For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

[nkhera1]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Anyone have a great core strenghtning routine?

[Double Eights]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

So I'm guessing my mom's 5lb dumbbells won't help me look like Brian Urlacher? Maybe I'll step it up a notch to 10lbs.

[Money99]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Ive also read that with creatine you should br drinking a lot of water. How much water should you drink with a certain amount of creatine?

Ive been searching but there is no standard answer.

Go to www.abcbodybuilding.com. They have an amazing section there specifically on creatine.
And you should be drinking at least 3 litres of water each day even if you weren't taking creatine. But especially if you are.

I think you're supposed to take 5 grams of creatine a day, preferrably right before a workout. And if you can take it without disolving it in water first, it's supposed to give you better results. So basically, take the 5gms, drop it in your mouth and then swig a small amount of water to wash it down.

Some people will tell you that you need to overload the first 2 weeks (take twice as much, 10 grams, per day) but I've read that it isn't necessary.

[Money99]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Anyone have a great core strenghtning routine?

Man, I wish I could remember the Muscle and Fitness magazine I saw this in, but one issue had some NFLers workouts and they had some excellent core strengthening workouts.
Actually, quite a few NFLers do Joga in the offseason. All of them swear by it and say nothing strengthens your core better.

[Money99]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

I was wondering if anyone had a good routine for working out arms. I do too many curls and am not getting results. I was wondering if anyone could throw out a routine for me to try with different exercises? Thanks for any results!

You want big arms? Work out your tri's more than your bi's. They make up 67% of your arms.

My routine is this:
Bi's
3 sets - incline dumbell curls (8-10 reps) - do dropset on the last set to failure.
3 sets - 21's (cable or barbell)
3 sets - preacher curl (8-10 reps)

Tris
3 sets - Incline skull crushers using EZ Curl bar (8-10 reps)
3 sets - decline, close grib bench press (8-12 reps)
3 sets - Cable pushdowns (10-12 reps). The last set I like to do dropsets to failure. Really squeeze/pinch at the bottom of each rep and I never let the bar/my forearms go past 90 degrees when coming back up.
3 sets - seated cable presses. (8-10 reps) This really feels good because on the way down, I let the cable really stetch my tri's out. A good stretch is very important in mass building.
3 sets - seated dips.

* The one thing I try to do, especially for bi's, is practice fascia stretching after each set. For bi's, grab a secure bar with both hands behind your back and then pull forward to stretch out your arms. It works best if you keep your hands about shoulder width apart. Hold that stretch for 15-30 seconds after each set. I guarentee you will feel a pump you've never felt before.

** I also like to change things up every 6-8 weeks. I'll rotate a few bi and tri excersices in and out to shock the muscles.

*** I rest 1 minute between sets.

[Spear]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Well here is the work out that I'm doing that was put together by my trainer to work on my speed and bulk up a little (for football). I was more strict with this program in the summer and saw great results. I'm using heavy weights with low reps in most of these.

Day 1

A1 - Squats 4-6 reps.
A2 - Box Jumps w/ dumbbells.
A3 - Stability Ball crunches 15 times.

Then get one minute rest, and repeat 2 more times.

B1 - Dumbbell Front Lunge - 4-6 each leg
B2 - Split Jump Squats 10 times
B3 - Bench Press

Again, one minute rest, and then repeat 2 more times.

C1 - Dumbbell Deadlifts - 4-6 times.
C2 - Stability Ball Hip Bridge
C3 - Hanging Leg Raises - 10 times.

Rest for a minute, and repeat 2 more times.

D1 - Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raises - 3 sets 20 times.

Day 2

A1 - Bench Press - 4-6 reps
A2 - Explosive Pushups - 10 times
A3 - Russian Twist - 10 each side

Rest for a minute, then repeat 2 more times.

B1 - Dumbbell Incline bench - 4-6 times
B2 - Medicine Ball pushups w/ transfer - 10 times
B3 - Plank - hold for 50 seconds.

Rest for a minute, then repeat 2 more times.

C1 - Dips - 8-10 times
C2 - Step ups on stairs
C3 - Back Extensions - 15-20 reps.

Rest for a min, and repeat 2 more times.

Day 3

A1 - Lat Pulldowns - 4-6 reps.
A2 - Medicine Ball Slam - 10 times (throwing Medicine Balls as hard as I can)
A3 - Anterior Reach w/ cones - 15 times each leg

Rest for a min, repeat two more times.

B1 - Bentover Rows - 4-6 times.
B2 - Stability Ball crunches - 15 reps.
B3 - Vertical Jumps - 20 times

Rest for a min, repeat two more times.

C1 - Dumbbell upright row - 4-6 times.
C2 - Barbell reverse curl - 10 times.
C3 - Extension and flexion work out.

Rest for a min and repeat two more times.


We will swap in some cleans and some other excercises with things in there so we don't get bored with it. All in all it's good, my trainer played at Purdue and played football professionally here in Canada, so I trusted him when putting together this program for me.

[MachoMyers]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

I felt I had been plateauing for a few weeks so I went low reps with high sets to shock my system. 6 sets of 3 reps for back squats, front squats, dead lifts bench, and incline bench throughout the week with my usual routine after those exercises. Of course I got the flu right after doing this so I don't know how effective it was. I guess we'll see when I get back.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

I'm interested in losing some of the flab from when I was fat (was 202lb when I was 13, lost about 50lb in a year). Mainly around the chest and arms. I used to have bigger tits than some of the chicks in my grade, it was horrible. Unfortunately, some of that fat still remains on my chest and arms, even though I'm now 6'0 and about 175.

I can't afford a gym membership right now, and quite honestly, in Los Angeles it's absolutely impossible to drive two miles to a gym every day.

So, are there any "home" remedies for my problem?

Any suggestions on what size (and where I can find the cheapest set) of weights I should get to work on my issue? You guys said do dips and pushups. I don't have any place I can do the dips, so I'm thinking it'll do good if I just get weights and start at my waist arms down, and bring them to 90 degrees outwards, then bring them back down again.

[sbmnky]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

I felt I had been plateauing for a few weeks so I went low reps with high sets to shock my system. 6 sets of 3 reps for back squats, front squats, dead lifts bench, and incline bench throughout the week with my usual routine after those exercises. Of course I got the flu right after doing this so I don't know how effective it was. I guess we'll see when I get back.

Try to do different reps in your sets. For example: one week do 15-12-10-8-6 and the next try the exact opposite 6-8-10-12-15. This will shock your system. Also, look for different exersises to do. Whenever I plateau or it feels like I am, I immediately switch my routines. Hopefully that will help.

[ehh]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Anyone have a great core strenghtning routine?

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=workout.plans&conitem=6436714fa4d21110VgnVCM10000013281eac____&cm_mmc=FitnessNL-_-2007_03_20-_-Editors_Column-_-Stronger_Where_It_Matters_Most

[TheMatrix31]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

So I got two 15lb (weak, I know) dumbbells just so I can get some of this chest tit-age off, but I'm not sure what exercises/routines to do....

[DirrtySouth78]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Just incase anyone has the same problem as I do with putting on weight I finally found something to help me out....got that MASS XXX stuff from GNC and I finally found a weight gainer that has helped.....Have tried alot of them but haven't been able to put weight on in my 28 years on this planet...can eat & eat & eat but not alot...started taking a shake when I wake up and when I go to bed....started actually putting some on...just realized it today when I looked inot the mirror & realized I was putting on weight...FINALLY

[Spear]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

I was thinking of bumping this thread for a question I had. It has to do with upper body mass, so similar to Matrix's.


I can bench a decent amount already, but I'm wanting to know how I can increase overall strength in my upper body - mainly my pecs. I'm wondering what type of routines I can do w/o benching, since I hate it, and it's hard to get a spotter at my gym. Also, I'm a pretty easy gainer and often see big gains when I work out, but for some reason my pecs never get bigger. I'll have big arms and big shoulders, but it looks funny without pecs that match. I started to think that maybe it was because I'm still growing and maybe my shoulders are still getting broader, thus flattening out my chest?

Hopefully somebody can help, thanks guys.

[FlyingFinn]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

I was thinking of bumping this thread for a question I had. It has to do with upper body mass, so similar to Matrix's.


I can bench a decent amount already, but I'm wanting to know how I can increase overall strength in my upper body - mainly my pecs. I'm wondering what type of routines I can do w/o benching, since I hate it, and it's hard to get a spotter at my gym. Also, I'm a pretty easy gainer and often see big gains when I work out, but for some reason my pecs never get bigger. I'll have big arms and big shoulders, but it looks funny without pecs that match. I started to think that maybe it was because I'm still growing and maybe my shoulders are still getting broader, thus flattening out my chest?

Hopefully somebody can help, thanks guys.

Heavy incline dumbell presses. Without a big upper chest, you will never achieve the barrel chest look. Do inclines as the first exercise on chest day as well so you will be the strongest. Also, beware of over training. I used to spends hours in the gym a day but never saw any results. For me less is more. I never train for more then 20-30 minutes with weights on any given day. I follow a 2 on 1 off 2 on 2 off split, so I only work each bodypart once a week. Except legs, I do those twice a week.

[Spear]

Re: For all you guys wanting to gain muscle, size, etc.

Thanks for the advice Finn. So what you are saying is because of my body type its hard to achieve the barrel chest look? Or do I have to build up my upper chest more? That was the only part I misunderstood.

I have been doing a dumbbell bench press on my chest days, but wasn't seeing the best results (probably due to not using heavy weights). But I will try with what you said about the incline.