The Official Stupid Question Thread

[Jabbzz]

I see thanks for the tips. I had no clue that calorie deficit would be better than cardio. I always assumed that calorie deficit also meant losing muscle.

Also instead of "building" muscle I meant to say "maintain" my size/strength.

no problem
I wouldnt compare the two like that, i would treat your diet as the key, beacuse if you think about it cardio burns calories which just makes the defecit bigger, you only want a small deficet. it may take some time at 0.5-1lb of weightloss a week but its the only way to preserve the most muscle mass, good luck anyway.

[ForGreece]

Ok so Ive been working out since about the beginning of summer (may 2011). Im 5'1. 110 pounds and my body fat percentage (according to my electronic scale) is 16.5. I want to bulk up for football, but I'm not sure if I should loose more weight then start getting bigger. Ive been reading about all these cutting and bulking teqniques and don't know where to start. If i want to lose weight but stay at my same muscle level, should I continue with my regular workout routines or start doing more cardio (I do cardio about 3 times a week) and reduce the amount of weight.

My routine:
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: arms, stomach, legs, cardio
Tuesdays, Thursdays: Chest, shoulders/back.

Thanks

Training should be no different whether you are bulking or cutting. The only thing that should change is your diet. Eat less calories than you burn for weight loss. Eat more calories you burn for weight gain. Keep protein to 1g/lb bodyweight.

I always knew that most of my muscles were imbalanced but know that I look at my biceps, it seems that it's pretty bad. I read here before to ignore imbalances and continue but I don't know. Should I stop working my right side until the other one catches up or just continue normally? My lifts are:

Right hand:
Bicep curl: 12.5KG, 6+ reps
Hammer curl: 15KG 6+ reps

Left hand:
Bicep curl: 10KG 6+ reps
Hammer curl: 12.5KG 6+ reps

Took these just now.
Right

Left



Another thing is that when I went to my sh-t school gym, I was able to curl 15KG for 10+ reps with ease and the DBs felt much lighter then the ones I use at home. I was able to DB Press their 20KGs but the ones I have, I can only do 15KGs. Does the 1.25KG Celcius DB (without plates) make that much of a difference? Or is it because the Celcius plates are just more dense? These are the bars and plates I have.

The difference is not even noticeable. And definitely do not use different weights for each arm. Use lighter weights with the strong arm if you have to. The biggest thing with muscle imbalances is form problems. Fix your form. (You may go lower with one arm, more momentum, etc.)

About Bench Press form. Do I really need to pause after the bar goes down? How long? What if I like, paused for 0.5 seconds (or no pause at all)? Is it what they call ''bumping the bars off the chest''?

Having a faster form makes BP easier for me.

You don't need to pause your bench unless you are powerlifting IMO. Bumping off the chest is literally bumping the bar off your chest.

Just lower the bar and press it up when it touches your chest.

Does anyone know how I can attain ripped obliques without developing a wide waist or thicker waist, which often comes from compound lifts like squats and deadlifts? I'm after a v-taper look and don't want obliques to take away from that.

Oblique training doesn't make your waist much wider. Low bf% is what makes your obliques look good.

Will be there be any hindering with my strength spurt due to my diet?even without the SS,could i gain mass if i lifted heavy while cutting?(Protein is kinda low,about 80-90 grams on bad days and 120-140 on good days)

Btw eisai 8eos

Giasou re file. With the low calories, it will be harder to increase strength compared to if you were bulking. But if you start bulking again the strength will shoot back up.

And you probably won't gain any mass while cutting.

And get more protein malaka.

so i just stoped training at around 4months ago, long story short, i lost ALOT of mass and now weigh like 135lb (5'8''), as soon as feb comes im starting training again, all i wanna do really is LEAN bulk, really slowgains but 99% lean muscle gains, my problem is i have been spending hours trying to sort a diet out but i cant get my head around it, roughly im gonna need 135g protein right ? but then how many carbs do i need. i worked out i need to be consuming roughly 2400 calories to gain slowly but then i looked at 40/40/20 split, and nothing fits, 135g protein is like 540 calories and thats like 22.5%, so damn confusing.

btw: when i was training before i never paid attetion to this stuff but i see this as a fresh start so i wanna do thing properly.

Percentage splits never work well. Just get 135g protein like you said, .45g/lb in fats, and fill the rest with carbs. Also, 2400 seems pretty low.

[jaskarankang007]

what is the purpose of pumping in workout ??

[CaptainQ]

Giasou re file. With the low calories, it will be harder to increase strength compared to if you were bulking. But if you start bulking again the strength will shoot back up.

And you probably won't gain any mass while cutting.

And get more protein malaka.

Krisi+17 xronon=****.

But CAN the strength be increased?i don't care about mass atm till 10% BF but i wanna know if i'll be struggling to train dat back for the next 4 months.

How long will it take average to build some endurance?i can't really run a lot,i mostly run around the school block when i'm done.
Also cal counting running is a real bitch,least with walking i knew i'd burn about 250 per hour.

oh and if mass won't increase but strength might,how is mass related to strength?I always thought mass=strength

PS:to greek yogurt ine to stragisto?exo kati poli glika nounou p ine 125 cals me 14g prot

[JMbrah]

Which of these two routines do you guys think would be more effective?
Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Arms
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Rest

OR

Monday - Chest/Triceps
Tuesday - OFF
Wednesday - Back/Biceps
Thursday - OFF
Friday - Shoulders
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Legs

I'm not too sure, because I hear and read that you shouldn't train every day, but I know people who have great physiques and basically train every day.

[Jabbzz]

Which of these two routines do you guys think would be more effective?
Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Legs
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Arms
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Rest

OR

Monday - Chest/Triceps
Tuesday - OFF
Wednesday - Back/Biceps
Thursday - OFF
Friday - Shoulders
Saturday - OFF
Sunday - Legs

I'm not too sure, because I hear and read that you shouldn't train every day, but I know people who have great physiques and basically train every day.

Both routines are great, simple but effective, it really depends on you and how your body recovers, training the same muscle group each day is BAD, if its different each day then your cool to do carry on

[forestopher]

I'm 18, 6'1" and weigh 152lbs. I go into surgery next week and am not allowed to go to the gym or do any physical activity for 4 weeks can anyone recommend a good nutrition plan for me to maintain my size without loss or gain of fat or muscle?

[Bigboychase]

Hi guys, I've been training for about a year now and I only just found about the Ripptoes SS plan. Would it still be beneficial to start it if I already have a pretty decent strength foundation and have been doing compound exercises/iso's in my training. Sounds stupid I know xD Ty in advance

[ForGreece]

I'm 18, 6'1" and weigh 152lbs. I go into surgery next week and am not allowed to go to the gym or do any physical activity for 4 weeks can anyone recommend a good nutrition plan for me to maintain my size without loss or gain of fat or muscle?

Find your maintenance calories. Eat that amount of calories each day. Get 1g protein per lb of bodyweight minimum. .45g per pound bodyweight minimum, and fill the rest with carbs. Good luck at your surgery.

what is the purpose of pumping in workout ??

Nothing really. It just causes blood to rush into the muscles to make them appear fuller.

Krisi+17 xronon=****.

But CAN the strength be increased?i don't care about mass atm till 10% BF but i wanna know if i'll be struggling to train dat back for the next 4 months.

How long will it take average to build some endurance?i can't really run a lot,i mostly run around the school block when i'm done.
Also cal counting running is a real bitch,least with walking i knew i'd burn about 250 per hour.

oh and if mass won't increase but strength might,how is mass related to strength?I always thought mass=strength

PS:to greek yogurt ine to stragisto?exo kati poli glika nounou p ine 125 cals me 14g prot

Yes, strength can be increased. Strength comes from strengthening your central nervous system, not building muscles so to speak.

Also, i can't really tell you how long it will take to build endurance because i don't know your endurance level and how much endurance you are looking for. But sprints while pushing to your hardest alternated with light walking is very good HIIT.

Mass doesn't necessarily equal strength. Like i said, the central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for a lot of strength.

And that yogurt is fine.

Hi guys, I've been training for about a year now and I only just found about the Ripptoes SS plan. Would it still be beneficial to start it if I already have a pretty decent strength foundation and have been doing compound exercises/iso's in my training. Sounds stupid I know xD Ty in advance

Take 5 rep max for Bench, squat, and deadlift. Add them together (in lbs.). If the number is higher than 800, do something else. If the number is lower, do SS.

[Bigboychase]

Find your maintenance calories. Eat that amount of calories each day. Get 1g protein per lb of bodyweight minimum. .45g per pound bodyweight minimum, and fill the rest with carbs. Good luck at your surgery.


Nothing really. It just causes blood to rush into the muscles to make them appear fuller.


Yes, strength can be increased. Strength comes from strengthening your central nervous system, not building muscles so to speak.

Also, i can't really tell you how long it will take to build endurance because i don't know your endurance level and how much endurance you are looking for. But sprints while pushing to your hardest alternated with light walking is very good HIIT.

Mass doesn't necessarily equal strength. Like i said, the central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for a lot of strength.

And that yogurt is fine.


Take 5 rep max for Bench, squat, and deadlift. Add them together (in lbs.). If the number is higher than 800, do something else. If the number is lower, do SS.

Thanks mate!

[forestopher]

[QUOTE=ForGreece;821040371]Find your maintenance calories. Eat that amount of calories each day. Get 1g protein per lb of bodyweight minimum. .45g per pound bodyweight minimum, and fill the rest with carbs. Good luck at your surgery.

Thank you appreciate it! So just stick with my meal plan and just adjust the protien fats and carbs.

[coolfreitas]

Teach me how to lift on a cut.

Everything I read negates the other.

So far I know, lower volume, higher intensity.

Now the question - Full body? Hypertrophy training? Athletic training? Rep scheme/set scheme? Split? Push/pull? WOt?

ty

[insane45]

im taking creatine monohydrate and im drinking a gallon of water a day. Im drinking the gallon now and i habve to get up and pee every 10-15 minutes.Is this normal? Im peeing out my creatine am i?

[TheMoustache]

I'm 17 and weigh 190 pounds, i go to the gym 5 times a week and do cardio once a week. My goal is to gain as much muscle as possible but dont know how much calories, carbs, protiens and fats i should be eating each day. Also im going back to school next week and was wondering if anyone had any tips on some quick meals i could make in the morning that are healthy.

[mynameisAhmed]

about stretching when to do it before or after i readed alot about it but they are all diffrent :- some people say to do it before some say after some say both wich is better !??

[jaskarankang007]

hey guys tell me you bench in kg ???? and what is the normal bench for teens ? i am 18 and my bench is 100kg.

[Jabbzz]

I'm 17 and weigh 190 pounds, i go to the gym 5 times a week and do cardio once a week. My goal is to gain as much muscle as possible but dont know how much calories, carbs, protiens and fats i should be eating each day. Also im going back to school next week and was wondering if anyone had any tips on some quick meals i could make in the morning that are healthy.

Go to the nutrition thread, you should find stickies with the calculations you need to work out how many calories you need to maintain your weight, then add 10/15% of that total onto the first total and that is how many calories you need to gain weight. Porridge + skim millk in microwave for 3 mins, then add pb and chopped bannana and even a scoop of choc whey. Quick, easy and tasty!

[Jabbzz]

im taking creatine monohydrate and im drinking a gallon of water a day. Im drinking the gallon now and i habve to get up and pee every 10-15 minutes.Is this normal? Im peeing out my creatine am i?

Well i havnt used creatine but i drink like 2l of water a day, so i know that when you drink alot of water your body isnt ised to it so i end up peein ALOT, it will calm down after a while tho

[inquisitive808]

Hey guys, I've been doing Starting Strength for a few months now, and I'm unable to get past my very small PRs of a 200lb Deadlift, a 190lb Squat, a 130lb Bench and a 100lb Press. I'm sure my form is fine, I'm getting over 200g of protein and 3500+ calories a day, and I've put on a decent amount of muscle mass, I'm bigger all over. Yet, after deloading twice (I cut the weights I was lifting by half for a week, then went back at it with 90% of my max), I still can't break these barriers. My form is fine, so I have absolutely no idea as to what it could be. Any help?

[CaptainQ]

Yes, strength can be increased. Strength comes from strengthening your central nervous system, not building muscles so to speak.

Also, i can't really tell you how long it will take to build endurance because i don't know your endurance level and how much endurance you are looking for. But sprints while pushing to your hardest alternated with light walking is very good HIIT.

Mass doesn't necessarily equal strength. Like i said, the central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for a lot of strength.

And that yogurt is fine.

If so,is mass purely aesthetic?

Btw,i will start to run for at least half an hour a day at school and workout thrice a week,full body (almost)

Scooby's calculator says my BMR is 1850 cals,my daily cals are 2,8k and that to cut i'd have to eat 2284 cals.

is this reliable?when do i have to eat so many cals considering the lack of lifting the other 4 days of the week?

this really confused me.

[Pmedford1]

Do you have any recommendations of ab exercises?

[Jabbzz]

Do you have any recommendations of ab exercises?

Hanging leg raises are a killer, crunches, weighted situps, planks, biycycles. Thats a good selection just to superset

[ForGreece]

Teach me how to lift on a cut.

Everything I read negates the other.

So far I know, lower volume, higher intensity.

Now the question - Full body? Hypertrophy training? Athletic training? Rep scheme/set scheme? Split? Push/pull? WOt?

ty

Do the same routine you did to gain your muscle. The one that got you the muscle is the one that will keep it.

about stretching when to do it before or after i readed alot about it but they are all diffrent :- some people say to do it before some say after some say both wich is better !??

You should do dynamic stretching before and static stretching after.

hey guys tell me you bench in kg ???? and what is the normal bench for teens ? i am 18 and my bench is 100kg.

Your bench is fine. You are stronger than most teens.

Hey guys, I've been doing Starting Strength for a few months now, and I'm unable to get past my very small PRs of a 200lb Deadlift, a 190lb Squat, a 130lb Bench and a 100lb Press. I'm sure my form is fine, I'm getting over 200g of protein and 3500+ calories a day, and I've put on a decent amount of muscle mass, I'm bigger all over. Yet, after deloading twice (I cut the weights I was lifting by half for a week, then went back at it with 90% of my max), I still can't break these barriers. My form is fine, so I have absolutely no idea as to what it could be. Any help?

Reset the weights. Decrease the weights by 30 lbs on squat and deadlift, and 15 lbs on bench and work back up.

If so,is mass purely aesthetic?

Btw,i will start to run for at least half an hour a day at school and workout thrice a week,full body (almost)

Scooby's calculator says my BMR is 1850 cals,my daily cals are 2,8k and that to cut i'd have to eat 2284 cals.

is this reliable?when do i have to eat so many cals considering the lack of lifting the other 4 days of the week?

this really confused me.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say by the first sentence. But with mass does come strength, don't get me wrong, but a lot of the strength is due to your CNS.

And determining your BMR is trial and error. Eat at 2200 calories a day for a week and see you your weight changes. If you lose a lb, you should be 500 under maintenance.

[coolfreitas]

Do the same routine you did to gain your muscle. The one that got you the muscle is the one that will keep it.

Less volume than my current hypertrophy routine I assume?

Currently on PHAT. Finished WS4SBIII 7 weeks ago.

Imma do dat dere WS4SBIII While I cut methinks.

[Lee72]

Is it a bad idea to not count calories or macros, and just eat lots of healthy food?

[LimeH3]

Do I need to do cardio to get my abs to show if I'm already low bodyfat? Im a twig, skinny. Probably 5-7% Body fat. I'm starting to work on abs so I was just wondering.

[LimeH3]

Also, is it ok to drink a protein shake with yogurt mixed in? The stuff I use is just powder with milk, but that alone tastes awful. With yogurt it actually tastes really good but there's 26g of sugar in it.

[steezyt]

Also, is it ok to drink a protein shake with yogurt mixed in? The stuff I use is just powder with milk, but that alone tastes awful. With yogurt it actually tastes really good but there's 26g of sugar in it.

What kind of protein powder are you using?

[josen2006]

Good idea about this thread though
I like it!

[doggies2012]

Hey,ive been working out for a couple months now and my biceps looks weird. my lower part of my bicep has a bump but once it gets higher its kinda flat (seen in my profile pic and attachement also weighing around 86kg and 165cm height but wen i flex no problems with my arm). for my bicep training i do 12.5kg dumbbells do i need to increase my weight of the dumbbells? or is my arm looking like dis normal?

thanks