New Workout Thread ! Options

[Ulrik]

If you've never worked out before, you'll be able to double your strength within 3-6 months, maybe even less. The human body is pretty incredible, just give it a chance.

I just want to comment on this.
You can make a lot of progress fast, and to continue it's important to know, later you will find it harder and harder to get stronger/faster.
Actually when you start working out, you get stronger without gaining much muscle tissue.
In the beginning your brain learns to activate more and more motor neurons at the same time and this is your main reason for getting stronger.

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[dark dude]

Question: Is it bad or unhealthy in any way to do exercises before you go to sleep? (right before)

I assume you're talking about pushups, etc? If you do a gym session and go to bed straight after, make sure you get a post-workout meal in (liquid or otherwise), as you're trying to protect your gains and maximise recovery, and that situation wouldn't be unhealthy either.

To give you the short answer, no, I don't see why, in physiological terms, it'd be unhealthy.

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[Fre]

When you plan your workout, bear in mind that there are two different types of muscle fibers: fast-twitch muscle and slow-twitch muscle. Fast-twitch fibers are bulkier than slow-twitch fibers, provide short bursts of strength, and are generally responsible for all out brute strength. These muscle fibers respond best to exercises that utilize heavy weights and low repetitions. If you want to bulk up, these are the muscle fibers you want to target.

Slow-twitch fibers are responsible for endurance, and are what enable you to do a repetitive task for long periods of time. They are not as bulky as fast-twitch fibers, but performing exercises that target them can provide great results, such as enhanced muscle definition. Exercises that target these muscle fibers generally use lower weights but higher repetitions.

Of course whenever you exercise you use both types of muscle fibers, you really can't isolate one set. Thats why its good to rotate your schedule every now and then, so you can completely develop your muscles. Now if you're exercising at home it will be difficult to target fast-twitch muscles, unless you have a full gym in your house. It takes a lot of weight to stimulate fast-twitch muscles, and you'll be surprised by how fast you grow out of the weights you have at home, no matter how big you are to begin with. If you are a man with testosterone flowing through your veins, than you will adjust, guaranteed Don't get too excited, its takes a long time to get big, its not something that will happen unexpectedly. You'll get to where you're comfortable, then just maintain. If you've never worked out before, you'll be able to double your strength within 3-6 months, maybe even less. The human body is pretty incredible, just give it a chance.

I already noticed my muscles grow quick. Probably because I'm just 16 years old. i had to train my abs, because I had a bad back. But now, after a half year there's really difference!
The problem is, I don't want to make time to go two times a week to the gym. Like I said, I go 3 times a week to rugby training/match and I wouldn't have time left to play guitar. I don't have any weights or so in my house because of the reason you mentioned. But I think on the site dark dude linked us there are some short, heavy exercises. It also builds up. I'll see how it goes.

I assume you're talking about pushups, etc? If you do a gym session and go to bed straight after, make sure you get a post-workout meal in (liquid or otherwise), as you're trying to protect your gains and maximise recovery, and that situation wouldn't be unhealthy either.

To give you the short answer, no, I don't see why, in physiological terms, it'd be unhealthy.

So, could you give some examples of post-workout meal?
I don't have any problem to go to sleep after some exercises, like push ups, pull ups and sit ups.

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[dark dude]

So, could you give some examples of post-workout meal?

A post-workout meal would involve some protein (protein shake - fast releasing protein), some fast-releasing carbohydrate (maltodextrin, dextrose) and you have the optional creatine, glutamine and BCAAs to add, but that's the serious user's choice, heh Don't fall into the trap of using supplements if your diet and/or workout still needs fixing. Supplements are not miracle-workers.

As long as you get some protein in, and a sugary drink (e.g. lucozade, the fizzy stuff not the isotonic drink), you'll be fine.

In general, make sure your diet is well rounded if you want the best results.

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[jstcrsn]

from how I was trained
3 ever increasing heavy sets will get you bulky
more reps with a lighter wait will tone you up
don;t waste your time with cardio,unless
and this is what I think is most efficient
20 minutes a day you can lift weights and keep your heart rate above 120
your abs can take a work out every day-all other muscles need a dat of rest after working out so if you want to shorten your routine -abs and lower body one day and the following day , abs and upper body
as far as strenghtening joints and such you really can,t rather you build up the muscle around the area that helps ,that being said if you work out incorrectly you can easily damage joints in a way that later on in life it will bite you in the keister
remember .if it hurts don't do it.

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[Fre]

A post-workout meal would involve some protein (protein shake - fast releasing protein), some fast-releasing carbohydrate (maltodextrin, dextrose) and you have the optional creatine, glutamine and BCAAs to add, but that's the serious user's choice, heh Don't fall into the trap of using supplements if your diet and/or workout still needs fixing. Supplements are not miracle-workers.

As long as you get some protein in, and a sugary drink (e.g. lucozade, the fizzy stuff not the isotonic drink), you'll be fine.

In general, make sure your diet is well rounded if you want the best results.

Wouldn't that give sleeping problems because of the energie in those shakes?

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[dark dude]

Problems because of the sugar? If you're really sensitive to sugar making you hyper, have as much as you can without it causing you to sprint around the house, haha. The sugar is important as it helps replenish your energy supplies and helps the protein do its job.

What workout do you do before bed anyway? I use my suggestion after a standard 1 hour stint at the gym, so if you're doing a few pressups, situps and pullups.. I wouldn't really call it a workout It sounds like you'd benefit more from having a post workout meal after your rugby training, which has to be more intense.

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[Fre]

You're right. I'm not really talking 'bout workout. It's just doing some exercises for about 15-20 minutes. I just want to pull the most out of it. Maybe, post-workout meal is not important in my level of exercises. I do push-up and pull-ups in short, heavy sets. Also some sit-ups in longer sets. I do it without pauze, so it doesn't take long. But I think, if I cary on doing such a program, It'll help alot. I'm not looking for a 1 hour workout each day bacause of the lack of time. You see?

Edit: I eat my diner after rugby training. I normally eat a healthy meal with meat, potatoes and vegetables. That would help too I think.

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This post has been edited by Fre: Feb 9 2011, 04:04 PM

[dark dude]

Yeah man, dinner sounds just fine

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[Todd Simpson]

On days when I can't make it to the gym, I'll do some "doorway pushups". Which is basically just finding a door in your place ( closet door will work) open the door and put your hands on either side of the door frame. Put your feed about 3 feet back. The lower yourself through the open door. This will stretch your pecs a bit and it's not a high intensity work out. Do about 30 reps and you'll feel it. It allows you to go further than push ups or bench and is low stress on your body.

Todd

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[spacebran]

I go to the gym regularly and one thing I must put emphasis on is diet! Your diet is your number one priority when you are going to the gym (even when you're not, you should always try to eat healthy). I'm not health fanatic, but I make sure I eat a balanced diet with extra protein when I can. A great tip is to eat peanuts. I can't remember the numbers, but something like 1/3 of a cup of peanuts has 10 grams of protein or something. Peanut butter and tuna is also great (and very cheap!)

Just don't forget about the foods you may love (such as ice cream? chocolate? etc). I eat snacks such as ice cream all the time, but I do so in moderation, so I'm happy.

As for working out, I try to hit the gym 3-4 times a week. Each time I target a different area - chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs, shoulders. I also do 15-30 minutes of cardio (though I would aim for 15 minutes if you want to put on weight). Oh, and I work my abs every time I go. I find that they are the hardest muscle to get toned, because they're a muscle group that isn't activated as often, such as your legs or arms.

One thing I definitely recommend for at home is to get a pull up bar that you can either use in a doorway or mount on a wall/ceiling. Definitely a great thing to have. Definitely a great tool.

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[Ben Higgins]

I go to the gym regularly and one thing I must put emphasis on is diet!
One thing I definitely recommend for at home is to get a pull up bar that you can either use in a doorway or mount on a wall/ceiling. Definitely a great thing to have. Definitely a great tool.

Yes, you're dead right there. All the work you do with the weights won't count for much if you're not feeding your body what it needs.

Yes, pull ups are great for working the Lats, which are hard to work if you aren't able to perform pull ups or chin ups anywhere. I've recently managed to get access to a a machine with a Lat Pull Down facility so I'm pleased I can finally do some work in that area.. but pull up bars are really the No 1. option.

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[dark dude]

Oh, and I work my abs every time I go. I find that they are the hardest muscle to get toned, because they're a muscle group that isn't activated as often, such as your legs or arms.

A lot of people find it tough to target their abs sufficiently enough. I think you're underappreciating how much you use your abs in an average session. Our abs play an extremely important part in stabilising the body. You should notice this after doing deadlifts, barbell squats and pull-ups, to name a few. (Deadlifts and squats deserve another mention as they are incredibly important exercises. If you're not doing them/scared of injuring your back, start at a low weight and ask somebody experienced to demonstrate proper technique. You won't regret it.)

If you reckon your abs aren't being worked efficiently enough, check out one of the many articles on T-nation (one example being: Clicky) illustrating ab-specific workouts. They will destroy you, but you'll get faster results.

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[spacebran]

A lot of people find it tough to target their abs sufficiently enough. I think you're underappreciating how much you use your abs in an average session. Our abs play an extremely important part in stabilising the body. You should notice this after doing deadlifts, barbell squats and pull-ups, to name a few. (Deadlifts and squats deserve another mention as they are incredibly important exercises. If you're not doing them/scared of injuring your back, start at a low weight and ask somebody experienced to demonstrate proper technique. You won't regret it.)

If you reckon your abs aren't being worked efficiently enough, check out one of the many articles on T-nation (one example being: Clicky) illustrating ab-specific workouts. They will destroy you, but you'll get faster results.

Thanks for the comment. I understand my abs definitely get a great workout when I do other exercises (from what you mentioned, I do squats and pull/chin-ups). What sort of exercises do you do for your abs?

My girlfriend is minoring in Kinesiology and has some great books on the body that I've looked through. I also ask tons of questions at the gym if I see someone doing an exercise that looks good. I made my own ab routine that uses a decline bench (its really hard, but works great!) and I alternate with 3 or 4 other routines. One of them I took from a P90-X workout that a friend showed me and its pretty good. I like to work out my abs often, but I'm not one of those people that wants extremely cut abs. I have good definition and I just want to maintain that so a good 15 minute ab workout is enough for me. I will definitely check out that link you sent to see if I can get some more exercises to work into my routine. Thanks!

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[dark dude]

Thanks for the comment. I understand my abs definitely get a great workout when I do other exercises (from what you mentioned, I do squats and pull/chin-ups). What sort of exercises do you do for your abs?

I'd definately recommend throwing deadlifts into your routine for starters. One of the best exercises as it works so many muscles in one go, which in turn produces a chemical cascade in your body, spurring on growth.

The ab routines I've found to work have either come from T-nation or a beginner book called 'Built for show' by Nate Green. As a general rule, I'd stay away from advice given at bodybuilding.com. Some of that stuff is complete rubbish.

Using a decline bench for your ab work is a great idea, you'll get a greater range of motion and therefore more work will be done.

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[Justin Myrick]

Ben, as you've seen in our videos I'm by no means a big guy. I've been working out for the last 13 years of my life just to stay in shape and push my physical abilities. I've shifted sizes from super thin (Marathon Training) to a bit bulky. I've seen my body transform many different ways.

The biggest factor on how to change your size is your routine. You must exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes or more. Obviously there are very important other factors that will determine your size and strength. If your working out at home, which many do because of cost or convenience, then I recommend a couple of exercises. In my opinion, full body exercises are the best for at home training. I travel a lot and therefor getting to a gym is pretty much impossible.

Push-ups - do a variety of different push ups. The distance between you hands will determine the area of the muscle you will target. Try and do 10 wide stance, 15 normal, and 5 close stance. If this is to easy, increase repetition. Variety is the most important aspect to shocking your muscles.

Pull-ups - pull up bars are quite cheap now that many different companies make them. They are designed to hang from your doorway. The cost is anywhere from 20 usd to 100 usd. I before I moved, had a 20 usd and it worked perfectly. Price does not always dictate quality. Pull ups will not only target back, chest, bi's, and shoulders, they also focus on your core strength. Depending on your grip you will notice that are easier or more difficult. When you train, try to do 2 variations of pull ups. For example - 10 reps with your palms facing away from you, 10 reps with them facing you. Look at your hands and you will understand. Obviously if these numbers are to easy or difficult increase or decrease the reps.

Tricep dips- We all have two chairs in our apartment so you can do these. What you need to do is distance the chairs enough apart to suspend your body weight between the two. The best way to explain this is for you to sit on one of the chairs, lift your feet up on the other chair. You want to be able to lower your buttocks down between the two chairs causing your triceps (backs of your biceps) to stress. Depending on easy they are adjust the reps until you are tired. I would recommend starting with 10-20. Increase/decrease depending.

Be sure to eat often and healthy. The problem for most people is that they only eat 3 meals a day. You should be eating smaller meals 6 times a day. This will cause your metabolism to stay high and help your joints, tendons, and muscles to recover faster. I could keep writing but this will be a good start for ya in case you don't already do these.

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[dark dude]

To add to Justin's post concerning push-ups, pull-ups and dips:

*Push-ups

The wider you have your hands, the more you're working your chest. The narrower the hands, more work is done by your triceps.

*Pull-ups and chin-ups

Pull-ups will target the lats more than chin-ups. Chin-ups will target biceps more than pull-ups.

*Dips

If you lean forward (roughly 45 degrees) when doing dips, more work will fall on your chest. If you keep upright, the triceps will do more work.

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[Ben Higgins]

Thanks Justin ! Yes, I've got a 3 times a week routine going on now which I'm quite happy with.. and I'm eating throughout the day. Thankfully I've never been one of these 'I have to have 3 meals at certain times of the day' kinda guy.. I've never understood that tradition !

Cool, the tricep dips I've never encountered before.. will have to check them out.

Also, thanks Dark Dude for the additional info.. the singer in my band does Kung Fu and he tells me about the different variations of push ups they do every week.. even on their fingers !! Luckily for him he's not a guitar player !!

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