Building strength/muscle

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Sacman

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Only one way to solve this... Robot arms... that hopefully have a hookshot and are made out of you're waifu...
 

higgs20

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if you want to build endurance running and swimming are the best things for you, and if you actually want to see a difference there is no point pussyfooting around, you have to push yourself to the breaking point every time you train.

as for a decent training diet, cut out the shit from your diet and eat a LOT of the good stuff, eggs ( piss easy to cook, add ginger for taste and don't use ketchup or anything like that) meat again easy to cook, throw a steak in a hot pan (use olive oil, but not alot) for a minute each side if you like it rare, it's not gourmet but it does the job, or put some chicken in a baking tray put in a bit of water, cover with tin foil and leave in the over (180 degrees) for 45 minutes, swap out any white bread you eat for wholemeal, start the day with porridge (if you can stand it use water instead of milk and add a scoop of protein powder if you have any, or some cinnamon if you don't) and stop eating big macs, I mean those things are expensive man, making your own food is so much cheaper and healthier. and

training wise cycle a couple of exercises on chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, back and abs, you should probably throw in a leg session once in a while too but your endurance training would help there anyway. do 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps if each weight exercise using the maximum weight you can (take a buddy for safety if you can) and then one set on a lower weight and complete to failure.

that's the basics really.

or you could take the Jax option

 

Nieroshai

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Aug 20, 2009
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Eat healthy, include a nice amount of protein and fiber, oh yeah and get a personal trainer or find someone to strength train you.
 

StarCecil

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Feb 28, 2010
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Something the Marines told me to do to increase my pull ups is to do "pyramids".

You get down, do one pushup, then get on your knees and raise your arms over your head in a "raise the roof" motion, five times. Then you get back down, do two pushups, then get on your knees and raise the roof again, then get down and do three pushups, etc. Until you get to ten, then go back down from ten to one.

Alternately, you can substitute pull ups for raising the roof if you want a more intense workout.
 

Annoying Turd

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Jul 3, 2009
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Thanks guys,

I just need to know how not to injure myself in a wrestling fight.

A girl gave me a hairline fracture once, and I had to wear a cast for a month :-(
 

Lord Beautiful

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Aug 13, 2008
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Watch this guy's [http://www.youtube.com/user/scooby1961] videos. They seem to be what you're looking for.
 

SadakoMoose

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Jun 10, 2009
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Annoying Turd said:
Dear escapist community.

I'm a skinny dude, even though I weigh about 160 lbs. I challenge girls to wrestle me, and I always get beaten :p I'm so lame, so I figured I should muster the determination to start growing into a real man.

So, what do I do now?
Develop good active and passive flexibility to avoid injuries.
Use Olympic style weightlifting to develop explosive strength, not the high rep nonsense they teach at modern gyms.
Body Weight Exercises like the Bethak Squat, the Pistol squat, and the Uthak push up or the Burpee are good for you too.
Try to develop a good bridge, to the point where you can hold a wrestler's bridge for at least 5 minutes.
Gymnastic conditioning exercises are also good for static strength and developing a responsive and coordinated body.
Don't bother with Modern Days gyms, or supplements or powders.
Those are for body builders, not wrestlers or strongmen.
Body building is just a science experiment, and it all goes away when you turn 50.
Generally anything by Pavel Tsatsouline is very helpful, there's also a book out there called "Developing the gymnastic body" which has a lot of good tips.
Remember, real strength is not about big muscle. It is about strong, responsive muscles.
A greater degree of Myofibrillar muscular hypertrophy, supported by a responsive nervous system, laid onto a strong set of bones and joints is what leads to strength.
Not large biceps.
While we're at it, no mirrors.
You have to develop physical awareness, and the overuse of mirrors distracts your mind from this.
 

SckizoBoy

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A Hermit's Cave
spartan231490 said:
Devour lots of calories and lots of protein especially. Then exorcise...
LOL! Didn't realise a protein heavy diet leant itself to dealing with a ghost problem...(!)

OT: Think pretty much everything has been covered.

It depends on whether you want large muscles... or toned muscles. Loads of reps aren't all that necessary, just do a few sets each day. And whoever said to get dumbbells, go with that, or improvise, so you've got something weighty to work your biceps. Heavy weights get the muscle-growth in, but go back to lighter weights to tone them up.

PS - what's with the desire to wrestle girls...? o_0
 

SadakoMoose

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Jun 10, 2009
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SckizoBoy said:
spartan231490 said:
Devour lots of calories and lots of protein especially. Then exorcise...
LOL! Didn't realise a protein heavy diet leant itself to dealing with a ghost problem...(!)

OT: Think pretty much everything has been covered.

It depends on whether you want large muscles... or toned muscles. Loads of reps aren't all that necessary, just do a few sets each day. And whoever said to get dumbbells, go with that, or improvise, so you've got something weighty to work your biceps. Heavy weights get the muscle-growth in, but go back to lighter weights to tone them up.

PS - what's with the desire to wrestle girls...? o_0
Bah, tone is a myth.
Sarcoplasmic Muscular Hypertrophy means nothing to lasting strength.
If you want "tone", then you try to lose fat.
High reps with lighter weights do nothing but tire your joints, like ineffective, weak, crunches and 1/4th squats.
 

SckizoBoy

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SadakoMoose said:
Bah, tone is a myth.
Sarcoplasmic Muscular Hypertrophy means nothing to lasting strength.
If you want "tone", then you try to lose fat.
High reps with lighter weights do nothing but tire your joints, like ineffective, weak, crunches and 1/4th squats.
Hmmm... in that case I've been doing something wrong for a while. Though, having read your post, you clearly know more about this than me.

Any advice for a wiry Thai boxer?
 

SiskoBlue

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Aug 11, 2010
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THE LAZY-ASS GUIDE TO GETTING FIT.

PRACTICAL tips and facts to think about;

Note how sprinters are muscley and marathon runners are skinny. The difference is fast-twitch vs slow-twitch muscles (our muscles are a combination of both types). Fast-twitch is more bulky and stronger, but requires a lot more oxygen and thefefore they have low endurance (how long before you get that lactic acid burn). Slow twitch are still strong but lean and are better for endurance.

So if you want to bulk up you need fast high-intensity exercise (i.e. weights, push-ups, chin-ups)

HOWEVER, exercise makes you prone to injury. DON'T OVER DO IT AT THE START. Exercise often feels easier than you thought it would be the first few days. Then the pain comes. You'll often hear no pain no gain and there's some truth that unless you physically PUSH yourself, you're not really got to see a lot of progress. BUT START EASY. The worst thing to do is over do it, be in pain and then unable to keep exercising at all.

If you're lazy it's not hard to just do 5 minutes of exercise 2 times a day. If you try to do 100 push-ups a day it might take you 4 sessions a day but work towards doing it two lots of 50. Then increase the number. Chin-ups are a great way of bulking up your arms and chest but it can be hard to find a convenient place to do them. You can do squats for your legs but running wouldn't hurt.

I'd also recommend yoga. A class preferably to a video. This will work the kinks out of your body everywhere else and just generally help your flexibility.

EATING & COOKING. I love how people always suggest things like "Protein". If you don't cook and don't exercise I doubt you know which foods have protein and which don't.

Here was my basic diet when I got fit
1. BULK CARBS RICE AND VEG- Learn to boil rice, or better yet get a rice cooker, they make it so easy and they're cheap. Get packs of frozen vegetables. Boil rice, heat vegetables, mix. Add whatever you like to give that stuff flavour. Probably not too much salt but salt's not the evil people make it out to be (especially if you exercise alot, you need it). Soy sauce is good but use ketchup if that's what you want. The veges maybe not as good as fresh veges but we're talking convenience here. Also if you make a batch it will last 3 days, just put it in containers and then heat it up. Most people get sick of the same food but if you're eating 3 burgers a day I'm guessing it's for convenience not flavour. Very cheap

2. COOK MEAT - You could still eat burgers, they have a lot of fat and salt and sugar but there's your protein. Or if you can afford it get a lean steak or mince meat and make stuff with it, like a sandwich. Easy

3. TAKE VITAMINS - If you're worried you're not getting all the essential minerals and vitamins then buy some minerals and vitamins. There's loads of standard multi-vitamins super cheap out there and some with leanings towards exercise.

None of this requires much effort or excessive time out of your day, just commit to doing this few things and after a month you'll feel more motivated to do more.

Good luck.
 

SadakoMoose

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Jun 10, 2009
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SckizoBoy said:
SadakoMoose said:
Bah, tone is a myth.
Sarcoplasmic Muscular Hypertrophy means nothing to lasting strength.
If you want "tone", then you try to lose fat.
High reps with lighter weights do nothing but tire your joints, like ineffective, weak, crunches and 1/4th squats.
Hmmm... in that case I've been doing something wrong for a while. Though, having read your post, you clearly know more about this than me.

Any advice for a wiry Thai boxer?
HIIT, not because I think the boxer's cardio is bad.
It's just good policy for fighters.
Boxers, Kickboxers, Martial Artists and most standup fighters alike all have generally the same requirements.
Good Cardio and Good Explosive strength
Olympic style weightlifting builds both strong, responsive, muscles and stronger bones and joints.
For example:
How can this 16 year old Chinese girl snatch lift 150 lbs?
It's because she's trained her nervous system and her muscles to respond fast and in sync.
It's also probably helped her bone health.

In Muay Thai, bad things happen fast:

So conditioning is key.
Grind the body weight exercises, try to keep a good degree of active flexibility to avoid injuries, and most of all WATCH YOUR HEAD.
Seriously though, I also recommend Kettle bells for the fighter on the go.
There are a wide variety of things one can do, including Russian Twist variation and Difficult new kinds of Push up.

Here, vitamins and other supplement to support bone health are a good idea, as is Pavel Tsatsouline's Super Joints tape.

Also, I know this sounds really cliche, but read up on Bruce Lee's ideas about conditioning and fighting. He was certainly very fast, and quite strong.

Oh, even though it sounds like I'm selling gear, look into Bas Rutten's Body Action System.
It's a superior way of training your strikes, especially the ones that don't necessarily work with the heavy bag.
Google it, you'll see what I mean
 

JochemDude

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Nov 23, 2010
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Well, I always find that most of the time you are doing like a diet or such that it's very easy to fall back into old behavior.
I personally do a lot of defensive chi based martial arts, but those aren't really muscle builders.
What I do for that is basically that I have a punching bag hanging in a room and I use the heaviest one handed weights I can find and I punch that thing for a half hour.
If you try the easiest method which is almost always push-ups my advice is too slow it down, I don't mean take it slow with the amount of pushups or time but the movement itself very slow it seems to work better for me.
Another one I do is just running, I take my Ipod, get a good tune with a constant rhythm and start running to nowhere in particular and start heading home when I feel too tired, which is a barrier from which exercising ends and muscle building begins.
 

JochemDude

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SckizoBoy said:
SadakoMoose said:
Bah, tone is a myth.
Sarcoplasmic Muscular Hypertrophy means nothing to lasting strength.
If you want "tone", then you try to lose fat.
High reps with lighter weights do nothing but tire your joints, like ineffective, weak, crunches and 1/4th squats.
Hmmm... in that case I've been doing something wrong for a while. Though, having read your post, you clearly know more about this than me.

Any advice for a wiry Thai boxer?
The question may not be pointed to me, but my experience in martial arts is that breathing is key. If you're not breathing right you'll be too static and that means everything will hit you much harder. breathing is the best way too channel your Chi the right way, ofcourse muscle is important, But muscle is fuel and Chi is the engine. Try to take some lessons in things like Tay Chi, Aikido and other martial arts that'll learn you about it.
It may sound a little charlatan like too some, but trust me when I say that you'll not regret a few test lessons.
 

dmase

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Mar 12, 2009
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Well if you don't wanna put a lot of money into things too fast then you can do body weight exercises, they'll build a bit of bulk and strength. After awhile though if you wanna get stronger your going to have to get weights and do targeted exercises.

To start of any routine you need to stretch every muscle your going to use.

Start running, at first try and get comfortable with running a mile. You can increase the speed that you run but thats not as important for carving abs and building endurance so up the distance before you try to finish a mile in under 6 minutes or something.

Come back stretch out your legs again.

Do push ups, you choose the reps that your comfortable with, and your chest much touch the ground for it to count.

sit-ups, a lot of people don't know how to do them correctly, the goal is to push your upper body straight up not towards your knees.

dips, choose your own amount of reps

6 inch leg lift, push your stomach towards the ground you wanna use your abs not your back

if you have a pull up bar do pull ups if not wide spaced push ups, pick your own reps

All of these exercises you can choose your own reps like lets say the first day you choose 15 for each exercise. you can change it depending on how well you feel your doing with the wide push ups being the easiest exercise so increase those to 25 or something. But the trick is all the above is just one set you hit all those exercises one after another get a drink of water cool down for about a minutes then repeat twice more. And keep your goal amount of reps the same through all the sets, you wanna be able to achieve that goal before you up the reps.

Drink lots of milk, eat lost of beef especially burger. Not big mac's as previously stated but something with a little bit less grease.

But I think your problem of lasting only one minute with girls is a bit personal, maybe another site with more sexual over tones. jk
 

SckizoBoy

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SadakoMoose said:
Thank you kindly. I'll have to take you up on the Bruce Lee bit, was a bit sceptical about that at first...

JochemDude said:
My mom's a Tai-Chi instructor, so no worries there!

Annoying Turd said:
Original question.
To OP, sorry for temporarily hijacking your thread. Thanks for patience & other people for helping this jerk (i.e. me) out too!
 

William MacKay

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Oct 26, 2010
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is there a gym nearby? i'd suggest going there. even better if you go with friends: you motivate them, they motivate you. they can give you tips, you can give them tips. spend time on the cardio machines (treadmills etc). that gets your heart ready for exercise, and your lungs. then move onto weights. pick up each dumbbell until you get some strain, then do reps. breathing is important, which is why the cardio helps. then, when you get very little strain, move up by a kg or two and repeat. if you get to the maximum they have, just do more reps. and exercising at home helps too. wake up, have a health-drink or smoothie, then do some push-ups/sit-ups. i used to wait until there was a programme on TV that lasted for an hour/two that lasted half an hour each that i liked (comedy shows are great) and just ran in place. no treadmill, just running. i said comedy shows a good, because they cheer you up (i suppose Rocky would also be good).