Stay/Get Back In Shape.... Vol 2.0

[theequickness]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Originally Posted by DaBuddhaWitJays

Originally Posted by TheeQuickness

How do I go about getting rid of the stubborn lower stomach fat? I'll admit, my upper body strength has increased dramatically since I started working out January, but I have seriously neglected my lower body strength. In January I couldn't even lift 135 lbs with proper form, but now I max 205 for one repetition on the barbel. Whereas my squat has only increased a couple of lbs. Should I do more lower body to get rid of the excess fat? And any tips on what I should do in order to get closer to the ever elusive goal of a six pack?

nice

dont neglect your lower body

squats will strengthen your core. guys with ripped abs who dont even do a crunch. but if you like, hanging leg raises give a great burn, and when it gets easy you can stick a dumbell between your feet.

honestly am pissed right now because i cant do squats because of a hip injury and my upper body is so much bigger than my lower body

like srsly, im benching more than i squat LOLZ

i assume you are still gradually losing fat? youre doing great. no way to spot reduce, which has been said over and over. so when you stall, switch up your routine, adjust your caloric intake, and/or increase cardio.

your abs will come. first row appears(yes!), 2nd row (great feeling), then 3rd row. (AWWWWWW YEAHH)

What he said, more or less.
I used to be really top heavy, and I basically reorganized my routine to take emphasis off of bench and on to deadlifts and squats. Doing more lower body exercises has done wonders for my abs even though I don't do any specific ab exercises at all anymore. 

Somewhat related: DL 355 3x5 yesterday.

Personal best. 

Had my squat up around 275 3x5 but I wasn't happy with my form so I started back down at 245 3x5 last week. 

Nice man. I wish to get there someday. I LOVE DL's. My last back workout last week, after my DL set I had to go out the gym to get fresh air because I was feeling so woozy.

. Anyways, thanks for the help guys, I'm about to go to the gym to work on legs today.

and ShadyKay...you have the ideal body that I am shooting for. But only on a 5'6 person

. Looks awesome man (nh)

 

[based mod]

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

Originally Posted by Teddythegrne

Anyone doing CrossFit? The MMA gym i'm at has it and so far I've done a couple days. Tips?

i think its great for overall health but my god those crossfit guys are such d-bags. it's like a cult. even the girls.
also you're not gonna get that big doing it.

also i would have some concerns about crossfit and joint wear and tear given their style of workouts. if you have knee problems or anything like that i'd be cautious.

shadykay- looking ripped dude!

qftmft
my facebook newsfeed gets spammed by people posting pictures/vids of their workouts daily.

and they're ridiculously snobby when it comes to discussions of health/fitness

 

[BranchLifestyle]

Originally Posted by brettTHEjett

Shadykay what are your 'goals'? Are you trying to build more muscle or just stay lean?

I wish I could stay lean while trying to put on muscle. I have the worst genetics.... 6 months of bulking and strength training and all I gained was puffy nipples and a belt of fat SMH

My goal is really to shed more bodyfat...I'm thinking I'm sitting at 8% right now.  I would like to get lower (6% maybe) and have more definition.
I am only 5'4" @ 140lbs  for anyone interested.

 

[nikeairsncrispytees]

Originally Posted by Luong1209

Another question: I have huge thighs, maybe from playing a lot of basketball (or maybe not), how do I make them smaller?

Ha. I have the same issue— kinda. I started mowing the lawn at age 9, so my first squats when I hit the gym were already at 225.
You can't really MAKE them smaller except for neglecting them, but that'll only hurt your growth elsewhere.

Your best bet is to do you leg exercises without weights or with high reps and no weight so you're just focusing on definition and vascularity.

Just get the rest of your body to catch up, and try not to get too hung up on wearing normal people jeans or pants.

 

[dmvbatman]

getting back into the gym now.......looking for a new one that's cheap on their monthly rate.

trying to shed body fat so I can be lean and cut....last time i went to the doc, back here in April, I weighed 169, prob around 170 something now....trying to get down to 140 something.

 

[luong1209]

Does biking make them smaller? Sorry for lack of proper terms 

.

 

[luong1209]

Originally Posted by Dmvbatman

getting back into the gym now.......looking for a new one that's cheap on their monthly rate.

trying to shed body fat so I can be lean and cut....last time i went to the doc, back here in April, I weighed 169, prob around 170 something now....trying to get down to 140 something.

Not sure where you're from, but Costcos offer 2years for 299 @ 24fitness.

However, there are some gyms that are like 10/month, but they're smaller and less machines to work on.

 

[dmvbatman]

Originally Posted by Luong1209

Originally Posted by Dmvbatman

getting back into the gym now.......looking for a new one that's cheap on their monthly rate.

trying to shed body fat so I can be lean and cut....last time i went to the doc, back here in April, I weighed 169, prob around 170 something now....trying to get down to 140 something.

Not sure where you're from, but Costcos offer 2years for 299 @ 24fitness.

However, there are some gyms that are like 10/month, but they're smaller and less machines to work on.

i already have one in mind.

 

[big mike 13]

damn after reading that article, i wish i can cut my habit of drinking everyday (5-6 beers a day). i wonder what my body would be like without

 

[juicy j 32]

Originally Posted by brettTHEjett

for those "cutting" I got a great response from a dude on bb.com

Here's the deal on why cardio is such an obsession now, there's several reason's. 1. Repetition. Most every popular bodybuilding and fitness book/article/site/mag advocates doing a bunch of cardio when cutting or losing fat. Eventually I think enough people just keep reading that and hearing it, that they decide its "required". 2. People don't really understand the Leg's affect on the entire body as far as fat loss is concerned. These are usually the same people that put off leg training entirely. Once you hit legs with maximum intensity, (with diet in check) you will definitely see fat loss. Compound lifts, heavy weight, and intense leg trainnig including your deads and squats are key in eliciting fat loss as well as just all around lean muscle maintenance and growth, regardless of your goal. I think heavy weight training is always superior during a cut than volume training. 3. People have no patience. If you add cardio in, yes, you will probably lose fat at a faster rate when coupled with your weights and diet. However, there are reasons not to do cardio if you don't have to . First off, it's pretty much unneccessary if your diet is rock solid, and you're doing hard heavy compound legs and fierce leg training. If you do this and have a good diet, you will see the lbs drop. It may not be incredibly quick poundage dropping off, but you can be assured that if its from 100 percent diet and weights, it's NOT going to be muscle. People that go overboard with lots of running and crazy cardio can totally overdo it and lose their muscle, which is the last thing you would ever want. Also, cardio can hinder your muscle recovery if you overdo (especially legs obviously). Finally, if you don't do alot of cardio, it's a great "trump card" to pull out if you plateau on your cut. So the best is to do the least amount of cardio (starting with none) then go until you hit a sticking point, then slowly add in cardio, only enough to breach that point. It's critical to make sure the diet component is solid. if its not then minimal sesssions (2-3 times per week tops) may help. 4. The final reason that some people do cardio, is that their bodytypes do not allow successful weight loss with out the aid of some cardio. That's dependant on your body though. And this is probably the most rare reason. I'd be willing to bet you most people who " cut" have never tried doing a pure heavy weight + diet alone cut, and if they do their diet probably isn't dialed in like it should be . A specific person I can actually show you that is an All natural pro bodybuilder who's won multiple competitions, who does ZERO cardio even when preparing for a show, is Aram hamparian. His website is mastover.comThats my 2 cents. And yes, running and cardio for cardiovascular health/endurance is a whole different story and is completely fine.1 drinking session a week probably won't do anything terribly noticeable, as long as the rest of your diet and training is like seriously rock solid for every other time in the week surrounding it. Unfortunately alcohol is the worst thing to "cheat" on though. A few quick things it does:-Alcohol is "empty cals" . There are no proteins carbs and fats to be utilized by your body, so pretty much all the calories are worthless and will be really really likely to be stored as fat.-Your liver can't really burn fat and alcohol at the same time, so as long as there's alcohol for it to take care of , it won't be doing fat. - Alcohol is horrible for testosterone levels in men, it really does drop it down pretty low. testosterone is one of your best friends when it comes to bodybuilding in general, its incredibly powerful for building muscle and helping with fat loss and all that good stuff. So you definitely want it around. I would just keep the drinking down as low as you really can. If you are gonna drink, make sure that you don't cure that hangover with a big fat bowl of ramen or moes southwest grill like I'm always tempted to do, that's how things to downhill, and thats how you ruin your week of progress.

What would be a solid leg workout and how often should it be done a week?
Right now I do leg press, calf raises, squats, lunges, and leg curls? I don't do any dead lifts, but after reading this it sounds like they should be part of my routine. 

I've lost about 25 pounds since January and pretty much go out and drink on Fridays/Saturdays. I'm trying to drop 10-15 more and stay at that level, which I think can happen through a stricter diet. I know the last bit of fat to come off will be the lower abs. But I can definitely tell a difference in my appearance from end of 2010 to now. 

 

[brettthejett]

Originally Posted by Juicy J 32

What would be a solid leg workout and how often should it be done a week?
Right now I do leg press, calf raises, squats, lunges, and leg curls? I don't do any dead lifts, but after reading this it sounds like they should be part of my routine. 

I've lost about 25 pounds since January and pretty much go out and drink on Fridays/Saturdays. I'm trying to drop 10-15 more and stay at that level, which I think can happen through a stricter diet. I know the last bit of fat to come off will be the lower abs. But I can definitely tell a difference in my appearance from end of 2010 to now. 

Try this:
Squats 5x5-10
Leg Extensions: 3x15
Stiff leg Deads 4x10

big mike 13 wrote:

---

damn after reading that article, i wish i can cut my habit of drinking everyday (5-6 beers a day). i wonder what my body would be like without

 Are you exercising? Not only does drinking alcohol inhibit any chance of protein synthesis (basically the re/building of muscles), but as mentioned in that article.. they are not ideal calories to consume. Not nutritional value so to speak.

ShadyKay NT wrote:

---

My goal is really to shed more bodyfat...I'm thinking I'm sitting at 8% right now.  I would like to get lower (6% maybe) and have more definition.
I am only 5'4" @ 140lbs  for anyone interested.

Are you calorie counting/tracking, and do you track your macros?
If so, can you show me your breadown?

 

[6 Rings G.O.A.T.]

Originally Posted by big mike 13

damn after reading that article, i wish i can cut my habit of drinking everyday (5-6 beers a day). i wonder what my body would be like without

WHAT!?!?YOU DRINK 5-6 BEERS A DAY!?!?

 

[BranchLifestyle]

Originally Posted by brettTHEjett

Originally Posted by ShadyKay NT

Are you calorie counting/tracking, and do you track your macros?
If so, can you show me your breadown?


PMed

 

[onewearz]

anybody got any grilled chicken ideas. getting pretty sick of chicken and brown rice , wanna switch it up but cant really find anything " good " ......

 

[tj detweiler]

Originally Posted by onewearz

anybody got any grilled chicken ideas. getting pretty sick of chicken and brown rice , wanna switch it up but cant really find anything " good " ......

same here. Basically what I've been eating this last week. Doing controlled portions and have lost about 4 pounds in a week but need a better variety before this gets too tireing. Planning on going to the store later today. 

 

[BranchLifestyle]

^
Cover lightly in olive oil...salt and pepper to taste. Grill. Spray with lemon when done.

Simple...Delicious...Healthy

 

[tj detweiler]

thank you sir, will try that out later for lunch before I head out to the market.

 

[chicagos finest 23]

My man you really drink a 6pac a day? If you do get some help

 

[xblaze23]

that goes beyond a stopping block in fitness and is an overall health problem.

 

[joe camel smooth]

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

Originally Posted by PersiaFly

What he said, more or less.
I used to be really top heavy, and I basically reorganized my routine to take emphasis off of bench and on to deadlifts and squats. Doing more lower body exercises has done wonders for my abs even though I don't do any specific ab exercises at all anymore. 

Somewhat related: DL 355 3x5 yesterday.

Personal best. 

Had my squat up around 275 3x5 but I wasn't happy with my form so I started back down at 245 3x5 last week. 

arent you like 6'4"? those are good #'s man, you have a way bigger ROM than a normal sized dude. 

Yeah, 6'4". Thanks bro. I sort of feel my grip failing though, as if I've reached its limits. I might have to look into straps or those blue plastic things. Thoughts?
I feel the ROM issue much more on pull-ups and push-ups than anything else. I literally can't do more than 6 solid pull-ups. 

 It might be that I'm using ROM as an excuse to tell myself that's how it's gonna be, but for whatever reason I've never really been able to many pull-ups/push-ups. 

i've always had grip troubles, to this day in fact, since i have a sort of ecto-meso frame which means i've had forearms on the skinnier side.
never used straps though, i kind of see dl's and shrugs as an opportunity to build up my forearms as well as the target muscles. 

for dl's have you tried a mixed grip? one hand facing away from you, the other hand towards you?

and yeah pullups will definitely be harder with longer arms.....i am only 6' but i have about a 6'2" or 6'3" wingspan i believe.....regular pullups and chinups are fine i can crank out a ton but once i start to go wide with my grip

 

Based Mod wrote:

---

JOE CAMEL SMOOTH wrote:

---

Teddythegrne wrote:

---

Anyone doing CrossFit? The MMA gym i'm at has it and so far I've done a couple days. Tips?

i think its great for overall health but my god those crossfit guys are such d-bags. it's like a cult. even the girls.
also you're not gonna get that big doing it.

also i would have some concerns about crossfit and joint wear and tear given their style of workouts. if you have knee problems or anything like that i'd be cautious.

shadykay- looking ripped dude!


qftmft
my facebook newsfeed gets spammed by people posting pictures/vids of their workouts daily.

and they're ridiculously snobby when it comes to discussions of health/fitness 

lol same it's really lame. worst perpetrator of this is actually a girl.

ShadyKay- 6% is pretty nuts, are you getting down there with no extra help or are you using some sort of thermo/stim?

 

[BranchLifestyle]

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH


ShadyKay- 6% is pretty nuts, are you getting down there with no extra help or are you using some sort of thermo/stim?

EC, thats it.

 

[needsomejays]

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH



and yeah pullups will definitely be harder with longer arms.....i am only 6' but i have about a 6'2" or 6'3" wingspan i believe.....regular pullups and chinups are fine i can crank out a ton but once i start to go wide with my grip

 

man i feel you on this, im about 6'0 also but i swear i have a 6'3 or 6'4 wingspan, my arms are OD long

before i forget, whenever you guys are doing incline dumbbell press, are you doing full ROM or just untill you are parallel? this is for anyone to answer

 

[joe camel smooth]

Originally Posted by needsomejays

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH



and yeah pullups will definitely be harder with longer arms.....i am only 6' but i have about a 6'2" or 6'3" wingspan i believe.....regular pullups and chinups are fine i can crank out a ton but once i start to go wide with my grip

 

man i feel you on this, im about 6'0 also but i swear i have a 6'3 or 6'4 wingspan, my arms are OD long

before i forget, whenever you guys are doing incline dumbbell press, are you doing full ROM or just untill you are parallel? this is for anyone to answer

yeah i like having long arms though

um for incline i used to touch my chest but i realized it was giving me shoulder pain. now i try to go around parallel.....maybe a little more since parallel feels like 1/4 rep to me but any more and i think it involves the shoulder too much and can lead to injury/strain.

 

[needsomejays]

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

Originally Posted by needsomejays

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH



and yeah pullups will definitely be harder with longer arms.....i am only 6' but i have about a 6'2" or 6'3" wingspan i believe.....regular pullups and chinups are fine i can crank out a ton but once i start to go wide with my grip

 

man i feel you on this, im about 6'0 also but i swear i have a 6'3 or 6'4 wingspan, my arms are OD long

before i forget, whenever you guys are doing incline dumbbell press, are you doing full ROM or just untill you are parallel? this is for anyone to answer

yeah i like having long arms though

um for incline i used to touch my chest but i realized it was giving me shoulder pain. now i try to go around parallel.....maybe a little more since parallel feels like 1/4 rep to me but any more and i think it involves the shoulder too much and can lead to injury/strain.

having long arms isnt always a bad thing, i can grab rim easily, my goal is to dunk by the end of summer just for the hell of it

but yeah i heard that about the injuries, plus i heard parallel or slightly lower focuses on the chest more than if you did a full rom, not sure how true it is though, im FAR from a fitness expert

 

[dabuddhawitjays]

i try not too go all the way down

ever since i hurt my ac joint, i have to be particularly careful with any sort of press and limit my rom

but im stubborn and do it anyways

lolz

arms parallel is good