Anyone else workout here?

AGGGGHHHH this is scary - I find the whole gym a scary place - its full of people who seem to know what they are doing and seem to be enjoying it - where as for me its a place to look horridly unfit in stretchy clothing while standing staring at a machine trying to work out what to do with it!!!

I do however partake in exercise not sure I would consider it a workout? Every day 2 - 3 times a day I do my physio exercises to hopefully stop me getting sciatica and hopefully straighten me up a bit. I also jump on my garden trampoline every day although the time I spend bouncing depends on the weather - some days I will put the radio on and bounce for 30mins - on bad days it may be more like 30 seconds but I always bounce! (I live in a rural location so go most places by car so en-route from front door to car I go over the trampoline! yip I'm crazy!). I also enjoy watersports once a week although not in winter! I have also started climbing - mostly indoor at the moment due to it being winter n dark a lot of the time! The only other exercise I do is games on the WII or dancemats on the playstation.

 

I've got a question for the OP. I've been working out for about 3 weeks. I work out 3 days a week.
My routine is thus:
5 minutes on the treadmill to loosen up the muscles.
3 sets of 10 dumb bell bench press
3 sets of 10 dumb bell curl
3 sets of 10 dumb bell military press
3 sets of 10 forearm curl
3 sets of 15 triceps workout(lower myself down from weight bench to floor.)

In between every set I do situps and leg raises. My workout usually lasts about 45 minutes.

Here's my question: what do I need to do get stronger and move to heavier weights? I'd like to move 5 pounds up on all my dumb bells but don't feel strong enough to.

 

As far as I can tell this looks like a good, balanced program. Any cardio in the mix, or is that not an option? Though I don't like all-machine programs, I would recommend getting some freeweight exercises in. But other than that it looks pretty good.

This is important. In regards to your excessive ab workouts, you have to consider that the stomach muscles are also susceptible to muscle damage like the rest of the body. My advice is rather to set up an intense ab workout, maximum 6-9 sets a week, than the alternative.

As far as rest goes, your body doesn't particularly need one day of rest between a workout, however your independent muscle groups do. So if you work out your chest and shoulders one day, then you most assuredly do need at least a day for recuperation. All of this varies whether you are running a split program or a full body program. Split does what it implies, it splits up the muscle groups into different days of the week, for example chest, shoulders, triceps on Tuesday and abs, legs on Sunday. Full body program instead has you work out all muscle groups each session, but less intensely (i.e less exercises / sets pr muscle group). There are pros and cons to both of these, but generally speaking a full body program is better for a beginner.

This is important to remember, and is why the "big four" basic exercises are so effective, and why isolation exercises should be combined with these instead of replacing them.

 

Yep, usually an hour of cardio one day and the machines the next. I'll do this every day I'm in town, usually out of town for a couple of days every two weeks. Otherwise, I will take a day off if I have been hitting it for 10 days or so in a row. I can usually tell when my body needs a rest. Like it did today.

Thanks!

 

Before my ulcer/whatever showed up I'd gotten to a 30 minute 5k, had completed 200 situps hands down and was pushing through 100 pushups, and was starting on the weight machines (bicep/tricep, abs, pecs and the reverse) at my apt complex on a MWF schedule. All this was on the general suggestion that in combination with some hemp protein supplementing my usual mediterranean-ish diet I could put on some muscle and break 115-120lbs. Nothing really happened except my abs looked better when tensed according to some female friends.

I did get knocked completely out of things for about a year while I got my gut-woes under control but I'm about ready to try getting back into working out slowly. I still can't do any real running but bicycling is thankfully still a go for me and a neighbor gave me his dumbbells and curling bar when he moved out so no more never-fits-right machines.

That's pretty much my problem. I want to work out, get stronger, build muscle and all the usual stuff but I honestly think I'm cursed or something because the longer I exercise it seems the worse I get at things, and I never seem to make any progress. I felt like an idiot the first time when I spent two months making meager progress and then just stuck at less weight than any girl I know for another 5 months.

 

What you have to remember is that gaining muscle is determined by two primary factors; the amount of effort you put in and your diet. It's a popular saying that working out (and it's results) is based 40% off your actual workouts and 60% off your diet. If you're able to use a regular program, check out page 1. Typed up a good beginner's full body program there. I've used almost the exact same program several times and it has worked very well for me. Run that program for about 3 months, then switch to a 3-split. Chugging down protein powder, creatine and gainer (or any other of the hundreds of various supplements) is all well and good and can be a decent supplement, but it will never be a replacement for a balanced, healthy diet.

Also, don't over exert yourself at first, you should have explosive progress nonetheless the first couple of months. Let your body recuperate and don't overtrain. That might have been your problem in the past; going too hard will actually reverse your progress and then you can kiss your hypertrophy goodbye.

 

I follow a mediterranean diet for the most part, plenty of lean meats, lots of non-corn grain products (wheat and oats especially) and plenty of barley/lentils. Added eggs practically daily though for breakfast/lunch. Particularly since the stomach problems I've been taking care to keep a good diet going.

I've never seen anything remotely like the "newbie gains" anyone mentions though. If I go too light obviously no dice, but if I crank it up to the point where I start straining by the end I might get a little progress on something like pushups... but then I basically stall. Maybe it's a Form issue or something but if I step down a little bit I can keep going forever, if I try to step it up I hit a wall, if I stay there I just slowly slide back a bit.

 

How much do you weigh / how tall are you? If your body fat % is too low, gaining muscle can be a real chore. That's why professional bodybuilders have a bulk period, where they actively gain extra weight in order to be able to build up, then shed it off and reduce their body fat % to as low as around 5%. You should be at around 15+ in order to be able to gain effectively. Of course this is a variable, so it differs from person to person.
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Thought I'd post a work out picture here, this is from about 2 years ago. As you can see I'm going for symmetry rather than volume. Rather be fast and slim than slow and clunky. And yes, the pose is silly. A girl friend of mine said I looked like a ballerina



Feel free to post your own!

 

~5'8" and about 115-120lb. Good luck with the idea of a "bulk phase", even before my stomach issues played merry hell with my diet I couldn't gain weight. I'm one of those guys that can eat pretty much any amount of pretty much everything that doesn't actively make him sick and lose five pounds.

Also, here's me doing the sixpack pose (before and after 200situps)

 

Well, you could try supplementing your diet with a gainer (around 60-75 % carbs) and chugging down two of those every day along with your regular diet. When bulking up, don't be afraid to chow down on ice cream, fat foods etc. With your body type, it's much better to have a high fat % than it is to count calories. Nice abs, though this is further proof that your body fat % is too low when trying to build muscle mass. I'd say this is your primary problem, as long as your exercise program is relatively decent.
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Another picture, a bit more recent than the last.

 

Thanks Baraka and Python.

The reason I don't do any lower body workout is because I run on my non-workout days, about 5 miles 3 times a week, and in the winter I ski every day. Also, I may be wrong but I feel like situps and leg raises works my lower back as well as my quads and hammys. I do like the idea of doing pushups but I just figured dumb bell bench press worked the same muscles but better.

By the way, Shadowes3, what exercises do you do for abs?

 

I'd still do some squats though. Cardio exercises tend to work the muscles a little differently. Skiing can definitely build your thighs though.

 

Eddie: I just followed the 200situps website.

Python: I'm going to try logging what I eat then, maybe I'm not going through as much food as I think I am.

 

since we're throwin guns around..

(my gun is a .22)

 

Not a bad idea. I have one particular tip for you that has served me well in the past; olive oil. Literally drinking this stuff before each meal can be very effective. Use the extra virgin type. 1-2 large spoons with each meal. It gives you a good dose of healthy fat, and will help immensely with gaining weight.

Hehe, aye but the .22 can be extremely effective if used right!

 

I believe that is called a hyperextention.
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I do a full body weight workout twice a week:

Squats two sets of warmup and 20 rep set of 'heavy' weight
Pullovers one set pretty light
Bent over rows 2 sets of 15
Bench Press several sets of 10, and maybe a heavy set of 3 to 5, if I feel I have something left in the tank
Romanian Deadlift one set of 15
Overhead press 2 sets of 15 ( I'm using a machine for this, as my back is a bit fried from DLs )
Go home

I'm trying to add some cardio, but I hate it so. I walk at work for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day.

The weights have added strength and size. I actually should be losing some weight, but donuts are tasty. Best excuse I got

 

I believe you're right, I've heard that name before. Yes donuts are tasty, especially your American ones (I'm assuming you're from there as I don't know of another country that has donuts as a synonym for being overweight). I know how fattening some of your food over there is though, was in the US for 8 months during a 2 year period. Thankfully I didn't gain any weight. You also have some seriously wicked good food that we don't have where I live, so I can see the dilemma. Mmm I miss those pretzels you guys have.

Edit: Yeah I just saw your location. The power of reasoning still prevailed though

 

Snowy - I'm going to guess that your sports medicine doctor friend wants you to strengthen your gluteus medius & minimus, not necessarily gluteus maximus. Gluteus medius & minimus are hip abductors, and they are very often the culprits when someone has knee pain.

To strengthen those, you don't necessarily need to be doing squats. Side leg lifts are actually extremely effective, as long as you don't "cheat" by rolling either forward or back when you're lying on your side to perform them. It's most important to work on those muscles at first by doing high repetitions of easy/low weight exercises, because part of your problem is likely a lack of neuromuscular activation.

Anyone else have a question for the PT student?