Bodybuilding / Gym.

[BlueLancer]

Currently there is a big lack of anything related to this on the off topic forum. Feel free to discuss anything and ask for advice and experiences from other users. 8-)

 

 

 

Some basic knowledge:

 

 

 

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  [*:2arh0xv3]For muscle gain, at least 1 gram of protein per every pound (200lbs=200 grams of protein), for Europeans & others, just calculate your weight * 2.
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]During bench press, remember = Shoulder blades should be pinched together. You don't want to add all the work to your frontal shoulders (or deltoids). If possible, always have at least 1 spotter.
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]If your doctor says you are still growing or you are under the age of 14, you probably should not start yet. It could stun your growth.
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]Even if you are trying to get a sixpack or lose weight, you can NOT leave fat out of your diet. Try to remember this.
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]You only lose weight if you consume more calories than you take in. 3600 calories= 1 pound (or approximately 0.5kg). You can easily find out on product labels how many calories it contains.
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]Best step to start with is leaving out soda, pizza, hamburgers, fries, candy, chocolate. To keep yourself mentally sane, though, allow yourself some of these at least once or twice a month
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]Carbohydrates. Most people just don't understand it is just as important if not more important than protein. Suggested intake is 50/50 though many professionals would suggest even 60% carb and 40% protein for recovery and growth
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]The old truth: Gain happens ONLY when you are asleep. Don't torment yourself by going to the gym and sleeping 3 hours a day, wondering why no advance is taking place.
   
   
   
  [*:2arh0xv3]Rest days. Go to the gym 3 to 4 days weekly at maximum, with 1 rest day between sessions. Don't frustrate yourself by spending hours at the gym every day for 7 days a week, trust me. Your muscles can't take it without recovering.
   
   
   
  --------------------
   
   
   
  Some results. :)
   
   
   
  Bench press- about 315lbs (145kg), with shirt+belt 330lbs (152kg) [2 reps]
   
   
   
  Deadlift- 295lbs (135.5kg)
   
   
   
  And no, I don't look like a monster. Actually tons of guys at the gym can do a lot better than that and they look fairly normal, no steroids

involved.. :shame:

[Tfl-warrior]

A not commonly known thing is that you can't target fat loss. By working out, where you lose fat is determined by your genetics. You can do 45 thousand sit ups a day, you will have the tightest abs in the world, but your stomach fat may still be there covering them up.

[Hobgoblin11]

Hmm, time for me to get in shape I think. I used to do a lot of weighttraining, but have been slacking a bit recently! My Dad is my fitness guru, so i just listen to him! Apparently it is also very important to keep it balanced: You need to do aerobic and cardio as well as just weight-training. Also, remember not to fous solely on the upper body: The amount of blokes I have seen in the gym with massive wide shoulders and chests, but with ridiculously small legs, it looks stupid. Remember to work your legs hard too. They will be naturally stronger than your arms anyway, so it is more satisfying in a way because you see more weight going up and down!

[Mr_Putter]

One thing I find that I really laugh at. In my weight-training class, people give themselves far to much credit, like it's some sort of competition or they are trying to show off. People put huge weight on benchpress, leg press, preacher, barbell curls....Whatever it may be, those are the very obvious ones though. They put so much weight on, then they do the most terrible, atrocious looking reps, were they either don't take the weight down far enough, or they like, swing their whole body, back legs, everything to get it to go. For a really good workout, do less weight, do the reps RIGHT, and focus on the muscle group your trying to work. It makes a huge amount of difference, and it lessens the risk of injury.

[ctp080188]

A not commonly known thing is that you can't target fat loss. By working out, where you lose fat is determined by your genetics. You can do 45 thousand sit ups a day, you will have the tightest abs in the world, but your stomach fat may still be there covering them up.

 

 

 

If you then want to lose that fat, it's time for some cardiovascular training. Meh I could post a millions things about this, since I learn this as a course at University. Maybe later I'll post some stuff..

[insane]

Just a side note - kg to lbs is kg * 2.2, not 2.

[Hobgoblin11]

Ah ha, thanks for that insane, I was getting confused about that.

 

 

 

For other people that use metric: open caluculator on your desktop, enter your weight, multiply by 2.2 and that is how many grams of protein you should be eating a day.

[BlueLancer]

A not commonly known thing is that you can't target fat loss. By working out, where you lose fat is determined by your genetics. You can do 45 thousand sit ups a day, you will have the tightest abs in the world, but your stomach fat may still be there covering them up.

 

 

 

You either lose weight in general or you don't lose it at all. :) You can't have a super-tight muscular left bicep and the rest of your body sagging with fat, that's the best example I can come up with. And you're right, neither can you have an ultra-tight sixpack with the rest of your body lard. Arguably Liposuction could make this possible, but let's not get into that...

 

 

 

Genetics do play a big part and some people DO remain at constant overweight but it is a very small minority and usually it is medically treatable. Your genes will also determine your metabolism and some people have the gift of good metabolism which helps tremendously *especially* if you're just starting to get in shape and want to add mass.

 

 

 

30-60 minutes of cardio daily or bi-daily, (jogging, fast walking, etc), and in a few months you will be able to see real results. For me it took about less than half a year to burn off the 'cover layer' off my abs so don't get emotional if you don't see results within two days. You will also burn off unnecessary fat from all over your body.

[Seahawk10490]

Bootcamp got me in shape, and weekly pt keeps it that way.

[deloriagod]

Ack.. I need to get rid of the fat covering my abs. I've been working out on a regular basis and I've really tightened up my abs but the damn fat won't go away. I suppose it's about time to add a healthy diet to my routine..

[Tigra00]

Didn't know about the "pinching your shoulder blades together" during benching thing. Hmm.. :-k

[Evilperson]

Lancer, since you seem to show a little knowledge about this fact i have a question for you (or anyone else who can provide info);

 

 

 

What is your stance on creatin? What after effects do you know of? Is it worth it? Or anything else you can tell me about it. I looked it up and i found that most people don't really recommend it.

[Hobgoblin11]

I don't know if you know what Creatine actually does, but basically it is a drug that reduces the build-up of Lactic acid, and allows your muscles to work harder for longer. Basically it makes you feel stronger and more energetic.

 

 

 

There are no documented serious side-effects, other than putting on body mass, but when you are weight training, that is exactly what you are trying to do. It has been linked to Kidney stones and gas and bloating, so you would want to watch that you drink enough water when you take it. Kidney stones can be cause by eating too much protein as well, which is something that all bodybuilders look out for, whether they take Creatine or not. Some concerns lie in whether it has any long term effects on the heart. This area needs research.

 

 

 

Also, very little research has been done on whether the long term use of high dosages of Creatine has been done. Therefore, play it safe and don't use more than it recommend on the label.

 

 

 

It is really a personal choice. I don't use it, because I don't want to get nto the whole 'using drugs to boost your perfomance' things, I think it's a bit dodgy, and you never know what it could progress to (steroids etc. ) However, it is a personal choice.

[BlueLancer]

Lancer, since you seem to show a little knowledge about this fact i have a question for you (or anyone else who can provide info);

 

 

 

What is your stance on creatin? What after effects do you know of? Is it worth it? Or anything else you can tell me about it. I looked it up and i found that most people don't really recommend it.

 

 

 

A maximum of 10 grams of creatine per training session could be recommended; However only if you insist on using it. It is not a *necessary* suppliment and you can not really eat too much of it. The necessary, about 10 grams, will be used by your body and when you urinate or sweat the rest will just go away as useless from your system, and a part will be stored in your muscles.

 

 

 

It is said to boost your energy and the speed at which your muscle mass builds up at, but I've never really used it. I'm fairly sure there is evidence about it's efficiency but it is so marginal I'd rather not spend a fortune on the pills...

 

 

 

Creatine monohydrate powders/pills are the most common you will see in shops. They are waterbound creatine molecules and while I can't tell you for sure you will get muscle mass 50% faster or anything I can guarantee it wont hurt you (your wallet is another story). :)

[assassin_696]

I've never taken creatine or any other protein supplements for working out and never will. I'm satisfied with my gains just by having a healthy, but protein rich diet, and in my opinion it's a waste of money, your body can only take and convert so much protein a day, and for someone who eats a lot of meat creatine would be wasted.

[Flame_guy3]

Heck i prefer weights out of everything, run with weights = stamina training (i do skipping if i cant be bothered to run with weights works almost just as well).

 

Weights to build my biceps. Am age 12 btw lift 10kg in either hand (total 20kg) it works well but your muscles can only grow so much. I used to do 100 a day but gave up after the summer cos i didnt have time. Now i do a measly 20 in each hand due to my limited time.

[Kajeeep]

To the above, have fun with stunted growth.

[magictv]

Heck i prefer weights out of everything, run with weights = stamina training (i do skipping if i cant be bothered to run with weights works almost just as well).

 

Weights to build my biceps. Am age 12 btw lift 10kg in either hand (total 20kg) it works well but your muscles can only grow so much. I used to do 100 a day but gave up after the summer cos i didnt have time. Now i do a measly 20 in each hand due to my limited time.

 

 

 

Anyone know how many bags of sugar that is in each hand?

[Evilperson]

I decided to try it since, well why not? I talked to some trainer at the gym i go to and he said it was the most effective and so forth. I do take about 1/8 the suggested servings so im not really worried. But one negative side effect is that you lose some of the muscle gain when you stop taking it. thats what ive concluded from what ive read

[SanFranciscoGiants]

You said 14 is a good age but I think 13 is perfectly fine. Im 13 and lift weights and thats also the minimum age for our gym.

[Devilsdragon]

You said 14 is a good age but I think 13 is perfectly fine. Im 13 and lift weights and thats also the minimum age for our gym.

 

 

 

Either way you're most likely still growing, and by lifting weights you are stunting your growth

[warri0r45]

A not commonly known thing is that you can't target fat loss. By working out, where you lose fat is determined by your genetics. You can do 45 thousand sit ups a day, you will have the tightest abs in the world, but your stomach fat may still be there covering them up.

this is true, but you also lose fat according to where your body needs energy, Fat is just an efficient way of storing energy to be used later.

[BlueLancer]

A not commonly known thing is that you can't target fat loss. By working out, where you lose fat is determined by your genetics. You can do 45 thousand sit ups a day, you will have the tightest abs in the world, but your stomach fat may still be there covering them up.

this is true, but you also lose fat according to where your body needs energy, Fat is just an efficient way of storing energy to be used later.

 

 

 

But as a side note, we don't really "need" fat anymore these days, since we don't hunt for our food and have insurity about our next meal. Burning off as much fat as possible will not only make yourself more satisfied (your muscles will be more visible) but it is also healthier. Fat concentrating around your belly is the most dangerous in terms of health risks. So if that's one of your motivations (visible abs) it is actually benefiting you directly.

[deloriagod]

A not commonly known thing is that you can't target fat loss. By working out, where you lose fat is determined by your genetics. You can do 45 thousand sit ups a day, you will have the tightest abs in the world, but your stomach fat may still be there covering them up.

this is true, but you also lose fat according to where your body needs energy, Fat is just an efficient way of storing energy to be used later.

 

 

 

But as a side note, we don't really "need" fat anymore these days, since we don't hunt for our food and have insurity about our next meal. Burning off as much fat as possible will not only make yourself more satisfied (your muscles will be more visible) but it is also healthier. Fat concentrating around your belly is the most dangerous in terms of health risks. So if that's one of your motivations (visible abs) it is actually benefiting you directly.

 

 

 

Though many of us don't hunt for our good anymore, body fat is still needed. I did some quick research on body fat percentage and got this nice little chart..

 

 

 

Description / Women / Men

 

Essential fat / 10ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ13% / 2ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ5%

 

Athletes / 14ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ20% / 6ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ13%

 

Fitness / 21ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ24% / 14ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ17%

 

Acceptable / 25ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ31% / 18ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Ãâ24%

 

Obesity / 32%+ / 25%+

 

 

 

 

I actually thought the numbers were higher before looking this up. It amazes me that in the 8th grade I was almost in the obese catagory, by ninth grade I was in the athlete catagory, and now I'm in tenth grade and I should still be in the athlete catagory.

[Ash6110]

cool i have to work out a fair amount. Now that im injured i need to do it more. But during the off season i usually work out regularly

 

 

 

Gotta be in shape for those football two a days :wink: