How long to spend at gym?

[BlancoNino]

I've been going to the gym for a few weeks now with a workout plan to build muscle. I have my own set plan that involves lifting heavy (usually 3 sets of 5-8 for each workout). I'm usually done for the day working out after 20-30 minutes. Is this right? I see some guys in there for like an hour lifting weights.

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[KoolDrew]

What does your routine look like? As long as you're making progress it doesn't really matter how much time you spend in the gym. I'm usually done within 45 minutes.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
What does your routine look like? As long as you're making progress it doesn't really matter how much time you spend in the gym. I'm usually done within 45 minutes.

Well since i just started its tough to tell. I need to edit my post though as I actually do 5-8 reps per set (not 3-5, not sure what I was thinking).

 

[paulxcook]

Please post your routine. If you can somehow make progress in your lifts while spending 5 minutes in the gym, you should do it. That's hyperbole, but the point is that you should measure effectiveness in your strength and size increases, not in the number of minutes you spend in the gym. As a beginner, you won't know yet if you're not spending enough time, or if what you're doing is effective. That's why we need to see your routine.

 

[BlancoNino]

Originally posted by: paulxcook
Please post your routine. If you can somehow make progress in your lifts while spending 5 minutes in the gym, you should do it. That's hyperbole, but the point is that you should measure effectiveness in your strength and size increases, not in the number of minutes you spend in the gym. As a beginner, you won't know yet if you're not spending enough time, or if what you're doing is effective. That's why we need to see your routine.

Monday: 3 sets of 8 Flat bench, incline bench, flat flyes, incline flyes, decline flyes.

Tue : 3 sets of 8 Squats, Lunges, Deadlifts, and calf raises

Wed : Rest

Thur : 3 sets of 8 Military Press, Pull downs, Rows

Fri : Tricep and Bicep workouts.

Also, I add increase weight each set by 5-10 pounds. Is that the best way for building muscle? I'm mainly going to the gym to gain muscle mass not necessarily for maximum strength gains.

 

[HN]

i'm there from about 40 minutes to an hour. this time includes warming up, stretching out, light bodyweight movements to get started.

 

[KoolDrew]

First off, you have 1 lower body day and 3 upper body days. If you plan on going four days a week, do an upper/lower split. Also, lose the flyes. You're wasting your time doing flat, incline, and decline. I'd probably try doing one upper body day with concentration on horizontal push/pull and then the next with concentration on vertical push/pull. As for lower body days, you could do emphasis on quads one day and hamstrings the other. A simple way to do it is to just have one upper body day be flat bench, rows, incline or military press, pulldown/chin, biceps and triceps. Do lower reps on the ones you are placing emphasis on that day and higher on the others. So you might do 6-8 for bench and rows, but do 10-12 for military press and pulldowns. Next upper body day you could do 6-8 for military and pulldowns, but do 10-12 for bench and rows. Bicep and tricep work can be higher since they'll be pretty dead from so much pushing and pulling anyway. Even 1-2x12-15 would be good enough.

For lower body it's the same idea. Squat on one day as your main quad movement, and deadlift on another as your main hamstring movement. Add in leg presses, lunges, split squats, leg curls, calves, abs, or w/e.

EDIT - Also, like HN said, take some time to warmup properly.

 

[BlancoNino]

So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

 

[BlancoNino]

So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

 

[TallBill]

Usually around 45-75 minutes.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

Learn to bench properly (most people don't properly activate their pecs) and as long as your progressing on the bench press and eating, your chest will grow.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...enching-with-the-pecs/

 

[spamsk8r]

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

If you don't already have quite a lot of mass on your chest then flys and other isolation exercises aren't going to do much in general.

 

[brikis98]

i typically spend 60-90 minutes, including a 15 minute warm up on ellipticals or a treadmill.

your workout sounds like the typical beginner workout - thrown together somewhat randomly, with little reasoning behind what exercises you do, for how many sets and how many reps. for example, why no ab work? why do you devote more time to your biceps and triceps (relatively small muscles) than to your legs (the biggest muscles in your body)? why do you do 15 sets of chest exercises but less than half of that for any other muscle group?

the good news is that if you're a beginner, you'll still see great results. as long as you have an ok diet and get some sleep, you almost can't help but get big strength gains when you first start out. the bad news is that this workout routine is likely to become less and less effective with time. you're missing lots of critical areas and will likely stall in many of our lifts after a year or so.

i would strongly suggest doing a workout program developed by *professionals* rather than something you scraped together yourself. the Rippetoe Starting Strength program is one of the most popular and effective programs out there. there are several variations on it, but they all focus around the same concepts: a handful of very effective compound lifts (with barbells) that you do on non-consecutive days with HEAVY weight and (relatively) low reps. Take some time and read the link above - it includes detailed descriptions of the program and the exercises, including videos. if you follow it as written - and seriously, don't tweak it, as you're likely to make a dumb change - you are virtually guaranteed to see huge gains in strength and size and it will set you up for future gains as well.



EDIT ---> by the way, i don't mean to sound pompous or to insult you in anyway. I did a program similar to yours for ~1.5 years before i got (slightly) smarter and I'm just trying to help you avoid the mistakes i made. the difference between a proper program (like rippetoe) and one you or i come up with on our own is like night and day.

 

[purbeast0]

usually like 50-75 mins, depends what i'm doing.

my back/bicep day is typically shortest and my chest/tricep day is typically the longest. it also depends how crowded it is too.

 

[paulxcook]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

Learn to bench properly (most people don't properly activate their pecs) and as long as your progressing on the bench press and eating, your chest will grow.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...enching-with-the-pecs/

Thanks for posting that. This is a problem I have, definitely.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: paulxcook

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

Learn to bench properly (most people don't properly activate their pecs) and as long as your progressing on the bench press and eating, your chest will grow.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...enching-with-the-pecs/

Thanks for posting that. This is a problem I have, definitely.

It's a problem a lot of people have, including myself. I have large shoulders/triceps from benching, but my chest is way behind.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Your time at gym should be for however long you need. If you can get everything you intend to do finished in 20-30 minutes huzahhh.

As for me I'm usually there no longer then an hour depnding what I'm doing, how much rest I take and whatnot.

Also don't listen to others that "mock" your routine. You aren't them, and thus your routine works for you and you are happy with it. Granted no one's routine is perfect and could use a tweak here and there, but that is for you to decide.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

Learn to bench properly (most people don't properly activate their pecs) and as long as your progressing on the bench press and eating, your chest will grow.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...enching-with-the-pecs/

i have no clue wtf that article is even talking about.

 

[BarneyFife]

I spend about 45 mins

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: purbeast0

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

Learn to bench properly (most people don't properly activate their pecs) and as long as your progressing on the bench press and eating, your chest will grow.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...enching-with-the-pecs/

i have no clue wtf that article is even talking about.

Most peoples shoulders take over when they bench press. The article I linked to discusses this problem and how to fix it by learning to bench with your pecs.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

No more than an hour 1.5 hours if I do cardio as well.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

Learn to bench properly (most people don't properly activate their pecs) and as long as your progressing on the bench press and eating, your chest will grow.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...enching-with-the-pecs/

i really don't see a way to not "activate" the pec while performing a bench press.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo

Originally posted by: KoolDrew

Originally posted by: BlancoNino
So all the stuff I've read about flyes being a good chest defining workout is overhyped? Wrong? From what I've read it seems to be the best at isolating the chest (I have naturally muscular arms and shoulders, but a very very weak and tiny chest, so it's sort of my main focus).

Learn to bench properly (most people don't properly activate their pecs) and as long as your progressing on the bench press and eating, your chest will grow.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...enching-with-the-pecs/

i really don't see a way to not "activate" the pec while performing a bench press.

Read the article.

 

[crt1530]

Benching with your arms perpendicular to your torso is an excellent way to fvck up your shoulders.

 

[KoolDrew]

Originally posted by: crt1530
Benching with your arms perpendicular to your torso is an excellent way to fvck up your shoulders.

Lyle never recommended to bench like that in the article. He even specifically says "This type of bench is often used by bodybuilders to ?isolate? the pecs. It?s also a great way to ruin your shoulders forever." in a followup blog entry.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.c...ore-on-bench-pressing/

Re-read the article rather than just looking at the pictures and you'll see why he has the person doing what they're doing. It's just to get the person used to feeling their chest firing and teaching them what the pecs are responsible for. Then it should become habitual in your normal benching, rather than just pushing the weight up like most people do, working on front delts and triceps and not so much pecs. It's a problem a lot of people have with benching.