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KrigareN-

Banned
Dec 13, 2017
2,156
When doing doing weights (such as curls), is it okay to swing parts of your body for added momentum? Or should I reduce the weights to maintain proper form throughout?

I'm a newbie. I try to abide by the written instructions for machine/cable weights, but free weight lifting doesn't have any instructions.
 

Psychotext

Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,765
Generally, no. A small amount of "body English" is OK, but on the whole you should be properly braced throughout so that you're only training the muscles you're actually supposed to be training.

Plus of course, shit form generally = injuries.
 

Tuorom

Member
Oct 30, 2017
10,986
Since you're a newbie then focus on form. Don't swing at all.

A little hip thrust is sometimes good for when you get really heavy (and more experienced) and you want to get a couple extra reps in for more time under tension. Best practice is to never compromise form though.
 

KillingJoke

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,672
Hello all, i'm stuck in a rut. I've done a shit load of google research but i think some live answers would help. I'm currently obese and still have tons of extra weight, so i don't think i'm at the weight where you have to go the extra mile to lose that next pound.

Long story short, i have been stuck at the same weight for nearly 2 almost 3 weeks(weight is fluxing 2-3 pounds each week). I've upped my exercise from 100min a week to nearly 200min and stuck to the same low card diet i have been doing since April. The only major difference is since it's the summer time, we have some big cheat days on the weekends due to BBQ's and going places. From what i notice though that weekend weight drops by monday or tuesday anyway. At the track i was going the 10 pounds i'm trying to lose should have been gone by the first week of August. Now we are hitting near the end of the 3rd week and the number is still the damn same as it was since the first.

From what i read it could be a mix of muscle gain and water retention. I don't really think it's water weight since i drink TONS of water a day and my diet is very low in sodium therefore that water weight is usually gone by the morning. As far as muscle gain, it's definitely noticeable but i haven't been focused on weightlifting at all really. Just a few basic bicep reps 3 times a day. Only new thing i started within the 2 weeks is heavy bag boxing workouts (60min a week). I was thinking it was just another alternate for cardio but maybe i'm gaining muscle in places i wasn't before? The only cardio i was doing before were daily 1.5 mile elliptical workouts. That's the only logical thing i can think of. I've been losing weight for nearly 4 months straight and this is the first time i hit a rut. These 10 pounds have been a pain in the ass to get rid of.

Essentially i just want to focus on pure weight loss for a month, then go back on track working on muscle gain. Or should i stop worrying about the scale and continue with what i'm doing?
 

lordxar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,103
Hello all, i'm stuck in a rut. I've done a shit load of google research but i think some live answers would help. I'm currently obese and still have tons of extra weight, so i don't think i'm at the weight where you have to go the extra mile to lose that next pound.

Long story short, i have been stuck at the same weight for nearly 2 almost 3 weeks(weight is fluxing 2-3 pounds each week). I've upped my exercise from 100min a week to nearly 200min and stuck to the same low card diet i have been doing since April. The only major difference is since it's the summer time, we have some big cheat days on the weekends due to BBQ's and going places. From what i notice though that weekend weight drops by monday or tuesday anyway. At the track i was going the 10 pounds i'm trying to lose should have been gone by the first week of August. Now we are hitting near the end of the 3rd week and the number is still the damn same as it was since the first.

From what i read it could be a mix of muscle gain and water retention. I don't really think it's water weight since i drink TONS of water a day and my diet is very low in sodium therefore that water weight is usually gone by the morning. As far as muscle gain, it's definitely noticeable but i haven't been focused on weightlifting at all really. Just a few basic bicep reps 3 times a day. Only new thing i started within the 2 weeks is heavy bag boxing workouts (60min a week). I was thinking it was just another alternate for cardio but maybe i'm gaining muscle in places i wasn't before? The only cardio i was doing before were daily 1.5 mile elliptical workouts. That's the only logical thing i can think of. I've been losing weight for nearly 4 months straight and this is the first time i hit a rut. These 10 pounds have been a pain in the ass to get rid of.

Essentially i just want to focus on pure weight loss for a month, then go back on track working on muscle gain. Or should i stop worrying about the scale and continue with what i'm doing?

If your training hard and going low sodium, change that. Either dial back or dial up. You need sodium for sweating. As I understand it, a little high is far better than a little low. Second, you will stall here and there. Pushing harder won't necessarily make the weight come off. Your body has to adapt and it will hold water in the fat cells like a bookmark just in case it needs to go back. Once you've adapted to the new size, it will release that water and you'll get a big drop one day. You also have to see whether your losing fat or weight because their two completely different things. Weight loss can be from blood, water, muscle, fat, etc so its not ideal to see big numbers all the time. You have to watch the scale and the mirror. You want numbers going down, but you also want to see results in the mirror over time. Dial back on cheat meals. One a week or something.

Other random thoughts. Just adding more cardio or removing more food, or both together doesn't always force a change. You have to get a routine and follow it for weeks. Once you get things set, then change one or two variables for a couple weeks. Changing too much too often is just chasing your tail. Also, it says card, but I think you mean low carb. Cycle that. Don't just cut those out for long stretches. Moderation in everything is the key. Cut for a duration, but then reintroduce them to keep your body refueled.

Maybe the best thing is to just say tighten up your diet and get into a routine. This is like a science experiment so you need to establish a baseline and then go from there.
 

Buran

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
365
Essentially i just want to focus on pure weight loss for a month, then go back on track working on muscle gain. Or should i stop worrying about the scale and continue with what i'm doing?

The weight loss and gain is made mostly in the kitchen, no training regime can fix a negligent diet. To put the things in perspective:

* At max rate I can burn ~50 cal in two minutes in a row erg, but I can't sustain that pace for 4 or 8 minutes.
* A 125 g yoghurt has ~100 cal; I can easily eat 3-4 of these in a minute if I want.

So, to "counter" a potential slip of one minute of eating, I would need (theoretically) to spent 16+ minutes of high intensity cardio (realistically: 24+ minutes).

This isn't to discourage efforts: training matters and do help, but the roots of the task are in the food we eat.

Which cardio exercises are the best for burning calories? Probably swimming activities: because the body needs to spent a lot of cals just to keep the body warm and prevent hypotermia (Phelps had days of eating 17k+ calories, peaking in performance at the Olympics, when He was oftenly 6+ hours in the water). Outside that (water isn't always at hand) I'm biased towards ergs, because I have one, running is a high impact activity and cyclo touring is a rsiky sport. Anyway, whatever cardio you do, keep an eye in your caloric intake, because at the end matters more than the training.
 

Psychotext

Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,765
My training regime can... but I wouldn't suggest it (in fact, I get utterly fucking sick of eating when I'm trying to bulk).
 

KillingJoke

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,672
If your training hard and going low sodium, change that. Either dial back or dial up. You need sodium for sweating. As I understand it, a little high is far better than a little low. Second, you will stall here and there. Pushing harder won't necessarily make the weight come off. Your body has to adapt and it will hold water in the fat cells like a bookmark just in case it needs to go back. Once you've adapted to the new size, it will release that water and you'll get a big drop one day. You also have to see whether your losing fat or weight because their two completely different things. Weight loss can be from blood, water, muscle, fat, etc so its not ideal to see big numbers all the time. You have to watch the scale and the mirror. You want numbers going down, but you also want to see results in the mirror over time. Dial back on cheat meals. One a week or something.

Other random thoughts. Just adding more cardio or removing more food, or both together doesn't always force a change. You have to get a routine and follow it for weeks. Once you get things set, then change one or two variables for a couple weeks. Changing too much too often is just chasing your tail. Also, it says card, but I think you mean low carb. Cycle that. Don't just cut those out for long stretches. Moderation in everything is the key. Cut for a duration, but then reintroduce them to keep your body refueled.

Maybe the best thing is to just say tighten up your diet and get into a routine. This is like a science experiment so you need to establish a baseline and then go from there.

The weight loss and gain is made mostly in the kitchen, no training regime can fix a negligent diet. To put the things in perspective:

* At max rate I can burn ~50 cal in two minutes in a row erg, but I can't sustain that pace for 4 or 8 minutes.
* A 125 g yoghurt has ~100 cal; I can easily eat 3-4 of these in a minute if I want.

So, to "counter" a potential slip of one minute of eating, I would need (theoretically) to spent 16+ minutes of high intensity cardio (realistically: 24+ minutes).

This isn't to discourage efforts: training matters and do help, but the roots of the task are in the food we eat.

Which cardio exercises are the best for burning calories? Probably swimming activities: because the body needs to spent a lot of cals just to keep the body warm and prevent hypotermia (Phelps had days of eating 17k+ calories, peaking in performance at the Olympics, when He was oftenly 6+ hours in the water). Outside that (water isn't always at hand) I'm biased towards ergs, because I have one, running is a high impact activity and cyclo touring is a rsiky sport. Anyway, whatever cardio you do, keep an eye in your caloric intake, because at the end matters more than the training.

I appreciate all the good advice. Everything said makes sense. I was doing a extreme low carb/sodium diet while trying to implement a heavy workout routine. Low carb diet works great for me if doing bare minimum exercise/daily activities. Now that i want to double up on the exercise, makes sense i would need to jack up carbs and sodium a bit as well.
 

Karateka

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,940
I just cancelled my gym membership. I'm not going and I really have no interest in gaining muscle, I'm more worried about trying to lose some weight. Working out indoors during the warm sumer and fall months also sucks. I'll probably join again in January.

That said, I'm going to start a 5k every day challenge in September, or maybe at the end of August, that will go for a month. Will be looking to improve VO2 max, raise my time to an all time best, and lose a few kilograms.

I just reworked my training schedule so that I can fit in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, Karate and HEMA training (yes swords). Alternate Tuesdays will be very hard, as I will have to do a 1 hour BJJ class, a 5km run and a 2 hour HEMA class in one day.
 

KrigareN-

Banned
Dec 13, 2017
2,156
Generally, no. A small amount of "body English" is OK, but on the whole you should be properly braced throughout so that you're only training the muscles you're actually supposed to be training.

Plus of course, shit form generally = injuries.
I watched a youtube video explaining the importance of building stabilizing muscles, which aren't usually part of the targetted regions of any given exercise. This is what actually encouraged me to do free weights vs machines as the degree of motion isn't limited by the seat and what not.

Now, I'm not swinging my legs or anything egregious, but parts of my torso do swing just to get the last reps to complete my sets.
 

Psychotext

Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,765
You're misunderstanding. You build the stabilizing muscles in part by bracing properly, that doesn't change the fact that they aren't the muscles you're targetting. They will get stronger as a side benefit though.

Anything even close to "swinging" is a no in my opinion. You're not doing kipping pull ups. :)

Edit - To be clear, all swinging actually does is reduce the weight you're lifting, either by reducing the range of motion, or by bringing momentum into the equation. That might be handy for experienced lifters doing cheat reps (especially working on the eccentric part of a lift), but it's not good for beginners.
 

Deleted member 11069

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,001
Back after 3 weeks off and it feels like I've never lifted in my life.
PROGRESS INTO THE TRASH!
Guess I deload a bit and then roll the boulder up again.
 

Psychotext

Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,765
I had a really light week. It's not too bad, but I think I'm definitely going to have to be very conservative adding weight at the moment.
 
Oct 30, 2017
179
Things are going incredibly well. A few months ago when I started slowly getting back into it, I only did 185x2 on bench, today I did 180x10. I think instead of going up 5lbs on my 351, I'll do 10, my strength has been incredible even at my old age.
 

New Donker

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,379
When doing doing weights (such as curls), is it okay to swing parts of your body for added momentum? Or should I reduce the weights to maintain proper form throughout?

I'm a newbie. I try to abide by the written instructions for machine/cable weights, but free weight lifting doesn't have any instructions.

99.9% of the time maintain proper form. especially curls.
 

Heromanz

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
20,202
When doing doing weights (such as curls), is it okay to swing parts of your body for added momentum? Or should I reduce the weights to maintain proper form throughout?

I'm a newbie. I try to abide by the written instructions for machine/cable weights, but free weight lifting doesn't have any instructions.
Always matian proper form.
 

spootime

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,438
Man, work and school have just killed any motivation for me to exercise over the past few months - I just come home and drink beer until I fall asleep. I think im going to start a new 4 day split, 3x upper body 1x lower body and then climb/ mtn bike on my off days when I feel like it.
 
OP
OP
EssBeeVee

EssBeeVee

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,785
my right hip is so tight. over the weekend i was at the temple for my uncles passing and they made us sit in in a position i wasn't too keen on.
 
Oct 27, 2017
797
Berkeley, CA
Been training for about a year now using the starting strength routine. Currently have about 14-15% body fat at 150 lbs. Don't really notice abs or any definition on my chest though. Is that normal? I was thinking of incorporating this workout everyday for abs:

but I don't know if that is necessary with starting strength.

Also what I mean by starting strength is alternating these two workouts every other day:

3x5 squats
3x5 bench press
5x3 power clean
pull ups

and

3x5 squats
3x5 overhead press
1x5 deadlift
 

ArkhamFantasy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,591
Been training for about a year now using the starting strength routine. Currently have about 14-15% body fat at 150 lbs. Don't really notice abs or any definition on my chest though. Is that normal? [/MEDIA]

t

Everyone's body stores fat in different places. I have a lean back, shoulders, and arms but a pretty bad looking torso because my body stores alot of my fat there.

That's why some people have a six pack at 20% body fat and some people dont at 10%.
 

Shal

Member
Oct 27, 2017
296
So guys I have a question relating to adjustable dumbbells, is the diameter distance of the bars standard between those?

I ask because Im planning on buying x2 adjustable dumbbells for home excercise, I found some online that seem good (20 kg total without bar weight, pretty cheap), but problem is there isnt any specification about how long is the diameter of the bars. I got some weights at home that I use with my current dumbbells that I would like to add to the new ones (in case I buy them) but im not sure if the disks will fit in, is the diameter standard in this case?

I measured the diameter of my current dumbbells and is 2.5 cm (0.984252 inches according to google). Am I safe to assume that the weights will fit fine? Theres no way to ask about the diameter of those online dumbbells so I cant ask there.
 

Flow

Community Resettler
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,340
Florida, USA
Been training for about a year now using the starting strength routine. Currently have about 14-15% body fat at 150 lbs. Don't really notice abs or any definition on my chest though. Is that normal? I was thinking of incorporating this workout everyday for abs:

but I don't know if that is necessary with starting strength.

Also what I mean by starting strength is alternating these two workouts every other day:

3x5 squats
3x5 bench press
5x3 power clean
pull ups

and

3x5 squats
3x5 overhead press
1x5 deadlift

Ok I am going to try this
 

Nooblet

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,676
So I've been working out for about 6 months now, during this time I've been having bottled shakes but now I'm looking into getting some powder as it will work out cheaper. I'm trying to bulk atm.

Can someone recommend me something that doesn't taste like absolute ass with a chalky aftertaste? I'm looking for something that provides 25G of protein per serving and has pretty much no carbs or fat, calories don't really matter as I'm fine with low (100 something) or high (around 200).
 

ArkhamFantasy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,591
So I've been working out for about 6 months now, during this time I've been having bottled shakes but now I'm looking into getting some powder as it will work out cheaper. I'm trying to bulk atm.

Can someone recommend me something that doesn't taste like absolute ass with a chalky aftertaste? I'm looking for something that provides 25G of protein per serving and has pretty much no carbs or fat, calories don't really matter as I'm fine with low (100 something) or high (around 200).

I buy the GNC double rich milk chocolate, it tastes very good. So does the cookies n cream flavor.
 

ArkhamFantasy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,591
I am going to start lifting weights tomorrow. Do I need protein powder? Was at the store and so many different kinds was sort of overwhelming.

You will want to try and hit 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight, or get as close to it as possible. Whey protein will help you do that, but its not a requirement or anything. If you're diet is good enough you wont even need supplements.
 
Oct 27, 2017
1,681
You will want to try and hit 1 gram of protein per lb of bodyweight, or get as close to it as possible. Whey protein will help you do that, but its not a requirement or anything. If you're diet is good enough you wont even need supplements.

Thanks. Just looked at first article that came up on best protein powders and gave me these two. Does it matter which one I go with?

https://www.amazon.com/Jay-Robb-Gra...in-20&linkId=f44257c11c91007efe93ae66f8e28275

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutr...in-20&linkId=8d344ff90b3965d23ded3e5eca760650

---

Also in a situation right now where it's hard for me to get enough high protein foods in daily.
 

lordxar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,103
I'm not feeling it today. I've been going for like nine solid weeks in this block and it's time for a night (or few) off. This feels like I really need a rest and not just a push through mentally. I've typically done 5 on, one off but getting the garage gym going got me all excited. So I'm lounging around tonight and going to enjoy it lol
 

lordxar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,103

ArkhamFantasy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,591
Thanks. Just looked at first article that came up on best protein powders and gave me these two. Does it matter which one I go with?

https://www.amazon.com/Jay-Robb-Gra...in-20&linkId=f44257c11c91007efe93ae66f8e28275

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutr...in-20&linkId=8d344ff90b3965d23ded3e5eca760650

---

Also in a situation right now where it's hard for me to get enough high protein foods in daily.

Both of those have pretty similar nutrition labels. Most whey proteins are going to have 20-25grams of protein and less than a gram of sugar per serving, thats what you want. I would buy a small of either one of those to see if you like it, if you think it tastes good stick to that, if you don't like it then try another flavor or brand.

And as the previous poster mentioned, foods like chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, all have tons of protein in them. Buy whatever is most affordable at your local market. Grill them, don't deep fry them.
 

fallingedge

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,837
Thanks. Just looked at first article that came up on best protein powders and gave me these two. Does it matter which one I go with?

https://www.amazon.com/Jay-Robb-Gra...in-20&linkId=f44257c11c91007efe93ae66f8e28275

https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutr...in-20&linkId=8d344ff90b3965d23ded3e5eca760650

---

Also in a situation right now where it's hard for me to get enough high protein foods in daily.


https://us.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/impact-whey-protein/10852500.html

go nuts
 

Tuorom

Member
Oct 30, 2017
10,986
I am going to start lifting weights tomorrow. Do I need protein powder? Was at the store and so many different kinds was sort of overwhelming.

You're just starting lifting weights, don't even worry about protein powder. Just be consistent with your training, your eating, and your sleep. I guarantee you will get results.

Lentils are a great protein source. Eat some kind of meat for a couple meals a week for the essential amino acids. You will build a solid base in a month or two.

TLDR you don't need protein powder
 

Psychotext

Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,765
Balls, that back thing seems to have actually been my long term shoulder blade injury. Hopefully the masseuse can help tomorrow because I like being able to turn my head. :(
 
Oct 27, 2017
1,681
Thanks guys for the advice. Think I'm going to hold off on protein powder for the next 2 months, then start on it. Fortunately I do get a lot of sleep (8 hours a night), so I think that should help a lot. I'm going to start with the machines and after a few months start working myself up to free weights.

I've already been doing cardio since January 5 days a week so look forward to seeing how much better I feel once I had weights into the mix.
 

swimming

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,496
There's alot of people that never train legs, i remember Tyson Chandeler in the NBA stood out to me.

ChandlerLegDay_crop_north.jpg


strong upper body, legs that are about half the size of the girl he's posing with.
he was in the ESPN body issue recently and looked pretty proportional imo
 

Buran

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
365
^ Also, notice that the photo catches him with the legs in frontal view, whereas the woman is more like in diagonal, the surface displayed isn't the same.
 

Jokab

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
875
Maxed out a single at 265 on the deadlift yesterday! First time ever trying to really go for max. Could probably have managed another rep tbh, it was easier than I thought
 
Oct 27, 2017
1,681
Just got back from first day at the gym. Trainer offered the free 30 minute training lesson, so I took it. Not sure if his advice was correct or not. He said I want to lift 5 days a week and that any less would give my muscles too much time to recover. Also said carbs before workout, carbs & protein after workout, and on days off only fats (this part sounded really odd).

He had me do pushups, the thing where you move the two ropes up and down, step up onto a platform, back against wall at 90 degree angle with toes pointed up for a minute, something where I pulled an elastic rope as I twisted my body left & right, and something else with elastic rope where I pulled myself up.

The pushups part was useful, but I didn't really come out of that knowing what to do when I went back in. I think I'm just going to start as planned for first few months on machines. Do 1 day push upper body, next day pull upper body, then next day legs. So 3 times a week total. I always jog 7-10 miles before hitting the gym so not sure if that's a good idea to do together.
 

lordxar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,103
He said I want to lift 5 days a week and that any less would give my muscles too much time to recover. Also said carbs before workout, carbs & protein after workout, and on days off only fats (this part sounded really odd).

Uh...time for a new trainer. You definitely need proper recovery time and that diet advice sounds plain dumb.
 

Psychotext

Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,765
Yup, I'd have laughed in his face at that point. What a tosser.

Too much fucking time to recover. Fuck off. Ask him if the steroids come as part of the plan or you need to pay extra.