Wow, this spin class trainer is off the chain! Are all spin classes similar? Dude is even twerking

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=360142304114665
iOS https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?v=360142304114665

1/31/2014 8:58:16 PM

I dislike how you put an iOS 'mobile' link in there.

2/2/2014 12:58:58 AM

I dislike that you said 'off the chain'.

2/2/2014 1:08:40 AM

^^ huh? If I didnt, the non mobile link is not viewable on an iPad because it requires flash. Pls to explain.

^ I just copied what it says in the heading

2/2/2014 1:24:11 AM

Decimated my legs just now. One of the few times recently where my legs were wobbly like jello between sets

Squats, 6 sets
Leg press, 5 sets

Seated calf raises, 5 sets
Calves on leg press, 5 sets

Deadlifts, 4 sets
Lunges, 3 sets

I think I will sleep well tonight!

2/3/2014 8:24:17 AM

^ That is just an insane amount of leg work in one day especially if you are doing any weight. I assume you posted that in order of how you did the work too. If so, why would you be doing compound movements like DL and lunges after doing calf work?? That is like working biceps and following it up with bent rows.

5 good sets of squats should be enough to smoke your legs if you are pushing yourself. Maybe follow that up with some lunges.

2/3/2014 9:07:43 AM

Hello! and welcome to the latest edition of "OPEI!! is a fatuous cunt!"

2/3/2014 9:18:10 AM

Anyone have suggestions on a workout plan? I have been following the gunnar challenge workout for the past year and I really like it because:

1. There was a list of exercises to do each day, but I didn't have to watch a 30 minute video (meaning I could do my workout wherever I wanted and watch whatever I want). The exercises were listed out like: 5 minute cardio workout, 5 sets of 6x shoulder press, 10x bent over rows, 100x jump rope skips, 10x split squats, 100x bicycle crunches, and then 30 minute cardio.
2. Nice blend of cardio, body weight excercises, weight lifting, high intensity, high weight. There was a nice balance between strength training and cardio (both with weights and running/cycling).
3. Variety - the most appealing part of this workout plan is the variety. Even the cardio is different (one day do the elliptical on the highest angle or resistance, next day do it backwards for half the time, one day do interval training while jogging, next day do a 3 mile time trial).

I don't mind buying something, but I am having trouble finding a good workout (that doesn't require me to follow a video). I could just do the gunnar challenge again, but it would be nice to do another 8 week workout to switch things up.

2/3/2014 3:43:45 PM

http://www.savorylotus.com/3-ugly-truths-about-protein-powders/

2/4/2014 12:49:39 PM

^That link is horseshit.

1. Denatured proteins are fine. I suppose cooking (which denatures proteins) is an ugly truth about eating food?

2. Nonsense. Yes your body needs saturated fats. This is only an issue if your sole source of calories is protein powder.

3. That's why you purchase higher quality brands.

Whey protein powder is one of the best and most economical sources for high quality protein.

Don't get it twisted. Whole food is better. But go try eating 200g of protein from chicken and tell me how easy it is.

2/4/2014 1:26:25 PM

As I said earlier, few of you that are loading up on protein shakes and protein supplements should do a very simple blood and urine test to see how your GFR, serum creatinine and BUN values are doing.

2/4/2014 3:51:07 PM

Quote :

"try eating 200g of protein from chicken and tell me how easy it is."

Challenge accepted.

2/4/2014 5:21:33 PM

I finished up an intense leg workout yesterday with several sets on the abductor/adductor machines. I cannot find a comfortable position to lay down in now.

2/4/2014 8:24:56 PM

Try shredding up chicken so you don't have to chew ( takes up energy) so much. That's one trick some of my competitor friends do with the daunting task of eating 200-300g protein.

2/4/2014 8:42:26 PM

I don't exactly know where to put this, but does anyone know if there are any potential negative health effects from eating seaweed on a frequent basis (every day or two)?

My new favorite snack is Tao Kae Noi 'crispy' sushi, which is manufactured in Thailand, and a 36-gram portion only has 140 calories (granted, pretty much all from 10 g of palm oil, but there's 4 g of fiber!), so I've been noshing on that pretty frequently in the last couple months since I discovered it.

Most 'sources' claim that seaweed is very healthy and a superfood (mostly negated by frying, heh), but I'm aware that fat-soluble toxins from seawater pollution could theoretically slowly accumulate. Radiation from Fukushima? What say you, nutritionists?

2/5/2014 12:51:57 PM

Just go easy and eat it in moderation as it can be high in iodine, which gets absorbed by your thyroid gland. Asian women have highest rates for hyperthyroidism most likely because of high iodine intake.

2/5/2014 3:17:55 PM

^^ so you are worried about the real food (sea weed), but not about all the junk that has been added to make that snack?

2/5/2014 4:42:59 PM

Quote :

"Try shredding up chicken so you don't have to chew ( takes up energy) so much. That's one trick some of my competitor friends do with the daunting task of eating 200-300g protein. "

Tonight I'm making shredded chicken + bbq sauce + white rice on a bun.

About 35-40grams of protein per sandwhich, with a lot of carbs.

Only 1.5 grams of fat.

Should be gainz complaint.

[Edited on February 5, 2014 at 5:32 PM. Reason : ;]

2/5/2014 5:31:47 PM

Oh look, here's 0EPII1 attacking something he knows nothing about, yet again. The ingredients for the original flavor are seaweed, palm oil, salt, pepper, and disodium inosinate/guanylate, which are the most ubiquitous (and safe) food additives in the world. Tell me again that you never eat these things?


I'm not thrilled about the palm oil, but I can budget less than 5 g of saturated fat into my diet just fine. I haven't had a craving for potato chips since I found these, and they are inarguably healthier from a nutritional standpoint. But, I'm asking questions about things I'm not sure about, instead of making assumptions. Maybe you should try that, lulz.

2/5/2014 5:32:50 PM

Yeah, and the seaweed has been fried, which destroys a lot of its nutritional value, as you yourself said.

[Edited on February 5, 2014 at 8:14 PM. Reason : Not to mention, frying (high heat cooking in general) creates carcinogenic compounds... your choice]

2/5/2014 8:10:47 PM

Did you train squats today? I did. Front Squats 245 15 reps in 15min.

Then 50lbs kettlebell swings for 3x15. Superset with Side Planks for 30"/side.

Tomorrow I'm going for 180lbs Overhead Press for 15 in 15.

In 2 weeks going to test my squat strength, hoping to hit 405 for the first time

[Edited on February 5, 2014 at 8:18 PM. Reason : swing]

2/5/2014 8:18:14 PM

Are there any grip alternatives for front squats? I had surgery on my elbow two years ago and can't bend my left arm far enough back to get my knuckles close enough to my shoulder.

2/5/2014 8:53:37 PM

crossed-arm grip?

[Edited on February 5, 2014 at 9:10 PM. Reason : ]

2/5/2014 9:09:23 PM

It's more shoulder mobility and wrist flexibility.

You can use straps.


Some people do the cross arm thingy if they lack wrist flexibility.



Or goblet squat with heavy dumbbells or kettlebells.

2/5/2014 9:13:38 PM

The strap variation is legit.

Cross armed is acceptable, but sub-optimal.

2/6/2014 11:33:15 AM

there's absolutely nothing sub-optimal about a cross-armed squat. If the clean position is hurting your wrists, then don't do it. If you have long forearms and short upper arms, then you'd have to slide your grip so far out on the bar that you'll probably pinch fingers trying to rerack the weight. You're training your quads with front squads, not upper body mobility. If you want to work on upper body mobility, then get out of the fucking squat rack.

I personally can't stand front squats with a bar. The position where the bar would be resting on my shoulders results in my windpipe getting pushed in, and moving the bar forward enough to get off my windpipe puts the bar on the top of my deltoids in an unstable fashion. I switched to front squatting atlas stones because they just naturally sit on your arms and chest without sacrificing breathing. They also shift you further back into a seated position, which really works the quads more.

2/6/2014 12:15:40 PM

^Maybe it's just me, but I can get significantly tighter and more stable in a front rack position, compared to cross grip.

Just hit a PR 180lbs overhead press 15 reps in 15 minutes (5x3). Body weight at 179.

2/6/2014 3:38:42 PM

This woman must have alien DNA in her... amazing and weird how she can do all that without big muscles and without definition! She just looks like your average skinny fit chick.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ychdzz6UEA

Her core muscles must be ripped to shreds.

2/6/2014 5:00:05 PM

cross post some more you fuck

2/6/2014 5:34:29 PM

Whacked myself in the beanbag while attaching the rope to the cable machine. Good burn.

2/6/2014 5:55:02 PM

Quote :

" You're training your quads with front squads, not upper body mobility. If you want to work on upper body mobility, then get out of the fucking squat rack. "

I disagree with this statement. The beautiful thing about barbell movements is that you're using so many muscle groups!



If you're looking to shape your quads purely for aesthetics, go for the sitting leg extension machines.

2/6/2014 9:31:13 PM

if someone managed to lean that far forward while front squatting, they'd fall over.

While I would agree with that statement if we were talking about back squats, front squats are much more of a quad exercise than full lower body exercise. the other muscle groups shown are utilized, but you will not work them hard enough to stimulate growth at the same rate as your quads.

[Edited on February 7, 2014 at 11:33 AM. Reason : .]

2/7/2014 11:33:06 AM

That's why you superset with GHRs

Today's training:
DL 415: 3,3,3,2
Safety Squat Bar Step Ups 2x12
Weighted GHRs +15lbs 2x6

2/7/2014 5:24:00 PM

or with good mornings; you're already at the squat rack and using an appropriate amount of weight.

I don't know about supersetting though; my heart rate is in the 170+ range after a set of squats, so I don't think supersetting another exercise is going to be very productive. Both exercises fatigue the core as well, which just lends itself to bad form and injuries.

I've always been very leery of supersetting exercises, as my thought has been that it taxes out the cardiovascular system without really pushing the muscles to their capacity. Maybe it's OK for working biceps and triceps, but any muscle groups bigger than those you wouldn't be pushing your muscles anywhere close to failure. If you're supersetting for the purpose of improving your lactic acid threshold, then just go straight to high-rep circuit training as it's more effective. If you're supersetting for muscle anabolism, you're probably wasting your time and risking injury with bro science.

2/7/2014 5:51:29 PM

Super setting bis and tris works nicely, and since I am still a beginner, back and chest works for me as well, but it won't for seasoned lifters such as you 2.

As for super setting squats with deadlifts, I have done that a couple of times, but never again! I got serious tunnel vision from it, plus a very elevated heart rate (160-180) making me think I was going to have a heart attack. So you 2 doing those lifts in the 3xx-4xx range, yeah, that would be terrible.

2/7/2014 6:11:55 PM

GREEN JAY - other than the processing issues trapezius mentioned, iodine toxicity may be an issue. The symptoms are the same as iodine deficiency - basically thyroid issues.

2/7/2014 7:02:23 PM

1) How would you rank the following exercises for hamstrings, i.e., which one recruits the most hamstring fibers for the actual lifting?

Stiff legged deadlifts
Bent knee deadlifts
Lunges
Good mornings
Glute ham raises
Seated/lying/standing leg curls
(any others?)

2) I always do stiff legged deadlifts, and while they stretch the hell out of hamstrings (and make them terribly sore for a few days), are the hamstrings actually lifting the weight in that lift, or just getting stretched? IMO, most of the weight is being lifted by the lower back muscles. Am I doing the right exercise if I want to make my hamstrings bigger?. Also, do they work the glutes? My glutes are never sore on the days after stiff legged deadlifts.

3) To me it seems like in only the last 2 exercises I mentioned are the hamstrings actually performing lifting, because you are curling the weight, similar to an arm bicep curl.

4) Do stiff legged deadlifts and good mornings pretty much recruit the same muscle fibers? Viewed from the side, the body positioning and movement is identical, except for the positioning of the weight. Good mornings work the lower back more because the weight is further away from the pivot, but in both exercises the weight is lifted by the lower back (and they both stretch the hamstrings, but the hamstrings don't lift the weight(?)).

5) Finally, do lunges mostly work the glutes? My quads never get sore from them when I do do them. Hamstrings, a tiny bit, but my glutes are on fire for the next few days.

2/7/2014 8:59:52 PM

good mornings, stiff leg deadlifts, and GHRs are all good hamstring exercises. I'd add reverse hyperextensions and hyperextensions in a roman chair as also being great exercises for hamstrings if your gym has them.

2/7/2014 9:39:27 PM

I beleive there was a study (might have seen it on TNation) that the exercise that recruits hamstrings the most is the 45 degree back extension machine.

Start without weight and work up to adding a bar on your back (like in a back squat)

2/7/2014 9:50:03 PM

Thanks, both of you.

^^ Do bent knee deadlifts work quads a lot more than hamstrings and back? They basically seem like squats to me, with the quads pushing you up in the concentric phase.

2/7/2014 11:56:14 PM

Get your DL to 400 and your squat to 300 and you'll have some hamstring and quad development.

2/8/2014 8:38:47 AM

Quote :

"I always do stiff legged deadlifts, and while they stretch the hell out of hamstrings (and make them terribly sore for a few days), are the hamstrings actually lifting the weight in that lift, or just getting stretched?"

Of course they're lifting the weight. Any movement where your torso starts out parallel to the ground and ends upright is going to have to involve hamstring recruitment.

The stretch is a good thing. I have done a lot of direct hamstring work and it think it has had carry over in other areas. My deadlift has gotten stronger since I started including good mornings/RDLs in my regular program.

2/8/2014 10:39:56 AM

There was one day last week that I didn't smoke, and I had my best run ever. I ran a whole mile in a little over 8 minutes, which is extraordinary for me. I couldn't believe it was happening. But I immediately started smoking again, and I'm back to being fatigued after only a couple minutes.

So I'm giving up running.

2/8/2014 4:45:13 PM

I tried front squats last night and it felt really awkward. My wrist was hurting afterwards, which I have weak wrists anyway. I think I will just suffer through the pain of back squats with low weight till I can build up my shoulder mobility. I am wanting to design a workout plan with weights so I can start lifting heavy instead of just bsing around in the weight room. I've heard good reviews about this book http://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1936608642/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?ie=UTF8&psc=1%E2%88%A3%3DATVPDKIKX0DER&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_sfl_title_1 to help me design a workout and find some more exercises. Anyone have any other books that might be better?

2/9/2014 12:13:03 PM

I haven't read that one, but I like The New Rules of Lifting for Women

2/9/2014 2:15:26 PM

Everyone who starts out front squatting with the bar have issues with the wrist. Only way to be able to bend your wrist back without pain is to do them. Try working on it once a week, and you'll be comfortable with it in no time. In the meantime, a great sub for barbell front squats, is the goblet squats with a kettlebell (or dumbbell), if you can get really deep ( "ass to grass"), you can actually hit the "trouble" spots like the inner thigh and gluteal crease and maximus. You don't necessarily need bb front squats, there are plenty of other subs that can target your desired area. I don't do them anymore because I'm quad dominant already, but it's useful if you're into Olympic style weight lifting, which I hardly do anymore. So consider why you'd like to do them in the first place.

2/9/2014 4:41:49 PM

If you want to build a nice booty, get strong in these movements:

- Kettlebell swings
- Reverse Lunges

2/9/2014 5:29:35 PM

I just had LASIK surgery so I can't do any vigorous exercise for a couple weeks. I still plan on hitting the weights and just wearing a head band to keep the sweat out of my eyes. Doing good on my calorie intake and staying pretty consistent with my exercise. Dropped another pound last week. Down to 164 now. I have only 4 more pounds to get to my original goal of 160 but might keep pushing it to see if I can hit 155 which would be ideal.

2/10/2014 11:42:54 AM

Just make sure to lift heavy (3-6 rep range) and only hit upper/lower twice per week. Keep your protein extra high (say 1.5-2g per pound). You don't want to lose too much muscle on your cut.

I wouldn't do any cardio unless it's walking.

2/10/2014 6:33:24 PM

Any advice for losening up my rear delt. It is way too tight and I just realized that is the cause of my tricep tightness. I feel it on lat exercises and obviously shoulder and tricep movements. Been really limiting my lifting lately.

2/10/2014 8:36:06 PM