Gym thread (2014)

[Only Cheating Yourself]

People usually just wear runners to the gym right?

Usually…. Seen people come in thongs than been asked to leave.  But you can wear what ever, people usually come in chucks etc. If your squatting i wouldn't recommend coming in chucks but if your just lifting for upper body you can wear just about any shoe minus thongs and work boots.

[Only Cheating Yourself]

I'm just reading some stuff on the internet and someone's saying:


"No, you should not lift in running shoes! They are spongy and can cause your foot to roll when squatting or deadlifting, and that would be BAD. You can always bring a different pair of shoes to the gym to run in. See Keetman's post again for what type of shoes are best suited for lifting."

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=122782301

I squat in running shoes and its fine!  If you think its an issue, squat with with socks!

[brenden]

I squat in runners, but mine don't have a very raised heel, and I'm not particularly inexperienced. I think runners are fine but if you want to be pedantic, flat shoes or bare feet would be good. So long as your runners aren't hugely built off from the ground it should be ok.
To answer your question, I always wear runners to the gym, but I've seen people in chucks, vans, skate shoes, canvas slip ons.

[T-Infinite]

I'm trying to do the opposite actually . My metabolism is so fast that I don't gain weight so I guess I want to know my calorie intake so I can go say 300 over so I can start gaining. been ~51 kg for so long now...
Makes lifting difficult.

LOL! you're just like me... I've been sitting around 53kg for too long. I don't know if my metabolism is fast or slow, I don't know if this would make sense to you; I eat alot but I don't eat often. People say to eat every 2-3 hours, I just can't! hahaha! I just don't feel hungry. Does taking protein shakes help you gain weight? I eat healthy, just not every 2-3hours. 

[brenden]

Protein doesn't directly help you put on weight. Protein assists in muscle recovery. Eg.. If you went Mon/Wed/Fri, and had a low protein diet, your muscles might not recover in time for you to hit the gym hard on Wed. It's the frequency with which a high protein diet allows you to train that assists you in putting on weight.

[DJA]

LOL! you're just like me... I've been sitting around 53kg for too long. I don't know if my metabolism is fast or slow, I don't know if this would make sense to you; I eat alot but I don't eat often. People say to eat every 2-3 hours, I just can't! hahaha! I just don't feel hungry. Does taking protein shakes help you gain weight? I eat healthy, just not every 2-3hours.

How frustrating is it... haha
And similarly, I just don't feel hungry except at legit mealtimes. Takes my willpower to actually go and put something in my mouth every 2 1/2 hours. You MUST up your calorie intake to gain weight.

No. Not directly. Protein helps with recovery as Brencookie put it. Helps build muscle along with a healthy diet.

[QuidProQuo]

And increase your caloric intake by piling in the carbs, especially.
You should look out for protein shakes that have a relatively high carb content, since the products advertised as being "high protein, low carb" are generally better when you're cutting, rather than bulking. USN Muscle Fuel STS has an almost-equal protein/carb ratio, AFAIK...

[Robert243]

And increase your caloric intake by piling in the carbs, especially.
You should look out for protein shakes that have a relatively high carb content, since the products advertised as being "high protein, low carb" are generally better when you're cutting, rather than bulking. USN Muscle Fuel STS has an almost-equal protein/carb ratio, AFAIK...

Sorry , but i can't help but mention how bad protein shakes are for your health . They add who knows what in them , and in the end you don't really gain anything from them . You can get all sorts of side effects from them such as heart disease and even diabetes. Just thought i should state that out . I don't want to sound old fashioned you should stick to natural food , eat a lot of trail mix , nuts and meat . All are great for building muscle .

Been working out a bit this summer , does anyone have any advice on how do bench press higher , i don't know if its good for my health since i'm a bit young for it , but the highest i can do is around 50 .

[Irving4Prez]

and in the end you don't really gain anything from them

What evidence are you basing this on?

[Robert243]

http://www.proteinshaketruth.com/
I was actually reading an article online hear the other day about it .  Thats why i'm not a such a big fan of them .

What evidence are you basing this on?

And also your not going to gain muscle from chemicals , you need to do it naturally , or else it wont work .

[brenden]

Well, I put on 6 kilos in 4 weeks and I was using protein (and I work hard in the gym). Probably not that healthy, but saying they don't work in assisting muscle recovery is a bit of a stretch.


If you want to increase your bench, drop it down to 30 kilos and start doing 5x5 (5 reps for 5 sets), do your bench twice a week, and every time you bench put the weight put by 2.5kg-5kg (depending on if your gym has 1.25kg plates) - so one week you'll jump from 50 to 52.5 or 55. If you can do 5x5 of a weight, just move up weights.

There also might be a particular area of your muscles that's weak, and also depending on how you hold the bar. I mean, if you have weaker shoulders and you push the bar up and down between your throat and nipple area, you'll stop gains pretty quick. If you hold the bar over your nipples or just under them and have a bit of a wider grip, then you'll activate your chest a lot more. Think about where you're gripping the bar and where you're holding it in relation to your body. I'm pretty confident you'll have a particular muscle group letting you down (probs shoulders if you're a newbie)

[itsdanny]

http://www.proteinshaketruth.com/
I was actually reading an article online hear the other day about it .  Thats why i'm not a such a big fan of them .And also your not going to gain muscle from chemicals , you need to do it naturally , or else it wont work .

And you believe the information in those kind of sources? Protein shakes are used by elite athletes and body-builders for quite a few decades now and of course you are going to benefit from them in terms of muscle gain. It's also generally consumed by Vegan athletes/bbs, take a look at Torre Washington and Billy Simmonds. However, of course attaining nutrients and protein from whole foods is far better than just chucking down huge amounts of dried and powdered protein supplements, albeit sometimes it is completely necessary. Please avoid making ungrounded statements in future.

[kensan]

http://www.proteinshaketruth.com/
I was actually reading an article online hear the other day about it .  Thats why i'm not a such a big fan of them .And also your not going to gain muscle from chemicals , you need to do it naturally , or else it wont work .

Protein shakes do work, it's just another source of protein. It's not a magic potion by any means, it's just a supplement that supplements an already solid diet. Sure you don't need them but most people buy them because they are very convenient.

And also with the benching, check out some powerlifting videos on youtube, lots of little techniques can help you increase your bench You might be a bit young for gymming powerlifter style? It's debated what age is safe, but yeah just make sure your form is spot on.

[Robert243]

Haha i agree some do work , but just be cautious .
A question to a few experienced gym guys and girls , how long does it take to get visible biceps . If you do push ups , sit ups , chin ups , and a few non heavy weights . My plan is to get them in two weeks from now do you think its possible guys . I know this ins't body building forum , but i'd like to here from people my age that's why i"m asking here .

[brenden]

Technically your biceps are visible right now. Just grab 10-15 kilos and do "21s". 7 half reps up, 7 half reps down, 7 full reps.


P.S biceps are pointless unless you're a body builder.