Discussion on Muscle Building, Weight Lost, Weight Gain, Gym Workout

[Wafflecorn]

Oh dear, please don't fight!

 

I am more of a visual and motor learner who learns best my copying others. But I am not that smart to learn it once and learn it well, I need several trial and errors before I get the hang of it. Hence, I was wondering if there was someone out there who won't mind teaching me by showing me. Videos do help a but there is no feedback, so I don't know what I am doing and if it is right or wrong.And doing the wrong thing would be bad as it may cause unwanted injury. Hence, I was wondering if someone could coach me along. But the advice shared here did help me gained a better insight to the nitty gritty details that I didn't know if I didn't read them, and it was really helpful too. I managed to get somewhere with the advice here, so it ain't all bad!

 

And I think everyone has been of great help! So, it is ok! Everyone has their own learning style and different methods are required, though some are not as effective as the other channels.

 

But nevertheless, thank you so so much!

 

Edited January 16, 2016 by Wafflecorn

[xydboy]

10 hours ago, Guest said:

The shoulder consists of the front, side and back muscles. My back shoulder don't seems to develop. Is it true that you need someone to assist in training the back shoulder? Any advice?

Try to do some rows (t-bar, bend over, dumbbell rows, etc), they help to train a lot of the posterior fibres of the deltoids, which I presume is what you are referring to.

1 hour ago, versatile96 said:

hey guys 

 

i started gymming for nearly half a year now, around 5 days a week, spending one day on a different body part.

 

i was wondering how long does it take to get big... like at least a decent chest and back and a v-shape body.

 

and i was always skinny my whole life... i was wondering whether mass gainer is necessary. since gymming ive beent rying to bulk up and gained 10 pounds over the course of my gym time so far. 

 

advice please?

 

thanks

How big do you want to be? I'm not sure what your current size is so it would be difficult to gauge how much you would need. Moreover the duration would also be affected by lots of things, such as the amount of food you consume, the kind of workouts you do, the amount of rest you get, etc. Theoretically it would take around 12-16 weeks for hypertrophy to occur. It does require a substantial amount of time because for the naked eye is not possible to observe minute changes. Do be patient during this process. Most importantly eat well and train hard. Most people just do not do well in this 2 aspect. As for whether mass gainer is necessary, it depends on your preference. if you have been eating lots of food, then mass gainer isn't required. Some people need mass gainer because it's just easier to consume, "portable" and also you get the amount of calories needed, etc. Do note that it can be costly and it varies from brand to brand. Most of the time, there aren't that many servings within the tub and you need to keep buying them frequently.

[Summerbitch]

Hey guys, I need your help! 

First of all, I used to be underweight till around 15years old then I start to gain weight and remained acceptable in terms of weight. When the rest of my body grow more fats and muscles became bigger, strangely my chest remained flat. Real flat. Tried to do push up but I gave up after a few months of no result.

 

Recently, I've gained so much weight that I'm developing beer belly(I don't drink) and yet my chest remained flat. Very very flat. What should I do? My tummy is so big while my chest is flat.

[Clickclock]

1 hour ago, Summerbitch said:

Hey guys, I need your help! 

First of all, I used to be underweight till around 15years old then I start to gain weight and remained acceptable in terms of weight. When the rest of my body grow more fats and muscles became bigger, strangely my chest remained flat. Real flat. Tried to do push up but I gave up after a few months of no result.

 

Recently, I've gained so much weight that I'm developing beer belly(I don't drink) and yet my chest remained flat. Very very flat. What should I do? My tummy is so big while my chest is flat.

Push ups wont lead to a bigger chest efficiently. Try doing the bench press, dumbell pres and dips pers session and give yourself a week to rest between sessions. Once u get the chest size you want,  do cardio ontop of ur routine

[Steve5380]

20 hours ago, SeannyShortcake said:

With the assumption that you have a functional lower back and knee flexibility as well as the body awareness to know how to follow cues such as "don't arch in the lower back" and "chest up", deadlifting can be really simplistic to learn even from Youtube.

 

Start with a light weight. Video your progress and compare it with the videos.

 

We won't go into details like if you have pre-existing injuries or deficits.

But that's how generally many people start out.

 

But to quote one someone who can deadlift many times his bodyweight on the bar,

"Bend over. Pick up the weight. Put it down. Repeat."

 

"Bend over. Pick up the weight. Put it down. Repeat"

 

LOL!,  with such skimpy directives, xydboy is right that something more is needed...hahaha

[Steve5380]

11 hours ago, Summerbitch said:

Hey guys, I need your help! 

First of all, I used to be underweight till around 15years old then I start to gain weight and remained acceptable in terms of weight. When the rest of my body grow more fats and muscles became bigger, strangely my chest remained flat. Real flat. Tried to do push up but I gave up after a few months of no result.

 

Recently, I've gained so much weight that I'm developing beer belly(I don't drink) and yet my chest remained flat. Very very flat. What should I do? My tummy is so big while my chest is flat.

 

Hopefully you don't have the belief that you can counteract weight gain with more workout. 

Your size is primarily a function of what you eat.

Not only the quantity, but the kind of food and other eating habits.

You should completely forget about your chest, and instead concentrate on your belly.

Weight training is fine and well, mostly to preserve the muscles you have.

But the focus should be on the mid section, the 'core', and how to lose overall mass and restore the muscular tone there.

Once you are more fit and trim, then you could start developing the muscles you like to have with more heavy weight training.

[Steve5380]

12 hours ago, Wafflecorn said:

Oh dear, please don't fight!

 

I am more of a visual and motor learner who learns best my copying others. But I am not that smart to learn it once and learn it well, I need several trial and errors before I get the hang of it. Hence, I was wondering if there was someone out there who won't mind teaching me by showing me. Videos do help a but there is no feedback, so I don't know what I am doing and if it is right or wrong.And doing the wrong thing would be bad as it may cause unwanted injury. Hence, I was wondering if someone could coach me along. But the advice shared here did help me gained a better insight to the nitty gritty details that I didn't know if I didn't read them, and it was really helpful too. I managed to get somewhere with the advice here, so it ain't all bad!

 

And I think everyone has been of great help! So, it is ok! Everyone has their own learning style and different methods are required, though some are not as effective as the other channels.

 

But nevertheless, thank you so so much!

 

 

Don't worry.  From the discussion comes the light.

I am pleased that you got some help with these posts.  Trial and error is fine, and "trial" is the right attitude to get ahead. 

As long as you use light weights you are fine.  

You can do the deadlifts at home, using improvised weights like one bucket of water in each hand.

Don't forget to do hamstring stretches every day, if possible as soon as you get up.

What??  right out of bed when you can barely bend??

Believe me, it is a good way to start going.

[xydboy]

On 1/16/2016 at 0:21 AM, Summerbitch said:

Hey guys, I need your help! 

First of all, I used to be underweight till around 15years old then I start to gain weight and remained acceptable in terms of weight. When the rest of my body grow more fats and muscles became bigger, strangely my chest remained flat. Real flat. Tried to do push up but I gave up after a few months of no result.

 

Recently, I've gained so much weight that I'm developing beer belly(I don't drink) and yet my chest remained flat. Very very flat. What should I do? My tummy is so big while my chest is flat.

Perhaps more stimulus is required to grow the chest muscle, after all it is a large muscle in the human body. In terms of push ups, the muscle that fatigue first in a push up are your triceps, not your chest. Should try to head to the gym to do things like bench flyes. As for the beer belly, I think you are just talking about fats deposition/ accumulation. In males, the fats tend to be deposited in that region, so yes, you should workout more often. Increase physical activity and decrease sedentary time. 

Edited January 19, 2016 by xydboy

[Den Yuan]

Anyone tried yoga? Can it build muscle? I see those guys doing handstand even women.

[xydboy]

3 hours ago, Den Yuan said:

Anyone tried yoga? Can it build muscle? I see those guys doing handstand even women.

Erm...doing handstand is not equals yoga..Those yogis will go crazy when you make that statement. 

[Steve5380]

4 hours ago, Den Yuan said:

Anyone tried yoga? Can it build muscle? I see those guys doing handstand even women.

 

The goal of practicing yoga is to gain flexibility, not muscle.  Muscle is gained through weight training.

Flexibility is very healthy in general and a good complement to other exercising.

We discussed its role in the safe practice of stiffed-leg deadlifts, for example.

Yoga is a good complement to the practice of martial arts too.

It is part of my training in aikido, together with deep breathing exercises.

and the result is good posture free of pains, and overall well being.

[SeannyShortcake]

On 1/18/2016 at 0:37 AM, xydboy said:

Erm...doing handstand is not equals yoga..Those yogis will go crazy when you make that statement. 

 

Heh heh. Indeed.

 

Handstands do not only belong to yogis. But they are an excellent exercise for overall health.

[Steve5380]

12 hours ago, SeannyShortcake said:

 

Heh heh. Indeed.

 

Handstands do not only belong to yogis. But they are an excellent exercise for overall health.

 

And when you get tired walking on your legs, you can continue on your hands.  

[Skylart]

Hello~ is there a fitness group line chat? Add me up?:) @thetheemon

[Traveler3032]

On 17/01/2016 at 0:07 AM, Den Yuan said:

Anyone tried yoga? Can it build muscle? I see those guys doing handstand even women.

I do yoga,  but not as often as I wish. There are many forms of yoga: some are more meditative, others more physical.  Stretching is  an important part.  For me, since my job requires mental sharpness, I prefer meditation oriented. Also many inverse poses which increase blood flow to the brain. For example,  dog pose, shoulder stand, and with the instructor's help, even head stand. Overall,  I like yoga a lot. Help me to get better sleep.

 

For vanity, it gives me pleasure when I am, as an uncle, much more flexible than youngsters.  :-). 

 

Some poses increase blood flow to your pelvic area which is helpful for you to maintain erection.  

 

Yoga can be good for your core, and tone your body, but it's not for muscle building .  

Edited January 22, 2016 by Traveler3032

[Guest]

16 hours ago, Traveler3032 said:

 

For vanity, it gives me pleasure when I am, as an uncle, much more flexible than youngsters.  :-). 

 

 

You mean flexible in your bottom position when receiving pleasure ? 

[Traveler3032]

4 hours ago, Guest said:

 

You mean flexible in your bottom position when receiving pleasure ? 

 

Well, this thread isn't about sex. I mean my body is flexible in many of the yoga poses. I can touch my toes while my legs are straight in a forward bend pose, for example. 

Now go back to the discussion of exercise and body building and stop the digression!

Edited January 23, 2016 by Traveler3032

[Steve5380]

On 1/23/2016 at 0:37 AM, Guest said:

 

You mean flexible in your bottom position when receiving pleasure ? 

 

You need flexibility to be in your bottom position?  

Can't you bend at the knees when you open your legs?

It shouldn't be has hard as doing stiff-legged deadlifts, 

the weight comes in from the other direction... 

[heliumduck]

 

 

[Guest My 2016 resolution]

Care to share what are the exercises that you guys do to maintain your chiseled abs? And how frequent do u guys do it?

And is there any effective exercise in burning those stubborn "spare tire"?

 

[ZealousZeno]

Hi gymers / people  who workout I got a qns: 

 

Do u guys wait for the sore/ache to be over before starting exercising the same area or just continue routine? Cause I heard that when u are having aches means the muscle group is still recovering???

[jo.sam]

6 minutes ago, ZealousZeno said:

Hi gymers / people  who workout I got a qns: 

 

Do u guys wait for the sore/ache to be over before starting exercising the same area or just continue routine? Cause I heard that when u are having aches means the muscle group is still recovering???

 

Depends on your routine. Generally, I work out three times a week. Monday (Chest/triceps), Wednesday (Back/biceps), Friday (Legs/shoulders).
 

This gives one week for the muscle group to recover, and it works best for me. What's your routine like? It's better if you share so people here can better gauge and advice.

[ZealousZeno]

17 minutes ago, jo.sam said:

 

Depends on your routine. Generally, I work out three times a week. Monday (Chest/triceps), Wednesday (Back/biceps), Friday (Legs/shoulders).
 

This gives one week for the muscle group to recover, and it works best for me. What's your routine like? It's better if you share so people here can better gauge and advice.

 

Hmmm looks like i need to give it time to relax / recover ~.~, I was trying some new biceps / triceps pull complex, the ache on the triceps / back lasted 3 days till today even when i gym...

 

My routine (which have nvr cause ache before) : intense core workout every 2 / 3 days ~ which involve: 60, 40, 40reps of leg raise, knee tuck crunches, cycle crunches, russian twist & jet pack crunch each(involve back stretching)... should i stop this as well first to recover?

[jo.sam]

9 minutes ago, ZealousZeno said:

 

Hmmm looks like i need to give it time to relax / recover ~.~, I was trying some new biceps / triceps pull complex, the ache on the triceps / back lasted 3 days till today even when i gym...

 

My routine (which have nvr cause ache before) : intense core workout every 2 / 3 days ~ which involve: 60, 40, 40reps of leg raise, knee tuck crunches, cycle crunches, russian twist & jet pack crunch each(involve back stretching)... should i stop this as well first to recover?

 

Sounds like you had a good work out. Most people would find that trying out new bicep and tricep exercises causes aches for some reason. Give it more time to recover, about a week is the norm.

As for your core workouts - they don't involve your arms so continuing shouldn't be a problem!

[ZealousZeno]

16 minutes ago, jo.sam said:

 

Sounds like you had a good work out. Most people would find that trying out new bicep and tricep exercises causes aches for some reason. Give it more time to recover, about a week is the norm.

As for your core workouts - they don't involve your arms so continuing shouldn't be a problem!

 

maybe i will switch jet pack crunch with something else for the time being cause it involve the back ~ thanks for the advice ^..^

[xydboy]

51 minutes ago, ZealousZeno said:

Hi gymers / people  who workout I got a qns: 

 

Do u guys wait for the sore/ache to be over before starting exercising the same area or just continue routine? Cause I heard that when u are having aches means the muscle group is still recovering???

It depends on how much soreness. Its common to have some soreness the day or two after. These exercise induced muscle damage would go away soon. If you want to work through the aches, it is also possible. Just got to taper your workout accordingly. I hardly have to get through the soreness because my workout routine works on the different muscle group each day (similar to jo.sam). I have also tried to get people to work through their soreness on consecutive days and it turns out fine. After awhile, they just can cope with the aches and sore much better. 

[Steve5380]

On 1/30/2016 at 10:31 AM, Guest My 2016 resolution said:

Care to share what are the exercises that you guys do to maintain your chiseled abs? And how frequent do u guys do it?

And is there any effective exercise in burning those stubborn "spare tire"?

 

 

Look into the thread "How to exercise & lose weight / slim down and lose the love handles " 

 

Here is a video from this thread that tells something about abs.  I am doing the same exercise and it feels good. I used to do countless crunches, which is also good.  If you do crunches at home you can do them every day.  If you use the cable rack used in the video, maybe twice a week is fine, with HEAVY weight.

 

 

 

[Guest Cute Exec]

Can someone tell me how much the gym membership cost? True Fitness or California Fitness good?

[xydboy]

8 hours ago, Guest Cute Exec said:

Can someone tell me how much the gym membership cost? True Fitness or California Fitness good?

It depends on which gym you want to go to. It range from maybe 60-80 per mth to 160 per month, depending on what gym you go for. You don't really need high end gyms to keep yourself fit. You could also go for activeSG gyms.

[gymfan32]

9 hours ago, Guest Cute Exec said:

Can someone tell me how much the gym membership cost? True Fitness or California Fitness good?

 

There are so many gyms to choose from and the membership costs range quite a bit. Some gyms offer different packages, such as off peak to cater to different needs. Besides the cost, there are also many factors to consider, such as distance, range of equipment etc. Not sure if you have considered the rest, but it may be good to do some more research before narrowing down to these two.

 

For me, cost is one big factor. Hence, most of the time I would just go to activeSG gyms. But having said that, sometimes, it is good to invest in a more mid-range gym. My personal (bad) experience with activeSG gyms is that it is usually very crowded after work and they usually have very limited type or number of equipment. So if the equipment breaks down, you either have to improvise or LL change your workout plan totally.

[Clickclock]

Just a random thought, is sushi good for bulking? Sakae sushi just came out with its $15 buffet thing and I'm planning to eating out to my hearts content on sushi.

[Steve5380]

17 hours ago, Clickclock said:

Just a random thought, is sushi good for bulking? Sakae sushi just came out with its $15 buffet thing and I'm planning to eating out to my hearts content on sushi.

 

Hopefully your thought goes the way of random things.

Sorry, but SUSHI IS UNHEALTHY FOOD.

You probably can bulk up on insects. 

Why not bulk up on hamburgers.

In this McDonald in Chinatown, on New Bridge and Temple st. 

I used to eat there sometimes after Absolute.

Meat tasted yucky but it was protein.

And I had lost protein in Absolute.

[Den Yuan]

Anyone tried martial arts like muay thai or kung fu?

[Estarif]

On 2/2/2016 at 5:24 PM, Clickclock said:

Just a random thought, is sushi good for bulking? Sakae sushi just came out with its $15 buffet thing and I'm planning to eating out to my hearts content on sushi.

 

 

Too much rice, but its good for a cheat day, hahaha

[darkflame]

Here are some stuff I observed while gymming for the past year:

1. I started gaining some bulk after starting squats.

2. I became a little more toned after taking some rice. (I have not been taking much rice as I am too lazy to cook rice.)

3. Gymmers in Singapore are friendly and many times have they allowed me to share with them the equipment.

[xydboy]

On 2/2/2016 at 5:24 PM, Clickclock said:

Just a random thought, is sushi good for bulking? Sakae sushi just came out with its $15 buffet thing and I'm planning to eating out to my hearts content on sushi.

If you intend to eat it regularly, then it's going to be very expensive..not very healthy to binge regularly as well.

[Clickclock]

Just now, xydboy said:

If you intend to eat it regularly, then it's going to be very expensive..not very healthy to binge regularly as well.

 

funny you should say, this is in conjunction with the promo that sakae sushi is having now, not bad!

This time, for around $18, i get a sushi buffet that includes free flow of red and pink plates, for free flow sashimi is not bad! Only downside is that the  good stuff gets snapped up fast n I was left staring at a 1/3 filled sushi belt of the boring ones for the rest of my time there.

[xydboy]

8 minutes ago, Clickclock said:

 

funny you should say, this is in conjunction with the promo that sakae sushi is having now, not bad!

This time, for around $18, i get a sushi buffet that includes free flow of red and pink plates, for free flow sashimi is not bad! Only downside is that the  good stuff gets snapped up fast n I was left staring at a 1/3 filled sushi belt of the boring ones for the rest of my time there.

For bulking, I usually do it the cheaper way. Just take plenty of chicken breast, lots of carbs from rice or noodles and then plenty of eggs. I used to take 10 of them in a day.

[brandon114716]

9 hours ago, xydboy said:

For bulking, I usually do it the cheaper way. Just take plenty of chicken breast, lots of carbs from rice or noodles and then plenty of eggs. I used to take 10 of them in a day.

But wouldn't carbs make you gain more fats? How do you balance the process of maximizing gain and minimizing fats? I tried bulking for a while (had 3 bowls of rice and 4 slices of bread daily) and I noticed that while I got bigger but my stomach seemed to get bigger also. So now I cut down on my carbs to minimize fats gain.

[Steve5380]

9 hours ago, xydboy said:

For bulking, I usually do it the cheaper way. Just take plenty of chicken breast, lots of carbs from rice or noodles and then plenty of eggs. I used to take 10 of them in a day.

 

This is not a bad diet.

If you replace the carbs from rice or noodles with complex carbs in lentils with steamed vegetables, you have quite a healthy meal.

I eat every day these lentils with vegetables + microwaved chicken breasts + four whole boiled eggs... + dessert.

[xydboy]

10 hours ago, Steve5380 said:

 

This is not a bad diet.

If you replace the carbs from rice or noodles with complex carbs in lentils with steamed vegetables, you have quite a healthy meal.

I eat every day these lentils with vegetables + microwaved chicken breasts + four whole boiled eggs... + dessert.

I do take steamed vegetables along with what I have mentioned but I don't like lentils. I don't even like those purple rice unless those sold are cooked to a taste that I like. usually I have difficulty swallowing all these stuffs.

[xydboy]

With the recent article posted by Dr Stuart Phillips and his team (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/01/26/ajcn.115.119339.abstract), there has been attention on the findings suggested. It was found that "a marked energy deficient (~40% deficit), consumption of a diet containing 2.4g protein/kg/day was more effective than consumption of a diet containing 1.2g protein/kg/day in promoting increases in lean body mass and losses of fat mass when combined with a high volume of resistance and anaerobic exercise.

 

Both groups (high and low protein) went through the same bout of exercise 1) full body resistance exercise circuit 2 times/week, 2) High intensity interval training/sprint interval training 2 times/week, weekly 250kj time trial on cycle ergometer and 4)plyometric body weight circuit. Total amounting to 6 days a week of training. After 4 weeks, there were significant improvements in body composition as shown in the abstract. 

[Clickclock]

On 2/3/2016 at 1:13 AM, xydboy said:

For bulking, I usually do it the cheaper way. Just take plenty of chicken breast, lots of carbs from rice or noodles and then plenty of eggs. I used to take 10 of them in a day.

 

That's my default diet plan haha, I guess eating sushi is my cheat meal in action!

which btw, I had a great time at the sushi buffet, lots of red plate sashimis n prawn roe sushis on the buffet! only downside is that the good sushis get snapped up fast and I was left waiting for so long watching the boring sushis move by until I had enough n left.

[Steve5380]

On 2/4/2016 at 7:34 AM, xydboy said:

I do take steamed vegetables along with what I have mentioned but I don't like lentils. I don't even like those purple rice unless those sold are cooked to a taste that I like. usually I have difficulty swallowing all these stuffs.

 

Well...  lentils are not rice. And they come in different colors.  The most common ones, at least in my town, are light brown.  They are one of the best members of the leguminous, which include the beans.  They cook very fast, like 15 minutes boiling, and they don't have much taste but can acquire that of many other food they can combine with. Because they are so small, they are easy to swallow and digest. Of course, everyone is entitled to his particular taste.

[Den Yuan]

On 2/3/2016 at 11:11 AM, Den Yuan said:

Anyone tried martial arts like muay thai or kung fu?

No reply. I assume it's a no.

[heliumduck]

 

Eccentric focus?

 

considering the elbow moves up along with the curl up motion and slow on the way down?

might take a few replays to see it... i did LOL

 

 

[xydboy]

38 minutes ago, heliumduck said:

 

Eccentric focus?

 

considering the elbow moves up along with the curl up motion and slow on the way down?

might take a few replays to see it... i did LOL

 

 

Yes, eccentric training has been shown to induce a significant level of exercise induced muscle damage and there is some value in using this method for training

[heliumduck]

RE the eccentric-focused bicep curls

 

 

 

Quote

Apparently my brain was working yesterday. Because I came up with two sweet variations in one workout. Odds are it will be broken today.
50% of the time...it works EVERY time.
Anyway. Good for you and your guns.
I love overhead triceps movements. They bias the long head, the largest head of the triceps, so arguably they have the greatest potential for developing overall arm size.
And for me, this has always been the case. The more I can effectively train overhead triceps movements, the bigger my arms get, and the better they grow.
Here's the catch. I consistently run into one of two problems:

1) the force of the implement does not "line up" with the motion, my joints and ultimately the triceps. For example when doing an overhead dumbbell triceps extension my hands travel well "inside" my elbows and shoulders and my upper arm tends to abduct/adduct and internally/externally rotate through the ROM. (I'm not saying this exercise is bad, it just doesn't fit MY body). What does that mean? Force is going places other then my triceps: wrists, elbows, shoulders and surrounding musculature. My elbows end up killing me.
2) I fatigue stabilizing my shoulder/scapula and upper arm. The triceps origin is at the humerus and scapula, so the more stable they are, the more output your triceps can have (and the other way around). I have an old injury in one shoulder as well, so I end up fatiguing stabilizing before I can actually fatigue my triceps.
If you, like me, ever experience either of the above two issues, give this variation a try. It address and fixes both. Cable lines up straight though wrist, elbow, shoulder and triceps muscle belly and the bench helps lock down and stabilize the shoulder and upper arm.

 

[Allegro]

I'm planning to buy dumb bells to train at home, any good recommendations/brands/website to buy?

 

Are the all-in-one dumb bell better? ( you can add in the weight plates to the dumb bell to make it heavier)

 

Also, what weight should I aim for?

 

EG http://dumbbells.sg/shop/50kg-chrome-dumbbell-set/

[Guest]

is it true that 30 min b4 and 30 min after gym must drink protein shakes.

if don't drink protein shakes at all, ur efforts spent in gym workout had gone to waste?