On May 24 2013 08:27 Mementoss wrote: That is some expensive equipment lol
Lol that's nothing. One of my hobbies has lately become hanging around home-gym forums and picking out stuff that will go in my home gym some day (when I have a home...)
I think the current list is somewhere around US $3000. And that's just for basics.
links cause I plan on building one eventually too lol
Plan to upgrade to better power bar, and a nice Olympic bar (~300 and ~700 respectively)
Bumpers : Troy VTX. Too many variables on bumpers to list a price. Estimate ~450 for ~300lbs OR Pendlay econ V2s (should fit a pendlay lifting bar best) OR Hi-temps (thicker, supposedly less durable)
I think that's everything. No machines, nothing super-isolation related, but still pretty extensive. Capable of working just about anything I would ever think I would need. Great gym to train in just yourself, or with 1-2 other people. More than that would probably get crowded unless it was one person doing powerlifts, one doing Olympic lifts, one doing DB stuff, one doing conditioning, etc. Only things I could see adding are.... Crossfit-stuff (kettlebells, jump rope, medicine ball, etc) or strongman stuff (log, atlas stones, kegs, etc.)
That looks really sick. I wouldn't mind shelling out $5000 for a functional gym, except it's impossible to have that inside a condo in cities =/
On May 28 2013 15:10 Cambium wrote: amazon is not bad
I use bodybuildingforum, but that's because they are the only company that ships to Japan with a decent rate. I think their prices are fair anyway.
Even in the US, BB.com has better prices and better selection than amazon. Only reason to use amazon over BB.com for supplements is if you have an amazon prime account, and get free 2-day shipping on everything.
On May 24 2013 08:27 Mementoss wrote: That is some expensive equipment lol
Lol that's nothing. One of my hobbies has lately become hanging around home-gym forums and picking out stuff that will go in my home gym some day (when I have a home...)
I think the current list is somewhere around US $3000. And that's just for basics.
links cause I plan on building one eventually too lol
Plan to upgrade to better power bar, and a nice Olympic bar (~300 and ~700 respectively)
Bumpers : Troy VTX. Too many variables on bumpers to list a price. Estimate ~450 for ~300lbs OR Pendlay econ V2s (should fit a pendlay lifting bar best) OR Hi-temps (thicker, supposedly less durable)
I think that's everything. No machines, nothing super-isolation related, but still pretty extensive. Capable of working just about anything I would ever think I would need. Great gym to train in just yourself, or with 1-2 other people. More than that would probably get crowded unless it was one person doing powerlifts, one doing Olympic lifts, one doing DB stuff, one doing conditioning, etc. Only things I could see adding are.... Crossfit-stuff (kettlebells, jump rope, medicine ball, etc) or strongman stuff (log, atlas stones, kegs, etc.)
That looks really sick. I wouldn't mind shelling out $5000 for a functional gym, except it's impossible to have that inside a condo in cities =/
Yeah same. I wish I could oly lift at home but I'll make do with powerlifting for now
On May 24 2013 08:27 Mementoss wrote: That is some expensive equipment lol
Lol that's nothing. One of my hobbies has lately become hanging around home-gym forums and picking out stuff that will go in my home gym some day (when I have a home...)
I think the current list is somewhere around US $3000. And that's just for basics.
links cause I plan on building one eventually too lol
Plan to upgrade to better power bar, and a nice Olympic bar (~300 and ~700 respectively)
Bumpers : Troy VTX. Too many variables on bumpers to list a price. Estimate ~450 for ~300lbs OR Pendlay econ V2s (should fit a pendlay lifting bar best) OR Hi-temps (thicker, supposedly less durable)
I think that's everything. No machines, nothing super-isolation related, but still pretty extensive. Capable of working just about anything I would ever think I would need. Great gym to train in just yourself, or with 1-2 other people. More than that would probably get crowded unless it was one person doing powerlifts, one doing Olympic lifts, one doing DB stuff, one doing conditioning, etc. Only things I could see adding are.... Crossfit-stuff (kettlebells, jump rope, medicine ball, etc) or strongman stuff (log, atlas stones, kegs, etc.)
That looks really sick. I wouldn't mind shelling out $5000 for a functional gym, except it's impossible to have that inside a condo in cities =/
Yeah same. I wish I could oly lift at home but I'll make do with powerlifting for now
When I finally have my own gym it will probably just be plywood + rubber mats and a nice ~1500$ barbell + bumper set and a couple squat stands. Probalby 2k total.
On May 24 2013 08:27 Mementoss wrote: That is some expensive equipment lol
Lol that's nothing. One of my hobbies has lately become hanging around home-gym forums and picking out stuff that will go in my home gym some day (when I have a home...)
I think the current list is somewhere around US $3000. And that's just for basics.
links cause I plan on building one eventually too lol
Plan to upgrade to better power bar, and a nice Olympic bar (~300 and ~700 respectively)
Bumpers : Troy VTX. Too many variables on bumpers to list a price. Estimate ~450 for ~300lbs OR Pendlay econ V2s (should fit a pendlay lifting bar best) OR Hi-temps (thicker, supposedly less durable)
I think that's everything. No machines, nothing super-isolation related, but still pretty extensive. Capable of working just about anything I would ever think I would need. Great gym to train in just yourself, or with 1-2 other people. More than that would probably get crowded unless it was one person doing powerlifts, one doing Olympic lifts, one doing DB stuff, one doing conditioning, etc. Only things I could see adding are.... Crossfit-stuff (kettlebells, jump rope, medicine ball, etc) or strongman stuff (log, atlas stones, kegs, etc.)
That looks really sick. I wouldn't mind shelling out $5000 for a functional gym, except it's impossible to have that inside a condo in cities =/
Yeah same. I wish I could oly lift at home but I'll make do with powerlifting for now
When I finally have my own gym it will probably just be plywood + rubber mats and a nice ~1500$ barbell + bumper set and a couple squat stands. Probalby 2k total.
One day I'll move into a house so I don't get noise complains for dropping weights
So... I just got into powerlifting and changed my workout 100% based on "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe and other sources.
An essential part of powerlifting is the Deadlift. How do I stop my stuff from resting on the bar during lockout? I changed from wearing Boxers to some tighter underwear during workouts but it changed nothing. Sadly my Body is built in a way so that when I lock out during a Deadlift the bar is pretty much on level with my manly parts and they tend to take a rest on the Barbell and see what's up.
I don't want to change the moving pattern in any way since that would compromise safety or progress and there has to be another way.
I also don't want to tape my stuff back to my ass every time I wanna Deadlift. . . .
It's not definite, but I may need to be able to pass this fitness test in a few months, and so I am starting to prepare now. While I'm at it, I can work out or exercise in ways that don't directly contribute towards that exam if they are particularly worthwhile anyway. Here are my thoughts:
Running test: I just need to start with interval training, and use jogging as my sole preparation method for this. Today I was alternating between a brisk walk at 4 mi/h (2 minutes) and a jog at 5 mi/h (1 minute) for 15 minutes, and that seemed like a good starting point for me. My goal is to decrease the amount of walking while increasing the amount and eventually speed of jogging.
Pushup test: I mainly need to practice doing pushups on my own, however general muscle strengthening throughout the whole body will make it easier to maintain proper pushup form.
Situp test: I mainly need to practice doing situps although anything that works the lower torso is helpful
What advice do you gurus have? My starting numbers for continuous pushups and situps are like 5 and 15 respectively lol
On June 06 2013 01:11 micronesia wrote: What advice do you gurus have? My starting numbers for continuous pushups and situps are like 5 and 15 respectively lol
I would suggest something like the Insanity program if you have the money. That is an amazing way to whip yourself into pushups and core strength (a lot of cardio-based hip flexor and oblique work). P90X seems to be really popular as well but.... I think it is too easy and the cardio portion is all but nonexistent.
Simply doing pushups and situps will likely cause you to plateau and also bore you to death. So if you don't want to spend the cash on something like Insanity or any gym equipment whatsoever, a variety of bodyweight and plank exercises will go a LONG way. If you have trouble with chin-ups, just do as much as you can then hang on the bar in the highest position you can reach until you involuntarily fall to the starting position--then repeat. The same can be done with pushup plank-holds (pushups until you can not complete any more then hold the plank until you fall).
An example of a good routine:
-Burpees -Moving pushups or pushup jacks -In-and-out abs -plank hold with toe-taps -pullups and/or pullup hold -stationary high-knees -oblique pushups (it can take a long time to develop the strength for these) -fast jump rope or double jumps -Repeat
The key is variation and keeping it fun. With these type of routines you will want to set a goal time for each exercise rather than reps, and when you cant complete the allotted time you hold a plank as a rest. Have a scheduled break but little to no rest between each exercise. The time you set for each type of exercise should be longer than you can do the exercise--this gives you a goal and makes you push yourself.
On June 06 2013 01:11 micronesia wrote: It's not definite, but I may need to be able to pass this fitness test in a few months, and so I am starting to prepare now. While I'm at it, I can work out or exercise in ways that don't directly contribute towards that exam if they are particularly worthwhile anyway. Here are my thoughts:
Running test: I just need to start with interval training, and use jogging as my sole preparation method for this. Today I was alternating between a brisk walk at 4 mi/h (2 minutes) and a jog at 5 mi/h (1 minute) for 15 minutes, and that seemed like a good starting point for me. My goal is to decrease the amount of walking while increasing the amount and eventually speed of jogging.
Pushup test: I mainly need to practice doing pushups on my own, however general muscle strengthening throughout the whole body will make it easier to maintain proper pushup form.
Situp test: I mainly need to practice doing situps although anything that works the lower torso is helpful
What advice do you gurus have? My starting numbers for continuous pushups and situps are like 5 and 15 respectively lol
Passing is for suckers. Shoot for maximum.
~9:00 1.5 mile is about 10mph pace, or about 90 seconds per lap. What is the fastest you can run a lap in? Walk/jog intervals are boring and won't get you nearly as much progress as sprint/run intervals. Technique work will also help a ton! (You can check out the running thread for more help on this part)
Benching and push ups will probably be the best way for the push up part, benching for more strength and mass and push ups for more endurance/core work.
Squats will build overall core and leg strength that will help with running/push ups/sit ups
A combination of things like weighted ab exercises, planks, etc. will be good for your sit up strength. sit ups themselves are actually fucking retarded and shouldn't be part of the test but oh well.
On June 06 2013 01:46 -VapidSlug- wrote: Simply doing pushups and situps will likely cause you to plateau and also bore you to death.
How soon would you expect me to plateau, compared to those fitness guidelines I linked? Whether or not it bores me to death shouldn't be a problem once I have a very good reason for needing to improve my performance (which may be confirmed soon).
So if you don't want to spend the cash on something like Insanity or any gym equipment whatsoever, a variety of bodyweight and plank exercises will go a LONG way. If you have trouble with chin-ups, just do as much as you can then hang on the bar in the highest position you can reach until you involuntarily fall to the starting position--then repeat. The same can be done with pushup plank-holds (pushups until you can not complete any more then hold the plank until you fall).
I have access to a gym for the summer. It has most of the typical equipment, plus free-weights etc. The problem is I'm going alone and don't know how to do any of the stuff that requires teaching/showing. I know how to use most of the basic devices (the ones where you move the pin to select weight) and the treadmill (although once I get a little better I will do my nice-weather running outdoors) but don't feel comfortable benching or doing free-weight exercises. I would rather not spend for training, and the only friends I have who are into fitness don't live near me.
On June 06 2013 01:48 decafchicken wrote: Passing is for suckers. Shoot for maximum.
Nothing wrong with that, but my initial goal is to pass, as that is what I must do by a certain date. The better shape I am in however, the better. Still, even just passing that exam requires a fitness level beyond what I have achieved before.
~9:00 1.5 mile is about 10mph pace, or about 90 seconds per lap. What is the fastest you can run a lap in? Walk/jog intervals are boring and won't get you nearly as much progress as sprint/run intervals.
I'm going to do walk/jog intervals for a little while and then work up because I don't want to overdo it initially. If I overdo it I'll probably just vomit all over the floor lol. When you say lap time do you mean quarter mile time?
Technique work will also help a ton! (You can check out the running thread for more help on this part)
I will. I've read some of the tips in a thread someone linked and I'm focusing for now on making sure my feet aren't 'thumping' into the floor when I jog. I figure the lighter my steps are the better. Another thing I will try is to keep my head stationary, although that one is a bit harder to manage without a video camera, probably.
Benching and push ups will probably be the best way for the push up part, benching for more strength and mass and push ups for more endurance/core work.
Does benching require a spotter? Also, how do you make sure you are doing your pushups correctly? I find occasionally someone can see me doing them and complains my body isn't straight but I can never tell lol
Squats will build overall core and leg strength that will help with running/push ups/sit ups
This is something I will need to learn before I do it
A combination of things like weighted ab exercises, planks, etc. will be good for your sit up strength. sit ups themselves are actually fucking retarded and shouldn't be part of the test but oh well.
According to what I read the form involves keeping your arms in front of your chest and only raising until your elbows touch the thighs, so at least you aren't going all the way up, which I understand is a waste. A trainer I was talking to told me when doing sit-ups to make sure the lumbar stays flat on the floor.
not sure if weights will be better than doing the actual exercise, but they'll certainly help
benching doesn't require a spotter if you have a general idea of what you're doing, just don't start too heavy. if you can't do a rep set the weights on your chest and ask for help afaik the best non-weighted ab workouts are knee ups and l sits
On June 06 2013 01:46 -VapidSlug- wrote: Simply doing pushups and situps will likely cause you to plateau and also bore you to death.
How soon would you expect me to plateau, compared to those fitness guidelines I linked? Whether or not it bores me to death shouldn't be a problem once I have a very good reason for needing to improve my performance (which may be confirmed soon).
So if you don't want to spend the cash on something like Insanity or any gym equipment whatsoever, a variety of bodyweight and plank exercises will go a LONG way. If you have trouble with chin-ups, just do as much as you can then hang on the bar in the highest position you can reach until you involuntarily fall to the starting position--then repeat. The same can be done with pushup plank-holds (pushups until you can not complete any more then hold the plank until you fall).
I have access to a gym for the summer. It has most of the typical equipment, plus free-weights etc. The problem is I'm going alone and don't know how to do any of the stuff that requires teaching/showing. I know how to use most of the basic devices (the ones where you move the pin to select weight) and the treadmill (although once I get a little better I will do my nice-weather running outdoors) but don't feel comfortable benching or doing free-weight exercises. I would rather not spend for training, and the only friends I have who are into fitness don't live near me.
On June 06 2013 01:48 decafchicken wrote: Passing is for suckers. Shoot for maximum.
Nothing wrong with that, but my initial goal is to pass, as that is what I must do by a certain date. The better shape I am in however, the better. Still, even just passing that exam requires a fitness level beyond what I have achieved before.
~9:00 1.5 mile is about 10mph pace, or about 90 seconds per lap. What is the fastest you can run a lap in? Walk/jog intervals are boring and won't get you nearly as much progress as sprint/run intervals.
I'm going to do walk/jog intervals for a little while and then work up because I don't want to overdo it initially. If I overdo it I'll probably just vomit all over the floor lol. When you say lap time do you mean quarter mile time?
Technique work will also help a ton! (You can check out the running thread for more help on this part)
I will. I've read some of the tips in a thread someone linked and I'm focusing for now on making sure my feet aren't 'thumping' into the floor when I jog. I figure the lighter my steps are the better. Another thing I will try is to keep my head stationary, although that one is a bit harder to manage without a video camera, probably.
Benching and push ups will probably be the best way for the push up part, benching for more strength and mass and push ups for more endurance/core work.
Does benching require a spotter? Also, how do you make sure you are doing your pushups correctly? I find occasionally someone can see me doing them and complains my body isn't straight but I can never tell lol
A combination of things like weighted ab exercises, planks, etc. will be good for your sit up strength. sit ups themselves are actually fucking retarded and shouldn't be part of the test but oh well.
According to what I read the form involves keeping your arms in front of your chest and only raising until your elbows touch the thighs, so at least you aren't going all the way up, which I understand is a waste. A trainer I was talking to told me when doing sit-ups to make sure the lumbar stays flat on the floor.
What are the best ways to work out your abs?
Free weight exercises aren't overly difficult and there is a boatload of information to help you. Stay away from the machines, they're fairly useless
If you're shooting for the highest standards numbers you will be able to murder the passing requirements
Yeah by lap i mean 1/4 mile. And don't be afraid of 'overdoing' it. It's very unlike you're going to get any overtraining/stress (unless you dive in to running a 5k from walking for 10minutes) injuries so push yourself a bit (or a lot), even if that means vomiting everywhere.
No benching doesnt usually require a spotter. Start off light and progress your way up and you shouldn't have any problems.
Squats aren't hard and they're great for you. Put a bar bell on your back, keep your back tight, squat down as low as you can and stand back up.
There's an endless amount of youtube videos, articles, and programs (many of which are in the stickies) on the web you can find to learn about these things. Do you have a crossfit by you? Honestly doing that for a bit would meet all your goals and help you a lot.
On June 06 2013 03:33 decafchicken wrote: Free weight exercises aren't overly difficult and there is a boatload of information to help you. Stay away from the machines, they're fairly useless
Can you elaborate on why this is?
If you're shooting for the highest standards numbers you will be able to murder the passing requirements
This mindset does not work for everyone. Regardless, I do think being at or near the top of that chart would be a huge advantage, anyway.
Yeah by lap i mean 1/4 mile. And don't be afraid of 'overdoing' it. It's very unlike you're going to get any overtraining/stress (unless you dive in to running a 5k from walking for 10minutes) injuries so push yourself a bit (or a lot), even if that means vomiting everywhere.
After doing the 15 minute jog/walk today I just was noticing my right knee is bothering me a bit (below the kneecap) when I move the leg in certain ways, so you can keep your advice not to worry about it lol
I also don't share your values where you feel 'vomiting everywhere' is okay.
No benching doesnt usually require a spotter. Start off light and progress your way up and you shouldn't have any problems.
Okay.
Squats aren't hard and they're great for you. Put a bar bell on your back, keep your back tight, squat down as low as you can and stand back up.
Okay.
There's an endless amount of youtube videos, articles, and programs (many of which are in the stickies) on the web you can find to learn about these things. Do you have a crossfit by you? Honestly doing that for a bit would meet all your goals and help you a lot.
What is crossfit... do you mean this? If so, I can't figure out how to use their website to search for a location near you, so I have no idea.
Machines are good at isolating and stimulating the major muscle groups like pecs or delts but often fail to do anything for smaller muscle groups like rotor cuffs. Bodyweight exercises require a degree of balance and stabilisation which these muscles provide.
Yeah machines don't really replicate any sort of practical movement and don't require you to use any stabilization muscles. They're pretty much just for body builders, re-hab, and some other specific things.
As for your knee, it's probably a very light case of patella tendonitis (maybe) or just tight IT Bands. This is where things like recovery become very important. You're going to want to make sure you're doing things like mobility work, stretching, foam rolling, taking fish oil (or just in general a diet high in omega-3s), and resting properly.
Haha and yeah obviously you don't want to throw up while you're working out, but I was just trying to emphasize the fact that you're capable of a)doing more than you think you can and b) can make phenomenal gains as a beginner if you put in a bit of work.
On June 06 2013 01:11 micronesia wrote: It's not definite, but I may need to be able to pass this fitness test in a few months, and so I am starting to prepare now. While I'm at it, I can work out or exercise in ways that don't directly contribute towards that exam if they are particularly worthwhile anyway. Here are my thoughts:
Running test: I just need to start with interval training, and use jogging as my sole preparation method for this. Today I was alternating between a brisk walk at 4 mi/h (2 minutes) and a jog at 5 mi/h (1 minute) for 15 minutes, and that seemed like a good starting point for me. My goal is to decrease the amount of walking while increasing the amount and eventually speed of jogging.
Pushup test: I mainly need to practice doing pushups on my own, however general muscle strengthening throughout the whole body will make it easier to maintain proper pushup form.
Situp test: I mainly need to practice doing situps although anything that works the lower torso is helpful
What advice do you gurus have? My starting numbers for continuous pushups and situps are like 5 and 15 respectively lol
Getting up to 34 pushups should be no problem then, just do 3 sets to failure 3 days a week(even if you feel sore. No, especially when you feel sore!) Like monday, wednesday and friday, leaving 2 days of rest and that should be sufficient.
Curl ups can be trained the same way. 43 seems a lot at first but even without any training for years I can do 28 with good form.
Oh and about "plateauing" and that stuff. Certainly not that early. . . You can add weights or do similar excercises weighted but I am really sure it is not needed.
And don't care for Squats or any of that stuff yet. Your goals are 100% clear. If you need to do 34 pushups, just do as 3 sets of pushups untill failure. With a little discipline and the right food this is no problem at all. Nothing else is needed. Since you do have acces to a gym, you can use dumbells to get a little extra weight on your curl ups (holding them near the head, NOT JERKING ON YOUR HEAD OR RESTING THEM THERE!!!). I would only do this once a week though, Friday would be best.
I am no expert in running but 1.5 miles in 14 minutes seems really doable. But, don't overdo it at the beginning, don't go running everyday, rather add one additional day per week, starting with tuesday and thirsday, then add friday, monday and wednesday, leave the sunday for rest!
Most important is that you don't overdo it with the endurance excercises (you seem to understand that and that is really good). Otherwise you will lose motivation and feel really spent after a run, gaining only little more in terms of training than if you were keeping it slower.
Again: Don't waste your time on learning techniques that will not really contribute to your cause! Squats are pretty complex to do and you will only tire out your legs when leg strength is not really needed but it will cut into your running/swimming.
Invest into good running shoes asap! Read a bit about what makes a good running shoe first though And also: Endurance training requires you to ingest more protein than strength training. Make sure to get enough of that (1g/kg bodyweight should still suffice since you don't go super all-out) Also vitamins and all that other stuff is really important. Sleep enough! Really, sleeping 9hours instead of 7 can make a huge difference in progress.
Lastly, don't be satisfied with meeting your goals, you want to be able to do it no matter what, to be able to do 34 pushups in a test situation with possibly bad sleep beforehand, you want to be able to do 40 or more at home.
On June 06 2013 02:22 micronesia wrote: How soon would you expect me to plateau, compared to those fitness guidelines I linked? Whether or not it bores me to death shouldn't be a problem once I have a very good reason for needing to improve my performance (which may be confirmed soon).
Actually it is very important to consider whether or not it bores you because that has everything to do with adherence. If you are bored, you lose every reason for exercise other than the need to improve. If you then plateau, you have lost the improvement which was the only motivation you had left.
I would say push aside those fitness goals for awhile. You need to focus on short term goals while keeping the long term on the backburner. Short term in your case would be developing an exercise program that you can use for (x) days per week; your goal is to meet your exercise frequency and duration.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is they do not keep track of everything they do. You absolutely NEED to keep a journal of some type. If you follow a routine like I posted earlier, I would suggest sitting down with excel, listing each exercise in a row with a goal time and no rest until the routine is complete. In the columns list the days of the week you want to complete the routine. Fill the chart by either writing in the number of well-performed reps completed in the allotted time or the estimated % of the time you were able to perform the exercise. It would be awesome if you alternated days of the routine I listed with weight days (whether you choose machine, free-weight, or bands).
On June 06 2013 02:22 micronesia wrote: I have access to a gym for the summer. It has most of the typical equipment, plus free-weights etc. The problem is I'm going alone and don't know how to do any of the stuff that requires teaching/showing. I know how to use most of the basic devices (the ones where you move the pin to select weight) and the treadmill (although once I get a little better I will do my nice-weather running outdoors) but don't feel comfortable benching or doing free-weight exercises. I would rather not spend for training, and the only friends I have who are into fitness don't live near me.
It would be sooo much easier if you could find someone to do this with you. Unfortunately, this is really difficult especially if you have no fitness-oriented friends nearby. I completely understand. The exercises you listed (weights and whatnot) are very difficult for a beginner to do in a gym because you are likely uncomfortable with all the advanced people doing crazy stuff around you. You don't want to look "noob." The good thing is: benching a barbell is one of the most worthless exercises a person can do. I really do not know why it is used for bragging rights. Forget about barbells. There goes one uncomfortable thing.
That being said, you really should work on dumbbell exercises. If you have to, you could buy a small (5-10lb) pair of dumbbells and practice technique in a mirror at home. Don't be embarrassed doing this. I know D1 football players at my Alma mater practice complicated exercises like power cleans with a BROOMSTICK for days before they are even allowed to touch weights. Dumbbell technique and routines can be found all over youtube They are superior to barbells in every single way because they force you to use reasonable weight. They require each arm to stabilize and balance a weight. Barbell exercises don't require this level of stability and can therefor over-train large muscle groups while leaving the smaller ones ready for injury.
Awesome Dumbell routine to do until you drop:
Edit: do not go as deep into the squat as this guy sometimes does. Never bend your knees past 90 degrees and never let your knee go beyond (in front of) your toes.
A good set of other dumbbell moves:
(I am a sucker for the Asylum series)
On June 06 2013 02:22 micronesia wrote:Does benching require a spotter? Also, how do you make sure you are doing your pushups correctly? I find occasionally someone can see me doing them and complains my body isn't straight but I can never tell lol
You should have a spotter if you are doing barbell presses, but you do not need one for dumbbells because you can just drop them to the side of you tweak something. Do your pushups in a mirror to watch yourself, or otherwise with a side-view camera. We are all surprised at what we actually look like so don't hesitate to look at your own form and make sure it is correct. If you have a USB webcam it is easy to set it as a side-view while you watch your form live on a laptop.
On June 06 2013 02:22 micronesia wrote:What are the best ways to work out your abs?
That first vid I linked will do an excellent job of burning up your abs, obliques, and hip flexors. If your goal is to do a large number of situps, you actually need to work more on hip flexors than abs--but abs are still obviously required. Doing purely situps is very risky because they are very hard on your lower back. The army is actually looking to retire situps from the fit test (if they haven't done so already).
On June 06 2013 03:33 decafchicken wrote: Free weight exercises aren't overly difficult and there is a boatload of information to help you. Stay away from the machines, they're fairly useless
Can you elaborate on why this is?
Machines generally give movement along 1 plane and absolutely eliminate your body's ability to stabilize itself. The strength gains they give you are of little functional use as you must be strong enough to stabilize yourself when performing a free movement. In general: Dumbbells/sometimes bands>>>>barbells>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>machines Machines can also greatly increase your chances of injury when you train on them and follow it with a maximal free-movement effort such as your fitness test.
rEalGuapo has a lot of good advice in that post. Don't waste your time learning complicated things like power cleans/barbell squats. You are looking for functional strength, so build that strength by doing realistic moves. The vids I posted contain moves that give you a good degree of "wiggle-room" with form so they can be completed by about anyone.
I think what I need is a personal advocate to go through all of the advice in this thread and put it into a training program for me. Trying to make sense of this all is a bit overwhelming. Do this. Wait don't do this. Also do this. Wait don't do this if you are doing that.
More and more I feel like getting into fitness without a personal trainer is a huge mistake unless you are willing to pour your heart and soul into researching every aspect of it, and that's absolutely horrible from a perspective of trying to get people to be more fit.
No offense but this thread makes me want to say 'fuck it', order 2 pizzas, and watch movies all day.
I just want a simple plan that will be effective, doesn't cost more money, and matches me. My mind can't keep up with everything you are all telling me.
I do appreciate the responses though (considering I did ask for them), but this really turns me off to fitness ironically.
@realguapo - Squats will strengthen his entire core, legs, glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors ALL of which will help him in everything he has to perform.
@vapidslug most of your advice is fine but
Edit: do not go as deep into the squat as this guy sometimes does. Never bend your knees past 90 degrees and never let your knee go beyond (in front of) your toes.
Is flat-out incorrect. All the pressure from your posterior chain is on the front of your knee UNTIL you go below 90 degrees at which point the stress is relieved. Also your toes going past your knees is completely fine and it's important to work on your knee and ankle flexibility to achieve this. For example:
Also, I dont know where your disdain for barbells came from but they are absolutely phenomenal for building a muscle and core strength that will benefit anyone. I would normally agree that benching is fairly useless but it will provide muscle and strength that will make the push up part of his test easier. Dumbells are also good and do help build stabilizers but i would not say they blow barbells out of the water.
There is no reason to avoid working on Squats/powercleans because they are "complicated" (they're really not). They are simple and functional movements that are impossible to hurt yourself if you start with an empty barbell and work on technique as you slowly add weight.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/MYa0HFO.jpg)
