Good lifting plan?

[Damaramu 0]

Yeah I only use the machines for my legs and back. I use free weights for everything else.

I worked nothing but arms and chest yesterday(i had limited time and decided since i'd ridden my bike around town for an hour the day before that my legs were good) and today they're not sore but they feel heavy.

[EricMM 0]

the bike is a more than suitable exercise for your legs.

 

Just go uphill.

 

Your ass will (eventually) be fantastic.

[Damaramu 0]

I suppose riding the bike around town is great exercise for fat burning as well. Before I lifted I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes at a moderate level. It said I went 11 miles.

 

So what is the best thing for cardio? I know losing weight and burning fat is good for better cardio and endurance but I've seen skinny guys and buff guys that can't run very long or do anything worth shit without getting tired.

[Guest Princess Leena]

I also am looking for some help in what I should do cardio-wise... since I'm working full-time and there's less time for sporting activities, I keep getting flabbier. Not fat. Just less tone.

 

All I used to do before was play tennis, and ride an exercise bike a zillion miles.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Don't overthink cardio. Distance running's probably the best thing you can do. Start off as slow as you need to in order to get to a mile/2 miles/3 miles, then work your way up in speed as it gets easier.

[Guest Brian]

Cardio is going to be specific to what you're training for.

[EricMM 0]

Here's the deal with cardio, my friends:

 

feel your heart rate going up? That's good!

 

That's it.

 

Oh, sure there's a few other things. For example, since Dama is a big guy, he, like I, may choose not to run often because of what it does to your knees. But he may.

 

Regarding biking, everyone who uses stationary bikes, I hope you're in a spinning class. Because otherwise I just have a bit of disdain for them. A signifigant part of the exercise from biking is core balancing. It doesn't happen when you're on a stable bike. Get out, breathe the fresh air, feel the wind (or even rain) on your face. Go up and down hills. It's just better for you than stationary bikes.

 

That balance thing goes for all other cardio as well. It's better to NOT use the handles on the ellipticals because then you engage your balancing abdominal and lower back muscles as well as the little balancing hip flexors and add/abductor muscles in your legs.

 

Its like someone else said about weights vs. machines. The less stabilizng you get, the better the work out is. Thats why people do situps on top of big balls.

 

Leena do whatever you want to do, from swimming to jogging to biking to dance. Your body doesn't care as long as it gets 1/2 hour to an hour each day. And I'm sure your "flabby" would put a lot of people to shame...

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Since I doubt anyone here is training for a sport, though, running is probably the best way to get your heart rate up. Generally.

 

It seems like people really overthink it, when in reality, running tends to be the best way to get your heart up. I've lost more body fat running religiously than I did in four years of experimenting with biking, elliptical machine, etc.

[EricMM 0]

This seems to be because you could run anytime, thus you "stuck with it" instead of heading to the gym and using an odd machine.

 

Thats one reason a bile is better than a bike machine, because you can go all over, anytime.

[Guest Brian]

That, and a bike machine cannot come close to mimmicking real conditions involved in biking.

[Damaramu 0]

Yeah but it also seems you can peddle faster and get more RPM with a stationary bike. Or maybe that doesn't matter.

 

Yeah I was asking about cardio because like I said. I've seen some guys that appear to be in great shape but their endurance sucked shit.

I remember I had this friend that was real buff and we had a wrestling match just messing around and I outlasted him because he started huffing and puffing before I did.

 

2 years ago I used to get winded going up stairs. The other night I rode my bike all over Norman for about an hour up and down hills and I felt like I could do more when I got home. So I have gotten in better shape. It's just not showing on the exterior. Dammit. Well it sort of is. I know I'm smaller than I used to be but my endurance still needs to get waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.

[CanadianChris 0]

Yeah but it also seems you can peddle faster and get more RPM with a stationary bike. Or maybe that doesn't matter.

That's an illusion. It seems this way because you're pedalling in the equivalent of a much lower gear than you generally would on the road.

 

2 years ago I used to get winded going up stairs. The other night I rode my bike all over Norman for about an hour up and down hills and I felt like I could do more when I got home. So I have gotten in better shape. It's just not showing on the exterior. Dammit. Well it sort of is. I know I'm smaller than I used to be but my endurance still needs to get waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.

I hear you, man. When I was in university 10 years ago, I rode an unplanned century (100 miles) one Sunday just because I was bored. These days I'm lucky if I can get to work and back before collapsing.

[Damaramu 0]

I really need to get out that before and after pic I have.

I have one of me from 2 years ago with the Dropkick Murphys. I have my side turned to the camera and I look HUGE.

Then I can drag out something from recently.

I'll do it later when I get home and have access to my scanner.

[Guest Gogo.]

I really need to get out that before and after pic I have.

I have one of me from 2 years ago with the Dropkick Murphys. I have my side turned to the camera and I look HUGE.

Then I can drag out something from recently.

I'll do it later when I get home and have access to my scanner.

[Damaramu 0]

Haha. Cute gimmick. Took me a second to remember that Gogo mirrored attacks.

[Damaramu 0]

This is a pic of me from 2 years ago at the Warped Tour. I'm the one in gray on the far left. I'm a blimp in this pic. You can see how big my arms and gut are. Not to mention my dumbass squinting from the sun.

 

This is me about a month ago:

 

 

And about 3 weeks ago:

 

 

 

So you can see I've lost weight. Just not fast enough dammit.

[CanadianChris 0]

It's a marathon, not a sprint. If you're losing weight "fast enough," you're doing something wrong. Like not eating.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Beat the hell out of a heavy bag. Works your upper body, too. Kill two birds with one stone. That's all the cardio I do.

[randomguy 0]

All cardio is good cardio really. Eat well and stick to it - that's all there is to it really. Don't get lazy either with your diet or your routine. And eat some vegetables - they're good for you!

[Bruiser Chong 0]

And don't think look at veggies as foods you should eat, but don't really want to. There are plenty of great recipes and combinations out there to turn plain veggies into an appetizing portion of your diet.

 

Focus on the leafy greens, but don't bother with iceberg.

[Damaramu 0]

I love raw broccoli and like romain lettuce. That's about it....but I could eat those everyday.

[Matt Young 0]

I've started incorporating more free weights and I have gained a couple pounds. I was disappointed, though. While my friend Adam reached his goal of 200 pounds the other day (starting out weighing less than I did, although he's eben at it for four years) I came in half a pound short of my goal, weighing in at 149.4. I haven't been back since, due to the holiday weekend, but I'm going tomorrow.

[randomguy 0]

How tall are you?

[Damaramu 0]

Well I've been riding my bike around town and eating less crap and it feels a lot better. Even if you can't see a difference you still feel good.

Plus when I start kickboxing I think I'm going to feel really good.

[EricMM 0]

Look here's the thing.

 

You think working your heart is less important than working your biceps?

 

Appearance isn't everything, and your heart is *crucial*, everyone knows that.

 

This is what I eat for lunch, it costs $2 and I buy it every day. It would cost less, much less, if I made it myself, but I don't.

 

It is a wrap made of one tortilla

raw Tomatoes

raw Spinich

raw carrots

raw green peppers

raw cucumbers

raw mushrooms

 

I don't buy or keep enough veggies at home, all I have there is practically dried grains to put into water (spaghetti, oatmeal) which last forever. And like some Granny Smith apples, which do as well.

 

I usually have a turkey sandwich for "breakfast"

 

After the gym tho I always buy some meat from somewhere to replace protein.

 

But if you're not LIFTING, you don't NEED protein throughout the day.

[Matt Young 0]

How tall are you?

 

5'8".

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Bumping this up for a quick question; I'm currently rehabbing my knee, as I think there might be a problem with my ACL or MCL (haven't had the MRI yet). What are some good ligament strengthening exercises? I have been doing wall slides and they seem to be working, but I figure some people here might have some good ideas too.

 

Brian you do BJJ, you know the toll that shit takes on your knees.

[Guest Brian]

For rehabbing knees, after surgery, you usually start with motions that are more central to the general movement of the knees than expand out.For the ACL, you have to target the abductors and adductors because the cause of injury is more than likely to be from movement from side-to-side. Here's a list of things I'd start with, and then building up:

 

Lowest level:

Slides (Lie back down. Put a towel under your foot, and slide up slowly as far as you can go toward your BUTT and straighten up your leg)

Quad flexing (Sets of 25, three times throughout the day, 7 seconds)

 

Next level:

Leg press (4 Sets of 20-25)

Leg extension (4 sets of 20-25)

Leg curls (4 sets of 25)

Leg adductors (4 sets of 25)

Leg abductors (4 sets of 25)

SLR Three-ways (Straight Leg Raises, using ankle weights. First on your back, flex your quad and lift straight up to about fifty degrees. Then on your side, flexed quad lifting up again, about thirty degrees and a little to the rear. Finally, on your side again but using the bottom leg. Fold the top leg and lift up to the inside of the folded leg. 3 sets of 25.)

 

Next level:

Balance (Single leg, working with both for equal balance. Simplest way is just to take a weighted medicine ball and juggle from hand to hand while balancing.)

Single leg squats (Sit-to-stand, taking it slow on the way down. Use weights if needed.)

Agility Ladders (Quick, short movements.)

Running with resistance (Best with a cable weight, hopping back with both legs.)

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

First off thanks for the info Brian.

 

Well I'm not working with weights, I guess I should have pointed that out, I'm mainly concerned with the isometric exercises (I think that's the right word). Also I dont know if I will have surgery yet, so I guess I can skip the first level.

 

So those exercises are supposed to strengthen ligaments, but do they work for the whole muscle group as well? So far I've only been doing wall slides and weightless squats, and lots of them. I heard they're good for ligament repair, and they also seem effective for building up the major muscle groups as well.

 

I like some of those balancing exercises, I think those will work really well. Couple of questions, what exactly is an agility ladder? Also, what do you mean by "hopping back" in the running with resistance? It seems that you'd constantly be moving forward.

 

There's lots about lifting in this thread, but does anyone have any tips regarding nutrition? I'm pretty clueless on how to eat right.

[Guest Brian]

Those exercises will help build the muscle groups that surround the ligaments. You're trying to get blood into the area to repair the area while strengthening supporting elements. Supporting the exercises with icing blocks the heparin and histamine that get into the area with the blood.

 

Agility Ladder It's hard to describe exercises, but I'll try at a later point.

 

The cable, as best as I can describe: Attach a cable to your waist, weight on the end (cable machine). Run out, backward or forward or side step. Once you get far enough out, you proceed back in the opposite direction you came out. You want to be very silent doing this, as in a soft landing, and you may have to start out by stepping back slowly. You jump back with both feet, landing at the same time (you don't want to have one leg guarding).