Does Anyone Here Lift Weights?

[dethrock]

I just finished up my 3rd week of my 3rd month of the 5/3/1 program. So far I'm really liking it. I'm going into a deload week which I'm really looking forward too, I'm pretty sore right now! 

 

I haven't figured out my maxes for anything in about 3 months but here's how my week went:

 

OHP - 130x8

Deadlift - 255x10

Bench - 260x6

Squat - 285x6

 

So for those numbers it's my last set, where I have to do 1+ (so as many as you can.) I was really happy with everything but my squats, which I need to improve on.

[vialister]

I'm currently in the 3rd week of the MFT28. I'm not doing the whole, AM/PM workout & one meal a day as i have to work 10 hours a day and need to eat!

I'm just doing the evening one with a few changes to it (The gym I've got access to at work isn't the best.) and 30 or so minutes of cardio and then 5 1/2 minutes worth of circuits after...

 

The lifting part of the MFT is all based around supersets (8-12 reps to failure) and was brutal for the first 2 weeks. It's working well though for toning and the circuits are helping as well.

 

Interesting to see what the results are at the end.

[thebiglebowski]

I don't know anything about MFT but the idea that it suggests one meal a day would make me suspect of the entire program.

[jerseydave77]

I don't know anything about MFT but the idea that it suggests one meal a day would make me suspect of the entire program.

 

I was wondering the same thing. I am meeting with a nutritionist tomorrow. We are going to work together for a month to help get me on the best diet for all of my many goals. Losing weight, building strength and training for significant cardio competitions has left me confused. They feel in conflict but I'm told they aren't. I figure his rates are good, works with people who compete in triathlon - nothing to lose from assessing me and possibly making some changes so I'm not wasting time and energy doing things wrong. 

 

Anyone else do AM workouts? I am trying to train my body to early morning physical exertion. I'm on week three of two 5:30am workouts and so far so good. I thought I'd be dragging by the afternoon but I'm not. 

[vialister]

I don't know anything about MFT but the idea that it suggests one meal a day would make me suspect of the entire program.

It's one full meal a day. the rest of the day is based around casein & protein shakes 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/greg-plitts-mft28-training-overview.html

 

the training part is working though. the super sets make it killer and just confuses fuck out of the muscles (mine at least!)

[thebiglebowski]

It's one full meal a day. the rest of the day is based around casein & protein shakes 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/greg-plitts-mft28-training-overview.html

 

the training part is working though. the super sets make it killer and just confuses fuck out of the muscles (mine at least!)

 

There's a whole lot to that and who am I to argue with someone who is published on a bodybuilding website but I grabbed this from one of the comments and believe it:

 

"There's a reason this program is only 28 days. It's gonna seriously overtrain your body. Doing that much volume with very little carbs, like the nutrition guide recommends?You'll deplete your glycogen supplies, so you'll lose some water weight along with a bit of fat, and you'll look leaner. But the real key to leaning down effectively is time and discipline with nutrition and resistance training. This program seems aimed more at the last stage of a cut when you're trying to get off those last stubborn pounds of fat."

 

It's also kinda funny (maybe, ironic?) that you talk about muscle confusion while posting a program that says this:

 

"Muscle confusion is a lukewarm phrase used to describe weak workouts."

 

I think this looks pretty similar to P90x, which has a certain set of goals and is definitely useful when trying to slim down. If it's getting you to your goals, awesome. I would throw out that nutrition plan, though. Dude has clearly signed a contract with Met-RX to push the hell out of their supplements. Bodybuilding.com is a great resource for exercise but it is also there to really sell some supplements. I'd really recommend you eat some real food and use the protein shakes for what their name implies -- "supplements" to a healthy diet.

 

Just my two cents, though.

[JessRD]

Anyone else do AM workouts? I am trying to train my body to early morning physical exertion. I'm on week three of two 5:30am workouts and so far so good. I thought I'd be dragging by the afternoon but I'm not.

I always work out at 6 am. Makes me feel better the rest of the day! And I definitely think seeing a nutritionist is a great idea, I may be biased though! You can also try Craig's list for road bikes, I know a few people who have managed to find some pretty good deals. But I suppose it takes some effort and patience.

[vialister]

There's a whole lot to that and who am I to argue with someone who is published on a bodybuilding website but I grabbed this from one of the comments and believe it:

 

"There's a reason this program is only 28 days. It's gonna seriously overtrain your body. Doing that much volume with very little carbs, like the nutrition guide recommends?You'll deplete your glycogen supplies, so you'll lose some water weight along with a bit of fat, and you'll look leaner. But the real key to leaning down effectively is time and discipline with nutrition and resistance training. This program seems aimed more at the last stage of a cut when you're trying to get off those last stubborn pounds of fat."

 

It's also kinda funny (maybe, ironic?) that you talk about muscle confusion while posting a program that says this:

 

"Muscle confusion is a lukewarm phrase used to describe weak workouts."

 

I think this looks pretty similar to P90x, which has a certain set of goals and is definitely useful when trying to slim down. If it's getting you to your goals, awesome. I would throw out that nutrition plan, though. Dude has clearly signed a contract with Met-RX to push the hell out of their supplements. Bodybuilding.com is a great resource for exercise but it is also there to really sell some supplements. I'd really recommend you eat some real food and use the protein shakes for what their name implies -- "supplements" to a healthy diet.

 

Just my two cents, though.

 

 

Totally valid points. Like i said, I'm not doing the whole thing, just the PM training part and I've altered it slighty to what I have available so i guess, its mostly just the backbone I've taken. I'm in the last stages of cutting to be honest, trying to get rid of the last stubborn bits & its doing the job.

That muscle confusion bit is funny, I meant it by that i just don't know "where" to ache a few days after, if you get me. I do everything 8-12 reps for 2, then to failure on the last set so I doubt that's weak.

 

I noticed the product placement on the website as well. Clutters up everything and is kinda annoying.

The nutrition plan is awful. Not a chance I was doing that. I have always used supplements as supplements & my diet is excellent whilst i'm away (which I am at the moment).

[bigbruise]

I always work out at 6 am. Makes me feel better the rest of the day! And I definitely think seeing a nutritionist is a great idea, I may be biased though! You can also try Craig's list for road bikes, I know a few people who have managed to find some pretty good deals. But I suppose it takes some effort and patience.

 

 

I don't have a good source, except my buddy who is very knowledgable on body building. But I've been told that working out first thing in the morning, mainly lifting, is bad for your back due to spinal fluid that hasn't moved, or a spinal fluid backup, not enough spinal fluid. Something of that nature. But, I mean I was at the gym within an hour of waking up today. 

 

Chime in Lebowski?

[thebiglebowski]

If you have proper form, you shouldn't be putting any strain on your back. Your back should be tight in contraction. So I don't see why spinal fluid would be an issue unless it prevented you from keeping a tight back? But I don't really know anything about what happens if you deadlift 600 pounds or anything like that. Sounds a little fishy to me but I can't really discredit it.

 

Only thing I've really read about the time you workout is that our metabolic cycles tend to start slow, peak around the middle of the day, and slow towards the end. So you might get better workouts if you do it after work than before. But if energy isn't an issue, then I don't think it matters. I would just definitely make sure I ate a meal before with at least a half hour of time until I started.

[thebiglebowski]

Not a weight lifting topic but posting here since it seems like a lot of outdoor / active people read this.

 

Anyone know a little bit about Kayaks I could pm a few questions to? Nothing complex. Just looking at some stuff on Craigslist and want to make sure I get something decent for a good price.

[bigbruise]

People, when you approach the dumbbells, pick up your weights and back the fuck up. Please, for the love of god do not stand right in front of the fucking mirror. If you do this, fuck you.

[Ghost_Parlour*]

People, when you approach the dumbbells, pick up your weights and back the fuck up. Please, for the love of god do not stand right in front of the fucking mirror. If you do this, fuck you.

But how will we know if it's a good burn or not?

Kidding of course. If it was my choice there wouldn't be a single mirror in the gym I go to.

Also, I'm getting back into my routine. Lifted with my friend who recommended some arginine and Co-Q 10. Anyone familiar with some good brands to check out?

[thebiglebowski]

But how will we know if it's a good burn or not?

Kidding of course. If it was my choice there wouldn't be a single mirror in the gym I go to.

Also, I'm getting back into my routine. Lifted with my friend who recommended some arginine and Co-Q 10. Anyone familiar with some good brands to check out?

 

Co-Q 10 for what? Not that it isn't useful (it is good for the heart), but I haven't heard of it having a positive effect on workout performance. Fish oil is pretty much universally recommended as a supplement and has the same positive effect on your heart. Omega 3 fatty acids do help you to lose fat and put on muscle as well. Fish oil is also much cheaper. I'd recommend going that route unless you have a specific reasoning for taking Co-Q 10.

 

Arginine is one of many substances that our body can break down into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide carries more oxygen to our muscles. Just type in "preworkout" into amazon and tons of them will come up. The most important question is do you want one that is stimulant based or non stimulant based? Just depends on whether you want some caffeine to give you energy. Some people prefer not to.

 

And definitely take creatine. Maybe you are. You just didn't mention it. The conventional wisdom thrown around today are that creatine, multivitamin, fish oil, and protein are the "must haves".

[thebiglebowski]

Been reading this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Programming-Strength-Training-2nd/dp/0982522703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370468063&sr=8-1&keywords=practical+programming

 

Authors are an olympic strength and a phd in physiology. Lots of good info. Some of their claims that stood out:

 

There is no empirical evidence to support that stretching before working out decreases probability of injury but it does slightly hurt muscle performance. They recommend light to no stretching after a workout, unless some special reason exists (like you are a hockey goalie). Stretching is only needed to ensure that a lift can be executed (like a squat) and once it can, the exercise itself acts as a stretch.

 

It would take too long to go into the deep dive (explaining our bodies response to exercise hormonally, in the nervous system, muscles, etc) but the short of it is that 1 rep max to 5 rep max are good for increasing strength and power, 12 rep maxes maximize muscle hypertrophy (the effect that causes muscles to grow physically). This essentially explains why smaller guys can sometimes outlift bigger ones -- they train for strength whereas others try to "bodybuild".

[thebiglebowski]

One more I just remember -- lifting slowly only works the slow twitch muscle fibers while lifting quickly works the slow and the fast. Still want to control the weight and not get sloppy but it is actually detrimental to slow down your lifts. You gain power and strength through explosive lifts but muscle gained through slow lifting can only be used as strength slowly.

 

Hope that came out clear.

[bigbruise]

Interesting, that's something I've never even thought. I don't lift necessarily fast, just normal I'd say. I've never given it a thought to slow it down though.

[thebiglebowski]

I think the key is not to try and go fast (which would be dangerous) but not to try and slow yourself down (which some people are taught to do, arguing "controlling the weight" makes you stronger). I guess you could also say it as "lift as fast as you can without losing proper form".

 

The ebook can easily be had if you want to read more. I just kinda like reading about this stuff.

[Ghost_Parlour*]

Co-Q 10 for what? Not that it isn't useful (it is good for the heart), but I haven't heard of it having a positive effect on workout performance. Fish oil is pretty much universally recommended as a supplement and has the same positive effect on your heart. Omega 3 fatty acids do help you to lose fat and put on muscle as well. Fish oil is also much cheaper. I'd recommend going that route unless you have a specific reasoning for taking Co-Q 10.

 

Arginine is one of many substances that our body can break down into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide carries more oxygen to our muscles. Just type in "preworkout" into amazon and tons of them will come up. The most important question is do you want one that is stimulant based or non stimulant based? Just depends on whether you want some caffeine to give you energy. Some people prefer not to.

 

And definitely take creatine. Maybe you are. You just didn't mention it. The conventional wisdom thrown around today are that creatine, multivitamin, fish oil, and protein are the "must haves".

High blood pressure. My family has a BAD history of of this..hypertension and heart attacks are what I'm trying to avoid. That's actually why I got disqualified from meps for. My reasoning is better cardiovascular health=better overall workout.

I got the run down of arginine from my dad, my mom takes it to open up the veins because she refuses to take statens. I was just curious if anyone knew any other brands besides vitamin world.

I'm off my cycle of creatine, most of the muscle it added was water weight anyways, so I'm definitely looking for some input on that. And as far as multivitamins I take green source, coral calcium, and l-lysine. Thanks for any help!

[thebiglebowski]

High blood pressure. My family has a BAD history of of this..hypertension and heart attacks are what I'm trying to avoid. That's actually why I got disqualified from meps for. My reasoning is better cardiovascular health=better overall workout.

I got the run down of arginine from my dad, my mom takes it to open up the veins because she refuses to take statens. I was just curious if anyone knew any other brands besides vitamin world.

I'm off my cycle of creatine, most of the muscle it added was water weight anyways, so I'm definitely looking for some input on that. And as far as multivitamins I take green source, coral calcium, and l-lysine. Thanks for any help!

If you are really worried about cardiovascular health, the best "supplement" you can probably take us a glass of red wine a night. Consistently been shown to increase life expectancy through positive cardiovascular effects and when drank in moderation, doesn't cause the negative health effects of alcohol. Or even better, drink non-alcoholic.

Why someone would take Co-Q 10 over fish oil? Not sure. But fish oil is recommended way more often. You can probably take both. I'm not sure.

Arginine is only one substance to increase nitric oxide. I know citrulline mallate is another. Believe there are at least 8 others. Which one works best? Not sure. Kinda getting into the supplement industry and its "proprietary blends" territory. I know White Flood is a pretty popular preworkout with 1100 milligrams of Arginine AKG (stimulant based, contains caffeine). Hemavol is a pretty popular stimulant free one based on citrulline mallate. All available on amazon. Stim free tends to be more expensive. They are all designed to give the cardiovascular effects you are after. Type preworkout into amazon if you want to see more. I never buy from health stores.

Not knowledgeable of the vitamins you suggested but for most people a single multi is plenty. It's just a safety net to plug up any holes in your diet. If you are going after specific amounts of specific vitamins, you are probably over thinking things (unless a doc or something reliable oh have read leads you to think otherwise).

And creatine is definitively proven to be one of the most effective workout supplements. Not a single perfect answer to dosing but I do 5 mg daily, post workout, mixed with a protein shake. If you did a cycle and weren't happy with the results, the likely problem was with your diet and exercise plan, not an ineffective creatine supplement.

[thebiglebowski]

I guess I'd add that creatine only helps our body recycle ATP, it's anaerobic source of energy. It's for weight lifters mostly. Based on what you said your goals were, you might be doing a heavily aerobic based workout, which would use some ATP but mostly your bodies aerobic pathways for using stored energy.

If this is the case, yeah, ditch the creatine. But if you are doing heavy aerobics, you aren't going to be packing on muscle. You'll look fit and lean, but not really gain much lean size unless you are really out of shape.

So it's just about what your goals are. If you aren't lifting heavy (ballpark -- weights you can only lift at absolute most 10 times in a set), then no need for creatine.

[Ghost_Parlour*]

If you are really worried about cardiovascular health, the best "supplement" you can probably take us a glass of red wine a night. Consistently been shown to increase life expectancy through positive cardiovascular effects and when drank in moderation, doesn't cause the negative health effects of alcohol. Or even better, drink non-alcoholic.

Why someone would take Co-Q 10 over fish oil? Not sure. But fish oil is recommended way more often. You can probably take both. I'm not sure.

Arginine is only one substance to increase nitric oxide. I know citrulline mallate is another. Believe there are at least 8 others. Which one works best? Not sure. Kinda getting into the supplement industry and its "proprietary blends" territory. I know White Flood is a pretty popular preworkout with 1100 milligrams of Arginine AKG (stimulant based, contains caffeine). Hemavol is a pretty popular stimulant free one based on citrulline mallate. All available on amazon. Stim free tends to be more expensive. They are all designed to give the cardiovascular effects you are after. Type preworkout into amazon if you want to see more. I never buy from health stores.

Not knowledgeable of the vitamins you suggested but for most people a single multi is plenty. It's just a safety net to plug up any holes in your diet. If you are going after specific amounts of specific vitamins, you are probably over thinking things (unless a doc or something reliable oh have read leads you to think otherwise).

And creatine is definitively proven to be one of the most effective workout supplements. Not a single perfect answer to dosing but I do 5 mg daily, post workout, mixed with a protein shake. If you did a cycle and weren't happy with the results, the likely problem was with your diet and exercise plan, not an ineffective creatine supplement.

I already do a shot of red wine, a great trick my grandpa showed me. Excellent suggestion, I'm just looking for more, and I adding co-q 10 wouldn't hurt being added to the roster.

Never said I would take co-q 10 over fish oil though, on the contrary I used to take it in high school for my nails and skin. ACNE makes you try ANYTHING to get rid of it.

I'm not to fond of the multi-vitamin route, mainly because I like to isolate my different vitamin "groups" individually. Crazy, but I've been doing it for years and notice a difference when a slight change is introduced. I was lucky enough to have a father who was overzealous in his study of different supplements, as well as a doctor for an uncle to help set him straight. Since you seem to know your shit I'm checking out that white flood, sounds great.

And my exercise routine was fine, I just got disenchanted with it when I hit a glass ceiling. Just to give you a little background on my cycle it was pre-workout, and I just felt bloated the whole time I was on it. I'll admit my diet was less then ideal, but if I was consuming "meat" it was either fish or chicken. I maxed out benching at 225, i weighed 195 pounds. Now I'm back to 170. Height is 6 feet 5 inches. What was the specific brand you take? I'm toying with the idea of posting my progress.

Body by lebowski is what I'll call it.

[thebiglebowski]

And my exercise routine was fine, I just got disenchanted with it when I hit a glass ceiling. Just to give you a little background on my cycle it was pre-workout, and I just felt bloated the whole time I was on it. I'll admit my diet was less then ideal, but if I was consuming "meat" it was either fish or chicken. I maxed out benching at 225, i weighed 195 pounds. Now I'm back to 170. Height is 6 feet 5 inches. What was the specific brand you take? I'm toying with the idea of posting my progress.

Body by lebowski is what I'll call it.

At 6 foot 5 you could easily get up to a 300 pound bench within a couple years if you do things right.

I take optimum nutrition unflavored creatine

[Ghost_Parlour*]

At 6 foot 5 you could easily get up to a 300 pound bench within a couple years if you do things right.

I take optimum nutrition unflavored creatine

Hey man, I apreciate the tips! Going to order some now and (hopefully) update this thread once in a while with some results.

[thebiglebowski]

Picked this up today:

 

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/had/3841125479.html

 

really like the feeling of the back hyperextension (laying on it face down, letting head fall towards the ground, then back to horizontal). Have a little trouble with the weighted sit-up (face up, let weight fall back, sit up holding a plate). Back is tiring out just giving support before my abs really get tired. Maybe it's just cause I've never done the hyperextension exercise I need to focus on the back for a little while, then bring in the abs.

 

But happy to bring it into the rotation.