April Q and A thread
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macchiatto wrote: »I appreciate your thoughts on reverse dieting since I'm doing that now, too. I also just got a Fitbit Charge 2 last week so playing around with that to help give me an idea, too. (I definitely think that's increased my NEAT over the past week.
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Last year I got to maintenance and started to recomp. I wanted to try YAYOG for starters but I kept having issues with minor injuries so I ended up in PT for several months. I was told I have hypermobility along with some weakness issues (possibly related to my MS).
When I was discharged from PT, the therapist recommended that for strength I stick to body weight training or machines since she thought the risk of injuring myself with free weights might be an issue with my hypermobility. Thoughts on that? I have read so much about the benefits of free weights over machines, I hate to hear that, but also don't want to be stupid and keep injuring myself. (I am about to start recomping after a race on Saturday, planning to start with YAYOG again but wondering where to go from there and if there's a way to maximize benefits from body weight training and machines if I want to keep improving long-term.)
So first of all please do not take this as medical advice nor is this meant to be taken over the advice you were given from your PT.
If I were going to resistance train using freeweights and I had hypermobility, I would be careful to monitor joint positions typically at end-ranges of ROM on lifts.
Example -- if you had elbow hypermobility you'd want to make sure you're not hypertextending the elbows at the lockout on a bench press.
I can't say with certainty whether or not freeweight training would be more or less dangerous than machines. You can still hyperextend joints using machines.1 -
Thank you, @SideSteel! Good food for thought, and I'm glad you mentioned the possibility of hyperextending on machines as well since that's good for me to be mindful of.
I know I'm probably getting ahead of myself since it will take me a while to get through the levels of YAYOG anyway. Can any of the commonly recommended beginner lifting programs (Starting Strength, NROLFW, etc.) be modified to be done using only machines rather than freeweights?0 -
macchiatto wrote: »Thank you, @SideSteel! Good food for thought, and I'm glad you mentioned the possibility of hyperextending on machines as well since that's good for me to be mindful of.
I know I'm probably getting ahead of myself since it will take me a while to get through the levels of YAYOG anyway. Can any of the commonly recommended beginner lifting programs (Starting Strength, NROLFW, etc.) be modified to be done using only machines rather than freeweights?
I wouldn't modify something like starting strength to use machines since SS is fundamentally designed to rapidly build strength at specific barbell lifts, and one of the main features of some of these lifts (like the squat for example) is that it incorporates a very high number of total muscle groups. This makes it very conducive to rapid increases in strength (because that strength is distributed across a large percentage of your body, basically).
Having said that, I would still follow some general principles of training when using machines, like building a progression into the exercises so that you are able to get stronger and potentially build muscle --- you'd just do this progression at an appropriate pace for the exercise.
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That makes sense. Thanks!0
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Can anyone offer some help, I'm not very knowledgeable in deciphering good vs bad ingredients in whey protein. I went on Amazon to order protein and noticed there's a new formula out. Has anyone compared this new formula, other than the basics (scoop/cals), of Now Foods Whey Protein, Vanilla with Glutamine to the NOW Foods Whey Protein Isolate Vanilla?
https://smile.amazon.com/Now-Protein-Vanilla-Glutamine-2-Pound/dp/B001B4R0XE/ref=cm_cd_al_qh_dp_t
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013P1HVC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=ALAQHED7P69VI&th=10 -
The isolate looks pretty standard, though I could do without the Xanthan, some people like the thicker texture.
The standard whey however, has too many fillers for my taste, especially the fructose. For the love of god, why? If you're going to put sugar in a protein product and charge a stupid price for it, at least use dextrose.
Either way, they're both overpriced AF.1 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »The isolate looks pretty standard, though I could do without the Xanthan, some people like the thicker texture.
Is that what makes it thicker!
Finding a good supplement is so difficult, it feels like you need a degree!
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If you are looking for whey protein for general purposes I would check out PEScience. They make great tasting whey/casein blends and the calorie/macro content is pretty good.
IMO if you get 23-25g/protein at ~110-130 cals that's pretty solid.
Regarding your original post I can't see a reason to add glutamine to whey protein.2 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »The isolate looks pretty standard, though I could do without the Xanthan, some people like the thicker texture.
Is that what makes it thicker!
Finding a good supplement is so difficult, it feels like you need a degree!
Check out www.labdoor.com for quality. I just go down the list and see which ones I can get for around $12-15 per lb.3 -
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What do you think about fasted strength training? I'm [finally] starting into lifting regularly and don't normally eat in the morning. Will it make any difference in strength ability or energy if I don't eat until later in the day? Thanks in advance!0
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tiffanylacourse wrote: »What do you think about fasted strength training? I'm [finally] starting into lifting regularly and don't normally eat in the morning. Will it make any difference in strength ability or energy if I don't eat until later in the day? Thanks in advance!
You can certainly try it to see if you have a decrease in performance. Personally, fasted workouts are not suitable for me.
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I had a performance decrease for about 2 weeks, but then things picked right back up to normal.1
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I lift first thing after waking in the morning typically, and don't want to lift with anything in my stomach, so I've been doing fasted lifting for years without an issue. Take that with a grain of salt, however... who knows how my lifting would go if I actually had time to eat and partially digest something first. Maybe I'd be lifting far heavier than I am now!1
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tiffanylacourse wrote: »What do you think about fasted strength training? I'm [finally] starting into lifting regularly and don't normally eat in the morning. Will it make any difference in strength ability or energy if I don't eat until later in the day? Thanks in advance!tiffanylacourse wrote: »What do you think about fasted strength training? I'm [finally] starting into lifting regularly and don't normally eat in the morning. Will it make any difference in strength ability or energy if I don't eat until later in the day? Thanks in advance!
I think it's likely sub-optimal for the majority of people, but if you enjoy it and you can train fine that way, have at it.
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I lift first thing after waking in the morning typically, and don't want to lift with anything in my stomach, so I've been doing fasted lifting for years without an issue. Take that with a grain of salt, however... who knows how my lifting would go if I actually had time to eat and partially digest something first. Maybe I'd be lifting far heavier than I am now!
Right now I'm doing Strong Curves and lifting for more aesthetic goals than for strength, so I'm thinking maybe - for now at least - that lifting first thing in the morning (before eating) might be fine. Only way to know is to try, right?tiffanylacourse wrote: »What do you think about fasted strength training? I'm [finally] starting into lifting regularly and don't normally eat in the morning. Will it make any difference in strength ability or energy if I don't eat until later in the day? Thanks in advance!tiffanylacourse wrote: »What do you think about fasted strength training? I'm [finally] starting into lifting regularly and don't normally eat in the morning. Will it make any difference in strength ability or energy if I don't eat until later in the day? Thanks in advance!
I think it's likely sub-optimal for the majority of people, but if you enjoy it and you can train fine that way, have at it.
Thank you. Like I said above, my goals are mainly aesthetic right now more than strength based, but definitely looking forward to being stronger and smaller. Thanks!
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@SideSteel .. just out of curiosity.. what kind of success have you found with your female clients recomping?
For example, you have a hypothetical female, she is already pretty lean, however she is unhappy about the fat around her legs/thighs and lack of definition there. She also doesn't have great glute size and would like that to improve as well. She is in the perfect position to bulk, but she is really uncomfortable with the idea. She thinks she has to cut more but she knows that will not improve her glute situation and really is confused about recomp and how it can work for her.
I do not doubt recomping can work.. I have seen some results, but to be honest I haven't seen a lot of female success especially in terms of glute muscle growth. Just curious what kind of results you have seen with your female clients in a similar scenario.
Thanks
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@SideSteel I've recently been doing a LOT of reading on Tuchscherer's RTS and TRAC system, and had even started tracking my lifting and recovery stats using the apps on his website. I am definitely liking the science and ideas behind fatigue based training, RPE, etc.
However, what I am finding odd/interesting, is that even after incorporating Joker sets into my 5/3/1 program, still doing AMRAPs to 9-9.5 RPE, jacking up the weight on my OSfS assistance work to 8-9, barely eating maintenance kcals, doing HIIT sessions 2-3x/week AND skipping deload for three cycles, I don't appear to be having any notable recovery issues. TRAC seems to concur with how I am feeling. As such, I am starting to wonder if perhaps even Beyond 5/3/1 just isn't enough work for what my body is capable of handling.
I have certainly been getting stronger on the program, but considering that I have only been lifting again since August, I would expect the kind of volume and weight that I am pushing to be a bit more punishing than what I am feeling. I have considered moving on to something much more aggressive like Jamie Lewis' Destroy the Opposition program (breakdown here: http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/destroy-the-opposition/) and am curious as to your thoughts. It just seems like even after taking Wendler's accessory work from bodybuilder-esque crap to a more strength focused rep range (4-6), adding in heavier volume via Jokers, and completely ignoring the deload protocol, that it's flat out not enough stress.0 -
Gallowmere1984 wrote: »@SideSteel I've recently been doing a LOT of reading on Tuchscherer's RTS and TRAC system, and had even started tracking my lifting and recovery stats using the apps on his website. I am definitely liking the science and ideas behind fatigue based training, RPE, etc.
However, what I am finding odd/interesting, is that even after incorporating Joker sets into my 5/3/1 program, still doing AMRAPs to 9-9.5 RPE, jacking up the weight on my OSfS assistance work to 8-9, barely eating maintenance kcals, doing HIIT sessions 2-3x/week AND skipping deload for three cycles, I don't appear to be having any notable recovery issues. TRAC seems to concur with how I am feeling. As such, I am starting to wonder if perhaps even Beyond 5/3/1 just isn't enough work for what my body is capable of handling.
I have certainly been getting stronger on the program, but considering that I have only been lifting again since August, I would expect the kind of volume and weight that I am pushing to be a bit more punishing than what I am feeling. I have considered moving on to something much more aggressive like Jamie Lewis' Destroy the Opposition program (breakdown here: http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/destroy-the-opposition/) and am curious as to your thoughts. It just seems like even after taking Wendler's accessory work from bodybuilder-esque crap to a more strength focused rep range (4-6), adding in heavier volume via Jokers, and completely ignoring the deload protocol, that it's flat out not enough stress.
I glanced at the program template without looking at the specific volume and load assignments and I generally like it.
My very vague/general advice would be to increase training frequency on main movements.
Something like 3/week squats, 2-4/week bench, 1-2/week deadlift.
The program you listed looks like 3/2/1 on S/b/d.0
