"The Virtual DWT Gym"

Welcome aboard!

I'm Hans, und GrumpyDude iss Franz. Und ve're here to pump (*clap*) you up!!!

Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, as the two resident macho-men of the boards, we've batted around the idea of opening a topic where others can join us in talking about something it seems the two of us are more than a little passionate about, in the hopes of attracting like-minded folks looking for tips or wanting to swap information on fitness and/or training.

I know I'm an optimist (and a hopeless romantic), but perhaps between all of us, we may just help motivate others and keep the veterans fired-up.

Use a towel, sign up for raquetball courts well in advance, and please re-rack the weights when you're done.

Enjoy!

Great time to open the gym, guys! I finally lost the 1st pound :yahoo: that I hope will be the beginning of more to go. I workout at home doing aerobics, bike riding and resistance training. Over a year ago it took me 6 months to lose 18 pounds. I still can't believe that I managed to put them all back on.

Yeah, my exercise routine consists of popping Junior Mints and lifting my very large glass of iced tea while sitting at my desk. Ocasionally I will lift a pen or a stapler, but that's about it. HOWEVER, next week tax season is over and I have no excuse to be sitting behind a desk staring at a computer screen all day, so my post-tax season/pre-Disney exercise routine will begin in earnest.

I'll be back.

oooo goodie racquet ball... okay guys although i am not looking to loose weight, i am toning up... about 1 year ago, i started working out, lifting weights and such.. i have triceps now :grin: . lost some inches as well... problem was i had to get in my mind and remember that muscle weighs more than fat... got on the scale and how in the world did i gain like 8 pounds... okay debbie, remember muscle weighs more than fat... so does this gym have a pilates instructor, i'll sign up for that class... i like rolling around on those big gigantic balls that messes with your back if you don't do it right...

Good thread C.A... oh sorry Hans...

my current routine, i do monday and friday strength training, and wednesday is my toning day, which i do twice the reps and half weight. my goals is for first and foremost size and power. i've always been a big boy, so i try to maintain that "scary/bouncer big" appearance.

i concentrate primarily on my upper body, and my routine breaks down to .....

squats
bench press
lat pulls
military press
tricep extensions
ab crunch machine
preacher curls

start with the large muscle groups, work your way down to the small.

my toning in the middle of the week is just to help get some cuts and at the same time keep myself limber.

So you are saying I should start on my butt and work up to my boobs?

i was thinking more of the quads and delts and moving to the biceps.

but, hey, whatever works.

New Years resolution - work out every day. Took a break this week because I have to get work done before vacation, but I did get up to 2 miles walking on the treadmill in 40 minutes. Not bad for a person who absolutely hates working out! I'll start up again after I come back from WDW but I'm sure I'll be walking way more than 2 miles a day there.

my tip of the week......

when doing your lat pulls, don't concentrate on pulling with your arms or shoulders. imagine crushing a grapefruit between your shoulder blades.

guaranteed quicker results.

Can I just eat the grapefruit instead?

in the windsor pilates dvd, says to walk tall, hold your abs in, squeeze your deltoids all at the same time and don't forget to breath... no pain, no gain

I have a question for you two men. DO you have any advice on a great cardio workout. I use some of the machines at the gym I go to and do some of the group classes but I would like to try something new.. Any hints or tips?

eliptical (sp?) machines are good, to hit both legs and arms. personally i like stationary bikes, not only good cardio but very low impact and easy on the joints as well.

Thanks Grumpdude. I appreciate it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iwannabeminnie

So you are saying I should start on my butt and work up to my boobs?

---

As much as I hate to say it, it just doesn't work that way. If "isolation training" worked, truckers would have tiny little behinds. You've got to work the entire package to get results all over.

I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers with this one, but the whole idea of "isolating" a muscle for results is an American exercise myth (ah, well. Wouldn't be the first time. By the way, I understand as well as anyone that the path to real fitness is tough, especially with everyone shoving a different map in your face, so I will take no offense if you take my advice with a grain of salt or ignore it altogether. I do not claim to have all the answers, and I'm still seeking the best ways myself. But as a kid who used to be tasked with getting and keeping military folks in shape, I've seen a lot of what does versus what doesn't work). Be that as it may, it's just about impossible to truly achieve, anyway. Whatever the drill, you naturally recruit neighboring muscles to help you get the job done. So, if your quest is pure strength, why not use this to your advantage? Squeeze that bar like you're trying to turn it to powder, clench those abs, squeeze the glutes (yours; not mine, silly) and dig your toes into the ground. This is not cheating, this is cheering your muscles. You will become much stronger focusing on compound drills that incorporate the big muscle groups and force the whole body to work as a unit (clean and jerks, squats, deadlifts for example--I'd say especially the deadlift).

In the pursuit of strength, I'd recommend the books Power To the People! and The Naked Warrior, both by Pavel Tsatsouline. The man is the finest trainer I've ever known, and he has taught me time and time again how little I really knew about fitness and coaching.