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Group: General Fitness & Exercise

General Fitness & Exercise

Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 379, Messages: 54578

Various general exercise related discussions. Find out what it takes to reach your fitness goals through daily effective exercise. With so many options we try to find out what works best.

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smiling1 Posts: 24 Joined: 2009/05/03	2009/05/06, 01:09 AM I started lifting in early Feb of this year. My goal has been to replace body fat with muscle. I love, love, love feeling my muscles contract and work in the gym and the have begun to reward me for the time spent by hardening up nicely. I'm a bit discouraged b/c my beginning pic looks leaner than one taken 7 weeks later (at 3 points less bf.) I actually enjoy 1000-1200 decline bench situps per week and feel a vast difference in my core. I weigh 2 lbs more, but as I said, my bf has come down and I'm definitely gaining muscle mass. I know it takes time, I just need some honest input. Feb 2009 (date on camera was incorrect when taken): Seven weeks later:

smiling1 Posts: 24 Joined: 2009/05/03	2009/05/06, 01:10 AM Sorry, urls from other sites aren't allowed? Nevermind.
	2009/05/06, 01:14 AM it appears you've done all the incline sit ups you claim. Very nice work. -------------- I would have a million dollars now if only I had only followed CNBCs advice...and I had started with a hundred million dollars. Charlie
smiling1 Posts: 24 Joined: 2009/05/03	2009/05/06, 11:05 PM Thank you, Charlie. That pic was taken at 7 weeks into my "get-a-hard-body" program. Due to a surgical procedure in Feb, upper body/arm work was not allowed til the past 3 weeks. I'm making progress. It's neat how our muscles respond.
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2009/05/07, 07:03 PM You are right it takes time. But why so many sit ups? try less holding a barbell above your chest or plate on your chest. -------------- Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. Ivan (GO HABS GO!) Montreal Canada (City of Festivals)
smiling1 Posts: 24 Joined: 2009/05/03	2009/05/07, 07:42 PM I like sit-ups. A world champ powerlifter-trainer told me to work abs daily and that incline bench situps are his standard. BUT my tail bone stays sore! Actually the skin there stays sore. Like my tailbone pinches it, though the bench is padded. Today, I rolled up a towel and placed it under my butt. That helped. It also seemed to place more effort on my lower abs. hmmmmmm... It lower abs are sore tomorrow, I'll have found a good tool. I hold a 35 lb plate while doing box squats and lungs. I'll try it adding it on situps.
	2009/05/07, 08:11 PM You can also do cable crunches, machine crunches, roman chair, roman chair with a barbell, hanging leg tucks and lifts and as Ivan said holding a plate or dumb bell to your chest during inclines will give you a good workout. Inclines with a plate kick my butt but I'm a geezer. -------------- I would have a million dollars now if only I had only followed CNBCs advice...and I had started with a hundred million dollars. Charlie
smiling1 Posts: 24 Joined: 2009/05/03	2009/05/08, 12:45 AM I do hanging leg tucks/lifts and crunches on the ball. I just like incline situps best. I intend to add a 35 lb plate, though. Maybe I can do fewer?
	2009/05/08, 01:09 AM I'd try it with 10 pounds for a week and build up:big_smile:. Since you said "I just like incline situps best", I'll say this. You want to keep your body guessing. We all tend to do exercise movements most that we like best. But your gains will come through variation. Tim alluded to this in the other post on Hiit. The point is do Hiit for a while and then do straight cardio for a while. It's easy to get in a rut doing what you like best. You've mentioned you like building muscle.You lift to have muscle definition in arms back legs etc. Abs respond like any other muscle. if you do massive amounts of crunches and eat right you get a flat shapely torso with great endurance . If you throw weight into your ab routine, go heavy, reduce reps, you'll get that six pack thingy. Make sense? -------------- I would have a million dollars now if only I had only followed CNBCs advice...and I had started with a hundred million dollars. Charlie
smiling1 Posts: 24 Joined: 2009/05/03	2009/05/08, 02:32 AM OOOH, yeah. It does. (If you'll pardon a southern term,) that clicked in my clicker. You worded that JUST right and I thank you very much. Variation, add weights, less reps. I'm on it.