Hello viewers I'd like to know who here has any dedication to any form of martial arts, lift weights, or just work out for the fun of it, and if so what are your regimens or years of experience.

I myself have boxed for 5 years and have fought 6 amateur bouts with a record of 4-2 I'm also kicking around the idea of learning some Brazilian jiu jitsu... although flexibility was always a weak point for me lol.

Other than that i workout 3 times a week which includes swimming, track running, weight training, and explosive muscle training.

I'll see how many posts this thread gets before i start going in depth ... no sense in making a long post if this thread ends up dead in the water right? lol so share your experiences and I'd be more than happy to discuss it with anyone


(I'm pretty sure this should go in hobbies i couldn't see this being in any other topic)

Hi there Dark Lotus,

I am in charge of the fitness training for my sons Soccer team, I concentrate on muscular endurance, strength, upper body, speed work. I have introduced several different types of sit ups and press ups and focus on different muscle groups and explosive speed work.

In the 12 months I have been involved in their fitness it has been a pleasure to watch the grow and become by far the fittest team in the league. I never ask them to do anything I can't do and we have an element of fun in every session.

I have also recently got the benches and weights out and the punch bag for personal use.

Do you use any form of muscle relief creams... I tend to stick with what I know and has proven to be great over the years for me.. Emu Oil.

edited to add last line.

thanks for the post i was hoping this wouldn't turn into a dead thread! as for creams no i've never accually used any emu oil sounds a little strange lol

Do you find they help take away a bit of the soreness after a long session? or is it made for stiffness and such?

I'd be interested in hearing your exp. speed training sounds like i could benefit from it.. I'm also interested in strengthening my legs more but my left knee always likes to cause a fuss and lock up so when i try and do leg presses and squats it can become a slightly painfull ordeal any tips would be great!

Coolness!

I'm big into lifting. I'm a little limited by my work schedule so my workouts are 3 - 4 days per week and around 45 minutes in length.

I have all of my own equipment including 2 benches and 400 lbs in weights, a swiss ball, a preacher bench and an overhead.

I change up a lot in what I do but basically I like to incorporate the pre-exaust idea for training muscle groups. Like triceps on the same day as chest and biceps with back. But there are so many new ideas that I try to work in such as POF and different types of isolation as well as partials and drops sets.

Jonathan Lawson from Ironman magazine has some wicked cool innovative ideas, so check him out.

It so much fun! I like to crank up some heavy aggresive music, like Godsmack or Megadeth and just unleash the animal.

Fun

I take in some creatine and I've tried nitric oxide and a few other supplements but other than keeping a good diet heavy on protein with a good multi and some added aminos. I don't go too overboard. And I don't use any kind of muscle soreness cream, I just drop some vitimin c after a workout and it cuts down the soreness.

For cardio I really just bike a lot.

Cool thread!

I had to stop jogging 'cause the beer kept sloshing out of the bottle.

That made me laugh, the visual did.

It also made me think of something that Denis Leary said:

"...it's always the yogurt and sprout eating m*****f****'s who get run over by the guy who smokes 3 packs a day"

Right now I'm on a little mini-break before my vacation to Europe for this whole summer, but I'm a little of a work-out maniac. When I get back I plan to get back to it and develop a new routine. I worked out pushing myself beyond my limits from January to April, working out 3 hours per session and about 4 times a week. I target mostly the upper body, but I work on my lower body as well. I have a gym set up in my basement that includes a punching bag and I plan to expand it quite a bit over time. I also use nutrient supplements and try to stay on a good diet. I have not worked out much on my cardio, but I plan to quite a bit next year as I took a course in weight-training that will allow me to work out 3 times a week and run 2 times a week.

I also wrestled 2005-2006 for my highschool wrestling team and because of some change of plans on the part of my parents I switched schools and was not able to pursue that further in my new school, as we have no wrestling team. I plan to sign up for martial arts at this place really close to me where I hope to learn more weapons technique, improve my stand-up, and maybe even get into BJJ.

wow glad to see i got some replies... I've personally found working muscle groups time consuming i tend to work out in half's upper body one day then lower body the next.

my upper body workout consists of 85 push ups followed by 65 situps then oblique side planks until i cant go on i rest for 10 minutes stretch then hit the weights I curl 45 pounds for 15 reps on each arm then work on forearms with a muscle ball (not sure the exact term lol) then i rest for 5 minutes then stretch rest again for 5 minutes followed by 50 clap push-ups after this i usually eat and rest later on in the night i work my shoulders then i sleep lol.

my lower body is pretty nonexistent right now i do 100 squats and 35 minutes on the stationary bike.. looking for some good lower body workouts so any tips would be great!

on off days when I'm too sore to lift weights i shadow box and stretch.

glass - I've found that creatine just puffs my body with excess water so I don't use it anymore i prefer a good home cooked meal rather than supplements do you find they help and if so how?

Xyfer - ahhh another fellow looking into bjj i myself am interested but i think I'd need to cut a bit of weight for a leaner frame I'm hovering at 185 but if I were to train in bjj id want to cut down to 160 165 ... that's really the only reason I'm unsure of training but time will tell if i want to or not lol.. as for weapon techniques what have you been trained in? or self trained?

I'll go a bit more into what I hope to get out of my supplements in a later post as I have quite a bit to do at the moment. There are a few places I am looking at right now and trying to decide what to do. I see your also from Canada. I live in Hamilton right now, and I used to live in Brampton. I was actually born in Macedonia Europe, where I did Judo for two years. I know two years is not enough to be solid in any form of martial arts, but it is experience nonetheless.

I just noticed the mistake I made in my earlier post and I apologize. I am actually a complete beginner in weapons and its a idea that was just sparked recently. I have decided that for any kind of proper self-defense out in the real world you have to stick to things that will really prepare you to hold your own in the real world, and not fancy movements which are only good for showing off and Hollywood action flicks. That is why I want to become more efficient in weapons, more specifically the bo (staff) and nunchaku. What I hope to get out of this is overall body strengthening, conditioning, co-ordination and self-confidence.

As for BJJ I am leaning towards that because I have always been a great grappler. What I hope to get out of this apart from fighting and self-defense skills is cardiovascular conditioning, agility, more self-control, and more self-confidence.

I see you have been boxing for 5 years. I was actually planning to do some kickboxing before my father convinced me that getting your nose broken will sideline you for a long time that you could be using to gain skill in a different area, so I dropped the idea all together. For BJJ I agree that you need a great degree of flexibility, but if you work at it, I am sure it can be achieved, even if it is a weak point for you at the moment. It’s all practise

Thanks for the post and i look forward to reading your post on supplements!
as for 2 years in judo... it's still impressive I've been quite surprised on how much people can pick up in even 6 months of training be it boxing, kick boxing, and whatever else comes into play.

As for your weapons training I've always respected people who train with weapons and the dexterity and strength required to use them, especially the Bo I've always been a fan next to the Katana Ive always been interested in learning how to wield one skillfully.

as for injuries in boxing eh comes with the territory I've never allowed myself to be sidelined with an injury be it busted nose, cracked ribs, or a dislocated jaw I always push myself to work through the pain at the dissatisfaction of my coach lol he always said "I wouldn't be surprised if you broke both you legs and still wanted to spar in the ring" lol .. kick boxing is a great sport to train in and if it's still kicking around your head you should give it a shot take a few classes you might end up loving it!

back to bjj everyone has told me I can increase my flexibility through stretches and yoga but i honestly can never get into yoga and I've found that no matter how long i stretch what stretches i use my flexibility does not increase I'm thinking my muscle mass may be hindering it but I'm probably wrong

p.s: I would just like to clarify that I no longer box competitive as i want to branch my areas of martial arts.. maybe one day i'll go back in the ring.. sure would like to KO the 2 guy's who whoopt my A$$... as for Hamilton my father was born there i've heard its a lovely place... but those stories from my dad were back in the day lol

This a great workout. PHYSICAL FITNESS STANDARDS

PHYSICAL EVOLUTION REQUIRED TIME
FIRST PHASE

50 meter underwater swim PASS/FAIL
Underwater knot tying PASS/FAIL
Drown proofing test PASS/FAIL
Basic Lifesaving test PASS/FAIL
1200 meter pool swim with fins 45 min
1 mile bay swim with fins 50 min
1 mile ocean swim with fins 50 min
1 l/2 mile ocean swim with fins 70 min
2 mile ocean swim with fins 95 min
Obstacle course 15 min
4 mile timed run 32 min

POST HELL WEEK

2000 meter conditioning pool swim without fins Completion
1 1/2 mile night bay swim with fins Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 85 min
4 mile timed run 32 min
Obstacle course 13 min

SECOND PHASE

2 mile ocean swim with fins 80 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 31 min
Obstacle course 10:30
3 I/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion
5 1/2 mile ocean swim with fins Completion

THIRD PHASE

Obstacle course 10 min
4 mile timed run (in boots) 30 min
14 mile run Completion
2 mile ocean swim with fins 75 min




SUGGESTED STUDENT PREPARATION

The following workouts are designed for two categories of people: Category I are those future BUD/S students that have never or have not recently been on a routine PT program. Category II is designed for high school and college athletes that have had a routine PT program. Usually athletes that require a high level of cardiovascular activity are in Category II.

Swimming, running and wrestling are good examples of such sports.

WORKOUT FOR CATEGORY I

RUNNING: The majority of the physical activities you will be required to perform during your six months of training at BUD/S will involve running. The intense amount of running can lead to over stress injuries of the lower extremities in trainees who arrive not physically prepared to handle the activities. Swimming, bicycling, and lifting weights will prepare you for some of the activities at BUD/S, but ONLY running can prepare your lower extremities for the majority of the activities. You should also run in boots to prepare your legs for the everyday running in boots at BUD/S (Boots should be of a light-weight variety i.e. Bates Lights, Hi-Tec, Etc.).

The goal of the category I student is to work up to 16 miles per week of running. After you have achieved that goal, then and only then should you continue on to the category II goal of 30 miles per week. Let me remind you that category I is a nine week buildup program. Follow the workout as best you can and you will be amazed at the progress you will make.

RUNNING SCHEDULE I

WEEKS #1, 2: 2 miles/day, 8:30 pace, M/W/F (6 miles/ week)
WEEK #3: No running. High risk of stress fractures
WEEK #4: 3 miles/day, M/W/F (9 miles/wk)
WEEKS #5, 6: 2/3/4/2 miles, M/Tu/Th/F (11 miles/wk)
WEEKS #7,8: 4/4/5/3 miles, M/Tu/Th/F (16 miles/ wk)
WEEK #9: same as #7,8 (16 miles/ wk)


PHYSICAL TRAINING SCHEDULE I (Mon/Wed/Fri)
SETS OF REPETITIONS
WEEK #1: 4X15 PUSHUPS
4X20 SITUPS
3X3 PULL UPS
WEEK #2: 5X20 PUSHUPS
5X20 SITUPS
3X3 PULL UPS
WEEK #3,4: 5X25 PUSHUPS
5X25 SITUPS
3X4 PULL UPS
WEEK #5,6: 6X25 PUSHUPS
6X25 SITUPS
2X8 PULL UPS
WEEK #7,8: 6X30 PUSHUPS
6X30 SITUPS
2X10 PULL UPS
WEEK #9: 6X30 PUSHUPS
6X30 SITUPS
3X10 PULL UPS


* Note: For best results, alternate exercises. Do a set of pushups, then a set of situps, followed by a set of pull ups, immediately with no rest.

SWIMMING SCHEDULE I
(sidestroke with no fins 4-5 days a week)

WEEKS #1, 2: Swim continuously for 15 min.
WEEKS #3, 4: Swim continuously for 20 min.
WEEKS #5, 6: Swim continuously for 25 min.
WEEKS #7, 8: Swim continuously for 30 min.
WEEK #9: Swim continuously for 35 min.


* Note: If you have no access to a pool, ride a bicycle for twice as long as you would swim. If you do have access to a pool, swim every day available. Four to five days a week and 200 meters in one session is your initial workup goal. Also, you want to develop your sidestroke on both the left and the right side. Try to swim 50 meters in one minute or less.

WORKOUT FOR CATEGORY II

Category II is a more intense workout designed for those who have been involved with a routine PT schedule or those who have completed the requirements of category I. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WORKOUT SCHEDULE UNLESS YOU CAN COMPLETE THE WEEK #9 LEVEL OF CATEGORY I WORKOUTS.

RUNNING SCHEDULE II
(M/TulTh/F/Sa)

WEEKS #1,2: (3/5/4/5/2)miles 19 miles/week
WEEKS #3, 4: (4/5/6/4/3) miles 22 miles/week
WEEK #5: (5/5/6/4/4) miles 24 miles/week
WEEK #6: (5/6/6/6/4) miles 27 miles/week
WEEK #7: (6/6/6/6/6) miles 30 miles/week


* Note: For weeks #8-9 and beyond, it is not necessary to increase the distance of the runs; work on the speed of your 6 mile runs and try to get them down to 7:30 per mile or lower. If you wish to increase the distance of your runs, do it gradually: no more than one mile per day increase for every week beyond week #9.

PT SCHEDULE II
(Mon/Wed/Fri)

SETS OF REPETITIONS
WEEK #1, 2: 6X30 PUSHUPS
6X35 SITUPS
3X10 PULL UPS
3X20 DIPS
WEEK #3, 4: lOX20 PUSHUPS
10X25 SITUPS
4X10 PULL UPS
10X15 DIPS
WEEK #5: 15X20 PUSHUPS
15X25 SITUPS
4X12 PULLUPS
15X15 DIPS
WEEK #6: 20X20 PUSHUPS
20X25 SITUPS
5X12 PULL UPS
20X15 DIPS


These workouts are designed for long-distance muscle endurance. Muscle fatigue will gradually take a longer and longer time to develop doing high repetition workouts. For best results, alternate exercises each set, in order to rest that muscle group for a short time. The below listed workouts are provided for varying your workouts once you have met the Category I and II standards.

PYRAMID WORKOUTS

You can do this with any exercise. The object is to slowly build up to a goal, then build back down to the beginning of the workout. For instance, pull ups, situps, pushups, and dips can be alternated as in the above workouts, but this time choose a number to be your goal and build up to that number. Each number counts as a set. Work your way up and down the pyramid. For example, say your goal is "5."

# OF REPETITIONS
PULL UPS: 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1
PUSHUPS: 2,4,6,8,10,8,6,4,2 (2X # pull ups)
SITUPS: 3,6,9,12,15,12,9,6,3 (3X #pull ups)
DIPS: same as pushups


SWIMMING WORKOUTS II
(4-5 days/week)

WEEKS #1, 2: Swim continuously for 35 min.
WEEKS #3, 4: Swim continuously for 45 min.with fins.
WEEK #5: Swim continuously for 60 min. with fins.
WEEK #6: Swim continuously for 75 min. with fins.


* Note: At first, to reduce initial stress on your foot muscles when starting with fins, alternate swimming 1000 meters with fins and 1000 meters without them. Your goal should be to swim 50 meters in 45 seconds or less.

STRETCH PT

Since Mon/Wed/Fri are devoted to PT, it is wise to devote at least 20 minutes on Tue/Thu/Sat to stretching. You should always stretch for at least 15 minutes before any workout; however, just stretching the previously worked muscles will make you more flexible and less likely to get injured. A good way to start stretching is to start at the top and go to the bottom. Stretch to tightness, not to pain; hold for 10-15 seconds. DO NOT BOUNCE. Stretch every muscle in your body from the neck to the calves, concentrating on your thighs, hamstrings, chest, back, and shoulders.

NUTRITION

Proper nutrition is extremely important now and especially when you arrive at BUD/S. You must make sure you receive the necessary nutrients to obtain maximum performance output during exercise and to promote muscle/tissue growth and repair. The proper diet provides all the nutrients for the body's needs and supplies energy for exercise. It also promotes growth and repair of tissue and regulates the body processes. The best source of complex carbohydrates are potatoes, pasta, rice, fruits, vegetables. These types of foods are your best sources of energy.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are the three energy nutrients. All three can provide energy, but carbohydrate is the preferred source of energy for physical activity. It takes at least 20 hours after exhaustive exercise to completely restore muscle energy, provided 600 grams of carbohydrates are consumed per day. During successive days of heavy training, like you will experience at BUD/S, energy stores prior to each training session become progressively lower. This is a situation in which a high carbohydrate diet can help maintain your energy.

The majority of carbohydrates should come from complex carbohydrate foods that include bread, crackers, cereal, beans, peas, starchy vegetables, and other whole grain or enriched grain products. Fruits are also loaded with carbohydrates. During training, more than four servings of these food groups should be consumed daily.

Water intake is vital; stay hydrated. You should be consuming up to four quarts of water daily. Drink water before you get thirsty! ! ! Substances such as alcohol, caffeine and tobacco increase your body's need for water. Too much of these substances will definitely harm your body and hinder your performance. Supplemental intake of vitamins, as well, has not been proven to be beneficial. If you are eating a well balance diet, there is no need to take vitamins.

TRAINING TABLE CONCEPT

NUTRIENT INTAKE
Carbohydrates 50-70% of calories
Protein 10-15% of calories
Fats 20-30% of calories

great post I look forward to incorporating the swimming techniques as i find swimming is an amazing workout..

I have a pretty dedicated way of eating i eat a light meal for lunch and a heavy carb meal for dinner for breakfast i eat varied fruits and vegetables and lots of water feels alot better than eating bacon and sausage lol and thank you for the stretching tips ... never cared for stretching but i really need to work on my flexibility but it shall come in time

If you want to be a "stud" this workout will do it.

If you're looking for good workout routines or exercises then the best place to go would be Bodybuilding.com. They have a great site with tips on exercises, nutrition, stretching, supplementation and even mental preparation.

I keep a pretty strict diet and I try to eat at least 5 smaller meals a day but sometimes it gets hard and that's where supplementation comes in handy. A good meal replacement powder or just a protein shake will help keep your nitrogen balance in order between meals.

Here's a good article about creatine should you ever decide to give it another shot -> Creatine

But honestly, I don't know anybody who still does sit-ups. When I work my abs I will use the swiss ball to do crunches or else I use a chinning bar for hanging leg raises and I would never work obliques because they tend to develop pretty quick and that can make your waist look blocky.

But then again, I don't practice martial arts and for all I know you might need developed obliques.

I kind of enjoy sit ups as they are I tend to keep to a more traditional style of working out as was taught to me by my boxing coach. thanks for the links greatly appreciated

btw i hear alot of people are choosing to eat multiple smaller meals in a day I was wondering if there is a reason for it? if it increases energy levels? lol i have a bad history with protein shakes the ones i've used gave me horrible indigestion so i just stick to fish plenty of fish

Traditional is good. Someone was explaining to me the other day about why its better to eat smaller meals more times a day as opposed to bigger meals less times a day, but I seem to have forgotten all about it. I'll try to get back to you on that. As for the protein supplements..

I drink/use Whey protein supplements, which are said to be one of the top bodybuilding supplements. They are natural as opposed to all that other expensive crap you get at GNC and very useful. They contain just the right combination of amino acids at the right concentration for optimal performance. Both hormonal and cellular responce are greatly enhanced. What they do is they build muscle, enhance your endurance, and reduce muscle deterioration. Whey proteins supply a good amount of branched-chain amino acids thar are very important to bodybuilding because they are metabolized DIRECTLY into the muscle instead of the liver like other amino acids. Best of all, whey proteins are cheap and can me mixed with just about anything! I'd say that makes it a pretty effective choice!

As for my workout routine, I try to increase the amount of sets of repetitions every month and train every different component of my body. Enough sleep and diet is very crucial. In one workout I do:

20 sets of 10 reps (very slowly for max. effect on your chest) for a total of 200 reps bench press
10 sets of 25 reps (slowly once again for max.effect) of normal pushups for a total of 250 reps
10 sets of 25 reps (by now you can see that I use this technique of going slower for every exercise) for a total of 250 reps of bench-pushups
10-15 sets of 50 situps for a total of 500-750 situps
10 sets of 20 reps leg press for a total of 200 reps
10 sets of 10 reps tricepts for a total of 100 reps
10 sets of 10 reps bicepts for a total of 100 reps
10 sets of 10 reps one-hand curls alternating arms for a total of 100 reps

If I'm not mistaken on average thats about 2000 reps per workout. Of course I don't stick to that routine everytime and I do go lower or higher depending on several factors. I hope to target and do more work on my lower body when I return from Europe, as well as some work on my cardio.

yes i tend to do the same when I'm doing reps... as for the sleep that's where i lack as i have insomnia so from time to time ill go on a no sleep bender for a few days really throws off my routine.

I'll have to look into this whey protein sounds like a good purchase so thank you i don't know i always get a bad feeling when i use supplements it feels like it's not all me that's building the muscle it's me and the supplements i don't know I'm sure thats just something i need to get over. great post though look forward to more tomorrow I'm hitting the gym and the pool going to be fun

Oh, heck, I just have to put something in here.
I started weights around 1972. Previously, I'd worked on ranches, logging, mining, and had a stint in the Navy, wherein I became rated as a hand-to-hand instructor for SOG. Among other things.
Now, I have weights, an ab wheel, a treadmill, and a Weider crossbow machine downstairs. I use the weights and bow every day using the Schwartzenneger method (6 days, 2 pushing exercises, 2 pulling exercises, 2 legs and shoulders, each being 4 sets of 10 with a 1 minute rest). This seems to work well for me. The ab wheel (saw advertised, built one myself from an old lawn mower wheel and a steel bolt, with a couple of handles) I use every other day, possibly every third day, depending on how I feel. Treadmill is every other day (treadmill because I tend to business with it; if I'm just out jogging or walking, I slow and look around, darn it). Also like the adjustable difficulty and speed: I can just walk fast or jog or run, depending on how I feel.
I try to never overdo it. But it's necessary to keep in shape, and my h2h background demands it; I practice that every day.
I just finished digging over a thousand feet of trenches for a sprinkler system by hand, and putting the system in. Before that, I rebuilt a bathroom, laid a new kitchen floor, rebuilt a rec room. I'm in much better shape than a stepson who's 25, and an ex-marine who just returned from Iraq.
And for all those wonderfuls who think it's not necessary to keep in shape, I'm 62.
I might also add, about the self defense bit, there are few martial arts that are really capable, in their present forms, of providing what they claim. To wit, a few years ago, my elder son, who is a black belt of something or other, decided to beat up on his old man. Obliging his desire, we went outside, and roughly 30 seconds later, he decided to never try that again. So choose with care.

Haha I've tried a few times to tussle with the ol' man.... he's an ox ... i'll give it a few more years when he starts haing a hard time walkin' lol j/k

Hey guys, I'm lucky I came across this topic as I'm looking for some advice.

You see, I'm 17 and a bit on the chubby side, I admit. I'm about 5'11 and 230-235 on a good day. And since its the summer time I think its time I lose a couple of pounds. I was wondering what is the best way I can go about doing this. I've been asking around, and most people say running is the best option.

I started doing that about a week ago, every morning I would run around the park for about 30 mins. But what else should I do to speed up the weight loss process.

All suggestions welcome. Thanks.

What I learned a few years back on weight loss was cheese is the worst thing to eat as it is very fattening, no beer just wine if you do drink alcohol (you shouldn't anyway, your to young) and try to cut back on what you do eat. I would cut back on breakfast in which I would have one egg and two bacon strips instead of the normal two eggs and four bacon strips (cut in half the amount), one slice of toast of instead of two. Try to cut back at lunch and dinner also. I was in a major car accident years ago and I could not work for two years (talk about pain) and gained forty pounds because I could not work out. I lost all of it once I cut back on eating and no cheese and no beer with a light exercise I lost the weight (40lbs.) in three months.

Excersise keeps me sane.

I recently took up running, rowing and cycling to get my cardio vascular fitness up. I already had a pretty good routine of swimming and Tae Kwon Do but am looking to incorporate a bit of strength training in the mix possibly a little Pilates for core strength and some resistance training.

XSAS
I am really interested in this what age group are you working with? Our Soccer lads are only just progressing to full field/full time play so we have been working their cardio vascular to help them cope next season, however next year their bodies should (in theory) go into full blown muscle developement it would be good to see some of the programs you have for this.

Darkshadow,
don't concentrate on weight loss but make sure that you vary your routine Running/swimming(twice the workout of running)/ cycling and strength training. It is never a good idea to start a diet AND an excersise routine at the same time because you're more likely to stop both at a later stage. My advice is to start an excersise program and maintain it for 6 weeks, then perhaps look at small changes to your diet. Smaller meals more frequently, less fat, less sodium, less sugar. There is no need for major lifestyle changes. Little changes are easier to turn into a lifestyle and will help maintain weight loss permanently.

........................................

Also I find a realy helpful motivator is to set yourself a goal not just a weight loss goal but a fitness goal. Get involved in a sport that will open doors and oportunities to find a goal which suits you. My next goal is the South Island Tae Kwon Do champs next year. And after that the way I have been enjoying my running I may try myself at a half marathon, when I feel my fitness is up to standard. I have some excellent training plans for marathons out of the latest 'Dash' magazine. It's a sporty mag for girlies.. I love it.

It's kind of strange, you know. I knew I could take the kid, black belt or not. But I never had the fortitude to try my dad. I outweighed him by 35 lb, and he was 54 when I was born. When I was 18, after years of baseball, football, boxing, wrestling etc, he could still walk farther and faster than I, in the Rockies, up and down mountains. 'Course, I witnesses him lift the side of an ore car above his head (425 lb). Fortunately, the old f*rt was a good natured guy and we got along well.

DarkShadow, I had a weight problem back about 20 years ago (sedentary, sat all day behind a computer). One day I tried to put on an old pair of pants, expensive ones, and couldn't get within four inches of fastening them. I weighed 260, 30 lb over my normal weight.
Without thinking, I started running that night. After nearly killing myself (or so I was thinking at the time), I got sense and did walking/jogging in a county park (Quicksilver, by San Jose CA) which goes up and down around 1800 feet altitude. Within 4 months, I was back at 230. I did cut down on food by about 40% and changed diet away from fast foods. My (then) wife weighed 285 and it took her about 7 months to go to 140. With me, after the first month and a half, I had lost 2/3 of the weight I needed to, and 2 1/2 months had me nearly there. From then it was more endurance running than anything else.
So I'd have to agree that walk/jog to running is the best way. It's necessary to do a minimum of 20 minutes of fast heart rate; anything less is just about useless. Just don't start too fast: that's a good way to hurt yourself, and a good way to get discouraged very quickly.

Hello DarkShadow one thing i found worked well for me when i had to cut weight (from 200-185lbs) when i boxed amateur, was right after I would run I would keep the heart pumping either by shadow boxing, jump rope I found this to be a great way to cut weight that wasn't strenuous or hard.I would go for a run in the morning everyday for about 45 minutes Mon,Wed,Fri,Sun would be a 45 minute run with a half hour to an hour of jump rope. Another great workout is doing laps at the local swimming pool! Just keep a healthy diet don't fast or take weight loss pills and keep working towards a goal and you'll do just fine

2000 reps per workout!!!!!???

Wild, man!

That would be severely overtraining in my book.

Incidently, how much weight are you guys throwing around?

I use to do 200 sit-ups a day, faithfully...6 days a week, but I found that it actually made my abdomen larger. What other exercises can I do at home that will tone my abdomen without bulking it up.

Kismet X The age group I am working with are now the Under 15's, My son's team.. I am assuming from your comment about the muscle developement that your talking about a teenage team also, I have been focussing our Fitness training on endurance, toning, strength and stamina, working muscle groups in the upper and lower body. Working on rotating reps and sets, circuits with minimal rest between exercises.

I have introduced "guided learning" sucessfully over the past 6 months without them even knowing about it.

We have a serious training program with an added element of fun.... we have come a long way in 12 months and are ready to upgrade to the next training program, which incidentely starts next week. I have several objectives to accomplish but also want to make it fun...

Weight training, this type of activity can cause serious injuries to growing bones, muscles, and joints, their bones, their joints, and tendons are all still growing and developing and it's easy to overdoo it they could strain and even permanently damage them, especially at the ages my guys are at now..

I have had so many of our Guys have problems with their knees, muscle strains and pulls, most of the guys have grown between 2 to 6 inches in height over the past 12 months and their bones and muscles have to compensate for that and then adding additional problems like weight training and weight lifting will only increase the risk of injury. Even too much stretching and loosening up before the game can cause unneccessary injury, I know people say "you can never do too much stretching" well you can especially at their age.

Once puberty has been reached their bodies will produce hormones that increase muscle growth therefore we don't need weights to gain strength or muscle tone.

I have 25 Minutes to work with and put a program together that benefits them in Muscle growth, strength, Stamina etc. I am trying to get exercises that work and effect not 1 but 2/3/4 muscles... for example our Star Jump, squat burpee... that works lower and upper legs, arms, shoulders, chest and back.. You would have to spend half an hour in a gym doing different weights to exercise the same muscles.

We don't need Tricep curls we have Close arm press ups and you know the close arm press up hurts far more than a tricep curl + it works your shoulders and upper chest.

I have several types of sit ups, working their lower and upper Abs and sides. Our different press ups are working your chest, Pec and Arms.

We have stamina training + all the other execises that focus on your legs, lower and upper back and neck.

We cover shuttle runs in the cone exercises and our timed 60m sprints.

Also and for me most important, I want us to have fun while doing these exercises we have to work all these muscle groups and improve your Cardio but alos make it enjoyable, I know I subject them all to intense pain but we have a laugh at the same time and if we get chance at the end of the session we do try to throw in a few silly exercises, Press ups with a clap in between the next one or clapping behind your back in between press ups, one arm press ups, finger press ups...

It was last July when I started our fitness sessions, I am proud of the way they have all improved and the way they help each and every team mate through the circuit...

On another note.. Emu Oil has been a real god send in the muscle and pain relief process last season.. I would highly recommend it. It is a non oily, non toxic oil that rebalances the lipid fatty-acid composition in your skin it won't clog up your pours and allows the skin to absorb the fatty acids, sapogens and vitamins A & E that are in the oil, not only does it act as a ntaural moisturiser it has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

XSAS, I would say that the team is very lucky to have you on board. Have you thought about Pilates as a core strengthening excersise. The balls are great fun and allow muscle strengthening, balance and dynamic stretching. This could be a good way to achieve a lot in a short amount of time. Also if the core muscle are balanced and strong the legs swing more efficiently.



Again Pilates. I know that in some circles it is still considerd New Age but there is a very good reason why 99% of gyms now have an area for swiss balls.

Pilates for beginers
Pilates quick workout 1

On any other given day I would give you a few pointers, but I am very busy preparing for a trip. Theres a few links below that you could read up on that will help you, I'm sure. Keep in mind that traditional sit-ups are not known to very effective. Take it from someone who once did 500-800 a day with minimal effect. I also understand what you mean about larger as opposed to more toned. I had the same problem.

http://www.timbomb.net/ab/ab.faq.html#how

http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/abs/abs4.html

The next link I think is the one with the least reading and simple diagrams that are very easy to follow. Try The Locust to tone your abdomen and lower back.

http://www.aryabhatt.com/yoga/Abdomen_Arms.htm

Glass - i usually warm up with about 4 - 5 sets of 20 reps with 30 lbs after that I'll do a few dozen pushups then i'll do the same sets and reps on curls with anywhere from 60 to 70 lbs (with a rest here and there between sets) followed By clap push ups (about 70 or 80) then I'll go and bench 150 lbs for 3 sets of ten reps, that's a small piece to a full day routine when i have the time nowadays to get a full day in unfortunately i only seem to be able to get half a day in so i have to up the pace when i do work out...

nothing wrong with a long and tough workout although i don't hit 2000 reps i certainly do more than most people would consider, can be really tough at times but that's the fun and challenge. The masochist comes out in me when i workout I enjoy the burn

You guys amaze me with your rep and set amounts. I never go above 12 reps, which I reserve for warm up sets. I stay within six to 10 and I'll alternate between pyramid and drop sets where you start heavy and reduce the weight as you go on.

but like I said, I train muscle groups and when I lift I train for strength and not so much for endurance.

For instance when I train triceps I'll start out with something like say overhead extensions and I'll go for 3 or 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps as I increase or decrease the weight, then I'll move on to skull-crushers with the same scheme and finish up with pressdowns on an overhead. So that's 9 - 12 sets total of 6 to 10 reps, with the last few reps being forced or partials. But with that choice of exercises I can hit the muscle from the stretched, midpoint and flexed positions, which I think is very important.

For some reason my triceps respond really well compared to my biceps which I consistantly have to overload. There's a pic of me on my profile where you can see what I mean.

This is just the current way that I train but I've experimented with all sorts of ideas. There are some great trainers to read, like Johnathan Lawson, Charles Poliquin and Mike Mentzer.

I really love training, I like being a little sore and I love the endorphins. I dig that unleashed feeling I get when I'm powering up the bar. And even though I'm probably one of the most laid back people you may ever meet, I love being strong!

But that's just how I do it.

I also wanted to say that the best thing about whey proteins is that whey is high in glutamine and that makes it anti-catabolic.

Inner Space, do you by any chance have a Swiss Ball? They are great for ab work. Just remember that there is no such thing as spot reduction and without proper diet, ab development can actually increase your waist size.

But I've seen your profile pic and I don't think thats a problem

I'm trying to shape the area around my midsection also for the summer. I"m trying to combine diet, exercise, and cardio to get rid of my stomach fat, but it's a very slow process. Currently my favorite body parts to train are forearms and grip. For the forearms I bought hand grippers ranging from 100 to 300 pounds of pressure. You can see them here: www.heavygrips.com It turns out that I'm weak in that area because I can't even close the 150 pound one, although I'm really close to doing it (about 1 centimeter more). Does anyone else train with the grippers and if so, which gripper are you able to close? The reason I became interested in forearms and grip was by watching arm wrestling videos. Seeing how powerful their forearms and grip were made me want to have the same.

I swim 2 -4 times a week 1500 meteres a session, and go to the local boxing club twice a week.

I personally do not train with grippers, but you got me interested just now

I love training. It is very rewarding, especially in giving a boost to my self-confidence.There is nothing better than pushing myself to my limits for 2-3 hours and then taking a shower aching in pain. At one point I got myself sick from over-training and I still coudn't stop myself. I was on a schedule and I had to maintain it I have friends who lift more, but do way less repetitions. My logic is lifting less, but doing it slower and doing many more repetitions. I do hundreds of repetitions lifting in the 100-150 lbs range. You will find that the slower you do them, the harder it gets. My max. in benching is about 250 including the bar (olympic-sized bar). I don't usually bench at that kind of weight because I can't do more than a few reps so I highly doubt I am going to go over that and beat it anytime soon. I am 5'10 and weight about 160 lbs myself so I shouldn't be lifting in that area anyway.

Xyfer, thank you so much for taking the time to post those links. They are very informative!!! Much appreciated.




Kismit, I also appreciate you posting those Pilate's links. You're right, some still look at it as New Age, but it certainly has gained respect in the fitness community over the last several years. Thanks again.

Long time ago I got interested in that forearm bit. Seems that in the circles I went the grip was of importance (I was young, yes, and my hometown was a mining town; everybody worked physically strenuous jobs). So I started using tennis balls, simple and common and cheap. In the eighth grade I burst my first one (believe it or not).
But since then, I've tried several different types of forearm exercise. The best I've found is a wrist roller. I made mine from a piece of maple dowel thick enough to be comfortable, and the string is parachute cord, nylon and quite strong (500 lb test, I think). The other end I can put whatever weights I want on, so it can range from 2 1/2 lb to a little below the test weight of the cord. Rolling one direction works one side of the forearm and the other direction works the other, and the exercise is effective going up and down. A few reps of this are all that's needed to really tax the forearms, and if you keep the dowel at shoulder height, you get some shoulder work in also.
For the abs, I use that darned wheel, which really gives me a good work on the midsection, and other parts, if I go on toes and stretch all the way so I'm supported on toes and hands with arms fully extended. Son wanted to do this once; he was able to do five reps, and he was sore for days. He'd been doing 100 situps and a bunch of crunches before that, and afterwards switched to the wheel.
Both are good for me.

Martial arts for about 7 year's

Double dutch ^^ when i was 14 to 16

Hi all,
I'm a martial art fan. I'm a Black Belt in sh**oryukai Karate, Blue belt on Jujutsu, and Blue (azul) Cordao on Capoeira.
I also practiced Nunchaku-do (which I'm not good at), some grappling arts including wrestling and Krav Maga. I practiced all of them almost everyday for 2-3 hours each and train my physique including weightlifting, and other traditional martial arts training. If anyone wants to talk about martial art, I'm good to go.


Peace!

It's impossible to spot reduce, doing exercises involving your abs won't remove fat from your abs. To tone your abs you need to do cardio exercises, running, swimming, cycling, anything that takes a lot of energy.

It is also just as important to eat a good diet along with the cardio exercise. That will reveal the hard work put into abs much quicker than exercise alone.

Since I have been a hardcore weightlifter for over 20 years ...maintenance can be as little as 2 trips to the gym a week these days...SO pay your dues while your in your 20s...then you can be more of a slacker in your 40s .....B

Am i correct here, you named 9 diffrent styles and said you practice them all for 2 hours a day. dont you have a job.

ALSO...remember kids, RAW power will nuetralize ANY martial arts...trust me I know ...



Mr Halfhand

Yeah definetely. An exercise without a good diet won't get any results, they're both equally important.

I've spent the last couple of months doing some more weightlifting, after bulking and cutting I've put on over 15 lbs and slightly lowered my BF%.



Come to think of it, I never have seen you and Jackie Chan in the same room together.

Barek, do you think free weights are more effective than lifting machines?

I do a mixture of yoga and strength training with a medicine ball. I like how the medicine ball strengthens, but the yoga helps me keep my girly curves.
I used to do Tai Chi, and my husband was a 1st degree black belt in Isshinryu and martial arts instructer before his accident in the military. He fought in tournments and stuff, and actually won stuff. He really misses it. He used to run five, five minute miles a day, weight lift, spar, work out on the bag...it was very time consuming. He's taught me some Isshinryu, but I'm not into all of that self torture stuff. I like watching fights and I would really like to get into photographing them some time.

Yes, I do have a job. I'm a lawyer, a radio DJ, and a TV host. All aside, I also joined the Rotary Club (yeah...I know...high brows people, but I only joined in purpose to serve people). I live a bust life, but it all has to come to a balance right? And by practicing it everyday means that I practiced one of them only for 2 hours a day, i.e.:
Monday-> Karate practice from 6pm to 8pm. Tuesday->Capoeira from 5pm to 7pm. etc.

I work-out for about 2 hours when I come home from work 5 days a week, it's an old habbit that dosen't seem to be fading away.

no ...he's too short to see (jk)...BUT if I could got a hold of him, before he smacked me 50 times.. I do both...the machines in my gym are all new (can't think of the brand name)...I consider free weights a bigger potential for back injury myself... barbells and curls are about it for me (these days)....B

I think it's all about proper form, but you're right that the potential is always there. Some of the newer machines are great for isolation but you really cant beat free weights for the big lifts.

I really can't say enough about Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman at X-Rep.com, it's a great approach.