Gains in strength and size

[markern]

I have been lifting weights 2-3 times a week since this summer and have gotten quite a lot bigger because of this. Strength gains have been very slow and I atribute this to my burnout. I am significantly weaker physically than I would be without the burnout and progress seems much slower than before. Last time I gained 50% in strength by lifting 2-3 times a week for 2-4 months or so. I have had two rounds of clear gains in strenght and both correlate with redcutions in the feelings of fatigue and memory loss so it seems the key to strength gains for me is just to get well from my bunrout.

 

As the weeks go by I see that although the gains in strength are small the gains in size are huge. I have always been rather skinny. I used to think that as long as I wasen`t fat it was OK if I wasen`t very buff and have been quite happy with the way my body looks. However, as I see how much I gain it becomes aparent that size comes very easy to me with the right type of training. And I like it. A lot. Girls have started commenting on it and it gives me a type of attention based on looks I have never had. So strictly for reasons of vanity I want to maintain what I have gained and build a bit more on it. I am staying far away from bodybuilder territory or anything that looks like too much in teh eyes of most people. But an (not quite so perfect and ripped) aproximation of Brad Pit in Fight Club/Troy seems attractive to me and most girls I have asked about ideal body types.

 

Getting the results I have had so far has only required three times ten repetitions 2 or three times a week. I only work key muscles such as chest, biceps and triceps etc. because other types of training such as pilates and running and squats etc. give me enough for the rest of my body. So it actually doesn`t take me much more than 20 minutes to do this. As long as I do two times a week progress seems to have almost halted. At three times I seem to still be getting quite good progress but I guess it will start to slow down a bit in a while. Does anyone know how size gains work over the long term. With such a routine would I probably in acouple of months stop gaining or would there still be very small but still significant progress over the long term such as a year or two.

 

The same goes for strength. What are normal strength gains from such a workout over the long term and how quickly does one loose it if one doesn`t do it anymore? I find if I go a week or two without going to the gym I loose a lot fast. But I am thinking that maybe if I had gone every week for two or three years my strength would be much more stable? And what are the likely end of my strength gains with such a workout? Last time I got about 50% stronger in a few months time and that amazed me. WHat are typical strength gains over a year or two?

 

I realize it is difficult to answer these questions with much precision I am just looking for some input on typical scenarios.

 

Over the longer term I want to change to clubbels as it feels like it is better for energetic reasons and healthier for the muscles and joints. I have had one lesson where we did a program that takes about 30 minutes and focuses on strength. What is your experience with clubbels for size gains. Can it compare to dumbells in this regard?

 

Eventually I am probably going to do Yin Yang yoga three times a week or so and a martial art one time a week so I should be gaining some strength and size from that too.

 

It feels like to me that gaining the strength to lift heavy ads a certain type of balance to my overal fitness and energy that feels good and right. I have just done yoga for the most part and gotten good gainz in a moderate type of strength from the type of strength gained from weights seem to add something that feels nice energetically. I am using that as my cultivation excuse alhtough if it wasen`t for the superficial motivations I`d rather just do something else.

[Simple_Jack]

First off what are your goals? How big you want to get? Any goals for the big four (benchpress, deadlift, squat, military press?)

 

Don't listen to girls or the media about body comp, they don't know what they want. It makes me cringe that you want to "Look like Brad Pitt in Fightclub/Troy" but I'll give you some advice: You have to bulk up/lift progressively heavier weights to build muscle (using mainly compound barbell exercises.) You can't "get ripped" if you haven't built a good amount of muscle. Also if you go this route don't worry about getting "freakishly bodybuilder big" you don't just wake up one day being big. This shit takes time & effort to get any decent gains in strength and size. By the way clubbells and kettlebells can build some muscle and strength, but you're better off sticking to barbell weights to build a base of muscle and absolute strength in a relatively short time. How do I know this? I have both clubbells and kettlebells ( while they are good for cardio and strength endurence) but, when I wanted to gain 45 pounds of muscle in about a year (going from 135 to 180 at 5'8) I used free weights focusing on compound exercises with auxiliary exercises for lats, bi's ,tri's, calfs, etc.

 

You need a plan. So far you're gaining because you're a beginner and anything will work at this point, but It'll stop after a while if you don't know what you're doing. Since you're a beginner I wouldn't bother with designing your own program yet. I'll post some programs that worked for others and one that worked for me (and should have stuck with from the beginning.

 

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/weight-training-weight-lifting/westside-barbell-basic-template-469668.html

You want strength and size this is a good way to go. If it's too complicated than try the other two.

 

http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/38-articles/60-westside-for-skinny-bastards-part1.html.

A variant of the above adapted for "hardgainers" and beginners.Can be adapted for three time's a week.

 

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/how_to_build_pure_strength.

This is by far the most simple. You cant go wrong with a program like this. Can be adapated for beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Was responsible for putting on a good amount of bulk on my body. Especially on my upper body which was lacking compared to my lower body due to full body programs I messed around with. Can be adapted to three days a week.

 

There's a shit ton of articles and threads upon threads about all of these programs all over the internet. Don't go from one program to the next. Stick with one for a few months and change it up if you want. Although I don't advise this as I wasted months doing this. If you want to try each one stick with one of them for 4 weeks minimum and then change it up. If you switch around too early nitpicking programs here and there it'll waste time and your body won't know what to adapt to. Don't combine programs. Keep It Simple Stupid. Start light and build up the weights over the weeks. Ramp your weights starting from a light "warm-up" set in the chosen rep range until you get to the top set of say 10 (so you choose 3X10 you ramp to a top set for that day.) The 5/3/1 has a deload week built into it, but keep that term in mind in the future.

 

Diet: Like I said above you cannot gain much muscle without eating a surplus of calories. If you want to get big and strong don't worry about a lil bit of fat accumulation. You can't expect to stay at 6% body fat and gain any significant amount of muscle that way. If you're gaining 1-3 pounds a week you're doing good. Gaining over 3 pounds a week and you're probably eating too much, but with the cardio (don't go over board if you want to gain muscle) and you're martial arts you should be fine. Carbs are your friend. Use a scale. Use this calculator to find out how much you should be eating to gain muscle (http://www.johnberardi.com/updates/july262002/na_masscalculator.htm.) But for a general rule add 300-500 (depending on activity levels) calories to your resting metabolic rate (so say its 2500 add 500 calories.) Eat every 2-4 hours in a day until the desired calories are reached. Anything goes in terms of diet. High calorie foods are good. Unless you like packing food and carrying it with you; You will most likely have to eat some fast food in order to get those calories. You're bulking so eat whole milk dairy, any kinds of meat, nuts, vegatables, eggs, fruits, pastas, whole grains, fuck eat a small child if you have to.

 

Supplements/Shakes: Chances are you won't be able/want to eat all that food in solid form. Blenders are buddies. Shakes with milk, protein powder, weight gain powder, peanut butter, oatmeal and a few table spoons of olive oil (yes olive oil, that shit is 120 calories a table spoon) is one I would make. Although any combination shake that is 800 or more calories will work. Oils are (I think essential) to get those calories. If not olive then flax seed oil or whatever. You will be probably get diarrhea at first, but you'll get used to it in a couple days. Stick with organic whole milk or some sort of nut milk or whatever. Avoid soy milk and soy products period. as for supplements I'd go with either whey protein or egg protein. If you want, weight gain powder. Brewers yeast, fish oils, dessicated liver tablets, cod liver oil or whatever else are fine too (all good for the vitamins yo.)

 

Worry about losing the fat, water weight or whatever you gained after you've bulked. Don't get obsessive about about fat gain, unless you;re looking at yourself and see its getting out of hand. In that case adjust shit till the problems fixed. If you're progressively adding weight to the bar you WILL gain muscle with minimal fat gain. Remember bulking doesn't mean eating to get fat, it means eating more than usual to gain muscle.

 

Here's some other tips and links to help you out: if you add pullups and can't crank out more than 5 bodyweight reps for multiple sets look up this http://www.cbass.com/Pavel%27sLadders.htm. As I was gaining my rep max went down. I used that when going for high volume of bodyweight reps. Pullups are king for lat development, but rows are great too. I did chest supported rows off a bench with palms up and it widened my back well also.

 

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/10_forgotten_muscle_building_foods

 

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/excelling_at_the_big_lifts. For lifting technique look up articles by Dave Tate and on www.dragondoor.com or Pavel Tsatsouline. This advice will set you up however big you want to get. Although for wanting to look like Brad Pitt in Fightclub, I feel sorry for your mother (Can anyonw guess what movie I got this from?) Atleast you don't want to be LaBuff like Shia. Har har

[Mal]

Good info Simple_Jack

 

adapted for "hardgainers"

 

Yes definitly check out some "hardgainer" sites if you are encountering burnout issues. Less is more once you get the balance right

 

p.s. might be http://www.cbass.com/Pavel'sLadders.htm for the cbass link

[Encephalon]

ARgh!%$#$! Simple Jack stole my thunder. He's absolutely right. Keep Olympic lifts the bulk of your regimen and don't even think about isolation exercises like bicep curls or tricep extensions until you're in your body-building phase. "Power to the People" is one of the top 5 strength training books out there, and "The New Rules of Lifting" and "From Scrawny to Brawny" has a boatload of info on compound lifts and dietary advice for bulkers.

 

Olive oil is great, but I'd jump on the coconut oil bandwagon if you can afford it.

 

If you come across a briefcase full of $100 bills, try this -

http://www.dragonherbs.com/prodinfo.asp?number=033

[rex]

Periodisation stops burnout. If you train three times a week only push to your max once a week and divide the training days into low, medium and high intensity sessions.

[balance.]

Before and after pic, please.

 

 

I suppose I'll add my two pesetas given how disparate my approach to physical "perfection" is compared to the above.

 

 

I believe in simplicity in practice... and I like to be able to practice simply wherever I happen to be... That means no reliance upon the fitness center to get 'er done.

 

I've taken many a leaf from the pages of Pavel's "The Naked Warrior" [http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Warrior-Pavel-Tsatsouline/dp/0938045555/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286988097&sr=8-1] which at its core recommends two exercises that get progressively more difficult as you get stronger.. These are the one armed push-up, and the shotgun. These exercises are difficult-- there's no denying that-- but they force your body to work together as a complete unit and begin to forge those strong, neurological connections that become so important when your end game lies in fluidity and strength in movement as opposed to pretty bulk... The body unified and not partitioned off to beautify pieces and parts... the balanced complete.

 

So, with this foundation in simple, body-weight movements that pay off in terms of lean, enduring, and powerful muscle, I began to throw in dips [put two chairs together], pull-up variations [finger boards, the tops of doorways, hanging rings], push-up variations [hit the ground and adlib] and v-up variations for the core... These basic movements already work the entire body.... I enjoy these because you're limited only by your imagination in terms of how you execute particular exercises, as well as where you choose to get down... That means you can perform movements from destabilized positions etc... The spontaneous nature encourages your body to adapt accordingly to a wide variety of situations and begins to strengthen your body in really unexpected [at first] ways.

 

Once you really get to know your body and the feeling of particular muscle groups, you can begin to do really interesting things with exercise that allows you to intuitively shore up weakness that you might not as readily notice by remaining within the confines of prescribed exercise... The variable nature of the exercises and the forum gives the informed practitioner a great deal of flexibility over machine-based exercise where there is only one possible outcome... There is an element of childlike play and exploration here that I feel is vacant from the fitness center and really important in taking exercise to the next level... Except you begin to loose the sense that you are exercising--- instead, you're playing.

 

In terms of weights, I swear by kettlebell (though I'm beginning to swoon over those clubbells) sessions punctuated by either plyometric jumping exercises or hill sprints [weather dependent]... Strength, speed, intensity and stablity in movement. Tough to beat the HIIT approach with these groupings.

 

I'm also a big fan of isometric exercises... The plank [and its myriad variations] , supermans, reverse bridges [one-legged/one-armed, held and alternating sides], held-shotguns, held crane-pose, and held full boat-pose.

 

... My glue is Prasara... and I feel that brings it all together for me in terms of really ramming home suppleness, strength, unity and the essential nature of the mind-body connection.

 

And though kettlebell and hill-sprints really do a great deal for cardio, as I live in Colorado [baseline altitude of Gunnison is 7703], I prefer xc mountain biking and trail running... The proper balance of mind-numbing climbs and exhilarating downs... I can't handle the television/jogging approach which bids you to turn off the brain while the body is doing its thing.

 

 

 

 

 

...

 

So, in a nutshell... my regimen changes day to day and different things are felt and intuitively stressed/relaxed, with the end goal being a balanced, strong, supple, agile and quick body that is capable and prepared for a great many things and isn't burdened by rigid, specific, bulk muscle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

yum.

 

balance.

 

 

 

*Oh. I take Sundays off... So six days of intentionally varied intensity and movement... The heathen though I am, it's important to recognize God's day.

Edited October 13, 2010 by balance.

[Brian]

...

[Simple_Jack]

Guys, I've already provided 3 programs that periodize the load. The first one is called conjugate periodization (adapted from Russian weightlifters) by Westside Barbell. It's used by elite powerlifters and novices worlwide. The second is based on the first and was adapted for beginners and athletes. Both (since being conjugate periodization) allow several different types of strength to be developed in the same cycle (strength endurence/hypertrophy, limit strength, speed strength.) The third is just simple linear periodization (and a simple deload week) created by an accomplished powerlifter. The third is great for just getting big and strong without the headache from over thinking program design. Like I said he's a beginner he shouldn't be designing his own programs yet. I did that shit and it was a waste of time for me (because I just didn't know enough about my body.) He also mentioned his strength levels and those programs will get him strong (if he didn't I would've just told him to do a 3 or 4 day bodypart/push-pull split.)

 

Blasto, you mean the powerlifts right (squat, deadlift, bench?) Because Olympic lifts are the snatch and clean & jerk (along with all the pulls derived from those lifts.) I wouldn't recommend doing that shit without a coach to teach those lifts properly (also for program design.) I tried it and yes, you should definitely get someone to show you proper technique. Also isolation exercises have their place in a routine. Lifters in strongman, powerlifting, and Olympic weightlifting all use them. I did minimalist three day a week full body programs when I first started out and I didn't get very much growth in the upper body from that (like just doing presses or just benching.) This guy wants to impress the ladies with teh gunz. He'll need curls for that. Plus if he wants he can do what I did: Use compound variations of those lifts for emphasizing specific body parts. All lifts ramped of course. If you choose 5/3/1 then you can (if you want to get a wider range of reps)undulate your auxiliary lifts(I know it's contradictory to what I said above.) So say for MP day you do 5/3/1 for the main lift then you do say 4X8 for behind the neck presses and 6X3 for weighted pullups followed by 5X5 for curls. Or the same but instead within a workout just each day (monday 5's next day 10's.) You then switch up the rep ranges for each auxiliary lift throughout the week. It can get a lil convoluted but it is heavy/medium/light within a workout or week. Or just keep it simple and either stick with one rep range for the entire cycle or you can linear periodize it (wk 1 10's, wk2 8's, etc.) Deload ALL lifts on the back off week. That means for the extra lifts either reduce the sets, reps, or poundage all by 40%-50%.

 

Here's more tips for making this successful. For protein: generally 1 lb of protein per body weight is good for optimal muscle growth. Carbs didn't matter to me so I don't remember. You can use an online food log to figure out the calorie and mineral content of food you eat. A general rule (I got from articles)for adding calories usually is 15% to 20% added to your base caloric need (so say in order to maintain weight you need 2500 kcals; you add 15%-20% of those kcals so you can gain weight.) If that doesn't add weight then add more calories. A scale to weigh yourself daily is important so you can see if you aren't losing or gaining too much weight. Also you can eat less on deload weeks to maintain you're weight since you're not expending as much energy.

 

By the way coconut oil is great, but it tends clump up in the blender with all the other stuff. It also isn't as cheap as other oils. Blasto, is that deer antler stuff a pro-hormone? Because if he wants to keep up the hormones (for sexy time with teh ladies) then Dr. Lin's supplements would be good also.

 

Links: http://www.ampedtraining.com/articles/periodization-redux. This site has good info on making

periodization simple.

 

http://www.fitday.com/. I used this log to track calorie content of food I ate that didn't have nutritional labels.

 

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_carb_cycling_codex. Please, please, PLEASE DO NOT buy into the attitude that you you gain alot of muscle by staying at 4% bodyfat. You'll really fall into a narcissist attitude by thinking like that and sell you're self short. Just eat and lift heavy; dont get too scientific with that shit until you feel you need to cut. You can bulk year round if you want without becoming a fat slob, as long as you're progressively adding weight to the bar. I'm showing you that article for (there's alot of articles and threads on carb cycling) when you get to the desired weight and want to cut while maintaining the muscle you've gianed. Please no bulk 1 month then cut the other, you'll make almost no progress that way. Stay on until you get to your desired weight OR maintain weight for a bit to cut the extra chub and then continue bulking. Like before don't nit pick too much.

 

Also since we're on a forum with people obsessed about the chi mai of the body, when your meridians open chakras/dantians develop or whatever your body will handle supplements and food differently than before. I stopped lifting for a year and just started this Monday lifting and found that the leftover supplements I had had a amplified effect or can be too much if taken in the quentities before. Watch how shit effects your body when pursuing neigong or whatever alongside lifting.

[Simple_Jack]

A Seeker, your brother is a BEAST!!!

 

Balance not dogging you, everyone has their personal goals there's nothing wrong with that. I don't want other people reading this thinking lifting weights will make them musclebound. Gaining muscular body weight doesn't automatically mean you're muscle bound and can't run or perform in athletics. Even though my goal was to gain muscular body weight that didn't mean I became an unfunctional muscle bound kid. Lifting actually made me stronger,able to jump higher/further, and sprint faster. Admittedly I had a single minded goal of gaining weight so that I pretty much cut out any scheduled cardio (I'm also lazy.) Although I did actually gian cardiovascular endurence and sustained strength along the way.

 

This guy said he wanted to improve his body comp, look like Brad Pitt (LOLZ) and in the process improve his functional strength. If he's wants to improve athletic ability specifically along the way then conjugate periodization (or block periodization) is the way to go(that Skinny Basterds program was originally developed for highschool athletes.) I've showed him one very effective way if all he wants is just size & strength.

 

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/boy_you_gotta_carry_that_weight. Here's using the strongman lifts for cardio if you you want Markern.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Simple_Jack

[Brian]

...

[balance.]

 

Balance not dogging you, everyone has their personal goals there's nothing wrong with that. I don't want other people reading this thinking lifting weights will make them musclebound. Gaining muscular body weight doesn't automatically mean you're muscle bound and can't run or perform in athletics. Even though my goal was to gain muscular body weight that didn't mean I became an unfunctional muscle bound kid. Lifting actually made me stronger,able to jump higher/further, and sprint faster. Admittedly I had a single minded goal of gaining weight so that I pretty much cut out any scheduled cardio (I'm also lazy.) Although I did actually gian cardiovascular endurence and sustained strength along the way.

 

This guy said he wanted to improve his body comp, look like Brad Pitt (LOLZ) and in the process improve his functional strength. If he's wants to improve athletic ability specifically along the way then conjugate periodization (or block periodization) is the way to go(that Skinny Basterds program was originally developed for highschool athletes.) I've showed him one very effective way if all he wants is just size & strength.

 

Haha, no worries. As I said before I launched into my treatise, I was only interested in offering up another perspective, not in dictating a value or efficacy judgment with regards to regimen choice (so very personal )... only an alternative.

 

Having said that, I suppose my opinions and chosen approach do react against what I perceive to be the muscle-mass endgame... form vs function... though that certainly is not always the case with those that opt for the bench press over the push up... So I do apologize, and sincerely, if my initial post was interpreted as ostracizing or detracting. We all have our own path to tread and must respect the choices of others.

 

 

 

 

best.

 

 

 

balance.

 

 

*But.... You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who says that bigger muscles encourage chi flow.

Edited October 13, 2010 by balance.

[markern]

Before and after pic, please.

 

 

 

 

Maybe after I get hired as BRad Pits body double. Untill then you`ll have to wait.

 

Whats wrong with teh way Brad Pit looks/looked and what does my motehr have to do with that?

 

Thanks for all the tips guys. Much apreciatedI think I don`t need to put in to much of an effor tbecause at least so far results have been quick and I am not that far away from where I want to be.

 

I think you might have misunderstood burnout to mean overtrained or something. I am talking about conventional all round burnout with memory loss and constant fatigue etc. That made me significantly weaker physically than I otherwise would have been and have made gains in strength slow although seems to make no difference with regards to size.

 

The fatigue means that any little thing or mental effort is tiring. That means that even stuff like changing my exercise regimen feels exhausting. The little extra energy I have gained lately I will put into some other projects for now. But once I gain more energy I will look into your tips to make my workout more efficient. For now I am just happy to have gotten into the routine and getting some results I am happy with.

 

But what are normal gains in strength for someone not well trained that does programs such as those mentioned? 25%, 50%, 100%? And how long does it take before one peaks in strength and size development. I realize that would be an individual thing and depen un a bunch of factors but there must be some sort of rough aproximate stuff one can say about that?

 

And about the clubbels. What I think I want to do long term is yoga three times a week. Previously doing only that gave me fairly nice muscles but not the same as forom the weights. Right now I do pilates in stead of teh yoga but will change back at some point and I think I want to do an external martial art (thai boxing, krav maga something like that) once a week and clubbels twice a week. Would that not give about the same effect as three short sessions in the gym (3 times 10 rep of each muscle group).

 

Anyway, thanks for the answers. It seems very usefull.

[Simple_Jack]

Balance, don't worry I would never get offended for something like that. In fact I've always had an interest in that type of stuff. Just his post didn't scream tiger bends, planks or other feats of body weight strength. If you haven't heard of this already check out "Building The Olympic Body" by Christopher Sommer. It deals with all types of body weight and ring training. Here's his website: http://www.gymnasticbodies.com/

Markern, I was just messing with you about the Brad Pitt Thing. Anyways you are burned out. If it gets to the point that you're having trouble just thinking and you're tired all the time you need to fix whatever is the problem. Either you're not eating enough, you need to take a week off, or you're pushing the weights too much and not backing off or properly handling the load.

I would suggest taking a few days off to recover and then if you want start on those programs. The reason I chose those out of hundreds of other set ups is because they work. Period. Or you can take a cue from amped training and start periodizing your load. Strength and size gains have to do with with genetics so I can't really give you an accurate number. Although it is normal for beginners to gain say 30-40 pounds on the deadlift or 15-20 pounds on the bench in month or so. You may be able to do more I don't know (especially if you eat alot.) You can keep gaining for a long time if you properly manage the training load. Say you trained 5/3/1 for about 6 months straight. You notice the weights are starting to get too heavy for you to recover from workout to workout or you eventually stall at a certain poundage. You would then reset the poundage and then build up from there eventually beating the last poundage that you stalled at. The way these programs are built though, you can keep going for probably a year or more if you wanted. That's the good thing about being a beginner.

About the clubbells and taking martial arts. Sure you'll build some muscle doing that. Especially if they do some other type of conditioning besides cardiovascular for the MA. If you're gym or if you're gonna buy them, then I'd suggest kettlebells over clubbells as their more versatile. You'll tone up with Pilates.

Although if you want to look like Brad Pitt in Troy, and you're not already his size then free weights are the way to go.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Simple_Jack

[Mal]

[balance.]

 

to balance: I very much appreciated your contribution. I like your routine, esp that you can do it wherever, whenever, not in a gym situation. That's why I've never started weights, 'cause I assumed I'd only benefit if in a gym, which doesn't feel like a nourishing environment. What would you recommend for a woman? Of course, I do not want to bulk up.

 

 

 

 

I'll send you a PM.

 

 

 

balance.

[markern]

Balance, don't worry I would never get offended for something like that. In fact I've always had an interest in that type of stuff. Just his post didn't scream tiger bends, planks or other feats of body weight strength. If you haven't heard of this already check out "Building The Olympic Body" by Christopher Sommer. It deals with all types of body weight and ring training. Here's his website: http://www.gymnasticbodies.com/

 

Markern, I was just messing with you about the Brad Pitt Thing. Anyways you are burned out. If it gets to the point that you're having trouble just thinking and you're tired all the time you need to fix whatever is the problem. Either you're not eating enough, you need to take a week off, or you're pushing the weights too much and not backing off or properly handling the load.

 

I would suggest taking a few days off to recover and then if you want start on those programs. The reason I chose those out of hundreds of other set ups is because they work. Period. Or you can take a cue from amped training and start periodizing your load. Strength and size gains have to do with with genetics so I can't really give you an accurate number. Although it is normal for beginners to gain say 30-40 pounds on the deadlift or 15-20 pounds on the bench in month or so. You may be able to do more I don't know (especially if you eat alot.) You can keep gaining for a long time if you properly manage the training load. Say you trained 5/3/1 for about 6 months straight. You notice the weights are starting to get too heavy for you to recover from workout to workout or you eventually stall at a certain poundage. You would then reset the poundage and then build up from there eventually beating the last poundage that you stalled at. The way these programs are built though, you can keep going for probably a year or more if you wanted. That's the good thing about being a beginner.

 

About the clubbells and taking martial arts. Sure you'll build some muscle doing that. Especially if they do some other type of conditioning besides cardiovascular for the MA. If you're gym or if you're gonna buy them, then I'd suggest kettlebells over clubbells as their more versatile. You'll tone up with Pilates.

 

Although if you want to look like Brad Pitt in Troy, and you're not already his size then free weights are the way to go.

 

P.S. It felt gay actually looking up those pictures.

 

THanks again:)

 

I have been burned out for almost two years and I am dealing with that in several ways. The weights actually help a bit. TOday I found that doing heavy lifts or presses or whatever with the thighs was even better than lifts with my upper body. It seemed to produce a beneficial energy. A lot of the sense of fatigue and pressure is arround my skeleton and especially in the legs. Weights seems to do a little bit for aleviating that and especially leg excercises. Maybe it is a testosterone thing? I always presumed my testosterone was somewhere above average but maybe because of burnout it is low? I should go check my levels at the doctor.

 

Obsessing over the male body and admiring other mens bodies because you want what they`ve got etc. is a bit gay. I am pretty sure several body builders spend more time looking at and admiring male bodies than female bodies.

[markern]

I'm gonna try to hang in this testosterone inspiring thread.

 

A Seeker, that is a beastly bro' you got!

 

 

markern, even brad pitt's look here is a bit much. Is that what you look like? Or aiming for?

 

to balance: I very much appreciated your contribution. I like your routine, esp that you can do it wherever, whenever, not in a gym situation. That's why I've never started weights, 'cause I assumed I'd only benefit if in a gym, which doesn't feel like a nourishing environment. What would you recommend for a woman? Of course, I do not want to bulk up.

 

Hehe, no I don`t look like that and I agree that is a bit more than I would like. And if I would want to get that body I would certainly have to do one of Simple Jacks programs and start eating right and taking protein shakes. I used to be quite skinny. Now I am quite muscular with well defined muscles but not his size by a long shot.

[spiraltao]

Hehe, no I don`t look like that and I agree that is a bit more than I would like. And if I would want to get that body I would certainly have to do one of Simple Jacks programs and start eating right and taking protein shakes. I used to be quite skinny. Now I am quite muscular with well defined muscles but not his size by a long shot.

 

 

Jum

 

back when i training W_C exclusively, I had a regime. I need to get back into it. It was a basic Army workout (at least that is what I called it).

 

 

 

It involved with four sets of forty pushups, of course it's best to start with eight or ten reps of three sets.

 

 

 

I was an avid weight lifter before this, but I found better toning thru THREE MAIN exercises! Jumping rope, rolling up a boat anchor tied to a string(a weight can be subbed for this) and tiger pushups with the tiger claw. DO NOT do the tiger push ups on the tip of the finger, use the pad.

 

 

 

I forgot the other most important(i do this and a few others every day) which I have found now to be a baguazhang/hsing yi/ related chi kung. It is merely rotating the waist to sling the arms and allow for light tapping on the kidneys, I alternate that with knocking on the gates of life.

[JohnC]

ARgh!%$#$! Simple Jack stole my thunder. He's absolutely right. Keep Olympic lifts the bulk of your regimen and don't even think about isolation exercises like bicep curls or tricep extensions until you're in your body-building phase. "Power to the People" is one of the top 5 strength training books out there, and "The New Rules of Lifting" and "From Scrawny to Brawny" has a boatload of info on compound lifts and dietary advice for bulkers.

 

Olive oil is great, but I'd jump on the coconut oil bandwagon if you can afford it.

 

If you come across a briefcase full of $100 bills, try this -

http://www.dragonherbs.com/prodinfo.asp?number=033

 

http://www.southerncrossvelvet.com/?gclid=CJDQ7cqH3KgCFQpm7AodmiS01w

For much less than 100$

[mantis]

Some motivation for this thread

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFcz7824Qhw

 

At ~175lbs body weight, roughly.