Gym thread

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

I applied this to my leg exercises today, and I did a 72.5 kg squat for 12 reps
I'm not trying to build mass in my legs, I want them stronger. I'd like to improve my vertical jump, but I don't have anything in terms of resistance I could use to do plyometrics. Should I go for 6-8 reps or 12+?

Anything can be used for resistance. I suggest using milk jugs and filling them with sand to an appropriate weight, if you don't have dumbbells. You should look up and try box squats to help improve your verticle jump. You can hold the milk jugs to your side while completing this exercise. As far as reps and sets go, I'd do 3 sets of 6 reps. Once that seems relatively easy, then add more sand to the jugs.

[yogurt_21]

[El_Mayo]

Originally Posted by paulieg

Anything can be used for resistance. I suggest using milk jugs and filling them with sand to an appropriate weight, if you don't have dumbbells. You should look up and try box squats to help improve your verticle jump. You can hold the milk jugs to your side while completing this exercise. As far as reps and sets go, I'd do 3 sets of 6 reps. Once that seems relatively easy, then add more sand to the jugs.

I looked up the box squat and watch this video
It seems pretty good, but those look like specialist kinda gyms. My gym doesn't have bands or any boxes to sit down on
I will change my normal squat stance and make the feet a bit wider though. It's a bit annoying because that looks like the kind of squat that'll gimme the exact result I want

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

I looked up the box squat and watch this video
It seems pretty good, but those look like specialist kinda gyms. My gym doesn't have bands or any boxes to sit down on
I will change my normal squat stance and make the feet a bit wider though. It's a bit annoying because that looks like the kind of squat that'll gimme the exact result I want

But look what Louie (west side god) is using. The gym has to have a chair or something that you could use.

[El_Mayo]

Originally Posted by paulieg

But look what Louie (west side god) is using. The gym has to have a chair or something that you could use.

nah there isn't surprisingly enough
All the gym benches are too low for that kinda thing too :/

[El_Mayo]

Watching some videos on Youtube, I've found another mistake with my shoulder and chest press form
I overemphasise the upward motion and lock out my elbows, and make the dumbells touch at the top
I've seen people's routine's on youtube and they don't appear to be doing the same so I figure it's not unnecessary?

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

nah there isn't surprisingly enough
All the gym benches are too low for that kinda thing too :/

You can do hack squats, which will essentially give you the same results.

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

Watching some videos on Youtube, I've found another mistake with my shoulder and chest press form
I overemphasise the upward motion and lock out my elbows, and make the dumbells touch at the top
I've seen people's routine's on youtube and they don't appear to be doing the same so I figure it's not unnecessary?

You never want to "lock out" on any exercise. It takes the weight off of the muscle and on to the connective tissue. Always leave a very slight bend at the top of of any pushing exercise.

[El_Mayo]

Originally Posted by paulieg

You can do hack squats, which will essentially give you the same results.



You never want to "lock out" on any exercise. It takes the weight off of the muscle and on to the connective tissue. Always leave a very slight bend at the top of of any pushing exercise.

noted
I'm gonna try and do some more cardio and lose fat, but I'm not really feeling the whole bulking/cutting phases.
Any tips on losing some fat? Not necessarily weight, cos I don't mind staying at 86kg if I put the weight back on in muscle

Atm I haven't put any real effort into my diet besides cutting out junk food (crisps, chocolate, McDonalds etc.) Calorie counting just seems looooong to me

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

noted
I'm gonna try and do some more cardio and lose fat, but I'm not really feeling the whole bulking/cutting phases.
Any tips on losing some fat? Not necessarily weight, cos I don't mind staying at 86kg if I put the weight back on in muscle

Atm I haven't put any real effort into my diet besides cutting out junk food (crisps, chocolate, McDonalds etc.) Calorie counting just seems looooong to me

You don't really need to do bulking/cutting phases unless you are really serious about the bodybuilding hobby. To put it simply, if you do a full body strength training routine, with moderate weight, 2-3x per week, and another 2-3 days of reasonably high intensity cardio, you will be doing the exercise related things to get generally fit and toned. Thing is, exercise is 40% of it. Diet accounts for the rest. For general fitness, just like exercise, you don't need to go crazy with the diet and count every calorie. You simply need to stay away from the junk, and cut carbs after 6pm at night. If the rest of your diet is balanced, and reasonably high in protein, you will see results. Of course, if you ever set your goals higher, additional adjustments will need to be made to your diet and exercise. However, none of it is rocket science.

El Mayo: Did you really mean to give me a "no thank you"? LOL

[El_Mayo]

Originally Posted by paulieg

You don't really need to do bulking/cutting phases unless you are really serious about the bodybuilding hobby. To put it simply, if you do a full body strength training routine, with moderate weight, 2-3x per week, and another 2-3 days of reasonably high intensity cardio, you will be doing the exercise related things to get generally fit and toned. Thing is, exercise is 40% of it. Diet accounts for the rest. For general fitness, just like exercise, you don't need to go crazy with the diet and count every calorie. You simply need to stay away from the junk, and cut carbs after 6pm at night. If the rest of your diet is balanced, and reasonably high in protein, you will see results. Of course, if you ever set your goals higher, additional adjustments will need to be made to your diet and exercise. However, none of it is rocket science.

El Mayo: Did you really mean to give me a "no thank you"? LOL

Haha, no I did not! Why does that button even exist...
Staying away from junk is so much easier than I thought, however I still think I eat too much/badly. I'll eat like 2 jacket potatoes at night, and apparently you're supposed to eat 4-6 small meals a day, and I eat 2-3 massive ones instead *oops*

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

Haha, no I did not! Why does that button even exist...
Staying away from junk is so much easier than I thought, however I still think I eat too much/badly. I'll eat like 2 jacket potatoes at night, and apparently you're supposed to eat 4-6 small meals a day, and I eat 2-3 massive ones instead *oops*

There is no one size fits all for eating. However, if you can learn to "graze", by eating a bunch of small meals, your body will utilize things like protein more efficiently. You could also just eat 3 moderate meals, and a couple of small, nutritious snacks, and it's essentially the same thing. If you have a smart phone, download "my fitnesspal" from the Play store. It's free, and will help you track your nutrition.

[El_Mayo]

Originally Posted by paulieg

There is no one size fits all for eating. However, if you can learn to "graze", by eating a bunch of small meals, your body will utilize things like protein more efficiently. You could also just eat 3 moderate meals, and a couple of small, nutritious snacks, and it's essentially the same thing. If you have a smart phone, download "my fitnesspal" from the Play store. It's free, and will help you track your nutrition.

I'ma download that now
Watched this video on squatting, and I'm gonna try and improve my form next time I go into the gym. Before I squatted by just going straight down instead of leaning back at the hips, then going down
Gonna try it next time I go in, with 20kg less than what I squatted last time (72.5) and I'll try and get my hips below the knee joint

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

I'ma download that now
Watched this video on squatting, and I'm gonna try and improve my form next time I go into the gym. Before I squatted by just going straight down instead of leaning back at the hips, then going down
Gonna try it next time I go in, with 20kg less than what I squatted last time (72.5) and I'll try and get my hips below the knee joint

Simple trick for good squating technique. You just push your ass back instead of down, and make sure you keep your head up so that you can always see the wall or mirror in front of you. These 2 things will keep your form proper. Also, remember that your knee should go no more than perfectly horizontal at the bottom of the exercise, and stay slow and controlled. No bouncing up.

[theJesus]

Originally Posted by El_Mayo

Why does that button even exist...

For people like DDD.

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by theJesus

For people like DDD.

Exactly. Sadly though, he is a fungus that has taken hold around here. Kinda like the kid in High School that rode the short bus, and was given the "special" job as football team assistant trainer or mascot. He was so annoying for so long that he is now part of the GN fabric.

[theJesus]

Originally Posted by paulieg

Excactly. Sadly though, he is a fungus that has taken hold around here. Kinda like the kid in High School that rode the short bus, and was given the "special" job as football team assistant trainer or mascot. He was so annoying for so long that he is now part of the GN fabric.

lmfao, are you referencing Radio?

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by theJesus

lmfao, are you referencing Radio?

LOL. Actually, no. I'm referencing that kid from when I was in High school, and every school I've worked in, when I was doing Transition School to work counseling a few years ago. There is always one of those kids that somehow transcends from incredibly annoying to pathetically endearing.

Edit: Cuba Gooding Jr was great in that movie.

[theJesus]

You're absolutely right, I remember having a couple at my schools as well.

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by theJesus

You're absolutely right, I remember having a couple at my schools as well.

Well, DDD is our equivalent at GN.

[theJesus]

Indeed.

[DaveK]

Started this today, it's a nice change from the supersets I was doing. It feels like I'm working a whole new group of muscles though the wrist curls are a killer and the cross-shoulder extensions are tough too, I've gone down to 10lb dumbbells from 15lbs because of it.

It's quicker than the supersets but doesn't feel as intense though I still feel the muscles getting worked when I'm done. I do 3 runs of the circuit but I might add a fourth. The concentration bicep curls are my favorite, it's a nice twist on the standard boring bicep curl and there's something rather satisfying about watching everything work in your arm as you go through the motion.

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by DaveK

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...a/P1140652.jpg

Started this today, it's a nice change from the supersets I was doing. It feels like I'm working a whole new group of muscles though the wrist curls are a killer and the cross-shoulder extensions are tough too, I've gone down to 10lb dumbbells from 15lbs because of it.

It's quicker than the supersets but doesn't feel as intense though I still feel the muscles getting worked when I'm done. I do 3 runs of the circuit but I might add a fourth. The concentration bicep curls are my favorite, it's a nice twist on the standard boring bicep curl and there's something rather satisfying about watching everything work in your arm as you go through the motion.

I really hope that your workouts do not center around arms. Think compound exercises that his several muscle groups at once. Way too much bicep work in those pics. Biceps are about the least useful muscle in the upper body, and deserve the smallest amount of attention. If this is simply a "arm day" change of pace, then it's all good.

[El_Mayo]

Originally Posted by theJesus

For people like DDD.

who? lol

Originally Posted by paulieg

Simple trick for good squating technique. You just push your ass back instead of down, and make sure you keep your head up so that you can always see the wall or mirror in front of you. These 2 things will keep your form proper. Also, remember that your knee should go no more than perfectly horizontal at the bottom of the exercise, and stay slow and controlled. No bouncing up.

Yeah that's what I try and do now, I try to drive my ass up! I've started using a lot less weight for more reps with better form (this whole time I hadn't been going low enough, and I'd been going straight down, instead of sticking my ass back)
I did 15 reps w/ 40 kg
It seems like a little, but form > weight
I did a lot of reps cos I heard with legs the rep range has to be a lot higher (15+)
seems legit enough

Also my exams are over next Thursday, which means I have more spare time and I'm gonna try and lose some fat over the summer
Any tips on the nutrition part? I think I've got the whole exercise part down (compound exercises -> High intensity interval cardio, repeat), but I eat literally somewhere around 500-750g in carbs every day. Some days I'll have pasta 3 times a day, is it that big a deal? Carby foods are just staple in my house. Will I have to change that to lose a lot of fat?

[DaveK]

Originally Posted by paulieg

I really hope that your workouts do not center around arms. Think compound exercises that his several muscle groups at once. Way too much bicep work in those pics. Biceps are about the least useful muscle in the upper body, and deserve the smallest amount of attention. If this is simply a "arm day" change of pace, then it's all good.

I picked the arm circuit because it's simple as I only have dumbbells and as a breather while I change my routine. I'm not focused on the biceps though, I'm more into the triceps, shoulders and traps. I think I just worked around the biceps because they showed the quickest results.

I want to add more back stuff like the deadlift and dumbbell rowing. I think I ignored stuff like the the deadlift before because I have the cycling for my legs.

I'm not focused on any muscle in particular, I'm just doing the circuit because as a whole it hits a group of muscles and I see it as a set so in my mind it's kind of like a compound exercise. The only problem is I have to try and plan around what I have which at the moment is just 2 dumbbells with up to 15lbs.

[paulieg]

Originally Posted by DaveK

I picked the arm circuit because it's simple as I only have dumbbells and as a breather while I change my routine. I'm not focused on the biceps though, I'm more into the triceps, shoulders and traps. I think I just worked around the biceps because they showed the quickest results.

I want to add more back stuff like the deadlift and dumbbell rowing. I think I ignored stuff like the the deadlift before because I have the cycling for my legs.

I'm not focused on any muscle in particular, I'm just doing the circuit because as a whole it hits a group of muscles and I see it as a set so in my mind it's kind of like a compound exercise. The only problem is I have to try and plan around what I have which at the moment is just 2 dumbbells with up to 15lbs.

Well, in your situation, you should just work a circuit hitting every muscle group. That little arm circuit is just excessively hitting vanity muscles, which is all but worthless. So are 15 lb dumbbells, except for maybe some light overhead shoulder presses,front raises, and maybe some hammer curls. It's much too light for anything else. I can give you some bodyweight exercises that will give you much better results than anything those 2 little 15 lb dumbbells will do for you. Just PM me, if you like me to develop a little program for you. As far as nutrition goes, it depends on your goals. In general it's really easy to have carbs be wasted calories. It would help if you gave me a sample diet from and average day. Then I can critique and offer suggestions.