Stay/get back in shape...Vol: Motivation

[keepzdasneakz]

You people should really just use the search within the thread for foods. That **++'s been mentioned countless times already.

 

[carlos tevez]

Silly question, I feel stupid asking it but I need to re-assure myself.

If I squat and deadlift heavy while eating maintenance calories, will be legs get more muscular and bigger?

My legs are already well developed from years of squatting and I do not want them to get any bigger. The thing is, I prefer heavy squats and deadlifts becauseit helps me run faster when playing sports.

I'm thinking that as long as I do not have a calorie surplus, my legs wont grow in size.

I'm down for the 8-week challenge. Whoever makes the most progress in 8-weeks wins a prize or something. Maybe we can have different categories...bestweight loss transformation and best muscle-gain transformation.

 

[verynecessary]

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Silly question, I feel stupid asking it but I need to re-assure myself.

If I squat and deadlift heavy while eating maintenance calories, will be legs get more muscular and bigger?

My legs are already well developed from years of squatting and I do not want them to get any bigger. The thing is, I prefer heavy squats and deadlifts because it helps me run faster when playing sports.

I'm thinking that as long as I do not have a calorie surplus, my legs wont grow in size.

generally, if you want to get as strong as possible for a given weight (or size), you should do low rep sets at heavy weight (80% 1RM and up...you want to aim for fatigue/failure at 5 reps or less. even heavy single rep sets will help you get stronger without putting on much mass. the low rep rangeincreases strength by optimizing muscle fiber recruitment and neuromuscular coordination.

also, you should look into explosive movements like olympic lifts, jump squats, etc. these will aid in the speed department without contributing much tosize/mass. make sure you get the form right though, because there's greater potential for injury.

you should be fine with a maintenance level of calories, as long as you have enough protein to maintain what you have and need to repair, and enough carbs andfats so you don't burn most of your protein for energy.

are you worried that larger leg muscles will make you slow? if that's the case, you should try to be as strong as possible in your legs/glutes regardlessof size. a few pounds of muscle will not slow you down if you're significantly more powerful. think of all those huge short distancesprinters/wideouts/db's/running backs. i don't think the extra mass is slowing them down. the only thing that will really slow you down is carrying alot of fat... or doing a whole lot of steady state cardio.

Originally Posted by bkmac

Alright, so I'm really scrawny, looking to bulk up and get broader. When I am doing my workouts, it's hard for me to do many reps because my arms start to give out early because my arms are so weak (I'll be the first to admit it

). Am I better off working out my arms more than anything to start off (I signed up for the gym yesterday) so I gain more strength to do more workouts overall?

Also, is it fine if I eat when I get home from my workout? I have like this paranoia that all my running and ab workouts are ruined when I come home and eat dinner (like tonight, I ran for 20 minutes, did an ab workout and came home and grilled 2 cheeseburgers).

bkmac, stick with the basics. use less weight if you have trouble doing reps. don't worry--when you're starting out, you'll be ableto add 5 pounds to the bar each workout. try to find a weight you struggle (but finish) around 12-15 reps with. then, move up in weight when you can completeyour sets. making your arms strong first will not get you bulked up or broader very quick at all. work out the biggest muscles first (chest, back/lats,glutes, quads, hamstrings, and shoulders) with compound lifts (where 2 joints are moving the weight). then worry about your smaller muscles.

and stop being paranoid about your diet. eat around 90 minutes before you workout, and as soon as you can after your workout. you're not going to wasteyour workout unless you absolutely gorge yourself on super greasy/fatty/super-carb-heavy meals. like I3 said, you have to eat. search for food/diet in this thread.

also, what kind of workouts are you doing?

 

[i3]

Originally Posted by verynecessary

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Silly question, I feel stupid asking it but I need to re-assure myself.

If I squat and deadlift heavy while eating maintenance calories, will be legs get more muscular and bigger?

My legs are already well developed from years of squatting and I do not want them to get any bigger. The thing is, I prefer heavy squats and deadlifts because it helps me run faster when playing sports.

I'm thinking that as long as I do not have a calorie surplus, my legs wont grow in size.

generally, if you want to get as strong as possible for a given weight (or size), you should do low rep sets at heavy weight (80% 1RM and up... you want to aim for fatigue/failure at 5 reps or less. even heavy single rep sets will help you get stronger without putting on much mass. the low rep range increases strength by optimizing muscle fiber recruitment and neuromuscular coordination.

also, you should look into explosive movements like olympic lifts, jump squats, etc. these will aid in the speed department without contributing much to size/mass. make sure you get the form right though, because there's greater potential for injury.

you should be fine with a maintenance level of calories, as long as you have enough protein to maintain what you have and need to repair, and enough carbs and fats so you don't burn most of your protein for energy.

are you worried that larger leg muscles will make you slow? if that's the case, you should try to be as strong as possible in your legs/glutes regardless of size. a few pounds of muscle will not slow you down if you're significantly more powerful. think of all those huge short distance sprinters/wideouts/db's/running backs. i don't think the extra mass is slowing them down. the only thing that will really slow you down is carrying a lot of fat... or doing a whole lot of steady state cardio.

Originally Posted by bkmac

Alright, so I'm really scrawny, looking to bulk up and get broader. When I am doing my workouts, it's hard for me to do many reps because my arms start to give out early because my arms are so weak (I'll be the first to admit it

). Am I better off working out my arms more than anything to start off (I signed up for the gym yesterday) so I gain more strength to do more workouts overall?

Also, is it fine if I eat when I get home from my workout? I have like this paranoia that all my running and ab workouts are ruined when I come home and eat dinner (like tonight, I ran for 20 minutes, did an ab workout and came home and grilled 2 cheeseburgers).

bkmac, stick with the basics. use less weight if you have trouble doing reps. don't worry--when you're starting out, you'll be able to add 5 pounds to the bar each workout. try to find a weight you struggle (but finish) around 12-15 reps with. then, move up in weight when you can complete your sets. making your arms strong first will not get you bulked up or broader very quick at all. work out the biggest muscles first (chest, back/lats, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and shoulders) with compound lifts (where 2 joints are moving the weight). then worry about your smaller muscles.

and stop being paranoid about your diet. eat around 90 minutes before you workout, and as soon as you can after your workout. you're not going to waste your workout unless you absolutely gorge yourself on super greasy/fatty/super-carb-heavy meals. like I3 said, you have to eat. search for food/diet in this thread.

also, what kind of workouts are you doing?

I would like to know more about this..

After this cut, I plan to hit the gym with a new programme.. but I want to make sure my heart rate is up, almost like circuit training. Its because I prettymuch wasted a year at gym just doing 3x10 with stupid rests in between sets and exercises. I just want to work out for 45-50mins with little rest. My goal isto put on some mass and really build my explosivity and strength. I've also researched some dropsets/supersets and complex sets just to make sure imreally working and not mucking around.

I know with that mentality and 3000ish cals of good food, i'll be leaner, stronger and ready to kill

 

[wj4]

Man, this new cake batter flavor is straight up nasty. I don't think I can finish it. If anyone in SoCal...in the San Fernando Valley wants it, hit me up.I just opened the 2 lb bucket this morning, only used 1 scoop.

 

[klipschorn]

I finally tried the HIIT today with the distance of 1 mile, tired as hell. Built up a lot of saliva and had to spit it all out when my mile was over. Not tomention I was breathing harder than ever. First quarter I jogged consistently, second quarter sprinted my heart out, third quarter jogged again, last quartersprinted until I couldn't breath any more. Overall, my body was sweating bullets in the aftermath.

 

[wj4]

Originally Posted by Klipschorn

I finally tried the HIIT today with the distance of 1 mile, tired as hell. Built up a lot of saliva and had to spit it all out when my mile was over. Not to mention I was breathing harder than ever. First quarter I jogged consistently, second quarter sprinted my heart out, third quarter jogged again, last quarter sprinted until I couldn't breath any more. Overall, my body was sweating bullets in the aftermath.

Tell me about it, man. I had to swallow my own saliva to keep myself hydrated.

You really feel it in the quads when you sprint your heartout.

Anyone here read books on fitness? I actually finished all the books I bought during the summer so I'm looking at different books to pick up next.

 

[panaricanretro]

Silly question, I feel stupid asking it but I need to re-assure myself.

If I squat and deadlift heavy while eating maintenance calories, will be legs get more muscular and bigger?

My legs are already well developed from years of squatting and I do not want them to get any bigger. The thing is, I prefer heavy squats and deadlifts because it helps me run faster when playing sports.

I'm thinking that as long as I do not have a calorie surplus, my legs wont grow in size.

I'm down for the 8-week challenge. Whoever makes the most progress in 8-weeks wins a prize or something. Maybe we can have different categories...best weight loss transformation and best muscle-gain transformation.


God, how I wish I had your problem... But yeah, if you're not eating a ton of calories, you're not going to get bigger from Squatting and Deadlifting,so don't stop doing it, but just be aware that when you're in a caloric deficit, your strength decreases, so do very small, gradual increases in weightfrom set to set, and don't get all stressed out if you aren't pulling or squatting the same weight for the same number of reps on your last sets ofeach exercise.

 

[dacityslanga]

Even Kanye got in the gym (no ayo)

BEFORE:

NOW:

 

[dacityslanga]

Originally Posted by Vancity74

Originally Posted by DaCitySlanga


Even Kanye got in the gym (no ayo)

BEFORE:

NOW:

More like even Kanye got in the Photoshop booth.

 

[vancity74]

Originally Posted by DaCitySlanga


Even Kanye got in the gym (no ayo)

BEFORE:

NOW:

More like even Kanye got in the Photoshop booth.

 

[juve9ile18]

For all my muslim NTers...is anyone fasting during Ramadan and still working out? I stopped for the past 2 weeks because I don't want to die fromdehydration

But if you are, what workouts are you doing? I've lost 8lbs so far in two weeks so I'm down to 182lbs. I'm trying to cut my abs up really and getmy arms a little bigger like how they were last year. Any tips???

 

[bkmac]

Originally Posted by verynecessary

Originally Posted by bkmac

Alright, so I'm really scrawny, looking to bulk up and get broader. When I am doing my workouts, it's hard for me to do many reps because my arms start to give out early because my arms are so weak (I'll be the first to admit it

). Am I better off working out my arms more than anything to start off (I signed up for the gym yesterday) so I gain more strength to do more workouts overall?

Also, is it fine if I eat when I get home from my workout? I have like this paranoia that all my running and ab workouts are ruined when I come home and eat dinner (like tonight, I ran for 20 minutes, did an ab workout and came home and grilled 2 cheeseburgers).

bkmac, stick with the basics. use less weight if you have trouble doing reps. don't worry--when you're starting out, you'll be able to add 5 pounds to the bar each workout. try to find a weight you struggle (but finish) around 12-15 reps with. then, move up in weight when you can complete your sets. making your arms strong first will not get you bulked up or broader very quick at all. work out the biggest muscles first (chest, back/lats, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and shoulders) with compound lifts (where 2 joints are moving the weight). then worry about your smaller muscles.

and stop being paranoid about your diet. eat around 90 minutes before you workout, and as soon as you can after your workout. you're not going to waste your workout unless you absolutely gorge yourself on super greasy/fatty/super-carb-heavy meals. like I3 said, you have to eat. search for food/diet in this thread.

also, what kind of workouts are you doing?

Yeah, I realized last night that there is no point for me to push myself to use more weight only to not being able to do reps. I'll start offwith less weight, and gradually increase it as time goes by and I get used to lifting more. Tonight I'm working out legs, I'm expecting that to not beas difficult, but we'll see.

What do you suggest I eat before the 90 minutes before my workout?

Thanks for the insight man, I appreciate it.

 

[vancity74]

Anybody read Huge in a Hurry by Chad Waterbury or whatever? He's saying do 4 or 5 reps FAST at about 80% of your max so you're able to bang them outwithout much fatigue. It's an interesting way to scheme your workout, I must admit, though I'm not totally convinced.

 

[wj4]

Originally Posted by Vancity74

Anybody read Huge in a Hurry by Chad Waterbury or whatever? He's saying do 4 or 5 reps FAST at about 80% of your max so you're able to bang them out without much fatigue. It's an interesting way to scheme your workout, I must admit, though I'm not totally convinced.

That's why I plan on trying out in a month or so. (Waiting to complete 8 weeks of low weight, high rep before I switch it up to high weight,low rep).

 

[nealraj006]

Originally Posted by drock2010

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Originally Posted by drock2010

Lately I been too busy (and lazy) to really "workout"

is doing 100 pushups a night ok?

Add some pull-ups, sit ups and squats and you're set

Thats basically doing a full workout

and does anyone recommend the Iron Gym? I think its cheaper now at Target

well just doing push-ups is only good for about half of your upper body. You could rotate it different days. Say, you do 100 push ups oneday, then 100 sit ups the next, 50 pull ups the next day, and 100 squats after that.

 

[nealraj006]

Originally Posted by Juve9ile18

For all my muslim NTers...is anyone fasting during Ramadan and still working out? I stopped for the past 2 weeks because I don't want to die from dehydration

But if you are, what workouts are you doing? I've lost 8lbs so far in two weeks so I'm down to 182lbs. I'm trying to cut my abs up really and get my arms a little bigger like how they were last year. Any tips???

Honestly, I don't know if I could ever go without everything all day. I can and have done water fasts before and nothing went wrong. It'sgreat for detoxing the body. You should look up The Warrior Diet. It may help you out.

wj4, you should check out The Thrive Diet, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, and/or The Food Revolution. Great bookson whole food eating.

 

[vancity74]

YO!

Has anyone ever had a shoulder/rotator cuff injury? I screwed up my right shoulder pretty bad like 6 weeks ago and never went to see a doctor (what's thepoint, the health care system in Canada is a joke). The pain is no longer there, but I know if I even try and do any chest or shoulder exercises, it'llre-aggravate the injury (it happened 3 weeks ago.

Does anyone have any tips on how I can rehab it myself? I know it's not SERIOUS SERIOUS, but still... 6 weeks without being able to do any shoulder/chestexercises sucks and I'm bored of squatting 3 times a week.

 

[verynecessary]

Originally Posted by bkmac

Originally Posted by verynecessary

Originally Posted by bkmac

Alright, so I'm really scrawny, looking to bulk up and get broader. When I am doing my workouts, it's hard for me to do many reps because my arms start to give out early because my arms are so weak (I'll be the first to admit it

). Am I better off working out my arms more than anything to start off (I signed up for the gym yesterday) so I gain more strength to do more workouts overall?

Also, is it fine if I eat when I get home from my workout? I have like this paranoia that all my running and ab workouts are ruined when I come home and eat dinner (like tonight, I ran for 20 minutes, did an ab workout and came home and grilled 2 cheeseburgers).

bkmac, stick with the basics. use less weight if you have trouble doing reps. don't worry--when you're starting out, you'll be able to add 5 pounds to the bar each workout. try to find a weight you struggle (but finish) around 12-15 reps with. then, move up in weight when you can complete your sets. making your arms strong first will not get you bulked up or broader very quick at all. work out the biggest muscles first (chest, back/lats, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and shoulders) with compound lifts (where 2 joints are moving the weight). then worry about your smaller muscles.

and stop being paranoid about your diet. eat around 90 minutes before you workout, and as soon as you can after your workout. you're not going to waste your workout unless you absolutely gorge yourself on super greasy/fatty/super-carb-heavy meals. like I3 said, you have to eat. search for food/diet in this thread.

also, what kind of workouts are you doing?

Yeah, I realized last night that there is no point for me to push myself to use more weight only to not being able to do reps. I'll start off with less weight, and gradually increase it as time goes by and I get used to lifting more. Tonight I'm working out legs, I'm expecting that to not be as difficult, but we'll see.

What do you suggest I eat before the 90 minutes before my workout?

Thanks for the insight man, I appreciate it.

good to see you've got a leg workout. a lot of beginners (and some experienced guys

) don't work the legs. make sure you do squats and deadlifts as your firstmajor lifts of your workout (again, research form on youtube or something) to get the best benefits--since these stimulate the most muscle fibers out of allexercises, you get the greatest release of growth hormones, enough to benefit muscle growth throughout your body. leg extensions/leg curls won't do thatfor you.

as for a pre-workout, a good source of protein (chicken/turkey/fish/lean beef or pork) with a complex carbohydrate like mutli grain/whole grain bread/brownrice, and some veggies like broccoli/green beans/spinach/tomatoes/carrots, with plenty of water. the complex carbs will help power your workout, the proteinwill help you repair/recover better, and the fats in the meats or the dressing (if you use one) will also go to energy and help you digest protein better.

Originally Posted by Sik Wit It

i just peeped the t-nation complexes.....i think i may give the dumbell complex a shot, bc i have access to those at home....

any links to explain tabata? never heard of that...

i am getting in shape to perform a circuit of Fire fighter tasks, for time, at a hiring test....

im not sure what exactly ill be doing yet, but i know the maximum time allowed is 5:41, so i want to be in the best shape possible to do them much quicker than that.

i know im strong enough, to do any of the tasks, its just about the endurance factor...
i think ill mix long distance running, sprints and complexes to just see how that does for me...

tabata is not a specific workout like sprints, but it's more of a protocol. it's 20 secs fast work, followed by 10 secs rest, repeated 8times. you can use any sort of intense exercise, in whatever combination (mixed exercises, all different exercises, or the same exercise). some examples:





to get the best benefit, use 4 different exercises that work different body parts, and alternate between them. you can do multiple rounds of tabata if youwant, just make sure to rest between a full set... you'll get more out of it if you're not still recovering from something else when you start a newround.

you said you had 3 weeks? i don't think the long distance running is going to do a whole lot for your test, especially since you're more likely goingto be working above your aerobic capacity (which long distance running trains). HIIT, complexes, and tabata will increase your work capacity (what you'llprobably want the most for your test), which won't happen in 3 weeks with long distance running.

 

[al audi]

props to kanye

wonder how many Ntrs will follow

 

[ballinamillion1]

Originally Posted by Vancity74

YO!

Has anyone ever had a shoulder/rotator cuff injury? I screwed up my right shoulder pretty bad like 6 weeks ago and never went to see a doctor (what's the point, the health care system in Canada is a joke). The pain is no longer there, but I know if I even try and do any chest or shoulder exercises, it'll re-aggravate the injury (it happened 3 weeks ago.

Does anyone have any tips on how I can rehab it myself? I know it's not SERIOUS SERIOUS, but still... 6 weeks without being able to do any shoulder/chest exercises sucks and I'm bored of squatting 3 times a week.

The injury will still be there... For the next couple of weeks when u do chest / shoulders lift light and google rotator strengthener exercises. The pain really will not go away untill u see a doctor but eventually it will just be a slight pain and you can lift your normal weight.

 

[aceofjays]

I decided to take this week off before I step my nutrition game up.

I'm trying to put together a 4,000 calorie diet with a 35/35/30 split, but I can't seem to add up enough things I LIKE to eat.

I've checked out a few samples and they're including foods I really don't mess with.

I'm driving myself crazy

P.S.
Fitday is the shhh

 

[miamib30514]

Originally Posted by aceofjays


I decided to take this week off before I step my nutrition game up.

I'm trying to put together a 4,000 calorie diet with a 35/35/30 split, but I can't seem to add up enough things I LIKE to eat.

I've checked out a few samples and they're including foods I really don't mess with.

I'm driving myself crazy

P.S.
Fitday is the shhh

Im beginning to work out a 3000 Calories diet and im assuming you mean 35 carb/35 fat/ and 30 protein?? Is this the correct splits because i readsomewhere to go 50 carb/30 fat/ 20 protein. Keep in my mind im trying to gain about 15 pounds of muscle. from 135-150. Thanks

 

[wj4]

Originally Posted by miamib30514

Originally Posted by aceofjays


I decided to take this week off before I step my nutrition game up.

I'm trying to put together a 4,000 calorie diet with a 35/35/30 split, but I can't seem to add up enough things I LIKE to eat.

I've checked out a few samples and they're including foods I really don't mess with.

I'm driving myself crazy

P.S.
Fitday is the shhh

Im beginning to work out a 3000 Calories diet and im assuming you mean 35 carb/35 fat/ and 30 protein?? Is this the correct splits because i read somewhere to go 50 carb/30 fat/ 20 protein. Keep in my mind im trying to gain about 15 pounds of muscle. from 135-150. Thanks

By reading his 4,000 cal diet, it seems to me like he's bulking up.

The order that I've seen always go in protein/carb/fat.

 

[durden7]

Originally Posted by wj4

Originally Posted by miamib30514

Originally Posted by aceofjays


I decided to take this week off before I step my nutrition game up.

I'm trying to put together a 4,000 calorie diet with a 35/35/30 split, but I can't seem to add up enough things I LIKE to eat.

I've checked out a few samples and they're including foods I really don't mess with.

I'm driving myself crazy

P.S.
Fitday is the shhh

Im beginning to work out a 3000 Calories diet and im assuming you mean 35 carb/35 fat/ and 30 protein?? Is this the correct splits because i read somewhere to go 50 carb/30 fat/ 20 protein. Keep in my mind im trying to gain about 15 pounds of muscle. from 135-150. Thanks

By reading his 4,000 cal diet, it seems to me like he's bulking up.

The order that I've seen always go in protein/carb/fat.

Its never been protein/carb/fat. It's always carbs first then fat and protein.