Pumping Iron!!!

[Viking]

As part as my healthier future I've decided to start lifting some weight, mainly to assist the weight loss (muscle burns fat) but also to replace the mass that I'll hopefully loose, I like being a "big" person, I just don't want to be a fat "big" person if you understand me.

So this world of weights is new to me so I'll start at the beginning:

- How often and how long do you guys workout??

- Do you do the same routine each session??

- Do you work out certain areas of the body each time or individual muscles?? (ie. do you do an arm work out one day, a back work out another or will you say work out biceps one day, triceps the next etc..)

[buddha]

When I was doing regular weight work (years ago) I was doing it for general strength and fitness. I was working with weights on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and the workouts generally took me 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I did a regular cycle through a number of stations and did a total of 3 cycles. Each station was 10-12 reps and I did not max myself out during this phase because I wanted to make sure I completed 3 sets of 10 at each station.

I ran 5-6 days per week. Usually 2-3 miles on days I did weights and 6 or more on days that I didn't lift. I also did a lot of swimming, usually 3-4 times per week and I worked up to about 2 miles in the pool which is not actually 2 miles of "swimming" when you count the turns and pushoffs but it was still a good workout.

Later on I started doing martial arts regularly so I dropped off on the weights just because of time constraints but when I was trying to build strength and muscular endurance the described weight workout worked for me plus the running and swimming (and a lot of stretching) helped with flexibility. After I had been doing this kind of workout for about 6 months my bench press got up to 280 which was sufficient for my needs. I never did the "arms one day, legs the next day" just because I didn't see the need for myself. For me that would have been way overspecialized. Plus, with the swimming and running it was like cross-training every day and for me that was perfect.

Hope this helps.

[sahil15]

Hi Viking,

Nothing like weight lifting to burn of fat but weight lifting on its own wont do you any good... a proper diet is also very crucial and goes hand in hand with muscle building... Dont worry when I say diet I dont mean salads and fruits 24/7 (although the health benifits of salads and fruits are pretty obvious). I mean protien and carbs..... and also a lot of protien.... so chicken, fish, turkey, beans, all the good stuff. I eat 4 to 5 times a day...every 3 hours.... You would think this makes you gain weight and I had my doubts too but this actually improves your metabolism and burns fat quicker... I have actually lost 47 pounds in the last year... But of course eating 4-5 times a day and sitting on your couch isn't gona make anyone loose any weight... you need to hit that gym and hit it hard. Look into protien shakes as well... muscles need protien... its the most crucial building block for muscles

Now regarding the weight training....

I workout 4- 5 times a week... aim for atleast 3 days a week for good results... at least thats my opinion

I think you should work out on 2 body parts on any given day and not repeat those body parts until you having finished working out on the other major muscles and then keep continuing the cycle.... the reason for this is because you need to give your muscles enough time to heal and rest... when you do a solid work out the tissues of your muscles break down and need enough time to repair.... Muscles grow bigger not while working out but while resting... So get a lot of sleep

Theres no point working on just a single part of your body.... So for example if you only concentrate on your chest on a monday... then it will be till next monday you get to do chest again.... you will hardly see any results that way.

This is what I do.

Monday- Chest and Triceps and 20 min cardio
Tuesday- Back and Biceps and 20 min cardio
Wednesday- Day off
Thursday- Shoulder and Abs
Friday- Legs
Saturday- 25 min cardio
Sunday- Day off

This is not set in stone... i sometimes miss a day because of work or other stuff but I try to be as consistent as possible

But always try to mix things up when it comes to your work out... I personally change my exercise and routines after every 3 weeks ... this keeps the muscles guessing and helps them to grow bigger.... Dont keep doing the same exercises month after month... you will just get bored and quit the gym like many people do.... By changing your routine constantly you don't let your muscles adapt and also it keeps things interesting.

I hope you are working out in a gym and not on your own if this your first time with weights.... Please do it under somebody's supervision who is experienced... PM me if you have any other questions.

Best of luck bud.
Sahil

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Not only weights--balance it with some cardio too--it's the total package.  And, you may be surprised--a lot of people get addicted to exercise, and that's an addiction you can live with!

[sahil15]

Yea Cardio is also very important...

[leighmundo40]

I feel the same way Viking! Can someone come and prise the cookie dough ice-cream out of my hand and force my lardy arse into the gym please?!

[Viking]

Great post Sahil, thanks!

How long do you dedicate to weight training per session, how many reps/sets etc... or do you just keep going till you feel you've had a good work out?? I realise people in different physical states will be able to complete different amounts but I'm struggling to find out what I should be doing.

I'm working on my diet and cardio also, the weights are another part to a healthier future for myself.

[sahil15]

Hey Viking,

Glad you are trying to keep yourself fit

Well if you are a beginner with weight training then keep your session up to 45 min..

I personally train for 1 and a half hours and thats not including cardio.

I suggest for the first three months you strictly keep your session for 45min... 1hr max...

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/fawnia1.htm
Check the above link to see which muscle groups go well together... its a pretty decent article.

Regarding sets and reps....

For you first month I would say do a total of 5 exercises per session... so if you are doing chest and triceps on day 1 then do 3 chest exercises and do 2 triceps exercises. Always exercise the bigger muscle first.

Do a total of 3 sets and 15 reps per exercise and take only 30 second rest between each set. Stick to the lighter weights at this stage. The objective right now is to get the movement right. Theres no point doing heavy weights if you are not doing the exercise correctly. There are loads of vids on you tube which show how to do weight training properly. I suggest you check them out.

The reason for the high number of reps and short rest period is to build up your endurance and stamina.... Its gona be tough and your muscles will sore big time the next day.... but man is it worth it....

Once you are more experienced you can move on to heavier weights and do lesser reps... but for now I strongly advice you to do at least 15 reps per set.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask me any other questions you might have.

Best regards,
Sahil

P.S. Aim for 20 min cardio.... personally I think treadmill/jogging  is the best way to shed pounds. Cyclings good too.





 

[Viking]

Thanks again Sahil, you've been a great help!!

I've been doing 15 mins on my exercise bike prior to weights just to get the heart going.

Thanks again!!

[sahil15]

Yea thats a good way to warm up... keep the good work up.

[greenie14]

I'm just starting to get back to the gym so this was all very useful info!!! thanks for the post