You're doing 100 reps of the same exercise? That seems like a lot.

Most trainers will tell you that going with multiple sets of heavy weights and low reps is the best way to build muscle mass and increase your metabolism. I've had huge success with this approach in the past. Currently I am not lifting due to multiple injuries unrelated to weight training.

Like Spiral says above, basic exercises like the bench press, deadlift, and squats are terrific. I also like the sitting dumbell military press, the lat pulldown, different kinds of dumbell and barbell curls, and the incline bench, just to name a few. Try 3-5 sets of each at a weight where you max out at 8-10 reps.

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This is what I am doing. Three sets of exercise at 12 reps. Many of the same exercises. Usually try to do chest and core one day, biceps and back another and then triceps and shoulders another.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Never say never.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

If you start to plateau or just get bored, I highly recommend doing the 5X5 for your main compound movements - bench, deadlift, squat, and I toss in seated military as well. If you do auxiliary exercises, keep those in the 5-7 range with short rest periods. This was a game changer for me, especially for increased strength with some muscle size increase. Following this approach I've been able to hit all time highs pretty consistently while losing weight.

You can do triceps on the same do you do chest. Deadlifts and back exercises another day. Squats/leg presses and biceps another day.

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Thanks all. Going to try all of these suggestions starting this week.

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Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

I think I won the Commitment to Excellence award for this past week. Played hockey 4x including 3 days in a row capped off with driving out to Oak Park Saturday morning at 5:00am in a blizzard and then driving home at 8:00 in an even worse blizzard. Dropped 2 lbs in the process. Celebrated with a pretty big cheat day over the weekend so need to hit it hard again this week. Thankfully this is another 4x hockey week for me.

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Since shifting gigs from the 'burbs to downtown I've increased my daily step count from an average of 6K to 13K. The increase is simply from commuting by car to walking to the train/work.

The largest benefit has been my energy level. After spending over an hour sitting in Edens/Lincolnwood traffic the last thing I wanted to do was go to the gym. Now I can get from office to gym in 30 minute (15 min walk/15 min Metra)

Been able to go to the gym 3-4 times a week and mix in a once-a-week run.

The pounds haven't been melting off as my diet hasn't been ideal. Though I do feel stronger and healthier than when I was car commuting.

Down 24 lbs as of yesterday. Strength seems to be coming back slowly. Hopefully by end of March I'll be able to at least lift in the vicinity of where I was before the extended hiatus, and then I can set some goals.

Man, I need to do this. I can't do a couple of them, though, because of biceps tendinitis, which the doctor won't send me to therapy for. "It'll heal itself," she said, two years ago. Meanwhile, my bitch ass gets skinnier and skinnier....

Two weeks in. Took 1.5 for my upper respiratory virus to finally go almost away. Got in a solid two hour workout before lunch today, actually got my heart rate up even with beta blockers while on the NuStep:

- 50 minutes water aerobics class
- 30 minutes on the treadmill, still too slow.
- 35 minutes on the NuStep seated rower 2500 at 3.6 METS

The NuStep is fantastic for me, as somehow it exercises the heart much more but doesn't trigger my asthmatic tendences nearly as much as the treadmill. I am going to find a health club that has one of these when I move down here permanently, which is a little tricky because they are usually used for physical therapy. I used it for cardiac rehab and was up to 5 METS but only for 15 minutes at a time. I'm hoping to get to 4.5 METS for 35 minutes by next Friday.

Back in Chicago for the weekend where I will focus on some flexibility training I was given for my hamstrings, then back to NC for six more days of the program on Monday.

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

Curls are for girls anyways. Get to lifting.

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It's fucked up my entire upper body. Can barely do push-ups.

I was wondering, the protein shakes or stuff like that, that you can pick up at Wal-mart, do they do anything, I was watching a thing on youtube on Terry Crews, what he does in a day and he took vitamins, just wondered if those are worth it.

I most definitely did not win the Commitment to Excellence award for last week. Despite working out 4x I somehow managed to game 4.5 lbs. I must admit I've slacked a bit on the diet over the past month. Depression eating cause of my dog dying in addition to picking up a 2 week flu really messed with me on that front.

The weigh in yesterday was the wake up call I needed to get back on track.

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Gained a good 10-12 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years, and I have taken about half of that back off since. Haven't missed any outdoor running and have stuck to my training plan, but that will come to an end Wednesday. I am going to run tonight (usually a rest day) and tomorrow and try to front-load my week with miles in advance of this cold front. I dont mind running in the cold weather but even I have my limits.

5 x 5 strength training my dudes, with compound exercises like squat bench and deadlift.

Stronglifts.com

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I slipped on some "incognito" ice--it looked like a patch of snow--recently and got a nasty sprain/avulsion fracture in my ankle. My foot swelled up to the size of a cantaloupe--or perhaps even the more exotic casaba melon--and the skin around the injury is gruesomely discolored. The doctor says it takes about six weeks for this kind of fracture to heal completely, but I should be able to resume treadmill activity prior to that. Bummer.

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Nonsense. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pve82F-K6sc

I haven't been to the gym in a week. I only have a couple of days here before I head out on vacation. I haven't gained back any of my progress
so I guess that is good but all inclusive living at a luxury resort is more than likely going to bring me back heavier. I'll see what I can do to curb
the excessive eating in Mexico.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

trying to eat better. so many carbs over the holidays. had a salad the other day. forgot what lettuce tasted like.

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@audioidkid

I bought a treadmill but I work too much to use it. maybe once on the weekend. I feel like a caged bird on that thing.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

If you stick to seafood you should be OK. And if you're messing around in the ocean and walking the beach that's actually a pretty decent amount of calories you're burning.

I'd wager any additional pounds will be from uno cerveza por favor or sugar-soaked frozen drinks.

i'm 99% sure scientists have proven, time-wise, the feeling from running 1 mile on a treadmill feels the same as running 5 miles outside.

treadmills are my hell

it's brutal just watching that fucking timer click down the minutes.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

and swim in that damn pool! nothing sheds pounds like swimming (imo).

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@audioidkid

Yes it will likely be the frozen drinks that would do the most damage over the week. Good idea with the swimming. We are staying in a swim up
cabana so I will need to swim to get my drinks, does that count? It is a very large complex so there will be a lot of walking for sure. Also option
to do exercise classes and play tennis, etc...

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

maybe they will have a beach volley ball court and you can get a daily game going. I did that in Cancun. Found a bunch of people who wanted to play and ended up having a daily game every day around 4:00 with the same group of people. Would play for an hour and a half at least, great workout.

I also recommend getting Montazuma's revenge the day before your trip ends. I did that and between that and the volleyball I managed to lose weight at an all inclusive.

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This guy gets it.

Solid tips here, I am pretty sure they have both sand and pool volleyball. As for the Montezuma's Revenge, I unintentionally did that to myself my first trip
to Mexico in Cabo. I had been brushing my teeth with the tap water and it happened to strike me while I was out on a snorkeling trip. I had to sit in the
boat most of the trip and when we finally hit dry land I made a bee line for the outhouse they had on the beach. Everyone had to wait in the van until I was
reasonably sure I could make it back to the resort. I am not sure I am going to chance that again before I get on a plane.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami