Any bodybuilders in here? (4 Viewers)

[hYperTrOphY]

How many types of exercises do u do per workout per specific muscle group?

It really depends on the muscle group, whether I am prioritising it etc... so, i would say about 4 - 8 exercises, 3 - 5 sets per exercise.

Edit: After looking at my past programmes, I haven't done 8 exercises for a single muscle group. The only time I have done 8+ is when doing bis and tris together.

 

[55psi]

4-8?! thats a bit of overtraining man. That really is overtraining. If your focusing on strength, thats way too much, but if ur training agility, power, and strength, then i reckon about 4 exercises is max.
Can i ask a question? Whats your height, weight, and how long uve been training for?

 

[hYperTrOphY]

4-8?! thats a bit of overtraining man. That really is overtraining. If your focusing on strength, thats way too much, but if ur training agility, power, and strength, then i reckon about 4 exercises is max.

I am training for hypertrophy Volume training is actually very effective. Remember, I train each muscle group only once per week. So my muscles have 7 full days to recover before they are trained again.
The average number of exercises I would do would probably be 5, each exercise having 3 - 5 sets and each set having 6 - 12 reps.
I am actually going to take a stop watch with me to the gym from now on to ensure I am not resting for too long between sets. This could possibly result in a reduction of sets or exercises - time will tell.
But I am definitely not overtraining, I would suggest that you are undertraining though . The concept of overtraining is often misused and misunderstood. Overtraining is a condition that develops over a period of time when you cannot adequately recover from the work you do. Therefore, training hard doesn't necessarily mean you are 'overtraining' so long as your diet is optimal and you are getting enough rest. I know people who train twice a day, 7 days a week.
Also, to prevent overtraining, one should periodise and taper.

Can i ask a question? Whats your height, weight, and how long uve been training for?

6 foot, 83kgs (up from 58), about 18 months or thereabouts.

 

[hYperTrOphY]

Another thing, your legs make up half you body! How anyone can train their legs and other bodyparts during the same workout - I dont know. I just finished writing out my new programme and I couldn't even fit all my legs into one workout. I ended up putting calves with shoulders.

 

[intangible]

I've been working seriously for around 8 months now. I workout at home. On a solid diet eating every 2-3 hours. Taking multis, flax, fish oil, whey and starting green bulge and higher power cee tomorrow. Hopefully getting some good pumps from that! I weigh low 70s bf% around 13-15.
and around 174cm. Bench 80k - 4-6 reps
DL- 90kg-6reps
Duno squat cause i cant go heavy since i dont have a squat rack.

 

[loquasagacious]

What do you guys think of this workout to build strength, size and tone:

Monday:
Chest:
-Flat Bench Press (3x15)
-Butterfly/Pec-deck (3x15)
-DB flyes (3x15)
-Incline DB press (3x15)


Tuesday:
Shoulders/Back:
-Arnold DB press (3x15)
-Front Cable Raise (3x15)
-Seated DB Press (3x15)
-Upright Row (3x15)
-Lying Delt raise (3x15)
-Pulldown (3x15)
-Seated Cable Row (3x15)

Wednesday:
-Cardio (Bike/treadmill/rowing machine)
-Crunches
-Medecine Ball

Thursday:
Arms:
-DB alternate curl (3x15)
-DB alternate Hammer (3x15)
-Tricep pushdown (cable) (3x15)
-Tate Press (3x15)
-Palms up barbell wrist curl over bench (3x15)

Notes:

Each day would consist of a 10min warm up run stretching 40-50 min workout, stretching again and then a 10min warm down run.

After the First two weeks we would drop reps to 10 and increase weight.

Six weeks in would do a week of strength training - dropping reps to 4. Before resuming normal training the next week. Do this every four weeks or so.

After two weeks introduce high intensity interval training into the cardio.

Oh and there would be two 15min bike rides every day (seperated from the workout though).

Any feedback is welcome.... I'm thinking of dropping a couple of exercises from the shoulders/back - any suggestions?

 

[intangible]

You want chicken legs or what work those wheels !
Deadlift
Squat
Leg extensions

15 reps won't build much size but you wil get your tone and not as much strength as if you went higher weight lower rep.

 

[whsmith]

No, no, no, no, no. Whether you want to get tanked or toned, you should do the same amount of reps. Around 8-10 is the rep range you should be aiming for.

If you want to get toned, this is basically decided by your diet and cardio.

Nothing is set in stone regarding rep schemes.

But if you want to get strong, 6 reps plus is too much. You need heavy + low reps.

As the Powerlifter maxim goes: "Anything over 5 reps is cardio".

You could also use lower-reps + Higher sets for strength and weight gain [+ food of course]. Random example: BEAR routine [deadlift] Do a 90% working set [5RM], and then follow with an 80% [5RM] for endless sets until poor form sets in. Many people do 15-20+ sets. I've even read a guy who had to do 40-50 tonnes of volume each session. This is also done 5 days a week.

Volume, Volume, Volume - Without a loss of intensity. It works wonders. But the most important thing of all - food. Shovel it down. Something you will have to get used to IS LOOSING DEFINITION while gaining. Alot of people, for example, have abs, then want to gain, but as soon as they loose sight of thier 'pack', but bail and diet again. Proffessional Body Builders get almost obese in thier off seasons - this is fact; i'll look for a really awesme photo of Priest if i need to prove this.

Just lift heavy, Lift alot, Do Fork-Curls [eat], and you'll get big.

 

[loquasagacious]

The reason for 15 rep sets is just to ease back into weight training we'll be dropping to 10 reps and increasing the weight after the second week.

To boost strength probably about one week every 4-6 we will drop reps back to four and pile on the weight.

Oh and more leg/ab work will be added later. (probably fit it in on sunday).

 

[Pubert]

Been bodybuilding for 4months added 7kilos to my weight and cant wait to cut.

88kg, 6ft, bench is 80 which is VERY shit for my weight i know that, around 16% bf.

 

[hYperTrOphY]

Monday:
Chest:
-Flat Bench Press (3x15)
-Butterfly/Pec-deck (3x15)
-DB flyes (3x15)
-Incline DB press (3x15)

Yep, pretty good. Depending on your goals for chest at the moment, you may want to consider a decline pressing movement if you hvent already.

Are you just beginning your training now? If so, this rep range wil do for a couple of weeks. However, after that I would pyramid your sets and stay in the rep range of 8 - 12.

Tuesday:
Shoulders/Back:
-Arnold DB press (3x15)
-Front Cable Raise (3x15)
-Seated DB Press (3x15)
-Upright Row (3x15)
-Lying Delt raise (3x15)
-Pulldown (3x15)
-Seated Cable Row (3x15)

Are you shoulders lagging?
Why do you have 5 exercises for your shoulders, but only 2 for back. Do you really think 2 exercises is going to be sufficient for a muscle group as large as your back!?

Thursday:
Arms:
-DB alternate curl (3x15)
-DB alternate Hammer (3x15)
-Tricep pushdown (cable) (3x15)
-Tate Press (3x15)
-Palms up barbell wrist curl over bench (3x15)

If you are only going to have 2 exercises for biceps, I'd at least swap the DB curls to BB curls. Ideally, I'd add another exercise (or 3) though.

What is Tate press?

I'd another couple of tricep exercises, one of which would definitely be lying (preferably decline) tricep extensions.

Wrist curls with your palms up will work your flexors, what about the extensors on the other side of the forearm?

 

[loquasagacious]

CHEST:
I have considered a decline press but have stayed off one for now on the advice that a flat bench worked the lower pec anyway.

SHOULDERS/BACK:
It is not so much that my shoulders are lagging but that I want big shoulders. I've been thinking of moving my back onto the same workout day as chest so I can work the opposing groups. What do you recommend as a good back exercise or two to chuck in there?

ARMS:
I was thinking of adding some preacher curls to the arms - any other suggestions?
The tate press is a tricep exercise (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Tate+Press)

 

[hYperTrOphY]

CHEST:
I have considered a decline press but have stayed off one for now on the advice that a flat bench worked the lower pec anyway.

Yes, but when you consider the fact that the lower and outer portion of the pec is the largest part, you would really want to hit it good. Not to mention that decline DB press is rated the best chest exercise (in terms of an EMG) with a score of 93%.

SHOULDERS/BACK:
It is not so much that my shoulders are lagging but that I want big shoulders. I've been thinking of moving my back onto the same workout day as chest so I can work the opposing groups. What do you recommend as a good back exercise or two to chuck in there?

Fair enough, big shoulders is good. Chest and back is a viable option. You could also consider adding another day to your programme. Really depends on you.
Good examples would be deadlifts, dumbbell rows, t-bar rows..

ARMS:
I was thinking of adding some preacher curls to the arms - any other suggestions?
The tate press is a tricep exercise (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Tate+Press)

Yep, preacher curls are good. Also, BB curls, hammer curls, cable curls, incline curls are just a few that have worked well for me (off the top of my head). There are so many to choose from though.

I dont like the look of the Tate Press. See how he has his elbows pointing outwards - I would recommend having them in and extending your arms forward. This is the dumbbell version of the tricep extension exercise I mentioned earlier, and is pretty similar to that exercise.
Like biceps, there are so many possible exercises for triceps - close grip bench (possibly detrimental to you shoulders tho), push-downs, french press, dips..

 

[Komit]

You're all fucken nutters.

 

[loquasagacious]

Ok I've put together a slightly different new program;

Monday: Chest
Flat bench
Incline db press
Pec Deck
Db flyes
Cable Crossover
Decline db press to be added later

Back
Lying T-bar row
Seated cable row
Middle back shrug

Tuesday: Shoulders
Arnold db press
Pull down
Upright row
Front cable raise
Lying delt raise

Wednesday: Legs
Squat
Leg press
Leg extension
Back again

Thursday: arms
Db alt curl (will switch to bb later - in the meantime db builds more core strength by making me balance)
Db alt hammer
Tricep pushdown
Drag curl
Tate press (did this today seemed to work well but possibly overstress my elbows - so may switch it for something else)
Palm up bb wrist curl
Tricep Extension
Chin-ups (to failure)
For variety I'll swap the drag curl for one arm preacher curls every couple of weeks

Friday: off

Saturday: Bodyweight and Lower Back
Pushups
Sit ups
Chin ups
Squats (un weighted)
Superman
Bent rows

Sunday: off

Now I just need to write a new diet with more carbs - I'm getting shit loads of protein but not enough carbs especially in the mornings.

 

[hYperTrOphY]

Monday: Chest
Flat bench
Incline db press
Pec Deck
Db flyes
Cable Crossover
Decline db press to be added later

Looks okay. Personally, I probably wouldn't have 3 inner-chest exercises - but otherwise it looks alright.
Oh, with cable-cross - PLEASE make sure your form is correct. Nearly everyone at my gym doe this exercise, yet I have only seen about 3 people do it correctly. Keep your chest out during the movement. If you have to roll your shoulders forward it is too heavy.

Back
Lying T-bar row
Seated cable row
Middle back shrug

Not bad. Probably a bit too much emphasis on the middle of the back though. I hadn't heard of middle back shrugs before, but since looking at a picture - your prob wouldnt need to do both them and the lying t-bar rows - they look quite similar. Since you want big shoulders, you probably desire a wide back too. I would probably replace one of those mentioned exercises with pull-ups. Also, I still can't see deadlifts there . If you don't want to do deadlifts just yet (especially since you will need someone to show you good form), do some hyperextensions.

Tuesday: Shoulders
Arnold db press
Pull down
Upright row
Front cable raise
Lying delt raise

What is a pulldown that works the shoulders? I only know of those that work your lats.

Wednesday: Legs
Squat
Leg press
Leg extension
Back again

Why are you going to do back again?

What about your hamstrings and calves??

Thursday: arms
Db alt curl (will switch to bb later - in the meantime db builds more core strength by making me balance)
Db alt hammer
Tricep pushdown
Drag curl
Tate press (did this today seemed to work well but possibly overstress my elbows - so may switch it for something else)
Palm up bb wrist curl
Tricep Extension
Chin-ups (to failure)
For variety I'll swap the drag curl for one arm preacher curls every couple of weeks

Chin-ups work the back, so if you're already doing back twice, you may want to exclude that exercise.

Palm-up wrist curls work the flexors, what about your extensors (the other side of the forearm)?

Saturday: Bodyweight and Lower Back
Pushups
Sit ups
Chin ups
Squats (un weighted)
Superman
Bent rows

I reckon this is a wasted day. i would do cardio and abs instead.

Now I just need to write a new diet with more carbs - I'm getting shit loads of protein but not enough carbs especially in the mornings.

Porridge.

 

[fleepbasding]

Is there much point in body-building except for the improved looks (and gaining weight if your skinny)? Otherwise, would one be better off with an allround fitness program, like running, swimming and a few pushups, sit-ups etc? I'm not having a go at body-building or wieght training, just trying to figure out how it compares to other exercises.

I'm 190 centimetres tall and 75 kilos. I don't feel too thin though. Some of you guys seem to be aiming for quite big weight gains. Is this for health reasons, or just indicative of how much hot muscle you'll have when you reach the goals?

 

[hYperTrOphY]

Is there much point in body-building except for the improved looks (and gaining weight if your skinny)? Otherwise, would one be better off with an allround fitness program, like running, swimming and a few pushups, sit-ups etc? I'm not having a go at body-building or wieght training, just trying to figure out how it compares to other exercises.

I'm 190 centimetres tall and 75 kilos. I don't feel too thin though. Some of you guys seem to be aiming for quite big weight gains. Is this for health reasons, or just indicative of how much hot muscle you'll have when you reach the goals?

The purpose of bodybuilding is to be as muscular as possible. Thus, wondering whether there is "much point" in you starting bodybuilding is dependant on whether you desire to be more muscular. So yes, it is about looks. However, it is also about health. Those who are serious about bodybuilding are healthy. This health is achieved through proper nutrition and increased strength.

Whether one would be better off with an "allround fitness program" is, as I said, dependant on that individual person's goals. You must look at what you wish to achieve and then decide on the most effective and efficient method of achieving that goal. Even if you don't want to be the next Ronnie Coleman, using bodybuilding principles will generally help you achieve whatever goal you have in relation to your body composition. This includes weight loss.

In relation to your last question - the latter.

If you ever get involved with bodybuilding you will soon understand the psychology of the sport and those who participate. Bodybuilder's goals are, in effect, never attainable. Bodybuilders are never fully satisfied with their body - even at the most elite levels. There is always room for improvement - whether it be symmetry, leaness, proportion or most importantly - Size!

 

[loquasagacious]

Not bad. Probably a bit too much emphasis on the middle of the back though. I hadn't heard of middle back shrugs before, but since looking at a picture - your prob wouldnt need to do both them and the lying t-bar rows - they look quite similar. Since you want big shoulders, you probably desire a wide back too. I would probably replace one of those mentioned exercises with pull-ups. Also, I still can't see deadlifts there . If you don't want to do deadlifts just yet (especially since you will need someone to show you good form), do some hyperextensions.

I think I'll shift pull-downs (eg from shoulders where they dont belong) onto back day. Hyperextensions are a good idea though.

Why are you going to do back again?

What about your hamstrings and calves??

The reason for doing the back again is I want to strengthen it because while it doesnt lag I have nagging back problems which would be helped by extra muscle holding my spine in place.

Hamstrings are worked by the squat but having said that I will swap the leg extension for a seated leg curl and add a Barbell lunge (though I'll have to get someone to teach me correct form on that).

No calf exercises because of the ammount of cycling I do eg I dont want to overtrain my calves.

Chin-ups work the back, so if you're already doing back twice, you may want to exclude that exercise.

Palm-up wrist curls work the flexors, what about your extensors (the other side of the forearm)?

Lets be clear that I'm talking conventional close grip (eg 6-8" palms toward body) chin-ups these work the biceps.

Any suggestions for a good extensor exercise?

I reckon this is a wasted day. i would do cardio and abs instead.

The reason for the relatively light day is because I have a heavy day at work, like the bodyweight exercises as benchmarks and they are a required part of army physicals (a long term goal being joining the reserves - in a more than capable physical state). I'm steering clear of cardio becausee initially I want to bulk up and then cut down - I also ride 5kms+ mon through thurs so extra cardio isnt really needed.

Why Bodybuild????

Bodybuilding is done primarily for two reasons:

A)Looks - afterall the majority of girls like abit of muscle.
B)To improve performance elsewhere - most commonly on the sports field.

 

[loquasagacious]

Stas - do you find that taking supplements and such affect your performance in study at all? I mean my brother has heaps of supps to gain muscle and so forth, but im a little worried taking that stuff will hinder my study - which is after all my most important worry.

I wouldnt expect supplements to have any effect on study - if anything a multi-vitamin is probably offering a slight improvement.

Time spent working out would have a far greater impact.

Interestingly though statistically speaking the physically active person does on average better academically than the sedentary person.