Working Out?

[Xtopher]

So I'm making this topic because I'm really interested in trying new things or challenging my body in terms of working out/physical activity.

I want to know what you guys do... any kind of exercise will do but I'm interested in challenging myself so if you have some kind of crazy routine let me know...

I'm 140lbs, 5'10''

Weaknesses: Swimming & Chest (but getting much better)

Strengths: Arms/Back/Core

Summer Goal: One Arm Pull-ups :D

Right now I alternate in the weight room like this:

MWF: Chest/Arms

Bench: Start at half my max and go up by 15lbs every set until I reach my max set of 5 reps (Last set usually requires 2 assisted with spotter).

Decline Bench: Same as normal Bench.

Incline Bench: Same as above except up by 10lbs.

Bicep: I do something called "Crazy 8s" Get a curl bar with a challenging amount of weight. Do 5 reps from your legs 0-90 degrees to your side, then do 5 reps from the 90 degrees at your side to 90-180ish degrees to your chin. Then 8 full 0-180 degree reps. Do all of this without stopping for 1 set. I do 3-4 sets.

Triceps: I work them with bench and incline so as of now I just do tricep pull-downs 3-4 sets of 20 reps at 85% my max.

Reverse Bicep Curl: 3 sets of 10... weight varies

Shrugs: Two 45lb dumbbells.. 20 reps per set. (Working on different workouts with this)

TTHS: Full Back

Rows: 115% my body weight 15x for 3-4 sets

Lat Horizontal Pull-Downs: 115% my body weight 15x for 3-4 sets

Oblique Side-to-Sides: 45lb dumbbells 20x per side for a set.. 3 sets

Pullups/Chinups: Varies but I do about 8 of each without stopping, so 16 total a set, 3-4 sets

Lower Back: Machine (I'm very careful about lower back) I do 85% my body weight 30x... 2 sets

One Arm Pull-downs: (Suck the most out of everything I do) Atm 70% of my Bodyweight 4 sets of 5 reps each arm.

Everyday: Core/Cardio

Decline Crunches with Spri ball: 4 sets of 35 reps 16-20lb spri balls

Decline Leg raises: 3 sets of 20 reps

Normal Leg raises: 3 sets of 15 reps

Hanging Leg raises/ball ups: 3 sets of 7 reps

Biking: I bike about 5.5 Miles a day

Swimming: I swim about 45 mins a week (good to cool down)

Running: I only run in the winter, It's hot where I live and I can't stand running in the heat... I also hate treadmills... usually about 3-4 miles a day in the winter.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Xtopher

[Annie]

i jog

[Sorrow]

Seeing as there weren't many replies and what is your excercising schedule...you probably get the "Forsaken RO's most fit member" or "Mister Forsaken Ro" tittle Xtopher! XD

i'm a capoerist, so i just do stretches for flexibility, and do various types of kicks/acrobatics in series per day, some handstand push ups here and there, yet i do 2~4 hours a day at best, it's very free style, i don't really measure. i bike everywhere i go probably doing about the same as you do on this but that's about it. ^^"

Keep up, i'd say you're doing good :3

[nines]

I go to the gym and do everything :O also paintball so im running with a ton of gear on in the heat with 10 pounds on my back, and volleyball with a bunch of hot girls down at the beach (actually a damn tiring workout)

[Terroryst]

I stopped weightlifting as much since I graduated, doing more calisthenics and running. Just started rucking a couple days ago actually.

[Xtopher]

Hey hey! I was starting to lose hope and accept that broad generalization that most gamers aren't physically active... thanks for not leading me to believe that guys!

Your exercises sound nice, especially if you really do play volleyball with some ladies nines.... keep that blood pumpin!

Also, I'm not a doctor or personal trainer but I can offer suggestions if anyone is looking to build or work a specific area of the body or looking for a specific result!

Edited July 7, 2010 by Xtopher

[Spanky]

Wow. I... umm... walk regularly to the fridge and toilet? :D

[Sorrow]

Hey hey! I was starting to lose hope and accept that broad generalization that most gamers aren't physically active... thanks for not leading me to believe that guys!

Your exercises sound nice, especially if you really do play volleyball with some ladies nines.... keep that blood pumpin!

Also, I'm not doctor or personal trainer but I can offer suggestions if anyone is looking to build or work a specific area of the body or looking for a specific result!

IKR?

But in my case i'm active because i'm a gamer; started studying martial arts very early in my life because i was impressed by characters in fighting games xD

hnnn i'll seize the opportunity; i'm heck of a lot skinny, it's genetic i suppose since everyone in my family is(grandpa, mother, father...)...i'm fine with it, but i wish my legs were thicker >.> you know..."all the better to kick some butt with" XD biking and jumping a lot doesn't seem to do the trick anymore, any hints for this specific result, oh fitness guru? :D

[Xtopher]

I've never seen anyone practice Capoeira in real life... Sounds cool though... and from what I read it uses a lot of leg sweeps so thicker legs might help as long as you keep your agility.

Theres a couple different things you could do... Do you want to increase the muscle mass in both your thigh and calf?

Also, do you have a gym at your expense?

I would suggest:

Squats: They put a lot of pressure on your legs as well as the rest of your body. They can be uncomfortable for some people though and if you do too much weight you could hurt your back easily... However, it is a fantastic workout... if you do the right about of weight and reps you'll definitely feel it the next day. There are a lot of guides online as to how to do them, or you could just ask someone in the gym or a trainer to show you how... I'm afraid of trying to here because I don't want to confuse you on accident...

Leg Press: You'll be surprised how much you can press with your legs, especially if you've never done it before (For example the first time I ever tried it was a year ago and I pressed 350lbs... Find a challenging weight, but not one that you fail on... Work your way up in increments. Most strain will be on your thighs but it also works your calves

Lunges: Pretty simple to do, but hurt the next day... Practice a couple times without weight to get the form down, then add some dumbbells or a weight bar if you like.

Calf Raises: Stand with two dumbbells (one in each hand) and raise your self from being flat on the ground to standing on your toes/front pads of your feet. Be careful not to cramp your legs.

Running and Biking help a lot with endurance but not with building muscle (thats why runners are skinny little people).

Also, if you're a skinny guy try to up your protein (turkey, fish, chicken).... I used to be much skinnier than I am now and I found drinking protein shakes after workouts and before bed made a big difference in building and toning muscle

I'm also not suggesting you do all of these in one day... mix it up and find what works best for you... If you don't have a gym or weights I'll try and think of other things.

Edited July 7, 2010 by Xtopher

[Amicable]

Well usually i do 20 push ups and then work my way up to 100, every 30mins so like 1-20 then after 30mins 1-30, etc. till 100

After, i usually get 10pound weights and lift them 50 times on each arm

And sometimes might work out at the gym on the treadmill for 45mins elliptical 20mins

Sometimes might play basketball if the gym isnt all busy

[Hannah]

I don't work out... at all...

I sit in front of my laptop all day and eat. But obviously I don't do that when I'm school, but I do when I get home. That's my life, it sux. And sometimes we have to do sports at school. o.O Oh and I used to jog (on the spot) downstairs in tha kitchen lol. And I timed myself... Lol, then I quit cause I discovered FRO.

[Xtopher]

Well usually i do 20 push ups and then work my way up to 100, every 30mins so like 1-20 then after 30mins 1-30, etc. till 100

After, i usually get 10pound weights and lift them 50 times on each arm

And sometimes might work out at the gym on the treadmill for 45mins elliptical 20mins

Sometimes might play basketball if the gym isnt all busy

Interesting, I don't do push ups much... I've actually thought about turning RO pvp into a pushup/crunch workout... Like every time you die in pvp you drop and do 20/40... you'd either become a better pvper or get a good workout every time you pvped... I decided it was a bit too nerdy for me lol...

As I've said before: I hate treadmills. I don't like running in one spot lol... I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything. But to each their own. If you enjoy it then great!

[Damnascus]

Here's a link for motivation:

Here's a site with various workouts for muscle groups: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

As for workouts, I cannot say the exact workouts I do nor the repetitions but I can mention the muscle groups and days:

Monday – Abs/Triceps/Biceps/Cardio (chest considering I do push-ups on a daily basis)

Tuesday – Abs/Chest/Shoulders/Cardio

Wednesday – Rest Day (only with morning & night maintenance workouts i.e: push-ups, crunches, flutter kicks)

Thursday – Abs/Legs/Cardio

Friday – Abs/Back/Cardio

[Sorrow]

@Xtopher=i love Capoera XD you're right it uses legs as a focus so hence why. Started doing it after i got somewhere around the 5th circle of Kung Fu, love kung fu too, need to pick up again with a sifu sometime...

Either way Yes for the first question, i wish to increase mass on both thighs and calves. But no for the second; my classes in martial arts only have very simple training tools, most is done by using free space. xD i can think of ways to adapt this, but yeah more no-gym-tools-needed exercises would be verily apreciated :D

And thanks muchly for the tips, i'll apply your suggestions as best as i can on my trains :3

Interesting idea for the RO Workout...it is a way to strive and do better for both game and body xD

@Damnacus=Men bodybuilders out there really have loads of determination O__O

[Damnascus]

@Xtopher=i love Capoera XD you're right it uses legs as a focus so hence why. Started doing it after i got somewhere around the 5th circle of Kung Fu, love kung fu too, need to pick up again with a sifu sometime...

Either way Yes for the first question, i wish to increase mass on both thighs and calves. But no for the second; my classes in martial arts only have very simple training tools, most is done by using free space. xD i can think of ways to adapt this, but yeah more no-gym-tools-needed exercises would be verily apreciated :D

And thanks muchly for the tips, i'll apply your suggestions as best as i can on my trains :3

Interesting idea for the RO Workout...it is a way to strive and do better for both game and body xD

@Damnacus=Men bodybuilders out there really have loads of determination O__O

Just call me Mike or Damascus.

The old "veteran" one.

And when it comes to bodybuilding, I've been doing it since I was 14 (starting lifting stuff, 13 was pure cardio) so if you need tips, don't be afraid to ask me for some advice.

[supream]

exercise, great for the body and soul. im 6.5" and weigh 183 pounds. so i got to do a lot of stuff. for me i do leg press, hamstring curls, leg straights, planks, elliptical, balance training, stretches, and 20-30 laps in the pool (intervals of 4 none stop then a break as needed). i might not do all of this in one day but i always do the swimming. all this i do for the sport i love the most which is golf.

Edited July 8, 2010 by supream

[Fyasko]

I'm a small guy, about 5'8 at 140 lbs..

Here is some advice..

Warming up before working your potential is key. Do reps at 60% of what you'd usually do for 5 reps, then do 70% for 5 reps, and so on until you are doing 100% at however many reps you feel like you can do. Don't settle for 5 if you can do more than 5.

I squat almost every day, I do my maximum squats for reps MWF and do countless air squats Tuesday and Thursday.

Some days I squat and then after my squatting I do front squats at lower weights too.

You want to look at the quality of your reps of your workouts, not the quantity. Do your workouts properly (like going down as far as you can when you squat with a lower weight vs going down half way with a heavier weight). Don't be afraid to ask people at your gym if they can spot you either.

For your lower back, try deadlifting!

Forget jogging and biking, those take too long and are boring. Get a skipping rope! They work out your shoulders, your calves, and especially your cardio and you can skip basically anywhere. Start out slow when you skip and eventually when you feel comfortable just regularily skipping start moving your feet around (like do 1 legged skips or the boxers shuffle etc.) THEN when you're good to go with the single jumps start moving onto double jumps (youtube if you don't know this) and crossovers. You get a great cardio workout and its fun, and skipping also gets you to focus and increase your coordination if you were to do sports. if you do get into skipping, make sure you buy a nice light speed rope.. they're pretty cheap. Of course, jogging and biking work out different parts of the body, but if you're looking for cardio, then speed rope is the best. For my cardio I alternate between C2 rowing (indoor rowing) and skip rope.

I can do 3~4 one hand chinups last time I checked.

Oh yeah I do hot yoga regularily as well to get my flexibility going..

Edited July 8, 2010 by Fyasko

[Annie]

Mike, working out at 14 is bad for your joints, you shoudn't use anything but your own body until your bones/joints have fully developed. >:

[Damnascus]

Mike, working out at 14 is bad for your joints, you shoudn't use anything but your own body until your bones/joints have fully developed. >:

I'm 19 now. It's too late to tell me, I figured this out when I became 16.

And it wasn't heavy lifting, I was slowly developing muscles with calisthenics and dumbbells.

[Xtopher]

But no for the second; my classes in martial arts only have very simple training tools, most is done by using free space. xD i can think of ways to adapt this, but yeah more no-gym-tools-needed exercises would be verily apreciated :D

And thanks muchly for the tips, i'll apply your suggestions as best as i can on my trains :3

@Damnacus=Men bodybuilders out there really have loads of determination O__O

Well, if you don't have a gym then you just have to use what you got. You can make weights out of milk jugs & sand... they would be good for lunges. Also, try wall sits: You place your back flat against the wall and squat as if sitting in a chair... hold this for a while and you'll feel the burn. I feel wall sits are more for endurance but they can help with toning and building as well. I didn't think about it until it was mentioned but skipping road is also a good idea if you don't have weights. I haven't done it in years though.

I'm not a bodybuilder, I'm really more concerned with being healthly, looking good, and challenging my body.

I'm a small guy, about 5'8 at 140 lbs..

Here is some advice..

Warming up before working your potential is key. Do reps at 60% of what you'd usually do for 5 reps, then do 70% for 5 reps, and so on until you are doing 100% at however many reps you feel like you can do. Don't settle for 5 if you can do more than 5.

I squat almost every day, I do my maximum squats for reps MWF and do countless air squats Tuesday and Thursday.

Some days I squat and then after my squatting I do front squats at lower weights too.

You want to look at the quality of your reps of your workouts, not the quantity. Do your workouts properly

For your lower back, try deadlifting!

I can do 3~4 one hand chinups last time I checked.

Oh yeah I do hot yoga regularily as well to get my flexibility going..

Warming up is an issue for me as most of the days I workout I'm on a limited time constraint. I work out during my lunch break from work. Squats are ok, not my favorite... same for dead-lifting... they really make me nervous because I don't want to hurt or put too much strain on my lower back... that shit comes back to haunt you when your 40... I've also seen ppl hurt themselves doing these workouts and it sucks.

I do all of my workouts with the best form I can get. Luckily my gym has big mirrors everywhere on the walls so watching your form is easier. The only thing I have problems with on form would probably be bench/incline... but I'm getting much better.

I envy your chin-up ability, you do dead-hangs right? My goal is to use no aids (chalk/gloves/stools) and be able to jump up, grab the bar with 1 hand and rep myself.

I've had a few female friends try to convince me to do yoga... I'm kind of skeptical though. I'm really flexible its just that I don't know if its for me.

Mike, working out at 14 is bad for your joints, you shoudn't use anything but your own body until your bones/joints have fully developed. >:

^Very true. Kids who played football in my middle school and were pressured into lifting too much are already having problems and I'm just now a senior in college.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Xtopher

[Annie]

my tredmill broke Q_Q

[Sorrow]

Well, if you don't have a gym then you just have to use what you got. You can make weights out of milk jugs & sand... they would be good for lunges. Also, try wall sits: You place your back flat against the wall and squat as if sitting in a chair... hold this for a while and you'll feel the burn. I feel wall sits are more for endurance but they can help with toning and building as well. I didn't think about it until it was mentioned but skipping road is also a good idea if you don't have weights. I haven't done it in years though.

I'm not a bodybuilder, I'm really more concerned with being healthly, looking good, and challenging my body.

Thank you for the tips once again ^^ i'm pretty sure i can work something out for these.

i'm more like you in fact, concerned in looking alright and maintaining good health but also because i have fun with the trains, i've always been a big fan of martial arts ever since i can remember. So it's for health and fun :3

@Damascus=Got it! So you're back, wb.

i'm not much of a bodybuilder myself, but i really admire their determination :3

[Xtopher]

Thank you for the tips once again ^^ i'm pretty sure i can work something out for these.

i'm more like you in fact, concerned in looking alright and maintaining good health but also because i have fun with the trains\

i'm not much of a bodybuilder myself, but i really admire their determination :3

I'm not a bodybuilder at all... and I'm kind of torn on my opinion of them as well:

1. It takes a great deal of time/energy/hardwork to get like they are.

2. Their bodies are really ugly to me... and their real life functionality isn't impressive.

Anyway...

@Sorrow: Have you ever heard of p90x? It only requires a couple dumbbells and a pullup bar + a tv/dvd player to watch the workouts on... I'm kind of thinking about trying in a month and a half... It seems pretty legit.

Anyone have any opinions?

[Damnascus]

Generally anyone can work out - it's just a matter of doing the workouts right, having a good diet, breathing correctly while working out and last but not least, having the motivation and determination to do it.

You don't need a video to tell you what to do. You can follow your own plan if you learn about bodybuilding and the human anatomy / all the mechanics required to work out correctly. You can follow the P90x but I assure you that if you do the workouts wrong, you will not see any change.

I'm just starting to seriously get into bodybuilding (I posted a picture of me in the forums just now in Post your Pictures and it shows a little of my muscles after rest) and I tell you this much - this life is incredibly fun. It seems boring from your spectrum since you don't personally do it, but after doing it for a while, you adapt just like every human adapts to anything and thus, you grow to love it.

[Xtopher]

Generally anyone can work out - it's just a matter of doing the workouts right, having a good diet, breathing correctly while working out and last but not least, having the motivation and determination to do it.

You don't need a video to tell you what to do.

I'm just starting to seriously get into bodybuilding (I posted a picture of me in the forums just now in Post your Pictures and it shows a little of my muscles after rest) and I tell you this much - this life is incredibly fun. It seems boring from your spectrum since you don't personally do it, but after doing it for a while, you adapt just like every human adapts to anything and thus, you grow to love it.

I'm very good at form/breathing. For as long as I've been working out I've never hurt myself. Pushing yourself to risking injury just isn't worth it, I also never "max out". Motivation and determination have always been strong attributes of mine. If I want something I will work damn hard to get it. And as for diet... I've never been a big fan of sweets (never had a birthday cake). My diet consists of mostly fish/turkey/chicken and vegetables... Along with my multivitamins and protein shakes.

The guy I work out with is one of my best friends and hes getting serious into the body building thing. Hes going to be a dentist and do personal training on the side. It's definitely not for me though... 1: I don't want that kind of muscle 2: My frame doesn't really allow for that... I would look seriously ugly and 3: I would have to COMPLETELY rebuild my wardrobe (which would really suck)... I respect people who put that much devotion into it though... I'm more of a gymnast's build than a body builder....

I know I don't need a video. From my workouts that I've researched alone I've build and toned a lot of muscle as well as kept a very small body fat percentage... I'm just interested in seeing/trying new things and from what I hear the P90X thing is challenging.