Weight Lifting/Nutrition etc ..

[Mr. X]

Thanks for the advice and I'll really consider it. We were all talking it over and we're gonna try to get into the Gym Monday-Thursday. I know one of the guys has a similar schedule to me so the only problem would be if we get too lazy to go. He was thinking about making Monday and Wednesdays lift days and Tuesday and Thursday Cardio days.

So since I can get into the Gym more ( really none of us wanted to go alone which is why we're trying to work schedules out) does this effect what I should do?

Well if you go to the gym 4x a week then you can split up your body parts.

A good sample

Day 1
Chest+Tris
4 exercises x 3 sets

Day 2
Back/Biceps
Day3
Legs

Day 4
Shoulders.

You can add abs to two of these days or just do them on your off /cardio days.

Each workout(weight-lifting part of the workout) should take no longer than an hour. I can understand if you go over for Chest+Tris and maybe Legs but really 45-hour is all your glycogen (energy) storages give and anything more could just result in over-training.

[Mr. X]

Front Squats have become my favorite lift on leg day, even though I hate the forearm fun that comes from it lol. I'm an clean grip guy...never could get the cross hold down.

Im the opposite. I oppose the clean grip and when I first started off, practiced the cross hold with the smith machine then moved to free barbell. Front squats really bring out the quads.

My legs workout this Sunday
Warmup
Warmup 5 minutes- Cycle machine.

2 sets of quad extensions x15 reps
Front Squat
2 warm up sets of Front Squats x 10 reps
2 working sets of Front Squats 8x-10
1 Drop set of Front Squats

Hack Squat

1 warm up set x 12 reps
2 working sets x8-10

Single Leg-Leg Press
3 working sets 8-10

super set with body sissy squats.


Hamstrings

Standing leg curls ( Honestly the best hamstring curl exercise for me, the isolation allows you to really concentrate on the hams.)
1x warmup setx10
2x working setsx10

Stiff Legged Deadlift -Platform I'm only 5'6 so by the time the bar hits the ground, my lowerback is more involved rather then my hamstrings so by going on a platform I can go lower and that is when I really get the stretch in my hamstrings. Also great Tip- Don't come all the way up in a stiff leg. By coming all the way up you include your lower back more than your hamstrings. By going as low as you can go while keeping the stretch on the hams, come up right before you feel your lower back being used.


2x warm up sets x10-12
2xworking sets x8-12

Bulgarian Single Leg Squats

I only do 2-3 sets of this and it's an amazing finisher for the glutes and also the hamstrings . I do this on the smith machine and go for 8-15 range and it just wrecks me.

[The Main Event]

LA, if you got 4 days a week, I don't really recommend doing it 4 on, 3 off, because that just leaves a lot of time that will just almost negate what you've done in the 4 days. It's just a lot of time off. If you could throw in even a run, or some sports on Saturday...perfect. If not, then maybe break it up to Monday/Tuesday on, Wednesday rest, Thursday/Friday on (or some variety of that). I just really think 4 on - 3 off doesn't do much good.

[Mr. X]

LA, if you got 4 days a week, I don't really recommend doing it 4 on, 3 off, because that just leaves a lot of time that will just almost negate what you've done in the 4 days. It's just a lot of time off. If you could throw in even a run, or some sports on Saturday...perfect. If not, then maybe break it up to Monday/Tuesday on, Wednesday rest, Thursday/Friday on (or some variety of that). I just really think 4 on - 3 off doesn't do much good.

Agreed. 3 days straight is just too much keep the body active and what Main Event suggested is ideal for any 4 day split. Day 1 Day 2 rest Day 3 Day 4

[Rellie]

Quick question; Creatine or Whey Protein? I heard good and bad reviews on both products, but still stuck on which one I should consider buying. I'm not looking to tone my muscles, but to build mass and gain weight.

[The Main Event]

Whey protein would always be my choice between the two. Creatine is too risky if you don't hydrate yourself very well and it's just too unnatural to the human body, even more so compared to proteins.

[Hollywood*]

Creatine and Whey are not directly comparable - Whey is a protein supplement and creatine increases your ATP stores to give you more 'push' during a workout.

It isn't a 'one or the other' deal with these two, completely different things.

[The Main Event]

This is also true. But if you say you can only pick one or the other based on costs....whey protein every time.

Optimum Nutrition's 100% Gold Standard is my pick everytime too. Best stuff I've ever used.

[THE POPE]

This is also true. But if you say you can only pick one or the other based on costs....whey protein every time.

Optimum Nutrition's 100% Gold Standard is my pick everytime too. Best stuff I've ever used.

go read the forums at BB.com and come back at a later time.

Creatine Mono is super cheap 3 months worth for under 20$ and perfectly safe people should be drinking enough water already.

at telling someone that working out 4 days and taking 3 days off a day isn't doing anything for them might be the most silly thing I have ever seen in this forum. It might not be the greatest training but telling someone it will do nothing for them

[The Main Event]

So I've been debating about tinkering with my dietary habits as I start to get back into running after my injury (which at first was diagnosed as a sports hernia but now has been labeled a severe hip flexor strain after MRIs showed no hernia signs, fun times wasting 3 months). Looking at dropping red meat and pork from my meal plans. Normally I would have some ham with sandwiches a couple times a week, a pork chop once a week, and a hamburger once a week (the chop and burger from home). But the more I look into things, the more I'm wanting to lean up my diet, not to mention that with all the things we're learning about beef lately and the additives, just lost my appetite for it. Challenging myself to stick to this for all of April (except for Easter dinner, uncle is honey baking a ham as the main course, too late to ask for a second option without being incredibly rude ).

[Mr. X]

I know i've been gone for a while but I just felt inclined to write back especially to you TME

Have you begun your lean diet? I started a month ago my meal plan looks like this, and it's perfect since it's summer time.


Breakfast- 5 egg whites 1 whole egg
1 slice of whole wheat toast
1 bananna
1 Glass of 2% Milk.

pre-Lunch Snack

Chobani
Almonds

Lunch
Either a turkey sandwhich (with deli cuts none of that preservative crap), or grilled chicken with sweet potatoes and broccoli. (More broccoli that sweet potato).

Preworkout meal

Turkey Sandwhich

Post workout

1 1/4 scoop of Platinum Hydrowhey 35-40 g
1 scoop of bcaas (5g)

Dinner

Either grilled chicken, turkey burger ( I make them from scratch from ground meat)/ Lamb chops ( i tend to have red meat once, twice as the max per week) with asapargus/broccoli.

Before bed

1 scoop of Whey w/ Milk ( to produce a casein protein effect)


Basically I start my morning with the most carbs and throughout the day I cut it down to the point where at night my only form of carbs are from vegetables.


And to complement that I've been doing this cardio circuit

1 Minute- Burpees
1 Minute- Mountain Climbers
1 Minute- Jump Rope
Suicides
Box Jump into squat till drop.

[The Main Event]

I started to, then realized there's only so many ways you can make chicken and fish and turkey

I added pork, still cut way back on beef though, which is nice. Got back into Crossfit training last week, sitting at a pretty bloated 182 right now, gonna add more veggies and fruit to the diet, just trying to find something that works while my schedule is all over the place.

[Mr. X]

It's come to the point where eggs and chicken have no distinct taste to me, because I'm so used to it :lol. Thank god for Franks Hot Sauce.

Also I take green tea extract with each meal and before my cardio workout.

[The Main Event]

I need to get more of that, I was taking 2 pills in the morning, ran out and just haven't gotten more. Would probably help with my weight cut a little bit.

Looking at maybe entering a lifting competition in mid-July if my body holds up well enough, but I'll need to at least get to 175 (which is likely), but would like to get to 163 (less likely ).

[Mr. X]

You're going to do a lifting competition? Nice bro

What's your 1MR
Bench Press
Power Clean
Deadlift
Squat?

[The Main Event]

The competition is going to be Clean/Jerk, Snatch and Deadlift.

Right now I'm looking at 1RMs of...

Bench Press - 235
Power Clean - 205
Deadlift - 355
Squat - 300 (don't know why but any more than that and my mind goes to crap and I get all botchy with it, got power at 300, then nothing after)
Front Squat - 245 (PR'd that last night)
Snatch - 175


Basically, I got decent power, nothing to write home about or anything. I'm more of a muscle endurance guy, but figure this would get me focused on building some strength technique without much embarrassment (it's a video/online competition) and very cheap ($7).

People find it funny, I can do 1 rep of 355 on deads, but then bust out 6 at 300. Just never really train for 1 rep maxes I suppose. New Crossfit gym I joined though does strength workouts 3 times a week before the actual workout, where they look for 1, 3 or 5 rep maxes, so this could be a real good fit.

[Michinokudriver]

The competition is going to be Clean/Jerk, Snatch and Deadlift.

Right now I'm looking at 1RMs of...

Bench Press - 235
Power Clean - 205
Deadlift - 355
Squat - 300 (don't know why but any more than that and my mind goes to crap and I get all botchy with it, got power at 300, then nothing after)
Front Squat - 245 (PR'd that last night)
Snatch - 175

SO JEALOUS

[Mr. X]

Got some good strength on you TME. Wish you the best of luck and keep me updated! Good deadlift my man.

Had a brutal legs workout today but new progress.

5 min warm up on the cycle machine
4 sets of quad extensions x 12 reps.

6 sets Squat
No Weight 10x rep
Set 1: 135 10x
Set 2: 185 10x
Set 3: 225 10x
Set 4: 245 x8
Set 5-275x8
Set 6- 315x5. (Had to get a spot on the last rep)

4 sets of Stiff legged deadlifts (on a platform to hit my hams, kept the weight at 135)superset with standing hamstring curls.

3 sets of Front Squats
10 reps of 135
8 reps of 185
6 reps of 225
(Legs were torn up from the squats!)

Then finished off with lunges.


Instead of Front Squats I would usually do Leg press or hack squats with the last set doing a drop set. I tell you, start with 8 plates on each side and keep stripping plates and upping the reps, your legs and whole body will be crying after! Front Squats have really been helping with my quads, and the tear drop is coming out much more now thanks to these.

[The Main Event]

Front Squats to me is a top 3 lift for full body performance, I can't think of anything it doesn't work through the lift itself or the stabiliazation process.


Ended a Crossfit workout a couple days ago with a 30-rep challenge, the coach and the athlete decide on a weight, and you have to do an unbroken set at that weight. We decided on 155 pounds to see if I could do it....did it. Barely.

[The Main Event]

Well, make that back squat 305 pounds. Finally broke 300, and this was after a 45 minute training session.

July 28th I make my return to individual competition in a 1 on 1 tournament. Also might have a comeback started early if I'm selected by my coaches for an affiliate event, any gym that signs up sends 6 of their best in Elite and Intermediate divisions as a team. One of the coaches is saying that I'm likely going to get selected for it...I've been back in Crossfit for 2 weeks, and that first day back was my first day at this facility. Boom.

EDIT: Also weighed in this morning. Goal for 7/28 is to be down to 162, which is where I'm most efficient I've learned. 2 weeks ago I was 182, today...176. I'm willing to guess that I put on a little muscle in that time too. So I'm very happy with the progress.

[Michinokudriver]

5/3/1 Boring but Big on a 2-day split (Monday: DL + OHP, Friday: Bench + Squat, Wednesdays Oly lifting + front squat + other misc. accessory work) along with another two days of running is brutalizing me. But in a good way.

[The Main Event]

Another day another PR...

WOD: Nancy

5 Rounds for Time
-400m Run
-15 Overhead Squats (95 pounds)

September 2011 - 15:05
June 2012 - 13:18

That's a change of 1:47...competition can't get here fast enough.

[The Main Event]

Hey X, how are you with the snatch? Need some pointers, just feels like my lift is all wonky with it :/

[Michinokudriver]

Hey X, how are you with the snatch? Need some pointers, just feels like my lift is all wonky with it :/

Just X?

I try to figure it out by watching Glenn Pendalay's tutorials:

http://www.californiastrength.com/vi...-weightlifting

[The Main Event]

Just X?

I try to figure it out by watching Glenn Pendalay's tutorials:

http://www.californiastrength.com/vi...-weightlifting

He's been my fitness buddy on here for a while, habit

Not bad on the videos. Think I might take a video of me doing a few to see if I can look at where I'm messing up with it.