I bought some Rehband knee sleeves today. I had been using Tommy Kono knee sleeves but after about a year, one ripped already.

Hope these hold up a bit better considering I paid $80 for them.

http://riversidestrengthandcondition...75dedd970d.jpg

Anyone here have any experience with costochondritis (inflammation of the sternum)? I began Starting Strength back in January and was progressing with it until I began to have some pain on the right side of my sternum. I figured I tweak something in my chest so I shut it down for several weeks. Once it subsided I got back into my routine and it came back immediately.

I had my doctor look at it and basically diagnosed it by process of elimination, no cardiac issues, no stress fracture, just inflammation. From what I'm reading online, it looks like I may have to shut it down (chest) for 5 months or so. Sucks, I hope this is something that rest can take care of and it isn't a recurring issue.

You might try some alternative medicine, like a chiro. I used to make fun of those guys, and I still do on some things, but I have gotten some useful rehab out of their suggestions from time to time.

I'm a firm believer in chiro. I rolled over last night and it took my breath away, I'm afraid a chiro would wreck my shit. My plan is rest, a NSAID, anti-inflammatory food intake, and some stretching. I'll try yoga, acupuncture and meditation if it helps.

Having serious elbow pain from going heavy on deadlifts. Going to have to work on my form, evidently, but this shit is freaking agonizing. First thing I'm going to try is to face that hands' grip inwards toward me instead of out. See if that helps. If that gives no relief, I may have to back off for a while to recover.

Sucks, because I've been making a lot of progress on deads and really enjoying it.

switch to hook grip, double overhand or just use straps. No point in using a mixed grip unless your getting ready for a meet. Are you always using the same grip or do you switch what hand pronates each set?

I've been using the same grip everytime. I realize, now, that this was a mistake. I'm definitely going double overhand or hook because it's my underhand grip arm that hurts. I think I'm probably not letting it hang completely straight when I'm pulling.

your probably right. Like I said I dont even used mixed anymore. I use double overhand w/chalk then use straps when I hit the weight I want to work with.

Welcome to getting old.

:grr:

Love this video. Never too young to start

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/iM10K8ePN1c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And apparently never too old.

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/trai...medical-marvel

That is very cool. Chasing that 70 year old tail. LMAO

Anybody meet their 2012 fitness goals? I am about >< close to mine. Might still get it before the end of the year.

I did. My original goal was to get off my fat a** and finish a 5k under 30 minutes. I got that one quick. The next was to do a 10k in under 1 hour. I got that one too, just recently. Started running in late August, have lost 40+ lbs already.

I spent most of the year fighting nagging injuries. I was still able to work through most of it and stay in good shape. My back still gives me fits, but I hope to really hit it hard in 2013.

I just maintained with minimal effort this year. I didn't make any exciting strides, but I didn't go backward either.

Nope. Broken ribs, whooping cough and the flu kept me down. I haven't lifted in nearly 3 weeks.

I did, but my goal was the same as NewChief's in that I had no real desire to lose much weight. So it's not a huge thing to write home about, but I feel good about the year. I started out at 157 pounds and weigh 151 now, my activity goals were met, and I like my body more than I ever have. So that's neat.

Also gyuuuuuuuuuuh it's so weird to remember I weigh like 110 pounds less than I used to. So hard to believe that. I still have trouble trying to figure out how I was 20 pounds heavier at the start of 2011.

New to this thread, but I'll weigh in so to speak. I started year at 232 and wanted to get below 200. I did it, although I've crept back up 5 or so pounds as we move through the holiday season and work gets more and more hectic. Happy with myself, but I need to get back on the workout/clean diet wagon before I lose that as my default mindset.

Nope. Damn surgery

ok I am no fitness guru

but due to some personal choices I am no longer going to be drinking for at least the next three months

I am, however, planning on going to the gym 6 days a week, if not 7...but I may take one day off for rest.

Primarily, I'm going to do cardio. I am going to do the same cardio every day and that is:

I warm up for 5 minutes with a jog. And then I do 6 intervals of 2 minutes running fast, 1 minute walking. Then I cool down for 5 more minutes. In a week or so, I'll gradually increase speed and probably get up to 8-10 intervals. Right now, it's about a 3 mile workout.

What I want from you, CP, is to help me with my weight lifting regimine. I do not want to do tough lifts, I don't really want to do squats and I am a very casual lifter.

I want 3-5 lifts per workout that focus on different areas every day. One day I'll do arms, one day I'll do legs, one day I'll do a bit of everything, and one day I'll do abs/back etc...

I spend 30 minutes on cardio and would like to spend 20-25 minutes lifting. Right now I've been doing flies, low weight curls (10X10X10) 3 sets (which is 30 reps per set, 40 lb. bar, 10 full curls, 10 from down to middle, 10 from up to middle if that makes sense), as well as various machines and bench press.

I'm 6'3" 200 lbs and am focusing on getting down to a more fit 190 lbs with a little more tone. I think the cardio is what I really need and it will be my primary focus over the next three months but would really like someone more knowledgeable in the weight lifting area to give me some beginner lifts that I can focus on that won't make me hate weight lifting more than I already do.

I've always been just a bench, incline, flies, curls, legs kind of lifter...nothing fancy and I want to keep it that way with an occasional ab workout filtered in.

Thanks for any help. If someone really wants to go above and beyond I wouldn't mind a Monday-Friday checklist with 3-5 lifts.

But if that's too much to ask I totally understand.

I'm also cutting out pop from my diet other than perhaps 2-3 diet pepsi's per week.

I'm sticking to predominately water. I've never been a big eater but I do enjoy going to a fast food mexican restaurant after my workouts so I doubt I'll change that, but I am eating healthier lunches but diet really isn't a big concern for me.

I have a good metabolism so if I'm working out and doing cardio every day I'm naturally going to drop the 10-15 lbs that I've packed on due to years of excessive drinking.

What's the ****ing point?

If you want to do it that way, you may as well go use the nautilus machines with the other girls.

Another quality post. Dead serious.

I'm looking for a cardio workout with light lifting...that's it. But if you guys have other suggestions let me know...I'm not trying to pick any fights. Just looking for advice. Give me a 20 minute workout to supplement my 30 minute cardio.

I don't want to argue either, so I'll just say if you're not building muscle, you're wasting time. Light lifting is for injured people and women who are afraid they'll bulk up.

I'm not really light lifting. I will lift as much as I can lift...it's not like I'm on the bench lifting 25's on each side.

I'm saying, I only like to do 3-5 lifts to supplement my cardio workout. If you're saying that's worthless after a pretty intense (at least for me) 30 minute cardio workout than fine.

I don't like to spend more than 45-60 minutes per day at the gym...and cardio is more important to me than lifting.

and I remember reading this thread thinking there was a lot of good information but forget it...

You said you didn't want to do anything hard.

Why?

because I'm not a hardcore gym rat...

I'd like to do my intense 30 minute treadmill routine and then supplement it with a few lifts...that's just my style. I'm not saying it's right, it's probably wrong...but it is what I enjoy.

So if nobody has 3-5 good lifts to suggest, cool...if not, don't care to further partake in this conversation. There is nothing I dislike more than gym "snobs"...which is why I like Planet Fitness. I can run on my treadmill and not have to worry about a 500 lb. roided out man asking me to spot him.

"Yes, sure...I'll spot you sir! I mean, if you drop that 900 lb. bar on your neck I have no shot of helping you but lets do it!!!"

and by not do anything hard...

I meant super technical lifts...

I want to do basic things like flies, bench, different types of curls, etc...basic leg lifts, squats...etc.

Okay, well, if you're going to be in the gym every day, then there's no reason that spacing things out will hurt anything more than your overall plan will, anyway.

Just do one core lift per day or so.

Monday - 5 sets of 5 bench press
Tuesday - 5 sets of 5 barbell rows OR some kind of heavy pulling
Wednesday - 5 sets of 5 standing military press OR db press
Thursday - 5 sets of 5 pullups/weighted pullups if you can do more than 5 reps of bodyweight
Friday - 5 sets of 5 dips/weighted dips if you can do more than 5 reps of bodyweight
Saturday - 3 sets of 5 leg press, 3 sets of 5 hamstring curl, 3 sets of 15 weighted incline crunches
Sunday - rest

I mean, it sucks, but it's about as good as you're going to do with the limitations you've given.

Thanks for the help; I will definitely incorporate some of that stuff. I do like to do 3-5 lifts each session.

Seriously. Don't do that. Do fewer exercises, more reps. If you try to stack a bunch of weight on there, you'll hurt yourself. Lighter sets more reps fit better if you're not looking to bulk up or get stronger.

I don't even know what we're talking about anymore.

I think I'm just going to stick with what I'm doing. Thanks for the help, though.

Just do lighter sets with more reps. Focus on your form.

More reps as in how many?

And more weight != injury

There is no point to rep ranges of more than 15.

No I'm talking 10-12. And I thought I said light weight?

Anyway. 10-12 reps light weight. He said he was a novice. I just want him to avoid injury.

What's the point of light weight 12 rep sets? You said more weight means injury, which isn't true at all.

1. Squats and/or Leg Press
2. Barbell Rows
3. Bench Press
4. Pullups and/or Chins
5. Incline and/or Decline Bench Press

I would throw flies and curls and all other isolation exercises out of the routine.

I thought it fit better since his focus is cardio.

If he's a n00b and puts on too much weight, his form is likely to fail leading to injury, particularly with squat. That's been my experience with n00bs anyway.

If he gets his form solid and gets his supporting muscles stronger, then he could move the weight up, but if he's a n00b, I wouldn't suggest heavy 3 or 5 rep sets.

I know what silock is getting at, but he is already wired to put in max and get out max. Lots of people want to go to the gym to feel good not to be ****ing crushed. Silock associates pain with gain, but most just want to get up get out and do then excersizes correctly.

I think just getting up and get.your feet moving Tom the gym consistently is important.

It's funny the whole point of lifting weights is to feel good and that ca be accomplished in many ways.

He isn't squatting.

He could just as easily injure himself with bad form on lighter weights, as well. Form is just as likely to be shot at the end of a 12 rep set, as the muscle will actually be more fatigued than it will with a lower rep set. And he shouldn't start at super high weight with a low rep scheme. He should start lighter and work his way up and keep his focus on form.

I would prefer working lower rep sets when cardio is the focus. Less overall fatigue and overtraining.

Not pain. Never pain.

Effort.

This is generally true, but your options become much more limited when you are dead set on doing one thing more than necessary, like cardio every day.

That's fair enough. Just so long as he minds the bolded part. Most people I've been around haven't done that.

semantics. Two human drives are pain and pleasure.

I don't think it's semantics at all. Effort doesn't have to be painful. But it does need to be at least a little difficult, or you aren't actually doing anything productive. If you aren't putting in effort in the gym, you might as well just stay home.

agree to disagree. Most of life is just showing up.

I have seen way too many people that go to the gym every day for years and not lose any weight at all for that to be true in this case.

LMAO that is priceless. Unfortunately too many of my employees feel the same way about their job.LMAO

I would lean towards agreeing with this. A lot of gyms are full of people just showing up, throwing up some weight on the bench a few times and the rest is socializing, flexing in the mirror, trolling for chicks, or taking up valuable weight stations.

keeping the lights on by paying dues?

fortunately they don't say **** it and they stay home?

They are healthy enough to make it to the gym for years. Success isn't only about dropping pounds.

Smith machines...love them or hate them.

I work out in my basement and much prefer my olympic barbell and free weights, but some lifts are too hard alone to go heavy. If I go heavy on incline for example i use my Smith machine with free weights.

Love them.

Some "purists" complain about the lack of true motion and the lack of stabilizer muscles involved, but I'm more worried about the benefit of not crushing my skull. :)

Works great for me depending on the exercise.

Only in the broadest possible definition. Obesity/being overweight is statistically the number one factor in developing conditions that will lead to your death. If you aren't dropping pounds, you aren't helping yourself at all.

I hate them because they feel unnatural. There are better ways to not kill yourself when lifting heavy weight by yourself that's even safer than a smith machine.

Its a close enough simulation for me, but what other ways are you talking about? I suppose mounting stops on my rack under my bar rack, but the lift off is tough and range of motion is still restricted.

Rack. Chains.

Why would the lift off be any different from a regular bench? Just rack it high.

Because my rack is part of my smith machine and it angles back. I have to roll the bar forward and lift it off of the stops. If i use a straight lift off and i hit the stops.
Never used a chain system, I'll have to check that out.

Ouch! That sucks.

For anything besides flat bench or squats it does suck and is ouch on the shoulders. Incline and decline are possible, but not if I want to go heavy.

This isn't mine, but is exactly like this.

http://www.orangedove.net/images/630_ig-01.jpg

This.

I'm not fat. I'm out of shape. I'm 6'3" 200 when I'd rather be 185/190...and before I was doing that with no exercise other than flag football on Mondays.

Doing my 30 minute interval treadmill will accomplish that goal alone...I just wanted some ideas about some lifts to do to supplement that routine 3 or 4 days a week.

Run 6 days, lift after running 3 days a week.

Someone finally gave me 5 good lifts. That makes me happy.

I'm 27.

When I was 22 I was probably about 190...so my roommate and I went to the gym every day for 3 straight months; no drinking. Diet remained poor but like I said, I've never been an overeater, I eat two meals a day, don't snack...so it is what it is.

Anyways...I did lifts with him in reps of 5...several per day...we weren't super aggressive but I didn't do a lot of cardio then and when I went on vacation I had almost zero fat and, in all honesty, was pretty cut.

And I never pushed myself to the max...I always felt good and accomplished after a workout but never went gung ho. I just went every day.

That's where I'm trying to get today...but instead of lifting, I'm doing it primarily with cardio. I have a good metabolism and feel like with the cardio regimen alone 6 days a week I'll easily drop the 10-15 lbs.

All I'm trying to do is supplement...I'm not trying to get a professional workout, which is why (along with cost) I chose Planet "we have pizza parties on Mondays" Fitness.

if I were super muscular, I'd want to be 6'3" 220. So being 6'3" 200 makes me appear to be more fit than I really am...and that's what I'm working on now. Tone. I am not trying to be the super strong guy, even though one of my fitness guru friends is baffled because he tells me I have the build to pull it off...I just don't think I have the work ethic or desire. I do not like the "gym rats" who wear beaters and chuck weights all over the place. Those are the people I make fun of.

though if I could be the super witty, savvy guy with the meathead body as well I guess I wouldn't complain

:popcorn:

no need for popcorn; I don't think anyone readily admits to being one of those people...I'm sure the ones that do it are too oblivious to even know because they are idiots.

Silock's is probably where it is at for you then. Just don't get all billy bad ass and load up the weight for more than you're good for.

I don't think there are any real jackasses here. I'd venture a guess that most people in this thread go to the gym to get better, not to be hardasses.

I am with Silock on this. Lighter weights does not mean better form especially on squats/deads. Form stays much tighter for almost everyone on a squat/dead set of 5 reps with mod-heavy weight than it does with 15+ reps and light weight. I have never understood why people equate light weight to mean good form when you fatigue your muscles to the extreme by doing so many reps.

Weight lifting should be about increasing reps per weight or increasing weight. If you aren't in the gym trying to add weight or reps at a certain weight, you might as well not even lift. People forget that to change your body you have to progress. Progression is not going into the gym and doing the same weight/reps on a given exercise every time.

Yea but then you have 3 things you need to work on rather than just 2.