Ha Ha Ha

sooner_ed · 21-Dec-06, 08:47 PM

Excellent news today.

I have received confirmation from two serious bodybuilders that my goal is VERY attainable.

One is a regular here at Discuss Fitness. The other owns the athletic club I go to. I didn't know this until today, but he used to be a major bodybuilder as well. They showed me a picture of him in a 2003 edition of Flex magazine.

I explained to him (the athletic club owner) that I want to look like Frank Zane back in the day and run a three hour marathon. I asked him if it is possible and he said "very." I asked him if he could make it happen in 16 months and he said "yes."

hhmmm...

Now I have a decision to make. Do I want it to happen enough to cough up the money for the program and personal trainer?

At least I know it is possible.

So...why do so many bodybuilders NOT do cardio in the interest of muscle mass? Maybe because it is EASIER to build muscle mass without cardio.

Well, I have 16 months now to see what kind of look I can come up with. Perhaps it's time for some before and after pics.

hhmmm...

CF-OC_gal · 21-Dec-06, 08:59 PM

AHHHHHH! You got bit by the bug Ed.

Nothing wrong with that.

(Frank Zane, hubba hubba.

: Milo Ventimiglia has nothing on him.)

**.V.** · 21-Dec-06, 10:22 PM

Why don't they do the cardio? Because it uses up calories that they would rather use for building mass. To make up for it, they have to eat more. I've found that if I do my cardio and don't eat enough I simply can't gain. I dropped cardio and gained pretty well for a while...then started getting short of breath while squatting and deadlifting. Added the cardio back in with more food to make up for the extra calories burned. Seems to be working when I remember to eat.

F_Mac · 22-Dec-06, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sooner_ed

So...why do so many bodybuilders NOT do cardio in the interest of muscle mass? Maybe because it is EASIER to build muscle mass without cardio.

My guess is they don't do it because they just don't like to do it. For me, I love training, I would do it every day if I could, but cardio, for the most part is boring (especially here in winter when I have to do it indoors in my basement). I force myself to do it because, when done properly, it actually HELPS gains. It is actually easier to built mass WITH cardio. Low intensity cardio will aid in recovery, improve cardiovascular function, and allow for better nutrient uptake and utilization by the body.

I do low intensity cardio 4-5x per week along with 2 high intensity sled dragging sessions and my strength continues to climb. You just need to ensure, like welch said, that you have adequate nutrition, otherwise the caloric defecit created by the cardio will start chewing up muscle.

sooner_ed · 22-Dec-06, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F-Mac

high intensity sled dragging sessions

Now there's something I hadn't thought of.

If only we had enough snow around here to do that.

F_Mac · 22-Dec-06, 11:07 AM

No snow is preferable, but I have pulled in snow before. Pavement works best, grass is fine also.

Dragging a weighted sled is GREAT for recovery and it really gets your heart rate up. The benefits lie in the fact that all of your effort is being used on the positive portion of the motion when you are pulling, there is no tension on the negative, or eccentric motion (which is what causes the soreness that makes you walk funny for several days after a leg workout).

What you end up with is a HUGE leg pump, which brings in lots of blood and nutrients and helps to reduce your recovery time. It can also be used for any other body parts, just do the pulling with those muscles (i.e. you can push with the chest, pull with the back, etc. You can also walk forward or backwards to emphasize the hamstrings, quads or glutes. NEVER RUN WITH THE SLED......the jerking motion and impact will not do you any good. A brisk walk is best.

If anyone wants more information on this i'll be glad to post it up.

CF-OC_gal · 22-Dec-06, 12:57 PM

F-Mac, is it a simmilar effect as hauling a solid wood dresser fully loaded from one room to another on a thick carpet?

F_Mac · 22-Dec-06, 01:56 PM

lol..........yes, very similar.

Also the same as taking your dog for a walk when he really really doesn't want to go, and very similar to what most people in Colorado are doing right now........pushing their cars out of the snow.

Mr VW · 26-Dec-06, 09:32 PM

Did you make your sled or did you buy it? I've wanted to have a sled for a while but I couldnt find one online that seemed worth buying.

F_Mac · 26-Dec-06, 11:26 PM

I made mine out of wood. When I get enough motivation i'm going to get one of the local welding shops to put one together with him. All you need is a sheet of 1/4" steel, a one foot piece of 1.5" pipe, 10' of rope, and a couple of caribeaners.

27-Dec-06, 03:42 AM

Can you give a better description of how you build your sled from wood?

Is it flat on the bottom? Or do you have runners? Did you round the front so it does not dig into the ground?

F_Mac · 31-Dec-06, 12:15 PM

The sled I built has runners, and is designed for pulling on grass. If you are going to pull on asphalt or concrete, a metal sled would be needed.

It is simply 2 runners, rounded at the front, with a piece of plywood and some bracing between them. I placed one of the bracing pieces such that it was directly beneath the middle of the plywood piece, and drilled a hole through the plywood and the brace to mount the vertical dowel piece (to hold the plates). I placed a eye-screw in one of the bracing pieces to clip the caribeaner into.

It's difficult to describe exactly, when I get home from my Xmas holidays I will post up a picture.