Exercising - Weight Lifting

[qwerty]

High all. Do you any exercising, lifting weights, training, etc.? The reason I ask is because I do weight lifting and I would like to hear from someone who knows more than me the best techniques so I am not wasting my time. I consider myself to be in great physical condition, as I was a wrestler in high school, and a damn good one, among other things. However, I strive to be in optimum condition. Specifically abdominal training is of interest to me. I strive to look like the men in the Bowflex commercials. Fit yet well-defined muscles. I know it will take a lot of work to get there, but I am not afraid of the path. If you are one of those men, please share some of your techniques and opinions. Should I just buy a bowflex? I'd rather not. I have a weight bench and curl bars. Thank you.

 

[Guest423]

whats up bro? i workout 5 nights a week....i did this for a year straight last yr then fucked up my ankle and missed about 7 months....i'm back on track now though...been going strong for about a month and a half.

you probably already know this but if you don't what you eat is the most important part, i eat eggs, tuna, steaks, wheat bread, fruits, veggies, kashi cereal, nuts, small amounts of peanut butter,yogurt,and protein shakes after you workout, ect....i'm not the super strict type so i sneak in a couple meals a week that isn't the greatest for you like pizza,chips, and other fattening foods. to burn fat and get leaned and ripped like your talking you want to try and eat about 6 times a day....even you ladies reading this if your trying to lose weight eating more times a day helps your metabolism burn fat faster then starving yourself....so you actually eat more but you eat smarter and more healthy.

i'm not ripped and lean like the guys your talking about but i'm healthy and very athletic....i was almost there before i got hurt with my sports injury....but then i sat around for 6-7 months straight and started to go back to an unhealthy diet....put on about 10lbs all on the gut too....but since i've started going again and eating right i already dropped 4% off my body fat....another month of hard work and a good diet and i'll have my 6 pack ready for spring forsure.

i find it for me anyway that it's easier to stay motivated if you have a membership at a gym instead of working out at home....i have an universal gym here but when it's set up all i say to myself is i'll do it later since it's only right in the next room....but when i go to the gym i just have more motivation and i keep my schedule going easier.

also you have to decide if you want to build muscle mass or do you want to just get lean and ripped...or a combo of both....you can't skimp out on your cardio work either....i run on the eliptical every night and jump rope....jumping rope is the meanest workout you can do...you'll get lean quick and gain mad stamina quick jumping rope.

 

[Guest]

qwerty

Was a Phys. Ed major in college & on the wrestling team also. I'd say screw the bowflex type of crap. Sounds like you are young and highly motivated so, I'd go with free weights as much as possible for your strength training. For cardio work I personally like to run hills.............prefer to be out doors myself.

Have fun.

Bh

 

[Uncle Jesse]

I lettered in wrestling also where they encouraged weights, all kinds of good benefits
from it, a long time ago i set a school record weighed 126 Lbs my JR yr and benched 200.
alot of kids can probly do that now but back then , not many , my best to date is
270 Lbs 3 reps then i racked it.

if your younger stay with free weights it improves balance and coordination.
i rode and still ride bicycle, use a heavy bag,
if you want definition higher reps with lighter weights if you want mass lower reps with more weight but always use perfect form and i would also suggest sets of five the first being a liter warm up, don't over do it and hurt your self, set small goals you can achieve , then you won't look at it as a chore, and about three times a week for weights like mon , wens, fri, then tues thurs for cardio .
theres alot of good info out there , good luck UJ

 

[Guest423]

make sure not to over work your muscles too..in order to build they need a break.

here's an example of what i do...everyone has a different way but here's mine.

sun- upper body, mon- lower body and abs, tues- upper body, wed- lower body and abs, thurs- upper body....then i take fri and sat off...then sunday it would be lower body and abs, mon- upper body, ect, ect,....i do cardio everyday before i lift....atleast 5-10 minutes worth to get warmed up and stretched out.

another important thing...don't forget to stretch before and after each workout.

 

[fr33th3w33d]

try not to drink too much protein either. i used to until my brother got kidney stones from that crap.

other than that, lift what you feel is right for you. don't overdo it and EAT as much NATURAL protien as possible. eggs, steaks, nuts, and pretty much any meat.

 

[TrichomusCaesar]

All I know is that free-weights will give you the best muscle tone and strength than any of those crappy weight machines....reason is because you completely control the motion of the weight...thus using the small, yet significant stabilizer muscles that don't get worked out using machines.

 

[James Morrison]

free weights cant be beat..iron if you can, they last a long time, and the sand filled ones can get damaged and messy....

diet is extremely importent

your protien should be at least 1.5 grams per pound of bofy weight a day, spaced out if you can....good protien too, try to get weigh protien like that found in meat and fish

creatine supplements either in drink or pill, or in meal replacment shakes..whatever) , amino acids taken dailey either in liquid form or pill before work out (I like the orangy liquid taste)

also a dailey vitamin C pill or whatever for an antioxident

As for workouts....its best to rotate and rest your mussles....also VERY IMPORTENT: do different areas different days..
EX:
Day 1 = chest, biceps, back, abs
Day 2 = shoulders, triceps, legs,
Day 3 abs
Day 4 off
REPEAT

I also like to stack, meaning start off light and increse weight

remember to incline the bench when bench pressing to work entire chest...butterfly free weights laying down TEARS my chest to shreads!!!!

If i think of something else I'll let you know...

 

[sm0kateer4204]

Abs are muscles you can work every day. just go to google.com search for ab work out videos. do you have an idea of your body fat percentage? a male has to get down to 10% body fat for his abs to show through.
the bowflex guys are at about 8 % body fat. just make sure you have a good amount of muscle of you'll look like a skeleton that skinny.

 

[Guest]

I workout... I do cardiovascular, leg weights and pilates and in warmer weather I walk about 4 miles/day and bike 3-4 times a week... not sure how far I bike ... I go on some bike trails.

My workout consists of 15 min./stair stepper... then pilates (mainly abdominal stuff) and 20 lb leg weights... doing various leg lifts ... for quads, hams & gluts... like everyone else says you want to rest your muscles... they need time to heal with the workout they are getting... I generally do this workout every other day... when the weather is nice I walk daily... My upper body gets plenty of workout with my job...

Like everyone has said what you eat is very important... I eat alot of fresh fruits/vegetables... avoid things made with white flour/white sugar... I prefer brown rice to white rice too. I drink ALOT of water... pretty much all I drink ...oh except for milk on my corn flakes!
also eating smaller more frequent meals... I eat about 6 small meals a day ... speeds up your metabolism and you have more energy... I snack on fruit throughout the day pretty much ... and when you are stoned... damn fruit tastes the best

 

[glock23]

If you want to get cut up enough for a six-pack to show, you have to do lots of cardio. If you want to gain some muscle, do that first, then work out at the same intensity (same weights, reps, sets) and up your cardio to 1/2 an hour a day, 5x a week. Eat clean; you'll have to eat less than you're burning to get rid of that fat. I work out 3-4x a week and I follow every workout with cardio (normally the bike).

 

[Growda]

Bruce Lee, Art of Expressing the Human Body.

If it's efficiency you're looking for there's no better way, a good deal of the book is devoted to maximizing just that. I'm only swimming and judo so not as heavy lifting as wrestling would be but I found the book very helpful in developing intensive, targeted body building regiments.

 

[Hal]

Can I still eat my barbeque? Can't picture my world without the occasional barbeque.

 

[James Morrison]

forgot to stress cardio!!!!! Treadmills, running...

I hate doing abs....it is good to rest muscles though after tearing them apart, thats how they build mass...every other day seems logical IMHO
but then again....I hate doing abs!!!

 

[Guest423]

the abs thing is debatable, i've read articles that say u can work them everyday then i've seen the same amount of articles that say it isn't good...so it's a judgement call really.

bruce lee was ripped, u see that dude when he flexes before he fought in movies?

i doubt a little bq sauce will hurt, unless your a total health freak....but these days you can get low fat everything....sometimes the product tastes way different being low fat but some products taste the same...just depends how serious you want to get.

 

[Guest]

I agree with T2U... a lil bq won't hurt... check the whole label... calories... fat ... carbs... most low fat items are REALLY high in carbs... carbs are mainly for energy.. so for someone who is working out.. won't hurt but alot of people are fooled with the low-fat items as they make up for it in carbs... not good carbs either and if they aren't active to burn up those carbs... carbs are converted to glucose excess glucose is then converted to glycogen, used to make nonessential amino acids and specific body compounds... or be converted to fat and stored... then they wonder why they can't lose weight!

Peace~

 

[Guest]

I used to be into trying to look all fit, but soon realized it wasn't worth all the effort. I then got into rock climbing... you keep fit in that, and surprisingly you end up in way better shape than lots of other training you can do. But you never look huge. You just become more defined, toned, and really flexible.

Its hard chasing after images... and in my experience its not worth it. Its better to just enjoy exercising for the enjoyment itself. For me going after an image actually was hurting me in life. And I did that for probably 10 years.

One thing was that I attracted woman who really only cared about physical intimacy because of my body. It wasn't like I was always super ripped and it was obvious to see...but because I personally was so obsessed about it, thats what I got.

To be healthy, you don't need to look like some male barbie in the men's health magazines. I think we've distanced ourselves somewhat from reality, and now we think thats what we need to look like. Its the same thing that girls go through, if they look at beauty mags all the time.

For example. Look at pecs. If you open up a men's health, you'll see a guy with pecs that look so big and plump. Thats not healthy. Thats just the result of pushing and exercising that muscle excessively. I doubt anywhere, or anytime in the world, a man would naturally have that look... Sure pecs can become harder and more defined, but thats just ridiculous.

I think a good example of someone who is strong with his muscles, is the Strongest Man competitions. If I ever had to go back to regular weight training, I would train that way. To me thats functional strength. Some of those guys look cut, but you can tell they look different than model bodybuilders. They can really kick some ass...

Movement is health. Get out and move. Move around some weight. Use your muscles. But ideally exercise and movement should be something you like mentally as well as physically... Don't go to the gym and punish yourself 5 times a week... If you are dreading to go then whats the point? Find something else. Martial arts, dance, there is so much to do...even gardening is movement...

Walk/bike to work, or other places. Just throwing a few trips in your week doing that will increase your natural cardio. Plus saves the environment a bit. Its also WAY easier to do cardio this way, because you actually have a goal in mind. You really kinda of lose track of the fact that your exercising.

I have to go, but I could write so much more on this. I'm 25. I've been putting myself through exercise plans since I was 8. I also became a certified personal trainer a few years ago.

I suppose if the OP wants to become ripped, then my post isn't the right place. I just think if you want to be physically healthy, its better in the long term to try to enjoy your exercise, and also to build it into your life as much as possible.

 

[nycdfan042]

that new bowflex all in one dum bell looks cool, but im not sure if tis the way to go since it could change the balance of the dum bell
i personally am in horrible shape but every new year i promise myself ill get in shape. When i do work out i weight lift free weights and machines bt jsut like you i woul dlike some guidance since im not a regular at my gym i feeel dumb asking the muscle heads at my place for help(they tend to look at me funny anyways) i too would like some general newb info on starter regimens like back legs etc and when to do em/ how many reps etc.
i have a friend who doenst work out or anything, smokes eats whatever he wants and he jsut rock climbs and hes got a great body..chicks just fall all over him and im like damn dood this guy at leasst knows what to do with em lol

 

[Guest]

Back in highschool I was on the football team. Benched a 330lbs 1 rep. that was my best. I still lift weights but I don't max myself out b/c of an injury a number of years ago.

 

[Sativa_Fan]

I used to be into trying to look all fit, but soon realized it wasn't worth all the effort. I then got into rock climbing... you keep fit in that, and surprisingly you end up in way better shape than lots of other training you can do. But you never look huge. You just become more defined, toned, and really flexible.

Its hard chasing after images... and in my experience its not worth it. Its better to just enjoy exercising for the enjoyment itself. For me going after an image actually was hurting me in life. And I did that for probably 10 years.

One thing was that I attracted woman who really only cared about physical intimacy because of my body. It wasn't like I was always super ripped and it was obvious to see...but because I personally was so obsessed about it, thats what I got.

To be healthy, you don't need to look like some male barbie in the men's health magazines. I think we've distanced ourselves somewhat from reality, and now we think thats what we need to look like. Its the same thing that girls go through, if they look at beauty mags all the time.

For example. Look at pecs. If you open up a men's health, you'll see a guy with pecs that look so big and plump. Thats not healthy. Thats just the result of pushing and exercising that muscle excessively. I doubt anywhere, or anytime in the world, a man would naturally have that look... Sure pecs can become harder and more defined, but thats just ridiculous.

I think a good example of someone who is strong with his muscles, is the Strongest Man competitions. If I ever had to go back to regular weight training, I would train that way. To me thats functional strength. Some of those guys look cut, but you can tell they look different than model bodybuilders. They can really kick some ass...

Movement is health. Get out and move. Move around some weight. Use your muscles. But ideally exercise and movement should be something you like mentally as well as physically... Don't go to the gym and punish yourself 5 times a week... If you are dreading to go then whats the point? Find something else. Martial arts, dance, there is so much to do...even gardening is movement...

Walk/bike to work, or other places. Just throwing a few trips in your week doing that will increase your natural cardio. Plus saves the environment a bit. Its also WAY easier to do cardio this way, because you actually have a goal in mind. You really kinda of lose track of the fact that your exercising.

I have to go, but I could write so much more on this. I'm 25. I've been putting myself through exercise plans since I was 8. I also became a certified personal trainer a few years ago.

I suppose if the OP wants to become ripped, then my post isn't the right place. I just think if you want to be physically healthy, its better in the long term to try to enjoy your exercise, and also to build it into your life as much as possible.

Yea, I know exactly what you mean. I was into bodybuilding seriously for almost 10 years. I was very knowledgeable on the subject, and developed somewhat of a name for myself locally and through some other channels as a personal trainer. I became consumed in it but it became more of a chore than a hobby, plus I realized that what I was doing wasn't doing much good for me psychologically anyway. I didn't enjoy it anymore. I quit, got more into powerlifting and strongman, enjoyed it MUCH more going for functional strength rather than aesthetics plus strength. I haven't lifted seriously in about a year now, but am getting the bug again. Powerlifting though, never that ego-enveloped sport known as bodybuilding.