Hey all, I've been lurking around here for a couple weeks now and I just wanted to say that I think this is a really great place, so full of information and encouragement, as well as introduce myself and pose a few questions. I'm a college freshmen (19) and I discovered John's site as I was researching things when I first started to work out about three weeks ago. I've been doing something called The Navy Seal Workout with a friend, which consists of nothing but pushups (varying angles), pull-ups (again, varying types), dips, and a barage of different types of sit-ups every M W F (pull-ups and push-ups done in pyramid fashion, dips and abs work just steadily increasing). I also started doing cardio everyday (started out running, but in a bind now because of shin splints, trying jump rope.). I have also started eating much more healthily, which is somewhat difficult because I have a meal plan and no money and the school doesn't provide any nutritional information with their food. However, I eat lots of cottage cheese and tuna and the cafeteria usually has some chicken product and I eat either spinach or broccolli with every meal. I have noticed a LOT of difference in the last few weeks, and my six-pack is now starting to show through again (will it ever get to the point that it shows w/o flexing?). I don't have access to a scale or a measuring tape, so all my results-gauging takes place through the mirror. This being said, I plan to continue the SEAL workout unti summer break (May) as a fat-loss/cutting phase and then lift heavily over the summer. However, the only (free) equipment I have access to at home are weight machines (the kind with the plates). So my question is: is it possible to bulk with these machines, or do i NEED to be using free weights? My final question is: is the only difference between a cutting and a bulking phase more calories? Thanks for your attention, and thanks again for this great community. God Bless
- Jeremy

you can bulk with machines, its just peoples preferences
machines wont work some "stabalizer" muscles..

or something..

you should be able to find calorie count for the foods online if you do some searching, abs tend to show through at 10% bf or less, so... yeah

good luck, and sorry is uck at answering questions :confused:

:read: :bb: :db: :gl:

Welcome to the forums!

Free weights are better because you encorperate stabilizing muscles, and get more of a total body workout (I have no doubt this also helps develop the 'cut' look). You can still bulk with the machines you have, and it is far better then nothing, but you wont be working all your muscles.

The difference in cutting depends on your approach. You can do it simply with diet, sure, but you may also choose to do extra cardio to make it go faster.

For the shin splints, each day do a few sets of walking on your heels for 30 seconds. Also at the end of your workouts, sit down and place your foot flat on the ground. Set something on your toes, maybe like 10 pounds, and keeping your heel on the ground lift your toes and the weight up. This should strengthen the shin muscles and reduce the shin splints.

For the shin splints, each day do a few sets of walking on your heels for 30 seconds. Also at the end of your workouts, sit down and place your foot flat on the ground. Set something on your toes, maybe like 10 pounds, and keeping your heel on the ground lift your toes and the weight up. This should strengthen the shin muscles and reduce the shin splints.

cheers for that shin splints are the bane of my running life :tu:

you can bulk with machines, its just peoples preferences
machines wont work some "stabalizer" muscles..

or something..


Right, exactly. Machines tend to isolate certain muscles, and isolation exercises recruit less total muscle fibers than compound exercises, which is what freeweight exercises tend to be. More muscle fiber use, the more your body responds to remold your body with more muscularity.

Have you ever heard someone refer to squats or deadlifts as the foundation for building your entire body? Why would squats or deadlifts say, help your chest growth when they don't work your chest at all?

The reason is because the amount of total muscle fiber recruitment squats and deadlifts incoporate really tells your body "hey now, this is serious, get with the program here", and your body responds by increased testosterone output amongst other things, which helps all your muscle building endeavors.

You can gain strength on machines though, that's for sure. It's just really not ideal.