How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
What if I told you only have a limited amount of energy (readily available)
per strength training session, would you believe me? Well the latest scientific data and blood tests on individuals under strict gym conditions have revealed that blood sugar levels drop dramatically after only 20 to 30 minutes during a high intensity strength training session. So you see you only have a short period of time to complete your strength training, so exercise selection is crucial for proper results. One way around this is to use compound multi-joint movements as these offer the most beneficial muscle stimulation needed for lean muscle growth and metabolism improvement in the shortest period of time. In other words, we can train many muscles simultaneously and use our energy more efficiently. Compound exercises are much more functional and superior to isolation exercises and promote natural movement of your joints. Heavier loads can also be lifted using these exercises. Some benefits a .. More functional .. Higher muscle activation .. Higher hormonal release .. Less stress on joints. Examples of compound multi-joint movements include squats, bench press, dips, and chin-ups. Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of during a high intensity strength-training workout. All the main muscle groups are thoroughly exercised with these exercises and they have an overall growth effect on the body as a whole i.e. a total body workout. After rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session if you can push out a few more reps then you will have become stronger, thus allowing for more muscle growth. i.e. more lean muscle and a higher metabolism. It only takes one of these workouts to target the entire major support muscles of the body. Exercises should be chosen from the more complex and challenging to the less complex and challenging. Remember, as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Bench Press and Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as to your shoulders. There is no need to train the arms and shoulders with isolation exercises. Did you know that current research shows that performing one set per exercise is as beneficial as multiple set workouts!! If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you're wrong! The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Also by performing the one set decreases the chances of over training and saves valuable energy for other exercises required during that particular workout. So all you need to do is ONE SET only of each strength training exercise, this is accomplished by performing as many repetitions as you possibly can. Single sets are just as effective as multiple sets in increasing strength, muscle size and power. After performing one complete set to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise. If you're able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it is pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set. If you give each set per exercise 100% effort (e.g. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise. Multiple Sets can be used in the following circumstances. .. The initial stages of learning a new exercise. .. During rehabilitation Remember it is the intensity that is important, not the volume when it comes to gains in strength. One warm up set of 50% of maximal weight can be done for 5-10 repetitions to oil the joints for the big work set that is to follow. After completing a set and when your breathing has returned to normal proceed to the next exercise. There is no time limit here just what you feel comfortable with, be it 3 or 5 minutes etc. Make no mistake about it put what you have leaned here to practice and you will start to finally make those long awaited gains you have been after. http://www.maximumfitness.com/news.php |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:52:51 +1000, "Gary Matthews"
articles@maximumfitness wrote: snip Compound exercises are much more functional and superior to isolation exercises and promote natural movement of your joints. Heavier loads can also be lifted using these exercises. Some benefits a . More functional . Higher muscle activation . Higher hormonal release . Less stress on joints. Yes. Compund exercises are the way to go. Squat, deadlift, bench, chin-up, dip, and a few others. snip Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of during a high intensity strength-training workout. All the main muscle groups are thoroughly exercised with these exercises and they have an overall growth effect on the body as a whole i.e. a total body workout. After rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session if you can push out a few more reps then you will have become stronger, thus allowing for more muscle growth. i.e. more lean muscle and a higher metabolism. It only takes one of these workouts to target the entire major support muscles of the body. Exercises should be chosen from the more complex and challenging to the less complex and challenging. Remember, as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Bench Press and Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as to your shoulders. There is no need to train the arms and shoulders with isolation exercises. Did you know that current research shows that performing one set per exercise is as beneficial as multiple set workouts!! Not really. You must do one or two warmup sets of each exercise first then a minimum of one challenging set. There's not much return on doing more than three, except that you will expend more energy. Really it depends on your goal. If you are looking for endurance then do more lighter and longer sets. If you are looking for maximum strength, then go for a few shorter, heavier sets. If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you're wrong! The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Also by performing the one set decreases the chances of over training and saves valuable energy for other exercises required during that particular workout. This is not the case. Especially since you are advocating one set to failure. That is a guarantee of injuring yourself. You should adjust the weight to do 5-15 reps per set and still have enough strength to do one more rep. You should never lift to failure. So all you need to do is ONE SET only of each strength training exercise, this is accomplished by performing as many repetitions as you possibly can. After performing one complete set to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise. If you're able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it is pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set. If you give each set per exercise 100% effort (e.g. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise. NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. Multiple Sets can be used in the following circumstances. . The initial stages of learning a new exercise. . During rehabilitation Definately. Remember it is the intensity that is important, not the volume when it comes to gains in strength. One warm up set of 50% of maximal weight can be done for 5-10 repetitions to oil the joints for the big work set that is to follow. After completing a set and when your breathing has returned to normal proceed to the next exercise. There is no time limit here just what you feel comfortable with, be it 3 or 5 minutes etc. again it depends on your goals. Make no mistake about it put what you have leaned here to practice and you will start to finally make those long awaited gains you have been after. snip url Use google to get advice from several different sources and go with those who make the best case. But be conservative in what you do. Lifting weights can be dangerous. Above all be careful and always underestimate how much you can lift. ps. Isolation exercises can be useful too. You should generally do isolation exercises at the end after doing the compound exercises. But you should have a good reason for doing isolation exercises. I generally do a few isolation exercise to make a session up to an hour. Ray |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
"rmr" wrote in message ... NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. How about qualifying this with never do it unless you are an experienced weightlifter? With the exception of my shoulders and scapular area, I almost always work to failure and have been for years while under the tutelage of a very experienced personal trainer. I'd say never do it until you've been working out a long time, are sure you have correct form, and in most cases someone around to spot you. -- the volleyballchick |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
"Nunya B." wrote in message ... "rmr" wrote in message ... NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. How about qualifying this with never do it unless you are an experienced weightlifter? With the exception of my shoulders and scapular area, I almost always work to failure and have been for years while under the tutelage of a very experienced personal trainer. I'd say never do it until you've been working out a long time, are sure you have correct form, and in most cases someone around to spot you. -- the volleyballchick What's the goal there though? What do you get out of it that you wouldn't by working to "near failure"? Not doubting your word, but I don't see why one would risk it. Like Ray I always read/was told that it's dangerous and not worth it.. I'm open to learn though.. ;o) I agree with you about this though... 1- Make sure you've done it long enough to where you know what you're doing.. forms forms forms forms!!!!! 2- have a spotter... if not someone who's with you (buddy, trainer) ask somebody in the gym... 99% of lifters will be more than happy to spot you. I've found a load of information, ideas, motivation, kick in the behind in Mistress Krista's website. http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/index.php I know everybody knows about that website... but if you don't READ!! Will~ |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
"Willow Herself" wrote in message ... "Nunya B." wrote in message ... "rmr" wrote in message ... NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. How about qualifying this with never do it unless you are an experienced weightlifter? With the exception of my shoulders and scapular area, I almost always work to failure and have been for years while under the tutelage of a very experienced personal trainer. I'd say never do it until you've been working out a long time, are sure you have correct form, and in most cases someone around to spot you. -- the volleyballchick What's the goal there though? What do you get out of it that you wouldn't by working to "near failure"? When doing power lifting, like when I was training for competition, you do want work at your max by the last set - the object being to engage as many power units in the muscles as possible. Not doubting your word, but I don't see why one would risk it. Like Ray I always read/was told that it's dangerous and not worth it.. I'm open to learn though.. ;o) I haven't done much reading on it because I have had an excellent trainer with more than 30 years of experience and some great experienced older lifters (both male and female). I think that since they're all lifting well into their 50's, 60's, (and 70's in one case), they know what they're doing. Like dieting, there are few absolutes in weightlifting. I've seen some guys do things I wouldn't imagine doing. OTOH there's some guy on another newsgroup that claims the Smith machine is dangerous and should never be used. There are all kinds of "myths" out there. -- the volleyballchick |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
"Nunya B." wrote in message ... "Willow Herself" wrote in message ... "Nunya B." wrote in message ... "rmr" wrote in message ... NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. How about qualifying this with never do it unless you are an experienced weightlifter? With the exception of my shoulders and scapular area, I almost always work to failure and have been for years while under the tutelage of a very experienced personal trainer. I'd say never do it until you've been working out a long time, are sure you have correct form, and in most cases someone around to spot you. -- the volleyballchick What's the goal there though? What do you get out of it that you wouldn't by working to "near failure"? When doing power lifting, like when I was training for competition, you do want work at your max by the last set - the object being to engage as many power units in the muscles as possible. Not doubting your word, but I don't see why one would risk it. Like Ray I always read/was told that it's dangerous and not worth it.. I'm open to learn though.. ;o) I haven't done much reading on it because I have had an excellent trainer with more than 30 years of experience and some great experienced older lifters (both male and female). I think that since they're all lifting well into their 50's, 60's, (and 70's in one case), they know what they're doing. Like dieting, there are few absolutes in weightlifting. I've seen some guys do things I wouldn't imagine doing. OTOH there's some guy on another newsgroup that claims the Smith machine is dangerous and should never be used. There are all kinds of "myths" out there. -- the volleyballchick I know, believe me.. that's why I ask, I read a lot and research a lot (since I can't afford a trainer) and I'm still trying to wade through what's real and what's bull... Will~ |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
Hey Ray,
I think you probably know that I've also been lifting weights since January. If you don't mind, can you please share your routine...........I'm really curious to know what you're doing because in my case, I am pushing heavy weights for 3 sets each and I'm also superset. I start out with the Bench Press 135x10 155x8 175x6 Sometimes, I will try to push a 4th set at 190 with someone spotting me...... But I superset the bench press with straight barbell curls 40x10 50x8 60x6 Then I do a 3rd superset for my triceps with overhead dumbbell tri extensions 35x10 35x10 35x10 After those 9 sets, I then do 3 sets of alternating dumbbell curls 15x10 20x10 25x10 Then I do preacher curls superset with overhead preacher bar tri extensions 55x10 curl, then 55x10 O/H tri ext (some people call them head crushers!) On alternate days, I do bent over dumbbell lifts/row 40x10, 3 sets superset each arm I recently started doing squats with the smith machine - what a killer!!!!!! my thighs feel like some too a baseball bat to them!! hehehe But I hear squats are also very good for cardio as well - I hate the treadmill and bike, but I still fit them in on alternate days........ I try to change my routine so that it doesn't get stale.........in time, when I lose another 100lbs, I plan to show off all my huge muscles with my ultimate goal of walking on the beach wearing a Speedo!!! hehehehahahaha!!!!!! the girls at my WW meeting just love it when I say that grin Eddie Weight June05-359.0lbs Current Weight-291.8lbs Loss to date=67.2lbs Goal Weight-180.0lbs "rmr" wrote in message ... On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:52:51 +1000, "Gary Matthews" articles@maximumfitness wrote: snip Compound exercises are much more functional and superior to isolation exercises and promote natural movement of your joints. Heavier loads can also be lifted using these exercises. Some benefits a . More functional . Higher muscle activation . Higher hormonal release . Less stress on joints. Yes. Compund exercises are the way to go. Squat, deadlift, bench, chin-up, dip, and a few others. snip Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of during a high intensity strength-training workout. All the main muscle groups are thoroughly exercised with these exercises and they have an overall growth effect on the body as a whole i.e. a total body workout. After rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session if you can push out a few more reps then you will have become stronger, thus allowing for more muscle growth. i.e. more lean muscle and a higher metabolism. It only takes one of these workouts to target the entire major support muscles of the body. Exercises should be chosen from the more complex and challenging to the less complex and challenging. Remember, as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Bench Press and Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as to your shoulders. There is no need to train the arms and shoulders with isolation exercises. Did you know that current research shows that performing one set per exercise is as beneficial as multiple set workouts!! Not really. You must do one or two warmup sets of each exercise first then a minimum of one challenging set. There's not much return on doing more than three, except that you will expend more energy. Really it depends on your goal. If you are looking for endurance then do more lighter and longer sets. If you are looking for maximum strength, then go for a few shorter, heavier sets. If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you're wrong! The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Also by performing the one set decreases the chances of over training and saves valuable energy for other exercises required during that particular workout. This is not the case. Especially since you are advocating one set to failure. That is a guarantee of injuring yourself. You should adjust the weight to do 5-15 reps per set and still have enough strength to do one more rep. You should never lift to failure. So all you need to do is ONE SET only of each strength training exercise, this is accomplished by performing as many repetitions as you possibly can. After performing one complete set to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise. If you're able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it is pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set. If you give each set per exercise 100% effort (e.g. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise. NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. Multiple Sets can be used in the following circumstances. . The initial stages of learning a new exercise. . During rehabilitation Definately. Remember it is the intensity that is important, not the volume when it comes to gains in strength. One warm up set of 50% of maximal weight can be done for 5-10 repetitions to oil the joints for the big work set that is to follow. After completing a set and when your breathing has returned to normal proceed to the next exercise. There is no time limit here just what you feel comfortable with, be it 3 or 5 minutes etc. again it depends on your goals. Make no mistake about it put what you have leaned here to practice and you will start to finally make those long awaited gains you have been after. snip url Use google to get advice from several different sources and go with those who make the best case. But be conservative in what you do. Lifting weights can be dangerous. Above all be careful and always underestimate how much you can lift. ps. Isolation exercises can be useful too. You should generally do isolation exercises at the end after doing the compound exercises. But you should have a good reason for doing isolation exercises. I generally do a few isolation exercise to make a session up to an hour. Ray |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
Eddie,
Looks like your workout is very arm intensive. What are you doing for your traps, shoulders, and lats besides the alternating dumbell rows? Take a look at this site: http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html for some ideas on how to hit those other groups. Everyone is different in their weightlifting, but an overall good thing is to think about the specific muscle groups you're trying to hit and do it. I do full body twice a week due to time constraints. Some do upper one day, lower the next. My workout is generally geared from the neck down. This means I get to the gym and figure out what I'm going to do for my traps, then do the pecs, etc. and I work on big muscles before the small ones so I save my shoulder specific and arm specific exercises until after the pecs and lats. Totally not a requirement by any means, it's just the habit I've gotten into. It's an efficiency thing Smith squats are great in that they take the need for balancing out of the equation - you probably won't fall over like you could with regular squats. Just make sure your legs are in the correct position and that your your form is spot on or else you can cause shearing in the knee. -- the volleyballchick "Eddie-Type2" wrote in message ... Hey Ray, I think you probably know that I've also been lifting weights since January. If you don't mind, can you please share your routine...........I'm really curious to know what you're doing because in my case, I am pushing heavy weights for 3 sets each and I'm also superset. I start out with the Bench Press 135x10 155x8 175x6 Sometimes, I will try to push a 4th set at 190 with someone spotting me...... But I superset the bench press with straight barbell curls 40x10 50x8 60x6 Then I do a 3rd superset for my triceps with overhead dumbbell tri extensions 35x10 35x10 35x10 After those 9 sets, I then do 3 sets of alternating dumbbell curls 15x10 20x10 25x10 Then I do preacher curls superset with overhead preacher bar tri extensions 55x10 curl, then 55x10 O/H tri ext (some people call them head crushers!) On alternate days, I do bent over dumbbell lifts/row 40x10, 3 sets superset each arm I recently started doing squats with the smith machine - what a killer!!!!!! my thighs feel like some too a baseball bat to them!! hehehe But I hear squats are also very good for cardio as well - I hate the treadmill and bike, but I still fit them in on alternate days........ I try to change my routine so that it doesn't get stale.........in time, when I lose another 100lbs, I plan to show off all my huge muscles with my ultimate goal of walking on the beach wearing a Speedo!!! hehehehahahaha!!!!!! the girls at my WW meeting just love it when I say that grin Eddie Weight June05-359.0lbs Current Weight-291.8lbs Loss to date=67.2lbs Goal Weight-180.0lbs "rmr" wrote in message ... On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:52:51 +1000, "Gary Matthews" articles@maximumfitness wrote: snip Compound exercises are much more functional and superior to isolation exercises and promote natural movement of your joints. Heavier loads can also be lifted using these exercises. Some benefits a . More functional . Higher muscle activation . Higher hormonal release . Less stress on joints. Yes. Compund exercises are the way to go. Squat, deadlift, bench, chin-up, dip, and a few others. snip Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of during a high intensity strength-training workout. All the main muscle groups are thoroughly exercised with these exercises and they have an overall growth effect on the body as a whole i.e. a total body workout. After rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session if you can push out a few more reps then you will have become stronger, thus allowing for more muscle growth. i.e. more lean muscle and a higher metabolism. It only takes one of these workouts to target the entire major support muscles of the body. Exercises should be chosen from the more complex and challenging to the less complex and challenging. Remember, as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Bench Press and Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as to your shoulders. There is no need to train the arms and shoulders with isolation exercises. Did you know that current research shows that performing one set per exercise is as beneficial as multiple set workouts!! Not really. You must do one or two warmup sets of each exercise first then a minimum of one challenging set. There's not much return on doing more than three, except that you will expend more energy. Really it depends on your goal. If you are looking for endurance then do more lighter and longer sets. If you are looking for maximum strength, then go for a few shorter, heavier sets. If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you're wrong! The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Also by performing the one set decreases the chances of over training and saves valuable energy for other exercises required during that particular workout. This is not the case. Especially since you are advocating one set to failure. That is a guarantee of injuring yourself. You should adjust the weight to do 5-15 reps per set and still have enough strength to do one more rep. You should never lift to failure. So all you need to do is ONE SET only of each strength training exercise, this is accomplished by performing as many repetitions as you possibly can. After performing one complete set to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise. If you're able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it is pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set. If you give each set per exercise 100% effort (e.g. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise. NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. Multiple Sets can be used in the following circumstances. . The initial stages of learning a new exercise. . During rehabilitation Definately. Remember it is the intensity that is important, not the volume when it comes to gains in strength. One warm up set of 50% of maximal weight can be done for 5-10 repetitions to oil the joints for the big work set that is to follow. After completing a set and when your breathing has returned to normal proceed to the next exercise. There is no time limit here just what you feel comfortable with, be it 3 or 5 minutes etc. again it depends on your goals. Make no mistake about it put what you have leaned here to practice and you will start to finally make those long awaited gains you have been after. snip url Use google to get advice from several different sources and go with those who make the best case. But be conservative in what you do. Lifting weights can be dangerous. Above all be careful and always underestimate how much you can lift. ps. Isolation exercises can be useful too. You should generally do isolation exercises at the end after doing the compound exercises. But you should have a good reason for doing isolation exercises. I generally do a few isolation exercise to make a session up to an hour. Ray |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
I have been using machines to target my lats, shoulders, abs and legs, but I
don't enjoy them as much as the free weights. I try to alternate my workouts and mix things up. I recently started doing sitting dumbbell shoulder presses use 2-25lbs abd I plan on continuing with that. I don't work my lower body much because having been over 300 lbs for the last 5 years, my legs are in pretty good shape - as time goes on, I plan to start working more on them, but right now I am simply doing the leg press one a week and walking on the treadmill 3 times a week. I also do many stretching exercises - people are amazed at how flexible I am for a short little fat guy! LOL! Eddie Weight June05-359.0lbs Current Weight-291.8lbs Loss to date=67.2lbs Goal Weight-180.0lbs "Nunya B." wrote in message ... Eddie, Looks like your workout is very arm intensive. What are you doing for your traps, shoulders, and lats besides the alternating dumbell rows? Take a look at this site: http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html for some ideas on how to hit those other groups. Everyone is different in their weightlifting, but an overall good thing is to think about the specific muscle groups you're trying to hit and do it. I do full body twice a week due to time constraints. Some do upper one day, lower the next. My workout is generally geared from the neck down. This means I get to the gym and figure out what I'm going to do for my traps, then do the pecs, etc. and I work on big muscles before the small ones so I save my shoulder specific and arm specific exercises until after the pecs and lats. Totally not a requirement by any means, it's just the habit I've gotten into. It's an efficiency thing Smith squats are great in that they take the need for balancing out of the equation - you probably won't fall over like you could with regular squats. Just make sure your legs are in the correct position and that your your form is spot on or else you can cause shearing in the knee. -- the volleyballchick "Eddie-Type2" wrote in message ... Hey Ray, I think you probably know that I've also been lifting weights since January. If you don't mind, can you please share your routine...........I'm really curious to know what you're doing because in my case, I am pushing heavy weights for 3 sets each and I'm also superset. I start out with the Bench Press 135x10 155x8 175x6 Sometimes, I will try to push a 4th set at 190 with someone spotting me...... But I superset the bench press with straight barbell curls 40x10 50x8 60x6 Then I do a 3rd superset for my triceps with overhead dumbbell tri extensions 35x10 35x10 35x10 After those 9 sets, I then do 3 sets of alternating dumbbell curls 15x10 20x10 25x10 Then I do preacher curls superset with overhead preacher bar tri extensions 55x10 curl, then 55x10 O/H tri ext (some people call them head crushers!) On alternate days, I do bent over dumbbell lifts/row 40x10, 3 sets superset each arm I recently started doing squats with the smith machine - what a killer!!!!!! my thighs feel like some too a baseball bat to them!! hehehe But I hear squats are also very good for cardio as well - I hate the treadmill and bike, but I still fit them in on alternate days........ I try to change my routine so that it doesn't get stale.........in time, when I lose another 100lbs, I plan to show off all my huge muscles with my ultimate goal of walking on the beach wearing a Speedo!!! hehehehahahaha!!!!!! the girls at my WW meeting just love it when I say that grin Eddie Weight June05-359.0lbs Current Weight-291.8lbs Loss to date=67.2lbs Goal Weight-180.0lbs "rmr" wrote in message ... On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:52:51 +1000, "Gary Matthews" articles@maximumfitness wrote: snip Compound exercises are much more functional and superior to isolation exercises and promote natural movement of your joints. Heavier loads can also be lifted using these exercises. Some benefits a . More functional . Higher muscle activation . Higher hormonal release . Less stress on joints. Yes. Compund exercises are the way to go. Squat, deadlift, bench, chin-up, dip, and a few others. snip Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of during a high intensity strength-training workout. All the main muscle groups are thoroughly exercised with these exercises and they have an overall growth effect on the body as a whole i.e. a total body workout. After rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session if you can push out a few more reps then you will have become stronger, thus allowing for more muscle growth. i.e. more lean muscle and a higher metabolism. It only takes one of these workouts to target the entire major support muscles of the body. Exercises should be chosen from the more complex and challenging to the less complex and challenging. Remember, as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Bench Press and Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as to your shoulders. There is no need to train the arms and shoulders with isolation exercises. Did you know that current research shows that performing one set per exercise is as beneficial as multiple set workouts!! Not really. You must do one or two warmup sets of each exercise first then a minimum of one challenging set. There's not much return on doing more than three, except that you will expend more energy. Really it depends on your goal. If you are looking for endurance then do more lighter and longer sets. If you are looking for maximum strength, then go for a few shorter, heavier sets. If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you're wrong! The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Also by performing the one set decreases the chances of over training and saves valuable energy for other exercises required during that particular workout. This is not the case. Especially since you are advocating one set to failure. That is a guarantee of injuring yourself. You should adjust the weight to do 5-15 reps per set and still have enough strength to do one more rep. You should never lift to failure. So all you need to do is ONE SET only of each strength training exercise, this is accomplished by performing as many repetitions as you possibly can. After performing one complete set to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise. If you're able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it is pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set. If you give each set per exercise 100% effort (e.g. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise. NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. Multiple Sets can be used in the following circumstances. . The initial stages of learning a new exercise. . During rehabilitation Definately. Remember it is the intensity that is important, not the volume when it comes to gains in strength. One warm up set of 50% of maximal weight can be done for 5-10 repetitions to oil the joints for the big work set that is to follow. After completing a set and when your breathing has returned to normal proceed to the next exercise. There is no time limit here just what you feel comfortable with, be it 3 or 5 minutes etc. again it depends on your goals. Make no mistake about it put what you have leaned here to practice and you will start to finally make those long awaited gains you have been after. snip url Use google to get advice from several different sources and go with those who make the best case. But be conservative in what you do. Lifting weights can be dangerous. Above all be careful and always underestimate how much you can lift. ps. Isolation exercises can be useful too. You should generally do isolation exercises at the end after doing the compound exercises. But you should have a good reason for doing isolation exercises. I generally do a few isolation exercise to make a session up to an hour. Ray |
How Many Exercises and Sets Do I Perform for my Strength Training?
That website I gave you has exercises using machines, dumbbells, olympic
bars, bodyweight, you name it. It's great. I'd work the legs more than once a week, but if you're doing smith squats one day and leg press another that's great and no need to do much more. Remember that the quads and glutes are huge muscles and working them burns more calories than working say the triceps (though it's important to do those too). In a resting state it takes more energy (calories) to sustain those muscles so it's good to keep them in shape. Walking on the treadmill doesn't do anything to build or maintain leg strength though it's a fabulous thing to do anyway. I was in the same position, over 300 lbs when I started and now I can leg press 4x my body weight. Continuing to push yourself will help maintain muscle mass as you lose weight. Yep, you're going to lose some strength - I was kind of bummed at the decrease in some of my upper body stuff, but I started looking at it as a percentage of overall body weight and felt better about it. :) -- the volleyballchick "Eddie-Type2" wrote in message ... I have been using machines to target my lats, shoulders, abs and legs, but I don't enjoy them as much as the free weights. I try to alternate my workouts and mix things up. I recently started doing sitting dumbbell shoulder presses use 2-25lbs abd I plan on continuing with that. I don't work my lower body much because having been over 300 lbs for the last 5 years, my legs are in pretty good shape - as time goes on, I plan to start working more on them, but right now I am simply doing the leg press one a week and walking on the treadmill 3 times a week. I also do many stretching exercises - people are amazed at how flexible I am for a short little fat guy! LOL! Eddie Weight June05-359.0lbs Current Weight-291.8lbs Loss to date=67.2lbs Goal Weight-180.0lbs "Nunya B." wrote in message ... Eddie, Looks like your workout is very arm intensive. What are you doing for your traps, shoulders, and lats besides the alternating dumbell rows? Take a look at this site: http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html for some ideas on how to hit those other groups. Everyone is different in their weightlifting, but an overall good thing is to think about the specific muscle groups you're trying to hit and do it. I do full body twice a week due to time constraints. Some do upper one day, lower the next. My workout is generally geared from the neck down. This means I get to the gym and figure out what I'm going to do for my traps, then do the pecs, etc. and I work on big muscles before the small ones so I save my shoulder specific and arm specific exercises until after the pecs and lats. Totally not a requirement by any means, it's just the habit I've gotten into. It's an efficiency thing Smith squats are great in that they take the need for balancing out of the equation - you probably won't fall over like you could with regular squats. Just make sure your legs are in the correct position and that your your form is spot on or else you can cause shearing in the knee. -- the volleyballchick "Eddie-Type2" wrote in message ... Hey Ray, I think you probably know that I've also been lifting weights since January. If you don't mind, can you please share your routine...........I'm really curious to know what you're doing because in my case, I am pushing heavy weights for 3 sets each and I'm also superset. I start out with the Bench Press 135x10 155x8 175x6 Sometimes, I will try to push a 4th set at 190 with someone spotting me...... But I superset the bench press with straight barbell curls 40x10 50x8 60x6 Then I do a 3rd superset for my triceps with overhead dumbbell tri extensions 35x10 35x10 35x10 After those 9 sets, I then do 3 sets of alternating dumbbell curls 15x10 20x10 25x10 Then I do preacher curls superset with overhead preacher bar tri extensions 55x10 curl, then 55x10 O/H tri ext (some people call them head crushers!) On alternate days, I do bent over dumbbell lifts/row 40x10, 3 sets superset each arm I recently started doing squats with the smith machine - what a killer!!!!!! my thighs feel like some too a baseball bat to them!! hehehe But I hear squats are also very good for cardio as well - I hate the treadmill and bike, but I still fit them in on alternate days........ I try to change my routine so that it doesn't get stale.........in time, when I lose another 100lbs, I plan to show off all my huge muscles with my ultimate goal of walking on the beach wearing a Speedo!!! hehehehahahaha!!!!!! the girls at my WW meeting just love it when I say that grin Eddie Weight June05-359.0lbs Current Weight-291.8lbs Loss to date=67.2lbs Goal Weight-180.0lbs "rmr" wrote in message ... On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 16:52:51 +1000, "Gary Matthews" articles@maximumfitness wrote: snip Compound exercises are much more functional and superior to isolation exercises and promote natural movement of your joints. Heavier loads can also be lifted using these exercises. Some benefits a . More functional . Higher muscle activation . Higher hormonal release . Less stress on joints. Yes. Compund exercises are the way to go. Squat, deadlift, bench, chin-up, dip, and a few others. snip Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what most people are capable of during a high intensity strength-training workout. All the main muscle groups are thoroughly exercised with these exercises and they have an overall growth effect on the body as a whole i.e. a total body workout. After rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session if you can push out a few more reps then you will have become stronger, thus allowing for more muscle growth. i.e. more lean muscle and a higher metabolism. It only takes one of these workouts to target the entire major support muscles of the body. Exercises should be chosen from the more complex and challenging to the less complex and challenging. Remember, as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Bench Press and Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as to your shoulders. There is no need to train the arms and shoulders with isolation exercises. Did you know that current research shows that performing one set per exercise is as beneficial as multiple set workouts!! Not really. You must do one or two warmup sets of each exercise first then a minimum of one challenging set. There's not much return on doing more than three, except that you will expend more energy. Really it depends on your goal. If you are looking for endurance then do more lighter and longer sets. If you are looking for maximum strength, then go for a few shorter, heavier sets. If you think that volume training (multiple sets) is more effective then you're wrong! The latest research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training. Also by performing the one set decreases the chances of over training and saves valuable energy for other exercises required during that particular workout. This is not the case. Especially since you are advocating one set to failure. That is a guarantee of injuring yourself. You should adjust the weight to do 5-15 reps per set and still have enough strength to do one more rep. You should never lift to failure. So all you need to do is ONE SET only of each strength training exercise, this is accomplished by performing as many repetitions as you possibly can. After performing one complete set to total failure, it should be just about impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another complete set of the same exercise. If you're able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then it is pretty obvious that not enough effort has been put into the first set. If you give each set per exercise 100% effort (e.g. you cannot move the bar after the last rep) then there will be no more requirement for further muscle stimulation on that specific exercise. NO. This is really bad advice. NEVER lift to failure. You will injure yourself. Can you imagine a newby trying tto squat to failure. recipe for a broken back. Or trying a bench press to failure - broken neck! DONT DO IT. Multiple Sets can be used in the following circumstances. . The initial stages of learning a new exercise. . During rehabilitation Definately. Remember it is the intensity that is important, not the volume when it comes to gains in strength. One warm up set of 50% of maximal weight can be done for 5-10 repetitions to oil the joints for the big work set that is to follow. After completing a set and when your breathing has returned to normal proceed to the next exercise. There is no time limit here just what you feel comfortable with, be it 3 or 5 minutes etc. again it depends on your goals. Make no mistake about it put what you have leaned here to practice and you will start to finally make those long awaited gains you have been after. snip url Use google to get advice from several different sources and go with those who make the best case. But be conservative in what you do. Lifting weights can be dangerous. Above all be careful and always underestimate how much you can lift. ps. Isolation exercises can be useful too. You should generally do isolation exercises at the end after doing the compound exercises. But you should have a good reason for doing isolation exercises. I generally do a few isolation exercise to make a session up to an hour. Ray |
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