Male Pattern Fitness: FanPosts

German volume training or 10 sets of 10

2010-03-13T04:23:09Z

I just ried this workout for the first time before I tell you how it went let me tell you a little bit about myself. I'm 46 I'm 6' tall and weigh 230-235. I've worked out off on for years never ever sticking with it. You know when you're young you work out harcore for a month and then get distracted. Anyway I finally started taking it seriously in november, I've been working out 5 days a week and doing stuff like squats and deadlifts stuff I had never done before. So 5 months later I still weigh the same can't rid myself of this gut. I can see more muscle and i am stronger than I ever have been but that gut and my weight are still there, So i decided to try this 10 sets of 10, I have read you can add 10 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks. Well i don't really want to be heavier but I thought maybe I could eliminate this middle age spread around my waist. Let me tell you it was harder than I thought it would be, in fact i only managed 5 sets of deadlifts. I know this is long so i will wrap it up, should i continue on with the 10 sets of 10 or try something different?

One rule/weird tip for flat bellies?

2010-02-10T23:21:40Z

Okay, all of us have seen these sidebar ads all over the place lately (there's one on MPF right now). I have no intention of clicking on the ad, but curiosity is starting to get to me. Instead of being reasonably certain that they're selling something useless, I want to KNOW it. :)

[Apparently I needed 13 more words to post here. So there. And there.]

Does anyone know what's behind the curtain?

Anyone Participated in a Warrior Dash?

2010-02-09T19:06:26Z

Hey guys, I'm new to MPF but I recently signed up for a Warrior Dash (official site) and I'm wondering if any of you fitness buffs have ever took part in the fun. It looks like a blast but I'm not exactly in tip-top shape. I've started hitting the gym and am hoping to drop around 25 pounds between now and race day (May 2nd in Dallas). Anyways long story short I was just wondering if anyone had done one of these before and if there was any kind of particular training I should be doing other than your standard 5K type of training.

Avoid leg injuries. Run barefoot (or at least learn how).

2010-01-29T17:05:01Z

Interesting research (and very nice little video) on how we were designed to run without shoes. Turns out that running in nice comfy padded shoes causes us to land on our heel when we run. We are supposed to be landing on the ball of the foot. Running without shoes will force your body to run in the correct position that it was designed to run in. Lessen your aches and pains by running the right way. I remember not learning how to sprint until I ran in track. Track shoes have almost zero heel padding. They force you to run on the balls of your feet.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123031997&sc=fb&cc=fp

Bettter Fat Loss Comes With Knowing Your Body Type

2010-01-26T17:00:48Z

If you’re like me, you're probably looking for the most effective way to loose weight, get lean and have a life the same time. It's a tough thing to do when there is a boot camp on every block and personal trainer flyers on every board of the places that you frequent, at least that's the case here in Atlanta. Now, there are programs like P90X, Insanity, Quick Weight Loss, Atkins, you name it. I can't tell you anything about them, but I have tried several like them in the past and the only "loss" I accomplished was to the wallet, not the waistline.

Back in 2004-2005, I hired a personal trainer to lead me in the right direction. The workouts were tough, in fact so tough that I injured my left knee from all the jumping, squatting and hopping. The trainer (I won't mention his name) insisted that these workouts would lead to more weight loss. At the time, I was 30 years old, 5'8, 220 lbs, about 22% bodyfat. Even though I was following his generic diet, my weight increased, especially once I stopped moving.

About a month later, my cousin opened a small fitness studio in midtown called metamorphixx. I hadn't panned on working with him, but I did want to tell him about what had happened. I figured he was going to take me down the same road as the prior trainer, and believe me I queried my cousin just like we were meeting for the first time. The info I got was nothing like what I had heard before. Basically, he told me that when most people set out to loose weight, they tend to do one or two things: cut their calories or over-invest in working out. In my case, I assumed the workout was what I needed. Actually, there was one element that I people overlook: their bodytyope. This time around, he took my bodytype in account, enodmorph (shorter and wide frame the tendency to hold onto fat around the waistline) and told me how he could construct a weight loss program, along with the right routine in and out of the gym to match it.

Didn't matter that we were related; a skeptic is a skeptic (plus he used to try and beat me up when we were kids) but I agreed to meet with him once a week vs. 3 times like before. He also gave me a list of food items that were counterproductive to my bodytype, like milk. The prior trainer told me it was okay to add these to my protein shakes in moderation. My cousin noted that since my goal was fat loss around the waste, milk contains estrogen (regular and skim) and spikes estrogen in men and drives your fat% up even when you are training hard, so it was best not to use milk 80%-100% of time. Cutting the milk alone brought my lines in a matter of a few weeks. He also built my food intake around the foods I enjoy everyday (and I enjoy allot of pizza, trust me). It wasn't the foods I was eating, but what the time of day I was eating and how I arranged them. Outside of putting a few other things into play like increasing my water intake and reducing my salt intake, the rest was pretty easy and only supplements I ever needed were BCAA's to prevent muscle breakdown from cardio and good multi-vitamin geared for training.

The next thing he showed me was how to train myself at the gym and mix it with low intensity cardio, forcing my large muscles to use fat. He created a complete regimen that works in any gym or even at home and it actually worked. Basically, each routine we used, I saved it to my log and he would create a new one to add. Before I knew it, I had several to choose from and we used our sessions to clean up my posture and form. I was able to regain strength in my knee as well.

Some 3-6 weeks later, I was 10 lbs lighter, 8 lbs less in fat and 2 lb of less water retention. I went on to to loose another 20 lbs and since 2009, I kept it off until the end of May 2009, until a lower back injury. At age 37, I've taken on metamorphixx once again to regain strength in my lower back with the clearance from my doctor. When I'm not traveling, I run across a few of their new clients who recognize me from my picture on their website. I see their weight loss as it happens just as I experienced years ago. These guys have found a way to activate weight loss by giving each client a path to follow based their body type, their available resources, their daily habits, and most of their entire budget. Their operation has matured and grown since the first time I set foot inside their studio. I notice now that they even consult with clients on their personal weight loss programs and show them how they actually work (and make sure that they keep working) which I can't say that I've ever seen anyone else do this.

You may have already found a more effective path to take, but I can tell you they have shown me how to execute, maintain and learn new tactics make weight loss easier and build lean muscle more efficiently and cost effective. Their initial consultations are always free and all their programs are innovative. They have an upcoming free workshop coming up in a next few weeks, which I'll plan to attend. They even offer video feedback clips to help me with my lower back which I download to my BlackBerry. I used them quite a bit when I'm traveling. Check out thse guys at www.metamorphixx.com. They train from the inside out, not the other way around.

Best of luck...
rentazeric@gmail.com

Injuries in professional sports - are some unnecessary?

2010-01-14T03:03:30Z

Quite the generic title. My apologies.

I workout regularly to keep from becoming too large a tub of lard, and have been reading this site more and more, as there are not many real discussion boards on fitness that I have seen that are as down-to-earth but also as forward looking to new techniques.

That being said, most of my participation is at the SBN site Sactown Royalty, the Sacramento Kings blog. It was mentioned in a discussion over there that perhaps some professional athletes - specifically Blake Griffin, in this case, who is now out for the season - might be doing the wrong types of workouts, or going over board in their conditioning and training. This seems possible.

But is it likely? Professional basketball, hockey, football, and baseball players are part of such keyed in organizations, fitness is part of their job, and they are individually highly competitive people. How could they not be in tune to their bodies, why wouldn't they be on the cutting edge as far as workouts and training.

Still, as an NBA fan, their are some things that I have noticed. Some players are injury prone. Some never get hurt. Could the difference be in training?

Some teams seem to get "the injury bug," as if it was a virus, causing whole seasons to be off track, and sometimes the hopes of the team never recover. Other teams, and I am thinking of the Phoenix Suns, suffer rare injuries, or their players (I am thinking Amaré Stoudemire and his microfracture surgery,) seem to recover better than other teams players. In Phoenix's case, Steve Nash has actually gotten better as he has gotten older, and has not seemed to have lost a step.Could some teams have techniques and be more open to new training and fitness ideas that others?

Does their have to be a trade-off between being a professional athlete trying to maintain peak conditioning and even gaining an edge, and doing more harm to your body by over-stressing it, and maybe causing injuries from which it is difficult to recover, if possible to even do so fully?

Are professional sports injuries more due to the fact that some of these players have just been putting unusual wear and tear on bodies that are larger and taller than the average person since their youth up?

What are the thoughts of you fitness professionals out there? Is Blake Griffin doomed to be injury prone because his fitness routine has him trying to be a Navy Seal, when really he needs to scale back a bit?

Sorry for the shotgun spray of questions. I am very interested in hearing answers from all of you out there, from casual sports fans to hardcore fitness freaks.

Routine that has worked very well for Me ( and will work for 99% of people)

2009-11-26T17:55:30Z

You guys might remember me. The routine i have been using is called the simple power based routine and it was made by iron addict on ironaddicts.com. I caution anyone that joins the site to read the stickies before asking question and use the search function. The mods get annoying when they have to answer questions that have been answered before

Ok this i how it goes

Day 1 Squat day

Squat 3 x 5- box squat

Glute/Ham Raise or Pullthrough 3 x 10- Romanian Deadlift

Bent over Barbell Row 4 x 6- Dumbbelll Row seated row

Bicep Curl 3 x 8- your favorite curl

Calf Raises 3 x 15- no alternate

rest day

Day 2 Bench Day

Bench Press 3 x 5- close grip bench press

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8- hammer grip incline db bench press or you can just adjust the incline angle

Military Press or Db Shoulder Press 3 x 8- lateral raises

Tricep Pushdowns 3 x 10- use a different grip on the pushdowns

Heavy Ab Work 3 x 10- weighted situps or any other exercises that use resistance

rest day

Day 3 Deadlift Day

Deadlift 3 x 5- Rack pulls or good mornings

Leg Press 2 x 10- front squat

Lat Pulldown or Pullups 4 x 6- chinups

Bicep Curl 3 x 8- IBID day 1

Calf Raises 3 x 15- IBID day 1

rest day

Day 4 Incline Bench Day

Incline Bench Press 3 x 5- Heavy Incline Dumbbell Press

Dumbbell Bench Press 4 x 8- Weighted Dips

Military press or Lateral Raises 3 x 8- IBID Day 2

Skull Crushers 3 x 10- use a different \bar

Heavy Ab Work 3 x 10- IBID day one

Ok and thats that so say you work out mon,wed,fri you do days 1-3 the first week, then the next week you do 4-2 and repeat if you dont understand this .... wow

Lastly the goal of the routine is to increase 5 lbs every week or every other week on the first exercise. Sometimes you will not be able to and that is fine but if you cant do progress for two weeks then switch out the lifts to the substitutes i have listed to the side given by IA himself

I would start off using the exercises on the left before alternate as they are more basic. ANd their you go try to get a strong as possible before starting a bullshit high volume flex routine

Ancient man vs. Today's man

2009-10-15T19:27:48Z

Interesting article in The Daily Nation about the athletic feats of ancient man.

Notably

- Most Australian aboriginal men could sprint as fast as Usain Bolt.

- Many Greek rowers before would be better than the world's elite now

- Men of a certain Rwandan tribe could all high jump 7 feet, as it was a required feat to become a man.

Anyways, I thought in was an interesting look at the muscular progression of mankind. Interesting as to how we are the way we are now. I wonder if it's due to general lack of physical emphasis (compared to before), or less emphasis on survival of the fittest.

Whats the deal with protein lately?

2009-10-10T04:16:36Z

Has anyone noticed how protein has become a national craze? The GNC's and Protein Powder suppliers have been exploiting the S*!& out of us Americans! We have been made to believe it is pointless to work out unless we get 200 grams of protein a day.

Drinks like Muscle Milk are now in vending machines at your local grocery stores for a hefty price...! A grocery store, where there is an ENTIRE store of protein packed foods! No, we must have our protein fix now, I don’t have time to eat a balanced diet through out the entire day to consume my protein.

Every time I go into the GNC I have to listen to some punk 23 year old who thinks he has a Masters in health and fitness. I don’t want to buy your 75$ drum of protein. I am not training for the Strong Men Contest. Let me get what I need without your spiel on what I should be buying. I have been there and done that, I was on the wrestling team, football team, baseball team, I used protein, creatine, aminos, I had 5% body fat and my abs had abs,. Now I work over 60 hours a week, I have 2 kids and a beautiful wife. I don’t need to look like one of the actors from 300 to look good, I don’t need to spend 100$ a month in crap to look good. I don’t need to eat and sleep fitness to be happy with myself.

I am not training to be a sports star, a Tim Tebow look alike, impress my beach buddies, I simply exercise and work out to keep my body in great shape, and look good. If you need the protien shakes, because your goals require it, thats fine... but mine dont so dont try and brain wash me and everyone else to think we need it.

How much protein do you need?(regular healthy americans, not the actors in 300)

Almost all people can get the protein they need from whole foods and drinks in their diet. The recommended daily intake of protein for healthy adults is 0.75 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, or about 45 to 56 g of protein a day.

FROM WEBMD

how to stretch hamstrings and hip flexors (not at the same time - I don't think)

2009-10-01T21:47:17Z

So I'm stuck with incredibly tight hamstrings - and, I've come to suspect, hip flexors. As noted in a response to the hammy exercise question, I can't even do single-leg deadlifts. And I admit it, I don't really know how to stretch my hamstrings properly. Is what runners do (put a leg up on something and lean forward) the best I can do? Likewise for hip flexors, I don't know how to effectively stretch these muscles. I google search suggested I get into a lunch position and lean back, essentially trying to touch my rear foot with my hand. But this doesn't seem to be stretching anything discernible.

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.

Gloves for Weight Lifting

2009-09-22T19:54:07Z

I lift about 4-5 times a week and seem to go through my lifting gloves pretty quickly. Also, I am not also satisfied with the amount of grip. I get from my gloves. Is there a certain glove you recommend to people, with maximum grip and durability? I do pretty standard exercises like curls, cleans, bench, etc, but I have to switch gloves every couple months. Thanks a lot, I appreciate any input anyone can offer.

Strengthening the Hamstrings

2009-09-22T02:21:28Z

Good Day, MPF readers,

For several years now, I've done mostly bodyweight excercises (lots of pushups, pullups, lunges, etc), and run sprints (both hills and flat, forward and backwards). My workout has me in great shape and it's fun, but I am looking for some excercises that would balance my leg work, as I feel like I get a lot of quad work compared to hamstring work. Any ideas for a non-gym-rat type?

Edited: My First Planned Workout Routine

2009-09-06T02:29:15Z

Previously, when I have done my workouts at the gym, I have really followed no set plan. I mostly just went in and did whatever excercises appealed to me at the time. I have just planned out a routine for myself, but I would like the advice of others on this forum, who are far more expreienced than myself. I havent included the number of sets and reps, as I dont think I can work those aspects out until I actually implement my plan in the gym. Here are the excercises I plan to do, working out 4 times a week.

Day	1	2	3	4
Work	Weighted Plank Variations	Weighted Plank Variations	Weighted Plank Variations	Box Jump
	Oblique Bridge 3x10	Medicine Ball Work: Alternating Front Twist Throw 3x20	Cable Column Standing Chop 3x10	Single Leg Box Jump
	Lying Trunk Twist	Side Throw 3x20 Standing Overhead Throw 3x20	Cable Column Standing Lift 3x10	Heiden and Stick
	Diagonal Plate Raise 3x10	Chin Ups/ Pull Ups 6x3 and 8x1	Cook Hip Lift	Power Skip
	One Leg Straight Leg Dead Lift 3x6	Inverted Rows 3x6	Weighted Hyperextensions 5x8	Lateral Bound
	Chin Ups/ Pull Ups 6x3 and 8x1	Dips 4x5	One Leg Straight Leg Deadlifts 3x6	Bent Leg Hip Abduction
	Overhead Split Squat 4x6	Overhead Press 3x6	Barbell Squat 4x6	Straight Leg Hip Abduction
	Parrellel grip Dumbell Bench 4x5	Dumbell Rows 3x6	One Arm, Two Leg Rotational Rows 3x5	Feet Elevated Push Ups 2x Max
	One Leg Bench Squat 4x6	Overhead Split Squat 4x6	Squat and Pull 5x8
	Feet Elevated Push Ups 2x Max	Feet Elevated Push Ups 2x Max	Feet Elevated Push Ups 2x Max

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hyperextensions

2009-09-05T19:03:10Z

Hi Andrew,

I read in your post on core traning http://www.malepatternfitness.com/2009/4/9/828999/weight-use-more-for-a-strong-core that you employ the Hyperextension to hit the glutes (and other muscles). When you do hyperextensions do you allow your back to round at the bottom? I have beenslighyly rounding my back at the bottom without any problems, but I was wondering if this is a good idea long-term. I remember in the workouts you posted that you were adding some serious poundage to this movement.

Thanks,

Marc

Can someone give me an effective workout routine?

2009-08-27T06:28:55Z

I'm starting my workout in the morning and I plan on doing this every morning. I have not worked out in a while and I need help getting started again. Can someone give me an effective workout routine that will help me burn fat and shed some pounds? I'll have access to tremills, staionary bikes, elliptical machines, free weights and also machine weights. Oh yeah, I'll also have access to a pool and a basketball court.

Whey Protein shakes questions?

2009-08-27T06:25:16Z

Alright, I'm starting my workout today and I need some advice. I have two different Whey protein products. The 1st one I have is called "100% whey protein" and it is the banana creme flavored one. The other product I have is "Body Fortress super advance Whey Protein" and it is the vanilla flavored one. I need to know which product is better. Which one will give me the best results in the gym? I'm trying to burn fat so please give me some advice on how I should prepare each drink I consume and when I should drink it. On the container it says I can take it before and after a workout. Does anyone have a different method that they use? please help and thanks.

questions re exercise and diet

2009-08-23T20:08:17Z

So I'm trying to start getting in better shape, but I really don't know much of anything about fitness and I've heard some things from people that I was a little confused about.

For instance, I have heard many times to build muscle, you must eat a surplus of protein / calories so your body can build muscle - so I am wondering, does that mean that most people gain some fat along with muscle mass? And what would happen with weight training if you do not eat a caloric surplus?

In which case, does that also mean that to reduce body fat most people also lose some muscle mass? And is it impossible to gain muscle and lose fat from the same workout over the same period of time, sort of a general fitness improvement? (I have read that weight training can lead to less fat in the area, something to do with metabolism, but I don't really know)

Oh, and one more question. I've also heard people say getting protein within, say, 30 minutes after a workout helps build muscle. Does this sound accurate, and would the exercise still be effective without this?

I know these questions are very basic and probably should be obvious, but I would appreciate some help. Thanks.

Need some advice

2009-08-08T17:25:44Z

I'm trying to max out my push-ups and sit-ups for a military PT test. I had great progress in my first month, but I seem to have hit a plateau. I"ve got 7 weeks to add about 20% more to my scores. I am a personal trainer but training myself has always been more difficult than training my clients. Any suggestions on some training methods to shake things up would be greatly appreciated.

Enhancing Core Work

2009-08-06T21:53:42Z

I have recently been doing some things that I think enhance my core work. When I run hills (I use stadium steps) sometimes I do them with an 8-pound medicine ball held overhead. The lack of arm swing for momentum makes it harder for the legs as well.

Also, I recently broke my jump rope. Instead of buying a new one, I use the same jumping motion with the medicine ball held over head. You can also vary the jumping to include different jump types (jumping jack or mountain climbers). More work, less time and more muscles groups hit.

I wouldn’t recommend a weighted medicine ball for a beginner, but maybe a basketball or similar would work for them. Also, if anyone thinks I am endangering myself and should cease, please let me know.

Pressed for time workouts.

2009-08-01T20:26:49Z

Being a dad of three little ones, I don't have the time for workouts that I used to. I was wondering if any of you had some good ideas for workouts for the time pressed dad. Right now I do 3x 15 Bench press,3x12 pullups,3 x 15 weighted lunges, ab work with the Pilates ball, and running, or swimming for 20 min. Anybody have some other quick workouts that have done well for you? Thanks a bunch!