Benefits.

[|Matt|]

How much of it is fat though? Theres no point trying to tone up if your arms are still covered in a thick layer of fat. I'm assuming that it wouldn't be much fat but cardio and high reps, low weight training on your arms/shoulders should do the trick if you have a bit of flab going on. If not high reps, low weight.

A bit of it is fat, as I said, I've got some poundage to lose, which I am working on. When I flex, I can pinch about 2cms tall of fat on top of my bicep.

If you tone muscles (low weight, lots of reps...I know you know, just making sure) does that build the muscle strength, or does it just make them look better? I'd like to get some tangibility going, but I don't wanna waste time if they aren't going to be any stronger.

 

[matty_101]

If you tone muscles (low weight, lots of reps...I know you know, just making sure) does that build the muscle strength, or does it just make them look better? I'd like to get some tangibility going, but I don't wanna waste time if they aren't going to be any stronger.

Definately, the prolonged build up of lactic acid enables you to function under pain more efficiently, and your muscles adapt to more frequent, lower intesity stimulus. You won't see much development of explosive strength, as this is primarily governed by a different energy group, but you will gain more stamina in which ever area your working.

However should you choose to do high weight low reps you will be developing your Adenosine Tri-phosphate energy system, this is your explosive strength, and that would also be very good for riding, especially downhill and street.

 

[slip]

Ahhh okay. Would that tone as well?

What would be the best way to tone arms, being bicep/tricep, and also then forearms? My arms are pretty big (44cm biceps) but I want some tone to them, no one likes a big chuck of nothing.

Get un-fat.

Toned is just a girls way of saying they want to lose bodyfat without saying the words "lose, weight, or fat"

Less fat = see the muscles better + look 'harder'.

You can't 'tone' a muscle. You can reduce your bodyfat levels so you can see them.

 

[|Matt|]

Get un-fat.

Does lifting light weights with many repetitions do that?

 

[Trizender]

Lifting light weights for high reps is essentially cardio so it will help in that it burns energy.
Good old dieting is the best way to lose fat but if you don't want to lose muscle while your at it then lift heavy weights as it gives your body an incentive to keep the muscle.
If you get your diet (what you eat AND when you eat) and your workouts sorted you can gain muscle while losing fat. It won't be the same as if you were eating heaps but it is possible.

 

[slip]

Does lifting light weights with many repetitions do that?

Using more energy than you eat will do that. On my last major diet I went down to 7% bodyfat lifting in the 4-8 rep range, mainly 5x5, with no cardio. It was too hard on my body, I wasn't sleeping enough either, and I eventually blew a shoulder on the last exercise, of my last workout. It was an experiment to make sure my style/diets etc work that I give people.

8-12 reps is a good range on a diet to stay strong, and work hard. Often you can/will do more reps on legs. With squats you can get a lot out of 10-20 rep sets. 20 reps, with a weight you can really only do 13 with, the last 7 are just pure guts.

High protein, moderate fat (good fats), low carb. Really high protein.

Lifting light weights for high reps is essentially cardio so it will help in that it burns energy.
Good old dieting is the best way to lose fat but if you don't want to lose muscle while your at it then lift heavy weights as it gives your body an incentive to keep the muscle.
If you get your diet (what you eat AND when you eat) and your workouts sorted you can gain muscle while losing fat. It won't be the same as if you were eating heaps but it is possible.

Um, light weights is cardio? No, no it's not. Deiting is good, but you need to train well at the same time.

Losing fat and gaining muscle is the holy grail. If you have never trained hard and eaten well before, you can pull it off. If you have been training for a while and eating well, good luck without drugs, unless you are really out of shape....which you wouldn't be if you had been training hard and eating well for a while.

 

[roxy12]

Get un-fat.

Toned is just a girls way of saying they want to lose bodyfat without saying the words "lose, weight, or fat"

Less fat = see the muscles better + look 'harder'.

You can't 'tone' a muscle. You can reduce your bodyfat levels so you can see them.

hahaha funny as its so true! Id like to say its not but toned is one of my favourite words!

Fat, weight LOSS, Evil, evil words to alot of my female middle aged demographic. Toned is such a nicer way of saying it!

Think it has something to do with the general view that weight loss= pain and failure to many who have done fad diets until the cows come home.


Out of curiosity Slip, what qualifications have you completed if you don't mind me asking?

Not judging at all, just curious as to whats on offer up there!

 

[slip]

Cert IV in Personal Training, but any monkey can get that. It's the self education, experimentation etc in diet and training that makes all the difference.

Planning on some more heavy duty stuff next year. Don't need to, but I always want to know more.

Tone is nice, but it's better to be honest with yourself about what you need to do - which for most girls who want to be toned is reduce bodyfat, and gain muscle.

 

[roxy12]

Cert IV in Personal Training, but any monkey can get that. It's the self education, experimentation etc in diet and training that makes all the difference.

Planning on some more heavy duty stuff next year. Don't need to, but I always want to know more.

Tone is nice, but it's better to be honest with yourself about what you need to do - which for most girls who want to be toned is reduce bodyfat, and gain muscle.

Sounds like your one of the few who were actualy serious about that course! Always good to see, Get so many people walking in for jobs, but they couldn't care less about improving, they seem to think that that course is it Some seem to be shocked that im going on 5 years of education.

Knowlege is always good, new developments every day!

Nice listening to Someone else talk to!

 

[|Matt|]

Cert IV in Personal Training, but any monkey can get that. It's the self education, experimentation etc in diet and training that makes all the difference.

Planning on some more heavy duty stuff next year. Don't need to, but I always want to know more.

Tone is nice, but it's better to be honest with yourself about what you need to do - which for most girls who want to be toned is reduce bodyfat, and gain muscle.

Thats pretty cool, I'd be interested in doing one of them.

What kind of strength is it that is used in punching, pushing and general roughhousing?

What do you do to build that up? I realised at the Parkway Drive concert that you can never have enough!

 

[slip]

Sounds like your one of the few who were actualy serious about that course! Always good to see, Get so many people walking in for jobs, but they couldn't care less about improving, they seem to think that that course is it Some seem to be shocked that im going on 5 years of education.

What do you do / where?

What kind of strength is it that is used in punching, pushing and general roughhousing?

What do you do to build that up? I realised at the Parkway Drive concert that you can never have enough!

That is more power. I have been just trying to gain size, and stopped all my sporty stuff. My punch is shit, but I am a lot stronger. I have gotten better at moving weight, but at a slower speed.

In those examples, you want to hit hard and fast, which is not a size or strength alone issue, so don't go lifting real heavy weights expecting to get a massive punch. Looks at fighters, most aren't big - but dear god it hurts when they cop you one.

Clap push ups, boxing, bag work, technique, smith machine plyometric bench press is what I would give you for push/punch power.

 

[|Matt|]

That is more power. I have been just trying to gain size, and stopped all my sporty stuff. My punch is shit, but I am a lot stronger. I have gotten better at moving weight, but at a slower speed.

In those examples, you want to hit hard and fast, which is not a size or strength alone issue, so don't go lifting real heavy weights expecting to get a massive punch. Looks at fighters, most aren't big - but dear god it hurts when they cop you one.

Clap push ups, boxing, bag work, technique, smith machine plyometric bench press is what I would give you for push/punch power.

I'm like you, I've got size but shit as punch/push.

Basically my techniques are:

bench press, bicep curls with dumbbell, bicep curls with a barbell, wrist curls, hammer curls, punches with dumbbells, overhead presses with a barbell, flies with dumbbells, horizontal flies with dumbells (holding arms directly horizontal with weights, then meeting hands in the middle in front of your face), lateral pully maching thing, pushups and chin ups when I can find a bar.

 

[cappa]

i have read this thread and i have gotten very confused about peoples opinions and what should be done. could someone help me by explaining how to work on your core strength? as i am trying to work on my strenght and fisnes for dh riding/racing.
thanks

 

[Lube]

Among other things, lots of situps!

 

[dh1]

yoga and paleties or however you spell it is good for core strength

 

[slip]

You can get really good core strength from doing stuff where you lie on your back, as is commonly taught in gym environments. Gets you really good at doing stuff when lying on your back.

Squats, deadlifts, wrestling standing up (awesome), medicine ball twists, barbell power twists, hitting a massive tyre with a massive sledge hammer. So many, you should try to do ones that will be useful in the movement patterns and body positions in your event.

 

[cappa]

ok i can do situps but i do not know what dead lifts are and stuff like that. what else can i do at home without, i have a bench press in the garage but i dont have things like medicine ball. what can i do at home that will also be benificial to dh riding? thanks

 

[slip]

Situps are shit.

I'll cover the rest when I have more time.

 

[flying high dh killer]

By the sounds of things you'll be better off doing basic strength excercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, dips etc.

If you do decide to hit the gym you can't just start off doing 8 reps per set. You need to start with something like 15 reps with lighter weights (machines rather than free weights) to build up your nervous system. Then you progress to heavier free-weights and lower the reps. Also eat more to up your calorie intake.

 

[Road Rage Ryan]

High protein, moderate fat (good fats), low carb. Really high protein.

Slip I agree with all of your points perhaps except to the statement above. This disagreement may also be due to the context in which you made the coment. While I agree that high protein low carb is by far the most effective measure in assisting fat loss except perhaps for overall caloric defecit, I don't think it should be used by the majority of people, especially if the overall goal is improving power which is what I understood the titled referred to. However if your comment was made with respect to fat loss technique alone then I agree.

However for healthy lifestyle and athletic performance though I contend that high protein is not preferable. Ultimately protein is broken down in the kidneys as nitrogenous waste and there is not enough long term data available to suggest that their is not a harmful link between excessive protein consumption and kidney functionality. Some research has suggested that people with normal kidney function remain unaffected but those with mildly compromised kidneys showed a reduction in kidney patency. I think these studys however have not been conducted for periods long enough to know the full effects. Arguably body builders have been using a high protein diet for a long time but it is hard to delineate their medical conditions and protein consumption and what affect this may have had due to the extraneous influence of performance enhancing drugs. I should clarify and say that to me that a high protein diet comprises 70% protein or above of the total calories within the diet. Personally 40 40 20 ( Protein: Carbs : Fat) or 50:30:20 seems to work without compromising performance. Diets where carbs are limited to say between 20-10% don't allow sufficient glycogen substrate to be utilised within the muscle during anaerobic activity.

In summary I agree that high protein will make you leaner, but the long term side effects from such a diet are not yet clear and athletic performance will ultimately suffer under such a diet.