Working Out

[Churchill]

What most people fail on for working out is the food because of the cost and not really understanding how much you really need to eat. (Talking to skinny guys here.)

I get food for free, so it's hard to say, but I'd imagine one person for supplements is probably about 350 a month and food would be like, probably around 600 for one persons diet.

Also, cheap sups here: dpsnutrition.net

[Sanoske]

Question, why do my arms hurt on chest day, and not my chest?

I do bench press, incline bench, decline bench, fly and dips. But my arms hurt, and my chest is fine.

[Meat]

Question, why do my arms hurt on chest day, and not my chest?

I do bench press, incline bench, decline bench, fly and dips. But my arms hurt, and my chest is fine.

weak tri's or bad form(how are your wrists), that or poor mind muscle connection. Are you squeezing through your rep or are you just going through the motion?

[dritero]

www.newrulesoflifting.com

Pick this book up, it has about 2 years of workouts, from strength, to muscle building to fat loss programs depending on what you need. All the exercises are compound free weight exercises, and each workout program is about 6 weeks long. You really can't go wrong with a professionally made routine by Alwyn Cosgrove. There is also some good information on diet and cardio training.

[Ryany]

Workout A (Monday/Thursday):

DB Flat Bench: 100x12, 110x10, 120x8

BB Squat: 135x12, 155x10, 175x8

I take it those DB weights reported are combined weights and not the weight per DB? I'm not calling BS or anything if they are per DB, but if they are per DB, you would be the most disproportionately strong person for the DBs compared to other lifts that I have seen in my life.

[Bweigelt]

I've recently started working out fairly hard after getting tired of being super thin at 5'9" 125ish. I started on may 18th and so far have had great results. I'm now about 140 and have added quite a bit of muscle. I can pretty much echo what Tonko has been preaching, free weights for the most part and proper technique will take you way further than anything else.

Here's my routine
3x8 Hammer Strength incline Bench Press. Great machine because it operates like free weights with each arm is individual.
3x15 Seated Row. This is really just for Hockey. I do 15 for endurance, as I'm not looking to add bulk with this one, it's more for my shot.
3x8 Flat flies.
3x8 Preacher Curls. I used to use a Machine for this one but like Tonko said you strong side can compensate for your weak side and I actually ended up with my Left Bicep way stronger and bigger than my right till I switched to free weights.
3x8 Flat Bench Press with DBs.
3x8 Tricep Curls. I don't know what else to call these but it's performed with one hand and knee on the bench, flat back, and arm bent at the elbow 90 degrees. Then you just straighted your arm back.
3x8 Wrist Curls. Again another one mainly for hockey.
3x8 Shoulder press with DB's standing on a Bosu.
3x8 Standing Curls with DB's on a Bosu.
I also do 2 core strength exercises at the end as well as Crunches.

The two Bosu workouts are more for Balance, again for hockey, than anything else. It also keeps you from rocking or your back and stomach muscles to complete an arm exercise.

Day 2
3x15 single leg press.
3x15 single leg down curl
3x15 calf raises

Both days
I start out with 10 Minutes on the bike.
When I'm down I spend between 20-30 minutes stretching and cooling down on the bike or treadmill.

I work out 4-5 times a week. Usually Monday Wednesday Friday is the first routine with the second routine coming on Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays if I'm not playing floor hockey (which maybe done for the summer now that we are having a ridiculous heatwave.) My legs don't get nearly as much attention as my upper body simply because they are already in very good shape from playing hockey all my life.

Now a Question for Tonko. Do you find the fourth set really makes a big difference? I make sure to hit Muscle Failure with just the three reps but My working on my first routine already pushes two hours with the warmup and stretching period and any more just seems like too much to me.

[Meat]

if you spend more than an hr lifting you need to reevaluate your workout

[Rasengan]

I take it those DB weights reported are combined weights and not the weight per DB? I'm not calling BS or anything if they are per DB, but if they are per DB, you would be the most disproportionately strong person for the DBs compared to other lifts that I have seen in my life.

The DB weights are combined... however, my 3 rep max with BB flat bench is 205. Currently, I'm on a cut cycle so I'm doing more reps with less weight. After Summer is over, I'm aiming at getting up to 175lbs and then cutting to 165~168lbs.

[Meat]

The DB weights are combined... however, my 3 rep max with BB flat bench is 205. Currently, I'm on a cut cycle so I'm doing more reps with less weight. After Summer is over, I'm aiming at getting up to 175lbs and then cutting to 165~168lbs.

WRONG WRONG WRONG, that less weight more reps is totally bullshit and people need to stop saying that. You always go for your 7-12 range, your rep range never changes, only your diet.

[Dantrag]

All i can see is after 1-2 months is a lot of work outs plateauing muscle memory is something you'll have to get around, change up your work out every month and try and target the same muscle within a different range.

[Tonko]

Now a Question for Tonko. Do you find the fourth set really makes a big difference? I make sure to hit Muscle Failure with just the three reps but My working on my first routine already pushes two hours with the warmup and stretching period and any more just seems like too much to me.

Huge difference. You think you're hitting muscle failure now, but you might not be. On the 4th set, you go, until you can't complete a full range of motion on a rep. But keep going, as far as you can go, until you can't move the weight beyond the starting position at all. Even then, try, and push for 5 seconds. You'll notice a difference, I used to do 3 sets as well, started seeing very nice gains on both strength and size after a friend clued me in.

To repeat: First 3 sets gauge if you're using too MUCH weight. If you can't get through them all, decrease the weight in 2 days when you try it again. You should just barely be able to squeeze out the last set.

4th set tells you if you're using too little weight. If you complete it, even with max effort and barely making it, you need more weight next time.

And be sure you're doing slow, even reps. "Explosive ups" as they're called, are counter productive. They break form, elicit the assistance of muscles not being targeted, and cheat your body out of the full effort in a rep. Depending on the exercise, you want 2 second up, 2 second down. The negative motion is equally as important as the positive motion.

[dritero]

It seems a lot of people on here like to neglect the squat and the deadlift. tsk tsk. And a leg press is nowhere near as effective as a squat.

[Kazesan]

Eating like godzilla if you're a skinny guy is the only way to get huge, sorry. Tested and proven, I've been weightlifting since I was 2 I would know.

Or you can take any of the examples of my routine, all of who in 4 months time put on 50lbs or more, usually starting between 150-170 and ending over 200.

If you're a big guy, you need to eat like godzilla for the first 3-4 weeks and cut down to more healthy, workout oriented foods. Always keeping on top of when to eat and what. Taking about 30-40g of Casien before sleep is also key.

I went from fat to fit in about a year's worth of workouts. It was a little easier for me because I had a lot of fat stored in my body that was easily made into muscle. Things are going to be difficult for you (referring to OP) in terms of muscle mass gain because you're skinnier. I agree though, don't eat like godzilla. Eat some carbs before a workout to give you the energy to complete the exercises, then eat protein later on.

What a lot of people don't understsand is that you're actually gaining muscle by tearing/breaking down muscle. When you excercise, you get small tears throughout your muscles, and your body repairs them with the protein you eat, making them grow slightly with each workout. Eating protein before a workout won't help much because some, if not most, of that protein will simply be used for energy considering there's no muscle that needs repair before you work out and you don't have a lot of carbs for that needed energy. This is especially true seeing as you're skinnier and probably have a higher metabolism.

[Denchi]

Rock Climb. It's way more fun.

[Bweigelt]

Huge difference. You think you're hitting muscle failure now, but you might not be. On the 4th set, you go, until you can't complete a full range of motion on a rep. But keep going, as far as you can go, until you can't move the weight beyond the starting position at all. Even then, try, and push for 5 seconds. You'll notice a difference, I used to do 3 sets as well, started seeing very nice gains on both strength and size after a friend clued me in.

To repeat: First 3 sets gauge if you're using too MUCH weight. If you can't get through them all, decrease the weight in 2 days when you try it again. You should just barely be able to squeeze out the last set.

4th set tells you if you're using too little weight. If you complete it, even with max effort and barely making it, you need more weight next time.

And be sure you're doing slow, even reps. "Explosive ups" as they're called, are counter productive. They break form, elicit the assistance of muscles not being targeted, and cheat your body out of the full effort in a rep. Depending on the exercise, you want 2 second up, 2 second down. The negative motion is equally as important as the positive motion.

Thanks, I think I'll definitely be adding that in then.

[Meat]

Thanks, I think I'll definitely be adding that in then.

it's called hit training, mike metzer preaches it like it's the gospel. i think it's a load of bullshit, yah you'll see some gains downside if you'll be weak as fuck

[DancingEdge]

Huge difference. You think you're hitting muscle failure now, but you might not be. On the 4th set, you go, until you can't complete a full range of motion on a rep. But keep going, as far as you can go, until you can't move the weight beyond the starting position at all. Even then, try, and push for 5 seconds. You'll notice a difference, I used to do 3 sets as well, started seeing very nice gains on both strength and size after a friend clued me in.

To repeat: First 3 sets gauge if you're using too MUCH weight. If you can't get through them all, decrease the weight in 2 days when you try it again. You should just barely be able to squeeze out the last set.

4th set tells you if you're using too little weight. If you complete it, even with max effort and barely making it, you need more weight next time.

And be sure you're doing slow, even reps. "Explosive ups" as they're called, are counter productive. They break form, elicit the assistance of muscles not being targeted, and cheat your body out of the full effort in a rep. Depending on the exercise, you want 2 second up, 2 second down. The negative motion is equally as important as the positive motion.

Just curious where your info and expertise comes from.
I'm considering changing my habits since they're not getting results, and a lot of what you say echos other stuff I hear.

I did not however know that my explosive reps were counterproductive... I felt like I was saving time and working harder, doing both arms, one up, one down, alternating at the same time, fast paced.

[Meat]

Just curious where your info and expertise comes from.
I'm considering changing my habits since they're not getting results, and a lot of what you say echos other stuff I hear.

I did not however know that my explosive reps were counterproductive... I felt like I was saving time and working harder, doing both arms, one up, one down, alternating at the same time, fast paced.

Proof's in the pudding, you said it yourself. You're not getting results, he's just saying what works from him. There's loads of training styles, google em and see what works for you, max-ot is probably the most common, doggcrapp is controversial but works for some, same for HIT(tonko's style)HST, ect ect ect

I like the Bulgarian lifting style, picked it up in the IDF and it works great for me. I'm not a small guy and i dont want to be "cut up".

[DancingEdge]

Don't get me wrong I get results just not to the degree I'm looking for.

Stupid lack of motivation.

[Kazesan]

I like that T-shirt that says: "I have the body of a god....Buddha's a god, right?"