*** The 2011 Gym Rats Thread ***

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Chaps, how is my current work out looking?

Bear in mind I'm 23stone (down from 26 since September :D)

Going to the gym 4 times a week, with a 40 minute brisk morning walk 5 days a week.

At the gym I combine cardio and weights, at this stage is that OK?

Obviously my main concern is weight loss but I want to avoid loose skin, and just get progressively fitter along the way.

Gym workout comprises of:

4x 12 sit ups.
3x 12 of single arm rows - 10kg.
3x 12 of lunges - 20kg
3x 12 lateral pull down (I don't know what the weight is, just says 12)
3x 12 (can only describe it as a sort of sitting down bench-press?) sorry I don't know the actual name!)
2x 500m row
10 minute cycle

Any extra help would be great as the more weight I lose, the more I want to refine my exercise.
 
Maxeh said:
Chaps, how is my current work out looking?

Bear in mind I'm 23stone (down from 26 since September :D)

Going to the gym 4 times a week, with a 40 minute brisk morning walk 5 days a week.

At the gym I combine cardio and weights, at this stage is that OK?

Obviously my main concern is weight loss but I want to avoid loose skin, and just get progressively fitter along the way.

Gym workout comprises of:

4x 12 sit ups.
3x 12 of single arm rows - 10kg.
3x 12 of lunges - 20kg
3x 12 lateral pull down (I don't know what the weight is, just says 12)
3x 12 (can only describe it as a sort of sitting down bench-press?) sorry I don't know the actual name!)
2x 500m row
10 minute cycle

Any extra help would be great as the more weight I lose, the more I want to refine my exercise.
Click to expand...

This gonna sound really cliched

you gym is inadequate get a new one

squat

deadlift

oh press

bench

youir program better than nothing but its awful.

sit ups wont help your belly.

[edit] But congrats on the weight loss m8, very good!!!!
 
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Maxeh said:
Chaps, how is my current work out looking?

Bear in mind I'm 23stone (down from 26 since September :D)

Going to the gym 4 times a week, with a 40 minute brisk morning walk 5 days a week.

At the gym I combine cardio and weights, at this stage is that OK?

Obviously my main concern is weight loss but I want to avoid loose skin, and just get progressively fitter along the way.

Gym workout comprises of:

4x 12 sit ups.
3x 12 of single arm rows - 10kg.
3x 12 of lunges - 20kg
3x 12 lateral pull down (I don't know what the weight is, just says 12)
3x 12 (can only describe it as a sort of sitting down bench-press?) sorry I don't know the actual name!)
2x 500m row
10 minute cycle

Any extra help would be great as the more weight I lose, the more I want to refine my exercise.
Click to expand...

take up swimming or jogging or skipping (much better than walking for weight loss), focus on isolated exercises, not compounds if you want to avoid loose skin, isolated is better for sculpting muscle, compound is for strength mainly.

diet is key though, post what you normally eat on a daily basis to be dissected, this is what will speed up your fat loss the most.

try and follow a proper routine from bodybuilding.com's routine search for isolated stuff
 
Jogging at 23stone? No ta. :p Unless you want knee replacement ops before you're 45 :p Defo look into swimming though.

As for recommending a load of stronglifts for someone who is primarily concerned about fat loss.. not everyone wants to get big UE. Many want to get small :p
 
Dj_Jestar said:
Jogging at 23stone? No ta. :p Unless you want knee replacement ops before you're 45 :p Defo look into swimming though.

As for recommending a load of stronglifts for someone who is primarily concerned about fat loss.. not everyone wants to get big UE. Many want to get small :p
Click to expand...

jogging at any weight is fine so long as your technique is fine.

thats where the problem is and the bigger the weight the more the problem is enhanced.

there are plenty of 18 stone boxers who jog on a daily basis, etc. the technique has to be right though so the impact is absorbed at the foot mainly and not at the knee.
 
Jogging is a bit of an issue for me but I do bursts of it during my walk.

I got some proper running shoes which made the world of difference.

Swimming I'm a bit self-conscious about but something I used to really enjoy so it's something I want to do when I get a bit more weight off.

Diet wise, I'm diabetic so heres a usual day for me:

Breakfast : 2 egg omelette with turkey

Lunch : Home made soup/dahl with a whole meal roll

Dinner : Varies from grilled meat and veg to jacket potato with say beans or plain tuna.

Any snacks are coke zero or a snackojack.

That's a typical day for me.
 
semi-pro waster said:
It might be worth getting a gait analysis at a decent running shop if you're going to be running regularly but as Dj_Jestar says you're probably better off without shoes for much of stronglifts. Good running shoes and good shoes for weightlifting are mutually exclusive pretty much, what makes a shoe good for running is generally cushioning and flexibility which absolutely sucks for providing a good platform for weightlifting, what makes a good platform for weightlifting is inflexibility and minimal compression which sucks for running.
Click to expand...

Hmm, thanks.
Different shoes isn't really an option, my current routine is sort of 15 mins on the treadmill followed by the SL5x5 routine (then a cool down on the exercise bike). As it's only 15 mins running on a slightly cushioned machine, do you think something like the Vivo Barefoot shoes would be okay?

To be honest I've been using Nike court shuttle shoes at the gym and haven't been having any issues apart from them not wanting to run in a straight line.
 
mistercrabb said:
Hmm, thanks.
Different shoes isn't really an option, my current routine is sort of 15 mins on the treadmill followed by the SL5x5 routine (then a cool down on the exercise bike). As it's only 15 mins running on a slightly cushioned machine, do you think something like the Vivo Barefoot shoes would be okay?

To be honest I've been using Nike court shuttle shoes at the gym and haven't been having any issues apart from them not wanting to run in a straight line.
Click to expand...

I think I'd suggest simply getting a reasonable pair of running shoes and doing the weightlifting either barefoot or in your socks e.g. deadlifts/squats/overhead press etc - for exercises like bench press then you don't have to worry about your platform and the compression of the flexible soles quite so much so could wear your trainers again.

I've got no experience of the Vivo Barefoot shoes so won't offer an opinion on their suitability. It might be worth waiting to see if anyone else would concur with my advice as I'm far from an expert here.
 
It's at the point now where I see familiar faces at my gym every January. Same people coming back for new year's resolution. Same faces that I don't see in the gym come February. Same idiots on their mobile the entire time. Same people who walk around the gym floor for an hour, then actually say "Right, been here an hour, that'll do" and go home again without so much as a bead of sweat.

Such a stark contrast to training in the gym around Christmas.
 
Booked an hour with a trainer at the gym in a few days, any more ideas you lot can recommend on top of that?

Edit: see my posts up a bit for it to make a bit more sense.
 
Can't wait to get back in the gym, back in Bristol from tuesday but just checked the website and apparently the weights area is closed from the 2nd to 4th of Jan! My Christmas binge has just been extended a few days :/.

Extra annoying as I got a copy of the new 3rd edition of Starting Strength for christmas and it's getting me raring to go.
 
Maxeh said:
Booked an hour with a trainer at the gym in a few days, any more ideas you lot can recommend on top of that?

Edit: see my posts up a bit for it to make a bit more sense.
Click to expand...

What do you want help with?
Booking a session with a trainer is good (as long as they know what they are doing), however, one session won't be enough. Tell them you want to learn rather than workout (unless you can afford to just keep getting a personal trainer). If they teach you the basics, you can go on your way and do it yourself, then do some research or ask on here and build from that.
Just think, while your working out, you want to keep your heart rate elevated, constantly keep moving :)
 
I think my work-out needs revamping so I will see what she says.

Ideally I would like a set routine that I can just go down and get on with myself and keep the other exercise outside of the gym going too.

Ultimately I need to shift lots more weight and attempt to discourage flabby skin left over.

Then when I am in a position to, I can work on my ideal figure and most importantly start enjoying sport again.
 
I must get a picture up - But I have very visable obliques, but no abs that i can see.

A few months ago I have a bf% of under 10%.

Would it be fair to say I just dont have big enough muscles, or do I still have a layer of fat over them?
 
I'm decisively fat again after the last few months. Gave up smoking in the summer, have only just recovered from a shoulder injury, and to top it off I am in possibly the most broken family in all of Britain, which has meant I have endured not 1, not 2, not even 3, but FOUR Christmas dinners.

I think I've also eaten my own body weight in crappy snacks this last week too.

Complete rough guess, but my BF is probably close to 25% atm :o
 
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