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Bicep curls - difference between variations?
What, if any, difference is there between the different variations of bicep curls? That is, do different variations truly help build biceps in different ways or does it just come down to personal preference? I have done very little bicep isolation work so far and just decided to start adding it in regularly (twice a week.)…
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Black bean soup
Can anybody give me the name of a restaurant that has black bean soup on its menu so that I can use its entry for my food diary today? Or maybe you make black bean soup with sausage (smoked sausage slices or something similar to that) and wouldn't mind giving me a calorie count? We went out to a local restaurant and I had…
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Post-exercise red dots on skin
I'm sure this is nothing to worry about but I'm wondering what it is. I lifted today and just noticed these marks on my upper right arm but not my left. They aren't itchy or sore. My workout was all lower body, so no direct arm work but I use my arms for deadlifts and squats obviously. Would this be broken capillaries?
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PPL puzzler - possibly pedantic
I see people write that they do PPL programs 6 days a week as either PPLRestPPL or as PPLPPLRest. Wouldn't those be the same thing? Either way you're doing two rotations of PPL followed by a rest day?
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Superfoods
Great new list of superfoods from aworkoutroutine.com: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/superfoods/
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XX-rated: Female Biology
There seems to be a steady stream of MFP threads related to female biology and how it affects (or doesn't affect) weight loss or exercise or fitness overall. I usually end up posting and reposting a few good articles that I’ve found on those subjects so I thought I’d try to start a thread where we can continue to post and…
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Shut up about your goals (article)
Just read this and found it interesting: https://www.t-nation.com/powerful-words/tip-shut-up-about-your-goals For me, not announcing my goals tends to work well. Other than what I get from my husband, encouragement that I get along the way doesn't help me at all. I like the "good job!" comments once I hit a goal though. I…
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Android tracking app that allows supersets
I am looking for an Android app that will allow me to track supersets. Right now I'm using FitNotes. I thought that there was supposed to be a way to set up supersets on it but I cannot find any details on that now so maybe I imagined it. But I'm doing more supersets now and being able to log them in that way instead of…
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What would you order? (one of those threads)
I'm attending a holiday lunch for work tomorrow. I've been looking at the menu and nothing is really interesting me. I may just get the scallop appetizer, minus the creme fraiche, and that's it. What would you choose from the lunch menu here: http://www.bistrokent.com/menus/
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IIFYM calculator question
I haven't visited the IIFYM calculator site in awhile but did today and noticed that the calculator has changed a bit. It now has you enter the number of days per week that you exercise. Then it asks how many minutes you exercise per day. Are you supposed to put the number of minutes per day on exercise days or when…
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Cursive writing not exercise?
I wrote a note to my daughter's teacher, all in cursive, tonight. My hand hurts. Surely this is exercise, right? Why can't I find it in the database?
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Leg press vs leg press: the leg pressening
I've never used a leg press machine and never really paid much attention to it either. However, I just noticed that there are 4 different leg presses at my gym. One has you sitting more upright and is loaded with plates. One is sitting up and cable-based. One has you kind of lying on your back at an angle and has plates.…
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Lumps and bumps revealed after fat loss
Is anybody else finding lumps or bumps on themselves after losing fat? A few months ago I found a lump on my throat and ended up having blood work and an ultrasound done for it. It's just a lymph node and the doctor said I probably just noticed it now because my neck is thinner. Tonight I found a lump in my abdomen just…
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Dip bars - width of hand grips (not distance between bars)
I use a set of sawhorses like the ones below as the safeties for my squats/bench press. I have been using them for dips as well, putting one behind me for my hands and then I elevate my feet on the other. Pretty much bench dips without a bench. I would like to attempt regular dips (or probably band assisted to start) so I…
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Strength training for women (Rippetoe article)
Mark Rippetoe has a new article about strength training for women. I'm still processing it a bit but this is really interesting: "Most women can do 5 reps on the bench press within 5-7 pounds of their one rep max...95% or perhaps even as much as 96-97% of their 1RM for 5...In contrast, men generally work with sets of 5…
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The science of skipping breakfast - WaPo
This Washington Post article/blog entry about how the idea that skipping breakfast causes weight gain was written into the US dietary guidelines came across my feed today. It's an interesting read. This really stood out to me:
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Sore back - complete break?
Last Wednesday I spent a good part of the day helping my daughter sort through toys and books and clothes. At the end of that I had a sore back. I kind of brushed it off and did my workout anyway. It was a squat/RDL workout and the squats were a bit difficult but I did them. Since then, my lower back has been very ache-y…
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IIFYM vs Scooby - why such a big difference?
To preface my question, I know that all of the different TDEE calculators are estimates so I don't expect them to hit my TDEE perfectly. I'm just wondering what is going on that two calculators can be so different. In the past I felt like the IIFYM calculator was pretty accurate for me but now it gives me a number that is…
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5/3/1 BBB
Question for people doing this program: What, if any, variations of the main lifts are you using for your BBB sets? I just finished my deload week and was thinking about this. This cycle I used: Bench - incline bench Squat - back squats (I do front squats for my 531 sets) Press - started out using dumbbells for something…
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Difference between c-section stomach and any other stomach?
This is something I see posted fairly frequently--Do any other moms have a c-section belly? How do I get rid of it? Every time I see those posts, I wonder what is the significance of having had a c-section as far as losing weight and shrinking it goes? By that I mean, how is a c-section stomach any different than any other…
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52 pounds in 52 weeks
I really enjoy reading everybody's success stories. They are so inspiring and fun so I thought I'd try my hand at one and holy cow this has been hard to write. The "don't brag" and "you're not there yet" thoughts are strong, is what I'm saying. But I'm just going to tell my brain to shut it for awhile. So here goes. I was…
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Deadlift socks
Is there a difference between socks that are marketed as deadlift socks versus other knee high athletic socks? Now that it is summer and my legs are bare, I am realizing how much I manage to bruise them on a regular basis when I am more active and especially at the gym (whether deadlifting or not.) I usually wear long…
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Barbell complexes
I am wondering if anybody here does barbell complexes and would mind sharing their routine (exercises, reps, do you do it for a certain period of time or for a certain number of sets, etc.) My normal cardio has been walking and maybe 1 run a week. I've been reading about barbell complexes, though, and thought that I might…
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Does your doctor talk to you about your weight?
When you go in for a check up or even an illness, does your doctor ever mention your weight? I'm asking because my doctor never does and I think it's odd. Last year when I went in for my annual exam he asked if anything had changed and I said that I had lost 30 pounds. He looked at my chart and said "well I guess you did."…
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Impressive strength levels (article)
I get the weekly Bret Contreras newsletter and this article was linked to it this week. I thought it was interesting because it includes a lot of exercises that are not included on strength standard charts (good mornings, hip thrusts, etc.) Obviously we all progress at our own rates and shouldn't stress about how we…
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Dumbbell workout questions
I have been doing bodyweight workouts for 4 months. I now have a set of dumbbells (handles and 105# of plates) so I'm going to switch over to this workout:http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html . I have a few questions though: 1. The instructions say not to add any…
