General Workout Routines and Questions

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Well, today wasn't as good as I had hoped it was. In fact, it was wrose than I was previously. 15.4% bodyfat. I knew it wasn't going to be a loss this week, as I hadn't lost any weight and was two pounds heavier than I was previously. 2lbs = 1%.

So I've taken the step of laying out the cash with a Dietician who'll plan my meals and coordinate the workout regiment to make my goals. I simply don't know enough about the diet part to really make this happen. This dietician is also a Trainer (in fact he's the guy training the Owner of the Gym I go to), so it should make a big difference in what I'm doing. He is expecting that by November I'll be at 8% body fat.

So I get a "Cheat" weekend, and then its cleaning the diet out and reorganizing for the next 6 months.
 
I'm afraid I might have to go that route as well.... I like to hear advise from others, but most the advise I get is, "Do this, it will work, it worked for me". Well, you know that every body responds to training and diet differently. I need someone who understands me, that is an expert in the field, to offer some advise, which would be money will spent.
 
Pako
I'm afraid I might have to go that route as well...
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Indeed. I need to see how my current diet goes for a few months (so far so good, but we’ll see) before I make that choice, but generally I haven’t really been responding to diet changes so if I’m not making an impact I may need to do the same. :indiff:

Best of luck DA. It’s been awesome progress so far, I’m sure you can do it. 👍
 
Just a small update here. After one week on my diet (And figuring in a July 4th weekend of Pizza, Movies, and Sausages) I'm back down on my body fat %.

Last Thursday (7/2) I tested in at 15.4%. Over the holiday weekend, I went to the movies, and had a Medium pizza, Popcorn, and Fried Shrimp. On the 4th, I had a huge breakfast, Hit Wendy's for a Bacon/Blue Cheese burger and Fries, then had Sausage and Fries during the celebration. Sunday Midday I started in on my prescribed diet.

Today, 6 days on the diet, my body fat tested at 14.2%. My weight didn't change, I was 199.4lbs but my lean muscle went up. While talking with the dietician, he pointed me to a few tweaks, that should in the next two weeks, leave my muscle mass where it is, and drop the body fat %.

And I set a new personal record on Deadlift. Even considering I didn't get enough sleep last night. 325lbs max. Was a bit shaky afterwards, but it felt great. I've got another three weeks to go on this schedule, then another switch of the routine. I should do it in two weeks, but I'm still making good gains.
 
Out of interest, how do you guys prefer weighted rows? Bent over barbell/Dumbell/cables/face-down on a bench?

Previousley I've been doing squated one-handed rows using the cable machine, and they've worked well. Might swop to using a bench.
 
How long does it take to get flexible? I am pretty pathetic in that regard. I can't do squats or deads properly because my legs are so tight.
 
Well, My flexibility is pretty good. However, I do have an issue with doing squats. Deadlifts and Stiff Leg Deadlifts aren't a problem. Its just getting to a really deep squat that I have trouble with.

I suppose if I spent a half hour each day stretching it'd only take a few months to get there. Just gotta get my head into doing that each morning. It would really depend on how much time you spent stretching and how you do it. My guess would be a few months of time spent with a 1/2 hour stretching each morning would give you a good return on your flexibility.

As for Rows, I prefer Bent Over Barbell Rows to add width to my back. For Thickness, I love Low Pulley Cable Rows with a close grip. Since I have more Width than Thickness I have been concentrating on heavy contraction, close grip exercises. Low Cable Pulley Rows and neutral grip Pull-ups. In a few weeks, I'll switch it up again and add a slightly different variation of them.
 
Omnis
How long does it take to get flexible? I am pretty pathetic in that regard. I can't do squats or deads properly because my legs are so tight.
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It can take a while to get truly flexible, but it sounds like you need to focus more on just getting upto par.

Obviously if you find flexibility a problem you need to be stretching regularly and especially before and after exercise.

Cold stretching is difficult but would be helpful. Try dynamic and active flexing aswell.
 
Yeah I can stretch out pretty good, but everything reverts back again when I go to sleep.
 
ExigeEvan
Out of interest, how do you guys prefer weighted rows? Bent over barbell/Dumbell/cables/face-down on a bench?

Previousley I've been doing squated one-handed rows using the cable machine, and they've worked well. Might swop to using a bench.
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I like them all and mixing them up is a good thing. Do the same lift over and over again is not as good of an idea. Muscle confusion is good for promoting muscle growth. So when you are doing back, switch up your lifts every time. They will all hit the muscle just a bit different so it's good to have variation.
 
Now that's interesting. I've been sticking with the same workout for a 6 week stretch. As in, I do the same exercises each week in the same order for a six week period. At the end of that, I switch it up to get the variation. It helps me track my gains and patterns as I do it.

For instance, In the previous 6 weeks stretch, I did Deadlifts first (3 sets), followed by Close Grip Low Rows (3 sets), followed by Back Extensions (3sets). This period, I'm starting with Wide Grip Low Rows (3sets), Chin-ups (3 sets), and Heavy Deadlifts (3 sets). At the direction of my trainer.

I'd be interested in hearing why you change it up so often.
 
I do it because I got bored of workouts easily. Plus I'm more than happy to sub things in and out if equipment is taken.

I continue to make gains, though maybe not at a great speed. However I've always put that down to the detrimental effect of semi-distance running.

On top of that, mixing up work out puts you completely at odds to any and all advice you'll recieve at bb.com.
 
Yep, the forums at BB.com are a huge mess. Contradicatory, over bloated, nearly useless. I've been posting there for a few months, and am starting to think it doesn't really matter what advice you give to someone. The advice is likely to be contradicted or debated, the thread will get dragged off-topic, the person posted once and never came back, or a few other reasons.

That's pretty much why I gave up on trying to read/sift through so much information and just sat down with a Trainer. Sure, its more expensive, but it means I get the right information for me.
 
Completely agree on the forums, though I have found them quite time consuming recentley as they're sort of my let-loose forums compared to this place.

If there was a regime of searching for threads it would be a much better place.
 
Just a small note, I upped my personal best on the Deadlift today. 365lbs. Felt the weight everywhere on my frame. Great workout today after that.
 
A quick review with my trainer last night, and I'll be taking a "vacation" week next week at the gym. I've been hammering on my body with heavy weights for nearly 5 months straight. My body has been giving me subtle signs that it needs a bit of a break. Tired, Fatigued, can't get enough sleep, and some deep muscle pain that doesn't subsude with rest.

I wrap up my 6 weeks of heavy lifting on Wednesday, and will take two days of complete rest. Then 5 days of nothing but 30 minutes of Cardio each day. Then two more days of rest. After that, I gear back up for another 6 weeks routine of heavy lifting.
 
My workout:

Run two laps around basketball court
3 sets of 10 on bench press
run two laps around basketball court
3 sets of 10 on the machine where you bring your arms together (I'm sorry don't know what it's called)
run two laps around basketball court
4 sets of 10 on deadlift machine front and back
3 sets of 10 on crunch machine
run two laps around basketball court
3 sets of ten legs front
3 sets of ten legs back
run two laps around basketball court
3 sets of ten on leg press
run two laps around basketball court
play basketball

Just been doing that for about a month or so three times a week. I'm dropping weight good too and thats what I'm looking for. Not using too heavy of weights cause I'm not trying to really bulk up. once a week we run the workout in reverse.
 
Figuring its the end of my heavy workout regiment and I've got a week of light cardio coming up, I went all out on the leg routine tonight.

Managed to hump 450lbs up the leg press 5 times. Lots of grunting apparently disturbed a lady on the treadmill. She complained to the owner. He responded "Ahhh, so noted."

:)
 
I hate cardio bunnies who complain about people making noise while lifting weight. People go to the gym to lift weight. If you have a problem then simply walk back to your house.
 
It's just over midway through summer, meaning my strength is on the rise again due to 4-5 weeks of summer conditioning for Football, got 3 more weeks until practice starts up. If all goes well, I'll make Varsity this year :D

Anyways, here's the gist of our workouts, with excercises being swapped every here and there.

Upper body
3x6 Incline Bench
2x10 Towel Pull Ups

3x6 Seated Military Press (God I hate this, max out for me = 95 pounds on a GREAT day)
3x8 (each way) Corkscrews

3x12 Bench press with chains (chains are 45 pounds when fully off ground)
1x5 Bench press
1x3
1x1 (Max = 140, best ever for me so far. I weigh 150, still got work)
1x5

3x10 Dips
2x10 Board pushups
3x10 Lat pulldowns
3x30 seconds Grippers

Lower Body

3x's Complex ( 4 hang cleans, 4 front squats makes 1 set)
3x10 Bar Overhead Squats

3x6 High Pulls
3x5 Power clean
1x2 Power Clean

2x12 Squats with chains
1x8
1x5
1x3
1x1 (285 max last summer, only at 225 so far now)
1x5

3x6 both legs Mule Kicks
3x6 both legs Leg Circles
3x10 Butt Blasters with weight

The conditioning - This changes day to day, here's what we've done.
- Push small wooden sleds(like, snow sleds, but with wooden runners) with 45 lb plates
- Pull the same sled but with a 45 pound chain added on. You hold the chain.
- Push the big sled (3 guys at once)
- Throw a blocker pad over your shoulder (~30 lbs I'd say) and sprint 40 yards
- 4x80 yard sprints, followed by 6 60's and 8 40's
- Pass a medicine ball many different ways
- Run the parking lot and around the stadium
- Walk/Run the track. (Walk 1 lap, goal time under 3 minutes, then run 1 lap, goal times are 1:30 for WRs/DBs, 1:40 for LBs, 1:50 for O/D Line (That's me)

All in all, it's pretty intense. We do 6 of the conditioning things per day, unless we do the walk/run on the track.


RE: Grunting while lifting - Why should anyone care? It's totally natural
 
Just a update on my workout schedule for the next 6 months.

Had an MRI done on my right bicep today after a tubing/boating crash a couple weeks ago. This afternoon the surgen looked at my pictures and showed a detached bicep tendon disconnected at the elbow.

Sooooo..... Surgery next Thursday then 6 months of rehab. Looks like legs/abs/cardio for the next 6 months, or I may just surf GTPlanet and get fat, haven't decided yet.
 
TB
Ouch, dude! Take it easy on that arm! :scared:
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Yeah, after the surgery, I will be in a sling for three weeks, then a cast for another 3-4 weeks. That's 6-7 weeks of NO use what so ever with that arm. From there, it will be therapy in stretching then on to strength training...., with an estimated 6 months to full recovery. Time will tell....
 
Something tells me this is all a part of DA's master plan.
 
2000lb leg press aim, yeah that's what you're thinking...


;)

Moving on, I did my first sprint session of the summer earlier. I've been doing alot of endurance recentley as my training buddy is doing a half marathon and I'm trying to join him. We've boosted or "long" run to 11.5km which involves 2 hill climbs near the end, can't work around that as we live at the top of one of them :ouch:.

But we've both wanted to work on our sprints so, today...
1) "Suicides" on a 5m/10m/15m course.
2) 4 x 30m sprints. Starting as soon as partner finishes course. Rest period only as long as it takes them to do course.
3) 6 x 20m sprints. " "
4) 8 x 10m sprints. " "
5) "Suicides" on a 10m/20m/30m course.

And I have my first Aussie Rules training later :ouch:
 
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Pako
Just a update on my workout schedule for the next 6 months.

Had an MRI done on my right bicep today after a tubing/boating crash a couple weeks ago. This afternoon the surgen looked at my pictures and showed a detached bicep tendon disconnected at the elbow.

Sooooo..... Surgery next Thursday then 6 months of rehab. Looks like legs/abs/cardio for the next 6 months, or I may just surf GTPlanet and get fat, haven't decided yet.
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Damn... that really sucks. See what happens when you go to the Doctor. :)

I hope it heals fast and you can manage to keep yourself mentally balanced and don't loose the momentum you've got now.

Omnis
Something tells me this is all a part of DA's master plan.
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:D I'll catch him yet! Actually, my master plan is coming down to October of 2010. I've been watching my diet consistently over the past weeks and working toward loosing body fat. I get it tested this coming Saturday to see how it has been going. I'd like to be down to low 13%. My current goal is under 10% by end of September. Then its Powerlifting/muscle building for bench press strength until November for my bench contest.

Following that, I'll be gearing my workouts and diet to plan for the following October. Building up weak point muscle groups (Shoulders, arms & abs) and working on my bodys symmetry. From late June to October its really diet and by October be at 3%BF to step on Stage.

Then I'll Show Pako what muscle really looks like :D
 

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