The Gym Thread...

[The enchanted broomstick]

To be completely honest with you i used to smoke the old green stuff and smoke fags as well as some other things - i've managed to complete the task of quitting all that though and feel its about time to repair the damage i've done to my body over the last 4 or 5 years. I always used to be healthy and fit but you know, people can get carried away sometimes. It's not like i regret it though - its been an experience but its time to grow up.

So basically im trying to get healthy, improve my stamina and yeah overall i would like to increase my size quite a bit. I only weigh 10 stone at the moment but im hoping i can get that up to around 12 1/2 maybe 13 - but in the right way. Quitting smoking is the best thing i've ever done though i feel so much more energetic and healthy - not to mention the savings...

[Gavyn.]

i've just put my name in for a triathlon sprint race in september training starts today then just need to earn some bucks and buy a road bike.

[Caleb]

i put the wieghts from 20kg to 50kg on my bar and started to do reps of 10 instead of the reps of 30.

how often should i do them and how many reps a day as i have quite a bit of time on my hands?

also is 50kg a reasonable amount for a 12 stone person to be lifiting or should i be going for more cause honestly its pretty hard atm haha

[Ash-Kennard]

is that 50 kg of weights or are you including the bar and clamps to make it 75?

[Caleb]

oh that was 45kg of weights, my brother told me the bar was 5 kg ? lol

[Ash-Kennard]

depends on the bar

[Peperami]

You havnt said what exercise you're doing either, lol.

Whatever feels heavy is a reasonable weight, dont try anything more until you're stronger.

[Caleb]

bench presses, its one of them big york bars with the spiral lock.

whats a good excercise to build lower abs too? ive been doing push ups and squats and squat thrusts for months now and just keeping toned, but my lower abs just stay hard but with no definition?

[Muel]

50kg for 10 is still pretty good going, I can't even do 30kg.

[Ash-Kennard]

bench presses, its one of them big york bars with the spiral lock.

whats a good excercise to build lower abs too? ive been doing push ups and squats and squat thrusts for months now and just keeping toned, but my lower abs just stay hard but with no definition?

sit ups, lots of them, also do the ones where you turn each way

also if the bar your describing is the one im thinking of, it was 5, not sure about the weight of the clamps on it though, weigh it?

Edited April 24, 2008 by Ash-Kennard

[Muel]

sit ups, lots of them, also do the ones where you turn each way

Like go up, twist to the left, then the right, then go back down? I've started doing them, very painful.

[Bluegrass]

Can i run my new routine through with you geeks...

Sunday:

Chest - flat bench press. 3 sets, rep to failure

dumbbell flys 1 set, 12 reps (straight after bench, no rest to give muscle a good stretch)

Shoulders - dumbbell shoulder press 3 sets, 8 reps

Triceps - dumbbell extensions 3 sets, 8 reps.

Tuesday:

Back - deadlifts 3 sets 8 reps

Biceps - standing alternate dumbbell curls 3 sets 8 reps

Standing barbell curls 3 sets 8 reps (lower weight)

Abs - toe touches 3 sets 20 reps

Thursday:

Legs - squats 3 sets 15 reps (medium weight)

Abs - usual

Back - possibly more deadlifts??

Also a bit of cardio here and there. How does that routine sound? Quite new to weight training so im going to find out what weight (kg) is best to use for each exercise as I start my first few weeks.

p.s I don't have room for a bench so im substituting it with an exercise ball, rock on.

[Ash-Kennard]

Like go up, twist to the left, then the right, then go back down? I've started doing them, very painful.

no, sit up left, down, sit up right, down etc

[Peperami]

Muel - Can you do press-ups?

Larry - Ah ok, yeah thats a fairly good weight. Have you tried putting it up 5kg to see what happens to your reps?

You can try introducing one or two lower reps, higher weight sets in your bench workout if you like, this'll build your strength. I only do maybe one strength set per session ( say put the weight up 10-20kg more than i usually do, and try get 3 or 4 reps out) but it helps stretch your limits. In a few weeks you'll be doing 5 reps of that weight in the strength set, and soon 7... see whats happening, you're getting stronger!

G4vyn - what are the respective distances in your triathalon dude?

Abs guy - Situps will work mostly your upper abs, and hip flexors. Twisting sit-ups will round off your abs, and work the obliques. Best exercise ive found for lowers is leg raises. Lie on the floor flat, and raise your legs 6 inches off the ground. Should feel a tightness in lower abs. Now try raising your legs up to point at the sky, and then with control back down again, keeping them straight the whole time, without letting them touch the floor (try keep them about 6 inches from it). And repeat... try it with your hands under your head (as if doing a sit-up) but if this is too hard reach your hands out behind you and grab onto the sofa/ table leg etc.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Peperami

[Muel]

Muel - Can you do press-ups?

I managed 7 the other day.

[manxrider]

bench presses, its one of them big york bars with the spiral lock.

whats a good excercise to build lower abs too? ive been doing push ups and squats and squat thrusts for months now and just keeping toned, but my lower abs just stay hard but with no definition?

Don't do lots of sit ups.... abs are like every other muscle if you want them to get bigger you have to use a weight... get the biggest plate you have stick it on your chest and then do them.

Blue grass.. Id squat on all three days.

[Ash-Kennard]

I managed 7 the other day.

wtf lol. hope your joking

[Muel]

wtf lol. hope your joking

Nope, 7 from my tippy toes.

I'm nearly 11 and a half stone, and no stronger than my mate who is around 9. I'll do some now, see if I have improved.

EDIT: Nope, still 7.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Muel

[Peperami]

Don't do lots of sit ups.... abs are like every other muscle if you want them to get bigger you have to use a weight... get the biggest plate you have stick it on your chest and then do them.

Blue grass.. Id squat on all three days.

I very rarely do any form of weighted ab exercise mate, not needed. And advising weights for someone who wants to improve abs is a bad idea, if you damage your abs with bad form you cant train at all! Abs hold everything else up!

Abs, forearms and calves are not like every other muscle in the body at all... can be trained every day if need be.

Dont need any more than good sets of bodyweight exercises to get decent abs.

Muel - Do these 7 every day, morning and night, i bet you in two weeks if you do this you'll be able to do at least ten

Edited April 24, 2008 by Peperami

[Caleb]

Larry - Ah ok, yeah thats a fairly good weight. Have you tried putting it up 5kg to see what happens to your reps?

You can try introducing one or two lower reps, higher weight sets in your bench workout if you like, this'll build your strength. I only do maybe one strength set per session ( say put the weight up 10-20kg more than i usually do, and try get 3 or 4 reps out) but it helps stretch your limits. In a few weeks you'll be doing 5 reps of that weight in the strength set, and soon 7... see whats happening, you're getting stronger!

Situps will work mostly your upper abs, and hip flexors. Twisting sit-ups will round off your abs, and work the obliques. Best exercise ive found for lowers is leg raises. Lie on the floor flat, and raise your legs 6 inches off the ground. Should feel a tightness in lower abs. Now try raising your legs up to point at the sky, and then with control back down again, keeping them straight the whole time, without letting them touch the floor (try keep them about 6 inches from it). And repeat... try it with your hands under your head (as if doing a sit-up) but if this is too hard reach your hands out behind you and grab onto the sofa/ table leg etc.

Cheers for the advice, i think you may have advised me on the leg raisers before or i found them on google , i tried them for a couple of months daily but found it put more pressure on my back and legs, and although my abs were shaking hehe and burning a little it didnt make any noticeable difference.

also on the weights front ive run out out of weights lol, maybe ill add a bag of tools to either side? jokes... on the other hand ill just put my weights on from my dumbells after im more used to the increased weight and see what i can get up to.

Don't do lots of sit ups.... abs are like every other muscle if you want them to get bigger you have to use a weight... get the biggest plate you have stick it on your chest and then do them.

i didnt mention sit ups /twisting sit ups as i used to do them daily but again they didnt seem to be doing too much for me.

excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by plate? and how would i stick one to my chest? im picturing a pizza plate sellotaped round my torso

Nope, 7 from my tippy toes.

I'm nearly 11 and a half stone, and no stronger than my mate who is around 9. I'll do some now, see if I have improved.

EDIT: Nope, still 7.

like peperami says, and he seems to know his stuff i wouldnt worry, when i first started doing push ups in school i was useless just managing 10-15, then just gave up but ove rthe last year i just take them up in increments and can do 50 or so if i want.

are there many advantages to the clap push ups? taxi driver style, ive been doing a fe w of them just for a joke but they really do take it out fo you, i find i have to prep my feet against a wall too or the sweat from my feets makes me slip thus head meeting the floor . . .

[James-M]

I used to be able to do 3 sets of 9 press-ups about a month ago, but doing them every other day and building them up with what I can cope, I can do 3 sets of 25 now, sometimes 30.

[Muel]

I very rarely do any form of weighted ab exercise mate, not needed. And advising weights for someone who wants to improve abs is a bad idea, if you damage your abs with bad form you cant train at all! Abs hold everything else up!

Abs, forearms and calves are not like every other muscle in the body at all... can be trained every day if need be.

Dont need any more than good sets of bodyweight exercises to get decent abs.

Muel - Do these 7 every day, morning and night, i bet you in two weeks if you do this you'll be able to do at least ten

I'll give it a bash.

Do Bench Presses/Press-Ups do the same sort of thing? Because my bench press is really bad, my mate who is two years younger than me and 2 and a half stone lighter can do 50, while I can only do 40ish.

[manxrider]

I meant a weight plate, as in what you put on the bar lol.

But squats and deadlifts will do enough for your abs anyway.

pepperami.. what makes them different? surely all muscle needs time to recover?

Edited April 24, 2008 by manxrider

[Peperami]

If sit-ups/ leg raises didnt do much, id say incorrect form or not squeezing with your abs enough were the reasons, rather than any fault of the exercise.

On leg raises dont let your body come off the floor, and really concentrate on keeping everything strict, rather than just going for numbers. Same drill with sit-ups too fella. Elbows out and to floor, elbows in and to kness (no need to go any higher) and squeeze the abs on every set when you come up, up down up down...

Clap press-ups will work explosive strength (which i guess may be good for trials ) but at the risk of face planting and damaging muscles should you land incorrectly, lol. On that note, always look ahead when you do press-ups...

Edited April 24, 2008 by Peperami

[Muel]

Is there any way I can sort out my situps? When i do them I roll really badly on my tail bone and it hurts a lot. Is there something else I could do instead?