Workout questions? Ask a Bodybuilder/Personal Trainer

During the last few years I've been in and out of some half-assed workout routines. Never did any during high school (was home-schooled), did some during the time I was working for the Dept of Corrections, now I'm just doing it to keep from getting fat.
I've noticed that during a workout, it always feels like I've exercised my right side more than my left. No matter how hard I try to make things consistent, it always feels like it's easier to work my right side and always feels like the right side has been worked more. WTF? It's driving me nuts.

 

Does anyone in this thread drink coffee?


for the last year or so I've been drinking 1 cup every morning and that is for the day. About a week and a half ago I tried to go cold turkey on the coffee. Feeling a bit sluggish sometimes. So Mon, Tue, and today in school I ended up buying a coffee midmorning as I have to sit for extended periods of time for classes/studying.

It doesn't help that I have two 2 hour classes back to back on Tuesdays and Thursdays, followed by a 3 hour lab. So on those days I'm in classes from 8 am till 5 pm.

Mondays and Wednesdays I only have a 1 45 minute class. No classes for this guy on Fridays.

anyhoos, I get up at 4 am on weekdays and either go running in the wee hours with my buddy (my doggy ) or for a quick bike ride. Go to the gym later in the day.

this past Saturday I started the 5x5 program. I'm a bit confused though about how it works. I've read different things on different sites.

I stuck with the 5x5 squats, 5x5 bench, and 5x5 shoulder press. I did it all in one work out, cuz that's the way I understood it. Then in the next work out session I up it by 10 lbs (shoulder press only 5 lbs). Is that correct?

Should I do this work out once a week, or twice a week?

I'm still doing back and arms, but on different days of course.

 

www.stronglifts.com

Work out A:
Squat
Bench
Row

Work out B:
Squat
Over head press
Deadlift 1X5*

Alternate workouts, three times a week works great.

Everyday you lift, each lift is increased 5lbs, except deadlift, which is 10lbs. *You only do Deadlift 1x5 because you will be burned out after your squat sets and warm up sets for dead lift. Once you stall twice, the thrid time you de-load 10% and continue on the normal plan.

Essentially your sets will look like this:

warm up
warm up
5
5
5
5
5

(Deadlift)
warm up
warm up
5

Follow the instructions on the site and pick up the free app.

 

Cool, thanks for the link man!!!

I'll get back to you guys in a few months with my results.

 

Alright guys, im 5'8" 150lbs. i have tiny legs which i think helps but im the fastest low speed sprinter i know but i hit "top speed" really quick and its not very fast. How do i train to boost my high end speed?
thanks

 

+1 for doing some thing that you like and enjoy! Also for helping us fat dude's!

 

Thats it?

 

What is your experience as a sprinter time frame wise? Years?

But when we work with our combine athletes, the 40 is a must for all of them to improve on.

We first start working on their fundamentals: strong base. With that, what is your posture. Leaning forward, tall, back? Each phase of you race you should be at different postures but never back.

We also work on your stride. Ex: "step with a purpose"
Shin angle is also important. Here is a brief article that my old manager wrote
http://education.athletesperformanc...ts/the-two-overarching-goals-for-a-faster-40/

Weight room: squats, dead lifts, RDLs, pistol squats , single leg RDLs. Doing these exercises with appropriate periodization will get you gains.

 

That's great! Congrats on all your accomplishments, especially the powerlifting titles. I'm a Personal trainer, Gym owner and Strength Athlete as well. Those were some great numbers to hit at that bodyweight!

 

I'm looking for some help adding support lifts to my routine and getting general routine advice. Hopefully you can help me !

I have been doing this for 3 months:

Workout A: 1000 meter row warmup, Deadlift (5/3/1 program), Dumbell rows, barbell curl, reverse barbell curl, plank and sideplank.

Workout B: 1000 meter row warmup, bench (5/3/1), Dumbell flies, Tricep press down/extension, circuit machine incline press, pushups.

Workout C: 1000 meter row warmup, squat (5/3/1), leg extension, leg press, calf raises.

I am 35yrs old, 73"/ 206lbs approx 22% bodyfat. Maxes are DL-325, Bench 225, Squat 225. I really need to develop my leg strength. Genetically I have skinny legs, broad shoulder/chest and carry all my fat in the gut. I am working on the diet to trim the middle. My goals are to lean out a little in the mid section, but put on muscle weight. I'm not looking to cut a lot of weight. If I could put on muscle and hover around 195 -200 that would be ideal.

Advice?

 

I am 6'2 207lb, I signed up for myfitnesspal on my phone to lose 17lb in 5 weeks. That puts me at 1800 calories a day, the app deducts for excercise. I have a pt test coming. It's as many push ups as I can do, my age bracket the minimum is something like 40, I can get that. Situps in a minute, I think I have to get 38, I can get that, usually. And I have to run 1.5 miles in 12:05.

I do 1 set each day for now of
40 pushups
40 perfect sit-ups
25x 4 count flutter kicks
25x 4 count supepine bicycles
25x 4 count crunches
run around 2 miles, not for time now just to make the run... probably 9 minute mile pace.

I just saw a men's health magazine that had an article of shred your abs in 4 weeks with 2 separate exercise routines that I will try.
Does anyone have any exercises that I can do to 1: do better on a 1 minute situp test. 2: better my 1.5 mile run time.

I have about 1 month to get this done.... sorry for the long winded post.

 

I have been way under the 1800 calories for each day with the exercising for almost a week now. I am going to weigh in again when I get to work tonight. I probably lost a couple of lb. I am excited to see the results. I usually eat somewhere in the area of 4000 calories I bet. I eat what ever I want just try not to waste calories on nonsense and I dont eat garbage. Thanks again

 

Okay reverse dieting is the shiznit!!! went from 2200 cal to 2500 cal and still lost weight and BF last week. Gonna up it by 50 this week and see where it takes me. hopefully the weight loss stops soon so i can diet down again, because eating all this food is getting expensive lol For those of you dieting for 3-4 month like me and the weight and fat loss is slowing down or stalled, look into reverse dieting. Basiclly is keeping your protein high as usual but add carbs and fats slowly to build up your bmr.

 

Well I passed the PT test on Monday and I ended up losing 20 lb in 4 weeks staying under the 1800 calories a day and exercising. I am going to keep it up and try to maintain that weight!!! It was fun but I hope it lasts.

 

This is more so an injury question & if anyone has experience with it...

So I have flat feet, and that puts a more than normal amount of stress on the Plantar Calcaneonavicular Ligament. It's been aggravated for about a month or two and I feel it hurting the morning after I run (2-3 miles) or especially the day after I jump rope (20-30 minutes).

I'm mainly concerned because I go to Marine Corps boot camp on December 9th (a little over a month away). I want to know my treatment options now to get it back to normal (or close to it). I'm in excellent physical shape right now so I'm not concerned about that, I just don't want to partially tear or fully tear that ligament while in basic.

Any treatment options? I stay off of it as much as possible (no running, body weight lower body exercises, etc). Ice is my friend and I do an ice bath for 10 mins and then stick the foot in the hot tub for 10 mins for probably 2-3 rounds.

My Dad said something about a cortizone shot...?

Opinions please?

 

Hey guys wondering if you could give me a few ideas/tips.

6' 150lbs never been to a gym in my life really. I have access to an awesome gym here on base. Id like to put on a few lbs of muscle. Last week or so I've been trying to go mon/weds/fri. Is that enough, too much too little? I have to do cardio (I know thats not good for gaining mass but I have to for time being). Im kind of just learning how to do the machines (Mostly because I dont have too many ideas on how to use the free weights). Im doing roughly 10-12x3. Today I used a chest fly machine a chest press machine and a bicep machine. Also a 1.5 mile run throw in there. Was there for about an hour. I know everyone stresses diet I dont eat terrible, but I dont eat great either. I work wierd hours but usually eat some cereal or an omlette (9pm) then turkey sandwich water and chips for lunch (2:30am) Then cereal oatmeal omlette or something crazy(8am) Then bed around noon.

Any kinda tips would be helpful should I be taking some kind of protein drink? lol Thanks again

 

If you are a beginner i would stick with learning the basics first, it'll be the foundation of your muscle building. and that is compound movements, i know free weight seems intimidating but it's the best you can do for your body and muscle building. ask someone in the gym to show you, or watch youtube and practice for yourself, form is most important when if comes to lifting. as for diet, make sure you eat enough to gain muscle but not too much you gain fat. if you havent gain a single pound after a week of eating, eat more, gain more than 2lbs after a wekk eat less.