The Workout Thread

[Henrik Kesler]

So I've been stuck at a 11.5 percent body fat plateau. As a kinesiology student, got a fellow classmate to do a skinfold caliper body fat assessment every two weeks and it fluctuates between 11.2 and 11.8 depending on what I've eaten and whatnot.

I'd like to get down to 9% by the end of January. Thus far, I just stick to the basic supplements (MusclePharm Amino 1, MusclePharm Combat, and MusclePharm Bullet Proof) as I've learned through my education what supplements are actually worth taking and which are basically just placebos.

Are there any supp's you guys, specifically with cutting experience, would recommend to take 1 cycle of just to break the plateau? I've never recommended fat burners to anyone, but the Animal Stack seems intriguing.

How much, and what kind of cardio/conditioning are you doing?

[aeromotacanucks]

meh!

artificial protein isn´t good. when I want energy I drink/eat "Açaí"

http://en.wikipedia....org/wiki/Açaí

stronger, more energetic and supply with what you need for hours...

if you drink/eat with Guaraná and Brazilian nut you will have a HUGE amount of energy to use...

Edited December 4, 2013 by aeromotacanucks

[Tortorella's Rant]

I squat 3x per week by doing some low volume, light squatting on one of my upper days. It takes ~5 minutes and I've found it aids recovery so I'll keep doing it for now.

I'm running block periodization right now which essentially is an upper/lower split. I squat 5x5 on 'squat day,' do 3x3 (LIGHT) on my 'bench day', and do 5x3 pause squats after deadlifting on 'deadlift day'.

Also, 315x6x5 is a pretty solid workout.

Finally, the bolded is super true. The big movements pretty much build themselves so the best way to kill progress is to stop doing them.

I could see myself doing something like that then. Heavy sets one day then lighter sets a few days later. I did 325, 6 reps, 5 sets tonight, so I am already starting to improve again. Which is good because it's been eating away at me a little bit mentally, lol. Then 3 lighter sets for 10.

Do you combine low reps and high reps in the same workout? All muscle groups? (Maybe this has been mentioned before but things get lost in large threads over time!) Because, you know, higher reps is more for size while lower is more for strength. I was talking about this with the spotter I had tonight. I'm trying for that balanced approach to both I guess, if you want to call it that, but I never do workouts that are solely higher reps.

[Henrik Kesler]

I could see myself doing something like that then. Heavy sets one day then lighter sets a few days later. I did 325, 6 reps, 5 sets tonight, so I am already starting to improve again. Which is good because it's been eating away at me a little bit mentally, lol. Then 3 lighter sets for 10.

Do you combine low reps and high reps in the same workout? All muscle groups? (Maybe this has been mentioned before but things get lost in large threads over time!) Because, you know, higher reps is more for size while lower is more for strength. I was talking about this with the spotter I had tonight. I'm trying for that balanced approach to both I guess, if you want to call it that, but I never do workouts that are solely higher reps.

It depends on combining high and low reps. I firmly believe that certain exercises are only really useful when done for higher reps, and others are best suited for low resp. For example chest flys, lateral raises, single leg stuff, curls, and tricep work, dumbbell pressing of any variety are best used for sets of 8-15 because they are impractical to load heavily, and they do not need to be heavy in order to be effective. We've all seen the guy doing 1RM curls thinking he's doing something productive while money strumphing the bar up...don't be that guy.

In contrast, I firmly believe that the compound movements (squat, bench, deadlfit, press, BB rows) are best used with sets in the 1-6 rep range. I say this because: (1) compound movements are meant to be done with lots of weight, making you stronger, (2) when doing high reps with compound movements, if the weight is truly heavy enough to be challenging, the cardiovascular system becomes a limiting factor before muscular strength does

What I would do: Do heavy compound exercises at the beginning of your workout, and follow it up with exercises that target the same muscles and are preferable to be done in higher rep ranges.

[NucksPatsFan]

How much, and what kind of cardio/conditioning are you doing?

40 minute hill sprints on a treadmill (level 7 incline) with 1 minute sprint 1 minute walk rotation 3x a week

I also do some plyometric training twice a week (box jumps, weighted knee jumps..etc)

[Henrik Kesler]

40 minute hill sprints on a treadmill (level 7 incline) with 1 minute sprint 1 minute walk rotation 3x a week

I also do some plyometric training twice a week (box jumps, weighted knee jumps..etc)

That sprint protocol is pretty atrocious. Your sprint interval time is far to long for you to actually be sprinting, and your rest/work ratio is bollocks.

Plyos are also, a waste of time. Get stronger, follow a better sprint protocol, track your macros, and it will all fall in place.

[NucksPatsFan]

That sprint protocol is pretty atrocious. Your sprint interval time is far to long for you to actually be sprinting, and your rest/work ratio is bollocks.

Plyos are also, a waste of time. Get stronger, follow a better sprint protocol, track your macros, and it will all fall in place.

60 seconds of sprinting on a steep incline seems like an eternity I was following Cory Gregory's rest/work ratio for interval sprinting.

Also, plyo's are a great work out to increase lower body endurance. As a hockey player, it's beneficial for me.

What kind of sprint protocol would you suggest?

[Henrik Kesler]

60 seconds of sprinting on a steep incline seems like an eternity I was following Cory Gregory's rest/work ratio for interval sprinting.

Also, plyo's are a great work out to increase lower body endurance. As a hockey player, it's beneficial for me.

What kind of sprint protocol would you suggest?

I'd keep the work to rest ratio at 1:3-5 (1 part work for 3-5 parts of rest) and I'd keep the sprint portion to a maximum of 30 seconds. Any longer than 30 seconds for sprinting, and you can't go hard enough to get the desired effect.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Henrik Kesler

[Gustavo Fring]

I just watched the wolverine and holy was I inspired to look like hugh jackman. The guy is ripped.

Currently doing the wolverine workout.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mutant-strength-hugh-jackmans-wolverine-workout-plan.html

Just on the second week and boy has my strength improved. Did PR's for bench, squat and front squat. Check it out for anyone wanting to try something new.

[Lockout Casualty]

Henrik, you sound like a guy who knows his way around a dumbbell. What's the deal with the deadlift grip arm positioning? Why do they face opposite ways? The trainer whose routine I've been following for the last little while suggests it's the wrong way to do it and may lead to injury. Yet I see this grip everywhere, from the gym to biggest competitions. What's your take?

I don't do the lift myself, just very curious.

[Henrik Kesler]

Henrik, you sound like a guy who knows his way around a dumbbell. What's the deal with the deadlift grip arm positioning? Why do they face opposite ways? The trainer whose routine I've been following for the last little while suggests it's the wrong way to do it and may lead to injury. Yet I see this grip everywhere, from the gym to biggest competitions. What's your take?

I don't do the lift myself, just very curious.

Mixed grip is what you are describing. The hands face opposite ways so that the bar has a harder time rolling out of the hands as it is lifted from the floor to lockout because it cannot roll forward and it cannot roll backwards. There is an increased potential for shoulder and bicep tendon injuries with the mixed grip because of the externally rotated position of the bicep and shoulder, but this risk can be minimized by not being an idiot who uses the mixed grip for every deadlift they do. The best way prevent potential bicep and shoulder injuries is to use the double overhand grip until that grip fails, then switch to mixed grip.

Powerlifters use the mixed grip because they aren't allowed straps in competition. Another way to prevent your grip from keeping your deadlift from progressing is to switch to hook grip, where you pin your thumb against the bar with your fingers. It works, but hurts like holy hell until your thumbs adjust.

What is the routine you are doing?

[VoiceOfReason_]

So I've been stuck at a 11.5 percent body fat plateau. As a kinesiology student, got a fellow classmate to do a skinfold caliper body fat assessment every two weeks and it fluctuates between 11.2 and 11.8 depending on what I've eaten and whatnot.

I'd like to get down to 9% by the end of January. Thus far, I just stick to the basic supplements (MusclePharm Amino 1, MusclePharm Combat, and MusclePharm Bullet Proof) as I've learned through my education what supplements are actually worth taking and which are basically just placebos.

Are there any supp's you guys, specifically with cutting experience, would recommend to take 1 cycle of just to break the plateau? I've never recommended fat burners to anyone, but the Animal Stack seems intriguing.

Dat dere clen.

I use:

Whey Isolate

Xtend - during my workout

Multi

Udos oil

Edit: And I eat Quest Protein bars. Oh, lawwwwwd. The White Chocolate Raspberry might be one of the most delicious things i've ever eaten. Best tasting bars, AINEC.

Edited December 5, 2013 by VoiceOfReason_

[almo89]

I just watched the wolverine and holy was I inspired to look like hugh jackman. The guy is ripped.

Currently doing the wolverine workout.

http://www.bodybuild...rkout-plan.html

Just on the second week and boy has my strength improved. Did PR's for bench, squat and front squat. Check it out for anyone wanting to try something new.

I don't think it's a good idea to try to follow the routine of a hollywood star. They usually have to train for a short period of time and looked ripped by the end of it. Wasn't Hugh Jackman eating 6000 calories a day and working out 3 hours a day for this role? I don't think that is sustainable in the long run. I tell people that are interested in hitting the gym that it's a lifestyle change and it takes time. Slow and steady is my philosophy.

He does looked pretty ripped in that movie and it's inspiring for sure.

[LuckyLuciano]

I couldn't resist I drank half a bottle of scotch with my buddy after the gym

how much cardio if any do you guys do when bulking? I think i may dedicate a day just to cardio and abs

Edited December 5, 2013 by LuckyLuciano

[Henrik Kesler]

I couldn't resist I drank half a bottle of scotch with my buddy after the gym

how much cardio if any do you guys do when bulking? I think i may dedicate a day just to cardio and abs

When bulking, the goal is to do as little cardio as possible, so 1-2x for 30 minutes max while bulking is more than enough.

As for abs, a dedicated day to abs is fracking stupid. There are two muscles that you want to hit with ab training: (1) the abdominal wall, and (2) the rectus abdominus (6-pack). You hit the abdominal wall by doing a planks for 45-60 seconds for 3 sets, adding weight when possible. For the rectus abdominus, pick a favorite crunch type exercise and do 3-4 sets of 15. Do this 2-3x per week at the end of your training sessions. Plus, having visible abs is purely a function of bodyfat, and you can't spot reduce, so don't try by training the ever-living out of your abs.

[almo89]

I couldn't resist I drank half a bottle of scotch with my buddy after the gym

how much cardio if any do you guys do when bulking? I think i may dedicate a day just to cardio and abs

I do like 5 mins before lifting as a warm up. Nothing too crazy. It can be going on the stationary bike or using the speed rope depending on what I'm working out that day. I don't try to do too much cardio when bulking.

[The Arrogant Worms]

Anyone else see the new study done by Alan Agaron and Brad Jon Schoenfeld?

The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysi

http://www.jissn.com...0/1/53/abstract

http://www.jissn.com...-2783-10-53.pdf

Edited December 6, 2013 by The Arrogant Worms

[VoiceOfReason_]

I do abs 4 times a week. In the last 5 min of my workout.

I do TRX fall outs and weighted prone bridge. 35 pounds for 1 min. 2 sets.

[VoiceOfReason_]

For cardio I do dead treads.

Turn on your treadmill and leave the speed at zero.

When it reaches 1 minute push the track and run on it without the engine on. Stop at 1:15.

Start again at 2 minutes and stop at 2:15.

Continue.

Good luck making it to 15 min.

[Gustavo Fring]

I don't think it's a good idea to try to follow the routine of a hollywood star. They usually have to train for a short period of time and looked ripped by the end of it. Wasn't Hugh Jackman eating 6000 calories a day and working out 3 hours a day for this role? I don't think that is sustainable in the long run. I tell people that are interested in hitting the gym that it's a lifestyle change and it takes time. Slow and steady is my philosophy.

He does looked pretty ripped in that movie and it's inspiring for sure.

He was only eating 4 meals a day, it said so in the article. But yes its for getting ripped in a short period of time but its rumored most aging hollywod stars are doing GH (growth hormones). I wouldn't be surprised if Hugh Jackman did just for the role.