Bench/Weights Advice

[Charles Penrose]

i'm alergic to nuts mate but i'll get into the cottage cheese.

 

what legal product would you recommend chris? i only chose the one i'v pm'd you because it is weak and less harmful/potent than most others.

 

The current favourite (and beginner) legal steroid appears to be Epidrol, which is also referred to as Epistane. It is a 'designer' steroid. It is fully anabolic and is used in six week cycles (no more). The reason these are legal is solely due to the fact that they are yet to be tested by medical assosiations and then blacklisted. Once one gets banned, another is brought out with a slightly altered chemical structure, thus beginning the long process of getting that one blacklisted again. The first designer steroid was 'THG', which hit the headlines for use amongst sprinters years ago.

 

Epidrol's side effects appear to be mild from those I've known use it. It would be the legal compound I'd choose if i went down that route. They all have side effects. Have a look at the many epidrol threads on the website i pm'd you. Any change from what you're on can't be immediate, you need to be giving your body time to recover. The site will tell you how to safely do this if you go down that route.

 

Stay away from taking any mates word as gospel at the gym.

[longballs]

If that's to me longballs, then a few months ago it was either 92.5 kilo with a bar (only four reps mind) or with dumbbells 40kg per side for six reps). I've stopped doing any kind of bench press now tho, as the best exercise for your chest is actually dips, with your chin tucked into your chest and your legs across each other and pointing forward making a 'half moon' shape. Search 'Vince Gironda Dips' on google.

 

I absolutey hate bench press tho. I hate the back slapping, homo erotic 'spotting' that goes on. I tended to use dumbells and go to failure as I wouldnt need a spotter and wouldn't have the bar collapse on me doing it alone.

 

I'm not sure what robbie's diet is like. That's even more important that the training itself. The training is the easy part.

 

 

40KG dumb bells is damn heavy. I don't go over 20KG (I usually just stick to 17-18), but to be honest I am not going for the serious gains, I just wanted to improve my strength and build some definition.

 

I had a quick look at those dips but I will study those properly later. The dips and pullups is an area that I have really neglected until just yesterday (A new dips machine was added to my gym) so I will make it part of my workout plan now as I know that using your own body weight can be a great form of exercise.

 

I have never used a spotter, I hate those gyms where gangs of lads just try to intimidate etc etc. I have been pressing the weight that I can comfortably manage by myself and then build up and up.

 

My diet isn't fantastic but better than a lot of peoples. I don't want to look 'massive', just feel/look healthy :)

[Charles Penrose]

With correct diet and training strength goes up incredibly in a few short months. I began with 12kg dumbells per side in October 07. The emphasis is on slow reps especially in the negative motion. Too many people swing weights and have poor technique. Weights should be done 1 second up and 3 seconds down generally speaking. I started at 10 stone 3 and now weight in at 13 stone 4lbs. I'm 5'10". Not massively heavy really and I could probably lose half a stone of fat now, but that'll come when i hit 15 stone around this time next year, knocking it back to fourteen by then I'd imagine. Still, it makes me seven meals a day seem worthwhile.

 

Pullups are the best back exercise by a mile. Dips are the best for chest and triceps depending on the way you do them. They're just both very difficult in the beginning. Weight assisted pullup and dips machines do help until you can manage your own bodyweight.

 

 

 

40KG dumb bells is damn heavy. I don't go over 20KG (I usually just stick to 17-18), but to be honest I am not going for the serious gains, I just wanted to improve my strength and build some definition.

 

I had a quick look at those dips but I will study those properly later. The dips and pullups is an area that I have really neglected until just yesterday (A new dips machine was added to my gym) so I will make it part of my workout plan now as I know that using your own body weight can be a great form of exercise.

 

I have never used a spotter, I hate those gyms where gangs of lads just try to intimidate etc etc. I have been pressing the weight that I can comfortably manage by myself and then build up and up.

 

My diet isn't fantastic but better than a lot of peoples. I don't want to look 'massive', just feel/look healthy :)

[Brownie]

I got some weights the other week when I was back home, from Hermes (cheers Fella) and i've also supplemented them with some other weights and a bench as well.

 

Started training on Thursday and i'm loving it already. I'm stiff as fuck but obviously that's a good sign as it shows that i'm working hard.

 

I'm concentrating on my technique/form more than anything though. Chris makes a good point above about people in the gym lifting weights that are too heavy, there's just no point as it doesn't do you any good really.

 

I'd rather lift lighter weights with the correct technique than cheat by lifting heavier weights with the aid of other muscles that I shouldn't be working. It's important that you isolate the muscle that you want to work I think so that's what i'm concentrating on doing at the moment.

 

Anyway, it's going great so far. Can't wait for tomorrows session already...

[Hermes]

Can't wait for tomorrows session already...

 

 

Alternate between top half and bottom half, don't do the same muscles on consecutive days.

[Nick Leeson]

Alternate between top half and bottom half, don't do the same muscles on consecutive days.

I don't get it?

[Brownie]

Alternate between top half and bottom half, don't do the same muscles on consecutive days.

 

Thursday - Chest and Triceps

Friday - Shoulders and Biceps

Saturday - Back and Legs

Tomorrow - Chest and Triceps...

 

Repeat ad nauseum...

[Hermes]

I don't get it?

 

 

Above the waist ie. chest/back/arms Monday............below the waist ie. legs Tuesday and so on.

 

The muscles tear and are replaced by bigger muscles when they grow, exercising the same muscles every day will strain them and cause injury and in any case will not make them grow quicker than exercising them every day.

[Hermes]

Thursday - Chest and Triceps

Friday - Shoulders and Biceps

Saturday - Back and Legs

Tomorrow - Chest and Triceps...

 

Repeat ad nauseum...

 

Three times a week per muscle group is the optimum. If you only have 30 mins a day concentrate on the big muscles ie. Bench press for chest/triceps and squats for quadriceps.

[Brownie]

Three times a week per muscle group is the optimum. If you only have 30 mins a day concentrate on the big muscles ie. Bench press for chest/triceps and squats for quadriceps.

 

Does that sound okay how i'm doing it? I've adapted it a bit from a workout I was reading on some website - it says I should have three rest days but fuck that I wanna get stuck into it!

 

I think two days is enough rest for each muscle group isn't it? I last did my chest and triceps on Thursday and i'll be doing them again tomorrow, that should be fine shouldn't it?

[Nick Leeson]

Above the waist ie. chest/back/arms Monday............below the waist ie. legs Tuesday and so on.

 

The muscles tear and are replaced by bigger muscles when they grow, exercising the same muscles every day will strain them and cause injury and in any case will not make them grow quicker than exercising them every day.

Oh no. i'd get that if there were anything in it which interested me, I just couldn't see the joke and I don't remember the last post from you that wasn't akin to something on a lolly ice stick.

 

As I was, I guess.

[Hermes]

It depends what you want to do, build muscle or just tone up. If it's build muscle and you only have 30 mins a day:

 

2x sets of 8lifts on bench press.

2x sets of 8 lifts dumbells

2x sets of 8lifts triceps bar

2x sets of 8 lifts curling bar.

 

Build the weight up by no more than 3% or so every 2 weeks and every month try pyramiding.

 

If you are only looking for toning lift lighter weights but in sets of 12 lifts.

[Brownie]

It depends what you want to do, build muscle or just tone up. If it's build muscle and you only have 30 mins a day:

 

2x sets of 8lifts on bench press.

2x sets of 8 lifts dumbells

2x sets of 8lifts triceps bar

2x sets of 8 lifts curling bar.

 

Build the weight up by no more than 3% or so every 2 weeks and every month try pyramiding.

 

If you are only looking for toning lift lighter weights but in sets of 12 lifts.

 

I'm doing three sets of 15, 8 and 6 at the moment.

 

Chest press, flys and incline press for my chest - curls, concentration curls, hammer curls for my biceps etc.

[Section_31]

You only need to do each muscle group once a week in my experience.

 

Chest and Back

Biceps and Triceps

Legs and Shoulders (plus add abs to that if you want)

 

I've always been fine with that, also as has been said keep the reps around 8-12 if you want muscle growth, anything above that and it become an aerobic excercise, better for small muscle growth and burning cals.

[Flying Pig]

I'd look for some second hand stuff. It'll be as good as new but much cheaper. Loads of people buy it, never get into it and then sell it.

 

Adam is right, loads of lazy fucking unmotivated wankers buy stuff thinking they will be Mr Universe in a week and then find reasons to not use them. It fuckin annoys me.

 

 

Ive got a rowing machine for sale, if your interested.

[Brownie]

You only need to do each muscle group once a week in my experience.

 

Chest and Back

Biceps and Triceps

Legs and Shoulders (plus add abs to that if you want)

 

I've always been fine with that, also as has been said keep the reps around 8-12 if you want muscle growth, anything above that and it become an aerobic excercise, better for small muscle growth and burning cals.

 

Do you just do one muscle per day then, or do you do split excercises?

 

To be honest I just don't want to take a day off because if I doi, it will dramatically increase the chances of me becoming lazy and not keeping with it!

 

I know that you can over excercise, but I reckon a couple of days rest for each muscle is ample time, surely?

[longballs]

I tend to do two days in a row and then do every other day (I often throw in 2 rest days).

 

Mon

Tue

Rest

Thurs

Rest

Sat

Sun

 

Rest

Tue

Wed

Rest

Thur

Sat

Rest

 

 

I have 4 splits which are:

 

Chest/Biceps

Back/Triceps

Shoulders/Lower Body (or all over e.g. squats, lunges, deadlifts)

Legs/Cardio

 

Chest/Triceps

Lower Body/Cardio

Back/Biceps

Shoulders/Triceps

 

Chest/Cardio

Shoulders/Triceps

Back/Biceps

Lower Body/Legs

 

Shoulders/Biceps

Lower Body/Cardio

Back/Triceps

Chest/Lower Body

[Brownie]

I reckon it's probably a case of 'each to their own' then based on that mate. I'm sure that i'll be tired in a few days and in need of a rest so i'll probably just gauge it that way. At the moment i'm bang into it and want to get into a consistent rhythm so that I keep it up and get myself looking like some Van Damme/Arnie/Sly hybrid by the time I hit the Dominican in November!

[longballs]

I reckon it's probably a case of 'each to their own' then based on that mate. I'm sure that i'll be tired in a few days and in need of a rest so i'll probably just gauge it that way. At the moment i'm bang into it and want to get into a consistent rhythm so that I keep it up and get myself looking like some Van Damme/Arnie/Sly hybrid by the time I hit the Dominican in November!

 

 

That's just as good (providing you don't over do it and then pack it all in). I never put myself under pressure to go the gym and I try and play a bit of squash, 5-aside or go for a run just to mix it up so it doesn't get boring.

[billybonzo]

You only need to do each muscle group once a week in my experience.

 

Chest and Back

Biceps and Triceps

Legs and Shoulders (plus add abs to that if you want)

 

I've always been fine with that, also as has been said keep the reps around 8-12 if you want muscle growth, anything above that and it become an aerobic excercise, better for small muscle growth and burning cals.

 

 

Is correct, if you go more than that your gonna be fatigued. 3 X 45 minute intense sessions per week are enough and take some creatine.

[Charles Penrose]

Brownie, don't fall into the trap of doing it every day mate. People seem to have this idea that working yourself to complete exhaustion on a daily basis is the way forward. It's not. I've now gone from 10 stones 3lbs to 13 stone 8lbs in a little under eight months, and it's been done by working each muscle once per week. You can do a three or four day split. I began as follows:

 

Sunday - Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

Tuesday - Legs and Abs

Thursday - Back and Biceps

 

I gained two stone in four months with the above, but found my shoulders were lagging. I removed shoulders from Sunday and added them, on a day of their own, on Mondays. They were just too tired after doing Chest and Triceps. The whole idea of that routine is that you are essentially having days of 'Push' exercises which call into play Chest, Triceps, Shoulders, and a day of 'Pull' which means Biceps and Back. There is absolutely no need to do any muscle group more than once a week. When you've done any muscle group, then leave it alone for seven days.

 

I'm proof that genuine committment and knowledge can really lead to some massive changes. You'll probably find that for the first few months you carry on overdoing things and keep gaining. It's the stange when your body dishes out massive rewards for even half hearted effort. People get bigger changes in twelve weeks than most people would get anywhere near on any steriod cycle later on in their development. Make the most of it, get into good habits now and listen to the likes of me who've fallen down the slippery slope of overtraining before.

[Lee909]

Right

So my diet it pretty much on track as much as it can be being diabetic. Its just pretty balanced,i cannot do any of the 'Diets' overly safely. I try to keep the carbs down on the whole,but do not count any carbs in veg etc. If i have potato's its just a small portion but normally any carbs like that will be sweet potatoe or squah,maybe a little rice or other grain now and again. Im in the gym for MMA,Muay Thai and grappling again and over the next couple of weeks the number of days will increase up to 3-5 times a week depending on whats going on. Thats all great for general exercise and cardio(though its a completely different type of cardio really.) Still gets the heart going but its nothing like running etc but i do not like running as it puts too much stress on my knees.

 

Im deffo in the endomorph scale of body type 

Im only 5'7 but even when i left school and had all the cardio in the world,good level cross country,football/basketball for hours etc but little upper body strength i was still 11st 8/75kg/165lb roughly and quickly hit just over 12 stone after starting a labouring job out of school.

 

What i need i some idea of a good starting point for my normal gym sessions. I have about a 45 mins to a hour in the morning before work.

 

So its loose fat and build muscle(especially upper body) to keep the metabolism up.

 

I'm trying to hit a body type similar to Rousimar Palhares. I think for my body type its a achievable goal long term. 

 

 

Im in the gym on my own and its 4am when ill be going to i cant really be grabbing free weights that im doing till failure as there will likely be nobody there if i have a issue. So anyone got a idea of good machines i can use and even a decent plan t follow

[littletedwest]

That's not an easy physique to get imo.

Routines I'd look at

Push pull legs for 3 days or legs, shoulder and triceps, back, chest and biceps for 4 days.

Diet and consistency is key.

No exercise is irreplaceable but I'd always ensure your doing bench press, pull ups, deadlift, overhead press of some sort and squats.

[Elite]

You'll need some roids to get like that.

[Lee909]

Oh i don't doubt he is on something.

I'm talking more the shape than the exact size and im not touching anything.