Support NeoGAF

[Google]

I've always been amazed at people who will spend money, go to the gym, and spend 40 minutes on the eliptical or bike and read a magazine...

Fuck, I cant bear being on a single machine for longer than 15 minutes (it's just so fucking boring, but this is Vancouver, Dude, and the weather fucking sucks) and my routine is as follows:

15 minutes elliptical - Level 14, hill, intervals

5 minutes rowing (1000M), highest resistance

10 minutes cycling (about 5 miles) level 14, hills, interval

10 minutes running (just over a mile), 3.0 incline

Anyway, I mix it up, add extra resistance, speed it up, etc. and I'm sweating fucking buckets after each exercise - so much so that I've been a little dizzy at the end through lack of Oxygen and water (not a great sign).

Anyway, I'm 6,1, 190lbs, in decent shape, and I've been fit since I was a kid...but If I'm able to sweat like a paedophile in a playground, why the fuck isn't that 275 fat fuck next to me who's listening to Pavarotti and reading TIME?

Anyway, just felt like bitching - ate way too much food yesterday - still managed to have ad decent Tuna/lettuce lunch, but...hey, it's Easter!

Question to everyone trying to lose serious weight: Are you guys drinking 3 - 4 litres of water a day - like, just straight water - ignore the soda/coffee/gatorade etc?

If not...why not?

 

[Onemic]

I've always been amazed at people who will spend money, go to the gym, and spend 40 minutes on the eliptical or bike and read a magazine...

Fuck, I cant bear being on a single machine for longer than 15 minutes (it's just so fucking boring, but this is Vancouver, Dude, and the weather fucking sucks) and my routine is as follows:

15 minutes elliptical - Level 14, hill, intervals

5 minutes rowing (1000M), highest resistance

10 minutes cycling (about 5 miles) level 14, hills, interval

10 minutes running (just over a mile), 3.0 incline

Anyway, I mix it up, add extra resistance, speed it up, etc. and I'm sweating fucking buckets after each exercise - so much so that I've been a little dizzy at the end through lack of Oxygen and water (not a great sign).

Anyway, I'm 6,1, 190lbs, in decent shape, and I've been fit since I was a kid...but If I'm able to sweat like a paedophile in a playground, why the fuck isn't that 275 fat fuck next to me who's listening to Pavarotti and reading TIME?

Anyway, just felt like bitching - ate way too much food yesterday - still managed to have ad decent Tuna/lettuce lunch, but...hey, it's Easter!

Question to everyone trying to lose serious weight: Are you guys drinking 3 - 4 litres of water a day - like, just straight water - ignore the soda/coffee/gatorade etc?

If not...why not?

Some people generally sweat more than others. I for one don't sweat a lot even if I go through a serious workout.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Anyway, I'm 6,1, 190lbs, in decent shape, and I've been fit since I was a kid...but If I'm able to sweat like a paedophile in a playground, why the fuck isn't that 275 fat fuck next to me who's listening to Pavarotti and reading TIME?

From the sounds of it, you sound like your generally making an effort to maintain your body while the fat dood is probably wasting his time on whatever machine hes on. I would think, if your able to read while doing cardio or any workout...your not doing it hard enough (or fast enough)

 

[Google]

From the sounds of it, you sound like your generally making an effort to maintain your body while the fat dood is probably wasting his time on whatever machine hes on. I would think, if your able to read while doing cardio or any workout...your not doing it hard enough (or fast enough)

Exactly. It's not that he's big, because christ, if you're big, the gym is the place you should be...

But it's very strange seeing the guys paying their $60 a month to walk, slowly, on an eliptical, while reading a magazine...

 

[Jamesfrom818]

Do any of you guys use energy drinks before a run or workout? My sister was a big fan of Redline when her son would keep her up at night. I got a bottle today because I was feeling really groggy in the morning and I feel like I could run

Spoiler

probably walk

a marathon.

 

[perryfarrell]

But it's very strange seeing the guys paying their $60 a month to walk, slowly, on an eliptical, while reading a magazine...

Low-intensity cardio is a waste of time, indeed. It doesn't add definition, it doesn't add muscle, it doesn't improve heart health. It doesn't do anything, except perhaps burn 300 calories (which equals about two cookies--much easier to just not eat those two cookies).

 

[Uncooked]

I'm curious about the same thing. I'm weigtlifting 5 days a week(spilt body routine - Day 1-Chest, Triceps, Shoulders, Abs, Day 2- Back, Biceps, Legs) with 2 Cardio days in which I do HIIT for about 30-45 mins. I also do a kickboxing workout almost every morning(trained with MMA fighters in college) for about 20-30 mins to get my metabolism up and going for the day. I eat plenty of calories(around 3200-3400) to compensate for the calories burned in the morning with the kickboxing. Even if I'm getting enough calories, am I still minimizing my muscle gains?

Wow, that is one hell of a busy week, just try doing less for a while and see what happens. I used to always worry I wasn't maximizing every single day and every single workout and was wasting time, and I think it can get you into trouble because you might over/under do it. You probably won't die tomorrow, so you have plenty of time to experiment with different diets and routines and see what works best.

 

[Yogi_bear]

Wow, that is one hell of a busy week, just try doing less for a while and see what happens. I used to always worry I wasn't maximizing every single day and every single workout and was wasting time, and I think it can get you into trouble because you might over/under do it. You probably won't die tomorrow, so you have plenty of time to experiment with different diets and routines and see what works best.

Haha, well the thing is, if I take a day off I usually end up doing some other outdoor activity such as swimming, kayaking, mountain biking, basketball and such. I live in Austin which is very much a active outdoor city especially now that its warming up.

I actually have been stepping up the intensity of my weight training(or well actually I wasn't doing enough intensity before so I wasn't seeing the results I wanted). My situation is that I like my body shape, I just wanted to loose a bit more fat(my six pack is coming in nicely, just that lil bit of fat separating me from a eight-pack), but I'd like to put on about 5-7 more pounds of muscle, but lean muscle. I've been training to get the body such as a MMA fighter, there's muscle there, but it's lean muscle. I'm 6'3 and right now about 180 lbs, I'd like to get to about 185-187 pds.

 

[Captain Glanton]

I'm curious about the same thing. I'm weigtlifting 5 days a week(spilt body routine - Day 1-Chest, Triceps, Shoulders, Abs, Day 2- Back, Biceps, Legs) with 2 Cardio days in which I do HIIT for about 30-45 mins. I also do a kickboxing workout almost every morning(trained with MMA fighters in college) for about 20-30 mins to get my metabolism up and going for the day. I eat plenty of calories(around 3200-3400) to compensate for the calories burned in the morning with the kickboxing. Even if I'm getting enough calories, am I still minimizing my muscle gains?

Haha, well the thing is, if I take a day off I usually end up doing some other outdoor activity such as swimming, kayaking, mountain biking, basketball and such. I live in Austin which is very much a active outdoor city especially now that its warming up.

I actually have been stepping up the intensity of my weight training(or well actually I wasn't doing enough intensity before so I wasn't seeing the results I wanted). My situation is that I like my body shape, I just wanted to loose a bit more fat(my six pack is coming in nicely, just that lil bit of fat separating me from a eight-pack), but I'd like to put on about 5-7 more pounds of muscle, but lean muscle. I've been training to get the body such as a MMA fighter, there's muscle there, but it's lean muscle. I'm 6'3 and right now about 180 lbs, I'd like to get to about 185-187 pds.

It's great that you have the time and energy for all of that work, but even with all the good you're eating I'm not sure that you're going to gain muscle. You might try lifting fewer days a week; going to 3 or 4 days of weights would give your muscles more time to rebuild.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Can you give out any recommendations on pills that are good to use?

I've used HOT-ROX Extreme from www.t-nation.com, and it works. You might also try one of these: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/prima/alca.html or http://scivation.com/catalog/produc...d=108&osCsid=ecdf28f63a49f9fc3b3e49ac1d1e5a51

 

[Onemic]

I've used HOT-ROX Extreme from www.t-nation.com, and it works. You might also try one of these: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/prima/alca.html or http://scivation.com/catalog/produc...d=108&osCsid=ecdf28f63a49f9fc3b3e49ac1d1e5a51

I just went to a GNC store and one of the employees there told me that in order to maximize fat loss I would need to get multi-vitamin pills.(She of course then recommended me to buy a 90 pill pack from them) Is this true? Also does taking fat loss pills result in the loss of muscle mass?

 

[Chichikov]

Low-intensity cardio is a waste of time, indeed. It doesn't add definition, it doesn't add muscle, it doesn't improve heart health. It doesn't do anything, except perhaps burn 300 calories (which equals about two cookies--much easier to just not eat those two cookies).

Let's not get carried away here.
Low intensity cardio may not be as time efficient weight losing approach as HIIT, but its benefits for the heart, muscles, general health and yes, weight loss too are well documented.
Not to mention that counting calories expended in exercise and comparing it to food intake is extremely inaccurate and rather pointless.

 

[demon]

I just went to a GNC store and one of the employees there told me that in order to maximize fat loss I would need to get multi-vitamin pills.(She of course then recommended me to buy a 90 pill pack from them) Is this true? Also does taking fat loss pills result in the loss of muscle mass?

Those people at the health supplement chain stores are only trying to get you to buy as much expensive shit as possible.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Those people at the health supplement chain stores are only trying to get you to buy as much expensive shit as possible.

Yep. GNC is like the Gamespot of Health Supplements

 

[perryfarrell]

Let's not get carried away here.

:lol Yeah I was waiting for somebody to call me out, I'm talking beyond my expertise here. Let's say it's overrated then (instead of 'useless').

Why is it misleading to compare calories from exercise and calories from food intake? I'm curious about that one.

 

[RumblingRosco]

Yep. GNC is like the Gamespot of Health Supplements

Then it might not just be a coincidence that it is in my local mall directly adjacent to the GameStop. Never thought of it like that, but yeah. Makes sense, always did seem a tad overpriced.

 

[Mikazuki]

Can you give out any recommendations on pills that are good to use?

I've been on Hot RoxExtreme for a month. I'll be on them for another 2 or 3 weeks until I get my calories high enough.

They work great, but personally I find they don't make you rapidly burn fat by themselves like ECA did. What I find that they accomplish, is that they allow you to reduce your calories a TON while saving most of your muscle and still increasing some strength in the gym. And they're a fantastic appetite suppressent and mood and energy enhancer.

If you have a plan to go along with them, they're worth it.

 

[Christopher]

Gramdma's lasanga last night was banging - ugh but god damn if I didn't feel like fatty after eating it - oh well Jesus rasied up so it was cool. Busted my ass today at the gym...

 

[Captain Glanton]

I just went to a GNC store and one of the employees there told me that in order to maximize fat loss I would need to get multi-vitamin pills.(She of course then recommended me to buy a 90 pill pack from them) Is this true? Also does taking fat loss pills result in the loss of muscle mass?

Fat loss pills will not devour your muscle. However, unless you're a genetic freak or a total beginner [weird, I know], you should choose whether you want to gain muscle or cut fat at any given time--and by time, I mean pick one and stick to it for several months before switching back to the other. So don't plan on gaining a lot of muscle if you're looking to cut fat.

Also, No Country for Old Men on Blu-Ray is .

 

[Onemic]

Fat loss pills will not devour your muscle. However, unless you're a genetic freak or a total beginner [weird, I know], you should choose whether you want to gain muscle or cut fat at any given time--and by time, I mean pick one and stick to it for several months before switching back to the other. So don't plan on gaining a lot of muscle if you're looking to cut fat.

Also, No Country for Old Men on Blu-Ray is .

I want to cut fat, that's my primary objective.

Does that mean I shouldn't be doing things that primarily target the muscles such as lifting weights?

And what other health supplement store is there besides GNC?

 

[Slo]

I want to cut fat, that's my primary objective.

Does that mean I shouldn't be doing things that primarily target the muscles such as lifting weights?

And what other health supplement store is there besides GNC?

Lift weights! You want to keep the muscle that you have. You should be doing cardio to burn calories, but the most important part of losing fat is your diet.

 

[Captain Glanton]

I want to cut fat, that's my primary objective.

Does that mean I shouldn't be doing things that primarily target the muscles such as lifting weights?

And what other health supplement store is there besides GNC?

No, no! Like Slo said, keep lifting weights. But to cut fat you do want to focus hard on having a clean diet, and you want to hit your cardio, so your muscle mass and your lift numbers just won't glow like they would if your primary goal was to get bigger & stronger [when you would allow yourself a little more junk in your diet]. Keep lifting, but it's more to keep your strength gains steady than to increase them.

Online is definitely the way to shop for supplements. www.bodybuilding.com is a trustworthy place to start; they have a ton of selection, although I'd come here if you don't know which brands to trust.

 

[Chichikov]

Why is it misleading to compare calories from exercise and calories from food intake? I'm curious about that one.

Calories are just energy, in food it is the energy potential and in an exercise is the energy excreted (and in glowing red numbers on your gym equipment it's BS).
The main idea in calculating calories is that any energy not used by the body will be stored as fat.
There are two problems with that notion -
a. our body uses up a lot of energy just keeping itself alive.
b. the mechanism the govern the creation of fat tissue is much more complicated than the simplistic model of "I ate 300 calories and excreted 250, now I'll have an extra 50 calories worth of fat".

And trying to translate energy deficit into fat tissue loss is even less accurate (and potentially not the healthiest way to go).

I want to cut fat, that's my primary objective.

Does that mean I shouldn't be doing things that primarily target the muscles such as lifting weights?

I know it sounds crazy, and people who are overweight usually cannot believe it, but gaining muscle mass is harder than losing fat.
Especially if you're not a teenager.
So as other had noted, do not stop weight lifting, it will also help you lose your fat.

And what other health supplement store is there besides GNC?

DPS nutrition is a good and cheap online store.

 

[BlueTsunami]

From the sound of it (after the extensive research I've done), HIIT training seems to be the best Cardio if you want minimal impact on your weightraining

 

[Yogi_bear]

I have a quick question for some of the more experienced weight lifters here. Like I mentioned before, I split my weight lifting into Day 1 - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps for one workout and Day 2 - Legs/Back/Biceps for my second workout. My workout schedule goes such that Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 - which is HIIT. I don't have set days for these workouts, just keep repeating the cycle(that way my muscles get about a 60-hour repairing session before their next workout).

My question is, someone recently pointed me to a menshealth thread where everyone was saying don't do split routines, do a full body workout 3 times a week. They swear by this, and I myself used to do this method but my secondary muscles would always tire halfway through the workout, thus limiting me from moving up in weight and really testing those primary muscles. For example, I use a lot of dumbells instead of machines. As everyone knows that uses dumbells, especially heavy ones when you're lifting the dumbells into position for say a bench press or shoulder press, you use your forearms and to some extent your biceps. So then when I got to my pull-ups and biceps curl, my forearms especially were already some fatigued.

Since switching to the split schedule, my gains and muscle have significantly increase and I've definitely noticed a body frame and muscles growing. Basically I'm wanting to know what some of you guys though about this issue. Is a complete body workout so much better than split? Take in mind, I don't really do isolation exercises, at least not at the start of my workout. For example, I do pull-ups and power cleans instead of just bicep curls. I also exercises that work a lot of the body such as squats and deadlifts.

I'm curious to see what you guys think, thanks for the input.

 

[perryfarrell]

All I know is that if your concern is body sculpting, go for isolation routines. And if your concern is strength, go for compound exercises.

 

[Jamesfrom818]

Alright so whats a good interval training program for a fatty. I'm thinking of starting out with 30 sec sprints and 2 minute jogs and maybe a 1 minute walk period before sprinting again. I hear that HIIT ratios are usually something like 30 sec sprints and 1 minute jogs but I don't think I can pull that off just yet.

 

[BigGreenMat]

whoah, wait, hold up here. Caffene's a fat burner????

What other non-grain/fruit food items are fat burners?

Just be aware though that Caffeine counteracts the effects of Creatine.

 

[kathode]

My question is, someone recently pointed me to a menshealth thread where everyone was saying don't do split routines, do a full body workout 3 times a week. They swear by this

Men's Health is the GNC of fitness advice :lol Although I have heard of some people who swear by full body workouts, I think you'll find the VAST majority of bodybuilders will still recommend splitting it up pretty well. Even your 2-day split is compounding muscle group work more than I'd recommend, although it sounds like you're doing good exercises at least (pullups, deadlifts, squats). I'd avoid men's health, and look into better forums like bodybuilding.com or t-nation.com. Even if you're not trying to be a hardcore bodybuilder, those places can give you better advice.

I just went to a GNC store and one of the employees there told me that in order to maximize fat loss I would need to get multi-vitamin pills.(She of course then recommended me to buy a 90 pill pack from them) Is this true? Also does taking fat loss pills result in the loss of muscle mass?

Regardless of her sales push, you should be taking a good multivitamin for nutritional support whether you're doing a workout program or not.

Just be aware though that Caffeine counteracts the effects of Creatine.

That's apparently debatable.

 

[perryfarrell]

That's apparently debatable.

Whether creatine does anything at all is debatable as well. I haven't seen any conclusive arguments to the effect that it benefits people who use it.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Alright so whats a good interval training program for a fatty. I'm thinking of starting out with 30 sec sprints and 2 minute jogs and maybe a 1 minute walk period before sprinting again. I hear that HIIT ratios are usually something like 30 sec sprints and 1 minute jogs but I don't think I can pull that off just yet.

From what I've been reading, its all about ratios. You could try something like Sprint for 10 Seconds and Jog/Walk for 20 (or longer depending on how you feel, but keep your heartrate up, don't let it fall too low). You first would start and finish the intervals by jogging for 2 Minutes then jump into the Sprinting, Jogging/Walking. Should take about 8-10 Minutes

 

[Chichikov]

Regardless of her sales push, you should be taking a good multivitamin for nutritional support whether you're doing a workout program or not.

a young and healthy person who eats properly should have no need for multivitamins.

 

[Captain Glanton]

Found a new workout equation:

Fill with

And attack

Repeat until butt has been whipped. I'm gasping even as I type this.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Shit, I'm just coming back from a 11 Minute HIIT session and I couldn't do 1:1 (30 Sec Sprinting : 30 Sec Jogging). What I ended up doing was 30 Sec Sprinting : 30 Sec Walking 30 Sec Jogging then repeat for 6 Minutes. That seriously kicked the shit out of me

I haven't jogged in a while though, so I'm hoping I can cut out the walking interval soon

 

[MaverickX9]

a young and healthy person who eats properly should have no need for multivitamins.

I'd take a multivitamin anyways.

I eat reasonably healthy and still don't get half the vitamins I get from my multivitamin.

 

[teh_pwn]

Can you give out any recommendations on pills that are good to use?

Ephedra, Adderall, Ritalin, ...

Legal? Well if you want a bunch of useless caffeine, and a tiny amount of thyroid stimulants sprinkled on top that'll fuck you up in the long run, head over the bodybuilding.com or t-nation.com and let the feel-good marketing take the cash out of your wallet.

Caffeine is only going to work in the short-term (as in a couple of days). And that couple of days isn't free. You'll have to withdraw and crash eventually. Massive amounts can interfere with glucose tolerance. That whole losing fat thing requires lipolysis, which isn't going to happen with high amounts of insulin due to glucose intolerance.

If you want to lose weight naturally:

1. SLEEP!! Reduces hunger, improves just about every bodily function including hormone levels.
2. Cardio.
3. Weights.
4. Proper diet.

If you want to lose weight unnaturally but safe, you've got to go with illegal substances and use them properly.


But I'm betting you'll just ignore my post, and go buy designer caffeine pills for $30-80/bottle. If this worked, people would just buy caffeine pills for $5/month at walgreens. Maybe you'd feel better if you smeared a raspberry on it or minced some tree bark on it.

 

[Boogie]

Can you give out any recommendations on pills that are good to use?

Be careful GAF. Big Brother is watching.

 

[beelzebozo]

Found a new workout equation:

Fill with

And attack

Repeat until butt has been whipped. I'm gasping even as I type this.

people must think you're completely nuts. first you're hauling logs around the track while you run, now you're hefting boxes of books upstairs. you just need billy blanks cheering you on from the bottom of the mountain and we'll have an 80s sports movie on our hands

 

[Onemic]

Just be aware though that Caffeine counteracts the effects of Creatine.

What's creatine?

 

[Captain Glanton]

people must think you're completely nuts. first you're hauling logs around the track while you run, now you're hefting boxes of books upstairs. you just need billy blanks cheering you on from the bottom of the mountain and we'll have an 80s sports movie on our hands

No, no. The log was across a field in the snow. Doing it on a track would have been weird.

I did the books thing today at my apartment building, though, and I ran into my neighbor [not literally]. She looked a little bit concerned.

 

[teh_pwn]

What's creatine?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creatine

Bodybuilders use it because it slightly increases the strength and recovery of twitching muscles.

 

[Onemic]

Forget the pills, they cost too much anyway:lol

I'll just stick to my natural diet and exercise.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Yeah, Creatine is pretty expensive (well, the jugs I saw at the local Vitamin Shop). The Loading Phase looks to eat up a good portion of the substance too.

 

[lethial]

Yeah, Creatine is pretty expensive (well, the jugs I saw at the local Vitamin Shop). The Loading Phase looks to eat up a good portion of the substance too.

That's why you forget about Creatine Monohydrate and purchase some Creatine Ester Ethyl (CEE). You can get it in pill form and it does not require a loading phase nor does it, in my experience, give you any kind of bloating that you may get with Monohydrate. Controlled Labs' Green Bulge is a good one as well as CellTech by Muscletech. Both can be found online or in your local supplement store.

 

[Chichikov]

I'd take a multivitamin anyways.

I eat reasonably healthy and still don't get half the vitamins I get from my multivitamin.

Getting the vitamins you need is easier than the supplement company would like you to believe.
And in any case, you may still not get your vitamins, you see, a pill is not the ideal way to get what you need into your body.
We did not evolve to take Centrum, there are complicated and not fully understood connections between minerals and the way our body use them.
But it is known that we can survive on food, the real kind, the one that does not have child safe cap on it.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm far from a holistic plant hugging hippie; there are cases where supplements are needed, but taking an omnibus multivitamin because I may be missing something is not a prudence approach to dieting.
Not harmful, just wasteful.

Found a new workout equation:

Fill with

And attack

Repeat until butt has been whipped. I'm gasping even as I type this.

This is great.
How were you holding it by the way?

I'm a huge fan of this type of running, I took plenty of sandbags up the hills, great exercise for useful strength and stamina.

Also, have you ever tried parachute running?
Sure, you look like a complete tool, but I was really surprise how effective it was.

 

[BlueTsunami]

That's why you forget about Creatine Monohydrate and purchase some Creatine Ester Ethyl (CEE). You can get it in pill form and it does not require a loading phase nor does it, in my experience, give you any kind of bloating that you may get with Monohydrate. Controlled Labs' Green Bulge is a good one as well as CellTech by Muscletech. Both can be found online or in your local supplement store.

Hmm, I'll check that out. I was going to buy some (Creatine Monohydrate) but yeah, once I saw the prices and the size of the containers I knew that I can't make this a habit.

 

[demon]

That's why you forget about Creatine Monohydrate and purchase some Creatine Ester Ethyl (CEE). You can get it in pill form and it does not require a loading phase nor does it, in my experience, give you any kind of bloating that you may get with Monohydrate. Controlled Labs' Green Bulge is a good one as well as CellTech by Muscletech. Both can be found online or in your local supplement store.

The creatine monohydrate I got was like 12 bucks for a jug of 80 5g servings. That seems cheaper than I expected. And what do you mean by bloating? Like physical, visible bloating?

 

[Captain Glanton]

This is great.
How were you holding it by the way?

I'm a huge fan of this type of running, I took plenty of sandbags up the hills, great exercise for useful strength and stamina.

Also, have you ever tried parachute running?
Sure, you look like a complete tool, but I was really surprise how effective it was.

Up on the shoulder. As I got tired, I was having to switch it from shoulder to shoulder, you know, because of the agony.

I haven't tried a parachute. I really want a sled, tire & sledge hammer, etc. In a few months I'm moving across the country to a much better job, so I'm holding off on that stuff until after I move. God, I can't wait! There aren't even any hills here to run up. None.

 

[Anton Sugar]

Men's Health is the GNC of fitness advice :lol Although I have heard of some people who swear by full body workouts, I think you'll find the VAST majority of bodybuilders will still recommend splitting it up pretty well. Even your 2-day split is compounding muscle group work more than I'd recommend, although it sounds like you're doing good exercises at least (pullups, deadlifts, squats). I'd avoid men's health, and look into better forums like bodybuilding.com or t-nation.com. Even if you're not trying to be a hardcore bodybuilder, those places can give you better advice.



Regardless of her sales push, you should be taking a good multivitamin for nutritional support whether you're doing a workout program or not.



That's apparently debatable.

The thing about splits is that most of the time, they're ineffective for beginners. You aren't getting the compound movements that you need to build a solid base. You're right, bodybuilders recommend split routines, but most of these body builders are either a)already fairly large or at least decently sized, or b)on steroids or some sort of growth hormone.

Until you have a SOLID base of strength and size, isolation routines will lose their steam far sooner than full body workouts. In my opinion, isolation exercises should only be done as an after thought for troublespots, or by bodybuilders who need to focus on a body part.

 

[timnich]

Over the past few months I've tried different variations and schedules for working out, trying to find an ideal workout for me. I've currently settled on this :
Monday - back/triceps
Tuesday - chest/biceps
Thursday - lower body/shoulders
Friday - back/triceps
Saturday - chest/biceps

For each muscle group I am doing the following exercises (3 sets, 10 reps ):
Back - Cable Front Pulldown, Cable Straight Back Seated Row, One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
Chest - Bench Press, Cable Seated Fly, Lever Chest Press
Biceps - Barbell Curl, Barbell Preacher Curl, Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Triceps - Dumbbell Triceps Extension, Cable Pushdown, Assisted Triceps Dip
Legs - Barbell Squat, Seated Leg Press, Leg Extension, Seated Leg Curl
Shoulders - Shoulder Press, Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Rear Lateral Raise, Front Lateral Raise

What I was wondering is if I am making any major mistakes with my scheduling or exercise selection. Could I be doing something effectively? Should I add or remove certain exercises? I ask around at the gym I go to for help with correct form and such, so what I am concerned with the most is the above. Any criticisms and suggestions would help. Thanks in advance!