Fitness and Nutrition VIII

[PsychoticHab]

That's interesting... and definitely differs from your usual "ADD WEIGHT TO THE BAR IF YOU WANT TO GET BIGGER!!!" mantra everybody is parrotting on Bodybuilding forums these days.

I personally have the impression my quads actually answered quite well to 50 reps sets on the leg press. As long as you take things close to failure, I guess it can work on an hypertrophy perspective. I just always thought it has to be complementary to a heavier lift. But this perspective is also interesting.

If you are just looking to get bigger, taking it to failure for hypertrophy is not a bad way to go about it so 30 lbs dumbbells can work for that. (They may even be perfect for it)

If the hotel gym's weight is even too low for that, introducing supersets or giant sets to target muscle groups could also help.

 

[Kriss E]

If you are just looking to get bigger, taking it to failure for hypertrophy is not a bad way to go about it so 30 lbs dumbbells can work for that. (They may even be perfect for it)

If the hotel gym's weight is even too low for that, introducing supersets or giant sets to target muscle groups could also help.

I find my biggest hypertrophy gains come when I strictly do drop sets. I do one exercise per muscle group, 3 sets of 10/10/10.
So I know my body reacts a lot better for hypertrophy with lower weights/higher reps.

 

[DAChampion]

I was goofing off when I brought up women, but if we're going to talk about them seriously:

1) Kriss, you're a tall and fit white guy living in an Asian country, you must be killing it. If you think that women are not that complicated, it's because you're playing that game on easy mode.

2) Fazchenyuk, my general impression is that younger girls care relatively more about face, and as they age they care more and more about physique and stature.

 

[Kriss E]

The type of women who are receptive to strange men talking to them probably aren’t the ones you want to end up with anyway. There needs to be some sort of common ground for any entry into another’s life.

If you go vegan, 3 quarters of vegans are women and a good chunk of them are really hot. You immediately make yourself a desirable commodity, just saying!

(That’s my quota filled for this incarnation of the thread lol)

I don't get that...you're a stranger to every person you meet...
Women are supposed to be receptive to whom if not strangers?? Their cousins?

Inbred vegns...makes sense. And I'd argue most vegans are skinny unfit tree hugging hippies. Come to think of it, I've never actually met a hot vegan.
I have met a lot of hot cokeheads though....Maybe I should look into that...

 

[Kriss E]

Was just discussing this with a buddy of mine while I was taunting him with my perfect hairline. Once I see a bald spot I'm going full bald immediately since I know I don't look too shabby without hair. Even better if you can compensate with a manly beard.

I dread the day this happens...Although I'll be 36 next year and hairdresser still tell me I have so much hair so I think I'm still good.
I think my bro got screwed. He inherited my dad's crappy lebanese curly hair and I got nice voluminous hair from ma mama.

 

[Kriss E]

I was goofing off when I brought up women, but if we're going to talk about them seriously:

1) Kriss, you're a tall and fit white guy living in an Asian country, you must be killing it. If you think that women are not that complicated, it's because you're playing that game on easy mode.

2) Fazchenyuk, my general impression is that younger girls care relatively more about face, and as they age they care more and more about physique and stature.

Not talking about randoms to get in the sack, this is more about girls you're really attracted to. It can be unnerving for anyone because you have this feeling of attraction that's higher than usual so you don't want to look like a clown.
Girls are not easy, and they're definitely complicated creatures..but really it's that simple, build up the courage to go talk to them. If your personalities match then great, if not, then actually it's also good as you can move on and at least know.
Girls respond to confidence. I don't know what's wire in their brain exactly but that is the #1 thing they look for...from my personal experience. Of course, you will always have outliers..girls who categorically won't talk to any guy under 5'8...or ginger boys...or any non-bodybuilder jacked up...
Most girls though, it's about confidence. Not to be confused with arrogance. You can be shy and still have the confidence to go talk to a girl. They'll love that.

I've never had issues getting girls but every guy meets that girl once in a while that makes him extra shy. Two of my exes and my current girlfriend will tell you I was so shy when I first approached them. Twitching a bit..turning red..avoiding some eye contact...Of course in my head, I was on top of my shit so no idea what they're babbling on about, but maybe they're not entirely wrong..lol

So it depends man, but end of the day, just go talk to them. There's no other way.

 

[Habs4Lyfe]

I have a question for all of the runners out there...

I have never been a runner (long distance that is) but I recently made the decision to apply for the Auxiliary Police force in my community.

I passed the Observation and Analytical portion with the highest score in the class this past weekend and the next portion is the Physical Fitness test and one of the tests that I need to score high on is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) run.

My goal is to get my time to approximately 12/13 min as my test in on June 25th.

I only started running this week and have run 2 times so far....

1st was a baseline test at 1.5 miles (2.4K) and with a Run/Jog/Walk combination I was able to do it in 19 min.

2nd (last night) was 3 miles (5K) and with a Run/Jog/Walk combination I was able to do it in 38 min.

I am just looking for some tips and tricks on how I can work on shaving down my time a little by little every run.

I am planning on running the longer distance 3-4x/week with 1 x 1.5 mile once a week in the hopes of focusing on my endurance.

Also, what I noticed is that I do not stop during my run because I am having any trouble breathing - the reason I am stopping or slowing down is due to leg fatigue and shin splints. I am conscious of my breathing and form and how I am landing on my feet but I think I need to go visit a Running Room and invest in a really good pair of shoes (using Under Armour cross trainers currently).

Any advice and/or pointers is welcome!

 

[Kriss E]

I have a question for all of the runners out there...

I have never been a runner (long distance that is) but I recently made the decision to apply for the Auxiliary Police force in my community.

I passed the Observation and Analytical portion with the highest score in the class this past weekend and the next portion is the Physical Fitness test and one of the tests that I need to score high on is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) run.

My goal is to get my time to approximately 12/13 min as my test in on June 25th.

I only started running this week and have run 2 times so far....

1st was a baseline test at 1.5 miles (2.4K) and with a Run/Jog/Walk combination I was able to do it in 19 min.

2nd (last night) was 3 miles (5K) and with a Run/Jog/Walk combination I was able to do it in 38 min.

I am just looking for some tips and tricks on how I can work on shaving down my time a little by little every run.

I am planning on running the longer distance 3-4x/week with 1 x 1.5 mile once a week in the hopes of focusing on my endurance.

Also, what I noticed is that I do not stop during my run because I am having any trouble breathing - the reason I am stopping or slowing down is due to leg fatigue and shin splints. I am conscious of my breathing and form and how I am landing on my feet but I think I need to go visit a Running Room and invest in a really good pair of shoes (using Under Armour cross trainers currently).

Any advice and/or pointers is welcome!

If you have shin splints, that's a problem. If you keep running you'll just make it worse. You should skip to other cardio exercises to improve your cardiovascular abilities while recovering your shins.
Rowing, biking or ski erg are all good.
You should also get into sprints, it's been proven how anaerobic work also increases aerobic capacity.
So you don't have to just run 5K all the time to improve your 5k. Mixing it up with some sprints or interval training at higher intensities also helps.
Doing HIIT workouts will also help with building your aerobic tank and muscle endurance.

In a nutshell, don't just do long distance cardio. I'd say that's the least important part actually. It's good to do so you can learn how to pace yourself and if you're like me, it's more about getting used to the boredom.

1.5 miles in 12-13min shouldn't be difficult for you to get to though. That's 2min per 400m...an easily doable pace from where you are, assuming you train for it.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I have a question for all of the runners out there...

I have never been a runner (long distance that is) but I recently made the decision to apply for the Auxiliary Police force in my community.

I passed the Observation and Analytical portion with the highest score in the class this past weekend and the next portion is the Physical Fitness test and one of the tests that I need to score high on is a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) run.

My goal is to get my time to approximately 12/13 min as my test in on June 25th.

I only started running this week and have run 2 times so far....

1st was a baseline test at 1.5 miles (2.4K) and with a Run/Jog/Walk combination I was able to do it in 19 min.

2nd (last night) was 3 miles (5K) and with a Run/Jog/Walk combination I was able to do it in 38 min.

I am just looking for some tips and tricks on how I can work on shaving down my time a little by little every run.

I am planning on running the longer distance 3-4x/week with 1 x 1.5 mile once a week in the hopes of focusing on my endurance.

Also, what I noticed is that I do not stop during my run because I am having any trouble breathing - the reason I am stopping or slowing down is due to leg fatigue and shin splints. I am conscious of my breathing and form and how I am landing on my feet but I think I need to go visit a Running Room and invest in a really good pair of shoes (using Under Armour cross trainers currently).

Any advice and/or pointers is welcome!

I would limit yourself to 4/5km on your long run day to avoid/prevent injury and throw in some Fartlek runs one day, and a tempo run. Limiting yourself to 3 days a week in the beginning while leaving 2 days rest after your long run. Something like

Monday - Fartlek
Wednesday - Tempo
Friday - Long run 3-4km
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Throw in some hill sprints after you start getting comfortable.

You'll be doing 2.4 km in 12 mins in no time.

 

[Habs4Lyfe]

If you have shin splints, that's a problem. If you keep running you'll just make it worse. You should skip to other cardio exercises to improve your cardiovascular abilities while recovering your shins.
Rowing, biking or ski erg are all good.
You should also get into sprints, it's been proven how anaerobic work also increases aerobic capacity.
So you don't have to just run 5K all the time to improve your 5k. Mixing it up with some sprints or interval training at higher intensities also helps.
Doing HIIT workouts will also help with building your aerobic tank and muscle endurance.

In a nutshell, don't just do long distance cardio. I'd say that's the least important part actually. It's good to do so you can learn how to pace yourself and if you're like me, it's more about getting used to the boredom.

1.5 miles in 12-13min shouldn't be difficult for you to get to though. That's 2min per 400m...an easily doable pace from where you are, assuming you train for it.

Thanks Kriss!
For the shin splints, what I've noticed is that after a couple of Advils and some stretching, the pain goes away, usually within a few hours - which leads me to believe it is not serious but rather my legs just not being used to the impact.

I would limit yourself to 3/4km on your long run day to avoid/prevent injury and throw in some Fartlek runs one day, and a tempo run. Limiting yourself to 3 days a week in the beginning while leaving 2 days rest after your long run. Something like

Monday - Fartlek
Wednesday - Tempo
Friday - Long run 3-4km
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rest

Throw in some hill sprints after you start getting comfortable.

You'll be doing 2.4 km in 12 mins in no time.

Thanks BTT!
I know Google can answer this for me, but can you suggest/recommend a Fartlek and Tempo routine that you would implement if you were me (beginner runner)? I have heard of both of those but have never researched it enough to begin to include it in my plan.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Thanks Kriss!
For the shin splints, what I've noticed is that after a couple of Advils and some stretching, the pain goes away, usually within a few hours - which leads me to believe it is not serious but rather my legs just not being used to the impact.



Thanks BTT!
I know Google can answer this for me, but can you suggest/recommend a Fartlek and Tempo routine that you would implement if you were me (beginner runner)? I have heard of both of those but have never researched it enough to begin to include it in my plan.

A couple of options could be to just sprint 200 m intervals half way around a track if you have one nearby, or what I did was just use telephone poles outside, they are usually 25-50 meters apart where I am from. I would sprint 50-100m and then go real slow for 2-4 poles worth of distance, enough to fully recover and repeat for 15-20 minutes with no real set limit on how far you go, it's wide open and open to your recovery rate and feeling. A form of interval training, really is all it is, but less structured and quite fun. In the military we run as a group and do last 2 to the front, pretty similar in many ways as well. There are tons of variations.

For a tempo run the track is also good for those, but can get boring. Run as a real slow pace one lap (400m) and then increase the speed to 85-90% max heart rate for the next lap etc. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Or jog easy for 5 mins to get the blood flowing and then run at tempo pace for 20 mins or roughly 2 miles.

Then do your 4-5k on Saturday at 70-75% max heart rate. You don't need to use max heart rate as a gauge at all, but it may be easier as a beginner until you figure things out.

One more thing I forgot, on your non running days, do some strength training, squats can help a great deal.

 

[Mrb1p]

So, anybody have inside info on SARMs? Another magic pill?

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

So, anybody have inside info on SARMs? Another magic pill?

Not an expert but I see it as midway between creatine and AAS.
Never tried it but apparently everybody is on it. That's what I repeatedly get told.

 

[Mrb1p]

Not an expert but I see it as midway between creatine and AAS.
Never tried it but apparently everybody is on it. That's what I repeatedly get told.

I need to read up on it, but sadly all the info around is shady at best.

 

[Habs4Lyfe]

A couple of options could be to just sprint 200 m intervals half way around a track if you have one nearby, or what I did was just use telephone poles outside, they are usually 25-50 meters apart where I am from. I would sprint 50-100m and then go real slow for 2-4 poles worth of distance, enough to fully recover and repeat for 15-20 minutes with no real set limit on how far you go, it's wide open and open to your recovery rate and feeling. A form of interval training, really is all it is, but less structured and quite fun. In the military we run as a group and do last 2 to the front, pretty similar in many ways as well. There are tons of variations.

For a tempo run the track is also good for those, but can get boring. Run as a real slow pace one lap (400m) and then increase the speed to 85-90% max heart rate for the next lap etc. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Or jog easy for 5 mins to get the blood flowing and then run at tempo pace for 20 mins or roughly 2 miles.

Then do your 4-5k on Saturday at 70-75% max heart rate. You don't need to use max heart rate as a gauge at all, but it may be easier as a beginner until you figure things out.

One more thing I forgot, on your non running days, do some strength training, squats can help a great deal.

really appreciate the info - i will definitely start to incorporate Tempo and/or Fartlek starting this weekend!

 

[DAChampion]

SARMs are basically a steroid, they are nothing like creatine. Most of them are untested.

If I did do steroids I would do a cycle that has been widely tried, and that's decently vetted.

Not ostarine.

 

[Mrb1p]

SARMs are basically a steroid, they are nothing like creatine. Most of them are untested.

If I did do steroids I would do a cycle that has been widely tried, and that's decently vetted.

Not ostarine.

Yeah, thats what Im saying. The big selling point is that the theyre basically steroids without the side effects.

 

[groovejuice]

Yeah, thats what Im saying. The big selling point is that the theyre basically steroids without the side effects.

Apparantly the side effects haven't been adequately studied. I looked up SARMs after your initial post and there are plenty of warnings from authorities that seem legit for exactly that reason.

One of the main ones seems to be inadequate study of how SARMs affect the bodies production of natural testosterone.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I don't get that...you're a stranger to every person you meet...
Women are supposed to be receptive to whom if not strangers?? Their cousins?

Inbred vegns...makes sense. And I'd argue most vegans are skinny unfit tree hugging hippies. Come to think of it, I've never actually met a hot vegan.
I have met a lot of hot cokeheads though....Maybe I should look into that...

You are a product of the company you keep.

 

[ahmedou]

My elbow get sensible sometimes. I'm hearing little sound of crack. When I'm doing some lifting. Is there some stretch to do on it? Like before making my things?

 

[Kriss E]

You are a product of the company you keep.

Picked that up from a fortune cookie did ya..

 

[Kriss E]

Yeah, thats what Im saying. The big selling point is that the theyre basically steroids without the side effects.

You know they're not being honest when they say “no side effects”. Any pill you take has potential side effects, even tylenol. So right away...warning bells.
Aside, as DA pointed out, they're not approved so..that's another big no-no.

If I was to try something, I'd go with pharma grade testosterone.

I've looked into SARMs a while back, what interested me was no needle.
He breaks it down nicely:

 

[Mrb1p]

You know they're not being honest when they say “no side effects”. Any pill you take has potential side effects, even tylenol. So right away...warning bells.
Aside, as DA pointed out, they're not approved so..that's another big no-no.

If I was to try something, I'd go with pharma grade testosterone.

I've looked into SARMs a while back, what interested me was no needle.

Obviously theyre not. But reduced side effects, or rather, controlled side effects, doesnt seem out of the question. Im just not sure its that type of bro-founded pharmaceutical product that will do it.

Im bringing them up because Mark Bells producer/camera guy is hopping on a cycle of SARMs, and he has to take like 6 different produce to keep everything going. I wonder what will happen. He has pedestrian numbers like 225ish bench and 300 squat... Curious to see what kind of gains he can make.

Im pretty sure its founded by the Enhanced athlete brand but still.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Personally I believe once you start putting your health at risk for “gains” you’ve gone over the edge.

 

[Mrb1p]

Personally I believe once you start putting your health at risk for “gains” you’ve gone over the edge.

My health is already at risk. Its not healthy being 230 pounds at 6'