I wanna gain muscle mass, please check weekly plan

Dado · Post by **Dado** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:33 pm

Hi people. I 1st want to commend this shapefit.com as a really great and well assembled page - good job! I really learned a great deal about, well, just about anything there is to working out and stuff.

Now, a little about me before I put in the weekly plan I've been working on. I'm 28yrs, 5'10''-11'' (181cm), and I weigh only 154lbs (70kg).
Before I discovered this site I purchased one Dumbbell of 20 pounds, and started doing exercises I knew for Biceps, Triceps and Shoulders. I didn't even take daily breaks for muscle groups, that is - until I found this site and started reading everything what was explained here. In meantime, I did gain some muscle mass on the mentioned muscle groups, and I think I even gained a pound or two of weight (I think I was like 152lb when I started).
So, this initial "success" got me thinking that I should go for other muscles of body. I decided (and realized) chest needed widening, butt to be bigger, and also leg muscles. I also included some practice for ABs as even being this skinny started to go round too much. So in general I decided that I wanted to get larger

and concentrated on the parts I feel need the most work to be done on them.

Here's a plan I made, in which you will notice I respected some of the rules I learned here (for example: 48hours of break between muscle groups):

The dotted parts are the alternate exercizes.
So any tips corrections I should do here? For example I'm wondering whether I should do all of the biceps, triceps, shoulders in one day?

Dado · Post by **Dado** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 5:42 pm

Oh and yeah - you will notice that all the exercizes are adapted to be done with either one or 2 dumbbells. That is what I currently own, and the gym that is closest doesn't have unisex policy, and men hours do not match free time. Other gyms are too distant, so I'm on own. I also browsed for some fitness machines but I'm really not sure where could I put one in apartment as I don't have enough free space - so for the time being it's just dumbbells and an improvized bench.
BTW, here's the complete Excel document, from which the pic above was taken, in which the you can click to the exercizes as they are created as hyperlinks

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:56 pm

b4 starting wts u shood b able 2 do these in perfect form:
20 x push ups
10 x pull ups
10 x 1 leg squats
then and only then shood u start adding external load.
ur plan was a little hard 2 read but basically for mass u want to focus on multi joint exercises such as squats, pull ups, rows, benches and deadlifts which can found on the exercise guide here...as usual i will say go and have a look at Big Boy Basics by Chad Waterbury which shood put 5 - 10pds on u in 4 - 5 weeks with adequate nutrition...all u'll need for that is a bench, db's, bb and wts but a few modifiacations mite be needed...have a look at it as it's not like anything on here as it trains movements not muscles which makes more sense because acts as a unit when it moves...try and move using 1 muscle...u can't...get back 2 me with wat u think

Dado · Post by **Dado** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:19 pm

OK what does "WTS" stand for?

Dado · Post by **Dado** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:48 pm

I've just done 20 push-ups - kinda without problems.
Unfortunately I don't have any bar to try 10 pull-ups, but I guess I'd be able to do 10 at least.
As far as 10 x 1 leg squats, how far does leg need to "squat"? To be parallel with the ground, that is to make perpendicular angle in the knee? It sure feels unstable to do this.

WTS stands for? = weekly training sessions? or? thx

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 9:54 pm

where u gettin the wts from? ideally for push ups u want to be able to do 20 perfect reps (straihjt luine from head to feet the whole time) with feet elevated so u form a perfect straight line at the top position...as for squats u want to get at least parallel...not sure which ones ur trying but u want to do pistols which r free standing squats on 1 leg...u can do these from the ground or from a platform so ur other foot can go lower than the plane of ur wt bearing foot...pull ups are with palms facing away from u not chin ups where u have an under grip...4 then u shood b going all the way down to straight arms and getting chin/neck up to bar ...go to a playground and try on some monkey bars if u can or something...good luck

Dado · Post by **Dado** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 6:37 am

Ok thanks.
Sorry for newbishness but do tell is WTS = weekly training session, or is it a shortcut for some other expression you guys use?

Anyways, I'll do the pull ups, gonna find some bar out there and pull myself a couple of times. When I said kinda with out problems I meant I did 20 push-ups, straight back, and I felt I could go for a few more.

BTW, Is this test of 20/10/10 some kind of endurance check? I didn't actually start exercizing w/o any prior physical activity. I've played drums for like more than 10 years now (2-3 rehearsals a week at least), and I really like to hit those drums - no soft strokes if you know what I mean. I've also been training archery for the past 2 years - 55lbs compound bow with 65% let-off. (so holding weight is like 20lbs) + the bow itself weighs like 8lbs. And I try to practice archery at least 3-4 times a week in 2 to 3 hours sessions.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 3:37 pm

it's just 2 build some strength in joints ans also some core stability before adding external load...for e.g. you lift about 60% of your bodywt during a regular push up so it's better to master tham than to start with 50pd bench presses...i don't use WTS and i always c BTW like u puit but i don't no wat that means either although i do type in abbreviations etc as u can c...just thinking u mite have overpowering front delts from drumming and archery which will make hitting the pecs (i.e getting a pump there) pretty hard. have u noticed this?

Dado · Post by **Dado** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:45 pm

swanso5 wrote:it's just 2 build some strength in joints ans also some core stability before adding external load...for e.g. you lift about 60% of your bodywt during a regular push up so it's better to master tham than to start with 50pd bench presses...i don't use WTS and i always c BTW like u puit but i don't no wat that means either although i do type in abbreviations etc as u can c...just thinking u mite have overpowering front delts from drumming and archery which will make hitting the pecs (i.e getting a pump there) pretty hard. have u noticed this?

Nope, I haven't noticed it actually...
But, I talked to a coach here, and I reduced and adapted program similar to one of those 3-4 days per week training schedules.
So I took a 3 days work + 1 day cardio per week to start with.
Day 1 would be: Back and Chest exercises
Day 2 : Biceps and Triceps
Day 3 : Legs, Shoulders and Forearms
Day 4 : Cardio.

Added to this, I do ABs and Back exercizes before and after every training session, except when I do cardio...
The days will probably be scheduled like this: MON/WED/FRI/SAT(cardio) - What do you think?

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:53 pm

even though arm days r pretty useless unless actually bodybuilding, why aren't u doing forearms on arm day? wats the reaon for extra back work? like i always say, full body workouts r the way to go...some don't thibk so because u can't train everyday but u can easily train 4/week with full body workouts if periodised properly....let me ask u this and post ur answer...if spmone wants to get bigger arms would they get better results doing either:

A - scheduling an arm day each week (or 2) and training it from various angles with the heaviest wt u can curl which 4 me wood probably be 30 - 35kg x 4 - 6 reps if that (not sure as i haven't done any 4 over a yr)

or

B - focusing on multi joint compounds moves such as squats (100kg), Deadlifts (120kg) and Benches (95ishkg)

i wood go wioth plan B as the wt u use is over 200% wat i wood do on an arm day...the body doesn't recopgnise wat sort of wt or stress u put on it, just how heavy it is...lifting rocks heavier than ur curling wt wood increase arm size more than an arm day...look at gymnasts arms and they don't even curl once in their lives it comes just from straight arm stabilistaion work

not pickin on ya but just trying to re-educate u for better and quicker gains...it's all about efficiency

Dado · Post by **Dado** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 5:53 pm

Well, I didn't put forearms, but I actually do them. I'm not yet sure whether to put them in another day along with Calves, or to do them on the arm day.
On the other hand I plan to always do push-ups and pull-up as parts of Chest and Back exercizes, so I presume biceps and triceps will be active beside the arm day...
Does this make any sense?

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:45 pm

if not going with plan b than go with something like this;

Day 1 - lower body quad dominant focus (squat variations), calves
Day 2 - upper body pull (row, pull up variations), forearms
Day 3 - off
Day 4 - lower body hip dominant (deadlift, lower back variations), calves
Day 5 - upper body push dominant (bench, push up variations), forearms
Day 6 - off
Day 7 - off

if desperately wanting to do arms than do bi's day 2 and tri's day 5 and abs on 2 - 4 days depending if you split them up or do them all at once