Hi to all

uksnowy · #1 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 11:24 AM

Hi

Thanks for allwong me to join this forum.

I have been trying to keep fit on and off for the last 4 years or so. Early on I had some success, but situations (MSc dissertation and later a new child) kept me out of the gym for long periods. I recently decided to give it more priority and have started going regularly to the gym again.

I first came across the term EPOC in Men's HEalth magazine. I did some research and the theory made sense to me. However, although I found and read pages and pages on the subject I have found it hard to find good resistance workout routines.

I am hoping this forum will be able to provide.

Thanks and looking forward to communicating with you.

Snowy.

cabezon · #2 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 12:36 PM

Welcome. I had a different experience than you, when i was in the Masters program, I tried to get to the gym often; Our school had a great gym. I also used to run up and down the campus parking garages, as they were the only hills in Florida.

I think that if you put fitness into your weekly planner, it will make it a priority, and be be much easier to maintain. Don't just try to fit it in.

Start setting some goals, set up a photo journal, and start asking questions!

Joefitnesstails · #3 (**permalink**) 10-15-2007, 05:03 PM

welcome to the forum, good to see you here .

Sportsmedjosh · #4 (**permalink**) 10-16-2007, 04:04 PM

Welcome snowy. Graduate school can be hard while trying to get fit. It seems at points you have nothing to do at all, then shortly after you have tons of stuff that is due.

Congrats on graduate school by the way. What exactly are you looking to do.

E36Guy · #5 (**permalink**) 10-16-2007, 06:05 PM

Welcome to the forum! Hopefully we can answer any questions and all that. Enjoy!

uksnowy · #6 (**permalink**) 10-17-2007, 02:49 PM

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I am a member of a few forums on various subjects and I've never had a welcome like this one.

Firslty - grad school, as you say in the US, has long gone now. I graduated in 2004. BTW, it was part time so I had to do my day job too.
It was then almost immediately after graduation that my third child came along and it is she that has contributed, along with a bit of apathy and lazyness, to me staying away from reguar workouts.

Hey, but i'm back now. I have my goals set. My weight is fine at about 198lb, I'm 6ft. My trouble is I have too much body fat!

My goals are based on body fat reduction and muscle gain.

I read that HIIT & EPOC are great ways to gain muscle and increase metabolism.

I visit the gym 4 - 5 times per week, at night, where I do 30 mins HIIT CV workout, changing my machine of choice each night, from X-trainer, static bike, treadmill (walking up inlcine as I can't run due to injured knee).
I think I have the CV side covered.

I folow each CV workout with a 20 - 30 minute resistance session. This is where I need so help.

I currently do four resistance sessions per week laid out thus:
Session one: Upper arms and chest
Session two: Legs
Session three: Back and triceps etc
Session four: ABS etc

Apart from ABS, which is gym ball based, all other resistance work is done using machines i.e. rarely using free weights.

What I would like to know is how much weight should I be using, as a percent of my 1RM, how many reps, sets and length of the rest in between sets.

Also, if anybody has a good example of a whole body workout, it can include free weights, I do have access, I would be very interested and greatful.

Thanks again for the warm welcome

Snowy.

c'mon let's make the ol' man fit.

E36Guy · #7 (**permalink**) 10-17-2007, 03:23 PM

Wow, looks like you have a good plan so far. I always heard the best way to cut fat and tone into muscle is doing less weight, more repetitions of the less weight. Hopefully the others will chime in and give you some numbers to try out.

Good luck. Im sure you'll notice differences pretty quickly.

Joefitnesstails · #8 (**permalink**) 10-18-2007, 11:30 PM

I always wondered if that is true actually, is it best to do less weight and more reps for tone? ???? any studies or evidence to back this up available anywhere ? does anyone know? I mean I have always heard that as well but not sure of its validity.

uksnowy · #9 (**permalink**) 10-19-2007, 01:57 PM

I have read plenty of literature that supports the low-weight many reps method, and of course it works, but is it better?

I accept that eating healthly is a fundamental part of any fitness plan, so it need not be laboured here further.

At this stage, I'm not interested in toneing. I purely want to burn fat. The best way to do this is to speed up my metabolism by building muscle and increasing activity levels.

Recently, and that is why i'm here, I have been reading a lot about EPOC training and increased metabolism and I have to say, it makes a lot of logical sense. So, I'm going to give it a go.

To this end, I would like to hear from anybody with a good set of EPOC resistance routines.

Thanks.

Snowy.

cabezon · #10 (**permalink**) 10-19-2007, 04:00 PM

my info says that low reps/high weight make for stronger muscles, low weight/high reps leads to endurance. Body building is a mass gaining so a combination of the two keeps the muscles themselves growing.

I don't know what tone is, by your working definitions. but I can see that powerlifters don't always have the best looking bodies, and endurance athletes have low bodyfat, but again, not the muscularity that I want.

I come from the school of: If you want the body they have, do what they do. I like the bodies of gymnasts and sprinters. I do neither gymnastics or sprinting. I have added bodyweight exercises and some speedwork to my running however, and I am pleased with the results.

Joefitnesstails · #11 (**permalink**) 10-21-2007, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabezon

my info says that low reps/high weight make for stronger muscles, low weight/high reps leads to endurance. Body building is a mass gaining so a combination of the two keeps the muscles themselves growing.

I don't know what tone is, by your working definitions. but I can see that powerlifters don't always have the best looking bodies, and endurance athletes have low bodyfat, but again, not the muscularity that I want.

I come from the school of: If you want the body they have, do what they do. I like the bodies of gymnasts and sprinters. I do neither gymnastics or sprinting. I have added bodyweight exercises and some speedwork to my running however, and I am pleased with the results.

Sounds like a good logical approach,

UKSNOWY what is this EPOC system you speak of can you describe the principles behind it ?

cabezon · #12 (**permalink**) 10-21-2007, 10:57 PM

epoc is the post exercise oxygen consumption. It is a measure of fitness and calories burned AFTER the workout. Suumto makes a watch that is supposed to measure it by the measurements between the beats of the heart.

Joefitnesstails · #13 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cabezon

epoc is the post exercise oxygen consumption. It is a measure of fitness and calories burned AFTER the workout. Suumto makes a watch that is supposed to measure it by the measurements between the beats of the heart.

hmm , never heard of it, thank you I will look into the device.

Sportsmedjosh · #14 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 06:01 PM

I've never heard of EPOC as a method of training but more of a physiological effect that occurs in regards to training. Snowy, I'm not a big fan of 1RM due to musle-skeleton complications that occur from doing heavy lifting.

Another question snowy is do you not like free weights because you are not familiar with the proper techniques? That can be a big turn off. But seeing how you are looking for over all muscle mass. I only see free weights allowing you to do compound movements, rather than single jointed exercises.