Newbie Question, Help Plz

[icac]

Hi, newbie here, hoping that some of you guys can help me out.

I have been working out for a couple months, but I don't see a great improvement so I am wondering if I am doing some of the stuff wrong.

First question, should I be working out the same muscle on the same day? For example chest/tricep on the same day? Or is it better to separate them on different days. And how many times should I workout chest? (Is two times a week too many?) Also, when I do bb bench press, is it better to go as low as possible? Or just keep it as 90 degree is good? Same with incline chest workout.

I try to increase the weight on each set and decrease the reps. Say first set do 10 reps (max I can do), second set do 8 reps (increase weight), etc... is that a good approach?

routine:
Mon: Chest/leg
Tues: Bicep/Tricep
Wed: rest
Thurs: Chest/back
Fri: shoulder/bicep

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

[woodshedder]

First, I'd suggest being patient. I don't know what you mean when you say you don't see great improvement. If that means you don't see an increase in musculature, I'd say you're being a little too impatient (depending on your genetics, it could take quite a while). If lack of improvement means you're not able to handle more weight after two months of working out, then that is perhaps a cause for concern.

It is difficult to separate chest from triceps workouts because bench presses work both muscle groups (works shoulders too). I believe it works well do do chest/triceps/shoulders on one day, and do back and biceps on one day since many back exercises work biceps also.

Not sure I get your question on bb (barbell?) bench press. You can only go until the bar hits your chest, and that's how far you should go.

As far as how often to work out a muscle group, I think a good rule to go by is, if a muscle is sore, don't work it out. If its not, then go for it. Muscles need time in order to repair themselves after you work them out. In your routine, your Mon/Tue schedule probably doesn't give your triceps time to recover after the Monday chest work (since triceps are worked there too) before you start working them Tuesday. Same deal for biceps on your Thurs/Fri schedule. And two days a week is not too much to work one muscle group, you could do more even.

Here's what I'd do:
Mon and Thu: Chest/Tricep/Shoulder
Tue and Fri: Back/bicep/leg

As far as increasing weight and decreasing reps with each set, I do think that's a good approach. But do you do only two sets per exercise? Three or four would be better if you have time. If you're trying to pack on muscle, heavy weight and fewer reps (about 6 to 8 ) per set are the way to go.

Disclaimer: You may not want to pay any attention to me cuz some peeps around here wondered about me when I recently bought a Bowflex.

[icac]

I mean physically, I feel alot stronger than before working out, but I don't look much bigger. Especially after a few days off, it doesn't look much different at all.

I have not been going all the way down (to chest) when bench press, maybe that is why I don't see a good improvement on chest?

I usually do 3 sets, bench press i try to do 4 and increase weight on each set.
Another thing, should I be changing routine after a month? if so, how big of change should it be?

Thanks for the routine suggestion, I appreciate it!

[woodshedder]

I mean physically, I feel alot stronger than before working out, but I don't look much bigger. Especially after a few days off, it doesn't look much different at all.

I would be surprised if you could see much improvement in musculature in two months. It takes time. I don't think I'd rely on eyeballs too much to gauge progress because its simply hard to detect changes when the changes are so gradual, and when you look at yourself in the mirror every day, its hard to remember what you looked like two months ago. I'd get a tape measure, and measure myself in a couple of places (chest, upper arm, etc), and then repeat the measurement every couple of months. That can give you a (relatively) unbiased way of measuring your progress, and to know that you are progressing is important in order to keep up your motivation.

I have not been going all the way down (to chest) when bench press, maybe that is why I don't see a good improvement on chest?

That could be part of it. However, are you lifting more than you were when you started? If you are not keeping a workout diary (record exercises done, weight used, sets and reps), that is also a good way to gauge progress. If you are able to handle more weight as the weeks go by, then you are progressing.

One thing I would suggest too is, in a particular workout session, do mass building exercises (those that work multiple muscle groups, like bench press) before isolation exercises (those that work individual muscle groups, like triceps) because you don't want the weight you can use during bench press (for example) to be limited by the fact that you've already depleted your triceps by doing triceps push downs (or whatever). If your triceps are tired when you start doing bench press, then you won't be able to do as much weight, so then your chest development will suffer.

I usually do 3 sets, bench press i try to do 4 and increase weight on each set.

Sounds good to me. Another thing I would add is that if you intend to add muscle mass, you should generally do the maximum amount of weight you can handle. For example if you intend to do six reps on your fourth set, then the amount of weight you are using on that last set ought to be enough so that you can just barely do that last rep (with good form). I do like to do more reps with less weight on earlier sets though, partly as a safety precaution. That is, if you are trying to do too much weight when you first start working a particular muscle during a workout, you have a greater chance of injury than if you start with less weight and get those muscles warmed up a bit before you start pumping your max.

Another thing, should I be changing routine after a month? if so, how big of change should it be?

I have read that its a good thing to keep your muscles "confused" by not doing the same exercises over and over, but I'm not too convinced that's valid. I just recently started working out again after 3 yrs off, but during the year before time off, I did basically the same 4 exercises every workout, and I built a significant amount of muscle in that year. However, if you need to change things up to keep from getting bored, by all means, do so. A couple of easy ways to change things up are to occasionally do a workout day in which you use relatively lighter weight and do more reps, or to use dumbbells where you would usually use barbells, or vice versa.

[swanso5]

- i'm a bif full body workout man...either that or lower body 1 day and upper the next day...that way you could train chest 2 or 3 times a week as well every other muscle...obviously big, heavy, multi joint exercises are what's needed here
- lower to chest or you won't even stimulate the chest just front delts and tri's
- alwyas better to stay with a heavy wt for as long as you can.. doing 25 - 30 warm up type sets you could be too fatigued to reach your top wt properly...aim for the same amount each sets say 3 x 8 and once you gat all 24 reps with one wt, increase it and try again next time..easy
- initially you'll get strionger without getting bigger from nervous sytem improvements...once he catches on than you'll start to gain muscle so keep persevering
- probaby every 4 - 6 weeks for you will be enough to change workouts and also keep in mind that it would be better to change the sets and reps than exercises at thism point