[quote]SouthernBrew wrote:
Hey guys and girls, I have a few questions for you, I hope some of you can help me out. I am currently using the WSFSKB routine, and have been for about a month, maybe a month and a half.
I am trying to gain some muscle mass, I am 5’11. and only 164( age 18), ideal would be a much stronger 175-180 lbs. I am not a bodybuilder which I know is popular at this site(nothing wrong with it, its just not my thing), I am lifting for functional strength I can use in sports and martial arts.
My first question…What is meant to work up to a max set of 3-5 reps? Start at say 100, do 5 reps, then keep adding weight until I cant do more than 5 reps. So 5 reps of 100, then 5 reps of 120, etc…
Second question, while benching(the above routine, working up to a max set of 3-5 reps) is it better to go to 150 for the last set, or go up to say 160 and need a little help from my spotter.
Thirdly, can I do any of the following exercises without a cable in the gym?
Seated rear delt machine
Seated dumbbell ?power cleans?
Bent-over cable flyes (single arm)
Standing face pulls
Rope pulls to throat
Bent-over dumbbell rear delt flyes
Cable ?scarecrows"
If so, can anyone tell me how to do them, I am unfamiliar with all of these exercises, and I workout in my school gym so I cant ask any personal trainers etc…Also, if none are possible with cables, can you suggest some replacement lifts.
- How long should I give the routine before I should start seeing results, if I have no results after say a month should I increase my food intakes, or perhaps start using a protein supplement of some kind?
Thanks in advance, hope I wasnt to demanding.
[/quote]
Hey,
First let me start of with saying that you have picked a very good program to start out with. WS4SB is great for beginners because it is so simple and it really teaches you how to use the Westside template, which is used all the way up to the Pro level. Now to try to answer your questions:
1.) As said before, this does all depend on the individual. What I like to do is start out very light and jump up rapidly until it gets difficult. For instance, say you were going for a 3RM of 150# on the bench. Your sets might look like this:
5 x 45# (rest 30sec)
5 x 65# (rest 45sec)
5 x 85# (rest 60sec)
5 x 115# (rest 90sec)
3 x 135# (rest 120sec)
3 x 150#
If you complete that, throw on another 10 pounds and give it a go. I don’t know if it is me, but my maxes often come in big chunks. For instance, I won’t go up at all for a couple of weeks, then I’ll get the 5 pound increase I was going for, and then I’ll throw on another 10 pounds and get that too. Could just be me though.
So that is 6 sets. Certainly I would experiment and see what works for you, but I think that’s a pretty good way to do it.
2.) Absolutely NO help from the spotter until you need it. I think people rely on the spotter’s help too much. I think you will surprise yourself at how you can grind it out and finish a lift that you thought you would get stuck at. There realy is nothing more satisfying in my opinion. There are some slightly more advanced techniques such as eccentric overload where you lower say 120% of your 1RM and your partner helps you bring it up, but I wouldn’t worry about that for another couple of months.
3.) Go on elitefts.com, go to “Q&A” and find their exercise index. If you can’t what you’re looking for jsut google it.
4.) If you are hitting the weights like a beast everytime you get in the gym and eating a great diet, you will see results almost instantly. I’m not saying you’ll turn into Dave Boston in 2 weeks, but you’ll get a little extra definition somewhere and get a little bit stronger in a few lifts very quickly. There are 2 keys to this I think:
1.) EAT RIGHT. I can’t stress this enough. It’s already been said, but if every single person who replies to this thread says it, it still won’t be enough. Your diet is so important. Grilled chicken will become your best friend.
2.) Give it your all every time you step in the gym. As long as you are taking an unload week every 4 or 5 week and eating enough, you will recover. A lot of kids half-ass their way through workouts and wonder why they aren’t any stronger a year later. You should only be in the weightroom for about an hour- get everything you can out of it.
It sounds like you are off to a good start, if you have any more questions don’t hesistate to ask.
With that said, get off your ass and get in the gym!