt too, but as long as people still think they should eat "fat free," I doubt there will be a big enough market for it.

 

[Anton Sugar]

I'll make a new thread tonight. Any title suggestions?

 

[ipukespiders]

For food, here are foods I typically buy.

(I'm also cutting)

My grocery list is similar to yours.

I would add beef - it might be expensive in your area, so try hamburg.
I fry it in a pan with a cup of celery, half an onion, and 1 full bell pepper (usually red/orange, gives it a nice colour). Sprinkle a little pepper on it and eat. I do this probably 3 times a week.

I eat 2% cottage cheese. Fat is good!
Same with milk, 2%.
Spinach a few times a week if you can (or more!)
Cheddar cheese - I weight it out, and it's 4 calories/gm of weight. Lots of good fat, and some protein as well.
I do eat raisin bran, I love the stuff. Yep, HFCS (or glucose/fructose as it's called here in Canada). Oh well. I sprinkle some ground flax seed on it.
I also have 2 slices of bread most days.
Aside from the milk, I only drink water - 3 to 4 L/day.

 

[MjFrancis]

I'll make a new thread tonight. Any title suggestions?

I'll vote for any thread title that includes Broscience. No fitness thread is complete without it, so may as well keep it in the title.