The Fitness Thread... Do you even lift?

[Tachi]

Hello all,

After having a discussion about this topic in the chat and due to the responses given i've decided i may aswell post this thread out there for those who may find it interesting or of use.

The general view of an Otaku is a anime loving basement dweller who's only exercises are eating and clicking play on their next series, now we all know that is a very big misinterpretation and largely only applies to Otaku's in Japan,

Most of us want something more from themselves, be it to be stronger, better looking, skinnier or even to fill out andfeel confident about themselves, now the point of this thread is to try and give some general routines and scientific backing to the pro's and cons of fitness. If you find them interesting or would even consider giving the routines a go then please feel free to give criticism or credit if it works or doesn't work for you.

Things to note; I will not post anything in the routines that you cannot normally find at home - you will not need to join a gym or go out and buy weights or supplements.

Weight Loss

Now for some people the ability to lose extra weight isnt just a case of cutting back on food portions, genetics play a role and for some people have an under-active thyroid gland which in turn affects the metabolism needed to break down food, below are a few exercises you can do for as little as 10 minutes per day to promote metabolism, affect weight loss and overall boost your confidence & fitness level.

The fat cells in your body can be seen as a sack or bag containing fat deposits, you can never completely remove that cell once it becomes a fat cell unless you have liposuction or surgery. However you can completely empty the fat deposit from the cell so that the cell is flat and thus you have removed the fat from your body.

The best thing to do when picturing your body is to think of it as a machine, if you add the energy source (food) to the machine then the machine will run, if you do not give it enough energy then things will start to shut down (so starving is not an option when it comes to weight loss) if you add more energy to the machine than it uses per day (overfeeding it) then the extra energy is converted to a deposit (fat) for your machine/body to use when it is running low on energy. If the deposit continues to grow and grow until eventually the machine starts to break down because of the extra weight(weakening of bones and leads to the likes of hip replacements and joint problems).

1. Cardio Cardio Cardio!
Cardio is one of the best types of exercise when aiming to lose weight, how? Because if you do focused (timed) intense running on the spot or swimming then an after burner* affect will follow which has been proven to last between 6 and 12 hours. The after burner affect is best utilized whilst in a fasted state (so ideal for a 10 minute workout in the morning before breakfast).

*The After burner is where you use high intensity running on the spot for a full 10minutes, as you are in a fasted state the body has no choice but to search for energy, the first place your body will "look" for energy will be your stomach and gut, as you are in a fasted stat the body will then "look" at the fat reserves to replace the energy lost in the exercise.

How does this affect last 6 to 12 hours? As your body is playing "catch up" to replace the energy lost, this also reacts with your metabolic state, so when you do eat after the exercise, the majority of that energy source will be used up very quickly - your body will still require energy despite eating.... which leads onto the next point:

2. What foods affect your weight loss?
The body treats difference energy sources with different priorities, First of all the body craves carbs, if there are no carbs present then the body will "search" for protein as the next best thing (in terms of energy) Drinking sugary drinks messes up your body's natural order so try to avoid very sugary drinks or foods whilst on your weight loss plan.

In terms of reducing carbs in place of protein, Chicken would be the ideal meat as chicken has the least fat content but still fairly high protein content when compared to red meats. Stay away from pasta, potatoes and other carb full food. You do not have to substitute your whole fridge for rabbit food - just try to balance your food so you are consuming more protein than you are carbs (as i said before, carbs are the first thing your body will to for energy, to give it low carbs, high protein foods like chicken; your body will still go to the fat reserves for its "fix" of carbs)

3. What routines would you say are beneficial to weight loss?
Each of these routines can be used at any time during the day, the main thing is to try and stick to them each day at roughly the same time as this will help with your metabolic state and after burner affect (i will put in brackets the most ideal time)

O - 5 minutes running on the spot followed by 1 minute of resting then 5 further minutes of running on the spot
(most ideal in a fasted state first thing in the morning, giving your body the rest of the day to play "catch up" regardless of food intake)

O - 2 Minutes of squats followed by 2 minutes of lunges followed by 2 minutes of press ups followed by 2 minutes of running on the spot followed by star jumps
(can be done in the evening to help burn off the calories from dinner, this is more of a "all body" workout that will not trigger an afterburner affect but will still affect your metabolism)

O - Following routine is to be done as quick as possible for 5 sets (so the routine done 5 times in total in the quickest time you can)

Warning; This is very intense, you'd usually do this to tone your body, i figured i'd include it for those who had lost the weight but wanted to tone up.

Press up to standing position to running on the spot for approx 30 seconds to star jump to press up to standing.

Switch position

Push up, [twist body left or right so that the elbow is parallel to the body, rinse and repeat with opposite elbow] to standing position, to squat to jump to push up to standing.


FOR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM

Here's a set i've given to a few people at my gym aswell as family members, i've had some great feedback from their use of the routine and some have reduced their body fat % from 20+ to 14-15% total bodyfat!

10 minutes on the treadmill at level 5 speed as the minimum

5 sets of 10 reps - dumbbell over shoulder pump (comfortable weight, do not go above 10kg) - raise the wight above your head and lower it down to behind your head, hold for 2 seconds before extending arm back up to parallel with your body.

Rowing, aim to reach a mile in under 5 minutes. If you can do this with ease then go for 2 miles in 8 minutes.

5 minutes bike on resistance level 5 as minimum, again aim to reach a km (as the bikes tend to use km not miles) in 2.5 minutes - again double the distance and reduce the time if this is too easy - 2km for 4.5 mins

5 minutes lunges on the power plate, followed by 5 minutes squat on powerplate.

10 minutes of running or fast walking on treadmill to finish.

The complete routine shouldn't be done more than 3 times a week, after the first session you may need 2-3 days to recover though this will get easier with time.

Here are some calculators from a great website, they are simple to use and great for working out a variety of things
Calculators

Below are some helpful pictures to gauge body fat %

_______________________________________________________________________________

Part 2 will be regarding building muscle, i dont think i've finished with fat loss just yet but this is just a "teaser" i suppose, until i know if people will find this beneficial or not.

Part 3 will be answering FAQ's

 

[Tachi]

Part 2 Building Muscle

Due to the differences in body types i'll split each section into one aimed for each type so that hopefully i'm hitting all bases and giving the most beneficial advice to you all.

1 Body Types
Now everybody comes in various shapes and sizes, typically you'd be categorised into one of 3 types;

Ectomorph
These are typically slender built people - Most commonly known as "Hard Gainers", though they are depicted as tall in the image above they also come in small sizes too.
Their metabolisms are very efficient and because of this they struggle to put on weight (some on the other end of the scale may say that sounds like a blessing but to those who are ectomorphs trying to gain muscle its a nightmare)

Mesomorph
These are the ones who muscle builders would class as "good genetics for muscle building" they are what ectomorphs and endomorphs both strive for, if you are a Mesomorph then building muscle will be easier for you so the majority of your time will possibly be spent toning and cutting for definition.

Endomorph
These are the guys who have wide frames, they gain alot of weight and water retention and claim that it is muscle... you may have seen these before, the guys who can lift alot of weight but also have a pot belly. Though strength is alot easier for this type, the weight issue is a problem and could still lead to health problems later down the line.

2. Food

ECTO - Contradictory to losing weight you need to focus on giving your body high intakes of Carbs, you should "load up" your body on carbs before you work out, this carries the same principle as swimming - if you eat food or if you are taking a "all in one" mass gainer you need to wait an hour atleast before you start to work out*

You should aim to eat red meat, pasta, potatos, rice, black beans and all high carb foods but with reasonable fat content - these are called clean carbs. If you wanted you could easily go down another route which is called a "dirty bulk" which is where you eat hamburgers, pizza, fast food as much as you want - there are health implications like cholesterol and heart problems which could affect you later in life (i would personally recommend a combination of clean and dirty carbs in your meals because with your fast metabolism and the clean carbs, the chances of you getting any negative health problems from this are very low)

* Why do i have to wait an hour before i work out if i'm taking a all in one supplement?
because it takes roughly an hour for your body to ingest and process the carbs, they are fact acting but it still takes time for the carbs to be processed to all of your muscles, again you can still cramp up if you work out too early.


MESO - Your body is ideal for building muscle but you need to know the difference between what will improve your muscle gains and what will damage it; if you do not feed your body a minimum amount of carbs (use the calculators from part 1) then the body will burn through your fat reserves and then make a start on your protein reserves.... what are your protein reserves? Your muscles. You need to keep a balance between your carbs and protein because your metabolism could easily go eitherway of the scale. So long as you balance the carbs and protein against what your body uses to build muscle then you'll do fine. Just remember that the bigger you get the more carbs and protein your body will demand, failure to feed it the additional amounts will mean that your muscle gains will plateau.

EDNO - Your main objective is to stick to slow releasing carbs and taking in protein instead, follow the weight loss part of this thread and aim to balance out your cardio and weight building.

3. Workouts

Remember if you are using these workouts at home then you will need to tense your arm at every extension and contraction to build tension. If you are using the gym then these can be used properly at the gym.

FORM - You need to ensure that you keep the correct form during your lifts, by form i mean you need to ensure that you keep your arms/legs/muscles in a controlled and equal manner, do not try to lift too heavy as your stronger side will over compensate for the weakness in your other side, this can lead to injuries.

ECTO - Okay this should be your motto "I'm going to stay the hell away from cardio" The main things you should stick to are compound movement exercises (compound movements are where you work more than 1 muscle at a time)

All sets should be 6-8 reps and a total of 4 sets each exercise.

Bench press - Lay on your bed or the floor, with 2 cans of beans or if you have dumbbells or even a barbell then use it. Keep your arms parallel as you raise the "weight" to full extention, holding it at the top and tense your arms, lower them both in a controlled manner.

Deadlifting - Stood at full height with your weights in your hands bend forward without bending your knees and place the weights on the floor, pick them back up again and lift them in unison (a broom or a mop can be used for this aswell) using your lower back only, right yourself to full height.

Squats - Using the mop or barbell, parallel and resting on your shoulders. Standing at full height you have to bend your knees and move to a squatting position whilst still holding the bar on your shoulders, this will work your thighs and glutes to give you a tighter backside and strong legs.

Military press - Holding the bar infront of you as if you are wallace or gromit, lift the bar above your head, hold for 2 seconds whilst tensing and then bring them back down to the original position.

Pull-Over - Lay on your bed with your head on the edge of the bed with your arms fully extended infront of you with a bar infront of you, lower the bar over your head so your arms are at a right angle to the edge of the bed, tense and bring the bar back up so your arms are fully extended again and the bar is parallel to your shoulders once more.

MESO - You can follow my Gym routine if you attend a gym, if you are doing this from home then i'll try and find ways of you doing the same workouts but with things you'd easily be able to find at home.

Bench press - You should always start your routine with the bench press because it exerts the most strength if you are using actual weights. At first you may struggle but you will be able to press 40kg, but stick to it as the rest of the routine will build the muscles to increase your press over time, rome wasnt built in a day, neither will your muscles bulk out.

The Fly - At the gym this is simple to do, at home i'd suggest sitting on a chair and holding your arms out as if making an angel of the north, have something of equal weight in each hand and bring the arms round infront of you as if you where about to use a rowing machine and then move your arms back to their original position.

Reverse Fly, do the same but instead of using a machine at the gym, use dumbells and stand hunched forwards, have the dumbells infront of you and raise your arms to an angel of the north again.

Arm Cross over - This one can only be done at the gym, you could try doing this at home with weights but i'm not sure it will work as well... basically stand up straight, hold your arms as if you have just done a star jump, cross your arms over so that your right arm goes from the top right of your body to your left hip and vice versa.

Rowing Machine, Rope pull down and tricep dip can only be done at the gym (the tricep dip could be done with the back of 2 chairs but i wouldnt recommend it)

ENDO - Focus predominantly on Cardio and be sure to include some weight lifting into the routine so that you use the carbs you have for both muscle growth and weight loss.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask, i will do my upmost to answer as quick as possible and to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Tachi]

Part 3 FAQ's and Supplement information

Q; How do i turn fat into muscle?
A; You can't, its physically impossible to turn fat into muscle directly, now if we are talking in a more general term, it is possible... as you are using the fat deposits as energy, energy you are using to build muscle. Its certainly alot easier for a heavier person to build muscle than a hardgainer simply because you have the energy reserves to push yourself for longer.

Q; How often should i train?
A; Depending on your goals you should try the following:

Losing weight - everyday for 10 minutes in the morning would be ideal
Gaining muscle - 3 times a week, aim to have 1 days rest inbetween workout days.

Q; I ache all over, should i stop?
A; Not at all! If you are aching then its proof that you are doing something.

Q; Do i have to take Supplements?
A; No its a personal choice but i will not be biased, i'll give you the pros and cons equally.

Q; Are supplements bad?
A; As with all things there are good and bad versions of everything, do not buy un-reputable brands

Q; How do i know if a supplement is bad or not?
A; Typically a bad Whey protein is bound to give you stomach ache and some bloating, you will also end up going to the toilet alot more.

Q; What types of supplements can i take and what do they do
A;

Whey Protein
Isolate - 99.99% Whey protein, the most pure form of whey protein (which is the dehydrated form of excess produced when milk is turned to cheese.
Concentrate - There is rather alot of Isolate in this however there is roughly 1/3 sweetners and extras.
Blend - Typically a blend of the two above, though usually used in lesser brands with sweeteners and extras that you dont need.

How do i take it?
Usually with a protein shaker, though you can do the same with a glass and a fork. Now a tub will direct you to take 3 scoops of protein powder to 500ml of water, to do that it'll feel like you are trying to drink pancake mix, instead i'd recommend 1 1/2 scoops of protein shake to 400ml of water, shake until completely smooth and drink within 20minutes of a workout as the body will utilize the rush of protein straight to the muscles you've just worked and start working on rebuilding the small tears in muscle fibre.... this is how you build muscle basically, tearing and repairing muscles.

Use a Isolate or Concentrate Whey protein and a reputable brand like USN and you will not have any side effects, lesser brands side effects are usually stomach cramps, bloating and increased toilet use.

Casein
Slow releasing protein, exactly the same as whey protein except that this takes 12 hours to enter your system and start working, it is most commonly used last thing at night as a dessert shake, you wake in the morning and the protein is ready in your system for when you do your 10minute exercise (most ideal for people losing weight)

No side effects.

Creatine
What is creatine? Its naturally found in red meats, though when you cook the red meat the creatine is destroyed, creatine monohydrate is a dehydrated form of that same creatine from red meats (they extract it and dehydrate it)
Now you can get some creatine that is absolutely rubbish and you can get some which are perfect, how do i tell which is which?

Well the knock off version has the same consistency of flour, steer clear of it!
The proper Creatine Monohydrate has the same consistency as salt so you can tell the difference between the two by simply shaking the container.

What does Creatine do?
It saturates the muscles with water, it keeps your muscles well hydrated so you can see a marked improvement in your lifts and strength. This has a knock on effect with the water in your body, you must ensure to drink atleast 2litres of fluids per day as this has the potential to dehydrate you!!

How should you take it?
There are two ways;
With Creatine you can either take a teaspoon once a day with your protein shake though i'd recommend taking it with apple or grape juice as this processes the creatine into your body within minutes, orange juice works against creatine so i wouldnt recommend taking orange juice with it.

Way 2; you do a "loading" phase, where you take a teaspoon 4-5 times daily for 5 days straight, with this you will see a massive difference in your strength, after the first 5 days you go down to the 5mg teaspoon daily for the remainder of the course.

You must stop using creatine after 3 months, for atleast 4 weeks as it will reach a plateau and you will not see any more gains after 3 months, the month off resets the potential gains so you wont plateau

Possible side effect; Dehydration if you do not drink enough.

All of these are natural extracts, none of what i've written has any testosterone boosters or steroids, i am a natural body builder and do not agree with people using steroids or enhancers to get gains, they lead to too many issues (such as full shut down of your testicles and impotency)

I've been building for the past 2.5 years, all of what i know has been taught by fellow gym goers, scientists and internet research with more than abit of caution. I can confirm that nothing i've written is damaging or factually incorrect.

If you have any questions then please feel free to ask, i'll be happy to help

 

[Kite]

I've managed to loss ~25% of my body weight (from 140kg to 105kg) since April last year doing gym work & swimming, still a way to go though.

 

[Tachi]

I've managed to loss ~25% of my body weight (from 140kg to 105kg) since April last year doing gym work & swimming, still a way to go though.

Thats good stuff fella If you go to the gym aswell i may aswell add the gym routine i've given to a few people at my local gym, some of them have been able to reduce their total body fat percentage to 14-15% with it.

Keep up the good work

 

[Chaz]

This is some sound advice, especially for someone like me whose been trying to at least get active.
I especially didn't know about the tips on the fasting -> exercise process and the after burners, actually thinking you needed to eat 1st, rest our stomach and only then do the exercise (rather than get cramps while you swim or run straight after eating.) My thinking was "you need energy to expel more."

A good shout on the protein thing too. I already knew about how protein is a "better" energy reserve than carbs, as I've had discussions with my friends involving a similar topic. Could you add fish to the low-fat/high-protein menu? I'm pretty sure they have a body mass made of pure muscle (and bones etc.)

I would also like to add that if you do anything intense (or for most regimes of activity) you should warm up by a walk-turned-into-jog and then do some stretches. The warm ups would get the blood pumping and your organs feeding needed oxygen to your lungs and muscles. The stretches will help elasticity with muscle* and tendon movement, so you're less likely to "pull" anything.
*Joints contain at least 2 opposing sets of muscles - Move your elbow/forearm. As the arm goes in, the inner muscle set relaxes, and the out set flexes. Push the arm out, and the opposite happens.

I'll look forward to any updates when you get a chance. Thanks for opening this up.

 

[Rivaan]

I'm a male with, going by the photos and drawings, between 15% and 20% body fat. I would love to get it down to 10% or so. I'm going to begin by trying out that gym cardio workout you suggest above, as I have access to a gym for 90 minutes a day, through the college I go to.

Do you have any suggestions (time/distance) for replacing the treadmill with a cross trainer? Or would the amount of "running" be equivalent? I ask because I have flat feet and knees that are prone to pain, when running too much, but there is none of that with the cross trainer.

Regarding my diet, I have a low carb diet anyway, because I am diabetic and have chosen to control it purely through diet and exercise than using insulin or tablets to lower my sugar level. So I'm used to having protein-rich foods (chicken, fish, cottage cheese), and low carb foods (vegetables, sandwiches with small sized bread, salads, etc), and have just discovered the joys of Trop50 juice by Tropicana, which has only 8g of carbs in 200ml and still tastes very similar to the normal Tropicana, and provides 100% DRA of Vit C. So I will continue with all of that, unless you have any other suggestions or counter-suggestions.

 

[Tachi]

Thanks for the great feedback Chaz, i've partially put up the building muscle part, i'll add your information in and credit to you as its true and informative.

Rivaan, A cross trainer can be used for exactly the same time and distance as a treadmill if required, there isnt much difference when it comes to using either of them (a cross trainer is a little more intense but uses the same muscle groups)

Your diet is very good but considering you have diabetes i'm not too surprised to hear you watch what you eat, If you are interested in something that could combat the diabetes so you do not have to worry about it so much, look into taking Apple juice or grape juice with a 5mg teaspoon of Creatine Monohydrate, the Creatine saturates your muscles and the apple/grape juice along with it go to your liver which in turn increases insulin production in the body, i can't find it right now but there was a scientific study that showed using creatine monohydrate and apple/grape juices affect on insulin levels can naturally steady your insulin levels.

I'll post more about Creatine and its benefits soon, i'm just finishing off the weight building part.

 

[VoxPhantom]

My fitness regime is DDPYoga. I started doing it about two months ago, as my attempts at keeping up with jogging have been awful. DDPYoga has been brilliant though, comes with a schedule that builds you up from easier workouts to tougher ones. The main focus of the workouts is to raise your heart rate to your 'fat burning zone' and try to maintain that rate for a good chunk of the exercises.

Since I started, I've lost nearly a stone (11st 5lb down to 10st 7lbs). I've also cleaned up my diet a fair bit based on the suggestions included in the program, I always aim to have a lunch of fish/chicken plus pasta or brown rice with a salad and some celery. Haven't had much luck trying to persuade my parents to make dinner healthier, but small steps at a time. :lol:

 

[ilmaestro]

I started running and generally improving my diet in May 2011, came down from just over 200lbs to 152 in about 18 months. Hit my goal last year of running 1000km in total, goal for this year is to run in some half marathons at least.

 

[st_owly (witch)]

I've started going to the martial arts gym just down the road from me as well as trying to eat healthier. I have noticed my jeans are starting to fall down more and I'm building some muscle. Some good advice here, man

 

[Tachi]

I've started going to the martial arts gym just down the road from me as well as trying to eat healthier. I have noticed my jeans are starting to fall down more and I'm building some muscle. Some good advice here, man

Good to hear so many others who take up healthy activities to stay fit, excel for marathons and generally getting themselves into shape.

Thanks for the compliment, i've been going to the gym for the past few years, i've made a huge difference to my weight and size and that has had a great reflection to my life - i feel alot fitter and look healthier than the scrawny guy i was when i left high school.

For a comparison the picture on the left was taken when i was around 8 stone and just starting at the gym. The right was taken a few months ago, now 11.5 stone with a body fat % of 14. (which for someone building muscle to keep they bodyfat % down whilst increasing strength and size is no easy feat)

I'm currently on my bulking phase, after i've got each part of my body to my ideal strength and size then i will cut (reduce my carb intake and push for protein intake) so that the definition of each muscle is shown.

 

[MaxonTreik]

Starting my sessions with my personal trainer at the gym today. I'll be going twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Will report back on what I'm doing at these sessions once I know.

 

[Kite]

There was someone interesting in the pool this afternoon, he was wearing a wet-suit.

Afterwards when in the spa-area I asked him why the suit, and he's reply was that it was more restrictive with the movements of arms & legs, helped put his heart-beat up due to the warmth and helped him in the pool as it gave less restriction to the water.

Still rather odd to see.

(116 lengths in 1 hour 10 minutes tonight, baring in mind the first 10 minutes was 'general swim' where I couldn't put my foot down as there was people doing widths & kids playing about getting bricks from the bottom of the pool, still 100 lengths (25 metres) in just under an hour is my new p.b. It's been a year today since I started swimming properly after going the gym, in that time I've swam 202 miles over 125 sessions)

 

[MaxonTreik]

So after a couple of sessions I have an idea of what my personal trainer is wanting to do.

Us humans end up not using some important muscles due to our lifestyles. Things like our shoulders and our abdominal don't get used enough, so he has been getting me to do exercises that increase my range of movement, as well as body weight exercises. Most of the exercises are simple but they do put a lot of stress on the body, especially when it's for muscles that don't get used often.

 

[Tachi]

So after a couple of sessions I have an idea of what my personal trainer is wanting to do.

Us humans end up not using some important muscles due to our lifestyles. Things like our shoulders and our abdominal don't get used enough, so he has been getting me to do exercises that increase my range of movement, as well as body weight exercises. Most of the exercises are simple but they do put a lot of stress on the body, especially when it's for muscles that don't get used often.

The benefit of hitting muscles groups that you wouldnt usually use is great for building muscle though i fear you may have either misunderstood what he said or he's teaching you wrong... the shoulder muscles are along with your leg muscles) are some of the most used in the body, which is why building up the 3 deltoid heads of your shoulders are the hardest thing to build as they are used to regular movement.

Personally when i hit the gym, i spent a while just going back and forth to the rowing machine, the bike, the dumbells and wondering "why isnt this working? why am i not bulking up like these other guys" 2 major points have been learnt because of that question;

1 take a picture of you right now, from various angles (probably best to take topless pics)
Now as we all see ourselves in the mirror everyday, you dont see any changes happening at all... its so gradual that you just cant even register small changes. So when you come to take the same pictures again in 6 months you'll have something to compare to, you'll be able to see the differences alot easier.

2 If you are walking out of the gym or away from your exercises and thinking "i feel fine, not tired at all" then its one of two things, 1 you have gotten stronger and its time to move up the weights or the sets, 2 you havent worked out properly.

Everytime i go to the gym i see others who keep a diary of how many sets, reps and weight they are doing for each equipment. I use an app on my phone called JeFit which allows me to do the same thing and also build routines around which part of my body i want to work on. Keeping records of what you started off with and what you are now able to do long with pictures as comparison is a great boost of encouragement that you're changing, be that slimming down or bulking up.

@Kite, i dont do any swimming but based on weight loss and resistance training on land i'd say the resistance training in the water would be more beneficial to both weight loss and building muscle (though that gain in muscle would be equivalent to cardio training with a cross trainer) the wet suit will restrict his movements meaning he has to exert himself more but like i said, its essentially cardio - he'll be able to swim with more endurance for longer and as his torso is pressured somewhat by the suit this also has a knock on effect to his heart and lungs (well if metagl gear solid 2's skeleton suit is anything to go by haha) Like i said, im not a swimmer so i can only point out on things i can se a benefit to.

Back to the gym for me tomorrow, the routine i've been trialing for the past month has brought on some great gains to my triceps and chest (can fly weight 85kg and tricep dip 72.5kg which is more than i weigh myself) i think some intense bicep work is in order to even things out... two weeks of that then back to alternating between chest & tri 1 day and Bicep & back another

 

[Kite]

Silly question, is there any excerise in the gym to reduce man boobs?

 

[Tachi]

Silly question, is there any excerise in the gym to reduce man boobs?

Use the fly machine, start benching (start flat but eventually go to incline and decline as they work your lower and high pecs), press ups and lift both heavy and fast (heavy to promote muscle growth and fast reps build definition over muscle mass so you'll flatten your chest in no time) The main thing is to remember to keep the form correct - do not use momentum to raise the bar, if you are struggling to get to 6 reps then reduce the weight, if you are comfortable with 6 then go for 8, when 8 reps become easy you increase the weights.

Approx month to 2 months if you stick to it like religion (atleast 3 times a week) as you'll have left these muscles for so long be careful in week 1 as you are sure to feel the ache more then than any other time. If you were to lift heavy weights but not quickly then you would see your chest bulk out to muscle, thankfully the chest is one muscle that is not used often in life as our shoulders take the brunt and the traps help along with your bicep and tricep muscles to lift things as a compound movement... what does that mean? well when you start working on a muscle group that doesnt get used often, you tend to see a significant difference very quickly, after the initial size bulk however its then a case of increasing carb and protein intake to fuel the growth or keep eating the same amount and your muscles will stay in the same shape (only for as long as you work out)

I also have a silly question, I'm not looking for fast results or an easy way out, but are those waist training belts any good?

As we discussed, admin work is the worst for putting on weight, so I thought maybe wearing one to work & my maths course would take the edge off a teeny bit?

The electric waist belts that you sit there and it just sends a impulse shock through your body only make the muscles contract, great for working on toning a stomach but to actually get rid of excess baggage its a case of reducing your carb intake and eating more chicken, do not do sit ups till the cows come home - its a misconception that it will flatten your stomach (you actually build a great set of ab muscles but they then sit under the excess and it just looks weird) i would suggest around 10 star jumps directly followed by 5minutes of running on the spot as fast as you can, followed by 15 sit ups, 15 lunges and then whislt standing turn your upper body left to right whilst keeping your legs firmly where they are - this is a standing version of the russian twist and finish with 10 press ups.

Again, this is going to shock your body because you'll be hitting muscles that arent used to it, you'll feel exhausted after doing this everyday BUT it'll be worth it when you have people commenting on the "new you"

Try to do your workout on an empty stomach and as quick as you physically can, the longer you take to perform the workout, the harder it gets.

Both weren't silly questions at all, if there are any more questions please feel free to ask

 

[Tachi]

Started off in the gym with 60 reps of dips (Tricep), first set was 20 so the remaining 40 was done in blocks of 10. Then straight to benching 65kg on the barbell, 8 reps for 6 sets and a slowdown set of 50kg (Chest and Bicep). Fly weights at 80kg again 8 reps for 6 sets (Tri & Bicep with abit of chest work).

Crossover weight machine was used for the same reps and sets but at 25kg per arm and extending with right arm from left side of body round to the right so i could build up my rear deltoid (rear of shoulder) Freeweight dumbells at 15kg doing decline fly for same sets and reps (chest, bicep) and finishing off with weight plate above my head with 150kg working on leg extentions (Thigh and glutes - butt cheeks). Safe to say that i feel drained after that, 2nd protein shake of the night will be in order to help rebuild muscle fibers and lessen the ache tomorrow.

 

[-Danielle-]

I can tone my legs like a pro in little time at all and build up my fitness by using the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd. I know the "moves" and how to do them off by heart now so I can mute her and play hyphy music to get me pumped! Hahaha. But I want to work on my bum and my muffin top.

Squats should sort my bum right? I dont want it toned to the point of being smaller as i like my junk lol I just want it, tighter? So would that work?

Also whats the best for my muffin top?
I sometimes do that exercise you know where you basically move your legs up and down whilst you're flat on the floor? I can always feel that working as I poke my belly when doing it

EDIT: oooh ooooooh also, how to do like the backs of your arms? Kinda dont like a part of my arms there merging into bingo wing arm territory lol.