I'm going to make it. My story.

[Rhino]

From what I've heard pushups are good for making your chest look bigger, but they don't actually make you much stronger.

 

[LearningSlowly]

From what I've heard pushups are good for making your chest look bigger, but they don't actually make you much stronger.

That's fine.

Muscle imbalances in chest/back causing you to hunch over, aka bad posture.

I don't have a lifting partner either and I gym.

I thought about this for a while, and realized I hadn't given it enough consideration. My entire body is important to exercise (except legs, **** dat ****). I liked push-ups, and was given them some undue consideration in my lifestyle. I rarely get in complete work outs, so this is most of the muscle building I'll do. I think my problem is that I never got into the gym experience, and I don't like the feeling of overexerting one muscle a bunch then moving on to the next one.

So here's my solution: Every day I'll pick one section of my muscles, choose one or two simple exercises, and challenge myself to do them often. I think this will work well, maybe it'll get me into weight lifting later on.

 

[Amo]

Dude, legs are important. Trust me on that one.
Starting Strength. Lots of food. Lots of sleep.

You will grow.

 

[Jack Wealthy]

Give yourself a rest. Muscles need more resistance. More resistance needs more nerve coordination, you Central Nervous System needs rest to be able to improve coordination. You have one so rest for it, not your muscles.

The pushups thing has no grounding in reality. The opposite if anything.

 

[LearningSlowly]

Give yourself a rest. Muscles need more resistance. More resistance needs more nerve coordination, you Central Nervous System needs rest to be able to improve coordination. You have one so rest for it, not your muscles.

The pushups thing has no grounding in reality. The opposite if anything.

You're right. Hence my change in habit. Yesterday did crunches and planks, today back to push ups, tomorrow will be overhand pull-ups. This will hopefully give different muscle sections a rest and be a more complete work out.

On working out my legs, I'd prefer for someone to tell me how they're important. I play basketball and frisbee, so there's jumping and running going on, but cosmetically the upper body has disproportionate advantage.

 

[NorwegianDJ]

First off, you don't want chicken legs.

Legs are used in EVERYTHING you do. Legs and your lower back support your body through all kinds of activities. Squats and deadlift increase your vertical jump. I think working your legs increases your sprinting speed.
Nowadays, I never get tired in my legs, for example when walking up a mountain for a whole day, I only get extremely winded. Im surprised every time someone jumps on my back or I squat down to carry someone on my shoulders, ITS SO EASY. I think it might just make everything a bit lighter.
Also, you need proportional muscle balance.

 

[Jack Wealthy]

You're right. Hence my change in habit. Yesterday did crunches and planks, today back to push ups, tomorrow will be overhand pull-ups. This will hopefully give different muscle sections a rest and be a more complete work out.

On working out my legs, I'd prefer for someone to tell me how they're important. I play basketball and frisbee, so there's jumping and running going on, but cosmetically the upper body has disproportionate advantage.

No, you missed the point. I'm saying the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM needs rest a lot more than the muscles. Resistance training strains it a lot, far more than frisbee or basketball. If you don't have at least one complete and one or two partial rest days, you will depress the system. Your strength will decrease greatly. Your muscles will then shrink.

The amount of HGH and Testosterone released by an excersise is proportional to intensity, amount of muscles worked and size of muscles worked. The legs have a HUGE advantage over any other muscle because leg excersises usually work more muscles and always work bigger muscles.

This is the same reason that for a casual approach, splitting this way will yield little long term cosmetic change. Bodybuilders split because they put disproportianote pressure on the muscle fibres over the CNS to increase hypertrophy and minimise strength gain. It gets complicated, but you should want to increase both. If you JUST want muscle then this approach won't work, do not split because the amount of growth hormones this workout would release is minimal. If you just want muscular endurance, decent workout. For both size and strength, do not split. Workout 3x a week focusing on high-intensity compound excersises like squats, pullups and pushups. Situps and planks are used to refine, not build, a body.

 

[VincentNew]

I'm too busy acting like I'm not Naive. I've seen it all, I was here first.

 

[LearningSlowly]

No, you missed the point. I'm saying the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM needs rest a lot more than the muscles. Resistance training strains it a lot, far more than frisbee or basketball. If you don't have at least one complete and one or two partial rest days, you will depress the system. Your strength will decrease greatly. Your muscles will then shrink.

The amount of HGH and Testosterone released by an excersise is proportional to intensity, amount of muscles worked and size of muscles worked. The legs have a HUGE advantage over any other muscle because leg excersises usually work more muscles and always work bigger muscles.

This is the same reason that for a casual approach, splitting this way will yield little long term cosmetic change. Bodybuilders split because they put disproportianote pressure on the muscle fibres over the CNS to increase hypertrophy and minimise strength gain. It gets complicated, but you should want to increase both. If you JUST want muscle then this approach won't work, do not split because the amount of growth hormones this workout would release is minimal. If you just want muscular endurance, decent workout. For both size and strength, do not split. Workout 3x a week focusing on high-intensity compound excersises like squats, pullups and pushups. Situps and planks are used to refine, not build, a body.

I see. I understand the importance in this post, at least. It will go against my natural initiatives to exercise gradually but I'll have to make it work. One related question: Could I split a 7-day week as follows: Strength (push ups, pull ups, squats), Core, Strength, Flexibility, Core, Strength, Flexibility. I hate not doing anything on a given day, this is the best way I see to give myself a task each day.

Despite my last few posts, which I agree have often been misguided, even foolish, exercise is still a secondary goal, behind my primary social one. So let's get back to that.

I went to my first ever school basketball game on Friday. I've never been close with the crowd there, so it was a little strange. Next time I'll make a point of going with people, rather than alone. I've talked to one classmate about smoking before, but hadn't ever done it with him. So I suggested that we head out after the game. We ended up leaving in 3rd quarter and meeting up with a couple of my friends from a neighboring school. They're both cool people, one girl and one guy. We smoked and started freestyling. The guy from my school had no idea that I could freestyle, and I'm actually very good at it. I have a feeling that this will get around my small school, and I can't wait until it does.

As far as girls go: One, Molly, I had a thing with about a year ago, and shes coming in town for the week of Thanksgiving. Molly is a 4 and in the past has had trouble controlling her teeth, in both kissing and elsewhere. I'm not excited to see her.

Another girl goes to college, about an hour and a half away. She asked me to her prom as friends last year, and when I tried to kiss her the week before it, she wasn't interested (I caught the signal immediately and it wasn't too awkward, but we both knew). We've talked about me visiting her though (parents prevented it happening one weekend), and we talked about her coming in town this week. Here are some texts (unfortunately my phone deleted the texts I sent but not hers, I'll try to recreate my answers):

(I teased her about something on facebook. She texts me)
Her: Youre such a ****. i dont even like ga
Me: Youre adorable. Lets hang out.
Her: if u wld ever come visit me, we wld!
Me: Cool, if you give me a date ill pass it along. Lets make it happen
Her: Idk when!
Me: Are you in a sorority?
Her: Yessir. How did u know?
Me: You just seemed like the type. Do yall host any events?
Her: Are you kidding me? And sororities aren't aloud to have house parties
Me: Thats a rule? Too bad, would have been a good time for me to come
Her: We go to frat parties. But no sororities throw parties. Only frats do
Me: Well lets find a good frat party this weekend!
Her: Well im coming back [to Atlanta] this friday. And i have off all week
Me: Oh yeah thanksgiving! Yeah stuff will definitely be going on
Her: Sweet! Im excited!
Me: Oh... you wanted to come with me... Yeah I dont know if they let nerds in. Wear something short, that might help
Her: Like short over alls? Yessir
Me: Knew I could count on you. See you soon
Her: See ya then!

 

[Jack Wealthy]

Yes, but flexibility training should focus on recover if that's the way you split it. Strength training is worthwhile for any time between 20-70 minutes so it doesn't have to take much out of your day. With a cooldown (warmups ARE NOT necessary unless you have an injury. Warmup sets are enough) it will take a minimum of half an hour.

Sweet setup man. The only advice I can give you is really drive your intent forward. Go for it if you want it.

 

[NorwegianDJ]

I believe I am right when I say that you must warm up your muscle before you do any long stretches.

 

[Jack Wealthy]

True, I mean before weight lifting. Cardio warm-ups are a waster of time IMO and stretching is a complete negative. It makes me weaker and some research into that revealed it is a pretty universal phenomenon.

 

[NorwegianDJ]

We probably should make a seperate workout thread, sorry.
I do 5min cycling before a session, and I do believe that it is good for you, especially when squatting. Do you have any sources to have me believe otherwise? Stretching does make you weaker for like 15 minutes, it's like doing half a set before you start working.

 

[LearningSlowly]

We probably should make a seperate workout thread, sorry.

It's all good, I appreciate the information.

My flexibility days would be sort of like yoga, a mix of stretching and meditation, so I would expect it to be a good recovery. Just finished my first three-part strength workout and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to really establishing this routine.

 

[Jack Wealthy]

Nah I just could never be bothered. I noticed no improvement or detriment to any lift when I did a cardio warm-up so I stopped. LS, that's great

 

[LearningSlowly]

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

Here's what I've got for you:

Went out last night, same group I've got a lot of respect in. People were happy to see me, as always, it was comfortable and relaxed. Julia (my highest interest possibility) was there, as was a guy Alec that she's been hooking up with. He's a very cool guy and we're becoming friends, and we talked briefly about her. He had already ended it, but was thinking about having sex with her one last time that night. I didn't give much of an opinion, but his relationship with her doesn't particularly bother me.

So later in the night, most people (including Alec) had left. I was downstairs with two guys, Julia had taken the guest bedroom. One guy was trying to get girls, but one of the two fell asleep and we lost that option. He was much too upset about it, saying "I'm never doing this again. There are never girls at these parties. I wish I had a girl sucking my **** right now."

I hate that sort of talk. It's pathetic, needy and non-progressive. I decided to make a move with Julia, because I knew I would be upset if I didn't try. Someone told me she had been throwing up, so I texted her:
Me: Jules are you okay? Heard you were throwing up.
Her: No? I'm just sleeping...? I haven't really been drinking at all wtf...?
Me: Bed. I'm coming up.

A minute later I was up there, climbing into bed with her. She kept her back to me. I took up some conversation. We talked about Alec, I refused to tell her what he said to me and she (seemingly very playfully) begged me to, still with her back toward me. I wanted to get off the topic of an unofficial ex, so I switched to talking about my school. She used to go there, so I asked her why she left. She said she hated it (the people are rich and entitled, it's a much worse group than the friends she has now). I moved into my own story, how I had found a niche at my school and there were cool people there. Talking fizzled out after that.

So there I am, laying next to a gorgeous girl, with not many options. I was completely full of nervousness, generally negative energy. I knew this opportunity wasn't going anywhere, so I started to meditate. The nervousness remained, but I was more comfortable and in tune with the now. She made a move that sounded like rolling over onto her back toward me. I took this as a cue and said:
Me: Julia. (Mhm?) I think you're really pretty and we have a lot in common. If there's really no emotions around Alec...
Her (with some hostility in her voice): I'm not really looking for that right now.
Me: Preciate the honesty.

And we left it at that. She left early in the morning for a doctors appointment.

What strategy could I have used in that spot? Should I have made the move at all, or was the uncomfortableness even after meditation telling me that it wasn't the right time? I suspect I didn't lay enough groundwork, but it was tough with Alec around.

For now I'm accepting that it wasn't meant to be that night, but I obviously need to practice closing.

 

[NorwegianDJ]

Feels so much better to just TRY, right?
Honestly, I don't know; I've never been in that situation.

 

[LearningSlowly]

Feels so much better to just TRY, right?
Honestly, I don't know; I've never been in that situation.

It does, and I don't know what the future holds with her. It may have just been a bad day for it, literally the day after a guy ended a fling with her. I have no regrets.

Today I had some easy, boring sex with that girl Molly. She's a much better kisser, and this was the first time I've had sex since the summer, so that's nice. I finished quickly, but kept the motion up for a while. Stopped for a minute to change my condom, fingered her for most of that time, and we did it again. Then her family (she's staying with them for thanksgiving) came down to meet me, and we had a close call on being caught. It was awkward, but I'll never have to see them again.

 

[Jack Wealthy]

No idea why but that last paragraph made me burst out laughing.

Actually I do know why.

Anyway, I've been in that situation before but In didn't know until afterwards. As such it didn't affect my game at all. I think that is what matters, just continuing forward like it is a non-factor, because really it is.

 

[LearningSlowly]

Yeah I have a lot going on and want to keep that feeling going, I can't let a clean, honest rejection get me down.

So last night I was with Molly and my friend, I called him Apple in an earlier post. He knows her through camp, apparently he was a much more sociable person there.

So we start off with Apple, Molly, his two older sisters and one of their friends. I'm so glad to see my confidence and conversational skill increase, even when I'm not trying to game anyone. People liked me, I contributed to the conversation, and I felt good and comfortable.

When it ended up just being me, him and Molly, there was a weird vibe coming off him. He started mocking my stories, implying that I was gay, just generally testing me. I steeled myself to it, said to myself "It's not personal, but I'm about to prove that I deserve respect."

His mocking gave me opportunities. We talked about swimming, and I came in with a story about a great swimmer I knew. There wasn't much of a point to the part I told, since only part of the story related. So he makes fun of me, saying "Wow, Josh (figured you guys should learn my name eventually), so he had really broad shoulders? And he lives in an apartment building downtown and came and visited you guys on another floor?? Wow..."

So I come back. "Apple, I'm really impressed with you, you listened to my whole story! Thank you! There's a lot of respect in that!"
"Oh yeah I'll take notes!"
"Oh ok, well I'll tell the whole thing then. So there's this millionaire's penthouse, that my friend got the keys to. The parents of his friend are never home. We got girls, the swimmer had just picked up an ounce...etc" (All of this is true, and was interjected by him mocking me by writing the parts in his phone, so I was able to brag without spouting a story to a bored and judgmental audience).

I didn't like his animosity. We went and dropped Molly off, and I wanted to test something:

I've noticed that people are scared of hard work. When they hear about it, they feel uncomfortable. When they see its effects, they love to pin it on natural talent. People who are insecure don't acknowledge a real skill that someone has.

On the way back to his house, he played a song, then I put something on, and tell him that I'm going to freestyle, and that I'm not doing it to show off, I just like to rap (probably about half-true. I wouldn't say that I was doing it to get anything from him.) So I rap, and I was really good. It was my top instrumental to rap over, and I killed it. He parks the car, I stop rapping, we get out of the car and he doesn't say a word. It wasn't awkward, but it was clear that he didn't want to acknowledge something I worked so hard to learn. This is not a friendship I'll continue past high school.