jasonheyd Member

My understanding is that you generally don't want to round your lower back at all, period, regardless of the variation you're using. Unfortunately, that's not easy to do with just a bar, regardless of your height & skeletal build. I'd imagine that the shorter you are, the easier it'll be with smaller plates but (as you can…

So, a few thoughts, and no idea if any of them apply to your situation... I know you've posted more details about your routine specifics, but my memory ain't what it should be. :-) If you're tweaking All Pro's routine -- adding exercises, doing additional strength training, adding too much hard cardio, adding more than 10%…

Agreed... This isn't necessarily a kick-you-in-the-a__ routine, although it WILL get harder week to week as you increase the reps and cycle to cycle as you increase the weight, and you may find that specific muscle groups feel more tired than others from week to week or cycle to cycle. From my own experience, I think the…

Here's a good resource on deadlift forms, including the RDL and SLDL variants: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=112127931 Unless you're well-practiced, I really think the form differences between the RDL and SLDL can be difficult to execute... After taking some videos of myself doing these, I find that it's…

Totally up to you & whether you think you might get some use out of it. I still use mine here and there -- and there are some things that I think it's good for, including blending light cardio & resistance into one workout -- but if it's going to be a clothes rack, then you might to get a few bucks for it off of CL. If…

Yeah, you should be able to get someone to take it off your hands. :) I have one & still use it for some things, even though most of my workouts are barbell / dumbbell now. I'd actually like to find the attachment for adding extra weight to the Total Gym, but they don't seem to make it for my model anymore. :P

My dog ate my homework. At band camp. True story.

I thought this was interesting, from the All Pro's Simple Beginner's Routine FAQ... I've got a ways to go before I'm a non-beginner. =/

I'm pretty sure I'd snap like a twig if I tried to lift even 325. :-)

Pretty sure you're going to be just fine with the one you picked... If you get to the point of squatting 1000 lbs. you can reward yourself with a bigger power rack. ;-)

I believe the primary reason the altimeter was removed was to save on space... The actual Flex tracker is tiny compared to the Ultra / One. With that said, the altimeter definitely confuses people... It actually tracks air pressure changes, which can occur independent of altitude changes and has very little to do with…

You can definitely put a bench in the 2nd one (PowerlIne) and I can't imagine it wouldn't fit in the first ... but, in general, it should be easy to verify whether a bench would fit just by checking the dimensions. They're probably at least roughly similar. The PowerLine does have a chinning bar as well, by the way, but no…

Flex can also be worn while swimming, showering, etc. and the Flex does track sleep just like the One. The biggest advantage with the Flex is that, in theory, you never have to take it off. With the One, you can't get it wet, and you have to move it into a special sleep band if you want to track sleep. You also have to…

2nd one is the one I'll be getting as well. Gets good reviews from a lot of folks I've talked to.

The biggest problem with cardio is that it can interfere with your strength training. The extent to which that happens will depend on the routine that you pick, how well you space it out, and what type / intensity of cardio. That's one thing that I do like about All Pro's program... There's a royal boat-load of related…

GetSoda's asking the key question. :) The nutshell version is going to be "lift heavy". Basically you want to look at one of a few good exercise routines that focus on core compound exercises & a steady progression. Probably the most popular are Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength, All Pro's Simple Beginner's Routine, and…

2 oz of uncooked pasta (the normal serving size from the box) is usually about 1 cp of cooked pasta.

Probably less the creatine and more just muscles retaining water in order to repair after exercise. ... assuming you're not taking insane amounts of creatine. If you're trying a "load" phase, then it could be a contributing factor I suppose. Everyone's probably a little different, but I never noticed weight gain from it.…

Only from the web site I believe, not on the mobile app (or at least, not on the iPhone app -- not sure about Android).

That's the "newbie effect" that I mentioned. It's possible to eat at a (slight) deficit, build muscle, and lose weight if you've never done resistance training or haven't done it for a considerable period of time. It's basically a brief period of time where your muscles go from flaccid noodles to where they should be, and…

If you're doing squats correctly, your knees should be fine... Take a look around Google for Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength" squat HOWTO. If you do squats incorrectly, then yes -- you can irritate existing or create new issues in the knees, hips, and back. Having had some knee, hip, and back issues (lucky me!), I can…

Yep, that right there was the break point for me. I still use dumbbells for the warm-ups, but getting the heavy dumbbells into position for the work weight sets is a recipe for disaster. :)

Ok, found what I was looking for: "Q7: I like doing pull-ups, push-ups, and standing on my head. Can I add in those exercises into the routine? A: do not add any extra exercises until you have completed a minimum of 3 cycles. Once you're going into the fourth, and you feel like you need to do some extra work on certain…

Yep, it is. :) Personally, I think two better (but equally "simple") routines are All Pro's Simple Beginner's Routine, and Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843&page=1 http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=131379243&page=1 With that said, I think the NROL stuff's…

Actually, I should amend that... At the beginning, you don't want to mess with the routine. I've seen a few posts in the main thread where he's posted that it's okay to add an exercise after going through a few cycles. For example, adding in upright rows (which, I believe, can also be used in place of curls from the…

Nope, don't change the program. :) The routine's built the way it is for a lot of reasons... From what I've seen, the easiest way to hit a plateau or run into other problems is to mess around with the routine, and it does get harder as you progress, believe me! If you check out the related threads on BodyBuilding.com…

Ah! Gotcha. I saw you mention a smith machine... You can use that for calf raises as well -- in fact, I think that's a better use of it than for squats, but that's just me. ;-) Another option is to use a leg-press machine, but that may not be an "at home" option. In general, since I spend my off days on running / walking,…

Sounds like you need to zero in on your 10 RM with the calf raises, although I believe All Pro also said they can be treated as optional. :)

It's definitely not an exact science. :) It's taken a while for me to get things "dialed in" in a way that works for me. I set my profile to sedentary, wear a Fitbit to automate adjustments in my activity level above sedentary (which is most days but, if I'm having a lazy day, Fitbit does the thinking for me by giving me a…

See my comments above. :) I agree that wearing the HRM during training, including lifting, is a good idea... But for "standard" lifting routines, it's most useful for targeting specific heart rate levels during your sets. Unfortunately, it's just not that accurate for estimating calorie burns (unless you're talking blended…