ExRx.net

Depends. Now that it's summer, I do sprints once a week, and HIIT twice a week. Total time of weekly cardio is somewhere around 45min. When it's school-time, we usually exercise for an average of 10 hours per week.

So it varies. Also my goals have lots to do with it. Right now the goals are around improving performance. This cardio is planned to improve oxygen intake, lactate handling and max speed and agility.

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Prove the impossible!

All the exercises on your list (except the twists) are OK. Like Dub said, just put one of those in at the end of your workout a couple of times per week, 2 or 3 sets of a reasonable number of reps. You don't have to do the same ones every time, either. Each workout, just pick one or 2. It's not like training DLs or something, just a little extra work for the core. Most of your heavy compound lifting affects the core (that's what the core is for, after all). Some people don't do specific "core work", but I think it's probably a good idea to put some in.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

Right, that make sense - thanks for clearing that up. I guess this is my last real question before I leave you all in peace, I am worried that my diet isn't quite up to scratch, I guess some details are in order:

I am 20, 72kg 5'8" and between 15-20% body fat (the electrical bodyfat machine at my gym varies a lot) I consume around 45g of fat on average, 140g of protein and about 150g of carbs - so around 1800 calories a day ( I will update with the precise figures once I get my laptop back from the repair people)

for my weights I am lifting: (I know, tiny weights...)

monday - upper body
-max set close-grip bench press 40kg without the bar
-4x15 incline dumbbell press 20kg each hand
-4x15 chest supported rows 75kg
-3x15 cable reverse fly 20kg on each side
-4x15 dumbbell situps 20kg
-3x15 lateral fly 10kg - really weak

wednesday - legs
-max set deadlifts 60kg without bar
-4x15 barbell reverse lunges 20kg
-4x10 leg curls 40kg
-4x10 leg extensions 77kg

friday - upper body
-3 x max reps bench press 45kg without bar for
-4x10 cable pushdowns 105kg
-4x12 lat pulls 60kg
-3x15 dumbbell shoulder press 17.5kg
-3x10 barbell curls 25kg
-4x10 preacher curl 25kg

weekend
-pull up 4 x max reps 4x7 with 20kg weight assist
-chin up 4 x max reps 4x8, 4x5 with 20kg weight

on top of that I am doing about 180mins fast-ish running, probably another 30mins jogging and 30 mins HIIT a week.

So the protein intake, I think, is fine but the fat and carbs are too high? or what? I have been looking on the forum and the carb/fat arguments have confused me somewhat... Sorry, I know its a long post but I thought that more background the better really.

Thaks

Too high? Nothing's too high on your diet. You're almost getting too less of everything. Eating only 1800kcal a day is ridiculous. Even if you want to lose a bit weight. Except to fail in recovery and not making any progress, because that's most likely what will happen. Also there will be weight loss involved (muscle + fat).
You use over 2200 calories a day just standing around, possibly even more. Now, add the exercising and heavy resistance training, your body uses over 3000 calories a day easily.

The general rule for protein is around 1g per lb of bodyweight. You're close enough. You should get more than 100g of protein a day at least. There are different opinions, but head in the range of 120-170g a day.

Your carb intake is also quite low. Carbs are essential for recovery, protein synthesis and overall performance, and should not be neglected even in fat loss programming. I would recommend bit more carbs for you on the work out days. On rest days the carbs are not that important, so the range of 50-150g is not a problem. But you exercise a lot, so you could use more carbs. On intensive workout days the amount could be around 150-250g at least.

Don't be afraid of fat. It won't kill you or make you superfat. Especially on the rest days, I think fat is better than carbs. Just focus on the quality of the fat. (No trans-fats, good ratio of O3 and O6 etc.)

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Prove the impossible!

What's this about "without the bar"??? How do you lift the weight without the bar? If you are lifting the bar, why would you not count it?

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

I don't know the weight of the bar, I do of course use one but as I am unsure of how much it weighs I just omitted the bar's weight.




Really that high? I should probably eat a bit more then.. 2500 calories sound more reasonable? with 50g of good fat, the higher carbs you mentioned and 150g of protein.

I only trying to lose 2 kilos, 3 at most, of fat. So 2500 should still give a healthy deficit more of the time shouldnt it?

The bar is most likely 20kg. There are smaller bars too, they are 15kg. You'll notice the difference if the gym has two kinds of bars.



I stress that those are my opinions. Some people tout you to always eat lower carb, but for what I know, carb amount AROUND workouts should be higher than carb amount on rest days. On rest days don't stress on the fat. You can get more than 50g. But you don't have to. 2500kcal is alright, I think it's more about what makes the calories. High amounts of protein, carbs for exercise fuel and fats for resting fuel. Simple as that. That's how I base my nutrition.

Everything is up to your observations. Is the 2500kcal enough? Do you feel fatigued, not recovering enough, losing too much weight too fast (more than a pound/2.2kg a week). Or does that amount of food make you gain weight and fat in particular. Observe. Mirror is better than the scale.

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Prove the impossible!

This might be a really stupid question, but I am right in saying that a barbell curl with supinated or pronated hands will have no effect on bicep and brachialis activation, correct?

not correct. Pronation puts the biceps at a mechanical disadvantage. Reverse curls (curls with a pronated grip) are a good exercise for forearm size and wrist strength but if you are trying to concentrate on your biceps you are better to supinate.

Supination is actually a secondary function of the biceps. Try this: watch your biceps while you pronate and supinate your hands and see what happens

Right, as I thought, I just get horrific forearm pains when I curl in a supinated position that I thought it would be a viable option - guess not

Also, sorry to be a pedant :P but supination is actually the primary function of the bicep (or so my anatomist taught me)

you should probably address the cause of the pain, stuff like that can easily develop into full-blown injury

and the primary function of the biceps is to look awesome in a tank top

I think its just proportionally very weak forearm muscles so the heavy weights are too much for it. I reckon it just needs a few forearm exercises.

Touche, touche!

obvious typo is ovious

Men's Oly bars in North America are usually 45 pounds. That counts.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan