Pumping Iron with Zemekone and Icehog3

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by GreekGodX

If you want a good warm up/stretching routine checkout Magnificent Mobility here

sounds interesting; but not $80 interesting. I already do a lot of dynamic stretching and joint mobility stuff.

[BigFrank]

Originally Posted by DBall

Today is my day off.... My muscles feel healed and I can stretch my arms again.

Now I've got a question for you all.

Should I go right into the strength stuff, then do the elliptical or elliptical first, then strength?

I would warm up 5-10min then hit it.
Not to sound like a dick, or whatever...But that isnt much to go on. We know you just recently got into the gym for the first time. What kind of goals do you want to achieve? Best thing to do would be to set up some goals both short and long term then move from there. You can start with some basic compound movements for strength / muscle gain. Better to have a plan then hit the gym aimlessly.
With that said, I'll put it to you like it was put to me years ago. With training etc, it is very hard to serve more than one master. Yes it is possible to gain muscle, get stronger, and stay lean. Which with your level of training is possible at first but after a few months of training under your belt you will find it easier said then done. It is easier to chase after one goal while putting others on the back burner. Example, you want to pack on some serious muscle, well truth be told you can add muscle while staying lean but your gains will be slower much slower compared to just going balls to the wall and gaining as much muscle as you can and letting your bodyfat increase. I guess to make a long story short, in the beginning you will be able to get away with playing too many masters, but as your progress you will need to be more specific with your goals.

Ok, I know it sounds like I am rambling here. But with all of that said. I would suggest that you use this opportunity to take advantage of your lack of experience in the weight room. Your body for the next 6+ month is going to be like a sponge. It is going to respond to everything extremely well. I suggest you get a very basic weight training template worked out ( myself and the other brothers in this thread can help you with this ) and eat your ass off. Im talking steak, chicken, fish, healthy fats, good carbs, and tons of fruits and veggies. Skip the majority of supplements and focus on eating till your sick. You will be amazed at how your body responds. Maybe a protein powder, some multi vitamins, joint support and maybe some aminos.

[GreekGodX]

Originally Posted by The Professor

sounds interesting; but not $80 interesting. I already do a lot of dynamic stretching and joint mobility stuff.

Who said anything about buying it? the internet is your friend

[BigFrank]

Originally Posted by The Professor

You should warm up first. I'll generally ride the recumbent bike for 7-10 minutes -- enough to get my heart rate up to the high 120s ... but not enough to make me winded or make my muscles burn in any way. I'm really just doing it enough to get my blood flowing and my joints loosened up a little. After that, I'll stretch whatever body parts I'm working that day. I'll use static stretching (i.e. just standing or sitting there stretching the right muscles), dynamic stretching (i.e. stretches involving movement a bit more, like box jumps on leg day), and foam roller.

After that, I'll ease into my lifts. If bench, I'll do *just the bar* until I'm ready to add weight, which is usually after around 50+ reps. I'll do bar-only on squat before adding any weight. And on deads, I'll do some stiff-legged deads with just the bar to stretch out before adding any weight.

Just be sure you're feeling limber and your joints are moving freely before you start adding weight. Also, don't feel compelled to add weight too quickly. Speaking from experience, that's a good way to hurt yourself. Check your ego at the door and work from the ground up.

Finally, something Gerry told me when I first started is a great thing to keep in mind: being sore is okay, but pain is pain. There's a difference between sore muscles and straight-up pain. Acknowledge that difference and avoid the latter.



One other note: if you've never done weight training, you may want to spend a couple of weeks doing lots of ab exercises to prime your core. A stronger core makes doing all the various lifts safer and more effective. When I first started, I basically spend the first 3 weeks doing 40 minutes cardio, 200 ab exercises, and 40 minutes of cardio ... 5 days a week. It sucked, but it was good for me. I'm also a fatty, so YMMV.

I agree with you here Dokk, except the core stuff. His core wont be that lagging unless he has some sort of genetic issue. I mean he stands upright and walks around right? His level of muscle strength will be so ill compared to his core strength. Theres a HUGE difference between his core and ours. Loading your back up with 135 compared to 535 is massive difference. Compound exercises at first will take care of this core issue. Trick is make him do real weight training. Basic squatting, pulling and over head pressing, hell even benching will force him to use his core. Some minor end of workout ab training could be tossed in, but at first I honestly done think he needs much more than some leg raises and sit ups.

[GreekGodX]

Originally Posted by BigFrank

I agree with you here Dokk, except the core stuff. His core wont be that lagging unless he has some sort of genetic issue. I mean he stands upright and walks around right? His level of muscle strength will be so ill compared to his core strength. Theres a HUGE difference between his core and ours. Loading your back up with 135 compared to 535 is massive difference. Compound exercises at first will take care of this core issue. Trick is make him do real weight training. Basic squatting, pulling and over head pressing, hell even benching will force him to use his core. Some minor end of workout ab training could be tossed in, but at first I honestly done think he needs much more than some leg raises and sit ups.

All beginners need to start there. If you learn how to do those lifts the right way and hit them hard and often, the rest of your training life will be that much better. I agree with that definitely.

[BigFrank]

Buy this book
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elit...&m=PD&pid=2487

best 30 bucks you could ever spend, get foam roller too.

[DBall]

I wish I knew the names of the machine's the trainer put me on... I do know it is a basic weight training program, though, consisting of chest, arms, abs, legs then back. Takes about 30 minutes to complete. For abs it's 20 crunches, 10 slow bicycles, then 20 fast ones... I feel like I'm exploding when I finish those. I could get the list of what I'm doing on Monday when I go back in... The only thing is that its by machine # and not the name of the machine

Right now my only goal is definition and endurance... you said pretty much what the trainer said, Frank... right now I can kinda just work everything at once. On days when I don't do that, I'll be doing cardio and yoga at times to keep myself well stretched.

I figure if I stay there (the gym) longer than the 3 months I paid for and get used to actually working out, I'll probably be able to focus on particular things... right now I'm a kid in a candy store just trying to get a little of everything.

[icehog3]

Warm ups are for Sallys.

Hit squats hard, medium weight for reps. Shoulders, heavy on the presses. I skipped traps as my back was feeling a little tight from squatting. Thinking of taking 2 days off, my body is telling me it needs it to come back strong.

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by icehog3

Warm ups are for Sallys.

Hit squats hard, medium weight for reps. Shoulders, heavy on the presses. I skipped traps as my back was feeling a little tight from squatting. Thinking of taking 2 days off, my body is telling me it needs it to come back strong.

Then call me Sally! Okay ... I know you already do.

Seriously, though, I wasn't warming up for a while and just recently got started back with warmups and I notice a huge difference. 10-15 minutes has really helped me hit things harder and with more confidence.

But I'm a Sally, not a BAMF like the Admiral.


8 minutes bike; 15-20 minutes foam roller on my legs (hams, glutes, and quads); stiff-legged deads with razor sharp form, slow, with only the bar, and a pause at the bottom to get a good stretch; bar-weight deads, sumo, just for the hip mobility; then some more foam roller for 5 minutes before DrMS came down from the ellipticals (and asked me if I was okay as I laid there writhing in pain on my stomach, rolling out my quads ).

[GreekGodX]

Call me Sally too then . My warmups make a huge difference in my lifts, physically and mentally.

[BigFrank]

Does warming up consist of turning the heat on in the car? I do that, and some foam rolling...........

[GreekGodX]

Originally Posted by BigFrank

Does warming up consist of turning the heat on in the car? I do that, and some foam rolling...........

Sounds good to me!

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by BigFrank

Does warming up consist of turning the heat on in the car? I do that, and some foam rolling...........

I consider the walk from the car into the gym, and putting on my Ipod, my warm-up.

[Chris.]

I warm up at work all day before I hit the gym. I'm pushing people around in 500+ pound Hill-Rom beds for 8 hours a day. Sliding them from one bed to another. I get a decent workout at work! LOL Not enough to burn any fat though(unfortunately)

As soon as I get to the gym, I go to the free weights and do my workout and I finish up with running for about 45 minutes. I feel the running lately has really helped me lose some weight. I look a lot slimmer since I started running more than 20 minutes every once in a while.

[PeteSB75]

Originally Posted by DBall

I wish I knew the names of the machine's the trainer put me on... I do know it is a basic weight training program, though, consisting of chest, arms, abs, legs then back. Takes about 30 minutes to complete. For abs it's 20 crunches, 10 slow bicycles, then 20 fast ones... I feel like I'm exploding when I finish those. I could get the list of what I'm doing on Monday when I go back in... The only thing is that its by machine # and not the name of the machine

Right now my only goal is definition and endurance... you said pretty much what the trainer said, Frank... right now I can kinda just work everything at once. On days when I don't do that, I'll be doing cardio and yoga at times to keep myself well stretched.

I figure if I stay there (the gym) longer than the 3 months I paid for and get used to actually working out, I'll probably be able to focus on particular things... right now I'm a kid in a candy store just trying to get a little of everything.

Dan, to be honest, the trainers in the gym will get you on a beginner workout and keep you there forever. They don't have to work and they can keep cycling the same things over and over.

Send me your addy and I'll send you my copy of Starting Strength. That is what you need to do when starting out. 4 or 5 basic lifts, doing full body 3 days a week.

[hotreds]

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by hotreds

[Chris.]

What the heck is that!? I'm gonna have nightmares now!

EDIT: what do you guys think about these? http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Ironman-Fitn...87392299581590

[The Professor]

Weak today.

Adjusting for that, though, I had a good session with my partner. Basically mixed things up and did what I'd call a more "athletic" workout with various supersets that involved medicine balls and made me fall down. It was pretty fun ... and wrecked us both.

[DBall]

I did my strength thing today... tried running on the elliptical for 10 minutes first to loosen up.

The numbers I'm lifting/pushing/etc are so ridiculously small compared to the stuff I see in here... it is crazy. Seriously... my curls are, like, 36 pounds and I can barely struggle through 10 of them (in fairness, curls are my absolute worst thing). And even still, with my tiny little workout, I come home feeling dead. It'll be great to move bigger numbers... as it stands I feel guilty even calling it "strength training".

Oh well... I'm gonna keep it up and see what happens... I'm doing this to compete against myself more than anyone or anything else.