help needed

leeoakman · Post by **leeoakman** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:48 am

I am new to weight training and would like some help i go to the gym 4 times a week and try to work different muscle groups but i seem to do the same lifts all the time should i very the lifts. also how many times aweek should i work tummy.

RK19 · Post by **RK19** » Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:08 pm

yes vary your lifts, keep your muscles on their toes, keep them confused. you shouldnt really need to work ur "tummy" as compound lifts such as deads work ur abs indirectly anyway. wots ur routine look like?

leeoakman · Post by **leeoakman** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:30 am

On a monday i will do 4 sets of flat dumbbell lifts,4 sets of incline dumbell lifts,4 sets of flat chest flyes,then i work biceps

on a tuesday i will work me shoulders and triceps mainley using a cable machine.

on a wednesday i will work back and legs

then on a friday i will do a full body work out using all of the above

like i said i have a very basic knowledge with weight training and i am getting work outs from this site

rynuku · Post by **rynuku** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:18 pm

i would suggest that you change your lifts...ive read that some people stick with the same plan/lifts for years with results

personally i stick with the same muscle groups on the same days but change lifts almost every week...it keeps it exciting for me and keeps the muscle confused. track runners...run...and as they do it more and more it gets easier for them...they have great strength and endurance in running, but if they tried riding a bike it might be the hardest thing theyve ever done lol

and as for your abs...a common mistake i see is that its alright to train them everyday...but...ur abs are also muscles so dont train them any more than your training the rest...maybe once or twice a week...and as rk19 said...your abs are a stabilizer for tons of different exercises so they are constantly getting an indirect workout

HOUSTON TEXAN · Post by **HOUSTON TEXAN** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:46 pm

If you change your lifts often you will never make progress and get stuck. If you really want to ever make progress in the gym find a program, follow it, increase weight when you hit the correct set/rep amount, eat, sleep and repeat.

rynuku · Post by **rynuku** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:54 pm

HOUSTON TEXAN wrote:If you change your lifts often you will never make progress and get stuck.

is that opinion or fact?

HOUSTON TEXAN · Post by **HOUSTON TEXAN** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:07 pm

rynuku wrote:
HOUSTON TEXAN wrote:If you change your lifts often you will never make progress and get stuck.
is that opinion or fact?

Ok well lets say this: I do deadlifts for 2 weeks and deadlift goes up 5lbs. I switch exercises for the next two weeks which don't include deadlifts. Do you think when you go back to doing deadlifts that you would make more progress if you would have added another 5lbs to your deadlift? Probably because your deadlift numbers either stayed the came or possibly decreased.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:20 pm

i'm with the texan...

you can never see progress if your changing things each session...fatigue doesn't build strength or mass, progression does

DianaB · Post by **DianaB** » Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:24 pm

HOUSTON TEXAN wrote:
rynuku wrote:
HOUSTON TEXAN wrote:If you change your lifts often you will never make progress and get stuck.
is that opinion or fact?
Ok well lets say this: I do deadlifts for 2 weeks and deadlift goes up 5lbs. I switch exercises for the next two weeks which don't include deadlifts. Do you think when you go back to doing deadlifts that you would make more progress if you would have added another 5lbs to your deadlift? Probably because your deadlift numbers either stayed the came or possibly decreased.

Bad example, you can train your DL in many ways besides actually DL'ing. It's a brute strength lift. You could switch out to GM squats and I'd bet your DL goes up (maybe not in 2 weeks, but you get drift).
If you know your muscle groups and frequently change lifts, while all the while using progressive overloading, I'm willing to bet you gain overall strength. However, you'd miss out on the "brain training".
I've been following Sheiko for months now and it is the most repetitive program you'll ever do, but the basis is neurological training, and I must say it works like a charm. The more proficient you get at a big lift, the better you perform it a higher weight. I haven't worked over 85% since June and I've added 20lbs to both bench and DL, and 15 to squat.
I guess I'm saying, like anything else, it goal dependent.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:54 pm

also agree

if you strategically plan the exercises in (i.e westside) then it will work as they have a goal at the end but most will use "instictive" bodybuilder principle and siomply whatever they feel like on a given day with no regard future sessions

rynuku · Post by **rynuku** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 8:09 pm

well im not a lineman for the nfl so i dont need to have a huge bench press because that would be functional....and also....im not trying to increase any certain lift...so im not worried about seeing results on a specific one... goal is overall body fitness...

dont get me wrong i mean im still workin on 500 pound deadlift and such...its fun to see results...but i personally dont think its necessary to stick to the same lifts every week...this topic is obviously debatable just like so many other fitness related topics lol

HOUSTON TEXAN · Post by **HOUSTON TEXAN** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 9:47 pm

Yeah but you could potentially have higher lift numbers if you stuck with the same lifts. + strength = + size

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:32 pm

if you know where your progress is coming from then you know you're always benefiting either through wt lifted, increased muscle, incresed strength, fat loss etc

by doing things different each time you never sure what is working and what isn't so when you plateu, you don;t know what to change up

there's no point just guessing

Boopster · Post by **Boopster** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:19 am

I agree with Swanso5. Keep track everyday the amount of weight you lift. In opinion, it's quality of the exercise you are doing not quantity. I'm not a big fan of muscle confusion. Don't think it works. I did the same type of exercise for each muscle group, (eg. leg day, shoulder day, back day, chest and arms day) for 6 months, got excellent results and was evident with before and after pictures. But I will say what works for one may not work for another.