-- Weightlifting & Nutrition Thread -- v9.0 Optimized

MagnusMadness · April 18, 2006, 3:52am

You basically just eat more carbs than normally once a week…and not really low glycemic index carbs, more middle of the road stuff…gets ur metabolism burning through shit fast again…cuz when eating really clean for a certain period of time your metabolism will slow somewhat. Carb loading somewhat resets it…

BTW I tried a little BBQ sauce with my chicken breast at the restaurant I work at and it was damned good. LoL. I could eat 5 of them sumbitches like that.

System_1 · April 19, 2006, 8:43pm

Well, finally got the surgery over with last friday. Surgeon said it will be a 100% recovery…Thank God!! Arm will be in a sling for about 6 weeks and then I will slowly start rehab.
It’s funny how when you get injured it makes you want to work out more then ever. Guess this will be a good time for me to build up my legs.

If there is a good thing that came out of this, it’s the hot chicks that come up to me and ask me what happened and if I’m in alot of pain…LOL

Yesterday I was with my girl at the mall and was at a store called BeBe…Damn, 2 chicks at different times came up to me and ask me what happened and if i wanted a chair to sit down or if i needed anything to drink…Ha Ha my girl was pissed:rofl:

http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=4/10811322564.jpg&s=x11

Soldier_Zero · April 19, 2006, 10:32pm

Good to know you’ll be back to normal again.

Any way I can work out the inside of my chest with just dumbbells and an exercise ball?

Kyoujin · April 19, 2006, 11:54pm

Hope everything works out fine, JM:tup:

I was wondering if anyone could provide me with some breathing and stretching techniques for long distance running?
Anything is fine, but I need help specifically with the legs.
Thanks.

MagnusMadness · April 20, 2006, 1:33am

Flat/Decline/Incline dumbell press/flies…pullovers…

It’s funny you should ask about working the “inside” of ur chest…gives me an opportunity to bring up an interesting read from a while back…

The existence of the so-called “upper”, “lower”, “inner” and “outer” pectorals along with the assertion that it is possible to isolate one or more of these to the relative exclusion of the others in training, are among the most firmly entrenched myths in Strength Training and Bodybuilding circles. In fact none of these truly exist as either separate and distinct muscles or regions in a functional sense. Even though it could be argued that there appears to be a structural distinction between the upper and lower pectorals (and some anatomy texts do in fact support this distinction though not all do) because the pectoralis-major does originate from both the sternum and the proximal or sternal half of the clavicle along its anterior surface (it also has connections to the cartilages of all the true ribs with the frequent exception of the first and seventh, and to the Aponeurosis of the external oblique muscle), this is considered to be a common (though extensive) origin in terms of the mechanical function of the muscle. Thus the pectoralis-major is in fact for all practical purposes one continuous muscle with a common origin and insertion, and functions as a single force-producing unit. The terms upper, lower, inner and outer are imprecise and relevant only in order to make a vague subjective distinction between relative portions of the same muscle for descriptive purposes. They are vague and imprecise terms because there is no clearly delineated or universally defined border between them.
Further it is not physically possible either in theory or practice to contract one region of a single muscle to the exclusion of another region or regions (as a Biomechanics Professor of mine once demonstrated to a bunch of us smart-ass know-it-alls taking his course, using EMG analysis). When a muscle contracts it does so in a linear fashion by simultaneously reducing the length of its constituent fibers and thus its overall length from origin to insertion. Even where a single muscle is separated into multiple functional units that are clearly defined such as the triceps (which are referred to as heads by Anatomists and Biomechanists), because they share a common point of insertion in order for one head to shorten all must shorten. This only makes sense if you think about it because otherwise there would be slack in one when the other shortened, which as we know does not occur. Note that there are some special cases where one head of a muscle must actually lengthen when the other shortens (e.g. the posterior head of the deltoid in relation to the anterior head during the positive stroke of flys), the point however is that even in these special cases there is no slack because there is in fact contractile activity (whether concentric or eccentric) throughout the muscle.

That is not to say however, that all fibers in different areas, or heads are necessarily shortened to the same degree during a particular movement. Depending on the shape of the muscle, the joint geometry involved, and the specific movement being performed, fibers in one area of a muscle or head may be required to shorten more or less than in others (or even to lengthen) in order to complete the required movement. For example during a decline fly though muscle fibers in all regions of the pectoralis-major must shorten as the upper arm is drawn towards the median plane of the body, because of the angle of the arm in relation to the trunk the fibers in what we commonly refer to as the lower pecs will have shortened by a greater percentage of their overall length than those in the upper region of the muscle by the completion of the movement. Conversely when performing an incline fly there is greater shortening in the fibers towards the upper portion of the muscle than in the lower.

Many proponents of the so-called isolation approach to training claim that this proportionally greater shortening of the fibers equates to greater tension in the target region than in others, and therefore stimulates greater adaptation; but this is completely at odds with the cross-bridge model of muscle contraction which clearly shows that as fiber length decreases tension also declines due to increasing overlap and interference in the area of the cross-bridges. Some also contend that the fibers called upon to shorten to a greater degree tend to fatigue faster than others and that therefore there is greater overall fiber recruitment in the region where this occurs, and thus a greater stimulus to growth; but there is no evidence to suggest that a fiber fatigues faster in one position than in another in relation to other fibers in the same muscle. In fact it has been shown that Time Under Tension (TUT) is the determining factor in fatigue and not fiber length. In fact fiber recruitment tends to increase in a very uniform fashion throughout an entire muscle as fatigue sets in.

The ability to isolate a head, or region of a muscle to the exclusion of others by performing a particular movement, or by limiting movement to a particular plane and thus develop it to a greater degree, is a myth created by people who wish to appear more knowledgeable than they are, and has been perpetuated by trade magazines and parroted throughout gyms everywhere. It is pure non-sense and completely ignores the applicable elements of physiology, anatomy, and physics in particular. Quite simply the science does not support it, and in most cases is completely at odds with the idea.
Regardless of the science however, many people will remain firmly convinced that muscle isolation is a reality because they can feel different movements more in one region of a muscle than in others. This I do not dispute, nor does science. There is in fact differentiated neural feedback from motor units depending on the relative length of the component fibers, and this feedback tends to be (or is interpreted by the brain as) more intense when the fibers in question are either shortened (contracted) or lengthened (stretched) in the extreme. However this has to do with proprioception (the ability to sense the orientation and relative position of your body in space by interpreting neural feedback related to muscle fiber length and joint position) and not tension, fatigue, or level of fiber recruitment. Unfortunately it has been seized upon and offered up as evidence by those looking to support their ideas by any means available.

Muscle shape is a function of genetics and degree of overall development. As you develop a muscle towards its potential, it does change in appearance (generally for the better) but always within the parameters defined by its inherent shape. A person who tends to have proportionately more mass towards the upper, lower, inner or outer region of his or her pectoralis-major will always have that tendency, though it may be more or less apparent at various stages in their development, and in most cases appears less pronounced as overall development proceeds. That is not to say that training a muscle group from multiple angles is totally without value. In fact we know that even subtly different movements can elicit varying levels of fiber recruitment within a muscle in an overall sense (i.e. in terms of the percentage of total available fibers) due to differences in joint mechanics, and neural activation patterns, as well as varying involvement of synergistic and antagonistic muscle groups involved. So by all means experiment with different angles in your training, but dont expect to be able to correct so-called unbalanced muscles this way, or to target specific areas of a particular muscle. Work to develop each of your muscles as completely as possible and shape will take care of itself. If you want to worry about shaping you should pay more attention to the balance between different muscle groups and work to bring up any weak groups you may have in relation to the rest of your physique.

System_1 · April 20, 2006, 4:01am

Wow, where is the douchebag who argued with me for pages about upper and lower pecs now? The sound of silence is golden. In fact numerous people were debating with me and spouting off training mythology as if it were scientific fact, and all of them can now kiss my ass.

Ryumexicano · April 20, 2006, 12:16pm

Which is better?

Seated dip (for triceps thing)
Or
Lat pull downs for triceps?

Obviously for Seated dip I can do more weight, but for lat pull down I only use 45 lbs.

By doing more weight on the seated dip one will I get faster results, better training?

I honesty can say that I am happy because my body is changing every month. I need to change my routine for triceps.

Thanks in advance.

Ryu

www.comboadictos.net

Romie · April 20, 2006, 7:41pm

HAHA. Same thing happened to me when I tore my rotator cuff.

Good luck with the recovery.

System_1 · April 20, 2006, 8:27pm

You tear your rotator on bench or behind the neck presses? Those two exercises are bitches for injury.

Romie · April 20, 2006, 9:33pm

Ironically, neither.

At the batting cages, swinging at an 85mph ball.

I kinda lost my footing, and the bat came over my head, then dropped down behind my back.

It’s kinda hard to explain, but picture the top of the bat hitting the middle of your lower back.

It hurt. A lot.

Soldier_Zero · April 21, 2006, 1:43am

Thanks Magnus, good read too.

Soldier_Zero · April 23, 2006, 7:04pm

I want to do dumbbell squats and dumbbell dead lifts. I don’t do regular squats with the bar, so any details or explanations on both? I really want to make sure my form is good so I’m not doing them all half-assed.

VruS · April 23, 2006, 11:05pm

How many of you guys had twisted ankle that was 2nd degree or higher. This is the most annoying shit ever. I’m like in my 5th or 6th week and I still can’t jog properly. Most of the swelling is gone and it’s been forever since i worked out my legs. ;lkjasdf;lkja;lijt;skfkl; argrggrgrgg

Ryumexicano · April 23, 2006, 11:23pm

I have twisted my ankles numerous times. I have played soccer most of my life and with time those injuries come every few months or every year. I wouldn’t know about 2nd or any other degree, but they definately impair you for some time. I remember that I couldn’t walk down the school’s stairs haha. I could barely walk whenever I had those injures. It will time before you can job. Even if you think you are “cured”, the ankles will hurt whenever you run a lot. That’s in my case. Any way, I have fucked up ankles and knees from soccer.

Ryu

www.comboadictos.net

MagnusMadness · April 24, 2006, 8:07am

Well the form should be pretty much the same with dumbells, might be a little akward though…but why can’t you use a barbell??

System_1 · April 24, 2006, 8:38am

seated dips v. lat pulldowns for triceps. I’d def go for the seated dips, since LAT pulldowns are for your lats, if your getting a workout on yer triceps by doing pulldowns your doing it wrong. As for the dips do them with dips bars or rings, then start adding weight via dip belt.

TGC · April 24, 2006, 1:08pm

Can Somebody Please answer my real quick question?

Is it okay for the body to consume 4 hard-boiled Egg Whites (Yolk is removed) a day?

System_1 · April 24, 2006, 4:47pm

Well I heard hulk hogan eats 24 eggs for breakfest, so I dont think 4 is going to hurt you lol.

Soldier_Zero · April 24, 2006, 6:13pm

It’s uncomfortable as hell (plus I don’t have one at home).

System_1 · April 24, 2006, 8:16pm

What’s your opinion on creatine?