Mayor_West Member

Your BF% and by proxy, your LBM% can be calculated relatively easily and reliably using simply a scale and a tape measure. Google "Military Body Fat Calculator"- there are several sites that will calculate your BF% using your height, weight, and a few body measurements. As for your original question, it can take quite a…

I wear them, but only on squat and deadlift days. They do a great job of keeping my feet firmly on the ground, which allows me to drive up from my heels on both lifts.

How are you measuring your bodyfat %? Until we know that, it's impossible to determine a reason for a variation, good or bad.

If you're getting pain on your back while suqatting, there may be a problem with your form, so a pad won't necessarily make your squats any more effective. When you un-rack the bar, make sure it rests across the back of your shoulders- too high and it can potentially roll forward and place stress on your neck; too low and…

No need to give up, but if you want different results, you need different methods. That's the textbook definition of a plateau. You need to increase either the frequency of your exercise, the intensity of the exercise or reduce your calorie intake. First off, do your cardio AFTER you lift weights. Doing cardio first tends…

Under "My Home", select "Goals", click on "Change Goals", select "Custom" and from there you can change the percentages for the different macros.

While there is no "best"ratio for everyone, I'd recommend starting with a 40/40/20 Carbs/Protein/Fat ratio and adjust it over time to suit your needs.

Yes- I look at my workouts the same way I look at other things I prioritize in my life. Sleep, work, eat, workout- after those 4, everything else is secondary.

I'll be hitting the 10-year mark since my last cigarette this coming November. I was a pack-a-day smoker for about 10 years, and at the time the decision to quit was an easy one. But, having seen friends and co-workers try to quit unsucessfully over the years by going cold turkey, I knew that wouldn't work for me,…

This was my experience too. Luckily the worst I had to deal with was occassional inflammation and tendonitis, but it was still enough discomfort to tell me that I needed to correct my form before I did any serious damage.

First off, the assumption that most of the time you're doing "nothing" while lifting weights is a joke. It may appear that I'm not doing anything between sets, but believe me- most of the time my heart rate is jacked, my breathing is heavy and I'm sweating like a pig. Second, numerous studies have shown that weight lifting…

The best time to work out is whenever you have time to do so. That being said, up until last year, I trained almost exclusively in the mornings. My schedule with my previouis job was more flexible and had a shorter commute, so I opted to get my workouts done in the morning than deal with the 5PM crowd. But, last year I…

True. But they also develeoped serious strength and muscle hauling that dead Wooly Mammoth back to their cave.

I tend to change up every 4-5 weeks, if for no other reason than to keep myself stimulated mentally. Here's the split I started this week: Mon- Quads Squats 5 x 3 Lunges 4 x 6-8 Leverage Squat 4 x 8-12 Hip Abductor 5 x 12-15 Leg Extension 5 x 10-20 Tue - Chest/Abs Incline Dumbbell Press 5 x 5 Flat Dumbbell Press 4 x 6-8…

Here's a list of what I take: Multivitamin: 1 Optimum Opti Men 3x daily Essential Fatty Acids: 3 Labrada Lean EFA Gold 2x daily Pre- and Post-workout: 1 L-Glutamine 2x and 3 BCAAs 2x Joint supplement: 1 Animal Flex 1x daily Sleep aid: 1 Melatonin

While I'm a huge proponent of Squats and Deadlifts as the best total-body exercises, when it comes to core-specific moves, my favorite is without question the Ab Wheel. I'm also a big fan of planks, although my biggest criticism is that they're more geared toward muscular endurance rather than having an eccentric and…

5'9" 225lbs Deadlift 405 x 2 Squat 385 x 3 Overhead Press 185 x 2 Dumbbell Bench Press 240 x 4

The uninformed who know little to nothing about proper nutrition, let alone protein supplements.

I've been using dynamic resistance for the past couple of years with great results, especially on my bench and squat. I rarely use chains, as only 1 of the 3 gym locations I go to has them available. Instead, I bought a pair of long bands from EliteFTS, which give a similar effect as chains, only being cheaper and more…

Ditch the scale, or at the very least, stop giving so much importance to the numbers it shows you. Your two best friends in this are a tape measure and the mirror. Measuring yourself will give you a much greater and accurate representation of whether or not you're heading in the right direction. Also, take pictures of…

I'd highly advise you to meet with your doctor, or get a referral to a doctor specializing in sports medicine. The opinion of a trained medical professional will always trump advice from an internet message board. But, based on my own experience, I had a similar situation happend to me about 4 years ago. My knee simply…

1. Whey Protein 2. Chicken Breast 3. Round Steak 4. Sweet Potatoes 5. Oatmeal

I've always used a gym and probably always will, but that's just me. Having literally TONS of weight at my disposal, without having to buy myself and find room for at home, is definitely a perk. But, considering that cost is a primary factor for you in terms of whether or not you can join, let me say this- not all gyms are…

This is more sensationalistic crap. It refers to "exercise" as aerobic activities, while terms like "strength training", "weight lifting" "anaerobic" not only don't show up in this article, let alone countless studies performed over the span of decades which almost all conclusively demonstrate the effects of anaerobic…

There's a number of ways you can do this. Not only can you increase your weight or reps, but you can also shorten your rest time as well. You can also add an extra set or two as well. But, to answer your question, when I'm working within a specific rep range, whether it's 6-8, 8-12, 12-15, etc., once I can get the max…

That's a lot of weight to lose in 5 days time. Since you're new to this, temper your expectations and aim for 1-2 pounds a week. Cutting calories so drastically can slow your metabolism to a crawl. Try to cut no more than 20% from your total calorie expenditure for the day. So based on your RMR of 2765 calories, you want…

Agreed. Drop your carbs slightly, increase protein and cut your fats. You definitely want a higher carb intake, but you also need to make sure you get enough protein as well.

I took it last year and the only thing of mine that lost weight was my wallet. It didn't upset my stomach, per se, but I've gotten as much energy taking caffeiene and green tea extraxct than I did with OxyElite Pro.

Workout log iPod Earbuds Watch Gym towel Water bottle Lifting straps Knee wraps Chalk Padlock

We ALL start somewhere. Do what you can and keep trying to improve each week. Even if you fail, try harder the following week. Abover all else, NEVER compare yourself to anyone else.