(Help) How is math used in bodybuilding?

[JamesJJK]

Hi

I have to write a 1-2 page paper for my math class explaining how math, of any type, is used in any aspect of life such as your hobbies, your job, etc. I would like to explain how math is used in bodybuilding. Would anyone here like to help me out and give some of your own explanations of how math is used in bodybuilding? Any aspect of bodybuilding such as weight training and/or diet, etc.

I appreciate any replies I can get here.

Thanks

 

[p0ink]

i wish my math class had bullshit assignments like this.

fuck math and bodybuilding. tell the teacher you use math all of the time to cut, weigh, and slang your shit.

 

[Subzeero]

well...

You have to use addition to count your daily intake of calories. You have to take certain number of calories to reach your intended goal every day!

Body fat percentage, will tell you, how much of your total body weight is fat. For example if it is 15%, then that means that 15 grams of every 100 gram of your body mass is fat.

To get the best results from your workout towards your goal, you will have to make a good estimate, of how many reps you have to do in each set.

For example for your bench,

5 reps mulitplied by 150 : set 1
5 reps multiplied by 135 : set 2
5 reps multipilied by 120 : set 3
5 reps multipilied by 110 : set 4
5 reps multipilied by 100: set 5

The total of which gives you 5 times 5, a total of 25 repititions.
The number of sets and the repitition in each set will be determined by either a workout regime, or by experience, and adjusting to reach your goals the quickest way, keeping in mind the limitations of your body.

That and i am sure, math is applied to bodybuilding in various other ways. That is just from the top of my head.

Good luck with your assignment. Its cool that you chose bodybuilding.

Cheers!

 

[The Shadow]

Using it to determine bf %age

 

[Nathan]

Macronutrient ratios, do some research on a few nutrition studies and I'm sure you'll be able to find some good, concrete examples. There is chemistry and biology all over the place. Reaction pathways, absorption coefficients for macronutrient absoprtion, the gylcemic index is a relative scaling from like 0 to 100 (or whatever) and you need math or some sort of equation to come up with that scaling, etc.

You could link lifting to physics and discuss the distribution of forces acting on various parts of your body while performing various exercises - torque gets applied here and angles come into play and all sorts of other good stuff.

There is volume of workouts - basically structuring any workout requires math-skills so that you can quantify what it is you do int he gym so as to avoid overtraining and to keep track of things to know whether or not you to increase or decrease the overall volume to make further progress.

Dude, the possibilities are limitless here.

 

[Nathan]

You get into energy expenditure. To keep you weight the same:

Net energy = 0 = Daily caloric intake - Maintenance calories.

If you gain weight: Daily caloric intake - Maintenance calories > 0

Losing weight: Daily caloric intake - Maintenance calories < 0

Math is a means of representation. You can make all sorts of similar shit up. ATP cycles, etc.

 

[The Shadow]

total gear usage - converting mg into grams.

Using half lives to calculate blood levels

 

[Smurfy]

Oh, this is easy! \You use math everytime you add plates to the bar. For instance if KB were to go in for a 1RM on bench, he'd add (2) 2.5 lbs plates to the bar which itself weighs 45 lbs. The total weight would be represented as:

2*2.5 + 45 = really fuggin weak

Stuff like that.

 

[Smurfy]

What about lifting programs/splits where your sets are arranged by %age of 1RM

set 1 = 50% of 1RM X 12 reps
set 2 = 65% of 1RM X 8
sets 3-4 = 85% of 1RM X 8
sets 5-6 = 95% of 1RM X 4-6
etc.

the above is totally hypothetical BTW

 

[Sub-Zero]

Hi

I have to write a 1-2 page paper for my math class explaining how math, of any type, is used in any aspect of life such as your hobbies, your job, etc. I would like to explain how math is used in bodybuilding. Would anyone here like to help me out and give some of your own explanations of how math is used in bodybuilding? Any aspect of bodybuilding such as weight training and/or diet, etc.

I appreciate any replies I can get here.

Thanks

counting reps/sets, projected maxes, doing programs that require working at a certain percent of max, etc

 

[samoth]

Biomechanics.

 

[CO B-man]

Physics. i.e. your bicep is curling weights your forearm length is so long weights held at that distance from the pivot point equals a certain amount of stress or negative (force to lift it up) i.e using exagerated lengths 10 lbs of weight with a 100' forearm would be harder to curl than ten pounds of weight on a 5" forearm.

 

[pintoca]

diet is 95% math... the rest is actually doing what the spreadsheet spits out

 

[JayC9]

Please start your paper with this sentence, 'Bodybuilders have to be able to at least count to ten.'

 

[Subzeero]

Please start your paper with this sentence, 'Bodybuilders have to be able to at least count to ten.'

lololololol

 

[blut wump]

You're using instinctual mathematics every time you pick up a weight. Throughout your entire body minor adjustments and compensations are taking place as your nervous system calculates moments and alters forces around relevant fulcra.

As Shadow mentioned, half-life calculations are required for any consideration of nutrient uptake and decay or hormone release and clearance patterns.

I wouldn't really consider adding weights on the bar as being mathematics but you might get away with it depending on the level of your class.

Linear regression (and extrapolation) is involved in calculating a putative 1-rep max from a higher-rep max or vice versa.

Using Prilepin's table for consideration of optimal workload dependent on intensity requires some linear mathematics.

Calculating ratios of filler to active ingredients when making ones own capsules.

 

[The Shadow]

Biomechanics.

ANSWER MY PM BITCH!!!

 

[redguru]

Using Brzycki's formula that estimates 1 rm from weights lifted at a higher number of reps

Find your own constant for each different exercise you do versus the 0.0278

The function Brzycki created can be found for each person by showing that muscle fatigue is linear versus exercise volume.

Using algebra, show how I got from Brzycki's original general formula to the user specific one.

 

[The Shadow]

Using Brzycki's formula that estimates 1 rm from weights lifted at a higher number of reps

Find your own constant for each different exercise you do versus the 0.0278

The function Brzycki created can be found for each person by showing that muscle fatigue is linear versus exercise volume.

Using algebra, show how I got from Brzycki's original general formula to the user specific one.

yep....the one that works pretty well for me is:

1 rep = 1
2 reps = 1.07
3 reps = 1.12
4 reps = 1.15


then add 0.03 for each additional rep

 

[pintoca]

lots of clever peeps in disguise in this thread

 

[blut wump]

lots of clever peeps in disguise in this thread

A lemon entry, my dear Watson.