 Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Whole body moves do speed up workouts.
I also would recommend Yoga, I personally like Power Yoga. If you do any sport; martial arts, cycling, football (USA or EU), running, climbing, freeze tag, etc. it will focus on your week areas and improve your flexibility and strengthen your core (all though stabilizing muscles from your chest to your thighs, not just abs). |
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Conventional/powerlifting style deadlifts - along with squats - have been found to have an incredibly anabolic effect on the entire body. The hip extensors may be the prime movers, but in order to maintain an upright posture all of the postural back muscles as well as the abs become extremely tensed and are worked isometrically. Check out the ExRx link to deadlift below. Due to the principle of irradiation (muscle tension spilling over into neighboring muscles to create a neurological synergy) you can be sure that even muscles that are not listed as stabilizers still receive significant stress.
Squat and deadlifts have also been show to induce significant hormonal changes, which can assist in the building of muscle tissue and strength. "...by manipulating volume (sets and reps), load (%1RM*) and rest periods. Evidence indicates that exercises that recruit large muscle groups (legs and back) in exercises such as squats and deadlifts and that are performed with high intensity and moderate volume boost serum testosterone concentrations. Therefore the exerciser should use heavy loads (85-95% 1 RM) and multiple sets/exercises separated by short rest periods (30 -60s)." (http://www.3fbc.com/articles/muscle-building-tips/55020.php) No side raises here! See ExRx below for the side press I was referring to, or rather the closest approximation I can find on ExRx. By pulling the shoulder far back and isometrically tensing the latissimus dorsi (back muscle under your armpit) muscle, you create what some refer to as a 'lat shelf' that you can use to increase the stability of your press. Although most mainstream fitness sources do not acknowledge it, many elite powerlifter coaches cite the latissimus dorsi muscle as being worked in almost all forms of presses - bench, side, shoulder, etc. Eric Cressey has an excellent article on the lats at http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1344676 and explains their many roles much better than I can. Suffice it to say that they act on far more than just the humerus! Also, since deadlifts do very little to directly effect the deltoid (shoulder) muscles, the side press is the answer to that. That is where I get my justification for saying that deadlifts+presses=great physique builder. Of course I must sound like a total Pavel-ite because that is exactly the conclusion of Power to the People! by Pavel Tsatsouline.  It does hold up quite well though.
Quads are overrated. The posterior chain (glutes and hams) are where it is at for lower body strength. These hip extensors should do most of the work in squats. Most people would benefit from shifting their lower body work more towards compound hip extension, and away from quad-dominant workouts.
http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBOneArmShoulderPress.html http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBDeadlift.html |
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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how? and what side raises are you talking about? are you talking about dumbbell side raises, leg side raises, explain the exercise please. with deadlifts you're really only working your hamstrings and lower back. sure you're using other muscles to stabilize but those two are the only ones that are actually lifting. if you bend at the knees (romanian deadlift? as opposed to straight leg) you might get some quad in there, but nothing significant. but i wholeheartedly agree that you need to learn squats, no question about it. they will do great things that leg press, extensions, can't do. they work so many muscles, they're just about the best lift you can learn to do. just remember to work every muscle, don't forget about the small stuff like calves, or the opposing muscles. if you're doing bench, make sure you don't forget about your lats and traps, working quads, don't forget about hamstrings. being off balance will hurt you, which is why after every rowing season that i sweep (one big oar, as opposed to sculling which is two smaller oars) i spend at least a month evening out the two sides of my body. final words of wisdom, enjoy yourself and take your time. if you don't find something you enjoy, you're not going to do it long term. i personally love lifting weights, that's enough incentive for me, but if you don't particularly like them, find something about them you do like, or find something to associate with lifting that you enjoy, something good for you. as for taking your time, don't worry about trying to make fast gains, you'll hurt yourself if you don't do it right. learn all you can, start at low weights until you know you can handle more. if you get hurt, that can set you back weeks or months, so TAKE YOUR TIME. don't be an idiot and load up on squats and have no range of motion, you'll hurt yourself (been there done that, glad i didn't hurt myself but i could have). the bottom line is that you aren't going to stick with something that hurts you (and not in a good way) or something you hate. |
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:46 pm Post subject: |
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Good stuff traveller. 
Right on about interval training. Check out the article below. Dan John is the real deal, and the Tabata Method is one of the most researched protocols right now. Unlike traditional long-distance running, Tabata actually does not atrophy the muscles and impair neurological strength gains, but does improve body composition, as well as both the anaerobic threshold and aerobic capacity. In other words, it is *awesome*.
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=490160 Also look up kettlebells. They have a similar short duration format of about ten minutes of cardio or less, but results in similar improvements as Tabata. In particular, KBs are great for posterior chain development (back, glutes and hamstrings) which creates a lot of power that carries over to deadlifts, squats, and sprinting. I was able to increase my DL max by just doing KB swings and low volume heavy squats in about a month - no direct deadlifting. For training legs, learn how to deadlift and squat. Correctly. I see so many people in the kinesiology major who are opposed to these two lifts because they never learned how to do them right and think that everyone gets injured doing them. Wrong! They are superior in every way to leg curls and leg extensions. Compound (multi-joint) movements with free weights can not be beat for strength. I would recommend low volume but heavy weights once you master the correct form. Two sets of five works great for me. Any more reps then that overtrains many people quickly, especially when you are doing interval training. You can build a great physique from deadlifts and side presses. These two exercises develop just about every muscle you have. Add in some Tabata and you will see great improvements. Do some calisthenics to warm up your whole body, then do dynamic stretches for warmups. For legs, that means kicks. Keep your leg straight and work up to kicking higher with the straight leg. Try not to do regular static stretching until the end of your workout. Static stretching prior to working out actually impairs your muscles' ability to contract with force and can compromise your stability. Not a Good Thing. I'll always recommend checking out www.t-nation.com and just trying to absorb what you can and do a search on beginners. Christian Thibaudeau has a great guide for beginners that goes over terminology and such. I don't have the link on this computer but you can likely search for it with ease. Good luck! Feel free to PM me if you need any help. |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Cardio after you work out is best for burning calories. Plus you have expended your glycogen stores for the most part, which causes your body to select fat as an energy source.
Muscle burns more calories than fat. Do some resistance training and some cardio. I recommend doing super set exercises for efficiency. You should be able to get in a good whole body workout three times a week in just 1.5 hrs a week. Also, interval training is probably the fastest way to shred fat and get back into shape. You burn twice the calories and your metabolism stays high for up to two days if done right. Be sure to work your legs as they are the engine of the body. They house much of your muscle. Also, don't just work the mirror muscles, work the back and front equally. Many people don't work opposing muscle groups equally and end up hurting themselves. Warm up and cool down. Also, when warming up and cooling down make sure you warm and cool the parts of your body that you are working. Many people believe that jogging or cycling is good enough, but unless you are working only your legs you are not warming up. The muscles you are using should feel like the workout has already started. Included here is stretching!!! CUT TO THE CHASE Go to the Mens Health Mag website as they keep a close eye on the most recent research and have many fitness and nutrition experts who work and consult for them to wade through the crap. Also, a good but exhausting program can be found at the link below. Just pick the one that is right for you. www.menshealth.com www.beachbody.com |
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| Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:15 am Post subject: |
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| if you're going to do both, run right before you work out. It gets the muscles warmed up and also burns fat and helps get you more tone. Eat right after you work out. Fruit is good before and after a workout and have plenty of protein/low carbs if you're trying to avoid excess baggage. Proteins will help you develop muscle tissue after you've broken it down. Work back, chest, biceps, triceps, forearms, shoulders and legs. Alternate days for each and give yourself at least a full day of rest for each one. If you do triceps one day, don't work them the next, overtraining is bad. However, run and do cardio exercises as often as you want to. Situps are ideal to get rid of lovehandles along with cardio exercises.
Hope it helps! |
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| i do 2-4hrs of cardio 6 days a week and work outside, which leaves little time for a lot of eating, so i've lost about 20lbs this summer. since you aren't training for a sport you probably have no need for that much, but 30-60 minutes of exercise every day or every other day will do wonders. also, try eating better. switch to whole grain everything, eat fruits instead of chips (don't even buy chips and junk food), and eat salad before your meal. fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain bread, are less calorie dense than junk food and starchy foods so it takes more of it to get the same amount of energy. they are also much more nutritious so they'll be healthier for you. the reason i suggest a salad before dinner is because if you use a light dressing, and use it sparingly, there aren't many calories in it and it'll fill you up a bit, so you'll be less likely to overeat during dinner.
another thing, listen to your body. when you feel full, stop eating, you don't have to finish everything on your plate. if anyone has heard that stupid saying "think about the starving people in africa who would kill for that food" well it's stupid because you can't give it to them and it's doing you no good, so throw it out and cook less next time. also, i do suggest weight training for fat loss. muscle burns energy, so if you build muscle you'll burn more every day. also, i like having a lot of strength, it can help your self esteem to know that you can pick up 300+lbs from the ground, or to know that you can lift 100+lbs from the ground over your head. just make sure you use proper form or you can hurt yourself. i was doing cleans one day, and was upping the weight from the previous workout, i wasn't quite ready to receive it for one rep, and i hurt my back. i couldn't clean for a week or two after that. those are a tricky exercise and you really need to be careful with your form, squats, deadlifts, etc. are easier, but you still need good form or you will hurt yourself. i prefer free weights to machines, they work more muscles and i find they build muscle faster. they also give you more real world strength because they work all the stabilizers, rather than just one muscle. |
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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| http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100210249>1=31036 | |
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| Stretching is important. | |
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 11:42 am Post subject: |
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| I walk 30 minutes 3-5 times a week, plus 10 minutes to and from the parking garage 4 days a week, and I do light weight lifting 10 minutes 3-5 times a week. | |
| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:31 am Post subject: |
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| I recommend running, and lots of it. Start out gradually, like run 1/4 mile and walk 1/4 mile. After a few months you should be able to run 1/2 mile and walk 1/2 mile. Eventually you'll be able to run 1 mile without slowing to a walk. When you get into a regime of running several miles it becomes important to limit running to a few times per week so that the joints can recover and avoid getting sore. Someone told me that the total distance run per month should be increased no more than 10% per month to avoid injury and give the bones and tendons enough time to strengthen in sync with the muscle.
Running/walking is the single most important activity you can do to improve and protect your health. It works almost all of the major muscle groups and stresses all of the bones to some extent, which is required to strengthen them. Oh, and it burns fat, too. The more you burn the easier it will get, especially as muscles and bones start to strengthen. The really nice thing about this is that you can track your progress, like how far you went and how long it took you to go 1 mile, 3 miles, 10 miles. Get a routine going. I can do things now that I never thought I could do 5 years ago. |
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| Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:36 am Post subject: exercise reccomendations? |
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| so, in high school i weighed 175lbs my senior year. i graduate from college in six months and i currently weight 205 lbs. weight gain aside my body is pretty much a wreck from college stress. i got to the point during finals where i'd get a cramp just curling my toes. needless to say i think it best i exercise. i've been hitting the eliptical machine on campus three times a week but i don't think that's enough.
i have two options. either i diet and workout and lose the weight, OR i start strength training and instead turn the weight into muscle. or i possibly do both or i get too lazy and do neither. i'm rather barrel-chested so i don't expect to get skinny enough to fit into my girlfriend's jeans. but getting rid of my gut and love handles would be nice. any aspies here work out? if so, any suggestions? |
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