Weight-Lifting Thread (General Fitness Thread)

[diabsoule]

I'm envious of your skinny guys.

[Ravens1991]

what do you think would be the best exercise for developing explosive power in your legs? also what would be a good plyometric work out for your lower body? I need to increase my explosivness by a ton for college next year.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Ravens1991

what do you think would be the best exercise for developing explosive power in your legs?

sprints out of track blocks with a parachute

[jballa838]

Grab 20 Pound Dumbells. Start with them like you would for dead lift with them next to your feet to the side, stand up with weights like you would for dead lift, go down, drop the weights immediately and jump as high as you can, land, squat down pick them up, and repeat.
do like 3 sets of 10.

so tough to explain, but you feel these.

[Ravens1991]

thanks for the help everyone

so you do the dead lift motion then drop the weights then squat and jump?

[Sniper]

Squat jumps with a medicine ball and box jumps, also with the medicine ball, are pretty baller as well.

[M.O.T.H.]

I hate bulking...most people love it, cause they get to eat a whole lot. But eating when you're not hungry can suck.

[M.O.T.H.]

Just be careful w/ those deadlifts...they're a fantastic excericise but, do them wrong and you can mess up your back bad. I know several body builder types that wont even do them.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by M.O.T.H.

I hate bulking...most people love it, cause they get to eat a whole lot. But eating when you're not hungry can suck.

I cant wait.....going to begin a bulk cycle when I hit 175 (I think anyway, we'll see how I look there). BTW, only have .6 more pounds to go for 10.

[tjsunstein]

Looks like Rob S. is going to win this unless someone else has already accomplished their goal. Trying to gain 10 pounds is a lot harder to do than I thought with the physical shape I was in before I started this summer.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by tjsunstein

Looks like Rob S. is going to win this unless someone else has already accomplished their goal. Trying to gain 10 pounds is a lot harder to do than I thought with the physical shape I was in before I started this summer.

I told you its tough to put on like 1-2 lbs. per week haha. IF you gained 10 over the entire summer while keeping similar body fat I would be impressed.

[Smokey Joe]

Originally Posted by M.O.T.H.

I hate bulking...most people love it, cause they get to eat a whole lot. But eating when you're not hungry can suck.

I love bulking up. Began my junior year at about 220, Began my senior year at about 250, and now I'm up to about 270 and the strongest, fastest, quickest, and most explosive I have ever been.

No doubt I'm fat, but not sickening fat. Plus, I'm well built in the legs, arms, shoulder and back areas.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by M.O.T.H.

I hate bulking...most people love it, cause they get to eat a whole lot. But eating when you're not hungry can suck.

Just curious as to what calorie count you shoot for when bulking?

I still want to do it very clean (only time for carbs outside of fruit is PWO and only stuff like brown rice, yams, whole wheat pasta, etc.). I am thinking anywhere from 3000-3500 is good seeing as I am a very easy gainer.

[Smokey Joe]

Originally Posted by Ravens1991

what do you think would be the best exercise for developing explosive power in your legs? also what would be a good plyometric work out for your lower body? I need to increase my explosivness by a ton for college next year.

Hang cleans and power cleans are great.

As for a plyo, frog jumps and power jumps also are very good.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by Smokey Joe

Hang cleans and power cleans are great.

As for a plyo, frog jumps and power jumps also are very good.

I was just going to say get a large box and do box jumps. As it gets easier, add in a weighted vest. Parachute sprints are money too as Brent said. And cleans too.

[b316]

Single leg squats, and leg raise ups with the bar across your traps.

Burpees with weights.

[M.O.T.H.]

Originally Posted by Rob S

Just curious as to what calorie count you shoot for when bulking?

I still want to do it very clean (only time for carbs outside of fruit is PWO and only stuff like brown rice, yams, whole wheat pasta, etc.). I am thinking anywhere from 3000-3500 is good seeing as I am a very easy gainer.

I was never big on counting calories, I never had a problem putting on muscle when I was in high school, just had an average diet pretty much, But now, it's harder for me to put on weight...but yeah, I'm probably at around 3500ish right now. blah. A little dirty here and there but, like 98% clean. I should probably eat more, though. Because, while I dont do much if any cardio when lifting...I'm always playing basketball almost all week in the hot hot sun. Might be neutralizing my bulk a bit.

The only reason I've decided to do this is because, I'm a little pissed off that I've lost so much weight/muscle since I played football back in the day. I didnt really have a reason to lift weights anymore, so I havent been in the gym too frequently. But a while later and I've gone from just south of 200. (played at anywhere from 192-197) To where I am now, about 183 or 184. blah. I'm looking cut but, I just feel weak. I dont like it. Plus, I never want to say never any more when it comes to a possible return to football. As unlikely as it may seem, just never want to shut that door. haha.

[b316]

no one wants to shut the door to football.

[Ravens1991]

now for box jumps should I just do something like 5x5 or how should I do the sets?

[eaglesalltheway]

Originally Posted by Smokey Joe

I love bulking up. Began my junior year at about 220, Began my senior year at about 250, and now I'm up to about 270 and the strongest, fastest, quickest, and most explosive I have ever been.

No doubt I'm fat, but not sickening fat. Plus, I'm well built in the legs, arms, shoulder and back areas.

Thats how I am, I'm big for sure, but I've got really broad shoulders and a wide trunk. My legs are huge, and I've got real strong shoulders and back. I've lost a lot of my fat since I started working out again about 7 months ago. I'd imagine we have a similar build. IIRC you are looking to play colege ball, so you are probably much taller than me (I'm 5'8) and I'm 208 lbs. How tall are you, like 6'1 or 6'2? You're probably a lot more muscular than I am too.


I've recently had a real jump in my performance on a lot of my exercises. I know can squat 635 (the most I've ever been able to do), bench 295, and leg press 930 6 times. I've improved a lot on both my squat and bench in about a two month period. I think I'm going to need to chill out on my squat though. I use proper form, but I don't think I'm going to be going for any more, as if I do screw up, that could really go bad. I tried for 300 on my last bench day (yesterday) and just didn't get it. I can't wait to get back over 300 again, the last time was when I was in football about 3 or 4 years ago.

[eaglesalltheway]

Originally Posted by bhaarat316

no one wants to shut the door to football.

Its amazing what people will do to play the game. Hell, I played in a flag league I wanted to play so bad. I had gotten a call about a real small league through a friend of mine, but that never really happened, as that team fell apart, which is why I played on the flag team. In this flag league, there were people coming from PA (mostly), New Jersey, and New York. Some teams had 2 or 3 hour drives every Saturday just to make the games. Crazy stuff.

[Smokey Joe]

Originally Posted by eaglesalltheway

Thats how I am, I'm big for sure, but I've got really broad shoulders and a wide trunk. My legs are huge, and I've got real strong shoulders and back. I've lost a lot of my fat since I started working out again about 7 months ago. I'd imagine we have a similar build. IIRC you are looking to play colege ball, so you are probably much taller than me (I'm 5'8) and I'm 208 lbs. How tall are you, like 6'1 or 6'2? You're probably a lot more muscular than I am too.


I've recently had a real jump in my performance on a lot of my exercises. I know can squat 635 (the most I've ever been able to do), bench 295, and leg press 930 6 times. I've improved a lot on both my squat and bench in about a two month period. I think I'm going to need to chill out on my squat though. I use proper form, but I don't think I'm going to be going for any more, as if I do screw up, that could really go bad. I tried for 300 on my last bench day (yesterday) and just didn't get it. I can't wait to get back over 300 again, the last time was when I was in football about 3 or 4 years ago.

I'm 6'4"...... but damn, that's a lot of weight you put on the squat rack! I haven't maxed out in a while, but I think if I did, it wouldn't be much more than 465.

As for bench, only at 315 right now.

The best thing is though, I'm still only 18, and hopefully I'll have at least 3 years in a D-I strength, conditioning, and diet program.

After my playing days are done, I think I'm either gonna try and lose a lot of fat and keep adding the muscle, or I'll go to Kevin James route.

[B-Dawk]

i wish i knew there was a contest im up 10 lbs on the summer and 20 since spring started

[eaglesalltheway]

Originally Posted by Smokey Joe

I'm 6'4"...... but damn, that's a lot of weight you put on the squat rack! I haven't maxed out in a while, but I think if I did, it wouldn't be much more than 465.

As for bench, only at 315 right now.

The best thing is though, I'm still only 18, and hopefully I'll have at least 3 years in a D-I strength, conditioning, and diet program.

After my playing days are done, I think I'm either gonna try and lose a lot of fat and keep adding the muscle, or I'll go to Kevin James route.

If CJ were here, he'd comment on my thankles...lol. But my quads and hammies are huge, and very muscular. I haven't measured my legs in a while, but my thighs are about 31" and my calves are 22". But for some reaon, I don't have a toned or muscular ass (no ****), typical white guy syndrome I guess, lol. My whole lower body really is strong, and it helps me a lot with work. (I carry rolls of carpet and other stuff with the floor covering business I'm in) I will see people putting up a hell of a lot more than me on pretty much every upper body machine. But my core and my lower body are really what makes me strong. I think my height gives me an advantage though with squatting, just like in bench, I have less room to move, so I'm putting in less work per rep.

[CJSchneider]

Originally Posted by eaglesalltheway

If CJ were here, he'd comment on my thankles...

Did somebody say "Thankles?"