Back to the gym...

[andyjens89]

ok ill try again

Power cleans are fun!

[Chris Luva Luva]

ok ill try again

Power cleans are fun!

Whats a power clean?

[andyjens89]

Umm maybe this will help
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exerprint.php?Real=%3C%3D+7&Name=Power+Clean&MainMuscle=&Isolation=&Equip=&order=Name

[Chris Luva Luva]

I was reading the stuff you guys posted and Im pretty sure I wasn't eating right to promote growth. I guess thats why I didn't notice too much of a difference after 2-3 months of lifting. Im going to have to sit down and do the numbers, math is too complicated for me. How do I figure out my body fat percentage?

[skinsfano28]

hey chris,

im not that hardcore of a lifter, i use my sports to keep me in some semblance of shape (round)

but, when i do lift for an extended period of time, like a few months, here's how i approach it:

first day, do mostly cardio. i elliptical for about 45 minutes with a 5 minute warm up and cool down. it helps to loosen up the muscles so that when i lift later on, it makes it a little easier. after this i work on either my upper or lower body (depending on my mood) with lighter weights, just to get back into lifting rhythm and style. do the 12-10-8-10-12 repetitions every time you lift, and you'll notice a huge difference.

usually i lift every other day, with a cardio day every two times. so if i go monday, wednesday, friday, i'll do the cardio monday and friday.

also, if you want to build msucle mass, go into your local GNC and talk to the guys behind the counter about which protein shake is right for you. ill ask my buddy which one he drinks, he went from 5'10" to 6'3" in the span of a year and a half with the shakes, and he's built like a truck.

also, one other thing i do, with or without lifting, is eating flax seed oil with my food. you can buy it at any healthfood store, it comes in a black bottle. just pour one tbsp. of it on your veggies at dinner and you'll notice a difference in the way you feel after you lift or run or wahtever you do. you can also buy a cereal called golden flax, which is the same nutrient, just in a differnet form, plus you get the calcium from the milk.

hope i helped you out some, i'll PM you with the name of the protein shake.

[tcwest10]

Sounds like an enema. Maybe it would do you good, CLL.

[Hooligan]

he went from 5'10" to 6'3" in the span of a year and a half with the shakes, and he's built like a truck.

Are you implying that your friend grew 5 inches taller by drinking a shake?

[tcwest10]

Somebody get Fios over here.

[skinsfano28]

not only by drinking the shake but by working his butt off in the gym. he used to be so scrawny and he dedicated himself to lifting and conditioning and it paid off. the shake just helped his muscles repair faster and stronger after he lifted.

[SkinsChic]

he went from 5'10" to 6'3" in the span of a year and a half with the shakes, and he's built like a truck.

Are you implying that your friend grew 5 inches taller by drinking a shake?

Wow...what kind of shakes are they...I could use a few inches upward myself !!

[EA7649]

not only by drinking the shake but by working his butt off in the gym. he used to be so scrawny and he dedicated himself to lifting and conditioning and it paid off. the shake just helped his muscles repair faster and stronger after he lifted.

whats the shake im not as big as i want to be

[skinsfano28]

the shake is called methoxy pro and you can get it at any gnc.


*EDIT*

my buddy said that its the cheapest if you go to vitamin shoppe (for those around fairfax its the one at the intersection of 236 and 50 i think)

[Hooligan]

You can make your own good post-workout shakes at home pretty inexpensively. There are a lot of different combinations of protein powder, gatorade, fruit, yogurt, etc. Just scour the 'net. All you really need after you exercise is protein, carbs, and some sugars. A sandwich won't hurt either Remember the expensive mixtures and potions at the supplement stores are there primarily to make money.

[andyjens89]

ANABOLIC STEROIDS!! YAY!!!

[EasyMoney]

Hooligan's first post is on point. Low reps and more weight to get bigger. I'm not sure how much cardio you do. If you run at all, cut down on it a little bit. You want your metabolism to slow down to gain weight. Running is the most effective way to increase your heart rate. Even lifting weights makes your heart beat faster and you're still burning calories. It might not be the healthiest way to go but I've known guys who purposely gained about 10 to 15 lbs of fat only to work 2 times as hard to burn it off. It never made sense to me but they swore it increased mass.

My highschool football coach had an outstanding bench press work out. I still use it. Between bouts of laziness I'm amazed at how much stronger I get after a month. First you have to find your approximate max. It doesn't really matter if you start with a max that is lower than what you can really do. I would start off with about 20 lbs less than what you think you can bench. Remember that proper form is touching the bar to the bottom of your pectorals and when you press you should finish at the top.

You do it three times a week. Preferably M, W & F but it doesn't really matter as long as you take a day off in between.

Monday:

10 reps at 50% max
8 reps at 60% max
6 reps at 70% max
4 reps at 80% max
2 reps at 90% max

1 set of 8 lockouts with 50% max (a lockout means you start fully extended, go halfway down to your chest, then to your chest, halfway up and then finish by pushing it to the top, repeat)

Wednesday (slower than normal reps):

8 reps at 50% max
8 reps at 55% max
8 reps at 60% max
8 reps at 65% max
8 reps at 70% max

2 sets of 8 rep lockouts with 50% max

Friday:

Repeat Monday but do 2 sets of lockouts instead of 1. Give your muscles a couple days to heal after the Friday workout.

Do that for about 2 weeks until you don't get sore from doing it. Always finish the reps even if you can't do it. I know you said you were looking for a workout where you didn't have to use a spot, but you generally don't need it until the last 2 sets. If you think the lockouts would be too taxing, cut them out until you feel like you need to do more work... and eventually you will feel like you need to do more work.

If you can get through the workout for the entire week without any help, move your max up by 10 lbs the following week.

Everyone is different, but once you get through the first two weeks of soreness you should jump up at least 10 lbs a week.

I would also suggest using the incline and decline benches a couple times a week with a medium weight. Enough weight to do 3 sets of 10.

Always switch up how you're working your muscles. You want to get into a good routine, but you don't want a constant routine. If you hit a wall, get off of the bar bench for a while and start doing dumbell presses. Butterfly's are also important.

As for the rest. 3 sets of 10 is a good number. Do your curls on a preacher bench so you can't cheat. Do reverse curls to work your forearms and the inside of your biceps. Find the rope pull down thing to work your triceps. Lat pull downs are good for the interior of your back. Do not do normal situps, do sprinter crunches ONCE a week until you can't move. A sprinter crunch is when you start with a straight crunch, then you basically touch your right elbow to your left knee, left elbow to right knee, straight, repeat. It works all of your abs and your obliques. Shoulders are also important but you have to be careful. I know too many people who hurt themselves working their shoulders. Be careful. Arms at the side and straight out in front of you with a decent amount of weight should do the trick. Just be careful of the weight.

If you want to keep your foot speed but gain strength. Do a low number of sets with a high amount of reps when you work your lower body.

Anyways, I hope this helps. Try the bench workout. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. Every person I've shown it to (who works out with good consistency) gets at the very least 40 to 50 lbs stronger in about 2 months.

[Punu]

Hey CLL, wanna know about any updates on the workout.... Anything working for ya?

Personally, I have been staying under 1500 Cal a day, no carbs aftere 6:30 and run every day. For 30 days I've been on HOT ROX and whey protien and at only 5'8 I went from 178 to 165 in about 5 weeks or so. Gaining that weight back in muscle now, cuz not that the belly fat isnt there, you can see definition.

I hope you kept alternating your upper and lower body work outs.... right now I tend to work out my upper body more, biceps, back, shoulders, abs one day
triceps, chest, legs the next... cardio everyday.

update?

[Chris Luva Luva]

I was just about to update this. How in the world do I figure out my body fat percentage? I was reading one of the many pieces of advice I got from this thread and I need to figure that out to see how much I need to eat.

Those of you who have met me probally think I have 0% body fat.

I have a problem tho. With the circumstances Ive been hit with recently I haven't been able to start my regime as planned. I may even have to cancel my membership at Ballys to conserve money.

[Punu]

Well this is how I count my Lean Body Mass:

Total body weight -
(Total Body fat % X Total body weight) = Lean Body Mass

For ex.

(200 lbs) - (.12 X 200) = LBM

So a 200lb man with 10% bodyfat would have 180 lbs of "lean body mass" and 20lb of fat mass.

as for just body fat... I'd have to check my info site a little in depth and see if there's an easy way. You can do the same if you want.

www.t-nation.com

It's very very helpful and people there track results, you'll achieve your goal no matter the situation.... good luck bro.

[Chris Luva Luva]

Well this is how I count my Lean Body Mass:

Total body weight -
(Total Body fat % X Total body weight) = Lean Body Mass

For ex.

(200 lbs) - (.12 X 200) = LBM

So a 200lb man with 10% bodyfat would have 180 lbs of "lean body mass" and 20lb of fat mass.

as for just body fat... I'd have to check my info site a little in depth and see if there's an easy way. You can do the same if you want.

www.t-nation.com

It's very very helpful and people there track results, you'll achieve your goal no matter the situation.... good luck bro.

Thanks again for all of your help. I've filed this thread away so i can reference it any time.

[JansenFan]

In the Marine Corps, they measure your neck and then reference your neck measurement to your total body weight.

Measurements (Male)

Abdomen. Measure abdominal circumference against the skin at the navel (belly button), level and parallel to the floor. Arms are at the sides. Record the measurement at the end of member's normal, relaxed exhalation. Round abdominal measurement down to the nearest ½ inch.

Neck. Measure the neck circumference at a point just below the larynx (Adam's Apple) and perpendicular to the long axis of the neck. Do not place the tape measure over the Adam's Apple. Service member should look straight ahead during measurement, with shoulders down (not hunched). The tape will be as close to horizontal as anatomically feasible (the tape line in the front of the neck should be at the same height as the tape line in the back of the neck). Care should be taken so as not to involve the shoulder/neck muscles (trapezius) in the measurement. Round neck measurement up to the nearest ½ inch.

Subract the neck measurement from the abdomen measurement, then look up the results on the following charts:


60.0 to 64.5 Inches Tall
65.0 to 69.5 Inches Tall
70.0 to 74.5 Inches Tall
75.0 to 79.5 Inches Tall

[ii7-V7]

CLL, having met me you may find this hard to believe, but when I was in the service I used to be a workout fiend. I spent two hours a day at the gym six days a week. I'm not as naturally skinny as you, but it was even difficult for me to put on bulk.

Here are the three pieces of advice that worked for me.

Find a partner. Scratch that....Find a committed partner. You don't want to be lifting heavy free weights without someone around to spot. Plus a partner wil help to keep you going, when you'd rather be watching the Simpsons.

Keep a journal. You never get a real sense of your progress if you don't see it in black and white. Plus, its fun at the end of a workout to add up all your reps and say, "Wow, I lifted 18,000 pounds today."

Get Arnold Schwarzenndksjljhfasd's book on lifting and diet. I forget the exact name of it, but its about 500 pages. It can be easily found on Amazon. It contains every piece of info you would ever need. Believe it or not Arnold seems pretty intelligent when he sticks to issues of fitness and diet.

Chad

[Punu]

So CLL, any updates? I hope you stuck to the plan!

[Punu]

**

[Chris Luva Luva]

Ill shoot you a PM.