The Workout Thread

[Tortorella's Rant]

2 hours ago, Gyllenhaal said:

For the past month I've only been able to go to the gym twice a week because of my work schedule, but in 1 more month I won't be working anymore so I'm going to start doing weights 3-4 times per week and cardio 5 times per week. I've completely stopped cardio right now since I'm doing a full body workout. Doing cardio would just mean I'm spending to much time at the gym then I would like.

I just started squatting and have some questions.

How many sets/reps should I be doing? right now I do 5x8.

If I can squat 110lbs right now (I know I can do heavier though since I never struggle, just being cautious) should I be able to squat 135lbs+ by the end of the month?

You can do it now. If a weight is fairly easy with your legs, you can always do more. Probably more than you think. I liked 5x5 best. 6x5. Sometimes I even did 3 rep sets.

[Hookman]

What do you guys think of Mr. Olympia now compared to back in Arnold's time? Side by side of  Ronnie and Arnold. Crazy how much steroids have changed lol. Arnold looks like your average Natty guy compared to Ronnie especially the quads.

[milk and honey]

8 hours ago, SAMCROringal said:

What do you guys think of Mr. Olympia now compared to back in Arnold's time? Side by side of  Ronnie and Arnold. Crazy how much steroids have changed lol. Arnold looks like your average Natty guy compared to Ronnie especially the quads.

Look at the forearms, and the veins popping out is just mental.  Like someone else said to have the desire to look like a modern day bodybuilder is very concerning mentally speaking. You have to be sick in the head to want that many steroids in your body, to want to train hours a day and everything that you eat is extremely strict. Nothing wrong with pushing yourself and trying to be healthy but there is a line and modern day bodybuilders imo crossed it.  

 

For squatting question above try 5x5 with 1 or 2 warm up sets. A good warm up set can really help you lifting heavier. 

Edited February 12, 2016 by milk and honey

[Tre Mac]

I hate working out but I want to shed some pounds.  Started at around 230lbs. now I am down to 208 but have been stuck for around 3 weeks.  It's true when they say the first 10lbs are easy lol.  Not looking to pump up, just want my six pack back like I had in my 20's.  I started eating cereal for breakfast which is helping immensely, and now my weekends are my cheat days for dieting.  Looking at those body builder pics think I rather be obese then to look like that, probably more healthy too.

[etsen3]

19 hours ago, Tre Mac said:

I hate working out but I want to shed some pounds.  Started at around 230lbs. now I am down to 208 but have been stuck for around 3 weeks.  It's true when they say the first 10lbs are easy lol.  Not looking to pump up, just want my six pack back like I had in my 20's.  I started eating cereal for breakfast which is helping immensely, and now my weekends are my cheat days for dieting.  Looking at those body builder pics think I rather be obese then to look like that, probably more healthy too.

3 weeks is a very long time to go without seeing results weight loss wise.  Perhaps cuttind down to 1 cheat day per week would be a good idea.  Counting calories is also essential (at least for me on a cut) it removes the guesswork and allows me to be somewhat more flexible as if I get invited out to dinner or something I know exactly how much to adjust for it later on.

[taxi]

14 hours ago, etsen3 said:

3 weeks is a very long time to go without seeing results weight loss wise.  Perhaps cuttind down to 1 cheat day per week would be a good idea.  Counting calories is also essential (at least for me on a cut) it removes the guesswork and allows me to be somewhat more flexible as if I get invited out to dinner or something I know exactly how much to adjust for it later on.

Bad advice for people who just want to lose weight. The trick to a diet is to make the changes as subtle and easy to maintain as possible.

Portion control, cutting back on high calorie condiments and sauces, choosing better options when eating out, etc... Are all better options than counting every calorie and following an ultra strict diet. 

[RRypien37]

On 2/12/2016 at 0:06 PM, Tre Mac said:

I hate working out but I want to shed some pounds.  Started at around 230lbs. now I am down to 208 but have been stuck for around 3 weeks.  It's true when they say the first 10lbs are easy lol.  Not looking to pump up, just want my six pack back like I had in my 20's.  I started eating cereal for breakfast which is helping immensely, and now my weekends are my cheat days for dieting.  Looking at those body builder pics think I rather be obese then to look like that, probably more healthy too.

Try cutting out meat and dairy while sticking to only water as your liquid and watch the pounds shed away. 

[taxi]

1 hour ago, RRypien37 said:

Try cutting out meat and dairy while sticking to only water as your liquid and watch the pounds shed away. 

Simply cutting out meat and dairy without replacing the protein in your diet is an awful idea. Additionally many vegetarian foods are high in calories. So going vegetarian in itself won't help you lose fat, and if you don't out the protein you'll lose a lot of muscle.

Cutting out sugary drinks is a good idea though.

 

[RRypien37]

Just now, taxi said:

Simply cutting out meat and dairy without replacing the protein in your diet is an awful idea. Additionally many vegetarian foods are high in calories. So going vegetarian in itself won't help you lose fat, and if you don't out the protein you'll lose a lot of muscle.

Cutting out sugary drinks is a good idea though.

 

I never said not to replace them.

Beans, lentils, hemp seeds, eggs are all great protein sources.

There have been countless studies of vegetarian/vegan diets being the most healthy and best way to become and maintain a lean body (this of course is with proper intake and replacement). 

[taxi]

18 hours ago, RRypien37 said:

I never said not to replace them.

Beans, lentils, hemp seeds, eggs are all great protein sources.

There have been countless studies of vegetarian/vegan diets being the most healthy and best way to become and maintain a lean body (this of course is with proper intake and replacement). 

Correlation does not equal causation.

Vegetarians live longer, but they are also far more likely to exercise, not over-eat, not smoke, and generally just take better care of themselves. Once you actually break it down and account for lifestyle, the healthiest diet has been shown to be the Mediterranean diet, which includes significant amounts of both dairy and meat. The mediterranean diet does largely exclude refined flours, sugars, butters, oils, etc...

[RRypien37]

2 hours ago, taxi said:

Correlation does not equal causation.

Vegetarians live longer, but they are also far more likely to exercise, not over-eat, not smoke, and generally just take better care of themselves. Once you actually break it down and account for lifestyle, the healthiest diet has been shown to be the Mediterranean diet, which includes significant amounts of both dairy and meat. The mediterranean diet does largely exclude refined flours, sugars, butters, oils, etc...

I'm sorry but meat+dairy and healthiest do not belong in the same sentence. 

[taxi]

22 hours ago, RRypien37 said:

I'm sorry but meat+dairy and healthiest do not belong in the same sentence. 

It's way off topic, but it's never been proven in any way that a vegan diet is healthier than a similar diet that incorporates lean meats and limited dairy. Once again, the only diet proven to be healthier than others is the Mediterranean diet, which includes a lot of fish, eggs, poultry, cheese, yogurt, etc...

The reasoning is that you replace unhealthy fats and processed foods (which are high sources of calories) with olive oil and full grains. The diet has limited red meat in it. Not that red meat is especially unhealthy, but the way we eat it is: cheeseburgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc..Another major issue is that much of the red meat we eat is not grown in natural conditions, so it's higher than fat than normal. I suggest contacting your local cattle raiser and getting some free range grass fed beef. It's cheaper than grocery store meat if bought in bulk. I went in with a bunch of friends on a cow, it was great.

[RRypien37]

20 minutes ago, taxi said:

It's way off topic, but it's never been proven in any way that a vegan diet is healthier than a similar diet that incorporates lean meats and limited dairy. Once again, the only diet proven to be healthier than others is the Mediterranean diet, which includes a lot of fish, eggs, poultry, cheese, yogurt, etc...

The reasoning is that you replace unhealthy fats and processed foods (which are high sources of calories) with olive oil and full grains. The diet has limited red meat in it. Not that red meat is especially unhealthy, but the way we eat it is: cheeseburgers, hot dogs, sausages, etc..Another major issue is that much of the red meat we eat is not grown in natural conditions, so it's higher than fat than normal. I suggest contacting your local cattle raiser and getting some free range grass fed beef. It's cheaper than grocery store meat if bought in bulk. I went in with a bunch of friends on a cow, it was great.

I recently gave up meat and dairy. Red meat is the worse of the worse regardless of where you get it from.

Hundreds of studies proving vegan diet is the healthiest. Adult humans aren't even supposed to consume dairy to begin with.

US government subsidized 38 billion dollars to the meat and dairy industry last year alone. Fruits and Vegetables? Under 20 million. Do the math.

The dairy and meat being needed as part of the balanced food groups chart is gone the way of the stone age. 

It's destroying our bodies, our environment and torturing billions of animals. 

Edited February 16, 2016 by RRypien37

[etsen3]

On 14/02/2016 at 10:04 PM, taxi said:

Bad advice for people who just want to lose weight. The trick to a diet is to make the changes as subtle and easy to maintain as possible.

Portion control, cutting back on high calorie condiments and sauces, choosing better options when eating out, etc... Are all better options than counting every calorie and following an ultra strict diet. 

I don't follow an ultra strict diet, I use counting calories as a tool to enable all the things you mentioned, and do them more accurately.  I know which condiments are high in calories and which ones are better, I know which restaurants are lower in calories, I know how big to make my portions.  Counting calories doesn't mean you have to eat broccoli and chicken breast exclusively, it just means you have better information to play with.  And if you crack once and go to McDonalds once, it's easier to figure out how to get back on track rather than writing off the entire day.  Tracking my progress closely helps keep me motivated because it establishes a direct link between my work and results.

Edited February 16, 2016 by etsen3

[Gyllenhaal]

On 2016-02-12 at 1:59 AM, Tortorella's Rant said:

You can do it now. If a weight is fairly easy with your legs, you can always do more. Probably more than you think. I liked 5x5 best. 6x5. Sometimes I even did 3 rep sets.

You were right. I did 140 on Thursday and today. I tried a set of 150 today as well and I could do it, I feel like I could do 5x5 at 150.

I've only been squatting for a month so I never thought I'd be able to squat more then I weigh so soon.

[Tortorella's Rant]

1 hour ago, Gyllenhaal said:

You were right. I did 140 on Thursday and today. I tried a set of 150 today as well and I could do it, I feel like I could do 5x5 at 150.

I've only been squatting for a month so I never thought I'd be able to squat more then I weigh so soon.

Of course I was. Speaking from experience

& good job!

[LuckyLuciano]

Soo much doms..not sure if I should be happy or crying

[falcon45ca]

13 hours ago, LuckyLuciano said:

Soo much doms..not sure if I should be happy or crying

Do you do much stretching?

 

I've found, for myself at least, that dedicated stretching time really helps prevent/ease any DOMS I used to experience. It's been quite awhile now since I've had any significant DOMS since I started my stretch routines.

[falcon45ca]

On February 12, 2016 at 4:57 AM, SAMCROringal said:

What do you guys think of Mr. Olympia now compared to back in Arnold's time? Side by side of  Ronnie and Arnold. Crazy how much steroids have changed lol. Arnold looks like your average Natty guy compared to Ronnie especially the quads.

That's not from steroids, that's from HGH...and no, Arnie does NOT look like an average "natty"...if you know people claiming natty, but they look like Golden Age bodybuilders, they're taking stuff.

[falcon45ca]

On February 12, 2016 at 2:06 PM, Tre Mac said:

I hate working out but I want to shed some pounds.  Started at around 230lbs. now I am down to 208 but have been stuck for around 3 weeks.  It's true when they say the first 10lbs are easy lol.  Not looking to pump up, just want my six pack back like I had in my 20's.  I started eating cereal for breakfast which is helping immensely, and now my weekends are my cheat days for dieting.  Looking at those body builder pics think I rather be obese then to look like that, probably more healthy too.

A cheat weekend is waaaay too much cheating, and is probably the #1 thing holding your weight loss back after 3 weeks.

 

Try a cheat meal, not a day, not a weekend, 1 meal. Dinner's my favourite cheat meal to have, but whatever floats your boat, just try and keep it at 1 meal.