Working Out

[Blanke]

Does anyone here run and/or lift at a gym?

Could anyone give me advice on working out the biceps, and how to work out the legs really well too?

Right now, I squat, hamstring curl, and calf raise (well, the sitting machine) to keep my legs track-worthy. I need to start running like crazy before the season starts.

Help! And what's the best workout to get back into running shape, I'm a bit topheavy right now.

The best workout will most likely be the worst-feeling one.

Feel free to post your questions.

[Saturn V]

Maybe this guy will know.

And I only had to click 5 names to find some shirtless guy in the gallery.

[RoDNeY]

my moms ex was a personal trainer, but i dont know much about it, Maybe you could buy those Ankle weights, they have them at wal mart, they are little weights that you Attach at your ankle above your shoe to make your legs heavier and harder to run, but works them better, maybe like 10 pounds on each leg, then just do your normal running

[Ilya]

i read Cosmo while i run

[Liquid Blue]

Are you trying to gain mass or just tone your body? If you're trying to tone the muscle and mass you already have, you're going to want to do more reps with less weight, and vice versa if you want to gain mass. For instance, if you want to tone your biceps, you would do 4 sets of 10 preacher curls, with a good moderate amount of weight (let's use 40 pounds). If you wanted to gain mass, you would do 3 sets of 5 with 80 pounds.

For biceps I suggest-

-Standing and sitting barbell curls

-Dumbell Hammer curls

-Preacher curls

-Incline dumbell curls

Triceps-

-Tricep dumbbell extensions

-Tricep dumbbell kick backs

Forearms-

-reverse curls

-barbell wrist curls

-dumbell wrist curls

-dumbell reverse wrist curls

I can't give you great tips on running to get back in shape, but when I used to run it was for endurance more than anything else. I started out just running for about 5 mins straight at this track near my house, then bumped it up to 7, then to 9, then to 10. I did that and I think I maybe capped at around 13 mins straight, but I haven't done that in awhile. If you go to a gym and you're a bit top heavy, I suggest running and lifting. You'll sweat alot and lose excess fat. If you work out your chest, shoulders and back, you can lose the fat and replace it with muscle. I'll post more if you need me to later.

[Exotic]

-run a lot everyday for soccer practice
-listen to the ipod and lift the weights downstairs

for biceps i guess just bench press a lot (you'll get boob muscles too), and curl

for running you just have to think to yourself that you want to do it and its much much easier. also lift on the sitting machine thing or w/e you have. i had to run every single weekday in the summer and now because of soccer, and last year my time was like 4:45+ for this cross country thing we do and this year im one of the fastest in my gym class with 2:50-3:20. am i great or what

[Blanke]

Amazing indeed. My biggest problem is my laziness. Ahhhhhh.

Liquid Blue, when I meant topheavy, I probably should've clarified.

I lifted all throughout summer, mainly working out the upper body until July, when I started working out my legs. I didn't run or work out my legs because I wanted my right ankle to fully heal from an injury and surgery performed on it in late december. Right after I got out of my cast and was able to start walking again, I was yanked back out onto the track and forced to endure hell with my foot, and I don't think it's quite right yet.

So topheavy for me means I can't sprint to save my life or my hurdle time right now.

Edit: I hate preacher curls :P
When I get to the heavier weights with preacher curls, I feel like it might break my forearms, or I'm just a big, walking pansy.

[Exotic]

whats a preacher curl

[Blanke]

It's an exercise for the bicep with the aid of a machine, but you still use freeweights.

You sit down so that your arms are basically lying on a padded surface in front of you and all you can do with your arms is curl it using the bicep. You hold a bar with whatever you want and that's your basic preacher curl.

Edit: It's basic, but extremely effective.
I have a friend who says that 21s are extremely good, but I think it may just be a burnout exercise (i've still done it on numerous occasions) You curl from a resting, arms-all-the-way-down up to a parallel with the ground, about, seven times, then from parallel to all the way up another seven times, then a full curl seven times.

[Liquid Blue]

Bench Press works the pecs more than your biceps, so you won't get great results. Besides if you just did one exercise all day you wouldn't be as fit or as well built as if you varied your exercises.

Preacher curls- http://www.theministryoffitness.com/...ims/pcurls.htm


Ok B I don't know how to fix that sprinting issue. I guess focus on sprinting more than anything. If you don't like doing preacher curls (they're a good exercise though), just do others along with them. I don't suggest cutting them out entirely though.

[Blanke]

Benching also works your triceps too.

LB, I don't cut them out, sort of, but I do other exercises instead of them, mainly Hammer curls.

I should probably vary exercises so I don't become awkwardly-shaped.
Have you plateau'ed weightwise?

[Liquid Blue]

I never said they don't work out your triceps, they simply don't work them out as much as they work out your pecs. I haven't hit a peak yet weight wise, since I'm currently focusing on gaining mass. Before, I toned up and was around 135, now I'm hitting 150 weight-wise, and it's mostly muscle. Bench-press wise I'm guessing I can bring 140 to my chest and up, maybe max around 160-170.

[Blanke]

I think we've probably been through this before (probably not), but what's your height and weight.

This goes for everyone else here too who may want to learn to work out :grin:

I'm 5'10" and about 170-180lbs. I have no idea how eating like a pig has had an effect on my body recently.

Oh, I should probably mention that I had to forgo working out for this past month because when I gave blood, I got this bruise in my arm. It was healing rather nicely, but then I decided to go have a full workout, and the next morning it was too dark for comfort. The blood was basically seeping out of the capillaries, so I didn't work out for 3 weeks.

[Ashlee]

I love running.

It sounds like you just need to get back a little into shape, and that really isn't that hard, it'll take you a few weeks at most. Just start to walk and lightly jog on the treadmills. I myself do a lot of aerobics, but I'm pretty sure that isn't exactly your thing

Oh, and this doesn't really have to do with exercising, but getting ready to exercise: stretching

There are four stretches that are really good to do before starting to do a good jog

quadriceps, hamstring, gastroc, soleus

Do those.

[Blanke]

Haha, I think everyone thinks that I'm out of shape, although I think that I'm not really, but it doesn't matter what I think. Or does it?

Soleus? Gastroc? What muscles are those? Are they in the pelvic region?

Also, believe it or not, I'd be more than willing to take Pilates and Yoga classes.

Not aerobics though. Definetely not my thing.

Tae-bo HYAH~!