Heya!
My name is Ryan; I've been trying to get some solid information about bodybuilding/personal training and I'm at a loss and at my wits end!
I was wondering if someone can help!
It's long, but I figured it better to answer it all now then play PM/thread tag.
-I'm 20yrs old, 5'11ish at 155 lbs. Very little fat on me other than a small gut which is fading. I generally eat quite healthy (try to get 1g of protein per body lbs, but thats hard and $$, plus only good carbs, and yadda yadda yadda). I RARELY eat 'junk food'
To each his own, but my goals are not to be some giant Arnold, but simply to put on some mass, larger well defined muscles. I'd like to carry myself well and be a guy that not just anyone would want to jump in a fight with.
Over the last year and a half I've tried a few programs, namely the Body for life program which focus's on 'HIIT', but I didn't like that so much. Then I was doing upper body about every second day (1 exercise for chest/shoulders/biceps/tris, with reps like 12/10/8/6/. I was getting frustrated as i wasn't see anything, and I was told that perhaps i was over training.
SO for a little over a month my program has been pretty much:
-Day1 Chest
DB press
Incline DB press
Flies
-Day 2 Shoulders
Shoulder Press
Upright row
Front Raise
Side Raise
- Day 3 Biceps
DB curl
Concentration Curl
Preacher Curl (EZ curl bar)
- Day 4 Triceps
Skull Crushers with Triceps bar
One Arm Extensions
Kickbacks (I can't seem to get any weight and straighten my arm!?)
-Day 5 Off -- but i usually run or something (although I may just delete day 5 and start with day 1 again.)
-I do a light warm up before each specific exercise with little to no weight.
-Then I try to have the reps/sets look like 12-10/8/6/6/5-4. Or something along those lines. If i'm trying to do a 6 and I added too much weight and can only push out 4, then I usually do one more set of the original weight to push out 6.
-Over the last month or so as I do the DB bench press or Curl or whatever, I find that I'm stuck! Being able to only push out the same amount as I did on my previous workout of that muscle group (sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less depending on it's it early or late or tired ect.) Regardless of me taking Creatien or anything, I can't seem to pump more weight!! In comparison to the amount of time working out!
For example one month ago I DB pressed 12x40/ 8x50/ 3x55/ 6x50/ 6x50/ 3x55
A few days ago on my chest day I did 12x40lbs (per dumbbell)/ 8x50/ 6x55/ 5x55/ 4x55/ 6x50
(sometimes I'll do an extra set or 2 just because I don't feel fulfilled or like I had actually done something with just the 4-5 sets... even though I'm pressing as hard as I can and that there is no way I could squeeze one more rep out)
I workout at home with a standard bench and free weights as I don't have a spotter.
I hurt my ulna [forearm] a while back curling too much on the bar, so that's why I use the Dumb Bells.
Knowing that I can say that I have made nominal gains in definition and firmness in the muscles, HOWEVER I think that I should be considerable larger, stronger, and lifting alot more at this point in the game! I've been working out for over a year... The first little bit was messed up and wasn't doing it right or the program for me, but now it seems no matter what I do nothings happing?!
Keeping that in mind, is there anything you'd suggest or recommend?
-I try to do a fat burning/cardio 3-4 times a week so my muscles do go catabolic and break down.
-My back and legs are something I wouldn't mind rotating into my routine, although as it stands I can't fit them in to this routine, and they're not as pressing for my workout as lets say my shoulders or chest are.
-These workouts take about an hour; even though I'm told a workout shouldn't be more than 45 min??
-How often should I workout each muscle group??
-How are the reps and sets? I've heard some people mention that 1 good set of about 8-6 reps is the same as doing 2-3 more... Therefore there's no point in doing 8 sets when the same can be accomplished in 4-5??
With a program of a similar nature, how fast, and what kind of results can be expected? How do I measure if my gains are sub-par or if i'm right on the money and i'm just expecting too much too soon (I don't think I am at all though!)
Anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated... I'm racking my brain trying to figure this out and I'm getting know where. I figure some practical advise might be best!!
Ryan
PM post or email at [email protected]
My name is Ryan; I've been trying to get some solid information about bodybuilding/personal training and I'm at a loss and at my wits end!
I was wondering if someone can help!
It's long, but I figured it better to answer it all now then play PM/thread tag.
-I'm 20yrs old, 5'11ish at 155 lbs. Very little fat on me other than a small gut which is fading. I generally eat quite healthy (try to get 1g of protein per body lbs, but thats hard and $$, plus only good carbs, and yadda yadda yadda). I RARELY eat 'junk food'
To each his own, but my goals are not to be some giant Arnold, but simply to put on some mass, larger well defined muscles. I'd like to carry myself well and be a guy that not just anyone would want to jump in a fight with.
Over the last year and a half I've tried a few programs, namely the Body for life program which focus's on 'HIIT', but I didn't like that so much. Then I was doing upper body about every second day (1 exercise for chest/shoulders/biceps/tris, with reps like 12/10/8/6/. I was getting frustrated as i wasn't see anything, and I was told that perhaps i was over training.
SO for a little over a month my program has been pretty much:
-Day1 Chest
DB press
Incline DB press
Flies
-Day 2 Shoulders
Shoulder Press
Upright row
Front Raise
Side Raise
- Day 3 Biceps
DB curl
Concentration Curl
Preacher Curl (EZ curl bar)
- Day 4 Triceps
Skull Crushers with Triceps bar
One Arm Extensions
Kickbacks (I can't seem to get any weight and straighten my arm!?)
-Day 5 Off -- but i usually run or something (although I may just delete day 5 and start with day 1 again.)
-I do a light warm up before each specific exercise with little to no weight.
-Then I try to have the reps/sets look like 12-10/8/6/6/5-4. Or something along those lines. If i'm trying to do a 6 and I added too much weight and can only push out 4, then I usually do one more set of the original weight to push out 6.
-Over the last month or so as I do the DB bench press or Curl or whatever, I find that I'm stuck! Being able to only push out the same amount as I did on my previous workout of that muscle group (sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less depending on it's it early or late or tired ect.) Regardless of me taking Creatien or anything, I can't seem to pump more weight!! In comparison to the amount of time working out!
For example one month ago I DB pressed 12x40/ 8x50/ 3x55/ 6x50/ 6x50/ 3x55
A few days ago on my chest day I did 12x40lbs (per dumbbell)/ 8x50/ 6x55/ 5x55/ 4x55/ 6x50
(sometimes I'll do an extra set or 2 just because I don't feel fulfilled or like I had actually done something with just the 4-5 sets... even though I'm pressing as hard as I can and that there is no way I could squeeze one more rep out)
I workout at home with a standard bench and free weights as I don't have a spotter.
I hurt my ulna [forearm] a while back curling too much on the bar, so that's why I use the Dumb Bells.
Knowing that I can say that I have made nominal gains in definition and firmness in the muscles, HOWEVER I think that I should be considerable larger, stronger, and lifting alot more at this point in the game! I've been working out for over a year... The first little bit was messed up and wasn't doing it right or the program for me, but now it seems no matter what I do nothings happing?!
Keeping that in mind, is there anything you'd suggest or recommend?
-I try to do a fat burning/cardio 3-4 times a week so my muscles do go catabolic and break down.
-My back and legs are something I wouldn't mind rotating into my routine, although as it stands I can't fit them in to this routine, and they're not as pressing for my workout as lets say my shoulders or chest are.
-These workouts take about an hour; even though I'm told a workout shouldn't be more than 45 min??
-How often should I workout each muscle group??
-How are the reps and sets? I've heard some people mention that 1 good set of about 8-6 reps is the same as doing 2-3 more... Therefore there's no point in doing 8 sets when the same can be accomplished in 4-5??
With a program of a similar nature, how fast, and what kind of results can be expected? How do I measure if my gains are sub-par or if i'm right on the money and i'm just expecting too much too soon (I don't think I am at all though!)
Anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated... I'm racking my brain trying to figure this out and I'm getting know where. I figure some practical advise might be best!!
Ryan
PM post or email at [email protected]