billyjex's workout challenge

[billyjex]

Spring break is coming up in a little less than one month for me. It's time for me to get back into shape, and I figure by posting this it will give me some motivation.

I'm not in bad shape, but I lost alot of muscle I use to have as this past winter I got real lazy. I workout only a couple times a week and I have about 3 1/2 weeks to push myself so I can at least have a slimmed, toned body and have sex with random girls in Mexico I will never see again.

Here's the plan:

Run 15 miles a week.
Lift at least 5 times a week.
Work the abs at least 3 times a week.

I'm not going to aim for specific lifting goals, i.e. bench 200 lbs, because all the running is counterproductive to building muscle. I'm really just looking to get toned and going to lift for 1 hour a day is good enough.

I'm going to use a point system to rate my performance. There will be + points for workout related stuff, and - points for things like eating fast food, drinking soda, drinking, etc.

Here's how my point system will breakdown (I am making this up as I write):

Each mile: 1 point
Each lifting session: 3 points
Each ab session: 2 points

Now for the negative points:
Eating fast food: -1 pt
Drinking more than once a week (I have to give myself one night): -3 pt
Each Soda: -1 pt

There are about 26 days until I leave for Spring Break (March 10/11.) So by my calculations:

52 miles=52 points
18 lifting sessions=54 points
11 ab sessions=22 points

A goal of 128 workout points. To provide a clever ranking system for my goal:

120-128 = Sup Bro
110-119 = Brad Pitt
100-109 = Tom Brady
90-99 = Russell Crowe
80-89 = Nicholas Cage
70-79 = Ben Stiller
60-69 = Jim Carrey
50-59 = Silent Bob
0-49 = Tub Girl

Wish me luck (or failure.)

[Shajen]

[ QUOTE ]
because all the running is counterproductive to building muscle.

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, it isn't. However, I know what you mean, it isn't going to help you build a lot of mass, but it will cut what you do have. Good luck dude, stick with it and you'll be tappin fine booty in Mexico in no time flat.

BTW, you can hit your abs more than 3 days a week if you want. The abs are an amazing group of muscles. They (at least for me) seem to recover a helluva lot faster than any other muscle group. Just a thought.

Oh, and make sure you rest a couple days a week, you're gonna be killing yourself otherwise.

[InchoateHand]

In late December I made a bet laying me 10 to 1 than I could have a well-chiseled six-pack in about six weeks if I put my mind to it. Standing to make 400 dollars, it seemed like all the right incentives were there. Yesterday I gave my girlfriend 40 bucks. I never actually made it to the gym. I did not restart my long-aborted distance running career. The closest thing to exercise in that time was a skiing trip in Austria and walking into town when I missed the bus. I wish you better luck than me. Oh, and I would consider changing your running to 20miles a week--3 days of 3 short (3 milers) two days of five milers. Clearly I know what I'm talking about.

[SomethingClever]

[ QUOTE ]
120-128 = Sup Bro
110-119 = Brad Pitt
100-109 = Tom Brady
90-99 = Russell Crowe
80-89 = Nicholas Cage
70-79 = Ben Stiller
60-69 = Jim Carrey
50-59 = Silent Bob
0-49 = Tub Girl


[/ QUOTE ]

No, no, no, no.

You need to hit way more than 128 points to achieve "sup bro."

I've taken the liberty of revising the top of your scale.

250-299 = sup bro
200-249 = Superman
150-199 = Magnus Ver Magnussen
120-149 = Parker Bohn III

[Edge34]

My current routine:

Lift every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I work one core set every time and switch up the other stuff. Mostly free weights, especially for the upper body.

Lots of shoulders, back, and chest. This is the stuff that'll get noticed, but you don't want a lot of bulk. Professional bodybuilders don't get laid, they're too busy making sure they don't consume more than 693 calories per day. Lean, trim, and cut is the way to go.

Run every day. Some shorter, some longer. This is what's going to help you burn the layers of fat and show off the abs, which will also be worked every day.

KEY NOTE: Don't rely on crunches to get you the 6-pack. They're good for building some muscle, but switch up the exercises. Butterflies (cross one elbow to the other side's knee) and side-bridges (lay on your side, and lift your body off the ground. Only your forearm and foot should touch the floor - two sets of 60 seconds each side) will get the obliques for ya.

Pick up one of those fitness magazines, like FitnessRX For Men or something like that. Any bookstore or GNC will have it. You know, all those magazines that say "100 ways to ripped abs in 60 days!" Those actually work.

Good luck man!

[billyjex]

I use to work out consistently about a year ago and had a good body. I tend to work triceps/pecs together, shoulders/legs, and biceps/back and just alternate days. Whether it's optimal or not, I'm not sure, but for this challenge I'm just going to go with my normal routine.

I forgot about sprints. I subscribe to Men Health's, and they always praise sprints for fat burning and building abs. If I have a good sprint session, I'll count it as 3 miles.

[Dead]

Good luck.

I think my metabolism has slowed down in the past couple years, because I'm 20 and in college and I have to work a decent amount to stay at my weight(150 pounds at 5'9").

I basically do exercise for 30 minutes a day and I don't eat much junk. I eat a lot of salad and whole grains. I live on a hilly campus and walk it 3 or 4 times a day so this makes it easier. I drink water and diet drinks only(lots of diet nestea).

I used to weigh about 180 last May but I pushed myself to lose the weight and have largely kept it off.

It can be done. Of course I'm not buff or anything. Just slim.

Of course it was weird buying size medium shirts again, but I like it.

Good luck to you friend.

[M2d]

[ QUOTE ]
150-199 = Magnus Ver Magnussen


[/ QUOTE ]
Has Magnus run 15 miles total in his lifetime?

[Dead]

What about Mens Health? I read that.

[Edge34]

[ QUOTE ]
What about Mens Health? I read that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent.

And I mentioned the routine I work every day, but here's what I've been doing. It was in the September 2004 issue of FitnessRX For Men (I like it because the mag's pretty simple to read and to-the-point).

All exercises do 3 sets of 10-12 reps. The point (again) is not to go for bulk, but for that lean, cut look. Rest for 30 seconds between sets.

*Seated Dumbell Press (overhead - shoulders)

*Seated Dumbell Front Raise (Front of shoulders, pecs)

*Seated Dumbell Sids Lats (self-explanatory, straight to the side)

*Incline Reverse Lats (back - lean face down on an incline bench if you're at the gym and lift out to the side with a mostly straight arm)

*Incline Reverse Rows (same thing, just a normal row instead of out to the sides)

*Pullovers (basically laying off to the side of a bench...shoulders on the bench and feet on the ground - one dumbell, extend back over your head, but control it. Minimal elbow bend)

Then 3 sets of 25 with the bicycle routine, and 2 60-second reps on each side for the side-bridges. Hop on the treadmill (or the track, if its your thing), and put in about 30-45 minutes, at least work up to it. Keep moving and you keep burning calories.

I also take Twinlab Ripped Fuel (metabolic enhancer) that I picked up at GNC. No ephedra, but if nothing else, I feel like I've got a little more energy when I go work out. The thing says take twice daily, but I normally only take it once.

And of course, you didn't ask, but I figured I'd post maybe for some motivation. Good luck again!

PS. I'm not going anywhere for Spring Break that I know of, but I'll be staying at the Palms out in Sin City in July, most likely, so that's kind of an end-all goal for me too. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Dead]

I'm not the OP. I dunno if you realized. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm just trying to stay slim. I have no desire to gain muscle.

[Edge34]

I know you're not...but you WERE conveniently the bottom poster before I replied. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Dead]

Ah, ok.

Meh. It's dinnertime. Tuna salad on rye with rice cakes. Yummy... /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[mmbt0ne]

Sounds like me, but I've never been in great physical shape. I was always able to play basketball, but I didn't do it with ripped abs, and a big chest.

I also have no idea what I'm doing for spring break, but it's looking like Bahamas. GT is the only school in Georgia that has it the 3rd week of March, so that kinda sucks.

[billyjex]

They actually moved Spring break up a month ago a couple years ago to be during the week of St. Patricks Day -- because it was such a big party day at my school. Bastards.

My school used to be cool. (http://www.orion-online.net/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/03/26/3e811de550464?in_archive=1)