Probably not, they are pretty dedicated while I show up mostly for the company. I guess if I stop being able to keep up I will have to just stick to the wine only events. And thanks for making that thread. Now we will just need to make sure it gets bumped. Chater is pretty fitness friendly so hopefully he will oblige. I need a dedicated place to bitch about having to give up my heavy whipping cream in my coffee.
This is the sports board, it doesn't need to get bumped, it's good to go. And you don't need to give up your heavy whipping cream, while cream is technically dairy there's no casein in it. Only the lunatic fringe and people with serious allergies avoid cream and butter.
I just repped somebody with this, but I really like Fitocracy. It's basically when working out meets social media. Track your workouts, chat with people about fitness, follow people's progress. It also has achievements and "quests" and shit, if you're a gamer type or you like to challenge yourself. It's a great motivational tool, actually. Just knowing there are other people out there trying to improve their lives is a big help. The site looks like the screenshot below. I can send anyone invites if y'all want. Spoiler Ignore the cardio, I actually do lift! I swear!
I just picked up a tub of NOXplode on sort of a whim (and recommendations from my 3 or 4 friends who've taken it) and holy shit. I don't drink caffeine often anymore, and holy shit was a scoop of this stuff (apparently 2 cups' of coffee's worth of caffeine) a kick in the mouth (and bladder). But I was definitely more alert and ready to go for my 8am workout (college PE class yeah!) than I usually am. I searched around and saw a brief discussion of this stuff from last year, but I was hoping for some expanded opinions, if anyone has firsthand experience with it. Just looking at the ingredients list I can tell that following the recommended dosage would be insane, and I don't want that much creatine floating around my system, but does anyone have advice for using it beyond "take it slow and if stop immediately if anything starts feeling funny?" Also, I was taking L-Arginine before I got this stuff, but are there any other supplements (looking more for something like L-arginine than NOXplode actually) y'all know of or take that will improve my running? I know hard work and sucking it up is both the best and most manly way to become a better runner, but as someone who has been using running only as a quick 1-mile warmup before lifting for ages, I'd really like something to make the transition to running for distance - even just like 5k distance - less sucky.
I have no idea where to post this, so I'll post it here. Anyone know of a good heating pad brand? I'm talking one that gets hotter than the sun with no auto shutoff. I fucked up my lower back, and when I'm in my physio's office he has me lay on one for about 15 minutes that is FANTASTIC; none of the cheap Walmart ones come close. Suggestions?
I don't use a heating pad, but I do use this stuff. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2e87c5f0-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&gas=equiblock" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html ... =equiblock</a> It's specially designed for race horses. When it heats up, it really heats up. The best part is that if you put it on at 5:00pm for training, it will reactivate when you take a shower in the morning.
I will probably not be able to put in any gym time for the next few months. Whether that ends up being the case or not, I'm not sure, but I know myself and I know my circumstances and I'm guessing gym visits are going to be few and far between. I have a collection of free weights at home but no structural equipment (bench, rack), so I can do some lifts but a couple of the major ones like squats and bench presses are essentially impossible to do. With that said, and the goal of a general improvement in lean muscle (not looking to pack on the pounds), would it be better to pursue a slightly crippled weight program, or do something more targeted at home users like P90X?
Are there any good beginner places to start on flexibility and mobility? This guy seems super knowledgeable but even starting at the beginning like the page suggest, he throws WAY too much at you from the jump. The first one, the 10 minute squat test for starters. He never clearly explains how it is performed in the first place and only points out a couple of various problems that can arise all while using terminology you'd need a sports science degree to decode. I feel like this is made for college or professional athletes that have already had years of training with, at least, somewhat knowledgeable trainers. I have insanely tight hamstrings and undoubtably have many issues arising while squating/deadlifting that he goes over because of this and my back issues. I do the basic physical therapy stretches but I'd like to take it to the next level. This guy is about 5 levels above that.
Get a baseball and sit on a hard chair with it underneath your buttcheek and hamstrings. You can also talk to someone about some PNF stretching but that isn't something to undertake lightly. Also, Start doing yoga. It's excellent for increased ROM.
Wow, fuck Smith machines, I mean literally just toss them all into a volcano. Here I had been thinking that I couldn't do squats because I couldn't get a good grip/position on the bar on the Smith machine, so I was wondering if I'd ever be able to do a regular squat - I mean if you can't get a good grip on a smith machine bar there's no hope for you with a regular bar, right? So today I was finally able to get an appointment with one of my two preferred trainers and he had me squat from a power rack. Lo and behold I'm able to get a good grip with good bar placement across my back and do five sets with practically zero discomfort (I still need to work on my shoulder/arm flexibility). My grip isn't as narrow as I'd like to get it due to the aforementioned arm/shoulder flexibility, but it's good enough to allow me to squat with good form. I finally have something to look forward to on my leg days now.
the smith machine is possibly the worst lifting invention ever. Yes, even more so than Nautilus machines.
Can anyone point me towards a good workout for the GF? I tried to get her to do some of the MBP but it was a no go. Doesn't like the weights. She'd rather do 25 reps if it was "easy" instead of 5 "hard" reps. She's your typical mid 30's Mom and she isn't trying to get all buff. She is naturally very skinny girl (think Keira Knightley) but she feels like she's getting a muffin top. Thanks edit- jesus, looks like a 7 y/o wrote that. I blame the Taco Bell food coma
that was exactly my point. She isn't going to do deads, squats etc. but I don't want her just plodding along on the treadmill chatting with her friends. She WILL workout with weights, but nothing "heavy" and for her, heavy is just about anything in the double digits.
What about starting her with very low weights? Like air squats and pushups, dead lifting just the bar etc... If nothing else she won't be doing worthless motions.
It's a common misconception that women are going to "get buff" if they lift good weight on compound exercises. Women simply don't have the necessary testosterone to bulk up the way men do. Amusingly enough, it's those very same compound movements that will cause her to lose weight and get the "tone" women crave since she will build lean muscle which will burn more calories at rest. If her diet is somewhat decent she should look into someone showing her good form on explosive movements (think olympic lifts like a clean) and compound movements like squats and deadlifts. If she doesn't like staying at the lower end of the rep spectrum she could definitely increase to 8-10 reps that are somewhat challenging, but 25 reps is not that useful IMO.
70's Big does a women's training focused post every Monday and has a lot of worth while material. Some of it is heavy reading, and some of their positions I don't agree with. But there's a lot of good information that's worth reading as a starting point. The Novice Female Nutrition post is a good jump off point and has links back to the getting women to train series, that's probably worth a read.