Is there conclusive evidence that taking ZMA (zinc/magnesium/B6 blend) works? It supposedly has a positive effect on your hormonal balance

If you're deficient in the first place ie don't get enough of them from your diet.
Excessive amounts don't have any further positive effect AFAIK.

http://examine.com/supplements/ZMA/

I actually just got some of this to try a couple days ago. I do seem to sleep through the night better and wake up more rested so far. My dreams seem to be possibly more vivid also

Any decent resources about form for deadlifting with a trap bar/hex bar?

If I focus on this instead of using a barbell, is that fine?

So I am looking to start lifting again and was hoping for some advice. I haven't lifted for over a year. I have recently started running again, typically 4 times a week. I also stopped eating junk food cut back on any fast food type stuff also. I have lost about 10lbs in about 1 month from just doing that and eating less as well. I am 6'3" and am 190lbs. I carry all of my excess fat primarily in my gut and face. My goal is to get rid of this.

I previously had done Starting Strength and 5/3/1. I like those programs but always had trouble with them when I wasn't eating a ton. I lift at my house. I have a cage, barbell, ez curl, bench, and pull-up bar. No fancy machines. I would like to continue to run on the days that I am not lifting.


So ultimately my question is given the above, what would be the best program for me to accomplish my goal? Thanks, and let me know if you have any other questions.

Hey Jib

What do you mean you had trouble with them when you weren't eating? If you mean you didn't make progress, thats pretty much to be expected, you can't get stronger eating at a calorie deficit unless your making newb gains.

FYI, the single most important thing when trying to lose weight is calories out>calories in. If you eat at a deficit, you'll lose weight, simple as that. Lifting will help make sure you lose fat and not muscle, provided your hitting your protein goals(~170g per day).

I guess choosing a lifting program is kinda dependent on how much time you wanna put into it, and what specifically you wanna work on. It sounds like SS will be fine for you, but I don't think it matters taht much.

GL!

My butt wink shows itself while low bar squatting before I even reach parallel. I am doing some stuff to improve this including:

Good Mornings
Hamstring stretching (my whole posterior chain has been tight since forever)

Anything I am overlooking or should consider? These exercises seem to be the standard advice

FWIW I am 46 and have never lifted before this year with any regularity

Try widening your stance, point your toes out possibly. Form video required for any more input.

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on a current gym schedule.

Info: Rugby player, 22, 100 kilo / 220 LBS and have lifted for quite a bit, just struggling getting my own plan together.

Rugby trainings have changed and my schedule has changed a bit, so my former 3-day split isn't going to cut it anymore.

Current schedule:

Monday - open for gym
Tuesday - open for gym
Wednesday - rugby practice
Thursday - open for gym
Friday - rugby practice
Saturday - a run is possible, no gym.
Sunday - rugby game

Since rugby is very shoulder focused and just overall strength I want to do something in the area of compound exercises, just having a hard time trying to fit these into my current schedule.

Anyone have some suggestions / experience with these kind of splits?

Cheers!

Anyone ever have foot pain when they first wake up in the morning? For about a month or so, when I get out of bed the bottom of my feet hurt and I can't walk correctly for 5 or 10 minutes. After that, they seem fine the rest of the day.

Sounds a lot like plantar fasciitis.

I had something similar for a while but it went away. Rolling your feet and calves will help

Been working out pretty heavy, riding my MTB, and started a C25K program recently. Last Friday night I was laying on the couch, rubbing my legs after a 30 min run, and noticed a weird bump/bulge on my right leg just above the ankle/below the knee. There is no pain but it's driving me nuts trying to figure out what the heck it is. I don't have insurance so I'm trying not to go to the doctor, especially after dropping $1k at the vet last week on my dog for a couple xrays. Any clue what this would be? Not sure if you can see anything in the pics but here are a couple.

I can't really see it it the pic but about a year ago I started getting a bump in the same place. It only "pops" out after a decent amount of activity and is pretty soft with zero pain. Is yours similar?

It's really not visible unless the leg is flexed but I can def feel it when relaxed and just rubbing my hand over it. Zero pain but I'm not sure I'd call it soft, maybe.

Mine is relatively soft to where I can push it back down pretty easily if that makes sense. It's about the size of a quarter, seems like it's maybe an enlarged blood vessel or something. Hasn't gotten better or worse in the last year

This is like 3"x2" in size. Circled the area in mspaint

I was afraid of that.

Weird thing is I'm not on my feet very much at all lately. But I have been wearing shoes without arch support and also barefoot a lot. The info seems to suggest that puts me at risk, especially with my feet having high arches.


Good idea. I'll hit them up with the lacrosse ball for a couple of weeks and see if it gets better.

The other thing it could be is a mortons neuroma. My mother has them in her feet so it's reasonable my foot pain could have been related to that.

Read a bit about it and it doesn't sound like my problem.

It was actually much improved this morning after rolling my feet and lower legs several times yesterday. Was still a bit sore but nothing as bad as the last couple of weeks.

i have something similar except it's all day and comes and goes. I actually suspect a bulged disc or piriformis syndrome more than plantar fasciitis.

Hi guys, I'm looking for a 2 days body weight workout that helps me to reactivate all the body muscles.
Right now I'm 173 cm, 160 lbs, I do jogging 1/2 times per week and I skateboarding at least once a week.
Muscle legs aren't a problem, what I'm looking for is a upper body workout that I can do at home.
Can anyone help me?
Ty a lot

What are your lifts, what is your position and how much fat do you have?

I would gym on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

Something like.

Monday. squat, bench, deadlift (all 3x5)

Tuesday. Press, row, (3x8) core (planks and stuff) chin ups.

Thursday. Squat, bench, deadlift (3x5)

On all the 3x5 stuff just add 5 pounds each workout until you can't

On the 3 x 8 do whatever feels ok and don't worry too much about making progress

Google starting strength.

Do you actually have back pain with it? Or is it possible for a back problem to bother your feet without any pain in the back to go along with it?