Gym/Exercise Thread

[crokin]

Do you workout? What's your design/split like?
Figured we could use a thread to discuss workouts, cardio, training, for motivation and helpful purposes.

[TheHammer24]

Great idea!

I'm joining a gym this week. I played hockey in high school and worked out then. I worked out occasionally in college, but in the year after college I got fairly big by my standards working out three days a week just doing Shoulder Press, Bench, Incline Press, and Curls. I lose it pretty quickly. I've gotten back into it here and there doing full-body workouts three times a week. I don't think the isolated split workouts (arm, shoulders one day, legs back the next, etc.) work that well for me.

I've gotten super, super weak over the last year. I am looking for something that will build my upper body strength a bit with an emphasis on aesthetics (screw the health part). Any suggestions?

[npv708]

I used to work out 5 times a week in college when I lived within 5 minutes walking distance of a brand new gym on campus.

Since then, not so much.

On Saturday, I went and did some Cardio and some upper body lifting (arms, chest, shoulders) and I'm still in a world of soreness right now.

[crokin]

I've got a few workouts.
Most of them I made hap-hazardly with ok results.
I now am on a 5-3-1 program.
I think the 5-3-1 might help, I can send you by email/FB the PDF for it for you to review.

[Idoit40fans]

Run 2.5-3 miles on Monday and Thursday. Upper body Tuesday and Friday. Legs Wednesday and Saturday. Its not confined to those areas, but its largely upper and lower on the non running days.

[itissteeltime]

I've tried to work out on a couple of occasions. I am about 6 foot 1, weight around 150 pounds, and really want to gain some weight. I'd much rather weight like 170 or so. 2 years ago I comitted myself to working out with an experienced lifter 5 times a week, while eating as much as possible and taking protein shakes. After about 8 months I had gained basically nothing and gave up. Anybody have any suggestions for a hard gainer?

[blackjack68]

Mostly cardio (treadmill and swimming) but really need to add some weights.

[count2infinity]

i can't seem to get into running for the sake of running. i'm not sure why, but it's just something i never could do, so I play racquetball for an hour and a half every monday, wednesday, and friday... hell of a good cardio workout.

[Idoit40fans]

I've tried to work out on a couple of occasions. I am about 6 foot 1, weight around 150 pounds, and really want to gain some weight. I'd much rather weight like 170 or so. 2 years ago I comitted myself to working out with an experienced lifter 5 times a week, while eating as much as possible and taking protein shakes. After about 8 months I had gained basically nothing and gave up. Anybody have any suggestions for a hard gainer?

I'm basically the same way. I get noticeably stronger, but I don't gain any weight. I don't care about weight though, I just care about not getting knocked around playing hockey...which I don't even really play any more. A year and a half after moving to Maryland and I still haven't found a league.

[Pavel Bure]

[crokin]

I workout regularly, but am not that big.
My problem is I don't eat enough (so they say).
I eat maybe 2200-2500 calories and 140-180g protein.
That's about all I can do, for GI restricted dietary reasons.

When I start a new workout, 1st 3 weeks I feel great, I get a nice pump and good tone.
Then, after, it starts to fade, I stall on weights, my body adjusts, and I have little to show.

Wondering if there is any solution with a 2500 calorie diet.
Most stuff I read seems to say, to get big past a platuea, you need 500-750 or more calories over maintanience, which is really time consuming and expensive.
Others say you can make good gains with a moderate diet if you use some "special" on the market supplements

[itissteeltime]

I've tried to work out on a couple of occasions. I am about 6 foot 1, weight around 150 pounds, and really want to gain some weight. I'd much rather weight like 170 or so. 2 years ago I comitted myself to working out with an experienced lifter 5 times a week, while eating as much as possible and taking protein shakes. After about 8 months I had gained basically nothing and gave up. Anybody have any suggestions for a hard gainer?

I'm basically the same way. I get noticeably stronger, but I don't gain any weight. I don't care about weight though, I just care about not getting knocked around playing hockey...which I don't even really play any more. A year and a half after moving to Maryland and I still haven't found a league.

I'm in maryland too, there's tons of adult league. I am about to join one in Balston (kettler), where the caps practice. There are great league in Laurel, as well as Rockville.

[crokin]

I've tried to work out on a couple of occasions. I am about 6 foot 1, weight around 150 pounds, and really want to gain some weight. I'd much rather weight like 170 or so. 2 years ago I comitted myself to working out with an experienced lifter 5 times a week, while eating as much as possible and taking protein shakes. After about 8 months I had gained basically nothing and gave up. Anybody have any suggestions for a hard gainer?

See me last post prior to this.
I am in the exact same shoes.

Some weeks, I get good workouts and have good muscle tone, others I don't and have little to show.
Kinda frustrating.

Like I just want a little more to show but I don't want to make it my life and be eating 8 meals a day.
It's hard for me because I cannot have any dairy, red meat, and minimal fats due to a GI problem.

I definitely would like any advice, you seem like "regular" people not "muscleheads" which matters more.

[bh]

I've tried to work out on a couple of occasions. I am about 6 foot 1, weight around 150 pounds, and really want to gain some weight. I'd much rather weight like 170 or so. 2 years ago I comitted myself to working out with an experienced lifter 5 times a week, while eating as much as possible and taking protein shakes. After about 8 months I had gained basically nothing and gave up. Anybody have any suggestions for a hard gainer?

I'm basically the same way. I get noticeably stronger, but I don't gain any weight. I don't care about weight though, I just care about not getting knocked around playing hockey...which I don't even really play any more. A year and a half after moving to Maryland and I still haven't found a league.

I'm in maryland too, there's tons of adult league. I am about to join one in Balston (kettler), where the caps practice. There are great league in Laurel, as well as Rockville.

There are rinks in Abingdon and Reisterstown as well.

[mac5155]

funny you posted this. I just drew up a workout routine today. Here is what I'm going to do:



any thoughts? My buddy and I are going to get back into lifting. We have bench, 300# olympic set, bowflex selectechs, and a treadmill.

[MelicharSux]

I suck at running. Might try that running thing above but it seems pretty easy the 1st couple weeks.

I go 3 times a week for an hour or so with no plan ever.

[mac5155]

The plan is often the hardest thing. And without drawing it up its hard to follow. I have been going for about a month now with no plan so decided to get my own stuff and draw up a plan.

[shmenguin]

i go to the gym twice a week. 1 session for chest and 1 session for arms, shoulders, back - with ab and leg workouts also done each time. in the old days before i had a life, i would do 1 day chest, 1 day arms and 1 day shoulders/back. that got really good results, but going 3 times a week would be a pain in the ass these days. i did a stint of running recently, and loved it, but i can't continue without putting my knees in danger.

i have a hard time building mass, as i'm one of those jags who can eat whatever and not gain weight. i'm working on upping my calories, but it's hard to do at an effective level without eating a bunch of garbage.

my only gym tip: don't neglect your legs. building up leg muscle can help you in a lot of ways

[Malkamaniac]

I use JEFIT on my iphone and have created numerous plans. After a week off from the gym since I've had a chest cold(not being able to breathe sucks), I'll be going back tonight.

[Troy Loney]

I lift very haphazardly nowadays...i'm not trying to bulk up or anything so I just do it to maintain muscle tone and burn fat.

I would just mostly run, but my feet and knees aren't good with that, and I don't want a bunch of knee and hip problems when I'm older. So I'll either swim, run or do eliptical to get 30+minutes of cardio 4-5 times a week.

I also like to throw in a yoga class now and then to strengthen other muscles and clear my head.

[crokin]

The plan is often the hardest thing. And without drawing it up its hard to follow. I have been going for about a month now with no plan so decided to get my own stuff and draw up a plan.

Aside from a plan on what to do, does your design have a plan on weight/reps/sets and how to rotate week to week?

I suck at running. Might try that running thing above but it seems pretty easy the 1st couple weeks.

I go 3 times a week for an hour or so with no plan ever.

That's what I try to (3 days, one hour) but with a plan.
I find without a plan, it is just to easy for me to slack off and not push it.

Do you do upper and lower body? How do you stay motivated and work hard with no plan?
I'd feel lost.

I do zero cardio, I already weight too little.

[obhave]

Rock climb 2 days a week, cardio 3 days a week, swimming 1 day a week. I lift every other day in addition to those workouts. I have never been able to gain weight in the past, but I started to take protein and I have finally started to gain weight/muscle!

[JeffDFD]

This works. I used this: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Even though it is easy to start...do it anyway. It helps you get into the habit of running early so you don't have to get into the habit while thinking about how much it sucks and you dont want to do it. There were some weeks where I thought it was too big of a jump and was not sure if I could do it, but the program paces you up wonderfully. You actually start to enjoy running.

Unfortunately, I hate running in the cold and holidays happened so now I am out of the habit and put back on some weight. I lost some endurance too, but I would like to do the program again when it gets nicer/warmer. Treadmills just dont do it for me. It would work on a lap course in a gym, but I don't have a good place around me besides the Y and its way to expensive.

[mac5155]

The plan is often the hardest thing. And without drawing it up its hard to follow. I have been going for about a month now with no plan so decided to get my own stuff and draw up a plan.

Aside from a plan on what to do, does your design have a plan on weight/reps/sets and how to rotate week to week?

Yes (see above for plan). I have all but weights, which I plan on handwriting in and increasing by 5-10 lbs / week, depending.

[crokin]

I use JEFIT on my iphone and have created numerous plans. After a week off from the gym since I've had a chest cold(not being able to breathe sucks), I'll be going back tonight.

What's that?

There are some good gym boards to get ideas from, but I have yet to find something that works for people like us who want to look good and toned without it "being" our life.
I'm stalled right now and the only solution I seem to know of is a 3200 calorie diet or "supplements" which I'd rather avoid.