They're saying warm ups can lower the risk of injuries but not stretches, which is pretty much what I had in mind already.

EDIT: If anything, stretches should be used as something to increase flexibility.

This post was edited by CMBurns on Jul 24 2010 04:26pm

i was under the impressin that stretching muscles can actually temprarily decrease a muscle's ability t generate frce [lwering the 1rm]. where in the article des it say that stretching prepares the bdy fr greater stresses?

as we grow... should the rate of caloric increase be linear? or could we add 500 cals or w/e once we get to a markable point

How long/far should HIIT running be for ideal weight loss?
Currently I'm doing about 45s-1 min of running with 15s of jogging after.

technically, warming up doesn't really prevent injuries so much as preparing the body and mind for what's to come thus potentially increasing your workload, and/or increasing the cardiovascular benefit (and fat burning for that matter) effect of the workout. The actual injury portion is mostly caused by accidental movements, too much weight, improper form, or already existing injury that was made worse by excess stress to that particular region.

In totality, weight lifting is actually one of (if not the) safest sport in terms of injuries as long as proper form and good common sense are maintained throughout.

stretching prepares for greater stress by temporarily elongating the muscle fibers. When you lift weights, at the peak of the movement your muscles stretch and contortion to their largest point. This can cause muscle soreness and cramping MID-SET. By stretching in advance, your muscles have already been stretched out and filled with an additional flow of blood and nutrients prior to the lift. Some bodybuilders swear by constant stretching between sets (Arnold was one of these supporters). However, others (mostly powerlifters though) claim that it takes away from their 1-rep max.

In totality, there really is NO research that can prove this point either way. I am simply going by experience when I tell you that stretching prior to a set can potentially increase your muscle's ability to perform in terms of raw strength or increased reps. However injury chance will also increase.

depending on your body type...

for regular gainers...linear to the muscle gains. BMR changes based on weight. The more lean mass you have, the more calories your body requires to maintain it (and even more to grow). Thus, as you gain lean mass, you are going to want to increase your caloric intake accordingly. The good news is that 5-10 lbs a year of lean mass would be considered the maximum without any kind of steroidal help. Fat and water gain do NOT require additional calories...if anything the fat portion would signify that it's time to reduce some calories accordingly.


edit:


for hardgainers, I would suggest maximum increases which also follow a somewhat linear equation. For every 1 lbs of lean mass, increase caloric intake by 250 calories per day. 5 lbs would be an extra 1,000 calories. this is ONLY for severe hardgainers though.

This post was edited by SKCRaynor on Jul 25 2010 12:39am

please clarify...


you are doing....


45 seconds RUNNING
15 seconds JOGGING
then repeat??


if so...then that is absolutely NOT what you want to be doing...

a good idea for pure fat loss HIIT is any kind of HIIT that can keep your heart rate in the target zone for a sustained period of time while also causing all of your muscle groups to work (jogging, elliptical, stair climbing, swimming are all good examples)

Sample:

5 minute warm-up at moderate speed/intensity until heart rate reaches 100-120 bpm
45s-1m of running at 90% max speed and 40-50% intensity (resistance or incline) until heart rate reaches 165-170 bpm
2-4m of jogging at 30-35% max speed and 20-25% intensity until heart rate reaches and stabilizes at 135-145 BPM

once heart rate falls below 135, begin sprinting/running again until it gets back up to 165-170....and keep repeating this process for the full duration.


I realize this isn't the PUREST version of HIIT...but it is indeed the most effective for pure fat loss, and also takes the least time to do properly and without too much exhaustion.

What's more important for weight loss, diet or exercise?

both equally....although technically fat loss is possible with proper diet and without exercise...though it would take ridiculous amounts of exercise to compensate for a shitty diet....so with that logic, I suppose diet is more important if you have to pick only one.

Though for proper consideration, both.