Do you guys lift every day?

Dellinger

Dellinger

New member
After viewing quite a bit of photos in the C-n-B sub-forum over time, I've come to the realization that there are some dudes on here that I would like to have on my side if I happened into some trouble in a back alley.


 


I'm 6' and 155lbs. after taking a shower with my clothes on, lol.  Thus, I am a human sized dart!


 


I used to hit the gym hard when I was 10 years younger but... man, it's like the majority here are all x- Div. 1 college football players!


 


I would eat right (6 meals a day, 30 grams of protein every 2 hours) and lift hard... all the big lifts where I was incorporating the most muscle groups I could.  


I think I gained 10lbs. over 4- 5 months... but once I would start incorporating some cardio... I started losing again.  It was just an up-and-down battle on the scale and after 2 years I kind of gave up on lifting and just focused on overall health.


 


So what are you guys eating and how many times a week are you hitting the weights?


 


 


 


 
 
3 times a week, try to follow the Paleo Diet, no cardio. I don't do much cardio bc I lose size, so when I work out I take very little rest bt sets, do drop sets or do stomach exercises bt sets. I am 5'11.5 @ 220.
 
In my opinion, check out the abs diet. You can find everything out about it online.

It is about maintaining a healthy eating habit with foods that keep you full.

What i like, is the simplicity of this program. You do not count calories.

There are ten power foods that you try to put as many into each meal as possible.

If you eat food for the week, its important to have a cheat meal of whatever you want,

to restart your metabolism.


This plan is developed by the editor of Mens Health. The food is delicious.


I can not speak about paleo, i just like abs. It keeps me full with good food.

The shakes seem like cheating. The plan is 3 meals and 3 snacks, which minimizes

your hunger so you don't cheat with fast food or junk food.


Everything about this diet is online, even a great forum for recipes.
 
Two years ago I was 340 at 5'11". Now I am 210. Still 5'11". LOL! Cardio and lifestyle change was what did it for me. I use to lift most of the time but as I got older I was feeling it. My knee surgery was my moment that I needed to change what I was doing.

Now I still do a good amount of cardio plus some weight training. I try and do 5 days aweek cardio with 3-4 days a week of weight training mixed in.
 
Meticulous-  yeah... I knew the cardio wasn't the best as far as gaining and keeping weight on... at that point in time, I was told I was a 'hard-gainer'.  Now I don't know if that was legitimate term.... or just an excuse for scrawny little white guys (like me) to have an excuse.


 


Will- interesting on the abs diet... never heard of it, but I usually am not looking for a diet.  


 


fdresq4- Man, that's to be commended!  Awesome job!
 
Ah, good to see this thread!  Been a while since we discussed this topic.  I'm still ~170 @ 5' 9".  I've been doing both weights and cardio for decades with no significant breaks except for two six-week layoffs following hernia surgeries (and there was no appreciable loss off muscle due to those, which surprised me).


 


IMO very, *VERY* few people have the genetics to work out every day without being overtrained.  The test of your regimen- is it working for you?  If so, keep at it; if not, figure out what's wrong and change it.  My biggest mistake was exercising too much.  I didn't realize at the time that doing that was limiting my progress in numerous ways.  I didn't really wise up until I got older (I'm going on 54) and started wondering whether my age was starting to become a factor...it *shouldn't* have been (most studies show mid-60s as the "inevitable decline" point), so I worked at figuring out what was wrong.


 


I had to cut *way* back on both volume and frequency to avoid overtraining and allow for sufficient recovery.  With all the other stuff I do I simply can't lift as much/often as I used to and I shouldn't have been doing so much in the first place.  With both the lifting and the cardio, I've found that I can work hard, or I can work long and frequently, but I can't do both.   


 


I treat my abs about the same as other body parts except for doing higher reps on some movements and a bit more frequency (maybe twice/week; I usually work a bodypart every 7-10 days). I *never* do more than three sets for abs and I go for fewer reps/higher resistance than many people.  That's good enough to keep my sixpack looking more like an eightpack (i.e., decent definition in the lower abs, vascularity in that area, etc.) and avoid back trouble..


 


My cardio is all about *cardio*; I'm not trying to burn calories or lose weight or anything like that, I'm keeping my cardiovascular system in good shape and staying healthy.  Every third or fourth day, *very* hard Tabata-style HIIT for a brief period of time.  Since switching to this kind of cardio about a year ago, I'm making surprisingly good progress compared to doing longer, but less intense, cardio sessions.  No problems losing muscle with this regimen and I do legs on the same day with no loss of strength or other issues (yeah, I've experimented with not doing cardio on leg day and it simply didn't make a diff).  No knee/etc. issues despite 2/3 of my cardio being done on a StairMaster since the '80s.


 


I'm still consuming about 4000 calories/day, but not many of those are "empty" calories (other than some huge breakfasts at Denny's B) ).  Basically, I eat/drink what I want when I want, but luckily for me I don't want "bad stuff" all that often and when I do I burn it right off.  I do what I can to keep my bloodsugar steady (protein before carbs, good fats at every feeding) but I'm  not obsessive about it.  I *do* take a lot of fishoil, have for years and it works well for me.  The only "bodybuilding" supplement I take these days is a relatively small daily dose of creatine (no layoffs from creatine for many years, that impacted my cardio too much, no problems from it at all).


 


Overall, I'm doing fine on this regimen- single-digit bodyfat and a physique that's muscular enough that I have trouble finding off-the-rack clothing that'll both fit me comfortably and look right.  Not a "bodybuilder" type build IMO (note that I was an *extreme* ectomorph when younger, weighed 125 in my mid-twenties), but I sure don't look "normal" either.  But the real benefit is simply being able to go through life the way I want without having my body impose limitations.
 
I'm fairly small myself at around 150lbs and 5'9. I do go to the gym daily, lift about 3 times a week, and do cardio every single day. It helps me get through my long work days. I also eat a very clean and balanced diet as I go on a vegan diet every few months. It's very difficult to make weight gains on this type of diet without being strict and careful though
 
WillWashesCars-  


 


Certainly you have your diet down to science...  subjectively speaking, I think analyzing a diet, the way you are, is probably one of the most arduous tasks in life and know that you take great pains and dedication to see results.  


 


Accumulator-


 


Do you have any stock picks to share?  Maybe a tip keeping a bored hole concentric in the Z-axis when machining?  I jest, I jest... however you posts are always full of intrigue and success!  My congratulations.


 


Anyway, your reply has me reminiscing about lifting and working out.  I almost forgot a gentleman whom I worked with when I was at the bank and went to the gym with after hours.  He was from P.A.  And this guy reinforced every stereotype about people from P.A. (and I think the stereotype is certainly a compliment to the folks who live in the state.)  So, after we were pretty hard at... you know, one month into the routine and all the initial overwhelming soreness had passed.  He came in one day and threw a quarter of a big Salmon fillet on my desk, half-cooked.  Now, that action went against the bank's HR policies (to name a few)... NO cologne/ perfume, NO offensive odors from food, Food/ Breaks should be taken in the break room and not at your desk.  


 


So as I looked around waiting for someone to 'speak up' about the fish smell and the fish on my desk... Bob looked me straight in the eye and said, "Eat it."  Ok, so I gobbled it down very rapidly.  Next day he comes in and opens up two cans of tuna, right at my desk, and folds the can opener back up and into his pocket.  Same thing... "Eat it."  He spoke few words, grew up in a tough neighborhood just outside of Philly, had 5 little boys at home since moving to NC, and always had a Rocky poster hanging on the wall in his cubicle. He would bring in food for me everyday, not that I asked for it, and throw it on my desk.  None of the senior managers said one thing to him.  He wasn't a tall guy... probably 5'10", maybe... but he was built.  On the last day of the month (notorious in financial services) he would run around the office (almost 500 employees were on our floor in my operations group) and blast "Eye of the Tiger" with his mini-boombox.  


 


He pushed me really hard in the gym and looking back, it was great fun.  I can't stress how important a workout or accountability partner is when at the gym,  especially one that is a little militant.  


 


Anyone have a workout buddy like that?
 
I've been on waaaay too long of a hiatus.  The wife and I are about to hop on board with some others doing a 90 challenge using P90x3.  Looking forward to cleaning up our diet and getting back in shape
 
I have done some heavy lifting and still have some good size. Was big in my 20's.

If you are looking to put on muscle and size you need to eat clean and eat big. You also need to train heavy 4-8 reps with good form. Stick to mass building exercises like squats, dead lifts, leg press, weighted pull-ups, bench press and shoulder press. I would mix it up between free and barbell and keep cardio down to 15-20 mins after weight training.

This is what worked for me back in the day.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Dellinger- Heh heh,  I enjoyed the story about the guy from PA!  And I too am big on eating lots of fish.  Just had two cans of tuna a few minutes ago (with dry ryebread toast, some mixed nuts, and a big glass of water) as my third of 5-6 meals.


 


These days I do all my workouts solo, except maybe when traveling/vacationing.  Closest I come to a workout buddy now is coaching my wife's workouts.  It's like detailing and a whole lotta other things that I prefer doing solo.  Accumulatorette says it's because I'm "deep-self kinesthetic".
 
M-D- I'm no longer doing as much of the "heavy weight/low-rep" stuff that worked so well for me, at my age it just causes too much wear-and-tear (joints/tendons/etc.).  Fortunately for me, I'm doing fine with a bit less weight and some more reps, and the 2006 study by Carpinelli kinda convinced me that both approaches can work fine.  Ten years ago I woulda said "!no [freakin'] way!" but hey, I'll go with good results (and happy joints, especially my knees :D ).


 


One good thing about heavy weights though- IMO it's harder to just go through the motions and avoid doing hard enough work to really accomplish something.  You know...like the way some folks "work out" while they talk to people in the middle of a set :wacko:  With heavy iron you gotta *work*, period and you either put it up or you don't.


 


Hey, you mentioned one of my favorite movements- weighted pullups!   I gotta do mine with a pronated or neutral gip to avoid issues though. 
 
It is hard finding the time now days, but I still try to get into the gym 3-4 days a week. My work does have a decent on site gym with free weights dumbells up to 90lbs and a few universal machines...it's no LifeTime Fitness, but it's free! ;)


 


38, 5' 8" 178lbs.
 
Accumulator said:
RaskyR1- That's cool that they have the on-site facility!  Do they have anything decent for cardio work?
Click to expand...


 


Yeah, it's a huge plus! It's hard to come up with an excuse not to go when it's right down the hall. :)


 


Our company used to pay $20 a month towards our gym memberships as long as we went so many time a month, but they dropped that plan since it wasn't being used much and decided to add the gym when we renovated several years ago. We also have a basketball court, pool table, table tennis, and air hockey. :)


 


as far as cardio, it does have 3 or 4 treadmills, 2 elliptical, and 2 spin bikes. They are not the latest and greatest or as good as some of the super high end ones at most clubs, but they do the job.


 


I try and snap a pic of our gym today...I do have a shot showing the free weights and one universal, but it's a swelfie in the mirror so I'll spare everyone from seeing that image! lol :)
 
M-D said:
I don't do much cardio bc I lose size, so when I work out I take very little rest bt sets
Click to expand...


 


not to stir the pot but i completely disagree here. cardio does not directly make muscles smaller.


 


Ever see a weak looking sprinter in the olympics??? No, they usually look athletic and JACKED!


 


This is a common misconception. Cardio actually enhances weight training. By developing a solid cariodvascular base you increase your VO2 max [meaning the amount of oxygen your body processes into the blood stream per breath at max intensity]. This also directly translates to how much oxygen your body can process at rest. By developing a solid cardiovascular base you increase how fast you can transport nutrients into the muscle and waste out. [NO2 pills perform this EXACT same process -- thus giving you the "pump"] Lactic acid is an immediate byproduct of weight training, [this is what you feel in fatigue and soreness] so by increasing the volume of oxygen that your body processes at any time, you are helping to reduce downtime with the lifting and healing processes. Also, you will be able to preform MORE reps under max resistance because you body is physiologically more adapted to handle it.


 


Like i said previously, why dont you see thin, weak looking sprinters????.. because they are running for POWER [think low reps--- short distance at max loads] and they are also exercising their cardiovascular system at a HIGH intensity... best of both worlds. I can pretty much guarantee any plate pusher who adds 1-2 days of 70% intensity running for 15-20 min will see a big difference after 3-4 weeks.


 


;)
 
Christopher Brown- Yeah, the way sprinters and speedskaters are built was another factor is why I switched over to HIIT for my cardio.  Similarly, note how muscular gymnasts are, despite virtually never working their muscles to complete failure!


 


I agree completely about the oxygenation adaptation.  Plus, plenty of studies have shown that high-intensity exercise causes much greater increases in Resting Energy Expenditure, presumably by triggering an increase in mitochondria. I figure it's not about the calories you burn during cardio, but rather the ones you burn the other 20-some hours of the day.


 


Here's a conversation I seem to go through frequently:


 


"You stay so lean despite eating the way you do!  You must do a lot of cardio."


 


"Nah, I spend less than 45 minutes a week at it, including the warmups and cooldowns; some weeks I spend less than half an hour."


 


They don't believe it.


 


I go for way over that 70% though, and I work with %'es of my actual max heart rate, not the "age-related" HR, which I easily exceed without working all that hard.


 


Hey, some things about lactic acid that surprised me (from a Dr. Mark Houston at Vanderbilt):


-it's not the lactic acid that creates the "burn"! Rather, lactic acid is released to *buffer* the burn, which is actually caused by metabolic waste products in the bloodstream


-lactic acid apparently tells the body to increase production of mitochondria, so people who avoid "the burn" also avoid some significant benefits


 


 
 
Christopher.Brown said:
not to stir the pot but i completely disagree here. cardio does not directly make muscles smaller.


 


Ever see a weak looking sprinter in the olympics??? No, they usually look athletic and JACKED!


 


This is a common misconception. Cardio actually enhances weight training. By developing a solid cariodvascular base you increase your VO2 max [meaning the amount of oxygen your body processes into the blood stream per breath at max intensity]. This also directly translates to how much oxygen your body can process at rest. By developing a solid cardiovascular base you increase how fast you can transport nutrients into the muscle and waste out. [NO2 pills perform this EXACT same process -- thus giving you the "pump"] Lactic acid is an immediate byproduct of weight training, [this is what you feel in fatigue and soreness] so by increasing the volume of oxygen that your body processes at any time, you are helping to reduce downtime with the lifting and healing processes. Also, you will be able to preform MORE reps under max resistance because you body is physiologically more adapted to handle it.


 


Like i said previously, why dont you see thin, weak looking sprinters????.. because they are running for POWER [think low reps--- short distance at max loads] and they are also exercising their cardiovascular system at a HIGH intensity... best of both worlds. I can pretty much guarantee any plate pusher who adds 1-2 days of 70% intensity running for 15-20 min will see a big difference after 3-4 weeks.


 


;)
Click to expand...


 


 


I am speaking from my personal experience with my own body. Notice "I" said I don't do too much cardio because "I"lose too much size. In post 10, I also said I keep cardio to 15-20 mins after weight training, I didn't say to eliminate it. When I do cardio it is usually interval sprinting at 75-80% max.


 


I have been lifting since I am 15 and have also been through 1 local and 2 federal police academies. All 3 focused on cardio with very little weight training and each time I went in looking better then I graduated. I lost muscle size and strength from all the cardio and that was with eating like an animal everyday.


 


In my game size and intimidation adds to officer presence, control of a situation and deterrence. No need to pull out roscoe, if they are already scared of the guns I am blessed with. ;)
 
M-D- I bet those interval sprints are good.  What about trying fewer intervals at a higher intensity?  I only suggest it (hey, why change what 's working for you!?!?  I don't mean to come across the wrong way here...) because when I made that exact same switch I reaped numerous benefits far beyond what I was expecting.  I do think my getting-advanced age factors in here though, so again, I'm not slamming your current routine.  Just some food for thought should your cardio gains come to a standstill.
 
MD i only mentioned supplementing sprints with lifting... i never suggested to stop lifting and to focus on distance training â–º â–º â–º read the last line of my post it sums it all up


 


the rest before was just to explain what cardio really does and to illustrate a point of a common misconception ;)
 
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