Ultimate Muscle Training Guide

[yankeesfan]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: yankeesfan

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: yankeesfan

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: yankeesfan
I am starting to work out and I was wondering if I should be doing lighter weights with more reps or less reps and more weight. I am bulking.

Just starting out I would suggest 10-12 reps to failure until you get some experience in proper form and full range of motion.

After a few months, you can step that down to 8-10 reps, then to 6-8 reps.

Thanks, I'll do that.

Just remember, the key is to give every set everything you've got and work to absolute failure. If you can do more reps than your max rep range using proper form and full range of motion, add more weight. If you, and/or your form fails before your minimum rap range, take weight off.

To find out proper form and full range of mothing, consult this site:

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

Now, if I get to a point before my last set when I can do no more at all, should I lower the weight or give myself more time to recover?

Last set, or rep? Last set of the workout?

Weight is flexable. Do not get married to your weight numbers. What matters is your rep range, form, and range of motion.

If I do three sets on the flat bench, chances are my last set will be a little lighter than my first to keep me with my rep range. Unless, of course, my first set exceeded my rep range, and I then added weight.

OK, got it. Thanks.

 

[desy]

Well sometimes its cause I've dedicated playing squash 3X a week so I skip the iron on those days . . .
Sometimes its cause my kids 'both under 5' have kept me up all night with various ailments and I just don't have the energy
Sometimes its cause I'm over 40

 

[Whisper]

I actually now go to the gym (or at least try to) 5x/week, since I broke my days down into chest, arms, legs, shoulders, back. I used to group them up into chest/bis, back/tris, shoulders/legs (usually)...sometimes shoulders/tris and back/legs on separate days, depending.

I've been at it for almost six years now, and really am just aiming to stay where I am. I border on/sometimes cross into overtraining the way I have things now, but it seems to work for me. I'll switch it up within the next month or so to see what happens. But I'm happy with my weight, appearance, and numbers, so that's all I really care about right now.

 

[TerranForces]

Your muscles grow on off days. If you are training on those days, you will be using up you resources and they won't be able to heal as efficiently.

 

[Whisper]

Yep, this I know, which is why I've split things the way I have. Besides that, as I said, over the years I've found that this is what works for me. At some point I might go back to 3 days/week, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I just like being able to work out a different group each day, and then get home sooner.

 

[johnnqq]

i can't believe nobody mentioned running. running is just as important as strengthening other muscles.

 

[SP33Demon]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: desy
I'm a hard gainer but I think the biggest problem is I go for a month or two then quit for a month.
Damn kids , wife , responsibilities getting in the way

Yep, this needs to be a commitement that comes before all else. Luckily, if you do it right, it takes no more than 4 hours a week.

We ALL have 4 hours a week. Hell, most of us spend far more than that in front of the boob tube and computer.

Actually, many of us DON'T have even 4 weekdays a weekX1-2 hours because of other commitments. I've had to cram everything into a 3 day schedule b/c of working full time, part time classes and soccer on nights. Mainly I say weekdays because we all know once the weekend comes, you will probably have other plans and anything goes (especially if you're single with an active social life).

My hectic schedule has confined me to a basic push/pull routine:
Monday - cardio in the morn for 0.5 hour, then full schedule till midnight.
Tuesday - Chest/Tri's/Abs
Wednesday - cardio in the morn for 0.5 hour, then full schedule till midnight.
Thursday - Legs in the morn
Friday - Back/traps/Bi's
Sat - IF I'm free, shoulders/abs but not really necessary.

Main point is if you're doing HIT workouts with compound movements: bench, deadlift, squats, etc the isolation sht is for the birds. Just keep that cardio up so you can see your results.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: johnnqq
i can't believe nobody mentioned running. running is just as important as strengthening other muscles.

Well when you mean 'running' do you mean 3-5k of running or sprints?

For bulking purposes you want to avoid the running. It will just eat away at what nutrition you have in your body already. You can always lean out later or do some along the way if you like running.

Koing

 

[alm4rr]

*

 

[secretanchitman]

did your workout today. i could feel the burning like 3x more now!

thanks so much!

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: SP33Demon

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: desy
I'm a hard gainer but I think the biggest problem is I go for a month or two then quit for a month.
Damn kids , wife , responsibilities getting in the way

Yep, this needs to be a commitement that comes before all else. Luckily, if you do it right, it takes no more than 4 hours a week.

We ALL have 4 hours a week. Hell, most of us spend far more than that in front of the boob tube and computer.

Actually, many of us DON'T have even 4 weekdays a weekX1-2 hours because of other commitments. I've had to cram everything into a 3 day schedule b/c of working full time, part time classes and soccer on nights. Mainly I say weekdays because we all know once the weekend comes, you will probably have other plans and anything goes (especially if you're single with an active social life).

My hectic schedule has confined me to a basic push/pull routine:
Monday - cardio in the morn for 0.5 hour, then full schedule till midnight.
Tuesday - Chest/Tri's/Abs
Wednesday - cardio in the morn for 0.5 hour, then full schedule till midnight.
Thursday - Legs in the morn
Friday - Back/traps/Bi's
Sat - IF I'm free, shoulders/abs but not really necessary.

Main point is if you're doing HIT workouts with compound movements: bench, deadlift, squats, etc the isolation sht is for the birds. Just keep that cardio up so you can see your results.

Bah. If you watch ANY TV, or surf the web at home, you have time.

And you are absolutely correct. I failed to mention that.

And that is STICK WITH BASIC COMPOUND MOVEMENTS. Isolation exercises are a waste of time unless you're VERY advanced.

The vast majority of your workout should be pushing and pulling (pressing and rowing) exercises. My arms are huge and I do no more than 4-6 sets of bis and 4-6 sets of tris each week. The bulk of your arm size will come from building the rest of your body.

Another important tip:

Use your weak arm/hand to rack and unrack (ALWAYS UNRACK) your weights. This will help even out your arms/sides of your body. Start using your weak arm to lift things in your day to day life and to open doors. You'll be surprised how quickly your sides even out.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: desy
Well sometimes its cause I've dedicated playing squash 3X a week so I skip the iron on those days . . .
Sometimes its cause my kids 'both under 5' have kept me up all night with various ailments and I just don't have the energy
Sometimes its cause I'm over 40

Excuses excuses. If you really want it, you'll make time.

 

[Koing]

I can't be assed to do curls so I do pull ups instead . Also has really thicken out my lats also and upper back.

Koing

 

[Inappropriate4AT]

So how much are you getting paid to advertise at this venue?

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Koing
I can't be assed to do curls so I do pull ups instead . Also has really thicken out my lats also and upper back.

Koing

I love pull-ups and lat pull-downs...but I also love curls, so I think I lucked out. I like most tricep exercises, too, but for some reason I just hate doing "nosebreakers." They work great, and I do them, but I hate every minute of it. Heh.

I also hate legs as a whole, but it's tough to get away with ignoring them for very long.

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Koing
I can't be assed to do curls so I do pull ups instead . Also has really thicken out my lats also and upper back.

Koing

I love pull-ups and lat pull-downs...but I also love curls, so I think I lucked out. I like most tricep exercises, too, but for some reason I just hate doing "nosebreakers." They work great, and I do them, but I hate every minute of it. Heh.

I also hate legs as a whole, but it's tough to get away with ignoring them for very long.

I have found that any more than 4-6 sets of bis a week is counter productive. The bicep is a very small muscle, and easily over worked. Most people who have followed my advice and limited their bicep work have seen good gains in bicep size and strength.

Like I said before, the bulk of your arm size will come from presses and rows. Doing excessive arm isolation exercises can and will over work them, and be counter productive.

 

[TerranForces]

Inappropriate4AT, I actually made a topic on the bodybuilding forums asking for some suggestions for my guide. Someone mentioned that I should receive a discount on my next order. It seemed reasonable since they give away 2 75% coupons weekly for the best posts. The admin said no way. He did say that I could set up a free affiliate link and make 20% off of whoever I refer. I didn't do it though, since most people would think I am trying to scam them.

 

[GML3G0]

Originally posted by: GML3G0
Well, the fish oil I have here, 1200mg omega 3 and 6, 216mg EPA and 144mg DHA, 3x a day, says not intended for people under 18...

anyone care to explain?

bumping up this question...

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Koing
I can't be assed to do curls so I do pull ups instead . Also has really thicken out my lats also and upper back.

Koing

I love pull-ups and lat pull-downs...but I also love curls, so I think I lucked out. I like most tricep exercises, too, but for some reason I just hate doing "nosebreakers." They work great, and I do them, but I hate every minute of it. Heh.

I also hate legs as a whole, but it's tough to get away with ignoring them for very long.

I have found that any more than 4-6 sets of bis a week is counter productive. The bicep is a very small muscle, and easily over worked. Most people who have followed my advice and limited their bicep work have seen good gains in bicep size and strength.

Like I said before, the bulk of your arm size will come from presses and rows. Doing excessive arm isolation exercises can and will over work them, and be counter productive.

I'd agree that biceps are definitely easy to overwork (in my experience, even moreso than triceps). I break my bis apart from my back for exactly this reason, and couple them with my tris so that I just don't have the time to do very much. I'm not sure if 4-6 sets would work well for me, but I'll never do more than three or four exercises on my bi days.

Then again, I could always just try doing 3 sets of preacher curls and 3 sets of seated or standing dumbbell curls, stopping after that, and seeing how things turn out. I'm all for shortening my workouts =P

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Koing
I can't be assed to do curls so I do pull ups instead . Also has really thicken out my lats also and upper back.

Koing

I love pull-ups and lat pull-downs...but I also love curls, so I think I lucked out. I like most tricep exercises, too, but for some reason I just hate doing "nosebreakers." They work great, and I do them, but I hate every minute of it. Heh.

I also hate legs as a whole, but it's tough to get away with ignoring them for very long.

I can't be bothered to do lat pulls down also .

I guess I'm very lazy when it comes to BB so I simply can't be bothered to do it. I just have no hunger for it. Pull ups I love as it helps my rock climbing and I do them weighted also at times.

Curls I find really boring so I just don't do them.

I love working legs as an OL so they are natural for me to do. Got to love legs as an OL (Olympic Lifter).

Currently I'm injured so I can't OL or do squats and it is really bumming me. You would not believe how much it sucks to be like this .

The lat pull down and pull ups are basically identical, but one only uses your bw and other just weights. Lat pull down would help people who can't do a lot of pull ups as doing 1-3 pull ups isn't going to help people who can't do at least 5reps in sets much. I'm lucky in that I started doing pull ups when I was 13 so I kept a good bw to strength ratio.

Koing

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Koing
I can't be assed to do curls so I do pull ups instead . Also has really thicken out my lats also and upper back.

Koing

I love pull-ups and lat pull-downs...but I also love curls, so I think I lucked out. I like most tricep exercises, too, but for some reason I just hate doing "nosebreakers." They work great, and I do them, but I hate every minute of it. Heh.

I also hate legs as a whole, but it's tough to get away with ignoring them for very long.

I have found that any more than 4-6 sets of bis a week is counter productive. The bicep is a very small muscle, and easily over worked. Most people who have followed my advice and limited their bicep work have seen good gains in bicep size and strength.

Like I said before, the bulk of your arm size will come from presses and rows. Doing excessive arm isolation exercises can and will over work them, and be counter productive.

I'd agree that biceps are definitely easy to overwork (in my experience, even moreso than triceps). I break my bis apart from my back for exactly this reason, and couple them with my tris so that I just don't have the time to do very much. I'm not sure if 4-6 sets would work well for me, but I'll never do more than three or four exercises on my bi days.

Then again, I could always just try doing 3 sets of preacher curls and 3 sets of seated or standing dumbbell curls, stopping after that, and seeing how things turn out. I'm all for shortening my workouts =P

I do pull ups like this:

7reps x 4 sets with 60seconds rest inbetween each set = 28 pull ups in a session.

The other day I did 7reps x 3 sets then on my 4th set I did 15 pull ups with a longer rest = 36 pull ups in that session.



I have been doing this 3x a week for the past 5 weeks or so. So this gives me a total of 12 sets in a week but I'm not looking to increase too much in size. I just want more numbers . My arms feel fine but I don't do a lot of exercises. I only BP, pull ups, rows and dips and obliques. Rest of my time is spend coaching the other lifters. I get enough recovery as I don't do much in the way of anything due to my injury.

Note on the pull ups I go all the way down and all the way up. Not some half assed thing you see in most gyms where the guy never goes straight back down

Koing

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet

Originally posted by: cchen

Originally posted by: Nutdotnet
Pretty good info coming from a 16 year-old!

Good work!

However, I don't think working out the entire upper body in one day is the "best" way. Your chest and your back are two of the largest muscle groups in the body. They both should really have their own day.

My suggested 3x a week routine, for newbs (who have worked out for at least a month) on up:

Monday: Chest/Biceps or Chest/Triceps (really depends on what gives you better results. Personally, I liked to do one for 4-8 weeks and switch to the other)
- Flat Bench Press (I prefer dumbell, but each his own)
- Incline Bench Press
- Dips (for chest/triceps) or Flys (for Chest if I'm doing biceps)
- Curls (biceps) or Skullcrushers (triceps)

Wednesday: Legs
- Squats, squats, and more squats
- Straight-Legged Deadlifts (I wouldn't recommend for beginners...need to have GOOD form)
- Some sort of calf exercise...just because.


Friday:
Back/Shoulders/Triceps or Back/Shoulders/Biceps
- Deadlifts (maybe not quite a beginner exercise, but one that should be practiced and done)
- Shoulder shrugs (dumbell or barbell...works the traps)
-Shoulder press (I prefer dumbell)
-Curls or Skullcrushers

I keep the sets to 3-4 and reps between 4-8. At the most I spend 45 minutes in the gym.

If you're seriously doing heavy weight for shoulders or back, I would not recommend doing both on the same day. Actually, even if you're not, I wouldn't recommend doing them on the same day.

Shoulders:

Military Press
Dumbell Press
Front / side raises
Shrugs
Upright Rows

Back:

Deadlift
Bent over rows
Lat pull down
One arm dumbbell row
Rear lat raise

I'd still go with my routine doing the back/shoulders on the same day BECAUSE I wouldn't do all the exercises that you listed...to me, it seems like a waste or time, and more importantly effort.

What I hope you realize is that your shoulders get worked a lot throughout the week. Most chest exercises work your shoulders, most back exercises work your shoulders. The most overworked muscle group in the body tends to be the deltoids. Your routine is a classic case of overworking them.

I did forget to put pull-ups in the "Back" day.

Where did I ever say to do all of them? I just merely suggesting some other exercises to do...

In any case, lets assume that you do back and shoulders on the same. Lets say for back, you start off with deadlift, and then bent over rows.

If you really worked hard, and went all out on those two, there's no way you would be able to go all out on shoulders.

Now you're assuming, and you know what assuming does to people right? Right.

Maybe if YOU worked really hard and went all out on those two there would be no way YOU would be able to go all out on shoulders...you seeing my point?

Regardless, "going all out" is an extremely subjective term. What is "going all out" to you? I'm not talking amount of weight, number of reps, or number of sets here.

"Going all out" to me is exhausting my muscles. "Going all out" to me is when I absolutley can't pull off on more lift but do it anyway.

If my goal is to work my back and my shoulders on one day and I do Deads and Bent-Over Rows AND work my shoulders with the result of my back and shoulders being exhausted well...isn't that kind of the point? Regardless of how much weight you did, how many sets, or how many reps that you did for your shoulders?

Deads work just about everything
Bent-over rows work your lats AND your Posterior Deltoid

Bench press works your chest AND your Anterior Deltoid

My SUGGESTED (key word here) back/shoulder routine

1. Deads
2. Pullups or Bent-Over rows (mix it up)
3. Shoulder Press
4. Upright Row

And I call it a day...the deads kick my ass enough that four exercises is all I can take.

Good luck to ya!

 

[Whisper]

Originally posted by: Koing

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: Whisper

Originally posted by: Koing
I can't be assed to do curls so I do pull ups instead . Also has really thicken out my lats also and upper back.

Koing

I love pull-ups and lat pull-downs...but I also love curls, so I think I lucked out. I like most tricep exercises, too, but for some reason I just hate doing "nosebreakers." They work great, and I do them, but I hate every minute of it. Heh.

I also hate legs as a whole, but it's tough to get away with ignoring them for very long.

I have found that any more than 4-6 sets of bis a week is counter productive. The bicep is a very small muscle, and easily over worked. Most people who have followed my advice and limited their bicep work have seen good gains in bicep size and strength.

Like I said before, the bulk of your arm size will come from presses and rows. Doing excessive arm isolation exercises can and will over work them, and be counter productive.

I'd agree that biceps are definitely easy to overwork (in my experience, even moreso than triceps). I break my bis apart from my back for exactly this reason, and couple them with my tris so that I just don't have the time to do very much. I'm not sure if 4-6 sets would work well for me, but I'll never do more than three or four exercises on my bi days.

Then again, I could always just try doing 3 sets of preacher curls and 3 sets of seated or standing dumbbell curls, stopping after that, and seeing how things turn out. I'm all for shortening my workouts =P

I do pull ups like this:

7reps x 4 sets with 60seconds rest inbetween each set = 28 pull ups in a session.

The other day I did 7reps x 3 sets then on my 4th set I did 15 pull ups with a longer rest = 36 pull ups in that session.



I have been doing this 3x a week for the past 5 weeks or so. So this gives me a total of 12 sets in a week but I'm not looking to increase too much in size. I just want more numbers . My arms feel fine but I don't do a lot of exercises. I only BP, pull ups, rows and dips and obliques. Rest of my time is spend coaching the other lifters. I get enough recovery as I don't do much in the way of anything due to my injury.

Note on the pull ups I go all the way down and all the way up. Not some half assed thing you see in most gyms where the guy never goes straight back down

Koing

Yeah, I mostly do lat pulldowns because it allows me to do more than my bodyweight...and I just like the feel of the exercise itself. I save a few (two or three) sets of roughly 10-14 pull-ups for the very end of my back routine, depending on how I feel. It's a fun exercise, though, so I fit it in if at all possible.

Edit: btw, I never do olympic lifts, which is generally why I do so many other exercises. I've just never gotten into OLs, and since I'm happy where I am now, I'll stick with how things are going. I might try them out at some point in the future, though, since I know how beneficial they can be.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: johnnqq
i can't believe nobody mentioned running. running is just as important as strengthening other muscles.

Actually, it is and it isn't. It all depends on what your goal is.

If you're looking to be gain muscle and mass...then I actually would not suggest running, or any cardio, for that matter. While cardio gets you "in shape" it also burns calories, calories that you need to replenish to gain weight...you can gain muscle without gaining weight. Hard gainers have a difficult enough time putting on muscle as it is; doing cardio is only going to make the process tougher.

 

[computeerrgghh]

Personally, I would get rid of the fish oil stuff and take add flax seeds into your diet. You can find flax seeds in your local grocery store so thats one less trip to the drugstore/nutrition store and flax seeds are a lot cheaper in the long run. Personally, I like to incorporate things into my diet rather than chug down pills.