Startig to think Im over doing it...strength training..

[sideways]

After leg day taking the stairs should hurt.

 

[c.t.smith]

B.S. or you have the genetics of a gray back and you should have made a life of winning Mr. olympia. Imho I think most people tend to over-complicate strength training. In reality, all you need is a bar/plates, a bench, and a squat rack with a pull-up station. If you go to a real hardcore gym you won't see all those fancy smanchy machines. The biggest, strongest dudes just use the basics and the basic movements. If you want to gain pure strength and size most people benefit from heavy low reps with a 2 to 5 minute rest between sets. You also need to eat like a pig. Not crap food, lots of protein. On the other hand if you want decent size and endurance go lighter with higher reps and less rest. Still eat well just not as much. I'm no expert, I have just used common sense and read quit a few books. I admire all those who put forth the effort and take the time to workout.

Well in true internet fashion someone knows my life better then i do. LOL
But the rest of your statement is correct.
All i used was free weights and heavy low reps and i got big.

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

I was in the same position as you. Then one day i realized my muscle was getting in the way of my day to day life. My arms where to big to put a piece of pipe on my shoulder to carry it(construction worker). So i stopped the gym and hit the pool. Never felt better

Couple of big guys I worked with at the slaughterhouse were like that, I was always putting little pieces of fat on their shoulders and everyone would laugh as they had to body contort or shimmy their shoulders to get it off....not so easy when the warm fat sticks to the smock!@

 

[sykes3170]

Well in true internet fashion someone knows my life better then i do. LOL
But the rest of your statement is correct.
All i used was free weights and heavy low reps and i got big.

Post a picture of your arms. You very well could have incredible genetics, but a lot of people like to make statements on the Internet they can't back up.

 

[gadgetgeek]

I know very little about building muscle, since that's not a thing my body does much of. But a couple of thoughts. Over-doing your major muscle groups without also working on the minors and flexors is a great way to damage joints. Machines are worse for that than free, so you are probably on the right track, but keep it in mind. Personally I think that the crossfit fad does more harm than good. you would be far better off doing some careful N=1 research and figuring out what works best for you.
Heaps of protein, especially refined protein is hard on the kidneys. Be very cautious with your supplements and vitamins. It is very easy to go way over on some of them, plus since the regulations are not there, be very, very, very careful and do your research on what you take. Some of the crap out there is downright scary with how bad it can be for some folks. No one should be giving you diet advice unless they are looking at blood results.
And are you looking for short term gains at the cost of long term damage. This is an anecdote, but I find it a telling one. You can always spot the cross-fitters at a spartan event. They look great, but by the last half they are struggling as bad or worse than the average dudes who just walked up. Now maybe thats because of the mindset of the people who do crossfit, but its enough to make one wonder, especially how vocal they tend to be about how great it is. I suspect there will be some very busted up folks in about 10 years when the mileage catches up to them.

 

[bored2deth]

I know very little about building muscle, since that's not a thing my body does much of. But a couple of thoughts. Over-doing your major muscle groups without also working on the minors and flexors is a great way to damage joints. Machines are worse for that than free, so you are probably on the right track, but keep it in mind. Personally I think that the crossfit fad does more harm than good. you would be far better off doing some careful N=1 research and figuring out what works best for you.
Heaps of protein, especially refined protein is hard on the kidneys. Be very cautious with your supplements and vitamins. It is very easy to go way over on some of them, plus since the regulations are not there, be very, very, very careful and do your research on what you take. Some of the crap out there is downright scary with how bad it can be for some folks. No one should be giving you diet advice unless they are looking at blood results.
And are you looking for short term gains at the cost of long term damage. This is an anecdote, but I find it a telling one. You can always spot the cross-fitters at a spartan event. They look great, but by the last half they are struggling as bad or worse than the average dudes who just walked up. Now maybe thats because of the mindset of the people who do crossfit, but its enough to make one wonder, especially how vocal they tend to be about how great it is. I suspect there will be some very busted up folks in about 10 years when the mileage catches up to them.

Used to train 8hrs a day before I screwed up my knee. Lol..yes, the mileage wil catch up. Also the slim-fast/protein shake smoothies were disgusting!

 

[sideways]

Used to train 8hrs a day before I screwed up my knee. Lol..yes, the mileage wil catch up.

8 hours a day? How the, what the, who the; WHAT?

You can't do physical training for 8 hours a day. Michael Phelps only trains for 6 and has to eat 8000-10000 calories a day to keep up with the energy drain.

 

[bored2deth]

(I need to learn to be more specific and to elaborate). Yeah, 8hrs. 1.5 hrs martial arts(used this for aerobic training, stretching, and warm up), 1.5-2 hr weight lifting(and push ups, sit ups, and warm up), 1 hr throwing, 1 hr target practice, 2 hrs studies on topics above and survival training studies, plus an hr of walking. Studies included lifting form, diet, wild edible/medicinal plants, first aid, animal behaviour/habits/tracks, mtn/woodland and urban survival skills, knots, etc. The physical training wore me down to the point where I was constantly tired and irratible, the studies bored me but ingrained the skills into my memory. Training was done over the course of a day, with weights and pushups typically at 3 or 4 am. Wasnt working much at the time, so it kept me busy. In a sense it was the most horrible time in my life, it helped me to cope with loses in my family and a bunch of other mess. I ended up not being able to handle solid food due to consuming only whey protein shakes, multi vitamins, and slim fast for several months...which was awful.

Also, gotta factor in 1-2 min breaks between sets, etc. Plus, having had only two hawks, spent more time walking to and from target than throwing. Using free weights, with only a pair of plate-loader dumbells and one plate-loader barbell, changing the weights also slowed it down a LOT. I train at home, instead of a gym, so...its kinda slow...changing plates is a pain. Also, I considered study of weight lifting form as important as the act of lifting in itself, and so made effort to study it at night with other studies. To train the body, you also have to train the mind. . After i busted my knee and ankle..it wasnt quite the same, and so I focused on maintaining rather than growing.

 

[c.t.smith]

Post a picture of your arms. You very well could have incredible genetics, but a lot of people like to make statements on the Internet they can't back up.

Hahahaha LOL

I have no reason to lie about my arms to anybody. And I'm sorry to say this was years ago and i have shrunk down to my non HULK self.Sorry to disappoint your gonna have to take my word for it LOL. PS i can also shoot my cooey .22 single shot that my grandpa kept in the barn for 60 years into the eye of a mouse at 1500 yards.

 

[c.t.smith]

Post a picture of your arms. You very well could have incredible genetics, but a lot of people like to make statements on the Internet they can't back up.

Hahahaha LOL

I have no reason to lie about my arms to anybody. And I'm sorry to say this was years ago and i have shrunk down to my non HULK self.Sorry to disappoint your gonna have to take my word for it LOL. PS i can also shoot my cooey .22 single shot that my grandpa kept in the barn for 60 years into the eye of a mouse at 1500 yards.

 

[mtwarden]

I like the looks of the 5x5 workout, all compound exercises- nice and simple

currently I'm lifting twice a week (running four times a week), I normally bench 4 sets for 8-10 reps, squats same, pullups four sets as well (I think this is a really good exercise!), four sets of core exercises- rotating from one to the other w/o rest, after a full round take a short break and repeat three more times

I'll throw in a couple sets of dumbbell overhead presses, curls and dips to finish

I've been doing this for a couple of years, so I'm in need of a change up- 5x5 looks like a good way to go

 

[sykes3170]

I like the looks of the 5x5 workout, all compound exercises- nice and simple

currently I'm lifting twice a week (running four times a week), I normally bench 4 sets for 8-10 reps, squats same, pullups four sets as well (I think this is a really good exercise!), four sets of core exercises- rotating from one to the other w/o rest, after a full round take a short break and repeat three more times

I'll throw in a couple sets of dumbbell overhead presses, curls and dips to finish

I've been doing this for a couple of years, so I'm in need of a change up- 5x5 looks like a good way to go

If you want to bulk-up and get a lot stronger stop most of the running and aerobic activity. Also be careful with the five by five and doing other exercise. You will easily over train and actually lose strength and size and also have higher risk of injury. A lot will depend on your age, your genetics, and what you are looking to get out of it. Remember that it is better to under train than over train. Bill starr wrote a book called called " the strongest shall survive". It's a great book and you can find info on the internet about him and his book. Good luck!

 

[sykes3170]

Hahahaha LOL

I have no reason to lie about my arms to anybody. And I'm sorry to say this was years ago and i have shrunk down to my non HULK self.Sorry to disappoint your gonna have to take my word for it LOL. PS i can also shoot my cooey .22 single shot that my grandpa kept in the barn for 60 years into the eye of a mouse at 1500 yards.

It's all good. I was just making a point that people talk a lot on the web. I have no reason to doubt, but it would be cool to see some picks of you back in the day.

 

[mtwarden]

not wanting to bulk up, been there, done that trail running is my passion, strength training helps my running

 

[James black]

Try changing up your routine every few weeks- vary the sets, reps, rest periods etc...
Make sure your diet is spot on - nutrition is IMPORTANT !
Throw some benching in there too, mix it in with the military presses, shoulder work
Most important and BEST lift- SQUAT !

Don't know your age, health status, prior experience etc... so these are just basic generalities friend

It's been debated if over training is possible - Brian Schwab a world champ power lifter doesn't believe in over training, thinks other issues are involved, google him for good info, he interacts with Westside barbell a lot, he is from Florida

 

[mtwarden]

I like the looks of the 5x5 workout, all compound exercises- nice and simple

currently I'm lifting twice a week (running four times a week), I normally bench 4 sets for 8-10 reps, squats same, pullups four sets as well (I think this is a really good exercise!), four sets of core exercises- rotating from one to the other w/o rest, after a full round take a short break and repeat three more times

I'll throw in a couple sets of dumbbell overhead presses, curls and dips to finish

I've been doing this for a couple of years, so I'm in need of a change up- 5x5 looks like a good way to go

I've been a couple of weeks into the 5x5 and like it, a lot. I started light as per their recommendation, but the weight is slowly going up. I'm using the version 1, that incorporates pulls/chins/dips

 

[Joe R.]

Ever think of totally changing things up? I've noticed that Indian clubs are getting more and more popular (old school training done swinging different sized clubs around). Doesn't only concentrate on strength but really helps with flexibility and mobility.


Since this is "The Great Outdoors" sub forum, the best workout I ever got was when our dad took us out to fell tress by axe, cut them down to length with a bow saw and split them by axe. Lets just say it helped us boys get rid of excess energy, learn a useful skill, and the importance of properly sharpening a saw and axe. Maybe there is a landowner that will let you prepare a few cords of firewood for him


You'll be less bored2deth than being stuck in a gym