How to work your muscles? How often??

[ark94]

Hey everyone, so I will try and keep this short. If you have any questions (like about my diet, or how I lift – heavy weight less reps or less weight more reps) ask because I will not include it in here.
So first off, I am almost 16 years old (1month till im 16 to be exact). I am 6’0 feet and weigh in at 148.5lb.
I have been lifting since I was 13, but not very seriously like I have been the last few months.

My main goal is to gain muscle. Just change some of my BF to muscle and get bigger. Right now that is my goal, i am pretty skinny arms, and some BF in the gut area but not a whole lot. I want to gain muscle overall is what im trying to get at, get bigger.

However, I have a few main questions I would like to ask. I go to the gym everyday, and I do basically the same muscle groups 5 days in a row..
I hear you are only suppose to do 1 muscle group a week, 52 times a year etc... however, I like going to the gym and lifting after school everyday, it burns calories and helps build muscle. But if you only workout 1 muscle group per week idk how I would stay at the gym lol.

I hear this overworks the muscles, and it doesn’t give them time to heal but I think with the food, supplements, and drinks I take it should be fast enough so I can go everyday. If this isn’t good to do, do you guys go to the gym Monday and do arms,chest,abs, Tuesday – Legs, back, Shoulders, then Wednesday back to Mondays routine or....
Just would like some insight on this because I have been doing this for quite some time now, and I believe it is really not helping at all, but I thought with the things I take it wouldn’t make a difference. Any help on this?

 

[Tblock1]

What excercises have you been doing? Focus on compound movements. Try this routine which I am doing right now.
5x5 Calculator

It focuses on squats, deadlifts, bench, and military press(or incline bench, but I would suggest military press).

 

[gstacker]

Ya don't work the same muscles everyday... Maybe twice a week
there are many routines u can check out in the forums... So you like going 5 days a week?
A example might be mon chest, Tuesday back we'd shoulders thurs legs fri arms... A million other routines that are better but it's a start... Props on finding this site and researching to better ur gains... Most ur gains will come from diet tho so make sure u don't skimp there... Good luck young man.

 

[ark94]

Ya don't work the same muscles everyday... Maybe twice a week
there are many routines u can check out in the forums... So you like going 5 days a week?
A example might be mon chest, Tuesday back we'd shoulders thurs legs fri arms... A million other routines that are better but it's a start... Props on finding this site and researching to better ur gains... Most ur gains will come from diet tho so make sure u don't skimp there... Good luck young man.

Hey thanks a ton, i have learned quite a bit from being on here.

@Tblock - i like that calculater man thanks, but what your suggesting... is it not more or less for adults? I am only almost about to be 16, right now im doing a lot of arms*** and chest**, i also do shoulders, legs, abs, back.

But how if i take Mutant Mass, make my own protein smoothie mixed with fruits, and am on Cell-Tech creatine am i suppose to burn everything i am taking? Or is that not the point when trying to gain muscle? That is what im unclear on, i think i have to do everything every day because otherwise i am gaining fat instead of muscle with all the things i taking (mutant mass, whey protein, creatine) or are they meant to help you gain muscle even if you dont burn the 1000 calories of mutant mass off?

Also, i have been doing cardio a lot, but i know aguy who works out at the gym and he doesn't do cardio at all and just lifts and he is quite big. Also he is like 18 i believe and is really big for that age, he suggested not to do any cardio....

Sorry my replies are just all over the place, my brain thinks everywhere lol

 

[gstacker]

Ya slow down a lil an have some pationts, cardio is good for the heart n health I'd say do some cardio but don't go crazy.... Lift heavy an rest an feed urself an u will grow... U keep hittin the same muscles Ed and u will overtrain n get nowhere... K? I gifted u a plat so u can search around n learn more... The protien for post work outs cool but honestly u don't need anything else creatine etc jus eat n work out.

 

[JDid23]

agreed mostly with gstacker.

also, 5x5 isn't only for adults. TBlock is 17 and has seen great gains on it-- i think that you're worrying too much about "the perfect split" when in reality you need to worry about learning the big lifts.

wanted to add that taking whatever you're taking is not going to compensate for a shitty diet, and no rest if you're training 5 days a week so be sure to get your diet on track. i wouldn't worry about gaining too much weight- you're 6 feet and weigh around 150.. i am around 5'9, weigh about 160 and i am pretty skinny.

good luck!

 

[ark94]

agreed mostly with gstacker.

also, 5x5 isn't only for adults. TBlock is 17 and has seen great gains on it-- i think that you're worrying too much about "the perfect split" when in reality you need to worry about learning the big lifts.

wanted to add that taking whatever you're taking is not going to compensate for a shitty diet, and no rest if you're training 5 days a week so be sure to get your diet on track. i wouldn't worry about gaining too much weight- you're 6 feet and weigh around 150.. i am around 5'9, weigh about 160 and i am pretty skinny.

good luck!

@gstacker - thank you, ill definately look more into now that i got the plat and i will most likely keep on doing cardio.

@jdid - my diet is not bad at all, it is very good.

Would say doing Arms, Back, Chest - Monday,Wednesday,Friday
Core,Shoulders,Legs - Tuesday, Thursday be fine?
With around 30minutes of cardio a day every day.

Or should i be giving more of a rest than just 24-48hours?

 

[gstacker]

More rest

 

[future]

You are a hardgainer. We have some threads on that here I posted. Check those out.

 

[Dial_tone]

I would do each part twice a week in the first year or three of training. During that period you aren't able to recruit enough muscle fibers to really wipe yourself out in a workout, so recovery time is shorter. The more often you train the quicker you will get to that point, imo.

 

[joe d]

How to gain muscle mass over the summer with 20 rep squats

this is a good start for you. do this for 3 months and take notes. after that pick a new program and make diet alterations.

 

[ark94]

@joe - hey thanks a ton man!!! i will definately try this out for sure, seems like a really good program . But i will most likely start that out in about a month after i gain some more muscle in general, so i can lift a bit more.

@dialtone - Thank you, i will most likely now be putting together a little program so i can stick to working out certain muscle groups each day.

I appreciate all the input everybody. If anyone has anything else im open to suggestions

*edit* i was going to also ask am i still able to do an hour of cardio a day on top of lifting? I had been doing before my buddy told me, but i am going to start it again doing 21minutes of HIIT , then 30minutes on the elliptical. Is that okay too, or will i just be burning away muscle?

 

[JDid23]

the idea behind the program joe d told you is to build muscle i don't think that gaining "more muscle in general" will help you out with that program specifically, unless you learn the correct way to squat.

Has squatting been prevalent in your previous routines? If yes, how far down do you squat?

 

[ark94]

the idea behind the program joe d told you is to build muscle i don't think that gaining "more muscle in general" will help you out with that program specifically, unless you learn the correct way to squat.

Has squatting been prevalent in your previous routines? If yes, how far down do you squat?

It hasn't =( I don't know a lot of free weight legs, or back workouts yet. So i am making an appointment with a trainer just to learn the proper form for squats, and some other free weight exercise, then i can fit in what joe told me.

By the "more muscle in general" i just meant that so i can lift heavier and i can get used to my the exercises and i can get a good form on some of the new things i need to learn. Thats why i would try it out in a month, or 3 weeks or so.

 

[JDid23]

It hasn't =( I don't know a lot of free weight legs, or back workouts yet. So i am making an appointment with a trainer just to learn the proper form for squats, and some other free weight exercise, then i can fit in what joe told me.

By the "more muscle in general" i just meant that so i can lift heavier and i can get used to my the exercises and i can get a good form on some of the new things i need to learn. Thats why i would try it out in a month, or 3 weeks or so.

Meeting with a trainer is a good idea, just be extrememly careful. Many trainers at gyms will tell you to only squat to parallel, including the ones at my gym. When i squatted to parallel, I hurt my quad which also put me out for soccer for 2-3 weeks. The correct way to squat is as far as your flexibility allows you to go. The trainer also told me deadlifts are bad for my back, and to bench in the smith machine. Long story short; he has been training my friend for 5 months 2 days a week and he goes 1 day on his own, and he has seen very minimal strength gains while I have seen a lot more gains during the short duration of my training. You are very correct about getting the form down and are headed in the right direction. What helps me is keeping a log to track my training and also getting advice from guys on here

 

[joe d]

meating with a trainer is a verry bad idea when you dont know what your doing because most trainers you find in a gym dont know shit. they will teach you bad form. use the internet and drop the trainer. talk to some people on here that really know how to lift.

put on muscle first??? i thought you where asking how to do that.

 

[joe d]

@joe - hey thanks a ton man!!! i will definately try this out for sure, seems like a really good program . But i will most likely start that out in about a month after i gain some more muscle in general, so i can lift a bit more.

@dialtone - Thank you, i will most likely now be putting together a little program so i can stick to working out certain muscle groups each day.

I appreciate all the input everybody. If anyone has anything else im open to suggestions

*edit* i was going to also ask am i still able to do an hour of cardio a day on top of lifting? I had been doing before my buddy told me, but i am going to start it again doing 21minutes of HIIT , then 30minutes on the elliptical. Is that okay too, or will i just be burning away muscle?

30 mins of cardio 3-4 times per wk is all you should be doing.

 

[ark94]

@jdid - yeah i am pretty careful with most of the trainers ( i dont pay for one, they come with the membership cost, and you can have a trainer whenever =D

Basically i have gone through like 5 trainers to find out which one actually shows me the correct things i want to do, and i found one guy and will most likely be making another appointment with him monday.

I will ask him to see if he knows his stuff how far i should be going down to squat.
Also, i use the smith machine to bench when i don't have a buddy to spot me, or somebody i know, is it all that bad? i like benching just with the bar, but the smithmachine helps just for safety when i do it alone, is that still fine to bench on the smithmachine?

oh, and joe you have any links to other threads, or sites that could show me some exercises i may not know and teach a good form?

 

[joe d]

the trainer comes with the membership? i guessing 99% chance this guy also is no good. google mark rippetoe. it seems to me you are asking for help because you du not know what you are doing then not listening to anyone because you know better.

 

[ark94]

the trainer comes with the membership? i guessing 99% chance this guy also is no good. google mark rippetoe. it seems to me you are asking for help because you du not know what you are doing then not listening to anyone because you know better.

I know to a sense what i am doing, but i am also still listening to everyone on here. I have learned quite a bit from this site, and i am still learning important information. Thats a harsh judgement.

 

[joe d]

I know to a sense what i am doing, but i am also still listening to everyone on here. I have learned quite a bit from this site, and i am still learning important information. Thats a harsh judgement.

im not trying to be harsh or rude. read through your statements. regardless of what you do consider this. if you dont know what proper form is and you know gyms are flooded with morons. what would be the more wize choice? going with the gym trainer? or going with the world famus guys? you can watch detailed videos and read countless tips from them. how about the worlds top power lifters? you can view them also. then for reasurance you can video yourself using what you learned and compare. im sorry if i offended you, im only trying to help you avoid what is probably a mistake.

 

[JDid23]

I know to a sense what i am doing, but i am also still listening to everyone on here. I have learned quite a bit from this site, and i am still learning important information. Thats a harsh judgement.

unfortunately, i am going to have to agree with joe d.... I was much better off doing exactly what he said instead of listening to the trainer. By all means go with the trainer for a day and see what he says on how to do squats, deadlifts, and bench press- but if he gives you BS information, then don't ask him again. You can also ask him about squatting deeper and how it helps activate the glutes and takes stress of the knees instead of stopping half way with the knees so that they're absorbing more stress... Your flexibility may not be up to par yet though, so if it's not go as deep as you can, and try to make sure your back doesn't round..

 

[ark94]

I plan on just learning a form and being critized by a trainer, but mainly learning from online just so i can compare, and just get a general form of what to do in a squat etc. like what height should i start the bar at, i was planning on comparing, and mostly using the online videos for form.

 

[gstacker]

Trainers are hit n miss... Just like most things in life....
I often see fat out of shape trainers or skinny under developed ones... And even the ones in decent shape doesn't mean they know what's up or will teach u right.... Free? Y not give it a shot but video an getting feed back will help out alot... Even some advanced lifters on this forum video and take helpful critisizm for improvment.