my goal is at least 4 days a week, and about half an hour a day for each section mabe, i've already added some of the push up exercises you told me about, so so ill probably do those until i cant do anymore and then mabe put a number on them and try and beat that number or something mabe, i've mainly been werking on my stomach more than anything for the past year, but i wonna even things about abit, youve alrwady helped me alot on werking on my chest and arms, but i dont have much for legs, i just do 45 squats and 45 lunges
For a 4 day per week split, I'd suggest a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday breakdown or better yet Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. Either one will work fine for you and it will depend on your own schedule and preference.
For muscle groupings, start with something like this:
1. Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
2. Quads/Hams/Calves/Abs
3. Rest
4. Lats/Biceps/Forearms
5. Rest
6. Core (abs) training only
7. Rest
Repeat
I like to keep chest and shoulders together becuase anytime you are doing a pressing movement with your chest, you will be working your shoulders anyway. By the time you finish your chest, your shoulders will be mostly finished so you only need a couple of shoulder specific work sets and you are finished. The same rule applies to the triceps. Keep in mind, after working chest and shoulders to failure, your triceps are probably beyond failure so you might alternate 1 week skipping shoulder-specific work and the next week skip triceps-specific work.
I like to keep the entire lower body grouped together becuase of balance of muscle groups. Lunges are great overall leg developing exercises and I'd continue with them. You could also get a 12" to 18" block or chair to step up and down on for 1 legged work to increase the workload if you don't have access to weights. You can also load a backpack with some books and wear while you do your squats and lunges to increase the resistance.
For your hamstrings you could add some stiff-leg deadlifts super-setted with "Frog Squats". Here's a quick overview:
1 Stiff Leg Deadlifts. Start with your heels together and toes pointing slightly outwards (whatever is comfortable for your individual stance). Keeping your knees straight, bend forward at the waist and try to reach your hands as far down towards your feet as possible. You should feel a tremendous strech in your hamstrings and try to keep your hands as close as possible to your legs to keep your back from doing too much of the work. Don't bounce with the movement, strech your hamstrings as your lower your body. When you reach the bottom of the strech, try to tighten your hamstrings and use them to pull your body back up. If you tighten your glutes as you do this it might make it easier to plug in your mind-to-muscle connection. Keep the rep range higher (15-25) and use a slow tempo. As soon as you finish this movement go straight to "Frog Squats".
2 Frog Squats. Starting from a squat position where your feet would be about shoulder width apart, step both feet outwards so that they are pretty wide. Squat down keeping your knees in line with your feet and try to get your thighs parallel to the ground. When you start to move upwards, squeeze your glutes as hard as you can and try to stand up from the back of your legs instead of using your quads. This is another learned movement but once it clicks in your mind, you'll able to make your hams extremely sore.
For your calves just do any sort of seated and standing calf raises you can. Use a scrap peice of wood or some stairs to get a deeper stretch at the bottom of the movement.
For lats, bis and forearms, I suggest "Total Rep Sets" with pull ups. Basically do as many reps as you can at each set until you can't complete 1 rep. Rest no more than 1 minute between sets. When you are finished, add up the total number of reps you did and that's your "Total Rep Set". Try to use that as your goal for the next workout and see if you can improve on that number. This movement will greatly tax your biceps and fatigue them so after you finish your lats, you only need a set or two for biceps. A good way to train the forearms, biceps, and brachii muscle groups is to go a set of close grip pull ups. Grab the bar with your palms facing you and keep your pinkie fingers within 6 inches of each other. Pull yourself up focusing on your biceps and squeeze them for 1 second at the top of each rep. Lower yourself under control and repeat. Take this set to failure. To finish the arms, complete a set of alternate biceps curls using anything you have handy for resistance. A set of dumbbells is perfect but you could also use a milk jug, backpack full of books, bucket with handle full of water, etc... Just find something to give you resistance. Start with just 1 set of around 15-20 reps with light weight and adjust as necessary.
For your core training, it's basically doing abs but trying to do them as an entire muscle group instead of isolating ab groups. I also include lower back in my core training as they all seem to work together. As an option, you could also train calves again on this day since those muscle fibers are accustomed to higher volume and frequency of training.
OK, my fingers are tired so I'll stop for now. Let me know what to clear up if I got too confusing.
For muscle groupings, start with something like this:
1. Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
2. Quads/Hams/Calves/Abs
3. Rest
4. Lats/Biceps/Forearms
5. Rest
6. Core (abs) training only
7. Rest
Repeat
I like to keep chest and shoulders together becuase anytime you are doing a pressing movement with your chest, you will be working your shoulders anyway. By the time you finish your chest, your shoulders will be mostly finished so you only need a couple of shoulder specific work sets and you are finished. The same rule applies to the triceps. Keep in mind, after working chest and shoulders to failure, your triceps are probably beyond failure so you might alternate 1 week skipping shoulder-specific work and the next week skip triceps-specific work.
I like to keep the entire lower body grouped together becuase of balance of muscle groups. Lunges are great overall leg developing exercises and I'd continue with them. You could also get a 12" to 18" block or chair to step up and down on for 1 legged work to increase the workload if you don't have access to weights. You can also load a backpack with some books and wear while you do your squats and lunges to increase the resistance.
For your hamstrings you could add some stiff-leg deadlifts super-setted with "Frog Squats". Here's a quick overview:
1 Stiff Leg Deadlifts. Start with your heels together and toes pointing slightly outwards (whatever is comfortable for your individual stance). Keeping your knees straight, bend forward at the waist and try to reach your hands as far down towards your feet as possible. You should feel a tremendous strech in your hamstrings and try to keep your hands as close as possible to your legs to keep your back from doing too much of the work. Don't bounce with the movement, strech your hamstrings as your lower your body. When you reach the bottom of the strech, try to tighten your hamstrings and use them to pull your body back up. If you tighten your glutes as you do this it might make it easier to plug in your mind-to-muscle connection. Keep the rep range higher (15-25) and use a slow tempo. As soon as you finish this movement go straight to "Frog Squats".
2 Frog Squats. Starting from a squat position where your feet would be about shoulder width apart, step both feet outwards so that they are pretty wide. Squat down keeping your knees in line with your feet and try to get your thighs parallel to the ground. When you start to move upwards, squeeze your glutes as hard as you can and try to stand up from the back of your legs instead of using your quads. This is another learned movement but once it clicks in your mind, you'll able to make your hams extremely sore.
For your calves just do any sort of seated and standing calf raises you can. Use a scrap peice of wood or some stairs to get a deeper stretch at the bottom of the movement.
For lats, bis and forearms, I suggest "Total Rep Sets" with pull ups. Basically do as many reps as you can at each set until you can't complete 1 rep. Rest no more than 1 minute between sets. When you are finished, add up the total number of reps you did and that's your "Total Rep Set". Try to use that as your goal for the next workout and see if you can improve on that number. This movement will greatly tax your biceps and fatigue them so after you finish your lats, you only need a set or two for biceps. A good way to train the forearms, biceps, and brachii muscle groups is to go a set of close grip pull ups. Grab the bar with your palms facing you and keep your pinkie fingers within 6 inches of each other. Pull yourself up focusing on your biceps and squeeze them for 1 second at the top of each rep. Lower yourself under control and repeat. Take this set to failure. To finish the arms, complete a set of alternate biceps curls using anything you have handy for resistance. A set of dumbbells is perfect but you could also use a milk jug, backpack full of books, bucket with handle full of water, etc... Just find something to give you resistance. Start with just 1 set of around 15-20 reps with light weight and adjust as necessary.
For your core training, it's basically doing abs but trying to do them as an entire muscle group instead of isolating ab groups. I also include lower back in my core training as they all seem to work together. As an option, you could also train calves again on this day since those muscle fibers are accustomed to higher volume and frequency of training.
OK, my fingers are tired so I'll stop for now. Let me know what to clear up if I got too confusing.
theres a few things i'm not sure about, i dont know what lats are or quads. What could i do to seperait my chest and shoulders routine and triceps, when werking on my arms and chest, mainly what i have is differant variations of push ups, should i seperait which ones werk on the triceps and which ones work the biceps more and do them on a differant day like you posted? i'm just not 100% sure one which ones werk the tri and biceps
i'm wanting to get some dumbells, i might order some off the net, is there anything you'd recomend?
thx for all your help btw, i really apprisiate it
i'm wanting to get some dumbells, i might order some off the net, is there anything you'd recomend?
thx for all your help btw, i really apprisiate it
also does it not really matter how long you work out in one day, since i used todo everything in one, it lasted 45 minutes, but since i'm seperaiting them out now, it'll probably only be about 15 minutes, as long as i exercises till i cant do anyore it should still be effective right?
The lats are your back muscles, see here:
bartleby.com/107/121.html
Quads or quadriceps, your thigh muscles.
It is good to work your chest, shoulders and triceps becuase they all work together in the same motion. The same applies with your back and biceps muscles, they work together. You could also work only your biceps and triceps in the same workout for a change of pace.
As far as dumbbell selection, just see what you can afford. I've used all sorts and as long as you don't drop them they should all work fine and last a lifetime.
Exactly! You can't equate intensity with duration. They seem to be mutually exclusive. Give it your all and ignore the clock. If you are done in 15 minutes, enjoy the rest of your day!
bartleby.com/107/121.html
Quads or quadriceps, your thigh muscles.
It is good to work your chest, shoulders and triceps becuase they all work together in the same motion. The same applies with your back and biceps muscles, they work together. You could also work only your biceps and triceps in the same workout for a change of pace.
As far as dumbbell selection, just see what you can afford. I've used all sorts and as long as you don't drop them they should all work fine and last a lifetime.
Exactly! You can't equate intensity with duration. They seem to be mutually exclusive. Give it your all and ignore the clock. If you are done in 15 minutes, enjoy the rest of your day!
so when werking your chest shoulders and biceps, i'm doing all those push up variatiosn you told me about, i did those yesterday and my whole upper body is saw, next time i work on my arms ill do more tricep specific werk, so should i take do something like, take away the high push ups and wide ones, and add two that work more on the tricep, then the next week go back to the other 2 etc.
i think thats pretty much everythinng for now, thx again for all your help
i think thats pretty much everythinng for now, thx again for all your help
When working your chest and shoulders, you should finish off with your TRICEPS as they are the pushing muscles in your arm. Save your biceps to work with your back muscles as they are the pulling muscles.
You said your whole upper body is sore, that's a great sign you did things right. This is also the reason your next workout should focus on your lower body so your upper body will have a chance to recover.
You said your whole upper body is sore, that's a great sign you did things right. This is also the reason your next workout should focus on your lower body so your upper body will have a chance to recover.
so should i some tricep exercises the same time i work my chest and shoulders not on a diferant day.
Yes, I like to finish with close hand position or "Diamond" push-ups to really finish off the chest and shoulders and absolutely fry your triceps.
ok thx :-), i'll have to leave the bicep specific work until i get some dumbels i think, i've tryed doing the pull ups on the door frame, but its too much strain on the fingers becouse theres no room i have to pull with practicly with my finger tips lol.
i'm currently now doing all of the push up variations you told me about and a few other ones, they should also work the biceps aswell as the trices, chest and should right?
ok i promise thats all the questions i have for now lol, thank you for your patience, youve really helped me alot
i'm currently now doing all of the push up variations you told me about and a few other ones, they should also work the biceps aswell as the trices, chest and should right?
ok i promise thats all the questions i have for now lol, thank you for your patience, youve really helped me alot
For your pull ups, do you have any trees nearby? ;-)
The push ups will strech your biceps and work them a little but nothing like direct work with a curling movement. The next time you have an empty milk jug, save it and fill it with water. It's got a handle built in and will give you something to use in place of a dumbbell until you get some. If you have 1 milk jugs you can curl both arms at a time.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
The push ups will strech your biceps and work them a little but nothing like direct work with a curling movement. The next time you have an empty milk jug, save it and fill it with water. It's got a handle built in and will give you something to use in place of a dumbbell until you get some. If you have 1 milk jugs you can curl both arms at a time.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
ok ill try doing that, when using dumbels, is it better to do one arm at a time, or both arms at the same time using two dumbels, also, is it better to lift one arm as the other arm is going down or both lifting at the same time?
what do your normal everyday push up work the most? your triceps?
what do your normal everyday push up work the most? your triceps?
There's no real advantage to either, it depends more on your own ability to control the weights and avoid bouncing or swinging the weights. Typically I advise my new trainees at the gym to do one arm at a time and complete one full range of motion before moving the next arm. For example. starting with your weaker arm curl the weight up and then lower it under control. Once it comes to rest by your side, move your attention to your strong arm and repeat the process.
The advantage to beginning the movement BEFORE the other arm has returned is you'll place the biceps under more constant tension and I'll typically use this cadence for "Hammer Curls" when I'm towards the end of a workout and using less weight.
Curling both arms at the same time is a good variation to throw in now and then but can place some strain on your lower back holding yourself in position. I'd advise leaning backwards against a pole or wall with your upper back to keep the strain off your lower back and help keep your form extra strict. This takes the momentum and swinging out of the movement and ensures your biceps will be doing all the work.
I would estimate it typically works about 40% chest, 30% front deltoids (Shoulders), and 30% triceps but there are a lot of variables that will change the primary focus. Hand position, depth of the rep, tempo of the rep, and individual physiology. In the most basic terms, the closer together you position your hands, the more emphasis on your triceps. The wider you place your hands the more emphasis on your chest.
The complication arises in that your triceps are smaller muscles than your chest so they will typically hit failure BEFORE your chest muscles so a workout of push-ups alone could build more triceps muscle mass than chest (at least in the beginning). You could incorporate a dumbbell flye into your chest program to pre-exhaust your chest BEFORE you start your push-up portion for more chest muscle recruitment if this is a concern.
The advantage to beginning the movement BEFORE the other arm has returned is you'll place the biceps under more constant tension and I'll typically use this cadence for "Hammer Curls" when I'm towards the end of a workout and using less weight.
Curling both arms at the same time is a good variation to throw in now and then but can place some strain on your lower back holding yourself in position. I'd advise leaning backwards against a pole or wall with your upper back to keep the strain off your lower back and help keep your form extra strict. This takes the momentum and swinging out of the movement and ensures your biceps will be doing all the work.
I would estimate it typically works about 40% chest, 30% front deltoids (Shoulders), and 30% triceps but there are a lot of variables that will change the primary focus. Hand position, depth of the rep, tempo of the rep, and individual physiology. In the most basic terms, the closer together you position your hands, the more emphasis on your triceps. The wider you place your hands the more emphasis on your chest.
The complication arises in that your triceps are smaller muscles than your chest so they will typically hit failure BEFORE your chest muscles so a workout of push-ups alone could build more triceps muscle mass than chest (at least in the beginning). You could incorporate a dumbbell flye into your chest program to pre-exhaust your chest BEFORE you start your push-up portion for more chest muscle recruitment if this is a concern.
when exercising, doing push ups, or sit ups etc, after every set, should i have less than a minute rest, then do the next set, then another rest, should i do it like that with everything, like when werking arms or abs etc, have brakes between each set, or should i try and do a set, then go straight to the next set without a brake if i can?
There are a lot of variables to consider, but a basic rule of thumb is to keep your rest intervals down to no longer than 90 seconds. If you are really trying to push your cardio-vascular fitness and cut away fat, take about 30 seconds between sets. If you are trying to put on as much strength and size as possible, take 2 or 3 minutes between sets.