February Q and A thread
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Do you think switching to a 3 day routine-Mon/Wed/Fri with cardio on Tuesday/Thursday would be better for recovery? I certainly could see that it should be but I have loved what PHUL has done for me physique-wise. But, I'm not getting stronger and I am feeling a bit worn out.
No one has answered me so I will ask again. Will a 3 day lifting routine help me recover from worn out tendons & muscles? Almost 48 yr old lifter, 3 yrs lifting. My goal is recomp & strength.
My whole question & background is several questions up.
Personally a 3 day full body was more rough on my body. I am finding better recovery on a 4 day split. For a few moves, i had to increase reps and decrease load. For example bicep curls. If i aim for 70 to 85% 1RM @ 6 reps, i stuggle with recovery and tendinitis issues. When i moves to 50% load @ 10 reps i was able to achieve close to equal volume without issue.
Its possible that the design of PHUL might not allow for the recovery you need. Having said all of this, you may want to try a 3 day with cardio to see if you can recovery more.0 -
Do you think switching to a 3 day routine-Mon/Wed/Fri with cardio on Tuesday/Thursday would be better for recovery? I certainly could see that it should be but I have loved what PHUL has done for me physique-wise. But, I'm not getting stronger and I am feeling a bit worn out.
No one has answered me so I will ask again. Will a 3 day lifting routine help me recover from worn out tendons & muscles? Almost 48 yr old lifter, 3 yrs lifting. My goal is recomp & strength.
My whole question & background is several questions up.
Sorry, I either missed the question or forgot.
So it's possible that reduced frequency will help however that's not necessarily the only solution. (You could just bring per-session volume down slightly, for one example).
If you are feeling worn out AND you're not progressing then there's a good chance you are either in need of a deload to drop cumulative fatigue or you are training at a workload that is beyond your ability to recover.
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Thanks for the responses. I'm doing:
Monday-back & chest
Wednesday-quads, hams, abs
Friday-triceps, biceps, calves
Body weight warmup before lifting plus walking & 30 minutes of cardio.
I do think I was working beyond my ability to recover, previously. Hopefully, I can find out what is going on with my shoulder. I recorded myself doing chin ups a while back and my shoulders look very uneven. Right shoulder was higher.0 -
Sometimes it's not so much the volume as it is the timing. For a while I was doing M-chest/back, T-legs/shoulders, repeat R/F. I thought I was smart to separate my chest/shoulder days, which I would have if I had time between. Because they were on consecutive days I developed shoulder issues (well, that and other reasons, but my therapist said this sure didn't help).
After recovering I switched to chest/shoulders, back/legs (prior to my current fascination with Wendler). Having shoulders on the same day as chest meant I didn't lift as heavy, and that combined with actually giving them 48 hours of rest before being called upon again meant I didn't have any shoulder issues since, despite doing essentially the same exercises/volume as before when they were on different days.1 -
Thanks for the responses. I'm doing:
Monday-back & chest
Wednesday-quads, hams, abs
Friday-triceps, biceps, calves
Body weight warmup before lifting plus walking & 30 minutes of cardio.
I do think I was working beyond my ability to recover, previously. Hopefully, I can find out what is going on with my shoulder. I recorded myself doing chin ups a while back and my shoulders look very uneven. Right shoulder was higher.
I think you will likely get superior results by increasing training frequency although this is aside from the recovery issue.
I would recommend you find a way to train everything 2 to 3 times per week whether that's upper/lower or a full body or a hybrid approach where you have some full body days and some not.
Increased training frequency allows you to elevate protein synthesis more often throughout the week and I think it's likely you'll get better results both in terms of strength and body composition improvements.
As far as the injuries go, obviously you'll want to make sure you're fully recovered before upping frequency at least as far as the injured area goes.1 -
Thank you, I will look into programs to do that.0
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@DopeItUp, @TRoberts, @SideSteel , thanks for the info.
My bench has 3 inclines between flat and 90º. I'm using the middle (45º) for incline bench, mostly because it gives me the most comfortable position in combination with the heights available on my barbell rack. I've used the lower (30º) setting for dumbbell benching but have never used the higher (75º?) position. Maybe I'll try it sometime just to see how it feels. Right now 45º feels a bit better than flat for me.
On ROM, I am using full ROM but have seen videos where people use less, which made me wonder if I was doing things right or not. It sounds like I am doing them right for me.0 -
Hello, I have got some questions.
Are macros so important for fat-loss?
Whats the best way to train that is safe for fat loss? My body seems to respond better specially my lower body which is my trouble zone when I do total body strength training (3x week) rather than splitting the upper body, core, and lower body.
Is it ok to do HIIT (15min) and strength training(20-30min) at the same session?0 -
kellyshell215 wrote: »Hello, I have got some questions.
Are macros so important for fat-loss?
Whats the best way to train that is safe for fat loss? My body seems to respond better specially my lower body which is my trouble zone when I do total body strength training (3x week) rather than splitting the upper body, core, and lower body.
Is it ok to do HIIT (15min) and strength training(20-30min) at the same session?
Are macros important for fat loss
I'd say they are more important than many people given them credit for. Protein has a higher thermic effect of food (energy cost of digestion basically), it is muscle sparing, and it is generally highly satiating. Diets higher in protein TEND to do better in the literature for fat loss for these reasons.
Assuming people are getting enough dietary fat to prevent hormonal issues, I'd place protein intake first as far as macro importance.
What's the best way to train that is safe for fat loss
What's best is going to likely depend on individual factors and so the question is sort of tricky. A better question might be "what's a good way for me to lose fat" and the answer would be to find a way to get into a calorie deficit consistently and repeatedly, and train in a way that you can stick to -- and beyond that if we want to try and shoot for something close to optimal, train your entire body 2 to 3 times per week however you structure that. Full body training 3/week is fine.
Is it ok to do HIIT and strength training in the same session?
Yes, however whichever one is done last will very likely suffer in terms of performance.
Why are you opting to do HIIT?1 -
I do Hiit because I enjoy it, its quick and burns a lot of calories. I also do cardio (jumping rope, kickboxing and walking too).0
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That likely isn't HIIT, which doesn't actually burn a lot of calories compared to equal time just doing a cardio workout at decent intense level.
If you are basing the calorie burn on a HRM - then you are getting the expected results - inflated calorie burn.
Because the formula for calorie burn based on HR is only valid for steady-state (same HR 2-4 min) aerobic cardio.
Even true HIIT has HR bouncing all over, and would be anaerobic for good portions of it.
Totally opposite.
If you are doing some of the other workouts that have HIIT slapped in the descriptions to make it popular - it's likely at least the same type of attempted workout - non-steady state, and anaerobic as much as possible.
But enjoyment - can't take anything away from that.
And for many it's because it feels hard to do - like really pushing yourself.
Well, if you do that after the lifting - you'll get exactly the same feeling, albeit without really the same level of performance.
Which doesn't matter when doing it for fun!0 -
OMG, it's amazing what adding just a few pounds to a lift can do! Today my knee didn't agree with squatting at all, but it felt fine for deadlifting, so after I banged out my usual Wendler reps at the 1+ weight and felt good I decided to keep going. Pulled 405 (haven't done that high in months) and it almost felt easy going up. All excited, I loaded 425 to match my lifetime PR and pulled...my *kitten* through my belly button is what it felt like. I managed to complete the lift, but it's arguable if anybody watching would be rolling on the floor laughing at how shaky I was or simply gasping at my terrible form. Likely both.
Less than a 5% increase, and I go from textbook feeling good to barely make it on pain of death, shaking uncontrollably the entire time. Sheesh.0 -
So you are saying you could have made a successful bad-form video for the benefit and enjoyment of all?
Great news on the lifts being that much stronger.0 -
That likely isn't HIIT, which doesn't actually burn a lot of calories compared to equal time just doing a cardio workout at decent intense level.
If you are basing the calorie burn on a HRM - then you are getting the expected results - inflated calorie burn.
Because the formula for calorie burn based on HR is only valid for steady-state (same HR 2-4 min) aerobic cardio.
Even true HIIT has HR bouncing all over, and would be anaerobic for good portions of it.
Totally opposite.
If you are doing some of the other workouts that have HIIT slapped in the descriptions to make it popular - it's likely at least the same type of attempted workout - non-steady state, and anaerobic as much as possible.
But enjoyment - can't take anything away from that.
And for many it's because it feels hard to do - like really pushing yourself.
Well, if you do that after the lifting - you'll get exactly the same feeling, albeit without really the same level of performance.
Which doesn't matter when doing it for fun!
I've heard that HIIT is the best when you want to lose fat, tbh I don't like steady state cardio and I just can't spend 40 or more minutes doing something I don't like and also not always I hate time to workout so doing 20 minutes of HIIT (I mean burpees, push-up jacks, mountain climbers, lunge jumps, etc) than doing running for 20 minutes or 20minutes of weightlifting, right?0 -
HIIT is good for fat loss in the same way lifting is good for fat loss (this is accepting a deficit in eating is actually being done of course) - you do damage to the muscles, and during recovery they must repair.
Increased metabolism.
But make no mistake - the fat loss is coming from a deficit in eating - not the exercise.
If eating at maintenance hoping to recomp - gain muscle and lose fat - you need something really tearing the muscle up, or the body won't feel the need to make it stronger, and eventually make more of it.
HIIT is as close to lifting as you'll get doing cardio for those specific muscles - Very high effort movement, rest or slow down, repeat.
But if you can lift and only so much time - skip the HIIT, and do the workout that will transform the body even more.
You are describing calisthenics though, not HIIT.
HIIT - High Intensity Interval Training
Which means the activity you are doing can be done without the intervals as a form of exercise too.
The things you describe are intense by nature - there is no non-intense version of them.
And since intense, you are only going to do a short time, or interval of them anyway.
But you stop doing them, and either move to something else or rest, then do them or something else.
You don't keep doing them at a reduced rate.
Now picture you are jogging. Sprint as fast as you can for 15-30 sec, now jog for 45-90 sec. Repeat for about 10 intervals.
That's HIIT.
Which isn't even the same as Short Interval Training, or regular intervals. Which are based on sub-maximal but usually longer intervals of hard effort.
And they are all meant to train different parts of the aerobic system - usually to help your cardio in some way.
What you are doing is just intense cardio - which is great.
Eventually you'll reach the point you can only do jumping jacks so fast, then it's no longer a stress on your body that requires improvement.
Same with burpees or lunges.
And even right now, probably about as much stress on the cardio system as the muscular system, so not as body transforming visually as other things could be.
But can still be a great workout. Even more so if you enjoy and will do it.
And yeah - the HIIT term is being slapped on all manner of workouts that aren't even close.
But again, if you have weight to lose along with fat to reach a healthy weight - the deficit eating will have more an effect than the workouts.
Yours will at least be asking the body to keep the muscle.2 -
Thanks @heybales
One more thing is it bad to lift weights and HIIT first thing in the morning (fasted)?
What If I don't get enough protein from my diet, while I'm on a defict, I still lose fat or I store it, because of the high amounts of carbs (being transformed to fat)?
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Carbs aren't transformed to fat unless you eat so many that in the 3-5 hrs insulin is elevated your liver stores get totally topped off, your muscle glucose stores get topped off, and your immediate energy needs don't use up the rest.
Then they will be converted to fat.
If deficit eating - that's not easy to make happen, but if in a deficit, it doesn't matter if it does. You'll still burn more fat at other times then.
Your calisthenic workouts if indeed intense are probably big part glucose burner - you got stores to top off.
And that means doing it fasted in morning just depends on your mental ability with possibly low blood sugar - depends on when you ate the night before, and how active before bed.
Your muscles got the stores needed to do it no problem.
If you literally have 12 hrs since last meal and are active from dinner till bed - could be a bad workout fasted compared to eating something small.
Since the "feeling" is the same - pushing as hard as you can, you really have to compare both methods to see if the weight actually feels easier if you do eat something first, compared to doing it fasted.
If you don't get enough protein, that has nothing to do with lose or store fat.
If not enough for body's needs - some of the daily muscle that is broken down under normal functions and from exercise just won't get built back up - body will use protein for what is used most. It will likely impair recovery and getting stronger from the workouts, which is usually the purpose of the workout in the first place.
In the stickies of this group is a great primer on what is enough protein and fat you should be focused on, letting the remaining calories fall to carbs.
You would do well to read through that.
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