Fuck me dead, you have got to be kidding.

Sorry for the absence, don't get much time to get on here usually.

Some really good replies and great food for thought, but unfortunately alot of people who read one thing and believe it as gospel. Will endevour to get on here and answer it all.

Please no more absolute fucking crap about spotters... learn to execute your exercises properly.

Executing the squat properly did not stop the other two retards from crashing into me, if I had a spotter I wouldnt have had to go through back surgery.

Please no more absolute fucking macho bullshit about no spotters... learn to put safety above a pissing contest.

so if the spotter is really only providing a mental boost and not actual help then whats the point if i all ready train intensely.

that is one aspect of a spottters role, fine you don't need the mental boost because you are mentaly able to do without, but the safety aspect still holds true

It says "gentle lift" not just moral support. Besides, that's one of many, many professional recommendations to use a spotter. If you can do nine reps of 315, but can get only 300 lbs of the 315 on the 10th rep you have someone available to help you get an extra rep. That's that little bit of work that you wouldn't have gotten without a spotter that makes a difference (or that would still be siting on your chest).

I will say that this thread did impell me to change my workout around radically. I've had time problems that keep me from spending as much time in the gym as I'd like, so I put together a two-day-a-week full-body workout (going to see about bumping it up to three) that uses largely compound exercises and takes 45 minutes -- no loafing allowed. It's working really well, as far as I can tell, a very intense workout, but doable. I work out all body parts each time, but alternate the exercises I do. I'm having a lot of fun and not loafing!

This guy's got too many roolz, man.

Resistance, movement, added resistance.... eat, drink, sleep and repeat. If you are working hard, you won't stay in the gym too long anyway. If you last more than an hour, you need to kick up the intensity, with more resistance(weight) or less rest between sets. Warmups, or light first sets, while probably not adding to your overall strength, can help get you into the groove of a lift and help get you ready for the heavier weights, safely. I use them if I feel my form is getting sloppy, it's much easier to correct with lower weights.

HAVE FUN, if you don't you will not keep going, because it is also, as he said in the intro, HARD WORK

I like free weights, but machines, depending on the type and make, can sometimes be even more efficient at building strength, because some of them, using cams and levers, can more effectively mimic the actual strength curve of the muscles involved and provide the variable resistance required. Just because it's a machine doesn't magically make the resistance go away....

My prescription would be the basic powerlifting moves Bench, deads, and squats. Fill that in with ab stuff, rows, military presses, and even curls if you want em and you can get stronger with progressive resistance. It's not rocket science.

go to ezboards power and bulk and read some, it's entertaining to say the least.......don't have the link but google it.....

By the way, I'm 5'8" approx heh heh 225lbs, I can bench 305 three reps, I presently squat sets of 10+ with 365 lbs, not my max, and Deadlift 365 five times. I've been stronger, but I recently had surgery that knocked me out for most of a year and I'm most of the way back. I've been lifting off and on since I was 9, 28 years ago.... sheesh, I'm old, and I am thinking of competitive powerlifting with a friend of mine when I turn 40

Not flamming, but you have some of your facts all wrong. Of course you need a spotter when doing exercises, that's a bunch of shit if you say that you don't. Spotters are there so you don't drop the weight on yourself and you can finish your last rep when needed. And how do you figure that exercising your biceps doesn't make them any bigger??? That's completely foolish. Machines do have a use, especially to help you work your optimal range of motion and ideal form, as you may not keep good form when using dumbells or barbells. While I do agree that there are many phony supplements out there, NOT ALL of them are worthless. Creatine is a very good supplement because it actually works. Multivitamins and Whey protein are also excellent supplements. And if anyone says that creatine is a steroid, then they need to research the facts. I think you need to get your facts straight. Besides the misinformation you do have some decent tips.

I think the point about spotters is actually receiving assistance to help continue lifting and finishing a set. Thats my interpretation anyway, i keep going until i can no longer do it in a set, then receive assistance from the spotter to rest the bar back safely.

Correct me if im wrong, but i was always told that doing alot of reps with medium weight builds defination and tones. When you get into heavy weights and short reps you build muscle mass. Also usually you are better of starting with toning, then move to mass. then swap between the two to keep the size slowly building and keep your muscle defination.

Definition comes from low body fat and big muscles, not from a rep range.

Most muscle building comes from 8-12 reps, and a good diet will help define you.

According to many sources, this misconception evolved from the early days of bodybuilding when guys (and it was all guys back then) would seriously cut down on their caloric intake and were not able to do the huge weight they were previously and when asked why they were doing less weight and more reps responded that they were going for definition. More on this topic at bodybuilding.com. It is usually generally accepted that higher weight will tap a slightly different energy source when working the muscle and lead to fuller, more dense muscles, though.