Gym/Exercise Thread

[mac5155]

Has anyone tried Weight Watchers for Men speaking of diets?

My buddy was on it last year and he said it was the easiest diet to follow of about 4-5 he tried. Said you get specific point values and everything from Big Macs to Bud Lights are accounted for.

[Idoit40fans]

Even if you weigh nothing, you still want to get cardio in.

[blackjack68]

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

Spoiler:

[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?

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

So you're like me? One of those obsessive nerds who walks around the gym with a pen and a sheet

That is what I did with the 5-3-1 first cycle, and it was the best.
I am on my 2nd cycle, and really not getting much pump or anything.
I added weight to the main lifts as told (Bench, Squat, DL, MP).
The supplementory exercises I add 5 LBS (Up body) and 10 LB lower body per week.

They say on the 3rd cycle to switch the supplementory exercises to "shock" the body and prevent stalling.

[mac5155]

Even if you weigh nothing, you still want to get cardio in.

I usually start with 10-15 minutes of treadmill and end with 5-10 minutes of treadmill.

[The Snapshot]

I am pretty much set in the 170lb range at 5'11". I do tend to lose a few pounds in summer when the temps are higher and I have been eating less.

I have pretty much always worked out 4-5 days a week, with the only real exception being when we had our two kids and they required a lot more time/energy.

I usually use light weights (a lot of dumbell and kettle work) and do things with body weight or band resistance (chins, sit-ups, push-ups, etc.) since am happy with the amount of muscle I have on my frame. For me, at my age, it is more about maintenance and I focus on functional strength and endurance.

In the summer and spring, I do lots of Kayaking - mainly to fish, but I fish some big lakes that I get some aggressive paddling in between spots. I jog on occassion, usually between 2.5-3 miles and try to stay in a 9-10 minute mile range.

I also play hockey 3 nights a week - one of which is a fairly competitive open-age league, one is a running pickup skate and the other is with a traveling over 50 league. I have for the most part done this fall/winter/spring/summer for the last 20 years or so. This alone keeps me fit, and the workouts between are easy to get up for because I am pretty competitive and don't like to feel like I played poorly. At 51, especially in the open league, there is no chance of playing well and being less than fit.

I have to listen to my body though, and sometimes if I feel fatigued on a given day I will just stretch or cut the workout way down. I am really lucky to have suffered only a few major injuries that have shut me down altogether.

I don't know how I would look or feel if I did not love sports and competition. I am very much into cross-training and everything I do in some way revolves around that need to feel like I was capable of playing well. Whether I do or not is another question that varies daily....

[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.

So you're like me? One of those obsessive nerds who walks around the gym with a pen and a sheet

That is what I did with the 5-3-1 first cycle, and it was the best.
I am on my 2nd cycle, and really not getting much pump or anything.
I added weight to the main lifts as told (Bench, Squat, DL, MP).
The supplementory exercises I add 5 LBS (Up body) and 10 LB lower body per week.

They say on the 3rd cycle to switch the supplementory exercises to "shock" the body and prevent stalling.

lol, well I have a private place to workout, so I'm not in the gym. But, when I played football and was benching like 300# and squatting close to 500#, yeah I carried around a sheet. I struggle to put up 135# now. Its kind of embarrassing

[crokin]

Even if you weigh nothing, you still want to get cardio in.

I know, but I don't have the motivation.
Every 2 weeks I swim, and since I don't play hockey anymore, I don't need to be in top notch cardio shape.
I know you're right, but after 60 of lifting, I wanna go home and listen to Staggy.

[Troy Loney]

Spoiler:

I am pretty much set in the 170lb range at 5'11". I do tend to lose a few pounds in summer when the temps are higher and I have been eating less.

I have pretty much always worked out 4-5 days a week, with the only real exception being when we had our two kids and they required a lot more time/energy.

I usually use light weights (a lot of dumbell and kettle work) and do things with body weight or band resistance (chins, sit-ups, push-ups, etc.) since am happy with the amount of muscle I have on my frame. For me, at my age, it is more about maintenance and I focus on functional strength and endurance.

In the summer and spring, I do lots of Kayaking - mainly to fish, but I fish some big lakes that I get some aggressive paddling in between spots. I jog on occassion, usually between 2.5-3 miles and try to stay in a 9-10 minute mile range.

I also play hockey 3 nights a week - one of which is a fairly competitive open-age league, one is a running pickup skate and the other is with a traveling over 50 league. I have for the most part done this fall/winter/spring/summer for the last 20 years or so. This alone keeps me fit, and the workouts between are easy to get up for because I am pretty competitive and don't like to feel like I played poorly. At 51, especially in the open league, there is no chance of playing well and being less than fit.

I have to listen to my body though, and sometimes if I feel fatigued on a given day I will just stretch or cut the workout way down. I am really lucky to have suffered only a few major injuries that have shut me down altogether.

I don't know how I would look or feel if I did not love sports and competition. I am very much into cross-training and everything I do in some way revolves around that need to feel like I was capable of playing well. Whether I do or not is another question that varies daily....

:

Good to see this....I hope all the work I've been doing the last twn years and continue to do will do me well when I'm in my 50's.

[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.

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.

JEFIT is essentially the pad and paper that most people have used for years, but you log it on your phone and it uploads to a site so you can see the graphs of your improvement and stuff.

Helps you understand when it's time to min max and all that fun stuff.

[Kraftster]

Terrible at staying committed to exercise (cardio), plus I still can't figure my shins out when I do try to run. No time for gym with work/baby these days. I'll just continue to gain a pound or two a year and to be out of shape for the foreseeable future, I fear.

[crokin]

People should post their workouts which have worked for them, would be cool to have a nice menu to choose from.

If anybody wants the 5-3-1 manual (I just sent one to hammer) ask or PM me.
Here are some links to some articles on it, but you'll still need the manual.

Overviews:
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_art ... e_strength" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workou ... ystem.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://stronglifts.com/531-jim-wendler- ... g-program/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://theswole.com/concept/531-jim-wen ... -strength/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Questions:
http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/t ... questions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Idoit40fans]

Thats the other thing i'm trying to do. I stretch at least once every day even when I know i'm not working out. I'm not old by any means, but i've always been very flexible and do not have any interest in losing that any time soon.

[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.

JEFIT is essentially the pad and paper that most people have used for years, but you log it on your phone and it uploads to a site so you can see the graphs of your improvement and stuff.

Helps you understand when it's time to min max and all that fun stuff.

There's an app for it?
I'll have to check. Thing is on my WO sheets, I also on the back list a bunch of exercises with instructions on how to do, which is a good refresher/encylopedia on the go.

[Malkamaniac]

Yea, the cardio thing is vital. I try and do 10-15 minute warmups on the tread mill before I lift, and then every Saturday I usually try to do 30-minutes to an hour before light lifting.

If you having cardio problems and feel forced to do a treadmill, I played basketball, so I do a lot of running on the court when I can shooting around because it's cardio and you don't even know it/feel it.

[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.

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.

JEFIT is essentially the pad and paper that most people have used for years, but you log it on your phone and it uploads to a site so you can see the graphs of your improvement and stuff.

Helps you understand when it's time to min max and all that fun stuff.

There's an app for it?
I'll have to check. Thing is on my WO sheets, I also on the back list a bunch of exercises with instructions on how to do, which is a good refresher/encylopedia on the go.

http://www.jefit.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mac5155]

There's an app for it?
I'll have to check. Thing is on my WO sheets, I also on the back list a bunch of exercises with instructions on how to do, which is a good refresher/encylopedia on the go.

That is a good point as well. For all the exercises I have on my plan, I printed out pictures of proper form.

[Idoit40fans]

Yea, the cardio thing is vital. I try and do 10-15 minute warmups on the tread mill before I lift, and then every Saturday I usually try to do 30-minutes to an hour before light lifting.

If you having cardio problems and feel forced to do a treadmill, I played basketball, so I do a lot of running on the court when I can shooting around because it's cardio and you don't even know it/feel it.

Is your location referring to men?

[joopen]

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

Change your workout every month. Do a routine until you plateau then switch what you do. You will shock your body all over again and see more steady results.

[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.

JEFIT is essentially the pad and paper that most people have used for years, but you log it on your phone and it uploads to a site so you can see the graphs of your improvement and stuff.

Helps you understand when it's time to min max and all that fun stuff.

There's an app for it?
I'll have to check. Thing is on my WO sheets, I also on the back list a bunch of exercises with instructions on how to do, which is a good refresher/encylopedia on the go.

http://www.jefit.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks

So, even though I am 5 10 and 164...I really am short changing myself with no cardio?
How much should I do per week in your views?

[Malkamaniac]

Yea, the cardio thing is vital. I try and do 10-15 minute warmups on the tread mill before I lift, and then every Saturday I usually try to do 30-minutes to an hour before light lifting.

If you having cardio problems and feel forced to do a treadmill, I played basketball, so I do a lot of running on the court when I can shooting around because it's cardio and you don't even know it/feel it.

Is your location referring to men?

lol if you really want it to be, sure.

[Malkamaniac]

I always do cardio after brief stretching. It helps you get your blood flowing to all parts of your body.

Also, the strange thing I see are the people that have bulked up way high, but did no cardio so they're still muscular fat guys.

[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

Change your workout every month. Do a routine until you plateau then switch what you do. You will shock your body all over again and see more steady results.

Problem is, do you have 12 good workout designs to change for each month!

I would think maybe what may help is:
-Rotating in exercises (example....Incline Bench 1 month.....DB Incline Bench 1 month.....HS Bench 1 month.....BB Curls 1 month....DB curls...and so fourth).
-Rotating weights (few weeks of doing 8-12 reps...few weeks of 3-6 reps)


That, and the fact, you basically aren't "gaining" any size or strength, you are just all about getting a "pump" or "muscle tone" which is temporary and fickle.
Be nice to have some true muscle tone and gain that was not there for a week and gone.

[The Snapshot]

Spoiler:

I am pretty much set in the 170lb range at 5'11". I do tend to lose a few pounds in summer when the temps are higher and I have been eating less.

I have pretty much always worked out 4-5 days a week, with the only real exception being when we had our two kids and they required a lot more time/energy.

I usually use light weights (a lot of dumbell and kettle work) and do things with body weight or band resistance (chins, sit-ups, push-ups, etc.) since am happy with the amount of muscle I have on my frame. For me, at my age, it is more about maintenance and I focus on functional strength and endurance.

In the summer and spring, I do lots of Kayaking - mainly to fish, but I fish some big lakes that I get some aggressive paddling in between spots. I jog on occassion, usually between 2.5-3 miles and try to stay in a 9-10 minute mile range.

I also play hockey 3 nights a week - one of which is a fairly competitive open-age league, one is a running pickup skate and the other is with a traveling over 50 league. I have for the most part done this fall/winter/spring/summer for the last 20 years or so. This alone keeps me fit, and the workouts between are easy to get up for because I am pretty competitive and don't like to feel like I played poorly. At 51, especially in the open league, there is no chance of playing well and being less than fit.

I have to listen to my body though, and sometimes if I feel fatigued on a given day I will just stretch or cut the workout way down. I am really lucky to have suffered only a few major injuries that have shut me down altogether.

I don't know how I would look or feel if I did not love sports and competition. I am very much into cross-training and everything I do in some way revolves around that need to feel like I was capable of playing well. Whether I do or not is another question that varies daily....

:

Good to see this....I hope all the work I've been doing the last twn years and continue to do will do me well when I'm in my 50's.

It will. I was blessed with good genetics I guess, but when I was younger I always wanted to be a little bigger. As I got older and kept working out, I naturally gained about 8-10 lbs over the course of the years. I don't know if it is muscle or not, but it must be mostly because I don't really have any fat globs on me. I think I just "filled out" as my mom used to tell me I would.

Anyway, I never really had any grand design or workout plan - just a need to feel good and enjoy the sports I love. I guess it is a lifestyle instead of a chore - and that has made all the difference to me. For my brother, who does not compete, the aging process has gone very differently.

[joopen]

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

Change your workout every month. Do a routine until you plateau then switch what you do. You will shock your body all over again and see more steady results.

Problem is, do you have 12 good workout designs to change for each month!

I would think maybe what may help is:
-Rotating in exercises (example....Incline Bench 1 month.....DB Incline Bench 1 month.....HS Bench 1 month.....BB Curls 1 month....DB curls...and so fourth).
-Rotating weights (few weeks of doing 8-12 reps...few weeks of 3-6 reps)


That, and the fact, you basically aren't "gaining" any size or strength, you are just all about getting a "pump" or "muscle tone" which is temporary and fickle.
Be nice to have some true muscle tone and gain that was not there for a week and gone.

You really only need 2 or 3 routines because once you get done with the new one, your body forgets the old one. Also look into plyo workouts and circuit type routines for more guidance.