For those of you who are interested, exercise programs

I am a big work out freak. Love to stay in shape and know a thing or two about fitness tips and nutrition. This thread is for the people wanting to start working out, lose the weight and add the muscle.

Ok with that said , since most people want either to drop a few pounds of fat, or add a few pounds of muscle…well, here is two overall programs that I have a lot of success with that should encompass most people’s needs and requirements

At any rate, before I start, let me emphasize…DIET IS THE KEY for both muscle gain and fat loss. Did everyone hear that?…let me say it again….DIET AND SEX ARE THE KEYS….Well, Diet is anyways! Seriously, I don’t care HOW good your program is, or HOW hard you work, without eating correctly, your gains will be minimized. If you want a list of foods to eat/not eat let me know.

For those of you who want to lose fat…. 1200-1400 calories a day. For those of you who want to add muscle…2000-2500 calories a day. And these calories should be GOOD calories..chips, cookies, sugar, fast food…any stuff like that does not count.

You CANNOT gain muscle on a restricted diet, nor can you lose fat on an overindulgent diet. Ok? SO lets not get into the lose fat/gain muscle on the same diet…forget it..unless you’re taking steroids fuhegheddaboutit.

The proper and intelligent way is to do one first and than the other.

Also, keep in mind that my program for losing fat is based on trying to spare muscle at the same time. So fat loss may not be as exacerbated as you would like…but trust me, you’ll see the results in the end…

Both programs are assuming that you belong to a gym. For those who work out at home, please respond to me in this thread and I’ll modify the program as necessary. Or just emaill me.

Program to lose fat:

Upon rising, take MD6.

Prior to lunch take MD6

Monday: 30 minutes 60% INCLINE swift walking pace on treadmill.
5 minutes sprinting on treadmill.
2 minutes walking fast at full incline
5 minutes sprinting on treadmill.
3 minutes moderate walking – cool down.

Tuesday 25 minutes 60% incline swift walking on treadmill.
7 minutes sprinting on treadmill
2 minutes walking fast, full incline.
15 minutes moderate jog on flat level incline.
3 minutes cool down moderate walking.

Wednesday lifting/running

Tricep pulldown 2 sets, 15 reps
Tricep extensions 2 sets,. 15 reps
Bicep dumbell curls 2 sets, 15 reps
Bicep barbell curls 2 sets, 15 reps
Flat bench press 2 sets, 15 reps
Incline bench press 2 sets, 15 reps
Dumbell flyes 2 sets, 15 reps
Lat pulldowns (close hand) 2 sets, 15 reps
“ “ ( hands apart) 2 sets, 15 reps
Pushups 2 sets, 12 reps

Run on treadmill, moderate pace, 15 minutes.
Walk on treadmill, moderate pace, flat, 10 minutes.



Thursday Off…BUT…. 30 minutes walking/rollarblading/biking outside somewhere.

Friday: 30 minutes 60% INCLINE swift walking pace on treadmill.
5 minutes sprinting on treadmill.
2 minutes walking fast at full incline
5 minutes sprinting on treadmill.
3 minutes moderate walking – cool down.

Saturday: lifting/running

Leg extensions 2 sets, 15 reps
Hamstring curls 2 sets,. 15 reps
Leg press 2 sets, 15 reps
Empty bar squats 5 sets, 15 reps

Run on treadmill, moderate pace, 15 minutes.
Walk on treadmill, moderate pace, flat, 10 minutes.

Sunday: 25 minutes 60% incline swift walking on treadmill.
7 minutes sprinting on treadmill
2 minutes walking fast, full incline.
15 minutes moderate jog on flat level incline.
3 minutes cool down moderate walking.

This program is good for two months. It varies enough to continue to throw your body off routine and enable fat loss. After two months, we’ll talk about how to use an eleptical machine correctly and incorporate that into the program in place of the treadmill…


For muscle gain: Last two reps of every set should be difficult. One VERY heavy day. Two rest days in between a chest day and the heavy day. This is basically a beginner’s schedule, those of you who want to dissect it by weight percentages, supersets, overloads etc, should comment in the thread and I’ll respond with suggestions. Also, please note that this schedule is good for 2 months. After that it will need to be changed and/or varied.




First off….1.5grams of protein (NOT soy) per body weight daily.

Monday: Hamstring curls 3 sets of 10
Leg press 3 sets of 10
Leg extensions 3 sets of ten
Squats 4 sets of 8
Shoulder barbell press 5 sets of 10
Lateral side raises 4 sets of 10
Front side raises 4 sets of ten
Front upward rows 4 sets of 10

When done, as soon as possible consume 50 grams or carbs and 40 grams of protein.


Tuesday: Bicep barbell curl 4 sets of 8
Bicep dumbell curl 4 sets of 10
Bicep preacher curls 3 sets of 10
Bicep hammer curls 2 sets of 8
Seated Calf raises 5 sets of 12
With barbell on back, calf raises 4 sets of 10
Pullups 2 sets of 10

When done, as soon as possible consume 50 grams or carbs and 40 grams of protein.


Wednesday – Off

Thursday: Flat bench press 4 sets of 8
Decline bench presse 4 sets of 10
Incline bench press 4 sets of 8
Dumbell flyes 4 sets of 12
Cable flyes 3 sets of ten
Barbell trap raises 4 sets of 10
Dumbell trap raises 4 sets of 8

When done, as soon as possible consume 50 grams or carbs and 40 grams of protein.


Friday: Off

Saturday: Flat bench press 4 sets of 7
Deadlifts 5 sets of 7
Squats 5 sets of 7
Barbell curl 5 sets of 7

When done, as soon as possible consume 50 grams or carbs and 40 grams of protein.

Sunday: Tricep pulldowns 3 sets of 10
Tricep extensions 3 sets of 10
Tricep rope pullovers 3 sets of 10
Lat pulldowns (close hands) 4 sets of 8
Lat pulldowns (wide hands) 4 sets of 8
Cable row 4 sets of 8
Pullups (palms facing away, apart at shoulder length) 4 sets of as many as you can do
Situps 4 sets of 10


Now if anyone has any type of questions let me know. Im good at this kind of stuff. This thread will not interest many. But for some of you again looking to get in shape this is for you. For you who already are then you can add if you like.

Hmmm...

Don't think the over 50 crowd is going to be able to keep that pace Sand...lol! I use a lot of your techniques, modified for my advanced age and incorporate racquetball and sparring into the routine also to keep me from getting bored. If you have ever played R-Ball (correctly) you'll find yourself sore from head to toe, especially in your gluteal region. 2 quickies...what do you think of jumproping, and how do you feel about "super slow" lifting...I've had a LOT of success with the slow sets from a strength gain standpoint, but in general I'm interested in endurance, and want to add flexibility to my workout...my weak point by far. Yoga? Not sure I have the discipline.. Plyometrics? That's HARD!! Anyway, keep up the good routine and you'll live to be a grumpy old TMF'er too! Q

The "Tally Ho" diet

Go to the pub, drink as much strong lager as you possibly can, and then try to walk home, the more you drink the harder it is to remember where you live, so you have to walk further and so you loose more weight. Also when you do get home you will feel pretty bad for a few days so you dont care how fat you are, then, next thing you know you fancy another bout of lager shopping and the cycle is complete. Repeat the process untill England win the world cup.

QJAKAL...

I am not a fan of SuperSlow. It does not build mass...at all. However, as you have found, it DOES increase strength. It really depends on what your goals are... if you want to add mass, Superslow is not the way to go. If you want strength and are not interested in mass, it would be a effective accompaniment in a low-rep workout program.

As I understand it, the reason you can't build mass with SuperSlow is that there just isn't enough repetitive neurological stimulation to the muscle cell to elicit hypertrophy. To put on some muscle, you have to recruit motor units, repetitively. SuperSlow is too damn ineffective on the muscle fibers, also uses way too few repetitions, and hasn't produced any good scientific research to quantify what people who use it, claim. Oddly enough I had an online discussion with someone a few months back and the above paragraph was sent me.

Jump Rope - I like it...but generally for agility and/or as a replacement for those burned out on cardio machines. Obviously endurance as well..For flexibility? Not really....Plain stretching is still best for flexibilty as is yoga.

There is a very effective part jump-rope program by John Davies....I'll cut/paste it...

Training is designed such that it serves a purpose or function for the needs of the athlete. Each element of training is utilized so that form and function is maintained for the desired sport; therefore, each training regime must prioritize the following physical attributes:

Flexibility
Agility
Absolute Linear Speed
GPP (General Physical Preparation)
SPP (Specialized Physical Preparation)
Strength/Resistance Training

Unfortunately, there’s been a gross misrepresentation of sport speed by the media. Many young athletes and coaches consider the 40-yard dash as the determining factor in assessing an athlete’s potential. The truth is, most sporting activities are played within a smaller playing area or "box" in which reaction, balance, and agility are the true determinants. The merits of agility training are tremendous and will have an immediate and direct impact upon athletic endeavors.

So, to further unfurl the blueprint of training, I’ll turn to agility training. As you’ll learn, the remarkable thing about agility training is that there’s one component that can be performed by people from all walks of life with equally beneficial results, whether they’re elite athletes or average gym members.

Agility work is an extraordinary training concern. To tackle this concern, I use a hybrid of training mediums such as rope skipping, agility ladders, dots, cone drills and other sport specific drills. Of course, much of agility training is sport specific in nature and can only be implemented by the general athlete from either the standpoint of equipment or usefulness. But the first phase of all agility training is something everyone can do: rope skipping.

Jumping rope offers extraordinary benefits to everyone. It’s relatively easy to learn, fully transportable and inexpensive. It’s rare to find an athlete or individual who can’t benefit from the use of rope work. In fact, I’ve used this training drill with such diametrically different athletes as 300 pound offensive lineman, female soccer players, and martial artists!

Many followers of stick-fighting and sword-fighting disciplines have used it as a form of SPP because of the tremendous speed generated by the rope as it "cuts" through air. Famed martial artist Bruce Lee included it as a mainstay in his warm-up and the image of Muhammad Ali turning a rope as a young man is the perfect blend of power, agility, and grace. World renowned master of rope work, Buddy Lee, a former Olympic wrestler and two time USMC athlete of the year, has helped illuminate the tremendous benefits for modern sport and those concerned with their general health. Simply put, this might be the perfect exercise for everyone from elite athletes and bodybuilders to the average adult and child.

Now, don’t get the wrong impression about the severity of this work just because rope skipping is a popular childhood game. As you might have already guessed, I don’t perform rope work like a kid’s game. I demand a torrid pacing. I consider the use of rope work the first step of laying the foundation for all agility training. It’ll provide synergistic balance among numerous areas such as foot speed, hand speed, work capacity, and cardiovascular health. Rope skipping, if done my way, will also improve concentration, motor skills, and balance, not to mention reduce bodyfat and strengthen soft tissues.


The Mechanics

To start our training, you need to consider the proper mechanics of rope work. Luckily, the learning curve for rope skipping is very steep. Start your rope routine with moderation and build up with a consistent and easy pace. Consider the first few weeks of rope training as a phase-in. Your body will quickly adapt to the demands and you’ll be able to attack this pursuit with ferocity.

Many prefer to count jumps, but I prefer to use measures of time instead (details on that below). In selecting your rope, choose one of significant length so that when looped under your feet, it’ll reach chest height. There’s no need to purchase an expensive rope either. I prefer the inexpensive plastic models you can easily adjust.

The positioning of the hands can vary and makes a big difference. Typically, athletes will allow their hands to drop naturally to the sides as the rope’s speed relies mostly on wrist movement. This is a solid way to perform skipping; however, an alternative exists that offers some interesting benefits for bicep development and also contributes to enhanced speed of the motion.

Instead of allowing the hands to drop, pinch the elbows into your sides. The space between the elbows and wrist joints should be roughly parallel to ground. The turning of the rope will now involve the biceps and forearms significantly. Once you adapt to this style, you’ll also notice a radical increase in the speed of the rope. Combative athletes should take particular heed to this style, as you’ll find it very applicable to the throwing of hooks, performing takedowns, and using holds. The speed of the rope will vary significantly as the skill is learned, but 90 to 120 revolutions per minute is generally acceptable.


Patterns of Movement

As you progress and gain confidence, you’ll quickly want to implement a pattern of movement. There’s an endless array of combinations you can perform and you can always experiment. However, I use a simple pattern of rope movements to coincide within the total rope routine.

As work capacity improves, I direct my athletes to perform three minute rounds with one minute active breaks between each. During these "breaks," they perform a series of exercises. If you maintain a steady regimen of rope work, you’ll be astonished at how quickly you advance. Once you’re able to perform three minute rounds you can use the sequences below.

The rope movement pattern I prefer is broken into fifteen-second splits within the three-minute rounds. The constant variation will provide challenge and a nice degree of variation. I’d suggest you use an alarm on a watch to signal moving from one pattern to the next. Here’s one of my favorite patterns (descriptions of patterns are included below):

Sequence A (0-30 seconds)
First 15 seconds: basic jump, two feet together
Second 15 seconds: cross-over of hands

Sequence B (30-60 seconds)
First 15 seconds: Ali shuffle (see description below)
Second 15 seconds: double skips

Sequence C (60-90 seconds)
First 15 seconds: side to side slalom
Second 15 seconds: cross-over of hands

Sequence D (90-120 seconds)
First 15 seconds: hip turn with left foot forward
Second 15 seconds: cross-over of hands

Sequence E (120-150 seconds)
First 15 seconds: hip turn with right foot forward
Second 15 seconds: cross-over of hands

Sequence F (150-180 seconds)
First 15 seconds: running, high knees
Second 15 seconds: double skips


Here’s a description of some of these patterns you may not be familiar with:

Cross-over of hands — As the rope is turning over behind you and is almost above your head, quickly cross your hands over and skip the rope with your arms crossed. Uncross and repeat.

Double skips — Simply turn the rope faster so you’re able to perform two revolutions per jump.

Ali shuffle — Move your feet back and forth in a short range of approximately one to two feet. Floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee optional.

Side to side slalom — This movement looks like you’re jumping from one side of a line to another. The range of motion is very short and quick.

Hip turns — When you skip normally, your feet and body are obviously facing straight ahead. To perform hip turns, quickly turn your body to the left (or right) as the rope turns above your head. Your forward foot should be roughly one to two feet in front of the other; you’ll have turned about 90 degrees.

Running, high knees — This is pretty self-explanatory. Simply run with your knees as high as possible while turning the rope.


Hope this helps, anymore questions or comments let me know.

Just bringing this back near the top for qjakal to see..

Thanks...

Yup...this pretty well confirms most of what I have believed throughout my athletic activities. I use rope as a warm up for nearly everything else, and I rarely to never have a strained "anything", despite my advancing years. As I already stated, I do use superslow because I am interested more in endurance than mass...mostly because I already am fairly big, and moving this body around on a racquetball court against 20 year old opponents requires superior endurance, especially since they always assume a lack of stamina due to both my age and size...interesting points on advanced rope work. I haven't concentrated on adding "moves", but it does seem interesting! Q

Sand, i just noticed your post and I am wondering ,what is your view of the low carb diet. I have lost about 75 lbs(still have a way to go. as I am trying to beat my familie's dismal record of heart disease and diabetes) on a modified Atkins type diet(about 50-60 grams of carbs a day and waaaayy more non starchy veggies than Atkins advocates as well as a ton of lean meat, and take occational low fat, low carb high protein shakes, as well as drinking 64+ oz of water) My BP and BG levels are entirely normal. Just curious as to what your opinion of this hightly popular yet still controversial diet

The Atkins Diet

Rose, I've known a number of people who have tried the Atkins diet. I've done so myself. My observations are that:
1) Its attraction is as a magic bullet, where you lose weight without exercising or giving up high fat foods. Nobody REALLY likes veggies, steak is another story.
2) It works better for young folk than older folk.
3) It works better for men than women.
4) It put a friend of mine in the hospital - he got carried away, tried to lose too much weight too fast and screwed up his blood sugar.
5) Eventually you'll have to go back to eating a normal balanced diet. If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're going to get fat again.

My suggestion is, try it for a few months. If you can shed 25 lb, great. That will give you a head start on a HEALTHY diet, and the exercise you'll need to do will be less stresful because you're hauling less lard around. You needn't go for the Iron Man program outlined above. Walking around the block on your lunch hour will do almost as much good for your general health.

Strelnikov

Thanks Strel! Our resident "tickling fitness gurus" LOL
Actually I am pretty active(walk at a rather brisk pace to and from work-nearly a mile each day, try to take my little beagle for a long walk at least 2-4x per week and work @ a factory where I am lifting fairly heavy auto parts(usually 50-75 lbs) and moving quickly for 8+ hrs a day) but one can never be too active, and in the new yr I am gonna add some strength training to my exercice regimine(sp).

I had a smiliar prob to your friend when I started Atkins, though I never had to be hospitalized. I lost like 10 lbs in one week, doing the induction level, eating maybe 10-15 carbs per day. But I quickly realized that I was soon gonna be going into the hospital instead of a smaller dress size if I didn't stop going so strictly and modified things to a level where I was still losing weight(now it is comming off slower than I'd like,hence one of the reasons I am going to kickstart things by adding more lean muscle mass)but feeling healthier.