Please help

[blut wump]

I'm not a doctor but I'd reckon that shooting pains are due to nerves which are trapped or being pressed on in some way, maybe due to nearby inflamed tissue. If it's happening often, I'd seek help. It's possible that an anti-inflammatory might help but that's no long-term solution.

Meanwhile, try different rep ranges to see whether something in the 6 to 8 range has the same effect.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

What part of your body do you get the shooting pains, and during which exercises? All? Some? Gotta give us specifics. Granted, we're not doctors anyway, and if we fail to help you (or if the pain is unbearable) you'd be better off seeing a certified medical professional.

20-30 reps is way too high. I'd keep the rep range between 5-10 if your goal is strength and size. You may want to try something Mark Rippetoe (a very gifted strength coach) devised for beginners.

You will train Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You will focus on heavy, compound movements. The goal is to get as strong as you can as quickly as you can. The thing most people don't grasp is that, unless you're using AAS (in which case, all rules go out the window) you'll need to continually add weight to the bar (progressive load) over the course of time, while eating enough calories for your body to sustain the mass, in order to grow muscle. In short - focus on gaining strength, and the size will come.

Anyway, you alternate a Day A and Day B workout. The first week will go:

Day A (Monday), Day B (Wednesday), Day A (Friday)

The second week, obviously, will go:

Day B (Monday), Day A (Wednesday), Day B (Friday)

Here are the exercises to be done each day:

Day A
Full Back Squat - 3x5
Flat Bench Press - 3x5
Deadlift - 1x5 / Power Clean - 5x3

Day B
Full Back Squat - 3x5
Standing OHP - 3x5
Weighted Chinups - 3x5

You'll do three warmup sets for each exercise, then do your working sets for the same weight on all three sets. Here's an example - let's say you bench 135 lbs. You'll start out doing the bar (45 lbs.) for 5 reps. The second set, do 75x3. The third, do 105x2. Then do your working sets with 135 lbs. for 3x5.

You may need to use more warmup sets if the jumps in weight are too steep for you. This is fine. It may also be advised you do some like cycling for 5 minutes prior to warming up.

Squats are integral to this program! The main goal is to add strength quick. Every workout you'll be squatting. Try to add 10 lbs. to the bar every workout for 3-4 weeks. Once you feel you're close to stalling, drop to 5 lb. jumps each session. Continue with this. If and when you stall, drop the weight back 15-20 lbs. and ramp back up with 5 lbs. each session. If you stall, do it again. If you get stuck at your old weight three times, it's time to change something. The routine will no longer work for you. This is the premise, and the advice Mark gives. I'd follow it.

The squats will drive the program. Nothing else is as important. Make 5 lb. jumps with the other exercises each session. The point is to try to add weight as often as possible. If you need to, go to www.paragonsports.com and order 1.25 lb. olympic plates, so you can make 2.5 lb. jumps a week, if need be. Eat a lot while doing this. Come back to us when you've stalled.

Oh, and the deadlifts and power cleans are alternated each Day A workout, but I figured that was understood.

And if you need to learn how to do these exercises, find a good coach, and order Mark Rippetoe's book Starting Strength.

 

[mortious]

i do 20 reps then 10 because thats wut my instructor at the gym told me lol. the first 20 are really light then the second 10 are heavier. :S. she said its to get the muscle fatigued so i develop muscle a lot faster.

 

[mortious]

and i usually get the pains after the workout, its in all body parts, so far ive had it in back, thumb, wrist, tricep etc, its not that bad tho, jus a sting.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Alright, well your instructor is a moron, sorry to say. You won't develop anything beyond muscular endurance if you're using reps that high. You won't be able to load the tissue properly. Lower weights with heavier reps is better. I'm sure she has no idea what she's talking about, so don't go to her for advice.

As for the pains, I dunno what to tell you. If it's in all muscles that you train, then see if you become accustomed to it over time, make sure you're using proper form when you lift, make sure you warmup properly, and don't use weights that are too heavy for you.

 

[DZLS]

i can understand your instructors point of fatiguing the muscle beforehand, but to do this correctly you should be doing supersets...

say if you did 10 reps of barbell bench press, follow that up immediately with 10 reps of dumbbell presses... this 20/10 shit is kinda retarded and you are not fatiging the muscle persay, cause you are probably resting between those sets...

and your second exercise of the superset is going to be lighter than the first cause you will have already prefatigued the muscle...

i can;t really help you with the pains, cause i'm not really sure what you are trying to convey... muscle soreness is a good thing the days following your workouts... you actually look forward to it, so you know you accomplished something... shooting pains...? doesn't sound too good...

just make sure you are using proper form on all your lifts, and use a weight you can handle... at your age, you do not want to overload your tendons, ligaments with heavy weights if you are not performing them correctly...

good luck...

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Eh, supersetting and fatiguing the muscle have nothing to do with hypertrophy or strength progression. There's no reason to follow barbell bench presses with dumbbell bench presses. Pick one or the other and make progress on it.

 

[mortious]

ok so would u guys recommend the 5x5 thing?? also could someone maybe post me a programme for this or something??

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

The 5x5 program works great. The program I recommended is typically used by the same guys who utilize the 5x5, but it's geared for beginners. Start with the program I outlined for you exactly as it is, and stick to it. You'll gain, no doubt. Then look into the single-factor 5x5. After that, probably lean towards dual-factor, but Practical Periodization is coming out in a few months, so by then, you'll have more options.

 

[DZLS]

if you think supersetting does not promote hypertrophy or strength progression, you must be crazy...

following to the dumbbell press immediatley from the barbell will allow him to completely exhaust the muscle group with a lighter weight...

supersets are not something to be done all the time though, as it's for a little more advanced technique...