Ask an Exercise Science major anything

[y0lked]

Thank you so much! I have a few questions: So I should only do those band exercises with my right shoulder? Can I just use a foam roller if I don't have a lacrosse ball? I used to do cable face pulls with a rope should I incorporate those again and do I need to progressively overload them? I currently T-bar row could I practice proper scapular retraction on those or do I have to do cable rows?

You can and should do band exercises with both shoulders. The foam roller wont allow you to get as much precise tension on the traps. Things like a golf ball, tennis ball, kids toy etc can be substitued for the lacrosse ball. However any sporting store will have them for under 10 dollars, a wise investment.

Yes you should do the cable face pulls with the rope but dont worry about overloading the exercise. Pick a weight you can do for about 25 andd do about 15 while focusing on keeping the right scapula down while retracting it and externally rotating the humerus. Use it as a mobility exercise for now, dont worry about weight just make sure it challenges you a tad. Dont use momentum and dont try to move the cable fast, do the exercise very slow.

The t-bar row is probably whats causing your issues here, when the weight gets heavy its a common mistake to elevate the scapula in order to compensate. You definitely need to do the seated cable rows instead. I would substitute the t-bar rows for some sort of chest supported row or machine row for now while also doing the seated rows to correct the imbalance.

[Iparrish]

Opinion on a 5 day split,
Monday- chest
Tuesday- back
Wendsday- legs
Thursday-arms
Friday-shoulders.

Also, should I do shoulder shrugs on back day or shoulder day.

[y0lked]

Opinion on a 5 day split,
Monday- chest
Tuesday- back
Wendsday- legs
Thursday-arms
Friday-shoulders.

Also, should I do shoulder shrugs on back day or shoulder day.

5 day splits are sub optimal because protein synthesis from a workout only lasts between 48-72 hours. Therefore 4 days out of the week the muscle is not doing anything. Train each muscle 2x per week and you will maximize protein synthesis and still allow for recovery between workouts.

Upper
lower
off
Upper
Lower
abs
off

or
upper heavy
lower heavy
off
back and shoulders hypertrophy
legs hypertrophy
chest and arms hypertrophy
off

remember not to double your total workout volume just because youre hitting the muscle 2x per week. 10-15 sets per week for large muscle groups, 6-10 sets per week for smaller muscle groups. By lifting this way you can actually do more intensity and get more total work in which equates to much better gains over time.

[OahuOcean]

This is probably the no1 question, but..

I really want to gain lean muscle and do cardio. I have a good two weeks to bust my butt until I relax for vacation.
I really want to do cardio the same days as lifting, but I've always heard the caution of just "don't." Because the engery to use to build muscle would waste on burn fat then BURN muscle. But what if I lifted first, then drank a protein shake then cardio. With that protein used to fuel my muscles and then cardio goes towards fat burning. Is that a good way to achieve lean muscle and lose fat? Especially since I'm crushed for time?

[y0lked]

This is probably the no1 question, but..

I really want to gain lean muscle and do cardio. I have a good two weeks to bust my butt until I relax for vacation.
I really want to do cardio the same days as lifting, but I've always heard the caution of just "don't." Because the engery to use to build muscle would waste on burn fat then BURN muscle. But what if I lifted first, then drank a protein shake then cardio. With that protein used to fuel my muscles and then cardio goes towards fat burning. Is that a good way to achieve lean muscle and lose fat? Especially since I'm crushed for time?

You wont loose muscle from cardio as long as you keep the intensity of your workouts up and then dont try and drop significant calories from your diet. Yes drinking the protein can help maintain the muscle, although its more of peace of mind. Just make sure youre eating 50-70g carbs post workout so that you get an anabolic effect and restore your glycogen.

[aali237]

Doing an explosive or strength workout followed by bodybuilding accessories?
Will it still build explosiveness or fast twitch muscle fibre? Or does it defeat the purpose? and I should separate my explosiveness/strength oriented workouts from my body building style workouts into separate days?

[y0lked]

Doing an explosive or strength workout followed by bodybuilding accessories?
Will it still build explosiveness or fast twitch muscle fibre? Or does it defeat the purpose? and I should separate my explosiveness/strength oriented workouts from my body building style workouts into separate days?

Great question! The short answer is... yes you can build power with explosive movements and still bodybuild. However, whatever your priority is should encompass atleast 50% of the volume of the training routine. As for the separation of power/bodybuilding workouts, its compltely dependent upon how the routine is composed. Can you post the program you are running? Also what is your goal?

[aali237]

Great question! The short answer is... yes you can build power with explosive movements and still bodybuild. However, whatever your priority is should encompass atleast 50% of the volume of the training routine. As for the separation of power/bodybuilding workouts, its compltely dependent upon how the routine is composed. Can you post the program you are running? Also what is your goal?

I am doing 531 (I put 531 but i know the proper protocol i.e week one 3x5, week two 3x3, week 3 531 and week 4 deload) for all my lifts except squat , which i am doing 3x5 twice a week (i want to speed up strength gains in my squat on a weekly basis instead of monthly ). I do abs with every leg day. I also need to know when to add sprints into my workout. Looks something like this

Monday - Squat 3x5 followed by Box jumps, depth jumps, and weighted jump squats and a bodybuilder style calf and leg press workout
Tuesday - 531 Military press followed by explosive shoulder raise, weighted dips, weighted chinups, heavy curls 3x3-5. Then 5x10 pullups and bench press(50-70% of max) and an arm workout
Wednesday - 531 Deadlift followed by 5x10 Deadlift, ( some times i add hamstring curls at the end)
Thursday - 531 Bench press followed by pylo pushups, weighted dips, weighted chinups, heavy curls 3x3-5. Then 5x10 Row and military press at 50-70% of max each and an arm workout.
Friday - 3x5 Squat followed by Box jumps, depth jumps, and weighted jump squats and a bodybuilder style calf and leg press workout
Sat- Rest
Sun- Rest

My goal is to build strength, explosiveness, maintain or gain a little muscle and i also want to become faster but i havent been doing any sprints or running so i need to add that into my workouts. Maybe replace the leg press with some hill sprints or wind sprints?

[WolfRose7]

I am doing 531 (I put 531 but i know the proper protocol i.e week one 3x5, week two 3x3, week 3 531 and week 4 deload) for all my lifts except squat , which i am doing 3x5 twice a week (i want to speed up strength gains in my squat on a weekly basis instead of monthly ). I also need to know when to add sprints into my workout. Looks something like this

Monday - Squat 3x5 followed by Box jumps, depth jumps, and weighted jump squats and a bodybuilder style calf and leg press workout
Tuesday - 531 Military press followed by explosive shoulder raise, weighted dips, weighted chinups, heavy curls 3x3-5. Then 5x10 pullups and bench press(50-70% of max) and an arm workout
Wednesday - 531 Deadlift followed by 5x10 Deadlift, ( some times i add hamstring curls at the end)
Thursday - 531 Bench press followed by pylo pushups, weighted dips, weighted chinups, heavy curls 3x3-5. Then 5x10 Row and military press at 50-70% of max each and an arm workout.
Friday - 3x5 Squat followed by Box jumps, depth jumps, and weighted jump squats and a bodybuilder style calf and leg press workout
Sat- Rest
Sun- Rest

My goal is to build strength, explosiveness, maintain or gain a little muscle and i also want to become faster but i havent been doing any sprints or running so i need to add that into my workouts

Wendler currently programs jumps and throws into workouts between main lift warm up sets.
Explosive jumps/medball throws for 5 sets of 3 usually. All workout day, up to you whether you do jumps or throws that day.

Sprints off days as far as 5/3/1 is concerned.

As far as your set up goes, i'm not sure why you have weighted chins and pull ups on the same day for volume, better to have a horizontal pull in place of one.
The routine is also pretty push heavy, though that's fairly common of 5/3/1. If you are doing Face pulls and band pull aparts with your main lift warm ups I guess it's alright.

What Training max are you using?
I presume you are not using Jokers?, are you still doing PR sets?

[aali237]

Wendler currently programs jumps and throws into workouts between main lift warm up sets.
Explosive jumps/medball throws for 5 sets of 3 usually. All workout day, up to you whether you do jumps or throws that day.

Sprints off days as far as 5/3/1 is concerned.

As far as your set up goes, i'm not sure why you have weighted chins and pull ups on the same day for volume, better to have a horizontal pull in place of one.
The routine is also pretty push heavy, though that's fairly common of 5/3/1. If you are doing Face pulls and band pull aparts with your main lift warm ups I guess it's alright.

What Training max are you using?
I presume you are not using Jokers?, are you still doing PR sets?

I forgot to mention i do do face pulls, and my maxes are these are 90% of my max so a little lower: deadlift 350, Shoulder press 180, Bench 280, Squat 315. I havent done any real PR sets cause my training maxes are 90% of my real max. So i am training conservatively except when it comes to the squats. Also i dont do the pullups 5x10 weighted, i just bust em out bodyweight and if it gets easier i slow the tempo

[WolfRose7]

I forgot to mention i do do face pulls, and my maxes are these are 90% of my max so a little lower: deadlift 350, Shoulder press 180, Bench 280, Squat 315. I havent done any real PR sets cause my training maxes are 90% of my real max. So i am training conservatively except when it comes to the squats. Also i dont do the pullups 5x10 weighted, i just bust em out bodyweight and if it gets easier i slow the tempo

I missed the row in your previous post . my bad for that xD.

Seems pretty solid mate, only thing I'd do if recovery got to be an issue would be drop day 5, and put squats as the supplemental on deadlift.
But if this is working well keep at it!.

Save up for the new forever book if you are liking 5/3/1, things tempaltes could keep you going on it for years happily

[Thegymrat00]

I cycle 12km to sometimes 20km a day to get to college and gym. My legs have grown a lot since the start of the college year, I also train legs at the gym. I barely have a rest day for my legs, will this affect my leg growth in the future?

[y0lked]

I cycle 12km to sometimes 20km a day to get to college and gym. My legs have grown a lot since the start of the college year, I also train legs at the gym. I barely have a rest day for my legs, will this affect my leg growth in the future?

Yes cycling and leg workouts combined? Wow, thats not easy! If youre able to progress with what you are doing now, I see no reason to change what you are doing. However, if your gym lifts are suffering and you want to increase weight then it would be best to decrease the amount of time you're riding.

You should consider incorporating a deload week every 4-8 weeks where volume decreases by 50% for a whole week but you are not taking a week off from the gym.

Either way, solid work! Cycling is great for cardiovascular endurance!

[HowsUrDaySir]

Ask away. This thread will be nice for any basic or advanced questions as well as help me develop my knowledge and proficiency in my field.

background in:
biomechanics
kinesiology
exercise physiology
athletic injuries
all kinds of workout programming as well as advanced courses in nutrition

go!

edit: also, anything I feel is interesting i might throw in this thread.

What is the FASTEST (but safe) way to get great cardio? Lets assume I need it for a boxing or wrestling match, were rounds are timed, and the pace has to be fast.
Also, does running distance actually reduce gains? I've heard different things.

[tarngupta]

Hey,

I just started working out after some time and there's a slight problem I am facing in all the leg exercises (squats, dead lifts, machine lege press). While coming up my left knee is totally stable but my right knee becomes wobbly.
Because of this I haven't been able to increase weight. Any thoughts on why this could be happening and should I be worried?

[y0lked]

What is the FASTEST (but safe) way to get great cardio? Lets assume I need it for a boxing or wrestling match, were rounds are timed, and the pace has to be fast.
Also, does running distance actually reduce gains? I've heard different things.

High intensity interval training. Youll need full body movements (instead of treadmill or bicycle)

Continuous Tire flips
car pushes
explosive burpies
sled drags
sled pulls
etc.

anything that requires extremely high muscle contraction and is not isolated. Start with 5 rounds of 1 minute with 4-8 minute rest between intervals. Each day do a different exercise. Do this 3x per week If you can (would need training regime to help you program it into plan) and then every week add 1 more interval per day. The goal of HIIT is not to survive the one minute, but to push yourself to the absolute EXTREME! That means if youre pushing a car to push it as fast and as hard as possible for the entire minute. Not just getting it moving and maintaining a speed.

Hey,

I just started working out after some time and there's a slight problem I am facing in all the leg exercises (squats, dead lifts, machine lege press). While coming up my left knee is totally stable but my right knee becomes wobbly.
Because of this I haven't been able to increase weight. Any thoughts on why this could be happening and should I be worried?

Can you post a video or describe the "wobblyness" of your knee? Does it just move towards the center of your body?

[Thegymrat00]

When ever I workout my legs, I sweat like a mad man, sweat drips from my face like never before. I take 1 to 2min rests in between my sets. My workout is squats, leg press, leg curls, leg extensions and then calf raises. I do 4 sets of 8 reps on each exercise. I only started sweating like this about 2 months ago. What could be the reason that I sweat so much?

[Thegymrat00]

Opinions on my workout plan?

Monday: Chest and back
Tuesday: Shoulders and traps
Wednesday: Legs and arms
Then repeat these again for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Rest on Sunday

[y0lked]

When ever I workout my legs, I sweat like a mad man, sweat drips from my face like never before. I take 1 to 2min rests in between my sets. My workout is squats, leg press, leg curls, leg extensions and then calf raises. I do 4 sets of 8 reps on each exercise. I only started sweating like this about 2 months ago. What could be the reason that I sweat so much?

Your legs are the largest muscle group in the body. The ammount of CNS involved in recruiting that many muscle fibers is very taxing on the body. Systolic blood pressure rises from the vasoconstriction of the muscles. Blood dedicated to cooling the skin is shunted and directed at the large muscles of the quads and hamstrings. Therefore skin temperature rises. This came about because you are more able to push yourself through the workout due to training adaptations. Dont be worried about it.

Opinions on my workout plan?

Monday: Chest and back
Tuesday: Shoulders and traps
Wednesday: Legs and arms
Then repeat these again for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Rest on Sunday

Cant give you my opinion on it if you dont post the exercises you are doing. I like the fact that you are working each muscle 2x per week as it is optimal. You should be doing about 10-15 sets per week for large muscle groups and 6-10 for smaller muscle groups. Add up all the sets between both days and see if you fall in this range. Adjust accordingly.

[aali237]

So basically when i play basketball one day the next day my knees are sore and stiff. I remember when i used to play every day no problem, and i know people my age are athletes who play for hours on end every day and are doing crazier stuff then me on the court. My knees do crack a lot and i get a little bit of tendonitis and they feel stiff. It will usually go away if i rest it a day or two and ice. But i want to get to the point where I can play every day again.

If i just strictly weight lift my knees are fine, its strictly a problem with impact sports like basketball. I went to the doctor he told me to do a lot of biking lol. I know my squat form has suffered and i can no longer high bar or overhead squat due to flexibility issues and pain warming up.


So i was wondering can my knees be bone on bone? i know i have a bit of tendonitis. Also tight ankles maybe arthritic feet or am i over thinking this and should just rest for a week or two then resume training?

[y0lked]

So basically when i play basketball one day the next day my knees are sore and stiff. I remember when i used to play every day no problem, and i know people my age are athletes who play for hours on end every day and are doing crazier stuff then me on the court. My knees do crack a lot and i get a little bit of tendonitis and they feel stiff. It will usually go away if i rest it a day or two and ice. But i want to get to the point where I can play every day again.

If i just strictly weight lift my knees are fine, its strictly a problem with impact sports like basketball. I went to the doctor he told me to do a lot of biking lol. I know my squat form has suffered and i can no longer high bar or overhead squat due to flexibility issues and pain warming up.


So i was wondering can my knees be bone on bone? i know i have a bit of tendonitis. Also tight ankles maybe arthritic feet or am i over thinking this and should just rest for a week or two then resume training?

soo many variables here. bone on bone would mean that you have lost all of the meniscus in your knees. Highly highly improbable, if not impossible, without a serious tear of the meniscus or acl tear that causes uneven wear along the cartillage. Youre 22 years old. My thought is that you have some tendonitis in the patellar tendon. If you are just now starting to try and play every day then the easy fix would be to take a week off bball and leg exercises, take some NSAIDS and ice it. Then work your volume up again so you can play bball. I used to play every day as well AND squat heavy. They just dont mix. Unless your training is highly specialized you wont be able to increase your squat and expend hundreds of caloires a day playing bball.

what is your goal? to bodybuild or to play basketball? I suggest replacing your leg workouts with just basketball (since thats what you enjoy) and then maybe do 3-5 sets per week of squats on a back day or something in order to maintain that strength.

[y0lked]

bump

[Mt.Hoodlum]

Do you have any experience with Chondromalacia Patella? I am 33 and lead a very active life of all sports, multiple knee injuries along the way but nothing serious. I recently was put in a situation and had to make due with the equipment available to me for about 1.5 months. I was squatting on soft ground, a barkdust/rubbery mix, and all though I knew better I continued and the pain in front of knee below knee cap worsened over that time.

The pain is so severe now I cannot squat, or even do body weight lunges without severe pain starting in which effects my walking. Any pressure sitting on my knees flares them up, and also any type of jumping/running I will get a shocking pain especially in my left knee.

I did see my doctor and contributed it most likely to arthritis/knees just wearing out....from his tests he did not believe X-ray's would tell us much more, and recommended rest and antihistamine, along with possible physical therapy.

For now the only quad work I am doing at the gym are seated leg raises on the machine, which I never used machines for my lifting, all free weights and cables. The only ham work I do are rom deads and lying leg curls on the machine. I do not experience the knee pain for any of these exercises.

Back/front squats have always been the staples of my workout, and are by far my favorite. I am also curious if there could be a form issue, or perhaps muscle imbalance as I squat to parallel with a wider stance for back squats, and atg front squats.

Any advice on getting these knees healed up quicker?

Thanks

[Jackal59]

I'm 38 an over the past few years I've experienced chronic shoulder pain. I had a contrast MRI and was told that I do not have any tears that were found, however the pain I experience wakes me each night if I roll to certain positions. I've completed all of the physical rehab that was prescribed and this had little affect. After finally deciding that I would go back to the gym no matter what I began to slowly experience less pain, however I believe this was primarily due to building supportive muscle groups in the area. I still experience a lot of pain when trying to do a solid chest work out. Are there any chest exercises you would suggest that are easy on the shoulders? Do you have any suggestions on how to further strengthen/repair my shoulders in order to reduce the pain I experience?
I'm not trained professionally in any way, but note to any of the young guys out there, always be mindful of your body because it will come back to haunt you as you age. My improper form and desire to lift as much as I could on the bench press has been a costly mistake.

Ask away. This thread will be nice for any basic or advanced questions as well as help me develop my knowledge and proficiency in my field.

background in:
biomechanics
kinesiology
exercise physiology
athletic injuries
all kinds of workout programming as well as advanced courses in nutrition

go!

edit: also, anything I feel is interesting i might throw in this thread.

[y0lked]

Do you have any experience with Chondromalacia Patella? I am 33 and lead a very active life of all sports, multiple knee injuries along the way but nothing serious. I recently was put in a situation and had to make due with the equipment available to me for about 1.5 months. I was squatting on soft ground, a barkdust/rubbery mix, and all though I knew better I continued and the pain in front of knee below knee cap worsened over that time.

The pain is so severe now I cannot squat, or even do body weight lunges without severe pain starting in which effects my walking. Any pressure sitting on my knees flares them up, and also any type of jumping/running I will get a shocking pain especially in my left knee.

I did see my doctor and contributed it most likely to arthritis/knees just wearing out....from his tests he did not believe X-ray's would tell us much more, and recommended rest and antihistamine, along with possible physical therapy.

For now the only quad work I am doing at the gym are seated leg raises on the machine, which I never used machines for my lifting, all free weights and cables. The only ham work I do are rom deads and lying leg curls on the machine. I do not experience the knee pain for any of these exercises.

Back/front squats have always been the staples of my workout, and are by far my favorite. I am also curious if there could be a form issue, or perhaps muscle imbalance as I squat to parallel with a wider stance for back squats, and atg front squats.

Any advice on getting these knees healed up quicker?

Thanks

What were your knee injuries? A video of your squat would be nice so I can see if there is any technique flaw that could be contributing to the pain. Not sure why he would tell you to take anti-histamines, were you thinking of anti inflammatory?

Ice, NSIDS, and possibly STEM would be your best options with rest. Sometimes the best way to fix the issue is to not continue to make it worse.

[y0lked]

I'm 38 an over the past few years I've experienced chronic shoulder pain. I had a contrast MRI and was told that I do not have any tears that were found, however the pain I experience wakes me each night if I roll to certain positions. I've completed all of the physical rehab that was prescribed and this had little affect. After finally deciding that I would go back to the gym no matter what I began to slowly experience less pain, however I believe this was primarily due to building supportive muscle groups in the area. I still experience a lot of pain when trying to do a solid chest work out. Are there any chest exercises you would suggest that are easy on the shoulders? Do you have any suggestions on how to further strengthen/repair my shoulders in order to reduce the pain I experience?
I'm not trained professionally in any way, but note to any of the young guys out there, always be mindful of your body because it will come back to haunt you as you age. My improper form and desire to lift as much as I could on the bench press has been a costly mistake.

Most shoulder injuries (if not physical structural damage) stem from an overworking of anterior muscles and poor development of posterior muscle groups which result in postural changes that place the glenohumeral joint in a disadvantage. Follow the first post on this page and at the end of the previous page for exercises to bring the GH joint back into proper position. Start there. Post a pic of your relaxed standing position as well.

[markgeorgeevans]

Hi, I've been working out for about 4 months now and I've started to plateau. I added more volume to my workout over the four months but now I've hit a wall and I'm not going anywhere. Do you think I need a new workout with new exercises and if so can you write me out one and how much do you charge?

Thank you!

[y0lked]

Hi, I've been working out for about 4 months now and I've started to plateau. I added more volume to my workout over the four months but now I've hit a wall and I'm not going anywhere. Do you think I need a new workout with new exercises and if so can you write me out one and how much do you charge?

Thank you!

Hi can you post your diet and current workout plan? If youre hitting a wall after 4 months of lifting then its likely youre undereating or overtraining. No fee my man, free training. Ill walk you through everything step by step if you keep a journal.

[markgeorgeevans]

Hi can you post your diet and current workout plan? If youre hitting a wall after 4 months of lifting then its likely youre undereating or overtraining. No fee my man, free training. Ill walk you through everything step by step if you keep a journal.

Now that you say that I definitely know what I'm doing wrong. I'm not eating enough. For a while now I've been juicing on and off. I eat for 2 days then I juice for two days and repeat. I train on the days I eat and I juice on days off. TTYTT I enjoy doing it and that's why I do it. I know it's not a good strategy for putting on muscle but I wanted to see how far I could go before I had to change something. TBH I prefer to do it this way because I get to eat as much as I want for two days and I don't have to worry about putting on weight because when I juice I will lose any weight I have put on. I still eat healthy but I can eat as much as I want without having to worry.

I guess I have to change things now. What do you suggest?

I weigh 180 lbs

When I do eat I have:

Meal 1 (breakfast):
1 cup of rolled oats, 1 banana, some honey for sweatness.

2 sandwich with whole meal bread and turkey ( about 150g).

3 180g (dry) of whole wheat pasta and usually a tomato sauce.

4 (dinner)
1-1.5 cups of brown rice and about 200g of chicken.

My work out:

Everything is 3 sets of 8, 10, 12 except what I have indicated below.

Dumbbell rows
cable rows (2 sets)
bent over raises
Incline curls
cable curls (2 sets)
calf raises (4 sets)

Spuats
Incline bench
tricep push down
shoulder press
lateral raises

2 days off juicing

Pull ups
lat pull down
face pulls (4 sets)
barbell curl
cable curls (2 sets)
calf raises (4 sets)

Dead lifts
flat bench
lying extension
lateral raises

2 days off juicing

[y0lked]

^^ More protein bro, you need about 1g per lb of body weight. Your workout plan is eehhhhhh theres no periodization, and 90% upper body lifts. I would suggest getting on a program that is central around getting stronger with the main lifts with some accessory work to make that happen.