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2003/04/07, 12:00 PM
I can workout twice a day, five days a week and I need some questions answered. If I am trying to gain mass, I am 6'1, 185 lbs and 16% bodyfat. My target is 200 lbs with a body fat closer to 10% (10-13). My questions are as follows:
1. To meet my goals should I do aerobic and my weight training routine at the same time, or should I be trying just to add mass and then cut fat?
2. Should I be stacking Ephedra and Creatine? Or should I cycle the two?
3. What are recomendations for workout cycles, like tris, shoulder, chest one day, that kind of stuff?
4. Should I be working out twice a day, I eat very well, I normally get about 350 g of protein and 3,500 calories.
Thank you for helping I just need these few questions answered, please take the time out to help me and reply.
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2003/04/07, 12:23 PM
I don't see the point in working out twice a day while trying to gain mass. Unless you find it easier to spend two shorter session in the gym than one session.
Definitely do your lifting first. The way your body uses energy, it has a short burn system, then switches to burning the glycogen in your muscles, which is better fuel for anaerobic exercise (weight lifting0 and is a power system. After you use up your glycogen in your muscles and liver your body will switch to stored bodyfat for fuel. That type of fuel is better for aerobic exercise. That is the theory i read and I believe it because it changed how my body looks and functions.
you want to lift heavy and you need energy to do that. You still need to get in a good warm-up and get your body loosened up and ready for lifting - but use your power for lifting.
Most of the guys i know don't do cardio until they are in the cutting phase of their pre-show cycle.
i think you should at least do thirty minutes three times a week at 65-85% of your targetheart rate to keep your cardiovascular system healthy and fit.
Ephedra and creatine do two different things and i have read anything about one having a negative effect on the other, but be careful with ephedra. It has gotten a lot of bad press lately and they are discovering new dangers of using it.
The latest i have heard about creatine, which i use myself, is that you don't really need a loading phase, just take 5grams, twice a day. (I take 5 grams after my workout, i figure since i am not a large male i don't need as much). Make sure you stay hydrated.
i also think glutamine is an excellent supplement (I mix mine with my creatine and a packet of Emergen-C), it helps with recovery and boosts your immune system.
Decide what your priority is - if you want to gain mass focus on that for a good 5-8 week cycle, then decide if you want to get leaner. you should get a little leaner just by upping your intensity in the weight room and putting on some mass (remember, muscle burns fat).
Depending on how many days you want to work out, there are numerous ways to split up your workouts.
Some examples i have done are:
Monday Chest, Biceps, abs
Tuesday Legs - compound exercises
Wednesday Back and triceps low back
Thursday Isolate leg muscles
Friday shoulders, forearms abs
Sat/Sun rest
or what I am doing now:
Monday Back
Tuesday Compound legs, abs
Wednesday Chest
Thursday Isolate leg muscles, abs
Friday biceps, triceps
Saturday shoulders
Sunday rest.
You can do all kinds of variations -sometimes my training partner and I hit each muscle group twice a week. Sometimes we work 3 days on, one day off.
We switch up our weights and reps and intensity from week to week and throw in plyometrics now and then.
I have gained about 10 lbs of mass since November.
Wel, that is all I know for now, i guess. hope it helps!
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Challenge + Consistency = Results
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2003/04/07, 12:26 PM
nice post asimmer!
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IF YOU CAN STILL ITCH YOUR NOSE AFTER ARM DAY, GO DO ANOTHER SET!!!
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2003/04/08, 11:39 AM
Ok, just so I am clear asimmer, taking both supplements is ok. And aerobic and weight training I can do at the same time instead of cycling lots of cardio and hard weightlifting? Since I have lots of time to workout, I can put one of your example days in the morning and one in the afternoon and maybe Mon, Wed, Fri do that and Tues, Thurs do Cardio. The ephedra I am taking is EAS BetaLean HP, it says to take 3 pills twice daily before workout/meal and only five days a week. I take it it's saying five days a week as in only when u wrok out. So would if I take ephedra on Tues and Thurs only. (I am going to post this last question in the supplement section also, so don't think I am being stupid) Thanks for all the info guys.
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2003/04/08, 01:24 PM
Hey Zack, one thing that I have found that really helps when trying to gain lean muscle and keep a low BF %, is a simple strategy. I take one serving of whey protein right before and after my cardiovascular training with some glutamine and creatine. I do HIIT cardio which, if done with enough intensity, actually provides a stimulus for muscles growth and you would be smart to take advantage of this. My schedule is somewhat like yours. There are days when I workout twice as well(cardio, weights)this is one thing I love about being a personal trainer. I always make sure that I leave enough time in between workouts as well, usually 8 hours or so (I am an early riser also). And I also use creatine AND ephedra. Get the timing strategies down and you will achieve your goals. Good luck and keep up the good work.
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2003/04/09, 04:07 PM
I addressed the volume of your workout under your other post. I regards to your supplement use, it is okay to take creatine and ephedra at the same time. However, if the ephedra supplement you are taking also contains caffeine (most do) you're cancelling things out. Creatine causes you to store more water in your muscles and caffeine is a diuretic and drains you of water. That's why your results from creatine will be nominally less if you're a big coffee drinker.
The label recommendations for fat burner supplements are usually a little high. Think about taking the recommended dosage (six caps a day seems high, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt) at most every other day. Your body builds a tolerance for stimulants like ephedra (just like with caffeine) and it'll stsrt to lose its effects after awhile if you take it constantly.
The creatine loading phase is not *necessary* but it takes longer to saturate your muscles if you don't load. If you take the recommended 5-7g dose every day, you'll be saturated in about 30 days. I cycle trwo months on (at most) one month off, so I do load to saturate quickly.
Glutamine, though I've read conflicting information on its effects on weight training, is all around good for your body. It strengthens your immune and gastro-intestinal systems and certainly couldn't hurt your progress in the gym.
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"Don't follow leaders and watch your parking meters!"
-- Bob Dylan
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