The Raven

I'm telling billy you chose this over his petition. Shame, pirate.

haha I know right!

Gotta take a jab at Pirate now... This will be him when Cundiff is released.

IF!

There is so much win right here.

In other words cut back?

Your body can only digest so much protein as one time, but I think if you're taking 20 grams, three times a day through shakes, you should be okay. I believe my old gym teacher/trainer said that your body digests 20 grams of protein in approximately 3 hours. I'm not sure on every detail, I'm definitely not a nutritionist or any kind of trainer.

Two a day should be alright. What you have suggested is what I do most of the time.

Im taking whey protein, 3 times a day when i workout, do i still need to take it three times on off days?

I'm not certain, but I think it is beneficial. It should help with the recovery and rebuilding process or your muscles. I wouldn't call it necessary, but it could have very beneficial results.

The Office, Two Broke Girls, Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Tosh.0

Wow, you guys know a lot about working out and getting in shape.

Does anyone have any recommendations for hamstring toning exercises that are easy on really bad knees? I know squats and lunges are ideal, but just three of either makes my knees feel like they're about to completely give out. I don't want to be super jacked, but I do want to actually look like I, you know, have hamstrings. And if it gets rid of cellulite, even better.

Also, I had two abdominal surgeries when I was a teenager, and I've got a decent amount of scar tissue because of it. Is there any hope that I can ever get a super flat stomach with that scar tissue, or is that just a pipe dream?

You could try dimmel deadlifts.

Hold a barbell in front of you as if you were going to do deadlifts. Bend your knees a bit. Use your hip as a lever and bring the bar down slowly just past your knee, without bending your knee further. Make sure you keep your knees bent, but locked in the same position. You should feel it in your hamstring. If you don't, I can try to help.

This is also true, for alternates to bench, squat and clean try converting to dumbbells for chest (no machines) for chest flys and presses on a flat and incline, barbell or dumbbell split squats and stability board bodyweight squats for legs and for powerclean you could try powersnatches and/or maybe mix a barbell row with deadlift. It's important you learn your technique with deadlifting though.

I do flies as part of my routine, but I will definitely add more dumbbell exercises to my upper body lifts. I'd love to do some snatches.

Thanks for the help!

Are you eating enough carbs? You didn't list any unless you're getting them from your dinner.

Unless you're doing cardio 1.5 hours is too long doing weights, overtraining stimulates the hormone cortisol which breaks down muscle tissue. Streamline your workouts.

With your diet you could try cycling on creatine, it puts more water and glycogen in your muscles for more strength and endurance. Another thing is to try would be converting to glutamine immediately after your workout (protein at 30min) or a protein that has glutamine in it.

I get a lot of my carbs from my protein shake and sandwiches. I also eat a ton of potatoes which is where I get the majority of my carbs.

It's an hour and a half of fairly slow paced weight lifting. I've been working out at my high school weight room. My old coach runs a well organized weight training program based off college football strength and conditioning programs along with some rapid fire station work at the end of the work out for conditioning purposes.

I'll try the glutamine and creatine. I've always been skeptical about creatine, but I drink plenty of water so I should be good there. I'm going to do more research into both of those. Thanks guys!

I'd probably take a second look at your diet after you're sure that you're not overtraining.

It could be a range of issues. Post a quick summary of your diet (mainly post workout) and routine.

f

I've talked to my coaches about it and they think it could be overtraining. I haven't had a full week off of running and lifting since April.

Dieting is part of my problem. I wake up and have a beef protein shake for breakfast. I workout from 11 to about 12:30. Then I usually have either a piece of chicken or salmon. Dinner is usually the problem for me. Living with my parents, I have to eat what they make, even if that means fast food. At night I have a peanut butter sandwich and another protein shake before bed.

Sounds like it could be a little bit of both.

Anyone have any tips on breaking plateaus? I've hit a wall on bench, squat, and clean and I can't seem to surpass it. It's so frustrating.

Does anyone have advice for the best way to slim down your stomach area, not necessarily to the point of having a 6 pack, but just to get rid of most of it. I have done a good job working my upper body as I have a nice chest built from weight lifting. Just need to get rid of my stomach a little bit. What exercise do you guys recommend?

Ab work, cardio, and dieting.

I'm so glad I'm a Ravens fan. I love my Ravens more and more every day after every arrest I hear about. It's getting ridiculous.

I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about body building. If nothing else, it keeps me from taking those extra days off, even when I don't feel like working out. I call it my "5-Hour Energy" drink, though most of my workouts don't last but a couple of hours at the most.

My only suggestion, just stay away from the Icy Blue Razz flavor. I usually get the Watermelon flavored C4, thought I'd change things up a bit -- never again.

Oh sweet Watermelon, how I miss you so.

~ Malkavian Raven

Haha, alright! Thanks.

I have not tried Wheybolic Extreme, nor the Cellucore Super HD. Currently taking the Cellucore C4 Extreme, along with the others on this list:

Optimum Opti-Men

NOW Omega-3 Sofgels

MusclePharm Combat Powder

USPlabs Modern BCAA

I've been seriously thinking of cutting out the Omega-3s, been getting a lot of upset stomach lately after taking them.

~ Malkavian Raven

What do you think of the C4? My buddy's been using it and loves it.

There are a few "tricks" I use to help me. The first is fairly common, in that I drink a lot of water every day. No less than 64-ounces each day.

The second is eating all-natural foods without processed sugars, etc. The best places to shop for all-natural foods are Meijer & Kroger as they have their all-natural sections. I really love the smoothies you can get by Bolthouse Farms. You want to beef up, try drinking the Green Goodness brand. You want to eat less, drink 8-ounces about 10-minutes before each meal.

The third trick I use, and it sounds completely nuts -- dry-skin brushing (exfoliating). Get you a shower brush, and scrub your skin down before you get into the shower. Arms, legs, chest, stomach and back. Again, it seems weird, but it does work as long as you stick with it. The human skin is nothing more than a sponge and your pores are always getting blocked by oils and other toxins. Dry-skin brushing before you shower, you will notice the difference in your skin when you step into the shower and lather up.

The last two tips I can give you are: during the warmer months, workout outside in the heat as opposed to inside an air-conditioned space. Lastly, treadmills & stationary bikes -- forget about it. You'll build more muscle and lose more weight if you actually go out and feel the resistance of the road. I bicycle 60-miles a week and run 20, not jog.

I currently 5'10", weigh 240-lbs, with 12% body fat. I keep going at this rate, I won't have a neck before too long.

~ Malkavian Raven

Do you take any supplements? What would you recomend? I started Wheybolic Extreme and Cellucore Super HD recently. Have you tried those?

Kinda related, does anyone here know any drills or exercises for linebackers and fullbacks? I've only played guard in highschool, but the coach at the college I'm going to said I should try fullback or linebacker there. I'm trying to get faster and work on getting more explosive out of a 2 point stance.

Currently benching 353lb for 10 reps x 3 sets.

Deadlifting 650lb with straps and no belt.

Don't squat but I've maxed the legpress at my gym at 1600lb, at that weight there is no such thing as padding.

Can only powerclean about 200lb.

I'm 6'3" 290lb.

Crap! Nice man.

When I was a workout horse in high school, I was benching about 300 and squatting close to 600. I doubt I'm anywhere close to that now cause I got lazy when I graduated two years ago. lol

I'm starting to get back working out cause I gained some weight. I weighed about 260 when I was wrestling in high school and since then I'm close to 280. Got too lazy and my mom loves to cook so it gets to be difficult to resist sometimes lol. I stopped drinking sodas and juice altogether making sure I always have bottled waters. Trying to stop eating out and been eating more fruit and I've been walking with my dog more(at least an hour a day) and then I come in and make sure I do as many pushups as I can. Been feeling much more better since I started doing it a couple of weeks ago.

Thats good stuff man.

I bench about 215 on a good day. Being 190 I'll take it. My goal was to bench over my body weight

I've squatted 350, but I've box squatted 515 for a set of 8. I was going for a 1+ set and my coach made me keep lifting until I couldn't. I haven't tried to go much higher than that on box squat because that killed my back.

I power cleaned 205 a few weeks ago but haven't gotten that lately.

365 dead lift.

I drink nothing but water unless I'm eating out, and when I do eat out I try to drink tea instead.

I try to do at least 100 pushups today, which has helped my bench a lot.

So what's everybody's max lifts for bench, squat, deadlift, and/or power clean?

I eat peanut butter all the time! Drink milk alot too. The dumbell pushup thing sounds nasty. I will have to try that! Thanks for the help!

No problem man

I have a treadmill

I have a bench press thingy with some weights

20 pound dumbells

I know a couple ab workouts from cross country. They seem to work. I just would like to learn more.

I also looked up I need to have around 3677 calories a day. I am at 3,105 today so far. Gotta have a big dessert.

Do pushups. Lots and lots of pushups. Obviously you could do bench press. You could do rowing pushups with the dumbells. You could do overhead presses. For mass gaining, I would recomend peanut butter and milk. Whey Protein is a very good protein shale for mass gaining.

My coach either found or invented the absolute most diabolical exercise ever you could do with those dumbells. They're called "man makers". You're gonna get into a push up position with dumbells in your hands, row with your right hand, row with your left hand, do a pushup, jump up into a standing position, and then press the dumbells over your head. If you've ever done burpees or squat thrusts its like that. They will shred your upperbody.

thanks, i know what they all are when you describe them, i just wasnt sure with the names. We call the 6 inches cycle the plank for example, its a tuff one.

Theres another one we done in school, lay on your back outstreched, arms straight out above you head. Legs and arms together, tehn lift them just a couple inches of the ground, pull your legs and arms up to they touch in the middle then lower them (keeping them together) and bring them down to your starting point a couple inches from the ground, never let them touch, and repeat. its tuff

That sounds brutal

I would you to explain what they are. I'm from the UK and we may call them different here. I don't recognise any of then ab exercises

Speed crunches - on back, legs up, and cross your feet. And crunch fast!

Bicycles - You're gonna lay on your back and shoot your legs back and forth like pistons, bringing your opposite elbow to the knee as it comes back. You should twist your torso, and lift your shoulder off the ground. (i.e. Right elbow to left knee)

Boxer crunches - Lay on your back with feet down, knees bent. Crunch up, and twist your torso left and right so that your opposite elbow goes to the opposite knee. Bring your right elbow to left knee, left elbow to right knee. The key is to twist your torso FAST.

V-ups - Sit on your but with your hands behind your back on the floor. Your feet should be crossed and off the ground. Crunch your knees up to your chest, like a V.

Hip tilts - Lay on your back, with your legs in the air. Arms flat on the gound at your side. Roll your hips back and lift up in the air. The goal here is to keep your feet high. This is not a speed exercise like the previous ones.

Snap touches - Very similar to hip tilts. Lay flat with your legs out straight on the ground, and your arms flat laying over your head. Crunch like a V, lift your shoulders off the ground, and without bending your knees, touch your toes with your hands. Also not a speed exercise.

"Do it right, not fast"

6 inches cycle - Lay flat with your feet 6 inches above the ground. Some "fun" variations of this are to lift your legs to 12 or 18 inches, lift one leg up at 12 and the other at 16, alternating lifting your legs up and down, etc.

They're kind of hard for me to explain throught text, but if you need more aid I can look for videos of them on youtube.

So I decided since I might be playing goalie on a hockey team next winter I need to bulk up a bit!

What are great arm, abs and shoulder workouts? I used to run so my legs arent getting bigger but I lost a lot of muscle upper body wise.

Do you have access to weights? I could help with arms, and shoulders better if I knew what variety of weights you had access to.

As far as abs go, doing ab circuits is the way to go. My coach gives us brutal ab wrokouts by doing rapid fire ab exercises with no breaks. I don't know the actual science behind them, but we'll do exercises that complement each other really well. For example, we'll start with speed crunches, then move into bicycles, then into boxer crunches, and repeat. A really killer ab workout you could do is speed crunches, bicycles, boxer crunches, V-ups, hip tilts, snap touches, and finish up with a 6 inches cycle. You can do them for whatever time duration you wish, I would suggest starting at 30 seconds to get acclimated to it, but try and do a minute of each.

If you need explanations for any of this I can help with that.

I liked decline pushups, but they hurt my pelvis. Maybe my posture was wrong?

Maybe, idk. I'm no athletic trainer lol.

Anyone tried incline pushups? It's when you do pushups with your hands resting on top of something, such as a table or bench. I've found it to be more effective than regular pushups. I would also suggest doing pushups standing up, against a doorway. Altering the angle your body is to the ground allows you to work out your entire arms, elbows and shoulders.

I've tried those. However, I've always found decline pushups (feet on bench) and regular push ups more effective. To each his own!

There are a lot of push up variations I've tried. Triangles, "staggered", claps, shoulder touches, dumb-bell etc