The New Fitness thread

aria

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Paging Average Joe, Spike, et al.

Open thread: whatever level or experience, this forum has all levels of expertise. Whatever your goals: shedding points, feeling better, or even swole acceptance.
 

Spike Spiegel

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When I get time I would be happy to post my routine/diet etc. If anyone has questions, post them up.

Come to think of it, I better leave diet questions up to Joe. ;)
 

Average Joe

Be water, my friend.
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i'm all about functional exercising

currently halfway into Scott Sonnon's new Tacfit26 program and it's amazing: http://rmaxi.com/tacfit26/

it's all about primal and circular movements with a focus on high intensity workout days and proper active recovery rest days--after just 40 days i've seen some drastic improvements all around

i also went Pescetarian-Paleo about five months back and noticed a huge increase in my energy levels
 

StevenK

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I've kind of hoped a thread like this might come up, I've been going to physio for a few weeks for an injury that's nearly a year old now, tore a muscle inside my shoulder blade doing pull ups whilst laughing at family guy - they shouldn't put comedy on the gym tvs....

It's better to an extent, it still aches most mornings I wake up as it has done since about a month after it happened. She's given me stretches to do plus once a week she shoves her fingers so far inside my shoulder blade that the pain makes me sweat. But, doesn't seem to be doing anything really.

She's suggested I try acupuncture. My question is, is acupuncture voodoo bullshit or has anyone got any experience of it actually working?

I'm 32 and have been active my whole life, but since this happened I can't play sports, don't go to the gym, and for the first time ever I'm starting to get a belly. In short, I'm desperate so I need someone who's thinking more clearly to tell me if I'm chasing the tooth fairy.
 

aria

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She's suggested I try acupuncture. My question is, is acupuncture voodoo bullshit or has anyone got any experience of it actually working?

I've seen it work for some people, I don't know if it's a placebo effect or if there's a scientific principle that's working--I wouldn't be surprised if it's the latter. For example: Chiropractic is a mix of actual, useful physical therapy and total, utter quackery, so it can be useful. I'd suggest trying it out.
 

Average Joe

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I've kind of hoped a thread like this might come up, I've been going to physio for a few weeks for an injury that's nearly a year old now, tore a muscle inside my shoulder blade doing pull ups whilst laughing at family guy - they shouldn't put comedy on the gym tvs....

It's better to an extent, it still aches most mornings I wake up as it has done since about a month after it happened. She's given me stretches to do plus once a week she shoves her fingers so far inside my shoulder blade that the pain makes me sweat. But, doesn't seem to be doing anything really.

She's suggested I try acupuncture. My question is, is acupuncture voodoo bullshit or has anyone got any experience of it actually working?

I'm 32 and have been active my whole life, but since this happened I can't play sports, don't go to the gym, and for the first time ever I'm starting to get a belly. In short, I'm desperate so I need someone who's thinking more clearly to tell me if I'm chasing the tooth fairy.

what's the restrictions you have on movement?
 

Takumaji

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One of my friends got rid of his back problems with accupuncture. No matter if it's a placebo or not, it's worth a try IMO. If it works, it works, eh.
 

cdamm

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ive pretty much cut red meat out of my diet.

i find that if you are doing great with a diet 95%of the time that the couple of cheats you allow yourself dont hurt so bad.

thats when i can have an occasional steak or a burger. i allow one red meat dish every other week and at this point i dont always even use it.
 

MilkManX

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Man it has been some time. Last check in on the old thread I think I was still in 36-38" pants and around 230-240 lbs. Now 34" pants- 215 lbs 6' and as of January passed my 2nd Degree Black Belt in Enshin Karate. Strength wise I use Kettlebells and body weight. Compound lifts and ballistics. Diet wise I just use a bit of common sense,portion control,avoid fast food and HFCS/Fake food.
 
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StevenK

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what's the restrictions you have on movement?

The restrictions on movement I have is actually not too bad, pretty much the only thing I can't do that I used to be able to do is link my hands behind my back, one over the shoulder and one under if that makes sense. If I was to do nothing strenuous again then I could probably happily live with it but I don't want to give up on exercise (more specifically sport) at 32 and turn into a lard ass.

I've tried a few press ups, just three sets of 15, next morning agony. A few seated presses on the base plate, next morning agony, it's been forever and it's just staying the same.
 

Average Joe

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The restrictions on movement I have is actually not too bad, pretty much the only thing I can't do that I used to be able to do is link my hands behind my back, one over the shoulder and one under if that makes sense. If I was to do nothing strenuous again then I could probably happily live with it but I don't want to give up on exercise (more specifically sport) at 32 and turn into a lard ass.

I've tried a few press ups, just three sets of 15, next morning agony. A few seated presses on the base plate, next morning agony, it's been forever and it's just staying the same.

that's tough to sort out

i had a patellar tracking problem with my right knee and the way i fixed it was to literally do a bit of everything to systematically remove what would irritate it or not and because i took the time to do that, combined with proper strengthening exercises for that issue--for a while i couldn't even do a proper basic squat without my knee popping and having pain the next day, but now i can whip out pistol squats with no problems again

try doing push-ups with bars/handles to ease shoulder strain; get some bands and try isometric front and side raises; grab a kettlebell and do some circular strength training; avoid isolation training and do some multi-joint/synergistic exercises to allow the surrounding muscles groups to pick up the slack for your damaged shoulder; or even try yoga or swimming

again, try it all if you're able and see what works

there's no shortage of ways to exercise

that's all you can do really
 
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StevenK

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that's tough to sort out

i had a patellar tracking problem with my right knee and the way i fixed it was to literally do a bit of everything to systematically remove what would irritate it or not and because i took the time to do that, combined with proper strengthening exercises for that issue--for a while i couldn't even do a proper basic squat without my knee popping and having pain the next day, but now i can whip out pistol squats with no problems again

try doing push-ups with bars/handles to ease shoulder strain; get some bands and try isometric front and side raises; grab a kettlebell and do some circular strength training; avoid isolation training and do some multi-joint/synergistic exercises to allow the surrounding muscles groups to pick up the slack for your damaged shoulder; or even try yoga or swimming

again, try it all if you're able and see what works

there's no shortage of ways to exercise

that's all you can do really

Yeah, think I'll give those a try, like you say some decent compound exercises should help balance the load. I'm thinking about trying to pick up a personal trainer who specialies in injury recovery - just for a couple of months or so - I've looked into it a bit and they're not cheap.

Just as a warning when I picked up the injury I was working on a muscle overload 'fast as you can perform the rep' program, I forget who's it is. My advice would be caution if you try it.
 

Spike Spiegel

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So, I will post some mumbo jumbo about my training habits. I will say things that are standard knowledge, and I will also say things that many would think is against the norm.

I train 7 days a week, every week. Almost never do I take a rest day. Far too often do I hear the term "over training," which makes no sense to me. I haven't experienced anything that would suggest that my body can't handle "it" any more. The proper retort to this is usually, "well, you're clearly not pushing yourself hard enough in the gym, then." My answer is, "The hell I'm NOT!"

The next controversial thing about my workouts is the amount of sets and the intensity. I work every set to near failure. If my 8th, 9th and especially 10th rep aren't nearly impossible with PERFECT form, I raise the weight. I do this for about 25 working sets of 8-12 reps per session. This is considered too much by many people. It's also thought that working to failure isn't a good thing too often. My question is, why?

Third stupid thing I'm about to say is about the subject of supplements. I think, for the most part, supplements are absolutely unnecessary. A complete waste of money, as most supplements are snake oil. Money in a jar. Easy money, at that. Far too often do people see some roided freak promoting product XYZ, and claims it was XYZ that got them there. For only 69.99 per bottle, you can harness this awesome power.

Gimme a fucking break.

Too often, as well, do people look for some sort of chemical assistance to help them look good, instead of ol' fashion hard work. Not everyone looks amazing because it is HARD. If it were easy, everyone would look like Urien from Street Fighter 3. Thankfully, it IS hard, and that's what makes a good physique special to obtain. By chemicals, I also am referring to steroids. That's something I wouldn't do... but I must admit, they do sound appealing on paper. Too much money and too questionable to the sides included in what is, ultimately, a short term goal. No sense risking my health and lifespan to look "good" for a few short years.

So, workout hard as hell, watch what you eat, to hell with supplements (outside of a multi vitamin), and don't be a pussy when it comes to training "too much."

Questions?
 

Spike Spiegel

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Exercises:

Compounds, compounds, compounds. Squat, bench, deadlift, military press, etc. Do them. A lot of times, people focus on biceps (lol), and small muscles instead of many at once. Yes this all makes perfect sense IF you are training for a fitness contest and you're damn near perfect looking, yet you have to fine tune a few things. Okay, that makes sense. You want everything to be on point, and tuning those last areas is a given. But when you have a mediocre body, doing things like this, and shying away from compound motions is really idiotic.

If you're trying to build over all muscle, do NOT be afraid of a certain exercises. Don't fear an exercise because it's "too hard." You have to embrace it because it's hard.

You know how many people do dead lifts? You know how many do pull ups? These are the people that WANT to gain muscle. These are the people who brag in the office how "long they were in the gym," but don't actually do what it takes to make that that time worth it.

Oh yes, that's another thing. If you tel somebody "I was at the gym for three hours yesterday," then slam your dick in a door. What in the name of hell were you doing there that long? Anything over an hour and half is foolish. There's simply no way in hell you're able to work THREE hours, and have them all be very intense with short rest periods between sets. Stop staring at the gym bunnies and get off your god damn phone and lift. Christ.

So when somebody tries to impress you and says they were in the gym for three hours, ask them "what did you do, text for two and a half hours?" Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't all hard work. Not unless they're geared/roided out of their minds... and even then, highly highly doubtful.
 
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Spike Spiegel

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"I do a million sit ups a day."

Well then, you're a moron.

I don't know what the hell it is with America's obsession with abdominals. Maybe it's like the great white whale that nobody will ever obtain, and that's why they're held in such high regard. They're not impossible to get if you have a great diet. And, this is going to blow people's minds, they're still a muscle. They're a large muscle in your midsection that should be worked like any other muscle. Do you grab a 5 lb weight and do 100 curls? Of course you don't. So, why on earth do people do countless countless sit ups and crunches?

Yes, low weight and high reps is good now and then. Not just for abs, but for everything. But all the time, three times a week? Oh stop it. The abs will respond to weight resistance just the same as your other muscles. Try doing some weighted exercises, three sets of ten. They WILL respond.

And if you're heavy set, don't just assume you can do sit ups to make your gut go away. That's years of late night exercise commercials lying to you. You can't spot reduce. And no, it's not just you. "I can't seem to get rid of this belly fat. That's all that's left." Well no kidding. Between belly fat and quads, that's where humans usually lose fat last. It's your body trying to keep you alive. It means well, and it just comes off last there. And if you think for one second you can get it to come off there before other places, you're out of your mind.

Ask yourself: How often have you seen someone with ripped abs and had flabby arms? If you said never, you're right.

As for the whole Patrick Bateman "I can do a thousand, now" ab routine... it just won't help. You can also do up to 100 pushups in a sitting but almost never do people that do that have huge pecs. It's good for your heart, I'm sure, but it won't build muscle as well as you think. Likewise, you're not gonna necessarily build baby fists abs by doing a ton of abs without some sort of weight resistance.

Okay, now I'm just repeating myself...
 

Magician

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Recently? I changed my diet slightly, from eggs/bacon/coffee in the morning, to a protein bar I really like instead. Avoiding pop, candy, and snack food the best that I can. Nothing to brag about; a notch off the belt and just overall feeling better.
 

Renmauzo

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Thanks for posting these tips up Spike and Joe, there were a few things mentioned that I hadn't considered. I'm working towards a soccer build and have trimmed back down to the overall desired size through cardio, but lack proper definition (really only have proper definition in the legs. At least I can keep pace with guys 10 years my junior, but my throw-ins lack power, and subsequently, distance. I have a hell of a time with pull ups, but leg exercises come much easier due to the nature of the game and martial arts training.
 

rarehero

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So I've been back on track,
running two days and resting the next.
It's nice, I've been able to go from XL to L t-shirts.
Still trying to get rid of my gut though.
If there's good routines for that I'd love to hear about them.
 

Spike Spiegel

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So I've been back on track,
running two days and resting the next.
It's nice, I've been able to go from XL to L t-shirts.
Still trying to get rid of my gut though.
If there's good routines for that I'd love to hear about them.

As I already said above, you just gotta lose it all. Diet and exercise everything... it will come off. It has to. When you expend more calories than you consume... tah-dah!
 

Kid Panda

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This panda needs to get off his lazy ass and get a routine going. Thanks Spike for some pointers on working out. Really going to make this happen, as there is no try.
 

Kazuki Dash

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Nice thread, I'll be popping in to read up periodically on what a lot of you guys have to say.

@Spike: Great breakdown on the whole ab absession topic. Most of the people out there who tend to sound more legit are pretty much in consensus with all the things you talk about.

Sometimes I check out YouTube videos by the Hodge Twins...mostly for the laughs, but I think a lot of what they say seems to make sense.

I'm by no means any kind of expert. At the moment I'm looking to see if I can save up to sign on for a few months at a local boxing gym. In the meantime, I rely mostly on body weight exercises at home:

- Reverse Push-ups
- Spider-Man Planks
- Squats
- Burpees

and for cardio:

- Jump rope
- Shadow Boxing

If you guys have suggestions for any additions/modifications that would probably benefit me, I'd be open to 'em. I'm not really looking to get huge or anything, just pretty much working towards some strength gains and improving my overall endurance.

I've also started cutting some of the excess sugars/carbs out of my diet. More water & less juices/soda, less rice on my plate, and snacking is now more fruit & nuts. I also take fish oil as a daily supplement as well.

I'm hoping this thread takes off...and with that I turn it back to the pros here.
 

Darren870

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Spike, what does your diet look like? You go to the gym everyday but do you lift everyday? What does your routine look like?

I try to go about 6 times a week, but days like today I just HIIT on the treadmill. I benched saturday, deadlifts & pull ups on on sunday and squats & OHP yesterday. After all that I am a bit beat and want to let my body recover one more day before picking up some more weights. What would you normally do in a situation like that?
 

Tarma

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Any one got any good suggestions for strengthening legs - upper & lower? I've got really long legs, and I don't really want to do the spindley look... only problem I've got is I'm carrying some old football injuries so cannot load my knees nor my back too much... Few months ago I was doing squats with a pretty easy weight and my back just went... took a month to recover and I was in agony for over a week :(

So, I'm finding my choices for exercises rather limited. :annoyed:
 

Average Joe

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diet and exercising are very person-specific

i've developed a firm belief in needing to come to a mutual understanding with the physical and nutritional requirements our bodies need, and since we're all such drastically-varying individuals, it's in our best interest to learn our limits through introspection/understanding and not simply from provided advice

that's not to say you should ignore the advice of others, but just don't hold it as a universal truth

in short: if you feel you need to rest, then rest

i'd personally rather rest an extra day and get 100% production the next day then half-ass a workout while operating at a lower percentage

(again, that's just me, do your own thing)
 

El Maricon Loco

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That's a very good point Joe - when I've gotten into routines in the past, I tend to overdue it, I think a lot of people do. It's not worth blowing yourself out for a week because you wanted to push yourself until you nearly black out in every exercise.
 
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