Official workout/supplement thread.

[Tommyjohn25]

Okay...how many of you here are gym rats? I have been one for years, I'm one of the few lucky ones who actually enjoys it. I figured I'd start a thread for anyone else who is interested in giving workout tips, review supplements, set goals etc...

The supplement part I am especially interested in. I do gain muscle, but with my genetics it seems as if I have to work twice as hard as the next guy. Therefore, I am always looking for the next best supplement. I take protein religiously, and try to build off of that with various other things. NO Vapor was my last, it worked okay...but it's expensive, and I just ran out.

Well here goes. Post whatever you want to workout related....off you go!

[TeamSelig]

I have motivational problems when it comes to working out. Hate goin by myself too, but my friends too have motivation problems so I can't rely on them ;)

I feel so much better when I'm working out regularly, but I have a hard time making myself go.

[Tommyjohn25]

I have motivational problems when it comes to working out. Hate goin by myself too, but my friends too have motivation problems so I can't rely on them ;)

I feel so much better when I'm working out regularly, but I have a hard time making myself go.

IMO making it a part of your daily routine is the steepest hill to climb. Once you get past that, and it simply becomes a part of your day, it is SO much easier.

[Reds Freak]

I’m not a gym rat like you say you are Tommyjohn, especially since I’ve gotten out of athletics. But I still go 2-3 times a week for about an hour at a time just because I feel like I need to do so to stay in shape. But like you said I have a set time and routine every time I go so I don’t have any excuses not to.

I think one of the best ways to work out is to find a physical activity you love and make it your workout. I love to bike, hike, play tennis, basketball, etc. and I look forward to doing those activities because I enjoy them and it’s a work out at the same time. IMO, that’s a great way to stay motivated…

[Tommyjohn25]

I’m not a gym rat like you say you are Tommyjohn, especially since I’ve gotten out of athletics. But I still go 2-3 times a week for about an hour at a time just because I feel like I need to do so to stay in shape. But like you said I have a set time and routine every time I go so I don’t have any excuses not to.

I think one of the best ways to work out is to find a physical activity you love and make it your workout. I love to bike, hike, play tennis, basketball, etc. and I look forward to doing those activities because I enjoy them and it’s a work out at the same time. IMO, that’s a great way to stay motivated…

The above is a fantastic way to stay in shape! Basketball is one sport i could never get the hang of however...oh well. I also think that swimming is one of the absolute best total body workouts you can get. If you happen to have a pool at your disposal that is.

[Jack Burton]

As far as supplements all you really need is a daily multi-vitamin and some protein. I got the Optimum Nutrition protien in 5lb containers, chocolate and chocolate mint. Pretty good taste and easy to mix, a little expensive though.

[wheels]

I've had a personal trainer for two years now.

I see it as my sport, and I wanna be as good at it as possible. I think the thing that helps me most is that it's functional training. It's kinda primitive, and it looks scarier than it really is.

It's also fun knowing that working out, coupled with my kung fu classes means I can pretty much dismantle most people (just kidding).

I don't use suppliments, 'cept for maybe the occasional shot of glutamine in my post workout smoothie. Otherwise, it's diet, diet, diet...With a steady diet of more dieting. I've lost over sixty pounds (but seriously, throw away your scale. Weight is like batting average), and something like 20% of my body fat. I couldn't have done any of that with just one or the other. You gotta do both.

I feel like Superman, or more like Popeye.

[SunDeck]

I used to work out a lot, but I have moved away from weights and machines and more to things like running, swimming and biking. Over the winter I go back to the gym a lot more and will usually have a rotation of 2-4 nights swimming or 2-4 nights working out. It could be 2/2 or 1/3, depending on my mood. But like I said to begin, I enjoy weights less and less, so in a typical winter week I will swim three times and work out once.
I have also pretty much abandoned any arm workouts. Swimming takes care of my upper body and I concentrate on legs for the machines. That's philosophical really- I think a key to remaining active as one ages is to keep the legs in good shape. But I'd rather put in a mile at the pool than an hour in a weight room, any day.

post edit: I have never taken any supplements. Working out for me has always been more about staying healthy than getting big.

[bucksfan2]

Okay...how many of you here are gym rats? I have been one for years, I'm one of the few lucky ones who actually enjoys it. I figured I'd start a thread for anyone else who is interested in giving workout tips, review supplements, set goals etc...

The supplement part I am especially interested in. I do gain muscle, but with my genetics it seems as if I have to work twice as hard as the next guy. Therefore, I am always looking for the next best supplement. I take protein religiously, and try to build off of that with various other things. NO Vapor was my last, it worked okay...but it's expensive, and I just ran out.

Well here goes. Post whatever you want to workout related....off you go!

No offense Tommyjohn but I think when someone says "I have to work twice as hard as the next guy" it is just an excuse. I don't mean that in a bad way I just mean that the "next guy" who is ripped and has washboard abs probably has made several sacrifices that you/we don't see. I am what you may call a gym rat. I spend atleast 3-5 days a week in the gym, on the links (walking), running, or doing some kind of physical labor. I know my achilies heal is my eating habits. I just don't dedicate myself to eating properly. I also like to indulge in beer so that doesn't help out too much.

In college I drank protein shakes but haven't gotten back into them becasue of the taste and I hated to always clean up after using the blender. Protein is a big issue when you are trying to build muscle. Try eating leaner red meats, fish, chicken, and turkey. Peanut butter is also a very good source of protein.

For those out there who don't excercies I would tell them just to find something they like to do (beer league softball doesn't count). If you find that something and do it on a regular basis you will feel much better.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

No offense Tommyjohn but I think when someone says "I have to work twice as hard as the next guy" it is just an excuse. I don't mean that in a bad way I just mean that the "next guy" who is ripped and has washboard abs probably has made several sacrifices that you/we don't see. I am what you may call a gym rat. I spend atleast 3-5 days a week in the gym, on the links (walking), running, or doing some kind of physical labor. I know my achilies heal is my eating habits. I just don't dedicate myself to eating properly. I also like to indulge in beer so that doesn't help out too much.


Not entirely true. Genetics plays a big role in things like this. Certain people can gain muscle mass at a much faster pace than others, but more often than not it's merely things like diet that you mentioned that hold people back from attaining goals. I know it's a problem for me.

I'm an exercise science major right now. My goal is to get licensed as a personal trainer in the next two years, so I'm definitely into this subject. Oddly enough though, since I've entered the major program, I've gotten really lazy and haven't hit the gym very much. The summer rush crowd turns me away.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

I am what you may call a gym rat. I spend atleast 3-5 days a week in the gym, on the links (walking), running, or doing some kind of physical labor. I know my achilies heal is my eating habits. I just don't dedicate myself to eating properly. I also like to indulge in beer so that doesn't help out too much.

This describes me.

A few years ago, I really got into supplements. I was spending a bunch of money on EAS products, most notably Myoplex, Betagen, and Phosphagen HP.

I really start packing on the LB's and getting extra reps was no problem. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, thought I was not only getting too big, but she said that she noticed that I was short-tempered. She was convinced it was the creatine.

I since stopped taking and lost a bit, but not all of it. Now, with four kids and a bunch of things going on, I try to get to the gym 3-4 times a week and really concentrate on lower weights and higher reps. It was a lot more fun to do heavy weight and less reps back in the day, but at my age (37) the last thing I need is to tear something and up until now my shoulders have held up so I'm not pressing my luck with the weight. I also love riding my mountain bike and have noticed my knee (torn lateral meniscus) that I have put off having surgery on has been feeling great since I've been riding consistently.

Recently my wife and I found a company called Advocare and we have been taking their products. They have a really good product called Spark that is an energy/focus drink. Anyone that has tried it has immediately fell in love as it contains about as much caffeine as an average cup of coffee, but gives you all the benefits and more. My day is way more productive after downing one of those. They have another product I'm getting ready to start next week (Herbal Cleanse) that rejuvenates and cleanses the digestive system. Unfortunately, I'll have to lay off the beer and bad foods when I'm on that 10-day cleanse, so I'm not starting it until I get back from the Reds game Friday night. :D

My other favorite Advocare products are the meal replacement shakes, which are very tasty (especially chocolate), the multi-vitamins (Core Plex), pro-biotic restore, and my ultimate favorite - post-recovery workout shakes, which, no kidding, are better than most "non-healthy" chocolate shakes.

TommyJohn, I think I remember once reading that you were into martial arts. Have you heard of a martial art called Burmese Bando?

[bucksfan2]

Not entirely true. Genetics plays a big role in things like this. Certain people can gain muscle mass at a much faster pace than others, but more often than not it's merely things like diet that you mentioned that hold people back from attaining goals. I know it's a problem for me.

I'm an exercise science major right now. My goal is to get licensed as a personal trainer in the next two years, so I'm definitely into this subject. Oddly enough though, since I've entered the major program, I've gotten really lazy and haven't hit the gym very much. The summer rush crowd turns me away.

I don't discount the genetic factors. I also don't discount the actual bone frame that your body has. I used to assume that I had a slow metabolism because my body didn't "look" like the way I wanted it to be. I worked out pretty hard in college and now about 5 years removed from college I look back and see how good of shape I really was in. Personally I feel like most people who strive to have a better body or a perfect body tend to blame it on genetic factors and don't want to realize the other factors that are involved in athletic training.

[Tommyjohn25]

TommyJohn, I think I remember once reading that you were into martial arts. Have you heard of a martial art called Burmese Bando?

Thanks for the responses people! First off, yes I am actually a martial arts instructor (I am a level called Sifu). The art I study is a combination of Si-lum, Choylay Fut, Wing Chung, Hungar, and Chi-kung. Most of those styles NOBODY has heard of. :) I have not heard of Burmese Bando I don't believe, at least I don't recall it off the top of my head. Do you study it?


I don't discount the genetic factors. I also don't discount the actual bone frame that your body has. I used to assume that I had a slow metabolism because my body didn't "look" like the way I wanted it to be. I worked out pretty hard in college and now about 5 years removed from college I look back and see how good of shape I really was in. Personally I feel like most people who strive to have a better body or a perfect body tend to blame it on genetic factors and don't want to realize the other factors that are involved in athletic training.

Oh don't get me wrong, I fully respect the work others put in to look the way they do, it's NEVER easy. And I also have no negative self-image issues going on, I am pretty satisfied with my build. But...I don't know how many times I am outlifting or outlasting the guy who is taking turns with me at the gym, and he is TWICE my size. I get stronger at a normal rate it seems, just takes me forever to actually SEE results. I guess that really isn't what's important, but it's nice to see the fruits of your labor. I don't lift to get "big" so to speak, I really try to maintain a build of lean, cut muscle with a little bit of bulk thrown in on certain areas. With the aforementioned martial arts lifestyle, I shouldn't get too big anyways. Wheels has it right. Get a personal trainer. It's something I've always wanted to do but never treated myself by actually doing it.

[wheels]

Interval cardio is another thing I can't say enough about.

Twenty minutes of something that always works as opposed to an hour of something that stops working after the body adjusts. I feel sorry for people that think they have to sit on bike or run on a treadmill for an hour at a time. How boring.

Run, or pump, or jump as hard and as fast as you can for a minute, then take it down slow for two minutes. Repeat that until twenty minutes is gone (really hammer away at it...go HARD), and you'll feel like you can't walk. Heck...All you gotta do is run the steps at home. Go up and down three times, rest for two minutes (walk around the house, get a drink of water, etc..), hit those steps again.

I swear by it. People love to tell me that I need to do tons of cardio, and that I'll never lose weight if I don't do six hours of cardio every week. I look at them, ask them how much body fat they've lost over the past year and the discussion ends there. That's what great about my gym. It's brutal, it's to the point, it's bare bones, and it makes me feel like an absolute animal. After all, we ARE animals.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Interval cardio is another thing I can't say enough about.

Twenty minutes of something that always works as opposed to an hour of something that stops working after the body adjusts. I feel sorry for people that think they have to sit on bike or run on a treadmill for an hour at a time. How boring.

Run, or pump, or jump as hard and as fast as you can for a minute, then take it down slow for two minutes. Repeat that until twenty minutes is gone (really hammer away at it...go HARD), and you'll feel like you can't walk. Heck...All you gotta do is run the steps at home. Go up and down three times, rest for two minutes (walk around the house, get a drink of water, etc..), hit those steps again.

I swear by it. People love to tell me that I need to do tons of cardio, and that I'll never lose weight if I don't do six hours of cardio every week. I look at them, ask them how much body fat they've lost over the past year and the discussion ends there. That's what great about my gym. It's brutal, it's to the point, it's bare bones, and it makes me feel like an absolute animal. After all, we ARE animals.

I'm a big fan of HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training), which you mentioned and Plyometrics myself. Mixed in with compound lifts, and you've got yourself a good little workout as you said, in less time.

[wheels]

I'm a big fan of HIIT(High Intensity Interval Training), which you mentioned and Plyometrics myself. Mixed in with compound lifts, and you've got yourself a good little workout as you said, in less time.

Ever heard of Nick Osborn, or GO Fitness (it used to be called Built Solid)?

Nick is some kind of god to me.

[Dom Heffner]

Love me some Muscle Milk.

[Razor Shines]

Interval cardio is another thing I can't say enough about.

Twenty minutes of something that always works as opposed to an hour of something that stops working after the body adjusts. I feel sorry for people that think they have to sit on bike or run on a treadmill for an hour at a time. How boring.

Run, or pump, or jump as hard and as fast as you can for a minute, then take it down slow for two minutes. Repeat that until twenty minutes is gone (really hammer away at it...go HARD), and you'll feel like you can't walk. Heck...All you gotta do is run the steps at home. Go up and down three times, rest for two minutes (walk around the house, get a drink of water, etc..), hit those steps again.

I swear by it. People love to tell me that I need to do tons of cardio, and that I'll never lose weight if I don't do six hours of cardio every week. I look at them, ask them how much body fat they've lost over the past year and the discussion ends there. That's what great about my gym. It's brutal, it's to the point, it's bare bones, and it makes me feel like an absolute animal. After all, we ARE animals.

I've been doing P90x for about a month and a half. And about 3 weeks ago I added a Interval Training program 3 times a week. So far I've just done sprinting. I go 45 seconds flat out and rest for 90 seconds for 8 or 9 reps. I'm so wiped at the end of it. I love the Interval Training though, my brother actually told me about it. He is a Marine and he was telling me that he did some type of HIIT almost every day in boot camp.

But anyway back to HIIT, I think I will stick with the sprinting for a few more weeks and then I want to switch it up to something else. Any suggestions on what I should do next?

[wheels]

I've been doing P90x for about a month and a half. And about 3 weeks ago I added a Interval Training program 3 times a week. So far I've just done sprinting. I go 45 seconds flat out and rest for 90 seconds for 8 or 9 reps. I'm so wiped at the end of it. I love the Interval Training though, my brother actually told me about it. He is a Marine and he was telling me that he did some type of HIIT almost every day in boot camp.

But anyway back to HIIT, I think I will stick with the sprinting for a few more weeks and then I want to switch it up to something else. Any suggestions on what I should do next?

Hill climbing. Problem is finding a hill.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

Ever heard of Nick Osborn, or GO Fitness (it used to be called Built Solid)?

Nick is some kind of god to me.

No, I haven't

Hill climbing. Problem is finding a hill.

It's not for everyone, but it's something I picked up from working out with a friend who plays college football and have integrated in... bear crawls.

[wheels]

Bear crawls are brutal.

They hooked me up with a belt attached to three heavy rubber bands that were attached to a pole while doing them. Go as far as the bands allow, then go backwards. I thought I would surely die.

[Tommyjohn25]

Love me some Muscle Milk.

Yeah I tried that stuff for a while. Tasted great, and for the first couple weeks I noticed slight results from it. After that however it kinda tailed off on me. I tried 2 more jugs of it and decided to move on. There are a ton of people that swear by it though.

[halcyon]

A couple friends of mine use[d] the NO Vapor. One likes it pretty well: he only uses one serving per day. The other liked it as well, but he used 2-3 servings. Course, he also said he thought it made his skin itchy so who knows about the side effects of that sort of thing.

I always felt good with just straight micronized creatine. I'm not sure how much of an improvement many of these supplements could give me past that. I've taken a few of the creatine mixes (with sugar for flavor and transport), always with at least decent results. Nothing that made me think it was on a different level from plain creatine, however.

[danken12]

I've been doing P90x for about a month and a half. And about 3 weeks ago I added a Interval Training program 3 times a week. So far I've just done sprinting. I go 45 seconds flat out and rest for 90 seconds for 8 or 9 reps. I'm so wiped at the end of it. I love the Interval Training though, my brother actually told me about it. He is a Marine and he was telling me that he did some type of HIIT almost every day in boot camp.

But anyway back to HIIT, I think I will stick with the sprinting for a few more weeks and then I want to switch it up to something else. Any suggestions on what I should do next?

I'm about 5 weeks into P90x as well. I think it's a pretty great all around workout for people who don't have the time to get to the gym. I know some of the workouts are exhausting.

[FutureRedsGM]

I am looking for a good dumbell only routine. If someone has one of those that they would like to pass along, I would appreciate it.

Also, I know there are some softball players on this board. Are there any specific excercises that can be done to increase your power? I can't seem to find that last 20 feet to clear the fence!!!!

[Tommyjohn25]

I am looking for a good dumbell only routine. If someone has one of those that they would like to pass along, I would appreciate it.

Also, I know there are some softball players on this board. Are there any specific excercises that can be done to increase your power? I can't seem to find that last 20 feet to clear the fence!!!!

Dumbell routines are among the best IMO. The independent motion prevents your dominant side from "helping" your weaker side. Plus the range of motion with dumbells is much better. You are probably best suited to google "dumbell workout routine" and look at several different ones to find one you may like. The exercises with dumbells (for upper body) are almost limitless, so it may take a while to find a routine that suits you, but it is without question, a good way to lift.

As far as your softball question goes, keep pounding the upper body. Specifically the shoulders, triceps, and pecs. Also don't neglect your core muscles (abs, obliques, etc) to give you a little extra torque in your swing. I recommend mixing it up with the weights too. I usually do 4 sets of any given exercise. 1st two sets, I do heavy weight, low reps. Last two sets, I do light weight, high reps, to the point of muscle failure. This promotes both muscle mass, and the developement of the fast twitch muscle fibers that would allow for better bat speed. Hope that helps you out a bit!

:thumbup:

[bucksfan2]

I am looking for a good dumbell only routine. If someone has one of those that they would like to pass along, I would appreciate it.

Also, I know there are some softball players on this board. Are there any specific excercises that can be done to increase your power? I can't seem to find that last 20 feet to clear the fence!!!!

A couple of things with softball. Bat speed is the key. After that your forearms, tricepts, legs, back, and abs are the most important things. A lot of the power comes from the torque of your body. Someone mentioned pecs above and IMO they don't add a whole lot to a swing and I think they can decrease the amount of flexability your swing has.

I read an article during Brett Boone's resurgance in Seattle. Granted HGH helped but he talked about your chest and bi's being "show" muscles. Their function isn't all that great and they actually limit flexibility.

[Tommyjohn25]

A couple of things with softball. Bat speed is the key. After that your forearms, tricepts, legs, back, and abs are the most important things. A lot of the power comes from the torque of your body. Someone mentioned pecs above and IMO they don't add a whole lot to a swing and I think they can decrease the amount of flexability your swing has.

I read an article during Brett Boone's resurgance in Seattle. Granted HGH helped but he talked about your chest and bi's being "show" muscles. Their function isn't all that great and they actually limit flexibility.

Re: Pecs. I agree that they can limit flexibility if you build too much mass there. But I do not agree, at least on a personal level, that they are "show" muscles. I hit my chest pretty hard last summer with various push-ups and a lot of different dumbell routines, and at the age of 29 I hit five more home runs in softball than I've ever hit before. It could have been coincidence I suppose, but the only thing I changed was my chest routine.

[bucksfan2]

Re: Pecs. I agree that they can limit flexibility if you build too much mass there. But I do not agree, at least on a personal level, that they are "show" muscles. I hit my chest pretty hard last summer with various push-ups and a lot of different dumbell routines, and at the age of 29 I hit five more home runs in softball than I've ever hit before. It could have been coincidence I suppose, but the only thing I changed was my chest routine.

I am no personal trainer but I have been lifting weights on a regular basis for around 8 years now. I don't hit them nearly as hard as I did in college but once you start lifting weights you need to continue to lift in order to maintain that muscle that you built up.

As for the pecs the pushup is one of the better full body excercise that you can do. It works quite a few muscle groups and also helps with core stength because of the balance that you need in order to do a pushup. But whatever works for you continue to do that. IIRC Hershal Walker never lifted a weight in his life he did pushups and situps in the thousands on a daily basis.

[Stephenk29]

Did the whole college athlete work out thing. Lots of guys I know did the Vapor and said it worked a lot, but they also said it got their heart racing a thousand miles an hour. Not something I ever wanted to try. I've done the protein shakes forever, and took Creatine monohydrate for about 7 months. Honestly couldn't tell you if it worked or not. I was a gym rat for a long time. 5 days a week for about 2 hours at a time. The baseball career is over now though so I've lost all motivation. :)

[CrackerJack]

Yeah I tried that stuff for a while. Tasted great, and for the first couple weeks I noticed slight results from it. After that however it kinda tailed off on me. I tried 2 more jugs of it and decided to move on. There are a ton of people that swear by it though.

That stuff just blows my system out, if you know what I mean, can't take it. Plus I'm not a big dairy/milk fan and can't drink that stuff with water...even with no fat skim milk (which has proven to result in higher cancer rates in men I read).

It DOES taste good though - in particular the Strawberry. (Choc good too)

I'm sticking with low fat soy protein bars a couple of times a day to get my protein fix. Too much protein just goes right through you I've found.

At my age (38) I'm all about lean muscle and losing fat though, not trying to "bulk up" just shape muscle tone and develop areas that are under-developed. Of course that stubborn little bit of fat around my waist and buttocks are a pain - only noticeable to me in the mirror but I want it gone. I actually look better now than I did when I was 25 though, so, want to keep pushing myself.

I drank Muscle Milk light for a while btw - not the regular stuff - which will really put the weight on you, if you drink a couple of those a day.

[SunDeck]

Bear crawls are brutal.

They hooked me up with a belt attached to three heavy rubber bands that were attached to a pole while doing them. Go as far as the bands allow, then go backwards. I thought I would surely die.

Is this guy your personal trainer, Wheels?

http://www.mutantreviewers.com/r2rocky2.jpg

If he brings a chicken to your next workout session, just go with it. He knows what he's doing.

[RichRed]

I'm partial to a protein shake that consists of soy milk, natural peanut butter, whey protein powder, banana, frozen blueberries and/or strawberries, honey, oat bran and plain yogurt. Tasty, healthy and high in protein & calories.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

I'm out of school for the summer now. As of tomorrow I'm officially starting a rigorous workout to lose my winter weight/beer gut.

Probably starting a little late for the summer push, but oh well.

First 2 weeks will be heavy cardio light weights, then after that balance everything out.

[wheels]

Is this guy your personal trainer, Wheels?

http://www.mutantreviewers.com/r2rocky2.jpg

If he brings a chicken to your next workout session, just go with it. He knows what he's doing.

Not far off.

I'm waiting for the day I get to go to the meat packing plant.

[Dom Heffner]

Run, or pump, or jump as hard and as fast as you can for a minute, then take it down slow for two minutes. Repeat that until twenty minutes is gone (really hammer away at it...go HARD), and you'll feel like you can't walk. Heck...All you gotta do is run the steps at home. Go up and down three times, rest for two minutes (walk around the house, get a drink of water, etc..), hit those steps again.

This no doubt works- if you can do it.

The problem with these workouts is that they are high intensity. Not everyone's body can handle it, including possibly yours over a sustained period of time.

What works when you are twnety doesn't work when you get older. As you get older it's different, and if you want to keep training your body, you can't work it as hard as you can every time out.

I'd rather do wind sprints everytime out too but my knees can't take it.

People who do over twenty minutes of cardio on a treadmill but pace themselves are working out smart sometimes, though I do agree that you don't have to be on there for an hour.

There are also cardiovascular benefits to prolonged exercise.

[TeamSelig]

Are treadmills accurate? It seems like I can run forever on one of those, but whenever I attempt to run outside I can't go 1/2 the distance.

[wheels]

This no doubt works- if you can do it.

The problem with these workouts is that they are high intensity. Not everyone's body can handle it, including possibly yours over a sustained period of time.

What works when you are twnety doesn't work when you get older. As you get older it's different, and if you want to keep training your body, you can't work it as hard as you can every time out.

I'd rather do wind sprints everytime out too but my knees can't take it.

People who do over twenty minutes of cardio on a treadmill but pace themselves are working out smart sometimes, though I do agree that you don't have to be on there for an hour.

There are also cardiovascular benefits to prolonged exercise.

How old are you?

By the looks of your avatar, you can't be as old as I am.

Have you ever tried just walking really fast for an interval, then going slower, then repeating?

It looks silly, but when I first started training (I was a 280 lb tub of goo, so I couldn't do much either), it really jump started me (along with the horrific first few months of training).

I learned that it's more about how your excercise affects YOU more than it is about what other people are doing. If I get my heart rate up to 160 bpm by doing the stationary bike, I couldn't care less about that dude on the stairmaster.

Good Lord. Am I becoming a zealot?

[bucksfan2]

Are treadmills accurate? It seems like I can run forever on one of those, but whenever I attempt to run outside I can't go 1/2 the distance.

Unless it is an old bad tredmill they are pretty accurate. Some people like treadmills others hate them. The difference you may feel could be a result of the treadmill pacing you or the lack of hills. One common problem with running outside is the lack of a true pace.

For example if your goal is to run 5 miles in an hour you can set your pace at that mark and just go. If you have a 5 mile route picked out you likely aren't going to stick to the same pace for the entire run.

[CrackerJack]

Unless it is an old bad tredmill they are pretty accurate. Some people like treadmills others hate them. The difference you may feel could be a result of the treadmill pacing you or the lack of hills. One common problem with running outside is the lack of a true pace.

For example if your goal is to run 5 miles in an hour you can set your pace at that mark and just go. If you have a 5 mile route picked out you likely aren't going to stick to the same pace for the entire run.

Yeah I agree, it's all about pacing and it's hard, unless you are a very experienced runner, to regulate your own pace. I'm pretty muscular from the football days as a WR/LB/CB into college, and a mix of sprinting and long distance works best for me (intervals).

My body type is just not made for long distance running, never has been, and my lung capacity kinda stinks.

I usually just warm up on the treadmill before every workout for 6-10 minutes and sprint for the last minute to get my heart racing and work up a good sweat, then I weight lift fairly intensely for 1-1.5 hours. Keeps my weight steady and my cardio in ok shape, but doesn't wear me out so much that I can't lift (usually high reps/moderate-to-high weight for tone vs bulk).

I also use machines for the most part, and cables, free weights bulk me up too much and the dumb bells and plates are a pain, and are always the most crowded.

PS - People who don't put their weight/plates back really tick me off, and it's very common at my gym - always a good % of rock heads at gyms I guess, with attitudes to boot.

[George Anderson]

Anyone ever used a weight vest when they train? Its like a vest that can add weights ranging from say ten pounds to fifty pounds? Any pros or cons?

[Dom Heffner]

How old are you?

By the looks of your avatar, you can't be as old as I am.

Have you ever tried just walking really fast for an interval, then going slower, then repeating?

It looks silly, but when I first started training (I was a 280 lb tub of goo, so I couldn't do much either), it really jump started me (along with the horrific first few months of training).

I learned that it's more about how your excercise affects YOU more than it is about what other people are doing. If I get my heart rate up to 160 bpm by doing the stationary bike, I couldn't care less about that dude on the stairmaster.

Good Lord. Am I becoming a zealot?


Wheels, I'm 39. I've been working out with weights for close to 20 years, been a runner since I was a kid.

Interval walking- never tried it. Regular walking never has gotten it done for me, and to be honest, I find fast walking uncomfortable.

I like wind sprints best, but they bother me and I find the more violent the action the higher the injury risk.

Steady as she goes for me. I can put the treadmill at 8 mph and run for 5 minutes, take a minute off and then repeat 5 or 6 times. Sounds like a form of interval training, I guess, but I'm on for 5 and off for 1.

You aren't a zealot, you're just explaining what works for you.

I have a friend who runs as hard as he can for 12 minutes everyday. He loses weight, but I'm not so sure it's that he's gaining much in the way of cardiovascular health.

As well- the body can't do that forever, and how much forward does anybody look forward to a workout where you are going at it that hard everyday?

I love these discussions because you learn that everybody has a different idea of what is good, yet if you do something enough, results come.


Are treadmills accurate? It seems like I can run forever on one of those, but whenever I attempt to run outside I can't go 1/2 the distance.

Treadmills are accurate, but remember, they are doing some of the work for you. I find treadmills easier, which is a good thing in my opinion.

Because of the stat counter, you can make sure you are doing the workout. If you run down the road you can slack off, pick it up, but you never really know how well you are doing unless you time it.

I also like treadmills because the surface is normally softer. I have a Landice treadmill at the house, and it's surface is softer than grass. It's great.

I'd look up the model of treadmill you workout and see what the surface is rated out as.

[Dom Heffner]

Okay, I'm going to offer everyone a piece of heaven. Go buy the powder form of Muscle Milk in the flavor of cake batter.

I'm never eating solid food again.

I put it in a blender with some frozen vanilla yogurt and 8 oz of cold milk. I feel like mom just let me lick the mixing bowl.

Better than Skyline, I tell ya.

[TeamSelig]

Anyone ever use hydroxycut? I'm going to give it a try here in a few days.

[Kingspoint]

I'm sorry, but a gym-rat spends 7 days a week 52 weeks a year in the gym. Anything less and you're a part-timer.

[Dom Heffner]

I'm sorry, but a gym-rat spends 7 days a week 52 weeks a year in the gym. Anything less and you're a part-timer.

I'm 5 days a week, with 30 minutes of cardio plus about an hour of lifting.

My body needs rest, and the weekend is perfect.

I'm putting together a home gym that is pretty cool. Just got a squat/calf machine that takes the pressure off the knees and back. Also got a separate calf machine.

I'd love a crossover cable system but they take up too much space for my taste.