I have been trying to gain muscle (and weight) by working out more often and eating fattier foods that I used to (Nuts, mostly)
However I have seen limited results, due in part to my own inexperience at exercising and poor diet.
Any tips for simple exercises I can do on my own (No equipment) to build muscle for my torso, abs, arms, and legs? Likewise are there any foods that you recommend for energy and muscle building?
(For the record: I am 125 pounds, and I have been for almost 8 years. My metabolism is extremely high, Outside of breakfast, I eat sparsely throughout the day. (Any large meal puts me into a food coma several hours) I crave meats and dairy products more than anything else however, and have to force myself to eat any form of raw fiber. I drink mostly water, milk, and tea, though I do also have 1 soda a day)
Well, as I type this, I am just about to do my exercises that I personally do, and as I do them, you'll see what sort of reps and exercises I am doing:
Kicks: 250 (these kicks are related to my martial arts, so it includes the Front Kick, and our Naihanchi Kick)
Punches: 200 (100 per side, and this is a straight punch from a chambered position)
Body Rotation via front stance: 200 (only rotating my body, and not my hips or legs. They remain locked in position. A front stance is your legs equal distance apart with the outside of your feet parallel to each other. This whole thing can be difficult to do, and this does not mean turning your shoulders. Turn your core)
Push-ups (3 sets of max): 33, 14, 10 (hands shoulder width apart)
Double Crunches (2 sets of max): 30, 16 (with your butt on the floor, bring your legs and torso together, but not letting my shoulders or feet touch the ground)
Butt Lift: 75 (legs and shoulders on the ground. Lift your butt up in the air)
Torso twists: 50 (similar to body rotation, but in a double crunch position. I keep my legs off the ground)
Lateral Raise: 50 (I have my body slightly bent forward)
So that's what I did just now. I was going to do Hindu Squats as well, but my legs are tired enough as it is. I have not done this routine in a couple of months, so my reps are about half of what I normally could do. I also am not using weights (the ones that wrap around you) on my legs or hands when doing kicks and punches.
Now to fully answer your question, Koenig, there are loads of articles out there detailing different exercises to do, but truthfully, you have to do the ones that work for you. The exercises I do work great for me, but might not for someone else. So with that, there's this app you might be interested in. It uses your own bodyweight, and objects around you (tables, chairs, door, etc) to do certain exercises. I've borrowed some of the exercises here, and adapted them to my liking:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bodyweight-training-you-are/id416981420?mt=8
This app is also on android, btw.
I did one day of exercises last week, and my triceps were so sore I could not fully bend them. So if you really want a hardcore workout, this app might just be the ticket. It's a very good app.
In terms of what to eat, protein is ideal, so eggs and bacon are almost a requirement. I eat this for breakfast, which also provides a lot of energy in the morning. But don't forget your greens and some fruits. It might also be helpful to eat throughout the day, so 6 smaller meals rather than 3 larger ones. Eating enough through the day is crucial.
This is my personal eating habit when at work (usually enough for a 10-12 hour shift):
Banana
2x Fiberone bars (Chocolate and Oats)
serving or two of carrots
Turkey, cheese, and lettuce sandwich on thin whole wheat bread
Fuji Apple
serving of Almonds
16oz. Thermos of Tea
And for breakfast it's usually two or three jumbo sized eggs (Eggland's Best) with Basil, chopped onions, and shredded gouda cheese with one slice or bacon per egg (chopped sweet peppers I usually do, but not during my work week right now). For dinner, it depends on the day. Sometimes, I have Turkey burgers, or other times it's just snacking with blue corn chips, maybe some cheese curds. Other days, it's pizza.
I am by no means having everything I should have in my diet, but I try to make some effort. Oh, and I pop in supplements usually everyday (sometimes I just forget) which include Centrum, Collagen Type 2, Fish Oil, Glucosamine & Condroitin w/ MSM, and Fiber gummies.
In this thread we turn a bunch of soft flabby gamers into fit healthy gamers. Use this thread for the following.Fitness and Health Knowledge
