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The Fysical Phitness Thread
- Thread starter Psycho
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Do you have access to weights?
I do if I join the gym, which is a stone's throw away. However, the cash needed to join is the obstacle :\
So, does anyone have any idea on the best ways to gain weight in general?
I was recently extremely ill (and maybe still am, but it's cleared up a lot now with medication). I lost over 20lbs in about two and a half weeks, but I'm currently on steroid tablets which have obviously increased my appetite. I'm drinking plenty of milk, eating yoghurt, and taking calcium tablets to combat the potential bone thinning.
I'm just wondering what kind of foods you'd suggest eating to gain more weight faster? I'll be on the steroids for the next 6-7 weeks so I can eat a hell of a lot to be honest (although I always ate a fair amount really despite being slim).
I was recently extremely ill (and maybe still am, but it's cleared up a lot now with medication). I lost over 20lbs in about two and a half weeks, but I'm currently on steroid tablets which have obviously increased my appetite. I'm drinking plenty of milk, eating yoghurt, and taking calcium tablets to combat the potential bone thinning.
I'm just wondering what kind of foods you'd suggest eating to gain more weight faster? I'll be on the steroids for the next 6-7 weeks so I can eat a hell of a lot to be honest (although I always ate a fair amount really despite being slim).
You have two options in front of you. You can either a) spend the money to join the gym and use the weights or b) save the money and do calisthenics (body weight training).
Here is what you're in for with either option.
Option A: The Gym
You will be going to a gym and using weights to gain muscle. The programs I would recommend are Starting Strength or Greyskull LP. Regardless of which one you take you're going to want to read Starting Strength (the book) in order to understand how to preform the exercises. If you aren't feeling very piratey, I'll send you a copy if you want one (PDF ofc).
You will progress linearly on either program. In 12 weeks you can bring your squat from 45 lbs to 225 lbs if you want. It's easy peasy lemon squeezy. Just takes consistency. You're gonna get stronger, you're gonna build mass. Are you gonna stay a skinny kid? Hell no. You're gonna look like our friend Lee or Stath (look at windsong to see what Lee used to look like hahahaha i crack myself up).
You'll get as strong as you want. Once you have a solid base you can do whatever you want in the gym pretty much. You can keep increasing your compound lifts, you can work on auxiliary exercises, hell you could do an entire bodybuilding routine if you want. All I know right now is you want to get stronger, and this is an easy and efficient way of doing it. On the flip side,
Option B: Bodyweight Workouts
These aren't so bad. You've got several options, most just require a pull-up bar (Iron Gym, for example). You've got several options. SimpleFit, p90x, Convict Conditioning, You Are Your Own Gym, list is endless. Basically what it comes down to is doing the exercises you can do at home with your body often and with high intensity. Push ups, squats, pull ups, sit-ups, lunges, bridges, etc. Easy stuff that gets harder when you make it harder.
If you want to go this path I recommend p90x. I think you might need a little more than a pull up bar but again, you can either sail the high seas or I can help you out. If what it takes to do p90x is too much, simplefit is an easy way to make sure you're getting in a workout that's high intensity and keeps you stronger than you would be without it.
Of the two options, I'd recommend the Gym Option the most. Why? Lifting weights is an easy way to get stronger. You go in on day one, lift the bar, come home. Two days later you go back, add weight, come home. And every time you add weight until you can't. You just keep getting stronger. It's easy to do, easy to track, easy to compare.
But make sure it's something you want. Don't buy a gym membership if you're not going to be consistent. If you're not sure, might want to just stick with bodyweight training. See how you like training. If you like it, go for it. Go all out, hit the gym.
Whatever you pick, make sure you get stronger and stay dedicated. I can help you get any books / videos you need.
Something easy to do is get a trail mix (or make your own) and just take a handful each time you pass. Trail mix is hella calorie dense, and even if you only eat a handful each hour for 8 hours you'll easily put down over 1000 calories. Add that to your other meals (hopefully at 2000+ calories combined) and you'll be putting on weight like it's no problem.
Other that that, I guess eat more carbs. I could eat bread all day long and still be hungry. I actually logged a 10,000 calorie day where pretty much all I ate was bread. Was straight crazy. Cereal too. Oh man, cereal is great imo for adding extra calories. In between meals it makes an easy snack that really doesn't take away any appetite.
also, hope you get well soon!
Havak, what steroids are you using after you illness?
Thanks for the help :) I fucking hate Trail Mix but I'll give it a go. I eat a lot of cereal anyway but now I'll eat more :D
The tablets are called Prednisolone which I take six of a day. I'm also on Mesalazine sachets which I take two of a day, and obviously the calcium stuff.
The tablets are called Prednisolone which I take six of a day. I'm also on Mesalazine sachets which I take two of a day, and obviously the calcium stuff.
Havak I want you to go to the supermarket and buy some natural peanut butter. That and milk every night before you go to sleep until you can't eat anymore.
You're welcome
You're welcome
RIP DELTA
edit: considering a recomp, after all this talk about cutting maybe now I'm convincing myself I wanna see more than 4 abs....hmm
Begin three days of straight reading through forums, articles and books
edit: considering a recomp, after all this talk about cutting maybe now I'm convincing myself I wanna see more than 4 abs....hmm
Begin three days of straight reading through forums, articles and books
It doesn't have to be Trail Mix. You can eat chips. I'm talking about the type of chips you get at mexican restaurants, which are packed with calories. The ones you use for Nachos, to get a better understanding. If you seriously cannot gain a lot of weight like you say, then drastic measures like these are essential.
High calorie foods I can think of from my top;
Nesquik
Ramen Noodles
More Ramen Noodles
E-Z Mac and Cheese
Chef Boardees Pasta Version
Hamburger Helper (monster calories right here)
Those 2 for 99 cent strips filled with peanuts (eat 4+ and chug it down with a coke)
Cake Mix (you have to follow the directions of the back btw)
PEANUT BUTTER (I cannot stress this weight gaining item enough)
Cocoa Pebbles
There's just so many things you can do to gain weight. I think this is the easiest thing you can do when it comes to changing your body. It takes little effort, if any at all. "But it's all junk food?!" Yeah, it's still calories. Understand calories are calories. It doesn't matter if they come from a can of beer or a celery stick. You could start counting carbs as well but it won't matter if you're not counting calories. Calories > Carbs in whatever it is that you want to do with your body.
- Consuming more calories than you burn = weight gain
- Burning more calories than you consume = weight loss
- Consuming and burning the same number of calories = weight maintenance
Don't feel good because you're eating a McDonalds salad and you put all the dressing on it. It's still calories. You might as well eat 2 Dollar Menu Hot N Spicy and actually enjoy your meal and not pretend to with the salad, because the amount of calories is still going to be the same.
OK
Weight is around 130
Height is around 5'8'
I said I was "skinny" earlier but that didn't seem accurate so I took a shirtless picture so you know what I'm dealing with.
In terms of what I'm looking for, I definitely don't need to lose weight but would probably want to gain it / get muscle tone -- I don't need to be ripped or really bulky (that's probably not possible anyway with my body type) but just want to have more definition, maybe better arms and a better torso so I have less of a really skeletal upper body and an undefined, pudgy stomach/hips. Also, I'd like to work on my obliques (or lack thereof) so I don't just have two blobs of fat tapering to my waist.
Now that I find I have a lot of free time I feel more ready to actually work out. I went for a run today and it wasn't at all the soul-crushing endeavor I had made it out to be. If you or anyone has advice for me, I'm willing to put in work.
do pushups
do pullups (if you can't / don't have a bar then just do handstands and bicep curls)
do lsits instead of situps (probably the best ab exercise and if it's too hard then just dont fully extend your legs - http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2696/4234560834_2cd1758490_z.jpg)
do bicycles also to help your obliques
do these until you literally cant do them anymore: like, dont be like "i'll do 10! or i'll do 20!" just keep going until your muscles literally cannot do the exercises anymore
(and then do it again)
also if you are hard pressed then just do exercises whenever you have time: like do 10 pushups / 20 bicycles every commercial on tv and you should be pretty buff!
and eat a fuckton basically drink milk and milk and milk and eat meat and meat and basically just keep eating until you are STUFFED
and then sleep at least 8 hours!
tbh you dont need to think to gain muscle just do exercises and eat until you cant anymore then sleep to gain muscle
this is assuming you dont have access to a gym (and maybe even if you do!) because in that case bodyweight exercises >>>>>>> (they're what gymnasts use and they're buff af)
also: running won't really build muscle that much because it burns calories especially if you do marathons etc (unless you eat like 7000 calories a day lol) unless you do sprints at at least 80% strength. if you do sprints i recommend just doing like 100 m at 80% a few times with like 1 minute breaks in between
do pullups (if you can't / don't have a bar then just do handstands and bicep curls)
do lsits instead of situps (probably the best ab exercise and if it's too hard then just dont fully extend your legs - http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2696/4234560834_2cd1758490_z.jpg)
do bicycles also to help your obliques
do these until you literally cant do them anymore: like, dont be like "i'll do 10! or i'll do 20!" just keep going until your muscles literally cannot do the exercises anymore
(and then do it again)
also if you are hard pressed then just do exercises whenever you have time: like do 10 pushups / 20 bicycles every commercial on tv and you should be pretty buff!
and eat a fuckton basically drink milk and milk and milk and eat meat and meat and basically just keep eating until you are STUFFED
and then sleep at least 8 hours!
tbh you dont need to think to gain muscle just do exercises and eat until you cant anymore then sleep to gain muscle
this is assuming you dont have access to a gym (and maybe even if you do!) because in that case bodyweight exercises >>>>>>> (they're what gymnasts use and they're buff af)
also: running won't really build muscle that much because it burns calories especially if you do marathons etc (unless you eat like 7000 calories a day lol) unless you do sprints at at least 80% strength. if you do sprints i recommend just doing like 100 m at 80% a few times with like 1 minute breaks in between
This sounds good. I get that running and doing cardio is kind of counterproductive to trying to gain muscle tone since it burns calories, but is there some way to get a cardio workout or stay "in shape" while eating a lot, doing pushups etc.? I'd like to gain muscletone/muscle mass but I'd also like to be physically healthy in terms of being able to run around/play sports etc.
Any tips for bicycles? I looked up what they are but I'm not sure I'm doing it right. Also, I am doing pushups, but I'm not always able to get my body completely straight. I kinda look like this: http://oi47.tinypic.com/11tbq1g.jpg where my head and shoulderblades are kind of bent towards the floor, my back is straight, and my legs are at a 30 degree angle or so from the ground. When I go down, my whole body just gets lower to the floor instead of flattening out to be parallel to be closer to the floor. How should I do it better?
when you do your pushups, you keep your arms out straight at the beginning, then you bend only your arms at the elbows which means only your top body shoudl go down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPKXFarXbys
if you want cardio + muscle you could do swimming for like 2 hours and eat like 7000 calories a day
or also sprinting works with cardio and muscle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPKXFarXbys
if you want cardio + muscle you could do swimming for like 2 hours and eat like 7000 calories a day
or also sprinting works with cardio and muscle
Well considering the fact that you have no access to weights whatsoever, it's going to be limited. I wouldn't recommend eating a lot either if all you're doing push-ups and sit-ups and other body weight exercises, it will become very easy to overeat, reason being your body won't be using as much energy as regular weightlifting compared to lifting just your own body weight.OK
Weight is around 130
Height is around 5'8'
I said I was "skinny" earlier but that didn't seem accurate so I took a shirtless picture so you know what I'm dealing with.
In terms of what I'm looking for, I definitely don't need to lose weight but would probably want to gain it / get muscle tone -- I don't need to be ripped or really bulky (that's probably not possible anyway with my body type) but just want to have more definition, maybe better arms and a better torso so I have less of a really skeletal upper body and an undefined, pudgy stomach/hips. Also, I'd like to work on my obliques (or lack thereof) so I don't just have two blobs of fat tapering to my waist.
Now that I find I have a lot of free time I feel more ready to actually work out. I went for a run today and it wasn't at all the soul-crushing endeavor I had made it out to be. If you or anyone has advice for me, I'm willing to put in work.
I'd suggest eating above maintenance, maybe try to get an extra 500 calories in, no more. This can be from anything, it doesn't matter if you eat french fries or watermelon, calories are calories.
And yeah, running won't help you with your goals. You can run and everything but don't overdue it, focus on your body weight exercises more.
I've been strenght training for a while now, but it been going kind of up and down but this summer I've been pretty motivated and gone to the gym about 3 times a week. But I am really scared of the free weights, so I wondering is it really that important to use them? Are there any big advantage?
hey it's that girl who wanted a better butt or something i think
i remember you
what's up?
anyway what are you comparing the free weights to, machines? yoga? body weight exercises? staring at the swedish bodybuilders? (just checking)
basically, here is why free weights are better than machines:
1) you're balancing the weight yourself. more muscle usage = more muscle gained. stabilizers getting used so you're going to be able to apply your strength in the real world.
2)functional strength. sort of mentioned this. what's going to occur more in the real world? you pushing something with your own arms and muscle, or you having something hold what you're pushing steady for you while you push it? probably the first.
3)i'd have to look up more reasons than i know off the top of my head, but this one should pretty much cover the cake for you
how many people have you seen who are renown for strength and use machines? how many people have you seen who look great and you ask them what they do at the gym and they say 'machines'? they might say cardio or yoga, but usually you'll get something like dumbbells / barbell work.
honestly the reason there are machines in gyms isn't because they do anything better. i mean yeah, lat pulldown machine is going to help you target your lats but seriously who does that? machines are there for convience. when going to the gym became something everyone did machines were invented because it was easy, simple, and quick. you didn't have to learn form, the machine did the form work for you. you didn't have to spend a lot of time because it was easier to do. they were invented for working people who still wanted to go to the gym. they'll burn your calories but won't bring strength as much as free weights will.
Ultimately, though, it's going to come down to what you want. Maybe you're not the better butt girl, I honestly can't remember. But you surely have a goal or you wouldn't be in the gym. Right now I'm almost a month off of lifting because I haven't had a goal or reason to be there. It's something I'm not proud to say but I lost a lot of motivation for being in the gym and just up and quit.
So first, define your goal. You wanna be strong? Compound lifts will take you there. You wanna be toned? Using free weights will accelerate your progress. You wanna lose weight? More muscle = more calories burned. There is hardly a goal that lifting weights will not accelerate you toward.
The big advantage comes in how they do it. I could write a graduate thesis on the benefits of free weights to the body. But I'll leave it as this: using weights will make you overall healthier more quickly and efficiently than anything else. It just comes down to making sure you're doing it safely.
And if you need tutorials or help, sup we're the #lifting thread and we can do that.
gg wp pce gotta go eat so i can get to 220 lbs already
i remember you
what's up?
anyway what are you comparing the free weights to, machines? yoga? body weight exercises? staring at the swedish bodybuilders? (just checking)
basically, here is why free weights are better than machines:
1) you're balancing the weight yourself. more muscle usage = more muscle gained. stabilizers getting used so you're going to be able to apply your strength in the real world.
2)functional strength. sort of mentioned this. what's going to occur more in the real world? you pushing something with your own arms and muscle, or you having something hold what you're pushing steady for you while you push it? probably the first.
3)i'd have to look up more reasons than i know off the top of my head, but this one should pretty much cover the cake for you
how many people have you seen who are renown for strength and use machines? how many people have you seen who look great and you ask them what they do at the gym and they say 'machines'? they might say cardio or yoga, but usually you'll get something like dumbbells / barbell work.
honestly the reason there are machines in gyms isn't because they do anything better. i mean yeah, lat pulldown machine is going to help you target your lats but seriously who does that? machines are there for convience. when going to the gym became something everyone did machines were invented because it was easy, simple, and quick. you didn't have to learn form, the machine did the form work for you. you didn't have to spend a lot of time because it was easier to do. they were invented for working people who still wanted to go to the gym. they'll burn your calories but won't bring strength as much as free weights will.
Ultimately, though, it's going to come down to what you want. Maybe you're not the better butt girl, I honestly can't remember. But you surely have a goal or you wouldn't be in the gym. Right now I'm almost a month off of lifting because I haven't had a goal or reason to be there. It's something I'm not proud to say but I lost a lot of motivation for being in the gym and just up and quit.
So first, define your goal. You wanna be strong? Compound lifts will take you there. You wanna be toned? Using free weights will accelerate your progress. You wanna lose weight? More muscle = more calories burned. There is hardly a goal that lifting weights will not accelerate you toward.
The big advantage comes in how they do it. I could write a graduate thesis on the benefits of free weights to the body. But I'll leave it as this: using weights will make you overall healthier more quickly and efficiently than anything else. It just comes down to making sure you're doing it safely.
And if you need tutorials or help, sup we're the #lifting thread and we can do that.
gg wp pce gotta go eat so i can get to 220 lbs already
yeah i looked it up it was you haha
I have a set of 10 and 5 pound hand weights and mini barbells with two 7.5 weights on each
Dear runners,
I don't know where to run. For right now I'm in a good spot, I can run at home around my neighborhood. But I'm moving into the dorms in less than a month and I don't know where to go to run. Where do people run outside of neighborhoods? Serious question. I have no idea.
Sincerely,
This guy
I don't know where to run. For right now I'm in a good spot, I can run at home around my neighborhood. But I'm moving into the dorms in less than a month and I don't know where to go to run. Where do people run outside of neighborhoods? Serious question. I have no idea.
Sincerely,
This guy
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