your routine at the gym

Also my bloody knee's been playing up since Christmas on and off - would a physiotherapist be able to cure this?

Are you talking about total weight or fat content? If your weight alone has increased, it could simply be muscle density.

See an osteopath for the knee.

im still losing a steady 2 pounds per week at the moment. in 4 weeks ive dropped 8 1/4 pounds, chest has toned up, stomach slimmed down, bit more muscle all over. and my bmi is now 24.9 right at the very top limit of 'normal' but hurrah anyway! very very pleased with it and now i know more about what i should be doing at the gym, and what im capable of, im enjoying going there more. which is great (i used to just turn up do some stuff half-heartedly then shoot off and eat pastry)

what does Xpand do?

autumn - yeah i feel as flabby as ever. Idon't really weigh myself.

Can you get someone at the gym to look at your eating habits? I had that last year, and it's amazing what you learn about food.

s.rose, that's excellent. Great too that you're enjoying it, because you'll keep at it.

Xpand is a nitric oxide supplement that gives you some crazy boost. They call it 'pump.' After one day it doesn't really do anything, but within a week you feel a bit rabid/berserk and charge through stuff. Xpand has creatine and glucosey stuff as well. Last time I was on nitric oxide (January) I blazed through sessions.

I just ordered this book Starting Strength, as my plan for not ever fucking up my ankles/legs again involves squatting and such until my legs are like the mighty oak.

Woah, Madchen I'm recovering from a broken ankle too! Happened about 9 weeks ago. I've heard that wobble boards are great; I'm going to get one of those for sure.

Should I be doing some kind of leg routine to strengthen my legs for runs? Right now I just do treadmill running and incline walking on various angles and no squats/weight stuff to supplement it.

- 20 minutes elliptical, which i generally loathe, then:

Day 1 & 3
Bench Press 3 x 12
Shoulder Press 3 x 12
Lateral Raise 3 x 12
Front Raise 3 x 12
Weighted Crunch 3 x 30
Seated Dip 3 x 12
Seated Bicep Machine 3 x 12
Close-Grip Pulldown (Machine) 3 x 12
Pushdown (Machine) 3 x 12
Iso-Lateral Row (Machine) 3 x 12

Day 2 & 4
Bicep 3 x 12
Reverse Bicep 3 x 12
Weighted Row 3 x 12
Fly 3 x 12
One Arm Row 3 x 12
Pulldown (Machine) 3 x 12
Weighted Crunch 3 x 30
Iso-Lateral High Row (Machine) 3 x 12
Pulley Curl (Machine) 3 x 12
Iso-Lateral Bench Press (Machine) 3 x 12

The lack of lower-body attention is embarrassing.

I'll start doing lower body exercises when there's one that makes my junk bigger, amirite?

i just run 4 miles every other morning

Dan, how's the ankle? If I could give you one bit of advice, it's to be religious about your exercises from the day the cast comes off. I met so many people who said stuff like "I broke my ankle four years ago and it's never been the same ... never bothered with the exercises though". You really have to do them properly. I got almost-full flexibility back in three months, though the strength is still not good. Aiming for "mighty oak" is a good tactic!

It's slowly getting better. I'm about ready to ditch the last crutch, although I'll wear a walking boot for at least another week. I've heard the same thing about sticking to the exercises! it's good to hear you've got your flexibility back since the ROM I have right now is frighteningly small

One scoop of Xpand did nothing. Perhaps it needs a few days.

-- Autumn Almanac, Thursday, 21 February 2008 09:14 (3 days ago) Bookmark Link

WOAH, I think it kicked in this morning. Triceps felt like rocks at the end.

Should I be doing some kind of leg routine to strengthen my legs for runs? Right now I just do treadmill running and incline walking on various angles and no squats/weight stuff to supplement it.
and
The lack of lower-body attention is embarrassing.

yes do squats. they are greatest lower-body compound exercise AND they keep your back & even abs strong. you don't need to use a squat cage unless you're going big - just use dumbbells and make sure your technique is right - lots of places online to tell you that, but a good trainer should know. once you've got that down, you're gold. squats can be brutal but they really do the job in one exercise.

i'm all about the compound exercises though. also good: lunges & deadlifts

but hey, i stopped going to the gym in the late summer b/c i was so freakin busy and also didn't like the atmosphere anymore. still busy. just want a gym at home. (wld need a bigger home.) really need to work out again though. and/or do tougher yoga classes, i don't know.

tho tbh i like doing squats in the squat cage with the heavy barbell & (not so heavy) weights - mostly b/c it somehow makes me line my body up more correctly

One scoop of Xpand did nothing. Perhaps it needs a few days.

-- Autumn Almanac, Thursday, 21 February 2008 09:14 (3 days ago) Bookmark Link

WOAH, I think it kicked in this morning. Triceps felt like rocks at the end.

-- Autumn Almanac, Sunday, 24 February 2008 09:12 (5 days ago) Bookmark Link

Everything goes rock hard. It's so weird.

Also I think I'm growing.

Three weeks on hypertrophy and hardly any change. Chest slightly bigger, arse slightly bigger, everything else the same or SMALLER. I do not understand this. Next week they do an electronic mass measurement so hopefully something good comes out of that.

Xpand seems to be doing the trial though.

doing the trick even

I have a prepaid card for Maxim in Wburg with like 8 visits I am never going to use. Email me anyone who wants it.

i go to the climbing gym! messengererering has withered my upper body

Do you want the Maxim card? They have yoga and Hasids on treadmills and they play indie rock.

i'll take it, f, if you want to get rid of it.

run 3 miles 4/5 days a week

that's my routine. holler!

woot

Highland dance for 2-3 hrs once a week, plus performances. Avoid walking as much as possible. Occasional bike transpo. :)

AA, how come you want to get big? just curious as to the thought process behind it. at the moment i just want to get lean and cut, but that may change in the future.

what exercises are best to get lean? not interested in building muscle yet, but im lifting weights etc to build muscle to help increase my basal metabolic rate. is cardio the main way forward in this?

ive lost almost a stone in the past cpl of months, but ive still got a small paunch and love handles that are shifting very slowly. are there any exercises that i can use to focus on those areas? as my fat % has reduced and muscle has gone up, are there any specific changes i should be making to my routine other than just increasing it all in all ways?

Free weights, light sustained. cardio, small meals/snacks to keep the metabolism burning through the day. Crunches.

AA, how come you want to get big? just curious as to the thought process behind it. at the moment i just want to get lean and cut, but that may change in the future.

Not big, just bigger than I am now. Not a lot though.

what exercises are best to get lean? not interested in building muscle yet, but im lifting weights etc to build muscle to help increase my basal metabolic rate. is cardio the main way forward in this?

I really don't know. I'd say a combination of cardio and strength training.

ive lost almost a stone in the past cpl of months, but ive still got a small paunch and love handles that are shifting very slowly. are there any exercises that i can use to focus on those areas?

Nope. You can't spot reduce.

*shakes fist at sky* the human body's inability to spot reduce is sooo annoying. apart from the spodge of jiggly chub round my middle things are getting much better, toned arms & chest & legs, more energy, better posture, leaner face - it's just my damn stomach that's stopping me wearing t-shirts i used to wear 5 years ago. hopefully another 3 months will fix it.

changed my routine slightly after reading yet more of the bodybuilding site linked to above: with the weights im now doing two sets of 15 reps that are fairly hard, then one set of 8 reps which is reeally hard. doing this on all the machines and its really making me sweat and pant so i guess that means its working (previously i was doing three sets of 30 reps on a fairly low, easy weight but it seems that won't have been doing much good).

my one major flaw is changing my cardio routine, i'm still doing the same static cycling routine, though i do break it up with sometimes doing 15 mins with the resistance set high, then next time back to 35 mins of avg resistance. also only been going to the gym twice a week these past two weeks due to workload, but i'll be back to 3x next week. still losing the 1.5-2 lbs per week so i'm happy with it but man it's a slow process, esp re: belly.

I just swim 1 to 2 miles 3/4 times a week.

I'd like to try gym stuff tho' i'd need someone to show me what to do.

My trainer is referring me to a dietician because I am not getting any bigger. If this doesn't work I am rooted.

Fuck damn it.

just juice bro. who needs hair?

He did say something about steroids. No freaking way.

when fresh, I've slowly inched from 10 pullups to 12 over the last two weeks. shooting for 15 by the end of the month. this seems doable.

I feel like I'm about strong enough to go back to judo, and the doctor said my ankle should be okay for it.

I do something really similar to the "5x5" plan at stronglifts.com:

Squat every time (and sure enough, my legs are en route to oakenness)
bench press / overhead press on alternating days
deadlift / bentover barbell rows on alternating days
alternating pullups/chinups/dips

I do this just to be strong enough to safely participate in the sport that I enjoy, but I've definitely found that weightlifting is a lot of fun in itself. It's an easy thing to make fun of, but I guess I'm not so obsessed with being cool that I care.

oh yeah, I do all those 5 sets of 5 repetitions each, except for the bodyweight exercises which I do 3 sets to failure.

<i>but I guess I'm not so obsessed with being cool that I care.</i>

didn't mean for this to sound as incredibly douchey as it does!

when fresh, I've slowly inched from 10 pullups to 12 over the last two weeks. shooting for 15 by the end of the month. this seems doable.

-- gbx, Wednesday, 2 April 2008 04:25 (9 hours ago) Link

yeah, i've gone 7 to 10.

since i injured my toe i stopped doing the elliptical dingus and started stationary bike instead. doesn't feel like as much of a workout but it's way easier to read a book while doing it.

damn right the bike is way easier than the crosstrainer for reading but i *have* to read at the gym (and listen to music) - it's vital for me to be bombarded with stuff to take my mind off what i'm doing.

AA, after much soul-searching i took your advice and i'm currently doing about 20 mins per trip on the cross trainer, a damn sight less than the 35 mins i was doing on the stationary bike but not a huge difference in calories. will stick with this for a cpl of weeks then back to bike for a month or before returning to cross-trainer. will this pattern be ok for avoiding the dreaded 'body becomes used to same exercise' problem?

i've lost about 20 pounds in total since i sorted out my whole eating and exercise situation in january, so i'm delighted about that. even went shopping yesterday and bought awesome new clothes.

only thing is i was at 11st 5lbs yesterday morning but woke up today and i was 11st 8.5kbs. big shock as i don't usually fluctuate quite so much from day-to-day. my offical weight-day is monday am so i'll wait til then but it doesnt look like i'll be losing my regular one or two pounds this week, which is annoying.

still working on losing the roll of tubbiness from my middle. it's shrunk but it's still there - the aim is for it to be gone by june by hook or by crook or by sensible eating and regular exercise. my bmi is 23 now but i want to lose another stone at least, perhaps 20 pounds if i can push it that far.

my current routine is:
20 mins on cross trainer.
2 sets of 15 reps on various weight machines, all set at a relatively high resistance level (around 50kg i think, except the bicep curl which is just a bastard).
home.

total gym time: 50 mins. i think i should be doing a bit longer. might aim to be going back on the cross-trainer for another 10 mins at the end. is this advised for weight loss or shall i aim to do more with the weights?

AA, after much soul-searching i took your advice and i'm currently doing about 20 mins per trip on the cross trainer, a damn sight less than the 35 mins i was doing on the stationary bike but not a huge difference in calories. will stick with this for a cpl of weeks then back to bike for a month or before returning to cross-trainer. will this pattern be ok for avoiding the dreaded 'body becomes used to same exercise' problem?

Probably. Any cardio is better than no cardio, but shaking it up means you get better results for your time, basically.

i've lost about 20 pounds in total since i sorted out my whole eating and exercise situation in january, so i'm delighted about that. even went shopping yesterday and bought awesome new clothes.

How brilliant is that?

only thing is i was at 11st 5lbs yesterday morning but woke up today and i was 11st 8.5kbs. big shock as i don't usually fluctuate quite so much from day-to-day.

I think you fluctuate more as your weight drops, simply because overall you've less to lose, and what's left is more difficult to shake. Don't be disheartened by it; in 2-3 weeks you'll probably lose more than you expect.

still working on losing the roll of tubbiness from my middle. it's shrunk but it's still there - the aim is for it to be gone by june by hook or by crook or by sensible eating and regular exercise.

If your body type is like mine, it'll be the last thing to go, but it will go.

Because I'm trying to bulk now (it's not working but we can come to that later), my gut has grown a bit. Everything else is normal. Weird, that.

Some women have a shape that means they'll always have a small pot, even if they're megafit and carrying well-below-average fat.

total gym time: 50 mins. i think i should be doing a bit longer. might aim to be going back on the cross-trainer for another 10 mins at the end. is this advised for weight loss or shall i aim to do more with the weights?

50 mins is good. If you want more of a challenge, switch to free weights. On the whole, machines guide you too much and don't give you enough stabilising strength.

This is my current thingo, all 10->15 reps (I'm at home sick and cbf lying down anymore):

DAY 1
Flat bench press 75-65lb
Incline bench press 70-55lb
Dumbbell flies 30-20lb
Lying curlbar tricep extension 40-30lb
Close grip curlbar bench press 60-50lb
Weighted dips 25-15lb

DAY 2
Bent over row 70-55lb
Wide grip seated row 120-80lb
Close grip (V) lat pulldown 120-80lb
Hammer curl 30-20lb
Bicep curlbar curl 80-60lb

DAY 3
Squat 150-130lb
Leg extension 80-70lb
Leg press 350-300lb
Deadlift 80-65lb
Arnold press 30-20lb
Lateral raise 10-8lb
Front raise 12-10lb

Abs every day, to fatigue (when I have time):
- Decline bench sit-ups
- Lying straight leg raises
- Medicine ball obliques
- That woodchopper thing

I've been told to eat even more. So by my reckoning I have to get through one (1) fucking horse every day.

New programme but cbf typing it up now. Four-day split; 6-6-8-10-12 reps; on Sunday I was in utter, utter agony.

I've been told to eat even more. So by my reckoning I have to get through one (1) fucking horse every day.

OH MY OMG THIS IS WORKING

You are crazy strong. I doubt I could most of what you list at half those weights.

Wow, I thought it was all a bit soft so thanks.

My strength seems to have increased around 10 percent from eating six whales every day.

HI DERE (okay, you too Adam), I want an exercise to work my triceps, which are still puny. I hate all the machines that work them and I am FAR too self-consciously unco to do free weights in front of anyone at the gym.

I have a small dumbbell at home. WHAT DO I DO!

push-ups?

Yep have been doing those, until recently I couldn't do more than about 2-3 in a row, so getting slightly better. Want to do a few things for variety, though. This is inspired by my bloody arms feeling like death during squash yesterday - I could barely serve two sets in :(