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Massive Knowledge Thread (For Creating and Editing Big Sticky)
The Massive Wealth Of Information Thread
This thread is meant to be the basis of the new sticky that will be posted once the Fitness section is remodelled. It will only take a few minutes to type out something helpful, so regular members are encouraged to contribute a little snippet whenever they're on and have the time.
Contribution rules:
Topic: [Insert the heading of the subject here]
Code: [Use something specific. This exists to easily locate the relevant post. For example a post on how to correctly perform the squat could be labelled [SQU01]
Body: [Type out everything you'd like to post in an efficient manner]
Please follow the rules. This will help greatly with making this thread work, and will give us a great sticky for the Fitness section to use.
If you see a post that needs editing due to incorrect info, please PM me and I'll sort it. Please also provide what you think is the correct answer. LV
This thread is meant to be the basis of the new sticky that will be posted once the Fitness section is remodelled. It will only take a few minutes to type out something helpful, so regular members are encouraged to contribute a little snippet whenever they're on and have the time.
Contribution rules:
•
Do not post anything off topic in this thread. It is not meant for discussion. It exists solely for the posting of fitness relevant materials.
•
Inconsistencies and post credibility will be judged by the frequent members here. If your contribution is inaccurate, it will be removed.
•
You must have a solid foundation and concept of the subject matter you are going to post about.
•
Do not repost a topic that has already been covered. If you want to make an addition, add [Addition] to the header of your post, indicating which post you are adding information to using the code. (More below.)
•
No newbs.
•
When posting, please use the post outline given below.
•
Use proper grammar and formatting.
Topic: [Insert the heading of the subject here]
Code: [Use something specific. This exists to easily locate the relevant post. For example a post on how to correctly perform the squat could be labelled [SQU01]
Body: [Type out everything you'd like to post in an efficient manner]
Please follow the rules. This will help greatly with making this thread work, and will give us a great sticky for the Fitness section to use.
If you see a post that needs editing due to incorrect info, please PM me and I'll sort it. Please also provide what you think is the correct answer. LV
Supplementation for the Beginner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplementation is a way of meeting your daily dietary requirements should you not be getting the desired amount from whole foods or are too busy during the day to prepare meals containing the macronutrient layout you require. Supplements come in all manner of shapes and sizes and with all the different companies and products it is easy to get confused and therefore drawn in to the wrong product. Here is a list of the bare essentials that will help a beginner new to the world of supplements
Whey Protein
Whey protein is a vital component in anyone's supplement protocol. It increases protein synthesis resulting in increased muscle gains. Whey is digested quickly and contains amino acids aiding both recovery and growth between workouts. Whey protein is most beneficial taken 0-30mins post workout, as it is absorbed within that time. This period of time post workout is known as the 'Anabolic Window' and protein consumption is vital during this phase. It can be consumed as additional protein at breakfast or added to meals throughout the day.
Multi Vitamin
Multi vitamins provide a host of benefits. A majority of people are deficient in vitamins through poor dietary consumption. Multi vitamins can help reach healthy levels improving general health, prevention of diseases/illness, reduce stress and replenish nutrient stores. Consistently taking vitamins and mineral makes good nutritional sense. They are also cofactors responsible for muscle growth.
Joint Support
A lot of people with an active resistance/fitness routine will have wear and tear on their joints, cartilage and connective tissue. Omega 3‘s, Glucosamine, MSM and Chondroitin are examples of joint support supplements with combination formulas also available. Benefits include general health of joints and their mobility, assistance to joint flexibility and the renewal/building of new cells. Taken consistently users will see beneficial results.
Creatine
Creatine is nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to muscle and nerve cells. It is one of the cheapest and most effective supplements you can buy. There is a choice between purities of creatine, ranging from Monohydrate to Creapure to Creatine Ethyl Ester. Creatine has been intensively tested and is perfectly safe to use. Side affects of Creatine monohydrate include increased water retention.
Other Supplements, For most lifters Whey protein, joint support, creatine and a multivitamin is more than sufficient. Many companies will offer expensive and "proven" supplements that promise quick and easy results. These will, for the most part, be fads.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally by Herr Stamper and Bebbs Corrections in bold.
Fish Oil
Fish oil is made up primarily of 2 essential fatty acids (EFAs) – Omega 3 and Omega. It is a general anti-inflammatory with none of the problems associated with NSAIDs which absorb through the stomach, like aspirin. As such it can help with most joint problems and injuries. Scientists have hypothesised links between Omegas 3 and 6 and increased brain performance. Some experts also believe that fish oil can help regulate cholesterol within the body.
Negative effects on hypertrophy have also been suggested, but these seem negligible even in people that megadose – I have heard of powerlifters taking up to 20g per day, and it seems they overcome this problem by training hard and eating lots of food, a concept lost on many trainees.
An alternative to fish oil is flax, (commonly known as linseed, oil. Flax is high in dietary fibre and also has been found to act as a stabliser for blood sugar levels. Linseed does not contain lignans found in flax seed oil. Lignans are a form of antioxidant.
In conclusion, since most people don’t eat much fish and this supplement has several benefits which outweigh any downsides, I recommend it. Conveniently, most fish oil supplements also contain water soluble vitamins (that is, those vitamins which are not harmful to overdose). Flax seed oil is suitable alternative for vegetarians and vegans.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original by Burningnun. Flax added by Lady Venom
Green Tea
Green tea contains smaller amounts of caffeine Vs. ordinary black tea. It's is known for it's antioxidant properties as well as other health benefits. It is also a metabolism trigger.
Green tea helps reduce the negative affects of LDL (bad cholesterol) by lowering the level of triglycerides and increasing production of good cholesterol (HDL). Green tea also helps oxidise fat, thus increasing the body's metabolism.
Researchers have though that drinking aroudn 5 cups per day burns approximately 80kcal.
Green tea is widely found in fat burners such as PHD's Lean Degree or Maximuscle's Thermobol. Fat burners should only be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise regime and not as a way to lose weight (as a cheat).
In conclusion, green tea is a healthy alternative to coffee, black tea or fizzy drinks. The taste is acquired however there are many flavours available such as mint flavoured green tea which are more palatable.
Electrolytes
When dehydration is a problem, electrolyte loss may also be significant. This does not just occur in hot places! It can happen over a period of time, particularly endurance events/training or just through neglecting to maintain the sodium in your body. Electrolytes are lost in sweat, and high losses can negatively affect performance.
Electrolytes are commonly known as sodium - or salt. Hence why sweat tastes salty. It is vital to make sure you are replenished, especially those in a low salt diet. Sodium helps the body to maintain water and thus stay hydrated. Your organs need water to function and it is vital you keep as much in a possible.
The recommended daily intake of salt is 6g. You could lose up to 6g in 90mins of hard activity.
Electrolytes are in many performance and recovery drinks - specifically SIS's Rego Recovery (Protein and complex carb mix), Go (Complex carb and electrolyte mix performance energy and hydration drink) and also PhD's Battery +/-3. These drinks all also contain other essential vitamins and minerals.
To sum up - if you train hard and are struggling or feel lethargic, don't forget to consider your salt intake. Even in the depths of winter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original by Lady Venom
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Supplementation is a way of meeting your daily dietary requirements should you not be getting the desired amount from whole foods or are too busy during the day to prepare meals containing the macronutrient layout you require. Supplements come in all manner of shapes and sizes and with all the different companies and products it is easy to get confused and therefore drawn in to the wrong product. Here is a list of the bare essentials that will help a beginner new to the world of supplements
Whey Protein
Whey protein is a vital component in anyone's supplement protocol. It increases protein synthesis resulting in increased muscle gains. Whey is digested quickly and contains amino acids aiding both recovery and growth between workouts. Whey protein is most beneficial taken 0-30mins post workout, as it is absorbed within that time. This period of time post workout is known as the 'Anabolic Window' and protein consumption is vital during this phase. It can be consumed as additional protein at breakfast or added to meals throughout the day.
Multi Vitamin
Multi vitamins provide a host of benefits. A majority of people are deficient in vitamins through poor dietary consumption. Multi vitamins can help reach healthy levels improving general health, prevention of diseases/illness, reduce stress and replenish nutrient stores. Consistently taking vitamins and mineral makes good nutritional sense. They are also cofactors responsible for muscle growth.
Joint Support
A lot of people with an active resistance/fitness routine will have wear and tear on their joints, cartilage and connective tissue. Omega 3‘s, Glucosamine, MSM and Chondroitin are examples of joint support supplements with combination formulas also available. Benefits include general health of joints and their mobility, assistance to joint flexibility and the renewal/building of new cells. Taken consistently users will see beneficial results.
Creatine
Creatine is nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and helps to supply energy to muscle and nerve cells. It is one of the cheapest and most effective supplements you can buy. There is a choice between purities of creatine, ranging from Monohydrate to Creapure to Creatine Ethyl Ester. Creatine has been intensively tested and is perfectly safe to use. Side affects of Creatine monohydrate include increased water retention.
Other Supplements, For most lifters Whey protein, joint support, creatine and a multivitamin is more than sufficient. Many companies will offer expensive and "proven" supplements that promise quick and easy results. These will, for the most part, be fads.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally by Herr Stamper and Bebbs Corrections in bold.
Fish Oil
Fish oil is made up primarily of 2 essential fatty acids (EFAs) – Omega 3 and Omega. It is a general anti-inflammatory with none of the problems associated with NSAIDs which absorb through the stomach, like aspirin. As such it can help with most joint problems and injuries. Scientists have hypothesised links between Omegas 3 and 6 and increased brain performance. Some experts also believe that fish oil can help regulate cholesterol within the body.
Negative effects on hypertrophy have also been suggested, but these seem negligible even in people that megadose – I have heard of powerlifters taking up to 20g per day, and it seems they overcome this problem by training hard and eating lots of food, a concept lost on many trainees.
An alternative to fish oil is flax, (commonly known as linseed, oil. Flax is high in dietary fibre and also has been found to act as a stabliser for blood sugar levels. Linseed does not contain lignans found in flax seed oil. Lignans are a form of antioxidant.
In conclusion, since most people don’t eat much fish and this supplement has several benefits which outweigh any downsides, I recommend it. Conveniently, most fish oil supplements also contain water soluble vitamins (that is, those vitamins which are not harmful to overdose). Flax seed oil is suitable alternative for vegetarians and vegans.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original by Burningnun. Flax added by Lady Venom
Green Tea
Green tea contains smaller amounts of caffeine Vs. ordinary black tea. It's is known for it's antioxidant properties as well as other health benefits. It is also a metabolism trigger.
Green tea helps reduce the negative affects of LDL (bad cholesterol) by lowering the level of triglycerides and increasing production of good cholesterol (HDL). Green tea also helps oxidise fat, thus increasing the body's metabolism.
Researchers have though that drinking aroudn 5 cups per day burns approximately 80kcal.
Green tea is widely found in fat burners such as PHD's Lean Degree or Maximuscle's Thermobol. Fat burners should only be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise regime and not as a way to lose weight (as a cheat).
In conclusion, green tea is a healthy alternative to coffee, black tea or fizzy drinks. The taste is acquired however there are many flavours available such as mint flavoured green tea which are more palatable.
Electrolytes
When dehydration is a problem, electrolyte loss may also be significant. This does not just occur in hot places! It can happen over a period of time, particularly endurance events/training or just through neglecting to maintain the sodium in your body. Electrolytes are lost in sweat, and high losses can negatively affect performance.
Electrolytes are commonly known as sodium - or salt. Hence why sweat tastes salty. It is vital to make sure you are replenished, especially those in a low salt diet. Sodium helps the body to maintain water and thus stay hydrated. Your organs need water to function and it is vital you keep as much in a possible.
The recommended daily intake of salt is 6g. You could lose up to 6g in 90mins of hard activity.
Electrolytes are in many performance and recovery drinks - specifically SIS's Rego Recovery (Protein and complex carb mix), Go (Complex carb and electrolyte mix performance energy and hydration drink) and also PhD's Battery +/-3. These drinks all also contain other essential vitamins and minerals.
To sum up - if you train hard and are struggling or feel lethargic, don't forget to consider your salt intake. Even in the depths of winter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original by Lady Venom
Squats - How To Do It Properly
I've tried to make this as concise as possible. Not too much detail, and with physical queues rather than textual ones. If you need a more detailed version of this post, I recommend you buy 'Starting Strength' by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore which contains a fifty pages worth of material solely on the squat.
The Basics:
The squat is one of the most mechanically demanding exercises present in the barbell trainers arsenal. It's probably one of the most frequently discussed and performed exercises today. Why? Because it encourages the the muscular, osteological growth of the body as a unit. Encourages rapidity and strength of the CNS signals transported throughout the body.
One must remember that weight training is like any sport, to get good at it the motion must be repeated in a specific range of motion which causes the CNS to adapt and strengthen the motor pathways which are involved in the movement.
Anyhow, On with the topic.
Getting prepared:
a) Wear a t-shirt. Do not perform these half naked or with a wife beater on. Sweat will make the bar slide causing terrible injuries, et cetera.
b) Get your hands chalked.
c) Perform a set with the empty bar to warm up the muscles involved if this is the first time you are performing these.
d) Set the squat rack to a height below your rear deltoids and load the weight you are going to use for your working set (After warm up, An article on warming up will be posted by some other regular Fitness member, hopefully. Look for it with the code EWARM01.)
Knowing the movement:
I'll steal this bit from Rippetoe's book. Lock your hands within each other lightly and push your elbows outward parallel to the floor. Gently, Squat down.
Your elbows should be touching your knees. Keep the width of your legs that distance apart. Look at an object at eye level. Keep your chest and buttocks outward, your femur (thigh bone.) should be parallel or slightly lower than that if it is to be called a full squat.
This is the position you should be in at the bottom, remember it well.
Squatting 101:
1) Pass beneath the bar and keep the bar resting on your rear deltoids. Put your arms in a position as close to your head as possible (Don't touch your ears now.) and push your elbows backward.
2) You should feel a stretch in your pectorals at this point, and your back should be tight. Do not support the bar with your hands, The bar should be resting on your back. This position is known as the 'Low bar position.' Your wrists should remain aligned with the bar perpendicular to it.
3) Gently squat the bar out of the rack, keeping the tightness you built up from the earlier queues. Take one step with one foot backwards, and another with the other foot. Get into position and get ready to squat.
4) Do not perform a backward walk, or derack the bar by performing a 'good morning' (Ie. Arching your back.)
5) Keeping your chest in the out position, and your buttocks outwards, take a deep breath and descend maintaining your tightness. Squat depth will be discussed later, but it should generally be slightly below parallel.
6) You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings, glutes aswell as your quadriceps.
7) You are now in what people call 'the hole', Don't stay for too long. The general rule is while you're descending you're already thinking of driving up.
8) Using your hips, drive upwards until you are standing. Do not hyperextend. Look at a point infront of you while squatting.
9) Lather, rinse, repeat.
Equipment required:
- Olympic bar.
- Weights (Not plastic, clay argos one's.)
- Squat rack
- (Belt.)
- Chalk.
- Spotter. (Specially if you're new to the 'game'.)
Squat Depth:
Well, Generally people squat to around parallel. (Thigh parallel to the floor.) There is much debate about what depth one should go to as to ensure one's safety. I'll give you an unbiased opinion of both, you draw your own conclusions.
ATG Squats: ATG Squats: ATG stands for 'Ass to grass', Ie. Breaking parallel and squatting as low as your flexibility allows. Squatting below parallel requires flexibility which develops over time. Many 'hardcore' types prefer these, as it's the exact opposite of what the 'posers' do.
In the controversial book, 'The Knee in sports', This form of squatting is described as dangerous, as the forces on the knees cause the ligaments to act as a shear, damaging the patella.
There is no evidence to show that ATG squats are any more effective than femur parallel squats. There is evidence that they are more dangerous than femur parallel squats, yet many thousands of athletes, such as Olympic weightlifters, squat ATG in high volume and experience no knee problems. The work required to squat ATG is also higher than squatting parallel for equal weight. Personally, I go slightly below femur parallel but not ATG.
Femur parallel: This is when your thigh BONE is parallel to the floor and is the 'in between' between an ATG Squat and a parallel squat.
Quarter squat: Don't do these.
Parallel: Nope. Unless you have a good reason.
Hopefully 'Bebbs' will upload a video of the movement to help you all understand the movement better. If anyone can find some pictures to go with the text, or anything to add, feel free.
I've tried to make this as concise as possible. Not too much detail, and with physical queues rather than textual ones. If you need a more detailed version of this post, I recommend you buy 'Starting Strength' by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore which contains a fifty pages worth of material solely on the squat.
The Basics:
The squat is one of the most mechanically demanding exercises present in the barbell trainers arsenal. It's probably one of the most frequently discussed and performed exercises today. Why? Because it encourages the the muscular, osteological growth of the body as a unit. Encourages rapidity and strength of the CNS signals transported throughout the body.
One must remember that weight training is like any sport, to get good at it the motion must be repeated in a specific range of motion which causes the CNS to adapt and strengthen the motor pathways which are involved in the movement.
Anyhow, On with the topic.
Getting prepared:
a) Wear a t-shirt. Do not perform these half naked or with a wife beater on. Sweat will make the bar slide causing terrible injuries, et cetera.
b) Get your hands chalked.
c) Perform a set with the empty bar to warm up the muscles involved if this is the first time you are performing these.
d) Set the squat rack to a height below your rear deltoids and load the weight you are going to use for your working set (After warm up, An article on warming up will be posted by some other regular Fitness member, hopefully. Look for it with the code EWARM01.)
Knowing the movement:
I'll steal this bit from Rippetoe's book. Lock your hands within each other lightly and push your elbows outward parallel to the floor. Gently, Squat down.
Your elbows should be touching your knees. Keep the width of your legs that distance apart. Look at an object at eye level. Keep your chest and buttocks outward, your femur (thigh bone.) should be parallel or slightly lower than that if it is to be called a full squat.
This is the position you should be in at the bottom, remember it well.
Squatting 101:
1) Pass beneath the bar and keep the bar resting on your rear deltoids. Put your arms in a position as close to your head as possible (Don't touch your ears now.) and push your elbows backward.
2) You should feel a stretch in your pectorals at this point, and your back should be tight. Do not support the bar with your hands, The bar should be resting on your back. This position is known as the 'Low bar position.' Your wrists should remain aligned with the bar perpendicular to it.
3) Gently squat the bar out of the rack, keeping the tightness you built up from the earlier queues. Take one step with one foot backwards, and another with the other foot. Get into position and get ready to squat.
4) Do not perform a backward walk, or derack the bar by performing a 'good morning' (Ie. Arching your back.)
5) Keeping your chest in the out position, and your buttocks outwards, take a deep breath and descend maintaining your tightness. Squat depth will be discussed later, but it should generally be slightly below parallel.
6) You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings, glutes aswell as your quadriceps.
7) You are now in what people call 'the hole', Don't stay for too long. The general rule is while you're descending you're already thinking of driving up.
8) Using your hips, drive upwards until you are standing. Do not hyperextend. Look at a point infront of you while squatting.
9) Lather, rinse, repeat.
Equipment required:
- Olympic bar.
- Weights (Not plastic, clay argos one's.)
- Squat rack
- (Belt.)
- Chalk.
- Spotter. (Specially if you're new to the 'game'.)
Squat Depth:
Well, Generally people squat to around parallel. (Thigh parallel to the floor.) There is much debate about what depth one should go to as to ensure one's safety. I'll give you an unbiased opinion of both, you draw your own conclusions.
ATG Squats: ATG Squats: ATG stands for 'Ass to grass', Ie. Breaking parallel and squatting as low as your flexibility allows. Squatting below parallel requires flexibility which develops over time. Many 'hardcore' types prefer these, as it's the exact opposite of what the 'posers' do.
In the controversial book, 'The Knee in sports', This form of squatting is described as dangerous, as the forces on the knees cause the ligaments to act as a shear, damaging the patella.
There is no evidence to show that ATG squats are any more effective than femur parallel squats. There is evidence that they are more dangerous than femur parallel squats, yet many thousands of athletes, such as Olympic weightlifters, squat ATG in high volume and experience no knee problems. The work required to squat ATG is also higher than squatting parallel for equal weight. Personally, I go slightly below femur parallel but not ATG.
Femur parallel: This is when your thigh BONE is parallel to the floor and is the 'in between' between an ATG Squat and a parallel squat.
Quarter squat: Don't do these.
Parallel: Nope. Unless you have a good reason.
Hopefully 'Bebbs' will upload a video of the movement to help you all understand the movement better. If anyone can find some pictures to go with the text, or anything to add, feel free.
Diet and Nutrition For The Beginner
Carbohydrates
During weight training workouts, your body relies on carbohydrates as it's primary source of energy. If you are not consuming the right amount of carbohydrates each day, you won't have enough energy to train at the intensity levels that will stimulate muscle growth.
Simple carbohydrates - One or two molecules = Fast absorption and short burst of energy (Fruit, milk, non starchy vegetables, honey)
Complex carbohydrates - Three or four molecules = Slower absorption and sustained release of energy (Legumes, whole grain bread, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables, oats)
The Carbohydrates that you eat are stored in your muscles and the liver. During your weight training workouts, your body coverts these stored carbohydrates into ATP molecules and use them as energy.
Since the body relies on carbohydrates to burn as fuel, it's important to consume adequate amounts so that your body isn't forced to convert your valuable protein in to energy, a process know as ketosis.
The other important role carbohydrates play in building muscle is that of the post workout insulin spike. This can be brought on simply by ingesting simple carbohydrates after your weight training workouts. Although the majority of the carbohydrates in your muscle building diet will consist of complex carbohydrates, this is one of the times when simple carbohydrates are a must. Since insulin is responsible for transferring nutrients from the blood stream in to your bodies cells. Replenishing or "spiking" your insulin levels can speed up protein synthesis.
Do not eat carbohydrates before going to sleep as the insulin suppresses the release of human growth hormone (HGH), but do make sure you eat/drink plenty of protein before bed if you want to see gains because you will be going 6+ hours without food - in this time, when your body is growing the most, it needs fuel even though digestion is slowed down during sleep.
Also, make sure you are getting at least 7 and preferably 8/9 hours sleep, to allow your body to recover and grow each and every day.
Conclusion
* Aim for 30 - 50% of your total daily calorie intake to come from carbohydrates.
* Consume mostly complex carbohydrates, only simple carbs after your workouts.
* Choose whole grain and whole wheat products whenever possible for the added fiber and nutrients.
* Consume complex carbs before your workout to provide you with energy, and simple carbs after your workout to restore glycogen stores and create an insulin spike.
Fats
Fats got a very bad reputation in the 80’s with the belief that fat kills you and you can pretty much ignore it with its dense calories. The only problem was, when everybody cut fat from their diets they denied the body a lot of essentials. Fats provide a lot of the raw ingredients for hormones, so testosterone crashed off the chart, the exact opposite of what a trainee needs. Fats also make up most of the joints and essential connective tissues in our body, not to mention most of our brains are made of fats. Fats are not created equal however, there are good fats that improve our bodies and health and ones that slow us down and cause problems. Generally EFAs (essential fatty acids) need to be eaten to keep us alive and MCT (Medium Chain triglycerides) can offer us a healthy form of energy almost a rival to carbohydrates. There are also specialist types of fat like CLA which have actively shown to reduce stored body fat. (Calories per gram 9)
Whole food sources: Eggs, avocados, olive oil, coconuts, oily fish, light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: EFA oil blends, fish oil and CLA capsules
Protein
Protein, as every bodybuilder and strength athlete knows, is the primary source of raw building material for muscle tissue. Under eat protein and you deprive your body of the essential stuff to repair that damaged muscle and create new lean mass from the training stimulus. When eating for mass protein needs to be a blend of slow release to constantly supply the building process and also some faster release to feed hungry muscle tissue fast, especially during daylight hours. Because you will likely be eating a lot more food than average, protein is often best coming from both whole food sources (which contain a variety of extra nutrients – as well as tastes!) and liquid protein supplement sources. The liquid proteins can be digested faster and with better results so you aren’t weighed down by a full stomach by time the next meal comes around. (Calories per gram 4)
Whole food sources: Lean meats, chicken, oily fish, eggs, probiotic yoghurt, cottage cheese and other light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: Protein shakes and Meal replacement or weight gain mixes
Anyone add or remove info before LV's posts it in the sticky. All 3 macro's will have something on them then.
Carbohydrates
During weight training workouts, your body relies on carbohydrates as it's primary source of energy. If you are not consuming the right amount of carbohydrates each day, you won't have enough energy to train at the intensity levels that will stimulate muscle growth.
Simple carbohydrates - One or two molecules = Fast absorption and short burst of energy (Fruit, milk, non starchy vegetables, honey)
Complex carbohydrates - Three or four molecules = Slower absorption and sustained release of energy (Legumes, whole grain bread, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables, oats)
The Carbohydrates that you eat are stored in your muscles and the liver. During your weight training workouts, your body coverts these stored carbohydrates into ATP molecules and use them as energy.
Since the body relies on carbohydrates to burn as fuel, it's important to consume adequate amounts so that your body isn't forced to convert your valuable protein in to energy, a process know as ketosis.
The other important role carbohydrates play in building muscle is that of the post workout insulin spike. This can be brought on simply by ingesting simple carbohydrates after your weight training workouts. Although the majority of the carbohydrates in your muscle building diet will consist of complex carbohydrates, this is one of the times when simple carbohydrates are a must. Since insulin is responsible for transferring nutrients from the blood stream in to your bodies cells. Replenishing or "spiking" your insulin levels can speed up protein synthesis.
Do not eat carbohydrates before going to sleep as the insulin suppresses the release of human growth hormone (HGH), but do make sure you eat/drink plenty of protein before bed if you want to see gains because you will be going 6+ hours without food - in this time, when your body is growing the most, it needs fuel even though digestion is slowed down during sleep.
Also, make sure you are getting at least 7 and preferably 8/9 hours sleep, to allow your body to recover and grow each and every day.
Conclusion
* Aim for 30 - 50% of your total daily calorie intake to come from carbohydrates.
* Consume mostly complex carbohydrates, only simple carbs after your workouts.
* Choose whole grain and whole wheat products whenever possible for the added fiber and nutrients.
* Consume complex carbs before your workout to provide you with energy, and simple carbs after your workout to restore glycogen stores and create an insulin spike.
Fats
Fats got a very bad reputation in the 80’s with the belief that fat kills you and you can pretty much ignore it with its dense calories. The only problem was, when everybody cut fat from their diets they denied the body a lot of essentials. Fats provide a lot of the raw ingredients for hormones, so testosterone crashed off the chart, the exact opposite of what a trainee needs. Fats also make up most of the joints and essential connective tissues in our body, not to mention most of our brains are made of fats. Fats are not created equal however, there are good fats that improve our bodies and health and ones that slow us down and cause problems. Generally EFAs (essential fatty acids) need to be eaten to keep us alive and MCT (Medium Chain triglycerides) can offer us a healthy form of energy almost a rival to carbohydrates. There are also specialist types of fat like CLA which have actively shown to reduce stored body fat. (Calories per gram 9)
Whole food sources: Eggs, avocados, olive oil, coconuts, oily fish, light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: EFA oil blends, fish oil and CLA capsules
Protein
Protein, as every bodybuilder and strength athlete knows, is the primary source of raw building material for muscle tissue. Under eat protein and you deprive your body of the essential stuff to repair that damaged muscle and create new lean mass from the training stimulus. When eating for mass protein needs to be a blend of slow release to constantly supply the building process and also some faster release to feed hungry muscle tissue fast, especially during daylight hours. Because you will likely be eating a lot more food than average, protein is often best coming from both whole food sources (which contain a variety of extra nutrients – as well as tastes!) and liquid protein supplement sources. The liquid proteins can be digested faster and with better results so you aren’t weighed down by a full stomach by time the next meal comes around. (Calories per gram 4)
Whole food sources: Lean meats, chicken, oily fish, eggs, probiotic yoghurt, cottage cheese and other light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: Protein shakes and Meal replacement or weight gain mixes
Anyone add or remove info before LV's posts it in the sticky. All 3 macro's will have something on them then.
Rowing Machine Technique
Unlike the treadmill and bike, the rowing machine involves a movement which is unfamiliar to many people and consequently the technique employed by many gym users is incorrect. This results in an inability to efficiently transfer power from the body to the flywheel (this is the wheel housed inside the machine which is connected to the chain, providing resistance to the movement). When used correctly, the rowing machine offers a very good full-body workout.
Initial position: Backstops
The stroke begins with the 'backstops' position. Here the legs are straight, the back is straight and inclined backwards at an angle of around 15 degrees, and the handle is drawn in to the body roughly level with the bottom of the front of your ribcage (or 'just below the bottom of the bra' as this is often described, regardless of gender). The head should be looking directly forwards (or slightly above horizontal) and should remain level throughout the stroke.
The recovery
The first part of the stroke is called the recovery for a reason - it should not feel like work. This is your body's chance to relax after the work it has done during the drive of the previous stroke. It is important to keep the recovery relaxed and smooth. At first it may feel very slow but keep in mind that at steady ratings, the recovery should last much longer than the drive.
On to the technique:
The first part of the body to move is the arms. The arms are pushed away from the body until they are straight, remaining at about the same height to slightly lower than they were at backstops. The back and legs remain straight and stationary. This position is known as 'arms away'. Once the arms are in this position, they should remain straight and loose at the same height until partway through the following drive.
Next, from the arms away position, tilt the upper body forward at the hips, keeping the back straight. The legs do not move. The angle to which you tilt forwards is dependent upon flexibility, but 20 degrees should be fine, otherwise whatever you can manage. This is called the 'bodies over' position. When separating each section of the stroke individually, you should feel the stretch on your hamstrings when sitting in the bodies over position.
Once your arms have come forward and you have rocked over, you begin to lift the knees. It is essential that the handle is brought over the top of the knees before the knees rise, otherwise the handle will have to be brought up over the knees and back down again, resulting in a very awkward stroke. As the knees rise and the body comes forward, the upper body remains in the same position, with the arms loose in front and the body tilted forward. It is easy to rush coming forward, but try to keep it smooth and slow when rowing at a steady rate.
Once you have come forward far enough for your shins to be vertical, do not go further forward - any further and the legs will not be able to get proper leverage. The heels may rise slightly, but they should not be allowed to rise too far. This position is the 'catch' or 'frontstops'.
The drive
The drive is where all of the work takes place:
From the frontstops position, keeping the upper body in position and the arms straight, begin to accelerate backwards using your legs only. The legs are where the majority of the power in the stroke comes from and it is important to focus on driving the knees down strongly. It is important to keep the arms relaxed and to refrain from pulling with them too early - for most of the stroke they are simply there as hooks to hold the chain and they are only a very small part of the overall power of the stroke.
Partway through the drive - at least not until your knees have passed an angle of 90 degrees - the back begins tilt backwards at the hips, still remaining straight. After this, only towards the very end of the drive do you bring in the arms, pulling the handle in to the body to finish once again at the backstops position.
Common mistakes
'Bum shoving' - this is the term for when a person drives with the legs but instead of the upper body remaining rigid and being driven back along with the handle, the legs push the bottom out but the rest of the upper body does not follow. This results in the power produced causing less acceleration of the handle.
Tension in the arms/engaging arms too early - because the rowing machine has a handle, many people instinctively feel that the arms should play a big role, but this is not the case. Tension in the arms and shoulders can affect the smoothness of the stroke and make it uncomfortable, and pulling too early with the arms can result in a poor power curve (more on that later), a jagged stroke, and disproportionately tired arms.
Bent back - throughout the stroke, the back remains straight in both the forward and backward tilting positions. This is likely to be uncomfortable, and will be especially irritating if you have previously rowed with incorrect technique which is less hard on the back, but in order to remain in a mechanically strong position and to devlop the strength of your core, a straight back is essential.
I may add extra notes to this or add a second article about training, and I will definitely come back to add a little on stringing the whole stroke togther effectively and going a backstops build to practice, but this is long enough for me right now.
Unlike the treadmill and bike, the rowing machine involves a movement which is unfamiliar to many people and consequently the technique employed by many gym users is incorrect. This results in an inability to efficiently transfer power from the body to the flywheel (this is the wheel housed inside the machine which is connected to the chain, providing resistance to the movement). When used correctly, the rowing machine offers a very good full-body workout.
Initial position: Backstops
The stroke begins with the 'backstops' position. Here the legs are straight, the back is straight and inclined backwards at an angle of around 15 degrees, and the handle is drawn in to the body roughly level with the bottom of the front of your ribcage (or 'just below the bottom of the bra' as this is often described, regardless of gender). The head should be looking directly forwards (or slightly above horizontal) and should remain level throughout the stroke.
The recovery
The first part of the stroke is called the recovery for a reason - it should not feel like work. This is your body's chance to relax after the work it has done during the drive of the previous stroke. It is important to keep the recovery relaxed and smooth. At first it may feel very slow but keep in mind that at steady ratings, the recovery should last much longer than the drive.
On to the technique:
The first part of the body to move is the arms. The arms are pushed away from the body until they are straight, remaining at about the same height to slightly lower than they were at backstops. The back and legs remain straight and stationary. This position is known as 'arms away'. Once the arms are in this position, they should remain straight and loose at the same height until partway through the following drive.
Next, from the arms away position, tilt the upper body forward at the hips, keeping the back straight. The legs do not move. The angle to which you tilt forwards is dependent upon flexibility, but 20 degrees should be fine, otherwise whatever you can manage. This is called the 'bodies over' position. When separating each section of the stroke individually, you should feel the stretch on your hamstrings when sitting in the bodies over position.
Once your arms have come forward and you have rocked over, you begin to lift the knees. It is essential that the handle is brought over the top of the knees before the knees rise, otherwise the handle will have to be brought up over the knees and back down again, resulting in a very awkward stroke. As the knees rise and the body comes forward, the upper body remains in the same position, with the arms loose in front and the body tilted forward. It is easy to rush coming forward, but try to keep it smooth and slow when rowing at a steady rate.
Once you have come forward far enough for your shins to be vertical, do not go further forward - any further and the legs will not be able to get proper leverage. The heels may rise slightly, but they should not be allowed to rise too far. This position is the 'catch' or 'frontstops'.
The drive
The drive is where all of the work takes place:
From the frontstops position, keeping the upper body in position and the arms straight, begin to accelerate backwards using your legs only. The legs are where the majority of the power in the stroke comes from and it is important to focus on driving the knees down strongly. It is important to keep the arms relaxed and to refrain from pulling with them too early - for most of the stroke they are simply there as hooks to hold the chain and they are only a very small part of the overall power of the stroke.
Partway through the drive - at least not until your knees have passed an angle of 90 degrees - the back begins tilt backwards at the hips, still remaining straight. After this, only towards the very end of the drive do you bring in the arms, pulling the handle in to the body to finish once again at the backstops position.
Common mistakes
'Bum shoving' - this is the term for when a person drives with the legs but instead of the upper body remaining rigid and being driven back along with the handle, the legs push the bottom out but the rest of the upper body does not follow. This results in the power produced causing less acceleration of the handle.
Tension in the arms/engaging arms too early - because the rowing machine has a handle, many people instinctively feel that the arms should play a big role, but this is not the case. Tension in the arms and shoulders can affect the smoothness of the stroke and make it uncomfortable, and pulling too early with the arms can result in a poor power curve (more on that later), a jagged stroke, and disproportionately tired arms.
Bent back - throughout the stroke, the back remains straight in both the forward and backward tilting positions. This is likely to be uncomfortable, and will be especially irritating if you have previously rowed with incorrect technique which is less hard on the back, but in order to remain in a mechanically strong position and to devlop the strength of your core, a straight back is essential.
I may add extra notes to this or add a second article about training, and I will definitely come back to add a little on stringing the whole stroke togther effectively and going a backstops build to practice, but this is long enough for me right now.
The Only Workout Info You Will Ever Need
Taken from ukmuscle - delete if we are not allowed to use other articles, but I like the ideas in this.
On the Anabolic Mind's forums, a powerlifters take on getting big and why some people who are always over analysing things never grow
Virtually everything you’ve ever read from a bodybuilding magazine is heresy and should be regarded as not worth the paper it was printed on. The programs written by the so called “superstars” of the bodybuilding world were actually ghost written by some guy in a cubicle who doesn’t know a thing about proper training, programming, exercise phys, or periodization. If, by chance the program was actually written by the “superstar” you can rest easy as long as you are one of the most genetically gifted people in history AND you are on such a ridiculous amount of drugs that you have to tan to hide the yellowing of your skin due to liver failure.
The fact is that big, strong guys are a dime a dozen, and many of them get that way in spite of their training knowledge than because of it.
I know what I’m talking about in the world of training not because I’m the biggest or the strongest (although, at 270lbs and an 800 squat, 600 bench, and 700 deadlift I can hold my own), and not because I know the most about exercise phys (though I can hold my own there too), but because I have trained with and become friends with best. I have trained at Westside Barbell Club, with the Metal Militia, talk on a continual basis with the best strength coaches in the nation and world-wide, and the training methods I prescribe have been tested in the gym on literally hundreds and hundreds of regular, everyday athletes and shown to work. Period.
So here’s what I can stand before you today and say with great conviction what I know to be true about training:
1) I believe in general that the majority of people don’t work hard enough. If there’s one thing we can learn from the old Eastern Bloc countries, it’s that they worked harder than us, and that primarily, is why they always beat us in the Olympics. Work hard in the gym (even if your program sucks) and you will be rewarded.
2) I also believe that most people don’t put near enough emphasis on lower body and core work. The key to getting big is full squats and deadlifts. If you are looking at your routine and you see that you are training upper body 3 or 4 days per week and lower body once, you have a serious problem. The majority of athletes should live and die in the squat rack.
3) And for that matter, EVERYONE’S program should be centred around these exercises: Full Squat, Deadlifts (or cleans or both), heavy barbell rows, bench press, and Standing Barbell Military Push Presses. Add pull ups, barbell curls, dips, heavy abdominal work, and some core work (back extensions, reverse hypers, or glute hams) and that should make up 95-100% of the total number of exercises you do. The most effective training is simple and hard.
4) Training a bodypart once per week (and one bodypart per day) is one of the worst ways to train. It will create a rut in your training that you can’t dig out of.
Training a bodypart twice per week has always been shown to be superior to once per week training of a muscle. The problem is with the influx of "Weider Principles" and other bodybuilding trash that's posted in the magazines, the masses have been stuck in the one-bodypart-per-day-per-week rut for years.
No strength athletes train a bodypart once per week. Most Olympic lifters, powerlifters, and strongman train their backs at least four times per week, and last time I checked, they weren't lacking in back width.
The simple fact is that training using an upper lower split or a push pull split or 3 full body days will provide double or triple the training stimulus than training a muscle once per week and thus, if done correctly will lead to much, much greater growth and strength gains.
5) Training to near muscular failure has shown to induce identical hypertrophy gains than training to all out muscular failure. The reason you guys can’t train a muscle more than once per week is because you are destroying it when you do train it. Learn to hit or miss that last rep and then call it done. Don’t do ridiculous amounts of forced reps, negatives, etc. until you literally can’t move the muscle. Take it to near failure and then your muscles will recover enough so that you can train them again in 3-4 days.
Understand that there is a huge difference in training to near failure and not training hard. I would never advocate to not train hard. Actually, quite the opposite – try to squat for 5 sets of 5 reps using only 10lbs less than your five rep max. That’s absolutely brutal. But when you get done, don’t go to the leg press machine and keep pounding out sets and stripping off weight until you literal can’t do a single leg press with only the sled. That’s absurd, and you can’t recover from it in 3 days.
6) Squat at least below parallel every time. Are you kidding me? I can’t believe some people are still quarter squatting and saying that riding a squat all the way to the ground is bad for your knees. Learn the facts. Stopping at or above parallel puts much more strain on your knees than going ass to grass. Plus going all the way down in an Olympic style back squat will put more mass on you than any other exercise. Period.
7) Isolation exercises are absolute crap. 90% of your routine should be made up of full squats, deadlifts or cleans, bench press, standing overhead press, heavy barbell rows, pull-ups, dips, and core work (abs, glute ham raises, back extensions, reverse hypers). Isolation exercises and machines are the worst thing that ever happened to the weight training world.
8) Quit using pyramid rep schemes like 10,8,6,4,2 – Instead, your time would be better served doing boring (but effective) gut busting sets of 5x5 or 4x8-10 using the SAME WEIGHT for each set. They WILL produce better results than the pyramid scheme. BTW, check your ego at the door when you do these.
9) I’ll quote my good friend, Glenn Pendlay (the best S&C coach in the nation) for the next one:
"Most athletes do too many exercises. Many times they look over other peoples programs like they are at a buffet. They pick a little of this and a little of that from a variety of programs, and end up with something useless. People think you have to train each muscle with a different specific exercise. Many guys in college athletics would do better if they would just randomly slash off half of what they are doing, and then work twice as hard on the half that is left."
10) Another of my favourites from Glenn:
"im so sick and tired of hearing people who just started training who say they cant gain weight. jeez I’ve heard this crap so often. every day it seems i have some stupid kid ask me about how to gain weight... in restaurants, at the grocery store, you name it. for some reason there seems to be a sign on my back or something. usually i know its worthless to talk to them, sometimes i actually waste my time. talked to a kid at the golden corral a couple of days ago. took almost an hour when i should have been enjoying my all you can eat steak night... 3 days later i see him in the gym when i just happened to go in to talk to a friend who i knew was there... kid was there doing preacher curls. said hi to me, then said well i talked to my friend about what you said and he said he tried it once and over trained so i decided to do this thing i read about... on the other hand about 6 months ago i talked to this 6' tall, 150lb kid who wanted to know about getting stronger. kid had done well in judo, won some titles, also after that had done cycling, turned pro then quit a year later, quite a good road racer. he actually did what i told him i guess, about 3 months after i saw him the first time i saw hiim again, he weighed about 185... he wanted to try Olympic weightlifting so i let him train with the team i coach. now hes weighing 204 and clean and jerking about 300lbs, 54lbs gained in 6 months. no drugs. Olympic squat from 175lbs to 385lbs, front squat from 150lbs to 330lbs. hell be a good lifter, has a good work ethic. needs to be 240 and fairly lean, will compete eventually in the 231 pound class. will take about another 12-15 months i suppose. why is a kid like this the exception and not the rule? why will kids do the same old thing for years in the absence of results, and not try anything new? what the hell is wrong with people. there is a gym in town, i know the owner so i go and talk to him sometimes, there are all these kids in there, skinny little ****s, doing curls. they never progress, you see the same faces one year to the next, same bodies too."
11) Ultra slow reps or TUT is, for the most part completely worthless. Will it work? Yes. But the total amount of work that one can complete is much lower when utilizing slow reps. Just go natural. Don’t try to be super fast, and bouncy, and don’t try to go ultra slow. Just do it naturally and controlled.
12) “The burn”, “the pump” and “the feel” have nothing to do with the effectiveness of an exercise. Yes, even I have been caught on upper body days looking at myself in the mirror when I’m all blown up, but that has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the last exercise. You do hammer strength bench presses and flyes for sets of 20 and I’ll do heavy barbell bench presses and deep dips. One of us will “feel the pump” more and the other one will grow.
13) Likewise, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) also gives no clue as to the effectiveness of a workout. It just means A) you have a ton of microtrauma in a muscle or a lot of lactic acid waste products. Congratulations.
14) “Core stability training” is not done on a swiss ball or a stability board. It’s done by pulling heavy deadlifts, standing overhead presses, full squats, heavy barbell rows, heavy farmer’s walks, Atlas stones, tire flipping, reverse hypers, heavy back extensions, glute ham raises, and heavy abdominal work.
15) A good gym has nothing to do with how nice the machines are or if they have a pool or tanning beds or even if it’s air conditioned. A good gym smells like a mix of body odour and liniment and supplies their members with a big box of chalk.
Kelly Baggett, one of the best strength coaches his take as well on how to get bigger
This is not to attack anyone but I'd be willing to bet a lot more natural muscle has been built using the recommendations of Matt and Glenn over the years then all the complicated bodybuilding schemes out there. The problem with bodybuilders is they try to overcomplicate everything and lose site of the big picture.....that's making strength gains in the gym on basic movements along with scale weight increases on a week to week basis. Now you can complicate that as much as you want but those are the only 2 things it takes to get big. It doesn't take any sort have fancy specialized training routines and special diets. If more people would spend more time in dark stinky ass gyms worrying about putting weight on the very basic movements and spend more time eating in high volume (note the golden corral reference) with an emphasis on gaining scale weight then a lot more muscle would be built.
For every bodybuilder who has success building a physique naturally I'll show you at least 20 who don't get jack **** in the way of results because they sit around with their thumb up their butt worrying about this and worrying about that and basing everything off of their "pump"...worrying about the "feel" of this exercise and trying to trash the muscle every workout without any regards to periodization and failing to realize that if they would've just strived to put 50 lbs on their squat and 15 lbs on the scale their problems would be taken care of......They go starving themselves to death on boiled chicken and broccoli while spending $300 per month in supplements thinking they can get "bigger" and "smaller" at the same time spending 5 years wasting time not gaining 10 lbs of scale weight all while looking at strength athletes with their nose up in the air when what they don't realize is that fat powerlifter they like to make fun of has actually put on 50 lbs of muscle in the last year and he could spend 3 months stripping that fat off and hand you your ass and balls in a bodybuilding contest simply because he trained very simple, focused on strength gains and most importantly wasn't afraid to sit down at the dinner table and do some serious eating.
Give me 2 twin brothers one who hangs around with and reads bodybuilding related info for a year and another who hangs around with and trains at a powerlifting gym both without steroids and after that year is over let's see which one builds more muscle. Nine times out of 10 I'll take the powerlifter.
Having said that a strength athletes routine may not be 100% optimal for a bodybuilder but there are a lot of things people could learn from strength trainers.
Taken from ukmuscle - delete if we are not allowed to use other articles, but I like the ideas in this.
Virtually everything you’ve ever read from a bodybuilding magazine is heresy and should be regarded as not worth the paper it was printed on. The programs written by the so called “superstars” of the bodybuilding world were actually ghost written by some guy in a cubicle who doesn’t know a thing about proper training, programming, exercise phys, or periodization. If, by chance the program was actually written by the “superstar” you can rest easy as long as you are one of the most genetically gifted people in history AND you are on such a ridiculous amount of drugs that you have to tan to hide the yellowing of your skin due to liver failure.
The fact is that big, strong guys are a dime a dozen, and many of them get that way in spite of their training knowledge than because of it.
I know what I’m talking about in the world of training not because I’m the biggest or the strongest (although, at 270lbs and an 800 squat, 600 bench, and 700 deadlift I can hold my own), and not because I know the most about exercise phys (though I can hold my own there too), but because I have trained with and become friends with best. I have trained at Westside Barbell Club, with the Metal Militia, talk on a continual basis with the best strength coaches in the nation and world-wide, and the training methods I prescribe have been tested in the gym on literally hundreds and hundreds of regular, everyday athletes and shown to work. Period.
So here’s what I can stand before you today and say with great conviction what I know to be true about training:
1) I believe in general that the majority of people don’t work hard enough. If there’s one thing we can learn from the old Eastern Bloc countries, it’s that they worked harder than us, and that primarily, is why they always beat us in the Olympics. Work hard in the gym (even if your program sucks) and you will be rewarded.
2) I also believe that most people don’t put near enough emphasis on lower body and core work. The key to getting big is full squats and deadlifts. If you are looking at your routine and you see that you are training upper body 3 or 4 days per week and lower body once, you have a serious problem. The majority of athletes should live and die in the squat rack.
3) And for that matter, EVERYONE’S program should be centred around these exercises: Full Squat, Deadlifts (or cleans or both), heavy barbell rows, bench press, and Standing Barbell Military Push Presses. Add pull ups, barbell curls, dips, heavy abdominal work, and some core work (back extensions, reverse hypers, or glute hams) and that should make up 95-100% of the total number of exercises you do. The most effective training is simple and hard.
4) Training a bodypart once per week (and one bodypart per day) is one of the worst ways to train. It will create a rut in your training that you can’t dig out of.
Training a bodypart twice per week has always been shown to be superior to once per week training of a muscle. The problem is with the influx of "Weider Principles" and other bodybuilding trash that's posted in the magazines, the masses have been stuck in the one-bodypart-per-day-per-week rut for years.
No strength athletes train a bodypart once per week. Most Olympic lifters, powerlifters, and strongman train their backs at least four times per week, and last time I checked, they weren't lacking in back width.
The simple fact is that training using an upper lower split or a push pull split or 3 full body days will provide double or triple the training stimulus than training a muscle once per week and thus, if done correctly will lead to much, much greater growth and strength gains.
5) Training to near muscular failure has shown to induce identical hypertrophy gains than training to all out muscular failure. The reason you guys can’t train a muscle more than once per week is because you are destroying it when you do train it. Learn to hit or miss that last rep and then call it done. Don’t do ridiculous amounts of forced reps, negatives, etc. until you literally can’t move the muscle. Take it to near failure and then your muscles will recover enough so that you can train them again in 3-4 days.
Understand that there is a huge difference in training to near failure and not training hard. I would never advocate to not train hard. Actually, quite the opposite – try to squat for 5 sets of 5 reps using only 10lbs less than your five rep max. That’s absolutely brutal. But when you get done, don’t go to the leg press machine and keep pounding out sets and stripping off weight until you literal can’t do a single leg press with only the sled. That’s absurd, and you can’t recover from it in 3 days.
6) Squat at least below parallel every time. Are you kidding me? I can’t believe some people are still quarter squatting and saying that riding a squat all the way to the ground is bad for your knees. Learn the facts. Stopping at or above parallel puts much more strain on your knees than going ass to grass. Plus going all the way down in an Olympic style back squat will put more mass on you than any other exercise. Period.
7) Isolation exercises are absolute crap. 90% of your routine should be made up of full squats, deadlifts or cleans, bench press, standing overhead press, heavy barbell rows, pull-ups, dips, and core work (abs, glute ham raises, back extensions, reverse hypers). Isolation exercises and machines are the worst thing that ever happened to the weight training world.
8) Quit using pyramid rep schemes like 10,8,6,4,2 – Instead, your time would be better served doing boring (but effective) gut busting sets of 5x5 or 4x8-10 using the SAME WEIGHT for each set. They WILL produce better results than the pyramid scheme. BTW, check your ego at the door when you do these.
9) I’ll quote my good friend, Glenn Pendlay (the best S&C coach in the nation) for the next one:
"Most athletes do too many exercises. Many times they look over other peoples programs like they are at a buffet. They pick a little of this and a little of that from a variety of programs, and end up with something useless. People think you have to train each muscle with a different specific exercise. Many guys in college athletics would do better if they would just randomly slash off half of what they are doing, and then work twice as hard on the half that is left."
10) Another of my favourites from Glenn:
"im so sick and tired of hearing people who just started training who say they cant gain weight. jeez I’ve heard this crap so often. every day it seems i have some stupid kid ask me about how to gain weight... in restaurants, at the grocery store, you name it. for some reason there seems to be a sign on my back or something. usually i know its worthless to talk to them, sometimes i actually waste my time. talked to a kid at the golden corral a couple of days ago. took almost an hour when i should have been enjoying my all you can eat steak night... 3 days later i see him in the gym when i just happened to go in to talk to a friend who i knew was there... kid was there doing preacher curls. said hi to me, then said well i talked to my friend about what you said and he said he tried it once and over trained so i decided to do this thing i read about... on the other hand about 6 months ago i talked to this 6' tall, 150lb kid who wanted to know about getting stronger. kid had done well in judo, won some titles, also after that had done cycling, turned pro then quit a year later, quite a good road racer. he actually did what i told him i guess, about 3 months after i saw him the first time i saw hiim again, he weighed about 185... he wanted to try Olympic weightlifting so i let him train with the team i coach. now hes weighing 204 and clean and jerking about 300lbs, 54lbs gained in 6 months. no drugs. Olympic squat from 175lbs to 385lbs, front squat from 150lbs to 330lbs. hell be a good lifter, has a good work ethic. needs to be 240 and fairly lean, will compete eventually in the 231 pound class. will take about another 12-15 months i suppose. why is a kid like this the exception and not the rule? why will kids do the same old thing for years in the absence of results, and not try anything new? what the hell is wrong with people. there is a gym in town, i know the owner so i go and talk to him sometimes, there are all these kids in there, skinny little ****s, doing curls. they never progress, you see the same faces one year to the next, same bodies too."
11) Ultra slow reps or TUT is, for the most part completely worthless. Will it work? Yes. But the total amount of work that one can complete is much lower when utilizing slow reps. Just go natural. Don’t try to be super fast, and bouncy, and don’t try to go ultra slow. Just do it naturally and controlled.
12) “The burn”, “the pump” and “the feel” have nothing to do with the effectiveness of an exercise. Yes, even I have been caught on upper body days looking at myself in the mirror when I’m all blown up, but that has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the last exercise. You do hammer strength bench presses and flyes for sets of 20 and I’ll do heavy barbell bench presses and deep dips. One of us will “feel the pump” more and the other one will grow.
13) Likewise, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) also gives no clue as to the effectiveness of a workout. It just means A) you have a ton of microtrauma in a muscle or a lot of lactic acid waste products. Congratulations.
14) “Core stability training” is not done on a swiss ball or a stability board. It’s done by pulling heavy deadlifts, standing overhead presses, full squats, heavy barbell rows, heavy farmer’s walks, Atlas stones, tire flipping, reverse hypers, heavy back extensions, glute ham raises, and heavy abdominal work.
15) A good gym has nothing to do with how nice the machines are or if they have a pool or tanning beds or even if it’s air conditioned. A good gym smells like a mix of body odour and liniment and supplies their members with a big box of chalk.
Kelly Baggett, one of the best strength coaches his take as well on how to get bigger
This is not to attack anyone but I'd be willing to bet a lot more natural muscle has been built using the recommendations of Matt and Glenn over the years then all the complicated bodybuilding schemes out there. The problem with bodybuilders is they try to overcomplicate everything and lose site of the big picture.....that's making strength gains in the gym on basic movements along with scale weight increases on a week to week basis. Now you can complicate that as much as you want but those are the only 2 things it takes to get big. It doesn't take any sort have fancy specialized training routines and special diets. If more people would spend more time in dark stinky ass gyms worrying about putting weight on the very basic movements and spend more time eating in high volume (note the golden corral reference) with an emphasis on gaining scale weight then a lot more muscle would be built.
For every bodybuilder who has success building a physique naturally I'll show you at least 20 who don't get jack **** in the way of results because they sit around with their thumb up their butt worrying about this and worrying about that and basing everything off of their "pump"...worrying about the "feel" of this exercise and trying to trash the muscle every workout without any regards to periodization and failing to realize that if they would've just strived to put 50 lbs on their squat and 15 lbs on the scale their problems would be taken care of......They go starving themselves to death on boiled chicken and broccoli while spending $300 per month in supplements thinking they can get "bigger" and "smaller" at the same time spending 5 years wasting time not gaining 10 lbs of scale weight all while looking at strength athletes with their nose up in the air when what they don't realize is that fat powerlifter they like to make fun of has actually put on 50 lbs of muscle in the last year and he could spend 3 months stripping that fat off and hand you your ass and balls in a bodybuilding contest simply because he trained very simple, focused on strength gains and most importantly wasn't afraid to sit down at the dinner table and do some serious eating.
Give me 2 twin brothers one who hangs around with and reads bodybuilding related info for a year and another who hangs around with and trains at a powerlifting gym both without steroids and after that year is over let's see which one builds more muscle. Nine times out of 10 I'll take the powerlifter.
Having said that a strength athletes routine may not be 100% optimal for a bodybuilder but there are a lot of things people could learn from strength trainers.
Recommended Training Programs
If your looking for a program, have a quick look at these. Highly recommended by many people. Feel free to add to the list.
Beginners
Starting Strength - Basic Barbell Training
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki
Used by many people on this forum, im sure a more detail article will be written about the program. Highly recommended to buy to the book, as most online versions are modified.
Westside For Skinny Bastards
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=459321
Again a very popular program
5x5 Routines
Bill Starrs 5x5
http://www.wackyhq.com/madcow5x5/geocities/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm
Relatively easy program to understand. It nicely illustrates the importance of making systematic progression to drive gains and increase the core lifts.
Great program, will make awesome progress with all your main lifts, and pack on a lot of size provided your eating enough. Been around for a long time, very popular. At the bottom of the webpage there is a spreadsheet you can download and use.
Stronglifts 5x5
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
Another 5x5 variation, great and very popular program.
Bulking
MyProtein Bulking Program
http://www.myprotein.co.uk/your-goals/muscle-and-size/?article=training
Made by meathead whose on this forum, excellent bulking program. Also check out the diet and supplements articles linked from the top of that page.
Hypertrophy
Hypertrophy Specific Training
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html
If your looking for pure size, this is a good program. Check out the forum on the website, very helpful.
Max OT
http://www.ast-ss.com/maxot.php
Another popular program, a few people on here use it I believe, just sign up to the site and go from there.
Feel free to add more, these were just a few off the top of my head
If your looking for a program, have a quick look at these. Highly recommended by many people. Feel free to add to the list.
Beginners
Starting Strength - Basic Barbell Training
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Starting_Strength_Wiki
Starting Strength is a unique approach to coaching weight training, written by coaches and designed specifically for training beginners. Learn how to effectively and safely coach the basic core lifts and their programming in an easy to do, step-by-step process. Featuring the most heavily illustrated exercise chapters in print, Starting Strength shows the reader not only how to teach the lifts, but how to recognize and correct technique errors. The book features flip animations of each exercise performed correctly, along with practical interpretations of coaching theory, and the anatomical, physiological, and mechanical principles of training. It will help prepare coaches and personal trainers to be more effective strength and conditioning professionals.
Used by many people on this forum, im sure a more detail article will be written about the program. Highly recommended to buy to the book, as most online versions are modified.
Westside For Skinny Bastards
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=459321
Many of my programs are based on the principles popularized by Louie Simmons and the Westside Barbell Club. Through my extensive research and experience, I’ve found that this system produces the best results. I’ve also found that, like any other system, you must manipulate it to suit your specific needs.
We’re all well aware that the Westside Barbell Club is the home to some of the strongest, most gifted powerlifters in the world. The results this system has produced speaks for itself. The problem is, I don’t train powerlifters. In fact, most of the younger athletes who come to me aren’t physically prepared to jump into such a demanding program.
My clientele consists mainly of football players, wrestlers, baseball players, hockey players, basketball players, and track & field athletes. These athletes range from high school kids to professionals. Through my experience of working with these different athletes, I'm constantly manipulating the system so it better suits an athlete’s specific sport and his training level.
We’re all well aware that the Westside Barbell Club is the home to some of the strongest, most gifted powerlifters in the world. The results this system has produced speaks for itself. The problem is, I don’t train powerlifters. In fact, most of the younger athletes who come to me aren’t physically prepared to jump into such a demanding program.
My clientele consists mainly of football players, wrestlers, baseball players, hockey players, basketball players, and track & field athletes. These athletes range from high school kids to professionals. Through my experience of working with these different athletes, I'm constantly manipulating the system so it better suits an athlete’s specific sport and his training level.
Again a very popular program
5x5 Routines
Bill Starrs 5x5
http://www.wackyhq.com/madcow5x5/geocities/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm
Relatively easy program to understand. It nicely illustrates the importance of making systematic progression to drive gains and increase the core lifts.
Great program, will make awesome progress with all your main lifts, and pack on a lot of size provided your eating enough. Been around for a long time, very popular. At the bottom of the webpage there is a spreadsheet you can download and use.
Stronglifts 5x5
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
I give StrongLifts 5×5 Beginner Program to anyone who want to gain strength, build muscle or lose fat. I’ve seen skinny guys gain 5kg & overweight guys lose 5kg in 4 weeks using this strength training program & the right nutrition.
But this program isn’t for beginners only. If you’ve done bodybuilding routines until now or if you’re unfamiliar with barbell exercises like the Squat, Overhead Press & Deadlift, this program will get you results fast.
But this program isn’t for beginners only. If you’ve done bodybuilding routines until now or if you’re unfamiliar with barbell exercises like the Squat, Overhead Press & Deadlift, this program will get you results fast.
Another 5x5 variation, great and very popular program.
Bulking
MyProtein Bulking Program
http://www.myprotein.co.uk/your-goals/muscle-and-size/?article=training
Made by meathead whose on this forum, excellent bulking program. Also check out the diet and supplements articles linked from the top of that page.
Hypertrophy
Hypertrophy Specific Training
http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/hst_index.html
Hypertrophy-Specific Training™ arose out of the research looking at both the stimuli and mechanisms for muscle cell hypertrophy. Hypertrophy-Specific Training (HST) is based on physiological principles of hypertrophy first discovered in the laboratory. These principles were then organized into a "method" of mechanically loading the muscle to induce hypertrophy. Of course, translating these principles into applicable methods (sets & reps & schedules) brings in some possibility of error. As the science continues to explore the exact mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy, this error will be whittled away.
If your looking for pure size, this is a good program. Check out the forum on the website, very helpful.
Max OT
http://www.ast-ss.com/maxot.php
Max-OT is a wake-up call to building muscle. Max-OT is built upon the very physiological science behind muscle growth. It takes this science and combines it with the bio-mechanical functions of the human body to generate muscle growth faster and more efficiently than any other training program ever designed.
Another popular program, a few people on here use it I believe, just sign up to the site and go from there.
Feel free to add more, these were just a few off the top of my head
Women Specific: Fat Loss Myths Unveiled
Weight (Fat) Loss For Girls
Fat loss is a more accurate description of what is commonly called ‘losing weight’ or ‘toning up’.
Fat loss is preferred because:
1) You lose fat and if done through eating healthily and exercising, you will gain some muscle which actually weighs more than fat so you will initially lose ‘weight’ on the scales however you will start to put some on whilst getting a slimmer more defined figured. To measure your fat loss and progress, use clothes: select a top and a pair of jeans you have now, note how tight they are and try them on after a month etc. to see how your figure has changed and developed
2) ‘Toning up’ does NOT exist. It is a term used by PTs to lure women into the weights room without scaring them off. FACT: Low weight high reps does nothing for your muscles or your fat loss.
Stick with me – this is about to get good!
Common Myths About Dieting
1) If I eat really low calories/ I’ll lose fat
No. You will initially however it will be rapid and you will have the ‘skinny fat look’ as you will lose fat in the wrong places. Your body will also start to cling onto every morsel of fat it can to keep it functioning correctly, thus when you start eating ‘normally’ again you will just pile on the fat as your body will be desperate to replenish stores. Your body also needs GOOD fats to function. More on these later…..
2) If I eat only fats and protein I’ll lose fat and look better
This is called the Atkins Diet. Yes is works for weight loss but at the end of the day it’s utter rubbish and just another fad diet. You need carbs to function. GOOD carbs are much better for you and are found in many foods. Your brain relies on carbs, so do you muscles. The side effects of Atkins are also not so great – it’s puts the body into a state call ‘Ketosis’ where it has to burn fat. In short – you put greater strain on your kidneys and liver and end up with stinky breath and again you’ll pile on the weight when you come off it. Unless you are very educated it’s also highly likely that you’re piling on the wrong fats – cheese for example contains high amounts of saturated (trans) fats which are not good for the body. Also can cause higher cholesterol.
3) Those shake diets are awesome
Wrong. They’re rubbish. Again, putting the body into some sort of starvation mode and where’s all the nutrients? Yes you’ll see a lot of weight loss but again it’s unhealthy as it is quick. Side effects include symptoms such as hair loss in some dieters.
You’ll notice I’ve used ‘weight loss’ because generally you lose weight as your body has incorrect nutrients being pumped in and gets the ones it’s lacking from the muscles etc. so it’s not all fat loss…..
Common Myths About Exercise
1) High Reps Low Weight is where it’s at
NO. IT’S REALLY NOT. It’s not going to challenge you in the slightest.
2) Lifting weights properly will make me butch/bulky
No. It doesn’t – women do not have a lot of testosterone in their body – the hormone that promotes muscle growth to the extent you see on guy’s bodies. You can get bulky but you have to take oestrogen blockers and testosterone supplements. Or steroids. Or HGH. Weight lifting is THE best way to burn fat and to get a better body and keep the fat off – having more muscle means a higher metabolism as your muscles continually need energy to repair for hours after your session.
3) Protein shakes will make me bulky
No they won’t. They’ll provide the nutrients to help mend your muscles.
4) Cardio is where it’s at
Yes and no. Cardio only (such as a stepper/cross trainer) will give you a skinny fat look – where you only have worked certain muscles. Whole body cardio such as outdoor running or swimming will work your body a lot better. You will see quicker and more efficient fat loss using cardio in conjunction with weight lifting coupled with a clean and healthy diet, which contains the right amount of calories. You need to feed a body that exercises for efficient fat loss.
Weight (Fat) Loss For Girls
Fat loss is a more accurate description of what is commonly called ‘losing weight’ or ‘toning up’.
Fat loss is preferred because:
1) You lose fat and if done through eating healthily and exercising, you will gain some muscle which actually weighs more than fat so you will initially lose ‘weight’ on the scales however you will start to put some on whilst getting a slimmer more defined figured. To measure your fat loss and progress, use clothes: select a top and a pair of jeans you have now, note how tight they are and try them on after a month etc. to see how your figure has changed and developed
2) ‘Toning up’ does NOT exist. It is a term used by PTs to lure women into the weights room without scaring them off. FACT: Low weight high reps does nothing for your muscles or your fat loss.
Stick with me – this is about to get good!
Common Myths About Dieting
1) If I eat really low calories/ I’ll lose fat
No. You will initially however it will be rapid and you will have the ‘skinny fat look’ as you will lose fat in the wrong places. Your body will also start to cling onto every morsel of fat it can to keep it functioning correctly, thus when you start eating ‘normally’ again you will just pile on the fat as your body will be desperate to replenish stores. Your body also needs GOOD fats to function. More on these later…..
2) If I eat only fats and protein I’ll lose fat and look better
This is called the Atkins Diet. Yes is works for weight loss but at the end of the day it’s utter rubbish and just another fad diet. You need carbs to function. GOOD carbs are much better for you and are found in many foods. Your brain relies on carbs, so do you muscles. The side effects of Atkins are also not so great – it’s puts the body into a state call ‘Ketosis’ where it has to burn fat. In short – you put greater strain on your kidneys and liver and end up with stinky breath and again you’ll pile on the weight when you come off it. Unless you are very educated it’s also highly likely that you’re piling on the wrong fats – cheese for example contains high amounts of saturated (trans) fats which are not good for the body. Also can cause higher cholesterol.
3) Those shake diets are awesome
Wrong. They’re rubbish. Again, putting the body into some sort of starvation mode and where’s all the nutrients? Yes you’ll see a lot of weight loss but again it’s unhealthy as it is quick. Side effects include symptoms such as hair loss in some dieters.
You’ll notice I’ve used ‘weight loss’ because generally you lose weight as your body has incorrect nutrients being pumped in and gets the ones it’s lacking from the muscles etc. so it’s not all fat loss…..
Common Myths About Exercise
1) High Reps Low Weight is where it’s at
NO. IT’S REALLY NOT. It’s not going to challenge you in the slightest.
2) Lifting weights properly will make me butch/bulky
No. It doesn’t – women do not have a lot of testosterone in their body – the hormone that promotes muscle growth to the extent you see on guy’s bodies. You can get bulky but you have to take oestrogen blockers and testosterone supplements. Or steroids. Or HGH. Weight lifting is THE best way to burn fat and to get a better body and keep the fat off – having more muscle means a higher metabolism as your muscles continually need energy to repair for hours after your session.
3) Protein shakes will make me bulky
No they won’t. They’ll provide the nutrients to help mend your muscles.
4) Cardio is where it’s at
Yes and no. Cardio only (such as a stepper/cross trainer) will give you a skinny fat look – where you only have worked certain muscles. Whole body cardio such as outdoor running or swimming will work your body a lot better. You will see quicker and more efficient fat loss using cardio in conjunction with weight lifting coupled with a clean and healthy diet, which contains the right amount of calories. You need to feed a body that exercises for efficient fat loss.
The Deadlift - How To Do It Properly
The deadlift is a pretty simple barbell lift, which makes it kinda nice to write about. It involves starting with a heavy bar on the floor and finishing holding said bar, with the knees, hips, back and arms in extension. It is good for building muscle, and more importantly, it is just about the most functional lift you can do. So much so that a Russian doctor has campaigned for it to be added to the school curriculum. It’s easy to see his point. Picking up heavy things safely is a more important life skill than colouring **** in, so I agree with him.
The start position is determined by three things: the bar is over the midfoot and the scapulae are over the bar, while the back is held in extension. The first two will be corrected automatically by physics at the beginning of the lift, so they’re not such a big deal as the third one, which will not fix itself. So make sure to keep your back extended, which means shoving your chest up. This will put your hips in the right place. The bar should stay in contact with your legs throughout the whole lift in order to shorten the lever arm between the hips and the bar and allow more weight to be lifted more safely. If your bar is like mine, you will need to use something to protect your legs. Anything works.
A common mistake is to shove the hips up before the bar moves. You’ll see this in Olympic lifters who start with the hips unnecessarily low, but you will also see it in novices who are doing it wrong. Don’t let this be you. Think about pushing the floor away with your feet at the beginning of the movement.
Other common mistakes are bent arms, shrugging at the top and hitching. The solution to these is “don’t do it,” although hitched deadlifts can be entertaining and they don’t get red lighted in strongman competitions. I’ve got a video of a friend dragging 160 kg up his thighs, which is quite fun to watch. But you really shouldn’t do them.
We talked about the starting position, which is going to look different in people with varying proportions. Sometimes it will be so inefficient (short arms, short torso, long legs) that the trainee will be able to pull better with their hands inside their legs, which is the sumo stance. The same three cues apply. Sumo deadlifts hit the adductors hard, and allow you to pull with a more upright back.
Deadlifts also work the grip. Some people will use straps, others will make the bar fatter and some people will use mixed grip. None of these really change anything, but it should be noted that grip is an important aspect of strength, so straps and mixed grip shouldn’t be overused. Grip should not be trained at the expense of the back and hip extensors, so the fat bar should be used even more sparingly. Don’t use double underhand grip. Ever
The deadlift is a pretty simple barbell lift, which makes it kinda nice to write about. It involves starting with a heavy bar on the floor and finishing holding said bar, with the knees, hips, back and arms in extension. It is good for building muscle, and more importantly, it is just about the most functional lift you can do. So much so that a Russian doctor has campaigned for it to be added to the school curriculum. It’s easy to see his point. Picking up heavy things safely is a more important life skill than colouring **** in, so I agree with him.
The start position is determined by three things: the bar is over the midfoot and the scapulae are over the bar, while the back is held in extension. The first two will be corrected automatically by physics at the beginning of the lift, so they’re not such a big deal as the third one, which will not fix itself. So make sure to keep your back extended, which means shoving your chest up. This will put your hips in the right place. The bar should stay in contact with your legs throughout the whole lift in order to shorten the lever arm between the hips and the bar and allow more weight to be lifted more safely. If your bar is like mine, you will need to use something to protect your legs. Anything works.
A common mistake is to shove the hips up before the bar moves. You’ll see this in Olympic lifters who start with the hips unnecessarily low, but you will also see it in novices who are doing it wrong. Don’t let this be you. Think about pushing the floor away with your feet at the beginning of the movement.
Other common mistakes are bent arms, shrugging at the top and hitching. The solution to these is “don’t do it,” although hitched deadlifts can be entertaining and they don’t get red lighted in strongman competitions. I’ve got a video of a friend dragging 160 kg up his thighs, which is quite fun to watch. But you really shouldn’t do them.
We talked about the starting position, which is going to look different in people with varying proportions. Sometimes it will be so inefficient (short arms, short torso, long legs) that the trainee will be able to pull better with their hands inside their legs, which is the sumo stance. The same three cues apply. Sumo deadlifts hit the adductors hard, and allow you to pull with a more upright back.
Deadlifts also work the grip. Some people will use straps, others will make the bar fatter and some people will use mixed grip. None of these really change anything, but it should be noted that grip is an important aspect of strength, so straps and mixed grip shouldn’t be overused. Grip should not be trained at the expense of the back and hip extensors, so the fat bar should be used even more sparingly. Don’t use double underhand grip. Ever
Bulking For Beginners
Tips on beginners bulking (this is complicated!):
Its really that simple. First use this link: BMR calculator to work out an estimation of your BMR. This will not be exact, but a good starting point. Then research Rippetoes Starting strength program. We have some info in the sticky if I remember correctly. Ask any questions you have though, we are pretty damn knowledgable round here.
Know you have all of the basic knowledge you need to begin your training.
As for diet stick to fairly clean foods, for weight gain you will need to be eating fairly clean, leans meats turkey, chicken, tuna, beef are all good. The carbs you want are slow release carbs: Wholemeal bread,wholemeal pasta, brown rice, Scottish porridge oats. You need to be taking in good fats as well; omega 3 fats from meats such as salmon or any other oily fish, flax seed oil. Eat plently of vegetables for vitamins. The 2 best things you can use in your diet will be Eggs and Milk. It is recommended you drink 1 gallon of milk per day on the SS program to facilitate the weight gain. If you have every tried to drink that much in one go you will know it has to be split up over the day. I go for a few glasses in the day and then 4 pints before bed. And make sure its full fat milk.
In terms of the calories you're eating, aim for the BMR number from the calculator, and weigh yourself at the beginning of a week, after waking and taking a dump. Then a week later weigh yourself under the same conditions, if you have lost weight eat more, if you have gained 17stone, thats a good sign to eat less, or check your scales are working.
Tips on beginners bulking (this is complicated!):
•
Calorie Excess over your Basal metobolic rate
•
Resistance training
Its really that simple. First use this link: BMR calculator to work out an estimation of your BMR. This will not be exact, but a good starting point. Then research Rippetoes Starting strength program. We have some info in the sticky if I remember correctly. Ask any questions you have though, we are pretty damn knowledgable round here.
Know you have all of the basic knowledge you need to begin your training.
As for diet stick to fairly clean foods, for weight gain you will need to be eating fairly clean, leans meats turkey, chicken, tuna, beef are all good. The carbs you want are slow release carbs: Wholemeal bread,wholemeal pasta, brown rice, Scottish porridge oats. You need to be taking in good fats as well; omega 3 fats from meats such as salmon or any other oily fish, flax seed oil. Eat plently of vegetables for vitamins. The 2 best things you can use in your diet will be Eggs and Milk. It is recommended you drink 1 gallon of milk per day on the SS program to facilitate the weight gain. If you have every tried to drink that much in one go you will know it has to be split up over the day. I go for a few glasses in the day and then 4 pints before bed. And make sure its full fat milk.
In terms of the calories you're eating, aim for the BMR number from the calculator, and weigh yourself at the beginning of a week, after waking and taking a dump. Then a week later weigh yourself under the same conditions, if you have lost weight eat more, if you have gained 17stone, thats a good sign to eat less, or check your scales are working.
Lady Venom's Big HIIT Post
HIIT - Excellent for fat loss; speedwork and cardiovascular supremacy!
Some sample HIIT workouts. To measure distances, use either a running track (standard ones are 400m, ones of astroturf tend to be 200m) or use map my run to measure a side of a park, common, your street, part of an industrial estate - where ever there is space and it is safe to commit 100% to a workout without having to worry about the T-Juntion 200m in!
Ultimate Fitness Beginner:
Week 1
To get into the idea of varying pace, start off by measuring a run - it could be twice round your park, along your local seafront or up and down the street where you live. Start off at a walk, then when you reach a significant feature (lamp posts tend to be useful as evenly spaced), start jogging until you reach the next lamp post then walk again. Continue this workout for 15-20mins. Do this for the first week, allowing yourself 2 days of rest. Make sure you are eating adequate clean and healthy calories!
Week 2
During the next week pick up your route except this time except now you will be walk - jog - run - jog - walk. Do this for the rest of the week. Make sure you push yourself on the runs and that there is a difference between your jog and your run. You should increase your workout by 5 minutes
Week 3
If you feel you are progressing and ready for the challenge, it's now time to up the challenge! Keep your workouts at 20mins, you may find with increased pace that you will go further so a circular route is a good idea. This week walking has been abolished! Jog - Run - Jog for 20mins. Make sure you start pushing yourself now, especially on the running phase. If you find it's quite hard, increase the recovery distance by an extra post but remember to keep pushing yourself
Week 4
This week, 20mins of exercise again on 5 days of the week. Again make sure you are eating correctly and drinking enough water. This week we are going to up the speed again. Jog - Run - Sprint - Jog etc. Again, make sure there is a difference between the 3 tempos. And keep up the effort!
Week 5
20mins of exercise. This week, less recovery. Try it, and if you find it too much do Week 4 again but push yourself harder. This time you are going to use a comfortable running pace. To begin with it may be faster than your jog but not quite your run from last week. But make sure you are giving 110% on the sprints and use those arms! Run - Sprint - Run - Sprint for 20mins. If you need a walk after 10, take a break.
Further Weeks
You can continue with the above but change the variations for example - increase the sector distances e.g.:
2 run : 1 sprint
1 jog :1 run : 2 sprint
1 walk : 2 run : 2 sprint
I have a load of examples in *.pdf format. If you would like them, please send me a PM and I can send it over to you.
There are plenty of examples for guys and girls wishing to pursue 5km+ over at Runners World
HIIT - Excellent for fat loss; speedwork and cardiovascular supremacy!
Wikipedia
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or sprint interval training is an exercise strategy that is intended to improve performance with short training sessions. HIIT is a form of cardio which is beneficial to burning fat in a short and intense workout. Usual HIIT sessions may vary from 15-30 minutes. Most HIIT sessions have a 2:1 ratio in terms of time. For example, for running, your HIIT session may be something like 60 seconds jog, 30 seconds sprint.
A HIIT session involves a warmup period, several short, maximum-intensity efforts separated by moderate recovery intervals, and a cooldown period. The period of alternating effort and recovery intervals typically lasts a total of 15 minutes. HIIT is an excellent way to maximize your workout if you are limited on time as well.
Studies by Tabata, Tremblay and others have shown this method to be more effective at burning fat and maintaining, or building, muscle mass than high-volume, lower intensity aerobic work-outs. A study by Gibala et al. demonstrated 2.5 hours of sprint interval training produced similar biochemical muscle changes to 10.5 hours of endurance training and similar endurance performance benefits. According to a study by King, HIIT increases the resting metabolic rate (RMR) for the following 24 hours due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, and may improve maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) more effectively than doing only traditional, long aerobic workouts. Long aerobic workouts have been promoted as the best method to reduce fat, as fatty acid utilization usually occurs after at least 30 minutes of training. HIIT is somewhat counter intuitive in this regard, but has nonetheless been shown to burn fat more effectively. There may be a number of factors that contribute to this, including an increase in RMR, and possibly other physiological effects.
A HIIT session involves a warmup period, several short, maximum-intensity efforts separated by moderate recovery intervals, and a cooldown period. The period of alternating effort and recovery intervals typically lasts a total of 15 minutes. HIIT is an excellent way to maximize your workout if you are limited on time as well.
Studies by Tabata, Tremblay and others have shown this method to be more effective at burning fat and maintaining, or building, muscle mass than high-volume, lower intensity aerobic work-outs. A study by Gibala et al. demonstrated 2.5 hours of sprint interval training produced similar biochemical muscle changes to 10.5 hours of endurance training and similar endurance performance benefits. According to a study by King, HIIT increases the resting metabolic rate (RMR) for the following 24 hours due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, and may improve maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) more effectively than doing only traditional, long aerobic workouts. Long aerobic workouts have been promoted as the best method to reduce fat, as fatty acid utilization usually occurs after at least 30 minutes of training. HIIT is somewhat counter intuitive in this regard, but has nonetheless been shown to burn fat more effectively. There may be a number of factors that contribute to this, including an increase in RMR, and possibly other physiological effects.
Some sample HIIT workouts. To measure distances, use either a running track (standard ones are 400m, ones of astroturf tend to be 200m) or use map my run to measure a side of a park, common, your street, part of an industrial estate - where ever there is space and it is safe to commit 100% to a workout without having to worry about the T-Juntion 200m in!
Ultimate Fitness Beginner:
Week 1
To get into the idea of varying pace, start off by measuring a run - it could be twice round your park, along your local seafront or up and down the street where you live. Start off at a walk, then when you reach a significant feature (lamp posts tend to be useful as evenly spaced), start jogging until you reach the next lamp post then walk again. Continue this workout for 15-20mins. Do this for the first week, allowing yourself 2 days of rest. Make sure you are eating adequate clean and healthy calories!
Week 2
During the next week pick up your route except this time except now you will be walk - jog - run - jog - walk. Do this for the rest of the week. Make sure you push yourself on the runs and that there is a difference between your jog and your run. You should increase your workout by 5 minutes
Week 3
If you feel you are progressing and ready for the challenge, it's now time to up the challenge! Keep your workouts at 20mins, you may find with increased pace that you will go further so a circular route is a good idea. This week walking has been abolished! Jog - Run - Jog for 20mins. Make sure you start pushing yourself now, especially on the running phase. If you find it's quite hard, increase the recovery distance by an extra post but remember to keep pushing yourself
Week 4
This week, 20mins of exercise again on 5 days of the week. Again make sure you are eating correctly and drinking enough water. This week we are going to up the speed again. Jog - Run - Sprint - Jog etc. Again, make sure there is a difference between the 3 tempos. And keep up the effort!
Week 5
20mins of exercise. This week, less recovery. Try it, and if you find it too much do Week 4 again but push yourself harder. This time you are going to use a comfortable running pace. To begin with it may be faster than your jog but not quite your run from last week. But make sure you are giving 110% on the sprints and use those arms! Run - Sprint - Run - Sprint for 20mins. If you need a walk after 10, take a break.
Further Weeks
You can continue with the above but change the variations for example - increase the sector distances e.g.:
2 run : 1 sprint
1 jog :1 run : 2 sprint
1 walk : 2 run : 2 sprint
I have a load of examples in *.pdf format. If you would like them, please send me a PM and I can send it over to you.
There are plenty of examples for guys and girls wishing to pursue 5km+ over at Runners World
The Truth Behind 'Detox' Diets
For a start 'detox' is a myth, it doesn't exist, there is no scientific basis behind it, it has little or no proven benefit. In fact it can actually damage your health when you consider that you're actually starving it of essential nutrients for extended periods of time. Many if not all of these 'detox' diets are extremely deficient in fats and protein, both of which are ESSENTIAL for you to live and be healthy, in simple terms that is not a healthy diet however one may dress it up. 'Detox' is just another gimmick to milk money out of the naive and unknowledgeable for expensive diet books and supplements.
The liver and kidneys 'detoxify' your body, without them you would already be dead many many times over. If you want to help them to do their job better, eat healthily (ie; plenty of water, plenty of protein, plenty of healthy fats, plenty of fruit and veg, etc) and get plenty of exercise.
Want to lose weight? It is very simple eat less and/or exercise more, there are no shortcuts. Eating healthily and getting plenty of exercise is far healthier, easier to maintain and it will make you feel and look better, more so than any 'crash' or 'detox' diet.
For a start 'detox' is a myth, it doesn't exist, there is no scientific basis behind it, it has little or no proven benefit. In fact it can actually damage your health when you consider that you're actually starving it of essential nutrients for extended periods of time. Many if not all of these 'detox' diets are extremely deficient in fats and protein, both of which are ESSENTIAL for you to live and be healthy, in simple terms that is not a healthy diet however one may dress it up. 'Detox' is just another gimmick to milk money out of the naive and unknowledgeable for expensive diet books and supplements.
The liver and kidneys 'detoxify' your body, without them you would already be dead many many times over. If you want to help them to do their job better, eat healthily (ie; plenty of water, plenty of protein, plenty of healthy fats, plenty of fruit and veg, etc) and get plenty of exercise.
Want to lose weight? It is very simple eat less and/or exercise more, there are no shortcuts. Eating healthily and getting plenty of exercise is far healthier, easier to maintain and it will make you feel and look better, more so than any 'crash' or 'detox' diet.
Milk and GOMAD
Drinking a gallon of Full fat milk is a day is one of the most common ways of gaining weight. This is because there is in excess of 2500calories. When this is added inbetween 3-4 nutrionaly sound meals, consisting of a meat or egg protein source, and vegetables, it will create a diet with enough calories to gain weight.
Milk is used because it is relatively cheap, available and requires no preperation.
People suffering from Lactose in tolerance should simply make up the calories with excess food.
People suffering from a desire for Six-Pack abs should realise that the increase in weight, which will be muscle mass if a correct program is followed, will make the trainee look alot better than when they were skinny.
People with a high bodyfat should be able to follow a linear progression program for longer than a lower bodyfat trainee without using a Full GOMAD, before they realise that heavier is necessary for stronger to occur. They will also realise than an increased muscle mass will, much like in a skinny trainee, make you look better.
Drinking a gallon of Full fat milk is a day is one of the most common ways of gaining weight. This is because there is in excess of 2500calories. When this is added inbetween 3-4 nutrionaly sound meals, consisting of a meat or egg protein source, and vegetables, it will create a diet with enough calories to gain weight.
Milk is used because it is relatively cheap, available and requires no preperation.
People suffering from Lactose in tolerance should simply make up the calories with excess food.
People suffering from a desire for Six-Pack abs should realise that the increase in weight, which will be muscle mass if a correct program is followed, will make the trainee look alot better than when they were skinny.
People with a high bodyfat should be able to follow a linear progression program for longer than a lower bodyfat trainee without using a Full GOMAD, before they realise that heavier is necessary for stronger to occur. They will also realise than an increased muscle mass will, much like in a skinny trainee, make you look better.
Advanced HIIT Workouts
1. Sprints
Sprints are good for developing speed, strength, power, muscle, conditioning, fitness and enhancing fat loss. A sprinting workout revolves around doing repeated sprints of 50, 100 or even 200m with a brief period of rest between sprints.
Now, while they appear to be some sort of magic cure to address many areas of your health and fitness you have to be aware that they are very intense and very taxing on the body. They require a good warmup beforehand, good running/sprint technique and good (ie; supportive and cushioning) running shoes. So the normal rules apply, get yourself down to a specialist running shop to get some proper shoes and certainly think about getting some athletics coaching to hone your sprinting form. It may sound excessive but it is the best way to prevent injury and/or improve your performance.
An example of a beginners sprinting workout...
Week 1: 1-2 Sessions of 5 x 100m
Week 2: 1-2 Sessions of 6 x 100m
Week 3: 1-2 Sessions of 7 x 100m
Week 4: 1-2 Sessions of 8 x 100m
Week 5: 1-2 Sessions of 9 x 100m
Week 6: 1-2 Sessions of 10 x 100m
As said already, sprints are very demanding on your body so it is paramount that you gradually ease yourself into a routine and gradually increase the intensity of the sessions. Of course, once you have established a good level of fitness it is time to develop your programme, so you could think about increasing the amount of sessions per week to 3, for example, perform your sprints up a hill (ie; 'Hill Sprints'), wear a weighted vest, increase the distance, shorten the distance but increase the amount of sprints, etc.
Of course this workout can be applied to any exercise, cycling, rowing, swimming, etc, don't believe you're restricted by what is available to you.
2. Tabata
Another great high intensity interval training method proven to significantly increase someone's fitness, improve someone's strength/speed, increase someone's muscle mass, lose fat, etc.
Again, the same principles as above apply, it is intense, it is very demanding on your body, you will need correct technique, a decent warmup, the right gear, etc to help prevent possible injury.
Tabata revolves around sets of 20s high intensity intervals, followed by 10s active recovery periods. These sets are performed 8 times then followed by a 60s rest period.
So an example routine would involve 1-3 workouts a week of one 5 min period. Of course, as you get fitter there is the option to increase the intensity by doing multiple 5 min periods per workout, or any of the options mentioned above.
Again, Tabata can, and is, used in many modalities, more so than sprints. It has been applied to the field of resistance training where you pick several compound movements (eg; squat, deadlift, lunges, stepups, bench, dips, overhead press, pushups, chinups, pullups, etc) and perform a 'Tabata' for each individual exercise chosen.
-------
NB: The nature of these workouts makes it very difficult if not impossible to perform at such a high intensity regularly. I know many will be mesmerised by their potential and think 'I know, I'll do Tabata/Sprints every day and lose ????lbs', WRONG. If you are training at the correct, high, intensity you will greatly increase your risk of overtraining and injury.
On another note it works both ways, if you find you can perform sprints/Tabata comfortably, every day, you are clearly not working at a high enough intensity.
1. Sprints
Sprints are good for developing speed, strength, power, muscle, conditioning, fitness and enhancing fat loss. A sprinting workout revolves around doing repeated sprints of 50, 100 or even 200m with a brief period of rest between sprints.
Now, while they appear to be some sort of magic cure to address many areas of your health and fitness you have to be aware that they are very intense and very taxing on the body. They require a good warmup beforehand, good running/sprint technique and good (ie; supportive and cushioning) running shoes. So the normal rules apply, get yourself down to a specialist running shop to get some proper shoes and certainly think about getting some athletics coaching to hone your sprinting form. It may sound excessive but it is the best way to prevent injury and/or improve your performance.
An example of a beginners sprinting workout...
Week 1: 1-2 Sessions of 5 x 100m
Week 2: 1-2 Sessions of 6 x 100m
Week 3: 1-2 Sessions of 7 x 100m
Week 4: 1-2 Sessions of 8 x 100m
Week 5: 1-2 Sessions of 9 x 100m
Week 6: 1-2 Sessions of 10 x 100m
As said already, sprints are very demanding on your body so it is paramount that you gradually ease yourself into a routine and gradually increase the intensity of the sessions. Of course, once you have established a good level of fitness it is time to develop your programme, so you could think about increasing the amount of sessions per week to 3, for example, perform your sprints up a hill (ie; 'Hill Sprints'), wear a weighted vest, increase the distance, shorten the distance but increase the amount of sprints, etc.
Of course this workout can be applied to any exercise, cycling, rowing, swimming, etc, don't believe you're restricted by what is available to you.
2. Tabata
Another great high intensity interval training method proven to significantly increase someone's fitness, improve someone's strength/speed, increase someone's muscle mass, lose fat, etc.
Again, the same principles as above apply, it is intense, it is very demanding on your body, you will need correct technique, a decent warmup, the right gear, etc to help prevent possible injury.
Tabata revolves around sets of 20s high intensity intervals, followed by 10s active recovery periods. These sets are performed 8 times then followed by a 60s rest period.
So an example routine would involve 1-3 workouts a week of one 5 min period. Of course, as you get fitter there is the option to increase the intensity by doing multiple 5 min periods per workout, or any of the options mentioned above.
Again, Tabata can, and is, used in many modalities, more so than sprints. It has been applied to the field of resistance training where you pick several compound movements (eg; squat, deadlift, lunges, stepups, bench, dips, overhead press, pushups, chinups, pullups, etc) and perform a 'Tabata' for each individual exercise chosen.
-------
NB: The nature of these workouts makes it very difficult if not impossible to perform at such a high intensity regularly. I know many will be mesmerised by their potential and think 'I know, I'll do Tabata/Sprints every day and lose ????lbs', WRONG. If you are training at the correct, high, intensity you will greatly increase your risk of overtraining and injury.
On another note it works both ways, if you find you can perform sprints/Tabata comfortably, every day, you are clearly not working at a high enough intensity.
Links:
Every workout you could ever need...http://www.menshealth.co.uk/chatroom/topic/316849
RossTraining free articles...http://www.rosstraining.com/articles.html
3 SIMPLE rules for superior fitness...http://www.straighttothebar.com/2008/09/3_simple_rules_for_superior_fi.html
Burpee Conditioning...http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rossboxing2.htm
Crossfit...http://www.crossfit.com/
Every workout you could ever need...http://www.menshealth.co.uk/chatroom/topic/316849
RossTraining free articles...http://www.rosstraining.com/articles.html
3 SIMPLE rules for superior fitness...http://www.straighttothebar.com/2008/09/3_simple_rules_for_superior_fi.html
Burpee Conditioning...http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/rossboxing2.htm
Crossfit...http://www.crossfit.com/
Intermediate HIIT Workouts
Workout 1
Set 1: 400m x 5 in 2:10
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 4:20
Set 2: 100m x 4 in 0:32
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 1:05
Workout 2
Set 1: 400m x 4 in 2:05
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 4:10
Set 2: 200m x 4 in 1:03
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 2:06
Workout 3
Set 1: 600m x 1 in 2:50
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 5:30
Set 2: 500m x 3 in 1:53
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:46
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 1:00
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 2:00
Set 4: 100m x 2 in 0:30
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 1:00
Workout 4
Set 1: 600m x 1 in 2:35
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 5:00
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:45
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:30
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:53
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:45
Set 4: 100m x 2 in 0:26
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:53
Workouts courtesy of the British Military
Workout 1
Set 1: 400m x 5 in 2:10
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 4:20
Set 2: 100m x 4 in 0:32
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 1:05
Workout 2
Set 1: 400m x 4 in 2:05
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 4:10
Set 2: 200m x 4 in 1:03
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 2:06
Workout 3
Set 1: 600m x 1 in 2:50
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 5:30
Set 2: 500m x 3 in 1:53
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:46
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 1:00
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 2:00
Set 4: 100m x 2 in 0:30
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 1:00
Workout 4
Set 1: 600m x 1 in 2:35
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 5:00
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:45
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:30
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:53
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:45
Set 4: 100m x 2 in 0:26
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:53
Workouts courtesy of the British Military
Advanced HIIT Workouts Part 2
Workout 1
Set 1: 600m x 1 in 2:30
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 4:55
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:40
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:20
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:50
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:40
Set 4: 100m x 3 in 0:25
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:50
Workout 2
Set 1: 600m in 2:23
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 4:45
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:35
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:10
Set 3: 200m x 3 in 0:48
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:35
Set 4: 100m x 4 in 0:24
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:48
Workout 3
Set 1: 400m x 3 in 1:30
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:00
Set 2: 200m x 4 in 0:45
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:30
Set 3: 100m x 4 in 0:23
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:45
Workout 4
Set 1: 600m x 2 in 2:08
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 4:15
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:25
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 2:50
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:43
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:25
Workout 5
Set 1: 800m x 1 in 2:40
Recovery: 800m after each rep in 5:20
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:20
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 2:40
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:40
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:20
Above workouts courtesy of the British Military
Lady Venom’s 400m Killer Courtesy of HighBestCold
Set 1: 400m x 8 in 1:30
Recovery: 1 minute resting after each rep
Variation on the 400m Killer
Set 1: 400m x 8 in 1:30
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:00
Lady Venom’s Hard Core Sprint Pyramid 1
Set 1: 400m x 4 in 1:15
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:00
Set 2: 200m x 4 in 0:45
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:30
Set 3: 100m x 4 in 0:22
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:44
Set 4: 50m x 4 in 0:11
Recovery: 50m after each rep in 0:22
Lady Venom’s Hard Core Sprint Pyramid 2
Set 1: 20m x 12 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 2: 40m x 10 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 3: 60m x 8 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 4: 80m x 6 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 5: 100m x 4 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 6: 200m x 2 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Optional Set 7: 400m x 1 @ 100%
Optional Recovery: Walk back
You can then repeat all the way back down depending on fitness.
Workout 1
Set 1: 600m x 1 in 2:30
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 4:55
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:40
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:20
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:50
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:40
Set 4: 100m x 3 in 0:25
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:50
Workout 2
Set 1: 600m in 2:23
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 4:45
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:35
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:10
Set 3: 200m x 3 in 0:48
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:35
Set 4: 100m x 4 in 0:24
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:48
Workout 3
Set 1: 400m x 3 in 1:30
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:00
Set 2: 200m x 4 in 0:45
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:30
Set 3: 100m x 4 in 0:23
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:45
Workout 4
Set 1: 600m x 2 in 2:08
Recovery: 600m after each rep in 4:15
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:25
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 2:50
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:43
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:25
Workout 5
Set 1: 800m x 1 in 2:40
Recovery: 800m after each rep in 5:20
Set 2: 400m x 2 in 1:20
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 2:40
Set 3: 200m x 2 in 0:40
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:20
Above workouts courtesy of the British Military
Lady Venom’s 400m Killer Courtesy of HighBestCold
Set 1: 400m x 8 in 1:30
Recovery: 1 minute resting after each rep
Variation on the 400m Killer
Set 1: 400m x 8 in 1:30
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:00
Lady Venom’s Hard Core Sprint Pyramid 1
Set 1: 400m x 4 in 1:15
Recovery: 400m after each rep in 3:00
Set 2: 200m x 4 in 0:45
Recovery: 200m after each rep in 1:30
Set 3: 100m x 4 in 0:22
Recovery: 100m after each rep in 0:44
Set 4: 50m x 4 in 0:11
Recovery: 50m after each rep in 0:22
Lady Venom’s Hard Core Sprint Pyramid 2
Set 1: 20m x 12 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 2: 40m x 10 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 3: 60m x 8 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 4: 80m x 6 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 5: 100m x 4 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Set 6: 200m x 2 @ 100%
Recovery: Walk back
Optional Set 7: 400m x 1 @ 100%
Optional Recovery: Walk back
You can then repeat all the way back down depending on fitness.
Healthy Eating Basics for Weight Loss and/or Weight Gain
NB: The more natural and healthier a food looks, generally the better it is for you.
Food Proportions and a Healthy Diet the Easy Way
Get a plate/bowl:
Yes, this outline doesn't separately include fats (which are essential), however many of the foods mentioned below in the different categories do (ie; the healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, oily fish, etc, and the slightly less healthy saturates found in meats, dairy products, etc). Provided you eat a healthy and varied diet you should little if any problems meeting your requirements.
I will stress that to have a healthy diet it needs to be varied to ensure that you supply your body with everything that it needs.
How can we manipulate this to lose or gain weight?
If you want to LOSE weight, REDUCE your portion sizes until you begin to LOSE weight.
If you want to GAIN weight, INCREASE your portion sizes until you begin to GAIN weight.
What if you just want to be healthy and maintain your current weight?
Maintain the portion sizes and diet that is enough to maintain your weight.
Good Sources of Protein
Meat - Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Pork, etc
Fish - Tuna, Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Prawns, Trout, etc
Dairy Products - Cheese, Milk, Yoghurt, Whey Protein, etc
Eggs
Nuts - Almonds, Brazil, Walnut, etc
Seeds - Pumpkin, Sunflower, Linseed, Flax, etc
Pulses - Beans, Lentils, etc
Other - Tofu, Tempeh, etc
Good Sources of Carbs
Grains - Whole Wheat Pasta, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Brown Bread, Oats, etc
Pulses - Beans, Lentils, etc
Vegetable - Sweet Potato
The foods mentioned above are healthier alternatives to the highly refined alternatives most people normally consume (ie; pasta, white rice, white bread, potatoes, etc).
Fruit and Veg
Pretty self explanatory really, just go down to your local supermarket and/or greengrocer and get what takes you fancy. Ideally you should be consuming more vegetables than fruit. Also, in an ideal world you should be eating around 10 portions of fruit and veg daily, not the usually recommended 5.
Check out your local greengrocer, more often than not they are actually cheaper than your local supermarket, plus the produce is more likely to be fresher.
If you can't afford fresh, and/or you want more convenience, frozen veg is a cheaper and quicker to prepare alternative.
Avoid fruit juices, they are very high in sugar and highly calorific. Raw fruit is a much better alternative.
Cooking Pointers
Other Healthy Eating Pointers
NB: The more natural and healthier a food looks, generally the better it is for you.
Food Proportions and a Healthy Diet the Easy Way
Get a plate/bowl:
•
1/4 should be protein
•
1/4 should be carbs
•
1/2 should be veg and/or fruit
Yes, this outline doesn't separately include fats (which are essential), however many of the foods mentioned below in the different categories do (ie; the healthy fats found in nuts, seeds, oily fish, etc, and the slightly less healthy saturates found in meats, dairy products, etc). Provided you eat a healthy and varied diet you should little if any problems meeting your requirements.
I will stress that to have a healthy diet it needs to be varied to ensure that you supply your body with everything that it needs.
How can we manipulate this to lose or gain weight?
If you want to LOSE weight, REDUCE your portion sizes until you begin to LOSE weight.
If you want to GAIN weight, INCREASE your portion sizes until you begin to GAIN weight.
What if you just want to be healthy and maintain your current weight?
Maintain the portion sizes and diet that is enough to maintain your weight.
Good Sources of Protein
Meat - Chicken, Turkey, Beef, Pork, etc
Fish - Tuna, Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Prawns, Trout, etc
Dairy Products - Cheese, Milk, Yoghurt, Whey Protein, etc
Eggs
Nuts - Almonds, Brazil, Walnut, etc
Seeds - Pumpkin, Sunflower, Linseed, Flax, etc
Pulses - Beans, Lentils, etc
Other - Tofu, Tempeh, etc
Good Sources of Carbs
Grains - Whole Wheat Pasta, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Brown Bread, Oats, etc
Pulses - Beans, Lentils, etc
Vegetable - Sweet Potato
The foods mentioned above are healthier alternatives to the highly refined alternatives most people normally consume (ie; pasta, white rice, white bread, potatoes, etc).
Fruit and Veg
Pretty self explanatory really, just go down to your local supermarket and/or greengrocer and get what takes you fancy. Ideally you should be consuming more vegetables than fruit. Also, in an ideal world you should be eating around 10 portions of fruit and veg daily, not the usually recommended 5.
Check out your local greengrocer, more often than not they are actually cheaper than your local supermarket, plus the produce is more likely to be fresher.
If you can't afford fresh, and/or you want more convenience, frozen veg is a cheaper and quicker to prepare alternative.
Avoid fruit juices, they are very high in sugar and highly calorific. Raw fruit is a much better alternative.
Cooking Pointers
•
Trim off excess fat and/or remove the skin of certain animal products to reduce their fat content.
•
Grilling is also a great cooking method to reduce the fat content of animal products.
•
Avoid adding extra fat and/or oils to your food. If it's sticking to the pan, stir it more and/or get non stick pans.
•
Avoid adding extra salt to your food.
Other Healthy Eating Pointers
•
Stay away from processed food (ie; takeaways, ready meals, fast food, pre packaged food, sweets, cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks, etc).
•
Drink plenty of water.
•
Ideally eat 4-6 small meals every 2-3 hours, it is healthier and it can aid weight loss.
Diet & Nutrition for the beginner: Fats
Fats got a very bad reputation in the 80’s with the belief that fat kills you and you can pretty much ignore it with its dense calories. The only problem was, when everybody cut fat from their diets they denied the body a lot of essentials. Fats provide a lot of the raw ingredients for hormones, so testosterone crashed off the chart, the exact opposite of what a trainee needs. Fats also make up most of the joints and essential connective tissues in our body, not to mention most of our brains are made of fats. Fats are not created equal however, there are good fats that improve our bodies and health and ones that slow us down and cause problems. Generally EFAs (essential fatty acids) need to be eaten to keep us alive and MCT (Medium Chain triglycerides) can offer us a healthy form of energy almost a rival to carbohydrates. There are also specialist types of fat like CLA which have actively shown to reduce stored body fat. (Calories per gram 9)
Whole food sources: Eggs, avocados, olive oil, coconuts, oily fish, light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: EFA oil blends, fish oil and CLA capsules
Diet & Nutrition for the beginner: Protein
Protein, as every bodybuilder and strength athlete knows, is the primary source of raw building material for muscle tissue. Under eat protein and you deprive your body of the essential stuff to repair that damaged muscle and create new lean mass from the training stimulus. When eating for mass protein needs to be a blend of slow release to constantly supply the building process and also some faster release to feed hungry muscle tissue fast, especially during daylight hours. Because you will likely be eating a lot more food than average, protein is often best coming from both whole food sources (which contain a variety of extra nutrients – as well as tastes!) and liquid protein supplement sources. The liquid proteins can be digested faster and with better results so you aren’t weighed down by a full stomach by time the next meal comes around. (Calories per gram 4)
Whole food sources: Lean meats, chicken, oily fish, eggs, probiotic yoghurt, cottage cheese and other light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: Protein shakes and Meal replacement or weight gain mixes
Anyone add or remove info before LV's posts it in the sticky. All 3 macro's will have something on them then.
Fats got a very bad reputation in the 80’s with the belief that fat kills you and you can pretty much ignore it with its dense calories. The only problem was, when everybody cut fat from their diets they denied the body a lot of essentials. Fats provide a lot of the raw ingredients for hormones, so testosterone crashed off the chart, the exact opposite of what a trainee needs. Fats also make up most of the joints and essential connective tissues in our body, not to mention most of our brains are made of fats. Fats are not created equal however, there are good fats that improve our bodies and health and ones that slow us down and cause problems. Generally EFAs (essential fatty acids) need to be eaten to keep us alive and MCT (Medium Chain triglycerides) can offer us a healthy form of energy almost a rival to carbohydrates. There are also specialist types of fat like CLA which have actively shown to reduce stored body fat. (Calories per gram 9)
Whole food sources: Eggs, avocados, olive oil, coconuts, oily fish, light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: EFA oil blends, fish oil and CLA capsules
Diet & Nutrition for the beginner: Protein
Protein, as every bodybuilder and strength athlete knows, is the primary source of raw building material for muscle tissue. Under eat protein and you deprive your body of the essential stuff to repair that damaged muscle and create new lean mass from the training stimulus. When eating for mass protein needs to be a blend of slow release to constantly supply the building process and also some faster release to feed hungry muscle tissue fast, especially during daylight hours. Because you will likely be eating a lot more food than average, protein is often best coming from both whole food sources (which contain a variety of extra nutrients – as well as tastes!) and liquid protein supplement sources. The liquid proteins can be digested faster and with better results so you aren’t weighed down by a full stomach by time the next meal comes around. (Calories per gram 4)
Whole food sources: Lean meats, chicken, oily fish, eggs, probiotic yoghurt, cottage cheese and other light cheeses.
Supplemental sources: Protein shakes and Meal replacement or weight gain mixes
Anyone add or remove info before LV's posts it in the sticky. All 3 macro's will have something on them then.
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