The Damaramu Gym-o-Rama

[Guest Vitamin X]

You know what dude, work on doing some pilates or something. Trust me, the increased flexibility and strength in your "core" area (read: your gut and hips/BUTT/groin area) will be immensely helpful to you for everything and anything you want to do.

 

Also, hope you're still eating those veggies. As your squash and zucchini, try roasting/grilling them. They taste amazing that way.

[Damaramu 0]

Forget about training for losing weight then and focus on your sport-specfic program.

 

Aerobic training actually impacts anaerobic training negatively, while anaerobic training affects aerobic training positively. Do whatever the rugby coaches tell you, or workout with teammates that know the ropes.

 

 

Yeah I've been doing a lot of sprinting rather than going for a long jog. I assume that's sort of what you're talking about. I try to sprint with a medicine ball in hand to replicate running with a ball.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

I'll give you a briefing on what I do.

 

-Stretch for about 5 minutes before and after.

-Most muscle groups I do this way: 5 exercises, 3 sets, 10 or more reps.

-I try to do at least 1 or 2 of each muscle group "natural strength" - pullups, pushups, dips, etc.

-Rest no more than 60 seconds in between each set

-Change up routines every so often to avoid plateaus

-Every day I do 30 minute cardio. Usually it is split 15/15 with treadmill and one of the elipticals. I monitor my pulse and make sure that I'm training in my target heart rate zone.

-I note everything down in a notebook.

 

Monday:

Back (5)

Abs (3)

Cardio (30 min)

Legs (5)

 

Tuesday:

Chest (5-6)

Forearms (1 superset)

Cardio (30 min)

 

Wednesday:

Abs (5)

Cardio (30 min)

 

Thursday:

Legs (5)

Cardio (30 min)

Back (5)

Forearms (1 superset)

 

Friday:

Bi's & Tri's (5 supersets)

Triceps - natural strength (3)

Abs (3)

Cardio (30 min)

[Damaramu 0]

I see. I had a question about the pyramid system. I understand how it's done, but you don't want to do it for every lift do you? Which ones are best to do it on? I assume your main powerlifts.

[Damaramu 0]

And you know what really gets me about me trying to get my eating under control? My mind plays tricks on me. Or something like that.

 

Like today. I woke up and ate some baked Salmon for lunch. Then I was like "I'm going to go to the gym and workout then I'm going to have a healthy dinner of baked chicken."

 

I went to the gym and busted my ass. Now I'm craving pizza!

 

This always happens to me. Everytime I workout I start craving something greasy and fattening.

[Damaramu 0]

Ok guys. Serious question here. I'm dragging this one up from the ashes again.

 

Lately I've found myself enjoying pushups and sit-ups using a medicine ball. Well I started thinking of other things I could do with one. Such as squats where you hold it over head, throw it in the air when you come up and catch it and squat back down. Or jump squats holding the medicine ball. These really get a good burn going in my legs and give me that jelly feeling.

 

My question is, are these smart to do during a weightlifting workout that involved weighted squats? Or should they be done on totally separate days from when I lift weights?

[Guest Vitamin X]

I don't see why they wouldn't be. The medicine ball's pretty fun, I actually just got home from the gym a bit ago and was using one in a way that helps with rugby a bit. I laid down in that decline sit-up thing and held the medicine ball like a rugby ball and twisted from side to side coming up. Pretty useful for ball handling, although as a prop or lock, doubtful you have to think about that much, but it's a nice skill to have.

[Damaramu 0]

So I was told by the coach that doing power cleans would help me with my lifting in rugby. Well I realized something, I don't know how to do a power clean.

 

Then I began thinking about it and I realized, I really don't know how to do many lifts.

 

Maybe that's why my workouts seem so stale and I feel directionless or get bored. I'm doing the same bloody thing everytime I go to the gym. Sure I switch up the weight and reps and speed so that I'm not doing the EXACT same thing everytime, but I'm still doing the same lifts.

 

I try to work my chest, back and legs. Sometimes I'll throw the shoulders in there. This usually consists of a workout of bench press, military press, lat pull-downs, bent-over rows, squats, calf raises and hamstring curls. Nothing bad there. I mean I'm hitting all the major muscles and getting some auxillary ones in the process.

 

But, my workouts still feel stale. I hardly ever get sore anymore even though I do change up the weight and reps. (like i was doing 3x12 on bench, now I've switched to the pyramid and upped the weight overall).

 

Perhaps I need some variety, but really when you're going to the gym by yourself how do you learn new lifts? And are there really any lifts that can target those areas as well as the ones I'm doing? Maybe I need to increase the weight by a lot more or up the intensity? Maybe I need to pay for a few sessions with a trainer to learn a few new things? That really seems to be the only way to learn a new lift.

[Damaramu 0]

Anyone?

 

I know I've asked a ton of questions and asked repeat questions in this thread. But, really this is like my personal training since I can't afford one.

 

I went to the gym tonight and did the 12-10-8-6-4-2 on my squat and bench and then did 12-10-8 on all my other exercises (lat pull downs, bent-over rows, military press). I also progressively went up in weight on each one. I figure that the change in reps and weight will be better for muscle work and growth and create confusion. Whereas I assume doing 3x10, even if the weight is going up a bit each time it will cause my body to stagnate.

 

Still looking for an awesome back exercise I can really feel and for a variety in my exercises.

 

How often should you change up your routine? And can that change up just be adding more weight or doing a different rep style? Like after a month I go up in weight but go to like 2x10 and then 2x8 instead of the pyramid?

[Damaramu 0]

Also, the difference between a squat and box-squat? Do they really do the same thing, or is the box-squat designed for a totally different gain?