Exercise questions

[Arkitech]

I have a few questions for the fitness experts.

Can I acheive a fullbody workout with just dumbells? Can you list the exercises I would need? Days I should do them on?

I weigh 250, how many calories a day should I take in to lose 2-4 pounds per week? (my target weight is 180-210)

Is it ok to use protein powder as my primary source for muscle gain? Lately I've been craving only vegetables and fruits and very little else.

Any other suggestions

 

[kogase]

Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Geekfitness dot com?

- M4H

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Geekfitness dot com?

- M4H

good point

on my way

can't register, I can't see the security code/numbers needed to complete registration

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

 

[Sukhoi]

If you have a big range of weights, yes you can pretty much do a full body workout with dumbbells. It's not optimal though.

Also you really can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The body just doesn't like to work that way. I'd concentrate on doing one or the other for a couple months at a time.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Can you get a pretty full work-out with situps, pushups, and running?

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Can you get a pretty full work-out with situps, pushups, and running?

No, you aren't working your back, shoulders, and biceps at all.

 

[kogase]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Ah. Indeed. *rubs chin* The flip-side. *sips espresso*

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Can you get a pretty full work-out with situps, pushups, and running?

No, you aren't working your back, shoulders, and biceps at all.

How can you work your back with at-home things
i've always relied on the gym...

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Can you get a pretty full work-out with situps, pushups, and running?

Yes but it depends what you 'want' from your work out.

Doing lots of push ups won't add 'that' much mass.

Running won't add much mass also.

You would be missing out on back and legs. Running requires very little muscle movement in your legs. You barely bend your knees much when running. Also depends what % your running.

Koing

 

[Kyle]

It would be hard to work out certain parts of the back, and not sure how you would work out the legs (VERY important to work out the legs- hard to make gains elsewhere if you ignore your legs) but for a single type or excersice equipment, dumbells are great for workng out a bunch of different body parts.
As for all the workouts, I could list some, but I dont want to be wrong or tell you how to do them wrong =)

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: Sukhoi

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Can you get a pretty full work-out with situps, pushups, and running?

No, you aren't working your back, shoulders, and biceps at all.

How can you work your back with at-home things
i've always relied on the gym...

Supermans:

Lie on the floor face first. Now dish your body so your shoulders and your feet are off the floor.

If you can rest your body on a chair. Now have your feet under a table or have someone else sit on them = make shift hyper extension machine :thumbsup:

Koing

 

[vi edit]

You could do plyometrics with dumbells to work your legs. It might take some creativity and a bit of handywork to create some of the boxes/ledges needed to jump to/from, but it's a good way to work your legs without having access to machines and squat racks.

 

[Sukhoi]

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: Sukhoi

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Can you get a pretty full work-out with situps, pushups, and running?

No, you aren't working your back, shoulders, and biceps at all.

How can you work your back with at-home things
i've always relied on the gym...

At minimum you'd need to do pullups. But yeah you're also missing any real leg work.

 

[Kyle]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
If you have a big range of weights, yes you can pretty much do a full body workout with dumbbells. It's not optimal though.

Also you really can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The body just doesn't like to work that way. I'd concentrate on doing one or the other for a couple months at a time.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

I wouldnt go as far as to say you cant lose weight and gain muscle- normally I just focus on weights and such and end up losing weight as I get bigger. I'll admit it's not as quick as if I was doing cardio/low cal diet, but it is very possible to lose weight while making gains.
That being said, I do actually prefer to focus on one or the other like you said because it is more noticable/easier to lose weight if you're not eating the amount you need to to make big gains.

 

[Koing]

Here is a programme I wrote for a friend:

Monday:

Squats: 10reps x 4sets with weight
Press ups:
Bicep curls: 8r x 4s
Bent forward rows: 8r x 4s
Abb:

Wednesday:

Squats:
Press ups:
Military Press: 8r x 4s
Dips: 15dips x 4s
Back: Supermans

Friday:

Squats:
Bicep curls:
Dips:
Abb:

He hast lost fat and gained muscle mass. He does cardio every so often and eats more sensibly now also :thumbsup:. He has been consistent over time and because he does legs he has gained muscle mass quite easily.

It isn't hard to get bigger or lost fat. You just have to be consistent with your training, eating and cardio.

Konig

 

[JDrake]

Originally posted by: Koing

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: Sukhoi

Originally posted by: joedrake

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: kogase
Theoretically you could, however I would assume you'd need very good control and concentration to insure that you perform the exact same movements with both arms. Otherwise you'd be getting an uneven exercise which a barbell avoids by being attached... this is all assumption, I'm no expert.

IIRC, the drawback of relying on a barbell for major exercise is that you can somewhat compensate for a weaker side by having the other one do more work. Asymmetrical and the like.

IANAPT though.

- M4H

Can you get a pretty full work-out with situps, pushups, and running?

No, you aren't working your back, shoulders, and biceps at all.

How can you work your back with at-home things
i've always relied on the gym...

Supermans:

Lie on the floor face first. Now dish your body so your shoulders and your feet are off the floor.

If you can rest your body on a chair. Now have your feet under a table or have someone else sit on them = make shift hyper extension machine :thumbsup:

Koing

How do you "dish" your body?

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Kyle

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
If you have a big range of weights, yes you can pretty much do a full body workout with dumbbells. It's not optimal though.

Also you really can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The body just doesn't like to work that way. I'd concentrate on doing one or the other for a couple months at a time.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

I wouldnt go as far as to say you cant lose weight and gain muscle- normally I just focus on weights and such and end up losing weight as I get bigger. I'll admit it's not as quick as if I was doing cardio/low cal diet, but it is very possible to lose weight while making gains.
That being said, I do actually prefer to focus on one or the other like you said because it is more noticable/easier to lose weight if you're not eating the amount you need to to make big gains.

Indeed it is possible but it is not recomended for most people. The results are often SLOW and take ages for either to happen.

It is tough to cut down on fat whilst getting bigger whilst not eating much food. You feel pretty sh!tty all the time.

You want to get big? Do weights and eat lots of food. Now you want to be leaner? Do more cardio and eat less food!

Koing

 

[Arkitech]

Originally posted by: Koing
Here is a programme I wrote for a friend:

Monday:

Squats: 10reps x 4sets with weight
Press ups:
Bicep curls: 8r x 4s
Bent forward rows: 8r x 4s
Abb:

Wednesday:

Squats:
Press ups:
Military Press: 8r x 4s
Dips: 15dips x 4s
Back: Supermans

Friday:

Squats:
Bicep curls:
Dips:
Abb:

He hast lost fat and gained muscle mass. He does cardio every so often and eats more sensibly now also :thumbsup:. He has been consistent over time and because he does legs he has gained muscle mass quite easily.

It isn't hard to get bigger or lost fat. You just have to be consistent with your training, eating and cardio.

Konig

Thanks Koing, I'll take a look at that schedule and compare it with what I find during my research. What about the calorie intake, anyone have an idea of what a 250 pound guy should be taking in?

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: joedrake

How do you "dish" your body?

Lie on the floor face first. Now RAISE your chest, shoulders off the floor. Do the same for your legs. Now your body is in a 'dish' shape. I do these at Gymnastics with a bunch of other stuff for abs and back.

Koing

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Thanks Koing, I'll take a look at that schedule and compare it with what I find during my research. What about the calorie intake, anyone have an idea of what a 250 pound guy should be taking in?

Depends on how hungry you are and how active you are. At the moment I'm sitting at 185lbs and I am bearly eating much food due to a lack of squats. I also only train 2x a week now. Before I'd eat 4-5x a week and train about that much and do other stuff.

I'd say 2500-3000calories is about right. Just decrease your portions and see how you feel. If after a few weeks your not dropping weight eat a bit less or do more cardio.

VERY IMPORTANT THING
If you do the schedule you will be gaining muscle mass so this will DEFINATELY skew your 'fat loss' on the scales. Remember if your at 230lbs and have a 6 pack and are fairly lean it doesn't matter too much does it? 220lbs and thick love handles and that is a different matter.

So go by what you look like and how your clothes fit. If they feel looser your losing weight even if the scales says other wise.

Koing

 

[Kyle]

Originally posted by: Koing

Originally posted by: Kyle

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
If you have a big range of weights, yes you can pretty much do a full body workout with dumbbells. It's not optimal though.

Also you really can't lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. The body just doesn't like to work that way. I'd concentrate on doing one or the other for a couple months at a time.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

I wouldnt go as far as to say you cant lose weight and gain muscle- normally I just focus on weights and such and end up losing weight as I get bigger. I'll admit it's not as quick as if I was doing cardio/low cal diet, but it is very possible to lose weight while making gains.
That being said, I do actually prefer to focus on one or the other like you said because it is more noticable/easier to lose weight if you're not eating the amount you need to to make big gains.

Indeed it is possible but it is not recomended for most people. The results are often SLOW and take ages for either to happen.

It is tough to cut down on fat whilst getting bigger whilst not eating much food. You feel pretty sh!tty all the time.

You want to get big? Do weights and eat lots of food. Now you want to be leaner? Do more cardio and eat less food!

Koing

I agree- and I guess what I meant wasn't weight loss, but rather body fat loss...When I am focusing on weights I dont really lose weight much but I can tell the body fat is going down (looser clothes, more toned look etc)
I dont think there is any reason to be concerned with weight loss if you're gaining muscle- actually it's probably better to try and gain weight =)

 

[Koing]

Yes gain muscle then cut.

Or lean down and then bulk up a bit.

OP do the weight stuff 2x a week but do cardio 3-4x a week. Eat less food and your clothes will start to feel lose quite quickly :thumbsup:

Koing