Hey....you're Ernie's gf.

It's not that simple. Fat, taken from animals and plants (natural sources basically) will actually increase the tendency of the body using fat as energy. This breaks down the fat cells into energy, that in turn, increases the metabolism of the body (because breaking down fat, in itself requires calories). Thus fat, is, against the traditional idea that fat causes fat, decreases fat in general. Also, EPA/DHA in fish oils, increases the rate of which the body metabolizes fat as energy and helps build muscle. In my sport, we often use fish oils to increase muscle gain when we've moving up a weight class. Fat, used correctly does not cause fat. It in fact, causes the body to burn MORE fat. It's kinda like a car.....if your car has more gas (fat), you'd tap the right foot more (burn more fat), but if your gas is low, you're much lighter on the right foot.

HOWEVER, in carbs.

Excess carbs, especially high GI carbs, is very simply converted right into ...fat. If not used within the time period of which the broken down carb molecules are in the blood stream, your body turns that into fat to store as energy.

Also people with high content of fat on the back, indicates low resistance towards carbs as this is a carbohydrate tolerance marker. But this thickness must be compared to the waist ratio. I can't quite remember the calculation so can't ask me at the moment.

So no, there is a HYOOGE difference between fat and carbs as excess.

If you'd like the soreness so badly, try finishing your worksets (the stipulated amount of work you've already decided on) and then moving to a dropset. Go for max reps, and then reduce and repeat, until you're done. It'll look something like this

Workout 1A.

3x12-15 @ 100KG.

Workout 1B.

1x max reps @ 90KG
1x max reps @ 70KG
1x max reps @ 50KG
1x max reps @ 40KG
1x max reps @ 20KG
1x max reps @ air squats

I'm pretty sure you'd feel the soreness like no other if you do this.

You could try it without resting, but something tells me you won't be going anymore than 5 reps by the 3rd set. Here's what I'd do. I'd take a 45 second break for the first 3 sets, then reduce it to 30 seconds, for the remaining sets. If you're up for it, tell me what happens because I've never done this and won't be doing it anytime soon cuz I don't like being sore. It hinders future training volume.

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Added on August 23, 2010, 12:32 amOh and this, probably does very little for strength.

This post has been edited by pizzaboy: Aug 23 2010, 12:32 AM

Right.
Soreness is a sign that your body isn't used to the training, and muscles are going through micro fiber tears, and repairing itself.

If we wait till the DOMS are over, before training again, we're wasting precious time and not pushing the body's anabolic and testosterone production levels farther (provided we're given enough nutrition)

Once again, your goals points how your training becomes.

If you're interested in that, read about "EPOC" Wiki has a very very simplified version of this term which does a good job explaining it.

It's about 45 minutes before the testosterone level in the bodies start to drop. Conditioned athletes that hit the weight-room can probably go slightly longer to about 1 hour 20-1 hour 30 minutes but that's about it. Anything after that, the power and strengthen curve starts the downward spiral. Additional GPP work can increase work capacity and recovery abilities between sets though. Good stuff to add into your training.

Try this experiment. Work your lower body and upper body in separate segments. An example;

Monday-Lower Body

- Squats 4x10 (Ramp up each set. Last set, has to be a true 10 rep max) - Probably takes about 20 minutes + rest period
- Romanian Deadlifts 3x10 (Loading protocol same as squats) - Probably takes 10 minutes including rest
- Lunges 3x10

Wednesday - Upper Body

- Bench Press 3x10
- Pull-ups 3x10
- Dumbbell Overhead Press 3x10

Friday - Lower Body

- Conventional Deadlifts 5x5
- Rear feet elevated lunges 3x10
- Squats 2x to failure

Continue this for 4 weeks, without any changes except add more weights.

This workout will take less than 1 hour excluding dynamic warmup and activation. Come back and report your muscular growth or loss.

If you're interested, read into periodization. Now while most athletes wouldn't use a total periodized system, because they need to compete in whatever sports they're specific to, periodization, isn't dead for bodybuilders or those wanting to gain mass. At least not yet. By following the old school method of stabilization, mass, strength and speed specific work, for at least two cycles, most non-athletes and guys wanting to gain some good muscle will still benefit from periodization.

By going through this phase for at least 4 weeks and hopefully you'll be able to figure out a way to extend this to 12-16 weeks even, you'll be able to gain a shit load of muscle and strength, PROVIDED you eat enough. Stronglift's 5x5 is a bastardized version of Bill Starr's 5x5, so please give the original maker some credit. It's an awesome routine to gain some strength and size, but since you're asking, I just gave you an up-down training method that will work within 45 mins-1 hour provided you are disciplined enough to keep your rest period between 60 seconds-90 seconds.

U know the chair you sit on? That's a motion of squatting. When you poop? That's probably squatting too. When you have your dog or friend rush at you and pretend to jump at you, while you lower yourself in order to not fall over? That's squatting as well. Walking up the stairs? That's UNILATERAL squatting.

The range of squatting is what differs it, but in our daily lives, we squat whether we know it or not.

I've a client with two torn ACL'S on both legs, RM80,000 in operation and a bunch of screws up his knees. 4 weeks ago, he was using 50KG's to squat. On Thursday morning, he squatted 90KG for 4 reps.

Your joints, are made to move. It keeps them healthier. Read this;

http://books.google.com.my/books?id=ePSWxa...ctivity&f=false

Page 10.

Periods of inactivity will cause a decrease in strength and muscle size. Time in rehab will be greatly reduced if the athlete actually perform even at a very low level, some activities to the injured part.

I did a consultation once, by a lady whose mom couldn't walk up the stairs because she got too weak cuz of a stroke operation. Forget up the stairs, she can't walk without a walking stick. Now for this, I was a LIL bit more cautious as the old lady's about 60'ish, so I checked with a chiropractor/massage therapist/physio friend of mine and we discussed on what would be a good method to help her. So we did something like a squat hybrid thing. After 4 weeks, she finally ditched her walking stick and the next week, she gained the confidence to go up the stairs again.

It isn't about "not using it" to avoid it getting injured. It's about "using it enough" to make sure it's strong. Think about it for a while.

You don't read for 6 months. Pick up a book after six months, reading is tedious. Read often enough, and you'll enjoy reading. Read too much, you get tired. It's finding the "in between"

Since you can spend 4 days, then use Tuesday as a upper back day and Friday as a chest day. Something like pull-ups then rows then unilateral rows and curls. And barbell bench, incline dumbbell bench with a thick bar and dumbbell overhead presses. Then finish off with some tricep work.

I'm assuming you've gotten it checked, and the reason you're avoiding squatting activities is because you're afraid that you may have a recurring injury?

No a chance. The bending of the knees itself in the leg press, is a squatting movement. Now while your knees are healing, why would you want to increase the load? Just use bodyweight squats or step-ups and lunges.

I've said this thousands of times, and I'll repeat it. Weight gainers are NOTHING more than protein shakes added with plenty of sugar (which they name maltodextrine or smtg). So if you think you're getting 50GMS of a weight gainer, 30GMS could be sugar and 20GMS is your wonderful protein. And what? That'll cost you, RM3 per scoop? Compared to proper protein shakes, where the shake is RM3 and maybe you get like 24GMS or protein.

So yeah, be smart.

At what stage of training are you considering yourself to be at, at the moment? How long have you trained and what are your gains from when you first began?

Now I shall assume this is a new template that you're following, and thus this is what I can point out.

[QUOTE]Monday- Legs
1. Squats (Excellent choice, especially for a Monday. The rep ranges I would look at would be between 8-12 reps. Wouldn't move past 15 reps. Would go for 2 sets in the first week, and up to 4 sets by the forth week)

2. Leg curls (Odd choice, I'd personally use the lunges, or rear foot elevated lunge, and even the leg presses. Any repetitions over 10 below 20 for 2-3 sets would be my choice. After this, I'd do an equal amount of sets and repetitions (use squats as benchmark) of Romanian deadlifts to work the antagonistic muscle group )

3. calf raises (Nice. Personally, I'd do 4 sets, all, close to failure)

4. I'd add in a final movement. Leg extensions, 2 sets-4 sets x 12-15 reps

Tuesday- Shoulders

1. DB shoulder press
2. side deltoid raises
3. rear deltoid raises (Would switch this to chest supported dumbbell rows with chair angled at 45 degrees.
4. Tricep pull-downs (The main movers, after the dumbbell's at your eye level is your triceps, may wanna work this too)

Thursday- Chest
1. DB Incline Bench Press
2. DB Flat Bench Press
3. DB Decline Bench Press

Friday- Back
1. Deadlifts (Duh.....)
2. BB Rows / DB Rows (I'd switch rows and pull-ups position. And I'd use db rows as my back would be fatigued by the time I'm done with the deadlift)
3. Pullups / Lat Pull Down
4. Shrugs

Depending on your weak points I'd say.


Saturday- Full body (added this in to "shock" the body?)

No way in hell. Sit the f()Ck down and rest.

Yeah. I left. But we'll still be training together.

When you continue to work your quads, you need not worry about weaknesses in the knee (the VMO's) and furthermore, you can increase muscle activation in the quad area which is a often appreciated arsenal for a bodybuilder. With the amount of work you have for your hamstrings and glutes in the back day, your hamstrings should be plenty strong too.

Yes it's too much trouble to elaborate on the shoulders, so go do a lil reading.

And I meant, after the dumbbell passes eye level, the prime movers are your triceps. So get some direct work on the triceps with the pulldowns.

Here's what's going to happen.
If you can complete the workout, it isn't intense enough.
If you cannot complete the workout, I'm not surprised.

Select exercises with good returns for effort, and do them.

Omg! Where you found it, brand and price?? I'm gonna grab a few bottles

Because you behave like your nickname

http://www.norcalsc.com/index.php/index.ph...ou_taking_them/

That ought to help you.

Yeah. With the average grade ones, 180/120 ones, I generally have to take in about 25 caps a day. Obviously, that doesn't make much sense and is quite inconvenient, so I got the higher grade ones. Those cost more though. That's why the bottled ones are so much more convenient. Two scoops and I'm done despite the oddly disgusting taste.