That's great man! My biggest challenge is going to be cutting back on my beer consumption. It's hard not to drink at least a few beers twice a week considering the company I run in. Heck, last semester I was drinking 5-6 days a week 
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The official gym & weightlifting thread! rep #2
- Thread starter john turner
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I was right there with you man. After I turned 21 and alcohol became more readily accessible, my booze consumption skyrocketed. Coupled with the fact that I was hurt and really didn't have anything better to do than study, play video games and my bass, I just started drinking whenever I was doing anything. I put on something like 40 pounds, and I'm sure the beer was the cause of it.
Mark Wilson
Supporting Member
I never noticed this thread before!
I got into going to the gym this past summer, with my supervisor at work who REALLY pushed me to get into it and helped me. now i'm HOOKED.
From the beginning of may, to the end of September, i lost TWO belt sizes and almost 20 lbs.
Now, i'm trying to go 4-5 days a week to get my strength training up, and build more muscle. Also, lose the belly flab (Thank you Beer)
I'll post my stats one day soon once I find everything out.
I got into going to the gym this past summer, with my supervisor at work who REALLY pushed me to get into it and helped me. now i'm HOOKED.
From the beginning of may, to the end of September, i lost TWO belt sizes and almost 20 lbs.
Now, i'm trying to go 4-5 days a week to get my strength training up, and build more muscle. Also, lose the belly flab (Thank you Beer)
I'll post my stats one day soon once I find everything out.
Welcome to the [del]cult[/del] club, Mark! Get yer SQUATZ on, boy-o!
My number shot up last night, which was good. However, I still have a nice collection of adipose tissue I need to remove, so I'm probably going to go easier on the weights and focus more on cardio until I can get rid of the tire around my waist. In the grand scheme of things this will probably help with my lifting, too.
My number shot up last night, which was good. However, I still have a nice collection of adipose tissue I need to remove, so I'm probably going to go easier on the weights and focus more on cardio until I can get rid of the tire around my waist. In the grand scheme of things this will probably help with my lifting, too.
Please critique. As for weights I don't know my max and my working weight generally varies a bit depending on a number of factors.
I'm 6'0" and currently at #230 and have been doing this seriously for about a year. I generally work out with my brother who has been body building for about 3 years.
We concentrate on free weights and compound movements that target as many muscles as possible. Things like pull-ups, squats, bench press, dead-lifts and hang cleans. We rarely use machines and try to do as few seated exercises as possible. We've been trying to maintain a good pace as to keep up our heart rates and complete a good workout in under an hour. Generally we'll do about 12-16 sets.
Monday: Back and Biceps . Always include pull-ups, 2 sets of rowing motion exercises and do dead-lifts every other week. This week was Pullups to failure followed by wide grip pull downs at #120. Underhand/overhand T bar rows for 2 sets each #90. Pullovers up to #65 alternating with narrow grip pull downs. Finish with 3 sets of dead lifts at #225 for 12-10 and 8.
In the beginning we did hang cleans in between sets to keep up HR
Wedsnesday: Chest and triceps. Bench press and incline press, sometimes starting with barbell and sometimes dumbbells. Dips and cable flies with a pushup contest at the end. My bench sucks but last week I was able to do #225 for 4 at the end of our routine.
Friday is legs! This is pretty much Squats and Hack squats finishing with lunges. We'll do squat variations ( narrow, wide, box, front). Depending on whether or not we did dead lifts we'll do straight leg deads. We really don't do much leg press. I had been doing #315 for 4-6 but have taken to lower weight and higher reps as my pants are fitting too tight.
Saturday or sunday we'll do shoulders.I don't feel like detailing that routine but it involves mostly compound movements.
I'm 6'0" and currently at #230 and have been doing this seriously for about a year. I generally work out with my brother who has been body building for about 3 years.
We concentrate on free weights and compound movements that target as many muscles as possible. Things like pull-ups, squats, bench press, dead-lifts and hang cleans. We rarely use machines and try to do as few seated exercises as possible. We've been trying to maintain a good pace as to keep up our heart rates and complete a good workout in under an hour. Generally we'll do about 12-16 sets.
Monday: Back and Biceps . Always include pull-ups, 2 sets of rowing motion exercises and do dead-lifts every other week. This week was Pullups to failure followed by wide grip pull downs at #120. Underhand/overhand T bar rows for 2 sets each #90. Pullovers up to #65 alternating with narrow grip pull downs. Finish with 3 sets of dead lifts at #225 for 12-10 and 8.
In the beginning we did hang cleans in between sets to keep up HR
Wedsnesday: Chest and triceps. Bench press and incline press, sometimes starting with barbell and sometimes dumbbells. Dips and cable flies with a pushup contest at the end. My bench sucks but last week I was able to do #225 for 4 at the end of our routine.
Friday is legs! This is pretty much Squats and Hack squats finishing with lunges. We'll do squat variations ( narrow, wide, box, front). Depending on whether or not we did dead lifts we'll do straight leg deads. We really don't do much leg press. I had been doing #315 for 4-6 but have taken to lower weight and higher reps as my pants are fitting too tight.
Saturday or sunday we'll do shoulders.I don't feel like detailing that routine but it involves mostly compound movements.
What are your goals? Are you going for maximum strength or increased mass, or mass & strength?
Keep detailed notes on your training, and make sure you can make incremental progress each time. Even if it is one more rep - that is more than you lifted last time.
It's debatable, but I've always done deadlifts first. It made more sense to me to have more energy for compounds, get more 'bang for the buck', so to speak. But yeah, I guess that too would depend on your goals.
I always tended to do deadlifts last.
I get the best bang for buck by doing olympic lifts first.
If I'm getting tired, I'd rather be getting tired on deadlifts than squats or bench (failing on a deadlift being a bit more managable than on squat or bench!)
I'm back at the gym this week, just focusing on cardio/stamina work me thinks.
Hip/lower back is still a bit iffy from injuring it a couple weeks back, knee went during the week and I gave myself a nice bit of concussion on saturday (neck, face, head still hurting from that one).
im 18 and been powerlifting for about 5 years. my 1 rep max's are: bench-415, squat-625,deadlift-705
In my experiences, it's best to do bi's and tri's one day, chest and back on another, legs on another, and shoulders and lats on another. Mixing things like tri's and chest just seems awkward since bench will already work your tri's as a minor muscle group in that particular exercise.
Mark Wilson
Supporting Member
Is it better to mix up muscle groups? I like going one day for one (or so) muscle groups. I like going Bis and Tris together, then another day Just chest, then just back, etc etc.
But people have told me mixing them up is better?
To be honest, at level many of us are lifting, as long as you are doing something where you can hit the gym regularly, it isn't going to make a huge amount of difference what groups you are targetting each day.
So by that mantra, finding something you enjoy & stick to is probably the most important part.
And as long as you have regular compound lifts in there, you should be golden!
So by that mantra, finding something you enjoy & stick to is probably the most important part.
And as long as you have regular compound lifts in there, you should be golden!
Until you reach a certain level of bodybuilding/strength training, it really doesn't matter what you do so long as you keep yourself from adapting and plateauing. Most people aren't in good enough shape to identify and target areas of weakness, or for it to matter what groups they target when.
At least, IMO, most people would be better off doing a program they like and being consistent in pressuring themselves to improve than they would be doing a program they hate because it promises them a specific result.
At least, IMO, most people would be better off doing a program they like and being consistent in pressuring themselves to improve than they would be doing a program they hate because it promises them a specific result.
I know a few people who have an "arms only" day but I don't personally do this. It really depends on how much time you are willing to spend a session and how many days a week your willing to go.
For me personally I go with heavy compound movements and then stimulating secondary muscles... so chest/tri, back/bi and then shoulders/legs (obviously unrelated but that's how I roll).
I deadlifted 400 lbs. for the first time today 
(Only 2 reps, mind). This is a bit of a milestone for me actually. I was hoping to hit it before the new year, but an injured ankle sustained playing american football put paid to that.
Anyone else hit any PR's recently?
(Only 2 reps, mind). This is a bit of a milestone for me actually. I was hoping to hit it before the new year, but an injured ankle sustained playing american football put paid to that. Anyone else hit any PR's recently?
You also have to consider what the goal is: aesthetics vs. function. If you want to "get swole" then it's best to beat the crap out of your muscles and get as much work out of them as possible (ex: back and arms one day, chest and tris another, etc). If you want athletic or functional muscles then it's best to break it up as you described, which will develop endurance.
I'm also of the opinion that you should do at least some leg or lower back exercises every session, since they provide foundation for everything we do. On a MWF lift schedule I do squats/deadlift/squats.
I deadlifted 400 lbs. for the first time today
Anyone else hit any PR's recently?
Congrats! I'm only on 3 plates for DLs and know how high a hurdle it is to jump to 4. I'm back to 225 squat reps after 3 months of no lifting (until a few weeks ago). It really is harder to stop and restart lifting than it is to start new, probably because you know how bad you're going to hurt the next day.
I deadlifted 400 lbs. for the first time today
Anyone else hit any PR's recently?
This is awesome. Congrats! How does that relate to your bodyweight?
Just before New Years I got a 445 squat, 495 deadlift, and 275 bench (at 260lbs bodyweight). I'm working to get everything higher. I am also completely & totally drug & supplement free (and always have been). My only lifting aids are some knee wraps, a leather belt, and some old work boots.
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