Working Out

[junglebunny]

Inspired by the weight loss thread:

This thread is for discussing you're workout regimen (if any) and to get/give advice to help be more efficient and the gym. Also to give fatties some motivation.


My regimen is:

Day 1 - Chest and Abs

Day 2 - Shoulders and Back

Day 3 - Arms

I try to throw in at least 30 minutes of cardio each day (i like the bikes!!)

Is this good? I mean it seems to be working fairly well but I was just wondering if there was a more effective combination. Although I have to admit, I've been becoming increasingly lazy over the past couple weeks. I'll only go to the gym 3 days a week (if that). And I'll usually do them one after another, 3 days in a row, which leaves me with about 4 days with no gym. Is it smarter to take a day off in between? What's the best motivation to get off your ass?


Also I was wondering what the best thing to eat before/after the gym. Generally I have a bowl of cereal or a bagel before, and then either a can of tuna or a couple eggs afterwards. What would Explosm recommend?


So that's mine, what's yours?

[lafuriaroja]

It's always good to do anything active every day, even if it means just walking for a few blocks. Also, the resting period is just as important as the workout itself, as it’s in the resting period is when your muscles actually grow.
This is my workout:


Monday - Chest Workout
Push ups
Bench press
Incline press

Abs Workout
Crunches
Side crunches
Swedish Ball Crunches
Leg Lifts
Bicycle Kicks
Flutter Kicks


Tuesday - Back Workout
Pull ups
Rowing machine
Lateral pull downs
Squats

This day is also a mandatory PT day. So I have to run 30 minutes along with my whole squadron.


Wednesday - Shoulders
Arnold press
Laterals
Front raises

Abs Workout
Crunches
Side crunches
Swedish Ball Crunches
Leg Lifts
Bicycle Kicks
Flutter Kicks


Thursday - Biceps & Triceps
Preacher curl
Easy curls cable
Hammer curls
Push downs
Triceps Machine
Biceps Machine

This day is also a mandatory PT day. So I have to run 30 minutes along with my whole squadron.

Friday - Leg Workout
Three to Five Set of Leg Presses.
Then I run for One hour.


Saturday - Ruck Marching.
I hike or jog with a 50lb duffel bag in my back and go through a trail.


Sunday
Rest Day. Usually my drinking/hangover recuperation day. Although I always play soccer, baseball, or practice my MMA on this day.

I usually just drink water and have a banana before going to the gym. That's all I really need. Tuna or grilled chicken breast is definetly a great thing to eat after working out as it is loaded with protein.

[spaj]

A couple of questions:

Are you trying to gain muscle or lose weight? How intense is your cardio, and do you do it every day or every gym day (ie 7 days or 3 days a week)?

Also, try and keep it spread out. If you're pushing yourself hard enough you will find that having a day to rest in between seriously helps.

Don't be surprised that you've become lazy, by the way. That happens to all of us. If you keep your gym routine virtually static for over a month or so, you will lose motivation because it's just ridiculously boring. Try tweaking it a bit by increasing the amount of weight you're lifting or trying different free weights (or machines, which I don't really recommend anyway) all together.

Eating before or after the gym seems to vary per person, however, personally I make sure I eat a good meal about 30 to 60 minutes before going to the gym (EDIT: and fruit is great as well). If you don't have the energy to do your stuff, it's just going to be detrimental to your routine. Keep eating protein and eggs. If you're serious about getting significantly bulked up, then you'll probably have to have protein shakes for convenience (sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to make a massive fish fillet when you're home).

As for myself, I haven't been to the gym for 6 months, pretty much cause I had mono for 3 months and I had issues settling into university... I'm going back as of this Saturday, though, so hopefully I'll be able to post a routine soon.

[lafuriaroja]

A couple of questions:

Are you trying to gain muscle or lose weight? How intense is your cardio, and do you do it every day or every gym day (ie 7 days or 3 days a week)?

I'm going for that lean, cut look. Brad Pitt from "Fight Club" is the best example for what I'm going for. Being that they force me to work out, It just became a way of life for me. So I actually enjoy going to the gym now. Without a doubt having good workout buddies is the best way to go. They give you motivation and they make it a lot more fun.

[junglebunny]

Well I'm still working on gaining weight and my cardio is probably "moderate" (generally "level" 4 or 5 out of 10 on the stationary bike). And it's every "gym" day, I should of specified.

And the reason I usually go days in a row is because I did it the week before and the week before that etc. I get fed up with not going and finally go, like it, go the next day, then the next, then the 4th day I'm sore or tired and don't go. Then I don't go the day after that out of laziness (or don't have time) and so on until the process repeats.

I think if I have time I'm going to start actually eating a meal for breakfast before going to the gym, because that seems like a good idea.

[Panda]

For me I usually tend to go every other day. Unless I am sick or something of the sort.
I used to be in Track back in high-school but I never continued whilst in college so the workouts that I usually do are/were (depending on your personal body) fairly intense.

But anyway:

Always start out with stretching. As gay and pointless as it sounds this is one of most important parts of the entire workout. Stretching improves your muscles' range of motion and helps keep them long. That's important because they tend to shorten as you get older.

After I finished stretching I always went into a warm-up jog. This doesn't have to be long at all. Maybe 5-10 minutes of just a slow paced jog/speed walk.

After this I usually just do some light weight lifting. I say light because when I was in track I was a sprinter (100m/200m). So therefore if I did too much heavy weight lifting I would have gained too much muscle mass and therefore slowed my time. Nothing to specific as to which areas to do work on though. I mainly just used this as another warm-up so I apologize for the uselessness of this paragraph...

After the weight lifting is when I started my real workout.
I started off with a 1-2 mile constant jog while trying to keep lap times roughly the same. Then I would rest for a couple minutes until my heart rate got back to its "resting" pace (which for me was 130 bpm). Then I'll do a ladder or two: sprint for 100m, walk 100m, sprint 200m, walk 100m, sprint 400m, walk 100, sprint 800, walk 100, sprint 400, etc etc. After this I would just do a cool-down mile (or so, usually like 200 feet because I'm a lazy fucker) then stretch again! This is probably one of, if not the most important part of the whole workout. It keeps your muscles from locking up and cramping among many other things that I don't feel like typing right now.

In addition, I ride BMX almost everyday of my life since I was about eight years old. So, I guess that helps with my "workout" as well... But it's nothing too intense seeing as how half the time I'm just sitting on my bike watching other people fail.

As for the eating portion of this fucking long ass essay shit that I'm writing... I mainly just drink a lot of water and juice. I hardly drink ANY soft drinks/beer. Also, I almost never eat any type of sweets, just because I have never really liked sweets of any sort because they always give me a stomach ache and shit.

[spaj]

I'm going for that lean, cut look. Brad Pitt from "Fight Club" is the best example for what I'm going for. Being that they force me to work out, It just became a way of life for me. So I actually enjoy going to the gym now. Without a doubt having good workout buddies is the best way to go. They give you motivation and they make it a lot more fun.

Ah oops, I meant to direct that at JB but I was going to ask anyway... you're in the military I guess? Or is it for something else?

Well I'm still working on gaining weight and my cardio is probably "moderate" (generally "level" 4 or 5 out of 10 on the stationary bike). And it's every "gym" day, I should of specified.

And the reason I usually go days in a row is because I did it the week before and the week before that etc. I get fed up with not going and finally go, like it, go the next day, then the next, then the 4th day I'm sore or tired and don't go. Then I don't go the day after that out of laziness (or don't have time) and so on until the process repeats.

I think if I have time I'm going to start actually eating a meal for breakfast before going to the gym, because that seems like a good idea.
Ah yeah, that makes sense really - I got that feeling often as well and it's a pain to do it every other day sometimes.

[Quadros]

I play football every Sunday (in goal but it still counts) and run the mile and a half to my university campus every weekday with a heavy bag. But that's just because I'm always late. This gives me the body of a god.

[Lag]

They don't have goalies in football, silly. :rolleyes:

Usually I just do various exercises with weights at home every day coupled with push ups and I stand pretty firmly built.
Like a penis lolololol

[Arielcz]

I have a set of weights in my room which I use at least 4 times a week. I'm getting to the point where I need to add more weight, but I don't have any more. I'm going to join a gym starting March.
When nothing is available I usually do 5 sets of 30 push ups before going to sleep.

[Mantastic]

I walk 3km everyday. Soon to be 6km and P.E. at school for this semester.

I feel so fat.

[Tabitha]

wow, after looking at those hard core work outs i feel so lazy.
every second day i jump on the treamill for an hour
i do about a half hour of yoga on my off days and i try to do jack knifes nad lunges everyday.
i never really put much thought into it, there are just exercises i like and seem to help so i do them :p

but i think my weight has platued for now, unless i eat elss, and that's not gonna happen

USER WAS PUT IN TIMEOUT FOR THIS POST. (http://forums.explosm.net/eventlog.php)
Reason: Capitalize and punctuate.

[Rex_Mundi]

Ultimately I would also like the lean look of Brad Pitt from fight club but there's no way in Hell I'm going to go the gym more than 3 days a week, considering I find it hard enough to get the motivation to do even that. But then again I'm not even fat, I just have a bit of spare weight on my stomach I want to turn into muscle.

When I finally do go to the gym it's as follows:

Tuesday - Chest and Arms, Abs as well. 15 minutes cardio (I fucking hate cardio)

Thursday - Triceps and Back, Abs as well. 15 minutes cardio.

Saturday - Shoulders and Legs, Abs again. 15 minutes cardio.

I'll do this for like a month and then get tired of it and quit for like 2 or 3 weeks and then feel bad and then start up again and it's a viscious cycle really.

I'm looking forward to studying in the UK where I speak the language so I can sign up in a local sports club so I can do a sport as opposed to just hanging around the gym. I hate the gym, it just seems like a chore, whereas sports are fun. I'm looking at fencing and rowing.

[Donsbjerg]

The Royal Marines just released a program which is a bit heavy, but nevertheless you can do most if the exercises at home.

If you can look away from all the recruitment adds and so on, it's perfectly fine.

http://www.royalmarines.mod.uk/training-tool.html

[Valkyrie]

Oh joy unbounded (http://www.geekologie.com/2009/01/wiilly_bad_ideas_adding_weight.php)

[BreakTheWalls]

I go to the gym on a casual basis, at about 2/3 times a week.
I start out with 5 minutes rowing to warm me up,
then 12 minutes of varied treadmill running. Fast, then slow, then fast and so on.
Then, I go on 12 minutes on the bike (I assign it to cardio, keeping it at 160bpm)
I go on the Hand Bike next, adjusting it so I get a good distance with each swing.
Then I'm on the bench doing weights (I'm repping 30Kg at the minute), usually at sets of 12, if I can go that far.
And finally I finish off with various situps and freeweight variations. Sometimes I use the leg machines as well if I can fit them in my schedule.

Since joining the gym 3 months ago, I've lost nearly a stone. I've also gained a lot of muscle since then. My gym instructor once showed me that 5lbs of fat is about as large as a loaf of bread. Scary.

[Souldrinker]

I just do cardio-type stuff. Having said that, I don't go to a gym and do a "workout". Instead, I'm just always running, walking, playing sport, going bush, climbing etc.

I'm not worried about being ripped or cut or anything. That's largely poser shit. I'm fit, I'm strong, I'm healthy. I've got stamina coming out of my wazoo. I can run faster and for longer than most people. Having bulging muscles is not gonna make me any better than I already am, but instead will probably slow me down and make me less flexible and this will work against me when playing sport.

[Raxo]

But posers get all the hot chicks and isn't that what it it's all about?

I used to run outside in the mornings but it got all icy and shitty. I just do basic exercise indoors and play basketball now.

[Souldrinker]

They might get all the hot chicks when they're 16 but once you're my age the likelihood of this still working decreases significantly.

[Tvebak]

Inspired by the weight loss thread:

This thread is for discussing you're workout regimen (if any) and to get/give advice to help be more efficient and the gym. Also to give fatties some motivation.


My regimen is:

Day 1 - Chest and Abs

Day 2 - Shoulders and Back

Day 3 - Arms

I try to throw in at least 30 minutes of cardio each day (i like the bikes!!)

Is this good? I mean it seems to be working fairly well but I was just wondering if there was a more effective combination. Although I have to admit, I've been becoming increasingly lazy over the past couple weeks. I'll only go to the gym 3 days a week (if that). And I'll usually do them one after another, 3 days in a row, which leaves me with about 4 days with no gym. Is it smarter to take a day off in between? What's the best motivation to get off your ass?


Also I was wondering what the best thing to eat before/after the gym. Generally I have a bowl of cereal or a bagel before, and then either a can of tuna or a couple eggs afterwards. What would Explosm recommend?


So that's mine, what's yours?

Training 3 days in a row doesnt really matter when you only train 1 muscle group a day, contrary to you i train all muscle groups when i work out, so i usually go to the gym 3-4 times a week with a day between.

Id recommend you to train your leg muscles some more, they are the hardest muscles in your body to train, and it just looks stupid if you have a well trained upper body, but small girly legs.

When you train 50% of it is how you eat, as other people mentioned you need protein because of the carbon hydrates, id reccomend you to drink some chocolate milk, its just as good as all thoose protein shakes you can buy.

[Snarfnbarf]

I workout for football everyday (except Wednesday) and it consists of arms, shoulders, back, and a little abs.

Usually Fridays are the worst, I fucking despise hanging inclines and military presses. But oh well.

Additionally on Wednesday, our day off, I run a mile and a half. If you want to know my workout regiment I may be able to find a link.

[Laurence]

All this talk of exercise on the internet is making my head hurt.

[Pancho_Villa]

Inspired by the weight loss thread:

This thread is for discussing you're workout regimen (if any) and to get/give advice to help be more efficient and the gym. Also to give fatties some motivation.


My regimen is:

Day 1 - Chest and Abs

Day 2 - Shoulders and Back

Day 3 - Arms

I try to throw in at least 30 minutes of cardio each day (i like the bikes!!)


The way I have always approached it has been:
Monday- Chest/Triceps
Wednesday- Back/Biceps
Friday- Legs/Shoulders
(Pick about 3/4 exercises to isolate each group)

Both Monday and Wednesday exercises cross some as far as muscles are concerned, so both muscle groups are typically getting at least a slight work out at all times. When switching from chest to triceps you can throw in some stomach stuff. Do leg lifts, bicycles, 6-inches, etc. I usually come up with a number and try to meet that in two rounds, one in between the two groups and one after.

On the in between days I'll usually run around 3 miles or something that works as a substitute. Given this is when all is going ideal, but that's what I try to maintain.

For the people who said they were going for the Brad Pitt/Fight Club look, I read an article about trying to obtain that body that didn't seem half bad. It's got some solid tips. (http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_150/167_fitness_tip.html)

[Ureshii]

I do Les Mills Body Pump (http://munfitnessblog.com/review-of-body-pump-an-aerobic-strength-training-class/) classes. They are a 'aerobic strength class' and work all the major muscle groups. Its really good because it's only an hour longso I can go in lunch breaks etc. I usually go at least 3 times a week.

[pikaknight79]

I have a question, a friend of mine at school wakes up at 6 every day and does a 10 mile run.
Is that healthy for you?

[DoctorButt]

I doubt thats healthy.

I dance and play volleyball and basketball so I keep fit. I don't have a hardcore workout(unlike you strong handsome men:hmm:) so run a mile every other morning and threadmill every other evening for a half hour. I burn more more cals than I take in,a few hundred. What I eat is yougurt,fruit,veggies,lean meat and drink alot of water. I mean ALOT. I have a water bottle thats 1000mL and refill it twice a day.

[Dodger]

Well I swim, but since swim season has ended I've kept up with the basic drills we did at practice.

Warm-up
-100 yds freestyle
-3 x 50 yds whatever stroke



Then I might do 20x25 yd sprints or a nice long 500 yd swim. If I just want to fuck around, I'll do 50-100 yds of every stroke. I can get more specific and shit if anyone really cares, but yeah that's how I try and stay in shape.

[ZombieGirl18]

I use the treadmill for an hour, do sit ups then swim..but since it's too cold to swim I play baseball or basketball.

[bono]

Actually the weight loss thread inspired me to start exercising. Well, that and the fact that I played paintball on saturday and now my legs are so sore I can barely move, needless to say I am unfit. Any suggestions on what to start with? I have 10kg weights which I will be using and I am not going to a gym at this stage so any suggestions for stuff I can do at home will be appreciated.

[junglebunny]

Training 3 days in a row doesnt really matter when you only train 1 muscle group a day, contrary to you i train all muscle groups when i work out, so i usually go to the gym 3-4 times a week with a day between.
I always thought you were supposed to isolate certain muscle groups on certain days?

Although I usually will throw in something on each day, like through something for the arms on chest/ab day or something for the chest on arm day etc
Id recommend you to train your leg muscles some more, they are the hardest muscles in your body to train, and it just looks stupid if you have a well trained upper body, but small girly legs.
I really need to start doing this. I skateboard which is really good for your legs (and actually a really good workout overall), but it's winter and I can't really do shit.

[notafan]

My week usually goes like this:

Monday: Long run 8-14 miles. Strength (mainly abs, some other strength drills to increase leg lift and running form).
Tuesday: Easy 4-6 miles
Wednesday: Hard day. Strength. An example of a hard day:
2 mile warm up
4X200, 4X400, 600, 2X800, 2X1000, 2X1200 (all in meters) at various fast paces.
2-3 mile cool down. Strength.
Thursday: 3-5 mile tempo, which is a controlled but fast pace, with a short warm up and cool down.
Friday: Easy 3-6. Strength.
Saturday: A hard workout mixed with some tempo.

If it's during the offseason (Winter/Summer) where I'm not racing, I'll throw in pilates and yoga twice a week.


Crunches
Side crunches
Swedish Ball Crunches
Leg Lifts
Bicycle Kicks
Flutter Kicks

My abs are usually similar to this except some other exercises are included.


Eating before or after the gym seems to vary per person, however, personally I make sure I eat a good meal about 30 to 60 minutes before going to the gym (EDIT: and fruit is great as well). If you don't have the energy to do your stuff, it's just going to be detrimental to your routine. Keep eating protein and eggs. If you're serious about getting significantly bulked up, then you'll probably have to have protein shakes for convenience (sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to make a massive fish fillet when you're home)..

It is so vital to eat after you workout. Protein of course will work, but it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you eat something. Within 20 minutes of your workout you should eat something to refuel your muscles so they won't be sore the next day.


Always start out with stretching. As gay and pointless as it sounds this is one of most important parts of the entire workout. Stretching improves your muscles' range of motion and helps keep them long. That's important because they tend to shorten as you get older.

Stretching before your workout actually increases the risk of injury despite popular belief. Stretching after is really what you need to do. Before you workout you should do some kind of warm up (jogging, easy biking) to warm up your muscles and then stretch. If you just stretch, you're stretching out cold muscles which is not a good thing at all.

id reccomend you to drink some chocolate milk, its just as good as all thoose protein shakes you can buy.

Truer words have never been spoken.

I have a question, a friend of mine at school wakes up at 6 every day and does a 10 mile run.
Is that healthy for you?

I hope you're joking.

Well I swim, but since swim season has ended I've kept up with the basic drills we did at practice.

-100 yds freestyle
-3 x 50 yds whatever stroke

Then I might do 20x25 yd sprints or a nice long 500 yd swim. If I just want to fuck around, I'll do 50-100 yds of every stroke. I can get more specific and shit if anyone really cares, but yeah that's how I try and stay in shape.

If that's what your swim team does I feel bad for how bad you guys must be.

[Dodger]

If that's what your swim team does I feel bad for how bad you guys must be.

We're the 3rd best in our conference, and our star swimmer has won swimmer of the year 3 years in a row. So yeah no.

[Vir]

Yeah Dodger did you type it wrong because really that's only 250 yd workout or like 7 minutes of working out. or are you doing drills where its like 100s where you go on every 2 minutes or something like that?

[Dodger]

-The 100 yd and the three 50 yd swims are just to warm up. That's 250 in itself.

If you guys had kept reading, you'd see we then do some sets of 500 yds of moderate-intense drills.
-This could be 20x 25yd sprints on 20 seconds each. 10x 50yds sprints on 40. 5x 100 yds swims on a minute and a half. Or just a simple 500 yd swim. We do 2 sets of those.
We also do other drills and shit to better your stroke, but that's just to swim more efficiently. Since this is just a exercise thread, I decided not to bore you all with the details of stroke counts, flipturns and breathing technique.

-Then around another 250-300 yds of cooling down.

That's around 1750-2000 or so yards. It usually takes an hour or a bit more, depending on how much time you give yourself to complete a drill.

[notafan]

We're the 3rd best in our conference, and our star swimmer has won swimmer of the year 3 years in a row. So yeah no.

You think 3rd in conference means something? Make it to state and then maybe I'll be impressed.

-The 100 yd and the three 50 yd swims are just to warm up. That's 250 in itself.

If you guys had kept reading, you'd see we then do some sets of 500 yds of moderate-intense drills.
-This could be 20x 25yd sprints on 20 seconds each. 10x 50yds sprints on 40. 5x 100 yds swims on a minute and a half. Or just a simple 500 yd swim. We do 2 sets of those.
We also do other drills and shit to better your stroke, but that's just to swim more efficiently. Since this is just a exercise thread, I decided not to bore you all with the details of stroke counts, flipturns and breathing technique.

-Then around another 250-300 yds of cooling down.

That's around 1750-2000 or so yards. It usually takes an hour or a bit more, depending on how much time you give yourself to complete a drill.

2000 is a joke, I do around 7000 a day and I'm just training for triathlons so your coach needs to grow some balls.

[BKS]

Well, on the Wrestling team we start with a jog of sorts, then we stretch, then we go for a 15 minute run around the school, including stairs. Then we drill a bit then go to live wrestling, which depending on your partner, can work up a hell of a sweat. It gets you so physically exhausting, and some of our repetition drills are damn tiring.

Then after the 2 hrs of practice, we end it with 35 situps, 35 push ups, 30 situps, 30 pushups, etc until we hit 0.

Sometimes we do a burn where its 10 1-2-3 count jumping jacks, mountain climbers, squats, jumps and then squat thrusts, which fuck my life suck.
Then we go to 9. And then 8.


Then we get to lift the mats onto the stage for storage. Every day, 5 days a week.

[Dodger]

You think 3rd in conference means something? Make it to state and then maybe I'll be impressed.



2000 is a joke, I do around 7000 a day and I'm just training for triathlons so your coach needs to grow some balls.

Wow, what a badass. Do you bench 400 lbs and sprint across your state's border a couple times. Then wash your sweat down with some raw eggs and protein mix!!!
HEY EVERYONE LOOK AT HOW MUCH THIS GUY WORKS OUT MORE THAN I DO.

[Souldrinker]

Does anyone else stretch?

I don't so it so much these days due to ligament damage, but I used to stretch for about an hour a day. Fuck, I could bend over and put my forehead against my knees and my palms flat on the ground and even come close to putting my shoulders between my legs.

I miss those days.

So, does anyone else stretch as part of their routine?

[DoctorButt]

I do. I start with sitting and touch my toes,then 10 pushups,situps,jumping jacks. Then I stand and pull each leg back. Pretty simple really. But male warmups are different,right? As are their workouts,is it like more intense?

[Fidget321]

I stretch before and after.
Usually if i don't do that i get stiff for at least three days after.

What is the best way to loose weight in a workout? I would like to start going to the gym soon. (probably in a months time) but i would love to start seeing results in a realistic way.


I think i should also do toning. Is toning just as important as the cardio itself?

[Vin]

I try to keep it balanced and only exercise complementing muscle groups on any given day.

Monday- Back, shoulders and biceps,
Wednesday- chest and triceps,
Friday- Legs and Abs
Sunday- Cardio

Also, don't ever underestimate the importance of cardio work. Aerobic exercise means that as you build more bulk, your general fitness doesn't decline.

[notafan]

Wow, what a badass. Do you bench 400 lbs and sprint across your state's border a couple times. Then wash your sweat down with some raw eggs and protein mix!!!
HEY EVERYONE LOOK AT HOW MUCH THIS GUY WORKS OUT MORE THAN I DO.

Dude I'm sorry you're a huge pussy who thinks he's good at swimming.

[Quadros]

Dude I'm sorry you're a huge pussy who thinks he's good at swimming.

It's funny because the longer your post in this thread the less sexually secure/more openly gay you are and your post is fucking looooooooong. The only way to avoid this is with the military excuse and you don't have it.

And before you shout 'troll troll troll' just consider how many people you attacked in that 'I'm not gay honest' post of yours.

On an unrelated note I tried to run 2 miles today and totally fucking failed so I think I may need to get back into shape.

[notafan]

It's funny because the longer your post in this thread the less sexually secure/more openly gay you are and your post is fucking looooooooong. The only way to avoid this is with the military excuse and you don't have it.

And before you shout 'troll troll troll' just consider how many people you attacked in that 'I'm not gay honest' post of yours.

On an unrelated note I tried to run 2 miles today and totally fucking failed so I think I may need to get back into shape.

You're right, I'm gay. Sorry for my attacks everyone, it's just my sexual insecurity.

[Dodger]

Dude I'm sorry you're a huge pussy who thinks he's good at swimming.

ugh

[Spastic]

You guys shouldn't talk down to the best runner in the world like this, show some respect he's gonna win us a gold medal someday.

[Godly]

I've started a new routine this semester, cause my teachers have told me that I need to gain muscle mass. I'm a dance student, by the way.

So that means that I already have either 1H and a half or 3H of dance class each week day, then I go to the gym on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

When at the gym I follow a basic outline of Cardio warm-up, weight training and ab work.
My cardio is either rowing or stationary bike on a high level to work my quads.
The weight training changes each time, but it's three different area's that I work out. Either Bicep+Tricep, Chest+Shoulder or a mix of a bit of everything.
The Ab workout changes every day, it's pretty much whatever we feel like working on at the time, but it's generally at least 15-20 minutes of pure abs.

So far this workout is going very well for me and hopefully I can keep it up for much longer.

[Prawnatron]

What's the best way to lose fat without any specialist equipment. I'm completely retarded when it comes to exercise.

[Quadros]

What's the best way to lose fat without any specialist equipment. I'm completely retarded when it comes to exercise.

Run. A couple of miles a day, and the fat will just drop off.

[Snarfnbarf]

I prefer bikes but like Quadros said, hte fat will drop off if you run.

[notafan]

You guys shouldn't talk down to the best runner in the world like this, show some respect he's gonna win us a gold medal someday.

And I'm gonna do it for the queers :salute:

[Pancho_Villa]

Is the chocolate milk/overprice muscle milk shake really that helpful as far as post workout recovery is concerned?

[Godly]

Protein shakes will indeed help you gain muscle mass if you take some right after a workout. Cause that's when your body is craving it the most.
So if you want to bulk up quicker then drinking protein shakes right after a hard workout will help you.

[Pancho_Villa]

Protein shakes will indeed help you gain muscle mass if you take some right after a workout. Cause that's when your body is craving it the most.
So if you want to bulk up quicker then drinking protein shakes right after a hard workout will help you.

In retrospect I understand the protein shake, but the chocolate milk one is confusing.

[notafan]

In retrospect I understand the protein shake, but the chocolate milk one is confusing.

Right here. (http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2006/06/announcing-the-new-sport-drink-chocolate-milk/)

[somebody]

I should start working out.

[Mr_Banana]

I'm going to go workout right now!

[Fidget321]

Would plain old push-ups, sit-ups or pull-ups not also help in losing weight?
Sorry, i'm just as clueless when it comes to working out at this stage...

[Mr_Banana]

Those help with building muscle mass and strength. You'd lose some weight, but nothing significant. Losing weight requires burning calories.

Try running for once.

[HumanShield]

I can only find the time to go to the gym 3 times a week, what with college and work, but I combine that with weights and running at home when I can. After reading this thread I think I'll invest in protein shakes though, especially if they aid recovery. Do people here take vitamin supplements as well?

e: Also, I've upped the intensity of my swimming, but I keep burning out pretty soon into the routine, its hard when you've been outta the pool for a while!

[ultrasoundchick]

I used to workout a lot, but not so much anymore, for various reasons. I'm trying to get back into though. Lately I've been working out on my wii fit. It makes exercising fun. I always start with yoga, to help me warm-up and stretch. Then I move onto cardio (running, step aerobics, boxing), followed by some strength training. I also end with yoga, to cool me down, and calm me as well.

Cottage cheese is also a great after workout snack. It is packed full of whey protein.

[StickSpartan]

Days
1.) Biceps and Back
2.) Triceps and Chest
3.) Forearms and Shoulders

Sups
Cell Mass and NOXplode

[John Travolta]

I don't work out. It's awesome.

[junglebunny]

I should start working out.
/
http://forums.explosm.net/image2.php?u=46085&dateline=1216853937&type=profile



nah

[Mr_Banana]

Phew, I'm pooped.

[WrongWayComics]

Inspired by the weight loss thread:

This thread is for discussing you're workout regimen (if any) and to get/give advice to help be more efficient and the gym. Also to give fatties some motivation.


My regimen is:

Day 1 - Chest and Abs

Day 2 - Shoulders and Back

Day 3 - Arms

I try to throw in at least 30 minutes of cardio each day (i like the bikes!!)

Is this good? I mean it seems to be working fairly well but I was just wondering if there was a more effective combination. Although I have to admit, I've been becoming increasingly lazy over the past couple weeks. I'll only go to the gym 3 days a week (if that). And I'll usually do them one after another, 3 days in a row, which leaves me with about 4 days with no gym. Is it smarter to take a day off in between? What's the best motivation to get off your ass?


Also I was wondering what the best thing to eat before/after the gym. Generally I have a bowl of cereal or a bagel before, and then either a can of tuna or a couple eggs afterwards. What would Explosm recommend?


So that's mine, what's yours?
Your regiment in the gym totally depends on your goals. Do you want to add muscle,? Burn fat? Get ripped? Usually guys want to get ripped, so they try to add muscle and burn fat at the same time, which is a beginner's mistake. First you need to add muscle, then burn fat.

Below I outline a very general plan to follow. This is what works for me.

Bulking up:

-Workout breakdown
For each muscle group you train...
First, perform a compound exercise. A compound exercise is one that involve two or more different joints. For example, squat is a compound exercise because it involves the hips and the knees. Compound exercises cause your body to produce more testosterone, which is essential in muscle development (steroids are just real or synthetic forms of testosterone).
Second, perform a stretch exercise. A stretch exercise involves a movement that stretches the muscle. For example, dumbbell fly is a stretch exercise because it stretches the chest muscle. Stretch exercises help the muscle lengthen and become bigger.
Third, perform a exhaustion exercise. An exhaustion exercise involves lighter weight and higher reps. Perform it until your muscles burn. Exhaustion exercises cause your body to produce growth hormones.
Use muscle confusion. You muscle become efficient at performing the same exercise over and over, and thus less muscle fibers are involved each time you perform the exercise. Switch up the exercise you use for each muscle group every three weeks.
EASY ON THE CARDIO. Too much cardio burns muscle. I personally do zero cardio when adding muscle.

As you get stronger in the gym, start using super-sets and drop-sets, which are specific type of exercise.

- Diet
You have two anabolic windows throughout the day: in the morning when you first wake and right after a workout. It is essential to eat during these times. Have meals with high protein (30g), carbs (40g), and fat (15g). Best thing to have is a protein shake, oatmeal, peanut butter, and fruit.
For the rest of the day, just eat, eat, eat. Even if you're not hungry, eat!

Cutting up:

- Workout break down
Same as bulking up. Don't change you workout regiment.

- Diet
For getting ripped, diet is the most important. You need to determine how many calories you burn in a day roughly, and make sure you eat less than that. When I'm cutting up, I burn about 1000 Cal per day (that means I burn 2500 Cals, but only consume 1500 Cals). That works out to loosing about 2 lbs per week.
This is tough and will take all your will power. I measure out all my food when I'm cutting up and really stick to burning 1000 Cals per day. One drinking/eating binge can erase days of work. Although, one or two cheat MEALS are okay and will help maintain your sanity.
Be prepared for the craziest hungry pains ever. I get so hungry when I'm cutting up that my tongue hurts.

[junglebunny]

Does anyone know some really good workouts for your lower abs. That's basically the only thing that's pissing me off at the moment (I can get like a 2-4 pack but still have a tiny pocket of fat at the bottom of my abs).

Are there any super secret lower ab workouts or should I just keep doing what I'm doing and hope for the best? Or should I do some lower body workouts? Hit cardio more? Anything will help, thanks.


EDIT: either way I'm doing more lower body shit, seems like I should

[Antisaint]

Get on a pair of bars like you're doing dips, but raise your legs perpendicular to your body, fully extended.

[junglebunny]

Aw I've been doing those but making my legs perpendicular to my body. Damnit.

[slayer41]

During cross country season i would run around 45 miles a week. In addition to that we did some core workouts and occasionally did speed work (400m's, 800m's, 1200m's etc.) 1200s suck the most. Now that its winter i still run but not nearly as much maybe 20 miles a week.

[ohemgee0321]

okay

[Intestiny Destiny]

I got abs now. :hunk:

[SODA]

I have calves like rocks from holding up my giant flabby torso all day long.

[junglebunny]

Oh hey my thread.


I don't do legs I need to start doing legs what should I do for legs?

[DoctorButt]

You skate right? That's pretty good for your legs. Since it's warm you should be able to.

[junglebunny]

I figure if I work on my legs they'll be stronger and I'll be able to ollie higher. Which would make it easier to learn tricks.


I kinda just started skating again so my legs are pussy.

[DoctorButt]

An effective leg workout routine can consist of the following exercises:

Run or cycle for 10 minutes (to warm up your muscles)
Squats - 3 sets of between 6 and 10 reps
Leg Extensions - 3 sets of between 6 and 10 reps
Calf Raises - 3 sets of between 6 and 10 reps Every one or two months, try alternating between one of the above exercises and one of the following:

Leg Curls
Leg Press
Lunge - 3 sets of between 20 and 30 reps The number of reps you perform will depend on your fitness goals.

If your aim is for strength or muscle size, perform between 6 - 10 reps
If your aim is for muscle tone, perform between 10 - 15 reps
If your aim is for aerobic fitness, perform 20 reps or more. For an aerobic workout, you don't really need to stick to this order. Your main focus is on raising your heartbeat - not lifting weights. Try jumping between these exercises and other muscle groups such as legs, chest etc. Also, try removing weights and perform between 50 and 100 sets of each.
What skateboard do you use?

[junglebunny]

Wow, that's actually extremely helpful thanks.

[Stickperson]

I just run everyday for 30-40 minutes. Also mountain biking and rock climbing keep me in pretty good shape, but thats more sport specific.

[Freek-a-LEEK]

One thing I've taken to recently that is awesome is Russian Situps. It consists of doing situps in various positions, such as with one leg in the air and things like that. A few sets and you're BURNING.

[Astronaut]

I ride 3.5 miles to my gym, go through the muay thai class which involves. Jump roping, bear crawling, squat jumps, tumbles, then into the combos, then into the bags. This all goes for about an hour in 5 minute intervals with 10 seconds in between. Then go upstairs and hit whatever I'm not sore on with light weight and high rep. Back down stairs to the treadmill where I jog with 2 pound weights in hand usually just about a mile. Then the ride home is the worst but also the icing.

Any martial art has trainers and they push you, otherwise I probably wouldn't bother doing any of that at all.

[junglebunny]

What skateboard do you use?

Like what brand? I'm skating an Almost Daewon Song Impact at the moment.


Anyone know some good wrist and forearm exercises?


EDIT: and let's just get it out of our systems now: JERK OFF LOL

[DoctorButt]

That's an alright brand, whatever gets you around I guess. I've a Enjoi board.
http://i19.tinypic.com/34ez601.jpg

[Stickperson]

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by wrist exercises, but being a rock climber I can give you a few that will work amazingly.

1. Heavy Finger Rolls- Set the squat rack so that the bench press bar rests at about knee height. Load weight onto it that should be about half your total body weight. Thumbs pointing outward, hands shoulder width apart, grip the bar. Lift the bar so it's lightly touching your thighs. Bend your knees slightly, center your hips and shoulders over your feet, keep your lower back straight, and face forward. This is critical because you don't want to much strain on your elbows, wrists, or back. Roll the bar up into a closed grip, pause, and roll it back again. Perform 10-20 reps. You really should tape your middle and ring fingers when performing this exercise however, as it helps reinforce the tendons. You really should use half your body weight, or else it wont be as effective. Also, I generally do around 5 sets with a short break between each.

2. Light Finger Rolls- Using a dumbbell about 1/5th your weight, sit with your legs in an open position and the working arm resting on the leg ( right arm, right leg). Ideally, the dumbbell should be resting in your hands as low as possible without falling. Roll the dumbbell so you have a full closed grip on it. Anywhere from 40-60 reps should do the trick.

A fingerboard is also a good investment. It allows for what are basically finger pull-ups, but you would have to set on up on a wall mount or some such.

this is a fingerboard.
http://www.bendcrete.com/gallery/Bendcrete%20Products/fingerboard-L.jpg (http://www.bendcrete.com/gallery/Bendcrete%20Products/fingerboard-L.jpg)

[Petey2112]

Does anyone know of a decent jumping program? I'm considering doing one, but no one I know has really done one with significant results.

[junglebunny]

That's an alright brand, whatever gets you around I guess. I've a Enjoi board.


I'm done derailing this thread, but I just want to say Almost and enjoi have the same distributor, Dwindle, so they are the exact same boards.

[SizzlingNickel]

I let my metabolism do all the work....sadly.

[Pancho_Villa]

I let my metabolism do all the work....sadly.

Shit's weak.

[Stealth Prawn]

Shit works.

Fixed.

Seriously, I don't work out at all and I'm like 120 pounds. I know, not exactly built, but too much muscle is gross as hell.

My biceps are weirdly large however.

[Allen]

Metabolism really doesn't mean shit if you don't exercise. I have a very fast metabolism and never gain any weight, but I sure as hell get out of shape, lose stamina, and feel like shit when I exercise. So don't think you've cheated some fucking system just because you're skinny.

I've just recently started working out again myself. Problem is that when I stopped I started smoking again. So I've been doing a run to the end of my street and back once every morning, (one that I used to be able to do five times easily), and I come back wheezing and feeling like shit. This has been great inclination to stop smoking. I'm down to one, maybe two, every other day or so. So maybe a pack and a half a month.

Aside from that, I get up ever morning, hit the ground and do 50 push-ups, 100 crunches, lat stretches, etc.

As far as weight lifting, I've been going to the gym at my university every weekday. I'll do heavy days MWF and light days Tuesday and Thursdays. I mostly do upper body, and avoid weight lifting with my legs too much. I'll incorporate some leg workouts on my heavy days, and that's about it. Because I have a job where I have to be on my feet 7 hours straight, six days a week, constantly walking, plus I do my morning runs, so I get leg exercise (and when I leg press, I'm still able to press 4 times my own body weight), and really could do without my legs feeling like jelly when I have to be on them constantly.

I've been playing basketball about 3 or 4 times a week with some friends, so that's helping my cardio recover from all the smoking as well.

I'm in great shape and it's pretty unanimous that I am fucking sexy and an all around stunning, glorious man.

[opn4bzns]

Metabolism really doesn't mean shit if you don't exercise. I have a very fast metabolism and never gain any weight, but I sure as hell get out of shape, lose stamina, and feel like shit when I exercise. So don't think you've cheated some fucking system just because you're skinny.

You kinda do if you don't care about sport though, it's easy to stay fit enough for everything else, and if you're not fat you're just doing exercise for the sake of it.

[BlackHood]

Being fit and being skinny are so far from each other its not even funny. "Working Out" indicates conditioning your body, so having a fast metabolism doesn't help when you're running to keep up with mates, or playing football or something. You might buy smaller clothes, but you can still be pathetic when it comes to anything more than gentle walking.

[ChuckNorris]

I do quite a lot of Exercise.Hey i gota keep in shape!

[opn4bzns]

Being fit and being skinny are so far from each other its not even funny. "Working Out" indicates conditioning your body, so having a fast metabolism doesn't help when you're running to keep up with mates, or playing football or something. You might buy smaller clothes, but you can still be pathetic when it comes to anything more than gentle walking.

I still fail to see how this significantly affects anything except sport. It's not like I break down panting when I try and walk up stairs.

[Dacada]

SKULL CRUSHERS.

[SizzlingNickel]

The secret to exercise.
http://www.explosm.net/movies/149/

[Shocklocks]

Firstly as a side note for jungle bunny. Don't worry so much about complicated routines full of lots of exercises. For example, proper full depth squats are the most important and only exercise you need to do for your legs(heck the core stability aspect of them means if they're done with other compound lifts they'll give your abs a good enough work out on their own) Edit: Also for grip/wrist strength look at some of the things martial artists do. For example check out sledge training http://www.geocities.com/ltgodfrey/lever.html as well as this article http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/drobson78.htm

Secondly it's kind of shocking(see what i did thur hoo!)that alot of you seem to think you need to be working out different body parts on different days. No person should want to limit each body part to 1 day a week if they don't have to. That sort of routine is designed for body builders lifting the type of weight with the type of intensity that they physically can't recover without a long rest time. For reletively untrained people(don't read this negatively, it's in no way intended to be) you're much better off doing a low rep programme that consists of a few basic compound lifts.

I could easily go on for pages and pages about the best way for a beginner to get started/get on a programme thats auctually designed for them. The best way is to find it outyourself though. If you're auctually serious and motivated about giving strength training a proper go then you should check this site out.

http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ

Mark Rippetoe is pretty much a living legend on the subject and his book is pretty much the bible for getting strong. It's specificly based for beginners and will give you better strength and mass gains then any other progamme you could possibly do.

[+++]

I'm a naturally skinny person. I'm 5'8 and about 120 pounds, and I haven't worked out regularly in like 2 years. I probably should.

[Stealth Prawn]

Metabolism really doesn't mean shit if you don't exercise. I have a very fast metabolism and never gain any weight, but I sure as hell get out of shape, lose stamina, and feel like shit when I exercise. So don't think you've cheated some fucking system just because you're skinny.
The thing about this is I'm not, nor have I ever been athletic. And yet I still have better endurance than anyone in my gym class. I can run longer, hold longer, and basically do lots like that. I'm not "built" but I am still in decent shape, and the most exercise I do is biking to the store and back every day to get some Doctor Pepper.

[Intestiny Destiny]

Some of us just have naturally better bodies than the rest.

[Allen]

The thing about this is I'm not, nor have I ever been athletic. And yet I still have better endurance than anyone in my gym class. I can run longer, hold longer, and basically do lots like that. I'm not "built" but I am still in decent shape, and the most exercise I do is biking to the store and back every day to get some Doctor Pepper.

Well, how old are you? I used to be that way up until the past year or so. Shit doesn't last, believe me.

[dirkadirka]

P90x is the best workout. its pretty hard on the body when you first do it but its worth it.

[junglebunny]

P90x is the best workout. its pretty hard on the body when you first do it but its worth it.

But that shit's fairly expensive and not everyone has room to do the exercises in/equipment to do the various exercises with.

[Arthenon]

But that shit's fairly expensive and not everyone has room to do the exercises in/equipment to do the various exercises with.
If you have a 10, 15 and 20 pound weight and either access to a pull up bar or one of the systems that attaches to a door frame, you can do it all in your room. There's no real space needed to do it, there's not running around involved. Though yeah, it is pretty expensive stuff, but it works great, I use that personally.

[JohnDoe]

But that shit's fairly expensive and not everyone has room to do the exercises in/equipment to do the various exercises with.

I don't find that it's expensive at all? A few of my friends are doing it and they get the workout off of torrent downloads (illegally of course) or they watch them in segments on youtube. Or, if you have a friend that owns it, just borrow it off of him.

Also like Arthenon said, there isn't really that much equipment needed for a lot of the exercises. You can get some of the best workouts in possible by just using your own body weight properly.

[Skipidiveinau]

http://www.teenbodybuilding.com/brent2.htm
I "completed" that to get endurance. It reguires strength of mind but you really feel your endurance going up to skies. Army was a walk in a park after that.
Nowadays I go to gym 2-3 times a week, do a bit nerfed version from that program above and started boxing. I'm an obsessed runner and want to run the marathon some day, but not for a couple of years from now. :)

[Kritza]

I still fail to see how this significantly affects anything except sport. It's not like I break down panting when I try and walk up stairs.

Being in shape (which includes proper diet and exercise) is key to living a long and healthy life. It doesn't just apply to playing sports.

[Byuki]

I usually do 3 times of Capoeira a week and 5 times of Judo with a bit of general sparring with friends. I also do an all body workout for 1.5-2 hours 3 times a week. I don't really enjoy the gym anymore without mates there, but Judo and Capoeira are the best.

[cptlol]

I do 3 times a week muscle training - arms, back, stomach, chest + Cardio: Running 5-10 kilometers, depends on the day I have asthma so my lungs start to "burn" easy.

And I walk everyday for a couple of kilometers, because I have RLS and without walking my legs are like vibrators @ night.

[KeyboardSpastic]

I WiiFit, twice daily. Does the trick for the old BMI.

[Allen]

I do 3 times a week muscle training - arms, back, stomach, chest + Cardio: Running 5-10 kilometers, depends on the day I have asthma so my lungs start to "burn" easy.

And I walk everyday for a couple of kilometers, because I have RLS and without walking my legs are like vibrators @ night.

Imma sit in your lap.

[ilovebrownies]

I figure if I work on my legs they'll be stronger and I'll be able to ollie higher. Which would make it easier to learn tricks.


I kinda just started skating again so my legs are pussy.

The most important thing to work on for ollies, is your legs' ability to generate 'explosive' momentum. The best way to do this is to just jump over tall stuff a lot.

[hollywood_maggot]

I do fuck all at the moment. I used to play soccer, but I quit since losing every match for two years, different clubs, really takes the fun away.

And I'm just not motivated to exercise on my own, although I really really should.

[Intestiny Destiny]

Workout with me! :yes:

[junglebunny]

The most important thing to work on for ollies, is your legs' ability to generate 'explosive' momentum. The best way to do this is to just jump over tall stuff a lot.

Yeah, obviously. My friend used to do all kinds of calve exercises to jump higher for basketball, so I figured it'd be the same idea. I know how to skateboard, I would just like to get a little more height for some of my tricks. Then maybe I can finally do a full-cab :hmm: