Witness the Fitness
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on May 13, 2015, 7:20 p.m. by Epochalyptik
A thread about lifting, eating, running, or whatever else you do to get or stay in shape.
Share your accomplishments, strategies, tips, and questions. Set a new PR that you want to share? Go ahead! Got a favorite protein shake? Give up the recipe! Want to figure out how to get off the couch? Ask away!
i have a 3 day / week routine that has worked really well for people that have tried it. its basically divided up as day 1: upper body, day 2: lower body, day 3: full body with 2 flex days in between. normally i do day 1 on mondays, day 2 on tuesday, flex day wednesday, day 3 on thursday, flex day on friday.
let me know if you guys want to try it out, ill email it over.
May 14, 2015 12:10 p.m.
NoPantsParade says... #5
Huh. That's basically what today is. What do you normally do for abs? My cardio consists of HIIT for about 10 minutes to the gym then abs, then HIIT back.
May 14, 2015 12:20 p.m.
@ Epochalyptik I'm using IsaPro shakes from Isagenix, though used hot water today and all came out in like one flush. Though normally i have them at work so no hot water might bring some dishwashing liquid to rinse them out.
May 14, 2015 12:23 p.m.
Planks with a weighted backpack for me - this whole 3 minute routine is done without stopping:
60 second regular plank
15 seconds raise one arm
15 seconds raise other arm
15 seconds raise one leg
15 seconds raise other leg
15 seconds raise one arm and opposite leg
15 seconds raise other arm and its opposite leg
30 second regular plank
May 14, 2015 12:25 p.m. Edited.
russian twists - 5 sets of 50leg raises - 3 sets of 10medicine ball crunches - 3 sets of 15seated ab rotation - 3 sets of 15 on each sidejump rope - 3 sets x 1 min eachpro agility drill - 3 sets minimum
May 14, 2015 12:35 p.m.
julianjmoss says... #10
Yeah but I don't focus on cooking health conscious food in particular.
May 14, 2015 3:14 p.m.
anybody in the so cal area? I might be starting a 6 week routine soon, need a few volunteers. my gym membership lets me take 2 people with me at any time, so literally no obligation except getting your fat ass to the gym....
May 14, 2015 3:26 p.m.
OKAY!
So i'll do a break down on (My favorite day,i shouldn't say favorite. But I like it.) arms.
First thing I do is a warm up set of standing Barbell curls 3x 10-15 reps or until you get a good pumpand then I start a pyramid set of curls as my "working" set.So example. I'll start out at 50 lbs for 10 reps, move up to 60 lbs for 8 reps, 70 lbs for 5 reps and then try to get 80 lbs in at 1 rep and then work your way back through the 70, 60 and down to the 50 for 10 reps.
After this I move to the overhead shoulder press, I include this in arms because it's a secondary Bicep/tricep workout and a savage shoulder workout. You want to do these high intensity workouts while your fresh and have a good energy after your first set and you have little fatigue. You dont wanna drop the barbell on your head now do you? =P
These I don't do pyramids on because I work out alone and that's just not smart without a spot. So these I do at a manageable weight and crush these out 3x10. You want to make sure when your lifting you lift from your chest and having your arms just tip behind your head a bit at the full extension (WARNING: Don't take this as a movement, Just make sure when your arms are full stretched, Your ears are just slightly forward from your elbows.)
After the press I move onto isolating the bicep with concentration curls. These are the single best workout for building a bigger bicep. They isolate the tricep from the workout making the bicep do all the work, So if you want bigger biceps, This is the work out you wanna do.
Pyramid sets are a bonus.
After Biceps I move onto triceps with some seated overhead tricep extensions, Being seated makes you use your core more for this workout as well, so keeping a tight tummy doing this is a bonus. But basically just start with the barbell at the back of your head and lift it just over top of your head while fully extending your arms upward. TIP: Keep your elbows in towards your body as much as possible throughout the lift. This applies all the weight to the tricep and not the shoulders.
After those is back to biceps for some Hammer curls, I like hammer curls because they force a twist in the forearms which helps to build up the grip strength for deadlifts.
THEN you guessed it, Back to triceps with some Slow pause skullcrushers as another tricep working set.
After that I do a working set of shoulder presses followed up by some Arnold Presses.
Those are all the working sets I do. After these I do fail sets on cable machines just using the double rope and doing some bicep curls and tricep curls till my arms don't work.
One thing about doing your set's and rep's and all the other things in the gym. Keep the time short between them, I take a maximum 30 seconds between my sets to keep my heart rate up and a good pump in the muscles. All too often you see people fucking on their phones or chatting for 5 minutes before they start on their sets, If you keep the time short, you keep your heart rate up, and you keep a good sweat going (If you want to get leaner, buy a sweat suit and wear that shit at the gym, It's honestly the best thing i've ever done.) and at the end of your workout you'll feel winded like you were just on the treadmill.
Hopefully this helps everyone out.
GET DEM ARMS.
I'll take recommendations on what I should break down next.
Anyone curious?
May 14, 2015 7:09 p.m. Edited.
NoPantsParade says... #13
Caligula: That looks like a pretty good workout for arms. Have you ever tried doing decline skullcrushers? They seem to hit the long head of the tricep the best - to me at least. I also like overhead tricep extensions on the low pulley as my finishing tricep/chest day workout or simply doing weighted dips. What's your take on doing tricep/chest day, biceps/shoulder/back, and then core twice a week for each day? I don't do leg day because I run, in case you're wondering, "kid skips leg day." I do, and I'm proud.
Sagarys: I'll have to give that weight thing a try with a 45/35 pound weight on my back next core session.
Khanye: That looks similar to mine. I enjoy doing the metronome ab workout. That thing sucked the first time I did it.
May 14, 2015 7:58 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #14
I'm focusing mostly on arms and chest. I already have decent shoulders and legs, so I don't really target them all that often. What do you have for chest/back?
Also, I'm surprised that you don't have preachers in there somewhere.
May 14, 2015 7:59 p.m.
@ Epochalyptik Preacher curls are concentration curls, Just a different name :P
My Chest//Back day consists of:
3x10 Warm up reps on the flat bench.
Pyramid Set on the flat bench (Try to do about 5 tiers)
Incline Bench (Alternate to Decline bench 2nd week) for 3x10 working sets, I like to use dumbbells for this, it let's you get a bit more of a stretch on the downward motion.
After that I like to stretch the chest out doing some light weight chest flys on the flat bench for 4x10. Make sure you get a good flex as you bring your arms up to get the maximum effectiveness.
Another good chest stretch is Dumbbell overhead raises on the flat bench, This one you have to be careful you don't over extend past your head, Usually you just want your arms to come level with your ears.
There's one more work out for the chest at the end (Mike Rashid calls these the fatality sets)
For the back, First and foremost is deadlifts, and all variations of it.These, honestly you need to do your research on and make sure you have PROPER FORM. Honestly this is the most effective workout over all to make your body stronger, 100% so you nail your form on these, and just keep increasing the weights the easier it gets. Then you'll start seeing a big difference in your strength.
Don't be afraid to challenge yourself, but please do be careful and learn the proper form.
After deadlifts I like to target the mid back and do some standing front rows, for 3x10 working sets. An amazing mid back workout.
Then to target the upper back I do the lateral pulldowns on the cable machine, These, alot of people try to have a wide grip, but I have done some research and found that a slightly wider shoulder grip will give you more of a vertical pull when you reach the bottom of the "lift"
After that it's on to seated rows, which I see people fuck up horribly ALOT. When your doing your rows, Make sure your sitting properly poised, and do not pull with your lower back, Use your arms only and pull the bar into your chest focusing on squeezing your shoulder blades together. It's the squeeze at the top of your contractions that will help to build size.
Another wicked back workout that everyone should do is pull ups! All variations are amazing for the back. There isn't another workout that will give you a more overall back workout than the wide/close grip pull ups.
And for the last chest workout!
I finish it with cable flys. Making sure the cables are shoulder level and focusing on keeping my arms straight and making a "clapping" motion, bringing your hands together for a tight squeeze together and then just repeating this until I simply cant bring my hands together anymore.
I haven't actually tried decline crushers, I will definitely add it into my rotation, I'm constantly switching up my routine to target all muscles.
Honestly, Whatever works for you man, I let my body tell me what it want's to work out. I will usually switch up a few things here and there throughout the week depending on my level of soreness.
But that seems anatomically correct to keep your body from "overworking" your muscle groups, But I use that term over working very loosely because I don't believe in it. I mean yes. If your working out the same body part 3-4 times a week, that's no bueno. But 1-2 times a week is totally fine. I like having my triceps sore before I start arm day so It's nice to get them worked out during chest day too.
Biceps/Shoulder/back might be a struggle for you. If you could honestly, Do a back day on it's own. There's plenty of workouts you can do for it and it will be more beneficial too you to dedicate the time to it.
If you go that route, I would recommend you do the back day first before Arms/Shoulders.
And because you run is no reason to skip legs brotha!
At LEAST, you should be hitting the rack and doing some squats, Those are the single best leg workout you could ever do. They will improve your explosiveness in your stride and just make your stride overall longer and faster.
And that concludes my Chest/Back day.
May 14, 2015 11:37 p.m.
I set a new PR on my dead lift this week hitting 360 for 3 reps.
I couldn't get a 4th because I was loosing my grip D=
May 14, 2015 11:38 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #17
I was under the impression that a concentration curl was just a standard seated curl with the arm fully extended toward the floor.
Either way, good routine.
I think I may concentrate on cutting for now. Ideally, I'd have started that two months ago, but sometime is better than never. I guess this means I should at least make leg days absolute killers.
Do you do any ab/core-specific stuff, or do you get that from your standing exercises?
Edit: Also, do you use gloves at all? I picked up a pair because my bar doesn't have the most reliable texture.
May 14, 2015 11:45 p.m. Edited.
NoPantsParade says... #18
Caligula: I do do leg day, but it's not a dedicated leg day. I go to group exercise classes once or twice a week, which essentially translates to 100000000000 squats, lunges, jump ropes in 55 minutes with some core and other muscles tossed in the mix. They're actually challenging, depending on the instructor and class, but I gave them a go over winter break and saw results within 3-4 weeks. If you happen to belong to the YMCA, you could always try them, but not everyone likes them for whatever reason. I like the social aspect of it, too. Also, good job on the dead lifts!
I got my second vein popping out in the lower portion of my abs. And the veins below my hip bones are starting to become a bit more visible above the hip bone and kind of along the oblique leading up to the serratus anterior. So that's my accomplishment of the week.
Speaking of the serratus anterior, does anyone know how to hit that muscle effectively?
this is the smallest yet clearest image I could find.
May 14, 2015 11:54 p.m.
@ Epochalyptik You're correct actually, I mixed the two up =P
And, No i usually don't do abs, If your doing squats or anything like that, Keeping a tight core is often more than enough for me to make them sore and keep the tummy tight.
One workout I like to do for abs is Russian Twists with a medicine ball, So try that out for a few mins and see how you're feeling :P
And @NoPantsParade Russian twists should help you as well target that area!
May 15, 2015 12:11 a.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #20
I feel like such a scrub reading through all of these
May 17, 2015 3:28 p.m.
Don't worry, Tibs, working out takes a very long time before you see any payoff. To become "sculpted" usually takes some years if you're a normal person and don't go super crazy and have protein IV's hooked up to you 24/7.
May 17, 2015 3:30 p.m.
@ ThisIsBullshit, my wife and a few female friends have been using a routine of my design to workout. let me know if interested. its slight bulk, more toning
May 17, 2015 3:43 p.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #25
Khanye let me see this
Also, how often and when do you guys work out? Right after school/work, right away in the morning, or is it just whenever you have time?
May 17, 2015 3:51 p.m.
NoPantsParade says... #26
Right after school, but now that school is over for me, I typically go in the morning if I'm not working. If you do go in the morning, make sure you eat something.
Epochalyptik: that's interesting. I do a lot of those workouts, but does anyone know if that picture is valid/accurate in terms of scientific/anatomical basis? The workouts and their respective muscles are correct, but are these the "best"?
May 17, 2015 3:56 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #27
On weekdays, I tend to work out within an hour after I get home. I do dinner after that.
I tried doing morning workouts, but I feel a lot more focused during afternoon/evening sessions. Plus, I have control over what I eat and drink prior to the workout; my body doesn't really like waking up, downing some water, and getting into physical activity, and I get sick if I eat within an hour prior to a workout.
May 17, 2015 3:56 p.m.
There is no best. There's what works for you and what works for other people. Everyone can't do the same exercises and expect the same results.
May 17, 2015 3:58 p.m.
i usually go around 9pm mon-thursday. weekends usually around 10am after breakfast.
May 17, 2015 3:59 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #30
@NoPantsParade: I didn't fact-check it beyond comparing it with what I already know, but the things that I do know seem to line up.
There's also a fair amount of debate about the "best" of any kind of workout because people have different exercise goals. A routine for building muscle will be different from one for toning or one for fat loss, and some exercises require foundational strength to do at peak efficiency. For example, if you don't have particularly strong arms, you may find it difficult to get the most out of your bench press, which relies on arms to target the chest. By comparison, someone going purely for fat loss may find cardio more appealing because it's effective and doesn't require the same foundational strength.
Each person also responds differently to different kinds of workouts at different intensities, times, and contexts.
May 17, 2015 4:01 p.m. Edited.
NoPantsParade says... #31
So about a week ago, I resolved to getting myself off the couch after the gym since I typically go in the morning. I decided to start biking around the neighborhood 3-4 times a week for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour during the evening. I didn't think I'd keep up with it, but I just went on my fourth one this week. I'm surprised that I actually stuck with it for a week. I've got a fairly hilly neighborhood, so it's fun to ride down the hills at 30+ mph with the wind blowing in your face only to go back up the next hill. Plus I like nature, and I sometimes go through the woods, so that's a bonus.
Does anyone do these kinds of things to stay in shape? Like biking or something in the evening after doing nothing all day following the gym?
May 17, 2015 6:39 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #32
I don't really have the time. I work a 9-5 office job (although I try to walk as much as possible around the office, and I stand frequently), my commute is about 30 minutes each way (if I'm lucky), and I already spend an hour to an hour and a half working out. I need the rest of the time to read and cook.
That said, if you have the time, I definitely recommend staying active.
May 17, 2015 6:47 p.m.
NoPantsParade says... #33
I like this. I like this a lot.
Epochalyptik That's rough you can't do anything before or after. Do you do anything at work? I always do mini tricep dips whenever we're slow at the grocery store.
May 17, 2015 11:12 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #35
The most I get in at work is some grip training. I have some rings of varying resistances for that.
May 18, 2015 7:49 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #36
Arm day.
My maxes from a month ago are my starting sets now. I cannot articulate how amazing that feels.
May 18, 2015 5:34 p.m.
epoch, whats your routine. @ ThisIsBullshit, i will have the routine out to you shortly
May 18, 2015 6:12 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #38
Today was barbell curls, skullcrushers, single-arm preacher curls, 2-position supinated dumbbell triceps extensions, and an overhead dumbbell press to failure.
It's the same routine I've been using for a couple weeks, so I'll probably change it up for next time. I'm thinking about filling out that spreadsheet. Once I do that, I can shuffle my routine by picking a muscle group per movement and randomly selecting an exercise that matches it.
May 18, 2015 6:20 p.m. Edited.
NoPantsParade says... #40
Caligula: noice. Today is moobs/chesticle and triceps day.
May 20, 2015 11:18 a.m.
@NoPantsParade AM workouts on an empty stomach have huge benefits too you, Definitely something to investigate if you're curious.
A trainer I specifically follow swears by fasted workouts (With only minor food in the system, a couple peices 85% dark chocolate, Black coffee is his usual choice).
I myself have hit my PR's while "fasted" with only a banana in the morning to kickstart my body.
A) Your body metabolizes it's fats instead of the calories you ingest.
B) Your body has lower insulin levels which has an effect on increased focus, This I had to inquire about http://warriorsoulfitness.com/
and C) Your post workout meal is key after a fasted workout because your body will metabolize it in no time and feed your muscles the key acids and nutrients. Post workout meals should usually be eaten 15-20 mins after working out as well for maximum recovery.
May 20, 2015 11:22 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #42
Have you found dehydration to be an issue for AM workouts? I'd like to try them again, but I've gotten sick in the past because my body generally dislikes ingesting anything within 30-45 minutes of waking up. I would also have to wake up depressingly early to reap the benefits.
May 20, 2015 12:05 p.m.
I have, Epochalyptik. Cells are super dehydrated first thing in the morning. I have to drink almost a quart of water right when I wake up if I'm going to exercise in the morning.
May 20, 2015 12:08 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #45
Unless you're doing only cardio, you should expect a minimum of an hour. I sometimes spend 1.5 if I'm pounding drop sets.
Cardio-only, which I haven't done in months, is usually about half an hour, not counting warmup and cooldown.
If you're really focusing on intense weight training, it often ends up doubling as cardio anyway.
May 20, 2015 12:24 p.m. Edited.
ThisIsBullshit says... #46
What do you do for number of sets? Do you do 3 sets or just a warmup set and the actual set? Or do you do just one set?
May 20, 2015 12:50 p.m.
Yeah @ Epochalyptik I know the dehydration struggle can be real. Just make sure you drink a good amount of water when you wake up and have a light snack to kick start the metabolism.
During your workouts never chug water, take small sips between sets to keep hydration levels up and water cramping down.
@Tibbles, you should be doing 1-2 warm up sets and then depending on your muscle group you want to do pyramid sets (to build muscle) or high rep moderate weight sets for toning.
May 20, 2015 1:29 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #49
Pyramid sets mean you start at about 75% of your max and add weight one the first few working sets, peak, and then begin removing weight on each following set. The idea is that your reps will decrease on the peak, so a graph of your weight by set would be the inverse of a graph of your reps by set.
Drop sets mean you drop weight, rep out to failure, and repeat.
I've been doing a warmup or two, then five working sets in pyramid configuration with the tail end being drop sets. It's a good combination of high weight and high reps. The idea is to do as many reps as you can physically perform on high weights because you get more out of it than you would doing one rep and racking.
May 20, 2015 1:59 p.m.
pyramids are terrible for girls...unless you want to become butch...tibbles, pyramids are basically in which the progression is from lighter weights with a greater number of repetitions in the first set, to heavier weights with fewer repetitions in subsequent sets.
example: 10 lbs @ 10 reps, 15 lbs @ 8 reps, 20 lbs @ 6 reps, 25 lbs @ 4 reps, 30 lbs @ 2 reps. typical pyramids consist of the 10-8-6-4-2 sets, with weight proportionally getting heavier throughout.
it really depends on what your end goal with the fitness is. if you want to become world's strongest woman and look like Chyna, pyramids are your best friend. If you want to get ripped and just in overall good health to half marathons / mud runs / etc, more of a Jillian Michaels physique, then you want to do more of a circuit training routine, where you have high reps and less weight. Either route is fine, but you can't have both
Sagarys says... #1
This workout was actually super effective for me, dorky as it may seem it's brutal. I combined it with a low carb diet and heavy bag training for cardio. I won't post shirtless before and after pics because I'm not a giant nob, but I went from a doughy 225 (5'9") to a fairly chiseled 200 in just a couple months.
I've always been pretty athletic, wrestled in high school and stuff, but I really let myself go the past few years. It's felt really good to get some of that back. I highly recommend that beagamecharacter.com site for workouts. They give some nerdy flavor to otherwise effective exercise routines (the Master Chief and Kratos ones are pretty nuts too).
May 14, 2015 11:28 a.m.