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[ { "answer_id": 41338, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Larger muscles can take more of a beating while smaller muscles can take less. Whether or not it's more beneficial depends on your experience and training. You don't want to overtrain a muscle either. Training too much can cause less results or even ruin your workout unless your advanced See below:</p>\n\n<p>Large muscles such as chest and quads: 120 reps a week max is generally recommended. This can be split up in 4 3x10 exercises or however you see fit. Smaller isolation exercises such ss flyes can be added sometimes without sacrificing anything.</p>\n\n<p>Smaller muscle groups 30 to 60 reps a week. You don't want to hit these too hard, especially since they get worked by compound exercises.</p>\n\n<p>Accessory muscles such as calves, forearms, or core-these can be more frequent since they are type I muscles, but 3 times a week, a couple exercises each should do it.. and should be close to the max you do.</p>\n\n<p>These are not solid rules.. the more advanced you become you can add sets to build more muscle and use 5 or 6 sets instead of 3.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41974, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>All muscles are not equal. Different muscles have different purpose.\nThis is reflected eg. in their fiber type composition.\nFor instance the heart work continously.</p>\n\n<p>Abs can be trained every day. However keep in mind that they are also trained indirectly by the compund movements. </p>\n\n<p>Quads can be trained often.\nOne should ideally squat maybe 3 x a week.</p>\n\n<p>You need little volume to train your chest. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41975, "author": "GYo", "author_id": 33251, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33251", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Any muscle group can benefit from increased exercise frequency. However you may end up sacrificing intensity for volume. For example: you could squat everyday, but you won't be able to max out everyday since your muscles would still be recovering. Therefore I think your question alludes to another which asks - what are your goals and reasons for exercise? If your goal is to lift heavy and join a powerlifting meet, your exercise program would be very different than say if you are conditioning yourself to get through military selection.</p>\n\n<p>Your CNS and musculoskeletal system (which includes muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments) will try to adapt to the type of training you throw at it, and these performance adaptations are quite specific. If your goal is to do 1000 pushups everyday, then practice building up to that number each day would be a strategy. If your goal is to max out on bench press one day of the year at a meet, chances are there is no need to bench everyday during your training, and allowing more rest in between training days would allow you to recover and bench more weight and allow adaptation in that particular area. </p>\n\n<p>However one benefit of high frequency training is that you would most likely have to stretch more and learn to manage muscle knots and injury prevention. On top of that you have the chance to really nail down the movement pattern during this period of high frequency specialization. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41332", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32229/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41334, "author": "Dan", "author_id": 31045, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31045", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I've had this problem and overcame it to some extent. Here are some things that helped.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>Post-workout stretching. I never stretched after lifting, but I found that it was helpful on leg days. At the end of leg day I spend about 5 minutes stretching out quads, hamstrings, calved, hip flexors, and just stretching into a deep squat for about 30 seconds. I think this has really help cut down on sore days.</p></li>\n<li><p>Light recovery days. This is probably the most helpful. Instead of skipping a leg day because you are too sore, just do a light leg day where you take it slow and focus on form and really stretching out those sore muscles. e.g. for squat maybe do 60% of your max and do slow (even pause) reps where you really go deep into the squat. It will hurt, but it will help. Do a light leg press with a good stretch. Maybe skip the leg ext. if your quads are on fire and do some leg curls instead.\nThe key here is to do some lower body work even if it's light and even if it isn't very comfortable.</p></li>\n<li><p>Myofascial release (e.g. foam rolling). This actually didn't do much for me, but a lot of people swear by it, so I think it's a valid thing to try.</p></li>\n</ol>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41337, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Are you not used to heavy leg days? These are large muscle groups. One workout focused more on hamstrings while the other one more on quads. Do you notice being sore specifically after one?</p>\n\n<p>I have this same issue.. I have tight hip flexors that cause my quads to get overused, which makes them very sore. It could also be DOMS.. so to summarize:</p>\n\n<p>Possible causes:</p>\n\n<p>Tight hip flexors causing quads to take over the work from the other muscles</p>\n\n<p>DOMS </p>\n\n<p>Not use to the volume or frequency of leg exercises.</p>\n\n<p>How to prevent it:</p>\n\n<p>As long as it's not tight hip flexors which is an entirely separate issue.. doing a walk or light jog before hand along with a dynamic warmup with foam rolling before should help. Then after your workout use a foam roller and go for a 30 minute walk after. This has been proven to reduce soreness. If you're new to this type of training, try reducing the sets on some of your leg exercises, and if you need to even cut out one or two. Worst case scenario, switch to one leg day a week until you're use to it.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 43819, "author": "siyathma marasinghe", "author_id": 35250, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/35250", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>There are a few simple things you can do to avoid soreness in leg muscles after a workout. Personally, these are solutions that worked out for me.</p>\n<ol>\n<li>Doing a proper warmup session for at least 10-15 minutes.</li>\n<li>Make sure to cool down after you exercise as well, a few simple stretches should do the trick.</li>\n<li>Also, make sure to hydrate as this really helps you avoid any leg cramps (along with the stretching)</li>\n<li>After I go home from a work out session, I usually use a foam roller or a compression wrap. Foam rollers do help, however the results take a bit of time, whereas a pneumatic compression device definitely gives faster results.</li>\n<li>Most importantly, make sure you get rest days! Your muscles need proper time to heal and if not this could lead to serious injuries in the future. You could also mix in active recovery sessions where you include a few low-intensity workouts</li>\n</ol>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https://spryngme.com/blogs/fitness-health-and-wellness/tips-for-post-workout-recovery-for-women\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Spryng</a></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41333", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32437/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41334, "author": "Dan", "author_id": 31045, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31045", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I've had this problem and overcame it to some extent. Here are some things that helped.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>Post-workout stretching. I never stretched after lifting, but I found that it was helpful on leg days. At the end of leg day I spend about 5 minutes stretching out quads, hamstrings, calved, hip flexors, and just stretching into a deep squat for about 30 seconds. I think this has really help cut down on sore days.</p></li>\n<li><p>Light recovery days. This is probably the most helpful. Instead of skipping a leg day because you are too sore, just do a light leg day where you take it slow and focus on form and really stretching out those sore muscles. e.g. for squat maybe do 60% of your max and do slow (even pause) reps where you really go deep into the squat. It will hurt, but it will help. Do a light leg press with a good stretch. Maybe skip the leg ext. if your quads are on fire and do some leg curls instead.\nThe key here is to do some lower body work even if it's light and even if it isn't very comfortable.</p></li>\n<li><p>Myofascial release (e.g. foam rolling). This actually didn't do much for me, but a lot of people swear by it, so I think it's a valid thing to try.</p></li>\n</ol>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41337, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Are you not used to heavy leg days? These are large muscle groups. One workout focused more on hamstrings while the other one more on quads. Do you notice being sore specifically after one?</p>\n\n<p>I have this same issue.. I have tight hip flexors that cause my quads to get overused, which makes them very sore. It could also be DOMS.. so to summarize:</p>\n\n<p>Possible causes:</p>\n\n<p>Tight hip flexors causing quads to take over the work from the other muscles</p>\n\n<p>DOMS </p>\n\n<p>Not use to the volume or frequency of leg exercises.</p>\n\n<p>How to prevent it:</p>\n\n<p>As long as it's not tight hip flexors which is an entirely separate issue.. doing a walk or light jog before hand along with a dynamic warmup with foam rolling before should help. Then after your workout use a foam roller and go for a 30 minute walk after. This has been proven to reduce soreness. If you're new to this type of training, try reducing the sets on some of your leg exercises, and if you need to even cut out one or two. Worst case scenario, switch to one leg day a week until you're use to it.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 43819, "author": "siyathma marasinghe", "author_id": 35250, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/35250", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>There are a few simple things you can do to avoid soreness in leg muscles after a workout. Personally, these are solutions that worked out for me.</p>\n<ol>\n<li>Doing a proper warmup session for at least 10-15 minutes.</li>\n<li>Make sure to cool down after you exercise as well, a few simple stretches should do the trick.</li>\n<li>Also, make sure to hydrate as this really helps you avoid any leg cramps (along with the stretching)</li>\n<li>After I go home from a work out session, I usually use a foam roller or a compression wrap. Foam rollers do help, however the results take a bit of time, whereas a pneumatic compression device definitely gives faster results.</li>\n<li>Most importantly, make sure you get rest days! Your muscles need proper time to heal and if not this could lead to serious injuries in the future. You could also mix in active recovery sessions where you include a few low-intensity workouts</li>\n</ol>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https://spryngme.com/blogs/fitness-health-and-wellness/tips-for-post-workout-recovery-for-women\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Spryng</a></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41361", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/6321/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41381, "author": "Hemant Singh", "author_id": 32495, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32495", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I think to increase testosterone leg workout plays a major role. So don't ever skip leg day if you want to gain muscle and in leg workout squats, lunges and leg press are very important exercises.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42098, "author": "ΤεόΔικ.", "author_id": 33325, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33325", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Testosterone is produced by your testicles and in normal levels it doesnt do any damage. Low level of testosterone could be a sign of a disfunctional testicle or a varicocele.Each body type has different levels of testosterone. People that are close to mesomorph body type has higher testosterone. You can keep your testosterone levels high enough for your body type by reducing the sugar you receive. Sugar can reduce testosterone 25%.</p>\n<p>Training the big muscles of your body like glutes, quads, chest and back will help keeping your testosterone high. Using full body exercises like the deadlift or the Olympic lifting movements is proven that will help you reach the maximum testosterone levels that your body can produce naturally.</p>\n<p>The time of the day is also important. Researches have shown that we have higher level of testosterone in the morning after a 7-8 hours of sleep.</p>\n<p>Alcohol and smoking are testosterone killers.</p>\n<p>It is proven that a correct posture matters a lot in the testosterone production system.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 43559, "author": "Abraham", "author_id": 34897, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/34897", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I'm assuming that &quot;natural testosterone increase&quot; is not your actual goal. Rather you believe that more testosterone will help with something like muscle gain, hair growth, fat loss, psychological or sexual health,... Making T level an intermediate goal at best.</p>\n<h2>TLDR</h2>\n<p>I think that you should focus on your actual goals, whatever those may be.</p>\n<p>Here's why:</p>\n<ol>\n<li>&quot;Normal&quot; T levels for adult men is a pretty big range</li>\n<li>The evidence that higher T levels within the normal range will change much is, at best, not convincing</li>\n<li>Raising T levels is a complicated thing. Intense exercise that uses large amounts of muscle can raise your T by 15%. For about half an hour. And then will lower your T level for a couple of days. (cites below)</li>\n<li>There's not much evidence that either the raise or the lowering change much, in and of themselves</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>More detail</h2>\n<p>&quot;Normal&quot; T levels for adult men is a pretty big range. Bob could have 4 times as much as Fred, and they're both normal. What's more, the T that they have is likely to have about the same effect on them since T is autoregulated by increased levels leading to decreased sensitivity.</p>\n<p>Due to that autoregulation, there's some evidence that if you are within the normal range, additional T would have to be extreme to move the needle much. If you are below the normal range, additional T does seem to make a difference, but in that case it seems that you will likely need exogenous T, because if your body isn't making enough in the first place, exercise isn't likely to bump you up by enough to notice.</p>\n<p>People who are taking T without a doctor's supervision can easily have T ten times the high end of normal. That <em>does</em> make a difference, but it's also not the sort of thing that any amount/type of exercise will ever get you.</p>\n<p>Yes, every little bit helps, but as the first sentence of the Conclusion of <a href=\"https://elementssystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Vingrenetal2010SportsMedicineTestosteronePhysiologypaper.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Testosterone Physiology in Resistance Exercise and Training</a> states:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>As a hormone, circulating testosterone signalling resides within a multivariate system of anabolic signals for many different target tissues through the body, and the exact role of testosterone in the temporal timeframes of a resistance training programme are hard to pinpoint.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>They then go on to use a lot of words to say you can't ignore it, but we're not sure what, why, or how, but we're pretty sure it does <em>something</em>. Probably.</p>\n<p>Focus on your actual goals. Don't get hung up on how you get there.</p>\n<h2>Cites</h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Hakkinen K, Pakarinen A. Acute hormonal responses totwo different fatiguing heavy-resistance protocols in maleathletes. J Appl Physiol 1993 Feb; 74 (2): 882-760</li>\n<li>Koziris LP, Kraemer WJ, Gordon SE, et al. Effect of acutepostexercise ethanol intoxication on the neuroendocrine response to resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol 2000 Jan;88 (1): 165-72</li>\n<li><a href=\"https://elementssystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Vingrenetal2010SportsMedicineTestosteronePhysiologypaper.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Testosterone Physiology in Resistance Exercise and Training</a></li>\n</ol>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41362", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30860/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41371, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you're specifically looking for a liquid carbohydrate solution there are products on the market specifically made for this. You can simply search for <code>carbohydrate supplement</code> to find a product that you can purchase near you.</p>\n\n<p>Nutrition from real food is always your best bet and maybe there are a few other options you can add beside brown rice:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Oats</li>\n<li>Bananas</li>\n<li>Chickpeas</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>A second thing to consider, because I made this mistake, is that there is a big nutritional difference when you consider <em>uncooked</em> and <em>cooked</em> rice. If you're measuring 100 g of <em>uncooked</em> rice, cooking it, and then eating it, make sure you're counting your macros as 100 g of <em>uncooked</em> rice. Otherwise, reweigh the <em>cooked</em> rice for you macros.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.eatthismuch.com/food/nutrition/brown-rice,4804/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><em>Uncooked</em> rice</a>: 76 g of carbs per 100 g.</li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.eatthismuch.com/food/nutrition/brown-rice,4805/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><em>Cooked</em> rice</a>: 24 g of carbs per 100 g.</li>\n</ul>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41373, "author": "DeeV", "author_id": 21868, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21868", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>I know that just drinking soda or juice is not a suitable way to get carbs since the lack of fiber will cause the sugar to be stored as fat.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I'm not sure where that came from. Fiber can't be digested as easily as complex or simple carbs. That's usually why people subtract them from the total amount of carbs (though I don't do this. It just complicates things.) </p>\n\n<p>Non-fibrous carbs go to glycogen, some go to help build muscle, and some to fat regardless of fiber composition of the total meal. The body decides what goes where depending on necessity.</p>\n\n<p>Total daily fiber requirements for the average adult, male human is about 25-30g of fiber a day (some sources say as much as 40g). So most of your carb sources should have fiber for this reason, but you can pad out the rest of your carbs with anything once you hit this.</p>\n\n<p>I like apple juice or sweet tea. Flavored coffee syrups go great with coffee, and you can also mix them in other things. </p>\n\n<p>Oatmeal is a great carbs source for this reason. It's very bland on its own. You can add sugar, honey, fruit punch powder packet, or flavored syrup to it to enhance it with carbs without touching your other macros. It's also very fibrous on its own so you can mix fiber with carbs.</p>\n\n<p>I also do know people who like the Vitamix solution. Sometimes eating a massive amount of fruit is cumbersome. I'm not sure you should buy one just for this reason though.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41368", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/28224/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41371, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you're specifically looking for a liquid carbohydrate solution there are products on the market specifically made for this. You can simply search for <code>carbohydrate supplement</code> to find a product that you can purchase near you.</p>\n\n<p>Nutrition from real food is always your best bet and maybe there are a few other options you can add beside brown rice:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Oats</li>\n<li>Bananas</li>\n<li>Chickpeas</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>A second thing to consider, because I made this mistake, is that there is a big nutritional difference when you consider <em>uncooked</em> and <em>cooked</em> rice. If you're measuring 100 g of <em>uncooked</em> rice, cooking it, and then eating it, make sure you're counting your macros as 100 g of <em>uncooked</em> rice. Otherwise, reweigh the <em>cooked</em> rice for you macros.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.eatthismuch.com/food/nutrition/brown-rice,4804/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><em>Uncooked</em> rice</a>: 76 g of carbs per 100 g.</li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.eatthismuch.com/food/nutrition/brown-rice,4805/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><em>Cooked</em> rice</a>: 24 g of carbs per 100 g.</li>\n</ul>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41373, "author": "DeeV", "author_id": 21868, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21868", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>I know that just drinking soda or juice is not a suitable way to get carbs since the lack of fiber will cause the sugar to be stored as fat.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I'm not sure where that came from. Fiber can't be digested as easily as complex or simple carbs. That's usually why people subtract them from the total amount of carbs (though I don't do this. It just complicates things.) </p>\n\n<p>Non-fibrous carbs go to glycogen, some go to help build muscle, and some to fat regardless of fiber composition of the total meal. The body decides what goes where depending on necessity.</p>\n\n<p>Total daily fiber requirements for the average adult, male human is about 25-30g of fiber a day (some sources say as much as 40g). So most of your carb sources should have fiber for this reason, but you can pad out the rest of your carbs with anything once you hit this.</p>\n\n<p>I like apple juice or sweet tea. Flavored coffee syrups go great with coffee, and you can also mix them in other things. </p>\n\n<p>Oatmeal is a great carbs source for this reason. It's very bland on its own. You can add sugar, honey, fruit punch powder packet, or flavored syrup to it to enhance it with carbs without touching your other macros. It's also very fibrous on its own so you can mix fiber with carbs.</p>\n\n<p>I also do know people who like the Vitamix solution. Sometimes eating a massive amount of fruit is cumbersome. I'm not sure you should buy one just for this reason though.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41369", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27147/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41385, "author": "FenryrMKIII", "author_id": 25426, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Complicated question and I fear no definite answer. Depends on your recovery capacity, your genetics, ...</p>\n\n<p>You can find some information about how to optimize your hybrid training (endurance &amp; strength) by searching through google with terms like mTor or AMPK pathway. You can also read alex viada \"Hybrid Athlete\" book which may help you go faster in making your training routine.</p>\n\n<p>However, don't forget to include the most important variable : yourself. You are the only one who sees himself everyday, who feels himself every time and can therefore judge what works and what does not. When to increase the load and when to decrease. </p>\n\n<p>I am a firm believer you can definitely achieve good results in strength and endurance. However, I am also a firm believer than you can't reach very high level results (understand : be among the bests) in both fields. At some point, to increase your performance, you have to tax your system so much that you could not withstand doing this in both fields. You would in the end be in overtraining and lose on both sides because you would not be able to recover properly. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41387, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The number one culprit is probably your diet. I eat 5 to 6 meals a day while some people eat every two hours. Eating 2 meals or 3 meals, large or not may be wasting calories as your body can obl process so much before converting to fat. Your muscles are then hungry the rest of the day. Even if you didn't run I'd suggest eating a lot more and upping your calories. Cardio is fine but typically the magic number is no more than 3 times a week if you're doing moderate to high intensity(running, jogging, jump roping). Walking is fine. Excess cardio can be known to ruin muscle but if you stick to 3 times a week and eat a lot of calories(plus even more to make up for what your cardio is burning).. then you will be ok.</p>\n\n<p>If you're a beginner than you could be overtraining as you need to slowly build up that intensity. Otherwise this is fine</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41383", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7884/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41406, "author": "Chris ", "author_id": 30383, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30383", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Just something to think about: Burpees are a controversial movement. They are, as you mention, very hard, and they are also very hard on your body. Many people don't believe the payoffs of the exercise justify the cost. At 1:24 in this <a href=\"https://www.backfitpro.com/strength-chat-episode-68-professor-stuart-mcgill/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">interview</a> the spine expert Stuart McGill discusses burpees. He points out that the movement does not mimic anything in athletics. Another problem with burpees is that, in practice, nobody does them well. Go to the gym and observe people doing their burpees; you will see terrible form. For example, people fail to stand all the way up between repetitions (because they get lazy), and as a result they are training their body to slouch. Burpees might be good for 14 year old girls with their supple spines, but as we get older they become less appropriate. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41407, "author": "Sean Duggan", "author_id": 8039, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>From a physiological standpoint, going from the plank to the squat requires you to hold a significant amount of bodyweight over your shoulders, and is bringing your abdomen into a compressed position that can naturally drive your wind out of you. Compare that to the pushup, which has the weight distributed between your hands and feet, or the moving to plank, where you're uncompressing your torso. Add to that many people lack the flexibility to be able to easy bring their feet up to their hands without lifting it, and you've basically added the need to be able to push yourself up enough off the ground to land in the squat, unlike the pushing out, where you can kind of more fall backwards.</p>\n\n<p>The best way to practice the movement is to isolate it. If you need to make it a bit easier at first, elevate your hands a bit using a bench or a platform. Mountain-climbers may also help a bit for improving your flexibility and getting used to your diaphragm being compressed in the movement.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41412, "author": "Chris ", "author_id": 30383, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30383", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>@Claudix The fact that you have gone to the effort of writing to this board with your concern tells me something clearly: Your body does not like Burpees. Specifically, it does not like the part passing from the plank position to squat. This is a warning sign. Will you listen to your body before you get hurt? I gather from your question that you are doing Cross Fit. If you are, then I would recommend the following: Suppose the group is doing forty Burpees. I recommend that you do forty air squat leaps in the time they do twenty Burpees. Then go down to the floor and do forty pushup in the time they do the next twenty Burpees. You finish the exercise with everybody else, but you avoid that leap from plank to squat. Problem solved. The question is, do you have the courage to be different from the group? Can you do what is right for you body instead of following the herd? Let me know how it goes.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41418, "author": "michael", "author_id": 939, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/939", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Getting up is harder than the push-up because work, by the physics definition, is \"the product of force and displacement\". In other words, you are moving more weight over a greater distance when getting up than you are when doing the push-up. It would take any machine (human or otherwise) more energy to stand up than to do a push up.</p>\n\n<p>Burpees are exhausting, that is the exact reason to do them. Do not listen to those who tell you not to do hard things because they are hard. When you do hard things, you get stronger and they become easier. That is why you joined a crossfit gym. Stick with it, (do more burpees on your own time!) and you will look back in 6 months and be amazed by your improvement.</p>\n\n<p>I have been doing crossfit for 10 years (32-42). Although I was very athletic before, and even played competitive high school and college sports, I am stronger and fitter than I have ever been, and I continue to improve in my 40s. I would easily beat my 18 year old self in anything.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41405", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32524/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41420, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I believe the overall consensus is that building straight muscle mass <em>without</em> weights is less effective.</p>\n\n<p>Here's a nice comparison of <a href=\"https://www.shreddedcore.com/calisthenics-vs-weight-training/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">weight training vs callisthenics</a>.</p>\n\n<p>My summary of it is the following:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Building muscle mass requires <code>progressive overload</code> and a proper <code>diet</code>.</li>\n<li>Progressive overload is achieved in weight training by adding more weights. </li>\n<li>Progressive overload in callisthenics is achieved by performing easier variations of an exercise and progressing to harder variations of the movement (e.g. wall pushups > chair pushups > knee pushups > pushups > advanced pushups).</li>\n<li>Bodyweight workouts have a barrier to entry, in other words, you need to be in shape a bit, to begin with (very hard to perform push-ups if you're overweight). You can overcome this by performing easier variations of the exercise as per the previous point.</li>\n<li>Building muscle with callisthenics is <em>not impossible</em> just different.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Does using weights allow you to build muscle faster[?]</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Yes.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>[Can] you build muscle at a similar speed without using weights?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Potentially, up to a muscular ceiling.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>I believe these types of questions arise from individuals who don't have access to a gym or the equipment needed to do weight training. If you're interested in building muscle mass and have access to a gym, I strongly suggest going. If you don't have access, for any reason, you can still do weighted workouts from home. You don't need an entire expensive home gym.</p>\n\n<p>Find your favourite <code>bodyweight home workout</code> and just start there. Get in the habit of performing it. While you're starting that, get your eating on point.</p>\n\n<p>Now that you're getting your eating on point, you've got a left over jug of milk. Fill it with water. Got a back-pack? Fill it with heavy books. Boom, weight. Change those bodyweight squats to goblet squats. Start adding in some bicep curls and one arm rows too. Push-ups can become weighted push-ups.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41460, "author": "WPWPWP", "author_id": 27691, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27691", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Sprinting contributes to hypertrophy and can be done as a complement, supplement, or alternative to training in a gym or with <em>the equipment needed to do weight training</em>.</p>\n\n<p>(Added on 22 January 2020): Sprint training will add muscle mass in two key ways:</p>\n\n<p>First, sprinting targets Type II or ‘fast twitch’ muscle fibers in the legs. These fibers are associated with increases in muscle size and mass. Studies show that for this reason alone, sprint training can increase muscle size and strength.</p>\n\n<p>Second, sprinting has been shown to increase protein synthesis and growth hormone production; both of which are essential for recovery and growth.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41417", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32424/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41444, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>To give one of my favourite answers... it depends.</p>\n\n<p>As a student, price is probably one of your main concerns, and if they're doing what you want them to do, then stick with the one you're using.</p>\n\n<p>My friend buys his in bulk from either Bulk Powders or MyProtein (UK based), and they do him fine. They help him hit his protein goals and help reduce muscle soreness after a training session.</p>\n\n<p>For myself, I've found that the cheaper brands that he uses can play havoc with my digestive system. I never figured out what it was in them that caused issues, it could be an intolerance to whey, it could be the sweeteners they use in some, it might be that I'm celiac and there's something in the packing process that contaminates them beyond my ability to tolerate. Whatever it is, I pay more for a vegan blend I've found that only uses a few ingredients and causes me no issues. For me, the extra money is worth it.</p>\n\n<p>It could be that you find you can get your protein requirements in by buying cheap cuts of meat (the secret is to cook them for a loooooong time), tinned fish (I'd recommend sardines, not tuna) or cans of chickpeas if you're that way inclined, in which case, the protein powder probably isn't worth it to you.</p>\n\n<p>I'd recommend experimenting (I think most companies do samples of protein powder fairly cheap), you might find that you're willing to pay a little more for one that tastes better.</p>\n\n<p>(Just don't try unflavoured hemp protein, it's honestly one of the most disgusting things I've ever tried to stomach, plus when I dropped some on a tea towel, it bleached the colour out of it. I find that concerning.)</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41452, "author": "Dude", "author_id": 32346, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32346", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Firstly it's hard to answer your question based on the information provided as it only asks about higher versus lower prices and not about the types of protein you are looking at. Pricing for any products can be decided for a number of reasons and the most common being perceived value. That being said price alone doesn't necessarily determine the quality of the product especially in the supplement industry with so many competing products all boasting to be the best quality and very few standards that are easily measured by consumers. </p>\n\n<p>As far as my recommendation for protein I would suggest looking at egg based protein powders. Eggs are the most complete form of protein and compared to whey of any quality will be superior as most whey proteins are of cheap quality despite marketing around them. All the best. Stay strong!</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41433", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/28937/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41453, "author": "Alec", "author_id": 8828, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>A program should be switched out when you feel like you're hitting a plateau, and are no longer progressing. If your program doesn't have a \"here's what you do if you plateau\", then switch it out.</p>\n\n<p>As ever, variation is key, which means that unless your program has built-in variation for when progress stagnates, every program is only temporary.</p>\n\n<p>It sounds like you could benefit from using the same program for another 3 months at least.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41455, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The quick answer is either \"When you've reached the end of the program\" or \"When you're not longer progressing or your goals change\".</p>\n\n<p>I don't know anything about the program you're following, so I'm going to address two different types of programs and introduce a concept by Dan John, bus bench and park bench programs.</p>\n\n<p>The two different types of programs are likened to, as you may guess by the names, park benches and bus benches. When you sit on a park bench, you're probably just taking in nature, relaxing, looking around and taking your time. You have no set schedule, if Skippy the squirrel comes along to say hi, great, if he doesn't, then tomorrow is another day. When you sit on a bus bench, you're (usually) waiting for a bus, you expect it to arrive at a set time and take you where you want to go. It's a much more structured thing.</p>\n\n<p>A bus bench program is one where you have a definite goal in mind. Drop 10 lbs, prep for a lifting meet, step on stage oiled up in your underwear (otherwise known as a bodybuilding contest). These are the programs that are tough, designed to be run for a limited period and are, unfortunately, what most people think of when they talk about training. They're programs like the <a href=\"https://stronglifts.com/smolov/#gref\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Smolov Squat program</a> or <a href=\"https://www.lift.net/workout-routines/ed-coan-deadlift-routine/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Ed Coan's Deadlift Routine</a>.</p>\n\n<p>To quote Alice in Wonderland </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>“Begin at the beginning,\" the King said, very gravely, \"and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>When you reach the end of one of these programs, stop and change to something else (a park bench program).</p>\n\n<p>A park bench program would be something that you do for a longer, indeterminate period. It's something that allows you to gradually improve without burning you out at all. It's the un-sexy, reasonable program that trainers couldn't charge £29.99 for because it's not deemed tough or extreme enough. Something like Dan John's Easy Strength program, Jim Wendler's 5/3/1, Starting Strength or StrongLifts 5x5. </p>\n\n<p>These programs are never really \"finished\", they could potentially go on forever, or until you hit a plateau (most do include a way to break plateaus, though they're not always successful). If your lifts haven't gone up for a while, you're not adding reps and you can't seem to get past it, then it might be time to look at other options.</p>\n\n<p>Several authors recommend taking a couple of periods a year to test yourself, be it a competition, stepping on stage or doing a more balls to the wall, short term program (a bus bench program). </p>\n\n<p>Another reason might be simply that your goals have changed. Starting Strength, while a good program, does tend to lack (from memory) any form of conditioning work or direct arm work, so if you wake up one day and realise you're pretty strong, but don't look that good at the beach, your goal may change to that of a more aesthetic one from a strength one.</p>\n\n<p>There are also the changes by necessity (injury, new arrival in the family, new job, etc), but hopefully most people are smart enough to realise those by themselves. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41449", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31822/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42450, "author": "BrieAnna Spatarella", "author_id": 22002, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/22002", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>RMR(/BMR) is determined by various factors such as your sex, genetics and age. Even the size of your internal organs play a role in metabolic burn rate <a href=\"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022732\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This study</a>, in particular, found that “43% of differences between people’s metabolic rates can be explained by organ size.”</p>\n<p>That being said, <strong>the largest determiner of your RMR is your <em>TOTAL</em> body mass</strong>. Fat cells <em>DO</em> also contribute to that, but the reason we default to studies about strength training (ST) to increase RMR is because every pound of muscle burns roughly ~6 calories per day at rest, compared to 1lb fat which only burns ~2 calories per day <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139779/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">(calculation studies referenced)</a>.</p>\n<p>Therefore – having more muscle mass is a way to increase your metabolic rate, and strength training in our exercise routine is how we can achieve building this muscle to contribute to +RMR.</p>\n<p>In regard to your question, a specific numerical amount of strength training sessions per week isn’t the ultimate factor to measure or focus on, but rather the pace of change in your body composition (fat% vs muscle%) may be more relevant.</p>\n<p>Since there are so many varying factors from individual to individual when it comes to this, it’s best to consult with a trainer and nutrition specialist to determine the specific amount of ST sessions that will be most effective to your metabolic needs.</p>\n<p><strong>The TL;DR</strong></p>\n<p><strong>RMR is largely determined by your total body mass. Because muscle mass burns approximately 3 times more than fat mass, strength training is a great way to increase your RMR (by converting fat mass to lean muscle mass) + losing fat mass. However, specific amounts of training sessions per week to achieve a 7% increase in RMR will vary greatly on independent factors.</strong></p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42455, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p><em>The acute increase in Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) observed in response to strength training persists for between 24 and <a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cardio-vs-weights-for-weight-loss#section3\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">38 hours</a>, indicating that we would need to train from between 4.5 (or 9 times per fortnight) and 7 days per week in order to maintain this elevated level!</em></p>\n<p>The 7% increase observed in <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11283427/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this study</a>—9% for men and 4% for women—was <em>not</em>, of course, the consequence of an increase in muscle mass, but is believed to be associated with hormonal changes relating with repair and recovery. And although the value is not insignificant, it equates to just 660 kJ (~155 Cal) per day for men, and 220 kJ (~55 Cal) for women. For men, that is roughly equivalent to a <a href=\"https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-of-leisure-and-routine-activities\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">half-hour walk</a>. The training workload, itself, would contribute more to the subjects' daily energy expenditure.</p>\n<p>More persistent gains can be made with ongoing strength training producing an increase in fat-free mass (FFM)—muscle. <a href=\"https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2014216#:%7E:text=Conclusions%3A,in%20FFM%20and%20thyroid%20hormones.\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">One study</a> observed an average ~5% increase in RMR after a 9-month resistance training regimen, which could be explained partially by the consequent increase in muscle. Such permanent changes are commonly promoted as the benefit of strength training over aerobic endurance training. But unfortunately, these are also limited: skeletal muscle contributes just <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2980962/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">54 kJ (13 Cal) per kilogram per day</a> (kJ/kg/d) to our RMR, compared with 440 kJ/kg/d for cardiac and kidney tissue, 240 kJ/kg/d for the brain, and 200 kJ/kg/d for the liver. Given that <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12080449/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">the average (median) height-adjusted Fat-Free Mass Index (AdjFFMI) of untrained men and women is 18.9 and 15.4 kilogram metres (kg.m)</a>, respectively, and given also that <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30985525/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">the AdjFFMI for the average (male) college-level athlete was found to be 22.8 kg.m</a>, we can fairly assume that most people—anticipating that they will <em>not</em> train to professional level—will be limited to about 14 kgs (30 lbs) of muscle gain, with a great deal of genetically-determined variance either way, of course. This upper limit equates to 665 kJ (182 Cal) per day, and considerably less for women. Thus, strength training has the potential to increase our RMR by ~800-1,300 kJ (~200-300 Cal) per day, accounting for both increases in FFM and hormonal changes from regular training—an energy expenditure that would be matched or exceeded by an hour-per-day strength training commitment.</p>\n<p><em>There is no doubt that strength training and muscle mass have a positive influence on our RMR, but the common belief that it is comparable to aerobic endurance training is supported neither by theory nor empirical observation. The literature consistently reports that aerobic endurance training results in (many times) greater fat loss than strength training, with strength training contributing either very little to fat loss, or <a href=\"https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01370.2011#T2\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">an amount that is statistically insignificant</a>.</em></p>\n<p>In contrast to strength training, aerobic endurance training is continuous, yielding far greater energy consumption per unit time. And although <a href=\"http://www.unm.edu/%7Errobergs/478RMRtraining.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">it does not result in the increases in RMR</a> that are observed with strength training, it is subject to Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14692598/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">which has both short-term (&lt; 2 hours) and long-term (up to 48 hours) effects</a>, <a href=\"https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200333140-00002\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">which are a function of exercise intensity</a>. In terms of its <em>potential</em>, even a moderate Functional Threshold Power (FTP) of 200 Watts, for example, would result in an energy expenditure of 3,600 kJ (860 Cal) for an hour's effort, plus perhaps as much as 10% more for EPOC. Moreover, aerobic endurance can be trained every day without the need for physical recovery. Tour de France riders consume, on average, 25,000 kJ (~6,000 Cal) for every day of competition, with the maximum of around 36,000 kJ per day for the outliers. These sorts of figures are simply not possible to achieve with strength training.</p>\n<p><em>So in conclusion, strength training once per week (or even three times) will unfortunately have a negligible effect on fat loss. The evidence clearly demonstrates that aerobic endurance training is many times more effective in reducing body fat.</em></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41457", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41470, "author": "Raditz_35", "author_id": 26480, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/26480", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p>this is going to be short and lack some explanations because I don't have a decent keyboard right now, but this is what I would do:</p>\n\n<p>1) train legs twice a week with those deadlifts. Legs are the #1 thing to getting stronger. Deadlifts and squats will additionally work your entire body. Your core, your grip, your back, even your shoulders. That's what you need to pick up those weights.</p>\n\n<p>2) do farmer walks. Grip dumbbells and move instead of just standing there.</p>\n\n<p>3) don't go to failure on most lifts, especially compound lifts.</p>\n\n<p>4) google \"progressive overload\". Use it in those farmer walks to get better at holding Dumbbells and so on</p>\n\n<p>Once you know the basics, once you have enough strength, you should be able to lift more. If you absolutely have to focus on unpacking dumbbells, apply progressive overload: lift heavier weights as you progress. This will make lighter weights seem lighter</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41471, "author": "Danyal", "author_id": 32588, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32588", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you want the 28kg DBs to feel as light as the 16kg ones or what you are used to right now, you need to train to be able move much heavier weights than 28kg.</p>\n\n<p>This is how it works, a lot of the strength is limited by mental strength, your body has to percieve how heavy a weight must be so it can prep your body for it. Once you do something heavier than before, your body has a new limit, the previous weight won't seem as heavy as before but the new weight will feel heavy.</p>\n\n<p>So if your limit is 1kg, and it feels difficult to hold, and you train yourself constantly and reach a limit of 3g, that previous limit is going to feel really light now. Your body is acclimated to a much higher weight now.</p>\n\n<p>So, in short, if you want the 28kg dumbbell to feel as light as 16kg is for you right now, then train your body with heavier and heavier weight until you reach a 40-50kg limit. For example, if you are benching with 50kg dumbells, 28kg is going to feel like nothing, that's just 60% of your max training weight.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41475, "author": "wow12345678", "author_id": 32595, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32595", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I've read through the question and most of the answers and comments. Essentially, if you want 28kg to feel easier or lighter, you will need to get stronger. This is the only way. There have been numerous answers and comments telling you this and some great suggestions on how to do this. E.g.not lifting to failure.</p>\n\n<p>However as you've said multiple times yourself, you don't want to do any training that's remotely outside of the strict ideas you have about bodybuilding. You don't want to change any of your training or exercises. So i'm having a lot of trouble understanding why you could possibly think that you'll find 28kg lighter by not changing a single thing about your workout.</p>\n\n<p>This is a quote from yourself: \"I don't want to do powerlifting (\"when it comes to getting stronger\" -> that's not my aim), I only do bodybuilding\". </p>\n\n<p>If i take this quote into consideration and you have absolutely no desire to get stronger. The answer to your question \"how can i make a 28kg dumbell feel like a 16kg dumbell?\" is: You can't. If you don't want to get stronger, it will never feel any lighter than it does currently.</p>\n\n<p>I guess the only solution for you is to buy weightlifting straps.</p>\n\n<p>As a side note, you come here looking for an answer. Got an answer that you didn't like, and then assumed everyone was wrong rather than trying to take on board peoples advice and trying to adapt it to your own personal training style.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41469", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27959/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41484, "author": "David Scarlett", "author_id": 25681, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25681", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>You're probably finding conflicting information because assessing whether an exercise works a specific muscle is not a binary question, as muscles can be involved to different degrees, and so it comes down to the author's choice and interpretation whether a muscle's involvement is significant enough to include it in the list of muscles involved in an exercise. For example, the calf muscles absolutely must be active during the squat, but squats will never stress them to anywhere near an amount that would be required to drive an adaptation in those muscles, so squats are generally not considered a calf exercise.</p>\n\n<p>The most sensible way around this problem is to just stop worrying about it, and perform a variety of exercises without focussing on any individual muscle unless you have a need to drive hypertrophy in a specific muscle for bodybuilding competition purposes. But that doesn't seem to be the case here, as pec minor is not a superficial muscle and could not possibly even be seen by a bodybuilding judge. There are 640 skeletal muscles in the human body and it is absolutely futile to try to account for them. Just focus on movements.</p>\n\n<p>Also, if your apps or other resources say that pullovers only hit the pec major and serratus anterior, and fail to mention the latissimus dorsi (the primary muscle involved in the pullover) then those resources are indeed unreliable and you should probably stop using them.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41494, "author": "FenryrMKIII", "author_id": 25426, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you really desire to know which muscle is the most activated, you can do that by performing an EMG. But it's no easy matter and equipment is not cheap. Maybe you could participate to a study in a university or something. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41482", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32131/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41493, "author": "FenryrMKIII", "author_id": 25426, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Pain comes from somewhere. You have to understand (and get someone to help you understand) what is causing the pain. Is it something in the ligaments ? Muscles ? Bones ? Is it a muscle imbalance ? Is it simply being unused to exercising ? Should you first go for low impact (e.g. bike) exercises before switching to running ? Should you concurrently strengthen your legs &amp; muscles surrounding your knee so that the muscles take the impact and not your knee ? </p>\n\n<p>Lots of things to look at and no easy \"cookie recipe\". Find someone you can trust to analyze your overall body and pinpoint the potential issues. Finding that kind of person is not so easy from my experience. Even people with nice diploma are sometimes not implied enough to really find the underlying issues and just give you some pain medication and \"cookie recipe\". Avoid them and find one that truly is interested in helping you in a personnalized manner. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41799, "author": "JohnP", "author_id": 3736, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/3736", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Unfortunately, we can't tell you the reason for your knee pain. It may be physical, it may be equipment (poor fitting/worn out shoes, etc) or something else. I would recommend getting with a trainer and/or physical therapist to help figure out the cause.</p>\n\n<p>There are many exercises you can do that don't put that kind of stress on the knee, however. Swimming is one, that is almost entirely non weight bearing, and is an excellent cardio option. Another may be a properly fitted bike. While that involves knee movement, it's nowhere near as weight bearing as walking/running. </p>\n\n<p>Ergonomic rowers or actual sculls, all the weight machines and some HIIT exercises are all options as well. And, as you get stronger, you may find that your knee pain lessens too. If you do consult with a physical trainer, make sure to ask them for a list of good exercises to work on weight. </p>\n\n<p>Finally, weight lifting is one of the best methods to transform weight. Don't be so focused on the scale, as the mirror. Muscle weighs more than fat, so initially you may lose a lot of weight (Depending on your start point), and then gain some back as you add muscle. But, muscle burns more calories to maintain, so more muscle = more calorie loss.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41485", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/2593/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41508, "author": "FenryrMKIII", "author_id": 25426, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Simple workout log is one.\nBeyond the whiteboard is another one. </p>\n\n<p>However, none answers my personal needs. If a willing web developer comes here, I would be willing to speak with him about my ideas for developing a website behaving like a true fitness journal</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41509, "author": "DeeV", "author_id": 21868, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21868", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>You may be able to handle something like this with FitNotes. It allows you to add custom exercises and it graphs the progression of that individual exercise over time. This includes max weight, max volume, estimated 1rm, max reps, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head.</p>\n\n<p>So in this case you'd add an exercise like \"Barbell Squat: 10s drop set\". Set it as a leg exercise (or whatever category you want. You can add custom categories too). Then set it for a weights/reps schema. You'll just then log the weights and reps you do. It'll tell you when you get rep PRs and track the history.</p>\n\n<p>You can't log rest times though. It only works because it's 10 seconds each time. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41510, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I have my workout programmed into Google Sheets. It is an excel clone. It is fairly easy to format and set up on the computer and then I can see it on my phone through the Google Sheets app at the gym.</p>\n\n<p>Once you have your data in an excel format you can make whatever graphs you want. Granted, this would require more input on your end.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41503", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27959/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42242, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Humans are like horses, we have different means of fast movement. </p>\n\n<p>They have: trots, lopes and gallops </p>\n\n<p>We have: jogs,skips, running and sprints.\nOur bodies eventually get used to the stress and improve with time, but some gaits are prefered over others. </p>\n\n<p>Skipping can be preferable for people how are worried about the impact of their movements - <a href=\"https://enell.com/blogs/blog/it-s-time-to-skip-your-workout-skipping-is-better-than-walking-and-running\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">source</a></p>\n\n<p>It is also a better option when it comes to burning calories - <a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-you-should-skip-for-exercise-instead-of-run#:~:text=The%20average%20peak%20force%20on,than%20runners%2C%20the%20study%20found.\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">source</a></p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42260, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>When starting out, we so commonly jump straight into running. This is natural, perhaps, since we all remember running around so effortlessly when we were young children. But it is so easy to forget that we also skipped, jumped, climbed trees, and suspended and swung ourselves on the monkey bars, too. Few of us can do these things without risk as we get older, unless we have built up to them. The reason is simple: if we do not maintain vigorous or strenuous physical activity continuously throughout our lives, our size outgrows our physical capacity.</p>\n\n<p>So even though you may not be physically heavy relative to the average, you may still be heavy in relation to your current physical strength. That is, you may have poor <em>relative</em> muscle, tendon, and ligament (joint) strength. <em>And this is normal.</em></p>\n\n<p>Contrary to the way we commonly think of it, running is <em>very</em> physically demanding. <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6336327/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Peak ground reaction forces are typically 2–3 times body weight, while peak forces on the tibia (lower leg) are typically 6–14 times body weight</a>! It is natural that you would feel ‘heavy’ when you run, if you have not been running consistently for a significant period of time.</p>\n\n<p><em>So what can you do about it?</em></p>\n\n<p>The obvious answer is to build your running volume up slowly until such time that it begins to feel more comfortable and manageable. But I would like to suggest something that is rarely considered.</p>\n\n<p>In contrast to how we commonly view it, running is a moderately-advanced exercise. As such, it is often better to begin with a foundation exercise—in this case, <em>walking</em>. Walking conditions all of the same muscles and structures, but without the impact (peak loads) that running applies. <em>And good walkers make good runners.</em></p>\n\n<p>The pace you should strive for depends on your height and leg length; however, it should be punchy, but comfortable and sustainable. You should take long strides and keep the legs turning over rapidly. Your target speed should be between ~6.5 km/h (9.23 min/km) if you are ~150 centimetres (5') and ~8 km/h (7.5 min/km) if you are ~183 centimetres (6') tall. Different terrain (including uneven ground) and hills should be included between regular bouts in order to develop additional strength in the muscles and joints.</p>\n\n<p>Only once you can comfortably maintain your target pace for five kilometres or more, should you begin to alternate bouts of walking with running. Start with shorter distances, and lengthen them gradually as you feel the body is able to keep up. Skipping (jump-rope) can be useful as a supplement to further develop joint strength—particularly in the ankles.</p>\n\n<p><em>Needless to say, there are any number of ‘correct’ ways that you might approach this problem, but I hope this suggestion provides you with another perspective.</em></p>\n\n<p>Good luck!</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41516", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32634/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41525, "author": "Chris ", "author_id": 30383, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30383", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>It doesn't sound like a stretch, but rather just a simple movement. There isn't anything wrong with simple, mindful, gentle movement such as you are describing. That's what Tai Chi is, and might I say that Tai Chi has worked for quite few people. However, mindful movement shouldn't be confused with stretching. I would suggest that you ask this group leader what muscle is being stretched. If they are any good at what they do, then they should know enough anatomy that they can tell you exactly what muscle this is stretching. I would be very curious what their answer is.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41533, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The first part of your stretch sounds like <em>Talasana</em>, or the palm tree pose. I don't know of a name for the second stretch. I thought at first it sounded like a simple forearm stretch but I don't think that's the case.</p>\n\n<p>A good rule of thumb is if it causes pain: stop. I agree with other comments here -- this stretch really shouldn't hurt. If you have poor mobility or flexibility it might cause a bit of discomfort but not pain.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41524", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/15315/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41535, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I don't believe that <em>\"stop sweating\"</em> is a good goal simply because, as it stands, it isn't a <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria\" rel=\"noreferrer\">SMART</a> goal.</p>\n\n<p>You can absolutely train to reduce fat, lower your resting heart rate, and get better and faster at conquering those stairs. However, even the most experienced athletes start sweating at some point. Sweating is your body's natural method of cooling itself down.</p>\n\n<p>So, instead of saying <em>\"My goal is to stop sweating\"</em> I would challenge you to set a SMART goal, something like <em>\"My goal is to climb ten flights of stairs, three times a week\"</em> or <em>\"I will go on a 30-minute walk five times a week.\"</em> As you work toward that, three flights of stairs will become easier.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Before that point</strong>, you should consider approaching a doctor and getting some medical advice; a 90 bpm resting heart rate and 140/100 mmHg blood pressure are both high.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41574, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>This might not be the answer to the question you've actually asked, but there's too much to put in a comment, so I'm going to risk the downvotes.</p>\n\n<p>Your question suggests that you believe the sweating is being caused by being overweight and thus heating up faster, causing your body to produce sweat as a cooling mechanism. While this may well be the case, temperature regulation <a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/health/sweating-benefits#what-is-sweat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">isn't the only reason we sweat</a>, it also helps the body eliminate heavy metals and some chemicals.</p>\n\n<p>Anecdotally, I've found that my body tends to sweat more for a number of reasons, not directly involving exercise. If I have a couple of nights of bad sleep, I don't keep myself adequately hydrated, my diet goes a bit wonky (think, less vegetables, more package food), I notice myself sweating more.</p>\n\n<p>This is somewhat supported by some Googling around the subject.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://sleepeducation.org/news/2012/12/18/sleep-deprivation-disrupts-regulation-of-body-heat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Disrupted sleep leads to a disruption of thermoregulation</a>, which could cause you to sweat more as a compensatory mechanism. Likewise, ingesting more chemically laden food <em>may</em> also cause a disruption in thermoregulation as well as just causing your body to try and purge the chemicals it doesn't have any use for (I don't have any links for that, it's partly more a gut feel type thing and partly because I can't access some of the links on the network I'm on at the moment).</p>\n\n<p>So, instead of looking at exercise and \"getting fitter\" as a way to reduce sweating, it might be worth looking at your sleep and diet instead.</p>\n\n<p>This approach can have the added benefit of helping lose fat; to quote Josh Hillis</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <ul>\n <li>How much you weigh is determined by how many calories you eat. </li>\n <li>Your bodyfat percentage is determined by the quality of the food you eat.</li>\n </ul>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>That second point is the important one here.</p>\n\n<p>Plus, the lighter you are, the easier you should find it to climb stairs :)</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41530", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32656/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41535, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I don't believe that <em>\"stop sweating\"</em> is a good goal simply because, as it stands, it isn't a <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria\" rel=\"noreferrer\">SMART</a> goal.</p>\n\n<p>You can absolutely train to reduce fat, lower your resting heart rate, and get better and faster at conquering those stairs. However, even the most experienced athletes start sweating at some point. Sweating is your body's natural method of cooling itself down.</p>\n\n<p>So, instead of saying <em>\"My goal is to stop sweating\"</em> I would challenge you to set a SMART goal, something like <em>\"My goal is to climb ten flights of stairs, three times a week\"</em> or <em>\"I will go on a 30-minute walk five times a week.\"</em> As you work toward that, three flights of stairs will become easier.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Before that point</strong>, you should consider approaching a doctor and getting some medical advice; a 90 bpm resting heart rate and 140/100 mmHg blood pressure are both high.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41574, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>This might not be the answer to the question you've actually asked, but there's too much to put in a comment, so I'm going to risk the downvotes.</p>\n\n<p>Your question suggests that you believe the sweating is being caused by being overweight and thus heating up faster, causing your body to produce sweat as a cooling mechanism. While this may well be the case, temperature regulation <a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/health/sweating-benefits#what-is-sweat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">isn't the only reason we sweat</a>, it also helps the body eliminate heavy metals and some chemicals.</p>\n\n<p>Anecdotally, I've found that my body tends to sweat more for a number of reasons, not directly involving exercise. If I have a couple of nights of bad sleep, I don't keep myself adequately hydrated, my diet goes a bit wonky (think, less vegetables, more package food), I notice myself sweating more.</p>\n\n<p>This is somewhat supported by some Googling around the subject.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://sleepeducation.org/news/2012/12/18/sleep-deprivation-disrupts-regulation-of-body-heat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Disrupted sleep leads to a disruption of thermoregulation</a>, which could cause you to sweat more as a compensatory mechanism. Likewise, ingesting more chemically laden food <em>may</em> also cause a disruption in thermoregulation as well as just causing your body to try and purge the chemicals it doesn't have any use for (I don't have any links for that, it's partly more a gut feel type thing and partly because I can't access some of the links on the network I'm on at the moment).</p>\n\n<p>So, instead of looking at exercise and \"getting fitter\" as a way to reduce sweating, it might be worth looking at your sleep and diet instead.</p>\n\n<p>This approach can have the added benefit of helping lose fat; to quote Josh Hillis</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <ul>\n <li>How much you weigh is determined by how many calories you eat. </li>\n <li>Your bodyfat percentage is determined by the quality of the food you eat.</li>\n </ul>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>That second point is the important one here.</p>\n\n<p>Plus, the lighter you are, the easier you should find it to climb stairs :)</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41549", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41565, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The youngest I've seen was a 6 year old girl who did Olympic weightlifting and could lift more than an average teenage boy.That being said she was very well supervised. </p>\n\n<p>Weightlifting consists of thousands of exercises.. 90% of them you can't screw up or injure yourselves.. such as bicep curls or lunges. If you're that worried you can stick to dumbbell and bodyweight exercises.. and gradually move to barbell exercises inside a power rack(with safety bars). Form is very important. For a young age below 12 I wouldn't recommend deadlifting or squatting(although with the right form it's 100% safe) as many people tend to try to lift a lot without using good form. </p>\n\n<p>Medically it's not only safe but recommended for people to exercise or weightlift. Start with higher rep schemes and lower weight with easy to learn exercises. As far as nutrition, the teenage body with all it's hormones create what's similar to steroids naturally in the body. For this reason it's the best time if you want to start weightlifting if you want to get strong. It also increases your bone density and is the only way to do so because after the age of 25 you can't increase your bone density only reduce the loss of it</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41567, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p><strong>TL;DR:</strong> <em>Strength Training</em> can start as early as <strong>7</strong>. Serious <em>weightlifting, power-lifting, body-building</em> should wait until later in puberty (<strong>11 to 17</strong>) when adolescents have reached physical and skeletal maturity.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>It seems that most resources I've read are in favor of strength training from a young age. I've read that as soon as kids start doing sports (aged 7 - 8) they can get involved in lifting weights. Obviously strength training may not be as fun as soccer at that age but it does have a <a href=\"https://crossfitatlanta.typepad.com/SoccerDangerous.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer\">lower injury rate</a>. The important points are that kids should focus on developing the movements. Attention spans are likely too low to follow a rigid program.</p>\n\n<p>If your nephew (age 14) is serious about starting a workout routine and packing on muscle (he's already bought the protein powder so it sounds like he's committed) then I don't think there will be an issue. Depending on where he is throughout puberty he will have a different experience. <a href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/safe-kids-lift-weights/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">This article from Art-of-Manliness</a> says that serious weightlifting programs shouldn't start until teenagers reach Tanner Stage IV (age 11 to 17), because:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>The reason you don’t want to start regularly weight training a child until they reach Tanner Stage 4 is that before then, they just don’t have the hormone levels (specifically, testosterone) to drive progress and recover from session to session.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>This article from the <a href=\"https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/121/4/835\" rel=\"noreferrer\">American Academy of Pediatrics</a> seems to agree with that as well:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Preadolescents and adolescents should avoid power lifting, body building, and maximal lifts until they reach physical and skeletal maturity.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>This doesn't mean you can't hit the gym and <a href=\"https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d629/b1729216c1bcad84ed73b73ffaf82d074af7.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer\">learn the movements</a>, though.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>The minimum age to compete in the IPF sub-junior category is <strong>14</strong> (<a href=\"https://www.powerlifting.sport/fileadmin/ipf/data/rules/technical-rules/english/IPF_Technical_Rules_Book_2020.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Page 2</a>). I like to think that as an international body they've determined that any younger than that is foolish; on a competitive scale. This is an assumption on my part.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>I agree with you here:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Personally I think the only real danger for my nephew (apart from malnutrition due to eating nothing but protein shakes) stems from juvenile recklessness, like attempting to lift an absolutely inappropriate weight, but that can easily be mitigated by proper supervision and training.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>The real harm that weightlifting will have is if he decides to start ego lifting. This hurts <em>everyone</em> though, not just teenagers. If he eats, rests, and progressively overloads like the rest of the beginners, and proceeds with adequate supervision, I see no issues.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>As an aside:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>The fact that most gyms around here only seem to allow adult members doesn't help either, although I suspect that this is mostly due to insurance and liability reasons.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>It is insurance, liability, and personal reasons. My gym doesn't allow anyone under the age of 16. However, this is due to a few parents bringing their children with them to workout. The kids would sit on equipment and play with their iPads. I actually remember once walking into the gym and seeing a kid climbing the power rack like a jungle gym (it is an un-monitored 24/7 gym). Although it looked super fun, I can see why kids became banned.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41572, "author": "Marcus", "author_id": 32674, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32674", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>First of all, in Eastern Europe children are doing weightlifting <strong>under strict surveillance</strong>. They are never alone in the gym, but an experienced weightlifting coach is always present and corrects them for errors immediately. Also they don't use a lot of weights but <strong>they learn perfect movements</strong> and it actually looks very nice. It's more like technique training than actual weight lifting...</p>\n\n<p>In general, it is fatal to assume that a 14-year old would be capable of doing his own weightlifting training without any supervision! Therefore, if your 14-year old nephew can afford a good personal trainer or an experienced weightlifter as coach/supervisor, then he could start with weightlifting according to this guidance:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>\"The popularity of youth resistance training is evidenced by the increasing number of physical educators and youth sport coaches who now include some form of resistance training in their conditioning programs. Despite preconceived concerns associated with youth resistance training, an expanding body of evidence indicates that resistance training can be a safe and effective method of conditioning for children, <strong>provided that appropriate training guidelines are followed and qualified supervision is present.</strong> [...] The foundation for maximal success in the future is the technical mastery acquired during the early years of training. Although children are in fact capable of learning complex motor movements early in life, <strong>the use of high training intensities during this developmental period may adversely affect the outcome of the program.</strong> Moderate training intensities (less than 75% of 1 repetition maximum) are appropriate for most young weightlifters.\" (<a href=\"https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d629/b1729216c1bcad84ed73b73ffaf82d074af7.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">source</a>)</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>If no coach can be present all the time, there are many <strong>strength training exercises with their own body weight</strong> suitable for children and teenagers even without permanent supervision which could be done at home (as usual in accordance to antagonistic muscles training):</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pushups &amp; Pull-ups</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Sit-ups &amp; Back extension (\"hyperextension\")</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Side plank \"hip-up\" &amp; Single-leg side plank</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Rope climbing &amp; Bench dips</strong></li>\n<li><strong>Hundreds of exercises with the <a href=\"https://www.google.ch/search?q=thera%20band%20exercises\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Thera band</a></strong></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>The pull-ups may preferably be executed with a bar in about 2 m height with a soft mat right below. The back extension could easily be performed by lying on the belly, then raise your arms, but without any leg movement involved. Rope climbing is good for the trapezius muscle (similar to pullups) and especially good for the underarms. The dips should best be done with a bench (so they don't fall from the bar), but also a stable chair leaned against a wall would work at home. There are many further variations of <a href=\"https://www.google.ch/search?q=rotational%20push\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">pushups</a> and side or <a href=\"https://www.google.ch/search?q=leg%20plank\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">back planks</a> (Google for yourself) very suitable for children/teenagers. But I also have to add that even such simple exercises need to be shown to a teenager by an experienced trainer at least once or twice. After that he could do them without supervision, but not without some periodic checks by the coach if they're doing it correctly.</p>\n\n<p>However, if your nephew wants to do weightlifting as a sport, he won't get around a professional coach. Personally, I'd rather send him to wrestling or Judo in order to gain a lot of strength within a short period of time. The advantages of these high-contact martial arts are the techniques he's gonna acquire, and it's much more fun for children than weight lifting (because it's less egocentric and more social). It's no coincidence that weight lifting, wrestling and Judo are the three most popular disciplines in Eastern Europe, Russia and in the Caucasus region: They all involve a lot of technique and are very complex disciplines, not to be learned in one day or two, but only during many years of disciplined training (<em>note: \"wrestling\" includes also many native wrestling styles like Russian Sambo or Georgian Chidaoba</em>). Btw if the nephew doesn't like martial arts, I'd suggest basketball or soccer because they're highly competitive and very physical as well. And there are much better basketball or soccer coaches in Western Europe than for weight lifting indeed (<em>last note: soccer is better for legs while basketball is better for the upper body</em>).</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41558", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25777/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41583, "author": "Michał Zaborowski", "author_id": 20149, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20149", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>There are two pecs - <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectoralis_minor\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">minor</a> and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectoralis_major\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">major</a>. Lower, middle, and upper refers to parts of later one - pectoralis major. Pectoralis minor is attached to scapula, and moves shoulders down, and froward. \nI would rather train back, and stretch this muscles - to have proper posture. We spend too much time sitting in position that makes them shorter. </p>\n\n<p>When you are climbing pectoralis minor, and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coracobrachialis_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">coracobrachialis</a> can be useful, from time when we ware spending time at trees... Or at least that is the only case came to my mind.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42022, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>If we understand the function of a muscle, that muscle certainly can be trained. Indeed, if a muscle has a function, performing that function <em>is</em> training the muscle. So the question is whether there exists such a thing as ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ pectoralis muscles, and if so, what their function is.</p>\n\n<p>To be clear, <strong>there is strictly no such thing as inner and outer pectoralis muscles</strong>. That is, the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomical_terms_of_location\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><em>lateral</em> and <em>medial</em></a> portions of the muscles are comprised of the same <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_fascicle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">fascicles</a>, and hence the tension in those muscle fibres is consistent across their length during contraction. There are no medial and lateral fibres because the fibres of the muscle do not run vertically. So by definition, we cannot train the lateral and medial portion of the muscle separately.</p>\n\n<p>However, it is possible that the terms ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ are misnomers for the anatomical terms <em>deep</em> and <em>superficial</em>, in which case we would be referring to the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectoralis_minor\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">pectoralis minor</a> and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pectoralis_major\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">pectoralis major</a>, respectively. The terms ‘lower’, ‘middle’, and ‘upper’ refer to the general alignment of the muscle fibres of the pectoralis major, with the latter term normally being made in reference to the clavicular portion of the muscle, (illustrated below).</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/1Uay1.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/1Uay1.png\" alt=\"Pectoralis major muscle\"></a></p>\n\n<p>Although the two muscles are geographically adjacent, they have broadly different functions. The pectoralis major acts principally as a prime mover, and is dominant in climbing, pressing, and throwing movements. The pectoralis minor, by contrast, primarily acts as a stabiliser, depressing and protracting the scapula. <em>Thus, the action of the former invariably involves the latter</em>.</p>\n\n<p>For bodybuilding, a knowledge of the precise action and function of a muscle can help us isolate it in training. And whilst it is not possible to separate these muscles entirely—their lines-of-pull are too closely associated—we can reduce the function of one in order to focus on the other.</p>\n\n<p>The pectoralis major has its origin at the anterior surface of the medial half of the clavicle (clavicular head, or ‘upper’ pectorals) and the anterior surface of the sternum and superior costal cartilages (sternocostal head, or ‘middle’ and ‘lower’ pectorals). It then inserts at the lateral lip of the bicipital groove of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humerus\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">humerus</a>. This means that if we adduct and internally rotate the humerus, and if we depress the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoulder_girdle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">shoulder girdle</a>, the pectoralis major will approach a state similar to that of <a href=\"https://www.nfpt.com/blog/understanding-active-and-passive-insufficiency\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">active insufficiency</a>, being unable to produce force because of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_contraction\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">length-tension relationship</a>. (It cannot strictly be called active insufficiency, since the pectoralis major is not a multi-joint muscle.) Thus, this condition will allow greater contribution from the pectoralis minor, which inserts on the coracoid process of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapula\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">scapula</a>, and whose action is to depress and protract the shoulder girdle. Pre-fatiguing the pectoralis major will further place emphasis on the minor.</p>\n\n<p>Since the pectoralis minor is not functionally a prime mover, no gross functional movement will target it specifically. However, if we are creative, we can devise exercises that might help. Shoulder depression repetitions from a arms-down, pronated-grip position on the bar would be one way to do this.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that gives you a starting point.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41564", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41581, "author": "Alec", "author_id": 8828, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828", "pm_score": 6, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Welcome to the Fitness SE!</p>\n\n<p><strong>Making your own program</strong></p>\n\n<p>When it comes to making your own program, the general rule of thumb is one simple rule: Don't.</p>\n\n<p>The reason for this is something you've already touched on. Namely the fact that you're</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>an absolute beginner when it comes to working out</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>A beginner simply doesn't have the know-how to make a good program that</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>covers all the muscles, and not just the big ones</p></li>\n<li><p>prevents muscular imbalances</p></li>\n<li><p>prevents injury</p></li>\n<li><p>includes the variation necessary for progress</p></li>\n<li><p>adapts to one's body undergoing change</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>and so much more.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Reviewing your program</strong></p>\n\n<p>To answer your question about an honest review: It's not good. I'll give you some reasons why.</p>\n\n<p>Let's start at the warmup: It's not enough to get you warm. 30 seconds isn't nearly enough time to get all the muscles and joints warm and loose for the workout. A warmup is usually adjusted based on which muscles you'll be using for the day. For a regular full-body workout, there's a LOT to cover. 15 minutes should be considered a minimum if you really want to prevent injuries in the long run.</p>\n\n<p>For the pullups, it's perfectly OK not to be able to do any. Most people have that as a starting point. But there are some pretty neat ways of achieving your first one. As an example, you can do assisted pull-ups by using a rubber band. You can also to negative repetitions, where you climb to the top, and then lower yourself slowly. Simply hanging from the bar doesn't seem like it's going to get you there.</p>\n\n<p>For the pushups, you have a decent starting point. But simply doing dozens of repetitions isn't going to give you the progress you want. Instead of just doing more and more repetitions, you should be focusing on adding weight instead. Put a plate on your back, or have someone apply a bit of downward force to make each repetition heavier. That's one of the main keys to muscle growth.</p>\n\n<p>For squats, same thing applies.</p>\n\n<p>You mention increasing stamina. This program isn't going to do that. In order to increase you stamina, you have to do aerobic training, such as running for instance. <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training\" rel=\"noreferrer\">High-intensity interval training</a> is by far my favorite methodology for this. I highly suggest checking it out, and googling for some beginner-friendly examples.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Finding a program</strong></p>\n\n<p>The best thing you could do at such an early stage, is to find a beginner-friendly program that is already made by someone who knows how to make one. There are plenty of them out there. You can either <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=beginner+friendly+full-body+workout&amp;oq=beginner+friendly+full-body+workout\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Google for some</a> or take a look at one that has been a community favorite for quite a long time: <a href=\"https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Starting Strength</a>.</p>\n\n<p><strong>When can I make my own program?</strong></p>\n\n<p>It takes many years to learn how to make a good program. A lot of people think that after a year or so, they know enough to make one, but fact of the matter is, you have to not only learn about a lot of exercises, you have to know exactly what each exercise does, identify muscles that are getting neglected, and cover all your bases. In fact, it's as much about learning about <strong>the human anatomy</strong>, as it is about learning a large number of exercises and movements.</p>\n\n<p>Personally, I made my own after about five years of working out. I thought I had learned all I needed, but I was dead wrong. My progress stagnated almost immediately, and I didn't have the knowledge to know why. As soon as I jumped back on a program created by an educated trainer, I started getting stronger again.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41582, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I think Alec's answer is really great but I'd like to add some more thoughts for you (a bit too big for a comment). I agree, it's not a great workout but not necessarily just due to exercise choice. You will find many body-weight workouts online that you can just follow, and for free!</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Warm Up: Jumping Jacks, 30 seconds.<br>\n Pull ups: Hang, 10 seconds.<br>\n Push ups: Around 25.<br>\n Plank: For about a minute.<br>\n Squat: Around 10. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>These by themselves are not bad exercises at all. You'll likely find them in a lot of workout plans. What I think you're missing here is volume and possibly intensity. Does this workout challenge you? Without picking apart your workout choice, you could run this as a multi-set circuit:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Warm Up: Jumping Jacks, 30 seconds. </p>\n \n <p>Pull ups: Hang, 10 seconds;<br>\n Push ups: 10;<br>\n Plank: 1 min;<br>\n Squat: 10;<br>\n Rest 3 minutes, repeat five times.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>With that kind of idea, you've got from doing 25 push-ups in a day to 50, 10 squats to 50, 1 minute of planks to 5, etc. The circuit style will help improve your stamina and the increased volume will help with strength.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41584, "author": "Lawnmower Man", "author_id": 31355, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31355", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<h1>Know Your Goal</h1>\n\n<p>There are two competing attributes when it comes to physical training: strength/power vs. endurance. This is reflected in the very makeup of our muscles, which contain fast-twitch fibers for short, high-intensity movements, and slow-twitch fibers, which are weaker but can maintain movement for a much longer time. Also, fast-twitch fibers generally run on glycogen (an anaerobic process), which is created slowly and stored in your muscles and liver, while slow-twitch are able to burn fat and glucose aerobically.</p>\n\n<p>You can train for either or both, but it's pretty difficult to reach peak condition for both (powerlifters are generally bad marathon runners, and vice versa). I'll give some brief tips for both, and you can do more digging on your own.</p>\n\n<h1>Aerobic</h1>\n\n<p>The most important muscle in your body is your heart. It's the only muscle that works 24/7 every day of your life. The best way to \"train\" this muscle is to create a high oxygen demand on your body, which forces your heart to pump more oxygenated blood. This is why you want to reach a moderate level of aerobic fitness, no matter what your ultimate goal is. While there are lots of good aerobic exercises, one of the best is simply running.</p>\n\n<p>Running is obviously a body weight exercise, and requires no special equipment (although decent shoes help). You should aim for a continuous 2-mile run. If you can get up to 6 mph, this will be a 20-minute exercise. If you have trouble running that distance, start with a 1 mile goal, and run slowly enough that you can maintain the same speed over the whole distance. This might be barely over walking speed to start. That's ok. The point is that you want to train your heart and lungs to work harder for a long time, and train your mind to accept the idea of continuous load over a whole mile or two. Start easy and only run 2-3 times a week if you feel that's all your body can handle, and increase the frequency as you can, up to 5x a week. 4 mph is a very fast walk, so most folks can \"jog\" at 4.5 mph for a mile, even without training. Getting to 5 mph should be easy, and 6 mph should be achievable by almost anyone. If you can get to 7-8 mph, then you're doing well and should talk to serious runners about how to progress.</p>\n\n<p>I would argue that running is a better warmup than jumping jacks, because while both put a load on your skeleton, which is good for your bones, running creates a much higher load because of the forward movement. Also, it's a lot less boring to run outside for 20m than doing jumping jacks. Finally, I only run 1 mile for warmup, and 2 miles for aerobic training. If you want to run races, you should train for longer distances, but if you just want basic aerobic fitness, 2 miles is a good distance.</p>\n\n<h1>Anaerobic</h1>\n\n<p>In order to change your body, you need to know this one simple trick: your body has a genetically programmed \"baseline\" muscle mass which it will always seek, and to increase your strength, you need to convince your body that it is not strong enough. This happens when the intensity of your workout causes micro-tears in your muscle fibers, which stimulates your body's repair mechanisms. The body has two rules: \"If it ain't broke, don't fix it\", and: \"If it broke, fix it better than it was before.\" This is also why bones which break can become even stronger: the body assumes your bone broke because it was too weak, so the repair process makes it stronger. The same goes for your muscle.</p>\n\n<p>The problem with push-ups and bodyweight squats is that you can quickly reach a level of strength which no longer challenges your muscles. If you want to get stronger, you need to provide more resistance. As others noted, you can do this by adding weights. Unfortunately, this becomes pretty challenging without proper equipment. If you're really hard-pressed for cash, you can make a squat bar out of a sturdy tree branch, some rope, and some water jugs, but I can't say I would recommend it. I would try deadlifts instead of squats, because you can improvise weights for deadlift easier than for squat (with a squat, the weight has to get up to your shoulders, but a decently fit lifter can easily squat more than their body weight, which is pretty hard to lift onto your shoulders safely and by yourself).</p>\n\n<p>A push-up is just an upside-down bench press, so anything you can put on your upper back without slipping will add resistance. A bag of sand should do the trick, although positioning it would get pretty annoying.</p>\n\n<h1>Gym</h1>\n\n<p>If you can spring for a gym membership, even the cheapest gym with free weights will help your progress tremendously. With consistent effort, you should be able to bench press your body weight and squat 1.5x your body weight (in a year, most likely, but quite possible in less than 6 months). Note that a push-up is only about 60% of your body weight because you aren't lifting your legs, which contain a pretty significant amount of your total mass. At that point, I think you would be quite happy with your energy level and stamina.</p>\n\n<p>If you can make it into a gym, you can train most of your muscles with just 4 exercises: bench press, pull-up, shoulder press/clean, and squat. A simple workout plan is called the 5x5: do 5 sets of 5 reps, with the highest weight such that you can just barely finish the last rep without a spotter. Start with a low weight that you know you can do, and work your way up until you find your limits. Ideally, you want to work your muscles to the fatigue point at each workout, because this is what causes them to develop most quickly. But without a spotter, this can be risky. So stay safe and always quit if there is a doubt that you can do another rep. Or, ask someone at the gym to spot you. For pull-ups, it is useful to use a machine that gives you assist until you are strong enough for your full body weight. Alternatively, you can use a \"lat pull-down\" machine to achieve a similar effect. Increase your strength until your pull-down weight equals your body weight, then switch to pull-ups.</p>\n\n<h1>Conclusion</h1>\n\n<p>The program I've sketched above will target strength more than anything. I think this is beneficial, because it should also increase your muscle mass, which will increase your base metabolic rate and make it easier to burn excess calories (the ultimate first world problem). Also, having excess strength makes a lot of things easier (and less injury-prone), and carrying around extra protein is actually protective if you get sick for a long time. If you are keeping up with the aerobic portion, you should also see your resting heart rate decline. This is a good indicator of heart health (a stronger heart uses fewer more powerful contractions to pump blood). Maintaining good cardio fitness is one of the keys to living longer.</p>\n\n<p>If you find a sport that requires moderate endurance, then excess strength can provide that. You'll find that with higher strength, you can perform low-effort actions for a much longer time. In this way, strength confers endurance up to a point (for low-intensity activities). For instance, you should be able to do many more push-ups with a max bench of 180 lbs. than a max of 120 lbs., regardless of how much push-up training you've done. If you pursue a high-endurance sport, especially one with high effort, then you will likely have to change your training to fit that profile. But at that point, you will hopefully have learned enough to know what you want and how to get there. Good luck!</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41593, "author": "BKlassen", "author_id": 28950, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/28950", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>One problem you'll find with your current workout plan is it's stagnant, nothing is changing and you won't be pushing yourself hard enough. </p>\n\n<p>Our bodies are resistant to change therefore in order to make our workouts have an effect you need to ensure that you're pushing yourself hard. Doing a single set of an exercise to target a muscle group is no where near enough to encourage your body to change. A good rule of thumb is that to build muscle you should aim for completing 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps, do note though that at the end of each set you should feel like you could only manage one or two more before complete failure. </p>\n\n<p>You've mentioned that you're working out from home mostly, which I'm going to assume means limited access to weights, that makes finding the right weight to reach your rep range harder and you may have to modify your exercises to make them harder. An example would be to set your feet higher for your push ups so that you max out closer to 10 reps, or slowing down and making each movement last longer. </p>\n\n<p>The other problem your plan has is that it doesn't change and it doesn't target all of the muscles. If you were to commit to your plan you would inevitably develop many muscle imbalances that could negatively affect your ability to move without pain. This is why its important to have a larger selection of exercises that target the muscles in different ways. Most workout programs have an alternating schedule such as 1 day upper body, 1 day lower body, 1 day rest, repeat, etc. Not only does this mean you spend more time on a given body part to ensure that you aren't neglecting areas of your body it helps to make sure you give yourself enough time to get the volume of training for each muscle group that you need to have it grow. </p>\n\n<p>The best Plan<br>\nUntil you've started figuring out how to work all the different muscles and how to balance your own plan I would recommend searching for one created by someone else. You should be able to find plans on Youtube or Google fairly simply by searching for home workout plans</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41580", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32498/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41581, "author": "Alec", "author_id": 8828, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828", "pm_score": 6, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Welcome to the Fitness SE!</p>\n\n<p><strong>Making your own program</strong></p>\n\n<p>When it comes to making your own program, the general rule of thumb is one simple rule: Don't.</p>\n\n<p>The reason for this is something you've already touched on. Namely the fact that you're</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>an absolute beginner when it comes to working out</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>A beginner simply doesn't have the know-how to make a good program that</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>covers all the muscles, and not just the big ones</p></li>\n<li><p>prevents muscular imbalances</p></li>\n<li><p>prevents injury</p></li>\n<li><p>includes the variation necessary for progress</p></li>\n<li><p>adapts to one's body undergoing change</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>and so much more.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Reviewing your program</strong></p>\n\n<p>To answer your question about an honest review: It's not good. I'll give you some reasons why.</p>\n\n<p>Let's start at the warmup: It's not enough to get you warm. 30 seconds isn't nearly enough time to get all the muscles and joints warm and loose for the workout. A warmup is usually adjusted based on which muscles you'll be using for the day. For a regular full-body workout, there's a LOT to cover. 15 minutes should be considered a minimum if you really want to prevent injuries in the long run.</p>\n\n<p>For the pullups, it's perfectly OK not to be able to do any. Most people have that as a starting point. But there are some pretty neat ways of achieving your first one. As an example, you can do assisted pull-ups by using a rubber band. You can also to negative repetitions, where you climb to the top, and then lower yourself slowly. Simply hanging from the bar doesn't seem like it's going to get you there.</p>\n\n<p>For the pushups, you have a decent starting point. But simply doing dozens of repetitions isn't going to give you the progress you want. Instead of just doing more and more repetitions, you should be focusing on adding weight instead. Put a plate on your back, or have someone apply a bit of downward force to make each repetition heavier. That's one of the main keys to muscle growth.</p>\n\n<p>For squats, same thing applies.</p>\n\n<p>You mention increasing stamina. This program isn't going to do that. In order to increase you stamina, you have to do aerobic training, such as running for instance. <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training\" rel=\"noreferrer\">High-intensity interval training</a> is by far my favorite methodology for this. I highly suggest checking it out, and googling for some beginner-friendly examples.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Finding a program</strong></p>\n\n<p>The best thing you could do at such an early stage, is to find a beginner-friendly program that is already made by someone who knows how to make one. There are plenty of them out there. You can either <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=beginner+friendly+full-body+workout&amp;oq=beginner+friendly+full-body+workout\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Google for some</a> or take a look at one that has been a community favorite for quite a long time: <a href=\"https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Starting Strength</a>.</p>\n\n<p><strong>When can I make my own program?</strong></p>\n\n<p>It takes many years to learn how to make a good program. A lot of people think that after a year or so, they know enough to make one, but fact of the matter is, you have to not only learn about a lot of exercises, you have to know exactly what each exercise does, identify muscles that are getting neglected, and cover all your bases. In fact, it's as much about learning about <strong>the human anatomy</strong>, as it is about learning a large number of exercises and movements.</p>\n\n<p>Personally, I made my own after about five years of working out. I thought I had learned all I needed, but I was dead wrong. My progress stagnated almost immediately, and I didn't have the knowledge to know why. As soon as I jumped back on a program created by an educated trainer, I started getting stronger again.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41582, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I think Alec's answer is really great but I'd like to add some more thoughts for you (a bit too big for a comment). I agree, it's not a great workout but not necessarily just due to exercise choice. You will find many body-weight workouts online that you can just follow, and for free!</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Warm Up: Jumping Jacks, 30 seconds.<br>\n Pull ups: Hang, 10 seconds.<br>\n Push ups: Around 25.<br>\n Plank: For about a minute.<br>\n Squat: Around 10. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>These by themselves are not bad exercises at all. You'll likely find them in a lot of workout plans. What I think you're missing here is volume and possibly intensity. Does this workout challenge you? Without picking apart your workout choice, you could run this as a multi-set circuit:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Warm Up: Jumping Jacks, 30 seconds. </p>\n \n <p>Pull ups: Hang, 10 seconds;<br>\n Push ups: 10;<br>\n Plank: 1 min;<br>\n Squat: 10;<br>\n Rest 3 minutes, repeat five times.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>With that kind of idea, you've got from doing 25 push-ups in a day to 50, 10 squats to 50, 1 minute of planks to 5, etc. The circuit style will help improve your stamina and the increased volume will help with strength.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41584, "author": "Lawnmower Man", "author_id": 31355, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31355", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<h1>Know Your Goal</h1>\n\n<p>There are two competing attributes when it comes to physical training: strength/power vs. endurance. This is reflected in the very makeup of our muscles, which contain fast-twitch fibers for short, high-intensity movements, and slow-twitch fibers, which are weaker but can maintain movement for a much longer time. Also, fast-twitch fibers generally run on glycogen (an anaerobic process), which is created slowly and stored in your muscles and liver, while slow-twitch are able to burn fat and glucose aerobically.</p>\n\n<p>You can train for either or both, but it's pretty difficult to reach peak condition for both (powerlifters are generally bad marathon runners, and vice versa). I'll give some brief tips for both, and you can do more digging on your own.</p>\n\n<h1>Aerobic</h1>\n\n<p>The most important muscle in your body is your heart. It's the only muscle that works 24/7 every day of your life. The best way to \"train\" this muscle is to create a high oxygen demand on your body, which forces your heart to pump more oxygenated blood. This is why you want to reach a moderate level of aerobic fitness, no matter what your ultimate goal is. While there are lots of good aerobic exercises, one of the best is simply running.</p>\n\n<p>Running is obviously a body weight exercise, and requires no special equipment (although decent shoes help). You should aim for a continuous 2-mile run. If you can get up to 6 mph, this will be a 20-minute exercise. If you have trouble running that distance, start with a 1 mile goal, and run slowly enough that you can maintain the same speed over the whole distance. This might be barely over walking speed to start. That's ok. The point is that you want to train your heart and lungs to work harder for a long time, and train your mind to accept the idea of continuous load over a whole mile or two. Start easy and only run 2-3 times a week if you feel that's all your body can handle, and increase the frequency as you can, up to 5x a week. 4 mph is a very fast walk, so most folks can \"jog\" at 4.5 mph for a mile, even without training. Getting to 5 mph should be easy, and 6 mph should be achievable by almost anyone. If you can get to 7-8 mph, then you're doing well and should talk to serious runners about how to progress.</p>\n\n<p>I would argue that running is a better warmup than jumping jacks, because while both put a load on your skeleton, which is good for your bones, running creates a much higher load because of the forward movement. Also, it's a lot less boring to run outside for 20m than doing jumping jacks. Finally, I only run 1 mile for warmup, and 2 miles for aerobic training. If you want to run races, you should train for longer distances, but if you just want basic aerobic fitness, 2 miles is a good distance.</p>\n\n<h1>Anaerobic</h1>\n\n<p>In order to change your body, you need to know this one simple trick: your body has a genetically programmed \"baseline\" muscle mass which it will always seek, and to increase your strength, you need to convince your body that it is not strong enough. This happens when the intensity of your workout causes micro-tears in your muscle fibers, which stimulates your body's repair mechanisms. The body has two rules: \"If it ain't broke, don't fix it\", and: \"If it broke, fix it better than it was before.\" This is also why bones which break can become even stronger: the body assumes your bone broke because it was too weak, so the repair process makes it stronger. The same goes for your muscle.</p>\n\n<p>The problem with push-ups and bodyweight squats is that you can quickly reach a level of strength which no longer challenges your muscles. If you want to get stronger, you need to provide more resistance. As others noted, you can do this by adding weights. Unfortunately, this becomes pretty challenging without proper equipment. If you're really hard-pressed for cash, you can make a squat bar out of a sturdy tree branch, some rope, and some water jugs, but I can't say I would recommend it. I would try deadlifts instead of squats, because you can improvise weights for deadlift easier than for squat (with a squat, the weight has to get up to your shoulders, but a decently fit lifter can easily squat more than their body weight, which is pretty hard to lift onto your shoulders safely and by yourself).</p>\n\n<p>A push-up is just an upside-down bench press, so anything you can put on your upper back without slipping will add resistance. A bag of sand should do the trick, although positioning it would get pretty annoying.</p>\n\n<h1>Gym</h1>\n\n<p>If you can spring for a gym membership, even the cheapest gym with free weights will help your progress tremendously. With consistent effort, you should be able to bench press your body weight and squat 1.5x your body weight (in a year, most likely, but quite possible in less than 6 months). Note that a push-up is only about 60% of your body weight because you aren't lifting your legs, which contain a pretty significant amount of your total mass. At that point, I think you would be quite happy with your energy level and stamina.</p>\n\n<p>If you can make it into a gym, you can train most of your muscles with just 4 exercises: bench press, pull-up, shoulder press/clean, and squat. A simple workout plan is called the 5x5: do 5 sets of 5 reps, with the highest weight such that you can just barely finish the last rep without a spotter. Start with a low weight that you know you can do, and work your way up until you find your limits. Ideally, you want to work your muscles to the fatigue point at each workout, because this is what causes them to develop most quickly. But without a spotter, this can be risky. So stay safe and always quit if there is a doubt that you can do another rep. Or, ask someone at the gym to spot you. For pull-ups, it is useful to use a machine that gives you assist until you are strong enough for your full body weight. Alternatively, you can use a \"lat pull-down\" machine to achieve a similar effect. Increase your strength until your pull-down weight equals your body weight, then switch to pull-ups.</p>\n\n<h1>Conclusion</h1>\n\n<p>The program I've sketched above will target strength more than anything. I think this is beneficial, because it should also increase your muscle mass, which will increase your base metabolic rate and make it easier to burn excess calories (the ultimate first world problem). Also, having excess strength makes a lot of things easier (and less injury-prone), and carrying around extra protein is actually protective if you get sick for a long time. If you are keeping up with the aerobic portion, you should also see your resting heart rate decline. This is a good indicator of heart health (a stronger heart uses fewer more powerful contractions to pump blood). Maintaining good cardio fitness is one of the keys to living longer.</p>\n\n<p>If you find a sport that requires moderate endurance, then excess strength can provide that. You'll find that with higher strength, you can perform low-effort actions for a much longer time. In this way, strength confers endurance up to a point (for low-intensity activities). For instance, you should be able to do many more push-ups with a max bench of 180 lbs. than a max of 120 lbs., regardless of how much push-up training you've done. If you pursue a high-endurance sport, especially one with high effort, then you will likely have to change your training to fit that profile. But at that point, you will hopefully have learned enough to know what you want and how to get there. Good luck!</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41593, "author": "BKlassen", "author_id": 28950, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/28950", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>One problem you'll find with your current workout plan is it's stagnant, nothing is changing and you won't be pushing yourself hard enough. </p>\n\n<p>Our bodies are resistant to change therefore in order to make our workouts have an effect you need to ensure that you're pushing yourself hard. Doing a single set of an exercise to target a muscle group is no where near enough to encourage your body to change. A good rule of thumb is that to build muscle you should aim for completing 3-5 sets of 5-10 reps, do note though that at the end of each set you should feel like you could only manage one or two more before complete failure. </p>\n\n<p>You've mentioned that you're working out from home mostly, which I'm going to assume means limited access to weights, that makes finding the right weight to reach your rep range harder and you may have to modify your exercises to make them harder. An example would be to set your feet higher for your push ups so that you max out closer to 10 reps, or slowing down and making each movement last longer. </p>\n\n<p>The other problem your plan has is that it doesn't change and it doesn't target all of the muscles. If you were to commit to your plan you would inevitably develop many muscle imbalances that could negatively affect your ability to move without pain. This is why its important to have a larger selection of exercises that target the muscles in different ways. Most workout programs have an alternating schedule such as 1 day upper body, 1 day lower body, 1 day rest, repeat, etc. Not only does this mean you spend more time on a given body part to ensure that you aren't neglecting areas of your body it helps to make sure you give yourself enough time to get the volume of training for each muscle group that you need to have it grow. </p>\n\n<p>The best Plan<br>\nUntil you've started figuring out how to work all the different muscles and how to balance your own plan I would recommend searching for one created by someone else. You should be able to find plans on Youtube or Google fairly simply by searching for home workout plans</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41586", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31772/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41711, "author": "Just_Alex", "author_id": 13761, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/13761", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>In short yes.\nSleep is important for many reasons. We usually measure its hormonal effects. Most programs suggest you sleep more than 8 hours a night, sleeping undisturbed is best. \"How much\" is usually difficult to measure, it varies person to person and by intensity.</p>\n\n<p>Somewhere on the internet there is a list that says. (In this order).</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Eat well</li>\n<li>Sleep well</li>\n<li>Train well</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>P.S. Don't drink water before bed.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41824, "author": "Andrej", "author_id": 33015, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33015", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<h2>The answer is yes.</h2>\n\n<p>Interrupted sleep can have negative consequences on your overall health. </p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Health consequences of sleep disruption</a></p>\n\n<p><strong>Therefore, a negative effect on muscle growth.</strong></p>\n\n<p>During the night, your body progresses through different stages of sleep. If one stage is interrupted, your body has to reset and start going through the stages again, meaning you may never get to the deep, restorative sleep that occurs during later stages. </p>\n\n<p><strong>It affects hormone levels, for example, testosterone or growth hormone.</strong></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/bcbtV.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/bcbtV.png\" alt=\"Growth hormone release\"></a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18519168\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><em>This</em></a> research has shown that the highest levels of <strong>testosterone</strong> happen during REM sleep, the deep, restorative sleep that occurs mostly late in the nightly sleep cycle. </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Sleep disorders, including <strong>interrupted sleep</strong> and lack of sleep\n reduces the amount of REM sleep, will frequently lead to <strong>low\n testosterone levels.</strong></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p><strong>And <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2917954\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">testosterone</a> is crucial for muscle growth.</strong></p>\n\n<p>Interruption of sleep also affects <a href=\"https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/0006-3223(91)90093-2/abstract\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><strong>cortisol</strong> level</a> - a catabolic hormone that <a href=\"https://old.datahub.io/dataset/celik\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">negatively affects muscle growth.</a></p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>A lack of sleep will, therefore, increasing cortisol levels and put the\n human body under further pressure.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<h2>So try to drink more water during the day and less before sleep to avoid waking up at night.</h2>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41597", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41600, "author": "Daemon Beast", "author_id": 32424, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32424", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<h2>Only have rest days if you have worked strenuously</h2>\n\n<p>Resting is vital in ensuring your muscles repair themselves and get stronger. This is important, as it reduces your chances of injury. However, rest days are not always necessary if you are not doing very intense exercise. If you were to do very intense exercise, 1-2 rest days are optimal.</p>\n\n<p><em>In your case, You are not working very hard and your body does not need that much recovery time. If you are feeling weak and worn out then a rest day would be recommended, but is not necessary if you are feeling strong and active.</em></p>\n\n<h2>Consider HIIT training</h2>\n\n<p>HIIT training is a popular form of training that constantly switches between periods of high intensity exercise and low intensity exercise, to ensure you burn lots of calories while staying motivated. <strong>If you are more concerned about weight loss</strong>, then this would be a good improvement, but this requires more concentration and therefore, you will not be able to read at the same time, though you will probably still be able to watch a video.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41603, "author": "MJB", "author_id": 20039, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>First of all, hats of for the work you've put in and the weight you've lost!</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Do you see anything wrong with this workout? Should I take resting days sometimes (why or why not?).</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Doing cardio at 120-130bpm is fine, it's actually not a very high heart rate during cardio so there is no issue there. If you feel that at some point your heart rate doesn't go up as much as it usually does, it might be because you need some rest. But honestly 120-130bpm can be considered as active rest. I think you can keep this up for a long time.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>I hope a bit that I'm able to increase intensity over time and maintain BPM, so that overall I will burn more calories in the same workout. Do you think this will happen automatically?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>If you keep this up, your body will be come better and better at doing the cardio, which will make your heart rate go down during the same intensity. This means that you'll indeed be able to do higher intensity with the same heart rate as you're working with right now.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41599", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32758/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41605, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 5, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Don't worry about it.</p>\n\n<p>My gym has had an InBody scanner for a few years now, so I've had a bit of experience with them. Assuming it's the same model as the one I'm used to, it uses bio-electrical impedance to measure your fat / muscle percentages.</p>\n\n<p>The problem with these is that, although you believe you're keeping all other variables the same, it's just not possible, so minor variations are going to occur. Differences in hydration levels lead to different results, and from that you've got differences in excretion / elimination levels as well.</p>\n\n<p>I believe there's also small, but noticeable, difference with foot position, hand position, etc. You can see this for yourself by doing several tests back to back, you'll probably notice variations in muscle and fat percentage.</p>\n\n<p>As you'll also learn over time, the numbers don't always make sense. The machine has registered a drop of 1.5 kg in bodyweight for me before, 0.3 kg of which is muscle, and 0.6 kg of which is fat. I'm not great at math, but even I know those numbers don't add up.</p>\n\n<p>Instead of measuring twice, four weeks apart, you're much better served by measuring once a week / once every two weeks for a few months, then look at the overall direction things are going in.</p>\n\n<p>Your body does not change lineally, measuring day on day, and panicking about daily variations, is how people develop complexes and unhealthy behaviours around their bodies.</p>\n\n<p>If, after a few months, you're still losing muscle mass and gaining fat mass, then I'd say come back, post your full routine and ask the question again.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41610, "author": "David Scarlett", "author_id": 25681, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25681", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Bioelectrical impedance analysis of body composition can give quite variable results, and in particular is known to be affected by water and food intake independent of body composition. So I wouldn't trust the numbers it's given you. </p>\n\n<p>If you're aiming to maintain or increase muscle mass though, you'll need to be resistance training. (You said your current training is \"Hit cardio, 4 to 5 times a week\" - did you mean HIIT?) Merely adding protein to your diet is unlikely to cause significant muscle gain.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41615, "author": "Guy", "author_id": 32773, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32773", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Bear in mind that cardio is not great for building muscle mass anyway. In fact depending on the type of cardio you're doing it may reduce your muscle mass slowly anyway, especially as you get older.</p>\n\n<p>If you really want to increase muscle mass you'll need to get more weights involved and do a bit less cardio. Try switching some of your cardio sessions to more weight intensive work outs.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41604", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32762/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41605, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 5, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Don't worry about it.</p>\n\n<p>My gym has had an InBody scanner for a few years now, so I've had a bit of experience with them. Assuming it's the same model as the one I'm used to, it uses bio-electrical impedance to measure your fat / muscle percentages.</p>\n\n<p>The problem with these is that, although you believe you're keeping all other variables the same, it's just not possible, so minor variations are going to occur. Differences in hydration levels lead to different results, and from that you've got differences in excretion / elimination levels as well.</p>\n\n<p>I believe there's also small, but noticeable, difference with foot position, hand position, etc. You can see this for yourself by doing several tests back to back, you'll probably notice variations in muscle and fat percentage.</p>\n\n<p>As you'll also learn over time, the numbers don't always make sense. The machine has registered a drop of 1.5 kg in bodyweight for me before, 0.3 kg of which is muscle, and 0.6 kg of which is fat. I'm not great at math, but even I know those numbers don't add up.</p>\n\n<p>Instead of measuring twice, four weeks apart, you're much better served by measuring once a week / once every two weeks for a few months, then look at the overall direction things are going in.</p>\n\n<p>Your body does not change lineally, measuring day on day, and panicking about daily variations, is how people develop complexes and unhealthy behaviours around their bodies.</p>\n\n<p>If, after a few months, you're still losing muscle mass and gaining fat mass, then I'd say come back, post your full routine and ask the question again.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41610, "author": "David Scarlett", "author_id": 25681, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25681", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Bioelectrical impedance analysis of body composition can give quite variable results, and in particular is known to be affected by water and food intake independent of body composition. So I wouldn't trust the numbers it's given you. </p>\n\n<p>If you're aiming to maintain or increase muscle mass though, you'll need to be resistance training. (You said your current training is \"Hit cardio, 4 to 5 times a week\" - did you mean HIIT?) Merely adding protein to your diet is unlikely to cause significant muscle gain.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41615, "author": "Guy", "author_id": 32773, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32773", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Bear in mind that cardio is not great for building muscle mass anyway. In fact depending on the type of cardio you're doing it may reduce your muscle mass slowly anyway, especially as you get older.</p>\n\n<p>If you really want to increase muscle mass you'll need to get more weights involved and do a bit less cardio. Try switching some of your cardio sessions to more weight intensive work outs.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41606", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41623, "author": "Chris ", "author_id": 30383, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30383", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Since you asked about quality, I'd like to add something to your list, which is posture. I danced ballet for about ten years, and in ballet, bad posture isn't acceptable. When I was too old for ballet, I started lifting weights. The postural habits I see in the weight room are appalling. For example, many people have <a href=\"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/5316378\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">kyphotic posture</a> - including healthy, young people - but most of these people aren't doing exercises to address this posture. Here are some exercises to address kyphosis: <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzkUIrbd4O8\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Face pulls</a>, <a href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com.au/five-exercises-to-fix-hunchback-posture-from-office-work-2011-10\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Prone Y-extension</a>, <a href=\"https://www.businessinsider.com.au/five-exercises-to-fix-hunchback-posture-from-office-work-2011-10\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">close grip row</a>, <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1j9-5MsL60\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">foam roller thoracic opener</a>.</p>\n\n<p>When I'm at the gym, my priority is posture; I don't want to throw away ten years of ballet. So if I'm doing standing bicep curls or the close grip row, for examples, I make sure I'm not clamping my chin down, or thrusting my chin up, or pulling my neck down into my shoulders, ect. I think about keeping the weight of my head over my pelvic floor. Most personal trainers aren't very aware of this stuff, so you will have to hunt for one who is.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41624, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>To quote Dan John:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>You say you're training to get / stay healthy, which is great, but it depends on your definition of health.</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in which disease and infirmity are absent (<a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">from Wikipedia</a>)</p>\n<p>The state of being well, without disease or dysfunction (<a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/health\">from our own tag definition</a>)</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>In a way, this leads back to your goals.</p>\n<p>For me, looking at it in a purely physical sense (the mental and social well-being aspects are a different point), I would worry about my health if I lost the ability to perform certain movements.</p>\n<p>Dan John (again) mentions that the inability to stand on one leg for 30 seconds is a sign of poor health, and has a few anecdotes to go along with it. Likewise, if you look at the older population, getting up from the floor is a movement that people seem to lose in ailing health (someone told me last night that the difference between older people and younger is that younger people fall over, and older people have falls, made me smile).</p>\n<p>For myself, along with standing on one leg and getting up from the floor easily, I would add the ability to deadlift my own bodyweight for reps, do at least one pull up (this could be regressed to hanging from a pull up bar for 30 seconds if my shoulder injury flares up) and overhead press half my bodyweight for reps and do some press ups.</p>\n<p>Why these? Because they're easy standards that I've held myself to for much of my adult life, and if I lose one of them, then it's normally down to injury or illness.</p>\n<p>Is your current routine going to lead to any physical dysfunction or infirmity? Honestly, this depends on you. I couldn't do your &quot;leg day&quot; as I'm currently dealing with both an ankle and knee injury, the thought of jump lunges sends a cold chill down my spine. Likewise I wouldn't recommend your routine to someone who's heavily overweight, again, jump squats and jump lunges wouldn't be a great idea for an obese person who's never exercised before.</p>\n<p>For yourself, assuming you're not injured or seriously overweight, and are used to the movement, then I don't see an issue with your current routine, even without any sort of warm up.</p>\n<p>Should you stretch? Again, it depends on you and your goals. Typical desk jockey computer folk, like myself, tend to suffer from tight chest and hip flexor muscles due to sitting all day, so I stretch those parts daily. Once I've fixed my knee, I'd also like to achieve side splits, so I'll start stretching to work towards that.</p>\n<p>If you don't have a flexibility based goal, and you have an active job, then you might be fine without any stretching (lack of joint mobility is another issue with the older population, so you should probably have a few mobility related markers for health, I occasionally check to make sure I can still touch the floor without bending my legs).</p>\n<p>Is your routine good? I would say no, but I've seen worse.</p>\n<p>I like to run through a variation of the <a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=primal%20movement%20patterns\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">primal movement patterns</a> in my training, so I tend to go with or use variations of:</p>\n<ul>\n<li><p>Hinge - deadlift or kettlebell swing</p>\n</li>\n<li><p>Squat - goblet squat in the warm up, I'm no longer interested in a heavy back squat, got a few too many injuries for that</p>\n</li>\n<li><p>Push - overhead work mainly as I do sit at a desk all day</p>\n</li>\n<li><p>Pull - pull ups and front lever progressions, because I'm also a climber</p>\n</li>\n<li><p>Everything else - Turkish get-ups, loaded carries, 1 arm kettlebell swings, bouldering and climbing</p>\n</li>\n</ul>\n<p>You address some of these, but I don't see any hinge or pull based movements in your routine (though you could argue lat dips are a pull variation).</p>\n<p>I would say, pick some goals and work towards them. It might be working towards harder press up and squat variations (one arm press up and pistol squat, Pavel's Naked Warrior program), or a farther distance on the eliptical trainer while maintaining a constant heart rate. Whatever you choose, having something to work towards gives your training sessions more direction, and can make answering questions on here much more helpful and concise (though not if I'm the one who answers them ;)</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41627, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>I am mainly trying to improve overall health. I'm not training for any particular goal. I only wish to get/stay healthy.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Here is my two cents -- I think you can define this more. What does <em>healthy</em> look like to you? Most people asking questions on Fitness.SE want to know how to pack on muscle, developing bodybuilding physique, lose weight (and fast), lose weight without losing muscle, and how to get a six-pack. Those are a bit more complicated. You just want to know, I'm paraphrasing here but, <em>what is the least I need to do in order to stay healthy?</em></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Can you get up off the floor?</li>\n<li>Can you get onto the floor?</li>\n<li>Can you touch your toes?</li>\n<li>Is it a struggle to get out of bed?</li>\n<li>Do two flights of stairs make you winded?</li>\n<li>Are you having trouble accomplishing household chores?</li>\n<li>Are you putting on a bit more fat than you'd like?</li>\n<li>Do you feel weak constantly?</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If none of these sounded like you, I'd say you may not even need to work out. Think about people who work labour jobs all day. They're in good shape as long as they eat well. Why would they need to go to the gym after a hard day of work?</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Is it okay to incorporate an \"incomplete\" workout into a routine in order to improve fitness?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>No workout routine is \"incomplete\" until you gauge it against the goal it is trying to achieve. My goal is powerlifting. If I had a workout routine without deadlifts, it would be incomplete. If your goal is to run longer, a workout routine without deadlifts may no longer be incomplete. See what I mean?</p>\n\n<p>I know individuals that run, and only run, a half-hour a day. They're in great shape.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>My question could be analogized to: is there a fitness equivalent to brushing but not flossing? Surely it doesn't take a professional to tell you how to exercise enough to stay 'average', but the linked discussion seems to indicate that one such attempt would be detrimental. Is missing warmup like missing flossing? If so how does one do it properly?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I really like your analogy here. However, I don't see where anyone mentioned the word 'detrimental' in the linked post. More so, if the OP's goal was to increase stamina and endurance, their workout was not the way to achieve that.</p>\n\n<p>So let's look at your case, just like brushing. You do your workout routine every day/week which is like the brushing. Now, hopefully, you see a dentist; maybe once a year. What do you see them for? They check to see how things are going. In the same fashion, once a year you should evaluate how you're achieving your <em>staying healthy</em> objectives. <em>You</em> are the dentist in charge of your fitness goals. Do you need to prescribe something different or continue with the same?</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>Specific to your warm-up question, the elliptical cardio really serves as a warm-up. I don't think you need stretches (that's another hot debate you can search).</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41622", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32778/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41634, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>First impressions from watching the video, it looks like there's a disconnect between your lower body and your upper.</p>\n\n<p>On the last rep (maybe before, but that was where I noticed it), there's movement around the hips, which points to your leg drive not being transferred up the chain.</p>\n\n<p>Also, I believe lifting the hips off the bench is a red light situation in competitions.</p>\n\n<p>Other than that, which, from your question, you're aware of, it looks pretty solid. </p>\n\n<p>Would be interesting to see a heavier rep or two to see if the leg drive is more connected (personally, I struggle with leg drive on lighter loads sometimes, but then I am pretty lazy :)</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41639, "author": "Alec", "author_id": 8828, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Contrary to JohnP, I'm pro arch, especially since you added the powerlifting tag. Having that thoracic extension really drives home the \"shoulders down and back\" pointer that keeps us steady. And as John points out, the movement <em>does</em> become more similar to a decline bench. But there's nothing wrong with that. In powerlifting competitions, it's coveted, because it gives a shorter range of motion, allowing you to load more weight. And a lot of people are stronger when pushing in a decline angle, because your arms remain closer to your core.</p>\n\n<p>One big natural question is: Does the shortened range of motion take away strength gain benefits?</p>\n\n<p>I'll say yes and no. Of course, if you flattened your back, you'd have a longer reach, but the big problem here is that your flattened back becomes a shifting surface, and takes away your ability to remain steady. More energy is lost recovering balance all the time.</p>\n\n<p>On the topic of steadiness, there is room for improvement. I think Dark Hippo hits the nail on the head here.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>it looks like there's a disconnect between your lower body and your upper</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>When I received instructions on this, my trainer told me two things that just stuck with me for years.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>Your feet should not be tippytapping. They should be firmly anchored on the ground, heels and all. They should almost be trying to slide forward, but on a proper surface, they won't. You will instead be pushed back into the bench better. With the arch you have, this should be felt as your shoulder blades digging deeper into the bench.</p></li>\n<li><p>Tighten your core. It's the link between your legs and your upper torso. If it's loose, the first point may as well be ignored. If you cinch your abs down, and really feel like you're tightening the transverse abdominis, the steadiness provided by anchored feet should keep you from wriggling around.</p></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Oh, and then he told me that since the bench press is a laying-down exercise, \"the least you can do is pretend you're not lazy, and use your entire body.\"</p>\n\n<p>On the note of how tucked the elbows should be, I learned that it depends on the arch. Obviously, they should never flare all the way out for shoulder health reasons. </p>\n\n<p>If you're unable to arch, keeping the elbows completely tucked is a disadvantage, because the bar will end up all the way down at your belly. But if you have a sick arch, it resembles a dip in the sense that you're almost pressing the bar along your torso rather than away from it. In that case, tucking your elbows provides amazing support. It keeps the arms really balanced, because they lean against your sides. Engaging your lats in that case will keep them completely rigid, and less energy is lost recovering flaring elbows.</p>\n\n<p>In your case, which is sort of in between the extremes, it's hard to tell. 45 degrees is a good rule of thumb, but at this point, you should really be feeling it out. To give a number from the outside looking in would be pure speculation.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41680, "author": "Nike Dattani", "author_id": 29342, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/29342", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>First: Good work on your bench so far. The form is quite good and you've clearly worked hard. I'm also very happy to see you trying to do anything you can do to get better (for example making the effort to film yourself and ask here for advice).</p>\n\n<p>For the most part, your bench form is perfect, so I am only pointing out minor things below. I did not have a problem with your hip area: in powerlifting the goal is to lift <em>as much as you can</em> without breaking the competition rules, and this means that your whole body should be doing everything it possibly can, to help you do the lift without allowing your head, shoulders, or bum to leave the bench or feet to leave the floor (since these will cause the lift not to count). As a competition judge, I would have counted each of your lifts because the bum was never visibly off the bench (though there was a vertical metal rod in the way of me seeing properly in the second video!). Your elbow position was no major red flag for me, in fact the angle was rather appropriate for someone whose goal is to lift as much as they can (more on this when I describe the feet position later in this answer).</p>\n\n<p>So here are some minor pointers:</p>\n\n<p>1) The pause at the bottom may not be sufficient in competition. There will be someone calling 3 commands \"start\", \"lift\", and \"rack\". If you don't train this way, you may not even be able to do 230 lbs in the competition despite you doing 230 lbs quite comfortably in the video you posted. You have to be able to hold the bar steady for long enough while waiting for them to call the \"start\" command, then keep the bar steady on your chest for long enough for them to call the \"lift\" command, and then you have to hold the bar steady at the end of your lift until they call \"rack\". Your spotter can call these commands for you in order to simulate the competition. People that do not do this, tend to be able to lift significantly less in competitions than in the gym. At the 1-rep max, it makes a huge difference.</p>\n\n<p>2) There is no excuse not to use the side clips (in both videos I see them right there on the weight rack). As you do your reps, the weights can move slightly. Everyone has a slightly stronger side, so the weights will move asymmetrically and will not only change the moment of inertia (distribution of mass) but it will also change the location of the centre of mass, which is something you certainly do not want, when you get to your heaviest sets. <strong>In competitions you will have IWF standard 2.5kg collars</strong> as in this video: <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxgqzyIj2Dw\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxgqzyIj2Dw</a>. Some gyms will have these, and otherwise if you really want to simulate the conditions of the competition (think about how having these 2.5kg collars changes the moment of inertia) you can buy them for not much, but for most people the clips you have next to your bench are sufficient. </p>\n\n<p>3) The person giving your lift off is actually lifting the bar vertically a bit, which at 1-rep max level, can actually destabilize after you spent so much time getting your shoulder blades and hands into perfect set-up position. In the competition video I just sent you, not everyone chooses to get a lift-off, but a good example is at 37:48 when the lift-off is not vertical at all (only horizontal). It shouldn't really be called a \"lift-off\" but maybe a \"push-off\". This might be hard for your spotter to do, but it should be easy for him to do it like the person doing the lift-off here (it's a much smaller guy, with a much smaller 1-rep max, but most of what you see here also applies to anyone's 1-rep max): <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJjTs89UOj0\" rel=\"noreferrer\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJjTs89UOj0</a>. This is also a better example of how you want the spotter to spot you. <strong>Not</strong> with their hands around the bar on the way up like your spotter did. When you get to the heaviest you can lift, the brain and mind become even more important than your muscles (how else can someone like Lamar Gant at 56kg be deadlifting over 300kg?). You need to train without the mental reassurance that there's a hand right there (without being able to see the hand, you may have some anxiety about whether or not the spotter is really 100% there, and anxiety can hurt your lift, so you should practice with this anxiety of not being able to see the spotter's hands .. if you're worried about safety, see my paragraph 4 below). Also having hands in your line of vision, can be mentally distracting, which also hurts your lift.</p>\n\n<p>4) Notice in the competition video the bench has two things on the side to help catch the bar if you can't lift it. Your bench is in a lifting cage with holes where you can put metal bars, which is especially important since you only have a back spotter rather than 3 spotters (1 at the back and 2 at the side).</p>\n\n<p>5) You said the heaviest you've done for 1-rep max was 235 lbs, so it's a surprise that you're not using calk on your 230 lbs lift which is only 5 lbs less than your personal record! My guess is that with proper training and chalk, your 1-rep max really could be 250 lbs, and that when doing 5 lbs less than that (245 lbs) you'd definitely be using chalk (see the people in the videos I sent).</p>\n\n<p>6) <strong>Breathing</strong>: Before lift-off you want to take a <strong>huge</strong> breath. To simulate this, hold your breath completely for 2 minutes and then take the biggest breath you can possibly take. Practice this (it's also what musicians of wind instruments do). You want to have enough air in your body to last for a long time, since in competition you have to hold the bar at various positions for lengths of time while waiting for commands to be called. The bench press (in powerlifting) is a long exercise, for which you'll need oxygen for a long time. I also take a huge breath right before my heavy deadlifts and squats, I find I can lift the heaviest amounts with greater success when I do this.</p>\n\n<p>7) Your whole body should be <strong><em>tight</em></strong>. Shoulder blades as if they were holding a penny between them, all muscles ready to go to war with the bar. I am a big fan of your lifting, but you look more relaxed even for the 230 lbs lift, whereas the person doing the 80kg 1-rep I showed you looked very tight (still far from professional level but this looks more like what 5 lbs less than 1-rep max should look like). Your real 1-rep max is probably 250 lbs, but you think it's 235 lbs because you haven't practiced the full-body tightness enough.</p>\n\n<p>8) Shoes. I know that some of the lifters in the competition video I sent, are wearing their squat shoes, but I wouldn't recommend that, especially in 2020 when better alternatives are available. Squat shoes are only for squat (and even optional at that!), and not for deadlift or bench. For me and most people, lifting is done best with just socks, which helps with proprioception (same reason why you can bench more with bare hands than with gloves). In a competition you will need to have more than just socks, so I recommend something like vibrims (which have only become widely available relatively recently, which is why you don't see them in that competition video).</p>\n\n<p>9) Angle of your legs: I will have to add more about this later (with diagrams) but I have now spent a lot more time on this answer than anticipated and am now <em>very</em> late for the meeting I had planned today! I think you (or someone else) already mentioned knowledge of the need to dig in with your heels. The effect of this is not optimal unless the angle of your legs is optimal, meaning that the force obtained from digging in with your heels, is used nearly 100%, rather than only (100% x cos(A)) where A is the angle and cos(A) is the cosine of it. It is for this reason though, that I say your elbows are in good position (roughly 90 degree angle). cosine(90) = 1, so your elbow angle allows less of your force to be wasted. </p>\n\n<p>10) Perhaps try to work a bit more on your ability to keep the bar in control. You had complete control over the bar on the way down on your 225 lbs lift, but at 230 lbs, it was good at first but towards the end of reaching your chest, it began to look like the weight of the bar had more control over the situation than you did! It started dropping faster and you can see that you lost a bit of stability (one side started falling more than the other side, for example).</p>\n\n<p>Overall your lifting form is almost perfect as it is, so everything above is not meant to attack you in any way, they are just minor tips (along with the videos where you can see what professionals look like, or in the second case, an amateur that looks almost ready to do his first competition).</p>\n\n<p>It would be nice if you could find a group of other people that plan to enter the same competition as you. You should have 2 side spotters and one back spotter for the squat and bench, and one person calling commands. Your \"team\" of 5 people will rotate your sets, such that the two people loading each side of the bar, are not doing their lifts until 2 sets later. This way you're not wasting energy loading the bar right before your set. I can try to find people I know in Winnipeg if possible. But for now, kudos to your spotter for helping you get stronger. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41628", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41630, "author": "David Scarlett", "author_id": 25681, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25681", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>You can't expect me to carry a calculator and do all the computations for the correct max reps in the gym?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>If you have a phone, you have a calculator that you can use in the gym. Alternatively, for a non-autoregulated program such as this (one where you do not adjust the workout on the fly based on how each set goes) you can calculate each day's weights before you go to the gym.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Is there an-easier-to-remember 3-day workout plan that achieve essentially the above? Just some rule of thumbs shall already suffice.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Many beginner programs instead provide expected weight increases from workout to workout. E.g. Having a non-elderly male trainee add 5lbs/2.5kg to the squat and bench press, and 10lbs/5kg to the deadlift each time these lifts are performed. The program should then indicate what you are expected to do when you can no longer maintain that rate of improvement.</p>\n\n<p>If you're doing non-compound lifts (those targeting only a single muscle, such as curls, leg extensions, tricep pushdowns) or bodyweight exercises then these will typically progress much more slowly and you may need to set a target number of reps at which you will increase the weight. (E.g. When you can do 15 bicep curls at a certain weight then you would increase the weight and the reps would naturally drop down to maybe 12.)</p>\n\n<p>Finally, that program doesn't really look great. It's asking for a ridiculously high total number of sets performed per workout, which are needed because of the unnecessarily high number of different exercises it prescribes, and to make this possible it prescribes very low intensities. Then the deload week uses a high volume but ridiculously low intensity, when typical practice is for deloads to use normal intensity but low volume. I'd recommend finding a reputable <strong>beginner-specific</strong> free weights program instead. This definitely won't come from Muscle &amp; Fitness magazine, and you may need to pay for it, though the cost will be trivial when compared to hiring a personal trainer.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41652, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>First on the rep percentages..</p>\n\n<p>It's easier to to one of two methods, train to muscle failure or train with a couple reps left over by the last set. Training to muscle failure is choosing a weight just heavy enough to finish the sets and reps. If you're doing 4 sets of 10 but can only do 3 sets of 10 and 1 set of 7 this is ok too.. what you do is instead of adding weight just focus on finishing the reps which is technically progressive loading. I would only do this if you're a couple reps short on the last 2 sets however. This is easier than choosing a percentage of weight each week. I do keep an Excel sheet of my lift totals for different reps and sets, as well as a PR sheet with all my personal best lifts to give me an indicator of what weight to start with. Some people have a \"starter\" week or use a week to start light to make sure the form is good and they can complete the exercise, then they add weight each week. Your strength increases easier starting lighter rather than hopping to the most weight you can do as it becomes more difficult to add weight when you're already struggling and haven't adapted your body yet to increasing each week.</p>\n\n<p>On the workout-\nThe workout seems fine, everyone has different rep schemes that they adapt to best. When I switch reps each week, personally I like to do each rep scheme for 2 weeks before changing reps so that my body can adapt to it and I can even progressive overload if needed . It is very hard unless you're keeping track of all your numbers to find the perfect weight to use each week for a rep scheme, so I like to do 2 weeks to make sure I get the perfect weight as well before moving on. If I'm only doing one week at a time rather than 2 I also like to keep my sets the same that way my body is only adapting to the changes in reps rather than sets and it's easier to add weight or subtract each week, allowing your body to grow more efficiently. Ive had good results with the following rep scheme:</p>\n\n<p>Week 1: 3x12-15. Pick a weight for each exercise that allows you to complete the given reps and sets to muscle failure</p>\n\n<p>Week 2: 3x8-10 add weight since you're decreasing reps</p>\n\n<p>Week 3: 3x4-6 (or 5x5 or 6x4 or 4x6) Add weight since you're decreasing reps</p>\n\n<p>Week4: 3x8-10. Keep the weight the same as before, the overload will be the extra reps</p>\n\n<p>Week 5: 3x10-12 keep the weight the same as before, the overload will be the extra reps</p>\n\n<p>The above plan uses linear and delineate periodization techniques to build strength and muscle doing both reps and weight increases. It's also easier to increase weight when you go down a rep scheme as well.</p>\n\n<p>You could also make each of these 2 weeks and do the following:\n2x15\n4x10\n5x5\n3x8\n3x12</p>\n\n<p>You can change the sets and might get better results since the sets reflect more of the goals of those 2 weeks. This plan still uses linear and delineate periodization and gets you results two different ways.</p>\n\n<p>You could also just do 4-6 week periods where all the reps are the same and you just focus on adding weight each week before changing the reps. Then do a deload week and switch reps and exercises to better suit those reps. For instance, mostly barbell exercises for reps 6 and below where you should have mostly dumbbell and others for 15 reps+, etc </p>\n\n<p>I would advise looking into undulating periodization as well as linear and delineate periodization, etc.. as this can also enhance your workout.</p>\n\n<p>A good rule of thumb when guessing your weight is to use previous rep schemes you've done in the past. When you add reps you subtract a weight increment. When you go down reps you add a weight increment. A weight increment is roughly 5 lbs for dumbbells and 10 lbs for barbells. If you're doing 30 lbs bicep curl for 10 reps, then 15 reps you'll do 25, and for 6 reps you'll do 35. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41629", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1616/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41646, "author": "MJB", "author_id": 20039, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039", "pm_score": 6, "selected": true, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>If you are heavier you will be stronger wether this is by fat or by muscle I think we can all agree on that.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>On what do you base this? Apart from very few lifts where a bit more body weight helps you, I can't see a scenario that shows having extra fat helps you lift weights.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Say there is a version of me of 70kg with 10% body fat and a version of me of 80kg which has the same amount of muscle mass but higher fat percentage.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>No, absolutely not. If you literally only gained fat, and no muscle what so ever, you won't be stronger. (unless your central nervous system somehow adapted in such a way that you have more control over the lift) What often happens thought, is that you have gained some fat and some muscle, making you a bit stronger.</p>\n\n<p><strong>The reason why you often see very strong dudes have a bit more fat</strong> is because if you want to be strong, you have to eat a lot. Eventually you get to the point where it gets harder and harder to gain muscle without gaining fat. They don't intentionally gain fat, it just happens when you get to the point of eating x-amount of calories a day.</p>\n\n<p>Also, don't confuse muscle size with strength. You don't always have to lift heavy to get bigger muscles. Training to get stronger is different from training to get bigger.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41647, "author": "Old pole vaulter", "author_id": 32811, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32811", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Most sports require lean performance as fat adds nothing but sport baggage. Good 40 yard times and slam dunks require it. IF you push your fat percentage below 5% other organs including the immune system will be compromised. Many Olympic performances have not gone as expected for this reason. Sumo wrestlers, cannon ball targets and cold water swimmers are special needs events and are associated with specific health related compromises. For the average human, gravity is a daily reality that fat as baggage creates passive exercise, still low body weight is associated with longer life expectancy and generally greater health. Dietary fat generally concentrates man made contaminates, cholesterol, and has lower satisfaction of hunger per gram eaten.\nElite athletes often increase the duration of peak performance by managing fat intake.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41648, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n<p>If you are heavier you will be stronger wether this is by fat or by muscle I think we can all agree on that. (I'm not talking about overly fat because at that point it would probably not hold true due to health reasons)</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>There is no science which supports this claim.</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>So if you have excessive fat, will you gain more muscle because you can lift heavier then the version of yourself who has the same amount of muscle but a lot less fat? Or am I missing something here?</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>There is no science which supports this claim either.</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Say there is a version of me of 70kg with 10% body fat and a version of me of 80kg which has the same amount of muscle mass but higher fat percentage.</p>\n<p>Both training the same exercises but lifting the most I can lift in a secure way, will the fat version gain more muscle mass?</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Yes? No? The answer doesn't really exist because real fitness studies are multivariate. You suggest there is a strong correlation between body fat and muscle mass but reality is much more complicated.</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>I'm guessing this means bulking is just an excuse to lazily gain muscle without paying too much attention to the surplus of calories you are eating.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>MJB's answer did not suggest this. Food consumption affects the way muscles grow (and even atrophy) and bulking is a viable fitness strategy.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41650, "author": "Sayed Mohd Ali", "author_id": 32795, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32795", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Muscles make you stronger, not fat, fat will make you slow and lazy because Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. Since muscle is denser, if you compare two equal sizes of fat and muscle, the muscle would weigh more. The density of fat is .9g/ml whereas the density of muscle is 1.1g/ml. these numbers can vary depending on numerous factors such as race, sex, or body type.</p>\n\n<p>High body fat percentages are associated with raised risk for obesity-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even certain cancers. The average everyday American woman should look to be somewhere between eighteen and thirty percent body fat, whereas men should look to be between ten and twenty-five percent.</p>\n\n<p>Apart from fat and muscles other things also matter.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>smoking:</strong> if someone smokes then he gets tired first in stamina based exercises.</li>\n<li><strong>proper eating:</strong> the one who eats properly and takes a balanced diet can generate more energy and have more stamina.</li>\n<li><strong>Injury:</strong> one cannot perform well if he is injured.</li>\n<li><strong>diseases</strong>: if one is suffering from any major or minor diseases then his body will not function properly and he will consider weaker.</li>\n<li><strong>Bone density</strong>: just consider someone is having stronger bone, obviously he will be more solid and stronger form inside. stronger bones means stronger base.</li>\n</ol>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41651, "author": "Peter - Reinstate Monica", "author_id": 20302, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20302", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>It's a somewhat complex question. Let's start with your first sentence:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>If you are heavier you will be stronger whether this is by fat or by muscle I think we can all agree on that. </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>No, I don't agree. What is true is that in martial arts and boxing lighter fighters have a disadvantage, probably even against heavier fighters who have the same absolute muscle mass. (The reason is that it is harder to make heavy people lose balance, and their greater mass gives a stronger punch, even with the same muscle.) Other sports which depend on momentum profit from body mass as well, for example shot put or discus. The reason is that a heavier body can accumulate more kinetic energy during the build-up phase to the toss when it is transferred to the object.</p>\n\n<p><strong>But this competitiveness in a fight or ability to build momentum should not be confused with the sustained force people can generate.</strong></p>\n\n<p>It seems irrefutable that a person with more fat but the same muscle in their body can lift <em>less</em> than a person with less fat: They have to lift their fat as well which contributes nothing to the lift; it's dead weight. You can observe that when fat people climb stairs. You can also observe that when people with more body fat try to do pull-ups.</p>\n\n<p>What may contribute to the general impression that many fat people are also stronger is the added demand on their muscles. Simply getting up and around trains their muscles more than those of a lighter person, so more fat usually comes with more absolute muscle mass. Therefore a 300 pound man will often easily lift another 60 pounds &mdash; after all, that's just 20 percent of his weight. He has the muscles to cope with that (but may develop tendon and joint problems in the legs). A puny 120 pound guy of the same height may struggle to lift half his body mass because his muscles have not been trained to do that by normally moving his body. But this effect &mdash; that more fat leads automatically to more absolute muscle mass &mdash; is only strong for active people. Because fat makes exercise strenuous fat people often avoid even common physical activities like walking and stair climbing, making them too weak for their weight.</p>\n\n<p>So the answer to your last question is yes: A version of yourself with the same muscle mass but more fat will start out weaker (because of the dead weight) but in the long run will profit more from the same exercises because he moves additional weight with each exercise.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41661, "author": "Damon", "author_id": 4473, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/4473", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Yes and no, there are some misconceptions, and there is no clear undisputable answer to any such question (as there are three dozen factors playing in, and diagonally opposing goals).<br>\nNo single thing is always good (or always bad) and no single thing works well for everybody and in every situation. Or, for every goal, for that matter.</p>\n\n<p>First, while people with a lot of muscle are sometimes (often, even) stronger than others, muscle mass does not (at least not much) correlate with strength. That's a misconception. Muscle consists of fibers of different types that are organized and \"addressable\" in contingents. Some are stronger, some are faster, there's a difference on how fast they get tired, etc etc.</p>\n\n<p>Also, there is raw physical strength, and <em>actual</em> strength. Strength is predominantly a matter of your cerebellum being able to activate as many muscle fiber contingents as possible simultaneously, in a <em>controlled, balanced manner</em>.</p>\n\n<p>In theory, for maximum strength, your muscle should contract as if you had a spasm from accidentially having gripped an electric wire. In reality, movement is a highly complex thing that requires a lot of care, interaction between muscle groups, and balance. You do not want a tendon to tear out a piece of bone (muscles <em>are</em> actually strong enough to tear your bones to pieces!), you do not want fissures in tendons or ligaments, you do not want to dislocate a joint, you do not want to fall over, etc etc. This is a much more complicated task than one would believe, and a lot more has to go on for seemingly trivial tasks such as just lifting something off the ground.</p>\n\n<p>Plus, for a contraction that lasts longer than a second or two, <em>different</em> fiber contingents have to be switched in and out seamlessly since those in use become more and more tired (and eventually, exhausted, and damaged). On well-defined people you can actually watch this when holding a weight isometrically (visible through the skin). Pretty funny sight, actually.<br>\nIt's the cerebellum's job to coordinate and maintain a controlled, steady contraction, and balance the muscle's fatigue so that in case something unanticipated and bad happens (we do not have muscle for fun and sport, but because it's necessary for survival!) there's a reserve. In other words, if a tiger comes from hiding in the bush after you have been doing a dozen squats, there must be at least <em>some</em> responsive fibers remaining, or you're dead. In bodybuilding, what people typically do for maximum effect is, they push it so far that this is no longer the case (which is a highly critical, undesirable situation, so your body must react to it in order to guarantee your survival on the next similar occasion).</p>\n\n<p>So, long story short, someone with less muscle can <em>very well</em> be stronger than someone with more mass. But sure enough, more mass <em>in general</em> makes the job of finding a well-rested, functional bunch of fibers somewhat easier.</p>\n\n<p>Next, fat does not contribute to moving things, but it is not dead weight either. That, too, is a misconception.<br>\nFat is a source of energy, and contrary to urban myth (and fitness myth) fat oxidation does not just happen at \"fat burning intensity with ~120bpm on the stepper\". It happens all day (and night), and it is our main source of energy, we literally live from it. It's just that as you crank up power consumption, fat oxidation eventually hits a ceiling where it is no longer able to supply <em>all the required</em> energy alone any longer (it still happens, and at maximum intensity).</p>\n\n<p>We have many tiers of stores that provide the required energy ranging from one to ten seconds (ATP / phospocreatine) over few minutes to dozens of minutes (glucose, glycogene) to several days (fat). Generally, the shorter lived, the higher the peak power. Note however, that none of that is black or white. You <em>do burn fat</em> when doing a set, and in between sets, which contributes to restoring the ultra-short-duration depots.<br>\nIt's comparable to the relationship of combusion engine, battery, and supercapacitator in a modern sports car (say, a Lamborghini Séan). The supercapacitator gives that thing the <em>accelerates like a rocket</em> feeling, but for actually driving the car it's pretty useless. Other power sources are needed, too.</p>\n\n<p>In addition to the depots in our body, we have the ability to restock energy from the outside (food) as we go. While doing exercise when hungry (I've actually heard this recommendation, which is total nonsense) is bad, doing exercise after eating tons of calories is not trouble-free either. Some people (bodybuilders) seem to do that, but this doesn't mean it's good (or unproblematic).<br>\nFor one reason, the digestive system needs blood to function, and you may want that blood in other places. Also, it gives you the typical ugly pumper belly (not alone, but it's one of the causes) which is not just unpleasing but also a thing that significantly reduces the likelihood of living a long life. Lastly, you'll have high insuline which is disputable for being beneficial (depends on the point of view). If building up mass is all you want, then sure, insulin is your friend. If you reach into the chemistry toolbox and take some other borderline-legal substances which internalize GLUT4 receptors, then sure enough insulin is a good way to counter that effect.<br>\nBut if you are worried about health in general (insulin resistance, obesity, also regularly activating proto-oncogenes may seem like not such an awesome thing), your point of view may differ. If you would like to have fat oxidation going, then again insulin is, uh, not precisely the thing you want because it's not happening.</p>\n\n<p>So if training crammed full isn't good, then why not train hungry? Well, because when you use a muscle, it has to get energy from somewhere to restock itself. It has no more than three choices, and if there is no \"sugar\" around, it has to be \"fat\", but fat doesn't provide energy fast enough to cover it all under heavy exercise. So there remains only one thing it can get energy from, and that's <em>the single one thing</em> that you do not want to sacrifice. So, training hungry is really a bad idea.</p>\n\n<p>Now, why might more fat be advantageous? More body fat predominantly means that your adipozytes are more inflated, but it also means that you have a few more of them (not proportionally, for the most part it's the always-existing ones being more inflated). With each of them necessarily carrying a few mitochondria, having a few more necessarily means that a little more power is available. Also, an adipocyte that is stuffed with fat is generally more \"willing\" to oxidize that since the pathway has over-abundance on the input end. Generally, one could say that your reserves are higher, and so your body is generally more \"willing\" to use that resource. Remember, we don't have fat for fun and sports either, we have fat to stay alive. The closer your depots approach zero, nature tends to get reluctant to use it up because your body does need some minimum reserves. Otherwise, you might die in your sleep, or assuming the hunter and gatherer doesn't find something edible the next morning shortly after waking, there will be no tomorrow.</p>\n\n<p>Thus, arguably, with more fat you will be able to exercise a bit longer (continuously at moderate intensity, or with breaks at higher intensity), and therefore should also generally be able to build up more muscle (if you train for building up muscle).<br>\nThat's not just a theory, it's what I can confirm as being \"reality\" in an before-after comparison done last year. Same strength and same or almost-same reps on the first set after working off 25kg over a few months (preserving muscle as much as possible). However, steep decline on following sets, much longer breaks and reduction in reps needed, which came dissatisfying. A few good meals, regained 3kg within 2 weeks, steady weight since, and performance \"instantly\" back to normal. Since you can hardly gain 3kg of muscle in 2 weeks, it has to be fat. Funnily, I can't see where it went (but won't complain). Bottom line: nature knows best how much fat it needs.</p>\n\n<p>Also, fat is necessary for many things, such as for example building steroid hormones. Admittedly, not much is needed, since you don't need <em>kilograms</em> to build a few dozen nanograms of hormone. But of course it doesn't make any sense to worry about e.g. testosterone on the one hand side (and stimulating or actively supplementing it, maybe!), and then, on the other hand side, chastise over the base substance that it's being built from naturally.<br>\nIt's the same principle as everywhere all over: if you do not give the biochemical pathway abundance on one end, then sure enough something <em>still</em> comes out at the other end, but maybe not as much as you would hope. Nature is very tenacious and will do a tough job at keeping you alive and functional <em>somehow</em>, but by depriving it from the necessary building blocks, you make its job harder than necessary.</p>\n\n<p>Conclusion?</p>\n\n<p>For everything except professional bodybuilding or Strong Man stuff (which de facto requires you to do unreasonable, crazy, unhealthy, disputable, and sometimes un-ethical or illegal things), eat normally, try to have a kinda normal build (with kinda normal fat), and you are good to go. Somewhat on the slim side, that's fine (it's what looks best in my opinion, too). Being obese is bad, being almost-starved is bad.<br>\nGot a few kilograms too many? I'll tell you a secret: Keep your training schedule, but eat 500 calories per day less (which is surprisingly easy to do if you have an Android phone, use Samsung Health), that'll be half a kilogram per week gone. If you are serious, you can of course scale that up, but then it's no longer a fun experience.<br>\nNo super secret diet (which doesn't work) needed. No fatburner chemistry (which doesn't work) needed. No crackpot-idea alternative paleo-lowcarb-highcarb-lowfat-whatever stuff needed. All that's needed is discipline and a few weeks of time.</p>\n\n<p>Sure, you can hardly do the Strong Man pulling trucks and lifting 60kg boulders challenge when you have 60kg of body weight. That simply doesn't work, if for no other reason because regardless of strength and endurance there's no way you'll hold your balance. You practically <em>have to be</em> fat, kind of.<br>\nAnd sure enough, if you plan to be on stage as professional bodybuilder, you will necessarily have to reach into the chemistry toolbox, and you will necessarily have to watch more carefully what you eat and be hungry more than once. Because, oh hell, you <em>have to</em> look like you're starving.<br>\nBut to 99% of all people, this doesn't apply. Good, even excellent strength (and physical appearance) is perfectly chieveable otherwise, and a little (not too much) fat is perfectly acceptable and rather an advantage both in appearance and for performance.</p>\n\n<p>Don't follow every half-scientific (or non-scientific) trend, and don't reach into the chemistry toolbox too deep, and you'll likely stay healthy. In fact, you can be perfectly happy and have good muscle without any magical additives at all. Most things are overrated (or outright snake oil) anyway, and of those things that actually do work, most are questionable in terms of health.</p>\n\n<p>Yes, you can have eggs for breakfast and not fear the cholesterol. Please, do eat butter, not margarine. Stop the pseudo-health stuff.<br>\nDo you like chia and quinoa? Well alright, go ahead and eat them, there is no harm. But it's not going to summon a divine miracle. There is outside of ideology or pseudo-science no need to eat anything that your grandparents didn't already eat, too.<br>\nNo, you <em>don't</em> need to, or want to, swallow 200 grams of protein shake per day (although a little casein to cover the hungry time over night doesn't hurt, and sure enough a little whey either before or after training doesn't hurt either). No, you don't need to eat a kilogram of chicken per day either.<br>\nNo, you shouldn't go training hungry. No, you shouldn't cram it in like a madman before exercise either. Apply reason. No crazy things.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41645", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/13435/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41662, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>You will not get \"bulky\" if you are not eating an excess of calories each week. Your body has a baseline of muscle that it uses and gets built up by getting in shape but it will not grow if you don't eat extra. Having extra protein and weightlifting will not make you bulky or even add muscle so don't be afraid of protein.. but if you're wanting to add muscle then you do need to eat more calories including a lot of complex carbs. If you're trying to avoid bigger legs than simply do less leg exercises and more of everything else. Once you've reached a point where you're satisfied with your muscle, then you can quit doing hypertrophy goals and focus on cutting/maintenance.</p>\n\n<p>There are a lot of mixed research articles on what actually is medically a necessity but here are the average numbers.</p>\n\n<p>Protein requirements depending on goals:</p>\n\n<p>Hypertrophy: 0.75g to 1g per lb of bodyweight but can do up to 2g. You can have more but carbs can replace protein and your carbohydrate intake should be high for this goal so it lowers your actual needs.</p>\n\n<p>Strength: same as above</p>\n\n<p>Cutting or fat loss: at least 1g but advisable to do 1.5g per lb of bodyweight because your carb intake will be much lower.</p>\n\n<p>Health: 0.36 g per lb bodyweight but these are the meager needs to be healthy.. you can do more according to this article: <a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day#weight-loss\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day#weight-loss</a></p>\n\n<p>Depending on the intensity of cardio, it's usually best after your weight training as it'll drain your aerobic system(or other energy systems depending on the intensity) and will make you that much more tired when you actually lift weights, reducing your numbers a bit.</p>\n\n<p>I would also advise your workout to be more well rounded.. for instance you aren't doing any chest exercises. Chest exercises actually help make breasts appear bigger(if you're female) and prevent muscle asymmetry. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41667, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>My main goals are to build more muscle around my abs, arms, back, shoulders, bum, and inner thigh area to look slender and good. <strong>Although I don't want to get bulky and get massive legs.</strong></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>First things first: it is <em>hard</em> to get bulky. It is <em>hard</em> to get massive legs. It is <em>hard</em> to achieve a bodybuilder physique. I hear this woe a lot, disproportionately from women, that achieving massive muscly legs is something that might happen accidentally. World-class bodybuilders, men and women, train and eat consistently for years to achieve their physiques.</p>\n\n<p>I say this because this fear of being \"bulky\" causes many women to fear lifting heavy. However, lifting heavy is exactly what you should be doing to achieve your toned physique. I think you should take some time to read through these questions and answers: <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/13502/how-can-i-get-more-toned?rq=1\">How can I get more \"toned\"?</a></p>\n\n<p>Quoting <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/13572/31284\">this answer</a>:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>You need to lift weights like you're trying to get big - just don't eat like you're trying to get big.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>On the topic of food: yes, you should be eating protein. How much depends on your goal and I will direct you to this great answer: <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/907/31284\">Protein: How much is too much?</a></p>\n\n<p>You've stated that your goal is to <em>build</em> muscle. If that's the case, your body needs protein and calories to work with. You should definitely be eating more protein than \"sedentary\" but while you're working on building up that muscle I think you should aim for somewhere between \"active\" and \"bodybuilding\".</p>\n\n<p>In terms of calories, you should track your food and aim to eat about 200 calories more than your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE); this is just the amount of calories you burn in a day + activity. Eating <em>slightly</em> more calories than your TDEE will help encourage your body to build muscle while keeping the excess fat away.</p>\n\n<p>I definitely suggest weight training first and then doing cardio afterwards.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41656", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32833/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41658, "author": "Alec", "author_id": 8828, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>The barbell hip thrust is legitimately an amazing exercise for the glutes. I highly recommend you look into that, and try to get accustomed to it.</p>\n\n<p>As for hamstrings, one of my favorite exercises is the Romanian Deadlift, but since you disqualified it, another good option is the Physio Ball Leg Curl. A good demonstration can be seen <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzNaOBs1pxk\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>. It allows for some variation as you can also do it with a single leg. It requires a lot more activation of the glute/hamstring area, but it's a nice way to progress.</p>\n\n<p>Form-wise, you do sort of a hip thrust to begin with, then do the curl, release the curl, and optionally, disengage the bridge. But always have the bridge intact during the curl itself.</p>\n\n<p>If you don't already have a physio ball, it should be pretty easy to get a hold of, and as far as home equipment goes, it's in the lower range with regards to price. An added benefit is that it's great for various types of mobility work and stretches. It's a pretty good tool for a lot of supplementary exercises. I'd go so far as to say that anyone who works out at home should have one, but that's just my opinion.</p>\n\n<p>Those big rubber bands are another tool that can be very versatile here. Hook the band up to the bottom of a table leg, put your leg in it, and do a simple standing leg curl for the hamstring. You can also elevate the entire leg behind you for glute activation. It's one of the exercises that are really popular among girls that try to build a big booty, but there's actual merit to this one.</p>\n\n<p>Rubber bands, I'd say, are another staple of any home gym. Cheap and very versatile. I had my employer buy some for the the office. I like to do some pull-aparts just to counteract the otherwise kyphotic posture of a software developer's lifestyle.</p>\n\n<p>There are probably a bunch of other exercises that don't come to mind just now. I hope to see some other answers on this as well.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41659, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I've performed <em>natural glute ham raises</em> as a substitute. They're like GHRs but with a fall/push-up at the end. When I first did them I had a partner holding my ankles but after that, I also had to get creative. </p>\n\n<p>I placed the barbell on the inside of the lowest power rack height setting. This places the barbell somewhere > 6\" off the ground and then I loaded the bar so it wouldn't move. Then I placed my heels underneath it and grabbed a random rubber pad for my knees. It actually worked quite well.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://youtu.be/dt0YcFf1E8E?t=55\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">This is a good video</a> demonstrating what I mean. He has the bar on the outside of the rack but still on the hooks. In looking for a visual I also found this <a href=\"https://youtu.be/9xSDFVCg2DM?t=90\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">example with an exercise ball</a> as an easier alternative, and it progresses into <a href=\"https://youtu.be/9xSDFVCg2DM?t=108\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">using an ab wheel</a>. Exrx.net also shows it but they've called it a <a href=\"https://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/ASHamstringRaiseSelfFloor\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">self-assisted inverse leg curl (on floor)</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Given your restrictions, I think this could work depending on how low your squat rack goes. If not, you can load the barbell and place it on blocks while still using the rack as the lateral brace. You can't load the self-assisted/natural version but once you can complete an unassisted rep you can look at completing it while holding a dumbbell.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41657", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25777/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42265, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>Is there any exercise I can do, that will make me flexible enough so that I can touch the ground?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Leg lifts, hanging leg raises, leg raises on the dip stations, V-ups, standing leg raises, sit ups...</p>\n\n<p>If it trains the anterior part of your hips then it will make you more flexible.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42297, "author": "FenryrMKIII", "author_id": 25426, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I was myself pretty stiff coming out of nearly 20 years of sprint training. Stiffness is considered a quality there :)</p>\n\n<p>When I started doing other stuff, my lack of flexibility really bugged me and I spent quite a lot of time researching the subject. Standard process : stretch for more than 30 seconds, use PNF, use foam roller,..</p>\n\n<p>In the end, I would say two things matter to really make improvements regarding your flexibility :</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Understand that limited ROM is because your body (brain, nervous system, whatever is at play) prevents you to go there to protect you.</li>\n<li><p>Based on 1, you must therefore teach your body 'its ok, it's safe'</p>\n\n<p>To achieve this you must strengthen your body and muscles. Yes, flexibility actually requires to be strong. I spent years thinking my hamstrings were tight whereas they were weak (despite sprinting, due to injuries) as well as my hip flexors. Worked on that, immediately improved my ROM. This might require you to spend sometime finding your imbalances / weaknesses</p>\n\n<p>To teach your body its safe, once you get the physical part covered (strength), you must use tame your nervous system. Use calm, deep breathing. There is ton on the subject, i personally usually recommend kit Laughlin who introduced the concept to me. From there, I learned then much making the connections. </p></li>\n</ol>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41660", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8652/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41668, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>The issue seems to be that you've got varied flexibility between the two sides of your hips. I'm not certain if one is more flexible than the other or if one is more inflexible than the other but it doesn't quite matter.</p>\n\n<p>From personal experience, I can think of two things that inadvertently have affected my hips:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Sitting on a thick brick of a wallet.</li>\n<li>Sitting with the <a href=\"https://english.stackexchange.com/a/237004\">leg crossed (ankle-on-knee)</a>.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/kZbTC.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/kZbTC.png\" alt=\"Cross-legged sitting position.\"></a></p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>But now that you mention it, sitting with an ankle on your opposing knee (as people often do) is a sitting figure four position. Is that what you meant? When I do that (casually, not meaning to stretch) <strong>I always do the easy/flexible side.</strong></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Even if I try it right now, I have a \"favourite\" leg-up-side and this side is more flexible for me as well. This is probably some flexibility that you've developed inadvertently over the years of sitting the same way. Similar to how your right arm might be stronger just by being right-handed.</p>\n\n<p>This doesn't really indicate a problem beyond asymmetry unless it causes you pain beyond simple stretching. You could probably solve this the same way, make a conscious effort to sit with your opposite leg on your knee or continue with your regular figure four stretches and I bet that you'll develop the symmetrical flexibility you're looking for.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 44351, "author": "Jun", "author_id": 32901, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32901", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Your hip internal rotators may be tight and weaker compared to your external rotators. Hence, the imbalance.</p>\n<p>I’ll stretch the hip internal rotators and strengthen my hip external rotators (glute max).</p>\n<p>You can do exercises which encourage hip external rotation like putting a band around your knee while squatting.</p>\n<p>Something interesting I learned is that inability to touch the floor may not always be associated with tight hamstrings.\nIt can be where our body “bends” from. When we bend forward to touch the floor, ideally, we will want to bend from the hips. For that to happen, our glutes need to be strong to “anchor” us. If not, the movement will happen higher up the chain and that will often be our lower back. No matter how flexible we are, if you bend from the lower back, you won’t be touching the floor.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41664", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32839/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41675, "author": "ModernKnight", "author_id": 32852, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32852", "pm_score": 4, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I actually joined this community because I read your post. I won't say I am the know all guru on this, but from personal experience I will say it is normal to drop. Don't take this as the LAW, as others experiences may vary, and we all know the Army isn't the best reputable source as there's many injuries, but we still do our best.</p>\n\n<p>Basic Combat Training (BCT) is 10 weeks, and we have a lot of people that come not being able to pass in the push up category. By the end of the 10 weeks they need to do 42 pushups in 2 minutes straight (for males). And about 99% pass (obviously this could change since there's a new Fitness Test, I am going off the old APFT).</p>\n\n<p>The way we build them up is by fitness training every day, and 2 - 3 times a week they do multiple sets of one minute push up exercises. So one minute straight without stopping of push ups. Doesn't matter if they fatigue, they just go to their knees and keep pushing. Another way that helps with pushups is to multiply the amount of reps you want by 2 - 3, so if you want 50, plan to double or triple that and you can vary. 3 times a week I will split up 100 push ups into equal sets throughout the day til I hit that amount (so usually about 20 at a time). The other two days during the week that i work out, I try to hit 100 in as few sets as possible.</p>\n\n<p>You can also do pyramid push ups. Start with 1 for 1 set. Then 2 push ups for 1 set, then 3 for 1 set...All the way up to 15, then all the way back down. Also, on top of varying the types, we \"encourage\" the trainee to do them close grip, so hands are directly under the shoulders.</p>\n\n<p>Edit: Going back to the decrease...So usually I find when I'm doing intense workouts for several months, I try to do a test at the start of month 1, a second test about 5 weeks in, and then a third closer to 9 weeks. In week 5 I typically drop in push ups from what I was, or barely increase, and then week 9 I get a LARGE amount of increase. If it isn't push ups, it's typically another exercise I decrease in, but then ultimately I come back a lot stronger. Don't let the decrease get you down. You'll get to where you want. Just keep pushing (see what I did there?) and be hopeful! HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!</p>\n\n<p>Hope some of this helps out!</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41676, "author": "Alec", "author_id": 8828, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828", "pm_score": 6, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Don't worry. The question is perfectly on-topic here.</p>\n\n<p>When I read through your description of your process, I'm on the lookout for one single thing. And unless I'm missing it, I don't see it anywhere in your process.</p>\n\n<p><strong>You gotta add some resistance!</strong></p>\n\n<p>Every attempt you make at \"switching it up\" is fine. But at the end of the day, if you can do 30+ repetitions of something, it's no longer challenging enough for you to just keep grinding out hundreds and hundreds of repetitions, and expect the body to change. This is now something your body considers easy, and your body will simply get really good at doing 30 reps, and not feel the need to improve further.</p>\n\n<p>You need to challenge your muscles in the way that makes the most sense: Get some extra weight. Give your muscles (not to mention your central nervous system) a new challenge.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Progressive overload</strong></p>\n\n<p>The phrase we always use for this is progressive overload. It's done in a few different ways, but what we refer to is the act of challenging the muscles either by, for example, adding more resistance to a movement, or adding more volume.</p>\n\n<p>You've tried adding volume. And that's good. Eventually, you'll get back to that. But what you should try now, is to add more resistance to the exercise. Try putting a weight plate on your back, or a weighted vest on your torso. Get someone to stand over you and press your body down. Get someone to push you down with irregular intervals. Anything to make your muscles and CNS go \"oh shit, we need to adapt to this\".</p>\n\n<p><strong>Other exercises</strong></p>\n\n<p>Variety is key to any sort of progress with regards to strength. The fact that you're doing different variations of a pushups is great. And you should keep doing that. But you should also look at adding other exercises with similar, but differently loaded pressing movements are going to get your chest and triceps growing stronger, allowing you to do more pushups.</p>\n\n<p>Bench press (in all its variation, be it on a flat bench, incline bench, decline bench, with a barbell or dumbell, be it laying on the floor) is an exercise you... I'll say it... you <em>need</em> to add. This exercise is probably the exercise that will allow you to move the most amount of weight, giving you that progressive overload I mentioned earlier.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Don't neglect the rest</strong></p>\n\n<p>You don't mention anything about how you train your other body parts. I will assume that you have a semblance of order in your training regimen, but I'll say this in case anyone else reads this: Don't let pushups be your one and only goal. Don't let pressing movements be the only training you do. Neglecting the rest of the muscle groups, and only focusing on 2-3 of them, is bound to lead you down a road with muscular imbalances, and chronic pain in your back, neck, and shoulders.</p>\n\n<p>Some times, the best exercise you can do to increase your pressing movement, is train the muscles that help out, without you realizing it. A well-performed pushup is actually a very well-rounded exercise. While it does not train them very well, it does rely on your core, shoulders, back, and butt for stability. Make sure all of these are trained with the same amount of focus. In the long run, this is provide far more benefit to your pushups than any pushup-only training.</p>\n\n<p><strong>EDIT: Regarding rep-only workout plans</strong></p>\n\n<p>You mention in a comment that you've now tried a program that is designed around reps only. These have a high chance of failure because if you can do 32 in one set, there's no guarantee that you can do 50 in two sets, or 70 in three etc.</p>\n\n<p>You also mention that a gym membership isn't likely, so doing bench press etc. is out of the picture. But there is a very nice way of adding resistance to your pushups anyway, namely with a rubber band.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/y5DpC.png\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/y5DpC.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>I would highly recommend getting a few different ones of these, so that you can start to incrementally challenge your muscles to make them stronger.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41685, "author": "Lawnmower Man", "author_id": 31355, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31355", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<h1>Listen to Alec</h1>\n\n<p>Alec's advice is best: you need weights to advance fastest. Since you mention doing squats, I assume you have access to free weights. Bench press is definitely going to improve your push-up reps faster than push-ups themselves, because it will help you develop more strength quickly.</p>\n\n<p>There are lots of ways to schedule your lifting, but a simple and easy-to-remember system is the 5x5: do 5 sets of 5 reps with 1 minute rest between sets, using the heaviest weight that you can barely complete the 25th rep. You should be able to bench 100% of your body weight in no time, if not already (and note that this is actually about 50% more work than a push-up, because push-ups don't involve lifting much of your leg weight due to leverage). I'd say at least 90% of individuals can train to 150% of body weight, at which point you will probably stop caring about push-ups because you will get bored before you find out how many you can do.</p>\n\n<h1>Form</h1>\n\n<p>I will say one thing about form. Many people do both push-ups and bench press with their elbows at 90 degrees to their sides (so that your upper arms are straight across like a bar). This puts a lot of strain on the front deltoids and limits how much and how long you can lift. The problem is that it mostly uses the upper pecs, which are the weakest part of your pecs, as anyone who has done inclined/flat/decline bench can attest.</p>\n\n<p>A much better form is about 45 degrees, which recruits the mid/lower pecs much more, and will feel stronger once you get used to it. During bench press, this puts the bar at or slightly below your sternum at the bottom of the movement. During push-ups, your arms will be closer to your body, but your thumbs should be close to the line across your sternum. If you are used to the 90 deg. angle, switching will feel unnatural and reduce your lift/reps. However, it is well worth the training to change this habit.</p>\n\n<h1>Schedule</h1>\n\n<p>Much research has been done on recovery times and optimal training schedules (think: Olympics, powerlifting, etc.). The research I have seen shows that after an intense workout (where you reach significant fatigue for the trained muscles), strength will decline over the next 24-36 hours as the body repairs itself, then rise over 48-72 hours, peaking above the starting level and then coming back down to the original level (but hopefully, a bit higher). So, if you train during this \"rebound peak\" which occurs 2-3 days after a big lift, you should be able to maximize your training weight, which will help you gain the fastest. This is why many lifters will alternate muscle groups every other day.</p>\n\n<p>So, do big lifts 2-3x a week, and give your body a chance to rest and recover or work different groups in between (alternating upper and lower body is an easy approach).</p>\n\n<h1>Cardio</h1>\n\n<p>Finally, don't forget to exercise the most important muscle of all: your heart. While push-ups are mostly an anaerobic exercise, they will still put a load on your heart. Running/biking/swimming at medium/high intensity for a decent length of time will help ensure that your reps are not unnecessarily limited by your cardio throughput. 20-30m for 2-3x a week should keep you in balance.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41689, "author": "Eric Duminil", "author_id": 28219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/28219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<h1>Hundred pushups challenge</h1>\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https://hundredpushups.com/week1.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">challenge</a> helped me achieve 100 push-ups in a row, a few years ago. I could do 35 push-ups without pause at the beginning of the challenge, and it took a bit less than 2 months to achieve this goal.</p>\n\n<p>I made sure to be properly rested and hydrated before doing the workouts. It might have been placebo effect, but I made sure to make very gram counts before going for many push-ups : I went to the toilet right before training, and only wore boxer shorts during the workout.</p>\n\n<p>Music helped me too. I listened to Gnarls Barkley's <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe500eIK1oA\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">\"Crazy\"</a> for my 104 push-ups in a row. Find something that works well with your mind, body and push-up rhythm.</p>\n\n<p>It felt good to achieve it, but it mostly taught me to do quick, explosive push-up, without paying much attention to balance or proper form.</p>\n\n<h1>Quality vs quantity: Slower and harder</h1>\n\n<p>I still regularly do push-ups, but almost never more than 15 in a row. I do them <em>very</em> slowly though, and pay a lot of attention to my back, shoulders and core. I breathe slowly and in sync with the push-ups.</p>\n\n<p>I really like close-grip push-ups, but sometimes switch to wide grip push-ups, dive bombers, Chinese push-ups or military presses. If I feel good, I'll lift one leg (alternating every 5 reps) or I'll put my feet on an elevated surface (chair, coffee table or bed) for extra resistance. When I'm properly warmed-up, I'll also try handstand push-ups against a wall. 3 of them will feel like 50 standard push-ups.</p>\n\n<p>Note that all those variations are bodyweight exercises, which you basically can do anywhere and at any time. For more information, I highly recommend <a href=\"https://marklauren.com/bodyweight/books/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">\"You are your own gym\"</a>, by Mark Lauren.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41690, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Just to throw a slightly different approach into the mix, you might want to consider the <a href=\"http://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/greasing-the-groove-how-to-make-it-work-for-you\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">greasing</a> the <a href=\"https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/get-stronger-by-greasing-the-groove/?_sm_nck=1\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">groove</a> technique.</p>\n\n<p>For a full explanation, I'd suggest reading around the topic, but essentially the idea is that you're training your central nervous system to be more efficient in muscle recruitment required for the desired movement pattern. You're practicing the movement (in your case, push ups), not training until you can't do any more.</p>\n\n<p>Though it's normally used for lower rep exercises (pull ups being a prime example as they're normally one people struggle with), I do know people who've reported good results using it for close grip (aka diamond) push ups to get their rep max from mid 30's to over 50.</p>\n\n<p>What you do is take half your maximum push up reps (so, in your case, about 15), and throughout the day, perform several sets of 15 push ups. Something like a set every 2 - 3 hours should be ideal.</p>\n\n<p>After doing this every day for a few weeks, test your rep max again and see how you do.</p>\n\n<p>Since you say you've been stuck at the same number of press ups for a few years, give this a try for a few weeks, and if it doesn't work, then I'd suggest working towards a one arm press up in order to get much stronger, maybe by following the progressions in Paul Wade's book Convict Conditioning.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41691, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Lots of individuals have pointed out some ways you could adapt your workout routine -- that's the <em>stress</em> side of fitness. Let's look at another aspect that no one has really pointed out yet: <strong><em>recovery</em></strong>.</p>\n\n<p>Recovery can break down into multiple points, such as:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Sleep</li>\n<li>Hydration</li>\n<li>Nutrition</li>\n<li>Mental health</li>\n<li>Soft tissue + injuries</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>In the majority of your question, you mention different ways in which you're trying to alter the workout program. The only mention of rest is when you state <em>\"I started to take three days off of any pushups\"</em> (and it sounds like it helped). The quality of the rest period is a very important factor. Strength training is a constant tug-of-war between exertion and recovery and they are equally important.</p>\n\n<p>Personally, my performance in my evening workout is determined by my day's decisions starting as soon as I wake up. How was my sleep? How was my breakfast? Did I stay hydrated throughout the day? How stressed out am I from work? Am I walking into my workout with a good attitude?</p>\n\n<p>I would suggest you take a look at your daily recovery and ask yourself these questions:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Are you getting 8+ hours of <em>quality</em> sleep?</li>\n<li>Are you drinking enough water throughout the day?</li>\n<li>Are you eating enough calories (proteins and carbs) to fuel your goal?</li>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/revisions/41674/1\"><strong>Is your workout causing you mental stress or is it still enjoyable?</strong></a></li>\n<li>Do you have any nagging injuries that need to be looked at?</li>\n<li>Are you <em>overtraining</em>?</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>If the answer to any of these isn't further on the positive side of the spectrum it can be a good starting point. Each of these points can break down into many questions so I won't cover it all but I'll list a few questions here that can provide a starting point.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p><strong>Sleep</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/573/how-does-sleep-affect-your-workouts?noredirect=1&amp;lq=1\">How does sleep affect your workouts?</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/3717/is-it-bad-to-workout-when-you-arent-sleeping-a-lot\">Is it bad to workout when you aren't sleeping a lot?</a></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><strong>Hydration</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/1902/should-i-drink-water-during-my-workout\">Should I drink water during my workout?</a></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><strong>Nutrition</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/792/protein-how-much-is-too-much\">Protein: How much is too much?</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/10086/how-is-muscle-repair-affected-by-a-caloric-deficit\">How is muscle repair affected by a caloric deficit?</a></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><strong>Mental Health</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/2408/how-to-overcome-lack-of-willpower-when-not-having-access-to-a-personal-trainer-o\">How to overcome lack of willpower when not having access to a personal trainer or training buddy?</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/14285/how-do-i-know-if-im-training-too-hard\">How do I know if I'm training too hard?</a> <em>(i.e. overtraining)</em></li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><strong>Soft Tissue + injuries</strong></p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/2362/using-a-foam-roller\">Using a Foam Roller</a></li>\n<li><a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/19321/how-long-does-it-take-for-muscles-to-recover\">How long does it take for muscles to recover?</a></li>\n</ol>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41692, "author": "BKlassen", "author_id": 28950, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/28950", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I'm a newer member here but there's a few things that no one else has mentioned that could certainly be having an effect on your push up performance. </p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Overactivation<br>\nIt sounds like you are mostly doing push ups, squats and perhaps a few other exercises, this means that you are largely repeating the same motion patterns over and over for the last several years without mixing it up too much. Without changing the motion pattern it's very possible that you've lost some strength from overactivating just the muscles needed for your push ups. </li>\n<li>Your weakness could be in stabilizing muscles<br>\nJust because your pecs and triceps are the most dominate muscles in the push up doesn't mean that they are the only ones being used for it. If you are neglecting your stabilizer muscles aiming for high reps of an exercise can easily be limited by stabilizer muscles. Internal/external rotators in your shoulder, the serratus anterior, all of these smaller stabilizing muscles have important roles in your shoulder mobility and strength and these are difficult to train in conventional movements. </li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>My own experience led me to realize that strengthening the above mentioned stabilizer muscles made many exercises much more efficient so I noticed a significant boost to the number of reps I could do.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 45245, "author": "PmanAce", "author_id": 6625, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/6625", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>As others have mentioned, you need some resistance training. If you can't do bench press at a gym, maybe get a pack-sack and fill it with books.</p>\n<p>Start light, maybe only a couple of books and slowly add more books.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41674", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32851/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41697, "author": "MJB", "author_id": 20039, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Welcome to fitness.stackexchange!</p>\n\n<p>First of all, <strong>the guy in the picture looks like a beginner, maybe 6 months to a year or working out at best</strong>. So it could be that he isn't doing everything right because of the fact that he is a beginner. </p>\n\n<p>Secondly though, I think he looks fine and is pretty allround. Everybody has strong and weak points, so when you on everything evenly you still might end up with a chest that isn't in proportion with your arms or what ever. This guy has good proportions thought, I don't see the problem. <strong>It certainly doesn't look like he spends most of his time doing biceps or shoulders.</strong></p>\n\n<p>Thirdly, <strong>you shouldn't focus on what you don't want. You should focus on what you DO want.</strong> We can't tell you what not to do so you don't look like this. We could help you if you stated what you do want.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41708, "author": "Frank", "author_id": 24487, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24487", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I think it depends what you’re looking for. A lot of people would strive to have his body style, but I agree that visible abs are generally overrated and not necessary. </p>\n\n<p>Chest development is really tough. I continue to have issues with my chest development and am always dancing a fine line between a shoulder injury and adding weight/reps to my bench. Every time I make progress, I start to feel the onset of something bad in my chest and have to back off. For years I fought having the chest of a 13 year old boy. Now, I have one of a 17 year old boy. And I’m nearly 38. </p>\n\n<p>Most of the people who look like what you’re describing, though, don’t do two particular exercises: squats and deadlifts. Those two exercises virtually guarantee solid mass and they have a particular effect on the upper body that is hard to describe. You HAVE to train those two exercises and consistently add weight to the bar. In order to do that, you’ll have to eat and sleep well enough. But, trust me, you won’t look like that if you do squats and deadlifts. Your chest might still suck though... Mine does. :-)</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41693", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32897/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41696, "author": "Jun", "author_id": 32901, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32901", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>A simplified answer - yes. </p>\n\n<p>It depends on any secondary goals you have too, do you want to achieve immense strength in any specific movement, learn a skill (handstand, front lever, etc.), obtain a certain type of physique, improve your overall fitness level, etc. If you do have them, it’s good to train movements specific to your goal. There are articles that state there were no significant differences in muscle growth between individuals who did high reps, low resistance and low reps, high resistance when both group perform exercises to failure. But the group that performed low reps high resistance would have greater strength gains. </p>\n\n<p>It’s possible to get your nutrients just from food. Supplement when you are not able to hit your dietary needs. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41698, "author": "MJB", "author_id": 20039, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039", "pm_score": 4, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you look at the basics you'll see that <strong>you don't need weight, you need resistance.</strong></p>\n\n<p>The most common way of finding resistance is by using weight because you can increase it in steps, making progressive overload easily achievable. But you can also work without weights and find increasingly harder exercises rather than making the same exercise harder.</p>\n\n<p>I could name a few examples such as: </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p><strong>inverted row > negative pull up > pull up > one arm pull up</strong>.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>For chest you could do </p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p><strong>push up on knees > full push up > elevated push up > one arm push up</strong></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>For shoulders you could do:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p><strong>regular push up > pike push up > assisted handstand push up > handstand push up</strong></p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>There are many levels of exercises with different difficulties that can help you progress. You just need to learn them, calisthenics is a great way of training. By the time you can do 30 one arm push ups, you'll have a pretty impressive chest/shoulder/tricep/core.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41700, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>My experience seems to show that you can't significantly change anything regarding your physique <strong>with solely your body weight</strong>, even if you work out regularly for years.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>You can absolutely change your physique and put on muscle mass using only bodyweight. This area of working out is called callisthenics. One of my favourite callisthenics YouTubers is <a href=\"https://youtu.be/z-5eSfJlhoo\" rel=\"noreferrer\">Chris Heria</a> and as you can see, he's pretty jacked.</p>\n\n<p>But physique is <strong><em>more than just working out.</em></strong> I found <a href=\"https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a24079330/muscular-definition-guide/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">this fun article</a> from Men's Health and, as you can see, it is possible to look fit at a variety of muscle levels.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Is there a real possibility to turn yourself into, say, Brad Pitt from Fight Club [?]</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Let's talk about this specifically:</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZCwbA.png\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZCwbA.png\" alt=\"Brad Pitt from Fight Club\"></a></p>\n\n<p>Pitt's physique in this movie is fairly lean. When I look at him personally, there's nothing incredibly impressive about his muscle mass -- I would say many active men are somewhere around this point. He looks to me like he did a pretty simple workout split focusing on big muscle groups. It looks like a lot of cardio was included as well. His goal is to look like a fighter.</p>\n\n<p>The difference here is that <strong><em>he is likely around 5-6% body fat!</em></strong> At this level of body fat, your abdominals become extremely prominent and your overall physique is more defined. Elite level bodybuilders want to be around this level in competition.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>So, yes, you can reach this level of physique. It will not be easy. You'll need to add resistance if you're doing bodyweight only workouts. As @MJB pointed out, this can be done by adding weights but it can also be done by doing more challenging progressions of the exercise.</p>\n\n<p>The real challenge here will be adjusting your diet accordingly and getting your body fat down to very low levels. This is also possible but you should remember <em>actors and bodybuilders aren't at these levels year-round</em>. Actors do reps before scenes to look pumped. Bodybuilders do insane water cuts before events.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41701, "author": "Arluin", "author_id": 32905, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32905", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>This was the point of Charles Atlas' Dynamic Tension workout. He was too poor to own any exercise equipment, or join a gym so he developed (with some borrowed ideas) a system of muscle building using muscle-vs-muscle resistance.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41705, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>My experience seems to show that you can't significantly change\n anything regarding your physique with solely your body weight, even if\n you work out regularly for years. On the other hand, you can find\n loads of shredded YouTube individuals arguing that you can build your\n muscles effectively with nothing but your body weight.</p>\n \n <p>Where's the truth?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>If you search around a lot of the questions on here (and other fitness related communities), you'll constantly find individuals asking essentially the same question, but instead of bodyweight; they're asking why using weights doesn't work for them, why machines don't seem to be working for them, or, my personal favourite, if everyone with a semi-decent physique is on gear.</p>\n\n<p>Yes, you can change your physique with solely your bodyweight. Or you can use weights. Or machines. Or you pick up a new born calf and carry it every day for several years as it grows into a cow.</p>\n\n<p>Any sort of physique change is hard. Your body doesn't want to change, it's happy how it is, you need to convince it of the NEED to change, you need to convince it that a physical adaptation is necessary for survival.</p>\n\n<p>If you're constantly loading a heavy weight across your shoulders and squatting with it, lifting a heavy load from the floor, or pressing a heavy load overhead, your body will respond. This is why powerlifters / strongmen / weightlifters gain muscle.</p>\n\n<p>Likewise, if you're constantly challenging your body through various movements of increasing difficulty, front levers, planche push ups, one arm press ups, one arm pull ups, your body will response. This is why gymnasts have impressive physiques.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>I guess some would say something like, \"Yeah, it's not about weights,\n it's about progression, so you can do two-arm pushups, then one-arm\n pushups\" — okay, and then what? Levitate?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Yes and no. Yes, progressions will get you stronger, a one arm push up or pull up is an impressive feat of strength, but if your goal is to build an appreciable amount of muscle, then you also have to stress the muscles with sets of higher reps. </p>\n\n<p>If you can already perform 30 press ups non-stop, then you're going to be hitting a point of diminishing returns as far as muscle building goes. You would be much better served picking a harder push up variation (requiring more strength) and working on that until you can do a decent amount of reps, then pick a harder variation, and so on and so forth.</p>\n\n<p>I wouldn't recommend levitation as a progression for press ups. Whilst undoubtedly impressive, I feel that removing stress from the muscles you're trying to work would be a little counterproductive.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Is there a real possibility to turn yourself into, say, Brad Pitt from Fight Club (not Schwarzenegger from Mr. Universe but pretty toned) without any shortcuts like weights and chemicals (supplements)?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>No, for the simple reason you're not Brad Pitt, and you don't have his genetics. Yes, you can build an impressive physique with purely bodyweight exercises, but you do have to work hard for it (like you do if you take a \"shortcut\" with weights).</p>\n\n<p>The only caveat I would throw in is that while you can almost always find a progression for upper body work (I've yet to see anyone who can knock out a set of 10 one arm handstand press ups), when it comes to lower body work, you might find that you do need to add additional weight after a certain point.</p>\n\n<p>All of this presupposes that you're sufficiently handling your recovery. If you're not taking care of your nutrition, sleep, stress levels, water intake, etc, etc, then it doesn't matter if you're doing calisthenics, weight lifting, or carrying the aforementioned bovine creature, you'll find it very hard, if not impossible, to significantly change anything regarding your physique.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41709, "author": "Bluejuice", "author_id": 32916, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32916", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Bodyweight training can be referred to as calisthenics, which is a widely popular training methodology that can result in decent muscle mass. It may be a slower progression than traditional weight lifting, but you can certainly build a sizable lean physique. </p>\n\n<p>Your example of Brad Pitt from Fight Club is actually a pretty good example of what can be attainable through bodyweight exercises. Your example of 'Schwarzenegger from Mr. Universe' is also a good example of what is <em>not</em> attainable through bodyweight exercises.</p>\n\n<p>A significant difference between traditional weight and body weight training is <strong>isolation</strong>. Training with machines, barbells, and dumbbells allows you to target specific muscles more easily than you would with pure bodyweight fitness exercises. A good example of this is triceps exercises. There are many different machines and dumbbell exercises that target only your triceps, for example tricep push down. In addition to this, we have identified exercies that not only target a specific muscle, but target specific <em>heads</em> of muscles. For instance, the tricep push down targets the lateral head of the tricep, while overhead tricep extension targets the Long head of the tricep. This type of isolation is much more difficult and less intuitive when it comes to bodyweight exercises. You cannot target muscle heads with bodyweight exercises to the extent you can with weights.</p>\n\n<p>What this difference means is that, by using isolation training, bodybuilders can add more size to specific muscles than could be built by only doing compound lifts. You likely cannot achieve 18inch arms from bodyweight fitness alone, you would need extensive bicep and tricep isolation exercises which are much less effective using only your bodyweight versus using weights.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41695", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32851/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41713, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Music has the ability to change your heartbeat based on the bass and other rhythms, which is why clubs playing loud bass music get the crowd excited. \nScreaming or yelling has been shown to increase strength up to 7% too - <a href=\"https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19533055/the-sound-that-will-make-you-7-percent-stronger/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19533055/the-sound-that-will-make-you-7-percent-stronger/</a>.</p>\n\n<p>So I'm assuming the rapid heartbeat from listing to fast or hard metal riffs helps you feel energized or listening to others scream helps you feel focused.\nSee this article from Harvard about how music helps your heart during exercise: <a href=\"https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/tuning-in-how-music-may-affect-your-heart\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/tuning-in-how-music-may-affect-your-heart</a></p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41719, "author": "FenryrMKIII", "author_id": 25426, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Music can alter your state. If you know the polyvagal theory, you might know that they state that humans have several \"state\" e.g. flight, flight, freeze.</p>\n\n<p>Music seems to be able to alter or reinforce the state you are in. Metal music probably pushes you toward the fight state which can elicit a greater buy-in into your training i.e. greater force production. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41728, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I would suggest that it's not heavy metal per se that lead to an increase in strength, but more the focus increase brought from listening to music that resonates with you personally.</p>\n\n<p>For me, though I do regularly listen to rock and heavy metal, I've actually found that I lift better to something along more classical or piano lines (which I also listen to fairly regularly). Spot me Amadeus.</p>\n\n<p>In The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin talks about finding a memory or piece of music that has an effect on you, and learning how to use that memory or music to find your focus (I'm paraphrasing heavily here). For myself, I've found that the opening bars of St. James Infirmary by Hugh Laurie has an interesting effect on me, when I hear it playing, I take a deep breath, smile slightly, let the music flow over me, and press / pull / climb / whatever, and do so much more efficiently, focusing on the movements, muscle contractions, whatever it is that's required.</p>\n\n<p>For you, when Backstreet Boys came on the radio, it probably irked you to the point that you lost focus a bit in what you were doing, and when you put your headphones on, you were able to regain that focus by listening to something that resonated with you.</p>\n\n<p>It's entirely possible that someone across the gym from you felt that familiar buzz when Backstreet Boys came on, smiled to himself, took a breath and knocked out a new bench PR.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41712", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41713, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Music has the ability to change your heartbeat based on the bass and other rhythms, which is why clubs playing loud bass music get the crowd excited. \nScreaming or yelling has been shown to increase strength up to 7% too - <a href=\"https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19533055/the-sound-that-will-make-you-7-percent-stronger/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19533055/the-sound-that-will-make-you-7-percent-stronger/</a>.</p>\n\n<p>So I'm assuming the rapid heartbeat from listing to fast or hard metal riffs helps you feel energized or listening to others scream helps you feel focused.\nSee this article from Harvard about how music helps your heart during exercise: <a href=\"https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/tuning-in-how-music-may-affect-your-heart\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/tuning-in-how-music-may-affect-your-heart</a></p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41719, "author": "FenryrMKIII", "author_id": 25426, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25426", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Music can alter your state. If you know the polyvagal theory, you might know that they state that humans have several \"state\" e.g. flight, flight, freeze.</p>\n\n<p>Music seems to be able to alter or reinforce the state you are in. Metal music probably pushes you toward the fight state which can elicit a greater buy-in into your training i.e. greater force production. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41728, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I would suggest that it's not heavy metal per se that lead to an increase in strength, but more the focus increase brought from listening to music that resonates with you personally.</p>\n\n<p>For me, though I do regularly listen to rock and heavy metal, I've actually found that I lift better to something along more classical or piano lines (which I also listen to fairly regularly). Spot me Amadeus.</p>\n\n<p>In The Art of Learning, Josh Waitzkin talks about finding a memory or piece of music that has an effect on you, and learning how to use that memory or music to find your focus (I'm paraphrasing heavily here). For myself, I've found that the opening bars of St. James Infirmary by Hugh Laurie has an interesting effect on me, when I hear it playing, I take a deep breath, smile slightly, let the music flow over me, and press / pull / climb / whatever, and do so much more efficiently, focusing on the movements, muscle contractions, whatever it is that's required.</p>\n\n<p>For you, when Backstreet Boys came on the radio, it probably irked you to the point that you lost focus a bit in what you were doing, and when you put your headphones on, you were able to regain that focus by listening to something that resonated with you.</p>\n\n<p>It's entirely possible that someone across the gym from you felt that familiar buzz when Backstreet Boys came on, smiled to himself, took a breath and knocked out a new bench PR.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41714", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32929/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41723, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>In order to get stronger you should generally train each muscle 2 or 3 times a week with at least one day of rest in between. There are some exceptions to this guideline. For instance the deadlift can be trained once a week. However it is a good general guideline, and I believe it is where you are going wrong in your training.</p>\n\n<p>So if you want to do your 3 way split you should train 6 days a week. \nI found an <a href=\"https://www.coachmag.co.uk/exercises/full-body-workouts/1668/pushpull-workout-big-muscles\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">example</a> of the 3 way push/pull split you are using.\nHere they clearly state: train 3 consecutive days, rest one day, repeat.\nA little less (5.25 actually) than the 6 days I estimated above, but a lot more than the 3 days you are currently doing. \nInstead you may do a two way split. Either a <a href=\"https://muscleevo.net/push-pull-workout/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">4 day push/pull split</a> or a 4 day lower/upper split. </p>\n\n<p>Personally I find 4 times a week too much so I prefer a full body program 3 (or sometimes 2) times a week.\nCurrently I am following the Phrakture Greyskull variation:\n<a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/OAsIs.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/OAsIs.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>BTW I can recommend the book \"The new rules of lifting\" by Schuler and Cosgrove. It explains the principles behind getting stronger in a simple manner.\nIt also explains how you can substitute other exercises for the exercises in say the program above. As an example the bench press is a horizontal push. Instead you may choose another horizontal push such as (weighted) push-ups (and I do). </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41730, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n<p>I noticed that I was getting <strong>stronger each day</strong> and I built some muscles. [...] After those 2 years, I thought I should level-up myself, from <strong>beginner to intermediate</strong> level. [...] Yep, I <strong>just learnt</strong> how to bench-press last 3 months.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>I think part of the problem here is that you prematurely levelled yourself up. For starters, if you've just moved from machines to barbells, you should give that some time. There are some new muscles your body will make you aware of. Secondly, there are a lot of ways in which people define beginner, intermediate, and advanced weightlifters but I think this is the best definition:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><strong>Beginner:</strong> Responds to linear progression.</p>\n<p><strong>Intermediate:</strong> No longer responds to linear progression, needs to implement short term periodization.</p>\n<p><strong>Advanced:</strong> Needs to implement long term periodization.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p><em>Excerpt from <a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/2y2ufg/when_do_you_become_an_intermediateadvanced_lifter/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this Reddit post</a>.</em></p>\n<p>I was trying to find a video of Jeff Nippards where he says his favourite definition of the three; I can't find it though. It was something along the lines of beginners make weekly strength gains, intermediate lifters make monthly strength gains, and advanced lifters make yearly strength gains.</p>\n<p>&quot;Intermediate&quot; programs that are on the internet are usually 'splits' that follow the &quot;beginner&quot; full-body workouts. As @Andy mentioned, you've gone from working each muscle four times a week, to once per week. The reason you would use a training split is if your muscles no longer had enough recovery time in-between workouts. This is not your case and so they are getting more rest than you need and you're missing your <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/890/31284\">supercompensation</a>. Rest days are important but if you space them out too much you end up <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/96/importance-of-rest-days\">under-training</a>.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41732, "author": "Jun", "author_id": 32901, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32901", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>You experience the most growth when you start working out because your body is not used to it. In a way, you experience the most “difference” during that time. You can become stronger not only through hypertrophy but also neural adaptations (<a href=\"https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-exercise-make-yo/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-exercise-make-yo/</a>). </p>\n\n<p>As you workout for a longer period of time doing the same routine, your growth slows, and you will hear numerous advices asking you to switch things up. Challenge your body and they will adapt and become stronger!</p>\n\n<p>I believe the main benefits of full body routine is efficiency and being able to hit a greater total volume for a given muscle.</p>\n\n<p>This is a great article to learn and understand how muscle hypertrophy works!</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://medium.com/@SandCResearch/explaining-how-hypertrophy-works-using-only-basic-principles-of-muscle-physiology-48beda5fbf1b\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://medium.com/@SandCResearch/explaining-how-hypertrophy-works-using-only-basic-principles-of-muscle-physiology-48beda5fbf1b</a></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41722", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41725, "author": "JustSnilloc", "author_id": 27881, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27881", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>L.I.S.S. Cardio\n(Low Intensity Steady State Cardio)</p>\n\n<p>While this type of cardio isn’t the only type that might fit your criteria, I would argue that it imparts the least amount of soreness. Keep in mind that this is called “low intensity” cardio and not “no intensity” cardio. This type of cardio is typically marked by doing the same thing for an extended period, say 30-60 minutes or perhaps longer.</p>\n\n<p>When it comes to determining the intensity of your cardio work, something known as the “talk test” can be useful. Low intensity cardio is marked by the capacity to speak sentences while performing the activity. Moderate intensity cardio is marked by the capacity to speak sentences, but with difficulty (having to briefly pause every few words). High intensity cardio is marked by an inability to speak sentences, even individual words will often be difficult.</p>\n\n<p>LISS cardio can be used to burn additional calories and promote bloodflow through your muscles which helps recovery. It will offer minimal cardiovascular benefits however (unless you are in especially poor shape).</p>\n\n<p>Examples of LISS include 30-60 minutes of the following...</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Walking</li>\n<li>Hiking</li>\n<li>Jogging (depends on fitness level)</li>\n<li>Cycling</li>\n<li>Swimming</li>\n<li>Rowing</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>... and more!</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41727, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Another question I can answer with my favourite Dan John quote, ready?</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>It depends.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) generally occurs when you do something that you're body isn't used to, be it a new movement in the gym, a movement you know but with more weight or reps, or an activity for a longer duration than you're used to.</p>\n\n<p>Your body is great at adapting to specific demands placed upon it (<a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAID_principle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">the SAID principle</a>), so for me, I can boulder or climb all day long (and regularly do) and feel absolutely fine the next day, for someone who's never done it before, a 1 hour induction session leaves them sore for a couple of days afterwards.</p>\n\n<p>If you're not used to it, walking for a couple of miles can leave you sore.</p>\n\n<p>So, if you're used to running, then running will leave you less sore. If you're used to rowing, rowing will leave you less sore, if you're used to the exercise bike, then that will leave you less sore.</p>\n\n<p>So, it depends.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41724", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/2094/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41735, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you're looking to do 3-4 <em>sets</em> per <strong>week</strong> of one exercise then I think you'd be better off just playing more intensely with your dogs. That's way too low of a volume to even matter. Maybe get a weighted vest when you take your dogs on a jog and you can kill two birds with one stone?</p>\n\n<p>I would suggest aiming for 10 sets per muscle group per week. The types of exercises I would focus on are called <em>compound exercises</em> (think deadlifts, squats, cleans, pushups, pullups). They work out multiple muscle groups and give you the most bang for your buck. Deadlifts are probably one of the best 'core' workouts and would improve your posture and back strength. As long as you're properly warming up, using good form, and not ego lifting they're safe. Compound exercises can be done with barbells, dumbells, or bodyweight and that depends on your goals. For wellness, I think your body weight is fine to start with. I would add in weight for bigger lifts (deadlift, cleans, squats) once you're accustomed.</p>\n\n<p>The reason I mentioned CrossFit is that the workouts are typically timed, use many compound movements, encourage \"functional training\", and they're hard; the whole community has that push yourself one more inch vibe. For example, the CrossFit workout <a href=\"https://wodwell.com/wod/cindy/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">\"Cindy\"</a> is:</p>\n\n<pre><code>AMRAP in 20 minutes\n- 5 Pull-ups\n- 10 Push-ups\n- 15 Air squats\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>No matter what, this workout will take you 20 minutes. That's great if you're pressed for time; which it sounds like you are. You can then score yourself based on the sets completed: 11-12 (Beginner), 13-17 (Int.), 19-22 (Adv.), 24+ (Elite). This workout requires no gym, no weights, and you can do it at home with your dogs (or even in a park).</p>\n\n<p>If that's too easy, the workouts can scale up ridiculously. Here's a good one called <a href=\"https://wodwell.com/wod/the-chief/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">\"The Chief\"</a> which, again, would only take 20 minutes:</p>\n\n<pre><code>AMRAP in 3 minutes\n- 3 Power Cleans (135/95 lb)\n- 6 Push-Ups\n- 9 Air Squats\nThen Rest 1 minute\nRepeat 5 times\n</code></pre>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41767, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I think doing one set of the plank in the morning and one set of slow and light dumbell deadlifts in the evening (almost) every day may be a possible minimum solution for the core muscles.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41729", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30155/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41737, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>For incline dumbbell presses, I'll do sort of a 1-2 kick. Flick one dumbbell up and then the other. Throwing up the non-dominant hand side first. With the extra incline, you shouldn't have too much issue with the momentum. When going really heavy I'll have a spotter help me with the dumbbells. I'll kick it up and the spotter will have their hand under my elbow to help.</p>\n\n<p>For a shoulder press with a 90° chair I'll do the same 1-2 kick with a spotter. If I don't have a spotter and the weight is too much, I find it easier to clean the dumbbells off the floor onto my shoulders and <em>then</em> sit down. I can generator more force this way. I also tend to do this on my last few sets.</p>\n\n<p>Like anything, this gets easier with practice. You want to be <em>explosive</em> with the kick. It will engage your legs, core, arms, back, and shoulders so I don't think there's really any one thing to focus on. If you feel like your shoulders are lagging because of this you can do an overhead press with a barbell and load it up at the correct height. You can also do a seated shoulder press with a barbell and load it overhead as well.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41866, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I recommend learning how to execute a dumbbell power clean (from standing). This will get the weights from the ground to your shoulders. This <a href=\"https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-dumbbell-power-clean\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">explanation from CrossFit</a> is excellent. Learning to heft weights around is good for your general athletic development.</p>\n\n<p>If you choose to then sit down, that's on you. Unless you're working in a room with a low ceiling I'd say just do the presses standing.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41736", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24654/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41768, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I'm sorry, but realistically, you can't.</p>\n\n<p>That being said, if you look at the range of different \"fitness\" qualities (endurance, power, strength, flexibility, etc), strength is generally the last one to go, and it's also one of the easiest to get back once you've initially built it.</p>\n\n<p>There are some things you can try, there is going to be some carry over from bodyweight exercises to the traditional powerlifts (though obviously not as much as training the lifts). Things like dips and pull ups to strengthen the triceps and back. You can do core work because a stronger core is always a good thing. Pistol squats, while not the same as a loaded barbell squat, will allow you to keep training your legs.</p>\n\n<p>Also, now is the perfect time to address all those little niggles and flexibility issues that you've been ignoring. That tight hip, the knee that aches if you keep it in the same position too long, the shoulder that's a little wonky, everything like that.</p>\n\n<p>Fingers crossed, by fixing the little bits and throwing in some bodyweight stuff now, you'll be able to come back stronger (figuratively speaking) when you're able to get back to training.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41769, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you're already a little strong, then there simply might not be a way to keep progressing on lower body strength. Squats and deadlifts are incredible exactly because the external resistance does something that is tough to replicate. But there's still stuff to try, both to maintain as much strength as possible and to develop other athletic qualities.</p>\n\n<p>Greg Nuckols <a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/fnrkhd/how_to_make_gains_without_a_gym/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">advises</a> some alternatives:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Lower body training is [a] challenge. Bodyweight squats probably come to mind first, but they're quite easy for people who are already in pretty good shape. However, strict step-ups (just tapping your heel to the floor, and getting no assistance from your down leg) are WAY more challenging than a lot of people realize, even if you're just using your body weight as resistance, and are easy to progress since you probably have items of varying heights around your house. Building toward pistols is also a great challenge. And if you don't have knee issues, bodyweight sissy squats can also provide a great challenge to your quads. For posterior chain training, single-leg glute bridges are surprisingly challenging, especially if performed strictly, and it's fairly easy to add load via a loaded backpack. If you have someone or something to anchor your ankles, nordic hamstrings curls are HARD.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>...</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>In terms of programming, progressive overload is still the name of the game. Instead of just adding more weight to the bar, you may need to be a little more creative. With bodyweight exercises, you can either increase reps, or increase intensity by building up to more challenging versions of the exercises you're doing. You can also increase weight via a loaded backpack for a lot of exercises. ... In general, as long as you have an objective way to make and measure progress, you should be able to maintain muscle pretty easily, and probably keep building muscle. <strong>In terms of strength, your maxes may be down</strong> a bit once you can get back under a bar, but as long as you maintained or built muscle, any strength decrements should simply be due to rusty motor patterns, rather than \"true\" strength losses.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Emphasis mine, to point out the specific answer to your question.</p>\n\n<p>Personally, when forced into home workouts, I focus on my upper body (since the available exercises are still productive) and mobility and muscle endurance for the lower body. I work more on conditioning as well.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41752", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/29342/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41757, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Unfortunately, unless you have a good home gym set up, you aren't going to be able to carry on with the StrongLifts program.</p>\n\n<p>Sorry, but that's just the way it is.</p>\n\n<p>Now, focusing on the positive, there are a large number of home training options available, depending on what you're willing to invest in and what space you have available.</p>\n\n<p>I like kettlebells, so I own a few of them and can get a good training session in with swings, Turkish get-ups, presses, goblet squats and loaded carries.</p>\n\n<p>Likewise, bodyweight, you can get a good session in with press ups (since you mentioned you've got bad wrists, you can invest in some push up handles, or can you do push ups on your dumbbells?), pull ups, single leg squat variations, planks and Romanian deadlifts using a box full of books (ok, it's not bodyweight, but you get the idea).</p>\n\n<p>Being outside in nature is always a good thing, so load up a backpack with some weight and go for a walk (technically called \"rucking\"). While you're at it, occasionally press the bag overhead, or carry it one side or the other, bear hug it to your chest, just play with the position to stress your muscles.</p>\n\n<p>If you've only been training for a few weeks, chances are that you'll still gain strength from any sort of training, provided you don't slack off. No, it won't be StrongLifts style training, but stronger is stronger, having a solid core is always a good thing and helps with the powerlifts. Basically, improvise!</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41759, "author": "DeeV", "author_id": 21868, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/21868", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>After the first week, you won't lose any strength. In fact, if you were to go back straight to lifting the following week, you'll probably be able to just pick up where you lift off.</p>\n\n<p>After two weeks, you may get some strength loss because your body is no longer \"primed\" (for the lack of a better word). You will probably feel very stiff your first week back, but after a couple workouts you'll be right back to where you're at.</p>\n\n<p>Unfortunately, as of writing this answer, it looks like the shutdowns are probably going to be longer than that. At least in a lot of places (some may be luckier than others). If they do then you'll inevitably lose some strength. Though there's some things to your advantage. </p>\n\n<p>For one, you have muscle memory. You'll pretty much never lose this. So since you have some experience, you'll build back up to where you were at much quicker pace than you did originally.</p>\n\n<p>Second you've only been training for several weeks. You're probably still in an easy-ish strength gain phase so anything you lose will come back pretty quickly (may even push through a plateau).</p>\n\n<p>In the meantime, there are still things you can do to keep progressing.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>Do mobility routines. We all have to keep our joints limber, and you don't need a gym for these. You can go online and find a mobility workout (I like <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Joe Defranco's Limber 11</a>). There's also a guide called \"Becoming the Supple Leopard\" which seems to be the bible for movement exercises. It doesn't have to be much, but just doing <em>something</em> will help not feel like a stiff board when you're finally back in the gym.</p></li>\n<li><p>Cardio. We all need it. Even strength athletes. The heart is a muscle which needs work too. If you've been neglecting your cardio (Lord knows I have), then now is the time to do it. Walking/running/biking outside is still safe provided you don't do it in a group or touch every lamppost. Hiking is really good if you're close enough to a hiking trail. Dark Hippo's suggestion of rucking is also really helpful provided you have a backpack. Keeping your cardio up will help maintain strength for a long 5x5 session when you're finally back in the gym. Simply just running up and walking down stairs works too (while very boring is also very effective).</p></li>\n<li>Bodyweight workouts can be used to keep strength and fitness. You don't need to lift and near maximal weight to keep fitness. Pushups (with some sort of bar for your wrists), box jumps, lunges, work great. If you have a bucket or something that can hold a lot of weight, you can load it up and do unilateral farmer carries which helps with grip strength and core. I've been using my duffel bag which is small enough to use but strong enough to not break.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Keep your diet consistent. You may need to lower daily calories by about a hundred or so if you're tracking calories/macros.</p>\n\n<p>When you get back to the gym, take one day to experiment to find out where you're at. Just ramp up the weight and do a couple reps to gauge where you're at. Then start the program at that weight the next time you go. You may be surprised to find that you didn't lose anything. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41756", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32781/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41772, "author": "Chris ", "author_id": 30383, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30383", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>\"Is there a Fullbody Training which can be done in 5 Minutes or less?\"</p>\n\n<p>No. Sorry.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41775, "author": "Dark Hippo", "author_id": 20219, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20219", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Obviously, you should make sure you're warmed up before attempting any of these.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Answer 1:</strong></p>\n\n<p>I can do you one better, I'll give you full body training in 4 minutes! Enter, the tabata protocol (thank me later).</p>\n\n<p>Honestly, <a href=\"https://www.t-nation.com/training/tabata-method\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Dan John does a much better job of explaining it than I can</a>. I believe he now only recommends front squats, so I'll use that as an example (yes, you can front squat with dumbbells). Essentially for 20 seconds, you're going to do as many reps of the front squat as possible, then rest for 10 seconds and repeat 7 more times for a total of 4 minutes.</p>\n\n<p>Once you've picked yourself off the floor, go back to whatever it was you were doing before.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Answer 2:</strong></p>\n\n<p>Let me introduce you to something you touched on in your question, <a href=\"https://brobible.com/fitness/article/complexes-key-to-building-muscle-dropping-fat/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">complexes</a>. A complex is basically a set of movements performed back to back without putting the weights down.</p>\n\n<p>The movements are performed for the full set of reps before moving on to the next one and, again, don't put the weights down between movements.</p>\n\n<p>A barbell example I'm particularly fond of is:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Deadlift x 8</li>\n<li>Romanian deadlift x 8</li>\n<li>Bent over row x 8</li>\n<li>Power clean x 8</li>\n<li>Front squat x 8</li>\n<li>Overhead press x 8</li>\n<li>Back squat x 8 (on the last rep of the overhead presses, pass the bar backwards onto your shoulders)</li>\n<li>Good morning x 8</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>The weight you use is limited by the weakest exercise, so for me in the complex above, that's my overhead press. (The first time you try this, go a lot lighter than you think, maybe just use the bar).</p>\n\n<p>For a dumbbell version, you could try something very similar:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Romanian deadlift x 8</li>\n<li>Bent over row x 8</li>\n<li>Bicep curl x 8</li>\n<li>Dumbbell power clean x 8</li>\n<li>Dumbbell front squat x 8</li>\n<li>Overhead press x 8</li>\n<li>Overhead tricep extension x 8</li>\n<li>Dumbbell farmers walk (for however far you can)</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>In the above, the arm exercises are going to be your weight limiter, so feel free to play with the reps there. Likewise, I suggest 8 reps as that's what I've always used and if you go too heavy, your form definitely starts to break down towards the end.</p>\n\n<p>The trick is to use a pattern of movements that flows one into the other. A sequence like:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Dumbbell bench press x 8</li>\n<li>Pull ups x 8</li>\n<li>Dumbbell front squat x 8</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Might make sense from a training perspective (a push, a pull, a squat), but it doesn't exactly flow from one to another.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Answer 3:</strong></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http://www.areyourugged.com/ManMakers.html\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Dumbbell man makers</a> for 45 seconds, 30 second rest, repeat 4 times.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>Note: The author of this answer accepts no responsibility for you losing your lunch all over the floor from attempting any of these ideas... especially the tabata front squats...</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41771", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41785, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Of course training at higher rep ranges is useful to some degree for developing strength. Everyone agrees that it's important to build muscle and to have at least some base level of muscular endurance, even if only to be able to do a sufficient number of low-rep sets in training. Even weightlifters and powerlifters, who train exclusively for the goal of demonstrating strength in a single effort*, use complexes and higher-rep sets to condition and build muscle.</p>\n\n<p><em>* Of course, powerlifting competitions actually involve nine lifts, and weightlifting six — and weightlifting's clean-and-jerk requires a three-step effort (pull/squat/jerk), so even then in these extreme domains it's not entirely a single effort.</em></p>\n\n<p>But some adaptations are more general than others. Improving my 20-rep squat is great, and useful, and tremendous for athletic development across multiple dimensions: conditioning, mental focus, muscle growth, ingraining form, toughening non-muscular soft tissue, improving muscular endurance, and for many people (including nearly all beginners) it will improve their squat one-rep max. So if a set of 20 squats improves your one-rep max, then yes you should be doing sets of 20 squats. </p>\n\n<h2>The SAID Principle</h2>\n\n<p>But an untrained person can improve their squat one-rep max by doing <em>push-ups</em>, too, because weak and de-conditioned people's bodies respond to nearly any athletic stimulus! So why not do push-ups to get your squat 1RM up? </p>\n\n<p>Because push-ups quickly stop improving your squat. General stimuli cause general adaptation, but it's not long before you need specific adaptation. This holds true for the relationship between high-rep squats and your squat 1RM: it will improve things up to a point, but its contributions taper off. Building muscle remains important but muscular endurance stops being an obstacle. Then the directional difference in the relationship becomes clear: working on your 20RM will improve the <em>proportion</em> of your 1RM that you can do for reps, but your 1RM will stop moving. </p>\n\n<p>The other direction stands in contrast: because one's 1RM is by definition a ceiling for higher rep maxes, increasing your 1RM makes higher rep maxes possible that would otherwise not be. One can always try to make their 2+RM a greater proportion of their 1RM. The opposite is harder: your 1RM will stop going up if you train only in high rep ranges. </p>\n\n<p>Thus the most common recommendation is for beginners to start with 20-rep squats (because it will develop all their athletic qualities) and after a few months to switch to sets of 5, and then to lower-rep sets when sets of 5 stop making increases in weight possible. This is clear and even obvious to folks who have seriously tried to drive their strength up.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41787, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Increasing muscular endurance only makes you somewhat stronger.\nIncreasing strength on the other hand also increases endurance.\nSo no the correlation does not go both ways. </p>\n\n<p>The reason for this is:</p>\n\n<p><strong>Henneman's size principle</strong></p>\n\n<p>Muscle fibers are grouped together in motor units. There are typically 3 to 15 muscle fibers in each motor unit.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/esaDv.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/esaDv.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>All motor units in a muscle receives the same electrical signal from the brain.\nThe smaller motor unit only requires a weak electrical signal to engage. They contain only type I fibers: slow enduring. The larger motor units requires a stronger electrical signal to engage.\nThey contain mostly only type II fibers: fast and strong but not enduring.\nWhen a motor unit engage all muscle fibers in that motor unit contract.\nThe brain starts by sending a weak electrical signal first. \nThis recruits only the smallest motor units and therefore only a small force is generated.\nIt then increases the strength of the electrical signal gradually (but very fast) and more and more motor units are recruited and more and more force is generated.\nIt does this until the produced force matches the requirements.\nThis wonderful mechanism enables the same muscles that can be used to lift heavy weights to eg. perform brain surgery.\nAs mentioned the motor units are recruited from the smallest to the largest based on the force demands placed on the muscle.\nThis is Henneman's size principle. It has been verified in experiments using EMG measurements of muscle activity.\nIt is therefore a scientific fact and not a postulate.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/1C4pv.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/1C4pv.png\" alt=\"In order to train the larger type II motor unit you must train heavy\"></a></p>\n\n<p>The size principle has one very important practical consequence:\n<strong>in order to recruit all motor units and train the whole muscle a high force must be exerted.</strong>\nA low resistance (such as 20 RM) do not recruit all motor units and therefore do not train the whole muscle.</p>\n\n<p>Therefore the answer to this question is no, the correlation does not go both ways.\nTraining with high force (heavy weights or medium weights fast) trains the whole muscle. That includes the enduring type I muscle fibers and the stronger but not enduring type II muscle fibers. \n<strong>Training with high force therefore makes you both strong, fast and enduring.\nTraining with light weights on the other hand only train the enduring type I muscle. It therefore makes you enduring and somewhat strong.</strong></p>\n\n<p>This does not necessarily imply that one should train with heavy weights all the time.\nHowever it implies that one should train with heavy weights (&lt;=5 repetitions) some of the time.</p>\n\n<p>Also note that even though the size principle shows that the causality must be stronger from strength to endurance than the other way, this does not mean that the causality does not break down at sufficiently large reps.\nAnd it does. I am pretty sure that doing backsquat sets of 5 or less alone does not enable you to a 100 bodyweight squats in row. No matter how large your 1RM backsquat becomes. If you need to do 100 bodyweight squats in a row you should probably also train with many repetitions and high volume ala the hundredpushups program. In order to really understand why we would have to take an in depth look at the specific adaptions caused by endurance training. Probably endurance training cause more efficient generation and use of energy and oxygen in muscle cells. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41778", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41795, "author": "Andrej", "author_id": 33015, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33015", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Chest:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>push ups - a lot of variants</li>\n<li>butterflies with dumbbells lying on the ground</li>\n<li>pullover with dumbbell (need some bench or chair)</li>\n<li>and this <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byxD_y2e_L8\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byxD_y2e_L8</a></li>\n</ul>\n<p>Back:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>one arm dumbbell rows</li>\n<li>pullover</li>\n<li>sumo deadlifts with kettlebell</li>\n<li>lying back extension</li>\n<li>shoulders shrugs dumbbells</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Shoulders:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>overhead press</li>\n<li>front raise</li>\n<li>bent-over dumbbell lateral raise</li>\n<li>lateral raise</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Triceps</p>\n<ul>\n<li>tricep kickbacks</li>\n<li>diamond push ups</li>\n<li>one arm over head extensions</li>\n<li>bench dip - you can use chair</li>\n<li>French press</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Legs</p>\n<ul>\n<li>squats</li>\n<li>squats</li>\n<li>squats</li>\n<li>lunges</li>\n<li>calf raise</li>\n<li>Romanian deadlifts</li>\n</ul>\n<p>Then</p>\n<ul>\n<li>bicep curl</li>\n<li>variants of sit-ups</li>\n<li>plank</li>\n<li>some crossfit exercises with dumbbells</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>Always make sure of good technique!</strong> Really sure.</p>\n<p>If you want to lose fat focus on healthy and variet diet and read this: <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/41792/33015\">https://fitness.stackexchange.com/a/41792/33015</a></p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41853, "author": "Parzivalz13", "author_id": 33014, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33014", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Originally as an update to my question: I am now doing Monday - Push, Tuesday - CrossFit workout geared towards Leg exercises, Wednesday - Pull, Thursday - CrossFit workout geared towards Push exercises, Friday - Leg, Saturday - CrossFit workout geared towards Pull exercises.</p>\n\n<p>With the equipment I have (I also have two 10 lbs. dumbbells), here is what my workouts look like, and I am still in the process of getting a bench for the pullovers and some other exercises such as a flat bench DB press with added time under tension because 40 lbs. is too light. </p>\n\n<p>Push -<br>\n1. 3x8-10 DB standing overhead press.<br>\n2. 3x8-10 DB floor presses<br>\n3. 3x6-8 DB pullovers but emphasize and use the chest more/do as many elevated complete pushups as possible/the jumping pushups/plyo pushups.<br>\n4. 8x15-20 KB both arms bicep curls/4x3-6 DB both arms bicep curls.<br>\n5. 8x15-20 side lateral arm raises with something ~10 lbs.<br>\n6. 3x8-12 DB Arnold Presses<br>\n7. Farmer’s carry with KB, the other arm has 40 lb. dumbbell 50 steps each arm/if you can’t do this do more pushups as in high rep normal proper pushups. </p>\n\n<p>Pull -<br>\n1. 3x8-12 bent over DB rows both arms at same time.<br>\n2. 3x6-8 DB pullovers but with back and lats/3x10 KB one arm swings each arm.<br>\n3. 8x15-20 KB both arms bicep curls/4x3-6 DB both arms bicep curls.<br>\n4. 6-8x12-15 both arms DB shrugs<br>\n5. 3x5-10 standing upright DB rows both arms<br>\n6. 6-8x6-8 KB rack pulls.<br>\n7. 3x8-12 DB renegade rows.<br>\n8. 3x8-15 DB standing hammer curls. </p>\n\n<p>Leg -<br>\n1. 3x8-10 DB Bulgarian Split squats each leg<br>\n2. 3x15-20 KB goblet squats<br>\n3. 3x20 DB deadlifts<br>\n4. 3x20 walking lunges each leg.<br>\n5. 3x15-20 DB calf raises.<br>\n6. 20 45 Lb. Russian Plate twists (R/L = 1), bicycles until tired</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41784", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33014/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41796, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>You want something unilateral but hopefully something that doesn't require <em>too</em> much balance?</p>\n\n<p>I'd give Bulgarian split squats a try. They'll challenge your legs individually. Single leg deadlifts are good to challenge your balance though a different movement from single leg squats.</p>\n\n<p>What I find interesting is that shrimp squats are not a challenge but pistol squats are. IMO, shrimp squats need more quad strength so this could be a balance issue entirely. You could try doing a sort of boxed-pistol-squat. Find a bench or chair and sit into the chair while doing a pistol squat. You can progress that by getting lower platforms as well. That should help you get the hang of the descent.</p>\n\n<p>I think you may also be sitting back into the squat too far. Keep your back a bit straighter and chest out. It might help to hold the door from the sides instead of the knob.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41797, "author": "Chris ", "author_id": 30383, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30383", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Here is a story about pistol squats. One day a week, I take an adult ballet class (\"adult\" means we aren't very good). The instructor is a young guy and great dancer in a local company. After class I asked him if he could do a pistol squat. He proceeded to do a great pistol squat right there. He didn't even warmup. Another male ballet dancer in the company was walking by, and he proceeded to also do a pistol squat right there. I was blown away. These two guys are not muscular guys. They told me that it is all in the flexibility of their Achilles tendon. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41794", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31967/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41803, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>This might be an unsatisfying answer, but the need for specialized equipment is one reason that I don't worry about incline exercises and instead focus on overhead presses and horizontal presses like push-ups or floor and bench press. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41804, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>In this pandemic-based home workout era, anything goes for me. Yesterday, I did incline dumbbell chest press while sitting in my office chair with it reclined. This was my more successful attempt. Previously, I was sitting on the floor against a couch with a small pillow behind my back.</p>\n\n<p>So far, I've found that I like decline pushup more. I've got a lot more surfaces where I can just raise my feet. My dumbbells only go up to 24 lb as well so the pushups challenge me more. I'll do them weighted with a backpack if I end up getting good at them.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41802", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33025/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41803, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>This might be an unsatisfying answer, but the need for specialized equipment is one reason that I don't worry about incline exercises and instead focus on overhead presses and horizontal presses like push-ups or floor and bench press. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41804, "author": "C. Lange", "author_id": 31284, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31284", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>In this pandemic-based home workout era, anything goes for me. Yesterday, I did incline dumbbell chest press while sitting in my office chair with it reclined. This was my more successful attempt. Previously, I was sitting on the floor against a couch with a small pillow behind my back.</p>\n\n<p>So far, I've found that I like decline pushup more. I've got a lot more surfaces where I can just raise my feet. My dumbbells only go up to 24 lb as well so the pushups challenge me more. I'll do them weighted with a backpack if I end up getting good at them.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41807", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41816, "author": "Alec", "author_id": 8828, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8828", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Your question is very general, and will therefore only attract general answers, so this will be that.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Fixing posture</strong></p>\n\n<p>While you don't mention this yourself, C.Lange makes a good point about posture in the comments. To elaborate, it's clear from your second picture (shoulders from the side), that your shoulders are slumped forward and your neck has a sort of forward direction. This is called kyphosis. To compare:</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/HQT3N.png\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/HQT3N.png\" alt=\"Source: https://thebracelab.com/how-to-fix-the-hunchback-kyphosis/\"></a></p>\n\n<p>This is very much something to look out for with regards to looking better, as straightening your back will to some degree flatten your stomach because your chest will come up and out. Then, instead of having your belly fat look like a pouch hanging over your waist, it will spread that fat out a bit into a thinner layer.</p>\n\n<p>To actually reduce belly fat over all, there are other great answers on this site already, so I don't need to re-iterate. E.g: <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/869/what-exercises-should-i-perform-to-reduce-fat-on-a-specific-area-of-my-body?noredirect=1&amp;lq=1\">What exercises should I perform to reduce fat on a specific area of my body?</a></p>\n\n<p>Thankfully, a proper workout regimen will go a long way towards helping you fix your posture. But it's definitely something to pay close attention to. My best tip here is to focus a lot on your posterior chain. That is to say your back, butt, and hamstrings. Note, I'm not advising that you ignore the rest, but a lot of guys have a tendency to focus a LOT on the chest, but the chest serves to pull your shoulders forward, so that would only serve to make the kyphosis worse. Again, I'm not saying \"ignore chest\", but as a rule of thumb, I like to advise two back exercises for every chest exercise you do.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Gaining muscle</strong></p>\n\n<p>Since your goals here are very cookie-cutter (gain muscle, visible abs), we don't need to go into detail. Get a tried-and-true workout program. Don't try to make your own. You're bound to create an imbalanced program that neglects key muscle groups.</p>\n\n<p>Some popular programs include</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Starting Strength 5x5</li>\n<li>Wendler's 5/3/1</li>\n<li><a href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=popular+beginner+strength+programs\" rel=\"noreferrer\">and more</a></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Try a program, stick with it for 6-8 months, and if your progress stagnates, jump to another one. No program is meant to last forever. Variation is key.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Sprinting</strong></p>\n\n<p>Since this is one of your goals, the basics here are pretty simple. Sprinting is an explosive exercise. Training explosive exercises (like sprinting) makes you better at explosive exercises (like sprinting). Personally, I love uphill intervals. It doesn't take a lot of time, and it builds power in your legs. This will help you out with leg exercises in the gym too (like squats and deadlifts).</p>\n\n<p><strong>Pullups</strong></p>\n\n<p>This is great, because it aligns with the posture point from earlier. Pullups build back muscles, and back muscles contribute to good posture.</p>\n\n<p>In cases like this where you have a particular exercise you want to get better at, consider doing it 3-5 times a week. You mention that you struggle with pullups, but here's what you do. For any set of pullups:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>do as many regular pullups as you can</li>\n<li>continue the set by doing assisted or negative reps</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Assisted reps are things that support you going up, such as a rubber band.</p>\n\n<p>Negative reps are where you jump/climb to the top position, and spend 10-20 seconds on a slow and controlled descent.</p>\n\n<p>These methods employ the exact same muscles as the regular exercise, allowing you to keep hitting them despite not being able to do any more regular reps.</p>\n\n<p>Coincidentally, this is my best tip for getting started even if you can't do any regular pullups yet.</p>\n\n<p>4-5 sets of this method (warmup NOT included), 3-5 times a week should give you a kickstart on your pullup progress.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Timing</strong></p>\n\n<p>Note: When I say \"work out 3-5 times a week\" in any context, use common sense to guide you. If you start having perpetually sore muscles, or you get chronically tired and fatigued, reduce the amount of workouts you do. That goes for any workout program.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42367, "author": "BrieAnna Spatarella", "author_id": 22002, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/22002", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n<p>TL;DR: 18 y/o male, 140lbs, 5'8&quot;, don't really work out, asocial,\nstressed and depressed. I'm looking to gain insight on my body and\nhealth advice.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Insights on dietary habits would be super useful here! What we consume is an incredibly important consideration when we start a wellness journey. Especially since you mentioned being stressed and depressed; what we eat truly matters to every aspect of our health, including our mental health!</p>\n<p>Research has found that there is a link between what one eats and our risk of depression. This analysis from <a href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178117301981\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Psychiatry Research</a> concluded that:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&quot;A dietary pattern characterized by a high intakes of fruit,\nvegetables, whole grain, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and\nantioxidants and low intakes of animal foods was apparently associated\nwith a decreased risk of depression. A dietary pattern characterized\nby a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains,\nsweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy,\nand low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an\nincreased risk of depression.&quot;</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>In addition to the above, the discomfort you're feeling about your midsection/abdomen, may also be a nutritional component. Exercising regularly is a piece of losing belly fat, but eating a healthy diet packed with lean protein, vegetables, fruit and legumes are key lifestyle changes that contribute to thinner midsections.</p>\n<p>Check out Healthline's article that identifies <a href=\"https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-proven-ways-to-lose-belly-fat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">6 Simple Ways to Lose Belly Fat, Based on Science</a></p>\n<p>The <strong>TL;DR</strong> Consider your nutrition. Clean it up and focus on clean, whole, single-ingredient foods. Lean protein and healthy fats will help you fuel your exercise goals. Gains in the gym ultimately will not be attainable if your diet and your mindset are not aligned.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41814", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33046/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41823, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>I bench press once a week</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I personally would not expect my bench press 1RM to increase past the absolute novice level if I only bench pressed once a week. </p>\n\n<p>Consider bench pressing three times a week. I'm not sure I see the value in 12+ rep sets, but otherwise your approach of training different rep ranges (some call it \"undulating periodization\") sounds promising if you would just increase the frequency from 1x/week to 3x/week.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Should I try some training program? </p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Yes, that would be a very good choice.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41825, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>One thing I think you should really watch out for is <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaWjGTgQ-Ow\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">your shoulder health</a> and mobility. \nIt is better for the shoulders to benchpress with\n<a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E1mXrOm9YE\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">elbows tucked not flared</a>. \nI think it is also better for the posture. Tight pecs cause rounding of the shoulders.\nIf your triceps are weak relative to the chest this causes you to flare the elbows and use more chest muscles. I think it may also be a good idea to use a <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56x24RPajIY\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">somewhat narrow grip</a> to make the exercise even more triceps dominated. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41826, "author": "Frank", "author_id": 24487, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24487", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Try micro loading, benching 2-3 times a week, and eating more. See if you can find some 1 or 1 1/2 pound plates in these trying times. Speaker magnets work well if you have iron plates and can’t find something to microload with. </p>\n\n<p>Unless the weight you’re moving with your other triceps and chest exercises loads the chest and triceps more than the bench itself (highly unlikely), you’re not going to get stronger. You don’t see powerlifter doing push-ups, triceps extensions, etc... to get bigger bench numbers. They bench. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42023, "author": "Philippe", "author_id": 33261, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33261", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Back in the days I did benchpress I observed good results with negativ reps at 75% of 1RM until total failure. Th negative set came right after a regular set at the same weight pushed until failure.\nBut honestly i would not recommend doing that, it s a lot of stress for the shoulders. Anyway I would not recommand to do bench press at all as long as you re not going for benchpress competition.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42029, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>There are three general mechanisms for strength gain: technical, hypertrophic, and neural. (Of course, the technical has a neural component, but the distinction will become clear as I explain further.)</p>\n\n<p>Technical mechanisms include position, posture, grip, and movement mechanics. Considerable gains can be made, often immediately, by simply optimising your position and posture. And of course, mastery of stability and movement control is critical.</p>\n\n<p>It is important to understand that no single set of choices here will work for everyone, since variations in body geometry and muscle composition will affect those choices. However, some basics are universal: both feet should be firmly planted on the floor; the glutes should be activated; you should perform the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">valsalva manoeuver</a>; and if you are training purely for lifting strength, you should arch you back to reduce the angle of flexion in the shoulder.</p>\n\n<p>Hypertrophy is critical for a large lift since our strength is directly proportional to the cross-sectional area of our muscles. A high-volume, moderate-load training regimen involving technical variation and sets to fatigue and/or failure maximises the hypertrophic response.</p>\n\n<p>This comes with a caveat, however. A regimen of moderate loads and sets to failure is neurally sub-optimal for pure strength. The regimen also stimulates the development of a greater mass of non-contractile tissue. Thus, if you are interested in absolute strength, there may be no reason to limit hypertrophy training. However, if you are interested in relative strength, it is preferable to compromise optimal hypertrophy with more strength-orientated hypertrophic gain—that is, to build muscle bulk through heavy rather than moderate loads.</p>\n\n<p>After a basic technical and hypertrophic foundation has been lain, neural development is where gains are made. This involves lifting with maximal or near-maximal loads (1-4 repetitions maximum) with high frequency, and before failure or fatigue. If you have developed your strength primarily with hypertrophy protocol, pure strength training will generally result in considerable and rapid strength gain.</p>\n\n<p>Generally, if absolute strength is sought, your approach should be to focus on hypertrophy, later alternating periods of strength and hypertrophy training. By contrast, if relative strength is sought, after a base of general strength and hypertrophy is attained, you should focus entirely on heavy lifting.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41822", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33015/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41846, "author": "getbackintofitness", "author_id": 33090, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33090", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you're looking to lose 30lbs I would set that as a 4 month goal. 1,200 calories a day, unless advised by a dietitian or doctor is way too low on calories. The FDA has a website available called MyPlate that would give you a caloric deficit to follow to safely lose weight and keep off the weight based on your age, weight, height, and gender.\nIf you've never worn ankle weights before there will be a break in period. It's the same idea with any sort of fitness, you have to prep your body for added strain / load. Jumping right into wearing even 2.5lb weights around each ankle for 8+ hours a day increases your potential for injury as your body won't be used to lugging around that extra weight. If you want to proceed down the ankle weight route try wearing them around the house a little at a time so your body actually adjusts to them before committing to wearing them for long periods of time. They make ankle weights that are loadable so you can add / remove weight as you get used to them. \nThe most beneficial piece to your weight loss is going to be the calories you're putting in. You can tone your legs without the need for the ankle weights. Squats &amp; lunges without weight will also help tone your legs.\nI personally own a set of 2.5lb wrist weights, a set of 5lb ankle weights, and a 60lb weight vest. I don't really use any of them.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41849, "author": "Frank", "author_id": 24487, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24487", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>“Tone” comes from lower amounts of body fat and higher amounts of muscle. Ankle weights are useless for this endeavor unless you’re 90 years old and having trouble putting one foot in front of the other.</p>\n\n<p>While we’re in COVID lockdown, and gym access is restricted, focus on your diet. Don’t do anything crazy. Just eat 500 fewer calories than what you burn. Don’t starve yourself.</p>\n\n<p>When you can get better access to a gym, then learn how to squat using a barbell. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41831", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33068/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41837, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you start to feel your back burning before your abs is because your back is incredibly weak, weaker than your abdomen. The weaker muscle always gives out first.</p>\n\n<p>It has nothing to do with not knowing how to use your abdomen, either they are too strong or your back is incredibly weak. </p>\n\n<p>Just like when you do an overhead press, it works the entire upper body but you will only feel it in the shoulder because they are the weaker muscles.</p>\n\n<p>The only exercise that thargets the abdomen is forced expiration, like when you are suffocating by holding your breath to much, other than that there's not really anything else because every abdominal exercise you do will involve the entire torso....humans have about 860 muscles for a reason, because they are made to work together.</p>\n\n<p>If you want strong abs and a six pack just do abdomen exercises and be 17% bodyfat or below, with time your muscles will adapt since the back is actually supposed to be way stronger than the abs. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41840, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Sounds like your transverse abdominus is very weak and the rest of your core needs stability training to teach them to work properly before moving onto dynamic training.</p>\n\n<p>You're onto something with the planks.. your back starts hurting because your abs \"give out\" and your back takes over. The second your back hurts you need to quit. You can try planks leaning on a bench or stability ball to get longer planking time, then work on doing regular planks. Make sure you're tilting your pelvis posteriorly and making sure your back isnt extended or rounded. Your transverse abdominus is weak, so do this along with deadbugs, which works your TA(transverse abdominus) and lower core, and also teaches you to lift your pelvic floor and posteriorly tilt your pelvis. If these are too hard you can go to the most basic.. just lie on the floor and you'll feel your lower back not touching the floor.. well tilt your pelvic and try to touch your lower back to the floor and hold it. While doing this, brace your abs as if your about to get gut punched. These will teach you how to not only take focus off your back but also use your TA. You can also do stomach vaccuums while driving or working, etc to focus on your TA in everyday life. Once this main muscle is strong, you'll be able to do situps and crunches by bending at your hips, and your upper abs will get stronger by stabilizing your body.</p>\n\n<p>I strongly advise against situps and crunches as they force you to flex your spine and bend it which is not healthy. You can do anti-training which teaches your abs to resist tension. Exercises like pallov press, planks, deadbugs, vertical pallov press, anti-landmine(hold your body still while you rotate a barbell around your hips). Work on stability versions first(holding a pallov press for as long as you can up to 60 seconds versus doing 15 reps of a pallov press) then move onto dynamic training. </p>\n\n<p>Don't worry about crunches or situps, they are actually not that effective as other exercises and can put undue tension on your back</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41851, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Please watch this <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwljsCs1agM\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">animation of muscles used in a sit-up and curl-up</a>.\nYou will notice there are two \"modes\":\nhip-flexion and spine flexion.\nHip-flexion involves the hip-flexor muscles. Also I think the lower back muscles act as stabilizers (even though this is not shown in the video). \nSpine-flexion on the other hand involves the ab muscles.\nYou are probably doing hip-flexion instead of spine-flexion because your abs are weak.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41836", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33080/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41845, "author": "rrirower", "author_id": 7242, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I feel the same way after erging (rowing) a moderate (20 min) piece on my rower whether indoors or outdoors. I think the most important consideration for cool down is to reduce the amount of stress on the body gradually. I accomplish this by performing various stretches. The stretches serve two purposes. They give me a chance to relax after a tough workout, and, they aid in my recovery by helping to reduce muscle soreness and maintain my range of motion.</p>\n\n<p>A paper titled, <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5999142/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Do We Need a Cool-Down After Exercise? A Narrative Review of the Psychophysiological Effects and the Effects on Performance, Injuries and the Long-Term Adaptive Response</a>, specifically addressed the use of static stretching as a recovery modality for runners. It found:</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>...a study among recreational marathon runners reported that 64% of\n the runners performed stretching after training [122]. Another survey\n on elite adolescent athletes found that 23% of the Asian and 68% of\n the UK athletes used stretching after a training session [91].\n Finally, a survey among collegiate athletic trainers in the USA found\n that 61% recommended static stretching to be included as a recovery\n method after exercise <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5999142/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">1</a>. Surveys among coaches from other sports\n report similar results [2, 3, 5, 137].</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>If you haven't already tried stretching as a recovery method, I urge you to give it a try.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41848, "author": "Adam Phillips", "author_id": 33094, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33094", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I was living for many years in South India and training daily in Kalari (a martial art). In Kalari we have a simple method to deal with this problem. After training, we wait for the body to stop sweating before going into the shower. It is said that if you cool the body too soon by showering (i.e. whilst the body is still in a high metabolic state and producing a lot of heat), that you can cause imbalance to the humours. This is of course an Ayurvedic understanding but the principle makes sense. Allow the body to cool naturally, before cooling it further with water. </p>\n\n<p>It is also good to avoid rubbing sweat off with a towel as this is said to push the toxins back into the dermis layer under the skin. Better to 'dab' the sweat off with a towel than 'rub' and even better to allow it to evaporate (and then shower). </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42356, "author": "lambshaanxy", "author_id": 33034, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33034", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Answering my own question, since I've had plenty of time to experiment recently:</p>\n<p><strong>Immersing yourself in a pool</strong> is the fastest option, since the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_conductivity\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">thermal conductivity</a> of water is approximately 30x higher than air. Now this doesn't mean you cool down 30 times faster, because your skin is a good insulator and your body also has to pump heat out, but all things considered, water immersion will definitely be faster than relying on air.</p>\n<p>As for how long it takes to return to &quot;normal&quot; temperature, given a starting point of being hot to the point of your face being flushed red (about half an hour of running does the trick for me), with water temperature on the order of 25°C, for me it takes <strong>about 12-15 minutes</strong> to stop sweating. The time here will obviously vary from person to person, but if you chill out long enough to start getting goosebumps, you're probably good. For comparison, without the pool, it takes me a good half hour.</p>\n<p>Theoretically, you can optimize your time by maximizing the movement of water over your body while minimizing your own heat generation, so ideally you'd want to park yourself motionless next to a jet of water. In practice, this seems to make little difference and I spent the time doing cool-down stretches and floating on my back with the occasional dip underwater.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42357, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>A cold pack can be applied to the abdomen, back of the neck, and/or inside of the upper thigh. This is a technique used by first responders to treat hyperthermia. The large surface area of the abdomen, combined with the proximity of the vascular organs of the liver, stomach, and intestine, make it an ideal site for rapid heat transfer. Similarly for the inside upper thigh, due to its high surface area and proximity to the femoral artery and vein. The back of the neck cools blood flowing to the brain.</p>\n<p>If you do not have access to a cold pack, finding a shaded area—preferably with air flow—and removing as much clothing as you can (whilst maintaining dignity) can also reduce your temperature significantly. Again, this is a standard in treating hyperthermia. Although evaporative heat loss is low, it can nevertheless provide excellent radiant and convective cooling due to the large surface area exposed.</p>\n<p>Finally, ingestion of cold fluid further aids cooling. Again, due to the high humidity, evoporative heat loss is low. However, heat is exchanged between the body and fluid, and what little evaporative cooling is possible can nevertheless be significant.</p>\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41842", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33034/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42109, "author": "Tom Knight", "author_id": 33342, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33342", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I understand your feelings completely as I have a much more severe case of pectus carinatum than you. I was bullied at school and became deeply depressed for years. I was always worried about how my chest looked with clothes on and off and what a girl might say if they touched my chest. Some thought it was hard muscle, which I would feel shame about anyway as it was a lie, whilst others would point, touch, stare and ask 'what's that?' - I would die inside - It really held me back in life and contributed a lot to my depression. </p>\n\n<p>I contemplated corrective surgery - there are 2 surgeries you can have - Ravitch procedure and the Reverse Nuss procedure. I met with two surgeons. Both of these surgeries are highly invasive though and I decided against it. I don't believe you need to do this.</p>\n\n<p>I know this will mean nothing to you, but your physique is great. You have a VERY mild PC. As someone above said, you're blessed with a wide shoulder frame and narrow waist. I had a similar frame to you at 21 and decided to hit the gym A LOT to add bulk to mainly hide my chest. I was a typical Ectomorph (hard gainer) and 198cm tall, so I had to eat a lot and work out a lot to see any gains. I added a lot of bulk to my chest and shoulders, but it took me years. Building muscle is a long, hard process. It takes dedication and desire. It can feel sometimes, particularly when you're young and an ectomorph, that you're going nowhere. KEEP GOING. I also would always walk around like a boxer with my shoulders rounded forward to try and sink down my chest. I became big and muscular - but I was still not happy. Why?</p>\n\n<p>The reason I was never happy was because I hadn't accepted myself from within. You will always live with PC, this is who you are. It's ok to be different - as hard as that is to hear, and it took me YEARS to acknowledge this fundamental to happiness. I had never learnt to love myself. I was constantly trying to chase and build a chest that I thought others would find acceptable, but I realised in my 30s that I would never achieve this as I had a warped perception of what I thought i looked like. You will only find happiness from self acceptance. And you know what? As soon as you find this, you will be happier, calmer and more confident. Girls will find you sexier because you own your shit and are comfortable in who you are. </p>\n\n<p>The people who comment on your chest are almost certainly doing it from a place of self loathing about some part of their own body or something else in their lives. Anyone who accepts themselves is unlikely to want to put anyone else down. It might not be clear and obvious to you, but I guarantee this.</p>\n\n<p>Go hit the gym - eat a lot of healthy protein rich food, protein shakes, creatine - build a strong, muscled body - but know that this will unlikely make you happy. Really commit to self acceptance. I cannot give you better advice than this. You will save yourself years of pain and misery. Eventually, with age, this will come, I just wish I'd given it a chance when I was your age instead of hating on myself so much.</p>\n\n<p>I don't mean to minimise your experience, I really empathise with you. The pain and depression and shame is real, I'm just giving you advice having lived with the condition 13 years longer and know exactly what you're going through.</p>\n\n<p>I'm now 34 and through injuries haven't been able to train as much as I used to. I'm nowhere near as muscular as I was in my 20s but I'm so much happier and at ease with my chest as a result of accepting and trying to love who I am.</p>\n\n<p>WORKOUT notes. To add bulk as an ectomorph, you want to be hitting the gym at least 4 times p/w and eating a lot of clean protein rich foods. Leg days are as important as chest days. The body needs growth hormone to really build muscle and this is created through muscle stress. Your legs are your biggest muscle group so create the most growth hormone. Growth hormone circulates through the whole body so working out your legs will also help build your chest, shoulders, back and arms. You want to be obviously bench pressing heavy and full range of motion. I always found dumb bell pullovers a good outer chest builder too.</p>\n\n<p>Best of luck mate.</p>\n\n<p>Tom</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 44690, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Like Tom said your chest is not malformed and I don't know why you are calling it a disease. If one has a large chest cavity that can be attributed to large lungs and/or heart.</p>\n<p>Your bone structure is fine and in fact well developed. Your frame is very good.</p>\n<p>It sounds like you just want fitness advice made for someone with your particular physique. You're a sly one.</p>\n<p>Here is a home workout.\nI suggest 1 set; to absolute failure where you can't do another rep and with ultra slow-as-possible reps; of each daily:</p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Walking up a hill or stairs backwards</p>\n<p>Squats with heels off ground, knees tracking over toes slightly and\nleaning forward</p>\n<p>Deep push ups with elbows flared out and hands slightly wider than\nshoulders</p>\n<p>Sit ups (all the way)</p>\n<p>Pull ups (wide or chin ups, alternating)</p>\n<p>Wrist curls with 60% of max</p>\n<p>Wrist extensions with 60% of max</p>\n<p>Wrist twists with sledgehammer at 60% of max (hold handle closer to\nhead of hammer)</p>\n<p>Wrist twists with sledgehammer head on pinky side of hand at 60% of\nmax</p>\n<p>Reverse push-ups with fingers pointing inward and elbows flared out;\nit'll be limited range of motion but try and get deep.</p>\n<p>Jump rope with 3&quot; or thicker rope backwards and forwards</p>\n<p>Finger extensions (get some bands I guess)</p>\n<p>Dips leaning forward slightly and going deep.</p>\n</blockquote>\n<p>Work up to it incorporating each exercise individually over the course of 2 months. The leg work will start up your hormonal drive and prepare you for the other stuff.</p>\n<p>Get a BIG stretch in each rep.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41852", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33098/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41859, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If your goal is health and you only train this way 2-3 times a week this is probably the most effective approach.\nThe Norwegian Cardiac Exercise Research Group \"aim to define optimal exercise programs for “most people” in order to increase the likelihood of developing and preserving good health throughout life\". \nThey advocate <a href=\"https://www.ntnu.edu/cerg/advice\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">4x4 interval training</a> which in effect is similar to what you propose. Reason being that high intensity training strengthens the heart and increases metabolism.</p>\n\n<p>However if your goal is to perform well in an endurance event such as a half-marathon this is not the way to train.\nStephen Seiler has shown that toplevel endurance athletes typically train with 80 % of their work-outs being low-moderate intensity and the rest 20 % very high intensity: <a href=\"https://scientifictriathlon.com/tts177/#tab-con-2\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">polarised training</a>.\nIn order to gain endurance for say a half-marathon you need to run a lot of kms each week. So you have to train many days a week.\nThis <a href=\"https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/half-marathon/a760097/rws-10-week-sub-150-half-marathon-schedules/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">training plan</a> for instance \"takes you up to a regular 40 miles a week\" and have you training 6 times a week.\nAt this point recovery becomes a big problem. When you cross a certain intensity threshold your body produces stress hormons. These hormons increases recovery time.\nWhat more these hormons stay in the body for some time. So you can not mix low-medium intensity and high intensity work within the same workout.\nInstead you do mostly (80%) low-moderate intensity workouts that requires little recovery time and some (20%) very high intensity workouts. </p>\n\n<p>Many people in their 30s and 40s train for half-marathon.\nFrom a motivational approach this is great. I have done it myself and it felt like an achievement. However from a health perspective I do not think it is optimal use of time. The same amount of time (or less) could be better spent on 2x45 minutes of 4x4 style running and 2x1 hour of strength training a week. That way you can have a strong heart, a low bodyfat percentage as well as strong muscles and tendons that protect you from injuries.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41860, "author": "getbackintofitness", "author_id": 33090, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33090", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>It really depends on your goals and what you're looking to get out of exercise. If you're looking to fit some quick workouts in throughout the week to lose weight/ build a little muscle then HIIT is fine and you don't need to be training different systems. </p>\n\n<p>If you're looking to improve cardiovascular endurance and optimize your body's use of fat for fuel vs carbs for fuel you'd need to train at a lower heart rate for a longer period of time. Everyone has a point where this fuel source changes. </p>\n\n<p>It really depends on your goals. A Thai fighter will do steady state cardio before essentially a HIIT style pad workout because they need both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers trained as well as different energy systems optimized. The slow steady state cardio will improve your perfomance in the HIIT workouts. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41902, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>A quick answer but this is what really determines the quality of a workout:</p>\n\n<p>Anaerobic alactic: work-rest ratio 1:10\nExample. For each 10 seconds of sprints rest 2 minutes after</p>\n\n<p>Anaerobic lactic: work-rest interval 1:2 \nExample.. weightlifting for 30 seconds and resting a minute. You more commonly see 60 seconds accompanied with 2 minutes rest.</p>\n\n<p>Aerobic. Work-rest interval 2:1, 5:1, 10:1(really its working more than you rest)\nExample.. jogging for 10 minutes and resting 5 before continuing.\nFun fact: you use aerobic energy for all 3 of the above but use it more in this work rest ratio.</p>\n\n<p>The trick to these is intensity. Anaerobic is typically high while aerobic is typically low. Think about sprinting for as long as you can. After 20 seconds you're body will naturally run as it depletes it's first source of fuel. Then for 2 minutes it'll use lactic. After 5 it'll be aerobic because after so long you can't keep the intensity. Eventually you're other energy systems will replenish and let you Sprint again, etc..</p>\n\n<p>The point being that during a high intensity anaerobic exercise.. Unless you're doing HIIT or tabata, you really aren't working out aerobic to its full capacity because you're putting a lot of power into an anaerobic exercise. If you are not resting and doing a 2:1 or greater work rest ratio.. then you're exercise, whether it's you jumping rope or running, is now purely aerobic because without resting you'll naturally lose power, just like the sprinting example above. Jump roping for instance is considered anaerobic but if you can do 30 minutes of jump roping without resting then you're doing an aerobic exercise, just a really really good aerobic exercise.</p>\n\n<p>In your example it doesn't matter how long you exercise, what matters is how long you rest compared to the work. That's why HIIT is tricky because you get benefits of both even though you're doing a 2:1 ratio but it's because you're resting in intervals rather than doing sets. So HIIT can build both anaerobic and aerobic because it becomes a form of metabolic conditioning. You can also gain the same effects doing circuit training with low rep, heavy weight weightlifting which reduces your rest. You lose the efficiency of the anaerobic to some degree, for example circuit training with weights will cause you to use a lot less weight in your exercises but you can build both systems. With HIIT.. you lose building up your first two energy systems that use ATP and lactic, you're still training your heart and doing anaerobic exercise but you miss out on focusing on just the two energy systems . And in terms of weightlifting, you lose gains trying to combine the two</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41858", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33106/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41887, "author": "T0r0nt0", "author_id": 33143, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33143", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The best way I can explain how a muscle contract is if you think of muscle kinda like a line of people pulling a rope. Picture a bunch of people pulling a rope without the people moving. Each person is in line, and they pulls the rope closer, and the rope moves along from person to person. That's kinda how muscles contract. When your muscle is fully stretched out, this is equivalent to say the end of the rope only being in reach of the first person. He picks it up and starts pulling it until eventually the person behind can also grab and start pulling as well. As more and more people pull on the rope at the same time, the strength at which the rope is being pulled increases. Same thing with muscle. There's actually an optimal length at which the muscle is the strongest. </p>\n\n<p>I don't know if that analogy makes sense, but if you wanna read about it yourself, look up the sliding filament theory and maybe it will make more sense to you.</p>\n\n<p>Also, another factor to take into account is fatigue ability of muscles. Certain muscles are more prone to fatigue then others. So they won't be able to maintain a constant tension as long as other muscles. </p>\n\n<p>Edit:</p>\n\n<p>So to answer your question, on a physiological level, the muscular contraction is the same no matter what type of contraction is happening (whether its isometric, isotonic, eccentric or concentric).\nwhenever you lift weights, your muscles are generating just enough force to overcome gravity and not more. </p>\n\n<p>your question is more of a biomechanics question, not a physiological one. Theres a tradeoff between speed and force. What that means is that if your muscles are contracting at a high speed, the force that the muscle is able to produce is low. if your muscle is contracting at a low speed, the force being produced is fast. so in an isometric contraction (i.e one in which muscle stays in constant length, meaning the object is not moving) you will be able to generate more force than during a concentric contraction.</p>\n\n<p>Does this help answer your question?</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41889, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Muscle fibers are composed of two major filaments.\nA thick filament composed of the protein myosin and a thin filament composed of the protein actin.\nThe myosin thick filament slide inside a \"tube\" of many thin actin filaments.\nThe myosin filament has many heads that are uniformly distributed along its length.\nMuscle force is produced by the interaction between these heads and binding sites that are uniformly distributed along the actin filament.\nThis muscle force causes the tube to contract.\n<a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/c0a9f.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/c0a9f.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>The actin tube can both be extended and compressed in the length direction.\nThe myosin filament can only be compressed in the length direction.\nMax force is produced when the length of the actin tube equals the uncompressed length of the myosin filament.\nAs the length of the actin tube increases from this the number of binding sites that the heads can interact with decreases (linearly).\nHowever when the length of the actin tube decreases from full myosin length the force produced also decreases.\nThis is probably caused by the lateral distance between the heads and bridges increasing eg. by the tube bulging.\nThe result is a force length graph where force produced decreases away from the full myosin length:\n<a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/eA1sE.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/eA1sE.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p><strong>References</strong></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jappl.1999.86.5.1445\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Length dependence of active force production in skeletal muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology.</a></p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41936, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The difference between the two scenarios you describe is the result of a number of phenomena.</p>\n\n<p>First, isometric contractions are inherently easier, and isometric contractions are therefore inherently stronger. By definition, a concentric isotonic contraction is required to <em>exceed</em> the opposing force, while an isometric contraction is required only to <em>meet</em> the opposing force.</p>\n\n<p>However, it is equally likely that you are observing differences in the individuals' physiology and training. Athletes who have a predominance of Type I (slow oxidative) <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">muscle fibres</a> have far greater resistance to fatigue than those with a predominance of Type II (fast glycolytic). This distinction is believed to be entirely genetic. Strength-endurance training can alter Type II fibres to become <em>intermediate</em> (Type II A and AB), but we are otherwise slaves to our genetics in this regard.</p>\n\n<p>We do, however, alter our strength characteristics markedly through training, most notably (in this context) through two mechanisms: <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_hypertrophy\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">hypertrophy</a> and neuro-muscular (<a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_unit\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">motor unit</a>) development. The former involves the thickening of muscle fibres, and it occurs in both/all muscle fibre types, albeit to a greater degree in Type II fibres. The latter involves the development of motor neuron-muscle fibre bundles that influence all of the characteristics of muscular output—control, strength, speed, power, and endurance.</p>\n\n<p>Finally, skeletal geometry also makes a huge difference to the ease or difficulty by which an individual can apply force to a load. Shorter bio-mechanical <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lever\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">levers</a> combined with variations in muscle tendon attachment points, which alter the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_advantage\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">mechanical advantage</a> of the lever give, with all other things being equal, shorter and stockier individuals a huge strength advantage. Essentially, such individuals can exert greater strength with the same muscular tension.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41868", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32763/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41877, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I used to get elbow problems from back squatting, and what helped was </p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>increasing range of motion in my shoulders</li>\n<li>a two-phase approach to the elbow: first rest until the acute problem was over, then strengthen it over time with lots of controlled pull-ups, starting with low volume performed slowly.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Shoulder ROM helps because getting your hands on the bar, especially in a low-bar squat, requires scapular retraction and external rotation of the shoulder. I improved those through a daily morning practice of arm circles and shoulder warm-up, by being conscious of my posture, improving ergonomics of my work desk, and doing more pulling than pushing exercises in my workout programming. I also got benefit from doing basic physio exercises, especially the wrist/elbow stretches and the <a href=\"https://theathleteengineers.com/2019/03/27/lateral-epicondylitis-tennis-elbow-rehab-towel-twists/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">towel twist</a>.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41880, "author": "Frank", "author_id": 24487, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24487", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Mark Rippetoe has addressed this very well in numerous videos and on his podcast. This condition almost always comes about because your wrists aren’t straight. Many people compromise this because of crappy shoulder mobility. </p>\n\n<p>See the following article from Nick Delgadillo on the reasons why your squat form is probably causing this.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://startingstrength.com/training/preventing-elbow-pain-in-the-squat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Elbow pain in the Squat</a></p>\n\n<p>Then read this article by Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum and pay particularly close attention to the “Pin Firing” section in which they use chin-ups to fix it. I can say firsthand that this fixed my tennis elbow despite it being a somewhat painful process.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://startingstrength.com/training/elbow-tendonitis-how-it-occurs-and-what-to-do-about-it\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Elbow Tendinitis and What to do About It</a></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41875", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/25777/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41886, "author": "T0r0nt0", "author_id": 33143, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33143", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>She mentioned something about small muscle in joints? I'm not quite sure what she meant by that because there are no muscles within your joints. \nI think the point she was making is that she uses multiple different stretches and exercises to focus more on stability muscles which may not get much attention otherwise. For your routine, I think you would benefit from more exercises that focus on core strength and stability. \nSome exercise includ farmers carry, suitcase carry, planks, deadbugs, bird-dogs. All of these focus on core strength and endurance as well. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41893, "author": "Chris ", "author_id": 30383, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/30383", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>In regards to that video: The woman speaking is aerialist and contortionist Haley Viloria. Look at this <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eebyYiEnGGc\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Youtube video</a> at 1:08s and you will see that she is clearly hypermobile. She didn't have to earn that flexibility; she was born with it. </p>\n\n<p>I'm assuming you are an adult male with normal flexibility. If so, then your body works completely different from hers. It is like comparing apples to oranges. You should never take advise on stretching from someone who is hypermobile because that person has no idea how your body works. </p>\n\n<p>Nonetheless, if we listen to what she is saying, when she talks about \"small muscles\", she is effectively talking about stability exercises. That is the term for the subject in physical therapy. Unfortunately, if you google \"stability exercises\" almost everything that comes up will be core exercises and a lot of Planks. The subject is much broader than this. For example, a great stability exercise for the shoulder is <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysq-Jx9pwv8\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Floor Angels</a>. <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8-SAtHd8pQ\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Shoulder External Rotation</a> is another shoulder stability exercise. The subject of stability exercises is much bigger than I can cover here.</p>\n\n<p>As far as a mobility exercise, here is a great one I just picked up from Pavel Tsatsouline: the <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsM87HtIqrA\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Face The Wall Squat</a> (see 57s). Note that this is not a beginners exercise. Enjoy.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41882", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/18401/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41916, "author": "Just_Alex", "author_id": 13761, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/13761", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I agree with JohnP, hard to say. But I suggest you give running a break. Try barefoot walking lunges, they can reveal if your balance/step is good. </p>\n\n<p>What to do: rest, roll, stretch, strengthen, see a professional.\nThe IT band seems to be a common culprit. Try these if not refer back.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.athletico.com/2012/06/05/it-band-syndrome-the-top-5-causes-and-solutions/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.athletico.com/2012/06/05/it-band-syndrome-the-top-5-causes-and-solutions/</a></p>\n\n<p>Update: I asked someone more experienced than myself and she mentioned that this is commonly due to the pelvic nerve bundle and glutes. Rolling the IT-band helps. If you spend lots of time sitting, give your glutes a break (walking). Also try to strengthen the glutes. Someone famous mentioned that glutes are the reason humans can run on 2 legs but apes can't. <a href=\"https://www.kinetic-revolution.com/how-to-use-glutes-when-running/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">How to run with glutes</a>.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41991, "author": "Philippe", "author_id": 33261, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33261", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Go see an orthopaedic specialist, maybe something is wrong with your feet. Choose one who is making shoes and inlays and who is equiped for walk analysis and used to treat athletes.\nI have splayfeet and knew it too late, resulting in unrecoverable damage of the knees.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41884", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31967/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41908, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you're trying to gain weight, I suggest you focus just on eating more. Lifting heavier weights, or the same weights for more reps, would help too. Calculating exactly how much more to eat might be nice, but the main thing is to eat a lot.</p>\n\n<p>But no, 2700 calories sounds relatively little for someone your size who works out and wants to get bigger. Eat, especially protein, and lift hard.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41913, "author": "T0r0nt0", "author_id": 33143, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33143", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Get an app that counts calories like MyFitnessPal or something, and log everything you normally eat for about a week or two. This will provide you with an idea of how much calories you need to maintain your current weight at the given level of exercise. Then once you have a baseline, you can increase calories per day so that you are in energy excess and you will begin to put on muscle, provided you workout out and eat relatively clean. I'd say 1.2-1.5 g of protein per lb of bodyweight is enough, and then maybe 50% of total calories from carbs roughly. Then the rest can come from fats. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41924, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>For your current level of conditioning, there is scant need to concern yourself with the amount of protein that you are consuming, unless your diet is particularly restrictive. Most people in the industrialised world consume <em>far</em> more protein than they require, and the figures thrown around in body-building circles are greatly exaggerated and contrary to the science. If you eat excessively, you <em>will</em> put on mass, but it will be fat mass. Fat is not contractile and in no way contributes to your strength, or to the size you are no doubt seeking.</p>\n\n<p>Guidelines from the national institutes of sport around the world are surprisingly consistent, with guidelines for protein consumption for \"bodybuilding\" generally given as around 1.5-1.7 grams per <em>kilogram</em> of body mass (or 0.7-0.8 grams per pound). Slight excess beyond that point will do you no harm, but it is only going to contribute to your total energy consumption.</p>\n\n<p>As for your energy consumption, many tables and formulae can be found. The Katch-McArdle formula is one particularly good one, since it accounts for the fact that energy requirement is based primarily on physical size and <em>lean</em> mass. (There are numerous web sites that provide calculators for this.) Although it has been demonstrated that we can still gain muscle mass on a restrictive diet, such gain is certainly less than ideal. Therefore, it is important that you try to achieve the minimum <em>multiplied by</em> some factor—typically around 1.4-1.5 times your predicted Basal Metabolic Rate for an active (training) individual—so as not to limit your gain.</p>\n\n<p>As a final note, keep in mind that you require carbohydrates to get maximum gain, since glucogen (muscle and liver stores of sugar) is required for you to lift at your potential, and insulin is anabolic.</p>\n\n<p>Good luck.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41907", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33164/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41908, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>If you're trying to gain weight, I suggest you focus just on eating more. Lifting heavier weights, or the same weights for more reps, would help too. Calculating exactly how much more to eat might be nice, but the main thing is to eat a lot.</p>\n\n<p>But no, 2700 calories sounds relatively little for someone your size who works out and wants to get bigger. Eat, especially protein, and lift hard.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41913, "author": "T0r0nt0", "author_id": 33143, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33143", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Get an app that counts calories like MyFitnessPal or something, and log everything you normally eat for about a week or two. This will provide you with an idea of how much calories you need to maintain your current weight at the given level of exercise. Then once you have a baseline, you can increase calories per day so that you are in energy excess and you will begin to put on muscle, provided you workout out and eat relatively clean. I'd say 1.2-1.5 g of protein per lb of bodyweight is enough, and then maybe 50% of total calories from carbs roughly. Then the rest can come from fats. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41924, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>For your current level of conditioning, there is scant need to concern yourself with the amount of protein that you are consuming, unless your diet is particularly restrictive. Most people in the industrialised world consume <em>far</em> more protein than they require, and the figures thrown around in body-building circles are greatly exaggerated and contrary to the science. If you eat excessively, you <em>will</em> put on mass, but it will be fat mass. Fat is not contractile and in no way contributes to your strength, or to the size you are no doubt seeking.</p>\n\n<p>Guidelines from the national institutes of sport around the world are surprisingly consistent, with guidelines for protein consumption for \"bodybuilding\" generally given as around 1.5-1.7 grams per <em>kilogram</em> of body mass (or 0.7-0.8 grams per pound). Slight excess beyond that point will do you no harm, but it is only going to contribute to your total energy consumption.</p>\n\n<p>As for your energy consumption, many tables and formulae can be found. The Katch-McArdle formula is one particularly good one, since it accounts for the fact that energy requirement is based primarily on physical size and <em>lean</em> mass. (There are numerous web sites that provide calculators for this.) Although it has been demonstrated that we can still gain muscle mass on a restrictive diet, such gain is certainly less than ideal. Therefore, it is important that you try to achieve the minimum <em>multiplied by</em> some factor—typically around 1.4-1.5 times your predicted Basal Metabolic Rate for an active (training) individual—so as not to limit your gain.</p>\n\n<p>As a final note, keep in mind that you require carbohydrates to get maximum gain, since glucogen (muscle and liver stores of sugar) is required for you to lift at your potential, and insulin is anabolic.</p>\n\n<p>Good luck.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41910", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41947, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Your cortisol levels only raise temporarily, so if you workout before 3pm-ish, your cortisol levels should lower by the time you go to bed. Cortisol keeps you awake, and stress causes cortisol increases. Cortisol can also spike with an intense workout. So if working out before 3pm doesn't solve your issue, you can also look at ways to reduce your stress or reduce the intensity of your workout. If you're pretty out of shape and doing HIIT multiple times a week it might be too much for your \"newbie\" body to handle. HIIT, whether you are physically capable of doing it or not, is NOT a beginner exercise.. your nervous system can't handle it. That being said, Id try working out in the morning first.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41970, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Strenuous workouts can deplete the glycogen stores in the muscles.\nSince the muscles need glycogen as energy, cortisol is produced.\nThe cortisol speeds up the process of refueling the muscles with glycogen (by increasing the blood sugar).</p>\n\n<p>As Ace Cabbie mentions it can take many hours for the cortisol levels to come down.\nIn a <a href=\"https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0179401#sec011\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">study</a> of 20 young men running a fast 5 km before breakfast one day compared to a rest day, they found that it took approximately 6 hours for cortisol to decrease to normal levels:\n<a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/nmxdV.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/nmxdV.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>As mentioned the increase in cortisol results in increased blood sugar:\n<a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/ftR4M.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/ftR4M.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>For both figures: continous line = running day, dashed line = rest day.</p>\n\n<p>If your issues with sleep is caused by too high cortisol levels the best thing you can do is probably to workout as early as possible in the day (but not fasted).</p>\n\n<p>Another solution could be to try to avoid depleting the glycogen.\nYou could workout less intense or for shorter duration. Instead you could work out on more days.</p>\n\n<p>Eating carbs causes an increase in insulin. Since insulin and cortisol are antagonists this will reduce cortisol.\nTherefore you should eat a meal rich in whole carbs immediately after working out. Also a low-carb diet is problematic with respect to cortisol.\nThis <a href=\"https://www.researchgate.net/publication/19587902_Diet-Hormone_interactions_ProteinCarbohydrate_ratio_alters_reciprocally_the_plasma_levels_of_testosterone_and_cortisol_and_their_respective_binding_globulins_in_man\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">study</a> on 7 men on either a 10 day high protein-low carb or a 10 day high carb-low protein diet (sum of calories being equal) found that cortisol levels was approximately 50% higher on the low carb diet.\nThe reason for this is that a low-carb diet leads to smaller and easier to deplete glycogen stores in the muscles. Therefore you should also consume carbs before your workout. This <a href=\"https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/tip-low-carb-diets-and-cortisol\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">article</a> advice to center carbs around workouts if you are on a low-carb diet.</p>\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https://main.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/2669/Powerful_Nutrition_Strategies_For_Balancing_Cortis.aspx\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">article</a> discusses further some nutritional strategies to avoid this problem. </p>\n\n<p>The body has 3 energy systems:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>fat: used when eg. walking </li>\n<li>glycogen: used when eg. running </li>\n<li>atp: used eg. when lifting weights</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>You could try to workout more in the two other energy systems, since these do not increase cortisol.\nThat is do less HIIT, do some walking and or lift some weights.\nWeight training is also a effective way to reduce bodyfat. The body spends a lot of energy rebuilding the muscles and increased muscle mass leads to increased energy expenditure.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41976, "author": "GYo", "author_id": 33251, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33251", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>As others have mostly mentioned: \n- try to workout earlier, in the morning\n- stretch before bed to relax your muscles and reduce stress\n- switch to a different exercise routine: cardio (LISS), weightlifting, sports\n- have sex at night\n- consider other factors that could lead to insomnia/sleep loss, ie: caffeine, diet, stress. </p>\n\n<p>Know that this may be natural as your body is trying to adapt to a new routine. Get a health checkup if the issue persists. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41981, "author": "adm120", "author_id": 33255, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33255", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Try not to do anything like HIIT in the evening, as it can interrupt sleep patterns</p>\n\n<p>Also don't do just the HIIT but combine it will other exercise. Consider more complete and lest taxing practices , that don't interfere with sleep such as tai chi and yoga</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41925", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33197/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41938, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The difference is in <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_unit_recruitment\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">motor unit recruitment</a> and hence motor unit development. Motor units are recruited according to the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henneman%27s_size_principle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">size principle</a>. Smaller motor units consisting of Type I (slow oxidative) <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">muscle fibres</a> initiate force production, with progressively larger and more powerful motor units consisting of Type IIa and IIb (fast oxidative and fast glycolytic, respectively) being combined until the force requirements of the lift are met. All heavy lifting is driven by Type II motor units, which fatigue very quickly. As they fatigue, other large motor units are recruited, until eventually all of the large, powerful units are fatigued.</p>\n\n<p>Performing a single repetition with any given load requires the recruitment of the same number and size of motor units that would be recruited at any one time in completing a set to failure. In this regard, (absolute) strength development is <em>identical</em> regardless of whether we perform a set of ten repetitions or ten sets of one repetition; the load dictates the size and type of motor units developed. But although the same total volume of work is being performed in both cases, muscle fibre remodelling in the latter is limited to those motor units that have been recruited. This difference is likely very small, since fatigue plays a role whether the set is broken or not, but it may be significant over a large period of time.</p>\n\n<p>More significant, however, are physiological changes influencing endurance: oxidative enzymes, myoglobin content, mitochondrial density, capillarisation, and neural (motor unit) development. Muscle fatigue sets off a chain of events that lead to an improvement in its strength-endurance characteristics—a perfect example of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAID_principle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Principle of Specificity</a> at play.</p>\n\n<p>Thus, if neural or absolute strength is our priority, and if strength-endurance is unimportant, it is reasonable to break up our sets.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41948, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>A <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15947720/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">study</a> by Goto et al in 2005 examined exactly this with a 30 seconds break!\nThey found that performing the sets with no break caused greater increase in strength, muscular endurance and particular in hypertrophy than performing with breaks.\n<em>Muscle growth was found to be 12.9 % in the no break group and 4% in the break group.</em>\nFurther they measured increased growth hormone response and metabolic stress (lactate) in the no break group.</p>\n\n<p>It seems the last reps before failure matters the most at least for hypertrophy: effective reps.<br>\nHowever these last reps also causes the most recovery time, so this has to be balanced. I suggest stopping 1-2 reps short of failure, except maybe for the last set.</p>\n\n<p>Sets of 10 causes hypertrophy trough metabolic stress which is the accumulation over time during a set of byproducts of energy production in the muscle cells.\nThese byproducts causes hormonal signals that stimulate the energy supply part of the muscle cells, the mitochondrion, to grow.\nBy breaking the set into two you are negating this mechanism since the metabolic stress is reset by the breaks in between the sets. \nLess metabolic stress equals less hormonal signals, equals less muscle growth, ie. less hypertrophy.</p>\n\n<p>If you can lift a weight for 10 reps that weight is only 75% of your 1 RM.\nMuscle fibers are grouped together in motor units. There is a great variety in the number of muscle fibers controlled by each motor unit.\nA small motor unit controls only a few muscle fibers whereas a large motor unit controls thousands of muscle fibers.\nFast-twitch muscle fibers are controlled by the largest motor units.<br>\nA motor unit either contract (on) or not (off). There is no controllable gradual force output from each motor unit.\nAccording to the size principle the motor units are recruited in an orderly fashion from small to large.\nWhen you do the first rep of your 10 rep set there is 25 % of strength not being used. This corresponds to a few motor units controlling fast-twitch muscle fibers.\nSadly when you do the first rep of your next set the same thing happens. These same motor units are not contracting.\nAnd in order for a muscle fiber to get stronger it must be trained.\nHowever as your set progresses the muscle fibers that are contracting starts to fatigue (possibly due to the metabolic stress).\nThey still keep contracting but their force output is reduced. In order to maintain the total force output more motor units are recruited.\nFinally after 10 reps all motor units are recruited but their force output is so reduced that the required total force can not be met,\nand you fail to make another rep.\n<strong>When you break a set of 10 reps after 5 reps there are motor units not being trained and it is the same motor units every time, and they control fast-twitch muscle fibers.</strong></p>\n\n<p>One benefit of breaking the sets is that recovery time is reduced.\nSome very experienced powerlifters that are already close to maxed out at underlying strength use this to almost double their number of workouts.\nThereby they achieve a greater amount of training of the neural efficiency.\nThis is the called the Bulgarian method or more recently the <a href=\"https://www.strongerbyscience.com/high-frequency-training-for-a-bigger-total-research-on-highly-trained-norwegian-powerlifters/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Norwegian method</a> ;-).</p>\n\n<p>Recruiting the fast-twitch muscle fibers trough fatigue is neurally different from recruiting them voluntarily from first rep.\nTherefore I think alternating between hypertrophy and max strength training may be useful.</p>\n\n<p><strong>References</strong></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15947720/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Goto et al: The Impact of Metabolic Stress on Hormonal Responses and Muscular Adaptations</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiJKa41Fsxo\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Jeff Nippard: Effective Reps</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://borgefagerli.com/the-short-and-sweet-borge-fagerli-guide-to-getting-bigger-and-stronger/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">The short and sweet Borge Fagerli guide to getting bigger and stronger</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://medium.com/@SandCResearch/how-many-stimulating-reps-are-there-in-each-set-to-failure-9d179f594dd\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Beardsley: How many stimulating reps are there in each set to failure?</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.strongerbyscience.com/effective-reps/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Greg Nuckols: The Evidence is Lacking for\n“Effective Reps”</a></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41929", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33207/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41938, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The difference is in <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_unit_recruitment\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">motor unit recruitment</a> and hence motor unit development. Motor units are recruited according to the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henneman%27s_size_principle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">size principle</a>. Smaller motor units consisting of Type I (slow oxidative) <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">muscle fibres</a> initiate force production, with progressively larger and more powerful motor units consisting of Type IIa and IIb (fast oxidative and fast glycolytic, respectively) being combined until the force requirements of the lift are met. All heavy lifting is driven by Type II motor units, which fatigue very quickly. As they fatigue, other large motor units are recruited, until eventually all of the large, powerful units are fatigued.</p>\n\n<p>Performing a single repetition with any given load requires the recruitment of the same number and size of motor units that would be recruited at any one time in completing a set to failure. In this regard, (absolute) strength development is <em>identical</em> regardless of whether we perform a set of ten repetitions or ten sets of one repetition; the load dictates the size and type of motor units developed. But although the same total volume of work is being performed in both cases, muscle fibre remodelling in the latter is limited to those motor units that have been recruited. This difference is likely very small, since fatigue plays a role whether the set is broken or not, but it may be significant over a large period of time.</p>\n\n<p>More significant, however, are physiological changes influencing endurance: oxidative enzymes, myoglobin content, mitochondrial density, capillarisation, and neural (motor unit) development. Muscle fatigue sets off a chain of events that lead to an improvement in its strength-endurance characteristics—a perfect example of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAID_principle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Principle of Specificity</a> at play.</p>\n\n<p>Thus, if neural or absolute strength is our priority, and if strength-endurance is unimportant, it is reasonable to break up our sets.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 41948, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>A <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15947720/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">study</a> by Goto et al in 2005 examined exactly this with a 30 seconds break!\nThey found that performing the sets with no break caused greater increase in strength, muscular endurance and particular in hypertrophy than performing with breaks.\n<em>Muscle growth was found to be 12.9 % in the no break group and 4% in the break group.</em>\nFurther they measured increased growth hormone response and metabolic stress (lactate) in the no break group.</p>\n\n<p>It seems the last reps before failure matters the most at least for hypertrophy: effective reps.<br>\nHowever these last reps also causes the most recovery time, so this has to be balanced. I suggest stopping 1-2 reps short of failure, except maybe for the last set.</p>\n\n<p>Sets of 10 causes hypertrophy trough metabolic stress which is the accumulation over time during a set of byproducts of energy production in the muscle cells.\nThese byproducts causes hormonal signals that stimulate the energy supply part of the muscle cells, the mitochondrion, to grow.\nBy breaking the set into two you are negating this mechanism since the metabolic stress is reset by the breaks in between the sets. \nLess metabolic stress equals less hormonal signals, equals less muscle growth, ie. less hypertrophy.</p>\n\n<p>If you can lift a weight for 10 reps that weight is only 75% of your 1 RM.\nMuscle fibers are grouped together in motor units. There is a great variety in the number of muscle fibers controlled by each motor unit.\nA small motor unit controls only a few muscle fibers whereas a large motor unit controls thousands of muscle fibers.\nFast-twitch muscle fibers are controlled by the largest motor units.<br>\nA motor unit either contract (on) or not (off). There is no controllable gradual force output from each motor unit.\nAccording to the size principle the motor units are recruited in an orderly fashion from small to large.\nWhen you do the first rep of your 10 rep set there is 25 % of strength not being used. This corresponds to a few motor units controlling fast-twitch muscle fibers.\nSadly when you do the first rep of your next set the same thing happens. These same motor units are not contracting.\nAnd in order for a muscle fiber to get stronger it must be trained.\nHowever as your set progresses the muscle fibers that are contracting starts to fatigue (possibly due to the metabolic stress).\nThey still keep contracting but their force output is reduced. In order to maintain the total force output more motor units are recruited.\nFinally after 10 reps all motor units are recruited but their force output is so reduced that the required total force can not be met,\nand you fail to make another rep.\n<strong>When you break a set of 10 reps after 5 reps there are motor units not being trained and it is the same motor units every time, and they control fast-twitch muscle fibers.</strong></p>\n\n<p>One benefit of breaking the sets is that recovery time is reduced.\nSome very experienced powerlifters that are already close to maxed out at underlying strength use this to almost double their number of workouts.\nThereby they achieve a greater amount of training of the neural efficiency.\nThis is the called the Bulgarian method or more recently the <a href=\"https://www.strongerbyscience.com/high-frequency-training-for-a-bigger-total-research-on-highly-trained-norwegian-powerlifters/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Norwegian method</a> ;-).</p>\n\n<p>Recruiting the fast-twitch muscle fibers trough fatigue is neurally different from recruiting them voluntarily from first rep.\nTherefore I think alternating between hypertrophy and max strength training may be useful.</p>\n\n<p><strong>References</strong></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15947720/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Goto et al: The Impact of Metabolic Stress on Hormonal Responses and Muscular Adaptations</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiJKa41Fsxo\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Jeff Nippard: Effective Reps</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://borgefagerli.com/the-short-and-sweet-borge-fagerli-guide-to-getting-bigger-and-stronger/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">The short and sweet Borge Fagerli guide to getting bigger and stronger</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://medium.com/@SandCResearch/how-many-stimulating-reps-are-there-in-each-set-to-failure-9d179f594dd\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Beardsley: How many stimulating reps are there in each set to failure?</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.strongerbyscience.com/effective-reps/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Greg Nuckols: The Evidence is Lacking for\n“Effective Reps”</a></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41933", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33212/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41958, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Our <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rating_of_perceived_exertion\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">perception of physical exertion</a> can be very subjective, based heavily upon our proficiency in a given exercise, as well as other factors such as fatigue, mood, and anxiety. If we are regular runners but only occasional hikers, for example, our <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactate_threshold\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">threshold training</a> runs may feel quite comfortable compared with hikes that, despite not elevating our heart rate so greatly, are in every other way more strenuous and demanding. We can generally push our heart rates to much higher levels in disciplines in which we are highly trained.</p>\n\n<p>That is one possible explanation, but that said, heart-rate monitors certainly can be unreliable at times. Anything that I might say here is going to be conjecture.</p>\n\n<p>I would recommend estimating your heart rate manually for each, then comparing notes. The radial <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">pulse</a> is usually easy to find with experience, but it can be weak in certain individuals, and take some practice to find. (If you are in the latter camp, it is not recommended that you use the carotid pulse, as this can lead to serious complications.)</p>\n\n<p>I hope that is helpful.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 43949, "author": "Danubian Sailor", "author_id": 4097, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/4097", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Yes, hiking is generally less intensive than running. It doesn't matter how steep you go, it matters how fast you go.</p>\n<p>On the other hand, optical sensors are not perfect, and from my experience, they work very bad on low intensity exercises. I don't know if it's an energy conservation mode when you're on low intensity, that is turn off by running, or it's a sweat that block the sensor, but I experience often that my Garmin fails to detect higher heart rate while hiking. Maybe because by running, I try to keep the watch open, so that the sweat doesn't accumulate so heavy, or it's just that higher pace and higher HR keep the energy save mode off...</p>\n<p>Don't forget that sport watches are optimized for sports, and other options are added to do extra sales, so it's fully plausible that Garmin engineers have tested and optimized for runs and cycles, but not for walking and hiking.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41937", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33215/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41958, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Our <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rating_of_perceived_exertion\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">perception of physical exertion</a> can be very subjective, based heavily upon our proficiency in a given exercise, as well as other factors such as fatigue, mood, and anxiety. If we are regular runners but only occasional hikers, for example, our <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactate_threshold\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">threshold training</a> runs may feel quite comfortable compared with hikes that, despite not elevating our heart rate so greatly, are in every other way more strenuous and demanding. We can generally push our heart rates to much higher levels in disciplines in which we are highly trained.</p>\n\n<p>That is one possible explanation, but that said, heart-rate monitors certainly can be unreliable at times. Anything that I might say here is going to be conjecture.</p>\n\n<p>I would recommend estimating your heart rate manually for each, then comparing notes. The radial <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulse\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">pulse</a> is usually easy to find with experience, but it can be weak in certain individuals, and take some practice to find. (If you are in the latter camp, it is not recommended that you use the carotid pulse, as this can lead to serious complications.)</p>\n\n<p>I hope that is helpful.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 43949, "author": "Danubian Sailor", "author_id": 4097, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/4097", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Yes, hiking is generally less intensive than running. It doesn't matter how steep you go, it matters how fast you go.</p>\n<p>On the other hand, optical sensors are not perfect, and from my experience, they work very bad on low intensity exercises. I don't know if it's an energy conservation mode when you're on low intensity, that is turn off by running, or it's a sweat that block the sensor, but I experience often that my Garmin fails to detect higher heart rate while hiking. Maybe because by running, I try to keep the watch open, so that the sweat doesn't accumulate so heavy, or it's just that higher pace and higher HR keep the energy save mode off...</p>\n<p>Don't forget that sport watches are optimized for sports, and other options are added to do extra sales, so it's fully plausible that Garmin engineers have tested and optimized for runs and cycles, but not for walking and hiking.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41952", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33221/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 41982, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>There is no doubt that hypohydration negatively affects performance, both independently of thirst and independently of knowledge of our hydration status. Recent blind studies (<a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29509643\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>, <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30629476\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>, <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30659665\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>, and <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31696453\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">here</a>) confirm the results of earlier research, whilst addressing its proposed methodological issues. There has long been, and remains, <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17887814\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">considerable question</a> about the precise mechanics behind the loss of performance observed, with cardiovascular, metabolic, neuromuscular, and temperature regulatory factors being considered. The latter remains the prominent theory due to our knowledge of the <a href=\"https://sportsscientists.com/2007/10/fluid-intake-dehydration-and-exercise-part-ii/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">relationship between core temperature and muscular exhaustion</a>, but it is likely a combination of all of those factors.</p>\n\n<p>We begin to feel thirst only once our dehydration has reached around 2% of our body mass. By that time, the data suggest that we have already lost approximately 10% potential power output. And by the time we have lost 5% of our body mass, our performance has suffered by more than 30%! There exists variation between the differences of mean and peak power output, as well as between different studies. However, the trend is clear. It is recommended, therefore, that hydration <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28079705\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">be programmed</a> or otherwise <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28497286\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">done <em>ad libitum</em></a> to match fluid losses. And this has become standard practice amongst elite athletes in all endurance sports.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/BS5Jb.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/BS5Jb.png\" alt=\"Figure: decrease in peak power output with dehydration\"></a></p>\n\n<p>Rates of dehydration vary enormously based upon the individual, their physical output, and environmental conditions. One of the easiest and most practical ways of monitoring this is by calculating our own <em>sweat rates</em> during different exercise bouts. (These rates will vary with the type of exercise we are performing, typically being the greatest with those in which we are most proficient.) This is done by taking our scale mass immediately before and after the bout of exercise, and monitoring our total fluid intake during the course of the bout.</p>\n\n<p>Sweat rate (l) = ( pre-exericse mass (kg) + fluid intake during bout (l) − post-exercise mass (kg) ) × duration of exercise (min) / 60</p>\n\n<p>Typical values range between about 0.5-3.0 litres per hour. Ideally, we would replace our fluid loss with at least the same quantity being lost, gradually and at intervals <em>during the course of the bout</em>.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that is clear and helpful.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42014, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>You're asking a seemingly straightforward question, and most people would probably imagine that it had a well-known answer. The reality is that this sort of thing is controversial and difficult to test scientifically. Historically, there have been all kinds of <a href=\"https://history.stackexchange.com/a/51402/2848\">varying and inconsistent scientific claims</a> about the need to drink fluids during endurance sports. A lot of the perceived need to take fluids during exercise is basically the result of advertising that started when Gatorade was introduced.</p>\n\n<p>Studies with large samples of athletes in real-world conditions have found that post-race body temperatures were not reduced by drinking more water (Noakes et al., \"The danger of an inadequate water intake during prolonged exercise,\" European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology 57 (1988) 210).</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.emsworld.com/article/10324701/marathon-maladies-dehydration-debunked\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Here is a nice article</a> written for EMTs that references a lot of interesting scientific papers. Some studies have found that people who won running races were likely to be the ones who tested as being more dehydrated at the end. Evidence does not seem to support the notion that fluids protect against heat stroke. Pop culture has convinced many people that they should drink huge amounts of fluids, and in some cases this leads to hyponatremia, which is extremely dangerous.</p>\n\n<p>Fatigue is a very complicated physiological phenomenon that is not well understood and includes a huge component from the central nervous system. There are various scientific models to try to explain observations about fatigue, but a lot of the underlying mechanisms are still not known.</p>\n\n<p>For endurance sports in the hot temperatures you describe, you should be careful about heat stroke, which is really dangerous and insidious. It affects your brain, so you may not realize anything is wrong, and then you die. As described in the emsworld.com article, hydration won't protect you. Basically you can do two things: (1) not do the activity if it's too hot, and (2) be with someone else who will be able to tell if you start acting loopy, stumbling, etc., and take appropriate action.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41980", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33253/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42027, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p><strong>this answer is only an anecdote</strong></p>\n\n<p>Greasing the groove as a concept sounds great but the only time it worked was when implementing it into learning and not training. </p>\n\n<p>I had more success learning foreign languages by splitting my studies across the day, but I believe this is mostly because I was accumulating more hours in total and results might have been similar with a different system but weekly hours of study remained the same. </p>\n\n<p>As for training, I never found any use to it for specific reasons. </p>\n\n<p>When doing one exercise at random points I wasn't actually doing that much work but I ended up doing maybe 4 or 5 sets extra daily and this made no difference considering i had the strength to do all those total repetitions in 2 sets only. </p>\n\n<p>I also tried setting an alarm every 20 minutes for 10 hours, and it was working but at this point it was not greasing the grove but only a deload workout with long rest days.</p>\n\n<p>In my eyes it seems useless for everything except learning, maybe it might grant faster results for people who seek to learn complex gymnastic movements like the manna, victorian or double standing backflips since such things have more to do with the brain than the muscle. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42041, "author": "getbackintofitness", "author_id": 33090, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33090", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>My understanding of GtG was in regards to the amount of volume you can cram into a day with proper rest times inbetween - 2 hours of rest inbetween say a strict press or front racked squat. While less science and more mental, the school of strength is big on never training to failure. If you train to failure you train the brain to fail. If you don't train to failure your brain doesn't associate a failed lift with a certain weight. \nExample - someone training for the 5 rep 24kg (if that's your weight class) SFG1 strict press does 2 presses per side every 2 hours 8 times in the day. That's now 16 successful reps performed throughout the day. The person in question has now performed 3x the 5 reps and is mentally ok with the weight. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42043, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Your general analysis of the approach and its claims seem pretty accurate.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Pavel explains that GtG makes your nerves become “superconductors” possibly trough synaptic facilitation or myelination.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Without direct evidence supporting such claims, we can fairly take them with a grain of salt. The term “superconductor” is clearly being used as psuedo-scientific jargon (unless, of course, Pavel is suggesting that he has observed true superconductivity at room temperature). And the rest, I gather, is pure conjecture.</p>\n\n<p><em>Has the method been subject to any kind of academic study?</em> If not, we should look at it in the same way we might look at any trademark. That is, the term <em>Greasing the Groove</em> is suggestive of what it is: a self-promotional sales gimmick. But that does not suggest, necessarily, that there is no value to it—only that we may not have any clear evidence <em>that</em> it works, let alone <em>how</em> it works.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>This sounds like high frequency training. According to Thibaudeau this works for about 4 weeks. After that the neural adaption tapers off. Sounds like a technique that is useful when learning to do pull-ups or deadlift.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>I agree. It <em>is</em> just high-frequency training. However, what Thibaudeau is probably describing is neural fatigue, and this is why commentators (Bompa and others) recommend periodising strength training to allow the nervous system time to recover.</p>\n\n<p>I personally disagree both with Thibaudeau and Bompa. Essentially, the criticism of high-frequency training that is being made by Thibaudeau is analogous to the criticisms of overload that Bompa has made throughout his career to justify periodisation. The problem with each, I believe, is that there is an underlying assumption about with what volume and frequency we should train. And thus, when the body fails to keep up with the workload placed on it, those commentators are dismissing the methodology rather than recognising the importance (and difficulty in achieving) the work-recovery balance.</p>\n\n<p>It is worth noting that high-frequency training has its origins in the Eastern Bloc at the time of its dominance, and it remains a staple amongst weightlifters and other world-class strength athletes.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>A problem with this is that according to Henneman's size principle one must come close to failure on every set in order to recruit all motor units. The last 5 reps from failure makes sure all motor units are recruited.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>That is only true, I believe, when examining any particular set. That is, if we were to perform just one set with such protocol, I think such a criticism would be entirely reasonable. However, we do not; we perform many sets, regularly, punctuated by relatively short periods of rest. And although we have rested, that does not imply that our motor units have fully recovered. Thus, rotation is guaranteed through repetition at high frequency.</p>\n\n<p>I am not aware of any specific research on the topic, but given the effectiveness of the method itself, I think that in the absence of conclusive evidence one way or the other, it is reasonable to assume that such abstraction of the theory holds.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>If the nerves truly became \"superconductors\" there would be a huge carry over since the nerves do not care if you do pull-ups or dead lifts.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Neural development is highly specific, and even the orientation of the body can alter its ability to repeat a skill. However, you are correct in suggesting that there would be a degree of skill transfer to other similar exercises—the more similar the exercise, the greater transfer. Thus, pull-ups will never improve the performance of dead lifts significantly—they are entirely different even mechanically and muscularly—but they will improve the different variations of rows to some degree.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Some exercises such as the pull-up has a huge skill component. I wonder if GtG has little to do with improving the efficiency of the neural signal paths, but instead works by learning the skill faster through frequent repetition.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>Yes, frequent repetition does improve strength through skill learning and coordination. Indeed, early/novice strength development has been shown <em>primarily</em> to be a function of neural (skill) development, with hypertrophy playing a far lesser part. However this, like everything, is subject to limitations. As the movement is perfected, the benefits of practice alone has diminishing returns.</p>\n\n<p>Due to the extreme level of skill required of their sport, Olympic weightlifters continue to practice their lifts throughout their careers—the tiniest deviation from the ideal often meaning the difference between a world record and a failed lift. By contrast, most developmental exercises are far less complex, and are generally mastered within 3-6 months.</p>\n\n<p>So in summary, by its first interpretation, <em>Greasing the Groove</em> should be seen as synonymous with high-frequency training, and thus can be expected to be just as effective, since it delays central nervous system fatigue and excessive muscle damage, and hence permits greater neural development. But by its second interpretation, we should only expect gains with for novice athletes, or with extremely complex movements.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that is thought-provoking.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41986", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42019, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Yes. Biochemical changes that occur following the application of an exercise stimulus were originally investigated by <a href=\"https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00435.2001\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Nikolai N. Yakovlev</a>, his first paper on the subject being published in 1955. His discoveries led to the modern theory of super-compensation, which describes the process of stimulus, fatigue, recovery, and advancement (illustrated below).</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/GQ8r4.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/GQ8r4.png\" alt=\"The super-compensation cycle\"></a></p>\n\n<p>Following a training stimulus, capacity is temporarily reduced at (1) before recovery begins at (2). Recovery is complete at the line between (2) and (3), then super-compensation begins at (3). During (3) and (4), capacity is <em>greater</em> than it was before the application of a training stimulus, and therefore the period during which want to train again. This is, of course, a conceptual model, but the biochemical processes associated with these stages is now <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23733696\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">well understood</a>.</p>\n\n<p>However, this does not answer your question directly, since the amount of muscle fibre damage resulting from any bout of exercise is so heavily dependent upon the volume, load, and focus on contraction.</p>\n\n<p><em>Yes</em>, it is theoretically possible to work out every day and still grow. Indeed, this is what physical labourers have always done, albeit with a statistically high rate of overuse and injury. However, this depends on the bouts of exercise being minor enough so as to allow us to fatigue, recover, and super-compensate within a space of less than 24 hours. Thus, our notion of what comprises an exercise bout has to reflect the low volume, limited eccentric contraction regimen that would make that possible.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that makes sense.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42020, "author": "ThatOneNerdyBoy", "author_id": 32255, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/32255", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Great answer by POD, but I would like to throw in my two cents as well. </p>\n\n<p>I would more lean to yes and no, and there is a reason. When working out, most people target specific muscle groups on certain days and have a cyclic routine throughout the week. If this is the case, in theory you won't be working out the same parts of your body everyday. So if your routine was like something below, you could target certain muscle groups while resting others.</p>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Monday: Push, Tuesday: Pull, Wednesday: Legs, Thursday: Push, Friday: Pull, Saturday: Cardio and core, Sunday: Legs</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>However, I do suggest that you give yourself recovery time and do a 4-5 day-a-week routine. Your body builds better on a consistent plan, and staying consistent 4 or 5 days a week is a lot easier than 7 days a week.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42038, "author": "Andy", "author_id": 27402, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>There is a program called Easy strength by Dan John and Pavel Tsatsouline that have you doing each exercise 2 sets x 5 repetitions 5 days a week.\nThe important part here is to go really easy on each set (hence the name) in order to not accumulate much fatigue.</p>\n\n<p>This program probably works slightly better than a 3 sets x 5 repetitions 3 days a week program. The reason is probably that frequent practice causes more of some not yet understood neural adaptation. </p>\n\n<p>For most people training 3 x a week is more practical than 5 x a week. \nHowever for some people such as firefighters, police officers and military personell, high frequency training may be better.\nThe reason is that with this style of training you are never really badly fatigued in case you eg have to run after a criminal. The same thing may be harder to do the day after 3 or 5 sets of 5 reps almost to failure squats.</p>\n\n<p>Also there is a other model of stimulus and recovery named the <a href=\"https://medium.com/@SandCResearch/what-is-the-fitness-fatigue-model-6a6ca3274aab\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">fitness-fatigue model</a>:\n<a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/86ERL.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/86ERL.jpg\" alt=\"enter image description here\"></a></p>\n\n<p>In this model you are getting stronger from immediately after your workout.\nHowever the increase in fitness is masked by fatigue so that the performance is worse until you have recovered from the fatigue.</p>\n\n<p>From the link above:\n\"Without the fitness-fatigue model, we could easily fall into the trap of believing that the fitness adaptations to a workout only occur after a couple of days, because of the reduction in performance. In fact, adaptations probably occur very soon after the workout itself.\nFor example, in strength-trained lifters, a large proportion of the adaptations in the central nervous system after a strength training workout occur on the same day as the workout. Also, muscle growth is stimulated by a transitory increase in the rate of muscle protein synthesis that is already falling before 24 hours have passed.\"\nThis tells us that the fitness-fatigue model is slightly more correct but still a gross oversimplification.</p>\n\n<p>I think both super-compensation and fitness-fatigue are just conceptual models made to fit what has been observed in practice.\nFrom what I understand Yakovlevs experiments were on glucose concentration in muscle cells. The jump from supercompensation of glucose to a general theory of training and recovery is so big that I would say that neither model really have any experimental basis or mechanism behind it.</p>\n\n<p>In practice I think the super-compensation model is generally more useful. It visually illustrates what an athlete must know: you must allow for sufficient time to recover after training. On the other hand you must repeat training sufficiently soon before the super-compensation fades.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41993", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42007, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Yes, there are many. To list a few, swimming (particularly butterfly and freestyle); javelin, discus, baseball (pitching), cricket (bowling), and other sports that share similar mechanics of throwing; gymnastics, climbing and associated sports like parkour. There are countless others.</p>\n\n<p>There is a very good reason that the pectoral muscles are so large and powerful: they largely perform the mirror at the anterior of the body what the latissimus dorsi performs at the posterior. Any movement that requires powerful adduction, horizontal and vertical flexion of the humerus, and/or protraction and depression of the shoulder girdle is going to depend heavily on the pectoral muscles. Correspondingly, any kind of stabilisation that requires the prevention of the opposite of those movements will depend on the same.</p>\n\n<p>It is worth noting that the movement summaries provided in most anatomy textbooks misrepresent and understate the role of many muscles, since the movement analysis is typically made from the anatomical position.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that is helpful.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42009, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The pectoral muscle is key for several fundamental defensive movements in ground grappling sports like judo and Brazilian jiujitsu. Consider for example someone at your hips at bay as they try to lay on top of your chest; you ideally hold them at bay with straight arms with the pectorals pushing and bracing while you escape your hips. </p>\n\n<p>The pectoral is also important in many standing grappling situations. Just one is the vital role it plays in the power hand of judo's <em>osotogari</em> tripping attack, where it pushes the thrower's arm into the opponent's chest, driving them backwards and down to the mat.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/41995", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42018, "author": "JustSnilloc", "author_id": 27881, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27881", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The goal of weight loss is almost always fat loss despite the phrases being used interchangeably by the general public. When you lose weight it isn't always clear what you are losing, but there are some things that you can keep in mind in order to better understand what's going on.</p>\n\n<p>The \"3500 calorie per pound of fat\" model of weight loss isn't perfect and has some issues, but it's close enough to be useful. When your body is in an energy deficit, it releases stored energy to balance out that deficit. So if your body is 500 calories below maintenance on a particular day, your body will release energy from its stores equal to 500 calories to balance that out. Your body will not seek to use more or less than it needs, so a deficit of 500 calories always results in 500 calories worth of energy being broken down and released. So what is stored energy? Fat, glycogen, and muscle. Fat is the body's preferred method of energy storage, glycogen (carb storage) is meant to be used for immediate energy (running, lifting weights) as opposed to chronic maintenance like fat, and muscle (protein storage) isn't meant to be used for energy storage at all, but it will be used as such if the circumstances are right. How much is each of these worth?</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Fat contains 3500 calories per pound (2.2 kg).</li>\n<li>Glycogen contains ~1800 calories per pound.</li>\n<li>Skeletal Muscle contains ~600-700 calories per pound.</li>\n<li>Water contains ZERO calories per pound.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>It's important to note that water fluctuations can and will often mask energy balance on the scale. This can occur by simply drinking more or less liquids than normal, but it can also occur by manipulating glycogen stores. Every ONE gram of glycogen requires THREE grams of water to store it. So while one pound of glycogen may be worth 1800 calories, losing that one pound of glycogen also means losing three additional pounds of water for a total of four pounds being lost. The first week of a diet (up to the first 2-3 weeks) is typically marked by huge shifts in water and glycogen stores in the body. Not only that, but the weight of the food sitting in your digestive system typically goes down as well. All this results in the initial 5-10 pounds of weight loss being short term adaptations as opposed to long term adaptations in weight. Another good rule of thumb is that for every five pounds of weight that you lose, one pound of that will be water (or put another way, 20% of your weight loss will typically be water).</p>\n\n<p>What about muscle mass? How do you prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue? You give it what it needs. Exercise tells your body that the muscles being used are important and protein helps to maintain and repair muscle mass. You can actually lose weight faster if don't do any exercise at all, but that's because more of the weight being lost is coming from muscle. If you lost weight entirely from muscle mass, a daily deficit of 500 calories (weekly deficit of 3500) would result in nearly 6 pounds of weight loss! But that would carry a heavy negative impact on body composition and your capacity to do daily activities. The reality is that weight loss always comes from multiple sources and muscle loss can be minimized or even reversed by simply exercising appropriately.</p>\n\n<p><strong>So what's a reasonable expectation for the composition of weight loss? After the first three weeks of dieting where glycogen stores as well as water and food weight have stabilized, I would break it down as the following ESTIMATION for anyone above 15% bodyfat who is doing resistance training and feeding their body appropriately.</strong></p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>20% Water</strong></li>\n<li><strong>80% Fat</strong></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Finally, if you are gaining or losing weight much more rapidly than your calorie intake suggests that you should be, you can reasonably assume that it is water/glycogen. Unless you just went on a binge-fest all week. The best way to monitor this is by weighing daily first thing in the morning when you wake up from sleep. Doing this will allow you to take weekly means or medians which will be a good representative of your non-fluctuating weight each week as opposed to weighing once a week and hoping that it isn't higher or lower than it should be reporting. There isn't any benefit to weighing more than daily, but if that seems like too much, twice a week could also work. Personally, I just take a quick picture of the scale and write down the information later in a chart.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42021, "author": "Just_Alex", "author_id": 13761, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/13761", "pm_score": 1, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I can only comment on the impedance measurements. I recently (3 years) started using them and have found huge variation in spot measurements. The trick is to measure consistently.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li>Usually the same time of the day. Morning or evening. Also make sure you poop before a measurement. Do not measure after exercising.</li>\n<li>Measure regularly. Not every day, but use the average of two or three weeks.</li>\n<li>Take it as relative. Don't quote the figures as 21kg -> 10kg fat, Rather say I have made a (quantitatively measurable and statistically significant) improvement over the last 8 weeks.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Those machines aren't exact but when used (skeptically, patiently, and correctly) are helpful to quantify your progress.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42017", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33270/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42028, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Loose skin and stretch marks are not so much a product of the rate of weight loss, but rather the elasticity or plasticity of the skin when loss or gain occurs.</p>\n\n<p>When we gain considerable size, whether through increased muscle or fat bulk, our skin is required to stretch or grow to accommodate the change. If the gain is made slowly, new skin cells will be produced. However, if the gain is made too rapidly, skin cell growth cannot keep up with the change, and our skin is consequently stretched. And if our skin is stretched past the point of its <a href=\"https://www.britannica.com/science/elastic-limit\" rel=\"noreferrer\">elastic limit</a>, plastic change will be visible as stretch marks.</p>\n\n<p>Similarly, when we lose considerable size, we hope that the tension of our skin will still be sufficient to hug our shape. Of course, if the change has been too great, our skin will be reduced to its resting length, and will sit loosely on our diminished frames.</p>\n\n<p>Thus, the ability for our skin to accommodate us at a given size is dependent on its tension and elasticity. Younger, healthier skin is tenser and more elastic, and can therefore accommodate considerable change without evidence. However, <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3858658/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">as we age, our skin becomes stiffer, less tense, and less flexible</a>, and we are consequently more susceptible to gaining stretch marks when we gain size.</p>\n\n<p>Once the skin is stretched, there is no known natural mechanism for it to return to its former size, and surgical intervention is necessary.</p>\n\n<p>So to answer your question plainly, <em>you can lose any amount of weight within a given time-frame</em>. If you are concerned about its being loose, then you can simply moderate fat loss with muscle gain within the bounds of your genetic potential.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42036, "author": "Hituptony", "author_id": 6884, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/6884", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Actually there are natural mechanisms for this. In cases of extreme weight loss, <strong>fasting</strong> can help reduce the amount of loose skin accumulated.</p>\n\n<p>The basic principals of this phenomenon are:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Autophagy</strong> - Body's ability to repair damaged cells by neutralizing and replacing those cells</li>\n<li><strong>Ketosis</strong> - Fat cells are roughly 30% water. While fasting and doing keto (low carb) your body switches from a carbohydrate fuel to a fat based fuel and in the process it shrinks the fat cells, which hold water. </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>When you eat carbs those usually get stored as fat unless participant is very active. When those carbs store as fat, they are pumped full of water and give you the bloated look and feeling.</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fasting</strong> definitely helps with loose skin</li>\n<li><strong>Dry Fasting</strong>, which can be dangerous if done incorrectly, also lends itself well to minimizing the amount of excess skin after fat loss.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>To answer your questions:</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><p>The recommended weight loss posed by today's experts is ridiculous. They say 2lbs max per week is healthy. I say I've lost 2lbs in 1 day, so should I stop there? No, the idea with fasting focused lifestyles (<strong>snake diet</strong>) is you will lose vast amounts of weight quickly because you are probably holding 6-10lbs of water at any given time. If you were to do back to back 48 hour fasts in one week, you would lose all the water weight and then some.</p></li>\n<li><p>Full body workouts 3 times a week. You won't have much energy if fasting, so keep the workouts to 30 minutes. You will be astonished by results. Also look into drinking salt water (electrolytes) while doing prolonged fasting routines.</p></li>\n</ol>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42024", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42049, "author": "JustSnilloc", "author_id": 27881, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27881", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>So you want a dumbbell and machine version of Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine that you can do at Planet Fitness? Based on <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkgJAyyXgeQ\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">this video's</a> tour of Planet Fitness, I'll be providing a conversion for you.</p>\n\n<hr>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine - Original</p>\n \n <p>Monday: Lower Body</p>\n \n <ul>\n <li>Squat: 3-4X6-8/3′ (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3′ rest)</li>\n <li>Stiff Legged Dead Lift (SLDL) or leg curl: 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Leg press: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Another leg curl: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Calf raise: 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Seated calf: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n </ul>\n \n <p>Tuesday: Upper Body</p>\n \n <ul>\n <li>Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Row: 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Incline bench or shoulder press: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Pulldown/chin: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5′</li>\n <li>Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5′</li>\n </ul>\n \n <p>For the Thu/Fri workouts either repeat the first two or make some slight exercise substitutions. Can do deadlift/leg press combo on Thu, switch incline/pulldown to first exercises on upper body day. A lot depends on volume tolerance, if the above is too much, go to 2-3X6-8 and 1-2X10-12.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<hr>\n\n<blockquote>\n <p>Lyle McDonald's Generic Bulking Routine - Planet Fitness Modification</p>\n \n <p>Monday, Thursday: Lower Body</p>\n \n <ul>\n <li>Smith Machine Squat: 3-4X6-8/3′ (3-4 sets of 6-8 with a 3′ rest)</li>\n <li>Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Leg Press: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Leg Curl: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise: 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Seated Calf: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n </ul>\n \n <p>Tuesday, Friday: Upper Body</p>\n \n <ul>\n <li>Smith Machine Flat bench: 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Seated Cable Row: 3-4X6-8/3′</li>\n <li>Shoulder Press Machine: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Lat Pulldown: 2-3X10-12/2′</li>\n <li>Tricep Pushdown: 1-2X12-15/1.5′</li>\n <li>Biceps Machine: 1-2X12-15/1.5′</li>\n </ul>\n \n <p>The goal is to progressively overload, so doing two of the same lower body days and upper body days through the week is a good way to ensure that progress is consistently measurable. However, if there are some variations or slight substitutions that you would like to utilize, try them out on the second part of the week. This routine does not need to be performed on the specific days mentioned, but the pattern should be the same regardless of the days you choose to exercise on. That pattern being Lower Body - Upper Body - Rest - Lower Body - Upper Body - Rest - Rest.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<hr>\n\n<p>Additional Considerations</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>You can definitely build muscle while using machines. Some might argue that it's not as functional, but for the goal of hypertrophy that's irrelevant and erroneous. Irrelevant because machines ensure that the target muscles are being worked MORE than free weights can. Erroneous because it's not a matter of zero growth vs maximal growth for stabilizers.</li>\n<li>Several machine based exercises will require technique modifications when comparing them to free weight counterparts. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but attempting one with the form required of the other may cause problems.</li>\n<li>Smith Machine Squats will require your feet to be slightly in front of the bar with the angle of the machine coming towards you as the bar comes down. Try to minimize how far forward your knees bend and stay as upright as you can.</li>\n<li>Single Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts sound like a mouthful, but they're pretty straightforward. Grab a pair of dumbbells and perform continuous deadlifts (not stopping on the ground) one leg at a time. Your end point should be about mid-shin and your unused leg should be held in the air behind you. Being one leg at a time, these may not require as much rest between sets.</li>\n<li>Leg curl can be either seated or lying. Both is also an option, but stick to one per day and be consistent.</li>\n<li>Standing Calf Raises should be pretty straight forward, but if a proper Seated Calf Raise machine isn't available (where your knees are bent) then use the Smith Machine once more and sit on a bench with your toes elevated on something.</li>\n<li>For Smith Machine Flat Bench, you want the angle of the bar path to go DOWN from head to chest, and UP from chest to head.</li>\n<li>For Seated Cable Row, use whatever attachment and grip you feel most comfortable with. Make sure you that your elbows are traveling as far back as possible.</li>\n<li>For Shoulder Press, keep your elbows under your wrists in the direction that the machine has you pushing.</li>\n<li>For Lat Pulldown, use whatever grip you prefer. Just be consistent.</li>\n<li>Triceps and Biceps could be substituted with several exercises, so if you don't like what I've suggested feel free to swap them out with your favorite bicep and tricep exercises.</li>\n</ul>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42085, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Quick answer here, but every barbell exercise can be changed to a dumbbell exercise. While some machines can have positive benefits such as tricep extension, Machines aren't going to get you the best results. Here is an example:</p>\n\n<p>Squat: --> Bulgarian split squat is not only a unilateral exercise balancing each leg, it is arguably better than the squat in some peoples eyes. It also lets you load up your outer glute muscles which are hard to hit without specific exercises. This can be done with dumbbells and a bench</p>\n\n<p>Stiff Legged Dead Lift (SLDL) or leg curl--> these target two different areas of the hamstrings, so it depends on if you want to focus on hip extension, or knee flexion. Leg curl is a machine exercise. if you want to do a stiff legged deadlift, you can use two dumbbells and hold them in front of your legs width-wise, as you would a barbell, and do the exercise. You can also do one-legged versions of this as well to increase difficulty.</p>\n\n<p>Leg press: 2-3X10-12/2′\nAnother leg curl: 2-3X10-12/2′\nCalf raise: 3-4X6-8/3′\nSeated calf: 2-3X10-12/2′</p>\n\n<p>Tuesday: Upper Body\nFlat bench: 3-4X6-8/3′-->use dumbbells on a flat bench and do a dumbbell bench press instead</p>\n\n<p>Row: 3-4X6-8/3′-->you can do T-rows, one armed rows, supinated rows with dumbbells, or use a cable machine to do cable rows, which you can do low cable rows, high cable rows, or horizontal rows.</p>\n\n<p>Incline bench or shoulder press: 2-3X10-12/2′-->easily substitute dumbbells and do an incline dumbbell press or a dumbbell press</p>\n\n<p>Pulldown/chin: 2-3X10-12/2′</p>\n\n<p>Triceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5′-->this isn't specific but you can do tricep extension or tricep pulldown on a machine</p>\n\n<p>Biceps: 1-2X12-15/1.5′->dumbbell curl, incline dumbbell curl, or concentration curl, one armed preacher curl with dumbbell</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42037", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33288/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42046, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>To answer your question directly, <em>yes</em>. In broad terms, <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6098859/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">our ability to thermo-regulate diminishes with (older) age</a>. This is the consequence of our reduced ability to sweat and to modulate skin blood flow. The existing research generally refers to individuals above the age of 60, however, and there presently seems to be no data on the subject for younger adults.</p>\n\n<p>That said, exercise in high heat and humidity is <em>always</em> potentially dangerous due to our inability to cool ourselves evaporatively. <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensible_heat\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Sensible heat</a> loss through sweating, which is our <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK236240/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">primary thermo-regulatory mechanism at higher temperatures</a>, is inversely proportional to the water vapour content of the ambient air. At high levels of humidity, evaporative heat loss is reduced to zero, leaving only the insensible heat loss mechanisms of convection and radiation, which are dependent on the temperature differential between the body and the environment.</p>\n\n<p>Since the most recent evidence suggests that our core temperature rises as a function of our gross power output, and <em>not</em>, as was previously understood, the relative portion of our capacity (%VO₂ max), it is clear that there are fundamental limitations to what or how much we can perform in hot, humid conditions.</p>\n\n<p>So there presently exists no evidence to suggest that you should have diminished thermo-regulatory capacity at your current age, but thermo-regulation is <em>always</em> an issue in hot, humid conditions. And perhaps counter-intuitively, your fitness level and hence power output works against you. It is therefore important to measure your performance according to the environmental conditions.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that gives you a better understanding of the considerations.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42047, "author": "kamran", "author_id": 19612, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19612", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I don't read about running, i just run.</p>\n\n<p>I am a 73 years male. I have been running and jogging from when i was at highschool. Have been running an average of 25 miles a week.</p>\n\n<p>It is of course harder in hot summer days. But not too hard with proper hydration. I carry a bottle of cold coffee or sport drink or soda mixed with water. I also take a few salt packets with me and occasionally eat them.</p>\n\n<p>I have been slowing as I age but still put in 6 miles over an hour. </p>\n\n<p>I have ran on the Malibu beach trail a total of 1007 kilometers from the time they closed it to the public due to Covid19. The Police stopped me a few times but i would say I am on my way home and they let it slide. Now its open last memorial day. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42044", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33295/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42050, "author": "Eric", "author_id": 33302, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33302", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>You should try to fix your biceps when you are doing this exercise (you can search biceps curl on google, you will find some photos and understand what I mean ). Do it nice and slow, do maximum 4-5 reps for building strength and 8-10 reps for building muscles, good luck. </p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42052, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>One possible source of the problem would be the mechanics of the three primary muscles involved in elbow flexion: the single-joint <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachialis_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">brachialis</a> and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachioradialis\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">brachioradialis</a> muscles, and the multi-joint <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biceps\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">biceps brachii</a>. Since both heads of the biceps brachii attach to the scapula—at the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coracoid_process\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">coracoid process</a> and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supraglenoid_tubercle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">supraglenoid tubericle</a> for the short and long head, respectively—the position of the shoulder changes the length of the two muscle groups, and hence the degree and manner of activation involved in the performance of the curl.</p>\n\n<p>We cannot <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_training#Isolation_exercises_versus_compound_exercises\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">isolate</a> any of the muscle groups, but we can alter their degree and manner of activation by flexing or extending the shoulder (lifting or dropping the elbow relative to the front of the body). Simultaneous flexion of the shoulder and elbow results in a near-<a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_contraction\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">isometric contraction</a> of the biceps brachii, theoretically affording it greater strength. This could consequently allow a greater lift while placing a relatively high load on the other muscles in the chain. Swinging the load flexes the shoulder, and this can cause the brachialis to fatigue early. (Note that the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medial_cutaneous_nerve_of_forearm\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">medial antebrachial</a> is the nerve, not the muscle.) In order to maximise activation of the biceps brachii, the elbow must be <em>fixed</em> at the side of the body or behind it. Performing curls from a reclined position is one method of achieving this posture, which pre-stretches the biceps brachii.</p>\n\n<p>The other possibility is excessive activation of the carpal flexors: the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexor_carpi_ulnaris_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">flexor carpi ulnaris</a>, <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexor_carpi_radialis_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">flexor carpi radialis</a>, and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmaris_longus_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">palmaris longus</a> (if it is present). Flexion of the wrist during the curl can works these muscles concentrically rather than isometrically. And since they are smaller than the elbow flexors, they therefore fatigue more easily. Fixing that the wrist straight during the lift ensures that the carpal flexors contract isometrically only, and are hence stronger and more resistant to fatigue.</p>\n\n<p>There <em>is</em> a third possibility, that the muscles of the forearm are, for whatever reason, just weaker relative to the other muscles in the chain. This can happen if your training is unbalanced, or if your occupation otherwise stresses certain muscles more than others. In such cases, your programme may need to be adjusted to limit the overuse of those muscles.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps you.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42048", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42053, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Very few of the common methods of assessing body composition are <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769821/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">so accurate</a>. That is, they <em>can</em> be under ideal conditions—a highly skilled tester, excellent equipment, <a href=\"https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/euhydration\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">euhydrated</a> state, and/or typical body <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">electrolyte</a> levels—but very rarely do these factors come together. So unless you are having your body composition assessed professionally, you should assume a high degree of uncertainty in the measurements.</p>\n\n<p>However, if were are to assume, hypothetically, that the measurement is perfectly accurate, it does indeed mean that you will have lost 2.5 kilograms of body fat, in accordance with your calculation. But it would be highly unusual (read: entirely improbable, if not impossible) that muscle would account for the remaining mass.</p>\n\n<p>Significant fat loss <em>is</em> always <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5421125/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">associated with some muscle loss</a>, but never in such proportions. The bulk of the difference is almost always fluid loss, which is the consequence of <a href=\"https://www.thoughtco.com/science-explains-why-you-lose-water-weight-4102879\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">muscle and liver glycogen depletion</a>. Even under normal conditions, our mass can fluctuate by 1-2 kilograms. Under a restrictive diet and/or intensive exercise regime, the difference can be considerably greater.</p>\n\n<p>Thus, what you are witnessing is most likely a combination of measurement uncertainty and glycogen-associated fluid loss.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42054, "author": "Andrej", "author_id": 33015, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33015", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>Would it have been possible to drop 6kg and 5-6kg of it been body fat?</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>No, with body fat you always lose some water and muscles, but it doesn't have to be muscles when you lose it slowly and eat enough protein. </p>\n\n<p>I don't know how fast you lose it, your caloric deficit and the ratio of macronutrients in your diet, so you could lose 2.5 Kg of body fat and 3.5 Kg of water at best with great calculated diet or 2.5 Kg of body fat + muscles and water. </p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42051", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33303/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42058, "author": "Dave Liepmann", "author_id": 1771, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/1771", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Basic barbell lifts train <em>bilateral strength</em> for the core sufficiently for most athletics. They do not maximize all athletic qualities in the trunk, nor do they resolve all problems in the trunk, so other exercises are necessary for those purposes. Unilateral exercises, rotational exercises, non-sagittal-plane movements, and just more movement variety in general are all useful and productive for other goals, such as injury prehab or rehab, muscle endurance, sport-specific performance, mobility, and so on.</p>\n\n<p>In my opinion \"barbell work is enough for the core\" is an unfortunate perversion of a true but context-specific call to focus. It's almost always overstated by both its proponents and opponents. </p>\n\n<p>Here's a version I'd consider true: it's hard to convince people just how athletically productive getting stronger is, because it involves actual hard work of the sort that most people shy away from. We want to get people to focus sufficient training time and effort on lifting heavier so they don't spend half their limited training time doing knee-elbow planks while their deadlift stays below bodyweight. Therefore we truthfully say that squatting and deadlifting is plenty of core work, <em>with regards to raw bilateral strength</em>, to get them to stop doing a dozen exercises lightly and instead focus on a few done heavily. We're telling them to prioritize the big lifts so that they get a taste of the amazing effects of consistent progressive overload with heavy weights. Once a person has pushed those lifts for a few months and has become sufficiently strong, it makes sense to introduce other exercises to work on other goals.</p>\n\n<p>Another context in which it's appropriate is to get people to stop prematurely optimizing their workout programs. Consider how many people ask \"how do I get stronger for [underwater baseball/space judo/competitive niece carrying]\". They want fun, individualized, sport-specific exercises, but the truth is that fundamental strength and conditioning should come first, and only after someone is quite capable do they need to introduce more specialized S&amp;C. \"The barbell lifts are enough\" leaves out a lot of nuance, but is arguably the correct message: focus on general strength for now; you'll get more out of bird dogs after you have a base level of strength.</p>\n\n<p>I find it unfortunate that strength zealots (as I have been) overstate this case and end up denigrating other exercises, because there is a valid point that gets lost in \"strength über alles\" messaging. This contributes to people rejecting consistent strength work and never seeing the benefits of being a lot stronger than they are. It's important and useful not just to be strong, but also to be flexible, able to perform a wide variety of movements proficiently, to have a high work capacity, and so on across many athletic qualities.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42060, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>‘The core’ is one of the most ambiguously used, misused, and poorly understood terms in physical fitness. Much of the trouble with this discussion originates from our distinct ideas of what the core actually is, and why (or sometimes even <em>if</em>) it is important.</p>\n\n<p>In most of the academic literature, the core is understood to be comprised of three muscle groups: the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoracic_diaphragm\" rel=\"noreferrer\">diaphragm</a> at the top, the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelvic_floor\" rel=\"noreferrer\">pelvic floor</a> complex at the bottom, and the deep <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multifidus_muscle\" rel=\"noreferrer\">multifidus</a> and superficial <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transverse_abdominal_muscle\" rel=\"noreferrer\">transversus abdominis</a> in the middle. Together, they function to support the lumbar spine and pelvis statically for postural stability, and dynamically during gross motor movement. The strength of the core depends on the cooperation of these muscle groups.</p>\n\n<p>By another common <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_(anatomy)\" rel=\"noreferrer\">definition</a>, the core is further comprised of the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdominal_internal_oblique_muscle\" rel=\"noreferrer\">internal</a> and <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdominal_external_oblique_muscle\" rel=\"noreferrer\">external obliques</a>, the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectus_abdominis_muscle\" rel=\"noreferrer\">rectus abdominis</a>, the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erector_spinae\" rel=\"noreferrer\">erector spinae</a>, and even such muscles as the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and gluteus maximus. This is sometimes described, instead, as the ‘trunk’.</p>\n\n<p>The distinction is extremely important because it is a functional one. By the first definition, the core is comprised entirely of deep, relatively weak, endurance-based postural muscles, while by the second definition, we are including the powerful prime movers at the periphery. Or, in the most simple terms, we are comparing functional (strength-) endurance with functional strength.</p>\n\n<p>In the first instance, core strength is functionally appropriate to balance, coordination, and economy in disciplines that demand prolonged or repetitive motion, such as <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6407754/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">running</a> or <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28217414/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">dance</a>. In the second, core strength is appropriate to disciplines that demand power, such as <a href=\"https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/hukin/67/1/article-p5.xml\" rel=\"noreferrer\">weightlifting or wrestling</a>. Of course, there are any number of a third category of disciplines, such as <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18349481/?from_linkname=pubmed_pubmed&amp;from_from_uid=30154592&amp;from_page=2&amp;from_pos=2\" rel=\"noreferrer\">cricket</a>, which lie somewhere in between, and which would thus benefit from a compromise of core strengths by both definitions.</p>\n\n<p>If we can agree upon a definition, we thereby simplify our question. And the answer, as always, comes back to fitness for purpose.</p>\n\n<p>Barbell lifts are sufficient if we are assessing the strength of the core on our ability to perform common functional lifts safely, as we may be required to do in such activities as construction or landscaping—or even just carrying the shopping in from the car. Powerlifting, for example, has been shown to <a href=\"https://www.sportlogia.com/no10engl/eng5.pdf\" rel=\"noreferrer\">improve the contractile rate of the transversus abdominus</a> and the <a href=\"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-013-2726-4\" rel=\"noreferrer\">strength and thickness of the diaphragm</a>. However, the stable nature of the core barbell lifts limits their ability to challenge propriocepsis, which has been <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18937521/?from_linkname=pubmed_pubmed&amp;from_from_uid=30154592&amp;from_pos=6\" rel=\"noreferrer\">shown</a> to improve the sensory motor control that allows us to correct perturbations to our spinal and pelvic posture. In such cases, they may be modified to provide a greater degree of instability, or they may otherwise be <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24004762/?from_linkname=pubmed_pubmed&amp;from_from_uid=30154592&amp;from_page=2&amp;from_pos=7\" rel=\"noreferrer\">supplemented</a> by exercises targeting the multifidus and transversus abdominis specifically. Moreover, core strength should be viewed and trained with the loading characteristics of the target discipline in mind. As with all muscles, the strength and power of the postural muscles comes at some expense to the endurance and fine control they exhibit.</p>\n\n<p>As an addendum, it should be noted that the ‘bird dog’ exercise is a highly specific and (unless one is a bird-dog) non-functional exercise for anyone who does not practice yoga, Pilates, or a similar discipline. It is entirely unsurprising that most elite athletes, indeed most people, would struggle to perform it. But it can be learnt just like any other skill. And although it is undoubtedly <em>assisted</em> by core strength, it is not in itself <em>indicative</em> of core strength. In order for such a test to have any meaning, it should provide participants with a period of practice and learning, and compare their development thereafter. In the words of a <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30014195/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">recent research paper</a> on core stability training, “commonly used methods of measuring core stability in research do not reflect functional nature of core stability in uninjured, healthy and athletic populations.”</p>\n\n<p>I hope that gives you a different perspective on the whole argument.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42055", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27402/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42219, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<blockquote>\n <p>Maybe I am doing it in a wrong way because I always feel some discomfort from my genitals getting pressed against the floor.</p>\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>This really depends the type of pants you are wearing and how everything sits in it. Also after some time you will get used to it.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42233, "author": "Sean Duggan", "author_id": 8039, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/8039", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>When doing a pose like this, there are three main areas of potential groin discomfort for me.</p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Discomfort from the upper pubic area pressing against the ground</strong>: This area typically has a layer of fat, covered by hair. Pressing of the flesh, and pulling of the hair, can be painful, something both men and women will potentially experience. My usual of dealing with this is avoiding underwear that is more likely to bind to the hair, and when I feel pressing discomfort, focusing more on lifting my torso rather than pushing my hips down.</li>\n<li><strong>Compression of the penis against the floor</strong>: This doesn't happen to me very often, but if I'm more pulled to the front, this can be an issue, particularly if there's any blood engorgement involved. My usual solution is to either tuck (ensure that the penis is rotated more down and back) beforehand, or to do the movement in a rolling forward fashion that makes the friction of the floor move everything away. Also, I've found this is more prone to happen when wearing tighter \"briefs\" style underwear.</li>\n<li><strong>Testicular compression</strong>: This is the one that I feel is most dangerous/painful. If you get your testicles trapped between you and the floor, or between your legs when they're squeezed together, it can be very painful, and it is possible to cause yourself permanent injury. First off, as with the prior point, tuck. Secondly, spread your legs a little to give yourself room to let your testicles move away from the floor, and disabuse yourself of the practice of squeezing your legs together to get a little bit more lift in the torso.</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p>Hopefully,that helps you in your yoga practice. Personally, I've found that you get used to the movement pretty quickly, and protecting yourself from injury or discomfort becomes second nature.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42059", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33310/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42073, "author": "Just_Alex", "author_id": 13761, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/13761", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Excessive protein is just that, excessive. Eating (protein) can improve workout duration. Curing over-training with a high protein diet seems unlikely. The question of whether you can under-eat (protein + energy + etc.) is a different one. </p>\n\n<p>I AM NOT A DOCTOR, but I do not believe eating excessive protein results in kidney damage. It is my understanding that protein in urine is an indicator of kidney problems <code>kidney_issues-&gt;protein_pee-&gt;kidney_checkup</code>. This does not mean that eating protein causes kidney problems <code>\neat_protein-&gt;kidney_issues</code>. Again, I AM NOT A DOCTOR.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42076, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I've read several articles that according to a medical perspective, you really don't need a whole lot, some medical fitness experts recommending different numbers between 100 to 150 grams for a 200 lb person(0.5 to 0.75 grams per lb of bodyweight). The general fitness world seems to be okay with 200 grams for a 200lb person(gram per pound of bodyweight). Carbs play a role too, if you're eating enough carbs they can take on the role of protein. Muscle building aside, 50 grams is bare minimum for health so 75 to 100 is a normal zone. You can also eat more casein if you're drinking protein to just keep levels up, it digests very slowly so its not sent right to your body. </p>\n\n<p>Protein doesn't equate to more muscle growth, rather your muscles only need enough protein to maintain themselves, and a little extra for building muscle if you've caused microtears in your muscle by exercising. So the math to find out the bare minimum number for each individual can be pretty complicated, especially considering that if your other macros play a role too. For instance, during a bulk, carbs can take the place of protein, as glycogen stored in the muscle(energy) maintains muscle as well. So if you're eating enough carbs then you can lower your protein even more. in which case I'd suggest doing the 0.5 to 0.75 range</p>\n\n<p>The only time you really need to go all out on protein is during a cutting routine, because more protein will help prevent muscle loss during a calorie deficit, and assuming you'll have a much lower percentage of carbs in your body to take the place of protein. That being said, again the fitness world seems to be ok with a gram per lb of bodyweight.</p>\n\n<p>I'd also like to point out the math of \"grams per lb of bodyweight\" is moreso based on athletic individuals with a low body fat percentage. So if your overweight and 200 lbs that doesn't mean you need 200 grams of protein. You can calculate your lean mass and use that as an indicator instead for your protein. Also if you're a first year weightlifter you shouldn't be too concerned until you actually build a base of muscle. It's natural to have a standard of muscle but it's when you exceed the body's natural muscle that you need to shoot your numbers up</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42083, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": false, "text": "<p><em>Yes, the academic literature supports the notion that greater protein intake facilitates more rapid recovery, and can therefore sustain a greater training workload.</em> And guidelines from all of the major sporting and dietary authorities around the world, which are remarkably consistent, reflect that fact.</p>\n\n<p>Evidence supports an intake of 0.5 to 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass per day (g/kg/d) for general health, and between <a href=\"https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2016/03000/Nutrition_and_Athletic_Performance.25.aspx\" rel=\"noreferrer\">1.2 and 2.0</a> g/kg/d for athletes, depending upon their discipline, training cycle, and workload. The guidelines can be summarised as follows:</p>\n\n<p><code>| Protein (g/kg/d) Appropriate to... |</code><br>\n<code>| 0.5 - 0.8 sedentary or semi-sedentary individuals |</code><br>\n<code>| 1.2 - 1.4 active individuals |</code><br>\n<code>| 1.5 - 1.6 endurance / strength / power athletes |</code><br>\n<code>| 1.7 - 1.8 bodybuilders |</code><br>\n<code>| 1.9 - 2.0 ultra-endurance / multi-sport athletes |</code><br></p>\n\n<p>These figures are based upon a great breadth of research, which has demonstrated a general correlation between the physical demands of a discipline and the consequent protein requirement and/or utilisation by the body in response to those demands.</p>\n\n<p><em>No, no research has yet investigated the limitations of protein utilisation in relation to exercise volume in the manner you describe.</em> This is partly due to the limitations that such a study would impose on experimental design: protein uptake/utilisation/synthesis would be required to be measured in reference to two variables (protein intake and exercise volume) rather than one (just protein intake), thereby making it difficult to draw clear conclusions from the data.</p>\n\n<p>Furthermore, the evidence already suggests a practical limitation to the amount of protein we can utilise. In <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4022420/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">this</a> study mentioned by another commentator, for example, high protein intake (1.8 g/kg/d) was compared with extremely high protein intake (4.4 g/kg/d) whilst maintaining the <em>same</em> exercise volume. Assuming, fairly, that the athletes in the study trained in accordance with their ability, we would expect that intake for some individuals in the high-protein group would have been sub-optimal, and that we would therefore have seen variation between the two groups. Otherwise, we are necessarily assuming that the athletes trained well beneath their capabilities—so much so that protein intake within normal guidelines was overabundant or optimal.</p>\n\n<p>It should be noted that, due to the legal status of performance-enhancing drugs, it is difficult to study this subject with respect to athletes who use them. Consequently, little is known about how drugs may alter the equation. It is certainly conceivable, given what we know about the action of such substances, that the figures would be significantly higher for those athletes.</p>\n\n<p>And finally, <em>the <a href=\"https://examine.com/nutrition/can-eating-too-much-protein-be-bad-for-you/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">evidence</a> suggests, with a number of important caveats, that a high protein diet does not damage the kidneys.</em> This is provided that the kidneys are in good health, that protein intake is increased gradually, and that ‘high’ protein falls within the range of definitions given in the research. Most of the existing research has centred around the healthfulness, or otherwise, of the Western diet, so the definitions tend to coincide with observations of the general population. We might reasonably expect that quantities such as those prescribed in the aforementioned research might indeed be deleterious to our health.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that provides some perspective on the topic.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42065", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42074, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Above all else, your training should consist of a gradually increasing weekly volume of walking, the key requirement of which is <em>recovery</em>. I would recommend three sessions per week, consisting of two tempo walks, and one long-distance walk to train your endurance. The most sensible way to organise your week would be, for example:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>tempo walk</li>\n<li>rest</li>\n<li>tempo walk</li>\n<li>rest</li>\n<li>long walk</li>\n<li>rest</li>\n<li>rest</li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>The two rest days should naturally follow the long walk, providing you with time greater opportunity to recover when you need it.</p>\n\n<p>Your tempo walks should ideally be performed at at least 6.5 kilometres per hour, since that is the average required for the test. Over the course of your preparation, however, you should gradually lift these tempo walks to 7.0 and 7.5 kilometres per hour so you develop a reserve of speed to counteract possible fatigue. If you cannot manage 6.5 kilometres per hour comfortably, begin with a speed that you can maintain with comfortable mechanics, and programme to lift the pace gradually.</p>\n\n<p>For the tempo walks, begin with a distance that is slightly challenging, programming for a gradual increase across the training period. The long walk should begin at roughly double that distance, with your aim being to complete it as quickly as possible, without necessarily reaching the speed of the tempo walks. You should programme to increase this distance gradually.</p>\n\n<p>If you are a beginner, your distances should, perhaps counter-intuitively, be programmed to progress more slowly at the beginning than in the later stages. That is, your progress should not be linear, but rather geometric. This is because small increases in distance can be very taxing on the untrained body; you want to develop a solid base of general conditioning before pushing yourself excessively. Once you have developed this base, rather large increases can be adapted to quickly.</p>\n\n<p>(Note that the opposite is true when you are highly trained.)</p>\n\n<p>Other than that, record keep a record of your progress, and do not feel as though you are a slave to it. Your training programme should <em>always</em> remain flexible, subject to how you feel you are progressing and coping.</p>\n\n<p>Good luck!</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42084, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>It's already been answered but a faster way would be to increase aerobic capacity which can be added into your workouts.. basically turn your weightlifting days into metabolic conditioning by combining your exercises as a circuit and only resting a minute between rounds. This will double-up your training. You can also focus on endurance-based reps and schemes during your weightlifting days by increasing weight doing 15+ reps each workout, or by doing more and more reps each time. This will triple your outcome by simply changing your 3 day workout. walking is incredibly low intensity, so while it might fatigue your leg muscles in the final stretch, I think you'll be okay. I think training only by walking will fatigue you to where you'll have to increase your recovery time between sessions, and itll definitely limit your workouts during the week, giving you less time to train, however keeping you working a lot harder. You can better your results and lessen the time you train by making weightlifting day adjustments.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42067", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42071, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Having operated commercial gymnasiums, I would only ever recommend buying heavy commercial-grade equipment; the cost of home or low-use commercial equipment ultimately proves to be greater, since their design, parts, and construction are simply not adequate for serious or heavy use. <em>You can guarantee that a cheap treadmill will break down regularly.</em></p>\n\n<p>I recommend that you look for a treadmill with a motor of at least 2¼ or 2½ horsepower, ideally combined with a self-lubricating deck. It goes without saying that regular preventative maintenance—opening, cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment—are essential to elongating the life of the machine.</p>\n\n<p>A sprung platform may also extend the life of the machine, since it reduces peak force loading on the belt and deck, and hence reduces frictional wear. (Likewise on your joints!) However, that should be considered in the context of the loading characteristics you want for your training. Sprung platforms do not emulate real-world road/track conditions.</p>\n\n<p>I believe that the best treadmill ever designed is the <em>Woodway</em> which, rather than having a lubricated belt, has a platform comprised of interlocking segments supported on roller bearings. This reduces frictional wear enormously, allowing the treadmill to employ a less powerful motor (2 horsepower) whilst permitting maximum speeds of up to 29 kilometres per hour (18 miles per hour). And if any part of the platform wears out, you can replace a single bearing on an individual segment, rather than having to replace the whole track. I understand that the first <em>Woodway</em> ever built, now decades ago, is still in operation!</p>\n\n<p>The down side is that <em>Woodways</em> are, for most people (and even businesses), prohibitively expensive, so a high-quality commercial machine like the <em>Landice</em> is a good choice. And if you can source a trustworthy second-hand dealer, a reconditioned model of any of these good machines should give you many years of faithful service. They are often provided with a limited warranty, too.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that gives you some food for thought.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42151, "author": "wakeuptoreality", "author_id": 33384, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33384", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I'd spent couple of months on Google before I bought one. And now I have had it for 2 years with daily loading of 10-15 kilometres' distance, with speeds of 3-5 km/h, about 3 approaches per 1 hour each.</p>\n\n<p>It did break once, but there was insurance—<strong>5 Years</strong>—so, I called the service, waited about 2 months while the main panel traveled across the world, and voilà! I've been walking for over a year now, without problems...</p>\n\n<p>And I'm sure, if something happened during the next three years, the service would salvage me again. Moreover, I think that I can rent a service after 3 years to replace any broken parts for money.</p>\n\n<p>So, my couple of cents for you:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>As you can understand from my introduction, buy it only in right place. With service and support and brand name. Do not do it on ebay or something like that, where seller could disappear in next 6 months in unknown direction.</p></li>\n<li><p>At least 5 years' insurance period.</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Next, technical details:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Engine more than 4 horsepower, and be-aware. I've stepped on the rake here. There are two engines, the first one - which is rotating canvas, and second one - which is changing angle, raising and lowering the whole platform. Many sellers cheated on customers, so understand that there are two engines. You should take one with a main engine of at least 4 - 5 horsepower.</li>\n<li>Automatically regulated tilt level, means, not mechanical!! with second engine..</li>\n<li>Width of canvas - at least 46 centimetres</li>\n<li><p>Length of canvas - at least 140 centimetres</p></li>\n<li><p>The last rule: when you are choosing between many, you need to choose biggest and heaviest one.</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>And as @POD already mentioned, you should choose a machine of industrial standard for eternal usage, for usage in gyms, by many clients in-line, during the whole day and night, because any non-commercial treadmill will be break down quickly.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42069", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27654/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42071, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 4, "selected": true, "text": "<p>Having operated commercial gymnasiums, I would only ever recommend buying heavy commercial-grade equipment; the cost of home or low-use commercial equipment ultimately proves to be greater, since their design, parts, and construction are simply not adequate for serious or heavy use. <em>You can guarantee that a cheap treadmill will break down regularly.</em></p>\n\n<p>I recommend that you look for a treadmill with a motor of at least 2¼ or 2½ horsepower, ideally combined with a self-lubricating deck. It goes without saying that regular preventative maintenance—opening, cleaning, lubrication, and adjustment—are essential to elongating the life of the machine.</p>\n\n<p>A sprung platform may also extend the life of the machine, since it reduces peak force loading on the belt and deck, and hence reduces frictional wear. (Likewise on your joints!) However, that should be considered in the context of the loading characteristics you want for your training. Sprung platforms do not emulate real-world road/track conditions.</p>\n\n<p>I believe that the best treadmill ever designed is the <em>Woodway</em> which, rather than having a lubricated belt, has a platform comprised of interlocking segments supported on roller bearings. This reduces frictional wear enormously, allowing the treadmill to employ a less powerful motor (2 horsepower) whilst permitting maximum speeds of up to 29 kilometres per hour (18 miles per hour). And if any part of the platform wears out, you can replace a single bearing on an individual segment, rather than having to replace the whole track. I understand that the first <em>Woodway</em> ever built, now decades ago, is still in operation!</p>\n\n<p>The down side is that <em>Woodways</em> are, for most people (and even businesses), prohibitively expensive, so a high-quality commercial machine like the <em>Landice</em> is a good choice. And if you can source a trustworthy second-hand dealer, a reconditioned model of any of these good machines should give you many years of faithful service. They are often provided with a limited warranty, too.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that gives you some food for thought.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42151, "author": "wakeuptoreality", "author_id": 33384, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33384", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>I'd spent couple of months on Google before I bought one. And now I have had it for 2 years with daily loading of 10-15 kilometres' distance, with speeds of 3-5 km/h, about 3 approaches per 1 hour each.</p>\n\n<p>It did break once, but there was insurance—<strong>5 Years</strong>—so, I called the service, waited about 2 months while the main panel traveled across the world, and voilà! I've been walking for over a year now, without problems...</p>\n\n<p>And I'm sure, if something happened during the next three years, the service would salvage me again. Moreover, I think that I can rent a service after 3 years to replace any broken parts for money.</p>\n\n<p>So, my couple of cents for you:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><p>As you can understand from my introduction, buy it only in right place. With service and support and brand name. Do not do it on ebay or something like that, where seller could disappear in next 6 months in unknown direction.</p></li>\n<li><p>At least 5 years' insurance period.</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>Next, technical details:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>Engine more than 4 horsepower, and be-aware. I've stepped on the rake here. There are two engines, the first one - which is rotating canvas, and second one - which is changing angle, raising and lowering the whole platform. Many sellers cheated on customers, so understand that there are two engines. You should take one with a main engine of at least 4 - 5 horsepower.</li>\n<li>Automatically regulated tilt level, means, not mechanical!! with second engine..</li>\n<li>Width of canvas - at least 46 centimetres</li>\n<li><p>Length of canvas - at least 140 centimetres</p></li>\n<li><p>The last rule: when you are choosing between many, you need to choose biggest and heaviest one.</p></li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>And as @POD already mentioned, you should choose a machine of industrial standard for eternal usage, for usage in gyms, by many clients in-line, during the whole day and night, because any non-commercial treadmill will be break down quickly.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42078", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33326/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42100, "author": "ΤεόΔικ.", "author_id": 33325, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33325", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The problem with the flat feet is that they usually create problems to the knees making them fall inside and this could cause damage to the anterior cruciate ligament.</p>\n\n<p>I support working out barefoot, but in your case i think shoes are needed and much better with corrective insoles. </p>\n\n<p>Just add a little more exercises for your feet at the end.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42108, "author": "Dimitris Pafilis", "author_id": 33339, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33339", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I have almost the same problem of the flat foot (not severe problem but bad enough). As I am in physiotherapy and performance training business I ‘ve asked many people (experts in their field) what I should do. From sports physios and orthopaedic doctors to CrossFit trainers to professional weightlifters.</p>\n\n<p>After trying different approaches, this is what I found out working best for me.\nI bought custom made insoles (after doing gait analysis etc. by certified physios) so to start fixing slowly my posture problem and start strengthening the muscles of the foot etc. I am wearing these insoles daily, and every 3-4 of months I change them accordingly, with the new adaptations needed.\nAlso, I do a mixed training, which means sometimes I do heavy lifts barefoot (or with flat shoes) and others with special Olympic shoes (also with insole custom made for sports) and I am going to explain why.</p>\n\n<p>With lifting shoes, of course, I lift a bit heavier while keeping better posture.\nBarefoot, while I lift less heavy, I train my body to overcome my structural difficulties and working better as a whole system.\nSo, I do both. But please keep in mind that I do not train for the competition just for fun. I think that if competition were my goal I would prefer to lift more with shoes, as sometimes the proper shoe can win a medal (as you lift heavier).</p>\n\n<p>Now, as far as your knees are concerned, lifting heavy while barefoot and flat feet, makes your knees fall inside and this could cause damage to the anterior cruciate ligament as well as the IT band.\nIt's hard to know if you have bad knees due to this or other conditions (also you need to define bad knees) but sure the wrong way of lifting can make things worse.</p>\n\n<p>Hope my answer helped you at least a bit. I wish you all the best!!</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42086", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33329/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42100, "author": "ΤεόΔικ.", "author_id": 33325, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33325", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The problem with the flat feet is that they usually create problems to the knees making them fall inside and this could cause damage to the anterior cruciate ligament.</p>\n\n<p>I support working out barefoot, but in your case i think shoes are needed and much better with corrective insoles. </p>\n\n<p>Just add a little more exercises for your feet at the end.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42108, "author": "Dimitris Pafilis", "author_id": 33339, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33339", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p>I have almost the same problem of the flat foot (not severe problem but bad enough). As I am in physiotherapy and performance training business I ‘ve asked many people (experts in their field) what I should do. From sports physios and orthopaedic doctors to CrossFit trainers to professional weightlifters.</p>\n\n<p>After trying different approaches, this is what I found out working best for me.\nI bought custom made insoles (after doing gait analysis etc. by certified physios) so to start fixing slowly my posture problem and start strengthening the muscles of the foot etc. I am wearing these insoles daily, and every 3-4 of months I change them accordingly, with the new adaptations needed.\nAlso, I do a mixed training, which means sometimes I do heavy lifts barefoot (or with flat shoes) and others with special Olympic shoes (also with insole custom made for sports) and I am going to explain why.</p>\n\n<p>With lifting shoes, of course, I lift a bit heavier while keeping better posture.\nBarefoot, while I lift less heavy, I train my body to overcome my structural difficulties and working better as a whole system.\nSo, I do both. But please keep in mind that I do not train for the competition just for fun. I think that if competition were my goal I would prefer to lift more with shoes, as sometimes the proper shoe can win a medal (as you lift heavier).</p>\n\n<p>Now, as far as your knees are concerned, lifting heavy while barefoot and flat feet, makes your knees fall inside and this could cause damage to the anterior cruciate ligament as well as the IT band.\nIt's hard to know if you have bad knees due to this or other conditions (also you need to define bad knees) but sure the wrong way of lifting can make things worse.</p>\n\n<p>Hope my answer helped you at least a bit. I wish you all the best!!</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42087", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33330/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42094, "author": "motosubatsu", "author_id": 31207, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31207", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Try some wrist and or ankle weights - or even a weight vest depending on the climate. You aren't quite going to get the same effect as if you were moving faster but you are going to be making it more effort for a given speed.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42099, "author": "ΤεόΔικ.", "author_id": 33325, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33325", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p>You could do some moving exercises like every 100m do 20 lunges, or high knees, or side step jumps keep walking on her pace like an active rest and repeat every 100m or every 2-3min. For example when you reach the 3min point you start skiping next to her for 20-30 sec then you can go to lunges for 20-30 seconds then you can go bunny style jumps for 20-30 sec and then you can go side step jumps for 20-30 sec each side.</p>\n\n<p>This will definitely increase your heart rate, plus it will add some fun for your kid. You can ask her help on counting the reps or the seconds.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 45255, "author": "tuxedobob", "author_id": 38347, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/38347", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Go hiking? It's a lot of work for an adult to gain elevation, but your kid will scamper up ahead of you.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42088", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/19274/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42094, "author": "motosubatsu", "author_id": 31207, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/31207", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Try some wrist and or ankle weights - or even a weight vest depending on the climate. You aren't quite going to get the same effect as if you were moving faster but you are going to be making it more effort for a given speed.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42099, "author": "ΤεόΔικ.", "author_id": 33325, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33325", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p>You could do some moving exercises like every 100m do 20 lunges, or high knees, or side step jumps keep walking on her pace like an active rest and repeat every 100m or every 2-3min. For example when you reach the 3min point you start skiping next to her for 20-30 sec then you can go to lunges for 20-30 seconds then you can go bunny style jumps for 20-30 sec and then you can go side step jumps for 20-30 sec each side.</p>\n\n<p>This will definitely increase your heart rate, plus it will add some fun for your kid. You can ask her help on counting the reps or the seconds.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 45255, "author": "tuxedobob", "author_id": 38347, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/38347", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Go hiking? It's a lot of work for an adult to gain elevation, but your kid will scamper up ahead of you.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42102", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33338/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42113, "author": "MacUserT", "author_id": 13939, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/13939", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>First of all, it is always best to first have a healthy diet before taking any supplements. There is no scientific evidence for fat burning supplements, so I should not use those anyway. The best fat burner is creating muscle mass, which will help you increase your metabolism.</p>\n\n<p>Increasing your muscle mass will help with a high protein intake, but also here above the 1.5 gram per kilo body weight is only feeding your toilet. There are various <a href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566799/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">articles</a> on the internet and a normal person, doing normal sports, gets enough protein when taking 0.8 gram per kilo body weight. A normal diet should suffice to get this amount of protein. First when you have a training regime where you train more than 3 times per week 1.5 hours, you might need supplements for training. Then it is best to consult a trainer or take dietary advice. Again, more than 1.5 gram per kilo body weight will not help you any further.</p>\n\n<p>Creatine is a different thing. It helps your muscles to hold more ATP and therefore boosts short term performance. IT also increases the water hold by your muscles and therefore make them bigger and you heavier. Scientific studies have found no side effects and it is pretty safe to take. As a beginner this might help you in muscle growth, since you will be able to do more and that increased training will grow your muscles.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42120, "author": "Dimitris Pafilis", "author_id": 33339, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33339", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Eating healthy is one thing. Having supplements is another. </p>\n\n<p>You can eat healthy, with the right macros for your body, eat every 3-4 hours, and still, you might need supplements.</p>\n\n<p>It depends always on your specific goal. And I say a specific goal because ok fat loss is a goal but not specific. How much fat loss do you want to have? You have to be micro-focused. Also, some nutrients its really difficult to find them in a normal portion of foods (again depending on your goal). Because you are a beginner I would recommend having BCAA's after your work out mixed with creatine for better recovery. Also, you might like to have casein protein before bed (this can work perfectly all night long, along with your body protein synthesis and recover the damaged muscle fibres better). Better recovery means more training.</p>\n\n<p>Also sometimes by having let's say a protein shake (whey protein low calories) you can feel full and don't eat much. Always remember that calories-in &lt; calories-out = fat loss (about 10-15 % fewer calories than you need is optimum)</p>\n\n<p>Regarding your fat loss, you should consider building more muscles (fat burners) and doing some mixed cardio with hit workouts in your training week. </p>\n\n<p>Another reason I am pro supplements is that it's more convenient to have them on the go and some times cheaper.</p>\n\n<p>I wish you all the best for your fitness journey (it's hard and need dedications but its worth)</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42134, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>To respond to your question directly, yes, it is <em>always</em> preferable to eat well before considering dietary supplements. And this is especially true of beginners, since it establishes the norms by which we train throughout our careers thereafter.</p>\n\n<p>The <em><a href=\"https://www.ais.gov.au/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Australian Institute of Sport</a></em> and its state equivalents institute a ‘no supplement’ policy for all of their under-18 athletes for this very reason. Although these athletes are elite, the importance of managing a good diet is placed above any supposed advantages that supplementation may afford. And, it should be noted, they have an impressive performance record both domestically and internationally.</p>\n\n<p>The justification is simple: there is <em>no evidence</em> that supplementation is necessary for optimum recovery—indeed, the nutrient requirements of amateur and elite athletes, alike, are easily attained through a varied diet. A typical Western diet, for example, <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/well/eat/how-much-protein-do-we-need.html#:~:text=Most%20American%20adults%20eat%20about,nuts%2C%20broccoli%20and%20whole%20grains.\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">provides twice the amount of protein recommended</a> for the normal population, or the maximum that can be utilised by elite <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42065/more-protein-more-muscle-growth-potential/42083#42083\">strength and power athletes</a>. <em>And that is just the average diet!</em> Supplementation, whilst conveniently providing the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrient#Macro\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">macronutrients</a>, by its very nature—since its nutrients are refined and isolated—it does not provide all of the other nutrients essential to good health. Thus a reliance on supplements tends to encourage poorer overall nutrition.</p>\n\n<p>That said, although it is not ideal, supplementation is certainly warranted when an individual has a restrictive diet, or when they otherwise find it difficult to meet their dietary requirements for any other reason. Also, there is considerable evidence to support the claims made for supplementation of certain nutrients such as <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27335245/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">l-carnitine</a> and <a href=\"https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">creatine</a>. In such cases, whilst supplementation may provide a theoretical and measurable benefit to more advanced athletes, such benefits are unlikely to be seen by novices, since their progress is limited at a more fundamental level—restricted, for example, by the planning of their training, their skill mastery, and their tolerance to exercise volume.</p>\n\n<p>So in summary, it is preferable for <em>all</em> athletes—beginners through to elite—to address their nutritional needs with a broad, varied diet based on whole foods. But more advanced athletes, particularly, may benefit from supplementation of particular nutrients such as l-carnitine and creatine. And although it is a sub-optimum strategy, certain athletes with special dietary requirements may also benefit from supplementation.</p>\n\n<p>As a final note, it should be understood that this is <em>not</em> to imply that a typical diet necessarily meets all of the nutritional requirements of a beginner—poor diets are common amongst the normal population—but rather that with careful planning and attention, a broad and varied diet can easily meet those needs. And it should go without saying that an understanding of dietary planning is an essential skill for any beginner to learn.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that offers you a different perspective on the issue.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42111", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33285/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42115, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>It is important to begin by saying that there is nothing fundamentally ‘wrong with’ or ‘deformed about’ your physique. Objectively, you are proportionally normal and healthy. </p>\n\n<p>Whether we are in peak form or otherwise, our bodies vary enormously in shape and proportion due to differences in bone geometry, muscle type, hormone levels, and all manner of other factors. Thus, any cosmetic assessment of a healthy physique is necessarily a subjective one. And the cosmetic ideal that we celebrate today is entirely different from those we celebrated yesteryear—now heavily influenced by the chemically-enhanced physiques of the modern bodybuilding world. (It is very interesting to see how the depiction of cartoon superheroes has followed the proportions of the strongmen and bodybuilders of the day.)</p>\n\n<p><em>Most people will never approach the modern cosmetic ideal without considerable drug use and supplement abuse.</em></p>\n\n<p>That said, we can, of course sculpt our bodies to a great degree by following standard hypertrophy protocol combined with specific isolation exercises for those areas that we want to emphasise. Moderate loads, volume (volume, volume, ...), fatigue, and adequate recovery are the only tools necessary.</p>\n\n<p>In your <em>specific</em> case, the only hurdle that you are going to face is applying sufficient loads with body weight only, so as to be ‘moderate’. That is, your current physique is the product of the loads and training regimen that you have employed to date, and although you will likely be able to gain significant size through supplemental (isolation) exercises, exercise modifications, and high-volume training protocol, at some point your physique will reach a practical limit with such body-weight-limited loads. There exist only so many ways that you can modify an exercise to increase the loads on your muscles; the physics of it all are fixed.</p>\n\n<p>Thus, the <em>only</em> solution is to load your body-weight exercises. And this can be done either by applying a mass to your existing lifts—doing pull-ups and dips with plates chained to your waist, for example—or changing their loading characteristics by altering velocity and rates of change of momentum—jump squats, box jumps, kip-ups, plyometric push-ups, ...</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42423, "author": "MJB", "author_id": 20039, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/20039", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Doing calisthenics can give you great results and you can train literally every part of the body with it. I don't know how experienced you are but you need to do it right, starting with the basics and working up from there.</p>\n<p>You do kind of look like a beginner in the picture so I'm just going to assume you are, this will also help anyone reading this answer in a later stage who wants to begin doing bodyweight exercises.</p>\n<p>In most movements you have different varieties you can do to target different parts of the body, and then also different stages to make it harder once you get better at it.</p>\n<p><strong>For example, shoulders.</strong>\nAt the start, regular pushups will work on the front of the shoulders, so you'll be doing some shoulder work while working on your chest. (a pushup is a good allround exercise by the way, it targets almost everything in the upper body)</p>\n<p>In addition to this you'll want to do scapula pushups, scapula dips and scapula pullups. These will all be a very important base exercise which you'll need to master for later movements like a pullup or handstand. After you're strong enough for this you can start doing pike-pushup variations, after that moving into handstand against a wall, handstand pushups, etc.</p>\n<p>Your question regarding limbs, doing pushup variations and later things like handstand and L-sits on dipbars will be increasingly heavier for your <strong>triceps</strong>, thus making them stronger and bigger. Doing variations of pullups on the other hand requires strong <strong>biceps</strong>, so that will work on the biceps a lot. Especially underhand grip. But in this case again, it's very important to do it right. If you're halfrepping chin-ups to get in more reps, you'll not work on the full potential of your biceps.</p>\n<p>The same can be said for any muscle group. I can't give you an example for every muscle group because that will take me hours and I am your personal trainer, but I think explaining this will get you on your way.</p>\n<p>In your question you say your working on referse planche and iron cross. Unless you've been doing calisthenics for atleast 5 years I would advice you to not start with this. You'll be skipping so many important other movements in which you learn to control your body that you'll end up doing it the wrong way and eventually injure yourself.</p>\n<p>If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42114", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42128, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>A belt basically is a second transverse abdominus muscle. it looks like the muscle even, and as you wrap it around you, it performs the same function. The belt naturally is stronger so it is capable of protecting your spine more. This being said, naturally, just like with weight lifting straps, you're teaching your transverse abdominus to not activate since the belt is taking over, so naturally the stomach muscle wont strengthen. but that's just during your deadlifting exercise. </p>\n\n<p>This being said, there's ways around this. one is that if you supplement your routine with a healthy core workout that strengthens all your core muscles, you do not need to worry about removing your core from an exercise. The second way is that if you aren't trying to set a new PR, or you're doing more than 8 reps, it should be fine to not use a belt provided that your core can handle the load. This will target the core as a secondary muscle but I'd still suggest supplementary core work. The thing about weak muscles is that usually an exercise will workout your weakest muscles first, even if they aren't the primary muscles. in a DL, if you cant hold onto the weight very long than your forearms get a workout, but you lose out actually benefiting your primary muscles. for your ab muscles though, the exercise wont target it but just make it quit working, so instead of it working your ab muscles, your spine will just take over and possibly get damaged. for that reason if your abs are weak you either need to use a lighter load or use a belt.</p>\n\n<p>Using a belt is recommended for heavy loads and is necessary to make progress, as your ab muscles can only work so hard to protect your spine. Yes, if you use a weight belt say starting from 300 lb to 500lbs and you tried to remove the belt, your abs, while strong enough to maintain the load, will need eased into that kind of a workload without shocking them to fail. Same goes for lifting straps, you lose out on forearm development but you can supplement that anyway.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42369, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p><em>There currently exists</em> <em><strong>no</strong></em> <em>evidence in the literature to suggest that the use of weightlifting belts during training improves long-term unbelted performance in any way.</em></p>\n<p>Given the prevalence of their use, this finding should be surprising. The premise behind the behaviour, of course, is the assumption that belts support the erector spinae in limiting spinal flexion, thereby mitigating injury. However, this notion is invalidated by the observation that activation of the <a href=\"https://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/iks/sponet/Record/4001094\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">erector spinae is <em>greater</em> during belted peformance</a>: weightlifting belts force the spinal extensors to work harder—not less. And whilst this might ostensibly appear positive, the strength of the erector spinae is not the only limiting factor in spinal strength. Furthermore, <a href=\"https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0031-1277207\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">a study</a> of 245 elite powerlifters revealed <em>greater rates of injury</em> to the lumbar spine amongst athletes wearing belts, as compared with those who did not, suggesting that lifters likely overestimate the support that belts provide. Indeed, since trained weightlifters and powerlifters can lift, on average, only <a href=\"https://books.google.com.au/books?id=jmacnQEACAAJ&amp;dq=weightlifting%20belt&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiE6K6l_p3qAhXczzgGHWWjBssQ6AEwAHoECAMQAQ\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">around 5% more whilst wearing a belt</a>, and since belts make <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10619094/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">no difference to the lifting strength of untrained subjects</a>, <em>it is not entirely clear whether weightlifting belts offer any inherent advantage whatsoever, or whether the perceived advantage they afford is the consequence of athletes' being trained to rely on them.</em> It is entirely possible, even probable, that biomechanical changes that occur when a belt is worn force a pattern of motor recruitment, and hence a pattern of distinct muscular development, that is optimised for belted lifting.</p>\n<p>Without further research comparing the performances of athletes trained entirely with and without weightlifting belts, or examining the hypertrophy of the core muscles—transversus abdominus, multifidus, diaphragm, and pelvic floor—as a consequence of both training states, any conclusions we might draw necessarily amount to conjecture. However, what <em>is</em> clear is that (1) belts are unnecessary for elite-level strength development and <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh-ikyBAQr8\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">performance</a>; (2) maximal lifts can be performed safely without a belt; (3) <a href=\"https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=KpgXBgAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA113&amp;dq#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">activation of the transversus abdominis and internal oblique is positively and significantly associated <em>only with</em> <em><strong>unbelted</strong></em> <em>lifting</em></a>; (4) belts result in higher rates of spinal injury amongst athletes who are most practiced in their use; (5) belts have <a href=\"https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1104823&amp;dswid=3848\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">little or no effect on power, velocity, or range of motion</a>; and (6) belts offer little or no advantage to untrained individuals.</p>\n<p><em>In view of the evidence, there is currently no scientific justification for the use of weightlifting belts, other than for competition efforts by athletes who have routinely used them in training. It is probable that belts offer</em> <em><strong>no</strong></em> <em>advantage to strength development, and may even hinder it.</em></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42121", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42128, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>A belt basically is a second transverse abdominus muscle. it looks like the muscle even, and as you wrap it around you, it performs the same function. The belt naturally is stronger so it is capable of protecting your spine more. This being said, naturally, just like with weight lifting straps, you're teaching your transverse abdominus to not activate since the belt is taking over, so naturally the stomach muscle wont strengthen. but that's just during your deadlifting exercise. </p>\n\n<p>This being said, there's ways around this. one is that if you supplement your routine with a healthy core workout that strengthens all your core muscles, you do not need to worry about removing your core from an exercise. The second way is that if you aren't trying to set a new PR, or you're doing more than 8 reps, it should be fine to not use a belt provided that your core can handle the load. This will target the core as a secondary muscle but I'd still suggest supplementary core work. The thing about weak muscles is that usually an exercise will workout your weakest muscles first, even if they aren't the primary muscles. in a DL, if you cant hold onto the weight very long than your forearms get a workout, but you lose out actually benefiting your primary muscles. for your ab muscles though, the exercise wont target it but just make it quit working, so instead of it working your ab muscles, your spine will just take over and possibly get damaged. for that reason if your abs are weak you either need to use a lighter load or use a belt.</p>\n\n<p>Using a belt is recommended for heavy loads and is necessary to make progress, as your ab muscles can only work so hard to protect your spine. Yes, if you use a weight belt say starting from 300 lb to 500lbs and you tried to remove the belt, your abs, while strong enough to maintain the load, will need eased into that kind of a workload without shocking them to fail. Same goes for lifting straps, you lose out on forearm development but you can supplement that anyway.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42369, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p><em>There currently exists</em> <em><strong>no</strong></em> <em>evidence in the literature to suggest that the use of weightlifting belts during training improves long-term unbelted performance in any way.</em></p>\n<p>Given the prevalence of their use, this finding should be surprising. The premise behind the behaviour, of course, is the assumption that belts support the erector spinae in limiting spinal flexion, thereby mitigating injury. However, this notion is invalidated by the observation that activation of the <a href=\"https://www.iat.uni-leipzig.de/datenbanken/iks/sponet/Record/4001094\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">erector spinae is <em>greater</em> during belted peformance</a>: weightlifting belts force the spinal extensors to work harder—not less. And whilst this might ostensibly appear positive, the strength of the erector spinae is not the only limiting factor in spinal strength. Furthermore, <a href=\"https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0031-1277207\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">a study</a> of 245 elite powerlifters revealed <em>greater rates of injury</em> to the lumbar spine amongst athletes wearing belts, as compared with those who did not, suggesting that lifters likely overestimate the support that belts provide. Indeed, since trained weightlifters and powerlifters can lift, on average, only <a href=\"https://books.google.com.au/books?id=jmacnQEACAAJ&amp;dq=weightlifting%20belt&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiE6K6l_p3qAhXczzgGHWWjBssQ6AEwAHoECAMQAQ\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">around 5% more whilst wearing a belt</a>, and since belts make <a href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10619094/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">no difference to the lifting strength of untrained subjects</a>, <em>it is not entirely clear whether weightlifting belts offer any inherent advantage whatsoever, or whether the perceived advantage they afford is the consequence of athletes' being trained to rely on them.</em> It is entirely possible, even probable, that biomechanical changes that occur when a belt is worn force a pattern of motor recruitment, and hence a pattern of distinct muscular development, that is optimised for belted lifting.</p>\n<p>Without further research comparing the performances of athletes trained entirely with and without weightlifting belts, or examining the hypertrophy of the core muscles—transversus abdominus, multifidus, diaphragm, and pelvic floor—as a consequence of both training states, any conclusions we might draw necessarily amount to conjecture. However, what <em>is</em> clear is that (1) belts are unnecessary for elite-level strength development and <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh-ikyBAQr8\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">performance</a>; (2) maximal lifts can be performed safely without a belt; (3) <a href=\"https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=KpgXBgAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA113&amp;dq#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">activation of the transversus abdominis and internal oblique is positively and significantly associated <em>only with</em> <em><strong>unbelted</strong></em> <em>lifting</em></a>; (4) belts result in higher rates of spinal injury amongst athletes who are most practiced in their use; (5) belts have <a href=\"https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1104823&amp;dswid=3848\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">little or no effect on power, velocity, or range of motion</a>; and (6) belts offer little or no advantage to untrained individuals.</p>\n<p><em>In view of the evidence, there is currently no scientific justification for the use of weightlifting belts, other than for competition efforts by athletes who have routinely used them in training. It is probable that belts offer</em> <em><strong>no</strong></em> <em>advantage to strength development, and may even hinder it.</em></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42123", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33270/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42132, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 2, "selected": true, "text": "<p><em>Without a professional diagnosis from a sports doctor, the precise cause of your shin splints can not be assessed</em>.</p>\n\n<p>It should also be understood that the term <em>shin splints</em> is an umbrella term that covers a host of different conditions. However, many of those conditions have a common origin: <em>poor running mechanics, and/or excessive training volume relative to our level of conditioning.</em></p>\n\n<p>The pain and inflammation of shin splints is the consequence of repetitive strain on the muscles and fasciae as they try to counteract rapid (angular) accelerations of the ankle joint as the foot lands—that is, as they try repeatedly to stabilise the unstable foot as it lands.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Posterior pain</strong> is often the consequence of heavy landing on the foot forward of the axis of the ankle (<em>id est</em>, on the fore- or mid-foot). This can be due to tensing the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triceps_surae_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">triceps surae</a> (calf muscles), and particularly the single-joint <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soleus_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">soleus</a>, or having excessive tightness in those triceps surae. Poor or worn footwear can always exacerbate the problem.</p>\n\n<p>Similarly, <strong>anterior pain</strong> is often the consequence of heavy landing on the heel, which thereby places excessive loads on the anterior structures, particularly the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibialis_anterior_muscle\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">tibialis anterior</a>.</p>\n\n<p>First and foremost, it is important to allow the structures to recover fully before attempting another run. Acute inflammation can be treated with stretching (see the soleus stretch below), massage, pressure, icing or, with an appropriate medical prescription, anti-inflammatories. But there is no substitute for <em>time</em>.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/awV4G.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/awV4G.png\" alt=\"Body weight is used to push ankle of the right leg (in this image) towards the floor whilst keeping the knee forward of the toe.\"></a></p>\n\n<p>Above: <em>Body weight is used to push ankle of the right leg (in this image) towards the floor whilst keeping the knee forward of the toe.</em></p>\n\n<p>Good running technique is characterised by a supple-but-responsive landing. Effort should be made to relax the muscles, and not to resist the ground excessively. The posture of the body should be erect, but with a slight forward lean such that the body ‘falls into’ the run. And forward motion of the foot should be the natural consequence of hip flexion (knee-lift) rather than knee extension. The foot should strike the ground <em>beneath the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_of_mass\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">centre of mass</a> of the body</em> and with a <em>net backward <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocity\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">velocity</a></em>. This ensures that the leg is driving the body forward, rather than braking its momentum and thus absorbing shock loading.</p>\n\n<p>Needless to say that this is just a general summary, which cannot even approximate the role of a good running coach or the advice of a physiotherapist or sports doctor.</p>\n\n<p>Nevertheless, I hope that gives you some starting point.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42133, "author": "Dimitris Pafilis", "author_id": 33339, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33339", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p><strong>How to prevent shin splints</strong></p>\n\n<p>If you’ve had shin splints and want to avoid getting them again, or are starting out and want to ensure you’re doing things correctly, try the below:</p>\n\n<p><strong>Change your shoes:</strong> If you are suffering from shin splints, it’s a good idea to go to a sport shop to have your gait analysed. Try switching to a shoe that limits pronation or try an arch support.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Up your calcium and vitamin D intake:</strong> Try taking 1,300 milligrams of calcium and 400 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Easy ways to get this without taking a supplement are eating more milk and yoghurt.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Follow the 10 percent rule:</strong> Never up your weekly mileage by more than 10 percent.\nTrain your hips and core: Strengthening these areas will make you a stronger runner, which improves footstrike and body mechanics.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Shorten your running stride:</strong> Doing this while increasing your footstrike cadence may help you generate better stride mechanics because you’ll be putting a lot less load on your feet, shins and knees. Count your footstrikes on one side for 1 minute – a good number to aim for is 85 to 90 strikes of one foot per minute.</p>\n\n<p>I hope this helps! \nAlso many pro athletes they tend to do some running training ob green field without shoes in order to offload </p>\n\n<p>I found these info on <a href=\"https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/injury/a760234/shinsplints-how-to-beat-them/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/injury/a760234/shinsplints-how-to-beat-them/</a></p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42130", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33343/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42156, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>You're fine with 1 gram per pound. Also I do 1 gram per pound of lean mass, because naturally if you're overweight you don't need to use your weight as a measurement. Here is what I eat:</p>\n\n<p>Fage yogurt(20 grams of protein, the 0% fat one has 18)</p>\n\n<p>Packaged or canned salmon(30 grams)</p>\n\n<p>Packaged or canned tuna(30 grams)</p>\n\n<p>Chicken(40)</p>\n\n<p>Turkey(40)</p>\n\n<p>Skim milk(fairlife brand has 13 grams of protein and half the carbs for just 8 ounces, which is the amount you add to a bowl of cereal or a small cup. Couple times a day)</p>\n\n<p>Casein protein(25 grams a serving, take once before bed, and once during day on non training days)</p>\n\n<p>Cheese(if not cutting has 6 grams)</p>\n\n<p>Lentils, black beans, chickpeas(protein and good source of carbs)</p>\n\n<p>Cod</p>\n\n<p>Veggie burgers(my favorite, 16 grams, and very quick to microwave and make, also cheap)</p>\n\n<p>Eggs(keep it to max 3 whole a day, egg whites are fine).</p>\n\n<p>Steak(cheap steak is fine couple times a week, steak and eggs are my fave breakfast)</p>\n\n<p>Deli meat(reduced fat)</p>\n\n<p>Power bowls or fit kitchen frozen dinners</p>\n\n<p>Supplement using casein. Unless you're drinking it post workout then drink whey protein. Casein digests very slowly so it feeds protein to your muscles 4 to 6 hours as opposed to whey.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42166, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p>As a preface, it is important to point out that there is <em>no evidence</em> to support the claims made by your source. In fact, a large body of scientific literature suggests that the maximum amount of protein we can utilise is about 2.0 g/kg/day (0.9 g/lb/d), with approximately 1.5-1.6 g/kg/d (~0.7 g/lb/d) being optimum for most strength, power, and endurance athletes. This matter is discussed in greater length <a href=\"https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42065/more-protein-more-potential-for-muscle-growth/42083#42083\">here</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Most people who follow such high protein diets <em>do</em> indeed use supplementation, since it is by far the easiest way to meet their protein goals. However, it is entirely possible to attain that same protein through whole- rather than refined foods. Being ovo-vegetarian (or ‘eggetarian’) presents further challenges, too, but those challenges are not insurmountable. The principle problem is that plant protein is always accompanied by significant quantities of starch, fibre, and water, and that means that it is necessary to eat a larger volume of food. This can be a problem for those who do not have a large appetite. Furthermore, plants tend to have significantly lower proportions of one or more <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_amino_acid\" rel=\"noreferrer\">essential amino acids</a>, and we must therefore eat a broad variety of different classes of plant, such that the amino acids that are scarce in one are abundant in the other, and <em>vice versa</em>. This is normally not a problem for anyone who eats a diversity of foods, but again, it can present a challenge to fussy eaters.</p>\n\n<p>The key, therefore, is to identify which plant-based foods have higher protein contents, and to eat a broad variety of those foods. It is optimum to combine foods that complement each other in a single meal—a practice known as <a href=\"https://nutrition.org/protein-complementation/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">protein complementation</a>—but not necessary. Provided that our overall consumption includes appreciable amounts of each essential amino acid, the benefits are similar. Of course, as an ovo-vegetarian, plant-based meals may be combined with eggs, or supplemented with <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovalbumin#:~:text=Ovalbumin%20(abbreviated%20OVA)%20is%20the,not%20a%20serine%20protease%20inhibitor.\" rel=\"noreferrer\">ovalbumin</a>.</p>\n\n<p>From the source above, the classes of food that should be combined are as follows:</p>\n\n<pre><code>Class Scarce amino acids Complement\n\nLegumes Methionine Grains, nuts/seeds\nGrains Lysine, threonine Legumes\nNuts/seeds Lysine Legumes\nVegetables Methionine Grains, nuts/seeds\nCorn/maize Tryptophan, lysine Legumes\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Some plant foods such as soy, quinoa, and amaranth contain appreciable quantities of <em>all</em> of the essential amino acids, and are therefore described as having higher <em>protein quality</em>. However, it is important to point out that provided the amino acids are present in combination, the quality of plant protein is identical to that of meat.</p>\n\n<p>If a broad variety of protein-rich plant-based foods are consumed, total protein consumption can be calculated in exactly the same manner as normal, summing the individual protein contents of each component food.</p>\n\n<p>Some common protein-dense plant-based foods are listed below.</p>\n\n<pre><code>Food Approximate protein/100 g\n\nPeanuts, raw 25.8 g\nWheat germ 23.1 g\nTofu, firm 15.8\nBread, multigrain 13.4 g\nShredded wheat 11.4 g\nLentils, brown 9.0 g\nChickpeas 8.9 g\nQuinoa 4.4 g\nAmaranth 3.8 g\nSweet corn 3.3 g\nRice, white long-grain 2.7 g\nBroccoli 2.4 g\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>These data are sourced from <a href=\"https://nutritiondata.self.com/\" rel=\"noreferrer\">SELFNutritionData</a>. It should be noted that data vary greatly between different sources, reflecting varieties, seasonal variation, and different testing protocol.</p>\n\n<p>Eating a variety of different foods, spacing your meals, and if necessary complementing your plant sources with eggs and/or ovalbumin, high-quality protein intake of above 100 grams is entirely achievable. But as stated at the beginning of this post, it is unnecessary for all but the most extreme (endurance) athletes.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42153", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33388/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42163, "author": "JustSnilloc", "author_id": 27881, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27881", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The fastest and most reliable way to increase strength without gaining weight is to drop your bodyfat percentage. Take a short 110 lb woman as an example. If she is at 30% bodyfat, she has 33 lbs of fat and 77 lbs of lean mass. However, if she gains 11 lbs of muscle and drops 11 lbs of fat, she'll be at a leaner 110 lbs with 20% bodyfat. Eleven pounds of muscle is nothing to scoff at and would provide a lot of strength.</p>\n\n<p>Outside of additional muscle mass, doing lower rep sets that are close to your one rep max will provide greater adaptations towards strength. Powerlifters tend to primarily train in this style. Sets of 1-5 reps that are taken to or close to failure (close to failure more often than to failure if you aren't peaking) is the general idea here.</p>\n\n<p>Eat plenty of protein (~1g per pound of lean mass) to support the adaptations of your muscle tissues, and eat approximately enough calories to maintain weight. If you're worried about becoming \"too big\", don't be. Unless you're a one in a million genetic freak, you'll find adding muscle to takes a really long time. Best case scenario for a newbie male lifter looking to maximize muscle is 2 lbs per month while in a surplus. Most guys aren't getting 1 lb per month when they start, and the more you gain the slower you gain additional muscle. Muscle is smaller than fat too, so if you drop bodyfat percentage while staying at the same weight, you'll be smaller without having lost weight.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42164, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p><em>Yes, it is absolutely possible to get stronger whilst losing weight or remaining the same; it is the norm for many athletes.</em></p>\n\n<p><em>Relative strength</em> is the term used to describe our strength relative to our body mass. It can be evaluated as a <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimensionless_quantity\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">dimensionless</a> ratio of the mass that we can lift for a particular exercise of interest—for example, the squat—divided by our body mass. That is:</p>\n\n<pre><code> mass of lift\nrelative strength = ———————————————————\n body mass\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Diet alone may indeed increase your relative strength by decreasing your body mass—that is, the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraction_(mathematics)\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">denominator</a> in the equation—but <em>it will not increase your strength meaningfully without training</em>.</p>\n\n<p>It is important to understand, also, that ‘big’ and ‘heavy’ are subjective terms, and we are all going to perceive them differently. However, to put things into perspective, at her peak, Allyson Felix (pictured below) could squat around 140 kilograms (300 lbs) at a body-weight of 55 kilograms (120 lbs)—a relative strength well in excess of that of most amateur bodybuilders! A light, athletic frame can certainly be developed to be extremely strong.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/sBYUY.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/sBYUY.jpg\" alt=\"Allyson Felix\"></a></p>\n\n<p>The key to developing a high relative strength is a training regimen characterised by <em>heavy lifting</em> with <em>low relative volume</em>, combined with aerobic endurance training. Aerobic endurance training hinders the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertrophy\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">hypertrophy</a> of Type I (slow oxidative) <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle#Vertebrate_Skeletal_Muscle_Fiber_Types\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">muscle fibres</a>, and further develops the endurance characteristics of Type IIA (fast oxidative glycolytic) fibres. Endurance work, alone, tends to limit our physical size. And perhaps counter-intuitively, heavy lifting—in this context defined by loads equivalent to 1 to 6 <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-repetition_maximum\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">repetitions maximum</a>—stimulates strength gain whilst permitting too little training volume to encourage significant hypertrophy.</p>\n\n<p>It should be noted that <a href=\"https://www.livescience.com/52998-women-combat-gender-differences.html#:~:text=A%20study%20in%20the%20Journal,on%20average%2C%20the%20study%20found.&amp;text=In%20general%2C%20men%20are%20also%20faster%20than%20women.\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">women develop considerably less muscle bulk than men</a> due to their lower levels of testosterone—on average, women have approximately 25% less muscle mass relative to their size—but the relative strength of their muscle is comparable. Furthermore, they tend to have greater muscular endurance and consequently higher exercise tolerance. <em>Only a small subsection of women who are particularly gifted for strength and power have a propensity to develop large muscle bulk easily.</em> (And to a great degree, the same is true of men—hence fora such as this.)</p>\n\n<p>So in summary: lift heavily; don't do excessive lifting volume; and complement your strength work with a significant volume of long (aerobic) endurance work.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42170, "author": "Frank", "author_id": 24487, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24487", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Assuming you’re 6’ tall and 200 pounds right now, your completely untrained squat is probably around 100 pounds - assuming you go to the proper depth and use the correct form. So, pound for pound, your squat to weight ratio is about 0.5. </p>\n\n<p>Do the Starting Strength novice linear progression properly and you’ll be squatting 320-360 in about 3-5 months and you’ll weigh about 230-240 pounds. So, in 3-5 months you go from a squat to weight ratio that was 0.5 to a ratio of about 1.36! The deadlift, bench and press will have similar increases in this ratio!</p>\n\n<p>Now, let’s say you are 6’0 and 200 pounds and squat 95. Say you decide to lose 30 pounds. Your squat numbers will go down as you lose weight. Let’s say after 30 pounds of weight loss, your squat is 85 pounds at that point.</p>\n\n<p>Now your body weight is 170 pounds and you squat 85 pounds. Your squat to weight ratio is still about 0.5!</p>\n\n<p>To get stronger, you need to lift progressively heavier weights... Gaining weight while getting stronger will still yield better results than losing weight.</p>\n\n<p>Your best bet would be to get to a point in which you can lift very heavy weights and then subsequently lose as much fat as possible. You might still be slightly heavier than your initial weight, but your body composition will be startlingly different.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42155", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42163, "author": "JustSnilloc", "author_id": 27881, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/27881", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>The fastest and most reliable way to increase strength without gaining weight is to drop your bodyfat percentage. Take a short 110 lb woman as an example. If she is at 30% bodyfat, she has 33 lbs of fat and 77 lbs of lean mass. However, if she gains 11 lbs of muscle and drops 11 lbs of fat, she'll be at a leaner 110 lbs with 20% bodyfat. Eleven pounds of muscle is nothing to scoff at and would provide a lot of strength.</p>\n\n<p>Outside of additional muscle mass, doing lower rep sets that are close to your one rep max will provide greater adaptations towards strength. Powerlifters tend to primarily train in this style. Sets of 1-5 reps that are taken to or close to failure (close to failure more often than to failure if you aren't peaking) is the general idea here.</p>\n\n<p>Eat plenty of protein (~1g per pound of lean mass) to support the adaptations of your muscle tissues, and eat approximately enough calories to maintain weight. If you're worried about becoming \"too big\", don't be. Unless you're a one in a million genetic freak, you'll find adding muscle to takes a really long time. Best case scenario for a newbie male lifter looking to maximize muscle is 2 lbs per month while in a surplus. Most guys aren't getting 1 lb per month when they start, and the more you gain the slower you gain additional muscle. Muscle is smaller than fat too, so if you drop bodyfat percentage while staying at the same weight, you'll be smaller without having lost weight.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42164, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 1, "selected": false, "text": "<p><em>Yes, it is absolutely possible to get stronger whilst losing weight or remaining the same; it is the norm for many athletes.</em></p>\n\n<p><em>Relative strength</em> is the term used to describe our strength relative to our body mass. It can be evaluated as a <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimensionless_quantity\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">dimensionless</a> ratio of the mass that we can lift for a particular exercise of interest—for example, the squat—divided by our body mass. That is:</p>\n\n<pre><code> mass of lift\nrelative strength = ———————————————————\n body mass\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Diet alone may indeed increase your relative strength by decreasing your body mass—that is, the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraction_(mathematics)\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">denominator</a> in the equation—but <em>it will not increase your strength meaningfully without training</em>.</p>\n\n<p>It is important to understand, also, that ‘big’ and ‘heavy’ are subjective terms, and we are all going to perceive them differently. However, to put things into perspective, at her peak, Allyson Felix (pictured below) could squat around 140 kilograms (300 lbs) at a body-weight of 55 kilograms (120 lbs)—a relative strength well in excess of that of most amateur bodybuilders! A light, athletic frame can certainly be developed to be extremely strong.</p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/sBYUY.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/sBYUY.jpg\" alt=\"Allyson Felix\"></a></p>\n\n<p>The key to developing a high relative strength is a training regimen characterised by <em>heavy lifting</em> with <em>low relative volume</em>, combined with aerobic endurance training. Aerobic endurance training hinders the <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertrophy\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">hypertrophy</a> of Type I (slow oxidative) <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle#Vertebrate_Skeletal_Muscle_Fiber_Types\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">muscle fibres</a>, and further develops the endurance characteristics of Type IIA (fast oxidative glycolytic) fibres. Endurance work, alone, tends to limit our physical size. And perhaps counter-intuitively, heavy lifting—in this context defined by loads equivalent to 1 to 6 <a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-repetition_maximum\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">repetitions maximum</a>—stimulates strength gain whilst permitting too little training volume to encourage significant hypertrophy.</p>\n\n<p>It should be noted that <a href=\"https://www.livescience.com/52998-women-combat-gender-differences.html#:~:text=A%20study%20in%20the%20Journal,on%20average%2C%20the%20study%20found.&amp;text=In%20general%2C%20men%20are%20also%20faster%20than%20women.\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">women develop considerably less muscle bulk than men</a> due to their lower levels of testosterone—on average, women have approximately 25% less muscle mass relative to their size—but the relative strength of their muscle is comparable. Furthermore, they tend to have greater muscular endurance and consequently higher exercise tolerance. <em>Only a small subsection of women who are particularly gifted for strength and power have a propensity to develop large muscle bulk easily.</em> (And to a great degree, the same is true of men—hence fora such as this.)</p>\n\n<p>So in summary: lift heavily; don't do excessive lifting volume; and complement your strength work with a significant volume of long (aerobic) endurance work.</p>\n\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42170, "author": "Frank", "author_id": 24487, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/24487", "pm_score": -1, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Assuming you’re 6’ tall and 200 pounds right now, your completely untrained squat is probably around 100 pounds - assuming you go to the proper depth and use the correct form. So, pound for pound, your squat to weight ratio is about 0.5. </p>\n\n<p>Do the Starting Strength novice linear progression properly and you’ll be squatting 320-360 in about 3-5 months and you’ll weigh about 230-240 pounds. So, in 3-5 months you go from a squat to weight ratio that was 0.5 to a ratio of about 1.36! The deadlift, bench and press will have similar increases in this ratio!</p>\n\n<p>Now, let’s say you are 6’0 and 200 pounds and squat 95. Say you decide to lose 30 pounds. Your squat numbers will go down as you lose weight. Let’s say after 30 pounds of weight loss, your squat is 85 pounds at that point.</p>\n\n<p>Now your body weight is 170 pounds and you squat 85 pounds. Your squat to weight ratio is still about 0.5!</p>\n\n<p>To get stronger, you need to lift progressively heavier weights... Gaining weight while getting stronger will still yield better results than losing weight.</p>\n\n<p>Your best bet would be to get to a point in which you can lift very heavy weights and then subsequently lose as much fat as possible. You might still be slightly heavier than your initial weight, but your body composition will be startlingly different.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42175", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]

[ { "answer_id": 42181, "author": "rrirower", "author_id": 7242, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/7242", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>'Progress' is a very <strong>individual</strong> thing. If you train naturally (ie. Without the use of muscle building drugs), and you should, it may take weeks, months, or, even years to see appreciable gains. Some of the gains will come from proper <strong>technique</strong>, and, some will come from <strong>genetics</strong>. If you've decided to make exercise a part of your way of life, you must commit to it. That means training consistently and not giving up when your gains plateau. Don't stress so much about the short term gains. Enjoy the journey and along the way educate yourself on what works for <strong>you</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>Keep a journal. Write down the exercise metrics that pertain to your training. Keep track of how you feel after each workout. Check occasionally to see if the numbers improve. Exercising is not only about making muscular gains. It's also about improving your health.</p>\n\n<p>Progress is also directly related to your fitness <strong>goals</strong>. Have you defined them and do you know how to achieve them? Make short term, and, long term goals. Achieving a goal is certainly a sign of progress.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42182, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 0, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Do you recover faster from the same of training from your last workout? If the answer is yes then you made progress.</p>\n<p>Are you able to move more weight than last time? If the answer is yes, then you made progress.</p>\n<p>Do your muscles ache less than last time? If the answer is yes, then you made progress.</p>\n<p>Does your body warm up faster than last time? If the answer is yes then you made progress.</p>\n<p>Can you do the same exercise for one more repetition than last time? If the answer is yes, then you made progress.</p>\n<p>Can you lift the same weight faster than last time? If the answer is yes then you made progress.</p>\n<p>Can you keep a better balance than last time without shaking under the weight or your own weight? If the answer is yes then you made progress.</p>\n<p>Can you move the weight or your body with higher precision, less kipping and more controlled bar path? If the answer is yes then you made progress.</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42521, "author": "Community", "author_id": -1, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1", "pm_score": 2, "selected": false, "text": "<p>Here is how to track it:</p>\n<p>strength/Hypertrophy: keep an excel sheet of all your personal records. for bodyweight, keep track of max reps. for weight, keep track of how much weight you can max lift at different rep schemes (10 reps, 15 reps, 6 reps, etc..). for hypertrophy, measure max bests at 8-12 rep range. make sure to keep all the variables the same for each measurement.. for instance, if you rest 60 seconds for 3 sets of 10 of a bench press with 100lb, record your weight with those numbers. if you start doing 4 sets of 10, or resting 30 seconds instead, but doing 90lb, it doesn't mean you loss strength, as you're doing more sets and resting less, but it can be hard to track personal gain keeping track of 90lb after 100, so write a new row on your spreadsheet if you're changing the variables, otherwise you should be ok. This is the best way to actually put a number on your progress, and you can even graph your growth over time if you feel like doing the math.</p>\n<p>fat loss: measure your bodyfat using a 3-point test or 7 point test with body fat calipers, then compare it to your actual weight. if your bodyfat is going down, you know you're losing fat. if your weight is going down but your bodyfat isn't, your losing muscle. if your bodyfat is going down but your weight is going up, your gaining muscle or preserving muscle.</p>\n<p>Hypertrophy method# 2: Measure each muscle at the biggest point, such as your bicep/arm, thigh, chest, calf, forearm. You can look up how to accurately measure these online, but if the numbers are improving, so are you. You can also use the personal records sheet like you would for strength, if you're getting stronger its likely you're building muscle. Its best to measure bodyfat and try to stay within 7% of that range (if you're 200 lb or below, otherwise 4%). if you gain too much fat, it can be hard in certain spots to measure what is muscle or fat. Back muscles are hard to measure other than chest width(includes your lats), so I think the most accurate way is to track your progress on personal records of weights along with looking in a mirror. for hypertrophy you want to record your personal max bests in the 8-12 rep range</p>\n" }, { "answer_id": 42551, "author": "POD", "author_id": 33195, "author_profile": "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/33195", "pm_score": 3, "selected": true, "text": "<p><em>In the most simple terms: through</em> <em><strong>measurement</strong></em> <em>and</em> <em><strong>records</strong></em>. <em>Without these two practices, we have no objective way of knowing how, or even if or whether we are progressing.</em> The more rigorous and detailed our measurements, the more we can learn about our progress. And through measurement, we can further determine which aspects of our training are most effective and which, for example, may be causing us to stagnate or languish.</p>\n<p>This implies that our pursuit must be <strong>measurable</strong>, <strong>objective</strong>, and <strong>definitive</strong>, which might therefore appear to be problematic for sports such as bodybuilding, which are inherently subjective. It similarly presents challenges for sports in which our performances are mutually exclusive, such as racquet sports, the various football codes, or the martial arts. Nevertheless, there always exist underlying dependencies in these sports that are objective. The key is to avoid chasing goals such as “I want to get fitter” or “I want to look good,” since such goals are implicitly unachievable or immeasurable. That is, either the bar is perpetually moving, or it is unclear where indeed the bar lies.</p>\n<p>Competitive bodybuilding is the expression of lean mass, size, balance, and proportion—the latter of which includes elements of subjectivity, but which can nevertheless be described in objective terms if we know what the judges are looking for. Hence, periodic measurement of body mass, body composition, and muscle girth at different sites provide all the information required to see how training is altering our physique. And of course, the training itself—strength, endurance, and recoverable volume (MRV)—is entirely measurable too, and hence comparable.</p>\n<p>For mutually exclusive performance sports, it is necessary to identify the skills and qualities that influence our performances. Our competitor/s can always prove to be better, or better ‘on the day’, as it were, but if we are measuring objective improvements in our physical performances in training, they will eventually translate to corresponding improvements in our competitions. <em>For how long do we compete? What types of speed or agility do we require? What are the force and power characteristics of our sport? Are we being limited by flexibility, efficiency, or economy? And what of technical elements?</em> If we can answer these questions, we can design a battery of tests around those skills and qualities, and hence track our progress.</p>\n<p>Sports that are based on extrinsic measurements of time, distance, force, and power are most easily tracked, of course. We can measure our time at distance intervals, distance covered at time intervals, or our average and maximum speed, power, and force output. At the very least, we should measure one primary performance metric against time. (See below.) Physiological factors such as temperatures, heart rates, respiration rates, and sweat rates can be equally important. And secondary performance characteristics such as stride rates, stroke rates, or cadence further allow us to interpret these results—for example, <em>how are we to explain the sudden fall in performance at the end of this graph? Was it a change in distance, a different type of training, or following a bout of sickness?</em></p>\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/gxfGB.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/gxfGB.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\" /></a></p>\n<p>Together, these data allow us to put together a ‘picture’ of how we are progressing and, most importantly, what we need to do or change in order to reach our goals. And as both an analytical and motivational tool, it helps to programme long-term and interim performance goals which allow us to ‘see’ our achievements. The simple example below describes actual energy consumption per bout, as well as showing the target energy output—in this case, the distance of the course.</p>\n<p><a href=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y4Hpf.png\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\"><img src=\"https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y4Hpf.png\" alt=\"enter image description here\" /></a></p>\n<p><em>The bottom line is that, whatever your goal, you must have some way of assessing how you are improving. For you, it would most aptly be measured in terms of strength (loads), muscular endurance (repetitions), recovery (MRV), and muscular girth (cross-sectional area), which is associated with strength and endurance. Without objective evidence of physiological and/or functional adaptation, it is unsurprising that you might feel as though you are not progressing. And that is always going to be demotivating, as you have found.</em></p>\n<p>I hope that helps.</p>\n" } ]

[ "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/42180", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com", "https://fitness.stackexchange.com/users/-1/" ]