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Strength & Fitness
With Marty Gallagher
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002; Noon EDT
Are you trying to lose weight, build muscle, get stronger or excel in a given sport? Maybe you're just hoping to slow the aging process, which exercise and good health habits can surely help accomplish. But male or female, young or old -- where do you start and what do you do? And if you're already an experienced exerciser or athlete, how do you fight your way off a plateau or avoid going stale?
Over the past 20 years, Gallagher has written more than 200 articles for such magazines as "Muscle and Fitness," "Flex" and "Powerlifting USA." He has interviewed hundreds of the world's top athletes, quizzing them on the training tactics they used to succeed.
Gallagher, a World Powerlifting Champion and fitness expert, takes your questions about every fitness topic under the sun.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
Marty Gallagher: Hello everyone,
I want to get to as many questions in as much depth as possible so I'm signing on. If you had a question left hanging at the end of last week's show, check for the answer after this session is complete.
We've set a date for the Frank Moran seminar: Saturday October 20th. Frank is the Hollywood trainer of stars; Val Kilmer, Steven Segal, Faye Dunnaway, Tim Hutton, Bill Campbell, Rutger Horward, Neil Young, David Cosby, Rebecca DeMornay, etc., - Frank gets $500 an hour to whip stars into shape for big budget films. We are going to put on a 4-hour seminar with a BBQ afterwards. Contact me if your interested in attending. We're one hour north of Washington DC.
Pullman, Wash.:
Biggest problem area -- the gut! But with recent back problems, it's really hard to do crunches and the like. Any suggestions for how to deal with the massive spare tires?
Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: The solution is to reduce the sheer number of calories derived daily from fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates.
You can do crunches from now until the cows wander home but unless you meld your exercise effort with a concentrated diet; one that eliminates nasty foods and gets you down near your particular caloric breakeven point, you will stay fat.
Matter of fact, you could increase your exercise and actually get even fatter if you add even more calories.
The key is getting a handle on your eating and using exercise - lifting and cardio - to tone muscle, build endurance and burn body fat.
Capitol Hill:
Hi, Marty,
Protein powders (and I have tried many over the years) upset my stomach. I am lactose intolerant. Can you recommend a protein powder that is easier on the stomach? I am a male using the powder in conjuction with weightlifting to put on muscle mass.
Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: I can't really say; I've never studied the labels on protein powders - does soy mess up your stomach? It's up to you to hike over to local GNC and start reading through labels.
New York, N.Y.:
Hi Marty. Love your chats. What do you know about CLA? I've been reading some things such as this page, and it seems pretty impressive for fat reduction. For example:
"Human studies testing CLA's ability to reduce body fat in obese individuals... are truly amazing. Body fat... was reduced by 20 percent over a 12-week period simply by adding CLA supplements to the diet."
If you think taking CLA is a good idea, do you think it should be taken regularly or just for fat loss?
Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: So what is CLA?
Who is saying the fabulous things about CLA? The people who make CLA? What is this page? I can't scroll to website while I online.
Human studies? Whose studies?
USA:
Mr. Gallagher,
I've got a problem that I hope you can help with. I sustained a bullet wound to my left shoulder during a tour in 'Nam. Just one of the many memoirs from my Seal days. It hadn't been a problem for years, maybe a little ache when the weather got bad, but nothing that ever impacted my physical performance. Lately however, I've been having problems when benching, both flat and incline. Any time I load anything more than 350 or so, after a couple reps I get a sharp pain at about 10 o'clock (as you face my left side) on my shoulder. I also can feel a bit of grinding in the joint. I also do a bit of sport shooting and I'm a long range rifle coach, so the pain has started to carry over into other recreational areas of my life. I'd hate to stop working out and shooting, even for a rehabilitation period. What do you suggest?
Marty Gallagher: If you were in 'Nam you would have to be 55-plus years old -so do you really need to be benching 350? Do you really need to be doing super heavy flat benches and inclines? In Bill Pearl's Key's to the Inner Univerese he lists approximately 70-pages of chest exercises, 2-3 exercises per page. If the idea is to work the pecs, find a few exercises that don't aggrevate the problem. Any of the various flying-type exercises should fill the bill.
I suggest you determine if heavy benching is worth risking a serious injury over.
Baltimore, Md.:
How important is Branch Chain Amino Acid supplementation before bed time to putting on lean muscle mass.
Is it worth it, or just another marketing ploy?
Marty Gallagher: I can think of so many other areas to jack up progress...are you training hard and heavy? Are you hitting cardio intensely and regularly? Is you eating planned and precise? Supplement are expensive and so many people infer supplements with almost magical powers that are way exaggerated. I would purchase protein powder and sport nutrition bars with my supplement money.
Greenville, S.C.:
Coach Gallagher,
I'd appreciate some advice. I'm 24, been lifting for about 10 years, former lineman, track and field thrower, etc. My best asset has always been my lower body strength. I've gotten my leg press up to just under 1,200 lbs., and a trainer friend of mine said I should be using knee wraps to prevent injury and put up some more weight. I've never had any knee problems. Anything to what he says? If so, how do you pick/use a knee wrap? Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: Personally I think you're asking for trouble. The problem with leg pressing heavy weight is the depth. Typically, if you watch someone leg press giant poundage, on each succeeding set the depth gets more and more shallow. Then they throw on knee wraps load up all the hundreds in the gym and make a big noisy show out of moving 1800-pound four inches. Big Deal. Trouble is, the guy couldn't squat 400-legal and every serious lifter in the joint is laughing at the clown show.
Try converting some of your leg power to regular squatting -it is a much truer test of pure leg strength. Forget the belt and wraps and see if you can work up to 400-pounds for reps in the full squat. Your legs will explode with development.
Frederick, Md.D:
Hey Marty, Just spent two weeks in Jackson Hole, Wyo. and started to lift again. After a couple of heavy sessions of power cleans and front squats my left knee locked up and filled with fluid -- TOO MUCH TOO SOON. Went to an orthopedic "sports medicine" MD who took x-rays last week. He said despite still a little fluid the knee joint was non arthritic, rock solid with great bone density -- and then started telling me how bad squats were and I should start doing partial leg extension to build the Quads. I didn't think these guys were still out there! Big O-lift meet in Frederck this weekend.
Marty Gallagher: Hey there Larry - where and when is the O-lift meet? I'd make the trip for that - I bet Chuck DeLuxe would go. I think your problem came from the stress of racking the weight in the power clean and the concurrent braking action needed to reverse the direction. Are you in town? Are you going to the O-meet?
Annapolis, Md.:
How does intense cardio aid in muscle growth?
Marty Gallagher: Lots of ways;
1. cardio keeps the metabolism from becoming sluggish
2. cardio aides food digestion
3. cardio kicks up the appetite
4. cardio improves capilarry density in a muscle
5. cardio builds mitochondria density
6. cardio improves endurance and this allows you to work out harder and longer
Alexandria, Va.:
I lost a bunch of weight a while ago (about 30 pounds). I've still got about 20 pounds to go, but I'm currently trying to consolidate my losses by maintaining my current bodyweight for a while without gaining my previous weight back.
My question: I've got a lot of loose skin now. My gut's kind of like a deflated balloon. I'm sure you've dealt with a lot of people who have dropped a lot of weight. Is this sort of thing common? Does it get better? I figure it'll go away if I keep losing weight, but it kinda bothers me right now.
Marty Gallagher: How old are you? If you are young the skin's natural elastisity will kick in and you'll be fine. Try taking Vit. E and C daily.
Somewhere, USA:
How do we contact you for the Frank Moran seminar? What will the seminar cost? Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: Contact me at MGSO@supernet.com for details - it's cheap and we're going to limit particapation to six people in order to have maximum exposure to the trainees. I will handle the weight training portion of the seminar and the BBQ afterwards promises to be a real freak show as leading lifters and athletes are already planning on attending for the outstanding grub and outstanding Hollywood gossip.
More Protein, Va.:
Hi Marty,
Would you please suggest some snacks that I can eat in the evening that are high in protein? I would like to get away from eating high carb foods late at night.
Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: Hey - a protein shake is great. I used to make a 10-egg white omelette with one yolk, onions, pepper and turkey bacon. 10 egg whites is not much food volume but contains a whopping 33-grams of protein. The little bit of pepper and onions won't mess you up.
A piece of broiled fish - a lean steak!
Gaithersburg, Md.:
Hi Marty,
I love your chats, and I just wanted to make a comment that might prove useful for some people. I would follow your entire plan, but for some reason, I could not drop the last 5-10 pounds -- and I finally figured out the culprit -- my cheat days. Cheat days are good, but I would take them to another level which would foil my entire regime. The deficit I would create would be gone in one day. I've finally learned that my cheat days cannot go overboard, but can still be satisfying. (My normal calories are around 1,500 calories, but on some cheat days, I found myself consuming over 2,500 calories)
Marty Gallagher: Cheat days will get you about 90% of the way there and as you've discovered, in order to lose that last bit, you need to turn the cheat day in to a cheat half day; then a cheat meal before finally dropping the cheat day all together. Then you hang in there for as long as you can stand it and get as lean as possible on the fewest calories.
Then it's time to head back the other direction; add back in a cheat day, up the daily calories, add exercise poundage and reps, seek to add lean muscle while staying as lean as possible. Yin and Yang, ebb and flow.
Washington, D.C.:
October 20th is a Sunday ...
Marty Gallagher: A Scotsman and an Irishman trying to hatch a plan can screw up the simpliest thing...I called him on his cell phone at 11:45 this morning. "Oh," he said, "I'm training Bill Campbell right now; hold on let me look at my calender; the 20th is a Saturday - let's have the seminar on Saturday the 20th."
Columbia, Md.:
Marty, update on chin-up quest. I wrote in earlier about plateauing at 20 chin-ups on the way to goal of 25. Following your advice ... I did 22 this morning breaking my personal best set 25 years ago when I was 18. Twenty-five is now in my sites. Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: You rock - 22-chins? That's fantastic - how old are you? How much do you weigh? What's next? How about doing 5-sets of 10 with a 25-pound dumbbell strapped to your waist? After you can do 5x10 with 25 jump to a 30-pound DB and finally 35x10x5 reps. Then try and hit 25 without weight.
Annapolis:
I make my own protein shakes consisting of 1 cup skim milk, .5 cup of Eggbeaters, and .5 cup of fat free frozen yogurt ... It equals to about the same nutritional content as the Whey powder products, and costs considerably less over the course of a month.
I am trying to drop some extra lb's. and get more definition. I was wondering if you may have a suggestion for cutting back on the carbs. I never realized skim milk is so high in carb content.
Marty Gallagher: And the sugar content in milk is high. I love skim and use it when I'm looking to add size. I have to drop it when I'm looking to shed body fat. Does yogurt have sugar? Write me for the name of a supplement maker who has 5-pound bags of whey for $25 - MGSO@supernet.com
Baltimore, Md.:
Marty -- I'm a skinny dude trying to add mass. I don't have a lot of money, so recently I tried supplementing with a mix of powdered skim milk, and skim milk -- the mixture has lots of protein, about 400 calories per shake, and no cholesterol (although it tastes awful). A friend of mine found out about this and told me that milk protein would just make me fat, not muscular; he thinks I should go back to name-brand stuff. What's your take?
Marty Gallagher: Write me for the name of the cheap protein powder maker - 5-pounds $25 - MGSO@supernet.com -
In the meantime keeping firing down those calories and don't worry about gettng fat - worry about getting strong. If you get real strong in the core barbell and dumbbell exercises then you will grow muscle -assuming you have plenty of calories in your system to fuel growth and speed up recovery.
Get strong, real strong and everything else will fall into place.
Columbia, Md.:
Re: chin-ups. I'm 43, 5'7", 140 pounds. I'll use the weights with the chins. I like chin-ups and pullups a lot more than using lat pulldown machine
Marty Gallagher: That's good because a free hand chin or pull up beats the tar out of a lat pulldown or reverse grip pulldown - or long cable row for that matter. Based on the fact that you weigh 140, I would start with a 15-pound DB and see if I could do 5 sets of 10-reps. Jack it up from there....
Denver, Colo.:
Would love to go to the Frank Moran seminar but considering I'm a 27 hour drive away, it doesn't seem possible. Would it be possible to have someone type up the seminar and provide a transcript for us on-line fans?
Marty Gallagher: Maybe we'll tape it.
Silver Spring:
Hello Marty, thanks for the chats! Sorry if this is a stupid question. In a previous chat I saw what I interpreted as a positive reference to the bowflex. Is this correct? Do you think this is a reasonable workout tool? I may have access to one and wanted to know what you think of it before I look it over. Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: No clue SS, I've never laid eyes on one much less tried it out. Looks like that dude is making a wheelbarrow of money off his goofy-looking gaget.
Arlington, Va.:
I want to move into a cutting phase. Is there a suggested percentage by which one should decrease the weight and increase the reps? Should one do a cutting regime for a certain number of weeks and then return to the bulking up phase? Thank you.
Marty Gallagher: Try using three, three week mini-cycles, making up a 9-week macro-cycle.
I would start with 3-weeks of 10-rep sets (accross the board), jump to 15-rep sets in week 4 through 6 and end with three weeks using 20-rep exercise sets. Each three weeks, tighten up the diet in some fashion. Keep the protein intake up throughout the 9-week process and you will hang onto your muscle mass in the face of declining calories. Every three weeks up the commitment to cardio: either go longer, go faster and add more sessions.
After 9-weeks of strict dieting, a 6-week mass building cycle (two 3-week mini cycles) would reap some nice very results.
Marty Gallagher: Okay, I have to go now; if you posted a question last week that wasn't answered look for that answer now. Those who posted a question today that I didn't get to, check for the answer at the end of next week's show. See you then.
9-3-02 Questions
Ashburn, Va.: As I am starting to go to a gym to lose weight and gain more body tone, do you think the book, Body for Life, is good start for exercise regime?
Marty Gallagher: It’s not bad; homage is paid to all three critical elements of a sensible, effective fitness regimen: weight training, cardio, diet.
Bethesda, Md.: Wouldn't you take a protein shake after working out? Should one be taken before bed?
Marty Gallagher: I take one after working out – mixed with a carb powder and a shot of creatine monohydrate for good measure – plus three 800mg E and 2000mg of C for anti-oxidation. Before bed – what’s the goal? Adding muscle size? Then he answer is yes. Leaning out? Better to use that shake immediately upon arising. A high protein/low carb shake preserves low glycogen status which is ideal for maximizing cardio results.
Alexandria, Va.: I started seriously working out in May. Since June, I've been bothered by my hamstring, so decided not to exercise over my recent 3-week vacation. But the darn thing is still giving me twinges. Is it time to see the doctor, or just grin and bear it? It's just uncomfortable, not painful.
Marty Gallagher: If it was me, I lay off all my hamstring exercises until it healed. I used the recovered training time to double up on calves and quads.
Alexandria, Va.: Follow-up to the question below: I wasn't really asking about how they find the time. The question was more, how do they not grind themselves into dust following the high-volume approach at age 50+? Is it just a question of building up work capacity?
Marty Gallagher: Many factors are at play. First off they go long but they do not go heavy – relatively speaking. The workload might appear heavy to you but if you are doing four exercises per body part, the exercise in the 4th position will always suffer. Many, my self included, feel that doing an exercise in a pre-fatigued state with sub-maximal poundage is not worth the effort. If you go long you cannot go as heavy and that’s a natural fact.
Rockville, Md.: Hi Marty,
Last week, you gave me a workout for balancing out a bigger lower body and upper body. Thank you ...i t sounds great! I have a couple questions for you: What cardio and how much would you recommend to go with this workout? Also does it matter if leg curls are lying or seated? And lastly, do you like ball squats (against a wall)?
This is the program you recommended for a female. Twice a week do:
Squat no weight high reps: 2-3 sets of 25-100
leg curl 2x25 very concentrated
bench press 3x10
seated overhead press 3x10
lateral raises 3x10
lat pulldowns 3x10
dumbbell curls 3x10
tricep pushdowns 3x10
Thank you!
Marty Gallagher: Hard to get specific without more specifics…I’d hit cardio 3-6 times a week, 30-minutes minimum, shooting for 65-85% of age-related heart rate maximum. Make the mind/muscle connection and it makes little difference if leg curls are done standing or lying down. What is a ball squat?
Alexandria, Va., 2: Marty,
I'm a dude and in April 2002, I developed and put myself on a plan that has enabled me to drop about 49 lbs., from 285 lbs., to this point. It looked something like this: weights 2 to 4 times a week, never working the same body part twice in a row, cardio eithier biking or jogging 3 to 4 times a week and I dramatically changed my eating habits so that I cut out the "bad" fats and foods and included fruits, veggies and unprocessed foods. I'm never hungry as I usually eat 4 to 6 small meals with an occasional healthy snack. For the past 3-4 weeks my weight hasn't moved. You think it's time for another change? I feel like I've mixed up the exercise enough that I shouldn't be stalling because of it. While the diet has been consistently healthy, it has been mostly the same foods and rotations. Could that be the reason for the plateau? I consume 2000 to 2400 cals a day. Is that enough info for a general suggestion, please be gentle. Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: Excellent – A fifty pound weight loss is amazing – kudos Dude!
I would suggest you switch directions and undergo a six-ten week mass building period. You’ve likely gone as far as you can go in this direction and rather than bang your head on the wall I would shift gears, add back some clean calories, pile on the poundage and let my weight drift upward. It’ll be all pure muscle if you train super hard and eat clean and tight. I’d start by adding back 400-calories a day and over time drop in enough clean calories to add 10-pounds of muscle. I’d then head back the other way but now you have an elevated caloric breakeven point and this makes dieting-down much easier.
Boston, Mass.: How many days rest do you suggest between weight lifting? Also, for a 5'6" guy, 33 years old, 138 lbs, what should I target for bench pressing?
Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: 200x1 would be nice…a novice can train a muscle 2-3 times a week with no adverse effects; an intermediate can blast a muscle twice a week and an advanced trainer will need 5-7 days for a muscle to recover. It’s a matter of poundage.
Washington, D.C.: Thanks Marty for taking my question. I need to look "wider" because my fiancee is, uh, big-boned. I'm doing the followings 2-3 times a week (in sequence). It takes about 45 min:
DB press x 4,
inclined DB press x 3,
one-arm row x 4.
Comments? Suggestions? I use DB and workout bench at home.
Marty Gallagher: This workout seems pretty damned slim – 11-sets? And it takes you 45-minutes? Are you saying you want a deltoid specialization program?
Shartlesville, Pa.: Hi Marty,
I've been searching for a protein powder that's low in cholesterol. I seem to have inherited a problem in this area. Most of the whey powders seem to have 10-15 percent cholesterol which is more than I would like. The soy products are better, but more expensive. Can you share any helpful advise in this area. Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: I do not keep track of cholesterol in supplements.
Washington, D.C.: Marty,
I have a question about metabolism. How does metabolism relate to appetite? If you have a fast metabolism do you have a larger appetite or at least do you feel the urge to eat more frequent meals? I am asking because a friend of mine is really thin and he says it is because he has a fast metabolism but he also barely eats and I'm concerned he may have an eating disorder. He blames his low weight on his metabolism but he also doesn't do much to get up to a healthy weight. Thanks Marty!
Marty Gallagher: My gut tells me you are correct. Metabolism is a term kicked around like a soccer ball. Think of it this way: if you eat 3,000 calories a day and eat it all at one meal, this will slow your “metabolism” to a crawl as the human body is forced to work overtime to digest this massive food dump. On the other hand, if you eat 500-calorie meals six times a day (still 3,000 total) the body is able to process this small amount of food much easier. Small meals spaced evenly throughout the day allow the digestive system to work at maximum efficiency.
Guitarfool: Hello Marty,
How important is it to spread your meals out? My problem is that although I work hard to stay on a schedule my meals many times run together and instead of being 3 hours apart ... they're many times only an hour apart.
Marty Gallagher: We live in an age of incredible nutritional supplementation. Every morning I start my day with two scoops of protein powder mixed with cold water. This concoction delivers 34-grams of protein, 3-grams of carbohydrate, zero fat and zero sugar. Best of all, you don’t have to gag it down on account of it tastes really good. The sports nutrition bars I eat deliver 20 grams of high BV protein, 30-grams of slow release carbs tastes good – it’s something I look forward to. Use protein powder and sport nutrition bars to fill in the gaps: mid-morning and mid-afternoon you can eat a bar or drink a shake (or both) regardless of where you are or what you are doing. A ‘meal’ doesn’t have to be something you sit down at a table and consume.
Frederick: Hi Marty,
Aside from leg curls, what exercises can you recommend to build solid hamstrings?
Marty Gallagher: Fred-neck…you live about 30-miles from me. Stiff-legged deadlifts are great – assuming you allow the hamstrings to lead the ascent. (Not the erectors) This is a subtle point. Poundage is secondary; the mind/muscle connection and range-of-motion are the key factors in making the SLDL into effective hamstring exercises. Rounding the back, using a short rep stroke and too much poundage turns the SLDL into a spinal erector exercise.
Vienna, Va.: Dear Mr. Gallagher
I am at the end of my patience. I have tried to lose 10 lbs for the last six months with no success. I have tried a mix of fast walking/moderate jogging, four to five times a week, 40 minutes each since April. I have eaten more veggies and less meat. But the weight still the same. I wonder if it was because of my office job (most of time I am in front of computer)? Or was it because of my diet, which rice is the main dish? What more can I do or cut out to lose this 10 lbs? Thank you.
Marty Gallagher: You are taking in more calories than you are oxidizing on a daily basis. The choices you have are; increase the intensity of your exercise and/or cut back the amount of your daily calories. Rice is a great food – are you loading it up with butter or calorie-rich condiments? Do you weight train? Taking up weight training would assuredly bust you out of your slump.
Maryland: I am male, 6 feet tall, 210 pounds. I have eaten less since May, working out by lifting weights and aerobic exercise. Between mid-May, June and late July I lost 12 pounds by eating less. I probably couldn't have been eating more than 1,500 calories. My legs and arms are fine: almost no fat. My mid-section however -- waist, stomach --still has fat. Currently, I eat veggies, fruits and some non-fat dairy products (almost no cheese), little fatty foods, occasional meat. A friend told me that perhaps I am not eating enough. She said that I should be eating at least 2,300 calories if I work out four times a week (which I generally do). My workouts are 30 minutes of treadmill/elliptical and sometimes stationary bike. My weightlifitng is the combination of back, chest, arms and to a lesser extent leg workouts. I also use the captain's chair for my stomach. My goal is to burn fat and build muscle, so I am not too worried about weight, per se. I don't mind weighing 210 of muscle. Any ideas/tips?Thanks bro.
Marty Gallagher: 1,500 calories are too few for a 210-pound man working out hard. You’ll never add any muscle eating 1,500 per day and you’ll not likely lose any body fat. You’ve likely thrown sand in the gears of your metabolism. When the body senses starvation it goes into a survival mode that seeks to preserve body fat at all costs. When the body’s metabolic process is shut down, it will cannibalize muscle tissue rather than draw fuel for activity from fat stores. I would think about eating something five times a day; shoot for 4-500 calories per meal. That’ll put you at 2,000-2,500 and I think you’ll see a world of difference in how you feel.
London, U.K.: Hi Marty,
Female lurker here. Question is: I have a sedentary job (office in front of a computer all day long) but thank God I walk/take the stairs often. Apart from that though, nothing else much. What is the best exercise to strengthen my lower back muscles and abs? Legs are fine. Thanks. Great chat.
Marty Gallagher: I would suggest a routine of the following free-weight (no equipment needed) exercises:
1. squats: 25 reps initially work up to 100 over a months time
2. calf raises on a stair-step: single and double leg; try for 25-reps; big stretch
3. push ups: get what you can get and add to that over time
4. leg raises: try and do five perfect reps and seek to add a rep or two every session
5. crunches: 10-15 concentrated reps
This little routine should take about 15-minutes and can be done watching the telly.
Boston, Mass.: Hey Marty,
So I'm almost finished with my lean-out cycle. I started in mid-May and have dropped from 225 to 200 pounds. It was the first time I tried this, and I probably lost a bit too much too fast, but I have definitely lost a lot of fat while maintaining a lot of muscle, so I'm pleased. I want to know how I should approach my next gain-phase. I'm obviously going to start eating more and lifting more weight for fewer reps, but can you give me some tips for how to figure out how much weight to lift the first week (I've been doing 20 rep sets, so I'll increase it a fair bit, but I'm not sure how much). Also, by what percentage should I try to increase the weight I'm lifting each successive week?
As an example, before I started to lean out I was doing dumbbell presses with 100-pound dumbbells. Now I'm doing 20 rep sets with 65 pounds (I started with 75 pounds, but gradually got weaker). And for deadlifts, I used to do 5x405, but am now doing 10x315. What should I start out with when I switch back, and what should be my goals for week-to-week strength gains?
Many thanks.
Marty Gallagher: I would drop from 20-rep sets to 8-rep sets. You will be able to use a lot more poundage but take it slow. I would add a few scant pounds in the first session using 8-rep sets and then add 5-10 pounds a week. Use a long, slow sustained glide-path. I would add in 2-500 additional calories a day and look to add 1-pound of body weight (no more, no less) each and every week for 10-consecutive weeks. Add calories derived from starchy carbs – I assume your protein intake is high already.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada: I used to hate doing abs. The last few years I have really gotten into it to keep my aging gut in shape. I think I have got carried away, though. What would you say is a good range for number of sets of abs during a workout? What would be a max number of sets?My goal is to maintain a pretty well defined set of abs. I can tense the muscles to show a five pack right now. I do a set or two of abs between heavy muscle exercises and then finish off at the end of my workout with an abs routine. I usually do 30 reps per set. I usually only motivate to do abs when I go to the gym three times per week. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights.
Marty Gallagher: I think as long as you have a tight handle on your diet that you could cut the amount of ab work you do in half and not suffer for it.
Frederick, Md.: I am trying to loose fat and gain mass. Which diet is best to help me, a low fat, or low carb? I am lifting weights three times a week, and cardio and abs three days a week. This time last year I weighed 250 lbs, with a pant size of 42 inches. Now I weigh 202 with a pant size of 36 inches. I want to get my body to the next level.
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: I need more to go on: what is your training routine? Lifting? Cardio? Sets, reps, duration, intensity…what type of diet do you use currently? Give me something to work with…I cannot make intelligent suggestions without knowing details – how old, how strong, degree of fitness, beginner, intermediate, advanced…
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