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- #1,701
What was on the program for today?
2015 Fitness and Working Out Thread
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I feel your pain! I got in leg day this morning at 5:45:
Squats 170lb 5x5
Weighted Walking lunges
Standing & sitting calf raises
Leg extensions
The flight of stairs to my office has been "fun" today.
Bullitt5339
New member
You will cry when you see what I had to endure today. I will post it up when I get home. Whenever I try to do a long post on Tapatalk it closes out on me.
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Been a few weeks now and am feeling pretty good physically. I think the thing I need to improve next though is diet. I have completely been off soda for a few weeks and try to eat lean with high protein, but there are a few other sugar sources I need to cut back on more. And I need to eat more vegetables.
Bullitt5339
New member
OK, here's the workout from today. Remember that I'm working on cutting bodyfat, so the goal is to get all of these exercises done in 1 hour. A fast pace, little to no rest, but with lighter weights. I finished in 55 minutes. Needless to say, the toilet is my worst enemy right now. I'm in pain, but it's a good pain. I usually get DOMS pretty bad in my legs, so Thursday will probably be horrible. I will do a couple sets of light squats tomorrow to try to fend DOMS off a little.
Superset - Jump Squats 3x10, Leg Extension 3x12
Superset - Front Squat 3x12, Squat 3x10
Superset - Lying Leg Curl 3x12, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3x10
Bodyweight Squats - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest in between
Superset - Leg Press Calf Raise 3x12, One-Leg Standing Calf Raise 3 to failure
Lunges - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest in between
Superset - Hanging Leg Raises 3 to failure, Oblique Crunch 3 to failure
Finished off with Crunches, 8 sets 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest between.
Superset - Jump Squats 3x10, Leg Extension 3x12
Superset - Front Squat 3x12, Squat 3x10
Superset - Lying Leg Curl 3x12, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3x10
Bodyweight Squats - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest in between
Superset - Leg Press Calf Raise 3x12, One-Leg Standing Calf Raise 3 to failure
Lunges - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest in between
Superset - Hanging Leg Raises 3 to failure, Oblique Crunch 3 to failure
Finished off with Crunches, 8 sets 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest between.
- Thread starter
- #1,706
Jeebus. That's a lot of leg work. Why so many calf raises?
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Yeah id be whooped after that haha. My lower body 1 workout is tonight (lower 2 is friday) and I'm doing
Romanian deadlifts
Leg press
Lying leg curls
Calf press on machine
3×10 for each
And i throw in an ab workout at the end of my workouts, tonight is ab rollouts
Romanian deadlifts
Leg press
Lying leg curls
Calf press on machine
3×10 for each
And i throw in an ab workout at the end of my workouts, tonight is ab rollouts
- Thread starter
- #1,708
Why the calf raises? If I can ask.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Honestly no idea. It was part of the split routine i was given. They had me doing calf raises for this part 1 of lower. Should i substitute it with something more efficient? I felt like they were doing a decent job but im no expert at all
- Thread starter
- #1,710
My understanding of anatomy, and the calves specifically, size is genetic or pharmaceutical. The main job of the calves is to anchor your upper leg to your feet. Standing Vertical jump isn't trainable, so doing jumps (plyometrics) is conditioning. People like working calves because most people like having Sexier body parts that other people can see (arms and calves). Trainers know this and take advantage of it.
In general, I am against isolation lifts. Just in principle. For me, the only leg lifts I need are barbell squats, deadlifts, and power cleans.
The biggest caveat here is if we are dealing with major injuries or physical limitations.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Gotcha i can understand that. I recently changed up my routine to this one given to me and it focuses mainly on compound lifts as they were described to me as "getting the most bang for your buck" kinda thing. It still includes a few isolations but no where near the split i was doing before with back/biceps, chest/triceps, and leg/shoulders. That had me just blasting one part with like 5 isolations and i saw gains but it really hasnt been as efficient as this new upper lower split. Ive always been a skinner guy starting at 135 and now at 175 so ill admit to wanting to gain some in the chicken leg area hahaha.
- Thread starter
- #1,712
It's all about goals. I don't know you're training history, but in general, for size and strength squats and deads are really all you need, along with food and sleep. The power cleans, or power snatches or the hang variants, are just a good option to incorporate a dynamic element.
I like that you are doing as many compounds as possible. The body (skeletal muscle structure) doesn't do anything in isolation. unless your goal is to compete in physique type competitions, I don't know why you would train muscles in isolation.
I am talking training. Rehab is a different animal.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
My training history is non existent haha ive done little spurts of working but NEVER a schedule or for a long period of time. I pretty much just started a full on routine for the first time 9 weeks ago (did that 3 day split i mentioned). I gained 10lbs doing it and eating properly and i was told that was great but i wanted to make sure i was doing the most efficient workout i could. Which is why im now switching to the upper lower split and concentrating on more compounds. I know not to push things and take it slow but my goal is to reach 185 (another 10lbs) by doing this routine. Im simply trying to gain weight and strength haha at 6'2" i need to fill in my scrawny ass or previously skeletor ass! Been workin hard on my techniques as well because i was told that was freakin huge for guys starting off.
- Thread starter
- #1,714
Dude, you can add weight to the bar quickly at your stage. over two weeks you are able to add 30 pounds on your squats and deads and 15 pounds on your presses. You can probably do that for 10-16 weeks. I'm not kidding. You need to take in 3500-5000 calories a day. It can be done. "taking it slow" is for able bodied people who are pansies.
And yes, technique is huge. It has to be good.
Bullitt5339
New member
I don't know, it's part of the trainer's program, so I'm following it. I'm not a big believer in doing specific calf exercises, I usually come to the conclusion that it's a lot of pain for no benefits but it's his program and he knows my goals so I'll do them and see if it changes my mind. Probably not, but it doesn't hurt anything either.
Bullitt5339
New member
Don't go slow at the beginning, give it hell because that's when you're going to see the most gains. Lift as much as you can while maintaining proper form. I went from 135 to 215 on my bench in the first 8 months and every pound since then has been 5 times the work. I will get to 250 before this year is out, but it's slow going after that initial explosion in strength.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Haha i meant taking it slow in terms of gaining weight. I was trying to be realistic and know as a tall lanky guy i probably wont put on 10lbs in like a month haha. Definitely couldn't agree more about the weight tho and calories. Im eating exactly that and its really helping. I was actually surprised when i added 12lbs to my bench little bit ago. Was happy i was seeing improvement after just 2 months. Just trying to be realistic ya know? Im not a bullsh!tter that's like brah i bench 225 in just a month I'm so big haha. (I know people like that). Love your input Blu, you da man
- Thread starter
- #1,718
Keep at it man. You're not doing anything "wrong". You're making gains. Be proud. Not a lot of people in this country are willing to put in the swear equity to make themselves better.
Evok
Don't worry, Be happy!
Appreciate it sir, its definitely not easy but it is actually much easier to just be in a routine. Starting f'kn sucked but its nice now to just keep that rhythm per say. I made so many excuses before about being scrawny but i just didnt eat and like i said absolutely didnt lift. Im on the path, just gotta keep at it like you said. Cheers man!
Bullitt5339
New member
Here's a little story for you guys:
A guy I work with has gotten seriously fat since he retired from the Army about 7 years ago. He looks like he's pregnant, seriously. His wife is a nutritionist and he started doing that T25 program every morning and his wife put him on a diet. He lost about 5lbs in the first 2 weeks, but then just stopped losing weight. He came and talked to me about it, but he's a pretty closed minded guy who's married to a nutritionist, so I pretty much knew how this was going to go......
I asked him what his BMR was and he gave me a blank stare...... So I explained to him what it was. I would think that the first thing a nutritionist would figure out for someone looking to lose weight is their BMR. He told me that she had him on a 1200 calorie a day diet. I thought that was extremely low, so I did the calculations and his BMR was 1800 calories a day. That means his body needs 1800 calories just to do basic functions without any exercise and he was eating under that and his body had gone into starvation mode after a couple weeks.
So I sat down with this guy and did all the calculations on how many calories he needed to eat to lose 3ish lbs a week safely and I think it came up to somewhere around 2500 calories, which would put him at a 500 calorie deficit daily. I thought it was easy to understand...... You use around 3000 calories a day at your current activity level. Surplus=gain, Deficit=lose. He came back the next day and told me his wife said he would never lose weight eating 2500 calories and he listened to her. He didn't lose any weight for the next few weeks and then became pretty weak and sick (I say it's from not eating enough) and stopped working out and stopped even trying to watch what he ate at all and gained a ton of weight.
My problem with the whole scenario is that this lady is a nutritionist and tells people how they are supposed to eat and my uneducated/uninformed self who's been doing this for a year knows more about healthy nutrition than she does. Advocating that someone maintains calories under BMR is, in my opinion, one of the most dangerous things anyone could do.
A guy I work with has gotten seriously fat since he retired from the Army about 7 years ago. He looks like he's pregnant, seriously. His wife is a nutritionist and he started doing that T25 program every morning and his wife put him on a diet. He lost about 5lbs in the first 2 weeks, but then just stopped losing weight. He came and talked to me about it, but he's a pretty closed minded guy who's married to a nutritionist, so I pretty much knew how this was going to go......
I asked him what his BMR was and he gave me a blank stare...... So I explained to him what it was. I would think that the first thing a nutritionist would figure out for someone looking to lose weight is their BMR. He told me that she had him on a 1200 calorie a day diet. I thought that was extremely low, so I did the calculations and his BMR was 1800 calories a day. That means his body needs 1800 calories just to do basic functions without any exercise and he was eating under that and his body had gone into starvation mode after a couple weeks.
So I sat down with this guy and did all the calculations on how many calories he needed to eat to lose 3ish lbs a week safely and I think it came up to somewhere around 2500 calories, which would put him at a 500 calorie deficit daily. I thought it was easy to understand...... You use around 3000 calories a day at your current activity level. Surplus=gain, Deficit=lose. He came back the next day and told me his wife said he would never lose weight eating 2500 calories and he listened to her. He didn't lose any weight for the next few weeks and then became pretty weak and sick (I say it's from not eating enough) and stopped working out and stopped even trying to watch what he ate at all and gained a ton of weight.
My problem with the whole scenario is that this lady is a nutritionist and tells people how they are supposed to eat and my uneducated/uninformed self who's been doing this for a year knows more about healthy nutrition than she does. Advocating that someone maintains calories under BMR is, in my opinion, one of the most dangerous things anyone could do.
amsmith61
Active member
Got in 2 workouts yesterday and feeling the energy levels coming back that I had over the winter.
Walked/run early in the more for about 2 miles. Hit the gym after work for 30 minutes of cardio, followed by a leg workout.
Later I did a 3 mile walk with the girlfriend.
Expected to feel a little soreness from the legs since I hadn't done any weights with the legs in awhile and I don't feel like the calf muscle is back to 100% since I injured it in the spring.
Going to add lunges to the workout next time I am in the gym.
Walked/run early in the more for about 2 miles. Hit the gym after work for 30 minutes of cardio, followed by a leg workout.
Later I did a 3 mile walk with the girlfriend.
Expected to feel a little soreness from the legs since I hadn't done any weights with the legs in awhile and I don't feel like the calf muscle is back to 100% since I injured it in the spring.
Going to add lunges to the workout next time I am in the gym.
Bullitt5339
New member
Wow, I'm sore today after the leg workout yesterday. My hamstrings and glutes are screaming. That didn't stop me from going to the gym today though, and it was another great workout. Not quite as brutal as the past 2, which is good since I was on limited mobility with the legs today.
Here's the workout for today:
Superset - bent over barbell row 3x10, reverse grip barbell row 3x12
Superset - Straight arm pulldown 3x10, wide grip lat pulldown 3x12
Kettlebell Snatch - 8 sets, 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest between sets
Superset - Barbell Shrug 3x10, Behind the back barbell shrug 3x12. I actually found a good use for the Smith Machine on this one. Using a standard bar, my arms were just long enough to where the bar was under my butt and I had to use my arms to lift it over. Using the Smith Machine allowed me to get my butt out of the way and use the correct muscles.
Cleans - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 20 seconds rest. These were pretty rough since my legs were jelly from yesterday.
Superset - Seated barbell curls 2x10, barbell curls 2x12
Superset - Prone Incline dumbbell curls 2x12, incline dumbbell 2x10
Superset - Barbell Wrist Curls 2x10, reverse grip barbell wrist curls 2x12
Dead Landmines - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 20 seconds rest. These were exceptionally difficult with rubber legs from yesterday.
Here's the workout for today:
Superset - bent over barbell row 3x10, reverse grip barbell row 3x12
Superset - Straight arm pulldown 3x10, wide grip lat pulldown 3x12
Kettlebell Snatch - 8 sets, 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest between sets
Superset - Barbell Shrug 3x10, Behind the back barbell shrug 3x12. I actually found a good use for the Smith Machine on this one. Using a standard bar, my arms were just long enough to where the bar was under my butt and I had to use my arms to lift it over. Using the Smith Machine allowed me to get my butt out of the way and use the correct muscles.
Cleans - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 20 seconds rest. These were pretty rough since my legs were jelly from yesterday.
Superset - Seated barbell curls 2x10, barbell curls 2x12
Superset - Prone Incline dumbbell curls 2x12, incline dumbbell 2x10
Superset - Barbell Wrist Curls 2x10, reverse grip barbell wrist curls 2x12
Dead Landmines - 8 sets, 20 seconds on, 20 seconds rest. These were exceptionally difficult with rubber legs from yesterday.
- Thread starter
- #1,723
After the lackluster, but fun, round today, this pull felt really good
[video=youtube_share;O98vtZH-GTc]http://youtu.be/O98vtZH-GTc[/video]
[video=youtube_share;O98vtZH-GTc]http://youtu.be/O98vtZH-GTc[/video]
Bullitt5339
New member
The absolute worst location to have DOMS is in the calves. This is absolutely horrible when your job requires you to walk in front of a crowd of people all day and speak. Trying to ignore the pain is impossible.
Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
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