Body by Science vs Younger Next Year

[donheff]

Three month report

Three months in and I am pretty happy with the HIT workout. I have stayed with 1 set a week, 5 core exercises. I push it to the max I can although sometimes I think my body fools me into thinking I am done when I could push a tiny bit further if I had more discipline. In any event, muscle tone and definition is better than when I did three sessions a week. I quit chocolate about midway into this and lost about 10 pounds as a result -- is that a two pack I'm seeing? I continue to supplement the weekly weight session with bike riding (stationary when the weather sucks) several times a week.

I am happier with this simpleton approach than with "Younger Next Year's," ascetic 'work out hard, six days a week for the rest of your life' regimen. But then I have never liked exercising.

 

[HFWR]

I think being active every day is a good idea, but I need more recovery time than working out hard more than 2-3 days a week allows.

 

[haha]

Ha-I just came from the SE Asia thread and I read this thread title as "Younger next door".

Sounds good!

 

[TromboneAl]

Thanks for the report, Don. Could you list the exact exercises you do along with the total time it takes?

I wish I could know for sure exactly what the best approach is.

Ha, I think I saw the movie "The younger Asian girl next door.". Is that what you were thinking of?

 

[Nords]

I am happier with this simpleton approach than with "Younger Next Year's," ascetic 'work out hard, six days a week for the rest of your life' regimen. But then I have never liked exercising.

I agree.

2-3 days of surfing a week, 3x/week with spouse in the weight room, and I don't have anything left for taekwondo-- let alone yardwork.

 

[donheff]

Thanks for the report, Don. Could you list the exact exercises you do along with the total time it takes?

I wish I could know for sure exactly what the best approach is.

Ha, I think I saw the movie "The younger Asian girl next door.". Is that what you were thinking of?

I do the following 5 which is their recommended core:
Rowing machine
Chest press
Overhead pull down
Overhead press (hands to the side of your face - push up overhead)
Leg Press

The whole set takes less than 15 minutes but you work your a** off if you take it to the max.

Edit: Your library may have a downloadable PDF of the book (mine does).

 

[M Paquette]

I do the following 5 which is their recommended core:
Rowing machine
Chest press
Overhead pull down
Overhead press (hands to the side of your face - push up overhead)
Leg Press

Eep! Just reading that breaks a sweat...

I think I'll take a nap now.

 

[eytonxav]

Eep! Just reading that breaks a sweat...

And the latest Apple malware doesn't produce some sweat?

 

[TromboneAl]

I do the following 5 which is their recommended core:
Rowing machine
Chest press
Overhead pull down
Overhead press (hands to the side of your face - push up overhead)
Leg Press

The whole set takes less than 15 minutes but you work your a** off if you take it to the max.

Edit: Your library may have a downloadable PDF of the book (mine does).

Does "Rowing Machine," mean the usual "row for 30 minutes type," or something with which you can only do 10 reps or so?

 

[TeeRuh]

I missed this thread the first time it went by. Wow, some really good info on training. Joining a gym was high on my to-do list when I retired and after 2 1/2 years I finally joined. (Actually DW gets the credit for this.) Though I am still in the "jump around to random machines" phase I am actually starting to see some results. (Subtle, but results.)

Anyway I have a question from the below quote:

All exercises are run by completing all sets before moving to another exercise.

Is this the physiologically preferred approach? I have been tending to do one set on about three machines and then circling back for a second set. Is this a problem?

Thanks for any insights provided.

t.r.

 

[donheff]

Does "Rowing Machine," mean the usual "row for 30 minutes type," or something with which you can only do 10 reps or so?

It is just a weight machine that uses a pulling motion with arms on the side. I think it is actually called the seated row or something. Here is a picture of something similar, not exactly what I use but appears likely to do the same motion. On each of the five, you do the standard 8-12 reps, preferably in a "super slow" manner.

 

[Alan]

Joining a gym was high on my to-do list when I retired and after 2 1/2 years I finally joined.
t.r.

I like your style - looks like you've got the right idea about ER.

Anyway I have a question from the below quote:

All exercises are run by completing all sets before moving to another exercise.

Is this the physiologically preferred approach? I have been tending to do one set on about three machines and then circling back for a second set. Is this a problem?

Thanks for any insights provided.

t.r.

I don't know that it matters. I always complete 2 sets at each station after a 30-45 sec rest between each set because that is what the trainer told me to do when I had my free session after joining the gym 6 years ago.

 

[TeeRuh]

I like your style - looks like you've got the right idea about ER.

Yeah, I figured out pretty fast that I enjoyed "leisure" way more than I enjoyed diligently working through the to-do list. That was what I did the previous 30 years.

t.r.

 

[M Paquette]

And the latest Apple malware doesn't produce some sweat?

Nah.

These different exercise drills all seem sort of complex to me. I wonder how the plains apes kept in shape? I just do 5 miles of running (out in the world, or faking it on an elliptical trainer) 5 days a week. I figure that's enough to make sure I can chase down dinner.

 

[eytonxav]

I missed this thread the first time it went by. Wow, some really good info on training. Joining a gym was high on my to-do list when I retired and after 2 1/2 years I finally joined. (Actually DW gets the credit for this.) Though I am still in the "jump around to random machines" phase I am actually starting to see some results. (Subtle, but results.)

Anyway I have a question from the below quote:



Is this the physiologically preferred approach? I have been tending to do one set on about three machines and then circling back for a second set. Is this a problem?

Thanks for any insights provided.

t.r.

TeeRuh,

Doing your routine on a circuit basis is fine and most of the people in my gym prefer that approach. Many harder core types will work a particular muscle group to exhaustion and like the continuous set approach, but the one thing with working out is to find out what works for you and then stick to it until it doesn't. I will ususally switch it up after about 12 weeks, sometimes even if just changing the reps/weights vs alternate exercises. Its all good.

 

[TeeRuh]

TeeRuh,

Doing your routine on a circuit basis is fine and most of the people in my gym prefer that approach. Many harder core types will work a particular muscle group to exhaustion and like the continuous set approach, but the one thing with working out is to find out what works for you and then stick to it until it doesn't. I will ususally switch it up after about 12 weeks, sometimes even if just changing the reps/weights vs alternate exercises. Its all good.

Thanks DFW and Alan!

t.r.

 

[TromboneAl]

Well I just ordered a used copy on Amazon ($.01 plus $3.99 shipping). Couldn't get a library copy.

I have to say that I am not happy about this. It's just what I need: another area where my beliefs are totally in conflict with mainstream opinion.

Also, I convinced my sister to follow YNY. Will I have to say: "Oh, forget that -- now you only need to exercise one day per week for 15 minutes?"

Plus I might have to buy a weight machine (and sell the treadmill, weight bench, elliptical, exercise bike, and rowing machine).

So I'm not going to be converted easily, but I have to admit that I spent a very uncomfortable month due to my "cardio" exercising (bike crash).

 

[W2R]

Well I just ordered a used copy on Amazon ($.01 plus $3.99 shipping). Couldn't get a library copy.

I have to say that I am not happy about this. It's just what I need: another area where my beliefs are totally in conflict with mainstream opinion.

Also, I convinced my sister to follow YNY. Will I have to say: "Oh, forget that -- now you only need to exercise one day per week?"

Plus I might have to get a weight machine.

Well, nobody is standing over you with a gun, T-Al! If you are happy with your routine, then it is the routine for you. I am a firm believe in the idea that different people do better with different routines, and that any physical exercise is better than none.

Personally I like doing 2 sets of 10 reps on each of 19 weight machines (including the five donheff mentioned and 14 others) three times a week, on MWF. I don't do weights to failure because I don't want to and I think my routine should be something I like to do. My routine takes me about 40 minutes and for me the results are just what I want.

 

[donheff]

Well I just ordered a used copy on Amazon ($.01 plus $3.99 shipping). Couldn't get a library copy.

So I'm not going to be converted easily, but I have to admit that I spent a very uncomfortable month due to my "cardio" exercising (bike crash).

I hope you are not going to quit riding. I just cut back my weights time and kept on riding. Riding is fun (and I refuse to believe it isn't good for endurance).

 

[TromboneAl]

Yes, I will continue riding no matter what.

 

[GregLee]

I've just done a little reading on the bodybyscience.net web site, and I'm not much impressed. So far as maintaining health goes (as opposed to increasing athletic ability), which is what interests me, I haven't yet seen any science. On the other hand, there have been several studies that endurance training has real health benefits, e.g., for reducing the incidence and recurrence rate of colon cancer. Are there such scientific results for strength training? I haven't seen any.

In this interview, THE REALITIES OF EXERCISE (AN INTERVIEW WITH DOUG McGUFF, MD) », McGuff seems to be saying that to increase strength, you should do strength training rather than endurance training. Well, duh. Aside from a lot of hand waving about seemingly irrelevant details of metabolism, I don't see much substance. Where's the beef?

 

[haha]

There was a recent meta-analyis dealing with diabetes A1c and endurance training and strength training. Endurance training worked best, specifically intervals. A combination of endurance and strength added nothing to endurance alone. Endpoint was A1C improvement.

BUT- there was nother recent study that showed combined endurance and strength was best.

And an anecdote- my brother, who is a 35 year diabetic recently dropped all meds and saw his A1C plummet to 5.2- on nothing more than 3 heavy weight workouts/week and some lazy walks with his GF.

So who knows?

Ha

 

[Alan]

I don't know which is best, so I diversify. I do weight lifting, 12 stations 2 sets of 8 - 12 reps, once or twice a week and a variety of other exercises that I enjoy doing.

Currently living in hilly country with lots of walking available and cool, dry weather, most of our exercise is hiking which really gets the heart pounding at times but also has added benefits of visual stimului for the brain. Yesterday we came across a female grouse leading 3 of her chicks across the heather. At the weekend on the high coastal cliffs at Scarborough we saw some twitchers with cameras on tripods and we joined them for 15 minutes or so observing a pair of nesting peregrine falcons. A few minutes earlier and we would have seen them feeding freshly caught pigeon to the chicks.

 

[TromboneAl]

I've been intergoogling for some well-reasoned objections to BBS -- no luck so far.

Here's an article that took a look at BBS, and checked out the references:

Less is Not Less

The evidence that lower training frequency is effective, or at least not much less effective, seems to be quite substantial. McGuff and Little cited 4 studies and I (easily) found 5 more, and scanned several others. The results were clear in every case, and I found no studies contradicting their position [but see the end of the article]. Every available experiment shows basically the same thing: across the board, low frequency training got the same or at least surprisingly good results as [compared with] higher frequency [training].
​

 

[HFWR]

I'm using a new program called LIIFT: low-intensity, infrequent training.

Working like a charm...