few questions.. work out everyday is ok? And benchpress reps?

[killster1]

One day i do curls squats benchpress etc and kinda run (not very fast) 10-12miles

Next day just Run 10-12 (maybe 15miles) and ab ripper / few extra situps

Then back to the bench then next day run / ab ripper again with no days of rest at all just rotating back and forth.

So is this ok? My girl says i should take a day off and not exercise at all but that doesn't sound like a good idea for a lazy person like my self.


another Q is how much bench press reps should i do during the day.. i usually hit it like 6 sets 3 times a day.. is that ok? more weight less reps or less weight more reps.. (usually do 25 then 20 then 15-20 etc etc) ((usually only my back is tired next day not arms haha))

any other tips / advice is good.. usually for breakfast shredded wheat then tuna fish sandwich or crab sandwich for lunch then light dinner with carrots and apples snack.

 

[Alone]

Check out Starting Strength or Stronglifts. Both have a good program if you want to get bigger. Off days are recommended, but doing cardio during those days is sometimes recommended and I don't see a problem with your schedule. I'd drop the curls and substitute with deadlifts personally but I suppose it comes down to personal preference at some point.

 

[wheresmybacon]

So you're running 80+ miles per week and weight training the same muscle groups every other day?

 

[killster1]

umm ya.. i do squats every day i lift weights (every other day) and run (NOT VERY FAST) everyday.. that's why i am asking.. i don't know what im doing and figured id ask.. i guess you are not going to suggest anything better and just post giant pictures. (funny stuff)

The jog/running doesn't make me sore at all so doesn't seem like a big deal.. other guy seemed to not think it was to terrible of a routine.

 

[DeckardBlade]

Probably more appropriate to figure out your goals so some one can better answer your questions. Why are you running? Why are you lifting? Appearance, performance, weight loss, muscle gain? What's more important?

I personally dislike running. If I were to pretend I was a person that liked it enough to run 80 something miles a week I don't think I could dedicate all that much time to weight training while doing that as well.

 

[killster1]

ahh i guess in this order muscle gain / appearance / performance and weight loss.. since weight loss (since lots exercise is workign big for weight lose plus dont eat junk food after you run 10 miles) (but seriously im not running fast.. and do it in front the big screen watching downloaded tv episodes like ncia lA and The mentalist.. makes running go by fast..

 

[the DRIZZLE]

That is a pretty terrible program. At an absolute minimum you should be taking one day off per week from running. You need to figure out your goals. Its always good to balance cardio and strength training but you are doing more miles per week than most dedicated runners. If you want to be a runner thats fine, but if you want to put on muscle its way too much cardio. Your lifting program is not balanced and you are doing way too many reps. As Alone said check out starting strength.

 

[douglasb]

You are going to end up getting some muscle imbalances and injuring yourself with that routine. As others have stated, check out Starting Strength or Strong Lifts.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You are going to end up getting some muscle imbalances and injuring yourself with that routine. As others have stated, check out Starting Strength or Strong Lifts.

Eh, this depends on if he wants to run or if he wants to get big. If he likes running and would like to do that more than anything, then Starting Strength or StrongLifts isn't gonna do anything for him, but slow him down. If he'd like to lift for aerobic stuff, either circuit work high rep lifts would be more beneficial than anything.

OP, if you want to truly gain muscle, then you're honestly gonna have to quit running so much. Aerobic exercise = catabolic, especially if you're not eating every 30-45min during the runs. That means it breaks things down rather than building them up. This keeps your muscle mass down due to genetic pathways that inhibit muscle buildup.

 

[wheresmybacon]

I wasn't trying to be a jerk, that's just an enormous amount of aerobic work and I honestly thought this was a troll thread.

I would check into Stronglifts.com or pick up a copy of Starting Strength. You can still run while beginning a strength training program, but if you aren't eating a bunch of crap and stay consistent with your workouts, your body with change in good ways without spending the better part of your day on a treadmill.

 

[Chuvalo]

umm ya.. i do squats every day i lift weights (every other day) and run (NOT VERY FAST) everyday.. that's why i am asking.. i don't know what im doing and figured id ask.. i guess you are not going to suggest anything better and just post giant pictures. (funny stuff)

The jog/running doesn't make me sore at all so doesn't seem like a big deal.. other guy seemed to not think it was to terrible of a routine.

Again, it depends on your goals I suppose.

If you're just an average gym rat who'd like put on a bit of muscle and or shed some body fat, ripping off 10 -15 miles a day running may not be the most effective and efficient way to go about it - that's overkill IMO.

Mind you, if you're a hard core runner, addicted to running and or you're running to pe-train for a race - then that's different and may more sense. In that case, you can probably run all you want. But beyond that, the amount of running you're doing seems a bit much.

Why do you run exactly - to meet which training goal, etc. ( f any ) ?

How often do you weight train a week - i.e full body, 4 day split ?

How long is each typical weight training session ?

Height ?

Weight ?

Age ?

 

[killster1]

29 208 6'3"

Im really weak imo so i dont even lift for very long each time.. just about 40mins? with breaks between each rep usually switch up the lifts during breaks like go from bench to squat to curl then back to bench etc, dont run more than 10 miles at a time (when i say run its more like a fast jog) .. i read your not suppose to do more than 10 miles at a time so i do about 8-10 at a time. Never am tired after running only after lifting. Im not very smart and got a fat stomach and skinny arms so just trying to bulk up and shed my belly. one day off a week from my running is fine i guess.. I just do lifting every other day so one week it would be 3 days next week would be 4 days i guess for the lifting. Thanks for inputs sorry if i sound like a idiot but i really dont run very fast so didnt seem like big deal and honestly have no idea what im doing. Just saw the fitness part of the forum last week haha

 

[Smoove910]

Kinda in the same boat as OP, but I'm 36 and 6'1" 220lbs. My primary goal is to be ready (cardio-wise) so when I'm doing my 10-15 mile hikes with 2000ft-4000ft of elevation gain I am not exhausted by the end. I do interval training (I guess you call it that) on the treadmill where I walk at an incline for X amount of time, then jog at 5.8-6.0mph for a few minutes to get the heartrate up, then go back to walking the incline. This continues for an hour in which I average about 3 miles total. After this I start doing some weights which I typically alternate what I'm doing.

goals =
- get into hiking shape (cardio)
- lose weight (weight = more lbs I have to carry up a mountain)
- bulk up arms/chest/back (strength)

Sounds like OP and I would be on generally the same plan...

Sorry if I derailed the thread, was not my intention.

 

[killster1]

got same goal smoove910 any post is good post even if it says nothing and has a big picture saying "are you serious" haha.. Just got done lifting.. wasnt 45mins was more like 30 mins and actually tired today usually im not to tired and only back is sore today arms actually feeling a bit tired. hopefully ill hit the weights 2 more times today since no one has said if i should do it multiple times a day or what. Prob will do some pull ups and a p90 chest / arm exercise video too later today after the 3rd time at the bench.

 

[Smoove910]

I would think you are overdoing the lifting. I was under the assumption that you do not want to overwork your muscles since they need to have a happy medium of work/rest. If you overwork, you will not build mass. 3 times a day is definitely too much. I would say every other day on the same muscle group is pushing it.

 

[killster1]

I would think you are overdoing the lifting. I was under the assumption that you do not want to overwork your muscles since they need to have a happy medium of work/rest. If you overwork, you will not build mass. 3 times a day is definitely too much. I would say every other day on the same muscle group is pushing it.

umm but is it really over working them? im not lifting much weight or reps.. im just weak. i really dont know how many times a day is good.

 

[Howard]

I think the standard recommendation works well for him here.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

29 208 6'3"

Im really weak imo so i dont even lift for very long each time.. just about 40mins? with breaks between each rep usually switch up the lifts during breaks like go from bench to squat to curl then back to bench etc, dont run more than 10 miles at a time (when i say run its more like a fast jog) .. i read your not suppose to do more than 10 miles at a time so i do about 8-10 at a time. Never am tired after running only after lifting. Im not very smart and got a fat stomach and skinny arms so just trying to bulk up and shed my belly. one day off a week from my running is fine i guess.. I just do lifting every other day so one week it would be 3 days next week would be 4 days i guess for the lifting. Thanks for inputs sorry if i sound like a idiot but i really dont run very fast so didnt seem like big deal and honestly have no idea what im doing. Just saw the fitness part of the forum last week haha

Ok you're not actually telling us your goals though. Which is more important - gaining muscle, losing weight, running? If you want to gain muscle, you're going to need to cut the running way down and get on one of the programs mentions (Starting Strength, StrongLifts). If you want to lose weight, look at the sticky thread (at the top of these forums) and read it. If you want to get better at running, you need to vary your distances a whole lot more. So what're your goals here?

 

[elitejp]

Ok im gonna try to help you out a little and first say that you will be better off losing weight before trying to gain muscle. So with that in mind I would recommend 3-4 days of running. HIIT running/cardio is considered the best style for maintaining muscle and burning fat. You can do a quick google search to get some ideas but the premise is to go as hard as you can for a very short time and then slow it down to maybe a fast walk/slow jog for a somewhat longer period of time. For example you can do the stairclimber and for a 30sec burst go as fast as you can (which means you would need to change the settings to be more difficult) after the 30 sec you change the settings too an easy level and catch your breath for 2-3minutes and then repeat, you do this for 20minutes or longer.

Now if you want to stick to your slow jogging style for 40min i see no problem with that. But I would recommend to increase the speed if the jogging is becoming a little to easy. You need to push yourself. The style of jogging your describing almost seems to me to be like what some would do just to increase their recovery time from a previous work out/exercise session. (and I like what sociallychallenged mentioned in mixing things up)

I would also continue to lift weights but just stick to one bodypart per week only one time a day.

So lets just set it up as a MWF lifting scedule
Monday is chest/shoulders/triceps
Bench press 4sets 12/10/8/6 and up the weight every time
for example set 1 135lbsx12 (rest 2min)
set 2 145x10 (rest 2min)
set 3 155x8 (rest 2min)
set 4 165x6
and then a burnout set if you want 105lbs for as many as you can do (with the burnout set you dont rest after the last haevy set...you just change the weights and begin asap)
Military Press would be the same thing. 4 sets of increasing weight and decreasing reps with a burnout set at the end
Dips...same as above. 4 sets. start out with your bodyweight and see if you can add weight. if not just stick with your body weight for all 4 sets till you can add weight.

Wed Legs
Squats (4sets with burnout)
Straight leg deadlifts or leg curls (4 sets no burnout)
Calfs (4 sets minimum, try to go heavy)

Fri back and bi's
Pull ups or lat pull down machine (4 sets)
Barbell Rows (4 sets with burnout)
Bicep curls (4 sets with burnout)
forearm curls (3-4 sets with burnout)

This is just a basic workout routine that i used to put on about 20lbs of muscle (but I wasnt doing any cardio and was eating tons of food)
You can obviously change some of the exercises if you want but I dont recommend changing them week to to week. For example i dont really care for rows when exercising my back...I much prefer Deadlifts but thats me and I know how to safely DL. So DL's are always my preferred choice.

So for you I would do this:
Mon chest
Tues Cardio (push yourself)
Wed legs
Thur rest or very light cardio
Fri Back
Sat Cardio (push yourself)
Sun rest, dont do anything

The only thing you could add would be short cardio sessions before or after your workouts for less than 20min based on how you are feeling.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Ok im gonna try to help you out a little and first say that you will be better off losing weight before trying to gain muscle. So with that in mind I would recommend 3-4 days of running. HIIT running/cardio is considered the best style for maintaining muscle and burning fat. You can do a quick google search to get some ideas but the premise is to go as hard as you can for a very short time and then slow it down to maybe a fast walk/slow jog for a somewhat longer period of time. For example you can do the stairclimber and for a 30sec burst go as fast as you can (which means you would need to change the settings to be more difficult) after the 30 sec you change the settings too an easy level and catch your breath for 2-3minutes and then repeat, you do this for 20minutes or longer.

Now if you want to stick to your slow jogging style for 40min i see no problem with that. But I would recommend to increase the speed if the jogging is becoming a little to easy. You need to push yourself. The style of jogging your describing almost seems to me to be like what some would do just to increase their recovery time from a previous work out/exercise session. (and I like what sociallychallenged mentioned in mixing things up)

I would also continue to lift weights but just stick to one bodypart per week only one time a day.

So lets just set it up as a MWF lifting scedule
Monday is chest/shoulders/triceps
Bench press 4sets 12/10/8/6 and up the weight every time
for example set 1 135lbsx12 (rest 2min)
set 2 145x10 (rest 2min)
set 3 155x8 (rest 2min)
set 4 165x6
and then a burnout set if you want 105lbs for as many as you can do (with the burnout set you dont rest after the last haevy set...you just change the weights and begin asap)
Military Press would be the same thing. 4 sets of increasing weight and decreasing reps with a burnout set at the end
Dips...same as above. 4 sets. start out with your bodyweight and see if you can add weight. if not just stick with your body weight for all 4 sets till you can add weight.

Wed Legs
Squats (4sets with burnout)
Straight leg deadlifts or leg curls (4 sets no burnout)
Calfs (4 sets minimum, try to go heavy)

Fri back and bi's
Pull ups or lat pull down machine (4 sets)
Barbell Rows (4 sets with burnout)
Bicep curls (4 sets with burnout)
forearm curls (3-4 sets with burnout)

This is just a basic workout routine that i used to put on about 20lbs of muscle (but I wasnt doing any cardio and was eating tons of food)
You can obviously change some of the exercises if you want but I dont recommend changing them week to to week. For example i dont really care for rows when exercising my back...I much prefer Deadlifts but thats me and I know how to safely DL. So DL's are always my preferred choice.

So for you I would do this:
Mon chest
Tues Cardio (push yourself)
Wed legs
Thur rest or very light cardio
Fri Back
Sat Cardio (push yourself)
Sun rest, dont do anything

The only thing you could add would be short cardio sessions before or after your workouts for less than 20min based on how you are feeling.

No. No no no. All of the advice except HIIT is crap. You think your body can't handle lifting more than once a week for each body part? How are farms run? How did Roman militaries maintain conditioning? You can train the same body part every other day, even with heavy training. Some people lift every day with great results, particularly Olympic weightlifters. The whole bodybuilder mindset has no basis in research and really limits progress. It also prevents the body from adapting to the stresses, allowing soreness to come back again and again. If you lift heavy every other day for two weeks, you'll stop getting sore.

On top of this, the advice about burning out is terrible. Burning out means you're getting at least into the glycolytic metabolic processes. This elicits increases in enzymes that actually inhibit protein synthesis and promote catabolism. Instead of maintaining muscle mass, he degrades it. Unless he's training for something, training to failure is bad for the nervous system, bad for maintaining/gaining muscle, and bad due to DOMS.

 

[killster1]

i really have no idea what most of those lifts are but i am going to google it and do them, thanks a million for the post. now i actually get a day off.. not sure how much weight i should lose before doing the muscle building routine tho.. just have fat belly (fat to me at least not really to bad but def some rolls when i sit down)

and only one time a day is interesting since i would do it like 3 benches then curls with freeweights a few more times that day hahah.. im sure dumb but at least was trying.

haha great so the advice was then counter advised. ugh i dunno what should do then...

 

[elitejp]

No. No no no. All of the advice except HIIT is crap. You think your body can't handle lifting more than once a week for each body part? How are farms run? How did Roman militaries maintain conditioning? You can train the same body part every other day, even with heavy training. Some people lift every day with great results, particularly Olympic weightlifters. The whole bodybuilder mindset has no basis in research and really limits progress. It also prevents the body from adapting to the stresses, allowing soreness to come back again and again. If you lift heavy every other day for two weeks, you'll stop getting sore.

On top of this, the advice about burning out is terrible. Burning out means you're getting at least into the glycolytic metabolic processes. This elicits increases in enzymes that actually inhibit protein synthesis and promote catabolism. Instead of maintaining muscle mass, he degrades it. Unless he's training for something, training to failure is bad for the nervous system, bad for maintaining/gaining muscle, and bad due to DOMS.

Ok i will repeat myself once to you "This is just a basic workout routine that i used to put on about 20lbs of muscle (but I wasnt doing any cardio and was eating tons of food)" So im glad that your research says that this doesnt work but while you read books i will be at the gym lifting the way my body responds. Of course your examples hold so true of comparing olympic athletes with the OP because im sure they have the same genetics, so they should have the same routine. oh just a ps...I already lifted for 5-6 years everyday with very minimal gain when I put this basic routine into practice. So i wasnt a begging lifter.

You can train the same body part every other day, even with heavy training.

Have you put this in practice for yourself? How much muscle did you gain? How much did your strength increase?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Ok i will repeat myself once to you "This is just a basic workout routine that i used to put on about 20lbs of muscle (but I wasnt doing any cardio and was eating tons of food)" So im glad that your research says that this doesnt work but while you read books i will be at the gym lifting the way my body responds. Of course your examples hold so true of comparing olympic athletes with the OP because im sure they have the same genetics, so they should have the same routine. oh just a ps...I already lifted for 5-6 years everyday with very minimal gain when I put this basic routine into practice. So i wasnt a begging lifter.

Have you put this in practice for yourself? How much muscle did you gain? How much did your strength increase?

No, I'm saying it's not an optimal program for muscle mass gains, strength gains, neuromuscular coordination, or conditioning. It's a mish-mash that honestly will lead to overtraining and likely injury way, way early than a simple 3x5 program. Olympic weightlifting is the name of the sport. Olympic weightlifters range from amateurs to professionals and a LOT of them train every single day. That's not a genetic thing. It's a neuromuscular and recovery thing. The human body can recover way, way better than anyone gives it credit. I mean, honestly, look at the guy who ran a marathon every day for a year. A little bit of weightlifting for the same muscle groups 3x a week is gonna be a-okay. Ok, if you were lifting for so long, what were you doing before? My guess is that you were doing a completely ineffective program and this one just increased the intensity and volume. Well, you can increase the intensity, reduce the volume, maintain good muscle gains, good strength gains, and not ruin your functional coordination through training to failure. I'm saying there is a better program out there.

Yes, I actually have put this into effect myself. I gained 20lbs in 10 weeks. When I stopped bulking, my deadlift continued to rise from 330 -> 400. My squat from 275 -> 335. My military press was 160lbs, 5 more than my body weight. And if this anecdote isn't enough for you, look at the serious guys who have done Starting Strength. They progress like mad on a 3x5, gaining massive strength and muscle mass. On top of that, I can send you the research showing that aerobic, oxidative movements (i.e. burnouts) inhibit muscle hypertrophy. Sure, it can still happen, but it's significantly blunted.

As a PT student, I'm moreso worried about the longevity of your program over anything. Going to failure, burning out, etc massively increases the risk for muscle strains, ligament/capsule strains, central nervous system fatigue, non-functional or sloppy neuromuscular coordination, etc. I'm sure it will work, but it will wreck the OP as his first program. He needs to start on a novice program and Starting Strength or StrongLifts is a good way to go about it.

 

[dealmaster00]

Ok im gonna try to help you out a little and first say that you will be better off losing weight before trying to gain muscle. So with that in mind I would recommend 3-4 days of running. HIIT running/cardio is considered the best style for maintaining muscle and burning fat. You can do a quick google search to get some ideas but the premise is to go as hard as you can for a very short time and then slow it down to maybe a fast walk/slow jog for a somewhat longer period of time. For example you can do the stairclimber and for a 30sec burst go as fast as you can (which means you would need to change the settings to be more difficult) after the 30 sec you change the settings too an easy level and catch your breath for 2-3minutes and then repeat, you do this for 20minutes or longer.

Now if you want to stick to your slow jogging style for 40min i see no problem with that. But I would recommend to increase the speed if the jogging is becoming a little to easy. You need to push yourself. The style of jogging your describing almost seems to me to be like what some would do just to increase their recovery time from a previous work out/exercise session. (and I like what sociallychallenged mentioned in mixing things up)

I would also continue to lift weights but just stick to one bodypart per week only one time a day.

So lets just set it up as a MWF lifting scedule
Monday is chest/shoulders/triceps
Bench press 4sets 12/10/8/6 and up the weight every time
for example set 1 135lbsx12 (rest 2min)
set 2 145x10 (rest 2min)
set 3 155x8 (rest 2min)
set 4 165x6
and then a burnout set if you want 105lbs for as many as you can do (with the burnout set you dont rest after the last haevy set...you just change the weights and begin asap)
Military Press would be the same thing. 4 sets of increasing weight and decreasing reps with a burnout set at the end
Dips...same as above. 4 sets. start out with your bodyweight and see if you can add weight. if not just stick with your body weight for all 4 sets till you can add weight.

Wed Legs
Squats (4sets with burnout)
Straight leg deadlifts or leg curls (4 sets no burnout)
Calfs (4 sets minimum, try to go heavy)

Fri back and bi's
Pull ups or lat pull down machine (4 sets)
Barbell Rows (4 sets with burnout)
Bicep curls (4 sets with burnout)
forearm curls (3-4 sets with burnout)

This is just a basic workout routine that i used to put on about 20lbs of muscle (but I wasnt doing any cardio and was eating tons of food)
You can obviously change some of the exercises if you want but I dont recommend changing them week to to week. For example i dont really care for rows when exercising my back...I much prefer Deadlifts but thats me and I know how to safely DL. So DL's are always my preferred choice.

So for you I would do this:
Mon chest
Tues Cardio (push yourself)
Wed legs
Thur rest or very light cardio
Fri Back
Sat Cardio (push yourself)
Sun rest, dont do anything

The only thing you could add would be short cardio sessions before or after your workouts for less than 20min based on how you are feeling.

terrible advice. check out starting strength/stronglifts beginner 5x5.

 

[killster1]

well i tried the Monday routine (from elite jp) and really dont feel sore at all from it.. (i been benching 3 times a day tho every other day with same weight every time istead of changing the weights up just kinda max reps then less and less each time about 6 times.. but since you guys say dont do it 3 times a day every other day i tried his way dont feel anything ;/ im looking up the starting strength/stronglifts beginner 5x5 right now ..


How much weight should i do for each one? Im pretty weak but 45 pounds starting seems low

StrongLifts 5x5 Workout A
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5

StrongLifts 5x5 Workout B
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5

I Guess ima do the running every other day and teh strong lifts the other days unless that is really stupid.. kidna got mixed answers for that.

I am only allowed to do this one time a day? i cant do any other weights or pull ups push ups during that same day?

Sorry for so many questions