Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

Lifestyle Health & Fitness
41

Iori Yagami, after your feedback on Animal Pak, I have started taking it. 11 tablets for this and 9 tablets for Nitrix everyday coupled with >120 fl oz of water is getting extreme in the beginning, but hopefully the Pak will be beneficial in the long-term.

You talked about ZMA. How effective is this product? I read up on it and it of all the positives, the one thing which struck me and it was important from the view of daily diet is you have to have low calcium intake in order for your body to get the most out of Zinc and Magnesium, the elements helping in the growth and nutrition of muscles and bones, since calcium sucks in/absorbs the Zinc's and Magnesium's. The recommended intake of it is half-hour before you sleep at night. Any thoughts on the reduced dosage of calcium? Also, on this, which brand did you take? Bottle name would be helpful in further research.

FrozenFire, my point of view on your question is if one has bigger triceps, it would not necessarily help in bench press, but since bench press is a compound exercise which requires the push from all the muscles in your body, having a little bit of everything is necessary to lift heavier. Pec is very important as it is one of the most worked upon area during this exercise. Triceps alone would not cut it, I don't think. The combination of all muscles, particularly the ones in your upper body, will be beneficial in lifting more. My view only.

Also, one thing I have come across with certain people doing the bench-press is that they put both their feet on the bench rather than on the floor, and that is not the correct way to do it. You could easily get tilted either side because of imbalance and since your feet are up on the bench, you would get no support at all. Having the feet placed firmly on the ground is a basic requirement to lift properly.

42

If you are just taking the multi vitamins from animal pak then there is no need to worry heh.

I used optimum nutritions ZMA. I didnt really cut down on calcium. Never really thought about it . There are some studies that show that it is very beneficial. But there were also some studies that showed that the athletes in these studies were already deficient in zinc and magnesium. But this only showed that as an athlete unless you are replenishing these minerals through a source you are going to need to take them. I suggest , if you want to, get ON's ZMA and take it as directed on the bottle.

๑۩ﺴ ☞ My Golden Jubilee ☜ ๑۩ﺴ
43

Re: Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

Anyone intrested to have this ultimate strength training machine (full commercial) PTS -ENS3 by Hoist Fitness USA should contact me for more details.

44

AnimalPak feedback - After trying out their small container consisting of 15 Paks, suffice to say, I am not happy with this product for a number of reasons. This is touted to be one of the best multi-vitamins and it works for some but it has left me vastly disappointed. 11 pills in a single packet taken with 9 pills of Nitrix everyday have left me feel like a patient. I had bought Nitrix with high hopes that it would plateau my current workout regime and bring me to another level, but so far, just varied results on that one, not as much as I had hoped for. I didn't use Creatine for the first week or so while taking Nitrix but lately I am mixing that in with the protein shake because I have been unable to carry some of the exercises I used to do, and creatine isn't helping at all. Supposedly, it cancels out the effects of Nitrix but I was getting concerned about my routine changing due to the inability to carry out the usual tasks. Back to AnimalPak, the only thing this has given me is long-lasting sleep, but sacrificing 11 pills and I am trapped in bathroom half the day because of the intake of high volume of water. I am ready to try another multi-vitamin. ON's ZMA is one which Iori suggested. Any others which I could perhaps look into?

45

zma is not a multivitamin. The being in the restroom all day part is because of excess water you will drink when using NO and creatine. You are going backwards because you are over training. I would suggest that you step back and take a serious look at what you are doing and how much intensity you are putting in. You also need to look at your protein consumption and your carb consumption. i would say you need a couple of weeks off. Change out your routine. Start taking 2 scoops of protein right in the morning, half an hour or so after your NO. Also take in a scoop with a banana or orange half an hour before you work out . Take two scoops and eat two baked potatoes right after. Also take in 5g of creatine before the workout and 5g after.

All of this will not work if you are overtraining and doing the same old things you have been doing before. Change it up completely,i would suggest you pick up an issue of Weider's Muscle and Fitness Mag, grab a workout from it and start working on it after a week or two off. Also, keep a note book with you. Log everything down.Every two weeks check to see if you are improving.When you stop improving, change things around. Your goal should be to keep your body guessing.

46

Re: Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

Iori Yagami, thanks! From what you have suggested, I have started to look at a number of new workout routines, and I have also decided that a short break will help me train hard. For NO, I will put that on-hold for now and I will resume the pills when I go back to the gym after the break. In the meantime, I am looking at a few options for multi-vitamins, meal supplements, body mass formulas and whatnot. You are right, the goal is to keep the body guessing and make it happen at the right time, too.

47

I am not sure how advanced you are but i am pasting a link on here. It is for a training method called DC training. I suggest you read it, search up on it more on the internet. I know the guy who came up with this method is on some internet boards too. Research it well before you use it ! do not use it , i repeat do not! use it unless you have read it , re read it and re read it countless times.Look up the stretches that he is talking about. I know he has the videos up on some board. If you want to try this method then go all in after your break. Keep that log and make sure you improve every time. If you do it right then results are guaranteed. And focus on the stretching part like you would on any exercise. Stretches have been proven to increase muscle strength dramatically all on their own.

He lists a meal plan of sorts too. If you want you can kinda look at it . If you want low amount of pills then ON’s opti men multi vitamins are pretty good.

48

I was bored so i thought i would write down what i think should be a beginner's workout. Usually when someone starts lifting weights, their purpose is to gain strength and size. The most important exercises for this person would then be :

  1. Barbell Squat/Smith machine squat:

Why squat ? Because it is a mass builder exercise. It forces your entire body to grow. You are not just focusing on one muscle group, you are carrying a lot of weight on your back. Every muscle in your body is fighting to keep you balanced . You are also pushing against this weight. Hence the size gains.

  1. Deadlift:

The same way the Squat is the kind of mass exercises, deadlifts are the best for over all strength. Again, you are lifting a hell of alot of weight straight off the ground and your body is fighting to go through all the motions required to complete one rep. This exercise is great for developing your lower back and legs as well as helping you gain a lot of strength fast.

  1. Flat bench Barbell press:

The most popular exercise of all. Every one loves it. Supplement with incline, decline,smith machine and stretch. Or pushups.

  1. Barbell Shoulder press:

For the shoulders. Supplement with smith machine press e.t.c .

  1. Wide grip pull down/Pull up :

This will help you build your upper back.

Sample split:

Monday: Chest/tri's

wednesday: shoulders/legs

friday: back/arms

In addition to these you can work your triceps with close grip bench presses/skull crushers/ reverse grip bench. Work your arms with barbell curls. Do some forearm exercises e.t.c. But your focus should be on those 4 moves and tricep work. The rest of the exercises should be used to supplement. Or thats what i think ...

49

Re: Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

very nice iori.. and once you get into advanced level..you should start adding little exercises that are not very popular and are often neglected such as exercises of forearms,traps,lower abdominal muscles, rear deltoid muscles, hamstrings etc..

the exercises mentioned above by iori are compound exercises and they do target smaller muscles but if u wanna have a really defined body, u shud add specific exercises that targets smaller muscles..

once again, nice post iori.

Lets learn local languages
50

I wanted this to go in to my previous post but i cant seem to edit it. So it will go here. I have been lifting weight on and off the last month , slowly getting my body used to it again. I think from tomorrow on I am going to get in to a program. I will list the exercises and goals i am looking at. Input is appreciated. I am not in to "body building"i probably am not like your average gym munky. I have used weight lifting as a injury recovery tool in past and usually when i do go in to the gym it is associated with fitness, not getting big arms or a huge chest. So on to the exercises and routine:

Chest:

1.Flat bench: Not too good at it. But It has to be done. So i will. Looking at 3 to 4 sets 6-10 reps.
2.Incline bench: higher rep range say 8-12.
3.Smith machine: 3 sets of 8-10. One last set using the rest/pause technique .
4. Extreme stretch for 1 minute.

I like to change things around a lot. So i change sets/reps/order when i feel like it. I also like to do different exercises so i could do dumbbell press instead of barbell. Depends on my mood.

DeadLifts:

Romanian Deadlifts: My savior, the exercise that is probably the most beneficial. If i really look at it all we really need are dead lifts , squats and clean/deadlifts.Anyway looking at 3 to 5 warmup sets. 3 to 4 working sets. Reps anywhere from 4 to 14.

clean and deads: Still thinking about these. Dont know if i will do them. But these have the potential to add so much mass to your body. They are really intense. So i dont know. If i had a gym partner then i would think about them. I do know in my heart that i should do them. The potential increase in arm/shoulder and well the whole body is immense.

Rack Deadlifts: If used with deadlifts rack deadlifts help you increase your strength alot faster than you normally would. So yea i probably will use these.

Ill probably fit in the deadlifts on my back and arms day.

Squats:

Barbell Squat,Smith machine squat e.t.c. The works. Thinking about doing widow maker sets. But i dont know. Those can kill and i dont know if i should take the risk. Those can do damage if not done right.

I will work calve's after squats. Usually i use the 1 second up, 5 second down and 15 second stretch at bottom rule. But i will do normal reps sometimes just to get the muscles used to lifting heavy weight.

Shoulders:

Barbell press: 4 sets with partial reps.
Smith machine or arnold press: 4 sets with rest pause in the last if i think i need to.

Supplement with dumbbell and machine work.

Back:

Pull down: 4 sets. 1 second down 6 second up. Or the normal way. Depending on mood.
Row: The same.

The third ill pick and choose from any number of exercises. Depending on mood .

Arms:
Barbell curl: 4 sets. 6 -12 reps
Preacher Curl: 4 sets high reps. Last set again is a rest pause set.

i will pick a forearm exercise to use. Again the method would be 1 second up 6 second down rule. Also some wrist work.

Triceps:

Reverse bench, close grip bench, machine pick and choose .

Split will be the same as my previous post. In addition to these exercises, i do plan on doing extreme stretches focused on individual muscles. Studies have shown that stretches alone with any other exercise can drastically increase muscle strength. These stretches will include stretch work for biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders and upper back. So i think that should do it.

51

Re: Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

great.. and then you say u're not in to 'body building ' lol.. well, despite you not wanna build huge chest,arms,quadriceps.. you'll still build them pretty good if u keep doing these exercises that u mentioned above continuously..and by gradually increasing the weights.

anyway bro, these are all good , but you should not forget cardio exercises too.. what happened with me personally was that i was too much in to weight training, i didnt put too much effort in cardio exercises and i ended up losing my stamina.. I mean i was not even able to walk a km.. i could, but with heavy breathing.. so, after I noticed that.. i started doing cardio for like a month until i know im good again.. so ya, the whole point is that you shud have atleast one whole day for cardio exercises. It's a must!

52

I say i dont body build because i dont focus on the individual muscle exercises much. I posted them here but in the gym ill probably just coast through them and not pay that much attention hehe. My cardio is good, thats why i have a 3 day program. So i can walk and run and maybe rock climb the rest of the days.

53

Some good posts, all of the above. Thanks to both of your suggestions, I have started to go back on my routine but have cut down on the number of days per week of training. Previously, I realized I was overtraining with the same routine repeated number of times, as Iori Yagami suggested, a break was in order. The kind of routine I have now is much what Iori has mentioned, the split-body routine, pushing more in reps everytime, adding a new set when necessary. Also, Nitrix is completed on the side daily (mood changes are pretty bad when it comes down to this).

FrozenFire, I see you mentioned about the importance of cardio, which I cannot agree more on. How many days of cardio do you do in your routine now? Are they manual (running/jogging in the park etc) or are they machine-based cardio?

54

Re: Beginner’s guide to bodybuilding.

dont end up taking steroidz lol :hoonh:

55

Re: Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

^^ hehe no one here is promoting steroids.. so no worries..

ok guys..so i finished the second 5lbs of whey protein... now i wanna go for some other brand.. i was using Optimum nutrition 100% whey protein.. now i just wanna give some other brand a try... what do you say is the best in terms of quality of whey protein and has the maximum amount of protein in a scoop?.. also, plz let me know how it taste as well. Thanks.

56

Six Star Muscle - Professional Strength Whey Protein. The only brand I know of that has no Suclarose (the ingredients in the websites lists Suclarose but the jar I use does not, however, they both are the same), has combined protein isolates and concentrates (same case with ON) and is dissolvable in water and tastes better. 25 grams of protein per scoop.

57

Re: Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

there is no difference in the amount of protein whey will provide. Its all the same. Some brands have different sized scoops, hence the difference in protein per scoop. I personally like ON the best...

58

thanks for the reply.. hmm, is this brand available in regular GNC stores?.. and is the taste almost the same as ON or better than that?..

thank you.. welll that make sense .. my concern is mostly about the taste.. becuz most of the whey protein shake i have tried before ON were terrible in taste.. i do not want to waste any more of my money in some lame product.

59

Re: Beginner’s guide to bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding.com - Whey Protein Products Sorted By Top Sellers!

bsn products are supposed to taste good.

60

Re: Beginner's guide to bodybuilding.

First of all thank you for your replies guys.
I have had hardly any time to post on this forum lately.
Therefore Ill keep my reply short this time.

My reason to post here is following:
I came across a very interesting article regarding Glycocyamin (i.e.: ingredient of No-XPLODE BSN) which can cause cardiovascular diseases.

I'm boycotting these products for now. Let me know If you have any contra productive arguments so that I might take my accusations back. (cant find the article anymore, sorry for that!)