The Official Stupid Question Thread: PART 2

[xJBx22x]

Nothing will "harden" your muscles. If you work a muscle you will gain mass. you can not bulk while cutting they are the opposite of each other. You won't get big by lifting weights a few times don't worry...

Maybe "harden" wasn't the right word. During the last period of time I was at the gym, I was trying to lose weight but my only workout was the lifting. My weight was static for the whole time, yet I got stronger each time I went (I didn't gain any mass that I noticed, but I may have been going back and forth between losing a bit and gaining a bit seeing as my diet was on-and-off). The only difference I noticed was that my muscles seemed harder, or perhaps denser than they were before I had started. I had no idea what I was doing as far as reps though, so I would literally have workouts with sets switching between 12-15 reps and as low as 4 reps, so I don't really know if I should go back to that mix or if there's some ideal range to help me achieve my goals.

As for lifting weights "a few times", I don't have any plans on stopping my lifting once I start, so if I bulk for some months in the future I would like to know I could manipulate my workouts/diet so that my upper body muscles grew while my lower body muscles can either maintain or even gain strength but don't actually grow. The last time I was trying to bulk was for off-season football workouts, and my thighs/glutes got much larger from it.

Sorry if what I'm saying doesn't really make sense, but hey, that's why I'm in here.

[iMac46]

How do you get more sideways width? Not the shoulder width but the sideways width

[Calabek]

Hey whatsup everyone! I really hope this is in the right section. I apologise so much if it's not! And I hope I don't get hate or banned for trying to sneak around the minimum 50 post before posting picture and links :P

My name is Tony, I'm 21, around 6'4" and around 83kgs - I THINK. The measurements aren't exact as I haven't had time to take them. Regardless, I have a fast metabolism and also I have tried just working out at home and trying to follow a diet, but something always comes up and I lose focus. The longest I've gone is about 7 weeks.

I live in Australia and it's currently winter - if this matters? I hear from my friends winter is usually bulking season.

I am a COMPLETE beginner when it comes to body building terms. I have scouted some of the threads and topics in here and have found half answers for what I'm looking for, but maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

Anyway, recently I've been inspired to start up again. Here is a photo of me taken 30 minutes ago:

i46.photobucketDOTcom/albums/f144/Anton2436/1150342_642079409143674_140100733_n_zpsbb0a0554.jp g

i46.photobucketDOTcom/albums/f144/Anton2436/1005799_642079442477004_488616097_n_zpsbf6d0919.jp g

^ obviously just remove the DOT and replace with a .
Also remove the space inbetween the p and g in jpg at the end

As you can see, I'm not much to look at right now, but I have the motivation and persistence to change myself for the better. So what do I want? My end goal would be something similar to the guy marked "7-8%":

sphotos-c.ak.fbcdnDOTnet/hphotos-ak-ash4/1002602_10151539993532511_1923266883_n.jpg

^ obviously just remove the DOT and replace with a .

Although that body fat percentage picture may not be accurate, that's what I hope to achieve, whatever body fat percentage it is. I understand it will be a lot of work but I am willing to push myself to achieve the best I can.

Currently my breakfast consists of mainly fruit and liquids (being juices, water). I usually skip lunch and dinner is whatever my mum cooks as I still live at home with my parents, so I get home cooked meals. My mum has recently hired a nutritionist and we're getting cooked meals from a book my mum was given. So I can easily get weights, measurements and calorie intakes. I'm not sure if this should be mentioned, but I'll do it anyway, I do smoke marijuana from time to time and unfortunately my stomach and appetite gets the better of me.

I don't take any protein or any supplements or anything but I'm willing to go out and buy some if it'll help.

My workout schedule is as follows;

SUNDAY - nothing (due to work)
MONDAY - nothing (due to univeristy)
TUESDAY - Arms and Chest for about 30 minutes
WEDNESDAY - Cardio; usually running for about 30 minutes
THURSDAY - nothing
FRIDAY - a mixture of both arms and chest and cardio
SATURDAY - nothing

I usually add 2.5 - 5kgs every week with the arms and chest.

Apart from that I don't think there's anything else I need to include... The main thing I wanna know is what do I need to start doing in terms of a work out schedule, a diet and are there any supplements I should be taking? I'm after fast results, but a friend was talking to me saying I should be just bulking until summer and than a month before I should 'cut'? I'm really unsure, I would love to get quick results, but I know the body I'm after won't be quick or easy. Could I possibly tone and cut, to give me a 6 pack, and then bulk and cut later to work my way to a body like that?

Unfortunately due to working one day a week I don't have a lot of money for supplements, but I can find the money.

Again, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum, or anything I've said is wrong. I really just need some help and to get my feet on the ground. Once I get the first week down I'll be able to continue on.

[Boryzz]

Yoo khents.....
I have an important question!
So everything i do i do it with my right arm, so i love both of my biceps but my left one thinks i love my right one more cause im usin him more...
Hes so ****in jelly at him so what should i do? any advice?

[thereisnocowlev]

I have a ton of questions: I am a total beginner, went to the gym for the first time yesterday.

statistics

Weight: 123 pounds
Height: 5.64 feet
Max pushups: 18-30 I don't know if its due to bad form, lack of motivation, bad diet or bad sleep habits, but it varies a lot from time to time.
Max pullups: 1, and I'm not even sure if I'm doing it with good form.
Squats: 30
Plank: up to a minute.

- Starting Strength or Stronglifts if I want to build strength faster? Effort is not an issue. (I started workout A on stronglifts because it was what I found first.)
- Where can I do squats and barbells without a squat rack? Heard some bad things about the Smith machine but I'm using it now because the squat rack is hogged 24/7 at my gym.
- Is it safe to lift with barbells that do not have a way to lock the plates in place? The barbells at my gym are something like 2-5kg without load.
- Why am I so light for my height, yet I still look slightly overweight?
- Can I raise the weight by 2 kg instead of 5 lb? We use the metric system to measure our plates here.
- How do i sleep earlier at night? I try sleeping earlier but I end up tossing and turning in bed for hours before I manage to sleep. Is taking a nap a viable alternative to make up for lost sleep time?
- Will I ever get used to the taste of vegetables? At the moment, I can barely choke down three mouthfuls of veggies like bok choy before feeling like I need to puke because of the vegetabley taste. It's worse with the stems of veggies than the leaves. Long beans, cauliflower, broccoli and spinach are the ones that I find less disgusting, maybe even tasty. I'm semi-okay with cabbage. I HATE bok choy, tomatoes and carrots (carrot juice excepted, i love that).
- How do I balance the barbell correctly? When I stand up from a squat, I tend to exert more strength using my right leg, so the entire barbell skews to the left when I come up - definitely dangerous with weights that are not locked in place. I have tried exerting even pressure with both legs but I feel like I will lose my balance when I do so, and my back starts curving as well.
- How tired should I be after a workout? My first day in the gym using stronglifts 5x5 with a pair of 5kg weights for squat/bench press and 10kg weights for barbell row (added weights to compensate for the reduced weight of the barbell), I sweated a lot , my legs felt unstable and weak for about half an hour after, and my upper arms/shoulders ached for arond 15 minutes. Is this normal?
-Question removed. That was STUPID.

*MOST IMPORTANTLY*- What are signs that I need to stop lifting and take a rest? I have a huge issue with this...I keep making up excuses to tell myself to stop lifting for fear of injury or dropping the barbell on myself. When I do pushups, at the beginning It takes little effort, then it becomes slightly harder, I need to concentrate on using my strength, then it gets difficult to breath, my chest feels tight when I push myself up, the areas near my shoulder start to ache which turns to pain shortly afterwards. I usually stop when I go down and cannot push myself up without arching my back severely.

[Geo103]

I've been lifting at the gym for about 3 months now. So, I am definitely a beginner. I have been drinking Carnivor Mass Beef Protein after every workout. Within these 3 months, I have gained a definite 5 pounds, and I have been gaining and losing an extra 3 pounds on and off (water weight?). I just recently read that Carnivor Mass Beef Protein is supposedly horrible, ineffective, and "not legit beef", like it's collagen or whatever. I just recently bought two new 5 pound tubs of them because of a good deal. This means I will be using this shake for the next month or even 2. I use 4 scoops as recommended per shake, which is supposedly 50g of protein. Is it going to benefit me at all? I am trying to gain mass. Should I definitely switch to a new kind of protein powder when I finish what I have left?

[NaturalFTW]

Maybe "harden" wasn't the right word. During the last period of time I was at the gym, I was trying to lose weight but my only workout was the lifting. My weight was static for the whole time, yet I got stronger each time I went (I didn't gain any mass that I noticed, but I may have been going back and forth between losing a bit and gaining a bit seeing as my diet was on-and-off). The only difference I noticed was that my muscles seemed harder, or perhaps denser than they were before I had started. I had no idea what I was doing as far as reps though, so I would literally have workouts with sets switching between 12-15 reps and as low as 4 reps, so I don't really know if I should go back to that mix or if there's some ideal range to help me achieve my goals.

As for lifting weights "a few times", I don't have any plans on stopping my lifting once I start, so if I bulk for some months in the future I would like to know I could manipulate my workouts/diet so that my upper body muscles grew while my lower body muscles can either maintain or even gain strength but don't actually grow. The last time I was trying to bulk was for off-season football workouts, and my thighs/glutes got much larger from it.

Sorry if what I'm saying doesn't really make sense, but hey, that's why I'm in here.

sounds to me like you're referring to just lowering bodyfat. keep the reps low for your lower body work. You're still gonna gain size but mainly strength. size gain is pretty much inevitable. Size and strength sort of go hand in hand.

How do you get more sideways width? Not the shoulder width but the sideways width

if you're referring to the "frame" that is genetics. Other than that big lats can give the illusion of being wide.

Hey whatsup everyone! I really hope this is in the right section. I apologise so much if it's not! And I hope I don't get hate or banned for trying to sneak around the minimum 50 post before posting picture and links :P

My name is Tony, I'm 21, around 6'4" and around 83kgs - I THINK. The measurements aren't exact as I haven't had time to take them. Regardless, I have a fast metabolism and also I have tried just working out at home and trying to follow a diet, but something always comes up and I lose focus. The longest I've gone is about 7 weeks.

I live in Australia and it's currently winter - if this matters? I hear from my friends winter is usually bulking season.

I am a COMPLETE beginner when it comes to body building terms. I have scouted some of the threads and topics in here and have found half answers for what I'm looking for, but maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough.

Anyway, recently I've been inspired to start up again. Here is a photo of me taken 30 minutes ago:

i46.photobucketDOTcom/albums/f144/Anton2436/1150342_642079409143674_140100733_n_zpsbb0a0554.jp g

i46.photobucketDOTcom/albums/f144/Anton2436/1005799_642079442477004_488616097_n_zpsbf6d0919.jp g

^ obviously just remove the DOT and replace with a .
Also remove the space inbetween the p and g in jpg at the end

As you can see, I'm not much to look at right now, but I have the motivation and persistence to change myself for the better. So what do I want? My end goal would be something similar to the guy marked "7-8%":

sphotos-c.ak.fbcdnDOTnet/hphotos-ak-ash4/1002602_10151539993532511_1923266883_n.jpg

^ obviously just remove the DOT and replace with a .

Although that body fat percentage picture may not be accurate, that's what I hope to achieve, whatever body fat percentage it is. I understand it will be a lot of work but I am willing to push myself to achieve the best I can.

Currently my breakfast consists of mainly fruit and liquids (being juices, water). I usually skip lunch and dinner is whatever my mum cooks as I still live at home with my parents, so I get home cooked meals. My mum has recently hired a nutritionist and we're getting cooked meals from a book my mum was given. So I can easily get weights, measurements and calorie intakes. I'm not sure if this should be mentioned, but I'll do it anyway, I do smoke marijuana from time to time and unfortunately my stomach and appetite gets the better of me.

I don't take any protein or any supplements or anything but I'm willing to go out and buy some if it'll help.

My workout schedule is as follows;

SUNDAY - nothing (due to work)
MONDAY - nothing (due to univeristy)
TUESDAY - Arms and Chest for about 30 minutes
WEDNESDAY - Cardio; usually running for about 30 minutes
THURSDAY - nothing
FRIDAY - a mixture of both arms and chest and cardio
SATURDAY - nothing

I usually add 2.5 - 5kgs every week with the arms and chest.

Apart from that I don't think there's anything else I need to include... The main thing I wanna know is what do I need to start doing in terms of a work out schedule, a diet and are there any supplements I should be taking? I'm after fast results, but a friend was talking to me saying I should be just bulking until summer and than a month before I should 'cut'? I'm really unsure, I would love to get quick results, but I know the body I'm after won't be quick or easy. Could I possibly tone and cut, to give me a 6 pack, and then bulk and cut later to work my way to a body like that?

Unfortunately due to working one day a week I don't have a lot of money for supplements, but I can find the money.

Again, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum, or anything I've said is wrong. I really just need some help and to get my feet on the ground. Once I get the first week down I'll be able to continue on.

you're pic of yourself is not working for me so I can't tell if you should bulk or cut. But judging from the stats sounds like you should bulk. Don't worry about cutting and getting a six pack. "you can't chisel a pebble" You need some mass to look good when you cut. If you can't afford supplements don't worry about it they are not necessary

Yoo khents.....
I have an important question!
So everything i do i do it with my right arm, so i love both of my biceps but my left one thinks i love my right one more cause im usin him more...
Hes so ****in jelly at him so what should i do? any advice?

unilateral movements.

I have a ton of questions: I am a total beginner, went to the gym for the first time yesterday.

statistics

Weight: 123 pounds
Height: 5.64 feet
Max pushups: 18-30 I don't know if its due to bad form, lack of motivation, bad diet or bad sleep habits, but it varies a lot from time to time.
Max pullups: 1, and I'm not even sure if I'm doing it with good form.
Squats: 30
Plank: up to a minute.

- Starting Strength or Stronglifts if I want to build strength faster? Effort is not an issue. (I started workout A on stronglifts because it was what I found first.)
- Where can I do squats and barbells without a squat rack? Heard some bad things about the Smith machine but I'm using it now because the squat rack is hogged 24/7 at my gym.
- Is it safe to lift with barbells that do not have a way to lock the plates in place? The barbells at my gym are something like 2-5kg without load.
- Why am I so light for my height, yet I still look slightly overweight?
- Can I raise the weight by 2 kg instead of 5 lb? We use the metric system to measure our plates here.
- How do i sleep earlier at night? I try sleeping earlier but I end up tossing and turning in bed for hours before I manage to sleep. Is taking a nap a viable alternative to make up for lost sleep time?
- Will I ever get used to the taste of vegetables? At the moment, I can barely choke down three mouthfuls of veggies like bok choy before feeling like I need to puke because of the vegetabley taste. It's worse with the stems of veggies than the leaves. Long beans, cauliflower, broccoli and spinach are the ones that I find less disgusting, maybe even tasty. I'm semi-okay with cabbage. I HATE bok choy, tomatoes and carrots (carrot juice excepted, i love that).
- How do I balance the barbell correctly? When I stand up from a squat, I tend to exert more strength using my right leg, so the entire barbell skews to the left when I come up - definitely dangerous with weights that are not locked in place. I have tried exerting even pressure with both legs but I feel like I will lose my balance when I do so, and my back starts curving as well.
- How tired should I be after a workout? My first day in the gym using stronglifts 5x5 with a pair of 5kg weights for squat/bench press and 10kg weights for barbell row (added weights to compensate for the reduced weight of the barbell), I sweated a lot , my legs felt unstable and weak for about half an hour after, and my upper arms/shoulders ached for arond 15 minutes. Is this normal?
-Question removed. That was STUPID.

*MOST IMPORTANTLY*- What are signs that I need to stop lifting and take a rest? I have a huge issue with this...I keep making up excuses to tell myself to stop lifting for fear of injury or dropping the barbell on myself. When I do pushups, at the beginning It takes little effort, then it becomes slightly harder, I need to concentrate on using my strength, then it gets difficult to breath, my chest feels tight when I push myself up, the areas near my shoulder start to ache which turns to pain shortly afterwards. I usually stop when I go down and cannot push myself up without arching my back severely.

1)SS for strength.
2)Squat in the squat rack. Either wait for them to finish, ask to work in, or ask them to move if they aren't actually using the rack. For example they are curling or deadlifting just say "excuse me but I was wondering if you would mind moving over because I need to squat and you aren't using the rack"
3)You don't have clips at your gym? And if you have good form and are able to keep the bar stable it's fine. I don't use collars/clips myself unless it's my heaviest set.
4)You're light because you don't eat enough. You look overweight because of lack of muscle.
5)2 KG is 4.4 lbs so yes.
6)Go see a doctor.
7)This is a tricky question lol. You do need to eat vegetables to get your micronutrient requirements. Try mixing them into foods like rice or something of that sort so you won't really taste it when you eat.
8)Make sure the bar is evenly placed on your back so it's not off to one side more than the other. Keep your head uppish but not too high it will help with your back rounding. Go to youtube and type in "so you think you can squat" watch the entire series it will help you a lot.
9)You're a beginner, it's normal. Eventually you will barely get sore.
10) You're beginner you don't need to be lifting more than 3 days a week.

[TheWolf00]

Hi guys I'm new and ready to make a change to my body. I don't want to be like my parents (no offence to them) who are overweight, my father has got diabetes and really wants me to make me change

I'm 14, 6ft1 and weigh around 85kg, I have around about 25% body fat and I want to change, I can't go to gym because firstly: It's to expensive and secondly because I'm broke, but I got weights (benchpress) at home and can do around I do around 18kg 10 reps and 10 sets of just benchpress, but nothing else, and I haven't really hit the bench recently. I also do Free Squads and just normal sit ups, but hardly do that, only when I feel bothered, however, something changed my mentality and now I'm ready for a change, I just got a few questions...


First of all: I'm 6'0-6'1 and I want to grow, I know this has probably been asked lots of times but I want a direct answer, but does doing Bench press, squats etc make you stunt your growth

Second of all should I do this?

Monday:Benchpress
Tuesday: Squats
Wednesdays:Cardio/Upperbody
Thursdays:Bechpress again
Friday:Squats
Saturday: Cardio/Upperbody
Sunday:Rest

Is my workout plan good or should I change it to more extensive or less?
I can do around 100 free squats, and in terms to Cardio/upper I was planning on just doing Sit ups :Around 100-200 to, but I need other exercises I can do at home


Question 3:
How can I measure how many calories/proteins I should be taking in and how do I convience my mum to change my food meals (in terms of making more protein source food)

Question 4:
If I lift for example 18kg (one of my weight disks are like 1.1kg and like 2.5kg etc)
How much should I add after each week..


Question 5:
What kind of stuff should I do to keep motivated, I realise this is a long and lengthy process?


Question 6:
Is there any videos for teens and workout for teens videos (I will read the stickys to)

Question 7:
Is my opportunity pretty limited without the gym?
I'm going to buy Dumbbells to


Question 8:
Are protein shakes important, they seem to expensive are they necessary?


Question 9:
What should I do if I miss a few of my workout days as I will working out nearly all week


Question 10:
How do I measure my weight, body fat and height accurately (I've only provided rough estimates and this seems like a stupid question to but you know)


And one more thing:

How do I post my progress photos etc.




Thanks for the help guys, I know this is long but it'll help a total noob like me change for possibly forever.

Once again thanks to all those who can give advice and help, just answer any question you want I guess.

[chickenallday]

heard most people who do heavy deadlifts have improper spinal alignment. are regular chiropractic adjustments necessary?

[iMac46]

if you're referring to the "frame" that is genetics. Other than that big lats can give the illusion of being wide.

What i meant was the width when you look at a person from the side view

[RussianBadass]

Hey everyone. I have a question about creatine. I'm 16, have been lifting for about 7-8 months now. Been getting some decent strength and muscle gains.
I was thinking of trying creatine. I researched when and how to take it. They say you need to take it with juice, preferably orange or apple because it spikes up your insulin. However, I usually don't drink juice because of the high amounts of sugars and calories it has.
So what is something other than juice that I can take my creatine with?

[thereisnocowlev]

thanks for the answers.

Q: What are signs that I need to stop lifting and take a rest? I have a huge issue with this...I keep making up excuses to tell myself to stop lifting for fear of injury or dropping the barbell on myself. When I do pushups, at the beginning It takes little effort, then it becomes slightly harder, I need to concentrate on using my strength, then it gets difficult to breath, my chest feels tight when I push myself up, the areas near my shoulder start to ache which turns to pain shortly afterwards. I usually stop when I go down and cannot push myself up without arching my back severely.

A: You're beginner you don't need to be lifting more than 3 days a week.

I didn't phrase my question well...I meant to ask when I should take a rest, in the gym. I can push myself until I literally fall on the floor face first while doing pushups at home, but at the gym with heavy weights, well that's not so viable.

[swellbong]

thanks for the answers.

Q: What are signs that I need to stop lifting and take a rest? I have a huge issue with this...I keep making up excuses to tell myself to stop lifting for fear of injury or dropping the barbell on myself. When I do pushups, at the beginning It takes little effort, then it becomes slightly harder, I need to concentrate on using my strength, then it gets difficult to breath, my chest feels tight when I push myself up, the areas near my shoulder start to ache which turns to pain shortly afterwards. I usually stop when I go down and cannot push myself up without arching my back severely.

A: You're beginner you don't need to be lifting more than 3 days a week.

I didn't phrase my question well...I meant to ask when I should take a rest, in the gym. I can push myself until I literally fall on the floor face first while doing pushups at home, but at the gym with heavy weights, well that's not so viable.

When I was still a beginner myself, I made it a point not to overstay at the gym - working out for an hour is enough - as it may be counterproductive if I injure myself in the process.

And do not lift more than what your body can. The key here is to know the max weight that you can do 10 reps on - if that's what your program's design. Theres a sticky somewhere in this thread which discusses that. Stick to that weight and gradually increase it as you go along. Does that answer your question?

[swellbong]

Hey everyone. I have a question about creatine. I'm 16, have been lifting for about 7-8 months now. Been getting some decent strength and muscle gains.
I was thinking of trying creatine. I researched when and how to take it. They say you need to take it with juice, preferably orange or apple because it spikes up your insulin. However, I usually don't drink juice because of the high amounts of sugars and calories it has.
So what is something other than juice that I can take my creatine with?

I would not really recommend taking creatine at such a young age. Concentrate on your diet + routine + form

[tin3455]

Hey I have a quick question. I've been working out for the past 2 months regularly 3 days a week. I was seeing lots of progress up until this week. Out of nowhere, it felt as if I lost a lot of muscle mass. I did move up in weight for curls last Friday and that might have something to do with it. I'm just wondering what happened. Am I just overreacting or am I really losing muscle mass?

[DNP203]

Hello everyone.

I'm 18, and weigh 240 (weighed 320 on June 1, 2012). My current body fat is 32.4% (was 43.8 on June 1, 2012) and I've begun to plateau.

I do cardio for 1 hour empty in the morning + weight lifting (more low weight / high rep for endurance vs. high weight low rep for more strength), work for about 10 hours (manual labor - always lifting rocks & concrete covers (~70lbs) / shoveling / moving bags of cement (between 90 and 100lbs or just something strenuous) and I feel like I haven't been losing much weight anymore. I eat 5 times a day:

Morning (6am): 4 Egg Whites + 1/2 Cup of Oatmeal
Meal #2 (9am): 1 Scoop pure whey protein + 1/2 cup of oatmeal in 10oz of water
Meal #3 & 4 (12pm & 3pm): 4oz. 99% Lean Ground Turkey + 6oz of broccoli + 2tbsp of Spicy Mustard
Meal #5 (6pm OR 7pm) Alternates between chicken, turkey, or fish... always with a side of vegetables.

I've done the calorie counter and determined I needed ~3400 calories to maintain, so I made my cut at 2500, this way I wouldn't be consuming too little, and would still have energy throughout the day.

Are there any tips on how I should change my diet to overcome this and start losing again?

Thanks in advance!

[RussianBadass]

Another question. I am currently trying to lean down for the summer. I Know the basic rules re that you need to eat less and do more cardio but do I need to take something else into consideration?

[N4J4R]

Hey everyone. I have a question about creatine. I'm 16, have been lifting for about 7-8 months now. Been getting some decent strength and muscle gains.
I was thinking of trying creatine. I researched when and how to take it. They say you need to take it with juice, preferably orange or apple because it spikes up your insulin. However, I usually don't drink juice because of the high amounts of sugars and calories it has.
So what is something other than juice that I can take my creatine with?

See below...

I would not really recommend taking creatine at such a young age. Concentrate on your diet + routine + form

Bold: It is safe to use by normal, healthy individuals. Taking it at 16 is a non-issue.

Take your creatine with water. You can take it with juice if you ever want to, but the whole insulin spike reasoning is essentially bunk. There is no real requirement to spike insulin whilst supplementing with creatine. What matters is hitting and maintaining the saturation point.

[Bandjock27]

Hey, I'm new and was just wonderin if anyone had any advice for posting on the forum. I asked for advice ONCE in the misc forum not realizing people would hate me for it. I just signed up a few hours ago and have NO clue what I'm doing when it comes to this site, and I already have the lowest possible rank. I'm flipping out just a little bit here lol I know this is the stupid question forum but I'm sorry this aint more related to working out. Anyone willin to help me out a little here?

[thereisnocowlev]

Another question.

Are naps an acceptable substitute for replacing less sleep hours at night? I swear my biological night is f**ked up from the past three years of sitting at the computer until 2 am and sleeping (don't ask) in school for another quarter of the day, now I get very sleepy in the morning, late afternoon and my energy levels are so high at night that I can't crash unless I literally spend the whole day doing work.

[CardioForLife]

Hi, I've just recently joined bodybuilding.com, and, thank god, I've been looking for one of these threads, let alone SITES, for ages...

I am currently in high school, and have been running 6 miles 6 days a week for the past year.

However, this past summer, I really wanted to bulk up by building some muscles, but I had no idea of what to do since I had NO prior experience in weight training, thus making me a complete amateur...

I googled a few things in advance, and I heard that you should let your muscles rest a day after a workout, so basically, I have come up with this schedule:

Monday: 6 miles running
Tuesday: Chest/Biceps
Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: Shoulders/Back
Friday: 6 miles
Saturday: Abs/Legs
Sunday: 6 miles

My question is: is this a valid workout schedule? I plan on exercising everyday for an hour... Also, any tips/workouts/feed-backs would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.

[Geo103]

I've been lifting at the gym for about 3 months now. So, I am definitely a beginner. I have been drinking Carnivor Mass Beef Protein after every workout. Within these 3 months, I have gained a definite 5 pounds, and I have been gaining and losing an extra 3 pounds on and off (water weight?). I just recently read that Carnivor Mass Beef Protein is supposedly horrible, ineffective, and "not legit beef", like it's collagen or whatever.

I just recently bought two new 5 pound tubs of them because of a good deal. This means I will be using this shake for the next month or even 2. I use 4 scoops as recommended per shake, which is supposedly 50g of protein. Is it going to benefit me at all? I am trying to gain mass. Should I definitely switch to a new kind of protein powder when I finish what I have left?

[minhkim13]

He's a hero tinyurl.com/mpuc2uf

1 - Goals
“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”

Goals serve as something to aim for, so don’t get too hung up on reaching them. Focus on enjoying the journey and the process.
If you’re hiking on a beautiful trail, your goal is to get to your end destination, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the walk, or even change direction. Be open, be flexible.

2 - Flexibility
"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind."

The happiest people in the world are flexible. They do not have rigid beliefs or try to control and manipulate their surroundings to make them happy.

They are okay with how things are. They accept, they live in the now and they breathe. If you want to have a fulfilling and happy life, be flexible and accept things as they are.




3 - Time
“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”

There’s no time for procrastinating, making excuses and succumbing to your fears. I know it can be hard, but you will ultimately die, so why not make the best of your life?

Don’t waste time, instead start boldly moving towards your dreams. You will fail and make mistakes along the way, so stay humble and stay in the now.

4 - Service
“Real living is living for others.”

The most satisfying way to live is to help and enrich the life of others. It wasn’t until I started my blog that I realized how satisfying it is to assist others.

If you can find a way to solve other people’s problems while following your passion, you will have found the ideal way to live.

5 - Acceptance
“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”

If we want the earth to become better, we have to let go of judgment, prejudice and rigid beliefs. There is no need to be right or wrong, or say that you are better than someone else.

Everything is as it is. If you do not like it, you can do something else, but do not inject negative energy, because it never does any good.




6 - Single-Mindedness
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

If you want to get results and master something, you have to stop dabbling and jumping around from thing to thing. Commit to something and follow through.

Most people quit before any results can appear. They give up too soon. Don’t be one of those people!

7 - Creativity
“Using no way as way, using no limitation as limitation.”

You impose your own limitations. Even if a guru tells you that something is impossible doesn’t mean it is. He or she is human just like you.

Remember, most great people were told they could never accomplish something, but they went ahead and did it anyway. Listen to yourself and do what excites you.


Bruce Lee vs Gay Power (1975) - Full Movie

8 - Simplicity
“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”

Simplify your life and eliminate the unnecessary. We as a society have been taught to consume and amass material possessions.

Luckily, we are starting to realize that this doesn’t work. Happiness comes from the inside, not from the outside. Simplicity gives you clarity and peace of mind.

9 - Find Your Path
"Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own."

In the beginning, learn from someone you look up to, but as you get better and more successful, take what worksand discard what doesn’t.

We are all unique, so we have to find our own groove and start listening to ourselves. Listen to your heart for guidance. Where is it trying to pull you?



10 - Take Action
"Knowing is not enough, you must apply; willing is not enough, you must do."

You can read all the information you want, but if you never take action, nothing will happen. You will almost never have crystal clear clarity, so you will have to work through confusion and uncertainty.

I know you want a rock-solid guarantee that will tell you that you will be successful, but in reality, no such thing exists. You have to start moving in order to get to where you want to be.




11 - Ego
"The martial arts are ultimately self-knowledge. A punch or a kick is not to knock the hell out of the guy in front, but to knock the hell out of your ego, your fear, or your hang-ups."

Everything you do involves your ego. It’s the one that is afraid. It wants you to stay where things are comfortable, convenient and safe.

If you listen to your heart, you know that this isn’t the path for you. Go after your dreams and do so boldly. Accept the fear inside you and keep moving.

Life is meant to be lived, so start living and following your passion.

[cg26]

I'm 16-years-old, 6'0", 150 pound skinnyfat, have no muscle mass whatsoever, and am starting from square one. I'm not sure if this is relevant, but I do not any play any sports at the moment.
I have read over the forum's stickies, but I have a few problems:
-There is a wide variety of different routines
-I can't do a chin-up to save my life, and it is recommended in most, if not all of the routines
-I currently don't have access to some of the equipment necessary for some of the recommended exercises

The main problem: I won't be able to get a gym membership until I can drive and get my own car, which will be in about 6 months, definitely no more than a year, but I have a pretty limited home gym the previous house-owners left, so until then I would like to get started with what I have. It consists of:
-Exactly what's in the picture imgurDOTcom/lw4osMI
-Plates (5 lbs, 10, 25, 35, 45)
-Limited selection of dumbbells, will buy more if necessary (10 and 30 are the only ones I see use for, and there's nothing in between or higher than 30 lbs)
-An oddly shaped barbell, which I assume is for curls. Definitely going to buy an olympic
So, with the limited home gym and my own body, what is a good routine for me to get started?

Also, how do I know how long to rest for between sets?

P.S. Don't worry about giving me advice regarding nutrition, I think I can handle that on my own considering the information on it seems to be much more definite and agreed on.

Thanks for the help.

[polo321]

Hi, I've been lifting for 7 months now and I've noticed that I can do a lot more weight on the leg press compared to a squat.
I can only squat 90 kg but on the leg press i can do 296 kg, I've noticed other guys can't do as much weight as me on the leg press but they can squat more than me. I've also noticed every time I squat, I get extreme lower back pain, like i cant even stand up that's how bad it is.
Is my squatting form bad or something?

[Bandjock27]

Hi, I've been lifting for 7 months now and I've noticed that I can do a lot more weight on the leg press compared to a squat.
I can only squat 90 kg but on the leg press i can do 296 kg, I've noticed other guys can't do as much weight as me on the leg press but they can squat more than me. I've also noticed every time I squat, I get extreme lower back pain, like i cant even stand up that's how bad it is.
Is my squatting form bad or something?

A squat, when performed correctly, won't cause extreme back pain. That combined with the fact that your leg press numbers are so much higher, suggest to me that your squat form may need some work. I would guess you're bending your back too much. I may be wrong, but that's my best assessment of what's going on. Hope I was of help

[osoloco]

I'm trying to get down to single digit body fat. Currently at roughly 26 % (did this at home with the formula thing, not sure how accurate).
I understand how cutting works to an extent, but it's the clean eating that's getting me.
How do you keep track of your calories ? Just by writing it down in a journal ?
Also how many meals a day should you eat ? 5 small meals or 3 large meals ? And how many calories should each meal be ?
And what's the policy on cheat meals ? I really suck at diet.

[collin231]

I'm 5'9" 160lbs 17 years old and have about 4 months total weightlifting experience under my belt. My bf % is about 15%. So my question is, what workout schedule would be most beneficial to me? I would like to both lose fat and gain muscle but knowing that I can't do both, what plan is best for me? A full body workout 3x a week or a split of some kind? Am i still considered a beginning bodybuilder? Thanks for the help!

[ByZerre]

I want to do weighted squats but my gym dose not have a squat rack,only a smith machine and I am afraid squatting with a smith machine maybe dangerous?any information would be apprenticed.

[AwkwrdBrazilian]

I want to do weighted squats but my gym dose not have a squat rack,only a smith machine and I am afraid squatting with a smith machine maybe dangerous?any information would be apprenticed.

Dangerous? I think not... thing is, once you move onto the squat rack in the future, your stability will be all kinds of phukked up, and you won't be able to do nearly as much weight as before, and you'll have to re-learn to squat.