Fitness & Martial Arts Thread

[JNR]

Now that Shime seems to be about, I'd like to get your opinion on treadmills, please! Basically my mum has agreed to go halves on one. I'm willing to spend about £300 of my own money, leaving us with about a £600 budget. Can we get a half decent one for that? I really want one as I know if we had on in our house I would use it almost every day. No motivational problems at all.

The guys on here said running on treadmills only is not a good idea, but the roads around me are quite dangerous (just outside of town, so no pavements and high speed vehicles). Also I really don't like running in parks and hate gyms (do all my exercise at home). I guess I could try to find a field nearby or a goos running route outin the country somewhere?

Why is only running on treadmills a bad idea?

[Cropolite]

Now that Shime seems to be about, I'd like to get your opinion on treadmills, please! Basically my mum has agreed to go halves on one. I'm willing to spend about £300 of my own money, leaving us with about a £600 budget. Can we get a half decent one for that? I really want one as I know if we had on in our house I would use it almost every day. No motivational problems at all.

The guys on here said running on treadmills only is not a good idea, but the roads around me are quite dangerous (just outside of town, so no pavements and high speed vehicles). Also I really don't like running in parks and hate gyms (do all my exercise at home). I guess I could try to find a field nearby or a goos running route outin the country somewhere?

Why is only running on treadmills a bad idea?

Surely grass/soft ground is more ideal anyway?

[smurphy]

What's the best exercise I can do to increase the size of my forearms? They're dreadfully skinny. The only equipment I have is weights in the form of a bass guitar.

[TornadoShaun]

What's the best exercise I can do to increase the size of my forearms? They're dreadfully skinny. The only equipment I have is weights in the form of a bass guitar.

Buy yourself a pair of those squeezy handgrip things, not exactly sure what they are called but you can get them in varying degrees of tightness. I got mine from JJB - a pair of Reebok ones, that's probably a good place to look for some - shouldnt set you back more than about £5.00 really.

[smurphy]

I actually have one of those too, just forgot about it.

Cheers.

[Ecno]

Now that Shime seems to be about, I'd like to get your opinion on treadmills, please! Basically my mum has agreed to go halves on one. I'm willing to spend about £300 of my own money, leaving us with about a £600 budget. Can we get a half decent one for that? I really want one as I know if we had on in our house I would use it almost every day. No motivational problems at all.

The guys on here said running on treadmills only is not a good idea, but the roads around me are quite dangerous (just outside of town, so no pavements and high speed vehicles). Also I really don't like running in parks and hate gyms (do all my exercise at home). I guess I could try to find a field nearby or a goos running route outin the country somewhere?

Why is only running on treadmills a bad idea?

There's also the case that treadmill work doesn't work you as hard as actually running. Because in real running you have to push off from the ground to move but on a treadmil all you have to do is lift you legs up.

[Cropolite]

Is it that bad if you eat some cereal right before a workout?

[smurphy]

I just did about 20 crunches and now I can barely move.

[TravelJug]

Is it that bad if you eat some cereal right before a workout?

Nope. It's got protein and carbs. Work away, and don't get too bogged down in this stuff. Balanced diet and all that.

[Lotus]

I'm looking to get a more...V shaped torso. It already is kinda V-shaped, as in I have broad shoulders and my body goes in down towards my wasit. It could do with looking a bit more defined though, so I need some exercises to build my mid-back and upper back so I get that more defined look. Anyone got any tips?

[Grumpy David]

I'm looking to get a more...V shaped torso. It already is kinda V-shaped, as in I have broad shoulders and my body goes in down towards my wasit. It could do with looking a bit more defined though, so I need some exercises to build my mid-back and upper back so I get that more defined look. Anyone got any tips?

Deadlift deadlift deadlift! Best muscles for the back bar none.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadlift

Muscles involved

* Torso
o Front
+ Abdomen
# Rectus abdominis (under aponeurosis)
+ Obliques
# Abdominal external oblique muscle
o Back
+ Iliocostalis
+ Intertransversarii laterales lumborum
+ Latissimus dorsi
+ Levator scapulae
+ Longissimus
+ Quadratus lumborum
+ Rhomboideus major
+ Serratus posterior superior
+ Serratus posterior inferior
+ Splenius cervicis
+ Teres Major
+ Trapezius muscle
* Legs
o Quadriceps
+ Rectus femoris
+ Vastus lateralis
+ Vastus intermedius
+ Vastus medialis
o Hamstrings
+ Biceps femoris muscle, long head
+ Biceps femoris muscle, short head
+ Semitendinosus
+ Semimembranosus
* Hips
o Gluteal muscles
+ Gluteus maximus
+ Gluteus minimus
o Piriformis
o Superior gemellus
* Forearms
o Flexor digitorum profundus

[Lotus]

Nice, I love deadlifting. Think I might have a problem with not having enough weight to go on the bar, though. Will certainly give it a go though, cheers.

[JNR]

Now that Shime seems to be about, I'd like to get your opinion on treadmills, please! Basically my mum has agreed to go halves on one. I'm willing to spend about £300 of my own money, leaving us with about a £600 budget. Can we get a half decent one for that? I really want one as I know if we had on in our house I would use it almost every day. No motivational problems at all.

The guys on here said running on treadmills only is not a good idea, but the roads around me are quite dangerous (just outside of town, so no pavements and high speed vehicles). Also I really don't like running in parks and hate gyms (do all my exercise at home). I guess I could try to find a field nearby or a goos running route outin the country somewhere?

Why is only running on treadmills a bad idea?

There's also the case that treadmill work doesn't work you as hard as actually running. Because in real running you have to push off from the ground to move but on a treadmil all you have to do is lift you legs up.

Think about the mechanics of this situation. If all you had to do on a treadmill was lift your legs up, you'd fall of the end because the floor is moving. You have to launch yourself forward to counteract the force of the belt on your shoes, a vector quantity...

...forget it. You're wrong.

[TornadoShaun]

we have a treadmill in the garage, I don't use it that often to be fair but it's handy - say if you fancy going for a run but it's pissing it down outside. If we're talking about the summer when the weather is fine then I much prefer a light jog with my mp3 player hooked up, but for those rainy days a treadmill and a radio makes for a satisfactory alternative

[EnragedYogi]

I read somewhere that setting a treadmill to around a 2% incline increase the effort enough to make it like running on a flat street.

Also someone mentioned forearms, a good cheap way is to get a broadsheet newspaper, grip the edge of a sheet with one hand with your arm held out then "walk" your fingers along it, screwing it up as you go, into a screwed up sheet....I think that makes sense. Here's a link

http://savagefitnessandselfdefense.blogspot.com/2006/04/super-forearm-building-exercise.html

ps don't have a clue how to make the links small like a "Clicky" thing.

Loire, deadlifting will help your abs stick out a bit, your abs will develop to help support your back while lifting.

[Loire]

I slept this afternoon, ate late, and therefore missed time for a weights session tonight !

Might do the abs, love how they're looking at the minute, and Matt showed me a quality exercise for lower abs to do with an exercise wheel, or in my case, barbell! Awesome!

Does anyone know if any high street stores might sell a Powerbar. It's payday tomorrow and I want one ASAP !

[JNR]

I slept this afternoon, ate late, and therefore missed time for a weights session tonight !

Might do the abs, love how they're looking at the minute, and Matt showed me a quality exercise for lower abs to do with an exercise wheel, or in my case, barbell! Awesome!

Does anyone know if any high street stores might sell a Powerbar. It's payday tomorrow and I want one ASAP !

Boots. Maybe.

[Doug]

I slept this afternoon, ate late, and therefore missed time for a weights session tonight !

Might do the abs, love how they're looking at the minute, and Matt showed me a quality exercise for lower abs to do with an exercise wheel, or in my case, barbell! Awesome!

Does anyone know if any high street stores might sell a Powerbar. It's payday tomorrow and I want one ASAP !

Holland and Barrett, or quite a few health food shops do Trek/protein bars and i've noticed some near me now do maximuscle stuff, heck even JJB might have some.

[jamcc]

we have a treadmill in the garage, I don't use it that often to be fair but it's handy - say if you fancy going for a run but it's pissing it down outside. If we're talking about the summer when the weather is fine then I much prefer a light jog with my mp3 player hooked up, but for those rainy days a treadmill and a radio makes for a satisfactory alternative

Where did you get it? I might go to a few local running shops.

I really want a treadmill, despite what people have said on here. It really is the fact that I would have no problems motivating myself to use it that make it a necessity.

[Lotus]

Matt showed me a quality exercise for lower abs to do with an exercise wheel, or in my case, barbell! Awesome!

Care to share?