Thursday, May 23, 2013

Are Leg Press Machiines No Good?



Why is a leg press machine no good?

I've heard this, but why? Especially if you don't particularly enjoy squats

Contrary to the assumption in your question, the leg press, in all of it's many varieties, is an excellent piece of equipment, facilitating gains in strength, muscle endurance, and muscle growths, depending on how it's employed. In fact, for many people, myself included, it is the primary and most effective tool for leg development.


Monday, May 20, 2013

Is it Possible to Gain Muscle and Lose Weight at the Time?


Is it possible to loose weight and gain muscle at the same time while not eating many carbs?

 
Is it possible; yes! Is it easy; no. And it relies on you being very precise with your knowledge of your daily caloric and macro intake and needs as well as your basal metabolic rate and calorie expenditures.

In essence, you can take advantage of the anabolic window in the few hours during and after your workout (think both fast acting carbs and protein) and minimize catabolism during the rest of the day (think higher protein and positive nitrogen balance along with good fats) when you're adhering to a very slight calorie deficit.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

How can I Gain Mass?



Right now I am doing 3 sets at 10 reps for each machine I use. Once I can do 3 sets of 10 I up the weight by 5lbs. I would like to know if this is the most efficient way to gain Muscle Mass.

For someone just starting out, this is just fine. Your 10 reps per set is in the "sweet spot" of strength and mass improvement. You also have employed the concept of progressive resistance; you're always looking to improve with more reps or more weight.

Five pound increments are small enough and simple enough to serve you well at this stage.

You also have a decent mix of upper body exercises

I'd recommend using this routine no more than 2 or 3 times per week, for the first 6 months, to allow for muscle recovery. And.........

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

What's the Best Way to Measure Body Fat?



What is the best way to measure BF % without using a water displacement tank, or any other fancy equipment?

Ultimately, it's the mirror, the photograph, or your appearance on stage that count. As such, body fat measurements, in the end, are meaningless. In fact, I have experienced cases where the person with the absolute lower body fat number, appeared less conditioned on stage.

However, in trying to get yourself to that end point, it's nice to be able to know if you are gaining or losing muscle and/or body fat. In tracking those trends, I use, and recommend, several methods at once.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Is the Glycemic Index Important

Is the whole GI, Brown vs White food "bro" science

First, the glycemic index is "real" science and does reflect the impact of foods on blood sugar/insulin levels. As you point out, this is important for diabetics to understand.

In practical terms, the glycemic load of an entire meal, not just the individual components, is what really counts, and that is much harder to calculate. Eating any kind of fat with a high GI food, for example, radically changes the speed of digestion and reduces impact on blood sugar/insulin.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Why do so Many People not Work on Legs?



I am now on my 2nd Week of working out after 10+ years away from weights. I am doing All Pro's Beginner Full Body routine and so far I am loving it. One thing that I have noticed though is that I just don't see anyone in my gym doing Squats and have only seen 1 guy doing leg Press. Everyone seems so obsessed with having a big upper body and just seem to neglect lower body work. Is this something just at my gym or is this seen at alot of gyms? I just don't see any reason not to work your entire body.

 
Simply put, working your legs effectively is very hard and very uncomfortable; some would even say painful. Your legs are comprised of the largest muscles in your body and when you work them, your lungs struggle to bring in enough oxygen, your heart accelerates to pump blood to working muscles, and lactic acid and other waste products build up causing a painful "burn." Most people simply don't want to do it and see little reason to go through the suffering.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Can I Gain Pure Muscle with a Small Calorie Surplus?




Hypothetically speaking, if you could bulk on a 50 - 100 calories surplus daily. Would your body use all those 50 - 100 calories for muscle mass production or will some still get shuttled into fat storage?

The precision you describe would be nearly impossible to actually put into practice. However, since you are asking hypothetically, I'll answer hypothetically.

What percentage gets partitioned to fat storage, vs, lean mass, will be very dependent on the training stimulus you have provided, and to a lesser degree the cellular environment you have created through nutrient intake and the resultant impact on your body's hormonal system.

Again, hypothetically and very simplistically, no training stimulus, plus a fast acting carb surplus equals insulin rise and storage as fat. High training stimulus plus protein surplus equals more lean tissue creation, The variables would be almost infinite, but the point is you can change the percentages based on training, meal timing, and meal composition.

Even hypothetically, 100% going either way is unlikely.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Should I do Upright Rows?


I keep reading conflicting things about UR's; Some say they are not worth doing as they can damage the rotator, while others say that if done properly, they are a must do.
What are your thoughts?

 

The first weight lifting exercise I ever learned, from my dad by-the-way, was the upright row. It has been my "go to" shoulder exercise for the past 41 years. Some say my delts are my best body part and this exercise is one of the reasons why.
 

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Why am I not Sore?




I find this very discouraging. I feel like I'm not doing something right. I've gone up in weight but my legs are no longer getting sore.
When you first start lifting, almost every exercise will produce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in the effected area. Over time, the body adapts and this soreness is reduced, sometimes eliminated altogether. That does not mean that you are not still growing and getting stronger, as evidenced by your progress. Don't be discouraged. If the weights keep climbing and your mass keeps increasing, keep at it.