Weightlifting/exercise thread

[BryanM]

Cardio is for COWARDS.

I kind of hate what people have done with that word. I want to be able to use it instead of "sprint training" damnit.

Aerobics: Work accomplished by breathing.

Cardio: Training to strengthen your heart so it can handle irresponsible amounts of work and not explode.

As I've gotten more experienced, I have found some value in giving some work to the heart. It is the engine that drives everything, after all. A few minutes of going all-out every day pays back what you put in, and that's better than almost everything else in life.

It certainly helps make squats feel like a walk in a flowery garden.

[Raytrace]

It's like Mas Oyama. Dude went into the mountains for years to do nothing else than push ups, sitting under waterfalls, and jumping over shrubs. Herschel did thousands of push ups, sit ups, and an ~8 mile run a day, every day. And still felt his training hit a wall and needed the bar to progress eventually.

man what a legend - I remember reading about him loads when I was doing ITF - he was one of General Choi's friends I believe before he went to Japan - he's the mad bastard that does the rasslin' with bulls isn't he?

[BryanM]

Why yes of course.

To be fair they were old and smallish. As far as bulls can go.

[louisg]

Jogging! It's meditative, and nothing beats that runner's high. Aside from that, I just do pushups and 40-pound dumbbells casually. It's amazing what little work it takes to get a little toned. The best part is you can just throw on a movie and watch that while you work out, and not really think about it too hard. I made the biggest leap in that regard when I got really into C64 games on tape. I'd do weights while it loaded-- Hammer lifts to the Ocean loaders is the way to do things.

[Ruldra]

Cardio is for COWARDS.

Quite the opposite, cardio sort out the men from the boys. A session of cardio is far more painful and demanding than a session of weightlifting. Many are willing to lift huge amounts of weight, but see how many are willing to run for 30 minutes on a treadmill.

Even if you prefer getting buff, don't neglect cardio. A strong heart gives you huge health benefits, and you need one to sustain large muscles anyway.

[third_strike]

lately I am lazy.
Going to gym only 1 or 2 time in week, eating pretty bad (huge amount of llipids and carbohydrates) and no cardio.
But early in this week I put a thing in my mind: I will change.
My workout routine will be.

Day 1: Cardio (run 10 min)/Chest (3 types of exercises)/Tris (1 type of exercise)
Day 2: Back legs (3 types of exercises)/Bis (1 type of exercise)
Day 3: Front Legs (3 types of exercises)/ Shoulders (2 types of exercises)
Day 4 Rest
Day 5: Cardio (run 10 min)/Chest (3 types of exercises)/Tris (1 type of exercise)
Day 6: Back legs (3 types of exercises)/Bis (1 type of exercise)
Day 7: Front Legs (3 types of exercises)/ Shoulders (2 types of exercises)

Obs: each type of exercise will be 3x10 with 30 seconds intervals. Low amount of weight. Each training day will last 40 min (at max). 100 abdominal for day.
No drugs or dietary supplements (I never used this things this is cheat) I will just eat correctly and increase the amount of protein in my diet.
I started yesterday and hope changes in my body in 5 weeks. I took a picture to compare later.
Let's see if I can do it.

[Davey]

Regarding cardio... I understand the importance of it, but it's just so boring. But that probably means I've never pushed myself hard enough. I've heard a good HIIT session beats the living shit out of you.

DDR was fun until I broke my metal pad like an idiot. According to the calorie counter (which is 100% accurate amirite), High BPM 8-9 foot songs would burn like 50-70 calories. In what, under 2 minutes? The challenge of keeping up kept it from getting too boring, although that was more mental than physical, unless I had already been playing for like an hour, then I was just plain tired.

(bodyweight stuff)

Agreed, I just wanted to bring up a counterpoint. There's an upper limit to what you can achieve with body weight alone, but that limit is fairly high if you have all the time (and motivation) in the world.

Did Herschel Walker ever say how he did all those reps? How many sets, how much time between sets, etc.? Several times I've heard the anecdote of him using only body weight exercises before getting to the pros (as well as eating one meal per day), but I can't find anything more specific than "he did X,000 pushups/pullups/whatever per day."

[Raytrace]

Cardio is for COWARDS.

Quite the opposite, cardio sort out the men from the boys. A session of cardio is far more painful and demanding than a session of weightlifting. Many are willing to lift huge amounts of weight, but see how many are willing to run for 30 minutes on a treadmill.

yeah deffo in my case at least the type of pain I would get from weights is nothing compared to running or even things like pressups.

[BryanM]

I'll be experimenting with towel roll ups for grip strength these next couple weeks.

Reading is fun, and the idea of such a ludicrously cheap and simple and cute, harmless looking exercise being potentially valuable is hilarious to me.

Did Herschel Walker ever say how he did all those reps? How many sets, how much time between sets, etc.?

The internet isn't telling me a thing so you'd have to read his books to have any hope of getting teh details. I imagine the pushups are done in sets around 300 deep.

You'll also get to read about his multiple personality disorder. A bonus!

Update: The internet says he says in Basic Training that he did sets of 100. Cushy!

Several times I've heard the anecdote of him using only body weight exercises before getting to the pros

That's just an out and out lie. Dragging cement in a tire tied around yourself is not body weight in any sense of the word.

Sled training like this is epitomized by the prowler. A true thing of beauty:

A session of cardio is far more painful and demanding than a session of weightlifting.

Someone who hasn't squeezed themselves into a blackout or seen Jesus I see.

[drauch]

I'm obviously kidding about cardio you goobers. But yeah, I despise it because it's rough and very time consuming. I still do it, just not heavy cardio. I hate my heart anyway. I'm all about aesthetics for action stars.

[shmuppyLove]

You too can be as manly as Mari:
http://www.oocities.org/e_vagg/gang1.jpg

Oh wow is that a Project A-Ko reference?

[Ruldra]

A session of cardio is far more painful and demanding than a session of weightlifting.

Someone who hasn't squeezed themselves into a blackout or seen Jesus I see.

I'm no expert, but if you're fainting from weightlifting then maybe you're doing something wrong.

[BryanM]

I'm no expert

'xactly

[louisg]

Someone who hasn't squeezed themselves into a blackout or seen Jesus I see.

Haha, I hope you have a good spotter for when you black out on the bench press. That sounds potentially painful

[Ruldra]

I think this is the kind of weightlifting BryanM is getting at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tMxoSLWUfk

[BIL]

Runner Shits Himself is still the most hardcore imo.



No matter how rough your routine is, please remember his sacrifice. :[

[mesh control]

A motto I've driven into my head when cycling: "If you can un-clip yourself, you weren't pedaling hard enough."

[BryanM]

Haha, I hope you have a good spotter for when you black out on the bench press. That sounds potentially painful

The bench press is a guillotine and a spotter isn't there for whenever you drop the bar on yourself, they're not The Flash. Nearly all decapitations occur when re-racking the bar at the end of the set, not the set itself like The Media would have you believe. Like with table saws and cut off fingers, it has to happen to somebody eventually.

A steel rail above your neck but below your boob is necessary to benchpress. Anything short of that is stupidity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tMxoSLWUfk

Ab exercises put a squeeze on the tummy, 'tis no surprise that you've gotta give yourself four or five hours after a meal to pack it into the intestines where it'll only come out the other way.

Any maximal set will flirt with a blackout as the Everything sucks away oxygen from your brain. As said countless times before, if you do a set of max 20 squats, Jesus will appear and ask to work in with you.

[Ex-Cyber]

I have a joint that tends to yell at me if I so much as jog 100 yards. What cardio is out there that is low-impact without being totally weaksauce? Cycling? Rowing? Swimming? Anything else?

[drauch]

lately I am lazy.
Going to gym only 1 or 2 time in week, eating pretty bad (huge amount of llipids and carbohydrates) and no cardio.
But early in this week I put a thing in my mind: I will change.
My workout routine will be.

Day 1: Cardio (run 10 min)/Chest (3 types of exercises)/Tris (1 type of exercise)
Day 2: Back legs (3 types of exercises)/Bis (1 type of exercise)
Day 3: Front Legs (3 types of exercises)/ Shoulders (2 types of exercises)
Day 4 Rest
Day 5: Cardio (run 10 min)/Chest (3 types of exercises)/Tris (1 type of exercise)
Day 6: Back legs (3 types of exercises)/Bis (1 type of exercise)
Day 7: Front Legs (3 types of exercises)/ Shoulders (2 types of exercises)

Obs: each type of exercise will be 3x10 with 30 seconds intervals. Low amount of weight. Each training day will last 40 min (at max). 100 abdominal for day.
No drugs or dietary supplements (I never used this things this is cheat) I will just eat correctly and increase the amount of protein in my diet.
I started yesterday and hope changes in my body in 5 weeks. I took a picture to compare later.
Let's see if I can do it.

Why so much leg workouts? What about your back/traps?

[GaijinPunch]

I hike up fucking mountains; but you already knew that.

I just hiked up Fuji and got sick as a mother fucker! Dehydration at about the 80% mark. Fucking bru-tal.

Weights
I personally think weights are used a bit too much. But, I was always a big kid (252lbs at age 16, about 178 now at 37) and like to look slim. My current workout is 2 days of swimming (2.7k), 2 days of jogging (12k) and 2 days of weights (about an hour w/ light cardio). YMMV but I've found the raised metabolism of aerobic exercise far outweighs looking like Rambo. If you want to look like you're auditioning for Jersey Shores, that's cool, but I'm going to chime in as one of the older members here in the paragraph below.

As you get older it will get harder to stay fit. It's nothing personal, it's just science. Having said that, it's WAY easier to stay fit than get fit. So, if you have a nice pair of man tits you want to get rid of and you're in your late 20's, you should get started now. My jogs are about 1100-1200 calories and my swims probably 600-700. That's pretty high for an hour and 10 minutes and an hour respectively. (And don't believe you're burning what the elliptical machine tells you. ) Even so, I'm not going to be in GQ any time soon. I eat reasonably well... and that's really a HUGE thing if you want to be healthy. It really is a lifestyle choice. Not just a choice to work out every now and again.

I have pretty extensive experience in this as I've done some form of working out since I was about 13. Fuck... 24 years. Egads. My overall suggestions are these, and they're very general.

1: Use other peoples workouts as a guide. Listen to what your body responds to.
2: Set goals and hit them. If you're supposed to run on Thursday, and it's raining Thursday... make sure you have water resistant clothes.

[Ruldra]

I have a joint that tends to yell at me if I so much as jog 100 yards. What cardio is out there that is low-impact without being totally weaksauce? Cycling? Rowing? Swimming? Anything else?

Swimming is the best thing for you, but be ready for the chlorine in the pool. I was starting to get rhinitis because of it and I had to quit.

If you're supposed to run on Thursday, and it's raining Thursday... make sure you have water resistant clothes.

Or stay indoors and use jump ropes.

[louisg]

As you get older it will get harder to stay fit. It's nothing personal, it's just science. Having said that, it's WAY easier to stay fit than get fit. So, if you have a nice pair of man tits you want to get rid of and you're in your late 20's, you should get started now. My jogs are about 1100-1200 calories and my swims probably 600-700. That's pretty high for an hour and 10 minutes and an hour respectively. (And don't believe you're burning what the elliptical machine tells you. ) Even so, I'm not going to be in GQ any time soon. I eat reasonably well... and that's really a HUGE thing if you want to be healthy. It really is a lifestyle choice. Not just a choice to work out every now and again.

I have pretty extensive experience in this as I've done some form of working out since I was about 13. Fuck... 24 years. Egads. My overall suggestions are these, and they're very general.

1: Use other peoples workouts as a guide. Listen to what your body responds to.
2: Set goals and hit them. If you're supposed to run on Thursday, and it's raining Thursday... make sure you have water resistant clothes.

Really good advice. I never worked out much, and by 28, was getting pretty puffy. So, I decided it was now or never. Different things work for different people, but what worked for me was setting my own goals, working out every day, and making my own food. If weight loss is your goal, you may have to give up restaurant food for the most part. If you cook yourself, you'll start to realize how much oil and sugar is in that stuff (not to mention restaurant portion sizes being out of whack with what your body actually needs). My palate tends towards bitter/spicy, so I don't crave sugar: I try to substitute mayo and stuff like that with mustard and hot sauces, and drink my coffee black. Make as many calories "useful" as possible: So, when you're taking in calories, make sure they're nutritious as much as possible (e.g., whole wheat, veggies, avoid sweets and bleached carbs since they add to the cal count but don't give you much in return). Anyway, that's how I lost a bunch of weight.

[BryanM]

not to mention restaurant portion sizes being out of whack with what your body actually needs

I know rite. Having to order two or three meals.

Can't get huge on restaurant food in a cost efficient manner. Ripoff!

[brentsg]

As you get older it will get harder to stay fit. It's nothing personal, it's just science.

Yeah, getting old sucks. The other thing that I've noticed is that old sports injuries that were seemingly gone years ago have a way of coming back. It seems like back and knee issues are the worst in this regard. So in addition to working through the differences from age you can be haunted by these old things, especially if you were into contact sports. I'd say that my current friends that were never all that athletic in younger years definitely have it better just because they didn't subject their bodies to abuse.

In my case it's lower back stuff and it keeps me from running, which I used to absolutely loved to do.

[Kakizaki]

I took a course on weight training science, and we were advised to never take supplements without first consulting a doctor. the only time you should ever take a supplement is when you have a protein deficiency. "extra protein" isn't always what you want. As long as you're getting enough protein in your diet, that will be the healthiest and safest way to gain muscle mass.

I have heard and read the same. I used several supplements a few years back, and while I liked the results, I did feel odd from time to time (and really, it did nothing for my actual strength - just seemed to help with building mass and toning).

I seem to have a bad habit of lifting for extended periods and then dropping off for 2-6 months, only to start up again. I think I get frustrated when I plateau on certain lifts. Anyway, I am currently lifting (been sticking to a 5-6 day routine) - been sticking to this since about January. I have almost hit my goal for flat bench press (rep 300lbs around 8 times).

I usually spend 3 days a week targeting one upper body area - chest, arms, shoulders/back - and then spend the other 2 days working core and legs. I also work in some cardio on my two leg days (although I have a lingering issue with my left knee). I probably spend about 6-8 hours a week lifting/exercising.

edit - I can also attest to what GP said regarding age/exercise (I was also pretty athletic at a young age). I can do different types of crunches and sit ups endlessly, but they don't seem to have the same effect on my body that they did 20 or even 5 years ago.

double edit - I can't believe there was a Herschel Walker reference in this tread. Hearing the dude's name still makes me wince - I am a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan...

[Stevens]

RISE FROM YOUR GWAVE...

I've been into bodyweight training for about four years now. There are a ton of things I love about it and zero negatives. Mind you that is just one guy's opinion.

About a year ago I was told that when I was ready to take my training to the next level I should look into Paul Wade's Convict Conditioning. At the time I wasn't quite ready, but recently I have come to that place.

I bought it, devoured it from cover to cover, and started it this week with the guy I work with.

If anyone wants to talk about this type of stuff further that would be great. Just a heads up though - I'm not a weights guy. If that's your thing then great, but that isn't where my interests (or knowledge) lie. Hopefully this thread doesn't slip into the abyss, but if it does that's OK too:D

[nem]

Cool, man. I was pretty into weights training for a few years. A friend invited me to a beginners bodyweight training class which I attended for a few months. Then I got tied up with work and I haven't trained since.

I've been meaning to get into bodyweight stuff again on my own. I need to build some parallettes and set up the gymnastic rings that I have.

[Stevens]

I've been meaning to get into bodyweight stuff again on my own. I need to build some parallettes and set up the gymnastic rings that I have.

Awesome! Friday was headstands (step 1 towards handstand push ups) and short bridges (step 1 for uh...guess:).

Tomorrow is wall push ups and knee tucks.

[Blinge]

How does I work my back out without a pullup bar?
I don't want to go to a godamned gym.
I do pushups, planks n squats n stuff.