Korean Job Discussion Forums

[silkhighway]

I suck at everything. (To my defense, I just started lifting a couple of months ago!) I enjoy squats and deadlifts because they feel so efficient. They knock everything out of you and I like that. I also really enjoy chest flys. Not sure why..I just like how they feel.

[Jyang486]

My favorites are squats and overhead presses. Love how I can overhead press more than a lot of people, i.e. Koreans, I see at the gym can bench.

Just wondering what your heights and weights are, captain corea and metafitx, to be able to squat 7 plates on a side and row a 400+ lb barbell. My PR for squats is 170 kg, and pendlay row is 100 kg. I'm sure I could have reached 4 plates on a side squatting if I didn't hurt my knee playing basketball, but 7 is crazy.

[Captain Corea]

7 was crazy - AND it was outside of a rack. I remember picking up that weight and having the bar bounce... and bounce... and bounce.. and realizing how small the bar felt at that point. I'm 6', and was around 240 at that time.

The thing is, I've always had 'chicken legs'. From about half the quad down, it would be hard to tell I've ever lifted. But my upper quads, hips, and back... seemed to like that lift. 'suppose that's why I'm spending so much time correcting my back and hips at the age of 38

[Jyang486]

[Captain Corea]

I saw Mark Henry (US Olympic team) squat 8 a side like it was air. Another bud of mine would eat 8 a side on a weekly basis.

Our gym had a number of bent olympic bars. We all got careful not to 'bounce' them when doing that sort of lift. The bars could handle the weight, but that bounce would turn permanent.

Body weight though... it doesn't always matter. I've seen guys far lighter than me outlift me easy. Some people just train for it.. others have a very different way of recruiting muscle fibers.



Good luck on building that squat, man. Let us know how you like that program.

[KimchiNinja]

To the people who are long-term gym-heads, perhaps military, and have hit the peak physical condition of glory ; I want to learn the fundamentals.

I've always practiced the art of knowing when other people know more than I do, and learning from them. In this area I don't know much. Here's my current weekly drill which I follow religiously, it's getting okay results. Goal: I want to be in overall fantastic health (not rippling muscles, or marathon lean but balanced sustainable overall damn good shape).

Diet: ~2200 calories which is weight neutral. Protein .75 grams per pound body weight (high), fats normal, carbs around 150 grams depending on activity (low). Sugars low too. Mostly Korean diet, lots of vegi, protein from chicken breasts, eggs, milk, and rice protein powder (Sun Warrior brand). Steady three meals a day food stream and shake at night so there is always plenty of protein available 24/7. A multivitamin.

Weights Workout: 4 days a week; M upper body, T lower body/abs, W rest, T upper, F lower, Sat/Sun rest. No messing around, protein & carbs for breakfast, hit gym, lift heavy stuff for 20min, drink Pocari Sweat for sugars, gone. After doing this weight cycle in a couple months plan to hit the cardio to lose some fat, then back to weights.

Improvements? This is my newbie understanding of good fundamentals. What can be improved here? How long do you do a weight cycle before switching to a cardio cycle? Also I can and will spend 60 min in the gym 4x per week, but is it going to get me anything over a HARD 20 min? Example: during the 20 min on upper body day it's; bench, shoulder press, rows, curls, standard stuff. Three sets, maybe 12, 10, 8, done.

[Captain Corea]

Ok, here's my quick take on what you've written... and it's just one guy's opinion. Feel free to take what ya like, drop what you don't.

Your diet looks fine. Adjust according to goals if ya like. The workouts though have me wondering - 20 minutes of weight lifting does not sound like enough in my books. Shoot, nowadays my warm up for lifting takes 10 minutes. To do your upper or lower body in 20 minutes (presuming you're excluding warm up) sounds like too little to tell the truth - I just doubt that you can recruit the muscles you're trying to hit in that short amount of time.

Of course, it'd be much better if we were chatting in person and able to discuss/show things in more detail - but as it stands, that's the area I'd consider adjusting.

[KimchiNinja]

[Captain Corea]

Yeah, I just watched his first vid.. the chest one, and I think it's more in line with my style of lifting. I may not agree with everything he was saying or doing, and would not necessarily suggest that you follow him to a t, but I think that you are looking in the right direction when you're considering adding more exercises to your workout.

I'm an isolationist in the gym. I look at a muscle (group), and break it down into sections - and then try to figure out the best/most available ways of getting at those sections.

You'll find there's another camp though - one that says that big, compound exercises are the way to go. That you need only to very few exercises to achieve results.

Keep at it and discover which suits you best.


I think I might do up one of these type videos and upload it next month... even if it's just for me to double check my form - might be good to do.

[Jyang486]

Take in more carbs and calories on workout days compared to non workout days. Make the meal post workout your biggest meal, lots of protein and carbs, and take in the majority of your daily intake of carbs peri workout, pre/post. That pocari drink isn't going to do much to replenish. On non workout days tone down the carbs and increase protein intake and fats intake.

In terms of your workout, if you have more time to lift, then spend more time lifting harder. More weight less reps. I rec Stronglifts/Starting Strength 5x5 until you can figure out what you really want to get out of your workouts. What workouts do you do for lower body? And don't stop lifting "to cycle in cardio." If you want to melt fat keep lifting and get stronger, and add sprints/hiit if you want to do cardio.

[KimchiNinja]

Cool. So a few questions here...

[KimchiNinja]

[KimchiNinja]

Another thing, what are the effects of drinking on muscle?

Not good I imagine. To be honest with myself I need to cut down on the going out/drinking, or at least be the guy who drinks orange juice. Seoul just sucks you into that life, which is fun, but I feel like the CASS is murdering my muscle tone. Trying to do both is probably going to get me nowhere.

[Jyang486]

I'm doing this by phone so I won't be quoting, PITA. So this post might seem all over the place.

If you workout in the morning, eat an hour or two before lifting, cereal and milk is fine tbh, and eat within an hour of lifting. I'd say sip on your protein shake during your workout and finish it post. Take in starchy carbs with protein for your post workout meal, like whole wheat pasta, greens, and grilled chicken breast. Take multi-vs with your first meal. I'd also recommend getting extra vitamin C supplements, 500~1000 mg a tab/cap. Take roughly 2 grams a day, 1g in the morning, 1g late afternoon/dinner. Helps reduce cortisol, the stress/weight gain hormones, and to increase production of L-carnitine, which helps in fatty acid transportation during fat breakdown. Don't need anything else except maybe fish oil supps.

Your basal metabolism does most of the calorie burning work, so don't worry about the intake of carbs after workouts/before sitting at a desk all day. You need the carbs. Don't think: "all carbs are sugar, all carbs turn to fat if I sit on my ass doing nothing." You will be in nutrient burning mode for a good while post workout. Only time to reduce carbs is during no workout days. Even if you don't follow the program, read up on LeanGains. It has good info on nutrition.

I'm in the full compound movements camp, mainly because it's easier to remember and plan ahead for me. Squat 3 times a week, bench press every other workout, overhead press on days you don't do chest press, and do rows for back work every workout day. I'd recommend to lift every other day, or a set schedule like MWF or TThSa.

It's not about the effects of alcohol on muscle, but rather the effects of alcohol on getting lean. The carbs from beer/alcohol will be stored rather than utilized, preventing you from getting leaner, unless you do enough lifting/exercise or have a strong consistent diet to offset the alcohol consumption. But unless you're a professional athlete, you're really hurting your chances to make significant progress if you drink often.

[KimchiNinja]

^ Thanks, this all makes sense.