Weightlifters?
- Thread starter NickDavid
- Start date
TonyC
Active Member
I wouldn't consider myself a weightlifter anymore or gym rat, but I do go to the gym a few mornings during the week. My Goal is to lose 40lbs so I'm laying off the heavy weights for now and doing much more carido. This morning I ran 2 (8 min miles) not back to back 🙂 and walked for 24 minutes. Plus a warmup for 10 min on the bike. Not bad for a chubby 220 pounder.
maybe we should have a weight loss forum or something..
The biggest loser type of thing.
maybe we should have a weight loss forum or something..
The biggest loser type of thing.
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tlnj
Guest
Yeah. I do a lot of the Crossfit stuff. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go to crossfit.com. There you'll find some of the most gruelling, intense workouts. The whole philosophy of it is basically to have excellent all-around fitness (i.e., explosive strength, coordination, endurance, flexibility, mental toughness).
They advocate a lot of olympic-style/explosive moves, such as cleans and downplay less functional moves, like the bench press.
Crossfit is very applicable to mountain biking. Same for road cycling, too, but to a lesser degree IMHO.
They advocate a lot of olympic-style/explosive moves, such as cleans and downplay less functional moves, like the bench press.
Crossfit is very applicable to mountain biking. Same for road cycling, too, but to a lesser degree IMHO.
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tlnj
Guest
If you're in decent shape, I recommend tabata intervals for weight loss.
They're extremely intense and therefore, not for everyone, but they're highly effective and time-efficient.
Here's the protocol:
20 seconds of an all-out effort (i.e., sprints)
10 seconds rest
Do 8 sets total
Workout complete
4 minutes of your time
You can do tabatas using a variety of exercises, including bodyweight squats, heavy bag, burpees, pushups, box jumps
I usually do at least 3 exercises per session, but you should probably start with one.
This will kick your ass. If it doesn't, you're not doing it right.
Don't do them too often or you may risk overtraining.
Don't stop hitting the weights. Do some heavy days or else you won't build up any significant fat-burning muscle.
Many agrue that weights are a better weight loss strategy than cardio. I say lifting is an essential component of a weight loss program.
Try 3 days of lifting and 3 days of cardio per week for a good balance. Both are equally as important.
TonyC
Active Member
3 days lifting and 3 days of cardio, that would define a gym rat 🙂
I didn't say I stopped the weight lifting I'm just not going heavy. I agree you must add weights to lose weight. I don't have much time so I wan't to get the most out of it. I rush through a body part for 20 minutes (slow controlled stretch) and then 30-40 minutes of cardio depending on how I feel.
um, yeah.
hi, my name is jake and i'm a recovering gym rat. until last week it has been nearly 10 months since my last bench, squat, powerclean or dead lift. at the the height of my gym-ratness i was 250 lbs benching 455, squatting 505 and deadlifting 525. i wanted to be a "natural" powerlifter. ha! sure, and i have unicorn for sale too. i currently reside at 199lbs and have much happier joints. i don't sweat so much either.
wow, someone who finally knows their stuff has come to the board. the only point point of contention that i have with this statement is saying that a bench is NOT a functional move. the bench press, when executed correctly, involves every major muscle group and is a violent/explosive motion. one just happens to be laying on their back for it, but it's no less a full body movement that a deadlift or squat are.
as for weight loss, there is a program called "fat to fire" which is probably pretty close to the cross-fit stuff that tlnj is talking about. i thought i was in shape when i did it, but i found out REAL quick that i wasn't. it taxes your entire body and is literally HELL. i went through one week and got so sick i was outta the gym for days. my body was just shot. i could be coincidence but i doubt it. that stuff is no joke. done right, there is no way NOT to drop weight.
hi, my name is jake and i'm a recovering gym rat. until last week it has been nearly 10 months since my last bench, squat, powerclean or dead lift. at the the height of my gym-ratness i was 250 lbs benching 455, squatting 505 and deadlifting 525. i wanted to be a "natural" powerlifter. ha! sure, and i have unicorn for sale too. i currently reside at 199lbs and have much happier joints. i don't sweat so much either.
wow, someone who finally knows their stuff has come to the board. the only point point of contention that i have with this statement is saying that a bench is NOT a functional move. the bench press, when executed correctly, involves every major muscle group and is a violent/explosive motion. one just happens to be laying on their back for it, but it's no less a full body movement that a deadlift or squat are.
as for weight loss, there is a program called "fat to fire" which is probably pretty close to the cross-fit stuff that tlnj is talking about. i thought i was in shape when i did it, but i found out REAL quick that i wasn't. it taxes your entire body and is literally HELL. i went through one week and got so sick i was outta the gym for days. my body was just shot. i could be coincidence but i doubt it. that stuff is no joke. done right, there is no way NOT to drop weight.
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jimex7
Guest
I do 3 days lifting 5 days cardio various kinds from running 3-5 miles
to biking on recubant for 10- 20 miles or eliptical for 30 minutes.
Belong to a gym and also have everything in my home gym except for dumbells untill i enter the room :rofl:
to biking on recubant for 10- 20 miles or eliptical for 30 minutes.
Belong to a gym and also have everything in my home gym except for dumbells untill i enter the room :rofl:
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Shar0se
Guest
You're talking to the converted!!......I've been going to the gym and lifting since high school...... so 10 years. Yes- I'm a female and no- I'm not "big." I just lift to keep tone, strong and fit. I was even a personal trainer for a SHORT period of time. I like to say that I "discovered" the outdoors a couple years ago when I started dating one of the H2H racers. Before then the only outdoorsy stuff I did was ski and go to the beach. Since then I've decided that the gym and lifting is for rainy days, days w/ not enough time to get to the trail and the winter.
On another note I have to say that I don't feel that mtn bikers as a whole - well not just mtn bikers, many outdoor sports athletes- climbers, runners, etc. do not do enough cross training or lifting. Lots of overuse injuries can be prevented by strengthening the ligaments & tendons around the muscle and by strengthening the muscle around joints, especially the knee. I'm always advocating for cross training and lifting. Sure time is a constraint for many who would rather use their time to ride, but that is what the off season is for. 🙂 Thoughts??
On another note I have to say that I don't feel that mtn bikers as a whole - well not just mtn bikers, many outdoor sports athletes- climbers, runners, etc. do not do enough cross training or lifting. Lots of overuse injuries can be prevented by strengthening the ligaments & tendons around the muscle and by strengthening the muscle around joints, especially the knee. I'm always advocating for cross training and lifting. Sure time is a constraint for many who would rather use their time to ride, but that is what the off season is for. 🙂 Thoughts??
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tlnj
Guest
You are a beast! How did you shrink by 56 pounds? How the hell did you get your rig up hills? You must have had a downhill bike for XC.
I was not dumping on the bench press--it's obviously one of the best exercises for upper body strength. I'm saying that it's not a functional lift in that it doesn't mimic any move you'd do in sports/real life. For instance, if you were going to push someone to the ground, yes, your upper body would move in a similar fashion to a press. But what about the bottom half? It's the explosive, coordinated movements of your hips, quads, and glutes that generate the power needed to put someone on their ass. Look at boxing--it's all in the hips.
Or think about push-press versus the standing shoulder press.
You're gonna hoist a lot more weight with a push-press because you're recruiting the other [lower] half of your body. In real life, if you had to hoist a log above your head to carry it back to the campsite, you would likely perform a move similar to a push-press, not a shoulder press--and probably without even thinking about it.
Sorry for the really convoluted analogies. Hope it makes some kind of sense. My point is that strength in a sports/non-gym setting and maximum power are generated through the coordinated efforts of the whole body--not isolated parts. Therefore, efforts in the gym are best put toward functional exercises.
That's why I don't do curls, triceps extensions or any of that bullshit--just multi-joint exercises; including the bench.😛
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tlnj
Guest
So you do both cardio and weight training on the same day? I'd dedicate one day to each if you're pressed for time. I think this will improve the quality of your workouts. I also advocate doing full-body workouts. For a long time, I used a 1 set per exercise protocol that worked out pretty well. A lot of people think you need at least 3 sets per exericse--and some do. But for me personally (as a hardgainer who overtrains easily), one set actually worked better than 3
Here's a sample workout
Flat bench
Pull-ups (or lat pull-downs)
Shoulder press
Squats
Incline bench
Deadlift
Arnold shoulder press (or some other move that works rear/anterior delt)
Dips
Remember, one set of each. Do all sets to failure, meaning as many reps as you can do without dropping the weight on your face. Do the same routine
3x per week with a day of rest in between. Change it up every few weeks.
As I said in another post, check out crossfit.com. If you follow what they do there, you're guaranteed to get in shape. The workouts are tough, but they're effective and time-friendly--perfect for a father of 3.😀
i was having my rear rim trued about once a week (on my trek ex7). then i finally bent it so bad that it was beyond repair. trevor at cycle works said it looked like it got run over by a car. that was a year ago. i was about 240 at that point. the stupid thing about that rear rim letting go was that it wasn't on some uber-techy climb. it was at lewis morris.
patriots path: 2
bonefishjake: 0
anyway, it wasn't until this past jan when my wife got me a garmin for christmas that i really "dedicated" myself to riding. i was 235 the week of christmas, i was 199 yesterday. so how'd i lose the weight? the old fashioned way: i busted my ass and ate smaller meals more frequently.
as for the bench, you're dead on. it doesn't simulate anything other than a bench press. but it is still a multi-muscle, explosive movement. trust me, when one has any weight over 350 on them, you dig in with everything you have to get it off of you. glutes, quads, lats, traps, tris, chest, calves. all of it. whatever works.
oh, like you i gave up those iso exercises years ago. every now and then i'd do a set or two of curls or tris, but what the point? building your core stregthn will always result in the rest of your body to follow. it's impossible for it NOT to happen.
NickDavid
New Member
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Shar0se
Guest
NYSC- both South and North. Where is Empire?
Anyone else take spin classes? I took a great one last night!
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Shar0se
Guest
I just went and checked it out- how did you learn about it? Obviously you are a fan so it must work.
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tlnj
Guest
A guy at the gym I go to told me about it. Definitely a fan--it's such a smart approach and a lot more fun and challenging than your typical gym workouts. More importantly, it will definitely boost your fitness level. Try it, you won't be sorry.
I'd start with a workout they have called "Cindy" (they name a lot of their workouts after girls). This is one of the "mellower" workouts.
5 pull-ups
10 pushups
15 bodyweight squats
Do as many rounds of that as you can for 20 minutes. Modify the workout if need be (i.e., lat pulldowns instead of pullups). Be sure to keep tabs on the the number of rounds so you can track your progress. If you go hard enough, you'll see that it is possible to get in an effective workout in 20 minutes.
kramonut
Well-Known Member
Gym rat here...been working out off & on since my early teens...close to 15 years I guess.
Right now I work out 3 days a week by taking a long lunch & going to the gym. I've been following one of Chad Waterbury's programs from T-Nation called Total Body Training. Hits the major muslcle groups by doing complex movements (squats, deadlifts, rows, different presses etc.). So far I really like it & have been getting stronger.
For most of my years working out my goal has been to get bigger & stronger (it can be addictive!), but now I'm at a point where I'm reconsidering how much heavy lifting I really need to do. I'd rather slim down & improve my biking skills & other sports I like to play (basketball/hockey).
Right now I work out 3 days a week by taking a long lunch & going to the gym. I've been following one of Chad Waterbury's programs from T-Nation called Total Body Training. Hits the major muslcle groups by doing complex movements (squats, deadlifts, rows, different presses etc.). So far I really like it & have been getting stronger.
For most of my years working out my goal has been to get bigger & stronger (it can be addictive!), but now I'm at a point where I'm reconsidering how much heavy lifting I really need to do. I'd rather slim down & improve my biking skills & other sports I like to play (basketball/hockey).
NickDavid
New Member
Empire Fitness is on 6th and Washington. $600 for 15 months was a special when I signed up.
So, to add to this thread that is acually getting replies. I used to be a fatass at 225lbs and then went fitness crazy. I dropped to 165lbs within 6 months from boxing and running (like a complete maniac). I ran miles every day, no matter if it was raining or 2am. I was skinny and strong, but I wanted more mass. I stopped doing as much HIT cardio and Moved onto LIT cardio. I lift 5 days a week and put on 10lbs of solid lean muscle over the last 7 months. It's hard for me to gain lots of mass because I enjoy running and cycling so much. So I eat a ton of food to help make gains.
Through all this, I did a shitload of research and learned about proper nutrition.
The photo below is a 6 month transformation. Anyone else have a good story? (After on left, Before on right) I weigh a little more now compared the the after photo from weight training.
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Shar0se
Guest
I know Ryan H. aka XC67201 (or whatever his screenname is) has a good weight loss story directly related to cycling....
Good for you on the weight loss!
Those are not two pics of different people right? I'm just kidding but as a side note I hate those weight loss commercials that literally have two different people in the before and after pics!
t-nation is where the fat to fire program is from...
xc62701
Well-Known Member
Who me? Yea I was a "biker" - kind of - a few years ago that got out a few times and got into a situation where I wasn't really active(Also known as lazy girlfriend syndrome...) anyway I made a vow to be more active and keep it as a daily routine via the mtn bike. I made this vow when I was 210 lbs and my goal was to get down to 180. I rode a bunch and started watching what I ate a little more(still not a great diet) but the pounds started to melt off. First 10 lbs, then 20, then 30, then 40, and then 45 lbs. At the low pt I was down to 165 lbs. It felt aweseome to loose that much weight. We complain about bike weight, imagine dropping 45 lbs.
It took many months but it worked and it's stayed off. I'm running at a healthy 175 now due to cycling...period. I know I am heavier now, but that's because I actually started some training and the muscle development caused the rise in weight. That's good weight gain 😀 So now I'm much happier and completely addicted to biking. I still have a long way to go fitness wise, but the main weight has been lifted. Now it's my job to hone the rest. I'll get my way and I'll be even stronger next year... Also I started branching out and running this past year and even swimming. Competing in runs and triathlons were fun with only more fun to come.