Gaining Muscle and Losing Fat (2015)

[wjk]

Good question. Although I know some people who start their workout with light cardio as a warm up, I never do. I don't want anything to compromise my lifting routine, so I leave the cardio for later.

I agree regarding cardio robbing strength, though I do walk on the treadmill before lifting. I don't run prior to lifting any more. I do find that, using my tablet and depending on the time of day I'm at the gym, I do pretty well trading while on the treadmill! Haven't figured out why yet, but it's nice to be able to make a little scratch while at the gym...(except on the days I don't ). Often, the plays are under way when I leave the house, and I'm only managing them from the gym, but it's nice to have that capability, too. I will sometimes miss an entry (if limit order not in place)while doing a set on the weights.

Before I started trading from a tab, I would often miss workouts because of time conflicts with my trades. I trade EURUSD, mostly between 6am CST and 11am CST, which just happens to be my favorite workout time, though I will be switching to more evening workouts for the summer just to change things up a little. I lose more weight when I lift in the evening.

 

[wjk]

Glad to hear you're back in business. And, yes, what a difference a day makes, eh? I find that I have more energy ever since I added an additional recovery day, which took my routine from 2x a week to 3x every 2 weeks, and I really look forward to the next workout.

You will recall the 2-part interview of bodybuilder Gordon LaVelle, which I posted recently in this thread. In one of his books he wrote this about working out and competitive bodybuilders:

"Although it has been proven that weight-training workouts need not be long or frequent to be optimally effective, this fact is often incongruent with the mentality that drives men to build extremely muscular physiques."

And he was talking about guys who take steroids, which also aids in recovery. So you can imagine that the point is even more applicable to natural, slightly more vintage guys like us.

It's often said by the best in the game that it's not what you do in the gym, but what you do out of the gym.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

It's often said by the best in the game that it's not what you do in the gym, but what you do out of the gym.

And now there's even more time for it.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I agree regarding cardio robbing strength, though I do walk on the treadmill before lifting. I don't run prior to lifting any more. I do find that, using my tablet and depending on the time of day I'm at the gym, I do pretty well trading while on the treadmill! Haven't figured out why yet, but it's nice to be able to make a little scratch while at the gym...(except on the days I don't ). Often, the plays are under way when I leave the house, and I'm only managing them from the gym, but it's nice to have that capability, too. I will sometimes miss an entry (if limit order not in place)while doing a set on the weights.

Before I started trading from a tab, I would often miss workouts because of time conflicts with my trades. I trade EURUSD, mostly between 6am CST and 11am CST, which just happens to be my favorite workout time, though I will be switching to more evening workouts for the summer just to change things up a little. I lose more weight when I lift in the evening.

Yes, it must be nice to make some lunch money while working out. But when I work out nothing else exists. I wish I could say the same for my trading.

 

[wjk]

Yes, it must be nice to make some lunch money while working out. But when I work out nothing else exists. I wish I could say the same for my trading.

LOL. I think the distraction of the gym allows me to be more patient and let my plays work longer without me over-thinking them (the good plays). Once I'm on the weight bar, though, I don't think about the trade...mostly. Form comes first...always! That's why I occasionally miss entries while lifting.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I've been reading up on this. I didn't realize there was so much debate. Rehab seems to be the most common answer. Targeting individual groups seems a more limited reason, though in a few muscle groups, effective...especially in more advanced lifters who know how to apply it as a supplement to their compound exercises with result varying from lifter to lifter. Pre-exhaustion comes up, and I would add, if you want to train around certain injuries, there may be no choice but to use isolation. In general, compound lifting is king. I didn't link the articles I read. They are abundant on the web.

Yes, I suppose isolation exercises may have a place in rehab. I've done my share of isolation work over the years. Even though it's not as demanding as compound work, I just don't think it's an efficient use of limited resources if we are to work hard and completely, and allow for sufficient recovery. I realize, of course, that my opinion is somewhat extreme.

 

[wjk]

Yes, I suppose isolation exercises may have a place in rehab. I've done my share of isolation work over the years. Even though it's not as demanding as compound work, I just don't think it's an efficient use of limited resources if we are to work hard and completely, and allow for sufficient recovery. I realize, of course, that my opinion is somewhat extreme.

Actually, many of the articles I came across agree with your assessment. Some people use them because they don't want to deal with the intensity of the compound lifts. Additionally, many apparently don't know that they aren't anywhere near as efficient as compounds, or that compounds are called compounds for a reason. Compounds are already hitting many of the fibers that isolations hit, as you know.

I use them as a tool to enhance stabilizers using light weight, or if I decide to work a muscle(s) I recently worked with a compound a few or some days earlier (maybe toward the end of the recovery period for that muscle, but at a different angle than possible with compounds... and much lighter weight, of course). Occasionally I use them to continue to break down a muscle (or group of muscles with their related isolations) that I've already hit with a compound, but want to get every last little bit out of them...increased reps often come into play here with lighter weight...you can really get your slow-twitch fibers involved that way...though that can be done with high rep, lighter weight compounds, too. I must admit, however, my web search was enough of an eye opener to reconsider some of my uses of isolation work. If an isolation exercise is wasting my time, well, we know the solution.

I should add, though, that I've always felt certain work with isolation corrects weaknesses that might be exposed during compound work. During my web searches, I found that many agree with that reasoning.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Good question. Although I know some people who start their workout with light cardio as a warm up, I never do. I don't want anything to compromise my lifting routine, so I leave the cardio for later. I used to stretch for several minutes before my workout, but after reading Body By Science I decided to leave it for the end, after cardio. In my own case, now as soon as I enter the gym, I do 2 light warm up sets for legs, which is the first muscle group I address, and go from there. I find it suits me. I feel strong and energized at the outset after the 2 warm up sets, and the stretching feels good at the end of the routine. I'd be curious to know how others here sequence their routine.

CaptainO, do you find that you prefer to start your routine without a cardio warm up? And if you feel you didn't have "much of a workout at all," perhaps you might wish to consider increasing the intensity a bit. Just a thought.


I think you're on to something.

I have always started my workouts with a cardio warm up. The thinking being to raise my body temp, get the blood flowing and loosen up a bit. Apparently I've been tapping too much needed fuel for the ensuing workout. One days results does not make for a permanent change, but I will continue for awhile with the no cardio warm up. Yesterday was too big of a difference for me not to give it some attention.

 

[Frederick Foresight]

I should add, though, that I've always felt certain work with isolation corrects weaknesses that might be exposed during compound work. During my web searches, I found that many agree with that reasoning.

I'm not sure I know what you mean. Could you provide a couple of examples?

 

[Frederick Foresight]

One days results does not make for a permanent change, but I will continue for awhile with the no cardio warm up. Yesterday was too big of a difference for me not to give it some attention.

Please let us know how it goes.

As an aside, do you go to momentary muscle failure on your work sets?