Building Muscle

[sawtell]

Gday all.
As the topic suggest i would like to build some muscle.. not so much define, more just bulk up.
Ive searched and searched the internet for days for techniques etc, but cant get a straight answer.. what is better to "bulk" up ...
Heavy weights low reps.
or
Lighter weights more reps?


and can any one give me some good examples on how to build some complete arm muscle , tris, bi's, forearm.


Any help appreciated!!

[Robb]

dont have any useful information for you as i am a skinny runt, but I can remember seeing some threads about this before. Maybe they were more on the defining/increasing fittness type stuff.
Dunno if you have but give this site a bit of a search, possibly in general or the xc forums? (will have a search myself to see if i can find anything)


Edit:
http://forums.farkin.net/showthread.php?t=53312&highlight=fitness

hope that helps.

[sawtell]

Thanks for the help, i have already read through that thread, didnt quite have what i was looking for, as once again once person says heavy weights low reps, one preson says light weights more reps... :confused:

[JDB]

Easy as to answer.

If you want to bulk up heavy weights, low reps. I'm in the middle of a serious bulk up program at the moment and its doing wonders. Best bet is to do a warm up set of each exercise of around 15 reps with a light weight, then 3 sets of 8 reps with a nice heavy weights. Once you can do the 3 sets of 8 reps, increase the weights for your next session and repeat.

[freeride_sweet]

heavy weight low reps ( talking sets of 10 or less and negative reps) and a higher protien diet or protien drinks, its always best to try and get a personal trainer for at least one session so they can set you and the right path, right exercises so you not doing any damage, they can also help with your diet, cause its not just about doing the weights, diet is a big part as well

hope that helps

[Customjimmy]

Easy as to answer.

If you want to bulk up heavy weights, low reps. I'm in the middle of a serious bulk up program at the moment and its doing wonders. Best bet is to do a warm up set of each exercise of around 15 reps with a light weight, then 3 sets of 8 reps with a nice heavy weights. Once you can do the 3 sets of 8 reps, increase the weights for your next session and repeat.


Pretty good advice for a start. Technique is equally important so make sure your doing the exercises correctly. You should also change your routine every few weeks to keep progressing. Oh, and hook into the protein! Start with light weights for your first couple of workouts.

[LTR]

To put it simply:
6-8 reps: Will bulk you up most productively, with some definition.
8-12 reps: This is what body builders generally do, depending on exercise. This will build you up, but also define your muscles a lot better than 6 reps; you'll also achieve a better lactic tolerence.
12+ Reps: We're talking endurance here, this will not built up your muscles much, but it will define your muscles like crazy.

General Rule: The more reps, the more defined and the less bulk will go on.

Id invest in a set of dumbells (20-25kg worth for each arm), with a range of weights (5kgs, 2.5kgs, and 1.25kgs) and do a range of exercises.

[JDB]

heavy weight low reps ( talking sets of 10 or less and negative reps) and a higher protien diet or protien drinks, its always best to try and get a personal trainer for at least one session so they can set you and the right path, right exercises so you not doing any damage, they can also help with your diet, cause its not just about doing the weights, diet is a big part as well

hope that helps


Yeah really good advice on the trainer it is so important to do the exercises properly and with good form. If your going to a gym talk to the staff there, they can be a really good source of information on the right techniques for exercises. It still amazes me how badly some people can do a simple thing like a barbell curl. Your working your biceps, so use just your biceps don't go swinging around like crazy and don't even get me started on dead lifts and squats, some people are just asking for bad backs.

[scblack]

My understanding is this:

Heavy weights, low reps will build STRENGTH.

Lower weights, higher reps will build BULK.

Lower weight again, even higher reps will build ENDURANCE & DEFINITION.

For BULK I'd be going with LTR, as he says for body builders - 8-12 reps, with a few sets each.

His 6-8 reps would be to my thinking be building strength.

[LTR]

Strength wise, you really need to define what you mean by strength. You should do many exercises at different weights in order to achieve a strong, yet defined body. I wouldnt worry about outright stregth, because lets just admit that its purely for aesthetics and the girls. You'll need to mix exercises up a lot. If you think you need a bigger tri to match your bicep, then do more tri exercises. Simple.

Google is a great resource for different exercises.

Also every set you do, you want to fuck yourself up. On the 4th set of the exercise, its too light weight when you can finish it, you should fail.

[scblack]

Strength wise, you really need to define what you mean by strength.
I mean the ability to lift the maximum weight possible.

I wouldnt worry about outright stregth, because lets just admit that its purely for aesthetics and the girls.
I think you've got it mixed up a little. BULK is what you're talking about here - maximum SIZE of the muscles.

Maximum size/bulk of muscles does not necessarily mean maximum strength.

A person with a lot of muscle BULK will generally be stronger than someone with smaller muscles. BUT the strongest person will not necessarily have the biggest muscle BULK.

[Drizz]

This is from the physical fitness subject I did back in uni. (My degree is Commerce, but they make people take up "general" subjects)

STRENGTH workout:
Around 90% of your max lift and around 6-8 reps at slow pace

BULK Workout:
Around 80% of your max lift and around 8-12 reps at slow pace

ENDURANCE/TONING Workout:
Around 50-60% of your max lift and around 12 + reps at moderate pace

Thats the basic.

Athletes also trained for POWER, which is bascially 90% max lift 8-12 reps at moderate pace.

This is what I can remember, speak to a trainer and get a specific program done is the best way. If you wanted to know a bit more, you can flip through some body building books at bookshop.

[strauss]

hey mate here are some general tips:
1. use proper technique, to avoid injury and also you will be able to lift heavir using proper technique.

2. balance your muscle groups eg if you do chest do a back exercise this is very important to avoid muscle inbalances other wise you will ended up with rounded shoulders quite comon with gym chunkies (too much bench press)

3. start off using compound exercise( exercise using one or mre major muscle groups) eg bench press, squat etc. this is so you build up a bASE platform (a house isnt strong with out good foundations....)

4. i wouldnt worry to much about how many sets or reps unless you are getting serious about weight lifting for a sport or copetition. cause the the benifits and effects cross over through out the different types of training eg if you train for bulk you will increase your strengh, you will get toned, build up some endurence etc it all crosses over so just stick to any where beteen3-5sets at 6-15 reps and you wil be fine. if you want to build bulk quicker perform your exercises to fatigue

- also you should train about 3- 5 days this should be plent make sure you have rest days as this is important as your body needs this time to repair the muscle.

5. eat right stop drinking cause alcohol stops your body producing insuln wich is needed to help along with protein for muscle repair :)

6. use a spotter if needeed for safety and plent of stretching

the weight will able to lift will vary so to sum it up if you choose to do 4 sets of 8 reps,you shuold perform the exercise to ablolute fatigue so you should only be able to get 4 sets of 8 out of that weight. etc

hope this helps somehow

[luckyphil]

Definition:
bulking up: when a perfectly good athlete intentionly becomes heavier and slower.

By the sounds of it, you really don't know much about weights. My advice would be to begin by starting with moderate weight, and developing abosultely PERFECT technique using a weight you can lift comfortably for a few weeks. Jumping straight into a heavy weights program will quickly develop bad habits (technique) and you will have a much greater chance of injuring yourself, not to mention poorer results because you will be doing ineffective excercises.

The weight you use is a means, not an end.

[Xmetal]

5. eat right stop drinking cause alcohol stops your body producing insuln wich is needed to help along with protein for muscle repair :)

This was something I was going to ask about, what are good muscle-building foods? Fair enough there's all the usual stuff like fruit and veg but are there particular types of food that build it more than others?

Does anyone here use those funky powered and shake mixes from healthfood stores?

For the benefit of the crowd, i'm looking at increasing muscle mass - 65kg, 5'9 weenie here. :o

[sawtell]

Definition:
bulking up: when a perfectly good athlete intentionly becomes heavier and slower.



maybe that is true, which yeah i probaly agree to a point.
But if i want to get big in that way of things.. its my decision not yours.

And no getting bigger does not always make you weaker/slower.. Compare a rugby player to a scruny little nerd? who is bulkier? who is quicker and stronger??



5. eat right stop drinking cause alcohol stops your body producing insuln wich is needed to help along with protein for muscle repair


...There goes that idea then! ;)




Thanks all, keep it coming!..

[|Matt|]

I do weights every night and my arms get much stronger, but they don't look any better.
I do 8KG left and right and do 60 reps.

What should i do to make my arms continually grow stronger, and look better too?

Very heavy weights with 12 reps?

cheers guys
(sorry Alex for the slight hijack)

[TonyG]

I do weights every night and my arms get much stronger, but they don't look any better.
I do 8KG left and right and do 60 reps.

What should i do to make my arms continually grow stronger, and look better too?

Very heavy weights with 12 reps?

cheers guys
(sorry Alex for the slight hijack)
As stated before you have to minimise your repetitions, so perhaps when you finish your heavy weights sesson, slip on a pair of boxing gloves before you hit the sack.

[Mitch_M]

I do weights every night and my arms get much stronger, but they don't look any better.
I do 8KG left and right and do 60 reps.

What should i do to make my arms continually grow stronger, and look better too?

Very heavy weights with 12 reps?

cheers guys
(sorry Alex for the slight hijack)

One thing you should probably do is give your arms a chance to recover, I generally give the area I have just exercised a day to recover eg. If I do my upper body on a Monday I will do lower body exercises on Tuesday. I also use protein shakes which seem to help in the recovery and building of muscles. You could also try increasing the weight and lowering the reps, but I would advise you go to a gym and get some advise on what is right for you and be shown proper techniques so you don't end up causing any damage to yourself.

[strauss]

definatly lay of the ams sounds like your over training them try having about a week off and give them time to recover. then come back and prob drop the reps and increase the weight so you can complete about 10-15 reps of whatever weight you can lift to achieve that number of reps do till absolutly fatigueand full range of movement.
(hint good triceps make your arm look bigger maybe try a few triceps dips ...curls dont always get the girls Lol

also people have a certain body type due to genitics making it difficult for people to gain size/weight or the reverse. can be done just take longer sometimes to see the effects. everyone is different.

[strauss]

This was something I was going to ask about, what are good muscle-building foods? Fair enough there's all the usual stuff like fruit and veg but are there particular types of food that build it more than others?

A wide variaty of foods you would be best off with no crap.
food such as tuna and ots of other fishes as well are high source in protein.
also your meats like chicken red meets pork etc as long as it is not to fatty

fruit vegeies ...... nuts and legumes are quite good

pasta and rice eggs etc

just make sure your meals are nicely balanced.

you can get protein powder/ shakes but this stuff is expensive and unless are willing to strictly follow the prpoer guidlines for this you would be wastin your time and money
eating the right balanced diet should be more than adequate for proper advice you should see a nutritionsist they are really good and will tell you everything you need

[luckyphil]

Ok, first up, farkin isnt probably the best place to get this kind of advice, but i'll tell you my program, its not perfect, but it works for me.

I train bodybuilder style: that is, chest and back one day, arms another, legs another day, with abdominal excercises every day.

i try and eat 5-6 small meals a day, rather than 3 larger ones, which make you feel full and slow.

Supplements are excellent if you use them well and actually train hard.
I use: protein powder ($110 for 5kg) Creatine ($50 for 1kg)

Basically, to build muscle you need to absorb AT LEAST 1-1.5 grams of protein for every kilogram you weigh. for example, if you weigh 80kg, you need 80-120 grams of protein a day.

If you are too much of a tightarse to buy powder (and it IS cheaper than buying 20kg's of meat a week) raid the pantry for ANY type of meat, eggs, milk, and to a lesser extent, multi grain bread, nuts, etc.

Hope this helps, if you need any more advice feel free to PM me.
But in reality, go to the newsagence and grab a copy of "Muscle and Fitness" or something similiar (an NO, i don't work for any of these companies ;) ) and you can learn a lot.

[jarrad7]

As a swimmer i belive in flexibility as well as strength etc....
Dont have to but it is wise to warm up, stretch, cool down and maintain flexibility or you could injure yourself which prevents you from working to your maximum next training session. Also, if you want to look good, make sure you build all areas eg, if you do heaps of curls do some tricep work to straighten your arm out, or if you work on your trapezius, work on your deltoid to compensate.
not trying so sound like your mum though:p

jarrad7

ps ive added some diagrams so you know whats what.... hey its thursday night and im bored

39378

39379

[Blonde kid on Morphine]

Also as a side note, Just so when you start your new program you don't get disheartened after a few weeks cos your not getting results, When you start a new weights program for any part/area of muscle, You should remember that you will have NO increase in muscles, as in new muscle growth for 3 months of any new program, this is because your golgi-tendon organ and your muscle spindles take this time to desenstise to the new load that they are now dealing with, and getting used to lifting the weights. So any hypertrophy (muscle growth) will not start untill roughly 3 months.

Also something else to consider is the whole Volume training versus One max set idea,

This being is that it takes around 96 hours for your muscles to start super compensating (Adding more muscle fibers to the group to make it easier on the muscle next time you work out).
So the theory behind this is you only work out once a week giving it everything you have and doing everything till failure, then waiting till next week to do your weights again. This is to avoid compounding stress on your joints and muscles and give your body enough time to fully recover from being put through the stress of the work outs.
The benefit of this training is that you are less likely to hit a platue (sp??) and not see any improvement for a few weeks, as you are giving adequate time to recover and are fresh and ready for every work out.
Also be advised that Both one day a week Max set training and volume training (multiple days a week) get results its just how quickly you want to get them.
For questions about this feel free to ask, I myself am not a qualified fitness/personal trainer, BUT my older sister IS and I too will be starting a personal trainers course in August, So I'll do my best to keep everything as accurate as possible.
Cheers and beers guys.
Tim.

[and1]

I do weights every night and my arms get much stronger, but they don't look any better.
I do 8KG left and right and do 60 reps.

What should i do to make my arms continually grow stronger, and look better too?

Very heavy weights with 12 reps?

cheers guys
(sorry Alex for the slight hijack)

Stop doing weights everynight because
a. your still young
b. your muscles need rest, your muscles grow and recover much better if you have 1 day on 1 day off of exercise, or better yet at your age, 1 good solid work out then 2 days rest. If you do this you'll actually find your arms becoming more defined and increasing in size more.

This part is to alex; if you want to bulk up remember to alternate your workouts as well. Don't keep the same routine everytime your at the gym. I go to the gym 3 - 4 days a week, one day I like to do a good solid shoulder workout, the next I work more on biceps and triceps, the third I do a bit of both and the fourth again a bit of both as well as core workout, which does your abdominals and lower back muscles too, which help form that ripped v shape that goes down to your groin.

If you just work on the one group all the time you'll end up with uneven muscle growth. Lots of gym junkies have these huge biceps and around the back of their shoulders they're hollow and lack any muscle and looks stupid.

A great bicep exercise is to get three sets of weights on three barbells, I like to use 80lbs, 70lbs, and 60lbs. Start with 12 reps of the 80lbs barbell, as soon as you finish that jump onto the 70lbs, then onto the 60lbs. Do three sets of this exercise, then go work on your triceps right after. A personal trainer once told me if you work biceps and triceps in the same workout you get a much better result, which seems to be true.

[Goobs]

There is a pretty good section in Brian Lopez's Mastering Mountain Bike Skills book. He sais lift low weights hi reps ( 15 - 20.) He argues that we want to keep body weight down, as its less weight that you have to accelerate off the start line, out of corners etc.

My Kung Fu teacher has said pretty much the same thing, big muscles equal slow muscles. He recommended avoiding the low rep high weight routine.

A great strength exercise is to ride a DH bike on a cross country mission. Lopez does this, but he doesn't sit down. He also strongly recommends building core / abs strength.

As for the football player argument. Body mass assists a footballer to break through tackles, tackling other player etc. Momentum is your friend on the footy field. Extra weight is just a burden to a bike rider. Ideally, you want to be as light and as strong as possible.

[JDB]

There is a pretty good section in Brian Lopez's Mastering Mountain Bike Skills book. He sais lift low weights hi reps ( 15 - 20.) He argues that we want to keep body weight down, as its less weight that you have to accelerate off the start line, out of corners etc.

My Kung Fu teacher has said pretty much the same thing, big muscles equal slow muscles. He recommended avoiding the low rep high weight routine.

A great strength exercise is to ride a DH bike on a cross country mission. Lopez does this, but he doesn't sit down. He also strongly recommends building core / abs strength.

As for the football player argument. Body mass assists a footballer to break through tackles, tackling other player etc. Momentum is your friend on the footy field. Extra weight is just a burden to a bike rider. Ideally, you want to be as light and as strong as possible.

Fair enough, but if you look at what this tread was about, he wanted to bulk up not get fitter for mountain biking. I agree that extra upper body bulk and strength will not really help with biking but really any exercise is better than sitting around at home watching tv, so get to the gym if you want and lift some weights.

[sawtell]

... i do have life out side of bikeing hahahahaha.. thanks for the conserns any way!

thanks for the help guys.

[Road Rage Ryan]

The best advice you will receive from this forum is to look at these two sites and learn about exercise for yourself. http://www.burnthefat.com/ and http://www.fitren.com/. Personally I think that 95% of advice given over the internet is unqualified and often incorrect. I am not having a go at anyone I think that exercise and weight training are subjects that most people think that they are quite knowlegable when in fact they are not. Here is question that you should ask yourself if I suddenly found a lump on my balls would I, A) get on the internet and ask everyone what they would do, or would I B) go see a doctor.

The first website deals with nutrition and exercise. From memory you can download the whole book for about $11 which is very cheap. This book is straight up no crap. The author who bases all their research on science and not what suppliment companies were paying him. His name is Tom Venuto. I personally don't know the man but I can tell you his information is accurate. I can also tell you that eating tuna and chicken as well as egg whites will deliver more than enough protein and save you many dollars when it comes to suppliments.

The second website looks more at weight training. Personally I did not use Tom's Plans when I was training but they look more than adequate for most body building needs.

Some final points to consider for weight training. Some of these points have been already said by some of the better advice givers in this forum.

1) Always warm-up (lighter sets of weights is not the most desirable way of doing so but better than nothing. 10-15minutes on the bike would be a great start then followed by a 1-2 lighter sets before hitting maximum.
2) Drink water during workouts. Ditch the power drinks they are all crap except for creatine which has been shown to add some benefit to the workout.
3) Technique is everything. If you don't have this right don't bother doing weights you will end up looking like the hunch back of Nottre Dame. Buy a mirror and watch your self during the workout. Dont Rock your body this is wrong. Concentrate on using the muscles you are trying to work out. For instance many people lift their back during bench press recruiting every muscle bar their chest. Do what others have said go light and get confident in your technique then progress your weights.
4) Research the topic. Don't rely on what your mates do.
5) Don't do steroids, HGH or insulin. Most people can gain 5-10kg of muscle without losing their balls, getting a big chin or giving yourself Diabetes.

Finally I think many good ideas have been discussed but remember to learn for yourself. Also I should point out that the author of the two websites is a professional body builder but more importantly has a degree in exercise physiology.

Cheers
Ryan
Good Luck

[hdtvkss]

i thikn the protein powder argument is largley BS personly. its not hard at all to get 100 grams in your diet of protien every day without supplements. Any extra protein is more likley to either get flushed down the toilet bowl or get packed on as fat.

Dont beleive me that you dont need powder to hit the 100gram mark easy? go to www.fitday.com and enter what you ate for a day... im vegetarian and i still have hit 72 grams today just after lunch.

[MORRK_DH]

i have just started at the gym been 5 times (every 2 days) and ive been having an extra 80grams fo protein (2 protein drinks) before i go, like aorund morning and then after school then i head off at 4pm, it has made a difference like im physically bigger and more toned on my back, i did weights before this so i can tell.

but yeh i do 70kg on various machines 8 times then work down to about 60kg by 5 more times so:

70kg - 8 reps x 3
65kg - 10 reps x 3
60kg - 15 reps x 3

and so on different areas. and it got me tone and bulk.

[JDB]

i have just started at the gym been 5 times (every 2 days) and ive been having an extra 80grams fo protein (2 protein drinks) before i go, like aorund morning and then after school then i head off at 4pm, it has made a difference like im physically bigger and more toned on my back, i did weights before this so i can tell.

but yeh i do 70kg on various machines 8 times then work down to about 60kg by 5 more times so:

70kg - 8 reps x 3
65kg - 10 reps x 3
60kg - 15 reps x 3

and so on different areas. and it got me tone and bulk.

Sorry mate but after 5 trips to the gym you will not have put on any extra muscle yet, it takes a while for the growth to start occurring. You are just experiencing "pump" your muscles get swollen with blood after exercise and will look bigger for a while also they will remain swollen while they repair.

I think protein shakes are useful as a post workout recovery drink to give your body a good dose of protein and energy so it can start replacing what was used up. A good whey protein isolate powder should be absorbed into the body within about 30 minutes, so perfect post workout. Also remember that the first thing your body does is replace the lost energy (sugars) in the muscles so you should have something like a banana or other sugar rich fruit as soon as you finish your workout.

[OH64]

Only skim read so maybe I missed all the info but

how old are you
how much do you weigh currently
do you loose weight easily, and is hard for you to gain muscle/weight
whats a basic meal outline for you?
how active are you on average in a week

[and1]

i have just started at the gym been 5 times (every 2 days) and ive been having an extra 80grams fo protein (2 protein drinks) before i go, like aorund morning and then after school then i head off at 4pm, it has made a difference like im physically bigger and more toned on my back, i did weights before this so i can tell.

but yeh i do 70kg on various machines 8 times then work down to about 60kg by 5 more times so:

70kg - 8 reps x 3
65kg - 10 reps x 3
60kg - 15 reps x 3

and so on different areas. and it got me tone and bulk.

Haha sure mate, real toned and bulk. As JDB said, your not going to notice any actual gains for a while. Till then just keep checking out those guns in the mirror everytime you move something heavy.

[sawtell]

how old are you
how much do you weigh currently
do you loose weight easily, and is hard for you to gain muscle/weight
whats a basic meal outline for you?
how active are you on average in a week

IM 17, i am aware of shouldnt be doing heavy weights untill you stop growing, but lets put it this way, ive been the same shoe size, and clothes size since i was 13, and grown 2 cm's in that time... i think i should be safe!!
i weigh between 75-82 kilos- 180 cms.
I loose weight very easily... i find it fairly easy to gain muscle..
Basic meal outline for me, is
breakky- just a cereal, what ever it may be, some times sugarstuff some times health'ier'
lunch- pie, sandwhich what ever..
dinner- usually somethign invloving red meat, but occasionaly fish.

Snacks dueing the day would be probaly 2-3 museily bar style things. couple bits of toast..



thats about it??:)

[MORRK_DH]

i know what pump is -.-, im not saying the 5 times i went to the gym changed me, fuck!, ive been doing weights for 7 months before, and on my tris im getting a few dimples down the back, which i didnt have a week ago.

so its not pump, and my back deltoids and blades have changed abit aswell.

[fleshbone]

ah well i dont go to the gym at all,but i have ways of toning up and defining my muscle,and it kinda bulks too.

army style push ups(no half ass shit),try to do 100 a day
100 sit-ups a day
100 bench dips with legs extended a day
and i use my bike as the weights.
oh and just ride as much as i can.it still makes the ladies look twice. ;)

[stainless]

First off, there is some good info in this thread and then again there is some ‘not so good’ info as well.

A lot of the posts sound like the member just read the label off their supplement bottle, powder container or cut and pasted off a web page. Remember you do not have to be qualified in anything to put a webpage up ;)

The only thing that is constant in the fitness industry is change and it will always be the same.

I’m not going through all the posts again to reply or correct anyone but a few that stood out are as follows.

Remember we are talking about beginner muscle hypertrophy here.

REP RANGE

If you read 10 different texts then you will get 10 different ideas about rep range. For hypertrophy I recommend 12-15 reps. You judge the weight by how you feel, the 15 rep should be almost impossible without a spotter, and have enough rest so you can almost get to the 15th rep again.

FREQUENCY

To the all the guys doing bi curls every night, this is overtraining and not only will you not see gains you may see reversal (getting weaker, getting smaller). For people who are just starting training a Mon, Wed, Fri basic all over program will be fine. (a beginner will not be able to work hard enough to warrant a full split program). As you start to work to full capacity and get technique etc sorted out then you only need to work each muscle group once a week. So long as you train hard and to failure. This is why the more advance programs are “split” into different training days.

EXERCISES

For a beginner I recommend 2 or 3 exercises for each main muscle group (chest, back, legs, abs), (compound whenever possible) and 1 or 2 for the smaller muscles bi’s, tri’s shoulders etc.

EXERCISE ORDER

First off, always warm up with some cardio and some exercises of light weight. This prepares you physiologically and mentally for what you are about to do.
For a beginner do the big exercises first as the smaller muscles will be pre-fatigued and wont be able to be used as stabilizers if work them first e.g. Deltoids are stabilizers during bench press, if you do shoulder press first then the delts won’t be used as stabilizers during the bench press and this can lead to injuries in newcomers. It is usually the other way around for more advanced programs, except for squats which should always be done when fresh.

DIET

A regular healthy diet (Australian healthy eating guide) will be sufficient for most beginners and just increase the volume as the workload increases (if you flog your car it needs more fuel, same for you). The supplement industry is huge and that is why there is so many ‘supamegawesomepowergrowth’ products, none of which are really beneficial to the novice…..however, I have used these and other tactics to get people to workout, if they have just spent $200 on products it might be some incentive to keep to the program, or it might be a placebo effect and if it keeps them working out I am happy :D

GYMS

A gym membership can be a good idea because, the little voice that tells you to stay at home, inside or only do a few easy reps will be a bit quieter if you just paid $1000 for a membership.

PROGRAM

This is a very basic program that is conducted on Mon, Wed and Fri. There are plenty more exercises and you need to have correct technique to be able to train and reduce the risk of injury. If you did this program for 1 month it would give you an excellent base to be able to go and see someone to move to the next level.

Disclaimer: see your medical practitioner before commencing any exercise program; I accept no responsibility for any injury or misfortune that you may have conducting this program. It is meant as a guide only and you need to learn correct technique which I can’t teach you over the net.

Legs
Squats 3 x 15
Hamstring curls 3 x 15
Calf raises 3 x 20

Chest
Bench press 3 x 15
Incline Bench 3 x 15
Push ups 3 x max

Back
Chin ups 3 x max
Lat pull down 3 x 15
Seated row 3 x 15

Arms/Shoulders

Shoulder press 3 x 15
Bi curls 3 x 15
Bench dips 3 x 15

Abs
Situps 3 x 25
Oblique twists 3 x 15
Knee raises 3 x 15

Hope this helps

Train smart, train safe.

[Vitamin B]

Just smash piss and get in blues at the pub. The raising of pots to your mouth will tone and the blueing will build muscle.

[OH64]

I tend to lean towards 3 x 10 reps. Your aim is to fatigue the muscle, so weight must be heavy enough to induce failure by the 10th repetition. Also controlled descent on eccentric part of movement with static holds in stretch or peak contraction point.


The reason I was asking about a general meal plan and how easily you gain/loose weight is due to the following.

The main people reason struggle to gain muscle/weight is really up to diet. Its a matter of finding the right balance of protein/carbohydrates and also finding a good training program that suits you.

If your highly active increasing complex carbohydrates is a good idea. For myself personally I have a ratio of 79% carbohydrates 20% protein and 1% fats/oils. This isn't for everyone and suits me well as I am thin and was finding it hard to gain weight due to having a high metabolism. So basically I need the extra carbs to compensate for my bodies greater energy consumption. If your body doesn’t get enough carbs then it will burn muscle tissue to get energy. So thats why you remain thin or actually start to decrease in mass. But you need to find what works for you and stick to it.

[sawtell]

Just smash piss and get in blues at the pub. The raising of pots to your mouth will tone and the blueing will build muscle.


is this comin from experience? ;)

[Vitamin B]

Im toned from all the pots, but bulky from all the whales i hafta lift. hurry up and find me a cycle. that is all

[beefrocket]

Buy this book and follow everything it has to say and you WILL get results

http://www.gmv.com.au/images/products/Arnold-SchwarzeneggerLG.jpg
I got mine during a Dymocks sale for $20, you might also be able to find it at a second hand book shop. It does have a chapter or two on preparing for competition, posing and other crap, but it also describes every type of lift you'd every need to do, beginer to advanced programs, nutrition and sample diets.

[Alec McJo]

At skool when we did our gym training program, we were taught that..

*first of all, muscle fatigue is when you do a certain amount of something, and you cant do anymore. You get to the point when it really is enough*

I'll use Bicep Curls as the example here.

Now, if you want to build up mostly the STRENGTH in your muscles but still get some size in, you do training of a weight where you get muscle fatigued between 4 and 6 reps of the weight. So you will be curling say 12.5kg, and you will get to 4, 5 or 6 reps and enough is enough.


If you want to build up mostly the SIZE of your muscles (small amounts of strength and tone will come to) then you would train at a wieght where you are muscle fatigued at between 8 and 12 reps of the weight. So you will be curling say 10kg, and between 8 and 12 reps is enough for you.


If you want to build up mostly the TONE of your muscles (small amounts of size will happen, and strength will be jack all) then you train at a weight where you are muscle fatigued at between 16 and 20 reps of the weight. So you will be curling say 7.5kg, and between 16 and 20 reps really is enough.


For an all round look, if weight training really is the only thing your doing to get your muscles working then the strength training is a good option. You wont notice an as much of a sudden change, but you should be patient.. and that way you'll be nice and tough to ;) . If you do to much muscle size training without toning them, you just look silly. If your toning them, you've got to have done some size training to get something to tone in the first place :p .

Personally the training i do is for size, because i wakeboard regurlary which keeps them toned so it all works out alrite. Havnt been doing it for to long though.. only just starting to really notice the differences :) .


I hope that helps :) .