Saturday night Q and A

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Replies

  • Tamlyngo
    Tamlyngo Posts: 96 Member
    I'm working on maintaining wt, losing bf and increasing muscle. I'm 5'5", 122#, ~23%bf and hitting my macros well and doing strength training 5x week with a little cardio. My question is how much cardio do I really need (not a fan). And what kind would you recommend?
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    Speaking of squats - if you are low on cartilage in the knees - not quite bone on bone yet, will that also keep you from going deeper or heavier to build muscle?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Tamlyngo wrote: »
    I'm working on maintaining wt, losing bf and increasing muscle. I'm 5'5", 122#, ~23%bf and hitting my macros well and doing strength training 5x week with a little cardio. My question is how much cardio do I really need (not a fan). And what kind would you recommend?

    If you don't like cardio, and you're active and you are able to eat at maintenance intake without adherence problems then I wouldn't do cardio.

    This is not me saying that cardio is useless, but it's not a necessity so if you don't like it, and you're okay with not doing any, don't do any.

  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    I don't have a specific question, but I'm loving all the great answers in this thread, so I'm posting to say:

    You rock, SideSteel!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    amyepdx wrote: »
    Speaking of squats - if you are low on cartilage in the knees - not quite bone on bone yet, will that also keep you from going deeper or heavier to build muscle?

    This would be a question that

    a) I don't know the answer to
    and
    b) should best be answered by someone more qualified

    I can tell you that it's fairly common for people to get cartilage wear and tear in the knee and I can also tell you that I'll be squatting until it hurts like hell but neither of these facts answer your question.

    Sorry!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    I don't have a specific question, but I'm loving all the great answers in this thread, so I'm posting to say:

    You rock, SideSteel!

    Thanks! Good to be back posting on the forums.

    I think this is the first Q&A that I've done in the main forums. I typically do them in the Eat, Train, Progress group. I like to share my opinions with people but an additional side benefit is that these cause me to either revisit things or I just get stumped and sometimes I end up learning something new in the process.
  • amyepdx
    amyepdx Posts: 750 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    amyepdx wrote: »
    Speaking of squats - if you are low on cartilage in the knees - not quite bone on bone yet, will that also keep you from going deeper or heavier to build muscle?

    This would be a question that

    a) I don't know the answer to
    and
    b) should best be answered by someone more qualified

    I can tell you that it's fairly common for people to get cartilage wear and tear in the knee and I can also tell you that I'll be squatting until it hurts like hell but neither of these facts answer your question.

    Sorry!
    I'm hoping 50 more lbs lost will also help - 59 lost so far. I agree - squats are worth the pain!
  • Tamlyngo
    Tamlyngo Posts: 96 Member
    No cardio necessary! You just became my BFF :)
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    amyepdx wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    amyepdx wrote: »
    Speaking of squats - if you are low on cartilage in the knees - not quite bone on bone yet, will that also keep you from going deeper or heavier to build muscle?

    This would be a question that

    a) I don't know the answer to
    and
    b) should best be answered by someone more qualified

    I can tell you that it's fairly common for people to get cartilage wear and tear in the knee and I can also tell you that I'll be squatting until it hurts like hell but neither of these facts answer your question.

    Sorry!
    I'm hoping 50 more lbs lost will also help - 59 lost so far. I agree - squats are worth the pain!

    Well being practical about this I would say that if you are experiencing knee pain during the squat AND you don't have strong desires to compete with the squat, you could entertain the idea of finding a suitable replacement exercise to see if you can find something that doesn't hurt.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    I don't have a specific question, but I'm loving all the great answers in this thread, so I'm posting to say:

    You rock, SideSteel!

    He does, doesn't he?

    SideSteel, so glad you are back here!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    I don't have a specific question, but I'm loving all the great answers in this thread, so I'm posting to say:

    You rock, SideSteel!

    He does, doesn't he?

    SideSteel, so glad you are back here!

    Thanks! I still log in frequently to check PMs and to spy on my clients diaries on occasion. Just been so busy that I haven't been posting as much =(
  • rune1990
    rune1990 Posts: 543 Member
    Ok I got one for ya.

    When I walk outside my Fitbit app says I do a mile in 17 min something ( it's written in feet and inches on the app ex 17'34") but when I walk on the treadmill my speed is set at 3.5.


    How do these two numbers correlate?
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    rune1990 wrote: »
    Ok I got one for ya.

    When I walk outside my Fitbit app says I do a mile in 17 min something ( it's written in feet and inches on the app ex 17'34") but when I walk on the treadmill my speed is set at 3.5.


    How do these two numbers correlate?
    Maybe I can help. They're about the same. 17 min 34 sec is about 17.5 min. Divide that into 60 min. to get the mph.
    60/17.5=3.4 mph
    Remember those problems in math class about rate x time = distance that we all hated? That's what this is!
    Good job walking!!
  • rune1990
    rune1990 Posts: 543 Member
    That's awesome, thanks!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    I don't have a specific question, but I'm loving all the great answers in this thread, so I'm posting to say:

    You rock, SideSteel!

    +10000000
  • shrcpr
    shrcpr Posts: 885 Member
    I know it's Sunday morning so maybe the Q&A is closed, but... I've read on here about the importance of weight training and sufficient protein in preserving muscle mass during weight loss. My question is around body weight exercises as opposed to using actual weights. Basically, I really love Insanity workouts. They are touted as intense cardio conditioning, and they are, but they are also heavy on body weight exercises (lunges, squats, all varieties of push-ups, ab work, etc.). I know that I've gained quite a bit of strength doing these workouts but are they effective at preserving muscle mass during weight loss?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    shrcpr wrote: »
    I know it's Sunday morning so maybe the Q&A is closed, but... I've read on here about the importance of weight training and sufficient protein in preserving muscle mass during weight loss. My question is around body weight exercises as opposed to using actual weights. Basically, I really love Insanity workouts. They are touted as intense cardio conditioning, and they are, but they are also heavy on body weight exercises (lunges, squats, all varieties of push-ups, ab work, etc.). I know that I've gained quite a bit of strength doing these workouts but are they effective at preserving muscle mass during weight loss?

    Done intelligently, body weight training can be effective. Please see previous replies in this thread regarding Horton's 10 minute program only because my reply to that post gives some applicable context to your question.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    momar23 wrote: »
    I started lifting weights this year and I'm wondering if I have to keep increasing the weight I lift? I'm not worried about getting bulky but I have terrible knees and a back issue so I am more concerned about injury.
    For example I'm currently doing 3 sets of 10 barbell squats at 90lbs, I can't squat much more than 90 degrees because of my knee issue. Am I not going to see any results if I don't keep increasing the weight? I feel like I probably could lift more with less reps other than the worry about my joints.

    Depends on your goals. If your goal is to grow muscle then you're going to need to progressively increase the training stimulus and one way to do this is to increase the load on the bar. You could also increase the number of repetitions, you could decrease rest time between sets, you could add total sets, etc.

    You could try to perform different lifts that may not be as demanding on the knees and see if you can progress those lifts instead.

    Hey, if you're still around, I wanted to ask about increasing load, vs increasing reps or sets. My understanding was always that "lift to failure" was the most important aspect, regardless of how you get to that last rep. Right or wrong?

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    momar23 wrote: »
    I started lifting weights this year and I'm wondering if I have to keep increasing the weight I lift? I'm not worried about getting bulky but I have terrible knees and a back issue so I am more concerned about injury.
    For example I'm currently doing 3 sets of 10 barbell squats at 90lbs, I can't squat much more than 90 degrees because of my knee issue. Am I not going to see any results if I don't keep increasing the weight? I feel like I probably could lift more with less reps other than the worry about my joints.

    Depends on your goals. If your goal is to grow muscle then you're going to need to progressively increase the training stimulus and one way to do this is to increase the load on the bar. You could also increase the number of repetitions, you could decrease rest time between sets, you could add total sets, etc.

    You could try to perform different lifts that may not be as demanding on the knees and see if you can progress those lifts instead.

    Hey, if you're still around, I wanted to ask about increasing load, vs increasing reps or sets. My understanding was always that "lift to failure" was the most important aspect, regardless of how you get to that last rep. Right or wrong?

    Failure is not a requirement to make strength or hypertrophy gains.

    I seldom train to failure but used intelligently it allow you to increase volume and overreach.

    I also tend to go closer to failure on isolation lifts vs compounds, and the higher the technical complexity of the movement the less likely/often I would go to failure.

    Exceptions being peaking phases for a meet where I'll be doing heavy sets of 1-3, often flirting with failure.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    edited October 2015
    SideSteel wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    momar23 wrote: »
    I started lifting weights this year and I'm wondering if I have to keep increasing the weight I lift? I'm not worried about getting bulky but I have terrible knees and a back issue so I am more concerned about injury.
    For example I'm currently doing 3 sets of 10 barbell squats at 90lbs, I can't squat much more than 90 degrees because of my knee issue. Am I not going to see any results if I don't keep increasing the weight? I feel like I probably could lift more with less reps other than the worry about my joints.

    Depends on your goals. If your goal is to grow muscle then you're going to need to progressively increase the training stimulus and one way to do this is to increase the load on the bar. You could also increase the number of repetitions, you could decrease rest time between sets, you could add total sets, etc.

    You could try to perform different lifts that may not be as demanding on the knees and see if you can progress those lifts instead.

    Hey, if you're still around, I wanted to ask about increasing load, vs increasing reps or sets. My understanding was always that "lift to failure" was the most important aspect, regardless of how you get to that last rep. Right or wrong?

    Failure is not a requirement to make strength or hypertrophy gains.

    I seldom train to failure but used intelligently it allow you to increase volume and overreach.

    I also tend to go closer to failure on isolation lifts vs compounds, and the higher the technical complexity of the movement the less likely/often I would go to failure.

    Exceptions being peaking phases for a meet where I'll be doing heavy sets of 1-3, often flirting with failure.

    Thanks. But your answer makes me realize how rudimentary my knowledge is. Do you have a link to some sort of strength training primer that you have authored or the content of which you agree with?

    ETA: Wait! I found what I was looking for.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/10118-eat-train-progress

    and specifically

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/850719/strength-training-the-basics


This discussion has been closed.