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Strength & Fitness
With Marty Gallagher
Special to washingtonpost.com
Tuesday, April 15, 2003; Noon ET
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.
A 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: How is everyone?
Weather is good and thoughts turn to outdoor activity - three months until beach season - perhaps we should start the fitness process now. It takes 8-12 weeks to make a radical difference in the physique and if we use intelligent planning and a long, slow glidepath the renovation process can be made enjoyable. How about hatching some fitness gameplans and bouncing them off me for tweaking? That's really what I'm here for...
Let's get started -
Boston, Mass.:
Hey Marty, I just starting doing deadlifts as part of my back routine. I can feel it in my legs and lower back the next day, but nothing in my upper back (traps). If done correctly, should my upper back be targeted at all when doing this exercise? Thanks Marty.
Marty Gallagher: I will assume you are doing 'conventional deadlifts' and not sumo-style....
not to be flip or snide but if you add 50-100 pounds to your current deadlift there is no way your trapezius cannot and will not grow. In order to pull a deadlift into the final locked position the traps need to fire. What kind of sets, reps, frequency and poundage are you using? Kirk Karwoski came to visit me this week for 2-3 days and he reminded me that he used to finish his deadlift day with a set or two of hi-rep shrugs. Ed Coan could do two sets of 25-30 reps with 455 in the shrug without straps at the conclusion of his back day. These guys used shrugs as a grip enhancer but got a hell-of-a trap pump as a bonus. Food for thought...
Boston, Mass. (transplant from D.C.):
Hi Marty --
I am a certified personal trainer looking for new ways to be creative with physioballs, free weights, bands, etc. and use machines as little as possible. What avenues do you recommend for learning and doing more, especially when progressing older clients who have gotten comfortable with machines but have expressed interest in trying out new things?
Marty Gallagher: Core exercises using free weights are the most overlooked and neglected of all fitness exercises.
There is so much variety and technique to be learned that despite lifting for 41-years I am continually finding new and exciting techniques and approaches using the core exercises. I approach the core exercises like Tiger does his golf swing or Montana his passing technique. I am downright reverential when it comes to technical execution.
Bands and chains and machines and swiss balls and the like are often distractions and toys that we use when we're bored and want to try different things - nothing wrong with this but often the toys take over and we loose sight of the ultra-basics.
Arlington, Va.:
You seem to avoid pushups. Bad for the elbows?
Marty Gallagher: No. Comparing a pushup to a bench press (or a dumbbell bench press) is like comparing a 1955 Ferrari Testa Rosa to a Yugo.
A pushup is inferior to a bench press in every conceivable way.
New York, N.Y.:
I am 60, female and walk, jog and lift weights a few times a week --all moderately. I find that lowering myself into and rising up from chairs is getting harder. Sometimes worse after a jog or long walk. I hate having to use my arm to push myself out of a chair. Is this due to weak back muscles or thigh muscles or both? I do squats to some extent -- could they make it worse? What do you suggest for lower back strength?
Marty Gallagher: Tough to really say; there could be so many explanations that whatever I said would be a guess...
Is your condition a result of stiffness? Lack of strength in the back? Have you any history of arthritis (sp) or injury?
For lower back strength try hyper-extensions, light deadlifts or stiff-leg deadlifts with light, light weight. Do you do any abdominal work? You should if you don't.
Washington, D.C.:
You talked last week about "letting go" on a vacation, gaining five pounds and getting right back to it. Perhaps you can elaborate on the "getting back to it" part. Do you start the whole process again gradually or jump right in where you left off pre-vacation?
Marty Gallagher: First off after getting back from vacation I really want to get back to my fitness schedule. After eating and drinking and no exercise and late nights with rowdy friends I feel sluggish and toxic. I really look forward to eating less and cleaner and taking invigorating nature walks and pumping some iron.
I am back to where I was pre-vacation and have had a lot more energy and enthusiasum for training since I've returned from my vacation.
You cannot diet and train and lift and do hard cardio 52-weeks a year; the body requires periodic breaks - not to mention the central nervous system and the muscles themselves. After they've 'de-tuned' when we resume training, we blast past where we were prior to vacation. As John Riggins once said to Sandra Day O'Connor lying on the floor of a banquet hall after too many cocktails, "Loosen up Sandy-baby." Enjoy vacation and hit it hard upon re-entry into the 'real world.'
Washington, D.C.:
Managing expectations:
Marty: I have hit the triad very hard for the last 12 weeks. I have been consistent with clean eating, cardio and three intense lifting sessions a week. In this time period, I've lost only about ten pounds and while I've seen some improvement in my upper body, I've seen little in my lower body. I feel great, I enjoy the sessions, but I feel like I put so much in and should be seeing greater results. Am I simply unrealistic?
Marty Gallagher: How much do you weigh? If you were 130 and are now 120 that represents a huge loss in body weight as a percentile - on the other hand if you were 250 and are now weight 240 then that would suggest a different prescription.
Are you an experienced trainer or new to the game? What is the goal? I would be curious to find out how your eating habits compare to previous eating habits. Any significant gains in strength? Let's pin this down a little more and see if we can figure out the next step.
Ashburn, Va.:
I don't know if you have answered this in previous live online sessions, but I have a question about my cardio workouts. When I first get on a machine at the gym (treadmill, eliptical, etc.) I warm up for a few minutes, then bump up the intesity to get to a heart rate that I'm comfortable with. I do fine at that intensity for awhile, then after 15 minutes or so, my heart rate jumps up 10 bpm more than I'd like to be. I really have to slow down to keep it in the range that I want. Is this just me or is this common?
Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: What 'range' are you talking about? Use specifics - are you refering to age-related heart rate maximum? Why would you purposefully do less than you are capable of? You certainly didn't get that from me - I am all in favor of pushing the lip of the performance envelope, as that is where the gains lie. I am no fan of sub-maximal training in cardio or lifting or life itself for that matter.
If I am feeling good I will push myself to the limit of my comfort level. No one ever made significant physical progess consistantly doing LESS than they were capable of. The human body builds muscle or sheds body fat in response to bumping up against the current momentary limit.
Washington, D.C.:
I recall you talking about people who lose weight and just look like a smaller version of the old self. Can't seem to find that transcript. What was the way to avoid that? Make sure you hit all of the tripod? Alter food selection rather than just calories? All of the above?
Marty Gallagher: People who crash diet always end up looking like miniturized versions of their old fat self.
The reason is that despite losing BODYWEIGHT because they've lost as much (or more) muscle as body fat they look the same - just lighter. This is because their percentile of muscle-to-fat hasn't changed - or it's gotten worse.
Optimally we want to retain muscle while melting off body fat. To do this requires that we;
1. lift weights while dieting
2. keep protein intake up to support existing muscle mass
New York, N.Y.:
Hey coach,
Love the chats, very inspirational.
I have a question. I recently purchased an ab-wheel, upon reading several questions and answers in your column.
I don't think I am doing it correctly, only because I am not in pain afterwards. I have my knees in the right position and I can roll out until I touch my nose with no problem. The body parts that feel like they are getting a workout are my shoulders and arms.
Any suggestions or reasons why I might not be doing it correctly?
Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: Slow the rep speed down.
A lot of folks, particularly those lighter and more athletic can sort of bounce through the movement; they use a rebound at the bottom to power through the difficult portion where eccentric (lowering) becomes eccentric (loaded) and by slowing the speed of the lowering and raising we take momentum out of the equation and force the trunk muscles to do the work. Try this and see if it doesn't make the exercise far more difficult.
Silver Spring, Md. :
Hi Marty,
I just got my new Polar S210 heart rate monitor and I'm enjoying my new toy. I am female, 50-years-old, 5'3'', 200 lbs. It tells me that I burn around 2500 calories during my 2 hour workout (cardio and lifting). I know I work really hard, but does this sound right? It also tells me that my max heart rate is 182. I usually try to keep my heart rate in the 155-160 range during cardio. Am I going too high? (this is 85 percent+).
Marty Gallagher: Hmmmm...I don't like the sound of this.
When you hit 182, how many beats per minute do you lose in 60-seconds? If that number is less than 13 you have a problem. The heart rate of a good athlete will drop like a stone in a pond after ceasing exercise. After maxing out a fit person will drop 20-40 beats in 60-seconds; less than 13 indicates a real problem. Also - no way are you burning 2500 calories - why are you working out for two hours? I think you should call me and let's see if we can get this straightened out - contact me at my e-mail: mgso@supernet.com.
Until you talk to me, no more 2-hour workouts - okay? You are a little heavy and short for the degree of stress you are relating - it's probably a false alarm but let's talk and make sure you're being safe.
Houston, Tex.:
Right now I weigh about 140 lbs. I'd like to lose about 10 lbs. What's the best way to go about it?
Marty Gallagher: Is this the person who lost 10-pounds in 12-weeks? If so you lost 7% of your total bodyweight - how fast do you want to go? If a 250-pound person matched your progress they would lose 18-pounds in the same time frame.
One more cycle and you'll hit your target - I think you are doing great.
Virginia:
Marty -- I think i've read that you advocate, basically, a couple of exercises per muscle: a big one that works the entire group, then one that focuses on the specific muscle. Could you cite some examples? Would, say, behind-the-neck pulldowns then bicep curls work for my upper arms? Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: 1. squat/leg extension
2. deadlift/chin
3. bench press/fly or pec dec
4. press-behind-the-neck/lateral raise
5. barbell curl/preacher curl
6. dips/tricep pushdown
The PBN is a shoulder exercise not a 'upper arm' exercise.
GRILL-RILL-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA, WOODSHEDDIN, ARIZ.:
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING MOST HONORABLE COACH GALLAGHER,
TODAY IS THE PINK DOC'S B-DAY, PERHAPS A NOTE OF WISHING HIM WELL IS IN ORDER.
TRAINING IS GOING ON SCHEDUALE. WORKING THE HEART, LUNGS AND MIND.
FUNNY BUT, I DON'T FEEL MUCH LIKE EATING AFTER I'M SUCKING WIND, DIFFERENT STORY WHEN I DROP A COUPLE OF GEARS AND PILE ON THE PLATES. WHAT GIVES?
GRILL-RILL-LA-LA-LA-LA
Marty Gallagher: Big Mike Fink, King of the Desert
How old is he?
I'm a little confused - you've lost your appetite? That's good news for the worldwide Chicken population. Do I have to qualify to enter the world deadlift championships in Vegas in December?
Out West:
Marty,
I must disagree with you slightly on the HR issue. I don't think constant MAXIMIZING your heart rate is always the OPTIMAL. When you are pushing at your limits (above your anaerobic threshhold AT), your body goes to anaerobic metabollically, which burns a ton of calories, but only glycogen, and eventually you crash. I agree that a lot of training needs to be done pushing yourself up here.
However, if you train below your AT threshhold for a long time, your body burns a variety of substances for energy, including fat, and if you stay below your AT threshhold for periods of time you can raise the heart rate of your AT threshhold and increase your performance. The key is that you have to work for a longer time to get this optimal benefit of a sub maximal workout. Also note, that this sub maximal level is much more intense than barely breaking a sweat as you stroll around the block.
Just like varying weight/rep/exercise combos with lifting, I believe you need variety and differences in your aerobic workouts to derive maximum benefit.
Marty Gallagher: I'm talking about purposefully loafing - like at 50% of Age-related heart rate max - there are folks who tell us that mall walking or gardening are just as benifical as serious cardio activity and it just ain't so - you're talking about a totally different level of activity; the key phrase in my rejoinder was 'comfort level.'
Memphis, Tenn.:
Hi Marty,
You have mentioned in the past that you are a raquetball player. Do you have any specific excercises that I can do to put a little more power into my serve?
Marty Gallagher: Pack another 20-50 pounds onto that bench press.
Centreville, Va.:
Hi, Marty.
Do you know anything about Curves for Women? Good, Bad, indifferent? Is it a good way for someone in their 50's and totally out of shape to start with an exercise routine?
Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: Is this a joke? I'm more NAVY Seal than Buns of steel
Marty Gallagher: Wow - that was fast hour: look - a lot of very detailed questions got posted today and rest assured I will answer every single leftover question in detail - I take the lengthy questions 'off-line' so I can craft the intricate answers that they deserve. Please, if you posted a complex question today, tune in next week as I WILL answer your querry.
If you had a question left hanging from last week - check for the answer right now - talk with you next week!
4-15-03 Questions
Re: body weight: Marty,
Sometimes prescription meds throw the balance for a loop too. Really makes it a challenge to maintain the proper balance.
Marty Gallagher: No doubt.
Re: Killer pecs: Marty,
I wanna get some killer pecs. Free weight bench press and/or dumbbell bench press the best way?
Marty Gallagher: Not either/or – both! Alternate periods of DB benching and periods of BB benching. A lot of the Iron Elite will work up to heavy worksets using the barbell and then do 2-3 ‘back-off’ sets using dumbbells. The best way to get killer pecs is get a huge bench press. I’ve never met a man who could bench 400 that had less-then-outstanding pecs.
Washington, D.C.: Question -- I want to start taking a supplement -- protein or something for energy, as I feel tired often while working out. I'm looking to add a few pounds and increse muscle. 35-years-old, 170 lbs, work out aprox. 4 times a week. Any recommendations? THANK YOU!
Marty Gallagher: The two supplements I use each and every day are protein powder and sports nutrition bars. I take C&B, a few multi-vitamin and multi-mineral tabs. I take a protein/carb mix mid-way through a killer workout to forestall end-of-workout tailspin. I mix a serving of protein (34 grams of protein, 4 carbs, zero fat and sugar) with a maltodextrin carb powder (50 grams of slow-release, insulin-dampening carbohydrates) to recharge dwindling energy reserves. I mix it with cold water and it never upsets my stomach. Prevents energy nosedive on the last exercises of the workout and sends needed nutrients to traumatized muscles.
Alexandria, Va.-for the marathoner: Hi Marty-
Just a quick comment for the marathoner. I had practically the same height/weight stats and trained for B-more last year. Speaking from experience, no matter how much running you do, the belly fat doesn't melt if you think "I just trained 20 miles this morning so I'm going to eat choc cake". Also, a comment to the many posters I've noticed over the past few weeks asking about training with a repetitive motion injury. Again from experience: DON'T! I continued to train with knee pain, got cortisone shots, ran the race anyway and have been in constant pain for the last six months and the ortho. said I may never run again. Update on me (you had helped me with binge eating problems back in Sept/Oct 2002): I'm about 20 lbs. over where I was back in Aug. since I got hurt and began the binge eating. I've got it much more under control, am lifting, and doing as much cardio as I can given my knee probs. I'm beginning to see some of the weight come off. It's just slow going, especially since the fat is all located in the hips and thighs. Horror story to those (esp. women) who let injury disrupt their fitness: it's impossible for me to wear pants b/c of where the weight was gained and my body is now disproportionate -- I have a 26 in. waist, but each of my thighs measure 24 in. Hope that others who see this will make wiser decisions than I did.
Marty Gallagher: Well let’s do something about it…there are a multitude of cardio modes out there that won’t stress those knees and still allow you to achieve the goal: systematically raising the heart rate to a pre-determined, proscribed level, usually between 65-85% of age-related HR maximum. As Bill Pearl once said, “The heart doesn’t care how it gets elevated, just so long as it gets elevated.” Talk about Zen economy of words and pithy encapsulation. Swim, walk, use the Swiss walker, use the arm portion of a schwin aerodyne, use upper body free-hand exercise to elevate the heart…use your imagination.
Re: David Bloom's death: This is from www.medrants.com:
David Bloom dies from a pulmonary embolus
Many times yesterday, friends asked me why David Bloom died. What is a pulmonary embolism, and why did he have one? Without knowing any of his medical details, one can only speculate. Nonetheless, we can explore pulmonary embolism and perhaps understand why he might have died. We start by understanding what a pulmonary embolus is and what are the risk factors. We need some definitions -- let's go to Stedman's Medical Dictionary.
thrombus , pl. thrombi (thrombs, -b) A clot in the cardiovascular systems formed during life from constituents of blood; it may be occlusive or attached to the vessel or heart wall without obstructing the lumen (mural thrombus).
embolus , pl. emboli (emb-ls, -l) A plug, composed of a detached thrombus or vegetation, mass of bacteria, or other foreign body, occluding a vessel.
Restated, a thrombus represents a clot in a blood vessel. When a thrombus "breaks loose" and travels in the blood stream, it lands somewhere, plugging that vessel. At that time we call it an embolus.
A pulmonary embolus generally comes from a thrombus which originates in a leg vein. The clot "breaks loose" and travels up the venous system, through the right side of the heart and into the pulmonary artery. The clot plugs there, and if it is a large enough clot, prevents blood flow from the right side of the heart to the left side of the heart. It also causes a lack of blood flow to the lungs, preventing oxygenation of the blood. These events combine to cause death in some patients.
When considering pulmonary embolism, one must always first consider deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the legs. So what we really want to understand is why an apparently healthy 39-year-old man would develop a major blood clot in his leg.
DVT can occur when the blood is hypercoagulable (more likely to clot). Reasons for hypercoagulability include inherited disorders of blood clotting, dehyration, and a variety of cancers.
DVT also can occur when the blood flow in the legs decreases for periods of time. This occurs frequently during surgery (especially knee and hip surgery). It also occurs on long flights (especially when the flier does not move his or her legs for long periods of time).
So now my speculation. I suspect that David Bloom probably had a hypercoagulable state, brought on by dehydration in the desert. He then was sleeping in a position that prevented normal leg movement. Quoting from the MSNBC article:
"Given the fact that we're filing at all hours of the day and night, you try to pace yourself and get a little sleep," Bloom told the Post. "You're sleeping with your knees propped up around you."
That may have been a risk factor: blood clots frequently form in legs when they've been immobilized and travel through the body, said Dr. Harold Palevsky, chief of pulmonary critical care with the University of Pennsylvania health system.
While he may have had other risk factors, these risks (dehydration and his sleeping position) were probably enough to cause the DVT and subsequent pulmonary embolism. This story remains tragic, but I hope that this rant has helped you understand why it happened. Understanding represents just a little solace. Bad things do happen to good people.
AND
More on David Bloom
I really did not want to know this -- but I am not surprised.
"Tragically, it may have been the long hours he spent cramped in the Army vehicle that caused his death. Three days ago, Bloom had complained of cramps behind his knee. Like most of us journalists "embedded" in the Army, he had endured days and nights of working, eating, and sleeping in our vehicles as convoys snaked their way toward Baghdad.
He consulted military doctors and described his symptoms over the phone to overseas physicians. They suspected DVT, or deep veinous thrombosis, and advised him to seek proper medical attention. He ignored their advice, swallowed some aspirins, and kept on working. On Sunday he died of a pulmonary embolism."
Marty Gallagher: What could I possibly add – thank you, Constant Reader.
Arlington, Va.: Hi coach -
I'm a 24-year-old male, 5'11", 150 lbs. I'm at the tail end of a gaining phase (that 150 used to be 140), and I could use some advice about transitioning over to a cutting phase. First, foodwise, should I drop the calories slowly or all at once? I'd imagine that doing it all at once would create a big metabolic shock ... but I don't know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. Second, lifting-wise, should I go straight from heavy-weight/low-rep sets to lighter-weight/high-rep sets, or spend some time somewhere in the middle? Thanks a lot for your help.
Marty Gallagher: Your gut instinct is right. If you slash calories you’ll slam the breaks on the basal metabolic rate and any body weight loss will be equally derived from muscle and well as fat. Optimally we want to retain the hard-earned gym muscle while melting off the body fat. People who crash diet lose weight but end up as miniaturized versions of their old fat self. Before you even start to cut calories, clean up your eating. Throw out the foods high in saturated fat and sugar and replace these lost calories with protein and fibrous carbs. This will cause you to burn off fat without losing any muscle. Then take ten weeks and reduce calories slightly each successive week. If you kick up the cardio a tad – goosing either the intensity, duration or frequency – body fat will melt like ice cubes strewn on a summer sidewalk.
Washington, D.C.: Yo coach
Just got back from the gym -- cardio workout on the bikes hamster style now that my doc says no more running. But I feel great, crispy fried. Any clicksters still on the fence about working out should get to it.
Marty Gallagher: Yo – can you cash check?
New York, N.Y.: About David Bloom -- being in a tight place for a long time is a risk factor for developing blood clots. This happened before on people traveling on long flights, sitting for 10 hours plus, not moving ... (I'm not a doctor.)
Marty Gallagher: See the previous synopsis.
Washington, D.C.: I have quite a bit of weight to lose, and have just started going to the gym. Other than treadmill and biking, what do you suggest? Only low-impact, please.
Marty Gallagher: I love to nature walk and using my tricks have no problem achieving 75-80% of my age-related HR max. Anytime, according to my HR monitor watch, that I dip below 70% I do 20-quick reps in the jumping jack, push-up or full squat. Then I resume walking. I use steep grades and cardio-boost exercises (sometimes a weighted backpack) to elevate the cardio intensity of walking. Currently I walk 50-minutes along a swollen trout stream. A tough, serene, gorgeous, transcendental way to do my cardio. Yesterday I listened to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major over my walkman as I motored along the stream and the cornfield. Anyone ever read Turgenev’s sublime “Sportsman’s Notebooks?” I often think I’m reliving his tales in real-time.
Long Beach, Calif.: My wife and I are preparing for a 10k obstacle course at Camp Pendleton Marine Base in June, so we’ve switched our weight training to higher reps. We’re both looking to set personal records for 20-rep bench press. What other types of weight training should we be doing? We’re both 26 and in very good shape.
Marty Gallagher: Send me you exact upper body routine: sets, reps, poundage and frequency. If you are using a barbell exclusively I would suggest a bout of dumbbell-only bench pressing: work up to two work sets of 8-reps. Use dumbbells exclusively for 4-6 weeks and when you return to barbell movements you’ll be much stronger.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Marty-
I'm working out, but trying to change my diet as well. Is it better to watch my carbohydrates or calories? For example, nutritional info on the back of a package I wanted at a health food store listed calories at 290 but carbs at 65g.
Marty Gallagher: Calories, carbs, protein fat and sugar.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Marty!
I'm a 24-year-old female, 5"3, 114 lbs. Diet is under control, running 20 miles a week, and lifting 3 times a week using one of your beginner routines (full body workout). I'd like to cancel my gym membership. I plan on picking up a dumbbell set at the barbell barn. I'd like to continue doing my squats and deadlifts -- what else do you recommend for me to have in my apartment? Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: How much money have you got to spend? I would purchase barbell and dumbbells, bench that can be raised for inclines and vertical presses, squat racks would be great. I use a power rack and this allows me to do all the free-weight exercises in complete safety. It has a pulldown attachment, could survive a nuclear war and cost me $400. Bulky and only for the long term serious trainee.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Coach. I'm hoping you can give me a little perspective here. I'm a 31-year-old, female, 5'4", 120 lbs. I am also pregnant. Before I got pregnant it was normal for me, in my aerobic workouts, to hit a heart rate of 175-180 beats per minute and keep it there for 35 minutes. One of the first things they told me, upon getting pregnant, was that I couldn't elevate my heart rate that high (understandable), but that I shouldn't let it get above 130 bpm. The trouble is that at 130 bpm I barely break out in a sweat. It feels like nothing. I mentioned that a normal work-out heart rate for me was somewhat higher than normal for other people, and that if I just went to 150 bpm, I'd still be easing off substantially. (By the way, I don't run/jog -- because of a back sprain some years ago, I only do non/low impact aerobic exercise, e.g. walking, stationary bike, elliptical machines). Do you think I need to back down to 130 bpm, or I should trust my body that 150 bpm, is "light" enough? An additional concern for me is that I'm still lifting weights, but they (the docs) just recommended lower weights/higher reps until my (shifting) center of gravity makes even that too uncomfortable. I'm wondering with the reduction in excercise, how long it'll take me post-birth to approximate where I was beforehand (I realize it will take time, I just have no idea how long). Thanks, as always.
Marty Gallagher: What an arrogant ass I would be if I pompously gave a pregnant woman advice that ran contrary to advice given by her physician.
Los Angeles, Calif.: I saw someone at the gym working out with what looked like a large spring that had handles on each end. He held the handles and bent the spring into a horseshoe shape. He said it's called a crusher. Are you familiar with this piece of equipment? Do you recommend it? Which muscles does it work?
Marty Gallagher: I suspect you are talking about the infamous ‘bullworker’ a overly hyped chest exercises devise from the early seventies. It is about as relevant and effective as a Pet Rock.
Washington, D.C.: Coach, you said last week you have lost massive amounts of weight this year since dropping meat from your diet. What have you been eating? Protein shakes and steamed spinach? Please enlighten us.
Marty Gallagher: Well I sort f fell off the wagon when I went fishing for 10-days at the Y2K River Ranch outside of Riggins, Idaho (Pop, 410). Me and the locals ate unending supplies of grilled game, Idaho prime local beef and salmon and steel head. Plus, I hoisted too many toasts and shot off too many high power guns. My detoxifying process is in its 6th day. I’m back on the veggies but only after completing last weekend’s Rex vodka enduro. Just when it seemed to be safe Kaptain Kirk Karwoski (6-time IPF world powerlifting champion) visited for three days: he told me in no uncertain terms that while I was alright what he really wanted was my crispy-fried chicken and Mennonite grilled steaks – keep ‘em coming and he’d alert me when he’d had enough. He washed it down with a keg of grog and sped away to parts unknown. I’m back in the saddle.
Hydrated in Arlington,: Hi Marty,
Looking for some alternative hydration methods for short-term living in Asia, and not too sure what's best to turn to. Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: I have no idea.
Washington, D.C.: Hi Marty! Here's my issue ... I HATE LIFTING! So, knowing that I hate it, what's best, free weights (not a big fan of these), resistance cords, strength (medicine)/fitness balls, weight bars, videos, photos (magazines), CDs, what? I have all of the above at my house (I will not use a gym to weight train ... too crowded, too complicated ...so which "at home remedy" should I be using? Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: What can I say?
Arlington, Va.: Marty: What's your opinion on behind-the-head shoulder presses with a barbell? I've had a couple people at my gym tell me that it can be dangerous to your shoulders. I'm starting to lift heavier and heavier weights for 5 rep sets and want to be careful. Thanks ...
Marty Gallagher: I talked with some good shoulder and knee surgeons and they indicate that some folks can do press-behind-the-neck with zero impingment while others are structurally predisposed to pain. You need to determine which category you fall in. Start light and easy and overtime gradually increase the poundage.
Lake Ridge, Va.: Hi Marty, I really enjoy your chats and I have a question for you. What are these "bulk up" and "lean" phases I see you and other posters talking about? I'm new to this and would appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: To bulk up is crude shorthand for undertaking a proscribed period of time during which the athlete’s goal is to add additional muscle mass; the trick being to add a mimimum amount of body fat. The ‘lean out’ phase is a proscribed, predetermined period during which the athlete seeks to shed body fat while retaining muscle mass.
Manassas, Va.: Due to family time constraints I only have one hour at the gym in the evening. What is the best exercise for me to do to get the best results? Thanks!
Marty Gallagher: One hour of weight training is plenty. In fact a good case could be made if you train as hard as your supposed to, you won’t be able to go for more than an hour. Always start with a compound multi-joint barbell or dumbbell exercise for the target body part and follow up with an isolation exercise or two aimed at that same muscle. You should be able to do two body parts in an hour.
Vienna, Va.: Dear Marty,
Thanks for all your help so far –- 17 pounds down and more to go -– but I wondered if you could help me change up my routine. Current stats: Female, 30, 5'4", 199 pounds (first time with a one as the first number in a long time!) Here’s the current deal. I’ve been training for a triathlon (which will be completed this Sunday) so I’ve been slacking off on the weights as it gets closer and closer and focusing in on the swimming, running and biking. I hit the gym 4x a week for an hour or so before work and then usually do some type of long bike or swim on the weekend. Prior to triathlon training, I was doing a three day split of weights followed by 30 min of cardio. I started doing 3x10 and then moved to 2x5, 1x20 for a little variety. (And, go figure, along the way found that I really liked lifting weights).
Here is what I was doing:
Day One: Top Weight
Squats - 110 (with Smith Machine)
Calf raises - 125 (machine w/plates)
Lying leg curls - 60 (machine)
Lat raises - 15 (dumbbells)
Tris - 20 (dumbbells)
Day Two:
Dips (82 pounds of assist – machine)
Lat Pulldown - 70
Bench – 20 (dumbbells)
Incline Bench – 20 (dumbbells)
Flys – 20 (dumbbells)
Day Three:
Seated Row – 75 (machine)
Chins (82 lbs of assist – machine)
Preacher curls – 20 (dumbbells)
Bicep curls – 20 (dumbbells)
My question is this: I want to change this up. I'm getting kind of bored with it and I wondered if you had some suggestions for what to change.
Cardio-wise I plan to still do a variety of swimming, biking and running. Maybe throw in some softball or something on top of my daily workouts.
Diet – I’m doing the weight watcher point plan that is helping a lot with eating cleanly and more importantly with portion control. I eat approximately 2000 calories/day –- although I still gravitate toward carbs over protein but I’m trying to wean myself away from the carbs and toward eating more protein.
Its been great so far -– when everything is going right (the diet, cardio and weights) you totally get in a zone and you feel better and it gets you motivated to do it! Thanks for opening my eyes and helping me find the right path.
Thanks in advance for all your help!
Marty Gallagher: I’m proud of you and your progress: call me at my home phone and we’ll talk over your next step. You need to be thinking about a realistic goal. Contact me at mgso@supernet.com.
Capitol Hill: Hi Marty
I am a 37-yea-old male, 6'1", 180 lbs. Hoping to gain 10-15 lbs. of muscle in 2 months; my trainer said lifting three days a week, with a day between, and cardio once a week, and eating 180-200 grams of protein a day. I have been trying to cut out all fat and sugar from my diet as well. Any other tips? thanks! Someone told me I didnt need to do the cardio; if I wanted to d-gain muscle weight, am at about 14-15 percent body fat now. Thanks! Really enjoy your chats, have done well in the past year.
Marty Gallagher: It would be a big mistake to drop cardio altogether while attempting to add muscle mass. Continuing cardio will help keep body weight gains lean. If you drop cardio the metabolism becomes sluggish and digestion is degraded. At your body weight I’d settle for a pound a week – anymore and a goodly percentage of the gain could end up as body fat.
Fedland: Hi Marty,
I have a question for you about squats using a squat rack and benching. I'm 22, F, I'm really strong and have been lifting for about six years. I agree with you that squats are the ultimate leg exercise and I have been doing them with the Smith machine and another squat machine until now. I thought I'd try doing "real" squats, and I have been practicing form using no weight. I also tried it with just the bar, and then with 20 pounds on each side. My problem is that I always feel like I'm going to fall over backwards when I try to keep my knees behind my toes and go down to parallel. This keeps me from using enough weight to really feel it like I do when I use the machine -- I usually put 45 pounds on either side of the Smith but I can't even use 20 on the rack without losing my balance. Any advice on form? Should I just stick to using the machines? If it matters, I am pretty short and I have really short legs. Also, I started benching a few months ago and I've gotten to the point where I put 25 pounds on both sides of the bar and put it up 10 times, but I seem stuck. I had gotten to to 35 pounds but I can't seems to handle that now and I've been at 25 pounds for weeks. What should I do to progress? Is it unrealistic for a young female to put up much more? Thanks for your help.
Marty Gallagher: No need to keep your knees behind your toes; that is a balance impossibility. If they travel forward slightly that’s fine; play with your stance width and toe out slightly. Somewhere there is the perfect combination that will allow you to free-weight squat with power, precision and balance. Insofar as the bench press, you are burnt out on 10-rep bench sets so slash the poundage and let’s concentrate on 20-rep sets for a while. (4-6 weeks) Try and establish a new 20-rep personal best.
Fairfax, Va.: Hi, Marty. Thanks for answering my questions. I've lost 16 pounds so far by cutting out saturated fats and refined sugars and lifting three times per week.
1. Last week, you mentioned that a lot of people use their biceps muscles in their back exercises. I've discovered that I do that, too. I've cut the poundage by half when I do bent over rows, but I think I'm still using biceps instead of lat dorsii. Do you have any tips on how to isolate my back muscles?
2. A couple of weeks ago, I pulled a knee ligament while doing something totally unrelated to lifting. When I went to the orthopedist, he told me I could continue to lift, but not to do any squats or "closed chain" exercises for the next four weeks. I'm not sure what this means. I have a bench, barbell and dumbbells. Are there any lower body exercises that I can do while keeping my chain open??
Thanks again for the advice.
Marty Gallagher: Drop the bent over row for a while. This is an exercise that is extremely difficult to develop a mind-muscle connection with and I’d advise dripping rows and using recovered training tome to do extra chins, pull-ups and straight arm pullovers. Do single leg leg curls, leg extensions, single leg calf raises with the good leg and wait until the hurt leg recovers completely.
Casper, Wyo.: In about six weeks I will be having a second lumbar fusion. How best can I prepare physically for it? I walk over a mile three times a week, do a half hour of stretching/back exercises. Would water-walking and swimming be good to also add? I want to be more ready for the surgery so as to recover sooner!
Marty Gallagher: No idea. I hesitate to offer advice to folks with serious medical conditions about which I know nothing.
GRILL-RILL-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA, WOODSHEDDIN, ARIZ.: GOOD MORNING MOST HONORABLE COACH GALLAGHER,
WHAT'S YOUR INPUT ON THE OLD SCHOOL USAGE OF DESSICATED LIVER TABS?
MUSASHI IS STILL ALIVE, CK OUT THEIR WEB PAGE.
SWELLIN
GRILLMAN
Marty Gallagher: My wife is a big believer in liver tabs and thinks it helps her combat her dendency towards iron deficiency anemia. I am too lazy to take them in handfuls 4-6 times a day. I think a handful taken before bedtime could help keep you in positive nitrogen balance during the sleep cycle. The ones we get have 1.5 grams of protein per tablet.
Miami, Fla.: I'm a 31-year-old guy who's about 20 pounds overweight, and I've just started getting serious about working out. Every other day, I do about 30 minutes running on the treadmill, then I do some weight lifting. My question: I only like to spend about 15 or 20 minutes on the weights, doing three sets of 10 on three or four machines: usually one that works my torso, one my legs, one my arms and (maybe) a fourth on my back or shoulders. Is that doing me any good? I rotate the machines, so it's usually four days before I repeat a session on any one machine. If I'm not willing to put in more time for the weight lifting, should I even bother with my current hit-and-run schedule? Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: On the one hand you tell me that you are ‘getting serious’ about working out and in the next breath you say you’re ‘not willing’ to put in more time. I’m confused. Which is it? Why “bother?” That is a question you need to pose to yourself. You are doing the bare minimum and there is no way you’ll transform yourself without kicking it up a notch.
St. Paul, Minn.: I'm new to exercising and am taking it slowly. I love using an elliptical machine and go at a reasonable pace for 20 - 25 minutes. But my feet go numb. Why? Should I do something differently?
Marty Gallagher: Too much of a good thing I guess. Try some different cardio modes. Lift some weights, try a tighten up the eating.
Arlington, Va.: Marty,
The way my schedule works out, I end up not getting home from training until 8 p.m. during the week, sometimes even later. What do you recommend for meals so late in evening? I am generally pretty hungry at that point.
Thanks.
Marty Gallagher: Bias towards protein. Stay away from starchy carbs, sweets and booze. I’d have a nice portion of grilled protein and a steamed fiber veggie or two.
Chantilly, Va: Marty,
Amazes me every week you get at least 4-5 posts concerning 'My arm/leg/muscle hurts when I do .........'.
Seems to me MOST people have enough common sense to quit doing whatever is offending that part of their body. MOST people.
Is it some sort of driven preoccupation with these people that makes them think they CAN'T quit a certain activity for a few days until the pain lessens?
Marty Gallagher: Pushing through pain is not macho or admirable; it is a way to enter into premature retirement.
Gaithersburg, Md.: Hi, I have been weight lifting with a personel trainer for about a year. I had great results at first, increasing my weight at a steady pace. However recently my ability to lift has greatly declined. I have slipped back to almost my starting point in about a month. I was very strong for a girl but now I am beginning to feel weak. My trainer can offer me no explantion and my doctor says nothing is medically wrong. What should I do? I want muscles!
Marty Gallagher: Have you been using the same approach to lifting, diet and cardio this whole time? I change my approach every 4-6 weeks in some manner or fashion. One huge problem is using a particular method or mode (or both) long after its effectiveness has disappeared. Hard for me to say more without specifics.
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