Figured I'd start a "covid" workout thread to avoid bleeding into other topics elsewhere. Share what you do if you want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maruzo
Morning Crystal. How do you gain more muscle than fat when you put on that 20 lbs?
Isn't that what they call body building?
After I lost those 10 lbs i've been gaining and losing 3~4 lbs every other week depending on whether I bing eat or not... Make sure you have good padding under your body. I use those really thick yoga mats, not the thin ones.
Good luck!
|
Morning,
Okay, first, some vitals to give you an idea of why what I'm doing works for me. I'm 6'8". When I started "working out" in February/March I started at 249lbs. And I am by no means strong as Hercules or as cut as Ryan Reynolds currently, but I look much better than when I started.
I started out with 8 sets of push ups, alternating military style (4sets/15 reps) and wide-fly (4sets/20 reps) on the first day. 8 sets of pull ups, alternating between wide grip and close reverse grip (5 reps each) the next day. Then I'd take the third day off. Everyday I would walk 9000 steps, usually closer to 11000. Kept doing that and after 2-3 months I was down to about 235lbs.
Over the next 4-5 months I kept doing that and upping my reps as I would reach a point where it was feeling "easy." Currently I am up to 10 sets of push ups of the same styles, alternating military (5sets/30reps) and wide-fly (5sets/30reps). All the while kept up the ~10000 steps/day. Currently weigh in at 249-252lbs. I wish I would have measured my chest and shoulders before starting as I have gained quite a lot of mass on my upper body.
I think the reason this has worked as a mass building routine is because I am/was a big guy. So even using only body resistance with no added weights it has had a large effect. If I were smaller I think I would just be toning a bunch.
My back issues are likely to be with me forever. Had one back surgery already and will likely have another in a couple years as I reinjured it (on a tennis court a couple months ago) after 3 years of "relative" normalcy after my first surgery. First surgery removed a ~3cm herniated disk. Doc was surprised I wasn't debilitated and bedridden the nerve was so smashed.
He attributed it to stretching and inversion table.
Thank you for the tips on the stretches, I do variations of both of those and it helps. I've been stretching most of my life and am still relatively flexible. Before 35 I could put my feet behind my head but now am happy I can bend and touch the floor, if not palms down like I used to. My inversion table and tens units are life savers in addition to stretches.
In your case, if you are looking for abs, you have to change diet. Abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym.
Which is why I've only had abs twice in my life, when I used to work in a warehouse burning 6-8000 calories a day and when I had a month long stomach infection/virus and I got down to 185lbs.
So, find what works for you. If you are looking to build mass you will probably need to add heavy weights. From your post in the other thread it sounds like most of your routine is toning. Which is fine too, depending on what type of physique you are looking for. In my case I am very tall so I want that wide shoulder/back look, which is good because it hides my fat that I carry around the midsection. Did I mention I like to eat and drink?
