Zup Romeo,
Good and helpfull tips going down here.
I wanna look muscular. I wanna build up my arms and chest.
I have access to gym but the problem is gyming consecutively for few days non-stop, i got a result. I mean standing infront of a mirror, i was like, WOW!!.
It came as a supprise after 1 to 2 days rest without gyming, i go back to my former status, S.hiit!
I wanna know what to do. Kinda xcersise and gyming programms to engage in so i cud get permanent muscular shape. Food prescriptions too, pls,

Thanks Romeo, you are the best.
As per the weight, I used a scale. I will try to put these tips into practice.

@Modath - This is the reply!

I have a nagging ache in my right leg,it runs in a straight line from right behind my knee to just under my butt

Difficult to diagnose accurately as it could be anything from Sciatica/trapped nerve, to a sore Hamstring. The best bet is to find out by the process of elimination.
Try stretching your hamstring - if you feel a pain/soreness in the hamstring, identify the point and press hard with your fingers. If it hurts, then its a hamstring issue, If it doesn't, then its a trapped nerve.
With a hamstring strain, all you can you do is not aggravate it further. Stretch it gently and massage gently - daily.
If a trapped nerve, it is probably originating in your lower back. If so, you may have to see a chiropractor. Gentle manipulation of the spine through various stretching exercises will solve this problem. In the meantime, there are some things you can do to help.

- If sitting on a hard surface, try sitting on a tennis ball for a while. Put it at the epicentre of the pain.
- You may also want to try sitting on a cushion or pillow at other times. This has been known to help.
- Try placing a heat pad/hot water bottle on your lower back to see if this helps
- Avoid lifting anything heavy
- Do some back stretches - both ways. If you have access to a gym ball, utilise it. Here are some examples below -

(1)Lie on the floor face down, Prop up your body with your elbows and look straight ahead, you'll be arching your back slightly. DO NOT STRAIN YOURSELF. Do this for 5 seconds, hold for up to 30 seconds at a time. Do this approx 8 times.
As you get better, try to prop yourself up using your hands, instead of your elbows.

(2) Lie on the floor face up, arms by your side or fold hands under your head. Now, bring yup your knees, with your feet still on the floor. With your body/face still facing upwards, knees together, turn your lower body(knees/legs) towards the right till it touches the floor. Once it touches,go back towards the left and do the same thing. Keep doing this in an almost continuous motion for about 10-15 reps. Do this approx 8 times. Hope this helps.

Diclofenac is anti-inflammatory pain killer.If it isn't helping, then stop taking it.

@9iceX -

To build muscle or fitness takes consistent hard work. It must be a way of life, otherwise the process you describe will keep happening. Even after building the muscle, you still have to maintain it - which means you have to continue going to the gym. This is why athletes and sportsmen continue to train - it is the only way to maintain and keep hold of what you already have.

To build your chest, focus on the Chest Press machine or Bench Press. For arms, focus on Bicep curl, either with machine or free weights. Do not forget Shoulders - Shoulder Press/Side raises, Back - Lat Pull down, Chin-ups, Barbell row, Triceps - Triceps pull downs, Extension, and lastly legs - Squats, Lunges, Hamstring curls, and Leg extensions. To build a good body, you need to do all of these. You can break up the routine into 3 days a week

You will need to eat right to and increase your protein intake. Eat 3 proper meals/day. For protein, you can take a protein shake, or eat boiled egg whites (min 6/day). Remember, training without eating properly is a waste of time. The muscle is built from the protein, the carbs give energy for the training. The more protein you take, the quicker the muscle is built.

Romeo, what do you think of Kettlebells?

romeo good job, wats the best way to loose belly fat after chid birth.in terms of best food and excercises.

romeo wey you dey.

@ubiaa5 -

wats the best way to loose belly fat after chid birth.in terms of best food and excercises

I here! Firstly, you need to have a healthy diet. That means eating 3 moderate meals a day, cutting out all unnecessary sugar and fat in your diet - this will include soft drinks, confectioneries, chocolates, sweets, etc. Reducing your salt intake, eating less red meat/beef, and eating more white meat(chicken, turkey), and fish.
Cook with less oil, do not use the stock from your meat for anything.
You will also need to undertake 40min -1hr of cardiovascular/resistance exercise minimum 3 times a week. This can be running, brisk walking, skipping, or an aerobics class. Also include some resistance exercise - situps, push ups, leg raises, squats and lunges.

The key to losing weight is consistency - both in your diet and exercise regimen. The more consistent you are, the better and quicker you will see the results. Hope this helps.

@Ebony -

Kettlebells are great, but I see them as a fad, Due to their design, they are easier to hold, and allow for a variety of swinging and jerking movements. These movement are also possible with standard dumbbells, barbell and even cables, but much easier using a kettlebell.
In my opinion, if you are training for a specialised sport, such as Golf or the Short Put - in short, sports that require explosive swinging/jerking movements, then they ca be a great aid.
In terms of a weight loss/fitness program, they are just an additional tool or aid. They are neither better, nor worse than traditional dumbbells. They were both designed to do different things. In the end, its neither nor there.

@ romeo

I need to know about "consistency". Can it also mean doing the same type of exercises all the time am out to exercise?

For me now, i want to try all what i see online not daftly but looking out for how it helps me and then trying it out (like leg raise) i actually saw it online and how it can help my bum.

All am asking is do i have to do the same type of exercise all day instead of pickin here and there?

@ romeo thanks for the tips,but i am not looking to loose weight, infact i am a little underweight[i think], my one and only problem is my tummy i still have a little pouch after child birth, i have tried all the crunches and ab excersises there is but it dosent seem to help much, any suggestions. thanks

@Aladunni -

Consistency means sticking to your meal/exercise structure and plan - no matter what. This is why it what you are doing now has to be a way of life.
Regarding the exercises, there are so many exercises you can do for a given muscle group that it is impossible to fit them all into a single sesion. The trick is to do at least 2 exercises for any muscle group you are training, but change at least one of them at the next training session. This way, you will get to do all the various exercises in a given week.

E.g: If you train 3 times a week, you need to structure/plan what body parts you train in those sessions, and how many times a week you train them. This should remain the same week in, week out. So if you train abs in all your weekly sessions (3x week), you can do different exercises in each session - Situps(day 1), Crunches (day 3), Leg raises (day 3), or even  mix them up. I hope this is clear. The idea is to do different exercises, but targeting the same muscle. This is because each exercise targets the muscle in a different way, there by you get better development and fitness in that muscle group.

The reason you do it in different training sessions is that you cannot conveniently do all in a single session without diluting your efforts. It is widely accepted not to do more than 2 exercises/muscle group in any single session.

The Leg raise actually works the lower abs - unless you are talking about the Glutes(butt) /Leg kickbacks, or the Bird Dog exercise.
Check out this link to see what i mean - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cOwbPutIXs&feature=related.
This exercise focuses mainly on your glutes and back, unlike Squats and Lunges which focus on your glutes/legs. Try to do all three in your weekly workout.

@Aladunni -

Consistency means sticking to your meal/exercise structure and plan - no matter what. This is why it what you are doing now has to be a way of life.
Regarding the exercises, there are so many exercises you can do for a given muscle group that it is impossible to fit them all into a single sesion. The trick is to do at least 2 exercises for any muscle group you are training, but change at least one of them at the next training session. This way, you will get to do all the various exercises in a given week.

E.g: If you train 3 times a week, you need to structure/plan what body parts you train in those sessions, and how many times a week you train them. This should remain the same week in, week out. So if you train abs in all your weekly sessions (3x week), you can do different exercises in each session - Situps(day 1), Crunches (day 3), Leg raises (day 3), or even mix them up. I hope this is clear. The idea is to do different exercises, but targeting the same muscle. This is because each exercise targets the muscle in a different way, there by you get better development and fitness in that muscle group.

The reason you do it in different training sessions is that you cannot conveniently do all in a single session without diluting your efforts. It is widely accepted not to do more than 2 exercises/muscle group in any single session.

The Leg raise actually works the lower abs - unless you are talking about the Glutes(butt) /Leg kickbacks, or the Bird Dog exercise.
Check out this link to see what i mean - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cOwbPutIXs&feature=related.
This exercise focuses mainly on your glutes and back, unlike Squats and Lunges which focus on your glutes/legs. Try to do all three in your weekly workout.

@ubiaa5 -

I would assume you are carrying some excess fat around the middle area after childbirth, hence the "pouch"? You WILL have to lose this fat, as well as firm up the muscle in the area. For this reason, you will have embark on a cardio regime, at least 3 x week, supplemented by resistance exercises for your abs. - situps, crunches, leg raises and various plank exercises.

You are probably not doing the situps right - most people use the hip flexor muscle, rather than the abdominals to raise themselves up, hence the lack of results. Unfortunately, it is a difficult exercise to describe properly.

I would advise you focus on leg raises/plank for the resistance exercise.

Leg Raises
Lie flat on the floor, grab hold of something above your head with both hands( you can grab hold of someone's legs standing above you), Put your legs together, and raise them 90 degrees. Now lower them slowly. Repeat this for at least 10 time. The more you can do, the better. Make sure that your legs are together ALL the time. Do NOT let them touch the floor. When they are almost on the floor, begin the raise again. It is this constant tension that works the abs well.

When you are comfortable with this, try to do it without holding anything - either put your hands by your side, or folded behind your head.

@ Aladunni - the spambot got hold of my reply to you - dunno why? I will post it directly to your email addy. You can reply back here.

Mr Romeo,

Thanks for he informative reply. I have been using Kettlebells for under a year now and I feel great. Its nice not to worry about missing a gym workout with a kettlebell at home. I guess thats why I love it so much. The swinging action is great as well.

What do you suggest as a gymless/bodyweight alternative to squats and lunges?

@Ebony -

What do you suggest as a gymless/body weight alternative to squats and lunges?

Well, you can do the squats and lunges at home with your bodyweight and no extra weights. This should allow you to utilise stricter and better form.
As a group of exercise targeting the Glutes/Legs, Squats and Lunges are unrivalled. No other exercise can even begin to come close to their effectiveness. They also have the best cardiovascular effect amongst all resistance exercises as they utilise the largest muscle group in the body - Legs. All in all, a great combination of exercises!

@Ebony -

What do you suggest as a gymless/body weight alternative to squats and lunges?

Well, you can do the squats and lunges at home with your bodyweight and no extra weights. This should allow you to utilise stricter and better form.
As a group of exercise targeting the Gluteus Maximus/Legs, Squats and Lunges are unrivalled. No other exercise can even begin to come close to their effectiveness. They also have the best cardiovascular effect amongst all resistance exercises as they utilise the largest muscle group in the body - Legs. All in all, a great combination of exercises!

MR Romeo, your post is missing.

^^^ you can try read from his posts in his profile or mobile. Its there. @romeo, about lunges, i seriously agree wiv u, its a great resistance exercise. I feel so much discomfort whenever i include it in my log.

Thanks Alad

Mr Romeo what about deadlifts and the two arm swings? They are great for legs as well arent they?

Oga,
Thanks so much for your presence in this forum.I badly need your help.

I uses to be very fit. I used to jog everyday and also did pressupsd about a 100 daily.

I remember when I did my endurance walk during my NYSC, i only drank water once- and thats becos I saw others drinking. I was not even thirsty.

Well its been about 5years now since I stopped regular exercise.

How do I resume as my bones and muscles are cranky.


I hurt my arms last year when I did pressups and its just about now the muscle ache has disappeared. You know what I mean.

What warm up exercises can I start with b4 jogging and doing pressups again.

Thank you

thanks romeo,great tips, u are right i was probably doing the crunches wrong.

@Aladunni - Thx for the tip. The Spambot seem to have it in for me again.

@Ebony -

Deadlifts are great for the legs, but it is so important to use the correct form, otherwise you will be putting most of the focus on your lower/upper back. There are quite a few ways to do deadlifts - namely straight legged, and bent legged. Again, difficult to describe the proper form, much easier when you show someone, but here are some tips -

- Feet can be together, or shoulder width - never wider.
- Always "drive" yourself up using your feet. Imaging you are trying to push yourself through the floor.
- Always look up straight ahead, even when bending down. This straightens your back. NEVER round your back.
- Keep the bar as close to your body and shins as possible. In fact it should be coming of your shins, and gliding off your thighs.
- Always grip the bar at shoulder width.

Two arm swings using KB's are also great. It utilises the basic squat movement, with the added resistance of the KB. Make sure you do not bring your shoulders into the swing. Imagige your arms are just attachments, this will ensure all the power you use comes from your legs. Remember though, both exercises works other auxilliary muscle groups a lot more, so they are not the best for isolating the bum and leg muscles.

Whilst they are both a great supplement to a leg workout, they still cannot rival squats or lunges as a basic exercise.

@grandstar -

Well, you can start the sames exercise light. Make sure you are using the correct form with the pressups (it is unusual to hurt your self doing pressups), unless you have an inflamed elbow, wrist pain, etc.

Start by checking how many pressups you can do easily without experiencing any discomfort. Do this number every day for a week. Make sure not to push yourself. After a week, you can incease the number slightly. You probably put on weight since you last exercised, for this reason, it is important you do not overdo it at the begining. Just increase the numbers till you are comfortable, then increase again.

Same thing with the jogging. It is impossible to start where you left off. Start by jogging a third of the distance you used to do, and ease back into it over time. Spend about 10 mins warming up before jogging. Stretch your legs (hamsrings/quads), warm up your ankles by rotating your feet clockwise, then anti clockwise 30 times each,. stretch your calf muscles as well.

I remember when I did my endurance walk during my NYSC, i only drank water once- and thats becos I saw others drinking. I was not even thirsty.

This should not be taken as a measure of fitness. It is important to keep yourself hydrated adequately during any type of exercise. In fact by not doing so, it is not possible to operate at your maximum.

mr romeo thanks a bunch lol

@ romeo, am so embarrassed to say this but, I DONT KNOW HOW TO SKIP. its so so frustrating, i just realised that it was in primary school days i did it last. What do i do pls?

^^^^ Nothing to be embarrased about. Just keep trying, it'll eventually come. Try the "easy" skips first - hopping from one leg to the other. Do it one hop at a time. After a while, you will be able to progress to 2 hops, and on from there. When you have mastered this style, you can move to hopping on both legs simultaneously and othe complex skips - such as boxers use.

@romeo. ive been off any excercises fof d past 1 month due to d fasting. now its ova & im weighing 75. d problem is i dont know how to start my jogging again, i always feel tired

@Jibson -

Start by getting your eating habits back to what they were before to get your energy levels back up. After this, you can start by briskly walking the actual distance. Do tis a couple of times to get your muscles, ligaments and tendons used to the stress of the exercise. When you feel comfortable, you can get back to the jogging.

@ romeo

I think i feel the effects of leg raises much more than abs crunches, yet online we are told the best for abs is the crunches. could it mean am not doing something right? Honestly i feel the effect on my abs thoughout the whole day and after whenever i do leg raises.

@Aladunni -

You are correct in your observation - they are more difficult, as they isolate the abdominals more effectively. That is why i mainly recommend leg raises. Firstly they are easy to describe, uncomplicated and isolate the abs muscles easily. This makes almost impossible to get wrong.
Crunches and situps are also highly effective, but it is very difficult to describe them effectively. The other problem with them is that other muscle groups can easily come into play, so isolating the abs with this exercise requires the person to use excellent form - something which is impossible to describe. It has to be shown. Most people who do crunches/situps do them incorrectly, thats why they do not feel anything, and see no results.