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Author Topic: So. P90X anyone? (Misery loves company)  (Read 477146 times)
Cyrrex
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Reply #595 on: November 30, 2011, 12:14:38 PM

I did manage to make it through today (okay, I crapped out an only did five sets of the seated rows...but those were always additional anyway).  But I think after Friday (squat day), that'll be it for this time around.  That will be five weeks.  I've been putting five to ten pounds on each exercise every week, and I don't honestly think I can for one more week.  It just feels like time to stop and take a break.  I can tell that my nervous system is in tatters and needs to recover.

"...maybe if you cleaned the piss out of the sunny d bottles under your desks and returned em, you could upgrade you vid cards, fucken lusers.." - Grunk
Cyrrex
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Reply #596 on: January 03, 2012, 04:39:47 AM

Arise!  It is 2012 now, so no better time to revive what in my opinion is one of the more important threads we have around here.

As mentioned in the New Years thread, I need to figure out my new short term goals for fitness.  Since I finished the five week hell that was German Volume Training (big middle finger to Nebu for introducing us to that one  awesome, for real), I've gone back to a traditional 5x5 program using only the basic compound lifts.  I don't think I will do this for long, because I doubt I will get benefit for long.  If the GVT did anything for me, it sure as shit put on mass (some muscle, some fat)...I think I gained about 12 pounds over the 5 weeks.  I think it may provide a nice foundation for some increases on the heavy lifts, but I doubt it will last too long.  Also, after 1.5 years of suffering through a fairly major bulging/herniated disc, it appears that that is mostly behind me know - which is a relief you cannot imagine unless you've gone through it yourself.  Getting back into good squatting and deadlifting form.  The weights are not huge at this point, but I am concentrating on perfect form and steady progress.

But still, not sure where I am going next.  I think I need to continue the 5x5 to see how far it can go, without gaining any additional weight, maybe even lose a few pounds.  Then I definitely need to go on a cut to rid myself of some of the extra poundage around the middle.  Kind of feel like I am treading water at the moment.  Probably need to start mixing more cardio into my week if nothing else.  I've done practically nothing for the last three months.

"...maybe if you cleaned the piss out of the sunny d bottles under your desks and returned em, you could upgrade you vid cards, fucken lusers.." - Grunk
Yoru
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Reply #597 on: January 03, 2012, 04:49:13 AM

I'm still doing my basic 5x5 program. I got a compliment from one of my gym's trainers last night when doing 50kg barbell overhead presses, as I weigh about 65kg.

My current goal is to be able to do one-handed pull-ups, unassisted. I'm using an assist machine to do one-handed pull-ups right now, working each arm for up to 5 reps and doing 3-5 sets (depending on exhaustion). I'm down to about 12kg of assist right now, having started around 20kg three months ago. Using the additional strength, I've managed to push from a V4 to a V5 average/V6 max bouldering rating.

The hard part is gaining strength without significantly gaining mass, which is why I've been avoiding any of the serious mass-building programs.

I'm also moving to a warmer country in a few months; looking forward to pushing my outdoor rating from 5.10 to 5.11 and starting to try some low-V deep-water solos.
Cyrrex
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Reply #598 on: January 03, 2012, 05:05:32 AM

Can I assume you are talking about rock climbing?  I don't recognize all that jargon. 

One major disadvantage of putting on weight and sticking to programs for several months that neglect them is that I am now discovering that I all of a sudden cannot do pullups worth a shit.  I hate pullups with a fiery passion to begin with (which is odd considering I love lat pulldowns and rows in any form  Head scratch), but they are important fundamental movements.

"...maybe if you cleaned the piss out of the sunny d bottles under your desks and returned em, you could upgrade you vid cards, fucken lusers.." - Grunk
Yoru
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Reply #599 on: January 03, 2012, 07:56:15 AM

Can I assume you are talking about rock climbing?  I don't recognize all that jargon. 

Indeed. Roped routes are (in the US) rated on the Yosemite system, and non-roped routes are rated on the Hueco/Vermin scale. When climbing, your outdoor grades are usually lower than indoor grades as there's more protection from falls available in indoor gyms compared to real rock formations, letting you push yourself farther with a lower risk of serious injury.
Nebu
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Reply #600 on: January 03, 2012, 09:09:47 AM

The hard part is gaining strength without significantly gaining mass, which is why I've been avoiding any of the serious mass-building programs.

Yes...

I've cut 30 lbs since September (mostly muscle mass) and have lost so much strength that it's almost embarrassing.  I used to be able to decline 225 lbs x 10 with relative ease and now find it difficult to manage 185.  On the plus side, pullups and dips have gotten much easier.  My knees also thank me for dropping the weight.  All of my knee issues have vanished.

I've become a BIG fan of naturals and my workout is now primarily body weight exercises (or with a hanging weight belt for added resistance) with only adding the weight room as a supplement.  As a man in my mid 40's, I'm enjoying my new build much more.  I'm leaner with less bulk and have a much more 'practical' build.  I'm even entertaining the idea of competing in triathalons again.

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
luckton
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Reply #601 on: January 04, 2012, 05:12:38 PM

As part of that 'New Year's Resolu-thinga ma-bob", the wife and I are trying the 17-day diet again, and I started doing the Lifehacker workout.

Wish me luck  why so serious?

"Those lights, combined with the polygamous Nazi mushrooms, will mess you up."

"Tuning me out doesn't magically change the design or implementation of said design. Though, that'd be neat if it did." -schild
JWIV
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Reply #602 on: January 04, 2012, 07:04:18 PM

As part of that 'New Year's Resolu-thinga ma-bob", the wife and I are trying the 17-day diet again, and I started doing the Lifehacker workout.

Wish me luck  why so serious?

Get after it and have fun.   Just remember - if you don't like the workout, change it up and don't be afraid to do other things. 
bhodi
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Reply #603 on: January 04, 2012, 07:09:19 PM

Whereas I am the complete opposite. I can't even get into my gym's parking lot this week. Oh well. I guess I needed a week off anyway?

I'm steadily heading towards a generic level of fitness, 1:1 press and 1.5:1 squat but I've only been going for a few months. I expect to get there in the spring. Yoru makes me feel weak, though. I also want to be able to do a one armed pullup but I'm definitely not as close. Also, I want to be able to campus mantel which I guess in the gym world is called a muscle-up. Plus, I also want to be able to do a one armed pullup. I suspect all these goals have to do with climbing.

I do find it interesting that you're pushing V7+ and can't do a 5.11, as I'm definitely no more than a V5 and I can climb (won't lead) any 5.10 up to a crimpy 5.11a or so. Quite odd since we have the same body type.

None of us will ever touch Nebu, though :)


I really, really need to get my goddamned eating under control. I just tend to skip dinner because I'm not hungry, don't want to go out and lose my parking spot, and have only a remedial level of cooking skill.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2012, 07:12:21 PM by bhodi »
Cyrrex
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Reply #604 on: January 04, 2012, 10:42:24 PM

I managed a 150kg (330lb) deadlift yesterday and I still seem to have all my discs in place, which is good news for my recovering back.  I am tempted to put on some kind of hand protection and try a little more, because my grip strength is failing at this weight....but I probably shouldn't push my luck.

I wonder how skinny I would have to get before I could even think about attempting a one armed pullup.  I think I would snap a tendon if I tried it now.

"...maybe if you cleaned the piss out of the sunny d bottles under your desks and returned em, you could upgrade you vid cards, fucken lusers.." - Grunk
Yoru
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Reply #605 on: January 05, 2012, 06:59:15 AM

I do find it interesting that you're pushing V7+ and can't do a 5.11, as I'm definitely no more than a V5 and I can climb (won't lead) any 5.10 up to a crimpy 5.11a or so. Quite odd since we have the same body type.

None of us will ever touch Nebu, though :)

Back when I was top-roping and leading regularly, I managed a 5.12a a few times, but that's three years in the past. It's a conditioning and mental block, as the gyms up here don't have anything aside from bouldering. As a result, my endurance is total shit and I'm not used to being up that high any more.

Last time I was in the US, I managed a 5.11b without much technical trouble, but had to take two rests, which is fucking embarassing. My outdoor rating is pitiful because there's like two months of outdoor-friendly weather in Iceland. Now that I'm moving to Malta, that gets completely flipped on its head. Why stay indoors when it's 20C and sunny all the time? Oh ho ho ho. Reallllly?

I managed a 150kg (330lb) deadlift yesterday and I still seem to have all my discs in place, which is good news for my recovering back.  I am tempted to put on some kind of hand protection and try a little more, because my grip strength is failing at this weight....but I probably shouldn't push my luck.

Nice! I keep trying to push my deadlift, but I keep scraping the shit out of my shins inadvertently while lifting. So far the only thing I've been able to do to control that is to drop 5-10kg off the bar and do a much slower lift, being very conscious of the bar's distance from my shins. Thing is, I don't feel the burn so much at those weights, even at 5 reps, so I know I should be going heavier... Any ideas?
« Last Edit: January 05, 2012, 07:03:02 AM by Yoru »
Merusk
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Reply #606 on: January 05, 2012, 07:07:35 AM

Whereas I am the complete opposite. I can't even get into my gym's parking lot this week. Oh well. I guess I needed a week off anyway?

Just go earlier.  I go in at ~5am before heading to the office and have seen a marginal uptick in people.  Maybe 3-4 new faces.  My wife reports that when she goes in later in the morning the parking lot is nearly full.   After work?  Forget it, you're parking in the office building across the street.

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet within your power.
Nebu
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Reply #607 on: January 05, 2012, 07:17:11 AM

Men's health had an article on the 10 things a fit man should be able to do.  I thought I'd post it here for discussion.

Quote
Bench 1.5 Times Your Body Weight
Run 1.5 Miles in 10 Minutes
Touch the Rim
Leg-Press 2.25 Times Your Weight
Swim 700 Yards in 12 Minutes
Do 40 Pushups
Measure Up
Run 300 Yards Sub 1 Minute
Touch Your Toes
Toss a Basketball 75 Feet Kneeling
   

The funny thing... the only one that I can't do is "touch my toes".  The bench may be tough without a spotter, but I think I could manage 240 once with some screaming.  For those wondering about "measure up", it's simply the circumference of your waist divided by the circumference of your hips. 

The Scorecard:
0.92 or higher: Your wife and kids are going to miss you
0.82 to 0.91: Ordinary
0.81 or less: Flat and happy

None of us will ever touch Nebu, though :)

I bet many of you are in better shape than I am.  I'm just content to be in my mid 40's with a body most 25 year olds would be happy to have.  Next week I start my killer workout.  It's going to be 10 weeks of hell, but I think I'll like the results.  I'll provide some details later.




"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
Merusk
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Reply #608 on: January 05, 2012, 11:34:11 AM

Hm.. I can do most of those except the weights and measure-up.  12min for 700 yards (25.66 laps in a 25m pool) is  why so serious? for most folks, though.  Even a lot of fit people can't swim for shit.

Some of that also seems way different than "Fit."  At my lightest and best-shape ever I weighed 175#.  That's leg-pressing 438# and is crazy.  Or are they saying "Just put it up and hold it for an x count?"

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet within your power.
JWIV
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Reply #609 on: January 05, 2012, 07:01:34 PM

I'll say right now, at 5'6" touching the rim ain't going to fucking happen in my lifetime.
Cyrrex
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Reply #610 on: January 05, 2012, 10:25:10 PM

Yeah, I would say that list is a little strange.  A lot strange, maybe.  Depends tons on your body type and what you train.

I could probably get to a certain weight/strength combination that lets me bench 1.5...but to be honest, there are a lot of relatively fit guys at the gym, and it is only a rare few that can bench 1.5 of their body weight.  Most articles I have ever heard said that 1.0 body weight is fit.  1.5 is where you are getting into advanced lifting.  And yeah, I can probably do 2.25 on the leg press, but that is simply insane for most people.

I almost never run, so 1.5 in 10 minutes is out, though I could probably train up to it fairly quickly.  300 in less than a minute...probably.

The only way I am going to ever swim 700 yards in any amount of time is if the water is 700 yards deep and you tied a cement block to me.

I can touch my toes like a motherfucker...but so what?  Anybody can take about 30 minutes out of their lives and work up to that if they really want to.

I am 5'8" and haven't touched the rim since my early 20s.  I'll still ruin most of you on the court, though.  So again, so what?  As far as tossing the ball 75 feet kneeling?  I imagine that has more to do with the length of your limbs.

Interesting discussion, though.

"...maybe if you cleaned the piss out of the sunny d bottles under your desks and returned em, you could upgrade you vid cards, fucken lusers.." - Grunk
DraconianOne
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Reply #611 on: January 06, 2012, 02:11:51 AM

I hate lists like that because they're so arbitrary and flippant. 1.5 times my weight is 150kg and I don't even want to be able to bench that much because I want to be able to run 1.5 miles in 10 minutes (6:40 a mile) - something that I probably can do now but I couldn't even do when I was doing sub 60 sec 400m Hurdles.  300 yds in under a minute? Possibly - I can comfortably run 400m (440yd) in 1:20 consistently for 12 reps so a one off sprint? Yeah, why not.

Touching the rim? Is that a euphemism? why so serious?

Anyway, my main New Year goal is to complete the 100 mile ultra in July that I DNF'd last year.  

Other running goals (which would be a bonus):
- to break 20 mins for a 5k
- to beat my road half-marathon best (although most of the local road races I'd try this in are on the same day as trail races I'd prefer to do).
- to run 100k in 10.5 hours (for a race qualification - might shift to next year depending on schedule)
- to run a marathon on road.
- to do at least 1 race per month.

General fitness goals
- to train more consistently and regularly (shouldn't be hard as up until December, it was going okay)
- to complete my Personal Training qualification (first exam shortly after moving house!)
- to drop my weight properly so I can move faster. Which probably means cutting back quite severely on beer and cheese.

And bacon sandwiches.  Ohhhhh, I see.

EDIT: Just remembered that I've also joined a Fitocracy group with a challenge of running 1200 miles or more this year. swamp poop
« Last Edit: January 06, 2012, 02:17:32 AM by DraconianOne »

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Merusk
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Reply #612 on: January 06, 2012, 04:25:26 AM

I workout with 320#-340# on the leg press.  I don't feel like working up to more because my legs are already rather large.  I tried pressing "only" 400# today and nearly shat myself. 

I also nearly hurt myself trying /near/ my body weight (230) on the machine press.  Fuck trying more than that.  (Though to be honest I only work with about 150# max on it.  I lack upper body strength and always have.)

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet within your power.
Cyrrex
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Reply #613 on: January 06, 2012, 05:12:07 AM

I workout with 320#-340# on the leg press.  I don't feel like working up to more because my legs are already rather large.  I tried pressing "only" 400# today and nearly shat myself. 

I also nearly hurt myself trying /near/ my body weight (230) on the machine press.  Fuck trying more than that.  (Though to be honest I only work with about 150# max on it.  I lack upper body strength and always have.)

And to make it even worse, you can be assured that the list Nebu posted for the bench press was for a free weight barbell bench press, which at 230 would be waaaaaaay harder.  Girly man  why so serious?

The more I think about it, the more the whole 1.5 body weight for the bench bothers me.  I would wager a hundred bucks that that represents less than 2% of the male population.  Probably less than 1%.

"...maybe if you cleaned the piss out of the sunny d bottles under your desks and returned em, you could upgrade you vid cards, fucken lusers.." - Grunk
Nebu
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Reply #614 on: January 06, 2012, 07:45:14 AM

I'd bet that being able to do 40 push ups puts you in the top 2% in the US.  Most people are in terrible shape. 

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
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Reply #615 on: January 06, 2012, 07:50:43 AM

You're probably right and that saddens me because I'm no paragon myself.

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet within your power.
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Reply #616 on: January 06, 2012, 08:06:50 AM

I have a colleague that comes to me often about diet and workout advice.  He really illuminated the issue for me, especially since he's a very well-educated man.  He asked me what I ate in a day.  When I told him, he looked at me like I was crazy and said "is that is?"  I don't think people realize what a healthy amount of food is per day.  Between that and the complete lack of exercise most people get (I see students waiting 5 mins to take an elevator up 1 floor), our society is in sad condition. 

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
01101010
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Reply #617 on: January 06, 2012, 08:46:24 AM

I workout with 320#-340# on the leg press.  I don't feel like working up to more because my legs are already rather large.  I tried pressing "only" 400# today and nearly shat myself. 

I also nearly hurt myself trying /near/ my body weight (230) on the machine press.  Fuck trying more than that.  (Though to be honest I only work with about 150# max on it.  I lack upper body strength and always have.)

I am stricken with the skinny leg syndrome. No matter my focus, I can not ever put mass on my legs, even when I was on steroids. I could squat a fair amount for my body weight (at the time), same with presses and lunges... strong, but thin. I could cut them without issue, but never could gain mass... then again, I can't gain large amounts of mass anywhere really.

Does any one know where the love of God goes...When the waves turn the minutes to hours? -G. Lightfoot
Nebu
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Reply #618 on: January 06, 2012, 10:57:07 AM

I am stricken with the skinny leg syndrome. No matter my focus, I can not ever put mass on my legs, even when I was on steroids. I could squat a fair amount for my body weight (at the time), same with presses and lunges... strong, but thin. I could cut them without issue, but never could gain mass... then again, I can't gain large amounts of mass anywhere really.

Two things will fix this.  

1) Start a high intensity, low rep training program.

2) Eat 12k quality Calories a day.

I guarantee you'll gain mass.  The hard part is cutting the 70% fat that you will also put on 6 months from now.  

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
01101010
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Reply #619 on: January 06, 2012, 11:05:51 AM

I am stricken with the skinny leg syndrome. No matter my focus, I can not ever put mass on my legs, even when I was on steroids. I could squat a fair amount for my body weight (at the time), same with presses and lunges... strong, but thin. I could cut them without issue, but never could gain mass... then again, I can't gain large amounts of mass anywhere really.

Two things will fix this.  

1) Start a high intensity, low rep training program.

2) Eat 12k quality Calories a day.

I guarantee you'll gain mass.  The hard part is cutting the 70% fat that you will also put on 6 months from now.  

Did that in college with a dietitian from the hospital - I gained 10 lbs over 1year and 1 month. After I quit force feeding myself, which had a nasty effect of giving me the shits pretty frequently, I dropped 12 lbs in 4 months even returning to normal consumption and continuing to work out.  My body just will not allow intake of that amount of calories, no matter if it is just a lot of real food or supplement shakes or whatever.

And yes, I was doing 5 set of 3-5 reps of weight I had no business putting on the machines. Even my spotter remarked I should not be able to hit 3 reps and struggled with 4 and 5 if I could get there.

Of course this was at a point in my life where I wanted to fill in the spots on my frame that were lacking. After struggling for 7 years with it, I gave up on the mass thing. Maybe when I hit the point where my metabolism slows down, I will be able to have a somewhat representable weight. Of course, in my late 30s now and really don't care so much and have no need to anymore.

Does any one know where the love of God goes...When the waves turn the minutes to hours? -G. Lightfoot
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Reply #620 on: January 07, 2012, 02:24:37 PM

I'd bet that being able to do 40 push ups puts you in the top 2% in the US.  Most people are in terrible shape. 

Probably, but high volumes of pushups are a bit funky in my experience. I never do pushups as an exercise, but I can usually do 20-25 fresh as a baseline when I do feel inclined to do them. If I gave myself a week or so of doing pushups I could probably get up to 40 in one set, but as soon as I stop I'll drop back to 20-25. Stamina for these type of exercises seems to stick so poorly in my experience.

I also know I can't do 1.5x bodyweight bench, but I can do bodyweight+50% dips (using a belt) for 5, so I guess I'm not too heartbroken.

I think the goal for this year is just to get an extra gym session in a week. 2011 was a mess for various reasons and I dropped to only twice-a-week gym and I miss it. In all other regards I'm pretty happy with where I am at, doing a mix of olympic lifting and bodyweight exercises for the most part (plus assistance work for the Oly lifts like OH squats and push press). It's a routine which is giving me slow but steady and manageable progress, and I am not so desperate for size or strength that I'm looking to change. Perhaps some more high-intensity cardio, but I'll just have to see how things pan out.

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Reply #621 on: January 07, 2012, 04:37:43 PM

This entire goal thing has always driven me batty.   Because I have a hell of a time trying to figure out what is or isn't a good realistic goal.   I didn't even really do sports in high school, so it's not like I have any type of real baseline to go from.   Looking at the general men's health mags, and they assume you're 20-something and do nothing but lift.  Look at a runner's mag, and they all think you want to do nothing more than run 50+ miles a week and do marathons.    So I'm sorta stuck with having to guess at goals that are little better than get my waist/hip ratio under 9.0, keep knocking times off my PR's, and see progress in lifts.   

All of which is a convoluted and poorly phrased way of asking if people have any recommendations as to what to aim for or how they go about setting goals.
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Reply #622 on: January 07, 2012, 06:33:42 PM

In general I guess the first step is to have in mind what you want out of exercise in general; do you want to look huge, ripped, huge and ripped, or do you want to be strong, or do you want to foster the health of your heart, or improve your flexibility, or have better stamina, or run a marathon. 'A bit of everything' is also a fair result, and true for most people. Working that out should help you decide what sort of exercise you should be attempting. Enjoyment is also a factor. Once you have that down, goal setting (as I do it) falls into one of two categories: 'i want to do x' and I want to do y at this level'. So personally, goals of the latter type include things like holding a handstand, learning to muscle up, learning to do a full snatch. These are techniques or abilities I cannot yet do, but once mastered will enable to to follow the second type of goal, the 'doing y better' goal. In this case I just look at where I am at, and then aim to be % better after a certain time, so maybe 15 percent better after six months. If you are lifting this translates easily into weights. So for me, the 100kg push press, the 125lg bench, the 70kg snatch and the 80kg clean and jerk are goals I have. If you were more into running/cycling/swimming it might be a matter of running longer distances, or the same distance in less time.

I find having a mix of the two types of goals helps, especially with gym-based routine. Setting new techniques or skills as goals gives you something novel to work towards. Sometimes you may not be able to directly do this, so if you wanted to learn muscles ups say, but cannot do a chin up, doing an unassisted chinup would be a prior goal. I know that once I have muscleups I will start working on front lever progressions, and so the goals continue.

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Reply #623 on: January 07, 2012, 07:47:37 PM

Goals: I tend to think of something, usually a physical activity, and setting my goal according to that.  If it's a 5k race, I'll train to be a better runner.  If it's a sport, I'll train to be better at that sport.  As I've gotten older, it's more about maintaining my body and a general level of fitness.   

Hope that helps.

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
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Reply #624 on: January 08, 2012, 05:42:56 AM

Goals: I tend to think of something, usually a physical activity, and setting my goal according to that.  If it's a 5k race, I'll train to be a better runner.  If it's a sport, I'll train to be better at that sport.  As I've gotten older, it's more about maintaining my body and a general level of fitness.   

Hope that helps.

I think so.  The general impression I'm getting from people is stop worrying about arbitrary external benchmarks, and accept that progress on whatever thing I'm working on at the time is a worthwhile goal in and of itself.

So knocking off 5 minutes from my time between two five mile races (2010 v 2011) is a damn good thing and what matters, not exactly what those two times were. 
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Reply #625 on: January 08, 2012, 01:37:43 PM

You're getting good advice.  My absolute worst habit is comparing myself to others at the gym.  I've decided to think about the activities that I enjoy most and build my physique to better enjoy them.  I was hovering around 220 lbs for the last few years and found that I was carrying too much extra bulk for the things that I enjoy (running, biking, kayaking, skiing, golf, etc.).  Since I've dropped to around 190 lbs, my body is MUCH happier with me and my joints don't show my battlescars so much. 

Just find a place where you feel like your body is a fine-tuned machine.  It gives you such an energy boost that the rest of your life will show great benefit.  That includes your sex life!

"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."

-  Mark Twain
bhodi
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No lie.


Reply #626 on: January 10, 2012, 06:15:09 PM

Trip report! Max strength test, 1 rep, two month anniversary for new weight benchmark/adjustment. I took the previous week off before doing this so it's pretty much as good as it gets. I'll use these numbers to adjust my workout weight to 2-3 sets of various similar exercises, 12 reps @ 80%.

FTR, I'm 5'8, 135lb.
Bench Press    135
Lat Pulldown   144
Cable Rows     132
Shoulder Press 135
Preacher Curls  70
Triceps Press   90
Leg Press      450

I've got the gym routine pretty down, so this next two months I'm focusing more on nutrition and cutting down the eating out / eating like crap. Less chick-fil-a and chicken parm and more grilled fish and veggies. Also, no more skipping meals because I am lazy/tired.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2012, 06:19:47 PM by bhodi »
JWIV
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2392


Reply #627 on: January 10, 2012, 06:39:04 PM

Trip report! Max strength test, 1 rep, two month anniversary for new weight benchmark/adjustment. I took the previous week off before doing this so it's pretty much as good as it gets. I'll use these numbers to adjust my workout weight to 2-3 sets of various similar exercises, 12 reps @ 80%.

FTR, I'm 5'8, 135lb.
Bench Press    135
Lat Pulldown   144
Cable Rows     132
Shoulder Press 135
Preacher Curls  70
Triceps Press   90
Leg Press      450

I've got the gym routine pretty down, so this next two months I'm focusing more on nutrition and cutting down the eating out / eating like crap. Less chick-fil-a and chicken parm and more grilled fish and veggies. Also, no more skipping meals because I am lazy/tired.

Good christ man, you're a twig.  When you were saying you were worried about eating shit, I figured you were getting into the 200+ range.  Still, if you're concerned about your diet, I'd say definitely look into adding some clean protein into your general diet and non-shit carbs on weight days.  Maybe some wholesome fat sources such as olive oil and avacado as well.

The weights you're shoving around are pretty respectable.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2012, 06:43:50 PM by JWIV »
Selby
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2963


Reply #628 on: January 10, 2012, 08:48:23 PM

It gives you such an energy boost that the rest of your life will show great benefit.  That includes your sex life!
I will second this.  When I was fat and lazy, life sucked.  Even now with the aches and pains from high intensity cardio 5-6 days a week, I still feel better than I've felt since probably junior high school.  Energy to do whatever I want and some depressive issues even became less of an issue.
Cyrrex
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10603


Reply #629 on: January 10, 2012, 10:19:18 PM

Trip report! Max strength test, 1 rep, two month anniversary for new weight benchmark/adjustment. I took the previous week off before doing this so it's pretty much as good as it gets. I'll use these numbers to adjust my workout weight to 2-3 sets of various similar exercises, 12 reps @ 80%.

FTR, I'm 5'8, 135lb.
Bench Press    135
Lat Pulldown   144
Cable Rows     132
Shoulder Press 135
Preacher Curls  70
Triceps Press   90
Leg Press      450

I've got the gym routine pretty down, so this next two months I'm focusing more on nutrition and cutting down the eating out / eating like crap. Less chick-fil-a and chicken parm and more grilled fish and veggies. Also, no more skipping meals because I am lazy/tired.

Good on you.  Quick piece of advice, if I may:  Even if you have to start light, replace those leg presses with barbell squats (start light so that you can go deeeeep).  If you've never seriously done them, you will quickly realize that squats utilize your legs in a way that leg presses don't come close to duplicating.  It is also a very powerful core exercise.  The reason that you don't see people doing them at the gym is NOT because they aren't effective...it's because they are hard, and psychologically challenging.  I.e. people are scared of them.  In truth, squats are probably the single most effective exercise you can do.

Deadlifts are worthy of consideration as well.  Right up there with squats as being one of the most effective exercises.


"...maybe if you cleaned the piss out of the sunny d bottles under your desks and returned em, you could upgrade you vid cards, fucken lusers.." - Grunk
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