GROWING, if you plan on doing that 5 x 12 method for three exercises per body part, that might be to much. Check out Poliquin’s article in issue 1 about maximal weights. you will see he uses a 6 x 4 method where he only increases the weight when he is able to do 6 x 4. However he only does 2 exercises per body part at a much lower volume. I would suggest you learn to DEADLIFT. focus on deadlifts, presses, rows, chins, dips, lunges and such. Don’t work to failure too much. Eat some food
Growingfast…READ PAST ISSUES OF T-MAG and you won’t have to ask silly questions and be spoon fed.
If Chest is your lagging body part, why train it on the 3rd day of your split? Why not train it first?
There’s a ton of info on this site. So much so that if you spent a Saturday going through the archives reading articles, you’d eventually be amazed at how idiotic some of your questions are (not trying to be mean, merely making a point).
The Forum is an excellent resource for someone who’s read ‘most’ of the previous issues and has a solid base from which to build knowledge on. If you haven’t paid your dues by reading, then it’s just a lazy way to get advice.
The Catch-22 is that you truly don’t have enough knowledge yet for anyone to really be able to help you.
If you don’t want to read or claim not to have the time, I understand. At least then we’ll know it’s just lack of commitment that’s holding you back and nothing else.
Sorry for the tough words, just think of them in the context of ‘tough love’ and get motivated to learn to do things right and not do them as you’ve been doing all along.
Write these three things down somewhere and remember them:
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Sometimes routine is your worst enemy.
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Realize there’s a ton more out there and get hungry to find it.
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Otherwise be happy with where you are, because you’ll likely never see any better from your mirror.
Good luck.
“What should I eat and when should I eat it?”
Enough of this. You are asking a lot of basic questions. Go to the FAQ and start reading about nutrition. This is ridiculous.
yo moto, check out program design 101 ( Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION ), learn about Time Under Tension (Oooooh…), and the importance of the all important rest period (Aaaaaaah…). if you want sexy legs and buns so tight you can crack walnuts wit them, check out 12 weeks of pain! you’d need some kind of bar for this bad boy though… if you do change your gym have a look at Pendulum Bodybuilding, or live life to the max and read about the theory of pendulum training; combine it with what you learnt in program design 101 and go make those muscles cry like babies.
(dont try doin the walnut trick 'till your sure your ready, a make of mine had to have two walnuts surgically removed from his ass when it went horribly wrong…)
[quote]Also, my stomach is pathetic. For all the time I spend in the gym, I should be much leaner.
[/quote]
You don’t get a lean stomach in the gym. You get in the kitchen.
You’ve been reading too much Men’s Health, so I’m gonna let you in on a secret. Say it with me: “There is no such thing as spot reducing.”
I was simply asking for some postive feedback or constructive criticism. I don’t know what all of this “stupid post” is about. If guys like me can’t bost here, then who can. IS everyone else on here Ronnie Coleman for god sakes. Most of you have been helpful, and I thank you. But others are acting like I am wasting their time. Here’s my advice: stop reading my post. Furthermore, stop replying if I am wasting your time. It most be great having a novice post, now all the “experts” can come out of hiding. I wish you all had pictures posted, so I can see who is really giving me this advice.
As for me not reading, I do read everything I can get my hands on. That may be what the problem is. One article says you must do 12 reps to gain mass, while others say no more than 8. I probably no more than 80% of you on this site. For instances, I obviously knew the smith machine was an inferior excercise (that is why I asked the question). I was wondering how much it was hindering my progress. I know I should be doing regular squats. I don’t have the equipment, so I can’t. When I get the technology, I will post a picture. By no means am I a fat slob. I just am not where I want to be after lifting for seven years. Again, thanks to those giving constructive criticism. This was not meant for you.
Bye the way, it was grape juice.
CHRISR
At 12% body fat, maybe you should be asking the “silly questions”. At 200 pounds I probably am uner that. I was asking what I should eat before my morning workout. Not alot of articles for those that workout at 5 in the morning.
Last question:
Pushups- Does anyone do them?
Wanna know why you got burned here?
Problem: You say you’ve been lifting for 7 years, but know nothing of basic nutrition.
Solution: read T-mag religiously.
Problem: ‘I obviously knew the smith machine was an inferior excercise (that is why I asked the question).’
Solution: If you knew, why did you ask?
We want to help. Read the basics, then ask the questions.
jaystyles
push-ups
Forget them, unless you are travelling and can’t find a gym. Use the bench, it is your friend.
jaystyles
“As for me not reading, I do read everything I can get my hands on. That may be what the problem is. One article says you must do 12 reps to gain mass, while others say no more than 8. I probably no more than 80% of you on this site.”
You probalby do “no” more than 80% of us…oh wait I am being sarcastic. But seriously, you should read at least a bit before coming in and asking questions. If you had read this weeks issue of t-mag then you wouldn’t have to ask “what should I eat and when?” because there is an article for people who are confused about basic nutrition. We are hear to help, and the best advice is for you to just read the mag and then ask questions.
“At 12% body fat, maybe you should be asking the “silly questions”. At 200 pounds I probably am uner that. I was asking what I should eat before my morning workout. Not alot of articles for those that workout at 5 in the morning.”
Being at a super-low bodyfat percentage is not really a goal of mine. I train for athletic purposes, and subsequently I don’t care what I look like. But some would say that I don’t even look half ugly.
First off I would read all the nutrition info
from John Berardi he even has his own web site.
He even has a lot of sample menu for bulking or
cutting. The thing I have learned on this site
once you get your diet in order you are a head
of the game. If you looking to cut down I would
look up t-dawg 2.0 so far the best cutting diet
I have ever used. The next step would be to search
on this site for My BIG FAT TRAINING PROGRAMs.
It has many program to offer. I always found about
six week of any program you need to change to
get the progress to grow.
Try getting up at 4:15am and eat a big meal. I lift at 5:30.I was asking what I should eat before my morning workout. Not alot of articles for those that workout at 5 in the morning.
Here’s what you need to take every morning before your workout. You’re timing is perfect as 45 minutes pre-workout is about optimal. 1 serving Myoplex Dlx, 1 medium banana, 1 Tbsp Udo’s Choice oil. This represents about 620 cals, 64g Carbs, 55g Prot, 145g Fat. You asked - this is exactly what you need to take. Do it for the next four to six weeks, come back, and discuss how to optimize. (BTW, this is the first of what needs to be 6-8 meals through the day.)
If you want sexy legs and buns so tight you can crack walnuts with them, check out 12 weeks of pain!
Damn, I’m onto that one after three more weeks of “Great Guns in 12 Weeks.” I certainly want to be impressing friends and family (not to mention the babes) by butt crackin’ walnuts! (Sexy legs are cool, too.)
ChrisR-
I read that article. Like many others it advocated eating 1.5 grams of protein for every pound, divided between 6 to 10 meals. However, the black sheep interview, which I also read, suggested eating no more than 1 times body weight. I have also rad article by professional body builders suggesting eating no more than SIXTY grams of protein a day. As for T-mag, I have read the majority of the articles. Sometimes even those articles contradict themselves. I was just asking what everyone’s opinion were. Although most poster, including you, didn’t give me one once of useful information, I think my problems were solved. I will eat more during my pre/post workout meals. I am also going to keep a food log.
On the subject of how much protein you need-- only you can know what works for your body. A basic guideline that most start with is 1g/lb of body weight. Some advocate more, some advocate less. This is because everyone is not the same. But protein IS critical for muscle growth, so it would probably be a good idea not to limit it too much.
I am sorry if I came off as being an a-hole. Good luck.
ChrisR- See, that is some useful information I can use. Thank you. Believe it or not, I am just someone trying to expand my knowledge about nutrition and lifting. My questions may lead one to think that I am a novice, but I actually am pretty knowledgable. My lack of result may stem from inconsistency; I don’t know?
In my opinion along with keeping training and diet logs, you need to have tangible goals. So sit down, think it over an write your goals down, and put them someplace that you will see them everyday. Make short-term and long-term goals, that way you know if you are on track.
If your goal is to gain some muscle but not huge ammounts and to lose some bodyfat, then my suggestion is diet and weight training focusing on compound muscle group exercises. Just the act of adding muscle will burn fat (not to a huge degree, but better than nothing)
So your goals will force you to decide how you are going to work-out.
ps, for two weeks I wake up at 5 and dont get home until 5 then go to the gym, then the next two weeks I am on night shift 4pm-3am so you aren’t the only one working opn a screwey schedule (not bashing just relating)
My goals are simple (well, at least in theory: I want to gain as much muscle as possible without gaining any fat. Oh, yeah and to boot, I want to do it as quick as possible. Seriously, I just want to put on some muscle without adding to my gut or, if I am lucky, loose some body fat while doing it.
You might want to consider how long you’ve been on that program as well. It doesn’t seem like there is enough variance in that program for you to be making gains for 7 years.