[jassi]

^^ Samurai - I am not sure if you are aware of crossfit (Welcome to CrossFit: Forging Elite Fitness) - they focus a lot on functional fitness - looking good is a side effect unlike bodybuilding. A lot of crossfitters are firefighters, armed forces, policemen, martial artists, sportsmen, etc.
I have been doing this for 6 months now and every day is a new challenge
For example here is my not so lazy sunday workout - 'filthy fifty' done in 50 minutes :-)
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
...Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

I haven't seen any crossfitters here on tbhp and yes I am not a full time crossfitter either, i mix it up with regular weights training as well as martial arts - but thats the whole point - do whatever it takes to be 'fit' and muscles and all will look good anyways :-)

[ashokrajagopal]

I should check Cross fit training out. Would be funny if I do this in my current gym. I mean most people stare at me when I load a 20 Kg plate on either side of my barbell to warm up for squat. I dont see anybody doing any compound movement (even a pull up) in my gym, think about jumping pull - ups, walking lunges etc.

Just because we are on the topic of steroids, I have known a certain few who have built up good physiques without steroids (use or abuse). They trained consistently for around 5-6 years(that I know them for), ate big (mass gainers in the beginning, and protein supplements later) and almost never missed a training session. Kept lifting big and the results were there to show. But the whole point is that their bodies do not look film star fit. One of them used to tell me that if you have to get and maintain a 6- pack ab for 10 years, it would be mostly sure that you wont live for another 10 years. About the low fat and water content and all the other funda behind it. These guys looked massive, with good solid pads of muscles. And not 100% flat bellies. They were amazingly strong, I have seen them push and pull automobiles.

[SohailPistawala]

There are a lots of people i know who have trained without steroids, so believe it or not you can do it. I do not know what you guys are trying to prove here?? Ornamental? or functional?? Just go ahead and build some muscles and stay fit! why care about film stars and sports personalities? share info if you like it, otherwise do your thing and enjoy !

Keep Repping!

[vcash]

Alright Gents,
As some of you may know, I worked out pretty solid for a couple of years trying to put on mass and weight. At my peak I was roughly 81 Kgs with ~16% body fat. I then started losing most of my size because of a change in diet. Also, unfortunately lifting heavy resulted in losing flexibility which affected my golf game. So I pretty much quit for a year so that I could enjoy my first love once again.

Anyway, fast forward to January 2010 and I moved into a new place which had a good gym and a squash court. I started playing a bit of squash and then started doing some light weight training and cardio. A year later I find myself getting back into strength training but with a strong cardio component. My current schedule is 20 to 40 mins of squash everyday followed with 4 days of heavy lifting:

Mon: Chest & Tri's + abs
Tue: Rest Day
Wed:Back & Biceps + abs
Thu: Shoulders
Fri: legs + abs
Sat: Rest Day
Sun: Only squash / about 2 km's of running and abs.

I feel pretty good about myself as I am not bulking up too much and my flexibility is maintained because of squash. I am now 75 Kgs but I would like to come down to 70 Kgs and maintain that weight. Having said that, I have started pushing myself a bit harder in the gym (for eg. I am doing 27kg X 2 dumbells press with a goal to hit 40 kgs X 2 in 6 months) and my muscles are still not failing like they did before when I was at my peak. I want to work out a bit harder to get a bit more definition and size but would also like to continue with my cardio so that I can have a leaner physique.

I start working out about 7:30pm and finish by 9:30pm. This is followed by dinner at about 10:30pm and I hit the sack around midnight. Up and leave for work around 9:00am.

So now that I have chronicled my exercise regime, I would appreciate it if anyone could answer a few questions for me:

1) I used to take Isopure Zero Carb Whey protein supplement along with animal pak and Xtreme NO2. Now, I have been off supplements for over a year. I am contemplating only taking a whey isolate since my protein intake is very very low now days. This would aid in faster muscle recovery. Is this recommended considering my goal of lean muscle?

2) If I should resume protein - Should it be a Whey or Casein? I work out at night and I hear that casein is a better protein to take at night before bed but whey isolates look to have a lower content of carbs and fat.

3) Can you recommend some good protein supplements available in Mumbai and where I could get them from? I typically go to Selection Sports at Metro to stock up on my sports / fitness equipment. Any other places in that area that may have a better selection and pricing?

Look forward to your opinions / responses.

Cheers,
V

[ashokrajagopal]

For the gurus here, I have two questions.

1. I know that exercise, rest and nutrition are the 3 pillars of bodybuilding/strength training. I also know that exercise is the most important one, and consistency and discipline is of utmost importance.
I work in IT, and am pretty much consistent with my workouts, nutrition, and sleep. However, if by any chance I miss a few hours of sleep (as a matter of fact, I do, inevitably, a few days a month), should I still wake up and workout the day after or catch some sleep and skip the day's workout ?
Same thing with respect to food. Inevitably I would have to skip a meal for some reason or the other once in a while. Should I wait a day before I get back to gym ?
I follow a strength training routine including 5X5, 10X3, 3X5, 3X12 etc combined(created it myself, and works for me), only compound exercises and work 4 times a week. No workout is a light workout, to ignore complete recovery and good nutrition.
Any advice would be appreciated.

2. With great difficulty I have managed to reach 4 heavy meals a day plus a lighter meal. I start for office around 1130 am after morning workout and breakfast, and reach home back around 10-1030 PM. Dinner afterwards. Now, between my 530 evening meal and 1030 dinner, I dont have anything to fill myself with except coffees and biscuits.
Any suggestions on anything I can cook and pack to take with me to eat at around 8 in office ?
I can cook a little bit. A protein shake is not an option, cos I already have it twice in my diet. How long would boiled eggs remain edible ? Can I boil eggs and pack with a toast or so to eat at night -- would it turn stale ?
Plus I already eat round 4 whites and 1 whole egg for breakfast, so would I be running too high eggs to cause some problem ?

Any help is appreciated. Though I have worked out a lot and know my way around with exercises, I have almost zero knowledge about recovery and nutrition.

[SohailPistawala]

Vcash : Building size and definition together? just to answer your question, if your looking at building size, continue doing that for 4 weeks (with moderate cardio). then take a week rest and get on the lean phase (high reps and slightly more cardio then moderate). during your rest days you can do cardio, and do just weights on the weight training day. (just a suggestion). Probably you can do workout-cardio-workout-cardio-workout-cardio-workout-rest and then the cycyle starts again, up to you.

animal pak and exteme No2 are pre workout shakes if i am not wrong, what usually you can do is take it for 1-2 months on workout days and then stop for 2 months then take again, but use only one. Protein will help you recover and build your muscle, but glutamine is something that will recover your muscles the fastest with sleep, good amount of water intake and other natural foods.

WHey or casein : With you sizing on, its absolutely fine if you take carbs, it will help in mass too. So just a suggestion, is take casein in the night and regular whey during the day. (isopure is good, you can take it).

Another supplement store : I usually by my stuffs and friends stuff from a known trainer. I trust him, otherwise if you travelling to Suburbs, there is a store in Lokhandwala called Rikin, his rates are very competitive, and yes you can bargain.

Hope i have answered your questions.

Ashok : your question is really long brother, anywys, listen to your body, if your mentally and physically prepared then go and workout. Skipping a meal or little sleeep, wont hamper much, just that energy and concentration during the workout or during your work might take a toll. If you feel like resting do it nothing should stop you. Again LISTEN to YOUR BODY!!

answer to 2nd question : you can eat biscuits and coffee too. About boiled eggs probably you do boil and carry but do not remove the shell until and unless you wana have it. So carry it, whenever you wana eat it remove the shell and serve it. i usually dont get any smells until it is actually very stale. You can increase your egg intake slowly and gradually, from the past 6 years i have'nt had any problem, but still slowly and gradually (until you are too bored with it).

Thanks

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by SohailPistawala

I do not know what you guys are trying to prove here?? Ornamental? or functional?? Just go ahead and build some muscles and stay fit!

Just saw this comment. What I was trying to do was bring some perspective. Through out the 90s I too was spending 2 hours in the gym every day in top class US gyms. Eventually I had to move on to something sustainable with age. As you get old functional gets preference over looks. Funnily enough now I mostly do the exercises I used to do throughout the 80s.

PS: Until 1989, when Salman burst into the scene with Maine Pyar Kiya, the popular workout culture was non-existent in India.

[ashokrajagopal]

Originally Posted by SohailPistawala

Ashok : your question is really long brother, anywys, listen to your body, if your mentally and physically prepared then go and workout. Skipping a meal or little sleeep, wont hamper much, just that energy and concentration during the workout or during your work might take a toll. If you feel like resting do it nothing should stop you. Again LISTEN to YOUR BODY!!

answer to 2nd question : you can eat biscuits and coffee too. About boiled eggs probably you do boil and carry but do not remove the shell until and unless you wana have it. So carry it, whenever you wana eat it remove the shell and serve it. i usually dont get any smells until it is actually very stale. You can increase your egg intake slowly and gradually, from the past 6 years i have'nt had any problem, but still slowly and gradually (until you are too bored with it).

Thanks

Thanks Sohail and appreciate the reply.
Well, wrote a question with all the I have to explain so that you guys wont have to ask further questions. Sorry for the length.
Listening to the body; thats a real toughie. More often than not my body does not want to get up from the bed and workout --- will have to devise some plan to figure this out.
Thanks for the advise about eggs.

[Samurai]

Does anyone know where I buy a medicine ball and punching bag in Bangalore?

Getting tired of seeing sports shops that mostly sell T-Shirts and Sneakers. Where do real sportsmen go? Once there used to be Olympics Sports shop in double road where you could get anything. I bought my first nunchaku there in the 80s.

[falcon009]

@Samurai - Why don't you try Decathlon. It has almost anything from kayaking to golf

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by falcon009

@Samurai - Why don't you try Decathlon. It has almost anything from kayaking to golf

Thanks, that's a very good link.

[jassi]

i finally managed to make time to goto a crossfit gym in melbourne (CrossFit Victoria » Fitness redefined. [Melbourne, Australia]). The gym had a good mix or regular fitness ppl, football athletes, firefighters, army guys workoing out today. Surprisingly there were lot of women as well.

After working on correcting some of my basics the instructor decided to put me through a basic performance test workout.
500m rowing, 40 squats, 30 situps, 20 pushups, 10 pullups - sounded easy but i had to do this as fast as possible.
I ended up doing it in 7.5 mins! Was told that most athletes can make it in 5, but for a first timer I was pretty good - most newbies weren't able to get through half of the workout in 7 mins. What came as a shock to me was how my body coped with the aftermath - i could not move much or walk straight for a good 10 mins - finally dragged myself into a tram to go home and almost 45 mins after the workout felt normal. Couldn't believe how exhausted I was after a 7 min workout!!
That just shows my fitness levels need to drastically improve :-)

[Samurai]

That's very impressive Jassi. I am not surprised that it was so exhausting. People generally underestimate the bodyweight exercises.

I am 11 years older, wonder how I would have coped. I know I couldn't have done the pullups, that is something I let slip over the past decade. Unless pullups are done regularly, the muscles needed for it grow weaker.

[jassi]

Thanks Samurai!
As far as pullups, there are many ways to help get back to them - kipping is one, you can also use a strap to assist you get up.

YouTube - Assisted Band Pull Up (www.trainatp.com)

YouTube - Kipping Pull-Up Tutorial

Also most crossfit workouts can be scaled as per your fitness levels, past injuries etc. The goal at the end of the day is fitness not excelling at a specific movement or looking muscular, etc - those are just side effects :-)

[Samurai]

Rest in peace Jack LaLanne. He worked out till the day he died at 96. He passed away two days back. A legend indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_LaLanne