Group: Experienced Exercise

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 50, Messages: 19484

For intermediate and advanced individuals. Share and learn how to take your fitness to the next level!

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Looking for some general advice. Thanks.

kostyan5
kostyan5
Posts: 10
Joined: 2004/02/08
United States
2004/02/08, 04:25 PM
Hi, I just wanted to get some advice on my workout. I'm 5'8" about 140lbs. I'm trying to gain some muscle weight while keeping fat gain low. I know this is nearly impossible but I'm not looking to compete or get "ripped". I just want to hear what those of you who are more exprienced have to say about my workout and what, if anything I should do differently. Thanks in advance.

Here is my workout:

Sun - Shoulders and Forearms
Mon - Chest and Triceps
Tue - Back and Biceps
Wed - OFF
Ths - Shoulders and Forearms
Fri - Chest and Triceps
Sat - Back and Biceps

I do about 3 excercises per muscle group, 4 sets per excercise, going up in weight (about 5lbs) and down in repetitions (usually 10,8,6,4). In addition, every day (except wed) I do abs for about 10 mins and cardio (bike) for about 15 mins burning about 170 cals.
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2004/02/08, 04:53 PM
good lord another upper body fanaic.........why are you not traing your legs?? Body buildinga nd fitness is for the hwole body not just waist up
what are you eating?
how often?
take any supplemments?
mutivitmens?
what are you working out 6 days a week?
your body can't recover that quickly unless your "juicing"
rest builds muscle not working out!!!

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---andrew.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR!!
ioioio
ioioio
Posts: 302
Joined: 2004/01/29
Kuwait
2004/02/09, 12:29 PM
Yeah Andrew is right, you should really train your legs hard too, personally i train my legs more than any other part!!! Well if you are a pro then you can train 6 days a week, but if you have just started then you should do from 3-5 days MAXIMUM!!!!
rpacheco
rpacheco
Posts: 3,770
Joined: 2001/12/13
United States
2004/02/09, 01:29 PM
Way too much! There's no rest between Sat & Sun, so basically you are going 6 days straight on upper body. If you've been on this for a while, I assume you are not gaining anything...and probably won't.

If you haven't already, sign up for an FT program. Remember, less is more...

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**_Robert_**
Pain is temporary; glory is forever!
kostyan5
kostyan5
Posts: 10
Joined: 2004/02/08
United States
2004/02/09, 02:12 PM
So sticking with the excercises I have, can anyone suggest a good schedule? I don't want to do legs because I've played soccer all my life so my legs are as good as I want them. What about doing cardio at the end, good or bad? What, if anyting, should I do during off days?
2004/02/09, 02:18 PM
kostyan, while lifts like squats and deadlifts do incorporate the legs they add enormous overall strength. If you lift heavy then once per week is usually enough for most body parts except legs and abs. You can do them a little more often. You do realize that muscles grow while resting and not while lifting?

Most folks here reccommend cardio for off days or about a six hour separation from lifting. On your off days.......rest.

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Some times life is like herding cats.

Charlie
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2004/02/09, 03:42 PM
I've played soccer, wrestled, and now I cheer, all sports require leg strength, and even though I use them i still train them. You use your arms all day writing and driving, so stop training them! But of coarse you won't do that cause like any american guy you gotta have big arms, cause thats all society dictats. Just cause you play soccer thats no excuse not to train them, if you wanna be big and strong you need to train everything. I have read many articals saying that lower body strength goes hand and hand with upper body strength, and your body will only alow you to get so out of porportion. Measure your calves and biceps.....they should be pretty close measurment wise.

mon chest biceps
tues shoulders calves abbs
wed off
thurs legs triceps
fri back calves abbs

if you wanna bring out your chest a lil more
mon chest back
tues shoulders bis
wed off
thur legs
fri chest back

you can switch this and the following week do shoulders twice in the week, then the next week back 2 times in a week then legs 2 times in that week after that
thurs

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---andrew.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR!!
esmuva06
esmuva06
Posts: 57
Joined: 2003/11/10
United States
2004/02/09, 05:35 PM
to add somethin to andrews last post on his 2nd workout at the bottom when you train somethin twice each week train one harder at a time, like chest/back the 1st time focus chest...2nd time do back first then do chest last... or you can alternate... i just prefer burning out a body part at a time unless i'm supersetting bench pullups or something like that
kostyan5
kostyan5
Posts: 10
Joined: 2004/02/08
United States
2004/02/09, 08:30 PM
So as I understand, at least in the starting out stage, there are no advantages (and actually a disadvantage) in working the same body part twice a week.

Is inserting an off day in between every gym day into my original work out make it any better? (Again, not to sound stubborn, I don't wont to introduce any leg work out into my schedule). Thanks for the advice so far.
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2004/02/10, 12:10 AM
well do what you want man, its your body i'm just saying you will se better gains if you spread your workouts up and work the whole body. But hay if you wanna look like a ogre with a huge chest shoulders and arms with chicken legs go right ahead, i'll be laughing.......hell bench press all you want, do it all you want for all I care, i've been there done that before and it didn't work.

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---andrew.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR!!
kostyan5
kostyan5
Posts: 10
Joined: 2004/02/08
United States
2004/02/10, 09:57 AM
bigandrew, that's just not cool. I didn't ask for you to be an ass, all I asked for was some advice and I don't need a cheerleader to tell me what to do. I said thanks for the advice but I don't want to do legs and you keep insisting and being an ass. I don't need that.

As for everybody else, thanks for your advice and I'd like to here more from you.
hecdarec
hecdarec
Posts: 2,457
Joined: 2003/12/16
United States
2004/02/10, 10:04 AM
Kostyan5 do what you want to do, it is your body man. bigandrew you seem to take it personal if someone doesnt work their legs up to your standards. Cool out a little bit man.

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Hec da Rec in full effect.
agamble
agamble
Posts: 1,029
Joined: 2003/09/22
United States
2004/02/10, 10:17 AM
Aw, big A don't mean nothing by it. He's just passionate about this stuff. I can't work my legs/back as hard as everyone else (previous injury and I really am a puss when it comes to pain) so I just sift through all the info and take what I can use and forget the rest. Everydody's needs, goals, and opinions are so different that's the only way you can do it. Like Hec said, "It's your body."
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2004/02/10, 10:22 AM
all I'm trying to get across is if he works his entire body he will get better gains, I mean think about it he plays soccer, if he can leg press 200lbs and kick a ball 20 yards at 35 mph, then what would it be if he could leg press 300? There are reasons to my madness.Even though power lifters train to break a bench pres record they still train legs don't they? thats the only point i'm trying to get across. By the way hec i'm not saying he needs to go squat 400lbs like me, soccer players at my high school when I played did fast reps on leg press and squats and every one of them got fast, and could kick the ball faster and harder. But like I told him he can do whatever...............oh and I don't apreciate the cheerleader comment either

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---andrew.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR!!
7707mutt
7707mutt
Posts: 7,686
Joined: 2002/06/18
United States
2004/02/10, 10:28 AM
Kostyan5 Andrew knows what he is talking about. To each their own but he is right your legs are the foundation for your body, and just because you think soccer has developed them does not mean that they could not benift from working them as well. I agree he may have been a little harsh, but I agree with him work your legs regardless and also that cheerleader comment is plain wrong! LOL but anyway good luck!

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LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
k1972pat
k1972pat
Posts: 154
Joined: 2003/06/10
United States
2004/02/10, 10:32 AM
Boy all these harsh comments, you would think it is Monday morning.. LOL I see some people woke up on the wrong side of the bed...
hecdarec
hecdarec
Posts: 2,457
Joined: 2003/12/16
United States
2004/02/10, 10:37 AM
Personally I agree with mostly everything bigandrew says and I enjoy the majority of his posts. Sometimes though (And please do not get offended or angry) it just seems like he is awfully harsh on these people who dont do legs. There I have vented, I am going to go to the gym now and work SHOULDERS (legs was yesterday=)

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Hec da Rec in full effect.
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2004/02/10, 10:39 AM
and I appoligize for comming across as an ass, society seems to think that big chest and arms are all you need, and i'm wanting to "break" that society bond. And thanx mutt for backing me up as well as charlie

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---andrew.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR!!
kostyan5
kostyan5
Posts: 10
Joined: 2004/02/08
United States
2004/02/10, 10:42 AM
I understand your point, I'm just getting a little frustrated. I'm asking for the advice with my current workout and I must have said it 5 times that I don't want to do legs. I just choose not too and everybody keeps telling me that I should. I understand why I should and I understand all of your arguements and I appreciate it. All I'm asking for is some advice WITHOUT getting into legs. Sorry for the earlier comment, bigandrew.
hecdarec
hecdarec
Posts: 2,457
Joined: 2003/12/16
United States
2004/02/10, 10:45 AM
OK, now everybody take someones hand and repeat after me "I will not make fun of cheerleaders, I will not be harsh to people, I will give good insight and help others" Now hug. Ahh that feels better.

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Hec da Rec in full effect.
7707mutt
7707mutt
Posts: 7,686
Joined: 2002/06/18
United States
2004/02/10, 10:47 AM
I understand your point. I think that the days you have are ok(meaning the body parts are put together ok) I would drop the 2x per week training and go heavier with the weights. Add exercises like bent rows and deadlifts to you back(if you are not doing them) and go from there. Make sure to eat right and drink water and see what happens

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LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
kostyan5
kostyan5
Posts: 10
Joined: 2004/02/08
United States
2004/02/10, 01:01 PM
Is this schedule any better:
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
Sun - OFF OFF OFF
Mon - 1 2 3
Tue - 2 3 1
Wed - OFF OFF OFF
Ths - 3 1 2
Fri - OFF OFF OFF
Sat - 1 2 3
(... and repeat)

Key:
1 - Chest and Tries
2 - Back and Bies
3 - Shoulders and Forearms.

The thing is that I have to take Wed's off because of my class schedule and I want my workout schedule to be somewhat systematic. And should I do any cardio (how much, if any) during the OFF days or not do anything at all?
kostyan5
kostyan5
Posts: 10
Joined: 2004/02/08
United States
2004/02/10, 01:02 PM
Wow, the schedule came out a little crooked. The space formatting didn't work well, I guess. The key there is that I would go 4 times a week alternating 3 body groups.
7707mutt
7707mutt
Posts: 7,686
Joined: 2002/06/18
United States
2004/02/10, 01:09 PM
Not sure what you mean what I meant was this:

Day 1 - Shoulders and Forearms
day 2 - Chest and Triceps
day 3 - Back and Biceps
Now you can add calves or abs or even legs(grin) but youw ill see better results if you added weight and uped the intensity during the workouts. Hope this helps

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LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
esmuva06
esmuva06
Posts: 57
Joined: 2003/11/10
United States
2004/02/10, 05:50 PM
just my opinion, i know it has worked for a lot of people, but i can't do back and biceps the same day... i can deal with chest and triceps, but after blasting my back i have nothing left for biceps. i also break up my week with a leg day on wednesday (haha just kidding man)
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2004/02/12, 04:07 PM
4 day split for 3 body groups...........
mon chest
tues back
wed off
thurs shoulders
fri arms(all)

mutt I highly doubt he will want to do any deadlifts concidering he don't want any leg work done

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---andrew.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR!!