The Bodybuilders Thread!

[Djtay]

Ok another question, if i am just looking to put on muscle how much cardio can i do on my off days?

20 minutes running and 20 minute elliptical? Is that too much?

If your bulking I don't see why you need to do any cardio, unless your eating way above maintenance level. When I'm bulking I dont do any cardio. It depends a lot on your body type, ecto's like me don't put on a lot of fat even on a heavy bulk.

If you are going to do any cardio do HIIT for 20minutes.

Edit: No more than 2 days a week.

 

[StrontiumDog]

Guys, what works best if i am trying to gym with the least amount of hassle, going 3 times per week for weight training? I will try to fit in cardio here and there, and want to start playing basketball again once a week.

Is it better to do a full body workout each gym session, or is it better to focus on 2 or 3 body parts per workout? I am just starting up with gym again and off the top of my head I am thinking of splitting my workouts as follows:
workout 1) Chest + triceps + abs
workout 2) Back + biceps + shoulders
workout 3) Legwork + abs + cardio?

How does this sound?

I am trying to lay off any type of squatting legwork. I have been warned by the doc to avoid squatting exercises!

 

[StrontiumDog]

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[Ono'rach]

Guys, what works best if i am trying to gym with the least amount of hassle, going 3 times per week for weight training? I will try to fit in cardio here and there, and want to start playing basketball again once a week.

Is it better to do a full body workout each gym session, or is it better to focus on 2 or 3 body parts per workout? I am just starting up with gym again and off the top of my head I am thinking of splitting my workouts as follows:
workout 1) Chest + triceps + abs
workout 2) Back + biceps + shoulders
workout 3) Legwork + abs + cardio?

How does this sound?

I am trying to lay off any type of squatting legwork. I have been warned by the doc to avoid squatting exercises!

I would not work chest and triceps on the same day, neither would I work back and biceps on the same day, as chest and triceps are worked at the same time when you are doing chest (to a certain degree) and the same thing goes with biceps when you are doing back.

Also, not sure if I would do cardio and legs on the same day, since cardio works your legs at the same time

 

[StrontiumDog]

I would not work chest and triceps on the same day, neither would I work back and biceps on the same day <SNIP>

I hear what u r saying, but I guess my aim is to work each muscle group (to failure) once a week. I could move things around if you guys reckon that would yield better results.

 

[killadoob]

Trouble is you cannot work each muscle group as such.

I do chest arms and legs
rest/cardio
shoulders back and stomach
rest/cardio
rest
super circuit stomach
rest

Is this wrong or what?

 

[Djtay]

Trouble is you cannot work each muscle group as such.

I do chest arms and legs
rest/cardio
shoulders back and stomach
rest/cardio
rest
super circuit stomach
rest

Is this wrong or what?

I dunno how you can do chest, arms and legs on the same day? Squats takes a lot out of me so I would usually go with legs and bi's. Same with back, I'm dog tired after deadlifts so would do bi's on back day. I try to hit tri's twice a week(tip: the secret to big arms is having big triceps). Chest maybe twice with back and legs once a week.

My split looks something like this

Back, Bi's
rest
Chest, Tris
rest
Legs, shoulders/traps
maybe chest, tri's at the end of the week

I mix it up a lot though, that seems to work for me. If you are a beginner I would try to hit all bodyparts twice per week.

 

[killadoob]

Thanx

Will give that a bash this week. I was thinking i should perhaps leave legs for one of my rest days? I am a beginner but surely even beginners need rest to grow?

 

[Djtay]

Thanx

Will give that a bash this week. I was thinking i should perhaps leave legs for one of my rest days? I am a beginner but surely even beginners need rest to grow?

Dude if you are a beginner I would do mostly full body workouts and hit every body part twice per week. Forget about isolation exercises. Focus on compound movements.

Squats, deadlifts, pull ups, barbell rows, power cleans (maybe), military press, bench press (incline/decline), etc..

 

[FuNkEr]

tip: the secret to big arms is having big triceps

Yup, a lot of people don't realize it, but that's so true. The name says it all: TRI-cep vs. BI-cep... Your bicep is actually a very small muscle, whereas your tricep is a whole lot bigger, thus giving you also the sense of bigger arms.

 

[Ecco]

So i bought some Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey this weekend. I am very impressed with the taste of the product, and how easily it mixes.

I am so used to my local protein shake, Its seems like there is no substance to the Optimum Nutrition shake - feels too light. Anybody else feels like this?

Expensive product though. So I am going to only use it for my PWO shake. Will use my evox synergy for other times.

 

[FuNkEr]

I currently use their Mocca-Cappuccino flavor... It's very very nice! Tastes just like iced coffee But yeah, it's freakkin expensive. I've bought the small (900g) container, just to see what flavor I like, and on that container it works out @ about R13 per serving! Opting to buy the huge bag maybe, but at around R1100 it's really very expensive... For whey.

Enjoy!

 

[xrapidx]

What are you guys doing per dumbell on dumbell bench presses? I struggle my arse off to get the thing up for the first rep - but then its pretty easy sailing.... Only doing 36kg each for 10 reps at the moment though... I think most of my energy goes getting them up for the first rep.

 

[syntax]

What are you guys doing per dumbell on dumbell bench presses? I struggle my arse off to get the thing up for the first rep - but then its pretty easy sailing.... Only doing 36kg each for 10 reps at the moment though... I think most of my energy goes getting them up for the first rep.

that, is not bad...

 

[xrapidx]

that, is not bad...

Hoping to be at 40kg end October - but have trouble getting the damn thing above my head for first rep

Used to be 50kg, max the gym had - so concentrated on barbell bench presses Then I got fat.

 

[Zenbaas]

Hoping to be at 40kg end October - but have trouble getting the damn thing above my head for first rep

Used to be 50kg, max the gym had - so concentrated on barbell bench presses Then I got fat.

Yeah thats not bad. I normally go to about 60kg for sets of 6 but I pause at the bottom of each rep. Don't know why you would have trouble with the first rep though. Have you warmed up properly by that time...?

 

[FuNkEr]

I also have problems with the first rep. That's how I injured my bicep tendon / shoulder Flat dumbell presses are fine, but I'm struggling with the first rep (getting the dumbells "up" there) on incline.

 

[xrapidx]

Yeah thats not bad. I normally go to about 60kg for sets of 6 but I pause at the bottom of each rep. Don't know why you would have trouble with the first rep though. Have you warmed up properly by that time...?

Where do you gym, I haven't seen a VA with dumbells heavier than 50kg? Yes - properly warmed up - its just a problem getting them above my head.

I also have problems with the first rep. That's how I injured my bicep tendon / shoulder Flat dumbell presses are fine, but I'm struggling with the first rep (getting the dumbells "up" there) on incline.

I sit with the a dumbell on each knee - and then as I lie back I try and lift them up with my knees... not exactly safe without a spotter.

 

[FuNkEr]

I sit with the a dumbell on each knee - and then as I lie back I try and lift them up with my knees... not exactly safe without a spotter.

Yeah, I also use that strategy, but as you said, not safe without a spotter. My spotter just looked away for a moment when I started lifting for the first rep and my left arm completely failed, from there the injury

 

[xrapidx]

I recon if I could just have the dumbbells in position for lifting - I'd easily manage 45kg a side.... Need to find two spotters, one for each dumbbell.