Fitness Checkin

[John O.]

Hey thought I'd post an update - I got some new equipment today.

Well I was irritated because the Valeo weight belt I ordered from amazon, it didn't have a sizing chart so I just took a guess and got Large and the Large is just slightly too big for me. There's a sizing chart on the label ON the weightbelt, but obviously I already have it so it's too late! It's just slightly too big, I might just drill some extra holes.

Second item was wrist straps. This is something I've been considering for some time, I think I may've even asked around here what they were for and if they were different than gloves with wrist support. Obviously they are.

I got em primarily because I could tell that I was stuck on deadlift and single arm row by how much weight I could grip. So my first experience with wrist straps was interesting. The ones I got were cheap - $5 on amazon. They seem well made enough for the price but I sense they may come apart in a few months and require replacing. However, I'm going to have my GF go over the seams and reinforce them so that might make them last longer.

In terms of use, it took looking up a YT video and a lot of trial and error to finally figure out the right way to wrap it to get the desired effect - relieving the hands from having to grip the weight by essentially being able to lift with the wrist as an anchor. I could see how you could injure your wrist if you saturation trained with these, I mean after about 3 sets at total max weight, your wrists are sore - but that's understandable.

The second thing is that maybe I just haven't figured out the trick yet but getting the ideal wrap with BOTH HANDS on a bar, like for deadlift, is pretty tricky. It's kind of a two-handed affair, IMO. It worked brilliantly for single arm row. I took my single arm row max from being able to do the 80 lb DB and having to stop every rep to set the DB down to rest my fingers, to doing 100's today... and conceivably if my gym had them I could probably have done 105's, and I could see myself pushing to 110's. So that was a huge improvement.

The deal is you gotta wrap em a certain way (it's hard to explain in words you really just gotta play around with it) so that you don't even have to grip it to hold the starps tight. It's not a knot but it's related. Anyway if you do it right, the pressure exerted just by squeezing your hand tight to your comfort level will hold the strap taut against the bar and essentially turn your wrist into one frictionless anchor for the entire arm. Works wonders for putting the weight on your back and not your hand in a workout like row.

I also had some problems in that I have rather small hands and the nature of the wrap is that it wraps around the bar of course, well so the diameter of the object you need to wrap your fingers around gets a little bigger - You may not have to hold on as tight but you have a larger thing to hold onto. I think I found the ideal cross-over way to wrap it so that u get optimum tightness without having to do multiple layers of wrap over the same location (that made it impossible to grip, just too thick). In fact if you do it right, once you finish your set, you actually find that you can't just pull your hand loose, the wrap is so tight you have to lean down with your free hand and remove it.

[RoJoHen]

Wrist straps definitely take some getting used to. I remember the first time I tried using them I could not for the life of me figure out what I was supposed to do.

[John O.]

RoJoHen wrote:

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Wrist straps definitely take some getting used to. I remember the first time I tried using them I could not for the life of me figure out what I was supposed to do.

yea I felt like a major retard at first . Is there a trick to getting the right wrap with two hands cuz I can do the first one, using both hands, but the second is tricky. I never quite got it right on deadlift.

[RoJoHen]

Just play around with it a little more. I have absolutely no idea how to explain what I do, but I do know that I eventually figured it out.

[RAMA]

I've been staying lean, I'm in the low 240s dropped some weight in the last month. Focusing on cutting!

[Pattinson]

Today i workout 1 hour! there is a lot of improvement in triceps and wings!

[RoJoHen]

I have turned into one of those people that carries around a gallon jug of water everywhere I go. Gotta stay hydrated!

[tomalak301]

I need some advice, or at least some recommendations.

I'm starting to notice my gut (Belly fat) is getting to be kind of large and I don't think that is a good thing, especially since I'm 27 and a little overweight. What kind of workouts or diets should I adapt to work on this problem. I also need to build muscle, but I'm not as worried about that as I am about the whole gut thing.

I started doing some research on this last night but if anyone has any advice, that would be great too.

[tomalak301]

I have another question for you all. If one were to start a program (Losing weight, body fat and gaining muscle), what would you guys suggest as a good starting point. I go to a Gym and I've done quite a bit of cardio with some lifting this week, but I do want to make the most of it. Any suggestions would be helpful.

[RoJoHen]

Can you give us an idea of exactly what you've been doing lately? It'll be easier to give suggestions that way. How often do you work out? What kind of cardio are you doing and for how long? What kind of weight training do you do?

[tomalak301]

RoJoHen wrote:

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Can you give us an idea of exactly what you've been doing lately? It'll be easier to give suggestions that way. How often do you work out? What kind of cardio are you doing and for how long? What kind of weight training do you do?

In terms of the Cardio I've been spending 45 minutes on the Eliptical, and I do take walks around the neighborhood for at least 30 minutes. For Weight training, I think I'm pretty much doing everything wrong so might as well start fresh. I can say I really need to work out the abs, arms, and chest, but I'm thinking it's a whole body effort.

[RoJoHen]

How many days a week are you at the gym for weight lifting? This will help determine the kind of routine to set up for yourself. You don't want to work the same muscle groups on consecutive days, and you want to make sure you schedule rest days for your muscles to recover.

[tomalak301]

RoJoHen wrote:

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How many days a week are you at the gym for weight lifting? This will help determine the kind of routine to set up for yourself. You don't want to work the same muscle groups on consecutive days, and you want to make sure you schedule rest days for your muscles to recover.

I try to go at least 3 to 4 days a week but there are times were it might be less. I know I need to go a lot more, especially now.

[overratedboy]

My dad is about to put his Bowflex back into the garage, so I can use it. Problem is that the DVD and poster is no longer with us and its an old model.
How should I exercise day to day.

Legs and back.
Shoulders and arm
Torso.
Is there a better system?

[Roger Wilco]

I think it's ok, I've been doing a
- chest+trizeps
- legs
- shoulders+abs
- back+bizeps

split the last couple weeks. I think legs should be it's own day, but I guess it depends on how intensely you do it.