OT: Lose Fat/Fitness

[MrBlonde]

Weight Training.

This is a complex topic and will be broken into many mini topics. As Zuzu said it's also something where theory goes so far, then you need one on one coaching to instruct on good form and to work your way into proficiency.

However there is a lot of theory you can get under your belt to get the most from your workouts.

My golden rule is to be in and out of the gym for a weight training session in under 60 minutes. Your objective with weight training is to exceed the capacity of the specific muscles you're targeting. You're breaking down that muscle. BEcause that's how muscles grow. They respond to being overcome by rebuilding stronger and larger for next time. Once you've broken that muscle tissue, there is nothing to be gained from continuing to work it. Get recovery nutrition into you, and get rest. That's how you recover and grow.

Most people work out for too long.


First up here is my weekly workout plan:

Every day:
Abs. See separate post specifically about ab workouts. 8-12 reps with tempo3-1-3-1 and rest 120 seconds

Day 1/2
1. Chinups 3 sets with 8-12 reps by double progression. Tempo 3-1-4-1 and rest 240 seconds
2. Deadlift 3 sets with 8-12 reps by double progression. Tempo 3-1-4-1 and rest 240 seconds
3. Press behind neck 3 sets with 8-12 reps by double progression. Tempo 2-0-3-1 and rest 180 seconds
4. Abs

Day 2/2
1. Squats 4 sets with 8-12 reps by double progression. Tempo 3-1-4-1 and Rest 240 seconds
2. Bench Press 3 sets with 8-12 reps by double progression. Tempo X-0-3-1 an Rest 180 seconds
3. Calf Raise 2 sets with 8-2 reps by double progression. Tempo 3-1-4-1 and rest 240 seconds
4. Abs

[gazz]

My brain is full so I'm going to bed.

[MrBlonde]

Originally Posted by alik01

..
Calories25
..
Allergen Warning: Manufactured on equipment, which processes products containing milk, egg, soybeans, wheat, shellfish, fish oil, tree nuts, and peanut flavor.

OK so it's supposed to be a pre-workout (weight training) supplement.

Each serve has 25 calories, that's harmless enough.

6g of sugar = 24 calories. So all the calories come from sugar. Just before a workout, no problem.

It's got a small amount of a bunch of vitamins. You're better off with a daily multivitamin/mineral array. I use Blackmore's.

All the "N.O Meta Fusion" (chuckle) L-xyz are amino acids .. ie proteins. Your body gets all thee amino acids from the food you eat. A protein shake will deliver a large amount of all these amino acids. You're better off with a protein shake after your workout.

The "AVPT advanced voluminising & performance Technology" (chuckle) stuff is more sugar, some sodium bicarb (baking powder) and some creatine.
Creatine as a supplement is one of the few things that does work. I'll post a separate piece on creatine later on. My opinion i that unless you are a hardcore body builder you will not benefit from creatine supplementation.

It's volumising because the sugar spikes your insulin levels and the creatine sucks up water into your muscle cells. So you get a pump. Which then fades away after your workout. Creatine is a supplement that allows you to workout harder through ATP management. Like I said, 99.99% of people here will not benefit from it.

The "Ener-Tropic Xplosion" (chuckle) is caffeine. Same as the hit you get (or not) from an espresso. It doesnlt say how much caffeine.

Caffeine is a highly effective drug however many people are tolerant to it through daily use.

The "Phospho-Electrolyte Replacements" (chuckle) are sodium and potassium. Like in Gatorade.

The "Glycerol Hydrating Polymers" (chuckle) well I wasn't sure so I googled it. Looks like it sweetens the mix and gives some shelf life. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol

My summary: a load of shit like 99% of supplements. Get a good quality protein shake and make your own carb drink (or use Gatorade et al) and then some BCAAs. If you want the caffeine hit then have a double espresso before the workout but really .. why?

[sparoz]

Originally Posted by amk2912

Now I feel really bad........

You have to sneak out some Kate Morgan.

Originally Posted by gazz

My brain is full so I'm going to bed.

You shouldn't be going to bed when you are full, stomach or brain...

Good info Kenny . Now, only if you can post something about resolve.

[alik01]

Thanks for the breakdown Mr. Blonde, really helpful. I never liked the caffeine bit of the concoction, just saw a no-caffeine version, which I was thinking of swapping to. The main benefit I always saw from this is that it gives me a pretty good boost for my new early morning sessions and also a helpful kick after work. I always suspected that it was more a placebo effect.

I don't take any multi-vits anymore, used to take a Berrocca every morning. The nutritionist suggested the Swisse Multi for women - apparently it's got all the right stuff.

[BBK]

Great thread by the way Kenny.

Ok, Zuzu, no more excuses from me!

So help me out. My work schedule is all over the place. I work side by side with some of the tastiest hot chips and fried chicken in town. I also have rotisseried bbq chicken on hand, so less fatty more protein. I guess the obvious would be to eat lots of breast meat and salads? Problem is behaving, and exercising. Any suggestions?

[MrBlonde]

Originally Posted by BBK

Great thread by the way Kenny.

Ok, Zuzu, no more excuses from me!

So help me out. My work schedule is all over the place. I work side by side with some of the tastiest hot chips and fried chicken in town. I also have rotisseried bbq chicken on hand, so less fatty more protein. I guess the obvious would be to eat lots of breast meat and salads? Problem is behaving, and exercising. Any suggestions?

Richard, It's simple. More calories out than in. Work out your BMR and then calculate 10-20% less. Then count your calories each day and split them into say 4 or 5 meals.

Don't eat hot chips or BBQ chicken.

Start exercise gently, say with a 15 minute walk first thing when you wake up 3 or 4 times a week.

Weigh yourself once a week at the same time each week and post the result up for everyone to see.

90% is what you put in your piehole. Happy to give more specific advice if you're interested, publically or privately.

[MrBlonde]

Understanding Glycemic Index (GI) for Carbohydrates.

GI is all about understanding how the body reacts to different carbohydrates. Your body will always maintain homeostasis. A steady state of biochemistry.

When you eat carbohydrates, your body reacts to the glucose entering the bloodstream to keep the glucose level within the correct boundaries. Certain carbs - high "GI" carbs - convert rapidly to glucose and enter the bloodstream. The glucose level in your blood gets high and your body must react to reduce it and keep it inthe "good" range. It does this by producing insulin, which mops up the glucose and stores this energy for later use. It pushes the energy into your fat cells.

Knowledge is power. There are circumstances where you WANT to invoke a glucose hit. Like immediately after a workout when your body needs carbs to recover and to rebuild. There are times when you want to moderate how the carbs are going to convert into glucose over a more extended period. That helps to prevent fat deposition.

If there are any more detailed questions I'm happy to answer them, meanwhile here is further reading.

[MrBlonde]

Weight Training. Freeweights are King!

You've been to a gym and seen all the high tech looking equipment, right? Great, now you understand that's for girls. You want free weights.

Free weights require you to have better form to avoid injury and get results. Free weights allow your body to use the correct range of motion for your body. Machines cannot have the correct range of motion for someone who is a foot taller than you, etc. It's one size fits all basically with a few adjustments.

Free weights require you to stabilise the weight during your reps. That makes you functionally stronger.

Do not do squats on a Smith machine. The human body does not lift a barbell on your shoulders in a perfect vertical line. I just had to say that.

You see my workout is very simple, core exercises. Not dominated by fancy machines. In fact I only use the chinups machine because I get a better more controlled workout by supporting some of my body weight versus having a buddy "lift" me on a chinup frame. I tend to be lazy and use a calf raise machine as opposed to using dumbells. I should probably man up.

If your gym does not have a power cage or squat rack then find a gym that does. Squats are your best friend.

[sbce90]

I walked to work today and ate 2 bananas instead of a muffin! It's a start...

[micha3l]

Smaller portion sizes and cutting out coke/softdrink go a long way, as well as going to the gym/exercise.

In 8 weeks by eating the same sort of meals (just smaller, my diet wasnt too bad to start with), going to the gym 4 times a week and cutting down coke from probably 1-2 cans a day, to about 2-3 a week, Ive lost 10kg


MrBlonde, my goal is to lose probably another 10kg to get me around 85kg, but also gain a little more muscle mass.

Do you recommend losing the weight first, and then focusing on weights? Or doing an all round workout?

I've had differing opinions on this

[MrBlonde]

Originally Posted by micha3l

..
MrBlonde, my goal is to lose probably another 10kg to get me around 85kg, but also gain a little more muscle mass.

Do you recommend losing the weight first, and then focusing on weights? Or doing an all round workout?

I've had differing opinions on this

I'd recommend running and dieting to drop weight plus weight training to preserve muscle mass. Once you reach your target bodyfat you can bulk up more (less running and more weights).

[jksgoh]

Hi mr blonde,
Good lot
Of info you've put up.
I'm currently doing about 6 km over 30 mins a few times a week( or when ever I get time) and would want to try the "cycle 2". But what does LSR stand for? And does the easy and med represent the effort I should be putting in?
Cheers

[MrBlonde]

Weight training jargon.

If you've ever been interested in weight training and maybe dabbled a few times, you are probably familiar with some jargon but you may be unsure what it's all about.

Let me start by saying something that might be controversial or might not be. In my opinion most personal trainers and nearly all gym instructors don't know what they are talking about and are lazy and not engaged.

There is a lot of science behind weight training and maintaining good form is very important. Weight training is both simple and complicated.

It's simple in that all you are doing is isolating a particular muscle or group, overloading it and breaking it down, then feeding and resting it until you recover. Then doing it all over again. And you do this progressively over a training cycle.

But God dwells in the details. How to isolate and train a muscle or group and which exercise works for what group is knowledge you need. That's where the instructors and personal trainers come in. They should assist you in striving for perfect form with your weight training. Showing you how to perform the exercise. Explaining why you do that exercise. Helping you set how many reps you do. How many sets. What the tempo for that exercise should be. What weight to start with and when to add more weight.

If your current trainer has never corrected your form or explained tempo to you then fire them!

Reps
A repetition of the exercise, for example if you hang from an overhead bar and pull yourself up, then lower yourself to the starting position you have just completed one repetition. A rep.

Set
A series of reps is a set. A set can be one rep or multiple reps. The number of reps in a set will vary depending on your weight training goals.

Those looking for maximum strength will do heavy low rep sets, like in the range 1-6 or so. Those looking for maximum growth (hypertrophy) will use 8-12 reps or so. There are other weight training goals.

Concentric and Eccentric phases
A rep has 4 distinct phases. Concentric. Pause. Eccentric. Pause.

The concentric phase is the part where the muscle shortens (pushing or pulling a weight). The concentric phase is the weakest portion of the repetition.

The eccentric phase is the part where the muscle lengthens. Your eccentric strength is significantly greater than concentric or static strength.

Static is when the velocity of the lift is zero and the resistance remains stationary. The muscle does not lengthen or shorten as resistance is applied but is under tension. Your static strength is greater than concentric strength but weaker than eccentric strength (abut 110-130% of concentric strength).

You can imagine these things easily. Picture yourself suspended from a money bar. When you are pulling yourself up with your arms that is concentric. Hard work! When you are simply holding yourself still that is static strength. Easier than pulling yourself up, right? And when you are at the top and lowering yourself down, that is eccentric.

Tempo
The speed at which reps are done in a set. Now with your understanding of the four phases of a rep (concentric, top of movement, eccentric, bottom of movement) you can understand the notation that is sometimes used.

Tempo 2-1-3-1 (or 2131) means raising the weight (concentric) over a count of 2 seconds, pausing for a second at the top (static), lowering (eccentric) the weight over a 3 second count and pausing for a second at the bottom. You will sometimes see the tempo "X" as in X-0-3-1. That means no count at all, an instant movement. Basically do it as fast as you can.

DOMS Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
A characteristic soreness in muscles 1-3 days after being trained. Occurs due to structural damage in contractile proteins of muscle. The regeneration of these proteins is generally how size and strength is stimulated - however, the relationship between DOMS and strength/size gains is not necessarily causative (ie. strength/size can be stimulated w/o DOMS, strength/size can be stimulated w/ DOMS). Generally some level of damage is to be naturally expected when one trains to the extent of their capacity. DOMS is amplified low conditioning levels, poor hormone status, high training volumes, high training loads, low rest intervals, poor flexibility, greater eccentric loading, poor water intake, poor nutritional status, poor post workout meal, and new sets of loading parameters.

Duration
Length of training session in minutes.

Hardgainer
Most probably, YOU! Certainly me. These individuals typically exhibit low levels of muscle strength and size prior to training, but are also blessed with low levels of bodyfat. Bone structure is typically narrow and small. The smaller joint structure of the ectomorph tends to hold them back in strength/power events but is highly beneficial in bodybuilding (where smaller joints are more aesthetically pleasing). Their metabolism’s are typically quite high and as such respond best to minimal training demands (ie. the least amount necessary to gain, basics only), sufficient rest and high caloric intakes.

Controlling bodyfat gains are generally not a problem for the ectomorph; maintaining weight (let alone gaining weight) is often difficult enough. Ectomorphs tend to do well in endurance activities, but it should be noted that a significant number of successful bodybuilders are ectomorphs and have achieved tremendous development through years of hard work.

Failure
Refers to the termination of a set when one is unable to produce a quality repetition without an interruption in the set, outside intervention (ie. spotting) a reduction in loads utilised or breakdown in form. This occurs when the set is taken as close as possible to one’s ability. Varying types of failure in training exist. Concentric failure refers to the inability to raise the weight. Static (Isometric) failure occurs after concentric failure and refers to the inability to raise the weight and keep the resistance in a static, specific position somewhere in the repetition. Eccentric failure refers to the inability to raise the resistance, keep the resistance in a specific position AND lower the resistance under control. Typically; most carry out sets to concentric failure or a repetition short of it. Through outside assistance, a set can be occasionally carried out to static failure. However, this places significantly greater demands on recovery, the muscles and the nervous system and must be compensated for through adequate recovery time and nutrition. Rarely is it possible to find an athlete with such a high tolerance for pain to carry out a set to eccentric failure. Also, research and empirical evidence suggests that carrying out sets to static and eccentric failure are not necessary for growth, and may even prove counterproductive.

Form
Exercise technique

Rest
Rest Interval: Rest between sets, measured in seconds or minutes.

Flexion and Extension of joints
Bringing together the bones associated with a joint is flexion (eg sitting is knee flexion). Extension brings the bones into alignment (eg straightening legs).

Cycle
Training routines are broken up into cycles. A training cycle varies the intensity of training over time, usually 10-12 weeks.

[MrBlonde]

Originally Posted by jksgoh

Hi mr blonde,
Good lot
Of info you've put up.
I'm currently doing about 6 km over 30 mins a few times a week( or when ever I get time) and would want to try the "cycle 2". But what does LSR stand for? And does the easy and med represent the effort I should be putting in?
Cheers

Running is a high impact exercise so it's not for everyone. However is is King of fat loss so it's worthwhile pursuing.

You'll notice I plan running by time not by distance. We all run at a different pace or speed. I'm not fast, my wife can shit on me.

To get better at running, you run. It's not like swimming where trying harder usually leads to going slower.

The thing with running is to run, but to avoid injures through overtraining. Consequently my golden rule is to avoid running two days in a row. That gives you a 3 or 4 run a week plan which most people respond to.

In running LSR means long slow run. It's your longest run of the week where you increase your time running by about 10%. You run this at a comfortable pace but not "slow". However you avoid pushing it as if you were competing in a 5K or 10K race.

In my running plan I do three runs a week. My "easy" run is always a 30 minute run. As my fitness builds I run this as hard as I can, because the time stays the same so I can afford to push myself harder and harder.

My LSR is the run where I load 10% extra time on each week. This is the run I take the easiest because increasing the time of the run is adding additional difficulty.

My "medium" run is simply a midway point between a 30 minute run and the LSR. I run this at a comfortable pace, but faster than my LSR because it's within my current ability.

This works for me. I've done this since 2000 and I've never had a running injury.

Happy to answer any other questions you might have.

[MrBlonde]

Genetics or the hard truth
How your body responds to weight training and the supporting rest and nutrition is all about your genetics. And what can we each do about our genetics? Nuthin'. These are the cards you've been dealt. All you can do is make the most of them.

The most important concept you can grasp in weight training is the hardgainer. Most likely that means you. It certainly means me. At the other extreme end of the genetic spectrum are those guys you see in bodybuilding magazines. Sure they use steroids and other drugs, but they are freaks genetically. God bless their cotton socks!

Near zero hardgainers. Less than 5% of people find it near impossible to gain.

Hardgainers. Fully 80% of people who train are hardgainers. Us. We put a lot of dedication and work into our training and supporting rest and nutrition and we get the results we get. The elite guys laugh at us because they see us work just as hard if not harder and get much much less in results. That's the way it is, suck it up and work on or give up and sulk, up to you.

Easy gainers. The 15% of people who are genetical gifted and find it easy to get gains. This is the group of people that populate gyms the world around. They are the guys and girls who give the rest of us all the wrong information, training tips and real life examples we can find exasperating. If Joe gets so big so fast doing that training routine, how come it doesn't work for me?? Thank your parents for your genes!

The elite. The less than 1% who have phenominal genetics and fantastically response bodies. They have the blend of bodytype, muscle insertion points, neuromucular efficiency, muscle belly length, muscle fibre type and number, tendency for leanness and recovery abilities that make them special. You're not one of them. These are the guys who then pump themselves full of steroids and other drugs to win the bodybuilding competitions. The ones without drugs win the natural bodybuilding competitions. The cynic in me doesn't rule out just how many natural bodybuilders use steroids that aren;t detected but let's leave that for another discussion.


Where does that leave us hardgainers? Well it's the term that is used but it should really be renamed as normal gainers. The reason it is not is because the gyms, trainers and industry is populated by the easygainers. Most people who are not an easy gainer try for a while and give up because they compare themselves to the easygainers. Man up and keep your head held high. You can only do the best you can with the card you are dealt. The 80% of us have very worthwhile achievements from weight training, do not let the relatively easy successes of someone else put you off!

[Taymaishu]

Eat less.

[MrBlonde]

Double Progression

After establishing a base of training and preparing your body to work hard, the way to achieve weight training goals is to lift more weight! The system I use is called double progression. This means I use a rep range of 8 to 12 for a given exercise and for a given weight.

For example let's say I start with doing Squats. The first week I will start of the beginning of my rep range. So I'll be doing 8 reps of Squats in my sets, with my given weight. Let's say I start with an Olympic bar plus 5kg weights on each end. That's at total of 30kgs (20kg for the bar plus two 5kg weight plates).

So week one I'll do 8 reps at 30kgs. Given that I can maintain proper form for the 8 reps including the right tempo (3141) I will make a note that it was a good set. If I cannot do the 8 reps with good form I will leave the loading as it is and try again next time.

Assuming was happy with that exercise, the next week I will increase the reps to 9 and leave the weight (the loading) at 30kg. And the week after I'll do 10 reps and so on until I can do 12 reps at 30kgs for all of my sets.

At that point I will increase the loading (weight) by the appropriate amount and drop my reps down to 8 again. I might find a 250g weight plates to go up by 0.5kg overall. Or I might put on 2.5kg plates to go up by 5kg. With experience you'll know what to try depending on the muscle and exercises.

That is double progression. You progress through your rep range until you reach the maximum and then you move up by the smallest sensible loading and go back to your minimum rep range (8 reps).

This is the double progression I use for my goals and that's why I use an 8 to 12 rep range with the smallest loading increment. For other goals you might use say 2-6 reps and a larger weight increment.

I've read that a one rep increase corresponds to about a 3% increase in resistance. So n an example of calf raise with 180 lbs for 5 reps, adding a 6th rep would be the same as adding 5.5 lbs (~185.5 lbs).

Double progression is a great way to gradually increase the demands of your workout and build muscle.

[MrBlonde]

Originally Posted by Taymaishu

Eat less.

Yes it's all about what you put in your piehole. But not just how much of it, also what types of foods.

It's also worth noting that some models follow your advice to the extreme. Some end up with very skinny bodies and bodyfat over 30% because of all the muscle wastage. That's not healthy. Unfortunately it's not as easy as eating less.

[MrBlonde]

Symptoms of overtraining

It's important to avoid overtraining and injury. Here's some symptoms to spot to avoid that.

+ Stagnated double progression.
+ Feeling under the weather
+ Reduced enthusiasm for training or dread of training day
+ Resting heart rate increase
+ Body is more sore and tired in days after weight training than usual
+ Blood pressure increase (diastolic)
+ Trouble falling asleep even though tired
+ Frequent colds
+ Increasing minor aches and pains
+ Losing interest in training, short cutting training sessions
+ Reduced appetite and food intake
+ Legs feeling heavy
+ Endurance in cardio decreasing
+ Concentration wavering
+ Feeling irritable in day to day life

What to do if you are overtrained?

+ Get a few extra days rest (no training)
+ Cut back loads by 10% and start over
+ Do not continue with a training program that chronically leads to overtraining

[gazz]

Kenny, your thread is a fine example of altruistism in passing on knowledge gained from experience and it has inspired me to think seriously about how to attack the process of regaining my health. Regaining health will be my prime motivation in the short term.
For me maintaining motivation will be the hardest part. The basics are mostly common sense. I.e. eat properly, exercise and quality rest. So, how to stay motivated? I'm going to approach it from a time frame perspective. I have set a goal for the end of this year to (a) lose the lust handles and man boobs, (b) resting heart rate of 60 which is 6 less than current, ( blood pressure is fine at a current 112 over 64 thanks largely to a very low stress life style ), (c) get my head down to my knees straight legged, (d) swim 2 klms open water. This will be broken down into daily, weekly and monthly goals. Daily stops me from cheating. A monthly or even a weekly goal is too far out as it means I can "borrow" time by building up credit. For eg. "today I can have a few extra beers because I don't have to meet my target till the end of the week". Before I know it I'm borrowing more and more time to the point that I have to reset my goals and then the whole plan goes out the window, I become discouraged and think it's all too hard. Daily goals are also easier to achieve as they are just tiny parts of the whole plan

This may seem rather unambitious to someone at your level Kenny but I want to maintain at least some of the lifestyle I currently enjoy. I don't want to get to a high maintenance level of fitness where I am worried all the time about the consequences of not sticking to a strict program. The fact is I like a coffee and I like a drink. I can however cut my current level in half. At present I only have 1 coffee a day so now it will be 1 coffee every 2 days. Same with drinking, cut back but don't eliminate it. The big thing with me is to work with my own psychology and understand what will work on a long term basis.
I suspect that this is where most attempts at weight loss / fitness fail. I also have a great assistant in motivation with my wife who is very fit. Does gym workouts, yoga, runs and long walks.
Anyway, started today with a 1 hour walk along the beach. Lighter breakfast incl' cup of flat white instead of a mug of latte.
This week I will buy a tri wet-suit. I live on a spring fed fresh water lake that is used by many of the triathletes on the Gold Coast as well as lifesavers and nippers for open water swim training. The only place here where there are no bull sharks. I have an uninterupted 500 metre stretch from the bottom of my yard so I have no excuse to not use it.
Also, less time on the computer. Forums ( fora? ) are fun and constructive but youtube browsing and games are not.

Catchya.

[alik01]

Kenny, my current program involves 5 sets per muscle group and each set to failure usiually increasing weights by the next dumbbell up. Usually do triceps & legs, chest, shoulders & biceps, upper & lower back. I have a day of cardio or PT in the between.

Thoughts?