for building muscle?

[Johnsmith1003]

I started a workout plan. Been at it for a week now. I go to the gym everyday and do at least a half hr cardio and then some muscles but my question is, how to make my workout most effective? Building muscle effectively and healthy. I'm very uninitiated in the situation. All I know and have known is to adhere to the "3 sets of 10 rep" plan but that is literally it. Last set I'd do it to near impossibility but that may not even be the best approach. What kinds of sets/reps do you find effective? What foods to eat to aid it? How often working those muscles? I need some good advice because I know nothing really and cannot afford a personal trainer at the moment.

[Chocolat]

Weights first, then cardio (or separate sessions).

 

Compound movements - squats, deadlifts, pullups are the 3 kings, imo.

[Johnsmith1003]

Weights first, then cardio (or separate sessions).

 

Compound movements - squats, deadlifts, pullups are the 3 kings, imo.

 

Really? I thought one of the 10 Commandments of working out include not doing cardio after lifting weights because the loss of muscle buildup?

[JDPT]

Weights first, then cardio (or separate sessions).

 

Compound movements - squats, deadlifts, pullups are the 3 kings, imo.

 

 

 

 

 

and bench press. Always keeping a good form in order for you to make gains.

[f1asr88]

I started a workout plan. Been at it for a week now. I go to the gym everyday and do at least a half hr cardio and then some muscles but my question is, how to make my workout most effective? Building muscle effectively and healthy. I'm very uninitiated in the situation. All I know and have known is to adhere to the "3 sets of 10 rep" plan but that is literally it. Last set I'd do it to near impossibility but that may not even be the best approach. What kinds of sets/reps do you find effective? What foods to eat to aid it? How often working those muscles? I need some good advice because I know nothing really and cannot afford a personal trainer at the moment.

 

 

It depends on how often you can get to the gym, do you have fat to lose too, etc...

 

To be concise..

 

Assuming you are lean, and just want to add muscle mass, I would, if possible separate cardio and weights into different sessions.

 

If you can keep going near enough every day, I would do say 4 days of weights, working each muscle group twice a week. More often than that, and your muscles may not have time to recover in between sessions, and recovery is vital for growth.

 

For your upper body.. pushing exercises use your chest, triceps and shoulders predominantly, pulling exercises use forearms, biceps and back.

I generally use Mondays and Thursdays for pushing type exercises, and Wednesday and Saturday for forearms, biceps and back.

For the former group you could try exercises such as dumbbell flies, press-ups, shoulder press, bench press, dips.

For the latter group you could try bicep curls, deadlift, pull-ups, low rows and pull downs.

 

My strength and muscle mass has increased considerably recently by restricting the reps to about 6 for each set and doing each exercise in a kind of pyramid at about 80-90 percent of my one rep max.

 

My max benchpress for example is 120Kg or 265lbs (I'm 175lbs)

I'll generally do a few reps on ascending weights up to my "working range" just to warm up.

Then I'll do say one set of six reps of 105Kg

.....................three sets of six reps at 110Kg

................... and then one set of six to eight at 105Kg again.

 

If for each exercise you find a weight that you can (at a push) do six to eight reps on then work around that weight for a few sets. If your strength improves over time and you can comfortably do more reps than that, raise the weight.

 

If doing bodyweight exercises like pull ups, lunges etc and they get too easy after a while, then do them with a weight attached.

 

The other two or three days you could do your cardio and/or leg work.

You could incorporate exercises for your core a couple of days a week too, during your other workouts to allow your upper body a little recovery time between sets or different exercises. Hanging leg raises

(

) and cable crunches (

) are by far the best ones in my experience.

 

Diet is very important, it is generally recommended to try and have 2g of protein per pound of bodyweight if trying to gain muscle. So plenty of food like fish, eggs, lean meat etc. will help. If you can get hold of any protein supplements such as shakes, that is a nice easy way of boosting your intake.

 

Sorry for rambling on in a scattergun fashion, it's 3am here, but I hope some of that helps, if you have any questions just ask.

Edited January 9, 2014 by f1asr88

[Emilia]

For beginners: StrongLifts 5x5: Ultimate Strength & Muscle Building Program StrongLifts

 

There is a lot of good information on this site on pretty much anything you can think of as you progress: T NATION | Articles, T NATION | Articles

[f1asr88]

Sorry, at the end of my post it was supposed to say 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. I had my Kg head on.

[Chocolat]

Really? I thought one of the 10 Commandments of working out include not doing cardio after lifting weights because the loss of muscle buildup?

 

Yes, really.

 

When you first hit the gym, your muscles are full of glycogen, which can fuel an anaerobic (weight lifting) workout. Then you hit the cardio equipment by which time you have hopefully burned through glycogen and can now burn fat because fat can fuel an aerobic workout. If you reverse the order, you'll burn through glycogen doing cardio and when you get to the weight portion of your workout you will burn muscle since you can't use fat for anaerobic activity.

[Eau Claire]

When I go to the gym, I hop on the exercise bike for 15 minutes...then 20 or so minutes of weights...then another 15 on the bike.

 

Usually 3 times a week. The other days I do a moderate run and a few moderate sit ups, hand weights at home.

[Emilia]

Yes, really.

 

When you first hit the gym, your muscles are full of glycogen, which can fuel an anaerobic (weight lifting) workout. Then you hit the cardio equipment by which time you have hopefully burned through glycogen and can now burn fat because fat can fuel an aerobic workout. If you reverse the order, you'll burn through glycogen doing cardio and when you get to the weight portion of your workout you will burn muscle since you can't use fat for anaerobic activity.

I think that depends on how much cardio and how long for. I start my workout with a light run (just a couple of kms) and 5-10 minutes on the rowing machine to warm up. Nothing heavy, just to get my muscles and joints, etc going. Then I do various warm up exercises after.

 

I wouldn't do any heavy running, sprinting, etc with a big weighlifting session but I want to make sure I'm warmed up properly. We were always put on some kind of a machine at the powerlifters gym before we started on the weights/bar/good mornings, etc.

[EasyHeart]

For beginners: StrongLifts 5x5: Ultimate Strength & Muscle Building Program StrongLifts

This. This so much!

 

5x5s are the traditional way to pack on muscle for one reason: It works. You don't need to spend hours in the gym or do split routines or attack your muscles from different angle or any of that nonsense. Do 5 sets of 5 reps of squats, bench press, rows and shoulder press and you will get bigger. You will also be in and out of the gym in 20-30 minutes, which is nice. If you're doing it right, it will also leave you exhausted. I have no idea what these people do who say they are in the gym and hour a day, five days a week. The only thing I know for sure is that they are not lifting hard.

 

If you're trying to gain muscle (especially if you're young) don't do any cardio. It will limit your muscle gain and you don't really need it.

 

Eat clean. Meat, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Maybe some nuts and seeds, or some cheese. That's it. Your body is very much a 'garbage-in-garbage-out' system.

 

Good luck.

[thefooloftheyear]

This. This so much!

 

5x5s are the traditional way to pack on muscle for one reason: It works. You don't need to spend hours in the gym or do split routines or attack your muscles from different angle or any of that nonsense. Do 5 sets of 5 reps of squats, bench press, rows and shoulder press and you will get bigger. You will also be in and out of the gym in 20-30 minutes, which is nice. If you're doing it right, it will also leave you exhausted. I have no idea what these people do who say they are in the gym and hour a day, five days a week. The only thing I know for sure is that they are not lifting hard.

 

If you're trying to gain muscle (especially if you're young) don't do any cardio. It will limit your muscle gain and you don't really need it.

 

Eat clean. Meat, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Maybe some nuts and seeds, or some cheese. That's it. Your body is very much a 'garbage-in-garbage-out' system.

 

Good luck.

 

Manyof them are texting, trying to score, and dicking around with their mp3 players...

 

Agree with the others..

 

Basic movements. Hard and heavy..Dont overtrain..Get plenty of rest and limit stress.

 

Its important though for a beginner to recognize his/her body type before setting unrealistic goals for building muscle..Everyone can improve, but with certain bodytypes its almost impossible to add appreciative muscle. Ectomorphs are kinda like this. Again, you will make progress, but it might not be as great as you hoped...even doing everything right.

 

Diet is very important obviously. Eat like crazy..You can have a labor crew of thousands, but they cant build the house without bricks, mortar, wood, etc..These are the fundamental building blocks. Stick with the basics here as well...Complex carbs, protiens, essential fats..Eat some, but dont waste your time with a lot of vegetables..All its going to do is fill you low calorie dense foods. I wouldnt do it this way, but I have seen guys get HUGE eating junk food. Yep, McD's, KFC, etc..These guys carried a lot of water weight and fat, but they packed on some good beef as well..

 

Good luck.

 

TFY