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2006/09/24, 04:03 AM
Hello,
I recently started a plan to gain weight. I am one month into this plan and I have gained about 8 pounds. However, this past week, I lost one pound. For my diet, I have followed Anthony Ellis' suggested diet (skinnyguy.net) and muscle gain exercise regiment provided by this website.
However, I am skeptical as to whether my exercise regiment is enough. For one, the advice given on free trainers is in direct contradiction with the advice given by Anthony Ellis. Ellis says to avoid using machines and do reps with heavy weights no more than 5-8 at a time. With freetrainers, I am doing reps counting down from 20 and using machines.
I have had some positive results this past month, but I am hesitant as to whether I should switch my plan. Part of my reluctance to stop using machines is that for things like a bench press, I am not comfortable using the weights without some kind of protection against injury (ie, a spotter, but none of my friends weight lift).
My question is, should I switch to this Anthony Ellis advice, which seems to adhere to High Intensity Training principles? Or should I keep with freetrainers?
I have also considered employing a personal trainer, as I am new to this and would really prefer to do things correctly, do you guys think this would be cost effective?
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2006/09/24, 04:04 AM
Here is the Anthony Ellis regiment:
Wednesday (legs, abs)
4 heavy sets for 4-8 reps each.
Heavy Squats, leg extension superset
Seated Calve Raises, 4 strips sets
Crunches (4 sets of 20)
(Thursday: Rest)
Friday (chest, shoulder, triceps, abs)
Flat bench press, incline dumbbell flyes superset
Shoulder press, side raises superset
Triceps pushdowns
Reverse incline leg raises (3 sets of 20)
(Saturday: Rest)
Sunday (back, biceps, abs)
Wide grip pull-ups, latbar pulldown superset
EZ bar bicep curl, incline dumbbell curls superset
Crunches (4 sets of 20)
That's it. Nothing fancy, but effective.
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2006/09/24, 10:28 AM
I think the Ellis program sounds like a good one. Freetrainers programs do tend to have a higher rep range. this is one variable that can keep you from plateauing and has its place in periodization. A lot of HIT plans have low to moderate rep schemes with many sets and little rest, so you might be doing sort of the same thing as pyramiding down from 20 reps, do you se what I mean? Sometimes high volume is needed to really get into all of the muscle fibers and make them work.
If you have gained 8 pounds in one month and don't feel it is more fat than muscle, you are doing well with the freetrainers program. I would think it would be good to continue the freetrainers program and then do a cycle of the Ellis program, your body should continue to respond and grow.
If you need a spot in the gym, just ask someone who isn't in the middle of a set or ask a trainer who isn't busy. It really isn't that much of a hassle to get a spot.
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We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
- Aristotle
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2006/09/24, 06:07 PM
Hm... I do not know for sure whether I have gained more fat than muscle, Ellis suggests I get a skinfold caliper, which I plan on getting in the future. However, I do notice I have gained a small belly, but at the same time I do have more defined muscles!
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2006/11/29, 11:43 PM
Hey,
I just wanted to get a quick question answered here if no one minds. I have started to gain a small gut in my weight gain, how do I get rid of it? Should I go into a "cutting phase" as has been suggested?
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