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This response is very true. Your muscles work together in groups. So you really have to think holistically when working out. This helps ensure a balanced physique from not only an aesthetic standpoint but also a functional/mobility standpoint. Example: if you over develop the chest compared to the back you make your…

I have the same problem. Not much can be done other than curse the genetics inherited from mom. Its kind of weird since my wrists are thicker than average.

Are you doing low bar or high bar squats?

Actually Stronglifts or Starting Strength (or other variations of these) are actually pretty awesome for most sports. I would use these as the basis for a training program and add in sport specific accessory work. There are exceptions but for most sports this formula works really well.

I think there are a few reasons: 1) a lot of men are only worried about training the visible parts of their upper body 2) a lot of women think they will make their legs bulky 3) people are afraid to do them 4) they are hard to do (meaning a lot of people don't like to do difficult tasks) 5) some people are afraid of making…

Well I'm not a doctor but that sounds exactly like runners knee. Your knee cap (patella) rides on a groove. A lot of time if you have muscle imbalances or tightness your knee cap can get pulled slightly to one side causing the underside to rub on one of the two ridges of the groove. It is fixable over time but you have to…

To do that in one day is actually dangerous.

Where is the pain? On the underside of the kneecap or on the tendon directly below the knee or someplace else?

Have you ever tried this exercise for your ham strings? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi9Em1LFiTE They are friggen hard.

In the pic you are doing a 3/4 highbar squat. You will get more hamstring activation if you get below parallel on a low bar squat. To do this, the bar needs to rest farther down your back, your legs need to be wider, and you need to go 3 to 4 inches deeper. You also look like you are breaking at the knees as opposed to the…

I don't know, but 4 weeks of an exercise program is not going to have that noticeable of an impact. Its sounds like you are gaining fat or retaining water which can be noticeable in that time frame. I suspect you may be eating more than you think.

Do you have a pic or video showing how deep you are going on squats?

Your run of the mill trainer is probably not appropriate for your goals. Find a trainer that power lifts.

Not knowing how much loose skin you have this is kind of a hard question to address. Assuming you have a lot its probably going to be tough for you to build enough muscle tissue to make a visible difference in this regard.

I used to live about a mile from Regent. Have not lived in Madison for 5 years so these must be fairly recent.

My shins bleed sometimes. Sometimes I wear sweats when dead-lifting to alleviate this.

I used to live in Madison. Never ran across that before.

I don't eat mammals. Is there a name for that?

That is not too much time at the gym. What kind of trouble did you get into?

A couple more points. Bar position affects how far you can go down. It is more difficult to do A2G squats when performing Low bar. You don't really need to train A2G unless maybe you are doing Olympic lifting, but then you are probably doing high bar and/or front squats.

See the pic in the link. The crease where your hip meats your torso should be slightly below knee as indicated by the yellow arrow. http://www.usapowerlifting.com/newsletter/06/novice/squata.jpg *kitten* to grass squats are more dangerous for your lower back than your knees. What happens to most people when they squat A2G…

Take a read through this website: http://www.builtlean.com/2011/03/30/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain-naturally/ I think it is pretty accurate in determining how big you can get naturally. I know this isn't exactly what you are asking but I think it is related. Like a previous poster stated if its still working don't change…

Get some of these: http://www.amazon.com/P90X-Chin-up-Max-Pull-up-Assist/dp/B005DA64QG Those work really well. Also depending on how heavy you are you may need to lose some weight as well.

How big (weight/height) are you now and what is your body comp? If you are natural and have been lifting for 2 years consistently you probably have gained a majority of the weight you will gain naturally. After that it is really difficult.

Shoulder mobility is definitely important to be able to clamp the bar down. You could try doing shoulder dislocates. Start with a towel so they are not so difficult

If you can find a good trainer they can help you with mobility issues. There are good ones but its tough to find one. From my experience the fact that they are certified is not a good indicator of ability as a trainer. That is why I always suggest a physical therapist for mobility evaluations. A side benefit is that your…

I have not read this whole string, but exercise will not burn that many calories. Diet is way more important in regards to losing weight. Cardio is great for gaining the ability to exert moderate effort over a sustained period of time. Strength training is great for training yourself to exert more force for short duration,…

One other thing to add, if it just hurts when you squat down then it may just be muscle tightness. If that's the case then you just need to do stretches and work on body weight squats for a while until you limber up. In addition performing a heavy warmup may alleviate this as well.

If you are trying to get into ketosis (which is the point of a ketogenic diet), you don't need to overthink it too much. You have to worry about your daily carb intake which needs to be less than 50 grams typically. Some people can go higher some can go lower. Just googling I found this: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/…

Your diet will be be your biggest factor with weight loss. In regards to exercise I would prioritize weight training since it helps maintain lean body weight while dieting and you will look better once the fat comes off. Treadmill and other cardio are fine but less beneficial.