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Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#1: Nov 2nd 2010 at 7:45:16 AM

I figure since we'll occasionally have somebody asking for advice on how to get bigger, or what kinds of exercises they should do; we might as well make a place for topics like that. Have at it people.

So I'm trying to decide whether I want to supplement my strength-training days with some Crossfit, or If I should just replace them all together. Right now MWF are lift days and T/Th are for cardio; I'm trying to come up with a new schedule by the end of this week so I can get back to my usual pace.

Did I mention it's really effin cold in the mornings?

MadassAlex I am vexed! from the Middle Ages. Since: Jan, 2001
I am vexed!
#2: Nov 2nd 2010 at 7:51:25 AM

Dunno about answering your questions. I'm not exactly super-experienced myself.

I have a question of my own: if I want to bulk up a bit, is it more effective to increase the length and/or number of sets, or increase weight?

Right now, I mostly do weights via pushups and my dumbbells. I tend to do approximately "as much as I can", which usually entails two or three sets of: pushups, bicep curls, shoulder lifts (or whatever you call making the weigh parallel to your shoulders), this thing I discovered that works your shoulders and the muscles in your forearms and "Arnie lifts", which entails are semicircular lifting motion with the weights.

Swordsman TroperReclaiming The BladeWatch
Scrye Since: Jan, 2001
#3: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:03:28 AM

Both. But the key to bulking up is in variation. Or in my case, chaos. I gained much more size by essentially throwing out the idea of having a workout pattern. This eliminates muscle memory and completely fuck with your body. In turn, you grow bigger muscles. If you're going for strength, though, increase the weight.

"True story, I came when I read Scrye's story, and so did everyone within five miles." —OOZE
SenatorAwesomePants not a role-model from the Neuro Tower Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In bed with a green-skinned space babe
not a role-model
#4: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:04:52 AM

Kino: It sounds pretty good, but yeah supplementing with some short cardio things may help out. (If that's what you meant by that.)

—-

I'm restarting after a long break trying to get my diet under control and regain and injuries(all within the first couple weeks of starting to work out again and unrelated to exercise) and stuff. I'm thinking of starting up today with 30-45 minutes of Wii Fit and a 15 minute easyish cardio dance tape exercise. I eventually wish to get back to what I was doing in highschool. I was dancing at least an hour and a half everyday and many 2 or more(up to 4 hours). Modern dance, I also would like to start working again on some of the pieces I have been choreographing. I'm unsure about how slow to take it at first really. Any help with that would be good as I've always been the one to just try and jump back in at my old level(Dumb. But not what injured me). So yeah. Any ideas on that?

No.
MadassAlex I am vexed! from the Middle Ages. Since: Jan, 2001
Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#6: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:18:37 AM

@Madass Alex: Yeah, Scrye pretty much took what I was going to say. Just remember to include cardio and watch what you eat. It's kinda counter productive to your lifting if you're eating shit all day; cardio is going to help you burning fat.

Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#7: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:23:37 AM

@SAP: Did you mean add some cardio to the days that I'm doing Crossfit/lifting? because that's another thing I was looking into; something like breaking up each set with a sprint around the house or a shuttle run or something.

I'm not sure how long you've been out, but I say you should take it slow for now. Take some time; baby step it up, and eventually you'll get back to your usual tempo. Now I'll be the first to admit that I know nothing about modern dance; there's lots of flexibility and constant motion involved right? Doing that for 2 hours sounds pretty badass.

MadassAlex I am vexed! from the Middle Ages. Since: Jan, 2001
I am vexed!
#8: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:23:57 AM

I eat fairly healthily, luckily enough. Cardio is something I have to work on; did a lot of it when I had a gym membership, but it's sort of hard to do indoors. Luckily, I live in a fairly hilly suburb.

Swordsman TroperReclaiming The BladeWatch
Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#9: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:26:26 AM

Just get outside and run; it's free and as long as it's not raining or snowing kinda fun. Then again you could always go the strongman route and have lots of muscle underneath the fat. cool

SenatorAwesomePants not a role-model from the Neuro Tower Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In bed with a green-skinned space babe
not a role-model
#10: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:34:37 AM

Kino: Yeah. I've been out almost a year with various stuff going on(work was a huge factor until I lost my job. But then I'd injured my foot and shoulder but wrecking my car) but do ya think I could step it up slightly every week or two, and reach what I want to without straining old injuries?

Modern dance... is amazing, it's much more free of a form than ballet and other traditional ones. It's not totally constant movement when doing the work but near(short water or bathroom breaks, etc). And the first 30 minutes was always warm up and stretching with a lot of attention given to core. Which is good, because a lot of my work involves a lot of isolations while dancing and such. And when I was dancing up to 4 hours a day(Nutcracker(modern dance version) rehearsals... that was just the most amazing thing ever.

Fun fact, I can't do the splits. I can, however, touch my head to the floor with my stomach like a table and my hands next to my head while on my knees. My back flexibility allowed me to get around a lot of the leg flexibility things I couldn't do in ballet by allowing me to easier fake it or find ways around.(Also, I need some dancers. Some of my pieces need more than one!)

Edit: And it's good for my cardio, because I cannot run anymore. Not without a knee and ankle brace! Soccer and dance and weight machine breaking on me injuries. I was impatient didn't let them heal right. shrug Foolish days of highschool. And they're all on the same leg too.[lol]

I envy those who can run! (knee and ankle brace only help so much)

edited 2nd Nov '10 8:38:41 AM by SenatorAwesomePants

No.
MadassAlex I am vexed! from the Middle Ages. Since: Jan, 2001
I am vexed!
#11: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:42:22 AM

^^ Well, I have a pretty nuts metabolism anyway. Always been super-skinny.

Swordsman TroperReclaiming The BladeWatch
SenatorAwesomePants not a role-model from the Neuro Tower Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In bed with a green-skinned space babe
not a role-model
#12: Nov 2nd 2010 at 8:51:35 AM

This guy has a pretty good playlist of modern dance techniques/pieces(more pieces), but it can vary a lot and new techniques can be made and others mixed together.

Madass: That runs in my family until around 30. [lol] I weighed less when I was eating a bunch and doing actual exercise than now, and even when I weighed more it looked like I weighed less. Because I'm soft now.

No.
Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#13: Nov 2nd 2010 at 9:15:51 AM

@SAP: Assuming you weren't out for a year because of an injury; you've got the right idea about increasing in increments. I do something similar when I lift; still trying if I'm getting stronger or just making myself do more work.

If you feel like you can't do anymore just take a break; no need to kill yourself from the get go. I tend to keep a log so I can chart how far i've come and all the walls i've hit. It also doubles as a little motivator.

SenatorAwesomePants not a role-model from the Neuro Tower Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In bed with a green-skinned space babe
not a role-model
#14: Nov 2nd 2010 at 9:43:55 AM

Kino: That's actually part of the reason I'm using the wii fit to supplement, it'll at least keep track of warm up and cool down time. And it'll track most of it for me in the beginning stages.

And no, it wasn't all because of an injury. It just happened that when I had time I'd start and then, you know, wreck my car, step on a guitar hero controller and have to stay off my foot or get the flu. But spring semester was fucking crazy! I mean it! Work and school and sickness and injuries and my headaches(not to mention weighing 95-98 pounds most of February). Aiya! But if I restart and don't automatically injure myself in an unrelated thing again this should help my health too. I figured waiting until my weight stabilized some would help too.

No.
Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#15: Nov 2nd 2010 at 9:52:08 AM

Goddamn Guitar Hero; but hey, Thanksgiving is coming up, go deep=fry a turkey and have fun getting back to your weight. Then you can join the rest of us poor souls who have to go back to the gym and hate ourselves.surprised

SenatorAwesomePants not a role-model from the Neuro Tower Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In bed with a green-skinned space babe
not a role-model
#16: Nov 2nd 2010 at 9:58:35 AM

Oh god. No. No deep fried turkey. Turkey yes, deep fried no![lol]

I usually don't gain from Thanksgiving much if any. shrug I dunno, man.

No.
Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#17: Nov 2nd 2010 at 10:25:23 AM

No fried turkey? You're clearly a heathen ma'am.

I know what you mean, i've got a crazy metabolism; I end up eating ever few hours just to stay at my weight.

EldritchBlueRose The Puzzler from A Really Red Room Since: Apr, 2010
The Puzzler
#18: Nov 4th 2010 at 9:25:46 AM

Personally I want to do some cardiovascular exercise and I have my own reasons to do so,  *

but I just don't feel motivated to pry myself away from lounging around at home. What should I do to get myself to exercise?

Has ADD, plays World of Tanks, thinks up crazy ideas like children making spaceships for Hitler. Occasionally writes them down.
Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#19: Nov 4th 2010 at 9:38:55 AM

Find somebody who looks better than you, take a photo, enlarge it, then stick it on the ceiling above your bed. Every day you'll wake up and see that smug bastard and that should give you a reason to get out of bed and do work.

SenatorAwesomePants not a role-model from the Neuro Tower Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: In bed with a green-skinned space babe
not a role-model
#20: Nov 4th 2010 at 10:01:58 AM

Ok. Routine started. Twice a day if possible, before and after school!

No.
LolipodDistortion HIP HOP HIPSTER from Austin, Texas Since: Aug, 2010
HIP HOP HIPSTER
#21: Nov 4th 2010 at 10:06:01 AM

Anyone who can give me advice on increasing my swimming speed?

Underneath the bridge The tarp has sprung a leak And the animals I've trapped have all become my pets
TheGirlWithPointyEars Never Ask Me the Odds from Outer Space Since: Dec, 2009
Never Ask Me the Odds
#22: Nov 4th 2010 at 12:23:21 PM

This year, I've gone from very little exercise to really quite good shape and pretty powerful for my size and much slimmer. Mostly by being careful about what I eat and running. Currently alternating between ice skating and running.

While running, I've been doing appx. 30 mins. straight of 5.5mph, but I saw an article on interval training (alternating short segments of very high performance and cool-down) which indicated it was a really good and efficient way to train. Unfortunately, the study it described only used men, so I'm not sure how different it would be for me as a female. Tried it today alternating 1-min. intervals of 7 mph and 3 mph, and I'll see whether it gives me better results than what I have been doing.

edited 4th Nov '10 12:28:03 PM by TheGirlWithPointyEars

She of Short Stature & Impeccable Logic My Skating Liveblog
Blackmoon Your Worth is 50 Yen! from the Blind Eternities Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: Halfway to Pon Farr
Your Worth is 50 Yen!
#23: Nov 4th 2010 at 2:01:42 PM

I need to get a little more in shape. Wanna work off some of that pudge and maybe get some muscular definition in the abdominal area.

Thoughts?

月を見るたび思い出せ
Kino Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: Californicating
#24: Nov 4th 2010 at 2:04:25 PM

@Blackmoon: Watch your diet, drink lots of water, and do cardio; preferably running. As for ab-related exercises; you've got sit-ups, crunches, flutter kicks...all kinds of things that you'll hate when you do them. smile

LolipodDistortion HIP HOP HIPSTER from Austin, Texas Since: Aug, 2010
HIP HOP HIPSTER
#25: Nov 5th 2010 at 9:22:54 AM

I'm thinking of adding weight lifting to my normal workout. What's a good place to start?

Underneath the bridge The tarp has sprung a leak And the animals I've trapped have all become my pets

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