Time To Buff Up - Advice Please

[RA28GT]

I'm an Exercise Kinesiologiest and a Personal Trainer so i can help out with this question.

 

There has been some good advice already in this thread, some of the more important ones:

 

-Protein is only necessary if your diet is not ideal, protein power is made from milk waste products, its total crap.

-Legs are important as growth in your legs will make your upper body grow, it primes all the muscle within your body to grow.

-45min to 60min workouts are ideal as your body can go catabolic and start using your muscles as a source of enegry.

-Less cardio is better for gaining size, intense cardio will force your body to go catabolic, i don't do cardio with a single client unless its specific to their sport, you can burn much more calories from weight bearing exercise (although these exercises are different than body builder exercises)

-More muscle = Higher metabolism, therefore more calories burned during every movement.

-Always progress with the weight you lift, although your body will adapt if in a linear fashion, therefore this can get complicated.

-Big compound movements are key for your time constraints (Bench, Squats, Deadlifts, Military Press, Chin ups)

-Abs cannot be had with a body fat % higher than 10% (genurally)

-Gets at least 8 hours sleep for muscle recovery

-Eat fat and protien, saturated fat is the building block of EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY. (This is non-processed sat fat, not junk food)

-Also consider any injuries you've had and how they may effect you, posture problems is included here. Sharp pain during the exercise means there is a problem.

-Stress will cause ZERO results.

-Your muscles must recover before being worked out again, this is where a split program helps.

 

Also a quick schooling about reps.

 

Although 8-12 reps is consider hypertrophy (muscle gain) it is very dependent on what we call Time Under Tension (TUT).

An example: Is 10 quick reps equal to 10 slow reps? Of course not, it is not the same thing because the muscle is under tension for longer with the slow reps and therefore achieves a different response from your body.

Now to to get too complicated, the basic rule for Hypertrophy (muscle gain) is to have a Time Under Tension of anywhere between 40 to 70 seconds. This means each set you do SHOULD last between 40 - 70 seconds, any less and your making your body adapt to getting stronger and not necessarily bigger.

So that means you should do your reps nice and slow, roughly 2 seconds on the harder phase (concentric) of the exercise (eg pushing up on bench) and 3 seconds on the easier phase (eccentric) of the exercise (eg bar palling on bench), therefore achieving a rep time of 5 seconds. Which in turn means you should do between 8 - 14 reps with this particular Time under tension.

 

If thats way over your head, JUST DO YOUR REPS SLOW AND CONTROLED 8 - 12!

 

The 'Toning' rep range of 12-15 is also a myth. Anyone who wants to argue this with me give me a call so i can school you.

 

So there you go, a crap load of random tips! I did not go into exercises or how you should do them.

 

Shoot me a PM if you like and i can write you a program and run through it with you if you like sometime, also i can explain anything you don't understand and the 10million things ive porbally missed due to being tired.

 

Cheers

 

Troy

[13BT_KE20]

^^^^great post, is good know there are some knowledgable trainers out there. More than i can say for a few trainers at my job.

 

Still trying to find time to organise a split workout for you. I was thinking something along the lines of

 

Day 1: Chest, tris, legs, abs

Day 2: back, shoulders (and traps), bi's

day 3: cardio

 

REPEAT!

[RA28GT]

^^^^great post, is good know there are some knowledgable trainers out there. More than i can say for a few trainers at my job.

 

Still trying to find time to organise a split workout for you. I was thinking something along the lines of

 

Day 1: Chest, tris, legs, abs

Day 2: back, shoulders (and traps), bi's

day 3: cardio

 

REPEAT!

 

Sad thing is that 95% of people within the fitness industry have absolutely no clue :/

[JiP]

Great write up man. Taking notes myself. There's some things there I myself didn't know. :y:

[Chobis]

Yeh thanks heaps lads. This is awesome stuff and greatly appreciated that you boys are taking the time to share your knowledge. Seems as though I asked on the right forum. :y:

 

The mention of injuries is a concern to me as I am just coming out of a bad shoulder injury and tendonitis in the elbow as a result of that. The reason I am looking to get back into some weights is that both shoulder and elbow have really improved over the last 2 months after more than 2 years of great trouble. I guess its best to take it a bit easy initially.

[manual]

i have just joined the gym again as i want to lose a few kg for my wedding (about just under 8 weeks away now) and basically i do some upper body weights 2 x a week and cardio 3 times a week ... normal cardio mon / wed / fri and weights tues / thurs.

 

i go during my lunch break at work as the gym is in the building and with the missus and daughter - time out of the office is null :lol: haha

 

my cardio is basically just treadmill stuff and i am on that for 40 minutes (i have an hour for lunch - so head to the gym - get changed - gym - cool down - change back - back to office) and my weights regime normally takes about 30 minutes after a 5 minute warm up on the treadmill.

 

weights regime they have me on is:

smith machine bench press

pushups

squat row

chest raise (i lie on a bench @ 45 degrees and pull up weights towards my chest - like an opposite bench press)

tri dips

bicep curls

lateral raise (shoulders?)

 

basically doing 3 sets of 15 reps of each ... i was 27% body fat when i first sized up - and my intention is to drop that dramatically. i weighed in at 90kg (only 5'9") but i am more concerned with dropping BF knowing that muscle weighs more blah blah as you all know :osama:

 

anyways ... i am here as well trying to get fit ... so your not the only one haha

[RA28GT]

Yeh thanks heaps lads. This is awesome stuff and greatly appreciated that you boys are taking the time to share your knowledge. Seems as though I asked on the right forum. :lol:

 

The mention of injuries is a concern to me as I am just coming out of a bad shoulder injury and tendonitis in the elbow as a result of that. The reason I am looking to get back into some weights is that both shoulder and elbow have really improved over the last 2 months after more than 2 years of great trouble. I guess its best to take it a bit easy initially.

 

What kind of shoulder injury? Does your elbow effect you in anyway? Pain involved while exercising or during day to day activities? You just need to be smart about your training, doesnt mean you need to take it easy.

[Chobis]

Jeez, I simply didn't get around to answering this.

 

Okay shoulder injury is a weird one. Had it for roughly nine years. Was either the result of a basketball incident or car accident that both happened within a couple days of each other. It got gradually worse over the years and I tried both chiropractic and physio to sort it but never managed to heal it, only improved to varying degrees from time to time. About three years ago it started to get really bad to the point that I would not use my right arm to do things if I could avoid it. I got to the point I could no longer lift my arm above my shoulder height and I also found that I was starting to have elbow problems as a result. I ended up with really band tendonitis in the elbow as well and day to day activities became quite frustrating.

 

Anyway...... just over two months ago by some miracle my shoulder was cured of all pain. Somebody recommended me to a massage therapist and I was at the point I was willing to try anything, even surgery if that was the answer. I don't know what happened exactly, but I walked out of there with no shoulder pain at all. I figured it would be shortlived, but still I have no pain. My elbow also rapidly started to improve and now I have very little pain in that also. Truly a miracle.

 

Now........ I have been trying to do some exercisies and weights over the last few weeks. I have seen some definate improvement and am pleased that finally I can actually work out again. I must admit that I am still very wary of my shoulder and that is simply a confidence issue that I will overcome but I don't want to go through any more years of that sort of pain.

 

My issue now is that something I am doing is causing me a fair bit of neck pain. Like I am pinching a muscle or straining a muscle on the left side of my neck. So far all I am really doing is Bench Press, Bicep Curls, Shoulder Press, Crunches and I just started trying to do wide grip chin-ups and they are killing me.

 

On alternative nights I go for a run. I know I need to alter the exercises I am doing (and get some leg work in there), but in the first stage I was trying to see if I would actually keep doing something. Also I am making sure to do stretches before I get started.

 

So yeh, now I seem to be doing something to strain my neck.

 

As for my shoulder...... still no issues. My elbow does experience some discomfort at times, but nothing like what it was before so I'm happy to push through that. :lolcry:

[JiP]

Hope you don't mind if I hijack. I need advice...

 

Its killing me that I can't do anything in my weakened state. Exercise has become part of my daily life and I fear what my body will look like in 6 months to a years time. Does anyone have any tips for me before and after my heart operation? Apparently i wont be able to lift any weights again till after 6 months after my operation due to my chest being sawed in half. :)

 

Or is all exercise ruled out as it will increase my heart beat? Like someone told me I could take up walking?

[Chobis]

Hope you don't mind if I hijack. I need advice...

 

Hijack away. Knowledge is power. :)

[Kid-Ae]

Hope you don't mind if I hijack. I need advice...

 

Its killing me that I can't do anything in my weakened state. Exercise has become part of my daily life and I fear what my body will look like in 6 months to a years time. Does anyone have any tips for me before and after my heart operation? Apparently i wont be able to lift any weights again till after 6 months after my operation due to my chest being sawed in half. :yes:

 

Or is all exercise ruled out as it will increase my heart beat? Like someone told me I could take up walking?

 

Sorry guys for dragging this right out from under the carpet but i thought i'd throw my two bobs in on this..

 

JiP.. Rest for the first month.. NOTHING to do with weights or hard physical training of any kind. Go walking, eat healthy and avoid alcohol and you watch how little your body changes in shape. Yes, you will lose some mass and a little bit of definition but big deal.

 

Now flash-forward to four weeks post op. Your chest will still be tender, trust me i know this one, i too am part of the zipper club. Get into basic stretching with the chest, simple stuff that doesn't pull the skin. That's the most at-risk part. The bones have had enough time to fuse without much risk of breakage. The only thing is you may have a slight muscle imbalance like i do in the chest, where by pecs are extremely slightly different shapes.

 

NO PUSHUPS.. Just work your body the way in which you would, but i may suggest resistance bands - tension through the entire motion of each repetition - and as little weight training as possible for the next four weeks after that. When it's about 2-3 months after the operation, you can begin to do simple, light chest toning work to accentuate the muscle shape.

 

Oh and for ANYBODY who believes that heart patients are the stereotypical 'skinny guy' physique with minimal muscle mass..

 

PM me asking for a pic of my body.. I'm 17, 71kgs and 5'5. Under 10% body fat and can freeweight bicep curl 110lbs for 6 reps. I was obese in every sense of the word when i was 15, 92kgs and 5'1.

 

Didn't do a bit of cardio besides playing sport irregularly and running around with mates. Just worked out hard and pushed my body to burn the fat any way possible, changed my diet dramatically and did weighted squats, , which happens to be the best way to stimulate growth hormone and burn fat. Also helps to harden your midsection, so no more stupid situps :)

 

But diet and rest is the key to making your body respond best to the pounding you give it in a gym or at home.

 

Goodluck lads, put up some pics of how you're all fairing and ill muster up a before and an after pic.

:yes:

[Evan G]

isnt it a myth about streching?

 

god my fav is lap pull down. can allllllmost do my body weight :cool:

[13BT_KE20]

isnt it a myth about streching?

 

god my fav is lap pull down. can allllllmost do my body weight :cool:

Try wide grip chin ups, which is essentially the same movement. They'll be harder but are much better, i which to them from lap pull down about 3 months ago and havnt looked back!

[Kid-Ae]

Try wide grip chin ups, which is essentially the same movement. They'll be harder but are much better, i which to them from lap pull down about 3 months ago and havnt looked back!

 

Try doing both, i only weigh 157lbs and can do 18 pull ups and 4x11 with 180lbs on the lat pulldowns now. The only way to stimulate growth and strength is changing it up and keeping your muscles guessing.

 

Also the best form of releasing growth hormone in large quantities is through weighted squats, my strength and overall endurance has really increased since i began doing them only a month ago.

[Kid-Ae]

isnt it a myth about streching?

 

god my fav is lap pull down. can allllllmost do my body weight :cool:

 

I'm only suggesting that JiP stretch gently to test to see how his scar is healing, it's simply seeing how tight the skin is bonding together and it will be an indicator of when normal physical training can resume, without running the risk of ripping his scar apart.