The Gym Thread...

[Fish-Finger-er]

Little bump.

I'm currently doing Air Alert 2 which increases the strength of one's legs but I'd like to do something for the upper body as well.

Since I'm almost dead after the AA2 training (literally, no strength to stand up), I'm not looking for a 1hr training program that will wear me out even more. I was thinking of starting off with some press ups. Do you think doing say 3 series of 50-100 a day would help gain a bit of extra strength? I have no idea how muscles work, never had weights in my hands for longer than a few seconds. Not looking for a whole training program, just some advice on whether that would help in any way.

fish is still fat.

but i was 18 stone a couple of years back, im now hoverin around 14. stone 7, and pretty big built muscle wise.

but as your just starting anything will work really, its only once ur proper into it that training programs come into your own. doing 3 series of 100 is overkill for most people. just doing 3 sets of 20 will see reasonable strength gains and a slight improvement in size. obviously, providing your keeping correct form, and your not overtraining(although i do have my doubts as to the damage of overtraining, as your body adapts to it) then the more the better really.

in other weight training news, just measured by bicep(flexed) and im at just under 16 inches(about 15.8-9). with no pump.

[munkee]

overtraining is more of a dip in performance and stagnation of gains than actually damaging your body at all. Most people just mistake it for "i just cant be arsed to go to the gym"

[Muel]

I came up with a new routine last night.

It's in excel, so I screenshotted it.

I sort of made it up, but just knicked the excersises from the routines that came with my weights, and the one I've been using recently.

EDIT: Some of it may be wrong, mainly the Body Areas bit. Feel free to correct me.

Edited January 7, 2008 by El Muelio

[abtrials]

if you are going to the gym to improve your riding you need to do a higher rep range with power moves,

not body building, as this will use the wrong muscle fibres and just slow you down.

get in do clean & press, jump squats, and any other exercise you do try to make it unstable to improve you propreaception (balance) ie single arm sholder press, lat raise, dumbell press etc ...............

[Muel]

I just want to generally get bigger and stronger.

I'm crap at trials anyway, I'm never going to be any good.

[Urban mammoth]

if anyone is looking for a training plan i just thought i would share mine....

Each major section is trained on different days so i can work it to maximum. (i.e chest and triceps on different days)

If you complete all sets on an exercise then up the weight by 2.5kg or 5% (whichever is smallest) next time.

I have put what weight i use in brackets next to the exercise.

Monday - Chest & Biceps

Bench press (not machine) - 2 x 5 warm ups (50kg) - 5 x 5 heavy weight (90kg)

Incline dumbell press - 3 x 8 (25kg on each dumbell)

Narrow grip bench press - 3 x 8 (50kg)

Pectorial fly (not machine) - 3 x 8 (15kg on each dumbell)

EZ bar bicep curls (sat down with chest/elbow pad) - 3 x 8 (35 - 40kg)

Dumbell Bicep curls - 3 x 8 (15kg on each)

Tuesday - Legs

Squats (not machine) - 2 x 8 warm up (50kg) - 3 x 8 Heavy (95kg)

Leg press (machine) - 3 x 8 (110 kg)

Leg extensions - 3 x 8 (40kg)

Calf raises - 3 x 8 (20 kg on each dumbell)

Hamstring Curls - 3 x 8 (30kg)

Thursday - Shoulders / traps

Military press, behind head (barbell) - 3 x 8 (45kg)

Upright row (barbell) - 3 x 8 (45kg)

Lateral raises (dumbell) - 3 x 8 (12kg on each)

Shrugs (dumbell) - 3 x 8 (30kg on each)

Friday - Back Triceps

Lat Pull down, in front of head - 3 x 8 (65kg)

Narrow grip lat pull down - 3 x 8 (65kg)

Cose grip seated row - 3 x 8 (72kg)

Tricep push downs - 3 x 8 (40 - 50kg)

I dont know what these are called but its kind of skull crushers with a dumbell and you hold it round the neck of the dumbell under the weight so it is vertical. Lying down you push it up from your chest, then take it back over your head and bring it back then push it up again etc etc.

I do pyramid sets with this (F***in hard) so 1 up, 1 over your head, 2 up, 1 over your head, 3 up etc etc

I go to 8, and do 3 sets. with 30kg on the dumbell.

cheers

Dan

[Muel]

You sound like a f**king animal!

My maximum bench is 40kg, haven't managed 42.5kg yet, and you use 50 to warm up when your doing sets...

[munkee]

if anyone is looking for a training plan i just thought i would share mine....

Each major section is trained on different days so i can work it to maximum. (i.e chest and triceps on different days)

If you complete all sets on an exercise then up the weight by 2.5kg or 5% (whichever is smallest) next time.

I have put what weight i use in brackets next to the exercise.

Monday - Chest & Biceps

Bench press (not machine) - 2 x 5 warm ups (50kg) - 5 x 5 heavy weight (90kg)

Incline dumbell press - 3 x 8 (25kg on each dumbell)

Narrow grip bench press - 3 x 8 (50kg)

Pectorial fly (not machine) - 3 x 8 (15kg on each dumbell)

EZ bar bicep curls (sat down with chest/elbow pad) - 3 x 8 (35 - 40kg)

Dumbell Bicep curls - 3 x 8 (15kg on each)

Tuesday - Legs

Squats (not machine) - 2 x 8 warm up (50kg) - 3 x 8 Heavy (95kg)

Leg press (machine) - 3 x 8 (110 kg)

Leg extensions - 3 x 8 (40kg)

Calf raises - 3 x 8 (20 kg on each dumbell)

Hamstring Curls - 3 x 8 (30kg)

Thursday - Shoulders / traps

Military press, behind head (barbell) - 3 x 8 (45kg)

Upright row (barbell) - 3 x 8 (45kg)

Lateral raises (dumbell) - 3 x 8 (12kg on each)

Shrugs (dumbell) - 3 x 8 (30kg on each)

Friday - Back Triceps

Lat Pull down, in front of head - 3 x 8 (65kg)

Narrow grip lat pull down - 3 x 8 (65kg)

Cose grip seated row - 3 x 8 (72kg)

Tricep push downs - 3 x 8 (40 - 50kg)

I dont know what these are called but its kind of skull crushers with a dumbell and you hold it round the neck of the dumbell under the weight so it is vertical. Lying down you push it up from your chest, then take it back over your head and bring it back then push it up again etc etc.

I do pyramid sets with this (F***in hard) so 1 up, 1 over your head, 2 up, 1 over your head, 3 up etc etc

I go to 8, and do 3 sets. with 30kg on the dumbell.

cheers

Dan

you dont do deadlift? lunges? weighted dips/pull ups?

deadlift will help you with your squats due to the stability of your mid section and hamstring getting a workout since a lot of people become very quad dependent when doing leg press.

lunges are a must else you form imbalances between your legs etc

pull ups are also a ton better than doing any form of lat pull downs, you are lifting your own weight not lifting an imaginary you up and lets face it anything that requires you to be sat down is usually shite for stability with the exception of the benchpresses.

[Urban mammoth]

you dont do deadlift? lunges? weighted dips/pull ups?

deadlift will help you with your squats due to the stability of your mid section and hamstring getting a workout since a lot of people become very quad dependent when doing leg press.

lunges are a must else you form imbalances between your legs etc

pull ups are also a ton better than doing any form of lat pull downs, you are lifting your own weight not lifting an imaginary you up and lets face it anything that requires you to be sat down is usually shite for stability with the exception of the benchpresses.

yeah fair play

I am just joining a new gym which has a pull up and dip station (my rugby club one doesnt so i had to make do with replacement exercises)

I was looking into startin some deadlifts and olympic lifts but wanted to learn the right techniques first as they can be damaging if you do them wrong.

I do core stability exercises at rugby training, although they are not with weights they are just bodyweight.

But yeah good points and will try and incorporate them

cheers

Dan

[Token]

Before I go to bed I do 3 x 10 @ 11kg curls. Inbetween each set I do pressups until I can't lift myself, so before I'm in bed my arms are pretty much wasted.

I'm just abit curious because when I wake up in the morning, my muscles don't feel ripped or achey or anything, it's really crap that I don't feel the ache (I like the ache).

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, or my body is deformed. Anyone care to enlighten?

[Muel]

Before I go to bed I do 3 x 10 @ 11kg curls. Inbetween each set I do pressups until I can't lift myself, so before I'm in bed my arms are pretty much wasted.

I'm just abit curious because when I wake up in the morning, my muscles don't feel ripped or achey or anything, it's really crap that I don't feel the ache (I like the ache).

Maybe I'm doing something wrong, or my body is deformed. Anyone care to enlighten?

I'd take a wild guess, don't take my word for it, that your not doing enough?

I do 3x10 Barbell curls, 3x10 Hammer Bumbell Curls, and 3x10 Overhand Dumbell curls. I did this about 2 hours ago, and now I can't even feel it.

I missed out the close leg squats though, I did my thigh in last week so I'm going gentle on squats this week.

[Token]

So what your saying to me baby is 'crank the weight up'?

[Muel]

So what your saying to me baby is 'crank the weight up'?

Possibly, but I'd add some other excersises in there and Ben Leacock just told me to make it burn more and have more effect, do it faster.

[munkee]

yeah fair play

I am just joining a new gym which has a pull up and dip station (my rugby club one doesnt so i had to make do with replacement exercises)

I was looking into startin some deadlifts and olympic lifts but wanted to learn the right techniques first as they can be damaging if you do them wrong.

I do core stability exercises at rugby training, although they are not with weights they are just bodyweight.

But yeah good points and will try and incorporate them

cheers

Dan

ah if your a rugger player even more reason to get on the lunge band wagon. You should also be able to do step ups in a squat rack if there isnt a free standing holder for barbells. Either that or do lunges with dumbells, but i prefer having a bar like you do for squats.. they are killer. Give 50kg a go lunge forward with one leg then push off with it to go back to your normal standing position then do the same for the alternate. 15 to 20 reps on each leg for say 3 sets and it starts to get fun

pretty much same goes for the step ups you can either make the step higher or add weight but either of those exercises will be good for rugby i expect as your always going to be having one foot taking the lead, which will be putting the power down than in the ideal world of both at the same time

oh and El Muelio if you are doing all of those exercise in one session its way too much, swap some of the smaller exercises for more compound stuff if you can. A good way to do it would be say a 3 day work out week say monday wednesday friday and on those days do 2 heavy compound lifts and then 4 slightly less / more isolation up to you though.. just looks like a long work out at the mo with lots of stuff going on

Edited January 7, 2008 by Spacemunkee

[nb88]

I'm well into weight training at the moment, been doing it for around 9 months and got a lot stronger.

What i'm doing at the mo:

Monday - Upper body (mainly chest)

Bench Press (chest, shoulders, tricep) - Warmup sets, then 4x6 heavy, then sometimes rep out on a lighter weight (15 reps or more),

Dumbell Flys (chest) - Warmup, then 3x8,

Wide pull ups, with weight plates strapped on (lats, bicep) - 3x8. started out just doing pullups without a weight, now progressed to using 20kg plates,

Tricep Dips (on cable), or nose breakers,

Bicep Preacher curls

Tuesday - Lower Body

Squats (mainly hamstrings, quads, lower back) - Warmup then 4x6,

Front Squat (mainly quads and hips) - Warmup then 3x8,

Side pulls, with cable (obliques) - 3x8,

Sit ups with weight, or on a ball.

Thursday - Upper Body (mainly shoulders)

Military Press (mainly front deltoid) - Warmup then 3x6 heavy,

Dumbell Shoulder Press - 2x6,

Lateral Raises (side deltoid) - 3x8,

Narrow Pullups with weight (bicep, lats) - 3x8

Then possible some bicep and tricep isolation if you have energy left,

Friday - Lower body

Deadlift - Warmup then 4x6. At the moment with deadlifts though, im doing 3 sets with hand straps (to help your grip). My grip strength was the main problem with my deadlifts so i use straps for 3 sets, then no straps for 2 or 3 sets, then you can use all the muscles),

Sometimes do front squat 3x6 heavy, or overhead squats (awesome exercise) 4x6,

Split Squat - 3x8,

Some other ab exercises.

Make sure you got a big exercise in every session (in mine, bench, squat, overhead press, deadlift) - the bench, squat and deadlift are essential and usually done first before any other exercise. Go for intensity so you should be struggling but try to choose a weight where you can just finish your sets, or almost finish (miss a few reps maybe), and use a spotter. don't worry too much about isolations, or sit ups, or anything like that because they quite frankly do nothing.

[BenLeacock™]

Possibly, but I'd add some other excersises in there and Ben Leacock just told me to make it burn more and have more effect, do it faster.

I didn't mean faster as in lift things faster, you will pull muscle's faster that way. I ment with out as much rest time in between Silly

[zoo]

Starting a training plan on Monday and it's been so long since I last went to the gym, will post it up when I get a hold of it (my brother in law made it as I'm going the gym with him (Lego on here)). So hopefully in a few months my upper body will start growing a bit, I am working my legs too but I don't really want them to get big.

zoo baby !!!

^^^^^^^^ You all loves it.

[munkee]

Starting a training plan on Monday and it's been so long since I last went to the gym, will post it up when I get a hold of it (my brother in law made it as I'm going the gym with him (Lego on here)). So hopefully in a few months my upper body will start growing a bit, I am working my legs too but I don't really want them to get big.

zoo baby !!!

^^^^^^^^ You all loves it.

lol you will look like such a knob if you dont grow all over. Be one of those typical gym dick heads with hige shoulders/chest and back.. but have to wear some form of trousers all the time to hide their bird legs.. the same guys that dont know how to do a single squat properly. Also btw your legs are a major muscle group and it has been shown that doing highly stressing compound exercises such as squats on them actually increases your growth hormones all over your body. What that basically means is.. if you leave your legs to lag behind it may infact take you longer to get everything else growing. Have a read of some articles, they will explain it better than i have

[Muel]

I didn't mean faster as in lift things faster, you will pull muscle's faster that way. I ment with out as much rest time in between Silly

I knew that. Honest.

I only rest for 40secs in between each set?

My shoulders are hurting healthily today, my chest is ok but I think it needs working more, but triceps are hurting good. But, my biceps don't hurt at all! I do 3 types of curls, making 90 reps in total, when I'm doing them they hurt, but not like they enough. I can't up the weight any more, because I can only just lift the weight I'm using now by the last rep of each set. Surely I don't need more sets/reps? I'll just carry on with it I think until I can put the weight up.

Note to self, do more crunches, barely hurts.

[zoo]

lol you will look like such a knob if you dont grow all over. Be one of those typical gym dick heads with hige shoulders/chest and back.. but have to wear some form of trousers all the time to hide their bird legs.. the same guys that dont know how to do a single squat properly. Also btw your legs are a major muscle group and it has been shown that doing highly stressing compound exercises such as squats on them actually increases your growth hormones all over your body. What that basically means is.. if you leave your legs to lag behind it may infact take you longer to get everything else growing. Have a read of some articles, they will explain it better than i have

Oh yeah I did squats and deadlifts when I last went to the gym,I'll still be working my legs...just that I aren't bothered if they grow a great deal or not,I probably still sound like a bell end but I know what I mean lol.

[manxrider]

If your doing that many reps and still nothing the weight isnt heavy enough. And biceps are useless muscles theres no need to be doing 3 types of curls lol.

[Muel]

If your doing that many reps and still nothing the weight isnt heavy enough. And biceps are useless muscles theres no need to be doing 3 types of curls lol.

But I want big ones.

By the time I finish 10 reps, (1 set), I can only just get it up! The weights are as heavy as they're going to get.

Maybe it's just technique, or my muscles are just pure puff.

[munkee]

But I want big ones.

By the time I finish 10 reps, (1 set), I can only just get it up! The weights are as heavy as they're going to get.

Maybe it's just technique, or my muscles are just pure puff.

close grip pull ups are a killer for biceps to be honest

[Muel]

I shall fit my bar tonight!

Errm, close grip. Hands close together?

[Greetings]

but as your just starting anything will work really, its only once ur proper into it that training programs come into your own. doing 3 series of 100 is overkill for most people. just doing 3 sets of 20 will see reasonable strength gains and a slight improvement in size. obviously, providing your keeping correct form, and your not overtraining(although i do have my doubts as to the damage of overtraining, as your body adapts to it) then the more the better really.

Cheers, just what I wanted to know