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Which is the better approac h to muscle?

senor Posts: 80 Joined: 2003/11/09	2009/04/21, 08:17 PM I'm trying to back into shape after about 6-8 months of inconsistent workouts. There seems to be a back to basics push in exercise lately, as in a daily focus only on whole body workouts using compound exercises (i.e. squats, bench, military and rows daily) over days dedicated to specific body parts (chest day, legs day etc.) Should I be doing the repetitive daily compounds, thus working out each body part every weight lifting day or performing workouts tailored to specif body parts every day, that have less exposure to compound movements but more exposure to supplemental exercises?
returnofplex Posts: 801 Joined: 2007/10/26	2009/04/22, 10:56 AM It all depends on how much you're eating and how heavy you're lifting. The whole body workouts several times a week are usually suggested for weight loss and conditioning. With the rep ranges being higher with less weight. If you're trying to pack the weight on, then splitting your days up by muscle groups is a good way to go. You still have the compound movements(with much heavier weights and lower rep ranges), but add in a few supplemental movements as well. In two months I managed to add on about 9 lbs of muscle(and a little fat too) with a full body split, done twice a week. Mon/Tue and Thu/Fri.
senor Posts: 80 Joined: 2003/11/09	2009/04/28, 07:04 AM Is it possible to do both? Shed my belly and build some lean muscle in the process? If so, what approach do I take there? And where do I fit cardio in?
returnofplex Posts: 801 Joined: 2007/10/26	2009/04/28, 12:02 PM If you are a beginner, there will be what I call the "magic window" when you will see improvements in fat loss and muscle gain. BUT these gains will plateau after a point. This is where you will have choose between building bigger muscles or losing appreciable amounts of fat. There are specific dietary needs that accompany each goal. It is possible to SLOWLY gain muscle mass while maintaining or even slightly reducing body fat, but it's very difficult and requires an extremely disciplined diet. Also what happens here is that the changes are very gradual, and you don't see them like you would if you were choosing one goal or the other. To shed that belly, I'd still go with a weight loss and toning routine. Watch your diet carefully. For cardio, I suggest you do a short session right after you lift, and longer sessions on the days in between lifting.
Devinm Posts: 270 Joined: 2006/06/01	2009/04/28, 07:57 PM yea you should focus on cutting up first then bulking. a good goal is about 10% or less bodyfat. the exercises such as squats, bench, military press, deadlift, rows.etc are superior to exercises don with machines because they build functional strength. however, if your want to gain muscle, and dont care about fucnctional machines, feel free to use machines. -------------- Veni,Vidi,Vici.= I came, I saw, I conquered.- Ceasar