GordyR's Beginners Guide to Bodybuilding

Am I write in thinking that situps or rather crunches don't do anything unless you have some resistance on like a weight? I realise the ways to a flatter tummy is to lose the fat by working out etc but just wanted to know whether only crunches tighten the ab area or have no affect
 
manoz said:
Am I write in thinking that situps or rather crunches don't do anything unless you have some resistance on like a weight? I realise the ways to a flatter tummy is to lose the fat by working out etc but just wanted to know whether only crunches tighten the ab area or have no affect
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I'd suppose it rather depends on what you are aiming for and what level of fitness/ability you are starting from. If you are solely going to do situps and nothing else for fitness then I'd suggest you are probably wasting your time. If you are going to take bodybuilding seriously then you might not even need to do anything much specifically for your abs because the big compound exercises work your core very effectively.

What sort of equipment do you have access to?
 
manoz said:
Am I write in thinking that situps or rather crunches don't do anything unless you have some resistance on like a weight? I realise the ways to a flatter tummy is to lose the fat by working out etc but just wanted to know whether only crunches tighten the ab area or have no affect
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depends m8, size comes from increasing resistance so that reps are kept within a certain range. Doing hundreds of sit ups wont give you monster abs no, but it DOES burn calories which loses fat which enhances your abs.
 
semi-pro waster said:
I'd suppose it rather depends on what you are aiming for and what level of fitness/ability you are starting from. If you are solely going to do situps and nothing else for fitness then I'd suggest you are probably wasting your time. If you are going to take bodybuilding seriously then you might not even need to do anything much specifically for your abs because the big compound exercises work your core very effectively.

What sort of equipment do you have access to?
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I should point out that that I'm not actually bodybuilding. (soz to post in the thread). I've joined the uni to do cardio for the first semester or so to get my fitness levels up and weight down, doing 45mins spinning class nearly everyday as well as usual running, rowing and cycling on a push bike, we have access to resistance machines(inc. crunching) and free weights but I don't really intend to touch them till next semester or when I'm satisfied with overall fitness.

Ultra_Extreme said:
depends m8, size comes from increasing resistance so that reps are kept within a certain range. Doing hundreds of sit ups wont give you monster abs no, but it DOES burn calories which loses fat which enhances your abs.
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For some reason this last bit did not occur to me at all lol. Suppose I should just keep doing normal crunches before I go to bed etc and when it comes to it hold onto a weight when doing them
 
^Why avoid doing weights until your "satisfied" with your fitness. You might as well get your muscles adapted to using them and they will promote growth. When I was unfit and had the beer belly etc I still did them and it's done nothing but benefit me.
 
so it's best to do cardio every other day with weights filling in, or is it still can I still do cardio everyday with weights every other?
 
Back up to 8 reps at 300lbs for my squats tonight on the 5th set. Very happy, almost back to where I've been now. Gaining mass like crazy, very happy with the overal appearance right now.

Obviously I'm going to Newquay this wkend for a mates birthday so I'll be trollied but who cares? I can't wait and I'm going to enjoy myself.

A quick update from the Styles, hope all's well with the regulars and everyone else here.
 
manoz said:
Jeez man that is more then 2 of me:eek:
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lightweight, wooo, yeah baby woooo
/ronnie

dont be too phased by the weights some people can do, if you want to do it, you could equally push / pull similar weights (based on %age of your own weight). :]

good work Styles :]
 
Nice Styles!

I know where he's coming from though, I doubt i'll ever get to the point of squatting 180KG for 8reps because i'm tiny ;D
 
Just looked at that site and it says that you should avoid sugar-rich foods upto 60 minutes before exercise. So does this mean that I should have my pre-gym banana quite a while before going to the gym? I normally grab one around 15 mins before I start exercise.

I do often tend to get a case of the yawns at the gym, although the effect usually wears off after 30 mins. I'm guessing I need to eat more complex carbs during the afternoon to build up an energy reserve.
 
Raider said:
Just looked at that site and it says that you should avoid sugar-rich foods upto 60 minutes before exercise. So does this mean that I should have my pre-gym banana quite a while before going to the gym? I normally grab one around 15 mins before I start exercise.

I do often tend to get a case of the yawns at the gym, although the effect usually wears off after 30 mins. I'm guessing I need to eat more complex carbs during the afternoon to build up an energy reserve.
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theres nothing wrong with bananas pre workout, preferably an unripe one though

as for timings of last meal, it really depends on the person, some people swear by a whey/oat shake 5 mins before workout, some sip a shake during the workout, some have a meal 90 mins before a workout. i personally have a complex carb and protein meal 60 mins before the workout, which sometimes includes a banana, only time ive felt tired is when ive had a lack of sleep

what does your whole diet look like?
 
A2Z said:
what does your whole diet look like?
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You really don't want to know :p
I do tend to eat some crap during the day, so prepare to shout at me:

Breakfast - Raisin Wheats / Wheatabix, followed by banana at work
Lunch - Some kind of meat, potatoes / pasta, few boiled eggs too
Straight after lunch - sugar fix (chocolate / cake) and coffee
Mid-afternoon - Usually something like an oatey flapjack (I pretend it's protein) or a sandwich if I can be bothered to make one (rarely).
Pre-gym - Banana
Dinner - Fish / Steak / Chicken with noodles / potato etc..
Before bed - Cheese and biscuits / milk (I'm addicted to cheese)

The worst part of my diet is the snacking after lunch / afternoon. I'm going to switch back to making a meaty sandwich of some kind to avoid the useless sugar intake and boost my complex carb intake. Also I'm considering having a cooked breakfast a couple of mornings a week (just bacon and poached eggs).

A couple of years ago I started to use Protein Shakes, but within 2 months I got a kidney stone, and after analysis the Doctor said it was almost certainly due to the shakes. So I had to stop those. Now that i've resumed going to the gym I stick to natural foods. :)
 
Raider said:
A couple of years ago I started to use Protein Shakes, but within 2 months I got a kidney stone, and after analysis the Doctor said it was almost certainly due to the shakes. So I had to stop those.
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just how much were you taking? you would need to take a serious amount for it to start causing a problem.
 
Morba said:
just how much were you taking? you would need to take a serious amount for it to start causing a problem.
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Well one a day on non-training days, twice a day on training days.

Thing is, my Dad is susceptible to kidney stones, so I think it's a combination of family history and a massive increase in the amount of oxalates that I was consuming (compared to my regular pre-gym diet)

It might not have been so bad if I had the the shakes with water, but I think some of the stuff in the shakes themselves didn't help. Personally I don't want to take the risk and go through that again :p

Although on the upside I got some value out of my Bupa insurance with a free ultrasound and X-ray of me guts & kidneys :D
 
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