Cloud-uk
Master Don Juan
Week I:
WEIGHTS & EXERCISE
Weights:
Why do Weights?
Weight training. It's been called a vain, boring, silly past time- especially by skinny white "funny" guys. Weight lifting has an air of self-loving about it. I'm sure the idea of guys with arms like baloons posing in lube, their steroid-shrunk manhood cowering under an tiny spandex napkin doesn't really appeal to most of us.
Well screw that. Weight lifting isn't the forte of lubed up freaks. Weight lifting is really the speciallity of teenage guys. No other group of people has the same chemical make up, all that testosterone and growth hormone pumping through your veins makes you all ideal for packing on muscle. Perhaps that is reason enough: take advantage of your natural skills...
Of course, there is a very simple, very good reason... weight lifting is useful! How many times have you heard being weak is a great characteristic?! Duh! Weight lifting is a healthy thing to do, it lets you lift heavy things, beat up other guys trying to steal your stuff, run faster, it helps prevent injury- for ****s sake it's just bloody useful! Strong people live better! There, if that isn't motivation enough, I don't know what is
.
One small note: doing weights that are too heavy, especially when you are young, or taking supplements incorrectly - like taking any sort of performance enhancing steroids- can and probably will have a negative effect. Exercise a degree of common sense people, there is nothing dangerous about weight training, there is about throwing a 60kg lump of metal above your head. Just be smart, nuff said.
Basics:
Weight training is a bit missleading as a title. It is 50% training, 50% diet. You do both, you get results, you feel good. Sort out both with equal vigor.
Weights can be expencive, so all the advice is geared towards a teenager, in his room, with a pair of dumbells, and perhaps a bench and bar bell. You don't need to go get an expensive gym membership. If you can, get access to your school/college weights room. If not, I suggest purchacing a simple weights bench, a bar bell and a dumbell. It's money well spent. You'll need about 40-60 kgs of weights. If you can't afford all of this in one go, just buy it bit by bit. It is worth the money.
A quick definition: A rep is a movement e.g. one lift of a dumbell. A set is a number of repititions. For most exercises, you will have about 4-8 reps in a set. When recording what you lift, set it out like: 4/8/40, meaning 4 sets, at 8 repititions each, at 40kgs of weight.
Applictaion:
I'm going to try not to just send you to other sources in this course, but all you need to know is in the Health and Fitness forum. Sorry, not going to spoon feed you all the way.
The plan? Read the stickies, and sort out your routine. The main parts are the chest, legs, and back. You also need to include your arms, stomach, and shoulders. Two main parts people forget that need seperate exercises are the calves and forearms. Get something for all of them and you're ready to go.
Train heavy, and at even lower sets than it says in the stickies: 4-5 sets. You need to shock your body into putting on muscle (and mass).
Remember you'll need an 8 week log, to record what you do each week. Remember, the 8th week is a rest week. You will be doing 3 days of weight training a week- you wont put on muscle if you don't rest.
Really, the information is on this very site, you just need to read and ask, then put in the effort.
Thus, the challenges for week one:
Challenge 1: Get access to weight lifting equipment.
By buying, joining a gym, by hook or crook get out there and sort it out!
Challenge 2: Go to fitness board and work out a routine, print it out in the form of an 8 week log, and attach it to your board under the SELF side.
Remember the board from the organisation post? You will be using it a lot. Go and sort this out as soon as possible. Don't be deterred by people questioning your determination, or by saying your routine is flawed. It probably is. Follow the advice to make it better.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html is a great site for finding out what exercises to do with what you have. Use this and the resources on the Health forum to succeed in challenge 2.
Exercise
Crap! I was really hoping for help on this topic!
Only advice I can give is that your exercise will be far more effective if it's something you enjoy. Take martial arts for instance- most guys think whacking things is cool, so you're more likely to keep witha thai-boxing class than dragging yourself to the running track every morning. Still, if you can get motivated for running, that's even better.
For exercise you will want a log like the one for weight training. Again, go to the health forums for advice.
Side Topic: Nutrition, Cooking & Health
Supplements:
A key supplement for the above is Whey protein. It's absorbed quickly by the body and is generally funky stuff. You'll be drinking in excess of 4 scoups of the stuff a day. Problem is- it tastes gross. Solution, chocolate flavour is probably the best, and I think it tastes a lot better when it is put with water. Make it manageable, grin and stomach it.
It has been said that with all the chemicals pumping around a teenager's body a good diet and enough sleep (you are getting 8 hours DEEP SLEEP a night, right?) will do more good than powdered supplements. That's true. No point in spending all that money without sorting out the basics. Again, good reccomendations for supplements are in the stickies and from the members of the health forum. To tell the truth, if you are all as skint as I am, all the creatine and other stuff just isn't worth the money. My advice is to get some chocolate flavoured (tastes the best) protein shake and multi-vits, make sure your diet is good, and sleep enough. If you want to branch out, that's great, all the info is there for you.
You will also need (and should be taking already) multi-vits/codliver oil. Just cover yourself for most vits and minerals.
Challenege 3: Purchace and start taking supplements correctly, as advised by members of the health and fitness forums.
Healthy Eating:
"You are what you eat". No **** there. For the next 9 months, with the exception of big parties, lets cut the crap out of our diets:
No fast food.
No fizzy drinks.
No smoking.
No habitual/daily drinking.
No chocolate.
No sweets.
Lower amounts of sugar.
Lower amounts of salt.
More potatos.
More brown bread.
More nuts.
More greens.
More fruit.
More eggs.
A LOT MORE WATER.
Also, if you are fat eat less. If you are skinny eat more. This is the basis of weight change, never forget it.
Challenge 4: Make changes to your eating habits. ADVANCED CHALLENGE: Give up a vice (smoking, weed, chocolate)
Cooking:
Yes- Guys cook too. If fact, a hell of a lot of guys cook very well. Why learn? Duh! You get to make yummy stuff! We all love yummy stuff!
It is pretty suprising that a lot of young guys and girls don't know the very basics of cooking. I'm not going to give you the details of boiling an egg or cooking pasta, but if you've never learnt- ask your mum or get a cook book. You should at least be able to make a fry up, pancakes, boil an egg, make pasta and a pasta sauce, and stir fry. If not LEARN!
Here are some ideas to give you a creative spark, especially if you have company. Hell, a girl with a grumpbling stomach just isn't sexy...
Sushi:
Simple and makes you look cultured.
Step 1: Making sumeshi (sushi rice)
Get 400ml of rice. Stick in cold water for 15 minutes to wash it, then drain off the water.
Put washed rice in a saucepan with 460ml of water. Boil it up for about 5 mins, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 mins, or until all the water is gone. Leave the lit on, and let it sit off the heat for 10-15 mins. While it is sitting, make the vinegar dressing with 3 tablespoons of Japanese rice vinegar, 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tea spoons of salt. Mix that lot in a bowel. Put the rice in a big shallow bowl, and add the vinegar dressing. Fold the dressing into the rice. Bingo!
Step 2: Making norimaki (simple sushi!)
Get the rice from above and put it on a sheet of nori (sushi) seaweed. Spread it out to about 1 1/5 cm from the seaweed edge. Put a filling down the middle (salmon, cucumber and wasabi anyone?). Roll it up and cut it into pieces! Easy sushi!
BBQ Anything.
We all love BBQ.
For simple BBQ anything make a sauce out of pretty much everything you have, to taste. Tomato ketchup, brown sauce, chilli sauce, tabasco, lee & perins, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and some sesemee seeds. Mix and put on said meet, and leave over-night. Grill/BBQ next day and voila!
Stir fry
Quick, looks cool.
YOU MUST GET ALL THE INGREDIENTS YOU WANT TO COOK READY BEFORE YOU HEAT UP THE WOK! This is the big thing about stir frying anything. After that it's easy. heat up ground nut oil (peanut or sesemee will do) with garlic and ginger, then when it is hot cook the meat you wnat (cut up into small pieces) untill it changes color. Take out and put aside. Add the onions. stir and fry for 2 mins. Add other greens. Stir and fry for 2 mins. Add meat again and cook the whole lot until the meat is done. Serve with rice and your done.
There, three dishes to try out, and very simple too.
Challenge 5: Make something from the above. Advanced: Get a cook book and try to cook at least 3-4 times a week over the next 9 weeks.
WEIGHTS & EXERCISE
Weights:
Why do Weights?
Weight training. It's been called a vain, boring, silly past time- especially by skinny white "funny" guys. Weight lifting has an air of self-loving about it. I'm sure the idea of guys with arms like baloons posing in lube, their steroid-shrunk manhood cowering under an tiny spandex napkin doesn't really appeal to most of us.
Well screw that. Weight lifting isn't the forte of lubed up freaks. Weight lifting is really the speciallity of teenage guys. No other group of people has the same chemical make up, all that testosterone and growth hormone pumping through your veins makes you all ideal for packing on muscle. Perhaps that is reason enough: take advantage of your natural skills...
Of course, there is a very simple, very good reason... weight lifting is useful! How many times have you heard being weak is a great characteristic?! Duh! Weight lifting is a healthy thing to do, it lets you lift heavy things, beat up other guys trying to steal your stuff, run faster, it helps prevent injury- for ****s sake it's just bloody useful! Strong people live better! There, if that isn't motivation enough, I don't know what is
.One small note: doing weights that are too heavy, especially when you are young, or taking supplements incorrectly - like taking any sort of performance enhancing steroids- can and probably will have a negative effect. Exercise a degree of common sense people, there is nothing dangerous about weight training, there is about throwing a 60kg lump of metal above your head. Just be smart, nuff said.
Basics:
Weight training is a bit missleading as a title. It is 50% training, 50% diet. You do both, you get results, you feel good. Sort out both with equal vigor.
Weights can be expencive, so all the advice is geared towards a teenager, in his room, with a pair of dumbells, and perhaps a bench and bar bell. You don't need to go get an expensive gym membership. If you can, get access to your school/college weights room. If not, I suggest purchacing a simple weights bench, a bar bell and a dumbell. It's money well spent. You'll need about 40-60 kgs of weights. If you can't afford all of this in one go, just buy it bit by bit. It is worth the money.
A quick definition: A rep is a movement e.g. one lift of a dumbell. A set is a number of repititions. For most exercises, you will have about 4-8 reps in a set. When recording what you lift, set it out like: 4/8/40, meaning 4 sets, at 8 repititions each, at 40kgs of weight.
Applictaion:
I'm going to try not to just send you to other sources in this course, but all you need to know is in the Health and Fitness forum. Sorry, not going to spoon feed you all the way.
The plan? Read the stickies, and sort out your routine. The main parts are the chest, legs, and back. You also need to include your arms, stomach, and shoulders. Two main parts people forget that need seperate exercises are the calves and forearms. Get something for all of them and you're ready to go.
Train heavy, and at even lower sets than it says in the stickies: 4-5 sets. You need to shock your body into putting on muscle (and mass).
Remember you'll need an 8 week log, to record what you do each week. Remember, the 8th week is a rest week. You will be doing 3 days of weight training a week- you wont put on muscle if you don't rest.
Really, the information is on this very site, you just need to read and ask, then put in the effort.
Thus, the challenges for week one:
Challenge 1: Get access to weight lifting equipment.
By buying, joining a gym, by hook or crook get out there and sort it out!
Challenge 2: Go to fitness board and work out a routine, print it out in the form of an 8 week log, and attach it to your board under the SELF side.
Remember the board from the organisation post? You will be using it a lot. Go and sort this out as soon as possible. Don't be deterred by people questioning your determination, or by saying your routine is flawed. It probably is. Follow the advice to make it better.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html is a great site for finding out what exercises to do with what you have. Use this and the resources on the Health forum to succeed in challenge 2.
Exercise
Crap! I was really hoping for help on this topic!
Only advice I can give is that your exercise will be far more effective if it's something you enjoy. Take martial arts for instance- most guys think whacking things is cool, so you're more likely to keep witha thai-boxing class than dragging yourself to the running track every morning. Still, if you can get motivated for running, that's even better.
For exercise you will want a log like the one for weight training. Again, go to the health forums for advice.
Side Topic: Nutrition, Cooking & Health
Supplements:
A key supplement for the above is Whey protein. It's absorbed quickly by the body and is generally funky stuff. You'll be drinking in excess of 4 scoups of the stuff a day. Problem is- it tastes gross. Solution, chocolate flavour is probably the best, and I think it tastes a lot better when it is put with water. Make it manageable, grin and stomach it.
It has been said that with all the chemicals pumping around a teenager's body a good diet and enough sleep (you are getting 8 hours DEEP SLEEP a night, right?) will do more good than powdered supplements. That's true. No point in spending all that money without sorting out the basics. Again, good reccomendations for supplements are in the stickies and from the members of the health forum. To tell the truth, if you are all as skint as I am, all the creatine and other stuff just isn't worth the money. My advice is to get some chocolate flavoured (tastes the best) protein shake and multi-vits, make sure your diet is good, and sleep enough. If you want to branch out, that's great, all the info is there for you.
You will also need (and should be taking already) multi-vits/codliver oil. Just cover yourself for most vits and minerals.
Challenege 3: Purchace and start taking supplements correctly, as advised by members of the health and fitness forums.
Healthy Eating:
"You are what you eat". No **** there. For the next 9 months, with the exception of big parties, lets cut the crap out of our diets:
No fast food.
No fizzy drinks.
No smoking.
No habitual/daily drinking.
No chocolate.
No sweets.
Lower amounts of sugar.
Lower amounts of salt.
More potatos.
More brown bread.
More nuts.
More greens.
More fruit.
More eggs.
A LOT MORE WATER.
Also, if you are fat eat less. If you are skinny eat more. This is the basis of weight change, never forget it.
Challenge 4: Make changes to your eating habits. ADVANCED CHALLENGE: Give up a vice (smoking, weed, chocolate)
Cooking:
Yes- Guys cook too. If fact, a hell of a lot of guys cook very well. Why learn? Duh! You get to make yummy stuff! We all love yummy stuff!
It is pretty suprising that a lot of young guys and girls don't know the very basics of cooking. I'm not going to give you the details of boiling an egg or cooking pasta, but if you've never learnt- ask your mum or get a cook book. You should at least be able to make a fry up, pancakes, boil an egg, make pasta and a pasta sauce, and stir fry. If not LEARN!
Here are some ideas to give you a creative spark, especially if you have company. Hell, a girl with a grumpbling stomach just isn't sexy...
Sushi:
Simple and makes you look cultured.
Step 1: Making sumeshi (sushi rice)
Get 400ml of rice. Stick in cold water for 15 minutes to wash it, then drain off the water.
Put washed rice in a saucepan with 460ml of water. Boil it up for about 5 mins, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 mins, or until all the water is gone. Leave the lit on, and let it sit off the heat for 10-15 mins. While it is sitting, make the vinegar dressing with 3 tablespoons of Japanese rice vinegar, 2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 tea spoons of salt. Mix that lot in a bowel. Put the rice in a big shallow bowl, and add the vinegar dressing. Fold the dressing into the rice. Bingo!
Step 2: Making norimaki (simple sushi!)
Get the rice from above and put it on a sheet of nori (sushi) seaweed. Spread it out to about 1 1/5 cm from the seaweed edge. Put a filling down the middle (salmon, cucumber and wasabi anyone?). Roll it up and cut it into pieces! Easy sushi!
BBQ Anything.
We all love BBQ.
For simple BBQ anything make a sauce out of pretty much everything you have, to taste. Tomato ketchup, brown sauce, chilli sauce, tabasco, lee & perins, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and some sesemee seeds. Mix and put on said meet, and leave over-night. Grill/BBQ next day and voila!
Stir fry
Quick, looks cool.
YOU MUST GET ALL THE INGREDIENTS YOU WANT TO COOK READY BEFORE YOU HEAT UP THE WOK! This is the big thing about stir frying anything. After that it's easy. heat up ground nut oil (peanut or sesemee will do) with garlic and ginger, then when it is hot cook the meat you wnat (cut up into small pieces) untill it changes color. Take out and put aside. Add the onions. stir and fry for 2 mins. Add other greens. Stir and fry for 2 mins. Add meat again and cook the whole lot until the meat is done. Serve with rice and your done.
There, three dishes to try out, and very simple too.
Challenge 5: Make something from the above. Advanced: Get a cook book and try to cook at least 3-4 times a week over the next 9 weeks.