I need GOOD advice to progress please! - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

powerU · 22-10-2003, 01:18 PM

Hi everyone, i've been reading the boards for a couple of weeks now and thought i'd join in as you all seem to have a lot of helpfull advice.

I've been going to the gym on and off for about 7 years, I'm 33, 5'9", and currently 13 stone. When I started going in '96 I was about 11 stone, always scrwany through school and my early twenties. I hit 15 stone at easter this year after about 3 months of hard training but rather than looking defined i just seemed to grow all over, still staying a bit 'flabby'.

One divorce later I've just switched gyms and started training before work (at about 6.30am), In the last two weeks I've been taking Creatine and trying best I can to get more protein down me (shakes, tuna, chicken, nuts, etc...).
A sample week has been training on a sunday afternoon, tue am, wed pm - cardio, thur am, fri pm. I've got time to stick to this fairly strictly so I was looking for advice on the best exercises to do at these time. At the moment when I train i tend to do a mix of everything, mainly with free weights till i'm knackered then i'll switch to the machines. I've dislocated my left shoulder 3 times in the last 6 years so i've got to go easy with anything that involves weights above my head!

Two weeks on and i've put on half a stone, but this is where i tend to stay and need to keep the momentum rolling, so technique, diet, supplements, cardio, etc, HELP ME!!!!

**hackskii** · 24-10-2003, 07:10 PM

Did you say that you want to put on size (weight), or did you say that you want to cut?
If you want to put on some size then stick to basic movements like bench and inclines for chest.
Squats and leg curles and maybe some extensions for legs.
Bent over rows and pulldowns or pullups for back.
Military and side lateral raises or upright rows and shrugs for shoulders.
lying tricept extensions and cable pushdowns for tricepts.
Standing curles and preacher bench curles for bicepts.
You can use dumbells or barbell but would limit the machines and stay away with the cable stuff. Just the basics. I would train each muscle group once a week only. Get in and get out and rest. Dont spend 2 hrs a day at the gym as you will just be overtraining and will get less with doing more. It should not take you more than 30 minutes for each muscle group. One week lift heavy 5-10 reps, one week lift light for more reps 10-15 and one week do 4 sets of 10 for each exercise. If your strength is going up then keep the reps lower and keep going up till you platoe then mix it up again.

powerU · 28-10-2003, 01:26 PM

Thanks hackskii, i'll give it a go for a couple of weeks and let you know how i get on. Starting this week i'm training 4 times over 6 days and splitting the muscle groups, ie. day 1 chest/tri's, day 2 (today) back/bi's (owch!!), day 3, legs/shoulders, day 4 chest/tris (again), day 5 rest, day 6 rest - then starting again but doubling up on a different group (back/bi's second week, leg/shoulders third week), does that make sense?? If not let me know soon so i can change it around.
I'm lifting heavy getting through about 3 sets of 10/8/6 - i can tell the difference in the way i'm aching after just 2 days!!
How many different exercises per muscle do you recommend, averaging about 4 at the mo, so i'm out of the gym after about 50 mins.
Thanks again, i'll keep you posted.

**hackskii** · 28-10-2003, 09:42 PM

I would do each muscle group once every 7 days. If you lift heavy this is recomended not so much for the muscles but for the central nervous system. Do basic movements and keep it between 6-12 sets max not counting warm up. For chest, I only do bench and inclines for about 9 sets total. I do lift heavy and save myself for 1 really good work set to failure. This set is the all or nothing set where I put in 100 percent. I have been getting stronger consistantly and have not hit a platoe for months. Last workout my workset on bench was 3 reps at 315 lbs. Best ever. Would I change the way I am lifting now? Not a chance until I get stale.
I would keep it more like 8-10 sets per body part not counting a warm up and the last set failure. once a week per body part and if you feel strong then do low reps if you feel weak then do reps but just change it around.

powerU · 29-10-2003, 01:55 PM

Cheers yet agin Hackskii. I'm resting wednesday, sat and sun on your advice!
Here's another one for you - i'm now at 13.5 stone (189lb) with my usual wobbly belly!! Is is possible for me to start cutting the fat whilst still putting on the size (body fat measuring 20.5% at the moment), i've got glutamine and CLA as well as creatine and protein supps, can i take the lot together or will they start to cancel each other out - god this all so confusing!!!!!

**hackskii** · 29-10-2003, 06:44 PM

You can take all together. I tried the CLA and it only gave me some soft skin. It is supposed to help loose weight but not sure on the claims.
I am a firm believer on the bigger your chest and shoulders are the smaller your waist will apear to be. Plus resistance training uses calories to lift but also calories to rebuild while you sleep. The more lean muscle mass you have the larger requirement for fuel your body needs, which is another reason to do resistance training. The more mass the more food. If you are taking in the same number of calories then you will actually lose weight. Weight is not a good indication of where you want to be. Example if I was 200 lbs at 15 percent body fat and you were 200 lbs at 30 percent body fat we would be the same weight. But I would have more muscle than you. If we were exercising I would burn more calories than you because of my requirement for fuel to fuel the added muscle. I actually would be able to lose faster than you.
More accuratly, tape your waist at the belly button, write it down.
Weigh youself in the morning after a pis* and crap and write that down.
Tape your arm or arms and write this down.
every 2 weeks do the same as above and compare. You might be the same weight but your waist might lose 1/4" This would be a good thing. Then make a goal, a goal that you can get to without killing yourself or making you give up in frusteration. I would not lose more than about a pound a week. slower loses are kept longer.

BSF James · 01-12-2003, 08:55 PM

Great advice from Hackskii. Said pretty much I would do. Only thing I'd add is to do close grip bench presses at least every other week. People really underestimate how important this exercise is. It's the undisputed #1 for triceps strength - and if you have strong triceps you have strong presses. Most people who are weak in the bench and shoulder presses are so because they have weak triceps. Many people find their triceps are the first to fail in the bench press. This is the last thing you want as generally when you do bench you do it to train your chest - so its your chest you want to be pushed to failure, not your triceps.

22-10-2003, 01:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
powerU Getting HUGE! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 1,141	I need GOOD advice to progress please! Hi everyone, i've been reading the boards for a couple of weeks now and thought i'd join in as you all seem to have a lot of helpfull advice. I've been going to the gym on and off for about 7 years, I'm 33, 5'9", and currently 13 stone. When I started going in '96 I was about 11 stone, always scrwany through school and my early twenties. I hit 15 stone at easter this year after about 3 months of hard training but rather than looking defined i just seemed to grow all over, still staying a bit 'flabby'. One divorce later I've just switched gyms and started training before work (at about 6.30am), In the last two weeks I've been taking Creatine and trying best I can to get more protein down me (shakes, tuna, chicken, nuts, etc...). A sample week has been training on a sunday afternoon, tue am, wed pm - cardio, thur am, fri pm. I've got time to stick to this fairly strictly so I was looking for advice on the best exercises to do at these time. At the moment when I train i tend to do a mix of everything, mainly with free weights till i'm knackered then i'll switch to the machines. I've dislocated my left shoulder 3 times in the last 6 years so i've got to go easy with anything that involves weights above my head! Two weeks on and i've put on half a stone, but this is where i tend to stay and need to keep the momentum rolling, so technique, diet, supplements, cardio, etc, HELP ME!!!!

24-10-2003, 07:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 24,337	Did you say that you want to put on size (weight), or did you say that you want to cut? If you want to put on some size then stick to basic movements like bench and inclines for chest. Squats and leg curles and maybe some extensions for legs. Bent over rows and pulldowns or pullups for back. Military and side lateral raises or upright rows and shrugs for shoulders. lying tricept extensions and cable pushdowns for tricepts. Standing curles and preacher bench curles for bicepts. You can use dumbells or barbell but would limit the machines and stay away with the cable stuff. Just the basics. I would train each muscle group once a week only. Get in and get out and rest. Dont spend 2 hrs a day at the gym as you will just be overtraining and will get less with doing more. It should not take you more than 30 minutes for each muscle group. One week lift heavy 5-10 reps, one week lift light for more reps 10-15 and one week do 4 sets of 10 for each exercise. If your strength is going up then keep the reps lower and keep going up till you platoe then mix it up again.

28-10-2003, 01:26 PM	#3 (permalink)
powerU Getting HUGE! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 1,141	Thanks hackskii, i'll give it a go for a couple of weeks and let you know how i get on. Starting this week i'm training 4 times over 6 days and splitting the muscle groups, ie. day 1 chest/tri's, day 2 (today) back/bi's (owch!!), day 3, legs/shoulders, day 4 chest/tris (again), day 5 rest, day 6 rest - then starting again but doubling up on a different group (back/bi's second week, leg/shoulders third week), does that make sense?? If not let me know soon so i can change it around. I'm lifting heavy getting through about 3 sets of 10/8/6 - i can tell the difference in the way i'm aching after just 2 days!! How many different exercises per muscle do you recommend, averaging about 4 at the mo, so i'm out of the gym after about 50 mins. Thanks again, i'll keep you posted.

28-10-2003, 09:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 24,337	I would do each muscle group once every 7 days. If you lift heavy this is recomended not so much for the muscles but for the central nervous system. Do basic movements and keep it between 6-12 sets max not counting warm up. For chest, I only do bench and inclines for about 9 sets total. I do lift heavy and save myself for 1 really good work set to failure. This set is the all or nothing set where I put in 100 percent. I have been getting stronger consistantly and have not hit a platoe for months. Last workout my workset on bench was 3 reps at 315 lbs. Best ever. Would I change the way I am lifting now? Not a chance until I get stale. I would keep it more like 8-10 sets per body part not counting a warm up and the last set failure. once a week per body part and if you feel strong then do low reps if you feel weak then do reps but just change it around.

29-10-2003, 01:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
powerU Getting HUGE! Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Derbyshire Posts: 1,141	Cheers yet agin Hackskii. I'm resting wednesday, sat and sun on your advice! Here's another one for you - i'm now at 13.5 stone (189lb) with my usual wobbly belly!! Is is possible for me to start cutting the fat whilst still putting on the size (body fat measuring 20.5% at the moment), i've got glutamine and CLA as well as creatine and protein supps, can i take the lot together or will they start to cancel each other out - god this all so confusing!!!!!

29-10-2003, 06:44 PM	#6 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 24,337	You can take all together. I tried the CLA and it only gave me some soft skin. It is supposed to help loose weight but not sure on the claims. I am a firm believer on the bigger your chest and shoulders are the smaller your waist will apear to be. Plus resistance training uses calories to lift but also calories to rebuild while you sleep. The more lean muscle mass you have the larger requirement for fuel your body needs, which is another reason to do resistance training. The more mass the more food. If you are taking in the same number of calories then you will actually lose weight. Weight is not a good indication of where you want to be. Example if I was 200 lbs at 15 percent body fat and you were 200 lbs at 30 percent body fat we would be the same weight. But I would have more muscle than you. If we were exercising I would burn more calories than you because of my requirement for fuel to fuel the added muscle. I actually would be able to lose faster than you. More accuratly, tape your waist at the belly button, write it down. Weigh youself in the morning after a pis* and crap and write that down. Tape your arm or arms and write this down. every 2 weeks do the same as above and compare. You might be the same weight but your waist might lose 1/4" This would be a good thing. Then make a goal, a goal that you can get to without killing yourself or making you give up in frusteration. I would not lose more than about a pound a week. slower loses are kept longer.

01-12-2003, 08:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
BSF James UK-Muscle Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Telford Posts: 1,259	Great advice from Hackskii. Said pretty much I would do. Only thing I'd add is to do close grip bench presses at least every other week. People really underestimate how important this exercise is. It's the undisputed #1 for triceps strength - and if you have strong triceps you have strong presses. Most people who are weak in the bench and shoulder presses are so because they have weak triceps. Many people find their triceps are the first to fail in the bench press. This is the last thing you want as generally when you do bench you do it to train your chest - so its your chest you want to be pushed to failure, not your triceps.