Reps and sets?

[steveT95]

Hi all,

 

Ectomorph here looking to gain mass.

 

I know the basics, eat big and lift heavy. I have been working out for awhile now and have made some very good gains.

 

My current workout consists of 4 sets with reps of: 10, 8, 6, 15.

 

I do bicep curls, Curls with palms down, shrugs and military presses.

 

10 of each before moving on to the next set, then 8 and so on.

 

I also do sit ups, press-ups and dips.

 

I was wondering if this looks like an effective way to grow the muscle of would I be better off lifting slightly heavier and just keep going until I can't do any more, rest, then do some more? Would that be more effective at growing muscle?

 

Thanks guys.

[NGC1300]

Your current rep volume looks fine to me.

 

Heavy compound exercises (bench, presses, etc) maybe go heavier 6 to 8 reps. If you're looking for size I would incorporate the major 3 (squat, deadlift, bench).

 

Isolation up to 15 reps is acceptable.

 

Don't forget to eat. You can always cut down after you've gained the mass.

Edited September 6, 2013 by NGC1300

[tman666]

To be honest, you're probably going to have a hard time gaining a lot of mass without a good gym set up.

 

You need a place that you can squat, deadlift, press and row with heavy weights. Pull ups are, in my opinion, a must as well.

 

I seem to recall that you mentioned that you have to train at home. While your home training environment isn't likely to be an ideal set up to maximize your muscle growth potential, I think there are some things that you can do to help balance your workouts a little more.

 

Number one: where's the leg work? You absolutely need to be doing some sort of leg work, even if you're not able to go heavy. Since you do seem to be confined to the lighter side of the weight spectrum right now, unilateral work would be a good option (lunge variations, split squats, namely). Short, intense sprints (40-50 meters) would be good options too for some additional leg work. If you have a partner to steer/brake for you, pushing a vehicle in neutral gear can absolutely decimate your legs.

 

It's important that you train your legs as heavy and as often as possible. Your legs contain some of the largest muscles in your body, and by neglecting them, you're not only neglecting to build overall conditioning and athleticism, but you're also missing out on the big hormonal perks of heavy leg training. Don't fool yourself into thinking that skipping legs is doing you any favors or that you are "training" legs by jogging or what not.

 

Number 2: invest in a pull up bar. It won't cost you that much (you can probably get an ok one for less than $50), and it will enable you to do lots and lots of pull ups. In the absence of the ability to do heavy one arm dumbbell rows, t-bar rows, bent over barbell rows, etc., you absolutely need to be doing lots of full range of motion pull ups, with lots of different hand/body positions. Again, full range of motion, squeeze and pause at the top, and maintain that tension through the entire movement. It's important to feel the muscles involved working. It's a fundamental movement for athleticism and building balanced back musculature. Of course, it's possible to build a brutally strong and muscular back without them, but not without heavy, direct rowing movements and/or heavy pulling movements such as deadlifts/RDLs. Even if one is set up for heavy back training, I personally don't think there are any good excuses for not being able to do pull ups.

 

Start developing the mindset of a strength athlete. Master your bodyweight, train athletic movements with high intensity (sprints, car pushes, pull ups, jumping, jump lunges, ballistic push ups, etc.). The rest (curls, for example) is icing on the cake.

 

And of course, eat like a horse.

Edited September 6, 2013 by tman666

[Chocolat]

I second all that T-Man said.

 

Pistols are another good way to work legs and bodyweight will keep you plenty challenged for a while.

 

New Rules of Lifting (Cosgrove & Schuyler) has decent plans in it and explanations of how to perform the moves accurately.

 

Can you join a gym?

[steveT95]

Thanks T-Man. I do leg day, I just didn't mention it haha. I currently squat about 25 kilos and do calf raises as well.

I also have a pull-up bar but just need to get hold of a drill to set it up properly.

 

When I get a bit more money I will be buying:

Buy York 2 in 1 Ultimate Workout Bench at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Weightlifting and exercise benches. or similar as well as a squat rack.

 

The weight I currently have on my barbells is for those sets mentioned originally is 20 kilos. Not bad since I've doubled the weight from when I started a couple of months ago.

 

Thanks guys

[Grumpybutfun]

Steve:

Since retiring from the military, I have learned how to put together a pretty effective gym at home. I have kept my same muscle size just by adjusting more weight when I find I am not getting fatigued, and tweaking my diet to more protein/ vegetables. I eat about 5 lbs of salmon, chicken, kale and bok choy every other day just to keep me full and get needed vitamins. Keep the junk out of your system as much as possible too. It isn't just about calories, but good muscle building calories that can bulk you up but keep you looking trim so your muscles are more defined.

Check out Craigslist for a good bench too since I found a Ironmaster Super Bench Adjustable weight-lifting Bench which has the following Chin Up Bar, Crunch/Decline, Bar Dip/Leg Raises and Preacher Curl Pad for half of the asking price. Wow, what a difference a good bench makes.

Good Luck,

Grumps