I've been weight lifting seriously 3-5 days a week for over three years now, and I absolutely love it. I've started gaining some really solid muscle mass for my body type and size (I'm exactly 6ft, 140lbs ectomorph, which translates to 1.82 meters, 63.5kilograms for everywhere outside of the US ).

So, who else pumps iron? 

Mass was never my intention; it was always just to remain healthy and fit. I'm with you on the living forever thing. I'd like to be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor, assets, and life in general as I age instead of spending the majority of my life dealing with unnecessary pain and disease caused by dietary/physical ignorance.

Wouldn't it suck to finally achieve your dreams and then one day have your quality of life diminished due to something completely avoidable?

Just for the reason, of... well, all the other posters said it already... to hold middle age at bay, to keep young and healthy.

I already found a gym in my city.

Looking forward to it, but reading it's actually gain through pain. 

I prefer biking to my work (28 km/18 miles a day) and longer distances when I'm off and the weather allows it (usually ca. 96 km/60 miles). Or walking distances from 5 to 30 km (3 to 19 miles).

That a boy! 

The only supplements I use daily are fish oil, a multi-vitamin, and some incredibly high-quality GNC protein powder. The protein powder was given to me by my lifting buddy, whom also took creatine, and had a less-than-optimal experience with it. Apparently it makes you need to go #2 quite often during the day, lol. I've never been interested in its effects as a supplement personally, but I can see why others would seek it.

I've heard mixed reviews about the Syntha-6 products.

High protein intake is essential, IMHO, coupled with a well-rounded routine.

I feel this way as well. Supplementing protein is just convenient when you're on the go, busy, etc.

GNC does have some great stuff, but damn can it get expensive quick. As I said, I acquired my tub of said protein from a friend, so I lucked out. All of that stuff has a goofy aftertaste. 

I tend to freeze a banana, break it up, throw it in the blender with a scoop of protein powder, a scoop of all-natty PB, 12oz of cold almond milk, some flax seed/hemp seed, and blend for a minute. 

That tastes infinitely better than the typical blender-bottle full of almond milk and protein powder .

We're hitting legs and shoulders tonight at the gym:

-Quad press: 3 (sets) x 12 (reps)

-Hamstring curls 3 x 12

-Calf raises 4 x 15

Shoulder supersets - all back to back as one set with NO rest in between; looks like this:

 Military press x 10

 Seated front lat raises (both arms) x 10

 Standing side lat raises (both arms) x 10

REST, then repeat the above two more times!

Yoga and pilates are a whole new way to work your body...and they're completely necessary if you truly want a well-rounded regimen IMHO. I've started doing hip abductors at the gym as well, which are typically stigmatized as a "woman's exercise" around these parts, lol. It's all about balance, and yoga and pilates will give you that in ways you can't achieve via traditional lifting.

I love isometrics, as well. When you curl biceps, go for full extension at the bottom, then at the top of your curl flex as hard as you can and slowly let the weight back down. That one mod alone will tear fibers like crazy!

Yup! I own these as well. Feet up on the chair; regs, wides, close each for a set of 45 .

When we're in the gym, we do a super-set we call "chest-sanity", where you bench the bar for 10 reps, then immediately do chest flys with dumbbells for another 10, then hop up and put your fee up on the bench and do 10 diamond pushups.

Repeat times three sets and you'll be on fire .

Rock climbing is awesome, btw!

I did a quick set of lat pulldowns/tricep pulldowns on my home equipment yesterday, and I'm wonderfully sore .

Chest-sanity sesh tomorrow.

I've gone all out before with heavy lifting and protein diet galore, but I very quickly get clumsy to look at. My own take on this, is that whenever your muscles start interfering with your flexibility, it's about time to call it quits or conversely start looking at some smaller weights and an increase in repetitions.

And that's awesome, Guldbamsen!

Then again, I'm blessed with not having to do much in order to look like a bear, which my friends then are extremely jealous of 

Tae Bo with Bruce Banner

I'm one of those skinny fellows who can eat and eat and eat, and lose weight in his sleep .

I'm the epitome of ectomorph, and it shows. When I'm in the gym I tend to "pop" really quickly, and almost appear to be inflating during my workout. I look like a professional wrestler for a good 30 minutes post, then I go back to my usual size, lol. I don't eat that much junk food because I want my body to even out nicely when my metabolism starts slowing down after 30-ish or so.

Eating clean is the secret, no matter what body type/age you are!

Jude is good 

Mood is lord

Food is dog

Dude is God

Eat your greens people! Or I'll summon my mother.

My favorite are the looks I get when I move things that should be too much for my size relatively easily, lol. Shoulder-shrugging 100lbs+ on the cable machine using a tethered (and additional) 60lb bar .

I'm not sure most youngins down at the gym know how important it is to rest. In fact, I think most of their ideas on how best to go about bodybuilding is completely faulty at heart. My slogan has always been: It's not about how much weight you can lift, but about how correct you lift. Everything else is just for show (and injuries). 

^Exactly. It's even worse when everyone's on their phones the entire time, breaking tempo, getting in the way, etc.

140lbs (63.5kg) (my bodyweight) on the bench for 10, 8, 6, 4, 2

55lbs (25kg) dumbbell chest fly 5, 5, 4, 4, 1

Tricep pulldowns 65lbs (29kg) 10, 8, 6, 4, then 70lbs (32kg) for 2

Chest press until exhaustion on 35lbs (16kg)

Overall, a VERY solid day at the gym! 

Plenty of protein to refuel is the secret! 

I think we're hitting legs tonight; I'm going for more deadlifts. Those bad boys keep me sore in just the right way .

 

 

Exercise is bad for your health.

Lmao @ Guld's post-smoke .

Deadlifts hit everything, though .

I've been pretty motivated the last week, so I'm doing pull-ups every day. I'll do one grip one day and then another the next, so I basically have a 3 day run with 3 different exercises (although all of these strengthen my back in various ways). 

I thought about doing all of em on the same day, like I said earlier in this thread, but this way seems to be the most rewarding all around. 

Another great thing about this is the fact that I use a kindergarten's playground as my 'gym'. I've found the perfect jungle-jim for these exercises, where I can experiment with all kinds of grips. Beats any other gym out there imo + I am in control of the soundtrack.

The walk to the kindergarten and back is a good 35 minutes, so there is also actual leg movement involved - making this whole thing healthy as a box of kiwis.

Yes, yes, and HELL yes !

It's the lower-back decimator. It's the only thing that hits mine in a way that feels like I'm actually growing muscle there. I'd definitely suggest a good belt for hitting the higher weights; I don't do too much over my own body weight without one!

Had a killer chest session on Sunday at the gym, and I'm thinking about hitting back via my home equipment today. Plenty of "bulking" foods this holiday weekend, lol.

 

Yes! I will admit, shrugs work really well for me. I don't do them in the standard way with a freeweight in each hand, however. 

I tend to use the cable machine set all the way down, then I grab an extra barbell (60lbs or so), then I max out the cable machine (100lbs). 

Then, I use a weight strap to clip the barbell to the cable itself, and I do shrugs with that. 

I've found that the cable tension really allows for more control and more stress on the traps than trying to balance and prevent your hands getting tired. The longer you hold the shrug, the more you're going to work it. 

Mine always look huge after a set of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6 .

You guys seem really positive about your progress so far.  Every time I fall in stride with a good workout routine and start making some gains, my body just starts to fall apart.  I'm too young to be breaking down like this.  Getting my knees checked out later today since I have a issue with my patella tracking toward the outside of my knee and grinding over my femur.  

I aaaam caaaalliiiiiing yyoouuuu froooom theee sofaaa faaar faaaaar awaaay

Cool to see you're still keeping at it, although slightly annoying when I haven't been able to do the same. Freaking irritating! Every time I get a good thing going, a new paper/project/assignment/whatev arrives and I tumble back into mr sitting machine, drinking too much coffee and smoking far too many cigarettes, stuffing myself late at night because I forgot to eat anything all day, too lazy to even do my push ups. 

Vicious cycle really, it effects my mood and how I function on an everyday basis. I don't sleep well, when my body isn't physically tired from having been used. My brain simply takes over the show and instead of turning off at night it goes into hyper-psycho mode and transmits philosophically random thoughts on everything from strawberries to the rings of Saturn.

I've been a good boy the last couple of days though - cycling and walking regularly, even doing push ups and various forms of pull ups/chin ups (extremely soar this morning) This time I'm determined to follow through on my exercises, so I've tried to make a little 'training diary', where I'll sketch down what I did for the day. I'm using my phone, so no excuses about losing the damn paper this time or other more foolish businesses like forgetting to take it with you when you're visiting friends in the forest. 

Come on now!

I think all that training/exercising really depends upon is dedication from you. No matter what level you're at, as long as you do it regularly, which sadly is the thing I've been struggling the most with. I do sense a change coming on just from these last days. I just have to convince myself of the benefits and keep myself at it. The latter hopefully through that diary thingy of mine. 

Now that I think of it, instead of mimicking a vegetable here on the sofa, then why not take the bike out for a ride? The sun is actually shining for the first time in what seems like weeks. See ya!

TONS of chest today: super sets, flys, benching, dips, overheads, etc.

I'm going for my personal training cert in the coming months, as well. Great to see so many of you keeping up and progressing!

Went for a 60 minute bike ride in a rather hilly landscape earlier today. Was absolutely done for when I got home to my apartment! Tough, and I'm probably going to feel it tomorrow, but definitely worth while. Left a smile on my face anyway.

An hour on a bike will do it, my friend! 

I've been upping the cardio as well, especially before lifting sessions. I've also got a lat pulldown machine and olympic weight bar and weights at my house now, so I can do deadlifts in my living room .

I've been keeping at it - at least with my bike. I've been too soar to do any muscle training the past two days, but tonight I'm opting for 300 push ups before dinner. We'll see.

You know what, I'm going for a ride again. I did one earlier today (uphill no less), but who says you can't do two in a day?

I hope I'm still that active when I'm 48.  A lot of people don't have the drive to get to the point where they start seeing results and then they give up.  So kudos to you and I'm actually kind of jealous!

I think I may just have to slow down.  I've been going to physical therapy for my knee but I still haven't even considered going back to squats.  At the moment I can't do much upper body either because of shoulder tendinitis.  I always manage to hurt myself in some way and its really discouraging.  I guess I should just try for less weight and higher rep ranges.

I also have The Perfect Pushup, and I love it. Never done knuckle pushups before, but I do diamond pushups first thing each and every morning. A set of 25, then a second set of 15 to get the blood flowing while the coffee brews .

I love doing elevated pushups. Everything I do pushup-wise is elevated.

I've been doing serious heavy lifting and bulking since the start of the month, and I'm seeing insane results already.

I want to start taking pics/doing some video at the gym. I'll be going for my personal trainer cert right after the holiday, as well!