Back to the gym

“WLD - I share that part about the weight gain following a big hike. I lost 15 lbs while thru hiking the Superior Trail in July/August. Least I weighed since high school and just in time for the first reunion in 40 years. Once that was over there wasn't enough food in the house, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, etc. I gained back half before kicking myself in the butt and hitting the trail. Hang in there and GO VIKINGS.”

“Started back with the weights this morning. It was actually fun again. But I have decided to NOT be overly organized about it. I am really into records and logging progress buit it can suck the fun out of it. So for the weights its about the fun, the running gets the anal retentivness.”

“Whew! Just realized (upon putting the numbers into my little spreadsheet) I hit my 2nd most weight lifted today - a little under 17,000 "pounds" (whatever it is the numbers on the weight machines represent - not convinced it translates directly to pounds). On Monday I'll hit a million pounds for 2004. Don't know what that all means, exactly, buy my arms sure are tired!”

“Hey, how many pounds can we add to the list for push-ups and for sit-ups? and stomach crunches, too.

Your 17,000 pounds sounds like a good workout. Keep up the good work. It's an interesting viewpoint.

I was taken back in the locker room last year, when someone asked me, "Well, how much weight did you lift today?" I did some calculating and it adds up fast. For example, on the back extension I was raising 240 pounds about 18 inches 20 times in 20 to 30 seconds. That's 4,800 pounds for one rep. (Some days I did two rep.'s.) Add another 4,000 pounds for the leg push-ups and the two exercises would be about half your 17,000 pounds. My normal workouts were about 15,000 pounds. BTW, normally I don't pay any attention to the total pounds. I just do the workout. I have plans for daily workouts to get myself back to that level, plus a one to three mile swim each morning. I have to shape-up considerably, as I make a run for a black belt in aikijutsu. Not too bad for a 72 year old guy!

Hmmmmm, I think I'll go lift some weights this evening. This morning I went swimming.
last edited: 10/29/04 6:21:12 PM”

“Hey nowslimmer! Yeah, it kinda sounds funny: "I lifted 17,000 pounds today!" I just started doing it so I could compare from one workout to another. I got a big boost today in the numbers because I did my usual complete workout (5 different machines), but increased the number of reps per set from 10 to 12. I usually do 450 crunches, too, which I did do today. I do those in three sets: 60 with legs bent and laid down to the right, 60 with legs bent and laid down to the left, and 60 with legs bent and up; then 50-50-50, then 40-40-40; stretch for 10 seconds between each set.

I'm training for a marathon, so I don't want to build a lot of muscle and/or add weight, but rather build and maintain some upper body strength to help me in those last few miles when I'm crawling to the finish! Actually, the additional strength has made backpacking more easy and enjoyable, too.”

“Interesting....I never thought about building upper body strength to help run. Maybe that could get me through my next 5K!! :)”

“A long time ago, I was instructed that in running your upper body does as much work as your lower body.

zi'm just trying to get the lower body moving with my knee problems.”

“I've heard that for a long long time, smiley, but I never got around to trying it until I was injured and bored to tears. Now I really am a believer - in many ways I now feel like I'm a stronger runner than ever before due to the weight training....”

“Well, I'll continue to make lifting a part of my workout routine.


Know what cracks me up the most at the gym? Those people who crank the grade on the treadmill WAY up so they're pretending to walk up a very steep hill, but then hold on for dear life so they don't fall backward. Seriously, what's up with that?”

“lol scary!! I used to do that a very long time ago.

now get rid of this darn halloween name!”

“Smiley Girl - Upper body strength is very important to distance running. I haven't run competitively for quite a few years now, but when I did I always did lots of upper body weight work. One time in Oklahoma, toward the end of a half marathon, I was really tired and cramping up. Due to the excellent condition of my arms, I was able to flip over and run on my hands for the last half mile. I won going away.”

“Wow, snake eyes. Running on your hands. That's quite an accomplishment!!


Sorry, Gemini, hopefully this name is better. :)”

“You're fantastic! I saw that race. You looked great coming down South Boston Avenue to the finish line running on your hands. You were so far ahead that you even stopped to shake hands with some of children on the curbs. Or was that the Mummer's Day Parade?”

“That's nuthin! Once, I flipped over onto one hand, and hopped the last mile to the finish....”

“Bowlderman - I saw that race. Looked to me like you had a pogo stick up your butt.”

“Shhhhhhhh! Don't tell anyone!”

“getting really deep here. I am sure glad I have my hip waders on”

“this weekend, i did see a kid, about 5 yrs old, she stumbled and we all thought she was about to do a full frontal face plant on the asphalt when to our suprise, she simple did an almost perfect carwheel and landed feet first barely breaking stride. Me, my daughter and her mom and dad were all just standing there mouths agape. The kid just kept on running as if "I meant to do that".

no joke, true story.”

“I'm officially going to start training tomorrow. I'm getting my gym pass today and everything :D I plan on doing 4 days of walk milage training and two days of cross training with one day of rest each week :D”

“Ewker - If you thinks it's getting deep, you should have seen Bowlder's pogo stick (I promise to put any further revelations on the TMI thread).”

“Thank you, snake eyes!”

“What, you didn't like the "center" tag, bit?”

“I'm just playing Mr. Fixit today...”

“Okay, looks my job here is finished.”

“Yo, I just joined the gym at work. I paid 20 dollars for a key...


the failed to tell me that nobody could get into the gym right now cause the lock is broken...THANKS! I was all stoked and ready to hit the treadmill... :(”

“Psss, wanta buy a bridge, at discount?”

“work out tonight. it paid out on the Mt Rogers hike. No pain and no struggling.”

“so who of you take any sort of supplements like protein or amino accids? only creatine maybe??

anyone?? experience?
last edited: 11/13/04 11:49:09 AM”

“I have used some stuff in the past off and on, but not consistently. But I am starting a new program today and it recommends different supplements for different phases of the program. The first cycle is building muscle and creatine is what is used. So, I just went out and bought some today. Currahee has used a lot in the past, too. We'll see how it goes.”

“I'm going all natural. 94,000 lbs lifted this week using 9,000 reps. I'm trying to eat much protein, and cut down on the fats. I guess creatine helps you recover more quickly. I'm doing a routine twice per week, where my body can naturally recover, but it will take longer to gain the definition and strength that I could get if using creatine, or those amino acids.

Good luck!”

“what I am trying to do is build as much muscle as possible. I feel that the creatine did give me a little bit more energy, I was able to lift more, etc...
Could be in my mind, not sure. I stopped since then because I read that it's used mainly by men.

Heard now though that there is a creatine for women out there.

I just don't want to start growing hair in unwanted places. lol
that would be really funny, gem with a beart. ewwwww...

there a bunch of reports out there about creatine, some of the side effects:

weight gain (not muscle gain)
dehyration (that would really suck)

I do have some Amino Accids from Twin Labs, haven't tried them yet though, because I really don't want to gain any fat weight. Muscle okay, fat bad. I am worried that they will increase my appetite.

For right now I gave up on the Creatine and I sort of do it like you Buddha, I eat a lot of natural protein. stuff like tuna, egg white, etc...

Once in a while a high protein shake. especially after a run.

Fat?? what is fat? I don't eat fat. At least not the fat that you can see. Hidden fats, yes of course.

also, I heard that carb cycling suppose to be a great way of building muscle, getting cut. I tried that in the past, and I think it works much better then all this no carb crap. I lost 5 lbs without even realizing.

I grow muscle mass pretty easily for a women, well, the smaller muscles I should say. Larger muscle groups like hamstrings, quads, etc... oh boy... they take a lot of work.

Right now I am trying to decide what to do...start the Creatine again, the Amino accids...or what...

Can you tell? I am confused, and not sure on what to do. I guess we'll see.
last edited: 11/13/04 3:19:30 PM”

“Gem - creatine works great - but I strongly recommend you talk to your doctor first. According to the The New England Journal of Medicine you can do liver and kidney damage.

The best thing is a good diet. That's all you really need, along with perserverence and a good routine.”

“Thanks Sarge. I def. will talk to my doctor first then.”

“Gem, I agree with Sarge the best way to gain lean muscle mass and lose bodyfat is just eating right and maintaining a good routine.
I have tried creatine and quite honestly didn't see much difference.
I do drink a protein shake after my workouts and usually put in a little glutamine powder to help with muscle recovery.
Bill Phillip's book "Body For Life" has a lot of good basic info in it about diet and working out.
Also leanandstrong.com is a great place to get answers to workout/diet questions......well it will be as soon as they get it up and running.....it's getting a major facelift this weekend!”

“Thanks!!

I tell you what I need. I need a personal trainer that kicks me in the butt every single day and pushes my limits to the max. That's what I need.

Too expensive though. My friends don't really exercise at all. Their exercise consists of cleaning the house and walk around in walmart. I am the ONLY one that does anything.

Thanks UPluver for the link. The site is up. I'll check it in details. So far my favorite site was bodybuilding.com. They have some great info.”

“gem,
creatine will help you bust out that last 1 or 2 reps. as far as dehydration goes, creatine will cause your muscles to hold more water so you should increase your water intake while using creatine.
i don't really think there are any bad side effects of creatine. creatine is the second energy pathway your muscles will use. after your muscles use up their store of ATP(adenosine triphosphate), you are left with ADP(adenosine diphosphate). basically the creatine in your muscles in the form of creatine phosphate donates a phosphate to the ADP making it ATP again.
creatine is produced naturally in your body since it is a muscle fuel. the reason for supplementing creatine is because your body doesn't produce enough to saturate your muscle tissue with CP.
i did not know about the New England Journal of Medicine saying about liver damage.
Try going to ABCBodybuilding.com, i don't know how to make a link. They have some great articles on workouts and supplements. This is a great site. They have forums also for any questions you might have.
I strongly recommend reading the Window of Oppurtunity and the Z Factor articles. Both of these will take your muscle building efforts to a whole new level.
oh, and creatine will not make you grow hair in funny places, it's not anything close to a steroid.”

“thanks ductape. that's a great site. didn't check details yet, but it looks promising.

I did get the creatine confused with the Androstenedione.
After you posted, I remembered...
the creatine I think sort of makes you feel bloated, (didn't feel that though when I used it), that's why women don't like it too much.

the Androstenedione is a precursor to the hormone testosterone.

I took it a while back... nothing started to grow, thank god...but back then I didn't know that some recommend that women should not take it.



Woah...I am checking in more details. What an awsome site. going to be busy for while reading and checking
last edited: 11/14/04 12:29:32 PM”

“Creatine will cause you to get bloated because of the fact that you must drink a lot more water while taking it.

Gem - this is just my opinion here, and I am sure some will disagree, but from your posts I take it you are not anywhere reaching peak work-out levels for yourself just yet. Creatine will give you an extra boost, for sure, but at this stage of the game I would be much less interested in "quick fixes" for getting buff.

If you get to the point where you are working out hard, eating a great diet, and getting plenty of rest and you still are not gaining they way you want, then that would be a great time to look into creatine and proteins, etc.

In the meantime these things can be a great distraction to what you should really be focusing on.

Just my 2 cents. Remember that working out is much more of a mental game than a one of supplementing your body to success.

Maybe you are plenty well off, but if you're like me, I'd rather invest that extra money into the expensive healthy foods that are required to equip your body. Preparing foods is 90% of the challenge. (whenever I begin a workout, I am thinking more of all the work that will go into diet preparation than the intensity of the workouts) Unfortunately, eating right can be quite expensive unless you take a lot of time to prepare your meals from scratch.


last edited: 11/14/04 12:54:23 PM”

“supplementation definitely won't do you any good if you don't have the right foundation of diet, exercise, and SLEEP. everyone seems to forget about sleep. you don't grow in the gym, you grow in the kitchen and the bed.
whey protein powder is the one supp i'd say no one trying to gain muscle mass should live without. like sarge said, prepping food is one of the hardest parts and having protein powder takes the work out of some meals, especially when busy or on the go. Not to mention, post workout shake.
a multi vitamin is also a must have. I don't care what anyone says, it's next to impossible to get all your vitamins and minerals from food alone.”

“"I tell you what I need. I need a personal trainer that kicks me in the butt every single day and pushes my limits to the max. That's what I need."

Gemini
10:09:48 AM
11/14/04

Find yourself a drill sergeant, honey.

Hmmmmmm.......where to look?

>8^]”

“lol @ MarkO. Not that easy dude, not that easy.


I think I get about 6 to 8 hours sleep per day. That should be plenty.

I take multi vitamins daily.
I take some alge tabs too. (green superfoods??)

I think I eat very healty, lots of protein, minimum fat,lots of vegetables, some fresh fruit, some carbs, try to keep the sodium to a minimum.

I do drink about 100oz of water per day, on most days even more.

Only problem I may have is that I not quit get enough calories. I know that's a problem, and I am working on it.

Preparing the food isn't a big deal if it doesn't involve hours in front of the stove.

Anyway...we'll see I guess. I think I stick with the protein for now. Maybe I start back on some of the Amino accids.
The Creatine...well...not sure about it anymore. I may really talk to my doctor abouta it before I start it back up.”

“How's everyone doing? I haven't been over here for a bit.

I love Bill Phillips. I use his high point method. Right now only for cardio, because I am still using the Core Secrets dvds for weight training.

I also have a lot of EAS products as recommended by Phillips. Unfortunately they upset my digestive system. I will say no more....

I've seen some progress. Woo Hoo! My BF is down to 28%. A 1.5% loss! Hooray! I think I might be in the healthy range now. I haven't lost any pounds really, but that may be due to muscle gain.”

“Congrats pixie!

How are you measuring body fat? I'd like to know if mine's gone down. I'm down 5lbs in 6 weeks on weight watchers, but nothing fits better yet!”

“hmm... I guess I am doing okay. I lost ALL my "quit smoking weight". Well, not true, I weigh 5 lbs more then usual, but my smallest pants fit pretty loose, so I am guessing there is some muscle in there somewhere.

I still need to build up muscle though, abs are good, arms and shoulders are good, but legs...oh boy...it'll take forever.”

“WoW, sounds like you folks have made quite a bit of progress! Congrats to you all.

I am at the gym 3 times a week now, it feel good to be weightlifting again. My shoulder isnt too bad providing I take it easy. It acts as a not so gentle reminder of what NOT to do...Keep up the good work all.”

“I have a BF scale I picked up at Wal Mart.

Congrats to everyone! We are doing so good! We rock!”

“Yupp, congrats to all of us!!
we DO rock, don't we??

lol”

“My right shoulder would scream at me for for days after a tough workout. I changed my lat pulldown grip from the wide bar to a closehand grip and haven't had problems since.”