Premeds: Do you keep yourself in shape? What is your routine?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Push/Pull/Legs.

I've heard HIIT cardio helps maintain gains and lose fat.

Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
For all us girls/guys who want to take it light, i.e. stay in good shape without heavy lifting or even going to the gym, I just wanna give a heads up about a phone app called 7 Minute Workout. It basically condenses an hour's worth of gym time into 12 exercises done at full effort with minimum rest in-between. There's research behind why it works that you can read with a quick google search. Probably won't be too much help for someone aiming to lose considerable weight, but if you're looking to stay fit, it's been very useful for my back and general flexibility during busy school/work seasons.
 
crossfitsucks.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
Monday: No food, lab day.
Tuesday: Shopping
Wednesday: Library all day, no food.
Thursday: Party
Friday: Party
Saturday: Throw up
Sunday: Sleep all day

Sunday sounds great
 
If you want strength :

Do the starting strength routines

If you want strength and muscles( hypertrophy) :

Upper/Lower

PHUL Schedule:

Day 1: Upper Power
Day 2: Lower Power
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Upper Hypertrophy
Day 5: Lower Hypertrophy
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off
 
If you want strength :

Do the starting strength routines

If you want strength and muscles( hypertrophy) :

Upper/Lower

PHUL Schedule:

Day 1: Upper Power
Day 2: Lower Power
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Upper Hypertrophy
Day 5: Lower Hypertrophy
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off

Strong broscience. You are vary naive if you think starting strength only gives you strength.
 
15-20 hours of training a (powerlifting)week

Bench press twice a week, squat once, deadlift once, overhead press once as well as dynamic lifts.
 
Strong broscience. You are vary naive if you think starting strength only gives you strength.


Sure it gives you muscle, but it's not in the same league as upper/lower split or some programs like phat.
 
Sure it gives you muscle, but it's not in the same league as upper/lower split or some programs like phat.

This is not true. The split that will give you the most muscle is the one with the most progressive overload.
If both programs have the same amount of progessive overload they will give you the same amount of muscle gains.
Lifting in 3 sets of 10 will not give you more muscle then 10 sets of 3. You can argue the former will give you more muscular endurance and the latter will give you more strength but at the end of the day if progessive overload is the same they will both give you the same muscle gains.
 
Sorry sir but I'm not wrong. Continue researching and stop invalidating my replies with your broscience.
 
I have enough muscle. I'm not looking to get bigger just maintain muscle while I lose fat. So I lift heavy once a week, compound lifts that hit multiple muscle groups. Run 15 miles a week 2 easy runs during the week, 1 speed workout Friday afternoon, and one long run Saturday. I use running more for stress relief honestly.

There's no such thing as enough muscle
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Members don't see this ad :)
I'm primarily focused with strength training. I got a lot of great tips from you guys. Thanks!
 
For all us girls/guys who want to take it light, i.e. stay in good shape without heavy lifting or even going to the gym, I just wanna give a heads up about a phone app called 7 Minute Workout. It basically condenses an hour's worth of gym time into 12 exercises done at full effort with minimum rest in-between. There's research behind why it works that you can read with a quick google search. Probably won't be too much help for someone aiming to lose considerable weight, but if you're looking to stay fit, it's been very useful for my back and general flexibility during busy school/work seasons.


giphy.gif



also lol @ the guy who said he lifts 1 a week because he already has enough muscle. nah.

if you're not on steroids there is no such things as too much muscle. you'll always look mediocre without a pump
 
There's no such thing as enough muscle


Considering most girls consider Ronnie Coleman, and Jay Cutler disgusting, I would have to disagree.
 
Considering most girls consider Ronnie Coleman, and Jay Cutler disgusting, I would have to disagree.


You're really using 2 former Mr. Olympias as examples? Pro bodybuilders shouldn't even be mentioned when discussing such topics.

If you're not running steroid compounds year-round, you won't ever be big enough (in terms of muscle) to be unattractive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
I don't eat when I'm stressed and carrying my 500 lb backpack around campus has resulted in the most ripped looking legs... and scoliosis
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Mon: (Morning) 4-5 mile run at 7-7:30 minute mile pace. (Evening) CrossSpin
Tues: (Morning) Upper and Lower body, body weight movements (e.g. lots of push-ups, pull-ups, ab work). (Evenings) Crossfit WOD focused on endurance.
Wed: (Morning) 4-12 mile ruck march with 35-90lb ruck at 14-15 minute mile pace (if light weight and short distance then I'll typically do a ruck run). (Evening) CrossSpin
Thurs: (Morning) Racquetball for 1 hour. (Evening) Crossfit WOD focused on heavy Olympic lifts and power movements.
Fri: (Morning) varied usually sprint work.
Sat: Sport related workout, Crossfit event, Mud Run, Golf, basically whatever is going on.
Sun: Off
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
So many people are training harder than they need to be. If your workout has less than ~45% compound exercises you're wasting a lot of time. If your goal is to gain muscle an abundance of LISS cardio is killing your gains, throw some HIIT in and decrease rest time between sets to maintain your heart rate. Kettlebells and bosu balls are trendy, dragon flags make the ladies swoon and olympic lifts look impressive- The workout philosophy to live by:

Eat clean, lift heavy, sleep plenty = profit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
I seriously recommend martial arts to anyone. If you get even a little bit invested, the returns are great. You learn self defense, you get conditioning (at different levels depending on your art) and you learn some discipline and patience, especially with some more traditional arts like Karate or Aikido. There is really something out there for everyone. If you want to learn something fast that you can practice on your own and build stamina while still being able to put someone down, boxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga or MMA are popular and tried-true options. If a medium learning curve works for you, some styles of Karate and all Tae Kwon Do would be something to look into. You can become quite skilled fairly quickly (3 months to a year+). If you want a long term learning experience with steady progression and high skill development, Aikido is amazing, and is my art of choice. All these and more get you in shape, some in different ways and they give you the ability to defend yourself. If anyone has questions about Aikido, specifically, they can PM me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Sunday sounds great
Of course!
I stay in shape by keeping busy so that I can't eat.

But no seriously. I do cardio for an hour a day, my body-builder friend is trying to get me to do weightlifting instead of cardio, but I don't like the sound of that.
 
I seriously recommend martial arts to anyone. If you get even a little bit invested, the returns are great. You learn self defense, you get conditioning (at different levels depending on your art) and you learn some discipline and patience, especially with some more traditional arts like Karate or Aikido. There is really something out there for everyone. If you want to learn something fast that you can practice on your own and build stamina while still being able to put someone down, boxing, Muay Thai, Krav Maga or MMA are popular and tried-true options. If a medium learning curve works for you, some styles of Karate and all Tae Kwon Do would be something to look into. You can become quite skilled fairly quickly (3 months to a year+). If you want a long term learning experience with steady progression and high skill development, Aikido is amazing, and is my art of choice. All these and more get you in shape, some in different ways and they give you the ability to defend yourself. If anyone has questions about Aikido, specifically, they can PM me.

I'm not sure that I would call boxing or muay thai quick to learn. The learning curve is not as steep compared to grappling arts, but they're not exactly quick to learn. I wouldn't say Tae Kwon Do and karate are more difficult to learn than boxing or muay thai, either. I do agree it is a great workout, though. The only problem is that it can be tough to find affordable options if there's no school club or the gym/club outside school doesn't have a student discount. I don't know what the going rate for typical Aikido or Krav maga classes are, but IME, BJJ/MMA (140/month isn't unusual) tend to be expensive, while boxing (at an actual boxing gym, not boxercise) and judo tend to be cheaper.
 
Of course!
I stay in shape by keeping busy so that I can't eat.

But no seriously. I do cardio for an hour a day, my body-builder friend is trying to get me to do weightlifting instead of cardio, but I don't like the sound of that.

Why? Please don't say you're afraid of getting too bulky.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I used to do cardio everyday until I realized how stupid it was and that it destroyed all my muscle.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Deadlifts
Squats
Bench
BB shoulder press

You only need 0.5 grams of protein per lb of body weight. Get your rest and you'll grow.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I used to do cardio everyday until I realized how stupid it was and that it destroyed all my muscle.

There are different forms of cardio. If you're doing long distance then yeah it'll probably mess with your gains. However if you want your heart to stay healthy and still gain muscle i'd recommend doing sprint intervals. Don't believe me just google long distance runner and sprinter and tell me who's more muscular.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
In terms of cardio and losing mass, how do you guys feel about running short distances and walking long distances? This is my daily routine of cardio: Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. I do these intervals for 2-3 miles.
 
I'm not sure that I would call boxing or muay thai quick to learn. The learning curve is not as steep compared to grappling arts, but they're not exactly quick to learn. I wouldn't say Tae Kwon Do and karate are more difficult to learn than boxing or muay thai, either. I do agree it is a great workout, though. The only problem is that it can be tough to find affordable options if there's no school club or the gym/club outside school doesn't have a student discount. I don't know what the going rate for typical Aikido or Krav maga classes are, but IME, BJJ/MMA (140/month isn't unusual) tend to be expensive, while boxing (at an actual boxing gym, not boxercise) and judo tend to be cheaper.
You can learn a few boxing and muay Thai and MMA etc. techniques in a few sessions that you can practice on your own that are a great workout and highly practical. People do it all the time at my school. They don't get "good" at it or learn too many tenchniques, just a few strikes and a solid stance. The barrier most people have starting Tae Kwon Do is developing flexibility to pull off the kicks. People can learn to throw some really powerful punches more quickly than powerful kicks sticking anything above the waste, it seems. And yes, price is an issue but many people seen to have gym memberships outside school, so I imagine they could jump into a short boxing or MMA or Krav Maga class for a few weeks.
 
stronglifts, wendlers 5/3/1.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
In terms of cardio and losing mass, how do you guys feel about running short distances and walking long distances? This is my daily routine of cardio: Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. I do these intervals for 2-3 miles.

It sounds like you're doing intervals, which is fine. I would try to eventually decrease your walk time and increase your run time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Intermittent fasting. Lifting. Swimming. Fitness Yoga/Tai chi. Soccer.

Haven't been doing much else this year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
For the past 2 years I stayed trim by being too busy to eat, to impatient to wait on elevators, and too cheap to pay for parking close to my school's science wing.

Now that I'm done, I've started running or hiking a few days a week to get a bit of endurance. Planning to start fartlek soon to increase endurance while decreasing time commitment and wear/tear on my knees.

If you're doing heavy lifting more than 3x a week to increase muscle, though, you're wasting your effort. High intensity, short workouts ftw...
 
Why? Please don't say you're afraid of getting too bulky.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No, because that's not why I exercise. I could eat all I want and still be skinny. I exercise to destress.
 
No, because that's not why I exercise. I could eat all I want and still be skinny. I exercise to destress.
You understand that there are more benefits to an active lifestyle than just "destressing", right?
 
If you're doing heavy lifting more than 3x a week to increase muscle, though, you're wasting your effort. High intensity, short workouts ftw...

High intensity, short workouts don't really work well with heavy lifting. To get the most out of an exercise like the bench press you have to manage the timing of your eccentric and concentric phases, ensure proper form is maintained and utilize a sufficient rest period between sets to ensure you're getting the most out of the exercise. I'm not an advocate of spending hours in the gym doing repetitive isolation exercises, I spend about 2.5-3.5 hours per week in the gym, but if you're looking to get stronger taking your time is key.

If you're looking to get/stay lean, keep that heart rate up and make it intense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Deadlifts
Squats
Bench
BB shoulder press

You only need 0.5 grams of protein per lb of body weight. Get your rest and you'll grow.

Much easier to go 0.8-1 gram protein per lb. lean body mass. For those with a lot of body fat, the 0.5 gram protein per pound may not work out effectively.
 
5x5 texas method! Took me to a 405 squat, and 500 deadlift for sets of 5s.
 
Loved SL 5x5. Linear gains have ended for me some time ago though so I should probably look into finding an intermediate program at some point...
Not sure if you heard of texas method. Perfect way to make progress before moving onto more advanced programs. It's simple enough for me and I plan to continue it in med school. If u deadlift under 600 you don't need anything else but 5x5 imo
 
Not sure if you heard of texas method. Perfect way to make progress before moving onto more advanced programs. It's simple enough for me and I plan to continue it in med school. If u deadlift under 600 you don't need anything else but 5x5 imo

That's actually the one I'm probably going to switch to soon. I feel like I can still make the weekly progression. And yeah, I'll be lucky to ever hit anything close to that deadlift in my lifetime. :laugh:
 
Moderators, it would be awesome if you didn't closed down this thread. We have seen numerous threads about this subject in the past, obviously pre-meds and medical students like to talk about this subject. Nutrition and fitness is an essential part of some pre-meds and medical students life's. Hopefully posters stay positive and just post helpful replies.
 
For all us girls/guys who want to take it light, i.e. stay in good shape without heavy lifting or even going to the gym, I just wanna give a heads up about a phone app called 7 Minute Workout. It basically condenses an hour's worth of gym time into 12 exercises done at full effort with minimum rest in-between. There's research behind why it works that you can read with a quick google search. Probably won't be too much help for someone aiming to lose considerable weight, but if you're looking to stay fit, it's been very useful for my back and general flexibility during busy school/work seasons.
7 minutes is not enough for real results. Is not one of those Instagram 30 day challenge thing is it? Those are bad. :thumbdown: You can always last an hour in the gym and do moderate weight workouts and a 30 minute session of cardio if you are looking to stay fit. Nutrition is key to success. 70% Nutrition 30%Gym.
 
In terms of cardio and losing mass, how do you guys feel about running short distances and walking long distances? This is my daily routine of cardio: Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. I do these intervals for 2-3 miles.
If you want to gain muscle size, then have a bulking season. If you want to get cut, the have cutting season. There is no such thing as gaining muscle and getting cut at the same time. Most guys/girls bulk during the holiday seasons (Thanksgiving, Christmas)when you know you will most likely eat like a pig. You could still do cardio in the bulking season, but cut it to 2 times a week. Do a walk on the treadmill (incline).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top