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32,911 |
<p>(I am 16 year old male) A few years back, I had a spinal cord injury and I couldn't move anything from my chest down. Now, I am very strong and can walk using a walker to assist my core balance. I also took up a healthy lifestyle which includes weight training and eating good foods about a year and a half back. I had always had a lot of body fat and my body fat has gone down quite a bit as I've been increasing my muscle mass but there's no steady decrease. I have a goal to decrease my body fat to about 12% body fat, right now I'm about 16 or 17%. Due to my current state, I can't run or do typical cardio machines. What would you recommend for me to drop body fat? When I first started my fitness journey I restricted calories drastically which did terrible things like loss of muscle and always hungry.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32921,
"author": "Jayraj Srikriti Naidu",
"author_id": 23387,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23387",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Keeping a balanced diet is essential for you to stay healthy. Regular medium intensity workout( whatever exercises you can do currently) on a daily basis will help. Going for regular walks in park during morning will be very beneficial as you will get natural vitamin D as well as motivation on seeing other people walk. You need to first learn to try walking without the stick. You are very strong and you can do it with daily pactice. Once you master it you will be free to workout as you want. Take good amount of rest and interact with people especially those who can encourage and support you as this will prove motivating to achieve your goals. With some will power you will be able to achieve your desired goal. I am sure this will help. All the best.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33561,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>In order to drop body fat, you need to perform some type of cardio. Most people think cardio has to be running or a variation of running. Cardio is actually the increase of your heart rate. Increasing your heart rate is easily done by different running movement because they are compound movements that call for more oxygen and therefore more heart beats to retrieve oxygen. So for your case you want to exercise in a way that is going to increase your heart rate. It seems like you enjoy weight training too. So maybe kill two birds with one stone. Keep your weight training for exercise but increase the 'intensity'. Start by shortening rest time in between sets on your compound movements(30 seconds MAX). You can also add an extra set to make sure you are exhausting your body. Also look into super setting certain movements. For example on arm day do a set of curls then a set of tricep movements back to back. repeat this sequence 4 or 5 times. By doing this it allows your muscles to recover in between sets because your switching muscle groups, but your not resting your heart therefore the heart rate gets higher. Boom! your doing cardio! You can start working out more days a week maybe 5 or 6 days and one rest day. In regards to diet, Everyone's different. One thing that does help me cut weight but not lose strength is carb adjustment. Start eating cleaner carbs like nuts, fruits and vegetables and cut out the white breads and pastas. AND ONLY DRINK WATER. Do all these and I bet you'll start to lean out real quick.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/19
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32911",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19213/"
] |
32,912 |
<p>I am tall close to 6 feet.I was able to do squats with 18kg weights before like more than 6 months ago and replaced it with running then i left doing exercise for legs.but one day i accidently used my back lifting water can of 20kg and got a pain in back but it was healed.Now i am trying to do squats again without weights but it feels so taxing on my body and i use my feet fingers to lift not the balls of the feet.
Can you give me any progression for squats and any tips to correct my form?
Thank you.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32921,
"author": "Jayraj Srikriti Naidu",
"author_id": 23387,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23387",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Keeping a balanced diet is essential for you to stay healthy. Regular medium intensity workout( whatever exercises you can do currently) on a daily basis will help. Going for regular walks in park during morning will be very beneficial as you will get natural vitamin D as well as motivation on seeing other people walk. You need to first learn to try walking without the stick. You are very strong and you can do it with daily pactice. Once you master it you will be free to workout as you want. Take good amount of rest and interact with people especially those who can encourage and support you as this will prove motivating to achieve your goals. With some will power you will be able to achieve your desired goal. I am sure this will help. All the best.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33561,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>In order to drop body fat, you need to perform some type of cardio. Most people think cardio has to be running or a variation of running. Cardio is actually the increase of your heart rate. Increasing your heart rate is easily done by different running movement because they are compound movements that call for more oxygen and therefore more heart beats to retrieve oxygen. So for your case you want to exercise in a way that is going to increase your heart rate. It seems like you enjoy weight training too. So maybe kill two birds with one stone. Keep your weight training for exercise but increase the 'intensity'. Start by shortening rest time in between sets on your compound movements(30 seconds MAX). You can also add an extra set to make sure you are exhausting your body. Also look into super setting certain movements. For example on arm day do a set of curls then a set of tricep movements back to back. repeat this sequence 4 or 5 times. By doing this it allows your muscles to recover in between sets because your switching muscle groups, but your not resting your heart therefore the heart rate gets higher. Boom! your doing cardio! You can start working out more days a week maybe 5 or 6 days and one rest day. In regards to diet, Everyone's different. One thing that does help me cut weight but not lose strength is carb adjustment. Start eating cleaner carbs like nuts, fruits and vegetables and cut out the white breads and pastas. AND ONLY DRINK WATER. Do all these and I bet you'll start to lean out real quick.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/19
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32912",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/16349/"
] |
32,913 |
<p>can someone create a lower pecs with no go to to gym?Could you give some workouts that someone could do at his home?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32921,
"author": "Jayraj Srikriti Naidu",
"author_id": 23387,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23387",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Keeping a balanced diet is essential for you to stay healthy. Regular medium intensity workout( whatever exercises you can do currently) on a daily basis will help. Going for regular walks in park during morning will be very beneficial as you will get natural vitamin D as well as motivation on seeing other people walk. You need to first learn to try walking without the stick. You are very strong and you can do it with daily pactice. Once you master it you will be free to workout as you want. Take good amount of rest and interact with people especially those who can encourage and support you as this will prove motivating to achieve your goals. With some will power you will be able to achieve your desired goal. I am sure this will help. All the best.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33561,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>In order to drop body fat, you need to perform some type of cardio. Most people think cardio has to be running or a variation of running. Cardio is actually the increase of your heart rate. Increasing your heart rate is easily done by different running movement because they are compound movements that call for more oxygen and therefore more heart beats to retrieve oxygen. So for your case you want to exercise in a way that is going to increase your heart rate. It seems like you enjoy weight training too. So maybe kill two birds with one stone. Keep your weight training for exercise but increase the 'intensity'. Start by shortening rest time in between sets on your compound movements(30 seconds MAX). You can also add an extra set to make sure you are exhausting your body. Also look into super setting certain movements. For example on arm day do a set of curls then a set of tricep movements back to back. repeat this sequence 4 or 5 times. By doing this it allows your muscles to recover in between sets because your switching muscle groups, but your not resting your heart therefore the heart rate gets higher. Boom! your doing cardio! You can start working out more days a week maybe 5 or 6 days and one rest day. In regards to diet, Everyone's different. One thing that does help me cut weight but not lose strength is carb adjustment. Start eating cleaner carbs like nuts, fruits and vegetables and cut out the white breads and pastas. AND ONLY DRINK WATER. Do all these and I bet you'll start to lean out real quick.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/19
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32913",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] |
32,920 |
<p>Today I was a little sick but I still went to the gym to do my workout.
I had a really annoying consistent headache.</p>
<p>A friend of mine warned me not to do all the sets because i could damage my brain from high blood pressure. Well he had no convincing argument so I didn't stop. However I am wondering if it is true and if there are other things I should consider.</p>
<p>What are the dangers of working out with a headache apart from passing out?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32923,
"author": "Jayraj Srikriti Naidu",
"author_id": 23387,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23387",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It is always good not to workout when you are not feeling well as you will be unable to give your best performance. Your headache might be from lack of sleep, work stress, sudden change in climate . In such a case working out may result in INJURIES so your body is not exactly fresh or in mood to perform the sets. Take a day off and see if the headache persists else consult a doctor. Note working out when you are undergoing stressful times, or suffering from lack of sleep may also lead to cardiac arrest. Stay safe and get well soon. So it is better you take a day off from working out.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32927,
"author": "philantrovert",
"author_id": 24334,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24334",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>It actually depends on the type of headache you have.</p>\n\n<p>If you've been sleep derived or have a headache due to hunger and have been feeling weak, it is advised to not do a high intensity workout.</p>\n\n<p>On the other hand, if your headache is, well, just a headache, working out can be really helpful.\nExercising and working out releases hormones and chemicals like <strong>serotonin, endorphins and dopamine</strong>. All three of those provide pain relief and a change in mood (in a good way). </p>\n\n<p>All in all, <strong>it's never bad to exercise.</strong> :D</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/19
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32920",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/15299/"
] |
32,930 |
<p>How long is the duration for which we are required to rest after workout. Is it good to do 2-3 sessions of heavy workout every day? What should be the rest period between the two sessions. I take 1 gm of proteins per pound of body weight. How I am I supposed to keep up my energy if duration of both sessions is 100 minutes?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32931,
"author": "Christian Conti-Vock",
"author_id": 20213,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20213",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>For all but perhaps a few elite professional athletes, multiple heavy (intense) workouts per day are not good/useful, because they almost certainly cause more fatigue than that from which the body can recover within one day (or possibly multiple successive days).</p>\n\n<p>Note that insufficient recovery usually prohibits the desired adaptation (for example, increased strength), so exercising more (that is, incurring more fatigue) does not necessarily increase strength -- it actually may decrease strength.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32963,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I would say that 2 - 3 sessions of heavy work every day would be too much, but then with adequate nutrition and recovery, I imagine even that can be adapted to.</p>\n\n<p><strong>It all comes down to what your goals are.</strong></p>\n\n<p>I know of a few weightlifters who train multiple times a day, but these are people who compete at a national level, and by necessity, training for weight lifting tends to involve lots of sets of low reps, especially for the more skilled movements (snatch, clean and jerk).</p>\n\n<p>Some old school bodybuilders used to train twice a day, morning and evening, with pretty full on sessions both times (names escape me at the moment, but T-Nation has posted a few articles on some of these guys).</p>\n\n<p>The Squat Every Day program gained some traction a year or so back (I've fallen out of touch, so maybe it still has some), the idea being that you work up to your squat max every day, and once you get over the initial week or so, your body gets used to it.</p>\n\n<p>For skilled movements, and arguably for pure strength without a lot in the way of hypertrophy, training multiple times a day can be very beneficial. Suck at pulls ups? Then do multiple sets throughout the day and watch your strength increase. This is commonly known as Greasing the Groove and from my understanding trains the CNS to more efficiently recruit the muscles required to carry out the movement.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32969,
"author": "Sey Charl",
"author_id": 24376,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24376",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>It's all genetic for the most part. It has nothing to do with whether or not you're a rare, one-of-a-kind elite pro athlete that comes once in a generation; or if you're a couch potato who can't lift 100 lbs.</p>\n\n<p>How long you need to rest and recover varies and depends based on each person and how much you prefer to recover before loading again. I know of at least one guy who trains 6-7 days a week and it works perfectly for him (and no, he doesn't use pro-hormones). Why? Apparently he recovers faster.</p>\n\n<p>Some people take longer to recover, but nothing stops you from jumping the gun. As far as I can figure you can't reduce gains just by jumping back in a little quicker -- just don't workout constantly.</p>\n\n<p>In general, most people recover enough in 48-72 hours or less for more loading, but the point of diminishing returns depend on how much intensity. See, you can lift 7 days a week and curl paperback for 300 reps and I doubt you'll have diminishing returns -- but if you try and power curl 90% of your max every day you just might see no advantage. Interestingly, sleep helps repair muscles. If you just simply sleep more while maintaining a good diet you'll definitely see muscle repair faster.</p>\n\n<p>If you spend an entire 24-hour period sleeping 80% of the time and eating the rest you'll probably recover enough to jump back in immediately the following next day, fresh as a water buffalo.</p>\n\n<p>Three things you should know/focus on:</p>\n\n<p>1.Intensity. If you do an extremely intense workout, odds are you won't recover the next day -- so give it several days at the minimum, unless you feel perfectly refreshed sooner. If you do low-intensity workouts, do it more times per week, possibly splitting up the days you do it if you prefer.</p>\n\n<p>2.Recovery is genetic, but sleep helps. If you want to workout more and get stronger faster, consider sleep supplements if you're not a naturally good sleeper. Also, remember that good sleep is at least 9 hours (with REM) -- no less or you're slowing down recovery.</p>\n\n<p>3.Calories and protein help recovery. This doesn't mean eat non-stop, but it does mean that you should eat every 4-8 hours, and shouldn't let your net negative energy balance stay below -800 for more than 10 hours at a time. Most meals should be small-ish but packed. Spread your calories and do not simply think you must always be in a surplus/deficit -- don't think in extremes because the world doesn't operate that way. Consistent eating replenishes muscles and helps them recover, so try and eat well consistently but do not over/under eat. Good luck and may you grow powerful like me.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 39379,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Research shows that you can get incredibly more size and strength gains by doing heavy training everyday compared to doing it 3 times a week<a href=\"https://mennohenselmans.com/training-frequency-3x-vs-6x/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">(1)</a> (At equal volume)</p>\n\n<p>Also: </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Further, a 2017 meta-analysis of 15 different studies published in theJournal of Sport Science<a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27433992\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">(2)</a> said:“Results showed an incremental dose-response relationship whereby progressively higher weekly training volumes resulted in greater muscle hypertrophy.” This indicates training body parts more often is ideal for building muscle because of this in part, means a higher training volume overall. When you spread your training volume out throughout the week your muscles will have more time to recover and grow between workout sessions.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Not only does training more often gives better gains at equal volume but \ntraining more often actually allows for greater volume over time, and volume is the is directly related to the amount of muscle and strength you can build. </p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32930",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23387/"
] |
32,932 |
<p>Today, I noticed that my my neck appears to have a small hunchback. Do you know workouts that could improve my neck posture in order to straighten it? Additionally, my bed is orthopedic and I have a soft pillow. I think the way I sleep and my soft pillow may be a cause.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32983,
"author": "PStag",
"author_id": 19264,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19264",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The spine is nothing to take lightly. If it's a question about the spinal column I always say get a professional to look at it in person.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33285,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Thoracic Kyphosis and Forward Head (\"Computer Guy\" Hunchback): Upper cross syndrome is another posture issue caused by sitting while hunching forward (at a computer, over books, etc). </p>\n\n<p>Pectorals and the upper back/next tend to be tight as a result and the scapular muscles (shoulder blades) and neck flexors tend to be weak. <a href=\"http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/exgiu/a_guide_to_fixing_computer_guy_posture_upper_body/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This post</a> has excellent information on why you're doing different exercises, but many of the links have degraded. </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://kaasplateau.com/stretches.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This pdf</a> demonstrates how to do the specific exercises mentioned (skip to page 4 for the specifics for this section, although all of the stretches are good).</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/JFguV.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/JFguV.jpg\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>Source: reddit.com/r/fitness</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33376,
"author": "Lalit Narayan Taparia",
"author_id": 24764,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24764",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is a common problem for most of the IT guys as well as heavy social media users on mobile. I got this problem a month back I tried some good Yoga Pose suggested by Baba Ramdev( India). It helped me a lot. You can search for his reference in Google.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32932",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24337/"
] |
32,936 |
<p>I am a hard core gymer. I work out 2hrs a day at a single stretch. However I am unable to keep the intensity of the workouts halfway. I mean not being able to maintain the vigour and stamina with which I began. Currently I am working out for weight gain and lifting heavyweights so I warmup for 8 -10 minutes. Its cold winters here in haryana, india. Can you suggest ways in improving my stamina? Is there some thing I should do to improve stamina or take certain supplements before working out? Will taking lot of carbs before working out really help??</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32983,
"author": "PStag",
"author_id": 19264,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19264",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The spine is nothing to take lightly. If it's a question about the spinal column I always say get a professional to look at it in person.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33285,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Thoracic Kyphosis and Forward Head (\"Computer Guy\" Hunchback): Upper cross syndrome is another posture issue caused by sitting while hunching forward (at a computer, over books, etc). </p>\n\n<p>Pectorals and the upper back/next tend to be tight as a result and the scapular muscles (shoulder blades) and neck flexors tend to be weak. <a href=\"http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/exgiu/a_guide_to_fixing_computer_guy_posture_upper_body/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This post</a> has excellent information on why you're doing different exercises, but many of the links have degraded. </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://kaasplateau.com/stretches.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This pdf</a> demonstrates how to do the specific exercises mentioned (skip to page 4 for the specifics for this section, although all of the stretches are good).</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/JFguV.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/JFguV.jpg\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>Source: reddit.com/r/fitness</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33376,
"author": "Lalit Narayan Taparia",
"author_id": 24764,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24764",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is a common problem for most of the IT guys as well as heavy social media users on mobile. I got this problem a month back I tried some good Yoga Pose suggested by Baba Ramdev( India). It helped me a lot. You can search for his reference in Google.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32936",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23387/"
] |
32,937 |
<p>I am trying to gain strength, which leaves a lot of rest time in between sets (3-5 minutes). I am a beginner and have no clue what to do in between sets! I kind of just dag around. What are some decent things to do in between sets?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32938,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I've always found something like working on antagonistic muscle groups, stretching tight muscle groups or just plain tidying up the gym a bit usually keeps me entertained.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32939,
"author": "BKE",
"author_id": 5752,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/5752",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Relax. Sit, lie down, listen to music, talk to friends. If you're outside, enjoy the sun. If you really want to do something related to the training, visualize the exercise you are doing.</p>\n\n<p>Where do you get the idea, that you have to fill your time? Actually, if you fill your time between sets with random stuff, you lose mental focus on your training.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32940,
"author": "Sean Duggan",
"author_id": 8039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I bring a book (or read one on a tablet), and walk laps while waiting. It's low-impact, but it's exercise, keeping me warmed up, and it gives me a chance to finish one of the half-dozen books I'm in the process of reading.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32941,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Keep moving around. I would suggest walking around the gym or using a treadmill to just walk. Stretching to keep loose and to the keep the blood pumping is also sound advice. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32943,
"author": "Ryan",
"author_id": 7148,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7148",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>If you're goal is strength than in between sets you should rest. Catch your breath. Have some water. Nibble on some sort of calories. Load more weight on the bar. Then go again. Not sure why you're waiting 3 to 5 minutes between sets as a beginner unless its training with partner / partners that are going in that time. In which case help them load their weight, watch what they're doing, and relax.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32968,
"author": "Charge of Coats",
"author_id": 24375,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24375",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>One word: cardio. Do anaerobic and aerobic routines.</p>\n\n<p>Between deadlifts I would do sprints and running and hurdles, combined with playing soccer.</p>\n\n<p>When I would finish there I'd go catch my breath in 10 seconds or so and then get back at it.</p>\n\n<p>The key point here is that, even if you're \"resting\" between sets, you can keep doing other stuff.</p>\n\n<p>If you're resting from sets on the bench press, do pull ups or chin ups inbetween.</p>\n\n<p>If you're resting from pulls ups/chin ups, do dips or squats; or just run around like a sneols.</p>\n\n<p>Point is, even when resting, some part of your body/system can always keep working.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/21
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32937",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
32,948 |
<p>I am doing Crossfit for couple monthes and still can't manage to always find a good weight for training according to weight exercises.<br>
For instance, I can do deadlifts with 60 kg and front squat with 50 kg, but thrusters with only 40 kgs, while won't be able to do power snatch even with 40 kgs.<br>
Recently, my coach adviced me to take 30 kg on thrusters since "that's an intensive exercise, not strength exercise; better take less weight, but do more reps".<br>
So, the question is what is an expected relative weights table? How do you know which weight to take for every exercise except for remembering "my" value for every exercise and reps number. Trying different weights doesn't work well, because this value changes with time and progress.</p>
<p>As for me, I currently use then next "formula" (of course, approximately):</p>
<pre><code>x * reps coefficient * exercise coefficient
</code></pre>
<p>where <code>x</code> is currently 60 kg (actually 1 RM Deadlift) and it changes while I progress. </p>
<pre><code>Reps in round Coefficient
1-2 1.0 (doesn't change)
3-6 0.9 (-10%)
7-10 0.75 (-25%)
11+ 0.5 (-50%)
Exercise Coefficient
Deadlift 1.0 (doesn't change)
FS, BS 0.8 (-20%)
Squat clean 0.75 (-25%)
Pushes / Jerks 0.75 (-25%)
Power clean 0.7 (-30%)
Thruster 0.7 (-30%)
OH squat 0.6 (-40%)
Power snatch 0.5 (-50%)
</code></pre>
<p>So, if I see "xxx rounds, 5 rep each, power cleans", I currently take 60 * 0.9 * 0.7 ~= 35-40 kg, according to my physical and mental state, and WOD intensity / rounds count. Or when I see "Power snatch 3 reps EMOM", I would take 60 * 0.5 * 0.9 ~= 25-30 kg.<br>
When I manage to make deadlifts with 70 kg, I will recalculate weights for all other exercises. I will also increase coefficient if I improve my technique - for instance, recently power snatch coefficient was 0.35, because I couldn't do it very well.</p>
<p>Of course, it is very individual, but what are the general averages and ideas?<br>
What weight are you taking for every exercise? I would also be happy to use this information to understand which exercises I am bad at, and what should I work on more often.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32938,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I've always found something like working on antagonistic muscle groups, stretching tight muscle groups or just plain tidying up the gym a bit usually keeps me entertained.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32939,
"author": "BKE",
"author_id": 5752,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/5752",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Relax. Sit, lie down, listen to music, talk to friends. If you're outside, enjoy the sun. If you really want to do something related to the training, visualize the exercise you are doing.</p>\n\n<p>Where do you get the idea, that you have to fill your time? Actually, if you fill your time between sets with random stuff, you lose mental focus on your training.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32940,
"author": "Sean Duggan",
"author_id": 8039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I bring a book (or read one on a tablet), and walk laps while waiting. It's low-impact, but it's exercise, keeping me warmed up, and it gives me a chance to finish one of the half-dozen books I'm in the process of reading.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32941,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Keep moving around. I would suggest walking around the gym or using a treadmill to just walk. Stretching to keep loose and to the keep the blood pumping is also sound advice. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32943,
"author": "Ryan",
"author_id": 7148,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7148",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>If you're goal is strength than in between sets you should rest. Catch your breath. Have some water. Nibble on some sort of calories. Load more weight on the bar. Then go again. Not sure why you're waiting 3 to 5 minutes between sets as a beginner unless its training with partner / partners that are going in that time. In which case help them load their weight, watch what they're doing, and relax.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32968,
"author": "Charge of Coats",
"author_id": 24375,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24375",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>One word: cardio. Do anaerobic and aerobic routines.</p>\n\n<p>Between deadlifts I would do sprints and running and hurdles, combined with playing soccer.</p>\n\n<p>When I would finish there I'd go catch my breath in 10 seconds or so and then get back at it.</p>\n\n<p>The key point here is that, even if you're \"resting\" between sets, you can keep doing other stuff.</p>\n\n<p>If you're resting from sets on the bench press, do pull ups or chin ups inbetween.</p>\n\n<p>If you're resting from pulls ups/chin ups, do dips or squats; or just run around like a sneols.</p>\n\n<p>Point is, even when resting, some part of your body/system can always keep working.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/22
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32948",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24354/"
] |
32,979 |
<p>When I am standing or walking, and thinking about something other than my posture, I exhibit a bit of lumbar hyperlordosis, a fair amount of thoracic kyphosis and a bit of forward head (both my professional and avocational pursuits involve computer use).</p>
<p>For about 18 months I have been working out regularly and working on stretching the hip flexors, strengthening the core, the glutes, rows, etc.</p>
<p>When I look in the mirror, I can engage the abdominus rectus, thrust a bit with the glutes, and put my chest up and I see a very good-looking posture. However, when I am not thinking about it (which is 99% of the time) I regress.</p>
<p>I do have a standing/sitting (up/down) desk, but when I stand and I engage in a good posture consciously, then return to my work. Invariably some time later I notice that I have allowed my belly to protrude and am resting a bunch of weight on my lumbar spine. I then correct it.</p>
<p>In general, I find it easier to identify good vs. bad posture when standing vs. sitting, and when I am standing I can imitate a person who has good posture for brief periods of time. But when I am sitting, I am less clear on what I am doing vs. what I should be doing, and how bad it actually is.</p>
<p>My question is in two parts:</p>
<p>1) Do people who exhibit great posture have to think about it?</p>
<p>2) How does sitting posture relate to standing posture? In particular, what types of sitting posture mistakes contribute to lumbar hyper lordosis, thoracic kyphosis and forward head when standing?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32980,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<blockquote>\n <p>Do people who exhibit great posture have to think about it?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Some do, some don't, some will.</p>\n\n<p>A lot of people exhibit good posture because they've had the adequate amount of physical exercise while growing up. For instance, young farmers will almost as a rule become very strong and lean because of the amount of physical labor that goes into their role as farm hand.</p>\n\n<p>Other people have had to work on their posture, until it <em>became</em> second nature. I.e. they did it consciously for so long, it's now something they don't have to think about. (Personally, I fall into this category.)</p>\n\n<p>Meanwhile, some people simply have to make a conscious effort to keep their shoulders squared, chest and chin up etc.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>How does sitting posture relate to standing posture? In particular, what types of sitting posture mistakes contribute to lumbar hyper lordosis, thoracic kyphosis and forward head when standing?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I'm not going to go very deep into what causes each of these, but you mention sitting vs. standing, and that's a valid concern, at least for lumbar hyperlordosis. A sedentary lifestyle with a lot of sitting is known to cause tight hip-flexors, which in turn is one of the main causes of lumbar hyperlordosis. A common counter to this is to stretch the hip flexors regularly, even daily.</p>\n\n<p>Thoracic kyphosis is largely a symptom of more serious diseases such as Scheuermann's disease, osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebra, multiple myeloma or outright trauma (car crash, falling etc.). All in all, this is not something you should be worried about causing through posture changes.</p>\n\n<p>Forward head posture (FHP), unless caused by something dramatic, is something that can be corrected by daily habits, much like the issue with tight hip flexors. And to a large degree, you SHOULD treat it, because it can lead to bigger and worse things, like chronic neck pain, and everything that can be derived from that.</p>\n\n<p>Exercises for correcting FHP are many, and you can find a plethora of simple exercises for it by googling. I'm usually not a fan of WikiHow, but I'll concede that <a href=\"http://www.wikihow.com/Correct-Forward-Head-Posture\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">their article on this particular subject</a> is pretty good.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33021,
"author": "BKE",
"author_id": 5752,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/5752",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Keep on getting stronger and more flexible. But, endurance is also very important for posture, so include more endurance training (minimum 15-20 reps) mainly for the posterior chain. Good posture is not something that can be maintained by conscious effort all the time, your muscles and nervous system must have the endurance to keep it up without much thinking.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/25
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32979",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/16131/"
] |
32,982 |
<p>I have kept upping creatine intake and calories, including exercise and weightlifting, but I do not see any muscle gains. My arms have stayed the same size for over 3 years, and I've been to dietitians/etc. I even got a personal trainer. I have no diseases/illnesses that prevent or waste away muscle (i.e., cachexia). I have maintained bulking phases, but all I gain is 99% fat from a long-term surplus. For example, I gained 25 lbs. in 4 months, but did not look any bit muscular -- and my arm size did not change, nor did any other muscle group. My waist size just increases and I get a belly slowly, but never see any muscle mass.</p>
<p>I upped to 500mg of creatine a day, plus 900mg caffeine and up to 1,000 grams of protein per day, including 5-10K calories (80% protein). This diet has cost me thousands over the months, but no results. People tell me to eat more, but I just get fatter -- I gain literally almost no muscle.</p>
<p>I've been steadily working out for around 3 years, even some under supervision of trainer. I see no muscle mass results. My arms "pump" but never get bigger chronically -- they always still 12 inche.</p>
<p>I am 5'10" and 162 lbs. with about 15% bodyfat. I went to 180+ and just went up 4-inch pant sizes, but did not see any muscle gains while having a very strict, progressive overload bearing workout that involves low-weights and 8-12 reps for hypertrophy, 5-8 reps for power, and 15+ reps for endurance.</p>
<p>I literally gain less than 1 lb. of muscle for every 20 lbs. of overall weight gained. I'd have to be the size of a superobese Walmart cart roller to have the muscle size of a 13 year old boy.</p>
<p>Again:</p>
<p>5-12K calories a day, every day.</p>
<p>400-500g creatine.</p>
<p>700-1,000g protein.</p>
<p>I have seen guys bigger than me that don't even workout, it's pretty shameful. I even see lots of women bigger and more muscular at the gyms than me. I have good power (bench 210, squat 180, curl 110, overhead press 150, can do 18 chin ups, 14 pull ups, 2 muscle ups, and even deadlift around 450 lbs.), but have no size. It's like a curse of tiny muscles with good strength.</p>
<p>Muscle size flexed:</p>
<p>Biceps: 12 inches</p>
<p>Quads: 27 inches</p>
<p>Chest: 38 inches</p>
<p>Neck: 13 inches</p>
<p>Forearms: 10.8 inches</p>
<p>Wrists: 6.9 inches</p>
<p>Hand length: 7.1 inches</p>
<p>Why am I so chornically small and can't gain any muscle for years?</p>
<p>I am 100% confident that I rest well and have one of the best routines I follow very passionately and strictly as I have sought after gains my whole life.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 32991,
"author": "Mat",
"author_id": 22085,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/22085",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There are a few reasons you might not be seeing muscle gains and only fat gains. </p>\n\n<p>I'll start out with the first one that comes to mind, and the most probable from my perspective. <strong>You are</strong>. Take pictures, lots of them. If you're in a surplus and gaining muscle you are naturally going to gain fat too. This is going to look like you've gained mostly fat when in actuality you've gained fat and muscle. If you've got pictures you can compare yourself within them. When you lose the excess fat after your bulk, you'll regain muscle definition and you can see any gains made much easier. </p>\n\n<p>I'm also curious about how you're training. 5-6 times per week? Light weights? 1RM's? High Reps? Low Reps? How long are your sessions? Are you doing cardio? What type of training are you doing? These are all important factors in how you're training. </p>\n\n<p>If you're eating in a surplus and hitting your protein levels you will notice muscle gains providing you are working out adequately.<br>\nYour body will develop more muscle if you are:</p>\n\n<p>A.) Giving your body a reason to build more (working out so your body adapts)</p>\n\n<p>B.) Giving your body the proper tools to build muscle (Protein, proper rest, etc.)</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 32999,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The first thing you should be aware of is that gaining appreciable, sustaining muscle mass is typically a long (<strong>l-o-n-g</strong>) process especially if you train <strong>drug free</strong>. It requires consistent effort and attention to detail. Having said that, it would appear from your post that you're making a concerted effort to achieve your muscular goals. But, here are some observations:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>I think you're relying too much on external supplements. More is not\nalways better. Increasing protein and Creatine will certainly stress\nyour digestive system and kidneys. Most people don't take Creatine\nevery day. Rather it's typically “cycled”. I would suggest you take\na hard look at your supplementation strategy and look to real food\nfor the bulk of your nutrients.</li>\n<li>If I understand your post correctly, your training seems somewhat<br>\nhaphazard in the amount of reps/work load you are attempting. I<br>\nwould suggest you may be over training. Don't be totally bound by<br>\nwhat you read for rep/set recommendations. Pay close attention to<br>\nwhat works for you an stick with it. Sometimes, the best routine is \na “non-routine” because it provides variety and lessens any muscle adaptation.</li>\n<li>There's no way for us to tell how well you are performing an\nexercise. If you “cheat”, or, do not perform full range of motion,\nyou are wasting valuable effort and time. Strict/proper form should\nbe the goal on each and every exercise. Consider posting video of\nexercises for critique.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Lastly, don't compare yourself to others. Be humble. There will always be someone who is bigger or stronger. Work your hardest at being the best <strong>you</strong> can be. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33004,
"author": "Flakka Fo Fools",
"author_id": 24411,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24411",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This may not be the answer you or anyone else would vouch for, but here you go:</p>\n\n<p><strong>That's just how it is</strong>. You are likely a hardgainer. You probably do build muscle, as everyone does, but the rate at which it's noticeable is negligible. It's not testosterone; it's not diet; it's genetics.</p>\n\n<p>You are just not naturally apt to gain muscle quickly. It's a harsh reality, but there's little you can do. Some people just can't get very big -- and it takes them many times more effort to achieve small results. What does this mean? It doesn't mean give up -- it means accept the facts.</p>\n\n<p>You say you're still building strength, right? Use that for motivation and let the muscle sink in slowly. You will get bigger eventually -- everyone will. You may take three times longer, but it will happen.</p>\n\n<p>Even someone dying from starvation will still be able to build some muscle over time, so anyone will.</p>\n\n<p>You get fat from eating too much because there's a hard limit to how much energy your body will use for protein synthesis -- the rest is just added to glycogen and then fat, as there's nowhere else/nothing else your body can do with so much energy surplus. Energy can't be created/destroyed -- only changed. You realize there's an upper-limit for everyone -- even the most roid-stacked, genetically-gifted individual in existence. Your body can only use so much for muscle -- after that it's down to fat.</p>\n\n<p>Moderate intake and realize that eating more will NOT make you any bigger past a reasonable point. What you should do is, since eating more isn't helping build much more, simply eat what you normally do and workout, while sparingly throwing in small bouts of extra energy in some days when you're active/lift hard at the gym -- and then for down days you can have a very minimal deficit so as to never really throw your body too far in either direction without putting the brakes on it.</p>\n\n<p>Keep using strength as a motivational tool to continue, while still keeping progress and slowly building muscle. You may not see much change with measuring tape, but it's almost assuredly true that some muscle is growing -- either by total muscle cells or cell size. Give yourself a break for a few days and re-evaluate -- work on your diet -- and go back in with your head up and be realistic. No, you may never have the \"bodybuilder\" body, but you can have a good body if you work at it and don't just give up because you can't get really big. It's not like everyone wants to be really big anyways.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/26
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32982",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24390/"
] |
32,995 |
<p>I am looking for alternative triceps exercises, either using body weight, free weights or with the machine. The twist: I have a golfer's elbow. Not the sort of golfer's elbow that regularly hurts (actually it never hurts), but it still feels weird when I bend my arm more than 90° while its under weight pressure.</p>
<p>Because of this, exercises like Push-Ups, Dips, Bench Press are not optimal for me.</p>
<p>Can you think of any other triceps exercises that are effective but do not require the full spectrum of your arm movement?</p>
<p>(Sorry for the english. If you do not understand, please tell me and I will try to clarify.)</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36505,
"author": "Michał Zaborowski",
"author_id": 20149,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20149",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Well, we can exchange experiences, but you need to understand that all can be done is based on descriptions. Someone qualified needs to see your arm(s) to do it right. </p>\n\n<p>I had same injury, so I can present my experience. First - rest is good for elbow. </p>\n\n<p>Problem can comes from forearms - relax them, mobilize, or shoulders - they are moved front. If that is the case - mobilize chest, and shoulders.</p>\n\n<p>Long head of triceps is attached to blade-bone, so it is used when you pulling back. Rotating palms can be helpful. On the other hand, you should try to have your forearms relaxed - like using hooks.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 36718,
"author": "Mike-DHSc",
"author_id": 24836,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24836",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p><em>These are my old clinical notes from DPT school.</em></p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p><strong>NOTE:</strong> <em>These are being provided to help you better understand what is happening. <strong>You MUST have this evaluated by your local PT</strong> and they will create your treatment plan accordingly.</em></p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<blockquote>\n <h2>Medial Epicondylitis</h2>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>– Overuse of muscles attaching to medial epicondyle – pronator teres and flexor carpi radialis are most involved. <em>aka Golfers Elbow (even though it has nothing to do with golfing)</em></p>\n\n<h2>Etiology</h2>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>See this with repetitive overuseleading to microtrauma repetitive wrist flexion and forearm pronation pronator teres and FCR that are most involved. </p>\n\n<p>** <em>cant clinically differentiate these structures.</em></p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>2:1 M to F ratio. </p>\n\n<p><strong>Special Clinical Tests</strong>: No special tests for this.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Contractile Testing</strong> - Manual Resistance during, wrist flexion and forearm pronation to try and eleict pain in the area of the medial epicondlye. (think about what muscles attach there)</p>\n\n<p><strong>How to Stretch</strong> - similar but stretch will be with wrist extended are forearm supinated.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Tx:</strong> Surgery is very rare. <strong>Please have this evaluated before any limited ROM tricep exercises</strong></p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/zchoC.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/zchoC.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/27
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/32995",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24406/"
] |
33,005 |
<p>When reading about gaining muscle mass and losing fat most (almost all) sources seem to recommend an alternating sequence of bulking and then cutting.</p>
<p>Wouldn't it be simpler and more convenient to just train a lot and eat enough and have this progress towards an equilibrium?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33017,
"author": "DeeV",
"author_id": 21868,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21868",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>That's called recomposition, and it works to a certain extent. Most people can probably do that for a couple years before it stops working. Then they need to do a bulking/cutting cycle as creating muscle becomes more difficult as time goes on.</p>\n\n<p>Another reason to do the cycle is it's more intuitive for people. Recomposition requires constant tracking and recording to make sure you don't go over or under budget, unless you're really good at eyeballing food intake. Bulking (particularly a dirty bulk) is simple. You eat a lot. If you don't gain weight, then eat more. Cutting is the reverse of that. The bulk/cut cycle is a time-tested method that's worked for a lot of people.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33018,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Speaking from an anecdotal perspective, I agree with your statement. As a former competitive bodybuilder, I too would often follow the advice of the day: bulk, cut and repeat. I found that I was not as successful with that pattern of training. The pattern felt like yo-yo dieting to me because you inevitably gain fat with any muscle you're lucky enough to gain. And, during the cut phase, you have pay very close attention to detail and how you reduce calories to avoid losing any newly acquired muscle mass. Good luck with that.</p>\n\n<p>I soon switched to a more linear approach and was much more successful. I would set an off season goal weight and not stray too far over it. That meant constantly monitoring caloric intake and macro nutrient distributions. This approach allowed me to maintain any muscular gains for a more extended period of time. It also allowed me to train worry free because I knew that I would not need to shed large amounts of excess fat gained during a “bulk” phase.</p>\n\n<p>I think the bulk and cut philosophy has lingered due to the popularity of the sport of bodybuilding. It's very difficult to apply the philosophy and methodologies of professional bodybuilders to the average \"Joe Fitness\". The average fitness enthusiast does not need to mimic and train like a bodybuilder to achieve their goals.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33019,
"author": "Mat",
"author_id": 22085,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/22085",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>For what most bodybuilders are after, you pretty much have to operate within a bulking/cutting cycle. </p>\n\n<p>In order to gain muscle mass effectively a bodybuilder (especially one who's been exercising for years) must eat in a surplus and work out efficiently. In doing this, they will also accumulate fat to some degree. This depends on how \"clean\" their bulk was.<br>\nThen in order to lose this excess fat, they have to \"cut\" by eating fewer calories than they use. In doing this, they also lose a bit of muscle. </p>\n\n<p>If one were to follow the method you propose, they would indeed notice muscle/strength gains as well as likely gaining fat depending on their intake. For most casual gym goers and the general population, this would be a more than acceptable regime. </p>\n\n<p>However many people looking to get into working out research bodybuilding advice and therefore find themselves researching a bulking/cutting cycle. For most people, it's not needed. But for competition bodybuilders or those looking to make very large changes, it is the superior route to go. </p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/28
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33005",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24412/"
] |
33,013 |
<p>The back of my neck feels sore at one side sometimes after a long day working in front of the computer. Somehow it improves by massaging the proper spot and by stretching. </p>
<p>It's like the muscles were disengaged, but not injured since it can improve rapidly by the proper actions. </p>
<p>I want to know what's the official name of this and whether muscle exercises, would help prevent it from happening.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33017,
"author": "DeeV",
"author_id": 21868,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21868",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>That's called recomposition, and it works to a certain extent. Most people can probably do that for a couple years before it stops working. Then they need to do a bulking/cutting cycle as creating muscle becomes more difficult as time goes on.</p>\n\n<p>Another reason to do the cycle is it's more intuitive for people. Recomposition requires constant tracking and recording to make sure you don't go over or under budget, unless you're really good at eyeballing food intake. Bulking (particularly a dirty bulk) is simple. You eat a lot. If you don't gain weight, then eat more. Cutting is the reverse of that. The bulk/cut cycle is a time-tested method that's worked for a lot of people.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33018,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Speaking from an anecdotal perspective, I agree with your statement. As a former competitive bodybuilder, I too would often follow the advice of the day: bulk, cut and repeat. I found that I was not as successful with that pattern of training. The pattern felt like yo-yo dieting to me because you inevitably gain fat with any muscle you're lucky enough to gain. And, during the cut phase, you have pay very close attention to detail and how you reduce calories to avoid losing any newly acquired muscle mass. Good luck with that.</p>\n\n<p>I soon switched to a more linear approach and was much more successful. I would set an off season goal weight and not stray too far over it. That meant constantly monitoring caloric intake and macro nutrient distributions. This approach allowed me to maintain any muscular gains for a more extended period of time. It also allowed me to train worry free because I knew that I would not need to shed large amounts of excess fat gained during a “bulk” phase.</p>\n\n<p>I think the bulk and cut philosophy has lingered due to the popularity of the sport of bodybuilding. It's very difficult to apply the philosophy and methodologies of professional bodybuilders to the average \"Joe Fitness\". The average fitness enthusiast does not need to mimic and train like a bodybuilder to achieve their goals.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33019,
"author": "Mat",
"author_id": 22085,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/22085",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>For what most bodybuilders are after, you pretty much have to operate within a bulking/cutting cycle. </p>\n\n<p>In order to gain muscle mass effectively a bodybuilder (especially one who's been exercising for years) must eat in a surplus and work out efficiently. In doing this, they will also accumulate fat to some degree. This depends on how \"clean\" their bulk was.<br>\nThen in order to lose this excess fat, they have to \"cut\" by eating fewer calories than they use. In doing this, they also lose a bit of muscle. </p>\n\n<p>If one were to follow the method you propose, they would indeed notice muscle/strength gains as well as likely gaining fat depending on their intake. For most casual gym goers and the general population, this would be a more than acceptable regime. </p>\n\n<p>However many people looking to get into working out research bodybuilding advice and therefore find themselves researching a bulking/cutting cycle. For most people, it's not needed. But for competition bodybuilders or those looking to make very large changes, it is the superior route to go. </p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/28
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33013",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24419/"
] |
33,014 |
<p>Why would a boxer, for example, train jumping rope or doing anything that is not the same type of movement that happens in a fight? Can you just train by performing the activity you want to improve? Like a runner training exclusively through running, swimmer by swimming and so on.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33016,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There's more to training than just performing the movements of a specific sport. In the example you provided of a boxer, jumping rope will improve cardio vascular fitness and endurance. Think of how much power a boxer must generate <strong>and</strong> absorb while in the ring. Add a time factor of 8 to 12 rounds and you begin to realize that having sufficient endurance and lasting power in the later rounds may be the deciding factor to winning or losing a bout. Cross training is an effective method to improving overall fitness for specific sports. That's why athletes will tend to do more than just the movements of their sports.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33020,
"author": "Mat",
"author_id": 22085,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/22085",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Overall muscle development and training is very important for any athlete. </p>\n\n<p>Using the example of a boxer like you provided, it is certainly most advantageous for them to practice hands on boxing, but this should be supplemented with other exercises. This is for a few reasons. First, a boxer needs training overall. Jump rope provides training with speed and cardio, both of which are useful to a fighter. Second, the body adapts to training very well. Doing the same training (in this case hands on boxing) will eventually become less efficient. This is why supplementing with other exercises is helpful. </p>\n\n<p>Take powerlifters for example. You can absolutely bet that a powerlifter will be practicing his/her squats often. However he/she knows that in order to be better at squats, they should also perform some supplementary movements to focus on the specific muscles which are needed during a squat. </p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/28
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33014",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24419/"
] |
33,022 |
<p>I had a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot_reduction" rel="noreferrer">misconception</a> that doing lots of abdominal exercises/crunches helps to reduce belly fat. I want to bulk up at the moment, for which I believe I have to follow a calorie surplus diet. But, If I am not mistaken, doing cardio along with following a calorie deficit diet helps to reduce belly fat as well as overall body fat at a faster rate. Now, my question is how to reduce belly fat and bulk up at the same time by following a calorie surplus diet?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33023,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<h3>First of all</h3>\n<p>Kudos for learning about the misconception, and adapting your approach.</p>\n<p>You're also going to have to tweak your question from "how to reduce belly fat" to "how to reduce fat", because as you now know, you will either lose fat all over your body, or not at all.</p>\n<h3>Gaining muscle while losing fat</h3>\n<p>That's the holy grail of fitness. The truth of it is that it is entirely possible, but it can be very difficult.</p>\n<p>In order to bulk up, yes, you're going to need a caloric surplus. But a bulk is meant for you to gain both muscle AND fat, and is traditionally followed by a cutting phase, whereby you diet down the fat you gained during the bulk.</p>\n<p>What you're looking for is essentially a lean bulk, where you both gain muscle, and lose fat at the same time.</p>\n<p>Let me just say this early; you're going to need to carefully study your diet in order to accomplish this. Fitness is the trifecta of training, eating, and resting. And the eating part is the most important one when it comes to gaining/losing weight.</p>\n<h3>How-to</h3>\n<p>Unfortunately, we can't tell you exactly how to go about it, because there is no training/eating plan that will work for everyone. It's something you're going to have to learn by trial and error, until you find that sweet spot where you're <strong>eating enough to gain muscle, but not so much that you gain fat</strong>.</p>\n<p>You need to start out with any reasonable diet, and weigh yourself every morning after you poop. (That's where you get the best measurement because it's always going to be the same-ish amount of time since your previous meal.)</p>\n<p>Follow this for a month, and keep measuring your weight, and looking at your progress in the mirror. Take pictures if possible, because the difference will be more visiblee when you can look at a month's progress side-by-side.</p>\n<p>If you find that you're going in the right direction, then yay! Otherwise, if you're staying put, take a close look at your diet, and see if you can cut down on the calories. Preferably not by removing meals, but by substituting ingredients into something more healthy.</p>\n<p>And don't necessarily switch it out completely. For instance, if you eat a lot of rice, that could be a high-calorie side-dish, but it's still good food. Try switching it out with a broccoli/cauliflower mix every other time you'd normally eat rice. Small changes are easier to cope with in the long run.</p>\n<p>Then keep measuring your progress until you find what works. Eventually, you'll find that sweet spot.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 44595,
"author": "Neil Meyer",
"author_id": 25074,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25074",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Ultimately, it is not what is the right diet. It is what is the right diet FOR YOU. There are some general health practices that anyone can do.</p>\n<ol>\n<li><p>Cook for yourself.\nThere is unfortunately no way to completely control what you eat unless you produce it yourself.</p>\n</li>\n<li><p>Dont starve yourself.\nIt is widespread myth that you loose weight by starving yourself. You have to eat better, you have to eat less but you should not stop eating. You have to feed your body so it grows in the way you want it to grow.</p>\n</li>\n</ol>\n<p>Killer abs is a by product of having very little belly fat. Mens fat is mainly stored around our stomach. You cannot target weight loss. You body looses fat as a collective it is just our bellies has the most fat.</p>\n<p>If you operate a healthy calorie deficit by feeding your muscles while expanding more energy than you consume then it will happen.</p>\n<p>There is just no easy way to do these meaningful changes to your life. Im three years into my weight loss journey Im 25 kg lighter and have 10 inches fewer on my waist but still dont have a flat belly.</p>\n<p>Im in the best shape of my life so I feel really positive about my weight. If you are commited to making a change you should to.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 44599,
"author": "Christina Rider",
"author_id": 37379,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/37379",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>From all the things I've read on this topic, the answer is "Yes". It's definitely possible, but it's hard as hell to accomplish and it is a slow burn (pun intended).</p>\n<p>There are a couple of other things to consider, such as the fact that it's a lot easier to accomplish for newbies (if you've never done any workouts before, or you're on a break of 1 year+), among others.</p>\n<p>What it all boils down to: Eat at a 200-500 calorie deficit while taking in as much protein as you can.</p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/28
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33022",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/22139/"
] |
33,033 |
<p>As far as I know weight lifting makes your muscles tight. So is it possible to do weight lifting and still be able to maintain a flexible body?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33034,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Yes, this is absolutely possible.</p>\n\n<p>I suggest you top off your workouts with a good full-body stretching routine. You can find a LOT of stretching routines online, they're a dime a dozen.</p>\n\n<p>Additionally, I've had great success seeing a qualified chiropractor, because they will help reset your skeletal configuration (joints, ligaments etc.) which can suffer a bit of imbalance after a few months of serious training.</p>\n\n<p>There's no reason why a muscular body (within reason) can't maintain, and even gain flexibility.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33037,
"author": "Sean Duggan",
"author_id": 8039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Certainly. Part of flexibility is fitness of the muscles, because the brain prevents movements which might be unsafe. By building up your muscles, you're training your brain to also recognize that you can support yourself in that position. As for example cases, type in \"flexible bodybuilder\" in YouTube and you'll find a bevy of cases.</p>\n\n<p>That said, there are some aspects of bodybuilding which may work against being highly flexible.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Extra bulk</strong> - At upper ranges, you may find that the muscle can get in the way, much in the same way that carrying a little extra weight around the middle can inhibit forward bends.</li>\n<li><strong>Time</strong> - Becoming very flexible requires time. Body-building takes time. You will either have to expand your fitness regimen to include both, or skimp on one or the other.</li>\n<li><strong>Order of operations</strong> - This is one of those tricky bits, when to stretch in one's exercise plan. Do it before you lift weights and you may weaken your muscles. Do it afterwards, and you run the risk of over-stretching while your system is still full of endorphins. And yet, if you wait too long between exercises, you have to warm up again, and you might just skip out on it because you're having to summon the motivation to do two separate workouts. I'd personally recommend stretching afterwards, but not relying on pain to determine when to stop.</li>\n</ul>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33055,
"author": "evil_doctor",
"author_id": 24448,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24448",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>We really need to start debunking the myth that weightlifting and body building decreases flexibility. I did body building for a long time before transitioning to powerlifting and strongman. If you are only doing bodybuilding and your exercises are being done correctly (full range of motion) then you will become more flexible and bigger at the same time. I never put a huge effort into stretching when bodybuilding, but I was much more flexible than the average person. Proper weight lifting will increase your flexibility. </p>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/30
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33033",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24434/"
] |
33,035 |
<p>Recommended techniques to protect the skin from the sun running long distances in the summer?.</p>
<ul>
<li>Running in the night is not an option.</li>
<li>Reapply sunscreen is hard due to sweat</li>
</ul>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33038,
"author": "Sean Duggan",
"author_id": 8039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Sun screen lasts for two hours. Spritzing more on at the two-hour mark (or simply setting up your run to be back at your car at the two hour mark and taking a quick break to reapply if you're not competing) is an option. Avoiding running when the sun is the highest (10 AM to 2 PM) helps. Lastly, <a href=\"http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/staying-safe-in-the-sun\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">UV-blocking clothing</a> is readily available. A long-sleeved shirt, pants, and a hat with flaps and a visor paired with sunglasses protects most of your vulnerable areas, and aren't too difficult to get in breathable fabrics so that you still remain cool. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33043,
"author": "Jason",
"author_id": 8485,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8485",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Looks like I've been breaking the 2 hour rule for most of those high spf sunscreens, but haven't been sun burnt because of it so far probably because its not the only thing I do. In addition to sunscreen you can...</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Stay hydrated. When dehydrated you get sunburn faster - much faster.</li>\n<li>Cover up. I always use a hat and long sleeves. Lately I've been using a neck gaiter that is supposed to keep you cool as well. Compression shirt, sleeves, pants are supposed to help too - hot weather version.</li>\n<li>Run in shady areas. Luckily here in the eastern states there are alot of forests and parks with lots of shade. </li>\n<li>Run while the sun is low like Sean Duggan says.</li>\n<li>Leave long runs for the winter time. Keep it to two hours and do more speedwork and more runs each week to make up for it.</li>\n<li>Double long run limited to 2 hours long. One Sat and one Sun or one in the morning and one in the evening.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Actually it looks like I just repeated much of what Sean has said too. The best thing to do is to run in the dark early morning or late at night - make time for it! The sun is not very forgiving.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33064,
"author": "Ed W",
"author_id": 24306,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24306",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Where you live will have a big impact. In the mid latitudes of North America I only need to worry about sun exposure during the summer months. Your mileage may vary in areas that get more intense sunshine (pun not intended). Here are some things that work for me:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Apply sunscreen before you run. </li>\n<li>Wear a hat with a visor and keep a shirt on. The head, face, neck, and shoulders are the main areas you need to worry about. I don't like the hat with flaps; too hot. I would try something with a wide back brim to protect the neck. </li>\n<li>Run early or late in the day. </li>\n<li>Find as much shade as possible. Choose shaded routes and run on the shady side of the path or road.</li>\n<li>Run a loop route instead of an out-and-back. You can always cut the run short if all of the above still result in too much sun exposure. </li>\n</ol>\n"
}
] |
2016/12/30
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33035",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/4477/"
] |
33,058 |
<p>I started working out a couple of months ago. Currently, I can do 5-6 clean normal pull-ups and 7-8 clean chin-ups. So far my training has involved going to the gym 2-3 a week.</p>
<p>If I wanted to increase these numbers, possibly doubling them, how should I proceed?</p>
<p>I have read in various sources that greasing the groove (i.e. doing only so much pull-ups that you do not get exhausted, but every day and 2-3 times a day) is particularly good for pull-ups because of their low volume. Especially if one is a beginner and can only do so and so much pull-ups. At the same time, this strategy is contrary to everything you usually read about how muscles grow.</p>
<p>What has worked best for you?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33062,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>The greasing the groove method of training isn't actually about muscle growth, which is why it seems contradictory to the usual advice about hypertrophy (gettin' bigger).</p>\n\n<p>The greasing the groove method is more about training and practicing the movement pattern so it becomes more ingrained and your body becomes more efficient at performing it. I think it's sort of like training the CNS (central nervous system) to recruit the muscle fibres in the most efficient way possible to do accomplish the movement.</p>\n\n<p>I'd recommend you try one of two approaches and see which works best for you (both have worked for me in the past):</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Greasing the groove (so do 50% of your max reps, for you, say 4 chin-ups) fairly regularly throughout the day, making sure you're fully recovered before the next set (fully recovered just means don't do 4, wait 10 seconds, then do another 4. You can do a set every time you walk through a particular doorway, every 30 minutes or between levels / matches when playing a computer game). Or</li>\n<li>The <a href=\"https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-russian-fighter-pull-up-program\">Russian Fighter Pull-up Program</a> (also from Pavel).</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Give both a try, see which one works better. When you get to a certain point though, you will need to start adding weight in order to get stronger in this way. I'd say you're almost at that limit, so when you can do, say, 12 chin-ups, add 10kg and see how many you can do, then go back to greasing the groove with that weight and 50% of your max reps.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33102,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You can increase pull-ups in multiple ways, I can do about 3 sets of pull-ups with 40kg (88lbs) added weight now (and about 12-14 sets of 10-12 pull-ups of bodyweight).</p>\n\n<p>Here are some exercises that will help your increase you pull-ups:</p>\n\n<p><strong>Pull-ups</strong>: Seems obvious, but try to incorporate them in each back workout.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Negative pull-ups</strong>: This will help you increase the strength of the muscles you use during a pull-up, aswell as you're body getting more used to the motion.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Inverted rows</strong>: This is basically an easier version of a pull-up, since you lean on your legs. The more you straighten your body, the harder it gets. (contracting your abs and legs, basically doing a sort of plank)</p>\n\n<p><strong>Assisted pull-ups</strong>: Using a resistance band, doing pull-ups will help a lot, and you can increase the intensity with different resistance bands. Using this you can increase your reps because you can make normal pull-ups a bit easier, while still having the free range of motion you have doing a pull-up.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Lat pull-downs</strong>: If you go to a gym, it probably has a machine to do lat pull-downs. You can do this at different widths, to increase the strength of your entire back.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/02
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33058",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24406/"
] |
33,068 |
<p>Whenever I try to do leg raises (or any other exercises that require the same movements of my hips), I get a very uncomfortable and sometimes completely irritating sensation, right about where my hip bone meets my pelvis. </p>
<p>I am a 15-year-old girl and am fairly flexible (can do my front splits but not my middle splits). It is not so much pain as irritation - sometimes it gets so irritating to the point where I see no point in continuing that exercise because I am not getting anything out of it (I do not feel the burn of the exercise, only the uncomfortable feeling of my pelvis constantly popping!). </p>
<p>For example, when doing sets of 20 leg raises, my pelvis would pop at least 10-15/20 times. Is there any way I can get this to stop? I would really like to be able to do those exercises without this occurring constantly!</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33093,
"author": "G_H",
"author_id": 19986,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19986",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I get a popping/clicking sensation in my left hip joint when doing leg raises. It is also the side that tends to get the most easily irritated when doing squats with a wide stance, and I've had my share of knee pain on that leg. Then there's my right shoulder, which has consistently let out a crack with overhead movements for as long as I've known. Yet, neither of these things stands in the way of continued training, nor has it seemed to indicate some problem that has become worse.</p>\n\n<p>Our bodies are far from perfect, consistent or even symmetrical. Just the anatomy of the acetabulofemoral joint shows a lot of variation. Some people have deep hip sockets, others more shallow. With some there is a large femoral neck angle, with others much sharper. That can lead to some things happening, like sounds, that other people don't seem to have. There can be any number of causes, like a ligament snapping over a joint.</p>\n\n<p>What's important to determine is if it is an actual problem, or merely a small nuisance that doesn't necessarily develop into an issue. If continued training results in pain or a worsening of the phenomenon, you'll need to consult with a physician to help you and determine if there's some underlying problem, and if you can actually continue to train the movement. If however it's just kind of annoying, it might just be a thing you have to deal with.</p>\n\n<p>On leg raises I find it helps if I do some outward rotation of the legs. That means, rotate your feet out, so they form a v-shape. Try varying angles to see if the problem resolves at any of them. I've likewise had success reducing constant shoulder popping on front raises by slightly adjusting my arm angle and making my hand a bit less pronated.</p>\n\n<p>If the exercise just doesn't seem for you, there's alternatives to try. I've tried dips only twice in my life, and both times felt horribly wrong, beyond what some technique improvement would solve. So I don't do them. For leg raises, if you want to train the hip flexors, there's a lot of other exercises. Spread-eagle situps are pretty good. If you do leg raises for training your abdominal muscles, try to get less hip flexion in it and focus on contracting your abs to bring your hips <strong>and</strong> legs up, rather than rotating at the hips. That might also reduce the problem.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33095,
"author": "ancientcampus",
"author_id": 24479,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24479",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>G_H answered this very well. Just to stress a few points:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>This happens to many people, so don't feel too worried</li>\n<li>Because it does cause you discomfort, it's worth finding ways around the pop.</li>\n<li>This MAY mean you'll benefit from minor adjustments in your workout, but should NOT stop you from getting a solid workout, from doing any activity, or from \"being an athlete\".</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Things to try:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>See what parts of the exercise cause the pop, and don't move through those components. (E.g. don't lower your leg past a certain angle)</li>\n<li>Adjust your posture. I want to second G_L's tip to laterally rotate your leg so your foot is parallel with the floor, pointing away from you.</li>\n<li>Also try <a href=\"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ofjUfbdKx8Q/maxresdefault.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this posture</a>, and raise the leg you have on the floor. It slightly changes the muscle groups you're using, but it's still useful.</li>\n<li>Worst case scenario, if you have access to a gym, you can get a fantastic workout with all the same muscles using a hip abductor and a hip flexor machine.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Sounds like you've got the right attitude, keep it up!</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/03
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33068",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24458/"
] |
33,069 |
<p>I live with my family who eat a regular western diet (or maybe slightly healthier becuase of me). They eat few and eat mostly storebought. They are not interested in being healthy.</p>
<p>That's fine becuase they don't care and I can't do anything about it (I tried). However I want to be different. We always eat dinner together, and they don't exactly make kale salads. Tonight is salmon noodles with 'things' like refined wheat noodles, soy sauce, fish farm salmon, honey, etc. If there's anything I'm trying to avoid, it will crop up in significant amounts from once a week to every night. They go out for dinner/lunch almost once a week, and it isn't nice to order salads at restuarant when everyone else indulges.</p>
<p>They say they can't order takeaway for dinner, or make 'fun stuff' more often because of me. Where can I draw the line between healthy and social? If they go out for ice-cream, I won't go.</p>
<p>I don't have any conditions and have been 'different' for about a year (lots of nutritious food, little junk).</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33093,
"author": "G_H",
"author_id": 19986,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19986",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I get a popping/clicking sensation in my left hip joint when doing leg raises. It is also the side that tends to get the most easily irritated when doing squats with a wide stance, and I've had my share of knee pain on that leg. Then there's my right shoulder, which has consistently let out a crack with overhead movements for as long as I've known. Yet, neither of these things stands in the way of continued training, nor has it seemed to indicate some problem that has become worse.</p>\n\n<p>Our bodies are far from perfect, consistent or even symmetrical. Just the anatomy of the acetabulofemoral joint shows a lot of variation. Some people have deep hip sockets, others more shallow. With some there is a large femoral neck angle, with others much sharper. That can lead to some things happening, like sounds, that other people don't seem to have. There can be any number of causes, like a ligament snapping over a joint.</p>\n\n<p>What's important to determine is if it is an actual problem, or merely a small nuisance that doesn't necessarily develop into an issue. If continued training results in pain or a worsening of the phenomenon, you'll need to consult with a physician to help you and determine if there's some underlying problem, and if you can actually continue to train the movement. If however it's just kind of annoying, it might just be a thing you have to deal with.</p>\n\n<p>On leg raises I find it helps if I do some outward rotation of the legs. That means, rotate your feet out, so they form a v-shape. Try varying angles to see if the problem resolves at any of them. I've likewise had success reducing constant shoulder popping on front raises by slightly adjusting my arm angle and making my hand a bit less pronated.</p>\n\n<p>If the exercise just doesn't seem for you, there's alternatives to try. I've tried dips only twice in my life, and both times felt horribly wrong, beyond what some technique improvement would solve. So I don't do them. For leg raises, if you want to train the hip flexors, there's a lot of other exercises. Spread-eagle situps are pretty good. If you do leg raises for training your abdominal muscles, try to get less hip flexion in it and focus on contracting your abs to bring your hips <strong>and</strong> legs up, rather than rotating at the hips. That might also reduce the problem.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33095,
"author": "ancientcampus",
"author_id": 24479,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24479",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>G_H answered this very well. Just to stress a few points:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>This happens to many people, so don't feel too worried</li>\n<li>Because it does cause you discomfort, it's worth finding ways around the pop.</li>\n<li>This MAY mean you'll benefit from minor adjustments in your workout, but should NOT stop you from getting a solid workout, from doing any activity, or from \"being an athlete\".</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Things to try:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>See what parts of the exercise cause the pop, and don't move through those components. (E.g. don't lower your leg past a certain angle)</li>\n<li>Adjust your posture. I want to second G_L's tip to laterally rotate your leg so your foot is parallel with the floor, pointing away from you.</li>\n<li>Also try <a href=\"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ofjUfbdKx8Q/maxresdefault.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this posture</a>, and raise the leg you have on the floor. It slightly changes the muscle groups you're using, but it's still useful.</li>\n<li>Worst case scenario, if you have access to a gym, you can get a fantastic workout with all the same muscles using a hip abductor and a hip flexor machine.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Sounds like you've got the right attitude, keep it up!</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/03
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33069",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,087 |
<p>I am currently trying to learn more about the signals my body is giving. One question I stumbled upon recently is the following:</p>
<p>Is there any information to be gained from muscle soreness at different time intervals after a workout? For example, I was doing an extended set of pull-ups 34 hours ago. The soreness in my latissimus dorsi peaked around 14 hours ago; the soreness in my chest peaked around 8 hours ago. Does that give away any information? Is my latissimus simply better adapted to the exercise? Worse? Is it not related at all?</p>
<p>I know that the scientific evidence on muscle soreness in general is rather limited. Let alone this specific question. Still, if anyone has heard of any studies on the topic, I'd be curious to get to know them.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33093,
"author": "G_H",
"author_id": 19986,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19986",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I get a popping/clicking sensation in my left hip joint when doing leg raises. It is also the side that tends to get the most easily irritated when doing squats with a wide stance, and I've had my share of knee pain on that leg. Then there's my right shoulder, which has consistently let out a crack with overhead movements for as long as I've known. Yet, neither of these things stands in the way of continued training, nor has it seemed to indicate some problem that has become worse.</p>\n\n<p>Our bodies are far from perfect, consistent or even symmetrical. Just the anatomy of the acetabulofemoral joint shows a lot of variation. Some people have deep hip sockets, others more shallow. With some there is a large femoral neck angle, with others much sharper. That can lead to some things happening, like sounds, that other people don't seem to have. There can be any number of causes, like a ligament snapping over a joint.</p>\n\n<p>What's important to determine is if it is an actual problem, or merely a small nuisance that doesn't necessarily develop into an issue. If continued training results in pain or a worsening of the phenomenon, you'll need to consult with a physician to help you and determine if there's some underlying problem, and if you can actually continue to train the movement. If however it's just kind of annoying, it might just be a thing you have to deal with.</p>\n\n<p>On leg raises I find it helps if I do some outward rotation of the legs. That means, rotate your feet out, so they form a v-shape. Try varying angles to see if the problem resolves at any of them. I've likewise had success reducing constant shoulder popping on front raises by slightly adjusting my arm angle and making my hand a bit less pronated.</p>\n\n<p>If the exercise just doesn't seem for you, there's alternatives to try. I've tried dips only twice in my life, and both times felt horribly wrong, beyond what some technique improvement would solve. So I don't do them. For leg raises, if you want to train the hip flexors, there's a lot of other exercises. Spread-eagle situps are pretty good. If you do leg raises for training your abdominal muscles, try to get less hip flexion in it and focus on contracting your abs to bring your hips <strong>and</strong> legs up, rather than rotating at the hips. That might also reduce the problem.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33095,
"author": "ancientcampus",
"author_id": 24479,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24479",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>G_H answered this very well. Just to stress a few points:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>This happens to many people, so don't feel too worried</li>\n<li>Because it does cause you discomfort, it's worth finding ways around the pop.</li>\n<li>This MAY mean you'll benefit from minor adjustments in your workout, but should NOT stop you from getting a solid workout, from doing any activity, or from \"being an athlete\".</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Things to try:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>See what parts of the exercise cause the pop, and don't move through those components. (E.g. don't lower your leg past a certain angle)</li>\n<li>Adjust your posture. I want to second G_L's tip to laterally rotate your leg so your foot is parallel with the floor, pointing away from you.</li>\n<li>Also try <a href=\"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ofjUfbdKx8Q/maxresdefault.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this posture</a>, and raise the leg you have on the floor. It slightly changes the muscle groups you're using, but it's still useful.</li>\n<li>Worst case scenario, if you have access to a gym, you can get a fantastic workout with all the same muscles using a hip abductor and a hip flexor machine.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Sounds like you've got the right attitude, keep it up!</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/03
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33087",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24406/"
] |
33,094 |
<p>I started training at 87 kg with a 21% Body Fat Percentage I now have 83kg with a 10% Body Fat Percentage I would like to get to 90kg with a 5-6% body fat percentage.Would this program help me?(My dream? big arms rounded shoulders and well defined muscles everywhere on my body) </p>
<p><strong>Monday Back training</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Deadlifts 4 x 12 to 15 reps 100kg</li>
<li>Lat Pull ups 4 x 12 to 15 reps 83kg</li>
<li>Dumbbell bent over row 4 x 12 to 15 reps 22kg</li>
<li>Hyperextensions 4 x 12 to 15 </li>
<li>Lat pulldowns 4 x 12 to 15 52kg</li>
<li>Seated Cable Rows 4 x 12 to 15 52kg</li>
<li>Back Pullovers as many as I can close to 100 (finalizer) 20kg</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Tuesday Chest training</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Dumbbell chest press 4 x 12 to 15 20kg</li>
<li>Dumbbell flyes 4 x 12 to 15 14kg</li>
<li>Reverse Grip Bench Press 4 x 12 to 15 50kg</li>
<li>Close Grip Bench Press 4 x 12 to 15 50kg</li>
<li>Chest Pullovers with dumbell 4 x 12 to 15 22kg</li>
<li>Cable crossover as many as I can close to 100 (finalizer) 22kg</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Wednesday leg day</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>Barbell Squats 4 x 12 to 15 60kg</p></li>
<li><p>Leg press 4 x 12 to 15 50kg</p></li>
<li><p>Dumbbell Lunges 4 x 12 to 15 20kg each dumbell</p></li>
<li><p>Lying Leg Curls 4 x 12 to 15 45kg</p></li>
<li><p>Leg Extensions 4 x 12 to 15 40kg</p></li>
<li><p>Standing Calf Raises 4 x 12 to 15 82kg</p></li>
<li><p>Seated Calf Raise 4 x 12 to 15 60kg</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Thursday biceps/triceps training</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>Mercy 30 4 sets 20kg</p></li>
<li><p>Barbell Curl 4 x 12 to 15 and after lowering the weight and again 12 to 15 reps 25kg first and after lowering 20kg</p></li>
<li><p>Dumbbell curl 4 x 12 to 15 and after each set doing 12 reps of hammer curl 10kg for dumbbell curl and 6kg for hammer curls</p></li>
<li><p>Overhead Triceps Extension 4 x 12 to 15 reps 24kg</p></li>
<li><p>Cable Triceps Pushdown 4 x 12 to 15 reps 30kg</p></li>
<li><p>Dips triceps 4 sets of reps till failure</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Friday Shoulder training</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><p>Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4 x 12 to 15 18kg each dumbbell</p></li>
<li><p>Military Press 4 x 12 to 15 30kg</p></li>
<li><p>Lateral Raises 4 x 12 to 15 8kg</p></li>
<li><p>Front Raises 4 x 12 to 15 8kg</p></li>
<li><p>Rear Raises 4 x 12 to 15 8kg</p></li>
<li><p>Dumbbell shrug 4 x 12 to 15 40kg each dumbbell</p></li>
<li><p>Upright Barbell Row 4 x 12 to 15 30kg</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Saturday Observation</strong></p>
<p>Saturday I train the muscle I consider it is behind and must get more attention</p>
<p>The problem with my program is that I cannot make use of the 48 hour recovery time that my body gives me.</p>
<p>I want to point out that I do every exercise slow and with low weights 4 seconds down 2 seconds up and fully extend them(no cheating).</p>
<p><strong>Edit</strong></p>
<p>Another thing I forgot to say before each training session I do 20 minutes of HIIT on the threadmill</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33154,
"author": "Greg Madro",
"author_id": 24492,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24492",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Gaining mass is about workout volume and previous comments on over training may be valid but that can depend on how you feel. Most things I have read state gains can be limited by the HIIT. Personally Looking at the program I would try cutting that down and change your target reps to 8-10 range with increasing weights. Also try to change up your workouts to make sure you are really challenging our muscles to work harder.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33192,
"author": "wdika",
"author_id": 24560,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24560",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>First of all:</p>\n\n<h2><strong>Nutrition</strong></h2>\n\n<p>Taking for granted that your nutrition is on point, when i am saying on point i mean that you know and count your daily calorie intake and your macros by at least 95% correct (you can never by 100% sure if you have eaten 500 or 505 calories per meal, or that was 40carb/40prot/20fat or 37/41/22). Also, i asume that now you are in high calorie diet. Excuse me if that short prologue sound silly if you already know those things but i want to be 100% clear that this is your ticket, if you don't know it, and also be clear for everyone else that will read it.</p>\n\n<p>So, let's go to your training. </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Another thing I forgot to say before each training session I do 20\n minutes of HIIT on the threadmill</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Just stop it. It's ok to do a 5-10 minute warm up, but 20 minute HIIT before each workout? You can't expect nothing from that, either losing fat or control it. Think it in the other way, if you are doing now a 20 minute HIIT before each workout what are you going to do at summer? Or when you will be at, let me say, 95kg and 12% body fat? Your body will get used of it and then it won't be any surprise, so it won't trigger it anymore to burn the fat. Don't use strong weapons so early, unless your only goal is to lose weight (both fat and muscle) and only that.</p>\n\n<p>You can do a 5-10 minute warm up before the workout and <strong>after</strong> your workout a 20 minute <strong>fast walking</strong> in treadmill with a medium incline.</p>\n\n<p>Before we go to your split, i have to say that this not a split, this will just make your body sore and more sore and more. Maybe you will see results and you keep seeing when you are a beginner but not with the right way, so we come to the second of all.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>Second of all:</p>\n\n<h2><strong>Rest</strong></h2>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>The problem with my program is that I cannot make use of the 48 hour\n recovery time that my body gives me.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>The problem is that your program is so wrong organised, that's why you can't have a 48 hour recovery <strong>for each muscle</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>Overtraining doesn't necessary mean that you will grow. Muscles grow when they rest, not when you train them. When you train the muscle you \"destroy\" it, giving him the time he need to recover will make him grow as it will need more \"space\" every time to reconstituted totally. That's the mucle building process or muscle growth or getting bigger and stronger. So, we will make an appropriate split that will let you get the time you need to rest and recover every week.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h2><strong>Training</strong></h2>\n\n<p>We finally come to last thing of the three, Nutrition/Rest/Training, the Training. Okay i have said it before, this is not a split, let me explain why. Could it be one of the baddest split. You are training the three big muscle groups every next day and you are training last arms and shoulders. \nNot only you can't have the time to recover but you are burning you body in totally wrong way.</p>\n\n<p>After all, we got to the point. Let's choose an appropriate split that will surprise your body and let you rest - grow. It's not that usual split but it's a correct and an excellent one. That's a 7-day split. You can start with Day 1 and end to Day 7 at any range you prefer. </p>\n\n<p>You are free to choose the exercises you like but they shouldn't be escersices that you are doing too long, and you have get used of them, and they should be exercises thay hit the whole muscle group at every workout. Here is a proper split/exercise program:</p>\n\n<p><strong>Day 1 - Shoulders/Traps/Triceps</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Push Press</li>\n<li>Arnold Press</li>\n<li>Lateral Raises</li>\n<li>Bent Over Lateral Raises</li>\n<li>High Cable Lateral Raises</li>\n<li>Dumbbell Shrugs</li>\n<li>Pressdown</li>\n<li>Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extension</li>\n<li>Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><strong>Day 2 - Back / Abs</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Pulldowns with open grip</li>\n<li>Pullups with medium grip</li>\n<li>Barbell Row</li>\n<li>Seated Cable Rows</li>\n<li>Deadlifts</li>\n<li><p>Hyperextensions</p></li>\n<li><p>Crunches</p></li>\n<li>Leg Raise on straight bench</li>\n<li>Plank</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><strong>Day 4 - Chest / Biceps</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Incline Barbell Press</li>\n<li>Incline Dumbbell Flyes</li>\n<li>Dumbbell Press</li>\n<li>Pullover</li>\n<li>Preacher Curls</li>\n<li>Dumbbell Curls with straight back against the wall</li>\n<li>Concentration Dumbbell Curls</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><strong>Day 5 - Legs</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Barbell Squats</li>\n<li>Front Barbell Squats</li>\n<li>Leg Extensions</li>\n<li>Lying Leg Curls</li>\n<li>Romanian Deadlifts</li>\n<li>Standing Calf Raises</li>\n<li>Seated Calf Raises</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>For Day 6 if you decide to add another workout, you can choose the excerises.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>Considering that split what we can see is that we start the week with small muscle groups that will allow us to go as heavy as we want and let our arms grow much more (going heavy in Triceps is the point on big arms). Second day, we hit the one of the three big muscle groups, we hit it alone as we do on legs too, because chest works together when we train arms and shoulders. That's why we isolate the back at a single day, hitting lower and upper back and abs too. Third day rest, we will leave 48 hours pass before we workout arms again, we have hit them on first day and tomorrow they will work for chest too but they would have the time to recover. Also back will have it's time to recover before we need it again to workout together on leg day (yeah back collaborate with legs on some excersices). Forth and fifth day looks logical now. </p>\n\n<p>For the sixth day, again, i suggest resting but it's ok if you want to isolate a muscle group and hit it twice a week, i wouldn't suggest that to be back or legs, or even big lifts for chest. It would be ok to hit arms, if you want to and need to. But not necessary.</p>\n\n<p>I would suggest to run this program for 12 weeks. For reps i would suggest to run a pyramid by changing the reps every 3 weeks. A nice pyramind would be:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Weeks 1-3 : 12/10/8 reps per set</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Weeks 4-6 : 10/10/8 reps per set</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Weeks 7-9 : 8/8/6 reps per set</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Weeks 10-12 : 8/6/6 reps per set</strong></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>For Abs and Calfs go to <strong>20-30 reps</strong> for <strong>4 sets</strong>. On each day the <strong>first</strong> excersice go for <strong>4 sets</strong>, <strong>first</strong> will be a <strong>low weight warm up</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>That's all.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/04
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33094",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23220/"
] |
33,097 |
<p>Recently I've been trying to gain weight and I changed from a relatively healthy diet to one where I eat whatever I want but I'm still struggling to put on any weight.
I don't currently lift weights but I do train in Muay Thai which includes body weight excersises (push-ups, sit-ups, squats) </p>
<p>I was hoping someone could give me a few recommendations as to what foods I should be incorporating into my diet and also whether certain foods should be eaten at certain times of the day ?
Also I do struggle to find time to go lifting as most free time is spent Thai boxing which I don't want sacrifice so ideally any excersises would be body weight.</p>
<p>Any help would be appreciated :)</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33100,
"author": "Nizar",
"author_id": 23709,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23709",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>First of all, I would advice you to keep on your healthy diet. However, in between the three meals a day, add some snack breaks. Make protien your priority, so that you eat daily at least one gram of protien per one pound of your body weight.<br>\nKeep nuts in your pocket, so that you crash as much as you can (nuts are rich in calories plus healthy). Try to drink your calories, so instead of drinking water, you may replace three cups of water by three cups of milk a day. Try too eat five fruits a day, like : Avocado, banana, sweet potato, grapes,... . Dried fruits are also a good source of calories. </p>\n\n<p>Hope this helps, and you achieve results quickly! </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33101,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I do a lot of calisthenics myself and see great results, so bodyweight exercises can definitely get you muscle.</p>\n\n<p>The thing about gaining weight is simply, it comes down to calories in vs. calories out. If you do push-ups and eat enough (healthy foods), your chest will grow. Adding in things like nuts will help you increase your size since they contain a lot of fats and protein. Eat these in between meals as a snack.</p>\n\n<p>If you have a hard time eating because you cannot consume big meals that often, you can try to turn some meals into shakes, like put some fruits in a blender and drinking it.</p>\n\n<p>As far as exercises go, there are a lot of push-up variations, you can look it up on google. For shoulders you can learn to do handstands, and later handstand push-ups for more strength.</p>\n\n<p>For legs you can try pistol squats for power, and box jumps for explosiveness. Lunges are good aswell.</p>\n\n<p>I hope it helps.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33113,
"author": "Greg Madro",
"author_id": 24492,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24492",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Be sure to eat relatively soon after your workouts as your muscles are starved for nutrients from the physical exertion. This is usually the best time to have a high protein shake to really feed the muscles.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/04
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33097",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24485/"
] |
33,098 |
<p>If you do one day workouts for one part from your body but you training 6 hours would you see faster results?</p>
<p>Example: Monday legs 3 hours in the morning and 3 before going to bed at night. The next day only biceps and shoulders the same tactic 3 morning and 3 night.</p>
<p>After workout eat food plenty with protein and calories.</p>
<p>Will a thin guy gains?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33103,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm going to disregard the whole \"limits\" part of the question, because limits are different from person to person (genetics), and it's unanswerable on an individual level.</p>\n\n<p>As far as training 3+3 hours per day, it's not unheard of. But as you correctly point out, you should be eating plenty of food throughout the week/month/year if you plan on attempting this.</p>\n\n<p>Make no mistake, working out for 6 hours per day is NOT something I would recommend for a beginner. The amount of food and sleep you need for your body to recover from this is huge, and if you're a thin guy, it's very likely that you don't have the appetite to eat as much as you should, and the whole project will backfire into projectile vomiting.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Best advice</strong></p>\n\n<p>Stick to the tried and true methods. Get a regular training program, a proper diet, and sleep 7-8 hours per day. Don't overcomplicate it too early, because you might... no, you WILL burn out.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33105,
"author": "G_H",
"author_id": 19986,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19986",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>What limits? The point at which continued training starts being painful (not in the \"feel the burn\" way but \"something's gonna tear\" way)? The point at which you can't even lift a light weight anymore? The point at which injury occurs?</p>\n\n<p>Training works by disrupting \"homeostasis\", which is an equilibrium for your body. It is the state in which it resides, untrained, and towards which it will return if training is halted. Your body will adapt to new stresses imposed on it, but if that stress is removed, the adaptation will not last because maintaining it is physically expensive. An organism's body is like a self-tuning machine that wants to be functional and use its resources efficiently.</p>\n\n<p>Getting stronger and getting more muscle tissue will always take this form, no matter what your training level:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Do something that disrupts homeostasis. For example, lifting weights.</li>\n<li>Recover and let your body adapt to its new situation.</li>\n<li>Repeat from 1, but with a stronger stimulus.</li>\n<li>Once a situation is reached that is satisfactory, maintain it by applying the same stimulus over and over.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Number 3 is important because, if you were to keep lifting the same weight, or keep using the same volume (reps, sets...) your body has adapted to it and it no longer is a stress that urges it to improve. By creating a stress, recovering from it and letting your body adapt, you'll now have a new baseline. From there you can impose a greater stress, that will repeat the cycle. Number 4 is important because if you were to stop training once you consider yourself strong and/or muscular enough, your body won't feel the need to keep all that around and you'll slowly regress to your pre-training state.</p>\n\n<p>So in that respect, making any improvements at all will require that you pass your \"limits\", if your current baseline is considered your limit. However, that's usually not what we mean by \"limit\". Passing your \"limits\" is impossible because of the definition of a limit, or it means you've gone beyond some point that's within common sense and you'll suffer injury.</p>\n\n<p>So the question then is, exactly how much stress must you impose? Judging by your question, you have a \"more is better\" mentality. That isn't true. You must induce enough stress to disrupt homeostasis, and also enough for the adaptation to be meaningful. But not so much that it can't be recovered from.</p>\n\n<p>Say that you go into your first gym session and you start squatting. After getting technique down you start with the bar, and then do sets of 5 reps with 5 kg / 10 lbs increments. At some point it starts feeling heavy, so we see if an additional 2.5 kg / 5 lbs is manageable. If so, that's a good starting point. If technique starts suffering, maybe we take a little weight off and then do 3 to 5 sets (depending on program) with that weight. This is enough to disrupt homeostasis, but can also be recovered from. The rookie lifter will come back into the gym 2 days later and be able to do the same number of sets and reps with 5 kg / 10 lbs or 2.5 kg / 10 lbs more, and this will continue for a good amount of time, because the rate of stress, recovery and adaptation are right.</p>\n\n<p>Now if we take our beginner lifter up to a weight that feels challenging on the first workout, and then start screaming \"BREAK YOUR LIMIIIITS!\" and add another 5 kg / 10 lbs to the bar, and have them do 10 sets, no matter how much technique suffers and how slow the movement back up becomes, you'll either set your lifter up for great injury, or when they come back 2 days later they're barely able to stand up, let alone do another workout.</p>\n\n<p>A martial arts champion will have started as a rookie one day. If we take a rookie and put him in the ring with the champion and tell them \"go nuts, boys\", the rookie won't make quicker progress. He'll go to the hospital, or morgue. The rookie must start with rookie training, in the right dosage, to make progress. Then maybe one day he'll be a champion. Like coach Mark Rippetoe has stated a number of times: you don't get stronger by lifting weights, you get stronger by recovering from lifting weights.</p>\n\n<p>6 hour workouts seem rather absurd if you're not a pro athlete, not a pro bodybuilder or on a ton of steroids. If you're a skinny guy, doing Starting Strength, StrongLifts 5x5 or some other sensible beginner program without any extra crap, eating enough and sleeping well <strong>will make you gain strength and muscle</strong>. And what's more, it'll be at a close to optimal pace.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/05
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33098",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24486/"
] |
33,110 |
<p>I workout more than 6 months. I eat fruits, protein, vegetables and much more meals than my will to eat. The truth is 64 kg before and now I am 67 kg. </p>
<p>My body has shown results with little visible muscle. I have heard on three months someone building body with visible muscles. I don't. </p>
<p>I have a nice program for full part of body, I sleep enough more than 8 hours a day, I drink a lot water at least 1 litre a day. I stop joking (only one time a week for 3 hours). Is true that muscles can be much visible of a thin guy or we are talking for peels (unhealthy way with "drugs") in three months? </p>
<p>I look my food I don't buy protein from shops. I take Quaker, eggs, chicken etc for protein not chemicals. Someone can build visible muscles in three months or I don't doing something right? Six months and not terrible results to be so obvious my muscles but yes I have progress.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33103,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm going to disregard the whole \"limits\" part of the question, because limits are different from person to person (genetics), and it's unanswerable on an individual level.</p>\n\n<p>As far as training 3+3 hours per day, it's not unheard of. But as you correctly point out, you should be eating plenty of food throughout the week/month/year if you plan on attempting this.</p>\n\n<p>Make no mistake, working out for 6 hours per day is NOT something I would recommend for a beginner. The amount of food and sleep you need for your body to recover from this is huge, and if you're a thin guy, it's very likely that you don't have the appetite to eat as much as you should, and the whole project will backfire into projectile vomiting.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Best advice</strong></p>\n\n<p>Stick to the tried and true methods. Get a regular training program, a proper diet, and sleep 7-8 hours per day. Don't overcomplicate it too early, because you might... no, you WILL burn out.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33105,
"author": "G_H",
"author_id": 19986,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19986",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>What limits? The point at which continued training starts being painful (not in the \"feel the burn\" way but \"something's gonna tear\" way)? The point at which you can't even lift a light weight anymore? The point at which injury occurs?</p>\n\n<p>Training works by disrupting \"homeostasis\", which is an equilibrium for your body. It is the state in which it resides, untrained, and towards which it will return if training is halted. Your body will adapt to new stresses imposed on it, but if that stress is removed, the adaptation will not last because maintaining it is physically expensive. An organism's body is like a self-tuning machine that wants to be functional and use its resources efficiently.</p>\n\n<p>Getting stronger and getting more muscle tissue will always take this form, no matter what your training level:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Do something that disrupts homeostasis. For example, lifting weights.</li>\n<li>Recover and let your body adapt to its new situation.</li>\n<li>Repeat from 1, but with a stronger stimulus.</li>\n<li>Once a situation is reached that is satisfactory, maintain it by applying the same stimulus over and over.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Number 3 is important because, if you were to keep lifting the same weight, or keep using the same volume (reps, sets...) your body has adapted to it and it no longer is a stress that urges it to improve. By creating a stress, recovering from it and letting your body adapt, you'll now have a new baseline. From there you can impose a greater stress, that will repeat the cycle. Number 4 is important because if you were to stop training once you consider yourself strong and/or muscular enough, your body won't feel the need to keep all that around and you'll slowly regress to your pre-training state.</p>\n\n<p>So in that respect, making any improvements at all will require that you pass your \"limits\", if your current baseline is considered your limit. However, that's usually not what we mean by \"limit\". Passing your \"limits\" is impossible because of the definition of a limit, or it means you've gone beyond some point that's within common sense and you'll suffer injury.</p>\n\n<p>So the question then is, exactly how much stress must you impose? Judging by your question, you have a \"more is better\" mentality. That isn't true. You must induce enough stress to disrupt homeostasis, and also enough for the adaptation to be meaningful. But not so much that it can't be recovered from.</p>\n\n<p>Say that you go into your first gym session and you start squatting. After getting technique down you start with the bar, and then do sets of 5 reps with 5 kg / 10 lbs increments. At some point it starts feeling heavy, so we see if an additional 2.5 kg / 5 lbs is manageable. If so, that's a good starting point. If technique starts suffering, maybe we take a little weight off and then do 3 to 5 sets (depending on program) with that weight. This is enough to disrupt homeostasis, but can also be recovered from. The rookie lifter will come back into the gym 2 days later and be able to do the same number of sets and reps with 5 kg / 10 lbs or 2.5 kg / 10 lbs more, and this will continue for a good amount of time, because the rate of stress, recovery and adaptation are right.</p>\n\n<p>Now if we take our beginner lifter up to a weight that feels challenging on the first workout, and then start screaming \"BREAK YOUR LIMIIIITS!\" and add another 5 kg / 10 lbs to the bar, and have them do 10 sets, no matter how much technique suffers and how slow the movement back up becomes, you'll either set your lifter up for great injury, or when they come back 2 days later they're barely able to stand up, let alone do another workout.</p>\n\n<p>A martial arts champion will have started as a rookie one day. If we take a rookie and put him in the ring with the champion and tell them \"go nuts, boys\", the rookie won't make quicker progress. He'll go to the hospital, or morgue. The rookie must start with rookie training, in the right dosage, to make progress. Then maybe one day he'll be a champion. Like coach Mark Rippetoe has stated a number of times: you don't get stronger by lifting weights, you get stronger by recovering from lifting weights.</p>\n\n<p>6 hour workouts seem rather absurd if you're not a pro athlete, not a pro bodybuilder or on a ton of steroids. If you're a skinny guy, doing Starting Strength, StrongLifts 5x5 or some other sensible beginner program without any extra crap, eating enough and sleeping well <strong>will make you gain strength and muscle</strong>. And what's more, it'll be at a close to optimal pace.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/05
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33110",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24491/"
] |
33,120 |
<p><strong>Situation</strong><br>
42 year old male, not in terrible shape, but definitely got a case of "Dad bod" going on.</p>
<p><strong>Goal</strong><br>
Accomplish something I never did when I was in the Army: max the Army Physical Fitness Test.<br>
Specifically:</p>
<ul>
<li>82 push-ups in 2 minutes</li>
<li>92 sit-ups in 2 minutes</li>
<li>2 mile run in 11:54 or less</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Plan</strong><br>
Workout daily (6x/week)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>50 minutes interval training on elliptical machine, increasing elevation and resistance ever two weeks.</p></li>
<li><p>Running on treadmill at 10.1 mph pace. Starting at minute and thirty seconds, increasing duration by 3 seconds per day</p></li>
<li><p>3 sets (at least) of push-ups per day. Starting at 23 reps per set increasing by 1 rep every week.</p></li>
<li><p>3 sets (at least) of sit-ups per day. Starting at 33 reps per set increasing by 1 rep every week.</p></li>
<li><p>3 sets (at least) of chin-ups per day. Starting at 2 reps per set increasing by 1 rep every week. </p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Addition Info</strong><br>
I actually started a few weeks ago, so I am currently at the levels I listed here. Not sure about the increase on chin-ups. Maybe I should adjust how often I increase or set a max. Sets of 50+ chin-ups a year from now sounds awfully high.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33126,
"author": "jeremye",
"author_id": 24504,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24504",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>First of all, thank you for your service.</p>\n\n<p>It's very hard to gauge the effectiveness of a plan like this without more information about you (different bodies respond differently to the same workout) and without more specific information of the time frame of your workouts. When you say \"3 sets...per day,\" there is a big difference between doing three sets four hours apart from each other and doing three sets sixty seconds apart.</p>\n\n<p>It's also important to test your max for each event. If your listed starting points are your event max's, it would be ineffective to max out every day or even three times a day.</p>\n\n<p>I understand this is more a comment than an answer, but I only recently joined and do not have enough reputation to post a comment yet.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33128,
"author": "eigenvector",
"author_id": 24406,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24406",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Whether you achieve the goal is speculative. If you have already tried to achieve the goal when you were younger (consistent workout over at least a year) and failed it might be indication that it is not possible for you, but not necessarily so.</p>\n\n<p>As for the training, following advice:</p>\n\n<p><strong>Running (2 mile run in 11:54 or less)</strong></p>\n\n<p>Definitely possible in general. In your particular case, we would need to know your current 2 mile, 5 mile and maybe 1/2 mile times. As for the training, I would skip the elliptical machine. It is often argued (see for example, <a href=\"http://running-advice.com/blog/?p=469\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>) that the best way to improve your running is by running. Instead, do <strong>50 minutes of slow and comfortable running once a week</strong>. This will have the same effect on your cardiovascular system as the elliptical machine but also get you used to the movement patterns. It is important that you do not worry/plan increasing speed or duration here too much because it will come very naturally soon. In addition, and instead of </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Starting at minute and thirty seconds, increasing duration by 3\n seconds per day</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I recommend doing <strong>one interval day per week</strong>. Say 8 times running 400m at 6 minutes/mile (if you can already do that, otherwise start slower) with slow running breaks of a minute in between. Every other week, do 4 intervals a 800m (a bit slower). If you can tell me your current 400/800m interval times, I will edit the post. </p>\n\n<p>If you can add a third running day, it would obviously help but that's something you personally have to decide. In case, you have the time go for a second slow 50 minute run.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Push-ups and Sit-ups</strong></p>\n\n<p>Seems generally possible but something most people would not want to achieve because after a time you only train the endurance of your muscles. If you can already do 23 push-ups and 33 sit-ups, it will only be a matter of increasing the number of repetitions. Your plan seems reasonable here. If you get to a plateau after a while try adding some weights and do lower repetitions once in a while. (Still, I am not an expert for high-repetition of push-ups or sit-ups, so let's see what others can add to that.)</p>\n\n<p><strong>Chin-ups</strong></p>\n\n<p>You did not provide any goal for the chin-ups. Please do so, and I will update my post. In any case, be aware that adding one chin-up every week should work very well in the beginning but the plateau effect comes much earlier than for push-ups or sit-ups. Anything above 10/15 seems like a reasonable goal, above 20 seems rather unrealistic. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/06
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33120",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/766/"
] |
33,123 |
<p>Right now, I'm running twice a week, Wed and Fri. My Wed run is usually really good, I run about 5 miles usually with no problem (been doing the 10k trainer app). Fridays are usually much harder and I'm pretty winded and ready to quit by 2.5 or 3 miles.</p>
<p>I'm not doing anything different between the two, only the time of day, one is about 3 hours later in the morning (4:30am (wed) vs 7:30am (fri)). I would think that 2 days for recovery would be enough. Maybe it's not? What am I missing that I should do so that my Friday run can be as good as my Wed run?</p>
<p>Edited:
In answer to @Ed W</p>
<ul>
<li>Age: 43</li>
<li>Fitness level: Reasonable. I mostly work a desk, but I play racquetball 2 hours on Sat's, and do weights 2 days a week in addition to running the two days mentioned above. I'm probably about 30 lbs overweight, only a little paunch in the front, not too bad :-|</li>
<li>Goal: Mostly fitness, but interested in being able to complete a 10k if I wanted. Don't expect to get in top half of finishers, but maybe someday I'd like to increase my speed some.</li>
<li>Pace your currently running: about 10 minute mile, pretty slow. Graduated the c25k (couch to 2k) app to the 10k trainer, and have been using that. I tried starting the c25k over once I'd finished it and running a much faster pace rather than jogging (to try and build my speed up), but kept getting massive calf cramps and went back to jogging.</li>
<li>Running experience: Nothing until the last 18 months. I broke my collarbone playing racquetball and then when I went back to racquetball after I was healed, I was really out of shape. I started with the C25k app to get into better cardio and have stuck with it.</li>
<li>Other training or activity: See fitness level above, that's about it.</li>
</ul>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33124,
"author": "evil_doctor",
"author_id": 24448,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24448",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Sounds like you are doing some distance stuff with moderate intensity. Might be fun to change it up with some 1/2 mile sprints with about 2 minutes rest between sprints. Do 4 our so.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33133,
"author": "Ed W",
"author_id": 24306,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24306",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>We need more information to provide a reasonable answer. Some things that would help include:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Age</li>\n<li>Fitness level</li>\n<li>Goal (are you training for a race or running for health/fitness)</li>\n<li>Pace your currently running</li>\n<li>Running experience</li>\n<li>Other training or activity</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Five miles seems like a long distance if you're only running two days a week. If you're training for a race a two day a week training plan is a little unusual.</p>\n\n<p>Update: Thanks for the additional info.</p>\n\n<p>Based on your information, I think you're going too far and too fast. I would cut the distance back to 2-3 miles for each run, and add about a minute to your pace. You should feel like you could cary on a conversation while running (a slow to moderate jog). Even though you're reasonably fit, your body has not adapted to running yet.</p>\n\n<p>After you get comfortable at that pace and distance, start increasing the distance slightly. Here is a good article explaining why slow is better while building your aerobic base: <a href=\"https://philmaffetone.com/want-speed-slow-down/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://philmaffetone.com/want-speed-slow-down/</a></p>\n\n<p>When you decide you want to tackle a 10-K, find a good training program. You should only need about 8 weeks to get ready for the race. Here is a good place to start: <a href=\"http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10K-Novice-Training-Program\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51122/10K-Novice-Training-Program</a></p>\n\n<p>You can see that even for a 10-K, the mileage for the long run is modest.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33137,
"author": "Krasimir Milushev",
"author_id": 24512,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24512",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There could be many variables. Two days is enough to recover but it seems you might be pushing too much the first day, although 6 min/km seems fairly okay as a speed given your described physical fitness.</p>\n\n<p>You should get enough sleep and rest.</p>\n\n<p>Food also matters, you shouldn't eat 1 hour prior to running because you might get sore stomach, but try eating something with carbs during the recovery day (Thursday). Proper nutrition is another topic which doesn't seem related to this.</p>\n\n<p>Always warm up at least 5 mins. before the start of a run. This could even include several 30m sprints. This way you prepare the body for longer running and should prevent you from cramping. Consider magnesium supplements if cramps are still occurring.</p>\n\n<p>Try adding 5-10 50m sprints after the end of your runs with about 80% intensity. This should give you more breathing and heart training for endurance.</p>\n\n<p>I don't know what the app training plan includes but consider running the 5 miles on <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">fartlek</a>. This also should give you more speed and endurance.</p>\n\n<p>Sources:</p>\n\n<p>Ultramarathon runner for 5+ years, running on trails and mountains. Also ran some city marathons.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33832,
"author": "Mike-DHSc",
"author_id": 24836,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24836",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Something that left a huge impression on me.</p>\n\n<p>Years ago when I was finishing up grad school -- I worked as a personal trainer. I would rent a gym hourly from a (friend of a friend). The guy had an entire wall full of trophies and metals. He told me he's a ultra marathon runner (50 - 100 mile runs) he was #2 in the world at the time... </p>\n\n<p>Anyway long story short <strong>he always lifted 3 / week</strong> ran the other 3 with 2 being a mix of interval type of work. <strong>He only ran the distance of his races once per week</strong>. He was ripped and didn't have the haven't ate in 2 weeks look.</p>\n\n<p>Bottom Line -- All of his work involved increasing <strong>INTENSITY NOT DURATION</strong> (yes these workouts will save you time and give you faster results)</p>\n\n<p>One of the best books I've read to date \"Core Performance\" it has some great sample plans of how to setup and progress your workouts. </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Energy System Development (ESD) is the cardiovascular component of\n your training program. Your body has different energy systems and ESD\n trains them all.</p>\n</blockquote>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/06
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33123",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24503/"
] |
33,131 |
<p>If I go for a run around the time I would get hungry and would soon eat, say early afternoon just before lunch or evening before dinner, I often feel a noticeable sharper drop in energy after ~20min of running or so.</p>
<p>A while after I finish I mostly recover to normal or "hungry normal", even if I don't eat anything.</p>
<p>I don't see it as a problem, medical or otherwise, I am just curious what it means under the hood. For example, while I call it a "sugar drop", even for a non-fitness freak it seems quite early to have depleted muscle glycogen and be drawing on blood sugar?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33145,
"author": "Krasimir Milushev",
"author_id": 24512,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24512",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You didn't give enough information as in what is your physical fitness and how long have you been doing this. Also running on empty stomach should normally feel like that most of the time unless you are an endurance athlete and have been doing it for some time. Also no age, training plan and what is your goal, even for how long after 20 mins. are you running and with what speed or for what distance.</p>\n\n<p>In short. That's exactly the time - around 25 min. from the start of a run when the body switches your metabolism to burn more fat. This switch could be quite noticeable if you are still a beginner in running which seems like it.</p>\n\n<p>Sources:\n<a href=\"http://www.dummies.com/health/exercise/busting-the-great-myths-of-fat-burning/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">http://www.dummies.com/health/exercise/busting-the-great-myths-of-fat-burning/</a></p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 34075,
"author": "Mike-DHSc",
"author_id": 24836,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24836",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>When you exercise, the body uses two sources of fuel, glucose and free fatty acids to generate energy. </p>\n\n<p>The glucose comes from the blood, the liver and the muscles (glycogen) as you were saying in your post. </p>\n\n<p>During the first 15 minutes of exercise, most of the sugar for fuel comes from either the blood stream or the muscle glycogen, which is converted back to sugar. After 15 minutes of exercise, however, the fuel starts to come more from the glycogen stored in the liver. After 30 minutes of exercise, the body begins to get more of its energy from the free fatty acids. As a result, exercise can deplete sugar levels and glycogen stores.</p>\n\n<p>The body will replace these glycogen stores the process usually takes about 4-6 hours.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/07
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33131",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24509/"
] |
33,132 |
<p>I've been doing Crossfit full-time (5-6 days/week) for a year now, and I have a really, stubbornly weak squat. It's so weak that it's always my limiting factor on compound movements like thrusters, cleans & jerks (not my upper body). I have very long limbs in general and especially long femurs, but it would surprise me if that's the only problem.</p>
<h3>My stats and 1RMs</h3>
<pre><code>Body weight: 135 lb
Sex: Female
Back squat: 103 lb
Front squat: 93 lb
Deadlift: 183 lb
Squat snatch: 68 lb (the limiting factor is the squat)
Power clean: 103 lb (better than my squat clean because no squat)
Strict press: 68 lb
Strict pullups: 5
</code></pre>
<p>Here are some hypotheses I have considered and ultimately dismissed (but correct me if I should reconsider):</p>
<h3>Hypothesis #1: I should do Starting Strength.</h3>
<p><em>Counter-evidence</em>: I did SS assiduously(*) for 9 months before starting Crossfit. It worked moderately well for most of my lifts except my squat, which plateaued extremely fast. Now that I'm doing Crossfit, my other lifts are again improving, while my squat rarely budges.</p>
<h3>Hypothesis #2: I should eat more.</h3>
<p><em>Counter-evidence</em>: I eat around 2400 calories/day with a lot of protein, and my squat is the only lift that's so stubborn, so I assume this isn't the problem.</p>
<h3>Hypothesis #3: I have a mobility problem.</h3>
<p><em>Counter-evidence</em>: If anything, the coaches at my gym comment that my mobility is unusually good. I can sit in an ass-to-grass squat with my knees touching my chest and my butt touching the ground, for example.</p>
<h3>Hypothesis #4: I have a squatting form problem.</h3>
<p><em>Counter-evidence</em>: I'm lucky that my Crossfit gym has a strong emphasis on lifting technique, and the coaches think my squat form is reasonable. Their main comment is that I have a hard time keeping my torso upright (especially in back squats, but also front squats). I've tried to work on this, but it seems partly like a necessarily evil given the extreme length of my femurs compared to my upper body.</p>
<h1>So what should I do to suck less at squatting? Are there diagnostics I can use to figure out what the problem is?</h1>
<p>(*) Pun intended. Not going to lie.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33136,
"author": "Dave Liepmann",
"author_id": 1771,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771",
"pm_score": 5,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>I have a hybrid hypothesis: your squat form is wrong and has been wrong for close to two years, you're not working on fixing it, and you're spending your recovery budget on WODs and other lifts. Conversely, your squat--like anyone's--will get better if you do it right and focus on it.</p>\n\n<p>Here's the part where I say that we can't really know anything without seeing a form check. It's impossible to know what's wrong with your squat without seeing you squat. It's impossible to know what went wrong with your prior lifting experience without reading your hopefully detailed lifting-and-eating log. These facts should be self-evident.</p>\n\n<p>So why do I suspect the problem is just bad form? Because ~100 pounds is right where otherwise relatively athletic women your size often see trouble in the squat. It's where the lift stops being a challenge that can be overcome by blindly pushing a little harder. The good-morning'd squat stops working. It's when you have to actually lift the weight correctly or it will not work. </p>\n\n<p>You say your mobility is great because you have a deep squat, but how upright is your chest while you do that? Mobility for the squat is not limited to what you describe. Is your back properly arched in its natural curve at the bottom, or do you have to hunch forward? In your loaded squats, maybe you're losing tightness with an extreme butt wink in the bottom, or you're unable to maintain an upright torso. You even hint that this is the problem, but try to get off the hook on grounds of anthropometric idiosyncrasy. I have long femurs too--the solution was <em>more</em> of a focus on impeccably upright front squats and chest-upped high-bar back squats. Weird dimensions often mean one benefits from unusual focus in another area, like ankle mobility, hip flexor flexibility, or mid-back strength.</p>\n\n<p>Regardless of what the problem is, I bet that front or high-bar back squats before each CrossFit workout would solve the problem. Doing 3 to 5 heavy sets of 5 at least twice a week and 70-80% of that on the other days would probably suffice.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33203,
"author": "salisboss",
"author_id": 24572,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24572",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Having done Crossfit myself, there wasn't nearly enough back squat work to get good at back squatting. Perhaps your body requires more volume that SS can't give you. Once your form is locked in, I would try a squat specific program like Smolov. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/07
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33132",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/10391/"
] |
33,135 |
<p>If I had a dollar for something along the lines of... "lots of sitting every day gives you tight hip flexors and hamstrings/calves...". </p>
<p>I am skeptical of that claim. It's plausible, but seems taken for granted everywhere. Some muscles (eg adductors) seem to be in a constantly tight state. I've never heard "keeping your legs together gives you tight adductors".</p>
<p>I was wondering if there is any science based evidence showing sitting actually reduces flexibility of you hip flexors and hamstring/calves.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33152,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Short answer? <strong>Yes it does.</strong></p>\n\n<p>Chairs are designed to help us maintain an upright position, while taking the load off our legs. They aren't designed to sit on for 8 hours a day, every day. Once a human being starts doing this, bad things happen to the body.</p>\n\n<p>A squatting position is a lot more natural, and sitting on a chair for hours can actually harm our spine, hips and make us less flexible.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Resources:</strong> </p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOJLx4Du3vU\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This video</a> explains how the shape of our spine naturally let's us sit in a squatting position, and how the shape of our spine has shifted since by the usage of chairs, causing back pain and other injuries that countries which use chairs a lot less don't have, or in less quantity.</p></li>\n<li><p><a href=\"http://www.core77.com/posts/37902/Theory-that-American-Lifestyle-has-Changed-the-Shape-of-our-Spines\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This article</a> also talks about how the shape of our spine changed due to what they call the \"american lifestyle\".</p></li>\n<li><p><a href=\"http://besynchro.com/blogs/blog/10612681-your-chair-is-killing-you-time-to-start-squatting\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Here is another</a> article.</p></li>\n</ul>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 40635,
"author": "Ronan",
"author_id": 31531,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31531",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Yes, sitting will eventually stiffen you up and reduce your ROM only IF you don't do mobility work. Stretching everyday and some yoga thrown into the mix will more than likely negate any negative impact sitting has.\nSpeaking from experience I work 9 hours a day in an office and if I go even 2-3 days with no stretching I will start to tighten up and my ROM will be severely reduced.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/08
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33135",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,141 |
<p>I currently don't have access to a bench but I wan't to target my chest.</p>
<p>This question:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/3105/how-should-i-do-push-up-to-get-better-chest">How should I do push up to get better chest?</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>has some great info about targetting your chest with push ups.</p>
<p>I have an ez-curl bar and dumb bells. Are there any other exercises that I can do to really target my pectorals?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33142,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Press ups, as stated in the question you linked to, are always a good option. You can use progressions and regressions, depending on your strength level.</p>\n\n<p>Dumbbell floor presses are also a good alternative if you don't have a bench and you can probably do a dumbbell fly variation.</p>\n\n<p>If you've got a couple of sturdy chairs, you can do dips between those (they target the chest if you lean forward slightly).</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33146,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Using an inexpensive <a href=\"http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/products/exercise-balls.jsp\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">exercise ball</a>, or, some other <strong>stable</strong> platform will increase the types of chest exercises that you can do. For example, you would then be able to perform a dumbbell fly and a dumbbell pullover, as well as, dumbbell presses.</p>\n\n<p>Otherwise, you can look into:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Decline pushups with your feet on a stair.</li>\n<li>Incline pushups with your hands on a stair.</li>\n</ul>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33165,
"author": "Hitchmo",
"author_id": 23668,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23668",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>In my opinion Dips will be the best to shred up your chest.</p>\n\n<p>Often cited as the equivalent of the squat for the upper body.</p>\n\n<p>I'm a big fan of the big compound moves where ever i can get them. They also have the added benefit of being able to be done pretty much anywhere, and there are dozens of variations that you can do.</p>\n\n<p>And you can add difficulty/extra resistance with a heavy backpack/weight vest/dip belt/resistance bands.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/09
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33141",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/12223/"
] |
33,147 |
<p>How can be produced a powerful punch.What muscles needs? I workout biceps and triceps,does this play a role or is clearly about technique.What should I improve?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33148,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Muscles contract when they do work. </p>\n\n<p>If you contract your bicep you perform a pulling motion, for triceps it is a pushing. For a punch you will be pushing, so triceps. </p>\n\n<p>However, chest/pectoral strength plays a important part in the pushing motion of a punch. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33149,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>It's been a number of years since I've studied any form of striking art, but from what I remember, it's mainly technique followed by a surprising amount of the core / trunk and lower body.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>For example, one study of 100+ amateur boxers (conducted by Filiminov) used tensiometric dynamometers to determine the origin and nature of punching power. Their findings concluded that almost 40% of the power from a punch is produced by the lower body. As much as 38 percent is associated with trunk rotation. Their research confirmed that the initiation of a punch starts at the ground (feet) and travels up the legs through the hips (multiplying in force). </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Taken from <a href=\"http://rosstraining.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=816745#p816745\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33147",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24305/"
] |
33,151 |
<p>I did my first 10k with 59.34min recently one month back.</p>
<p>Right now, I'm running 5 day a week.Wed and Sunday are rest day.</p>
<p>Last week 20Mile(32Km)</p>
<p>Tread Mill
Monday 6Km 9.4Km/hour 39
Tuesday 6Km 9.7Km/hour 37.24
Wednesday Rest
Thursday 6Km 10Km/hour 36.30
Friday 6Km 10.5Km/hour 35</p>
<p>Outdoor
Saturday 8.1 5:49/KM(pace) Time 47min (used strava)
Sunday Rest</p>
<p>This Week 25Mile(40Km)</p>
<p>Tread Mill
Monday 7Km 10.6Km/hour 39
Today 7Km 8.9Km/hour 48
Wednesday Rest
Thursday 7Km ?
Friday 7Km ?</p>
<p>Outdoor
Saturday 12Km ?
Sunday Rest</p>
<p>Going to add 5mile each week till 50mile/week mileage.</p>
<p>Today I reduced my speed after seeing lot of people injured themselves
by pushing hard and I was doing the same thing in treadmill.
I want to build mileage with my run then I want to increase my speed. I am targeting 40-43min 10k right now.</p>
<p>Please suggest at what pace(speed) I should run to avoid injury and build my stamina and endurance. And how should I achieve my target time without injury</p>
<p>Rest/Recovery plan? if any</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33156,
"author": "Krasimir Milushev",
"author_id": 24512,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24512",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>I'm assuming that you've just started running? Since this is your first 10k ever.</p>\n\n<p>As you've noted - an injury is imminent. And as people in the comments have said - every person's body is different.</p>\n\n<p>You are increasing your mileage very steeply and rapidly which is the bigger concern, not so much as the speed. Your body will break at some point somewhere with these 5 times per week runs. Take all the hype a bit down and don't increase the week mileage by more than 15-20%. </p>\n\n<p>I get what you are experiencing, which is the \"runner's high\" and it can give you crazy motivation but be objective about it. As a fellow runner I have made the mistake to increase rapidly the distance per week many times and this has always led back to 2-3 weeks of resting without runs because of some injury.</p>\n\n<p>You can try and switch at some point from 5 training days to 3 because the body will start failing with recovery and couldn't cope with such a rapid increase in the distance. (also with the sprints, read below)</p>\n\n<p>As you want to increase your speed, you need to do speed exercises and not so much mileage. You should look around the Internet for speed training programs for 5k and 10k but in general here's what you have to do:</p>\n\n<p>Sprints, SPRINTS, <strong>SPRINTS!!!</strong></p>\n\n<p>For starters you could incorporate a 10x50m sprint after your normal runs. (you should try and run at about 80% intensity during sprinting, so that you won't die and throw up at the second sprint :D)</p>\n\n<p>Warm up, I mean it! Mandatory 5 mins. warm up before the start of running. Also before starting any kind of sprint run at least 1k to kickstart that body and switch to running mode - this is after the mandatory warm up.</p>\n\n<p>Some days you could skip entirely the long runs (honestly, you need just one long run per week 10-12-15km.) and after the 5 min. warm up and a 1k. run just start sprinting. You can do several types of sprints at which you'll get better over time as you progress.</p>\n\n<p>Firstly try 10x600m with 3 mins. rest between sprints (during the rest you could walk and breathe, don't just stay in one place) with about 80% intensity.</p>\n\n<p>Then there is the 5x1km. sprints but these are a bit more advanced and you should first do the 600m ones. Again 3 mins. rest with 80% intensity or more.</p>\n\n<p>Then there are the 10x100m sprints with incline, on some hill or something and you give everything you have there, go down the hill and repeat.</p>\n\n<p>Recovery after sprinting is going to be really bad, you will see. So no running on the next day.</p>\n\n<p>So, let's summarize what you could do in 4 days of training per week:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>First day - Sprints</p></li>\n<li><p>Rest day</p></li>\n<li><p>Second day - Some recovery run with a convenient pace with perhaps a few increases in speed (no sprinting) for about 100m on every kilometer. About 8-10kms.</p></li>\n<li><p>Rest day</p></li>\n<li><p>Third day - Try running 5k really fast, as fast as you can, always\nwarm up before that and do 1k-2k jog, then rest 1-2 mins. and start\nthe 5k speed run.</p></li>\n<li><p>Fourth day - Long run day, slow recovery running for about 10-12km, no speed.</p></li>\n<li><p>Rest, Repeat</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Disclaimer: <em>I've done all of these and you should notice increases in speed but don't get your hopes up, because it could take you from 6 months to more than a year to run the 10k for 40 mins. Also depends on your weight and your running form, shoes, injuries, etc.</em></p>\n\n<p>Sources: Me - Ultramarathon runner, currently will start working on my 5k speed again, because I stopped improving it last year just when I got to the 4:00/km.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33160,
"author": "Ed W",
"author_id": 24306,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24306",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>To give you an idea of paces to use with @Krasimir's answer, use the Jack Daniels' Pace Calculator: <a href=\"https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/</a></p>\n\n<p>Enter the results from your 10K race and then click on the training tab.</p>\n\n<p>Pay close attention to the easy run pace. Going to fast on your recovery days or long days is a recipe for injury and fatigue.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33151",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24530/"
] |
33,162 |
<p>My physiotherapist has told me that slouching for 20 years was the main cause of my shoulder injury last year, and that I had to stand up straight from now on, and only lift a weight if my shoulders were back. </p>
<p>After a few months, when the pain was gone, she discharged me and said to take up swimming. Having got into the water, I did the only stroke I know - breaststroke - and realised that I was spending 90% of the time with my shoulders rounded forwards (i.e. not back as I was told to!). I worried this might be unhelpful. My shoulders are only being pulled back briefly as my hands touch and my head emerges to inhale.</p>
<p><strong>My question is:</strong> Is it correct that the shoulders should spend most of the time extended forwards during breast stroke? </p>
<p>I've hunted the slow-motion YouTube videos but they don't happen to mention this specific point, probably because most people don't care.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33156,
"author": "Krasimir Milushev",
"author_id": 24512,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24512",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>I'm assuming that you've just started running? Since this is your first 10k ever.</p>\n\n<p>As you've noted - an injury is imminent. And as people in the comments have said - every person's body is different.</p>\n\n<p>You are increasing your mileage very steeply and rapidly which is the bigger concern, not so much as the speed. Your body will break at some point somewhere with these 5 times per week runs. Take all the hype a bit down and don't increase the week mileage by more than 15-20%. </p>\n\n<p>I get what you are experiencing, which is the \"runner's high\" and it can give you crazy motivation but be objective about it. As a fellow runner I have made the mistake to increase rapidly the distance per week many times and this has always led back to 2-3 weeks of resting without runs because of some injury.</p>\n\n<p>You can try and switch at some point from 5 training days to 3 because the body will start failing with recovery and couldn't cope with such a rapid increase in the distance. (also with the sprints, read below)</p>\n\n<p>As you want to increase your speed, you need to do speed exercises and not so much mileage. You should look around the Internet for speed training programs for 5k and 10k but in general here's what you have to do:</p>\n\n<p>Sprints, SPRINTS, <strong>SPRINTS!!!</strong></p>\n\n<p>For starters you could incorporate a 10x50m sprint after your normal runs. (you should try and run at about 80% intensity during sprinting, so that you won't die and throw up at the second sprint :D)</p>\n\n<p>Warm up, I mean it! Mandatory 5 mins. warm up before the start of running. Also before starting any kind of sprint run at least 1k to kickstart that body and switch to running mode - this is after the mandatory warm up.</p>\n\n<p>Some days you could skip entirely the long runs (honestly, you need just one long run per week 10-12-15km.) and after the 5 min. warm up and a 1k. run just start sprinting. You can do several types of sprints at which you'll get better over time as you progress.</p>\n\n<p>Firstly try 10x600m with 3 mins. rest between sprints (during the rest you could walk and breathe, don't just stay in one place) with about 80% intensity.</p>\n\n<p>Then there is the 5x1km. sprints but these are a bit more advanced and you should first do the 600m ones. Again 3 mins. rest with 80% intensity or more.</p>\n\n<p>Then there are the 10x100m sprints with incline, on some hill or something and you give everything you have there, go down the hill and repeat.</p>\n\n<p>Recovery after sprinting is going to be really bad, you will see. So no running on the next day.</p>\n\n<p>So, let's summarize what you could do in 4 days of training per week:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>First day - Sprints</p></li>\n<li><p>Rest day</p></li>\n<li><p>Second day - Some recovery run with a convenient pace with perhaps a few increases in speed (no sprinting) for about 100m on every kilometer. About 8-10kms.</p></li>\n<li><p>Rest day</p></li>\n<li><p>Third day - Try running 5k really fast, as fast as you can, always\nwarm up before that and do 1k-2k jog, then rest 1-2 mins. and start\nthe 5k speed run.</p></li>\n<li><p>Fourth day - Long run day, slow recovery running for about 10-12km, no speed.</p></li>\n<li><p>Rest, Repeat</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Disclaimer: <em>I've done all of these and you should notice increases in speed but don't get your hopes up, because it could take you from 6 months to more than a year to run the 10k for 40 mins. Also depends on your weight and your running form, shoes, injuries, etc.</em></p>\n\n<p>Sources: Me - Ultramarathon runner, currently will start working on my 5k speed again, because I stopped improving it last year just when I got to the 4:00/km.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33160,
"author": "Ed W",
"author_id": 24306,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24306",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>To give you an idea of paces to use with @Krasimir's answer, use the Jack Daniels' Pace Calculator: <a href=\"https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://runsmartproject.com/calculator/</a></p>\n\n<p>Enter the results from your 10K race and then click on the training tab.</p>\n\n<p>Pay close attention to the easy run pace. Going to fast on your recovery days or long days is a recipe for injury and fatigue.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/11
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33162",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18523/"
] |
33,174 |
<p><a href="http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html</a></p>
<p>That calculator requires to know my level of activeness. <strong><em>I take a brisk walk of 10 minutes daily.</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Personal info:</em></strong> </p>
<ul>
<li>My height is 162.6 cm, age is 34, gender is female, and weight is 52 kg. </li>
<li>I have a job that requires 8 hours sitting on a chair in front of a computer.</li>
<li>My aim is to _gain weight.</li>
<li>My metabolism is fast and I have low appetite. </li>
<li>I have started brisk walk to improve my appetite.</li>
</ul>
<p>Where do I fit? How to determine what qualifies for light activeness, moderate activeness, and extreme activeness?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33177,
"author": "G_H",
"author_id": 19986,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19986",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>How is your time spent outside of the walks? Do you have a job sitting at a desk? Standing up? Moving about? This will all influence the end result.</p>\n\n<p>Usually, on those calculators, I tend to just fill in \"sedentary\". The problem with choosing an activity level is that it is a big guess on the calculator's part. They define \"lightly active\" as exercise or sports 1 to 3 times a week. I go to the gym 3 times a week, but spend about 1.5 to 2 hours there every time on strength training. It's not exactly light. However, if I would spend that time doing cardio, I'd be burning a lot more calories. Meanwhile, someone who's got a physically demanding job and doesn't do any exercise outside of that will use a lot more calories than me on a daily basis.</p>\n\n<p>A better approach is to try a number of calculators online, using the sedentary activity level every time, and take the average of their estimates. This will give you an indication of your total daily energy expenditure without exercise. It's only an estimate since the actual value depends on a lot more than the factors provided to such calculators. People of the same gender, height and weight will have varying metabolic rates due to genetic differences, body composition and lifestyle.</p>\n\n<p>After you have the estimate, a good approach to get a more accurate number is to track your calorie intake using one of the various tools available online (MyFitnessPal is a popular choice), eat exactly the estimate and monitor your weight. The best method is to weigh yourself every morning, either before or after going to the toilet but before eating or drinking anything, and then take a weekly average of the measurements. This will reduce the impact of normal daily fluctuations. If the weight increases over a few weeks, the calorie estimate was a bit on the high side. If it decreases, you're in a caloric deficit. If it stays about the same, you've found the correct number to start from.</p>\n\n<p>The number is going to change over time depending on weight loss or weight gain and activity.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33178,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You cannot expect a formula to be exactly right for you. The only way you will know what you need to eat (in terms of calories) to ensure that you can gain/maintain/lose weight is through experimenting yourself.</p>\n\n<p>Use Sedentry as a guide and then if you aren't losing weight, reduce calories and vice-versa. </p>\n\n<p>Problem with categorising exercise as absolute is thus:</p>\n\n<p>A comfortable 10k run for me uses around 1000 calories. I would class this is light/moderate activity, even though it is for 1 hour constantly.</p>\n\n<p>A crossfit class is 15-30 minutes of very high intensity but only burns around 400 calories. I would put that as hard/very hard exercise.</p>\n\n<p>I do crossfit 5 times a week and run 3-4 times. My daily calorie intake to maintain is around 2300 but that calculator suggests I should be eating 2800. I know that 2300 is right through experimenting aver the last year.</p>\n\n<p>To gain weight, you must eat more calories than you use. Increased exercise does help increase appetite for some people (as does other things like reducing caffeine intake) but you just need to take in more calories overall. For people with a low appetite, eating more is hard. </p>\n\n<p>You are sedentary by the tool you linked, a walk doesn't really 'count' as exercise like the tool suggests. <a href=\"https://examine.com/nutrition/does-metabolism-vary-between-two-people/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">The difference in metabolism from the norm you have suggested isn't really a truth. Just eat 1 pop-tart to compensate.</a></p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33180,
"author": "người Sàigòn",
"author_id": 24550,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24550",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I would not trust the calculator you referenced in the question. It merely does an average calories count and has little to do with your fitness level. </p>\n\n<p>The notions of calories in calories out relative to weight loss or gain is very simplistic and had been proven wrong already. See the well referenced Harvard Study in 2011 and other studies here:\n<a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_calorie_is_a_calorie\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Studies on Calorie Count Myths</a></p>\n\n<p>To objectively determine how fit you are, there are very good measures that you can use. The best one is a VO2 Max test.\nRead more on it here: <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2_max\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Wikipedia Article on VO2 max</a></p>\n\n<p>Many universities have physiology or human performance labs, and they often offer these tests for the public at very reasonable to no cost. Do a search on V02 Max lab/university & you will find plenty, all over the world. Besides VO2 tests, the labs normally can run a series of other excellent and highly accurate tests from metabolic rate to blood levels that you should definitely try if you are serious about fitness. These would give you a very clear picture of where you are, and then come back in 6 months or a year to see how you progress.</p>\n\n<p>Short of that, any modern fitness machine such as a treadmill or an elliptical machine that has a heart rate sensor should also be able to give you a reasonably useful fitness test that you can do in about 10-15 minutes. What these tests usually entail are your levels of effort against the resistance changes of the machine, calculated against your change in heart rate through the process along with your basic age, weight inputs. </p>\n\n<p>Wearable fitness bands with optical heart rate sensors costing no more than USD $50 nowadays can also give you some very good profile of your fitness and can be used for long term fitness tracking (I use one for training and overall fitness & sleep tracking).</p>\n\n<p>Back to the specifics of your question, you mentioned wanting to gain weight and that you have to sit in front of the computer for 8 hours.\nI suppose you want to gain muscles, and not fat since fat gain is as easy as doing less and eating more bad-for-you food.</p>\n\n<p>Gaining muscle mass, on a functional strength level (meaning looking solidly good and feeling agile but not wanting to be a huge competitive weight lifter body) involve building up resistant (weight or body-weight) exercises to challenge your body to \"grow.\" This would require that you either choose an assisted weight regiment or a body-weight regiment that force muscle tear, metabolic challenge at a level much more intense but shorter per round than your brisk walk (which is basal aerobic in nature). In this answer, it may be too much to go into details. However, know that you'd need resistance training for weight gain, and that you can use weights or your body weight, but they have to be proper and good movements with sufficient challenge to your body to induce growth. Proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, work-rest ratio, also come into play. I hope these ideas give you a good pointer to start looking further.</p>\n\n<p>As for prolonged sitting, it's bad and irreversible. You can read this article below for a summary of recent research, but more has been known since as well. When you sit for a long period, your hormones begin to change, and adding it up through the years will take an irreversible toll on your well being. Not only that, staying in doors and looking at the computer all day also takes a toll on your brain, eyes (also part of your brain), and creativity, not to mention mood. I used to work the same way, then changed. My life changed like it dialed back the clock over 10 years. Article:<a href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Is Sitting a Lethal Activity</a></p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/13
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33174",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1328/"
] |
33,179 |
<p>From: <a href="https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/3656/1328">What are the pros and cons of running versus walking?</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>If you run 10 miles, you will probably find it hard to do anything else the rest of the day. Walking 10 miles will leave you will more energy.[sic]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why does walking leave us with more energy? Is there any evidence behind this claim?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33183,
"author": "DeeV",
"author_id": 21868,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21868",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p><strong>Short answer:</strong></p>\n\n<p>In the context of the question, I believe the answer was just saying that running is far more exhaustive than walking. Thus walking will leave you less drained than running will. </p>\n\n<p><strong>Long answer:</strong></p>\n\n<p>There are two aspects to look at, the effects of running on your energy levels and the effects of running on your body.</p>\n\n<p>Regarding energy levels, the human body has various energy stores that are used to produce the exertion needed for moving. It takes more energy to move a single object over a set distance at a fast rate then it would to move the same object over the same distance at a slow rate.</p>\n\n<p>Then there's how running effects the rest of the body. Mainly the muscles and bones. Depending on how fast you run, the muscles are going to break down and damage a little. Then they heal and become stronger next time. This is a necessary cycle for adaption, but there is this recovery time immediately after a run where your slightly weaker than when you started. The bones during the run also act like shock absorbers taking in the impact of each stride. Likewise, bones become hardened over time, but there is still a recovery period. Walking, in contrast, isn't as intense and does not have such a recover period.</p>\n\n<p>All of this is relative to the fitness level of the individual though. Most people can probably walk for ten miles given the right motivation. Those that don't walk often will feel exhausted because they have not adapted to the work. Those that walk often will feel great. Likewise, an ultra-marathon runner could run ten miles and feel great afterwards.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33226,
"author": "Enivid",
"author_id": 5804,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/5804",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>According to <em>Essentials of Exercise Physiology (2011) by V. L. Katch, W. D. McArdle, and F. I. Katch</em>, the energy economy for walking at low speed is higher. Running becomes more practical (requires less calories) when higher speeds are required:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Walking speed relates linearly to oxygen uptake between speeds of 1.9\n and 3.1 mph; walking becomes less economical at speeds faster than 4.0\n mph.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>This explains why walking 10 miles (considering normal speed ~3 mph) expends less energy than running the same distance.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/13
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33179",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1328/"
] |
33,181 |
<p>I swim with my fingers together, thumb at the side and a slightly cupped hand.</p>
<p>I have seen some people in my pool swimming with small gaps between their fingers, which I found interesting (I have always been taught the way I currently swim as above).</p>
<p>As the hands make up a fairly substantial amount of propulsion, I was wondering if it is worth changing my form. My question is principally, is it faster to swim with slightly spaced fingers, but I would also be interested in if anyone has attempted to quantify the difference in hand/finger/thumb position.</p>
<p>Thank you in advance for any help you can give.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33184,
"author": "Jon Custer",
"author_id": 18061,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18061",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Back in the 1970's, the theory was to hold your fingers together. Then people started applying engineering and science to sports. One of the early investigations was of Dara Torres, involving the hand shape that she used. She had ignored the prevailing theory, and swam with a 'relaxed' hand shape, with the fingers apart. And she was good (spectacularly so).</p>\n\n<p>Now, if you watch video of top current freestyle swimmers, you will see that their fingers are not closed up tight. One coach I've talked with suggests starting with a hand shape similar to how your hand naturally shapes itself while you stand and let your arm and hand dangle lazily - your fingers are not tight. </p>\n\n<p>As a reference, this video on YouTube of <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SONx52cyltI\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Adrian Nathan</a> makes it easy to see that his hand is not tightly held together.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33185,
"author": "người Sàigòn",
"author_id": 24550,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24550",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You were likely taught to cup you hand in some beginner class.\nThat's not so much \"wrong,\" just ineffective & unnatural. It also doesn't add to your propulsive power as you may think. </p>\n\n<p>The cup has proven to not add any difference in propulsive power through enough studies. It also forces you to focus on a minor matter that actually adds unnecessary muscle tension where you do not need it.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://livehealthy.chron.com/fingers-open-vs-closed-swimming-4106.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Here's a Summary Article on \"Fingers Open Vs. Closed for Swimming\"</a></p>\n\n<p>The slightly open fingers actually add to propulsive power, and if you watch the video by Gary Hall below, you'll see why. The slightly open hand increases its functional dynamic surface in relation to propulsion.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://youtu.be/QxcqnWizJ3o\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">View an excellent explanation for the slightly open hands by Gary Hall Sr</a></p>\n\n<p>Many world class swimmers swim with a slightly (not widely) open fingers.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://youtu.be/h2pVhaHmolo\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Here's a video of Michael Phelps hands</a> (watch the first 16 seconds)</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://youtu.be/SONx52cyltI\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Nathan Adrian via Speedo</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://youtu.be/2b1Fiw9uekM\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Ian Thorpe's Hands</a></p>\n\n<p>If you notice children who swim more naturally, they all tend to swim with just the right finger opening similar to the world champs. </p>\n\n<p>Hope this helps and enjoy!</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/13
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33181",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23747/"
] |
33,202 |
<p>I've recently started walking on the treadmill (usually 3.2 - 3.5mph) and I've been having awful shin pain. I noticed today that if I let my arms hang by my sides when I walk the shin pain goes away but if I bring my arms up to swing by my waist the shin pain immediately comes back. I've tried shin compression sleeves and new shoes but aside from leaving my arms hanging nothing works. I want to be able to use my arms more so what's going on?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 42255,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is a tibial strain because you lift your foot up at every step, is like doing bicep curl at every step, but with your ankles. </p>\n\n<p>Good for strength but if the walk takes too long it can result in pain, injuries are uncommon and hard to come back, but the pain can be discouraging. </p>\n\n<p>Simply walk by letting your foot loose instead of flexing it up.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 44457,
"author": "Jun",
"author_id": 32901,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32901",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Shin splint is an overuse injury, usually caused by going too much, too soon. I noted that you recently started walking.\nSome things to ascertain:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>What is your physical activity like before you started this workout?</li>\n<li>What is your frequency?</li>\n<li>How often do you do this workout of walking?</li>\n<li>What is the distance you clock during each walk?</li>\n</ul>\n<p>You can try easing off on your mileage. Give your body some time to recover. See if your shin splint gets better. Start on the safe side, go for lesser distance, and slowly work your way up. Give your body time to adapt.</p>\n<p>Most often than not, the issue starts at your hip. If the hips are not stable, the stress will have to be translated somewhere else. Usually your knees and ankles. Your hips are like the steering wheels of the car. It is very important. Common muscles you can work on for hip stability are your glutes. Also, work on your calf muscles, especially the eccentric portion (where you lower your heels to the ground), to improve your shock absorption.</p>\n<p>Don’t slam your feet down when you are taking a stride. Land on your heels gently, and roll your feet forward to your toes, before you push off again.</p>\n<p>Arm swing is important. Try not to hold onto the handles of the treadmill if possible. Slow down the speed to accommodate that. Arm swing is an integral part of our walking movement pattern.</p>\n<p>The main issue here is not whether you swing your arms or not, it’s about your hip stability and landing mechanics.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 45198,
"author": "POD",
"author_id": 33195,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Shin splints most commonly occur when there is a disparity between the velocity of the driving leg and the velocity of the ground. Put more simply, they are caused when the leg contacting the ground is not moving backwards at ground speed, thereby repeatedly jarring the shin as the forward inertia of the lower leg is overcome by the momentum of the body. This is exacerbated by the length of the stride, as the shin structures (see <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibialis_anterior_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">tibialis anterior</a>) are forced to control rapid plantar flexion at heel strike. The phenomenon applies equally to both walking and running.</p>\n<p>Treadmill walking and running can be particularly problematic because our velocity is dictated by the machine.</p>\n<p>The reason that your arm position is affecting the shins is probably that their counterbalancing effect is encouraging you to stride slightly further forward, thereby amplifying the effects described above.</p>\n<p>Since walking speed is equal to stride length × stride rate, your speed can be maintained if stride length is decreased with a corresponding increase in stride rate. Count the number of steps you take in a minute, and try to increase that slightly. Often even small changes will make a significant and noticeable difference to your mechanics and comfort. You may find that these modified mechanics feel odd to begin with, but with practice it will become more natural and comfortable.</p>\n<p>For treadmill walking, particularly, it is important to ensure that the speed is dictated by your legs rather than by the treadmill.</p>\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/16
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33202",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24570/"
] |
33,205 |
<p>I very recently started exercising. I'm not extremely out of shape 95-100kg but still when on the treadmill my manboobs and my belly bounce up and down and are generally in the way.</p>
<p>I do realize they'll go away with time and consistency but in the mean time what can I do? My best guess would be to use some sort of stretchy fabric to hold them down.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33206,
"author": "Sean Duggan",
"author_id": 8039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>As with son15's comment, a slightly tighter top might help. When I started running, my wife got me a \"workout shirt\" from Aldi's in my size. I later bought one a size smaller. In this weather, it's underneath a layer or two, but it holds everything in place. It's a little uncomfortable, making me have to work a bit harder to properly expand my rib cage when breathing, but it reduced the jiggling. If you run into issues with chafing, a bit of talcum powder or corn starch dusted on the inside can help by absorbing moisture and decreasing friction.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33210,
"author": "heropup",
"author_id": 7576,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7576",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>A compression garment would help to reduce movement, although it will not stop it entirely, even if it is very tight-fitting. Sizing should be chosen to be as tight as possible without restricting circulation. You can wear these under a looser shirt if you are self-conscious about your body shape. As you lose weight, you should ideally adapt your sizing to match.</p>\n\n<p>Something to consider is that the collagen and other connective tissues that are responsible for the elasticity of the skin exhibits a decline in function as one ages. In other words, as you grow older, you have less of it, and you what you have doesn't perform as well as it used to, which is why the skin of the elderly tends to sag and lack firmness. As you lose weight, depending on your age and extent of obesity, some of the skin's elasticity enables it to recover its former shape, but don't be surprised if, even after achieving your weight goal, your skin shows a considerable amount of sag or residual stretchiness. If you undertake vigorous activity without adequate support, you can cause additional stretching to occur, although the science on this is not entirely clear: I recall one study that suggested that women who wear supportive bras have less well-developed collagen in their breast tissue than those who have never worn a bra, suggesting that bras are a bit like a crutch, creating dependence over years of use. It is possible that short-term stress to collagen in a healthy, young adult population, can stimulate repair and additional production, improving skin elasticity through a remodeling process. But I'm not a dermatologist; for your comfort, I would advise using suitably sized compression garments throughout your fitness program regardless of weight or age.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/17
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33205",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24576/"
] |
33,221 |
<p>It maybe sounds that hasn't anything to do with fitness but it has.</p>
<p>If someone has stress about something, lets say exams, new girlfriend, etc, not necessarily to do with the muscles. Are there workouts to help to calm myself down?</p>
<p>I think we all have stress, some too much some not. What workouts should someone do to calm his/her self from a stressful situation.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33225,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Exercise, in general, provides stress relief because it increases brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) called <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphins\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Endorphins</a>. Endorphins are “feel-good” chemicals that boost your sense of well-being. The <a href=\"https://www.adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/managing-anxiety/exercise-stress-and-anxiety\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Anxiety and Depression Association of America</a> suggests that </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>“Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise\n has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and\n stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. About five\n minutes of aerobic exercise can begin to stimulate anti-anxiety\n effects. “</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>However, that's not to say that aerobic exercise is the only way to relieve stress. Again, from the ADAA,</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>“Psychologists studying how exercise relieves anxiety and depression\n suggest that a 10-minute walk may be just as good as a 45-minute\n workout. Some studies show that exercise can work quickly to elevate\n depressed mood in many people. Although the effects may be temporary,\n they demonstrate that a brisk walk or other simple activity can\n deliver several hours of relief, similar to taking an aspirin for a\n headache. “</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>And, while there doesn't seem to be a specific recommendation for types of exercise or duration, the key point is to do some form of exercise that will induce a release of endorphins. In some people, exercise provides short term relief from stress, while in others, it has not effect at all. Either way, exercising has more long term benefits than just stress relief and should be a part of any healthy lifestyle.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33227,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Stress is an interesting one, <a href=\"http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/20/the-goldilocks-principle-of-stress-too-little-is-almost-as-bad-as-too-much/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">too little stress</a> and we don't build up a tolerance to it so struggle to cope when it does hit; <a href=\"http://www.lifehack.org/296095/10-signs-youre-under-too-much-stress\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">too much stress</a> and we want to fold, run for a place to hide, curl up and rock slowly backwards and forwards hugging our knees to our chest, we become ill, anxious and physically suffer; but the <a href=\"https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200804/the-perfect-level-stress?collection=101848\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">right</a> <a href=\"http://www.businessknowhow.com/growth/stress.htm\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">amount</a> of <a href=\"http://news.berkeley.edu/2013/04/16/researchers-find-out-why-some-stress-is-good-for-you/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">stress</a>, <a href=\"http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/why-a-moderate-amount-of-stress-is-good-for-you-according-to-a-cognitive-neuroscientist-a7079891.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">the Goldilocks zone</a>, and we can thrive and achieve great things.</p>\n\n<p>The kind of stress that you're talking about would fall firmly into the camp of too much / bad stress.</p>\n\n<p>When stress levels are high, your mood is down and dark, you don't sleep, don't have a drive to eat properly or look after yourself.</p>\n\n<p>Different people have different coping strategies for times like these, some find comfort in destroying themselves in the gym, pushing themselves to the point of collapse, throwing heavy weights on the bar and squatting until the only thought going through their head is one of surviving the next rep. I've seen people turn to training as the one things that they can control when everything else seems to be falling apart, and make great progress because of it.</p>\n\n<p>I'm not saying it's the healthiest option, replacing emotional stress with physical, but it is an option, and can have a kind of purify-by-fire approach.</p>\n\n<p>The way I've always handled stressful times in my life is with a calmer approach.</p>\n\n<p>Back when I used to climb regularly, I'd find that traversing (moving sideways along a climbing wall, instead of up) in a slow and controlled manner a great way to calm me down and help me gain focus and insight into whatever was causing the stress. I've previously heard about this type of thing referred to as mindful movement.</p>\n\n<p>The idea is that you lose yourself so completely in what you're doing, by focusing on the movement, that you kind of lose focus on the cause of the stress and enter a flow state.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/5hnku6/stress_climbing/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Traversing</a>, <a href=\"http://www.kendallcliffs.com/exercise-and-stress-using-rock-climbing-for-stress-reduction/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">climbing</a>, certain types of <a href=\"http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/yoga-for-anxiety-and-depression\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Yoga</a>, <a href=\"http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/tai-chi/art-20045184\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Tai-chi</a>, <a href=\"http://www.itsaddictive.co.uk/turkish-get-up-and-mindfulness/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Turkish get-ups</a>, basically anything that forces you to focus on something causing a <a href=\"https://www.verywell.com/using-flow-psychology-for-stress-relief-3144676\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">flow state</a>, can be massively beneficial when dealing with stress.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/18
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33221",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24305/"
] |
33,231 |
<p>Untrained 50 year old looking to build strength with the intention preserving muscle while aging, joining a gym soon. Will not get a PT, is looking for 'gentle' exercises. Not willing to suffer much pain. Will something build strength while being (relatively) comfortable? For example, a lower weight than usual.</p>
<p>Is it possible to build and maintain strength for a beginner with little discomfort?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33232,
"author": "Craig",
"author_id": 24242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24242",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The answer to this question varies from person to person, but to simplify it.. The more you exercise, the more comfortable you will become.</p>\n<h2>Muscle Soreness:</h2>\n<ul>\n<li>There will be some muscle soreness if you want to build strength. Soreness is generally a good thing, because it means your muscles are rebuilding and increasing.</li>\n<li>Over time, soreness will diminish. Your muscles might stop getting sore altogether (in a few weeks or months). If you don't get sore in your first week, increase the weight of your exercises until they feel challenging.</li>\n<li>It may be possible to not get sore and maintain muscle if the weight is at least an occasional challenge.</li>\n</ul>\n<h2>Joint Pain:</h2>\n<ul>\n<li><p>Fewer dumbbells will reduce joint pain. Dumbbells put more stress on your joints. Machine weights and some barbell exercises will be best for you if you have joint problems.</p>\n</li>\n<li><p>For muscle growth, it is beneficial to throw in a dumbbell or barbell exercise into your routine occasionally. Muscle grows best with a variety of challenges.</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Some tips:</h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Use proper form! This will greatly help you avoid injury.</li>\n<li>Rest your muscle! Give the muscles you train 2-3 days to recover before you exercise with them again.</li>\n<li>Have some protein within 30 minutes of a workout! This dramatically increases your muscle building potential and decreases soreness. If you live far from the gym check these out: <a href=\"http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/whey.html?searchTerm=whey\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">protein powder</a> and <a href=\"http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bodybuilding-accessories/blender-bottle.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">bottle</a>.</li>\n<li>Seafood in general can help combat muscle soreness and joint pain with omega-3 fat and selenium while providing protein to your muscle. Tuna is fine.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>I hope this was insightful. Enjoy your weights!</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33236,
"author": "wdika",
"author_id": 24560,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24560",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>A beginner like you, the age doesn't matter if you are starting now you are a beginner and it's not bad at all, shouldn't consider about strength if starts just now (beginner can be a person that is working out 0-2 years). </p>\n\n<p>First you have to get known with the place (the gym), the machines, the dumbbells, the barbells, etc. You have to learn how to execute the exercises in the proper way and understand how a training program (split) works. Only in this way you will understand how your body responds and reacts on your workout. </p>\n\n<p>Besides your training the <strong>really first thing</strong> you must schedule and define clearly is your <strong>nutrition</strong>. Only with an appropriate nutrition you will be able to build muscles and strength properly. Combined with the necessary rest.</p>\n\n<p>To sum up:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Make a nutrition plan based on your needs and your goals</li>\n<li>Rest </li>\n<li>Start with a beginner's workout plan (You can get adviced by the gym stuff for all of those things)</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>After 6-7 months and if you have hit a plateau you can move on strength training. Till then i strongly recommend you to learn the fundamentals and build a good base.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/19
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33231",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,234 |
<p>I am a female, I started doing exercises 3 monthes ago plus I managed my diet to become healthy. My aim is to have a healthy body with some muscles to stay fit. My problem is that, each time I do exercises, especially complex ones like: lunges, squat, bench press with dumbells, each time I feel soreness again. Is that normal, or am I doing something wrong.
Is that really soreness, what I feel is a pain in the muscle when I move it, especially my glutes, when I walk for example. </p>
<p>I am worried that may be I have some deficiency in vitamins for example or water.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33238,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>If your deficiency is in anything, its calories but it sounds like you still are experiencing DOMS as you slowly progress onto heavier weights. </p>\n\n<p>Things you can do to help:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Stretch</strong>: After each workout you should spend 10-20 minutes stretching the muscles you primarily used to work out with. <a href=\"http://www.exrx.net/index.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">ExRx</a> can help you find stretches as can a google search.</li>\n<li><strong>Warm up</strong>: We grow muscle by essentially breaking it down and then repairing it so it is bigger/stronger. DOMS are your bodies way of saying <em>\"we did a lot of damage yesterday, your heart isn't pumping much blood here to help repair, so we want to keep the muscle from breaking any more.\"</em> By warming up before more exercise, your blood gets pumping around the muscles and you should feel them become less sore. </li>\n<li><strong>Eat more</strong>: If you want to repair your muscles faster between workouts you need to provide your body with 2 things: Enough protein to provide the building blocks and enough calories to give your body the energy needed to repair the muscles.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Please review this question about DOMS: <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/286/prevent-or-treat-delayed-onset-muscle-soreness\">Prevent or treat delayed onset muscle soreness</a></p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33240,
"author": "sweetkaos",
"author_id": 24605,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24605",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>After hard training:\n- take a short jog, relaxing the body, about 5 to 10 min, and stretch.\n- take a warm shower , then normal shower, and some ice.</p>\n\n<p>Diet is also very important for avoiding injuries. You can check different articles on glycogen levels.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33234",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23709/"
] |
33,242 |
<p>I have been using a pre-workout for the past 3 years, but I'm not entirely sure why. I can drink my pre-workout 30-45 minutes before my workout starts and not feel a thing. No "tingling" that so many people talk about. No burst of energy and definitely no sustained energy. I've tried many different brands, even did the much talked about 2 scoops. Nothing. My current brand is PreKaged by Kaged Muscle, I like the flavor, but still not feeling a difference.</p>
<p>I do have a high tolerance to a lot of medications; Ambien did absolutely nothing. Hydrocodone just gives me cotton mouth and nothing for pain relief. I can even drink a cup of coffee or a pop and take a nap.</p>
<p>Any suggestions?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33243,
"author": "wdika",
"author_id": 24560,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24560",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Using pre-workout for 3 years is way too long. </p>\n\n<p>The \"tingling\" comes from the Beta-Alanine, if you try standalone 1-1,5gr of Beta-Alanine you will definitely get the \"tingling\", that doesn't mean i recommend you to do. </p>\n\n<p>Pre-Workouts basically include creatine,beta-alanine,bcaa,caffeine from various stimulants and extracs, might include citruline if it's a \"pump\"-labeled, arginine, taurine, agmatine, etc. They might work for the first 3-4 times but for the majority of them nothing much more than that. In general they are just waste of money, a mix of cheap ingredients labeled on whatever the selling company wants to promote.</p>\n\n<p>You can use a pre-workout but not for too long time and not every day. Think it as a little weapon for the hard day workout, e.g. leg day. </p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p><strong>But.</strong></p>\n\n<p>If you want a wake up call before your workout drink a single espresso 30-45 minutes before. </p>\n\n<p>If you want an energy pump, a small fresh apple is just enough also 30-45 minutes before. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 35996,
"author": "CanESER",
"author_id": 15980,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/15980",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm using preworkouts for years too. I tried many brands and there is no magic in that stuff. Now im doing my own preworkout with my way. I like tingling feeling and i put arround 2gr of <strong>beta-alanine</strong>, cold brew coffee that contains 150mg <strong>caffeine</strong>, 5gr of <strong>creatine</strong>, 5 gr of <strong>arginine</strong>, 5 gr of <strong>bcaa</strong>, 5gr of <strong>citrulline</strong> ...etc in my shaker and voila. That's way cheaper compared with ready product and I can manipulate it as I want. But the most important thing about preworkouts, body get used to the stimulants like caffeine so i don't consume coffee in workout days and i do caffeine diet to give body a rest. If you dont mind about taste thats a great method but if you care my favorites are C4 and PRE-JYM as preworkout. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 36007,
"author": "doodlebob",
"author_id": 26504,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/26504",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Taking preworkout consistently for 3 years is <strong>way too long</strong>. Taking preworkout consistently for 3 <em>months</em> is way too long. You've probably developed a complete tolerance for any sensible amount of caffeine now and will never achieve any stimulation from it. Safe to say after 3 years your body has adapted. You have to cycle off stimulants to (attempt to) reset your tolerance. If I was in your situation, I'd take at least a couple months off any stimulants (besides coffee if you're a drinker) and see how you respond after that. And if a few months go by and when you take it you don't feel any benefits, stay off it for another while.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33242",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24606/"
] |
33,261 |
<p>Does aerobic training (cardio) help a 4-minute gymnastic rings performance?</p>
<p>In <em>Overcoming Gravity</em> Steven Low argues that an Olympic artistic rings performance is around 4 minutes, the same time as the world record for the mile. The mile is strongly influenced by aerobic capacity, so a 4 minute rings performance would be too (to a lesser extent).</p>
<p>This seems really dodgy reasoning to me (the sports have many differences), so I'm asking the question here. Would cardio help a 4-minute rings performance?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33263,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is one of those you can prove by example. </p>\n\n<p>The book is right, what it refers to is \"conditioning\" which is a method by which you increase your aerobic capacity to enable you to workout for a short interval and a very high intensity. </p>\n\n<p>This is not immediately obvious for someone who spends time either learning movements or doing reps and sets at the gym. 4 minutes is a long time to be moving your entire body for, especially whilst doing controlled breathing. You can see at the Olympics that athletes are breathing heavily after a rings performance. </p>\n\n<p>To try it for yourself: Do 4 minutes of burpees. Go at a comfortably slow pace (1 every 2-3 seconds) and try to keep that pace for the entirety. The movements aren't the same as the rings but the process is. You are moving reasonably slowly but because your entire body is being used you need more oxygen, your breathing increases. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 45397,
"author": "michael battle",
"author_id": 38544,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/38544",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Incorporate your legs in doing ring work--i.e., picture "cheating" on pull-ups, ring dips, ring push-ups by using your legs to help complete the movement. So, instead of 10 strict pull-ups in classic form, you are now doing 20-30 cheat pull-ups. The heart rate accelerates and this type of workout uses all the muscles of the body as in cross country skiing. The idea is accelerated heart rate, not personal records set with these type of calisthenics.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/22
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33261",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,272 |
<p>I fast once a week to be healthy and improve performance. It is intermittent fasting (I restrict eating to a four hour window).</p>
<p>I have insomnia almost every time and a quick google search shows multiple forums with the same issue — but no resolution. I almost never have insomnia when I don't fast.</p>
<p>Is it ok to have insomnia, or is something else (eg. hormones out of whack) causing me to have insomnia when I fast?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33280,
"author": "Joao Noch",
"author_id": 24140,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Oh never mind, I found an equivalent post on the cognitive science stackexchange.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/5537/how-is-fasting-related-to-insomnia\">https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/5537/how-is-fasting-related-to-insomnia</a></p>\n\n<p>I will try upping the caloric intake and eating more veggies in the 4 hour window on my fast day (and taking magnesium, thanks s3v3ns).</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33289,
"author": "G_H",
"author_id": 19986,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19986",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>If intermittent fasting gives you insomnia, the way to solve that is to stop intermittent fasting. The lack of sleep will do more damage to your health, performance and overall well-being than the intermittent fasting would help those things. Find some other way of achieving your goals.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/24
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33272",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,273 |
<p>I follow a very basic routine of squat, deadlift, pull-up (weighted) and bench press, and have for many weeks. </p>
<p>What are some isolation, muscle-specific or machine exercises to 'fill-in the gaps'? One example that comes to mind is something for the rhomboids.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33274,
"author": "wdika",
"author_id": 24560,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24560",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>When following a strength routine, like yours (the three big lifts), you should include some optional excersices in order to have balance. Especially when you train for bodybuilding. It's prefered to be included one from the following excersises for each group <strong>per day</strong>:</p>\n\n<p><strong>Back:</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Dumbbell Row</li>\n<li>Machine Row</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><strong>Shoulders:</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Seated or Standing Dumbbell Overhead Press</li>\n<li>Military Press</li>\n<li>Lateral Dumbbell Raises</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p><strong>Biceps:</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Dumbbell curl</li>\n<li>Barbell Curl</li>\n<li>Dumbbell Hammer Curl</li>\n<li>EZ Bar Curl</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>You can optionally include one of the following <strong>per week</strong>:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lateral Dumbbell Raise (Strongly recommended)</strong></li>\n<li>Incline Chest Fly</li>\n<li>One Armed Tricep Extension</li>\n<li>Skullscrushers</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>For Leg Isolation, <strong>once or two per week</strong>, you can include:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Any form of calf raise.</li>\n<li>Leg Curl</li>\n<li>Leg Extension</li>\n<li>Single Leg Press</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Three sets of 8-10 reps will be great for those excersices.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33275,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Continuing the theme of free-weight work you could try the following (for 3-5 sets of 8-15 reps, tracking and increasing weight slowly over time), <strong>those in bold are strongly recommended.</strong></p>\n\n<p>Outside of isolation, if you aren't doing power cleans, you should!</p>\n\n<p>Shoulders:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Barbell Overhead Press (strict)/Push Press</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Dumbbell Lateral Raise</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Barbell Shrug</strong></li>\n<li>Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press</li>\n<li>Dumbbell Reverse Fly</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Back: </p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Barbell Row (Pendlay/Kroc/Bent Over)</strong></li>\n<li>Dumbbell Row</li>\n<li>Literally any movement where you pull weight towards yourself.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Chest: </p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dips (weighted once you can comfortably do 10 unbroken)</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Incline Bench Press</strong></li>\n<li>Decline Bench Press</li>\n<li>Fly: Dumbbell, Cable or Machine are all good</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Biceps:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Barbell Curl</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Hammer Curl</strong></li>\n<li>Chin Ups</li>\n<li>Rowing (back) movements usually give you some level of bicep workout!</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Triceps:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Close grip bench press</strong></li>\n<li>Dips</li>\n<li>Skullcrushers</li>\n<li>Tricep pushdown</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Abs: </p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rollout with an AB wheel</strong></li>\n<li>Hanging Leg Raise/Captains Chair</li>\n<li>Plank</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Legs:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Front Squat</strong></li>\n<li>SSB Squat (if you gym has one)</li>\n<li>Hack Squat/Leg Press</li>\n<li>Lying Leg Curl</li>\n<li>Leg Extension (careful with this as it can damage the knee joint at high weights, progress gently)</li>\n</ul>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/24
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33273",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,283 |
<p>I am planning to do HIIT and want to buy one (cheap, under $100) piece of equipment for the whole body.</p>
<p>I cannot sprint because I live in a busy city with few open spaces, however I would be fine with equipment like a suspension trainer or skipping rope.</p>
<p>I'm not a beginner, and wouldn't mind high impact exercises. </p>
<p>Please do not recommend bodyweight exercises — they are just not for me (I've tried), and not what this question is about.</p>
<p>If your piece of equipment has any other benefits (eg. portable, scalable), please put that in your answer as well!</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33290,
"author": "JohnP",
"author_id": 3736,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/3736",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>For absolute cheap, I would recommend finding an outdoor fitness trail that has the exercise stations. Usually fairly well planned out with a variety of exercises and activities to hit most of the muscle groups, and if you maintain a high level of speed and exertion, can give you an excellent HIIT style workout.</p>\n\n<p>For an actual piece of equipment, if you are very lucky and persistent, you may be able to find a bench and a small set of dumbbells for under $100. That's just not enough money, however, for a decent (by that I mean won't collapse under you) piece of equipment. I know you said no bodyweight exercises, but for $100, you just aren't going to really find anything worthwhile that is safe. Exercise equipment, even used, is $$.</p>\n\n<p>If you could up your budget, I would look at something like the <a href=\"https://www.trxtraining.com/products/trx-full-body-workout-bundle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">TRX Suspension Training</a> systems. You can find them anywhere from the MSRP of mid $200's, or lower on Amazon or similar. They are fairly versatile, and when not being used, hang on the wall, so very minimal space.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33343,
"author": "salisboss",
"author_id": 24572,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24572",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You could do Farmer's Walks. All you really need is two dumbbells or kettlebells. You could also do Waiter's Walks or swings. These all can be done in a tabata fashion or slightly longer intervals.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/25
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33283",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,294 |
<p>So, I made the mistake of asking a random guy for a spot and letting him do a lift off for me. While I've never had any issues with this technique before, this guy clearly had no idea how to liftoff. He pulled it super high and I lost tightness, then he dropped it over my belly instead of my chest, then the bar just dropped and my shoulder made a popping sound and that was it for this workout. This is clearly my fault because I let someone spot me without establishing safety rules.</p>
<p>Now that I'm out with a strained shoulder, I am wondering what is a safety checklist if you're asking for a spot? </p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33295,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>I've never had this problem, but I definitely recognize that it IS a problem.</p>\n\n<p>I think the best solution is for you to ask someone who is clearly more experienced. It might seem shallow of me to say, but I find it's very easy to figure out who is who in that regard.</p>\n\n<p>If you DO end up having to ask someone who might be inexperienced, I think you do in fact need to instruct them. Now, since our bench setup routine might be different, you might have to make your own, but here are some points I'd have on mine, should I need a checklist.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>When giving a handout, slide it off the pegs, and leave it over my chest. Hold until I give the OK.</p></li>\n<li><p>Do NOT touch the bar, unless I'm actually failing the rep. That is, if the bar stops completely, or starts going back down.</p></li>\n<li><p>On a failed rep, don't take over. Give me just enough help to get the bar moving upwards again. I can still do it if given the momentum.</p></li>\n<li><p>Re-rack after a failed/spotted rep, but don't rerack until I've completed the rep, and straightened/locked out.</p></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Might seem weird to give someone all this info when I'm the one asking for help, but like I mentioned earlier, I'd rather just ask someone who has clearly been doing this for at least as long as I have. They know.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33298,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Unfortunately, you've discovered one of the risks of training alone. And, while Alec's answer may be a start, asking someone who “looks” experienced is no guarantee that you will reduce the risk of injury. For example, let's assume you ask an “experienced” person to spot you. They won't be familiar with your training and what you expect from a spot. Even explaining it to them leaves it open to interpretation. And, then there's the matter of timing. If your spotter's timing does not coincide with what you expect, your chance for injury may rise.</p>\n\n<p>A better approach would be to train with a partner who knows what <strong>you</strong> expect. While this is still not a perfect solution, having a partner that understands your goals and what you expect from each lift should reduce the risk of injury.</p>\n\n<p>If a partner is not available, there's one more solution that could lower your injury risk. Assuming a bench press lift, I would try using a <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_machine\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">smith machine</a> since it has inherent spotting capabilities built into the design. And, while the Smith Machine has some disadvantages, one advantage is the ability to perform a lift <strong>without</strong> a spotter.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/26
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33294",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18977/"
] |
33,297 |
<p>I am a man who, due to privacy issues, do not like to go to the gym. But one of my biggest dreams, like any other men in my age (20's), is to have a beautiful body and ripped muscles. </p>
<p>I have been trying to do some home-exercise and have gotten some quite good results without even using any tools. However, decreasing the fat on my body is not my goal. I want to have a ripped body without going to the fitness and I was thinking about buying myself some dumbbells. </p>
<p>Is it possible to get a ripped body using dumbbells at home and following a good and healthy food-program? </p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33299,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There are 3 good programmes I am aware of that are dumbbell focused. They do require your dumbbells to go up to quite a high weight though.</p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/zc0uy/a_beginner_dumbbell_program_the_dumbbell_stopgap/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Dumbbell Stopgap</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/2e79y4/dumbbell_ppl_proposed_alternative_to_dumbbell/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Alternative Dumbbell Stopgap</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/frankoman-dumbbell-only-split.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Frankoman's Dumbbell only split</a></li>\n</ul>\n<h2>A good program is one you will do consistently.</h2>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33303,
"author": "ljk",
"author_id": 10681,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/10681",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<blockquote>\n <p>Is it possible to get a ripped body using dumbells at home and following a good and healthy food-program? </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>To look ripped you need low-body fat. If you lift heavy and eat at calorie deficit then it's definitely possible to achieve that goal.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33307,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Yes it is possible.</p>\n\n<p>You can basically train every bodypart using dumbells, let me give some examples:</p>\n\n<p><strong>Legs: Squats and lunges.</strong> You can start doing squats and lunges to train your legs, once this gets to easy, you can add resistance by holding dumbells in your hands while performing the exercises.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Arms: Various curls and extension movements.</strong> To train your arms, you can do different variations of bicep curls and tricep extensions, while adding weight using the dumbells to increase resistance.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Abs: Sit-up variations.</strong> You can do the same here, start with regular sit-ups, and when these get to easy, start adding weight by holding a dumbell in front of your chest, or behind your head to make it harder.</p>\n\n<p>By now you've probably found the pattern in this. For the most part you can start out with small resistance and use dumbells to increase it overtime, making your muscles stronger and bigger.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Consistency is key here.</strong> You won't get ripped over night, you'll have to stick with it for at least half a year to get notable differences in your physique, but as you might know, most of these \"ripped\" guys have been training for years.</p>\n\n<p>Hope it helps!</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33316,
"author": "mitro",
"author_id": 18502,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18502",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Yes, you can get ripped even without dumbbels. The main reason or sideffect of getting ripped is due to caloric deficit. You need to eat less calories than you actually burn.\nAdditional exercise makes this a perfect combination for a 'ripped look'.</p>\n\n<p>All you need is to never stop challenging your body weather that is with increasing the difficulty of calisthenic exercises or adding dumbbels or resistence bands or going to the gym.</p>\n\n<p>So, back to your basic question: YES you can. And I would recommend short crisp and intense whole body exercises like the burpee with dumbbels with adding a push-press into the movement to involve the shoulders a bit. (as an example)</p>\n\n<p>good luck.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/26
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33297",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24652/"
] |
33,311 |
<p>I have 13 years of solid weightlifting training, and I am switching to Calisthenics training. I would like to learn feats like handstands, muscle ups, etc. In what order and using what progression pattern should I attempt these?</p>
<ul>
<li>HandStand </li>
<li>L-sit</li>
<li>Human Flag </li>
<li><p>Front Lever</p></li>
<li><p>Back Lever</p></li>
<li><p>Muscle up</p></li>
<li><p>Full Planche</p></li>
<li><p>One arm Push up</p></li>
<li><p>One arm pull up</p></li>
</ul>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33525,
"author": "AlexDu",
"author_id": 24983,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24983",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>First, you need to assess your body abilities with bodyweight training and calisthenics. These types of training are based on natural movement patterns, pure and natural bodyweight strength. As a beginner, you need to focus on the basics which are pull-ups, push-ups, dips, plank, chin ups. I personally recommend to set yourself goals for each of these exercises.</p>\n\n<p>Strict pull ups: 15/20 reps\nStrict chin ups: 15/20 reps\nDips: 30/40 reps\nPush-ups: 60/70 reps\nPlank: 3/4 min</p>\n\n<p>If you can get there already, good! Then move on.</p>\n\n<p>Each of these exercises has progression, archer push-ups and pull-ups, diamond push ups, elevated push ups, negatives etc. You need to build solid foundations, before moving to more advanced moves such as planche, L-sit etc.</p>\n\n<p>You can follow <a href=\"http://homefitnessinsider.com/beginner-bodyweight-workout/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this workout</a> to build your foundations. If you can already perform the exercises mentioned above and you would like to get more detailed tips I strongly recommend looking at Alex and Sven Website Calisthenics Movement.</p>\n\n<p>There are also multiple ways to \"hack\" and speed up your calisthenics training. For example you could use resistance bands to support your bodyweight during planche, muscle ups, front, back levers etc etc. Watch this video <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDwBcVlfRRY\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDwBcVlfRRY</a>.</p>\n\n<p>To resume, build foundations with simple moves first then move on.</p>\n\n<p>Let us know what is current level using the workout above. Cheers.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 34014,
"author": "Sean Duggan",
"author_id": 8039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>In my opinion, the ordering is somewhat a matter of opinion, but here is how I feel you ought to go, and the progression (which I will be doing in stages over the next day or so).</p>\n\n<h2>Handstand</h2>\n\n<p>In my opinion, this is the easiest of the lot, requiring little more than a bit of balance and the ability to hold your bodyweight above your head with straight arms. The progression is simple:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Handstand with your legs on a chair or bed - Many people can skip this part, but it's important if you don't have enough arm strength to hold your bodyweight yet. With your feet on a bed, chair, or other raised platform of hip height or higher, hold yourself up in a handstand position. Try to get your torso vertical and everything from hips to chest to shoulders stacked over your hands.</li>\n<li>Handstand against a wall - This can be built up to from the prior step, elevating your feet higher in the air until they're practically vertical. A common method involves facing away from the wall, putting your hands on the ground, and \"walking\" your feet up the wall, adjusting your hands to get closer to the wall, until you're vertical. Alternately, you can put your hands on the ground and kick up into the handstand. The former is more controlled and less likely to damage interior walls. The latter will start teaching you to kick up into a handstand.</li>\n<li>Now, you're going to start kicking up into the handstand. This can be the scariest part for people because they're afraid of falling over and hurting themselves, particularly if their feet overbalance forwards. The best trick here is the one-handed handstand escape. If you're in a handstand, and you lift one hand, you will naturally rotate to land on your feet. That solves 90% of the problems, but I would also recommend starting on grass or carpet at first just in case you panic and forget. I have been taught two different ways to learn to go up into a handstand at the start and different people prefer one or the other. The first is to put one foot in front of the other, lean forward, put your hands on the ground, and kick up one leg while jumping up with the other, then trying to bring your feet together. You may notice that this is the same technique you may have used to kick up into the wall in the prior step. It's slightly unbalanced since one leg is going up first, but most people seem to find it easiest. The other is to start in a squat, put your hands on the ground, then lean forward and kick upwards into the handstand. Either way, your two main methods for maintaining your balance are leg position (try to get them above you, or slightly past your head, and you'll probably want to start with straight legs) and your hands (pushing with your fingers or the heel of your hand depending on which direction you're tipping). Really, from there, it's just a matter of continued practice.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Alternately, you could try Lucas's <a href=\"https://youtu.be/p0j4DY_io7I?list=PLpJRb_Th3m5SeaC_LSkJxk5HrBB13W_6H\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">5 minute tutorial</a> on Youtube. I'm not affiliated with him, but I'm a fan of his work.</p>\n\n<h2>L-sit</h2>\n\n<p>This is a fairly elementary skill, but one which does seriously tax your core pretty quickly. There really isn't a progression to follow for the most part. You just sit on the ground with your legs out, put your hands down, push down as far as you can, and then lift your legs for as long as you can. If you are truly finding that you can't lift them at all, you might try starting sitting on an elevated platform like a chair so that you can start with your legs at a greater angle than 90 degrees. You can also start by doing \"tuck sits\" where instead of lifting your legs straight, you bring your knees up to your chest. If you lack the core strength to lift your legs, start by doing hanging leg-lifts, first with your back against a wall (standing against a door and reaching up and grabbing the top is a good way to get here, although you will probably want to use a towel to prevent splinters) and then without that bracing in the back.</p>\n\n<h2>Muscle up</h2>\n\n<p>I'll admit that this is one that I haven't done, so I'm cribbing from <a href=\"https://youtu.be/JbtofgFxzFM?list=PLpJRb_Th3m5SeaC_LSkJxk5HrBB13W_6H\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Lucas's 5 minute tutorial</a>. Prerequsite for this is being able to do a chest pull-up (overhand pull-up where you bring your chest to the bar) and a bar dip (starting \nstiff-armed over the bar, lowering your chest to the bar, then pushing back up).</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Hang from the bar and swing your body forward. Right after the apex of your swing (as you're starting to swing back), do the chest pull-up. You'll feel the backwards swing pushing you to the back of the bar as you do the pull-up.</li>\n<li>Practice doing a pull-up and releasing your grip before you hit the top, then grabbing again. You should have enough explosive power to move up a bit vertically during the release. There's a grip switch for muscle-ups between the pull-up and dip parts, and this will help you learn it.</li>\n<li>Combine the prior two steps, swinging back into the pull-up and then doing the re-grip.</li>\n<li>Practice a reverse muscle-up (eccentric motion, I think), going to the top of the dip position, and lowering yourself through the motion, including the hand switch between the dip and pull-up part.</li>\n<li>Proceed to the full muscle-up. Don't be afraid to kip your legs while you're learning to gain momentum. It's practically necessary starting out.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<h2>One arm Push up</h2>\n\n<p>The two keys to this are balance and arm positioning. For balance, start with your legs spread to make the balance part easier. As regards arm positioning, you'll want to start with your hand further inwards and with your fingers point outwards to your side. The progression from a regular push-up to one-armed is basically one of progressively loading the arm with more of the bodyweight. I will assume you can do a regular pushup already.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Side-to-side pushups: This is just a regular pushup, but shifting your chest over one hand during the down and up, then doing the other side. Start off with a smaller shift and continue working it until you can comfortably do pushups with the dominant hand at the center of your chest.</li>\n<li>Reduce the leverage of one-hand: Decide which hand will be the dominant one. The other one, move it to one side, or in front of you. As you descend, let the non-dominant hand slide out with a nearly straight elbow. You won't be able to as easily support your weight with it, which will force you to put more of your bodyweight on the dominant arm.</li>\n<li>Continue putting less weight on the non-dominant arm until it's largely just for balance. Now, you'll do the leg spreading trick for balance and just use the one arm.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>As is always the case for push-ups, you can do progressions for any given step by having your arms start at a more elevated position. I personally skipped steps 1 and 2 when I started, because I was unaware of them, and started by doing one-armed pushups on a counter-top, then a chair, then a low platform, then the floor.</p>\n\n<h2>Back Lever</h2>\n\n<p>Your first step, as with most planche and lever moves, is to start with a tucked version. Grab hold of your bar, or rings, and bring your legs up and through your legs. Get used to hanging upside down for a time. Then, start extending your legs further, controlling your movement. Your first step will probably be a \"skin the cat\" where you let your legs go down past the horizontal into vertical. By doing that repeatedly in a slow and controlled manner, you will build up the core and shoulder strength to do the back lever.</p>\n\n<h2>Front Lever</h2>\n\n<h2>Human Flag</h2>\n\n<h2>One arm pull up</h2>\n\n<h2>Full Planche</h2>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/27
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33311",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24668/"
] |
33,314 |
<p>The gyms in my area are overcrowded and full of smith machines. Some of the cheaper ones don't even have smith machines. I've decided to lift weights at home, but I have a limited amount of space and don't quite yet want to invest in a rack.</p>
<p>I have a few questions...</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If I get a small barbell like the <a href="http://www.roguefitness.com/the-rogue-c-70-bar">C70 from Rogue</a>, would I be okay with doing only the following exercises?</p>
<ul>
<li>Deadlift</li>
<li>Bent Over Row</li>
<li>Overhead Press</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>
<p>Obviously I'd be missing out on squats and the bench press, but (here comes the next few questions)</p>
<ol start="2">
<li><p>Can doing more dead lifts act a substitute for squats?</p></li>
<li><p>Can push-ups act as a substitute for the bench press?</p></li>
<li><p>Can anyone speak about their experience with the Rogue C70? Can I do all of the above exercises with it, even though I'm just about 6'0?</p></li>
<li><p>If none of the above sounds like it would give me a proper full body workout, should I simply aim to use kettlebells or dumbbells instead?</p></li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Thank you all for reading and for your help!</strong></p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33327,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<blockquote>\n <p>1.If I get a small barbell like the C70 from Rogue, would I be okay with doing only the following exercises? Deadlift, Bent Over Row, Overhead Press</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Sure, they used that bar in the last CrossFit games to deadlift over 400lbs. I'm sure you'd be fine with it. I would recommend getting a full size bar is it will help your stabilising muscles work more. As far as exercise types, (ignoring squats and bench) you have the main compound ones covered. </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>2.Can doing more dead lifts act a substitute for squats?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>No. Front squats aren't really a substitute for back squats either. Buying a small, simple rack on amazon is recommended. </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>3.Can push-ups act as a substitute for the bench press?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Up to a point, then no. You can do a floor press (bench press off the floor) or pick up a second-hand bench from craigslist or cheep on amazon (if you are looking at a $200 rogue barbell then you can afford a $30 bench).</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>4.Can anyone speak about their experience with the Rogue C70? Can I do all of the above exercises with it, even though I'm just about 6'0?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>You will develop less bar control which means that when you do use a full length bar you wont be able to move as much weight. It really depends on your long term goals.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>5.If none of the above sounds like it would give me a proper full body workout, should I simply aim to use kettlebells or dumbbells instead?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Stronglifts, StartingStrength and Greyskull LP all use the barbell movements described and they are all good for novice lifters (usually <1 year consistent lifting). I personally would add in power cleans to maintain explosive power and get a set of rings for pull-ups and dips.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33335,
"author": "Dave Liepmann",
"author_id": 1771,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Just about anything can be made to work. So yes, your plan would work fine. But I don't think it's the best option. </p>\n\n<p>Do you have to squat or bench? No. You'd be fine, really, just focusing on deadlifts and overhead presses. It's not ideal, but that's a fine \"bare minimum\". It leaves things out but it's still a full-body program. You wouldn't get the benefits of squats.</p>\n\n<p>You can do push-ups instead of bench pressing, but they're not really a \"replacement\". They're their own thing. It's good to be good at push-ups but they don't produce the same changes as bench pressing does. You could also do floor presses with whatever barbell you end up with.</p>\n\n<p>But to critique your specific plan, I'd recommend against spending $300 on an \"almost right\" bar. If you're going to spend real money then get a real full-size 20kg/45lb bar. If you're looking to save money, look on Craigslist for used bars. If you <em>really</em> can't fit a full-size barbell in your space...buy a new house. Just kidding! Maybe think about kettlebells or dumbbells if your space can't fit a full-size barbell. Or get a small, cheap bar as a stopgap.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/27
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33314",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24671/"
] |
33,317 |
<p>I've been lifting for a couple of months, Mon-Wed-Fri, no problem. </p>
<p>I changed jobs and now I'm thinking about changing it to Sat-Wed-Sun — I am a lot busier on weekdays now.</p>
<p>I know it will impede my progress. </p>
<p>I know it's not optimal.</p>
<p>But I don't mind too much, becuase I'm expecting it not to matter that much. </p>
<p>Will it be fine? Should I expect progress to be really slow? Or would it be best to lift Sat-Wed and keep Sunday for prehab?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33330,
"author": "ljk",
"author_id": 10681,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/10681",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It will be fine. Your body needs time for recovery especially if you're a beginner then it's best to have 24-48 hours gap for the muscles to recover.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33333,
"author": "Ben Glasser",
"author_id": 4464,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/4464",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You'll be fine. Try to work out different muscle groups on Saturday and Sunday to allow your muscles to recover. A <a href=\"http://www.flexonline.com/training/training-style-push-pull\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">push pull split</a> is a great routine for your training frequency</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33336,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p><strong>It's not optimal, but you'll do just fine for an amateur/hobbyist.</strong></p>\n\n<p>The reason it's not optimal is you would want a maximum of 48 hours of rest in between working the same muscle group. I'm guessing you're doing bodypart splits? In that case there will be a lot more than 48 hours in between the workouts of the same muscle groups (up to a week probably).</p>\n\n<p>Doing a push and pull split with these trainingdays will probably work best, you should give it a go!</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/01/28
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33317",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24140/"
] |
33,340 |
<p>I want to have a good posture. I think that if someone hasn't good he/she cans obtain it with workout. We can't have all the time or money to go to a gym or somewhere else to do our posture good. I do push up I don't know if that helps my posture I thought that helps me. What workouts could do at home to obtain good posture? push up?what?thanks a lot :)</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33341,
"author": "Mick",
"author_id": 24721,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24721",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There's a whole bunch of info on this fairly easily available.</p>\n\n<p>In general, you're going to want to focus on your core and back through things like planks, back extensions, reverse dumbbell fly's. There's a great article on <a href=\"http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/better-posture-more-muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" title=\"Menshealth\">Menshealth</a> that goes over how to assess yourself and then goes into how to fix your posture. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33342,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You can do a lot at home though, as you said. You could look into resistance bands. They can help getting a better posture a lot.</p>\n\n<p>It's important to first find out what's currently \"wrong\" with your posture, and then find exercises accordingly.</p>\n\n<p>If your shoulders are rotated forward, push-ups will only make this worse, because it will strengthen the front of your upper body, and overpower the back.</p>\n\n<p>Another important fact is that, a lot of possible posture \"malfunctions\" to call it that, are found in how you place your feet, how you move/rotate your hips, and if your core if strong enough, so keep in mind that, even though the top of your body might look like there is something wrong with your posture, the problem might be found in your hips for example.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/02
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33340",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24305/"
] |
33,344 |
<p>I an trying to get myself in shape to achieve goal if running 1.5M in less than 15 min.
Since it is cold I am currently running in the gym and my time is 18:00.
I am running 4 times a week. What i was hoping to do is instead of running on treadmill 4 times a week maybe use stationary bike 3 times a week and then once a week to do run in treadmill.<br>
How would I achieve this?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33345,
"author": "Count Iblis",
"author_id": 8763,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8763",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Your goal is being able to run at a speed of slightly less than 10 km/h for 15 minutes, which isn't all that fast especially considering that it's just 15 minutes. You are currently able to run at a speed of about 8 km/h which is just fast walking speed. This suggests to me that you should work on your cardio fitness a lot more aggressively. Instead of incrementally increasing the pace to meet your goal, you should run at a significantly faster pace, say 13 km/h and then do interval training where you run for, say, 4 minutes, slow down and then increase the pace again.</p>\n\n<p>After a while you'll find that you can run at a constant speed comparable to that 13 km/h for 15 minutes or even longer. This means that 11 minutes for 1.5 miles should be well within reach, even at training pace.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33347,
"author": "Frank",
"author_id": 24487,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24487",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Jerry, I'm a little bit more advanced than you, but I was in your shoes just 6 months ago. While I'm not a running coach or an expert, I can tell you what's been working for me. Maybe it's the blind leading the blind, but I know I've made very good improvements and I think I've been pretty safe and sane about it.</p>\n\n<p>One of the things I learned: Running outside is always harder than on a treadmill. That being said, I love to do my speed work on a treadmill. You're running on the treadmill at a pace of about 6 MPH right now. Which is where I started. Try and do a 5 minute warmup, then run 1 minute at 6 MPH and maybe 30 seconds at 6.5 MPH. Do maybe ten cycles of that followed by a 5 minute cooldown. If the \"sprint\" is too much/too fast then slow it down a bit or maybe dumb down the time intervals (1 minute \"ON\", 20 seconds \"Off\", etc...). If it's not enough, move it up at a little bit. You'll know pretty quick what's right and wrong, I think. You should be pretty good and tired, but not so much so that you're going to injure yourself on the treadmill (falls, etc...). I'll nudge my intervals up just a smidge (a scientific term) each week. Now, I'll do about 7.0 MPH jogging and 9.3 or 9.4 MPH running, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.</p>\n\n<p>I do speed work 2 times a week, and I ALWAYS have my \"long\" runs 2-3 times a week with the goal of running further than my target. So, if you're looking to break a 15 minute, 1.5 mile time, I would shoot for a long run of maybe 2 miles, 2-3 times a week to start. Try to go longer if you can, but increase your distance slowly. No more than 10% a week. If you can't, try to work up to 2 miles and don't worry about the time. If I am too sore, injured, etc... then I'll ride a bike or the elliptical to give myself a break while still getting a cardio workout. </p>\n\n<p>The problem with riding a bike to increase your run time isn't so much with the cardio, in my opinion. It's with the muscular, skeletal, and neurological changes your body is \"adapting\" to every time you run. In other words, every time you run, your body is \"learning\" how to cope with that type of stress. Riding a bike offers a different type of stress. It's a good stress, I believe, but a different one. That being said, don't ever discount the bike or elliptical if you're suffering from some nagging pains and injuries. </p>\n\n<p>Something else that has greatly helped me with my speed and preventing muscle fatigue while running is weight lifting. I'm not talking about stacking a deadlift bar with 700 lbs and doing powerlifts. But, I do like deadlifts (be sure to get good coaching advice on how to do this properly), Bulgarian split squats, and other leg exercises. Anything else that can work my hips and glutes are a bonus too. I've read a lot about how the hips and glutes are the beginning of the kinetic chain. Strong hips and glutes, they say, help prevent all sorts of running injuries.</p>\n\n<p>The above, along with good diet and rest has enabled me to not only run a 5k, but really improve my times. So much so that I'm eyeing a 10k in 2 months with my eyes on a half-marathon at the end of the year. I'm still not some sort of speed demon, but I am now almost at the 10k mark on my long runs, maintaining the same speed the entire way, and when I go back and try to run a 1.5 mile run, I can really turn on the gas. </p>\n\n<p>TLDR: Get outside, do more intervals, do some weightlifting, and try to run further than 1.5 miles. Don't shoot for your goal, but past it. Just be safe, sane, and use common sense when you do it. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33348,
"author": "Robert Gomez",
"author_id": 15689,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/15689",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I would have to agree with @Count Iblis running a mile and half in 15 minutes is not very fast of a time. My son is a Junior in high school and he runs a mile in 4 minutes 15 seconds. My advice would be to start by walking instead of running. You did not mention what your weight and body type is, so I am going to assume you are over weight and trying to lose some pounds. IF that is the case then yes my advice would be to walk to start then work your way up to running. The following article talks about how walking is actually better then running for weight loss and overall health. <em><a href=\"http://www.prevention.com/fitness/how-walking-healthier-running\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">http://www.prevention.com/fitness/how-walking-healthier-running</a></em>\nIf you are not a competition runner like my son is why run when walking is healthier. Hope the article helps you out.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/03
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33344",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24726/"
] |
33,356 |
<p>So, I've gotten into swimming again recently, racking up 1km three times a week. Which is about all I can manage, practically, to get to the pool.</p>
<p>I've started trying to train by carrying out some of the same movements just in air. Just the arms, either in front of me, or directly up in the air.</p>
<p>The trouble is, I've found this extremely fatiguing, after 10 or 15 strokes my arms ache and I'm not able to continue.</p>
<p>Has anyone got a clue why this is more difficult without the resistance of water?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 39169,
"author": "russman6",
"author_id": 29909,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/29909",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>while you are in water your arms are supported to a degree because they are able to float. making it easier for you to keep them in the swimming position. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 39171,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is because water has a higher density than air which creates resistance**. The easiest way to notice this resistance is to run into water at the beach. The deeper you'll get into the water the harder it gets to keep running.</p>\n\n<p>The same happens to your arms when you're in the water. It's easier to keep them up because the water below it causes more resistance than air would.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/103419/what-makes-water-heavier-than-air\">**Air is lighter because there are fewer molecules per unit volume compared with a unit volume of liquid water. A mole of water is 18 grams, so a liter of water contains about 55 moles (1000 grams).</a></p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/04
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33356",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24737/"
] |
33,359 |
<p>I wanted to ask if someone did only deadlifts as a workout what would there body look like. Would they have a disproportional body ? or would they have a symmetrical looking physique. </p>
<p>I am asking this because I heard that deadlifts are one of the best weight training/ strength training exercises that you do and they target many muscle groups. </p>
<p>Has anyone ever just deadlifted and if so what were the results in not just strength but also your physical bodily appearance.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 39169,
"author": "russman6",
"author_id": 29909,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/29909",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>while you are in water your arms are supported to a degree because they are able to float. making it easier for you to keep them in the swimming position. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 39171,
"author": "MJB",
"author_id": 20039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is because water has a higher density than air which creates resistance**. The easiest way to notice this resistance is to run into water at the beach. The deeper you'll get into the water the harder it gets to keep running.</p>\n\n<p>The same happens to your arms when you're in the water. It's easier to keep them up because the water below it causes more resistance than air would.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/103419/what-makes-water-heavier-than-air\">**Air is lighter because there are fewer molecules per unit volume compared with a unit volume of liquid water. A mole of water is 18 grams, so a liter of water contains about 55 moles (1000 grams).</a></p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/04
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33359",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24743/"
] |
33,368 |
<p>I go to the gym 3 times a week. I am currently doing 5x5, but I was on 5/3/1 before and plan to do it again once I stall with 5x5, but my point is, over a few years I try different programs and workouts differ. I log all my workouts and I would like an objective way to compare my workout today to one I did one year ago, possibly in a different program.</p>
<p>For example, today I could do 5x5x100, last week I could do 3x5x100 + 2x5x90. Is there an objective way to compare these intensities?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33369,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>No, there's no complete way of comparing performances like that, because those are only 3 variables (rep/set/weight), out of hundreds.</p>\n\n<p>If you want to solidly compare them, you'd have to take into account form, variation, time spent during concentric/eccentric portions of the lift, rest period between reps, rest period between sets, and the list goes on and on.</p>\n\n<p>I mean, can you say that these are all completely equal every rep? Almost certainly not. And even if you could, there are still many other variables to consider.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33370,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The inherent problem with measuring intensity is that it tends to be very subjective. Additionally, “intensity” can mean different things to different people. Having said that, I would suggest you frame your question around the context of whatever your goal is. For example, if your goal is to be a bodybuilder, then, body part measurements should be a starting point in contrasting your routines for efficiency. If your goal is to lift increasingly heavier weights, then, collecting records indicating the poundage used on each lift should be your starting point. The point is that you should use your particular goal(s) as the measuring stick to compare the “intensity” of each routine. And, even with that, your results will be totally subjective at best. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33371,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You could potentially try recording Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and Rate of Perceived Technique (RPT). Both on a scale of 1 - 10.</p>\n\n<p>RPE has been fairly well explained elsewhere, but is essentially how hard you feel you worked (so, a classic 20 rep squat session where you take your 10RM in the squat and squat it 20 times is going to be higher than polishing your guns with some cable curls).</p>\n\n<p>RPT is something I've taken from the Gold Medal Bodies (GMB) training programs. The idea being that you can rate your technique on a scale of 1 to 10, based on how it feels (and possibly on video review); so if you're squatting and your knees are caving in, hips are shooting up and you're doing a bastardised good morning / squat combination, your technique rating is going to be a lot lower than if you keep your knees out, chest up and back tight the whole time.</p>\n\n<p>You could also look at using some sort of heart rate monitor (yes, I know it sounds weird to use one with weight training, but I've tried it and it does reveal a surprising amount, probably because a heavy set of squats of deadlifts will make your heart try and burst out of your chest). I use one that gives you a breakdown of heart rate over the session, and an \"MEP\" rating for the whole workout (basically, a value of how hard you've worked. By itself, a single MEP value is relatively meaningless, but if tracked over a period of time, it gives you a measure of how hard you worked during the training session).</p>\n\n<p>If you want metrics to compare, volume (so weight * (sets * reps) for total poundage moved) isn't a bad comparison to make, but that doesn't really get you the intensity.</p>\n\n<p>Another option would be to get a gadget to measure bar speed, the idea being if the bar is moving slower this week for a given weight than last week, then arguably, you're training less intensely.</p>\n\n<p>I would say that your best bet is a combination of techniques. In your training log (you are keeping a training log, right?), record the RPE and RPT and get a heart rate monitor as described above, then, over time, you'll be able to track how intensely your workouts are.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/06
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33368",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24757/"
] |
33,387 |
<p>I used to routinely run about 35 minutes each day. This was interval style running with 30 second sprints every 7 minutes or so. I kept this up for about 2 years. My stamina increased greatly doing this, but I didn't loose any weight.</p>
<p>Recently, I've cut out the running and started to cycle to work, which is 20 mins each way, and in only 2 months I have lost heaps of weight.</p>
<p>Although I do do 5 mins more exercise on the bike, I would have thought that running would be a more intensive work out, what with supporting your own weight more and not coasting.</p>
<p>I'm just curious: is there any reason why cycling seems more effective for me? </p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33369,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>No, there's no complete way of comparing performances like that, because those are only 3 variables (rep/set/weight), out of hundreds.</p>\n\n<p>If you want to solidly compare them, you'd have to take into account form, variation, time spent during concentric/eccentric portions of the lift, rest period between reps, rest period between sets, and the list goes on and on.</p>\n\n<p>I mean, can you say that these are all completely equal every rep? Almost certainly not. And even if you could, there are still many other variables to consider.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33370,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The inherent problem with measuring intensity is that it tends to be very subjective. Additionally, “intensity” can mean different things to different people. Having said that, I would suggest you frame your question around the context of whatever your goal is. For example, if your goal is to be a bodybuilder, then, body part measurements should be a starting point in contrasting your routines for efficiency. If your goal is to lift increasingly heavier weights, then, collecting records indicating the poundage used on each lift should be your starting point. The point is that you should use your particular goal(s) as the measuring stick to compare the “intensity” of each routine. And, even with that, your results will be totally subjective at best. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33371,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You could potentially try recording Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and Rate of Perceived Technique (RPT). Both on a scale of 1 - 10.</p>\n\n<p>RPE has been fairly well explained elsewhere, but is essentially how hard you feel you worked (so, a classic 20 rep squat session where you take your 10RM in the squat and squat it 20 times is going to be higher than polishing your guns with some cable curls).</p>\n\n<p>RPT is something I've taken from the Gold Medal Bodies (GMB) training programs. The idea being that you can rate your technique on a scale of 1 to 10, based on how it feels (and possibly on video review); so if you're squatting and your knees are caving in, hips are shooting up and you're doing a bastardised good morning / squat combination, your technique rating is going to be a lot lower than if you keep your knees out, chest up and back tight the whole time.</p>\n\n<p>You could also look at using some sort of heart rate monitor (yes, I know it sounds weird to use one with weight training, but I've tried it and it does reveal a surprising amount, probably because a heavy set of squats of deadlifts will make your heart try and burst out of your chest). I use one that gives you a breakdown of heart rate over the session, and an \"MEP\" rating for the whole workout (basically, a value of how hard you've worked. By itself, a single MEP value is relatively meaningless, but if tracked over a period of time, it gives you a measure of how hard you worked during the training session).</p>\n\n<p>If you want metrics to compare, volume (so weight * (sets * reps) for total poundage moved) isn't a bad comparison to make, but that doesn't really get you the intensity.</p>\n\n<p>Another option would be to get a gadget to measure bar speed, the idea being if the bar is moving slower this week for a given weight than last week, then arguably, you're training less intensely.</p>\n\n<p>I would say that your best bet is a combination of techniques. In your training log (you are keeping a training log, right?), record the RPE and RPT and get a heart rate monitor as described above, then, over time, you'll be able to track how intensely your workouts are.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/09
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33387",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24781/"
] |
33,397 |
<p>I would like to do multiple workouts throughout the day (let's say 4-8 times) when I'm at work. My office has a gym with free weights. The workouts can be from 5-10 minutes long.</p>
<p>I know the importance of taking frequent breaks, but either walking or doing stairs doesn't seem sufficient for my upper body. I still get stiff shoulders/neck even though I'm taking these frequent breaks.</p>
<p>I also do real workouts outside of work, 4 days out of the week.</p>
<p>So my question is, what sort of plan would be effective irrespective of stiff shoulder/neck? I don't see too much material, if there is anything it's usually these body weight exercises that only seem good for someone who isn't in shape or actually lifts weights.</p>
<p>What would be better than a stiff shoulder/neck than lifting weights? Maybe stretches would be better?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33369,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>No, there's no complete way of comparing performances like that, because those are only 3 variables (rep/set/weight), out of hundreds.</p>\n\n<p>If you want to solidly compare them, you'd have to take into account form, variation, time spent during concentric/eccentric portions of the lift, rest period between reps, rest period between sets, and the list goes on and on.</p>\n\n<p>I mean, can you say that these are all completely equal every rep? Almost certainly not. And even if you could, there are still many other variables to consider.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33370,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The inherent problem with measuring intensity is that it tends to be very subjective. Additionally, “intensity” can mean different things to different people. Having said that, I would suggest you frame your question around the context of whatever your goal is. For example, if your goal is to be a bodybuilder, then, body part measurements should be a starting point in contrasting your routines for efficiency. If your goal is to lift increasingly heavier weights, then, collecting records indicating the poundage used on each lift should be your starting point. The point is that you should use your particular goal(s) as the measuring stick to compare the “intensity” of each routine. And, even with that, your results will be totally subjective at best. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33371,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You could potentially try recording Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and Rate of Perceived Technique (RPT). Both on a scale of 1 - 10.</p>\n\n<p>RPE has been fairly well explained elsewhere, but is essentially how hard you feel you worked (so, a classic 20 rep squat session where you take your 10RM in the squat and squat it 20 times is going to be higher than polishing your guns with some cable curls).</p>\n\n<p>RPT is something I've taken from the Gold Medal Bodies (GMB) training programs. The idea being that you can rate your technique on a scale of 1 to 10, based on how it feels (and possibly on video review); so if you're squatting and your knees are caving in, hips are shooting up and you're doing a bastardised good morning / squat combination, your technique rating is going to be a lot lower than if you keep your knees out, chest up and back tight the whole time.</p>\n\n<p>You could also look at using some sort of heart rate monitor (yes, I know it sounds weird to use one with weight training, but I've tried it and it does reveal a surprising amount, probably because a heavy set of squats of deadlifts will make your heart try and burst out of your chest). I use one that gives you a breakdown of heart rate over the session, and an \"MEP\" rating for the whole workout (basically, a value of how hard you've worked. By itself, a single MEP value is relatively meaningless, but if tracked over a period of time, it gives you a measure of how hard you worked during the training session).</p>\n\n<p>If you want metrics to compare, volume (so weight * (sets * reps) for total poundage moved) isn't a bad comparison to make, but that doesn't really get you the intensity.</p>\n\n<p>Another option would be to get a gadget to measure bar speed, the idea being if the bar is moving slower this week for a given weight than last week, then arguably, you're training less intensely.</p>\n\n<p>I would say that your best bet is a combination of techniques. In your training log (you are keeping a training log, right?), record the RPE and RPT and get a heart rate monitor as described above, then, over time, you'll be able to track how intensely your workouts are.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33397",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24791/"
] |
33,403 |
<p>I'm a 24 year old male, roughly 6'0" and 235 pounds. I've been more active in the past, but grad school and a recent shoulder surgery, plus a completely sedentary desk job, have caused me to gain a good bit of weight.</p>
<p>I've done couch to 5k before, and I'd like to do it again to get back into running and to get in shape in general. However, I know running overweight is not ideal, and of course I'd like to avoid more injuries than I already have. </p>
<p>Would starting c25k be okay for someone of my weight, assuming I take it slow? If not, what might a target weight be I should look for after which it should be "safe" for me to start running again?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33886,
"author": "Phlegon_of_Tralles",
"author_id": 25340,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25340",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Obviously the correct response is going to be, consult with your doctor before you make a change like this.</p>\n\n<p>That said, I would start doing the C25K now if I were you; a few years ago, I started and I was 10 years older than you and 300 lbs. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 35949,
"author": "Sean Duggan",
"author_id": 8039,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I say start now. The program really does ease you into it. The worst that happens, you repeat the first week again until you can work up past the initial 15 seconds of running.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/11
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33403",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24797/"
] |
33,418 |
<p><strong>The Routine</strong></p>
<p>I have made the outline for a 4 days a week routine. Wondering how (and if) to incorporate the other lifts named in the spreadsheet and what rep schemes to use. Also learning Olympic lifting so the routine incorporates some practice of these movements.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1qcunap2IdvbeCSXvCakS1SZdRuFtejsoFnpwJAb0uzM/edit?usp=sharing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Workout Spreadsheet</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>My goals in order:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>To get to my strength goals (see bottom of Spreadsheet)</li>
<li>Aesthetics (main goal after reaching strength goals) - arms, shoulder and chest lacking but focus will be on overall aesthetics</li>
<li>Learn the Olympic lifts (least important)</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>About me:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Male, 26 y/o, 6ft, 90 kg, no injuries.</li>
<li>I have been lifting for about a year and a half, started on Stronglifts 5x5.</li>
<li>I am on a slow bulk and will cut once I reach strength goals.</li>
</ul>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33420,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Its a bit fluffy and open to interpretation of the rules of SE so I'll answer but reserve the right to suggest this may be off-topic as its highly personal. We also have very similar numbers but slightly different priority on goals because I only care about strength, perfecting Olympic lifts and conditioning.</p>\n\n<p>You have pretty solid powerlifting goals and its clear your lower-half is much stronger than your upper body. Maintaining a slow-bulk should allow you to meet your stretch goals. </p>\n\n<p>5x5 Stronglifts is good for those who don't squat and have tiny legs, I don't recommend it. You have a good base so I'd recommend you either change over to any of the following linear programes:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"http://strengthvillain.myshopify.com/collections/ebooks/products/greyskull-lp-third-edition\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Greyskull LP</a> - A simple beginner's linear progression program. <a href=\"https://i.imgur.com/0uiw7qW.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Phrak's variant</a> is a commonly used implementation. A 3 day or A/B routine</li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/44hnbc/strength_training_using_the_gzcl_method_from/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">GZCLP</a> - A linear progression template using powerlifter Cody LeFever's GZCL Method. <a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/gzcl/comments/4ipcos/gzclp_templates/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">3 and 4 Day spreadsheets can be found here</a>.</li>\n<li><a href=\"https://jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101065094-5-3-1-for-a-beginner\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">5/3/1 For Beginners</a> - Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program with some simple modifications to cater it more towards novice lifters. A 3 day routine.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><strong>Olympic Lifting:</strong> Get a coach. Trying to learn anything apart from power cleans by yourself it is so much slower, difficult, dangerous and can lead to poor technique in the long run. Olympic lifting gyms cost the same as regular ones and usually chuck in coaching for a little more. They won't give you programming but can definitely help. Maybe heck out a local crossfit gym as they often do Oly Lifting classes. Alternatively, find someone in your gym who does do the oly lifts and befriend them. You can workout together and help each other, not prefect, but cheaper. Oly lifting is super fun and challenging but I sincerely recommend you don't try to develop it alone.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Bodybuilding:</strong> Once you have hit your strength goals you should change programmes to a bodybuilding split. The focus on these is less about macro and meso cycles, 1RM's and meticulous planning and more about isolation and volume. This is when you put in your extra exercises on the spreadsheet.</p>\n\n<p>Good Bodybuilding Programmes include:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/37ylk5/a_linear_progression_based_ppl_program_for/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">PPL</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/phul-workout\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">PHUL</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"http://www.simplyshredded.com/mega-feature-layne-norton-training-series-full-powerhypertrophy-routine-updated-2011.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">PHAT</a></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Footnote: Don't forget Abs! Get a Ab-roller, do hanging leg raises and weighted planks.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33423,
"author": "Dave Liepmann",
"author_id": 1771,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You have too many goals. Remove some of them. You can do them later. \"Focusing\" on strength, aesthetics, doing a bunch of exercises...just because? and introducing Olympic lifts is hard for any athlete, and is a bad idea for someone new to designing workout programs. Pick what's important. Do that. Do the other stuff later.</p>\n\n<p>What you've proposed is essentially <a href=\"https://jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101077382-boring-but-big\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">5/3/1 Boring But Big</a>. It's a known, successful version of your plan, plenty of people have done it and reported back, and it has built-in guidance on introducing assistance exercises like you want to. I would note that reports show it to be more on the bodybuilding side of \"powerbuilding\", and many folks seem to have lost strength using it.</p>\n\n<p>It's impossible to say more until you provide more focus and information on what you've been doing and why it isn't working anymore.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/14
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33418",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21959/"
] |
33,432 |
<p>I know you can't get his size without them, but that's not my mission. I want to be as strong as him. You can be as strong as someone without being as big -- and vice-versa. From watching his videos on YouTube I know he can bench press 405 lbs. for at least 8 reps fresh -- and that's with full, perfect form -- no "bouncing." I know he's strong and he is a bodybuilder, but I don't aspire to be one.</p>
<p>I am 5'10" and 164 lbs. I am 14% bodyfat, DEXA. I will not be going any higher than this, and will only make lean gains. I bench currently around my bodyweight max, and I've been training consistently for 2 months. Is it humanly possible, without anabolics/etc., to bench what Rich Piana can at my weight?</p>
<p>I saw a guy on YouTube who was 150 lbs. and tiny -- 100% steroid-free -- push 400 + lbs. -- and he is leaner than I am. I am just wondering if you think I could bench 405 lbs. 8 reps perfectly at 160-180 lbs. at 14% bodyfat level. I want to reach his goals in only strength and power -- not size at all.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33433,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>To get some idea as to the maximum you will be able to lift while being drug tested and maintaining 75kg we can look to the IPF (<a href=\"http://www.powerlifting-ipf.com/championships/records.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">International Powerlifting Federation) records</a>. They perform checks for the main anabolics but I suspect they aren't a rigorous as the International Olympic Committee. </p>\n\n<p>There are a few records of interest, you are looking for 405lbs which is a 4 plate bench (180kg):</p>\n\n<pre><code>Class Category World Record (kg/lbs)\n-66kg Raw 188.5\n-74kg Raw 211.0 \n-83kg Raw 208\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>So technically, yes. Based on the information provided you can achieve a 180kg bench at your bodyweight without the use of steroids or equipment (bench shirt). Though looking at the current 74kg category record holder, you are unlikely to achieve this without dipping down to below 14% bodyfat. </p>\n\n<p>As a general rule of thumb, you need to 'eat big' to 'lift big', a large calorie surplus will significantly help you progress your strength rapidly. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33706,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Look up Pitbull from strength cartel. He competes at 160 weight class and moves unbelievable amounts of weight. He's probably just as strong as Rich Piana. </p>\n\n<p>If you want to get strong, You should look into power lifting routines instead. I know you mentioned Rich Piana who is a bodybuilder. His goals aren't to get strong but to get big.</p>\n\n<p>Calorie surplus does help ALOT too.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/16
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33432",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24840/"
] |
33,443 |
<p>I'm a professional pianist (female in my twenties) trying to get started with weight lifting, but I'm worried about the effect it might have on my hands in the long term. I'm mainly interested in building strength, not size, because I'm so weak from never having done any sport before that it interferes with my playing (I get tired much easier than I should, especially my shoulders). But when I started this week in a gym, where even lifting the bar without additional weight is a challenge for me, I noticed that my fingers get kind of "stiff" and lose a bit of dexterity if I try to play again after coming back from the gym. I tried to find information online about whether it's possible or not for a pianist to do weight lifting, or if I will end up ruining my hands, but I couldn't find anything consistent. </p>
<p>Does any of you know from experience? For those who lift a lot of weight, have your hands lost dexterity, and have your fingers become thicker with time? </p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33433,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>To get some idea as to the maximum you will be able to lift while being drug tested and maintaining 75kg we can look to the IPF (<a href=\"http://www.powerlifting-ipf.com/championships/records.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">International Powerlifting Federation) records</a>. They perform checks for the main anabolics but I suspect they aren't a rigorous as the International Olympic Committee. </p>\n\n<p>There are a few records of interest, you are looking for 405lbs which is a 4 plate bench (180kg):</p>\n\n<pre><code>Class Category World Record (kg/lbs)\n-66kg Raw 188.5\n-74kg Raw 211.0 \n-83kg Raw 208\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>So technically, yes. Based on the information provided you can achieve a 180kg bench at your bodyweight without the use of steroids or equipment (bench shirt). Though looking at the current 74kg category record holder, you are unlikely to achieve this without dipping down to below 14% bodyfat. </p>\n\n<p>As a general rule of thumb, you need to 'eat big' to 'lift big', a large calorie surplus will significantly help you progress your strength rapidly. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33706,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Look up Pitbull from strength cartel. He competes at 160 weight class and moves unbelievable amounts of weight. He's probably just as strong as Rich Piana. </p>\n\n<p>If you want to get strong, You should look into power lifting routines instead. I know you mentioned Rich Piana who is a bodybuilder. His goals aren't to get strong but to get big.</p>\n\n<p>Calorie surplus does help ALOT too.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/18
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33443",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24869/"
] |
33,448 |
<p>I'm new to this and am looking for a good way to get abs. Does anybody know some fast exercises that could help me? </p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33451,
"author": "Muscle Palace",
"author_id": 24878,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24878",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Leg raises, sit ups, planks, crunches, and knee raises. For abs, most important thing is the right diet plan, so no sugars and junks and those 5 exercises two times a week will make those abs to show up.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33452,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There's no “magic” set of exercises to get great abs. That's because great abs are a result of genetics, proper nutrition, and a long commitment to hard work. Each of of has one or more body parts that are stubborn, or, lack the degree of improvement we seek. The only proven technique is committing to a regular exercise program that works the entire body, and, resisting any urge to quit when results don't come as quick as desired.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/18
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33448",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24875/"
] |
33,484 |
<p>Is it a viable post-workout method to make one's self sexually aroused for prolonged periods of time?</p>
<p>Studies show that sexual arousal increases test. in both males and females and etc. I assume this has to stay above baseline if the subject constantly forces themselves to remain sexually aroused for a longer duration. I could do an intense workout, and supplement with porn (or even imagination alone!) for 3-4 hours straight and not include masturbation so that the urge cannot be lessened.</p>
<p>In such, this is forcing one's self to become as horny as possible to increase hormones. I believe this has to be a viable method since more test will speed up recovery. So would it be a smart move to make myself become sexually aroused for multiple hours, straight and steadily (no pun)?</p>
<p>Of course this isn't replacing sleep and a good diet, but how much can this help recovery?</p>
<p>I highly doubt that many people try this solely for muscle recovery aid -- maybe "edging" though.</p>
<p>Any feedback on my discovery? No, this is not just "abstaining" because it's not about avoiding sex/masturbation, but solely about making yourself as aroused as physically/mentally possible for prolonged periods of time. This question is not "too similar" to any questions already asked here.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 36983,
"author": "ford prefect",
"author_id": 7113,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7113",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>So my friends and I theorized this while in undergrad and being industrious college students we did some research and could never find any evidence that sexual arousal significantly helped or hurt training. <a href=\"https://lifehacker.com/how-sex-and-masturbation-affects-your-workouts-1788422698\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Here</a> is an article on the topic that cites additional sources.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 37723,
"author": "Will Appleby",
"author_id": 16628,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/16628",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'd be very surprised if arousal had any statistically significant effect on muscle growth/recovery. By that token, testosterone levels are supposedly highest in the morning and gradually decline during the day, which would suggest working out early in the day would produce a measurable benefit. I've never seen any evidence of this.</p>\n\n<p>My subjective view is this: muscle repair/growth is a 24-hour process, not something that happens for 2 - 3 hours after you work out. Therefore it doesn't matter what time of day you train, or what your arousal level is (assuming it naturally peaks and troughs during the day) as the net effect is the same.</p>\n\n<p>The most important - scientifically proven - aids to recovery/muscle growth are sufficient protein intake and rest. Everything else is marginal at best, including so-called recovery supplements (many of which are gimmicks because they just provide nutrients you probably already have anyway).</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 37734,
"author": "Pablo",
"author_id": 28501,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/28501",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I really doubt that getting yourself horny is going to raise your test by any meaningful amount.\nAbstaining from ejaculating is known to raise testosterone though. Your testosterone will peak after about one week of not ejaculating and then start dropping again according to a popular study. The increase is quite minimal, is it really worth torturing yourself for a small increase in testosterone?\nFirst make sure your routine, diet and sleep are on point because these are going to have a lot more influence and then you can worry about minmaxing your muscle gains by not touching your penis.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/25
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33484",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24923/"
] |
33,503 |
<p>I was told recently that eating meat will cause weight gain.
I fail to find any research on this and i call bs, but i am very curious about it.
If yes, what would be the amounts (for chicken/fish).
Any linked research would be welcome as well.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33505,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><em>Note: This explanation does not concern itself with body health, wellbeing, the ability to follow/sustain the diet short/long term, impact to nervous system or the psychological impact of satiety that meat-centric diets can offer. It only concerns itself with the imaginary scenario of two identical subjects following the same total calorie diet but with macro-nutritional differences.</em></p>\n<hr />\n<h1>Does eating meat cause weight gain?</h1>\n<p>The question asks if eating meat (henceforth referred to as protein) lead to more fatty mass gain than the other macronutrients: fat and carbohydrates (and alchohol), if consumed at the same calorie level.</p>\n<p>To put it another way: <strong>For weight change, does the macro-nutritional profile of a diet affect the rate and total amount of fat mass gained?</strong></p>\n<p>The common tautology employed by people proving that macro-nutritional profile is not important when it comes to weight loss is "a calorie is a calorie".</p>\n<h1>Evidence For, or "A calorie is a calorie"</h1>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1Luq1wkRjtrQ8/collections/52134261/public/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Several metabolic ward studies have shown that there is no difference in weight loss when protein intake was held constant.</a></strong> If you're really looking for a metabolic advantage through manipulating macronutrient, you'd be far better off putting your money on protein. There's actually some evidence that higher intake levels do convey a small metabolic advantage.</p>\n<p>Unsurprisingly, the studies into macronutrient impact on mass change are numerous but by no means perfect. One has to cast a very critical eye over all the conflicting evidence (and mud-slinging) and make their own decision.</p>\n<p>A good meta analysis of the above tautology by the well-respected Buchholz AC & Schoeller DA. concluded that:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>...Neither macronutrient-specific differences in the availability of dietary energy nor changes in energy expenditure could explain these differences in weight loss. Thermodynamics dictate that a calorie is a calorie regardless of the macronutrient composition of the diet...</p>\n<p><em>Buchholz AC, Schoeller DA. <a href=\"http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=15113737\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Is a calorie a calorie?.</a> Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(5):899S-906S.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>This referenced a ward study (amongst others which also concluded the same):</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Both the high-carbohydrate and high-protein groups lost weight (-2.2+/-0.9 kg, -2.5+/-1.6 kg, respectively, P <.05) and the difference between the groups was not significant (P =.9).</p>\n<p><em>Sargrad KR, Homko C, Mozzoli M, Boden G. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15800559\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Effect of high protein vs high carbohydrate intake on insulin sensitivity, body weight, hemoglobin A1c, and blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.</a> J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(4):573-80.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>To continue the evidence-train for there being no win in carbs-vs-fat:</p>\n<p>In a 2003 study by Bravata DM, et al. the conclusion was that nutritional-profile really doesn't affect total weight change at a significant level.</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>There is insufficient evidence to make recommendations for or against the use of low-carbohydrate diets. [...] Among the published studies, participant weight loss while using low-carbohydrate diets was principally associated with decreased caloric intake and increased diet duration but not with reduced carbohydrate content.</p>\n<p><em>Bravata DM, Sanders L, Huang J, et al. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12684364\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets: a systematic review.</a> JAMA. 2003;289(14):1837-50.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>A 2009 study directly comparing the weight loss "fad" diets concluded that provided you reduce calories, the method you do this is not of importance:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize.</p>\n<p><em>Sacks FM, Bray GA, Carey VJ, et al. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19246357\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Comparison of weight-loss diets with different compositions of fat, protein, and carbohydrates</a>. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(9):859-73.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>A 1996 study also concluded the same thing:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>The results of this study showed that it was energy intake, not nutrient composition, that determined weight loss in response to low-energy diets over a short time period.</p>\n<p><em>Golay A, Allaz AF, Morel Y, De tonnac N, Tankova S, Reaven G. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8561057\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Similar weight loss with low- or high-carbohydrate diets.</a> Am J Clin Nutr. 1996;63(2):174-8.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>An Australian study put them head-to-head over 12 months and didn't find a large difference:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Under planned isoenergetic conditions, as expected, both dietary patterns resulted in similar weight loss and changes in body composition. The LC [low carbohydrate] diet may offer clinical benefits to obese persons with insulin resistance. However, the increase in LDL cholesterol with the LC diet suggests that this measure should be monitored.</p>\n<p><em>Brinkworth GD, Noakes M, Buckley JD, Keogh JB, Clifton PM. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19439458\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Long-term effects of a very-low-carbohydrate weight loss diet compared with an isocaloric low-fat diet after 12 mo.</a> Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90(1):23-32.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>A 2010 study went a step further and did a 2-year study across over 300 participants; patients lost an average of 7 kg or 7% of body weight, and no differences between the 2 groups were found:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Successful weight loss can be achieved with either a low-fat or low-carbohydrate diet when coupled with behavioural treatment.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/PONTI.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/PONTI.jpg\" alt=\"clearly no difference\" /></a></p>\n<p><em>Foster GD, Wyatt HR, Hill JO, et al. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20679555\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Weight and metabolic outcomes after 2 years on a low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diet: a randomized trial.</a> Ann Intern Med. 2010;153(3):147-57.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Taking a different view and looking at weight gain, there are fewer studies but the evidence points to the same outcome.</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>There was no significant difference in fat balance during controlled overfeeding with fat, fructose, glucose, or sucrose.</p>\n<p><em>Mcdevitt RM, Poppitt SD, Murgatroyd PR, Prentice AM. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10919929\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Macronutrient disposal during controlled overfeeding with glucose, fructose, sucrose, or fat in lean and obese women.</a> Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72(2):369-77.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>This can be also seen in this small 2000 study:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>...fat storage during overfeeding of isoenergetic amounts of diets rich in carbohydrate or in fat was not significantly different, and carbohydrates seemed to be converted to fat by both hepatic and extrahepatic lipogenesis</p>\n<p><em>Lammert O, Grunnet N, Faber P, et al. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11029975\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Effects of isoenergetic overfeeding of either carbohydrate or fat in young men.</a> Br J Nutr. 2000;84(2):233-45.</em></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>A important point to note is that dietary fat <em>is</em> what is stored as bodily fat, when a caloric excess is consumed. For dietary carbohydrate to be stored as fat then they must undergo a conversion through 'de novo lipogenesis' which will occur when the carbohydrate portion of someone's diet alone must approach or exceed ones total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). You can read more <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10365981\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a></p>\n<p>In addition, for a comprehensive primer on insulin and how it functions please check out <a href=\"http://weightology.net/weightologyweekly/index.php/free-content/free-content/volume-1-issue-7-insulin-and-thinking-better/insulin-an-undeserved-bad-reputation/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this post</a> on weightology which is summarised in layman on reddit by /u/ryeguy, <a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/j853z/insulin_an_undeserved_bad_reputation_plus_notes/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>.</p>\n<h1>Evidence Against, or "A calorie is not just a calorie"</h1>\n<p>I cannot find evidence to support the opposite viewpoint. However there is criticism of the studies done these are found in the "Dear Sir"'s in the ASfCN/</p>\n<p><a href=\"http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/5/1445.1.long\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">A post</a> by Anssi H Manninen is critical of a Bravata study:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Bravata DM, Sanders L, Huang J. Efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets: a systematic review. JAMA 2003;289:1837-50.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>She states that:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>...In the true low-carbohydrate group, the mean weight loss in trials was 17 kg, whereas in the higher-carbohydrate group it was only 2 kg. Oddly, the authors did not consider this significant. Only by intermingling the results of trials of low- to medium- and high-carbohydrate diets could the authors have reached the misleading conclusion quoted above.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/5/1445.2.long\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">In another article Richard Feinman and Eugene Fine</a> dispute the assertation of "a calorie is a calorie" using the first law of thermodynamics by stating that the second law must also be taken into account.</p>\n<h1>Conclusions</h1>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>What should I eat for weight loss?</strong></p>\n<p><em>Eat less.</em> Different diets can make this easier, so pick whichever one\nbest fits your lifestyle. Ultimately, you need to reduce your caloric\nintake.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://examine.com/nutrition/what-should-i-eat-for-weight-loss/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://examine.com/nutrition/what-should-i-eat-for-weight-loss/</a></p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Many diets, fad or not, do work. This is mainly because they reduce calories.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33512,
"author": "michael",
"author_id": 939,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/939",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Weight gain and loss are controlled by hormones. Eating more does not cause children to grow, the fact that children are growing causes them to eat more. You can stunt the growth be restricting the food of a growing child, but first the body will try to compensate by lowering metabolism, causing the child to feel tired and move less, and increase their hunger, making the child want to eat more.</p>\n\n<p>Adults are still affected by hormones. In particular, insulin tells the body to store fat. Most people understand that if you eat a lot of carbohydrates, blood sugar will go up, which stimulates insulin, which leads to fat storage (and more hunger). If you eat carbohydrate and try to restrict calories, the body will respond by making you hungry and depressing your metabolism. </p>\n\n<p>Animal protein stimulates insulin directly without increasing blood sugar. This can potentially cause you to store fat even when you are trying (and failing because your body is preventing you from doing so) to be in a calorie deficit. This is probably what people were talking about with meat causing weight gain. For most people without metabolic problems, protein is satiating and does not stimulate insulin enough to be a problem.</p>\n\n<p>However, for someone who is obese and has insulin resistance, eating too much protein can stimulate enough insulin to prevent weight loss or even cause weight gain. That is where the low carb, high fat (LCHF) diet comes in. It lowers carb, obviously, but also keeps protein at a low level. There is more that happens with ketosis, but that's out of scope here.</p>\n\n<p>While it may be true strictly speaking that the weight you gain or lose is calories in minus calories out, your body regulates both input and output in ways you just don't have mental control over, and which is very affected by the foods you eat. If a calorie is a calorie, then eating ice cream is the same as eating broccoli is the same as eating tire rubber. We all know intuitively that is not the case, and your body does too. Trying to defeat your body's hormonal system with self-control is a losing proposition for most people. It makes much more sense to understand that what you eat (and when) can effect your hormones in ways that can make your goals easier or harder to achieve.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/27
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33503",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/13810/"
] |
33,509 |
<p>Lately i have been doing a lot of cardio. I want to lose weight and I've been told that cardio burns a lot of calories. But about 2 weeks ago i bought a heart rate monitor (polar M400 HR). I have been wearing it during cardio - mainly during elliptical training and it says that i burn about 300 calories an hour. I expected way more to be honest. The calorie counter in my elleptical trainer says i burn about 600 though..</p>
<p>But what i was wondering: is the heart rate monitor always right? I am a young female with a normal weight, but yet I barely seem to burn calories even though I really train as hard as I can.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33524,
"author": "Physical Fatness",
"author_id": 24981,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24981",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I would look at the results of your heart rate monitor. </p>\n\n<p>You may have been initially burning about 600 calories/hour on the elliptical, but repetition of the same workouts of the same intensity (and maybe even at the same time each day of the week) will allow your body to adjust and plateau. That's why so many people stress the importance of variance in your workouts. You might try the elliptical one day, rock climbing the next, and stair-climbing the day after! See if that seems to make anything different. Good luck!</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33623,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>A heart monitor is only one data point or piece of the puzzle when it comes to calculating energy expenditure. Both the elliptical and heart monitor by themselves aren't going to be accurate, at least not in the sense you care about.</p>\n\n<p>Typically, when you want to get a more accurate reading on calories burned, you need a device (fitness wearable, Fitbit, Garmin, etc.) that will accept several data points like: age, gender, weight, height, body fat percentage, etc. With this information along with your heart rate will you paint a more accurate expenditure of energy. Even with this information, it is still an estimate, but certainly better than a heart rate monitor or elliptical on its own.</p>\n\n<p>For perspective think of this: you have two people that are 150 lbs, but one is 5'2\" and the other is 6'0\". Now put them both on the same exact program in an elliptical or recumbent bike. The net result is both of their calorie expenditures are going to be different. In this case, the 150 lb person at 5'2\" will have burned more calories. They're overweight relative to their height and have to work harder to perform the same program as the 6'0\" 150lb person.</p>\n\n<p>One more thing to think about is your body adapts and becomes more efficient at performing the same exercises. For example, when you started running for 10 minutes, you might have burned 100 calories. After a month, and performing that same exercise at the same speed, you're now only expending 80 calories over 10 minutes. This can be further exacerbated by your diet if you're in a caloric deficit.</p>\n\n<p>As a side note: if you want to burn fat and sculpt your body, lift weights. You burn more calories lifting weights than you do performing cardio. One exception is HIIT, or high-intensity interval training. It provides a similar effect that strength training provides, EPOC, or excess postexercise oxygen consumption. This is a fancy series of words for something known as the afterburn effect. Which means, you continue to burn calories 12-48 hours after the activity is over.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.muscleforlife.com/high-intensity-interval-training-and-weight-loss/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Why High-Intensity Interval Training Is Best For Weight Loss</a></p>\n"
}
] |
2017/02/28
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33509",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24958/"
] |
33,513 |
<p>I've been running for a few years now, but I still struggle with speedwork. I use an online training plan generator that takes previous race time and distance, target race distance, weekly distance, and schedule duration to generate a running plan that includes easy runs, tempo runs, speedwork, and rest or cross-training days.</p>
<p>My training plan is based on a four week cycle. Monday is an easy run, Tuesday is an easy run on weeks 1-3 and rest/XT on week 4, Wednesday is speedwork on week 1 and 3 or tempo run on week 2 or an easy run on week 4, Thursday is an easy run, Friday is rest or cross train, Saturday is long run, and Sunday is rest or cross train. The plan also builds speed throughout, across all the workouts. Distance also increases. Total weekly distances range from 22 miles/week to 35 miles/week. The plan deviates slightly at the end, close to the race.</p>
<p>When I'm on a treadmill, I tend to adjust the plan paces based on something like <a href="http://www.hillrunner.com/training/tmillchart.php" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this conversion chart</a> to account for the fact it's slightly easier to run on a treadmill than outside.</p>
<p>I rarely take a rest day, opting for strength training and/or some time on an elliptical (usually strength + 15 minutes elliptical but sometimes 30 minutes elliptical or 30 minutes arc trainer). I do tend to take the rest days as rest days early on in the plan (which is usually following a race), very late in the plan (the week or two before a race), or if I'm not feeling well for any reason to avoid pushing myself too hard.</p>
<p>To give an idea of where I stand, my 5k PR is 29:00, my 10k PR is 1:09:51, my 15k PR is 1:57:21, and my half PR is 2:35:07. Unfortunately, last year, I was coming off an injury. I was healed before the spring, but my winter training was almost nonexistent so my times were far worse. Last years times were 32:55 for 5k (April 2016), 1:17:35 for 10k (June 2016), and 2:53:03 for a half (November 2016).</p>
<p>Based on my training, I'm edging close to a 5k PR this coming April. My easy runs on a treadmill are recently around 10:50-11:10/mile. I could probably even push that up a little and be comfortable. I've only had the weather for one good outdoor run, and it was an easy run around 11:30/mile. My tempo runs are around 3-4 miles long and I'm running at around 9:40/mile.</p>
<p>Even though my easy and tempo runs distances and times are projecting a near PR, my speedwork runs are terrible. Today, I was scheduled for a speedwork run that consisted of a warm up, and 5 0.5 mile intervals at 8:20/mile, each followed by a 0.25 mile recovery interval (I used a pace of about 11:30/mile), and a cooldown for a total distance of 6 miles. By the middle of the third speed interval, I was physically worn down.</p>
<p>Am I doing something wrong in my speedwork if I'm able to complete my easy and tempo runs on plan (and sometimes better than plan), yet struggle with my planned speedwork?</p>
<p>What can I do to specifically improve my speedwork without huge deviations from my plan which is tailored to my upcoming 5k race? Are there any modifications I can make on training days that call for speedwork?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34498,
"author": "NeonCop",
"author_id": 26048,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/26048",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I think I see where the problem is. For reference, I like to use this calculator: <a href=\"http://www.runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">http://www.runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php</a> . Now, if you input your PR into the calculator (which, if those injuries are still around, could very well be too fast), you can see that your projected 2-mile pace is 9:04 min/mile. A 5x800 session is bread and butter for VO2Max/2-mile pace, so taking them at 8:20 is probably too fast. You'd be far better off doing them at ~9:04-8:38 pace, starting on the slower end and moving up. That's my advice for this specific session. For general speed work advice, I would recommend strides 3-4 times a week after runs. If you think about it, you're chopping off a large percentage of your pace when you do speed work. Naturally, this faster running recruits different muscles, releases different hormones, and stimulates your CNS. Doing a single speed session every two weeks might not be enough for your body to adapt to this different type of running. Therefore, try running 5-10s as hard as you can, and then taking 2-3 minute breaks after, 6-8x a couple of times a week. They might feel like a waste of time or like you're getting too much rest, but they will train your body to know what it feels like to run quick and hopefully help it adapt better to your speedwork. Best of luck! </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 36459,
"author": "FenryrMKIII",
"author_id": 25426,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Long distance runners (anything above 800m) usually struggle with speed work because they don't take it correctly.</p>\n\n<p>During speed work you must run fast. If you drop below your target in terms of speed after a few reps, then increase your recovery between reps. Recovery during speed session is necessary and must not be seen as a weakness. Respecting the recovery while slowing down is counterproductive in such sessions.</p>\n\n<p>Look at how sprinters train. They do 3x60m full speed and then take 6 minutes rest before their next series. I am not saying you should go toward such extreme if you are not targeting max speed but you can certainly grasp the philosophy. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/01
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33513",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1867/"
] |
33,514 |
<p>I understood that people who train for mass (a.k.a bodybuilders) have a different muscle composition then people who train for strength (a.k.a powerlifters). Bodybuilders have more non-contractive tissue in their muscles.</p>
<p>I was wondering, if a both will stop exercising, will a bodybuilder loose muscle mass faster than powerlifter?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33515,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I’ll reference you to a similar post I answered recently: <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33375/will-i-lose-gains-in-this-situation/33379#33379\">Will I lose Gains in this situation</a>.</p>\n\n<p>I’m not sure what you mean by “non-contractive” tissue. I think you are referring to the difference between <a href=\"https://quizlet.com/121039658/contractile-and-noncontractile-muscle-tissue-flash-cards/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">contractile and non-contractile muscle tissue</a>. Regardless, your argument assumes that the method used to add muscle mass somehow speeds up the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconditioning\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">deconditioning</a> phase. It’s not the methodology or type of muscle tissue that dictates the rate of loss. Rather its other factors including current physical condition, length of training experience, health history, and length of the deconditioning. If your assumption were valid, I think we’d see more people powerlifting than bodybuilding. Each discipline seems to have abundant adherents.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33707,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I think the rate of muscle loss would be most affected by diet. The body would have to stay catabolic to decrease the amount of muscle loss. This is such a great question. I think to really find the answer to this, you would have to look at the cellular level of the muscle fibers and see if there are any differences between muscle composition in professional powerlifters and bodybuilders.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/01
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33514",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/16461/"
] |
33,517 |
<p>I just turned 15 yesterday and I seem to be in a pickle. I weigh currently 178 and I am 5 '10'. I am currently going to try and play outside linebacker or even a Defensive End. I have been taking C4 cellucore Pre-Workout, with Amino Energy mid workout, followed by Gold Standard Whey protein. I am looking for someone to recommend a plan of what I should do concerning workouts and or what other supplements I should take instead. I am a Freshman who next year will be a sophmore who is looking to start JV. Thanks!</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33532,
"author": "salisboss",
"author_id": 24572,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24572",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Keep it simple. Do GOMAD (drink a gallon of whole milk a day) and run Starting Strength. You will get really strong and will pack on weight to properly handle defensive end. Once or twice a week, add in 20 hill sprints or Prowler pushes for anaerobic capacity. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33549,
"author": "ChasingTimmy",
"author_id": 24796,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24796",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>First, you do not need all of those supplements. A sound diet(ie. getting your vitamins,minerals,and veggies) and a protein shake here or there(I recommend the EAS Complete) will be enough to see strength gains.</p>\n\n<p>If you are not strength training I suggest you start. 2 to 3 days a week. There are a ton of different programs out there, just find one and do it. Also be sure to do endurance cardio as well as power cardio(sprints). Cardio will help you maintain a high level of exertion for longer period of time</p>\n\n<p>Finally, position drills and skills training are super valuable in football.\nFootwork drills like this(<a href=\"https://youtu.be/6SiDrfWbMIo\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://youtu.be/6SiDrfWbMIo</a>) you can do on your own and will help with agility. Yes these are DB drills but quick feet and acceleration help all positions. For OLB the \"W\" style drills are perfect.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/01
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33517",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24102/"
] |
33,521 |
<p>Today at the gym after only being able to do about 3 pull-ups in a row, I decided to try the the lateral pull-down machine (this one has separate hand grips, not a single bar). After messing with different weights, I set it to about 10 lbs more than I weigh and found I could do 6 in a row.</p>
<p>I tried to keep my hands/arms in the same positions/motions that I have on the actual pull-up bar so I don't know why it was easier. I also didn't feel the same muscle strain as I do with the pull-up bar. Is there something I am missing or not understanding wrong?</p>
<p>The machine I used was similar to this:
<a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/ITcH6.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/ITcH6.jpg" alt="This image" /></a></p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33523,
"author": "Physical Fatness",
"author_id": 24981,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24981",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>That's awfully interesting. This is the first I've heard of someone lifting more than their bodyweight on the machine and only doing that many pull ups.</p>\n\n<p>The only answer I have for you is to really focus on your posture. When you do a pull up, your back is slightly arched so that the bar touches your chest at the top of your rep and you get a nice squeeze in the upper back. On the pull down machine, a lot of people cheat to pull more weight and end up pulling with their entire body and their back see-saws throughout the workout. When you workout on the machine, keep your back almost straight and your chest slightly puffed out (which will end up giving you a slight arch in your upper back). Keeping the entire upper body still, pull handles down to chest level. </p>\n\n<p>Also, maybe look for a lat pull-down machine that has a bar instead of those two handles. Machines with those handles put a lot of focus on control so that you don't end up wobbling all over the place. That might be why you weren't getting the same muscle activation. Good luck! </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33535,
"author": "xCodeZone",
"author_id": 23369,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/23369",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>First of all, both have different range of motion, you don't do the lateral pull-downs the way you do pull-ups, but let's not go into detail of that, and focus on the main physics.</p>\n\n<p>You find it easier to do lat pull-down, that's because of the pulleys. Below diagram gives and illustration of how pulleys work. </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/4v6Hm.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/4v6Hm.jpg\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>image source:<a href=\"http://www.the-office.com/summerlift/pulleybasics.htm\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">http://www.the-office.com/summerlift/pulleybasics.htm</a></p>\n\n<p>As you can see, a 2 pulley system has divided the tension in the string into 3 parts. This may not be exactly your case, but how in general pulleys work. So, in the figure, the force required to lift the 150N object would be a little above 50N, which is 1/3 the force required to lift the object directly. </p>\n\n<p>Same principle with some variation is applied to the pull-down machines. When you stack up the machine with your body weight equivalent weight, you are not really lifting your body weight, but a part of it. What's that percentage, it depends on how the pull-down machine is configured with pulleys. Nonetheless, the effort to lift will be lesser compared to pure pull-ups.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 42434,
"author": "POD",
"author_id": 33195,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><em>Pulleys</em> <em><strong>do not</strong></em> <em>inherently make a lift easier. They</em> <em><strong>can</strong></em> <em>make a lift easier, or they can simply be employed to change the direction of the load—such is the case with the lateral pull-down machine in the image, above.</em></p>\n<p>(The machine in the image, in fact, has numerous pulleys, all but one of which change the direction of the load. The pulley at the bottom, just above the weight stack, functions to moderate force imbalances between the two arms.)</p>\n<p>The weight of the stack is pulling downwards under gravity, but we want to be able to pull downwards against that weight, thus simulating a pull-up. That cannot work. So a cable is run over two pulleys—one above the weight stack and one above the lifter—to change the direction of the load. In an ideal (theoretical) machine, those forces would be identical. That is, if the weight on the stack were 490 Newtons (≡ 50 kilograms/110 lbs), so too would be the minimum force required to move that stack.</p>\n<p>In the real world, however, friction resists movement in both directions. The stack is harder to lift, but easier to put down. <em>This phenomenon may offer part of the explanation for its being easier than a pull-up: although the concentric phase of the lift requires slightly greater force, the eccentric phase, which fatigues us more, requires a slightly lesser one.</em> However, the effect of friction is generally only appreciable on low-quality non-commercial machines; the friction on well-serviced, high-quality commercial machines is negligible.</p>\n<p>There is most likely something else at play here.</p>\n<p>The most likely reason is inaccuracies in the loads indicated on the stack. Loads are commonly exaggerated, even on machines of commercial quality. Indeed, whether by design or due to poor manufacturing tolerances, this is the standard. We should therefore accept the loads indicated with caution, and generally assume that they are only meaningful or trustworthy in relative terms—that is, compared with each other.</p>\n<p>We can test the load simply by pinning the equivalent of our body weight to the stack, then hanging from the bar/handles. If the load indicated is precise, we will be supported in mid-air, perfectly counterbalanced by the weight stack.</p>\n<p>Finally, as mentioned above, pulleys <em>can</em> be employed to reduce the effort relative to the load by some factor known as <em><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_advantage\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">mechanical advantage</a></em>. The benefits of this is twofold: the load can be graduated using the same weight plates, and importantly, twice the length of cable can be pulled without increasing the size of the machine. Cable pulley machines such as tricep push-down, functional trainers, and cable cross-overs are designed this way. <em>But the lateral pull-down is generally</em> <em><strong>not</strong></em>. (If your specific pull-down <em>is</em> designed this way, the stack will be lifted half the distance that the cable is pulled down.)</p>\n<p>I hope that answers your question.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/03
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33521",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24979/"
] |
33,537 |
<p>I want to do <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lying_triceps_extensions" rel="nofollow noreferrer">french press exercise</a>, I want to use 1 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumbbell" rel="nofollow noreferrer">dumbbell</a>. </p>
<p>Note: It doesn't matter to this question if the exercise is done lying , or sitting, it's the same issue for both.</p>
<p>I'm interested in the following problem: When gripping the dumbbell my hands are necessarily in a asymmetrical position, there is no way to grip symmetrically as far as I know (you can provide me counterexamples). So the problem is, the force done by each arm and hand could be really different, how to minimize this difference? Grip very strong with my hands? Alternate hand task left and right every new series?</p>
<p>Another option is use a barbell in which then I can position my hands symmetrically, and thus the problem is gone, or to use two dumbbells, one for each hand.</p>
<p>Note 2: <a href="https://youtu.be/YbX7Wd8jQ-Q?t=48s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This guy</a>(this is a timestamp, you need to see 10 seconds of the video only) has a dumbbell with weights with large diameter, so he can position his hand in <a href="https://www.google.com.ar/search?q=hand%20triangle&espv=2&biw=1517&bih=708&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwimhbDJmsLSAhUDEZAKHW2PDlEQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=b-thew8UyR_JmM:" rel="nofollow noreferrer">hand triangle</a>, which seems a good grip, do you agree?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34407,
"author": "Christian Conti-Vock",
"author_id": 20213,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20213",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You are quite right: some dumbbells are too small to allow a triangle hold, so the hands must overlap. When the hands overlap to a significant extent, it's difficult (impossible?) to tell whether the arms are providing equal forces.</p>\n\n<p>It such cases, I would consider using an EZ-Curl bar or a fixed-weight bar instead of a dumbbell. You can space your hands on opposite sides of the center of the bar, with perhaps two hand-widths of bare bar between your hands. When you do a French press with this set-up, unequal forces from the arms will cause noticeable rotation of the bar, which you can correct as you move.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 34413,
"author": "Mike-DHSc",
"author_id": 24836,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24836",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<blockquote>\n <h2>Standing Unilateral Dumbbell Tricep Extensions</h2>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/OgGHV.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/OgGHV.jpg\" alt=\"\"></a></p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <h2>Lying Unilateral Dumbbell Tricep Extensions</h2>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/9nziK.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/9nziK.png\" alt=\"\"></a></p>\n\n<p><em>Source: weighttraining.guide</em></p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/06
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33537",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18686/"
] |
33,541 |
<p>What is the best calisthenics exercise to get a V-Shape as fast as possible?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33542,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>If you're referring to the V-shape created by a thin waist and wide latissimus dorsi, then I wholeheartedly recommend spending a lot of time doing pullups and its many variations.</p>\n\n<p>As far as the slim waist goes, I'm not in a position to give advice, as I've had a slim waist by genetic predisposition. My challenge was always gaining mass, and for calisthenic mass gain around the upper back and lats, I've found pullups to be the be-all, end-all exercise for that.</p>\n\n<p>I urge you to take your time with each rep, as eccentric overloading has been serenaded for its effect on muscle building. <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eccentric_training\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Read more.</a></p>\n\n<p>But more than that, I find it dubious that you are looking for ONE single exeercise, instead of a complete regimen. One single exercise will do nothing for you, unless it's part of a well-rounded workout program.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33545,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>While building the lats is certainly a must for creating a “V” shape, there’s one muscle group that’s often overlooked. Working all three heads of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deltoid_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">deltoids</a> will add to upper body width thus enhancing the appearance of a “V” taper. Additionally, building broader shoulders will create the illusion that that your waist is smaller. This is important for those that cannot seem to develop narrow ripped abdominals.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/06
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33541",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25008/"
] |
33,543 |
<p><strong>Background:</strong></p>
<p>36 year old male, currently weighing 90 kgs, size 36 waist, I go to gym 5 days per week for 45 mins in the morning as it's the only time I can motivate myself to go due to how my work commute and energy levels work out in a day. I've been steadily increasing my gym frequency since the end of 2014 (2 times a week) until now (5 times).</p>
<p>My aim is general fitness, strength and building an appropriate upper body - I don't need to have a super hero physique, but defined arms and chest would be good.</p>
<p>My weekly routine is as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Monday - Cardio (5km run, treadmill at 1% gradient)</li>
<li>Tuesday - Strength (details below)</li>
<li>Wednesday - Cardio (5km run, as above)</li>
<li>Thursday - Cardio (5km run, as above)</li>
<li>Friday - Strength (details below)</li>
<li>Saturday - Rest</li>
<li>Sunday - Rest</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>My Strength Workout is as follows (in this order):</strong></p>
<p><strong>NB:</strong> 1 rep = 2s extension, 2s retraction (I read this is the correct way to work with weights), all named exercises are using Life Fitness Optima Series machines of the equivalent name/exercise.</p>
<ul>
<li>10 mins on Concept2 rowing machine at max tension (10) for warmup</li>
<li>Chest press 49kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Triceps Extension 49kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Bicep curl 35kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Seated Row 49 kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Lat pulldown 49 kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Pectoral fly 42 kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Rear deltoid 42 kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Abdominal 49 kg - 10 reps</li>
<li>Finish with 12-13 mins walking at 4% incline</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>My questions:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>I recently moved from doing "Strength" once per week to twice per week (2 weeks ago) - when I was doing once per week I could easily do 49 kg across all machines. Am I doing something wrong or is my current inability to maintain that weight level due to needing further development or more rest?</li>
<li>The gym instructor who did my gym orientation session said I should stay on circuit machines for a while until I feel ready to invest in a few personal training sessions with the gym weights trainer - considering that 49 kgs is almost the maximum weight on a few of these machines, how do you decide that moving to full-on weights training is appropriate?</li>
<li>Is there a better and more strength related exercise that I could do instead of the 12-13 mins walking? By the time I reach this point, I am usually quite tired and would not be able to do another circuit at that weight level - is it worth doing the circuit again at a lower weight?</li>
</ol>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33544,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<ol>\n<li>You're not necessarily doing something wrong. Could be that you're experiencing lasting fatigue due to lasting calorie deficiency. How is your bodyweight? Have you been gaining or losing weight?</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Also, we all have off-days. You're not supposed to always lift heavier, or even AS heavy as the last time. Could be you just had a particularly good day.</p>\n\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><p>I think you should have been training with free-weights the whole time, and used machines only as supplemental exercises. Although I agree that doing it under the supervision of a qualified trainer is the right way to go in the beginning. Learning proper technique and form is crucial, especially while you're forming habits.</p></li>\n<li><p>There are PLENTY of exercises you could do instead of walking, but I'd rather focus on getting into proper weight training first, before micro-managing. I feel at such early stages, it's important to get settled into the rules of thumb, before worrying about tweaking details. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you jump straight into the deep end of the pool, as they say.</p></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>So yes, I think two weeks is a very short time to gauge any progress, but if you're already lifting the entire stack on all the machines, you should be doing free weights instead, under supervision.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33547,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>In my opinion, as a former trainer, I would suggest you might be over training given your own classification as a beginner. A common mistake for some beginners is to assume that more training (ie. volume) is better. It’s not. Muscular gains are not made while you are in the gym. Rather, they are made while your muscles have a chance to adapt and repair during rest.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>You should assess yourself for <a href=\"http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fawnia33.htm\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">signs of overtraining</a>. Additionally, if you\nhaven’t taken a training break for an extended period, consider a\nshort break to refresh and recharge your training.</li>\n<li>I agree with Alec in that you should use machines to supplement your\ntraining. Seek out a <strong>certified</strong> trainer from a <strong>reputable</strong> organization\nto assist you in learning proper training form with free weights.</li>\n<li>I’m a bit biased when it comes to cardio/strength related exercises. \nI prefer to use a <a href=\"http://www.concept2.com/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Concept2 rowing machine</a> for that part of my work. Depending on its\ndamper settings, a C2 rower provides the ability to get a strength\nand/or cardio workout. A similar rower may also help.</li>\n</ul>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33556,
"author": "john3103",
"author_id": 10879,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/10879",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Here's the problems I see: </p>\n\n<p><strong>1.) You've got conflicting goals</strong> </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>My aim is general fitness, strength and building an appropriate upper body - I don't need to have a super hero physique, but defined arms and chest would be good.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>If your goal is aesthetics, you're going to need bigger muscles and less body-fat. The trick here is most folks can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. You need to pick one, do that for 3-6 months, then switch to the other. Either order works, you can grow some muscle, then strip fat, or vice-versa. Just pick one and stick with it. </p>\n\n<p><strong>2.) You don't do any lower-body weightlifting</strong></p>\n\n<p>Squat. Deadlift. Lunge. Do them. Do lots of them. You'll get more upper-body development if you do both upper-and-lower than just upper-body stuff. Lower-body movements tend to trigger more anabolic hormones. </p>\n\n<p><strong>3.) Too much cardio, not enough weightlifting</strong></p>\n\n<p>Cardio is great if the goal is 'Be able to do more cardio'. If you're training for a marathon, you better get running. If you can run a 5K, then you're probably pretty good in terms of general fitness. I'd go down to 1 day of cardio a week, and go with three days of weightlifting. You can narrow-down the rowing-machine warmup to 2-3 minutes, and cut-out the walking afterwards. </p>\n\n<p>Speaking of which, you're not doing enough sets to really simulate muscle-growth. I usually 12-16 weightlifting sets per workout. </p>\n\n<p>**4.) Find a real workout program **</p>\n\n<p>You're running into a common problem. You started lifting, made some rapid progress, but now you're plateauing pretty bad. As others have stated, you need to change things up somewhat. A full program is beyond the scope of a post here, so I'd look into <a href=\"http://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/1583335366\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" title=\"The New Rules of Lifting\">The New Rules of Lifting</a> or Mark Rippetoe's <a href=\"http://startingstrength.com/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\" title=\"Starting Strength\">Starting Strength</a>. </p>\n\n<p>Both have solid, full-caliber programs to make you strong, lean, and muscular.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/07
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33543",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25013/"
] |
33,546 |
<p>Okay, here's the deal. I have lost a lot of weight. And, kind of gained a little of it back. I am only 19 and wanted to lose about 10-15 pounds. I would be happy with 10lbs really. I go to the gym every day and do cardio for no less than 45 minutes. On every day, I do weight training on different body parts: legs/arms/abs/butt. I don't see ANY difference in the scale. No weight loss, no weight gain. I feel so freaking discouraged because I devote myself fully by eating healthy and getting my exercise in DAILY for almost two months now and absolutely nothing has happened. Maybe I have lost weight but gained muscle and that has caused me to remain the same weight? PLEASE HELP :)</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33548,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>To lose weight the rule is simple: <strong><a href=\"https://examine.com/nutrition/what-should-i-eat-for-weight-loss/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Eat Less, Move More.</strong></a></p>\n\n<p>You clearly have the \"Move more\" sorted but it's not clear that you are eating less. Healthy food does not necessarily mean less calories. It is possible to gain weight eating a mostly healthy diet, staying at a caloric surplus. </p>\n\n<p>If you were untrained before starting it is entirely possible you gained muscle and lost fat, the proof would be in photos (or a DEXA body scan), not on the scale.</p>\n\n<p>2 Months is not that long a time, for losing weight it is recommended (and should be possible to achieve) that you aim for 1-2lb loss per week. At lower body-fat levels it takes longer to lose weight but the method is the same. </p>\n\n<p>For more information on why 'healthy' calories are the same as 'unhealthy' calories see my detailed answer <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/33505/19738\">here on why \"a calorie is a calorie\"</a></p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>Footnote: There <em>may</em> be a medical reason why you cannot lose weight easily, if you are concerned this is the case you should ask your Doctor/GP and not people on the internet.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33562,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Muscle weighs more than fat. If you're lifting weights you should expect to gain muscle which would increase weight. But if you're doing cardio you should expect to burn fat which would be a loss of weight. So if those two ideas are put together maybe your weight wouldn't change at all? If your strength is increasing(you are able to lift more weight or do more reps of the same weight that you started with)you're probably increasing muscle. If you can do cardio longer before getting winded than when you started, you're probably burning the fat properly. Don't let the scale be validation that your efforts are working. Real diets take a while to start showing good results too. Stick with your diet for about 2 more months then reevaluate. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33595,
"author": "Neil Meyer",
"author_id": 25074,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25074",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I can personally tell you that to get your metabolism out of a catatonic state is not easy. You have started excercising and this is good but for long term weight loss you have to eventually start feeding your body in a new manner. Your body is waking up. You are busy telling it that you expect it to change.</p>\n\n<p>You will find that if you keep on exercising you will devlop an appetite that is unlike the one you had before. If you listen to your body and eat when you are hungry you will start feeding it in a better manner. Keep to the proteins, if you do eat carbs make sure it is complex carbs, avoid filler.</p>\n\n<p>Also working out six days a week is not good. A days rest is just as good as a days work. You may find that your muscle is not building because you dont give it any chance to build. You need rest in between workouts as well. More is not always better.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33597,
"author": "user26657",
"author_id": 25075,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25075",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I know you want to lose weight but my advice is to set non body image goals and find exercises you enjoy most. For example being able to lift higher weights or do a certain yoga move. Making excercise something you do for you and not your body image will keep you heathier as it becomes a habit. You're doing great ! A number on the scale is just that.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/07
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33546",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25014/"
] |
33,550 |
<p>I go to gym 4 times a week. I do various exercise using different machines (chest press, leg press, row etc). On each of these machines I do 3 sets with 10 reps.<br>
I also do 6 sets of bicep curls using 20 pounds dumbbells. I noticed that after using dumbbells my biceps look much bigger but after half an hour or so my biceps go back to same size where they were before the exercise.<br>
My question is. </p>
<ol>
<li>Why do biceps grow so much right after the curls?</li>
<li>How can i make my biceps permanently bigger?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33551,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<ol>\n<li><p>Because you are using them they become engorged with blood that is being used to provide oxygen to the muscle.</p></li>\n<li><p>Keep doing bicep curls (in various styles) and keep increasing the weight so it is challenging.</p></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Typical weight progression:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Month 1: 10lbs @ <strong>8</strong> reps x 4 sets </li>\n<li>Month 2: 10lbs @ <strong>12</strong> reps x 4 sets</li>\n<li>Month 3: 10lbs @ <strong>15</strong> reps x 4 sets</li>\n<li>Month 4: <strong>15lbs</strong> @ 8 reps x 4 sets</li>\n<li>Month 5: 15lbs @ <strong>12</strong> reps x 4 sets</li>\n<li>Month 6... carry on</li>\n</ul>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33704,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>If your trying to move up in weight, try this.</p>\n\n<p>15 reps at 10 lbs(This is your warm up set to get your form straight and wake up the muscles )</p>\n\n<p>10 reps at 15 lbs (This set adds a little more resistance but still light enough to maintain form)</p>\n\n<p>6 reps at 25 (go all out on this one and see try and maintain form. ) </p>\n\n<p>If you did the last set ok, repeat the 6 reps at 25 lbs. The point of these rep ratios is to get your muscles in tune with good form. Once your muscles are warmed up you can start really lifting hard. keep adding to the reps on the last set and soon you'll be doing 25 lbs for ten reps.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/08
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33550",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24726/"
] |
33,563 |
<p>My goal is to hit 600 lbs. RAW on a deadlift -- no straps, belts, suits, or steroids.</p>
<p>I am currently 160 and do not plan to gain anymore weight. My max dead is 315 lbs. now.</p>
<p>I would need to almost double my deadlift without gaining a single pound.</p>
<p>I plan to do this within 3 years. Is this possible without drugs or gaining weight?</p>
<p>Or maybe if I were to gain more (muscle) weight, I could then lose more fat and break even.</p>
<p>This would be incredible as I'd be outlifting most guys on the gear if I could do this.</p>
<p>Breakdown:</p>
<p>5'10"</p>
<p>160 lbs.</p>
<p>Bodyfat: 14.7%</p>
<p>Fat mass: 22.4 lbs.</p>
<p>Pure muscle weight: 79 lbs.</p>
<p>Skeleton weight: 23 lbs.</p>
<p>Organ weight/etc.: ~20 lbs.</p>
<p>Water/etc. weight: ~16 lbs. </p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33566,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>To get some idea as to the maximum you will be able to lift while being drug tested and maintaining 74kg (closes category to 160lbs) we can look to the IPF (<a href=\"http://www.powerlifting-ipf.com/championships/records.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">International Powerlifting Federation) records</a>. They perform checks for the main anabolics but I suspect they potentially aren't a rigorous as the International Olympic Committee. Unfortunately powerlifting is not an Olympic sport.</p>\n\n<p>There are a few records of interest, you are looking for 600lbs which is just over a 6 plate deadlift (272kg):</p>\n\n<pre><code>Date Weight(kg) Name Country Birth year Bodyweight (kg)\n07.05.15 327.5 GAISHINETC Sergei RUS 1986 72.59\n04.11.14 325.0 GAISHINETC Sergei RUS 1986 73.16\n04.11.14 323.0 GORIACHOK Anatolii UKR 1979 73.54 \n01.01.11 320.0 World Standard \n</code></pre>\n\n<p>The world standard is 320kg (705lbs) and these are equipped (belted).</p>\n\n<p>So technically, yes. Based on the information provided you can achieve a 600lb deadlift at your bodyweight without the use of steroids.</p>\n\n<p>As a general rule of thumb, you need to 'eat big' to 'lift big', a large calorie surplus will significantly help you progress your strength rapidly. 3 years to double your deadlift without eating at a surplus is very difficult and most of the people in this weight class weigh more and then cut before competition to hit their weight class. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33569,
"author": "Idri K",
"author_id": 25042,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25042",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I am a very similar case. My height is 5'10 and I weigh 165 lbs (75kg).</p>\n\n<p>You can find all the world records <a href=\"http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/records/raw/world\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>, tested and untested. \nThis guy Kjell Egill Bakkelund holds it with 716lbs (325kg) @165 lbs.\nYou can see him doing 320kg for 5 <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD-UuLuRYcg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">in this video</a>.</p>\n\n<p>You can find a few guys here and there pulling over 700 at this weight such as Paul Nguyen (717@165 and 740@167) BUT, you will notice that these guys are shorter than you. This considerably shortens the range of motion and makes it easier for them to pull.</p>\n\n<p>At 5'10 and 160-165 lbs, you and I are probably not likely to go for world records, at least not in this weight class.</p>\n\n<p>However I do believe 600 at our height and weight is achievable.\nI pulled 315 a little over two years ago. I can now pull 500 without a belt or straps. And I'm still seeing progress and definitely think 600 is achievable.</p>\n\n<p>One important thing to consider is genetics. Some people progress faster and further. The majority will never pull 700 at such bodyweights. But 600 seems achievable for most young people. </p>\n\n<p>Less than 3 years is possible too. Your programming, eating habits, sleep and overall stress levels are the biggest factors. A big thing is do not get injured because this will harm your progress and set you off for some time. Slow and steady. Form first.</p>\n\n<p>Also your age will impact a lot. I assume you are in your 20's so this shouldn't be a problem.</p>\n\n<p>Best of luck !</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33563",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25038/"
] |
33,564 |
<p>I heard from my chemistry teacher that if you drink a Coca Cola you will get quick energy boost but after 40 minutes or so the takein of such a soft drink will actually result in a net loss of energy partly because it is a cold drink and partly because of the drink itself. </p>
<p>Is it true?</p>
<p>If we compare the same amount of carrot juice and Coca Cola or Mountain Dew or Jolt, how big is the difference in energy difference from taking it?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33565,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>No.</p>\n\n<p>The caffeine content in a normal 330ml coke does promote thermogenesis through metabolic stimulation but the amount it does this is so small that it is negligible. </p>\n\n<p>Cold drinks do not cause you to expend significant amounts of energy heating them up either.</p>\n\n<p>If you want to know the amount of energy a drink will provide then just look at the caloric content on the label.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33571,
"author": "Brondahl",
"author_id": 18649,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18649",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>As JJosaur says, calorifically, it's a definite "No".</p>\n<p>However, Metabolically, you may well find that you are more tired an hour after drinking a Coke (or any other sugarry drink, or a chocolate bar), due to a <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_crash\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">"Sugar" or "Glucose" crash</a>.</p>\n<p>This is period of <em>low</em> blood-sugar caused by the body over-compensating to the sugar spike (the initial 'high', or 'sugar rush'), and over-producing insulin which then draws that glucose out of the blood stream into the liver for longer-term storage.</p>\n<p>The low blood-sugar can be experienced as fatique or loss of energy (amongst other symptoms), which might lead one to believe the original claim.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33573,
"author": "AnoE",
"author_id": 25048,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25048",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>With numbers:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>It takes 1J to heat a g of water by about 0.24K. Hence, heating 330ml of colored+sugared water from 7°C (fridge) to 37°C (body temperature): 330 * 30 / 0.24 = 41250 J = 9852 cal = 9.8 kcal</li>\n<li>Energy content from the sugar of your coke: 330ml * (10g/100ml) * 4kcal/g = 132 kcal</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>So you can heat a <em>lot</em> of water with the energy content of a coke. </p>\n\n<p>Whatever makes you drowsy is certainly a physiological effect as aluded to in the other answers. </p>\n\n<p>If that had been your biology teacher, his statement would have been fine; from a chemistry teacher I would not expect that!</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33564",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7026/"
] |
33,568 |
<p>I've been working out for about two and a half years and have been mostly using <a href="http://www.fitnessblender.com" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Fitness Blender</a> (which is wonderful). I had reached the point where I could comfortably do one of their 40 minute level 5 workouts for five days a week (upper body, lower body, kickboxing + abs), then one of the 1,000 calorie workouts one day, and then a rest day. I was on this routine for about two months. </p>
<p>But now for the past three weeks my legs have been sore and achy, to the point where I can't do jumping jacks for more than twenty seconds because the pain is too much. It was worse in the first week. I have tried toning it down and took three days off at a stretch once, doing only a brief warm up every day. Otherwise I've gone down to 300-400 calorie workouts (instead of the 500+ I normally did) and have tried taking an additional rest day in a week. Hasn't improved. I went to a doctor as well, who did a series of blood tests, said he thinks nothing serious is wrong and prescribed painkillers and a multivitamin.</p>
<p>I think I match some of the features of overtraining (unusual pain, low rate of improvement, excess fatigue, am going through a lot of personal stress) but not others (not much irritability or reluctance to exercise - in fact I want to). </p>
<p>I am reluctant to simply stop working out. So my question is, should I simply leave off lower body and do upper body and core for a week or two? Might that resolve the issue? Upper body doesn't seem unusually sore. Or should I leave off training entirely for a week?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33574,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It sounds like your body is not recovering properly. You could try adding more sleep to your routine. You should definitely look at your diet too. You might be missing some macro nutrients that are key in recovery.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33580,
"author": "james",
"author_id": 25053,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25053",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>sounds like you are not unaccustomed to the exercise regime. I suppose you could try taking a break and seeing if there is an improvement. If you are still not seeing an improvement you might investigate things like intermittent claudation or venous insufficiency. This generally happens to older folks with poor veins, a test might be to see if there is a measurable benefit from wearing compression stockings. Your 20 seconds onset time is the clue here. </p>\n\n<p>I'm assuming your dirty intake of sodium potassium magnesium is within bounds and that you stretch normally. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33568",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/12069/"
] |
33,570 |
<p>Based on various calculations, I should, purely based on my VO2max, be able to run 10k in under 40 minutes. However, my PR is closer to 50. Why is this the case?</p>
<p>My VO2max was calculated at 59.9 ml/kg/min, which should put my 10k race time at 36(!) minutes, according to <a href="http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/equiv?VO2=59&age=35&gender=M&Submit=Calculate" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this link</a>.</p>
<p>I'm interested in the most likely factors limiting my speed. If more data is needed please let me know.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33574,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It sounds like your body is not recovering properly. You could try adding more sleep to your routine. You should definitely look at your diet too. You might be missing some macro nutrients that are key in recovery.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33580,
"author": "james",
"author_id": 25053,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25053",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>sounds like you are not unaccustomed to the exercise regime. I suppose you could try taking a break and seeing if there is an improvement. If you are still not seeing an improvement you might investigate things like intermittent claudation or venous insufficiency. This generally happens to older folks with poor veins, a test might be to see if there is a measurable benefit from wearing compression stockings. Your 20 seconds onset time is the clue here. </p>\n\n<p>I'm assuming your dirty intake of sodium potassium magnesium is within bounds and that you stretch normally. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33570",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25041/"
] |
33,572 |
<p>It's been an year now that I'm doing a proper workout 6 days a week without a break.</p>
<p>I started as a newbie with a small pair of dumbbells. I wasn't able to do push ups or pull ups (Chin Ups). After 6 months I was able to lift heavy dumbbells and also able to do push ups but no pull ups. I thought maybe my arms are still not that strong to lift my self. But now It is around an year. I have transformed myself very well into a good shape and everything looks good. I do heavy weight exercise of each and every muscle of my body. I can list heavy weight while I'm working out on CHEST, SHOULDERS, WINGS, ARMS (Bicep-Tricep), Thighs...</p>
<p>But I am still not able to do the pull ups(chin ups) effectively/properly.</p>
<p>Could you please let me know where I am wrong or what I am doing wrong in my workout?</p>
<hr />
<h3>EDIT:</h3>
<p>My workout plan that I am currently following.(Monday to Friday). On Saturday I usually run and do few cardio exercises for abs. <br /> <br /></p>
<p><strong>Day 1: Chest</strong> <br /></p>
<ul>
<li>Barbell bench press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with 15kg to 25kg(on each
side) gradually.<br /></li>
<li>Incline dumbbell press - 3 sets of 10-12 reps
with 12kg to 20kg dumbbells gradually.<br /></li>
<li>Dumbbell flyes bench
press - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 12kg to 20kg dumbbells
gradually.<br /></li>
<li>Butterfly chest press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with
40kg to 60kg gradually.<br /></li>
<li>Vertical bench press machine - 3 sets
of 12-15 reps with 50kg to 70kg gradually. <br /></li>
<li>Cable Crossover - 3
sets of 8-12 reps with 16kg to 24kg(on each side) gradually.<br /></li>
<li>Pull over - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with 16kg to 24kg gradually. <br />
<br /></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Day 2: Back/Wings</strong> <br /></p>
<ul>
<li>Pullups - Unable to do it properly even a single one</li>
<li>Behind the neck lat pull down - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 34kg to 44kg</li>
<li>Reverse grip front lat pull down - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 39kg to 49kg</li>
<li>Bent over barbell row - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 20kg to 30kg.</li>
<li>Straight arm standing lat pulldown - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 29kg to 34kg</li>
<li>Seated Cable Row - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 39kg to 49kg</li>
<li>T Bar Row - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 20kg to 30kg</li>
<li>Barbell Shrug - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with heavy dumbbells <br /> <br /></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Day 3: Shoulders</strong> <br /></p>
<ul>
<li>Front Plate Raise - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with 15kg to 20kg</li>
<li>Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 8-10 reps with 16kg to 24kg dumbbells</li>
<li>Upright Barbell Row - 3 sets of 8-10 reps with 20kg to 30kg</li>
<li>Barbell shoulder press - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 20kg to 30kg</li>
<li>Side Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 10kg to 12kg dumbbells</li>
<li>Machine Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 34kg to 44kg <br /> <br /></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Day 4: Arms</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Close grip barbell bench press - 3 sets of 6-8 reps with 20kg to 30kg</li>
<li>Triceps pushdown - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with 34kg to 44kg</li>
<li>Cable Hammer Curls with Rope - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 34kg to 44kg</li>
<li>Lying Triceps Press - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 10kg to 15kg</li>
<li>EZ-Bar Curl - 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 15kg to 20kg</li>
<li>Dumbbell Bicep Curl - 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 12kg to 16kg dumbbells</li>
<li>Standing Biceps Cable Curl - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with 34kg to 44kg</li>
<li>Bicep Machine Curls - 3 sets of 12-15 reps with 20kg to 30kg <br /> <br /></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Day 5: Legs</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Simple Squats - 3 sets of 20-30 reps</li>
<li>Barbell Squats - 4 sets of 4-6 reps with 40kg to 50kg</li>
<li>Leg press - 4 sets of 8-10 reps with 40kg to 80kg</li>
<li>Lying Leg Curls - 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 39kg to 49kg</li>
<li>Leg Extensions - 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 39kg to 49kg <br /> <br /></li>
</ul>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33575,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Pull ups aren't easy because you're pulling up your whole body weight. Also a pull up is a compound movement that should activate your back muscles. What kind of back lifts are you doing?(rows, lat pull downs, etc) Those could help strengthen your back to accomplish some pull ups.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33594,
"author": "Neil Meyer",
"author_id": 25074,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25074",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Working out six days a week, week in and week out seems to me like it could be a problem. Your body needs time to rest as well. I think at the very least if you are pushing yourself to new goals you should work one day and rest the next.</p>\n\n<p>Working out three times a week has always been the sweet spot for me. You can then always ramp up the exercise for a short term goal and then rest a full week. More is not always better.</p>\n\n<p>If this is your goal then loosing some weight may do you well. I certainly was never going to do a pull up when I weighed 130 kg but now that I weigh 105 kg a pull up is much more of achievable ambition.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33598,
"author": "Gaius",
"author_id": 19987,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19987",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Pull-ups are a fantastic exercise but it is a hump to get over before you can do them. If your gym has an assisted machine, try that. Or just place a chair behind where your bar is, hang from the bar then bend your knees and place your toes on the chair, and try the pull up giving yourself <em>just</em> enough assistance to complete the movement. If you are using your toes to make contact with the chair, you won't be able to give yourself too much help anyway. This will also build the coordination you need to do this compound move. Do the move in a controlled way, 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down. Work your way up to 5x5 like this, then take the chair away and you should be able to do at least 1x5. </p>\n\n<p>I should also say that your volume is far too high. Cut back to 4 days a week and cut out some of the isolation exercises - focus on the compound moves. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33603,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>\"however I am lifting heavy weight and also doing lots of push ups\"</p>\n\n<p>Lets have a look at the movements that would help with being able to achieve a pull up:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Pullups - Unable to do it properly even a single one</li>\n<li>Behind the neck lat pull down - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 34kg to 44kg</li>\n<li>Reverse grip front lat pull down - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 39kg to 49kg</li>\n<li>Bent over barbell row - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 20kg to 30kg.</li>\n<li>Straight arm standing lat pulldown - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 29kg to 34kg</li>\n<li>Seated Cable Row - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 39kg to 49kg</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Closest to a pull-up is:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Behind the neck lat pull down - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 34kg to 44kg</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Closest to a chin-up is:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Reverse grip front lat pull down - 3 sets of 10-12 reps with 39kg to 49kg</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Those weights put you around 60-70kg for your 1 rep max. Try loading up the lat-pulldown with your bodyweight and try completing the exercise. </p>\n\n<p>To complete a pull up you want to work from an \"active hang\". hang relaxed from the bar and then firm your abs and pull your lats down and back. Try to bend the ends of the bar away from yourself and squeeze your lats to give yourself some movement off the dead-hang position. Relax and repeat for reps.</p>\n\n<p>You want to always pull-up from this active hang.</p>\n\n<p>Here is a great progression for how to move from leg assisted, jack-knife, cccentric, half and then full pull-ups: <a href=\"http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/pull-up-progression.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/pull-up-progression.html</a> </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33609,
"author": "N.Briton",
"author_id": 25083,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25083",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Ex-competitive swimmer here, speaking from personal experience. Pull-ups/chin-ups were something I found easy in my competitive years, but coming back to the gym after many sedentary years, I was in a world of hurt after about 3-4 pullups.</p>\n\n<p>Linear progression is what i found worked for me - start light, add weight each workout, don't compromise recovery by trying to do too much, and ditch the ego.</p>\n\n<p>The problem seems to be too much volume, and little/no progression. Doing the same weight/reps week in/week out will get you nowhere.</p>\n\n<p>To get stronger, you need to increase the weight each workout. For pull/chinups - concentrate on the lat pulldowns and rows, and check your form otherwise you're risking injury. Bring your volume down a bit, maybe to 4-6 reps, but you must increase the weight each week.</p>\n\n<p>For example if you can hit 4-6 reps for all your sets at 44kg, go up one increment in your next workout. If you complete all reps for each set, move up again, and again and again until you hit your body weight. If you fail to complete a rep, that's fine - try again next workout. Only move up if you complete all reps/sets. If you fail 3x in a row, deload by 10% and start again.</p>\n\n<p>It'll take a few weeks, but stick to it, keep progressing and don't be in a hurry for gains. You'll get there.</p>\n\n<p>Finally when you reach body weight on the lat pulldowns, ditch machine altogether and move to the pull up bar, again looking for the same progression - use a dip belt to attach weight.</p>\n\n<p>It's a slow process over many weeks/months, but you're in this for life, right?</p>\n\n<p>Also, I suggest looking at your program - you're a beginner, so there's no need to do so much volume and isolation work. Look at swapping out this \"bodybuilder's\" routine for a linear progression 5x5 program like stronglifts or starting strength, stick to it and watch the numbers grow. These programs have been around for a while, and are pretty popular, because they work.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/10
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33572",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25043/"
] |
33,578 |
<p>Are the claims in the following video true regarding <a href="https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2015/how-to-overhead-press-a-beginners-guide-graphics-3.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Overhead Press</a> (also known as military and shoulder press) and <a href="http://fitfrek.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/arnold-pendlay-rows.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pendlay rows</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/VKDlyhvZLaA?t=6m50s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Overhead Press Video Section</a></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/VKDlyhvZLaA?t=5m57s" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Row Video Section</a></p>
<p>That is, does the Overhead Press increase your chance of getting shoulder impingement syndrome if done repeatedly over a number of years, and
does Pendlay rows (and bent over rows) increase the risk of developing herniated disks if done repeatedly over a number of years? Assume both exercises are done with good form.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33585,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Weight training injuries tend to occur due to muscular overuse. Having said that, there are some exercises that should be contraindicated for some people. In your example, the behind the neck press has certainly been indicated as a potential injury maker. I think the key to your question is the phrase </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>“...done repeatedly over a number of years”.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>In my opinion, any exercise has the potential to cause injury even with proper form. <a href=\"http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/313121-overview\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Overuse Syndrome</a> tends to occur after repeated trauma to muscular tissue. Overuse Syndrome becomes more of an issue as we age. Aging adults tend to require more recovery time. That sometimes does not happen between training sessions. Add repetitive motion to the mix for muscle tissue that has not fully recovered and you have the potential for an overuse injury.</p>\n\n<p>I, for one, try to change my training on a four to six week cycle specifically to avoid repetitive motions. But, also to introduce new exercise movements that hopefully continue to assist in my training goals.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33622,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>There is a lot of opinion on performing shoulder presses, a divided school of thought if you will. The only thing that I agree with about their statements on the shoulder press is the motion behind the neck. There may be some that can get away with that motion and not incur negative effects, but they're probably exceptionally flexible in their shoulder girdle; however, this is an edge case, not the norm.</p>\n\n<p>The shoulder press, as Mark will demonstrate below, is the single best exercise for overall shoulder/trap developement.</p>\n\n<p>Mark Rippetoe on the <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnBmiBqp-AI\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Shoulder Press</a></p>\n\n<p>I don't agree with them about the barbell row exercise either. It is one thing if you have a pre-existing lower back injury relative to your lumbar vertebrae; otherwise, with proper form, this is one of the best exercises you can perform for your upper back musculature. If you want to perform a similar exercise and want to yield a similar effect, then you can perform variations of the lying row without stressing your lower back.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/lying-t-bar-row\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Lying T-Bar Row</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/incline-bench-pull\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Incline Bench Pull</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/dumbbell-incline-row\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Dumbbell Incline Row</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If you'd like to perform the barbell row as it was intended, check out th article and associated videos from Mehdi at StrongLifts.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://stronglifts.com/barbell-row/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Barbell Row</a></li>\n</ul>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/11
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33578",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21959/"
] |
33,579 |
<p>So I have really tight hip flexors and weak glutes, abductors and abs.</p>
<p>I've been trying to fix this problem by working my glutes, hamstrings and abductors but I want to slowly start doing ab exercises again.</p>
<p>I know if I do leg raises, situps and other ab exercises, that it's going to make my hip flexors tighter which is what I don't want.</p>
<p>But even though there isn't much hip flexion when doing planks, will doing planks tighten my hip flexors even more?? Is it a good idea to do planks with tight hip flexors? or should I wait until I have strong glutes, abductors and hamstrings?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33621,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It is possible that you have overdeveloped your anterior muscles relative to the antagonistic muscles, meaning your glutes, hammies, etc.</p>\n\n<p>I would consider some barbell training by performing squats and deadlifts at a relatively moderate weight. Both of these exercises are full body events, but they do put a significant amount of stress on your core (abs, obliques, erectors) and every muscle waist down.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 34666,
"author": "Mike-DHSc",
"author_id": 24836,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24836",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Just to clarify one concept, there is no hip extension while doing planks <em>however</em> don’t mistake joint movement with muscle tension <em>(or a muscle contraction).</em></p>\n\n<p>Yes, planks require an isometric contraction of your hips to stabilize yourself. You're generating muscle tension with no movement. <em>This is FINE - every time you walk, sit, stand etc you're contracting your hip flexors - it's unavoidable.</em></p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p><strong>Do planks now</strong> -- in conjunction with your exercises. Do not wait until you have strong glutes, abductors and hamstrings. <em>Planks are a great exercise for stabilizing your deep core musculature.</em> </p>\n\n<p>You have the right idea with the muscles you're targeting however. <em>(See the Diagram Below)</em></p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h2>Janda’s Crossed Syndromes</h2>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/L0WJ3.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/L0WJ3.jpg\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<h2>What Would Benefit you the Most</h2>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p><strong>Reverse Lunges</strong></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Reverse Lunges make the most sense in your case <em>(add a unilateral dumbbell carry if you’re able to maintain your balance).</em> </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/Nnafc.gif\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/Nnafc.gif\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a> </p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Lunges add instability in the Frontal Plane – exactly what you need\nas you’ll be forced to use your hip abductors to stabilize yourself.</li>\n<li>Doing them backwards, holding one dumbbell will simultaneously strengthen your hamstrings, glutes (Min / Med / Max), core, quads.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p><strong><em>Active-Assisted Stretches</em></strong></p>\n\n<p>Active stretches require muscle force to attain and hold a position, whereas active-assisted stretching employs additional leverage to provide greater relative ROM during the stretch. </p>\n\n<p>The force is produced internally via use of a stretching device (such as stretching strap or towel). The protocol for employment is similar to active stretching.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Holds may last 30-45 seconds depending on tolerance of discomfort.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p><strong>Lunge Position Rectus Femoris & Iliopsoas Self-Stretch</strong></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>The rectus femoris acts as a knee extensor and hip flexor as it crosses both joints. Tightness in this muscle group can contribute to low back pain and is usually involved in any type of knee pain or instability.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZyUaM.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZyUaM.jpg\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p><strong><em>How to Do the Rectus Femoris Self-Stretch:</em></strong> </p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>First attain a pronounced lunge position with the front hip and knee\nbent a 90° and back hip opened broader than 90°.</li>\n<li><p>A towel or stretching strap is wrapped around the dorsal aspect (near\nyour shoelaces) of the trailing foot which is held by the opposite\nhand.</p></li>\n<li><p>The rear foot should be drawn toward the glutes by light pulling on\nthe towel or strap as well as active knee flexion.</p></li>\n<li><p>Once maximal knee flexion has been attained, the hip should then be\nextended forward to maximize the stretch of the tissues.</p></li>\n</ul>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/11
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33579",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25057/"
] |
33,582 |
<p>I have been doing fitness and bodybuilding for years and have heard people talk about the "amazing" effects of stretching. I would like to know if they are true and based on any scientific facts.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>stretching before and after abs workout prevents it from being asymmetrical.</p></li>
<li><p>stretch after thigh workouts helps to make them slim instead of muscular. Asian girls consider that slim is beauty.</p></li>
<li><p>stretch after workouts reduce muscle pain and decrease recover time. I mean the days muscle consume protein and heal its fiber.</p></li>
</ol>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33584,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>While stretching does have some benefits, it does not appear to affect symmetry.</p>\n\n<p>Abdominals tend to be a somewhat difficult muscle group to develop for most people. Part of the reason is that abs seem to be one of those muscle groups that tend to be more affected by nutrition and compensation. By compensation, I mean that we all have a dominant “side” of the body. We tend to work one side more than the other. While there's no evidence that stretching will affect symmetry, there is value in working the abdominals <strong>equally</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>Again, there's no evidence that stretching will “slim” the legs. In fact, if your workout induces hypertrophy (muscle gain), stretching will not affect the increase in muscle mass. And, while you can't spot reduce any particular body part, your best approach is to follow a consistent nutritional plan that provides enough calories to support your training goals.</p>\n\n<p>There is some initial evidence that stretching does aide in reducing soreness. A study in the <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1250267/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Journal of Athletic Training</a> asked the question:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Among physically active individuals, does stretching before and after\n exercise affect muscle soreness and risk of injury?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>The study looked at the results of several other stretching studies to identify the potential benefits of stretching. In its conclusion, the study indicated:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>“The data on stretching and muscle soreness indicate that, on average,\n individuals will observe a reduction in soreness of less than 2 mm on\n a 100-mm scale during the 72 hours after exercise.“</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>However, the study questioned the significance of the the findings and went on further to say in its conclusion:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>“In summary, the results of this review do not support the role of\n pre-exercise or postexercise stretching as an intervention addressing\n postexercise muscle soreness.“</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>It concluded that more significant research needs to be done to further quantify any benefit from stretching. In my opinion, since there does not appear to be any <strong>detrimental</strong> effect from stretching after a workout, I'll continue to stretch as part of my post training sessions.</p>\n\n<p>Lastly, if you're interested in learning more about asymmetry, I'd suggest you take a look at <a href=\"http://www.medicaldaily.com/human-body-anatomy-and-physiology-asymmetrical-symmetrical-embryo-371024\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Anatomy And Physiology: Human Body Becomes Asymmetrical After Embryo Develops Differences\n</a>, a short Ted Talk that does a nice job explaining asymmetry.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33620,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>When you state symmetry of the abdominals, I assume you mean whether they're staggered or their shape?</p>\n\n<p>If that is your question, abdominals are genetic.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/12
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33582",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19274/"
] |
33,590 |
<p>Is an "active lifestyle" enough activity for maintaining health? For example, I don't do any sports. However, five times a week I cycle to work (about 20-25 minutes one way, very slow pace), almost never take the lift and do yoga/pilates once a week. I used to go to the gym but I stopped a few months ago, because of lack of time. At first I thought I'm doing something wrong, but maybe just cycling and occasional activity is enough? I don't need to lose weight.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33591,
"author": "james",
"author_id": 25053,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25053",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Good health outcomes generally come from cardiovascular exertion, I think the recommended minimum is 3x20 mins /week. Your slow cycle to work is better than nothing but I'd suspect your heart rate isn't elevated much. The stairs probably does raise your hr, but not for long. There are hormonal benefits of lifting weights and a multitude of health benefits from achieving regular intensive cardio. \nIs it enough to maintain your fitness level, well, that depends on how fit you are. The fitter you are the harder you'll need to work to maintain it. Turn that bike ride into something that gets your heart rate into the 70% of your Max and it might be. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 39073,
"author": "Andromeda",
"author_id": 29854,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/29854",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>If you are able to be active without working out, you should be able to maintain your health. You might have heard about the Blue Zones (regions of the world where people live long lives), their inhabitants do not go to the gym for workout. However, their lifestyles are very active. A lot of their activity has to do with things like farming, gardening, walking up and down the hills, etc. In other words, humans were born to move, walk, carry different weights - and this is all makes a natural workout. If your lifestyle is active enough, I guess you could go without working out in the gym. However, if like most people you spend hours at the desk, then incorporating an actual workout routine is a necessity. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/13
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33590",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25069/"
] |
33,600 |
<p>I current train for flat water kayak racing by doing 2 or 3 long days (2-4 hours) a week, 2 or 3 normal intervals (1-1.5 hours), and 1 or 2 rest days. But I've been able to do that because I work flexible hours. My flexible hour job is about to come to an end and I'm worried if I get a "9-5" type job, I won't have enough daylight to do longer workouts on work days. So I'm wondering if I can accomplish the same thing by doing my long days on the weekend, rest Mondays and Fridays and doing three consecutive HIIT days on Tues-Thu.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33602,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Of course you can. HIIT is very good for you and should be part of your normal workout regime. </p>\n\n<p>Your program of fitness sounds pretty good.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33604,
"author": "bantandor",
"author_id": 19346,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19346",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>You can perform 3 consecutive HITT training sessions with no problem but you need to pay maximum attention to your diet and resting period for a good recovery for the next HITT session, otherwise you may not get as much benefit from the exercise as you expect. On the other hand, the longer the exercise the longer the recovery.(you need to rest at least 2-3 days to recover from long runs). Have fun</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/14
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33600",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25077/"
] |
33,610 |
<p>My Gym has no Squat rack so I have to do the squats with lower weights. I'm following a classic PPL program and my 5 rep maxes are:</p>
<pre><code>BP: 65kgx5
DL: 100kgx5
OHP: 45kgx5
Bent Over Row: 60kgx5
Squat: 75kgx5 :(
</code></pre>
<p>I'm going to try using Smith-machine for squat, do you think is it a good solution? Or should I start doing Leg-press instead?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33611,
"author": "Alec",
"author_id": 8828,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The smith machine is not a substitute for a squat rack, unfortunately. If you have no way of getting the bar onto your shoulders, you might be better off doing <a href=\"https://www.google.no/search?q=goblet%20squat&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiSwKiyjN3SAhWH2CwKHYioC3IQ_AUICSgC&biw=1148&bih=951\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Goblet Squats</a> instead, either with a kettlebell, or dumbbell.</p>\n\n<p>Then, you could supplement that with leg press, to get the more heavy stimulus.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33612,
"author": "Dark Hippo",
"author_id": 20219,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I would try and avoid smith machine squats for the time being. They take away a lot of the supporting strength from traditional barbell squats, and lock you into a very linear movement (i.e. up and down).</p>\n\n<p>I'd also avoid the leg press as your main lower body movement, as it doesn't involve the spinal erectors as traditional squats do.</p>\n\n<p>Instead, you could consider:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Goblet squats</li>\n<li>Bulgarian split squats</li>\n<li>Lunges</li>\n<li>Pistol squats</li>\n<li>Overhead squats</li>\n<li>Step ups</li>\n<li>Front squats from a clean</li>\n<li>All of the above</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>A few years back Mike Boyle famously (infamously?) <a href=\"https://strengthcoachblog.com/2015/04/14/why-we-dont-squat/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">stopped his athletes squatting</a> and instead concentrated on Bulgarian split squats (aka rear foot elevated split squats). </p>\n\n<p>Dan John has written extensively about the <a href=\"https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=dan%20john%20goblet%20squat&*\" rel=\"noreferrer\">benefits of goblet squats</a>, if you think they're easy, grab a 50kg dumbbell and knock out a few sets of 20 reps.</p>\n\n<p>Lunges, although occasionally given a bad rap as something 80's lycra clad aerobics class attendees would do, are an amazing <a href=\"https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#safe=off&q=lunges%20for%20strength%20training&*\" rel=\"noreferrer\">strengthening exercise</a>. Again, if you think they're easy, grab a couple of 30kg dumbbells and do walking lunges the length of your gym. Then turn round and do the same back.</p>\n\n<p>Pistol squats, overhead squats and step ups I'd put more as accessory work / assistance lifts, but they're still very useful and valid squat alternatives (pistols can be difficult to load, overhead squats can be quite technically complex and step ups require something sturdy to step up onto).</p>\n\n<p>Front squats from a clean (because you don't have a squat rack) are a possibility, but there is a significant learning curve to the clean movement, meaning that other options may be better for basic strength training.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33617,
"author": "JeffO",
"author_id": 25109,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25109",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>The Smith Machine isn't ideal, but in your circumstance, it's better than nothing. I think it is more important to do the movement safely since you don't have a rack to accommodate using heavy weight. You will still get leg, hip and back work unlike leg presses and leg extension/curls alone.</p>\n\n<p>Supplement it with other alternative leg exercises with some emphasis on free movement alternative, lunges, front squats, etc. This will help with core and athletic movements requiring balance.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33619,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>That is a real bummer that the gym doesn't have a power rack. I'm not sure that it could be called a \"real\" gym if it doesn't have one.</p>\n\n<p>On a serious note, are you able to find a gym that does have a power rack?</p>\n\n<p>Performing a real squat is about the best single exercise you can do. When it comes to single exercises, a barbell squat is the king, and the deadlift is the queen.</p>\n\n<p>I guess a Smith Machine is okay if that is the only thing, but it still pales in comparison to the real squat. First off, the Smith Machine, is exactly that, a machine; so it moves in an unnatural movement path. Secondly, a <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19855308\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">real squat activates up to 43% more muscle fiber</a> compared to Smith Machine, all other things being equal.</p>\n\n<p>A leg press, depending on its configuration isn't a suitable replacement for a real squat either. This might be opinion to some, but a leg press doesn't garner the same <a href=\"https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/new-study-pits-barbell-squats-against-leg-press-machine\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">hormonal response</a> (test and growth hormone) than a deep barbell squat. Further, your lower back (lumbar) can be put into a compromising position (rounding), and that gets worse as the weight starts to get really heavy (rounding and compression).</p>\n\n<p>A side note: Check out the book <a href=\"https://smile.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-Basic-Barbell-Training/dp/0982522738\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Starting Strength</a> or very similar program, <a href=\"https://stronglifts.com/5x5/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">StrongLifts.com</a></p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 39288,
"author": "Eric",
"author_id": 7091,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7091",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm not really a fan of them, but I've resorted to the <a href=\"https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBHackSquat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">hack squat</a> a couple of times when the power cages are mobbed. It's a good lift to know even if you don't do it a lot.</p>\n\n<p>My real go-to for gyms lacking squat racks or when they're full however is the <a href=\"https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/Clean\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">clean</a>. You get a front squat out of if when you catch it low, and you get all the benefits of the clean. The only problem is that they're tricky to learn and having bumper plates while not required is really helpful.</p>\n\n<p>Otherwise I'd focus on some of the other great answers in this thread already. Lunges in particular.</p>\n\n<p>Regarding the smith machine, <a href=\"https://www.dovemed.com/current-medical-news/4-reasons-bypass-smith-machine/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">it's just bad for you (references included)</a>. It's a good place to hang your towel but otherwise avoid it. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/17
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33610",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25097/"
] |
33,615 |
<p>When you're doing both, should you use a roller to massage your muscles first, stretch first, or does it not matter?</p>
<p>My routine includes trying to do this twice a day which includes after running, biking, etc. </p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 34101,
"author": "J. Doe",
"author_id": 25617,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25617",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Massage/roll first and then stretch. Trigger points (hyperirritable muscle fibers, aka 'knots') cause pain and tightness in the muscle and are frequently aggravated/made worse by stretching a muscle that's full of trigger points.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 34103,
"author": "Eric",
"author_id": 7091,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7091",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/455/should-i-stretch-after-exercise\">Stretching is still debateable as a need anyway</a>, and <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4637917/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">the only study I'm aware of on foam rolling</a> shows it to have short term benefits but not much in the long term. Neither is proven critical to athletic performance. Full range-of-motion activities however do tend to increase flexibility and strength throughout that range.</p>\n\n<p>So combining two things with clinically debatable value and then trying to figure out which should come first is fairly subjective.</p>\n\n<p>If your goal is to feel good afterwards then do whatever feels the best. From a practical perspective I see most folks foam rolling at the gym and stretching is something you can do throughout the day after the fact.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 43639,
"author": "Jason",
"author_id": 8485,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8485",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Stretch first then massage or roll out your muscles.</p>\n<p>Stretching will loosen up your muscles some to allow the massage to get in deeper and help blood circulation or break up stuff that needs to be cleaned out by the blood.</p>\n<p>I can confirm from first hand experiences that stretching will prevent your muscles from healing in a tight manner. Also that massaging can help break up "knots". I think that the debate that Eric mentions is mostly addressing whether or not it is necessary which is different than saying whether or not it helps.</p>\n<p>J. Doe does have a point too. Generally things that are healed better by stretching are not good or even made worst by massaging, and the same for things healed better by massaging - like knots. Massaging without stretching is difficult and requires more time and effort to soften up the muscle before getting in deeper. Similarly an extra tight muscle shouldn't be massaged.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/18
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33615",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8485/"
] |
33,625 |
<p>I'm 15 years old and I have been working out for about 6 months. Over the first 3 months I've noticed some considerable changes in my muscles, but recently I haven't noticed many changes ( actually, muscles like my chest have been pretty inconsistent, and it's size has been varying).
Could it be my age that is limiting my gains? Or is it my routine or nutrition that are bad?</p>
<p>Routine:
Monday- workout
Tuesday - swimming
Wednesday - workout
Thursday - swimming
Friday- workout
Saturday and Sunday- I play volleyball and rest</p>
<p>Nutrition - I eat considerably well, with 4 meals a day and protein shakes, but I don't measure exactly my macros.</p>
<p>Body info -
1,70m tall
65.5 kg
14% bf</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33629,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>Fitness is a marathon, not a sprint</strong>. 3 months may see some level of progress but provided you are exercising enough at high enough intensity on a regular basis and supporting muscle growth through a balanced and suitable diet, you will grow muscle mass.</p>\n\n<p>Keep taking photos and assess progress every 3 months using them. You may need more weight training stimulus or more food, its impossible to say.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33636,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Short answer:\nNO, your age is NOT limiting you...you are. You are the in the beginning stages or the prime of your life, especially hormonally speaking.</p>\n\n<p>You need to ask yourself some questions:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>What are your goals?</li>\n<li>Are you trying to build muscle mass?</li>\n<li>Are you training to build cardiovascular endurance?</li>\n<li>What time frame do you want to accomplish said goals?</li>\n<li>Does your exercise program support your goals?</li>\n<li>Does your diet support your goals?</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>These questions are important because they give you a compass, a direction, and something to work toward. Also, it gives you focus and perspective, you need to measure where you're at in your journey and where you want to end up. If you don't have a starting and ending point, you have no frame of reference for measurement. How do you know where you're going if you don't have a focused goal?</p>\n\n<p>Stating that you eat considerably well by eating 4 meals a day and drinking protein shakes doesn't define anything or mean that you actually \"are\" eating well. Again, how do you know if you don't measure? How do you know if your diet is well enough to support your goals?</p>\n\n<p>Also, when you say that you workout...what does that mean? Are you on a program? Are you performing specific exercises every day that you workout? Do you keep a training log? This is important so you know where you have been and what to do better the next time you perform those set of exercises.</p>\n\n<p>For an example, with some quick math, and a general starting point for building muscle mass:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>65.5 KG (144 lbs)</li>\n<li>14% bf</li>\n<li><p>56 KG (124 lbs) of Lean body mass (LBM)</p></li>\n<li><p>1586 kcals - Basal metabolic rate (BMR)</p></li>\n<li>2142 kcals - Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)</li>\n<li><p>2356 kcals - Daily caloric intake (TDEE + 10% of TDEE)</p></li>\n<li><p>144 grams of protein</p></li>\n<li>327 grams of carbs</li>\n<li>52 grams of fat</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>These numbers are based on 4-6 hours of exercise a week. If you workout more or your metabolism (this is subjective) is faster than average, then you need to increase your caloric intake. You can get an idea of how well this diet is working by getting an average of your weight over 7-10 days. If it isn't going up, then you add calories until it does. Weigh yourself every day after going to the bathroom and keep an average. You need a data point for comparison or you don't know if your changes are working. Realize that weight gain isn't necessarily always linear, it'll look like a stock market graph if you put your daily weight in a spreadsheet.</p>\n\n<p>If you need to add calories, do so at 50-100 kcals at a time, then wait for 7-10 days to see if your weight climbs. Add calories to carbs and fat first, then consider protein later. Typically, you'll want 1.1 to 1.3 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass - there is much debate over this topic.</p>\n\n<p>The above coupled with a proper weight training program will yield incredible results at your age between now and high school graduation.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/19
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33625",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24097/"
] |
33,630 |
<p>I'm a member of a local gym which I attend three/four times at week, after my work schedule is finished. Lately I've been waking up early in the morning, early enough that I'm thinking to go at the gym in the morning before going to work.</p>
<p>My workout routine is quite standard, I do some cardio as warm up, then I lift weights, and some abs exercises in the end. By standard routine I mean I'm not one of those guys who have a "massive" body and "massive" strength (I'm in shape and I can lift enough and I'm happy with that).</p>
<p>For example where a "tough guy" could lift I don't know... 40 kg I could lift 28 kg.</p>
<p>I don't have any kind of physical problems, literally I get there because I wanna keep my body in shape.</p>
<p>I don't know how hard should I go for an early gym session. Is there anything I should keep in mind? Can I follow more or less the same routine (specifically in terms of intensity) I usually follows in the evening? Should I do more? Should I do less?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33635,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Short answer:\nGo as hard as you can go!</p>\n\n<p>Long Answer:\nThe level of effort that you put in would depend on how much you've had to eat. I found it easier sometimes when I lifted at night because I had eaten several meals before lifting heavy weights.</p>\n\n<p>Some people have a difficult time not eating much, then hitting the gym and lifting weights as far as energy availability and focus is concerned.</p>\n\n<p>However, if you can muster up the energy by eating early enough; your circadian rhythm and science shows it is better to work out in the morning hours. Especially with high intensity as your test and growth hormone levels are naturally higher. This is increased further by performing heavy compound exercises like squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing, shoulder pressing, or bent-over rows.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/best-time-to-work-out/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Bayesian Bodybuilding</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2681273/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">NCBI</a></li>\n</ul>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33662,
"author": "Idri K",
"author_id": 25042,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25042",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p><strong>From research and personal experience there is no difference.</strong></p>\n\n<p>I came accross <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19910830\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this paper</a> where they analyzed the differences between people working out in the morning (7-9 am) and people working out in the afternoon (5-7 pm). They found no statistical difference between the two in terms of hypertrophy.\nSo research tells you to go all out as you would do in the evening.</p>\n\n<p>My personal experience is this:</p>\n\n<p>I have been working out in the morning for 3 years and a half now. My sport is powerlifting (I tend to handle heavier weights and not do cardio/high reps).\nAs a student in a medium-sized town there was no gym available in the morning before 9 so I bought a small rack, a barbell and some weights for my dorm room. I woke up at 5, ate and started warming up around 5.30. I usually hit my top set around 6.</p>\n\n<p>I never had any issues although I have to admit that eating enough in a short amount of time and working out on a full stomach is not ideal.</p>\n\n<p>I now work and take transportation to go to the gym before starting the workout. I therefore have 1 hour and 15 minutes between my meal and my workout. It feels great, I don't feel full anymore and it fits the schedule perfectly.</p>\n\n<p><strong>In summary</strong>, research shows that there are no differences in terms of efficiency of the workout. And as long as you have enough time between your meal and your workout you should be fine.</p>\n\n<p>I hope this helps !</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33701,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is a tip. I'm terrible at waking up so when I lift at 6am coffee or pre workout does wonders for me. </p>\n\n<p>Also stretching is very neccesary when lifting and running in the morning. Save yourself alot of injury and grief.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33630",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18401/"
] |
33,633 |
<p>If I calculate the VO2max on each split of a run using the formula from <a href="https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/15608/energy-expenditure-calories-burned-equation-for-running/25564">here</a>. Would the VO2max estimate for the entire run be the mean of all the splits?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33982,
"author": "Jason",
"author_id": 8485,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8485",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>No, those formulas are for the VO2 amount you used/expended and is not your max. The largest one of the set should be a good minimum number for what your max might be. The max VO2 can be considered a physiological constant of your body over an entire run, and it only changes over a matter of months of running or at 2 or more weeks at best. I dont know if you can achieve your max VO2 during exercise. I believe that you cant achieve your max heart rate without fainting, so I bet this is similar. </p>\n\n<p>There are alot of calculators and your link has a link to one, but check out some places locally that can do it. On their website usually your find the method or procedure they use summarized. That can help you understand what exactly the VO2 max is.</p>\n\n<p>Also note that if you want to predict race times you would need to know your lactate threshold instead any races or efforts that last longer than 5-8 minutes.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 40177,
"author": "Darren Beattie",
"author_id": 31032,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31032",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>V02max is more of an absolute number. Think of it like testing your max bench, or max vertical jump. It's the maximum amount of oxygen you can uptake at the time of testing. Something you can track over the course of a phase of programming, but you won't see much change in it, even from run to run. It'd be negligible from split to split. Not really worth it here.</p>\n\n<p>It can be increased (just like jump height or strength) but you're more likely to see it change based on a test say one to three months apart. And even more likely to see it change if you're using training techniques designed to increase it.</p>\n\n<p>It's more of a performance marker or an indicator of potential. It's best tested with a metabolic cart and most estimates/formulas aren't that great generally speaking. That doesn't mean you can't track it with a formula from phase to phase of your training program, but tracking it from split to split or run to run is probably too frequently.</p>\n\n<p>It's only one of many performance markers you may want to track.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33633",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25126/"
] |
33,638 |
<p>I get the feeling if I don't drink protein shake after workout I feel low. Is it a mind thing or is it really a nutritional fact that hits the body? I usually don't go to gym and it has been 1 year since I could afford any supplements so I stopped it as I think I will be putting my body under stress if I don't have protein shake. </p>
<p>Is it really true or just my mind being lazy? What are the alternatives when one does not have protein powder to gulp down?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33650,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>An Apple (or other fruit).</p>\n\n<p>After a workout it is highly likely that your glucose stores are depleted. Something healthy and containing some sugar will make you feel a lot better.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33656,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>For a very simple answer:</p>\n\n<p>Gummy bears, pixy stix, skim milk, egg whites. Fast carbs and quick protein absorption.</p>\n\n<p>Or...</p>\n\n<p>You're splitting hairs if you're not working out because you don't have fast acting carbs and/or a protein powder to eat directly after strength training.</p>\n\n<p>Eat a balanced diet based on macros for whatever your goal is (cut, bulk, maintain), push/pull the weight, and sleep. Rinse and repeat.</p>\n\n<p>Training and diet are simple, supplements are <strong>NOT</strong> necessary to build an amazing physique that you'll be proud of and your friends will be jealous of, don't over think it.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33696,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Your protein levels are usually low after a work out. same with everything else. So your body absorbs pretty much everything(almost everything) your put in it. Look up post work out meals and nutrition. Optimum Nutrition makes a protein specifically for after workout shake. It's called Hydrolized Whey. When your protein levels are low your body can go into a catabolic state so it's important to re fuel to stay anabolic.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33737,
"author": "BryonC",
"author_id": 25151,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25151",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I don't like the shakes as much as I tend to feel bloated when drinking them post workout. But there are a few <a href=\"http://www.viciouscandy.com/alternatives-to-protein-shakes-gym/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">alternatives to protein shakes</a> that I like including chocolate chip cookie dough balls. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33638",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8561/"
] |
33,641 |
<p>I've recently started to exercise and eat healthy. I started following my macro intake and surprisingly I have been eating much less of my supposedly daily values (almost always short on protein about 80g and about 20g of fat). I'm in a caloric deficit of around 700cals since my goal is to lose body fat. I'm not sure if I should eat even if I am not hungry in order to reach my macros, or if not reaching my macros is fine (but then is the caloric deficit too high).I am concerned of what might be the side effects of not even reaching my macro intake?</p>
<p>Using many youtubers and bodybuilding websites I have calculates my macros at:
Carbs= 205g
Fat= 80g
Protein= 200g
Calories= 2,340 cals
BMR= 3050 cals</p>
<p>I am 19 years old, 6'3", 225 bodyweight (around 200 lean body mass), and workout 3-4 times a week.</p>
<p>Any help will be much appreciated.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33649,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<blockquote>\n <p>Too little protein and you won't be building muscle/getting stronger\n (and if you're seriously deficient it can lead to worse health\n problems). </p>\n \n <p>Too little fat could throw off your sleep/mood, as fat helps regulate\n horomones. </p>\n \n <p>Too few carbs leaves you feeling sluggish</p>\n \n <p><a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/5ze7a6/tell_tales_signs_you_are_lacking_in_a_specific/dexe5xf/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">/u/LiveAndLetLift</a></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Here are some other gems from that thread:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>I was cutting hard a couple of summers ago, and like an idiot, I was eating around 30g of fat with abysmal saturated fats. I could not get an erection - you could have spawned Kim Kardashian butt ass naked in my room and nothing would happen. Fast forward to now, I eat loads of saturated fats and have my fat intake at around 90 - I'm keeping more muscle, have a sky high libido.</p>\n \n <p>/u/Kalashnikovxx</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>and</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>If while shitting you are willing to confess to all manner of crimes to make the pain go away you could probably use more fiber.</p>\n \n <p>/u/Fitzmagics_Beard</p>\n</blockquote>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33658,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Since you're on a cutting diet, I think that 3050 is a bit too high and seems more like a maintenance diet.</p>\n\n<p>One of my issues with some of those equations online is the activity multiplier is too high based on the exercise you commit to during a week. I can see how you'd get tired of eating over 3,000 kcals a day.</p>\n\n<p>One trick that makes hitting your macros a little easier, instead of eating, is to drink them. Put what you need in a blender and drink up! </p>\n\n<p>I think a better starting point for you daily diet would be something like:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>2573 kcals</li>\n<li>257 grams of protein</li>\n<li>257 grams of carbs</li>\n<li>57 grams of fat</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Start there and then adjust 50-75 calories at a time, plus or minus. Weigh yourself every morning after you take care of business and before you eat or drink. Take an average of your weight over 7-10 days, if it is going down, then you're on point assuming it isn't a radical drop. Aim to lose about .5% to 1% of your body weight per week.</p>\n\n<p>Another way to measure your fat loss (especially if the scale is playing tricks on you) is to get a tape measure and measure the widest part of your midsection. If that number is shrinking every week, you're losing fat.</p>\n\n<p>Also, take pictures every 10 to 14 days. One front, one side, and one back and compare them to the previous pictures for a more visual comparison.</p>\n\n<p>FINALLY: <strong>ALWAYS DO YOUR SQUATS AND ALWAYS HIT YOUR MACROS!</strong></p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 34031,
"author": "Cherry",
"author_id": 25534,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25534",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I'm not sure how your BMR works out to be that. Which could mean your off on every thing and actually losing a lot more than 700. Around about 1200 \n your BMR is around 2300- 2500</p>\n\n<p>But your TDEE should be around 3500.. Work your macros to this and then remove the deficit in the fats and carbs. 500 is the best for fat loss.. so 250 for each works well \nSo 27.7 g OFF fats \nAnd 62.5g OFF carbs </p>\n\n<p>What I can work out from what your saying is this but thats based on your workout levels being 45-hr each time bringing your heart rate up to 60% capacity..and assuming your \"job\"is not in an office but standing or walking around for 7 hours a day << IF THIS IS NOT THE CASE THE FOLLOWING IS WRONG</p>\n\n<p>your protein should be 225g Fats 108g and carbs 285g \nThat's with the deficit taken off! try hard not to go lower unless it's on fats and carbs and only by another 200-300 kcal</p>\n\n<p>Always always try to hit proteins to keep muscle mass.. Counting macros is good as long as your doing it properly. </p>\n\n<p>If your really struggling to get protein top up with a shake.. But dont substitute it.. Meats and fish plus nuts yoghurts and certain greens should still be fine to meet that target..</p>\n\n<p>And finally I'm going to assume that your not 200lbs lean mass and trying to lose weight when only weighing 225.. \nIf it is the case then you really really! need to be eating everyone of your macros plus some more! Before you drop to the floor.. Xxx </p>\n\n<p>There are loads of ways to diet but I found macros is the best way myself and it's very individual to you... Yes I just worked them out...just for you! So only you can follow it and get results.. </p>\n\n<p>So jack and Jill please don't follow the same thing! It's not meant for you and will not have the same affect xxxxx </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/20
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33641",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25130/"
] |
33,642 |
<p>I heard of an old buddy that claimed he could aggressively lower bodyfat if needed (say he was feeling a teeny-bit chubby and wanted to get as "firm and lean" as quickly as possible, say for beach day) within 3-5 days. He says this can be done without muscle loss if you eat a protein surplus and eat above TDEE, but then do cardio excessively.</p>
<p>He claims that the body will get "fooled" because it would have had a small period in which it was overly nourished (a surplus to feed muscles), but then you can aggressively do cardio to deplete fat stores while the body is still using the surplus of nutrients -- and then give it a 6-12 hours split and repeat, or flip it backs (i.e., skip cardio and eat excessively -- next day, skip eating and cardio more).</p>
<p>He says this works and he maintains muscle and can slim down 1-2 pounds on short notice and hide any belly bloat/lack of firmness from a possible big day or two of heavy eating.</p>
<p>Bloating//belly can be reduced in 1-2 days with cardio and eating at or above TDEE with the beneficial addition of cardio and heavy abdominal work to tighten/firm the stomach and burn maybe 2 calories in the target region (yes, spot reduction is mostly not working, but long-term use still burns fat locally).</p>
<p>Basically, does this make sense? Does any evidence show this can generally work (outlined above)?</p>
<p>I ask because I might be going to the beach in a few weeks, but I've been slacking off exercising and eating a little too much junk -- and I got a teeny-bad case of belly bloat and want to look solid/firm.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33643,
"author": "Idri K",
"author_id": 25042,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25042",
"pm_score": 3,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>To answer your question directly the answer is <strong>NO</strong>.</p>\n<p>Now let me detail why and how you can lose fat and maintain muscle in 4 points:</p>\n<p><strong>I Rate of body fat loss</strong></p>\n<p>1 gram of fat is approximately 9 calories.\nTo consume one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of fat you need to create a deficit of 9000 calories.\nMeaning that if you plan on losing one kilogram of fat in a week you'll have to eat a total of 9000 calories less than what you spend which is roughly 1300 calories a day.\nIf you add cardio/weight training (which is tremendously more effective) to the point where your calorie expenditure is 3000 calories a day, you'll need to eat 1700 calories a day for a week... THEORETICALLY.</p>\n<p>This is not taking into account the variations in metabolic rate that occur in a deficit for example (eating less makes your body consume less in summary). Not even taking into account the loss of muscle to get energy.</p>\n<p><strong>II So how did my friend lose so much ?</strong></p>\n<p>Water my friend.</p>\n<p>Water mass is very variable and can change really fast overnight.\nI myself can lose 1 kilogram in one day without being on a deficit.\nIt happens if I go out a little, drink some alcohol (even two beers are enough). I am therefore a bit dehydrated and lose water really fast.\nI've lost up to two kilograms in one night (even with less than 10% body fat).</p>\n<p>Your friend is probably losing glycogen and water fast. That's it.</p>\n<p><strong>III What can I do to trigger faster results ?</strong></p>\n<p>Doing what your friend does is not necessary. There are a few ways to lose mass fast which I wouldn't recommend:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keto diet.</li>\n</ul>\n<p>By eating mostly fats and protein you deplete your glycogen levels. To be stored inside the muscle, it needs water. On that kind of diet you lose glycogen and water very fast.\nHowever as soon as you start eating carbs again your glycogen levels rise up as well as muscle water retention.\nYour weight will get back to normal really fast.</p>\n<ul>\n<li>What your friend does, which is basically losing a lot of water but then getting it back when diet is back to normal.\nThis isn't sustainable and your weight will go back to normal fast.</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>IV Then what can I do to trigger sustainable results ?</strong></p>\n<p><em>a. Slow and steady fat loss.</em></p>\n<p>As boring as that sounds, it seems to be the best way to keep a good amount of muscle mass and lose fat.\nWeigh yourself daily upon waking up. Aim for 0.5-1% bodyweight loss a week (if you're not obese - in that case it will be higher).\nIf your weight loss is higher, eat more. Otherwise you're losing more muscle than you think.\nIf you don't lose weight, check your weightlifting program, macros/calories, sleeping habits and stress levels.</p>\n<p><em>b. Protein intake</em></p>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28166780\" rel=\"noreferrer\">this study</a>, having a higher protein intake for the same total calorie intake will make you keep more Fat free mass. Try consuming 2g protein/kg of bodyweight.</p>\n<p><em>c. Exercise</em></p>\n<p>Exercising properly will make you retain more muscle mass too according to <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18580399\" rel=\"noreferrer\">this paper</a>. So pick a good weightlifting program that you enjoy and stick at it. One small very personal advice on this: the simpler it is, the more efficient it will be. Try to find one with very few full body movement (Starting strenght... ).</p>\n<p><em>d. Lower sodium intake.</em></p>\n<p>Water retention will add mass around the waist. At very low body fat percentages, I personally noticed that after a high-sodium eating meal, I woke up with less definition in my abs. Considering of course that caloric intake wasn't higher.\nTherefore try getting less sodium. Progressively from what you get now.\nCaution: According to <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25852864\" rel=\"noreferrer\">this paper</a>, adverse effects can happen on very low sodium levels</p>\n<p><em>e. Sweat it out</em></p>\n<p>Lose water. And drink a lot to replace what you lost in order to avoid water retention.</p>\n<p><em>f. Sleep</em></p>\n<p>You can find online quite a bit of research on sleep deprivation and testosterone levels. This hormone is highly correlated to muscle repair and fat mass. <a href=\"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110531162142.htm\" rel=\"noreferrer\">This article</a> talks about the effect of sleep reduction on testosterone.\nSleep well to get the most out of your training and diet.</p>\n<p><strong>To sum it up:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>There is no way to lose weight fast (except for obese people) without having adverse effects on health or muscle mass.</li>\n<li>Get in a slight calorie deficit to lose around 0.5-1% bodyweight a week. Weigh yourself daily. If progress stops, check calorie intake, training, sleep.</li>\n<li>Drink water and reduce (safely) your sodium consumption</li>\n<li>Sleep well</li>\n<li>Lift weights</li>\n<li>Repeat until goal is achieved</li>\n</ul>\n<p>One quick thing on abdominal tightness:</p>\n<p>I never do abs and am lucky enough to have a low bodyfat percentage. Abs are very small muscles. Training them will not make you consume a lot of calories. Train bigger muscles and do some abs/vacuums when you get to less than 10% bodyfat.</p>\n<p>Good luck with your goals ! I hope this helped !</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33648,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>I loathe picking apart posts, it makes me feel like a snarky nerd who insists on being \"technically correct\". However, your question has a not of incorrect information in it.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>...claimed he could aggressively lower bodyfat if needed (say he was feeling a teeny-bit chubby and wanted to get as \"firm and lean\" as quickly as possible, say for beach day) within 3-5 days. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>The only way you can change how you look in 3 days is through dehydration which is not sensible or healthy.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>...He says this can be done without muscle loss if you eat a protein surplus and eat above TDEE, but then do cardio excessively.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Muscle is lost when it is not used. Muscle mass can be reduced over time through lots of steady-state cardio but that requires months/years of effort. Muscle reduction due to 'cardio' is vastly overestimated by most.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>...He claims that the body will get \"fooled\" because it would have had a small period in which it was overly nourished (a surplus to feed muscles), but then you can aggressively do cardio to deplete fat stores while the body is still using the surplus of nutrients -- and then give it a 6-12 hours split and repeat, or flip it backs (i.e., skip cardio and eat excessively -- next day, skip eating and cardio more).</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>The amount of 'fat you will burn' during a single day is minimal. Even over a few weeks it will be minimal while eating at a caloric-sustain (which this sounds like). Your body does not adapt that fast.</p>\n\n<p>\"Eat Excessively\" is wonderfully inaccurate, \"excessive\" could be anywhere between 3000 and 10,000 calories.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>...He says this works and he maintains muscle and can slim down 1-2 pounds on short notice and hide any belly bloat/lack of firmness from a possible big day or two of heavy eating.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Bro-science aside, if his method works for him then no-one will be able to tell him differently. I suspect his weight loss is to do with the dehydration from performing cardio. 1-2lbs is basically nothing, your body will vary more in water weight over a day. </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>...heavy abdominal work to tighten/firm the stomach and burn maybe 2 calories in the target region (yes, spot reduction is mostly not working, but long-term use still burns fat locally).</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Now, say after me:</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.yalescientific.org/2011/04/targeted-fat-loss-myth-or-reality/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">SPOT</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">REDUCTION</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://breakingmuscle.com/learn/spot-reduction-one-final-attempt-to-kill-the-myth\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">IS</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.bing.com/search?q=more%20muscle%20in%20area%20spot%20reduction&src=IE-TopResult&conversationid=&first=11&FORM=PORE\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">A</a> </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot_reduction\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">MYTH</a></p>\n\n<p>Your body does not pull from fat stores near the muscle to only give that muscle energy. Harvard did a study on tennis players, if your friend was correct their dominant arm would have less fat than their non-dominant arm. They found that both their arms have the same amount of fat.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Basically, does this make sense? Does any evidence show this can generally work (outlined above)?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>No. If you find any evidence to the contrary I would suggest that that is not good evidence and is false.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33651,
"author": "Community",
"author_id": -1,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Here's how you can drop as much fat-weight as possible without destroying your lean body mass:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>You basically fast, except you only get in around 1.2-1.4 gm of protein per kilogram of your \"ideal body weight\" (<a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1278601\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1278601</a>). This is called protein sparing modified fasting and it represents the fastest science-backed method that allows you to reach high fat burn rates without causing major destruction of your muscle mass (apart from what you'll lose from being inactive).</p></li>\n<li><p>You avoid any cardio exercise (strength training could help you out even under \"fasting\" conditions, but that's a story for another day), because every hour of exercise in a glycogen deprived state can destroy upwards of 100 grams of your lean body mass (at least according to this nitrogen balance study: <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7380688\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7380688</a>).</p></li>\n</ol>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/21
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33642",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25131/"
] |
33,654 |
<p>I have a question on recovery after cardio. Given that hydrating and electrolyte post-workout is vital, what is the virtue of sports drinks over water+potato chips (baked)? To be clear, this is a question about quality not quantity of nutrition, or even better options such as real potato or bananas.</p>
<p>To wit, both have sodium and potassium, but while sport drinks is otherwise sugar, potato chips have a little bit of sugar, fiber, carbs, fat and protein. All of which are, in general, vital nutrients and nutrition-delivery mechanisms. On top of that, potato chips are more delicious/satisfying (IMHO) plus in general, both electrolyte-per-calorie and nutrition-per-dollar is higher than for sports drinks (at least the version with water). </p>
<p>So the question is, what, if any, of the potato-chip carbs/fiber/fat/protein is counterproductive to the overall health benefits of cardio? maybe glycimic-index? To me however, it seems like the opposite would actually true. Indeed, I would go as far as to <strong>recommend</strong> baked potato chips (+water) over sports drink, but it does not seem to be a recognized option for post-workout recovery.</p>
<p>Certainly, I think for intra-workout hydration, sports drinks might be better, less loggy, but what about post-workout? Does potato chips have a bad reputation from the old days, or is there a genuine reason for avoiding it.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33659,
"author": "ChasingTimmy",
"author_id": 24796,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24796",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It does depend on the intensity and duration of your cardio workout. Potatoes are starchy which takes longer to digest and takes longer to replenish those lost carbs. If you are doing back-to-back high intensity workouts i'd suggest the sports drink for quicker replenishment. This becomes a non-factor after a night or day of rest(or even around 6 hours depending what you read).</p>\n\n<p>In general: if you need carbs now, sports drink. If not, it doesn't really matter then. As always make sure your diet is balanced and nutritious. </p>\n\n<p>P.S.if you want to get really technical about quality of carbs research the glycemic index.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33664,
"author": "bantandor",
"author_id": 19346,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19346",
"pm_score": 2,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>One of the difference between nutrients and sport drinks is that sport drinks are designed in such a way that most of them have approximately %6 Carbs which is the best rate of absorption by the metabolism. On the other hand, it is very difficult to arrange quantity the nutrients such as %6 Carbs from potato chips.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/21
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33654",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25135/"
] |
33,660 |
<p>Me I'm overweight but not a beginner (slight knee injury though, partial lcl tear but I'll deal with that with physio).</p>
<p>I'm 6'1 and wake up and where between 242-247. I have muscle but only got back in gym last 10 weeks trying different routines (after 1-2 years off) I just did 1 day of the 5x5 and would like to burn the stubborn fat with squats but future goal to possibly do a physique/bodybuilding show for natural. Would this be a good program to do for 3-4 months to build a good frame and muscle before the isolated/bodybuilding exercises later?</p>
<p>Check my IG: @markpolan if you guys want a better look at my physique so you can see what I'm talking about.</p>
<p>Thanks guys!! I was 273 and down in the 240's in 10 weeks. So I wanna keep it going but enjoy lifting big as well. I enjoy compound exercises and get bored with isolation.</p>
<p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/7F7rC.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33661,
"author": "AKDiscer",
"author_id": 24470,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24470",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Yes, Stronglifts or Starting Strength are very good programs. You can stay with either of these programs for a couple years or more.</p>\n\n<p>Get your lean body mass where you want it, sculpt through some isolation exercises, and then cut to single digit body fat.</p>\n\n<p>Of course there is some minutia in between all that, but it won't matter until you have a solid base of muscle mass.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33663,
"author": "PravinCG",
"author_id": 1621,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1621",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Must say your 10 week transformation so far is already nothing short of being amazing! </p>\n\n<p>Both SS and SL are good programs and you should continue till you reach at least 1-2x your bodyweight in large lifts like deadlift and back squat. Just like you I do not like isolation exercises, I feel it does not challenge me enough. Also the focus is not there. With barbell complexes its much better and it definitely helps in building good strength which will be the base for you when you want to branch out to bodybuilding.</p>\n\n<p>P.S: My IG is @pravfit and the goal is to double the strength this year.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33669,
"author": "rrirower",
"author_id": 7242,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": true,
"text": "<blockquote>\n <p>I enjoy compound exercises and get bored with isolation.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I think you may be under the impression that bodybuilding training is all about isolation movements. It is not. Bodybuilding training is about learning what you need to work on to sculpt the best physique you can. In a sense, you’d be an artist constantly critiquing your physique. If you need more mass on your deltoids, you perform heavy lifts for deltoids. Same for any other body part.</p>\n\n<p>Isolation movements typically come into play when preparing for competition. They are yet another “sculpting” tool that can be utilized to add a “finishing” touch to your physique.</p>\n\n<p>There’s no one “best” program to lose weight. That’s because you can’t pick and choose where it happens. If you want to pursue a specific training methodology, go ahead. But, if your eventual goal is to stand on stage, there’s no reason why you can’t adopt a bodybuilding lifestyle now. That would mean working on improving your weaknesses and watching your diet.</p>\n\n<p>Lastly, in the early days of bodybuilding, there were no training methodologies. Guys just went to the gym and lift heavy and ate right. Guys like Arnold, Frank Zane, and Dennis Tinnerino were able to build phenomenal physiques by constantly adjusting their training to improve their weaknesses while following a sound nutrition plan. </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/22
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33660",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25141/"
] |
33,671 |
<p>On a animated TV show (dragon ball Z) characters would have clothes which seamed 3 times there weight. <strong>Gradually</strong> building up weights (say a pound a day), could one be able to carry evenly across there body 3 times their own weight and feel normal? What would be the upside and downsides?</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33672,
"author": "John",
"author_id": 19738,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19738",
"pm_score": 4,
"selected": true,
"text": "<p>Now, some work has actually been done on this where scientists looked at what would happen if you were crushed by 2.5g:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>There was the hyper-g work done on chickens, for example, by Arthur\n Hamilton (\"Milt\") Smith in the 1970s. Milt Smith was a gravity\n specialist at the University of California at Davis who wanted to find\n out what would happen to humans if they lived in greater-than-normal\n g-forces. Naturally, he experimented on animals, and he decided that\n the animal that most closely resembled man for this specific purpose\n was the chicken. Chickens, after all, had a posture similar to man's:\n they walked upright on two legs, they had two non-load-bearing limbs\n (the wings), and so on. Anyway, Milt Smith and his assistants took a\n flock of chickens – hundreds of them, in fact – and put them into the\n two eighteen-foot-long centrifuges in the university's Chronic\n Acceleration Research Laboratory, as the place was called.</p>\n \n <p>They spun those chickens up to two-and-a-half gs and let them stay\n there for a good while. In fact, they left them spinning like that day\n and night, for three to six months or more at a time. The hens went\n around and around, they clucked and they cackled and they laid their\n eggs, and as far as those chickens were concerned that was what\n ordinary life was like: a steady pull of two-and-a-half gs. Some of\n those chickens spent the larger portion of their lifetimes in that\n goddamn accelerator.</p>\n \n <p>Well, it was easy to predict what would happen. Their bones would get\n stronger and their muscles would get bigger – because they had all\n that extra gravity to work against. A total of twenty-three\n generations of hens was spun around like this and the same thing\n happened every time. When the accelerator was turned off, out walked\n ... great Mambo chicken! </p>\n \n <p>These chronically accelerated fowl were paragons of brute strength\n and endurance. They'd lost excess body fat, their hearts were pumping\n out greater-than-normal volumes of blood, and their extensor muscles\n were bigger than ever. In consequence of all this, the high-g chickens\n had developed a three-fold increase in their ability to do work, as\n measured by wingbeating exercises and treadmill tests.</p>\n \n <ul>\n <li>Smith, A. H, \"Physiological Changes Associated with Long-Term Increases in Acceleration.\" In \"Life Sciences and Space Research XIV\", edited by P.H.A. Sneath. Berlin:Akademie-Verlag, 1976.</li>\n <li>Smith, A. H., and C. F. Kelly, \"Biological Effects of Chronic Acceleration.\" Naval Research Reviews 18:1 (1965)</li>\n <li>Smith, A. H., and C. F. Kelly, \"Influence of Chronic Acceleration upon Growth and Body Composition.\" Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 110: 413 (1963) </li>\n </ul>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>You can read more in this book: <a href=\"https://www.amazon.ca/Great-Mambo-Chicken-Transhuman-Condition/dp/0201567512\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://www.amazon.ca/Great-Mambo-Chicken-Transhuman-Condition/dp/0201567512</a></p>\n\n<p>But what you are asking is slightly different in methodology:</p>\n\n<p>Hopefully at some point in your life you have had the experience of putting on chainmail. A full compliment of it weights anything up to 27kg (60lbs). Wearing it feels heavy. A suit of the heaviest plate armour would be about the same on top. With both on you are approaching the weight of a human being evenly spread over your body, pushing you into the floor. It feels crushing, every muscle will be working overtime to stop you crumbling into a ball on the floor. Moving is extremely hard. But, with some gentle progressive overload your muscles could build up to this and get used to it.</p>\n\n<p>Your joints however...</p>\n\n<p>Your joints have cartilage protecting them and tendons holding them together. You can't make tendons stronger and you cant replace cartilage (IIRC). By wearing 3x your bodyweight in clothing your cartilage will be crushed much like butter in a mortar and pestle.</p>\n\n<p>(Get some gristle from a chicken and try this at home in your own mortar and pestle!)</p>\n\n<p>Any fast or sudden movement would put massive strain on your tendons and you would get a LOT of tears. </p>\n\n<p>Eddie Hall is arguably the strongest man alive right now and his maximum deadlift is 500kg with a bodyweight of 185 kg. He only did this for one and ruptured his sinus. He would not be able to support 3x his bodyweight in clothing on the regular. </p>\n\n<p>To answer your question: No, you would be restricted by the maximum power output of a human relative to their bodyweight. </p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 43387,
"author": "Mr. Boy",
"author_id": 11931,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/11931",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>It is interesting to consider that people often <em>do</em> carry their own body-weight, or more, in daily life, and they do increase it gradually to the point it feels normal:</p>\n<ol>\n<li>Extremely overweight people may frequently be carrying so much excess fat that they can lose half their body-weight and still be healthy. e.g. I know people who are 18st who used to be 9st. Granted they are not physically very fit but they live fairly normal, active lives. I myself am probably 3st above the 10st I used to weigh and if you asked me to carry that (20kg) all day I would be exhausted.</li>\n<li>Strongmen may weigh up to around 200kg (30st+). In January 2021, Brian Shaw was measured at having 328lb (149kb, 23st) of <em>lean muscle</em> <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdD8qQkOPdI\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdD8qQkOPdI</a></li>\n</ol>\n<p>Neither of these cases is the same as you carrying 2-3X your normal weight around, but they do show you can easily carry your whole bodyweight around as part of 'normal life'. Of course there are even heavier people, the sort who have to be lifted by crane out of their house... but they can not typically live a 'normal life' as activities such as walking become impossible.</p>\n<p>That said, according to google the heaviest <em>athlete</em> ever weighed in at 700lb (315kg, 50st) which is equivalent to a reasonably heavy 17st guy carrying 2X his own weight around. But this is a true outlier!</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/23
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33671",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25147/"
] |
33,682 |
<p>The answer to this question has proven harder to find than I first thought it would be, so I decided to ask it here.</p>
<p>My question is, what is the optimal rep duration in a resistance training regime designed for maximum muscle growth (so not for strength or endurance).</p>
<p>If you can provide a reference to original research, that would be beyond awesome.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33698,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": 0,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>This is a loaded question. First off, Everyone's body responds differently to different rep ranges. I'm going to give your a broad answer and say all rep ranges are good. The reason is because you never want to let your muscles get into a routine. </p>\n\n<p>Another point to be made is that heavier weight recruits more of the muscle to perform the movement. So doing 6x5 is <em>technically</em> better for building muscle than 4x12.</p>\n\n<p>I like heavier weight and lower reps on compound movements like bench press and rows, but I add more reps on isolated movements like bumbell flies for inner chest and preacher curls.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33953,
"author": "Yash Tamta",
"author_id": 25434,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25434",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>For maximising muscle growth(Hypertrophy) you need to make sure that you're keeping higher time under tension which will incorporate more muscle fibre against the resistance and incur in a much better growth.</p>\n\n<p>A prolonged muscle time under tension, only when fatigue leads to full motor unit recruitment, affects the acute amplitude of muscle protein synthesis and mediates a delayed effect on rates of synthesis during 24–30 h recovery. Provided your protein intake is to the point. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3285070/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Time under tension Reference</a></p>\n\n<p>Therefore, increasing your time under tension to about 40-45s will be optimum.\nThe reason you shouldn't look for reps as a rule of thumb is exemplified here. Consider these three cases for Bicep curl(This is applicable to almost every exercise):</p>\n\n<p>Case1:-\n1 rep: 1second concentric(lifting the weight up)+ 1 sec pause for squeezing the muscle + 2 sec eccentric(lowering the weight)\nTime per rep = 4sec. Reps required for optimum time under tension = 10</p>\n\n<p>Case2:-\n1 rep: 1 second concentric + 2 second eccentric\nTime per rep = 3 sec. Reps required for optimum time under tension = 13(~12)</p>\n\n<p>Case3:-\n1 rep: 1 sec concentric + 1 sec pause + 3 sec eccentric\nTime per rep = 5sec. Reps required fo optimum time under tension = 8</p>\n\n<p>On a personal level, I have experienced more satisfying workouts after incorporating these techniques.</p>\n\n<p>Hope this helps.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33954,
"author": "Oremo Ochillo",
"author_id": 25451,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25451",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>In general when you are talking about fitness here are the 4 areas that you have to look at with exercises:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Frequency - How often do you exercise or perform the movement. Ex: Are you working out 3 times a week or 6 times a week. This of course does have a cap on it as over training is a real thing. </li>\n<li>Duration - How long do you perform the movement for. Ex: Are you lifting weights for 20 minutes each time you work out or for 60 minutes. </li>\n<li>Intensity - How intense is your workout each time. Ex: In the case of weight lifting are you benching 145 pounds 10 times or are you benching 160 pounds 10 times. As the weight increases the intensity will naturally increase. </li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>So the answer about are more reps better should be framed withing this context. As each one of these 3 factors increases, your strength and fitness levels will generally increase (all other factors being equal, ie diet, sleep, stress). </p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/24
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33682",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/"
] |
33,684 |
<p>I have 3 days a week to go the gym, while during the weekends I rest, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I workout and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I play volleyball.</p>
<p>My workout routine is a full body workout 3x a week, So I was worried about my legs, since I train them 3x a week and jump a lot in volleyball. Is it too much And I should change my workout routine? Or is there a way I can conciliate these two things?</p>
<p>My workouts and meal plan are focused on muscle building.</p>
|
[
{
"answer_id": 33697,
"author": "NicoLA",
"author_id": 25037,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25037",
"pm_score": -1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>Break up your muscle groups up and do legs on Friday so you'll have a couple days to recover before you hit the court on Tuesday. Playing volleyball with sore quads sounds like torture.</p>\n"
},
{
"answer_id": 33949,
"author": "FenryrMKIII",
"author_id": 25426,
"author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426",
"pm_score": 1,
"selected": false,
"text": "<p>You have to assess By yourself if you are overtrained or not. This depends on a lot of parameters e.g. your capacities, your sleep, your diet as well as external stress factors. </p>\n\n<p>Training and competing equals imposing stress on the body. You want the stress (training + external) to be compensated (capacities + diet + recovery) to achieve adaptation and perform better in the end. </p>\n\n<p>So an easy way to assess if you are over training is to check your performance. Do they keep increasing or do they decrease? A decrease indicates overtraining. Take care that à decrease in performance during à training cycle is possible and sometimes expected. You need ton assess your performances after a proper deload (rest) week in such case.</p>\n\n<p>Also difficulty to sleep and Other symptoms indicate overtraining. Google it to find all symptoms and assess yourself.</p>\n"
}
] |
2017/03/24
|
[
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/33684",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com",
"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24097/"
] |
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