I have been doing really good(I think anyway)at the gym lately. I have been going 4 or 5 times a week and I bust butt when I am there. But Monday night I was lifting heavy and of all of a sudden my right shoulder started hurting in the joint I guess.
This dude in the gym said I need to take the crohnium(sp) or something like that that you buy at a pharmacy that feeds the cartilage in your joints to heal them faster. He also said to take a break for a couple of weeks. Does this stuff work? And how does it work? And do I really need to take two weeks off or can I just go lighter for a while?
Second,
Man, after the advice I got from my six pack and washboard stomach thread I have started doing cardio exercise on the treadmill. (see I listen to you guys) My question is should I do the cardio before or after I lift weights. This pretty good size dude at the gym says I should do the cardio first to loosen up and get the blood pumping good. M & F magazine I could of swore they said do the cardio last to save energy for the weights first. My goal right now in case it matters is to build mass.
Oh one more does Hydroxycut work? Has anyone tried it?
I’d say lay off the weights for a couple weeks to give the joint time to heal–cartilage doesn’t heal easily or well, so take it easy for a while. I think the guy meant “chromium,” but I don’t know if that heals cartilage.
Once you’re doing both weights & cardio, I’d say do a couple minutes on a stairmaster or treadmill to warm up, then stretch out, do weights, then work on your cardio.
Chromium picolinate. No evidence for the claims for weight loss, body fat reduction, muscle building, increased metabolism, appetite reduction, cholesterol reduction, blood sugar regulation, energy and stamina booster, and diabetes helper. There are two studies on which much of the chromium craze has been based. A 1996 study showed that it did increase muscle mass in animals, not humans. A 1989 study showed a small, insignificant increase in lean body mass. Four studies conducted between 1992 and 1996 failed to confirm that chromium picolinate supplements can result in increased lean muscle tissue.
A recent study found that it can damage chromosomes, but that appears due to the picolinate, not the chromium. However, new research shows it is useful in sprint performance in runners. Chromium is a trace mineral that helps your cells use carbohydrate for energy. With insulin it allows sugar to enter the cells.
You probably got injured because you were doing too much too early. Don’t work the same muscle groups two days in a row. Warm up with a light aerobic exercise, auch as the stationary bike. After you’re thru with your weight lifting session, then do the main aerobic stuff: whatever fits your fancy. Or do the main aerobic stuff at a different time, like I do.
For now, do light stuff as long as there is no pain.
I agree with Ethilrist, definately take it easy for a couple weeks, or you’ll run the risk of further injury.
As for as cardio goes, I do 10 minutes on a treadmill before weights to loosen up, and depending on how much energy I have after 1 hour of weightlifting, I may do another 20-30 mins on the treadmill. That’s on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are cardio only days, 30 mins in the crosstrainer and 15 on the treadmill.
I just popped 3 Hydroxycut capsules. IT is an ephedrine, aspirin, caffeine stack. In essence, speed and analgesic. IT works, but not like magic. My energy level is, predictably higher. My appetite is lower. I am getting leaner by the day. In fact, I just ordered a second bottle of the stuff. Forget about the chromium. IT is mainly a diuretic.
I have been making great progress on getting a six pack. This is due in part to getting lean and in part to a new ab workout. I took the advice of some muscle mags and started treating my abs like any other muscle. I work them with heavy weights and sets of 15 rather than the old sets of 300 crunches I used to do. It is really starting to show.
Buy some hydroxycut. Or if you are so inclined, wash down some minitabs and aspirin with coffee.
On the shoulder, I had mine surgically repaired a few years back. I work out with minor injuries, but I warm up a lot. This means doing 30 reps with just the bas, then putting some weight on and usint the bar to stretch. Stretch a lot as soon as you are slightly warm. Then drop your normal pyramid max a bitand do very controlled lifts.
I use injuries as a chance to practice good form and work on the muscle mind connection.
Well, it’s just like any other injury- you have to rest it in order to heal. So yeah, I’d say take 2 weeks off.
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I doubt it really matters all that much. From my own experience, I know that after lifting, I’m usually too wiped out to really contemplate running on a treadmill or riding a bike for half an hour.
As far as building mass goes, I'm firmly convinced that the main determining factor is how hard you work at it. Most of the people I know who don't gain mass don't work hard enough at it.
By that I mean that they may do 3 sets of 10, but they don't put enough weight on to fail late on the second or third sets. They put enough on so that they're *sure* they'll finish all their reps. The point is to work to failure if you want to build mass, not just go through the motions.
Also, it’s very important to not work the same muscles on subsequent days- you have to give your body a chance to adapt & build itself up to accomodate the stress you’re putting it under. Getting enough sleep is another important thing. Finally, you need to eat a little more than you’d need to stay at a constant weight in order to put muscle mass on right. You may gain a little fat, but then you can lose that after you’ve gained the muscle.
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Personally, I don’t fool with any supplements or anything- I just eat right, and drink some milk. No matter what you take, it’s going to take a long time anyway- gaining muscle weight is at least as time consuming as losing fat is- maybe more so.
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Thanks everybody for answering. First I do not work the same muscles I wait two or three days before hitting that muscle group again. I also do lift to failure usually at 7 to 8 reps.
You see I really don’t want to go backwards anymore what if just did bi’s and tri’s would that hurt?
And Bump you should really try “Cell Tech” it actually works.
Dunno about you, but I have a shoulder which is occasionally sore, and the WORST feeling thing I’ve done when it’s sore were preacher curls- something about the angle was pretty terrible.
Personally, I’d just do some extra cardio, legs and abs in the meantime- can’t hurt to have good legs & stomach!
I don’t think two weeks will do any serious damage to your current strength or mass- that takes a long time to really lose, on the order of months, I think.
I do know that one week hasn’t done me any harm at all.
And, look at it this way- better two weeks up front than 5-6 spread out over a long painful time later, if you don’t take care of your shoulder.
I would think that you would need just enough warm up to get the muscles loose and strecthed and the blood flowing. I’m under the impression that a long aerobic warmup first, on say, a Stairmaster, bike, or such burns up too much glucose that could be better utilized lifting weights.
As I understand it, it’s better to use your glucose first to lift weights, and after lifting, do aerobic to burn fat because fat is what’s metabolized after the glucose is burned. Use up your glucose first with weights to maximize the stregth training and then burn fat later. If you’re too tired to do aerobics after lifting, isn’t this a good sign of burning fat?
I’m might be wrong, I just started going to the gym to lift recently, and I haven’t lifted seriously since high school sports–a ten plus year layoff, but my pants have become a lot looser, which I attribute to reduction of fat.
I’m sure the dopers that work out regularly can help more.
Hey Bill, from my weightlifting experiences I’ve learned that there aren’t any workout “rules” that apply to everyone – so don’t worry too much about what others tell you (I guarantee if you look at a few weightlifting magazines, you’ll find lots of completely contradictory advice.) Just experiment with different routines, and stick with whatever feels better for YOUR body. I personally would do cardio and weights on different days, but that’s just me.
I also wouldn’t bother with those supplements and other weird products marketed to the weightlifting community – 99% of them are scams/placebos that don’t have the slightest effect. The fact is that many weightlifters are rather superstitious and adopt a “hey, it can’t hurt” attitude towards supplements, and the companies know how to exploit this. I agree with bump – just eat healthy and that’s all you really need.
Regarding your shoulder pain: are you in the habit of stretching on your days off? That might help prevent cramps in some people. Until the pain goes away, I wouldn’t put pressure on it… maybe do some flexes or light weights at home in the meantime if you feel like it.
I would not take any such supplements, esp. those containing ephreda. You don’t need that junk.
As far as all your glucose being spent on weight lifting, not likely. You feel tired after a weight lifting session not because you depleted glucose. Fatigue is not a sign of glucose depletion. IMHO you will more likely burn up fat during weights. The more oxygen you have available the more fat you will burn. Weight lifting does not interfere with oxygen use. You wait between sets and so you’re not going into aerobic debt.
This just in from Georgia Tech Sports Medicine & Performance Newsletter Jan 2001:
Exercose at 65% of maximal heart rate uses approx. equal amounts of carbos and fats as fuel. At 75%, it’s 60% carbo & 40%fat.
When you do weights, you never get your hr up to even 65%. Take your pulse after you do a set and see what it is. The general rule to get the max hr is 220-your age.
This is something I always wondered about: Why are so many people so dead-set on saying that people won’t lose weight through weightlifting?
The way I see it, is that if you are eating in such a manner as to either lose weight or maintain weight without exercise, then it doesn’t matter what exercise you do, because any exercise is going to increase the deficit between calories consumed and calories expended. That deficit has to come from somewhere, and ultimately it’ll come from body fat if you stick to eating the same amount.
About all I can come up with is that maybe since weightlifting doesn’t directly burn fat that people somehow equate this to weightlifting doesn’t help in weight loss. This is about as silly as saying that since your car’s A/C doesn’t directly burn gas, that it doesn’t impact your fuel economy.
Anyone have any ideas on this? I’m curious, because I had great success in weight loss by doing exactly what I described above- ate less & lifted weights, and lost 50 lbs in 8 months. I did very little cardio during that time as well.
Bill- could gym dude have meant “chondroitin?” It is normally packaged with glucosamine as a joint cartilage rebuilder/maintainer. I know at least one person who swears by it, has had his knee scoped before and after regular use and there was cartilage on the second scope that wasn’t there on the first, but YMMV.
I have heard that stacking chondroitin with glucosamine actually decreases the effectiveness of the glucosamine, but I can’t remember where I heard that.
I give lots of glucosamine to my dog (Newfoundland with hip dysplasia), but don’t take it myself.
Also, I have always done at least 1/2 of my cardio (20 mins out of 30-40) prior to my weights, in order to raise my heart rate. I thought that I would burn more fat that way.
Actually, bump, some of the things I’ve been seeing lately say that to loose weight, building muscle is the most important thing. It takes a lot more calories to sustain muscle than fat.
Yea that’s it! Thanks. So you have heard positive things about it to?
Bump,
You are correct. Lifting weights does help burn fat and in fact it is good for your heart. New studies have proven this. I don’t have a cite but I have definitely heard that.