contingencyplan Member

Many people use strength training as a synonym for resistance training, which is a very global term which more or less means anything that places a load (even a light one) on the muscles. This is incorrect. Strength training is a TYPE of resistance training. It is training with the goal of building strength, which is done…

Oh definitely =)

Thighs, butt, and hamstrings are where your body's ability to generate explosive bursts of power (jumping, sprinting, etc) comes from. When they don't LOOK like they're capable of generating that kind of power, it doesn't quite look right IMO.

TNT used to have a tradition of remaking the classic Christmas Carol/Scrooge story every year, changing the setting/actors and putting a new spin on it every time. My favorite one was a version called Ebenezer which starred Jack Palance as the role of Ebenezer Scrooge and took place in a Western setting.

I'm not real good with "first thing in the morning" workouts because it takes me a good amount of time to gather myself (in terms of coordination, balance, and other things) after waking. Plus I just plain perform like crap when I don't have some food in my tummy. So realistically speaking I wouldn't be doing anything I…

Isolation lifts are merely accessories to compound. A program based entirely on isolation lifts serves virtually no real purpose except in the realm of physical therapy.

It's cool =) No offense taken. I just get overly concerned about people in general taking it to an unhealthy/obsessive level and I feel the need to try to do something about it. Currently I'm on a weird oddball workout regimen that has me following a 2 day a week schedule. When I first started, I added more stuff in…

Better than everyone else? No. I posted in this thread because I see a lot of people falling into extremely regimented eating and workout habits, sometimes taking it to a level that constitutes an unhealthy obsession. And part of getting fit/healthy is emotional. Accepting, acknowledging, and even enjoying that sometimes,…

We're very big on trying to keep to the Italian Christmas feast of the seven fishes here (or rather the bastardized Americanized version of it lol). We have a seafood banquet at our house that will last from lunch time until dinner time, and my sister is coming over at 7-8 am to help us set things up. It's something that…

We have company coming over on Christmas and they will pretty much be there from dawn to about 9-10pm.

Making it a point to get up at 5 am on a holiday after being up until 2 am the night before (midnight Christmas Eve mass) sounds seriously counterproductive considering the importance of rest/sleep in terms of fitness. Of course if you have the luxury of getting to bed earlier by all means. In any case, shorting myself on…

I cannot fathom the idea of trying to squeeze in a workout on Christmas day. From the time I wake up to the time I go to bed at night, I will be with family.

Double cheeseburger if I have a lot of calories to burn. Grilled chicken sandwich if I don't.

When training for a half marathon you shouldn't be supplementing it with a program like this. You won't see the improvements you need in running because you will be overworking yourself. Wait until after you're done training for the half.

I'm a fan of some of the "hero" mechs myself, but the only ones I would say really offer a significant advantage over their c-bill acquired counterparts are the Ilya Muromets, Jester, and Misery. I have the Ilya, Jester, Yen-Lo-Wang, Dragon Slayer, Heavy Metal, X-5, and Firebrand. Despite all of that, my best performing…

You're comparing a program aimed at novices new to strength training to something aimed at competing powerlifters. Are you at the level of a competing powerlifter? Great, do the Cube method. Are you a novice? Great, do Stronglifts or an equivalent.

Actually these workouts are even MORE suited to younger people, such as children, than adults. I've done Insanity workouts and it isn't all that different from the stuff we had to do as a WARMUP to playing organized team sports in elementary school.

Pretty much all kids I know would be laughing after a round of Insanity. It would be hard for them but they could handle more easy.

If you want to do kettlebell workouts at home and are confident your form is good (meaning NOT what's in the JM videos) look up youtube channel kitty8tim. Best at home kettlebell workouts on youtube. And yes you will need to get heavier ones. Power rack beats bench. If you have a choice of one, get a power rack, because it…

Body Recomposition, which is commonly confused with "lean bulking" (and depending on the context they CAN be one and the same but not necessarily) is the act of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. It happens easily when you are first starting out but becomes difficult, and can seem next to impossible, as you…

That's probably the reason why. For more conventional kettlebell training the recommended weight for an out of shape woman who's just starting out is 18 lbs. It sounds heavy but if you understand the body mechanics behind the exercises you do (especially once you get form down right and aren't doing them the way Jillian is…

As long as you stick to the abnormally low weights they use in the videos and don't try to step up to a higher weight (like what you would use in more traditional kettlebell training) you stand a fairly good chance of avoiding injury. That being said, you would do WAY better doing like... a million other things. It really…

I would tell anyone who is underweight to do a bulk. It'll do them good.

Trust me, that website estimate is waaay overblown =)

It's definitely a viable one, but I think that because the OP is underweight they should probably focus on a bulk initially because they need to get weight up fairly quickly, not only for six pack but for medical reasons. Your experience with both traditional bulking and leangains definitely makes your input weigh heavily…

If that's the case, I've done both. The calorie burn during BodyPump is not significant and because of how frequently they have you taking rests and the way your heart rate tends to spike a HRM can not accurately be used to measure calorie burns. However I found estimates on websites that say 250-350 for most people. I can…

Stronglifts or similar (Starting Strength, etc) if you're a beginner. The programs at bodybuilding.com are tailored for people who a) have the luxury of being able to go to the gym 5-6 days a week (as most require 5-6 days a week and take advantage of a variety of equipment you will only find at a gym) and b) have already…

It depends on how you measure "getting a better workout." When you lift on your own, are you following a set program? Or did you make up your own? I've done both of those classes and they're definitely tailored for people who are cardio-centric. There's nothing in Bodypump that constitutes actual strength training, and I…

I agree in normal cases but in the case of someone who is already underweight, if not bordering on it, such as in the case of the OP, starting things out with a good bulk cycle is a better route.

The exercises listed in the Stronglifts program are fundamental weight training movements. If you can't do all 5 effectively, you need to learn, because you will suffer at virtually any other program you attempt if you can't. Yes, get instruction.