why arent you working out bro?

[wufwugy]

My question of the day:

Is it better to look stronger than you are or to be stronger than you look?

if youre serious, youll hafta provide more information and why in order to garner an adequate response.

[BankItDrew]

My question of the day:

Is it better to look stronger than you are or to be stronger than you look?

Because appearances are used and subjected much more frequently than levels of strength: the appearance of strength is more important.

[wufwugy]

Are you working out lately Wufuguy???

ive been struggling with several injuries for the last couple years. ive pumped a bit of money into therapy, and have fixed a couple problems, but not enough that i can lift again without too much hinderance

ultimately ive been lazy at throwing the money and time at the problem. actually the last year of my life has been a v lazy one. so ultimately it's my fault

[wufwugy]

My question of the day:

Is it better to look stronger than you are or to be stronger than you look?

Because appearances are used and subjected much more frequently than levels of strength: the appearance of strength is more important.

well there is a big problem in that it's not really possible to do just one or the other. it sorta is to a small degree, but not much.

[wufwugy]

also you guys should watch the documentary Bigger Stronger Faster. ive lost a lot of interest in this type of stuff and know a lot about it so figured it would be old news and uninteresting, but it was the opposite.

and fwiw, one of the main figures in the doc is Westside powerlifter and a coach on EliteFTS who used to post on t-nation/t-mag (maybe he still does, i dunno i havent been there for years) and a couple other training boards.

[BankItDrew]

^^^
saw it a month ago

I'm glad I watched it as it increased my knowledge in the area of steroids. Although, I did not change my stance on the subject: Risk<Reward

[BankItDrew]

*double posted*

My apologies:
TJ Fnord

[wesrman]

lol nah

powder is cheaper and goes in a shake

anyways, I too started hitting the gym last week, doing Rippetoe's SS program, hopefully in the next 3 months I can gain a lot of strength.

How did this go???

I have the book in PDF format.

[Lukie]

different strokes for different folks, i guess.

I never liked the 5 days a week one body part per day thing and if you read what i said later in the thread is that those splits usually only work for advanced lifters.

Isolation exercises are good for bringing up certain bodyparts and adding variety, but they dont build muscle nearly as well imo. Chins and barbell curls are much better at building muscle than concentration curls, but that doesnt mean they arent good ever.

Besides any advice is useless unless you apply it and see how it works for you cuz everyone is different and responds differently.

EDIT: and the key to what u said is that you're doing the main lifts, not avoiding them in favour of isolation exercises which is what a lot of people do. The reason people preach the basics is because they work. Its more about hard work than anything else, and the basics are hard. Bench, deads, squats, pull ups etc.

I agree with the overall premise here, but just to be nit picky, barbell curls (performed correctly) are an isolation exercise as well as concentration curls, although it's clear which one is the better mass movement.

In my eyes, and this is from a bodybuilding perspective, isolation work is necessary to see some beautiful (no homo) cuts in the various muscle groups.. e.g. being able to clearly see the different heads of the triceps and shoulders are great examples.

Now actually packing on muscle in the first place.. yes.. heavy compound lifts, lots of food, lots of sleep. There's no way around any of that for a natural lifter, so I think we agree on a lot here.

Also, re: splits, I think there's a lot to be said for 4 day splits.. basically taking mine, splitting up arms.. adding tri's after chest, bi's after back, rearranging everything a bit and adding a rest day on wednesday (2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off). A split similar to that has probably been the one I've used more than any other.

[Lukie]

My question of the day:

Is it better to look stronger than you are or to be stronger than you look?

I'm not a competitive weightlifter, nor am I a professional or D1 athlete. I am a guy though that hits on women at the pool, so for me, the answer is easy.

That said, there's a strong correlation between looking strong and being strong, so being able to move a lot of weight on the big lifts is important as well.

[wesrman]

Ya w/e works for you Lukie is best.

And LOL at the nit picking, you know what i meant.

I suggested the 2 way split just as a change up from wht you were doing for a while. You might be surprised at what a back to basics routine can do when you've been doing the same kind of split for a while. Not only for results, but in motivation. You probably would gain quite a bit of strength and then be super motivated to go back to your normal set up.

Have you thought about a 3 way split, push, pull, legs???

Im just throwing things out for discussion's sake. Im not trying to be argumentitive or say that what you're doing is wrong in any way.

[bigspenda73]

I look stronger than I am, and I don't like that!

[wesrman]

I look stronger than I am, and I don't like that!

Ive seen pics of you so you must be pretty weak. :P

Just kidding obv.

How long did you stick with Starting Strength for???

FWIW im pretty weak, and im not real happy about it either.

[Lukie]

Ya w/e works for you Lukie is best.

And LOL at the nit picking, you know what i meant.

I suggested the 2 way split just as a change up from wht you were doing for a while. You might be surprised at what a back to basics routine can do when you've been doing the same kind of split for a while. Not only for results, but in motivation. You probably would gain quite a bit of strength and then be super motivated to go back to your normal set up.

Have you thought about a 3 way split, push, pull, legs???

Im just throwing things out for discussion's sake. Im not trying to be argumentitive or say that what you're doing is wrong in any way.

Hmmm.. I was actually thinking of doing a push/pull/legs split for a few weeks to kind of let my body catch up a bit.. although for right now I'm just going to continue with my split right now but deloading a lot. I probably did about 60% of my normal volume today and cut back the intensity a good amount as well.

The great thing about lifting is that you have so much time to experiment and try new things, and those changes make sure your body never gets too comfortable or too used to your routines.

[bigspenda73]

I'm just not explosive, that's my final assessment, need to work on that.

[wesrman]

I'm just not explosive, that's my final assessment, need to work on that.

Check this out:
http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/articles.htm

This guy trains football players using this routine. The dynamic days will help with explosiveness.

[Lukie]

eating a stirfry with a half box of whole wheat pasta, 1.5 chicken breasts (probably something like 8-10 ounces uncooked), a tablespoon or so of olive oil, a half bag of frozen fibrous veggies, and a lot of parmesan cheese. Fuzzy math tells me something like ~100g carbs, ~75g protein, ~30g fat, ~1000 calories.

absolutely freaking delicious fwiw

I was inspired by this thread and I RAN to Taco Bell today.

[bigspenda73]

Just got back from the gym, I'm doing a pull day once a week to supplement my BP a little bit.

Started off with power cleans, hoping that if I can get good at these that'll make me more explosive. Made an attempt at 70 but couldn't get under the bar....WEAK.

Then t-bar rows, whatevs

Then deads, got 110x3 up, not bad seeing how I weight about ~80 but I'd love to get it to 130-140(mainly so I can say I can lift something weighing 300+lbs). My grip gives out, might need to look into straps.

Anyways, need to get more explosive!!!!!!!

[Lukie]

I was inspired by this thread and I RAN to Taco Bell today.

http://consumerist.com/388718/do-you...ey-does-anyone

http://www.ecoliblog.com/2008/05/art...es-yum-brands/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/taco-bell-pacifica-2

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...15846377280008

cheers

[Lukie]

Just got back from the gym, I'm doing a pull day once a week to supplement my BP a little bit.

Started off with power cleans, hoping that if I can get good at these that'll make me more explosive. Made an attempt at 70 but couldn't get under the bar....WEAK.

Then t-bar rows, whatevs

Then deads, got 110x3 up, not bad seeing how I weight about ~80 but I'd love to get it to 130-140(mainly so I can say I can lift something weighing 300+lbs). My grip gives out, might need to look into straps.

Anyways, need to get more explosive!!!!!!!

wait a second, were you using kg or lbs in your 2p2 thread?

i just kind of ASSumed that all americans always use pounds unless otherwise marked...

[bigspenda73]

I used lbs for the bench, not putting up 135kgs there :sad face:

[Lukie]

I used lbs for the bench, not putting up 135kgs there :sad face:

yet

[will641]

i need to get back in the gym. im getting fat.

[wesrman]

i need to get back in the gym. im getting fat.

No time like the present.

[DaddyDeez]

alrite, lately ive been getting more and more out of shape and my eating habits have gotten worse and worse, i live in tha middle of nowhere and the nearest gym is like an hr away, my sleeping habits are horrible but i sleep alot. lately ive been jogging as soon as i wake up, just until i get tired and then doing stuff on the total gym(lol) for a bit.
none of this really seems to do anything with the way i eat so help me out, be my personal trainer!

[Lukie]

alrite, lately ive been getting more and more out of shape and my eating habits have gotten worse and worse, i live in tha middle of nowhere and the nearest gym is like an hr away, my sleeping habits are horrible but i sleep alot. lately ive been jogging as soon as i wake up, just until i get tired and then doing stuff on the total gym(lol) for a bit.
none of this really seems to do anything with the way i eat so help me out, be my personal trainer!

Do you have a specific goal in mind?

Could you lay out what you might eat on a typical day or week? I tend to favor making small changes at a time instead of a massive diet overhaul, but some of the simpler basics include:

- Eat small, frequent, balanced meals (with protein!).

- Drink lots of water

- Avoid processed and refined food as much as possible and eat whole food instead.

- Keep your Potassium:Sodium ratio high, ideally 5:1 or so, or at least as high as possible/practical.

- Take a quality multivitamin everyday.

- Sleep lots

Also, maybe try to get a more comprehensive workout in.. for example you could do a lot of bodyweight exercises in addition to the total gym, and move that entire workout to another point in the day where you're more well-fed. Then you could do your jogging either in the morning or after your de facto weight workout as much or as little as you desire.. you really have to go on feeling there. If you're getting tired and fatigued throughout the day for example, you'd obviously cut back a bit.

[bigspenda73]

Lukie might have seen this, not sure about anyone else:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DdAD...eature=related

[DaddyDeez]

Do you have a specific goal in mind?

jus to look as good as possible.

Could you lay out what you might eat on a typical day or week? I tend to favor making small changes at a time instead of a massive diet overhaul,

alot of junk, lots of pizza,steak, subs and chinese food. its hard to give a perfect example cuz i jus eat whatever.
i dont have any problem with a massive diet change id actually prefer it. water is the only thing i drink as of late.

im tryin to think of a routine i can follow every day to help myself make it a habit.
so far ive got... wakeup-run-chores-total gym-eat somthing with my multivita-4hr poker session-situps-push ups- eat somthing again-?
is there some sort of schedule i should focus on for eating habits, like a small meal every 3 hrs?
thx

[CoccoBill]

i dont have any problem with a massive diet change id actually prefer it.

Ok so this is strictly about diet, so I won't even mention working out.

If you want to lose some pounds quickly, feel great about yourself for a while and then go back to your old ways and gain it all back (and then some), sure, why not. Then again if you want to change your lifestyle permanently, get fit and stay fit, you might want to try a more gradual approach.

What I did was lose 1 - pick up 1. As in, get rid of one bad habit and start a good one, and stick to them! This was more than 10 years ago, but as I recall my first month objective was to stop eating baked shit. Donuts, cakes, pies, rolls, tarts and other shit, no more, ever. At the same time I started eating salads every day. Not necessarily as a main course, but making sure I get my greens and veggies every day. The next month lose another one and add another one. Keep doing it until you're not a fat bastard.

[wesrman]

Here is a sick workout i found on www.rosstraining.com, which is an awesome site that everyone should check out.

http://www.rosstraining.com/articles/deckofcards.html

You can use any exercises you want.

For example
spades- burpees
clubs- chin ups
hearts- push ups
diamonds sit ups

Just pull out a card and do that many reps for the ecercise that matches the suit, then pull out the next card etc. Time yourself and try to beat your time next time you do it or if you're not in good enough condition you can do as many cards as possible for half an hour and then try to do more cards each time until you can do all the cards.

[Lukie]

Lukie might have seen this, not sure about anyone else:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DdAD...eature=related

I saw it when the thread was still alive and thought I commented on it at the time, but the 2 sickest things in here are the explosive bench press "throw" (albeit stupid, IMO), and snatches from the hang with a ridiculous amount of weight. Lots of good stuff in here though from an explosive/athletic standpoint.

[Reidak]

i would advise against most people trying the bench press throws at home, or even at the gym with a spotter. You would probably get kicked out real fast.

Update on my progress:

lazy as fuck. sorry everyone. lol. i plan on working out starting thursday, then a weekend day, then mondays. Im sick atm and my tues and wednesdays are the busiest days of my week.

[euphoricism]

Im doing the famous couch to 5k running plan (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml)

Today was the first day of week 2. Holy fuck I thought I was toast, but I made it.

For anyone wondering, I'm about 5'11, 202.8 lbs this morning. I dont eat right, and I drink too much beer. I'm actually really scrawny, i just have a huge beer belly.

[Lukie]

so today was back day, and I started with deadlifts. After my last set I was going to rack my weights and I felt something trickling down my shin. Fuck. I caught my shin on the way down and it was bleeding pretty good.. blood from my shin down to near my sock. I felt kinda bad because were it someone else, I'd be pretty pissed off (I'm big on cleanliness). Anyway, I washed up real good in the bathroom, got a few band-aids on, and sprayed down/wiped off the bar as best as I could.

I think I'm going to wear long pants or shin guards whenever I do deadlifts from now on.

Also, to the person that does lat pulldowns (because you are clearly not strong enough to do legit pullups), yet proceeds to use the whole weight stack and somehow turn the exercise into a full body momentum swing then allows the weight to crash down: you are a pathetic human being. And stop walking around like you have lats; you don't.

[bigspenda73]

Yea you have to wear pants when you deadlift/clean

as someone said "we don't want you leaving your DNA on the bar"

my shins are pretty banged up from deading

Yea, I love that lat pulldown guy too, violently swinging his body, do a fucking row genius. Also, t-bar rows much better.

[Reidak]

QFLatpulls