Trainerdan,


What brand of protein/glutamin do you suggest?

We were buying Predator Protein with glutamin but I can't seem to find it anywhere anymore.

It has very low carbs.


what do you suggest??


Oreosmama

Sleemie ... Seems like you might be doing too much with the upper body. Keep an eye on your recovery ability/soreness. That will be your indicator. Check back in with us after 2 weeks and let us know how it is going.

Luxsit ... Well, that's the normal guidelines. For now, shoot for 1g of protien per lb. of lean body weight. Check progress/recovery and see how you do. Let me know.

Oreo ... I like Muscle Provider from Beverly Nutrition. It's a whey blend. I also like Met-Rx Protein Plus line, particularly Strawberries and Cream.

If you are looking to custom blend your protein, check out proteinfactory.com. They are pretty cheap too, and you can get glutamine added to whatever kind of protein you need (whey, soy, casein, etc.)

Dan,
I have one formula that say my lean body weight is 259. But back in my 20's I was as low as 235, and probably was still upper teens in body fat. Does this sound closer to you ? I am guessing that 0% body fat would be about 200. Anyway to get a closer estimate other than a Hydrotank? I can do about 200 grams protein per day.

Hi TrainerDan,

Forgive me if you have already covered this in one of your articles, but I read your 'beginners' workout thread and wanted to know if I am doing a suitable routine and what I should work towards. I really truly cannot afford to join a gym (I am a returning student living abroad and can barely afford food and rent!) nor can I afford to buy weights, so I have taken to doing what I can without weights or the gym, which is:

300 crunchers every other day

50 lunges every other day

working up to 50 modified push-ups every other day, although I can only do 10 right now

I also try to ride my flatmates stationary bike at least 15 minutes-I'm working up to 45

Any further advice from you would be appreciated!

Cheers,
Jaymie (feisty minx)

PS When class starts again in the Autumn I will join the gym at the Uni, I just need something to get me going in the meantime

Hey Dan I was wondering

if I do specific muscle groups

mon-chest
tues-abs
wed-legs
thurs-biceps
fri-triceps

I do the cardio every morning on empty stomach. 2 mile walk/run
walk one run one

then work out in the evening I go and do the elliptical trainer for 10 min to increase heart rate

How long do I spend on the excersises. I usually time my breaks between reps 60 secs, The gym has nautilis equipment so can you recommend excersise routine to meet my needs for the equipment available. From the looks of it we have equipment that really targets specific groups.

When I do abs can I include lower back into the routine.

Main question I am on atkins I have done really great with this. How is this going to effect my WOL. I know you say add more protein to the diet. Does this mean I have to increase my fat, and carbs also.

I also want to know if protien supplements have high carb count in them. if so should I decrease other carb intake accordingly

What about measuring do you suggest we do this and put in our journal.

If you think we should what parts do we measure. I am referring to just tape measure because that is what I have.

Can't wait to receive the book. Looking forward to the info.

cya Greg

Feisty ... Looks good for now. Your upper body is getting work, although push-ups are primarily a chest/shoulders/triceps move. Your back and biceps aren't getting direct stimulation.

Lunges are a great lower body exercise. Crunches hit upper abs and indirectly hit lower abs.

When you get to the gym, add some back/biceps exercises to this mix, as well as some lower abdominal work (reverse crunches, knee-ups) and you are set. Actually, that is a pretty good program if you put the push-ups/lunges/crunches on one day, take a rest day from resistance training, then do the back/biceps/lower ab work, then take a rest day, and then repeat. LOL.

And keep up the cardio, slowly increasing to the 45 mins. Remember to take at least 1 full day off from ALL exercise each week too.

Greg ... Cardio looks good. Your training split is OK, although I don't see any upper/mid back (lats) work. It is a major muscle group so you may want to add that in (pulldowns, rows, pullovers, etc).

Your rep speed should be 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down. Sets of 10 work. Start here. You can always manipulate rep speed to make things harder on yourself later in the game as you grpw accustomed to the exercise (3 up, 1 down ... 1 up, 4 down ... etc).

Rest 45 - 90 seconds between sets/exercises. Again, this is something else you can manipulate later. When you are looking to build strength/add muscle, use more weight less reps ( 6 - 8), and take longer rests (120 - 180 seconds). To increase fat burn, use a little less weight, go to 10 - 12 reps per set, and decrease rest period (45 - 60 seconds).

You do not neccessarily need to increase carbs/fat to increase protein. There are many low fat/low carb protein sources out there. Most nutrition stores, as well as Netrition.com sell low carb protein powders. To go the whole foods route, low fat cottage cheese is a protein source, as is chicken/turkey breast. Some leaner cuts of beef as also suitable. Egg whites are a classic low fat protein source that bodybuilders have been using for years.

I suggest measuring weight/bodyfat once per month. Some do the scale every 2 weeks, but that can mess with your head. Those who are new to weight training tend to add muscle at an increased rate, which may register as a gain on the scale.

Which is why I also advise people to get a bodyfat check every month also. As long as bodyfat is going down, you have progress. If you don't have access to body fat testing, take a waist measurement every month.

If that is going down, you are losing fat. No matter what the scale says.

Every 3 months I measure my arms, chest, shoulders, waist, thighs,and calves just to see if I am growing. It is optional.

If fat loss is your concern, the waist/bodyfat and scale combo is your marker.

Trainer dan and all the lcexercises,
This is my workout. I do eight nautilus machines twice a week after which I do 3.0 mph on a treadmill for 15minutes. I swim twice a week for 45 minutes mostly leisure with the kids but some laps here and there. Every morning I do 20 minutes mostly on the exercise bike but sometimes half bike half treadmill. Does this look like enough. I tried doing an exercise tape on stomachs which is my problem area, well my whole bodies a problem area but my neck is killing me next day. Do you think the ab-swing or ab-doer are worth the effort. what do you recommend for abs. Also is my workouts enough considering my weight. My diet is around 1600 cals most days. I am not hungry most of the time. I try to keep my protein around 100g-120g a day or more. Any advice would be helpful by anyone.

Thank you soooo much, for the advice, I am at the moment doing 200 side crunchers (100 each side) and the other 100 are where I draw up my knees and my shoulders and squeeze my abs, kind of a knee up. Not sure what they are called but oh do they burn! I will look online for some back and bicep exercises.

Thank you again!

I was wondering on the lat excersise can I put them in with the abs. I will go ahead and do that tonight. should plenty of recovery time. for tri's I would think.


Thanks for getting back with me. I was wondering can you increase muscle on part of body by doing heavy and less reps example arms and burn fat on others example stomach. I would think this would be easiers since you target different groups on different days.


I will check back later.

cya Greg

Trainerdan,

You have great suggestions, but your weights that you want women to start at - shesh! If I tried that when I started I can guarantee you that I would have given up. Instead by doing a reverse pyramid of weights starting really low and progressing to heavier weights slowly, i.e. upper body 2-5-5 and then 2-5-8 and then 5-8-10, I have been able to maintain a weight training that I can do - makes me feel better and makes me look better. My goal is for upper body 12-15-20. Lower body of course has higher weights. Otherwise, great suggestions.

Feisty

Most U.S. schools have a gym that comes as part of your student fees. Check it out. You might also be surprised at how cheap a few weights can cost. If nothing else fill old water bottles with sand!


Oh, and curls are the usual bicep exercises. Front, side and hammer, etc.


J

I'm actually from the States, but studying in the UK, I do hope to join the gym at my Uni although it does cost a bit more than I can really afford. In actuality though, I may not need to. I may have a new waitressing job that would require me to run up and down stairs all night between floors . . .keeping my fingers crossed!!!
As far as the weights go. . . I got one of my flatmates to share the expense with me so we can do curls etc while watching tv or chatting in the lounge.

Thanks for the tips anyway, they are always appreciated.

Cheers,
Minx

LOL ... sorry if the weights were too high ... It's just what I have noted to be the average starting weights fot the clients I have worked with.

But, I did say that everyone should work with a weight that their physical condition allows. I have had some clients start with 3 - 5 lbs. on all lifts.

If that's where someone has to start, cool. Just as long as they increase it over time.

The amount of weight lifted isn't as important as having proper form, so when you first start, start light. Then increase it as long as you are comfortable with it, and keep form tight and the weights under control.

Greetings Trainer Dan!

I have just began to work out with a personal trainer and actually this will be my first time EVER really working with weights and machines. Recently, i was flipping through a book called something like "exercise right for your body type" or something to that effect. The author was saying that based on my body type "spoon" it was good to do low wt/high reps for the bottom part of my body and more wt/ fewer reps to strenghthen my upper body. I think I have that right. But anyway, it made perfect sense to me. So now as I begin working with my PT, I noticed that the workout seems like it might be wrong for me. I was looking at the poundage you've recommended for beginners and what she has me doing seems WAAY off! for example the standing calf raise, she has me at something like 80lbs (is that the machine where you stand underneath the shoulder pads and just use your calves to lift the weight?). And the leg press seems really heavy as well, but I don't know what the poundage is. Anyway, my question is this...does the information from the book make sense to you and if so, can you give me an example of what that type of workout should look like?

Thanks and I'm GLAD you are here!!!

peace,
Star

Dear Precious,

I hear you. Commercial gyms just bite: too expensive and full machine and kids on the prowl. I'm having great luck with a modified version of the "Power to the People" routine. You can read more about it at Amazon.com or at dragondoor.com.

I'm doing 3 deadlifts with, say 100 pounds, then rest, then 3 more deadlifts with 90% of 100 pounds or 90 pounds. Then I'll add 3 and 3 skull crushers and 3 and 3 arm curls, using much lighter weights. I started light (70 pounds) and add 10 pounds to the deadlift every two workouts. I try to work out every day.

Every day!!?? Am I crazy? No. The daily exercise is easier on my system than nothing, nothing, nothing, hit the gym! It keeps my system reved up. And, because I'm working up slowly and only doing a total of 6 reps per exercise, I can get pretty heavy without over training. I'll end the cycle when I can't get my whole second set of 3. Then I'll start over with light weights. Last time I did this routine, I added 20 pounds to my squat in a month without doing ANY squating.

Fun. Easy. Safe. Cheap. Effective. No travel time. I just love it.

Hi TrainerDan,

I have just gotten a piece of mail from the American Stroke Assn,(div of the American Heaert Assoc.) In the mailing, I have been choosen to partcipate in a marathon for the Assoc.

I was wondering if you knew ANYONE or if you have ever partcipated in these or similar events..

Okay I am not in great shape but they are offering me training (6months of training), special clinics, I have my choices of one or both marathons..

My father in law is a stroke victum and I really think the therapist whom had taken care of him with me/ is the one whom is the source and signed me as a individual whom should participate.

Well tell me what you think.. I am posting this in my journal as well..

ps any one can answer too if they have done such an event..

thanks so much.......

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY........