Info for anyone interrested in Weight training.

tkav1980

Member
Well, I kind of hijacked another thread and decided to start this one for anyone who is interrested in weight training. I am going to lay out a very simple yet extremely effective program as well as dispell some of the greatest myths about getting stronger and more muscular. I will also answer any questions you may have about any kind of exercise program or diet. If people are interrested I will even go ahead and develop rough outlines for individual diet programs.


This is a 4 day a week program. You only do 3 total sets per bodypart, and train each body part 2 times every 7 days.

Day 1 -
Chest - decline bench - 3 sets to failure
Shoulders - lateral raises - 3 sets to failure
Triceps - weighted dips or close grip bench press - 3 sets to failure

day 2
Wide grip pull ups - 3 sets to failure ( if you can do 10 reps add weight)
Pendlay barbell row - 3 sets of 6, 10,15 reps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlRrIsoDpKg
Dumbell curls - 3 sets to failure

day 3 off

day 4
Squats - 3 sets - first set 6-9 reps, second set 10-12 reps, 3rd set 10-12 reps
Lying leg curl - 3 sets to failure
Standing or seated calf raise(I like to alternate week to week) 3 sets to failure.


Day 5
Repeat day 1

day 6 off
day 7 off

day 8 repeat day 2 and so on.....

so its 2 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on , 2 days off repeat.


ONLY 1 exercise per bodypart and ONLY 3 sets per exercise, Back is the exception because of the sheer number of muscles in your back. each set except barbell rows and squats should be taken to failure. this is plenty of work to induce a response from your immune system....


I'm sure this goes agains most logic so I'll leave this like it is without further explaination and simply answer questions anyone may have.
 
That is really an excellent and well thought out lifting routine. I've developed many for myself over the years, but I can see your wisdom in the way you've constructed it. I will definitely do this one when I get back to the gym. Just one question...why do you recommend the decline bench presses rather than flat bench? Just curious...

That's interesting what you said in the other thread about starting heavy and then making it lighter and lighter for the next sets. This is exactly what I did for my Bench press sets. I'd warm-up with 135 lbs, 10 reps not too fast, then go straight to 225 lbs and do about 7 reps (almost failure because I never had a spotter), then 185 to failure (maybe 10 reps), then back to 135 (to failure). I actually got my max up to 275 lbs doing this.

Thanks for the tips. I copied and pasted your program into my notepad.
 
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That is really an excellent and well thought out lifting routine. I've developed many for myself over the years, but I can see your wisdom in the way you've constructed it. I will definitely do this one when I get back to the gym. Just one question...why do you recommend the decline bench presses rather than flat bench? Just curious...

That's interesting what you said in the other thread about starting heavy and then making it lighter and lighter for the next sets. This is exactly what I did for my Bench press sets. I'd warm-up with 135 lbs, 10 reps not too fast, then go straight to 225 lbs and do about 7 reps (almost failure because I never had a spotter), then 185 to failure (maybe 10 reps), then back to 135 (to failure). I actually got my max up to 275 lbs doing this.

Thanks for the tips. I copied and pasted your program into my notepad.

first bolded part: Ok try this, flex your chest as hard as you possibly can in the mirror and look where your hands end up... they'll be down near your belly button. This is because The Pec major is pennated muscle tissue whose function is to bring the upper arm down and across the chest. In EMG studies decline bench has the highest percentage of fiber recruitment for the PEC Major and Pec Minor recruiting 98% of all muscle fibers in those muscles, Flat bench drops to around 72% and incline is a bismal 46%.

second bolded part: When constructing a routine energy metabolism and muscular output must be considered. Think about this, if I have you warm up to 200 lbs on a bench, then do your first work set there, you may get 10 reps, then up to 225 for 8 then finally 250 lbs but only for 5 reps. Now instead warm up the muscle ans start with that 250 lbs. youll notice now you can get 10 reps with it. Thats 2500 lbs total lifted in that heavy set . That workload translates to the total hormonal response when building new tissue.

If you track your total work output in total weight lifted working up vs. working down you will see a 50% increase in total work performed.


This is extremely important when only doing 3 sets per muscle. It is a careful balance between training volume, total load, recovery and training frequency. With lower volume training you have the ability to train a muscle around 82 times per year. Thats 82 times you induce growth versus 52 times per year with traditional volume training.

also exercises chosen are important. If you do 6 sets of decline a week and 6 sets of close grip bench, your chest and Tri's both did a total of 12 sets with varying load displacement flipping from primary to secondary. This is a way to keep your muscles in a state of supercompensation where nutrient uptake is always basically on overdrive.


I'm actually heading off to the gym right now, but when I get back I will make dieting(for weightloss or gaining muscle and strength) so easy you will wonder how these people on TV selling nutrisystem or weight watchers get away with that crap.
 
Interesting, especially the decline bench part but how many reps is a set?

Not sure if you've heard of it but I am doing the Body for life routine right now. I need to lose weight more than build muscle but according to Bill Phillips book the way to gain muscle is the opposite of what you have listed. I am sure this argument can go on for days but basically the routine is like this

Day 1--Upper body where you do each upper body part starting with a low weight for 12 reps, then gradually increase the weight and do 10 reps, increase again do 8reps, increase yet again and do 6 reps which you should barely be able to do, then rest 1 minute and do 12 reps at the weight you did 10 or 8 at whichever you can do, then immediately do 12 reps for that body part but do a different exercise.

Day-2 Cardiofor 25 minutes, with the same idea, jog on a treadmill and start at a comfy pace where yoour exertion level is a 6 for 2 minutes then every minute increase till level 9 then back down to level 6 and start again every minute go back up..the last 2 minutes you should go to max peak level 10 and yoour done.

Day 3--Lower body quads, Hammies,calves, and abs.


Day--4 Cardio

Day 5 Upper body again

Day--6 Cardio

Day 7----rest

Then start the next week with lower body.

I did this years ago for 2 months and it worked great, this time I plan on 3 months and then maybe I will look to building muscle more but you surprisingly build alot of muscle with this program,

Check it oout here...http://bodyforlife.com/
 
Here's the thing about these fitness "GURU's" 90% of the time they have no idea what theyre talking about. Now ANY kind of exercise will take a sedentary person and effect change. However without progressive overload that change will stop once your body completely adapts to the exercise routine. The hands down fastest way to lose weight is to build muscle. Your daily caloric needs are compounded my carrying more muscle simply to maintain that extra muscle tissue. Thats why when I prep someone for a contest We dont worry about trying to lose bodyfat until only 6 weeks out. We build more muscle mass. That muscle in turn burns the fat. yes to get sub 7% BF you need to calorie restrict water and sodium deplete etc but for 99% of the population its unnecessary.


Secondly Weight training is orders of magnitude more effective at calorie expendature than cardio. the most effective way to do cardio is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. your blood glycogen stores are depelated and you need to burn fat for energy at that point.


Decline set s go lile this... 6-9 reps heaviest, 10% drop in weight used 10-12 reps to failure, 10% drop again and 12-15 reps to failure.

Here's the actualy research to back up some of my points. By the way, any trainer or self proclaimed fitness GURU should easily be able to hand over peer reviewed research to support his methods.

http://www.edulife.com.br/dados\art...amento fisico\eletromiografia do peitoral.pdf



Also this :


This study was conducted by Tudor O. Bompa, PhD & Lorenzo J. Cornacchia. Both men and women were used in the sudy and all subjects had at least two years experience with resistance training.

Electromyographical (EMG) Research is an essential research tool allowing physiologists to determine the role of muscles during specific movements. EMG is a scientific method of measuring the level of excitation. This is done by placing electrodes over your body and recording the level of muscle activity induced by an exercise. A study was conducted to find which exercises cause the greatest amount of activity within each muscle group and, as a consequence, determine which exercises will produce the greatest gains in mass and strength.
Here are the results of that study:

(100% would signify maximum muscle fiber stimulation)

Pectoralis Major
Decline dumbbell bench press -----------------93%
Decline bench press, Olympic bar(OB)---------89
Push-ups between benches --------------------88
Flat dumbbell bench press ----------------------87
Flat bench press (OB) ---------------------------85
Flat dumbbell flyes -------------------------------84

Pectoralis Minor
Incline dumbbell bench press ------------------91%
Incline bench press (OB) ------------------------85
Incline dumbbell flyes ---------------------------83
Incline bench press (smith machine) -------------81

Medial Deltoids
Incline dumbbell (db) side laterals ----------- 66%
Standing db side laterals -----------------------63
Seated db side laterals -------------------------62
Cable side laterals -------------------------------47

Posterior Deltoids
Standing db bent laterals ---------------------- 85%
Seated db bent laterals -------------------------83
Standing cable bent laterals --------------------77

Anterior Deltoids
Seated front db press -------------------------79%
Standing front db raises ----------------------73
Seated front barbell press --------------------61

Biceps brachii (long head)
Preacher curls (Ob) ---------------------------- 90%
Incline seated Db curls (alternate) ------------- 88
Standing biceps curls (Ob/narrow grip)--------- 86
Standing Db curls (alternate) -------------------- 84
Concentration Db curls ---------------------------- 80
Standing curls (Ob/wide grip)-------------------- 63
Standing E-Z curls (wide grip) ------------------ 61

Triceps brachii (outer head)
Decline extensions (Ob) -------------------------- 92%
Triceps pressdowns (angled bar) ------------------ 90
Dips with a bench -----------------------------------87
One-arm cable extensions (reverse grip) ------------ 85
Overhead rope extensions ------------------------ 85
Seated one-arm Db extensions (neutral grip)-------- 82
Close-grip bench press (Ob) ---------------------- 72

Latissimus dorsi (back)
Bent-over Bb rows -----------------------------------93%
One-arm Db rows ------------------------------------91
T-bar rows ---------------------------------------------89
Lat pulldowns to the front ------------------------------86
Seated pulley rows -------------------------------------83

Rectus femoris (quads)
Safety squats (90 deg angle, shoulder width stance) --------88%
seated leg extensions (toes straight) -----------------------86
Hack squats (90 deg angle, shoulder width stance) --------78
Leg press (110 deg angle) ---------------------------------76
Smith machine (90 deg angle, shoulder width stance) --------60

Biceps femoris (hamsring)
Standing leg curls ---------------------------------------82%
Lying leg curls --------------------------------------------71
Seated leg curls -----------------------------------------58
Modified hamstring deads (SLDLs, I assume)----------56

Semitendinosus (inner hamstring)
Seated leg curls ----------------------------------------88
Standing leg curls --------------------------------------79
Lying leg curls -----------------------------------------70
Modified hamstring deads (SLDLs, I assume)------------63

Gastrocnemius (calf muscle)
Donkey raises -----------------------------------80
Standing one-leg raises -------------------------79
Standing two-leg raises --------------------------68
Seated calf raises ----------------------------------61



Look at that chart and look closely at the exercises in my outlined routine. You will see why I use what I use.
 
I do perform my cardio 1st thing in the morning on an empty stomach for the same resons you stated, It is in Bill Phillips book which was written along time ago. To be honest I think the whole P90X and copycat craze is a ripoff of Bodyforlife with a few small changes but is the same idea.
 
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